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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 3787603" data-attributes="member: 16069">I'll post the map next week of the locale, I've started to do one of the UK, Berkshire becomes simply Berks, the inhabitants of which are hulking brutes of limited thought capacity. In fact a Berks Barbarian, or Berkzerker, as they're more commonly known, is truly to be feared, although fazed by very simple mechanisms and tools- for example, a spoon.Thanks, as always, for the feedback, and so- here we go again.Dungeon Crawl Classics #11 The Dragonfiend Pact For 2nd Level CharactersTurn 28: Well… Well.And so two days later, fully equipped, the adventurers huddle around the Well, looking down.“Dark.” Jim’s on fine form.“Come on then.” Cas proclaims, grabs a rope and ties it around Newt’s waist.The pair complete their task and the Gnome climbs up and over- he’s lowered down.Ala stands a little way apart, staring hard at Cas, sorry Cassy, still not speaking to him.“There’s a door, hang on.”Newt shouts back, his sunrod flaring in the confines of the well shaft, an obvious secret door, slightly ajar in the side of the well some sixty or so feet down.The shaft descends further into a pool, who knows how deep, of inky black water.“Swing the rope.”Up top Jim, Cas and Bec do as they’re told.Newt scrabbles forward on his strange trapeze, garbs hold of the stone door, and with great effort wrenches it fully open.“There’s a secret passage. Swing again.”And thirty seconds later Newt is in to the corridor beyond the door, he has a quick look, there’s nothing to be seen, although the passage seems to open out into a larger chamber a little way ahead.A secured rope soon runs from the Well above to the secret passage below.Bec- the heaviest, and also, probably, the best climber, is the first to test the way.SPLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH“Ooops.”The giant man plummets past the opening, checks how deep the water is.“BEC.” From above.“You alright?” Newt from the open doorway.Bec surfaces, grins, spits out water.“Sandwich.”He smiles.A shadow, something long and thin, detaches itself from the wall behind him, and slips silently into the water.Jim follows Bec down the rope as the soaked Barbarian bobs up and down, now illuminated by another sunrod.The Ranger reaches the passageway safely, uncoils another rope and throws it down for Bec to grab.Ten seconds later Jim and Newt begin to haul him out.SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSNAPA water snake, a Viper, no more than three feet long takes a chunk out of the Barbarian’s backside- he gurns a second, still clutching the rope, and then lets go- falls back down into the water.Beneath the surface Bec thrashes and grabs hold of the slippery thing- grips it in his huge hands.SNAPThe Viper takes another bite out of him.BLBBLLLUBBLUUBBL.Bec screams, and releases the snake, which swims away into the dark water.Bec surfaces again, spluttering.“SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYKKKK.”The Barbarian thrashes the water, grabs at the rope, above Jim and Newt heave-ho.Bec is half out of the water, he’s heavy.SNAPAnd bitten again.He kicks his legs and screams; the water around him turns to foam.“SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYKKKK.”But fails to dislodge the creature which coils around his leg and slithers up his body.“PULLLLLL.”Jim screams as Bec jolts upwards, scraping against the wall of the Well- the snake still attached to him.SNAP.The Viper takes another mouthful of Barbarian flesh, this time from the chest, its poison takes hold, Bec feels himself getting weaker, the strength being sapped from his hands, his grip weakening…“HEAVE.”He’s hauled upwards again, barely holding on.SNAP.Another bite, he grips on to the rope for dear life.And then he’s over the lip and into the light of the passageway, barely able to lift himself, Jim dodges in, grabs the snake and flings it back out into the Well shaft.“Get down here- he’s poisoned.”Newt shouts up.Five minutes later the adventurers are in the passageway, Bec has most of his wounds healed, and yet the Viper’s poison still courses through him. “Are you alright?” Ala asks.Bec shrugs.“Take it easy.” Cas cautions.“Take it easy?” Newt whispers back, “not much chance of that.”Cas shoots the Gnome a look, Bec chuckles and draws his longsword- it gives him comfort.Another sunrod flares, Cas and Newt leads the group forward into a much larger chamber.The corridor spills into a large cavern, some twenty feet wide; it extends forty feet away from them. The air is damp, the constant drip of water. The cavern floor is uneven; it slopes down away from the adventurers. The cave boasts a number of fine stalactites and stalagmites, also loose rubble and some rotting timbers.Cas grabs Newt’s arm.“Look- there’s an exit.”And so there is, another passage, hidden a little by the stone formations of the cavern.“We should check this place out. Don’t want to leave anything dangerous behind us.”Newt states, mocking the Paladin, and inches forward.“Be careful little one.” Cas offers, genuine.Newt tuts and shakes his head, mouths ‘little one’, and moves on forward.“Wait.”Jim appears.“Look.”Jim points at a desiccated corpse of a cave lizard, and then another, and another, and… There are lots of them.But Newt’s sunrod glints off something silver and gold on the cavern floor, his greed gets the better of him- he moves forward to investigate.And at that second a huge section of the cavern floor seems to tilt and lift, to pivot, out scurries a Monstrous Trapdoor Spider, the huge creature skitters forward with lightning speed, straight for Newt.Fwung.Newt fires his crossbow, the bolt lodges in the ceiling of the cavern.Fwung.Jim fires too- his arrow heads high and wide.Just in time Newt dodges and tumbles behind a stalagmite, the Spider is thwarted.Newt scrambles back, as the Spider climbs over the stalagmite, screaming.“SPYYYYYDER.”Fits another bolt into his crossbow and fires again.Fwung.Misses again, he’s hard against the cavern wall.“Newwwwwt.”Jim, cries and then charges, he gets about five yards.Before getting caught in a complicated, and previously seemingly invisible, lattice of spider’s webs, he’s stuck fast.Ala dodges left, finds a clear space, notches an arrow and lets it fly- it whizzes over the top of the Spider, and clatters into the wall, a little way from Newt, who doesn’t look best pleased.The Monstrous Spider bends low, its fangs smash against Newts chain shirt, score grooves in the Gnome’s armour, but do not pierce the mail.“Smidgin.” Anya whispers coming to the end of a scroll- a single Magic Missile wends its way, lightning fast, across the room and thumps into the Spider’s abdomen.The Spider draws away. Attempts to turn in close quarters.And just in time to meet the charge of Cas and Bec, Bec clears the way through the webs, tearing a Barbarian-shaped gap through which Cas follows.The Barbarian’s longsword swings and crunches into the Spider, crippling two of the creature’s legs and loosing a spray of black filthy ichor from the wounds. The Spider rises up, struggling desperately to turn. Cas races in and stabs the beast in its exposed underbelly- the creature deflates, sinks to the stone floor, dead.Silence for a moment, the adventurers catch their breath.Newt sees his reward, scuttles over, and takes, what looks to be, a beautifully made dagger with a large opal set in the hilt.“Are we finished?” Cas asks.Newt nods.“Then let’s get on.”The adventurers make a cursory search of the chamber, discover a hand full of silver and gold and then filter on through the other passage.They press on.But not for long.“Stop.”Newt creeps ahead, the five-foot wide passage turns to head west, ahead a rusted portcullis blocks the path.“It’s trapped.” Newt confirms, “there’s something magical about it, there’s a sigil etched into the floor- a magical ward, someone doesn’t want to be disturbed.”“Can you manage it?” Anya enquires.“Give me a minute.”And as good as his word, although more than a minute passes, it’s actually nearer five.“Done.”Cas and Bec file forward, grip the bottom of the portcullis and wrench it upwards.GRRRRINNDBec holds it aloft.“Come on.” Cas waves the others forward.SLICEA spear shoots out of the passage wall, at least only part of the way out, misses everyone, Jim reacts quickly, hefts his battle axe and smashes the spear in half.“Quickly.” Cas shouts and encourages the others onwards.There seems to be a small, previously hidden, small round hole in the passage’s northern wall.MOOOOOANThere’s someone, or rather something, on the other side of the wall.“Wait. There may be more traps.” Newt cautions.The adventurers file through to the far side of the portcullis, which Bec lets go of, it stays in place, locked in the up position.“There’s a door.”Ala rushes to it. Jim, Cas and Bec get into place.The Priestess of Correllon flings the door open, into a darkened chamber, a sunrod arcs into the room.A small irregular shaped room, it reeks of decay. Four Dwarves wearing rusty chainmail and carrying spears, one of which is broken, inhabit the place, they turn to face the adventurers. Flesh sags and hangs from their pale faces, lifeless unblinking eyes- they shamble forward.“Correllon hear my prayer.”Ala wields her Holy Symbol.A pale light encompasses the quartet, they stop, mid-stride- frozen.“Destroy them.”Bec, Jim and Cas let rip, the Zombie Dwarves are defenceless, and in thirty seconds are no more.“Who the hell were they? And why the hell are they here?” Cas is flummoxed.“Spread out- search the place.” Anya states.The adventurers set to.Collectively they discover a number of ripped torn and shredded pieces of paper which when joined back together, Anya completes the jigsaw in record time, form a message, of sorts.Anya reads, after first deciphering the code.“It’s simple really, it says-Work AgreementDated- May 10th.This contract is between Stoneshaper Masons (contractor) and Chloram (hirer). In return for the sum of 450gp, the contractor agrees to provide the following services: construction of a portcullis with a hidden lever, a ten foot deep covered pit, and a pair of simple traps. These services are to be performed at an undisclosed location- here, obviously- and shall be completed within 30 days of the start date. The contractors agree to keep this secret and shall not disclose the location to any other sources- I think that’s guaranteed.”Anya stares down at the dead-again Dwarves, then continues, reads on-“Where was I… Payment terms: 25% advance with the remainder due upon completion of the services. Contractor supplies all raw materials needed.It’s signed, Chloram.”Anya looks up at the expectant faces.“And you’ve realised by now that Chloram is an anagram of Malchor, who, I believe Cas, is the Innkeeper of the Wellow Inn, where you, and Ala, are staying.”Anya finishes.The Paladin and Cleric look surprised and guilty, then nod, and share a look.Next Turn: Lucky Newt.</blockquote>

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