as written by the cavalier Olmas Lurecia, himself.

Wealday, 15 Arodus

Having picked up Suishen, I felt more powerful, but I also felt a greater responsibility.  While I’d become adept with the great sword, Suishen just seemed to fit comfortably right into my hand.  I felt like life had just gotten a bit more challenging for those that opposed us.

We returned to the stairs we’d found earlier, with Radella and Ivan leading the way. Radella spotted a trip wire, and even though she pointed it out, my feet betrayed me and I tripped over it. That made some bells ring nearby, and we knew we’d just alerted our presence to somebody.

And sure enough, from around the corner we heard noises.  A dozen zombies started lurching toward us.  The good news is, Suishen cut through them easily, although they were giving as good as they took, too, and I was bleeding in several places.   But then, beyond the zombies, we saw a figure gesturing.  It vaguely resembled a troll, but was using a crossbow and, apparently, magic too!

It seemed amused until we mowed through the zombies, Ivan shot at it, and Radella walked up and smacked it just as Kali summoned a lantern archon.  This seemed to discourage it some, and it suddenly created a 20′ deep pit in front of it and moved off down the corridor. I asked Suishen to cast airwalk before Qatana healed us all a little.  I was still pretty bloody though.

Ivan held onto me and I airwalked over the pit.  Qatana cast fly and she and Kali went over, and the archon floated over easily, of course. Etayne still had a little fly left in her, so she also moved over the pit.  With the rope that Ivan had carried over, Radella was able to swing over the pit.  I felt I needed to take a moment to down a potion of healing. Etayne threw a little burning gaze the way of the troll, and Qatana whacked it with her flail. It looked oretty bad as it slumped down in a corner.

However, I had noticed four statues with Tien origins and twisted grimaces on their faces near the door the troll had run to.  When Qatana ran up to thwack the troll, two of these came to life and advanced on her beating her badly. Quickly, she displayed her raven figurine, and the statues, thankfully, returned to their stations.

The troll-thing carried

[330] fugitive bomb
[331] wand of undead control [11]
[332] MW heavy crossbow, 19 bolts
[333] heavy pick

After a brief discussion, we decided to inspect the unopened doors behind us before opening the double doors that the Tien figures guarded. Returning, we found the pit gone now.  One door had boxes of things on shelves, in a vaguely orderly manner.  There was a slightly sickening odor in the room, but Qatana took [334] 6 bottles of Korvosan wine as a trophy.

The next room was locked and trapped, but Radella was able to disable it.  Upon entering the room, we knew we’d found our reward.  There were stacks of coins and bars – so much that all we could do was estimate what was there. However, one trunk was radiating magic, so we went there first.  As we pulled out the items inside, especially those radiating magic, we slowly came to the conclusions that we might be looking at Ulf’s possessions.  If he were still alive, then he must lie further down the corridor somewhere.

As we continued to pull things out of the chest, our happiness started to ebb. When we pulled out the mithril rapier and the gold signet ring, we stopped and looked at each other.  These were Ameiko’s things.  She must be captured too.  The search took on a new urgency.

But there was nothing left to find.  She must lay behind those double doors.

We quickly but efficiently made our plans. When we go in, you go this way; I’ll go that way. You be ready with this; I’ll be prepared with that.  Before we entered, I asked Suishen to give me see invisible, because I had a hunch that if Silverscore was behind this door, he/she/it wouldn not make it easy.  For the same reason, I activated the flame on the sword.

We burst in the door with the Ring of the Ram to the sight of 8 ninjas and a human. The ninjas attacked immediately, as Silverscore hid behind a screen.  A ninja downed a potion and became invisible …. but not to me!  I called him out, even as Silverscore did the same thing.  A dire bat appeared as glitter fell from nowhere and revealed Silverscore standing where I’d pointed. I wasted no time in taking out ninjas even while I kept my eye on Silverscore. They were vicious from a distance with their poison weapons, but when they were standing next to you they were not so tough.

She finally assumed what is her actual form,  Kimandatsu, but my vision and ample glitterdust kept her visible for all to see.  She had a nasty cone of cold for me, and although I was close to death I sensed victory and kept fighting.  My perserverance was rewarded a moment later when she finally fell.

We picked off her body

[368] wand of flame arrow [9]
[369] scale mail (tien)
[370] +1 tetsubo
[371] MW Composite longbow, 18 arrows
[372] lesser bracers of archery
[373] ring of 3 keys

We also picked up something that looked valuable: [374] 2 silver braziers.  Also in the room were

[375] 6 fugitive grenades
[376] 9 potions
[377] 16 tindertwigs
[378] 8 jade statues
[379] MW thieves tools
[380] 8 ninja suits
8 dagger
8 MW short bow
8 MW siangam

Radella found a secret door, a corridor behind that, and two more doors.  One radiated cold, and appeared to have evil behind it.  We heard a low growl.

The other was locked, but the keyring was our friend.  Inside, it was dark but we could make out two figures lying on the ground.  There was a small pond, and it too radiated evil.

“I will go in and put myself between the pond and the people,” I told Ivan. And “they” were Ameiko and Ulf, as it turned out.  The creatures that came out of the pond reminded me of large frogs, and lights came out of their eyes which could blind people (they blinded none in our party, however.)  I and the others ultimately slew the frog creatures … safety first!

Both Ameiko and Ulf are dazed and injured, so we are pausing a second to help them recover.