Session 78 Day 22 of Flocktime: More chaos, but also a strong burst of law

Feno, Armaziti, Gnorcia, Dwerom, Kryo, Arnd and I (Tatania) were in the Barrow Maze, on day 22 of Flocktime, after playing around with the magic pools we'd found. Mixing and drinking unknown potions is a very bad idea. You never know what might happen. Nevertheless, after Gnorcia had drunk a potion with a positive result, the lure of increased stats was too strong for me to resist, so I'd done so as well. It was after my intelligence increased to super-human levels that I noted that the "correct" combination of Red-Black-Purple depleted the pools more than would be expected for how much fluid was removed, even though the other combinations seemed to have no effect on the levels. Definitely mystical forces at work there. That should have clued me in enough to prevent Hilja from being pressured into drinking the combination that proved poisonous. I'll probably feel guilty about that for quite a while. What good is being intelligent if you don't have the wisdom to use said intelligence? I'm determined to find a way to increase my wisdom so I can hopefully prevent such tragic events in the future.

So, we were standing around and noticed that even though we'd emptied the pools completely, they were slowly refilling. In a completely unexpected move, Feno mentioned an interest in drinking a potion. Considering how Kyro had been physically prevented from drinking a vial (although not by Feno), I was surprised. I didn't think that anyone else would want to try. Still, I mixed up the correct combination and handed it over. Again, my lack of wisdom kept me from thinking things through completely, and Feno's lawful alignment reacted poorly with the chaotic potion. I should have known that would happen! I'm supposed to be smart! Fortunately, Feno's convulsions from the interaction only resulted in some bruising and nothing permanent. I hurried over to check him as best I'm able. When he declared that he'd be fine, I foolishly offered to give the potion to anyone else who wanted to try it. What was I thinking? I think I was still affected by the euphoria of having my intelligence increased like that. It was quite a rush!

After a bit of discussion, we figured that the ones who benefitted from the potion were of either chaotic or neutral alignment. Armaziti decided he wanted to try the potion but since he is lawful (just like Feno), I felt it wasn't a very good idea. He was wiser than I in that he mixed Holy Water in with the potion before he drank it. It turned a golden yellow and granted him a huge increase in his hit points as well as a bit to his wisdom. I admit I'm rather jealous of his now-level 18 wisdom and I could have really used some additional hit points.

Feno expressed a desire to break down a brick wall at the end of the passage, and Kyro volunteered to help. Together they used the sledge hammers to bring it down. Gnorcia pulled out some crackers from her rations and nibbled on them while she watched the destruction. Since there was so much noise, I kept an eye on the approaches, to guard against intruders. Gnorcia and Dwerom joined me in guard duty, although Gnorcia also continued to eat. Armaziti and Arnd plopped themselves onto the floor and ate lunch with admirable dedication, considering how unappetizing the rations are compared with the great food we've been having at the Foaming Mug.

Kyro entered into the passageway found behind the brick wall and carefully walked to the north. There was a skeleton in a decayed shroud, holding a small gold box. Kyro nudged the box with his sword and it fell from the skeleton's hand. There was an arrow attached to the top of the box that was wildly spinning. I determined that since it was spinning it was either clockwork in nature, or magical. Considering how long it had apparently been there, clockwork would have long ago wound down, so magic was most likely. Feno suggested that someone should cast "detect magic" and Dwerom said he could do so. Unfortunately, "detect magic" doesn't identify what kind of magic, or what its effects are. Still, his spell affirmed what I'd supposed. Dwerom does have an "identify" spell, but didn't have the necessary components to cast it.

I entered the new passageway and noted that there was a statue to the south. It didn't seem important enough to investigate immediately, but I heard Lhoss behind me. I like Lhoss, and was glad that she was with us. I was curious about the box Kyro had discovered, so I went up to see it. I picked it up, the arrow immediately stopped spinning, and pointed to the north-east. I placed the box in my pouch while I went over and inspected the wall it was pointing at. It was just a boring wall with nothing unusual I could spot, so I decided to eat my lunch right there.

Meanwhile, Feno and Lhoss went south to inspect the statue. Feno mentioned that Arnd liked to wander a bit, and someone compared Arnd to Hodour and how much more the dwarf was easily distracted. I commented that maybe explained Hodour's affinity to squirrels. Dwerom took time to examine the skeleton, hoping to find anything of note. All he discovered is that it was a standard human. Armaziti still seemed a bit dazed by his stat increase and was looking at the wall in the corner. The sword was a large granite likeness of a knight, holding a double-handed sword. Feno bowed in respect to the depicted warrior, while Kyro saluted it with his sword and pronounced, "Well met, fellow Warrior." I figure it must be some warrior thing, so whatever. The statue remained unmoving, just a statue.

Armaziti continued to inspect the walls, without finding anything of note. After I finished my lunch, I went over to the stone slab that the skeleton had been lying on. It's plain and quite normal, so I decided to arrange the skeleton's bones respectfully on it. Kyro decided to eat his lunch then and I pulled out the gold box again and walked down toward the statue, looking to see if the arrow changed at all. Somewhere on my journey, the arrow did a 180 turn and started pointing south south-west. I didn't really see where it changed, but had an idea. I concentrated on the box and tried to mentally instruct it to point me toward treasure. It doesn't respond at all. Since everyone else seemed busy eating or inspecting the wall, I verbally ask the box, "What are you pointing at, Box?" It continued to ignore me (assuming it has any sentience) and didn't change its direction again. I decided to retrace my steps back up to where I picked the box up originally, but the arrow stubbornly continued to point SSW. I don't know what caused it to change, and it's rather frustrating to me.

The walls continued to be unexceptional despite how many of the others were looking for anything interesting. Eventually, we grew bored with that and I thought that maybe it would be a good idea for Feno to take the holy water-enhanced potion. I assumed that the pools would have filled at the rate they had been, and I was shown to be accurate in that assumption. I made the correct blend and took it to Armaziti, wanting to minimize the variables in how the golden potion was made. Dwerom offered a vial of holy water that Armaziti mixed with the potion, resulting in the same golden potion he'd made before. Armaziti passed it over to Feno, who drank it and gained supernatural strength of 19 and +1 dexterity. Feno said that Dwerom ought to have some of the golden potion as well, since it had such a good effect on him. I wanted the wisdom boost, but feared that the holy water addition would be unlikely to help me, especially since I have no particular affiliation with any diety.

We discussed alignment for a while, and how the potion pulled people toward chaos if they weren't already so aligned. I am very much chaotic aligned, so it had pretty much no effect on me that way, and I understand that the same applies to Gnorcia. Lhoss was truly neutral before taking her potion, and now leans slightly chaotic without being actually chaotic. It was a bit confusing, but we worked toward a general understanding. Dwerom debated taking the potion himself, and eventually decided to try it. I mixed the potion for him but he mixed the holy water in himself, not waiting for Armaziti to do it for him, and luckily got the same result. He drank it down and had his strength and intelligence increase by a point each. Arnd followed with his own holy water-enhanced potion, gaining 4 hit points and a point of strength. Caught up in the excitement, I foolishly made me another potion and (eschewing the holy water add-in) chugged it. I wanted the wisdom increase so much, it made me incautious. Unfortunately, I didn't get it. I didn't get any increase with the second dose. I just began running in circles and ended up passing out, exhausted. When I came to after a few moments, I internally cursed myself and agreed with the others that we were done with the pools. At least I didn't do myself any permanent damage.

After a moment, we decided to see if we could follow the arrow on the box I still had. There was a passageway a bit to the east that went south that we took and at the end of it was a standard dungeon door. Lhoss graciously relinquished her door-opening duties to Feno. Feno easily opened it and found a room with a raised portcullis in it. There was a passageway beyond where the portcullis would drop that had a couple doors off of it. Feno and Armaziti went down to the first door and Gnorcia got worried that opening the second door might trigger the portcullis to drop. She felt a bit familiarity about the area but couldn't explain what or why. The box continued to point south-west, so Kyro and I joined Feno and Armaziti by the unopened door. Everyone else moved down past the portcullis area before Feno attempted to open that door. Once we were closer, we could see there were several doors and the sense of de ja vu grew stronger with the older members of the party. The first door opened to a room that had been recently explored, including footprints that match Gnorcia's, giving credence to the thought that at least some of us had been here before. Lhoss noted that there are footprints that match hers as well, assured that this is not a new area for her. Each of the rooms are opened in turn, proving empty and showing more of the tell-tale prints. It was rather anticlimactic.

Finally, the passageway turned toward the west, and the arrow on my box obligingly turned to point down that way. We gathered at a door that somehow is too tough for Feno or Armaziti to open. Lhoss gave it a try but was also unable to open the door. I gave it my all and amazingly the door opened for me. Inside were three huge green scorpions. EEEEWWWW! I hate scorpions. Fortunately, I hadn't relaxed enough for them to be a surprise but, unfortunately, I was up front and in range to be attacked. 

The scorpions were extremely fast and took advantage of that speed to attack both myself and Feno. Feno was hit by the stinger of one of the scorpions and fell, gagging from the poison. The one that attacked me hit me with a claw but didn't hit me with its stinger. Gnorcia did an amazing vault over Feno to be able to attack from behind, but her sword just skittered off the carapace of the scorpion. My magic missiles slammed into the face of the scorpion that was attacking me, doing some damage but not quite enough to kill it. Lhoss threw her own magic missiles at the foe attacking Feno and singed it. Feno was shaking from the effects of the poison and was unable to do anything in his own defense. Armaziti dug a "cure poison" vial from the bag of holding for Feno to take while the third scorpion crept up on Gnorcia and attacked. It hit her with its claw and also its stinger, poisoning her too. Dwerom advanced with his sword since firing his bow into the scrum would be too hazardous to the rest of us. Dwerom hit the scorpion, dropping it down to a single hit point. His attack gave Feno the clearance to escape from the foe and take the potion from Armaziti which he quickly drank. Kyro tried to hit the scorpion that had attacked me but his sword bounced off harmlessly. Let me say again, I HATE SCORPIONS!

The nasty thing attacked me again, knocking me unconscious but not poisoning me. Gnorcia was flailing from the poison and a scorpion managed to knock her unconscious as well. Lhoss hits that scorpion with her magic missiles, leaving all three scorpions near death but still extremely dangerous. Feno, having recovered from his poisoning, smashed into a scorpion with his sword, obliterating it completely. Gore splattered everywhere. Kyro used Big Stabby to flail about uselessly, unable to hit anything. Arnd attacked the weakest of the two remaining scorpions, splitting it lengthwise with ease. Armaziti poured the second "cure poison" potion down Gnorcia's throat and she immediately began to breathe easier and her color improved greatly.

Dwerom went after the final scorpion with his broadsword, dealing it some damage but not quite killing it. It struck back at Dwerom, hitting him repeatedly with its claws but missing with its stinger. Feno hit the scorpion viciously, turning it into paste. Lhoss came over and bandaged me up while Armaziti healed Gnorcia, although she ended up with a weakened left arm. Fortunately, she is right-handed, so her fighting shouldn't be affected. Armaziti then came over and healed me with no lasting effects. 

Back behind the dead scorpions there were three corpses of members of the Band of the Black Hand as well as a large pile of coins. Lhoss scurried over to the corpses to desecrate them as best she could, shredding their Black Hand badges and grinning wildly.  She REALLY dislikes the Band of the Black Hand, you know.  Kyro and I count up the treasure and divide it up amongst the group, making us all a lot richer.  We also find three unidentified potions (a dark grey with white speckles, a bright translucent green, and a dark opaque green) and two pearls. The potions went into the bag of holding along with the slightly smaller pearl, while Dwerom took the pearl that was slightly larger in the hopes that it will be adequate for his "Identify" spell. I wish him luck in getting that spell to work.  Also, I made a note that we need to be sure to buy more "cure poison" vials as soon as possible.  Without those, we would have been in a huge amount of trouble today.