Ah, greetings, dear readers! Vilma of Orlane here, your humble chronicler and resident expert in all things delightfully absurd within the Barrel Maze. As you know, I simply adore peeking beyond the veil and seeing how our intrepid adventurers are faring. Some say I have a knack for some off the wall stuff, but I simply say... well, let's just say I see things others don't!
Day 2 of Ready has been quite the ride. We found our full group – Feno, Arand, Armatzi, Dwarum, Norsha, Nikki, Los, and Cairo (don't worry, I'll try not to butcher those names too much, though it is rather delightful when I do) – deep in the Barrel Maze. Their current quest? Pressing eastward!
And why eastward, you ask? Because Armatzi, the lawfully good cleric of St. Cuthbird, had a "good feeling" and was instructed by his deity. Feno, ever the loyal battle buddy, trusts him, though their alignments (Armatzi's Lawful Good vs. Feno and Nikki's Neutral Good, Los's True Neutral, and Norsha's Chaotic Neutral) suggest some underlying friction in principle, particularly with Norsha and perhaps Cairo.
They quickly ran into a familiar face... or rather, a familiar wall. The brick wall they've avoided before, knowing there's a roundabout way. This wall, my dears, is sentient. It mocked them, blew a raspberry, and even disappeared at one point. Apparently, interacting with it previously resulted in a chemical burn for poor Norsha, leading to a general aversion now. It seems a strange force has awakened in the maze, making even the walls feel alive. Wise move, avoiding the sassy masonry!
Our adventurers all have their own reasons for being here. Cairo wants money for Tanya and to help people. Los, the true neutral rogue, is motivated by gold, group safety, companionship, and a burning desire for vengeance against the necromancers who attacked Orlane, stemming from shame over abandoning her village. Norsha is mostly about the money and enjoying her friends. Dwaram, who was actually found trapped in a pit in the maze and rescued by Norsha, is now in it for the money to pay off a 300 gold piece debt. Armatzi follows his divine directive to vanquish evil. Feno is driven by vengeance against Naor, who slaughtered his family. Nikki, the neutral good druid, might be motivated by monsters poisoning the land. Arand, also rescued from the maze, wants to pay back his saviors and the maze itself.
Their explorations led them to a large chamber with pillars covered in stone gargoyles. They felt watched, heard faint breath, and even a burp! Then, one of the gargoyles, a rather haughty fellow named Zaxic with fangs and a forked tongue, flew down to speak.
Zaxic offered them wealth if they would defeat another gargoyle, Zigstrol. This immediately seemed like a simple case of one rival wanting another removed. The deal involved some rather suspicious requirements, including... unholy water. Armatzi, of course, was appalled. His deity would not approve! Zaxic, as a show of "good faith," offered access to nearby tombs. The catch? Exploring or taking anything from the tombs meant a binding contract to return in seven days (Day 9 of Ready Reach) to fulfill the bargain.
This led to a delightful party debate! Armatzi, true to his principles, declared he would take no part in the deal. The rest of the party, however? They jumped at the chance for loot, happily accepting the contract. A red hexagon symbol appeared and faded on the floor – confirming the pact. As Los wisely put it, why not accept and just deal with the gargoyle if he betrays them later? Seems perfectly logical to a true neutral, if you ask me.
The first tomb they opened (using a spike and sledgehammer, naturally) contained a shelf with urns and a basket. The basket held silver! A nice haul of 54 silver pieces for everyone, with two left for the party bag. The urns were empty, alas.
Opening a second tomb proved more exciting. Two nasty creatures in black robes attacked immediately. They were Wraiths, requiring magic to harm them. Combat erupted! Dwaram's magic crossbow bolt shattered. Norsha's attempted flank missed. But Los, oh Los! She spider-climbed the wall, got behind Wraith 2, and landed a magnificent triple-damage backstab, utterly obliterating it. Wraith 1 attacked Los but missed. Cairo's plus-one broadsword, 'Dynasty', struck true, and Arand's magical warhammer, 'Witherbrand', also found its mark. Dwaram, proving he's not just a melee sort, finished off Wraith 1 with two Magic Missiles.
Victory and 183 experience points each! Waiting for them was a large metal coffer. Of course, it was trapped! A magical blast hit Norsha and Cairo, but they only took 10 damage each thanks to successful saves. Inside the coffer? GOLD! An incredible 4,262 gold pieces. That's a whopping 532 gold pieces per person! This sparked another debate, as Armatzi refused his share, deeming it part of the gargoyle's deal that he had rejected. He felt taking the gold would be unlawful and a waste of St. Cuthbird's time. The others, having accepted the deal, happily took their share.
The gargoyles had the last laugh, their chuckles echoing as they promised to see the party next week, on Day 9 of Ready Reach.
So there you have it! A successful foray yielding silver, gold, experience, and the defeat of some nasty undead. But they've also made a pact with a possibly shady gargoyle. Will they return in seven days? Will Armatzi stick to his principles? Only time will tell!
Until our next adventure... or gaming session, whichever comes first!
Signed, Vilma of Orlane
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