As we begin to prepare to re-enter the dungeon, a dwarf comes wandering up the hill. His name is Qwand Borgazdin and he has an amazingly unbelievable story (Something about General Tso’s Shrimp).

We invite him to join us. He claims to be handy with weapons.

Qwand and Kire discuss whether Qwand is a thief… he’s not.

We go back into the cave. We go down the stairs into a great room, octagonal with 3 statues. Grunk finds one false door and tries to disable the true door. He gets smacked by the statue and then disables it. Turns out the other door is false too. Everyone searches for the real door. They find it behind the left statue. There are drums behind the door.

As the door opens, there is a slight whoosh from pressure change and the party finds stairs which go up. A ?large? “Intruders!” is loudly shouted. Well I guess the battle begins… or perhaps just a warning cry set off. Not going anymore however (just a trap). People moving getting ready for… something.

Kire prepares to cast detect magic, but is foiled by another player who shall not be named… sits on rear instead. Party follows suit. Voice demands surrender. Grey dwarf (short) materializes and stabs Grunk. Kire pierces Dwarf critically with crossbow bolt. DM snubs paladin… twice. Many more gray Dwarves materialize. Carbuncle casts a mighty Str spell on Grunk (Str 20) – what a paragon of Priestly goodness. Kire slays first Dwarf, followed by Grunk. Scary encounter suddenly seems not so scary. The Gray dwarves prove to be minor opponents as we open a major can of whoop-ass. Grunk skewers the unconscious Dwarf that backstabbed him. The rest of the group ruffs up the Dwarven prisoner.

Editor’s Note: Ok, this next part is really screwed up. I’m pretty sure Ben is writing this from the reference to Xymox, an old Psionisist character of his. The party is interrogating the Dwarf they’ve captured. Meanwhile, I think Orander is listening to a single door behind a throne in the room.

Kire inults dwarves in elvish but they don’t care. There is a hole in the smithy. It could crush us. How many reinforcements? What passage? TWO DAYS to Dwarven city. Xymox pops his head off. But back in reality, Orander tells us some guys are working but there is an escape route. Grunk looks at door. Opens door. Axe in the head but not really, instead it just hurts. John says “Don’t be declaring any damn hold action.” Then John says, “Do you need to make a to-hit with that shit?” [What?! Ben’s fired. -ed] But he is declaring instead we will unerringly do damage and thusly the Orander of greatness casts magic missile at a woman dwarf. Grunk says most dwarves have beards.

The woman’s name is “Damra.” She is kickin’ Grunk’s butt. Orander causes her ??grant few??, cause he’s so powerful. We kill her with difficulty. There are more invisible footsteps heard.

A big room. Chamber as Council room is beyond the dead woman duergar. There were potions and 2 sleeping pallets.

The next room held another pallet, though poorly cared for.

[Margin Note: Cyclones rock!]

Different prople investiage different rooms. Qwand finds a secret door.

The party goes wandering to their deaths (in Orander’s mind). There are many tunnels, ladders, and dead bodies to be found.

Grunk finds a sword marked with Durgeddon’s symbol. It is magic. There’s also a big giant hole with a waterfall falling into it. Find quarters of a former higher up guy. Kire tries to neatly roll up a rug, but the rug had other things in mind and grapples himm. A “Persian” battle ensues. An announcemnt “a party of bitterness your table’s ready.” Meanwhile, the rug squeezes Kire and drips him. Rug eyes up Grunk, but then decides to lay back down. Kire is healed, swears he will never step on a rug again. Room is searched while avoiding stepping on the rug. Chest opened:

1,200 sp, 3000 cp, star sapphire (500gp), matching topaz (90gp each).