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Mendenton: Part 2 - The House (IRC)
Dungeon Master: Following the merchant within you enter into the Councel Hall.
The entrance hall is large and round and the wooden floor is kept polished. A curved stairway
heads around the left wall and up to the meeting chambers while three seperate doors against
the far wall from the entrance head to other chambers. Within is a modicum of activity.
Curious and businesslike merchants, most in finery, stride from door to door as they complete
their business. The rotund merchant whom you followed within heads up the stairway - in a
hurry.
Gerom "So who should we talk to?"
Alex "I don't know - I'm not experienced in city life"
Dungeon Master: It appears you'll have to ask someone where the council is to
be found. There are no signs to help you find your way.
Quinn asks the next person to bustle by where the council is to be found.
Merchant "Up there. They are starting session any minute." He smiles and hurries on.
Foline distractedly starts pacing a bit to the side.
Gerom adjusts his armor.
Quinn says "Let's go." and runs up the stairs.
Alex turns to Foline, "So, here we go." and he smiles.
Gerom makes noises: chink, chink, chink....
Dungeon Master: Up the round staircase you five travel. At the top are broad
double doors which a stately man of some 40 years is closing from within. He sees you and
pauses in his closing of the doors.
Quinn makes his way quietly into the room.
Gerom says, "Thanks," and pushes though.
Statesman "Hey! You can't just barge in here like that. Do you have business
here, warriors?"
Alex "Yes, we do."
Gerom "Uh... yeah."
Dungeon Master: Five other men, including the pudgy merchant, are seated around
a half-round table, facing you. You recognize Azrim on the far left. You notice that there is
one seat which is empty. Presumably that of Sir Nossant who is gone to war.
Quinn "You don't want to make a rucus now that we're in here. We have questions about a particular house in this town."
Foline to Quinn > :: whispering :: "People here sometiems not so nice".
Quinn whispers to Foline:: "People are often rude to those they don't understand."
Azrim shakes his head and whispers something to the man next to him.
Gerom "Uh... we're going to go check out that haunted house in town."
Foline to Alex: "Hey, isn't it the old man we saw in the little house?"
Alex whispers to Foline "That dwarf is a bit too..... direct."
Foline "You think so ??"
Alex continues whispering to foline "Yep. He is" and smiles at her.
Foline smiles back.
Alex "Gentlemen, we are sorry about interrupting you..." he says calmly "But we do require your attention."
Quinn finds a place out of the way and waits for the proceedings to begin.
Dungeon Master: One merchant, sitting next to Azrim, stuffs his hankerchief in
his brest pocket after coughing, speaks to you:
Merchant "What is this pressing business?" He takes out and lights a cigar,
"You mentioned a... house? Purchases are made downstairs." Puffing on his cigar he watches
you all standing there by the entrance through the smoke.
Alex "We are preparing to investigate the allegedly hounted house that could be found in this city"
Quinn "We seek permission to explore the so-called "haunted house" in this town."
Balan "Well. Exploring the rumors. We all know there is no such thing as haunted places."
Rotund Merchant "Well.... " *hufff* "you wish to go to the house on the bay... what is it?"
Azrim "Dodokilno House. The one of that old alchemist that passed on twenty ago."
Cigar Man "That was before my time. I always thought someone lived there."
Azrim "Nay, it has been rotting and abandoned ever since."
Rotund Merchant "Let these men, and this lady, go exploring it then. What harm can be done?"
Alex "We only wish to inform you, in case that any.... accident... would happen to us..."
Gerom We heard that the Council sent someone to check it out a few years back...they didn't come back."
Quinn "And we will bring back any information we find there."
Dungeon Master: A merchant who has a patch over his left eye stares out from his good one at you. He wears a distinguished navel captains garb.
Naval Captain "Men have gone there...... and not come back!" His rough voice fills the room.
Azrim nods.
Cigar Man "Indeed."
Gerom pats his axe and grins.
Foline whispers to Alex, "Those men are confused I think".
Alex whispers back "why do you think so, my dear Foline?"
Foline whispers to Alex, "They are old strange silly men."
Naval Captain "'Tis dangerous. The spirits will suck the life from your flesh. Spit you off the cliffs and into the sea... Aye they will."
Foline whispers again to Alex: "Will the undead really do that to us ??"
Alex whispers back again "I don't know.... there are no undead, believe me, Naya told me that it's all nonesense"
Azrim "It has been niegh 5 years since anyone has walked up the hill to that
place. None of the townsfolk will have anything to do with it. Some of us still remember the
screams that use to come forth from there. But if you truely wish to test your skills there...
I hope you have the powers of magic at your call for steel alone can not harm the strange
lights and spirits which dwell there - I'd imagine."
Alex "We are prepared to fight... And we can fight. We do have at least mental powers at our call..."
Cigar Man "Hmm, what say you Mence?"
Mence (the Rotund Merchant) "Tis dangerous, but if they truely wish to go..."
Naval Captain "Aie, fine then. Risk your skins if you'll have it that way. But we'll not be saving them from the clutches of the spirits that live there."
Azrim "Seems you have our permission then. Good luck, and be careful. Go during the day in all gods names!"
Cigar Man "Well. So they're going and it's settled... let's move on to other things." He turns from you to the other members.
Quinn "Thank you for your leave, gentlemen. We will bring back any information we gather there. Thank you for your cautions." He then motions
to the rest of his friends that they should leave...while the leaving is good.
Alex "Thank you, Gentelemen"
Alex leaves the coucil's chamber and goes outside.
Dungeon Master: On your way from the hall, at the bottom of the stairs you hear
a voice call from upstairs, "Jacob! Mulkazar wants you!" You see the cigar smoker at the door
up there. A young man runs up there.
Gerom heads out. Chink, chink, chink.....
Quinn glides out behind him. Quinn says to Gerom outside, "What do you think of our chances?"
Alex "We could fend for ourselves."
Foline "Alex, what we do if there are hostiles ?? What we do then ??"
Alex "Fight them, Foline..."
Foline "Mmm .... fight with this ??", gestures the staff.
Alex to Foline "Use your weapons..."
Foline goes with Alex. "But I never used them to harm anyone."
Alex "I've never used my kind to harm anything yet. But we're far from our home, and things are a bit.... different"
Quinn "Look at it this way, Alex. Undead are the tormented souls of people trapped in the damnation of automated bodies. To destroy them is to free their spirits."
Alex "I know... Though I don't believe much in undead."
Foline "I'm confused Alex !"
Balan "You're always confused."
Alex "The problem is... that our resources are limited at best..."
Gerom "We're here to kick ass and take names. Still, we might want to get some
silver daggers before we go."
Quinn "Crass, but I agree. That might be a good idea. If any are to be had."
Balan "Maybe there are some goods there. Gold and stuff.... I know my pockets are getting pretty empty."
Alex "I only got a few silver pieces"
Gerom "Let's get some silver daggers before we head out. I have some money left."
Quinn "Me too."
Quinn suggests that we swing buy the weaponsmith's on the way to the house.
Gerom looks for a weapons dealer.
Balan "Come on Gerom - let's show them there's nothing there after all. Probably just a bunch of rotting boards and maybe a bone or two."
Gerom "Probably..... but it's good to be prepared."
Foline, leaving with Alex, "I hope that my confusion won't do anything bad."
Alex "No it won't, Foline... believe me, it won't"
Gerom "Eh? What's there to be confused about, lass? We're going up there."
Quinn "Foline, calm your mind and your thoughts will clear. Your confusion is based in aprehension, I'm sure. Off to the weapon dealer."
Foline "I will try" smiles
Alex "Yup. A few silver heads for my crossbow's quarrels could help..."
Dungeon Master: You make your way out onto the town streets. The rain has
slowed to a constant drizzle. After asking your way around you find a weapon smith of a
small shoppe a few streets away to the north.
Gerom looks over the weaponsmith, and clears his throut
Weapon Smith "What was that ? Talk of crossbows? Looking to buy?"
Quinn enters the shop. "Good day, smith. Have you any silver daggers?"
Dungeon Master: The smithy is a short man, with a short burnt beard that is
tattered about his face. The shoppe is small and open to the outside, with enough weapons of
various kinds about to fill a wheelbarrow. Their quality looks comperable to those which you
already possess.
Weapn Smith "Nay stranger - silver is expensive, I'll make them if you have the
silver though. I'm Aron, what be you called?"
Alex "Alexander Ilkevno"
Gerom Gerom Grimforge.
Quinn "Quinn Leonhart."
Quinn "We haven't the time to have such weapons fashioned. Perhaps upon our return, good smith."
Aron nods. "Well if you ever need repairs.... I know some of armor repairs too..." Aron then waves goodbye.
Quinn motions to Gerom and nods his head toward the door, then walks out.
Alex leaves the shop with foline "Here we go..."
Gerom heads out.
Foline smiles. "Did you get anything?"
Alex "We don't have enough time to get ourselves silver weapons.... we'll manage anyway..."
Quinn "Let's get going. We're losing day light."
Balan "Are we going to the dodo house?"
Quinn "Yes."
Gerom begins walking towrds the House of Dodokilno. Chink Chink Chink....
Balan follows, whistling and watching the people in the street (especially merchants).
Alex follows the rest.
Quinn keeps in step with Gerom.
Gerom (chink rustle chink rustle chink rustle...)
Dungeon Master: You travel out of the south gates and make your way along until
you find an overgrown and muddy trail that heads up towards the ruined manor. The house stands
on the cliff top, about 70 feet above the ocean. The hike up to it is not difficult. Upon
arriving you can see that the remains of a 6' high stone wall surround the place. The wall
is collapsed in many places. Thorns and vines grow over it and the broken iron gate which
bars the pathway. Beyond you can see the home. There is a feeling of desolation about the
place. What once was a groomed yard and garden has fallen to disrepair and has become
overgrown and swampy. The cliffside behind the house has suffered in years past as well and
you can see where the rear deck of the home hangs well over the edge of the worn away cliff.
A dangerous place to be.
Gerom unslings his shield and readies his axe.
Quinn "What are you doing with that thing out already, Gerom?
Gerom "You never know...."
Quinn unsnaps the retaining strap on his scabbard.
Alex loads his crossbow
Quinn carefully enters through one of the breaches in the wall.
Foline looks at the garden. "It's so beautiful".
Alex carefully follows Quinn, ready to fire his crossbow.
Quinn "Balan, care to act as our scout? You seem to be the stealthiest of us all."
Balan "Hmm... yes. But watch my back! I hate rats."
Gerom carefully steps through the breach.
Balan goes ahead about 20 feet and over the ruined wall.
Alex looks around carefully.
Quinn stays alert.
Foline walks with the staff. Looking around.
Dungeon Master: The yard is a disaster. The front of the house is two stories
tall and in old fashion the floors are oversized. The whole thing stands about 35 feet from
the ground to the eves of the rotting roof. The roof is gabled and peek-pointed. Broken wooden
shakes lay on the ground - blown off from windstorms. There is a small covered wooden porch
right before the door of the front. The door is a double affair and all of you can hear Balan's
footsteps on it creaking loudly.
Balan frowns.
Gerom "Two, maybe three stories, I'll bet."
Gerom "Probably rotted, that porch. Careful on it."
Alex carefully checks the porch with his leg.
Dungeon Master: The door stands partially ajar (just a few centimeters) and the
deck squeeks. Looking beneath the deck you can see that it is just bare ground and no danger
of fall is imminant.
Alex approaches the door slowly, his light crosbow ready
Balan "Guess I won't have to pick it."
Gerom "Wanna oil those hinges?"
Foline stands ready. A bit perplexed.
Gerom "Don't want to let anybody know we're here....."
Balan pushes open the door.... QUIETLY.
Dungeon Master: The front door opens onto a musty, dirty entrance hall. To your
left a corridor leads into the west wing of the house. On either side of the corridor opening
the walls are bare but some pieces of wood in the corner near the window indicate that a small
wooden table or chair once stood there. Ahead of you, another corridor leads towards the rear
of the house. To your right a staircase climbs to the next story, reaching it at a balcony
which overlooks the hall along its north and west sides; the stairs appear safe to climb
though the balcony rail is broken in several places. Under the stairs at the rear of the
hall a third corridor leads east. There is a musty and rotten smell to the place. You can
hear the timbers creaking softly in the wind off the ocean bluff. The floor is solid looking...
Alex "Which way, my friends?"
Foline closes her nose a bit.
Balan keeps an open eye for anything suspicious.
Alex "I think that we should first explore the lower floor and then move upward"
Gerom "Ok"
Gerom flips a silver coin. "Left?"
Alex "Ok..."
Balan makes his way to the left.
Alex slowly follows Balan to the left.
Dungeon Master: You are looking down a long and dirty hallway. Bits of rotted
wood and cloth are scattered against the walls. There are doorways at the back end of the hall
way (some 40 feet away) and doors to the left and right just before the end.
Quinn "It would make sense that an alchemist would want a laboratory built of
stone so that if any of his experiments went awry, he would not destroy his entire home. The
cliffs are stone, therefore, it would make sense that he built beneath the house."
Balan whispers, "But not ghosts."
Gerom "Thought you said there's NO SUCH THING...."
Balan "There isn't such a thing."
Alex "Let's get to these doors"
Balan "Left, right, or straight ahead... the doors....?"
Quinn "When in doubt, go left."
Balan "Left it is."
Gerom "Anything this close to the entrance has probably been looted already."
Balan moves quietly to the left side door.
Foline "Alex, I'm confuesed again. Where we go?"
Alex points. "Towards these doors, Foline."
Balan moves into the hallway and stealthily makes his way to the left sided door.
Alex follows Balan slowly.
Quinn follows quietly.
Balan examines the door.
Dungeon Master: The door has no lock on it. It is plain and rusted beyond
repair. The wood looks frail.
Balan pushes it open.
Alex gets closer to the door
Gerom hefts his axe.
Quinn draws his broadsword just in case.
Dungeon Master: You look into the room beyond. You can tell that this room was
once a library, with bookshelves around the walls. Most of the bookshelves are broken now and
in many places have come away from the wall altogether. Those few shelves still intact are
empty but there is a pile of books in the southwest corner.
Quinn investigates the book pile.
Alex enters a room and picks up a book.
Dungeon Master: You count fourteen books of varying condition. Most seem to
have been ruined by the moisture, mice (rats?) and such. Three are clearly titled on their
sides. "The Magical Properties of Gemstones by Mage Taenon", "The Magical Properties of
Herbs and Flowers by Mage Taenon", and "The Metaphysics of Mathematics by Mage Nyroun."
Alex tries to read one book.
Foline goes behind Alex and tries to pick a look behind him
Dungeon Master: Within the text is cramped and full of highly technical
language. It would take a specialist in these fields to comprehend the contents.
Gerom "Sounds valuable. to a mage."
Quinn "They are valuable to me."
Gerom "Worthless magic crap.......grumble grumble"
Balan "Money... we can sell'em."
Alex "Great.... money is one of the things we need." Alex gestures to Quinn
"Can you understand these books?"
Quinn carefully wraps the books in cloth and stows them in his pack. "With a
little study, I'm sure I'll look them over when I get a minute. It will take some time to
bring myself to understand them fully. I won't be able to do that while I walk around. I'll
check them out tonight. If they are useless to us, they will be valuable to collectors."
Alex carefully searches the room
Gerom looks for secret doors.
Dungeon Master: The only other contents in this room are rat droppings and
cobwebs. Mold grows on the ceiling.
Quinn reads the math book while the rest search for stuff.
Foline follows Alex, "Was there anything in that book ??"
Alex "Yes, foline.... but things that only a mage could understand..."
Foline curve face a bit. "So what now?"
Alex "We wait until the dwarf searches for secret doors, then look into the other room"
Balan searches the back wall and book cases.
Foline "I can also try to look for secret doors".
Quinn "Hey, I found a slip of paper in the math book that said something about beyond skeletons. The rest was indecipherable."
Dungeon Master: Your searches come up with no secrets.
Balan "I'm pretty sure there are none here."
Alex "So let's get to the other room"
Balan "Which room next?"
Balan goes back out into the hall way and examines the right hand door.
Quinn "The one on the right looking in from the door."
Alex stands right behind Balan
Foline finished looking fo secret doors, without success
Dungeon Master: This door is the same as the last. Old, and starting to rot,
the hinges are also rusted. It is about 8' tall (2.6m) and 4 feet wide (1.3m)
Balan opens the door.
Balan I try to do it quietly.
Alex what do we see through it?
Dungeon Master: You look into the room beyond... This room was once a writing
room or study. Against the wall under the windows is a large wooden writing desk partially
broken and riddled with dam p rot. There are three drawers in each pedestal and a large
central drawer; the latter is closed but the others are all open -- two obviously broken open
forcibly. You hear the squeeking of mice and their scratching in the walls...
Gerom "Let's open that other drawer."
Balan walks over to the desk and examines the drawer.
Foline looking curiously at the room, trying to find any secret doors.
Alex examines the room carefully, hoping for anything of interest.
Dungeon Master: Two drawers are broken as if by a crowbar. The center drawer
is firmly closed and locked. The desk is in solid condition.
Quinn "Hey...can anyone here pick locks?"
Balan picks the lock and grins "I use to be a locksmith."
Quinn "Oh, how convenient. Good job, Balan."
Dungeon Master: With a moment of work Balan successfully opens the lock on the
aged center drawer. Within are a bunch of papers and parchments.
Alex leans over the table and looks into the drawer
Gerom "Ghhrrmmm. More magicky crap?"
Balan pulls all the papers out.
Dungeon Master: They appear to be purchase orders for chemicals and equipment
of a similar nature. All written in Thennish.
Alex starts reading the papers carefully.
Dungeon Master: Other papers are merely receipts. None hold any valuable
information. The other drawers of the desk are empty.
Quinn "Seems someone has been here all ready. I wonder how long ago."
Alex looks around.
Dungeon Master: The rest of the room is bare except for an old hat-rack which
is propped up behind the doorway.
Balan pulls out the drawers and tosses them onto the floor.
Alex examines the hatrack more carefully, maybe it could hold anything of
interest, like a secret door opening.
Dungeon Master: It is merely a hat-rack you find.
Balan searches the desk. "I found something."
Gerom "Eh"?
Balan holds up a 'small glass vial of clear liquid.'
Foline turns head as she hears Balan.
Dungeon Master: It is tightly capped with a cork.
Balan "I wonder what it is. Probably not bad because it was kept hidden. I
found it behind the center drawer."
Alex "This could be some poison.... the inkeeper said that the alchemist poisoned himself."
Balan pockets it for later examination. "Where to?"
Alex "Towards the other direction we should go."
Balan "There is still that third door at the end of the hall."
Alex "allright, so let's check it."
Gerom nods.
Balan heads out and over to the end of the hallway.
Alex follows Balan carefully.
Foline follows Alex. Reach her hand and grabs Alex' hand softly.
Dungeon Master: The door doesn't appear to be locked either and shows signs of
being used sometime in the past. There are marks showing where the corner of the door has
dragged across the floor.
Gerom looks for mold over the scuff.
Dungeon Master: There is no mold and the scrapes on the floor are not
completely discolored and weathered.
Alex "Someone has been here recently."
Foline "How you know Alex ?? I can't see anything."
Alex "it appears that someone have operned the door recently..."
Foline tries to examine it. "Let me see Alex".
Balan "Did you find anything?"
Foline "I found something !"
Alex "What have you find?"
Foline "It's... a booted footprint. Yes. A booted one !"
Alex "Can you see how old it is?"
Foline "Alex, this fotoprint I found is a couple of days old".
Gerom "Hmmmnnnn..... That's really odd. Ghosts don't need to open doors....."
Balan starts to open the door the rest fo the way so to see within.
Dungeon Master: beyond is a larger room, about twice the size of those previous
(20 feet deep and 40 feet wide). There are two windows against the back wall and a window and
door to your right. A door in the north wall leads onto a small paved patio, the paving now
cracked and over-run with weeds. There is a pile of refuse in the south east corner.
Otherwise, the room is bare.
Gerom poke the refuse with his axe.
Alex approaches the pile and examines it.
Dungeon Master: The pile is old clothing and rotten straw (as if from a
mattress). There are bits of broken wood and burnt paper, including the half burnt spine of a
book. The ashes are old and cold.
Gerom pokes it with his axe.
Alex searches the pile more carefully
Balan "Find anything?" Balan goes to look out the windows.
Alex "I'm still looking."
Foline helps Alex looking.
Dungeon Master: As Balan crosses the floor to look out the opposite windows
your entrance you hear a wicked and frighteningly loud voice boom outloud! "Welcome fools!
--- To... your... deaths....." disturbingly insane laughter follows and trails off into the
air of the house. The voice seemed to come from all directions.
Balan What?!
Alex "Probably magic!"
Balan whips out his sword.
Alex prepares his crosbow.
Foline is frightened from the scream and folds back into Alex.
Dungeon Master: The voice leaves a terrible chill in your bones and those of
you with timid hearts flee. Those of you who who are brave enough steel your nerves and
watch in horror as your party members flee.
Alex runs away, in utter fear.
Gerom does too.
Quinn "Wait! There's nothing to be afraid of... well... "
Balan flees.
Quinn follows back to the entry hall.
Foline "Alex! That was terrible!"
Alex screams in ultimate terror.
Dungeon Master: The door of the room you fled from swings back and forth until
its corner catches on the floor, keeping it half-way shut.
Gerom "That's why I HATE THAT MAGIC CRAP!"
Dungeon Master: All is silent but for the creaking of the house as the wind
outside is getting stronger. The drip of rain outside is barely audible.
Balan "What the hell was that?"
Alex "Magic..... damned magic..."
Balan looks at Quinn suspiciously.
Foline holds Alex for a little while.
Gerom joins Balan in looking suspiciously at Quinn.
Quinn gathers his cloak about himself and returns the gaze levelly.
Quinn , "I did nothing."
Alex hold Foline, and then calms down a bit.
Gerom looks suspiciously at BALAN.
Balan "Hmm."
Balan "Well, I am not going back."
Gerom "Let's go the other way...."
Alex "We should go the other way..."
Balan "I'm not going back in there - not to that room."
Foline "I think so too"
Balan "Now where?"
Alex "We should go the opposite way"
Balan isn't so hot to scout ahead now.
Foline "This scream was almost to death. Do you want to continue?"
Alex "We should continue. We must find out what was it's source..."
Balan "I'm not so sure about that. I just want some gold."
Alex moves slowly to the right.
Dungeon Master: Alex, and the rest of you following, can see down another,
slightly longer hallway. There are two doorways on the right, with windows opposing them and
shedding feeble and broken light on them. The floor is wet in places where the rain has come
through the windows.
Gerom "Of course, we COULD just torch the place and look for the cellar in
the ashes...."
Balan "Then we would lose valuable things possibly."
Gerom "No more house...no more ghosts..."
Balan "No such thing."
Gerom "Exactly."
Alex walks slowly towards the first door.
Foline follows Alex.
Dungeon Master: Ok, Alex heads down the hall first. The floor seems solid
(though you can hear that it is hollow and there must be a cellar beneath). You arrive at
the first door (on the right). Through the window to the left you can see the rain, the
cliff and the harbor far below.
Foline's eyes shimmer as she see the rain and the cliff.
Balan keeps a careful lookout.
Dungeon Master: Alex, you're in the lead.
Alex opens the first door and slowly enters the room.
Dungeon Master: The door opens easily, though the knob is rotting out from it.
Beyond you can see into the room. The room is about 20 by 20 feet in it's dimensions. Windows
with tattered drapery look out to the front of the house. The only thing of any note in the
room is a clump of tiny red mush rooms apparently g rowing out of the floor all around the
fireplace in a roughly semicircular formation. Otherwise the room is bare. The fireplace is
to your right.
Foline place one hand on the staff and the other on Alex.
Alex examines the fireplace carefully
Dungeon Master: It's morter is still solid. It appears to be in good condition.
Foline hurries to the mushrooms.
Gerom searches it for secrets.
Alex steps into the large fireplace and searches its inside.
Gerom "Watch out above you, lad."
Foline gropes the mushrooms.
Dungeon Master: The mushrooms are red and very small.
Foline picks out one mushroom and smells it.
Alex steps outside.
Alex "Gerom, could you look in it's inside? You're better in it than me."
Gerom "Sure."
Gerom "Found something... a loose brick.
Alex "Try to pull it out."
Gerom pulls the brick from the fireplace and holds up a small leather pouch.
Foline tries to munch some of the mushroom.
Gerom "You sure that's safe to eat?"
Alex notices foline "No.... please.... it could be poisonous."
Foline "I don't think so, it doesn't seem dangerous."
Gerom dumps the bag out into his hand, then hold up an amethyst in the
sunlight streaming through the window.
Balan "Finally! Something of value."
Gerom "Not very valuable, but worth it."
Alex "Nice gem you got, Gerom"
Balan wonders what it is worth.
Gerom "We'll have to get it appraised."
Foline is still with the mushrooms, munch some more of them.
Gerom "Stop that. You don't know where that's been...."
Foline "Why ?? It's only a little bitter, that's all". Smiling.
Balan goes back out into the hallway.
Gerom heads for the second door.
Alex "Come, foline, let's search the other room"
Alex follows Gerom
Foline "ok, I'm coming." Takes a few mushrooms in her bag.
Dungeon Master: The door to the next room at the end of the hallway is already
ajar. Looking within you can see that it is empty. The only thing of interest is that the
quantity of fallen plaster on the floor is significantly greater than elsewhere.
Gerom "Hmmnn.... something upstairs, perhaps"?
Alex searches the pile
Dungeon Master: You find nothing of interest.
Balan "Weak ceilings maybe?"
Alex leaves the room and motions to Foline to follow him to the entry hall.
Foline comes with Alex and takes his hand.
Balan follows.
Alex feels comfortable with Foline holding his hand.
Gerom goes to the base of the stairs.
Alex "Is there another way that we haven't gone to but the stairs?"
Dungeon Master: You return to the entry hall. To places remain unexplored. The
hallway to the back of the house and the stairway which goes upstairs. The stairs appear to be
solid and sturdy.
Alex "We should get to the back of the house first."
Gerom "Ah. yes."
Foline "Are you suer you don't want to pick the stairs?"
Alex "First the first floor."
Gerom "Carefull, the floor may not be stable in the back there."
Dungeon Master: Glancing down the back hallway you can see that about halfway
down its 30 foot length there are doors tot he right and left. The door to the left is open.
The end of the hallway bends to the right and at the corner you can see another door.
Alex walks carefully towards the back.
Balan "Remember the back of the house kinda hangs off the cliff."
Alex draws his short sword, checking the floor in front of him before stepping on it.
Dungeon Master: As Alex approaches the two doorways you all hear a scrabbling
sound from the open door to the left.
Alex readies his sword
Balan has kept his shortsword out.
Gerom brings up his axe.
Foline readies her staff.
Alex approaches the left door carefully.
Balan whispers, "Rats?"
Alex glances through the open door.
Dungeon Master: Glancing around the door, Alex and Balan can observe that there
are two very large (1m long) 3 ft long rats squatting in the corner of this destroyed living
room. The giant rats screech and scurry apart, baring their pointy fangs in your direction.
Foline "What is there Alex ??"
Dungeon Master: The room appears to have been a living room. At one time a long
table stood in the center of this room; now it lies broken -- though still recognizable -- on
the floor. A broken chair stands against the wall between the windows and there is a heap of
broken china in the northwest corner. Both windows at the back of the room are broken.
Alex "Rats!"
Dungeon Master: You all hear the sound of the rats hisses of warning from
within the room.
Gerom "Bonzai!!!!!" (charging)
Dungeon Master: Gerom pushes past and swings wildly, nearly hitting Balan.
Balan "Careful!"
Alex tries to attack a rat "Foline! Please, come and help me!"
Dungeon Master: The rats rally against you and leap into your midst. The first
charges at Foline and misses with a vicous bite. The next charges at Gerom and also misses.
Foline "Ah !" screamed and backed up a bit.
Alex attacks the rat which is near Foline and misses.
Balan swings wildly at the rat near Foline and misses.
Foline is unable to hit the rat as it leaps aside from her blow.
Gerom Swings his axe but is off balance and makes two poorly aimed attacks and
charges past the rat. Gerom curses loudly in dwarvish.
Quinn : Readies his staff but does nothing.
Rat#1 attacks Gerom and bites him.
Rat#2 attacks Foline again!
Gerom attacks once with his axe and misses.
Alex tries to stab the rat with his short sword but swings wide.
Foline tries to hit the rat with the staff.
Balan slices the rat near to Foline.
Rat#2 screeches and flips over with its guts strewn everywhere, DEAD.
Foline swings and misses.
Quinn stays back.
Foline backs off as she sees the rat dying near her.
Rat#1 with the cries of its dying companion ringing aloud, flees through the
broken window of the room.
Balan "Kick ass."
Gerom throws two daggers at the rat! They sail out the window at the fleeing
rat. One strikes it dead. It rat screams and dies.
Alex pats Balan on the back "Nice strike."
Foline's heart is beating a bit too fast, she puts a hand to her heart to
check if she's ok.
Alex searches the room carefully.
Gerom goes to get his daggers.
Dungeon Master: Searching the room reveals the corpses of smaller mice which
the rats were eating. Indeed, there seems to be nothing of value amid the ruins of
this once dining room.
Gerom climbs back in and shakes his cloak off.
Alex "Let's see what's there in the other room"
Balan looks under the broken table.
Dungeon Master: You find nothing under the table-top.
Balan "Seems there is nothing in here worth taking."
Gerom takes a bandage from his pack and wraps his wound after rinsing it out with his canteen.
Balan goes out to the hallway and wipes off his sword.
Foline heads to exit the room. "Alex, we are going out of the room, right?"
Alex "Right."
Gerom cleans his blade while he's at it. "Hope I don't get rabies. Filthy rat."
Dungeon Master: The door to the room across the hallway is closed.
Alex carefully opens the door.
Foline stands behind Alex, with the staff ready.
Dungeon Master: The door squeeks as Alex opens it. It has not been breached in
a long time. Beyond you can see into the next room. Two stuffed armchairs stand near the
fireplace of this room. The covers of both have been torn or cut and the stuffing has been
pulled out; however, the wooden frames are still intact. The pieces of a broken table lie on
the floor near the north wall. The room is slightly smaller than the previous and two broken
windows are at its back side, opposite of you.
Gerom taps the floor.
Alex "Gerom, could you check the fireplace?"
Gerom "Sure...if it's not going to drop into the sea."
Foline "No undead Alex. Was this old man fooling us ??"
Alex "I don't know what that frightening voice was, Foline..."
Gerom "Either the chimney is really unstable, or something lives in it."
Gerom taps the floor in front of him.
Dungeon Master: The floor sounds firm.
Gerom "There's another loose stone....but I saw some dust drop out of the
chimney a second ago. Might be a trap." Gerom looks more closely at the loose brick and
cautiously approaches the fireplace.
Dungeon Master: As Gerom approaches the fireplace there is a skittering and a
large spider, some 2 feet across jumps out of the fireplace. Thanks to Gerom's observation you
are not surprised. The spider attacks Gerom! Spindly legs running across the floor at him!
Alex gets his short sword ready
Foline tries to help Gerom, with the staff on the spider.
Gerom attacks the spider with his axe and smashes the spider with a hit!
Dungeon Master: The spider goes _splat_. Dead, instantly.
Foline surprised a bit looking at the remains of the spider
Dungeon Master: The legs twitch and then are still.
Alex "Wow.... that was quick!"
Gerom "I'm buff."
Balan "Not bad." Balan approaches the fireplace cautiously.
Gerom "Might have some savageable poison glands...anybody know about poison?"
Balan "Nope."
Quinn shakes his head. "It takes tremendous skill to extract a spiders poison."
Gerom "Alex?"
Balan goes and prys loose that suspicious brick. "Hmm."
Gerom is busy cleaning the goo off his axe.
Alex "I know nothing about poisons not from plant origion..."
Balan takes out a small metal box.
Foline looking at Balan, approaching to see what he got.
Foline "Balan, what did you put in your pocket?"
Balan "Just a trinket. Nothing useful. Lockpicks you know."
Foline "Can I see?"
Balan shows Foline his lockpick set.
Alex "What was inside that box?"
Balan "Nothing."
Foline "I meant the trinket, can you show me the trinket?"
Gerom "Lockpicks are hardly 'trinkets'..."
Balan "The lockpicks. They're my trinkets - like a tinker calls his tools."
Gerom "uh... yeah.... right."
Foline "Oh, sorry, didn't know."
Balan smiles at Foline.
Foline smiles back at Balan.
Balan "So where to go next?"
Alex "All right, we should move to the next room"
Gerom nods and leads the way.
Alex leaves the room and motions to Foline to follow
Balan follows Alex.
Foline approach and follow Alex.
Dungeon Master: The next door is at the end of the hallway (approaching where
the house might be over the cliff). There, the hallway turns to the right.
Gerom peeks around the corner.
Foline "Alex, I think the old man has fooled us".
Alex "He mistook magic as ghosts..."
Balan "Told you there were no ghosts."
Alex carefully checks the floor in front of him with the short sword as he
approaches the door.
Dungeon Master: Around the corner are barren walls. about 20 feet away there is
a back door leading outside. It is slightly open. The glass in the door is shattered.
Gerom "Musta been pretty wussy people they sent up here... probably got eaten by
the spiders and rats."
Balan "And that voice?"
Alex "Magic..."
Balan examines the door in the corner of the hall.
Alex tries to push the door open by his sword
Balan "Someone must have cast the magic though."
Foline readies her staff.
Gerom "Coulda been the old alchemist."
Dungeon Master: The door's clasp opens without difficulty and the door creeaks
as Alex pushes it open by sword point. All of you can see into the room beyond. This was
obviously the kitchen. It is dirty and damp, with patches of grey mould and a few cobwebs
on the floor, walls and ceiling. In the corner to your left is some iron cooking equipment
with a chimney above. Next to it, under the window, is a cracked and discolored stone sink. To
the right of the sink a small, closed wooden cupboard is fixed to the wall about 5' above floor
level. Against the far wall a flight of wooden stairs leads upwards from left to right; even
from the door it is obvious that the woodwork is decayed and a few of the treads are missing.
Alex slowly approaches the cupboard
Foline follows Alex.
Gerom "Careful....floor may not be solid."
Alex checks the floor infront of him with his short sword.
Dungeon Master: As Alex approachs the cupboard the door of it opens a small bit
and the head of a large centipede pokes out to observe you. It's mandibles twitch.
Gerom throws a dagger at the centipede and smack! He pins the centipede to the
cupboard side. It squirms as it is dying.
Dungeon Master: Suddenly, four more come out of the cupboard to attack you!
Foline takes Alex back.
Alex attacks one of the centipedes with his short sword and hits it, killing it.
Dungeon Master: The centipedes spread out on the kitchen floor and attack each of you (except quinn who stays back).
Gerom attacks two of the critters with his axe but his attacks go wide and miss.
Foline tries staff against the giant centipedes. Her weapon soars from her
hands and crashes through the window at the side of the room.
Balan attacks and kills a centipede, cutting it in two.
Foline "No !! My Staff !!" , runs to the window.
Centepede#1 attacks Foline and totally misses.
Centepede#2 attacks Alex and bites him.
Alex "ouch!" Alex cries in pain.
Centepede#1 attacks foline again and misses!
Centepede#2 attacks Alex again and hits.
Foline is looking at the staff out of the window.. She pulls out a knife against the vermin.
Alex screams in pain and feels that he has been poisoned.
Foline "ALEX !", screams and tries to stab the vermin.
Alex "HELP ME!" Alex attacks the vermin but swings abroad and misses.
Balan attacks now and smashes another one with his short sword. It expires.
Foline attacks the vermin and slices it. The creature dies immediatly.
Dungeon Master: Your foes lay vanquished.
Foline goes to Alex. "Alex ! Are you ok?"
Alex "I'm hit.... dangerously.... probably poisoned"
Balan examines Alex for poison.
Foline "Show me the wound Alex"
Alex shows his wound to Foline.
Gerom pokes his axe around the sink, looking for more of ther vermin.
Dungeon Master: No more enemies respond to your prodding.
Balan "Stupid bugs."
Foline put her hand on the wound. "Does it hurt?"
Alex "no more..."
Alex gets up and carefully opens the cupboard.
Foline smiles. Helped Alex up and looking with him in the closet.
Dungeon Master: Within you find the centipedes next. There is nothing in the
cupboard other than the nest.
Foline "What we do with it?"
Alex tears the nest apart with his sword looking for anything of interest, then
moves on to examine other part of the room.
Balan goes and examines the unopened door.
Dungeon Master: The door is not locked, though there is a lock on it.
Foline "Alex, I need to get my staff back, it fell from the window".
Alex "Ok, go for it..."
Balan carefully opens the door.
Gerom goes with her.
Alex uses some of the water in his water skin to clean his wound
Dungeon Master: The room beyond the door becomes visible as Balan opens it.
This room has suffered the effects of damp and decay more than most in the house. Mould grows
in patches on the floor, walls and ceiling; there are many cobwebs, though even these appear
to be decaying. A large copper boiler, dented, split, discolored and empty, stands under the
window; a small heap of crockery shards is on the floor beside it. Stairs lead down into the
darkness of what is presumably a cellar.
Alex returns the water skin to it's place and enters the other room. "So, there
is a cellar..."
Balan carefully creeps into the room.
Gerom retrievs his dagger after helping Foline get her staff back.
Balan whispers "So will we go upstairs or down?"
Alex whispers "down, I suppose."
Balan hisses "I heard something! Back at the entrance."
Alex readies his sword.
Balan closes the door and draws his sword - looking to the hallway.
Dungeon Master: You all hear it now, the sound of the front door of the house
softly creaking closed.
Alex "I think that there's someone in here."
Balan hides around the corner of the doorway, out of sight from the entrance.
Gerom nods.
Gerom has daggers ready to throw.
Dungeon Master: You hear the creak of the floor out in the entrance room.
Footsteps creaking across the floor out there.... Then you all hear a harsh, softly barked
voice, "Hagrat - shumlet!"
Alex returns his sword to his sheath and readies his crossbow.
Voice#2 "Ket."
Dungeon Master: The creaking of the floor continues, your breath lound in your
ears as you listen and wait.
Gerom holds up three fingers questioningly.
Voice#1 "Yuth.... Yuth nok shalock."
Alex prepares his short crossbow to fire
Gerom nods.
Voice#3 whispers "Duman. O caman.... assss?"
Gerom motions to Balan and shrugs.
Voice#1 whispers "Balt..... assss? Yuth umans."
Balan hates this. Intelligent opponants.
Voice#2 whispers "Nak.... Ay nak."
Foline "What do you think those voices are, Alex?"
Alex whispers "I don't know..."
Dungeon Master: You hear footsteps creaking closer to the kitchen, coming down
the hallway quietly and slowly.
Alex readies his light crossbow.
Foline readies her pike.
Voice#3 : "Ath yanan. Yuth umans asss.... na arasss?"
Dungeon Master: The footsteps pause somewhere in the middle of the hallway.
Foline raises eye brow as she hears the voices.
Voice#2, now much closer, whispers softly, "Umans.... anak assss......."
Voice#3 quickly replies quietly, "Shumen!"
Dungeon Master: You hear the footsteps retreating.
Gerom whispers "On three?"
Alex "ok"
Foline nods 'yes'
Voice#1 laughs.
Gerom frowns.
Voice#1 "Umans.... dam mas toman. heh heh heh."
Alex whispers once you open the door I'll shoot...
Dungeon Master: You hear the sound of something being stretched tight. The
footsteps have stopped.
Gerom points at balan, then at the window......
Balan nods.
Balan creeps to the window. "I'll sneak around from behind."
Gerom "One..."
Alex nods.
Gerom peeks through the keyhole.
Balan tries to quietly climb out the window but glass clatters to the floor
from the broken window. "Damn."
Foline "Are we going to check it or not?"
Dungeon Master: You hear nothing from the creatures outside.
Balan goes outside anyway. You hear him not-very-quietly moving away.
Foline "Alex?"
Gerom "two....."
Alex whispers "yes"
Foline "... nothing", shake her head a bit.
Gerom points to the door, then to himself.
Voice#4 speaks very quietly, "Noth umans ... amen rakkaten."
Gerom whispers, "I'll kick it open... you charge."
Foline nods.
Gerom "three." Gerom tries to kick the door open.
Alex prepares his crossbow.
Quinn prepares a spell.
Foline shoots with a bow at the first thing she sees.
Dungeon Master: Gerom smashes at the door but to no avail - despite being
rotten it remains fast.
Voice#1 "UMANS!"
Foline "Maybe I will try?"
Alex tries to kick it by himself.
Voice#2 "Yuth asss - Ayam!"
Alex tries to open it with one hand, holding the crossbow in the other.
Foline holds her bow, aimed at the hall.
Quinn hisses, "Just open it - they know we are here now!"
Alex opens the door.
Voice#1 growls, "daath.... daath... yuth umans!"
Dungeon Master: You slam the door open, but your enemies have anticipated you.
You hear the thwack of crossbow bolts as you see your opponants crouched at the end of the
hallway, slightly behind cover... They are green skinned and tufts of black hair sprout from
their gangly bodies. Their eyes glow red and they hold crossbows. Two bolts sail towards Gerom
as he leaps into the hallway causing him horrible wounds. The third one just barely misses
Quinn who stands behind you all and is preparing a spell.
Alex fires his crossbow at the enemies and misses.
Foline Tries to shoot on the far creatures and hits. The arrow takes the green skinned creature in the throat an it falls over into the hallway, convulsing)
Creature#1 "DIE UMANS!"
Gerom dives for cover back in the kitchen.
Foline readied another arrow.
Dungeon Master: A bolt of bright light leaps from Quinn and strikes one of them
in the chest.
Alex reloads his crossbow
Dungeon Master: The creature gags and falls back to take cover, dissapearing
from sight.
Foline loading another arrow. "What now?!"
Quinn takes cover.
Alex gets into cover and tries to establish psi contact with one of the creatures. He whispers "I'm going to see what they're planing...
Gerom stays in cover and bleeds all over the place.
Alex contacts the creature and gets a "connection" with it's mind sucessfully.
Balan is getting there... eventually.
Foline has an arrow charged. Start pacing carefully into the hall, ready to
fire in the next round.
Gerom has daggers ready to throw.
Dungeon Master: As Foline approaches down the hallway you spot one of the creatures
taking cover behind the stairway.
Foline "I saw one!"
Creature#3 "Ath nak! Hem a mi!!!"
Foline Fires an arrow but misses and hits the stairs.
Creature#3 turns its crossbow on Foline. The bolt shatters the rotten boards behind her head.
Gerom throws daggers and hits the creature once. The creature gurgles and falls back on the stairs, its crossbow falling from its unconscious hands.
Foline attacks with the bow but her bowstring snaps in two.
Foline : "No !! My bow !"
Dungeon Master: All of you glimpse Balan hiding behind the front door. He points left
and holds up two fingers.
Foline leans down to take the bow. Put it back on her shoulder.
Gerom is lookin for a target for his daggers.
Quinn stays back in the kitchen.
Dungeon Master: You hear muttered cries and then the sound of a door being
bashed down.
Balan advances into the entrance hall. "They went to the screaming room!"
Alex tries to ESP the contacted creature. Alex whispers "They're in panic."
Gerom "Good. Filthy Goblins!"
Balan creeps down the hall to the screaming room.
Gerom "Think I'm a pincushion, do they?"
Voice#2 "DIE UMAN!"
Dungeon Master: You all heard the thwack of crossbows
Balan "OUCH!" Balan flees the hell outta there.
Foline "Alex! My Bow!"
Balan appears in the entryhall with a large wound in his chest.
Alex "Use your staff!"
Gerom swears in dwarvish and advances to the entry hall, but around the corner
from the bows.
Foline takes her staff and runs after the dwarf.
Alex "I think something has happened to them.... strong emotions..."
Voice#2 "UMANS! AAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Dungeon Master: One of the green scaly creatures comes charging out and down
the hall directly at Gerom!
Creature#2 "DIEEEE!!!!" It charges down the hallway and swings a short rusty
sword at Gerom. The attack misses his throat by a hair. Frothing spittle strikes Gerom in the
face instead.
Gerom swings his axe at the creature but it goes wide and the creature continues its charge against Foline.
Creature#2 "EEEEEE!"
Foline slams at the creature but she misses.
Gerom attacks twice from behind, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!!!" and misses.
Creature#2 attacks Foline again and strikes with its sword for a hit in her stomach.
Alex breaks contact
Foline "OUCH !!"
Balan comes to help Foline.
Alex runs towards the others, sword ready.
Balan Attacks and misses. "Damn!"
Foline tries to hit back the creature but misses
Creature#2 mindlessly attacks Foline and misses again!
Alex tries to stab the creature with his sword and misses.
Foline swings and misses.
Gerom wrestles the goblin, since his axe isn't working... but can't get a hold.
Alex tries to stab the creature again and misses.
Balan attacks and misses.
Gerom wrestles again and misses.
Foline swings her staff and hits! With a final grunt the creature falls dead at
the feet of Foline.
Balan "Damn! Where's the fourth?"
Alex sees that Foline is heavily wounded "Foline! your stomach...."
Balan is hurt in the stomach too!
Foline, after the heat of battle, "I know.... it hearts!"
Balan patches himself up so he doesn't bleed to death. "Damn that hurt!"
Quinn enters the room.
Gerom "Where's the other one?"
Alex "Probably scared to death."
Quinn "If I had an hour I could heal one of you some, but not all three of you,
that would take all day."
Gerom We better find that other one... he might have ...friends.
Alex He's probably in the Horror room...
Gerom "Let's see then..."
Balan "This hurts. Heal me first."
Quinn looks at Balans wounds.
Quinn "I think Gerom is harmed the most. I should tend to him first."
Alex "We should get to the local temple"
Gerom "I'm tough". He bleeds all over the place from the two bolts sticking out of him.
Foline "Alex, I also tore my bow, and got a cut! I feel so bad now!"
Balan frowns and stays quiet.
Alex "We should get to the city, foline... fix your bow and your body"
Balan "I need to get this wound fixed." Balan scowls at Quinn.
Gerom yes, but we need to find that other goblin....
Balan "I'm not going in there ... not back in the screaming room."
Gerom Quinn? We had better go take a look.... though I must confess I don't want to go back there.
Quinn nods. "I'll take a look."
Gerom stands up, but leans on his axe.
Foline says to Alex, "Where we go now?"
Quinn makes his way to the room.
Gerom follow tentativly...dagger in hand.
Dungeon Master: You watch him enter through that cursed room's doorway. Quinn
turns back to you.
Quinn "It's dead."
Gerom "Oh."
Alex "Dead?"
Quinn nods.
Alex "Who hit him?"
Quinn "Looks like it bled to death from one of Foline's arrows."
Gerom "And the one in the hall?"
Quinn goes and checks the other for a sign of life. "Dead. Also."
Alex "Ok, we gotta get to the city, heal our wounds, and fix our weapons."
Gerom "Yes."
Dungeon Master: You all hear a muted thumping noise from within the house....
thump thump thump.
Balan wants to leave now....
Gerom "Uh.....That can't be good."
Foline turns her head.
Gerom "Let's go."
Alex "We should get out of here! We're all wounded, we can't take any more creatures."
Dungeon Master: It seems to be coming from above. *thump thump thump*
Alex moves outside and takes Foline with him.
Balan goes outside too. he's had enough until he get's healed.
Foline "A... A... Alex, don't you think we need to check it ??"
Alex "After we'll get healed."
Quinn "Hmm. Something must have heard us fighting down here."
Gerom "OK... but we gotta be careful. uuugh."
Alex "We must get away from here"
Balan stays outside.
Quinn looks at Gerom. "You can't take another wound like that."
Gerom "I know.... but if there are a lot of goblins, the town could be in danger...."
Balan "Alex, can you heal things like Quinn?"
Alex "No, I don't think so.... not yet"
Balan "Too bad. Seems like it would be handy." He looks at his wound.
Foline "Alex, are we going?"
Alex "Yes"
Quinn "We'll explore up there when we come back. Come on, Gerom."
Gerom nods, and retrieves his daggers.
Quinn departs from the house.
Foline goes with Alex.
Gerom follows.
Dungeon Master: All of you travel through the ruined yard of the house, noting
the tracks made by the green huminoids on your way out, and head down the muddy trail and back
to town. The tracks wander the yard and dissapear going down the road. You arrive at the gates
of Mendenton not long before dusk. It's raining as you arrive at the gates. Three guards are
there.
Alex "We should get to the temple"
Foline : "Is there a temple at all?"
Guard#1 "Ho there!"
Alex "hello!"
Dungeon Master: The first guard approaches you in the rain.
Guard#1 "Seeking to enter the town lads?"
Alex "Yes"
Foline "Y... Yes"
Guard#1 "Hey, you should have those wounds looked at!"
Balan groans in agony.
Gerom "Aye...is there a priest about?"
Quinn glances at Balan then back at the guard.
Alex "we've encauntered a few humanoid monsters out there..."
Gerom "Goblins, Alex. Goblins."
Guard#1 "Aye! Ullena, of Arden, can help ye!"
Dungeon Master: The guard gives you directions to her temple to Arden.
Foline holds her tummy, on the cut.
Guard#1 "There is a toll to enter the city with your arms. Three coppers apiece, sirs."
Alex gives the money.
Gerom pays up.
Foline : "Alex, can you get coins from my bag ??"
Alex pays also for Foline.
Balan pays up.... grr.
Foline steps forward with Alex.
Dungeon Master: You are all admitted through the gates.
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