Chapter 6: Hidden Dangers

[NukeHavoc]

The heroes -- consisting of Skender, Korlandril, Jorm and Kwava -- began scouting the Bone Crawl. They found the expected troglodytes, which unleashed a cave lizard on them as part of a spirited defense. When the trogs were forced to fall back, they cleverly unlocked a nearby gate, causing the heroes to think they'd gone down a side passage, when in reality they'd sunk to the bottom of a pool of water in one of the sewer junctions.

When the heroes entered the side tunnel they found a room filled with broken and intact crates, some of which bobbed in the sewer water. On the ledge running around the room they discovered two foot lockers and a heavy chest, the likes of which might be found in a captain's cabin.

When Jorm approached the chest it suddenly lashed out at him revealing itself to be a mimic. At the same time the submerged trogs surfaced and attacked from the flank, pinning the heroes between the reptiles and the creature they called "The God That Lurks on the Shelf".

A brutal fight follow which saw Jorm pummeled to near death by the mimic. The rest of the party was savaged as well, and while they were able to kill the trogs, they were only barely able to evade the mimic. The creature proved to be surprisingly mobile, slowly swimming through the abandoned sewer ways as it hunted the heroes. Skender tried to kill the thing by throwing burning oil onto the crates floating in the chamber. He succeeded in incinerating them and filling the room with smoke, but the mimic lumbered on after them.

They managed to escape by getting ahead of the mimic and closing a sewer grate behind them. They dragged Jorm to the safety of Hyram Crooge's shack. There Kwava slipped a bay leaf from his medicinal pouch and placed it up on Jorm's tongue. The ancient elvish ritual (adied by two hero points) returned the dwarf to life, but not before he caught a glimpse of a massive meteor smashing into the ground. The metero's impact sent him reeling back to reality.

After a few days spent healing and stocking up on mimic-slaying supplies, the heroes returned to the Bone Crawl. There they found the bleached-white bones of the the trogs and cave lizard -- clearly something had sucked the flesh from them. A careful examination of the sewer's main junction revealed that the side chamber's gate had been smashed open. Their way forward was blocked by another rusted iron gate, but Skender's eagle eyes noticed that there was *another* gate lying ruined and broken beyond the portal in front of them.

Suspecting that the mimic had destroyed the gate in order to take its place the heros began firing their weapons. The creature stood revealed, and reverted to its monstrous chest form. It began advancing, intent on devouring the party, but this time they did far better. Their arrows badly wounded the thing, as did Jorm's warhammer ... at least until it became stuck to the creature.

Bleeding badly, the mimic attempted to escape into another side tunnel that was filled with debris and a variety of borwn and green slimes. Jorm pursued it, intent on recovering his hammer. He slew the beast with his dagger, but then watched in horror as green slime dripped from the ceiling and began eating its way through his metal armor. The other heroes -- who recognized the threat for the flesh-consuming horror it was -- called him back and then Korlandril doused the dwarf in alchemical fire to kill the slime.

After looting the mimic's burned lair, the heroes are now ready to proceed deeper into the Bone Crawl...

----

FYI -- Skender, Jorm and Korlandril all hit 3rd level after last night's adventure.

[setanta14]

Mimic Lootz:

Smokey Nobles Outfit (50gp if cleaned)
Masterwork Battleaxe (Jorm)
Case with blowgun and likely poisoned darts (100gp)
Bastard Sword
Spear
Masterwork Whip (Skender)
Divine Scroll: Blindness CL 3, Deafness CL 5

[Upweekis]

Actually... Skender was originally attacked by the mimic. Jorm was busy killing BOTH of the trogs trying to come up from behind in the tunnel. Jorm was grabbed by the mimic after Skender managed to free himself. Some crushing and drowning followed.

[setanta14]

See, they always say "damned kids and their baggy clothes", but that's how Skender gave the mimic the slip.