Date 719HE/14 - 16

Our heroes move into the third room on this level and find a chest with a small number of gold coins scattered almost carelessly in front of it. Thinking it is "probably a mimic" the team ready themselves, then Ulunnuh wakes it. The fight is brutal and bloody; Luas hits the mimic with a Fireball and gets bitten for his efforts, Graxari "drums up" some inspiration with the goblin horde providing backing vocals, Szithy misses his swing and Tynwurm splits the mimic in half! The gold pieces the mimic held have all been melted together by Luas's Fireball. Searching the room, Luas fails to see it entirely and dislocates his finger in the intricate carvings the rest can plainly see... He kicks the wall in rage, and stubs his toe! Oh the ignominy!

Ulunnuh, however, succeeds mightily in discovering a hidden door, behind which is a lever which Tynwurm operates. A deep grumbling sound is heard and the group determine the other gateway on this level is now open. Luas walks up to the gateway, triggering a dart trap, he hits the floor unconscious! Some people have no luck... Ulunnuh drags him away and Szithy quickly heals him. Ulunnuh, after rifling Luas's pockets, finds a small chest, which he plans to put on the dart trap pressure plate, but royally fucks up and triggers the trap! Luas, somewhat coldly, suggests walking over the unconscious Ulunnuh to get up the stairs and then drag him to safety. Which the "heroes" agree to, with Tynwurm going first, seemingly oblivious to the fact there are traps around. The rest of the team get over Ulunnuh, Graxari drags him off the trap and cures some of his wounds.

With everyone back on their feet, they head up the stairs to the third level.

Kh!za!dum - third level

Tynwurm "marks" her new territory, the others look on bemused. Even the goblins aren't sure about that!.

Ranging ahead, Ulunnuh finds no traps and the part move the entrance of the single room dominating this floor. It is 50' x 50', the now familiar hieroglyphs cover the walls, there is a magic circle of some description carved into the floor and it is occupied by fanatics, some zombies and what appears to be a mage in the center of the circle. We all know how this is going to go, the diplomatic route, no sorry, the other one, violence!

Another chaotic battle ensues; notably Szithy broke his bow string, both Luas and Ulunnuh nearly died (quick work by Ninny G and Graxari kept them alive), and Tynwurm's initial axe throw was intercepted by the mages familiar! Tynwurm punishes the mage by obliterating him utterly. Finally, all the enemies are dead.

With the part alive and healed, they investigate the room further. The carvings, although somewhat damaged, are still legible and depict the celestials banishing a winged figure to another plane.

The mage's belongings are mostly garbage apart from a quantity of gold and silver coins and a potion that Ninny G recognises as Firebreath. Ninny G also investigates the magic circle and determines it is a safe to use; which they do, opening a small portal on one wall through which they can see a dimly lit room.

Scanning the room through the portal the heroes can see markings on the floor and what appear to be two black stone pillars, about 5' tall, upon each of which rests a skull. A flaming skull. Szithy remember they have dealt with these before and thus prepared, they enter the portal.

Kh!za!dum - fourth level

Going though the portal they find themselves in the small room, roughly 40' x 40', and to no ones surprise, there is a pillar in each corner bearing a flaming skull. In the room's floor is a carving of the Mark of Zarg, in the center of that appears to be a small shield. The portal behind them winks out! Trapped!

The skirmish is short; Ninny G grabs the shield and reads the inscription on the back (which the team know to be a part of the Grythrix) and uses it to control one of the Flaming Skulls This skull ends up in the bag of holding the group have. The other three are destroyed in quick order.

With that done, they search the room; also in the circle is a badly burned body of a mage. On on wall the hieroglyphs show a gathering of four cultist-like figures; each one is wielding a different item, two with familiar looking black swords, one a shield and the last a large red gem or crystal. Exaggerated lines of power (perhaps) are carved around the side walls to a depiction of a portal, in the middle of which is a winged figure, the face damaged.

Also in the room is a lever. The team pull the lever, which opens a portal in the same wall as the carved version, but all it shows is a corridor. With some trepidation, the part go though, the corridor narrows, and narrows further still, this is quite a squeeze! But finally they are out into a larger corridor. They quickly realise they are back at the pyramid entrance! With relief, they exit the foul place and once again enter the wide open space of the M!tep Desert. It is dark, the sky is full of starts and they collapse wearily to the ground.

Time to rest and decide on their next steps.