Dicing with Death: Episode 219

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==Synopsis==
The party arrive in the city of Solstace to deliver a package. They are trying to avoid customs so will try to sneak inside the city via the sandstone caves. The party encounter a masked man who detects the magic on Enrico. The party kill the man and take a magic rod from him. The party then encounter a mephit which knocks out Ignatious after they lose a game of riddles. The mephit agrees to watch Ignatious as the rest of the party continue on their quest. The party arrive at the sandstone door and meet with the old man inside and exchange the package for money.
==Recap==
===Character Creation===
Character creation of Vire, Ignatious, & Enrico
0th Level Characters, no classes. If they survive dungeon they will become a full class and level 1.
Ignatious is the noble lad in charge of the party. Vire his his bodyguard, there to keep Ignatious alive. Enrico the wannabe wizard convinced Ignatious to do this quest. Ignatious is on this quest to try to impress his noble father.
===Arrival===
The party have arrived in Solstace, the gem of the west, on a galley from Sinteron. Enrico has a parcel he is supposed to deliver. The party wanted to dodge customs, so took a rowboat to a sandstone cave under the cover of night. Enrico was told to travel the sandstone caves to find a staircase with an stone eye-door at the top.
It is raining as they pull the rowboat.
Flashback
: In the streets of Sinteron, early one morning, Enrico convinces Ignatious to go on this quest by playing up how much it will make Ignatious stand out and look good. Ignatious is one of six noble children and trying to gain favor from his father. Ignatious agrees to come along, and drags along his bodyguard Vire.
They take a boat to Sinteron, receive a package, then take a ship back to smuggle it into Solstace.
Ends Flashback
Enrico lights the area around the party with his lantern. The trio then head into the caves, but find there multiple paths. Enrico leads the party, acting like he knows his way around when he has never been here before.
Giant Rats rush past the party trying to avoid the light. Ignatious takes a swing with his sabre, killing one. Ignatious tries to impress the others with his action, and Vire pretends to be impressed with his lord. Enrico makes up a story about the giant rats to make himself appear knowledgeable.
===The Stalker===
The party keep traveling. The party are approached by a person shrouded in a cloak who introduces themself as Rafal. Rafal claims he smells magic coming from Enrico so that is why they approached. Ignatious blusters, convincing Rafal to leave their sight. The party continue traveling.
The party arrive in a chamber with a coral formation on the ground. Around the minerals is a powder circle. Enrico investigates the circle and coral. Vire hears something approaching and warns the others. It is Rafal. Vire suggests they ambush Rafal. The party agree and move to a different room to lay an ambush. On the way Enrico kills a rat with his quarterstaff.
The party arrive in a cavern filled with water, with an island in the middle of the water. The party lay wait for ambush. Rafal approaches and Vire & Ignatious attack non-lethally. Rafal defends himself. The party then stop pulling their punches and attack for real. Enrico tries to cast a spell with summoning creatures with a portal, but Rafal is able to absorbs the spell. Vire gets the last blow on Rafal with a hammer.
The fight has drawn the attention of a group of 2 giant crabs from the nearby body of water. One crab goes for Rafal's body. The party attack the giant crab to keep it from dragging the body away, killing it. The other crabs take a dead giant rat and goes back in to the water.
The party investigate Rafal's body and find they are a young human male. Enrico takes the magic rod that absorbed the portal spell. The rod is arcane based, not divine.
The party then see a light across the water and they see a man. The party wade though the water towards the man. Enrico slips and falls into the water, with the lantern goes out. The party aim towards the only light left, and paddle though deeper water.
The man is besides crates and barrels and warns the party off, holding a dagger. Ignatious introduces himself and asks directions for the sandstone door. The man, calm now he knows the party aren't lawmen, gives directions, but warns them the cavern is haunted. The man helps re-light the party's lantern. The party then continue off on their own on a new pathway. 
===Riddles===
The party arrive at a spot where a some kelp-like plants growing to the ceiling outside the water. Enrico borrows Ignatious's dagger and cuts a strand off. After some time the part below the cut slumps to the ground.
Then there is cackling laughter in the air. Ignatious calls out, asking for directions to the sandstone door. The voice calls out they are to play a game before helping them. It is to be a game of telling riddles. Ignatious agrees.
:What do you bury only while its live and dig up only once dead?
The Answer
A plant.
But the riddle is ruined by the voice taking the discussion between the party members as the answer itself.
The voice gives another riddle as a compromise.
:What grows when it is fed, yet shrinks when it drinks?
The Answer
A fire
Ignatious calls out the wrong answer. Smoke bursts out into the chamber, causing damage to Ignatious, knocking him out.
A small greenish humanoid creature with a pipe, a mephit, comes into view floating, as Enrico calls out the correct answer. Vire is upset and demands the mephit help Ignatious. The small humanoid says there is nothing they can do. Enrico says the mephit is too powerful for them, and they must complete the quest. Vire wants to leave with his young master back to the rowboat. The party pay the mephit some gold to watch over Ignatious while they complete the quest. 
===The Sandstone Door===
Vire and Enrico continue and find a staircase that goes up 2 stories and find the sandstone door with the eye engraved eye. The eye however becomes realistic and opens. It looks at party, then closes the eye lid and vanishes.
The party step inside the door. Inside is a comfortable furnished room. On the far side of the room is another door. Vire is cautious.
A bald old man with a beard steps into the room. The man asks for the package. Enrico hands the package over. The old man complains about the package getting wet. He hands over the bag of 250 gold to Enrico. Enrico quietly warns the old man that Vire is upset about what happened to Ignatious. The wizard asks Vire to go collect Ignatious. Vire eagerly goes to collect his unconscious master.
Vire as he heads the way, he sees a starfish/simian creature out the corner of his eye. Vire decides to ignore it and keep moving. Vire arrives back at Ignatious, throws him over his shoulder, and heads back to the sandstone door.
The Old Man sees that Ignatious is unconscious so can't drink the healing potion. The old man says if he breaths in the healing potion as a vapor it will work. Vire agrees to allow it to happen and Ignatious is taken away to a laboratory where this can be done.
Ignatious wakes up and the party leave.
==Experience==
All the characters level to level 1. 
Category:Dicing with Death Episodes