Deadly Dungeon: Episode 12

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==Session 12: Delvers of the Forgotten Temple (8th Party - Floor 7)==
=== Characters ===
* Billy Linguini - Wild Soul Barbarian 6
* Elspeth "Big Brain" Linguini - Artificer Battlesmith 6
* 2 Toes Billy Linguini - Peace Domain Cleric 6
* Goon Linguini - Soulknife Rogue 5, Draconic Sorcerer 1
=== Episode Synopsis ===
The party spawns in the dungeon in a room with 3 bookcases, 2 chairs, a lever, and a metallic door leading to the north. There is a large brazier in the middle of the room with a cyan colored flame. The Linguini family starts looking around for the snitch, who they are chasing into the dungeon. Billy Linguini moves to the door, which will not open, while Elspeth moves to the bookcases. Goon tries to pull the lever, but is unsuccessful. Elspeth finds a book with ornate gold letters and filigree on the shelf. She directs Gizmo Bot, her Steel Guardian, to go protect Billy at the door. 2 Toes also moves to a bookcase and searches it, finding a red story book about the adventures of the Linguini family. Goon successfully pulls the lever, opening the metal door as it slides up into the ceiling. It reveals a new room with another cyan colored brazier, a metal door to the north, and two wooden doors to the east and west. Elspeth examines her book, finding it to be "Delvers of the Forgotten Temple". The book chronicles an adventurer who delves through a complicated temple of traps and challenges, and survives to reach the end. Elspeth then moves to the last bookshelf and sees a small leather mundane book that looks like a diary. She directs Billy to grab the book, which he flips through. The first page is torn out, and the second page has some writing on it. Elspeth goes to the wooden door and inspects it, finding an archaic rune system she has seen before but doesn't understand. Elspeth inspects the journal, looking for invisible text, and finds nothing. She reads the passage on the second page, which says:
"Stories; let us imagine the possibilities. To see impossible events and worlds even. How many stories have we written my dear diary? How many years of my life have we used to perfect our craft, to wield mastery of imagination aided in magic? And yet, with our skill and magic, we cannot conceive a scenario where the nations of Arcadia come together to defeat the great red dragon. Forged alliances, marshalled armies, conclaves of clerics and wizards. We've tried it all; on your pages played out every possible permutation, every scenario we can conceive! And still her grip on the world crushes it all in its infancy. Scoria's done well to break the world such that it may not be repaired and wielded against her. We will find neither inspiration nor solution in the nations of this continent.
Let us consider instead heroic actors of fiction and how they might tackle the impossible. Suffer them through different and new adversity, see the klind of people, strength, and skills it takes to overcome insurmountable odds. I beckon you, my insightful tome, take these stories, these settings, theses characters. Perhaps we will find what we need in stories."
The party considers it for a moment, and then gathers by the door and moves through. On the other side, they find numerous red statues of large cobras lining either side of a long hallway, which continues to a corner and then moves off to the south. There are two more braziers with cyan colored flames in the middle of the passageway, lighting the room. Swarms of snakes starting pouring out of the mouths of the cobras, and move towards the party. Billy rages, activating a wild reaction which lets him teleport 30 feet away. He then returns to the Snake Swarm and slams it with his Maul. Elspeth misses her Booming Blade while GizmoBot headbutts the swarm, sending snakes flying. More Snake Swarms slither out of the cobras and move towards the party as 2 Toes misses his attack. Billy teleports forward and scouts around the corner, seeing that the red statures continue until a point with a red lever, and then there are blue cobra statues beyond it. The party continues to battle the snakes as they press forward towards the lever. Billy takes some damage as 2 Toes casts Healing Word on him, while Elspeth Shields a blow from another swarm. Billy teleports ahead to the lever and pulls it, then moves around the next corner, seeing a new lever and a set of green cobra statues. As the lever is pulled, the party hears chains moving and the mouths of the red statues close. Elspeth hits a Snake Swarm with Booming Blade while Gizmobot headbutts and kills a Snake Swarm. Goon takes a large bite as he runs ahead towards Billy. Snakes pile all around the party and start biting them, as they push ahead through the room. Billy smacks the blue lever with his Maul and then smashes a Snake Swarm. Gizmo Bot and Goon each kill a swarm as they push forward, but Billy takes a bite for a large chunk of damage. 2 Toes misses a Sacred Flame, and the snakes cause both Elspeth and Goon to cast Shield to avoid damage. Billy takes another bite and gets knocked unconscious. 
Goon dashes past an unconscious Billy towards the levers, with snakes hot on his heels. 2 Toes dashes forward to try and save Billy. A Snake Swarm critically bites Goon and takes him low, as snakes stack around him. Gizmo Bot kills another swarm as Elspeth keeps dodging blows. Goon moves to the green lever and pulls it, then moves to a final grey lever at the end of the hallway. The snakes stop spawning as all the mouths of the statues are closed. Goon casts Shield to block the snakes as 2 Toes casts healing Word on Billy. Billy climbs on top of a statue as Elspeth and Gizmo run to join the party. Goon disengages and moves back towards the party with the snakes hot on his heels. 2 Toes casts Spirit Guardians, summoning spiritual mops and buckets to "mop up" the Snake Swarms. The Snake Swarms start moving into the Spirit Guardians and taking damage. The party gathers around 2 Toes, except Goon who runs back for the grey lever. The Snake Swarms all gather around 2 Toes, who takes several bites but maintains her concentration. Billy also runs for the lever as the snakes pile high on the remaining party members. Gizmo crushes a Snake Swarm as Goon runs back and throws Psychic Blades to kill another one. 2 Toes takes a bite and goes unconscious, ending the Spirit Guardians. Gizmo takes a bite, and also goes down. Billy hits the last lever with his Maul, revealing a secret passage back to the first room. Elspeth casts Cure Wounds and brings 2 Toes back. 2 Toes takes a bites on the ground and goes unconscious again. Elspeth casts Cure Wounds on her again as Goon throws more Psychic Blades and kills another Swarm. Both Elspeth and 2 Toes go down to bites, but 2 Toes immediately jolts back awake and casts Mass Healing Word on the whole party and brings Elspeth back to consciousness. 
Billy grabs a brazier and knocks it over on a Snake Swarm, burning them alive. Elspeth goes down again to a bite, but immediately gets brought back with another Healing Word from 2 Toes. Billy uses Bolstering Magic on Goon, giving him a boost to his attacks. Goon kills another Snake Swarm as 2 Toes casts Spirit Guardians, resummoning his necrotic mops and buckets. Billy hits a Swarm with a javelin as Elspeth continues to dodge away from bites. The Spirit Guardians damage another Swarm, but the Swarm lands a bite on Elspeth and brings her down again. Goon hits another Swarm who dies to the Spirit Guardians as the remaining Snake Swarms go after Goon. 2 Toes casts Healing Word to bring Elspeth back as Billy smashes a Snake Swarm off of Goon. Elspeth hits a Snakes Swarm with Booming Blade. That Snake Swarm takes Spirit Guardian and Booming Blade damage, and die. Goon throws more Psychic Blades and almost kills the last Snake Swarm. The Snake Swarm closes in, Billy whacks them with his Maul, and the room is finally silent. 
2 Toes drops concentration on Spirit Guardians and starts casting Prayer of Healing. Elspeth uses a spell slot to revive GizmoBot. Billy and Elspeth drink Healing Potions. As the party moves back to the starting room, they find that another door has receded into the ceiling opening the room to the north, and they see a treasure chest in the room. At the northernmost end of the new room is a large set of double doors. Billy uses Bolstering Magic to help 2 Toes recover two level 1 spell slots. Elspeth gives 2 Toes a Spell Refueling Ring. Billy finds that the door they went through to the snake room still has runes on it, allowing passage through. Billy goes up and opens the chest, finding a Potion of Invulnerability. In that room are two more doors with runes, leading east and west. The party notices that the color of the walls begins to fade out. Everything starts fading out, losing it's defining lines as the party waits for the Prayer of Healing to end. Tiny squiggles start to appear and jump around on the walls and floor as the party continues to nervously wait. The Prayer of Healing finishes, and then 2 Toes uses his Channel Divinity to heal the party even more. The party hurredly focuses on the north east door as the squiggles disappear. The party makes it through just as the room starts fadin out of existence. 
The party finds themselves in a dark room with four pillars that have chains leading off them, restraining an Umber Hulk. Around the base of each of the four pillars are Ankhegs. The Umber Hulk grabs one of the chains and rips it out of the pillar, and then nearly rips a second one out as well. 2 Toes averts his gaze from the Umber Hulk and uses Emboldening Bond to bolster Goon, Elspeth, and Gizmobot. Three of the Ankhegs move around the party and spray acid at them, weakening them considerably. Billy rages, and activates flowers and vines around himself that hinders his enemies movements. He then moves up to an Ankheg and smacks it twice. Goon moves towards the lever, as the Ankheg tries to bite him. Billy uses Sentinel to react and kills the Ankheg. Goon pulls the lever, and the party hears chains moving in the distance. Elspeth moves up to an Ankheg and smashes it twice, while Gizmobot moves in and headbutts it to near death. The last Ankkeg moves up and sprays acid at Gizmo and Elspeth. Goon teleports using Protective Bond and takes the damage for Elspeth. The Umber Hulk pulls another chain out of the pillar. 2 Toes casts Cure Wounds on himself and moves behind a pillar. Billy kills the damaged Ankheg and then smashes another one. Goon throws two Psychic Blades that hit an Ankheg, and Elspeth moves in to finish it off. An Ankheg moves away from Elspeth and gets hit by Booming Blade, and then sprays acid at three party members. The Umber Hulk rips out a third chain and moves in towards Gizmobot to slash her, then crunches down with its mandibles on the robot. 2 Toes uses her Channel Divinity to heal all the members of her party. Billy Recklessly Attacks the Umber Hulk and knocks him back. Goon throws two Psychic Blades and kills the last Ankheg. Elspeth casts Levitate and tries to send the Umber Hulk to the ceiling, but it holds fast. Gizmobot uses her Repair feature and restore health. The Umber Hulk slashes both Billy and 2 Toes, and then chomps down on Billy with his mandibles. 2 Toes heals Billy with Cure Wounds while Billy recklessly smashes the Umber Hulk and knocks it back again. Goon uses Mind Sliver to damage the Umber Hulk while Elspeth use her Spell-Refueling Ring and Gizmobot Repairs to full. The Umber Hulk slashes Billy and 2 Toes, and Gizmo deflects it's Mandible hit. 2 Toes casts Cure Wounds on Billy while Billy slams the Umber Hulk back again. Elspeth again tries to Levitate the Umber Hulk, but to no avail. The Umber Hulk slashes Goon while 2 Toes uses Cure Wounds to heal Billy. Billy smashes the Umber Hulk as Goon looks at the Umber Hulk, becoming confused and doing nothing. Elspeth uses Booming Blade on the Umber Hulk, dealing a large amount of damage. The Umber Hulk turns to Elspeth and slashes her. She uses her Repulsion Shield to bounce the Umber Hulk back, proccing Booming Blade and killing it. The party breathes a sigh of relief as the danger passes. 
The party moves back through the door to the main hallway find the double doors have opened, leading to another room to the north. The main hallway has regained it's color and definition. In the northern room, there is another treasure chest, a larger brazier of cyan colored flame, a large statue with angelic wings, and 4 alcoves with a strange swirling mist. Goon opens the chest, finding a Scroll of Acid Arrow. The statue begins speaking to the party, saying: "Present an offering, and challenge each of the elements of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire". The party ponders their next move........ 
=== Death Synopsis ===
No Linguini's died in the making of this episode.......
=== Post Mortem Recap ===
* This first room requires a lot of movement and a lot of luck, if any group needs to run it again
Category:Deadly Dungeon Episodes