Rhi – Human fighter Zofi – Human Wizard Yivena – Elf Thief Scorch – Kobold Warlock
The party is camping in the corpse room, fortunately it is an uneventful night. During the night the Flare Rod goes out and the party must use a lantern to provide light. As it is a long rest the party regains hit points and spells. There are two unexplored exits from the room, one to the North and another to the Southwest. They decide to explore the tunnel to the Southwest. The room contains a small forge and several bins full of flare stone. There are two empty bottles laying next to a table covered in clay molds. Herv tosses some mushroom wine on the forge and Zofi lights it. Forge is putting out lots of light. The party continues down the path. They come across a room with dark ore streaks along the walls, mining equipment across the ground. The far exit is choked with large stone and debris. The large stone looks intentionally placed.
Zofi listens to the rock and hears some noises coming from the other side, possibly quiet crying. The party attempts to leverage the rock to the side. Rhi can leverage the large rock to the side opening the tunnel. Inside the room is a group of Goblins and one Elf sitting around a Flare Rod. The Goblins and their Elven prisoner have been sitting here for awhile avoiding whatever is outside of the room. One of the Goblins steps forward, we tell him that we are friends of Chief Rumble assisting in clearing their home. He says there is a massive snake made of rock, and that gas comes out of the snake making things very dangerous. We ask if they can make more flare rods and he say they do and gives us two more. The lead Goblin sends a pot belly Goblin towards the forge, along with a hairy one and the Elven prisoner. The leader says he will stay behind and make the rods and assigns a tall Goblin to guide us. Zofi speaks the Elf in Elven, she says that she was a caravan guard like us and was taken prisoner. She has been here for several days and has seen the rock snake. Zofi purchases Yivena (the elf) from the Goblins for three gold pieces. Yivena attempts to pickpocket the leader and gets one gold piece back. The Goblin assigned to escort the party is named Gert.
Gert leads us back to the bridge room, to the ladder that leads into the water. At the bottom of the ladder, they are in an opening around the pool. They are now on level 3, there is a stronger smell of gas on this level. The lantern starts to pop, Zofi douses the lantern. There is a diving board out over the water and some writing on the stone next to the ladder. Gert points to the list and says he is at the top; he is the best diver of the group. Gert leads us to the right and into a room that has black scorch marks on the wall and ceiling. There is one clear spot in the shape of a goblin, a far tunnel is choked with rock and dirt. Gert points towards the choked tunnel and says the snake is through there. Gert says the only way to the snake is either digging or diving to the next level down. The group decides that diving is the easiest option. Gert runs onto the diving board and does a double flip into the water, swims to the bottom, comes back up and says the water is fine. The party strips down to the essentials creating a pile of goods near the pool. Rhi jumps in without issue. Zofi jumps, hears a crack, and does a belly flop. Scorch runs out and the board snaps under him. Gert is not happy about the board breaking. Yivena does the most graceful dive we have ever seen off the rock cliff. Herv does a graceful dive into the pool There are some small fish swimming around in the pool and there are mushrooms growing around the edge. They swim down to the lower level. There is a strong gas smell, and they decide not to light a lantern or torch despite it being very dark.
There is a stone pillar, Gert motions us to be quiet and tells us what direction to go. Rhi attempts to sneak up on the snake, a large pile of boulders is in the middle of the room. A couple small tables along the edge and a choked tunnel at the far end that leads up. Rhi hears hissing and breathing that sounds extremely close. The room smells very strongly of natural gas. Rest of the group quietly moves up to Rhi. As the light gets closer, they see a large serpent eye watching us. Rhi looses an arrow into the snake near the eye, we hear a hissing sound, and the room starts to fill with gas. Scorch rushes in with raised axe and it bounces off the stone skin. Zofi launches magic missile, and it hits the snake. Rhi fires another arrow missing, the rock serpent rears back and strikes at Scorch and misses. It starts to dig into the ground, Yivena wraps a grappling hook around its tail. Zofi casts Mage Armor, losses all further spell casting but the armor is successful. Rhi shoots another arrow hitting the snake, more gas fills the room. The serpent starts to burrow further into the ground. Herv yells “for the Dwarfensons” and hits the snake with a small chip to the rock. Yivena is not able to hold the snake back and it burrows further. Scorch chops off the tip of the tall and it spews oily blood, and the snake disappears in the group. Scorch scopes up some of the blood into his flask. Zofi runs towards the rope, Herv (was a Dwarf Scout) ties the rope off around the boulder.
Shale Serpent!
Currently, we hear a blood curdling scream from Gert. The party runs back to where Gert is screaming, and he is being attacked by a giant snake. Rhi looses another arrow barely missing Gert. The arrow hits the wall sparking and ignites the gas in the room which explodes. Scorch, Zofi, and Yivena dive into the pool. Rhi and Herv hits the deck. Gert miraculously gets into the water in time. The Shale Serpent is still bleeding and is writhing on the group. Herv climbs out of the pool and misses. Yivena loses an arrow and hits the Shale Serpent in the heart killing it. Scorch and Zofi both take a fang from the serpent. The group heads back and enters the forge room. The goblins have made six rods that are still cooling. Scorch and Zofi each grab and end of the mold and head out of the mine. Chief Rumble asks why the Elf Miner is with us, we say we bought her. He is not happy about this but gives us the Dwarf kid. We take the rods out of the mold and give the mold back to the goblin. The group heads back to the dwarve caravan, during the walk Khakal keeps eyeing Scorch as she really wants to kill a dragon. Herrapi is standing there, he is pleased we rescued his daughter, and the caravan starts heading to Redstone. The rest of the trip goes without incident. He gives each of us 10 gp except Yivena who he gives 5 gp to. We are released from our guard service and head out to carouse.
Scorch!
Carousing Scorch – gets really drunk and the party loses track of him. He ends up in an underground fight club and wins. He gets 5 xp. Zofi – hanging out in an Inn, hears some merchants discussing a trade deal and is drunk enough that she joins the conversation. She decides to invest in the deal getting 4 xp and 25 gp coming in a few days. Rhi – got into a legendary ye mother insult exchange with a Dwarf and earns their respect. Gains a Dwarf ally. Yivena – as the hour grew late, a bunch of raucous bar goers decide to have a race around town and wins. She gains 3 xp and a 5 gp value trophy.