13/04/2026, Lake Region, Saturday group
Everyone here
The party spent the last session exploring the North. They met Golk the Giantess, her no-good ex-boyfriend, and some criosphinxes who were easily enticed with a few gems.
This time, they go back to a dungeon that was graciously avoided until now. Setting out from the little village that Golk sent them to to buy sheep, they head South along the road, then Southeast through the hills, intending to cross the mountains at a thin point. As they get through the hills, they notice another pair of Criosphinx brothers nesting - with lots of dead people and money. They bluff past and get to their dungeon after a couple of days.
They find a set of Imperial baths built at a mountain spring - one structure with a caved-in roof, a tower sticking out, and a main entrance helpfully informing the party of the nature and sponsor of the baths. The party goes through the main entrance, then the staff door to one side, finding the room tipped over and piles of paper ankle-deep on the floor. With no concern about the paper, the party advances through the room, narrowly avoiding suffering serious injuries from some bear traps with crazy good saving throws, then opening out into a pool area. The pool area has a thin walkway around, with chalk marks near one of the entrances.
The party exits into the corridor, where they see a pair of magic-users standing with gnolls ahead! Without warning, one of the magic-users starts casting a spell and the party retreats to (they specified) just inside the door - within the chalk lines. The crossbowmen retreat a bit further back than that, and survive the fireball that reaches roughly to the edge of the chalk lines - the magic-users prepared for this! All of the party are badly injured, but none are killed, and after a tense standoff they kill the gnolls and one of the magic-users, despite their crossbowmen getting Slept.
After looting the bodies to find a lot of silver, some cheap jewelry equivalent to gold, and two iron boxes, the party decide to advance further into the dungeon. They find a mosaic room, deface a statue of the place's sponsor, and come to a room with a fountain and a fancy door emblazoned with "IMPERIAL SUITE." The room is overlooked by a large pool with water trickling into it down some decorative rocks, which then drains into the fountain. From the pool comes a disturbance - which suddenly ceases, as the fountain bubbles and froths! The party makes ready for battle as a watery serpent emerges from the fountain, getting hammered with crossbow fire, Magic Missiles, and melee attacks. It lashes out to grab Thistle and drag her into the fountain, but is dissipated by attacks and returns to the pool.
Lucius smashes the fountain to prevent the thing from attacking them again, then Edith opens the door to the Imperial Suite. They march up the corridor, open a door to the right, and are quickly set upon from two sides by a horde of firenewts! The party flees into the mountains, mounts their horses, and escapes - for now. The newts are after them.