Shadow Engine

The party had destroyed Acererak's shadow engine but they were in a battle against the Acererak Construct.  Demin continued to shoot his crossbow at the Construct, move his glove to a gem and pick it up.  Mara, Pretis and Gofin kept up their attacks on the Construct while Lythandar climbed out of the pit.  Alhellara was still on the rope above Demin attempting to inflict Radiant damage. 


Melisana was the last to clamber to the floor of the chamber as the party was alternately hit by Shadow Rays or found a member dazed and restrained.  The Construct flew away from Mara and Pretis attempting to draw them over an unexposed pit.  Fortunately for the party no one else found a pit.  Finally the group slew the Construct and as it fell Mara caught it before it smashed into the floor. 

The party then went about collecting gems from the floor as Melisana and Lythandar looked for magic.  The only arcane area was the teleportation symbol on the floor.  Pretis took her time striding around the room looking for more pits.  To her amazement she found several unexposed pits.  Mara and Demin took turns looking for concealed passageways both in the pits and around the other walls of the chamber.  

Having found no other exits the party decided to look at the gems that they had collected.  They ended up with a collection of 16 assorted gems - emeralds, white and black diamonds, sapphires and rubies worth 2,000 GP each.  From the skull Mara pried two white diamonds worth 10,000 GP each and 8 rubies each worth 5,000 GP.  After taking a further rest the party stepped onto the teleportation circle.

The group found themselves in a hallway, the floor of which held several gaping pits with bent, corroded spikes adorning the bottoms.  On the east was an ornate archway leading to a passage.  Intersperse among the party were two Bodak's, an apparent large Bone Golem and 2 fiery creatures.  At once a battle was ongoing.  Gofin and Pretis found themselves weakened, Mara learned that the fiery creatures caused damage just moving next to her.  The Golem used boney attacks to inflict heavy damage.  The party caught their breath and counterattacked.  A Bodak ended up in a pit, the fiery mages were soon bloodied but just being next to the Golem was damaging.  

Then Gofin and Pretis both hit the floor as the Bodak's Death gaze landed on them.  Alhellara made sure that nothing came out of the passageway leading east and then hurried to revive her fallen compatriots.  Meanwhile the party was making quick work of the fiery mages and Bodak's, leaving only the Golem.  Mara found that making an opportunity attack against the Golem also hurt.  A Bone Volley damaged most of the party before Melisana tried to slide the Golem into a pit.  At last the party overcame the Golem but it had one last Bone Volley to spend on them with its dying gasp

The group collected themselves and took a better look around the area.  The southern wall seemed to have once held a great design - a sculpture or bas-relief - but it had been chiseled away, leaving nothing but scarred stone in its place.  Beyond the ornate archway was just a shallow niche, its purpose lost in time.  Heading north in the hallway the party encountered more gaping pits.  Decaying murals and paintings on the walls hinted at humanoid shapes.  Despite the current scraped condition of the floor, several sections had the remains of designs and inscriptions.  One corridor led off to the west, its position required the group to bypass one of the pits.  Further to the north a dull gray light, maybe sunlight, lit a cave like entryway.

Mara moved beyond the pit into a 20' hallway which ended in a door.  Finding no traps or locks she opened the door revealing a 20 by 30 foot dusty chamber.  Two doors led south and another to the east.  Mara moved to the east doorway and examined it.  She found no trap or lock but did notice a plaque on the wall next to the door.  It appeared to have some writing on it.  Alhellara moved forward and read the plaque.

 

“Look low and high for gold, to hear a tale untold.  The archway at the end, and on your way you’ll wend”

This chamber was the Genesis of the Legend of Garth the Wimp.  The MaBell adventure crew had spent weeks in the entry hall, playing with the arch, examining the Devourer’s Face but mainly wandering aimlessly around.  At last the concealed door was found and the gargoyle dispatched.

In this place finding a door closed to passage the “Mighty Garth” strode forward and kicked the door with his massive right leg.  The door refused to open, or even move in response to the mighty blow. 

It was later determined that the door was unlocked and opened in toward the “Mighty Garth.”  From that day onward ALL members of the MaBell crew referred to him as Garth the Wimp.

Although they were thoroughly entertained by the plaque they drew no meaning from it.  Mara meanwhile had started to open the doors leading to the south, which merely revealed a door to the south in a 10 x 10 chamber.  That door led to another chamber with a door to the west, which revealed a chamber with a door to the north.  Beyond which was another chamber with a door to the north.  Mara had come full circle.  Meanwhile Alhellara had opened the eastern door, which led to another 10 x 10 chamber, Demin determined that there was hidden door leading south.  This business continued through 5 more hidden doors revealing several chambers and some footprints in the dust whence finally a larger chamber was found.

Scorecard:  The group earned 4514 XP for the two battles and completing the quest in the Shadow Tomb.  They now have 68843 XP and need 157 more to reach 16th level.