[AD&D1e] 2020-08-04 Tiwesdæg Myrgþ | Dungeon of the Mad Hermit 1

"The Monk and the Mimic"
Dungeon Master: Michael Mirth

Sinister Six
(Dwight) Hælen the Half-Human/Half-Human Ranger
(Kitten) Areyn the Grædig Elf Fighter/Magic-User/Thief
(Kurt) Gorlim the Hooded Half-Orc Fighter/Cleric
(Evan) Raven the Spedig Human Monk
(Chase) Kruger the Plæsəd Elf Fighter/Magic-User
(Clay) D'Corry the Ladykiller Dwarf Cleric

Back to Restilue. Healed. I learn that the group has previously been near Castle Thrax at Alladeen's shop. Gorlim seeks out a club modified for throwing but does not dance well enough (Kurt's rules lawyering roll failed on p.64 DMG - see Hack! the card game). We discuss the strengths and weaknesses between the Fighting-Man and the Raistlin.

Hælen trades his Elven birthrite armour for Banded. It fits much better. Areyn talks to Valerius to find out her skull staff is for a Necrourgist but he could sell it on her behalf. He gives her a thousand gold in exchange. Gorlim seeks out a temple of Athena. Kruger and Evan seek out a magic shop and purchase a Potion of Extra-Healing. Valerius lets the rest of us know about a dungeon two days to the West and a Roc's nest to the North-East.

We head toward the Dungeon of the Mad Hermit. No, not the Hermit from The Seven Mirths/Sinister Six but a new unknown entity.

After a day of travelling we encounter a party of nine Dwarves (of various equivalent vocations even visiting vespers vigilantly) calling themselves the Chaos Busters. They speak of the treasure in the Dungeon of the Mad Hermit and warn us to steer clear of the Purple Ooze. Raven was humming his Zen Mantra and may not have heard. They further mention that they spiked open a deadfall.

We don't kill them for their loot.

Sidenote: Kruger may be Evil and the Cross is a universal sign of Lawful Good in this land.

Amis the Paladin interrupts our sleep and joins our team bringing us to a magnificent number. I'm suspicious but hey, it's the right number. Gorlim is more suspicious and pulls out his symbol of Athena. He points it at Amis, waves his arms like a chicken and chants "Oh Watta Goo Siam!" He returns to sleep mumbling something about Amis not being evil. Yay. We now trust Amis implicitly.

We stumble upon the cave about midday. The entrance looks like a mouth ready to swallow... Get your head out of the gutter! Hælen finds a safe place to keep the horses at Amis' urging (Raven had generously offered up his horse for Amis and trotted alongside us).

Gorlim finds runes around the entrance and chuckles a few times. Knock knock. Who's there? Mikey. Mikey who? Mikey is stuck in the keyhole. Why can't Halflings wear tampons? They keep stepping on the string. Stop looking at me that way, I didn't write it, it was on the cave mouth!

A 20' passageway opens to a living room with double doors on the opposite side and purple crap everywhere except a thin path to those doors. There are furnishings in the room and when Raven sees a chest he dashes over the purple stuff and puts his hand on it like a long lost love. He pulls away frantically like it's stuck. We all have a good laugh.

Next thing we know Raven is lying unconscious on the floor with his hand still stuck. The chuckles die away and Hælen confuses his bow with his sword in a panicked desire to attack... a chest. Obviously caught in the headlights, his sword cuts a nip off and Amis steps up and whiffs. Gorlim shuffles back a few paces and tosses his club at his friends, just missing Hælen. Pseudopod-like knockers come out of the chest, smoking Hælen in the jaw and missing Kruger. Hælen tries to burn the Mimic not realizing that Raven had poured alcohol on himself as he was knocked out. The Mimic AND Raven are now on fire. Hælen gets another hit in while Amis grabs a ranseur from Gorlim. He proceeds to break it on the far-to-mobile-for-a-chest enemy (on purpose?). Hælen is trying to put out the fire he started in an attempt to save Raven. D'Corry steps up, laying his hands on Raven. Luckily the chest doesn't seem to have any support and somehow we defeat this admirable chest. Speaking of chests. What do you call two identical pair of breasts? Identitties.

Yeah, okay, that one was me.

Hælen wants to go back to camp. Raven wants to go back to camp. Spiders block the way out and Hælen rushes them without hesitation. Kruger puts Hælen and all the spiders to sleep.

The group camps with the horses for the night. On the third watch everyone wakes up to see Hælen lying face first in the dirt while Amis hovers over the body. Raven chases him down. Freakin' alien creature.

The troupe re-enters the dungeon. Hælen jams a lit torch in one of the spider holes. Opening the double doors, each one has it's own passageway. Left or right? The group takes some time to chat about old times. Hælen goes through the left door as the discussion leans into Monkhood. Raven wonders why he feels like someone had their hands on him. The passageway curves to the left. We enter a 10'x20' room with a door on the far end. Here the stone is smoother than the entrance; opening the door to see a 30'x30' room with a puma in it. Hælen immediately closes and spikes the door. Questioned, he responds only with, "Displacer Beast." Okay, he says it with obvious fear in his voice. Think 12 year-old boy as his voice starts to change. Anyhooo, Hælen marks the door with a Rangeric symbol for tentacle death.

Back in the living room the troupe goes to the right this time with the passageway curving to the right and opening into a room of webbing. Only Raven is not surprised by the giant spider dropping behind. Hælen was busy making a firepot and tossing it into the room of webbing. Raven gets the better of the spider and it vanishes. Phase Spider. We clear the webbing and destroy the egg sack. The Spider reappears again surprising everyone except Raven. They tangle evenly for a bit but finally Raven succumbs to a spider bite and stiffens up. Possibly a delayed reaction to the mysterious hands from earlier? Bueller? Bueller? D'Corry? Everyone takes a turn missing completely (Phazey included - yep, named the spider). Hælen gets a critical hit on Phazey and it shimmers away. In the webs is a dead Paladin that looks like Amis' twin. Crap. Doppelganger. Egg on our face. Kruger finds a secret door. Hælen makes a Rangeric mark opposite the door to fool anyone else who enters the dungeon. Everyone gets back to camp. Raven's stiffness wears off and Gorlim heals Hælen.

Treasure
Long Sword
Plate Armour
Medium Shield
6 Gems
200gp

Hmmmm... Who gets the Plate?