The Whispering Cairn, Part 3

Edit: These are posts I made back in 2005-2006 and have now transferred them here.

• Tyrrich – Elven, Rogue 1, Warlock 1 (male).
• Garrett – Gnome, Druid 2 (male).
• Cullen – Elven, Monk 2 (male).
• Roma - Half Orc, Rogue 1, Barbarian 1 (male).
• Janna – Human, Cleric 2 (Wee Jas) (female).

After resting, the party heads back into the Whispering Cairn to try and figure out how it all works. After experimenting with the lanterns for a few minutes, Roma and Cullen notice that there is another passage above the Blue lantern. Roma climbs the chain to investigate “just a little bit”. After being blown out of the tunnel a few times (catching the chain on the way down every time) he decides there isn’t a way through and joins the rest of the group.

When no other choice presents itself, the brave Janna steps forward to take the plunge down the yellow lantern’s “elevator”. She even figures out how to send it back up once she is down there.

The group manages to bypass the stone trap and advance down the hallway, leaving Janna behind to take notes and sketch the statues. This straggling Cleric offered a perfect opportunity for the lurking strangler to attack. In the end, only the Half Orc was put to sleep and the Monk landed the killing blow in a spectacular mid air leap.

The party encountered the mold and only decided to taunt it when they had already explored the rest of the area. When Garrett approached too close and started taking cold damage the group decided to combat the cold by throwing flaming oil at it.

After the brown mold doubled in size and engulfed half the party they still managed to escape… but only barely. The party choose to thaw out on their way back to Diamond Lake and used this stop in town to sell some of their loot and identify some magic items. They also procured some Ray of Frost scrolls.

The next day they traveled back to the Cairn to deal with the mold. Now properly equipped the mold was easily cleared away and the rest of the area was explored. The statue was identified as carrying a replica of the Rod of Seven Parts and added to the intrigue and mystery already encompassed in this Cairn. The captive earth elemental also proved to be a bit of an enigma.

Having fully explored the rooms under the yellow lantern, the adventurers make their way to the last unexplored area… the flooded stairs!

Cullen dives into the water; the everburning torch’s light is cast between the pillars in the dark room, eerily distorted by the water. At the same time Cullen is being attacked by the water elemental, Roma is swimming around the other side of the room and encounters the Ghoul who lunges out of the darkness chasing him back to the stairs. At the stairs the Cleric calls upon Wee Jas to turn the vile Ghoul and it flees back into the darkness.

The two prepare to venture back in the water, this time tying ropes about their waist for security. The fight with the Water Elemental is quick but in the process the everburning torch is dispelled reducing the room to utter darkness. No longer able to see Cullen heads back to the stairs leaving Roma to find the Ghoul on his own.

Roma resisted the Ghoul’s paralyzing attacks and in a Rage struck it down with his pick. Having cleared the area, the group explored and found the red lantern. With the last remaining lantern in hand they made their way back to the lantern room.

End of chapter 3.