Bertin and Ered let out slack quickly to about 10 ft then pause. No dull thuds, screams or sounds of rending flesh from their friends on the end of the rope, so another 10 ft the same way then another, when the tension slacks. A few moments and a "Looks okay!" sounds up from the shaft.
Bertin loops the rope around one of the spikes, and he and Ered make their way down to the bottom of the shaft with no issues. "Empty chamber ahead, but there's a couple of closed doors." reports Robern.
The party listens at both doors on the North wall, but detect no sounds. Ered opens the Eastern door. The light from Ernans torch reveals a 4x4 ft hole, just inside the doorway. Ered scoots around it, into a 10x10 room with 2 doors. "Not deep, but theres spikes at the bottom" says Ernan. "Watch your step".
No sounds at either door and the party opens the East door and heads down a hallway to an empty chamber. A search reveals no exits there.
Backtracking to the pit room, the party heads thru the other door into a hallway that leads to 2 chambers to the West. Both are empty aside from some old rubble, pieces of wood, bits of rope and cloth. In the larger chamber the party heads South down the hallway in hopes of finding a stairway up or perhaps an exit to the outside farther down the hill than where they entered.
As they proceed South, past a hallway heading West an audible click is heard in the hallway in front of them and a mist begins to roil out from the floor into the hallway.
Ered steps back quickly, and the party halts. The gas dissipates as it nears them but appears to remain very dense further South down the hallway. "Let's try to the West" Bertin says. The party turns about and Ered takes the lead, but before he can move down the West hallway, out of the darkness a centipede emerges and rears up!
It lashes out at Ered before he can react! It's mandibles clash against metal, spraying yellow stinking liquid as Ered covers behind his shield. 4 ap damage and Ered is driven back.
The creature strikes again at Ered , but this time it misses. Bertin has leapt to the left and as the creature moves into the T of the hallway he has an excellent chance to strike at its flank.
Both fighters and the cleric strike at the centipede. Bertin on the flank misses, but Ered and Robern combine for 11 hp damage.
The monster feints at Ered, but strikes head on at Robern with a hit. Once again the clash of shell on shield and liquid sprays into the air. 6 ap damage on Robern. All 3 return vicious hits against the beast for 12 hp damage and it collapses, writhing on the dungeon floor. "That was close" says Bertin, as Robern and Ered scrape the liquid goo off their shields. " I never get to use my sleep spell " whines Ernan. "Hey! Thats toxic!! he whimpers as Ered flicks goo from his sword at him. "Pipe down and lets move on" Ered growls.
They move past the body of the centipede, heading West down the hallway. A door is on the North wall, (they pause to listen, but no noises), and an empty chamber beyond. A quick search of the chamber reveals no secret doors.
As they return down the hallway to the door, two large hairy legs protrude from around the corner of the T and latch onto the corpse of the centipede. It is drug around the corner to the North. "Not good!" says Ered. "To the door, quick" replies Bertin. They scramble to the door on the North wall and Ered pushes it open.
Robern moves to block the hallway as his friends head thru the door.
"Go, Go,Go!" as Robern backsteps towards the door.
The spider strikes at Robern as he stumbles back thru the door, but it misses, and Ered slams the door shut!
Taking up a defensive file, Ered, Bertin, Ernan, and Robern in the rear, they move North in the hallway. At 30' they connect up to an empty chamber. Ered and Robern stand watch, while Bertin takes the torch and Ernan updates the map.
"Nothing stopping that spider from coming back this way" says Ernan. "Lets head back to the rope and rest." says Ered. "But be on guard".
The party makes its way back thru the chambers without a sign of the spider that chased them. They carefully move around the pit in the small room and return down the hallway to their rope leading up the shaft. Ernan says "Lets eat." and they settle in for food and rest, while they discuss their next move.
NOTES: From the text its noted that there were 2 hits by the centipede on 2 different characters but no mention of a saving throw. The Black Hack uses armor points as opposed to an armor class. I'm proceeding under the premise that armor points deflect damage up to their point total, then actual corporeal damage begins. Since that is the case, something like a poison sting, or a paralyzing touch which affect the body, would not need to be saved for until the armor points are gone and the body is exposed.
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