The party pushed through the pivoting secret door into a short, angled hallway. At the end were two doors. After a brief discussion, the party split into two groups to investigate both doors at the same time. Alexandria, Erf and Jax took the southern door, while Arthur, Yaervan and Gandolf took the western one.
The southern trio found a guard room with four alert hobgoblins waiting for them. The hobgoblins were tough and ready, but no match for the three adventurers as Jax and Alexandria quickly dealt with them. Saving his final spell for later, Erf contributed with a carefully-aimed dagger that struck one of the hobgoblins down.
Meanwhile, the other group found what was basically a bedroom/trophy room, with skins and skulls decorating the walls and the chair made of monster bones. A search of the room and a judicious use of the detection wand allowed them to find a secret door in this room as well, one that led to a room filled with treasure: Three chests, three casks, a heap of armor, a gong, two shields holding coins, a bowl of gems, a horn, and a bejeweled walking stick. Eagerly the trio began looting the place, but were suddenly confronted by the gong, which shapeshifted and struck at them with pseudopods. Arthur was struck with a powerful blow and knocked unconscious. Gandolf immediately turned and ran, leaving Yaervan to face the mimic alone.
The half-elf was up to the challenge, striking hard and fast while dodging to the best of his ability. However, his ability was not quite enough as he took several blows from the vicious mimic. Nevertheless, he gave as good as he got, dealing the monster grievous wounds of its own. Still, the outcome was inevitable...until Gandolf returned with the other group in tow. Jax wasted no time in slicing the mimic down with his bardiche as Yaervan staggered back, barely conscious.
The group rested a few moments, reviving Arthur with one of their few remaining healing potions and giving Yaervan one as well. Battered and beaten, the adventurers nevertheless resolved to continue on. They searched the treasure room, looting what they could, and found a crumpled letter addressed to 'Kazmojen', warning him to not get too enamored of his thus-far successful operation lest he draw the attention of do-gooders and assorted adventurers looking to rescue the many slaves. The letter was signed only with a kingfisher symbol, which Alexandria recognized as representing Kingfisher Sendings in the town of Kingfisher Hollow outside of Cauldron.
Pressing on, the group returned to the room with the hobgoblin guards, in which they found another door. Through it, they entered a long corridor, flanked by a pair of dwarven statues, male and female. Halfway down the corridor, they encountered a bridge over dark water that led back to the east, ending in a door. Consulting the map they had been making, they realized that it most likely led to the room they had been unable to breach after fighting the hallway full of hobgoblins. Taking stock of their situation, they grimly decided to press on, as Yaervan and Jax prepared to break through the door.
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To be concluded this weekend!
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