All of them gathered into the central chamber of the under-city vaults cast in the strange white glow of the blood red gem known as the Dungeon Heart. None of them wanted to stay behind for caution’s sake in case the others should discover any treasures apart from the McGuffin.

This chamber, the gem heart’s cell, was an octagonal chamber its floor, walls, and domed ceiling constructed wholly of green marble. Large bronze reliefs of the same face that had plagued them throughout the vault took up the walls to the Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest each with an open gaping maw. The Dungeon Heart sat upon its white marble pedestal at only an arm’s length.

Cris (at the GM, me): “You Sonuvab!*@#! If we try to take the gem something’s coming out of those mouths Huh? What sand or poison gas! Or ACID!”

Strangely enough he didn’t name the most probable thing that would kill them, sewer water.

Cris (directed at Gil): “Dude check for traps.”

Therefore Gornix (played by Gil) checked and easily spotted a pressure sensitive trigger underneath the gem. If they tried to lift it from the pedestal it would spring a trap. He then prepared to disable it then got a better idea. Rather he appraised the gem and found it to be a fake. It was cut glass and filled with some sort of liquid. In actuality, it was an alchemical trap. If the fragile glass gem was broken or cracked the liquid would instantly turn into a deadly fume gassing the thieves.

Gornix: “Okay, the gem is a decoy ! Hmmm.”

The young wizard inspected the false gem and its pedestal a bit closer. It took little time for him to detect that the pedestal itself slid to one side revealing a secret door in the floor. So he unilaterally decided to move it on his own and saw a ladder going straight down into the hidden chamber below.

Excor (played by Cris)(at Gornix): “Aww man! Don’t, no! *Sigh* There could’ve been a trap.”

Gornix (looking down into the secret chamber): “But there wasn’t so let’s go!”

Excor: “Okay. You first.”

So Gornix led the crew down into the hidden chamber. This chamber was a large octagonal chamber. Finely carven runes covered the walls. Not an inch of the immaculate green marble walls were unwarded. It had human sized niches carved in each of its eight walls and six thick green marble pillars supporting its middle. At the southern half of the room between four of those pillars sat a short white marble pedestal and on it sat the true Dungeon Heart which lit this room. Immediately Gornix saw two bronze chests against the western wall.

Suddenly, a blast of air from nowhere buffeted Fauna throwing her to the floor. The young mages saw what appeared to be three dusty whirlwinds take form before their eyes. Each had a yellow glowing pair of its own. They were inferior air elementals.

Fauna leapt up from the ground. Athfonia (played by Perla) readied her spear to defend any attacks against her. Szoo (played by Isis) summoned forth his flaming pole-arm. Gornix summoned three inferior earth elementals which immediately attacked the air elementals. As soon as they met, all were annihilated.

Szoo: “Well that was EASY!”

With the last of their foes obliterated, the young mages went about collecting their prize. Gornix checked the gem for traps before picking it up and pocketing it. They then turned their attentions to the chests. Gornix immediately tried to pry one open with his dagger but only succeeded in bending the blade. Athfonia on the other hand cast Bull’s Strength on herself and easily pried open both bronze chests.

Inside of the first chest, they found 5 gold talons, 2 potions of Heal All, 1 potion of Neutralize Poison, 1 Scroll with Curse: Sleep Walking on it, a Platinum Skeleton Key encrusted with diamonds, and a polished bronze dagger with a carved jade grip. Under all of these was another scroll.

On this, only the title could be made out, it read: The White-Light Ruby. The scroll was written in spider-runes, blobs of black ink that moved and swirled about the page changing form. It was nigh impossible to decipher. Gornix snatched it up and stared at it intently hoping to luck out and read it.

In the second chest they found 5 silver talons, a bag of gems (3 diamonds, 6 emeralds, 3 sapphires, 12 pieces of jade, 8 moonstones), 1 potion of healing, 1 potion of neutralize poison, 1 potion of claws of the beast, a bag of coins (100 gp, 150 sp, 10 pp, 8 bt [bronze thorns], 100 cp, and 20 star pieces), a scroll of Wild Spell, a Jet Amulet, an Electrum Ring with Black Enameled Runes, and Ruby-studded Copper Bracers inlaid with silver.

They quickly packed up their booty and high-tailed it out of the hidden chamber. Above they found the walls of force that had served to seal off this chamber through all but one archway were gone. They also noticed that the place seemed darker, and quieter. The plaster on some walls was actively falling off onto the floor and slime seemed be seeping in were there was none before.

Fauna: “Man, let’s get outta here!”

It wasn’t long before they met back up with their ratling allies who had a fully equipped delving party ready to go clean up after they emerged. It wasn’t long until the ratlings quickly guided them through the maze of Ezmer’s sewers. They emerged from a manhole not far from the Red Helm Tavern.

Excor (to Fauna): “Did you get the path back to the dungeon memorized?”

Fauna: “Yup.”

They promptly limped back to the tavern only to find it closed. It was late at night after all. Therefore it took some pounding on the door for the irate bartender to answer through the delivery slit. Of course, he wouldn’t let them in until they bribed him with 6 gold pieces. Hence the dirty mages went up to the cabal room to identify and split the take.

To Be Continued…

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