The party decided they wanted to see if they could track down the priest of Asmodeus that had presumably disappeared into the Underdark through the secret door. They suggested this plan but Oleane, Leander, and Booger both refused to venture into the cave. Braford and Sharwyn were game to do so though. So, they left their three companions in the Keep while they ventured forth.
They traveled for several hours in the pitch dark before coming to a larger cavern that had two branching passages off of it; one to the north and one to the northwest. They decided to go northwest since they guessed that might take them in the direction of Harken. If the caves led to Harken then this might be the way that the kidnappers took Jaylen and how they got completely away without being seen. More hours of travel and they came to a large chasm.
The path they were on hugged the wall of the chasm with a deep drop into darkness on their right as they walked. At the end of the chasm was a large waterfall and the path led behind the falling water. Kvothe was scouting ahead and upon slipping behind the waterfall, he was attacked by gray oozes that hid in the puddles of water there. During the battle, he wasn’t seriously injured but his chainmail was partially dissolved by the acid. After the battle the party continued on for a short while and then found a small side chamber to hole up and rest.
Their rest was interrupted by a party of goblin scouts. They slew a number of the goblins but the leader and a couple of underlings fled back up the passage the way the party had come. The heroes finished their rest, recovered spells, and healed up some.
Waking they moved on once again. After a few hours of travel they came to a small cavern. The passage continued on to the west but the north wall of the cavern was smooth, worked stone. In the middle of this stonework were two iron doors, each with a lock. Considering the doors, the party tried the ivory handled key they had found in the Keep after the battle. It fit in one of the keyholes but wouldn’t turn. After some discussion they decided that the priest of Asmodeus might have the other key and they needed to find him.
They left the doors behind and continued to the west. Another hour or two along their path and they came to a four way intersection. The passage ahead sloped up at a relatively steep angle. The passage to the left sloped down steeply. The right passage was more or less level.
First they took the right passage, which turned them northward. After traveling for several hours they came to the end of the passage at the shores of an underground lake of indeterminant size. Backtracking they took the passage that went upwards. After an hour of arduous climbing they emerged from the cave on the side of a mountain overlooking Lake Wintermist from the west. It was dusk and the lights of Harken, far off in the distance, could be see twinkling from afar.
They found no sign of anyone exiting the cave here recently so they decided to go back down to the intersection and take the remaining passage, which sloped down. Traveling downward for a long stretch they eventually came to wider caves that leveled out. The air around them seemed colder than normal but their breath didn’t mist in the chill. Also, the light of their torch seemed to be dimmer and less effective as they moved forward. Gloom seemed to thicken all about them.
Scouting ahead, Kvothe heard the very faint sound of breathing. Moving forward he came to a large cavern. He scouted into the cavern and soon came to a ring of stalagmites. In the middle of the ring was the form of a mighty, sleeping dragon with dark scales. It’s breath providing an immense basso background rumbling. Scattered about the dragon was coins, jewels, and other treasure.
Knothe decided that discretion was the better part of valor and slunk away. He turned the party around and urged them to make haste towards the smaller tunnels and presumed safety. As they reached the smaller tunnels and disappeared into them, they heard the sound of gigantic wings and a large mass as it hit the ground somewhere behind them. They fled upwards through the tunnels and relaxed a bit when they reached the intersection with an pursuit appearing.
They decided that now was the time to head back to the Keep. They moved quickly as was practical and eventually arrived back at the Keep, exhausted. they rested again. It had been a bit more than two days since they had gone into the tunnels.
Upon waking, Leander indicated that he would be returning to Fallcrest. He had duties to perform and people to report to. They party once again wanted to head back into the tunnels. Oleane and Booger volunteered to go round up the horse that had been left at Oleane’s camp guarded by a couple of wolves. With their horses, they party could load up their treasure and get it back to Fallcrest once they returned from the caverns again.
This is where the session ended.
