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The party are still stuck on the near side of the two pits. Haiko has just
fallen to his presumed (correctly) death in the far pit. There are still
two weapons to be recovered in White Plume Mountain, but there is little
sense in embarking upon a different course when time is running out, as
the party seem to remember things. After much argument, discussion and
wasted time, the party come up with two wooden doors (5' wide by 6'
high) torn from areas already explored, and the 2' wide by 6' high stone
door torn from the entrance to the secret room from which the ghouls
sprang. The two pits with the frictionless surface in between seem nigh
impossible to cross. Once more, Gruff reckons that he may be able to get a
clerical spell that will help, but he'll need to meditate again for eight
hours.
Czevbourne had taken an 'identify' spell when the party last got
recharged, but the long casting time had prevented him from using it until
now. The party move to the corner at the lava cavern, where there is
natural light, room and dryness, and which metal items can be brought
to. Eight hours later Gruff has successfully changed his spells, and
Czevbourne identified the shortsword and the large rectangular clump of
metal. The shortsword is magical (already know after the fight with the
vampire), a weapon +2, with some other function indiscernible by
Czevbourne. The information gleaned on the metal thing is more vague. It
has a lever with a hot or cold setting, and it works when a person stands
on it. There is a catch to hold the person and the number of charges left
in the device is almost used up.
The party return to the slippery room, without any of the metal
items, thanks to the superheating corridor. Gruff has learned a 'stone
shape' spell. It is hoped that this will enable him to remove a 9' cube of
stone parallel to the slippery surface, bypassing the first pit, and
providing a plug of stone for the second one. His first attempt at the
spell does not work, for some unknown reason. In his second casting of the
spell he is unable to affect the walls of the slippery area, nor is he
able to move a large volume of stone once it is outside the area of effect
of the spell. The result is about fifteen 2' by 2' stone boulders, and
also a corner where a plank of wood can be lain diagonally across the pit
to provide an extra stepping stone for jumping.
Fourn and Dyxs get to heaving the boulders across the pit in order to fill
up one side of the other pit. Progress is okay, but Fourn needs to rest
after about six or so stones are thrown across to the other side. Most
have been on target and one of the corners of the opposite pit is
hopefully mostly rocks, and not poisoned razor blades. The throwing
continues, and Fourn manages to slip and fall into the near pit. He lands
without hurting himself too badly, and manages not to get poisoned. Mat
throws down a rope and Dyxs takes the end to haul Fourn out. Fourn is
still not out of trouble, and still has to move amongst the poisoned
blades to get himself into a position to be hauled out. He is scraped by
one of the blades, and this time the poison takes. Fourn manages to hold
onto the rope long enough for Dyxs to haul him out, but the poison is
extremely nasty, and he is soon dead.
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