The party camped at the shrine of St Raz and entered Stonehell in force, joined by new allies. The party entered the caverns to the north, following the sign directing them to 'Da Dragon', and met with a Kobold clean-up crew led by a kobold named Towser. The kobolds were collecting guano from the bat caves. The party went to explore the caves, but were approached from behind by a team of Ghost Beggar bandits. Yrsa brought down a swarm of bats on the bandits and they mostly cut each other apart in confusion. Before executing the lone survivor for his crimes, Swampy ascertained that the bandits were selling their services as mercenaries to the Open Sore Orcs to wipe out the last of the goblins to the south. While Swampy went off to investigate, the party explored the caves, finding a well down to the second level and the apparently-unoccupied lair of 'Da Dragon'. Re-entering dungeon corridors, they fell afoul of a poison gas trap that killed Mercador the Mage. The party tipped his body into the well. Discovering an old tomb, the party began opening crypt doors and disposing of the undead inside. In one crypt they found Gore the Half-Ghoul, struggling to raise himself to humanity, and recruited him. The Grinning Skull Shrine cursed the party with demented laughter, summoning more monsters. Rejoined by Swampy, the party followed the route taken by the kobolds to an Orc guard post. Representing themselves as Ghost Bandit mercenaries, the party were guided by the troubled Orc Ka-Plot to the lair of the Open Sore tribe and the chief, Thothity, who commissioned the party to wipe out the Goblins in return for "thapphireth and thtaveth!" The party explored the Contested Corridors, encountering a Doom Lure spirit of fear and a violent war band of Orcs, before coming across the Goblin lair. Attacking with surprise, the party wiped out the Goblins and Yrsa freed their wolves. After settling the Goblins' debts to the Kobolds, the party returned to the Orcs, only to be betrayed by Thothity. In the battle, Horatio was crippled. Fortunately, Swampy was able to place Charm Person on the Chief and negotiate their freedom, with rewards, to the chagrin of the Chief's lieutenants, who swore to be revenged on the adventurers. In Kobolds Korner, the party sampled the delights of 'Da Markit' and Horatio's spinal injuries were made worse by bungling kobold barber-surgeons. In 'Da Tavern', the party encounter a mysterious green-skinned woman named Lachesis who promised them a reward if they could locate a hidden Shrine to Law beneath the Contested Corridors. She offered the escort of her Ogre, Tusk, to get the party past the hostile Orcs. While searching for the shrine, the party found and released the remain Goblins hiding from the Orcs, discovered a magic sword and rescued Kobolds being mauled by a Giant Shrew. They discovered an old temple, now a dining room for Berserker Cannibals, and a shaft down beneath the altar stone. The sub-level proved to be an ancient Shrine to Chthonia Trimorphia, the Three-Faced Goddess in her Lawful aspect. The Shrine was built by the Sisterhood of the Argent Moon, of whom only Klydessia remains: the priestess is now an Abide (a Lawful Lich), assisted by her mysterious Ephemeric (Lawful Shadow) named Tis. The party enjoyed Klydessia's hospitality and cured Horatio's injuries after cleansing her infirmary of Giant Spiders. They then discovered her insane plan, to recruit them as her pacifistic apostles to go out and convert the dungeon denizens. When Gore agreed to this, she polymorphed him into the ideal Apollonian form of her perfect apostle and soon-to-be lover. Behind Klydessia's back, the party discovered the Sisterhood's treasure chamber and robbed it, using Hold Portal spells to keep the undead priestess at bay while they narrowly escaped. Now in possession of a veritable treasure hoard, the party decided to flee the dungeon. The Dwarvish chamber studied by Snorri Broadshoulders proved no escape, since the door into it from the north was a one-way door. Instead, the party burst into the Orc guard post and scattered treasure to distract the Orcs while they fled. The Orcs summoned reinforcements and gave chase, catching up with the party on the stairwell. A battle ensued, in which the party made good use of their tactical advantage to keep the Orcs at bay until the monsters' morale broke and the party could depart safely.
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