Old Order Outpost

A thorough search of their current location revealed a convenient way down below the golem roamed first floor and into a narrow, obsidian walled corridor. The corridor was eerily silent, until the our heroes decided to through a stone down it’s length to check it’s length, as it’s end was still hidden from view.

The stone clattering on the floor rang clear, and then again and again, proving to the more intelligent members of the group that not only was the corridor rather long, it also angled downwards shallowly. Having nothing better to do, they started walking.

Reaching a now level section of the corridor, which ended in a T junction, the troupe decided to take a rest and then check out the area they have just reached. Obviously, to check it out, they sent Larry.

A quick inspection by the quick-fingered Moonling found that to the right was a training area blocked by a blurry yet somewhat transparent door. Hearing voices from the other side, going through some sort of combat training was probably Larry’s clue as to the purpose of that room, and the reason not to try the door.

On the other side, to the left of the entry corridor, Larry found a series of rooms, their purpose unknown. Larry reported back.

After yet another bout of arguing, the troupe decided on the taking the left turn and trying the doors. The first revealed a small group of goblinoid zombies which were quickly scared into ineffectiveness by Pot O’Gold’s undead turning. A search through another room revealed nothing much, while in third they saw an elven maid, her body partially transformed into that of a dragon. While she was not in such bad condition as the first such abomination they saw, her chances were still slim.

A quick conversation with the elven female told the group that the cult of the Black Sun was here and they sent some of their number to perform a ritual with the elven maid in the middle, transforming even more of her into the shape of a dragon.

Checking out the biggest door in that section in the meantime, the group came upon a large room with 8 columns around its middle, each column had 3 buttons with a rune on each button. All the columns had the same 3 buttons.

Obviously, the Black Sun had to come from somewhere to perform their ritual, and so the heroes decided to stage an ambush, although sadly, using the already tortured elf female as bait. When they had waited for a few hours, in the world above them it had become night time, and suddenly a dull chime sounded from the large columned room and 5 robed characters stepped out, 2 of them in black robes, 3 others in dark blue.

The five walked towards the elf female’s room-turned-cell, the 2 black robed men standing guard at the door while the other 3 went inside and began their ritual.

The group attacked the guards and in no time had them lying in pools of their own blood. Charging into the room, the group dispatched the obvious spellcasters, interrupting the ritual, even though the female will probably not survive anyway.

Having ‘cleared’ this part of the Black Sun outpost and taking into account that it was now ‘sleeping time’ for most people, they ventured into the combat training area Larry had seen before.

The area was empty, but in one corner of the area, a door led into a narrow area, seemingly some sort of barracks. Only two Black Sun soldiers were awake and chattering away, and other than them, the others were sleeping, their very protective black robes hanging on the walls.

With a few invisibility spells and some major stealth, Larry turned assassin and killed two dozen sleeping soldiers without so much as a blink of an eye, not to mention remorse. The rest of the soldiers were killed by some simple yet effective tactics of the entire group.

The slaughter having sated their bloodlust for a bit, the troupe went to the columned room to comprehend its working. Finally, they simply waited until another group came through. When such a group did arrive, they quickly noted the placement of the buttons at the same time as they were slaughtering some more cultists.

The battle over, they pressed the buttons as they recorded previously and lo and behold, a portal opened. A quick step through and our heroes arrived at another 8 columned room, much the same as the one they had just left only with more doors leading out from it.

A quick survey of the room and the level it was in revealed quite a few interesting facts, if not any immediate threats.

First, there was a large statue of a mythical demigod juggling 3 moons.
Second, there was a large nest of some sort of insect-like creature in one corner of the floor.
Third, there were rooms with goblin females sewing black robes in one, and kobolds making armor in another.
Fourth, an old library revealed the truth of this place’s origin as being an outpost of the Black Sun’s enemies, now obviously overrun with cultists.

The troupe would need to decide what to do next. Their options, though, were quite limited.