Chairs and tables in the room were laden with rancid, thawing meat. Smelled awful. There was a terrifying, multi-species sculpture along one wall. Pieces of several different animals assembled into one horrific whole. The party shuddered and left the room.

Back in the corridor, we smelled a metallic, burning odor. We could see and smell smoke leaking out around a door down the hall. Menka cured Cathal’s lighter wounds, getting him back 8 points (32). Cathal laid his hands on Gonchar in a shocking fashion, getting the dwarf back 14 points (77). We lined up around the door with the smoke creeping outward near the floor. Flint checked the door for traps, finding none. He then checked the door to the right (west) and heard someone muttering in an accent from the Isle of Many Kingdoms.

We re-entered the ugly dwarf’s head, intent on exploring the underground complex before heading back to Westkeep and then onward to the Hall. Unsure where to go first, we hung out in the entry and discussed our options.

We decided to head to the far northern end of the complex where the ceiling had collapsed. Examining the heap of rubble, we noticed that he hallway was not totally closed off. Cathal and Gonchar found a tunnel through the rubble. It was too small for one of the humans to fit through, though the dwarves may be able to wiggle through. Clearing the rubble by hand would be a major excavation project.

We burned away the moss clinging to the front of the misshapen pillar. Cathal said the pillar and the altar were redolent with evil. The pillar also seemed to be suppressing the light from Cathal’s sword. Tim’s detect magic highlighted only the altar and the pillar and nothing else. There seemed to be no magic in the cave beyond as well.

Out of spells. Out of heals. On empty. Kyril used his last detect magic and joined the DM in the kitchen. There was indeed a pile of treasure in the dragon’s lair but it seemed to be mainly coins and non-magical crap, as determined by Kyril’s detection spell. Mist and the sound of falling water to the north, possibly an exit from the cavern.

Since our attempt to rest had been disturbed by the Grimlocks, we were still a mess. Kyril cast dispel magic on Flint to bring him back to his usual short size with no apparent effect. Cathal took a pull from Seamus’s mug, getting back 8 hp (31/67). Cathal bound everyone’s wounds.

We returned to the beach from the island of the rotted corpse. Tim tasted some of the wine we’d found and it was, indeed, lovely, though it seemed to confer no magics to his person. By this time the drunks had sobered up and the magical bloodlust had ended. We formed a marching order and headed back to the main hallway.

Having let Legola return to his repose, we decided to rest in the unique Dionysian bar, heal and regain some spells. We head skittering rocks to the north and a low, indistinct moaning to the south. Not all of us heard it.

We continued uphill. Encountering a web, Gonchar’s Flame Blade made short work of it. His Flame Blade illuminated tentacles ahead, hanging from the ceiling to the floor. The tentacles seemed to emit no heat per infravision. Mouths on the tentacles dripped ooze.

Menka spoke with Aesil about gaining access to the mirror she kept somewhere in the tower. She was far less than interested in providing access and was neither concerned with events far to the the south nor with the visions provided to the priest by the messenger of Thoth.

Seamus wanted to skin two of the huge wolves and take their pelts. Given our haste he decided to wait for the return trip. The cavern continued west then turned sharply north. It was misty due to the increasing cold and the hallways seemed to be well and recently traveled.