Session 8: Into the Barrowmaze

I've been remiss in keeping up with session reports; I'm already two behind, with another session this evening, so I'd best get a quick summary posted before I forget too many details.

Recently returned to Catapesh, the survivors of Black Goat Wood made the acquaintance of a thief who had obtained a map that revealed an entrance to the catacombs beneath the necropolis.  Pooling their resources, they hired a couple of crossbowmen from the Armsmen's Guild, purchased crowbars and sledge-hammers, then followed the map to a long-abandoned crypt where they found a rope descending from a block-and-tackle into a hole in the crypt's floor.

After first dropping a torch down the hole to illuminate the chamber below, the party descended the rope one by one, into a room whose walls were adorned with frescoes depicting an ancient Atlantean burial procession, and they soon became aware of a total, almost oppressive, silence in the catacombs.  They heard none of the familiar subterranean noises, such as dripping water, or chittering of rats.  Steeling themselves, the party carefully proceeded into the preternatural stillness beyond, while Balinor probed the floor ahead with his ten-foot pole.

This turned out to be a wise precaution because, as he probed the floor beyond the first doorway they came to, he triggered a pressure plate that caused a stone wall to descend from the ceiling, bisecting Balinor's ten-foot pole into a five-foot walking stick.  Had anyone passed through the doorway they would have been trapped in the chamber beyond.  After a quick return to Catapesh for a new ten-foot pole, the party continued their exploration, this time opting not to explore any doorways.  Instead they stuck to the corridors, and chose to spend their time mapping out the dungeon area to get a better feel for its layout before risking ingress into any more chambers.  Consequently the remainder of the session yielded little treasure - only a few hundred gold pieces gathered from some burial niches - and the party devoted themselves to exterminating vermin such as rats and stirges that occupied the catacombs, though they did encounter some zombies roaming the halls, and had a very tense encounter with a band of rival tomb-robbers who decided to eliminate their competition and help themselves to some pre-looted treasure.  Despite being outnumbered the party gave a good account of themselves, slaying several of the tomb-robbers, causing the rest to flee the dungeon.

After a fairly conservative evening of exploration, the players decided to call it a night and return to Catapesh  to spend their loot on a good carouse.  Ebbin furthered his reputation as a lucky gambler, winning big at the gaming tables and increasing his stake.