Frontier Pathfinding - Sunday, February 2nd, 2020

Izelda held the gnoll and leaned on the door to the hallway, hopefully blocking someone from coming through behind them. Schmidt opened the other door, letting Locke and Leve through.

They debated locking the door Izelda was blocking, but decided against it in case they needed to retreat that way, although there was an open hallway exiting this second room which appeared to lead to the hallway in which they fought the gnolls. They also discussed what to do with the gnoll, eventually agreeing that they would lock him in where the prisoners were, and take any prisoners out the front door and get them to Nulb.

Izelda wedged the north door from this room shut as Locke grabbed a couple flasks of oil off a shelf. Leve grabbed four empty wine bottles off the same shelf as the group started to leave down the hallway.

It did return them to the hallway they had been in, and according to the gnoll's map, the padlocked door near where they had fought the ghouls was where they were keeping prisoners. This would likely be the location of Cannoness Y'Dey.

They returned to the padlocked door and Schmidt was able to open the deadbolt, but not the padlock.

Izelda tried prying the chain and padlock off, then tried prying the hasp on the padlock, then Locke tried assisting her in each, but they were unable to make progress. Leve asked them to step aside and started acid splashing the door, and it could be seen that this was working at least as quickly as Izelda prying on the door.

Izelda and Locke took up watch positions at the intersection of the entrance hallway and this side passage, Locke standing in the corridor for a better view. Izelda started to suggest that Locke step out of the entrance corridor when Locke was hit by something behind him coming from the direction the gnoll's had been...

Locke turned and swung at the massive transparent fleshy object, definitely slicing it with his sword. Schmidt moved to the door at the opposite end of the hallway where the ghouls had been and opened it to provide a means of escape if necessary. He left Biff at the door. Leve cast shield of faith and moved toward the combat, declaring his protection judgement. Izelda cast bull's strength on Locke and then stepped back, making her spear available to Locke and declaring, "Don't hit it with anything you want to keep, its acid will eat anything." The gelatinous cube moved forward attempting to engulf Locke, Izelda, and Leve, but all three were able to get clear.

Locke stepped back and pulled out an alchemist fire. Schmidt cast resist acid on Izelda as he stepped toward the combat. Leve corrected Izelda, stating, "it can't dissolve metal or stone, only organic material." He then stepped over toward Locke so they could share their shields. Izelda attacked it with her spear, hitting solidly. The cube attempted to crush Izelda, but missed. The gnoll ran away, past Biff through the open door.

Locke attacked the cube, hitting again. Schmidt took off after the gnoll, Biff coming with him. Biff immediately picked up the gnoll's scent in the former ghouls' room guiding Schmidt ot the door toward the banquet hall. Leve charged the cube and hit, the cube missing him as he cut past it. Izelda attacked and hit again, her spear protected by Schmidt's protection spell. The cube tried to hit Leve again, but missed.

Locke attacked the cube again, hitting. Schmidt and Biff ran down the corridor toward the old banquet hall, Biff snapping on the gnoll's ankle as they ran into the room. Leve and Izelda both hit the cube, and it dropped to a pool of translucent grey-green acid. The gnoll tried to get up having been tripped by Biff's bite, but with his hands tied he was unable.

Locke stepped out of the acid pool and attempted to clean off his clothing. Schmidt caught up with Biff and the gnoll, and yanked the gnoll to his feet. Leve started to step back, but Izelda pointed out a magic ring. "You're the one currently protected from the acid," Leve pointed out.

Locke went to check on the door. Schmidt started marching the gnoll back to the main hallway. Leve started down the corridor toward the kitchen. The gnoll had either run to the banquet hall and would be coming through the kitchen or back up the hall, or he had gone through the ghoul chambers and would be coming out the door into this hallway. As he neared where the hallway branched, he saw Schmidt and the gnoll approaching.

Locke shouldered the door, but it still wouldn't budge. "Leve's acid made some progress, but not enough," he relayed.

Schmidt pushed the gnoll along the corridor toward Leve. Leve raised his crossbow. "We gave you a chance, and you ran. If Ondisso favors you with life, you live, otherwise you will not betray us again," and Leve released a bolt into the gnoll's eye at close range. The gnoll survived.

Leve and Schmidt walked the gnoll back to the scene of the combat. Izelda was busy scooping acid from the mess onto the door to weaken it further. Locke had the magic ring, but said they weren't sure what it was.

Eventually they got through the door, and discovered that there were 13 nude prisoners shackled to the wall in the fairly small room. Most of the prisoners were human, but two were elves. None of them were the Cannoness. Izelda looked around at the group, then pulled out the large sack they had found full of clothing. As it happens, this was the clothing that had been taken from the prisoners. Schmidt unchained the prisoners and Izelda and Deserea helped them all get dressed. The prisoners will in poor condition, but none were in danger of falling over dead.

They started to head out, and one of the prisoners, one of the elves, came up to Deserea, deciding she was the most approachable. "I'm Ezren, a wizard of some skill, and would like to join you in your efforts to eradicate this pool of evil," he told her.

"Well, we'll have to evaluate that before making a decision."

They discussed it, and asked what he needed. They could provide him with some light armor and a sword and dagger he could use. As for spell components, they would need to find his in the temple, or get something from town. They were discussing sending Deserea into town in disguise with the prisoners and the gnoll, since they could not very well leave the gnoll in a prison without a door, and she could see about getting some items from Mother Screng. As they started putting a list together, Leve pointed out a number of items that were just not likely to be in Nulb. Not only was it a small and poor town, but he had spend a couple months there learning the community...

Ezren sent his familiar, a raven who had been hanging around outside the ruin, home with a message requesting reinforcements from his father, a minor noble to the east.

As they were getting everyone settled into camp, as it was already night when they got out of the temple, two other prisoners approached Locke and Leve. "If you're handing out gear, and their might be pay," one of them offered, "we're both of sure foot and strong arm."

Locke looked them over and determined that, like Ezren, they were not evil. Leve reported to the others that their motives seemed genuine. They are mercenaries looking for a payroll.

The next morning, Deserea left for Nulb with the gnoll prisoner and the former prisoners in tow. Then Izelda's presence made everyone ill...

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