…the floor suddenly disappeared from underneath their feet. Dante, Keiron, and Crazy Mary fall into a pit below. Ulrich has somehow remained on the surface. He tosses the book down to them before sealing the secret door with a strength of magic Keiron can’t disable.

After determining that none of them are injured, the three set about finding a means of escape. No exit is offered aside from a dark tunnel in front of them. With a group sigh of resignation, the three set through the tunnel. It’s a short trip, and they emerge into a large chamber lit by a faint violet glow from the phosphorescent fungus growing on all the walls. The air is damp and carries an ever-increasing chill. The cavern is split by a large pool filled with still, black water. Beyond the pool is a flat, stone ledge. They climb along the rock wall until they reach the ledge. There, they find the bodies of two men, along with their supplies. After picking up and wearing or taking all they can, they head down some stone stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, they encounter a horde of ghouls. They slay them without too much trouble and explore the cross-shaped room. The walls are hewn of rough stone and there are two empty plinths in front of each alcove. Benches are carved along the walls of the alcoves, as if already set for weary travelers. On exploring the room, they discover a locked chest. Opening the chest triggers a whisper that calls ghosts and the room quickly fills with hundreds of milling, ethereal forms. However, none of them bother the adventurers and they remain safe from harm. One ghost approaches them and identifies herself as Regina.

Regina then says that she’s Crazy Mary’s mother. After she cancels Ulrich’s confusion and appearance spells on Mary, she tells the group what had happened before.

REGINA’S TALE

Regina explains that she had accompanied her son Ulrich and taken along her son William to help construct a teleportation circle in the village. After sealing the entrance behind him, Ulrich had gone ahead of her and his brother, as he wished to get the work done. She and William preferred to take their time and explore. In town, Ulrich had found the townspeople dead. He’d recognized the work of a type of demon and identified it as a Wendigo. Her son is a powerful wizard, and he was able to quickly create the illusion of a perfectly normal village. Unwilling to allow himself to be the one taken over by the Wendigo, he’d killed the first person to exit the catacombs, which happened to be her. He’d then conjured up an illusion of her just in time for William to exit the passage. Then he’d fooled William into thinking he’d killed their mother. William had dropped back down into the catacombs in his disbelief. His grief weakened him enough for the Wendigo to take possession of him.

So William is now the Wendigo.

Ulrich had heard the screams, but ignored them. He closed off the catacombs with a boulder and sealed it off with magic, trapping the Wendigo inside.

NOT SO OLD GHOSTS

Finished telling her tale, Mary tells them that they can safely rest there for the night, and then dematerializes before their eyes.

Crazy Mary, now, of course, the distinct image of a beautiful princess, and the prophet hag entirely gone, informs the two adventurers that she is not to be called “Crazy Mary” any more. She informs them repeatedly. They forget repeatedly. Apparently, they’ve also forgotten that she controls the lightning.

Now rested, the group continues on their way. At the far end of the room waits another arched doorway, with more stairs beyond. They descend the stairway and find themselves in a room much like the one they’d been in before. After fighting through a gang of ghasts, Keiron spots and opens a locked chest. He finds earplugs. At first, he questions them and the usefulness of such a “treasure.” Then he realizes what they could be used for and what could lay ahead, and pockets them gratefully.

And, possibly, glares nastily at the narrator.

Keiron then finds and pops open a false tile in one of the plinths. A fine dust puffs out from underneath it and spreads into the air. It settles onto everyone within the room, sending the entire groups into fits of sneezing and coughing.

Through her coughing, Mary says, “For fuck’s sake!” Then she casts dispel magic, and everyone is able to resume normal breathing.

Mary glares at the rogue. “You just had to open it, didn’t you?”

Fuming at one another, the party continues down another stairwell. The room they enter looks much like the previous two rooms. But the lighting is darker, as some of the violet fungus on the wall has died. Only the first half of the room is visible on entry. Where, in the other rooms, had been two empty plinths, now stood plinths with perching statues. On closer look, the statues appear to be topless winged women.

Mary shouts, “Harpy bitches!”

As the harpies rise from their perches, they fly over a deep trench that diagonally traverses the room. The party successfully defeats the harpy bitches before collapsing of exhaustion. They decide to take a much-needed rest.