Re: Chapter 7: A Ghastly Discovery
Following the battle, Eagle examines the fallen ghasts and comes to the horrifying realization that the ghasts they just fought are none other than his former companions, save for Norion, whom was already accounted for. Something terrible happened here last night while Eagle was back at the village. Eagle has been charged with this task before, so he well knows the drill. Except this time it is not just a single party member, but all of them!
One of the ghasts is not his companion though, but a monster dressed in what look like a nobleman's robes, albeit tattered, and wearing a golden circlet studded with brilliant gems. Perhaps a former lord of this keep?
After taking stock of the defeated ghasts, the party discusses their options.
In this, the party members look to Eagle for leadership. Eventually the party agrees to descend into the dungeon to search for signs of any other threats.
Once down below, the party first heads down in the direction the ghasts came from, to the left. The short corridor opens into a larger, ruin-filled chamber. The chamber's southeast corner has partially collapsed and stone, earth and other debris litter its floors. This chamber is still filled with the stench of ghast and more than one member suffers bouts of vomiting while investigating the area.
The party finds a collection of treasure piled into a hollow between two large cinder blocks. Eagle recognizes this as the treasure that was wrested from the Horned One's lair. The group removes this and finds a sturdy strongbox beneath these recent additions to the ghasts' hoard. The strongbox is made of sturdy wood reinforced with metal banding and is sealed with an iron lock. Save for a collection of bones and bits of clothing here or there, nothing of value is found in the lair.
Turning their attention now to the south corridor, the party discovers a chamber in an even worse state. The entire southern half of the room has collapsed. Save for stone, earth and other debris, the only thing of interest found in this room is what looks like a stone staircase descending down. The staircase is filled with rubble and eventually terminates in a pile of seemingly impassable ruin.
There are no other obvious passages to explore in either chamber.