In reply to Keira (msg # 313):

Aladin will watch and wait...

Gurth waited quietly nearby.

GM passing a message.

Keira returned to the camp site to report what she found. "Whatever that thing was, it came from the direction of the exit. Not sure what to make of that. A coincidence, or could the cultists have send it after us? At least it did not dug itself out of the ground under us, that would make resting here a bit tricky."

OOC: Back to resting?

"Perhaps. Or it followed us...back to resting."

Larathiel curls up and goes to sleep, exhausted.

The band returned to sleep, while still keeping watch. The rest of their rest was eventless.

[What do you dog?]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 320):

Do I recover any hp?

Before resting up, Keira took some time to bandage Aladin's wounds. Unfortunately, medicine is not really her calling.

OOC: No dice. Only 1 hp restored by bandaging.

18:15, Today: Keira rolled 15 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,6,5.  First Aid (12). – 15

Keira bandaged Aladin and cared for him for a little over half an hour.

[Aladin regained 1 hp.]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 323):

That still feels better. Aladin thanks her for the help.

They passed a couple more ruins on their way to the closest remaining building. This was north west from where they had slept, rather than the south west they had been heading from the entrance. And it was only about 250 feet away.

It was 200 feet long and 120 feet wide and made of greenish stone. The north east end was covered by a vaulted roof and supported by 60 foot long stone columns. While the rest of the building was open.

Between the columns on the northwest and southwest walls were 40 feet tall windows that started 20 feet over the ground and continued all the way to the top. There were two open archways in the center of the northeast wall and four similar archways in the southwest wall.

The roofed northeastern area was split into two rooms with a windowed wall between them. In the approximate center of each of the 100-foot by 60-foot rooms was a 30-foot by 20-foto pool of polished white stone. Dust had filtered in through the open window and door, and had lightly covered the floor and the bottom of the pool, which sloped towards the center.

The open southwestern area was mostly filled by a long pool which likely once was paved with grass. The far ends were quite shallow and the floor sloped gently down toward the center. It was filled with dust, sand, and debris. The walls and exposed bottom of the pool were made of highly polished white stones set into mortar.

Aladin will try a quick healing spell to see if magic works as he looks around. Are there any pools still with water?

The pools don't have water in them. And when Aladin prays, nothing happens.

Then suggest we keep exploring...

"These people must have really, really liked bathing."

OOC: Fine with moving on.

In what, though?,  Gurth replied.

They continued onward to the largest ruin they had found so far. Easily 500 feet long and over 200 feet wide. A hippodrome of long ago. Only the first floor remained, if that. Portions showed that it had been at least three floors tall with seats around most of the walls watching the race course in the center with a long rectangular shape in the center for them to race around.

[OOC: I added an image in maps group 0 of a functioning hippodrome and if you can imagine that in ruins. ]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 331):

"I would assume water unless we see indications of otherwise."

Aladin will once again test his magic with an attempt to heal himself.

Aladin prayed again and again nothing happened.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 333):

He shrugged.

"Still no magic, lets look for secret entrances and keep moving..."

"We can take a look, but let's not waste too much time on it. And be on a lookout for more snakes. Or undead. Or cultists. Or traps."

OOC: Fine with taking a quick look. We really need to find another exit, else we have no choice but to return back to the entrance and take another tunnel.

"I wonder if they worshiped a god of water..." Larathiel mused. She grew increasingly nervous as Keira cited different threats. "Doesn't seem fair I don't have my magic yet undead could still show up"

In reply to Larathiel (msg # 336):

"You don't say. That is especially troubling for a priest...evil must be afoot to allow evil magic to happen, but no other."

They spent the whole morning looking for secret entrances and only got about halfway through the ruined hippodrome. And so far there were no indications that there was any hidden entrance in the area of the hippodrome that they had searched.

This ruin was huge!