The Vault of the Once Great Thief Ep 2

The party welcomed two new members, Minothor Orcpunter, a bullman blood rager, and Elm Brook, a samsarin cleric, before venturing back into the supposedly abandoned thieves’ guild vault. After a brief exploration of familiar hallways, Minothor discovered a finely crafted, gem-encrusted greatsword hidden within a pile of junk. The group then encountered the vault’s true nature: a massive, shifting labyrinth. They found circular corridors, strange seams in the walls, and an archway in the ceiling blocked by a different type of stone.

Their investigation led them to a stuck lever and eventually down a hall ominously lined with skulls. Here, they found the first of several rotating dials, the key to the vault’s puzzle. After turning the dial from one to two, the entire dungeon groaned and shifted, opening new passages while closing others. Deeper inside, they located a second dial, this one with five settings. Through careful observation, they began to grasp the mechanics of the dungeon, realizing that entire sections were sliding past one another.

Their puzzle-solving was violently interrupted by an ambush of four kobold zombies. A chaotic battle erupted in the narrow halls. While Minothor and Bogmire engaged the undead head-on, Elm Brook began a lengthy meditation to channel divine power. To protect the vulnerable cleric, Fat Slasher raced back to a dial and manipulated the walls, temporarily sealing Elm Brook in a safe chamber. Once the immediate threat passed, the walls were shifted back, and the party regrouped to hunt down the remaining zombies. After a tense chase through the shifting corridors, Elm Brook finally unleashed a wave of power that sent the undead fleeing, allowing the party to destroy them one by one.

With the zombies defeated, the group pressed onward, navigating a long corridor booby-trapped with pressure plates that fired arrows from the walls. At the end of this deadly hall, they discovered a third rotating dial. Experimenting with it revealed its control over yet another section of the complex maze. Having unraveled a significant portion of the puzzle but facing a dauntingly complex mechanism, the party decided to retreat to town to rest, regroup, and plan their next approach to the thieves’ treacherous, ever-changing vault.

OUTLINE:

Return to the Vault

The party was introduced to two new characters: Minothor Orcpunter, a bullman blood rager, and Elm Brook, a samsarin cleric.
They re-entered the thieves’ guild vault, exploring hallways from their previous visit.
Minothor searched a junk pile and discovered a fancy, gem-encrusted greatsword.
The party investigated a circular hallway with an upside-down, blocked-off archway on the ceiling, confirming the vault’s strange construction.

Discovering the Shifting Puzzle

The party attempted to break through a wall with seams, but failed.
They found a lever that was stuck and could not be moved.
Following a hall lined with skulls, they discovered a large dial on a pedestal, set to ‘1’.
Turning the dial to ‘2’ caused the entire dungeon to shake and shift, opening new hallways and closing old ones.
They found a second dial with five settings and, through observation, deduced that large sections of the dungeon were sliding past one another.

Kobold Zombie Ambush

While exploring, the party was ambushed by four kobold zombies emerging from side nooks.
A protracted battle began in the narrow corridors.
Elm Brook entered a multi-round meditation to prepare a powerful ‘Turn Undead’ spell.
To protect the vulnerable cleric, Fat Slasher ran back to a dial and manipulated it to seal Elm Brook safely behind a stone wall.
The party defeated one zombie and chased the others after Elm’s spell caused them to flee.
They hunted down and destroyed the remaining three zombies.

The Third Dial and the Arrow Traps

The party proceeded down a long, 100-foot hallway.
They discovered and triggered a series of pressure plate traps that fired arrows from the walls.
At the end of the trapped hall, they found a small room containing a third rotating dial.
Initial experiments with the third dial revealed it controlled yet another moving section of the labyrinth.

A Tactical Retreat

Faced with the immense complexity of the three-dial puzzle, the party decided to leave and regroup.
They manipulated the dials to a configuration that allowed them to exit the vault.
Returning to town, they had the greatsword appraised and sold it for 100 gold.
The party then spent their downtime carousing and training before the session ended.

NPCs:

Kobold Zombies: Mindless, undead kobolds that shambled out of alcoves to ambush the party. They were tough to put down for good but were susceptible to divine magic.

ITEMS:

Fancy Greatsword (Gem Sword): A non-magical but masterfully crafted greatsword with decorative metalwork and a gem set into its hilt. It was found in a junk pile and sold for 100 gold.
Healing Sandwich: A sandwich prepared by Fat Slasher that functions as a healing potion. One was used to revive Elm Brook after they were downed by an arrow trap.
Plus One Dagger: A magical +1 dagger that deals an extra 3 points of damage against Delvers. It was looted from a kobold in a previous session.

LOCATIONS:

The Thieves’ Guild Vault: A supposedly abandoned vault that is actually a massive, shifting puzzle dungeon. The layout consists of multiple large sections that slide and rotate, controlled by a series of large numerical dials. The halls are decorated with kobold skulls and fitted with deadly traps.

FACTIONS:

Thieves’ Guild: The mysterious organization that built the shifting vault. The party hates them due to past grievances involving the guild taking a cut of their earnings during downtime.

QUESTS:

Loot the Thieves’ Vault: Explore the supposedly abandoned vault of a hated Thieves’ Guild to plunder its fabled treasure.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Bogmire: A powerful Crocodilian Blood Rager. Bogmire is a straightforward and formidable warrior, wading into battle to crush his enemies. He is direct and action-oriented, preferring to smash problems rather than puzzle them out.
Elm Brook: An aggressively gender-unspecific Samsarin Cleric. As a reincarnated soul, Elm remembers fragments of past lives and is devoted to their faith, though they will annoyingly meditate for extended periods before healing anyone. Elm is the party’s source of divine power and moral certainty.
Fat Slasher: A Fetchling Kineticist who wields the power of darkness, often channeling it through kitchen utensils like a fork. Despite their name, Fat Slasher is surprisingly nimble. They have a tactical mind, demonstrated by their use of the dungeon’s puzzle mechanics during combat.
Minothor Orcpunter: A Bullman Blood Rager and witch hunter who worships Thor. Minothor is proud and eager to prove his worth, often attempting feats of great strength. He has chosen to communicate primarily through bull-like sounds, keeping his knowledge of Common a secret.