Immersive Ink

(DM secretly rolls two d6's, for the Listen check and for wandering monsters.)

Alas, the missing hobbets (Fiona and Beppo) cannot be heard from any direction.

Dame Simonetta finds no trace of them in area 19.

"I'm very angry," says Robur half about the foolish hirelings and half about the blue men. "But no one - I'm mean no little blue men - are going to eat any hobbit stew!"

I don't really like circling around at random, but I like splitting up even less.

Dame Simonetta will call out to Fiona & Beppo, hoping for a reply. If she gets no answer, she will assume they are not in any of the chambers adjoining 19. If that's the case, she will return to room 18, check room 30 quickly to eliminate that possibility, then head for room 31.

Sounds like a plan!

Kiplyn follows along as stealthily as possible...

The search for Fiona and Beppo continues. The party searches area 19, then loops back around to area 18. At this point, they hear a loud female voice (Fiona's) coming from area 30: "Why... won't... you... DIE!!"

Fiona has knocked one of the "dalek mushrooms" to the ground. She is straddling it and is viciously stabbing it, over and over and over. The circular "mouths" on the mushroom's cap are silently pulsing open and shut like a fish gasping for air. The other mushrooms "seem agitated" and are slowly "scootching" towards the center of the room to surround the treasure chest.

(DM rolls a secret d6 behind the screen.)

Robur sighs and follows along.

"Fiona! Come back! There's no point, we've already been in here!", Dame Simonetta says.

Still, assuming Fiona doesn't comply, the Dame will approach her and grab her by the arm to pull her off the mushroom and back toward the exit. She will keep an eye on the other mushrooms too!

Willie helps Dame S pull Fiona off the mushroom, then ushers everybody out of the room as quick as possible. If we make it out, let's head across the pit room into room 23, to take a breather, scold the "apprentices", and decide what to do next.

Fiona allows herself to be led away, but she complains all the way to area 23: "I don't understand. Why are we ignoring that treasure chest? I waited to open it till you guys got there, just like you said. I did everything by the book this time. We're just walking away from free experience, and a chest full of loot? Cray-zay!"

"You said don't attack those blue-skin dudes," Douglas adds helpfully. "So, we bailed."

(1d6)

The party reaches area 23 without incident. The south end is clogged with thick spider webs. Our heroes are almost certain the webs conceal a tunnel.