Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Level 2 complete!

Still online, thanks to COVID.

After a short argument (because many characters were close to exhaustion and needed a long rest to replenish their resources) solved by the DM's approximation of the time - around noon - we decided to move on.

There was one more room in ooze territory, which I tried to open the door to, but rolled a 1. Broken fingernail. Ireth tried next, and the room was full of water, which spilled upon us and knocked us to the ground. A rotten corpse also flowed out, but that's about it.

We explored winding corridors, ending in a well lit room with tables covered in food. In the middle, a woman was sitting on a throne, beneath the portrait of Halaster. The DM described her priestly robes and double holy symbols. I tried my luck at diplomacy. She responded well to flattery, and so we talked a bit to Midna, of the Fine Fellows of Daggerford. We let her know that her companions are dead, and offered to lead her back to the surface[1]; in return, she offered us food and we rested for a while.

The final leg of the journey was the elimination of the second Xanatar base of operations. We discovered a room with 10 sleeping bugbears, and fought a hard battle[2]. Fortunately, Selene had enough Fireballs in her to quickly cut down half the brutes before they got out of their beds.

I had to patch up everybody, so we retreated into ooze territory to rest. Ireth guarded us in her Ankylosaurus form.

We went back to continue the romp - after all, there was no boss among the bugbears to cut a head off of. Indeed, the dryder Shunn[3] awaited us there with a gang of human cronies. She offered us money in return for eliminating the Zhentarim presence on this level, while I whispered to my companions that we have to kill her instead. She understood, although I did not know that; but Solid solved it in the end by blasting the guys in front with his breath attack. Where's Szivem when you need an unexpected Fireball! Shunn ran up the ceiling to cast drow spells at us, but we dodged Faerie Fire and I Counterspell'd Darkness. We picked off the humans one by one, until they surrounded me and and my skeletons, killing the undead and hurting me badly - no slots for Shield. I cast Darkness of my own to survive at least one round of their attacks, while the party killed Shunn. Then I dispelled the dark cloud, allowing us to destroy our enemies at our leisure. Finally, Selene was banished to a corner of the room while her wild magic stuff went its course. 

We looted Shunn and her chambers, where I discovered an ornate chest. I opened it before Selene got there with the key, but decided on distributing the gold fairly.[4] 

Truly at the end of our resources, I spent my last spell slots on raising 4 zombies and we rushed the final unexplored chamber of this level. Two bugbears stood on watch, but we cut them down. The zombies triggered a pressure plate, but they were immune to the poison darts. Solid discovered the disarming mechanism - all in a day's work!

[1] At least, that's what we got to in the end. I actually wanted to recruit her into the Zhentarim, now that her adventuring party is lost.

[2] I'm pretty sure the DM upscaled the encounter.

[3] I deduced she was half dark elf after she cast Faerie Fire.

[4] I wonder why that surprised people.