The party began the day by investigating the secret door next to Ompholous. Only Lisri and Eric could enter the sacred area guarded by Ompholous, and Eric failed his save vs. the magic of the Tomb of Mitra, so Lisri was left alone in the room after guiding his comrade back to their waiting friends. When Lisri returned, he chatted briefly with Mitra, who gave only vague responses. Then he investigated the items on the dais but left the reliquary alone after being warned by Omphalous, who creepd out the mage by watching him carefully. After casting Detect Magic, he decided to leave the items on the dais alone and returned to his friends.
Then they went upstairs to the Overlord’s Inn, where Eric sobered up Beldar with a Neutralize Poison. Lisri convinced a reluctant Beldar to join them, and Beldar convinced a reluctant Lisri to share his magic books with him, so that he could regain his spells. Beatrice suggested preparing Insect Plague (again!) and Eric suggested casting it on an orc settlement. Lisri asked if there was one nearby, angering Hoogrosh (the orc ghost).
Outside the inn, they searched for Merth. Lisri used his crystal ball of clairaudience and spotted Merth in the inn they had just left (1/10 chance; Merth needs supplies from time to time for his hidey-hole).
They rushed back in and began combat, with Eric, Maevdelle, and Beatrice in the front line. Lisri was about to cast Magic Missile when Hoogrosh appeared and attacked him, aging him 10 years and sending him running in panic. Beldar followed Lisri; he wanted no part of Merth.
Merth got in some good licks on Beatrice but ultimately went down. The party found a number of rings and also took his platemail, shield, and shortsword. Eric tried healing Beatrice and others but failed (his Girding of Mitra was acting as an anti-Magic shell).
They found Rufo dead (slain by Merth) and buried him next to Cornelius. They buried Merth as well, but Bearatrice pooped on his grave.
The next day, Hoogrosh attacked Lisri again, this time taking another 30 years from his life (Lisri is now 94 years old, a tottering ancient hobbit) but the rest of the party managed to destroy Hoogrosh.
Lisri then Identified a number of new magic items: a ring of spell turning, a ring of Haste, a +3 shortsword, and a +2 Platemail (STR:17, human-sized). He also Identified a number of the powers of the Girding, and they finally understood why so many spells had failed. Beatrice wore the Girding from then on. Lisri took the ring of spell-turning, Maevdelle the ring of Haste, and the rest went into the Handy Haversack.
The party decided to end the evening by visiting the dragon on level 4 and talking with him. Bolstered by the girding, Beatrice went to talk with Argun the Conflagulator (a red dragon). The dragon slashed her with both claws, and when the party fled into a nearby tunnel, blew his flames down the tunnel. Eric’s oil flasks exploded, Maevdelle’s backpack disintegrated (spilling its contents on the floor), and Lisri was knocked unconscious and his Wings of Flying and Robe of Many Items were destroyed. Everyone took off at a run, with Eric grabbing Lisri and running with him.
They fled back near Holomir, and healed.
lostdelights 