Meanwhile the rest of the group were trying to figure out the ray-shooting statue. Tamryn the thief threw an open sack over the head of the staute and then lassoed a rope around it. Brom the ranger held the other end as Kratos the fighter used the rope as a guide while walking backwards towards the statue. Scarlett the illusionist just standed there coverring her eyes her back to the statue. Suddenly the floor gave in under Kratos but he managed to hold onto the rope and Brom resisted the sharp tug. There was a bright flash of light and two rays shot from the statue's head hit the fighter. After that he felt the floor again and everyone could see a black smudge under his feet. As the danger passed he reached the statue only to see its true for after touching it...
He described it to the rest and Tamryn suggested to try moving the horns. Since it was a good idea and I had nothing planned for the horns (just something really bad if the ruby eyes were removed?), I decided that one of the horns will deactivate the trap.
Kratos moved the right horn (deactivating the trap?) and it slowly went back to the original position. Then Tamryn said to move it again and tie it, keeping it down. So did Kratos (activating the trap again?) and when Tamryn approached the statue the whole thing went on again, but she managed to avoid falling and jammed the trap with a crowbar. They all then gathered around the idol and some explored it while others lowered a torch down the shaft with a rope.
Meanwhile Vanon was exploring the caverns: a passage ful of cobwebs, a passage that led to a cavern with stagmites and stalagtites and a passage with a chasm in the middle. He avoided the cobwebs, explored the cavern only to find it led nowhere, and decided to edge past the chasm. When he was inching his way he saw movement down the chasm and decided to fall back, but a tentacle lashed at him and caught his foot. Luckyly he saved vs. poison and didn't get paralyzed. He tried to no avail to cut the tentacle with the rim of his shield.
When the others yelled his name down the shaft and no response came, Tamryn decided to go down with another rope. The hanging torch illuminated the whole cavern so she was able to see the exit and also the glow from Vanon's ligh. She called for him and, as he cried for help, begun balancing back and forth. She jumped from the swinging rope reaching dry ground, only to see another tentacle grab Vanon and pull him down the chasm. Tamryn rushed to the chasm and saw Vanon desperately trying to resist the monster's pull. She loosed an arrow but missed and Vanon used a rope with a grappling hook to better resist the pull. She them unsheathed her scimitar and jumped onto the creature (behind the screen I ruled the attack as a backstabb) almost slashing its only eye. The creature released one tentacle from Vanon and lashed it at Tam, hitting and paralyzing her. Vanon tried to hit the creature with his flail with mixed luck while it pulled Tam into its mouth.
Up in the statue's room Brom, Kratos and Scarlett begun worrying about the fate of their friends and after no response came from calling their names, the ranger and fighter decided to climb down. In the chasm the creature started eating Tam while Vanon continued desperately to hit it. Upon hearing his name called again he yelled for help and Brom was the first to arrive driving an arrow deep into the creature. The creature released Tam (now in negative hit points) and lashed the tentacle at the ranger, grabbing but not affecting him with it poison.
Then arrived Kratos just as Brom resisted the pull from the creature that continued to munch Tam and pull Vanon. Kratos grabbed his bastard sword with both hands and jumped down the monster piercing it viciously deep and killing it. With the grip from the tentacle released Vanon stabilized Tam and waited for the effect of the poison to pass. As thy waited he searched around the many things around from past victims and undigested by the creature. He casted Detect Magic and found a suit of chainmail armor, a ring with elven inscriptions and a clear crystal wand. He also realized Kratos armor (a suit of plate armor taken from a bugbear last session) was also magical as well as Tam's cloak (also from the same bugbear). After the effects of the poison wore off Vanon cured Tam and they all went back to the pool cavern and climbed back up to the statue's room where Scarlett was almost sick with anguish.
At that point I told them the effects of fatigue were begining to be noticeable unless they rested properly, but it was their call. At that point we decided to call it a night and continue next session.
