(G45 - OR 20/03/09)

I saw Eriss looking into the entrance to one of the other tunnels. I summoned a Wood Wose to
take a look down it for us and got it to do a 'Basilisk Attraction Dance' and throw stones
but nothing happened.
So against my better judgment we all took a look around the corner of the tunnel. I cast a
light spell on my scimitar to make it shine like a torch.
Further along, we saw an archway, carved in relief with skulls and snakes with smoke around it.
Nervously I stepped into the chamber beyond the arch.

There was some sort of magical fear affect in the room, but I was drawn to the miniature sized
city map on the floor that looked almost as ruined as the real one. As more people came into
the room we must have triggered some sort of fire wall trap that singed us a bit.

After that, Eriss, who was at the back at this time, began to yell about seeing something
back the way we had come. We came outside and heard the sounds of stones clicking together
in the collapsed tunnel the basilisk had come from.

I had my stoneshape spell ready to cast and block the tunnel, but shone my sword in first and
out suspicions were confirmed. It was Shifty trying to scare us.
After a bit of name calling, resentment and pouting he agreed to join us.

So, back in the chamber, Retzal found an illusionary wall that lead through a tunnel to an
arch sealed off by a wall of iron.
This time I used my stoneshape spell to make a narrow tunnel along side the iron blockade and
into the next room.

Here we found another map chamber, but this time the buildings were not ruined and there was
a model pyramid in the centre. Shifty successfully disarmed a trap and we pushed the pyramid
aside.
We found a tightly bound mummy wearing a magical gold necklace, which Retzal took.

A door had also been noticed in a side alcove and Shifty went to open it. As he did so this
nasty winged humanoid creature flew out!

This was quite a fight and it saw Urol, Lirith and Meree all scampering back to the tunnel
in fright! But us braver souls took it on. I pinned it against the wall briefly with a
Gust of Wind spell which stopped it breathing fire on us on its first attempt, but throughout
the rest of the combat it did so, great gouts of painful sticky fire.

Eriss used Burning Hands spells, Ret used his Lightning Breath to no effect and I threw
every spell I could think of at it, Flaming Sphere, Geyser and a summoned crocodile, all
of which did very little. Nobby was also casting.

In the end, as it was distracted by my snapping crocodile, Shifty snuck behind it and dealt
it a fatal blow in the back. I suppose Shifty can be useful sometimes then!

Turning round I saw that brave little Eriss was lying flat her body smoldering and smoking.
She was close to death I think, but luckily Nobby was on hand to lend her healing skills
and magic.

Who's idea was it to explore this tunnel again?