Second Session - Mysteries of the Keep

Cast
Julius: Human male psychokinetic. Played by Dave. Speaks Balician and Tyrian.
Alaxander: Human male psychokinetic. Played by Ben. Speaks Balician and Elf.
Kalino: Human male fighter/preserver. Played by DM. Speaks Rammin and Tyrian.
Vashti: Human female clairsentient/water cleric. Played by my wife. Speaks Nibnese and Gith.
Guacamole: Pterran male ranger. Played by Clyde. Speaks Pterran and Giant.
Demetrius: Human male. 25 years old. Shepherd. NPC. Speaks Nibnese.
Salvador: Human male. 41 years old. Mason. NPC. Speaks Nibnese.
Agathon: Human male. 17 years old. Shepherd. NPC. Speaks Balician.
Cletus: Human male. 40 years old. Vinter. NPC. Speaks Balician.

Note: For those unfamiliar with Dark Sun, psionics are called the Will for wild talents and the Way for trained psionicists.

While exploring the upper level of the ruined keep, Alaxander found a weak spot in the floor and fell into the ground floor. He was okay, besides a bruised ankle. After confirming Alaxander was okay, Julius tried to jump over the hole. He failed and fell into the ground floor, as well. Guacamole found a large room with two doors, that would avoid the hole, and decided to go that way instead. The large room was nearly empty, sand had piled up in the corners of the room and there was rubble, where the roof had collapsed. There was a mostly intact fireplace still standing along one wall. While passing through the room, a five foot centipede crawled out of the fireplace and attacked.

This is when shotguns would be helpful.

The centipede bit Guacamole, which caused him to scream, as burning acidic poison rushed through his veins. Agathon rushed into help, beating on the centipedes hard chitin shell with his bone club. Kalino and Vashti did the same. Julius and Alaxander used the Way and Guacamole scratched at it with his talons. Demetrius, Salvador, and Cletus guarded the hallway just outside the room. Without the aid of surprise, the centipede was unable to land another blow and the group killed it. Vashti pointed out that cooked centipede tastes better than raw centipede and the party agreed.
They gathered some of the dry wood that had fallen from the roof and the dead centipede. They then went downstairs, next to the muddy well, and set up camp. They cooked and ate the centipede and washed it down with muddy water soaked into their canvas cloaks. Alaksander gather some of the centipede's chitin and began fashioning a buckler from it. He was unable to finish, but got a good start.

Day 2, Week 1, Dominary, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, High Sun

In the morning, Vashti gave a calm sermon on the glories of water. Demetrius and Salvador listened, but no one else could understand Nibnese. She then created two gallons of water into the well, because she had no other containers to hold it. Everyone tried to catch as much as they could in their hands, so they could have one drink of pure, clean water. Guacamole meditated with Alaxander for an hour and removed their tiredness, thirst, and hunger for the next twenty-four hours. Vashti used some healing magic to aid the wounded.
Even though the sandstorm had stopped, the group decided to explore the rest of the ruined keep. They returned upstairs and found a couple of giant beetles with glowing orbs in their heads. After they killed the beetles, Guacamole expertly removed the orbs without damaging them. Julius noted that the keep looked like it had be attacked by giants a long time ago. Of course, four members of the group did not understand him, only Alaxander, Kalino, Agathon, and Cletus speak the languages Julius speaks. They group headed into the basement.
Vashti is claustrophobic, so she was hesitant to enter the confined area, but summoned up her courage and went into the darkness. The glowing red orbs aided the group in seeing through the darkness. They came upon an old wooden door, reinforced with bone. Guacamole tried to open it, but it was stuck. He pushed hard and it opened. Inside the fifteen by fifty foot room were three skeletons, two wielding obsidian military forks and the last wielding an obsidian scimitar. Alaxander took a few steps back, his phobia of undead getting the better of him for the moment. He steeled himself and engaged with the Way, however.

Aren't you a little short for a scimitar?

Guacamole took the brunt of the attacks, as he rushed into the room to engage the skeletons. The battle was quick and the skeletons were destroyed. Julius was pleased to have an obsidian scimitar, because he did not know how to wield the weapons her was carrying effectively. This large room contained six doors and a staircase, leading down. Two of the doors lead to staircases leading back up to the ground floor of the keep and the others were mysteries.
The first door they came to was locked fast and, although he is very strong, Guacamole was unable to break it down. Two rounds of Vashti using the Way caused the door to crumble into dust. Inside was a human mummified corpse, two chairs, a table, and various bits of broken pottery. The corpse was wearing mekillot hide armor on its left leg and chitin ring mail on its left arm. An obsidian khopesh was laying nearby. Guacamole took the armor and Kalino took the khopesh. Julius was suspicious of the table and chairs, but he couldn't explain why. In the end, the group abandoned this room.

Khopesh

The next room's door was unlocked. Inside were a collection of clay pots, five still sealed, but most of them empty. Some were broken on the floor. Suspicious of the pots, Guacamole grabbed one and threw it against the wall. Three gallons of precious water splashed against the wall and floor, completely wasted. Everyone looked at him, shocked by his actions. He shrugged and walked out of the room. Vashti checked for poison, using the Way, and was satisfied there was none. One of the remaining sealed pots contained water and the others had kank honey. They gathered the pots and exited the room.
The next door was also unlocked and lead to an old bedroom. A dried and brittle bed frame was on one wall and a chest on the other. Guacamole smashed open the chest and found a small chitin shield, a single silver coin, and an empty one gallon pot. He took it all for himself.
The last door opened into a room with bone bars that divided the room into six cells. Inside the cells were three human and one dwarf skeletons. Julius and Alaxander were worried about a possible Dwarven Banshee. They shut the door quietly. With nothing else to investigate, the group went downstairs.
The stairs lead to a strong door, which was locked. Guacamole attempted to break it down, but it was too strong. Vashti again used the Way to decay the door. The room on the other side was very large and Vashti cast light. There were two other doors, five standing pillars, a five foot diameter obsidian bowl, and a broken pillar, which was blocking one of the doors. The walls were obviously once painted with a mural, but only parts of it remained. The intact parts showed humans fighting and killing small green skinned creatures that did not exist.
Alaxander inspected the bowl and rapped his knuckles on the side of it. He stumbled back and said something about it being sturdy. Guacamole inspected the non-blocked door and found it unlocked. Inside was a chest and four skeletons, two wielding obsidian battleaxes and two wielding obsidian short swords. Guacamole shut the door. Using hand signals, he indicated there were enemies inside. They group gathered around the door and Guacamole opened it again.
Guacamole again took the burnt of the attacks, as he was in the doorway. Although it was challenging, the group dispatched the skeletons. Guacamole smashed open the chest and found some clay tablets with strange writing, two silver pieces, and a small gem. He took the silver and gem, while Kalino took the tablets.
The group all gathered by the blocked door. Julius questioned Alaxander, Kalino, Agathon, and Cletus if they believed the pillar was placed intentionally or unintentionally. They did not know.

Come back next month, unfortunately the soonest time, for another exciting episode of Adventures under the Dark Sun.