The Danger Gang Auxiliary Polishes Off This Shadow Realm Dungeon
The Danger Gang Auxiliary wake up from their nap and prepare to leave the Secure Shelter when Wirshin's Detect Traps detects a trap on the door of the shelter. He sticks his head out the window and spies a couple of leeches on a little platform above the door. Arben dumps some salt on them and they move on with their lives.
They head back to the room with the rich stuff, which they had previously aired out using a Stone Shape. Inside they find a ton of money, two potions, and a deranged looking martyr. "For the Snake Gods" he yells, then tries to light himself with a flint and steel. He doesn't take, though, and Wirshin rapidly Dispels the ensorcelment he's been suffering from. He says his name is Anton and he's part of the party Costicu sent in. He's a ranger. They take him and the bars of precious metals back to the Secure Shelter. Arben gives Mirella the old gypsy high-sign that she can feel free to steal whatever she can carry from this pile of treasure.
The Gang continues through the dungeon. They leap over the pit of the Crimson Mist and press on. There's a hallway with a shaft leading upward. At the top of the shaft is another hallway with a Phantom Troll. At the end of the hallway is an archer, presumably the last member of Costicu's doomed suckers. They turn the troll and Dispell the archer's ensorcelment. His name is Marko, he's a thief by trade. He thanks him and they thank him and everybody is happy.
There's one room left for them to explore. In the room there's burn marks all over the walls and a skull with a red gemstone in one eye. There's also a small pack. The gem doesn't detect as magical, but something in the bag does. Inside the bag there's a pouch with a drawstring, a mirror, some writing implements, and the following note:
"Another fake. Hakim, this is stupid. We could spend years digging in every crappy dungeon in the TK. I say we just take the shortcut. After all, who's to know? We won't even be the ones wearing it."
Suddenly it's all so clear! Of course. The answer has been staring them in the face this whole time. Now, if they only knew what that answer was.
They head back upstairs and pop open the bag that was inside the bag. Inside that bag are some assorted spell components and two tiny Obsydian Gorillas. The Gorillas start attacking them, and one of them can shoot sleep rays out of its eyeballs. Luckily, they're able to just chuck them down a hole into the other room before they start doing their terrible business on a sleeping Danger Gang Auxiliary.
Just then Gebertus Teleports in. He tells them that they have three days, according to his assorted divinations, until the Kelalalt undergoes some sort of catostrophic catastrophy. They tell him they're sure that the b.s. that Wathiq is wearing is shadow magic. He tells them that they need to get something that can destroy shadows and then teleports away. "Of course" they all yell, simultaneously slapping their foreheads. They set up a fresh Secure Shelter to prepare for their raid on Ubra's cave.
A few hours later, a party of Bugbears comes knocking at their door. They say Costicu told them to come save the party. Arben tosses them a gold brick and tells them that they did a great job and they can leave now. The bugbears talk it over and agree to leave. The party goes back to bed.
