Riding lizards and wererats in the bell chamber

After a bruising fight with a nasty spider, SWAG fled to the hunting lodge for some rest and recuperation. All were healed (except 1 point of Str damage to Red that remained from the spider's poison). During the night, Red heard occasional sounds of something scraping on stone from down below.

The next morning, on a bright and sunny Planting 17, the group ventured back down into the depths beneath the lodge. A 4' high coffin had been placed in the entrance room, and from behind it lept two female drow. Red charged the drow, who responded with a spiked chain attack and a fireball from a scroll that hit others in the group. As the others moved to enter the fray, Red cleaved through the drow, hacking them to pieces.

The gnome team then disabled the violet demon arch, revealing a drow in full plate on a riding lizard who came charging down the hall with a lance. Three other riding lizards sniffed mushrooms in the room beyond the arch. The charging drow hit Carrack for double damage and then backed up to charge again. The group assembled for another attack, while Red stormed down the hall, getting hit but striking down the lizard. With both the drow and Red at 0 hp, the drow was defeated and the battle was won.

Carrack then successfully mounted the lizard and the party moved on. In a nearby room, the group returned to a flaming demon arch, which the gnomes disabled. Beyond were two wererats in a bell chamber. The wererats attacked while jamming the bell mechanism, causing heavy bells to tumble into the chamber. Erlwyn silenced the bell's deafening roar, and after a lengthy battle the wererats were defeated.