More Fortieth Anniversary Adventure

  The crew returned to Skull Mountain, re-established base camp in the Garden, and went through the Trap Maze (finding that every single trap was reset except for the one on the secret entrance to the wizard's study) and were soon in the teleporter room in the hidden niche on Level One. With some careful experimentation the following happened.




Wizard's Room, button #1 = to the first level in the Level One Niche
Wizard's Room, button #2 = to the surface at the edge of the Deep
Wizard's Room, button #3 = the Door Maze

Level One Niche, button #1 = to the Wizard's Room
Level One Niche, button #2 = the mouth of the entrance cave
Level One Niche, button #3 = the Lowest Bridge of the Deep

  When they arrived at the lowest bridge they were - rather unprepared. The 'bridge' was obviously more of a landing pad and they were less than 800' above the entrance to the Cave of the Lurker. They proceeded, very quietly and cautiously to the only door, opened it and entered a well-lit corridor. 40' in the corridor was filled with a pool of water in which floated three bundles of sticks floating serenely. They realized they were in the entrance to the 37th Chamber!
  As they were speaking they heard the tell-tale sound of the prayer drum of a senior monk of the Order of the Celestial Forest. Soon the monk himself appeared around the corner and spoke to the PCs. Taking pity of them, he ushered them through a bewildering maze for a few moments, placed them into a teleporter room, did something they couldn't see with the controls and...
   ...they were in the First Floor Niche. Proving that for at least some teleporters button combinations do things.

  They were a bit more prepared when they hit the Door Maze, but not by much. After hours of wandering through the Door Maze they found a corridor, followed it, and were soon talking to Miriam, the Genie tasked with guarding the Great Library. While they could not enter without a library card, she gladly gave them directions to the exit, which they followed. Going up a flight of stairs (that continued MUCH deeper!) they encountered - a bunch of men-at-arms in unusual armor armed with firelances (!). After explaining they were lost, the Seneschal for the Lord Mage arrived and they were escorted to a stair well that led them to a one-way door that dumped them onto Level Four. From there it was a short journey to the Garden.

  Determined to learn more about the Deep they went to Level Zero, opened the Airlock, and (finally prepared!) the entire party flew down to a landing ledge they had seen from below. Landing they went in and found themselves in this:

  There was Gregorian chant from the dozen religious brothers in the choir loft and a cleric hustled over to meet them in the narthex. Within 15 minutes John, Cardinal Wilson of New Berlin, was greeting them warmly.
  He explained that this was his 'retirement parish' and that he hoped they would return. He pointed out a man in the front, praying silently, as Rupert [which caused a great deal of consternation among the party] and that he hoped they would stay safe.

  The party called it an adventure, flew out, and camped.

Quote from the Game:
Nick: "So it is an arduous journey through the howling wilderness to get to Skull Mountain, deep in forbidding mountains far from all civilization. Is it empty? NO!! A this point I am convinced, convinced, that deep down there is a full-blown city-state beneath Skull Mountain! Why s the DM laughing so hard!?"