Eight Statues, and Tough Lizard Folk

We've entered the temple, after solving a tacky puzzle to open the door. (Dials that had to be arranged to spell "O P E N M E").

Inside this entry way, we found that it was a long hallway, with side halls, sort of like alcoves, off of the side. At the end of each of the alcoves was a statue. In all, there was a mermaid, a centaur, a medusa, a etercap, a drider, a troll, a minotaur, and a beholder.

As we ventured down the hallway, we encountered a couple of aging traps at the two center-most intersections. The first, the one closest to where we entered, made spikes shoot from the floor. I was quite amazed at the ninja's tenacity. Instead of trying to disable the trap directly, he set it off on purpose, and then destroyed the resulting spikes.

The second trap was a spray of acid from the floor. Once again, our ninja's ineptitude has shown, as acid was flung into the air. If I had not been exploring the room by spider climbing on the ceiling, I would have been most unfortunate.

As we were exploring the room, lizard folk were attempting to enter through the entrance, which we had closed. From the noises, we could tell that they could not understand the opening mechanism, and were getting electrically shocked as a result. Sounded pretty dumb to me.

The door at the far side of the room, which we had reached, was sealed by means unknown. Upon its frame were images resembling the status throughout the room. We ventured back towards the entrance to the room, and it occured to me that my druid friend's use of Detect Magic might have failed to uncover the finer vaguries of currently inert magic. I used Dispel Magic, to great effect, to re-animate the mermaid and the centaur. And then the stupid lizard folk got in the room.

The lizard folk moved in fast. The mermaid was slain, and it was up to me and the ninja to repel the incursion, as the druid and the cleric were at the far end of the hall, on the other side of the still-active acid trap. I took a spear to my side, and a cleaver to my other side. My magicks were not strong enough to repel the crowd. I put my immediate threat to sleep, but one of the lizard folk was, amazing to me, demonstrating skill in the arcane.

I crept up the wall and along the ceiling, near death, knowing that only the cleric could save me. To my great fortune, he had gotten closer, and healed me quickly. I quickly used my newly regained health to retaliate against the lizard folk. Striking them with magic missile, as our group managed to push the aggressors back. The centaur was mortally injured, barely having been aware of the conflict to begin with. As we finished off the lizard folk, we were tired.

The druid grew strangle quiet, as he apparently does often after major encounters. Almost as if he exerts part of his soul during combat. Or maybe he is just being pensieve. Alas, I do not know.

I have summoned Leomund's Secure Shelter outside of the temple, almost against the entrance. I have enchanted an alarm around it. The ninja has shown the centaur the puzzling door that was at the far end of the hall, and the centaur was kind enough to show us an obvious way to open it.

We are now going to make rest in the cottage. The centaur will stay with us on our foray through this temple, as he is too weak to possibly encounter more lizard folk on his own.

I am glad that we will not have to awaken the other statues to proceed through the temple. And I wish I had not delayed the druid and the cleric's approach into combat, as I did not expect the use of magic from the lizard folk. Next time, I will be better prepared. And next time, I will make sure to kill them faster.