Fordi, day 31 of Spring, 554

26 exiles ventured out to the Foothills today, including 2 Mystics, each bearing a Strange Stone.

We were very hopeful that we could use this unusual opportunity to our advantage.

The run out to the Pitch Caverns was quick and fairly uneventful, and the entry into PC1 nice and routine, just the way we like it.

We noted the telltale appearance of burn marks from an Ethereal Portal right by the ladder in PC1. Someone had been here recently!

Still, the entry into PC1 was easy enough, and we fought our way steadily onward through the many caves to finally reach PC5 once again

Having the luxury of two Mystics and two Strange Stones for the first time, we settled on a two-part strategy for entering PC6.

First, Callia would teleport to PC6 with CJ parker and Yor, who would all run to the far Northwest to clear the Landing Zone. Then, Rincewind would teleport the remainder of the group to PC6, on the assumption that the entry area would then be clear enough to allow the main group to assemble into a fighting formation before any Noids came back to harass us.

It was a nice theory, but we never did test it.

When Yor and CJ were ready, Callia stepped onto the Booster Stone and began her incantation. Unfortunately, she alone glowed, and she alone teleported to PC6. Of course, she fell in an instant there - without doing any luring out of the many Noids.

Apparently she mispronounced some critical element of her spell, and thus failed to bring her shared passengers along with her.

We all just stood there for a moment staring at the spot on the Booster Stone she had just vacated, with our jaws hanging down.

When we regained our wits, we assembled a single group and teleported to PC6 as we usually would.

Despite the earlier runner teleport mishap, the runners now did a remarkable job drawing off Noids, and we slowly began to gain control of the Landing Zone.

It was a close thing several times, but soon it was clear we had survived the entry and began clearing lured Noids. We killed a large number of Arachnoids by ones and twos, our confidence increasing as their numbers dropped and the lurers had to venture further each trip.

Finally, the call went out to move North! With delight, we rushed up to the large chamber and the entry to PC7, that we had entered in numbers and beaten only one time before.

As we assembled at the Northern edge of PC6, the call went out for Natas, Nightbird and I to enter PC7 to set up zu walls beyond the first large cavern, so the group could enter safely.

In contrast to the other few times we had entered PC7, either singly in suicide runs or as a group, the entry passage was chock full of Arachnoids already. Nightbird and I were trapped and fell in PC7, while Natas managed to escape back to PC6. Unfortunately, he also lured with him all manner of Noids, so that the group was instantly beset with foes they were not expecting or prepared for. I saw none of the battle that ensued, but I gather that the group had to retreat back to the Landing Zone to get organized, but never managed to regain full control of PC6. After quite some time, all was lost there.

Things looked so bright as we conquered PC6, and then we moved on a bit too quickly and without due diligence. From now on we will treat the PC7 entry as potentially deadly, and lure it out from a distance - much as we lure out PC4 from deep inside PC3. Live and learn, and sometimes, die and learn.

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