"Maybe getting disintegrated is really fun but you never hear about it for the obvious reasons. Earlier you were talking about equipment?"

"Indeed. While I've sold off much of my old adventuring gear, I keep some items around in case of emergencies, and I want to encourage you all to go through it and take anything you need. There's nothing really game-changing in there, but I know some adventurers prefer to shore up their strengths than their weaknesses; if you've got a flank exposed, a Ring of Minor Resistance can mean the difference between life and death."

Garrus has the decency to look a bit guilty.

"Sure, let's rummage."

Rummage rummage.

They turn up a couple of Rings of Protection, a middling-tier Cloak of Resistance which Garrus admits to needing pretty badly, an Amulet of Natural Armor, a Belt of Dexterity, and a Robe of Infinite Twine, along with an amount of more or less useless enchanted knick-knacks sufficient to fill up a decently sized treasure chest.

"If I weren't sharing I'd take the belt and the amulet and a ring, I've got all the slots open - I think magic items must be easier to make on this planet for some reason -"

"Maybe they are, a ring like that's pretty cheap. I've got a belt, and my hide's already pretty tough. Jojo?"

"I have a belt as well, and an amulet. Deekin?"

"Deekin same as Garrus. Belmarniss welcome to loot choice."

"Sweet." She yoinks.

And Garrus gets the cloak and the other ring - "I know I said it's pretty cheap, but every time I get a spare couple of gold together I end up thinking about how cool it would be to add something new to my bow or my armor or my belt, so I'm a little short on accoutrements that aren't, uh. Those exact three things."

"Maybe I'll spruce up my mom's ring as long as I'm on the planet of cheapo magic items."

"Sensible. Undermountain is by all accounts a place of fabulous treasures, so we're likely to stumble across at least some equipment worth keeping anyway."

At this point, a small troop of new guards tromps into the room to replace the old, dead guards who were here before (who have since been removed by that priestess from the common room). Durnan, who had been talking with the priestess, looks up. "Ah, here they are. I'm going to stay in the well room for a while until I'm sure the incident from before won't be repeated; are you all ready to go into Undermountain, or do you need some more time to prepare?"

"I'm down a few spells but don't know if it's worth waiting."

"I am ready to do what needs doing."

"Same here, if a little less dramatic about it."

"Deekin ready to take on the world! Or just trap-filled dungeon, that too."

"In that case I suppose I'll send you down. Just step onto the platform and say when."

The others do so.

"When."

And Durnan sends them down.

They spend a few minutes in the elevator. When they reach the bottom, they exit into a room that looks like it might have been lifted from some ancient, evil temple. In the room with them is a circle of glowing red runes, inside of which is a yellowed skeleton.

"Poor soul," Jojo says.

"I guess a corollary of cheap items is that the traps are gonna be really extra."

"Yes. Now that I think of it, it's odd that the bones would be left undisturbed so long, so close to the entrance... perhaps as a warning to newcomers? Hm."

Jojo leads the way out of the room, carefully circumnavigating the runes. They come out in a large central chamber, where there is a bridge blocked by brightly-colored, glowing pillars in four rows of three. In front of the bridge are four levers, each of which appears to be missing a central rod.

"Puzzles," Deekin says knowingly. "Big part of Undermountain be puzzles."

"Puzzle dungeons are stupid. Big bad get off on them or what?"

"Halaster like puzzles, yes. Halaster like powerful people making mistakes and getting killed, smart people getting treasure, and puzzles."

"A simple villain with simple pleasures. Or maybe fiendishly complicated ones, haven't assessed his puzzle design yet." She inspects the puzzle.