The Ingaran Adventures
Episode 50
“The Second Sacrament”


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                  Lord Issic:  Half Human, Half Gold Dragon Warrior
                  Lady India: A gypsy Bard/Shadow Dancer
                  Lord Phaidon:  A Tamer of the Beasts
                  Cthaat: A young warrioress
                  Lord Alexander Maximus: The Gauntlet of Athena
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The Time: Autumn, Drauj 7, 6th year, 8th Age
The Place: Talishar – The main occupation of Talishar's residents is fishing.  There are a small handful of hunters as well, and a few farmers have cleared land to the south for small crops, although the forest is so thick and fertile, it is a constant struggle to fight off the encroaching woods that seek to reclaim the cleared spaces.
 


      Phaidon used the keys he found to open the secret door in the bedroom and beyond the secret door was a short, sloping passageway down to a landing where an incredibly steep staircase (almost a ladder) led up.  Phaidon could find no traps as they went up the hilt of the Demon-God's sword.
      "Do we want to go on up this way?" asked Phaidon.
      India said, "Yes, I think so." Climbing up the near-ladder, the party emerged into a spherical room.  On the north "wall" of the sphere, there was a pentagram ten feet across, made of glowing red energy. Written in red letters of energy, in Ingaran, a message at the center of the pentagram said: "Breathe".
      "It is unnerving that the words are written in Ingaran," said Phaidon. "How does everyone think we should do this one?  Just breathe and walk through?"
      Cthaat clutched Issic's arm.  "I am getting uncomfortable with all of this."
      Issic said, "It is probably another one of the sacraments.  Which means that you all think that I should do this."  He stroked Cthaat's back comfortingly.
      India said, "Yes."
      Phaidon said, "No, this is merely the doorway to the sacrament. If Alexander surrounds you with Athena's power again, I feel that you will be alright."
      Cthaat repeated, "I don't like it."  Distania looked confused.
      Issic said, "He did not bless us before we ate at the last pentagram.  I think this one will be okay, too."
      "I agree," said India.  Cthaat looked worried.
      "Yes, I agree," said Phaidon. "He did, however, bless you before you ate the other sacrament.  Let us go."  He walked into the pentagram and vanished.  Issic followed.
      Issic and Phaidon appeared in a room like before, a place of stifling heat. Again, they were on the platform about fifty feet above a raging fire-pit of lava. The platform was shaped like a giant pentagram made of still-living body parts from humans, elves, halflings, and gnomes.  The faces moaned in misery. A clear platform was in the center of the pentagram.  When Phaidon and Issic stepped on the clear platform, it lowered toward the lava.
      Near the lava, the platform stopped. A small demon appeared, holding a bronze incense burner with demonic images on its surface and fumes wafting from the top. The Quasit said, "Breathe the breath of the Demon God to become One with him."
      Issic breathed in the fumes. The demon vanished.  Issic and Phaidon appeared back in the chamber with Alexander, India, Cthaat, and Distania. Cthaat hugged Issic when he returned, and tried to pull herself up to kiss him. Issic lifted her up with one arm and planted a wet one on her.
      India asked Phaidon, "Is everything alright?"
      "Yes, everything is just fine."  Phaidon hugged India and she hugged him back.  Phaidon kissed her passionately and said, "I will be glad when we can leave this place."
      "Me too. Let's go back down."
      Phaidon led the way back down to the bedroom.  Alexander said, "Well, lets do our best to make it quick; we still have one last sacrament to find."
      Phaidon commented, "We should have ordered that little imp to bring the other one out to us."
      India laughed. Issic said, "You usually screw up the picture if you try to force the pieces of the puzzle together in the wrong order."
      India led the way through the bedroom back to the room with all the paintings.
      Alexander said, "This way, everyone." They walked down a short corridor, then a blast of infernal heat greeted them.  The walls and floor here were blackened with soot. A font with a demonic skull dribbling blood into a basin was built into the south wall. Issic walked boldly into the room and smashed the font. Then a fire giant, hiding invisibly, struck Issic three times with a huge greatsword, slamming the half dragon to his knees. A second fire giant also appeared, slamming Issic hard, knocking the half dragon to the floor.  Issic scrambled out of the room, and the giants beat down on him again.
      Erche and Burch, demonic fire giants that worshiped Ochremeshk, were close followers of Lytaros Fel. They heard the party coming, and knew the girl possessed by Distania, who they hated, was with them.  Erche drank potions of protection from cold, invisibility, spell resistance and endurance while he waited for the party to reach him and Burch.  Burch drank potions of cats grace, bull's strength, spell resistance, and invisibility.
      Once the battle was joined, India cast Bull's Strength on Phaidon. Phaidon fired his arrows as fast as he can, and the deadly shafts raced down the hall at the giants, who ducked and rolled as best they could beneath them.  They charged down the hall, poking their greatsword into the hallway at Phaidon.
into you, Phaidon... twice, for 80 points of damage.
      Issic grabbed Cthaat and India and moved away from the room down the hallway. Alexander cast blade barrier, crying out, "Cower before the blades of might Athena!"  Rows of sharp blades sprang up between the party and the giants, spinning madly in deadly arcs.  The giants plowed through the barrier, trusting to their strength and their armor to protect them.  The magical barrier melted before them; their ability to resist magic protected them.
      When Erche saw Distania, he pointed and said, "She is free! Kill her!  KILL HER!"  Erche slammed Phaidon in his efforts to reach the cowering girl.  Phaidon fell against the wall, then slumped to the floor.  Using their powers to harm those who fight on the side of goodness, Burch attacked Alexander as he tried to get past the cleric.
      <I suggest we retreat> said Alexander in a telepathic message to his party.
      "Drop back and regroup!" shouted Issic, still pulling Cthaat and India with him.
      Alexander cast summon monster V and brought a hound archon into this evil temple to cover their retreat.  The giants slew the hound archon quickly.  One of the giants grabbed Phaidon's limp body and retreated the other way.  Erche continued on past the dead archon. 
      India healed Issic's wounds and begged, "Save Phaidon!"  Issic nodded.  He pulled out the dorje staff and manifested fatal attraction on the giant.
      India shadow jumped back to the giants' room and used her cloak of etherealness to hide as Issic charged down the hallway.  The roaring half-dragon attacked mercilessly with the blurring green sword Abeopernicles. Issic roared, "Feel the revenge of Athena!"  Issic used the Coup de Grace power of the sword. and slew the giant. Its head leapt off of its shoulders.
      With powerful and deadly strikes with her rapier, India brought Burch down and then healed Phaidon.  Issic stepped into the room and slew Burch.
      "One of these days, I will learn to stay in the back and shoot arrows," thought Phaidon.

2,000 exp.