Rhun's Greyhawk ALPHA Campaign (tToEE) - PART III

[Rhun]

First you crushed the forces of the Earth Temple, and now the Fire Temple. You have made great strides into breaking the power of the Temple of Elemental Evil, but you all know that there is more yet to do. The Water Temple and Air Temple still stand, and if what those you have interrogated rings true, there is the power of the "Greater Temple" itself.


ALPHA Rogue's Gallery

Rhun's Greyhawk ALPHA Campaign (tToEE) - Part I
Rhun's Greyhawk ALPHA Campaign (tToEE) - Part II
Rhun's Greyhawk ALPHA Campaign (tToEE) - Part III


---MAP THREAD---

[Rhun]

OOC: What now?

[Scotley]

The warlock hangs the morning star back on his belt. "I had him right where I wanted him," he says with a wry smile, but he is even paler than usual suggesting some fear. "Shall we see if there are any riches here?" He bends to search the fallen priest being particularly attentive to any items of power.

[Thanee]

Dara takes a moment to catch her breath, and then casts a Detect Magic spell to look around.

[Legildur]

Kurt nods to himself in grim saisfaction as he slays the fire priest. Looking around his companions, he can see that it has taken a toll.

He closes his eyes momentarily and calls on the power of Heironeous to heal his companions.
ooc: uses remaining two Turn Undead attempts for Sacred Purification (cures 2d8+8 hps in total to all party members).

[Leif]

Sensing the hush that falls over the chamber with the end of the combat, Trevor continues to pay 'possum for a few more seconds, and then rolls over and rises.

"Excellent work, my friends! Thank you, Kurt, for your timely assistance. I hope you all don't mind that I excused myself from the mayhem there at the end."

What is Trev's current hp total, please, Rhun?

[Legildur]

"Not at all my young friend. Not at all," says Kurt as he wipes his blade clean. "You did your part and we have prevailed. Heironeous is well pleased."

"It was personally satisfying to lop the head off that fire priest. Very satisfying indeed," he adds as he sheaths his blade.

"I have nearly exhausted my strength for today. I can swing a sword and use my wands, but not much more," he alerts the others.

[Leif]

"In that case, as one who always leans heavily upon Kurt's ministrations in order to continue battling the evil here, I recommend that we retire from this place for the remainder of the day, and get a fresh start on the morrow."

Rhun, OOC

Still curious about exactly what Trev's hp total is now, if you don't mind?

[Boddynock]

Ragnok goes to pick up his hammer. As he passes Kurt, he nods at the high priest's corpse. "Nice slice," he says mordantly.

Then he crosses back to where the knight is lying and, reaching down, heaves the young man to his feet. "And you tell me I'm stubborn?"

He grins, and claps him on the shoulder. "Nice going, hero!"

When the others mention resting for the night he adds, "I need something more than rest. I say we go back to Hommlet. I've got a favour to ask of Burne."

OOC: Not having anything to overcome that demon's DR hurt! Time to get Norryjar enchanted.

[Rhun]

OOC: I'll get the loot post up tomorrow.

Kurt's two uses of Sacred Purification heal all of 15 points damage:


PC Status
Coraine 24/44, protection from fire (1 point)
Kurt 38/38
Dara 23/34
Ragnok 43/49
Trevor 35/36
Verdis 27/27

[Legildur]

Kurt strokes his goattee as he assesses the condition of his companions. While Coraine and Dara seem whole, they move with the lethargy born of exhaustion. Grasping a wand, the priest of Heironeous applies a curative touch or three to his friends.
ooc: uses 3 charges from Wand of Lesser Restoration - 2 on Coraine and 1 on Dara. I believe each charge cures 11 hit points.

[Leif]

Trevor is greatly relieved that he will not have to continue exploring this very dangerous and hellish place right now! He shakes off his weariness and gets ready to head to Hommlett. "Good. I was just thinking that I could sure use a beer about now!"

[Rhun]

While the demon left behind nothing but ash and bits of char, the High Priest of the Fire Temple is resplendent in his finery. His fine silk robes had probably once been worth a tidy sum...now though, they are slashed, bloodied and scorched. His armor and weapon radiate magic, as does the scroll in a tube at his belt. His shield is of high quality, he carries a pouch full of coin, and the he wears a number of gold and garnet studded jewelry items.

The great fire altar in the temple's southern portion has six skulls and the symbol of elemental fire inlaid into it in pure gold; probably worth some coin, if someone is willing to defile the altar and pry the designs out of it.

After examing the cleric's items, Dara's detect magic spell leads her to the southern firepit, where the flames have dimished but the coals still glow cherry red. A small object radiates magic from where it lies in the pit...what had appeared to be a lump of coal when the High Priest threw it in the fire appears to actually be a large, emerald-cut, reddish-violet garnet up close. The gem must be close to two inches in length, and an inch across.

For Dara/Thanee

As Dara uses her spell to examine the gemstone lying in the bed of hot coals, she is nearly blinded by the overwhelming magical aura that is radiating from it. She has never discerned an aura even close to as powerful as that coming off of the garnet.

Options: Press on ahead, search the rooms that you passed in pursuit of the Fire Priests, withdraw?

Loot Found
Fullplate +1 (2750)
Warhammer +1 (1312)
Heavy shield, masterwork (170)
Scroll, divine (raise dead)
15pp, 90gp, 37sp, 19cp
Gold chain belt (value 100gp)
Gold and ruby "8-pointed fire) amulet (value 525gp)
Gold and garnet ring (value 375gp)

Experience has been updated in the Rogue's Gallery thread.

PC status after the expenditure of 3 charges from the Wand of Lesser Vigor:

PC Status
Coraine 44/44, protection from fire (1 point)
Kurt 38/38
Dara 34/34
Ragnok 43/49
Trevor 35/36
Verdis 27/27

[Leif]

"Kurt, my roguish nature impels me to find a way to get the gold from that altar! Is there some priestly prayer that you can intone to make it safe for me to pilfer it?"

OOC: is my Post Properly alliterative?

[Thanee]

Dara stops moving for a moment, after looking over a firepit in the southern parts of the room.

“Wow! I guess this must still be very hot,” she remarks. “That stone still radiates magic. Lots of magic. I wonder if it is still worth something.”

[Legildur]

Kurt examines the altar. "I have no way to consecrate this altar in any permanent way," he states. "It would take a more powerful priest than I to achieve that."
ooc: Kurt recalls his training to see if there is anything he can do to desecrate the altar in a more formal way. Relgion +7

"I say we explore the rest of the fire temple before returning to the village. While they are in dissarray, assuming any survive, is the time to do so. But we should be prepared to withdraw should circumstances prove unfavourable."

[Leif]

"I suppose that I must agree with you, Kurt: there'll likely not come a better time than the present to finish off what remains of the Fire Temple. And, Dara, there should be some tongs around here somewhere to fetch the jewel from the fire."

[Rhun]

The gemstone is still intact, and probably still valuable. It does not appear to have been affected by the heat of the firepit at all. With the power of the aura radiating from the gemstone, its maybe worth more than its weight in gold, though.

[Rhun]

Kurt doesn't know any particularly safe way to desecrate the altar that doesn' involve powerful magics. Curses or worse have been known to happen when tampering with sacred object of gods and demons.

[Leif]

"Well, Kurt, I would just offer to climb up on the altar and defecate on it, but..... all things considered, it'd be my luck that lightning would suddenly strike my hindparts, so I think I'll just hold it."