Banewarrens d20 (Angelsboi's party)

Temple raiders

Fiddle kept the Drow Champion's head as a trophy. Fextor broke the evil sword into many little pieces. And Alya covered the rest of the corpse with flesh eating slugs from the Bag O' Slugs. When all was done, the party slowly climbed the stairs to the next level.

The statuary and the reliefs carved into the walls were very disturbing. Someone or something had been touched by a demon to make such imagery. Fiddle checked every step carefully. The room at the top of the staircase was not much better. More statues and more frescoes. What was different was the theme. This one had been perverted recently. Instead of drow, demons, and spiders, the artwork featured drow, otherworldly thralls, and undead. Only one set of doors exited the room.

Fiddle listened and heard two drow voices conversing in soft tones. He warned the others.

"Mistress," Alya opened the door with an apology, "the ghouls have turned against us and Duneth is nowhere to be found."

"Fools," the drow priestess hissed. "What was that noise below? Where is Khumarr?"

She was not alone. A male drow with an eerie presence and fangs stood very close to her. The room was a shrine or temple to the White Banshee. An image of a white drow and another drow woman covered the back of the altar.

"He's gone to White Castle, Mistress," Fiddle replied as best he could without laughing.

"Harold went with him," Vlad added from the back of the party.

"You have disturbed my rite," the drow priestess continued without listening. "Leave now or I will feed you to the ghouls myself."

"Yes, Mistress," Fiddle bowed and casually reached for his Lathanderite locket. "The Light of Lathander take you."

The Lesser Temple

Time slowed down as Sully unleashed his most powerful spell. A cloud of fog smothered the room. The smell of strong vinegar permeated the air. "Don't enter the fog," the gnome warned.

The party split up, Pixie Sully and Alya on one side of the fog with Fextor, Vlad, the animals, and Fiddle guarding the door.

For good measure Sully let fly a ball of lightning into the fog.

It stirred up a hornet's nest. The male drow attempted to exit the fog near Fiddle. Vlad fired a volley of arrows. The drow knocked the arrows aside. Fiddle unleashed all of his blade tricks. He scored only one successful blow. The drow moved to quickly or had just enough armor to prevent any harm. This would not do. Even Harp assisted in keeping the thing in the cloud.

Alya began to sing. And then the female drow exited the cloudbank in front of Sully. He swung with his staff but missed his mark. Boom...Sizzle.... Sizzle... Roar... The fiery gods of hell unleashed a storm. Fiddle and Vlad escaped injury, but not so for Harp nor Redd nor the rest.

Sully cried out and Alya's singing stopped.

Fextor struck the male drow. It vanished as vapor.

a duel between Sully and the female drow with Alya in the balance occurred on the other side of the fog... Fiddle couldn't see.

The fog lit up and Sully yelled again. "Damn you. She got away. And Alya is injured badly. I have no way to call off the fog. The drow priestess has walked into another plane."

The party waited. When the fog faded, Alya was up and about using the last of the potions. The altar had collapsed. The former supports were drow zombies. The place looked melted. They quickly rummaged thru a closet. A few priestly robes the only prize.

"We don't have much time," Fiddle remarked. "The vampire will reform. And who knows what aid the priestess will summon. I'm truly sorry for acting so hasty."

"Think not on it," Fextor comforted the hin.

Bump.


We salute you who are about to be bumped... off... permanently.

Interlude ... The Rose Altar in Tilverton

Darian Dawnguard knelt in his cell, finishing the final prayers over his crafted armor. It wasn't as familiar, nor as desirable, as the chain shirt he had previously worn, but since that -- along with all of his other equipment -- was likely permanently lost in a mind flayer prison deep in the Underdark, this would have to do. Luckily, Lathander had blessed him with increased powers since his return from slavery, and the church had been kind enough to recompense him for his losses. In return for devoted service, of course.

A knock came at the door to his cell. Rising, Darian slid the door open, revealed the concerned, lined face of the master of the Rose Altar, Dawnlord Gwinneth.

"Brother Darian, you must accompany me," Gwinneth commanded. "An event of utmost urgency concerns you."

Darian followed as the elderly priest led hom through the nave of the altar, into a back chamber lit only by the pink light of the dawn coming in through the stained glass roof. Within was a single still pool of still, silent water. Standing about it were another Lathanderite novice, the paladin Velarn, a dwarf in dark filligreed armor, and an elven woman wearing a breastplate carved of a strange but exquisite wood.

Dawnlord Gwinneth nodded to the others, though he made no introductions, and motioned Darian forward to the pool.

"Your companion, Master Sullygrub, arranged to have us scry him while he and your companions went to rescue you," Gwinneth began. "Normally, we would not violate another's privacy while continuing to do so once the mission was complete. But your own reports, and those of Velarn here, have continued to concern us about the danger of this strange sect of dark elves. Velarn insisted that we check on your companions. Timely, it was -- for they are in dire peril. Observe."

Darian looked into the pool, seeing that in its depths the image of another place was formed ... an evil place, formed of bone, somewhere deep within the earth. In that evil chamber, a group of five dark elves contended against two others. A burst of flame was followed by billowing green acidic fog Two animals -- a fox and rat -- crisped and died in the firestorm. Three of the elves struck down another, who turned to gas and disappeared. One elf launched bursting balls of electric flame at a drow priestess wearing the severed hand symbols of Kiransalee, the demented goddess of death, undeath, and vengeance.

"Though you do not recognize them, the five dark elves are your companions, disguised by a seeming. They have infiltrated the drow stronghold of Maerimydra, and even now contend against a priestess in one of the inner sanctuaries. We have been watching for some time. They have been quite successful so far, but are tired, wounded, and have now alerted the fortress to their presence."

Darian gasped. His friends were close to death, and he had spent the past week fussing over his own adornments!

"While we would normally take little interest in a group of adventurers, the threat they have revealed concerns us all. The cult of Kiransalee would plunge the world into darkness and death should they gain sufficient power. We need more information about the threat they represent. And it is not only the Church of Dawn that requires this. This elf is Chloe Hartspur, a representative of the elves of Cormanthor, here to learn more about the drow threat to the forest. Your friends are recognized as one of the few surviving experts on the dark elves, and Eliar of Peldan's Helm sent Chloe here seeking them. I would take it as a favor if you would take her along."

Darian nodded, stunned. "Am I going somewhere?"

"Does the plight of your friends not concern you?" Gwinneth asked. "It is time you repaid your most recent debt to the church -- return to aid your friends, and do what you can to discover the intent and powers of this cult of undeath."

"What can two do against such odds?" Darian asked. "And how might I reach my friends, knowing not where they are? The drow would cut us down long before we reached them!"

"Fear not, Darian," Gwinneth replied. "In addition to Miss Hartspur, we've hired a guide with some experience in the Underdark to assist you." The dwarf stepped out of the shadows, bowing. "Dunin Anvilgate will assist you. He is a fearsome warrior. We'd thought to send your deep gnome companion along, but Grishelm is still awaiting our completion of the item you promised his people -- which we will complete in your absence. Three companions, plus that magic we have provided you, will suffice. Now join hands. You need not worry about locating your friends. This mission is of sufficient importance that Lathander hs seen fit to grant a miracle this day."

The elf and dwarf stepped forward to join Darian, as Dawnlord Gwinneth chanted. The light from above became blinding, and the world swam ...

It's nice to see you guys fighting lean... Olgar, you sure do like to push your group!

Someone called the Cavalry

"We're walking, we're walking, we're walking," Alya said over and over again. "We need to get the body of the drow champion so he doesn't come back as a revenant."

"Okay, okay," Fextor agreed.

The party gathered themselves and were just about to head back down the stairs when...


Pooffff

A flash of bright light and out stepped Darian Dawnguard, a dwarf, a large weasel, and a woman with elvish features. The woman quickly assumed drow form.

"DROW," Fiddle screamed and closed to finished her.


"Hold," Darian stepped in the way. "Fiddle, Chloe's with me. As is Dunnin." He indicated the dwarf. "Are you hurt?"

"Hurt?" Vlad said. "Are you offering to heal us?"

Sully concentrated. "Yes, as hard as it is to believe. This is, in fact, Darian."

Alya quickly explained the situation and the need for urgency. Darian and Chloe healed the party. It was decided the party would recover the body of the antipaladin and then teleport to the door just outside the lower tower's balcony. From there they would head free of the Castle and back to safety.

At this point, the newcomers are wondering: "Why didn't Lathander just miracle these guys to us? What are we doing at the top of a drow citadel with no way out?" Not for the last time!

Friendly Holy Fire

Out the door and down the stairs Fiddle and Alya led with Chloe, Darian, Fextor, Vlad, Sully and Dunnin in tow. Two large Giant sized fiendish 4-armed shapes coalesced from the shadows of the pillars. Fiddle ran to the rear. Alya swore an oath and fired into the mist. Chloe reacted with equal forces. She called down the fires from the air on top of the Fiendish Giants. It sizzled all around them but caused them no harm. Darian followed suit. The flames engulfed Chloe and the weasel too.

Vlad fired into the mist with his bow and Fextor swung his axe. They weren't really there it seemed. Sully tried his own form of magic. He quickened the party's pace. Dunnin moved around the way and kept to the shadows.

The Giants attacked poor Chloe and Vlad. Fiddle ran forward and hit solidly with Ice. No harm, no blood. Alya fired again. Chloe tried again to harm the Demons with magic. Nothing. Darian fired a bolt of his famous God's light. The Demons had second thoughts. Vlad sprung into motion. He stabbed the nearest Demon from behind. It fell. Fextor moved on the other one. Sully had observed how Vlad's electrical charge hadn't really hurt the things. He swore and tried something else on the last Demon. 5 bolts of magic. Dunnin used Vlad's tactic and sprung at the Demon. A quick jab and he retreated to guard the only exit.

The Demon looked Fextor in the eyes and returned to smoke form. It seeped under the door and was gone.

The party froze for a moment to take it all in.. Fextor struck. He nearly halved Chloe with his axe.

"I hates to do it," Fiddle said aloud. "But the druid can always bring you back as something else." He ran forward and stabbed Fextor in the kidneys.

Sully spoke a few words. The light in Fextor's eyes returned to normal. All was back to normal.

Almost. Darian healed Chloe by way of apology. However, Chloe still had to use her own magic to return to health. Fextor begged off any healing.

Dunnin opened the door and the party recovered what remained of the drow champion. The slugs had done so far a good job.

Spored to death... almost

"So I'll dump us at the doorstep where that vulture demon was trying to get in," Sully said. "But it will take me a couple trips. Who wants to go first?"

Fiddle, Fextor, Vlad, and Alya volunteered. Sully dropped them off and went back for seconds. As the queasiness cleared, Fiddle looked for a way clear of the landing pad. He opened the door behind him. And Alya's bow went sailing past done the long corridor. Fiddle turned the corner and looked back. The vulture demon was back. And in a moment the others would be facing it. Alya ran to retrieve the bow. Fextor and Vlad were already clear.

Battle was joined. Fextor, Fiddle, Vlad, and Alya said the password and met their foe on the stairs.


Sully, Darian, Dunnin, Chloe, and the Weasel arrived. The demon shrieked. Several members were stunned by the sheer volume of the call.

It also meant the drow priestesses would arrive soon. Darian closed and held the door.

All that and a ton of bricks

Things went from bad to worse. The Vulture sprayed Fiddle with a cloud of spores. They burrowed into his flesh. And from back in the room, Darian engaged the drow priestesses. Fextor grabbed the big bird. Vlad, Fiddle and Alya wailed into it. Another form appeared in the sky and descended.

"Here comes another one," Alya yelled.

The first one broke free of Fextor. Vlad sliced it with his axe and it fell.

In the room a barrier of blades blocked the door. No one could get in or out. A second set of blades occupied the long corridor. One of the drow females lay in a pile at Darian's feet. The other battled on.

The new vulture called to its master in abyssal.

"It is calling the Balrog," Darian shouted.

The vulture swept into the fray with Fextor and Alya. It covered Fextor in spores.

Fextor grabbed hold. Alya blinked out and reappeared beside Vlad. Vlad moved forward into combat with the vulture. Fiddle chopped the head off the fallen bird so it wouldn't rise again.

The blades vanished from the door. "Help is on the way," Sully yelled.

The vulture blinked out of existance. Fextor held air.

"Up there," Fiddle said. He pointed to the bird.

The party broke out their bows and fired. They needed to bring the thing down before it completed the call to the Balrog.

After several volleys of arrows struck and caused no harm, Alya landed a true shot in one of the creatures eyes. It landed with a heavy thud on the battlement below.

Fiddle and Fextor were in bad shape. The spores continued to cause them harm. Chloe healed Fiddle.