Endur's Return to TOEE part 3

[Endur]

The party members look at each other. Everyone realizes that no one has seen Craven use his lay on hands ability since they escaped from the prison.

Craven speaks, ”I used my hands to heal Neshi when we were in the room surrounded by the cocooned clones of the evil priest Unariq. I did it when Belaver was studying the awful evil elemental he had summoned, Raner was looting the Hag’s body, and the rest of the party had not yet joined us because they were looting bodies in the previous room. Only Neshi saw me use my divine gift.”

Everyone in the party, even the increasingly paranoid Belaver and Lenya, wants to believe Craven’s explanation. Honest, trustworthy Craven who would never tell a lie.

Craven continues, ”Thank you for trusting me over the mad ravings of Varachan the Black. We must slay him before he speaks the words that will make us all captives of the cult once more.”

Raner, who most wants to believe in Craven, begins to have nagging doubts regarding Craven’s explanation and starts to wonder whether Craven was really a prisoner by his side before the rest of the party was captured or whether the two of them were separated while in a helpless stupor. (Craven Bluff 3+19=22 vs. Sense Motive Lenya 10+10=20, Lylamwyn 19+0=19, Belaver 14+3=17, Kerwyn 3+0=3, Raner 14+7 =21, Toriah 8+0=8, Torn 8+3=11).

 

[Thanee]

Lenya

Craven speaks, ”Only Neshi saw me use my divine gift.”

“Can you speak to Neshi, Belaver?”

Craven continues, ”Thank you for trusting me over the mad ravings of Varachan the Black. We must slay him before he speaks the words that will make us all captives of the cult once more.”

“But really, at this point I'm sure he's not Craven. Please lay down on the floor, so we can bind you, Craven. I wouldn't want to kill you, if my suspicions were false. I will, if you don't.”

He never called himself anything but simply Varachan in our presence...

With a wave of her hand, Lenya appears in the most likely exit for him to retreat. Moments later, the other Lenya disappears.

And I don't recall Craven to be that blood-thirsty...

 

[Endur]

Varachan responds, "I was Varachan the Black, wielder of dread spells, until the fateful day I met the Solar Galgaliel. Galgaliel showed me the error of my ways. Then I was Varachan the Gray, a powerless sneak in a position of responsibility in the cult of the Destroyer. I tried my best to misdirect reinforcements away from attacking you and to give you clues. After you were captured, I did what I could to keep you alive."

Facing Lylamwyn,"What is in this bag? Chymon the Red Dragon took all of your equipment to the original Temple of Elemental Evil outside of Nulb. I snuck into the treasuries in the Outer and Inner Fanes to find what items I could to aid you."

Varachan tosses the bag to the ground before Lylamwyn, and with one smooth motion draws a gleaming longsword with his left hand. The sword has a hilt of silver and gold wire, most cunningly wrought. Its guard and pommel are set with emeralds.

"I am Varachan the White, reborn by the power of Fragarach the Sword of Heroes! And I come before you with a Doom Too Terrible To Speak Of!"

Varachan's black cloak falls aside to reveal gleaming white robes.

'Craven' vanishes before Lenya or anyone else can stop him (greater teleport).

 

[Pyrex]

Craven speaks, ”...when we were in the room surrounded by the cocooned clones of the evil priest Unariq...”

Listening to Craven's explanation Raner cocks his head as he hears something a bit out of place. "An' how is it ye know who it was who was cocooned on the walls?"

'Craven' vanishes before Lenya or anyone else can stop him (greater teleport).

"Oh, tha's how."

Not really trusting Varachan, but grudgingly admitting that he appears to have been correct about 'Craven', Raner turns from where Craven had been standing back towards Varachan.

"What's this doom ye're talking about? There's a temple full o' evil cultists right over there, isn' that doom enough?"

 

[Dalamar]

"Boccob's Blessed Buttocks, that's way too much exitement for one day if you ask me," Kerwyn says after things start calming down again. He felt very defenseless with just an ordinary knife and stinky leather armor from a troglodyte, and though he had been keeping his normal cheery and worriless mannerism during their escape, now all the fear and worrying that they had all gone through during the last couple of days showed on his frame. He falls flat on his back on the ground and lets out a long sigh.
"...somebody wake me up tomorr..." and he was sleeping.

 

[Thanee]

Lenya

“We need to move. Now! You better stay with us, Varachan, and I sure hope this is not another trick...”

 

[Endur]

Varachan, "I am sorry, but I won't be able to stay with you. My time amongst mortals is ending.
"Before I go, I will tell you what I can. But before we talk, I should tell you what I brought you, in case we are interrupted by demons or other foul creatures.
"The bag that Lylamwyn is inspecting holds items that I obtained from the Inner and Out fanes, far more than it appears from the outside.
"Raner, I brought your armor, axe, and other equipment.
"Lylamwyn, I give you the spell book and headband of Dirass the Drow.
"Belaver, I give you a Talisman of Pure Good created by the Gods of Good to banish evil priests to the depths of the earth.
"When Kerwyn wakes up, tell him that I left him a deck of cards created by the Lords of Chaos. Many Things can be found within the Deck, both fortune and peril.
"Toriah, I give you this bag once it is empty and three arrows of slaying human beings.
"Lenya, to you I give my Crystal Ball, which can be used to see far places as well as read the thoughts of those you observe. I also give you the Orb of Silvery Death, a lesser copy of the Orb of Oblivion that can be used offensively or defensively as you see fit. The bearer of the Orb is immune to spells cast by the servants of the Destroyer. Beware, the Orb of Silvery Death will endanger your soul if you attempt to use its powers offensively.
"Torn, I give you my condolences and regrets for everything you have suffered at the hands of evil creatures. I also have a number of divine scrolls and wands in the bag for you, and one more gift I will mention later.
"Raner, you asked what doom I spoke of. The doom is too terrible to speak of. But, I will try, to give you the message you seek.
"Lareth passed the test and became the Champion of Elemental Evil while you were imprisoned. Lareth, Hedrack, and half of the Doomdreamers, including the Second of the ruling Triad of the Doomdreamers, have used magic to travel to the ruined Temple of Elemental Evil outside of Nulb. There, they plan to summon the Evil Elemental Princes. Once the princes are gathered, they intend to summon the Destroyer.
"1000 years ago, the Destroyer stepped upon the Oerth for a brief moment. The two greatest empires the world had ever seen were destroyed instantly. The other Gods bound the Destroyer in an eternal prison, but the cult believes they have found the key to release him.
"Should the cult succeed, a doom too terrible to describe will come upon this world.
"You stand at a crossroads and must decide where you will go next, whether you will return to Hommlet or Verbobonc, or continue what you have started in the Outer and Inner Fanes, or travel to the Ruined Temple of Elemental Evil. You have some time left, as the cult has only found the Elemental Gem of Fire, and needs the other gems to summon the other Elemental Princes.
"I can tell you little of what you would face in your Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, but I can speak more of the Outer and Inner Fanes.
"The Outer fane has minimal guards left. The Inner Fane is a different story. Significant forces reside within the Black Tower that is in the Inner Fane. You must be particularly wary of the First and the Third, the rulers of the cult. They are mad, but extremely powerful. They reside near the top of the tower. The very top of the tower is yet another black temple to the Destroyer. Craven, the ambassador, and the surviving members of Torn's adventuring party are in the dungeon in the basement of the Tower.
"Whatever you decide, you have my best wishes for your success.
"For my last gift, I leave you the Sword Fragarach, Sword of Heroes, given by the Gods to Prince Thrommel to fight the Temple of Elemental Evil when the Temple first arose. If you lift this weapon, all doubts and misgivings will be erased, the path will be clear. Only a hero true can wield this sword in battle."

Varachan drops the sword in front of Torn. Varachan vanishes when the sword leaves his hand.

Lenya--Orb of Silvery Death and Crystal Ball with ESP
Torn—Fragarach the Sword of Heroes, Divine scrolls below
Kerwyn--Deck of Many Things
Belaver--Talisman of Pure Good (2 charges left)
Lylamwyn—Headband of intellect +4, Spellbook
Raner—His armor, axe, and other stuff
Toriah—3 greater arrows of slaying (humans), bag of holding
+1 plate armor, +1 mithril chain shirt, +1 large steel shield of arrow deflection, 2 cloaks of resistance +1, amulet of natural armor +2,
Divine Wand of cure light wounds (15 charges)
Divine Wand of Silence (42 charges)
Divine Scrolls cure serious wounds (x3), neutralize poison, remove curse, remove disease, greater dispelling, heal (x2), restoration, flame strike, true seeing, summon monster 3, greater command, slay living, flame strike, endurance, hold person, inflict critical wounds (2)
Potions of haste (2), heroism, neutralize poison, bull’s strength, cure serious wounds, fly,
Arcane Scroll of Wall of Fire, Dimension Door, Dispel Magic, Empowered Magic Missile


Spellbook of Dirass the Drow: 0-resistance, acid splash, detect poison, detect magic read magic, daze, dancing lights, flare, light, ray of frost, ghost sound, disrupt undead, touch of fatigue, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, arcane mark, prestidigitation; 1st-alarm, color spray, mage armor, magic missile, shield, sleep, disguise self, feather fall, identify, unseen servant; 2nd-blur, cat's grace, levitate, melf's acid arrow, web, bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, protection from arrows; 3rd-lightning bolt, deep slumber, major image, nondetection, dispel magic, fireball, phantom steed, haste; 4th-dimension door, greater invisibility, ice storm, stoneskin, scrying, evard’s black tentacles, wall of fire, fire shield; 5th-cone of cold, dream, summon monster v, shadow evocation, magic jar, dismissal, telekinesis.

 

[Thanee]

Lenya

“Thank you...” Lenya says, as the being vanishes, looking at the gifts Varashan has left for them.

“And I still say, we need to move quickly, because this demon does know where we are and might come back with reinforcements.”

 

[Endur]

At Lenya's insistence, the party wakes Kerwyn up and stumbles a few miles more to a good camping site and goes to sleep.

The night passes uneventfully. The spellcasters successfully memorize and pray for their spells.

 

[Thanee]

Lenya

In the evening, Lenya will take a closer look at the crystal ball and the orb, hoping to figure out how they are used. She will also ask Lylamwyn, who is more knowledgeable in these matters.

She then tries to find out where the dragon currently is with the help of the crystal ball, after practicing a bit by taking a look at some of her family members to see if they are well.