Sudden darkness

[Aangord]

Title: Sudden darkness
Author: Aangord
Type: Fantasy/
System: D&D 3.5e/
Setting: Homebrew/

Started: 25 August 2006
Status: Ongoing
Average Frequency of Installments: Twice a month, or when I have time for typing the session notes.

number of players.. 5 to 8 depending on player turnup. ( first session after break our 5 core players are
1 A'sienneira Silvermane, female half elven paladin of heironious
2. Tilian Thaladon, male elf wizard ( cest moi)
3. Shandra Canta, female elf ranger
4. Lena oudewater, female human rogue/sorcerer
5. Oleanna Larenthurial, female half elf druid
Style: dont know...

Overview: a small group of adventurers got to know each other on a failed mission to stop a cult from darkening the skies with a permanent solar eclipse. After darkness fel they helped defend the city Solaris against the armies of the cult. Now their adventures continue as they try to find a way to let the sun shine once more and also find and eradicate the mysterious Cult.

 

[Aangord]

Sudden darkness, Temple of Pelor

This morning after our succesfull defensive of the city repelling the hordes of the Cult, we where called to the the temple. Well morning is actually not the correct word, with this unnatural solar eclipse darkening the skies. Thankfully my keen elven eyes let me function quite normally in this darkness. The humans seem to cope quite well with the darkness lanterns adorning everything. Their morale however is even now after the victory slacking, the perpetual gloom heavy on everyone’s heart.

As I and my female companions arrived at the temple from our employer Merimac’s Investigation Company, we where guided to the head priest. He presided a meeting for us with the Oracle, a divine agent of the sun god. An angel appeared in a globe of tranquil light.

We where chosen to disperse this unnatural darkness as the champions of light.
From a jar of coloured beads several strings appeared. My companions where stymied by its meaning. However I could clearly make out groupings and a pattern, obviously my magical training and keen intellect gave me at least some understanding. Apparently to solve the message we would have to find seven keys at seven locations. No wonder my comrades did not understand, a messages encoded seven times over, the ways of the divine really are not for mortals to grasp.

The head priest then took us deep into the catacombs of the temple. Finally we arrived at a portal room of some kind, seven stone lintels where carved in the wall.

“There will be no returning through the portal once you step through” the human told us as he activated the first doorway. Always eager Lena immediately plunged in head first. Shaking her head at the hasty human, Shandra, our elven scout went after her. A’sienneira, the half elven paladin of Heironious, Oleanna (also a female half elf) a druid and I had enough common sense to hear out the remaining words. “Restore the altar and cleanse any evil you can find and you will be able to return.”

I really do not like the idea of stepping into a place where you cannot get out of. Especially considering that my magical studies are as of yet not advanced enough to get us out with magic should the need arise.

 

[Aangord]

Plunge into the unknown

I stepped through the portal into a dismal and dark room. Lena was already fingering the lock on the door opposite the now inactive doorway. A click and peek through later she told us what lay behind it. A round well or shaft of some kind with a flimsy rope bridge spanning the gap, water beneath some way down and another door opposite. Two hobgoblins on a small platform off to the side were tormenting a human, dangling upside down on a rope above the water.
Luckily I had the sense to prepare myself for my mage armor was already in place as the others scrambled to prepare themselves to take out the two hobgoblins. At my suggestion Lena and Shandra took up positions at both sides of the door. A’sienneira made ready to kick it open for them.
The rapid shots of Shandra, even before the door was fully open, took out the first and a sneaky shot from Lena took care of the other.
The dead tumbled down in the water and where gorged upon by some crocodiles, quite a nasty surprise. A’sienneira crossed the bridge carefully to the next door which was also locked. The dangling human was unreachable but the little platform had to be accessible from somewhere. Lena made her way over the bridge and somehow slipped, agile as a cat she managed to catch a hold of the ropes before she plummeted down. But still, hanging from her hands above water filled with crocodiles, Asienneira reached out to her and went down herself because of the motions of the bridge.
Some quick thinking of me and Shandra sent some arrows and a lightning bolt into the water, so at least the crocodiles where out of the equation. This however did upset our druid companion who was lightly said, “Not amused”
More fumbling and balancing later A’sienneira pulled Lena back on the bridge and after picking another lock we carefully continued into the next room.

Which happened to be a torture chamber with blood splattered every where. Probably it is the hobgoblins main entertainment area, those vile creatures. I can now understand why Shandra hates them so much and has made a personal study on how to kill them more efficiently.
Lena goes up the stairs she finds and Shandra takes up a watch position by the door to keep the hasty human girl from getting herself into trouble again.
A’sienneira has meanwhile rescued the human prisoner. She talks with him while Oleanna heals his physical wounds. According to him there are still 20 other prisoners alive here and some 40 hobgoblins to deal with. The crocodiles where introduced to the well by the hobgoblins, which gave our silent nature spirit another jab; “We should rescue those poor creatures and return them to the free wilds where they belong”
A’sienneira’s quiet resolve affects the human strongly however and his courage takes a leaping bound. He suggests to aid us, but she quickly convinces him to “guard our retreat” instead. Asienneira gives him her spare long sword.
Lena returns from the stairs, practically flying. “Incoming” she explains quickly and several moments of waiting in anxiety pass but nothing comes and the stairs remain clear. Our surprise foiled by her mistake, we carefully ascend the stairs.