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<blockquote data-quote="Richards" data-source="post: 7572583" data-attributes="member: 508"><p><strong>ADVENTURE 38: CONVOY ASSAULT</strong></p><p></p><p>PC Roster: <p style="margin-left: 20px">Daleth Stormsea, elf wizard 11</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Galen Thorne, human paladin 12</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Kaspar Hardstrike, elf monk 12</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Orion Nightsky, halfling rogue 12</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Syngaard, human fighter 12</p><p></p><p>Game Session Date: 27 February 2019</p><p></p><p> - - - </p><p></p><p>Skevros had apparently learned to give Syngaard the information he most desired up front, for this time when he summoned the conscripts via a message over their iron rings, he kept it short and sweet: "Paying mission. 2,000 gold pieces each." That was all Syngaard needed to hear; he threw on his armor, gathered up the rest of his gear, and hightailed it to the <em>Enchanted Flagon</em> at full speed.</p><p></p><p>As usual, he was the last of the conscripts to arrive, the others already being seated around the head table. "What's up?" he asked, sliding into his chair as Karen set a mug of ale before him. "Who needs killin'?"</p><p></p><p>"This isn't an assassination mission," contradicted Skevros. "Rather, it's an attack on a convoy, specifically to gain custody of an object important to the Seekers of Eternity."</p><p></p><p>"We okay with killin' the convoy members?" Syngaard pressed.</p><p></p><p>"Should they offer resistance, then by all means," replied Skevros. Syngaard's grunt took the place of a "Well, there you go then" - and he switched his focus to his drink.</p><p></p><p>"What is the object we are to obtain?" asked Kaspar.</p><p> </p><p>"As to that, I cannot say. However, our spies have reported that the object is to be found within an <em>anti-magic</em> box, so it's likely very powerful. It's being transported by cart from the Azure Glade to Ossirna; presumably, the reason it's inside an <em>anti-magic</em> box is what's preventing it from simply being <em>teleported</em> from one place to another."</p><p></p><p>"Where is the convoy now?" asked Galen.</p><p></p><p>"It is still in the Azure Glade," Skevros replied. "The plan is simple: I will <em>teleport</em> you to the vicinity of the object, you will overpower any resistance, and then investigate the contents of the box. Presumably, anything of such interest to the Seekers of Eternity is something we'd rather have in our hands than theirs. Once you've determined what the object is, you will either bring it back here if it is useful or destroy it if it's too dangerous to keep. Any questions?"</p><p></p><p>"That seems pretty straightforward," admitted Orion. She called for her riding dog and Carl manifested in the back of the tavern, padding silently forward to his mistress. The halfling leaped up into the <em>ghost touch saddle</em> and pulled out a <em>potion of mage armor</em> for her riding mount to lap up before the combat began.</p><p></p><p>Skevros, in the meantime, had concentrated on his <em>crystal ball</em> and the two-cart convoy came into focus. Daleth peered into the crystalline sphere, looking down at the caravan from above. The lead cart was being driven by a woman in purple robes; the cart in the rear had a woman in white robes at the reins. "Enchantment and divination," the elf wizard noted, going by the colors of the robes the wizards wore. The lead cart was open, with a large box tied down in the back; the second cart was a covered wagon, with canvas stretched across round hoops going the length of the vehicle. As such, it was impossible to look into the wagon's interior to view its hidden contents.</p><p></p><p>"We'd better have the animals already out and ready to attack," Galen suggested to Syngaard. The paladin summoned his dire lion bonded mount from the Beastlands and Burt manifested in the corner of the tavern, as the bald fighter reached into his pants and pulled out his Dick. After rubbing it lightly, the statuette vanished and in its place stood the full-size <em>bronze griffon</em>, stretching its wings. Galen cast a <em>protection from evil</em> spell upon himself, then climbed atop his dire lion's broad back, ready for battle.</p><p></p><p>"Is it possible to cast spells through your <em>crystal ball</em>?" Daleth asked the king's adviser.</p><p></p><p>"Divinations, yes," replied Skevros.</p><p></p><p>"Then with your permission...?" asked Daleth, and Skevros stepped aside to let the elf handle the magic scrying sphere. Daleth cast a <em>see invisibility</em> spell then pulled the magical scrying sensor back so he could see all around the two wagons. Sure enough, there along the right side of the carts, which were traveling in single file, moved an unseen companion: a gray-skinned humanoid with almost nothing in the way of facial features but for its oversized eyes. It wore - or seemed to wear, in any case - black leather armor, and Daleth identified the invisible creature at once from its description, despite not ever having seen one before. "There's an invisible doppelganger keeping pace with the convoy," he told the others.</p><p></p><p>"You can see it?" Syngaard asked. "You got any more spells that can let the rest of us see it?"</p><p></p><p>"No more <em>see invisibility</em> spells - but I can cast two <em>true seeing</em> spells from my staff," Daleth explained. Syngaard thought it over a moment. "Cast 'em on Galen and Kaspar," he directed. "They're the fastest of our group - at least when Galen's riding on Burt. Your job is to take out the doppelganger before he can get up to any mischief. You move in first, Kaspar, and then you, Galen, and if you two don't drop him right away, Wizard-Pants can finish the job with a spell or whatever."</p><p></p><p>"What about Dick?" asked Orion. "He can fly faster than Burt can run."</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, but I want him taking out the lead wizard," Syngaard explained. He didn't want no enchantress taking over his mind and playing him like a puppet - that had happened to him once before, from a spell cast by Maria Quillbender of all people, and the scarred fighter didn't want it ever happening again.</p><p></p><p>"And who should we concentrate on, then?" asked Orion. "The other wizards?"</p><p></p><p>"Well, you're probably not gonna like it," answered Syngaard. "But we need to take out them horses. No horses, the convoy comes to a stop."</p><p></p><p>"No, that's tactically sound," added Galen before the halfling could object to slaying inoffensive beasts of burden. "And Burt and Dick will make sure the meat doesn't go to waste," he added with a hopeful smile. Orion wrinkled her nose in disgust but made no further objection.</p><p></p><p>"I could drop a <em>wall of fire</em> right down the middle," suggested Daleth. "That'd get both horses, and both wizards!"</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, <em>and</em> the box we're supposed to grab," countered Syngaard. "Howzabout you put that big wizard brain to some sensible use for once?"</p><p></p><p>"I believe we're ready to go," Galen said to Skevros, and the king's adviser ushered everyone outside. He brought his <em>crystal ball</em> with him, heading to the border of Durnhill, beyond which <em>teleport</em> spells would function - the kingdom's interior had been shielded from such magic. "It looks like the diviner senses something," Skevros warned, seeing the white-robed woman looking up into the air, as if sensing the magical scrying sensor. "At once, then!" And he cast the <em>teleport</em> spell on the assembled group, sending them instantly to the Azure Glade and directly in front of the moving two-cart convoy.</p><p></p><p>Kaspar took no time to get his bearings; he was off at top speed as soon as his feet touched the blue grass of the neighboring kingdom. He ran straight toward the invisible doppelganger, smiling quietly to himself at the creature's astonished expression once he realized the elven monk could see him. But the doppelganger had no sooner come to that realization before Kaspar took flight, leaping into a flying kick stance and bringing his sandaled foot smashing into the shapeshifter's bulbous dome.</p><p></p><p>Daleth was the next to react. He tracked Kaspar's movement and fired off a <em>fireball</em> spell through his <em>metamagic rod</em>, ensuring the resulting explosion caught the doppelganger, both drivers, and the horses - but not Kaspar. There were additional screams of surprise from inside the covered wagon as the canvas covering caught fire from Daleth's spell. "Don't worry about the prisoner - we didn't need him alive anyway!" said a gruff voice from the rear wagon's interior. Todd, in the meantime, followed his master's unspoken instructions through the mental link they shared and flew off to sting the enchantress, hopefully taking her out of the combat. His barbed stinger caught the wizard in the neck, but she failed to slump into immediate slumber. The pseudodragon hissed in irritation, flapping away from immediate retaliation.</p><p></p><p>Two Azure Guards climbed out of the back of the burning wagon, one moving to each side. They were armed with different weapons than those customary to their order: this pair carried bastard swords strapped to their belts and wielded composite longbows. One took aim at Kaspar, but the monk easily avoided the arrow flying his way. The other tried targeting Daleth, identifying him as the most likely <em>fireball</em>-flinging candidate, but there was a bald-headed fighter with a face full of scars blocking the shot. Undaunted, the Azure Guard released his arrow, sending it flying straight at Syngaard, but Syngaard raised his shield and it bounced harmlessly away as he sprinted forward at his top speed.</p><p></p><p>"Let's see if you can handle my Dick!" called Syngaard to the enchantress as he ran toward her. The griffon flew over his shoulder, to come crashing into the purple-robed wizard (the robe no longer showing much purple at all, having been scorched heavily by Daleth's empowered spell). Dick bit down on the enchantress's shoulder with his powerful beak and brought his front talons gouging across her torso; when he released his grip, she fell in a lifeless heap to the ground at the side of the wagon. Syngaard ran past her, throwing his <em>returning javelin</em> at the diviner as he ran. His throw was true, dropping the diviner into unconsciousness. Idly, he wondered what had happened to the horses, for both were now gone; it didn't occur to the slow-witted fighter that both creatures had been magical effects in much the same way Karen was back at the <em>Enchanted Flagon</em>. But while Karen was a permanent <em>unseen servant</em> with an illusion spell grafted onto it, the horses had been the result of two simple <em>mount</em> spells.</p><p></p><p>Orion had Carl slip into the Ethereal Plane and advance toward the nearest Azure Guard; while the halfling couldn't see very well into the Material Plane while on the Ethereal, she trusted that her ghost-dog could.</p><p></p><p>Galen, in the meantime, charged the other Azure Guard on Burt. A combination of saberlike teeth and razor-sharp claws, not to mention a <em>smite evil</em> attack channeling the power of Hieroneous through the <em>sword of Zehkar</em>, brought the blue-robed enforcer to the ground before he could fire another shot or even try to draw his sword. Upon his death, he and all of his gear <em>teleported</em> away, so the leaders of his organization would know of his death and none of his gear could be recovered by the enemy.</p><p></p><p>The doppelganger really wanted to kill that blasted elf wizard, but Daleth was too far away to make that feasible. Knowing that both Kaspar and Galen could see him - telepathy was one of the creature's most useful abilities - the shapeshifter opted to try backstabbing a victim who wasn't aware of his exact presence. As he started heading toward Syngaard, Kaspar sent a hardened fist striking at him cobra-swift, causing him to stumble and throwing off the attack to which he'd already committed himself; as a result, Syngaard's unprotected back didn't feel the touch of the invisible doppelganger's sword. And with that failed attack, the shapeshifter popped into view, visible to everyone now but the oblivious fighter who was catching the javelin just now returning to his hand.</p><p></p><p>Kaspar trailed the doppelganger, hitting him with a <em>tenryutsume</em>-fueled punch that added fire and electricity to the power of the physical strike itself. At virtually the same time, a pair of <em>scorching rays</em>, each channeled through Daleth's <em>metamagic rod</em>, blasted the poor doppelganger; death was almost a blessing for him after the way this battle had turned.</p><p></p><p>With a sidestep, the remaining Azure Guard member was able to send a trio of arrows flying towards Daleth, each hitting the elf square in the torso. But as they hit, Daleth made a "plink-plink-plink!" noise, adding sound effects to the arrows bouncing off of the <em>stoneskin</em> spell he'd cast upon himself right before Skevros <em>teleported</em> the group into battle. Daleth looked the astonished Azure Guard in the eye, then gave him a big smile just to ruin his day.</p><p></p><p>But his day was destined to be ruined even further: under the combined assault of Syngaard's <em>human bane scimitar</em>, Dick's beak and claws, Orion's <em>flaming short sword</em>, and Kaspar's flurry of blows, the poor guy was staggering in an effort to remain standing, let alone fight back. Daleth took him out with a simple <em>magic missile</em> spell, not even bothering to channel it through his <em>metamagic rod</em>. Like his counterpart, he <em>teleported</em> away upon his death.</p><p></p><p>"That was easy!" crowed Orion, leaping down from Carl's <em>ghost touch saddle</em> to approach the lead wagon - the one with the box secured in the back. Syngaard cut through the ropes binding it in place and placed in down on the ground, where Orion could give it a thorough once-over. The box was secured by a padlock; despite her best efforts, Orion could find no traps protecting either the box or the lock. Opening the lock was a simple application of her lockpicks and her nimble fingers; once it had been removed she gingerly opened the hinged top of the box - only to have it blow up in her face. "<em>Fire trap</em>!" Orion cursed, wiping the soot from her face. But she came away from the ordeal hardly hurt at all, as she wore a magic bracelet that had absorbed most of the fire damage.</p><p></p><p>"So what's the take?" Syngaard asked, looking into the open box. The box's interior was filled with water, nothing more. "It's a decoy!" Orion surmised. "The real box must be in the other wagon!" While the others raced to the other wagon to check out its contents, Kaspar slipped a ring from the body of the slain doppelganger; its elaborate design made the monk suspect it was likely magical. He pocketed it for further investigation later and went to check the bodies of the slain wizards, coming up with three healing potions on each of them, neither of which they'd had time to even open before being slain.</p><p></p><p>The still-burning wagon in the rear of the convoy held a nearly identical box as the one in the lead wagon; Syngaard pulled it from the back of the vehicle and set it on the ground a safe distance away. There was a bound and horribly burned body in the back of the wagon as well, so Syngaard pulled it out as well. "Dead guy," he announced, setting him down on the ground as well.</p><p></p><p>"The wizards have no keys upon them," Kaspar noted. "They were likely not trusted with gaining access to the contents of the box they were transporting."</p><p></p><p>"That's weird," replied Galen.</p><p></p><p>Orion applied herself to the second locked box; now that she knew what to look for she gave the box special attention, seeking out hidden <em>fire trap</em> runes that would explode in her face if she failed to disarm them first. But try as she might she could find no such runes. "I guess it's safe," she reasoned. "Maybe they only trapped the fake box." She looked back at the others, but they had all backed up to a safe distance away from the box - just in case. "Cowards," she muttered to herself, flipping up the lid of the now unlocked box.</p><p></p><p>This one was also filled with liquid, but while originally appearing to be a clear, oily substance, it immediately darkened upon the lid being opened fully - and the halfling had no trouble instantly identifying it as osteovox. Floating in the substance was what looked to be the skeleton of a small bird wrapped in bandages - but then Orion realized if this was osteovox, those weren't likely bandages: they were strips of parchment, upon which would have been written a question the wizards had wanted answered.</p><p></p><p>But then the skeletal bird started moving, and with a muffled shriek the halfling slammed the lid back down.</p><p></p><p>"Let me out!" called the bird from within the box.</p><p></p><p>"What's going on?" asked Syngaard, having moved up once the box failed to explode like the first one had done. Orion filled him in on what had happened as the others approached.</p><p></p><p>"Let me out!" repeated the bird.</p><p></p><p>"What do we got in there - a bird lich?" asked Syngaard. "Is that even a thing?"</p><p></p><p>"I sense no evil," offered Galen.</p><p></p><p>"Of course you don't!" snapped Daleth in his most patronizing "you-stupid-human" voice. "It's within an <em>anti-magic</em> box!"</p><p></p><p>"Just what are we supposed to do with a bird lich?" asked Syngaard. "Let's just kill the damn thing."</p><p></p><p>"Why don't we try talking to it first?" suggested Kaspar, kneeling down beside the box. Cracking the lid open an inch or so, he asked, "Who are you?" to the skeletal bird within. With his elven vision, the monk could see the bird was indeed mobile - it had already shrugged out of the parchment that had been wrapped around it.</p><p></p><p>"My name is <strong>Alan</strong>," the bird replied. "I was once the familiar of Alexandros."</p><p></p><p>Syngaard slammed the lid back down. "Let's kill it," he repeated.</p><p></p><p>"Do not kill me!" replied the bird from inside the box. Kaspar cracked the box back open just enough so they could hear it better. "I was the first to be consumed into his phylactery, when he first became a lich! Lichdom severs the link between wizard and familiar."</p><p></p><p>"That's true," Daleth inserted.</p><p></p><p>"So what happened to you?" asked Orion.</p><p></p><p>"I used the osteovox to my own advantage," replied Alan. "I was communicating through the osteovox with <strong>Devarell</strong> - that's the dead prisoner - pretending to be the Mithral Mage. As 'Alexandros', I ordered Devarell to fetch a raven to submit to the osteovox ritual. He did so, but then the real Alexandros got wind of what was going on. He ordered the Seekers to stop the ritual and put the raven's body into the <em>antimagic</em> box. The box is activated by command word; once I was trapped inside the <em>antimagic</em> prevented the osteovox from working until somebody - namely you - opened the box. But then you opened it, the ritual completed, and I was able to inhabit this body."</p><p></p><p>"So the box isn't <em>antimagic</em> any more?" Galen asked.</p><p></p><p>"Not until you reactivate it by command word," Alan answered.</p><p></p><p>"Let me examine your aura," the paladin commanded, stepping up to the barely-open box and peering inside. "I detect no evil," he said to the group.</p><p></p><p>"Wait - what'd you say your name was again?" asked Syngaard suddenly.</p><p></p><p>"Alan."</p><p></p><p>"How do you spell that?"</p><p></p><p>"A-L-A-N." Syngaard counted the letters out on his fingers as the skeletal raven answered. "He's okay," the bald fighter announced.</p><p></p><p>"And how exactly did you arrive at this conclusion?" demanded Daleth.</p><p></p><p>"He's got four letters in his name," Syngaard replied. "We've done pretty good with animals with four-letter boy's names: Carl, Burt, Dick, John, and now Alan. I'm tellin' you, he's fine."</p><p></p><p>"What are your intentions?" demanded Galen, not wanting to put his trust into the number of letters in the raven's name.</p><p></p><p>"My only wish is for the Mithral Mage's phylactery to be destroyed," replied Alan. "That will free me, as well as all others whose souls have been engulfed into it."</p><p></p><p>"That's good enough for me," decided Orion, flipping the lid of the box fully open. A dark mist coalesced around Alan's skeletal bones, forming a translucent "body" not unlike his own original feathered form. He flapped up onto the edge of the box, gripping it tightly with his talons. Kaspar held out his arm and Alan flapped up onto it, perching upon it like a falcon on the arm of his master.</p><p></p><p>"Gather up whatever else we want to take, and then we'll get out of here," Galen commanded. Syngaard tipped the box onto its side, spilling out the osteovox, and then closed the lid and hefted it up. "C'mere, Dick!" he called, deactivating his <em>bronze griffon</em> with a touch and dropping it back into his pants pocket. Galen likewise dismissed Burt back to the Beastlands, and then the assembled conscripts each held onto the <em>ring of return</em> with one hand and Kaspar, with a word, sent everyone back to the very outskirts of Durnhill, from where they had <em>teleported</em> in.</p><p></p><p> - - - </p><p></p><p>This adventure was over much sooner than Logan had intended, in part because he hadn't anticipated Joey deciding to have his PC cast <em>see invisibility</em> through the <em>crystal ball</em> (Daleth's 18 Intelligence must be wearing off on his player!) and in part because his dice decided to betray him all night. Seriously, the enemy hardly ever managed to hit, and when they did it wasn't for much damage. In fact, I think during the whole session, Daleth's <em>stoneskin</em> spell protected him from all but 3 hp of damage from the Azure Guardsman's arrows, and likewise Orion's bracelet shielded her from all but 5 points of fire damage when the <em>fire trap</em> went off in her face. And that was it. On the other hand, Daleth's <em>empowered fireball</em> took out both <em>mounts</em> and weakened both wizards so much that they could be taken out that same round. Neither of them even got to cast a spell!</p><p></p><p>The doppelganger's ring was a <em>ring of invisibility</em>, and we jointly decided it made the most sense to give it to Orion. Vicki was very pleased with that decision.</p><p></p><p>And best of all, Galen, Kaspar, and Syngaard each reached 13th level as a result of this adventure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Richards, post: 7572583, member: 508"] [b]ADVENTURE 38: CONVOY ASSAULT[/b] PC Roster: [INDENT]Daleth Stormsea, elf wizard 11 Galen Thorne, human paladin 12 Kaspar Hardstrike, elf monk 12 Orion Nightsky, halfling rogue 12 Syngaard, human fighter 12[/INDENT] Game Session Date: 27 February 2019 - - - Skevros had apparently learned to give Syngaard the information he most desired up front, for this time when he summoned the conscripts via a message over their iron rings, he kept it short and sweet: "Paying mission. 2,000 gold pieces each." That was all Syngaard needed to hear; he threw on his armor, gathered up the rest of his gear, and hightailed it to the [i]Enchanted Flagon[/i] at full speed. As usual, he was the last of the conscripts to arrive, the others already being seated around the head table. "What's up?" he asked, sliding into his chair as Karen set a mug of ale before him. "Who needs killin'?" "This isn't an assassination mission," contradicted Skevros. "Rather, it's an attack on a convoy, specifically to gain custody of an object important to the Seekers of Eternity." "We okay with killin' the convoy members?" Syngaard pressed. "Should they offer resistance, then by all means," replied Skevros. Syngaard's grunt took the place of a "Well, there you go then" - and he switched his focus to his drink. "What is the object we are to obtain?" asked Kaspar. "As to that, I cannot say. However, our spies have reported that the object is to be found within an [i]anti-magic[/i] box, so it's likely very powerful. It's being transported by cart from the Azure Glade to Ossirna; presumably, the reason it's inside an [i]anti-magic[/i] box is what's preventing it from simply being [i]teleported[/i] from one place to another." "Where is the convoy now?" asked Galen. "It is still in the Azure Glade," Skevros replied. "The plan is simple: I will [i]teleport[/i] you to the vicinity of the object, you will overpower any resistance, and then investigate the contents of the box. Presumably, anything of such interest to the Seekers of Eternity is something we'd rather have in our hands than theirs. Once you've determined what the object is, you will either bring it back here if it is useful or destroy it if it's too dangerous to keep. Any questions?" "That seems pretty straightforward," admitted Orion. She called for her riding dog and Carl manifested in the back of the tavern, padding silently forward to his mistress. The halfling leaped up into the [i]ghost touch saddle[/i] and pulled out a [i]potion of mage armor[/i] for her riding mount to lap up before the combat began. Skevros, in the meantime, had concentrated on his [i]crystal ball[/i] and the two-cart convoy came into focus. Daleth peered into the crystalline sphere, looking down at the caravan from above. The lead cart was being driven by a woman in purple robes; the cart in the rear had a woman in white robes at the reins. "Enchantment and divination," the elf wizard noted, going by the colors of the robes the wizards wore. The lead cart was open, with a large box tied down in the back; the second cart was a covered wagon, with canvas stretched across round hoops going the length of the vehicle. As such, it was impossible to look into the wagon's interior to view its hidden contents. "We'd better have the animals already out and ready to attack," Galen suggested to Syngaard. The paladin summoned his dire lion bonded mount from the Beastlands and Burt manifested in the corner of the tavern, as the bald fighter reached into his pants and pulled out his Dick. After rubbing it lightly, the statuette vanished and in its place stood the full-size [i]bronze griffon[/i], stretching its wings. Galen cast a [i]protection from evil[/i] spell upon himself, then climbed atop his dire lion's broad back, ready for battle. "Is it possible to cast spells through your [i]crystal ball[/i]?" Daleth asked the king's adviser. "Divinations, yes," replied Skevros. "Then with your permission...?" asked Daleth, and Skevros stepped aside to let the elf handle the magic scrying sphere. Daleth cast a [i]see invisibility[/i] spell then pulled the magical scrying sensor back so he could see all around the two wagons. Sure enough, there along the right side of the carts, which were traveling in single file, moved an unseen companion: a gray-skinned humanoid with almost nothing in the way of facial features but for its oversized eyes. It wore - or seemed to wear, in any case - black leather armor, and Daleth identified the invisible creature at once from its description, despite not ever having seen one before. "There's an invisible doppelganger keeping pace with the convoy," he told the others. "You can see it?" Syngaard asked. "You got any more spells that can let the rest of us see it?" "No more [i]see invisibility[/i] spells - but I can cast two [i]true seeing[/i] spells from my staff," Daleth explained. Syngaard thought it over a moment. "Cast 'em on Galen and Kaspar," he directed. "They're the fastest of our group - at least when Galen's riding on Burt. Your job is to take out the doppelganger before he can get up to any mischief. You move in first, Kaspar, and then you, Galen, and if you two don't drop him right away, Wizard-Pants can finish the job with a spell or whatever." "What about Dick?" asked Orion. "He can fly faster than Burt can run." "Yeah, but I want him taking out the lead wizard," Syngaard explained. He didn't want no enchantress taking over his mind and playing him like a puppet - that had happened to him once before, from a spell cast by Maria Quillbender of all people, and the scarred fighter didn't want it ever happening again. "And who should we concentrate on, then?" asked Orion. "The other wizards?" "Well, you're probably not gonna like it," answered Syngaard. "But we need to take out them horses. No horses, the convoy comes to a stop." "No, that's tactically sound," added Galen before the halfling could object to slaying inoffensive beasts of burden. "And Burt and Dick will make sure the meat doesn't go to waste," he added with a hopeful smile. Orion wrinkled her nose in disgust but made no further objection. "I could drop a [i]wall of fire[/i] right down the middle," suggested Daleth. "That'd get both horses, and both wizards!" "Yeah, [i]and[/i] the box we're supposed to grab," countered Syngaard. "Howzabout you put that big wizard brain to some sensible use for once?" "I believe we're ready to go," Galen said to Skevros, and the king's adviser ushered everyone outside. He brought his [i]crystal ball[/i] with him, heading to the border of Durnhill, beyond which [i]teleport[/i] spells would function - the kingdom's interior had been shielded from such magic. "It looks like the diviner senses something," Skevros warned, seeing the white-robed woman looking up into the air, as if sensing the magical scrying sensor. "At once, then!" And he cast the [i]teleport[/i] spell on the assembled group, sending them instantly to the Azure Glade and directly in front of the moving two-cart convoy. Kaspar took no time to get his bearings; he was off at top speed as soon as his feet touched the blue grass of the neighboring kingdom. He ran straight toward the invisible doppelganger, smiling quietly to himself at the creature's astonished expression once he realized the elven monk could see him. But the doppelganger had no sooner come to that realization before Kaspar took flight, leaping into a flying kick stance and bringing his sandaled foot smashing into the shapeshifter's bulbous dome. Daleth was the next to react. He tracked Kaspar's movement and fired off a [i]fireball[/i] spell through his [i]metamagic rod[/i], ensuring the resulting explosion caught the doppelganger, both drivers, and the horses - but not Kaspar. There were additional screams of surprise from inside the covered wagon as the canvas covering caught fire from Daleth's spell. "Don't worry about the prisoner - we didn't need him alive anyway!" said a gruff voice from the rear wagon's interior. Todd, in the meantime, followed his master's unspoken instructions through the mental link they shared and flew off to sting the enchantress, hopefully taking her out of the combat. His barbed stinger caught the wizard in the neck, but she failed to slump into immediate slumber. The pseudodragon hissed in irritation, flapping away from immediate retaliation. Two Azure Guards climbed out of the back of the burning wagon, one moving to each side. They were armed with different weapons than those customary to their order: this pair carried bastard swords strapped to their belts and wielded composite longbows. One took aim at Kaspar, but the monk easily avoided the arrow flying his way. The other tried targeting Daleth, identifying him as the most likely [i]fireball[/i]-flinging candidate, but there was a bald-headed fighter with a face full of scars blocking the shot. Undaunted, the Azure Guard released his arrow, sending it flying straight at Syngaard, but Syngaard raised his shield and it bounced harmlessly away as he sprinted forward at his top speed. "Let's see if you can handle my Dick!" called Syngaard to the enchantress as he ran toward her. The griffon flew over his shoulder, to come crashing into the purple-robed wizard (the robe no longer showing much purple at all, having been scorched heavily by Daleth's empowered spell). Dick bit down on the enchantress's shoulder with his powerful beak and brought his front talons gouging across her torso; when he released his grip, she fell in a lifeless heap to the ground at the side of the wagon. Syngaard ran past her, throwing his [i]returning javelin[/i] at the diviner as he ran. His throw was true, dropping the diviner into unconsciousness. Idly, he wondered what had happened to the horses, for both were now gone; it didn't occur to the slow-witted fighter that both creatures had been magical effects in much the same way Karen was back at the [i]Enchanted Flagon[/i]. But while Karen was a permanent [i]unseen servant[/i] with an illusion spell grafted onto it, the horses had been the result of two simple [i]mount[/i] spells. Orion had Carl slip into the Ethereal Plane and advance toward the nearest Azure Guard; while the halfling couldn't see very well into the Material Plane while on the Ethereal, she trusted that her ghost-dog could. Galen, in the meantime, charged the other Azure Guard on Burt. A combination of saberlike teeth and razor-sharp claws, not to mention a [i]smite evil[/i] attack channeling the power of Hieroneous through the [i]sword of Zehkar[/i], brought the blue-robed enforcer to the ground before he could fire another shot or even try to draw his sword. Upon his death, he and all of his gear [i]teleported[/i] away, so the leaders of his organization would know of his death and none of his gear could be recovered by the enemy. The doppelganger really wanted to kill that blasted elf wizard, but Daleth was too far away to make that feasible. Knowing that both Kaspar and Galen could see him - telepathy was one of the creature's most useful abilities - the shapeshifter opted to try backstabbing a victim who wasn't aware of his exact presence. As he started heading toward Syngaard, Kaspar sent a hardened fist striking at him cobra-swift, causing him to stumble and throwing off the attack to which he'd already committed himself; as a result, Syngaard's unprotected back didn't feel the touch of the invisible doppelganger's sword. And with that failed attack, the shapeshifter popped into view, visible to everyone now but the oblivious fighter who was catching the javelin just now returning to his hand. Kaspar trailed the doppelganger, hitting him with a [i]tenryutsume[/i]-fueled punch that added fire and electricity to the power of the physical strike itself. At virtually the same time, a pair of [i]scorching rays[/i], each channeled through Daleth's [i]metamagic rod[/i], blasted the poor doppelganger; death was almost a blessing for him after the way this battle had turned. With a sidestep, the remaining Azure Guard member was able to send a trio of arrows flying towards Daleth, each hitting the elf square in the torso. But as they hit, Daleth made a "plink-plink-plink!" noise, adding sound effects to the arrows bouncing off of the [i]stoneskin[/i] spell he'd cast upon himself right before Skevros [i]teleported[/i] the group into battle. Daleth looked the astonished Azure Guard in the eye, then gave him a big smile just to ruin his day. But his day was destined to be ruined even further: under the combined assault of Syngaard's [i]human bane scimitar[/i], Dick's beak and claws, Orion's [i]flaming short sword[/i], and Kaspar's flurry of blows, the poor guy was staggering in an effort to remain standing, let alone fight back. Daleth took him out with a simple [i]magic missile[/i] spell, not even bothering to channel it through his [i]metamagic rod[/i]. Like his counterpart, he [i]teleported[/i] away upon his death. "That was easy!" crowed Orion, leaping down from Carl's [i]ghost touch saddle[/i] to approach the lead wagon - the one with the box secured in the back. Syngaard cut through the ropes binding it in place and placed in down on the ground, where Orion could give it a thorough once-over. The box was secured by a padlock; despite her best efforts, Orion could find no traps protecting either the box or the lock. Opening the lock was a simple application of her lockpicks and her nimble fingers; once it had been removed she gingerly opened the hinged top of the box - only to have it blow up in her face. "[i]Fire trap[/i]!" Orion cursed, wiping the soot from her face. But she came away from the ordeal hardly hurt at all, as she wore a magic bracelet that had absorbed most of the fire damage. "So what's the take?" Syngaard asked, looking into the open box. The box's interior was filled with water, nothing more. "It's a decoy!" Orion surmised. "The real box must be in the other wagon!" While the others raced to the other wagon to check out its contents, Kaspar slipped a ring from the body of the slain doppelganger; its elaborate design made the monk suspect it was likely magical. He pocketed it for further investigation later and went to check the bodies of the slain wizards, coming up with three healing potions on each of them, neither of which they'd had time to even open before being slain. The still-burning wagon in the rear of the convoy held a nearly identical box as the one in the lead wagon; Syngaard pulled it from the back of the vehicle and set it on the ground a safe distance away. There was a bound and horribly burned body in the back of the wagon as well, so Syngaard pulled it out as well. "Dead guy," he announced, setting him down on the ground as well. "The wizards have no keys upon them," Kaspar noted. "They were likely not trusted with gaining access to the contents of the box they were transporting." "That's weird," replied Galen. Orion applied herself to the second locked box; now that she knew what to look for she gave the box special attention, seeking out hidden [i]fire trap[/i] runes that would explode in her face if she failed to disarm them first. But try as she might she could find no such runes. "I guess it's safe," she reasoned. "Maybe they only trapped the fake box." She looked back at the others, but they had all backed up to a safe distance away from the box - just in case. "Cowards," she muttered to herself, flipping up the lid of the now unlocked box. This one was also filled with liquid, but while originally appearing to be a clear, oily substance, it immediately darkened upon the lid being opened fully - and the halfling had no trouble instantly identifying it as osteovox. Floating in the substance was what looked to be the skeleton of a small bird wrapped in bandages - but then Orion realized if this was osteovox, those weren't likely bandages: they were strips of parchment, upon which would have been written a question the wizards had wanted answered. But then the skeletal bird started moving, and with a muffled shriek the halfling slammed the lid back down. "Let me out!" called the bird from within the box. "What's going on?" asked Syngaard, having moved up once the box failed to explode like the first one had done. Orion filled him in on what had happened as the others approached. "Let me out!" repeated the bird. "What do we got in there - a bird lich?" asked Syngaard. "Is that even a thing?" "I sense no evil," offered Galen. "Of course you don't!" snapped Daleth in his most patronizing "you-stupid-human" voice. "It's within an [i]anti-magic[/i] box!" "Just what are we supposed to do with a bird lich?" asked Syngaard. "Let's just kill the damn thing." "Why don't we try talking to it first?" suggested Kaspar, kneeling down beside the box. Cracking the lid open an inch or so, he asked, "Who are you?" to the skeletal bird within. With his elven vision, the monk could see the bird was indeed mobile - it had already shrugged out of the parchment that had been wrapped around it. "My name is [b]Alan[/b]," the bird replied. "I was once the familiar of Alexandros." Syngaard slammed the lid back down. "Let's kill it," he repeated. "Do not kill me!" replied the bird from inside the box. Kaspar cracked the box back open just enough so they could hear it better. "I was the first to be consumed into his phylactery, when he first became a lich! Lichdom severs the link between wizard and familiar." "That's true," Daleth inserted. "So what happened to you?" asked Orion. "I used the osteovox to my own advantage," replied Alan. "I was communicating through the osteovox with [b]Devarell[/b] - that's the dead prisoner - pretending to be the Mithral Mage. As 'Alexandros', I ordered Devarell to fetch a raven to submit to the osteovox ritual. He did so, but then the real Alexandros got wind of what was going on. He ordered the Seekers to stop the ritual and put the raven's body into the [i]antimagic[/i] box. The box is activated by command word; once I was trapped inside the [i]antimagic[/i] prevented the osteovox from working until somebody - namely you - opened the box. But then you opened it, the ritual completed, and I was able to inhabit this body." "So the box isn't [i]antimagic[/i] any more?" Galen asked. "Not until you reactivate it by command word," Alan answered. "Let me examine your aura," the paladin commanded, stepping up to the barely-open box and peering inside. "I detect no evil," he said to the group. "Wait - what'd you say your name was again?" asked Syngaard suddenly. "Alan." "How do you spell that?" "A-L-A-N." Syngaard counted the letters out on his fingers as the skeletal raven answered. "He's okay," the bald fighter announced. "And how exactly did you arrive at this conclusion?" demanded Daleth. "He's got four letters in his name," Syngaard replied. "We've done pretty good with animals with four-letter boy's names: Carl, Burt, Dick, John, and now Alan. I'm tellin' you, he's fine." "What are your intentions?" demanded Galen, not wanting to put his trust into the number of letters in the raven's name. "My only wish is for the Mithral Mage's phylactery to be destroyed," replied Alan. "That will free me, as well as all others whose souls have been engulfed into it." "That's good enough for me," decided Orion, flipping the lid of the box fully open. A dark mist coalesced around Alan's skeletal bones, forming a translucent "body" not unlike his own original feathered form. He flapped up onto the edge of the box, gripping it tightly with his talons. Kaspar held out his arm and Alan flapped up onto it, perching upon it like a falcon on the arm of his master. "Gather up whatever else we want to take, and then we'll get out of here," Galen commanded. Syngaard tipped the box onto its side, spilling out the osteovox, and then closed the lid and hefted it up. "C'mere, Dick!" he called, deactivating his [i]bronze griffon[/i] with a touch and dropping it back into his pants pocket. Galen likewise dismissed Burt back to the Beastlands, and then the assembled conscripts each held onto the [i]ring of return[/i] with one hand and Kaspar, with a word, sent everyone back to the very outskirts of Durnhill, from where they had [i]teleported[/i] in. - - - This adventure was over much sooner than Logan had intended, in part because he hadn't anticipated Joey deciding to have his PC cast [i]see invisibility[/i] through the [i]crystal ball[/i] (Daleth's 18 Intelligence must be wearing off on his player!) and in part because his dice decided to betray him all night. Seriously, the enemy hardly ever managed to hit, and when they did it wasn't for much damage. In fact, I think during the whole session, Daleth's [i]stoneskin[/i] spell protected him from all but 3 hp of damage from the Azure Guardsman's arrows, and likewise Orion's bracelet shielded her from all but 5 points of fire damage when the [i]fire trap[/i] went off in her face. And that was it. On the other hand, Daleth's [i]empowered fireball[/i] took out both [i]mounts[/i] and weakened both wizards so much that they could be taken out that same round. Neither of them even got to cast a spell! The doppelganger's ring was a [i]ring of invisibility[/i], and we jointly decided it made the most sense to give it to Orion. Vicki was very pleased with that decision. And best of all, Galen, Kaspar, and Syngaard each reached 13th level as a result of this adventure. [/QUOTE]
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