Banewarrens d20 (Angelsboi's party)

[diaglo]

Signs of things to come

WOOOffff

"What is it, Marmaduke?" Fiddle asked.

The heavyset dog bounded forward and leapt. He upset a figure. And then preceded to lick Arendel's face. Alya was there too.

"What has happened?," Alya asked. "We saw Kalerecent."

Sully filled in the two newly arrived party members on the latest news. Alya gave Fiddle some magical arrows.

"So we have several choices," Fiddle added. "A long corridor with stairs down, a short corridor with stairs down and a nasty trap, across a trap I have disabled, or into a corridor with ice."

"Ice, did you say," Alya mused. "You know there could be a mephit, a spell, or a white dragon..."

"Dragon," Fiddle smiled.

They chose the disabled trap. Fiddle in the lead. "Are you coming," Fiddle whispered back.

"Go ahead," Darian beckoned. "We will follow in due course."

"Lousy bunch of adventurers these guys are," Fiddle mumbled under his breath.

Fiddle came to a door. He examined it for traps. None noted. And checked the lock. He opened the door. A 10' by 10' room with an orc and a chest. He snapped out of his daydream. And pulled out his picks. He unlocked the door. He signaled for the others to be ready. They stepped backwards instead of forwards. Fiddle shrugged and opened the door. A 10' x 10' room with 2 more doors. One without a means to open it. Fiddle tried anyway. The opposite door was locked. Sully had to break out his wand to open it as the mechanism proved too much for Fiddle. Fiddle opened the door. Six half spears launched into the hallway and Fiddle's level. Four struck the hin, one seriously. A portcullis also fell halfway across the new room.

Sully concentrated. "There is an area of interest on the opposite wall."

Alya, Darian, and Calrom all tried to bend the bars on the portcullis. It wasn't budging. Alya healed Fiddle.

"Next," Arendel said. "How about the long corridor?"

The party agreed. The corridor led to stairs down at the bottom a pit trap was destroyed. The movement of the stone below during a quake had ruined this trap. Two more doors were in the room. Fiddle crept forward to the first one. Again no one followed. Fiddle performed his routine. Traps, lock, open.

""""""""~~~~~~~~""~"~"~"~"~"~"~~""~"~""~"'' Fiddle was stunned. A blast of cold soon washed overhead. He could see a large tentacle faced thing and a large circular shaped room. And then he was staring up at the underside of a large lion like creature that pounced from his periphery.

 

[diaglo]

Knocking on Death's door.

The rest of the party reacted outside of Fiddle's senses. Sully cast Aversion on Fiddle to chase away the sphinx. Alya silenced Fiddle. Fiddle tried to struggle against the magic washing over him but it was to no avail. He couldn't hear a thing. Everyone attacked the sphinx. They were still not able to see any other adversaries. Although they knew there must be more. Calrom became the magical beast's next target. A mind flayer showed up and attempted to eat Fiddle's brain. Maybe it was Brandobaris' favor, but the Mind Flayer lost the opportunity. Only a single strand of mucous dripped onto Fiddle's face. Sully zapped the area with his Lightning Ball. Fiddle was jolted. He nearly lost control of Lightning Strike. An ogre mage appeared in the midst of the party. It battled Sully, Alya, and Darian with a Huge Greatsword. Arendel and Calrom took on the sphinx. The druid's leopard held off the mind flayer near Fiddle. Calrom went down. Fiddle snapped out it and with Arendel calling lightning and Darian swinging his mace they brought down the Ogre Mage. Sully pounded the mind flayer again with magic. It also had several of Alya's arrows sticking in its hide. The mind flayer stunned alya and the leopard as it fled. The party then finished the sphinx. Arendel's bolt of lightning dealing the final blow. They turned back to the Ogre Mage. Darian dumped oil on the thing and Fiddle lit it ablaze as Arendel continued pounding it with lightning for effect.

 

[diaglo]

Someone eats humble pie

Fiddle poured a potion down Calrom's throat. It wasn't enough to revive the ranger. So Arendel set about healing him. Of course, the look on Calrom's face when he awoke to find an elf healing him was priceless. Alya didn't let the moment go unannounced. A brief thank you and a few more jabs were added. Calrom downed a potion of his own. He still needed some healing but his wounded ego wouldn't let him admit it to the elves. Darian, Sully, and Fiddle scavenged the remains of the Ogre Mage and Hieracosphinx. A magical sword and shield. But both were too large for anyone to even carry. A key was found on the sphinx. Calrom pocketed it.

The party set off after the Mind Flayer. A blood trail led to a far door across a circular room. This in turn led to a short corridor. The stench from which made the party almost retch. The corridor opened into a strange shaped room. Inside a pile of animal flesh and bones lay. The stench came from the pile. Odd bits of fur and claws hung from the thing. A ruined golem of some kind. The party followed the blood trail into another corridor before it finally dried up. Some scorch marks in front of a door on the far wall and floor showed signs of a discharged trap. The door was slightly ajar. The party entered. It led to a room with a large column and ball atop. The one Sully and Fiddle had seen before with the dancing lights.They quickly scanned the room. The Mind Flayer had gotten away. Fiddle played around with the column some. It was too complex.

The party backtracked to the circular room. Here they found a stairway up. The room was quartered. Calrom and Fiddle investigated the stairs. A lever stood out.

“Everyone stand clear,” Fiddle yelled down to the others. “Marmaduke, Come.”

Calrom pulled the lever. About halfway....RRRRrrreerrrrrr A loud sonic blast struck the tiny control area.

Alya and Darian saw to the wounded.

“We’re not trying that again,” Fiddle said shaking his head.

Alya played around with the support column in the middle of the room. The party knew the lever did something. And Sully flew up to encounter a force field on the ceiling. So they suspected the room rotated. The bard was lucky. She found 4 number switches. She flicked one. The room rotated.

“Someone flick another one while I’m up there,” Alya commanded. She then went up the stairs.

Calrom obliged. The room rotated. Everyone could still see Alya, but the stairs were not available for her to come down. She grabbed the lever. No one below heard anything. However, the look and reaction from the bard told the story. Calrom moved the stairs back for her to come down.

“Nope,” Alya swore. “Lets try something else.”

 

[diaglo]

Automatons...both living and not

There was another door in this room. Fiddle checked it. It was safe and unlocked. The party waited for Fiddle to go ahead.

"Are you coming?" Fiddle was getting annoyed.

"After you," Darian replied. "That's what you do. You are the thief."

"And you are the medic," Fiddle retorted. "But I don't see you healing my wounds without me asking."

"I've got your back," Calrom broke the tension and stepped forward.

Fiddle opened the door. Another long corridor with two doors at the end. Fiddle checked out the first door. It was unlocked and untrapped. He looked back to see Calrom at his side. He pushed the door open. Hunks of metal. Multiple small piles of metal. They somewhat resembled larger versions of a scorpion. One was almost intact. Calrom put it in his pack. Alya showed up and started scavenging the rest of the mess. She and Darian split the parts between them.

Fiddle approached the next door. He looked back. The party stood ready. The door was locked and trapped. Fiddle undid the lock, but he couldn't find the means to release the trap. He told the others. They backed up. Fiddle threw up his hands in frustration. He opened the door.

SNApppp. The other door swung wide open. In front of Fiddle stood a monstrous Scorpion. This one was still intact and still active. He quickly slammed the door shut.

"I think I saw another door beyond that construct," Alya said. "It can wait for later."

"It can wait for eternity as far as I'm concerned," Fiddle mumbled under his breath. He was getting sick and tired of being the point man. "You know Vlad does this much better than me."

"Yes, but you are all we have," Darian smirked.

Everyone laughed even Fiddle. He missed Vlad.

 

[diaglo]

Ice, ice, baby...

The party returned to the circular room. From there they went back to the room in which they fought the Ogre Mage and Hieracosphinx. There was another door to try here. No point in listening. Whatever was behind it would have heard the battle. Fiddle opened the door. He didn't bother to look at the others. His coin didn't light up the whole place.

"Darian," Fiddle beckoned. "Could you shine your lantern ahead.?"

"Here, Fiddle," Darian replied. "You might as well carry it."

Fiddle adjusted his weapons to take the bullseye lantern. The room was unremarkable. Although the far wall seemed to be made of another kind of stone. It didn't seem natural. But it was solid. As Fiddle found out when he searched it for hidden latches or panels. So that left only two options for the party. The cold room and the portcullis.

"Arendel," Alya thought out loud, "can't druids rust metal or shape stone with their magic?"

"I believe I can," Arendel answered. "But not today. I've not prepared myself for that type of casting. The metal one may still be beyond my powers."

"So I guess it is the cold room then," Sully surmised. "And me without my winter jacket."

They trudged back to the foyer. The cold room with the light was indeed very strange. The icicles and frost surrounded a perfect square area. A magical trap to Fiddle's way of thinking.

"I think you will find this is a magical trap," Fiddle said aloud. "I don't know if I can find the means to disable it."

"Bling, bling," Sully announced. He dispelled the area. "Try it now."

"Still your cloak would be helpful," Fiddle winked. Fiddle ordered Marmaduke to protect Red.

Sully begrudgingly handed over his cloak. Fiddle bundled up and strode forward. Nothing happened.

"It's safe," Fiddle called back. He found a flight of stairs going down, followed by a landing, and then another short stairway with a door. The stairs turned a corner out of sight.

 

[diaglo]

So much for dainty...fat elf chick sets off trap

Fiddle checked the stairs for triggers. He had visions of the stairs collapsing and him sliding into oblivion. Nothing. He strode forward to the door. From here he could see the stairs ended at another door. Two short squat statues stood at attention on either side of that door. Fiddle checked out the door near him. No traps but it was locked. He played around with it. And lost a piece of wire in the mechanism.

"Nope," Fiddle sighed and picked up the lantern. "I guess we go home."

"Ahem," Sully held out his hand for the cloak. After donning it. He pointed a wand at the door. Clickk.

Fiddle set down the lantern and drew his weapons. He listened at the door. Silence. He pushed it open and peered inside. Empty, but for 2 more doors. Both of which looked similar to this one. Fiddle guessed they both must be locked. He scanned the floor for trip wires, pits, or tracks. Nothing he could see. He moved to the one on the left and began to examine it. He had just unlocked it when Alya strolled in behind him. BBBAAAmmmMM......HHHhhhiiisssss

Fiddle and Alya began to cough uncontrollably. The doors were locked and gas poured into the room. Fiddle acted quickly. He unlocked the door in front of him to allow the gas to dissipate. He tumbled into the room gasping for air. He heard the other door open behind him. Sully must have unlocked it. A figure rose up in front of Fiddle. A wispy evil presence. He turned and ran for safety. The poison reeking havoc on his system. He thought he would die. Arendel had saved Alya from succumbing to the gas.

The evil presence glided into the room.

"Begone, foul thing," Darian presented his holy symbol.

The spectre fled. Calrom, Darian, Arendel, Alya, and Fiddle gave chase. With Darian holding it at bay. The others pelted the spirit from a distance. After it was destroyed. Darian restored some of Fiddle's vitality. Still Fiddle was exhausted and had to ride Marmaduke to get around. The party decided to check on the horses and make camp. Calrom wanted to drop off his 15lb metal scorpion.

"Besides," Alya mentioned. "Tomorrow we might be able to get around the portcullis."

 

[diaglo]

Options are slimming

The party made its back to camp without incident. The horses were still there unmolested. Calrom, Sully, and Fiddle quickly gathered a meal of prairie dog and wild grains from the surrounding area. It wasn't the best meal, but at least they wouldn't starve. Fiddle took his normal watch. Some time later in the evening their slumber was disturbed by an incredible moan from down in the Barrows. Something they had never heard before. But they had come to expect from the area.

In the morning both Alya and Fiddle came to the realization that the poison had affected much more than they hoped. Darian restored what health he could with Lathander's blessing.

"Well Fiddle I guess not only will you need the church to remove the lamia's touch, but now this poison," Alya noted.

"Yes, the poison will require a stronger magic," Fiddle acknowledged.

Alya looked at the hin for a second quizzically and then a smile came to her face. The party set off again for the Banewarrens. On the way they discovered a bloody mess. Something had been pulverized. Its remains scattered to a distance of 30 feet. There was no telling what it was. The pieces were too small.

No new tracks led to or from the entrance. And the party made it down with no trouble. Fiddle checked periodically for new traps or reset traps. Everything was as it had been. The available options were:

• The giant Scorpion construct and the door beyond
  The portcullis trap
  The strange wall
  The stairway down passed the two statues
  And the other door in the gas chamber room

No one wanted to tangle with the Scorpion just yet. And Arendel didn't have the ability yet to destroy the portcullis. And the party still didn't know what to do about the wall. So that left the statues and the gas chamber door. Fiddle chose the gas chamber. His aunt always said, "If you fall off your horse, the best thing to do is tighten the saddle, get a firmer grip, and get back on cause you never know when the posse is gonna catch you."

Fiddle checked the floor first. The trap was spent. So he moved to the door. It was locked, but safe. He listened. Nothing. So he picked at the hole. It cost him one more pick. Sully motioned with his wand. CLick. Something stirred behind the door.

 

[diaglo]

Gastronomos...a fine cuisine

Fiddle pushed the door open. Inside were stacks of barrels and crates. Many were dumped on the floor. A metallic humanoid creature spun its head to the door. It was trapped under a barrel. Its legs destroyed.

"My eye," the thing cried. It sounded pathetic and its accent was very ancient.

The party moved into the small room. They began to search around while Alya attempted to calm the creature. Calrom found a gem which matched the creature's other eye. Fiddle replaced it in the socket.

"I am Geristranomos," the creature continued. "I must get back to work before the Master returns."

The party continued to speak with Gastronomos for several minutes. They concluded he was quite broken. And they decided not to fix him or return him to an area he could fix himself. They didn't want the traps reset. The did learned several other important pieces:

• 1) there are outer vaults, inner vaults, and a baneheart
  
  2) Dread Lord fell in the fortress of Jabel Shammar
  
  3) Dread Lord is Malkith
  
  4) there is a sealing rod composed of 2 parts somewhere in the
  banewarrens
  
  5) earthquake broke many things including trapping Gastronomos
  
  6) the combination to the control room is 3,4,1,2
  
  7) Danar had many lieutenants; the lady Parnaith, the Pegasus
  Voastra, Estalada, the angel Bastion, Vallacor, and Solonar
  
  8) Some Lady visited with 2 hairy thugs.

Fiddle suspected Filani as being the woman. But Alya thought otherwise. The thugs could've been the gnoll and his ape. Fiddle also wanted to dump Gastronomos on the block trap. One more thing to add to the pit below.

 

[diaglo]

The drain is unplugged

The party closed the door as they left Gastronomos. He wailed in agony to be freed. For the goodly members of the party it would weigh heavily on their conscience. The party approached the 2 statues. They moved. They adjusted position and sank back into attention. Neither was armed. But both looked menacing with their metal and stone frames. Fiddle checked the archway. It was free of traps. The room beyond was bizarre. Two full length glass cylinders with Giant Octopi and a third cylinder with a wheel. At the three foot mark on the wall were located drainage shafts. Fiddle stayed by the door. He wasn't tempting fate.

"That wheel must do something," Arendel surmised. "I bet it will free the Octopi. I can then talk to them."

"By my guest," Darian said. "I'm not going in there." He started to push the door closed.

"Nor I," Alya added. "But we will cover you from here."

Arendel turned to Calrom, "What kind of ranger are you?"

Calrom just shrugged and stood his ground. He offered a rope for Arendel just in case. "We will pull you to safety if it gets too hazardous."

Arendel strode to the wheel. Fiddle mounted Marmaduke and moved to cover the party's rear.

One, two, on the third attempt Arendel finally turned the wheel. A gush of water sprayed into the room. A few seconds later the Giant Octopi traveled up the glass cylinders. Splooosh.. Sploosh. They landed in the room with Arendel. He transformed into a sea otter and made for the landing. The water current was too strong. Alya, Calrom, and Darian had to pull him to safety.

"They are not very friendly," Arendel said as he resumed elf form. "They are just hungry. Lets get out of here."

Fiddle took the party to the circular room. Alya played with the switches in the middle of the room. She tried the combination Gastronomos had given them. It worked. The lever moved without the horrible sonic blast. The party went to look at the strange wall. It had moved.

"The Scorpion and the Portcullis can wait for another time," Fiddle said. "I believe we have found some of the banes."

 

[diaglo]

3 Banes to none, Sully saves the day

A long corridor heading West. The lantern showed 2 doors. Fiddle inspected the first one. It was locked. He tried to open it. He almost had it. He went to the next door. The light showed yet another door further down the hall. He had worse luck with this one. He lost another pick. He pulled out his other set and returned to the first door. Alya broke into song. Fiddle did it. Click. He listened at the door. Nothing.

"Is everybody ready?" Fiddle turned around to find the others. They were almost out of light range. He threw his hands up in the air. And opened the door. A jug sat on a pedestal. He approached and searched it. It was light weight and sounded as if it was filled with sand.

"Let's try the other door," Alya said out in the hall. "Sully can you open it?"

Fiddle ran to catch up. Calrom opened the second door. Inside was a shelf with a red stone disc placed on it. Sully mumbled under his breath.

"Don't touch it," Sully warned. "It has a magical trap."

"Don't look at me," Fiddle said. "I'm having terrible luck. Besides we are here for the Sword. I know this is a bane. And I know others are searching this tomb also. It would be a shame for it to fall into their hands. But let them deal with the trap."

Fiddle went to the next door. The hallway ended a little further along. It opened into a new chamber. He had no luck unlocking the door. Although he didn't lose a pick. He heard a whirring sound on the other side of the door. Sully motioned at the door with his wand. Click. Another similar room as the first two. This one was occupied by a small floating orb. It was dark and very scary. It detected as magical.

"I've heard about these things," Darian mentioned. "They suck everything they contact into another plane."

Fiddle closed the door.

"Now what do we do?" Alya asked the group. The others settled around to debate their course. Fiddle felt strange leaving an unexplored chamber within earshot. He took Marmaduke and the lantern with him. Of course, that meant no one else had light. The chamber had a stairway down to a door. Fiddle descended. Just as the others started to complain. A bolt of lightning struck Fiddle. A small orb danced about shocking the hin.

"Marmaduke," Fiddle commanded. "Guard Redd." The dog fled to safety. Fiddle tossed Hole Punch at the orb. It missed.

The other party members joined the fracas. Alya hit the orb solid with an arrow. Sully peppered it with bolts of magic. The orb winked out. Darian and Arendel closed to an area nearby. Calrom joined Fiddle on the ground.

"It's a will-o-wisp," Darian called out. "But it has a nasty range."

Alya tried to find the thing. She moved about on the top platform. Sully too covered the area with magical dust. Nothing. Fiddle and Calrom scouted below.

Zaaapppp. Calrom found it. It launched above Sully. Arendel's leopard and Darian took swings at the orb. But only Sully seemed to harm it. He pelted it with more bolts of magic. Calrom, Fiddle, Arendel, and Alya fired errant arrows.

The orb attacked Sully. Sully finished it with another volley of bolts.