Banewarrens d20 (Angelsboi's party)

[diaglo]

Baby flesh anyone?

In the morning Arendel gathered Alya's remains at the shrine. He said a quick prayer and then turned to Fiddle. Fiddle reached into his haversack and pulled out the jug.

Everyone's eyes fell on the jug.

"It's not evil," Fiddle reminded them.

"But it's not good either," Darian added. "Just what is it?"

"Some kind of powder," Fiddle answered. "I would guess a very nasty poison. But the druid would know more."

"Well we will never know," Arendel said. "It will be consumed in the casting."

He mumbled and danced and chanted around Alya's remains. He poured the jug's contents out. They vanished with a flash. A red mist surrounded the body. All features flashed in and out of existance. A moment later. Alya stirred.

She was scaly with a rat like tail and dog like head. She had two small horns. And she was half her normal height. And she was now male.

"I'm alive," Alya barked. She looked around. "What? what are you all looking at? Someone give me a mirror."

Her voice was slightly different but it was definitely Alya.

NNNNNNnnnNNOOOooo

"I'm a kobold," Alya railed against the druid. "Look what you've done to me. And what is this? I'm male now too."

"I could always kill you and bring you back as something else," Arendel chuckled.

"Not on my bill, you won't," Fiddle looked at the empty jug. "You cost me another 5000gp." Fiddle said to Alya.

Several more minutes of tension past with Alya screaming at the top of her new lungs. Finally Alya begrudging thanked the druid. s/He handed Fiddle several items he could no longer use or even carry. His rapier, armor, and whip. He kept his bow, but there was little anyone could do with it anyway. It was an Oathbow and bound to Alya.

"Arcane archer kobold," Calrom laughed. "I bet the elves are gonna love that."

 

[biorph]

Letters to Home

Dearest Brother,

I haven't written you in some time, but I hope this letter finds you well. You would not recognize your sister...and hopefully neither will certain authorities. You always said that you wondered what it would be like to have a brother...well wonder no more. I took a spill and ended up in that lovely place with the fires and the demons for some reason, strange and somewhat unexpected. Thankfully the group I'm with was able to bring me back successfully...more or less. An incident was involved, things got bad, and to make a long story short I'm now a kobold...a male kobold. After you were cured of your curse I did not need to pursue my chosen path to aid you but did anyway. I also dabbled in possibly awakening the inherent dragon's blood that allows me to cast my spells. Apparently somewhere I succeeded if this is the result. Now here's the kicker, I had already trained in my arcane archery. If I chose to pursue this I could be the world's first kobold with the archery secrets of the elves. If I passed those secrets on it might teach those hypocrites a thing or two, and serve them right. OF course the Dragons blood in me, now awakened, does seem to be calling to me foster it's growth as well. This does put me in a bit of a quandary though. I have always paid at least lip service to the lone wolf Fenmarel, but what do I do now? It hardly seems appropriate anymore. I suppose I could try worshipping that little hateful god of the Kobolds, but I wonder what he would think of me. It's certainly a unique situation. Then again, there is a Lathanderite in the party. Lathander is supposed to like music and such, perhaps I should seek atonement for my sins and the grace of his favor for my reward for returning this sword of his we're looking for. It might be the only way I'll get back into Tilverton, through the main gates anyway. Burn this after you read it, you know how I hate to leave a paper trail.

All My Love,
Alya

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Fiddle looked around. The secret passage had 3 doors. The first was open. Inside a glowing hand floated over a pedestal. The Girallon picked him up. Fiddle tried to squirm free. The beast held him tighter. For several moments Fiddle and the Girallon had a battle of wills. The Girallon thought to protect the hin. Fiddle just wanted to be set free again. Fiddle finally gave up and hoped the others would rescue him.

The singing stopped.

What? You're not going to share the whole "Mama Girallon snoogies the baby hin" scene? It was quite touching. Of course, since it took place behind closed doors, it would involve teh rest of the party knowing ...

 

[diaglo]

Forbidden fruit

"So back to the secret door?" Alya asked.

The party set off the alarm again and approached the first door. Fiddle had finally convinced Darian it was a bad idea to leave the evil banes behind especially with the mind flayer and Nicolon somewhere about and who knew how many other groups. So the party entered the first room. Darian took Alya's now too big pack. He attempted to catch the floating hand. The hand passed thru the material. It wasn't really there it seemed. Everyone shrugged. Next.

Fiddle tried to unlock the second door. It was too difficult. So he moved on the third. Calrom scouted ahead to the end of the hall. It opened into another room. Strange artwork was painted on some screening. Calrom didn't want to touch anything in fear of a trap. He tossed an axe. It ripped thru the screen. He tossed another axe. This one broke the screen support and it collapsed. Fiddle undid the third lock. An empty chamber.

Alya detected for magical auras. And Darian looked for evil. No one entered the room. Something in the middle of the room near the floor radiated both magic and evil. Next. Sully opened the second door with his wand. A large greenish sphere floated in the center of the second room. Alya said it was similar to a resilient sphere. Neither magic from the outside nor that from within would penetrate it.

"I hope that's not what they are looking for," Sully commented. "We still need to find a way down."

Fiddle and the others scoured the corridor and the room at the end. Fiddle found a secret panel. Sully sent Redd to guard the secret door behind. Fiddle had Marmaduke guard Redd. When everyone had listened at the wall and prepared for the worst, Fiddle opened the panel. A door to a new hallway lay beyond. Calrom and Fiddle scouted. After 50' or so they came upon some arcane script. Fiddle tried to make it out. It was some form of protective magic. A trap. Alya tried using magic.

"It reads as a zone of Forbiddance," she said. "Probably to keep something out."

"Or to keep something in," Darian added.

Alya stuck her arm out. ZZZaaaPPpppp.

"Well it doesn't like you," Arendel noted. "Perhaps it would like someone more balanced."

"Why don't I just dispel the magic," Sully waved his wand. "I'm not sure if it will last so be prepared to hustle to the other side."

Sully dampened the trap. Everyone ran for the other side. They were in another room with a large metal formerly sealed door. Someone had already beaten them here. Claw and tool marks marred the door. An image of light in the form of Danar appeared.

"Please," he begged, "go no further. You risk letting loose some of the greatest evils Aber-Toril has ever known." The image faded.

The party opened the door wider. A small chamber led to a stairway down.

 

[diaglo]

The Inner Vaults...

Fiddle checked the stairs for traps. None. The party proceeded. At the bottom was an antechamber with 2 doors and a marred fresco. Two angels formed an arch with large black handprints burned into the wall. Darian examined the arch more closely. A symbol of a sun had once blazed in the middle.

Arendel listened at the door on the right. Nothing. He opened it. A pool filled the room. More angel images covered the walls. Again the artwork had been defaced. Arendel tried to scoot around the edge of the pool. He balanced on a 4" lip. His armor made it difficult. So after traveling to the edge, he attempted to return to the doorway. He fell in up to his knees. It wasn't very deep. Then suddenly something grabbed him. The acid of its touch dissolved his armor. He ran for the door. Sully tried to cover his retreat. The monster reacted to Sully's movements near the door. Sully's clothes dissolved away. With Arendel free from the room, Fiddle slammed the door shut. The monster sloshed around on the other side, but did not enter the anteroom.

"Well looks like I'm not the only nekked one now," Alya laughed as she healed Sully. Arendel changed into bear form.


Calrom went left. He listened and then opened the door. The room was a large banquet like hall with a pile of tablecloths in the center. The tables flipped upside down and tossed off to the side. 3 more doors. Fiddle mounted Arendel and rode into the room. They approached the door to the East. No noise beyond. Arendel pawed the door open. The room was obviously once an place of worship for the goodly powers. It now stood in a shambles. Many things marred the walls. The altar lie cracked and what looked like blood oozed from its center. A male figure stood near it. Two objects hovered around his head.

"Bastion?" Fiddle called out.

The figure turned. He was not an angel. Fiddle had guessed way wrong. He looked almost like the image of a vampire. Or what Fiddle imaged one to be like.

"Who are you?" the vampire asked. "And why do you disturb me?"

"We are looking for something," Fiddle yelled. His voice more directed behind him to the party then in front to the vampire. "You should meet my FRIENDS. HELLLLLOOOO. A LITTLE HELP HERE."

"And you should meet mine," the vampire answered. He walked off to the West out of view. A door opened and closed.

Fiddle closed his door and leapt off of Arendel. He ran back to the others. Arendel sauntered behind him.

"Who were you talking to Fiddle?" Alya questioned.

"Something is coming," Fiddle screamed. "Something very bad. And he went to get help. He was like a very bad dream with things hovering around his head."

Sully cast a spell. Fiddle too summoned his newly found powers. His little feet could now cover more ground. Calrom moved into the banquet room and listened at the South door. He heard movement. And then the door opened. The one on the Northwest wall also opened. Calrom stared up at some decaying human flesh in armor and armed with a sword. Another undead stood behind the first.

 

[diaglo]

That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang

Sully reacted first. He moved into the room to help cover Calrom's retreat. And retreat he did. Calrom ran back to warn the others. On the way he drew his bow and prepared to fire arrows. Arendel still partially blocked the doorway with his bear form. Darian entered the room with his holy symbol blazing. The undead barely flinched.

"Mwhhhaahaaa," the vampire like leader laughed. "Puny mortal, your God has no sway here. Perhaps you'd like a taste of your own medicine."

The vampire presented a corrupted version of his own holy symbol. Neither Darian nor Sully were frightened. The remaining undead advanced. Two held longswords and shields and the other two had nasty chains with spikes. One tripped Darian. The other caught Arendel. But the bear druid held his ground. Arendel swatted one of the swordsmen before retreating into the anteroom. Fiddle fired 2 arrows. One sailed over Arendel's shoulder the other struck the same swordsman. Alya began to sing. She also added a layer of grease to the doorway.

Sully backed out of range of the spike chains. He cast a ball of lightning amidst the enemy. Unfortunately, Darian felt its effects, too. Calrom pelted the swordsman in the doorway. Darian presented his symbol again. This time 2 of the undead warriors collapsed. The 2 with the longswords. He stood up. A spiked chain brought him low again. Darian barely held onto consciousness. The other chain man knocked Sully down. The vampire hung back.

Arendel reverted back to druid form. Some of his injuries healed. He pulled his bow. Fiddle fired another arrow into the foray. He hit a chain man. Alya healed Arendel.

Sully tried to cast again. He avoided the chain. The ball of lightning exploded on the undead. The chain gang collapsed. Only the vampire remained. And he seemed to be only slightly more annoyed, not injured. Calrom sprinted out into the main room. He fell in the grease. His arrow buried into the back of the vampires shoulder. The creature didn't bother to react. Darian stood up again. He cast a spell on the vampires symbol.

"Impressive," the vampire said. "I will enjoy killing you." He advanced within easy reach of both Sully and Darian.

Arendel moved to the doorway. Fiddle pulled one of his special arrows. He stepped over Calrom and into safety. He too buried an arrow into the vampire. Some of the wounds on the vampire seemed to be healing. Alya dismissed the grease spot. She advanced into the room.

 

[diaglo]

Redd forgets...

Sully began casting another spell. The vampire didn't care. Sully blinked out of sight. That left only Darian threatened. He began to talk very quickly. It is amazing what a little mano y mano can do. The priest was almost convincing. Fiddle half believed him. The vampire showed his contempt by turning his back and walking back into the altar room. Alya quickly healed Darian as the party regrouped back in the anteroom.

Sully stood very still. "Come we must away. Redd says something is at the door. He and Marmaduke are on their way back to.....Ooouuuchhhhhh." Sully swooned a little. The party ran back up the stairs. On the opposite side of the Forbiddance zone Redd licked his wounds. Marmaduke stood nearby. Sully dispelled the zone again. The party ran back to the secret door. It was slightly ajar. So Calrom pulled it closed and pressed his ear against the stone.

"Redd says there is a spider man on the other side," Sully whispered. "And he is not alone. A very Large spider is with him."

The party waited in anticipation. Calrom heard scraping sounds. But whatever was there, they didn't find the secret panel. The sounds faded. They must have moved away. The party counted off a few more tense minutes. Nothing.

 

[diaglo]

Come into my parlor said the spider to the ...

Calrom and Fiddle entered quietly. They scouted about the rooms. Nothing. They went back to the others.

"They're gone," Calrom stated. "Whatever they were looking for I don't think they found it. Everything is still where it was before."

"Well let us rest and recover from our day's battles," Darian gasped.

"Day's battles?" Alya quipped. "We've been at it for only about an hour or so."

"I hope the horses are okay," Fiddle commented.

The party settled on watch schedules. Alya and Arendel had first watch. The others retired to the Shrine room. Fiddle and Calrom would relieve them. Fiddle was soon fast asleep. He hadn't slept well the night before with the mind flayer wandering around too closeby.

"WWWWWAAAAAAAaaaaaHHHhhhh," Alya's shrieked broke the silence.

Fiddle rolled out of bed and mounted Marmaduke. They rode to the doorway. Alya was held fast against the wall and floor by a strong web. The remains of a large spider covered the floor at Arendel's feet. Arendel was in bear form. He grunted up at the ceiling. A spider like humanoid crawled away around the corner. Arendel gave pursuit. Fiddle, Sully, and Calrom close behind. Fiddle tried to hurl a dagger, but he wasn't quite awake. Marmaduke jostled too much. And he had to grab on tight or risk falling. They lost sight of the thing. The party regrouped. Darian had burned Alya free from the webbing.

"Well I hope we don't encounter any more disruption," Darian sighed.

"We don't even know who they were working with," Sully added. "I would guess the mind flayer, but that is purely a guess."

 

[diaglo]

Even the good guys get confused...

After resting and recovering spells the party was in the mood for a long discussion of their next course of action. Obviously, the mind flayer and his gang were fresh on their minds. So too were the lady and her thugs. And possibly the Zhents. And the drow. And a million other possible competitors. This Mound had become the central stopping place of an evil wagon train or something. Darian made sure to mention the fact they, the bad guys, may well already be ahead of the party.

In the end Arendel convinced the party to return to the surface. He and Calrom would try to find new companions. And the others would see to the horses. Fiddle scouted the return trip. He made sure to look for signs of passage by their foes. The secret door was open just as the party had left it. However, Calrom found fresh boot prints. He and Fiddle hurried to the other secret door. It was open too. This was not the party's doing. They signaled to the others.

Fiddle tumbled into the hall beyond. Calrom strolled in behind. Nothing.

"The Forbiddance," Fiddle whispered.

They crept forward. A stream of liquid goo shot out at Calrom from the ceiling. It stretched back and hardened. A web. It held Calrom in place. Darian ran forward. A beam of light left his holy symbol and struck the creature on the ceiling. An ettercap. Fiddle flung his dagger. It bit into the creature's side. Sully sent a volley of magic bolts into the thing. It hung unmoving upside down. The others rushed forward.

Fiddle started to cut Calrom free.

"Here let me," Darian struck his tinder.

PPPooFFf

The web went up in flames.

"Oww," Calrom shouted. "You could've waited."

Alya healed the scorch marks. She detected for magic. The Forbiddance was still active.

"Now what?" Alya asked. "Do the tracks lead on?"

"We can only assume they do," Calrom responded. "The mind flayer?"

"I suggest we try the scorpion," Arendel blurted. "I have a spell to take care of him. And afterwards lets go to the surface. I'm not ready to tackle the vampire nor the mind flayer."

Everyone agreed.

 

[diaglo]

Stone Temple Pilot

Fiddle led the party back the way they had come. Back down the hall, up the stairs, past the traps, thru the will-o-wisp chamber, past the banes, someone had visited them, the third small black sphere lay in pieces,....the plug was up. Someone had left it so. Not the party. Back to the circular combination room and to the door on the right, down the hall. The party looked in on the smaller constructs. Still a mess. They prepared at the door. Alya sang a song and lightly touched Arendel. The druid vanished. The others likewise cast spells or prepared themselves. Fiddle opened the door.

The large construct scorpion was still there. Suddenly Arendel reappeared. He touched the tail. It rusted instantly. Alya and Calrom fired arrows into the room. It looked like the party would destroy the thing before it reacted. Sully ended the action with a volley of missles. Springs and pieces flew up into the air as the metal crashed down.

"Well that was easy," Darian remarked.

Fiddle was already examining the tail of the construct. He found two lines which led back to two chambers full of potential poison. He quickly filled an empty potion vial with one of the liquids. As he tried to extract the other a gas leaked out....

(Fiddle was out of the action. He failed his save vs. petrification. I'll fill in the story with Alya's commentary. biorph was absent this session, so i ran alya for him.)

Fiddle awoke in Sybil's hut. He had a few seconds to think this was odd before Darian hit him with his mace.

"Don't do that again," Darian said.

The others agreed. Sully seemed the most happy to see Fiddle, but also something else. Fiddle looked around. Sully's staff of air was stacked in the corner of Sybil's room. Darian, Arendel, Calrom, and Alya chatted away with Sybil. They bid their goodbyes and rowed back to shore.