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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CleverName" data-source="post: 629889" data-attributes="member: 2591">Adventure 7Poison and Ire(Editor’s Note: My writeups are entries in the holy journal kept by Urian. As part of the Halaglaz rite, the initiate is expected to present a detailed written record of his exploits to the Halaglaz that sponsored him. Think police paperwork…Steve MacDonald)I am Urian, son of Uar, blood of Udil. It has been 5 months, 23 days, 6 hours and 12 minutes since I cursed fate and swore war against the Norns and their agents. To date, I have slain twelve by my hand, fire or blade, twelve in conjunction with others, and claimed goods for the life of one. I have seized goods amounting to one bow, one cloak, one set of boots, and coin totalling 36 gold, 3 silver and 2 copper, Jormunnstein weight. I have lost one throwing dagger to fate’s wickedness, and discarded my old boots and cloak by my own choice.I swear by Odin’s runes that what follows is a true account, may Loki’s eye fall on me should I lie._______________________________________________Having taken up arms with those who slew my torturers (see entry of 5/22/23/19 for details and physical characteristics), we made council in the hallways of the labyrinth. There was talk of abandoning the inordinate city to its fate of gibbering slaughter, especially given the riches that the mercenaries had already claimed.I made it clear that while I had no especial love for the city, I would not see so powerful an enemy of order as Demogorgon gain a new servitor. Further, it was felt by the others that this escape would be…unseemly. I assume they feared that future employers would look down upon them. Escape abandoned, the group elected for their Cimbri master thief to ascend the staircase in order to scout out the route ahead. I have reason to believe that his master’s credentials are filed with no guild or work hall, however, for moments after his ascent we heard a explosion, yell and crash indicating that he had failed in his task. We ascended the stairs at this time, and entered a circular room populated with 4 animated statues (see 5/22/23/19, paragraph 3, section 1 for description), 1 Yuan-ti corpse and the Cimbri covered in the ichor of said corpse.The statues were eventually dispatched, but not before hammering and chipping that would put a third apprentice mason class to utter shame. In the same room, we discovered a stone door, flawlessly shaped by magic to cover direct access to the hell-bitch’s chambers, and another door, which we followed.The second door entered into a lightless room. Sensing ambush, the human sorcerer discovered a rune mine etched in the ground similar to the one the Cimbri had stepped on before. I moved around it, and entered the depths of the room.I must admit that I failed to notice an ambush here, and will accept punish as needed. We were set upon my enemies, numbering two animated statues and two Yuan-ti. One proved himself a magic worker, as he cast a magic net to hold us from charging. He then cast a fear magic similar to the one encountered by me earlier (see 5/22/23/19, paragraph 5, section 1 for description and effects listing), preventing the Cimbri from engaging. Things seemed dire…They became even more dire, however, as the human sorcerer spoke words of blasphemy and opened a rip to some dark plane. From this issued forth a gigantic ape, wreathed in purplish smoke and brimstone, an obvious servant of chaos and its powers. Fixed fast as I was, it was entertaining to see an agent of the Norns deal out death to its bretheren, as it ripped one statue apart with it’s claws and the throat of a Yuan-ti with its muzzle. The human bears watching, and received it: We took some enjoyment from viewing his struggle to leave the web that held him. I counted 5 minutes and 23 seconds before he tore himself loose.As he was the only option available for stealth, we dispatched the Cimbri down the corridor ahead, hoping that he would not fail in his mission. We were not disappointed, as he returned with a story of a giant animated statue which guarded the stairs leading to the ritual area. The human sorcerer blasphemed again, bring forth giant fiend wolves forth to harass the statue as we passed through invisibly. Most troubling…Coming down the passage to the ritual area, we entered a room centered upon a set of double doors, mounted on which was a very impressive lock, half my size if it was anything. The Cimbri master thief was called for, and we watched nervously as he set to work on the complexity before us.The hated Norns must have set their eyes upon him, for no sooner had he inspected the lock for defenses than it sprayed flaming oil on his form, illuminating him sufficiently for the invisible guards standing near him to lay into his flaming form with their massive halberds. None can know the ways of our bitch-crones, of course, but the halberds seemed excessive for one of his stature.At any rate, we entered combat with the purple-armored guardians, dispatching them at no small cost to ourselves. All eyes settled again on the lock, and the smoldering Cimbri attempted in vain to open it, with the cries and noises from the far side of the door adding to his anxiousness. Twice we had relied on the magic of the human sorcerer, and now it became three as he called up his magics to force the doors, revealing a scene of great slaughter. Pits of boiling water and bodies, three of which were completed, had been set up on the far side of the room, and above the completed ones sat a cackling vapor in the shape of Demogorgon. Defending these were the now-usual rabble of yuan-ti and statues, but added to their ranks was the priestess of the cult.Tall as a human woman, but dire in aspect she was, covered in head to toe in shimmering scale. In place of teats she bore two coiled serpents, their fangs dripping venom in mockery of the milk of a true mother. She wielded a wicked blade, the edge of which dripped with the blood of sacrificial victims, three of whom waited to fill the remaining pot.Upon this site, we advanced with the hobgoblin and Cimbri leaping forward recklessly and nearly ending their lives due to this and the actions of a demon that the priestess had summoned. Using the magics granted by the All-Father, I concentrated on my section of the battle, advancing upon the archers defending her, cleaving one in twain and calling her out to face me. This proved to be an error, and never again will I taunt the servants of the Norns with false bravado. She was upon me in an instant, and I am sure that only the order’s teachings kept me from being slain by the two mighty swings of her scimitar with its dark etchings laid upon it. I kept my feet, however, and was gladdened some time later to see her dispatched by my companions, causing her followers to flee.We leave from here to eventual freedom, but first we will sack the remaining rooms as a lesson to all that conspire with wicked fates.                            By my seal and oath,                            Urian Uarson                            On fate’s wheel</blockquote>

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