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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eccles" data-source="post: 1504129" data-attributes="member: 5675">"How long have we been traveling now?" Stedd was bored at crawling along at the pace of the rest of his party, and itched for some action. At least they were now traveling faster than they had been - these days Halbrinn changed his form into that of a pixie or an ogre so that his gnomish strides didn't slow the others down. Nonetheless, Stedd had been uncharacteristically ranging a little way ahead of the others, then moving back to rejoin them. It could be called scouting, but nobody was really paying much attention to what was going on around them."Four days" replied Halbrinn, glancing down at the map he held in one enormous ogrish hand. "And how long until we reach the next caverns?""It's hardly a perfect map. Another day or two?""So would you mind explaining why there's a petrified dark elf up ahead where the tunnel narrows?""Petrified?" Miles and Rand suddenly butted in simultaneously."Yeah. Petrified. Turned to stone. What does that? Medusa? Basilisk? Cockatrice? Certain sorts of demons? Beholders? Whatever it is, we're in way over our heads. It could kill us straight out. No fair!"{DM's Note - the player in question actually trotted out this almost-alphabetical list of petrifying monsters at the table without batting an eye. Scary.}After grouping near the statue and discussing things in hushed voices for a few minutes, the group began to settle on a plan. Miles led the discussion."So what we need is someone to go ahead and scou… why are you all looking at me?"And so he crept into the cavern alone, invisible, and stealthy. Unheard by the inhabitants of the cave, he climbed along a narrow ledge over a stream which had gouged the tiny entrance to the cave. As he crept forwards, he saw a patch of mushrooms, very extensive, by the side of a small stagnant lake. Moving around and tending the mushrooms were two well-built drow women, wearing armour and with swords and shields strapped to their packs.Miles, still unheard, crept back to the rest of the group and told them what awaited them."Nothing else?""Nothing I saw.""There must be something. 2 drow mushroom farmers never turned someone to stone.""Yeah, and why put a mushroom farm on the main route to Maermydra?""I don't know. I just saw two women farming mushrooms.""So we kill 'em?""I reckon so. Better do it quickly before they start turning us to stone somehow."Miles crept back into the cavern and positioned himself by the wall, ready to activate his Boots of Speed and leap to the attack. Stedd crept along the narrow ledge above the stream, and also moved, stealthily, into the cavern.Then Aeron moved forwards, onto the narrow ledge. Slipped, and fell loudly into the stream-bed.Miles and Stedd leapt forwards almost simultaneously, stunning and slaying one of the two well-built drow women before her sword had even left its sheath. The second cried out a warning and tore a light rapier from its scabbard. She turned, just in time to hear Aeron scrabble madly trying to get out of the stream-bed, and to hear a second awkward thump as Rand also fell into it. She also saw Stedd's rock-hard fist whistle through the air and smash into the side of her head, dazing her and causing the unbloodied rapier to fall from nerveless fingers. Back at the entrance, Yvgeny's well-worn Slippers of Spider Climbing meant that the stream was no obstacle, whilst Halbrinn's massive ogrish fist reached down to lift Rand and deposit him on the other side of the gap.Miles, standing over the body of one slain drow happened to look up, and moaned with fear at the sight above him. A brownish mottled orb, nearly 4 feet across, had descended from the ceiling, almost a dozen eyes on stalks protruding from the top. Eyes waved in his direction, and beams of varying colours shot from the pupils. Shaking off a variety of magical effects, Miles prepared to invoke Slayer's jumping ability, but then the huge frontal eye opened, and everything went dark for him as magic failed.Stedd gaped at the huge floating eyeball, and dived for cover behind the nearest large item - which happened to be the drow he was fighting. He continued to hammer away at the elf's midriff, stunning her again and leaving her gasping for breath. Yvgeny was also blinded, as was Rand, who started moving through the darkness, arms outstretched trying to find a way out.Halbrinn, with a panolply of spells which could reduce the beholder to paste, stuck one arm into the edge of the anti-magic area which the beholder was projecting down the narrow cavern entrance. His ogrish forearm atrophied suddenly, leaving a tiny gnome limb sticking oddly out from an ogre's elbow. Aeron, bereft of his enchanted strength, his flying boots, his magically lightened armour, and half a dozen other items which could have helped him out of the trench he was in, tried once again to climb out of a 5 foot deep hole, and failed once more.</blockquote>

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