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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 2055616" data-attributes="member: 1210">Back to the Ruins of Ostraghan8/10/370 O.L.G., 11:30 a.m., the ruins of BlendoragSome of our heroes seethe with anger as they return to the ruins.  This place cost their friend Drelvin his life.  Some of them are glum, filled with a grey sadness.  One of them- Inoke- is filled with guilt and remorse.  Horbin has remained in Var to deal with church matters for a few days.They return to the tower wherein they slew the weird shade that killed the archer.  Beyond that, in what turns out to be a kitchen, is a deadly cloud of burning vapor, some sort of living incendiary cloud.  But our heroes overthrow it easily, dissipating it amongst the other vapors and fumes within the place.  On the way out, Lillamere shakes his head.  A few scrolls and wands... for this Uncle Drelvin gave his life?  This is a dangerous occupation we hold here.  Drelvin had no child, nor do I... I must designate an heir immediately, in case misfortune should befall me!  Perhaps N’Sari... yes.***3 p.m.There are several other places worth investigating in the ruins that our heroes know of, including the academy betrayed by its rector and the church wherein may be an imprisoned fiendish general of some kind. At the Academy of the Spear, our heroes encounter a huge formation of undead, and almost instantly Seethe casts a sunburst, destroying all of them except for two.  The rector of the academy, a militant-looking, full plate wearing, greatsword-wielding death knight, responds by unleashing a purple-black Abyssal blast, and the surviving spearman charges forward at our heroes.  It doesn’t last long.  Inoke steps up and Deadly Avalanche, his stone-studded greatclub, smashes it to destruction.  Meanwhile Sybele, firing arrows of Graz’zt, blasts the (unfortunately not lawful) death knight into oblivion with her bow.   Here the loot is a little better.  The death knight has an impressive array of magic items, which Proto later identifies as including full plate +3,  a silver unholy shock greatspear +3, a ring of fire resistance 10, a cloak of flying that is a free action to activate and allows ten minutes of flight per day, boots of dexterity +2, and the aptly-named gauntlets of incredible power (which give strength +4 and a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls).  In addition to this, the death knight had a bag of ten large rubies.  Gerontius whistles, eyeing the gems hungrily.Proto turns to Seethe.  “Good job with that sunburst,” the warforged comments tinnily.  “I was going to do that, but you got there first.”  The druid frowns at the warforged.  Loathsome, unnatural creature, he thinks, but he holds his tongue.  The warforged are an outrage!  The Delphinate is tampering with things best left for the gods.  It’s not natural, Seethe grumbles silently.“Now to this church,” Lillamere says.  The band shakes out in a line and begins advancing through the ruins.***5 p.m.When the party enters the still-intact church, they fall into a hush.“You may not pass.”Pews are torn asunder, almost entirely destroyed.  There is the mark of old fire in here.  In the center of the fane of the church, within a magic diagram drawn on the floor, is a slumbering creature than the more planar-savvy amongst the party recognize as a nycaloth.  It is obscured by a slight haze in the air around it, a rippling distortion that seems to arise from the circle binding it. Before the circle, standing in a guard position, is a tall, green-skinned angel.  His wings are feathered in copper, and he gleams in the party’s light.  He looks perfect.*Gerontius fades into the shadows off to the left.  “We’ve come to destroy that thing.”  Lillamere gestures at the sleeping daemon. “You may not pass,” repeats the angel.“Who are you?” demands Lillamere.  “Why do you guard this... thing?  Don’t you want to see it destroyed?”The angel studies the party.  “I have been set to guard this slumbering menace,” he states.  “I am Vock 27.  And you may not pass.  Any attempt to destroy him risks awakening Red Gash, and that is unacceptable.”“Are we going to let this punk tell us what to do?” grumbles Inoke. “I won’t have this thing on my land,” Lillamere declares.  “Stand aside.”In reply, the angel draws its sword.“Good thing Horbin’s not here,” comments Sybele, nocking an arrow.Then, just as everyone bursts into motion, the angel stiffens and gives a cry as a pair of daggers tears into it from the side, unseen until too late.  Gerontius grins savagely as he thrusts into the vitals four times, and the celestial drops with a cry without even a chance to act.Sybele looses her arrow at the sleeping nycaloth, but it deflects off the invisible barrier around it.  Proto tries a greater dispelling, but he has split his focus with the study of arms, and he fails to dispel the powerful magic holding the daemon general in place.  Lillamere tries a disintegrate.There’s a flare of green light, and suddenly the nycaloth stirs.  Its fingers tighten on the haft of its deadly greataxe Eviscerator. On the ground, the angel stirs as well.  “Crap,” exclaims Gerontius, as the celestial’s eyes lock with his.Next Time: Vock 27 vs. Red Gash vs. the party in a three way battle full of fun!*This was an axiomatic planetar.</blockquote>

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