Endur's Return to TOEE part 2

After a few minutes, the roaring and vibrations stop. There is silence for a few more minutes. Then the trapdoor to the Dragon's Lair opens.

A female voice calls out, "Is anyone down there? The dragon has fallen before the Might of the Water Temple!"

The high priestess of the water temple (whose voice you recognize) doesn't wait for a response and drops down to the floor of the treasure vault (relying upon a feather falling ability to not land hard) along with another hooded cultist.

Before the party can do anything, the second cultist says something unspeakably vile. The words involve the Old Faith, St. Cuthbert, and Moradin, but the intense evilness of the concept he spoke in words causes your minds to reel and your muscles to go as weak as jelly.

Paralyzed in shock, the party members watch as other hooded cultists descend into the treasure vault. The first two cultists were human, then they were followed by a Gray Elf (with a sad look on his face), a foul smelling Troglydyte, a female half elf with a perpeutal scowl on her face, and two dark elves.

The cultists talk amongst themselves in several languages: Common, Ancient Suel, Undercommon, and Abyssal. The Dark Elves appear to be having a contest, trying to see who can come up with the most evil torture to inflict upon the helpless party members (which seems to have a distressing effect upon the Gray elf).

The cultists strip the party members of their equipment and start throwing their equipment and possessions into a pile in the middle of the room.

The second cultist has removes his cowl, revealing a balding middle aged man with a salt and pepper goatee.

Almost apologetically, the gray elf says in common to the goatee cultist, "By the terms of the agreement we made with Chymon, all of the looters equipment and possession are to be left in a pile in the center of this room. We get the minions of Hommlet for interrogation, but the Dragon keeps their possessions."

The half-elven woman with a scowl on her face objects, "Master Hedrack, we should cut their throats now and feed them to the Dragon. They are too dangerous to be left alive. The Oracle says there is a danger to the PLAN."

Hedrack fondles his goatee and responds, "Naquent, how many times must I refuse you? These fools present no danger. The PLAN will succeed and all obstacles shall be overcome. If I were to listen to you, we would evacuate in our moment of triumph!"

The priestess of the water temple interjects, "They are not dangerous now, but they were dangerous before I delivered these heroes unto you. I look forward to my reward and promotion to a position of power and responsibility within the Outer Fane."

Hedrack responds with disinterest that infuriates the Priestess of the Water Temple , "Everything in their proper time. For now, lets finish gagging, blindfolding, and tying up the prisoners and take them to their new home."

Belaver's Bear Shape is dispelled and he is returned to halfling form.

The party is gagged, hands bound behind their back, a bag placed over their head, and then levitated up to the top of the shaft into the dragon's lair (before he was blindfolded Lylamwyn surmised that the male drow elf appeared to be a powerful wizard).

By the time the helpless party and their captors have reassembled in the Dragron's lair, the paralysis is wearing off. The prisoners are then marched for about a half hour through the Outer Fane.

Eventually, the party members find their hands unbound, then after they remove the blindfold and gag, they discover themselves to be in a 80' by 60' volcanic stone chamber with no exits. Each party member is individually in a 10' by 10' forcecage. There are twelve forcecages in this room. 9 cells are occupied by party members and Neshi. In addition, a troll, a fiery dwarf, and a lammasu in a stupor are locked in the remaining three cells.

The cultists appear to use some sort of magical transportation to move people and food into and out of the prison area and the forcecages.

The party is reunited with Craven and Raner, but their treasure (and Lylamwyn's spellbooks and all other belongings including holy symbols) are back in the Dragon's Lair.

Toriah remarks morosely, "Out of th' Frying Pan, Into th' Fire"
 

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"I'd like to say I'm happy to see you all again; but I was rather hopin' ye were comin' to our rescue." Raner responds with a bit of a wry grin.
 

Lenya

“Well, I hope that elf had a plan, because I have none, other than to wait and see what happens, and hope to get a chance to get out of here. Not that we have much choice, anyways. Glad to see you two alive at least. In any case, I don't see what we can do to stop them. Their powers are far out of our league. Just look at this room. It only took their priest a single word to disable every one of us.”

Lenya sits down and waits.
 

Craven responds to Lenya, "We have defeated many cultists in the past. We will defeat more in the future. Have faith in yourself, your friends, and the Gods.
"I agree, though, that Lylamwyn's powers have gotten us out of many predicaments in the past."
 

Torn will try to punch and push the forcecages. Are they solid, or barred? I guess they have no material spell components? That does make things difficult.

"I'm very glad you still live, Raner and Craven. The cult leader is overconfident. We may still be able to get out of this."
 

The Forcecage has solid walls of force. No way in or out other than the method the cultists used to teleport the party members into the cells.

A lever is attached to the wall in the corner of the 60' by 80' room.

An old ugly woman with deep blue skin and black hair and too tall to be human appears next to the lever. She walks around the cells, cackling madly and laughing at the imprisoned party members. Then she walks to the lever, pulls the lever and disappears.
 

Seeing the old woman pull the lever, Raner reaches out to knock on the walls of the Forcecage, wondering if for some reason she's freed them.
 


Several hours later, some scraps of moldy bread and a bowl of water appear in the cells. One cell at a time receives the meal and about 30 seconds later, the next cell receives its meal.
 

Toriah asks Belaver, "Belaver, I want to thank you and th' Gods for returning me to life.
"After th' cultists torture and kill us, will one of the Druids in Hommlet reincarnate th' lot of us back in Hommlet, safe and sound?"
 

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