Endur's Return to TOEE part 2

[Endur]

Kerwyn's dwarven clothes change to match the cavern surroundings. Kerwyn then sneaks through the shadows towards the cave with the tower in it (Hide 17, Move Silently 29).

The stone tower is ten feet high and has a 15' foot diameter. It has battlements on top of it to provide cover for the guards. Kerwyn notices several human guards on top of the tower (spot 17+6=23, listen 6), but he does not think they see him.

The tower does not appear to be hollow, instead it is more of a stone platform for the guards.

 

[Xael]

[TIME WARP]Lylamwyn asks the party members whether they would like him to identify the magical Goggles, Slippers and Cloak they have, or delay that to later, before preparing his spells.[/TIME WARP]

 

[Dalamar]

Is there any way for Kerwyn, short of suddenly and spontaneously turning invisible, to get to the tower or past it?

 

[Endur]

Kerwyn creeps up slowly and hides in the shadows of the torchlit caverns. Kerwyn walks right past the tower. The sentries do not raise the alarm. Kerwyn sees there are two exits from the cave with the tower in it.

One exit appears to go to the other empty cave you saw in the distance. Only, looking from this angle, you see what appears to be a Gnoll lurking in the cave.

Kerwyn sneaks down the other exit. After traveling 60', he discovers a large quiet chamber (80' wide by 120' long). Kerwyn entered through the southwest. Another corridor leads out to the Northwest (probably to the room with the gnoll you saw earlier). Two corridors lead out at the far side of the room to the Southeast and Northeast. There is also a door on the eastern wall.

Kerwyn hears a distant whispering as if the air plays about your ears in a strange, almost sinister way.

A 15 foot high square dais, with a set of sets on either side commands the room. The dais and steps are made of gleaming white marble, with silver inlay.

The south wall bears a life-size relief of a whirlwind engulfing humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes, tossing them about like dolls. The north wall has a procession of eight white and silver tapestries, each depicting a demonic creature more terrible and horrifying than the last.

Atop the dais is an altar of some sort (made out of alabaster and silver) and a robed cultist praying before the altar. The cultist is a short, rotund, bald human male with a goatee. He wears ochre robes with a silver sash. The cultist does not appear to have noticed Kerwyn.

 

[Endur]

Lylamwyn identifies the following magical items:

Slippers of Spider Climbing

Eyes of the Eagle

Cloak of Resistance +1

 

[Dalamar]

Hmm... Goatee-guy'll prolly come running if there is too much noise, Kerwyn thinks to himself and starts sneaking back. He goes through the likely-takes-to-the-gnoll passage to make sure it goes there. If there is just one lone gnoll in the room, Kerwyn snipes it to death with his crossbow. Otherwise he goes back to everybody else.

 

[Endur]

Kerwyn discovers that his surmise is correct. There are two alternative paths to the area with the cultist. One path is guarded by human warriors in a tower, the other path is guarded by several gnolls.

 

[Dalamar]

As humans are less likely to see through the shadows that he uses for hiding, Kerwyn gets back to the others through the tower's passage.

"So we've got guards up in the tower in this tunnel, gnolls in the other. Both are connected with each other and with some kinda altar room with a Goatee-baldie that looks like a priest. I'd suggest we tackle the gnolls, as it will take longer for the guys to get down from the tower to join the fray. Alternatively, we could attack on two fronts at the same time."

 

[Pyrex]

"Hmm, the priest is likely the real threat; and it'll be easier to fight the humans if we can draw them out of their fortified position. I think we should consider attacking the priest and the gnolls at the same time then waiting for the humans to come to the priest's aid."

 

[Dalamar]

"Hmm... If the elf and others borrow me some spells, Toriah and I should be able to keep the priest busy while the rest of you take care of the gnolls.
This all, of course, presuming that there isn't a humongous armed force behind the doorway I didn't open."