NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iron Chef BBQ" data-source="post: 844386" data-attributes="member: 1844">displacer beasts and mutant dwarves (run of 04-08-03)Kenyan’s bravery seems unsurpassed.  He has inspired bravery in the entire party.  He has inspired fear in both evil cats.  He is shooting magic missiles from his newfound wand like a paladin wields a sword.  Marja is so amazed at this change in behavior that she is almost numb.  She hurls an ice knife at one of the cats, and for the fourth time today it misses.  (4 fumbles, who has that kind of luck?)  This time her shot doesn’t just miss it’s target.  It finds a new target.  It hits Lucre doing maximum damage.  Fortunately, Kalina is nearby and is able to give him some minor healing while moving her flaming sphere toward one of the cats.  She also manages to cast fairy fire on one of the cats making it a stable target to hit.Marja refuses to throw another ice knife.  She switches to magic missiles.  They don’t do much damage, but they hit their mark every time.  Borin moves in to attack one cat; Lucre tumbles in to attack the other.  Borin swings and kills his target.  “I got mine first again, Cousin Lucre.”  Lucre growls and strikes, but doesn’t impart the killing blow.  Marja and Kenyan send six more magic missiles searing into the cats fur.  As it turns to run away, it passes Borin who swings and crushes the creature’s great spine with his battle axe.  The cat lies motionless at his feet.  “Argh!  Again, you win!” snarls Lucre.Deke checks out the pen in the compound and finds four very dirty dwarves cowering at the far side.  The party passes healing potions around, speaks some words of confidence to the dwarves, who are too exhausted and beaten down to even feel much gratitude, and turns their attentions to the cave on the hill.Kalina uses stone shape to narrow the entrance to the cave.  It is now only large enough for a single person to pass.  She also uses soften stone to turn the floor of the tunnel into thick mud.  While she and Lucre are busy at the cave opening, Deke has slipped into the tent of the dead dark servant of Chardun.  He finds a large chest with a trapped lock, but he knows he can easily spring it.  In a rare misstep Deke’s fingers slip on the spring.  A needle shoots from the lock and into his chest.  He feels his muscles freeze.  Kenyan, who has been sitting quietly next to the tent contemplating how it feels to be a hero, hears a soft thud like something solid hitting the ground.  He pokes his head into the tent and sees Deke lying on his side, stiff.  He calls Marja who is closest to him.  He thinks Deke is dead.  Marja has seen this before.  “He’s not dead, but he’s out of the action for a while.  Pick him up and carry him up the hill.  He’ll come out of it in a few minutes.  Sorry, Deke, the treasure will have to wait until after the fight.”  She imagines that she sees Deke’s eyes pop, but of course, he can’t move a muscle.For a description of the mutant dwarves check out the post above entitled “Avalanche.”From the dwarves they learn there are four guards and ten mutated dwarves in the tunnel.  They wait outside the tunnel until Deke’s muscles soften up.  Kenyan begins to sing in a low clear voice.  Marja hears sounds way down below.  She casts ghost sound, and sends the sounds of marching dwarves down the tunnel.  Lucre yells an insult about Chardon performing a sexual act on a male elf that wouldn’t be fit for a grandmother’s ears so we will not quote it here.  They hear the guards yell, “The dwarves are loose.”  Marja hastes Borin, Deke and Lucre who flank each other around the entrance to the cave.One by one, guards and mutants come up from the depths.  They get stuck in the mud and become easy targets for our hasted fighting team.  The spellcasters step back, waiting and watching.  The fight is horrible.  These mutant dwarves cause everyone’s stomachs to turn.  Lucre notices that their beards have been cut off.  He is thrown into an angry rage and pummels each guard long after each is dead.Kalina throws a stone from her avalanche sling.  It hits two dwarves who are turned to see each other.  They jump to attach each other.  These creatures are full of a voracious hunger.  They plunge at whatever is in front of them trying to tear it and push it into their mouths.  As they lunge at each other their feet hit a guard who has fallen in the mud between them.  This is enough to distract them from each other.  They pick up the guard who is now frantic and screaming for help and mercy.  In their frenzy, they tear and pull.  They are obviously many times stronger than an average dwarf.  The guard is pulled into pieces in seconds.  Blood spatters everywhere.  The other mutants in the cave taste the blood and every one of them howls and pushes forward.One mutant breaks through the pack.  With super-strength it manages to break the bars that hold its arms forward.  It lunges at Borin.  The grate over the creature’s mouth slips sideways.  The creature gets his lips around it, and starts chewing.  The sound of cracking rocks (it must be the creature’s teeth shattering) and the scraping of metal appall the party.  Marja, who is off to the side almost devoid of spells, has been watching the scene and taking it all in.  She starts to cry at the wretchedness of this poor, crazed dwarf.  Deke, Lucre and Borin all strike simultaneously.  Deke stabs it in the back.  Lucre swings his sword and severs its head.  Boring turns his battle axe to the flat side and hits the head as it separates from the body.  He makes solid contact with the metal mouthpiece and shoots it out the back of the head.In all this, the group failed to notice that another dwarf had gotten out of the cave.  It grabs Borin and tears at his collarbone, pulling it and tearing skin.  They can see the bone protrude and bend as if to snap in two.  Lucre and Deke jump in and kill it.There are two wounded and fallen creatures in the mouth of the cave.  One magic missile each dispatches them.  One guard and one mutant are left.  Kalina hurls her last avalanche stone and kills the mutant dwarf.  The destructo trio charge the last guard.  They are unable to hold back their fury and in three swift swings of rapier, broad sword and battle axe, they turn his body into pate'.  (90 points of damage)Exhausted, filthy and battle-torn, the entire party slumps into a heap at the mouth of the cave.</blockquote>

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