Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Menexenus" data-source="post: 4136705" data-attributes="member: 8951">Session 56+:  Thorash's End11th of Fireseek.  Thorash had just become visible after the party successfully dealt with a swirling melee against many monsters.  He had laid his hand on Tarric's chest and commanded him to die.  Tarric's eyes fluttered once again, as they had when they had fought the mummy.  He felt the life draining from his body again.  But this time, through sheer force of will, he prevented his soul from leaving his body.  He was wounded but alive.    Katawan and Killick were stuck in the far room on the opposite side of the hydra.  They attacked it through the doorway and asked loudly what was going on in the room with Tarric and Alees.  In a quiet, confused voice, Tarric asked Thorash, "You're responsible for all this?"  But he did not wait for a response.  Tarric wheeled around with his sword in a display of martial beauty, bringing all of his skills to bear against his former party-mate.  His first strike chopped through the rings of Thorash's chain shirt, leaving a large gash in his side.  Tarric's second strike severed Thorash's right arm at the elbow.  With his third strike, he plunged his bastard sword into Thorash's heart.  Thorash looked at him briefly with a look of disbelief, but then the light went out of his eyes and his corpse slid off Tarric's blade.  Seeing that Thorash had been dealt with, Alees stepped forward towards the hydra, drawing her sword.  Some of the hydra's heads bit at Tarric, some at Alees, and some at Killick, but they did little damage.  Katawan flew across the room striking the hulking creature that blocked the doorway.  Killick stepped forward and delivered a full attack with his quarterstaff.  Tarric stepped forward swinging his bloody sword.  Alees did the same, disemboweling the creature.  It's heads slumped to the ground and then its lifeless body collapsed.    For a short time, Katawan, Killick, Tarric, and Alees pondered Thorash's reasons for turning traitor.  But soon, more pressing matters intruded on their thoughts.  How would they get back to civilization without Thorash or Alexander?  If the bag of holding containing the White Eye had been turned to stone, would it still keep its contents?  It quickly became apparent that they had no way of answering the latter question, so they focused on the former.  Alees started picking up some of the magic items that Thorash had been identifying and tried to activate the Ebon Steed figurine in the hopes that it could help transport them.  Her attempt failed.  Tarric asked Killick if his contacts in the druid community might be able to help send them home.  Killick responded that he knew nothing about the local druidic community near Arn's Mountain nor did he know how to contact them.  For a few minutes, no solution was apparent and the level of panic began rising.  Finally, Katawan asked his party-mates if the couatl that they had encountered outside the temple might be able to help them.  It was quickly apparent that this was their only realistic hope of getting home quickly.      The four of them headed toward the cave where they had found the couatl before when they had needed to ask it some questions.  Killick addressed the couatl by name (Souref) and asked it to come out and talk to them.  It emerged and asked them gruffly what they wanted.  Killick explained the dire situation to the couatl, but before he could ask it for help, it interrupted him saying, "You are unclean.  You are defiled by the taint of evil.  I will speak to someone who is pure, or I will speak to no one at all."  The party looked at each other and decided that Tarric would be the best person to address it.  The other three walked away, out of sight, but still within earshot.  Tarric repeated what Killick had said and then asked the couatl if it could help transport them to Magepoint.    It considered his request for a moment.  Then, in characteristically grumpy fashion, it said, "Name yourself."  Tarric replied, "I am Tarric of Diamond Lake."  The couatl addressed him.  "Tarric of Diamond Lake, I perceive that you are a man of pure intent.  However, you have allowed yourself to consort with riff-raff.  The one who spoke to me before is tainted by the influence of evil.  Another of your companions is primarily selfish and will do anything for money.  The third lacks moral direction, being driven only by loyalty to his friends, his training, and his sensei.  In the company of companions such as these, are you surprised that one of your former comrades turned on you?  I admonish you, Tarric of Diamond Lake, to consider the company that you keep so that their influence does not affect your judgment.  Do not allow yourself to be led by fools.  You must walk a narrower path if you wish to defeat the Ebon Triad and earn your eternal reward."    Having said his peace, Souref paused.  Then he continued, "The answer to your question is, yes.  I can transport you to your destination.  But I will take only you, Tarric of Diamond Lake, as well as your friend who has been petrified - the one who bears the Eye.  The rest of your party must remain behind.  And I require you to give me your word that you will make it your priority to do whatever is necessary to secure the Eye before coming back to rescue your comrades."  Seeing no other alternative, Tarric agreed.  The couatl instructed him that they would leave when he had returned with Alexander's statue. Tarric rejoined his party mates.  They returned to the temple and carried Alexander's statue back to Souref's cave with great effort and exertion.  As Tarric prepared to leave, he told his partymates that he should return within 24 hours.  When the others were out of sight, Tarric called on Souref again.  He emerged from his cave and directed Tarric to lift the statue off the ground.  Tarric did so hesitantly, wrapping his arms around the statue's waist and using all of his strength to lift it a few inches off the ground.  Souref flew forward and touched Tarric with the feathers of his wing.  And with a flash of light they were gone.    After a few minutes of silence, Killick, Katawan, and Alees moved forward to verify that Tarric and the couatl were indeed gone.  Then they returned to the temple to wait for his return.  Having nothing better to do, they began hauling the extra gold out of the treasure chamber and piling it up outside the temple next to Grimlock's statue.</blockquote>

Verification