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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Black Omega" data-source="post: 1202546" data-attributes="member: 79">The trip to the entrance to the Lord of the Barren Land’s lair was short, thanks to their guide, who had also provided information about the cleric, named Zeal, who had escaped.  Ordered to be honest, Nazar was completely honest.  About how humans were only allowed on the upper level of the dungeon.  About how many humans there were.  About how he looked forward to seeing Volar dead so he could kill the rest of Bansho Kishu and use their skulls for wine cups.  The Hordelander was bluntly honest.[GM Note-For the moment Verick is still polymorphed into a Tsuno, which has it’s advantaged, including reach from his large size.  The rest of the group still disguised as Tsuno.]The opening to the lair was guarded by some blood red crows.  Their Hordelander friend just said they would hang around, he wasn’t sure what they were or why.  He’d just assumed they served the Lord of the Barren Lands.  A fast spread of magic missiles exploded the murder of crows into a spray of blood, popping them over overfull mosquitoes.The trip inside was less exciting.  Ordered to tell where the traps were, at the very first turn Nazar did so.  By yelling out at the top of his lungs “Toshiro, watch for that trap there!  Your two fighter friends, the elven wizard controlling me, and the two clerics have to avoid that trap!”After that Volar ordered Nazar to tell them about traps quietly.  In fact, only speak when spoken too and then only reply in a whisper.  The angry Hordelander had to agree, but he wasn’t backing down an inch.  He knew he was controlled and knew the only way out was Volar’s death.Verick guided the group past the first few traps, and a battle with the first wave of defenders was short and to the point.  The next trap was more subtle, though.  A room of whirling blades only activated when Kaz, Toshiro and Verick went ahead.  Then bars dropped down to cut off the others.  Bars blocked off the door leading out as well, allowing a necromancer there the chance to taunt the fighters trapped inside as the blades sliced in.  But the death mage fled when Verick used his great strength to bend the bars open a little.  Enough for Toshiro and Kaz to escape.  Instead of helping open the bars enough to let Verick out, the two samurai chased after the death mage.  Or they would have if a trap he had nimbly avoided opened up, dropping Kaz into a deep pit, leaving Toshiro one on one with the mage.  While the door at the end of the hallway opened and skeletons poured out, along with Zeal.At this point the battle got ugly.  Toshiro was frozen in place by another spell and left to the good graces of Zeal.  The others charged forward, firing arrows down on Kaz in the pit, then another undead threw himself past the others, it’s eyes burning red.  As Verick watched, there was an explosion from the fit, followed by a rush of fire.Verick had not been idle, though.  Turning his strength to breaking the whirling blades, he managed to disable half the trap while a Volar pass wall created a way around the bars.  From a side passage a young, smaller centaur charged into view, hacking down skeletons as Kaz slowly climbed out of the burning pit.  And the fight turned against the undead.  Until the Necromancer was killed, the zombies and skeletons hacked down, and Zeal forced to flee through the ‘Door which is never open’.  Or so Nazar had called it.  The group decided to camp that night.  The centaur revealed himself to be Hawk, from the Centaur Nation.  Assassins from Rokugan had killed the king there and he wanted revenge.  Before settling down, Kaz yelled back to the group from where he watched the door “Incoming!”  But it wasn’t an attack, this once.  A skinny ghoul stepped into view, bearing a banner that showed a withered tree in black against a green background.“Who speaks for Bansho Kishu!  I bear a message from my lord.  My lord offers a truce, for a period of two hours, for the purpose of dinner and the chance to meet and discuss an end to these hostilities.  My lord says he bears the eastern empire no ill will and despite this, their second attack upon his home, he wishes peace.  And perhaps even alliance against the plant people who prey so savagely upon humans.”  The ghoul offered.Mir stepped up to speak for the group.  They did not trust the lich enough for dinner, but they agreed to the truce and to negotiation.  Though it did not go smoothly.  The ghoul smoothly challenged their right to be here attacking the Lord of the Barren Lands.  While seeking a way to avoid this final battle.  And offering an alliance against the enemies of humans, like the Volodni and Spiders.  Not the best approach to take with Mir.  It came down to Bansho Kishu demanding the Lord of the Barren Lands retreat from this forest and never return.  A demand the ghoul herald would not give into, finally sweeping into a bow before shaking his head.”Very well.  I will carry your words to my lord.  In parting, I bring one last thing from my lord.  Scorn.  Slight regard and contempt for those who attack under the guise of allies.  For deceitful cowards who will not even reveal their faces to those they attack.  We were not your enemies until you made us so.”  The ghoul hisses, special emphasis put onto the word We.That night was the group attacked by skeletons and ghosts.  Then the next morning they had to fight their way past the door which is never opened.  Traps waiting there as well as a deep drop into a pit that only one person at a time could pass using spiderclimb.  And while they were held up there, an invisible firgure at the end of the hallway zapped them with lightning.  Kaz and Toshiro recklessly charged to up chase that figure off, then Kaz went back to help the others while Toshiro stood guard by the locked door their attacked had apparently disappeared through.  At least they had seen it open, the hinges screeching.It was only 30 seconds, but by the time Bansho Kishu came back, Toshiro was gone without a trace.</blockquote>

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