Ravenloft-Beyond the Mists

[SolidSnake]

Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Session 7- “He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.” –Sun Tzu, The Art of War (or “I don’t even know these guys…”)


Aramek reacted instantly, throwing himself over Noh in order to act as a human shield. The impact of the rocks caused the brave dwarf to grunt, but he was unconcerned so long as the gnome he was protecting survived the worst of it. I won’t let it happen again…I won’t allow others to die in my place. I can’t go on fighting without my brothers and sisters…I failed enough already: my clan, Stella, Strider, Merkaeytl…This priest will not die today! With a shove, Aramek dislodged the huge slab of rock balanced upon his back and threw Noh into the nearest tunnel, away from the danger of another possible avalanche. Looking around, he could see that the rest of the party had not escaped the collapsing ceiling unscathed. Strider, Lathander, and Sentian were on their feet, but Bandar lay motionless underneath a pile of rubble. Aramek didn’t have time to worry, as he could see that an enemy force had quickly surrounded their position. Directly in front of him were two troglodyte priests flanking what appeared to be a humanoid creature made entirely of rock. One of the priests wore black robes, displaying the symbol of Tharizdun on a necklace. The other, seemingly female priest, wore gray robes and also wore the symbol of Tharizdun, but she allowed an inverted brown triangle to dangle directly under her obex. Blocking their retreat stood an imposing troglodyte warrior. His skin had been dyed black and from numerous body piercings hung small bones and feathers. In his hands, he wielded a gleaming greatsword with an inverted brown triangle fused to the pommel.

Steeling his senses from the overwhelming stench of their adversaries, Lathander quickly reacted to the situation by summoning a magical circle of protection around himself and Sentian.

Lathander: “Rally to me!”
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Bandar had seen this cavern before. Images assaulted his mind while he tried to remember what he had lost. Why is this so familiar? I remember this place…this cavern. He warned me about this place, our family eldar. The diggers had nearly died while mining this area because of the unstable rock. It was good advice, but why is father upset at him? I remember now…the children made fun of us because we weren’t part of the clan here. We aren’t a part of any clan...why? Maybe that is why they sent me away to live with the other clan…what was the name again? Why is mother crying all the time? Will I never come back? Is this my home? Where do we belong? What am I that makes everyone fuss over me all the time?
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Bandar awoke from his reverie to the sound of combat. He saw the familiar face of Sentian hovering above him. His body ached everywhere, but the pain told him that he was still alive.

Sentian: “Get up Bandar!”

Bandar could see the earth elemental holding in place a few feet from Sentian’s position. Strider was locked in combat with the troglodyte priestess, while Lathander unleashed every bit of divine strength he could muster to thwarting the evil cultists’ attempts at drawing forth their unholy power. Bandar saw Aramek charge the great troglodyte warrior only to be skewered by three other troglodytes with longspears materializing from thin air. It was the first time Bandar had ever seen Aramek fall. Perhaps it was the sight of the invisible dwarf falling or the hopelessness that followed Strider’s attacks, but the ranger sensed the end was near and so he dropped his swords in a sign of surrender. Bandar wasn’t about to give up, but his anger was quickly replaced by shock as he felt a crossbow bolt strike his shield. Looking over he could see Dr. Noh reloading a crossbow…What is happening? With a look of betrayal, Bandar allowed himself to be tied by the troglodytes that had felled Aramek. It didn’t take very long for the two priests to cut Lathander down, but Sentian did not fall so easily. He sword parried all the attacks the priests offered him with little to no effort. The black clad priest was about signal the remaining force to attack when the great troglodyte warrior stopped him with a raised arm from across the battlefield. Slowly and deliberately, the dark troglodyte made his was to Sentian’s position, waving away the rest of the rest of his companions. Sentian was eager to inflict harm upon the men that had harmed his comrades, but the troglodyte proved to be an impressive adversary. His sword was fluid in his hands despite its size; Sentian’s attacks seemed almost playfully batted aside by the swordsman. Whether it was his overconfident behavior or simple carelessness, Sentian was eventually able to land a nearly killing blow on the swordsman. The troglodyte screamed as he clutched the gash on his chest. Sentian’s smile was quickly removed when the troglodyte’s greatsword retaliated with unbridled fury.

Strider could only watch from his kneeling position as the troglodyte swordsman cut down his valiant friend. He knew that the paladin was not dead when some of the other troglodyte guards bound his wounds in order to prevent him from bleeding to death. He and the rest of the prisoners were stripped of their equipment, bound, and blindfolded before being marched through the tunnels of the mine. He did not know how far they had traveled or where they had gone, but Strider knew that they had finally arrived at a prison. The cold iron of the manacles dug into his wrists as he was chained to the wall. Everyone’s blindfold was removed save Bandar, who had a hood placed over his head. Besides the five members comprising the party, there was an elven prisoner as well. Like the rest of the party, he was manacled to the wall of a cavern with only one entrance. The fires from a single brazier bathed the entire chamber, while the red-hot pokers provided the prisoners with a psychological deterrent. The elf’s imprisonment did not seem to affect his determination visibly, but Bandar was another story. As soon as the guards had left the cavern he began to chew his hood.

Elf: “What is wrong with your friend?”

Strider: “Chains distress him.”

Elf: “Well he doesn’t look well. Then again this place has that effect on people.”

By this time Bandar had already created a small hole in the fabric and was working on somehow pulling the hole towards his eyes.

Strider: “Bandar, calm down!”

Strider watched in amazement as the dwarf began shooting rays of fire into his chains. After a few blasts the chain began to heat up considerably. The ranger’s amazement only compounded as he saw Elias doing much of the same thing on his side of the cavern. Both men seemed locked in a race to burn their chains away. Whether it was fate or shear irony, both the elf and the dwarf ripped their chains apart at exactly the same time. Bandar immediately gravitated towards Strider’s position and began yanking feverishly at the chains binding him to the wall. The elf, after freeing himself more thoroughly from his shackles also went over to help.

Strider: “Thank you both. What is your name good elf?”

Elf: “Elias. Now, hold still.”

Even with all three men pulling at the chains, they would not break. It was only after Bandar ran over and got the red-hot poker to melt the chains a little did the group finally succeed in breaking the chains. It was then that things began to get ugly. Strider heard the troglodytes entering the cavern before they even reached the brazier. Attempt to surprise his opponents, Strider hid the broken section of chain behind his back in the hopes that they would still think he was a captive. Bandar and Elias; however, were visibly unbound and so they decided to fight. Using every weapon in their repertoire was not enough to break free of the mass of troglodytes pouring into the cavern. Strider watched Bandar make the ground quake and Elias summon magical fear to frighten the guards, but ultimately it proved futile. Eventually, enough troglodytes were able bring the two rebels down and Strider had to watch through gritted teeth in order not draw attention to himself.

Elias and Bandar were rebound, but with extra precautions this time. The elf was suspended upside down from the wall, completely encased with chains…it was a situation that even a greasy halfling would have trouble with. Bandar was also suspended by his feet; his face was covered with an iron mask equipped with its own set of needles, making it difficult to move around without excruciating pain. Once everyone was secure, Dr. Noh made his appearance to aggravate the already mounting animosity towards him. He laughed at Bandar, poked Elias, and even taunted Strider with knowledge that he was a priest of Vecna.

Strider: “How can you be a priest of Vecna and of Pelor.”

Dr. Noh: (with a knowing grin) “There are always two sides to every story Strider.”

Strider: “Make no mistake Dr. Noh…I will kill you.”

Dr. Noh: (sarcastically) “But of course you will. I'm sure this will happen right after your heart is sacrificed to the Xorn.”

The evil gnome left the party to stew for another few days under the careful watch of the troglodyte guards. The people that could not feed themselves were force-fed and those that could were allowed to lap up their gruel like dogs as the guards laughed. During that time, most of the unconscious members of the party awoke from their comas. Aramek took it the worst, cursing for a full hour in dwarven until his voice finally gave out. As if the situation couldn’t get any worse, Elias informed the party that Dr. Noh wasn't bluffing: sacrifices were needed once a week and that the week was almost up. Much to Sentian’s chagrin, Tenaris Glimmerdawn had already been offered to “whatever foul God the lizards worshipped” just a few days ago. As there was little to do, the party passed the time by coming up with possible plans of escape. Coincidentally, all of these plans somehow involved Strider killing the right guard and freeing all the prisoners with the key he found. There were many versions, but ultimately they were based on the same premise. It went on like this for a few more days with little or no progress.

It was on the fourth day of their imprisonment that something completely unexpected happened: Sentian went crazy. Or so people began to suspect when he began talking to himself.

Sentian: “I agree to your conditions.”

Aramek: “What the hell are ya talkin’ about?”

The dwarf was about to go on a long tirade on how humans broke very easily under pressure when the manacles binding Sentian’s wrists sprang open. Rubbing his wrists, the paladin got to his feet and turned to face the rest of the party.

Sentian: “I have been offered freedom under some conditions. The first is that I destroy the Earth Temple and make my way towards the Fire Temple, where I am to await instructions. The second condition is that I am not allowed to harm the inhabitants of the Water Temple. If you all agree to these conditions, you will be given freedom and a chance distribute justice.”

Aramek: “I like that part…”

No one was about to turn down the possibility of vengeance and freedom. The group’s invisible benefactor remained hidden during the course of their pledges. The only time his position was betrayed was when he parceled out potions of invisibility to the group and informed them that he had sedated the guards. Holding hands, the party was led past the altar devoted to unholy sacrifice and into the maze of tunnels. It wasn’t long before the creature leading them stopped in a large cavern housing a sleeping manticore. A smaller cavern was attached to the larger one and another tunnel led out.

Benefactor: (in whispers) “In the smaller cavern you will find some of your equipment. Kill the priest, retrieve your weapons, and remember the pact.”

As everyone was invisible, Sentian was only able to know that the party’s invisible benefactor had left when he no longer felt the moist webbed hand in his own. The mat at the threshold of the smaller cavern was stitched from human skin and ropes throughout the cave suspended an assortment of skulls. A lone troglodyte priest that the party had never seen before rocked back and forth in a makeshift hammock, reading a book with strange writing. Sentian wrapped the chains of his manacles around his hands in anticipation. There is a time for chivalry and a time for action…necessity has forced this upon me. Without so much as sound, the paladin wrapped the chains around the troglodyte’s neck and began to squeeze with all his might. The other party members helped things along by beating the priest to death with their fists. After he was dead, a few weapons and armor were retrieved…not enough to fully equip the party, but enough to do serious damage. The party’s next victim was the sleeping manticore, which didn’t even have time to scream as its life was extinguished by a group of bloodthirsty and angry prisoners.

Moving on, the group finally made its way back to the site of the original battle that had caused their defeat. The dark troglodyte warrior was there, polishing the remaining weapons the party once owned. With some quick thinking, the party sent Elias on a mission to distract the remaining Earth Temple forces. As the elf was still invisible it was no trouble to sneak to the Main Gate and sound the alarm by pulling on the chain. Unsurprisingly, the great troglodyte warrior and the rest of the Temple guards ran to protect their temple from possible intruders. Strider seized this opportunity by collecting the group’s weapons and redistributing them back to their rightful owners.

Strider: “They will be back soon. Quickly, we must hide!”

Leading the group down a descending tunnel, Strider took the group to a cavernous area they had never been to before. A female troglodyte guard was eating a bowl of gruel at a table in the center of the room when the party burst in. Elias fired an arrow without thinking, but the female troglodyte proved to be too quick for such a hasty shot. Strider ordered a charge, but the group found itself without an enemy after the guard drank down a potion and vanished.

Bandar: “They are coming!”

Horrified, Strider realized that there was only one entrance to this cavern and consequently only one exit…they were trapped! Overturning the table, Sentian bade everyone to hide behind it in preparation of the attack. Familiar faces emerged from the cave’s entrance: the dark troglodyte swordsman, a small contingent of guards, and the priestess with her earth elemental. Lathander dueled the priestess with spells, Aramek went head-to-head with the earth elemental, and the rest of the party tried to fight the dark swordsman and his small contingent of guards. Through sheer tenacity, the group was able to overcome adversity and defeat all their enemies…even the invisible troglodyte who materialized to disrupt Lathander’s spellcasting. None of their enemies went down easily, leaving the party with numerous wounds at the end of the conflict. Once it was clear that no more temple reinforcements were coming, the party searched the bodies of the fallen. A strange key with an inverted brown triangle and the dark swordsman’s greatsword was the most interesting treasure they found. Their fortune only seemed to magnify when Bandar said he found the rest of the party’s equipment stored in small side chamber. The party decided after some deliberation that it could stay here and rest up before setting out again. A barrier was quickly constructed with the table and a guard routine was assigned for the rest of the night.

It was during Sentian’s watch that a strange mist began to rise. The paladin didn’t need to hear the low moaning sounds from behind the barricade to know that he had to sound the alert. Within seconds of the fog’s arrival, zombies began to claw at the table. Lathander and Bandar rushed out to destroy the undead while the rest of the party was left to deal with stone imps that detached themselves from the walls of the cavern and began to rain down a storm of rock from their mouths.

Lathander obliterated most of the resistance with a ray of pure positive energy. Bandar; however, was not interested in the zombies…he knew that where there was fog, there was Dr. Noh. You won’t escape this time! Charging forth from the clutches of the mist, Bandar saw the gnome fleeing down the tunnel. Noh was in the lead, but Bandar’s determination would not let him relent. The dwarf began to close the distance when he saw Strider and Elias rush past him and lunge for the turncoat. Dr. Noh and Strider went down in a jumble of arms and legs. [DM aside: Damn that 20-ft. movement] Elias made sure to run past them to block any chance of escape. As he came upon them, Bandar saw that Strider had his left hand around Dr. Noh’s neck and his right hand on the grip of his longsword; the point of the blade touched the frail gnome’s neck.

Strider: “I told you that I would kill you.”

Just as Strider pulled the blade back to deliver death, a voice ripped through the air.

Lathander: “Stay your sword Strider!”

The ranger turned to see the priest of Pelor running up to join the group.

Lathander: “He may have betrayed us but he is still a priest of Pelor. We must find out how this is possible. Let us rest and I will seek guidance from Pelor on the morrow. What can a few hours hurt?”

No one really liked the idea of allowing Noh to live longer than was absolutely necessary, but everyone agreed that answers as to why a priest of Vecna could summon the power of Pelor were important. And so the party found themselves back at their cavern once again, trying to stay alive until the next morning in order to find truth and some small measure of vengeance.

 

[SolidSnake]

Please note that I have edited the above post (Session 7), due to some small errors on my part that my PCs were kind enough to rub in my face Now that the post is more accurate, I implore my readers to read it once again

 

[Gaiden]

Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Session 8, Part 1- "It is more shameful to distrust one’s friends than to be deceived by them." — François duc de la Rochefoucauld (or "This is what I like to call Divine Retribution!")

The intense stare Lathander gave Doc while casting a rarely used spell was slightly startling – coming from a fellow priest of Pelor.

Lathander – “I want you to know two things. First, you cannot lie. Second, I will know if you do.”

The last bit was said with a slight tinge of threatening adding. Again, all very intimidating to the poor gnome who had no idea what had transpired since the zombie grabbed him, however long ago.

Dr. Noh – “If you would only explain what it is that has happened. I am sure there is a perfectly rational explanation.”

Aramek – the one who tied his bonds to begin with the previous night – “Oh, we told ya’ what ‘happened’. Ye betrayed the dwarf who saved yer pathetic little life. A ton of stone fell on me while I shielded ya and what do ya do?!? Ye start firing yer crossbow at Bandar!”

Strider – “Let’s get one thing straight Dr. Noh. I said I would kill you and I meant it! The only reason you are still alive is because Lathander still believes that you are in fact a true priest of Pelor –”

Dr. Noh – “But I am a real priest of Pel–”

Strider – “Listen! You don’t quite get it do you? You are our enemy right now! You betrayed us and were going to participate in our sacrifice to some god-forsaken fiendish xorn-creature from hell! Whether you really remember that or not is not really relevant. What is relevant is if you are magically being forced to act this way. Lathander tells me that you could be charmed or possessed. In either case, you are a threat right now. SO SHUT UP AND ANSWER LATHANDER’S QUESTIONS.”

Dr. Noh, not being used to this sort of treatment closed his mouth and listened to Lathander.

Lathander – “Are you a true priest of Pelor?”

Dr. Noh – “Yes, of course–”

Lathander – “Do you worship Pelor?”

Dr. Noh – “YES!”

Lathander – “Are you a priest of Vecna?”

Dr. Noh – “ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

Lathander – “Do you worship Vecna?”

Dr. Noh – “Do I really need to answer that, this is ridiculous. I worship Pelor. Lathander, for radiance’s sake, look at my holy symbol!”

Lathander – “I am looking at it, what I see is the hand of Vecna. Please answer the question.

Dr. Noh – “It is an impossible question.”

Elias – “It’s a yes or no question.”

Lathander – “Do you worship Vecna?”

Dr. Noh – “NOOOOOOO!”

Strider – “He can’t lie right?”

Lathander – “Not exactly. He can’t knowingly state a falsehood. So far, everything he has said he believes is true.”

Sentian – “Isn’t Vecna the master of all that is hidden? If anybody could fool the spell it would be a priest of Vecna.”

Lathander – “I am not so sure. In all of my knowledge I have never heard of such a thing, at least not without the aid of magic, and we already detected no magical influences on his person. Most likely this Dr. Noh has either been tricked or really does validly believe he does not worship Vecna. Either way, you are a priest of Vecna Dr. Noh. Some way, some how, you are one of his priests. Yet I have seen you turn undead, an impossibility as a sole worshipper of Vecna. You at least must worship a neutral God to have that power.”

Dr. Noh – “Let me go, I can cure you all, if you would just let me cast.”

Strider – “You are either insane or an idiot. You think we are going to let you go because you tell us you are a priest of Pelor. Do you think that we are all lying and that you did not do the things we say you did? You do not know me, but you know Lathander worships Pelor, and that Sentian worships Heronius. Could either of them lie like that? In fact you should be the one trying to cater to us. You should willingly remain tied if you really follow Pelor because based on everything we have said you are a threat to us. In fact, if you were truly a follower of Pelor I would expect your willingness for us to kill you given the danger that lies beyond that hallway. At the very least, I would think you would want to cooperate with us and be doing nothing but praying for Pelor’s forgiveness for the atrocious acts you have committed. Don’t forget the reason for why we are here. We came to find Ridithidor’s killer. More than likely, that thing is in these devil-infested mines. You came to help. You are certainly not helping. You almost got us killed!”

Bandar – “Ok Strider, I think you made your point. What are we going to do with him?”

Lathander – “He comes with us and I will accompany him back to Hommlet so that Yether can more closely examine him and get to the bottom of this.”

Aramek – “So I suppose ye’ll be the one watchin' him, aye?”

Lathander – with a cold look towards Aramek – “If I must, yes, I will.”

Sentian – “Why don’t we leave him here gagged and bound and come back for him?”

Strider – “I have to suggest against that. I wish no offense Sentian, but that just risks him escaping and further harming us. I think we should have him with us so that when we get to the entrance we can immediately leave.”

Aramek – “Strider, how are we goin to keep an eye on ‘em if we be gettin into a battle? I say we strap some armor to his back and put a weapon in his hand and put ‘em in the front ranks. Let ‘em prove his loyalty by bein’ our cover.”

Strider – “As much as I would like to throw him into the front ranks, my conscience won’t allow it. If Lathander is right and he is in fact a priest of Pelor then we would in a sense be killing him, just indirectly. Right now I consider him as an enemy and must be treated as one. However, this is an enemy that must also be protected as he at least was someone who I was willing to call friend.”

Lathander – “Strider is right, I will not allow you to do that. This is rightfully in my jurisdiction as a priestly matter. Consequently, I accept full responsibility for watching over him. He comes with us gagged and bound with his feet bound so he can walk only.

Aramek – “I don’t mean to rain on yer ‘holier than thou’ parade but how do we be getting away from the enemy if we need to be runnin. Are you gonna carry the good Dr. Can you carry him and run?

Strider – “Well we certainly can’t put him in the front lines. He sucks in melee. That goblin that Lathander washed back at the temple would have kicked his ass.”

Sentian – “I don’t mean to interrupt your discussion gentlemen but you all seem to be intent on leaving when we reach the entrance. Similar to Lathander’s convictions, I am not leaving until I recover my second’s body. I know he has been sacrificed, but I could not live with myself if I left his body in this desecrated place to rot. I also made a promise. I don’t know who it was that rescued us from prison but I vowed to destroy this temple. I intend to carry out that promise.”

Strider – “You will remember that we all made that vow. As you have vowed vengeance for your dead companion I too have vowed vengeance. I will see this place destroyed. I think it would be wise, however, to solicit some help. We [indicating Lathander, Bandar, and Aramek] have made some friends in Hommlet, some powerful friends. I think that we should let them know what is going on here. They were the original destroyers of the originial Temple ofElemental Evil and if I am not mistaken that place has been reincarnated. It simply has changed locations. If anything, they could at least outfit us with equipment. Further, if we fail, although I don’t like to think about that possibility, someone will be there to complete our quest and satisfy that promise.”

Elias – “Strider makes a good point. I came to investigate and ought to report back to my superiors.”

Bandar – “I don’t like leaving. How are we going to get back in?”

Aramek – “Aye, once we leave, I bet they be stepping up their defenses. We caught ‘em unprepared before, but if they’re ready for us, aye don’t know how we goin to be gettin inside.”

Bandar – “I will stay behind and guard the entrance while you all take care of whatever obligations you have.

Strider – “That’s suicide Bandar. You can’t stay by yourself. If they find you, I hate to say it, but you don’t stand a chance. None of us would alone. We are a team and rely on each other’s support.”

Sentian – “I will stay behind with Bandar. I need to recover my second’s body anyway. Once we get to the entrance, you four take Dr. Noh, and Bandar and I will stay behind.”

Strider – “Again, you both are needlessly sacrificing your lives. We have enough gold to buy horses for all of us. We can be back in two weeks. There is nothing we can do to stop them from rearming the front gates anyway. Better to get reinforcements, and stay as group, at least while we are in the temple.”

Bandar – “We won’t be able to get back inside if we leave.”

Lathander – “I came along to help you Strider. But Dr. Noh demands my attention. I must leave so that I can heal Dr. Noh of whatever ailment is causing his hypocrisy.”

Strider – “I do not expect you to bear this burden alone. I will do anything I can to help. Further, I must speak with Elmo, Burne and the rest of the veterans at Hommlet.”

Aramek – “Sentian, your friend’s body will be here when we get back. Aye don’t think ‘s goin anywhere. The lad be right that its suicide to stay by yerselves.”

Sentian – “Well, how about we get to the entrance and once we have it cleared decide what to do. We know that no matter what, we need to have an escape route. Right now that priest has the front entrance occupied.”

Aramek – “Aye, I want to put this hammer through that priest’s face.”

The group proceeded back towards the entrance, Strider in a scouting position, without too much more discussion. Strider reported back that their were undead guarding the entrance: zombies and an undead howler. Lathander worked out a plan that would effectively allow a pincer attack. Strider would cross the hallway and draw the howler to him while Lathander would try and position himself next to the entrance. The rest of the group would stay in the hallway so that Lathander could cast searing light maximizing its effect. After Lathander cast the spell, the rest of the group would charge whatever was left.

The plan worked virtually perfectly. Dr. Noh, gagged and bound, was put into the lookout room. Strider sprinted across the pathway of the two ballistas effectively catching all of the undead and two unseen troglodytes by surprise. As planned the howler attacked Strider. Getting Lathander out of the entrance proved to be a bit more difficult than imagined because of the two troglodytes who flanked the hallway. Sentian and Elias met the zombies head on at the entrance to the hallway and Aramek was able to bull rush one out of the way drawing everyone’s attention to him while Lathander slipped past. Lathander got into position and seared all the undead to ash with his holy power. The two remaining troglodytes were easily dispatched.

Unfortunately, a familiar troglodyte priest snuck into the room where Dr. Noh was helpless and as Bandar moved in to retrieve the cleric he watched a suddenly visible mace swing down and crush Dr. Noh’s skull. It was the same priest that had engineered the the party's capture a few days ago...he was also undoubtably the creator of the undead roaming the area. The ensuing battle was vicious. Lathander dispelled the magical protections on the troglodyte while Strider summoned a small swarm of insects to disrupt its casting. The rest of the party laid waste to it in a flurry of steel and hatred.

 

[SolidSnake]

Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Session 8, Part 2- “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” –Confucius (or “The emphasis is on bitter…”)

Aramek stood over the body of Dr. Noh for quite sometime, not saying a word to anyone. After a while, the somber dwarf took a long hard look at the rest of the party and asked for their permission to leave with the fallen priest’s corpse. With a bit of discussion, the party eventually decided that Aramek could return Dr. Noh’s body to Hommlet. Strider, Lathander, and Sentian all composed letters for Aramek to deliver. With the party’s loot and the frail gnome’s body in tow, Aramek began his descend down the mountainside. Before he crossed the threshold of the huge double doors barring the Main Gate entrance; however, Bandar stopped him.

Bandar: “We will need your strength soon…return quickly.”

With a nod, the dwarf set out once again, only to stopped by his long-standing companion: Strider.

Strider: “I will miss you old friend. Please hurry back whenever you are done…”

Aramek: “I don’t know how far my journey shall take me…how will I know of your exploits?”

Strider: “Names are never easy to remember when they are tied to many others. Remember this: we are the Band of the Rising Sun and there shall always be a place for you here.”

A gruff handshake later, the ‘Band of the Rising Sun’ was already short two members. Its remaining strength was forced to rest for a whole day in order to recover from the brutal combat that had cleared the Main Gate of enemies. Sleep was not completely restful…all through the night, a low drumming sound reverberated off the cavern walls making rest extremely difficult.

The next morning, the Band sought retribution for all the pain they had suffered at the hands of the troglodytes. Following a round of healing spells from Lathander, everyone felt ready to bring down some cultists. As the Band had been led through the Earth Temple area before invisibly, it was a fairly easy task to coordinate their strike on the unholy altar that Dr. Noh described…in theory anyway. The Band knew that the Earth altar was located in a huge chamber at the end of two merging tunnels, as they had used them both before. The mystery lay in an adjacent tunnel that seemed to lead into a smaller chamber…at least this enigma puzzled Sentian; no one else really cared. This tunnel was covered in insects of every sort imaginable, a warning that most men would have heeded…but then again, most men weren’t like Sentian. All through the night, the paladin could only think of the body of his fallen comrade and what foul acts the troglodyte priests had committed upon it. Without so much as a word to anyone Sentian marched right into the midst of the swarm, intent on exhausting all possibilities.

Had Sentian shared his plan with Strider, the ranger might have cautioned him to be wary of one of the more colorful bugs crawling through the hive of insects. Unfortunately, Strider and the rest of the party had little time to prepare as Sentian marched into the tunnel and was quickly overrun by insects. Initially it seemed almost humorous as the smaller bugs crawled up the suit of armor he wore, but that thought was quickly dispelled as extremely large centipedes began to detach themselves from the mass and wrap themselves about Sentian’s limbs. Strider knew that if one of these creatures was able to bore through Sentian’s defenses that he might be paralyzed for quite sometime. Luckily, the rest of the Band moved rather quickly and was able to quell the danger without little effort. The most disturbing part of the battle came with the sound of drums beating coming from the area of the altar. The beat increased in tempo, until it reached a feverish pitch. By the end of the incident it had stopped completely.

Bandar (extremely irate): “We should always tell one another what we plan to do before we just go off and do it!”

Strider: “We might as well see what lies at the end of the tunnel now.”

With a grumble, Bandar followed the rest of the Band into small cave. The most obvious decoration was the skinned and burnt corpse suspended from the ceiling by chains. On a cluttered desk lay a coffer and at the foot of the bed lay a trunk. Strider immediately went for the coffer, using Shatterspike to pry it open. Sentian lent his strength to the ranger’s efforts and was rewarded by blast of magical cold, which enveloped both adventurers. With a groan Sentian began to wipe the frost off his armor, while Strider furtively checked the contents of the coffer. It held ten amethyst gems and amulet that proved to be magical once Elias had a look at it. The gems were given to Strider to hold and the amulet to Bandar. Elias also noticed a strange letter written in Draconic wedged underneath the coffer. It was a note to a person called Hedrack explaining the recent takeover of the Earth Temple by the troglodytes. After fouling up the room, the Band headed towards the altar.

With Strider scouting ahead, the party was able to discover that a troglodyte sacrifice had been offered to the Xorn in the absence of any prisoners. From what Strider described, the ceremony was rather grotesque: the heart was torn from the chest, limbs were hacked off a bit at a time, and all while the victim was still alive. The priest leading the ceremony was a troglodyte with tattoos of upside-down brown triangles all over the visible portions of his body. An obex was embedded into his forehead and he wore the carapace armor the Band had seen before.

Elias was sent up one of the tunnels leading to the altar chamber, while the rest of the Band waited for a distraction at the intersection. Strider readied a spell of faerie fire to use as soon as the priest began to cast any spells. It wasn’t long before the ranger spotted an arrow flying out of the darkness followed by screams from the other hallway. Strider watched as the arrow struck the priest the evil holy symbol upon the priest’s forehead, ripping it away from his flesh and nearly killing him in the process. The Xorn immediately began to sink into the earth, while the priest produced an elixer which he drank greedily. Strider cast the spell, bathing the evil cultist in a soft blue glow. The rest of the Band ran down the tunnel that Elias took where they found him locked in battle with two troglodytes wielding longspears. The elf flowed from stance to stance as if in a dance, but his enemies followed him deftly. The danger quickly passed; however, the rest of the Band unleashed a storm of arrows upon the unprepared troglodyte guards.

Strider: “Elias, pull back now!”

As the Band withdrew from the area they could hear the laughter emanating from the cavern that housed the unholy altar. The momentary distraction was interrupted by Lathander’s screams…no one had expected the Xorn to move that fast through the ground. Ripping his leg out of the mouth of the half-submerged creature, Lathander began to backpedal into the protection of the group. This solved little, if anything, as the Xorn merely glided underneath the earth into the midst of the party and began to attack ferociously. Razor sharp talons attached to small arms tore through armor and sinew, while the crushing power of its mouth nearly decimated the weakened Sentian. Swords seemed to have little effect on the creature’s tough hide, but Bandar’s continual mental assault did do noticeable damage. Unfortunately, the dwarf had to redirect his efforts at the priest who strode towards the party with his entourage of guards. The evil priest was well equipped for battle and even had the telltale signs of unholy power by the red glow in his eyes. Lathander worked furiously to dispel his enchantments, while Elias engaged the troglodyte guards by himself. Strider and Sentian swung their weapons with all their might, but the blows that should have destroyed a large ogre seemed to have little effect on the Xorn. Finally, in desperation, Sentian reversed the grip on his blade and plunged the greatsword he had retrieved from the dark swordsman into the creature’s hide. Things seemed to happen all at once: the blade met the rock hide of the Xorn and then there was a small explosion directly underneath the point of impact…Sentian felt the blade shear through flesh and watched as the sword went all the way up to the hilt. Strider looked on with shock as the Xorn slid lifeless to the floor.

Meanwhile, It seemed as though there was a battle of magic happening between the evil priest and Lathander as mysterious energies whipped back and forth through the air between the two. Bandar did not notice the intricate interplay as he simply sent wave after wave of visible psychic power to crush the priest’s head. Elias had nearly destroyed the entourage that the evil priest had surrounded himself with by the time Strider and Sentian waded into the battle. Both magical and physical barriers impeded both men’s attempts at cutting the priest in half. Sensing the futility of physically trying to harm him, Strider summoned a swarm of bats to obstruct the priest’s actions. This was all the distraction Sentian need to land an explosive blow into the priest’s midsection. The paladin heard the crush of bone and felt the jarring impact that his greatsword made…he knew that the troglodyte was dead even before it hit the ground. With no support from their high priest, it wasn’t long before the remaining guards were dispatched with extreme prejudice.

The Band immediately went to work searching the bodies for anything interesting and were rewarded with a set of magical gloves (given to Strider) and another strange key. With little danger on the horizon, the Band went back to their cave to rest for another day. The next morning Lathander healed the injured and made sure that he had an arsenal of spells at his disposal in case the group was attacked again.

With the Earth Temple forces destroyed, the Band felt bold enough to further venture in that direction. Passing familiar territory, the group finally entered the chamber housing the unholy altar. Everyone felt their skin crawl simply by being near it…but most of all the power scared them. Fear turned to anger when Sentian ran up to the altar and slammed his greatsword into it. Emboldened the other party members followed suit, swing until they couldn’t even lift their arms. Eventually the stone altar cracked in half with a resounding blow from Sentian’s greatsword. As the blade was drawn away from the remains of the altar, the paladin watched as the sword crumbled to dust…it was at this point that Sentian’s world went completely black.
------------------------------------------
Sentian knew that he was in a world of darkness and completely alone. From the darkness he could see a white horse riding towards him. Astride the magnificent stead was a knight in brilliant armor. The knight reigned the stallion right in front of Sentian and extended a sword to the paladin. I know this sword…it was the one that was given to me after I left the Citadel…I don’t understand…

When the knight spoke, his voice commanded obedience.

"Do not stray from the path Sentian. The Blade of Valor may only be wielded by the righteous. The forces of evil may tempt you with power, but you need only my standard to prevail! Protect the faith, your honor, and the helpless. Now ride forth and smite our enemies!"
------------------------------------------
Sentian felt hands shaking him.

Bandar: “Wake up Sentian! The whole place is coming down!”

The dwarf was correct. Sentian could see sections of the ceiling beginning to collapse to the sounds of low rumbling. Sentian followed the running dwarf into the closest tunnel with the rest of the party. They followed it for quite sometime, until it opened up into a rather large cavernous chamber. The good news was that the rumbling had stopped by this point…the bad news was that the corpse of a half-eaten dire ape lay in the center of the room.

 

[SolidSnake]

Campaign Website

I finally got around to creating a website for the campaign, so if you are at all interested in seeing what it looks like go on and check it out.

www.people.virginia.edu/~nah3q

It still isn't completely done yet, but at least you get the jist

 

[SolidSnake]

Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Session 9- Death of a Hero (or “How many times were we one roll from getting wiped out?”)

With the rumblings and tremors from the destruction of the Earth Temple’s ziggurat still echoing in their ears, the party found themselves looking on the rancid carcass of a dead, partially eaten dire ape. Bandar and Lathander both remembered the thunderous blows they suffered from the dire ape in the Temple of Elemental Evil, and both involuntarily shuddered. Bandar asked Lathander, in typically blunt tones,

“What the &*%$ eats a Dire Ape? Do we want to know?”

Upon closer examination, Strider announced that the monster was cut down by weapons and eaten by creatures smaller than itself – probably killed by troglodytes. At least there isn’t something wandering around that can kill and eat a dire ape on its own Bandar thought, somewhat relieved.

The party proceeded into the darkness ahead, guided by a sunrod Lathander activated. They soon found themselves in a large cavern with several exits. All that was in the cavern were various rusty tools and a large chain coiled on the ground. Without going far into the area, Strider heard breathing and rustling down the passage to the party’s right. Within moments, the sound turned into the howling and roaring of charging beasts, though the group could see little from their light except shadows flickering on the wall. Suddenly, four rampaging dire apes came into view, hurtling toward the Band.

As Strider called on the group to fall back to a more narrow area of the passage to better face the enemy, Sentian stepped forward, sword drawn, to intercept the beasts. Strider changed plans and joined his fellow warrior, steeling against the furious charge. Normal men would have fled immediately in panic, but these two veterans stood fast and prepared for the onslaught.

The dire apes collided violently with the party’s stout front line, and there was a blur of fur and glistening steel, accompanied by howls of pain. The massive beasts had tried to overrun the warriors, but the skilled swordsmen had taken advantage of the apes’ exposed flanks to cut two down before they could get by. One ape did barrel through, and the last one hit Sentian with its huge fist, but he shook off the blow. Lathander threw down the sunrod and drew his mace to engage the dire ape that got by, while Bandar attacked the beasts with mental energy and Elias fired on them with his bow.

As the two sides battled, an earth-shattering roar stopped them all in their tracks. With sinking hearts, the party realized that they would soon face an even greater foe. The dire ape that got by Sentian and Strider punched and bit Lathander. The priest’s Shield Other spell cast on Sentian brought him more suffering as the paladin was hit repeatedly by the other dire ape.

The group was already worse for wear when the source of the last roar showed itself. Everyone gulped as they looked on an ape that made the dire apes look small! This hulking monstrosity towered twelve feet tall, and easily reached over Sentian’s opponent to pummel the paladin badly with its terrifying fists. Bandar ran near the melee to be able to see and attack the newest monster, suffering a powerful blow as Lathander’s ape pounded his exposed side. The psion could now see the huge dire ape, but his Concussion power was of little use against such a large beast. Lathander stepped back and cast Prayer while Elias and Strider finished off the dire ape that had faced the priest.

Sentian stood alone against the last two enemies. He could sense that he would not win alone in melee, but he would do as much damage as he could before his time ran out. The noble warrior ignored the dire ape in front of him, which looked small in comparison to the massive dire ape behind it. Sentian managed a few deep cuts into the larger monster before it hammered him with its fists, grabbed his arms and nearly ripped him apart. The paladin would have been in two pieces had Lathander’s spell not transferred some of the agony to the wounded priest. Both men fell with a cry, leaving only three adventurers standing.

The party had relied on Lathander’s powerful spells and healing, and Sentian’s expert swordplay. Strider saw how ineffectual Bandar’s psionic attacks had been, barely singeing the hair on the massive silverback, and Elias’ Magic Missile spells had the same minor effect. Knowing that he alone could nothold back the two apes from ripping apart his other two friends, Strider resolved to buy them time. With a furious cry, the party’s leader threw himself at the enemy and dealt the foremost dire ape a flurry of hefty blows before the two monsters responded in kind. The dire ape pummeled and bit him, then the hulking monster behind did even worse, leaving Strider reeling [*&^% special rend attack!]

Understanding their desperate straits, Elias and Bandar used the time Strider provided to do what they could. Bandar’s mental attacks continued to be ineffective, despite his numerous occasions to do significant damage. He desperately continued, using all the energy he had with a fury, trying to save Strider and the party, but the ape’s shrugged off his attacks. Elias stabilized Sentian with a healing potion, ensuring that the paladin would not die. Unfortunately, to heal the fallen warrior, the elf came within the big dire apes’ reach, and the beast made him pay for his altruism. Elias was pounded into unconsciousness without being able to revive Sentian. Only Bandar and Strider remained standing.

Strider continued to take abuse from the two apes, but managed to absorb the blows and deal some of his own. He had faced equal pain in fighting the howler and its mount, and the dragon back at the moathouse, but both times he had healing to soften the worst hits. The noble warrior hoped against hope that Bandar might somehow help his desperate cause with mental assaults. Strider knew he could not survive the next onslaught, and in his mind bid a sad goodbye to his companions. He finished the dire ape in front of him with an expert thrust of his blade and dug his dagger deep into the chest of the last and biggest ape. With a brutish fury, the monstrosity grabbed brave Strider by the arms and pulled to the sides with its terrifying might. The party’s long time leader gave his last cry and fell silent, to Bandar’s horror and dismay. Strider was dead.

Alone, Bandar faced a massive dire ape, with little mental power left, surrounded by unconscious, dead, or dying friends. The party risked annihilation. Giving up for now on psionics after many frustrating failed attempts, the desperate Bandar grabbed a potion from Elias’ belt and gave it to Lathander, reviving the priest but putting the dwarf in harms’ way. Lathander stood up and summed up the group’s dire straits grimly, and knocked the huge monster back with a scorching Searing Light spell. The beast pounded Bandar and tried to rip him asunder, as it had with Sentien, Elias, and Strider. Miraculously, the tough dwarf survived the attack, though just barely – the massive foe was clearly weakening. The pain distracted the adventurer from his psionic attack. Bandar was buying Lathander time, as Sentien and Strider had done for him.

Lathander used the opportunity well and crept forward to heal Sentian back to life. The paladin opened his eyes to see the last ape looming tall over him. With characteristic bravery, Sentian leapt to his feet and dealt the monster two grievous blows. Now it was the beast’s turn to reel from the onslaught, and its counterattacks that could have killed them all, were ineffective [the DM rolled three 1’s for attacks!!!].

Surprised at their good fortune, the Band pressed their advantage. Bandar used his psionic power to make the ground quake and knock both Sentian and the ape off their feet. The paladin recovered his footing quickly and cut the prone foe repeatedly with his sword. Lathander healed the warrior, further providing him strength. Just as the beast was coming to its feet and managed to punch Sentian again, Bandar let loose another quaking Stomp. Sentien learned quickly and jumped as the ground shook, but the huge monster fell over again. With a tremendous chop, the paladin beheaded the terrible foe that had very nearly killed them all on several occasions.

The end of the battle allowed the bedraggled Band of the Rising Sun to breathe easier and heal, reviving Elias. Nobody spoke. They could not avoid looking at Strider’s torn and bleeding corpse. Bandar had known Strider since the battles of Khundukar, the man who had been his leader during the entire quest against the Temple, since that first day arriving in Hommlet. Overwhelmed by the loss of his friend, the man he would have followed to hell and back (and nearly did), the stoic dwarf broke down and wept.

 

[SolidSnake]

Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Session 10- Bringing out the Dead (or “So who gets his boots?”)

No one was willing to disturb the stoic dwarf as he cried, mainly because Bandar had hardly ever shown emotion at all; and so the Band watched as one of their remaining members wept over the body of Strider. After some time Lathander placed a gentle hand upon Bandar’s shoulder.

“I know he was your friend Bandar, but we must go now.”

Nodding, the dwarf rose to his feet and allowed Sentian and Elias to carry Strider’s body away from the scene of carnage. Strider’s equipment was quickly divided among the remaining members of the Band to reinforce the strength of the enfeebled group so that they could continue their quest. Although everyone in the Band was against leaving for any extended period of time, everyone finally agreed to leave long enough to give Strider a proper burial. Elias volunteered to remain inside the Crater Ridge Mines to guard them from any possibility of reinforcement. Sentian mentally noted the elf’s courage before departing with the rest of the Band. Whether it was a sign of fortune to come or destiny’s twisted sense of irony, the members of the Band met up with Merk halfway to the village of Rastor. The strange elf was not alone; a burly blond-haired human man with an intricate spear followed behind her with a dour expression.

Merk was in a fine mood when she encountered the group, a vivid contrast from her human companion.

Merk: “I am so glad to see you all safe! Chatrilon lied to me aftera-”

Her voice died away as her eyes locked on Strider’s body. No one dared to look her in the eye, lest they have to explain what happened…but Merk needed no explanation to understand that for whatever reason Strider had fallen. The Band stood uncomfortably while Merk wept, joined shortly thereafter by the sound of Bandar’s lamentation.

Merk (hysterically): “Can’t we raise him?!”

Lathander (somberly): “That isn’t my place to decide…I must speak with his spirit to find the answers.”

Merk’s response to the priest of Pelor was more tears of anguish. With all the civility he could muster, Lathander introduced himself to Merk’s companion in order not be completely rude. The man went by the name of Tresh and was in search of Eblis.

Lathander: “He may have been captured by members of the cult. I remember that the events around his disappearance were strange…”

Tresh: “So you have no idea for sure?”

Lathander: “No, but if he was captured he will most assuredly be in the Mines.”

Merk (turning away from Strider’s body): “I came here to warn you. Chatrilon is not what he claims to be…”

Lathander: “We know. He attacked us before we were able to get to the mines.”

Merk: “He did? Well, it’s good that you know. But there is something more important: the cult has found Lareth’s body.”

Lathander: “WHAT?! I thought it was impossible to find!”

Merk: “Well they seemed to know exactly where to look. Tresh and I stumbled upon Chatrilon and other members of the cult digging it up. We nearly died when Elmo attacked us by surprise…it turned out that the cult had a doppleganger on their side…don’t worry, the real Elmo is fine. Also, the cult has built a new Temple called the Temple of All Consumption and has moved to this area. Once Burne found out he sent me and Tresh on a griffon to find you guys.”

The mood of the group switched from grief to worry. As the Band walked back towards the village, introductions were made all around and the group’s goals were discussed. Everyone wanted to pay the cult back for what they had done to Strider, but his burial was the most important task. Tresh said he would not attend the burial and would meet the Band when he had finished with tasks in the town of Rastor. Lathander didn’t cherish losing a possible helping hand, but he understood nonetheless. Sentian’s stead, Xerxes, was used to transport the body to a secluded grove Merk had spotted on her way into town. To ensure that Strider’s spirit was at rest, Lathander took some time to speak with it. The priest found out that Strider was happily reunited with his wife in the afterlife and did not wish to come back so long as someone would claim his responsibilities: finding Redithidor’s killers, carrying out Mordenkainen’s investigation, and protecting Merkaeytl. With a heartfelt farewell, Strider’s body was lowered into its grave the next morning at dawn with everyone speaking in turn about the great hero. Sentian applauded his bravery, Lathander revered his character, Merk spoke of his kindness, but Bandar made the greatest speech of all.

Bandar: “I am sorry Aramek couldn’t be here for this, I know he was your best friend. Although we didn’t agree on all things, I just wanted you to know that you weren’t just my friend but my leader as well. I wanted to see this through to the end with you, but now you are gone. Fear not my friend, for I shall take the standard that has fallen from your grasp…all your responsibilities are now mine. I will find Redithidor’s killers and I will defeat the Temple that has claimed your life. This I vow!”

Before the group left the grove, Lathander took the time to meld stones he had collect together into a blank tombstone. I will inscribe the words I feel when I return Strider…I promise. The Band wasted little time in Rastor, only spending a few minutes to gather supplies and leave Xerxes in the care of Tal Chummish. The group found Elias at the Main Gate, a complete wreck. Apparently he hadn’t slept at all because he felt like “he was being watched.”

Merk: “And who is this?”

Lathander: “Merk, this is Elias.”

Elias: “Pleased to meet you, Merk.”

Merk (with an appraising glance): “You are a noble aren’t you.”

Elias (taken aback): “Why yes. How did you know?”

Merk: “Your ring gave it away.”

Elias: “You are very astute. I am the Scion of House Craylith.”

Merk: “What are you doing out here alone?”

Elias: “Life as a noble was too constrictive…my desire to be a part of the Companion Guard would never have been fulfilled by joining in the politics of Court. I pleaded for this assignment.”

Lathander (hesitant): “Interesting…but more importantly, when do you think that wagon will arrive Merk?”

Merk: “My guess is that it should be here in a week’s time if not sooner.”

Elias: “I will leave my familiar here so that if it does come while we are in the Mines, we will know about it.”

Merk: “Good thinking!”

The Band made their way back to the caves they fought the apes in, pausing only to allow Merk to spit on the one that killed Strider. The cave that housed the smaller apes had little of interest, but the cave beyond that one was obviously where the larger ape dwelled from the number bones littering the floor. A quick search revealed what appeared to be the symbol of the Water temple amongst the bones. Pressing on into the labyrinth of tunnels, the group discovered a wooden door embedded into the end of a tunnel. In their excitement the Band forgot its caution and thus Sentian plummeted headfirst when the floor directly in front of the door gave way to reveal a deep pit lined with spikes. Although the fall did not kill the sturdy paladin, it broke the bond Lathander had placed upon them with his Shield Other spell. Using some rope, the Band worked to drag the paladin out of the pit. Once everyone was on the other side, Sentian waited for Merk to try her hand at opening the locked door. When it was revealed that she had “never really gotten into that sort of thing,” Sentian threw his weight into the door and splintered quite easily. Stumbling into a hallway of worked stone, Sentian immediately realized the area he was standing in was well lit and decorations adorning walls quite sophisticated for a place that claimed to be just a simple mine. The hallway extended for about sixty paces before transforming into a four-way intersection. On the other side of the intersection was a rather large room equipped with plush furniture and a table surrounded by three elven and three human warriors playing tiles. All of the men were dressed in heavy armor and sported the Elder Elemental Eye on their tunics. They all turned up from their game to see the lone paladin standing in the hallway. In a situation like this Sentian did the first thing that came to mind…he brandished his sword menacingly and yelled something valorous at the top of his lungs.

“Surrender or die!”

The soldiers responded by exploding into action. One of the elves disappeared into the corner of the room, while the rest of his comrades overturned the table and drew bows out. Before Merk could even cast Expeditious Retreat on herself and draw her bow, the sound of a large gong filled the area. Lathander reacted to the sound by casting Obscuring Mist on the area and yelling for everyone to stay in the mist. Everyone prepared themselves while they heard the sounds of movement just outside the fog. Not being able to stand the tension any longer, Sentian poked his head out of the mist to be greeted by a storm of arrows from two lines of armored soldiers. Luckily his armor protected him from the hail of steel, but things grew worse as the sound of dogs barking filled the hallway. In response, Elias summoned a ball of burning flame and sent it blindly down the hallway. A moment later the sounds of anguish death accompanied the smell of burning flesh. Sentian gritted his teeth in anger…What honor is there in hiding behind a screen of smoke? There is no valor in this!

With a roar, Sentian emerged from the fog and barreled into the waiting line of soldiers. As he charged into their ranks he could see that some men had caught on fire from Elias’ spell and more would be joining them shortly. The paladin swung his sword in a vicious arc, killing many men around him and receiving little punishment in return. Fearing that they would lose yet another ally, the rest of the party tried to aid their friend but were met by a wave of angry canines. It became a race for time…Sentian stood in a pile of bodies, but he had taken many wounds himself and he didn’t know how long he could last with wave after wave of reinforcements coming from the hallways. The rest of the Band tried desperately to kill the dogs and move on but their attacks were difficult to place inside the mists.

Bandar: “Stop the spell Lathander, we need to see what is happening!”

In anger at what was happening, Lathander stopped the spell and thus revealed the true calamity of the situation: Sentian was nowhere to be seen and over a dozen soldiers filled the hallway. The priest had little time to think as he summoned a ray of positive energy to fill the hallway and vanquish their foes. When the light subsided, all that was left were a few soldiers who had thrown themselves behind cover and many charred bodies. Bandar and Elias wasted no time in charging the rest of the soldiers in the hopes of breaking their spirit. Lathander followed quickly behind, his only concern being the welfare of Sentian Thann. The priest spotted the brave paladin lying motionless around the corner of the hallway.

Lathander: “To me!”

In an attempt to bolster the party’s defense, Lathander cast Magic Circle Against Evil. As soon as the field of protection was erected, an enormous deurgar clad in heavy armor and wielding a dwarven waraxe materialized out of thin air and struck Lathander with all its might. The priest nearly went down with the first blow and narrowly avoided the second by backpedaling into the wall. Elias and Bandar focused their energies on destroying this new foe, while Merk put herself in harms way to heal the fallen Sentian. As Sentian revived himself further, a strange goblin with white robes walked nonchalantly into the midst of the battle. Bandar diverted his attention momentarily to skewer the insane creature but as he struck it, the creature dissipated into nothing. Confused, Bandar turned his attention back to the deurgar and began to pummel it with psychic energy. The restored paladin got to his feet and immediately went to work on the remaining soldiers, killing them before they had a chance to react. Lathander was doing all he could to defend himself against the skilled deurgar warrior; his fear was further compounded when he noticed an eight-foot tall goblinoid creature heading in the party’s direction from one of the branching hallways.

The evil grin the goblinoid was sporting vanished when it stopped abruptly a few feet from the party. The creature snarled in frustration as it beat upon an invisible barrier. The weakened deurgar yelled something in a foreign language at the goblinoid while as it attacked the party, causing the large creature to move back down the hallway it came from and remove a key it had been carrying on its necklace. Sentian ended the deurgar’s life by summoning the power of his god into the blade of his sword and smiting the evil warrior with divine vengeance. The Band’s attention was turned from the body of the fallen deurgar by the sound of a click. Glancing down the hallway, the party saw the goblinoid creature finish turning a key in the wall and begin to leviatate towards the ceiling. The bone-shaking sound of a roar was all the incentive anyone needed to begin running for the tunnels of the mines. Lathander, the last man to make it through the doorway, saw that they were being pursued by the creature of legend: the chimera! Luckily, the doorway was much too small for the great beast to fit through, allowing the Band to escape back to the Earth Temple.

Once Lathander knew that the danger had passed, he could hold his anger no longer.

Lathander: “Sentian, what where you thinking?! You can’t go running off without our help! You were nearly killed!”

Sentian: “There is no shame in showing valor in the face of adversity Lathander.”

Lathander: “Do you have a death wish? You are only one man Sentian! You need us just as much as we need you…I just don’t want to see you die.”

Sentian: “I am sorry for scaring you like that; I won’t abandon the group again.”

The rest of the day was spent resting up and discussing tactics. Lathander was against Merk staying with the group as she would be in great danger, something Strider would have disliked. Trying to convince her to leave was nearly pointless as she was very stubborn and wanted to do her part in the destruction of the temple. Since Lathander could not find any alternatives for her to fight the cult, she convinced him that her help would be needed in the depths of the mines.

The next morning the Band found a note scrawled in common indicating dangers the group might face should they continue onwards. Just as the note indicated, the party’s exploration led them into a den of owlbears. The battle was quick and ruthless as the party was prepared for well prepared this time. Further exploration of the area brought the party to a small lake; Lathander called a retreat as he deduced that this was the beginning of the Water Temple and the Band had sworn not entering its lands. With the destroyed Earth Temple to the south and the Water Temple to the north, the Band had little recourse but to go back into the chimera’s lair. Before entering, many spells of power were cast on the party to ensure their victory over this foe. The magically silenced and protected Band moved into the hallway slowly in search for its prey. They found the chimera asleep, laying in a pool of blood and body parts. With a silent laugh of what was to come the Band strode forth valiantly, expecting to dispatch the beast with one clean blow…they did not expect the dragon head to immediately wake as Sentian approached and spew a cone of magical frost from its mouth…

 

[SolidSnake]

Bump

 

[Rune]

Yay!

Welcome back, Snake! My favorite Ravenloft story is back! I'm afraid that I can't follow the current one very closely, because I still want to play in the RttToEE, but I'm still here!

 

[SolidSnake]

Re: Yay!

Welcome back, Snake! My favorite Ravenloft story is back! I'm afraid that I can't follow the current one very closely, because I still want to play in the RttToEE, but I'm still here!

Thanks for the support Rune! Even if you don't read it too close, it is always nice to read a good word from you every so often. I am trying to accelerate the game, but I don't think we will even get close to the Merge before graduation...there is simply too much to do. BTW, I really like your Cthulu story hour...very fun to read.