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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SolidSnake" data-source="post: 159882" data-attributes="member: 102">Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Session 11- An Unexpected Ally (or “Everyone close your ey-”)    The party recoiled, caught off guard as the chimera’s dragon head spewed frost on everyone, chilling them to their bones.  Merk nearly collapsed from the initial blast, but the others ignored the great pain to engage the monster.      Sentian strode into the battle with his gleaming sword poised and his shield raised to ward off the snapping heads.  Boosted by many of Lathander’s spells, Sentian’s armor was nearly impenetrable and his attacks were greatly enhanced.  With huge chops of his blade, he cut deep into the chimera’s chest and pushed it back.  Merk’s cast a spell to no avail while Lathander cast Prayer to aid the party, dropping the silence spell.  Elias moved to the creature’s flank and shot in deep into its side.  Bandar positioned himself and used Stomp, almost shaking the creature off its feet.  Cornered, the terrible beast struck back at the towering warrior before it, all three heads and two claws trying to maul Sentian.  The brave paladin deftly blocked most of the blows and let his armor guard him from the rest.    Realizing her spells were not of much use against such a foe, Merk drew her healing wand and used it on Lathander, who had been hit by frost and shared Sentian’s pain from the battle through his Shield Other spell.  Sentian went furiously on the offensive, crushing the goat head, severing the lion head and carving the chimera from all angles with sweeps of his powerful sword.  The monster howled in agony, on the brink of death from only a few seconds of fighting.  Bandar’s Stomp knocked the beast off its feet, where Sentian cleaved it in two [Sentian had a +18/+13 to hit and +12/+12 to damage! Priest spells rock.].    The paladin emerged from the fray covered in gore, having almost single-handedly slain the powerful foe.  The rest of the party looked at him in awe – truly, his prowess with the sword was even greater than when they had first fought alongside him!  While Merk used her wand to heal herself, Bandar and Elias spread out, watching for new foes.  They saw a bridge crossing over a pool of water beyond the chimera’s lair, and wondered where it led.    Just then a door down the hallway from which the group had come burst open, and their large goblinoid opponent reappeared, the one that had let the chimera loose on the Band the last time they had ventured into this area.  It called over its shoulder to someone.  Thanks to Sentian and Lathander’s spells, the chimera proved an easy target, but the fight was far from over.  Knowing the goblin’s weakness, Lathander surrounded himself with a Magic Circle Against Evil and called the party to him.  While the group fired on the goblin, Sentian strode in front of Lathander to cut the creature down.  It looked with concern down the hall from which the party had entered, but the party did not know why.  Bandar moved up and started to scramble the goblin’s molecules with psionic power, catching it by surprise.  Lathander stepped forward and healed himself for the coming fight, preventing the goblin from approaching any of the group because of the Magic Circle.  It growled in frustration, a growl which turned to a cry of agony as Sentian charged forward and tore into it with his biting sword, sending it reeling.The Band seemed on the verge of another quick victory thanks to Sentian when suddenly a new foe came charging in, larger than anything they had faced before.  Barreling through wooden doors and stone walls with little effort, a brutish-looking giant charged into the fray, it’s head scraping the fifteen foot ceiling!  It wore hides over its greenish skin and carried three huge clubs.  The enormous Athatch stopped in front of Sentian, unconcerned with Lathander’s magical barrier.  Sentian blocked its powerful club swing, but the blow made his arm burn with exertion.  He gulped as he faced off with the hulking foe.Given a reprieve, the large goblin stepped aside and nursed its wounds while the Athatch occupied the whole hallway.  The party desperately went to work in fighting the newest and most dangerous monster, relying on Sentian to hold the brute back.  Elias rolled a Ball of Fire around the giant’s legs while Merk crept forward and healed Lathander with her wand, knowing he would need the strength since he was sharing Sentian’s pain through Shield Other.  Bandar continued agitating the goblin’s body with his mental power, causing its chest to smoke and boil.  It screamed and ran down the hallway to escape the dwarf’s power.  Lathander meanwhile focused Pelor’s holy energy on the towering Athatch and roasted it painfully while Sentian cut into it with his blade.The Athatch struck back hard, pounding both Sentian and Lathander with its clubs, which was especially painful for Lathander.  Elias continued rolling his magical fire and shot the creature with an arrow as Merk moved forward and healed Lathander from behind with her helpful wand.  Moving into the fray, Bandar tried to knock the monster off its feet with Stomp but instead he knocked both Lathander and Sentian prone while the huge beast remained standing!  Lathander scrambled to stand and moved to Sentian, readying a spell to heal the wounded warrior.  With that fresh energy, the paladin stood and cut deeply into the dangerous monster, causing it to howl in pain.Sentian skillfully blocked all the Athatch’s clubs with a flurry of parries, but he fell victim to the beast’s unexpected painful bite.  His magically enhanced muscles sagged, causing him to realize that the terrible bite was accompanied by potent poison.  Sentian began to slump, but Lathander boosted him with a powerful healing spell.  Elias’s ball of flame petered out while he wracked the monster with magic missiles.  Merk moved forward still further to heal Lathander, well into the distracted Athatch’s reach, using her final charge (which rendered the wand useless).  Bandar pounded the creature with a psionic Concussion that added to Sentian’s pair of telling sword blows to its gut.The party was in desperate straits, but they took heart that the Athatch seemed to be greatly weakened by their combined attacks.  It roared and used its last strength to land blows on both Sentian and Lathander as it bit Sentian again, though he resisted the dangerous poison this time.  Elias pulled back his eleven bow as fury burned in him – he knew that the creature must be killed immediately lest it slay some of his brave companions.  He let fly his best arrow, and the shot was straight and true, puncturing the Athatch’s thick forehead and killing it instantly.  The towering beast collapsed with an earth-shaking crash, and the entire group breathed a sigh of relief.Lathander caught his breath, then remembered their remaining, wounded goblinoid foe.  With the Magic Circle still functioning, he called the others to him and told them to keep their eyes peeled for the last enemy.  Merk spotted the wounded creature floating in the hallway beyond with its claws ready and informed the group.  It seemed to be waiting for the Band, but it was glancing nervously in both directions, as if it feared some other opponent.  As the party gave chase as best they could while remaining in Lathander’s circle, the goblinoid dropped to the ground and ran off.  As it rounded the bend, it seemed to bump into someone or something and reacted by biting it viciously.  It paused long enough that Bandar came in range to start burning it again with his psionic agitation, which spurred the goblinoid to bypass whatever it had found and ran off yelling something in a foreign tongue.  In close pursuit of their quarry, Lathander and Sentian reached the corner and found a slim, dark-skinned elf in front of them, his crossbow pointed toward the ceiling as he gestured his non-hostile intentions.  Sentian rushed on to the next doorway, effectively blocking the goblin’s reentry and also the drow’s escape.  As the dark elf locked Lathander’s gaze and spoke in Common:Drow:  “I wrote you the note telling you what you would find in these tunnels.  I mean you no harm.”    As Lathander considered this, the other three adventurers caught up and were surprised to find the drow.  Elias hissed some elven curses while Bandar had to hold Merk back from killing the dark elf outright.  The drow realized the full extent of his peril and spoke clearly and directly with Lathander:Drow:  “I am no agent of the Temple.  I seek to destroy it.  I’ve helped you before and plan to help you again.  We fight the same foe.  We should work together – let me join you.  Don’t let their hatred cloud your judgement.”Elias: (through clenched teeth) “I am using all my energy just to hold back.  Get out of sight before I kill you!”    Elias and Merk grew more impatient with restraining themselves while the drow pleaded his case, and they warned the others not to listen to his lies.  Lathander gave the drow as fair a hearing as possible while Sentian glanced out toward the owlbear cavern, looking for any sign of the goblinoid.  Lathander and the dark elf agreed to meet in a day’s time at the front entrance of the Temple to discuss the matter further, much to the displeasure of the two surface elves.  The Band and the drow parted ways to go and recover from the tense and draining battle.      Upon returning to the party’s rest area, they broke out in a tense debate:Merk:  “Lathander, what are you thinking?  You’re going to go talk to a drow?!  He’s clearly some Temple agent – if he’s helping us, it’s only some inter-Temple rivalry, like the Water Temple aiding you against the Earth Temple.  He is full of lies!”Lathander:  “I had considered that Merkaeytl, and I have a way that will help.  My spell Zone of Truth can discern his lies.”Elias:  “Drow are well-known to talk around such spells.  They cannot be trusted.”Lathander:  “Well, to use his aid in giving us information like before would be wrong.  We can plan out questions where he must answer yes or no.”Bandar:  “I agree, he’s either with us or against us.  We can’t use his help if he can’t join the group, and if he’s not with the group he can’t be trusted – he’d be with the Temple.”Merk:  (smugly)  “As long as we don’t say that this test will be our sole consideration for letting this drow join the group, I’m game.  I assure you, he will fail to answer the questions we ask!”By the following morning the group was rested and had healed to recover from the last fight.  Lathander had to use much of his granted power just to return Sentian’s strength to him after the Athatch’s poisonous bite.  The Band went to the front entrance area and found the drow waiting.  Surprisingly, he was willing for the group to cut off his paths of escape and allowed Lathander to cast his Zone of Truth.Lathander:  “My name is Lathander, and I will be asking you questions.  Answer truthfully, for I will be able to tell if you lie.  First, what is your name?”Drow:  “My name is Rizzen.”Lathander:  “Do you worship Lloth or Tharizdun?”Rizza:  “No.”Lath:  “Are you affiliated with the Earth, Fire, Air, or Water Temples?Rizza:  “No.”Lath:  “Are you alone?”Rizza:  “Yes.  My companions were killed on their way here from the Underdark.”Lath:  “Why have you come?”Rizza:  “The priestesses of Lloth sent me here as punishment for something that was not my fault.  They told me to find and kill two priestesses of Lloth who defected to Tharizdun.”Lath:  “What did you do?”Rizza:  “I can’t tell you that, or you will be in great danger.”Merk:  (scornfully)  “Tell us everything!  You expect to earn our trust if you don’t tell us something so important and basic?”  (to the others)  “I told you he wouldn’t be straightforward!”Rizzen:  (coldly) “I am not dodging the question. That knowledge is a danger to you.  You risk a fate worse than death if I told you what had happened.”Merk:  (angrily) “We risk our lives daily against powerful foes.  What is worse than that?”Rizzen:  “You could be turned into a drider or they could torture you and heal you up to torture you more for eternity.  There are fates worse than death.”Merk just scowled back, but held her tongue.  Returning to his list of questions, Lathander asked:Lath:  “Would you ever help us for the sake of helping us, if it weren’t in your interest?”Rizza: “What do you mean?”Lath:  “If one of us is in peril and you can help, but you put yourself at risk in helping, would you do so?  Each member of the Band puts his or her life on the line for the others without hesitation.  Would you do the same?”Rizzen: (uneasily)  “I am unaccustomed to your ways, since I am not a surface-dweller.  I am used to two groups together for mutual assistance.  But if something goes wrong, neither party expects the other to stay to help.”Merk:  “Ha!  He can’t see beyond his interest, he’d leave us in a heartbeat to save his skin.  He can’t be one of the Band.”Rizzen:  “And you?!?  Could you be trusted to treat me as your fellow, and save me from danger?” he snapped.Bandar:  (calmly) “She does not need to prove herself.  The issue is whether you should join the group, and the fact that Merk and Elias would have a hard time treating you as a companion does not help you.  It is more reason that you should not join us.”Rizzen:  “I will say this:  I hate the drow.  I hate them and what they stand for.”Elias:  “You hate yourself?”Lath:  “It comes down to this: if we cannot trust you, you cannot be one of us.  We put our lives on the line for each other without hesitation, and it is dangerous to have someone else with us who does not act in that manner.”Rizzen:  “How can you start this amazing level of trust?  Is there some sort of trial period?”Bandar:  “We cannot have a half-member or trial member.  You’re either with us or not.  We can’t test to see if you’ll lay your life down for us, because by the time we know it might be too late.  You’ve answered the questions well, but you cannot join.”Rizzen:  “I’ve heard your claims to total sacrifice and I don’t believe you.  Such a thing is not possible.”Lath:  “This interview is over.  Best of luck to you.”    The Band let Rizzen go, and he headed off to the south end of the Main entrance, towards the unexplored mining tracks.  The group returned to the area where they had fought the chimera, where the hallways were strewn with charred, bloodied, and burnt bodies from two massive battles on the same spot.  There was no sign of the goblinoid, but all the other beasts were accounted for.  They found a series of empty living quarters for their vanquished enemies, including barracks, a dining hall, food storage, and kennels for the dogs.  The party took the valuables they found.  Bandar got the duergar warrior’s magical full plate armor.  It was black as night and covered with dwarven runes, but missing the right arm that the chimera had apparently chewed off the dead body.  Sentian took the duergar’s bracers and strapped on the dwarf’s magical axe to sell or give to someone who could use it.    The Band discovered a map of the local rooms and tunnels, most of which they had already explored.  The map did note that there was a hag in the direction the party had left unexplored, because they thought it was the Water Temple and had given their word not to enter there.  The only place they had not gone in the immediate area was a room off of the dining area.  Merk picked the lock to the door, having practiced the skill in her free time now that she had her lockpicks back.  The door opened, revealing an antechamber and another door beyond.  She stepped forward and unknowingly triggered a pressure plate, which peppered her with arrows.  Lathander rushed to her aid and healed the elf, who then cautiously picked the lock to the last door.    The area beyond was evidently the personal chambers of the duergar fighter they had slain.  Lathander and Merk took one look at all the books on his shelves discussing Tharizdun and the Temple history, and they both chortled in joy.  What a treasure trove of information!  Just flipping through one tome, Lathander found that the Elder Elemental Eye was just another name for Tharizdun.  The book also claimed that Tharizdun had apparently ruled the Temple behind the scenes in its previous of power, although Iuz asserted that the Temple was his.  While the rest of the party found gems and potions, Lathander read a note addressed to “Masters” and signed “Omarthias,” which was apparently the duergar’s name.  The short letter complained of the encroachments of the Earth Temple on one side and the Water Temple on the other, in addition to the recent arrival of dangerous Raagen (the dire apes).  The author wanted to send a force to destroy the Raagen, but could not spare the troops without endangering the Northern Bridge Complex to the Outer Fane.  This valuable message confirmed the party’s guess that they had found the Water Temple beyond the Earth Temple, in the area where the map indicated a hag.  It also indicated that this area that the group had just cleared out was an important bridge guarded by servants of Tharizdun as opposed to followers of one element or another.  It protected the important central area of the Temple, called the Outer Fane.Lathander suggested that the Band cross the bridge into the Fane to catch those within off guard and to get to the heart of the Temple quicker.  Bandar disagreed, saying the group should return to the front entrance they had cleared and explore to the opposite (Southern) side, which he assumed was the Fire Temple.  Bandar wanted to avoid Temple agents from the South blocking the Band’s escape out the main entrance – without exploring in that direction, the group had no idea what could happen while their backs were turned.  Lathander approved of the plan because if the other side was the Fire Temple, they could fulfill their obligation to the creature that had freed them from captivity in the Earth Temple.  It had told them to destroy the Earth Temple, stop at the Water Temple, and await instructions at the Fire Temple.  They had done the first two, and now could complete the last part of the orders.  The group agreed to retrace their steps and venture south of the main entrance.  Before they left, they destroyed the bodies of the largest monsters they had encountered in the northern bridge complex so they couldn’t be raised as the howler had been.  It was gruesome but necessary work.After returning through the Earth Temple to get to the main entrance, the group headed in the unexplored Southern direction, soon finding a flawless statue of a gnoll.  They moved beyond that curiosity and soon found another, similar statue that had been toppled over and broken.  They could see movement in the cavern beyond, right at the edge of the torchlight, but they had no idea what lurked beyond.  Sentian called out a challenge, and in response a lizard-like creature charged into view.  Lathander realized the group’s blunder and tried to call out, but the basilik’s eyes turned the brave priest to stone.  The rest of the Band closed their eyes immediately, cursing their stupidity at not guessing how such perfect gnoll statues had been created.  Merk, Bandar, and Elias were of little help with their eyes closed as they fumbled forward to engage the monster in battle.  Sentian took it head-on – he was a formidable foe even without his sight.  With little help from the rest, the paladin dispatched the foul creature.  The situation harkened back to Strider being turned to stone by the cockatrices in the Moathouse, an event that seemed like ages ago.  Sadly and shame-facedly, the group gathered up their treasure as Sentian hauled Lathander’s statue back to Rastor with great care.  Merk led them to the house of Tymerian, the wizardess in Rastor.  Burne had introduced Merk to Tymerian through a letter of introduction, and the wizardess proved a helpful resource.  Tymerian quickly surmised the situation and agreed to contact Burne for help in returning Lathander to flesh.  While the wizardess relayed the message, Merk had to find a priest capable of casting such a spell.  Tymerian introduced Merk to Thandane Deeperdark, a female dwarven warrior of few words.  Thandane learned of the problem and took the group to meet the local cleric of Moradin, Rerrid Hammersong.  Hammersong heard Merk out and agreed to cast the spell on the scroll when it arrived.  The party waited two days for the scroll from Burne to arrive.  In the meantime, Elias used Tymerian’s lab for a simple fee to identify some of the items the Band had collected.  Once the scroll arrived, Hammersong came and cast it, returning Lathander to health.  Very grateful, Lathander insisted that the dwarven cleric take the duergar’s magical axe.  Hammersong accepted, and asked the group to do him a favor.  There was a Temple of Moradin in the mines before they fell to the evil forces, and some dwarven artifacts were lost with the dark conquest.  Hammersong asked the group to return those artifacts when they found them, to which Lathander quickly agreed.From what Hammersong and Tymerian told the group about their knowledge of the Temple, the party could surmise much.  Merk put everything they had learned and that she had guessed together: The complex was a rough circle around a dormant volcano.  To the East and West were entrances to the outside world.  To the North and South were bridges to the Fane in the center of the volcano.  Each of these four locations was guarded by the servants of Tharizdun himself, since their protection could not be left to the squabbling followers of each element.  The four elemental temples each held a quarter of the temple’s outer ring, with Earth having been in the North-West, Water the North-East, Fire the South-West, and by default Air in the South-East.  The Band had therefore conquered more than a quarter of the outer ring, having destroyed the Earth Temple as well as the West Entrance and the Northern Bridge areas.  Merk assumed that the Temple would be symmetrical in construction to guess all of this from what little the party had seen thus far.  Tymerian warned the Band against trying to bypass the outer ring by going over the top of the volcano – she had done as much with a group of companions, and most of them had died.  Lathander asked her to watch over the party through scrying.  Tymerian agreed, asking for a keepsake for each person to allow the spell to function.  The Band of the Rising Sun prepared to reenter the dreaded Temple of All Consumption to confront what dangers awaited them.</blockquote>

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