Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gaiden" data-source="post: 80999" data-attributes="member: 103">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.</blockquote>

Verification