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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SolidSnake" data-source="post: 985" data-attributes="member: 102">Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Session 2- “Third time is a charm…or is that fourth?”The adventurers stumbled into Hommlet late in the evening.  Everyone was extremely weary from the battle and the ensuing march back from the Moathouse.  Strider didn’t even bother to wave goodbye as Merk trudged towards her favorite tree…well it was a place to sleep anyway, as she was banned from the Inn.  While the strange elf climbed through the foliage of the great elm, her companions were greeted at the Inn with a warm plate of cookies.  Vesta, the compassionate woman who took care of the Inn in her father’s absence, had been thoughtful enough to leave a plate of cookies and three glasses of milk.  Chatrilon and Eblis wasted no time digging in, while Strider wrote a note to Vesta to thank her for the amazing generosity she had shown them.--------------------------------------- Though the branches were a bit uncomfortable, Merk had suffered worse.  Her dreams were of slaying the Ogres that had constantly plagued her life.  Well she was pretty sure she was dreaming, but what did smoke have to do with killing Ogres?  Looking down from her perch in the trees, Merk was greeted by the sight of blazing wood.  Coming to her senses, Merk realized that there was no way to actually climb down the elm without burning to death so she decided to take a gamble and jump.  The ground rushed up to meet her faster than she expected and the breath was blasted from her lungs.  Bleary-eyed, Merk struggled to her feet...standing directly in front of her was a heavily armored human man with a serrated bastard sword in his hands.  The light from the fire poorly illuminated the man’s features, but the wicked scar on his face was obvious even in the darkness.  Not even bothering to wait for Merk to get her balance, the man attacked!  His sword strokes were brutal and fast, catching Merk off guard.  Eventually Merk’s feeble attempts at defense were futile as the man was able to nearly fell her in a single blow.  At that point, Merk chose the better part of valor and ran as fast as her legs would carry her.  Merk to an arrow in the back before she reached the nearest patrol.  Gasping, she relayed what had just happened to the members of the militia before slinking away in the shadows…eventually making her way to the Town Hall.  As she hid underneath the great oaken table in the center of the Hall, she heard Elmo’s familiar voice call out:“I knew I would find you here.  Get out from under there for Pelor’s sake and let me have a look at you.”Elmo was a battle-hardened warrior, unused to the subtlety of healing which was why Merk screamed out in horror and pain when he yanked the arrow out of her back.  Once she had gotten her breath back, Elmo grilled her for information about why the tree she was sleeping in was currently on fire…among other things.  Merk did her best to relay as many details as possible, but for some reason Elmo did not seem satisfied with what he heard.“Wait here Merk, I think it is time we discussed what is really happening here.”“Does this have something to do with the Moathouse,” Merk asked excitedly.  She hoped that Elmo would slip up and reveal some secret to her.“This is more important than the Moathouse,” Elmo said as he left the Town Hall.Within a few minutes, the party was assembled at the Town Hall…or at least most of it anyway, as Eblis did not answer the summons.  The elusive Rufus and Burne were also present, as well as Yether.  The High Priest tended to Merk’s wounds as Rufus spoke to the party.  He seemed to a man in his middle years, but still endowed with the strength his warrior’s history had provided him.Rufus: “You may be wondering why it is that I am here with all the difficulties you had faced in trying to attract my attentions previously.  I am here because I am sure of who you are.  I was curious as to your objectives at first…many people come through Hommlet…good and bad.  It may have seemed harsh to send you against that dragon alone, but I had to know for sure.  Let me say without hesitation that I am truly impressed with your courage and virtues.”Strider: “Could you tell us why we are here?  Why did Mordenkainen summon us here?”Rufus: “I do not pretend to know the his agendas, but you are most definitely here out of coincidence.  For many years, Burne and I have kept our eyes on the Temple…we never doubted that somehow evil would find its way here.  Thus far nothing substantial has happened, but recently divination magic has been all but impossible in that area.  Burne informs me that magic beyond his understanding is shielding his attempts.  Anything could be happening at this very moment…my worst fear is that whatever force is blocking our scrying is also amassing an army of considerable strength in order to attack Hommlet itself.  This is where we need your help.  As we need to send many able-bodied men to collect accurate intelligence on the Temple, we cannot go ourselves without putting the town in jeopardy.  I am asking you men to go and investigate what is happening.”Lathandar: “We found this on one of the dead bodies at the Moathouse,” he said as he tossed the holy symbol on the table.Yether gently picked it up and turned it over in his hands.  The priest made no attempt to mask his disgust.Yether: “This is the symbol of Tharizdun, a dark and evil god.  Not much is known of him, but the obex is his symbol,” the man spat.Strider: “Before we do anything, I want to make sure that the Moathouse is completely safe…it is too close to Hommlet for us simply to ignore it.”Rufus: “Good.  Then it is settled,” he said with a smile.Merk: “The old adventuring party that defeated the Moathouse before told me of a secret passageway.  Do you know if it,” the elf asked.Elmo: “I have map from the old days.  It tells you how to get in through the back,” the grizzled warrior said as he tossed a rolled up piece of parchment onto the table.Rufus: “I will help you in anyway I can.  Don’t hesitate to call on me, my Keep is always open to you.  Also, I would like to give you a tour of Hommlet tomorrow morning.  I think you might appreciate the town more if you knew the fine people in it.”Everyone thanked Rufus and the silent Burne for their time before going to bed.  Merk was instructed by Elmo to stay at the Inn.  When she dissented, he informed her that he had asked Vesta to allow her back as a personal favor.  Merk was thrilled at spending the night in a warm bed for once and so she resolved to be on her best behavior around Vesta at all times.--------------------------------------- The next morning Merk was pure sunshine.  She didn’t stop complimenting Vesta until the Innkeeper had to tell her to stop outright.  While Merk made her peace with Vesta, Strider brooded over the strange disappearance of Eblis with Bandar.  Everyone in the group had pegged Eblis as loner, but it was still troubling for Strider not to have extra help in clearing out the lower levels of the Moathouse.  Strider was rousted from his thoughts by the sound of dwarven yelling.  Rushing outside, he was overjoyed to find Aramek “talking” to one of the town guards.  The dwarf had changed.  Instead of the leather armor he had been sporting in the past, Aramek was encased in black scale armor and a draconian helmet to boot.  A large steel shield was strapped to his back and a warhammer hung from a hoop on his belt.  The dwarf did not seem to notice Strider’s amazement as he walked up to him.  After each man had exchanged ample stories on what had happened during the time they were away, both men went inside to get some breakfast.During breakfast, Aramek expounded on the stories of how he slew a dragon in the ancient Dwarven Keep a few days from Blasingdell.  Everyone listened on with fascination until Rufus and his personal guard showed up to escort the party through Hommlet.  Aramek grumbled a bit about being interrupted, but he tagged along anyway.   Hommlet was filled with many great places and people: a temple to St. Cuthbert, a temple to Elhonna, a temple to Pelor, tailors, weavers, a general store, a bakery, blacksmiths, a milk market, potters, stables, a scribe, a sage, a brewery, stonemasons, a wagon repair shop, and a man who sold potions.After the tour, the party went around town unloading some of the treasure it had got from the top level of the Moathouse.  The first thing to go was the stone mask, found on a dead priest.  Joman Dart, the halfling that ran the Old Trading Post bought it off the party for nearly half it’s assessed value.  The wily trader did however agree to begin a Life Insurance policy on for of the party members for up to a month for free if they sold him the strange mask.  The party agreed to the conditions and decided to give the contracts to Lathender, Bandar, Strider, and Merk.  Aramek refused to allow “a stinkin’ halfin” to bury him.  The party also contracted Alphon, the local blacksmith (a halfling much to Aramek’s chagrin), to construct some armor for Lathander as he was unable to recover his after the battle with the dragon.  The next few days were spent in complete relaxation as the party waited for the armor to be made.  The short vacation started off well enough, but by the second day reality sank in.One of the local militiamen informed Strider that they had discovered the bodies of the Miller and his family at the bottom of the river.  Preliminary observation indicated that they had been strangled and then sunk to the bottom of the river with large stones.  Redithidor’s body had also been found.  His corpse had been found suspended in the basement of the Mill; his body was brutally beaten and the throat had been slashed.  A note had been discovered that was addressed to Strider personally, stuffed at the bottom of Redithidor’s boot.  It was crumpled and smeared with blood making it extremely difficult to read; however Strider was able to catch a few phrases:Strider,You were right…Master Dunrat…to Naquint…wagon in nearby village of Rastor can be obtained from Tal Chamish…evil is inside the Crater…Strider looked at the parchment for quite some time before going upstairs.  He did not emerge until the group had made all the necessary preparations for the Moathouse.  Before leaving Hommlet, Strider nailed a letter he had written the night before to the door of the Town Hall.  The message was simple: when he found the people who had harmed the Miller’s family and Redithidor Halfmoon…well, needless to say that it wasn’t very pleasant.---------------------------------------The trip to the Moathouse was done in a constant phase of paranoia.  Everyone in the party was asked to watch the skies for any blue dragons.  Luckily, none engaged the group.  Merk had no trouble locating the secret entrance to the Moathouse Elmo had outlined in his map.  It was a quarter mile east of the structure, hidden in the midst of large boulders.  The party knew that they had reached the Moathouse when the earthen tunnel finally gave way to worked stone.  It wasn’t long before the party stumbled into a fight with a pair of Cockatrices.  Unfortunately, no one really knew just what they were up against until Strider’s heroic swordplay was cut short when he was transformed into stone [DM Note: Strider had made three consecutive saves in a row; then the guy playing him opened his big mouth…it never fails].  At this point the party gave the mythical beasts the respect they deserved by dispatching them with extreme prejudice.  As soon as the last Cockatrice fell, Strider’s body was rushed out the secret entrance and back to Hommlet.Lathander first petitioned Yether for help with the matter, but the Priest of Pelor said it was beyond his power to repair the calamity.“The only person who can heal your friend Strider is Canoness Y’dey, the High Priestess of St. Cuthbert here in Hommlet.”Lathander rejoiced at the wonderful news…until he actually met the priestess in person.  Canoness Y’dey was the quintessence of St. Cuthbert’s dogma: meticulous, exact, merciless, levelheaded, and strong.  This was not the woman Lathander expected to receive him.“My friend is in dire need of your strengths High Priestess.  Only you can save him from the curse put upon him,” Lathender said expectantly.Canoness: “I see Cleric of Pelor.  Are you familiar with the faith of St. Cuthbert?”Lathander: “Yes, a bit.  Why?”  Lathander was thoroughly confused at this point.Canoness: “Then you would know that your pleas of good and righteousness have little effect upon me.  Everyone is responsible for earning their own way in life, gifts are a method of weakening the spirit.”Lathander: “I completely agree High Priestess…perhaps I could undertake a quest that would benefit St. Cuthbert-”Canoness: “Don’t bother with that, a donation to the church would be enough.”Lathander: “I see…and how much would this ‘donation’ be?”  Lathander spoke through clenched teeth, unaccustomed to such callousness from anyone.700 pieces of gold later, Strider was returned to them.  Thanking the party profusely for the sacrifices they had made in returning him to life, he pledged to return all the money they had spent on him.  Before everyone called it a day, Bandar drafted a letter to Rufus describing the day’s events.---------------------------------------The walk back to the Moathouse was a little more somber than the first trip.  No one cherished the idea of defeat…but twice in a row was too much!  The area where the party had fought the Cockatrices provided little in the way of evil creatures…in fact they were the only things in that area.  Hours of searching revealed a bit of treasure, a skeleton donning Lloth’s medallion, and a hallway with a dead end.  Frustrated, the group ascended to the surface and worked their way back through Moathouse’s main entrance.  A Grick guarded the entrance to the Moathouse dungeon, but was quickly destroyed by Strider and Aramek.  Merk’s unique knowledge of the structure allowed the group to navigate rather quickly through the dungeon.  Sure, there were a few undead creatures roving around, but Lathander took care of that problem quite easily.  In fact, the only living person they did encounter was a man by the name of Spugnoir.  He claimed to be member of the Hommlet community, but Strider refused to trust him.  Strider found his story to be completely fabricated.  Why would anyone want to take on that dragon alone?!  And why is it that if he was hiding none of the evil priests he described found him yet and we have within a few minutes of entering the Moathouse?  Aramek managed to quell Strider’s paranoia, enabling Spugnoir to go free.From there on out it was pretty simple: move into a room, blast the undead out of existence with Lathander’s divine might, and then wait while Lathander prayed for the souls of the vanquished in the very room he had cleansed.  Everyone was pretty disappointed that no priests inhabited the dungeon.  The only things of interest were a small pool in a room with used mining gear surrounding it and what Merk called the “Maze.”  It was series of tunnels that seemed lead in every direction…Merk cautioned against going in there, lest the party become lost.  Aramek’s thoughts pretty much summed up the party’s feelings:“This is wat I came duwn fer?  Skeletons and no treasure?  This was fun…thanks fer inviting me along with yers,” Aramek said sacastically.--------------------------------------- Back in the Inn of the Welcome Wench, the party was brooding.  Lathander had decided to eat dinner with the party for once so that they could discuss their next move.  The merriment around them did little to spark happiness in anyone.  There were many concerns that needed to be addressed.Merk: “Well, I think we should prioritize what needs doing first.  First, we need to figure out what happened to Eblis.  Second, we should be on the lookout for the man who attacked me.  Third, we should try to figure out where the priests went.”Strider: “Vesta said that she moved Eblis’ things to my room as he hasn’t paid for a few days now.  The militia doesn’t know where he went either…he just vanished.  His sword is gone, but the rest of his gear is here.”Lathander: “I don’t know about this Eblis fellow, but the main concern should be with the Priests of Tharizdun.”The conversation went on like this for quite sometime…everyone claiming different priorities over one another until Aramek put a stop to all the bickering.“Listen you bunch of jackarses!  Well go to bloody Nulb and that’s the end of it!  Merk said it’s a seedy town filled with cutthroats…well that would be the perfect place to find ‘em!  Now shut yer traps before I shut ‘em fer yah!”With that, Aramek got up and stomped to his room.  The Inn had gone silent; all the patrons tried not to stare at the party’s table.  Everyone agreed that the dwarf made strong arguments for his case…that or everyone was too embarrassed to continue talking in the Inn’s common room.While the rest of her companions went to sleep, Merk decided to visit Rufus before calling it a night.  It was fairly easy to gain access to the Keep now and even easier to find the old adventurer.  He was in the main courtyard tending to his roses.“Nice roses,” Merk said pleasantly.“I take it you aren’t here for the roses,” Rufus replied.“No, not really.  I wanted to ask you about Nulb and about any news you had.”“Nulb is a dangerous place.  Be wary of anyone and anything there.  Agents of the Temple are usually stationed there at all times, so try not to give anything about yourself away.  Speaking of bad news, it seems that Iuz has made his move against Furyondy.  King Belvor IV cannot spare any men for my suspicions.  His advisor; however, informed me he would pass the word along to all able adventurers willing to come to Hommlet,” Rufus said with a sigh.“Thank you for your time Rufus,” Merk said sincerely.As she was leaving, Rufus called out to her from his garden.“There isn’t much time left…something is happening…find out what is going on quickly.”</blockquote>

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