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Retro Story Hour: (Contact's) Temple of Elemental Evil 2!
- Thread starter Piratecat
- Start date
thpppt
(contact)
Explorer
Sorry, I haven't been able to get on the boards recently . . .
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Nineteen: A kind word is the common coin of peace, the sword is abhorred by all men of character.
(or, If you beat me up, my big brother’s gonna kill you.)
A search through the cleric’s belongings reveals a vile book (not to be confused with a book of Infinite Vileness, or the Book of Vile Darkness). This malign tome details rituals of gruesome and decadent Evil. Augustin instinctively moves to destroy it, but Heydricus holds him back. A closer examination of the book reveals the details of a ritual called the Sundering. It seems this ritual is designed to break the powerful wards the forces of Good placed on the Temple of Elemental Evil generations ago. In fact, notes written in the Abyssal tongue indicate that the ritual is scheduled for tomorrow, fifteen days before the Great Ritual of Ineffable Evil (not to be confused with the Tome of Ineffable Evil).
Heydricus is the first to grasp the implications of such an event. All the Temple priests gathering together in one place . . . Augustin wants to disrupt the ritual, and prevent the Sundering. Heydricus has a more subtle plan. If the priests will all be on the surface level conducting this ritual, who will be guarding the captive children?
After a brief debate, the party warms up to this idea, and settles in to their hideout on the 3rd level to wait for the ritual to begin. They rest, and regain spells, and are killing time telling knock spell jokes (“I cast knock” “What’s in the chest?” “Otyugh” “Otyugh who?” “Otyu guys going to do with those magic items?”), when a strange disturbance startles the party. A circular portal of glowing blue light appears at one end of the 10 x 30 room, and from just this side of it comes a lightning bolt. C’min and Ren Qi jump clear, but the rest of the party is hit hard. A pair of tough-looking wolverines appear next, and the party moves to engage the summoned beasts. Meanwhile, an invisible rogue creeps into the party’s midst and sneak attacks Augustin and Heydricus. Fortunately, he misses on both attempts, and as he appears, surrounded by armed PCs, the wretch mutters “f--k this”, and moves to flee. Pris is ready for him, however, and casts charm person. Bedazzled by her beauty and grace, the rogue ceases hostilities. Meanwhile, Ren Qi has been trying (in vain) to pound on a spellcaster that he can hear, but not see. The improved invisible mage knows when her goose is cooked, and teleports to safety before she has to face the Fists of Fury.
“Well, well, well, Mr. Murder-Pants, aren’t you special. Who’s your co-pilot --could it be . . . IUZ!”
The charmed rogue turns out to be a vile assassin, and crowingly admits to being hired by none other than Zinvellon himself to kill the party. The rogue tells the PCs that Zinvellon really “has a cobb up his ass for you guys”, and had attached this assassin to an Alu-Fiend sorceress by the name of Anna, with the explicit instructions to find and terminate the PCs with extreme prejudice. Anna spoke with dead on the (twice-slain) corpse of Romag to get a description of C’min and Augustin, then scryed the duo to determine that the party was camping in the dungeon. She then used repeated detect secret door spells to ferret out the Temple Dungeon’s secret places, until she found the party. With the assassin’s aid, and summoned help, she’d hoped to count coup on the heroes and advance her station in the Temple’s ranks. Sorry to disappoint ya, lady.
The party open their maps to the assassin and he helpfully points out that one of the secret areas the party has discovered is unknown to Anna. New base camp, anyone? The party quickly (and stealthily) relocates to the new hidden area, and licks their wounds until the ritual.
Heydricus and Prisantha want to use the talents, evil though they may be, of Pris’ new buddy to help rescue the kids. Pris promises the scoundrel 50,000 gp to aid the party. He agrees, and pats her posterior with a lecherous leer and a “anything for you, baby”. Augustin wants to kill him on the spot. The assassin is not intimidated, and begins to brag about his accomplishments during the Greyhawk wars, all of them pivotal murders. Worse yet, it seems the mystery of who killed the Viscount of Verbobonc is finally settled. The wretch ‘admits’ to it readily, and names his patron: none other than The Old One Himself, Iuz.
Augustin really wants to kill him on the spot.
C’min weighs in with the faction that would put the miscreant to use, and the party spends a tense few hours, the assassin regaling them with tales of his murderous exploits, and Augustin attempting to provoke a fight without overtly opposing the party’s wishes.
Imagine the relief in the room when the party can finally venture into the lowest level of the deadliest dungeon they’ve ever seen.
------------------------
Nineteen: A kind word is the common coin of peace, the sword is abhorred by all men of character.
(or, If you beat me up, my big brother’s gonna kill you.)
A search through the cleric’s belongings reveals a vile book (not to be confused with a book of Infinite Vileness, or the Book of Vile Darkness). This malign tome details rituals of gruesome and decadent Evil. Augustin instinctively moves to destroy it, but Heydricus holds him back. A closer examination of the book reveals the details of a ritual called the Sundering. It seems this ritual is designed to break the powerful wards the forces of Good placed on the Temple of Elemental Evil generations ago. In fact, notes written in the Abyssal tongue indicate that the ritual is scheduled for tomorrow, fifteen days before the Great Ritual of Ineffable Evil (not to be confused with the Tome of Ineffable Evil).
Heydricus is the first to grasp the implications of such an event. All the Temple priests gathering together in one place . . . Augustin wants to disrupt the ritual, and prevent the Sundering. Heydricus has a more subtle plan. If the priests will all be on the surface level conducting this ritual, who will be guarding the captive children?
After a brief debate, the party warms up to this idea, and settles in to their hideout on the 3rd level to wait for the ritual to begin. They rest, and regain spells, and are killing time telling knock spell jokes (“I cast knock” “What’s in the chest?” “Otyugh” “Otyugh who?” “Otyu guys going to do with those magic items?”), when a strange disturbance startles the party. A circular portal of glowing blue light appears at one end of the 10 x 30 room, and from just this side of it comes a lightning bolt. C’min and Ren Qi jump clear, but the rest of the party is hit hard. A pair of tough-looking wolverines appear next, and the party moves to engage the summoned beasts. Meanwhile, an invisible rogue creeps into the party’s midst and sneak attacks Augustin and Heydricus. Fortunately, he misses on both attempts, and as he appears, surrounded by armed PCs, the wretch mutters “f--k this”, and moves to flee. Pris is ready for him, however, and casts charm person. Bedazzled by her beauty and grace, the rogue ceases hostilities. Meanwhile, Ren Qi has been trying (in vain) to pound on a spellcaster that he can hear, but not see. The improved invisible mage knows when her goose is cooked, and teleports to safety before she has to face the Fists of Fury.
“Well, well, well, Mr. Murder-Pants, aren’t you special. Who’s your co-pilot --could it be . . . IUZ!”
The charmed rogue turns out to be a vile assassin, and crowingly admits to being hired by none other than Zinvellon himself to kill the party. The rogue tells the PCs that Zinvellon really “has a cobb up his ass for you guys”, and had attached this assassin to an Alu-Fiend sorceress by the name of Anna, with the explicit instructions to find and terminate the PCs with extreme prejudice. Anna spoke with dead on the (twice-slain) corpse of Romag to get a description of C’min and Augustin, then scryed the duo to determine that the party was camping in the dungeon. She then used repeated detect secret door spells to ferret out the Temple Dungeon’s secret places, until she found the party. With the assassin’s aid, and summoned help, she’d hoped to count coup on the heroes and advance her station in the Temple’s ranks. Sorry to disappoint ya, lady.
The party open their maps to the assassin and he helpfully points out that one of the secret areas the party has discovered is unknown to Anna. New base camp, anyone? The party quickly (and stealthily) relocates to the new hidden area, and licks their wounds until the ritual.
Heydricus and Prisantha want to use the talents, evil though they may be, of Pris’ new buddy to help rescue the kids. Pris promises the scoundrel 50,000 gp to aid the party. He agrees, and pats her posterior with a lecherous leer and a “anything for you, baby”. Augustin wants to kill him on the spot. The assassin is not intimidated, and begins to brag about his accomplishments during the Greyhawk wars, all of them pivotal murders. Worse yet, it seems the mystery of who killed the Viscount of Verbobonc is finally settled. The wretch ‘admits’ to it readily, and names his patron: none other than The Old One Himself, Iuz.
Augustin really wants to kill him on the spot.
C’min weighs in with the faction that would put the miscreant to use, and the party spends a tense few hours, the assassin regaling them with tales of his murderous exploits, and Augustin attempting to provoke a fight without overtly opposing the party’s wishes.
Imagine the relief in the room when the party can finally venture into the lowest level of the deadliest dungeon they’ve ever seen.
Mathew_Freeman
Adventurer
Charming an asassin and getting him to help them...only this party.
Great stuff!
Great stuff!
(contact)
Explorer
What are those monsters doing with our magic items?
Twenty: The first rule of conflict: What is done to you, return it tenfold.
(or, “I wand him dead! I wand his family dead! I wand his house burned to the ground! Hey, great wand.”)
The forces of wickedness, with mean-spirited cleverness, have sealed up all exits to the dungeons with stone shapes. Pris is not discouraged, however, and after convincing a wandering giant that she is it’s “bestest friend”, the over-sized under-minded goon smashes through his bosses’ best laid plans, and the PCs have an escape route. Pris points out the “treasure” in the bottom of the hole, and as the giant sticks his head in to look, the party jumps him, ending the big guy’s reign of stupidity.
The assassin leads them directly to the children, as promised. The children’s guardians, Ju Ju Zombies, prove no match for Augustin and Gnomer’s turning capabilities, and soon the party is able to square off with the real baddie: a Babu Demon. The fight drags out, but in the end, Good prevails. The children are herded together and out through the secret passage.
The first order of business once the Temple is put behind them is to kill the assassin. Augustin relishes the duty, and our band of heroes make short work of the villain. Hey, maybe we can fight 12th level monsters after all.
Gnomer runs on ahead to the hidden grove of forest gnomes, and meets with the camp’s elders: Eliad Pelgrin, a druid; Ender OverUnder, a ranger/illusionist; Fonkin Bastich, a cleric of Garl Glittergold, and Boddyknock Kicker, a fighter. Gnomer convinces his kinsman to shelter the children, but shortly after getting the orphans settled and fed, gnome scouts return with a report of a large Evil force marching this way.
Zinvellon wants his sacrifices back.
The gnomes and the PCs plot an ambush in a large clearing next to a lake. A pair of vulture-headed demons fly reconnaissance, and the party passes the word to shoot them first, with silver arrows. Two groups of enemy forces show themselves: a large skirmish force of bugbears and orogs, with a formorian giant in their midst, and a second force comprised of Dretches, a wizard, an orog fighter, and worst yet, a monstrous demonic spider, known as a bebilith.
The main gnomish force tackles the humanoids, while the PCs, bolstered by the gnome worthies assault the demons. The party gains the initiative, and Eliad calls lightning onto the wizard and fighter. Fonkin silences the wizard, and Ethel hits him with a stinking cloud. He must have borrowed Jespo’s dice, because his luck utterly deserts him, and he succumbs to all three spells.
Meanwhile, Augustin is learning first hand why most paladins talk more about fighting fiends than they actually fight them. The bebilith hits him with both sword-like appendages and a bite, destroying his armor, his shield and poisoning him. If this wasn’t bad enough, as he drinks his potion of neutralize poison, the bebilith scores an attack of opportunity, bringing him to single-digit hit points. Boddyknock charges into the fray, and Fonkin (“fonkin’ A main!”) tests the abyssal spider’s spell resistance, to no avail.
The gnomes in the other group handily bring down the giant, and lay waste to the bugbears (outnumbering them 3 to 1), but are horrifically mass charmed by the two vrocks. Vrock and roll, dude, demons rule.
Ren Qi and C’min sneak back towards the gagging, silenced, blasted mage to finish the job. The mage’s fighter companion charges toward the bebilith fight, intercepting the monk and rogue. Eliad sends a half dozen boars and wolves to aid the duo, and soon, the mighty X’im sleeps the eternal sleep, thanks to repeated stun / sneak attack combos from Ren Qi.
Prisantha notes the confusion and in-fighting amongst the gnomish ranks in the other melee, and moves to undo some of the damage the Vrock’s enchantments have done. Several spells later, she manages to calm the victorious gnomes, and restore some semblance of order.
The bebilith turns its attention to Boddyknock, and poisons him. A few seconds later, the valiant gnomish fighter lies dead. Soon thereafter, the Vrocks join the fray, and things look dire indeed. A faerie fire from Eliad negates one of the Vrock’s mirror images, and the party begins to whittle away at the beast. But the bebilith is a never-say-die sort of Abyssal monstrosity, and despite a successful ray of enfeeblement from Pris, requires all the party’s spellcasting attention to bring down.
The Vrocks key off on Eliad, and he is killed when one of them crits him with both claws, and drops him head-first in a very ungentle way. Fortunately, Ender OverUnder had the presence of mind to bring his wand of color spray and repeatedly blasts the demon with it, until Ren Qi and Heydricus can kill the beast. The second Vrock soon follows his companion, but before the party can celebrate, Crynnek, the wizard with the bad luck re-appears and hits the group with a circle of death. Fonkin is the only victim, and as he dies, the party leaps on the wizard, mauling him badly and forcing his surrender.
The battle is over, and the best news yet is that Crynnek, who spent the majority of the fight incapacitated from the first action, is still alive to be questioned. Heydricus starts things off on the good foot by breaking all of his fingers, then settles down to the real interrogation. But first, cut to . . .
Twenty: The first rule of conflict: What is done to you, return it tenfold.
(or, “I wand him dead! I wand his family dead! I wand his house burned to the ground! Hey, great wand.”)
The forces of wickedness, with mean-spirited cleverness, have sealed up all exits to the dungeons with stone shapes. Pris is not discouraged, however, and after convincing a wandering giant that she is it’s “bestest friend”, the over-sized under-minded goon smashes through his bosses’ best laid plans, and the PCs have an escape route. Pris points out the “treasure” in the bottom of the hole, and as the giant sticks his head in to look, the party jumps him, ending the big guy’s reign of stupidity.
The assassin leads them directly to the children, as promised. The children’s guardians, Ju Ju Zombies, prove no match for Augustin and Gnomer’s turning capabilities, and soon the party is able to square off with the real baddie: a Babu Demon. The fight drags out, but in the end, Good prevails. The children are herded together and out through the secret passage.
The first order of business once the Temple is put behind them is to kill the assassin. Augustin relishes the duty, and our band of heroes make short work of the villain. Hey, maybe we can fight 12th level monsters after all.
Gnomer runs on ahead to the hidden grove of forest gnomes, and meets with the camp’s elders: Eliad Pelgrin, a druid; Ender OverUnder, a ranger/illusionist; Fonkin Bastich, a cleric of Garl Glittergold, and Boddyknock Kicker, a fighter. Gnomer convinces his kinsman to shelter the children, but shortly after getting the orphans settled and fed, gnome scouts return with a report of a large Evil force marching this way.
Zinvellon wants his sacrifices back.
The gnomes and the PCs plot an ambush in a large clearing next to a lake. A pair of vulture-headed demons fly reconnaissance, and the party passes the word to shoot them first, with silver arrows. Two groups of enemy forces show themselves: a large skirmish force of bugbears and orogs, with a formorian giant in their midst, and a second force comprised of Dretches, a wizard, an orog fighter, and worst yet, a monstrous demonic spider, known as a bebilith.
The main gnomish force tackles the humanoids, while the PCs, bolstered by the gnome worthies assault the demons. The party gains the initiative, and Eliad calls lightning onto the wizard and fighter. Fonkin silences the wizard, and Ethel hits him with a stinking cloud. He must have borrowed Jespo’s dice, because his luck utterly deserts him, and he succumbs to all three spells.
Meanwhile, Augustin is learning first hand why most paladins talk more about fighting fiends than they actually fight them. The bebilith hits him with both sword-like appendages and a bite, destroying his armor, his shield and poisoning him. If this wasn’t bad enough, as he drinks his potion of neutralize poison, the bebilith scores an attack of opportunity, bringing him to single-digit hit points. Boddyknock charges into the fray, and Fonkin (“fonkin’ A main!”) tests the abyssal spider’s spell resistance, to no avail.
The gnomes in the other group handily bring down the giant, and lay waste to the bugbears (outnumbering them 3 to 1), but are horrifically mass charmed by the two vrocks. Vrock and roll, dude, demons rule.
Ren Qi and C’min sneak back towards the gagging, silenced, blasted mage to finish the job. The mage’s fighter companion charges toward the bebilith fight, intercepting the monk and rogue. Eliad sends a half dozen boars and wolves to aid the duo, and soon, the mighty X’im sleeps the eternal sleep, thanks to repeated stun / sneak attack combos from Ren Qi.
Prisantha notes the confusion and in-fighting amongst the gnomish ranks in the other melee, and moves to undo some of the damage the Vrock’s enchantments have done. Several spells later, she manages to calm the victorious gnomes, and restore some semblance of order.
The bebilith turns its attention to Boddyknock, and poisons him. A few seconds later, the valiant gnomish fighter lies dead. Soon thereafter, the Vrocks join the fray, and things look dire indeed. A faerie fire from Eliad negates one of the Vrock’s mirror images, and the party begins to whittle away at the beast. But the bebilith is a never-say-die sort of Abyssal monstrosity, and despite a successful ray of enfeeblement from Pris, requires all the party’s spellcasting attention to bring down.
The Vrocks key off on Eliad, and he is killed when one of them crits him with both claws, and drops him head-first in a very ungentle way. Fortunately, Ender OverUnder had the presence of mind to bring his wand of color spray and repeatedly blasts the demon with it, until Ren Qi and Heydricus can kill the beast. The second Vrock soon follows his companion, but before the party can celebrate, Crynnek, the wizard with the bad luck re-appears and hits the group with a circle of death. Fonkin is the only victim, and as he dies, the party leaps on the wizard, mauling him badly and forcing his surrender.
The battle is over, and the best news yet is that Crynnek, who spent the majority of the fight incapacitated from the first action, is still alive to be questioned. Heydricus starts things off on the good foot by breaking all of his fingers, then settles down to the real interrogation. But first, cut to . . .
Circle of Crows
First Post
Re: What are those monsters doing with our magic items?
This is probably the coolest collection of names on this board.
(contact) said:
This is probably the coolest collection of names on this board.
(contact)
Explorer
For Lazybones, with no further ado . . .
Interlude: What Mirror Shall Not Prove the Lie? Part 2.
(or “You look familiar. Didn’t you try to kill me before?”)
Jespo Crim and his illusionist entourage find themselves in the midst of a furious melee. Fortunately for them, the “Lady Anne” just couldn’t keep her hands off the help, and instead of fighting her 10th level bodyguard, they are facing a 4th level fighter, leading a band of low-level men-at-arms.
Anne, of course, flees as the conflict breaks out, providing one of the illusionists with a perfect opportunity. He creates an illusion of the Lady herself returning to the council room, and calling for a ceasing of hostility. This is effective, saving Jespo’s life, as he was fighting “mano-y-mucho-macho-mano” with Arik, Lady Anne’s formerly high-level bodyguard. The demonic Anne is forced into a re-appearance, making her a target for a dispel magic, causing her true form to be revealed. The Verbobonc guardsmen recoil in terror from the red-eyed, bat-winged fiend that was a moment before their beloved mistress.
Jespo announces, “I am in a generous mood! New saving throws for everyone!”. The gnomes seize the initiative and dispatch, once and for all, the Succubus of Knulb.
Arik Leglo is crushed to hear the truth. He has failed, ultimately, in his sworn task. Jespo cannily seizes on his emotionally distraught state to convince him that his best chance for redemption lies in bodyguarding Jespo. Apparently, Arik has not heard of Jespo’s track record, because he agrees.
Prisantha’s master is happy to help the cause, and teleports Jespo to Greyhawk where he recovers copies of his spellbooks, and personally briefs Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight. Well, not exactly, but he does give a deposition to the second assistant of Mordenkainen’s under-secretary. Which is kind of like meeting the Eight. In a way.
An associate mage scrys the PCs for Jespo, revealing them to be questioning some unknown wizard in a clearing awash in demon and gnomish blood. The mage teleports Jespo and Arik to the scene.
“I’m back!” Jespo triumphantly announces, surprising his party.
“Oh, Good Gods, no.” Ren Qi stammers, as she scrambles to keep the requisite 50 foot distance between herself and the bumbling conjurer.
Jespo and Pris put their conniving heads together, and make the suggestion to the evil wizard that the potion they are handing him will repair his mangled hands. But the joke is on Crynnek, and Zinvellon’s number one man greedily drinks a potion of truth, then proceeds to rat out the entire organization:
- From Chapter Seventeen: A Gnomish delegate offers to accompany Jespo to Verbobonc, where he can warn the people of the coming assault, and perhaps petition Prisantha’s Master to teleport him to Greyhawk.
Jespo and his Gnomish companions are, of course, greeted with all proper urgency and taken directly into the presence of the Lady Anne, Verbobonc’s new Viscountess. Remembering the party’s tales of the Lady Marie, and cannily recalling their suspicions, Jespo forms a plan. His gnomish associates don’t know him well enough to recoil in horror from the thought, and as it sounds like a kind of practical joke, agree. The delegates from Wonderville contrive to ‘spill’ a little holy water on the Viscountess.
Her flesh immediately burns, and the much-loved ruler of the Land cries out and accuses the group of being assassins sent to kill her. Now Jespo too, will get to know the rare experience of being trapped inside a stronghold full of angry, charmed soldiers and hunted by a Demon with the abilities to both read his mind and teleport without error.
Interlude: What Mirror Shall Not Prove the Lie? Part 2.
(or “You look familiar. Didn’t you try to kill me before?”)
Jespo Crim and his illusionist entourage find themselves in the midst of a furious melee. Fortunately for them, the “Lady Anne” just couldn’t keep her hands off the help, and instead of fighting her 10th level bodyguard, they are facing a 4th level fighter, leading a band of low-level men-at-arms.
Anne, of course, flees as the conflict breaks out, providing one of the illusionists with a perfect opportunity. He creates an illusion of the Lady herself returning to the council room, and calling for a ceasing of hostility. This is effective, saving Jespo’s life, as he was fighting “mano-y-mucho-macho-mano” with Arik, Lady Anne’s formerly high-level bodyguard. The demonic Anne is forced into a re-appearance, making her a target for a dispel magic, causing her true form to be revealed. The Verbobonc guardsmen recoil in terror from the red-eyed, bat-winged fiend that was a moment before their beloved mistress.
Jespo announces, “I am in a generous mood! New saving throws for everyone!”. The gnomes seize the initiative and dispatch, once and for all, the Succubus of Knulb.
Arik Leglo is crushed to hear the truth. He has failed, ultimately, in his sworn task. Jespo cannily seizes on his emotionally distraught state to convince him that his best chance for redemption lies in bodyguarding Jespo. Apparently, Arik has not heard of Jespo’s track record, because he agrees.
Prisantha’s master is happy to help the cause, and teleports Jespo to Greyhawk where he recovers copies of his spellbooks, and personally briefs Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight. Well, not exactly, but he does give a deposition to the second assistant of Mordenkainen’s under-secretary. Which is kind of like meeting the Eight. In a way.
An associate mage scrys the PCs for Jespo, revealing them to be questioning some unknown wizard in a clearing awash in demon and gnomish blood. The mage teleports Jespo and Arik to the scene.
“I’m back!” Jespo triumphantly announces, surprising his party.
“Oh, Good Gods, no.” Ren Qi stammers, as she scrambles to keep the requisite 50 foot distance between herself and the bumbling conjurer.
Jespo and Pris put their conniving heads together, and make the suggestion to the evil wizard that the potion they are handing him will repair his mangled hands. But the joke is on Crynnek, and Zinvellon’s number one man greedily drinks a potion of truth, then proceeds to rat out the entire organization:
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