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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rhenny" data-source="post: 5749387" data-attributes="member: 18333">11th Session - 12/10/11The party emerged from the basement of Gander’s Store back to the streets of Kirisk.  It was about 3 pm, and at city hall, they were able to gain audience with Lil Galbraith, the mayor.  They spoke for a while and the group drew a map of the underground sewerway as they shared stories of their victories down below.  Lil was happy that the party defeated the Hobgoblins, and since they had the map and they knew where the other end of the sewerway opened, the constable decided to send some men out to watch over the exit in case more Hobgoblins planned to return.  Lil gave the party 400 gp, and some ritual scrolls (Create Holy Water, Last Sight Vision, and Detect Secret Doors).  Lil invited the party to stay, but the group felt obligated to do some shopping to gain back ritual components, and then leave town as soon as possible to continue toward the Monastery on the Cliffs. (Secretly,  Karayk had spoken to the party and felt that perhaps they did bring misfortune to the town by bringing the Rune Box here, so his guilt played upon him and he above all wanted to leave town quickly). Before leaving, Lil also gave the party a new horse to replace the camel that Karayk used to ride.Spending about 300 gp, the group replenished supplies with enough components to cast all of their rituals three times.  Karayk spent some time scribing the Create Holy Water and Last Sight Vision into his ritual spell book, and Xaxis copied Detect Secret Doors into his.  Then, just a few hours from town, the group found a quiet area to camp for the night.That night was uneventful, so Karayk took the opportunity to brew and prepare 4 healing potions using components he had purchased.  He also distilled the Carrion Crawler poison into two doses of Carrion Crawler poison that could be applied to weapons (each lasting for two attacks).  He gave each party member one of the healing potions and gave Grimgold and Geyorg the poison.   Additionally, Karyak and Xaxis took a quick look at the Rune Box to see if it had changed, and it seemed slightly brighter and hotter than before.  Since Xaxis had copied down the runes and had been studying them over the past few days, he was able to determine more about the box.  He was sure that it was a warded box that could only be opened by a specific ritual.  He also detected another magic inside the box, not evil, but powerful.Early next morning after everyone was rested, the party continued North West toward the mountains that would lead them to the crossroads splitting to the North (toward the fabled Bridge of Iben Ja, and the Raven Road), and the Northwest road toward the Monastery.   After a few hours travel, they came to a mountain pass where they saw a strange mound of earth in the middle of the road.  They could see from a distance that there was a human body half buried sticking out of the mound, head and shoulders upwards.  They dismounted and drew near.  Then Karyak stepped around to look at the face of the corpse, and he realized it was Lady Saterly.  She was cut badly and seemed as if she was drained of blood, but there were no puncture marks on her neck.  The party unburied her and brought her body to the side of the road.  Then Karyak used his Last Sight ritual and was able to see the last 15 seconds of her life.  She was attacked by a stony demonoid creature who used magic to entomb her in the earth.  Then, when she was able to wiggle out slightly, it clawed her mercilessly Finally, before she was free from the mound, it put its own mouth to her face and sucked out her last breath.  The vision shocked Karayk and the rest of the group.  They decided to perform Gentle Repose and put Lady Saterly’s body into their bag of holding.  Perhaps they would be able to take her to Targus and the Mage Trust could help eventuallly.   Just then, the party felt the ground shake near them and the Terraguhl Assassin that killed Lady Saterly burrowed up behind Karyak and uttered draconic words from the underworld.   Xaxis could understand this spell and realized that the creature was trying to entomb Karyak.  In a split second, Karyak was buried in the earth, blinded and restrained.  Then the Assassin moved to attack Grimgold, slashing with its razor claws.  The party sprang to action and used some of their most potent attacks successfully.  Geyorg vaulted over the creature and connected with his handspring attack, and Grimgold chopped it with a nasty Villain’s Menace that dug deep into the stony creature’s hide.  Xaxis was able to send a sheet of flames out to scorch the Terraguhl, and the group battled for their lives.Unfortunately, Karyak was unable to act, and unable to unbury himself the next round, so the group kept up its attacks for another round.  Even though the Terraghul seemed to have nearly impenetrable skin, the group did land a few more blows.  Each round, the Terraghul burrowed under the ground and reappeared behind another victim, but after a few rounds, it burrowed down and did not return.  By that time, Karyak was half out of the mound, and with help from the others he was able to extricate himself completely and heal Grimgold.   At that point, Karyak decided to make some holy water in case they needed to bless their weapons against the possible return of the Terraghul.  With that done, the party continued up the mountain.Soon they passed the crossroads and they continued toward the monastery.  After the day was over, they found a defensible, rocky area to camp for the night.  On second watch, when Grimgold was on guard, the Terraguhl returned, and tried to entomb Grimgold, but Grim resisted.  The commotion woke the others and the party attacked the stony, undead, demonoid as best they could.  This time, the group’s attacks seemed less effective, often bouncing off the creature’s rock-like skin, but finally, Xaxis launched a magical energy missle, and it hit the creature square in the chest, smiting it for good.    After healing, the party inspected the fallen beast, but it carried nothing.  According to Karyak and Xaxis this creature was summoned to this world from the Shadowfell to perform a task.  The party thought that the creature was hunting Lady Saterly, but perhaps it was also hunting them.  The way it left Lady Saterly in the road suggested that it was fishing for others.  After cleaning their weapons, the party was able to finish their watches and sleep undisturbed.300 xp for each PC.  Good roleplaying session and the plot thickens.</blockquote>

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