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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Selm" data-source="post: 147814" data-attributes="member: 1592">Episode 10-2Episode TEN - Back to the Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 2(Fight against the HORDE.)- THE Temple - DMNote: This description is quite a classic, now <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />, for those whohave not played the first ToEE campaign this is the descriptionwritten in the module (T1-4) which should be red to the players whenthey arrive at the temple. When I read it I'm quite jealous as I'm notable to give you such a vivid image ^_^but I hope you enjoy the showanyway."The road leading from Nulb to the Temple is rutted and spotted withrank weeds - thistles, burrs, thorns, nettles, etc. Some foot andanimal traffic has been using the track, but it is not a busythoroughfare.As you approach the Temple area, the vegetation is disconcerting -dead trees with a skeletal appearance, scrub growth twisted andunnaturally colored, all unhealthy and sickly looking or exceptionallyrobust and disgusting. The ruins of the Temple's outer works appear asdark and overgrown mounds of gray rubble and blackish weeds. Skullsand bones of humans and humanoids gleam white here and there amidstthe weeds. A grove of some oddly stunted and unhealthy looking usktrees still grows along the northern end of the former Templecompound, and a stump of a tower juts up from the northeast corner ofthe shattered wall. The leprous gray Temple, however, stands intact,its arched buttresses somehow obscene with their growth of climbingvegetation.Everything surrounding the place is disgusting. The myriad leeringfaces and twisting, contorted forms writhing and posturing on everyface of the Temple seem to jape at the obscenities they depict. Thegrowth in the compound is rank and noisome. Thorns clutch, burrsstick, and crushed stems either emit foul stench or raise angry wealson exposed flesh. Worst of all, however, is the pervading fear whichseems to hang all over the whole area - a smothering, clinging, almosttangible cloud of vileness and horror.  Sounds seem distorted, eithermuffled and shrill or unnaturally loud and grating.Your eyes play tricks. You see darting movements out of the corner ofyour eye, just at the edge of vision; but when you shift your gazetowards such, of course, there is nothing there at all. You cannothelp but wonder who or what made the maze of narrow paths through theseedy courtyard. What sort of thing would wander here and there aroundthe ghastly edifice of Evil without shrieking and gibbering and goingcompletely mad? Yet the usual mundane sounds of your travel areaccompanied only by the chorus of the winds, moaning through hundredsof Temple apertures built to sing like doomed souls given over to thetender mercies of demonkind, echoed by macabre croaks from thescattered flapping, hopping, leering ravens.There is no doubt; you have come to a place of ineffable Evil. Still,it is most certainly a place for high adventure and untoldtreasures. It is time to ready spells, draw weapons, check equipment,and set forth into the maze of peril that awaits you."... I love the ending <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />but back to *our* heroes- still Earthday, 27th Planting, but near dusk -They arrive from the north, and at the nearest corner of thesurrounding wall a dark tower raises as if lurking from theshadows. But the dark will be a shelter for them as it is one for theveil of this place. They advance in the field to reach the middle ofthe north wall, there is no sign of activity raised by their move, butlights can be seen into the tower at the ground and first floors.They are now at the base of the huge dark wall, which surrounds thetemple. If it is partially crumbled here and there, no clear openingexists into its structure. But vines cover its whole surface and theywill ease their climb. Alahija, Rousing Fox and Diane are the threefirst to climb, using a rope with a grappling hook. After them, allthe others follow.  From the high of the wall, they are able to see the innards of thetemple fence. Some small greatly damaged buildings still stand nearthe big black structure, but it seems that only the guard tower andthe temple itself are inhabited. The huge temple is still in goodshape, all stained-glass windows are broken but the walls are stillnearly intact. Fires lights could be seems coming from into the templeitself. As they don't see any specific guard from their viewpoint,they go down the wall and start their "invasion" of the templestructure.They continue to stick to their organized plan and the "sneaky ones"take the lead (i.e. Diane and Rousing Fox, with a bit of Alahija^_^). They chose to clear the tower first, avoiding perhaps analarm. Diane stops several hobgoblins into the tower, they seem to becompletely unaware of their presence, and they decide to attack themimmediately with all their might. The door from the temple courtyardis not even locked. While Alahija and Lywen shoot magic missilesthrough the ground windows, Diane, Ezekiel and soon all the othersenter the tower by the main door, they rush on the hobgoblins,completely surprising them. There was four hobgoblins in the room,less than thirty seconds after, there is only four corpsesremaining. But the tower is not yet empty, and the surprise effect isnow finished. In a room next to the first, they find a bunch ofgoblins. Despite their fear, the desperate creatures attack them andthey are completely slaughtered, goblins are no match for them... these pitiful creatures seemed to be enslaved by thehobgoblins. Now they have cleared the ground floor, but they know thatguards could also be upside, silently they climb the stairs goingup. Rousing Fox reports that two more hobgoblins are on the firstfloor, they are awaiting them, with crossbows ready, but were unableto spot the stealthy monk. Ok, operation "clean the room" three islaunched, charge, doge two bolts and strike. Once again the monstersare easily dispatched. If only the temple itself could be as easy asits tower ...After this success, they meet outside the tower. They have to decidehow they will try to gain access to the temple itself. As, from theirgood point of view when they were on the wall, they didn't spotted anyother entry beside the main gate on the other side, they will have togo round the building, probably warning any guard on the way ...  They decide to split, to disable all the sentinels. Alahija andGandigoot (the two taller members of the party <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> ) decide to go tothe right of the building, while the others go to the left in a directway towards the main gate. Lywen, deciding on his own as usual, cast aflight spell and go up the temple, visiting the roof.  From there the situation was quite erratic (DM Note: over the tabletoo, as we switched from one group to another every five minutes tokeep the simultaneous time between them).Alahija and Gandigoot walk discretely to the west, towards a ruinedtower, of which only the ground floor seems to be still standing. Using the dense cover of the numerous bushes on the north side of thetemple, they are able to go unnoticed and approach the small building.During this time, all the others, except Lywen (who decided to cast aflight spell and go up the temple), went southward, on the east sideof the temple. They encounter three dogs, but the poor beasts onlyhave one round to bark before being silenced (by a spell of Ezekiel)and slain. After this ridiculous incident, they resume their advancetowards the main south gate.As I said Lywen decided to use his new powers in the form of a flightspell, as a transmuter wizard, it is quite his specialty. And, evenwithout a great training in flight moves, our wizard is able to "jump"over the big structure and flight straight south up the temple.  It seems good ?Yes, until Lywen is attacked by a gargoyle !  One of the stone statues on the roof of the temple suddenly animatesitself and rushes towards the fighting wizard. The creature is notfast, and hopefully for Lywen he is able to escape the first attack. Astrange dance then starts in the dark sky, a wizard pursued by agargoyle. After a bunch of rounds, Lywen has enough advance to try alightning bolt spell. The magical energy rushes from his hands towardsthe stone construct. But with a last moment escape, the gargoyle isable to prevent most of the bolt from hurting it. And the pursuitcontinues ...During this time, the main group cautiously progressed in direction ofthe main south gate of the temple wall. They are completely unaware ofthe strange moves in the sky <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> As always, Diane and Rousing Fox leadthe way. They spot four hobgoblins guarding the south gate of thewall, and decide for a silent attack. They hope to disable the guardsto be able to launch a surprise attack on the temple itself. Withstealth and skill, sneak attacks, arrows and a silence spell they areable to dispatch these scum without a cry. And they now approach thehuge broken doors of the temple themselves: the door of the Temple ofElemental Evil.But what are doing Gandigoot and Alahija?  They are near the westward entry of the crumbled tower. Voices areheard inside, which our two heroes identify as humanoids, probablyother hobgoblins. But they are not afraid a single bit, such lowlycreatures are no match for the two main characters of our story<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />. After a minute of preparation, Gandigoot appears into the dooropening and shoots a crossbow-bolt before going back under cover.Wooooo, this is heroic ;D. But this was a trick in fact and they werehoping to attract the monsters outside by doing it. Bad luck thistime, after some cries of surprise, the silence installs. And then aspell-casting chant starts, before they are able to react, a strongfog starts to go out of the tower and a huge voice resonates ..."Pitiful humans, how dare you attack such powers as mine. Now is yourtime to die." !!!!... and the real confrontation will be soon, in the PART 3 <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> ...... stay tuned ...----------------------------------------------------------------Episode TEN - Back to the Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 3(A *BLOODY* mess! Alahija is captured.)</blockquote>

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