shilsen's RttToEE Story Hour

[shilsen]

These are the collected journals of the PCs in an ongoing RttToEE campaign. I am not the DM in this campaign and we have not completed the campaign yet. Each journal covers a single game session and is written in-character by the player of each PC in turn. The journals were begun midway through the campaign, so I'll put up a short background to explain what has gone before. Naturally, there will be spoilers within for people who have not played using Monte's RttToEE module. Comments & criticism are extremely welcome. So without further ado, here is the background:

BACKGROUND

The original members of the party were hired in Verbobonc by Jolene (princess of Veluna & bride to Thrommel) and various powerful civic leaders to locate Prince Thrommel, heir to Furyondy, who had recently been kidnapped by unknown forces. They were also asked to investigate a potential re-emergence of the old Temple of Elemental Evil near Hommlet. Investigating the area around Hommlet, they visited the abandoned Moathouse (an ancient evil outpost), Nulb (also abandoned former bandit town), & the site of the old Temple. They fought troglodytes, various humanoids, undead, and even a young blue dragon. They garnered a lot of information about the re-emergence of the Temple in the vicinity of a town called Rastor, but no information about Thrommel. There were also rumours about a plague in the Greyhawk City area, caused by travellers from another plane (one of whom the party encountered). With certain members leaving, the party took its current form (other than Tink) and decided to travel to Rastor. Arriving there, the party found the cultists and followed them to their base in an old dwarf mine in an extinct volcano, Stalagos. Entering the Crater Ridge Mines through the less-guarded of two entrances, the party fought and destroyed an elemental temple dedicated to the element of Earth. Finding maps depicting much of the mines, including the locations of 3 other elemental temples & three bridges leading to a central island on the lake in the crater, the party continued onwards. Eventually they fought and dstroyed the guard-post at the head of the nearest bridge. At that point, the journals begin...

 

[shilsen]

Characters

Arwan: A scholar and necromancer from Celene, Arwan had to flee his homeland for reasons unknown to his companions. He met Joshua in Verbobonc and travelled to Hommlet with him, to both join the party. He has made it amply clear to everyone in the party that he is only interested in his own benefit, but remains a member of the party primarily due to circumstances and his undoubted ability as a spellcaster. Interests: Arcane knowledge (esp. ancient tomes), personal power & dissecting cadavers.

Brandon: The only surviving member of the original party. A worshipper of Kord from Irongate, far to the East of the Flanaess, Brandon had a dream and travelled to Verbobonc to discover his destiny. Young and impetuous, Brandon's solution to most problems is to charge it and hit it with his greatsword. That is why he functions as one of the party's front-line combatants, a role he is very happy to fulfil. Interests: Swordplay, ale and women, especially large ones.

Eranilor: A former teacher, scout and bounty hunter from Celene, Eranilor was travelling to Greyhawk City with his lover when a bandit attack slew her. Reaching Greyhawk & seeking work, he was hired by the archmage Jallarzi and sent south to Hommlet to join the party. Preternaturally calm and self-possessed, Eranilor uses his archery and alertness to deal with most problems. Interests: Literature, philosophy & studying various sentient species.

Gillian (NPC): A captive freed by the party in their adventures, Gillian now fights alongside his rescuers. Quiet and not particularly communicative, he is a useful member of the party as one of its two front-line fighters (along with Brandon).

Joshua: Young, naive, overweight Joshua is an erstwhile member of the temple of St. Cuthbert at Verbobonc. An orphan raised by the temple, Joshua never lived beyond its walls for any real period of time until Bishop Heufran asked him to travel to Hommlet and aid the party there. Events that have occurred since have shocked and amazed the young priest, and he holds to his faith as the only constant thing in a world of contradictions. Interests: Prayer, ale, and smiting the enemies of St. Cuthbert.

Tink: The newest member of the party, the little kender is fearless and happy-go-lucky, although both qualities are being sorely tested by her experiences in the Crater Ridge Mines. As the party's primary scout and rogue, she makes her presence strongly felt in combat and outside it, but often feels her position and opinions are underestimated or disregarded by most of the other members of the party (both due to stature and gender). Interests: Pretty trinkets and new experiences.

 

[shilsen]

Entry 1 (Eranilor):

Arwan - Elf Necro5/Alienist1
Brandon - Human Rgr2/Clr5 (Kord)
Eranilor - Elf Rgr2/Rog3/Deepwood Sniper2
Gillian - Elf Ftr6
Joshua - Human Clr6 (St. Cuthbert)
Tink - Kender Wiz3/Rog3

...after we cleared out the bridge complex (apparently the Northern Bridge Complex, from a note we found in the duergar's room), we decided to check out the surrounding area and make sure it's safe. Had to wait for a bit because Brandon wanted to give that weird beast (the one which charmed him) a funeral! Scared the crap out of the cook who was hiding in the kitchen when he busted in and set the thing on fire.

Anyway, we found a battle going on in another tunnel, between a number of Temple guards and a pair of owlbears. Brandon seemed to want to pretend to be friends, so we helped them out. Whatever his brain may be doing, our resident Kordite is definitely getting better with that greatsword of his. Didn't do too badly with my sword either, even if it's less than half the size of his. Poor Gillian spent most of the fight tangled up in a net trap that he triggered, with Arwan and Joshua trying to help him, although Arwan took time off to fire one of his magic missiles at one of the owlbears. He seems to be getting more skilled too, since now he's firing 4 missiles at a time instead of one. Racist or not, as long as he's pulling his weight in the party, I'm happy. Anyway, rather than the opposition, what was interesting about the fight occurred in the middle of it. There were a few crates around and suddenly this little figure (halfling-size) popped out of one and fired a magic missile (just one - not in Arwan's league) at an owlbear. Had a weirdly colorful suit of armor, red hair in a topknot, and looked to be in her teens.

I spoke to her (can't recall - or pronounce - her full name, but Tink will do) after the fight, and it seems she snuck into the Temple in a crate along with some friends, hoping to loot it (obviously she's a genius!), and emerged to find her friends gone. She's been hiding here ever since, and the Temple guys had been looking for her. No surprise that they didn't find her, since she's extremely quiet and stealthy (definitely has enchanted items on her), but I doubt she'd have lasted long if she pops out of her hiding place when she hears a battle going on outside. Arwan claims she's from another plane of existence! He may be right, since I know that infinite species do exist out there (that university education wasn't totally wasted on me). Funny how elves and humans (and, come to think of it, every species I know of) know this and still regard themselves as wonderfully important in the scheme of things. The more time you spend with supposedly sentient species, the more you realize that they aren't all that bright.

Anyway, after the owlbears were dead, Brandon spent all of 2 minutes trying to persuade the 3 surviving Temple guys that we were on their side, before losing patience and attacking them. Can't complain, since that's probably a record for him. We killed 2 and took the third prisoner. After that, we checked out the rest of the area, while talking to Tink. We found a barracks we hadn't checked before, presumably occupied by all the troops we killed. Picked up some supplies and a lot more arrows. We heard some growling heading in our direction, and popped into the corridor to find a pair of ten-foot tall apes heading for us. We knew there were cave apes around (mentioned on the duergar's note), so no surprise, but I'm curious where all these creatures come from. Anyway, turned out to be 4 apes (3 females), plus a big leader-type. The fight wasn't difficult, although Brandon and Gillian took some heavy damage (no surprise there!). At one point I actually moved up to take the big ape's charge, since Brandon looked like he needed a breather (possibly because I'd just shot him in the back by mistake - that'll teach me not to shoot while people are in front of me!). Thought I might actually blow my record of not being wounded since I met these guys, but still wasn't touched. Arwan summoned a 6 ft long weasel (don't ask!) during the fight, and Joshua did a single amazing blow on the ape that actually buckled its knees. He claims it's a gift from St. Cuthbert, which allows him to smite his enemies. I'm pretty sure every kobold shaman believes that he has special dispensation from his god (Kurtulmak, I think) to smite his foes, but as long as it works, what do I care?

After the fight, four of us (not Arwan or Tink) went and checked out the apes' caves. Didn't find any more, which is strange, since one would expect either a larger number of females and young (if they've been here for a while), or an opening to the outside, if they entered here recently. We did find some manacles (ape-size), and we know hobs tend to keep captive apes as combat backup, so maybe they were brought here. Haven't seen a single hob in here, of course. This place seems to produce more questions the further we go on. As Hamlet might have said, there are more things in the Temple, Eranilor, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Reminds me, I haven't read my Shakespeare in a while. I never asked these guys, but I'm fairly sure none of them will have read much (if any) of his works. None of them is from Greyhawk, but Shakespeare was famous all over the Flanaess. Arwan's the only one who's fairly well-read, and I don't see him as a drama buff. Guess I'm the only adventurer who carries a pair of drama books in his backpack.

Anyway, we found no more apes, but we did find 4 troglodytes and killed them. I'm a little tired of all this killing, but it's them or us. Also found some treasure, including a magical longsword with a wave pattern on it. I wonder if it has any powers like the earth-marked sword that Brandon used until the destruction of the Earth temple destroyed it too. We returned to find Arwan had disemboweled one of the apes (& talked Tink into doing that to another couple), to study their anatomy. I'm as interested in anatomy as the next guy (more, in fact), but leaving trails of ape guts all over the floor is not my idea of fun. Anyhow, we decided to interrogate the prisoner after that. She wasn't particularly cooperative, despite Brandon knocking her on the head a few times, but paid a lot more attention when I explained that I wasn't interested in torturing her, so either she told us something useful or I killed her. A couple of the others (esp. Tink and Brandon) looked at me a little funny when I said that, but I wasn't kidding. It's a little stupid to have issues with killing someone, but not have problems with sticking 4 ft of steel into someone who's distracted in combat by another opponent. Anyway, the woman (called Zoe) made out I wasn't lying, and became somewhat more cooperative, but she really didn't know much. So we went ahead and made camp.

I was still wondering what to do with Zoe, since I'd much rather give her a quick death, than leave her tied up somewhere to starve, but the problem was resolved while I was in reverie. When my watch came up, Joshua told me (Arwan and he had first watch) that Arwan went to check on the prisoner and came back to say she tried to escape and he killed her. I'd bet a few platinum pieces that Arwan's lying. I wonder what he thinks he had to gain from killing her. I need to talk to him sometime. Nothing happened over the rest of my watch. When Brandon and Tink took the last watch, I curled up with my Shakespeare. Not having to rest for more than four hours a night can be really helpful sometime, although I've always been a little curious about the whole concept of dreams and sleep, and how their lack may affect the way elves differ from other species. Maybe I'll get a chance to study up on that after we get out of here. That should be an "if", but then I'm invulnerable, remember?

In the morning, we headed off towards the north. There's no way I'm crossing that bridge (a map Tink had found calls it the "Air Bridge") while there are other troops in this complex, and I'm glad everyone else seems to agree. Tink's map said that there was a hag up north, before the Water Temple, and she said she'd heard cackling coming from the north on one of her earlier "expeditions" from her crate. Cackling! How clichéd can one get? We found a large cavern filled with a lake from wall to wall, with a boat drawn up on the shore. We left Gillian and Joshua on the shore and headed across. There was a large stone pillar sticking out of the water, so Brandon suggested we investigate it. There were handholds on the side, as well as a ledge, and as soon as we pulled up next to it, Tink hopped out onto the ledge. As she did so, a rock thrown from above landed next to the boat, rocking it. I looked up to see the hag looking down on us from a higher ledge.

When I saw her, I felt a strange weakness run up my limbs for a moment (and judging from the sounds made by the others, so did they), but it passed immediately. I quickly nocked an arrow and hit her, while Arwan also scrambled out of the boat. The hag immediately leapt off the cliff, clear over the boat into the water. As all of us scanned the water, she came up right below the boat and tipped it over. Luckily, I managed to hurl myself onto the ledge, but Brandon landed in the water. Before the hag could submerge, Arwan nailed her with a volley of magical orbs (apparently a new spell he'd been working on, called sonic orb), and Tink and I followed suit with a volley of arrows. The hag sank back down into the water, presumably dead. We pulled Brandon out, and I suggested trying to retrieve the body. I got the others to hold onto one end of a rope, and dived into the water in search of the body. I was half-expecting to find the hag alive and in wait for me, but figured it might be worth the risk. Plus I haven't had a chance to bathe since entering this place and I really felt grimy. Turned out to be worth it, since I had no problem finding the body, and the others pulled it up with the rope. Turned out to be wearing really powerful bracers of strength, so it was worth it. I would have liked to retain them, but Bandon suggested giving them to Gillian, and since he's the frontline fighter along with Brandon I figured that made more sense. If I'm lucky, the next opponent will be wearing gauntlets of dexterity that are stronger than mine! Tink, meanwhile, had climbed up the rock to the cleft the hag had been sitting in, and found a potion of blur and some nice pearls. A pretty good haul overall, for just a couple moments of tension. Even Brandon wasn't injured, which must be a record of some kind for us!

Anyway, continuing on...

 

[shilsen]

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[shilsen]

Entry 2 (Arwan):

Arwan - Elf Necro5/Alienist2
Brandon - Human Rg2/Clr6 (Kord)
Eranilor - Elf Rgr2/Rog4/Sniper2
Gillian - Elf Ftr7
Joshua - Human Clr7 (St. Cuthbert)
Tink - Kender Wiz3/Rog4

BEFORE THE TEMPLE…

It is all as Master Merik said. I feel the time of the conjunction drawing near. Soon the stars will reach the proper alignment and the walls between worlds will grow thin, the walls between us and the plane of imprisonment that holds Them. No longer bound by Their ancient pact with the Elder Gods, it is not a question of if They will return but when and, more importantly, where. I suspect that the prayers of those who dwell in the elemental temple, unwittingly or otherwise, will assure that They break through here. The proper preparations must be made before Their coming otherwise all is lost. Lacking the power or knowledge of their forbearers, the puny demigods of this twilight age cannot hold Them back. Once They have overcome the weak gods of this world They will begin a campaign of conquest that will engulf the entire universe in a tide of darkness.

This is how Master Merik explained it to me. In the beginning, before the Age of Dragons or Elementals, before any other thing that moved or breathed, there were only Them. After the Great War of Banishment and the chaining of Their servants, the Old Ones, came god-worship and the first Age of Miracles. After thousands of cycles the Elder Gods were forgotten and with their passing the celestials, the cosmic races that enforced their will, departed from the material planes, bringing the first Age of Miracles to an end. Other ages came and went. Some ages rediscovered god-worship, bringing about new gods and Ages of Miracles, while others were ages of power and magic, of fire and steel. Only They remain unchanged, for They are immortal and have waited with inhuman patience with the proper aligning of the spheres. That time is now.

THOUGHTS ON THE GODS OF THE ELEMENTAL TEMPLE

The elemental priests have no idea what it is they really worship and whose return they hasten with their prayers, but I think I have figured it out. The earth temple venerates the fertility deity known as the Black Goat of the Woods (a possible reference to an obscure satyr-god, perhaps implying she is his mate). The god of the water temple is the squid-thing that lies dead and dreaming in a sunken corpse-city beneath the seas of another world (though I still don’t understand why a water deity would be imprisoned under water). The fire temple deity would have to be Cthuga, the only fire-related member of the pantheon, meaning a confrontation with his fire-vampire minions is possible. Though the priestess of the water temple said the temple of air is the weakest I find that hard to believe. That temple’s patron is undoubtedly He Who Must Not Be Named, and I am loath to face anyone capable of bringing the wrath of the Unspeakable One to bear.

That leaves the Elder Elemental Eye. It is obvious this is only a guise behind which something else lurks as the others hide behind air, earth, fire, and water. There is mention of an Old One that manifests as a great, unblinking eye. I suspect the Elemental Eye is one of greater stature however, perhaps the Key and Guardian of the Gate or maybe even the daemon sultan himself. I mentioned the time of conjunction, and perhaps my greatest enemy is time. I believe I have deduced the identity of the other gods of the elemental temple and can make the necessary preparations, but I must also ascertain the true name and nature of that which lurks behind the mask of the Elder Elemental Eye before the conjunction, else all is lost. Master Merik is counting on me; he waits on the other side and I must not fail him.

THE FIRST CASUALTY

…after our confrontation with the hag (a creature even more loathsome in person than I believed possible), assailants of disparate natures attacked us. The alien halfling Tink, the gray elf archer Eranilor, the Kordite priest Brandon and myself were still on the hag’s island when combat began and thus spared from the initial assault. The first attack came in the form of noxious spells that did grievous damage to our two comrades, the elven fighter Gillian and the human priest Joshua, who had remained behind. Next came a raging dwarf (a foe-hunter of elves, undoubtedly) who immediately set upon a still-dazed Gillian.

My other comrades boarded our modest boat and set off for the sub terrene lake’s shore while I strategically elected to remain behind. From this vantage point I could better ascertain the location of the spell-caster behind the acidic barrage that melted armor and flesh alike. It was not a wizard that I noticed, however, but a crocodile of enormous proportions and baleful red eyes (a summoned fiendish specimen, perhaps?) threatening to swamp the boat. A magic missile distracted him long enough to allow the others to reach the shore and render assistance to the now prone Gillian and the priest human priest Joshua.

Between the Kordite and the archer the battle with the dwarf went quickly, though unfortunately for Gillian it was already too late. Joshua had also sustained damage, but remained conscious and was able to tend to his own wounds with priestly spells. The crocodile started to follow the others onto shore, most likely intent on first making a quick snack of Tink (thus robbing me of the possibility of a future dissection), whom in turn seemed determined to do battle with it. Another magic missile brought it back into the water, either to seek safety or come after me, but it immediately vanished from sight (not into the water but in the proverbial puff of smoke), undoubtedly returning to the hell-dimension from whence it came.

Brandon (in yet another example of the suicidal tendencies seemingly inherent in all Kordites) apparently saw the wizard responsible for the initial spell-assault and charged after him only to be cut down by the yet another burst of arcane energy. The wizard then vanished in the manner of his conjured croc. This is the first time I have seen the Kordite laid low. The wizard (for some reason the name Nelbor comes to mind) must be a spell-caster of no small power, and perhaps it is best I stayed on the island. I would be more than grateful for a glance at his spell-book, however, though the chances of that happening are about equal to that of a warm reception was I ever again to grace the exquisitely sterile halls of Celene.

The bodies of Gillian and the dwarf were disposed of in a most logical manner, weighted with stone and dumped in the hag’s (past tense) lake, but not before they were thoroughly looted. I can’t say I disapprove of that; their possessions certainly are no longer of any use to them, but I am obligated to wonder if, circumstances providing, the same treatment awaits me. If it comes to that, however, I will certainly be in no position to protest or complain, so it is not a thought worth pursuing.

I believe it was about the time the aquatic, frog-like kuo-toans made their presence known and presented us with a request for the pleasure of our company courtesy of their priestess-queen. Could we have fought our way past them? Perhaps, but sometimes it is wiser to “go with the flow” and see where events lead. As it was, we willingly accompanied them to parts unknown.

THE PRIESTESS OF WATER

We traveled for what felt like miles through the twisting streams that wind through the elemental temple’s underbelly (the distance was in fact about a hundred feet) before arriving at the throne of the human water-priestess (Kelashein) whom the kuo-toans revere as a queen. How she came to rule them in probably an interesting story, but as with most questions posed down here it will probably go answered.

Sitting contentedly upon a throne of stone that looked no more comfortable than a granite slab she radiated the aura of one who is accustomed to being obeyed, though whatever qualities she may possess that inspire such devotion in the kuo-toans escapes me. To one side stood of the throne stood a kuo-toan in robes (the wizard/priest Nilbool) and on the other an unusually large and savage-looking specimen, red-eyed and not a little fiendish in appearance (Oomkaan).

The priestess informed us she had been following our activities with great interest, particularly the destruction of the earth temple (thankfully, the Black Goat of the Woods is a rather distant deity), which she thoroughly approved. Furthermore, she invited us to accompany a group of her elite warriors, a strike force of sorts, for an upcoming raid on the temple of fire.

Acquiesce, attack, or simply depart? Again, we decided to simply follow along and see where events would lead. Aiding one temple against another, why not? A place of rest was prepared for us, and that night a feast was held. I refrained from partaking of the kuo-toan food or drink and I’m sure at least some of the others did the same. There were no strange rites or bloody rituals and I must admit I was a bit disappointed. Despite the efforts of the Kordite and halfling the night passed without incident.

While the others slept I continued researching the identity of the Elemental Eye. My incomplete translation of the Vandergast Heresies was no help. If only the League of Seven Stars hadn’t interrupted me before I could finish the translation. I have grown more powerful since then, and if we ever meet again… The book of elemental lore I took from the chambers of a dead wizard is also woefully inadequate. I’m surprised these idiots haven’t blown themselves up. If I escape this temple with my life perhaps I’ll return to the Emporium of Curious Wonders and acquire that greedy little gnome’s draconic translation of the Tnotikon Fragments. This time I’ll have the money to pay for it, or the power to simply take it for that matter.

THE TEMPLE OF FIRE

The next day we returned to the river-labyrinth and set out for the temple of fire. It was much closer to the water temple than I had expected, making the journey mercifully short. Among the kuo-toan strike force were the elite’s elite, the robed spell-caster Nilbool and a strange, unarmed fighter (“monitor” someone called him) who would eventually demonstrate the barehanded fighting skills of a trained monk (Urlurg).

Upon reaching the fire temple resistance was surprisingly light, consisting of a short battle with salamanders and a hellhound, with Tink delivering the coup de grace. A few bribes later (behold the power of cash) we stood in the massive cavern that housed the fire temple’s altar. As if on cue, a claw-handed fire-priestess (the high priestess?) stepped out of a side entrance to the cavern. Brandon, acting in his usual manner, charged the priestess while the kuo-toan elite headed for the altar, which sat on a pedestal in the center of a circular pit at the heart of the cavern.

I assumed Brandon would need help against the priestess, but Tink and a mephit allied with the water cultists reached them first. In the midst of their battle the mephit struck both Brandon and the priests with its breath attack. After that any illusion of camaraderie with the kuo-toans vanished, and I believe eventually attacking us was their intention all along. Brandon and Tink defeated the priestess with surprising ease, and then turned on the kuo-toans in their vicinity (who in all fairness had turned on them first).

Meanwhile, the kuo-toan wizard-priest Nilbool succeeded in destroyed the fire altar with some sort of scroll and I, knowing the consequences of the earth altar’s destruction, headed for the nearest exit only to encounter Nilbool facing off with Eranilor. I decided to attack Urlug with an Enervation spell before he could join the fray but missed (he was quite agile for a frog). With a great leap he vaulted over the chasm surrounding the ruined alter and landed mere feet away.

Fortunately (for me) he chose Eranilor as his target, leaving me free to deal the approaching mephit (whose true intention was probably only escape). A Negative Energy Wave spell dropped the mephit while the monk weathered it quite well. A volley of magic missiles had an equally miniscule effect on Urlug (a brooch of shielding?) but Eranilor managed to wear him down (in hand-to-hand combat with a bow!) and Tink again delivered the finishing touches.

Minutes later the fire temple did indeed begin to disintegrate in the manner of the earth temple and we fled…

 

[shilsen]

Entry 3 (Tink):

Arwan - Elf Necro5/Alienist3
Brandon - Human Rg2/Clr7 (Kord)
Eranilor - Elf Rgr3/Rog4/Sniper2
Joshua - Human Clr7 (St. Cuthbert)
Tink - Kender Wiz3/Rog4

My search for my friends have yet to yield anything but I fear that they may have met their end. At least in the mean time this new group that I have joined up with has proved very entertaining. The hag that we ran across was quite exciting, and the fight at the fire temple altar was exhilarating, but what came next has to be by far the most fun. Arwan turned us all invisible using a wand (which I would really like the chance to get a closer look at), and set up behind the curtain waiting for our chance to strike. Mind you, I of course do not need invisibility to move around unseen, but the rest of the group makes a herd of cattle seem quiet (well, maybe not Eranilor, he seems to do okay). It’s like this one time, in the mountains, Bigby and I were trying to get a good look at this group of travelers camping out, and I of course was silent as a corpse in the woods in the dead of night, wait, what was I saying? Oh yeah, these bumlookers had the nerve to stand outside the curtain and call us out!!! Can you believe it?!?! I figured the best move for me was to set myself up in a spot where I could easily slip in and take someone out, so I crawled under the bed and waited for my opportunity. You know, Eranilor seems to be not such a bad guy after all. He may be an elf, but hey, an elf is simply a few inches off the ears from being a kender right? Where was I? Oh yeah!!! So here I am, strategically positioned for a critical strike, when the enemy decided their best bet was to send in their dog. Come on I think!!! What are we supposed to do? Play fetch with the blasted thing? Why not send in a horde of kittens? Maybe a swarm of parakeets? I’m not too sure of what happened next since I was lying in wait for my chance to save everyone, but next thing I know…there’s some big bad giving Eranilor the what to...and well, I can’t have that going on cause let’s face it…next to me, he’s the one with the most sense!! So I make my move and head in for the kill, when Eranilor finally finished the ugly mug off. Huzzah I think, one less person I have to save. What would these guys do without me? I’m not sure what Awan was doing exactly, I guess he was somewhere sketching the dead, but let me tell you about Brandon. He was wrecking arse!!! I haven’t seen such skill since Bigby!! The dead were dropping around him like panties in a brothel!!! I for one was quite impressed. I did manage a sneak attack with a stunning shocking grasp on one who I am sure was one of the strongest foes we faced, but thanks to Brandon, there was not much else I was needed to do. As much as I would have liked it to be me, Brandon was the hero of this battle. Oh well, c'est la vie.

Now let me tell you of the folly to follow. We eventually find our way to a room with some kind of tombs or something in it, and Arwan darn near creams his skivvies!! Before either Eranilor or I could offer a word of caution, Brandon and Arwan start opening one of them, not noticing the substance covering the lid. I wonder what kind of dog that was they sent into that room? Where can I get one? It’s a shame we had to kill it. Oh, sorry, I was at the opening of the sarcophagus…. They found some dead guy in there (surprise, what do you expect to find?), and something else but I’m not quite sure what it was. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll get a look later. This group does after all tend to be a little careless with their things. Good thing they have me to watch their backs!! Arwan, Brandon, and Joshua , proceed to open another, and things start going wrong. Joshua and Arwan seemed to have contracted some sort of disease or something and it was eating away at their skin. We tried everything, but nothing seemed to help. Poor Joshua, he in no way deserved this! Arwan, on the other hand, may have had Ka come back to bite him in the bottom, but to see him suffer that was very heart wrenching. You know, he may not know it, but deep down, he likes me. He may look at me like a bug on the wall, but way down deep at the bottom of his, ahem, heart...(I’m sure he has one), I’m his friend. Just when we thought all was lost, Brandon had a little powwow with his god, and he told us some obscure blather about the strength being in the guardians. So what are the guardians you may wonder? Well, so did we. Here we are, carting around two unconscious friends that something decided to make a snack of trying to figure out what in the name of light Brandon’s god could have been talking about!! We end up trying to actually have a conversation with a giant bat, (hey, stranger things have happened), when once again Brandon’s god speaks up and tells him we are getting cold (isn’t that a game I played as a girl?). I think that we were all completely vexed at this point. We tried laying them on the floor between two statues, talking to bats, searching a sarcophagus, heck, I even considered amputation at this point, when captain caveman’s bashing instinct paid off. He started hacking away at one of the statues, and Eranilor and I finally pitched in to help. After destroying both, the spell was broken, and our two fallen comrades were no longer a tasty treat.

You would think that this would be a lesson learned wouldn’t you? Well ladies and germs, let me tell you…NOT!!!!!…..What happens when we come across another sarcophagus? You got it, they try to open it. The most Eranilor and I could do at this point was kind of share a thought of - what is wrong with these guys?!?!? Oh well, not everyone has the sense of a rogue. I do believe though, that the next room taught them a lesson. We wander around a bit more, and come to yet another room of sarcophagi, (what is with these people - doesn’t anyone bury anybody anymore?), and Brandon begs me to use the fireball wand to send a little light into the room. So I decide to make him happy and oblige. Brandon leads the group in (I of course kept an eye on the hall), and these things, ghosts, something, come out from everywhere. It had to have been the single most interesting thing I have ever seen!!! Weapons really seemed to have no effect on them. We were, in short, getting our butts kicked. As much as I wanted to maybe get a closer look at these things, I remembered one thing that Bigby taught me - if a kender runs away, she will live another day. I had many close calls before I finally understood this. Like this one time, on this ranch, I tried to milk that bull...anyway, never mind that, what was I saying? Oh yeah!! The group took its licks, but we managed to get out. I think Arwan finally appreciates my wisdom because he actually took my advice and used the wand of invisibility to escape a potentially fatal situation where he was surrounded by these undead. It’s a good thing for me too, 'cause I was just about to go in there to save him!! Maybe this group will stand a chance of living should something happen and I am no longer here to guide them….Nah!!