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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Morrow" data-source="post: 3335493" data-attributes="member: 301">Session 26B and 27A – Porphyry House HorrorWilarue the undead succubus proved a valuable, if reluctant, informant.  The Yuan-ti of Porphyry House were lead by a halfblood named Wulvera.  She had developed demon’s breath, a drug which temporarily turned those who took it into murderous half-fiends.  Porphyry House was scheduled to hold an invitation only orgy in a few days.  Wulvera intended to sacrifice her guests to her demonic patron and use the resulting energy, combined with the drug, to turn everyone in Freeport permanently into fiendish creatures.Bronson argued not only that the Yuan-ti of Porphyry House must be destroyed, but that no information or samples of the drug should be turned over to Kedward Bone.  Such was Bronson’s antipathy for the drug lord that he managed to sway the party toward turning on the wizard and eliminating him once the Yuan-ti have been dealt with.Wilarue revealed that in addition to the Yuan-ti guards, most of whom the party had killed, Porphyry House was guarded by stone golems and several demons, including ape-like Bar-Lgura, a demonic construct called a Retriever, and an Orlath demon named Arathanthus.  The forces of Porphyry House were lead by Wulvera and three Yuan-ti abomination clerics, one of which the party had already killed.  Wilarue did not rate the party’s chances of success very highly, assuring them repeatedly that they would die horribly.  She admitted that Arathantus was probably even now scrying on the group.  If the party did not strike soon the Yuan-ti and demon’s would undoubtedly bring the fight to them.Under close examination the succubus revealed that there was a back door to Porphyry House, a tunnel that lead out in a small cove north of Freeport.  The party rested, prepared, and the next morning set out in search of the tunnel.  With Wilarue’s help they found it, carefully disguised by an illusionary wall.  Little was said as the party grimly stepped through the wall and into the dark tunnel beyond.The tunnel ran for nearly a mile before Wilarue motioned Tavaari, in the lead, to stop.  “Go no further,” she explained, “The secret door is here.  Further down the tunnel are a series of deadly traps.”Wilarue lead them to a huge dark chamber, its opposite end obscured in shadow.  Close at hand an iron spiral staircase climbed up beyond their light.  “Here it begins,” said Wilarue, pleasure evident in her voice.  Out of the darkness stepped an enormous metal spider, twice as tall as a human, its forelegs ending in massive cleavers.  Four bulbous eyes, malevolent gleam in each one, rose out of its carapace.  Flanking it were a pair of ape-like demons with blood red fir and gleaming fangs.Tavaari called forth a fireball.  The retriever stood unmoving, letting the flames wash over its metallic hide.  The Bar-Lgura dodged nimbly aside.  They appeared quite agile and somewhat resistant to flame.  They blinked out, one reappearing right next to Tavaari and quickly tearing into him with its wicked claws.  The other did not reappear.  Bronson spoke a few words of power and made a decisive gesture and the Retriver disappeared, dismissed back to its native plane.  The party let out a sigh of relief.  Left alone, the remaining Bar-Lgura did not last long.The party soon found a stairway leading deep into the bowels of the earth.  The walls and stairs were slick with slime.  Nate, Bronson, Tavaari, and Miranda drank potions of spider climb while Sully and Queg were enchanted with the ability to fly.  Only Jack was left to make his way down the treacherous steps unaided.  His superb balance served him well as he made the treacherous journey down, down, down. *    *    *    *    *At the bottom of the stairs the party found an immense cavern carved to mimic a cathedral.  The walls and ceiling were inlaid with porphyry tiles and festooned with crude fetishes.  The floor was hidden by tick algae-choked water.  A low island dominated the center of the chamber.  A trio of Yuan-ti abominations stood before a gore splattered altar in the shadow of an immense statue of a two headed tentacled monster.  Two of the abominations were armed and armored like the one the party had battled the day before.  The final abomination wore no armor and carried only a longbow.  His head, arms, and chest were covered with a network of fresh scars and his coloration and features were disturbingly similar to the cleric who had fallen to Sully’s blade the day before.Lurking behind the statue were a trio of apelike Bar-Lgura.  Floating nearby wise a heavily scaled female half-blood Yuan-ti, wearing a diaphanous gown and clearly armed with powerful magic.  Three gemstones floated lazily in the air around her head and she bore a wiked looking scimitar in one hand.  This was Wulvera.The party moved to attack, but they had hardly advanced into the room when Arathanthus rose from the his hiding place beneath the water.  The Orlath demon was a great slug-like creature with eight arms grasping deadly blades and two undulating necks topped with the heads of apes.  As he rose into view, dripping slime and foul water he spoke a single word.  It was not in any language any of them understood, but the blasphemous utterance shook them to the core, leaving them dazed and weak.  Jack found himself completely unable to move.Nate, who clung to the ceiling outside the range of Arathanthus’ magic, moved to draw fire away from his allies.  He succeeded, perhaps too well, weathering a withering series of spells and arrows from the abomination clerics.  Only his keen reflexes and the forethought that had inspired him to imbibe a potion of protection from arrows before the battle protected him from grievous wounds.Sully, dazed but still able to defend herself, attempted to ward off a series of blows from Arathanthus.  Wulvera moved to touch Bronson, draining his health and vitality.The party came to their senses and sprang into action.  Sully went head to head with Arathanthus, striking mighty blows against the demon while dodging a rain of steel from his many blades.  The orlath demon was further bolstered by one of the abomination clerics who stayed nearby healing his wounds.Tavaari was momentarily held, but overcame the Yuan-ti’s enchantment and responded by blanketing the field with fireballs and scorching rays.  Nate provided support, skittering along the ceiling and harrying his opponents.Bronson survived a brutal attack from the Yuan-ti’s halfblood leader, Wulvera, and responded with an effective series of attacks of his own, battering Wulvera and Arathanthus with a flame strike.Queg ably assisted Sully against Arathanthus, skewering the orlath demon with his harpoon.  Thereafter he turned his attention to the abomination clerics, raining arrows down upon the field of battle, but had difficulty piercing their thick hide and armor.Wilarue proved a potent ally, charming two of the Bar-Lguras, effectively removing them from the battle, and even making a devastating series of attacks against one of the abomination clerics with her claws.  Miranda, too, truly proved her worth.  Her haste spell proved decisive, and a well timed ice storm successfully drove off the last Bar-Lgura and scattered the abomination clerics.Soon Sully shook off the weakness caused by Arathanthus’ blasphemy spell and struck him down.  Wulvera chose Sully’s moment of distraction to strike her from behind.  When her desperate ploy failed Wulvera herself fell beneath Sully’s blade.One of the abomination clerics, separated from his fellows by Miranda’s ice storm and harried by Tavaari’s scorching raysattempted to dispel the rogue’s spider climb and bring him within reach.  Ironically, the dispelling removed Tavaari’s protection from evil abjuration, but had no effect on the magic allowing the half-elf to cling to the ceiling.  With Tavaari firmly out of reach and most of his ranged attacks expended the abomination cleric ultimately fell to the rogue’s attacks.The abomination cleric which had supported Arathanthus decided to neutralize the threat posed by Sully’s brutal attack.  He used his psionic power on the warrior to create in her mind a potent aversion to serpents in general and Yuan-ti in particular.  Sully found herself unable to approach her foes.  The cleric may have underestimated Sully’s companions, however.  Immediately after removing her from the battle field he was nearly felled by Bronson’s slay living spell.  While the abomination survived the potent magical attack he was considerably weakened, and soon fell to the concerted attacks of the rest of the party.Bronson and Tavaari lead the charge against the final Yuan-ti.  Tavaari imbibed a potion of fly and moved to attack.  Unfortunately his tactic brought him close enough for the Yuan-ti to use his natural baleful polymorph ability.  Tavaari was unable to resist the potent ability and was instantly turned into a serpent.  Determined to end the battle Bronson cast one of the most potent spells in his arsenal, harm.  The cleric leapt from the ceiling overhead and landed squarely on the Yuan-ti cleric.  Upon contact the spell snuffed out the abomination's life.The party paused, silently peering through the shadows of the unholy cavern, not quite believing that all of their foes had been defeated.  What god had smiled upon them this day, to lead them to victory in such an awful place?Bronson quickly retrieved serpent-Tavaari and used a break enchantment spell to return him to his natural form.  When they pulled Jack from the water his legs were covered with tiny snake bites and he had begun to swell from the venom.  He would live, but he would be very sick.  The party gathered the treasures of their fallen foes, picked up their fallen companion, and began the long trek back to the surface. Supporting CastArathanthus – Orlath demon (dead)Wilarue - Undead succubusWulvera – Halfblood yuan-ti bard, Thrall of Demogorgon (dead)</blockquote>

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