Plane Sailing
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The next morning, Crail is astonished to see a face from the past coming up the hill towards their campsite - a giant Negro figure. At first he thinks that it is the ghost of Sula, coming back to haunt them. It is only as the figure gets closer that he realises that this tribesman is male - although he bears an uncanny resemblance to Sula.
The man's name is Juma, Sulas' brother. Word had got back to him of her death, and he had followed her trail to Knightsbridge, and heard of the heroes of the town who had known her and been with her when she died. He had determined to find them and find out more about his sisters death.
After some time talking, the party inform him of their plans to attack the nearby moathouse once more and foil the plots which are brewing there. Juma offers his aid, to fight alongside these friends of his sisters and to do her honour.
Crail opens the box which was retrieved from a bedroom, and narrowly escapes the acid spray released as the lid opens. Inside there are a few interesting items, most particularly the remains of a journal of some kind. There are also a couple of potions, a couple of divine scrolls invoking the power of some other god (which are summarily burnt) and a carved ceremonial dagger with gold inlay.
The party, considerably bolstered with this addition of Juma to their fighting strength, make their way down to the moathouse once more. They scout around the outside and find no additional signs of entry or exit, so Crail and Juma creep down a second set of stairs to further investigate the dungeons.
Moving with great silence, Crail overhears the sound of a couple of gruff voices and the rattle of dice. Peering around the corner of the stairs he spies two large hyena headed humanoids gambling. He and Juma leap out and surprise the creatures, and taken by surprise they are quickly slain, although one has a brief opportunity to call for help. Nothing seems to come.
The rest of the party join them in this chamber, and keep watch while Juma and Crail head off down past pillars with manacles and a long row of narrow prison cells. The stench is overpoweringly awful, and as Crail starts retching from nausea a hollow faced figure leaps out from hiding and bites him. With horror his muscles start stiffening and within seconds he finds himself rigid with paralysis. The awful mewling sound that the creature makes is disconcerting as it claws and bites at Juma, paralysing the big barbarian too! K'tan launches a concussion from the edge of his range at the creature but misses badly, spraying stone chips as the mental hammer blow strikes the wall nearby. Lysander runs past the paralysed Crail, while Azrin holds up his holy symbol and cries "Begone, in the name of Asura!". The ghast suddenly takes fright and flees, running down to the last cell and shutting itself within.
M'ir goes to investigate an old adjoining torture chamber, and ghoul lunges out of the shadows as he enters, tearing at him with its poisonous claws and lusting after his meat. Lysander leaps in and swings the scimitar of suileman, which growls with power as it strikes the undead, cleaving it in two. Another ghoul leaps out and fumbles, falling at Lysander's feet and is also quickly dispatched.
A cursory search of the area reveals nothing else around, and nothing seems to have been attracted by the noise through the doors. After a few minutes Crail and Juma recover from the paralysis, although the shock of nearly being consumed by ghouls and ghasts may take a little while longer to go.
Azrin opens one of the doors which is apparently a cell, and finds a dishevelled prisoner inside who rants at them a little and then runs up the staircase and out as soon as he learns that the dragon is no longer there. The others are annoyed that Azrin didn't really manage to question him.
Another door is a disused storeroom, and a final door leads to a room with broken rubbish and a door on the opposite side. Arranging themselves around the door, Crail opens it and ducks down. A voice cries out "Freeze" and Crail finds himself unaccountably held fast. Two bowshots are fired at him before Juma reaches across and yanks him out of the doorway.
Lysander and the others pour into the room, tackling two Gnolls, while a priestess in ochre robes at the other end of the room attempts to cast other spells. M'ir remains in the doorway and starts concentrating on the priestess, and as the fight continues the skin on her face starts to blacken and char as he wills her body temperature to rise inexorably. The Gnolls fight Lysander and Juma and don't last too well, especially when one ends up flanked four ways. The priestess retreats up the stairs and Crail pursues her closely. She manages to get off one healing spell but M'irs continued concentration sears her face once again. Desperately she knocks Crail back, sending him tumbling down the stairs, and she legs it up the stairs.
The man's name is Juma, Sulas' brother. Word had got back to him of her death, and he had followed her trail to Knightsbridge, and heard of the heroes of the town who had known her and been with her when she died. He had determined to find them and find out more about his sisters death.
After some time talking, the party inform him of their plans to attack the nearby moathouse once more and foil the plots which are brewing there. Juma offers his aid, to fight alongside these friends of his sisters and to do her honour.
Crail opens the box which was retrieved from a bedroom, and narrowly escapes the acid spray released as the lid opens. Inside there are a few interesting items, most particularly the remains of a journal of some kind. There are also a couple of potions, a couple of divine scrolls invoking the power of some other god (which are summarily burnt) and a carved ceremonial dagger with gold inlay.
The party, considerably bolstered with this addition of Juma to their fighting strength, make their way down to the moathouse once more. They scout around the outside and find no additional signs of entry or exit, so Crail and Juma creep down a second set of stairs to further investigate the dungeons.
Moving with great silence, Crail overhears the sound of a couple of gruff voices and the rattle of dice. Peering around the corner of the stairs he spies two large hyena headed humanoids gambling. He and Juma leap out and surprise the creatures, and taken by surprise they are quickly slain, although one has a brief opportunity to call for help. Nothing seems to come.
The rest of the party join them in this chamber, and keep watch while Juma and Crail head off down past pillars with manacles and a long row of narrow prison cells. The stench is overpoweringly awful, and as Crail starts retching from nausea a hollow faced figure leaps out from hiding and bites him. With horror his muscles start stiffening and within seconds he finds himself rigid with paralysis. The awful mewling sound that the creature makes is disconcerting as it claws and bites at Juma, paralysing the big barbarian too! K'tan launches a concussion from the edge of his range at the creature but misses badly, spraying stone chips as the mental hammer blow strikes the wall nearby. Lysander runs past the paralysed Crail, while Azrin holds up his holy symbol and cries "Begone, in the name of Asura!". The ghast suddenly takes fright and flees, running down to the last cell and shutting itself within.
M'ir goes to investigate an old adjoining torture chamber, and ghoul lunges out of the shadows as he enters, tearing at him with its poisonous claws and lusting after his meat. Lysander leaps in and swings the scimitar of suileman, which growls with power as it strikes the undead, cleaving it in two. Another ghoul leaps out and fumbles, falling at Lysander's feet and is also quickly dispatched.
A cursory search of the area reveals nothing else around, and nothing seems to have been attracted by the noise through the doors. After a few minutes Crail and Juma recover from the paralysis, although the shock of nearly being consumed by ghouls and ghasts may take a little while longer to go.
Azrin opens one of the doors which is apparently a cell, and finds a dishevelled prisoner inside who rants at them a little and then runs up the staircase and out as soon as he learns that the dragon is no longer there. The others are annoyed that Azrin didn't really manage to question him.
Another door is a disused storeroom, and a final door leads to a room with broken rubbish and a door on the opposite side. Arranging themselves around the door, Crail opens it and ducks down. A voice cries out "Freeze" and Crail finds himself unaccountably held fast. Two bowshots are fired at him before Juma reaches across and yanks him out of the doorway.
Lysander and the others pour into the room, tackling two Gnolls, while a priestess in ochre robes at the other end of the room attempts to cast other spells. M'ir remains in the doorway and starts concentrating on the priestess, and as the fight continues the skin on her face starts to blacken and char as he wills her body temperature to rise inexorably. The Gnolls fight Lysander and Juma and don't last too well, especially when one ends up flanked four ways. The priestess retreats up the stairs and Crail pursues her closely. She manages to get off one healing spell but M'irs continued concentration sears her face once again. Desperately she knocks Crail back, sending him tumbling down the stairs, and she legs it up the stairs.
