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Message: <blockquote data-quote="James McMurray" data-source="post: 1059665" data-attributes="member: 743">Fearing the slime, the party sat back in Khaerleth’s library and thought. Several possible methods of destroying it were brought up, including using alchemist’s fire, some form of alchemist’s cold, destroying the outer wall of the tower, and even just diving through it in the hopes that the pool would heal their wounds afterwards.The group, with the help of Ignition / Inferno, found 6 flasks of alchemist’s fire and Toshiro volunteered to throw it at the slime. While they talked, they also explained to Regalin the path they had followed to here. When he heard of the Infernal awaiting him, he knew he could either hide within Khaerleth’s tower forever, or return to the creature what he had stolen, the legendary Codex of the Infinite Planes. He had sought out the artifact in the hopes of plumbing its secrets, even though many that had previously tried had been driven completely and irrevocably mad by the book’s mysteries. Now though, he knew his only hope of returning to the world outside this stronghold’s walls was to return the Tome to the misbegotten son of god and fiend.The blood red Pool of Pain sat in the middle of a large chamber at the top of the tower. Dripping from a point in space some ten feet over the pool was the clear viscous slime. It seemed that something prevented the slime from reaching the pool, as it draped over the pool in a 5-foot dome.In the hopes that whatever the dome was would break the flasks, Toshiro and the group went up. Everyone except Agamina threw their flasks at the slime together, but it just splashed straight through. It did burst into flames when it touched the Pool of Pain, but the momentary burst only destroyed a small portion of the slime, which was soon replaced by the remaining goop.More thought was given to how to get past, and Regalin came up with the idea of using a table as a sort of trough to redirect the slime away from the pool. A curtain rod and tapestry proved that mundane articles were immune to the slime, and a table from the laboratory was procured. One leg was cut off, and two others trimmed down to form a makeshift ramp. The table was manhandled up the stairs and placed under the flow. It did move the new slime aside, leaving only a small amount on the floor.Being the hero type, Aust volunteered to be the first to squeeze under the table and into the pool. Although it was a tight squeeze, he managed to get by without brushing into any of the slime. The moment his fingers touched the crimson waters, razor-tipped whips of blood lashed out of the pool and wrapped him in their harsh embrace. Kicking and screaming he was dragged into the pool, while his blood splattered the walls of the room. Fortunately he managed to avoid kicking the table into the pool, where it would presumably burst into flames as all other objects that reached it had.Wholly nonplussed due to the Pool of Glory’s gift of immunity to fear, Toshiro was the next to step forward. Although he failed to slip past the slim without touching it, it did not seem hungry for his non-magical flesh. He too was ripped into the Pool, where he joined Aust in the Pool’s agonizing grasp.Farlight then moved forward. He was not so dexterous in his bid to bypass the slime, and his hand went in. Before the pool could even grab him he began his horrific screaming, for the slime had completely devoured his hand. What he thought was pain turned out to be as nothing once the pool came to life and pulled him in. He too found himself caught up in an eternity of suffering.Agamina, seeing the horror of the pool’s hungry razor grip, chose not to go forward. Her brother, having searched the planes for this pool, was not going to be deterred. Without even waiting to see if his rescuers would survive, he slipped past the slime and into the pool.What seemed like decades of torment later (but was actually only several hours) the group was flung one by one out of the pool and into the room. Hurtling through the slime proved to be devastating to Aust, but he saw that those areas of him still wet from the blood of the pool were immune to the slime, and he quickly wiped it off. Farlight, perhaps because his magic was stronger, his body was weaker, or his luck was lower did not fare as well. His passage through the slime deposited his armor in a heap on the floor, sans its prior occupant.Toshiro was again spared the pain of the slime, but Regalin too was burned. Knowing they needed to get themselves out of the tower and back to Greyhawk where they could hopefully return Farlight to life, they decided to return the Codex to the Infernal. Aust carried the large tome tot he front door, and as he opened it, he heard the demon’s raspy voice call out. “Have you found the elf for me?” Before he could answer, the voice spoke again and the tome was ripped from his grasp. “Never mind. This will do nicely.”Casting about for any sing of the beast, all Aust could find was the lingering aura of evil it left behind.The group gathered up what little was left of Farlight and returned to Greyhawk City, where the temple of Corollan returned him to life. Taking a few days to rest and recover, they examined their new auras, now gold intermixed with red for those who had touched Glory, and blue intermixed with red for those who had touched Love.Once again ready, the group traded locations of pools. They first chose to take Regalin and Agamina to the pool of Glory, for they knew exactly where it lay, and that it was unguarded. However, when they gated there they were met with the sight of a 9’ tall solid platinum figure with wings rising from its back. In a pure crystalline voice the figure spoke to them, “Welcome. You wish to bathe in the pool of Glory.” Its featureless face scanned the group. “I see that some of you have bathed without fully bypassing the trial of virtue. I assume that you wish to bathe again with your friend, that you might retain the powers granted you by the pool?”The group agreed, although they were surprised to learn that the pools’ powers could fade. They were relieved when told that only those who bathed without proper trials would see their unearned gifts revoked.“You who wish to prove yourselves worthy of the pool of Glory must complete a task of Heroes. Gaze upon the pool.”Looking down into the golden waters, the constantly shifting scenes of battle and victory melted away. They were replaced by an aerial view of a large city. The view panned downward and dove, rocketing towards  a huge palace, which it entered through a gold-encased window. Before them, in the center of the room, they saw a great pile of pillows. Surrounding the pillows were human men and women waving palm leaves to fan the room’s most dominating feature. A bright orange snake lay coiled atop the pillows, but its head was that of a beautiful woman. From a hallway entrance, the heroes saw two more humans bring in a crying chest, held aloft with long poles. The crying got louder as the chest was opened and the Ha Naga’s head lashed forward, returning from the depths of the chest with a wriggling baby in her teeth. A toss of the head later and the baby was devoured, swallowed whole by the colossal tyrant.“A’strich has enslaved this city for millennia. Step into the pool and return to me with her head.”As they looked, they began to prepare themselves for battle. A’strich, the Ha-Naga, looked back at them and she too began to prepare, first by completely disappearing from sight.The group stepped into the pool but could not see her anywhere, even the invisibility purge of Farlight would not reveal her hidden form. Toshiro felt something lash past his head, and the remainder of the group entered. As they began to search, A’strich hurtled out of her hiding place under the pillows, and enhanced the dry desert air with her magics. The heroes’ skin dried up and their lips parched as the Horrid Wilting took effect.Aust charged forward and gave the beast a powerful smite, but was soon chased down himself by Agamina, whose mind had fallen prey to the Naga’s charming gaze. Toshiro’s warrior shout chased off many of the humans, and his sword felled several more, while Regalin’s bow took small chunks out of the scaly hide. Farlight unleashed a magical assault, but it was reflected by the scaly skin.Again A’strich’s magic struck out, and again the group attacked. Aust ignored the weak pulls of Agamina’s attempt to restrain him, and continued his attack on the beast. But every time his sword rained down his arm was shot through with a numbing cold and he was soon forced to stop and call for Farlight’s healing.Several more of the humans fled, and the room thundered from the mighty magics unleashed by the party and her foe. In the end, Good once again stood victorious over Evil. Returning to Greyhawk and then to the Pool, the guardian met the band. “You have proven yourself worthy, you may now Bathe.”Farlight, Aust, and Toshiro once again dipped down into the Pool of Glory, while Regalin and Agamina took their first bath. Once again they saw the annals of the history of honorable combat revealed to them, and their auras were strengthened.</blockquote>

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