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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(contact)" data-source="post: 1153" data-attributes="member: 41">31-- A Skull To Love, A Skull To Hate-- A Skull to Trade At Freedom's Gate.The alhoon keeps chambers behind the secret door, and they are lavishly appointed by any standards.  The party takes turns bathing in the cold pool, fed by an elaborate fountain featuring mermaids and alien octopi.  Even Skullf--er gets in on the act, as Thelbar is gratefully able to convince the gigantic simpleton to bathe.  Taran, exultant from his amazing feat, gestures toward the severed leg, and tries to intimidate the dripping wet giant.  Skullf--er is duly frightened, but requests the leg for himself, to use as a weapon.  Of course, Taran agrees.  After all, who could deny such a cute face?Thelbar orders his giant to keep watch during the night, and the party slips behind the secret door, taking their rest in the Alhoon's secret quarters.Once spells are re-memorized and all wounds attended to, the party moves out, Skullf--er in the rear.  Er, well, the giant is at the back of the group.  They come across a sight that seems odd for even this strange place.  A lone human skull sits atop a writing desk in a lavishly appointed sitting room.  As the party approaches, the skull speaks in a high-pitched squealing tone, and introduces itself as Murg.Murg has a tragic tale to tell.  Once a Waterdhavian wizard, he was cursed by a rival spellcaster to never die, but to live on as an eternally animated severed head.  "Of course, that was long ago," Murg says, "back when I still had my flesh.  Halaster himself brought me here, you know.  I think he fancies me."Murg claims to have extensive knowledge of Undermountain and brags that he has been a guide in this place for several bands of adventurers.  His role as a guide is enhanced by his magical ability to see through all deception, and his encyclopedic knowledge of the dungeon's layout.  Murg promises that if he is taken along, he can lead the party to their goal, and show them the way out.The group agrees to bring Murg along, as his true sight will no doubt prove exceedingly useful, but Taran makes the skull promise to remain silent while they move about the dungeon.  Murg promises to be compliant and helpful, a perfect skull companion, although he is a bit distressed when introduced to the giant by name."Merely an evocative appellation," Thelbar promises the talking skull.  "Nothing to distress yourself over, I'm sure.""Yeah, you're not his type," Taran says.Murg suggests a course that should lead the group to the northeast corner of this level, but refuses to remain silent, jabbering away about the minutia of facts he has accrued over the years.  Taran argues with the skull, and each time receives promises that Murg will remain silent."The epitome of stealth, that's me," Murg squeaks.  "Never one to go on when I'm not wanted, no sir.  Why subtlety is my forte!  In fact, I was once compared to . . .""Shut up now, skull," Taran says."Oh I will, I assure you.  Silence first, discretion always.  'The wise man does not speak, and the man who speaks is not wise', isn't that right Thelbar!  After all . . ."Murg's voice is muffled as he is stuffed into a pouch.  Taran motions the group for readiness when he spots movement up ahead through an open doorway.  Apparently, Murg's incessant babbling has attracted the unwelcome attention of some wandering monsters.  The party is readying themselves for this new threat when a pair of fireballs blossom in their midst, striking Elbis to the ground, and setting him on fire!"I told you to be careful!" Murg screeches from his bag.  "That is a fireball spell; material components sulfur and bat guano.  It's very dangerous, and casters must always take care when . . ." Murg is cut off as Taran snatches him out of his bag and throws him through the door at the mysterious spellcasters then slams it shut."That ought to give us a moment's peace.  Elbis?  Is he?""He's dead Jim," Thelbar says, feeling for a pulse on the cleric."Who the hell is Ji . . ." Taran begins, but the crackling boom of a lightning bolt interrupts him as it blasts the door into splinters and blows him off his feet.  Taran groans in pain, and struggles to stand before passing out.Suddenly, a projectile is hurled through the open door frame and Murg bounces back into the room.  "How do you like that!" he whines.  "Shuttled between hands like a common throwing-skull!  Why, if I had legs I'd . . ."Thelbar steps over the talking skull and raises his hands, fury in his eyes.  He spots a trio of snake like figures in the darkness beyond the door, and gets a better look at them when his fireball lights up the room.  One of the human-headed snakes falls with a hideous shriek, and the others intone abjurations to protect themselves, but they apparently forgot to ward against feeblemind.  As the second naga suddenly looses her train of thought in a most unpleasant fashion, the third decides that she's had enough, and slithers away in full retreat before Skullf--er can get a leg up.Thelbar immediately turns to his brother, and calls upon the goddess Ishlok to cure his wounds.  Taran rises, and after noting that the fight is over, drinks his remaining healing potions, restoring himself.  Thelbar is also in need of healing and soon the duo is without magical aid."Elbis, we hardly knew ye," Taran says, looking at the body of his fallen companion.  "You were a real bastard, but you saw the light eventually.  May the goddess have mercy on you and bring you back as a better looking son of a bitch.""What a great eulogy," Murg pipes up.  "You know, when I was a young man . . ." Murg probably finishes his story, but Taran and Thelbar miss the end of it as Taran punts the talking skull as far down the corridor as he can."We'd better get a move on," Taran says.  "Ishlok only knows what's coming for us now."The group, now down to three (four if you count the giant twice), makes their way onward, following Murg's last direction.  Before long, they surprise a trio of disreputable looking humans.  Taran is about to attack them when Thelbar holds him back."Brother, no.  These men are dressed in city clothes, not adventurer's gear," he says in Isenthanian.  "We must be near the surface."In fact that proves to be the case.  Something in the steely fighters eye convinces these men to parley, or perhaps it is the sight of a drooling hill giant wielding a severed giant's leg as a club, but whatever the case may be, the men claim to be members of a Waterdhavian criminal organization.  They tell the party that there is an entrance to the surface nearby, but the toll to use it will be steep.  When asked, they are aware that a blue dragon lairs nearby, but claim to never be troubled by the beast."If ya mean to go dragon-huntin', whyn't I hold ya pretty jewels while yer gone?" one of the rogues asks."Why don't you tell your master that we'll be back soon, and intend to be ferried to the surface instead," Thelbar says.  "Come, Skullf--er.  The end of our quest is near."The trio gird themselves with all the protective magics at their disposal, taking pains to ward against electrical attacks.  As they approach the area said to house the dragon, they are greeted by a beautiful young man, dressed in minstrel's clothes.  He pleasantly inquires as to the party's business in this place.  Thelbar tells him that they are lost adventurers, and asks how he came to be here.  The minstrel is evasive, and something about his demeanor sets Taran's teeth on edge.  Thelbar asks the minstrel to name his patron deity, but the man demurs, saying that worship should be a private affair.  That is all the suspicion Taran needs, and when the young bard reaches for spell components, he is ready.  Black Lisa snaps from her scabbard, and between Taran's devastating slices, and Skullf--er's clubbing leg, the bard manages only one feeble spell, which fails in its desired effect.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Metagame note: The giant failed his save against the bard's confusion, but since he rolled "act normally" two rounds in a row, the bard didn't live to see his spell befuddle the monstrous simpleton.  After all, bludgeoning fancy little men to death with the severed legs of one's companions is "acting normal" for a hill giant.</li> </ul>When the bard falls to the ground, a terrible mournful screech emerges from the corridor ahead of them and echoes weirdly throughout the halls around them.  As the trio moves forward, they are bathed in a blast of lighting so dense that all vision is obscured for a terrible minute.  Fortunately, their protective magics help them to weather the storm, and soon they find themselves sword-to-claw with a massive reptilian shape, its blue scales gleaming in the torchlight.Thelbar hangs back, letting Skullf--er and Taran melee with the creature, hoping to harm it with spells.  But the dragon proves resistant to Thelbar's magic, and his arcane energies cannot pierce the wyrm's natural magical defenses.  Things look dire, and Thelbar is planning to sacrifice his giant in a desperate retreat when suddenly, his confusion spell takes effect, and the dragon falls under its effect!Skullf--er also is confused, but as the dragon and giant trade blows, each one becomes unable to conceive of another course of action, laying into one another with club and claw.  This gives Taran some room to retreat, and he pulls back to his brother's side, and Thelbar begins to administer as much magical healing as he can muster.Within moments, it becomes obvious that Skullf--er cannot stand against the dragon, but as Taran charges back into the fighting, aided by blasts from Thelbar's wands, the dragon is overwhelmed, and falls lifeless to the ground.Skullf--er is grievously wounded, but alive, and the duo instructs him to guard the entrance while they search the lair.  There is a living quarter for the bard amidst the treasure, replete with trinkets that indicate that the dragon spent much time in human form, consorting with her human lover.  Along with the dragon's treasure, they discover the Fallen Star of Palatin Eremath- a gemstone so large and perfect that it must be celestial in origin.  The stone radiates a blessed aura, calming and invigorating the two brothers.  They gather what of the dragons' treasure they can easily carry and return to the bandits.The bandits are dutifully impressed that the group survived their fight with the blue dragon, but even still seem more afraid of their lord.  They demand a steep price in gold, but Thelbar has other ideas."Do you see the giant behind me?" he asks.  The bandits motion that they do, indeed.  "He is my thrall, but I suspect he would be much more useful to your organization here in Undermountain.  Take the giant, and lead us to the surface in return."The bandits confer with their bosses, and the deal seems agreeable to all sides.  Soon, Skullf--er is getting acclimated to his new home, and Taran and Thelbar are climbing up through a sewer grate into the Waterdhavian night.</blockquote>

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