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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wraithdrit" data-source="post: 757448" data-attributes="member: 10820">Session 2 (Cont)The party had found a good spot to camp on the northern edge of the city, up in the rough rocky hills. They sent Tanerus off to scout, and settled in for a long chilly spring evening with no fire.Tanerus perched at the edge of a tall cliff looking down at the city. Torches surrounded the Zhentarim camp, and guards where posted and patrolling. The other camp was much harder to see from here, and had many fewer torches lit. The halfling switched his attention back to the main camp and saw several riders cut out from the camp at a hard ride. He watched as they took the main path through the city, and eventually dissappeared to the north along the caravan track.Ensuring that his magic ring was snuggly in place, Tanerus pulled forth his magic cloak and lept from the cliffs edge. The rings make took hold of him and he glided safely to the ground. Donning his cloak, he pulled the hood up and snuck toward the main camp. He stopped well outside of the torch light, hidden from view by a fallen wall. Studying the camp, he noticed that what seemed like a large cave opening from a distance was more like the entrance to a fortress. Massive stone bulwarks stuck out of the rock and an iron portcullis barred the entrance. Having seen enough, he made his way toward the center of the city. He paused there to examine the central structure. Tanerus made mental notes of it all and proceeded toward the smaller southern camp. His cloak, size and skill kept him easily out of sight as he snuck up to the largest of the tents. The small camp was composed of a large tent, several smaller tents and a small lean-to like structure against the cliff. From here, Tanerus was able to make out digging tools. He also noticed that the structure against the cliff hid a set of stairs and an opening into the cliff side. Perhaps it is an alternate entrance to the mines, thought the halfling. Sneaking back out of the camp, Tanerus made a mental note of a change of guards, and the rather regular interval that a messenger left out of the smaller camp, headed for the larger camp. He also made note that these where not Zhentarim. The guards here were foreigners mostly, hired mercenaries it would seem, not the regimental soldiers of the Zhentarim regulars.He quickly made his way back to camp and relayed what he had seen. Everyone settled in for the night, knowing that being rested was probably best for everyone. Unfortunately, the night was not done with them. A few hours after the moon hit its peak Will's owl came back into camp, landing atop Will and hopping up and down, screeching about something. Will's alarm spell had not gone off, so he woke groggily and listened to what the bird had to say. The rest of the camp stirred at the noise.Will broke the news as he rushed to grab his things. "Something is flying a patrol over the city, we need to find cover!" The party gathered its things quickly and set to searching for good overhangs. Will and Tanerus quickly found a pair of overhangs the entire party and thier mounts could squeeze under. Not long passed till they saw a massive batwinged shadow slide across the ground where they had been camping. Peaking from beneath their hiding spots they could make out the form of some sort of massive bat. The darkness made it difficult to see many details, but soon enough the creature had finished its patrol and dissappeared into the Zhentarim camp. The party settled in for a the rest of the evening.Morning brought renewed hope and strength, and the party made their way into the city. Massive ruins and mounds of rubble made it easy for them to slip through the city unnoticed. They had decided to make their way toward the central building first. Assuming things went well there, they planned to continue to the smaller camp. A quick suprise attack there, should ensure them victory and give them time to set up before worrying about the main force. But first the massive central building was to be searched. They carefully made their way to the building and Tanerus slipped inside after examining the entrance. Tanerus carefully made his way up to the center of the room, careful not to touch anything. He examined the bodies and tried in vane to read the script on the edge of the dias. Unable to make out the writing, he searched the area of the overturned table. A smashed inkwell seemed to be the cause of the black mark, so Tanerus looked for anything else that might have been lost when the table was overturned. Soon his search revealed a piece of parchment that had slipped to between a couple of pieces of rubble. He could not read it either.The rest of the party made their way in, stopping in various spots between the door and the altar."Will, I can't read this... see what you make of it." Tanerus handed the sheet over to the invoker. "I can't either..." A quick incantation later, "ah... its Thayan... seems to be a journal entry. It talks of the Axe of Tethyamar... and about a master Lurthkaus. The writer seems to be working for Lurthkhaus, and Lurthkhaus seems to be working for the Zhentarim. Talks about the Zhentarim needing to be patient. Says the axe will be able to be taken from dias safely in a day or so. Something about this temple having been shielded and guarded."Will strode up toward the dias, not stepping on the steps. He leaned forward to read the dwarven script. "These talk of the Axe of Tethyamar being a symbol of peace, created to protect the city. It goes on to say that this temple is warded and guarded from intrusion from the outside.""Must be why it is still standing. Guess these guys got through the wards." Durgaden didn't saying it. He hated the thought of someone getting through ancient dwarven protections.Will continued, "It also says there is a guardian of the axe."Amador nodded down at the corpses, "Obviously." Will nodded and looked down at the one clear stone in the floor. Tanerus nodded and said, "There is some sort of trapdoor there, but I could see no way to open it." Will nodded and began another quick spell. "There is an opening there alright... and..." He swung to look at the dias. "There is one there too." Durgaden grinned, the axe may have been taken but the thieves may have missed something. He took a step forward then thought better of it, letting the rogue and wizard continue thier examinations.Will continued, "To open this door..." He pointed at the cleared slab in the floor, "Something has to happen over there." He pointed now to the dias. He started concentrating on the dias and said, "The dias has an opening, a... secret compartment, in the top." Will stood right in front of the cleared slab of the floor, facing away from it, toward the dias.Tanerus nodded, "I noticed the stand where the axe was sitting, its not a part of the dias, it is just set on top, perhaps we can move it..." Tanerus stepped up onto the first step around the dias.The moment Tanerus' foot touched the step it sunk a very slight bit into the floor. The massive stone slab behind Will pivoted upward and a huge figure made of stone, iron, and wood stood to its full eight to ten foot hieght. Beneath the slab was nothing but a five foot by five foot holding cell. The construct seemd to stretch as it stood to its full height. Tanerus gulped, "Uh oh."Will spun about, caught of guard by the constructions entry. Durgaden leapt up onto the altar and called out in dwarven, "Cease in the name of the dwarves of Tethyamar!" Amador whispered a quick prayer to Corellian, blessing his friends in case their should be combat.Will reacted quickly, throwing up a quick defensive shield spell. None of it seemed to phase the Guardian. It leaned toward Will and swung at him with his massive iron hands. The first blow struck straight through the magic shield and hit Will in the gut. Will doubled over in pain, spitting up blood. The second blow hit Will in the shoulder, sending him stumbling upright, his arm hanging at an unnatural angle. The construct was not done with the invoker yet though. Its third hit was a bankhand to the side of the wizard's head, whipping his neck around and sending the wizard sprawling through the air. He skid to a stop at Amador's feet, a pool of blood starting to form around him. The crumbled wizard looked dead, the side of his head was cracked open, his arm was broken with an obvious compound fracture, several ribs were probably broken, and blood poured from his mouth.</blockquote>

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