Post by David on Nov 24, 2014 20:55:02 GMT -5
The heroes (Taarna, Rhom, Ichi, Saanau, Wynd & Thundr, Shang-Lung, Brock, and Aeronne) brought their captive back to Bloodstone. There, Saanau used ESP to interrogate the man. They learned his name is Timoshanko and he is the commander of the bandit army. He is also a 16th level fighter who is geased to aid the arch-mage, Knellict, in his bid to control the Bloodstone valley. The conversation turned to ways to remove a geas and when Timoshanko heard this, he offered to freely help the heroes if they could remove the spell. So Wynd cast lighten load on Saanau and Timoshanko, as well as Rhom so the elven wizardess could teleport the lot of them to Klarr. There, with Jasmine's help, Timoshanko was freed of Knellict's spell (although he was magically enslaved by Jasmine, who then transferred the charm also to Saanau and Rhom!). Esmerelda used ESP to dimensional fold the group back to Bloodstone, now joined by Tolus the ranger.
The group returned and the heroes broke into three groups to rest. In the cellar of the Inn of the Clowns slept Saanau, Wynd, Thundr, and Aeronne with Rhom and Timoshanko standing guard outside the door. Outside the inn, watching the sky stood Taarna, Ichi, and a flying, invisible Tolus. Ichi noticed seven invisible figures move near him and shouted a warning. Two powerful assassins appeared and tried to backstab the ranger and monk, but failed and were dead in less than half a minute. Meanwhile, inside, Timoshanko and Rhom were ambushed. The warsmith's armor managed to turn four attempts at backstabs. The fighter was less lucky and died (free!) in a pool of his own blood. Rhom started smiting assassins as first Tolus and then Taarna and Ichi arrived to help. The heroes were victorious, but Tolus was badly poisoned, so Rhom rode a horse to the Abby of St Sollars the Twice Martyred (of Lendor) where Baron Tranth and his daughter, Lady Christine were napping under the guard of Shang and Brock.
Four invisible assassin arrived there too. One dropped the cleric of Kord and the other nearly killed the Black Dragon while another slew the Baron and the fourth knocked out the future Baroness. Shang (somehow) managed to dodge two more sets of attacks and then dimension door to safety. He waited outside of the sleeping chamber for the assassins, using a continual darkness stone. Magic missiles dropped one assassin who dared to cross into the light and MANY volleys of shurikens took out a second while Shang protected himself with a mirror image. At this point, the mage also called for help and Aldric finally arrived. He held first one and then the other assassin. Rhom arrived and carried them both back for questioning, but only one survived the journey...across town being dragged by a horse...
At this point, the heroes noticed that the hill above the monastery with the graveyard was aflame with a blaze of orange and green and purple. At the top was a man surrounded by demons and gushing forth were the reanimated corpses of everyone ever buried in town! The heroes found themselves battling 160 skeletons and nearly as many zombies. Luckily, Aeronne's ability to turn took out wide swaths of the undead. Tolus also managed to partially disrupt the spell using Taarna's sword, Spellbreaker. Unfortunately, this drew the attention of a demon that psychic crushed the ranger, causing his brain to literally explode.
Taarna tried to challenge the demons, calling out that she had killed Iuz. This drew the attention of the invisible, flying arch-mage, who, true to form, cast meteor swarm on her and the party. Thanks to Taarna's ring of fire resistance, however, she was only slightly burned. The mage then lightning bolted here, but this gave Rhom time to draw a bead on him. The first hammer blow broke Knellict's stoneskin but nearly caused him to crash back into the lake. Wynd joined the fray at this point and just after the arch-mage cast a lightning bolt at Rhom (as well as another stoneskin), the elf shot an arrow and broke the defensive spell. Rhom's hammer nearly stunned (and thereby nearly slew) the wizard, who immediately teleported to safety!
Ichi, meanwhile, hacked his way up to the priest and interrupted the ritual before the three remaining type III demons drove him off. With a little help from Rhom, however, the heroes managed to slaughter the fiends as well as drive off the nearly-dead priest -- he did survive two hammer hits from Rhom and a slice from Ichi!
Status:
Saanau: 65 (full), 8gbs, cast / invis, ESPx2 / FBx3, fly / stonex3 / TP
Wynd: 52 of 74, 8gbs, cast FF, CLWx4 / aug, slowx2, LL, invis / plant, dispel / CSWx2
Thundr: 62 (full), STONESKIN
Ichi: 5 of 57, 8gbs, used SPD, many cracked ribs
Zomos: ?? (full), 8gbs, cast CLWx3
Aeronne: 30 of 75, 8gbs, cast lay and CLW
Taarna: 31 of 92, 8gbs, cast CLWx2 and spider climb
Rhom: 34 of 81, 8gbs -- only has 9gbs left
Brock: 8 of 45, 8gbs, -2 STR and DEX (poison), cast CLWx4 / / ddoor, prayer / CSW
Shang-Lung: 10 of 51, 8gbs, cast EVERYTHING
The group returned and the heroes broke into three groups to rest. In the cellar of the Inn of the Clowns slept Saanau, Wynd, Thundr, and Aeronne with Rhom and Timoshanko standing guard outside the door. Outside the inn, watching the sky stood Taarna, Ichi, and a flying, invisible Tolus. Ichi noticed seven invisible figures move near him and shouted a warning. Two powerful assassins appeared and tried to backstab the ranger and monk, but failed and were dead in less than half a minute. Meanwhile, inside, Timoshanko and Rhom were ambushed. The warsmith's armor managed to turn four attempts at backstabs. The fighter was less lucky and died (free!) in a pool of his own blood. Rhom started smiting assassins as first Tolus and then Taarna and Ichi arrived to help. The heroes were victorious, but Tolus was badly poisoned, so Rhom rode a horse to the Abby of St Sollars the Twice Martyred (of Lendor) where Baron Tranth and his daughter, Lady Christine were napping under the guard of Shang and Brock.
Four invisible assassin arrived there too. One dropped the cleric of Kord and the other nearly killed the Black Dragon while another slew the Baron and the fourth knocked out the future Baroness. Shang (somehow) managed to dodge two more sets of attacks and then dimension door to safety. He waited outside of the sleeping chamber for the assassins, using a continual darkness stone. Magic missiles dropped one assassin who dared to cross into the light and MANY volleys of shurikens took out a second while Shang protected himself with a mirror image. At this point, the mage also called for help and Aldric finally arrived. He held first one and then the other assassin. Rhom arrived and carried them both back for questioning, but only one survived the journey...across town being dragged by a horse...
At this point, the heroes noticed that the hill above the monastery with the graveyard was aflame with a blaze of orange and green and purple. At the top was a man surrounded by demons and gushing forth were the reanimated corpses of everyone ever buried in town! The heroes found themselves battling 160 skeletons and nearly as many zombies. Luckily, Aeronne's ability to turn took out wide swaths of the undead. Tolus also managed to partially disrupt the spell using Taarna's sword, Spellbreaker. Unfortunately, this drew the attention of a demon that psychic crushed the ranger, causing his brain to literally explode.
Taarna tried to challenge the demons, calling out that she had killed Iuz. This drew the attention of the invisible, flying arch-mage, who, true to form, cast meteor swarm on her and the party. Thanks to Taarna's ring of fire resistance, however, she was only slightly burned. The mage then lightning bolted here, but this gave Rhom time to draw a bead on him. The first hammer blow broke Knellict's stoneskin but nearly caused him to crash back into the lake. Wynd joined the fray at this point and just after the arch-mage cast a lightning bolt at Rhom (as well as another stoneskin), the elf shot an arrow and broke the defensive spell. Rhom's hammer nearly stunned (and thereby nearly slew) the wizard, who immediately teleported to safety!
Ichi, meanwhile, hacked his way up to the priest and interrupted the ritual before the three remaining type III demons drove him off. With a little help from Rhom, however, the heroes managed to slaughter the fiends as well as drive off the nearly-dead priest -- he did survive two hammer hits from Rhom and a slice from Ichi!
Status:
Saanau: 65 (full), 8gbs, cast / invis, ESPx2 / FBx3, fly / stonex3 / TP
Wynd: 52 of 74, 8gbs, cast FF, CLWx4 / aug, slowx2, LL, invis / plant, dispel / CSWx2
Thundr: 62 (full), STONESKIN
Ichi: 5 of 57, 8gbs, used SPD, many cracked ribs
Zomos: ?? (full), 8gbs, cast CLWx3
Aeronne: 30 of 75, 8gbs, cast lay and CLW
Taarna: 31 of 92, 8gbs, cast CLWx2 and spider climb
Rhom: 34 of 81, 8gbs -- only has 9gbs left
Brock: 8 of 45, 8gbs, -2 STR and DEX (poison), cast CLWx4 / / ddoor, prayer / CSW
Shang-Lung: 10 of 51, 8gbs, cast EVERYTHING