Post by David on Oct 3, 2006 0:19:50 GMT -5
After searching the Temple, the heroes (Claudia, Pignole, Ziyi, Ichi, Torr, Arne, and Faeleen) attempted to descend the main staircase to the level below. A short flight of stairs down lead to another set of bronzewood doors carved with glowing silver runes. These magical glyphs repulsed the party, forcing them to find another way down.
On the eastern side of the Temple, near where the party found various brown cloaks, the group found another staircase. After locating a pair of previously-looted armories, the heroes found a filthy room. Within, the group was separated by a portcullis trap. That's when a pair of harpies swept down and attempted to charm the group. Thinking quickly, Pignole sang a song of his own, effectively blocking the harpies' magic. Torr and Ziyi levitated up to the creatures and took them out without much effort. That's when the ghouls started pouring into the room.
The heroes battled the undead, Faeleen turning several waves. Finally, after battling nearly a dozen ghouls, two ghasts also attacked, but the heroes triumphed, despite Arne, Ichi, and Pignole getting paralyzed. Searching the rooms, the group found a little bit of treasure, as well as a secret door.
Next the group found a cone-shaped room, the ceiling of which disappeared in the gloom above. The heroes had been using torches for light, so as to not blind Faeleen, their new drow ally. Torr, hoping to reveal as much of the celing of the chamber as possible, took out a continual light stone and tossed it up, blinding the drow and illuminating the whole chamber. It also disturbed nearly twenty stirge, who swooped down and attacked!
Continuing on, the group found a strange room, supposedly for divination. Afterward, the group located a strange, solid-bronze door inscribed with different runes. After a quick discussion, Arne attempted to open the portal, triggering the runic glyphs. A blast of cold nearly killed Arne, Claudia, and Torr. After tending their wounds, Claudia attempted to use her magically-enhanced strength to smash down the door. Although she smashed the bronze portals three times, they would not collapse. Finally, desperate, Torr handed Claudia his magical sword of cleaving. With a single, lucky blow, the Claudia sheared through the lock, opening the door.
The heroes set about searching the simple, crude-hewn crypt beyond. Eleven simple niches, each covered with wood and plaster, sealed away the body of a brown-robed man wearing a bronze ring set with a triangular jet stone. One by one, Arne with Ichi and Claudia helping, hacked into the crypts, searched the bodies, and roughly tossed the bones back in. Interestingly enough, the clothing of the remains each came from a different time-period.
In the fourth niche, the heroes found one body that was slightly different. The clothes were much more modern, with a brown robe untouched by time. Shortly afterward, two gnolls charged down the passage, an amber-orange glow flickering in their eyes. As the beastmen attacked, the glow became a nimbus around them. The gnolls didn't have a chance to do much, however, since Pignole shouted enough of a warning for Faeleen to get a sleep off. Both humanoids collapsed without a fight. Strangely, although Faeleen and Pignole cut off the heads of the creatures, the one nearest the doorway into the crypt not only didn't die, but his head reattached itself. A second flurry of blows, took the gnoll out, the flickering glow dying.
This happened twice more, first with two more gnolls, then four, the humanoids who got close to the door also gaining the strange nimbus. Those gnolls with the aura seemed possessed of amazing strength, fantastic fighting abilities, and limited regenerative properties. Finally, a gelatinous cube arrived, also glowing with the strange light. The monster nearly disintegrated Faeleen, whose infravision failed to register the beast. Heroes managed to triumph, however, and made their way back to the surface.
The group hiked to Nulb, then on toward Hommlet. Camping just off the trail in the shadow of Griffon Mountain, the heroes spent the night. During the night, Torr's dreams were visited by the shaman, Black Robe. In the morning, the heroes continued on to Hommlet, but were attacked by a pair of werewolves in the morning light. Ziyi, Claudia, and Pignole quickly took out one, then helped defeat the second, but not before both Arne and Torr were bitten.
The group hurried on to the quiet village of Hommlet, arriving late in the afternoon. Next move...?
On the eastern side of the Temple, near where the party found various brown cloaks, the group found another staircase. After locating a pair of previously-looted armories, the heroes found a filthy room. Within, the group was separated by a portcullis trap. That's when a pair of harpies swept down and attempted to charm the group. Thinking quickly, Pignole sang a song of his own, effectively blocking the harpies' magic. Torr and Ziyi levitated up to the creatures and took them out without much effort. That's when the ghouls started pouring into the room.
The heroes battled the undead, Faeleen turning several waves. Finally, after battling nearly a dozen ghouls, two ghasts also attacked, but the heroes triumphed, despite Arne, Ichi, and Pignole getting paralyzed. Searching the rooms, the group found a little bit of treasure, as well as a secret door.
Next the group found a cone-shaped room, the ceiling of which disappeared in the gloom above. The heroes had been using torches for light, so as to not blind Faeleen, their new drow ally. Torr, hoping to reveal as much of the celing of the chamber as possible, took out a continual light stone and tossed it up, blinding the drow and illuminating the whole chamber. It also disturbed nearly twenty stirge, who swooped down and attacked!
Continuing on, the group found a strange room, supposedly for divination. Afterward, the group located a strange, solid-bronze door inscribed with different runes. After a quick discussion, Arne attempted to open the portal, triggering the runic glyphs. A blast of cold nearly killed Arne, Claudia, and Torr. After tending their wounds, Claudia attempted to use her magically-enhanced strength to smash down the door. Although she smashed the bronze portals three times, they would not collapse. Finally, desperate, Torr handed Claudia his magical sword of cleaving. With a single, lucky blow, the Claudia sheared through the lock, opening the door.
The heroes set about searching the simple, crude-hewn crypt beyond. Eleven simple niches, each covered with wood and plaster, sealed away the body of a brown-robed man wearing a bronze ring set with a triangular jet stone. One by one, Arne with Ichi and Claudia helping, hacked into the crypts, searched the bodies, and roughly tossed the bones back in. Interestingly enough, the clothing of the remains each came from a different time-period.
In the fourth niche, the heroes found one body that was slightly different. The clothes were much more modern, with a brown robe untouched by time. Shortly afterward, two gnolls charged down the passage, an amber-orange glow flickering in their eyes. As the beastmen attacked, the glow became a nimbus around them. The gnolls didn't have a chance to do much, however, since Pignole shouted enough of a warning for Faeleen to get a sleep off. Both humanoids collapsed without a fight. Strangely, although Faeleen and Pignole cut off the heads of the creatures, the one nearest the doorway into the crypt not only didn't die, but his head reattached itself. A second flurry of blows, took the gnoll out, the flickering glow dying.
This happened twice more, first with two more gnolls, then four, the humanoids who got close to the door also gaining the strange nimbus. Those gnolls with the aura seemed possessed of amazing strength, fantastic fighting abilities, and limited regenerative properties. Finally, a gelatinous cube arrived, also glowing with the strange light. The monster nearly disintegrated Faeleen, whose infravision failed to register the beast. Heroes managed to triumph, however, and made their way back to the surface.
The group hiked to Nulb, then on toward Hommlet. Camping just off the trail in the shadow of Griffon Mountain, the heroes spent the night. During the night, Torr's dreams were visited by the shaman, Black Robe. In the morning, the heroes continued on to Hommlet, but were attacked by a pair of werewolves in the morning light. Ziyi, Claudia, and Pignole quickly took out one, then helped defeat the second, but not before both Arne and Torr were bitten.
The group hurried on to the quiet village of Hommlet, arriving late in the afternoon. Next move...?