Post by David on Oct 23, 2006 14:22:47 GMT -5
Pigñolé, Ziyi, Claudia, Ichi, Torr, and Verna got up in the morning and headed to the Temple of Elemental Evil. After their troubles in Nulb, the group decided to completely avoid the town, using Ziyi and Torr's levitation abilities to cross the Imeryds Run outside of the scurvy town. After a hike of nearly three hours, the group reached the ruins, entered via the window, and returned to the first level of catacombs.
Once inside, the group searched through the rooms that had previously battled in, but found little. They fought a pair of ghouls feasting on the bodies and found a little bit of treasure, but not much else. Soon afterward, the group began to search other sections of the dungeon complex, covering the majority of the northern section. They had a brief (and one-sided) battle with some gnolls and hobgoblins, but not much else. After nearly three hours searching, the heroes finally found a serious battle...
At first, things seemed easy enough. The group discovered a room full of naked human prisoners. While Torr used his sword of sundering to break the chains, the rest of the group remained on watch. Ziyi spied five ghouls creeping up on the group with another turning back the way it came. Verna turned the lot and the acrobat gave chase with Pigñolé and Ichi close behind. She rushed through an open door into a room with six MORE ghouls and another open door. Deciding the group already had their hands full, Ziyi closed and held the door. Everyone but Claudia (and Torr) then went to work on the ghouls, with the other two quickly joining. Things looked good, since Ziyi could handle the door and the ghouls weren't very tough. After a couple went down and Claudia swapped for Ziyi holding the door is when things went downhill...
A ghast and two ghouls had circled around, attacking the group from behind with surprise. Of course, this is when Ichi accidently stunned himself and Claudia lost her grip on the door. Suddenly the heroes were facing nearly a dozens ghouls and ghasts from both sides! Before she could really act, Ziyi was caught flatfooted. Without her vaunted acrobatic skills to protect her, one ghast completely tore open her belly, disembowling the helpless half-elf. With her intenstines spilling out all over the floor, Ziyi fell in the middle of the battle, her life-blood spilling out on the stonework...
Claudia and Torr tried to stem the flow of monsters, but couldn't manage all of them. Pigñolé used his magic missiles to seriously wound several creatures, but Ziyi still had creatures fighting over her. Realizing the fighter/acrobat only had seconds to live, Verna put herself in harms way, invoking her healing crystal even though this put her without reach of the meleeing undead.
The healing magics somewhat restored Ziyi, leaving her on the threshhold of death, but safe for the moment. The ghouls weren't as nice. They tore into Verna, paralyzed Ichi and Torr, and seriously wounded Claudia. Verna turned most of them and amazingly another volley from Pigñolé dropped two ghasts. With the storm giant's help, the heroes held the field a bit longer. Finally, however, Verna's divine aid faultered and Claudia fell. By this point there were only two wounded ghasts and a ghoul left, which Verna and Pigñolé finished off (mostly with a third volley of magic missiles -- nice shooting, gnome!).
Verna then removed paralysis from Torr and Ichi and set to work healing Claudia and tending to Ziyi. The group wanted to leave, but there were still nine ghouls turned in the room. Torr wanted to finish them off, but the rest of the group, lead by Pigñolé, argued that it would be better to save the captives and flee. Torr tried to make a case for combat, but the others voted and/or simply ignored him. Ultimately, bowing to the majority, Torr helped free the other captives while Claudia put a fire trap on the door. The half-orcish cleric/fighter then scooped up Ziyi and fled the dungeon with the refugees in tow and Ichi and Torr taking up the rear.
Three hours later, late in the afternoon, the group was back at their campsite from the previous evening. Ziyi was stable but weak. Despite the cure serious wounds the acrobat was still neither well, nor able to be effectively on her feet. Nor was she able to effectively travel, requiring Verna, Claudia, and Torr to take turns carrying her.
On the morning of the 24th, the heroes set back out for Hommlet, both to build a bonfire to contact Black Robe and in order to bring the refugees to somewhere safe. The group arrived late on the 25th and didn't have a chance to build the sacred fire until the 26th. The Lakota shaman arrived, gave the heroes goodberries, and healed the group of their wounds, completely restoring Ziyi.
The first thing Ziyi did was walk up to Torr and break his nose with a well-placed, potent strike. The paladin crumpled. Claudia moved to tend him, but Ziyi asked her not to. She likewise asked Black Robe to let the young fighter heal this wound naturally. Ultimately, both helped Torr, setting his nose and curing it. Torr asked Ziyi why she struck him and they had a discussion (sort of) in Gold Dragon. Ultimately, the two did NOT see eye-to-eye, but let the issue drop.
In the morning, the heroes headed back to Nulb and the Temple, arriving at their trusty campsite very late on the 27th. Will they now travel three more hours at night into the Temple or sleep in the wild woods and attack in the morning...?
Once inside, the group searched through the rooms that had previously battled in, but found little. They fought a pair of ghouls feasting on the bodies and found a little bit of treasure, but not much else. Soon afterward, the group began to search other sections of the dungeon complex, covering the majority of the northern section. They had a brief (and one-sided) battle with some gnolls and hobgoblins, but not much else. After nearly three hours searching, the heroes finally found a serious battle...
At first, things seemed easy enough. The group discovered a room full of naked human prisoners. While Torr used his sword of sundering to break the chains, the rest of the group remained on watch. Ziyi spied five ghouls creeping up on the group with another turning back the way it came. Verna turned the lot and the acrobat gave chase with Pigñolé and Ichi close behind. She rushed through an open door into a room with six MORE ghouls and another open door. Deciding the group already had their hands full, Ziyi closed and held the door. Everyone but Claudia (and Torr) then went to work on the ghouls, with the other two quickly joining. Things looked good, since Ziyi could handle the door and the ghouls weren't very tough. After a couple went down and Claudia swapped for Ziyi holding the door is when things went downhill...
A ghast and two ghouls had circled around, attacking the group from behind with surprise. Of course, this is when Ichi accidently stunned himself and Claudia lost her grip on the door. Suddenly the heroes were facing nearly a dozens ghouls and ghasts from both sides! Before she could really act, Ziyi was caught flatfooted. Without her vaunted acrobatic skills to protect her, one ghast completely tore open her belly, disembowling the helpless half-elf. With her intenstines spilling out all over the floor, Ziyi fell in the middle of the battle, her life-blood spilling out on the stonework...
Claudia and Torr tried to stem the flow of monsters, but couldn't manage all of them. Pigñolé used his magic missiles to seriously wound several creatures, but Ziyi still had creatures fighting over her. Realizing the fighter/acrobat only had seconds to live, Verna put herself in harms way, invoking her healing crystal even though this put her without reach of the meleeing undead.
The healing magics somewhat restored Ziyi, leaving her on the threshhold of death, but safe for the moment. The ghouls weren't as nice. They tore into Verna, paralyzed Ichi and Torr, and seriously wounded Claudia. Verna turned most of them and amazingly another volley from Pigñolé dropped two ghasts. With the storm giant's help, the heroes held the field a bit longer. Finally, however, Verna's divine aid faultered and Claudia fell. By this point there were only two wounded ghasts and a ghoul left, which Verna and Pigñolé finished off (mostly with a third volley of magic missiles -- nice shooting, gnome!).
Verna then removed paralysis from Torr and Ichi and set to work healing Claudia and tending to Ziyi. The group wanted to leave, but there were still nine ghouls turned in the room. Torr wanted to finish them off, but the rest of the group, lead by Pigñolé, argued that it would be better to save the captives and flee. Torr tried to make a case for combat, but the others voted and/or simply ignored him. Ultimately, bowing to the majority, Torr helped free the other captives while Claudia put a fire trap on the door. The half-orcish cleric/fighter then scooped up Ziyi and fled the dungeon with the refugees in tow and Ichi and Torr taking up the rear.
Three hours later, late in the afternoon, the group was back at their campsite from the previous evening. Ziyi was stable but weak. Despite the cure serious wounds the acrobat was still neither well, nor able to be effectively on her feet. Nor was she able to effectively travel, requiring Verna, Claudia, and Torr to take turns carrying her.
On the morning of the 24th, the heroes set back out for Hommlet, both to build a bonfire to contact Black Robe and in order to bring the refugees to somewhere safe. The group arrived late on the 25th and didn't have a chance to build the sacred fire until the 26th. The Lakota shaman arrived, gave the heroes goodberries, and healed the group of their wounds, completely restoring Ziyi.
The first thing Ziyi did was walk up to Torr and break his nose with a well-placed, potent strike. The paladin crumpled. Claudia moved to tend him, but Ziyi asked her not to. She likewise asked Black Robe to let the young fighter heal this wound naturally. Ultimately, both helped Torr, setting his nose and curing it. Torr asked Ziyi why she struck him and they had a discussion (sort of) in Gold Dragon. Ultimately, the two did NOT see eye-to-eye, but let the issue drop.
In the morning, the heroes headed back to Nulb and the Temple, arriving at their trusty campsite very late on the 27th. Will they now travel three more hours at night into the Temple or sleep in the wild woods and attack in the morning...?
