Post by David on Nov 27, 2006 13:47:24 GMT -5
With BlackRobe's permission, the heroes decided to make one last, quick run at the Temple of Elemental Evil before departing for Tovag Baragu. The goal was to gather up all the loot in the Earth Temple and use in on the quest to the ancient circle of stones. The best laid plans of mice and men....
As they lest Hommlet, the heroes were joined by Deric, a cleric of Saint Cuthbert. He seemed to be a bit perplexed by Torr, but not put off, much to the pagan paladin's surprise. The heroes journeyed all the way to their campsite near Nulb without incident. The night too passed uneventfully. In the morning, the group headed to the Imerdys Run, where they spotted a sabre-toothed tiger drinking. Pigñolé tried to speak with it, but it didn't understand the gnome. Then Verna tried a speak with animals on it, but the beast was very aggressive toward the "two legs". Following Pinenut's charge, the group scared the animal off and crossed the river.
Soon afterward, Ziyi and Torr (who were in front) fell into a 20' deep covered pit, with Cindari following suite. Then 47 kobolds (in several pulses) sprang out of cover to "finish off" what had fallen into their trap. In less than a minute, all the kobolds were dead, even the nine who had fled into the woods, only to be run down by Ichi, Cindari, and Ziyi (poor Verna just couldn't keep up!). While searching and looting the bodies, however, the heroes were surprised by first two, then a total of five ogres. Appearently allies drawn to the sound of combat, the ogres tossed spears at the kobold-murdering band. That's when Verna started to sundazzle the hulking brutes back. Ichi, Cindari, and Torr charged two while Ziyi fumbled around with her magical bow of quickness, somehow actually hitting once! Deric and Pigñolé wisely took on the blind ogres. Searching these bodies, the heroes found a pair of magical bracers which they gave to Ichi.
On the heroes traveled, finally reaching the ruins. They headed to the old tower, only find orcs shooting at them from the open door (the orcs hadn't managed to repair it from the previous attack and figured 22 to 7 were good odds. They were wrong. In less than a minute, only two orcs were left, groveling for mercy. Torr and Verna convinced them to flee with their breathern who were on alert as guards but had been pressed into service. The orcs also warned the heroes that the Temple itself was now guarded by ghouls and gnolls.
So the party went for the Temple itself, after watching nearly 80 orcs slink out into the woods. Ziyi levitated herself up to spy through the hole in the stained glass, but could see nothing. Torr floated Verna up with her and he tossed in a huge handful of continual light stones. That's when they saw the room FULL of ghouls with a few gnolls.
Torr floated Verna in, who turned the ghouls (and ghasts). Then the gnolls started to shoot. Meanwhile, Ziyi floated Cindari up while Pigñolé and Ichi climbed up. Deric stayed behind to -er- watch the back.
Cindari set to work slaughtering gnoll bowmen while Verna turned more undead and Torr shielded her. Ziyi started to kick as well while the gnome used his spells from the window above. The heroes did well at first, but Cindari was surrounded and paralyzed, cut off from the group. Verna kept turning until only the gnolls and ghasts remained, and Ziyi started wounding the greater undead, while the whole group used the monsters as cover. Once Ichi and Pigñolé scampered down, however, things actually took a turn for the worse with both the paladin and acrobat being paralyzed. Verna invoked a joyous word breaking the ghast's paralysis, but found herself sore-pressed by ghasts.
Ichi charged the gnolls, quickly killing nearly all save one battling a ghast he had accidentally shot! Torr freed up Ziyi who freed up Verna, linking up the fighting line. Things were looking better. Then Ziyi got paralyzed again and Ichi dropped, although not before killing one and wounding another ghast. The tide tipped toward the remaining half dozen undead. Pigñolé had his ribs opened up and Torr was also paralyzed again.
Which was about when Deric joined the group, blithely ignoring the ghasts who did likewise. He stabilized Cindari's condition and cast a cure light wounds on her. While she got up, he stepped over the ghasts gnawing on Torr, Ziyi, and Pinenut, took the paladin's undead repellent and sprinkled it over Verna, who used the respite to cast serenity (Torr had been calling out for help to do this same act, but never got free). Up popped Ziyi, Pigñolé, and Cindari!
The battle continued to rage, but finally the heroes had the under hand. Despite his ribs clearly protruding from his chest, Pigñolé bravely kept chopping at one ghast, doing better than (normally-mighty) Ziyi next to him. Cindari began to cut a swath of destruction through the undead, but a lucky shot dropped her (again). Verna had to use her own magical charm several times just to stay on her feet throughout the fight, somehow immune to even the ghasts' paralytic touch.
Finally, however, the heroes won out and slaughtered the last un-turned ghast. Not wanting to press their luck, the group tended the wounded, restoring them to consciousness, and headed out to fight another dead. Verna used her magical gem several more times to strengthen her friends and the group limped back to camp, finally electing to walk through the night back to Hommlet.
Around 4am, near the town, the group met up with five hungry wolves. Pigñolé spoke to them, but they were more interested in a snack (preferably a gnomish one!) than talking (even though their math skills regarding odds seemed bad). Verna got annoyed and held three of them. The rest fled and Ichi snapped the necks of those remaining.
What a day...!
As they lest Hommlet, the heroes were joined by Deric, a cleric of Saint Cuthbert. He seemed to be a bit perplexed by Torr, but not put off, much to the pagan paladin's surprise. The heroes journeyed all the way to their campsite near Nulb without incident. The night too passed uneventfully. In the morning, the group headed to the Imerdys Run, where they spotted a sabre-toothed tiger drinking. Pigñolé tried to speak with it, but it didn't understand the gnome. Then Verna tried a speak with animals on it, but the beast was very aggressive toward the "two legs". Following Pinenut's charge, the group scared the animal off and crossed the river.
Soon afterward, Ziyi and Torr (who were in front) fell into a 20' deep covered pit, with Cindari following suite. Then 47 kobolds (in several pulses) sprang out of cover to "finish off" what had fallen into their trap. In less than a minute, all the kobolds were dead, even the nine who had fled into the woods, only to be run down by Ichi, Cindari, and Ziyi (poor Verna just couldn't keep up!). While searching and looting the bodies, however, the heroes were surprised by first two, then a total of five ogres. Appearently allies drawn to the sound of combat, the ogres tossed spears at the kobold-murdering band. That's when Verna started to sundazzle the hulking brutes back. Ichi, Cindari, and Torr charged two while Ziyi fumbled around with her magical bow of quickness, somehow actually hitting once! Deric and Pigñolé wisely took on the blind ogres. Searching these bodies, the heroes found a pair of magical bracers which they gave to Ichi.
On the heroes traveled, finally reaching the ruins. They headed to the old tower, only find orcs shooting at them from the open door (the orcs hadn't managed to repair it from the previous attack and figured 22 to 7 were good odds. They were wrong. In less than a minute, only two orcs were left, groveling for mercy. Torr and Verna convinced them to flee with their breathern who were on alert as guards but had been pressed into service. The orcs also warned the heroes that the Temple itself was now guarded by ghouls and gnolls.
So the party went for the Temple itself, after watching nearly 80 orcs slink out into the woods. Ziyi levitated herself up to spy through the hole in the stained glass, but could see nothing. Torr floated Verna up with her and he tossed in a huge handful of continual light stones. That's when they saw the room FULL of ghouls with a few gnolls.
Torr floated Verna in, who turned the ghouls (and ghasts). Then the gnolls started to shoot. Meanwhile, Ziyi floated Cindari up while Pigñolé and Ichi climbed up. Deric stayed behind to -er- watch the back.
Cindari set to work slaughtering gnoll bowmen while Verna turned more undead and Torr shielded her. Ziyi started to kick as well while the gnome used his spells from the window above. The heroes did well at first, but Cindari was surrounded and paralyzed, cut off from the group. Verna kept turning until only the gnolls and ghasts remained, and Ziyi started wounding the greater undead, while the whole group used the monsters as cover. Once Ichi and Pigñolé scampered down, however, things actually took a turn for the worse with both the paladin and acrobat being paralyzed. Verna invoked a joyous word breaking the ghast's paralysis, but found herself sore-pressed by ghasts.
Ichi charged the gnolls, quickly killing nearly all save one battling a ghast he had accidentally shot! Torr freed up Ziyi who freed up Verna, linking up the fighting line. Things were looking better. Then Ziyi got paralyzed again and Ichi dropped, although not before killing one and wounding another ghast. The tide tipped toward the remaining half dozen undead. Pigñolé had his ribs opened up and Torr was also paralyzed again.
Which was about when Deric joined the group, blithely ignoring the ghasts who did likewise. He stabilized Cindari's condition and cast a cure light wounds on her. While she got up, he stepped over the ghasts gnawing on Torr, Ziyi, and Pinenut, took the paladin's undead repellent and sprinkled it over Verna, who used the respite to cast serenity (Torr had been calling out for help to do this same act, but never got free). Up popped Ziyi, Pigñolé, and Cindari!
The battle continued to rage, but finally the heroes had the under hand. Despite his ribs clearly protruding from his chest, Pigñolé bravely kept chopping at one ghast, doing better than (normally-mighty) Ziyi next to him. Cindari began to cut a swath of destruction through the undead, but a lucky shot dropped her (again). Verna had to use her own magical charm several times just to stay on her feet throughout the fight, somehow immune to even the ghasts' paralytic touch.
Finally, however, the heroes won out and slaughtered the last un-turned ghast. Not wanting to press their luck, the group tended the wounded, restoring them to consciousness, and headed out to fight another dead. Verna used her magical gem several more times to strengthen her friends and the group limped back to camp, finally electing to walk through the night back to Hommlet.
Around 4am, near the town, the group met up with five hungry wolves. Pigñolé spoke to them, but they were more interested in a snack (preferably a gnomish one!) than talking (even though their math skills regarding odds seemed bad). Verna got annoyed and held three of them. The rest fled and Ichi snapped the necks of those remaining.
What a day...!