Post by David on Feb 6, 2007 13:15:29 GMT -5
The heroes burnt the 20th, getting together the resources they need for another run on the ancient ruins of Azura on the small moon Celene. Clearly, Vertigo would be one tough customer...!
On the morning of the 21st, Arianna gathered Tetsuko, Black Robe, Woody, Andonia, Doby, Flora, Glenn, Chastity, Mang, and Saanau for another assault on Vertigo's lair. Flora attempted to use Rhanée's mirror to open a gate directly to Azura, but the connection didn't work. So Black Robe fire gated the party to Tovag Baragu shortly before dawn. There, the heroes saw the evidence of a powerful battle, but no sign of Black Robe's quested underlings (cuz they were now trapped on Maneä -- check out oerdian.proboards42.com/index.cgi?board=sunday&action=display&thread=1167763591). Using Flora's sight and Glenn's fey gift, the siblings were able to reopen the gate to Azura just as the first rays of dawn struck the stone circle. Just before the heroes stepped through, Chastity blanketed them in her special invisibility 10'r spell.
Once again within the city of the ancient Morganti, the heroes searched for signs of Vertigo and her summoned minions. It would seem that the demi-goddess was nowhere to be seen, but she'd left a welcoming party of strange, pink and red, lobster-like creatures. Chastity's spell foiled the monsters from initially detecting the party, giving the heroes a chance to move in to ambush their would-be ambushers! Woody leapt up to the balcony several were on while Glenn used Brichlur to levitate himself and Tetsuko up.
The creatures, fungal-based mi-go, saw the floating Scotsman (Glenn was the only one visible at this moment) and attacked him both physically and psychically. Tetsuko chopped one incomming mi-go in two, turning herself visible as well and giving the creatures another target. Glenn was incapacitated and hurt, but Woody quickly brought the fight to the creatures. In less than a minute, all of the mi-go were dead. Flora took samples of the creatures, mumbling something about "alternate DNA base-pairs" and "non-terrestrial-based life"...
The group moved to the higher level from where the mi-go had attacked. Woody began tracking about, noting that many of these doors hadn't moved in centuries. The group followed a likely trail through a couple of rooms and many passages until they came to a chamber with three 15' diameter, hairy, amebas. Tetsuko and Andonia charged to the attack!
*Squlp!* One of the creatures extended a large pseudopod and completely engulfed Andonia! The hairs on the shoggoth's bodies extended inside as well, and these began to seek out all the orifices on the Amazon's body and insinuate themselves inside...! Meanwhile, the heroes used their CONSIDERABLE fighting skills to defeat these monsters and rescue Andonia. Tetsuko managed to slice one to bits in a single round! Saanau pulled Andonia clear and yanked the several-foot-long hairy tendrils from her mouth, allowing the Amazon to breathe again. Finally victorious, while the heroes tended their wounds, Mang noted a bluish-steel dagger suspending in the protoplasm of one of the creatures. The dwarf took the blade and the heroes made ready to move on...
Chastity used a spell she'd gotten from Kara, fire track to seek out Vertigo's trail. She set the blazing seed of fire to zoom off at 8' per second and the party ran after it...
...only to come to a halt when they ran into a room with two intellect devourers and three ustilagor. While Tetsuko slaughted one ustilagor before it had a chance to react, one of the intellect devourers dominated her and turned her against her own party. Before The Swordswoman could do much damage, however, Chastity mesmerized her psionically, depriving the intellect devourers of their pawn. Saanau, unfortunately, wasn't so lucky. One of the creatures scrambled the elven wizardess' brains enough so that she started dancing about the chamber, singing and then trying to catch her own muscial notes in her hands...! The intellect devourers were only too happy to pounce on the hapless elf, seriously shreading her in the process.
Black Robe's turn to come to the rescue. A simple hold monster paralyzed both 'devourers. Although they alternated attempting to dominate various party members, Chastity managed to mesmerize their would-be minions in time. Meanwhile the Asian wizardess bathed the paralyzed pair in acid from her acid bolt letting them slowly bubble away.
And on the heroes ran, now more than a minute behind the fire track. The heroes met up with and (AMAZINGLY) quickly defeated a pair of 15' diameter flaming amebas which unleash torrents of solar flame.
Next, the group came upon a strange, beholder-like creature, a teal ameba 10' in diameter and scented of wild flowers, but covered with eyes and mouths. Tetsuko charged up and the thing swallowed Oerth's greatest kensai in a single gulp. Andonia met a similar fate. The creature unleashed various magic effects with its dozens of eyes. Woody was fumbled and slowed. And were it not for her spell-turning, Arianna would have been charmed and ESPed. But instead the creature was the priestess' victim. Meanwhile, the heroes hacked Tetsuko and Andonia clear, saving them from the argos.
Next move...?
On the morning of the 21st, Arianna gathered Tetsuko, Black Robe, Woody, Andonia, Doby, Flora, Glenn, Chastity, Mang, and Saanau for another assault on Vertigo's lair. Flora attempted to use Rhanée's mirror to open a gate directly to Azura, but the connection didn't work. So Black Robe fire gated the party to Tovag Baragu shortly before dawn. There, the heroes saw the evidence of a powerful battle, but no sign of Black Robe's quested underlings (cuz they were now trapped on Maneä -- check out oerdian.proboards42.com/index.cgi?board=sunday&action=display&thread=1167763591). Using Flora's sight and Glenn's fey gift, the siblings were able to reopen the gate to Azura just as the first rays of dawn struck the stone circle. Just before the heroes stepped through, Chastity blanketed them in her special invisibility 10'r spell.
Once again within the city of the ancient Morganti, the heroes searched for signs of Vertigo and her summoned minions. It would seem that the demi-goddess was nowhere to be seen, but she'd left a welcoming party of strange, pink and red, lobster-like creatures. Chastity's spell foiled the monsters from initially detecting the party, giving the heroes a chance to move in to ambush their would-be ambushers! Woody leapt up to the balcony several were on while Glenn used Brichlur to levitate himself and Tetsuko up.
The creatures, fungal-based mi-go, saw the floating Scotsman (Glenn was the only one visible at this moment) and attacked him both physically and psychically. Tetsuko chopped one incomming mi-go in two, turning herself visible as well and giving the creatures another target. Glenn was incapacitated and hurt, but Woody quickly brought the fight to the creatures. In less than a minute, all of the mi-go were dead. Flora took samples of the creatures, mumbling something about "alternate DNA base-pairs" and "non-terrestrial-based life"...
The group moved to the higher level from where the mi-go had attacked. Woody began tracking about, noting that many of these doors hadn't moved in centuries. The group followed a likely trail through a couple of rooms and many passages until they came to a chamber with three 15' diameter, hairy, amebas. Tetsuko and Andonia charged to the attack!
*Squlp!* One of the creatures extended a large pseudopod and completely engulfed Andonia! The hairs on the shoggoth's bodies extended inside as well, and these began to seek out all the orifices on the Amazon's body and insinuate themselves inside...! Meanwhile, the heroes used their CONSIDERABLE fighting skills to defeat these monsters and rescue Andonia. Tetsuko managed to slice one to bits in a single round! Saanau pulled Andonia clear and yanked the several-foot-long hairy tendrils from her mouth, allowing the Amazon to breathe again. Finally victorious, while the heroes tended their wounds, Mang noted a bluish-steel dagger suspending in the protoplasm of one of the creatures. The dwarf took the blade and the heroes made ready to move on...
Chastity used a spell she'd gotten from Kara, fire track to seek out Vertigo's trail. She set the blazing seed of fire to zoom off at 8' per second and the party ran after it...
...only to come to a halt when they ran into a room with two intellect devourers and three ustilagor. While Tetsuko slaughted one ustilagor before it had a chance to react, one of the intellect devourers dominated her and turned her against her own party. Before The Swordswoman could do much damage, however, Chastity mesmerized her psionically, depriving the intellect devourers of their pawn. Saanau, unfortunately, wasn't so lucky. One of the creatures scrambled the elven wizardess' brains enough so that she started dancing about the chamber, singing and then trying to catch her own muscial notes in her hands...! The intellect devourers were only too happy to pounce on the hapless elf, seriously shreading her in the process.
Black Robe's turn to come to the rescue. A simple hold monster paralyzed both 'devourers. Although they alternated attempting to dominate various party members, Chastity managed to mesmerize their would-be minions in time. Meanwhile the Asian wizardess bathed the paralyzed pair in acid from her acid bolt letting them slowly bubble away.
And on the heroes ran, now more than a minute behind the fire track. The heroes met up with and (AMAZINGLY) quickly defeated a pair of 15' diameter flaming amebas which unleash torrents of solar flame.
Next, the group came upon a strange, beholder-like creature, a teal ameba 10' in diameter and scented of wild flowers, but covered with eyes and mouths. Tetsuko charged up and the thing swallowed Oerth's greatest kensai in a single gulp. Andonia met a similar fate. The creature unleashed various magic effects with its dozens of eyes. Woody was fumbled and slowed. And were it not for her spell-turning, Arianna would have been charmed and ESPed. But instead the creature was the priestess' victim. Meanwhile, the heroes hacked Tetsuko and Andonia clear, saving them from the argos.
Next move...?
