Post by David on Dec 12, 2005 17:59:28 GMT -5
The heroes (Autumn, Mikos, Rajinder, Livak, Draco, Ulaanbaatar, Andy, Lann, Yatha, and Mirja) were resting in a hallway for Raj to regain his psionic strength. Suddenly, the doorway shattered, smashed in by a huge, ugly, fomorian giant. Most of the party was stunned by the sudden intrusion -- made worse when Autumn began screaming her lungs out...this creature was drawn from her inner-most childhood fears...
Draco lept to the party's defense, nearly getting killed for his heroism. Mikos sent Rufus and Tessa to support the paladin, but they proved ineffective. Ulaanbaatar, on the other hand, manages a ray of enfeeblement which drains the giant of his fearsome strength. Thus, instead of being turned to a paste, Draco was merely mashed to the floor. Raj moved in to protect the paladin's body while the rest of the heroes recovered their wits and weapons. Raj got hammered too, so Mirja took his place. Meanwhile, Mikos tended Draco and Andy tried to snap Autumn out of her horror with a sexual pun. That's when the shadows attacked. A half dozen flowed around the combat and began draining strength and life out of the party. Yatha's heart nearly stopped when one clutched it and held it tight. Lann, however, commanded the shadows to turn on the giant. The tables turned. Then ghouls arrived, which Lann also turned on the giant. Amazingly, however, the giant kept on swinging, fighting the undead, Livak and Mirja. Then the black unicorn returned. Lanna and a-now-recovered Yatha sicced some of the undead on the unicorn, but only the ghouls could harm it. Once the giant died, Livak and Mirja quickly slaughtered the unicorn too, although not before Andy had a chance to read what it had been mouthing "Help me, please! Kill me forever!" The unicorn's body dissolved into black smoke...
The party continued after tending to the wounded. They encountered three strange, tall, tattooed men which confused those nearby, but vanquished them quickly. Then the heroes spoke with the spirit of a long-dead priest, once who claimed to have first begun the cult of the Founding Stone millenia earlier.
Next the heroes encountered four raptor-like creatures. These were bigger, strong, and more fearsome as well as more bizarre. Clearly the newer creations of the stone were becoming progressively less based on reality. One of the raptor-beasts managed to break through the heroes defensive line and sever Yatha's right hand at the elbow. Alive, the priestess was bleeding quickly and would have died had it not been for Mikos. Lann, however, chose to withhold his last cure light wounds spell as Yatha had already used all her "useful" spells and was unlike to be of much more service to the group. Autumn nearly killed him for that, although in the interim, Mikos managed to tourniquet Yatha's arm and control the blood loss.
The heroes continued on, reaching the end of one corridor. There, they activated the right skull, whose eyes turned blue. On the way back, the heroes made short work of a pair of wraiths.
The party then headed for the submerged section of the dungeon. The group decided to send Autumn and Livak ahead since they both could swim and fight without armor on. Each quaffed a potion of speed for good measure. Shortly after the pair swam beyond sight, Autumn was attacked by a group of five fish-men. The creatures ripped open the giantess' chest; she lost consciousness from the pain and began to drown. Strangely, the creatures ignored Livak, only attacking him when he pulled Autumn to safety. The other heroes moved to support Livak and Autumn, but it was Yatha's sleep spell cast one-handed that saved the day. One fish-man fled into the submerged section.
Clearly, Autumn could barely breathe, much less swim, so while his potion was in effect, Livak swam ahead to trigger the second skull. At first he met no opposition, but was then ambushed by four of the draels. Clearly outmatched underwater, Livak fled up a flight of stairs, turned and fought the things in open air. Although a couple managed minor scratches on him, Livak slew all but one, which he wounded severely. He then triggered the second, left skull, whose eyes glew yellow.
Wounded, Livak swam back to the group. One of the creatures, the one he had wounded, ambushed him. He killed it, but not before it had slashed him up with its claws and fangs. Livak saw one last drael, the original that had fled from Yatha's spell, and decided to finish it off. Unfortunately, the beast-master could hit the creature and it killed him.
Meanwhile, Mikos and Rajinder tended Autumn as best as they could, while waiting for Livak to return. They saved the giantess, but only barely. She was weak and unable to fight very effectively. After an hour (and driving off a ochre jelly), the heroes figured Livak hadn't survived, but were clearly unable to pursue him. They decided to try the third hallway which they'd already cleared to see if he had been successful.
When the party reached the door, it was clear Livak had been successful. They pressed the central stud, the skull's eyes glew with a red light and the iron door vanished. Inside was a hemispherical room with a chitine and the amber-and-mauve chunk of Founding Stone. The heroes charged!
Three raptors appeared in a flash of purplish flame and smoke. Meanwhile, Collum the chitine, drew a scimitar of ice shards, a mace, a longsword, and his shield. Dracoe lead the charge, but the chitine slaughtered the paladin. Mirja chopped into the creature and the two fought together for quite a while. Raj tried to help, but couldn't land a blow.
Meanwhile, Autumn and Andy began burying the Founding Stone while Rufus, Tessa, Mikos, Yatha, and Ulaanbaatar tried to deal with the raptors. Unfortunately, Autumn was forced to join the melee. Ulaanbaatar and Yatha started casting spells out of their books in order to help. One by one, the heroes defeated the raptors, but not before Collum managed to bite both Yatha and Autumn. Even though the heroes severed the were-spider-chitine's head, it kept skittering across the earth and reattaching itself. Indeed, a gray ooze suddenly appeared in another flash of fire and smoke while the feared raptor suddenly recovered its wits. It was only when Mikos, Andy, and Yatha finally finished burying the Stone that the madness ended. Unfortunately, at that point Mirja collapsed from her wounds and Autumn wasn't far behind.
Mikos moved to tend Autumn, but noticed a glow no one else could see. He asked Autumn to pick him up, and from mid-air he drew a golden spindle with silver thread. He cast one thread up and the entire group, as well as the bodies of the fallen, were on the surface, in the center of the circle of stones. All of the skeletons had fallen apart and what few ghouls were left were fleeing into the woods. Mikos tended Autumn as best he could and she lifted the stone slab back into place and performed the ceremony to reconsecrate the Circle.
The Circle of the Cycle was Shattered no more! A wave of renewal spread out from the stones, invigorating the natural cycle of life and strengthening the natural order. It was then that Mikos drew another thread from the spindle and cast it into the sky, opening a rift to a starry realm beyond the heavens and stars. Far off, an Arabian mariner knew how to come home...
As so, just before midnight on the 7th of June, the Shattered Circle was mended and the heroes were victorious....
Draco lept to the party's defense, nearly getting killed for his heroism. Mikos sent Rufus and Tessa to support the paladin, but they proved ineffective. Ulaanbaatar, on the other hand, manages a ray of enfeeblement which drains the giant of his fearsome strength. Thus, instead of being turned to a paste, Draco was merely mashed to the floor. Raj moved in to protect the paladin's body while the rest of the heroes recovered their wits and weapons. Raj got hammered too, so Mirja took his place. Meanwhile, Mikos tended Draco and Andy tried to snap Autumn out of her horror with a sexual pun. That's when the shadows attacked. A half dozen flowed around the combat and began draining strength and life out of the party. Yatha's heart nearly stopped when one clutched it and held it tight. Lann, however, commanded the shadows to turn on the giant. The tables turned. Then ghouls arrived, which Lann also turned on the giant. Amazingly, however, the giant kept on swinging, fighting the undead, Livak and Mirja. Then the black unicorn returned. Lanna and a-now-recovered Yatha sicced some of the undead on the unicorn, but only the ghouls could harm it. Once the giant died, Livak and Mirja quickly slaughtered the unicorn too, although not before Andy had a chance to read what it had been mouthing "Help me, please! Kill me forever!" The unicorn's body dissolved into black smoke...
The party continued after tending to the wounded. They encountered three strange, tall, tattooed men which confused those nearby, but vanquished them quickly. Then the heroes spoke with the spirit of a long-dead priest, once who claimed to have first begun the cult of the Founding Stone millenia earlier.
Next the heroes encountered four raptor-like creatures. These were bigger, strong, and more fearsome as well as more bizarre. Clearly the newer creations of the stone were becoming progressively less based on reality. One of the raptor-beasts managed to break through the heroes defensive line and sever Yatha's right hand at the elbow. Alive, the priestess was bleeding quickly and would have died had it not been for Mikos. Lann, however, chose to withhold his last cure light wounds spell as Yatha had already used all her "useful" spells and was unlike to be of much more service to the group. Autumn nearly killed him for that, although in the interim, Mikos managed to tourniquet Yatha's arm and control the blood loss.
The heroes continued on, reaching the end of one corridor. There, they activated the right skull, whose eyes turned blue. On the way back, the heroes made short work of a pair of wraiths.
The party then headed for the submerged section of the dungeon. The group decided to send Autumn and Livak ahead since they both could swim and fight without armor on. Each quaffed a potion of speed for good measure. Shortly after the pair swam beyond sight, Autumn was attacked by a group of five fish-men. The creatures ripped open the giantess' chest; she lost consciousness from the pain and began to drown. Strangely, the creatures ignored Livak, only attacking him when he pulled Autumn to safety. The other heroes moved to support Livak and Autumn, but it was Yatha's sleep spell cast one-handed that saved the day. One fish-man fled into the submerged section.
Clearly, Autumn could barely breathe, much less swim, so while his potion was in effect, Livak swam ahead to trigger the second skull. At first he met no opposition, but was then ambushed by four of the draels. Clearly outmatched underwater, Livak fled up a flight of stairs, turned and fought the things in open air. Although a couple managed minor scratches on him, Livak slew all but one, which he wounded severely. He then triggered the second, left skull, whose eyes glew yellow.
Wounded, Livak swam back to the group. One of the creatures, the one he had wounded, ambushed him. He killed it, but not before it had slashed him up with its claws and fangs. Livak saw one last drael, the original that had fled from Yatha's spell, and decided to finish it off. Unfortunately, the beast-master could hit the creature and it killed him.
Meanwhile, Mikos and Rajinder tended Autumn as best as they could, while waiting for Livak to return. They saved the giantess, but only barely. She was weak and unable to fight very effectively. After an hour (and driving off a ochre jelly), the heroes figured Livak hadn't survived, but were clearly unable to pursue him. They decided to try the third hallway which they'd already cleared to see if he had been successful.
When the party reached the door, it was clear Livak had been successful. They pressed the central stud, the skull's eyes glew with a red light and the iron door vanished. Inside was a hemispherical room with a chitine and the amber-and-mauve chunk of Founding Stone. The heroes charged!
Three raptors appeared in a flash of purplish flame and smoke. Meanwhile, Collum the chitine, drew a scimitar of ice shards, a mace, a longsword, and his shield. Dracoe lead the charge, but the chitine slaughtered the paladin. Mirja chopped into the creature and the two fought together for quite a while. Raj tried to help, but couldn't land a blow.
Meanwhile, Autumn and Andy began burying the Founding Stone while Rufus, Tessa, Mikos, Yatha, and Ulaanbaatar tried to deal with the raptors. Unfortunately, Autumn was forced to join the melee. Ulaanbaatar and Yatha started casting spells out of their books in order to help. One by one, the heroes defeated the raptors, but not before Collum managed to bite both Yatha and Autumn. Even though the heroes severed the were-spider-chitine's head, it kept skittering across the earth and reattaching itself. Indeed, a gray ooze suddenly appeared in another flash of fire and smoke while the feared raptor suddenly recovered its wits. It was only when Mikos, Andy, and Yatha finally finished burying the Stone that the madness ended. Unfortunately, at that point Mirja collapsed from her wounds and Autumn wasn't far behind.
Mikos moved to tend Autumn, but noticed a glow no one else could see. He asked Autumn to pick him up, and from mid-air he drew a golden spindle with silver thread. He cast one thread up and the entire group, as well as the bodies of the fallen, were on the surface, in the center of the circle of stones. All of the skeletons had fallen apart and what few ghouls were left were fleeing into the woods. Mikos tended Autumn as best he could and she lifted the stone slab back into place and performed the ceremony to reconsecrate the Circle.
The Circle of the Cycle was Shattered no more! A wave of renewal spread out from the stones, invigorating the natural cycle of life and strengthening the natural order. It was then that Mikos drew another thread from the spindle and cast it into the sky, opening a rift to a starry realm beyond the heavens and stars. Far off, an Arabian mariner knew how to come home...
As so, just before midnight on the 7th of June, the Shattered Circle was mended and the heroes were victorious....