Post by David on Dec 15, 2006 20:47:47 GMT -5
A game that will live on in infamy...
The group discussed the matter and decided to go after the Lost Shrine of Thanatos. Amaryllis (after some convincing from the others) translated to Epicaste who was at first hostile toward Ariadne, but then came around and felt it was her duty to aid in the mission. Epicaste did warn the group that the greatest heroes of the reign of Argos II (the grandfather of her own liege lord, Agamemnon) entered, but failed miserably and were horribly slain. Undaunted, the group uncovered the plastered over and wax-sealed door.
This was where the group found an inscription warning that there was no way back once the portal was breached. Listening to Ariadne's suggestion, Amaryllis traveled back to the ship to get her spells books as well as Abdul to go on the mission. With that Isaac, Sabuto, Orn, Abdul, Amaryllis, Ariadne, and Epicaste entered the Lost Shrine.
Immediately upon opening the seal, the party's light items failed and further their torches were limited to a strange, shadowy light. The group traveled down a 30' long hallway into a prayer room of sorts. Kneeling (as if still in prayer where they died) were the bodies of five robed "priests". Sabuto moved to investigate and chose to strike one.
That's when all HELL broke loose.
The master-kensai's blow failed to destroy the creature. Instead it rose, let out a soul-shriveling shriek and attack. It was that scream which undid the heroes. Orn fumbled his prayer spell. Amaryllis fainted. Abdul screamed his throat raw. Epicaste fled. That left just Sabuto, Isaac, and Ariadne to deal with the FIVE wight-like beings attacking...!
Sabuto quickly found himself drained of life energy, although Isaac and Ariadne were shielded thanks to the undead repellent they had used. Ariadne invoked a strange spell, much life faerie fire on two of Sabuto's foes while Isaac attacked. Unfortunately, this allowed both of his foes to counter attack. Both the kensai and half-orc were in turned drained further of life, some of the loss becoming permanent! And the fifth wight instead of uselessly attacking held Ariadne.
Orn recovered his wits at this point, turning the lot of priestly-undead. Unfortunately, by invoke the favor of his god within the confines of the unholy temple, the priest of Kor also provoked the being known as Thanatos...not only did the undead unturn, but the urns of black fire began to vomit forth skeletons...
About this point Amaryllis recovered from her faint, but dropped her weapons and began to hyperventilate. Ariadne was held and helpless. Sabuto was fighting for his life against the life-sucking undead, narrowly managing to slay ONE. Abdul recovered just in time, acting as a bulwark against another life-drainer and a host of skeletons on the party's flank. Isaac too battled for his life (and life force!) against two priestly-undead. Orn began returning waves of skeletons back to dust with his turns, but could not deal with the greater undead. And Epicaste charged back, but had to pick up the weapons she too had dropped.
Soon, Sabuto and Isaac were both fighting for their souls as multiple hits from each of the greater undead they faced drained portions of their life force. Orn swept most of the skeletons away while Epicaste held the party's other flank. Amazingly Abdul began to chop away at one of the life-suckers without any negative effects! Which was about when Isaac was drained to the thresh hold of life. Suddenly bereft of ALL training, combat experience, and strength of spirit, he was doomed against the two undead facing him. Sabuto too was in dire straits, luckily facing but one greater foe, but nearly drained back to neophyte-hood himself.
Epicaste sprang to the rescue, changing places with the kensai. She held her own well against the undead, preventing it from touching her while landing blows of her own. Sabuto, meanwhile, took the party's other flank. But before Isaac's final morsel of life could be stolen, Amaryllis leapt in, interposing her body against one foe and drawing forth a jackal to battle the other. The stratagem worked and Isaac was saved, but the priest-undead sucked out the soul of the animal her magical bag summoned, effectively destroying the magic item.
Orn's turns had removed the last of the skeletons and he sent the greater undead fleeing. Unfortunately, Epicaste didn't understand the finer points of turning and charged to the attack. Joined by Abdul and support by Orn, the two warriors managed to hold their own, aided by two volleys of magic missiles from Amaryllis. By the time Orn's turns finally failed, there was but one foe left. The heroes triumphed...but at a huge cost...
Although most of the party emerged untouched, Sabuto had been drained back to 2nd lvl (with a permanent loss of three levels -- now 4th lvl) and Isaac's lifetime of training was gone (ZERO lvl, with a permanent loss of five levels -- now 2nd lvl). And based on Epicaste's attempt, they heroes could NOT return home through the hallway they entered...!
The group discussed the matter and decided to go after the Lost Shrine of Thanatos. Amaryllis (after some convincing from the others) translated to Epicaste who was at first hostile toward Ariadne, but then came around and felt it was her duty to aid in the mission. Epicaste did warn the group that the greatest heroes of the reign of Argos II (the grandfather of her own liege lord, Agamemnon) entered, but failed miserably and were horribly slain. Undaunted, the group uncovered the plastered over and wax-sealed door.
This was where the group found an inscription warning that there was no way back once the portal was breached. Listening to Ariadne's suggestion, Amaryllis traveled back to the ship to get her spells books as well as Abdul to go on the mission. With that Isaac, Sabuto, Orn, Abdul, Amaryllis, Ariadne, and Epicaste entered the Lost Shrine.
Immediately upon opening the seal, the party's light items failed and further their torches were limited to a strange, shadowy light. The group traveled down a 30' long hallway into a prayer room of sorts. Kneeling (as if still in prayer where they died) were the bodies of five robed "priests". Sabuto moved to investigate and chose to strike one.
That's when all HELL broke loose.
The master-kensai's blow failed to destroy the creature. Instead it rose, let out a soul-shriveling shriek and attack. It was that scream which undid the heroes. Orn fumbled his prayer spell. Amaryllis fainted. Abdul screamed his throat raw. Epicaste fled. That left just Sabuto, Isaac, and Ariadne to deal with the FIVE wight-like beings attacking...!
Sabuto quickly found himself drained of life energy, although Isaac and Ariadne were shielded thanks to the undead repellent they had used. Ariadne invoked a strange spell, much life faerie fire on two of Sabuto's foes while Isaac attacked. Unfortunately, this allowed both of his foes to counter attack. Both the kensai and half-orc were in turned drained further of life, some of the loss becoming permanent! And the fifth wight instead of uselessly attacking held Ariadne.
Orn recovered his wits at this point, turning the lot of priestly-undead. Unfortunately, by invoke the favor of his god within the confines of the unholy temple, the priest of Kor also provoked the being known as Thanatos...not only did the undead unturn, but the urns of black fire began to vomit forth skeletons...
About this point Amaryllis recovered from her faint, but dropped her weapons and began to hyperventilate. Ariadne was held and helpless. Sabuto was fighting for his life against the life-sucking undead, narrowly managing to slay ONE. Abdul recovered just in time, acting as a bulwark against another life-drainer and a host of skeletons on the party's flank. Isaac too battled for his life (and life force!) against two priestly-undead. Orn began returning waves of skeletons back to dust with his turns, but could not deal with the greater undead. And Epicaste charged back, but had to pick up the weapons she too had dropped.
Soon, Sabuto and Isaac were both fighting for their souls as multiple hits from each of the greater undead they faced drained portions of their life force. Orn swept most of the skeletons away while Epicaste held the party's other flank. Amazingly Abdul began to chop away at one of the life-suckers without any negative effects! Which was about when Isaac was drained to the thresh hold of life. Suddenly bereft of ALL training, combat experience, and strength of spirit, he was doomed against the two undead facing him. Sabuto too was in dire straits, luckily facing but one greater foe, but nearly drained back to neophyte-hood himself.
Epicaste sprang to the rescue, changing places with the kensai. She held her own well against the undead, preventing it from touching her while landing blows of her own. Sabuto, meanwhile, took the party's other flank. But before Isaac's final morsel of life could be stolen, Amaryllis leapt in, interposing her body against one foe and drawing forth a jackal to battle the other. The stratagem worked and Isaac was saved, but the priest-undead sucked out the soul of the animal her magical bag summoned, effectively destroying the magic item.
Orn's turns had removed the last of the skeletons and he sent the greater undead fleeing. Unfortunately, Epicaste didn't understand the finer points of turning and charged to the attack. Joined by Abdul and support by Orn, the two warriors managed to hold their own, aided by two volleys of magic missiles from Amaryllis. By the time Orn's turns finally failed, there was but one foe left. The heroes triumphed...but at a huge cost...
Although most of the party emerged untouched, Sabuto had been drained back to 2nd lvl (with a permanent loss of three levels -- now 4th lvl) and Isaac's lifetime of training was gone (ZERO lvl, with a permanent loss of five levels -- now 2nd lvl). And based on Epicaste's attempt, they heroes could NOT return home through the hallway they entered...!
