Post by David on Dec 8, 2005 14:37:11 GMT -5
On the morning of June 7th, 616 Common Year, the party (Autumn, Mikos, Andy, Rajinder, Livak, Draco, Hagar, and Ulaanbaatar) were dropped off near Cahervaniel by Asriel. The deva warned the group that the entire region had become unholy ground and he would not be able to help them or even get any closer. He would instead attempt to get help and look after Cmarelkir, who had been in a coma, not dead, but was suffering the effects of a concussion and lack of food and water.
The group spied the ruins of the once-picturesque town. Ghouls and skeletons wandered the streets, while on the hillock of the Standing Stone crouched a pair of byakhee. Hagar took charge and suggested bypassing the undead village by moving to the far side of the hill and ascending from there. En route the group encountered a strange, large leopard-like creature with snakes in lieu of a lion's man. The creature was mauling the body of a veggie pygmy and proved hostile. The heroes made quick work of the kamadan and moved on.
The party charged up the hillock. The byakhee saw the heroes coming and launched off a psionic assault. The group had lent Rajinder Cindari's boots of speed and combined with his own psionic talents, this allows him to close with one of the creatures without trouble. Despite her speed, however, Autumn was floored. Hagar valiantly lept to the attack, wounding the creature, but because of the hill and the byakhee's psionic attacks, no help was forthcoming. The huge creature slaughtered the heroic thief and let loose a war-cry that drew the attention of the nearby undead (some were at the base of the hillock). The party just managed to finish the monsters as a wave of shadows silently slid into view.
That's when three new figures joined the fray. Lann, Yatha, and Mirja ran up the hillock. Lann and Yatha produced holy symbols and commanded the shadow to flee. Lann then proceeded to explain that he and his comrades were there to aid the party in their mission and had a fair amount of information that would prove useful. The party, however, was distrustful of the two clerics and their body guard; they were followers of Vecna, the god of secrets. After much discussion, the party realized they had to flee into the hillock or get ready to do battle with all the undead of the village. Lann and Yatha provided cover, commanding the undead to flee or fight one another as the party ran into the mound...where the argument ground to halt in the face of a new threat.
A pair of ghaunadans as well as an ochre jelly and gray ooze were waiting in the first room. Livak and Rajinder were layed out quickly, paralyzed by the ghaunadan's touch. Autumn and Draco slaughtered the pair and the slimes while Andy tried to pull Raj to safety. Oops! A gelatinous cube attacked. Then a second. Exhausted, the party defeated the last of the slime-monsters and slowed the paralytic toxins. Mikos tended the wounded and Raj used his psionic healing to bolster the group.
The heroes made their way to the second level, seeing the chitine city still inhabited, but clearly the victim of a major assault. Black marks, holes, and tears marred the surface of their web-sphere. In the passage back to the Underdark floated a single, burning amoeba-like creature. The party opted not to fight it and moved on to the subterranean lake. There they met several waves of ghouls (chitine and drow alike), but again Lann and Yatha proved their worth by commanding the ghouls to fight one another.
The heroes came to the scree to the door, only to find it guarded by a drow war-party. Autumn quaffed the last half of her potion of flight to get the group down quickly. A poisoned dark quickly dropped Livak and a fierce fight ensued. Somehow Lann managed to hold person several of the drow while Mirja showed her skill with a bastard sword. She and Draco took on about half of the drow and lived, with the heroes ultimately triumphing. Again Mikos and Raj tended the wounded, with Autumn, Lann, and Yatha using their healing spells.
The group got through the black iron door and made for the hallway they had rested in before. They managed six hours of rest, during which time Raj healed most of the group back to full strength and recharged his own psionic power. At one point the heroes heard a knocking on the door toward the black door, but nothing came of it.
Now, approximately 7pm on the 7th, the heroes are preparing to husband their remaining strength and continue on...
The group spied the ruins of the once-picturesque town. Ghouls and skeletons wandered the streets, while on the hillock of the Standing Stone crouched a pair of byakhee. Hagar took charge and suggested bypassing the undead village by moving to the far side of the hill and ascending from there. En route the group encountered a strange, large leopard-like creature with snakes in lieu of a lion's man. The creature was mauling the body of a veggie pygmy and proved hostile. The heroes made quick work of the kamadan and moved on.
The party charged up the hillock. The byakhee saw the heroes coming and launched off a psionic assault. The group had lent Rajinder Cindari's boots of speed and combined with his own psionic talents, this allows him to close with one of the creatures without trouble. Despite her speed, however, Autumn was floored. Hagar valiantly lept to the attack, wounding the creature, but because of the hill and the byakhee's psionic attacks, no help was forthcoming. The huge creature slaughtered the heroic thief and let loose a war-cry that drew the attention of the nearby undead (some were at the base of the hillock). The party just managed to finish the monsters as a wave of shadows silently slid into view.
That's when three new figures joined the fray. Lann, Yatha, and Mirja ran up the hillock. Lann and Yatha produced holy symbols and commanded the shadow to flee. Lann then proceeded to explain that he and his comrades were there to aid the party in their mission and had a fair amount of information that would prove useful. The party, however, was distrustful of the two clerics and their body guard; they were followers of Vecna, the god of secrets. After much discussion, the party realized they had to flee into the hillock or get ready to do battle with all the undead of the village. Lann and Yatha provided cover, commanding the undead to flee or fight one another as the party ran into the mound...where the argument ground to halt in the face of a new threat.
A pair of ghaunadans as well as an ochre jelly and gray ooze were waiting in the first room. Livak and Rajinder were layed out quickly, paralyzed by the ghaunadan's touch. Autumn and Draco slaughtered the pair and the slimes while Andy tried to pull Raj to safety. Oops! A gelatinous cube attacked. Then a second. Exhausted, the party defeated the last of the slime-monsters and slowed the paralytic toxins. Mikos tended the wounded and Raj used his psionic healing to bolster the group.
The heroes made their way to the second level, seeing the chitine city still inhabited, but clearly the victim of a major assault. Black marks, holes, and tears marred the surface of their web-sphere. In the passage back to the Underdark floated a single, burning amoeba-like creature. The party opted not to fight it and moved on to the subterranean lake. There they met several waves of ghouls (chitine and drow alike), but again Lann and Yatha proved their worth by commanding the ghouls to fight one another.
The heroes came to the scree to the door, only to find it guarded by a drow war-party. Autumn quaffed the last half of her potion of flight to get the group down quickly. A poisoned dark quickly dropped Livak and a fierce fight ensued. Somehow Lann managed to hold person several of the drow while Mirja showed her skill with a bastard sword. She and Draco took on about half of the drow and lived, with the heroes ultimately triumphing. Again Mikos and Raj tended the wounded, with Autumn, Lann, and Yatha using their healing spells.
The group got through the black iron door and made for the hallway they had rested in before. They managed six hours of rest, during which time Raj healed most of the group back to full strength and recharged his own psionic power. At one point the heroes heard a knocking on the door toward the black door, but nothing came of it.
Now, approximately 7pm on the 7th, the heroes are preparing to husband their remaining strength and continue on...
