Post by David on May 6, 2013 16:23:05 GMT -5
The heroes (Malkierian, Aerone, Talos, River, Talking Bird, Akom, and Clod) sleep the night in Timbervale. In the morning, Brother Ilya heals them and then the heroes get additional healing from the druid, Kurgen. Unfortunately, many of the party members are still quite wounded. The group offers Kurgen a small donation and Brother Ilya then naps himself and the druid, using their spells an hour later to nearly completely restore the party. As a snowstorm moves in, the heroes set out for the citadel.
On route, the group encounters and makes exceedingly short-work of the she-troll they avoided previously. At the fortress, the party meets no initial opposition, though Clod spies something move on the parapets. Later, the group finds hot (but not boiling) oil dump down on them, but the aim is poor and only Talos is hit. As Talking Bird tends to the novice cleric, Akom leads the rest of the party up to the battlements, smashing down the ground-level door. Akom and Malkierian avoid a sepia snake sigil and then the heroes confront and quickly destroy eight skeletons, though they thought they saw another figure at the back of the room.
The party rushes to the secret door to the underground dwarven vaults below. Unfortunately, the door will not budge...as if it has been magically locked. The heroes work together and smash the door down, taking many minutes and making quite a ruckus in the process. Aerone leads the way this time...into the room of their previous battles, but this one is empty, except for the sepia snake that enspells Aerone.
The heroes look around and suddenly a fireball shoots up through the central shaft, catching nearly the entire room. Talos drops and Talking Bird is badly burned. River trades arrow fire with the orcs below and Malkierian unleashes magic missiles. Akom quaffs his potion of invulnerability, leaping into the shaft and falling over 60' feet to the water basin below (he managed to survive the fall even though the potion hadn't kicked in yet and the fall was too much for it anyway), where he sinks beneath the water unconscious and begins to drown.
An orcish sorceress, clearly one of those touched by the earlier magical fountain, invokes a lightning bolt at the half-elven archer-ranger, but he uses his magical glove to send it back, stunning her and nearly killing her brother. The drow mage tosses another "blind" fireball from below, nearly killed more heroes. That's when the demons start to arrive...a pair of vrock move in for the kill.
One uses telekinesis to grab Malkierian and hold him over the shaft. The orcs unleashes arrows into the gallant, though he manages to resist a bolt of light from the sorceress and survive (barely) a volley of magic missiles from the drow. River drops the other demon and Clod tosses Malkierian a rope, which the gallant uses to pull himself to safety (he was right at the limit of the demon's weight limit already). The demon charges and wounds the heroes. It then uses its telekinesis on River, holding him too over the shaft until Clod defeat it. The half-manages to catch the lip of the level below, but nearly wretches his arms off in the process and loses his bow. Meanwhile, the threat from below remains. Talking Bird attempts to hold person the orcs below, but they resist.
Although River had unleashed arrows into the group below, slaying the orcish archer and wounding most of the rest, the drow, sorceress, and orog leader remain along with a dozen orcs and orog. The sorceress finally conjures a thick, obscuring fog. This gives River the chance to lower himself down with a rope attached to poor Aerone. Malkierian follows, the two dropping past a deserted level then one with four orogs and a displacer beast and finally to the mist-shrouded bottom level.
River saves Akom and he and Malkierian try to slay the orcs, but they are too many and too tough. The drow escaped in the confusion, but the orog leader, an orog captain, and the sorceress take out the pair as well as Clod when he arrives. In the mist, Talking Bird and Talos slip to the downed party members and begin healing them. Unfortunately, they're discovered.
Talos tries to hold off the orcs, but they slaughter the cleric of Lendor. Malkierian and River get back on their feet, but the orcs slaughter the shaman as well. Carefully, the gallant and archer-ranger finish off the last of the foes. Malkierian then tries to save Akom's life, hoping the paladin can heal the dwarf (Clod drank a potion of giant strength and healing, swelling to 12' and turning blue -- there was no way the pair could carry the unconscious giant-dwarf to safety). Unfortunately, the healing potion mixed with the potion of invulnerability already in Akom's system. The explosion sent bits of paladin across the entire room and knocked Malkierian unconscious (as well as slew the downed orcs!).
River managed to snipe most of the orcs on the far side of the mist, though they wounded the half-elf. He then found a final potion on Talos' remains, giving it to Malkierian to restore the downed gallant. Malkierian climbed to the level above and with River's help, killed the orogs and displacer beast, so the pair could retreat.
Working together, River and Malkierian used the ropes to lift up the bodies of Talking Bird and the enemy leaders to the level above. There, River found another potion which Malkierian gave to Clod. About this point, however, the orcs began to investigate the mist. Malkierian managed to finish off the lone orcs in twos and threes. Finally, with Clod on his feet, the heroes limped back to Timbervale.
NOTE: I screwed up. I did NOT give you the full treasure of the orcish archer. You only grabbed the magic, via River's spell. He was wearing studded leather armor (human-sized), had a short bow as well as bracers (yes, bracers with armor) and two more potions -- one healing and one mana. THIS IS FOR River, Malkierian, Clod, and Aerone to divide (since everyone else either quit or died).
On route, the group encounters and makes exceedingly short-work of the she-troll they avoided previously. At the fortress, the party meets no initial opposition, though Clod spies something move on the parapets. Later, the group finds hot (but not boiling) oil dump down on them, but the aim is poor and only Talos is hit. As Talking Bird tends to the novice cleric, Akom leads the rest of the party up to the battlements, smashing down the ground-level door. Akom and Malkierian avoid a sepia snake sigil and then the heroes confront and quickly destroy eight skeletons, though they thought they saw another figure at the back of the room.
The party rushes to the secret door to the underground dwarven vaults below. Unfortunately, the door will not budge...as if it has been magically locked. The heroes work together and smash the door down, taking many minutes and making quite a ruckus in the process. Aerone leads the way this time...into the room of their previous battles, but this one is empty, except for the sepia snake that enspells Aerone.
The heroes look around and suddenly a fireball shoots up through the central shaft, catching nearly the entire room. Talos drops and Talking Bird is badly burned. River trades arrow fire with the orcs below and Malkierian unleashes magic missiles. Akom quaffs his potion of invulnerability, leaping into the shaft and falling over 60' feet to the water basin below (he managed to survive the fall even though the potion hadn't kicked in yet and the fall was too much for it anyway), where he sinks beneath the water unconscious and begins to drown.
An orcish sorceress, clearly one of those touched by the earlier magical fountain, invokes a lightning bolt at the half-elven archer-ranger, but he uses his magical glove to send it back, stunning her and nearly killing her brother. The drow mage tosses another "blind" fireball from below, nearly killed more heroes. That's when the demons start to arrive...a pair of vrock move in for the kill.
One uses telekinesis to grab Malkierian and hold him over the shaft. The orcs unleashes arrows into the gallant, though he manages to resist a bolt of light from the sorceress and survive (barely) a volley of magic missiles from the drow. River drops the other demon and Clod tosses Malkierian a rope, which the gallant uses to pull himself to safety (he was right at the limit of the demon's weight limit already). The demon charges and wounds the heroes. It then uses its telekinesis on River, holding him too over the shaft until Clod defeat it. The half-manages to catch the lip of the level below, but nearly wretches his arms off in the process and loses his bow. Meanwhile, the threat from below remains. Talking Bird attempts to hold person the orcs below, but they resist.
Although River had unleashed arrows into the group below, slaying the orcish archer and wounding most of the rest, the drow, sorceress, and orog leader remain along with a dozen orcs and orog. The sorceress finally conjures a thick, obscuring fog. This gives River the chance to lower himself down with a rope attached to poor Aerone. Malkierian follows, the two dropping past a deserted level then one with four orogs and a displacer beast and finally to the mist-shrouded bottom level.
River saves Akom and he and Malkierian try to slay the orcs, but they are too many and too tough. The drow escaped in the confusion, but the orog leader, an orog captain, and the sorceress take out the pair as well as Clod when he arrives. In the mist, Talking Bird and Talos slip to the downed party members and begin healing them. Unfortunately, they're discovered.
Talos tries to hold off the orcs, but they slaughter the cleric of Lendor. Malkierian and River get back on their feet, but the orcs slaughter the shaman as well. Carefully, the gallant and archer-ranger finish off the last of the foes. Malkierian then tries to save Akom's life, hoping the paladin can heal the dwarf (Clod drank a potion of giant strength and healing, swelling to 12' and turning blue -- there was no way the pair could carry the unconscious giant-dwarf to safety). Unfortunately, the healing potion mixed with the potion of invulnerability already in Akom's system. The explosion sent bits of paladin across the entire room and knocked Malkierian unconscious (as well as slew the downed orcs!).
River managed to snipe most of the orcs on the far side of the mist, though they wounded the half-elf. He then found a final potion on Talos' remains, giving it to Malkierian to restore the downed gallant. Malkierian climbed to the level above and with River's help, killed the orogs and displacer beast, so the pair could retreat.
Working together, River and Malkierian used the ropes to lift up the bodies of Talking Bird and the enemy leaders to the level above. There, River found another potion which Malkierian gave to Clod. About this point, however, the orcs began to investigate the mist. Malkierian managed to finish off the lone orcs in twos and threes. Finally, with Clod on his feet, the heroes limped back to Timbervale.
NOTE: I screwed up. I did NOT give you the full treasure of the orcish archer. You only grabbed the magic, via River's spell. He was wearing studded leather armor (human-sized), had a short bow as well as bracers (yes, bracers with armor) and two more potions -- one healing and one mana. THIS IS FOR River, Malkierian, Clod, and Aerone to divide (since everyone else either quit or died).
