Session
23:
Temple of Qavay
[JadedDM]: Sardonx 2nd, Flameday; 8 bells.
After a long night, the morning comes and the party begins breaking camp
after eating a bland breakfast of iron rations.
Large, dark and ominous clouds have formed overhead, blocking out the
sun. Now and again, the roar of
thunder is heard. It's clear a storm
is approaching.
[Eskar]: Eskar raises his hand to his goggles, considering the
horizon before turning back to the party.
[JadedDM]: Aidan,
meanwhile, got up early after making camp after having rested comfortably thanks
to Leomund's spell. He quickly
catches up to the party and spots their campsite as they are breaking camp.
Along with Eskar, Jasmin, and Gaheris...there is also a familiar
hobgoblin priest and four orcs.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Looks
like the weather is about to take a turn for the worse."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin simply sits upon the ground, her elbow resting on
her knee as she stares out into the horizon as if in a complete daze. Her eyes
seem to gloss over for a few moments before she finally closes them as if trying
to fall back asleep.
[Daufer]: Daufer sits in front of a pile of bones, meditating.
[Eskar]: The duergar watches Daufer's actions intently, clearly
brooding over some large concepts.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris continues looking skyward.
"I hope we don't run into any wolves before we reach the
temple," he says ominously.
[Daufer]: Daufer stands up, determination clear in his eyes.
"No, we wouldn't want that."
[Eskar]: Eskar furrows his brow at Daufer's sudden comment.
[Daufer]: Daufer begins chanting in Hobgoblin, singing praises to
his war goddess.
[Aidan]: Aidan trudges towards the party's campsite, looking
relatively refreshed and well-rested for walking in from the grasslands.
He waves towards them, and then makes good time towards the campsite, his
quarterstaff thudding against the ground with each step, and a small brown bat
flapping in large wild circles about his head.
Finally reaching the camp, he takes a look at the newcomers, and then
clears his throat and nods towards Jasmin, Gaheris, and Eskar.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin opens her eyes slightly only to see Aidan standing
there. "You got something flying around your head," she points out.
"And what are you doing here?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Ah,
our wayward mage has found us. Where
have you been?"
[Eskar]: Eskar stands and moves over to Aidan, patting the man on
his arm. "I am glad you are coming, Aidan."
[Aidan]: Aidan watches the bat circle warily for a few moments, then
turns towards the others. "Loreleii
told me where you all had gone, so I came to help you along.
I'm sorry I missed the meeting...I was off finding this one here,"
he gestures with his staff to the bat, "and it took quite a bit longer than
expected."
[Daufer]: After a minute, five skeletons rise from the pile of
bones in front of the priest, an unholy light seen from beneath horned helmets.
Five spears snap to attention as the priest finishes chanting.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "You
had trouble finding a bat? You
should have checked the mines, there are tons of them."
He pauses, and then adds as an afterthought, "Although why would you
need a bat? And what's it doing out
at this hour?"
[JadedDM]: The orcs gasp and mumble in their own tongue at the
sight of the skeletons rising. They
bow reverently to Daufer.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin jumps to her feet quickly as she sees the pile of
bones become skeletons again. "Those are supposed to be dead!"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris quickly draws his sword, not sure what is
happening. "What...Daufer, did
you do that?"
[Aidan]: "I didn't know I was calling a bat, but she was the one
to answer me. Her name is Amaris,
and she's my familiar." Aidan
takes a step back as the skeletons rise from the ground, holding his
quarterstaff ready before him. "I
thought priests helped keep the living alive, not the dead."
[Daufer]: "I did," Daufer replies. "These skeletons
are now under my command." He looks at the reverent orcs and tells them to
stand up.
[Eskar]: Eskar blinks, taken aback by the current development of
skeletal soldiers. He nods his head slowly. "It is to be smart. Soldiers
from nothing."
[JadedDM]: The Orcs snap to attention.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris hesitates, but puts his sword away.
"You are sure you can control them?"
[Jasmin]: "Apparently, they do both now." Jasmin crosses
her arms, and then turns her attention back to Aidan. "What is a
familiar?"
[Daufer]: "Again, you doubt me, Gaheris?" Daufer asks.
"Yes, I can control them."
[Eskar]: Eskar shakes his head at all the magic around him. "We
are strong. We will be victory this time." The dwarf puffs out his chest
temporarily and nods to himself.
[Daufer]: Daufer eyes the diviner, finally noticing the wizard
after his strenuous prayer. "Another Shadow Bat-- ah, yes, I remember
you."
[Aidan]: Aidan eyes the skeletons, though glances to Jasmin as he
answers. "She's a...well, to be
honest, I'm not quite clear on them myself, but I found some tomes on how to
summon one and...tested it. She's a
servant, I suppose." The bat
flies quite a bit more erratically at this, and Aidan frowns as he watches her.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris looks between wizard and cleric.
"You two know each other?"
[Aidan]: "I found him once, to ask him a question," Aidan
says to Gaheris. "He was very
unpleasant for it. Perhaps he was
attempting to summon more creatures back from their proper deaths."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin absently watches the bat before turning her eyes
to the others. "Did he answer your question?"
[Aidan]: "He did." Aidan
glances towards the skeletons, and the orcs standing around, before answering.
"But we moved along with that particular search with other
help."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Amaris,
huh? She makes a fine mascot for the
Shadow Bats." He nods in
approval. "And now our numbers
are even greater, between Daufer's entourage and Aidan and his new
companion."
[Daufer]: "We should get going," Daufer says.
He turns to Proud Wolf to relay the same to the rest of the orcs.
[Jasmin]: "All of this just for one temple," Jasmin
states. "There must be something really dangerous in there if we need all
of this."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris nods. "We
probably will get hit by the rain before we get there, so the sooner the better.
Why don't you take point, Daufer. I'll
guard our flank."
[Daufer]: Daufer nods in agreement.
[JadedDM]: The group of fourteen falls into formation and resumes
the trek toward the forgotten
[JadedDM]: The temple is a three-story structure built from gray
stone. A six foot crumbling wall of
the same stone encircles the temple. This
wall has numerous breaches and the front gates have been ripped off their
hinges. They lie partially buried in
the muck, rusted over. Everything is
slick from the rain. A shiver runs
down the party's collective spines, but whether from the chilling rain or the
look of sadness and loss the place possesses is uncertain.
[JadedDM]: The overly superstitious Orcs manage to control their
emotions, but a close look on their faces would reveal a twitch here or there of
fear. The skeletons, of course, are
stoically unimpressed.
[Daufer]: Daufer speaks to the orcs in Hobgoblin.
[Eskar]: Eskar inspects the temple's architecture to keep his mind
from the gray misery that seems to envelope the place. "What now,
priest?"
[Daufer]: {"Silent Mouse, stay here with the donkey. The rest
of you will come with me inside."}
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "The
Insurrection was about 20 years ago...could anything really still be alive in
there?" he asks nobody in particular.
[Daufer]: "What else, but go and see what's inside, Master
Armbreaker?" Daufer says after speaking to the orcs.
[JadedDM]: One of the orcs, the youngest one, salutes and stays
behind with Daufer's mule. The other
three, nervously, stay with the cleric.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin hangs back a bit to look over the decaying temple.
She looks about ready to say something, but instead simply shakes her head.
"Anything could have just taken up camp inside this place."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "At
least it'll provide shelter from the rain," he says, carefully approaching
the front gates.
[Aidan]: Aidan winces as Amaris emits a shrill sound that is
practically a whimper from her resting place in Aidan's hood, near his right
ear. "I'm sure if the D'lokkan
priests were as encouraging of raising the dead 20 years ago as Daufer is, we
could have quite a bit to fear." Aidan
remains close to Eskar, looking the structure up and down.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes a deep breath and moves to the doors.
"Well, I'm not standing out here anymore."
[Daufer]: "It was not the Hobgoblins that haunted this
place," Daufer says. "If you had bothered to listen to what Ms. Rouge
had to say, you would have discovered quite a bit."
[Eskar]: Eskar draws his sword, for some subconscious need. He taps
it against his shield a few times, just to build up some courage. "My
friends, we should not be picking at each other, when there are to be ghosts to
do that."
[JadedDM]: Stepping over the rusted gates, the party enters the
courtyard while the young orc and mule stay behind.
The courtyard is littered with debris from a long ago battle.
There are a number of rusty swords and spears, bones, and old pieces of
armor half-buried in the mud. In the
courtyard's center is a cobblestone well that's ten feet in diameter.
It's filled to the brim with a brown, sludge-like water that is now
spilling over thanks to the rain. The
bucket and tether are submerged. Anyone
who approaches notices it smells awful.
[Eskar]: (any doors that are accessible from the courtyard?)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin wrinkles her nose up at the smell. "That is
probably one of the worse smells ever."
[JadedDM]:
(Yes, the main entrance is right north of the well.)
[JadedDM]:
(Jasmin only says that because she wasn't there to fight the otyugh.
:p)
[Daufer]: "You're right, of course," Daufer replies to
the dwarf. "Not when there are much more important things..." Daufer
begins to walk towards the main entrance.
[Eskar]: Eskar moves with Aidan, steering to give the well a wide
berth because of the scent. "It was taking me a long time to stop smelling
like sewers."
[JadedDM]: The large, steel doors now stand before Daufer.
They are closed and bear an engraving of two clashing armies (one on each
door) charging toward each other.
[Daufer]: Daufer pushes at the large steel doors.
[Eskar]: (what are the armies of?
Like, race?)
[JadedDM]:
(Both armies appear to be a mix of humans, goblins, and hobgoblins.)
[JadedDM]: With a protesting sound, audible even in the rain, the doors push
open to reveal a large and very dark room.
[Eskar]: Eskar furrows his brow then nods away whatever thought he
had and peers into the room.
[Daufer]: "Do we need a light for the humans?" Daufer
says, producing a lamp.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin pulls out Radiant
Star, letting the sword light the way into the room. "We don't need a
lamp when I have this."
[Daufer]: "Ah, yes, I had forgotten," Daufer says. He
replaces the lamp in his pack. He walks into the chamber and peers around.
[JadedDM]: Illuminating the area, the party can now see clearly.
The large room is cool and dank. The
floors are stained with old, dried blood. Bones,
old weapons and armor, and even a few skulls litter the area.
Near the front entrance is a spiraling staircase leading to the second
floor. There is a closed door in the
northeast and open passageways to the west and north.
On the east wall is a mural of a wonderful city of splendor and
prosperity. The scent of decay is
prominent here, as is a feeling of foreboding.
[Daufer]: Daufer pauses to study the mural, completely ignoring the
smells and the ominous feeling.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin nudges a skull with her foot as she takes in the
room.
[Eskar]: Eskar keeps peering at every possible conduit for enemies,
his sword and shield at the ready.
[JadedDM]: The Orcs push the front doors close, so that the wind
and rain are kept out. Things become
much quieter now.
[Aidan]: Aidan stays behind Jasmin, taking in the room and eyeing the
bones with suspicion. He lowers his
hood and Amaris takes flight, circling him again.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "This
place looks big," he says softly, as if afraid of disturbing a sleeping
creature. "Perhaps we should
split up?"
[Aidan]: "I'd prefer it if we remained together," Aidan
says quickly.
[Eskar]: Eskar grunts. "I am thinking we should. We must to be
careful and meet back here at a certain time though."
[Jasmin]: "Splitting up wouldn't be a good idea," Jasmin
says. "Remember Lord Tyler's home?"
[JadedDM]: In the distance, sounding as if coming from above, they
hear a female's horrible, blood-curdling scream of agony and torment.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin winces and takes a few steps back upon hearing the
scream.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris pales and draws his bow.
The Orcs stand at attention, unsure of what to do.
[Aidan]: Aidan shivers as he turns towards the sound, and Amaris
lands on his shoulder, looking about the room.
[Eskar]: Eskar frowns. "I am getting the feeling that that is
bad news. We should not go after it." The duergar gestures at the passage
to the west. "I say that way."
[Daufer]: Daufer looks up from studying the mural, and shakes his
head, suddenly remembering where he is. "That way is as good as any."
[Aidan]: "If we don't go towards it, whatever the reason for it
could come up behind us."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Where
do you think they would have stored their treasures?"
[Eskar]: Eskar pauses to consider Aidan's words. "It could be a
trap."
[Daufer]: "Come, I shall go first, since this is my
quest," Daufer says, directing the orcs and the skeletons to follow him. He
leads the way into the west.
[Aidan]: "A trap set by whom?"
Aidan remains standing where he is, looking to Jasmin or Gaheris to
choose a direction.
[Eskar]: Eskar dutifully follows after Daufer.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over all of them then rolls her eyes as she
follows after Daufer. "A trap set by the drow, as it was the drow that did
all of this."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris follows after the dwarf, letting the mage and
fighter make up their own minds on what to do.
[Aidan]: "I'm sure the Drow wouldn't care.
It already looks as if they've ransacked the place."
Aidan follows the others after Daufer.
[JadedDM]: The next room is as spacious as the entrance chamber,
but the walls are lined with weapon racks. These
racks hold swords, spears, and maces--but most are damaged or rusted.
The room seems unnaturally chilly and the smell of decay is
stronger--perhaps because there are nine corpses strewn about.
They all appear to have fallen in battle, and are mostly hobgoblin--although a couple of them are human.
There is another open passageway to the north.
[Daufer]: Daufer searches the bodies for some clue as to their
identity.
[Eskar]: Eskar stands nearby, expecting the bodies to jump up and
attack them at any moment.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin walks over to weapon racks simply to look over the
damaged and rusted swords.
[Aidan]: Aidan stays with Eskar, and then looks to Amaris, who takes
flight, circling the room, and flapping into the north passageway.
[JadedDM]: Daufer examines one of the bodies and, based on its
armor, concludes they were simple soldiers or perhaps shrine sentries.
Unfortunately, Eskar's fears jinx them all, as the corpses do suddenly
begin to move and stand up, moaning in pain.
Their white, empty eyes stare lifelessly at the party as they make it to
their feet.
[JadedDM]: The Orcs shout out something in their native tongue and
attempt to protect Daufer.
[Eskar]: Eskar turns his blade on the nearest one immediately.
[Aidan]: Aidan reaches into a pouch on his belt and begins to chant a
spell as he pulls out a metal fragment.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin pulls out Scalebiter
quickly, turning from the weapons rack to face the undead.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [7] = (7)
[Daufer]: Daufer takes out his maul to attack one of the zombies. He
also commands the skeletons to attack the one he attacks.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [10] = (10)
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [3] = (3)
[Eskar]: [1d10] => [3] = (3)
[JadedDM]:
Orcs' turn.
[JadedDM]: Without hesitation, the three Orcs start stabbing the
nearest corpse, the one Daufer had been examining, before it can even stand up
fully. The creature falls back down,
moaning, as it's assaulted with multiple spears.
[JadedDM]:
Eskar's turn.
[Eskar]: [1d20] => [12] = (12)
[Eskar]: [2d4+2] => [1,4,2] = (7)
[Eskar]: Eskar's sword comes up and lops off one of the creature's
arms. The monster seems hardly to notice and continues rising.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [9] = (9)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [4] = (4)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [5,3] = (8)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin dodges out of the way as one of the undead lunges
at her. As its back is turn, she stabs Radiant
Star into the back of the undead, nearly pinning it to the wall. She then
kicks back another zombie, and tries to stab Scalebiter into its leg, but she misses her mark.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris draws an arrow quickly and fires it, striking a
zombie right in the eye. This
doesn't seem to bother it too much, however.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [8] = (8)
[Daufer]: [2d4+3] -> [2,2,3] = (7)
[Daufer]: Daufer gives his maul a mighty swing and the head crashes
into the chest of a rising corpse, but it still rises.
[JadedDM]:
Aidan's turn.
[Aidan]: As Aidan finishes his incantation, the small piece of metal
disappears from his hand, and something seems to shimmer over Aidan's body for a
brief moment before disappearing. He
looks towards Amaris in the distance, then back to the battle before him.
[JadedDM]:
Skeletons' turn.
[JadedDM]: Obeying Daufer's commands, the skeletons all launch
themselves at the zombie he was engage in. The
moaning, shambling corpse quickly goes down under a hail of spear thrusts.
[JadedDM]:
Zombies' turn.
[JadedDM]: Now on their feet, the zombies move in.
One goes for Eskar and grabs hold of him, but it fails in biting through
his banded mail. The dwarf shoves it
aside. Another goes for Jasmin, who
easily dances circles around it. One
goes for Daufer, but his Orcish bodyguards keep it at bay.
One goes for Aidan, but its leg actually gives out on it and falls off.
The creature falls to the ground and slowly begins to crawl toward the
mage. The last two tangle with the
orcs and skeletons, but the orcs keep theirs at bay while the skeletons simply
have no flesh to chew on.
[Jasmin]: (*laughs*)
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris quickly nocks and fires another arrow, striking
one of the zombies in the chest. This
does nothing to stop it.
[JadedDM]:
(Actions for Round 2?)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin attacks.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [6] = (6)
[Aidan]: Aidan raises his quarterstaff against the zombie crawling
towards him.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [2] = (2)
[Eskar]: The duergar turns his attention to the zombie assaulting
Aidan, and gets in front of it, attacking it with his sword.
[Eskar]: [1d10] => [7] = (7)
[Daufer]: Daufer helps the orcs against their corpse.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [3] = (3)
[JadedDM]:
Aidan's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20+4] => [4,4] = (8)
[Aidan]: Aidan brings the end of his staff down a foot from the
zombie's head, thudding soundly against the floor, but being rather unhelpful
for the attack.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [5] = (5)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [11] = (11)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [3,3] = (6)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [1,3] = (4)
[Jasmin]: The zombie slowly moves forward towards Jasmin with its
arms outstretched. Jasmin carefully moves in, ducks down and hacks off one of
the zombie’s legs causing it to crash down to the floor. She then stabs Scalebiter
down into the down zombie's chest, but it continues to try and crawl towards
her.
[JadedDM]:
Orcs' turn.
[JadedDM]: The three Orcs team up on the zombie attacking them,
but it simply accepts their damage and keeps on coming.
[JadedDM]:
Skeleton's turn.
[JadedDM]: The skeletons all gang up on one of the zombies, once
again bringing it down with their combined might.
[JadedDM]:
Eskar's turn.
[Daufer]: ((Go skeletons!))
[Eskar]: [1d20+4] => [1,4] = (5)
[Daufer]: ((Ouch. Tough break.))
[Jasmin]: (Against a crawling zombie...how about that.)
[Eskar]: Eskar's sword goes down to pierce the zombie and slides
into the ground nearby instead, jarring the weapon from his grip.
[Eskar]: (Sucky)
[JadedDM]:
(Eskar fumbles. Everyone take a
drink!)
[Eskar]: (That would literally be the best drinking game ever)
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [7] = (7)
[Daufer]: Daufer swings at the other corpse the orcs are engaged
with, but he fails to make any meaningful contact with the heavy maul.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris fires another arrow, but this one misses and
instead clatters on the stone wall. He
curses, as it's difficult to see when their light source is swaying about
unsteadily.
[JadedDM]:
Zombies' turn.
[JadedDM]: The same zombie as before swings its fists at Eskar,
but the plucky dwarf blocks with his shield.
Jasmin has no trouble evading the slow, shambling zombies.
One zombie approaches Daufer, but Angry Dragon throws himself forward to
protect the cleric. The zombie bites
into his shoulder and knocks him down, feeding on the screaming orc.
Aidan's zombie tries scratching at his ankles, but he easily steps away.
The last one attacks Proud Wolf, but the Orc keeps it at bay with his
spear.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [15] = (15)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [2,3] = (5)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin kicks the zombie's jaw off as it tries to bite
into her nearby foot. The jaw goes flying into a nearby wall, as Jasmin stabs Radiant
Star down into the zombie's throat. This jawless zombie twitches before
finally laying still on the cold ground.
[JadedDM]:
Eskar's turn.
[Eskar]: [1d20+4] => [7,4] = (11)
[Eskar]: [2d4+2] => [2,1,2] = (5)
[Eskar]: Eskar scoops up his fallen blade, slicing the zombie's back
deeply as he does so.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [5] = (5)
[Daufer]: Daufer tries to smash the maul against the corpse eating
away at Angry Dragon, but only hits the stone floor.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris fires at the zombie feeding on Angry Dragon,
but only grazes it.
[JadedDM]:
(Four zombies remain. Actions for
Round 3?)
[Eskar]: Eskar continues his assault on the zombie attacking Aidan.
[Eskar]: [1d10] => [6] = (6)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin attacks the zombie feeding on Angry Dragon.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [6] = (6)
[Aidan]: Aidan attacks the same zombie with his staff.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [8] = (8)
[Daufer]: Daufer tries to free Angry Dragon from the clutches of
the feeding zombie.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [5] = (5)
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [9] = (9)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [10] = (10)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [6,3] = (9)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [2,3] = (5)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin runs over to the fallen orc, and pulls the zombie
off of him. Jasmin then plunges both of her swords into the zombie's chest. Once
again, it twitches before finally laying still.
[JadedDM]:
Orcs' turn.
[JadedDM]: The two remaining Orcs continue to double-team their
zombie, stabbing it in vital locations. The
corpse continues to walk, however.
[JadedDM]:
Skeletons' turn.
[JadedDM]: The five skeletons come up behind the zombie fighting
the Orcs. Together, they take it
down efficiently and quickly.
[JadedDM]:
Eskar's turn.
[Eskar]: [1d20+4] => [6,4] = (10)
[Eskar]: [2d4+2] => [1,1,2] = (4)
[Eskar]: Eskar's sword come's down on the zombie's head, cleaving it
in two, which ends it.
[JadedDM]:
Aidan's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [19] = (19)
[Aidan]: [1d6] => [6] = (6)
[Aidan]: Aidan moves towards the last zombie and swings his staff at
it, crushing its skull under the force of the swing.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris lowers his bow.
"Everyone all right?"
[Jasmin]: "Besides this orc here, I think everyone is
fine."
[Daufer]: Daufer bends down to say a prayer over Angry Dragon.
[Daufer]: [1d8] -> [5] = (5)
[JadedDM]: The bloody wound on Angry Dragon's neck mends and he
slowly returns to consciousness.
[Daufer]: {"You defended me well," Daufer says in
Hobgoblin. "How are you feeling?"}
[Eskar]: Eskar nods at Aidan. "Good job, my friend." The
duergar cleans his blade on a corpse as best he can and sheathes it. He looks
noticeably more relaxed after the fight.
[JadedDM]: Angry
Dragon: {"Weak.
But I will fight on."}
[Aidan]: Aidan picks a piece of decayed skin from the end of his
staff, nodding to Eskar. Amaris
alights on his shoulder once more and screeches.
[Daufer]: Daufer nods and pats the orc on the shoulder. He
straightens up and says, "Are we ready to move on?"
[Jasmin]: "I am."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Yeah.
We'll have to be more careful."
[Daufer]: Daufer nods in agreement. "Then let's go."
Daufer takes up the lead in going through the north passage.
[Eskar]: Eskar once again takes position behind Daufer.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin follows after the priest looking more awake and
even a bit excited than she was earlier.
[JadedDM]: The north passage leads them to a hallway extending
eastward. A door to the north is
just ahead, wooden and reinforced with steel.
The hallway extends beyond this, but it's too difficult to see beyond the
light of Radiant Star.
[Daufer]: Daufer tries to open the reinforced door.
[JadedDM]: With some effort, Daufer manages to push the door open.
He finds himself in a small room with two staircases:
one ascending and one descending, parallel of each other.
A similar door to the one he just entered is to the east, between the two
staircases. To the west are two
large windows. The party can see the
rain continuing to pour outside through them.
Two more corpses lie underneath the windowsill, and begin to stand.
[Aidan]: Aidan sighs, readying his quarterstaff as Amaris flies
upwards to watch from the railing of the ascending staircase.
[Jasmin]: "This place is just full of the living dead,"
she says as she prepares to attack the two corpses.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [5] = (5)
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [3] = (3)
[Daufer]: Daufer also readies to attack.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [6] = (6)
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [14] = (14)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [18] = (18)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [2,3] = (5)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [1,3] = (4)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin runs forward towards one of zombies (or so she
thinks). She pushes it back with her foot as it tries to lunge forward towards
her, and then she stabs both of her swords into the stomach of the zombie. It
continues to move forward despite what Jasmine has done to it.
[JadedDM]:
Aidan's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [19] = (19)
[Aidan]: [1d6] => [3] = (3)
[Aidan]: Aidan moves after Jasmin, swinging his staff at the same
zombie Jasmin attacks. The blow
smashes against the creature's ribcage, and it falls to the ground, unmoving.
[JadedDM]:
Orcs' turn.
[JadedDM]: Hearing the sounds of battle, the three Orcs rush to
cram inside the room. Proud Wolf
takes the lead, charging the remaining Orc.
He pierces the zombie's chest with his spear, and then in an impressive
feat of strength, lifts up the spear and chucks the zombie into the window pane
behind it. It shatters, allowing the
wind and rain to begin blowing inside. The
zombie, however, still manages to rise to its feet.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [6] = (6)
[Daufer]: Daufer cannot make contact with the shambling corpse.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris quickly fires an arrow, piercing the zombie's
brain. It wobbles a bit, and then
collapses. He then steps back from
the rain being blown inside. "Jasmin's
right. This place is infested with
these things."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks towards Proud Wolf, looking slightly
impressed by his work. "But if it is just these things, then it shouldn't
be so bad."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "I
have a feeling that scream we heard earlier wasn't from a zombie."
[Jasmin]: "What could it have been from then?"
[Daufer]: Daufer pushes past everyone and towards the door to the
east. "Yes, but I expected as much." He opens the door.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "I
don't know..." He looks around.
"Hey...where'd the dwarf go?"
Indeed, Eskar appears to have gone missing.
[Aidan]: Aidan looks around. "...When
was he last with us?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "I
thought he was right behind me in that hallway."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks around before shrugging. "He was for
going off on his own, so maybe he went up or down these stairs with while we
were dealing with the undead."
[JadedDM]: The door Daufer pushes open reveals a dining hall.
An old, wooden table with a soiled tablecloth stands in the center of the
room, broken in two. A number of
chairs surround it, and six of them (three on each side) are occupied by dead
hobgoblins in temple uniforms. To
the east is a dumbwaiter.
[Daufer]: ((dumbwaiter?))
[Jasmin]: Not looking worried about Eskar, Jasmin follows Daufer
into the dining room. "They died sitting at a table?"
[JadedDM]:
(A dumbwaiter. It's a device that
connects two floors, like a lift. Typically,
one puts food on it and then lowers it into the dining room.
After dinner, the plates are set on it and then lifted back up to the
kitchen.)
[Daufer]: ((I see.))
[JadedDM]: There is an open passageway to the south.
However, the six corpses, as expected by this point, I'm sure, begin to
moan and stir.
[Aidan]: Aidan begins an incantation, gesturing with his free hand
towards the corpses.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [2] = (2)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin smirks as the dead being to rise once again.
"I wonder if every room is going to be like this," she says as she
runs towards the end of the table to take on the zombies.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [3] = (3)
[Daufer]: Daufer attacks the zombies as well.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [10] = (10)
[JadedDM]:
Aidan's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d4+1] => [2,1] = (3)
[Aidan]: [1d4+1] => [1,1] = (2)
[Aidan]: [1d4+1] => [2,1] = (3)
[Aidan]: As Aidan finishes his spell, three bolts of energy leap from
his fingers towards the three nearest corpses.
The second nearest moans loudly as the bolt hits it, but the other two
only hiss at the strike.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [18] = (18)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [2] = (2)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [6,3] = (9)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin runs forward, and jumps up on one of the chairs,
then uses the chair to get up on the end of the table. Once there, she uses Radiant
Star to slash out at one of the zombies. The sword makes contact with it's
throat, causing its head to just dangle there, but it continues to lunge forward
towards the girl. She tries to stab Scalebiter
in to finish the job, but it simply knocks off a finger or two from the lunging
zombie.
[JadedDM]:
Orcs' turn.
[JadedDM]: The three Orcs cry out something in their own language
and then charge after Jasmin. Leaping
up on the table, each one takes on one of the zombies Aidan had just blasted.
Proud Wolf and Scarred Spider are both successful in literally pinning
their opponents to their chairs before they can even rise.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris fires an arrow into the battle, but it instead
hits a chair's back and simply vibrates back and forth a few moments.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [1] = (1)
[JadedDM]:
(Fumble #2!)
[Daufer]: Daufer gives a might swing, but in his excitement, the
weapon slips from his hands.
[JadedDM]:
Zombies' turn.
[JadedDM]: Once again, Angry Dragon's opponent overwhelms him, and
drags him down to the ground as it begins to feed.
The other three zombies all go for Jasmin, one of them scratching at her
leg.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris fires another arrow, this one hitting the
dumbwaiter instead.
[Daufer]: ((What about the skeletons?))
[JadedDM]:
(Daufer never gave them any commands to fight.)
[Daufer]: ((Fine, whatever.))
[JadedDM]:
Four zombies remain; one is feeding on Angry Dragon.
Actions for Round 2?
[Jasmin]: Jasmin attacks.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [9] = (9)
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [1] = (1)
[Aidan]: Aidan attacks with his staff.
[Daufer]: Daufer retrieves his maul and attacks.
He also commands the skeletons to attack the zombie attacking Angry
Dragon.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [10] = (10)
[JadedDM]:
Aidan's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [15] = (15)
[Aidan]: [1d6] => [1] = (1)
[Aidan]: Aidan attacks the zombie feeding on Angry Dragon, swinging
his staff at its skull. While the
staff connects, it is only a minor swipe at its head.
[JadedDM]:
Orcs' turn.
[JadedDM]: Scarred Spider and Proud Wolf turn around to now assist
Jasmin. They both stab a different
zombie, but the undead soldiers are relentless.
[JadedDM]:
Skeletons' turn.
[JadedDM]: The five skeletons suddenly leap into action, charging
into the room (which is cramped as it is) and immediately attack the zombie
feeding on Angry Dragon, annihilating it.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris takes aim at the middle zombie on the south
side of the table and fires. The
arrow pierces its skull, knocking it down for good.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [8] = (8)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [5,3] = (8)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [10] = (10)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [5,3] = (8)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin does a spin kick at the zombie that scratched her,
knocking its arm clean off. She then drives Radiant Star and Scalebiter
into the zombie's head, pinning it to the chair. The zombie seems to twitches,
and then sits still.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [4] = (4)
[Daufer]: Daufer picks up his maul and drives it into a zombie, but
only manages to shatter a chair.
[JadedDM]:
Zombies' turn.
[JadedDM]: The remaining zombie leaps at Scarred Spider, but the
Orc's leather armor protects him from a nasty bite.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris shoots the last zombie, finally falling it.
"Jasmin, are you okay?" he asks, lowering his bow.
[Daufer]: Daufer once again bends down to offer his prayers to
D'lokka.
[Daufer]: [1d8] -> [4] = (4)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks down at the scratches on her leg, then over
to Gaheris curiously. "They are just scratches."
[Aidan]: Aidan looks around him, making sure there are no more
corpses lying around. "I think
we should look for Eskar before we go opening any more zombie-infested
doors."
[JadedDM]: Once more, Angry Dragon's wounds mend and he awakens,
weak and fatigued.
[Daufer]: Daufer motions for Proud Wolf and Scarred Spider to come
closer.
[JadedDM]: The Orcs do as bidden.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin hops off the table. "Well, there are really
only two places he could have gone. Up or down stairs. He obviously isn't in
here. It is possible he went back the other way I guess."
[Aidan]: "There was also the rest of the hallway he could have
followed."
[Daufer]: "Scarred Spider, take Angry Dragon outside of this
accursed place, to Silent Mouse. He's fought enough today. Then come back."
He also orders two skeletons to go with the two orcs and defend them and
come back.
[JadedDM]: The Orcs nod and two of them, Scarred Spider and Angry
Dragon, along with a pair of skeletons, head down to the south passageway, back
to the entrance chamber.
[Jasmin]: "Where are they going?"
[Daufer]: "Angry Dragon is too wounded to carry on. It's not
my intention that any of us should die here."
[Eskar]: Eskar's voice comes out of nowhere, somewhere near Aidan.
"I am back, I am sorry my friends."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris nearly jumps a foot high in surprise and then
swears something profane.
[Daufer]: Daufer whirls around, his maul ready. "Hold there,
dwarf."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin seems to start a bit, but nearly doubles over
laughing upon seeing Gaheris jump.
[Aidan]: Amaris flies into the room from the stairwell, perching
again on his shoulder and screeching at the source of the voice.
Aidan steps away quickly, though he looks relatively calm.
"Where did you go?"
[Eskar]: Eskar chuckles a little and a crunching sound is heard, the
duergar speaks with his mouth half-full. "I was to be going behind us to
see if there was a follower. There was not. I am finding a room with how do you
call big stone carvings? They were to be interesting…"
[Daufer]: "What?" Daufer says, lowering his weapon.
"Where is this room? Show me!"
[Jasmin]: "Ohh, we are getting demanding now," Jasmin
teases.
[Eskar]: "It is the room we were not going to. With the
door." The duergar remains invisible.
[Aidan]: "'Big stone carvings?'" Aidan repeats.
[Eskar]: "Yes, big and they are not on the wall... How do you
call it? Look like a person."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Statues?"
[Eskar]: "That is the one."
[Daufer]: "I must see them," Daufer says.
[Eskar]: "Go to find them. The door in the first room. We will
follow."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris walks to the south passageway.
"It looks like this takes us back to the entrance chamber," he
says. "It's also the other end
of that hallway we were in."
[Daufer]: Daufer follows Gaheris and makes his way through the door
they ignored earlier.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin follows after the pair. Absently, she covers her
mouth as she lets out a small yawn.
[JadedDM]: Passing through the hallway, they find themselves back
in the entrance chamber with the spiraling staircase.
Indeed, there is a door on the east wall, just north of the mural.
As they walk toward it, the front doors open to let in wind, rain,
Scarred Spider and the two skeletons. The
Orc quickly closes the door behind them.
[Aidan]: Aidan follows after the others, moving towards the east door
as he reaches the entrance chamber, though he waits for someone else to open it.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "No
zombies in there, right?" he asks the invisible dwarf.
[Eskar]: "None attacking me."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin glances to Gaheris, looking rather amused.
"Don't like zombies much?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "I'm
a little sick of them." He
sighs and then pushes the door open, entering.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin follows in after Gaheris. "We haven't run
into that many yet. How can you be sick of them? "
[Aidan]: "Perhaps because they're dead and want to eat us?
That's certainly a matter greater than how many of them we
encounter." Aidan follows the
two into the room.
[JadedDM]: Inside, they find Daufer has all ready arrived.
This is an elongated chamber, about 10 feet wide and 25 feet long.
On the east wall are two massive stain-glassed windows, both depicting
famous hobgoblin warriors wearing plate mail; one carries a sword and the other
carries a maul. Standing beneath
them are five statues of hobgoblin knights in plate mail, carrying broad swords
and medium shields. The statues are
posed with the swords pointing downward, and their hands clasped over the hilt,
as if praying. They are all facing
forward, to the west. The sound of
the rain splashing against the windows violently is all that is heard.
A silver plaque with hobgoblin writing is near the door they just
entered. There are no other exits.
[Daufer]: Daufer studies the plaque intently.
[Jasmin]: "Ohhh," Jasmin seems to almost snort.
"None of them actually touched you," she says. Her eyes look over the
room, drawn to the stained glass windows more than anything else.
[Aidan]: "Not for lack of trying."
Aidan looks at the plaque near the door briefly, and then moves to
examine the nearest statue.
[Eskar]: Eskar moves over to the end of the hall and checks the wall
for any hidden passages.
[Daufer]: Daufer motions the orcs to come forward.
[Jasmin]: "You have your spells to protect you, so you don't
even have to get close to them to hurt them. Though, you do use that staff of
yours a lot," Jasmin points out with a shrug. "Gaheris has his arrows,
so he doesn't have to get close to them either."
[Daufer]: {"Come and pray before these two mighty warriors,
for you stand in the Hall of the Ancients,"} Daufer says in Hobgoblin.
He kneels and prays before the statues.
[Eskar]: [1d6] => [3] = (3)
[JadedDM]: Gaheris watches the hobgoblin and the orcs kneel.
"This is becoming a disappointment.
Isn't there any loot here at all?"
[JadedDM]:
(Eskar finds nothing.)
[JadedDM]: As if Gaheris just spoke some kind of magic word, the
door suddenly swings shuts.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin spins around as the doors shut. "Gaheris!
What did you do?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Relax.
It's probably just the wind," he says, grabbing hold of the door
ring and tugging it. He finds it
doesn't budge. He braces one foot on
the wall and pulls heartedly, but to no avail.
"What the Abyss?"
[Aidan]: "I can't always rely on my spells, though, and whether
I use my staff or not, they try to get close to me.
That's more than close enough for death to be."
Aidan turns towards the door, leaving Amaris to flap disgruntledly and
fly towards the ceiling.
[JadedDM]: The eyes of the statues suddenly begin to glow with a
blue, unearthly light.
[Eskar]: Eskar enlarges.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves to help Gaheris with the door. "Come
on, open!"
[Aidan]: "Daufer...I hope this is something that was supposed to
happen." Aidan backs away from
the statues and towards the closed door.
[JadedDM]: The middle statue suddenly moves, stepping down from
its stand and hefting its blade. "Vandals!
Graverobbers!" it accuses in a deep voice.
"We, the Knights of Glory, will not suffer your kind in this sacred
place." The other statues mimic
his movements.
[Eskar]: "Priest, tell them we are not!" Eskar's voice
sounds from in between Aidan and the nearest statue.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Aw,
crap!" he says, continuing to tug at the door in vain.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin turns her back to the door, leaning up against it
as she hears the statues. "You idiot," she says, whapping Gaheris
against the shoulder.
[Daufer]: Daufer opens his eyes and rises. "I am Daufer, a
priest of D'lokka, and it is my right to be here!" Daufer hefts his maul in
his hands, ready to face the knights.
[Daufer]: ((TPK, TPK!))
[Aidan]: Aidan turns towards the door, again.
"Jasmin, can you break the door down?"
[JadedDM]: The lead knight hesitates at these words, its blue
glowing orbs lowering to face the cleric. "Daufer?
Are you truly one of the Lady's sacred warriors?"
[Jasmin]: "Do I look like I can break down doors?" Jasmin
asks, motioning to her lithe frame.
[Daufer]: "Yes. I carry Dukosh's Valor and the Lady's blessing
with me." Daufer stares unflinchingly at the Knight's glowing blue eyes.
[Aidan]: "Better than trying to break stone with your
sword," Aidan whispers, watching the conversation between Daufer and the
statues.
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "Dukosh's
Valor?" The statue looks up at
the stained glass window depiction of a hobgoblin warrior carrying a maul.
On close inspection, it is the same maul that Daufer now carries.
"Can this be? One of
D'lokka's has returned at last to heal this place?"
[Jasmin]: "Heal this place?"
[Aidan]: "I hope that doesn't involve removing all the
zombies..." Aidan mutters.
[JadedDM]: The Knight Captain gestures to the others, and they
lower their blades. "Indeed,"
he says. "From the darkness of
the Vile One."
[Jasmin]: "Vile One?"
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "We
do not dare speak the dark god's true name."
[Jasmin]: "I didn't think He...he had anything to do with this
place."
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "The
one who led the attack here, the Drow cleric, Illanna, was a priestess of the
Vile One. It is His power that
cursed this place."
[Eskar]: "It is Him then. It is being a test of your god,
priest." Eskar doesn't sound too pleased.
[Daufer]: "How can we heal this place?" Daufer asks.
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "Over
twenty years ago, the Lady of War chose one of her more devoted followers to
lead an insurrection against the Drow and their vile god.
This temple was the last bastion of hope after the Liberator was
captured," he explains. "In
the end, the Drow were victorious, but it was a bittersweet victory.
The Drow leader, Illanna, was cursed to wander these halls as a groaning
spirit for all of time. It is she
who corrupts this place from within. We,
the Knights of Glory, were charged by the Lady of War to protect this place
until the day that the Liberator or his progeny returned to reclaim it."
[Jasmin]: "The scream we heard was her."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris shudders. "A
banshee. Their screams are
deadly."
[Eskar]: "That is very good to think yes. Upstairs then."
[Aidan]: Aidan narrows his eyes and looks at Jasmin.
"I think it might be safe to assume the Drow are connected to the
Bloody Maw...."
[Daufer]: "The Liberator?" Daufer asks. "Who was he?
Any mention of him has been erased or censored by the Drow."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin gives a slight nod of agreement to Aidan.
"They have the most power. It makes sense."
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "The
Liberator has many titles, as some call him the Prophet, and others call him the
Traitor. His true name, though
erased from books, lives on in those who fought beside him.
His name was Daufarin, a direct descendent of Dukosh--and until recently,
the guardian of Dukosh's Valor."
[Jasmin]: "Does that name mean anything to you, Daufer?"
[Daufer]: "No? Why would it?
I have never heard that name before."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "I've
never heard it, either, but if it was erased from history, then that makes
sense."
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "If
you are truly favored by D'lokka, then perhaps it will lie on you to defeat
Illanna and free this temple from her corruption."
[Jasmin]: "And just how exactly do we defeat a banshee?"
[Aidan]: "Cover our ears and hope for the best?"
[Eskar]: "Covering the ears is not bad idea."
[Daufer]: "I will do my duty, of course. She wanders the upper
levels?"
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "She
often stays on the top floor, in the Artifact Chamber.
The greed that consumed her as a mortal draws her there."
[Eskar]: The greed is evident in the Duergar's voice. "Artifact
room?"
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "Once
she is defeated, this temple can be reclaimed by D'lokka.
And we can finally rest. I
sense that while Dukosh's Valor is in tune with you, some of its powers are
still sealed," he observes.
[Daufer]: "Yes, a wizard told me the same," Daufer says,
looking at his maul and gripping it tight.
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "We
cannot aid you in your fight, but we can do this much for you.
I shall break one of the seals."
The statue raises its hand and a soft glow begins to envelop the hammer.
"The hammer is known as Dukosh's Valor for good reason.
It will now protect you from all magical fear, including that of a
banshee. The remaining seals are up
to you to break, if you prove worthy."
[Daufer]: "One last thing, if you please, Sir Knight,"
Daufer says with baited breath. "Do you know if the Liberator, this
Prophet, had a son?"
[JadedDM]: Knight Captain: "He
had several. I do not know their
fates, though. In the library on the
second floor is a record of genealogy that includes Daufarin's progeny."
[Daufer]: Daufer stews over this answer for a moment, and then
turns around towards the party. "Let's go outside and talk."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin turns to tug on the doors to see if they will open
now.
[JadedDM]: The statues retake their places on their stands and
return again to lifelessness. The
door clicks and can now be opened. "Good
luck," the captain says before his eyes' glow fades away.
[Daufer]: "Thank you," Daufer whispers back before
walking out.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin quickly steps out of the room, letting out more of
a relieved sigh. "So now what?"
[Aidan]: Aidan steps out of the room as soon as Jasmin has the door
open.
[Eskar]: Eskar follows them.
[Daufer]: "Now we know what we face," Daufer says.
"And I ask again if you are willing to risk your lives for my quest.
Technically, none of you worship the Lady, and do not share my
burden."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "We've
come this far. And if the only way
to get to this 'artifact' chamber is through the banshee, so be it."
[Eskar]: "We will help you, for your Goddess is watching,
priest."
[Aidan]: "I don't suppose anyone knows how to fight a banshee?
Are they even corporeal?"
[Daufer]: "I'll trust in my weapon," Daufer says simply.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris shrugs. "All
I know are the stories say that if you hear the scream of a banshee, you'll die.
And apparently they can cause fear
in those who see them, as that statue suggested."
[Jasmin]: "Your weapon isn't exactly going to protect all of
us, Daufer."
[Daufer]: "Which is why I asked you to consider if you're
willing to die for my quest."
[Aidan]: "That's lovely for you."
Aidan turns back towards the door and opens it a small way, and Amaris
flaps out of the space, circling Aidan's head and screeching for a moment.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "We'll
just have to make sure not to die then. Think
of the story this will make. Not
even the Tainted Hands can compete with that."
[Jasmin]: "I'm not willing to die for your quest, Daufer. I'm
willing to die to get the chance to face a banshee though."
[Daufer]: Daufer shrugs, not seeing a difference.
[Eskar]: "Is anyone having anything to block ears with? Like
candle?"
[Jasmin]: "I don't."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Nor
I."
[Eskar]: Eskar blocks his ears with some torn cloth.
[Daufer]: "Perhaps this library has more information about
banshees."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Looks
like we're heading upstairs then."
[Daufer]: "I believe he said it was located on the second
floor."
[Aidan]: Aidan sighs. "Let's
see what information this place has available, then."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin glances to them all then starts for the stairs.
[Daufer]: Daufer starts climbing the stairs.
[Aidan]: Aidan follows after them, Amaris still flapping wildly
around him.
[JadedDM]: The party ascends the staircase, with the Orcs and
skeletons taking up the rear. A
chandelier of glass hangs over the staircase.
They find themselves in a hallway's intersection.
One path goes south, one heads north a short distance and then turns east
(a door is seen just before the hall branches east), and another to the west (a
couple of doors are visible down this corridor).
[Jasmin]: "Where did he say that library was?"
[Daufer]: "I wonder if the dead will be stronger, this much
closer to the source of corruption," Daufer muses.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "He
just said 'the second floor.'"
[Eskar]: Eskar says loudly. "Where is banshee?"
[Daufer]: "The third floor, Master Armbreaker.
Let's start with that door," Daufer says, pointing to the north.
[JadedDM]: Eskar's voice carries pretty well throughout the halls.
[Daufer]: Daufer moves to the door and tries to open it.
[JadedDM]: Swinging the door open, Daufer finds it leads to
nothing more than an ascending staircase.
[Daufer]: "Let's not go there just yet," Daufer says,
closing the door.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Hmm...at
least we know where to go when we're ready to face the banshee."
[Daufer]: Daufer turns south and goes down that corridor.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin follows after Daufer thoughtfully.
[JadedDM]: The south corridor eventually turns to the east...and
continues on a bit. However, two
zombies are blocking the way.
[Aidan]: Aidan follows after Jasmin.
[JadedDM]: The hallway is very narrow, so only two people can walk
side-by-side.
[Daufer]: ((What race were these zombies?))
[JadedDM]: The zombies appear to have once been hobgoblin.
They have their backs to the party, staring into space, apparently not
yet aware of warm flesh so close to their vicinity.
[Daufer]: Daufer attacks the zombies.
[JadedDM]:
(Anyone else? At least one more
person can attack with Daufer in melee.)
[Jasmin]: As Jasmin is walking beside Daufer, Jasmin moves in to
attack as well.
[Aidan]: Aidan stays a good distance behind, watching.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [3] = (3)
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [4] = (4)
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [1] = (1)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [20] = (20)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [4,3] = (7)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [2,3] = (5)
[Jasmin]: [2d6+3] -> [5,2,3] = (10)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin sneaks up behind one of the zombies, and she tries
to use Radiant Star to sweep the
undead off its feet, but the sword goes flying behind her. Instead, she brings Scalebiter
in to stab the creature as hard as she can in the back. The zombie stumbles
forward, falls to his knees, and then crumbles to the ground without even a
twitch.
[Eskar]: Eskar is actually going to go back the other
way and explore the west corridor.
[JadedDM]: Turning
away from the battle, the invisible dwarf returns to the western corridor.
It has five doors. Two on
both side, plus a fifth one at the very end of it.
[Aidan]: Aidan concentrates on Amaris, empathically nudging her to
fly back the way they came and down the north hall and around to the east,
watching her progress in his mind.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [3] = (3)
[Daufer]: Daufer swings his maul, but stumbles on a loose pebble,
and his swing misses completely off the mark.
[Eskar]: Eskar tries the first one on his left.
[JadedDM]: The owl
passes by a door and then follows the corridor as it turns south.
A few moments later, the south passage turns east leading the owl...on
the other side of the zombies. Apparently
it's a big circle.
[JadedDM]:
Zombie's turn.
[JadedDM]: The zombie turns around and then launches itself at
Daufer, cuffing him slightly with one of its fists.
[Daufer]: Daufer grunts at the blow.
[JadedDM]: Eskar
enters a simple, musty bedroom with two beds.
An old suit of chain mail armor lies on one bed, in pieces.
There is a desk with a log and a map on it.
[JadedDM]:
(Round 2.)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves to pick up Radiant Star, and then attacks the last zombie.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [7] = (7)
[Eskar]: Eskar checks the desk for anything else of value.
[JadedDM]: A vial of
ink (half-full) and a couple of quills, but that's it.
[Daufer]: Daufer retaliates against the zombie.
[Eskar]: The duergar examines the map.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [7] = (7)
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [8] = (8)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [9] = (9)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [5,3] = (8)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [6,3] = (9)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin backs up down the hall a bit and easily picks up
Radiant Star. Once having both swords in her hands, she moves to the side of the
zombie and stabs them both into the zombies side, and into the nearby wall.
Quickly, she pulls the swords from the body, and the zombie slides down the wall
completely dead.
[Aidan]: Aidan nudges the bat over the fallen zombie and past the
battle, and down the west corridor the group neglected.
[JadedDM]: The western
hall has five doors. Two on each
side, plus one at the very end. The
first door on the south side is hanging open.
[JadedDM]: It appears
to be a map of the temple.
[Eskar]: Eskar takes it and checks the first room on the right.
[Aidan]: Aidan has Amaris fly into the open door.
[JadedDM]: The door
leads to a simple, musty bedroom with two beds.
One of the beds has a suit of chain mail in pieces lying on it.
There is a desk with a log and a map.
The map suddenly rolls itself up, and then vanishes as if being slid into
an invisible pocket.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Those
two went down easy, at least."
[Aidan]: Aidan mentally instructs Amaris to wait on the room's
ceiling quietly.
[Daufer]: Daufer peers down the corridor.
[JadedDM]: This room
is very small and only contains a dumbwaiter.
It appears broken. Blood,
long since dried, stains the wall. A
door is to the north.
[JadedDM]: The corridor appears to continue east, and then turns
northward.
[Jasmin]: "Lead the way," she says to Daufer, moving out
of his way so he can lead.
[Eskar]: Eskar returns checks the second door on the left.
[Aidan]: Aidan opens his eyes. "It's
a circle, I had Amaris check. I
think someone else is here on the floor with us."
[Daufer]: Daufer turns the corner and heads north.
[Jasmin]: "A circle, and you think someone else is with
us?"
[JadedDM]: The north corridor eventually turns to the west.
There's a door to the north. At
the end of the corridor, it turns to the south.
[Daufer]: ((Is this the same door with the stairwell?))
[JadedDM]:
(No, that's still a little further ahead.)
[Daufer]: Daufer goes to the door and tries to open it.
[Aidan]: "I think so, yes...I had Amaris fly into one of the
rooms, and saw what looked like an invisible person rolling up a map and putting
it away." Aidan turns back
towards the way the group had come from, and moves down the west corridor.
[JadedDM]: Eskar
enters another bedroom with two beds, much like the first.
There is a desk that contains a partial letter.
[Daufer]: "Which room?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Invisible?"
[JadedDM]: Daufer finds the door unlocked.
[Jasmin]: "The bat told you that?"
[Daufer]: "Where's the dwarf?"
[Aidan]: Aidan looks around. "Where's
Eskar? No, I saw it through her
eyes."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris looks around.
"He's still invisible."
[Eskar]: Eskar takes the letter then tries the door on the right
that he hasn't gone into yet.
[JadedDM]: As Eskar
lays hands on the letter, something under the bed suddenly reaches out and grabs
at him.
[Daufer]: "Dwarf! Answer if you are here!"
[Eskar]: Eskar cries out and grabs for his sword.
[Jasmin]: "...Okay then." Jasmin seems a little confused.
[JadedDM]: The sound of Eskar crying out comes from the west.
[Daufer]: "Well, mage, does that answer your question?"
[JadedDM]: It is a
zombie hobgoblin wearing the garbs of D'lokka.
[Aidan]: "No, it doesn’t."
Aidan heads west, towards Eskar's voice.
[Jasmin]: "That sounds like Eskar," she says as she
quickly moves to the west.
[Eskar]: [1d10] => [10] = (10)
[JadedDM]: The western corridor has five doors.
Two on each side, plus one at the end.
The first two doors are open, as is the second one on their left.
[JadedDM]:
Eskar's turn.
[Daufer]: Daufer follows the others.
[Aidan]: Aidan enters the first open door on the south side.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin follows after Aidan.
[Eskar]: [1d20] => [7] = (7)
[JadedDM]: Aidan finds a simple, musty bedroom with two beds.
A suit of chain mail lies on one bed, in pieces.
There is a desk with a log on it, open to the last page.
Amaris awaits him in here.
[Aidan]: Aidan calls Amaris down to him, and then reads from the open
log.
[Eskar]: [2d4+2] => [4,2,2] = (8)
[JadedDM]: Aidan finds it is written in Hobgoblin.
[Aidan]: "Eskar?" Aidan calls.
[Eskar]: Eskar's sword bites into the hobgoblin, severing the arm
that had grabbed him.
[JadedDM]:
Zombie's turn.
[Jasmin]: "I don't think he is in here," Jasmin says as
she steps out of the room to head, and moves for the other open room.
[Aidan]: Aidan follows after Jasmin into the next room.
[JadedDM]: The zombie
lets go of Eskar's ankle, unable to bite him.
It starts to pull itself out from under the bed.
[Daufer]: Daufer moves to the other open room, the one Jasmin
didn't go in, commanding the orcs and the skeletons to follow him.
[Eskar]: [1d20] => [9] = (9)
[JadedDM]: Inside is another bedroom, similar to the last one.
Eskar, now visible, is struggling with a zombie in D'lokka garbs that is
crawling out from under the bed.
[JadedDM]: Daufer and his squad enter a very small room that
contains nothing but a door to the north and a broken dumbwaiter covered in
dried blood.
[Eskar]: [2d4+2] => [3,3,2] = (8)
[Jasmin]: "When are you going to stop wandering off on your
own?" Jasmin asks as she moves in to attack the zombie under the bed.
[Daufer]: Daufer lets out a curse and moves to join the others.
[Aidan]: Aidan moves to attack the zombie with his quarterstaff.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [8] = (8)
[Eskar]: Eskar, with a flourish of his blade, parts the zombie's
head from its body. "I was scouting."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "What's
going on?" he asks. He cannot
get past the skeletons, orcs, and other party members all crammed together in
the hallway. "Did you find
him?"
[Aidan]: "Did you pick up a map, Eskar?"
[Jasmin]: Jasmin steps out of the room into the hallway. "He
is in here."
[Eskar]: Eskar produces a map from his backpack which is partially
covered in charcoal. "I am finding it yes."
[Daufer]: "What are you doing, dwarf!" Daufer says, in a
rage. "Sneaking behind our backs! I already promised you whatever treasures
you found, there's no need for sneaking around!"
[Jasmin]: "Oh, here we go."
[Aidan]: Aidan lets out a sigh. "Damn,
I'd thought another one of the Bloody Maw was running around behind our backs
again."
[Eskar]: Eskar blinks at Daufer, removing something from his left
ear. "I am not hearing so well, I put this in then decided to explore. I
see no problem."
[Daufer]: "Keep the map, dwarf. But don't stray from the group
again."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "You
find anything else of interest...or value?" he asks suspiciously.
[Daufer]: "I'll let you to decide if he has," Daufer
says, marching out of the room.
[Jasmin]: "What is the map of?"
[Eskar]: Eskar shrugs and then nods, replacing the earplug after
Gaheris' words. "I am finding only the map and this thing too." Eskar
offers a letter and a map, one in each hand.
[Daufer]: Daufer goes to read the log.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris examines both.
"A letter, I think. It's
in hobgoblin, though. I might be
able to read it. And the map is of
the temple. Not very detailed,
though."
[Jasmin]: "Well, a map is a map. Does it say where the library
is?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "Here,
see for yourself." He shows it
to her.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes the map from Gaheris and looks it over.
[Daufer]: Daufer walks back out of the room and into the corridor.
[Eskar]: Eskar follows Daufer.
[Jasmin]: "It doesn't exactly point out the library," she
says as she starts down the hall again, her eyes on the map.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "From
what I can make of this letter, it's from a soldier to his wife and daughter.
Something familiar about this name, though.
Baska."
[Daufer]: "Baska!" Daufer says. "Not Baska from the
Karik Mines?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "I
don't know. Oh, yeah, I remember
her." He looks back to the
letter. "My hobgoblin's a
little rusty, but if I'm translating this right, it says here...'please go into
hiding with little Baska in case the Drow come for you, too.'"
[Jasmin]: "Why would the Drow go for her?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris: "The
Drow have a history of killing the families of their enemies, as well."
[Daufer]: "If you'll allow me, I can read it aloud."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris hands the letter to Daufer.
[JadedDM]: Daufer reads aloud the following words:
"My dearest love, I fear this letter may not reach you in time.
A scout has spotted the oncoming Drow army, and it's clear there will be
no hope for us. But we will not flee
like that coward, Garek. We will
face our destiny, whatever it may be. But
I fear for you and our child. Please
go into hiding with little Baska in case the Drow come for you, too."
[Daufer]: Daufer folds the letter and says, "I think I'll give
this letter to Baska. She might like that." Daufer puts it away into a
scrollcase.
[JadedDM]:
(Annnnnd, we'll call it a night here.)
