Entry #16: (10 Nithal 1357DR) Déjà vu
While battling in a cave, an awry surge turned all the magic items within 60 feet in my party to glow brightly. Very brightly. I tried alternate reality, and amazingly, the surge yielded…the exact same result. For days afterwards we were beacons of light…unfortunately.
Entry #14 (8 Nightal 1357DR): Saving the Dwarf’s Life Several Steps Back
G’kar was in melee with a foe, and by sheer unluck his foe managed to critically hit him with his shield. In the next instant, a mage hit him with three magic missles and dropped him unconscious. Then a, well, inexperienced party member accidentally caught G’kar (and herself) in a fireball. G’kar had magical protection from fire, but since he was unconscious he had no chance to try and avoid some of the fire’s damage. Though there was nothing I could do to change the apprentice’s foolish act (that killed herself as well), I ran up and touched G’kar’s attacker, alternating his lucky hit. Rewind. The mage was not able to knock him unconscious with those magic missles, and he was then able to dodge out of some of the fireball’s power. He still fell, but was not the smouldering lump of charcoal that he was, and Kalcrix was able to heal him enough to fight again right away.
10 - 12 Nightal, 1357DR
[Game of October 24th, 2003]
*10 Nightal*
The party is underground.
Jaran gets the bright idea that maybe there is more treasure hidden about. She
pulls out a potion of treasure finding and chugs it. She feels nothing in
particular. She walks around the room, feeling a slight tingling as she nears
the party members. Elsewhere in the room, she feels nothing. There is no more
treasure after all.
The party decides to burn the corpses. Jaran performs a small service to them,
feeling some kindred to them as wanderers.
It begins to rain somewhat. Jaran puts her hood up. They walk along in the
direction they originally set out. They ride the rest of the day, following the
well-worn trail. The sun sets, and the rain increases. They reach an area
where the path before them is perfectly smooth.
Lyta’s fly shrinks into stone again, and she rides on the broom with Jaran.
Connor takes the opportunity to inspect the trails. Above him, Jaran points
down the road, and he finds that the ruts pick up again about fifty feet down.
The road appears to have been smoothed.
Jaran searches for traps. She sees nothing. Connor skips a pebble across the
mud. It skips a few times and sinks. Jaran pokes at it with the quarterstaff.
It sinks in about a foot. Kalcryx checks it out with his gem of seeing, and
sees a pebble hidden among the mud.
“It looks like mud,” Gwynnedh says after some length. She urges Hadrian forward
and passes through, leaving hoofprints behind.
Connor begins to scout for a good campsite about fifteen off the path. The
party sets up camp in a raised, rocky area. The magically summoned mounts
wander off into the woods. Jaran tries to start a fire, but fails. Connor
tries as well, but also fails. Lyta sets the logs ablaze with her burning hands
spell, but the driving rain beats the life from the flames.
Jaran and Gwynnedh take the first watch. Jaran carves, and Gwynnedh grooms
Hadrian, and the hours pass uneventfully. Connor and Lyta take the second
watch, which also passes without incident. G’Kar takes the third watch.
Suddenly G’Kar hears some rustling along the trees. Kalcryx wakes up and senses
big cats. He readies himself and announces the creatures in the trees. There
is a snarl, and from behind a tree comes a large orange, black-striped cat with
stony ridges across its mask and down its spine. Its forepaws also seem to be
encased in stone. The cat leaps into the campsite, swiping at Kalcryx and Lyta.
Lyta wakes up to find a claw sinking into her chest. She grabs her wand of
wonder, intending to cast burning hands. She points the wand and from it comes
a glittering stream of small objects. Many of them pelt the creature in the
head, others flying over its head.
G’Kar tries to wake up Connor. From behind him, a great figure leaps over his
head and lands next to him, its paws extended.
Gwynnedh and Hadrian awaken. She finds her feet and arms herself with the
longspear. Another cat leaps into the fray, landing between Connor and the
horse. It swipes at Connor, who is now most certainly awake. He stands, draws
his Defender, and hisses loudly.
Kalcryx turns around and exchanges claw swipes with his kitty. As his claws
rake the creature, he feels that its skin is hard, crusty-like. The cat claws
back and bites him. It grabs Kalcryx in its front paws and begins to rake him
with its back claws. Kalcryx bleeds.
G’Kar raises his hammer to attack a kitty, but slips off the edge of the
stone. He scrambles to his feet.
Cat A smacks Lyta around some more, clawing and biting at her. Almost the
entire weight of the cat is upon her. Lyta points the wand of wonder at the cat
again. A small ray shoots at the cat. The cat rapidly increases in size. Lyta
rolls five feet along the ground toward Kalcryx.
Gwynnedh skitters across the ledge, almost losing her footing, but managing to
stay upright, and stabs the Lionheart into cat B. Her second blow glances off
its stony skin. Meanwhile, Connor is batted around by cat C
Jaran suddenly wakes up. Groggily, she stands, speaking to the cats in their
native language, “Leave now. Your lives in danger. We are too strong a foe for
you.”
Connor attacks cat C with the defender, and draws his scimitar. Kalcryx claws
at cat B’s nose. It is just enough force to force the creature to drop.
Kalcryx is surprised. He pegs over to cat C and attacks it with the
Lifebringer.
G’Kar finds himself on the forest floor. Calling out, “By Clangeddin’s Fury!”
he flings his thrower at giant cat A, wounding it seriously.
Jaran watches cat A, waiting to see if he will obey her or not. He turns toward
G’Kar and swipes down at him, his paw swinging toward G’Kar with frightening
speed. He overextends and slips, landing on his belly. He becomes distracted
and begins to attack Connor instead.
Lyta stands, and moans. Gwynnedh stabs at giant cat A twice, her first blow
glancing off its skin, the second sinking deep in its flesh.
Cat C takes a step down the ledge and begins to flee. Kalcryx and Connor take
blows at it as it passes them. It flees a small distance into the wood and
falls.
Jaran tells the giant cat to leave. She approaches cat C and administers
a curing potion, mewing at it that it should leave.
Connor casts a charm spell, but is uncertain of its effects.
Kalcryx approaches the enlarged cat A, and attacks it. It falls.
G’Kar watches and waits. Lyta requests healing. Gwynnedh goes to Jaran’s side,
requesting an explanation. The cat stands again. G’Kar also joins Jaran.
Jaran feels a strange prickling at her finger tips. Once again, she asks the
cat to leave. She tells G’Kar not to harm the cat, to let it leave peacefully.
She makes her way to the other small cat, and administers a curative potion to
it as well. It does not regain consciousness.
Kalcryx requests healing from the Lifebringer. G’Kar and Gwynnedh watch the cat
as it backs away cautiously.
Jaran examines the big cat, and determines that no amount of healing can help
it. She administers another cure light wounds potion to the remaining, smaller
cat. The cat regains consciousness.
Healing all around. Jaran mews to the cat, asking why it attacked. It mews
back, “Hungry.” She digs out a chunk of bear jerky and gives it to him. It
snarfs the meat and wanders off.
Connor and Jaran follow it and try to make friends. It rubs its head against
Connor in a friendly gesture. Connor shares with it some dry rations, then
tries to offer it a healing potion. The creature does not trust Connor well
enough. Jaran explains that the potion will make it feel better, and it allows
Connor to feed it to him.
Jaran spellcrafts and determines the prickling tingling was the breaking of her
geas. She spends some quiet moments in conversation with her sword. “What can
I do to atone for the death of this cat?” The sword has no answer for her.
She thinks for a moment. She wonders if reincarnating the dead cat would set
things aright. G’Kar offers to cast an augury to ask if the action would be
successful.
Suddenly, Jaran feels very weak, increasingly weaker as the moments pass.
The augury comes back, “No.”
G’Kar casts augury again, asking instead if the geas would be restored if the
cat were raised? Again, the augury comes back, “No.”
Gwynnedh asks Connor if perhaps there is not enough game around for the tigers.
He cannot know for sure, but he feels that there is plenty of food, that the
tigers merely went for the larger prey. Gwynnedh nods, and goes back to sleep.
The others join her shortly.
Morning comes. The rain has not abated. Connor goes back to the queer smooth
patch in the ground, but has no further insight into its mysteries.
Kalcryx prays for an atonement spell. Nothing happens. Jaran, still feeling
weak performs a funerary service over the corpse of the cat. Meanwhile, the
other two tigers circle the camp. Jaran tosses them some jerky.
Kalcryx prays to Helm, humbly asking for an explanation to his inability to
learn new spells. Helm does not respond. Jaran suggests teleporting to Velen
to learn what can be done to rectify the situation.
“Do you think perhaps by killing the cat when you knew about the geas, you could
have put yourself in disfavor with Helm?” Kalcryx agrees that it is a
possibility. He spends some time in contemplation. Jaran shoves the cat’s
corpse into the portable hole. She then spends some time searching for the
sparkly things that spewed from Lyta’s wand. She finds 23 gems of different
colors, worth about a gold a piece.
The party manages to coax Hadrian into the hole. He is unhappy, but munches a
handful of figs. G’Kar casts augury, and it comes clear. They teleport to
Velen, and arrive in Kalcryx’s fort safely.
The helmites seem concerned about the horse coming out of the hole. He looks at
Gwynnedh, radiating an air of expectancy. She feeds him another fig.
G’Kar goes to his shrine. Connor goes to the zoo. He buys popcorn, and watches
the tigers.
Jaran pulls Gwynnedh aside. “Do you think you can help me out with the
Mystrans?” She asks. “They don’t like me arriving during daylight hours.”
Gwynnedh agrees to see what can be done.
Jaran and Gwynnedh and Kalcryx walk to the temple of Mystra. They are greeted
by a cleric. Gwynnedh introduces herself.
“Athunson?” The cleric asks. He leans close and whispers to her. “Lady Zaranda
is back in town today.”
“Ah. Perhaps, I shall pay her a visit. Thank you.”
“What is it we can do for you?” the cleric asks. Gwynnedh explains that her
companions have business with the church. The cleric banters with Gwynnedh for
some time about the strangeness of her companions -their need for raise dead
scrolls, restoration of limbs that are lost in ways that will not be explained,
payment from pockets that do not seem to be pockets- Gwynnedh looks askance at
Jaran, but explains that she and the others go about very dangerous work.
Jaran explains her geas, and that she has broken it. The cleric cannot help
her, but offers to bring the Lord of Mysteries. As he leaves, Gwynnedh asks his
name. He is Thomas of Velen, dweomer keeper of Mystra. He comes back a moment
later with an older looking man in deep blue robes.
“Hello my lady,” he greets Gwynnedh. “I have heard something of your woes…”
his voice trails off, somewhat questioningly. Gwynnedh turns his attention to
Jaran.
“Well, a slightly broken geas is still a broken geas…” he says, at the
conclusion of Jaran’s tale.
“Yes, well…”
“Are you weakened?”
“Yes,” she admits. She explains that she thought of raising or reincarnating
the creature.
“That’s silly,” he says. “The spell only works on people.”
Jaran asks if the church can help her. “No, a geas is very powerful magic.
You will have to find a sorcerer of sufficient power to rid you of its power.”
They give him money for his time and make small talk.
–
Kalcryx wanders to the temple of Helm and explains his troubles. He finds no
help there, but leaves them a 600gp emerald for their time.
–
Gwynnedh wanders off to Lady Zaranda’s keep. They are led into a sitting room.
A few minutes later, a servant, a butler type, comes by, and informs them that
the lady fair is busy with gubernatorial affairs today, but that she sends her
warm greetings and would be glad to dine with her.
There is some awkwardness about how many will be attending. Gwynnedh signals
that she’ll be attending alone. Jaran is huffy.
Time passes…
Jaran spends some time scrying on mages who might be powerful enough to help
her.
Kouraf the Enchanter is bleeding in the snow. There are hands fondling him. A
flask is pushed into his mouth. The hands are ringed, clad in leather gloves
and the forearms are covered with bracers. A voice says, “Come on old friend,
you can make it.” Jaran decides to teleport a powerful healing potion to the
location. She sees a potion materialize on Kouraf’s chest. The other says,
“What the?” The hand grabs the potion and it goes out of her view. The voice
says, “This may help. Watch him while I use this.” Another set of hands,
ungloved, but also with bracers, tucks the robes in around him.
She looks for Kouraf, the oracle incarnation, but the scry fails. She tries
again, but again it fails. She tries a sending “Accidentally broke geas.
Party was attacked in dead of night. Need wish or powerful magic or will die
untimely. Have elixir of health.”
A sending comes back. “Can’t cast wish. Seek Ash. Follow your path or aid
Kouraf. Finding Ash probably easier. Other rewards along the way. Not time
for me yet.”
Jaran decides to scry on Ash. Amazingly, she gets an image of an old man, not a
terribly old man, but maybe middle aged. He wears a dark blue cloak around him,
and he is walking with arms crossed, alongside a cart on a muddy road. It is
pouring down rain. He has long white hair and a short white beard, and there is
a large sword strapped to his back. He does not look familiar to Jaran at all.
She quickly pulls out a piece of parchment and scribbles a note:
“Ash-
A mutual friend advised me to seek you out. I am in dire need of powerful
magic, possibly a wish. I am uncertain of what role you may play in such help.
We are destined to meet with you on the path.”
And teleports the note to his location.
Meanwhile, Gwynnedh asks Kalcryx to relate to her the story of Cleksathor.
Night comes. Jaran asks Gwynnedh if she knows anything about a man named Ash.
She does not.
Gwynnedh leaves for her dinner appointment. She arrives at the keep and is
led through the same sitting rooml, through several flights of stairs, and
ultimately into a dining hall.
She is greeted by a beautiful tanned woman with dark curling hair dressed in a
fine green gown. The Lady greets Gwynnedh warmly, hugging her and kissing her
on both cheeks.
Gwynnedh explains her mission, and how, not two days into it, they’ve been
called off the road many times already for this reason and that. “They really
are the most troublesome people!” she exclaims.
Lady Zaranda smirks and comments on Gwynnedh’s own similar tendencies.
“Ah, yes, perhaps there is a lesson to learn here.”
During the dinner, Gwynnedh relates to Lady Zaranda Kalcryx’s story. She can
think of no specific reason the dragon would want her, but is unsurprised. The
Cult has been after her many times, and no doubt it is merely another such
attempt.
–
Morning comes.
The party clambers into the hole.
G’Kar casts augury. “Do not go through, unless you like being under the soil.”
The party decides to wait ten minutes and retry. “This time it’s better.”
They arrive back in the path. It is raining hard. There are cartwheel marks in
the mud, which they follow for a good three hours. Suddenly the wagon marks
stop. The ground is smooth, and not as sloppy as the surrounding mud.
The party decides to go on in the same direction, at quicker pace.
Two hours more pass, and in the distance they see and hear a caravan of sorts.
There are carts and people… gypsies! And the same gypsies, no less.
The party approaches and strikes up conversation.
“We’ve actually met before…” Jaran tells them.
“Yes, you look familiar… and the dwarf, yes, I remember him. Many pints of
ale shared between us. I’m afraid most of our clan is no longer with us, but
the few remaining remember you well. What brings you to us?”
“Well, do you know someone named Ash?”
“Yes, he is our protector.”
“A powerful friend told me to seek out Ash to aid me,” Jaran explains.
There is a rustle in the nearby trees. A man appears out of nowhere. “Hello
Jaran,” he says.
“Hello,” she answers. He seems to be the man she scried upon. “You must be
Ash.”
“I received your message, though I almost missed it. My friend here,” he pats a
boy’s head, “picked it up off the road and handed it to me.”
“Yes, the spell for teleporting objects is not the ideal method for sending
messages, but it was the only means available to convey it.”
“What is it you require of me?”
“I am not certain. I am in breach of a geas. I did not mean to be so.”
“Well, it’s getting dark. Camp with us tonight and we can discuss it.”
He looks around and says, “This is a good spot.” He casts a spell, and it stops
raining. Jaran spellcrafts, but can only determine that it is not a magely
spell. G’Kar does also, but he does not recognize the spell.
Ash traces a circle in the ground. Rain does not fall in the area traced, and
leaves blowing in the wind do not cross the barrier.
The gypsies enter the circle. They get off the carts, and he casts another
spell. As he finishes the first incantation, the wagons start dismantling
themselves. Beds unroll and a campfire erupts. Within seconds, the gypsies are
making themselves at home.
G’Kar reaches into his newly acquired bag of holding and busts out some dwarven
ale. Thirsty gypsies swarm him and they work on a buzz.
The music starts, and the gypsies sing a tale of a group of heroes who, when
danger came their way, and left in the middle of the night, crafted a most
masterful plan. o/~ The bandits came, they baited them… o/~ and thus the town
was saved.
The singing gypsy asks after Delenn, who had taught him the song. G’Kar
explains that she is no longer with them. “Here, let me tell you the story of
how the bard died.” G’Kar begins the depressing tale, quickly losing the
interest of his audience.
The leader of the gypsies and Ash sit down by the campfire. Jaran and G’Kar
join them, catching them in mid-conversation. They are discussing who will take
over the jobs of the recently deceased.
“So who sent you our way?” Ash asks Jaran.
“A man who calls himself the Oracle.”
“Interesting, I’ve never heard of him.”
“He seems to know just about everything, but also only provides cryptic answers.
It is unclear whether he actually knew who you were, or if he merely knew you
could help me.”
“Well, if you seek my advice, tell me your problem.”
Jaran spins for him the tale of how the cat was killed.
“And you wished to have this guilt cleansed?” Ash asks. Jaran nods. “Well, I
believe I may be able to help you, if you are able to help me.”
“What help do you need?”
“Shandakul has blessed me wih much knowledge as I travelled through these
realms. I believe I can share some of this knowledge with you, if you are
willing to travel with me. But you must be willing to retrieve something for
me. It will not take you far from your path, but the journey may be difficult.”
“There is a tale that these fine people brought to my attention, not long after
I joined them. I think it may have some truth to it. They say there is a
fountain in these woods that will cleanse unwanted deeds from the person who
bathes in its waters. It has been said to restore people to their previous
state… of health, sometimes… curing diseases, regrowing limbs, curing curses
and diseases… It’s very difficult to find, but I think I may be able to help
you, though I cannot help you overcome the guardians. The tale goes that the
fountain gets its powers of cleansing and restoring from two holy warriors of an
ancient religion, who fell from grace in the waters that feed the fountain.
They now guard its entrance.”
“Is it wise to destroy them?” Lyta asks.
“Most definitely not,” he answers. “But it may be worth it, if, as you say, you
have broken a geas.”
“The only problem is that bathing in the waters requires you to be pure of heart
and willing to accept your wrong-doings.”
Jaran inquires further into the definition of “pure of heart”.
“You can be of pure heart without encumbering yourself with the rules of man…
or dwarves or elves. I certainly don’t.”
Gwynnedh twitches. She asks where the stories say the fountains are. Ash
explains that a small trail not far from their current location is reputed to
lead to the fountain.
“One of the guardians has a sword that I desire. If you defeat these guardians,
I ask that you bring the sword back for me.” He pulls out the large sword on
his back. “It’s sort of like this one, except the magic on it is stronger. It
has a set of runes on it, written in elven. Whenever a sword downs an opponant,
the runes glow, ‘Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.’” He chuckles a bit. “You can
see why I might want it. You may keep the other sword.” He explains that the
swords are of the highest enchantment, but that he knows none of the specifics.
“I also speak in…” he says, switching languages mid-sentence “many
languages…” switching again “other than…” and again, to a language none
assembled understand.
Jaran answers in undercommon, “I only know one other language.” He does not
seem to understand.
“If you are interested in pursuing this, I may be able to help you on your
path.” He explains that he can cast a spell to steer them true, but that it
only lasts for three hours.
The night passes. Morning comes. It is still raining. Kalcryx prays, but
feels no blessing from Helm.
Lyta casts a spell, and two horses appear from the woods. Connor tries to bond
with his horse (by mounting it). Connor takes the lead. Ash casts a spell and
puts his hand on Connor’s shoulder. The woods seem to open up before him. He
urges his mount in what seems to be a straight line, but is in fact a jagged
path.
They gallop for three hours, and suddenly the forest closes in on them.
Suddenly an oak tree appears in front of Connor, seeming to jump out of nowhere.
Connor explains that the spell has worn off. He looks around him, and in the
ground he notices fragments of rock, the orientation of which indicates to him
that a cliff is to his left. He picks out their path with little trouble.
Towards sunset, they hear the sound of rushing water. As they advance, the
forest opens up. There is a stream and a cliff edge behind it and a cascading
waterfall. Kalcryx pulls out his gem of seeing and inspects the waterfall. It
seems to be genuine.
Jaran casts fly on Kalcryx. The party dismounts and wanders into the water.
Kalcryx flies through the waterfall, and informs the others that there is indeed
a cave behind it.
Kalcryx and Jaran enter the cave. Around them there is the occasional evil
moan. The other join them shortly.
Connor’s Defender glows blue. Gwynnedh is overwhelmed with the sensation of
evil. Kalcryx casts recitation, Lyta casts cat’s grace on herself.
Before them is a brief flash of light, illluminating two figures and the edge of
a fountain. A small ball of light travels toward them, striking near Kalcryx.
It erupts into a ball of fire, engulfing the party. Gwynnedh and Jaran are
particularly hurt. Connor employs his magic buckler, turning himself
invisible, and advances on the figures.
There is the sound of metal clanking, and they are charged by a skeletal figure
in black armor weilding a sword. Its attack seems set on Kalcryx. It swings
the sword, which comes crashing down on his platemail.
Jaran casts command undead, but her spell seems to have no effect.
G’Kar advances and throws his hammer at the figure, twice, hitting solidly both
times.
Kalcryx feels slightly uneasy. He places himself between Gwynnedh and G’Kar and
casts strength of one.
Gwynnedh stabs it with her spear, and connects, but doesn’t really damage its
skeletal frame. She drops her spear and arms herself with the maul.
Lyta casts acid bolt. The magical acid splashes about, but doesn’t seem to do
much.
G’Kar, Kalcryx, Gwynnedh and Jaran are suddenly blinded.
Connor rematerializes in front of the second knight and attacks it. He slices
at the creature again and again and again.
Kalcryx feels the skeleton swing at him, cutting through his armour. Jaran
steps back and quaffs a healing potion. Suddenly, she can see again. G’Kar
casts defensive harmony. Kalcryx uses the gem of seeing to cure G’Kar’s
blindness.
In the distance, Connor falls over. His last memory is the ghoul looking at him
strangely, and the world turning black.
The creature attacks G’Kar, cleaving through his armor. Jaran tosses some holy
water at the knight. It burns! His armour melts away. G’Kar swings his
dwarven thrower and smacks the creature apart some.
Kalcryx, still blind, tries to heal G’Kar. G’Kar feels much, much better.
Gwynnedh, completely blind and having no clue where the opponant is, readies
herself to attack anything that feels like a foe.
Lyta flies into the cavern further, toward Connor. She casts lightning bolt,
but surges. Suddenly, Connor’s sword is glowing, as is the sword of the death
knight, all the potions, Kalcryx’s armour, G’Kar’s hammer, Gwynnedh’s armour and
maul. Jaran lights up. All magical items within 60 feet of Lyta now glow.
Another bead of light glides toward the main party. It explodes into fire
again, and again, the party is hurt.
Jaran reads a dispel magic scroll, attempting to dispel the blindnes, but it
fails.
G’Kar hacks away. The knight shatters under his hammer, sending bone shrapnel
all about.
Lyta casts alternate reality. She surges again, and reality stays the same.
The remaining knight charges G’Kar, but misses. Jaran approaches Connor and
determines that he is dead. She drinks a cure critical potion.
G’Kar asks Gwynnedh to back up a few feet, then attempts to shield bash, but
misses three times. Kalcryx lays his hands on G’Kar and cures him.
Lyta casts dispel magic. Gwynnedh and Kalcryx can see! But they are no longer
magically enhanced.
The creature smacks G’Kar around. Kalcryx moves to heal him as soon as
possible. Jaran chucks some holy water at the thing again.
G’Kar defends himself, crushing the bones with his hammer. Yay!
Kalcryx and Gwynnedh go to Connor. They take his body to the fountain. The
fountain bloodies, and the blood just disappears. Connor’s body is cleaned of
blood, the wounds in his body close and heal. He regains consciousness and
feels wholly well, except he is drowning. He sits up and climbs out.
Jaran climbs in the fountain as well. She thinks about the poor cat as she
washes herself. The wounds heal, she feels stronger, and she feels a tingling
in her fingertips.
Kalcryx climbs in next. He feels his wounds close up, and suddenly his leg
itches like hell. Slowly his stump extends and forms into a leg. Woohoo!
Additionally, he feels less guilty about the cat.
G’Kar climbs in the pool next, then Gwynnedh, and Lyta.
Connor scoops up a vial of the fountain water.
At Kalcryx’s urging, Jaran identifies the two swords. The lesser one is a +2
two-handed sword. The second is +5 vorpal sword.
8 - 10 Nightal, 1357DR
[Game of October 17th, 2003]
*8 Nightal*
The party sets about healing, then they discuss their current situation and what
to do with the keep. They decide on stripping it of all valuables: furnishings,
alchemical supplies, etc, and then destroying it.
Evacuation begins.
“Who’s paying me?” the half-elf rogue asks. Jaran blinks for a second, then
quickly reaches for her money pouch.
“I will. Gladly,” she says. She gives a few coins to the servants for
travelling provisions as well. By late afternoon, the keep is fully abandoned.
The party sets up camp some distance away. Lyta lingers at the keep, preparing
herself for her task of magical destruction.
On her first attempt, she conjures into existence a sumptuous banquet dinner.
Watching from a distance, the party is soon at her side. They hoist the table
up and retreat.
Lyta casts her spell again, and succeeds in collapsing a portion of the keep.
Lyta casts again. From safety, the party members can see a stream of smoke
coming from her ears. “I think I’m ok!”
Lyta extends her fingers and casts her spell again. Unexpectedly, several
small, sparkling things spray from her hands. Seeing something unusual, the
party joins her. Jaran is first to notice about ten fine emeralds laying on the
ground. All are impressed.
Lyta begins to cast again, causing the hillside behind the keep to crash into
it. There are a few cheers behind her.
Lyta casts again, and finds herself rising off the ground. She appears to
be able to rise up or descend at her will. “Ah, levitate.”
Lyta casts again. This time, colorful streamers fly from her fingers.
Lyta casts again. The air around her erupts into flames. Ouch. G’Kar is soon
by her side, administering healing.
Lyta casts again, G’Kar having run for safety. Nothing seems to have happened.
Lyta checks herself thoroughly, but finds herself unchanged. “Uh,” she says.
“I think I’m ok.” Her voice is high and squeaky. The party begins to twitter a
little in amusement.
Lyta casts again. At first nothing seems to have happened, then she realizes
that she is shorter, and… she seems to have a beard. From their safe vantage,
the party sees she has transformed into a dwarf. G’Kar suddenly finds her much
more attractive.
Lyta casts yet again, and again nothing seems to have happened. She looks
around, and sees the party staring toward her in confusion. Jaran casts
a spell, and then calls out, “You’re invisible.”
She casts one last time, and collapses the entire hill. The party applauds.
Dispelling her bodily alterations, Lyta joins the banquet. As they eat, they
discuss whether they should camp the night, or return to Kalcryx’s stronghold in
Velen.
They decide to return to Velen. After the meal, they pack up camp, huddle in
the portable hole, and then Jaran casts her spell. They teleport without mishap
and arrive safely at Kalcryx’s fort.
*9 Nightal*
In the morning, a message comes to Kalcryx, a sending from Zonas. “Please report
to Weatherford at your earliest convenience.”
“Ok,” Kalcyrx confirms. “We will try to visit soon.”
–
As he prays, G’Kar finds himself in a vision. He sees a misty field, littered
with the corpses of dwarves. He is walking through, removing armour, weapons,
and magical items from them and stowing them away. He wears a cheerful smirk on
his face. The vision fades and he returns to reality. Huh.
Over breakfast, Kalcryx informs the others of Zonas’ request, and they decide to
pop over after they’ve completed some business in town.
After breakfast, G’Kar checks in on his temple. It is complete and nicely made,
though no one is inside. G’Kar wanders to the worker’s guild and meets up with
the foreman. He compliments him on the work and gives him money to distribute
to the workers.
On the streets, G’Kar runs into Galleon. “Ah, you should stop in at the
temple, too. Your ship is in. There are some developments…” They decide to
eat lunch all together at the Borking Halfling. G’Kar rounds up the party
members, and arrives at the pub about 5 minutes late. Galleon is not there.
Ten minutes later, Galleon arrives.
“I was going to apologize for being late…” G’Kar grumbled.
“Oh, sorry. I had to get lunch before.”
“I thought we were going to get lunch here…”
“Yeah, second lunch…”
Jaran asks Galleon to appraise the emeralds Lyta conjured. He confirms that
they are worth about 600 gold pieces, as she suspected.
Galleon pulls a scroll tube from his cloak, unfurling the scroll within.
“Since I was left in charge of the boat business, I took the liberty of
accepting this deal.” He reports that the Navy has been conscripting ships.
He hands G’Kar a writ for 24,000 pieces of gold. 20,000 is for the cargo, 4,000
is for the use of the boat, and if the boat is destroyed, they will pay an
additional 4,000.
They eat, and at the meal’s conclusion, Galleon plops down a bag of gold on the
table to cover the bill. They thank him for the meal.
“There’s also a matter of personal interest I was hoping you’d look into,” he
explains. “I got mugged the other day. They took a bunch of my platinum.”
Jaran shares with him a few tips on how to avoid robbery. “You have your money
pouch, then you have a second money pouch that looks like it’s been hidden, but
not very well…”
“Yes, they got my second pouch…”
“Naw, naw, see… then you have a *third* pouch that’s hidden well,” Jaran
explains.
“Ahhh…” Galleon says nodding thoughtfully. He then continues his tale. “I
was rounding a corner and I got bumped, and I ran after them and caught two of
them and smashed them and took them into the constabulary. But the one who got
my pouch got away.”
“What did they look like?” Jaran asks.
“Young boys, about this tall…” He said, gesturing a good distance above his
own head. “The one that fled seemed to be in charge, and as he ran off, I heard
a jingling and there was a flash of light… Like there was something around his
neck…”
“A pendant?” Jaran asks, her curiosity piqued.
“Yeah, or a medallion.”
He reports that the other boys were not wearing medallions, and additionally
that they would say nothing when questioned.
After lunch, G’Kar, Jaran and Kalcryx follow Galleon to the constabulary to
interview the boys.
“What are your names?” Jaran asks. The boys do not answer, but Kalcryx, using
his powers of ESP hears them think “Johnny” and “Peter”
“Who was your accomplice?” Jaran asks. Again they are quiet, but Kalcryx sees
in their minds a half-elven man in black leather armor, with black hair and a
goatee.
Undaunted, Jaran continues. “Are you part of a bigger organization?” Kalcryx
feels that they are.
“Where were you taking the money?”
Kalcryx sees an image of a dark hall, illuminated with torches. The boys are
kneeling, spreading their gold out at the feet of a shadowy, enthroned figure.
“What is the meaning of the medallion?” Jaran asks. In the boys’ mind, a single
word resonates: Mother.
“Ok, stop harassing them,” the guard barks. “They’re obviously not answering.”
“Thank you for allowing us to speak with them,” Jaran says, offering both the
guards a gold coin each. The guards do not accept the coins, one muttering that
they are not allowed.
Walking to the temple of Waukeen, they discuss what they have learned. Galleon
asks that they keep an eye on the thief issue.
Suddenly, G’Kar asks Galleon if he would like to join them when they leave.
“What are you nuts?” They argue back and forth in a friendly manner for some
minutes, but Galleon refuses to leave his mercantile life for the less
predictable, less profitable life on the campaign.
At the temple, G’Kar has his ring of spell storing recharged. With Kalcryx, he
also arranges the purchase of miscellaneous magical items… healing, faerie
fire, etc.
Jaran wanders off to cash in the writ, and comes back with a load of gems and
coin.
G’Kar casts augury and asks if Flanna can be raised today. Today the gods
answer, “Yes.” Woohoo! Flanna is raised. Flanna feels like crap (and
apparently doesn’t smell too good… ). Galleon heals her. She feels much less
like crap, but still sorta ucky.
_+More Misc. Business+_
The party, less Flanna, decides to leave for Weatherford. The augury comes
clear, and they arrive slightly outside the town, near the sign. There are many
horse and cart tracks leading into town.
As they ride up, they hear the sounds of a horse neighing. They see a figure in
platemail riding around on a large black scary horse. Kalcryx casts detect
evil, and does not feel evil.
They hear a woman’s voice directing the peasants in the construction of some
sort of fortifications. Lyta, feeling insecure, casts cat’s grace on herself.
Jaran approaches the town, and as she walks up she is recognized. There is
murmuring and many glad hails. Mr. Smith, the town elder, emerges from the
crowd to greet them. “Good to see you again!” he says. “They said you’d be
coming, but we didn’t expect you so soon.”
“Yes, actually, we’re looking for Zonas,” Kalcryx states.
“Ah yes, he left already.” All around, the party feels indignant. Mr. Smith
explains that another has stayed behind, and proceeds to call over the woman on
the horse. He introduces her as Lady Gwynnedh Athunson of Mystra. The party
seems shocked and confused.
“Um, excuse me, but are you related to Zonas Athunson?” Lyta asks after some
time.
“Why yes, he is my cousin.”
(”Ooooh…!”)
“So… Your mother and…” Lyta begins to ask, looking slightly distracted as if
she was constructing a family tree in her mind.
“His father and my father are brothers.”
“And the little boys?”
“Yes, William and Jacob? They are also my cousins… The sons of Zonas’
brother.”
During this, Mr. Smith produces a letter to the party. “Your friend left some
time ago,” he says by way of explanation. The party is not certain which
‘friend’ he means, but eventually it becomes clear that he is speaking of
Jullian. “He left you this letter.”
The letter is taken, and read:
“To my friends,
I have discovered much of my past these few weeks in meditation and research.
I thank you for being there to rescue me when I needed you. And for allowing me
to part from your company when my life seemed meaningless and confused. I am
heading to the starspire to finish some business with a long time acquaintance.
I believe you know her. Good luck to you, whatever it is your mission is now.
Jullian”
And speaking of missions… Gwynnedh takes a moment to explain that Zonas
assigned her to guide them, as their actions were somewhat aimless and slow.
The party complains a little that they sought guidance often, but had been
denied it. Gwynnedh listens politely, then explains that they will be setting
out in the morning, and heading out north to intercept the new route the
caravans are taking. “You’ve done a good job disrupting the old route. Now we
will attack the next.”
Jaran asks if they have had any word from Fortenberry, and informs Gwynnedh
about the man the enemy was so desperate to retrieve. Gwynnedh nods.
“With all due respect, My Lady, you will see what it is like to walk in our
shoes,” G’Kar grumbles. Gwynnedh seems mildly taken aback.
“I… have no complaints with this,” she says.
G’Kar goes about tending to his temple. He finds that in the spare room, there
is now a shrine to Mystra. He grumbles a bit about all the unnecessary,
undwarven, trappings.
As the party settles in around town, they notice that the paladin seems to be
very popular. People are eager to speak to her, and children follow her,
straddling brooms employed as hobby horses.
Jaran and Lyta spend the rest of the day identifying items.
As night comes, many people gather at the pub. Jaran busies her hands carving a
holy symbol of Helm for Connor. Gwynnedh engages the lively-spirited in a
dance.
*10 Nightal*
The night passes without danger. Morning comes, and G’Kar goes to the temple to
pray. Along the way, he meets Gwynnedh and they exchange pleasantries. “Thank
you for housing my faith,” she says.
Over breakfast, G’Kar seems preoccupied and troubled. He shares his vision of
picking over the battlefield, and the fact that he prayed for guidance. He was
told “The property of dead warriors belongs to their families.”
Jaran reminds him that he still has some of the belongings of Torred and Reawal.
G’Kar has a moment of epiphany. He speaks with Gwynnedh, asking if he might be
excused for some time to resolve this issue of honour.
“We have teleportation spells,” he explains, hoping to convince her that the
task should not delay their current quest by very long. “It is magely, but it
works.”
Gwynnedh’s eyebrow twitches a bit, and Lyta and Jaran scowl at him.
“I see no problems with a small delay, for the sake of your honour,” she states.
“I knew you would understand.”
“Without our honour, what would we have?”
Jaran polymorphs into a dwarf woman and prepares to leave. G’Kar and Jaran pop
off and deliver the weapons to the Stonegrinder kin. G’Kar explains how the two
died, and the kinsman seems quite pleased. He explains that he will distribute
the weapons among the family, so that they might see new battles.
Jaran and G’Kar say their farewells and return to Weatherford. In Weatherford,
again, they say farewells, and ride off northward.
They ride through forested lands for several hours. Suddenly they hear a small
voice crying from the woods, something like the voice of a child in distress.
As they ride along, they see some stone ruins, with a fountain in the center,
and a ramp down from the path.
Jaran, on her broom, flies over and inspects the ruins. She sees a boy cowering
against the wall. He looks thoroughly human, dressed in bright clothing with
pierced ears, chains and other garish jewelry. He notices Jaran and runs toward
the wall, where there is a small hole. He dives into the hole and disappears.
Kalcryx moves in, and G’Kar and Gwynnedh go to inspect the hole. There seems to
be a tunnel leading downwards.
Jaran turns into less Drow version of herself. She peers into the hole, seeing
a dark tunnel pierced by shafts of light, and hears the sound of weeping. “We
mean you no harm. Come out, perhaps we can help you.”
Gwynnedh and Kalcryx are quiet from some time, seeking the presense of evil, but
neither detects anything.
Connor finds another hole in the fountain. “There’s another hole over here,” he
says, then volunteers to go spelunking first. Connor pokes his head in, and,
with a cloud of dust, he falls in. “Uh, I went down the hole,” he announces.
He looks around him, but can see little through the dust. He can hear the
weeping.
G’Kar pulls out his rope, secures it to the tree and climbs down after Connor.
Connor feels something take a swipe at him, and another, and another. He draws
his Defender, and it glows blue. He announces the presence of danger. As the
dust clears he sees that there is still a wispy smoke floating around him. He
is surrounded by whispering. He moves into a corner of the room and takes up a
defensive posture.
Something flies past Connor. Connor takes a swing with his Defender. The smoky
mist swirls a bit with the force of his blade, but he does not seem to connect
with anything.
–
Jaran climbs down the hole, calling out to the boy, “You don’t need to run.
We’re here to help you.”
Reaching the lower level, she sees a blue glow coming from down the corridor to
her left, and hears Connor’s vague warning that danger is present. A wispy,
windy humanoid shape with fangs and tentacles appears in front of Jaran, diving
toward her and latching onto the wall behind her. She dodges, and is saved from
its lunge by her cloak of displacement.
–
Connor is beseiged by similar creatures. One latches onto him. Bearing its
teeth, it locks into his neck and begins to suck out his juices. He sees his
own blood slide down the beast’s throat and pool in its ethereal belly.
Gradually, the creature becomes more solid.
–
G’Kar casts recitation and begins to climb down. Gwynnedh dismounts, telling
her horse to “Stay.” She pulls out a maul and follow Jaran down the tunnel.
Kalcryx casts Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, and dismounts. Lyta looks down
into the hole, and seeing Connor’s situation, casts magic missile on the
blood-filled wraith.
Connor draws his scimitar and swings at the bloody wraith. His own blood
splatters all around with his attacks.
–
Jaran draws her sword of Bast and the venom dagger filled with holy water, and
swipes at the wraith but doesn’t connect. “Uh… there’s somethig evil looking
down here…”
It lunges at her, and tries to bite her neck, but she manages to extricate
herself.
–
The wispier wraith leaps at Connor, and latches on to his neck. It sucks out
his blood and drifts back a bit. The more solid one attacks again, but fails to
connect, and also drifts back.
–
G’Kar climbs down and lands solidly. All around him are the blood-filled
misties. Gwynnedh thinks about climbing down, but there’s no room in with
Jaran. She walks to the other hole and begins climbing down the rope.
Kalcryx pegs to the fountain and casts bless.
Lyta casts Spectral Hand.
–
Connor, unphased by the disembodied hand that appears beside him, takes a step
forward and attacks the more solid wispie. He cleaves through it, his sword
snagging on something midway, and then the beast explodes, showering G’Kar with
slime and blood.
–
Jaran calls out, “Little help?” and attacks. Her sword hits something, and
sends wisps swirling in the air. She stabs at it with her dagger, but does the
attack does nothing. The wisp attacks back, adhering to her and sucking blood
from her neck. It moves away from her, and Jaran smacks at it again, hitting
this time.
–
The remaining wraith moves to retreat, but G’Kar smacks it with his shield.
The creature seems little affected and continues to retreat down the corridor.
There is more whispering, and a gleeful chuckling. G’Kar then goes to aid
Jaran. He swings with his hammer twice and smacks some fluids around the room.
–
Gwynnedh and Kalcryx join Connor.
–
Above ground, Lyta moves to the other hole, sending her spectral hand along
toward Jaran. She casts Shocking Grasp, sending it through the hand to the
wispie. The hand does not connect.
–
Connor, turning himself invisible along the way, runs down the corridor toward
the wraith that fled. The corridor opens up into a larger chamber before him.
–
Jaran attacks the wraith, hitting it with her sword. The wispie steps back,
wrapping its tentacles around the small boy and hissing. It looks as if he will
attack the boy at the slightest provocation.
G’Kar pulls out a scroll and casts ‘dispel evil’. The creature latches onto the
boy and sucks him into unconsciousness.
–
Gwynnedh runs after Connor, into Connor, actually. She collides with his
invisible body, and they both come crashing to the ground in a clatter of
armour.
–
Kalcryx moves up behind G’Kar and, hampered from doing anything else, detects
evil.
Lyta sends the hand after the wispie again. The spell discharges, but shocking
grasp does no harm to the evil misty form.
–
Connor stands up. In the room ahead, he sees the edge of something… Two
somethings, table-high and seeming to be made of stone.
–
Jaran stabs at the wispie, but does little good. The wispie crouches low over
the boy and hisses again. It sucks on the boy some more, sucking all the blood
from its body, and leaving it a dessicated husk. Ew.
G’Kar smacks at it. It explodes, coating all three in a layer of blood, slime,
and entrails. Double ew.
–
Gwynnedh stands and edges forward cautiously. Kalcryx pegs down the hallway
toward them. Connor moves down the hall some more until he can see into the
room more fully. There are three stone tables and a number of dessicated
bodies. He steps into the room and drinks a curative potion.
–
Jaran examines the boy’s corpse. She determines he is unraisable. Fearing it
might turn into some undead evil thing, she sprinkles holy water on the body and
says a prayer over it. She scolds G’Kar about wasting magic.
G’Kar expresses regret about the boy, and then walks down the corridor toward
the others. Lyta joins them as well.
–
Gwynnedh steps into the room and surveys the scene.
Connor dispels his invisibility and inspects one of the coffins. A wraith leaps
out from behind the coffin and attacks him, but fails to attach.
–
Jaran tosses the boy’s body in the bag of holding.
–
G’Kar moves into the room and gets attacked. Oops.
Gwynnedh smacks the thing with her maul, and nearly deafens G’Kar & Connor.
Double Oops.
Kalcryx does some impressive acrobatics, flips around above the coffin and draws
his lifebringer, attacking the wraith.
Lyta casts baneful deflector on herself.
There is a whispering from the center, “I have treasure… it’s hidden. Let me
live and I’ll give it to you.”
No deal.
Connor takes a step forward to attack it, but it jumps at him first. He swats
it away, then slices it in half. The creature does not explode like the
others, but merely slides to the floor.
Jaran joins them. “What the hell’s going on?”
Kalcryx and Gwynnedh look around the room. Kalcryx spies a little hidden alcove
along the side, and points Jaran toward it.
She pops the door open, and a shower of spikes explodes toward her face. She
dodges them neatly. “I disarmed the trap for you,” she announces. Behind the
door is a cache of platinum coins, marked with the symbol of a government now
gone for centuries. Jaran determines that the coins themselves are more
valuable to collectors as antiques than as platinum coins.
Jaran searches the coffins for traps, but doesn’t find any. She and Gwynnedh
pry open a coffin. Inside there is a man, pale but pristine, in fancy dress.
A wooden stake is in his chest. The party is confused. The vampires seem to
have been dealt with properly, so why the misty wraiths? Gwynnedh and G’Kar
chat for a bit, and piece together something about the spirits of vampires being
released sometimes when the vampires are killed.
The other coffins are opened, and inside are two other men, identical in
preparation.
There are many bodies along the floor, all dessicated. Some of them are
brightly dressed in clothes similar to the boy… Gypsies. Familiar gypsies.
Suddenly someone remembers that they had met the little boy before.
Entry #13 (7 Nithal 1357DR) A Warrior’s Worst Nightmare
Trying to remove layers of stoneskin from an evil mage, I attempted to use five magic missles. But a most inconvenient wild surge summoned a monster…a RUST monster, which landed directly on my comrade Kalcrix, warrior of Helm. It was big, and his shield turned to powder. Fortunately, a most convenient alternate reality reversed the summoning of the rust monster, and resulted in a magic missles that knocked off the final 5 layers of stoneskin—leaving him ripe for the fighters :).
7 - 8 (evening) Nightal, 1357DR
[Game of October 3rd, 2003]
*7 Nightal* afternoon
The party further discusses whether to reincarnate their opponant mage. As they
are talking, there is a crash down the path, the sound of branches breaking.
Jaran springs to her feet and runs after it, sending Mori along independently.
Kalcryx and Connor follow more slowly.
Mori finds a distinctly body shaped crevice among some broken branches. Jaran
arrives soon after and sees, sprawled among the greenery the charred and burned
body of the scalp chunk thief.
Connor finds the scalp chunk without much effort.
Jaran wraps the body up and crams it in her bag of holding.
The party continues to discuss what to do with the remains to prevent
reincarnation. “I suppose we could burn the body and spread the ashes on the
wind,” Jaran suggests.
“We could summon a horde of rats to eat the body,” Connor suggests. The party
stares at him blankly. Jaran alone seems impressed.
“We could eat him for dinner,” Lyta adds.
“How could you eat something as unclean as human flesh?” Jaran hisses.
“No, reincarnate him first, and then eat him,” she amends.
The sun climbs high toward its zenith as they talk, and, despite the winter
chill, they become quite warm. Suddenly Connor feels a trickle of sweat run down
his back.
They decide to build a great pyre, and set about gathering fallen wood.
Flanna continues to play chess with the beholder. After a few minutes there is
some disagreement about the positioning of the pieces, and the beholder suggests
that they call it a draw to avoid bad blood between them.
Outside, the fire is started, and the bodies are burned. There is some concern
about the amount of smoke it is producing, but in the end they decide that the
keep and their possession of it was never exactly a secret.
In a quiet moment, the party tends to their wounds. As day passes into evening,
G’Kar and Kalcryx distribute healing.
Night comes. The party retreats to their own activities within the keep. The
night passes uneventfully.
*8 Nightal*
The party wakes and goes about their business.
As Flanna goes about her prayers and spell. She finishes about fifteen minutes
sooner than the day before, and feels as if she could memorize two more spells.
She feels sore, but stronger than before. =)
G’Kar, as he’s conducting his sermon, hears the sound of metal grinding on stone.
Before he can turn to look, a sword impales him in the back, and a large shield
smashes into his face. Ouch. A second man in platemail appears and charges
Reawal, and Reawal falls.
Similarly, while Kalcryx is proclaiming the virtues of Helm, a column of fire
descends upon him and Connor. They turn and see a young woman, human, with curly
hair. She is wearing armour, and from underneath a glimpse of purple fabric can
be seen. She holds a metal rod in her hand, and beside her is a human man in
heavy plate. The man triggers G’Kar’s warding glyph, causing a shower of rock to
rain down.
The man charges Connor, passing the beholder Albert in his path. Albert bites at
the man, but does not hurt him badly. Connor sees that his opponant carries two
swords, a smaller and a larger, and as he runs, he sheds a stony layer. He then
seems normal, except that he is brawny and muscular beyond all reckoning. When
first he has a free second, he drinks a healing potion, savouring the warm,
feeling of health that then spreads through his body.
Connor draws his swords.
Jaran feels watched. She warns Flanna, “Someone is watching us… Someone is
invading the keep.” then makes herself invisible.
–
Kalcryx is pointed at by the woman, and she begins to mumble the spell of heat
metal, but it does not affect him. Connor and his opponant exchange blows. From
the arrow slits one of the half-elven hirees emerges and draws his daggers. He
stabs Connor’s opponant twice, but strikes metal both times.
G’Kar, felled previously, regains consciousness to see Torred standing over him.
“I think you owe me one, G’Kar,” he says, chuckling grimly. His back has been
slashed in getting to G’Kar’s side.
Jaran moves. Albert prepares to attack Connor’s opponant. Lyta casts improved
invisibility and leaves her room. Kalcryx casts recitation.
–
Flanna creeps into the kitchen. “The keep is under seige,” she tells the
servants assembled there. “Can you hide yourselves?” Then she casts
invisibility on herself.
Kalcryx hears the sound of spellcasting from the barracks, but it is a male
voice, not a female’s. A human pops into existence, casting lightning into the
room. Upstairs, there is the sound of another lightning bolt.
In G’Kar’s room, an elfish looking mage appears. He sends five magic missiles at
Torred. The man in armor circles around the room and cleaves at the dwarf.
G’Kar sees that he is stony-skinned and overly muscled. Bad stuff happens to
Torred, and his skull caves in. G’Kar casts withdraw and heals himself.
Carefully he eases his way out of the well-room and joins Kalcryx. His opponant
follows him, attacking him with sword and shield.
Connor flanks, and attacks. The mage points at Connor and begins to speak in the
magic language. “You will take me to his body, right now,” she says in common,
and Connor feels no compulsion to comply. He begins to laugh. Connor is
attacked.
The half-elf hireling attacks the wizard with his daggers. He attacks, and a
layer of stoneskin falls off.
Jaran casts summon shadow, and three shadows appear.
The beholder attacks Connor’s opponant, then contacts Kalcryx telepathically. “I
tried to make it go away. It didn’t go away.”
Lyta leaves her room and smacks into Jaran, and falls down.
Kalcryx flanks Connor’s opponant and attacks with claws and shield.
G’Kar is attacked by acid and then he and Connor are encased in a thick, sticky
strand of webbing. He is able to move around enough at least to drink a curative
potion. G’Kar is attacked by one of the zillion or so fighters in the room, but
suffers little damage.
Connor digs out a vial of greek fire and smashes it open. The webs ignite and
burn away.
The woman mage repeats her heat metal spell, directing it at Kalcryx. This time,
he begins to feel warm.
One of the fighters drinks a potion.
Jaran sneaks into the area and casts dispel magic. She cancels the recitation on
Kalcryx, but manages to dispel the heat metal spell, and the stoneskin and
strength of one spells. She then sends her shadows after the two mages.
Lyta runs up the stairs and casts choke on Connor’s opponant.
Kalcryx thinks to his beholder, “Cause serious wounds!” then yells out to G’Kar
to come close for strength of one.
G’Kar is hit by magic missiles.
The wizard, surrounded by shadows, looks toward Kalcryx and says, “Yeah, that’s a
good idea. I’ll do that in a second.”
G’Kar takes a step back and reads the scroll “Holy word.” A burst of white light
floods the room. The shadows disappear. The woman, Connor’s opponant, and
another warrior cringe. “Heal me…” G’Kar pleads.
G’Kar is attacked.
Connor crams a healing potion in G’Kar’s mouth
The woman climbs up some stairs and casts a spell.
Connor’s appoinant slides along the wall toward Connor and swings with his long
sword and his short sword.
The half-elf, feeling exposed, takes a five foot step back and tosses his daggers
at the mage, but misses.
Jaran moves into the fray and casts acid bolt two of the opponants.
Connor’s opponant cringes, and some serious looking wounds appear on his skin.
Lyta casts lance of disruption on Connor’s two-sworded opponant. At some point,
Mr. TwoSwords sets off a glyph. Kalcryx moves in and claws at him.
An enemy mage follows
Flanna wanders down the hall and bumps into Lyta.
A mage backed in a corner looks toward the scroll. He pulls out a scroll and
says “I’m really sorry… I didn’t mean to. I’ll be leaving now,” he says, and
then he disappears.
One of the elven rangers stumbles down the stairs. His skin is peeling off of
him, and he is calling out for brains.
G’Kar is attacked with shield and sword, and counters with a bash of his own.
Connor attacks his favorite opponant, Mr. TwoSwords. Slash after slash, and Mr.
TwoSwords finally collapses against the wall.
The rogue spins around and flanks the guy on G’Kar. He draws two more daggers
and stabs, but misses twice.
Jaran casts lance of disruption at the two remaining fighters.
G’Kar’s opponant cringes, and wounds appear on his skin. Lyta casts magic
missile, two into the body of Mr. TwoSwords and three more into G’Kar’s opponant.
Kalcryx wedges himself between Connor and G’Kar and casts strength of one.
A mage creeps down the stairs and peeks into the room. He hits G’Kar with three
magic missiles, and G’kar falls to the ground as the third missile impacts.
Flanna, still invisible, creeps up the rest of the stairs and cringes behind
Jaran. She pulls out her wand and carefully, with much thought, she targets the
male enemy mage with a fireball. However, she forgot to take into consideration
the height of the ceiling.
Everyone is hit. “Oh right. ‘Be careful with the fireball’…”
A third mage appears, the half-elven fellow in the velvet overcoat and with the
daggers. He sends a lightning bolt through Jaran and Flanna. Jaran is hurt.
Flanna falls.
A helmling cleric zombie comes into the room, calling for brains.
*stuff*
Connor grabs a healing potion from Jaran, and drinks it. He feels much better.
The cleric comes down stairs and drops a bag on the ground. It thuds with a
resoundingly metal sound. She smacks her head a few times, then yells out,
“Alright, you fuck-Os, who’s ready to talk?”
The half-elf thief takes a step back and drinks a healing potion. Jaran surveys
the situation and considers her option. She decides to cast lance of disruption.
One of the mages falls down, unconscious. Another doesn’t look so healthy.
Lyta creeps past the zombie and lays her hands on G’Kar’s attacker, and casts
Alter Reality.
*rewind*
The shield bash misses G’Kar, three magic missiles hit him, but the third does
not down him. He falls with Flanna’s fireball, but is not the smouldering lump
of charcoal that he was.
*resume*
Kalcryx heals G’Kar. G’Kar stands, feeling vigorous.
A mage retreats up the stairs. “We still have plenty of healing. We suggest you
talk.”
G’Kar’s opponant takes a step back and drinks a healing potion. G’Kar takes a
step and stands beside the half-elf hireling. The fighter takes a five step
back.
A zombie claws ineffectually at Connor. Connor destroys it.
The cleric kicks at the bag at her feet. It makes a noise like coins. “Buncha
little hell-raisers, aren’t you? I think you might be interested in a little
deal. You give us back that fools body and uh” *kick kick* “We’ll make you
pretty happy.” There are snickers all around.
“What kind of deal?” The half-elf hireling asks. “That looks like a pretty heavy
bag of money.”
Jaran asks, “You mean the body we destroyed?” and casts cone of cold. Invisible
Lyta is in her path and takes some damage.
Lyta takes a step back and conjures a wall of ice above them. It seems to hurt
them.
Kalcryx moves, bowling over invisible Lyta in his haste, and engages the cleric.
He slashes at her with his claws, shredding her, but she keeps her feet.
The fighter takes a five foot step back and attacks Kalcryx. “How many of you do
we have to kill before you give up?” he asks, cutting into Kalcryx’s side with
his sword, and smacking him with his shield.
G’Kar attacks someone with his hammer, but fumbles it. He tries to shieldbash,
but is ineffectual. G’Kar is hit, and then his attacker retreats. Seeing him
flee, G’Kar smacks him with his shield, but he continues to run away.
Connor sets his sights on the cleric, slicing at her until she collapses. Connor
slashes at her savagely while she lays bleeding on the ground. When he is
certain she is dead, he turns to the remaining fighter and hits him twice. “Eat
that!” he cries out.
“I could use some healing,” says the half-elf to G’Kar as he pulls out a short
bow and tries to aim at the fighter.
Jaran drinks a cure serious potion and feels better. She moves toward Flanna.
Lyta, still on the ground, gets there first. Flanna is not breathing. Lyta
turns her attention to the last fighter. He falls under her acid bolts.
Kalcryx moves to the base of the stairs and heals himself.
A mage approaches the stairway and peers into the room cautiously. He walks
back, grabs his buddy. He yells, “Enjoy the money. You’ll have it
for a good day until we come back.” then disappears.
G’Kar grabs his hammer and walks back into the room where his makeshift temple
was stationed. Torred is still dead, and Reawal has been beaten additionally.
Lyta walks to Kalcryx and lays a hand on his back. “After running me over you
can at least heal me.”
The party heals themselves and sets about the task of looting the dead. They
find miscellaneous weapons, swords, shields, a morning star, a metal
quarterstaff, as well as two scrolls: word of recall and teleport. None of the
weapons are magical. The bag contains 15,000 gold pieces. Additionally, they
search the dwarves.
Kalcryx reads an augury scroll and asks if Flanna will raise. The answer comes
back, “No.”
Jaran spends some time identifying various items. They are now in possession of
a ring of armoury, a ring of cold resistance, a cloak of iron-guarding, a
medallion of defense, guantlets of ogre power, beads of force, a soul-sucking
sword, and a venom-spewing dagger.
Lyta also tries her hand and identification. She identifies a mess of potions.