# JollyDoc's Shackled City: FINAL POST [Updated 11/2!!]



## gfunk

Welcome to the continuing adventures of JollyDoc's Shackled City!

Due to overwhelming praise by our readership, we have overloaded the old thread thereby creating a need for this one. To make everyone's life easier, I have included the Table of Contents from the original JollyDoc's Shackled City Story Hour.

Here's to continuing adventures in Cauldron!

*Table of Contents for JollyDoc's Shackled City*

*Life's Bazaar*

 Welcome to Cauldron: He Who Laughs Last . . . 
 Things That Go Bump in the Night 
 The Rat Defense 
 Do Gnomes Have Ruins? 
 Things with Wings 
 Jzadirune Part 2 
 Choke Hold 
 The King of the Gnomes 
 Mummies at Night, Centipedes at Dusk 
 Brain Dead 
 Despite All My Rage, I am Still Just a Rat in a Cage 
 And One Shall Fall . . . 
 Last Man (or is it Halfling) Standing 
 New Blood
 Jail Break
 Dwarf for Sale
 The Forge of Fury
 Oso's Last Stand
 Return of the King
*Flood Season*

 Flood Season 
 Jurassic Park 
 Planet of the Apes 
 Unwanted Attention 
 The Mysterious Informant 
 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth, Redux 
 Triel and the Sons of Kyuss 
 Death Be Not Proud 
 Interlude 
 Tangled Webs 
*Zenith Trajectory*

 Zenith Trajectory 
 Dungeons and Dragons 
 A Peaceful Interlude 
 Divided We Fall 
 Anger of Angels 
 The Old Order Changeth 
 Retribution 
 Zenith 
*The Demonskar Legacy*

 The Cauldron Tea Party 
 The Plot Thickens 
 Against the Giants 
 The Sisterhood 
 The End of Days, Part 1 
 The End of Days, Part 2 
*Test of the Smoking Eye*

 To the Abyss With You All! 
 New Beginnings 
 You Can't See the Demon Until Him Come Calling 
 Welcome to the Cathedral of Feathers 
 Prelude to a Kiss 
 The Test of Judgement 
 Random Encounter Road 
 The Road to Perdition 
 Giants and Tigers and Liches, Oh My! 
 The Passion of the Caine 
 A Happy Ending 
*The Black Egg*

 The Lucky Monkey . . . Not So Lucky 
 The Black Egg 
 That's No Moon . . . 
 Interlude 
 Eleven Heads are Better Than One 
 The DM Makes it a Bodak Moment 
 Bad Day at Black Rock 
 Of Justice and Dragons 
*The Secret of the Soul Pillars*

 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? 
 The Root of the Problem 
 Wasn't that Supposed to be a Bone Devil? 
 Pez Reborn 
 Raging Bull 
 Ice, Ice Baby 
 The Twin Pillars 
 Update (Kinda, Sorta) 
*Lords of Oblivion*

 Secrets Revealed 
 Lords of Oblivion 
 The Plot Thickens (Part 2) 
 Into Oblivion 
 Lord of Oblivion 
*Foundation of Flame/Lord of the Iron Fortress*


 Election Day 
 Evacuation 
 Juxtaposition 
 Hookface's Revenge 
 Strangers in a Strange Land 
 Acheron is a Nice Place to Visit, But . . . 
*Thirteen Cages*


 Thirteen Cages 
 Demodands in the Mist 
 Hall of the Fire Giant King 
 Minions of the Eye 
 Cataclysm, Part 1 
 Cataclysm, Part 2 
*Strike on Shatterhorn*

 Strike on Shatterhorn 
 Into the Snake Pit 
 Old Friends 
 Sleeping with the Enemy 
*Asylum*


 Red Dawn (Prequel) 
 Information Gathering (Prequel) 
 The End of the Cagewrights 
 Vhalantru's Return 
 Embril's Last Stand 
 Enter Houshang 
 The Bastion of Lost Hope 
 Welcome to Where Time Stands Still, No One Leaves and No One Will
 Whisper Things Into My Brain, Assuring Me That I'm Insane
 Dark Myrakul 
 The Thayan, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe
 The Prince of Madness Unleashed
 The Queen of Madness Unleashed
 Adimarchus Gets Pissed
 Clash of the Titans
 A Reversal of Fortune
 The Road to Nowhere 

*Epilogue*


*Character Sheets*

 Pez, Level 6 
 Pez, Level 7 
 Pez, Level 8 
 Gardrid Craghammer, Level 9 
 Ajax, Level 7 
 Ajaz, Level 9 
 Caine, Level 7 
 Caine, Level 8 
 Caine, Level 9 
 Caine, Level 10 
 Caine, Level 11 
 Caine, Level 12 
 Grimm Grakka, Level 11 
 Grimm Grakka, Level 12 
 Grimm Grakka, Level 13 
 Grimm Grakka, Level 14 
 Kiko, Level 12 
 Kiko, Level 16 
*Miscellaneous*

 Pics of our gaming group 
Forum to discuss Shackled City meta-story (PCs need not apply!)http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=83602


----------



## Lela

Oh, I love the links to the character stats.  I'm going to use those. . .


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Made it over here...


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

Made it here as well and mighty glad too.


----------



## PugioilAudacio

Wow, nice table. I have migrated!


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> *Character Sheets*
> 
> Pez, Level 6
> Pez, Level 7
> Pez, Level 8



I miss Pez. . .


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Hey JD, isn't the best way to start a new thread with an update?  _* hint, hint *_


----------



## steev42

I've spent the last week reading over this story, and I have to say that I like it very much.  I'm currently running a weekly game on this path (They've just rescued Starbrow, Ghelve's familiar).  It's interesting to see what kind of reactions people might have to situations that are upcoming.

It's also fun to torment my players with the bodycount you guys are racking up.


----------



## JollyDoc

A'vandira Silvermane said:
			
		

> Made it here as well and mighty glad too.




Welcome A'vandira!  Always glad to see a new face and have new input!


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Hey JD, isn't the best way to start a new thread with an update?  _* hint, hint *_




Well, for a full update, you'll have to pester Joachim, as it's officially his turn.  However, as promised, I plan to post a brief snippet tomorrow.


----------



## JollyDoc

steev42 said:
			
		

> I've spent the last week reading over this story, and I have to say that I like it very much.  I'm currently running a weekly game on this path (They've just rescued Starbrow, Ghelve's familiar).  It's interesting to see what kind of reactions people might have to situations that are upcoming.
> 
> It's also fun to torment my players with the bodycount you guys are racking up.




Awww...don't be too hard on the little fellas, Steve.  You might scare them off.  BTW, welcome to our SH!


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

Thanks for the welcome JD and keep up the excellent gaming and writing.
Have been around for quite a while now, having started at Gfunk's SH, and I have seen the quality of writing improve with every update, whether written by you, Gfunk or Joachim. You guys sure have shown me how much fun real powergaming can be.
In the campaign I play in at home this usually turns into simple hack 'n' slash without any real substance, but now I know it can be so much more.
Please keep the updates coming so that I can show my fellow players what gaming can be.


----------



## Joachim

Well, its good to see the more countries where our readers hail from.  We've had Britain, Switzerland, New Zealand (I think), and now the Netherlands.

Oh...and Utah.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> Well, its good to see the more countries where our readers hail from.  We've had Britain, Switzerland, New Zealand (I think), and now the Netherlands.
> 
> Oh...and Utah.



 This knight hails from Munich in Bavaria! And since they created some WLAN hotspots at my favorite Biergärten (beergardens  ), I can take this SH with me on my favorite recreational activity...


----------



## Lela

Joachim said:
			
		

> Oh...and Utah.



It's like a whole 'nother country.


----------



## Hellzon

Joachim said:
			
		

> Well, its good to see the more countries where our readers hail from.  We've had Britain, Switzerland, New Zealand (I think), and now the Netherlands.
> 
> Oh...and Utah.



 *ahem* and Sweden...


----------



## Joachim

Bloody foreigners coming out of the woodwork...  

NWK, I didn't know you were in Germany.  I used to live there when I was a kid...about 50 km from Ansbach near a place called Bad Windsheim.  Army Brat...


----------



## JollyDoc

Well, welcome one and all to our all of our readers abroad!  I love being multi-national!  And now, as promised...

INTERLUDE:

Dalthon Spellmason watched in stunned silence as the massive form of the giant half-dragon plummeted to the ground barely twenty feet from him.  The impact made a second, smaller crater next to the gigantic one formed by the Fane.  Dalthon shook his head in disbelief.  These were they people he was supposed to save?  What could they possibly need saving from?  Still, one could not question fate, especially when it came literally knocking on your door in the middle of the night…
______________________________________________________

Dalthon had been working late in his library, researching a new spell to aid in the restoration of the basalt bastions, the mighty fortifications built over three centuries ago by his ancestor, Surabar Spellmason.  Unexpectedly, there came a light tapping at his front door.  At first Dalthon dismissed it as his imagination.  After all, who in Redgorge would be coming to see him at this hour?  True, the members of the inner circle of the Chisel had been pressing him even more than usual of late to join their little club, but he didn’t think even they would have the audacity to intrude upon him at all hours.  When the tapping continued, he sighed and angrily pushed himself away from his desk.  Throwing open the door, he was fully prepared to unleash a chain of expletives on the rude individual on the other side, but he suddenly found himself at a loss for words.  Standing on the step was the most beautiful woman Dalthon had ever seen, though he wasn’t entirely sure if she was actually a woman.  For one thing, her skin had a bluish tint to it, and for another, the large pair of white, feathery wings sprouting from her back certainly marked her as other-wordly.  She radiated a soft, golden light, and the sorcerer could practically feel the aura of holiness about her.  He quickly fell to one knee before this angelic being, sure that his time had come, and that he was being summoned to the after-life.  “Rise,” the woman’s melodic voice gently commanded.  “You have nothing to fear from me.  Do you know me, Dalthon Spellmason?”
“N…n…no my lady,” Dalthon stammered, struggling to meet her gaze.
“I am called Nidrama by the people of this region.  Do you know me now?”
Dalthon had of course heard legends of the guardian angel of the land, but he had dismissed the stories as tales for children.  But now he stood face-to-face with that legend.  “How may I serve, my lady?”
“You are known to me as well,” Nidrama said.  “After all…blood calls to blood.”
Dalthon’s mouth dropped open, and he gasped involuntarily.
“You know the words I speak are true,” Nidrama continued, “You have sensed the spark of the celestial in you for many years now.  You have always known that you stood apart.  I knew your ancestral grandsire, Surabar…knew him, and loved him.  Alas, our love was not meant to last.  It has always been a fault in my kind that we find ourselves to entwined with the fate of our charges.  Sometimes our best judgment is overcome.  So it was with Surabar and I.  For a time, we knew happiness and joy.  I bore him a son, but alas time is fleeting for mortals, and so it was for Surabar.  His time passed, and that of my son as well, but my line has lived on, and you are the last of it.  So I come to you now to remind you of duty to family.  Hear me well.  A fortnight hence, a star shall fall, but a star unlike any seen before.  It will come to earth west of here and west of Cauldron.  Great evil shall surround its arrival, and many innocents will die.  Many more will perish if the evil carried within the star spreads across the land.  There are those who will journey to stop this from happening.  They do not realize it yet, but their role in the future of this land, and perhaps the entire world, is vital.  You shall go to them, Dalthon…my son.  You will aid them in whatever manner they require, and travel as one of them.  This do in my name.  There is one among them especially that you must watch over, for upon him rests a great doom.  He is called Caine, and though he personally affronts me, you will serve him as my emissary.”

_____________________________________________________

The star had fallen, exactly as Nidrama had said, and Redgorge had felt its destruction even from a distance of almost fifty miles.  Dalthon had traveled to ground zero, and had witnessed the devastation and suffering.  Finally, he had reached the crater, just as the climactic battle high above had ended.  Now he stood, witness to the power of these people Nidrama had entrusted to him, and he couldn’t help but wonder…why me?


----------



## LordVyreth

Wow, a new player, and an arcane caster at that!  Finally!  Nothing against Caine, but a mage capable of doing the traditional massive property damage should be very helpful for this party, as long as he can stay away from the baddies!  Besides his race (I'm assuming aasimar,) what details can you give us about our new friend?


----------



## Joachim

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Wow, a new player, and an arcane caster at that!  Finally!  Nothing against Caine, but a mage capable of doing the traditional massive property damage should be very helpful for this party, as long as he can stay away from the baddies!  Besides his race (I'm assuming aasimar,) what details can you give us about our new friend?




He died less than 3 minutes after joining the party.  All that and more shall be revealed in the next update.


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> He is called Caine, and though he personally *affronts* me, you will serve him as my emissary.”



LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Look_a_Unicorn

Joachim said:
			
		

> Well, its good to see the more countries where our readers hail from.  We've had Britain, Switzerland, New Zealand (I think), and now the Netherlands.
> 
> Oh...and Utah.




Don't forget the lurkers in Oz!

Edit: 3 minutes? Muahahahahahahha


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> This knight hails from Munich in Bavaria! And since they created some WLAN hotspots at my favorite Biergärten (beergardens  ), I can take this SH with me on my favorite recreational activity...



Schön guten Tag, Herr Ritter  . (Sorry guys. this is no attempt to hijack the thread. Just couldn't resist :\ )


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> Bloody foreigners coming out of the woodwork...
> 
> NWK, I didn't know you were in Germany.  I used to live there when I was a kid...about 50 km from Ansbach near a place called Bad Windsheim.  Army Brat...



Cool - I actually know the place (but only from avoiding traffic on the A7). How long did you live here?



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> He died less than 3 minutes after joining the party.  All that and more shall be revealed in the next update.



I've read through the adventure to see what the mega-lethal encounter might have been, but could not see a TPL in the immediate next rooms. There must have been some mighty bad luck on your part...


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> I've read through the adventure to see what the mega-lethal encounter might have been, but could not see a TPL in the immediate next rooms. There must have been some mighty bad luck on your part...



Well, it wasn't the big thing in the hallway.  We actually took it down pretty easily.  However, we did run into that trio of half-dragons who just happened to release three *BAD* beasties.

We went down like flies.


----------



## Mortepierre

Joachim said:
			
		

> Well, its good to see the more countries where our readers hail from.  We've had Britain, Switzerland, New Zealand (I think), and now the Netherlands.
> 
> Oh...and Utah.




.. and Belgium


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Well, it wasn't the big thing in the hallway.  We actually took it down pretty easily.  However, we did run into that trio of half-dragons who just happened to release three *BAD* beasties.
> 
> We went down like flies.



Well, I'll just wait and see what happened to you. Three of those B... beasts can really level the party, if your dice are even just a little off. Did you res the mage or did he go and complain to his great-great-great-grandmother right away?


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Cool - I actually know the place (but only from avoiding traffic on the A7). How long did you live here?




For a couple of years when I was 12 to 13.  Actually, we lived in a farming village (<100 people) just outside of Bad Windsheim.  Really nice people.  Really fattening food (we drank whole milk, 2 steps removed from the udder).  When we came back Stateside, I had gained so much weight I had to wear the Husky Boys clothes.


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Well, I'll just wait and see what happened to you. Three of those B... beasts can really level the party, if your dice are even just a little off. Did you res the mage or did he go and complain to his great-great-great-grandmother right away?




Lets just say the module is constructed such that the first encounter behind the door can easily domino into one mish-mashed mega-encounter.

EDIT:  Joe felt really bad about the way the encounter went, especially since it was a new player (and others...) who bit it.  There is more to the story that makes it pretty entertaining.  Rusty, yet again, proves his worth.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> For a couple of years when I was 12 to 13.  Actually, we lived in a farming village (<100 people) just outside of Bad Windsheim.  Really nice people.  Really fattening food (we drank whole milk, 2 steps removed from the udder).  When we came back Stateside, I had gained so much weight I had to wear the Husky Boys clothes.



 Funny, when I was living in the US (from age 11 to 13) I returned to Germany a little thicker than I left.  I guess it's just going through all the regional food...(getting hooked to Oreos might have had something to do with it)

I hope you got to see something of the country, though. I believe villages with < 100 people look very much the same.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

I'm at work so all I have is Kiko's stat block from E-tools so I will post that for now. 

 Kiko Kusimatai, Male Human Mnk12: Medium Humanoid ; HD 12d8+48(Monk) ; hp 104; Init +7; Spd 70; AC 24(Flatfooted:21, Touch:24); Atk +13/8 base melee, +12/7 base ranged; +14/9 (2d6+4, Unarmed strike); +14/9 (1d6+5, +1 Kama); +10/5/+6 (2d6+4, Unarmed strike; 1d6+3, +1 Kama); AL LG; SV Fort +14, Ref +13, Will +15; STR 18, DEX 16, CON 19, INT 12, WIS 21, CHA 12.
Skills: Balance +15, Climb +12, Diplomacy +10, Escape Artist +10, Hide +13, Jump +13, Knowledge (Arcana) +4, Listen +9, Move Silently +16, Speak Language +1, Spot +9, Tumble +18. 
Feats: Combat Reflexes (Monk), Deflect Arrows (Monk), Dodge, Elusive Target, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip (Monk), Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Stunning Fist (Monk), Weapon Focus: Unarmed strike.
Possessions: 
Weapons: +1 Kama (2,302 gp).
Magic: Ring: Protection +4 (32,000 gp); Wondrous: Bag of Holding, type II (5,000 gp); Wondrous: Belt, Monk`s (13,000 gp); Wondrous: Periapt of Wisdom +2 (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Bracers of health +2 (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000 gp); Potion: Invisibility (3) (300 gp).

Flurry of blows is 14/14/14/9 DC for stunning Fist is 21


----------



## catdragon

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> ... Feats:... Elusive Target...




This looks interesting.  What is it, where did it comer from, and has it proved useful?


----------



## LordVyreth

How is Kiko's flat-footed AC so high?  I'm pretty sure monks lose their Wisdom and class-based AC bonuses when flat-footed, just like they lose their Dexterity bonus.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

catdragon said:
			
		

> This looks interesting.  What is it, where did it comer from, and has it proved useful?




It is from the complete warrior it is a tactical feat you have to have dodge and mobility to take it. It lets you avoid a 1attack  while being flanked. It also has 2 other special moves but I can't remember them.(no books I'm at work  )


----------



## Lela

Don't 3.5 Monks still have the Uncanny Dodge (Flat Footed) thing going on?


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Monks Keep there wisdom bonus to AC when flat footed


----------



## Lela

Completely avoid one attack?  Or is there a Reflex save involved?


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Lela said:
			
		

> Completely avoid one attack?  Or is there a Reflex save involved?





Yea If it is the opponent you are using the dodge feat then his first attack misses no matter what he rolls. Also if you are powerattacked by a foe you are dodging then you do not take the extra damage from the attack but he still takes the penalty to attack. (I think thats how that works)


----------



## Krellic

Ah.., well I'm here, let's get on with the mayhem!


----------



## steev42

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Awww...don't be too hard on the little fellas, Steve.  You might scare them off.  BTW, welcome to our SH!




Thanks for the welcome.  I have to say that I've been inspired by this to write my session summaries in a more literary style.  Only have the most recent session done so far, but I intend to work my way through my logs.  That's one bonus to doing an AIM game; you can save everything that was said/done throughout the course of the session.


----------



## LordVyreth

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Monks Keep there wisdom bonus to AC when flat footed




Well, look at that.  I must have missed that earlier.  Well, learn something new every day, huh?


----------



## Saeviomagy

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> All of the modules are, in fact linked quite well.  However, I am temporarily as in the dark as you are regarding the role Occipitus will ultimately play.  That has yet to be revealed, but plot elements introduced early on keep coming back up again.  Many will be tied together in Soul Pillars, which is what we have just begun.




I'd guess that cauldron falls into the abyss, and specifically lands on Occipitus. Which means those with control over Occipitus have the power to raise it again.


----------



## Joachim

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Yea If it is the opponent you are using the dodge feat then his first attack misses no matter what he rolls. Also if you are powerattacked by a foe you are dodging then you do not take the extra damage from the attack but he still takes the penalty to attack. (I think thats how that works)




Yep.  Also, with the flanking maneuver, the two opponents have a chance to actually hit each other.

The third maneuver is that if you move and draw an AOO from your dodge opponent, and the opponent misses, you get a free Trip attempt and they can't re-trip if you fail the opposed check.  That maneuver is called Cause Overreach.

Elusive Target, Shock Trooper, and Combat Brute feats (all Tactical Feagts) from the CW book all seem to synergize well with each other, and if you could make a straight class fighter (half-ogre or half-giant even for best effect), you could make a superb battlefield control tank.  You would have to sacrifice things like Weapon Specialization, but that character would be SOOOOOO versatile for a fighter.


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

> Originally Posted by *steev42*
> That's one bonus to doing an AIM game; you can save everything that was said/done throughout the course of the session.



Tried using OpenRPG? (Looks very much like WebRPG, just better) and has dice-rollers, miniatures, chat-logs etc. all included (www.openrpg.com)


----------



## Mortepierre

gfunk said:
			
		

> Welcome to the continuing adventures of JollyDoc's Shackled City!
> 
> Due to overwhelming praise by our readership, we have overloaded the old thread thereby creating a need for this one. To make everyone's life easier, I have included the Table of Contents from the original JollyDoc's Shackled City Story Hour.




Gfunk, you forgot the link to the NPC thread where we DMs can give Jollydoc a hand in making your life miserable


----------



## Nightingale 7

_Walks into the nice,spanking new thread..._

Hmm,nice.Oh,and I'm for Greece.One more country in this international melting pot of a thread   

I have another question too.What method are you guys using for rolling stats?I just took a look at Kiko's stats,and   .Those dice must have been SCORCHING!
I was paging through the PGtF the other day,and noticed the Initiate of Mystra feat.What a feat for Rusty eh?I specifically like the Holy Star,and the Anyspells,though casting inside an AMF or a Dead Magic Zone isn't too shabby either!


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> _Walks into the nice,spanking new thread..._
> 
> Hmm,nice.Oh,and I'm for Greece.One more country in this international melting pot of a thread
> 
> I have another question too.What method are you guys using for rolling stats?I just took a look at Kiko's stats,and   .Those dice must have been SCORCHING!
> I was paging through the PGtF the other day,and noticed the Initiate of Mystra feat.What a feat for Rusty eh?I specifically like the Holy Star,and the Anyspells,though casting inside an AMF or a Dead Magic Zone isn't too shabby either!




Kiko was a old character that was rolled back in 1st edition so his stats was rolled using the 4d6 method and had good rolls and add in the ability adjustments you get in 3.5 and it turns out real good. 
Normally they use 32 point buy system . My backup character (for when Kiko dies) Will use this system.


----------



## Longbow

...and here´s another German.   

Great SH guys, I´d like to know how you deal with this much character death. Don´t you get frustrated with it? As much as I like the Adventure Path in Dungeon, I find it too lethal.


----------



## Joachim

Longbow said:
			
		

> ...and here´s another German.
> 
> Great SH guys, I´d like to know how you deal with this much character death. Don´t you get frustrated with it? As much as I like the Adventure Path in Dungeon, I find it too lethal.




There can be a lot of grousing regarding the module difficuty (especially from me, I am ashamed to admit), but at least I get to keep trying out new character concepts .


----------



## Joachim

The first of two posts.  The other shall be posted Monday evening.

ELEVEN HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

Dalthon shook his head at the sight.  Grabbing the sides of his cloak, the sorcerer willed himself into the air.  Under normal circumstances, the magic in his cloak would only operate under the cover of night, but due to the thick cloud of dust and ash an unnatural dark covered the area.

Quietly, the aasimar landed on the entry platform, just behind a motley crew of what were obviously adventurers.  While they had managed to defeat the draconic behemoth, the battle had obviously taken its toll.  

Dalthon marveled at the prospect that these oddballs were destined to be the saviours of the Vilhon Reach and possibly all of Faerun.  Surely Nidrama must be mistaken.  A savage dirty elf, a dwarven priest (of Mystra!), a sullen-looking halfling, a tattooed beast fully eight feet tall, an unarmed human in a silk robe, and a commoner with smoking eye socket could not be so blessed by the Gods.

The Bright Axes turned to the newcomer, the look of suspicion in their eyes.  Visions of Kauraphon danced in their heads.  Grimm opened his mouth to bark at the newcomer when something caught his eyes.  The golden skin…the silver luminescence of the man’s hair…the sparkle in his eyes…this man was descendant from the Heavens, a true aasimar!  Speaking in the tongue of demons, the half-ogre spoke to Caine, “This one’s heritage has been touched by the celestials.  He might not be a threat.”

The ascetic looked at his large friend and nodded.  Caine concentrated for an instant and quite suddenly the Apostle of Peace was surrounded by his shining aura of goodness.  Dalthan was surprised by the gesture, but knew that it was an unmistakable sign from the powers of Good that this man was blessed.  The aasimar felt oddly calm in the commoner’s presence.  Dalthan extended his hands outward in a gesture of peace.

“Greetings, brave adventurers.  I have come to you in this moment of darkness to assist you in your quest.  My name is Dalthan Spellmason, son of Surabar Spellmason, and I come to you at the behest of Her.”  The Bright Axes looked at each other quizzically.  ‘Her’? 

Caine raised an eyebrow.  “I am Caine, and these are my companions.  Based upon the assessment of my large comrade here, you are of celestial blood, are you not?”

Dalthan nodded.  “It is something that I was not aware of until recently, until She appeared and told me of my heritage.  She is very concerned with the survival of your group, and sent me to be Her emissary to you.”

Caine smiled.  “All help is welcome, provided that it is given honestly and without ulterior motives.  I should tell you, however, that I am an agent of Peace, and I will not tolerate acts of brutality for brutality’s sake.  Provided that you respect this, we should get along just fine.  First, I would ask that you submit to a simple test, and allow my friend, Jules, attempt to detect if you have the taint of evil.”

The lantern archon floated from beneath Caine’s robes.  After a few seconds, the globe of light intoned, “He’s clean.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tilly and Rusty took the lead position just outside the great doors leading into the spherical structure.  Just behind them Grimm stood in his usual position in the marching order, ready to provide support over the diminutive point men.  Wathros’ form shifted and melted until the elf had taken the shape of a large dog.  After a second of concentration the dog seemingly began to blink in and out of reality.  Kiko patted Grimm on the back, and signaled to Rusty that they were ready to enter the sphere.

Previously, the doors had almost been torn open thanks to the entrance of the dragon-giant’s associates, but the doors had been loosely closed over.  Rusty didn’t have to try too hard before the great metal door screeched open.  Beyond the doorway lay a dusty hallway, obviously one that hadn’t seen the light of day until recently.  An archway was located on each side of the hallway about fifty feet down, and the hall ended in a T-intersection about fifty feet past the archways.

The condition of the hallway was not the most important aspect of the room.  Standing at the end of the hallway was a huge eleven-headed reptile, reminiscent of a wingless dragon.  With a guttural reptilian hiss, the massive beast began to rush down the hallway, puffs of smoke emanating from the many mouths.

Having seen innumerable beasts in the past, the Bright Axes went into motion without wondering about the creature before them.  Rusty charged first and sunk his axe deeply into one of the lizard’s forelegs.  Tilly was the next to rush in, and his little longsword sliced deeply into the thing’s belly.  Wathros barked and yelped in rhythm, and his all-too-familiar column of flame engulfed the reptile.  With an instant thought, the druid-turned-blink-dog disappeared and reappeared behind the monster, effectively flanking it.  

The creature, which Caine realized to be a hydra, stopped for a second and all eleven heads drew in a great breath of air.  Upon exhalation, each head became a spigot of flame.  The eleven heads sprayed the fire in different directions, and Tilly, Wathors, and Rusty all burned badly from the flames.  Even more to the horror of those around the hydra, all of the wounds it had taken appeared to be closing and healing…very, very rapidly.

Kiko decided it was time to act.  Somersaulting and flipping, the monk dodged the snapping heads of the hydra and maneuvered behind the beast.  Kiko performed a double flip, and upon landing struck out with his foot, connecting solidly with the beasts ribcage.  While Kiko heard and felt the satisfying snap of bone and sinew, he knew that those wounds would heal if they didn’t drop the creature quickly.  Dalthan and Caine watched the fight from afar, not certain if their magicks were even necessary.

The half-ogre, still flying due to Caine’s spell, charged ahead and struck a mighty blow against the hydra’s body, and blood sprayed out ten feet away from the creature as a result.  Rusty, having been burned to within an inch of his life, rumbled away from the creature, trying to get far enough away to heal himself.  The dwarf rushed through the archway to his left, and he realized that his situation had quickly gone from bad…to very bad.

The room that Rusty had entered was about forty feet by forty feet square, with a slight circular orientation to the exterior wall, due to the structure’s spherical shape.  In one corner of the room stood a great iron forge, glowing red with heat.  On the opposite end of the room lay the corpse of one of the black-skinned orcs.  Standing over the corpse was a four-armed statue, about ten feet tall.  The statue’s fists were covered with a thick black ichor…the dead orc’s blood.  As soon as Rusty entered the room, the statue became animate, and began to step toward the dwarven priest.

Back in the hallway, things were not faring so well for the hydra.  The lizard’s head lashed out in all directions, but only managed to superficially wound Tilly and Kiko.  The monk then responded in kind.  Kiko’s hands began moving unbelievably quick, pounding the hydra’s massive chest in a rhythmic fashion.  Kiko eyes grew wide in satisfaction when he realized that had has successfully completed the Five-Finger-Palm Exploding Heart technique.  Inside the hydra’s chest, its heart erupted from the vibrations.  The hydra’s many mouths spurted gouts of blood and the great lizard hit the ground, lifeless. (My cheesy tribute to QT, for having made a kick-a$$ pair of movies)

Grimm marveled at the gory death of the beast, and of Kiko’s prowess, but only for a second.  He knew that Rusty was in trouble.  The half-ogre quickly flew through the archway and went up high to the ceiling, completing his movement by swinging hard at the animate statue.  Chunks of stone flew off of the construct.  The statue turned its attention to the archway, where Kiko, still reveling in his success, had left himself quite open to attack.  The golem’s four fists came down and pounded the monk, and Kiko wobbled in near-unconsciousness.

Caine decided it was time to act.  The ascetic ran forward, and hastened his comrades with a spell.  Grimm smiled, and the half-ogre’s chain began spinning, every revolution tearing more of the golem’s body away.  Rusty, Kiko, Wathros, and Tilly positioned themselves in the hallway and started to heal themselves by spell or potion.

The Apostle of Peace again cast a spell.  The floor beneath the golem became covered in thick layer of fatty grease, and the construct clumsily slipped and fell to the floor.  Grimm’s spinning chain obliterated the rest of the statue.

Dalthan moved down the hallway, and peeked into the room beyond.  The room was similar in size and shape to the stone golem’s room.  Large oaken tables dominated the room, and a fifteen-foot diameter amber cocoon was positioned against the far wall.  Dalthan noted three vaguely humanoid silhouettes trapped with the amber.  The room had other inhabitants, however.  

The aasimar’s eyes grew wide when he saw two more of the black-skinned orcs, and a white-skinned reptilian orc bearing a wicked-looking greataxe.  

It was at this point that the fighting, seemingly over, went from mild chaos to pure anarchy...


----------



## gfunk

Longbow said:
			
		

> Great SH guys, I´d like to know how you deal with this much character death. Don´t you get frustrated with it? As much as I like the Adventure Path in Dungeon, I find it too lethal.



Thanks!  One of our players, apparently fed up with his PC reapeatedly dying, pulled a "screw you guys, I'm going home!"  I leave it to you to figure out whom.


----------



## Lela

Rusty "Die a'lot" Dwarf, I assume.  Though I hope he really doesn't leave.  There's always _Reincarnate_!   It can be more fun than the living.


----------



## gfunk

Hey everyone! I've got some bad news and some worse news. The bad news is that Caine has finally made a graceful exit (and hopefully, temporary) from the Story Hour. He went out like he wanted, saving the life of a fellow party member while giving up his own.

Alas, before he could be raised, his body mysteriously departed for parts unknown, though those of you with a fine eye for detail may be able to figure out where he went. For those who do, a myriad of possibilities remains for his return.

The worse news is that my official role in JollyDoc's campaign has pretty much ended. Of course, I will still hang out with the guys on occasion and perhaps, act in an advisory role but my days of active gaming are numbered.

I just wanted to thank each and every one of the players, and the readers in particular, for making the last several years of my life as enjoyable as they were.

Fear not, for I will still skulk around the message board throwing around a pithy comment or three.

Best to all of you!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Hey everyone! I've got some bad news and some worse news. The bad news is that Caine has finally made a graceful exit (and hopefully, temporary) from the Story Hour. He went out like he wanted, saving the life of a fellow party member while giving up his own.
> 
> Alas, before he could be raised, his body mysteriously departed for parts unknown, though those of you with a fine eye for detail may be able to figure out where he went. For those who do, a myriad of possibilities remains for his return.
> 
> The worse news is that my official role in JollyDoc's campaign has pretty much ended. Of course, I will still hang out with the guys on occasion and perhaps, act in an advisory role but my days of active gaming are numbered.
> 
> I just wanted to thank each and every one of the players, and the readers in particular, for making the last several years of my life as enjoyable as they were.
> 
> Fear not, for I will still skulk around the message board throwing around a pithy comment or three.
> 
> Best to all of you!



 Alas, there goes one of the greatest powergamers of our time...  Did it happen in the egg's fane or in the next step of the adventure path?

Sadly, I know what you mean. I think it's great that you had a grand exit, although I do hope that JollyDoc brings Caine back as an NPC. You could still do the level advancement 'n stuff.

On another sad note, it looks like we will never find out who would have won the match between Caine and Entropy (and the respective parties)...


----------



## Black_Kaioshin

We of the gaming community are losing a treasure. Funk-Man, I wish you a sad farewell. May the dice always roll in your favor.


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

gfunk said:
			
		

> The worse news is that my official role in JollyDoc's campaign has pretty much ended. Of course, I will still hang out with the guys on occasion and perhaps, act in an advisory role but my days of active gaming are numbered......
> Best to all of you!



That is some really bad news dude  . Like the other readers here I wish you the best of luck and all things good.
Take care and don't be a stranger.


----------



## LordVyreth

Lela said:
			
		

> Rusty "Die a'lot" Dwarf, I assume.  Though I hope he really doesn't leave.  There's always _Reincarnate_!   It can be more fun than the living.




Did Rusty ever actually die, though?  I remember he was out for a while due to "injuries," and he was captured that one time, but I don't think he ever bought the farm.  Now Wathros and Tilly, on the other hand, have been making a habit of planar travel by means of sharp pointy objects.  I'd guess Wathros, though it's a 50/50 shot.


----------



## Lela

You can always make a guest star appearance from time to time.  For now though, Dr. Funk, your legacy will live on.


----------



## JollyDoc

I would like to take a moment here to offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks to Gautham for his participation in my campaign, and most of all for his friendship (the former of which I hope will still continue in some aspect, and the latter which I hope will continue indefinately).  In the seven years I have been running this game, he has been a constant.  Our campaign would not have the depth and flavor that it has achieved without his continuing advice, criticisms and critiques.  He is, by far, one of the best, if not the best, gamers I have ever had the honor to share a table with.  I have learned much from him, and have hopefully grown as a player and DM.  Best of luck to you, my friend.  You will be missed...


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

I just wanted to say I agree with JollyDoc G is one of the best gamers and will be missed. I've only had the privilige of playin with him for a little over a month. I hope he finds the time to come by and visit and maybe play every now and then. He will be missed at the table.


----------



## gfunk

In response to all the wonderful comments recently, let me just say a big,

*THANK YOU!!*

This Story Hour would not have been possible without JollyDoc, the players, and the extensive (and international!) readership. It was a joy playing with the group and a lot of fun writing up these logs.

I will certainly stay around.

With that out of the way, let me remind Joachim of a little comment he made on April 24, 2004 at, oh, approximately 3:30 pm,


			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> The first of two posts. The other shall be posted Monday evening.



What kind of flip-flopping is this? We need writers who say what they mean and mean what they say.


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> What kind of flip-flopping is this? We need writers who say what they mean and mean what they say.




I would have posted, but wasn't ENWORLD down last night?  I couldn't get on...I will have something later tonight.


----------



## war wizard

*Fair well Gfunk*

As the newest player introduced to the web’s greatest story line, I wish to make known to the other players, DM and devoted fans that the G-man will be sorely missed. I’m the player behind the Dalthon. I’m also Kikos old DM (mentioned in the other thread). I wish G-man only the best, and someone who can dedicate that much gray matter to a RPG will doubtless be successful in any endeavor he chooses. As I told him the other night, and allow me to tell everyone who follows this thread that I’ve had a crash course in the 3+ gaming system and I’ve learned more in these last few weeks than in about a year’s worth of my own effort.  (Kudos to Joachim another gamer par excellence)
 Dunno how the group dynamic will unfold from here on out, but loyal readers I can only promise you to give it my very best effort.


----------



## Joachim

Just so y'all know, I am not going to be giving some teary-eyed farewell to Gfunk.  Reason Being:  I am in denial.  I can't begin to imagine what it will be like on Sunday nights without him, so I just refuse to believe it.  

For the past few years he's the pepper to my salt.  

The ying to my yang.  The fire to my ice.

The Goddfrey to my Alphar (AD&D, 2nd Ed.)

And most belovedly, the Entropy to my Joachim (D&D 3.0).

No matter.  He will be there on Sunday.  Yup.  He will.  Sure.  No doubts on my mind....


----------



## Joachim

Double post again dangit...


----------



## Joachim

THE DM MAKES IT A BODAK MOMENT

Thumbing his axe, the white-scaled orc nodded at the demi-celestial humanoid peering into the room.  The group had been listening to the burgeoning conflict in the adjacent room with interest.

In guttural draconic, the half-dragon commanded his underlings.  “Kill that one.”  Grinning, the black orcs acted post-haste.  Moving together, the two draconic orcs moved to the archway, and each released a stream of acid, solidly covering Dalthan, Rusty, Tilly, and Wathros in the caustic substance.  Tilly, not wanting any more of this fight, ran back towards the main doors of the structure, and slipped outside.

Dalthan reeled from the acid, and almost died from the wounds.  Caine, watching the events from back up the hallway realized that if he didn’t do something, their new companion would be killed.  The Apostle called out, “Dalthan, do not resist this spell!”  Arcane words passed from Caine’s lips and upon completion of the spell Dalthan was surrounded by a clear globe of force.

Wathros and Rusty were both slightly damaged by the acid after poor Dalthan had taken the brunt of the attacks.  Wathros, still a blink dog, began yelping and hopping, and a small ball of flame appeared in the canine’s mouth.  Rusty cast a spell, a spell that channeled positive energy into his wounds, healing them.

Grimm heard the sounds of combat from across the hallway and was just about to join the new fray when he noticed a bright flash of light coming from behind him.  The half-ogre turned towards the forge and stepped back when he saw another four armed animated statue stepping out of the impossibly small space.  The new, undamaged statue charged the planar champion.  

Before the golem could land a blow, Grimm’s chain snaked out and looped around one of the stone constructs legs.  Tugging with all of his strength, Grimm pulled the golem’s leg out from under it, and the statue hit the ground with a loud boom.

Kiko jumped through the opposite archway and quickly struck out at the lead black orc.  The monk was a master of temporarily incapacitating living foes, and used this skill to great effect.  Kiko delivered a swift punch to the orc’s neck, and the half-dragon bent over clutching its throat, trying to regain its breath.

Caine moved into the room with the half-dragons and quickly realized that the black orcs were not the true threat.  The Apostle targeted the white-scaled orc’s greataxe with a spell, and suddenly the weapon was coated in a layer of grease.  The orc clumsily fumbled with the weapon and it clanged to the ground.

Grimm looked down over the fallen statue.  Magically hastened by Caine’s magic, the half-ogre’s chain struck the statue over and over again.  All that remained after the onslaught was a pile of rubble.

The white-scaled orc began to realize that the tables had turned.  Once the half-ogre joined the fray, he did not like his chances of survival.  Looking at the block of amber, the half-dragon grinned evilly.  He was a dark knight trained in the knowledge of undead creatures, and he had been lucky enough to recognize the creatures trapped within.

Snatching the axe from the closest black orc, the Blackguard smashed into the amber.  Calling out in the tongue of dragons, the white orc screamed, “Avert your eyes from these creatures!” The block shattered, freeing the creatures within.  Caine recognized the warning, and his eyes grew big when he realized the implications.  “Close your eyes!  Do not meet the gaze of these creatures!”

The three newcomers were humanoid in shape and had rubbery gray skin, their bodies hairless.  Their heads were elongated, and were without a mouth and a nose.  The eyes, sunken deep within the creatures’ skulls, glowed with an evil light.  Caine recognized the abominations to be bodaks, the undead remnants of humanoids destroyed by the touch of absolute evil.

The two black orcs were not able to act quickly enough.  They looked over at the newcomers and simultaneously clutched at their throats, gasping deeply.  It was not their breath that they were trying to catch, but rather their souls.  With a sickening gurgle, the two black orcs fell over, dead.

Wathros trotted into the room.  Caine called out to him to stop, but inexplicably the blink dog proceeded into the room.  Opening his mouth, the druid spat out a small ball of flame, singeing one of the bodaks.  Wathros realized the folly of his hubris too late as his gaze met with one of the creatures.  The blink dog choked and gagged and hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.  The corpse shifted back into Wathros’ elven shape.

Caine, watching the events unfold in horror, cried out in grief.  Rusty, his gaze averted but his eyes still opened, acted resolutely.  The dwarf had prepared a spell in the likely case that one of his allies were killed, but only if the death had occurred within seconds of the spell being cast.  Chanting and gesturing, the dwarf pulled out a small diamond.  When the spell was completed, the diamond vanished and Rusty’s hand was charged with a white-hot burst of positive energy.

Rusty ran into the room, his eyes still averted, and reached out to touch Wathros’ body.  The spell would revivify him, and yet again the party would be in the Mystran’s debt.  Rusty reached out and touched…the floor.  The dwarf’s eyes grew as wide as Grimm’s fists when he realized that while he was trying to avoid looking at the bodaks, he had missed touching Wathros by a few inches.  Frustration filled the dwarf.  Because of the time restrictions, the spell would no longer work on his druid friend, but remained charged in his hand.

Caine cursed.  This was getting ugly.  Just as he was about to enter the room to help Rusty, he heard a large presence behind him.  Grimm cleared his throat, “Excuse me, Caine.”  The half-ogre floated into the room and smacked at the closest bodak.  Grimm, like Rusty, was averting his gaze, and the planar warrior realized that a good portion of the damage he had inflicted had healed instantly.

The Apostle of Peace called to Dalthan, who was sitting in the globe of force, his eyes shut tight.  “Do you want me to release you?”  The aasimar nodded, hoping that he would be able to get out of the battle alive.  Caine concentrated briefly, and the globe shimmered and disappeared.  Dalthan breathed a sigh of relief and opened his eyes, looking at the ground, and started to move away.

Curiosity got the best of the aasimar sorcerer.  Dalthan had never encountered such creatures, and he couldn’t help but look up at the nearest bodak, just for a split second.  His met the gaze of the abomination, and in an instant foul magic coursed through his celestial body.  The aasimar crumpled, his life taken.  Caine cried out again.

The bodaks all moved together, charging into all of the living creatures in the room, the blackguard included.  The bodaks swatted with their feeble claws, realizing that their greatest weapon was their magical gaze.  Soon, all of the living would join them in undeath!

The white scaled orc cackled.  He could not have imagined that this would have worked out so well!  True, his henchmen had died, but so had two of his enemies.  More would die, he swore.  His eyes were shut tight but thanks to his keen ears he was aware of an opponent just to his left.  The blackguard stepped forward a struck out with his axe.  The half-dragon was rewarded with the satisfying feel and sound of a solid hit.

Kiko watched as the half-dragon’s strike fully hit Rusty in the back.  How the dwarf remained conscious was beyond the monk, but it was time for him to act.  The monk charged at the white-scaled warrior and tried to stun it with a well-placed wheel kick in the chest.  The blackguard shrugged off the hit, and turned towards the newest assailant.

Rusty staggered from the blackguard’s axe strike and gritted his teeth, but maintained concentrating on the spell that was still charged on his hand.  He had to get to Dalthan.  Rusty knew that the aasimar had died, and the dwarf felt nothing but shame for his earlier failure.  It wouldn’t happen again.  Rusty, still trying to avert the gaze of the undead beasts, moved to the sorcerer’s body and reached out.  Fate would not laugh at Rusty again.  He would not miss delivering his spell.  At the last available second, Rusty reached out…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From her colossal palace on the 775th layer of the Abyss, Beshaba, the Goddess of Misfortune and Accidents, cackled with glee as she watched Rusty stretch out and touch the floor again.  The avatar of the spiteful deity clapped her hands together and stomped her feet, snickering uncontrollably.  Watching this group from afar was more fun than torturing the petitioning dretches!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rusty clenched his fists and reared his head back, a silent scream on his lips.  ‘NOT AGAIN!!’ the dwarf thought.  ‘Another dead companion, and I WAS PREPARED TO HANDLE IT!!’

Grimm saw Rusty’s misfortune out of the corner of his eye.  He would have time for sorrow later, but there was business to be done.  The half-ogre’s martial training had included fighting while blind-folded, and that skill proved invaluable as he lashed out at the nearest bodak.  After several strikes, Grimm was relieved to see one of the undead creatures topple to the ground and lay still, a pool of green ichor oozing onto the metal floor.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tilly hid behind the main doors to the structure.  He had been hiding there since near the start of the fight with the half-dragons, drinking potions to heal his wounds.  He heard the screams of the dying, but could not force himself to get back into the fray.  Undead beasts and walking statues were not his specialty.  He could get in there to help his friends, but at what cost.

It wasn’t like _he_ was the Exalted one…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caine felt that the battle needed to be ended quickly, before they all were killed and subsequently turned into bodaks themselves.  But first, he needed to incapacitate the white-scaled half-dragon.  He could trap him in a globe of force!  Reflexively, the Apostle opened his eyes for a split second to see where the orc had moved to.  Instead of finding the blackguard, Caine met the gaze of a bodak.

Foul magic enveloped the Apostle of Peace.  The former War Wizard of Cormyr and current spokesman for the Bright Axes fell to the floor, lifeless.

Rusty snarled.  Bodaks be damned!  This time, he would not fail.  Opening his eyes and looking straight ahead, the dwarf strode purposefully to Caine’s fallen form.  Along the way, he met the gaze of one of the bodak’s head on.  The dwarf felt a tug on his soul, but he was made of stouter stuff than the two arcanists and the druid.  Nothing would deter him, not even Death.  Rusty reached out, and touched Caine’s body, finally discharging his spell.

A visible jolt passed from the dwarf’s hand and Caine’s body heaved.  The sorcerer’s back arched stiffly as it took its first breath, and then relaxed.  Rusty nodded.  The spell worked, and had restored Caine back to life with no diminishing of the human’s soul, but he was still not conscious.  The dwarf turned his attention to the two remaining bodaks.  They were now going to be given their final repose.

The white-scaled orc, eyes still shut, listened for an enemy to beat on.  Mistaking an echo for an enemy the half-dragon swung his greataxe repeatedly, only to strike air.

Grimm turned his attention to the nearest bodak.  Several swings later, and another of the undead lay on the ground.  Rusty looked the nearest bodak directly in the face as he completed his spell.  A giant hammer of force struck the bodak, leaving only a crumpled shell and a pile of green goo.  Casting the spell required a sacrifice from Rusty, and the dwarf felt his strength sapped away.

The half-dragon peeked out and saw that his ‘allies’ had all been destroyed.  His only hope now was to finish off these cretins.  Gripping his axe tightly, he charged at the dwarf, and leveled the Mystran with one mighty blow.  Rusty fell to the ground, nearly unconscious.  The dwarf helplessly watched as the half-dragon raised his axe, ready to deal the coup de grace.

The deathblow never fell.  A small blade erupted out of the blackguards chest, and gouts of black blood spattered on Rusty’s face.  A second small blade drove through, inches away from the first.  The half-dragon looked down at the wounds, a look of disbelief on his face.  The axe slipped from the orc’s hands and clanged to the ground.  The blackguard staggered two steps, and then crashed on the floor, the pool of blood around it growing.

Tilly retrieved his blades, smiling at the injured (but very alive) dwarf.  "You didn't think I had left you, now did you?"

The silence that accompanied the end of combat was deafening.


----------



## gfunk

Joachim said:
			
		

> From her colossal palace on the 775th layer of the Abyss, Beshaba, the Goddess of Misfortune and Accidents, cackled with glee as she watched Rusty stretch out and touch the floor again. The avatar of the spiteful deity clapped her hands together and stomped her feet, snickering uncontrollably. Watching this group from afar was more fun than torturing the petitioning dretches!



Nice quote there and excellent update overall. Yes Rusty's lack of "luck" was truly unbelievable.

Also, let me thank Richard and Eddie for their very kind words. And Rich, you forgot Alphar vs. Abitar (though it was short and sweet).


----------



## Mortepierre

Aaaaaw!

G, best of luck in your new life. Do your best to convince your wife RPG is a healthier way to spend your free time than playing poker with your pals. Worked for me   

I guess this spells the doom of your Entropy campaign too, eh? Too bad, I was looking forward to seeing how the players would dispose of the Lich Queen permanently


----------



## gfunk

Thanks, MP.  But my wife is just fine and dandy about me gaming, its just my upcoming clinical schedule that's kicking my ass.  Also, we have "wrapped up" the Lich Queen in a manner of speaking.  Stay tuned to the other story hour for details!


----------



## Longbow

Godd luck gfunk, sorry to see you leave. Always liked your characters, especially Caine. Maybe the DM can work you in from time to time as a deus ex machina, "Behold, it´s the mighty Caine, returned from the dead to save you once again!".


----------



## JollyDoc

Funny you should put it that way Longbow, for Caine's departure from the game will be a bit of a cliffhanger, and will leave plenty of room for his return.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

_dang double post_


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Funny you should put it that way Longbow, for Caine's departure from the game will be a bit of a cliffhanger, and will leave plenty of room for his return.



 Good to know. I trust you will be the one providing us with the chapter, JollyDoc. Do you have an ATA on that? 

By the way, it should be pretty plane to see where Caine's body disappeared to. 
_need more coffee now_


----------



## Lela

Now NWK, that was almost painful. 

I agree, that was a harsh encounter.  What was the save DC on those bodaks?

Okay, I'm guessing Tilly was the one who got a little peaved.  And not without reason.  He dies constantly and now he's facing undead and constructs.  A bad night.

*Egerly awaiting Entropy and Co. next update*


----------



## LordVyreth

Wait, that spell Rusty used restored Caine without a level loss?  What spell was that, anyway?


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Wait, that spell Rusty used restored Caine without a level loss?  What spell was that, anyway?





Spell is revivy(I think thats how you spell it) from Miniartures handbook Great spell.


----------



## Lela

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Spell is revivy(I think thats how you spell it) from Miniartures handbook Great spell.




Is it a one round to save them kind of thing?  Catch the soul before it completely leaves the body?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Good to know. I trust you will be the one providing us with the chapter, JollyDoc. Do you have an ATA on that?
> 
> By the way, it should be pretty plane to see where Caine's body disappeared to.
> _need more coffee now_




Ugg...the pain of bad puns!  Caine's departure is still a few updates away.  True, I have the next one, but it will be the conclusion of the Black Egg.  ETA...perhaps sometime this weekend.  Early next week at the latest.  Then, Joachim will post the beginning of Soul Pillars.  THEN...when I next post, we will detail Caine's adieu.


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> I agree, that was a harsh encounter.  What was the save DC on those bodaks?




I believe it was standard for Bodaks...Fort DC 15.  Bad rolls...


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Wait, that spell Rusty used restored Caine without a level loss?  What spell was that, anyway?




Yes, the spell is Revivify, from the Miniatures HB.  Not sure the level.  Basically, if delivered within one round of a character's death, it restores the character to -1 hp, without level loss.  Pretty sweet!  Rusty now always keeps a couple handy.


----------



## LordVyreth

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> I believe it was standard for Bodaks...Fort DC 15.  Bad rolls...




Three fairly high level characters, dropping to a DC 15 Fort save?  Those must've been bad rolls. No wonder Bethshaba found the party so amusing.  My party largely realized the cloaks/vests of resistance are among the best deals in the game, and maxed them out as soon as they could?  What about your group?

Shame Kiko and Grimm didn't charge into the room to focus on the bodaks earlier.  Between them and Rusty, they could have slaughtered the bodaks in a round, while everyone else closed their eyes.  Sure, it left the blackguard with a lot of targets, but creatures with death gaze take priority, especially since the party could have outnumbered him seven to one.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Three fairly high level characters, dropping to a DC 15 Fort save?  Those must've been bad rolls. No wonder Bethshaba found the party so amusing.  My party largely realized the cloaks/vests of resistance are among the best deals in the game, and maxed them out as soon as they could?  What about your group?
> 
> Shame Kiko and Grimm didn't charge into the room to focus on the bodaks earlier.  Between them and Rusty, they could have slaughtered the bodaks in a round, while everyone else closed their eyes.  Sure, it left the blackguard with a lot of targets, but creatures with death gaze take priority, especially since the party could have outnumbered him seven to one.





 Well as bad as everyone was rolling Kiko never opened his eyes the whole encounter I thought it was safer that way.


----------



## Lela

What level was revivify?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lela said:
			
		

> Now NWK, that was almost painful.





			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Ugg...the pain of bad puns!



Sorry folks, couldn't resist...   




			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Caine's departure is still a few updates away.  True, I have the next one, but it will be the conclusion of the Black Egg.  ETA...perhaps sometime this weekend.  Early next week at the latest.  Then, Joachim will post the beginning of Soul Pillars.  THEN...when I next post, we will detail Caine's adieu.



Well, that's something to look forward to. I'll have a look at soul pillars again, to try to find out which encounter could have been Caine's demise. Let's see, how far could they have come in session 2...


----------



## Ilmyryn

Lela said:
			
		

> What level was revivify?




Revivify is a 5th level spell. I thought that it worked like Raise Dead though so would have been ineffective against raising someone subjected to a death effect.


----------



## Joachim

Ilmyryn said:
			
		

> Revivify is a 5th level spell. I thought that it worked like Raise Dead though so would have been ineffective against raising someone subjected to a death effect.




Hmmm...I will have to check that.  I just looked at the SRD, and _Raise Dead_ specifically says it does not work for death effects.  I dont have the Minis book in front of me, but I am pretty sure it does not specifically say that.  Unless _Revivify_ specifically references _Raise Dead_ (which is to say that it says something like 'functions as _Raise Dead_'), it should work against death effects.


----------



## Joachim

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Three fairly high level characters, dropping to a DC 15 Fort save?  Those must've been bad rolls. No wonder Bethshaba found the party so amusing.  My party largely realized the cloaks/vests of resistance are among the best deals in the game, and maxed them out as soon as they could?  What about your group?




Wathros rolled a total of 14 (natural '5' or so)

Dalthan rolled a total of, like, 6 or so (Fort saves not the sorceror's specialty)

Caine rolled a natural "1".

Bad rolls, all.


----------



## Nightingale 7

Oh,sucks   .I'm pretty sorry that you are bowing out of the game Gfunk.You know,it's not easy to find a kindred,sorcerer-loving,powergaming soul.I hope the best to you for any of your life's other endeavors.I also wish wholeheartedly that you manage to find some small window from real life to devote in roleplaying again.

On to the game now!The rest of you will have to work double-duty now guys!
And a little question for Wathros.What in the Nine Hells was he thinking charging bodaks and a half-dragon blackguard with a piddly Produce Flame?!
I think he deserved what he got.


----------



## Joachim

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> And a little question for Wathros.What in the Nine Hells was he thinking charging bodaks and a half-dragon blackguard with a piddly Produce Flame?!




We all asked the same question...


----------



## JollyDoc

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> I think he deserved what he got.




Prophetic words my friend...


----------



## gfunk

Alright everyone, it's the moment you've been waiting for.  Gfunk's and JollyDoc's Story Hours will collide with spectacular results.  I've just put the first update in my SH.  Enjoy!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Been there and read it...oh boy...great stuff...more...MORE...*MORE* !!!


----------



## Nightingale 7

Yeah,I read it too.Quite a shrewd way of coalescing your two PCs in one entity Gfunk!Am I thinking correctly,that Caine was actually Pez's soul in a mortal frame,or did Caine just ascended to celestialhood with the True Res?


----------



## JollyDoc

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> Yeah,I read it too.Quite a shrewd way of coalescing your two PCs in one entity Gfunk!Am I thinking correctly,that Caine was actually Pez's soul in a mortal frame,or did Caine just ascended to celestialhood with the True Res?




Your first guess was correct Nightingale.  Quite the twist, eh?


----------



## LordVyreth

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Your first guess was correct Nightingale.  Quite the twist, eh?




Really?  Didn't Caine have a backstory that placed him as a reformed wizard, though?  How does that combine with Pez's past as an exciled celestial?  And does that mean that Pez is the new ruler of Occitus?


----------



## gfunk

Since today was officially my last day of D&D with JollyDoc and friends, I offer up some photos I took at the momentous event!

Link: http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/aarathi_pics4/album?.dir=/b61e&urlhint=actn,ren%3as,1%3af,0


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Since today was officially my last day of D&D with JollyDoc and friends, I offer up some photos I took at the momentous event!
> 
> Link: http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/aarathi_pics4/album?.dir=/b61e&urlhint=actn,ren%3as,1%3af,0



 Nice to see the faces behind the powergamers...  Hopefully your three "replacements" can get the job done!


----------



## Nightingale 7

Yeah,I especially liked the "game room",full of books,LOTR miniatures,and the atlas of Faerun proudly displayed on the wall!  
So,just asking,but who's the youngest guy in there?At a first glance I'd say Rich,but let's hear it from the source.


----------



## gfunk

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> So,just asking,but who's the youngest guy in there?At a first glance I'd say Rich,but let's hear it from the source.



I'm pretty sure it's me at 28 YO.


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Really?  Didn't Caine have a backstory that placed him as a reformed wizard, though?  How does that combine with Pez's past as an exciled celestial?  And does that mean that Pez is the new ruler of Occitus?




Well, this is how I see it:  Pez was doing a penance as Caine, so he wasn't consciously aware of who he really was.  When he was "born" as Caine and placed in Cormyr, he was given false memories of a life he never lived, but yet was important to set him on his road to Cauldron, where he was meant to fulfill his destiny.  As for who the true ruler of Occipitus is, that remains to be seen.


----------



## Joachim

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> So,just asking,but who's the youngest guy in there?At a first glance I'd say Rich,but let's hear it from the source.




I just turned 29 this month.  G turned 28 not too long ago.  He was the baby.  Now I am.


----------



## JollyDoc

BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK

Tilly, Rusty, Kiko and Grimm gathered around their fallen companions.  Though Caine was not dead, he looked very near it.  His face was pale and his breathing erratic.  Rusty shook his head in guilt.  “I can’t save’em all,” he said.  “Caine, I can heal, but I can only bring back one o’ the others.”  
“What’s there to think about?” Tilly snapped.  “Wathros has been with us through Hell and back…literally!  We don’t even know this sorcerer, and a fat lot of good he was to us anyway!”
“Watch yer tone with me, runt!” Rusty barked back.  The battles and the strain of losing or almost losing several of his friends were wearing on him, and his patience was growing thin.  “Dalthon said the deva sent him, and I believe him.  And it just so happens that me and Wathros had us a talk not so long ago.  He told me he’d had a dream, only he thought it was a vision.  He said that in it he saw his death comin’, and he knew it weren’t too far off.  He also said he knew he wasn’t comin’ back this time.  He thought his passin’ had a deeper meaning…that it was meant to be to serve some higher purpose.  Anyways, he made me swear that if he died, I wouldn’t bring’im back, and not let anybody else do it neither.  I gave me word, so it’s settled.”  Tilly simply glared at Rusty’s back as the dwarf kneeled down to begin his prayers over the dead and wounded.

A short time later Caine and Dalthon again stood by their companions as Rusty spoke a final eulogy for the druid Wathros.  The group then quickly carried the body into the chamber of the forge, which seemed to be capable of spawning its stone guardians ad infinitum.  Hurrying, before yet another golem could be spewed forth, they placed Wathros into the fiery oven, where his corpse was instantaneously cremated.  It had to be this way.  If they merely buried the druid, or left his body in state, it would rise on the next night as a bodak, part of the curse of their kind.  That the Bright Axes could not allow.
_________________________________________________________

Cautiously, the companions continued down the large central corridor of the fane.  Beyond the corpse of the hydra, they reached a four-way intersection.  To the left and right, hallways stretched away into shadow, archways and doors opening off at regular intervals.  Straight ahead, a large arch opened into what appeared to be another perpendicular hall with a large set of double doors directly across it.

While the group debated the best path to take, Kiko’s sharp ears heard the faint sounds of ringing metal and muffled shouts.  The sounds seemed to come from the left-hand hall.  Alerting the others, he began moving quickly in that direction.  Pausing outside a closed, iron door, he listened again, and distinctly heard the sounds of combat coming from the other side.  Grimm came up behind him, and nodded his agreement as the monk put his hand on the door handle.  Kiko threw the portal open, looking briefly inside to ascertain the situation.  The room beyond was long and narrow.  Unlike the other chambers they had seen thus far, the floor of this area was made of hard-packed black soil.  Skulls and other humanoid bones were partially buried in the dirt, but the most prominent feature of the room was a large, black tree, some twenty feet in height.  Thick, slimy roots, like a mass of snakes, protruded from the soil around its base.  The tree was leafless, but a number of plump, foul-smelling black fruits dangled from its limbs.  At the moment, the tree seemed to be animate, and was locked in mortal combat with a green-scaled woman who bore both draconic and drow features.  Near the two combatants lay the husks of two black-skinned humanoids, their scaly faces emaciated and withered.  A foul smelling mist blanketed the floor of the room, tainting the air like rotting flowers.  

Kiko wasn’t sure who was predator and prey in the melee, but he frankly didn’t care.  Every half-dragon they’d met so far had tried to kill them, and anything native to this evil place deserved to be destroyed as well.  The monk rushed into the chamber, moving to flank to black tree, simply because it happened to be closest to him.

Still standing in the hallway, Grimm was easily able to snap his spiked chain into the thick of the combat, flaying large pieces of fleshy bark from the rampaging tree.  In response, the tree began slapping about in all directions with its long branches, striking both Kiko and the half-dragon as well.  It then whirled around and swatted Tilly, who was attempting to sneak into another flanking spot, knocking the little halfling into a far wall.  

Gallara did not know who these heretics were, nor did she particularly care.  They all deserved death, along with this abomination she had unwittingly stumbled across while reconnoitering  for Ravus and Synder.  If they chose to help her, so much the better.  She would use that to her advantage, and strike them when they least expected it.  She surreptitiously drew a black wand from her robes, uttering a short word to activate its life-draining magic.

Kiko ducked and tumbled among the tree’s flailing branches, punching and kicking wherever he saw an opportunity.  Many of his strikes seemed to simply bounce off the tough hide of the creature, but some managed to knock loose strips of bark, revealing a flesh-like skin beneath that oozed black ichor.

Grimm entered the chamber, positioning himself for best effect, i.e. where he could strike his opponent, but could not be struck in turn.  Taking up the half-ogre’s former position in the doorway, Dalthon called upon his magic to generate a volley of glowing magic missiles that flew unerringly from his fingers to strike the poison tree.  

Four of the heretics had now entered the room, Gallara saw, and they were all on the opposite side of the tree from her.  Perfect, she thought.  Quickly speaking the words to a spell, she conjured a powerful, localized hail and ice storm to encompass all of the infidels, as well as the tree.  The fist-sized chunks of hail pummeled her opponents, and the blinding sleet made the ground beneath them treacherous, and greatly reduced their ability to see and react.

Dalthon watched the effects of the enemy sorcerer’s spell, and smiled grimly to himself.  What better way to counter ice than with fire?  Reacting instantly, he hurled a pea-sized ball of flame into the corner where the half-dragon stood.  In a flash, it erupted into a massive fireball, engulfing Gallara and the tree.  However, when the flames died, Gallara stood unscathed, but smoke billowed from the charred tree, which nevertheless continued its rampage.  Ripping its roots from the ground it began shuffling rapidly across the room, in a direct, trampling charge towards Grimm.  The half-ogre braced himself for the impact, but at the last instant, he whipped out his chain, slashing it deep into the hide of the charging tree.  The creature gave a great shudder, and then toppled like a fallen log to the ground at Grimm’s feet.

Now that the path was clear to the half-dragon, Tilly and Kiko both ran straight for her, closely followed by Rusty.  Gallara swatted the halfling aside with one wicked claw, but Kiko ducked beneath the glowing wand she wielded in the other hand, and jabbed his fingers into the side of her neck.  As she reeled, Rusty’s axe cut a large gash across her scaly midsection.  Gallara backed away, clutching her bleeding abdomen, and then again called an ice storm down, catching her foes, but leaving her outside its perimeter.  Undeterred, Tilly leaped thru the sleet and hail to bury his shortsword into the half-dragon’s leg.  As she collapsed to one knee, Kiko leveled a double-fisted blow to the back of her neck, cracking it with a sharp snap.  
____________________________________________________________

“Bah!” Synder growled in anger.  “I say we just smash the infernal thing and take whatever’s inside it!”  Ravus shook his head, his braids swinging from side to side, with a long-suffering smile on his face.  He and his friend had been here for hours, studying from a distance the inky black egg that floated in the center of the room.  “You know better than that,” the ranger replied.  “Already, we’ve sent over a dozen of the black orcs to try and secure it, and look what happened to them!  No, there has to be another way.  We just haven’t found it yet.  Perhaps Gallara or Grenaug will uncover something useful in their explorations.”
“They are worse than useless!” Synder barked.  “They haven’t even been able to deal with that accursed hydra yet, much less the never-ending supply of golems!”  “Synder,” Ravus sighed, “we’ve been through this a hundred times.  Our benefactor told us of the immense power of this artifact.  You know that with it we can unleash a horde of abyss-spawned wyrms upon the weak lesser races of this world.  Think of the power that our kind will wield!  What is this brief delay compared to the ultimate reward?”
Synder opened his mouth to complain further, but at that moment the doors at the far side of the chamber burst open.  “Well, it’s about time!” Synder snarled, expecting to see their cohorts returning with news.  Instead, an odd assortment of humanoids stood in the doorway, including a dwarf, a halfling, three humans, and, if he wasn’t mistaken, a half-breed ogre!  What in the name of the nine hells was this?  Ravus tried to put a restraining hand on the half-dragon/half-troll’s shoulder, but Synder had already hefted his axe and spread his wings.

Beyond the massive, iron doors that Grimm had just thrown open, lay an enormous chamber with a ceiling at least fifty feet in height.  The majority of the room was occupied by a shallow pool of boiling, black liquid.  Four extremely short iron planks protruded from doorways in the four cardinal directions of the chamber.  In the center of the pool, a large, black egg of ebon scales floated serenely about five feet above the roiling surface.  Strange as this sight was, what immediately caught the attention of the Bright axes were the two figures on the far side of the room.  One was slender, with blue scales for skin.  He was dressed in well-made studded leather armor and held two swords, one long, the other short, in his hands.  He wore the golden torque about his neck that the group had seen before on other half-dragons, the symbol of Tiamat.  The second figure was much larger, with mottled red skin and huge wings.  At the moment, he was growing larger as he rapidly closed the distance across the room, his wings beating furiously, and an immense great axe raised above his head.

Dalthon, seeking to delay their assailant, instantly began invoking a spell, calling up an ice storm (since he’d recently seen it used so effectively) to envelop the far side of the room.  However, it appeared a fraction of a second too late.  The blue-skinned half-dragon was caught, but the other one flew rapidly out of its area of effect.  Synder bellowed an ear-splitting howl as he reached the companions, bringing down his axe in a devastating chop that sank six inches into Rusty’s chest.  A spray of frothy blood erupted from the dwarf’s mouth as he went rigid.  Synder placed one massive boot on Rusty’s shoulder, kicking him off the axe and preparing for his next victim.  Kiko stepped up to catch the falling priest and tried to drag him to safety, but even his cat-like reflexes were too slow, and the axe fell again, leaving the monk to limp slowly back down the corridor, trailing his friend and a growing pool of blood behind him.

Grimm couldn’t believe it!  In one move, the half-dragon had crippled a third of their party!  Shouldering Dalthon aside, the planar champion stepped up to face Synder toe-to-toe.  Twirling his chain, he lashed out three times, viciously wounding the half-dragon, but to his dismay, the wounds immediately began to heal.  Damn!  Grimm thought he smelled troll.  As he prepared to strike again, a small form buzzed past him.  Caine, under the effects of the fly spell that he had also cast on Grimm and Tilly, moved directly in front of Synder, and calmly placed his hand on the brute’s forehead.  Synder’s eyes went wide in stunned disbelief.  Was this fool insane?  He dared to lay hands upon his person and expect to live?  Synder prepared to cure the human’s insanity permanently, but found that his anger had left him.  Though he knew these infidels to be enemies, he could not bring himself to do harm upon them.  These feelings confused the half-dragon, and so he did what he always did whenever he wasn’t sure of an answer…he went to Ravus.

Grimm watched as the troll half-dragon retreated, and then saw the other one begin healing the brute’s wounds.  “What are you doing?” he growled, turning to Caine.  “Buying us some time, and possibly saving your life,” the sorcerer calmly replied.  “I don’t think even you could have stood against that beast for very long.”  Suddenly, a bright flash of light in the center of the room, near the egg, caught everyone’s attention.  As the light faded, a man could be seen hovering in the air above the artifact.  It was none other than Tobias!  In his hand he held a short, iron rod, one end of which was carved to resemble a dragon’s claw.  “Finally!” he cackled with insane laughter.  “The Black Egg is returned to my family!  Death take you all!”
With infinite satisfaction, he began lowering the clawed end of the rod to touch the egg, but in a flash, Grimm was there, having closed the distance between them in an eye blink, thanks to Caine’s spell of haste.  In one deft strike, the half-ogre wrapped the end of his chain around the iron rod, and ripped it out of Tobias’ hand.  It fell into the black pool below.  “Noooooo!” Tobias wailed.  “What have you done?  Blasphemy!”

Meanwhile, Caine called to Jules, and commanded the little archon to go to the aid of Rusty and Kiko.  Jules appeared beside them, and began doing what he could for the pair.  Rusty’s eyes fluttered open, and then went wide.  “Behind you!” he whispered to Kiko and Jules.  The monk turned, and hovering in the air behind him was Locke, the sorceress they had allowed to go free.  “Fools!” she laughed.  “I told you I would have my revenge.  It begins now!”  She flicked her hand towards Rusty, and a volley of glowing missiles struck the barely conscious priest, rendering him comatose once more.

Tilly and Caine did not witness Locke’s arrival.  They were already on their way across the room to aid Grimm.  Tilly somersaulted to a position behind Tobias, slashing deeply into his arm as he went.  Caine continued past the melee, coming to a stop directly behind Ravus, who was still tending to Synder’s injuries.  Without a word, the apostle again reached out, touching Ravus and removing any hint of a desire for combat.  A second later, Caine rendered himself invisible.

Still cursing in rage, Tobias attempted to break left around Grimm, heading for the door.  Grimm flailed at him as he passed, but still the mercenary managed to make it to the exit.  The half-ogre was hot on his heels, but as Grimm returned to the hallway, he was caught by a second blast of Locke’s magic missiles.  During the distraction, Tobias managed to slip down the corridor.  “Not so fast,” Dalthon shouted.  “I don’t know who you are, but you’re not going anywhere!”  The sorcerer fired off his own burst of missiles, striking Tobias and causing him to reel against one wall.  Tilly took the moment to close the distance, but at the last moment before he struck, Tobias reversed himself and charged the halfling, sinking his rapier deep into the rogue’s shoulder.  Tilly wrenched himself free of the blade, and then pounced on Tobias like a cat, slashing with both of his blades in a whirlwind of fury.  In less than an instant, Tobias was unconscious, sinking slowly to the floor.

Grimm struck at Locke once, twice, but though wounds showed on her unprotected skin, they were shallow, superficial.  Some magic guarded the woman, making her resistant to physical injury.  She then spoke the words to another spell, and multiple mirror images of her sprang into existence, dancing and moving all about her so that it was impossible to tell who the real target was.  Dalthon had seen this trick before, and knew how to get around it.  Once more summoning his magic missiles, he sent them to individually strike the flickering images, and each time one was hit, it winked away.  Soon, Locke would be alone again.

Jules again touched Rusty’s chest, infusing the dwarf with what little healing power he could offer.  Again, Rusty awoke, seeing battle raging around him.  The priest heaved himself to his feet, and began lurching down the hallway, away from the melee.  “Thank you little friend,” he called back over his shoulder to Jules.  “I’ll be back after I’ve had a chance to heal meself proper.”

Synder, his wounds healed, stared questioningly at Ravus.  “I know not what sorcery is upon us, my friend,” the ranger said, “but I know what I saw.  That human had something in his possession that would activate the egg.  He dropped it…there!  Find it!  Touch the egg…quickly!”  Synder grinned in agreement, then flew to egg.  He landed in the boiling liquid, knowing it would not harm dragon-kind, and then plunged his hands beneath the surface, groping for the hidden rod.

Caine’s mind raced as he overheard the plans of the half-dragons.  He wasn’t sure what exactly the rod would do if touched to the egg, but he knew he didn’t want to find out.  Sacrificing his invisibility, he attempted to weave a confining sphere of force about Ravus to trap him.  However, the aggressive intent of the spell freed the ranger from his pacification, and he leaped to one side just as the sphere appeared, narrowly avoiding entrapment.  Caine quickly turned towards the door and began shouting, “Grimm!  The rod!  They mustn’t retrieve it!”

Grimm heard Caine’s warning and immediately disengaged from his struggle with Locke.  He took flight back into the chamber, but Dalthon was one step ahead of him.  The sorcerer conjured a bolt of lightning and sent it streaking at Synder, striking the troll/dragon full in the chest.  Shaking himself free of Caine’s pacification effect, Synder’s rage overrode his need to find the rod, and he launched himself at Grimm.  “Synder, no!” Ravus cried, wading through the water towards his friend.  As he closed the distance, he opened his mouth wide, and breathed a blast of electricity at Grimm, trying to keep him away from Synder.  Just then, Caine streaked over the heads of both Ravus and Synder, coming to hover directly above Grimm.  Chanting a spell, he rendered the half-ogre invisible, but in a way that would not reveal the planar champion, even if he attacked.  As Synder looked all direction for his vanished foe, Grimm smashed his chain down upon the troll-dragon’s skull.  Synder collapsed like a stone, sinking beneath the surface of the boiling liquid.  

Locke turned her attention back to Kiko once Grimm had left, but the monk was ready for her.  He leaped for her, trying to grapple her from the air, but only succeeded in passing through one of her remaining images.  Locke laughed at the foolish man, but then from the corner of her eye, she saw Tilly standing over the fallen form of Tobias.  She began a spell of charming, and when it was complete, she saw that the halfling was completely under her thrall.  “Hello my little friend,” she said purringly.  “Don’t you remember me?  Don’t bother yourself with Tobias.  He’s not going anywhere.  However, I think your companions mean to do me injury.  You wouldn’t let that happen, would you?”  Tilly’s eyes glazed over as Locke’s voice hypnotized him.  No indeed, he would not let any harm befall her.  As Kiko regained his feet, the little rogue lunged for him, swinging his swords in a deadly pattern.  Kiko dodged the blows easily, but found himself being forced away from Locke.  Locke’s attention was fully upon the two combatants, and so she failed to see Rusty step from an archway behind her.  The priest had managed to heal the worst of his wounds, and now he wove a dispelling field about the sorceress.  Instantly, her mirror images vanished, and her spell of flying ended.  She sank slowly towards the corridor floor…easy prey.

Grimm saw that Ravus was still coming.  Though he had no doubt he could deal with the elven half-dragon, Grimm also knew that Synder’s troll blood was even now healing his injuries.  If he awoke, he might find himself resting right next to the rod.  Grimm knew he had to find it first.  Steeling himself for the pain he was sure to suffer, he plunged his hands into the black liquid.  Instantly, he felt excruciating agony, and waves of nausea and weakness washed over him.  He could literally feel his body’s vitality being sucked away.  Just as he thought that he could endure no more, his hand closed over a thin piece of metal.  Roaring in triumph and pain, he surged back into the air, just as a fireball from Dalthon exploded around the approaching Ravus.  The ranger cried out, and then suddenly dove under the surface of the pool.

As Locke was distracted by Rusty’s unexpected attack, Kiko managed to dodge deftly around Tilly and grab the sorceress from behind, wrapping his arm’s around her in a bear-hug.  However, the monk’s sense of triumph was short lived as Locke’s body began to twist and morph in his grasp.  He suddenly found himself holding a tiger-headed creature that was very familiar to him…a rakshasa!  As the demonic outsider struggled to break free, Kiko heaved her to the ground, pinning her to the floor.  Just then, the monk’s head began to swim, and he abruptly found that his body had grown to twice its normal size.  Caine stood above him smiling.  The sorcerer had enlarged the monk, increasing his strength in proportion.  Locke’s chances of escape dropped severely.   As Locke struggled against the superior strength of Kiko, Caine stood over her, glaring and sinister with his smoking, red eye.  “You broke your word to me!” he hissed, “Though I am a pacifist by nature, you have now sealed your own fate!  I cannot help you any longer!”  “Tilly!” Locke screamed, “Save me!”  Suddenly, Caine was knocked to the side as the rogue leaped onto Kiko’s back, locking his hands around the monk’s neck and trying to wrench him off his mistress.  For a moment, Kiko lost his hold, and he could feel Locke working her way free.  Caine quickly recovered himself, and then began chanting his own spell of enthrallment.  Now Tilly found himself torn between two masters.  
“Tilly,” Caine said gently, but urgently, “Let Kiko go.  You know we are your friends.  Trust me.”  Tilly, blinking in confusion, relaxed his grip on Kiko, and the monk quickly regained control over the rakshasa, slapping one large hand over her mouth to prevent her from issuing any new commands to the rogue.  

“Sorry to break this up gentleman, but we’ve still got a situation here!” Dalthon called over his shoulder, as he saw that Ravus had emerged from the water and was rapidly making his way towards the door.  The sorcerer hurled a fireball at the draconic ranger, but the wily creature threw himself to the side at the last minute, avoiding the blast.  Dalthon prepared to attack again, but at that moment, Synder erupted from the dark liquid, many of his wounds healed, and the others closing rapidly.  Dalthon quickly fired a magic missile volley at the troll-dragon, but the giant seemed to shrug them off.  Grabbing Ravus under the arms, he lifted them both into the air with his mighty wings, and began closing rapidly.

Kiko instinctively looked around at Dalthon’s warning, and Locke used the opportunity to bring the heel of her hand up solidly under his jaw.  The monk rocked backwards, and Locke began scrambling to her feet, but at that moment, she was struck twice by an unseen bludgeon that hit with the force of a hammer blow.  She collapsed in a lifeless heap, and Grimm snorted in satisfaction, and then turned his invisible form towards the next threat.

Caine rushed to Dalthon’s side, and cast a spell of slowness, enveloping the approaching half-dragons, and severely curtailing their momentum.  Dalthon took the opportunity to lob another set of magic missiles at Ravus, and then Kiko flashed by him, flying above the black liquid to engage the ranger.  The monk’s fists were lightning fast, and he delivered blow after devastating blow to the impaired half-dragon.  Then Kiko felt a large presence behind him, and knew that Grimm had arrived.  A huge gash opened up in Ravus' armor, and the ranger reeled in semi-consciousness.  Two more punch/kick combinations from Kiko ended his struggle for good.  
Synder roared in anger as he saw his friend fall into the liquid below.  He could not see Grimm, but his keen ears knew exactly where the half-ogre was.  Opening his mouth, he blew out a breath of scorching flames, engulfing the planar champion.  But suddenly, a blast of raw, holy power literally blew the troll-dragon out of the air, as Rusty finished him off.  “There!” the dwarf said, dusting off his hands, “That’s what ye get fer hittin’ a fella when his back was turned!”  Synder fell once more into the black fluid, and Grimm hovered over the spot, flailing again and again with his chain until the liquid was tinged red.  He knew the creature could still regenerate, but he was going to make sure that would take a very long time.
____________________________________________________________

Caine knelt beside the unconscious form of Tobias, and chanted one last spell of charming.  When he was sure the man was under his sway, he began healing and tending his wounds.  He had carefully instructed the others to keep their distance, so as not to alarm Tobias when he awoke.  As his eyes fluttered open, Tobias gazed around in confusion.  “What happened?” he asked.  “Where is the Egg?  Is it safe?”
“Do not worry, my friend,” Caine said calmly.  “All is well.  The Egg is secure, but I think I could better help you to keep it safe if you told me what it does.”
Tobias laughed insanely, “You have no idea of the power it possesses, Caine.  I used the Blood Claw to absorb the souls of all the half-dragons you and your friends killed for me.  With those draconic souls, I can feed the Egg’s hunger, and summon to me an army of dragons spawned in the very bowels of the Abyss!”
“I see,” Caine said.  “But how did you know of this power?  Where did the Egg come from?”
 “My father was a mighty wizard,” Tobias answered.  “His name was Zebedaster.  He acquired the Egg while adventuring with a group of companions.  He saw the potential of its power, but his companions did too.  He knew they would try to take it from him, so he wisely killed them all, and their families as well.  He was wrongfully imprisoned for this ‘crime’ but before his capture, he managed to create the Fane of Scales and place the Egg within it.  He then set the Fane adrift in the heavens, beyond the reach of his enemies.  Unfortunately, the Cult of the Dragon found out about the Fane, and sought to find a way to breach it.  This information came to me, and I managed to pose as a benefactor to the Cult, giving them the means to negate some of the Fane’s magic, and bring it to earth.  My hope was that they would enter the Fane and deal with the traps and guardians that my father had set there, or die trying.  Then, any who died, I would harvest their souls and awaken the power of the Egg.  Is it not a glorious plan Caine?  Will you not join me?”
“Perhaps, my friend,” Caine said, “but first, tell me something.  In order to properly protect an artifact as powerful as the Black Egg, I must know…is there any way to destroy it?  I must know this, you see, so that I can insure that we take the proper precautions.”
“Of course,” Tobias nodded, “There is wisdom in your words.  The Egg can be destroyed thru physical damage, but care should be taken not to actually touch it with bare flesh.  Its influence can be…overwhelming.  Also, if it should be destroyed, the Fane will crumble with it in a matter of minutes.  Now, where shall we begin our reign of terror?”
“All in due time, my friend.  For now, we need to tend your wounds and ours as well.  We will retreat from here for the nonce.”
As Caine motioned to the others to leave, and began guiding Tobias towards the exit, he spoke to Grimm in the language of the Abyss, “You heard and understand?”
“Leave it to me,” Grimm smiled…grimly.
___________________________________________________________

Grimm hovered above the ebony Egg, and began twirling his chain.  Then, over and over again, he hammered at the evil thing, slashing great rents into its iron hide, revealing a glowing red, hellish light within.  Finally, with one more, mighty blow, the Egg fractured entirely, falling into a thousand pieces.  Immediately, the Fane around Grimm began to shudder.  Flying at full speed, he rocketed through the corridors and out the main doors, arrowing for the distant rendezvous site his companions had agreed upon.  Behind him, the Fane of Scales exploded in an awesome blast, raining fire and debris upon the earth in a half-mile radius.  It had caused much destruction and pain, but its evil was finally ended.


----------



## Joachim

Here are some numbers from that fight:

Dragon/Troll round one single hit on Rusty (crit with greataxe, with Power Attack 5):  97 damage

Grimm round one series of hits against Dragon/Troll (3 hits, with Power Attack 5):  78 damage

Grimm round four series of hits against Dragon/Troll (4 hits, 1 crit, with Power Attack 5):  137 damage

EDIT:  BTW, Nice job there, JD, capturing the many facets of that encounter.


----------



## Joachim

Grimm leveled this week!

*Grimm Grakka (Fighter 6/Exotic Weapon Master 2/Planar Champion 3)*
*Dervish of the Planes*

----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Large Giant [Half-Ogre, Oerthian]*
*Hit Dice:* 11d10+44 (109 hps)
*Initiative:* +2
*Speed:* 30 ft. (6 squares)
*Armor Class:* 27 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural, +10 armor, +2 deflection), touch 12, flat-footed 26
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +11/+22
*Attack:* _+2 Adamantine Spiked Chain_ +20 melee (2d6+14)
*Full Attack:* _+2 Adamantine Spiked Chain _ +20/+15/+10 melee (2d6+14) or Flurry of Strikes +18/+18/+13/+8 (2d6+14)
*Space/Reach:* 10 ft./20 ft.(with Spiked Chain)
*Special Attacks:* Flurry of Strikes, Attack Ethereal, Exotic Reach
*Special Qualities:* Darkvision 60 ft., Favored Plane (The Abyss), _See Invisibility_ at will
*Saves:* Fort +17, Ref +9, Will +9
*Abilities:* Str 25, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
*Skills:* Knowledge (The Planes) +4, Listen +13, Craft (Weaponsmith) +3
*Feats:* Blindfighting, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain), Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Spiked Chain), Weapon Specialization (Spiked Chain)
*Environment:* The Pomarj (previously), Vilhon Reach (currently)
*Organization:* Solitary, Murder (6-7)
*Challenge Rating:* 12 (Exp: 68k, +/- as of 05/02/04 Session)
*Treasure:* Items
*Alignment:* Chaotic Good
*Advancement:* By character class
*Level Adjustment:* +1

_This massively muscled humanoid before you stands just over eight feet tall, has drab olive skin covered in strange tatoos, and brandishes a massive spiked chain in his hands.  Obviously of giant-ish stock, he observes you cautiously, a spark of cunning in his eyes._

Grimm Grakka was born the product of a rampaging ogre warrior and the poor victim of the ogre's lust.  Grimm's mother died during childbirth, and he was raised by her husband, a common blacksmith from the Pomarj area of Oerth.  Grimm was recruited by Barret Tremean, a Paladin of Heironeous, to join the Swords of Light.  The Swords of Light were a band of good adventurers sworn to fighting all fiend-kind.

Having received his indoctrination into the Swords of Light, the half-ogre is now a warrior of the planes, seeking to beat down evil outsiders wherever they may reside!

Grimm stands just over 8 feet tall and weighs 425 pounds.  He speaks Common (Oerthian), Common (Faerunian), Celestial, Draconic, Giant (Oerthian), Infernal, and Abyssal.

*Combat*

Grimm attacks using his spiked chain.  He prefers to attack from the full extent of his reach with the long weapon, using his flurry of strikes ability and attacks of opportunity to decimate his foes.

*Flurry of Strikes [Spiked Chain]:* When wielding a spiked chain in both hands, Grimm may elect to use a full attack action to make a flurry of strikes.  When doing so, he may make one extra attack in the round at his highest attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as do all other attacks made in that round and until Grimm's next turn.

*Favored Plane (The Abyss):* Grimm has studied the natives of the Abyss extensively.  Grimm gains a +1 bonus of Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against an Abyssal native.  Likewise, Grimm gains the same bonus on weapon damage rolls against Abyssal natives.  In addition, Grimm gains a +1 on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks when interacting with Abyssal natives (yeah, that's gonna happen).

*See Invisibility (Su):* Grimm has the ability to see invisibility, as per the spell cast by a 5th level sorceror.  This ability allows Grimm to see ethereal creatures.

*Attack Ethereal (Su):* Grimm can transform his spiked chain into a material force effect at will, enabling him to attack creatures on the Ethereal Plane.  If Grimm is wielding a magical spiked chain, this ability eliminates the 50% miss chance when attacking an incorporeal foe.  This ability begins and ends as a free action.

*Exotic Reach [Spiked Chain]:* Grimm threatens opponents with cover (except total cover) and may attempt attacks of opportunity against targets with cover.

*Magic Items of Note(as of May 01, 2004, Session)*

_+2 Cloak of Resistance, +2 Belt of Strength, +2 Bracers of Health, +2 Adamantine Spiked Chain, +2 Full Plate, +2 Ring of Protection, Ring of Evasion, +1 Amulet of Natural Armor, Boots of Striding and Springing, Deep Red Ioun Stone (+2 Dex)_

*Other Items(as of May 01, 2004, Session)*

_2 Potions of Cure Light Wounds, 6 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds, 6 Potions of Cure Serious Wounds, 9 Potions of Bless Weapon, 3 Potions of Fly, 1 Potion of Invisibility (10th level), 1 Potion of Bull's Strength, +2 Spiked Chain (backup)_, Locked Gauntlet, Portable Ram


----------



## LordVyreth

Wow, good update, and a nice minimum of deaths during the later half of the adventure.  I read the original adventure, and you don't know how lucky you are that the Black Egg never got used.  Things could have gotten brutal.  But if Grimm is only 11th level, was the party as a whole ready for the next Shattered City module?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Wow, good update, and a nice minimum of deaths during the later half of the adventure.  I read the original adventure, and you don't know how lucky you are that the Black Egg never got used.  Things could have gotten brutal.



Yeah, quick thinking of Caine, too. Touching that artifact might have spelled the end of some PCs...




			
				LordVyreth said:
			
		

> But if Grimm is only 11th level, was the party as a whole ready for the next Shattered City module?



Add +1 for the half-ogre race


----------



## Joachim

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Wow, good update, and a nice minimum of deaths during the later half of the adventure.  I read the original adventure, and you don't know how lucky you are that the Black Egg never got used.  Things could have gotten brutal.  But if Grimm is only 11th level, was the party as a whole ready for the next Shattered City module?




We have more than 4 PC's.  Grimm is just now 11 HD (12th level with ECL +1) in the middle of the module.


----------



## gfunk

Aw, come on fellas!  Just 'cause I'm not playing doesn't mean this thread can't get a friendly *BUMP!*

I notice that this thread tends to sink into oblivion while we are waiting for Joachim's update  .  Rich, don't forget to recount Tobias' "re-education" in Celestia.

For the curious, our levels going into "Soul Pillars" were as follows:

1. Caine (Level 11, ECL 12)
2. Grimm (Level 10, ECL 11)
3. Rusty (Level 12)
4. Tilly (Level 10)
5. Kiko (Level 11)
6. Dathon (Level 9, ECL 10)

For those of you who have the module, JollyDoc mistakenly swapped the Bone Devil allied with I.I. with an Ice Devil.  Hilarity ensued.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Sorry to hear of your departure, gfunk. I've enjoyed your SH's immensely over the past year or so.

Still, the level of carnage and death continues to entertain, and this Englishman is keen for it all to continue!


----------



## Nightingale 7

And how about Wathros's new PC Gfunk?Are you purposefully omitting him as not to spoil the surprise,or did Wathros also decided to leave?

The Bone Devil for a Gelugon?Gods,that thing is nasty!I'm having Erinyes flashbacks over here!BAD DM!BAD DM!  

While reading Grimm's stats I thought that since his Favored Plane ability is very similar to the ranger's Fav.Enemy,perhaps you should double it's bonuses too?As far as I know Planar Champion hasn't gotten a 3.5 makeover yet,but it seems reasonable.


----------



## JollyDoc

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> And how about Wathros's new PC Gfunk?Are you purposefully omitting him as not to spoil the surprise,or did Wathros also decided to leave?
> 
> The Bone Devil for a Gelugon?Gods,that thing is nasty!I'm having Erinyes flashbacks over here!BAD DM!BAD DM!




Well, I think the surprise is out.  Lee, aka Wathros, has departed our game due to a difference of opinion.  Our current roster of players stands at five, with the characters of Grimm, Rusty, Tilly, Kiko and Dalthon.  

Yes, alas I must have been reading ahead in Soul Pillars, as I did inadvertently replace a Gelugon for a Bone devil...oops.  Though the outcome was decidedly not in the favor of our beloved heroes (as you will see), when I realized the area, I put it to the players as to how they wanted to resolve it.  I think you'll find that their solution was unique, and satisfying to all!


----------



## Lela

I've often seen better games come from the DM making a mistake and fixing it.  I'm certainly not surprised to see that in this group.


----------



## Morrow

Sorry to hear that you lost Lee.  Wathros was a fun character.  I can understand how all the dying would get you down, though.

Historical Bright Axes question: What ever happened to Alakast?  Nidrama, the snotty celestial points the party toward a bane vs. evil outsiders weapon, they find it, then nothing.  Shortly thereafter the party takes on a glabrezu- no sign of Alakast.  Then they go to the Abyss and wade through a whole plane full of demons- no sign of Alakast.  Then their erstwhile ally, a half-fiend, turns on them and they have to smack him down- still no sign of Alakast.  Seems like a waste of resources if you ask me. Did I miss something?

Morrow


----------



## Joachim

Morrow said:
			
		

> Sorry to hear that you lost Lee.  Wathros was a fun character.  I can understand how all the dying would get you down, though.
> 
> Historical Bright Axes question: What ever happened to Alakast?  Nidrama, the snotty celestial points the party toward a bane vs. evil outsiders weapon, they find it, then nothing.  Shortly thereafter the party takes on a glabrezu- no sign of Alakast.  Then they go to the Abyss and wade through a whole plane full of demons- no sign of Alakast.  Then their erstwhile ally, a half-fiend, turns on them and they have to smack him down- still no sign of Alakast.  Seems like a waste of resources if you ask me. Did I miss something?
> 
> Morrow




Alakast was a piece of crap.  At the time, no one in the group had need for a +1 evil outsider bane staff.  Thus the reason the Bright Axes talk so much smack about Nidrama.


----------



## Morrow

Ah, it all becomes clear. The celestial is both snide and cheap.  I have to admit that explanation, while not really surprising, is something of a let down.  I was rather hoping to discover that while no one was looking Tilly had hocked the party's new super weapon to pay for a wild night on the town with Maple.

Morrow


----------



## JollyDoc

Morrow said:
			
		

> Ah, it all becomes clear. The celestial is both snide and cheap.  I have to admit that explanation, while not really surprising, is something of a let down.  I was rather hoping to discover that while no one was looking Tilly had hocked the party's new super weapon to pay for a wild night on the town with Maple.
> 
> Morrow





You are actually more correct than you know.  The party actually did hock Alakast to pay for more cheasy items.


----------



## ltclnlbrain

Joachim said:
			
		

> Alakast was a piece of crap.  At the time, no one in the group had need for a +1 evil outsider bane staff.  Thus the reason the Bright Axes talk so much smack about Nidrama.




That is quite funny.  In my group, Alakast has become the favored weapon of the party's rogue; he used it to great effect against Nabthatoron, Kaurophon, and all manner of evil outsiders.  Improved Two-Weapon Fighting coupled with an evil outsider bane double weapon plus Improved Sneak Attack = a world of hurtin' for demons and devils.


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> You are actually more correct than you know.  The party actually did hock Alakast to pay for more cheasy items.




To be correct, we hocked it to pay for a Raise Dead for Wathros.  

Ltcltlbrain (whew, what a name), that would have been a good idea if our two-weapon wielding rogue wasn't a halfling.


----------



## ltclnlbrain

Joachim said:
			
		

> Ltcltlbrain (whew, what a name), that would have been a good idea if our two-weapon wielding rogue wasn't a halfling.




Well, you almost got the name right.  Just call me Brain for short.   

Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to praise you for the great work you and JollyDoc are doing on this story hour.  I've been lurking along for quite a while to see how your game compared to the one I'm running, and I have been continually impressed by your writing style the characters' roleplaying abilities.  I know you've heard this a hundred times before, but I'll say it again: keep up the good work!


----------



## sithramir

ltclnlbrain said:
			
		

> Well, you almost got the name right.  Just call me Brain for short.
> 
> Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to praise you for the great work you and JollyDoc are doing on this story hour.  I've been lurking along for quite a while to see how your game compared to the one I'm running, and I have been continually impressed by your writing style the characters' roleplaying abilities.  I know you've heard this a hundred times before, but I'll say it again: keep up the good work!





Hey Itclnlbrain, I'm moving to Orlando in June. Was just interested in perhaps hooking up with some other gamers. I'd love to chat sometime. email is Nxm205@psu.edu

Gfunk and the rest: Keep up the good work. I just read through the next part of the adventure path. Oooo!


----------



## JollyDoc

Welcome to Brain, and thanks for coming out of the shadows!  

I suppose I'll take over the teaser section for G now...

Last night's highlights:

Fun with demodands and Acid Fog

Finally locating soul pillars

Beware bone nagas masquerading as 14th level sorcerers with lots of cool spells from the as-yet-unreleased Libris Mortis


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Beware bone nagas masquerading as 14th level sorcerers with lots of cool spells from the as-yet-unreleased Libris Mortis




Y'all tell me if this sounds right:  An undead creature with 15 HD, Large Size, damage reduction, spell resistance, and cast spells as a 15th level Sorceror.

Does CR 11 sound just a little bit light?  It does to us.


----------



## Lela

Sounds like the MMII to me.  That Juggernaut, as my party found out, is definitally _not_ CR 13 (ish).  The spell resistance alone was nearly 40.


----------



## LordVyreth

Lela said:
			
		

> Sounds like the MMII to me.  That Juggernaut, as my party found out, is definitally _not_ CR 13 (ish).  The spell resistance alone was nearly 40.




Ah, the MM2.  When it wasn't severely underestimating CRs, it was serverly overestimating them (like most of the undead and the Linnorms.)


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> Sounds like the MMII to me.  That Juggernaut, as my party found out, is definitally _not_ CR 13 (ish).  The spell resistance alone was nearly 40.




At level 11 to 13 (when you could reasonably expect to encounter a Juggernaut), that would be impossible.  The description should just have said, "Immune to all magic".

Unless you had an evoker Wiz 6/Red Wiz 6 with Tatoo Focus, Spell Penetration, and Greater Spell Penetration who rolled a natural "20" all the time on SR rolls.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Welcome to Brain, and thanks for coming out of the shadows!
> 
> I suppose I'll take over the teaser section for G now...
> 
> Last night's highlights:
> 
> Fun with demodands and Acid Fog
> 
> Finally locating soul pillars
> 
> Beware bone nagas masquerading as 14th level sorcerers with lots of cool spells from the as-yet-unreleased Libris Mortis



Sounds jolly...   

Can't wait for your next update...when's it gonne come out and who's writing it?


----------



## Lela

Joachim said:
			
		

> At level 11 to 13 (when you could reasonably expect to encounter a Juggernaut), that would be impossible.  The description should just have said, "Immune to all magic".
> 
> Unless you had an evoker Wiz 6/Red Wiz 6 with Tatoo Focus, Spell Penetration, and Greater Spell Penetration who rolled a natural "20" all the time on SR rolls.



 They noticed, trust me.

Plus it has 6 arms, which can all attack at once.  It's grapple is through the roof and it's main weapon is to grapple someone, pin them, and then stuff them under itself for 10d10 crushing damage.*  Also, it can do that simply by moving into it's opponants square.

Really, it's only saving grace is the movment speed of 10.  But it more than makes up for it with spell-likes such as _Wall of Force_, _Forcecage_, and _Hold Person_.  Pen them in and squish them.

Oh, and I learned I'm really not that good at dodging things thrown by angry players. 

*My numbers may be off but it's close.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Monsters with out-of-whack CR's can really do some horrible damage. Not to players, but to campaigns!

Seems that my DM is planning on running _Bastion of Broken Souls_ at some point in the future, so I'm going to have to do my best NOT to remember what happens. He's promising major reworkings anyway, but I'll let you guys know how we handled it.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Dammit, forgot to subscribe to the thread when I replied.


----------



## htetickrt

Joachim said:
			
		

> Y'all tell me if this sounds right:  An undead creature with 15 HD, Large Size, damage reduction, spell resistance, and cast spells as a 15th level Sorceror.
> 
> Does CR 11 sound just a little bit light?  It does to us.




Doesn't 15th level sorceror imply CR 15 all by itself?  I mean, the undead certainly doesn't have worse saves, attacks, or hp, so unless that darned familiar is a great wyrm gold dragon or something, I fail to see how that works.

Though, I guess his spells could all be divinations or something.   

I have to use that Juggernaut, though.  My party is simply crushing whatever I throw at them lately.  Maybe a few of those in a narrow space would slow them down.


----------



## gfunk

Actually a Bone Naga casts spells as a 14th level Sorcerer.  Furthermore, it does not have the resources of a 14th level NPC Sorcerer.  This, I think, is the main reason that it does not have a higher CR.

Unfortunately, the CR system works best for fighting NPCs.  For instance, a 14th level Fighter without equipment is pretty useless.  Spellcasters (esp. aracane ones) are a notable exception to this because their spells are quite potent even without magic items.

But hey, what do I know?  I wasn't even there!  :\


----------



## Lela

Tallarn said:
			
		

> Dammit, forgot to subscribe to the thread when I replied.



For future reference, the "Subscribe to Post" has been moved just above the first post on a page (any page will work) under "Thread Tools." Look on the right side of the page.

htetickrt, it's only real weakness is magic arrows (DR). If your party doesn't have those, you may be looking at a TPK. On the other side, good tactics include using _Forcecage_ on a pesky archer and taking full atvantage of reach. When the tank moves in, grapple him. My party's centaur paladin couldn't beat its grapple check (size bonus + str combination was deadly). Lastly, if the party starts running there's always _Wall of Force_.

It was a good session though.  The party went through joy, terror, resolve, and, finally, pure terror.  One of their best moments ever was when they realized they couldn't escape.  All the tanks grimly lined up and charged.  Very heroic.

Joachim, how high was the SR and DR? Not that I don't think CR11 might be a little low. Just wondering.


----------



## htetickrt

Doh!  Equipment, should have thought of that one.  Thanks, Gfunk.

As a DM, the reliance on equipment as a form of balance is one of the worst parts of the ruleset, in my opinion.  Destroying their stuff is a whole lot easier than destroying the party with their stuff intact, so any rational enemy who cares more about winning that acquiring spoils (i.e. Irae T'sarran from CotSQ) would open or have a lackey open with disintegrations, a disjunction, or something along those lines.  Yet that one act--even if the disjunction were nerfed to be temporary--would pretty much drop the party several effective levels in one go.  Having DMed high-level PCs, Jollydoc, any advice on how to handle this?



			
				Lela said:
			
		

> htetickrt, it's only real weakness is magic arrows (DR). If your party doesn't have those, you may be looking at a TPK. On the other side, good tactics include using _Forcecage_ on a pesky archer and taking full atvantage of reach. When the tank moves in, grapple him. My party's centaur paladin couldn't beat its grapple check (size bonus + str combination was deadly). Lastly, if the party starts running there's always _Wall of Force_.




Oh well, the party has an Elven Archer of Doom (TM) and a sorcerer with a billion and one disintegration spells.  On to other possibilities.  Thanks, though.


----------



## ltclnlbrain

When my party faced the bone naga, they dealt with it rather quickly and without much pain.  The flying paladin wielding a holy bastard sword managed to flank it with the spider climbing rogue, also wielding a holy bastard sword.  A few smite evil + Power Attack combinations later, plus some handy anti-undead spells from the cleric, and the creep went down without too much hassle.  It didn't even get a chance to use some of its meaner spells.


----------



## Joachim

ltclnlbrain said:
			
		

> When my party faced the bone naga, they dealt with it rather quickly and without much pain...It didn't even get a chance to use some of its meaner spells.




Not so with us.

EDIT:  When your DM rolls 50% miss chance, and the first 8 out of 9 (including Blind-fighting re-rolls), you are in trouble.


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> Actually a Bone Naga casts spells as a 14th level Sorcerer.  Furthermore, it does not have the resources of a 14th level NPC Sorcerer.  This, I think, is the main reason that it does not have a higher CR.




A 14th level sorcerer is not immune to crits, sneak attacks, enchantments, necromantic effects, paralysis, stunning, and any Fort save that doesn't affect objects.  

A 14th level sorcerer gets 1d4 hp per level + CON mod (as opposed to 1d12 per level).

A 14th level sorcerer does not have large size, 10 foot reach, DR 5/slashing or bludgeoning (not much, granted), SR (no idea, but couldn't be that high).

Granted, a 14th level sorcerer *does* get a familiar (woo).

Granted, a 14th level NPC sorcerer gets a Cloak of Charisma and a Ring of Protection, plus one or two decent items.

Granted, a 14th level sorcerer is not affected by Turning.

Two words, G.....Moon Calf.  Not an unwinnable fight, by any stretch, and not even too tough for the party.  But at CR 11?  You can't seriously argue that.


----------



## gfunk

Hey Joachim,

Perhaps you should look at the 11th level Psion I made before I left.  Even with an NPC item spread (hell, even naked) he could give the party a serious run for their money.  _Temporal acceleration_ plus _astral construct_ with overchannel = many, many powerful minions with well over 100 hp and an AC of over 30.  Plus they get many cool customizable abilities.

Furthermore, the encounter difficulties are highly situational.  The Bone Naga was in a room with only a long corridor for an entrance, making spells like _Evard's black tentacles_, _wall of force_, and _waves of exhaustion_ more potent with the existence of a chokepoint.

If you had fought the Bone Naga in an open field (like that Red Dragon from Zenith Trajectory), it would have been much easier.


----------



## JollyDoc

htetickrt said:
			
		

> As a DM, the reliance on equipment as a form of balance is one of the worst parts of the ruleset, in my opinion.  Destroying their stuff is a whole lot easier than destroying the party with their stuff intact, so any rational enemy who cares more about winning that acquiring spoils (i.e. Irae T'sarran from CotSQ) would open or have a lackey open with disintegrations, a disjunction, or something along those lines.  Yet that one act--even if the disjunction were nerfed to be temporary--would pretty much drop the party several effective levels in one go.  Having DMed high-level PCs, Jollydoc, any advice on how to handle this?




Well, it's been my experience that relying strictly on hp damage is almost completely ineffective against high level PC's.  If an enemy want's to finish them off, it has to go for the insta-kill or insta-incapacitate.  Anti-magic effects work well, especially if you've got a few brute strength, grunt henchman to lay some smack down while the practically defenseless-now-20th-level commoner/cleric stands there with his unmagic mace in his hand.  Disjunctions are a nice touch, though truth be told, they've been used more AGAINST my NPC's than by them.  That's one thing about high-level PC's...they've got all the loot and magic items they need.  They don't have many qualms about negating the stuff a bad guy has.  Greater Dispel Magics are very effective as well.  Can bring down many of the buff spells high-levelers love to go into combat with.  No-save spells are nice...Otto's Irresistable Dance, Force Cage, Waves of Exhaustion, just to name a few.  Reality Maelstrom is also quite an equalizer.  If you have a demon on it's native plane, just remember a Blashphemy can send half the party on a one way trip home to the Prime, leaving the remainder as easy pickings.  These helpful TPK tips brought to you by JollyDoc Inc!  Killing PC's is our business!


----------



## JollyDoc

ltclnlbrain said:
			
		

> When my party faced the bone naga, they dealt with it rather quickly and without much pain.  The flying paladin wielding a holy bastard sword managed to flank it with the spider climbing rogue, also wielding a holy bastard sword.  A few smite evil + Power Attack combinations later, plus some handy anti-undead spells from the cleric, and the creep went down without too much hassle.  It didn't even get a chance to use some of its meaner spells.




Not to spoil the post regarding this, but here's basically how it went down.  First, not a single holy sword to be found in the group.  Not sure how many rogues go around wielding those, btw.  Also, even if you did flank the naga with a rogue, undead are immune to sneak attacks.  Anyway, as the module states, the naga has excellent hearing, and probably has at least one round to prep before the party arrives, beginning with casting Displacement, so all attacks now have an automatic 50% miss.  With the group in question, the next spell was Evard's, which caught the sorcerer, the cleric and the paladin quite nicely, effectively neutralizing them for most of the remainder of the fight.  Grimm, Tilly and Kiko took the fight to the naga, but one Wall of Force later, Kiko was cut off, leaving Grimm and Tilly alone.  Bring on another Evard's followed by Waves of Exhaustion, and those two were handily grappled.  Though Grimm periodically freed himself, a necromantic mist weakened him, while healing the naga.  A steady barrage of Cones of Cold did the rest.  In the end, the party was victorious, but it was a long, protracted fight.  The naga had a wide variety of spells available, and a Concentration check of +21.  I would venture to say that even with your paladin and rogue flanking it, it could still have dealt some withering damage, if played correctly.


----------



## ltclnlbrain

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> I would venture to say that even with your paladin and rogue flanking it, it could still have dealt some withering damage, if played correctly.




The naga had cast displacement before combat, but all of the party members beat its initiative and spread out so it could only catch one of them in its Evard's black tentacles.  The wizard dispelled most of its protective spells on the first round, eliminating its miss chance.  It got its necrotic mist off, though it didn't really do enough to offset the loads of damage it was taking each round.  The wizard continued to pummel the creature with magic missiles while the paladin, cleric, and rogue proceeded to beat the thing to dust.  Granted, the party had just rested before the encounter and were at full strength.

And the rogue carries around a holy bastard sword to use against sneak attack-immune undead.


----------



## htetickrt

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> These helpful TPK tips brought to you by JollyDoc Inc!  Killing PC's is our business!




And a good business you do!

Thanks for the advice.  I think my real problem is not how to get a TPK, but how to threaten one that good tactics can surmount.


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> Furthermore, the encounter difficulties are highly situational... If you had fought the Bone Naga in an open field (like that Red Dragon from Zenith Trajectory), it would have been much easier.




Agreed, but I still don't think that it would make the Bone Naga a CR 11.  Same thing with the Moon Calf...If memory serves it cast spells as a 10th level druid, had 20' reach, 6 or so attacks, improved grab, fly 100' (perfect), big hp and was listed a CR 7.


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> These helpful TPK tips brought to you by JollyDoc Inc!  Killing PC's is our business!




What Joe isn't telling you is that he started using the above tactics on us only after Gfunk and I did it to his monsters enough times.

Except for the antimagic part...damn Beholders...


----------



## Joachim

*Apologies*

Apologies to all of the readers for my lack of posts here the past couple of weeks.  I have been in the process of buying a house (my first house ever), and all of my free time has been consumed by this endeavor.

Please stay tuned, as I plan to update by the middle-ish of next week.


----------



## brellin

Hi my name is brellin I'v been hidding in the darkness that is ENworld for a little bit now and i found this sh and i'v almost done but i keep hearing about gfunks storyhour and i was hopeing someone could tell me were it is?
and by the way this sh ROCKS!!!!!


----------



## gfunk

Check out the link in my sig, brellin.

Enjoy!


----------



## brellin

Thankyou Great Master gfunk I'm honored   that you took time out of your busy schedule


----------



## brellin

I'm sorry I did not make myself clear earlier (bows head in shame) I ment the early adventures of Entropy and the gang 

P.S. did I sell her name right?


----------



## gfunk

Unfortunately, these adventures were never posted to this Story Hour.  However, I do know that JollyDoc kept a formal log of them.  If he has the time or inclination, perhaps he can post them for you.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> Apologies to all of the readers for my lack of posts here the past couple of weeks.  I have been in the process of buying a house (my first house ever), and all of my free time has been consumed by this endeavor.
> 
> Please stay tuned, as I plan to update by the middle-ish of next week.



Well, if you think you'll have more time once you have the house, think again.    How do you manage gaming locations, anyway? Do you rotate or always gather in JD's dungeon of horror...


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Well, if you think you'll have more time once you have the house, think again.    How do you manage gaming locations, anyway? Do you rotate or always gather in JD's dungeon of horror...




Dungeon of Horror always


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Well I guess I will give the Monday morning update really not much to tell.
 1.One PC dead
 2.One PC in Negative HP
 3.Last but not least One dead Dracolich. Yea!!!!


----------



## Joachim

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> 3.Last but not least One dead Dracolich. Yea!!!!




NOTE:  Dracoliches, by their very nature, are already dead.  Therefore, this comment is misleading.


----------



## Joachim

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Well I guess I will give the Monday morning update really not much to tell.
> 1.One PC dead
> 2.One PC in Negative HP
> 3.Last but not least One dead Dracolich. Yea!!!!




4.  Rusty's player, Brian, shows that he has got brass cahones.
5.  (DC 26 Dragonfear Aura) + (DC 26 Paralyzing Gaze) = ewwww
6.  (+28 to hit Claw/Claw/Bite/Tail/Wing/Wing) + (DC 26 Paralyzing touch for each hit) = OUCH


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> Unfortunately, these adventures were never posted to this Story Hour.  However, I do know that JollyDoc kept a formal log of them.  If he has the time or inclination, perhaps he can post them for you.





Since this SH is already weeks behind, I sincerely appreciate you volunteering me for even MORE things to put me further behind!   

Before I get chastised again for killing yet another PC (and this one hasn't even been introduced into the SH yet), let me say it was more or less a "planned" demise.  The player (Fred) was gaming with us for a short time only due to time constraints.  He may periodically join us again, but not in the guise of this particular character.  I think you will enjoy the role-playing aspects of both his introduction, and his departure.  Besides, what can you do when someone charges a dracolich and tries to stand toe-to-toe with it? :\


----------



## war wizard

Yeah but how cool for a palidin who serves a death god who hates the undead to fall against a undead dragon.......


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Congrats for helping the dracolich make the transition from undeath to death! I thought that thing would spell the end of more of you. Nasty powers, nasty stats...

I'm not sure I like the idea of disposable characters, though. We'll see how it tells in the story... 


PS: I believe Rusty's player has already shown that he has brass cahones on several occasions. Rusty rocks !!!


----------



## Lela

Ah, Kelemvor then.  I love it when he makes an apearance.  He's one of my favorites.


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> Ah, Kelemvor then.  I love it when he makes an apearance.  He's one of my favorites.




Yes, the TRUE Kelemvor, not the poser whose followers have been making so much trouble for our heroes up to this point.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

The abrupt end to updates here was almost painful, after reading for a couple of days.  You guys collectively are telling a good story of your character's adventures.  Another reader is hooked.

GW


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Yes, the TRUE Kelemvor, not the poser whose followers have been making so much trouble for our heroes up to this point.



 Exactly.  And not just the guys a step or two downplane.  Those Cauldron (sp?) guys were either defeatist or ignorant.  I'm not exactly sure which.


----------



## gfunk

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Another reader is hooked.
> GW



Another victim has been snagged.  <gleefully rubs hands together>

EXXXXXXXXXXXXXCELENT!

P.S. None cross Graywolf and live!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wouldn't the best way to welcome Graywolf be with an update?   Hey, no flames, you all thought it, too...


----------



## Joachim

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> The abrupt end to updates here was almost painful, after reading for a couple of days.  You guys collectively are telling a good story of your character's adventures.  Another reader is hooked.
> 
> GW




Well, hopefully I will be able to give you your fix tonight or tomorrow night.

Next update (will begin the Secret of the Soul Pillars):

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER


----------



## Joachim

I overestimated my available time, and forgot that I had a soccer match tonight.  Hopefully I will be able to add more later tonight, but here is the epilogue to the Black Egg:

OF JUSTICE AND DRAGONS


----------



## Joachim

Chellabaniel stirred.  For the first time in nearly a decade, he sensed a presence at the front of his lair.  The celestial silver dragon knew that there was almost no way that an evil creature would dare to disturb him, especially considering that the resided on one of the higher levels of Mount Celestia. The possibilities intrigued him.

A small globe of light approached the massive reptile.  Instantly recognizing the diminutive creature, Chellabaniel smiled, his dagger-like teeth bared.  “Jules, its been almost a century since I last saw you.  What brings you to my abode?”

The small globe of light glowed brighter as it spoke.  “Master Chellabaniel, I greet you, and I am quite flattered that you remember me.  I have brought my current master with me to speak with you.  He has a humble request to ask of you.”

The dragon nodded.  “Any friend of yours deserves an audience with me.  Bring him forward.”  Wordlessly, the dragon’s form began to shrink and shift, soon transforming into that of a tall elf with silvery blonde hair.  The elf strode over to a silver chair, and gracefully sat down, staring intently at the entrance to his home.

Two humans and a dwarf entered the cave.  One human wore simple robes, and was surrounded in a nimbus of glowing light.  Chellabaniel noted that the other human bore the taint of evil, but seemed to defer to the peasant.  The dragon stared for a second and noted that the second must have been charmed to the peasant.  The dwarf was somewhat of an oddity, wearing the symbol of Mystra, the goddess of magic on Faerun.  Dwarves were not known to be allies of magic.  This was certain to be interesting.

The peasant stepped forward.  “Mighty Chellabaniel, my companion Jules has told me much about you and your great power.  I have a great request to ask of you.  This man is named Tobias.  His father, a once-mighty wizard, obtained a powerful evil artifact known as the Black Egg, and it appears that the magic of the Egg has passed its madness on to the wizard’s scion.”

Chellabaniel drew in a sharp breath and his eyes grew wide.  Interrupting the human, the dragon spat, “The Black Egg!!  Where is it?   The Conclave of Good Dragons has long been concerned about the existence of that cursed construct!  Tell me it has not made its way back to the land of men, please.”

Caine shook his head slowly.  “Sadly, milord, I cannot tell you that.  The Black Egg, encased in its massive iron prison, impacted the Vilhon Reach near the city of Cauldron.  Many were killed in the resulting devastation.  Many more were bloodied and made homeless.  It appears that the Cult of the Dragon is culpable for the atrocity.  My companions and I investigated the seemingly extraterrestrial event.  We encountered and defeated the Cultists that were trying to usurp the power of the Egg, and then we destroyed the artifact.  It is no more, and its prison is now nothing more than a pile of rubble resting in a crater three hundred feet deep.”

The dragon relaxed somewhat and nodded.  “Fantastic.  You and your companions are to be commended.  You have approached me with a request.  Considering the resolve of you and your companions, and your strength against the power of the Egg, I will gladly grant your wish.”

The Apostle of Peace smiled.  “Milord, you are most gracious.  As I have said, Tobias has been corrupted by the power of the Egg, and should not be released upon the world unfettered.  I cannot see that he be simply executed either.  Life, even for one so wretched and pathetic as he, is too precious to be quickly dismissed.  I request that the Conclave keep Tobias, alive and unharmed, until such time that he can be converted from his evil ways.”

Chellabaniel considered.  “Your request is unusual.  You are a strange creature, indeed, but I will grant your request.  Tobias shall be held, nay imprisoned, but he shall be alive and unharmed.  It is unlikely that the malady of darkness will leave him, but one can always hope...”

Caine bowed.  “That is all I can ask.  Rusty, its time to go home.”  With a grunt, the dwarf began casting a spell to transport he, Caine, and Jules back to the Prime.


----------



## Lela

I'm reminded that we're out of continuity in the other Story Hour. I had become a touch confused and thought Caine was dead already.

Oh, Dr Funk, can we get Caine's final stats?  Assuming we don't already have them from the last Apostle update.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Lela said:
			
		

> I'm reminded that we're out of continuity in the other Story Hour. I had become a touch confused and thought Caine was dead already.
> 
> Oh, Dr Funk, can we get Caine's final stats?  Assuming we don't already have them from the last Apostle update.





  The Story Hour has not caught up with the gaming sessions. It is about 3 or 4 updates behind the live play. So Caine has not died in the story hour yet G just announced that his character had died and he could not play anymore.So you could set on the edge of your seat in anticipation and wait for it.


----------



## Lela

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> So you could set on the edge of your seat in anticipation and wait for it.



Will do.

*Thunk*

Ouch, perhaps on a better chair. . .


----------



## gfunk

Lela said:
			
		

> Oh, Dr Funk, can we get Caine's final stats? Assuming we don't already have them from the last Apostle update.



Caine's final level was 12 and a hyperlink is still available on post #1 of this thread.

In regards to your first comment, sorry about the confusion.  Ika hit the nail right on the head though.  About 3 sessions or so into The Secret of the Soul Pillars, Caine is slain doing what he does best.  At this point, his body disappears mysteriously.  The outcome of this disappearance was detailed on the last update of the Gfunk-JollyDoc Crossover Story Hour thread.


----------



## Longbow

I´m very curious what the characters in the SH will do with the pillars. I had a blast in my campaign when my players dealt with them (evil laughter). Oh, what fun.

Very anxious to read the update!


----------



## JollyDoc

Longbow said:
			
		

> I´m very curious what the characters in the SH will do with the pillars. I had a blast in my campaign when my players dealt with them (evil laughter). Oh, what fun.
> 
> Very anxious to read the update!




This past Sunday, we completed the Soul Pillars, but as of yet, the group does not know their power.  That will be covered in our session this week.


----------



## gfunk

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> This past Sunday, we completed the Soul Pillars, but as of yet, the group does not know their power. That will be covered in our session this week.



Which means we should actually see it in print around say, June . . . 2005.

Rich.

Must . . . have . . . update . . . can't . . . hold . . . out . . . much . . . longer . . .


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> Rich.
> 
> Must . . . have . . . update . . . can't . . . hold . . . out . . . much . . . longer . . .



Di . . . tt . . . o . . .


----------



## Joachim

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER?

“This town has changed, and Kord knows not for the better.”  Grimm tore another chunk out of the massive turkey leg in his hand.  Solemly, every other head around the table nodded in agreement.

It had been a few weeks since the Bright Axes had returned from the vault of the Black Egg.  Based upon the current state of affairs they had all agreed to meet every few nights at the Tipped Tankard to catch up and share information.  If nothing else, it was an opportunity for friends to eat a meal together, except for Caine, who refused to consume a creature’s flesh or drink alcohol.

Tilly choked down a bite of cheese with a long pull from his flagon of ale.  “I’m just glad to know that Shensen made it out of the Lucky Monkey alive.  Being able to transform oneself into a cheetah to run away is pretty handy.”

“Aye, lad, but remember that she lost one dear to her when Wathros fell,” chimed Rusty.  “She’s still sufferin’ from it, I can tell ye.”

Caine pursed his lips.  “I am growing very concerned with the new city ‘guard’ that the local mayor has hired.  Orcs and half-orcs are one thing, but unleashing true ogres on the city could be catastrophic.  Ogres are not known for being very civilized.”  Noting Grimm’s sinking posture, Caine added, “Present company excluded, of course, but there are already numerous stories of ‘ogre justice’ being applied to commoners.”

Grimm nodded his agreement, but the look on his face admitted shame for being associated, if only by blood, with the abuse that was being inflicted on the city.  “Does anyone else find it unusual that many of the city patrols include at least one of Kelemvor’s clergy?  None of the other churches are represented, and you would think that the Tyrites would have some say as to the dealing of local law enforcement.”

Kiko cleared his throat.  “What I find to be the most disconcerting is how the local adventuring troupes are taking all of this without any hint of civil disobedience.  If any have the inkling or the ability to stand up to the local government, it would be the other adventurers like us.”

Dalthon entered the conversation.  “Luckily for my family and my city, the war with Red Gorge appears to have been averted. However, I feel that if the oppressive government here is allowed to reign unchecked, then it will only be a matter of time before it spreads to the surrounding areas.”

Every head around the table nodded.  No one else spoke.  Nothing else needed to be said.  The silence around the table was palpable as each of the Bright Axes finished their meal.  At one point Grimm and Tilly looked at each other quizzically as they realized that something was odd about how quiet they were.  Everything was quiet.  The bar.  The clientele.  The streets outside.

All sound had been eliminated.  

The door to the Tipped Tankard burst open with no sound, and two figures rushed into the room, their intent obviously not to parlay.  One was a half-orc, obviously a warrior.  The second figure was a lean human female wearing studded leather armor and an amulet around her neck.  The symbol on the amulet showed a slender ebon hand wearing several silver rings.  Rusty’s eyes grew large when he realized he was looking at a human follower of Kiriansalee, the drow goddess of undeath.  A third robed assailant trailed behind the first, but was shrouded in invisibility.  The patrons at the inn observed the entry, and most of their jaws dropped with surprise.

The Bright Axes instantly recognized the threat for what it was, and Kiko and Tilly jumped up simultaneously and charged at the half-orc.  Kiko kicked the warrior in the sternum, hoping to wind him, but the half-orc shook off the blow.  Tilly rushed in and stabbed towards the orc’s midsection, striking only air.

The half-orc looked down at the diminutive rogue, and raised his axe over his head.  Tilly tried to dodge the blow, but the orc struck true.  The axe connected with Tilly at the base of his neck, and cut through to the halfling’s navel before stopping.  With a jerk, the half-orc extruded his axe from the now dead halfling, flinging the corpse eight feet away.

Before the others even cry out in shock and grief, the Kiriansallean began silently gesturing, and a burst of light jumped from the palm of her hand and struck Rusty in the chest.  The dwarf gritted his teeth in pain.  The invisible wizard likewise began similar wordless gesticulations, and a bolt of electricity arced towards Grimm.  At the last moment, the ring on Grimm’s right hand flashed and the half-ogre nimbly ducked out of the way, avoiding harm from the lightning.  Grimm smiled when he realized that the _Ring of Evasion_ taken from the half-dragon troll had saved his bacon.  The wizard’s invisibility did not end with the offensive action.

Dalthon stood up, realizing that his enemies were covered in many spells increasing their combat effectiveness.  He was outside the area of effect of the silencing magick, so he was able to cast effectively.  The aasimar sorcerer cast a spell to negate some of the spells already cast.  The silencing effect did not go away, but Dalthon knew that he had removed some of the assassins’ magical protections and augmentations.

Kiko sized up the warrior in front of him.  He had obliterated Tilly in one swipe, and the monk thought quickly as to how to neutralize the half-orc.  Crouching on all fours, Kiko spun on the ground, his legs flailing outwards.  The monk caught the half-orc in the ankle with his foot, and the warrior toppled to the ground face-first.  Kiko repeatedly struck the now prone half-orc in the face and chest, hoping to hear the satisfying sound of the assassin’s neck snapping.  Kiko was not given the satisfaction.

Rusty knew that he had to act quickly, before Tilly’s soul departed for Elysium.  The Mystran cast a spell of revivification, and channeled a powerful burst of positive energy into his hand.  The dwarf hustled into the area of magical silence and knelt before Tilly’s corpse, touching it.  The spell discharged, and Tilly’s mortal wounds closed over.  The halfling choked and drew a breath of air, but never regained consciousness.  Rusty nodded in approval.

Grimm finally responded to the growing melee.  Standing up from his chair, the half-ogre spun his chain low, and caught the Kiriansaleean about the ankle, and then gave a great tug.  Amazingly, the human resisted, and with a jerk sent the four-hundred pound-plus half-ogre sprawling.  Angered and humiliated, the half-ogre stood once again, a look of hatred in his eyes.

The cleric-assassin watched his warrior comrade being beaten badly by the monk, and decided that he needed to even the score there.  Somersaulting away from Grimm’s chain, the human landed solidly next to the prone half-orc and silently channeled positive energy.  The half-orcs wounds began closing, and he stood up, striking at the monk.  Gobbets of Kiko’s blood splashed on the ground, and the monk staggered back for a moment, clutching his stomach.

Shaking off the pain, the Monk of the Yellow Rose remembered his training.  Pain could be controlled by the strong-willed, and Kiko knew that he could fight on despite serious wounds.  Again the monk lashed out at the half-orc’s legs.  Again, the warrior toppled.  Kiko continued his assault on the once-again prone warrior.

Rusty recognized that there was an arcanist somewhere within the silenced area, and that he was using silent spellcasting.  The dwarf did not like that, and knew that an area spell was called for.  Rusty cast a diamond spray where he knew it would catch all of his enemies.  The cleric and half-orc took damage from the shards of crystal, but the dwarf didn’t know about the wizard.  Looking at Grimm, Rusty asked, “Is the wizard dead?”  Grimm grinned, and replied, “As a doornail.  Nice work.”

The half-orc, upon hearing of the fate of the wizard snarled and jumped up.  Kiko moved quickly to dodge, but stumbled on a table leg behind him.  The monk was not used to maneuvering in such obstructed space, and this proved to be his doom.  The half-orc’s axe sliced low, and slit Kiko’s belly from end to end.  Clutching his innards and twitching, the monk dropped to the ground and died.

Grimm did not let the half-orc take another of his friends.  After four quick strokes, the half-orc fell to the ground, having been separated from his head.  As a continuation of his final strike, Grimm snapped one blow at the Kiriansaleean.  Seeing the hopelessness of the situation, the cleric bolted out the front door to the tavern and ran down the street.

Caine, inactive in the combat until the end, jumped to Grimm and cast a spell of flight on him.  “Bring me that cleric.  Alive.”  Grimm nodded and quickly floated out of the door.

Rusty, realizing the death of their monk companion, casually strode forward and revivified him as he had done to Tilly.  The dwarf shook his head as he looked at the carnage.  The barkeep, done hiding behind his bar, slowly stood up and flashed a small smile at the Mystran.  “Thanks.  I sure am glad you guys were here.”  The dwarf pondered this.  “I’m thinkin’ that we’re the reason that we got to see these blighters tonight…this was no random robbery attempt.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Grimm chased the cleric around an alleyway and found…nothing.  Peering about intently, the half-ogre knew that she had to be hiding somewhere nearby.  His keen ears did not detect anything, but that meant little.  Grimm waited, and then realized that spellcasting was going on just ahead of him.  An inky black cloud descended on him, and Grimm felt pain.  No matter, he knew where his quarry waited now.  The half-ogre charged and form-tackled the woman.  Wrapping his arms around her neck, he slowly began to squeeze the consciousness out of her.

The woman squirmed and tried to escape, but to no avail.  She would not escape Grimm’s grasp.  Fortune somewhat smiled on her when a pair of ogres and a group of orcs appeared, led by a cleric of Kelemvor.  “There, you two!! Stop this instant in the name of the Mayor!!”  Grimm, relented for a moment, and then released the woman.

The Kelemvorite spoke in a condescending tone, “We learned of the trouble that you two were causing in the Tipped Tankard.  You are both under arrest!”

Grimm shouted, “ARREST!  I was simply eating with my comrades, and this bitch and her bastard cohorts blind-sided us.  How dare you put us under suspicion.  Ask anyone there, and they will tell you what happened.”

Smugly, the woman told the Kelemvorite, “How can you trust him, he’s an ogre.  He and his comrades attacked us.  Two of my associates are now dead thanks to this murderous bunch.”

At that moment, Dalthan and Caine rounded the corner and witnessed the event.  Caine stepped forward, his nimbus of light shining brightly.  “Gentlemen, we wish for no further blood to be spilled this night.  Grimm, drop your weapons.  Justice will prevail, and we will be found to be innocent.”

Grimm spat, “Justice?  From these lawless brigands?  Caine, you must be joking.  I refuse to submit.”

The Kelemvorite interrupted, “If you do not submit, my large friends here will beat you until you lie bloodied and twitching on the ground.  Drop your weapons, or we shall assume you to be resisting arrest and will be forced to deal with you as such.”  The insinuated threat did not need to be uttered.  Grimm knew what would happen if he didn’t comply.

With a clang, Grimm’s spiked chain hit the ground.  The questioning began.


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> Which means we should actually see it in print around say, June . . . 2005.
> 
> Rich.
> 
> Must . . . have . . . update . . . can't . . . hold . . . out . . . much . . . longer . . .




Don't you have an update for the Lich Queen to be writing?  If you spent less time complaining about _my_ updates you might be able to get stuff done yourself


----------



## Lela

Joachim said:
			
		

> Don't you have an update for the Lich Queen to be writing?  If you spent less time complaining about _my_ updates you might be able to get stuff done yourself



 Yeah, what Joachim said!

(Who's got the next update?)


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> Yeah, what Joachim said!
> 
> (Who's got the next update?)




Well, Rich is posting his piece-meal, so he has one more section to post (hopefully in the next couple of days), so it will be my turn after that in a piece I am affectionately calling, "Wasn't that supposed to be a Bone Devil?"


----------



## ltclnlbrain

Great update, as usual!  Those assassins were nasty: luckily Rusty was around to save the day.



			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Well, Rich is posting his piece-meal, so he has one more section to post (hopefully in the next couple of days), so it will be my turn after that in a piece I am affectionately calling, "Wasn't that supposed to be a Bone Devil?"




Heh, I can't wait to see how that turns out.  My players had enough problems with the bone devil, and I can only imagine how hard it was with an ice devil in its stead.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

ltclnlbrain said:
			
		

> Great update, as usual!  Those assassins were nasty: luckily Rusty was around to save the day.



I couldn't agree more !!! Without Rusty they'd be leveling down instead of up... 

But how nasty did JollyDoc play the assassins? What did the half-orc do to Tilly? Critical hit, poison, magic enhancements or all of that? Poor Tilly, to drop dead after just one hit.   

Looking forward to the trashing of the bad guys.

NWK


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> What did the half-orc do to Tilly?



All of the assassins were enhanced with magic to the hilt.  This was from a high-level spellcaster, mind you, making Dathon's _dispel magics_ less effective.

In the case of Tilly, it was a critical hit with a greataxe with power attack 5.


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> In the case of Tilly, it was a critical hit with a greataxe with power attack 5.



Ouch.  I've dropped a 9th level Monk to -50 with one of those.  They hurt.

Of course, we _Reincarnated_ him as a monkey (DM's choice).


----------



## Longbow

Nice update and a great title. Tripping the Half-Orc was a good idea to avoid those nasty full attacks.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Yea But he still managed to kill me while he was prone on the floor. He was buffed up about as far as you can get buffed.


----------



## JollyDoc

Longbow said:
			
		

> Nice update and a great title. Tripping the Half-Orc was a good idea to avoid those nasty full attacks.




My favorite moment though, was when the weakling human female cleric managed to counter-trip the mighty half-ton half-ogre!  The ignominy of it all!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> My favorite moment though, was when the weakling human female cleric managed to counter-trip the mighty half-ton half-ogre!  The ignominy of it all!



Yeah, that was a really, really nice touch. I guess she had at least a Bull's Strength up and running, but still should not have been a match for Grimm. I guess expressions like "Hey, Grimm, tripped by a girl, eh?" are gonna follow him around for a while just like Entropy and the infamous kobold incident...


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> My favorite moment though, was when the weakling human female cleric managed to counter-trip the mighty half-ton half-ogre!  The ignominy of it all!




Yeah, that was pretty humiliating.  That's what happens when you roll a 1 followed by a 2.  Even Grimm's +11 to trip (verses the cleric's +1) can't overcome luck that bad.


----------



## JollyDoc

Joachim said:
			
		

> Yeah, that was pretty humiliating.  That's what happens when you roll a 1 followed by a 2.  Even Grimm's +11 to trip (verses the cleric's +1) can't overcome luck that bad.




Rich, any chance you'll have the final update installment in before you head for the beach this weekend?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Rich, any chance you'll have the final update installment in before you head for the beach this weekend?



 That'd be great! It would make being at the beach all the more satisfying !!!


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Rich, any chance you'll have the final update installment in before you head for the beach this weekend?




Probably not.  I know that I have been shirking on my duties, and I apologize for not updating this week.  I have just not had the free time this week that I thought I would.  I received that module on Monday, and I haven't had time to start reading it, either.

We will kill 'em with updates next week .


----------



## gfunk

Fear not readers.  To make up for Rich's "lack of time," I will take advantage of my "oodles of time" by posting an update on Gfunk's Story Hour.


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> Fear not readers.  To make up for Rich's "lack of time," I will take advantage of my "oodles of time" by posting an update on Gfunk's Story Hour.



 *Slathers at the mouth*


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Gasp...I go to Hamburg for four days and no update(s)?   Oh well, guess you guys went somewhere, too...


----------



## Jack of Shadows

*Finally got through it all*

Hi Folks,

I've actually been reading this story hour for a couple months now but only just recently reached the end. I have to say it has been a very enjoyable read. I'm actually planning on starting to run the Shackled City campaign with my own group in a few months once they finish with the Banewarrens which I'm running currently. I'm really looking forward to it as it'll be the first time I'll have run a full 1st to 20th campaign. I'm hoping my players can develop characters as interesting as those in the Brightaxes and with luck less fatalities (though if the Banewarrens is any indication maybe not). From what they've told me this is the group I'll be starting with:

A Human Cleric of Bahamut switching to Sorceror after 1st and then eventually going Dragon Disciple
A Silver Dragon (Thanks to the anniversary Dragon issue)
A Psion-Shaper race as yet undetermined
A Human Cleric of Wee Jas (really looking forward to the plot potential with this character for reasons the Brightaxes will now be aware of)
A Human Fighter-Rogue Spiked Chain wielder
and finally
A Rogue planning to go Assassin (I allow any non-Good character rather than only Evil) race as yet undetermined.

If Gfunk and Joachim have some... "enhancements"... they'd like to suggest I'd be pleased to pass them on to my players.

In any case keep up the great writing. It's certainly been keeping me entertained.

Jack

P.S. Do you pronouce Joachim as "YO-kim" or "waa-KEEM"?


----------



## JollyDoc

Jack of Shadows said:
			
		

> Hi Folks,
> 
> I've actually been reading this story hour for a couple months now but only just recently reached the end. I have to say it has been a very enjoyable read. I'm actually planning on starting to run the Shackled City campaign with my own group in a few months once they finish with the Banewarrens which I'm running currently. I'm really looking forward to it as it'll be the first time I'll have run a full 1st to 20th campaign. I'm hoping my players can develop characters as interesting as those in the Brightaxes and with luck less fatalities (though if the Banewarrens is any indication maybe not). From what they've told me this is the group I'll be starting with:
> 
> A Human Cleric of Bahamut switching to Sorceror after 1st and then eventually going Dragon Disciple
> A Silver Dragon (Thanks to the anniversary Dragon issue)
> A Psion-Shaper race as yet undetermined
> A Human Cleric of Wee Jas (really looking forward to the plot potential with this character for reasons the Brightaxes will now be aware of)
> A Human Fighter-Rogue Spiked Chain wielder
> and finally
> A Rogue planning to go Assassin (I allow any non-Good character rather than only Evil) race as yet undetermined.
> 
> If Gfunk and Joachim have some... "enhancements"... they'd like to suggest I'd be pleased to pass them on to my players.
> 
> In any case keep up the great writing. It's certainly been keeping me entertained.
> 
> Jack
> 
> P.S. Do you pronouce Joachim as "YO-kim" or "waa-KEEM"?





Welcome Jack!  Just got back in town myself, from the casinos of the gulf coast.  Alas, I come home no wealthier than when I left (perhaps less so), but it was a blast.  Looking forward to Rich getting home from the beach as well, so that he can update, and then I can.  For the record Jack, it's "Yo-come."


----------



## Saeviomagy

I'd watch for the silver dragon - I don't think those progressions are anywhere near balanced with normal PCs...


----------



## Joachim

Ok...Its 10:15 CST...there will be an update by midnight tonight.  I am getting close.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Hot Dog, I'll be here waiting.


----------



## Joachim

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

The Bright Axes were quickly collected by the constabulary.  They found Rusty in the Tipped Tankard still administering to Tilly and Kiko, who had both just been revived from death.  Conspicuously missing were the corpses of the half-orc and arcanist assassins, having been stuffed into Rusty’s bag of holding, and teleported back to Jzadirune by Jules.  Rusty had thought quickly during the aftermath of the bloodshed, and he would be damned if the ‘cops’ were going to take the dead away from him before he could question them with divine magic.

The cleric of Kelemvor leading the patrol jabbed Caine in the chest, demanding, “Listen here, peasant.  We know that you were attacked by three individuals.  Based upon the testimony of the bar patrons at the time of the attack, we know that you managed to slay the other two.  Where are the corpses?  Where have you hidden them?”

Caine sighed.  He had hoped that they would have had an opportunity to interrogate the spirits of the dead assassins.  Shrugging, the ascetic announced, “You should try the alley outside the Temple of Tyr.  You might find them there.”  The priest of Kelemvor stared at Caine quizzically, and was so confused by the answer that he didn’t notice the flash of light from inside of the Apostle’s robes.  Using his empathic link Caine ordered the lantern archon to deliver the bodies, including all of their equipment.  The latter would upset Grimm, a mercenary through and through, but it was necessary to keep the peace with the town guard.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The questioning went late into the night.  Based upon a total lack of incriminating evidence, and the testimony of several bar patrons and employees, the Bright Axes were eventually released from custody.  Allies that the group had made within the town guard, not the least of which was one of the captains, also somewhat hastened their freedom.

Bad news accompanied the vindication of the Bright Axes.  In the middle of the night, the cleric of Kiriansalee managed to commit suicide by hanging after stabbing herself in the back forty-seven times.  Likewise, the bodies of all three assailants had mysteriously been incinerated at the morgue before the sun had risen.  There was no chance for any sort of interrogation, magical or otherwise.

The news hit the Bright Axes hard, and only increased the suspicion that something was very, very wrong.  They decided that they had at least one more road to follow: They would consult the Mistress of Magic.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Rusty began casting his spell that would allow him to commune with the deity he had sworn to serve.  He would be allowed to ask Mystra herself a dozen questions, each allowing a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.  It might not give them all of the information that they needed, but it might offer enough clues to get them started on the right path.  The spell did not come without its cost, and Rusty felt the slight weakening of his spirit upon completing his arcane gestures and words.

The dwarf concentrated as he asked his mistress his questions.  After the final question was asked, and the answer received, the dwarf rubbed his eyes solemnly.  “I didn’t get many definite answers, but I can tell ye this: The Church of Kelemvor hired the bloody assassins, but the high priests there do not actually follow the Lord of the Dead.  The real mayor of Cauldron is dead.  There is somethin’ really disturbin’ with these events.  Whoever is really runnin’ this town wants us buried.”

Each of the Bright Axes considered the information.  The silence was broken when Grimm stood and snapped his locked gauntlet around one of the handles of his spiked chain.  “Get suited up everyone, its time to bring justice to Kelemvor’s house.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

During the trip to the Temple of Kelemvor, Caine struggled in vain to keep the Bright Axe’s more combative members from working themselves into a blood frenzy.  Grimm and Rusty, in particular, were desperate for a fight.  Caine feared that their brand of vigilante ‘justice’ might give the town guard an excuse to imprison or outright kill his comrades.

As the group approached the House of the Dead, they noticed that the rumors they had been hearing were true.  Kelemvor’s faithful had been busy, and their temple had grown to massive proportions.  Even the mad ramblings of the few Lathanderites appeared to be founded:  The House of the Dead was so tall that it blocked Lathander’s shrine from the rising sun.  Rusty shook his head as they passed the small structure dedicated to the Morninglord.  Raphael, the sole clergy member, sat outside the shrine, mumbling to himself.  The aasimar paladin had obviously not shaved or bathed in weeks.  

To the party’s dismay, the front door to Kelemvor’s temple was shut tight and locked.  Tilly jumped forward with long metal wire and a set of skeleton keys.  “Hold on a second here, boys, and I’ll get us in there.”  Two minutes later, and Tilly smiled with satisfaction.  Pointing at Grimm, the halfling confidently gestured, “After you…”

The half-ogre pulled the doors open, and took a step inside the main sanctuary.  The main sanctuary was a gargantuan structure over one hundred feet in diameter, with a ceiling that towered fifty feet overhead.  All of the pews had been removed from the main worship area and were piled in one of the corners.  The sanctuary was inhabited by a strange group.  Three orc warriors stood in the middle of the chamber, supported by trio of stone giants bearing great axes.  In the far corner of the sanctuary stood a lone human, one of the senior members of the temple clergy.

“Welcome to the Hall of the Dead.  You are trespassing on holy ground, and the true Lord of the Dead has deemed that your lives are forfeit for this transgression.  Guards!  Deal with these interlopers as you have been instructed.”  On the command, the half-orcs and giants charged the entryway.

Stone Giants and orcish warriors are known to be formidable foes.  The Bright Axes, however, were more formidable on this day, and had come prepared for a scrap.  Within thirty seconds, the House of the Dead was littered with six new corpses, and one human priest beaten senseless by Kiko’s fists and feet.  The ‘interlopers’ were barely scratched by this encounter, but they knew that the higher ranking clergy awaited them in the deeper vaults of the church.

Realizing the need for strategic information, Caine began casting a spell, the unconscious priest his target.  Upon completion of the spell, the Apostle smiled.  The priest was charmed to Caine.


----------



## Joachim

Ok, sorry about that delay Joe.  Now you can post your update(s).


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Yay for updates!

Interesting to note how Caine's Vow of Peace is being played off against the combat orientated players and characters. I like it! Makes me hope that I could play such a character.


----------



## gfunk

Tallarn said:
			
		

> Interesting to note how Caine's Vow of Peace is being played off against the combat orientated players and characters.




Thanks.  One thing Joachim did not include in the update occured at the end when Caine used the _telekinesis_ spell to grapple the offending evil cleric for the entire combat.  The interrogation was interesting.


----------



## JollyDoc

Nice update Richard.  Long-time readers will note the difference in combat details between my updates and Rich's.  As Rich has mentioned to me in the past, there are only so many ways you can tell a story about one group killing another.  I tend to agree, but I'm a detail person by nature, and so I'm compelled to give the blow-by-blow, but I try not to do it in Salvatorian minutiae.  Readers, give us any hints on what you'd like to see more of in the updates.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

I'd have to go with frequency.   I like the commentary from the players and DM about what else happened as well, but that is gravy to me. 

An update with differing perspectives of what heppened from PC and NPC point of view would be cool.

GW


----------



## ltclnlbrain

Either way works for me. If the combat is dramatic or important to the story, go for the blow-by-blow. If it's uninteresting or only tangentially related to the overall plot, feel free to gloss over it.


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Nice update Richard.  Long-time readers will note the difference in combat details between my updates and Rich's.  As Rich has mentioned to me in the past, there are only so many ways you can tell a story about one group killing another.




I like to go into pretty deep detail regarding important combats, such as the one to come from JD, but the fight with the stone giants and the orcs could be summed up in a few sentences. Basically, Kiko and Tilly flanked the giants and sneak attacked them to death, and Grimm AOO'ed the orcs to death.  Nothing interesting at all.  If anything worth mentioning came out of the actual combat, then I would have described it.

No offense, G, but the TK grapple trick didn't warrant detailing the rest of the fight.


----------



## cidak

Joachim said:
			
		

> I like to go into pretty deep detail regarding important combats, such as the one to come from JD, but the fight with the stone giants and the orcs could be summed up in a few sentences. Basically, Kiko and Tilly flanked the giants and sneak attacked them to death, and Grimm AOO'ed the orcs to death.  Nothing interesting at all.  If anything worth mentioning came out of the actual combat, then I would have described it.
> 
> No offense, G, but the TK grapple trick didn't warrant detailing the rest of the fight.




I'm with Joachim on this.  I know the module and it was basically a bunch of guys with swords.  Grist to the mill for these guys.  I thought the summing up with 







> Within thirty seconds, the House of the Dead was littered with six new corpses



 was perfect.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Like most of the rest, if it's an important battle then I like the excellent detail that I've grown accustomed to. But when the battle is quickly and efficiently down with, as in this case, then skipping over it is also fine.

Neat tricks like the _telekinesis_ grapple would have been interesting to hear about, though.


----------



## gfunk

Joachim said:
			
		

> No offense, G, but the TK grapple trick didn't warrant detailing the rest of the fight.




My apologies.

I understand the sacrifices one must make for the sake of the plot.  Which is why I thought it would be interesting to point it out after the fact.


----------



## JollyDoc

Again, I'm grateful for the helpful input from all the readers.  It definitely helps me craft my updates more efficiently, and I'm sure Richard feels the same.  It shouldn't take me long to put the finishing touches on the next update, but I'm probably going to wait the better part of the week before posting it.  I don't want there to be a long lull between updates.  This way, Richard will have more time to work on his next installment in between.

PS

Gfunk leaves tomorrow for India to formalize his marriage.  Huzzah and congratulations!!


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> My apologies.
> 
> I understand the sacrifices one must make for the sake of the plot.  Which is why I thought it would be interesting to point it out after the fact.




Hey, man, no apologies necessary.  And plot was not the main reason the fight was left out...the main reason was brevity, and getting the update finished so that Joe could post his.

Thanks for waiting a bit on the next update, Joe.  After tomorrow I won't have web access for about a week while I wait for Charter to get off their a$$es and hook me up.

Congratulations Gautam.  Have a good trip, and enjoy the honeymoon.  Look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

*Congratulations to Gfunk*

Hope you have a long, happy and fruitful marriage.
And once again I would like to express that you will be sorely missed.
Your SH was actually the second I started reading. When I caught up with Sepulchrave's SH (the first SH pointed out to me) I started looking around for others and found yours and been a lurking reader ever since, both yours and this one and I still enjoy it tremendously. Kudos to you and the rest of the gang.


----------



## gfunk

Thank you very much everyone!  I'll be online, but I'll be back in-person in JollyDoc's during the last weekend in June.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Congrats gfunk! Happy Honeymooning, too! 

As for the storytelling, I agree with Joachim that detailing the fight would not have added much to the story. However, I always love it when you guys go into details! The great thing is that your writing stile is very high level, but I can always tell what's going on DnD-wise. That combination rocks and is not present in most other SHs out there.

Regards,

I


----------



## Lela

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> The great thing is that your writing stile is very high level, but I can always tell what's going on DnD-wise. That combination rocks and is not present in most other SHs out there.




I agree.  I think the biggest challange for SH authors is overcoming the game their story is based on.  Combats filled with Lela sneak attacks, NWK casts some cold spell, and Wulf hits 'em with 'is axe work great in game.  It just tends to get _really_ boring in story form.

You three don't have that problem; showing a tremendious difference between you and lesser authors.


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> I agree.  I think the biggest challange for SH authors is overcoming the game their story is based on.  Combats filled with Lela sneak attacks, NWK casts some cold spell, and Wulf hits 'em with 'is axe work great in game.  It just tends to get _really_ boring in story form.
> 
> You three don't have that problem; showing a tremendious difference between you and lesser authors.




Thanks to both of you, and as a writer, I have to agree with you.  That's one of the biggest challenges...trying not to have the story sound like a game session, but yet still allowing just enough of the game mechanics show through.


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> I agree.  I think the biggest challange for SH authors is overcoming the game their story is based on.  Combats filled with Lela sneak attacks, NWK casts some cold spell, and Wulf hits 'em with 'is axe work great in game.  It just tends to get _really_ boring in story form.
> 
> You three don't have that problem; showing a tremendious difference between you and lesser authors.




Wow.  That's pretty high praise from you guys.  Thanks, it makes it easy to keep on writing.  To mix things up a little, I think that I am going to try to write my next update from one of the PC's perspectives.  I will take requests, so readers, who should I use?

Sorry, no Caine.  He won't be an option at that point.  Oops...did I give something away?


----------



## Longbow

GFunk, all the best for your marriage (I suppose you don´t marry a gamer-girl?  ).

What I like about the SH is when an enemy gives his thoughts about the characters (in combat or normal encounter) and their actions, like you did in a fight between a dragon (I guess it was the black in Test of the Smoking Eye) and the group.


----------



## JollyDoc

Joachim said:
			
		

> Wow.  That's pretty high praise from you guys.  Thanks, it makes it easy to keep on writing.  To mix things up a little, I think that I am going to try to write my next update from one of the PC's perspectives.  I will take requests, so readers, who should I use?
> 
> Sorry, no Caine.  He won't be an option at that point.  Oops...did I give something away?




Not Grimm.  That would be too easy.  I vote Wathros...oh...wait.  Umm...I'm out of ideas.


----------



## JollyDoc

Longbow said:
			
		

> GFunk, all the best for your marriage (I suppose you don´t marry a gamer-girl?  ).
> 
> What I like about the SH is when an enemy gives his thoughts about the characters (in combat or normal encounter) and their actions, like you did in a fight between a dragon (I guess it was the black in Test of the Smoking Eye) and the group.




No such luck Longbow!  In fact, G has been trying to explain to her exactly what the hell it is that he does every Sunday without making her think he's a total freak!

I'm glad to hear you say that.  You should definitely like this next update.  Lots of input from Ike Iverson and his devilish friend


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

*Maybe superfluous but pimping a good SH is okay*

Good morning NWK,

If you like that combination: "very high level, but I can always tell what's going on DnD-wise" you might wanna check out the Story Hour by ltclnlbrain. Imho it has these same qualities. You can find it in his sig, a few posts up.




			
				Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Congrats gfunk! Happy Honeymooning, too!
> 
> As for the storytelling, I agree with Joachim that detailing the fight would not have added much to the story. However, I always love it when you guys go into details! The great thing is that your writing stile is very high level, but I can always tell what's going on DnD-wise. That combination rocks and is not present in most other SHs out there.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> I


----------



## Lela

Hmmm, Rusty fits into your common character personia rather well Joachim.  So I'm voting Tilly.


----------



## Joachim

Grimm leveled this week!  Changes since last update are underlined.  I am excited about trying out Stand Still in actual combat, seeing if it is worth it or not...

*Grimm Grakka (Fighter 6/Exotic Weapon Master 3/Planar Champion 3)*
*Dervish of the Planes*

----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Large Giant [Half-Ogre, Oerthian]*
*Hit Dice:* 12d10+48 (118 hps)
*Initiative:* +2
*Speed:* 30 ft. (6 squares)
*Armor Class:* 33 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural, +11 armor, +2 deflection, +3 shield, +1 insight), touch 13, flat-footed 32
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +12/+23
*Attack:* _+2 Adamantine Spiked Chain_ +21 melee (2d6+14)
*Full Attack:* _+2 Adamantine Spiked Chain _ +21/+16/+11 melee (2d6+14) or Flurry of Strikes +19/+19/+14/+9 (2d6+14)
*Space/Reach:* 10 ft./20 ft.(with Spiked Chain)
*Special Attacks:* Flurry of Strikes, Attack Ethereal, Exotic Reach, Exotic Trip
*Special Qualities:* Darkvision 60 ft., Favored Plane (The Abyss), _See Invisibility_ at will
*Saves:* Fort +17, Ref +10, Will +10
*Abilities:* Str 25, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
*Skills:* Knowledge (The Planes) +4, Listen +14, Craft (Weaponsmith) +3
*Feats:* Blindfighting, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain), Iron Will, Power Attack, Stand Still, Weapon Focus (Spiked Chain), Weapon Specialization (Spiked Chain)
*Environment:* The Pomarj (previously), Vilhon Reach (currently)
*Organization:* Solitary, Murder (6-7)
*Challenge Rating:* 13 (Exp: 81k, +/- as of 06/07/04 Session)
*Treasure:* Items
*Alignment:* Chaotic Good
*Advancement:* By character class
*Level Adjustment:* +1

_This massively muscled humanoid before you stands just over eight feet tall, has drab olive skin covered in strange tatoos, and brandishes a massive spiked chain in his hands.  Obviously of giant-ish stock, he observes you cautiously, a spark of cunning in his eyes._

Grimm Grakka was born the product of a rampaging ogre warrior and the poor victim of the ogre's lust.  Grimm's mother died during childbirth, and he was raised by her husband, a common blacksmith from the Pomarj area of Oerth.  Grimm was recruited by Barret Tremean, a Paladin of Heironeous, to join the Swords of Light.  The Swords of Light were a band of good adventurers sworn to fighting all fiend-kind.

Having received his indoctrination into the Swords of Light, the half-ogre is now a warrior of the planes, seeking to beat down evil outsiders wherever they may reside!

Grimm stands just over 8 feet tall and weighs 425 pounds.  He speaks Common (Oerthian), Common (Faerunian), Celestial, Draconic, Giant (Oerthian), Infernal, and Abyssal.

*Combat*

Grimm attacks using his spiked chain.  He prefers to attack from the full extent of his reach with the long weapon, using his flurry of strikes ability and attacks of opportunity to decimate his foes.

*Flurry of Strikes [Spiked Chain]:* When wielding a spiked chain in both hands, Grimm may elect to use a full attack action to make a flurry of strikes.  When doing so, he may make one extra attack in the round at his highest attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as do all other attacks made in that round and until Grimm's next turn.

*Favored Plane (The Abyss):* Grimm has studied the natives of the Abyss extensively.  Grimm gains a +1 bonus of Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against an Abyssal native.  Likewise, Grimm gains the same bonus on weapon damage rolls against Abyssal natives.  In addition, Grimm gains a +1 on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks when interacting with Abyssal natives (yeah, that's gonna happen).

*See Invisibility (Su):* Grimm has the ability to see invisibility, as per the spell cast by a 5th level sorceror.  This ability allows Grimm to see ethereal creatures.

*Attack Ethereal (Su):* Grimm can transform his spiked chain into a material force effect at will, enabling him to attack creatures on the Ethereal Plane.  If Grimm is wielding a magical spiked chain, this ability eliminates the 50% miss chance when attacking an incorporeal foe.  This ability begins and ends as a free action.

*Exotic Reach [Spiked Chain]:* Grimm threatens opponents with cover (except total cover) and may attempt attacks of opportunity against targets with cover.

*Exotic Trip [Spiked Chain]:* Grimm gains a +2 bonus on the Strength check to trip an opponent when using his spiked chain. 

*Magic Items of Note(as of June 07, 2004, Session)*

_+2 Cloak of Resistance, +2 Belt of Strength, +2 Bracers of Health, +2 Adamantine Spiked Chain, +3 Full Plate, +1 Animated Large Steel Shield, +2 Ring of Protection, Ring of Evasion, +2 Amulet of Natural Armor, Boots of Striding and Springing, Deep Red Ioun Stone (+2 Dex), Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 insight bonus to AC), Cape of the Mountebank (in backpack) _

*Other Items(as of June 07, 2004, Session)*

_12 Potions of Cure Light Wounds, 6 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds, 6 Potions of Cure Serious Wounds, 8 Potions of Bless Weapon, 3 Potions of Fly, 1 Potion of Heroism, 1 Potion of Bull's Strength_, Locked Gauntlet, Portable Ram, Masterwork Spiked Chain


----------



## Lela

Joachim said:
			
		

> *Organization:* Solitary, *Murder (6-7)*



Does that line send chills down anyone else's spine?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

dang double post :\


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

A'vandira Silvermane said:
			
		

> Good morning NWK,
> 
> If you like that combination: "very high level, but I can always tell what's going on DnD-wise" you might wanna check out the Story Hour by ltclnlbrain. Imho it has these same qualities. You can find it in his sig, a few posts up.



 Thanks, I'll be sure to check it out!


----------



## ltclnlbrain

A'vandira Silvermane said:
			
		

> Good morning NWK,
> 
> If you like that combination: "very high level, but I can always tell what's going on DnD-wise" you might wanna check out the Story Hour by ltclnlbrain. Imho it has these same qualities. You can find it in his sig, a few posts up.




Thanks for the SH pimp-age, A'vandira. It wouldn't have been proper for me to do it myself, so it's nice to see one of my loyal readers do it for me.    Unfortunately, my Internet connection has been down for the past few days, so I haven't been able to work on updates, but I will post the next one as soon as possible.


----------



## gfunk

I would like to see Rich's next update from Entropy's perspective.


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> I would like to see Rich's next update from Entropy's perspective.




And we get our first post from India...and gfunk thinks that he is going to be able to stay away from us during his clinicals.  

I would post from Entropy's perspective, but the problem is that I don't know where Entropy is; i.e. someone needs to update his Story Hour so that we will know how the Lich Queen module turns out...


----------



## gfunk

Two words . . . Red Dawn. See if you can figure that one out. 

P.S.  If you need a hint, think of what Amal picked up from Vlaakith.


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> I would like to see Rich's next update from Entropy's perspective.




It's funny you should mention this, G.  This past Sunday the Bright Axes had a showdown with the Lords of Oblivian, led by Thifirane Rhiavadi.  As it so happens, Thifirane has a third eye in the middle of her forehead.  As it further so happens, the fig I used for Thifirane just happened to be Entropy's old fig.  Coincidence?  Hmmm....


----------



## cidak

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> It's funny you should mention this, G.  This past Sunday the Bright Axes had a showdown with the Lords of Oblivian, led by Thifirane Rhiavadi.  As it so happens, Thifirane has a third eye in the middle of her forehead.  As it further so happens, the fig I used for Thifirane just happened to be Entropy's old fig.  Coincidence?  Hmmm....




and the out come was.......?


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> It's funny you should mention this, G.  This past Sunday the Bright Axes had a showdown with the Lords of Oblivian, led by Thifirane Rhiavadi.  As it so happens, Thifirane has a third eye in the middle of her forehead.  As it further so happens, the fig I used for Thifirane just happened to be Entropy's old fig.  Coincidence?  Hmmm....




This is the conversation that was held:

[JOLLYDOC]:  Amongst others, there is a female wearing robes, who has a third eye in her head.

[GROUP]: (silence)

[JOACHIM]:  Ummm...Joe...is it a coincidence that you are using Entropy's figure?

[JOLLYDOC]: (cackling) Oh that's right, Entropy does have a third eye in her forehead, doesn't she?

[GROUP]:  (gulp)


----------



## gfunk

Why don't one of you guys email me a quick summary?


----------



## bbarrington

Lo said:
			
		

> and the out come was.......?




Yeah, I'm curious to hear how that went down. What was the EL? 20?


----------



## gfunk

I just got off of AIM with JollyDoc.  Turns out that said adversary merely bore an "uncanny" resemblence to Entropy.  More details will be provided in forthcoming updates.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> I just got off of AIM with JollyDoc.  Turns out that said adversary merely bore an "uncanny" resemblence to Entropy.  More details will be provided in forthcoming updates.



 Yeah, I'm sure the real encounter is not taking place for a few more levels...  , which we are all looking forward to !!!


----------



## Joachim

bbarrington said:
			
		

> Yeah, I'm curious to hear how that went down. What was the EL? 20?




SPOILER ALERT:  Yes it was.  We went in through the roof, caught them unbuffed (and we *were* buffed) and then the Bright Axes proceeded to whip the $#%& out of most of the combatants.  Three NPC's escaped with their lives (or unlives, as the case may be).  Kiko has definitely come into his own and was very, very effective in that fight.

HIGHLIGHTS:

To quote Peter Venkman (of Ghostbusters fame), "We came, we saw, we kicked [their] a$$!"

Thifirane cast some pretty powerful spells, but never truly engaged us.

Mahad sat back and watched with interest until she had enough and left the premises.  Her 'cloak' bit the big one, though, which I am sure did not please her very much.

As stated previously, Kiko was THE MAN during that fight.  Monks vs. medium-sized opponents can be very nasty when played optimally (which Kiko was). High AC + good saves + SR + stoneskin (from Dalthon) + lots of attacks = EEP!

Rusty, Tilly, and Dalthon never really got the opportunity to truly bring their guns to bear during the fight, but they did somewhat have their shining moments.

Grimm does 124 points of damage in one round to an ogre mage, 85 points of damage in one round to a Dread Wraith, and 108 points in one round to a wizard.

With an Empowered Fireball, Dalthon managed to hit nine enemies.  Thanks to poor SR rolls and evasion, only one of the nine took any damage from it.  Unbelievably bad rolling (or good, depending on your point of view).

Evard's Black Tentacles rears its ugly, rubbery head once again.

None of the Bright Axes were severely damaged.  But, to quote Han Solo after Luke shot down his first TIE Fighter, "Great job! Just don't get cocky..."


----------



## bbarrington

Joachim said:
			
		

> SPOILER ALERT:




Nice! Glad to hear you guys didn't go the "bust down the front door" route. I look forward to seeing the write up of that encounter.

BTW, my party finished Smoking Eye this past Sunday and we start Soul Pillars this weekend. Those assassins are pretty nasty.

Also, they are not doing anymore strange stuff like toppling statues with Stone Shape...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> SPOILER ALERT:  Yes it was.  We went in through the roof, caught them unbuffed (and we *were* buffed) and then the Bright Axes proceeded to whip the $#%& out of most of the combatants.  Three NPC's escaped with their lives (or unlives, as the case may be).  Kiko has definitely come into his own and was very, very effective in that fight.



Nice going! I can't wait for that part of the story. Doesn't being on the strategically right side of combat for a change make you players feel good?   



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> None of the Bright Axes were severely damaged.  But, to quote Han Solo after Luke shot down his first TIE Fighter, "Great job! Just don't get cocky..."



That's right: There are still plenty of folks out there just waiting to whip your butts!


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Doesn't being on the strategically right side of combat for a change make you players feel good?




These modules seem to always put you on the wrong side strategically, except for this one time.  For example:

*  You're in a room half-filled with water that slows your movement to 1/2, but not the Kuo Toans that are fighting you.  

*  You're in a room that is full of webs that sticks you to the floor, but not the spiderlings that are attacking you.

*  You're fighting a high-flying red dragon in the open with no (inflammable) cover.

*  You're attacked while at dinner (unbuffed) by a trio of nasty assassins (mega-buffed).

This fight was different.  The BBEG's were all in one room, unawares and unbuffed.  We prance in, and proceed to waylay everybody, no problemo.  Now, if we had come in the front door, fighting from room to room, the outcome would likely have been far far far far different.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

It was a great Fight I finally realized what a monk is good for. So far he has been next to useless against all the demons and Buffed out fighter types the only good thing about Kiko up to this point is he could not die or he would not stay dead(thanks to Revivy)  . Now that I say this he will be the next one to go down.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Now that I say this he will be the next one to go down.



We are on unlucky page 13, after all...   

Anyway, I hope to read about these adventures some day, _hint, hint_


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> We are on unlucky page 13, after all...
> 
> Anyway, I hope to read about these adventures some day, _hint, hint_




Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'll be posting my update this weekend.  Just wanted to space things out a bit (but not too long...hint).  Yes, the Bright Axes certainly came out on top against Thifirane's guests.  But as mentioned, Thifirane made her escaped (unscathed I might add), taking the regenerating ogre mage and her shield guardian with her.  Mhad also left.  Note, I did not say escaped.  She never considered herself in danger, and in fact never entered combat.  She merely sat back and took careful notes...


----------



## gfunk

I hope for your sakes (Grimm, Kiko, Rusty, Dathon, Tilly) that you finish the module this coming Sunday.  Because if you don't, guess who will be running the BBEG at the end?

That's right, the 2003 GenCon Toughman . . . ME!


----------



## cidak

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> *She merely sat back and took careful notes*...




Bewarned!  

Now she will not be just prepared by a powergaming author of the module, she will now be specifically prepared for the Party by a powergaming DM within the storyline written by a powergaming author.


----------



## ltclnlbrain

Sounds like a great fight. I haven't had a chance to run the adventure yet, but I was pretty sure the enemies would mop the floor with my PCs should they decided to attack. It's good to see that with some good tactics (and some luck!) they will be able to pull through. I'm looking forward to the next update.


----------



## Joachim

Lo said:
			
		

> Bewarned!
> 
> Now she will not be just prepared by a powergaming author of the module, she will now be specifically prepared for the Party by a powergaming DM within the storyline written by a powergaming author.




Problem is, all she saw was:

*   Kiko can trip and punch

*   Grimm can swing a spiked chain

*   Dalthon can cast 'fireball', 'dimension door', and 'haste'

*   Rusty can cast 'searing light'

*   Tilly can hide in a corner and wait for the Evard's to be dispelled.

How much is that worth?


----------



## Lela

I tought Evard's didn't affect small creatures.  Or is that new in 3.5?


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Joachim said:
			
		

> Problem is, all she saw was:
> 
> *   Kiko can trip and punch
> 
> *   Grimm can swing a spiked chain
> 
> *   Dalthon can cast 'fireball', 'dimension door', and 'haste'
> 
> *   Rusty can cast 'searing light'
> 
> *   Tilly can hide in a corner and wait for the Evard's to be dispelled.
> 
> How much is that worth?





Alot considering thats about all we can do so yea your right she Didn't learn much from that fight.


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> I tought Evard's didn't affect small creatures.  Or is that new in 3.5?




Evard's has been revised, and for the better IMO.  Basically, anyone within the area of effect has to make a grapple check against the tentacles.  Their check is equal to caster level + 8 (21 in this particular situation).  If you fail, you are grappled, and next round they start inflicting 1d6 + 4 in bludgeoning damage with each successful grapple check.  Small characters are actually at a severe disadvantage because the tentacles are treated as large, so against a small character, the check would actually be 12 + caster level.


----------



## Lela

Dang. . .

Looks like I'll be pulling those out again.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Hurray, 

JollyDoc is posting his update this weekend !!! Great Stuff !!!!!  


PS: That version of EBT sounds nasty. I always thought it to be one of the small breaks for small characters...


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Hurray,
> 
> JollyDoc is posting his update this weekend !!! Great Stuff !!!!!




And here it is....


----------



## JollyDoc

“WASN’T THAT SUPPOSED TO BE A BONE DEVIL?”

Caine approached the glaring Calmus Vel, hands outstretched to show he meant no harm.  “Now my friend, shall we have a little talk?”  Vel continued to stare past Caine at his companions.  “Why have you brought infidels and non-believers here?  Don’t you know this is a holy place?”
“I do indeed,” Caine replied.  “The question is…do you?  We came here to see Iverson, and we are met with violence in this house of worship.  Did you expect us?”
“Ike knew you would come,” Vel sneered, “He said that you meant to kill him, and defile this church.  He told us that you should be stopped at all cost.”
“I see,” Caine nodded.  “Tell me…what has become of Truhls, the man I left in Ike’s care for reeducation?”
“That one was sacrificed,” Vel laughed.  “He was not worthy to look upon the face of our Lord.”
“And which Lord would that be?” Caine asked.  “Surely not Kelemvor?”
Vel’s features twisted as he tried to fight the compulsion upon him.  “No…it is not that weakling that we revere,” he said with effort, “but it is not for unbelievers such as you to know the truth of our Lord.”
“Very well,” Caine sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to get anywhere with this line of questioning, “tell us where Iverson is.  That wouldn’t offend your sensibilities too much, would it?”
“Not at all,” Vel smiled.  “He’s expecting you.  He’s waiting in the upper cathedral.”  He nodded towards the spiraling, iron staircase.  
“ I thank you, friend,” Caine said, turning away, and heading towards the stair, “but I’m afraid we can’t just leave you here to continue your mischief.  Gentlemen, I leave him to you, but see that he is not unduly harmed.”  With that, Grimm, Rusty and Kiko moved in to surround Calmus Vel, and before he could open his mouth to protest, his vision went black…

______________________________________________________

As the group made their way up the staircase, they passed by several rooms which seemed to be living chambers for the temple’s higher ranked clergy.  In one richly appointed room they found a large desk.  As Tilly was rummaging through it, he uncovered a poorly hidden false bottom in one of the drawers.  Along with several mundane ledgers detailing the day-to-day operations of the church, he found one scrap of parchment addressed to the high priestess herself:

High Priestess, 

As many have heard me say, the cages alone
will not afford the completion of the ritual.
What more is needed I cannot say, and so I
continue to explore the mysteries of the soul
pillars at great peril.  The guardian grows 
ever more restless, and the insanity that lies
frozen in Karran-Kural is beginning to stir.
My price has doubled.

F.

Not knowing what to make of the strange correspondence, they filed it away for the moment, but felt certain they had discovered an important clue.
____________________________________________________

The winding, iron staircase finally reached a large, vaulted chamber, its ceiling reaching a peak some fifty feet above.  A low dais commanded the center of the room, and a strange, silvery-gray cage hung from the domed ceiling.  Grimm was the first to enter the room, and his cursory perusal of its décor was cut short by the more immediate presence of multiple creatures gathered in the chamber.  Foremost were five, large gray-skinned, multi-eyed brutes.  Their wickedly curved claws drug the ground as they walked.  Grimm noticed that they moved with a slow, graceless lurch, and their skin seemed dry and brittle, with areas of the flesh actually missing in some places, showing desiccated muscle and bone beneath.  At the center of the dais, stood a huge, insectile looking beast, wielding a cruelly barbed spear.  Hovering nearby was a vaguely humanoid mass of inky blackness.  One final detail caught Grimm’s notice before all Hell broke loose.  Floating near the cage at ceiling level, was Ike Iverson.  He was invisible, but Grimm’s keen sight picked him out immediately.  Calmus Vel had been right; they were expected.
____________________________________________________________                                                                                                                                                                          
Ike looked down at the scene below with both anticipation and trepidation.  That the Bright Axes would come was a forgone conclusion.  He knew, once he’d heard of the failure of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, that it would only be a matter of time before the so-called heroes would trace the attempt back to him.  Still, the reality of their presence here set off a twinge of fear in his breast.  The tales of their exploits were near legendary in the city, and if even half of them were true, then he was in for the fight for his life.  Nevertheless, he would much rather face them than his ‘benefactor,’ the one who set this whole debacle in motion in the first place.  His church had benefited greatly from recent events, and now his marker had come due, and he had been called upon to perform the required service for his master.  If only Embril were here…
__________________________________________________________

Before Grimm could react to the situation, the shadow creature darted towards him like a striking cobra.  A tendril of pure blackness lightly caressed his skin, and he immediately felt a soul-numbing cold penetrate into his flesh.  In a split-second, the demonic insect on the dais gestured broadly, and a hail of ice and sleet engulfed the half-ogre, spilling down the stairs behind him where Tilly, Grimm and Rusty were moving up.  Tilly quickly leaped and tumbled up the remaining stairs, followed by an equally nimble Kiko.  The pair moved beyond the edge of the ice storm, only to find themselves face to face with two of the rotting, gray behemoths.  Like dervishes, the rogue and the monk began pummeling and slashing at the brutes, but though they struck with devastating precision, the creatures seemed to shrug off the blows, and lumbered in for the kill.

Grimm could tell that the wraith was not wholly present on the material plane.  His training as a planar champion had prepared him to face just such an opponent.  With only an instant’s concentration, he focused his chain into a weapon capable of piercing even the fabric of the ethereal plane.  Whirling it above him, he struck at the wraith, feeling solid flesh yield to his blows, instead of incorporeal shadow.  The creature reeled in surprise, and then struck back, raking the half-ogre a second time with its deadly touch, draining a little more of his life force away.

The devil on the dais, a creature normally at home in only the coldest of the nine Hells, wanted nothing more than to return to its frigid abode, but it had made a bargain with the priest, and the sooner these mortals lay dead at its feet, the sooner it could depart this accursed plane.  As the ice storm faded, the fiend saw that more of the pathetic creatures still remained in the stairwell.  One thing it had learned from the Blood War was the benefit of tactics:  divide and conquer.  Summoning its innate magic once again, it conjured a wall of thick ice at the bottom of the stair, trapping several of the mortals on the other side.

“Well this ain’t no good,” Rusty growled, as the ice wall formed in front of him, leaving Caine, Dalthon and himself on this side, while Grimm, Kiko and Tilly fought for their lives on the other.  Recognizing the magical effect for what it was, the dwarf quickly summoned a counter-spell, dispelling the barrier in the blink of an eye.  “Now then,” he said, moving up the stair to Grimm’s side, “let’s take it to’em boys!”

Ike was momentarily hopeful when he saw the ice devil’s tactics, but Rusty’s appearance told him that he would be a fool to underestimate this group.  Seeing a perfect opportunity, with Rusty and Grimm side by side, he elected to end his invisibility by flame striking the pair.

Grimm tried to shake off the painful effects of the flame blast.  Even though Ike had revealed himself (though Grimm now noted that the priest had several illusionary doubles surrounding him), the more immediate threat was the wraith.  The half-ogre struck it again with his enchanted flail, and as it recoiled from the blow, several fiery blue bolts streaked past him to burst deep inside its body.  With an unearthly wail, it dissolved into nothingness.  Grimm gave a quick salute to Dalthon, who winked back at him from the stairs below.  

Tilly and Kiko continued to beat on the gray monstrosities, while at the same time trying to avoid being struck in turn.  They managed to do this fairly well, but occasionally one of the massive clawed hands would penetrate their defenses, and unfortunately, the damage they dealt seemed to be much more significant than that done by the monk and the rogue.  To Kiko’s dismay, a third brute had now shambled into the fray, and he had to redouble his efforts to stay alive.

The ice devil was furious that the gnats were able to escape its trap.  If they would spurn its attempt at mercy, then they would have to be shown the error of their ways.  The fiend stepped near the top of the stairs, and launched a cone-shaped blast of frigid air down it, catching Rusty, Grimm, Dalthon and Caine in its effect.  Caine, though chilled to the marrow, seized the opportunity to charge up the stairs, darting towards the devil with his hand outstretched.  If he could only touch the fiend, he could easily end its threat.  However, his opponent would not be caught quite so easily. The ice devil sidestepped deftly to one side, bringing its great spear in between itself and the sorcerer.  

Grimm cursed roundly.  He continued to be hampered from dealing with the true foes here.  As he prepared to move to Caine’s aid, one of the zombie-like gray giants moved to block him.  In a rage, the planar champion launched into a flurry of attacks, hacking huge chunks from the monster’s hide, until it fell into a decaying heap at his feet.  

Dalthon moved to the top of the stairs, and quickly assessed the situation.  He could see Ike hovering above, and could also see the nature of the defense the priest had woven around himself with the mirror images.  The sorcerer was a veteran of many magical combats, and knew just how to counter such a trick.  Conjuring another volley of magic missiles, he sent one at each of the dancing illusions, obliterating them one at a time, until finally only the true Ike remained, and the last missile struck him directly.

The ice devil continued to maneuver around Caine, driving the apostle back towards the stairs and his companions.  Caine realized his error a moment too late in allowing himself to be herded.  He, Grimm, Rusty and Dalthon were too close together, and a second ice storm enveloped them.  Though grievously injured, Caine seized the moment, knowing the devil would be momentarily distracted.  He lunged again, and this time he just managed to touch one finger to the fiend’s armored carapace.  The devil felt an eerie calm fall over it, and for some reason it could not fathom, all desire to kill left.  It slowly lowered its spear to its side.

Ike clapped his hands in glee as he saw his devilish ally continue to wreak havoc on the so-called heroes.  He decided that it was time to become more directly involved, now that his enemies were sufficiently weakened.  Focusing on Rusty, for of all the sins these non-believers had committed this day, heresy was the worst, Ike called forth his most deadly spell, one that could snuff the life out of a creature in an instant.  Rusty clutched at his chest as the wave of destruction passed through him.  For just an instant, he literally felt his heart stop, but just as quickly it jolted back to life, leaving him with wracking pains.  Ike cursed as he saw that his spell did not have the full effect.  He prepared to follow-up with a coup-de-grace, when suddenly his eyes locked onto the hulking form of Grimm as the half-ogre launched himself into the air, flying straight towards the cleric.

Grimm had his quarry dead to rights, and was almost upon him, when abruptly the ice devil appeared in mid-air directly in front of him.  Though it could not bring itself to physically attack the mortal, it knew of another way to protect its partner in crime.  The planar champion fully intended to plow right through the fiend, but suddenly a feeling of sheer terror overcame him.  He could not bring himself to face such a foul creature.  In a panic, he wheeled about, and dove for the staircase, desperate to escape to safety.

“Well done, my friend!” Ike squealed in the infernal language of the Hells.  He could not have planned this any better.  His enemies were scattered, ripe for the picking, and he was preparing to do just that, when he suddenly found himself encased in a resilient sphere of force.  Enraged, he pounded uselessly on the walls of the prison, knowing that bastard Caine was responsible for it.  Not that the parlor trick would change the battle’s outcome, it would just delay the inevitable.  Focusing his magic, Ike set about trying to dispel the sphere.

On the ground below, Kiko delivered one final spinning heel kick to the neck of the zombie in front of him.  The brute’s spine snapped audibly, and it toppled like a felled oak.  Behind him, Tilly struggled to finish off his own adversary, but Rusty saved him the trouble, recovering from his trauma enough to blast the monster with a beam of searing, radiant light.  That only left two of the behemoths, and without hesitation, the monk and the rogue moved to engage them, hoping to give the spell casters breathing room to finish off the more dangerous adversaries.

Caine knew what had happened even before Grimm rocketed past him.  He could see the abject terror on his friend’s face, and knew that he had succumbed to the devil’s unholy aura.  However, just as Caine expected, Grimm came to an abrupt halt as he passed the sorcerer.  Caine’s own aura of utter peace and calm settled over the half-ogre, and his fear left him.  The apostle knew that if Grimm left his immediate presence, the panic would return, so he solved the problem permanently by laying one hand on the warrior’s shoulder, allowing his touch to pacify the planar champion.  Grimm gave a wry smile to the sorcerer.  The human was certainly not one to be underestimated.  “My thanks, friend,” he said, “but I’m afraid I’m not much use to us if I don’t have the will to fight.”  “I understand,” Caine said smiling in return, “but it is not in my nature to use violence.  Jules, however, sometimes has a mind of his own.”  Sensing his master’s intent, Jules hovered before Grimm, and abruptly delivered a minor jolt of electricity to the half-ogre, ending the pacification effect, and allowing him the freedom to return to the battle.

Ike finally freed himself from the imprisoning sphere, and then whirled on the ice devil, which still hovered several feet away.  “What are you waiting for, fool!?” he screamed at the fiend, “Get down there and destroy them!”  “I’m afraid I…can’t” the creature replied, and it was then that Ike knew what had happened.  That infernal pacifist was up to his usual tricks.  Well, that was certainly easily remedied.  Drawing back his arm, he struck the ice devil’s face with one mailed fist, freeing it from Caine’s spell.  Infuriated at how it had been duped, the fiend dove for the melee once again.

Dalthon observed that Caine’s ploy had failed to stop Iverson as hoped.  In their current, disorganized state, they could not afford to allow the priest to rain spells down on them unchecked.  Ike’s magical defenses appeared to be formidable, and that gave the sorcerer an idea.  “Rusty,” he called to the dwarf, “follow my lead!”  Dalthon wove his own dispelling field, centering it directly on Ike.  To his relief, he saw several magical auras surrounding the priest wink out.  “Good plan!” Rusty laughed, and then he too placed a dispelling field on Ike.  Several more auras vanished.  “Stop them!” Ike cried to the ice devil.  He knew that his defensive spells were all that stood between him and a quick, messy death.  The devil responded by blasting at Grimm, Caine, Rusty and Dalthon with a third ice storm.  Simultaneously, Ike conjured a minor, but extremely effective miracle, placing Dalthon within a globe of silence, thus preventing the sorcerer from uttering any more spells.  In further response to Ike’s command, the gray render zombies redoubled their attacks, with one of them smashing Tilly repeatedly, while the second broke off from Kiko, and shambled for the stairs, hammering at Rusty while he was still blinded from the sleet and ice.

As the storm faded, Grimm knew he had to do something to turn the tide.  They were fighting a purely defensive battle at this point, and at this rate they would be overwhelmed all too soon.  Once again he vaulted into the air, arrowing towards Ike.  As the priest saw his approach, he drew forth a large bastard sword, crackling with magical energy.  Grimm stopped his charge several yards away from Ike, and then snapped out his chain, wrapping it tightly around the cleric’s sword and jerking it from his hands, sending it tumbling towards the floor below.  “Help me!” Ike screamed, trying to retreat from the enraged half-ogre.  Unfortunately, his ability to wind walk only allowed him slow progress, while Grimm prepared a full charge attack.  However, he was interrupted once more by the sudden arrival of Ike’s pet devil.  The fiend soared up just beneath the half-ogre, who managed to take a minor swipe at it just as it came within range, but then suddenly, Grimm felt the fear grip him again.  He could not resist, and once more, he fled the battlefield.

Now that Kiko was unengaged, he saw an opportunity.  Caine had gifted him with a flight spell prior to entering the high temple, and the monk took to the air, hoping to reach Ike while the ice devil was distracted with Grimm.  Ike saw his approach too late, and had no weapon with which to fend him off.  The monk connected solidly with a palm-heel strike to the priest’s jaw.  From the floor below, Rusty saw Kiko’s plight, and ignoring the rampaging render in front of him, the dwarf used his magic to smite at Ike with pure holy energy.  Ike now found himself completely on the defensive.  He could not lower his guard long enough to cast a spell against the monk, so rapid were Kiko’s attacks.  Fortunately for Ike, the ice devil finally turned its full attention back to assisting him.  Kiko turned, hearing the devil approach, and though his reflexes were finely honed and cat-like, he could not avoid a single one of the barrages of punishing blows the fiend layered upon him.  With a final slash of its spear, the devil delivered a magical blast that made Kiko’s muscles feel sluggish, like jelly.  

Once more, Caine saw Grimm’s retreat, and he prepared to intercept the half-ogre again before he could flee entirely.  Distracted, he failed to notice the render that had been attacking Rusty was now coming for him.  The brute slashed into Caine, leaving horrible wounds in the apostle’s flesh.  Staggered, Caine nonetheless managed to step in front of Grimm as the planar champion entered the stairwell, and laid hands upon him.  Again, Grimm felt the fear pass.  He nodded once more to Caine, and began turning to engage the render, when a flash of light appeared on the stairs right behind the sorcerer.  As it faded, Grimm saw the alien face of the ice devil standing not five feet from the apostle.

Tilly found himself in an unenviable position.  One gray render stood behind him, while a second one blocked the staircase.  Caine, Dalthon and Grimm were somewhere below, beyond the second render, while Rusty still remained topside, but the priest seemed preoccupied in dealing with the threat of Iverson.  Tilly was on his own.  He lunged at the zombie blocking the stair, slicing into its decaying flesh, but not budging it an inch.  The brute whirled on him, slashing at him with its claws and forcing him back towards its brethren.  

Rusty was indeed more concerned with Ike Iverson.  The priest was still unscathed, and unchallenged.  It was he who controlled the monstrosities in this chamber of horrors, and the dwarf was sure that if he could be taken down, the rest would follow.  Summoning what was left of his offensive magic, Rusty hurled a bolt of concentrated light at the corrupt Kelemvorite, followed immediately by a righteous hammer blow of pure force.  Iverson was hurled backwards, colliding with the mysterious cage dangling from the domed ceiling.  While he was still reeling, Rusty charged.  Dalthon and Caine had managed to confer flight magic on almost all of the company, and the dwarf made a mental note to buy them a round of ale when all this was finished.  In mid-air, he drew his axe, raising it over his head.  He was only two or three yards away from Ike, when the priest finally recovered his wits.  In desperation, Iverson cast his most potent spell, and as Rusty closed to him, he reached out and slammed his open palm into the dwarf’s chest.  Rusty’s eyes went wide in shock as he felt his heart first stutter, then stop.

Grimm slashed at the ice devil, trying to keep it off balance to prevent it from bringing its destructive magic to bear in the close confines of the stairwell.  With a bellow of rage, the fiend reached out and grabbed the half-ogre, lifting all seven hundred pounds of him bodily into the air, spinning him around and then slamming him into the wall.  The ice devil then began pummeling Grimm over and over, until the great warrior was barely conscious, his head whirling.  He tried to raise his hands to block, but found his movements sluggish.  With one final blow, the devil sent him tumbling down the stairs, crashing to the landing below.  Befuddled, and only tenuously keeping himself from fainting, Grimm retreated further down the stairs.  He was beaten, and knew that he could only die if he stayed in the combat, but knew also that he couldn’t abandon his friends.  “Flee!” he called to them, hoping they would have the opportunity.  Perhaps he could find a bolthole to catch his breath and quaff a healing elixir…if it wasn’t too late.

The ice devil turned away from the fleeing half-ogre.  He knew that one wouldn’t be returning, and there were still others to deal with.  The sorcerer and the monk still stood above him, but now another creature had joined them.  Ahhh, the fiend smiled, an archon!  This would be delicious.  The other wizard was nowhere to be seen.  Perhaps he had slipped away in the confusion, but no matter.  Iverson had silenced him, and he was no threat.  Shortly, these remaining three would be no threat either.  The devil sent another cone of frigid air roaring up the stairs, enveloping Kiko, Caine and Jules.  Caine was frozen to the bone.  His breath was ragged and shallow, and he had no feeling in his extremities.  He knew that he would be dead if another such blast came.  They had to get out of here.  Still, Kiko looked even worse off than he.  The monk was still slow in his reaction time.  He had been unable to dodge out of the line of the blast.  Caine commanded Jules to administer what healing he could, then leaned close to the monk.  “We must go now, my friend.  Jules and I can get past the beast.  I know you also have the ability to step between dimensions.  Follow me now!”  With that, Caine opened a trans-dimensional portal and stepped through, reappearing several yards further down the stairs, so that he could be sure that Kiko was coming.  The monk stood shakily, closed his eyes and began concentrating.  However, before he could duplicate Caine’s escape, the ice devil was upon him.  The great fiend drew back its long spear, and ran it thru Kiko’s abdomen.  Unable to even summon the strength to scream, the monk slid off the pike and slumped to the floor.  At that moment, Caine heard a voice that was not his own speaking in his mind.  “Now, my child.  The time is now.  The Choir awaits you.  It is time to take your place among them once more.”  Without a word, Caine repeated his spell, transporting himself to Kiko’s side for the last time.  He knew he did not have the magic power left to perform the spell again.  Once more, he commanded Jules to lend aid, and Caine used his own healing ability to seal Kiko’s wound.  The monk’s eyes opened slowly.  “Caine,” he whispered, climbing to his feet, “why?”  Before the sorcerer could answer, a roar came from behind Kiko.  The gray render at the top of the stair was now only feet away.  Below them, the ice devil was poised to attack again.  Caine stared calmly at Kiko and said, “Go now, my friend.  It has been an honor to know you.”  A final blast of freezing cold filled the stair, but this time, Kiko managed to roll beneath it.  He saw Caine become engulfed, but the render behind him was also caught in the maelstrom.  The undead nightmare began tumbling down the stairwell, bowling the ice devil over, and carrying it along.  Kiko rushed to Caine’s side, but saw that it was too late.  The apostle was dead.  Then, before the monk’s eyes, Caine’s body began to fade.  Slowly, it vanished.  Jules hovered in the air above where Caine had been, and the light from the archon dimmed.  A high-pitched keening sounded from the little celestial, and then in a burst of brightness, it too vanished.  Kiko looked around in confusion.  He could still hear the ice devil below him, and knew it would not be long before the fiend recovered and returned.  Looking back up the stairs, he saw Tilly dashing towards him.  Without a word, the monk grabbed the halfling by the hand, and then stepped between realities.

Rusty opened his mouth and gasped a great gulp of air as his heart jolted back into rhythm.  The slaying spell had failed to kill him outright, but it was a very near thing.  The damage had been done.  He knew he couldn’t stand toe-to-toe with Iverson in his current condition.  He glanced down at the floor below, and saw that all of his companions had gone.  The renders all lay dead, but the ice devil was nowhere to be seen.  His friends were either slain, or on the run.  Either way, he had to make his own escape.  Putting some distance between himself and Iverson, he uttered a quick prayer, and used the last of his divine magic to transport himself to the ethereal plane.  Once in that ghostly realm, he was able to literally walk through the wall of the cathedral, and to freedom beyond.
_______________________________________________________

Ike couldn’t believe it.  Was it truly possible?  Had he actually managed to defeat the vaunted Bright Axes?  He sank slowly to the floor as the reality set in.  He’d done it.  He’d actually done it.  When his benefactor learned of this, Ike’s earlier failure would be forgotten.  He would be rewarded beyond his wildest dreams!  When Embril returned, things were going to be different.  He would be the new high priest, and she would be answering to him.  There would be no limit to his power!  As he reveled in his victory, he saw his fiendish ally returning.  The devil climbed the stairs, and came to stand before the priest, resting its spear haft on the floor.  “I have done as you asked, priest,” the fiend hissed.  “Your enemies are in full retreat.  Victory is yours.  Now, you will fulfill your part of our bargain.”
“Retreat??” Ike gasped.  “What do you mean, retreat?  That wasn’t our arrangement!  You were supposed to kill them!  If they escape, they will only regroup and return.  That won’t do at all!  I refuse to fulfill my part until you do yours!”
The ice devil drew itself up to its full height.  “Our agreement was that your enemies be defeated, priest.”  Its voice dripped venom, and promised death.  “You cannot deny that they have been.  I will ask you once more to fulfill our bargain.”
“Never!” Ike shrieked.  If his benefactor learned of this, Ike knew he would be flayed alive.  He would be given no more chances.  No.  The Bright axes must be dealt with decisively now.  “I command you to go after them and kill them!  I command you!”
“You command nothing!” the devil howled, and then lifting its pike, it swept Ike’s head from his shoulders.  “Now our bargain is complete.  I take your soul in payment.”


----------



## LordVyreth

Well, the party had to run, though that was understandable after the monster mix-up, but one BBEG killed the second, and then left, and the only casualty was one we expected for weeks and who pretty much had to die.  So, victory for the heroes, I guess!  

And I'm very impressed again with Kiko and Caine.  I saw generally ineffective monks and apostles of peace in my game, so it's refreshing to see how they can work so successfully.  I especially liked Caine's trick to restore Grimm to fighting force.

Out of curiosity, how did you handle xp for Ike and the Devil?  Did they get full, a reduced amount, or none?


----------



## Longbow

Great update. My favorite part was the argument at the end of the encounter and Ike´s demise. Good job cleaning that up. Also good was Rusty´s "death".


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> And I'm very impressed again with Kiko and Caine.  I saw generally ineffective monks and apostles of peace in my game, so it's refreshing to see how they can work so successfully.  I especially liked Caine's trick to restore Grimm to fighting force.
> 
> Out of curiosity, how did you handle xp for Ike and the Devil?  Did they get full, a reduced amount, or none?




Yes, if you thought Kiko was good here, wait until you see him in the Lord's of Oblivion update...untouchable!

Because of my mistake with putting the ice devil in in the first place, I decided to award the group full experience.  It was the least I could do.


----------



## JollyDoc

Longbow said:
			
		

> Great update. My favorite part was the argument at the end of the encounter and Ike´s demise. Good job cleaning that up. Also good was Rusty´s "death".




Yes, because in a sense he became a "ghost" by going ethereal.


----------



## monboesen

> I especially liked Caine's trick to restore Grimm to fighting force.




What you like I find a clear cut example of circumventing both the spirit, intent and actual meaning of that wow.  In short, cheating. 

But then again I find the whole concept of an adventuring pacifist stupid. This is just an example of why it does not work. Such a character will continually be faced with the choise of breaking his wows or seeing his friends die.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Nice story, JD! That ice devil was nasty indeed. 




			
				monboesen said:
			
		

> What you like I find a clear cut example of circumventing both the spirit, intent and actual meaning of that wow.  In short, cheating.



I wouldn't be that harsh. Exploit yes - cheating no. Small line, big difference. From a roleplaying perspective I would accept it as DM.


----------



## Zimri

Would you still consider it a cheat ,monboesen, had another party member attacked grimm for subdual damage ?

A darn shame to see Caine and Walthros gone. I wish I lived near where you all were gaming.


----------



## ltclnlbrain

Were the players dissatisfied when they returned to find Ike dead already? I definitely would have wanted to personally take revenge against him had I been in the situation. Nonetheless, it is quite the fitting end for an arrogant jerk who deals with devils, especially those whose CRs are 4 higher than they are supposed to be.


----------



## Lela

monboesen said:
			
		

> What you like I find a clear cut example of circumventing both the spirit, intent and actual meaning of that wow. In short, cheating.



Actually, I think the Apostle of Peace can Remove Fear. 


			
				monboesen said:
			
		

> But then again I find the whole concept of an adventuring pacifist stupid. This is just an example of why it does not work. Such a character will continually be faced with the choise of breaking his wows or seeing his friends die.



If you face no temptation, then your vows are meaningless. And Caine has kept his friends alive on more than one occasion without breaking his vow. He has nothing to be ashamed of.

It's worth noting that Caine has taken a Vow not to cause others harm. He has not, however taken a Vow to prevent others from causing harm.  He doesn't try to force his beliefs on anyone.  He only tries to use his abilities protect his friends and, to take a term from Charmed, innocents.


----------



## Joachim

monboesen said:
			
		

> What you like I find a clear cut example of circumventing both the spirit, intent and actual meaning of that wow.  In short, cheating.




Actually, JD got the story kind of wrong.  Jules never actually _hit_ Grimm, but fired a warning shot to miss, as was ordered by his master Caine.  Regardless of intent, the 'aggressive' action broke the pacifying touch.  Caine would have attempted to subdue himself, but he was out of actions for the turn, thus he turned to his familiar for assistance.

IMHO, a rules loophole, but a justifiable one.  Darn good idea as well, considering the situation.


----------



## Joachim

ltclnlbrain said:
			
		

> Were the players dissatisfied when they returned to find Ike dead already? I definitely would have wanted to personally take revenge against him had I been in the situation. Nonetheless, it is quite the fitting end for an arrogant jerk who deals with devils, especially those whose CRs are 4 higher than they are supposed to be.




As you will read later, we found out _why_ JD made the mistake that he did...he was reading a little too far into the module and got confused.


----------



## monboesen

> Actually, JD got the story kind of wrong. Jules never actually _hit_ Grimm, but fired a warning shot to miss, as was ordered by his master Caine. Regardless of intent, the 'aggressive' action broke the pacifying touch. Caine would have attempted to subdue himself, but he was out of actions for the turn, thus he turned to his familiar for assistance.
> 
> IMHO, a rules loophole, but a justifiable one. Darn good idea as well, considering the situation.




Given the situation and the looming TPK I can understand why it happened and why the dm let it slip. But to me asking your familiar to take aggresive action is no different than doing it yourself (and I seem to remember that it is not the first time Jules has done real damage). If Jules missed on purpose I likely would have had Grimm make some kind of check to see through the ruse of a "fake" attack.

As for the pacifist traveling with companions whom are not only willing to fight and kill, but also exceptionally skilled at it. Well... it just seems so contrived to me. Why would such a person keep going on with others that clearly are not going to be swayed to his cause. 

And even worse, should they ever be the game would either end or at least be so radically changed that it would be very hard to go on. With hordes of vanquished, but living, enemies that now needs to dealt with in some peaceful and meaningful manner. In a game with clearly inherent good and evil creatures the concept of pacifism just don't work for me.

This is not a critique of this particular game or the characters and players in it, but a point of view on the wow of peace in general.


----------



## Lela

JD actually decided a while back that a familiar such as Jules has a will of his own.  It can choose to do things Caine doesn't order him to do, or was ordered not to.  And he doesn't have a Vow of Peace.

It's worth noting that Good characters, in general, don't force their views on others.  Yes, LG characters do tend to push other creatures toward their point of veiw more but they don't force.  That's the province of LN and LE.

As to Caine's goal of pacifying the party (by their own choice), it's partly because it's unrealisitic that it's so reasonable.  It gives depth to the character.  PCs, like real people, have ambitions that will never be realized and goals that are impossible.  In part, it's because Caine is both so noble and tragic that he draws my interest.  It was much the same with Pez, who seemed so angry with the world yet had such a desire to protect it.

That reminds me.  Did we ever find out/decide what Pez did to fall?


----------



## JollyDoc

If you read back to where Caine was first introduced, you will see that with each new party member he has met, he has asked them to take an oath never to harm a defenseless person.  Some took it, and some didn't.  He never tried to force them to.  Also, as Lela mentioned, Jules is a familiar, not a slave, and he does indeed have a free will of his own.  If Caine's life were in danger, Jules would not hesitate to kill in order to protect him.  If you look at it in hindsight, from the point of view that Caine is Pez reborn, the vow of non-violence can be seen as a penance, in a sense to atone for Pez' violent ways.  It is even more of an atonement for a pacifist to journey with killers, even if they are justified killers.  Just as a paladin might adventure with those of different alignments and ethical bents, so might an apostle of peace, imo.

Pez originally fell because he was the trumpet archon who passed judement on Joachim when he made a bargain with a red dragon.  Joachim was later sainted, and thus beyond accusation, so even though Pez was "just doing his job", atonement had to be made.


----------



## LordVyreth

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> If you read back to where Caine was first introduced, you will see that with each new party member he has met, he has asked them to take an oath never to harm a defenseless person.  Some took it, and some didn't.  He never tried to force them to.  Also, as Lela mentioned, Jules is a familiar, not a slave, and he does indeed have a free will of his own.  If Caine's life were in danger, Jules would not hesitate to kill in order to protect him.  If you look at it in hindsight, from the point of view that Caine is Pez reborn, the vow of non-violence can be seen as a penance, in a sense to atone for Pez' violent ways.  It is even more of an atonement for a pacifist to journey with killers, even if they are justified killers.  Just as a paladin might adventure with those of different alignments and ethical bents, so might an apostle of peace, imo.
> 
> Pez originally fell because he was the trumpet archon who passed judement on Joachim when he made a bargain with a red dragon.  Joachim was later sainted, and thus beyond accusation, so even though Pez was "just doing his job", atonement had to be made.




When did he get sainted?  Was it in one of the Story Hours?  And are we talking sainted or Sainted, as in the BoED overpowered template?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Pez originally fell because he was the trumpet archon who passed judement on Joachim when he made a bargain with a red dragon.  Joachim was later sainted, and thus beyond accusation, so even though Pez was "just doing his job", atonement had to be made.



That is rich...and explains why he knew Joachim. Ironically, it was Joachim who 'ressed' him. Great plot twists as usual, JD. You really connect all the open ends!


----------



## Joachim

monboesen said:
			
		

> ...But to me asking your familiar to take aggresive action is no different than doing it yourself (and I seem to remember that it is not the first time Jules has done real damage)...




The vow of peace allows you to take aggressive action, you just can't do hit point or ability damage.  Period.  A Vow of Peace Monk could subdue the crap out of any bad guy he came across.  Caine did not order Jules to hurt Grimm, but to take the aggressive action that would remove the Calm Emotions.

Similar to smacking your comrade on the butt to get rid of an invisibility spell.


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> In part, it's because Caine is both so noble and tragic that he draws my interest.  It was much the same with Pez, who seemed so angry with the world yet had such a desire to protect it.




Hmmmm...you need to sit around our gaming table.  Noble, yes.  Tragic...only to the DM running monsters against the party


----------



## gfunk

I originally posted this in Gfunk's Story Hour, but it has taken a long time for Jollydoc's Story Hour to catch up. Hence, I'm re-posting it here for convenience. BTW, any future updates I have re: Entropy/Joachim/Amal will be posted in this thread.

*Pez Reborn*

Lemaron stepped through the the _gate_ first followed shortly by Vequaniel. It would not do to have their charge threatened in any manner, much less wounded.

The Astral Devas quickly surveyed their surroundings. Their Master’s magic had transported them directly to the heart of Occipitus to the very center of Adimarchus’ former stronghold. Though the floor was constructed of non-descript stone, the ceiling was vast, rounded, and white, bearing twin concavities which were meant to function aesthetically as eye sockets.

From the center of the chamber rose a dazzling pillar of red energy, the apex of which ended in a stream of smoke that spilled out of one of the eye sockets providing the illusion of a smoking eye.

Directly across from their position sat a mammoth creature combining the most repellant features of an ape and boar, its bloated form bleeding from various ulcers which covered its body. Perhaps its most unusual feature was a smoking eye that smelled of brimstone. At least 20 feet tall, the demon was flanked by a pair of reeking fiends who seemed to be chewing on a humanoid form. Judging by its high state of decomposition and the mere rags that it wore, it was clear that this victim was long since dead.

There they stood, Angels and Demons, on opposite ends of the room. The mighty Nalfeshnee roared a challenge to the Devas as it ordered its Hezrou minions into action. Nevertheless, before any blows could land a third figure marched through the _gate_.

To Lemaron and Vequaniel he was bathed in a holy, resplendent light. However, to Caarcrinolas and his subordinates nothing was visible as the glaring light scorched their eyes, blinding them. Indeed, the _blinding glory_ lanced out in all directions for hundreds, nay, thousands of feet. From the eye sockets of Adimarchus’ palace poured celestial luminosity that struck all the evil denizens of the Abyssal plane within a half-mile sightless.

Thinking discretion was most assuredly the better part of valor, Caarcrinolas _teleported _away leaving his Hezrou compatriots to an ignoble demise at the hands of the Devas and their Master. 

--------------------

The Nalfeshnee had arrived at Occipitus a mere tenday ago and found the place ripe for the picking. All the rumors were indeed true! Adimarchus had fallen before Graz’zt and the Plane remained open to conquest. After learning about the Test of Sacrifice, Caarcrinolas had entered the place, _summoned_ a trio of Hezrou, and laughed with sadistic glee as he threw one of them into the scorching pits of Occipitus. 

Considering the myriad corpses that were carelessly strewn around the palace, including that of a Rakshasa, Fire Giant and even a sizable Black Dragon (found decomposing outside), it was easy enough to construct a throne of bones. After his “audience chamber” was complete, the Nalfeshnee simply waited. Occasionally summoning a Glabrezu or pair of Vrocks to do his bidding, Caarcrinolas felt it would only be a matter of time before he had enough power and experience to consciously tap into his morphic potential and exhibit complete control over Occipitus.

Of course, there were other pretenders to his throne – many of whom were messily dispatched by his own hands. In some cases, the Demon thought with an ironic smile, they were subjected to the same fate that they hoped to inflict upon their own allies – death in Adimarchus’ plasma pit.

One day ago, a human, dead no less, had arrived in his throne room complete with a smoking eye mirroring Caarcrinolas’ own. Simply incinerating a dead body was no challenge and far too noble a fate in the Nalfeshnee’s estimation. Instead, the Hezrous had desecrated it in every way possible and would have done so much more if not for the timely intervention of the Devas and something else.

Indeed, as Caarcrinolas frantically _teleported_ away from Adimarchus’ palace, he wondered who or what that “something else” was. He distinctly remembered seeing a humanoid form before he was blinded – but what being possessed such an almighty, monumental aura? Could it have been an avatar, a living manifestation of some deity – Lathander perhaps?

Nevertheless, one thing was clear. The Nalfeshnee was prepared to quit Occipitus for now. He had no desire to return too soon – return and share the fate of his Hezrous.

--------------------

“What are your instructions Master?”

After slaying the toad-like demons, Lemaron and Vequaniel had discarded their corpses into the plasma vent. They now stood, uncomfortable and unnerved, around the violated body that the Hezrous had defiled.

Bearing the herald of Tyr, complete with warhammer and the scales of justice, a human in full plate mail nodded his head, “He too must be sent to the flame.”

“But, Master . . . are you certain?”

“Vequaniel, Tyr has sent you to protect me, not question my authority. This being’s body serves no further purpose to anybody, particularly in this state. We owe him the honor of purging his mortal coil. I am interested in his soul which has been cleansed of imperfections, not his carcass.”

“As you command, my Lord.”

After his companion had incinerated the corpse, Lemaron placed a brilliant diamond on the cold floor of the chamber as his master chanted the words to a _true resurrection _spell.

“By battling the Eryines to save the life of your fellows you have shown exemplary valor. By giving up your own life to save the city of Cauldron you have exhibited singular moral clarity. And, finally, for attempting to heal your friend even in the face of impending doom you have shown exceptional compassion. Though your powers were diminished on occasion and your material form was variable, your soul always remained pure. By the decree of Lord Tyr, your penance is at an end. Rise and once again re-join the ranks of Celestia.”

*A golden silhouette *began to dimly appear, gradually growing in strength as the spell was completed. Finally, there stood a bald green-skinned elf with beautiful white wings. With a thought, a trumpet appeared in his hands as he smiled and bowed deeply to his benefactor.

“High Justice Joachim Dethick. Indeed it has been a long time.”


----------



## gfunk

monboesen said:
			
		

> This is not a critique of this particular game or the characters and players in it, but a point of view on the wow of peace in general.



I don't disagree with your general view.  But I am more of a game-mechanics person than a "role-player."  I could've abused Caine even more by making him a straight-up damage dealing sorcerer with _subdual substition_.  Then, I could blast away with elemental spells that dealt subdual damage.

However, I chose to remain as pacifistic as possible.  I limited my spell selection to buffs and healing magic.  True, you could easily argue that casting _improved_ _invisiblity_ on a friend or _yoke of mercy_ on an enemy is as good as casting _fireball._  I wouldn't go too far to argue against you.

In the end, Caine fit in well with the party, made for a good story, went out with a bang, and still served an excellent purpose in the overall structure of our campaign.  And he even saved the DM's bacon when he made a "slight" CR error.   



			
				LordVyreth said:
			
		

> When did he get sainted? Was it in one of the Story Hours? And are we talking sainted or Sainted, as in the BoED overpowered template?



If you read my latest update, it should clear things up a bit.  We don't want to give everything away quite yet though.

BTW, here's a teaser for my next update (Red Dawn):

*While the relatively minor frontier city of Cauldron is falling to the machinations of the Cagewrights, larger events are afoot in Cormyr and the Dales.  Finally mouting a last ditch effort to eject the forces of the Lich Queen, the War Wizards and Purple Dragon Knights of Queen Alusair launch a final, desparate counter-offensive let by Jochim Dethick himself.  *

*In what is widely expected to be a suicidal attempt, the battle takes an unexpected turn when the Gythyanki's lose their ability to plane shift.  And lose their seemingly endless supply of Astral Skiffs when their gates no longer open.  And when their Red Dragon cohorts turn on them in a homicidal rage.*

*Those who had come to ravage the Prime Material Plane find instead their magnificent Astral city of Tun'a'roth in smoking ruins.  *

*And sitting safely in Zhentil Keep, Fzoul Chembryl, the Chosen of Bane, feels that he is safe, surrounded by fanatical Banites, undead Beholders, and a stasis clone of the Archmage Manshoon.  However, he is about to get a nasty surprise . . .*

*How does this fit in with Cauldron?  *

*Stay tuned . . .*


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Looks like Entopy & Co. were really, really successful. And if you're not hinting on Amal taking on his double-crossing boss…

Really, really, really looking forward to it!


----------



## Lela

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Looks like Entopy & Co. were really, really successful. And if you're not hinting on Amal taking on his double-crossing boss…
> 
> Really, really, really looking forward to it!




Yeah, start writing DR. Funk.  Start writing.


Pwease.


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> That is rich...and explains why he knew Joachim. Ironically, it was Joachim who 'ressed' him. Great plot twists as usual, JD. You really connect all the open ends!




I am merely the story teller.  You must thank those who actually make the story.


----------



## gfunk

I think I'll hold up on my update for a little while.  I want it to come at a dramatic point in the Cauldron campaign.  I certainly don't want a repeat of my last update where people were scratching their heads for weeks before the updates in this SH caught up.

So stay tuned . . .


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> I think I'll hold up on my update for a little while.  I want it to come at a dramatic point in the Cauldron campaign.  I certainly don't want a repeat of my last update where people were scratching their heads for weeks before the updates in this SH caught up.
> 
> So stay tuned . . .



 You're right about that! We'll try to be patient...


----------



## Zimri

we will ?

Well I suppose it isn't like I have a choice in the matter.

I hate waiting.


----------



## Lela

Ah, so there's interaction once again between the Story Hours.  Yay!

Course, that means we need to bug someone else for an update.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Very interesting! Looking forward to seeing how it comes together.


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> Ah, so there's interaction once again between the Story Hours.  Yay!
> 
> Course, that means we need to bug someone else for an update.




Working on it...home ownership is awfully time consuming.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> Working on it...home ownership is awfully time consuming.



 Maybe some community members from Birmingham, AL can help you with the house...


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Maybe some community members from Birmingham, AL can help you with the house...




Trust me, I am in the middle of another writing project...non-fiction.  I call it:

Owning Your Own Pool:  Worth All the Damn Trouble?


----------



## JollyDoc

Joachim said:
			
		

> Trust me, I am in the middle of another writing project...non-fiction.  I call it:
> 
> Owning Your Own Pool:  Worth All the Damn Trouble?




Speaking as a fellow pool owner...probably not.  I'm the only one in the family who doesn't get to swim in it regularly because I'm too damn busy keeping the thing in shape.


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Speaking as a fellow pool owner...probably not.  I'm the only one in the family who doesn't get to swim in it regularly because I'm too damn busy keeping the thing in shape.




Amen.  Amen.


----------



## JollyDoc

Just a little Bump pending Joachim's next update...


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Just a little Bump pending Joachim's next update...




Which is right...about...now.  Sorry for the wait.

RAGING BULL

Rusty watched in shock from his vantage point on the Ethereal Plane.  Thinking quickly and taking advantage of his magical repertoire, he had made his escape when he realized that everyone was fleeing the scene.  

Instead of fleeing, the dwarf’s curiosity got the best of him, and he stood in the corner watching the Ice Devil lop the priest’s head off.  In a fit of rage and cruel humor, the Gelugon then turned to the render zombies, and engulfed them all in a spray of cold and ice.  The gray-skinned carcasses froze over and then shattered due to the onslaught.  Satisfied, the devil concentrated for a moment and disappeared, the familiar flash of white light signaling his departure.

Rusty snapped his fingers, and felt his body passing through the veil between the Ethereal and the Prime Material planes.  All of his enemies were either dead or no longer present.  The dwarf could hardly believe it.  He had to get the others so they could gather the information they needed.  

The Mystran started to run down the steps when his eyes passed over a pile of familiar rags and a simple well-worn walking stick.  These items were once Caine’s, but the ascetic’s body was nowhere to be found.  Rusty gathered up the items, a stunned expression on his faith.  The dwarf felt the soft glow of a small light on his face.  Jules’ hollow, but soothing, voice echoed in the hallway.

“Fear not, noble mortal.  Caine has passed the Test.  He shall be granted his final reward.  His transgression has been forgiven, and he shall be allowed to return to the Choir.  Tell your companions that while they may have lost a friend, their actions have earned the allegiance of one of the mighty servants of Good.  He may have been struck down in this form, but he shall shed his mortal coil to become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”

With a flash of light Jules disappeared.  Speechless, Rusty clutched the rags to his face and wept.  Another of his friends had been taken from him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Bright Axes, bloodied and bruised, stood at the bottom of the stairwell.  It was here that they would make their final stand.  Grimm always carried a full stock of healing draughts, and the injured made good use of them.

A loud scream echoed down the stairwell.  Tilly and Grimm looked at each other, and knew what that had to mean.  Their enemies had captured Rusty, and the bastards must have just delivered their merciless coup de grace.  Their resolve steeled by the death of their friend, the remaining heroic warriors awaited their fate, a look of renewed vigor in their eyes.

More than a minute later, the Bright Axes heard a single pair of heavy-booted footsteps proceeding down the stairwell.  The group was surprised when they realized that the footsteps were not the furtive pace of someone expecting a fight, but something far more casual.  

Surprise became joy when they saw Rusty turn the corner on the landing before him.  Joy became confusion when they saw the tears the in dwarf’s eyes and the rags in his hands.  Confusion became sorrow when they learned of the loss of their friend.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Bright Axes returned to the chamber at the top of the cathedral and began to search around.  Aside from the headless corpse and the chunks of rotting gray render flesh in the room, the main feature that dominated their attention was the gothic cage hanging from the ceiling.  Aided by Dalthan’s spell of flight, Grimm hovered to the cage, and unhooked it, gently lowering it to the ground.  There was something very heavy about the cage, as though it weren’t empty…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kylon Daywalker, Captain of the Order of the Final Death and Paladin of the Lord of the Dead, had seen better days.  He had been sent by Alphar Turran to quietly investigate strange rumors regarding the cathedral in a backwoods hick town.  He had uncovered that the cathedral’s elders had, in fact, been worshipping an apostate god of evil and death.  In turn, the cathedral’s elders figured out that he knew their secret, so they acted.

All of this explained why Kylon Daywalker, Captain of the Order of the Final Death and Paladin of the Lord of the Dead was summarily beaten within an inch of his life, stripped naked, stuffed into a dark box, and then suspended from the ceiling.  

There was something unusual about this box, something…sinister.  As a paladin, Kylon did not understand the definition of the word fear, but something about this cramped space made his skin crawl.

Kylon became aware that the box was moving.  His captors had finally decided that they would deal with him.  The paladin began whispering a prayer to Kelemvor, asking the God the Dead to forgive his shortcomings and ultimate failure.  His soul at peace, Kylon awaited for the death blow to come.

A crack of light spewed into the cage, and the door opened.  Kylon squinted at the change in lighting, and did not struggle when an ogre pulled him out of his portable cell.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grimm shrugged at the naked human he pulled out of the cage.  “He’s alive, but he’s had the dung beaten out of him, that’s for sure.”  Gingerly, the half-ogre laid the human down and stepped back.

Rusty looked over the man’s wounds, noting that nothing was permanent and uncurable.  “You’re lucky, there, laddie.  I’d be willin’ to think that the High Priest here was gonna be using you in some sort of sacrifice.”

Still squinting, his eyes adjusting to the light, Kylon looked around.  His heart skipped a beat when he saw Ike Iverson’s body and Ike Iverson’s head twenty feet away.  “You…did this?” the paladin queried.

A small, angry voice piped up.  “Yeah, we did this.  And we lost one of our friends in the process.  So, if you were in any way in league with these bastards, then you are going to look no different than Ike over there.”  Kylon knew that the halfling was not threatening.  He was merely informing the paladin of their intentions.

Hands outstretched in a gesture of peace, the paladin spoke.  “My name is Kylon Daywalker and I am a servant of Kelemvor, the True God of the Dead.  I was sent here as a part of an ‘internal’ investigation of our church, and I discovered that our church elders in Cauldron were not what they seemed.  My cover was blown, and they punished me my placing me in this box.  You have saved me, and I owe you my life, no doubt.  If you are of Good heart, and if you will have me, I wish to remain with you until that debt has been repaid.”

The Bright Axes looked at each other.  They had never been granted such an offer of help.  After a moment of consideration (and a spell to detect the taint of evil from Rusty) they accepted Kylon’s offer.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having completed their search of the entire cathedral complex, the Bright Axes headed back to the Temple of Tyr.  The group had made several interesting discoveries, including the recovery of the body of Todd Vanderborn, one of the Storm Blades.  It was rumored that Todd had been slain at the hands of a wizard during one of the Storm Blades contract adventures.  The group carried the body with them.  Maybe Jenya could help.

Kylon was happy to discover his old equipment, including his armor, shield, and trusty sword.  Donning his old equipment, Kylon felt his resolve returning.

Under normal circumstances, traveling through the city to the Temple of Tyr would not be hazardous.

Today was very, very different…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Bright Axes passed through the market district.  They were trying to make haste to the Hall of Justice, but the crowd was making that difficult.  That, and Grimm’s appetite.  The half-ogre had wandered off from the group to purchase a roast chicken.  Kiko shook his head.  “Great.  Always thinking with his stomach.”

A large black shape passed overhead.  Great wings bore the creature aloft, and the bystanders in the market looked up in confusion.  With a loud thud the beast landed on the ground.  Roughly humanoid, the massive creature sported a pair of large horns sprouting from its forehead, and its face was somewhat bovine in nature.  Black scales covered the creature, detailing that this being’s lineage included those of reptilian blood.  Draconic blood.

The minotaur hefted a long chain covered with cruel barbs, spikes, and blades.  The beast bellowed, startling the crowd.
Chaos erupted.  The commoners milling about rushed off in all directions, completely parting until there were none between the Bright Axes and the draconic monstrosity.  Grimm was still separated from the group, and the rushing crowd hindered his return to his companions.  The half-ogre angrily threw the remnants of his half-eaten chicken on the ground.  There was killing to be done.

The minotaur scowled at the adventurers in front of him.  Pointing a meaty finger, the creature spoke, “BRIGHT AXES!!!  NOW IS THE DAY OF YOUR DOOM!!  You stole from me the opportunity to give my sire the death he so richly deserved!!”

Utterly confused, the adventurers looked and shrugged.  Rusty spoke up.  “What in the Nine Hells are you on about?  Who was your ‘sire’?”

Spitting, the minotaur roared, “YOU KNOW!! IN BAL-HAMATUN, MY FATHER SLEPT!! THE GREAT BLACK DRAGON, GLAURAUTH!!  YOU SLEW HIM, AND TOOK MY CHANCE AT REVENGE!!”

Again, the Bright Axes did not know what was going on; they had never met a black dragon, at least not in Bal-Hamatun, shrine of the Kuo-Toans where they had rescued Zenith Splintershield.  The truth was that there was a black dragon that resided in the temple, but said dragon decided to relocate once the Kuo-Toan priests had all been slaughtered.

Tilly, still emotional from Caine’s death, lifted his tiny blade.  Bluffing the halfling taunted, “Yeah, bull-face, we killed your daddy.  And this was the blade that did it, when I shoved it up his throat!”

The minotaur’s eyes grew wide at the taunt, and spittle and foam began to run freely from the beast’s jowls.  Rage coursed through its veins, and it charged the halfling, head lowered.

At this point Tilly realized his folly.  Never threaten a raging barbarian half-dragon minotaur with a  nasty spiked chain.  Sadly, he realized too late.  The minotaur’s charge ended when it struck Tilly fully in the chest with its horns.  One of the horn tips erupted out of Tilly’s back, and the halfling’s eye’s closed.

With a merciless snap of its head, the minotaur flung the halfling off of its head, and immediately began spinning its chain, turning its attention to Rusty.  The dwarf thought it oddly coincidental that the minotaur had chosen to concentrate first on those who had actually been to Bal-Hamatun.  It was almost as if he had been informed…

Rusty did not think for long.  The minotaur’s spiked chain struck him three times, the final blow striking the dwarf in the neck.  With a great tug, Rusty’s throat was ripped out, and the dwarf collapsed in a heap.

Stunned and shocked, Kiko, Kylon, and Dalthon sprung into action.  The sorcerer began casting a spell and locked his hands together, his forefingers pointed at the minotaur.  Three bursts of fire sprang out of his hands and struck the half-dragon in the stomach.  The fire burned white hot, for Dalthon had maximized the effect of that spell.

Kylon charged the beast, but before he could get close, the minotaur reacted.  With a mighty backhand, the paladin went flying into a nearby merchant’s kiosk, knocked senseless.  Kiko had more luck, tumbling up to the beast, but his attacks were largely ineffective against the minotaur’s thick scalyhide.

It was beginning to look very grim for the Bright Axes.  Or more appropriately, it was beginning to look very Grimm.

The half-ogre finally stepped through the crowd, casually twirling his spiked chain, sizing up the minotaur.  Grimm noted the matching weapon in the half-dragon’s hands.  He also noted the skill with which his opponent wielded the weapon.  Considerable skill, coupled with the creature’s unbelievable strength, made this enemy very dangerous.

The half-dragon spat at Grimm.  “I am going to rip the ogre out of you, half-breed!  You are going to wish that you had never been born!”

Grimm sighed.  If the minotaur was going to start throwing insults, at least he could be original.  It was obvious that the minotaur was trying to goad him into doing something rash and stupid.  The planar champion decided to respond to the taunts in kind, speaking in the tongue of dragons, “I was always under the impression that dragons would be above screwing cattle.  But I am sure that your mother was a fine, beautiful heifer.” 

The minotaur, ignoring Kiko’s punches and kicks, charged at Grimm in a rage.  The two locked in combat, chains flailing.  The strength and ferocity of the minotaur’s attacks was matched evenly by the skill with which Grimm wielded his chosen weapon.  While the minotaur may have been proficient with the chain, Grimm was a master with it.

The two traded blows for many seconds, neither truly gaining the upper hand.  This stalemate lasted until Dalthan regained the advantage for the heroes.  Three more fiery bolts shot forth, this time striking the minotaur in the face.  Stunned, and temporarily blinded, the minotaur staggered back.  Grimm pressed the advantage, and after a few well-placed strokes the great beast fell the ground, dead.

Grimm looked around.  The one they called Ajax was dead.  Wathros was dead.  Caine was dead.  Now, Tilly and Rusty were dead.  The original Bright Axes, the ones present at Bal-Hamatun, had met their end


----------



## Dolza

*Woah*

*grabs jaw from floor*

Grimm looked around.  The one they called Ajax was dead.  Wathros was dead.  Caine was dead.  Now, Tilly and Rusty were dead.  The original Bright Axes, the ones present at Bal-Hamatun, had met their end[/QUOTE]



Wow, that was simply brutal.  I've loved this story hour for a while but never felt really compelled to comment.  after reading that last installment i had to speak up.  Great job and keep it up!

dolz


----------



## htetickrt

Very cool.  Is it wrong to be slightly jealous that another DM's large, raging, spiked chain-wielding monstrosity got more kills than the one I made?

Next time, I'm making mine half dragon too.


----------



## Longbow

Good god, one round fo battle and someone is dead again. So brutal...


----------



## LordVyreth

Wow, Rusty finally suffered an actual death.  And you'd think that after dying so very often up to this date, Tilly would have learned to keep his big mouth shut at times.  So, did the party bring back at least one of the original Bright Axes?  Rusty at least seemed like a reasonable choice.  Any chance they pitched in for a True Ress by now?  

And how fast did those two die, anyway?  Were you just rolling really nicely on the critical hit rolls?  I swear if I was in your game, I'd get heavy fortification armor or some other equally useful item ASAP.


----------



## Joachim

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Wow, Rusty finally suffered an actual death.  And you'd think that after dying so very often up to this date, Tilly would have learned to keep his big mouth shut at times.  So, did the party bring back at least one of the original Bright Axes?  Rusty at least seemed like a reasonable choice.  Any chance they pitched in for a True Ress by now?
> 
> And how fast did those two die, anyway?  Were you just rolling really nicely on the critical hit rolls?  I swear if I was in your game, I'd get heavy fortification armor or some other equally useful item ASAP.




Rusty and Tilly were both killed in the same round due to critical hits.  A Power-Attacking minotaur with a 38 STR and a huge spiked chain can deal a little bit of damage.  Also, we did not worry about walking through town, and we had not healed up to max (Rusty and Tilly were at about 2/3 or so).

As far as Tilly goes, his player (Chris) was gone and Gfunk was his proxy player.  Gfunk decided to taunt the minotaur and quickly got Tilly killed.  So both Gfunk and I have the ignominious distinction of playing Tilly the two times when he was actually killed (and not revivified).  WOO HOO!

Both Tilly and Rusty were eventually raised by Jenya, but that will be discussed in the next update.


----------



## Lela

Good, cause I really like Rusty. Rock on, oh thou magical Dwarf.

Oh, Joachim, I've been meaning to ask.  You were reading the Expanded Psionics Handbook, right?  Opionion?

I gotta say that I really don't like the first one.  Drove me nuts and was too easy to brake.  I'm hoping they worked the bugs out, at the very least.  Revised completely wouldn't be all that bad either.


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> Oh, Joachim, I've been meaning to ask.  You were reading the Expanded Psionics Handbook, right?  Opionion?
> 
> I gotta say that I really don't like the first one.  Drove me nuts and was too easy to brake.  I'm hoping they worked the bugs out, at the very least.  Revised completely wouldn't be all that bad either.




Hmmm...how do I put this one.  It has some serious potential for powergaming, but overall I think the system has improved.

I will say this...its like the Sorcerer class.  Very, very nasty as a DM monster, but pretty balanced as a PC class.  Same with the Psion.  A Psion can be absolutely brutal in one or two encounters per day, or moderately effective in several encounters.  Its all about the PSP's spent.

The other classes, and most of the Prestige Classes are pretty disposable.  The Thrallherd is interesting, however, as is the Cerebremancer (think Mystic Theurge with both classes relying on INT instead of split between two stats).


----------



## gfunk

Hey everyone, just came back from my wedding/honeymoon in India.  I had a blast!  Now to comment on the matters at hand:

1.  







			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> As far as Tilly goes, his player (Chris) was gone and Gfunk was his proxy player. Gfunk decided to taunt the minotaur and quickly got Tilly killed.



Yeah, that was totally my bad.  I got a little carried away and poor Tilly paid for it with his life.  Of course, this might not have been a problem if Rusty hadn't also been taken down with a critical Cleave.

2.  







			
				Lela said:
			
		

> I've been meaning to ask. You were reading the Expanded Psionics Handbook, right? Opionion?



My last act in JollyDoc's campagin was to make a Psion for anybody to play in case their PC died and they wanted a new one.  He is quite broken in my opinion.  A Shaper with maxed-out Int and Overchannel is quite powerful with _temporal acceleration_ coupled with _astral construct_.

3.  I will be at gaming on Sunday.  On Jollydoc's side. . .


----------



## ltclnlbrain

Joachim said:
			
		

> It was beginning to look very grim for the Bright Axes.  Or more appropriately, it was beginning to look very Grimm.




Very clever. That line drew a chuckle from me. 

Indeed, a half-dragon minotaur is not something one would expect to find when walking around the streets of Cauldron. When I ran this adventure, I placed this encounter while the party was on the way to the Cathedral, so they were all at full strength. Despite this, the minotaur still managed to kill one of them and severly injure several others before they put him down. All in all, general nastiness.

Keep up the great work!


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> My last act in JollyDoc's campagin was to make a Psion for anybody to play in case their PC died and they wanted a new one.  He is quite broken in my opinion.  A Shaper with maxed-out Int and Overchannel is quite powerful with _temporal acceleration_ coupled with _astral construct_.




There are lots of things that are somewhat broken/unbalanced:

Crystal Shard - Ranged touch, up to 1d6 per level per PSP...here's the kicker, No Save, NO SR.

Temporal Acceleration - Requires a free action to activate, so when you are done with your free round of time YOU STILL HAVE YOUR NORMAL ACTION REMAINING

Ectoplasmic Cocoon - Again, no SR, and with Burrowing Power (metapsionic) you can still pummel your enemy while he is encased.

Hail of Crystals - Sort of a mini-version of meteor swarm, but is not energy specific, and again, NO SR (anyone beginning to see a pattern here?)

Astral Construct - Sort of a choose-your-own-summoning spell.  Here's the kicker:  its not a (summoning) spell.  Its a (creation) spell, and therefore is immune to Forbiddance and Protection from Evil (because you summon a Construct, not an outsider).  With the feat Boost Construct + Overchannel....OUCHIE.

All in all, the system is fairly interesting, but could (and will) be abused.  I reviewed Gfunk's build, and believe that while he built a solid framework, I refined it to the point of pure unadulterated nastiness.


----------



## JollyDoc

Nice update Rich.  I assume there will be a part two to follow?  I actually didn't think the minotaur/half-dragon would be as devastating as it turned out to be.  In truth, the actualy combat lasted 1 1/2 rounds, but the minotaur got initiative and managed to crit/cleave/crit.  What are the odds?

I'll leave the comments on the psi handbook to those who power game so well.  BTW, Gfunk won the D&D toughman competition last year at Gen Con through liberal use of ectoplasmic coccoon...including against my entry, who had done quite well up to that point.


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

*Power to the PC's*



> I'll leave the comments on the psi handbook to those who power game so well. BTW, Gfunk won the D&D toughman competition last year at Gen Con through liberal use of ectoplasmic coccoon...including against my entry, who had done quite well up to that point.



Gfunk just has to be the hero of everyone who loves powergaming.
I myself am not really that much of a powergamer, but the way you guys manage to powergame and still keep the roleplaying at a very high level as well makes that this is one of my favorite SH's around. I really look forward to every new update and enjoy it every time I'm reading it.

Another congrats to Dr. Gfunk and together keep up the great story we've all come to love.


----------



## gfunk

As a tip to JollyDoc and Joachim, who will be attending GenCon this year, I suggest you go for the kobold cleric build (unless you want to go for Jeremy's obscene Hulking Hurler build  ).  First off it looks unassuming and weak, but this is what you can do:

1)  Be Neutral so that you can have access to all the _blasphemy_ type spells.

2)  Boost your caster level in every conceivable manner.  For instance, take five levels of Heirophant, pick up an ioun stone, etc. (with the plethora of books you guys have, this should be no problem).

3)  Pick up spell pen/greater spell pen type feats.

4)  With a sufficienty high caster level (around 35-40) your _blasphemy_ type spells will be able to slay everything in a 30 foot radius without a saving throw.  E.g. even 25th level characters.

5)  The only downside is how to deal with constructs and undead.  I'll leave that to you.

6)  A max initiative build, while useful, is not as great as I originally thought because you have at least 1 round to pre-cast defensive spells.

added: 7) Since your spells auto-replenish after every battle, only a moron would choose to play a non-spellcaster/manifester.

We did not know points 6 and 7 last year, so I guess hindsight is 20-20.


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> As a tip to JollyDoc and Joachim, who will be attending GenCon this year....




TinDragon is not holding the Toughman this year.  I guess you ruined it for everyone


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Nice update Rich.  I assume there will be a part two to follow?




Thank you.  And, yes, there will be one more update to come in the next few days (to a week):

ICE, ICE, BABY


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> 3)  Pick up spell pen/greater spell pen type feats.




Not that it matters, but here's a question...if your caster level is 35 to 40, why waste feats on spell pen/greater spell pen?  I mean, who's going to have SR greater than 41?


----------



## LordVyreth

gfunk said:
			
		

> added: 7) Since your spells auto-replenish after every battle, only a moron would choose to play a non-spellcaster/manifester.
> 
> We did not know points 6 and 7 last year, so I guess hindsight is 20-20.




What about a monk?



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> Not that it matters, but here's a question...if your caster level is 35 to 40, why waste feats on spell pen/greater spell pen? I mean, who's going to have SR greater than 41?




Same answer.


----------



## JollyDoc

A'vandira Silvermane said:
			
		

> Gfunk just has to be the hero of everyone who loves powergaming.
> I myself am not really that much of a powergamer, but the way you guys manage to powergame and still keep the roleplaying at a very high level as well makes that this is one of my favorite SH's around. I really look forward to every new update and enjoy it every time I'm reading it.
> 
> Another congrats to Dr. Gfunk and together keep up the great story we've all come to love.




We always appreciate the high praise.  It makes creating this SH that much more satisfying.

Yes, Joachim is right.  No Toughman at GenCon this year, however I have signed up for a game that appears to be some sort of round-robin competition with a BYOC of 8th level using 2nd ed rules!  Hmmm....I wonder what my THACO will be?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> We always appreciate the high praise.  It makes creating this SH that much more satisfying.
> 
> Yes, Joachim is right.  No Toughman at GenCon this year, however I have signed up for a game that appears to be some sort of round-robin competition with a BYOC of 8th level using 2nd ed rules!  Hmmm....I wonder what my THACO will be?



 THAC0? I think I remember that term from somewhere... 

BYOC? What's that?


----------



## gfunk

Bring Your Own Character


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> THAC0? I think I remember that term from somewhere...
> 
> BYOC? What's that?




Or if you're Richard or Gfunk...Bring Your Own Cheese!


----------



## gfunk

Role-playing is futile.  You will be assimilated.


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Or if you're Richard or Gfunk...Bring Your Own Cheese!




You weren't complaining about that half-ogre monstrosity that I crafted for you last year


----------



## Lela

Thanks for the info on Psionics Joachim, Gfunk.  I'll probably avoid it.  Partly because I'd never use it myself anyway.  Partly because the only people in my group who would use it would use it because they can brake it.


----------



## JollyDoc

<sigh>  It's a black day in the Shackled City.  Gfunk has returned from his long journey to the Far East, and is now a happily married man.  Alas, it has made him weak, and soft.  The Mighty G assisted me in DM'ing last night, even going so far as to run ALL the NPC's against the party...and...well...it's still too hard to talk about.  Suffice it to say...there were NO casualties among the Bright Axes.  The were disgustingly victorious in ALL their endeavors last night!  I'm at a loss for words.  Just when you think you know a person.  Just when you think their can be no equal in Power Gaming...all your illusions are shattered.  How the mighty have fallen.


----------



## gfunk

The moral of the story here is never underestimate your fellow power-gamers.  I suggested a few "changes" to the NPCs but then relented at the last minute because I wanted to avoid a TPK.  Perhaps valor is the better part of discretion . . .


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> The moral of the story here is never underestimate your fellow power-gamers.  I suggested a few "changes" to the NPCs but then relented at the last minute because I wanted to avoid a TPK.  Perhaps valor is the better part of discretion . . .




G told me about his original plans after the slaughter had concluded, and it involved using either of a couple of Dungeon magazine templates that makes a creature incorporeal and gives it the ability to cast a 9th level spell at will ('weird') *OR* (as I recall it) gives it a ridiculous touch attack that drains an obscene number of negative levels.  

No offense G, but I remember (and remind you commonly) about the last time you made a change from a module to 'tweak' and encounter...and the campaign ended as a result   .  What you were talking about doing would have been a bad, bad, bad idea.

It would have made sense for the story (somewhat), but to be honest it could have made things interesting if you had added the revenant template instead and adjusted the CR accordingly.  Neither of the Githyanki templates would have been appropriate for our level...


----------



## gfunk

Well, since it was purely a hypothetical we could have this debate all day long. I still think the T'lak'ith would have given you a rough time but you would have conquered it in the end. Grimm could have killed it probably one good hit (two definitely) because it only had 43 hp or so. Furthermore it's AC wasn't very good at a paltry 21.

Second, even with its turn resistance, its HD is still around Rusty's level, making turning a very distinct possibility. Plus a couple of magic missiles or any force effect could have taken it out in short order.

Methinks you overstate your position.

As to the other encounter (in the Banewarrens) the situation was quite different. For one thing, I ADDED a couple of creatures to the encounter and despite killing all the monsters but one, one member of the party (who shall remain nameless) chose to go down in a blaze of glory rather than flee to fight another day.

We could have easily continued with the campaign through any number of mechanisms.


----------



## gfunk

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Suffice it to say...there were NO casualties among the Bright Axes.



Hey, I remember a certain Gunther being pummeled into Golem road-kill!

Not to mention Kiko's scare with the Harakins.

I got in my licks, the party gained a lot of self-esteem (both in and out of game) and, in the end, I'm the only one who ended up feeling bad.


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc, you know, this may come as a surprise, but you don't have to kill a party member every session.

Just a thought. . .


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> JollyDoc, you know, this may come as a surprise, but you don't have to kill a party member every session.




Well, you see, the past few weeks the party has been pretty successful (minus the paladin suiciding himself on a dracolich), and JD must be missing the taste of a bloody kill.


----------



## Lela

Aw, withdrawls.  We're here for you bud.  Just remember, the first step is admitting you have a problem.


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> Hey, I remember a certain Gunther being pummeled into Golem road-kill!




True, but with Rusty's ubiquitous use of Revivfy, it kind of takes the teeth out of the kill


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> Aw, withdrawls.  We're here for you bud.  Just remember, the first step is admitting you have a problem.




Then there's the whole belief in a higher power thing, which I had, until Gfunk shattered my faith


----------



## Lela

Yeah, but believing that gfunk is a higher power may be a whole different problem . . .


----------



## gfunk

A 4th of July Weekend BUMP!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> A 4th of July Weekend BUMP!



 Yeah, what about a festival update?


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Yeah, what about a festival update?




I have been waiting for Gfunk to put in his update he promised would be up in 24 hours about 192 hours ago.


----------



## gfunk

Well, you may as well wait 192 days now . . . it's gonna be a looong year.


----------



## Jeremy

gfunk said:
			
		

> 1) Be Neutral so that you can have access to all the _blasphemy_ type spells.
> 
> ...
> 
> 4) With a sufficienty high caster level (around 35-40) your _blasphemy_ type spells will be able to slay everything in a 30 foot radius without a saving throw. E.g. even 25th level characters.



You forgot the critical component.  The greater spell immunity so you don't kill yourself with your own spell.  Blasphemy and Word of Chaos are incredibly powerful now, but while a neutral character can cast all of them, he can also be affected by all of them, and you have to be in the radius of the spell.  

Though I'd be careful placing all your eggs in that basket.  With a caster level like that, the animal domain and the shapechange spell would be an excellent first round preparation.

Or perhaps just do a simalcrum of a solar or dragon with 80 HD.

And I'd have to agree with you, with the recharge of spells between battles, non-spellcasting builds don't have a prayer.

That's not to say that a ranger5/harper paragon5/deepwood sniper couldn't bring some serious pain.  But I'd think a dweomer keeper or ur priest theurge would be the most deadly.


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> Well, you may as well wait 192 days now . . . it's gonna be a looong year.




Dude, that sucks.  Well, don't worry about it, I was just waiting for you to post before I started working on mine.  I will go ahead and get something together to finish off my turn.


----------



## Joachim

Grimm leveled this week!  Changes since last update are underlined. 

*Grimm Grakka (Fighter 6/Exotic Weapon Master 3/Planar Champion 4)*
*Dervish of the Planes*

----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Large Giant [Half-Ogre, Oerthian]*
*Hit Dice:* 13d10+65 (141 hps)
*Initiative:* +2
*Speed:* 30 ft. (6 squares)
*Armor Class:* 35 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +8 natural, +11 armor, +2 deflection, +3 shield, +1 insight), touch 13, flat-footed 34
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +13/+25
*Attack:* _+2 Adamantine Spiked Chain_ +23 melee (2d6+16)
*Full Attack:* _+2 Adamantine Spiked Chain _ +23/+18/+13 melee (2d6+16) or Flurry of Strikes +21/+21/+16/+11 (2d6+16)
*Space/Reach:* 10 ft./20 ft.(with Spiked Chain)
*Special Attacks:* Flurry of Strikes, Attack Ethereal, Exotic Reach, Exotic Trip
*Special Qualities:* Darkvision 60 ft., Favored Plane (The Abyss), _See Invisibility_ at will, Planar Survival
*Saves:* Fort +21, Ref +13, Will +12
*Abilities:* Str 27, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
*Skills:* Knowledge (The Planes) +4, Listen +18, Craft (Weaponsmith) +3
*Feats:* Blindfighting, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain), Iron Will, Power Attack, Stand Still, Weapon Focus (Spiked Chain), Weapon Specialization (Spiked Chain)
*Environment:* The Pomarj (previously), Vilhon Reach (currently)
*Organization:* Solitary, Murder (6-7)
*Challenge Rating:* 13 (Exp: 93k, +/- as of 07/04/04 Session)
*Treasure:* Items
*Alignment:* Chaotic Good
*Advancement:* By character class
*Level Adjustment:* +1

_This massively muscled humanoid before you stands just over eight feet tall, has drab olive skin covered in strange tatoos, and brandishes a massive spiked chain in his hands.  Obviously of giant-ish stock, he observes you cautiously, a spark of cunning in his eyes._

Grimm Grakka was born the product of a rampaging ogre warrior and the poor victim of the ogre's lust.  Grimm's mother died during childbirth, and he was raised by her husband, a common blacksmith from the Pomarj area of Oerth.  Grimm was recruited by Barret Tremean, a Paladin of Heironeous, to join the Swords of Light.  The Swords of Light were a band of good adventurers sworn to fighting all fiend-kind.

Having received his indoctrination into the Swords of Light, the half-ogre is now a warrior of the planes, seeking to beat down evil outsiders wherever they may reside!

Grimm stands just over 8 feet tall and weighs 425 pounds.  He speaks Common (Oerthian), Common (Faerunian), Celestial, Draconic, Giant (Oerthian), Infernal, and Abyssal.

*Combat*

Grimm attacks using his spiked chain.  He prefers to attack from the full extent of his reach with the long weapon, using his flurry of strikes ability and attacks of opportunity to decimate his foes.

*Flurry of Strikes [Spiked Chain]:* When wielding a spiked chain in both hands, Grimm may elect to use a full attack action to make a flurry of strikes.  When doing so, he may make one extra attack in the round at his highest attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as do all other attacks made in that round and until Grimm's next turn.

*Favored Plane (The Abyss):* Grimm has studied the natives of the Abyss extensively.  Grimm gains a +1 bonus of Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against an Abyssal native.  Likewise, Grimm gains the same bonus on weapon damage rolls against Abyssal natives.  In addition, Grimm gains a +1 on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks when interacting with Abyssal natives (yeah, that's gonna happen).

*See Invisibility (Su):* Grimm has the ability to see invisibility, as per the spell cast by a 5th level sorceror.  This ability allows Grimm to see ethereal creatures.

*Attack Ethereal (Su):* Grimm can transform his spiked chain into a material force effect at will, enabling him to attack creatures on the Ethereal Plane.  If Grimm is wielding a magical spiked chain, this ability eliminates the 50% miss chance when attacking an incorporeal foe.  This ability begins and ends as a free action.

*Exotic Reach [Spiked Chain]:* Grimm threatens opponents with cover (except total cover) and may attempt attacks of opportunity against targets with cover.

*Exotic Trip [Spiked Chain]:* Grimm gains a +2 bonus on the Strength check to trip an opponent when using his spiked chain.

*Planar Survival (Su):* Grimm is persistently under the affect of the equivalent of an _Avoid Planar Effects_ spell.

*Magic Items of Note(as of July 04, 2004, Session)*

_+4 Cloak of Resistance, +4 Belt of Strength, +4 Bracers of Health, +2 Adamantine Spiked Chain, +3 Full Plate, +1 Animated Large Steel Shield, +2 Ring of Protection, Ring of Evasion, +4 Amulet of Natural Armor, Boots of Striding and Springing, Deep Red Ioun Stone (+2 Dex), Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 insight bonus to AC), Cape of the Mountebank (in backpack) _

*Other Items(as of July 04, 2004, Session)*

_10 Potions of Cure Light Wounds, 9 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds, 7 Potions of Cure Serious Wounds, 8 Potions of Bless Weapon, 4 Potions of Heroism, 1 Potion of Invisibility_, Locked Gauntlet, Portable Ram, Masterwork Spiked Chain


----------



## JollyDoc

Must...have...update!  Can't...breathe!  Air...!


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Must...have...update!  Can't...breathe!  Air...!




Sorry, been busy, but I have found my own personal Savior.  It is called the Polaris 65 Automatic Pool Cleaner, and for $199.99 U.S. I have bought myself at least 4 to 6 hours of free time per week.  The pool has never been so clean, and once I get that new filter cartridge in the mail its finally going to look like a pool should.

The joys of home ownership.  I actually woke up yesterday morning at 7:00 AM *excited * to be able to go and mow my lawn.  I was almost like a kid on Christmas morning (maybe it has something to do with the fact that I paid $300 for the mower, and if I am gonna shell out that much, I better like it dammit).  When I was done, I just stared at it for like 10 minutes, basking in its freshly-cut glory.

Sorry about the discertation on house-chores, but I have decided I hate being an adult.  I fear that I am turning into one of those young-adult-suburban-pod-people.  All I need now is a hose reel.  Wait...I have one already.  CRAP!!


----------



## Nightingale 7

Uuum...I'm very happy and all that about your new home Joachim,but may I remind you there is a DM out there dying from loss of updates!I hope this is incentive enough to get your home-owning rear-end back to the computer and type the damn update!  
And if that isn't incentive enough,think what an update-deprived mob of loyal SH fans can do to your beautiful new house!  
(Help you mow the lawn faster perhaps?  )


----------



## Lela

I'm up for a swim. . .


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

*Lawn Mower Man*

Well, since you're not updating anyways and since you like lawn mowing why don't you come over and do my lawn as well?   

But as JD and the rest already said: UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for UPDATE!!!


----------



## Jack of Shadows

Oh Wow,

Just got Dungeon 113. Can't wait to see how the Brightaxes handle it. I think Jolly Doc is going to need a tape recorder in order to manage the write-up for the first part. Wonder just how good he is at handling large numbers of NPC's during a single conversation. Some really great roleplaying in this puppy.

Jack


----------



## JollyDoc

Jack of Shadows said:
			
		

> Oh Wow,
> 
> Just got Dungeon 113. Can't wait to see how the Brightaxes handle it. I think Jolly Doc is going to need a tape recorder in order to manage the write-up for the first part. Wonder just how good he is at handling large numbers of NPC's during a single conversation. Some really great roleplaying in this puppy.
> 
> Jack




Rich...save yourself some time on the lawn as well, and take Brian/Rusty's advice...buy a goat.

Ah my friend Jack...if you only knew.  We just began this epic little piece last night, and here's a few teasers.  Fortunately, we had a record turn out of players last evening of 9 players!  Many of them were one-time drop ins who I let play the NPC's.

Anyway...

1)  More than half of Cauldron's movers and shakers bite the big one!  

2)  You'd be surprised at the damage one crazed derro with a well-placed Disintegrate can do.  

3)  That Loch-ness monster rumored to live in the center of Cauldron's lake?  He's real baby!  And he packs a mean Blasphemy! 

Stay tuned!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Rich...save yourself some time on the lawn as well, and take Brian/Rusty's advice...buy a goat.
> 
> Ah my friend Jack...if you only knew.  We just began this epic little piece last night, and here's a few teasers.  Fortunately, we had a record turn out of players last evening of 9 players!  Many of them were one-time drop ins who I let play the NPC's.
> 
> Anyway...
> 
> 1)  More than half of Cauldron's movers and shakers bite the big one!
> 
> 2)  You'd be surprised at the damage one crazed derro with a well-placed Disintegrate can do.
> 
> 3)  That Loch-ness monster rumored to live in the center of Cauldron's lake?  He's real baby!  And he packs a mean Blasphemy!
> 
> Stay tuned!



 Yeah, Joachim, get the goat. It even supplies the fertilizer for your lawn... 

JD, 

1) That sounds really, really interesting! I still hope Jena (?) makes it, though...
2)  Looking forward to this update, which should be out by 2006, right...
3) Is it the big one?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Jack of Shadows said:
			
		

> Oh Wow,
> 
> Just got Dungeon 113. Can't wait to see how the Brightaxes handle it. I think Jolly Doc is going to need a tape recorder in order to manage the write-up for the first part. Wonder just how good he is at handling large numbers of NPC's during a single conversation. Some really great roleplaying in this puppy.
> 
> Jack



Damn, I haven't even gotten to Dungeon 111 yet and with no updates around, I'm left in the dark (hint, hint).

Joachim, don't postpone your updates until you've fixed all the things in your house, because that NEVER gets done. So put the lawnmower away and start punching the keyboard!


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Damn, I haven't even gotten to Dungeon 111 yet and with no updates around, I'm left in the dark (hint, hint).
> 
> Joachim, don't postpone your updates until you've fixed all the things in your house, because that NEVER gets done. So put the lawnmower away and start punching the keyboard!




I hope to have something posted tonight, but I found out here a second ago that I may quickly be on the road to an out of town job, and would be gone for several days.  That would postpone the next update until next week, because where I go I will have no web access.

Regarding the updates, we are many many updates behind, but y'all are just gonna have to wait!


----------



## JollyDoc

Just a quick update...not in the literal sense.  Richard is going to be without computer access until Monday.  Hopefully he should be able to crank out his update shortly thereafter.  Thank you all for your patience.


----------



## Lela

I get busy for six days and no one posts a darn thing?

Hmmm, kinda makes a guy feel important.  *Sniff*


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> I get busy for six days and no one posts a darn thing?
> 
> Hmmm, kinda makes a guy feel important.  *Sniff*




Well, Rich should have his computer back by now, so here's hoping for an update in the next couple of days.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lela said:
			
		

> I get busy for six days and no one posts a darn thing?
> 
> Hmmm, kinda makes a guy feel important.  *Sniff*



 True, true...

but I can really feel the suspense building up, so that next update has to be good!  JollyDoc, how much more of your update to go, until Gfunk will be posting his? He said he was waiting for Rich to finish some vital part...


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> True, true...
> 
> but I can really feel the suspense building up, so that next update has to be good!  JollyDoc, how much more of your update to go, until Gfunk will be posting his? He said he was waiting for Rich to finish some vital part...




Gfunk should be able to post his any time he gets around to it.  Problem is, he has started his clinical rotations for medical school, so he is at the hospital every day, and is on overnight call every fourth day.  This will continue thru August, until he hits his psychiatry rotation, when he should have a bit more free time.  All that, plus he's juggling being a newlywed.


----------



## Lela

The psychiatry rotation kinda scares me.  Do we really want that man to have much more knowlege of how to mess with a guy's head?

Or--and I'm not sure if this is better or worse--what if they fix him?


----------



## LordVyreth

Lela said:
			
		

> Or--and I'm not sure if this is better or worse--what if they fix him?




Then we won't have to worry about him spending time on newlywed things anymore...


----------



## Lela

I'm more worried about the time his bride is spending on him.

I mean, do we really want those genes spreading?


(Yes, I did say that.)


----------



## JollyDoc

Richard!  For the Love of God...update!!


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

EARTH TO RICHARD Is this thing on? No pressure or anything but we would love to see a update sometime before Christmas no hurry though


----------



## Joachim

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> EARTH TO RICHARD Is this thing on? No pressure or anything but we would love to see a update sometime before Christmas no hurry though




Just so y'all know, when I get to Joe's house on Sunday you can each take a turn kissing my butt.  

Seriously though, I just got my computer back after a two week banishment to my bosses' house.  Good news is, I scored some serious points with him by letting him use it, and I should get my yearly salary review in the next month.  So, my bank and my fiance thank each of you for your patience, and I will now wipe that brown stuff off of my nose.


----------



## Mortepierre

Joachim said:
			
		

> Just so y'all know, when I get to Joe's house on Sunday you can each take a turn kissing my butt.
> 
> Seriously though, I just got my computer back after a two week banishment to my bosses' house.  Good news is, I scored some serious points with him by letting him use it, and I should get my yearly salary review in the next month.  So, my bank and my fiance thank each of you for your patience, and I will now wipe that brown stuff off of my nose.




.. unless your boss happens to read this board too   

Hey, who knows. Stranger things have happened ...


----------



## Jack of Shadows

Hmmmm.....

Its been awfully quiet. Anyone know if anything sinister happened at JollyDoc's over the weekend? Maybe Joachim finally snapped and took a blunt D20 to the rest of the group 'cause they kept telling him to post an update?   

Jack


----------



## Lela

Check your doors tonight SH fans.  Seems there's a rampaging cleric about with a really big d20. . .


----------



## JollyDoc

Jack of Shadows said:
			
		

> Hmmmm.....
> 
> Its been awfully quiet. Anyone know if anything sinister happened at JollyDoc's over the weekend? Maybe Joachim finally snapped and took a blunt D20 to the rest of the group 'cause they kept telling him to post an update?
> 
> Jack




Hmmm...we are currently running City In Flames, which I must say has been the most...disappointing of the Cauldron adventures to date.  Sunday's game was entertaining nevertheless, especially when it began raining demodands out of thin air.  Richard assures me that a post is forthcoming...soon...we hope...maybe...


----------



## gfunk

Lela said:
			
		

> The psychiatry rotation kinda scares me. Do we really want that man to have much more knowlege of how to mess with a guy's head?



Tell me Lela, have your PCs stopped screaming?



> Or--and I'm not sure if this is better or worse--what if they fix him?



Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior.   They'll never notice . . .



> I'm more worried about the time his bride is spending on him.
> I mean, do we really want those genes spreading?



OUCH!  What did I do to deserve that?:\ 



			
				Jack of Shadows said:
			
		

> Its been awfully quiet. Anyone know if anything sinister happened at JollyDoc's over the weekend?



Oh, they are still playing alright.  Maybe Richard wants the same adulation that Sep's SH gets when the fans keep it alive for months without an update.


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> Tell me Lela, have your PCs stopped screaming?



Hmmmm, he makes an excellent point. I take back all my statements regarding your progney.

Procreate away!


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Just to let you know you can add me to the list of people impatiently waiting for an update.


----------



## Joachim

Pardon my recent absence from the boards.  Before too long, I will need to be retiring as a writer.  Home ownership, planning a wedding, babysitting my future step-daughter 2 nights a week, and things getting crazy at work are really cutting into my Story Hour time.  Or more appropriately, taking my Story Hour time in total and then some.  

Hell, I don't even get the time to take 3 minutes I take at work for 'web breaks', which is where I do most of my ancillary posting on this board.  I'm lucky if I get bathroom breaks these days.  

Whining aside, I am about halfway through my next update.  If I don't post tonight, then the update will be up by Saturday, even if I have to stay up all night.  I promise.

Enough real world talk.  Back into character, Richard!  I mean, Joachim!  Yes, sadly, I agree with ol' JD.  This module pretty much blows.  This campaign thus far has been fun, despite the overall deadliness of it.  The first encounter in this module was pretty darn interesting, but it has gone downhill from there.  The remainder of the encounters have felt more like a drudgery than anything else.  And this is no shot at JD.  He can't help the crappy hand of cards he's been dealt with this module.  

Paizo did a disservice with City in Flames, especially considering that most parties running through the Adventure Path are going to be completely married to the storyline, with no choice but to stick with it.  But I digress...

Back to writing.


----------



## Simplicity

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Hmmm...we are currently running City In Flames, which I must say has been the most...disappointing of the Cauldron adventures to date.  Sunday's game was entertaining nevertheless, especially when it began raining demodands out of thin air.  Richard assures me that a post is forthcoming...soon...we hope...maybe...




Hmmmm...  Foundation of Flame looked like one of the BEST Cauldron adventures to me.  Can I ask what it was about the adventure you guys
didn't like?

One of the biggest plusses about the adventure is the fact that there is a wide range of possibilities in terms of how well the party does getting people
out of Cauldron.  Some of the situations seem quite tough.

The only big minuses I see about it is the fact that it is almost entirely a fire-based adventure.  If you've got fire resistance, you're going to do okay.  If you don't, kiss your butt goodbye.

Is it just repetitive?


----------



## ltclnlbrain

I haven't had a chance to run the adventure yet, but it looked pretty interesting. Especially since it is a change from all the dungeon-crawling most of the other adventures consist of. Things may drag at times, though, and I can see how it may get repetitive. When I run it, I'll try to keep the pace up and try to speed through the encounters so it goes by faster.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> Pardon my recent absence from the boards.  Before too long, I will need to be retiring as a writer.  Home ownership, planning a wedding, babysitting my future step-daughter 2 nights a week, and things getting crazy at work are really cutting into my Story Hour time.  Or more appropriately, taking my Story Hour time in total and then some.



  
Dude, get an appartment! I mean, you should find a way to continue this SH - and I believe JollyDoc can't do it alone. You could bring in another writer or shorten the updates (no flames, please, I love the long updates, too, but short ones are better than none).




			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> Yes, sadly, I agree with ol' JD.  This module pretty much blows.  This campaign thus far has been fun, despite the overall deadliness of it.  The first encounter in this module was pretty darn interesting, but it has gone downhill from there.  The remainder of the encounters have felt more like a drudgery than anything else.  And this is no shot at JD.  He can't help the crappy hand of cards he's been dealt with this module.
> 
> Paizo did a disservice with City in Flames, especially considering that most parties running through the Adventure Path are going to be completely married to the storyline, with no choice but to stick with it.  But I digress..



Teasers, shmeasers...




			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> Whining aside, I am about halfway through my next update.  If I don't post tonight, then the update will be up by Saturday, even if I have to stay up all night.  I promise.
> ...
> Back to writing.



Finally some good news !!!


----------



## Longbow

Huh! All this talk that City in Flames isn´t very good gets me nervous (maybe even more nervous than waiting for the oh-so-precious update  ). Like other people I heard it was quite good. Hmm...

Raining demodands? Sounds cool!


----------



## Tidus4444

What supplement/ Dragon is that planar champion in?  It looks lkie a pretty cool class.


----------



## JollyDoc

Planar Champion appears in Manual of the Planes.

As for the negatives of Foundation of Flames, I guess it all depends on playing style.  Our group doesn't run much to the touchy-feely, hard-core role-playing bent.  As most of you who have been with us for awhile know, power-gaming is the general rule.  That said, role-playing that furthers personal character goals or the overall campaign theme are always welcome.  The various mini scenarios in this particular adventure are tedious to run and not very fun or exciting for the players, especially with such high DC's set for Diplomacy checks (which are vital to the 100% success of each scenario), and the negative consequences every time a Cauldronite dies.  The adventure feels very much like a linker than a stand-alone.  

Not to worry about Joachim's imminent retirement from writing.  He's going to continue posting until he is caught up, then Eddie aka Dalthon will be taking over for him (alternating with me, of course) until we finish the adventure path.


----------



## Joachim

Simplicity said:
			
		

> Hmmmm...  Foundation of Flame looked like one of the BEST Cauldron adventures to me.  Can I ask what it was about the adventure you guys didn't like?
> 
> One of the biggest plusses about the adventure is the fact that there is a wide range of possibilities in terms of how well the party does getting people
> out of Cauldron.  Some of the situations seem quite tough.




What I haven't liked thus far:

1)  No real plot.  Just grab the PC's by the nosehairs, and drag them around town from encounter area to encounter area.  Don't give them any choices, such as how to handle the whole situation or even let them rest.

2)  The aforementioned Diplomacy DC's and the consequences of Cauldronites biting it.  (RANT WARNING) Just looking over a lot of modules of late it appears that Diplomacy has become the lazy game-designer's skill of choice.  People can say all they want that Diplomacy is a 'role-playing' skill used by good serious role-players, when in fact it is the opposite.  Instead of roleplaying a rousing speech, making your case to the city guard, etc., now all you have to do is say, "I am going to make a Diplomacy check...I have +30 to the roll."  I know how people will respond by saying, "The DM can give diplomacy bonuses for good roleplaying."  While this is true, which is more significant...the +4 circumstance bonus or the +30 that you already have.

3)  The combats haven't been all that interesting, and the noncombat encounters have been a moderate waste of time.  Paizo's inability to review monsters before slapping on templates and adjusting CR's rears its ugly head in one encounter in particular.  The fight in question was not unwinnable by any stretch, but was woefully under-CR'ed.


----------



## Lela

Joachim said:
			
		

> 2) The aforementioned Diplomacy DC's and the consequences of Cauldronites biting it. (RANT WARNING) Just looking over a lot of modules of late it appears that Diplomacy has become the lazy game-designer's skill of choice. People can say all they want that Diplomacy is a 'role-playing' skill used by good serious role-players, when in fact it is the opposite. Instead of roleplaying a rousing speech, making your case to the city guard, etc., now all you have to do is say, "I am going to make a Diplomacy check...I have +30 to the roll." I know how people will respond by saying, "The DM can give diplomacy bonuses for good roleplaying." While this is true, which is more significant...the +4 circumstance bonus or the +30 that you already have.



You know, I'd have to agree with this one (though I haven't read the module). I gave a series of rousing speeches during one session, one after the other. Not to toot my own horn, but I was in the zone. The other players were paying rapt attention (yes, even that guy who always interupts descriptions to ask when we left the woods) and I was all but up out of my chair.

Finally, my character turned on his heal and marched defiantly from the council hall, the other characters (who'd been keeping the guards off me, ala LotR) following. Everyone, including me, was amazed.

Then came the Diplomacy roll; to which I could add my +1 Charisma: 14 total.

Needless to say, I was not inclined to continue with the social aspects of RPing.


----------



## Longbow

If you don´t like the Diplomacy skill than either eliminate it from your game or change it. That´s how I do it.

I still haven´t seen Foundation in Flames (my FLGS had Dungeon 114 but not 113, internet here I come!) but roleplaying situations sound good to me. If it just boils down to a Diplomacy roll I change that to make it more fun for the players. If someone has those high ranks of Diplomacy he may feel a bit cheated but in my group it´s not that case (one has a some ranks but doesn´t insist all the time to get a roll).


----------



## gfunk

One of the main problems with Diplomacy is that it is often used to avoid combat. However, if battle is imminent and everyone has rolled initiative, then you get a -10 to your Diplomacy roll if you try to use it as a full-round action (as opposed to say, for one full minute with no penalty).

This means that even moderate ranks in your Diplomacy skill may be for naught. The exception, of course, is the Diplomacy god PC (e.g. Caine).

By way of example, one of the PCs with a +18 or so in Diplomacy rolled a natural 20 to try and disperse an angry mob in "Foundation of Flame." This 38 was reduced to a 28 because of the aforementioned -10 penalty. Quite frustrating, particularly when you WANT to avoid combat for RPing reasons.


----------



## Joachim

ICE, ICE, BABY

Jenya listened to the words of the Bright Axes with growing concern.  Just when the High Priestess had thought that things couldn’t get any worse, she learns that the largest temple in the city of Cauldron was being run by nefarious apostates.  The church of Kelemvor could not have been confused as helpful or even an ally, but Jenya would never have believed that they were so solidly working for the forces of Evil.

Rusty, pale as a sheet from his recent return from the land of the dead, hoarsely whispered, “There is more to be lookin’ at...We found a letter to the local Kelemvorite bishop.  It seems that they have operatives workin’ in a place called Karran-Kural, and it might not be a bad idea to investigate what’s goin’ on there.  This letter, it mentioned somethin’ called a ‘Soul Pillar’.  I canna tell ye what that is, but it sounds like we may need to be lookin’ into it.”

The other members of the Bright Axes nodded their heads slowly.  Still affected by the loss of their spiritual guide, if not _de facto_ leader, in Caine, the group had begun to look to Rusty for direction.  Even Grimm, who was far more outspoken and willful than his fellow companions, quickly deferred to the dwarf’s commands.

The Tyrite Priestess pursed her lips.  “You go with the blessing of the Even-Handed and his Church.  May you find what you have been searching for, and put and end to this threat to Cauldron.”

Before Jenya could finish speaking, the door to the meeting hall burst open, and three figures marched into the room.  The old Bright Axes quickly recognized their old rivals, the Storm Blades.  Tilly and Rusty reflexively reached for their weapons, expecting some sort of scrap, but to the surprise of everyone in the room, each of the mercenaries bowed respectfully to the gathered company.  Annah Taskerhill, the leader of the troupe, solemnly stepped forward.

“Lady Jenya, we have learned that Todd Vanderboren’s body has been brought here by the Bright Axes.  Those bastards at the Halls of the Dead told us that they couldn’t bring Todd back from the dead, and before too long a spell of _raising_ will not be effective.  We have come to make an offering to this church to have him returned to life.”  Turning to the Bright Axes, Annah softly conceded, “We appreciate your work at that other temple.  Adventurer to adventurer, we thank you for returning our friend.”

Rusty and Tilly looked at each other, unable to speak.  They both remembered the street brawl between the two groups during the flood crisis a few months prior.  None of the other members knew much about the Storm Blades, except that they were a bunch of rich momma’s boys and daddy’s girls.

Jenya broke the silence.  “I will raise Todd, but I am unable to do so today.  I have already used that circle of spell in bringing back Rusty and Tilly from the dead.  If it is not too late, I will perform the ritual of raising tomorrow morning.”

Stroking his chin whiskers, Rusty considered the possibilities.  During the raising process, many of his memorized spells had been stripped.  However, one spell remained.  Weakly, the dwarf stood up.  “I will perform the ritual right now.  I will raise Todd Vanderboren, free of charge.”  Holding out his hand to Annah, the Mystran smiled.  “Let’s bury the hatchet, lass.  There’s too much goin’ on in this city for us not to be workin’ together.”

Grinning, the leader of the Storm Blades clasped hands with the leader of the Bright Axes.  An alliance was formed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Annah looked over the large cage that Grimm had produced from the group’s _bag of holding_.  Noting the fine craftsmanship and the symbolic etching on the metal, Annah drew back a sharp breath.  “Yes! Yes, of course!  This is a Soul Cage.  Finely crafted, and enchanted by…by…yes, here!  Look at this symbol.  That is the mark of Dugobras, the famous Fire Giant Blacksmith.  I really can’t tell you what the exact purpose of this cage is, but its obviously not a good thing.”

Tilly shuddered at the name of the Fire Giant.  He remembered that name.  Or more appropriately, he remembered the feeling of a massive hammer crushing his small abdomen in a single blow.  Dugobras was the name of the fire giant smith located in the caves outside of the Demonskar.  

These small coincidences were starting to appear to be  not-so coincidental…

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, the Bright Axes awoke, ready to search out the location of Karran Kural.  Using her magic, Jenya had divined several pieces of information in the night, one of which was that Karran-Kural was located in one of the inactive lava tubes outside the city.  Rusty used a powerful divination to _find the path _ to Karran-Kural, the group was off, in search of secret of the soul pillars.

Rusty’s magic did not lead them very far outside the city until they encountered a lava tube cave.  Passing through a myriad of passageways, the Bright Axes realized that, unbelievably, the cave was getting colder.  They were moving deeper inside an active volcano, and it was getting colder.  Ice had even formed on many of the cavern walls.  What foul magicks could be at work?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Izzaedruzz twitched.  The Gelugon had been called to the Prime Material Plane to guard the entrance to Karran-Kural.  This mission he had fulfilled for far too long.  In the Nine Hells, Izzaedruzz was a high-ranking officer in the Blood War.  Many, many demons had met bloody ends at the end of his barbed spear.  The ignominy of this guard duty was too much for the Gelugon to handle, and for many years the Ice Devil had been free of the shackles of sanity.

Something made Izzaedruzz awaken from his crazed stupor.  A slight echo, the sound of steel rubbing on steel, even the clink of chain.  The Gelugon insectile face broke into an what could only be described as some sort of horrid grin.  Someone was approaching, and their blood would stain the floor of Karran-Kural this day.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Grunting, Grimm squeezed between a massive block of ice and the smooth rock of the cave.  When the half-ogre finally broke through, he found himself in an large circular worked chamber.  Grimm waved the others into the room.

The chamber was odd by several accounts.  The entire room was covered in thin icy rods that criss-crossed from one side to another similar to a giant spiderweb.  Tilly reached out to touch one of the rods, and quickly withdrew his hand, shaking it vigorously.  “Ow, that’s cold!  I wouldn’t touch those if you can help it.”  

Rusty looked at the floor, shaking his head.  “What be *these* things?” the dwarf asked, pointing at a series of circular disks in the floor.  The disks were transparent, and upon closer inspection it became obvious that they covered circular holes in the floor.  Trapped inside the hole stood a serene six-armed creature, the content look of a long life concluded with a peaceful death displayed across its face.

The Mystran pulled out his personal journal and smirked.  The dwarf pulled Tilly over, pointing at a note and sketch made prior to the Bright Axes travels to the Demonskar.  “See there, lad.  Looks like we found a Spellweaver burial ground.  Amazin’, isn’t it?”

A flash of light interrupted the group’s reverie.  There could be no mistaking that flash.

Something big had just teleported just in front of them.

Grimm groaned.  “Not again…didn’t we just see you yesterday…?”  Mandibles clicking maniacally, Izzaedruzz the Gelugon, cocked his head to the side.  The Ice Devil was almost certain that he hadn’t seen them the day before.  Within a split second, however, Izzaedruzz succumbed to his growing psychosis.  It was time to spill some blood.  He could contemplate the half-ogre’s words later.

The Gelugon acted first.  Moving through the icy strands with no ill effect, the Ice Devil positioned itself on the opposite side of the room and with a moment’s thought released a blast of icy air, catching all of the Bright Axes with the cone effect.  Tilly, Kiko, and Grimm all luckily dodged out of the way of the cone without being harmed, but Dalthon, Rusty, and Kylon were each enveloped in the freezing cold.

Remembering the encounter with the Ice Devil on the previous day, Grimm reached into his belt pouch and withdrew two vials.  Opening the first vial with his teeth, the planar champion poured the contents onto his spiked chain.  The chain flashed blue for a second, and then faded.  The half-ogre knew that his weapon was now blessed, and would harm this creature of evil.  Flipping a second vial to Tilly, Grimm grunted, “Hey, Short Round, smear this on your pig sticker!”  

Nodding, the halfling coated his blade in the oil, and nodded at the results.  “This one’s for Caine, bugface!” the halfling taunted.

The aasimar sorcerer recognized his enemy, and this time Dalthon swore the result was would be different.  Thinking quickly, the sorcerer surmised that if the beast in front of them was a creature of ice, it would be susceptible to fire.  Three fiery rays struck the devil in the chest.  To Dalthon's surprise, the fiery bolts did not even singe the beast.  The aasimar could not know that the creature, as a Baatezu, was completely immune to the effects of fire.

Kylon, Paladin of Kelemvor, charged through the icy strands to bring Death to the devil.  Each strand that rubbed up against him chilled the holy warrior to the bone, but the paladin persevered.  Summoning might from his god, Kylon tried to smite his foe.  His sword struck true and cut deep into the devil’s abdomen.  His sword was blessed with the power of the archons, and Izzaedruzz howled at the wound.

From this point forward, the fight degenerated into a bloody melee.  Grimm, Tilly, Rusty, Kiko, and Kylon pressed through the painful icy webbing and maneuvered around the devil.  Izzaedruzz attacked with lightning speed, striking out several times every second.  Nearly every one of the devil’s blows left more blood on the ground, but slowly, the beast was beginning to realize the hopelessness of his situation.  The Ice Devil’s ichor was flowing freely from several ghastly wounds, and for the first time in his eons-long existence, Izzaedruzz was prepared to flee.  He began to summon his teleportation power, but was abruptly interrupted.

Dalthon had been waiting, expecting the creature to try to make a hasty exit.  When he saw the unmistakeable look of concentration, the aasimar quickly reacted.  Five bolts of light streaked forward from the sorcerer’s fingers, striking the devil.

With a stunned expression on its insectile face, Izzaedruzz dropped to the ground, and lay still.  Grimm walked forward examining the creature’s wounds, and he noted that they were closing rapidly.  “Stand back.” the half-ogre commanded.  With a single powerful swing of his spiked chain, the planar champion removed the creature’s head.  The beast shuddered, and was dead.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Bright Axes continued their journey through the chambers.  Very quickly, it was becoming obvious that this place was some sort of remnant Spellweaver habitat.  The group encountered several more of the serene burial grounds containing dozens of the ancient creatures.  One series of rooms, however, changed the Bright Axes’ ideas of the Spellweavers permanently.

The series of rooms in question contained more of the burial chambers, but these were filled with elves and dwarves.  The looks on these humanoid’s faces was anything but peaceful.  Mouths, eyes, and limbs were all contorted in an expression of unimaginable pain, suffering, and torment.  These creatures were obviously not placed here of their own will.  Possibly slaves.  Possibly enemies.  Definitely the recipients of magic most foul.  Tilly shook his head, whispering, “By Tymora, no one deserves to die in pain like that.”

The passageway that the group was exploring ended in a small dead-end room.  A five-foot diameter hole in the floor descended further into the depths.  The room’s only other notable feature was the twelve foot tall iron statue standing over the hole.  Kiko, serving as party vanguard, crept into the room, and jumped back when the statue turned its head and looked directly at him.  Moving to attack, the massive iron golem swung its massive iron fists into the ground, narrowly missing the monk.

Iron golems are among the most powerful of constructs.  Incredible strength, near invulnerability to magic, extreme resistance to weapons not comprised of adamantine, all coupled with the creation’s great size generally would make for an unstoppable killing machine.  However, today would prove to be different.  The golem was a brainless brute, and the Bright Axes were experienced with fighting golems and other constructs.  

Like a wolfpack, the group surrounded the golem.  Grimm’s adamantine chain did all the damage, but the actions of the half-ogre’s comrades harried the construct and made the job that much easier.  In less than thirty seconds, the statue toppled to the ground, utterly destroyed.

The Bright Axes stood over the hole leading into the earth, contemplating their next move.


----------



## LordVyreth

Ah, nice update.  Finally the place where the Ice Devil should be.  Though I could have sworn that Gelugons were exceptions to the "devil's are immune to fire rule."  I'll have to check the books again.

A few nitpicks.  Shouldn't Spellweavers have six arms, not four?  And Dalthon's thought, "Thinking quickly, the sorcerer surmised that if the creature was an creature of ice, it would be susceptible to cold," should read it would be susceptible to fire, right?


----------



## Lela

Other than a couple typos, I'm happy.

Except, of course, that you'll be retiring from the SH scene Joachim.  You're definitally a fun read and I hope things can calm down for you.

(Oh, how did that review go with your boss?)


----------



## Nightingale 7

And let's give three Hurrahs for the continuation of the story!Nice update there Joachim.It's too bad that you will not continue to contribute to the Story Hour(I mean,besides being one of it's protagonists of course!  )
On the other side I'm eagerly awaiting to see Ika's writing style.You can never have too many fledgling writers I guess.

Hey JD,I believe the next update is coming soon,right?I distinctly remember you saying that it's finished.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> And let's give three Hurrahs for the continuation of the story!Nice update there Joachim.It's too bad that you will not continue to contribute to the Story Hour(I mean,besides being one of it's protagonists of course!  )
> On the other side I'm eagerly awaiting to see Ika's writing style.You can never have too many fledgling writers I guess.
> 
> Hey JD,I believe the next update is coming soon,right?I distinctly remember you saying that it's finished.





  I don't think you will be seeing my writing style because I have none.


----------



## Nightingale 7

Bah!As long as you manage to churn out an update at least once a millenium you'll be good enough in my book!  (Intended,though good-natured jab at Joachim  )


----------



## gfunk

As a point of reference, this is where my full-time participation in the campaign ended (I guess it was the first week of May). 

P.S. Rich, you can change the typos in your post with the "EDIT" option underneath it.  After all, you DO want to make your final post look good for posterity right?


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> As a point of reference, this is where my full-time participation in the campaign ended (I guess it was the first week of May).
> 
> P.S. Rich, you can change the typos in your post with the "EDIT" option underneath it.  After all, you DO want to make your final post look good for posterity right?




This won't be my last post.  I still have about 4 or 5 weeks that I need to write up (which means that JD has the same amount).  My last post would be for last weeks' gaming session.


----------



## Joachim

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> A few nitpicks.  Shouldn't Spellweavers have six arms, not four?  And Dalthon's thought, "Thinking quickly, the sorcerer surmised that if the creature was an creature of ice, it would be susceptible to cold," should read it would be susceptible to fire, right?




Sorry about the typos, gang.  First, I couldn't remember if Spellweavers had 4 or 6 arms, so I went with 4.  I don't have JD's luxury of being able to look at the modules when I am writing up my posts, so I have to go with my somewhat questionable memory.

Second, I was typing the tail end of this stuff around midnight CST last night, so pardon the logic errors there.  I especially liked the part where Tilly said, "No one deserves to die in *like pain that*."  For someone who writes 20 page reports for a living, I had to shudder in embarrassment on that one.


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> Other than a couple typos, I'm happy.
> 
> Except, of course, that you'll be retiring from the SH scene Joachim.  You're definitally a fun read and I hope things can calm down for you.
> 
> (Oh, how did that review go with your boss?)




Thanks, Lela.  I appreciate the props.  Like I said, I still have several weeks worth of notes to still post, so y'all haven't gotten rid of me yet.

Regarding my review, I am still waiting for it.  Some serious stuff is going down at the office, and once the dust settles from that, my boss-man said I would get my review.


----------



## JollyDoc

Nicely done Richard!  I will be posting in short order (ie less than a month), but I'm going to let this update sink in for 1-2 weeks before I post mine.  I want to give Rich time to get started on the next one so we don't have such a long lag between posts.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Huzzah for updates!

I'm looking forward to reading these stories, and the eventual cross over between your previous group and this one. Should be very interesting indeed!


----------



## JDragon

Wwwwwwwweeeeeeeeee, this has been a fun ride.   

I just fineshed reading all of the Bright Axes tales, after finding them last week when I found my self running the Adventure Path myself.

Great, stuff all of it!  I espically enjoyed the Black Egg, having played through it, and having my PC running for his life when a fellow PC touched the egg, and then touched it with the rod.   :\   3 out of the 5 PC's not turned evil got out, but only by running like hell, including the dwarven barbarian taking 20d6 as he jumped from the entrance platform.

I'll continue to watch and see how this ends.


----------



## JollyDoc

JDragon said:
			
		

> Wwwwwwwweeeeeeeeee, this has been a fun ride.
> 
> I just fineshed reading all of the Bright Axes tales, after finding them last week when I found my self running the Adventure Path myself.
> 
> Great, stuff all of it!  I espically enjoyed the Black Egg, having played through it, and having my PC running for his life when a fellow PC touched the egg, and then touched it with the rod.   :\   3 out of the 5 PC's not turned evil got out, but only by running like hell, including the dwarven barbarian taking 20d6 as he jumped from the entrance platform.
> 
> I'll continue to watch and see how this ends.




Welcome to the Story Dragon!  We always enjoy a fresh perspective.  Black Egg was a blast to run, but very deadly for the "linker" I intended it to be.  Have to careful about that sort of thing in the future.


----------



## Longbow

I too need another adventure to get my PCs to the next experience level. I´ll get them back to Occipitus, a Cagewright or Kaurophon (he survived) lays a magical trap through one of those poor bastards who scream "I am Adimarchus!". The trap/spell fails and they end up back in time in Occipitus when Adimarchus has just vanished and Grazz´t´s armies are laying waste to the fallen angels´ host. Glee! 

I have read "Thirteen Cages" and oh my God does it rock. Can´t wait to get to DM that and see the the Bright Axes go through it.


----------



## JollyDoc

Longbow said:
			
		

> I too need another adventure to get my PCs to the next experience level. I´ll get them back to Occipitus, a Cagewright or Kaurophon (he survived) lays a magical trap through one of those poor bastards who scream "I am Adimarchus!". The trap/spell fails and they end up back in time in Occipitus when Adimarchus has just vanished and Grazz´t´s armies are laying waste to the fallen angels´ host. Glee!
> 
> I have read "Thirteen Cages" and oh my God does it rock. Can´t wait to get to DM that and see the the Bright Axes go through it.




Yep, I've been reading thru Thirteen Cages myself, and I look forward to getting the BA's back into the thick of things.  However, since it is for 16th level, and since none of them have yet to reach 15th level, I think another linker is in order.  I may try Lord of the Iron Fortress.


----------



## gfunk

DELETED


----------



## catdragon

gfunk said:
			
		

> By the amount of ruckus Joachim was putting up (e.g. bitching about this module in general, bitching about how many feats Hookface had from Draconomicon, bitching about how I didn't just sit in front of hime like a good boy and duke it out toe-to-toe ), I feel that my mission was accomplished.




Yeah, I *know* that feeling.  We ran into a chaos dragon last Thursday and it proceeded to beat out 12<sup>th</sup> level characters butts.  It wouldn't stay still, it ran, came back, strafed, ran again.  It just wouldn't stay still.  Finally, we figured out what it was trying to guard and by threatening that, we made it come to us.  After that it was toast.  But my cleric, who had over 110 hp before the dragon came back and stayed was down to 12 hp by the time it was over.  And all the dragon did was sit on him.   

Yeah, I know the bitchness feeling that dragons can give a player.  Especially one that *wants* to fight!

Hey, any chance we can get an abbreviated update. No need to get fancy with text and such just "we went there did that, and this is what happened...." kind of thing?

Man, i _need_, i mean _NEED_, an update.....


----------



## Joachim

BACK TO GAMING


----------



## Lela

I think we've done quite a bit of ribbing in this thread.  It was only a matter of time before it got out of hand.  So, I'm going to apologize to gfunk.  I've picked on him a lot and figure this is a good place to stop--before friendships are ruined.

I'm sorry gfunk and I fully intend to cut it out.


----------



## gfunk

Lela, absolutely no apologies required.  Really, I am the one at fault here.  Since I don't know you personally, I don't really take your ribbing personally.  This is certainly not the case with Joachim.  I do agree that it was not appropriate.  Apologies to all and let's get back to gaming.


----------



## JollyDoc

catdragon said:
			
		

> Hey, any chance we can get an abbreviated update. No need to get fancy with text and such just "we went there did that, and this is what happened...." kind of thing?
> 
> Man, i _need_, i mean _NEED_, an update.....




If you mean an update from last night...I'll synopsize for you.  The evacuation of Cauldron was completed by the Bright Axes, but before they had much chance to savor their victory, all hell broke loose in the form of an old adversary...Hookface the dragon!  

I'll spare the details of that for now, but afterwards, the Bright Axes were swept up even more out of their element...into my linker adventure.  

All that AND...the return of Pez!!!!

BTW, I've kind of been thinking about not posting the details of the linker, and just letting the continuity of the adventure path continue uninterrupted.  This would give us time to catch up on posting, and not get further behind, but I'm interested in the opinion of the readers.


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> I've picked on him a lot and figure this is a good place to stop--before friendships are ruined.




Well, there was never any danger of that, to be sure


----------



## JDragon

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> ...snip...
> BTW, I've kind of been thinking about not posting the details of the linker, and just letting the continuity of the adventure path continue uninterrupted.  This would give us time to catch up on posting, and not get further behind, but I'm interested in the opinion of the readers.




I would like to see the details of the linker if at all possible.


----------



## JollyDoc

WARNING!  WARNING!

Update is imminent.  Repeat, update is imminent.  

There will be a 100% chance of update within 48 hours!  All within this viewing area should seek shelter immediately!


----------



## Lela

Holy flaming monkeys batman!  What are we gonna do?!?

(Heh, Half-fiend monkeys!!!)


----------



## LordVyreth

Lela said:
			
		

> Holy flaming monkeys batman!  What are we gonna do?!?
> 
> (Heh, Half-fiend monkeys!!!)




No, half-fiend monkeys would by Unholy flaming monkeys!


----------



## Longbow

Incoming update! Duck and cover!

As for the linker, I´m all for it to read it but I wouln´t need it too bad (me wants Cauldron). Especially if you run Lord of the Iron Fortress because one of my player wants to run it someday.


----------



## Lela

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> No, half-fiend monkeys would by Unholy flaming monkeys!



 You'd think so, but they were raised by a group of Paladins after they're dark parents were slain in a raid.

They now serve the light and bathe regularly.


----------



## JollyDoc

THE TWIN PILLARS

One by one the Bright Axes descended the inky shaft until they found themselves gathered in a small room whose partially collapsed walls seemed to have been blasted apart by some ancient calamity.  A small door was still accessible to the west, and beyond it they entered a narrow corridor.  The air on this lower level was just as frigid as that above, and their breath misted in the air as they proceeded deeper into the ancient spell weaver abode.  

Shortly, they came upon a four-way intersection.  The passage to the west was a dead-end, while the one to the east was filled with another of the ubiquitous and deadly ice lattices.  Directly ahead, the hallway ended in another door.  Not wishing to deal with the numbing ice strands, the group proceeded towards the doorway.  

___________________________________________________
Olarithusk paced the confines of his prison for the one-millionth time.  Exactly twenty-five feet by forty-five feet, just as it had been nine-hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred ninety-nine times before.  Each step he had taken of that perimeter magnified his rage ten-fold.  If the _Binding_ didn’t physically restrain him from doing so, he would have ripped apart the walls of this room long ago.  No curse in Carceri was vile enough to describe the hatred he felt for the Cagewright who had trapped him so, and he could not vent that anger on the wizard nor any of his minions for they always teleported around this chamber.  He was charged with guarding a room which would never see an intruder, when by all rights he should be in charge of a legion of farastus guarding thousands of cursed souls back on Carceri.  He was preparing to make his one million and first circuit of the room when of all things…he heard the door open.

_________________________________________________
Tilly pushed open the door to find a medium sized chamber that was filled floor to ceiling with a massive ice web.  Standing in the center of the lattice was an obese, eight-foot tall humanoid with knobby skin coated with a pale, green slime.  Stubby wings protruded from its shoulders.  As its beady eyes fell upon the halfling, its lips cracked in what could only be a horrid facsimile of a smile.  
“We’ve definitely got problems!” Tilly shouted behind him to his companions, and then drawing his swords, he began hacking at the ice strands, trying to clear a path.

Grimm shouldered his way past the others, barreling into the room to meet whatever new horror this gods-forsaken place had to throw at them.  Unwittingly, he lumbered right through several of the searing beams, the cold lancing through his flesh.  Undeterred, he lashed out at the hulking fiend, his heavy, spiked chain raking across the creature’s flesh, but leaving only a superficial wound, which began healing as soon as it was inflicted.

Olarithusk chuckled at the ineptitude of the brute who thought to stand toe-to-toe with him.  The demodand prepared to teach the upstart a lesson in humility, but then suddenly his eyes began to burn from a blinding, painful light.  A dwarf now stood in the doorway across the room, and the brilliant radiance seemed to emanate from him.  Olarithusk actually saw his flesh starting to burn and peel in places where the light touched it.  He growled deep in his chest, knowing just how to deal with this nuisance.  Calling upon his innate arcane abilities, he conjured a massive cloud of acidic fog so thick and dense that it effectively trapped those within to die a slow and painful death.

Kiko was just preparing to dash to Grimm’s aid when the cloying, burning vapors enveloped him.  He tried to dive beneath them and tumble to fresh air, but the mist refused to yield, engulfing him like a wet sponge.  He closed his eyes and focused his ki, ignoring the droplets of acid settling on his exposed skin.  He pictured himself back at the intersection, beyond the range of the fog, and when he opened his eyes once more he was there, free.  Dalthon stood beside him smiling and nodding.  “It never ceases to amaze me when I see you do that,” the sorcerer said, “and you are not even a practitioner of the art.”
“But you are,” Kiko responded, “and as such, isn’t there anything you can do about that?” He indicated the billowing, putrid green cloud.  In reply, Dalthon barked a few unintelligible phrases and forked his fingers towards the fog.  In an eye-blink, it was gone.

Free of the fog cloud, Grimm began striking in earnest at the fiend, and even though the wounds began to heal immediately, the half-ogre could tell that he was making progress.  Olarithusk cursed in outrage, and prepared to charge the puny mortal, but before he could take a step, the accursed dwarf hurled a searing beam of light at him, scorching his entire chest.  As he stumbled back, the half-ogre’s chain wrapped around his legs and pulled him from his feet.  The demodand lay momentarily stunned on his back, staring up at the ceiling.  He suddenly felt a weight land on his chest where a bald human had landed.  The human was unarmed, yet his hands glistened with some sort of oil.  Olarithusk had an instant to wonder what it could mean before the creature began pummeling him about the face, and each blow seemed to burn into his flesh with holy fire.  The last thing the demodand heard in his long life was a prayer uttered to Mystra, the Lady of the Weave, and then he knew no more as the power of the goddess smote him from the earth.

 ________________________________________________________

Beyond Olarithusk’s prison, the cold, dead hallways of the spell weaver fortress continued for a short distance before coming to another intersection.  Another door lay directly ahead, while the hallway to the east appeared to have collapsed.  To the west, it seemed as if the corridor opened into a room of some sort, and a dim, green glow came from that direction.

Tilly, on point as usual, took a step in that direction, and then paused, his slightly pointed ears pricking up.  He thought he could just make out the faint sounds of chanting.  Though he was no wizard, the little rogue had long ago learned to make out the telltale cadence of spell casting.  “I hate to sound redundant,” he sighed, turning back towards his companions, “but I think we’re in trouble…again.”

_________________________________________________
“What is it?” Orgo asked, glancing up from the object he was studying to glare in irritation at his companion.  “You keep doing that!  Do you hear something, or not?”  Xail returned the half-orc’s gaze with an unblinking intensity that soon unnerved the warrior, causing him to shift his eyes away.  “If you wissssh to live,” Xail hissed, “then you had bessst loosssen your blade in itsss sssscabbard, and move away from the door.  It ssssseemssss Fetor’sss pet demodand hasss finally had sssome company.  I think he didn’t live to regret it.”  The creature then began murmuring and chanting to itself, and Orgo could feel magic rippling thru the air as Xail prepared several arcane defenses in anticipation that they too would soon be receiving company.

_______________________________________________
Tilly edged cautiously around the corner to peer into the glowing chamber.  The floor of the room descended twenty feet below the doorway, and the ceiling rose to a height of forty feet above.  A walkway ran around the perimeter of the room, but the chamber itself was dominated by two large pillars, each made of what looked like gray, necrotic flesh.  A palpable chill emanated from the macabre structures, and now and again a tortured visage would form and then fade on one of the pillar’s surface with a faint whisper.  Wrapped around the farthest pillar was what appeared to be a large, skeletal snake with glowing, emerald eyes.  Standing near the creature was a half-orc, dressed in plate armor and holding a large axe in both hands.  

Tilly was just about to report his observations to his friends, when he abruptly turned and ran right into Grimm, who had come up behind him.  “No time for stealth any longer,” the half-ogre rumbled.  “Dalthon, I need maneuverability.”  The sorcerer nodded in understanding, and then wove a spell of flight around the planar champion.  In an instant, Grimm was airborne.  He had no idea what the bone snake was, or even if it was hostile, but he had learned by now to hit first, hard, and ask questions later.  Speedy as he was with his magical flight, Grimm was surprised and amused to see that Kiko was keeping pace with him, sprinting full out around the edge of the walkway.  He had to hand it to the monk; he was either very brave, or had an intense death wish.

If Xail was capable of a sense of humor, or even irony, he would have smiled, but alas, the bone naga was beyond such things, and he merely saw the fact that the intruders had now separated themselves as a tactical advantage to be exploited.  He immediately began his spell, trusting that Orgo could at least delay the two assailants, though Xail was certain the bumbling half-orc was about to end his days on this plane of existence.  Fetor had warned that interlopers might be coming to the ruins, especially in light of the exposure of the Kelemvorites' deception.  The Cagewright had made it clear that the defense of the pillars was paramount.  All other concerns…and lives…were secondary.

As Dalthon, Kylon and Rusty prepared to enter the chamber, the floor of the corridor suddenly erupted with a forest or writhing, rubbery black tentacles.  Before the trio could move, the tendrils began wrapping around them, pinning their arms and slowly squeezing the life out of them.

At that moment, Grimm arced around one of the grotesque pillars, coming up on Orgo’s left flank and smashing the half-orc into the wall with his chain.  Simultaneously, Kiko flew around the second pillar, momentarily catching Xail off guard.  The monk hammered at the naga with his bare hands, trying to stun the creature but having no luck.  Xail knew that he had to buy some time.  With a few arcane words he conjured a wall of pure force that bisected the chamber, placing Kiko and Grimm on one side, and himself, and Orgo on the other with Tilly, who had quietly snuck up behind the half-orc, hoping to use Grimm’s distraction attack to deliver a coup de grace.  

“Ah,” Orgo smiled, baring his fangs at the little halfling in front of him, “now the odds are a bit more even.  Wouldn’t you agree?”  He hefted his axe and lunged towards the rogue.  Without a word, Tilly shoulder rolled to one side of the narrow platform, coming to his feet behind the charging warrior.  He slashed at the half-orc’s hamstring as he passed, and Orgo collapsed with a curse, clutching at his wounded leg.  “Now I would say it’s even.” Tilly said.  “Wouldn’t you agree Grimm?”  Orgo turned, eyes bugging as the huge half-ogre rose from below the lip of the platform.  With the pillars in the center of the pit, the force wall was not able to reach the floor.  Grimm had discovered this, flown beneath the wall, and was now blocking any hope of escape by the half-orc.  “Say good night, Maple” Tilly hissed, and then he leaped upon Orgo, who struggled futilely to bring his axe up in defense.  Tilly sliced his blades simultaneously across the warrior’s throat, and the half-orc’s life-blood spilled to the stone.

Xail shook his skull-like head.  The fool had lasted even less time than he’d anticipated.  No matter, dealing with these two would be child’s play.  Once again he summoned a mass of black tentacles from the flagstones of the platform, and in moments, both half-ogre and halfling were trapped.  However, before the naga could finish them off, Grimm roared and heaved himself free of the entwining tendrils.  Bulling his way forward, he slashed at the naga, tearing hunks of bone loose from its body.  Xail hissed and spat in anger, and then began another spell.  In an instant Grimm and Tilly felt waves of fatigue and weakness wash over them.  Grimm found himself barely able to lift his mighty chain, and before he could react, the black tentacles had wrapped around him once again.

As the rubbery appendages continued to squeeze the life out of him, Dalthon closed his eyes and forced his body to go completely limp.  The tentacles momentarily slipped an inch, and in that moment, the sorcerer uttered a single word.  In a brief flash of light he vanished, only to reappear several yards back down the hallway, safely out of range of the grasping arms.  Without hesitation, he cast again, dispelling the magical tendrils and freeing Rusty and Kylon.

Tilly twisted and turned, using every escape trick his mentor had ever taught him.  Finally, he managed to slip one arm loose, and then a leg.  As the tentacles whipped towards him to attack again, he freed himself completely and tumbled over the edge of the platform, landing gracefully on the floor twenty feet below.  No sooner had he made his escape, than Xail finished casting what he hoped would be the killing blow.  A dense, bone-numbingly cold mist enclosed Grimm and the tentacles.  The half-ogre felt his life being leeched slowly away.  With one final, titanic effort, he tore himself loose from his bonds once again.  Leaping into the air, he flew above the deadly fog, but just as he reached the top, a blast of freezing air and ice struck him from within the mists.  The planar champion listened intently, hearing the telltale susurrus of bone sliding over stone from directly below him.  He snapped his chain into the fog, feeling it connect solidly with something below, and hearing an abyssal curse in response.  Grimm wound himself up for another attack, but before he could strike, a second cone of cold struck him.  His mind went gray, and he tumbled from the air, bouncing off the edge of the platform and crashing to the floor of the pit, landing not five feet from the crouching form of Tilly.  

Rusty watched all this transpire from the far platform.  He knew that if Grimm was dead, he had only seconds to act before the planar champion’s soul passed on to the outer planes, after which it would be very difficult to retrieve it.  He uttered a quick prayer, and feathery, white wings sprouted from his back.  He spread them wide, and soared down to the floor of the chamber, shouldering a bewildered Tilly out of the way.  Placing his hand on Grimm’s head, the priest began a low chant, struggling to hold the warrior’s spirit in place.  Suddenly, with a great, whooping gasp of breath, Grimm’s eyes snapped open, and he looked around in confusion.  He was alive, but weak as a kitten.  Rusty set about trying to remedy that as well.

Still on the opposite platform, Dalthon and Kylon stared in stunned disbelief as events unfolded.  Kiko was trapped behind a wall of force.  Tilly had been forced to retreat from the battle.  Grimm was incapacitated, and Rusty was busy trying to keep him alive.  One of their opponents was down, but the other, far more deadly one, still waited in the billowing mist, planning its next lethal attack.  Kylon turned to Dalthon, a stoic expression on his face.  “I’ve seen you use your magic to enable the others to fly,” the paladin said.  “I ask you to do the same for me.”  “Do you have a death wish?” Dalthon asked in disbelief.  “I know you worship the God of the Dead, but do you desire to join him so badly?”  
“It is because I revere Kelemvor that I know what must be done,” Kylon replied.  “I know the abominations that are the living dead when I see them.  I am sworn to destroy such monstrosities, and it is within my power to do so.  Do as I ask, or watch your friends die.”  Dalthon could not argue the logic, so he summoned the magic to imbue the paladin with flight.  Without another word, Kylon took to the air.  The paladin could not make out the naga within the mist, but he hoped the creature would be blind to his approach as well.  Without hesitation, he flew into the frigid cloud, feeling its necromantic magic begin to suck at his soul instantly.  Directly in front of him, he saw the looming shape of the bone naga.  A prayer to Kelemvor came to his lips, giving him the gift of laying on of hands, a gift meant to be used to heal the wounds of those in need.  But Kylon knew another use for this gift.  The undead, being creatures spawned from negative energy, abhorred the positive touch of healing.  It was anathema to them.  Reaching out his bare hand, he touched the bony form of Xail.  The naga opened is maw and screamed an inhuman, unholy wail.  Instinctively, it lashed out with its magic, engulfing the paladin in a ball of fire.  Kylon dove from the mist, seeking cover in the pit below, but Xail was right behind him, uncoiling its bulk from the fleshy pillar, and leaning over the edge of the platform.  It saw most of its enemies gathered below, and used the opportunity to blast them again with a cone of ice and cold.  The Bright Axes scattered for cover, but Rusty stood his ground.  Kylon’s ploy had worked, and the naga had exposed itself.  Now the Mystran priest retaliated with his own magic, lashing at the undead horror with a spray of razor like diamond shards imbued with holy power.  Xail recoiled, realizing his mistake too late, but before he could retreat into the restorative mists again, Kylon charged at him one last time, slicing through his vertebrae with his holy sword, and sending both halves crashing to the ground.


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

Lela said:
			
		

> You'd think so, but they were raised by a group of Paladins after they're dark parents were slain in a raid.
> 
> They now serve the light and bathe regularly.



Even so, wouldn't they have retained their evil subtype descriptor?


----------



## Nightingale 7

Nice update!Those were two difficult fights in the module,whixh you've managed to pass with no deaths(Well Grimm did,but Revivify is really cool eh?)
I'm also glad to see Tilly kick ass after a long time!
Also I would like to renew my plea(nay,DEMAND  ) to see the rest of the Bright Axes statted out.Up till now,we've only seen Grimm,the dear departed Caine,and a glimpse of Kiko.I want to see the rest of them!Who's with me?

Lastly,what was the spell that enabled Rusty to sprout angelic wings?I vaguely remember such a spell in the BOED,that let you sprout wings,flaming swords for hands etc.Was that it?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wow, JollyDoc, wow. The "Naga incident" was a little mean, but what we're really looking forward to is the dracolich - at least I am. Please give us the paladin's farewell and the secrets of the soul pillars! 

Regards, the knight


PS: Tilly rules!


----------



## JollyDoc

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> Nice update!Those were two difficult fights in the module,whixh you've managed to pass with no deaths(Well Grimm did,but Revivify is really cool eh?)
> I'm also glad to see Tilly kick ass after a long time!
> Also I would like to renew my plea(nay,DEMAND  ) to see the rest of the Bright Axes statted out.Up till now,we've only seen Grimm,the dear departed Caine,and a glimpse of Kiko.I want to see the rest of them!Who's with me?
> 
> Lastly,what was the spell that enabled Rusty to sprout angelic wings?I vaguely remember such a spell in the BOED,that let you sprout wings,flaming swords for hands etc.Was that it?




I'll put out the word again for stats for you guys.  It will probably fall to Richard to gather up the info sheets for the other players and post them, with the possible exception of Kiko.  I'm sure Ricky will post that himself.  

The spell in question is Celestial Aspect from BOED.  You can sprout wings, grow horns, or have a flaming sword arm.  In upcoming updates, Rusty does it all!


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Wow, JollyDoc, wow. The "Naga incident" was a little mean, but what we're really looking forward to is the dracolich - at least I am. Please give us the paladin's farewell and the secrets of the soul pillars!
> 
> Regards, the knight
> 
> 
> PS: Tilly rules!





Ah yes...the dracolich.  That will be Richard's tale to tell.  You must be psychic about the paladin <BEG>.  Leave it to those holier-than-thou types to take self-sacrifice to the ultimate limit.


----------



## JollyDoc

PS...Richard and I will be once again taking our show on the road in two days as we head for Gen Con Indy!  Wish us luck in all our gaming endeavors, and if any of you are planning on being there, let us know.  We'd love to meet some of our readers face to face.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Well Here is the stat block for Kiko I do not have the program That Joachim uses to post his stats.


Kiko, Male Human Mnk15: CR 15; Medium Humanoid ; HD 15d8+60(Monk) ; hp 130; Init +8; Spd 80; AC:34 (Flatfooted:30 Touch:30); Atk +16/11/6 base melee, +15/10/5 base ranged; +17/12/7 (2d10+5, Unarmed strike); +17/12/7 (1d6+6+1d6, +1 Kama); AL LG; SV Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +16; STR 20, DEX 18, CON 19, INT 12, WIS 21, CHA 12.
Skills: Balance +12, Climb +13, Diplomacy +11, Escape Artist +17, Hide +10, Jump +12, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Listen +13, Move Silently +10, Speak Language +2, Spot +9, Tumble +19. 

Feats: Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Elusive Target, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Stunning Fist, Sun School, Weapon Focus: Unarmed strike.
Possessions: 
Weapons: +1 Kama: Frost (8,302 gp).
Magic: Ring: Force Shield (8,500 gp); Ring: Protection +4 (32,000 gp); Wondrous: Bag of Holding, type II (5,000 gp); Wondrous: Belt, Monk`s (13,000 gp); Wondrous: Boots, Winged (16,000 gp); Wondrous: Bracers of Armor +4 (16,000 gp); Wondrous: Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Gauntlets of Ogre Power (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Goggles of Night (12,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Deep Red [Sphere] (8,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Dusty Rose [Prism] (5,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pink [Rhomboid] (8,000 gp); Wondrous: Periapt of Wisdom +2 (4,000 gp).
His Flurry of blows is (17/17/17/12/7) His stunning DC is 22


----------



## Joachim

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Well Here is the stat block for Kiko I do not have the program That Joachim uses to post his stats.




If you want to, just Quote my stat block, then remove the QUOTE from the beginning and the /QUOTE from the end, then change the innards of the post to match Kiko.

If y'all can't tell by Ricky's post here, Kiko is a versatile butt-kicking machine.  Definitely a well-crafted character that fits a couple of niches in the party.


----------



## war wizard

*Dalthon*

Here's a stat block of Dalthon, The Aasimar Sorcerer that's been killed more times than Kenny on Southpark


Dalthon of Redgorge, Male Planetouched, Aasimar Sor12: CR 12; Medium Outsider (Native); HD 12d4+24(Sorcerer) ; hp 60; Init +6; Spd 30; AC:20 (Flatfooted:18 Touch:16); Atk +8/3 base melee, +9/4 base ranged; +9/4 (1d6+1, Shortspear, Masterwork); +10/5 (1d8+1, +1 Crossbow, light); +9/4 (1d4+1, Dagger, Masterwork); SA: Daylight (Sp) ; SQ: Subtype: Native, Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Resistance: Acid (Ex): 5, Resistance: Electricity (Ex): 5, Resistance: Cold (Ex); AL NG; SV Fort +11, Ref +13, Will +14; STR 13, DEX 14, CON 15, INT 16, WIS 12, CHA 21.
Skills: Appraise +4, Balance +3, Bluff +8, Climb +2, Concentration +17, Decipher Script +5, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +3, Forgery +4, Gather Information +6, Heal +2, Hide +3, Intimidate +7, Jump +2, Knowledge (Arcana) +10, Knowledge (Nature) +5, Knowledge (Religion) +5, Knowledge (The Planes) +5, Listen +4, Literacy +1, Move Silently +4, Ride +4, Search +4, Sense Motive +2, Speak Language +3, Spellcraft +20, Spot +5, Survival +2, Swim +2, Use Rope +3. 

Feats: Combat Casting, Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Initiative, Maximize Spell, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Spell Penetration.

Spells Known (Sor 6/8/7/7/7/6/3): 0 -- Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Open/Close, Ray of Frost, Read Magic, Resistance; 1st -- Expeditious Retreat, Identify, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, True Strike; 2nd -- Bull`s Strength, Eagle`s Splendor, Knock, Rope Trick, Scorching Ray; 3rd -- Dispel Magic, Fireball, Fly, Haste; 4th -- Confusion, Dimension Door, Stoneskin; 5th -- Cone of Cold, Teleport; 6th -- Disintegrate.

Possessions: 
Weapons: +1 Crossbow, light (2,335 gp); Dagger, Masterwork (302 gp); Shortspear, Masterwork (301 gp).
Magic: Wondrous: Amulet of Health +2 (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Bracers of Armor +4 (16,000 gp); Wondrous: Cloak of Resistance +4 (16,000 gp); Wand: Invisibility (4) (Charges: 50) (6,000 gp); Wand: Lightning Bolt (6) (Charges: 25) (6,750 gp); Staff: Fire (Charges: 10) (5,800 gp); Wondrous: Headband of Intellect +2 (4,000 gp); Ring: Counterspells (4,000 gp); Rod: Metamagic, Empower, Lesser (9,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Orange [Prism] (30,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pale Green [Prism] (30,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Iridescent [Spindle] (18,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pink and Green [Sphere] (8,000 gp); Ring: Protection +4 (32,000 gp).

Spice, Male Animal, Weasel : CR 1/4; Tiny Animal ; HD 12d8 ( Animal) ; hp 30; Init + 2; Spd 20, Climb 20; AC 20; Atk + 4 base melee, + 10 base ranged; +10 ( 1d3-4, Bite ); SA: Attach (Ex) ; SQ: Scent (Ex), Low-light Vision (Ex), ; AL N; SV Fort + 4, Ref + 6, Will + 9; STR 3, DEX 15, CON 10, INT 11, WIS 12, CHA 10.


----------



## Lela

*Kiko (Monk 15)*
*Versitile Butt-Kicking Machine*

----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Human*
*Hit Dice:* 15d8+60 (130 hps)
*Initiative:* +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
*Speed:* 80 ft. (16 squares)
*Armor Class:* 34 (+4 Dex, +5 Wis, +4 bracers, +4 deflection, +7 XXXXXXXX), touch 30, flat-footed 30
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +XX/+XX
*Attack:* +1 _Kama_ +17 melee (1d6+6+1d6 Cold)
*Full Attack:* +1 _Kama_ +17/12/7or Flurry of Blows 17/17/17/12/7 (1d6+6+1d6 Cold)
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./5 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Flurry of Btrikes, Stunning Fist (DC 22)
*Special Qualities:* XXXXXXXX
*Saves:* Fort +15, Ref +16, Will +16
*Abilities:* Str 20, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 21, Cha 12
*Skills:* Balance +12, Climb +13, Diplomacy +11, Escape Artist +17, Hide +10, Jump +12, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Listen +13, Move Silently +10, Speak Language +2, Spot +9, Tumble +19
*Feats:* Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Elusive Target, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Stunning Fist, Sun School, Weapon Focus: Unarmed strike
*Environment:* Vilhon Reach
*Organization:* Solitary, Order (2-70)
*Challenge Rating:* 15
*Treasure:* Items
*Alignment:* Lawful Neutral
*Advancement:* By character class

_A lightly dressed human sprints towards you, covering ground at an alarming rate. You have time to notice the sun glinting off his bald skull before he's upon you._

*[Character History]*

*Kiko is 5 feet and 6 inches tall and weighs 148 pounds.

Combat

Kiko usually starts combat by tripping and/or stunning his opponant, leaving them open his own assults and those of his allies.  Should he face a spellcasters, he uses the Sun School feat to Dimension Door himself up close and personal followed by a grapple in the same round.* 

*Magic Items of Note*

Force Shield (8,500 gp); Ring: Protection +4 (32,000 gp); Wondrous: Bag of Holding, type II (5,000 gp); Wondrous: Belt, Monk`s (13,000 gp); Wondrous: Boots, Winged (16,000 gp); Wondrous: Bracers of Armor +4 (16,000 gp); Wondrous: Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Gauntlets of Ogre Power (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Goggles of Night (12,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Deep Red [Sphere] (8,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Dusty Rose [Prism] (5,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pink [Rhomboid] (8,000 gp); Wondrous: Periapt of Wisdom +2 (4,000 gp

*Other Items*
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_________________________________________________________

Ika, let me know what you want filled in or changed.


----------



## Lela

*Dalthon (Sorcerer 12)*
*Sorcerer of Death*

----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Outsider, Planetouched Aasimar (Native)*
*Hit Dice:* 12d4+24 (60 hps)
*Initiative:* +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
*Speed:* 30 ft. (6 squares)
*Armor Class:* 20 (+2 Dex, +4 bracers, +4 deflection), touch 16, flat-footed 18
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +6/+7
*Attack:* _Masterwork Dagger_ +9 melee (1d4+1) or +1 Light Crossbow +10 ranged (1d8+1)
*Full Attack:* _Masterwork Dagger_ +9/4 or +1 Light Crossbow +10/5 (1d8+1)
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./5 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Spells, Daylight
*Special Qualities:* Outsider (Native) subtype, Darkvision 60 ft, Resistance: Acid 5, Electricity 5, Cold 5
*Saves:* Fort +11, Ref +13, Will +14
*Abilities:* STR 13, DEX 14, CON 15, INT 16, WIS 12, CHA 21
*Skills:* Appraise +4, Balance +3, Bluff +8, Climb +2, Concentration +17, Decipher Script +5, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +3, Forgery +4, Gather Information +6, Heal +2, Hide +3, Intimidate +7, Jump +2, Knowledge (Arcana) +10, Knowledge (Nature) +5, Knowledge (Religion) +5, Knowledge (The Planes) +5, Listen +4, Literacy +1, Move Silently +4, Ride +4, Search +4, Sense Motive +2, Speak Language +3, Spellcraft +20, Spot +5, Survival +2, Swim +2, Use Rope +3
*Feats:* Combat Casting, Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Initiative, Maximize Spell, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Spell Penetration
*Environment:* Vilhon Reach
*Organization:* Solitary or Bright Axes
*Challenge Rating:* 13
*Treasure:* Items
*Alignment:* Neutral Good
*Advancement:* By character class
*Level Adjustment:* +1

*[In Game Description]*

*[Character History]*

Dalthon stands 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 180 pounds.  He has green eyes and striking silver hair.

*Combat*

Dalthon tends to buff his allies during and prior to combat, then will try to hang back and pick of foes.

*Magic Items of Note*
Weapons: +1 Crossbow, light (2,335 gp); Dagger, Masterwork (302 gp); Shortspear, Masterwork (301 gp).
Magic: Wondrous: Amulet of Health +2 (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Bracers of Armor +4 (16,000 gp); Wondrous: Cloak of Resistance +4 (16,000 gp); Wand: Invisibility (4) (Charges: 50) (6,000 gp); Wand: Lightning Bolt (6) (Charges: 25) (6,750 gp); Staff: Fire (Charges: 10) (5,800 gp); Wondrous: Headband of Intellect +2 (4,000 gp); Ring: Counterspells (4,000 gp); Rod: Metamagic, Empower, Lesser (9,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Orange [Prism] (30,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pale Green [Prism] (30,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Iridescent [Spindle] (18,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pink and Green [Sphere] (8,000 gp); Ring: Protection +4 (32,000 gp).

*Other Items*
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

*Familiar* 
Spice, Male Animal, Weasel : CR 1/4; Tiny Animal ; HD 12d8 ( Animal) ; hp 30; Init + 2; Spd 20, Climb 20; AC 20; Atk + 4 base melee, + 10 base ranged; +10 ( 1d3-4, Bite ); SA: Attach (Ex) ; SQ: Scent (Ex), Low-light Vision (Ex), ; AL N; SV Fort + 4, Ref + 6, Will + 9; STR 3, DEX 15, CON 10, INT 11, WIS 12, CHA 10.
_________________________________________________________

War Wizard, let me know what you want filled in or changed.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Thanks Lela looks good. I forgot to mention he has SR25 and usually starts combat by trippping or stunning his opponent depending on size of said opponent. Or with the Sun School feat he will Dimension Door to the nearest spellcaster and grapple or stun him in the same round I have not used that yet but it sounds good. He stands 5'6 and weights 148.


----------



## catdragon

war wizard said:
			
		

> Wand: Invisibility (4) (Charges: 50) (6,000 gp); Wand: Lightning Bolt (6) (Charges: 25) (6,750 gp);




What's the number in parenthesises mean?  The 4 after the wand of invisibility and the 6 after the wand of lightning bolts?



			
				war wizard said:
			
		

> Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Orange [Prism] (30,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pale Green [Prism] (30,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Iridescent [Spindle] (18,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pink and Green [Sphere] (8,000 gp);




Okay, so i hate looking stuff up, but here is what the ioun stones do:

Ioun Stone, Orange [Prism] -- +1 caster level
Ioun Stone, Pale Green [Prism] -- +1 competence bonus on attack rolls, saves, skill checks, and ability checks
Ioun Stone, Iridescent [Spindle] -- Sustains creature without air
Ioun Stone, Pink and Green [Sphere] -- +2 enhancement bonus to Charisma

Just trying to be helpful.


----------



## catdragon

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Ioun Stone, Deep Red [Sphere] (8,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Dusty Rose [Prism] (5,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pink [Rhomboid] (8,000 gp);




And these as well:

Ioun Stone, Deep Red [Sphere]: +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity
Ioun Stone, Dusty Rose [Prism]: +1 insight bonus to AC
Ioun Stone, Pink [Rhomboid]: +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution


----------



## war wizard

Excellent job Lela, Except the Sorcerer is named Dalthon.   

Kiko is the monk….  


Cat dragon the number in the parentheses next to a wand, scroll etc
Is the caster level the device. In terms of damage, spell duration

One charge from a wand of magic missiles (5) would release 3 magic missiles.

One charge from a wand of magic missiles (7) would release 4 magic missiles.


----------



## Nightingale 7

Well then...Ask and you shall receive,eh?  
Well,thanks a lot for the stats guys.Still waiting for Rusty and Tilly,but my hope is rekindled since statblocks started reappearing.  
Also,I gotta ask Warwizard,why the Headband of Intellect for Dalthon?Being a Cha-caster,an Int-boosting magic item seems kind of wasted money.


----------



## war wizard

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> Also,I gotta ask Warwizard,why the Headband of Intellect for Dalthon?Being a Cha-caster,an Int-boosting magic item seems kind of wasted money.




It was found not purchased. Not sure of any head gear that would boost the Cha. score.

FYI, Lela Dalthon stands 6' 1" 180 lbs. Silver hair green eyes.

In combat he tends to buff the meat-grinders (Grimm, Kiko, Current NPC paladin) and then shoot from a distance.


----------



## Nightingale 7

Oh,well that sounds plausible.As for spells,I'm curious that few Sorcs learn Enervation.It's an incredible spell,and barring SR or Spell Turning there's very little ANYONE can do about it.It's an incredible BBEG killer.Since you've got the Spell Penetration chain you could make short work out of many dragons or demons.
Of course there's always the possibility that a power-draining Necromancy doesn't go well with your celestial-born sorcerer...


----------



## war wizard

Well just because he's got a celestial in the woodpile, doesn’t mean that Dalthon is a goody-to-shoes. As will be revealed in an upcoming post to the story line.


----------



## Joachim

2004 GENCON INDIANAPOLIS UPDATE

As you know, Jollydoc and I traveled up I-65 to Indianapolis to take part in the yearly (as my fiancé calls it) ‘Four Day Nerd Festival’ that is GenCon.  The results were admittedly mixed (as you will see) but ended with a mighty success.  The following are my (as ever) no-bull, pulling-no-punches observations from GenCon:

1) GAME RECAP 1: THE CULT OF THE SWAMP LORD – This was an RPGA classic adventure where the party consisted of six pre-generated half-dragons in search of a handful of stolen dragon eggs.  Our party consisted of Joe, myself, some lady that looked like my grandmother, some guy that could have been my dad, some guy that looked like a professional librarian, and a superdork who shall forever be derided as ‘Cat-Boy’ (see rant below).  The module was pretty stupid, the DM sub-par, and our partymembers were downright irritating.  However, it was a success for me personally as my character was the only one to retrieve a dragon egg and return it, and it was a success for JD as (when charmed by one of the BBEG’s minions) his character slaughtered the rest of the party.

2) CAT-BOY RANT – Why is it that there are so many gamers out there who think that ‘good roleplaying’ for a rogue is to pick everyone’s pockets and then screw with the other PC’s equipment while they sleep?  Are you 12?  Well, my friends, meet Cat-Boy, so named because of the actual cat-ears glued to his head and the cat-tail strapped to his ass.  If you have gamed long enough, I am sure that you have played with one of Cat-Boys avatars.  Cat-Boy and his many incarnations always want to play a rogue, and then at any given opportunity will stop the flow of the game to make the DM adjudicate his picking the pockets of a nearby NPC peasant or merchant.  At a time-slot RPGA event, this is especially annoying because it’s just another distraction to prevent you from reaching the final goal before time runs out, and it’s not like you are ever going to play the pre-generated character ever again.  So Cat-Boy, if you are reading, pull that crap off of your head, take off your black trench coat (its 90 friggin’ degrees outside), and grow up!

3) GAME RECAP 2: D&D JEOPARDY – This was an event that JD and I were really looking forward to.  Both of us are complete trivia junkies, and when you throw in the idea of D&D trivia…drool…The game was hosted by Fat Llama Games, a gaming company who thus far only produces T-Shirts (we think it was a joke, and a funny one at that).  These guys were really cool.  They brought in a digital projector, and shot up a Jeopardy-like game board on the wall.  “I’ll take Aberrations for 500,” was an actual quote.  JD and I actually made it to the final round, where we ran into the D&D equivalent of Tim Jennings.  JD and I were good with the recent trivia, but this guy (who couldn’t be older than 24) knew all of the old stuff.  Who has even heard of the book ‘Eldritch Magic’, let alone be able to recognize it?  All that matters was the final score.  Tim Jennings:  8500.  Joachim:  8200.  JD:  0 (granted, he blew it all on Final Jeopardy).  EAT IT!!

4) GAME RECAP 3:  THE LEGACY OF THE GREEN REGENT – This was actually 2 game sessions, but I grouped it into one.  The modules were ok, but JD and I actually teamed up with a group of four friends from Delaware.  Let me tell you, these guys can play.  I played a cleric that I crafted myself, and when I tried to cast ‘Longstrider’ on JD’s dwarven spiked-chain trip-monkey, the guy sitting next to me said, without missing a beat, “That’s a personal spell.”  FACED BY A STRANGER!  OH, THE IGNOMINY!  JD and I looked at each other, and realized that we might have met our powergaming match.  These guys were really, really nice, too, and we traded personal information so that we could hook up again at future con’s.  Our DM on the first session was a Canadian, and was always telling us “aboot” things.

5) GAME RECAP 4: THE RPGA/WoTC D&D OPEN:  The D&D Open is one of the major tournaments that the RPGA and WoTC sponsor.  It’s the oldest and one of the toughest D&D tournaments out there.  There is no real ‘roleplaying’, just tactical combat and problem-solving.  Basically, it’s kill or be killed.  You score points for completing objectives, you lose points for PC deaths, and then a certain number of teams that score the highest advance from the first round to the semi’s, and then from the semi’s to the finals.  Last year, we did not advance (we were told that it was possible that it had to do with the kind of game tickets we used), but we didn’t take it seriously.  This year, JD and I were going to take it seriously.  We hooked up with 4 guys who were friends, having grown up in Chicago together, but have since moved away from each other.  They told us that they had been doing the Open for the past 7 years and had never advanced out of the first round.  125 teams of 6 played in the Open for a grand total of about 750 players.  Our team was named The Aqua Teen Hungerforce in homage to those mighty heroes of yore.

I could go ahead and give you a long description of what happened, what we fought, etc., but I will cut to the chase.  When the dust had settled, The Aqua Teen Hungerforce reigned supreme.  Yes, its true.  Out of 125 teams, we placed FIRST.  For our victory, we were each given a PHB with a gold 1st Place Stamp on it, a little D&D 30th Anniversary tote bag, a veritable butt-load of mini’s (just guessing, at least 150 bucks worth if we sold them piecemeal), and the professional maps that were used during the game.  In addition, the Aqua Teen Hungerforce has been given the opportunity to contribute to an upcoming Eberron source book, describing the backgrounds and stronghold of the pre-generated party that we played throughout each of the rounds.  One word, people…SWEET!!

The guys we played with were great, too.  They admitted that they did not know anything about Eberron.  They primarily play in 1st Edition games, but they knew 3rd Ed. pretty well.  Also, I don’t know if it’s just a Yankee trait or not, but the amount of wit at the table was staggering.  Some of the funniest impromptu comments ever spoken were thrown across the table.  We actually learned that one of them trolls around enworld as Izerath, and said that he has even read some of the posts on this board.  I think that we may have made an impression with them, too.  By the third round, one of the guys playing the Warforged Juggernaut shouted out a big ‘EAT IT!’ after connecting with a big hit.  The RPGA/WoTC asked us to return next year to act as judge/DM’s, but I think that the Aqua Teen Hungerforce may have to come back so that we can defend our title.

Needless to say, the amount of chest-beating that occurred in JD’s SUV between Indianapolis and Birmingham probably could have been considered criminal in several states.  If you can believe it, there was 7 hours of “Man, we are AWESOME!  I mean, we are just awesome.  Why do we rock so hard?” 

So, there you have it.  A fantastic time to be had by all.  We wish that more of our group could have gone with us, but I think JD would agree that we wouldn’t have had it any other way.


----------



## Izerath

*That's right.....ATH rules!!!!*

Hi there Joachim! 

Just thought I'd confirm the tale for ya, not that you and Doc can't spread the word, but a little backup never hurts. I'm on that business trip, sitting in my hotel in NYC, just chillin and figured I'd check out JD's story hour. Low and behold, you posted a GenCon update! 

Lemme just say this - thanks for the compliments and back at ya. You guys were a thorough joy to play with, you knew your sh*t and the synergy in our group was indeed amazing. You'd think you guys were part of our posse, hangin' in the 'hood playin' D&D with us since since the days of of our youth. And you even joined in with some of your own sharp wit. Touche.

Needless to say, I am still on cloud nine about this one and frankly, I probably will be this entire trip. As far as defending - it was mentioned in our car too on the way to the airport. I'd say it's safe to say we're in!

BTW - want more of that ironic wit? I had to leave all my spoils with the guys because I couldn't carry all the stuff I bought and won to NY on the plane! I can't even drool over the shiny new PH! Talk about torture!

Be certain we'll keep in touch, and know I'm still out there lurking, trolling, stalking and slinking my way around EnWorld.

Cheers guys, I'm gonna go play a little Queen now.   

Izerath (aka Ron Janik)


----------



## Joachim

Awesome to hear from you Ron.  Once they set up our Yahoo group, we can get to work shaping Eberron IN OUR OWN IMAGE!  MUAHAHAHAH!!!


----------



## Nightingale 7

Congrats JD and Joachim.We,loyal readers of the StoryHour knew that you rock at D&D,but it was time for the rest of the roleplaying world to learn to fear your names!  

Oh,can we have the approximate composition of ATH?Classes,levels,races etc.
Pretty please?


----------



## Joachim

The party consisted of:

Dwarf Level 7 Favored Soul (Me)

Shifter Level 3 Ranger/Level 3 Barbarian/Level 1 Weretouched Master (JD)

Elf Level 6 Rogue/Level 1 Extreme Explorer (Izerath)

Halfling Level 7 Sorcerer

Warforged Level 6 Fighter/Level 1 Warforged Juggernaut

Human Level 6 Monk/Level 1 Dragonmark Heir


----------



## gfunk

You guys should post a thread in General Discussion.  People are reminiscing about GenCon and great memories and their hauls.  You could REALLY stroke your ego there!


----------



## Jack of Shadows

OK,

GenCon is over. POST POST POST!!!!!!  

 

Jack


----------



## Joachim

There will be a post by this weekend coming up.  I should have plenty of time in the evenings this week to slap something together.


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

*Plenty of time?*



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> There will be a post by this weekend coming up. I should have plenty of time in the evenings this week to slap something together.



Weekend is done and here I am checking for updates that are not there
"Bah, men and their promises!"    
*Stalks off to do some serious sulking in the corner of her room*


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

A'vandira Silvermane said:
			
		

> Weekend is done and here I am checking for updates that are not there
> "Bah, men and their promises!"
> *Stalks off to do some serious sulking in the corner of her room*



 He was refering to the next weekend! But I am also looking forward to an update very much !!!


----------



## Lela

Sorry about the name War Wizard. I must have slipped over it when I copied Kiko and made the changes.

The changes you asked for are up.


Great story Joachim.  I've heard about those before but I'd never really looked into them.  Is it basically powergame and hack'n slash?


----------



## Joachim

Powergame, no, because you don't get to use your own characters.  Its not powergaming if you are stuck with 'suboptimal' characters.  Hack and Slash may be a better way to describe it, but I prefer 'tactical thinking' and 'strategy'.  Basically, it comes down to who understands the rules and the party strengths/weaknesses and knowing when to use which ability.


----------



## Lela

Hmmmm, sounds like that's something I'd like to try out.  I think I have a good grasp of the rules, though not for every character type.  But I bet there are super rules guys out there like you, gfunk, and p-kitty who'd kick my butt.


----------



## JollyDoc

Shameless Plulg

I am selling some of my older (ie 2nd ed. and 3.0) source material on Ebay.  If anyone is interested, here is the web site:

http://stores.ebay.com/Pappys-Den_W0QQSSpagenameZl2QQtZkm


----------



## war wizard

Hey Joachim

You mentioned time enough to slap something together......  
Or are we gonna have to wait till this weekend?  :\


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Shameless Plulg
> 
> I am selling some of my older (ie 2nd ed. and 3.0) source material on Ebay.  If anyone is interested, here is the web site:
> 
> http://stores.ebay.com/Pappys-Den_W0QQSSpagenameZl2QQtZkm



 Did I understand this correctly: You broke both of your feet? How'd that happen???


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Did I understand this correctly: You broke both of your feet? How'd that happen???




Ummm...no...

I said I'm selling off some of my old D&D source books that I no longer use.  They are available on Ebay.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Ummm...no...
> 
> I said I'm selling off some of my old D&D source books that I no longer use.  They are available on Ebay.




OK, I read a little hasty through the description of Pappy's Den:



			
				Ebay said:
			
		

> Pappy's Den
> 
> Hi, my name is Brian and I started Pappy's Den to get rid of some old RPG books that a friend of mine had.  I was looking for something to fill the time while *I am on Short Term Disability from work with two broken feet*!  I am currently awaiting surgery on my little feeties and am hoping that I can make a success out of selling things on Ebay.
> 
> *I currently have most all of my friends books listed*, and will soon start on my own stuff.  I have also added a few odds and ends and will be addding more stuff as time goes on.  Currently the main product is Role Playing Games, however I hope to branch off to more lucrative items in the near future.




   


Glad you're fine, though !!!


PS: Update! 
PS: Update! 
PS: Update!


----------



## JollyDoc

Ah...now I understand!  No, my feet are fine.  The pappy in question is Brian aka Rusty, and yes, he does have two broken feet and is going to be undergoing surgery for both.  He will be laid up for a few months.  Must be those damn hobnail dwarven boots.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Ah...now I understand!  No, my feet are fine.  The pappy in question is Brian aka Rusty, and yes, he does have two broken feet and is going to be undergoing surgery for both.  He will be laid up for a few months.  Must be those damn hobnail dwarven boots.



 You could let him write the updates - sounds like he has some time on his feet, sorry, I mean hands... Will you be performing the operation?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> You could let him write the updates - sounds like he has some time on his feet, sorry, I mean hands... Will you be performing the operation?





Alas, no.  I'm a pediatrician.  That boy's pushing 40...needs geriatrics )

Hopefully Richard will be updating imminently...hint hint...


----------



## JollyDoc

Ok, since Richard hasn't been able to post yet, I thought I'd give you guys a bit of a teaser of events in tonight's session.  As you may recall, I have sent the group on a "linker" adventure in between the events of Foundation of Flame and Thirteen Cages.  BTW, I received Strike on Shatterhorn this weekend, and it looks awesome!  

The party is currently side-tracked on the plane of Acheron, desperately trying to find their way back home.  Unfortunately, the sole portal back lies in the stronghold of a warlord named Imperagon.  The band reached this fortress tonight, after almost three weeks of wandering the wasteland of the plane of battle.  Along the way, the encountered a pair of Imperagon's pet blue dragons.  Let's just say the group survived, but knew they'd been in a fight.

Shortly after arriving at the Iron Fortress, they interrupted the nap of  a guest of the warlord's...a half-fiend cloud giant and his pet fiendish ten-headed cryohydra.  At the end of this fight, only have the party was left standing.  No deaths, mind you, but a definite smack-down brawl!  And this was just in the first room of the fortress.  The best is yet to come!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Ok, since Richard hasn't been able to post yet, I thought I'd give you guys a bit of a teaser of events in tonight's session.  As you may recall, I have sent the group on a "linker" adventure in between the events of Foundation of Flame and Thirteen Cages.  BTW, I received Strike on Shatterhorn this weekend, and it looks awesome!
> 
> The party is currently side-tracked on the plane of Acheron, desperately trying to find their way back home.  Unfortunately, the sole portal back lies in the stronghold of a warlord named Imperagon.  The band reached this fortress tonight, after almost three weeks of wandering the wasteland of the plane of battle.  Along the way, the encountered a pair of Imperagon's pet blue dragons.  Let's just say the group survived, but knew they'd been in a fight.
> 
> Shortly after arriving at the Iron Fortress, they interrupted the nap of  a guest of the warlord's...a half-fiend cloud giant and his pet fiendish ten-headed cryohydra.  At the end of this fight, only have the party was left standing.  No deaths, mind you, but a definite smack-down brawl!  And this was just in the first room of the fortress.  The best is yet to come!



 Sounds good, although I did not really like that particular module. It should fit this band of powergamers very well!!!

PS: Now would be a good time to requote Silvermane's post from last week  :



			
				A'vandira Silvermane said:
			
		

> Weekend is done and here I am checking for updates that are not there
> "Bah, men and their promises!"
> *Stalks off to do some serious sulking in the corner of her room*


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Sounds good, although I did not really like that particular module. It should fit this band of powergamers very well!!!





To be honest, as it was originally written, I didn't either.  That's why we never ran it with Entropy's group in the 3.0 adventure path.  However, as you will (some day) see, I have altered it alot to mesh in with the ongoing adventure.

Richard tells me he hopes to post this week.  His fiance has monopolized the computer last week for school work.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Richard tells me he hopes to post this week.  His fiance has monopolized the computer last week for school work.



So we know who's the head of that household !!!     

Just kidding, Joachim, update away!


----------



## R-Hero

*Kylons Replacement*



			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> I'll put out the word again for stats for you guys.  It will probably fall to Richard to gather up the info sheets for the other players and post them, with the possible exception of Kiko.  I'm sure Ricky will post that himself.




Here is a new character to replace the fallen Daywalker paladin.
Stats were taken from Races of Stone. (I just love the Goliath Greathammer  )

Neutral Good   Male Goliath   Fighter 9/Goliath Liberator 4                      (Level 13/CR 14)                HD 13d10+104                                                Medium/Monstrous Humanoid     7’7” 303 lb                         Hit Points 184
AC: 27 (Flatfooted: 26 Touch: 13, ) +2 vs. Thrown Weapons
Init +1;  Base Speed 30ft
+20/15/10 attack melee, +14/9/4 ranged; 

SV Fort +23, Ref +12, Will +11
STR 24 +7        DEX 12 +1        CON 26 +8                                           INT 12 +1        WIS 10 +0         CHA 10 +0

+22 / +17 / +12   (2d6+1d6+10, +1 Silver Alchemical Trident of Shock, Critical 20 x2  {10 ft reach}) 
+25 /+20 / +15   (3d6+15, +3 Adamantine Goliath Greathammer, Critical 19-20x4) +2 to Sunder Attk

*Skills * 
Climb +15  Hide +6    Intimidate +14     Jump +15    Listen +4                 Move Silent +6     Spot +4,       Sense Motive +2   Use Rope +3            

*Goliath Liberator Class Features*
*Favored Enemy* +2 for Listen, Bluff, Sense motive, Survival and Damage vs Giants
*Avoid Thrown Weapons* +2 Dodge to AC vs thrown weapons
*Equal Footing* = Improved Trip with +4 to Str vs Large or Larger opponents
*Avoid Reach* +2 Ac dodge vs melee attacks not adjacent to Goliath

*Fighter Class Features*
Weapon and Armor proficiencies, Bonus feats and Weapon Specialization

*Feats: 5 Fighter/5 Standard*

Armor, Shield & Simple Weapon Proficiency 
Bull-Headed, Lightning Reflexes, 
Power Attack, Track,
Weapon Focus: Trident & Greathammer
Weapon Specialization: Greathammer
Greater Weapon Focus: Greathammer
Improved Critical: Greathammer
Exotic Weapon Proficiency, G.G. Hammer

Weapons +1 Trident: Shock, Silver Alchemical   +3 Greathammer, Adamantine

Armor: +5 Chainmail: Fortification, Light (25%) 
Shield: +2 Heavy Steel Shield, Animated

Wondrous: Amulet of Health+4  Belt of Giant Strength+4  Cloak of Resistance+5, Ring of Protection +2

Goods: Backpack; Bedroll; Winter Blanket,; Fishing net, 25 sq. ft.; Flint and steel; Grappling hook; Piton x2  Rope, silk (50 ft.) Waterskin; Common Lamp; Oil (pint x2)  Ale, gallon x2 (2 sp); Rations, trail (per day x2) Iron Pot
Weight carried 181lbs     Carrying Capacity  Light 0-266lbs            
Medium 267-533         Heavy 534-800

*Goliath Racial Traits * 
+4 strength, -2 dexterity, +2 constitution, Base Speed 30
+2 Sense Motive Checks (Reads body language) +5 to Climb Checks, Level Adjustment +1
*Powerful Build*
Able to use Large Description if its is advantageous to him (i.e. Large Weapons Use w/no penalty, Grapple, etc.)
*Mountain Movement * 
Can make standing long or high jumps as if he were running
Can engage in Accelerated climbing (1/2 speed=move action) without the –5 penalty
*Acclimated*
They do not take penalties for high altitude for Mountain Travel pg 90 D.M.G.

I am about to have a fit wanting to try him out...


----------



## Nightingale 7

Grimm's about to have competition in the "tank" role!


----------



## JollyDoc

R-Hero said:
			
		

> Here is a new character to replace the fallen Daywalker paladin.





Yes...and we would all know what happen to the late, great Kylon Daywalker if Richard would only...just...post....................


----------



## Joachim

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> Grimm's about to have competition in the "tank" role!




After reading that description I have one word...ouch.

I hate to be a party pooper, but you can't take greater weapon spec...you need 12 levels of fighter to do it.  Drop it and take cleave


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Yes...and we would all know what happen to the late, great Kylon Daywalker if Richard would only...just...post....................




Yah yah yah.  I have no excuses, except that I was out of town for business this week.  That and I have really allowed no time to post.  It will get done one of those years.


----------



## Jack of Shadows

Hmmmm.....

This is not looking good. Will the further tales of the Brightaxes be lost to the greater world? Will Joachim ever manage to find the time to put finger to keyboard amid the ever growing needs of his meaningless mundane life? Will Jollydoc continue to maniacly kill player characters off on a weekly basis? Will Gfunk create the ultimate power gamer character only to have Jollydoc maniacly kill it off? Only time will tell.

Jack


----------



## Joachim

deleted


----------



## Joachim

Jack of Shadows said:
			
		

> Hmmmm.....
> 
> This is not looking good. Will the further tales of the Brightaxes be lost to the greater world? Will Joachim ever manage to find the time to put finger to keyboard amid the ever growing needs of his meaningless mundane life? Will Jollydoc continue to maniacly kill player characters off on a weekly basis? Will Gfunk create the ultimate power gamer character only to have Jollydoc maniacly kill it off? Only time will tell.
> 
> Jack




Let me put it this way...If I plan time to start working on the post, then something happens that I can't get away from.  Last week I had to go out of town for work.  The week previous my fiance had to use the computer for school every night.

This week's case in point...HURRICANE IVAN.  Praise the Lord that I didn't lose power (for very long, that is), but I have had to deal with getting the house ready for the rains.  About 1 million Alabamian families are sans electricity right now (JD might be one of them), but fear not...I will post one of these weeks.  Many apologies (to JD especially because he has been patiently waiting to post), and I will get on it as soon as I can clean all of this water up.


----------



## Jack of Shadows

Ah.....

I forgot you guys were so far south. All we got up here was some wind and truck loads of celebrities (Toronto Film Festival is in full swing). Hope everone is OK and god forbid that the game has been cancelled.

Jack


----------



## JollyDoc

Greetings from the devastation of Ivan the Terrible.  I did indeed lose power during the blow, but fortunately I'm back in business now.  Just about to go a begin picking up the first of about a thousand tree branches from out of my yard.  Had one large oak tree fall...missed my pool by about ten feet.  Otherwise, I consider myself damn lucky.  

Once Richard posts this final time, he's going to turn his notes over to me, so I will be doing all the posting fron now on.  With any luck, and barring any further natural disasters, I'll be able to get on a somewhat regular posting schedule.


----------



## Izerath

*Greetings from the midwest*

Hey guys - 

Glad to hear you are OK and that power is on. Seemed kindaa senseless to post earlier to ask if it was gonna hit hard, but now that I see you're ok I thought I'd let you know I was thinking of you both. 

Still looking forward to the campaign update!  And even better - our Eberron escapade!

Talk to you both soon.

Ron


----------



## JollyDoc

Izerath said:
			
		

> Hey guys -
> 
> Glad to hear you are OK and that power is on. Seemed kindaa senseless to post earlier to ask if it was gonna hit hard, but now that I see you're ok I thought I'd let you know I was thinking of you both.
> 
> Still looking forward to the campaign update!  And even better - our Eberron escapade!
> 
> Talk to you both soon.
> 
> Ron




Thanks for the concer Ron!  I trust you got the same email from SRM that we all did.  I'm pumped about it, and have already sent in my first "assignment."  
For everybody else, this is about our recent RPGA Open victory.  The RPGA has contacted us about beginning our writing assignment for them.  They set an initial deadline of 9/24 for us to get some bio information to them, which will then be posted on the RPGA website.  Check it out!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Thanks for the concer Ron!  I trust you got the same email from SRM that we all did.  I'm pumped about it, and have already sent in my first "assignment."
> For everybody else, this is about our recent RPGA Open victory.  The RPGA has contacted us about beginning our writing assignment for them.  They set an initial deadline of 9/24 for us to get some bio information to them, which will then be posted on the RPGA website.  Check it out!



 Be sure to post a link when this goes online!

In the mean time, I have taken to rereading the early adventures of the Bright Axes. Man, Pez was fun !!!


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

was just wonderin if we are going to see a update before this month ends No pressure Joachim was just lookin to read up on our exploits 
plus it needed a bump to the first page


----------



## beer_motor

*bump for update!*

Since I've returned to the Southeast from my sabbattical in California (read: taking lots of drugs and stuff) I've been gaming with my old buddies again, and I am sad that I haven't been mentioned in these hallowed halls yet!  Fear not, soon you will all know that there is only one person on Earth who can come semi-close to gfunk levels of caster silliness, and that person is probably not me but I try really hard at least.  And that's what counts.

PS I hate Richard.


----------



## war wizard

*Ahh Beer motor*

Beer motor

My esteemed arcane brethren.

Try not to get you knickers in a twist, we are still several weeks behind your much anticipated arrival.  Two or three postings before the bright axes get to the plane of acheron.

Rich will get to it when he gets to it.

just cause 20 beats an 18 is no reason to use a word like hate


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

war wizard said:
			
		

> Rich will get to it when he gets to it.



I just talked to some moderators and they're thinking of removing the word "continues" from your this topic title...


 :\


----------



## JollyDoc

Richard swears to me on the name of his unborn child (however many years in the future that child is actually born), that he will post imminently...like...today?  Maybe?


----------



## gfunk

I understand the demands being placed on Richard's time between work and the stress of owning and maintaining a new home.  In that light, perhaps somebody like JollyDoc or warwizard could simply post a quick update which was a paragraph or so, simply describing what happened.  Then others could continue the SH as normal.

I suggest this b/c I don't think it is fair of us to continue putting pressure on Richard.


----------



## Lela

I agree with gfunk.

This is one of my favorite Story Hours but I understand what happens to authors (I've tried to write one of these myself).  Sometimes it just isn't possible and that's not anyone's fault.  It just happens.

So, if Richard needs a little weight lifted off his shoulders, and I bet he does, lets do it.  I'm content with a paragraph, which someone can always beaf up or fill in at a later date.  Just give us what we _need_ to know and we'll be good.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Kiko is now level 16



 b]Kiko (Monk 16)[/b]/sizemedium
*Versitile Butt-Kicking Machine*

----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Human*
*Hit Dice:* 16d8+60  135 hps 
*Initiative:* +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
*Speed:* 80 ft. (16 squares)
*Armor Class:* 35 (+4 Dex, +6 Wis, +4 bracers, +4 deflection, +7 XXXXXXXX), touch 27, flat-footed 31
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +17/+17
*Attack:* +1 _Kama_ +18 melee (1d6+6+1d6 Cold)
*Full Attack:* +1 _Kama_ +18/13/8 or Flurry of Blows 18/18/18/13/8 (1d6+6+1d6 Cold) Unarmed Damage 2d10+5
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./5 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Flurry of Btrikes, Stunning Fist (DC 24)
*Special Qualities:* Spell resistance 26, Slow Fall 80ft, Quivering Palm (DC 24) or Die once per week, Immune to all poison and most Disease
*Saves:* Fort +16, Ref +17, Will +17
*Abilities:* Str 20, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 22, Cha 12
*Skills:* Balance +12, Climb +13, Diplomacy +14, Escape Artist +17, Hide +10, Jump +12, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Listen +13, Move Silently +10, Speak Language +2, Spot +9, Tumble +19
*Feats:* Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Elusive Target, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Stunning Fist, Sun School, Weapon Focus: Unarmed strike
*Environment:* Vilhon Reach
*Organization:* Solitary, Order (2-70)
*Challenge Rating:* 16
*Treasure:* Items
*Alignment:* Lawful Good
*Advancement:* By character class

_A lightly dressed human sprints towards you, covering ground at an alarming rate. You have time to notice the sun glinting off his bald skull before he's upon you._

*[Character History]*

*Kiko is 5 feet and 6 inches tall and weighs 148 pounds.

Combat

Kiko usually starts combat by tripping and/or stunning his opponant, leaving them open to his own assults and those of his allies.  Should he face a spellcasters, he uses the Sun School feat to Dimension Door himself up close and personal followed by a grapple in the same round.* 

*Magic Items of Note*

Force Shield (8,500 gp); Ring: Protection +4 (32,000 gp); Wondrous: Bag of Holding, type II (5,000 gp); Wondrous: Belt, Monk`s (13,000 gp); Wondrous: Boots, Winged (16,000 gp); Wondrous: Bracers of Armor +4 (16,000 gp); Wondrous: Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Gauntlets of Ogre Power (4,000 gp); Wondrous: Goggles of Night (12,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Deep Red [Sphere] (8,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Dusty Rose [Prism] (5,000 gp); Wondrous: Ioun Stone, Pink [Rhomboid] (8,000 gp); Wondrous: Periapt of Wisdom +2 (4,000 gp

*Other Items*
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 Hope it is right I am at work with no character sheet. Still have not hooked internet up at the new house.
_________________________________________________________


----------



## Lela

Nicely done Ika!

 Hey Gfunk, how desperate are you to make something powerful?  I need to put together some werewolves rather soon and I thought you might have some fun with it.  Specifically, an 8th-12th level human fighting type.


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> I agree with gfunk.
> 
> This is one of my favorite Story Hours but I understand what happens to authors (I've tried to write one of these myself).  Sometimes it just isn't possible and that's not anyone's fault.  It just happens.
> 
> So, if Richard needs a little weight lifted off his shoulders, and I bet he does, lets do it.  I'm content with a paragraph, which someone can always beaf up or fill in at a later date.  Just give us what we _need_ to know and we'll be good.




It is ironic that this was posted today, as I was considering this matter myself.  I was wanting to know if the readers would prefer that I go ahead and put up my next post, and then Richard can back-post when he has the time.  Or, we can do what G suggested, and let Rich just post a brief synopsis paragraph so we can move on.  Let's see a show of hands.


----------



## gfunk

JD, why don't you just slap together a couple of sentences about what happened after the fight with Ike and the Ice Devil and then put up your own post? Waiting for Richard to post a paragraph of his own seems counter-productive.

Lela, I would be happy to.  Which level specifically and what classes are we talking about?


----------



## ltclnlbrain

Even just a few sentences could move things along enough so that JD can put up the next post. It won't be the greatest of posts, but it is preferable to having to wait for an indeterminate amount of time for the story to continue.


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> JD, why don't you just slap together a couple of sentences about what happened after the fight with Ike and the Ice Devil and then put up your own post? Waiting for Richard to post a paragraph of his own seems counter-productive.



 I agree.  When Richard gets a chance, he can put it together and have you replace the paragraph you post with a full-fledged update.



> Lela, I would be happy to.  Which level specifically and what classes are we talking about?



 Well, some generic 1st, 3rd, and 5th level werewolves would be great.  I can always drop them in different places to spice it up.  Either fighters or Rangers (non-spellcasting varient from CW) who focus on elves and humans as FE.  As a base race, well, any standard PHB races are possible here, plus gobliniods, orcs, or drow work.

 The main point, though, is the 8th to 12th level male werewolf/human.  He's the long-lost half-brother of one of the party members.  He'll need to be a high Dex fighter type, as he's meant to stand out against his half-dragon brother.

 Couple notes,


I have Races of Stone, CW, CD, BoED, and the Planer Handbook as well as the core rules.  Anything from those books is fine.   
3.5 rules preferebly.   
The werewolves are worshipers of Salune (good aligned goddess of the moon) who are at odds with nearby worshipers of Eilistree (good aligned drow goddess).  Near the end of the session, this will come into heavy play as the werewolves attack E. 
 As a side note, we weren't going to be playing this weekend and I haden't planned to set this stuff up.  Seems, as of the last 20 minutes, we've arranged to get together tomarrow night instead.  No rush though.  It's not you who procrastinated .


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> JD, why don't you just slap together a couple of sentences about what happened after the fight with Ike and the Ice Devil and then put up your own post? Waiting for Richard to post a paragraph of his own seems counter-productive.
> 
> Lela, I would be happy to.  Which level specifically and what classes are we talking about?





Ok, here it is as near as I can remember it:  After the fight with the bone naga, the party made their way further into the ruins and eventually stumbled across the bed chamber of Fetor Abradius, a cagewright sorcerer charged with studying the soul pillars.  Entering Fetor's chambers triggered and Alarm spell, alerting the sorcerer.  He promptly Dimension Doored into the room and engaged the party...a foolish move on his part as it turned out.  Though he made a valiant show of force, the odds were definately stacked against him in such close quarters, and he was quickly dispatched.  Searching his room, the group came across a cache of his documents, which they could make no sense of, but which seemed valuable nonetheless.  

From there, they party continued on, until they came to the chamber holding the true Soul Pillars, five massive pillars composed of gray, necrotic flesh.  Unfortunately, they were warded by a guardian left over from the spellweavers who originally inhabited the ruins.  This was an adult green dragon dracolich named Vitriss Bale.  He had formed a tentative alliance with Fetor and the cagewrights, but he brooked no other intrusions.  Thus, the Bright Axes found themselves in dire circumstances.  During the battle that followed, Vitriss succeeded in paralyzing Kiko, Grimm and Tilly at one point or another.  Rusty was able to free them, but it made for a tense fight.  In the end, the dracolich was brought down, but at the cost of Kylon, who bravely sacrificed himself in a suicidal frontal attack to buy time for his companions.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Kiko was not in the room when Fetor was murdered   By Dalthon. But he Believed what Kylon told him so he will be watching that sorcerer.   
  We had Fetor subdued and was interogating him and getting no where so dalthon shot him with a Maagic Miiissille. Was some great roleplaying between Kylon and Dalthon.


----------



## JollyDoc

SECRETS REVEALED

The beleaguered and battered members of the Bright Axes made their way glumly back to the surface from the ruins of Karran-Kural.  While it was true that they had defeated the Cagewright, Fetor Abradius, and had bested the vile draco-lich Vittriss Bale, they had also lost a new friend and valuable ally in Kylon.  When Rusty had attempted to contact the soul of the warrior, offering to return him to life, Kylon had replied that his rightful place was now beside Kelemvor.  He requested only that his holy blade be returned to his home church, so that it might be taken up again in the eternal struggle.  The companions immediately sought out Jenya to relay to her their findings, and to present her with the strange, rambling notes they had found in Fetor’s chambers.  Perhaps she would be able to make sense of them, and find out what the reclusive sorcerer was hoping to accomplish by researching the ancient spellweaver artifacts.

The individual members of the company then dispersed to return to their homes for a well-deserved respite, and so it was that Rusty and Tilly arrived at Keygan’s Locks, now the gatehouse for the Malachite Fortress, and found a strange dwarf waiting for them on the stoop.  Before they had a chance to ask any questions, the door flew open and Maple rushed out, leaping into Tilly’s arms, and covering his face with kisses.  Just as abruptly, she stopped, standing back and glaring at the rogue and the priest.  “And just where have you been off to this time?” the halfling woman demanded.  “Do you know how frantic with worry I’ve been?  I’ve had just about enough of this traipsing off and gallivanting around with those hoodlum friends of yours!  If that weren’t enough, I have to deal with vagrants showing up at my door, demanding an audience with the ‘Lord of the Malachite Fortress’ no less!”  She flapped her hand towards the strange dwarf, who sheepishly lowered his eyes to the ground.  “Now, now Maple,” Tilly consoled, guiding his lady back into the shop so that Rusty could speak privately with his guest.
“Well,” the priest huffed, exhausted and having little patience for nonsense.  “Who be ye?  What do yer want with me?”
The dwarf still refused to make eye contact with Rusty, but he spoke in a voice that was oddly refined for a dwarf, “Begging your pardon, my lord, but my name is Gunther Graven, and I come here on a quest.  Word of your deeds has spread far, and many have taken heart from your endeavors to restore the former glory of the Malachite Fortress.  Your rescue and redemption of Zenith Splintershield has also brought great joy to the Clans.  I had the great honor to personally meet one of your associates.  His name was Gardrid Craghammer, and he spoke very highly of you, regaling tavern patrons for hours with tales of your exploits.  Like you, I am a holy man, but also a practitioner of the Weave.  I have been inspired by your faith and dedication, and I have made this long journey to offer you my services.  It would humble me to be able to learn from you and aid you in your destiny to bring glory and dignity to the dwarf Clans.”
Rusty was speechless, not something that happened very often.  Leave it to that loud mouth Gardrid to go stirring up trouble.  Now he had dwarves making pilgrimages to him, like he was some messiah.  One more headache he didn’t want to deal with.  “Look me in the eye when yer speak to me, boy!” the priest barked, and Gunther obediently complied.  “I ain’t got no need fer snivelin’ boot kissers followin’ me around.  If ye want to help with the excavation and rebuildin’ of the Fortress, yer welcome to, but hear me loud and clear!  Don’t ye be bowin’ and scrapin’ anywhere near me!  I don’t tolerate suck-ups!”  Gunther enthusiastically grasped Rusty’s hand, pumping it vigorously and smiling from ear to ear.  “As you say, my lord!  A thousand thank yous!”  Rusty sighed heavily at the hero-worship written plainly across the younger dwarf’s face.
______________________________________________

Several days later, Jenya sent word to the Bright Axes that she had managed to decipher Fetor’s notes, and had information that she thought might be useful.  “The columns that you described to me are called Soul Pillars,” the high priestess began once the company had been assembled in her chambers.  “They seem to be great repositories of knowledge created by the spellweavers by trapping the souls of the dead within them.  Apparently, the Cagewrights were drawing upon that knowledge to invoke some sort of powerful ritual, using soulcages, much like the one you found in the temple of Kelemvor.  This ritual also requires the presence of individuals known as the Shackleborn, individuals born with a special, invisible birthmark.”  She pointed to a drawing on one of the pages.  It appeared to be an eye pierced by an arrow.  “Your pardon, my lady,” Gunter interrupted.  The young dwarf had asked to accompany Rusty to the meeting, stating that he had some knowledge of arcane lore, and could perhaps be of some help.  “I am familiar with that symbol,” he continued.  “It is the sign of Carceri, the Prison Plane.”  
“I’ve seen it before as well,” Rusty growled.  “When we first me Zenith, I had a spell on me that let me see invisible things.  I was suspectin’ an ambush.  Zenith had that symbol on his face.”
“But wasn’t Zenith returned to your home by his father?” Jenya asked.  Rusty turned questioningly to Gunther.  “No, my lord,” he replied, “I had actually hoped to be able to meet him here.”  Rusty cursed, then his eyes opened wide.  “Tilly,” he said, “do ye remember the boy we rescued from the slaver?  Terrym was his name, wasn’t it?”
“Of course I remember,” Tilly replied.  “What about him?”
“That beholder took him right out from under our noses, and he had some sort of sorceress with him.  Do ye think he might have been one of these Shackleborn?”
Tilly shrugged, “It’s possible.  Easy enough to find out.  Grimm here can see all sorts of invisible things, or so he says.  We can take him to the orphanage and have him take a look at the kid.”
“I’m afraid you can’t,” Jenya interjected.  “Terrym was adopted recently…by Lord Mayor Vhalantru.”
The assembled members of the Bright Axes looked meaningfully at each other.  “There is one more thing you should know,” Jenya continued, “While you were away, I was able to commune with Tyr.  Ike Iverson and his followers were indeed not worshipers of Kelemvor.  They worshiped the undead god Velsharoon.”
__________________________________________

Later that evening, the company was gathered around their customary table at the Tipped Tankard, discussing the implications of their newfound information.  Engrossed in their conversation, they did not notice the cloaked figure approaching until she threw back her hood, revealing the olive-skinned face of Shensen Tesseril.  “Hello my friends,” the druid said.  “I heard that you had returned, and I’m afraid I must interrupt your leisure time by requesting your assistance once again.”  The Bright Axes looked up, some in expectation, some in confusion.  The newer members of the company had not met the half-drow, though their companions had mentioned her when the fane of the Black Egg had destroyed the Lucky Monkey.  Shensen seated herself at the table, looked around for eavesdroppers, then leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper, “I am afraid I have misled you, my friends.  I have not been totally honest with you.  I am not just some local agent of the Emerald Enclave, as you were led to believe.  No, I am an agent of an organization known as the Harpers.  We are dedicated to the eradication of evil in Faerun, and we work by means of covert infiltration into the machinations of organizations dedicated to evil pursuits.  Our cell has been working in Cauldron for quite some time, investigating the strange goings on around here.  You have met some of the others…Fario Ellegoth and Fellian Shard.  Our leader is called Meerthan Eliothlorn, and it on his command that I come to you now.  He requests a meeting with you in his room at the Drunken Morkoth.  I beg your forgiveness at my deceit, but I also beg you to trust me now.  We need you, and the fate of Cauldron may depend on it.”
_____________________________________________

Meerthan’s room was cozy and well appointed, with a desk, a small bed and walls hung with mounted hunting trophies.  Meerthan himself was a dwarf wearing a rich vest and a golden circlet on his brow.  As soon as all of the Bright Axes were in the room, he motioned for Shensen to leave.  When she was gone, the dwarf lifted the circlet from his head, and to the astonishment of the adventurers, his form changed before their eyes.  He now appeared to be a middle-aged half-elf with hazel eyes and a small, crescent moon tattoo under his right eye.  “You will forgive the subterfuge,” Meerthan said, “but it is necessary that I maintain my disguise as a harmless merchant while in town, so as not to attract undue attention to myself or my agents.  This brings me to the reason I have summoned you.  One of my agents, a half-elf named Skiriol, was captured while spying on the house of Lady Thifirane Rhiavadi.  He is being detained and interrogated in a Last Laugh safe house.  Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem.  I keep a Bracelet of Friends, a magic item I can use to teleport my agents out of harm’s way in an instant.  However, Skiriol gets into more than his fair share of troubles, and, well, I can’t use the bracelet on him a second time.  Members of the Last Laugh are interrogating Skiriol as we speak.  He has resisted their torture so far, but he can’t hold out much longer.  With the help of a spell called Telepathic Bond, I’ve managed to remain in contact with him.  The Last Laugh doesn’t know this.  Please forgive my presumption, but I’ve already told him that help is on the way.  When you return, we can discuss what Skiriol has learned from his reconnaissance.  They are holding him at the Brass Trumpet, an abandoned inn on Ash Avenue.”
“Ye’re right,” Rusty said, shaking his head at the gall of the man.  “Ye do presume a lot.  Why don’t ye fill us in a bit on what exactly this agent of yours was doin’ at House Rhiavadi in the first place?”
“There’s no time for that now,” Meerthan said dismissively.  “Every minute wasted here is another minute of torture Skiriol has to endure.  I will explain everything to you when you return.”
Rusty grumbled, and then turned to his companions, “Well?” he asked.  “Do we hang our fat over the fire to save someone else’s bacon one more time?”  
“Why not?” Grimm growled, “It’s been a few days since I’ve bashed some skulls.  Vacation’s over.”
________________________________________________

“Sure looks abandoned to me,” Grimm muttered, as the Bright Axes stood in a concealed alleyway across the street from the Brass Trumpet.  The old inn had walls of mortared volcanic rock on the bottom, and timber on the upper level, and all of the ground floor windows were bricked over.  The second floor windows had solid, wooden frames and panes of opaque, smoked glass.  An iron sign set with a brass trumpet hung askew above the door.  
“Not if you know what you’re looking for,” Tilly replied quietly.  “See the front door?  It’s newer that the rest of the building.  Someone’s been here recently.  The rest of you wait here.  I’m going for a closer look.”

 The little rogue darted through the shadows until he crouched before the heavy wooden door, and then immediately set to work on the lock.  However, it seemed the members of the Last Laugh were more skilled at locksmithing than he had given them credit for.  He cursed roundly as his pick broke off in the keyhole, and wished for the thousandth time that they had been able to coax Keygan’s master keys from him before he went to prison.  Just then, Tilly heard heavy footsteps behind him.  He whirled around, blades in hand just as the hulking form of Grimm loomed over him.  “Time’s up,” the half-ogre said, and then with one mighty swing of his chain, he smashed the door to flinders.  Tilly gaped as the big warrior strode into the safe house, then shook his head in resignation and followed with the rest of his companions.
________________________________________________

The entry hall contained no furnishings.  Instead, arrow slits perforated the walls on both sides.  No sooner had the Bright Axes set foot in the room, than the twang of bowstrings sounded, and arrows began whistling through the air around them.  So much for a surprise assault.  Tilly ducked and rolled against the nearest wall, coming up just beneath an arrow slit.  Peering over the edge, he saw a harlequin-masked figure standing on the other side.  The rogue jabbed his sword through the opening, and was rewarded by a wet gurgle as the blade pierced the thug’s lung.

On the opposite side of the hallway, Kiko stood flat against the wall, next to another arrow slit.  He waited until he heard the bow loose on the other side, then he stepped directly in front of the slit, his hands a blur of motion as he punched three times through it.  The man on the other side never knew what hit him, as he collapsed bonelessly to the floor.

Dalthon stood near the doorway, trying to seek cover from the deadly barrage of arrows.  The thugs doing the shooting, however, could find no such cover from the sorcerer’s own assault of magical missiles.  Five of them streaked unerringly thru one of the slits, silencing another bow-wielding assassin.

Grimm’s methods were far cruder, but just as effective.  In rapid succession, he flailed his chain at the walls, knocking large chunks of stone free, and leaving gaping holes behind, along with startled thugs.  Just as quickly, he wiped the stunned looks off their faces with three lethal strikes.
____________________________________________

Kiko stepped up to the inner door, and quickly pulled it open, hoping to surprise any would-be ambushers on the other side.  Instead, it was he who was surprised by the sight of five heavy crossbows mounted on tripods in the center of the room beyond.  He knew he’d made a mistake in not letting Tilly check the door for traps first when the crossbows all fired simultaneously.  With reflexes honed by years of training, his hands went into action, swatting the deadly bolts from the air as they approached.  Still, even his super-human speed was not enough, and two of the projectiles struck him glancing blows.  Ignoring the pain, he motioned his companions forward, as he moved across the room to a curtained archway on the opposite side.  Carefully pulling aside the curtain, he peered into what was once the inn’s common room.  A few tables and chairs still remained, but the room’s central fireplace had long ago been dismantled and removed.  Curtained alcoves lined one wall, while a rickety wooden stairway lead up to the upper level.  The monk’s sharp eyes darted around the dim room, and in an instant, he picked out four masked members of the Last Laugh concealed in the shadows behind the curtains, and beneath the stairs.  “It’s a trap!” he shouted, and then he was roughly shouldered aside by Grimm.  The thugs leaped from their hiding places, but the half-ogre was ready for them.  The first one barely made it three feet from his alcove before the spiked chain nearly decapitated him.  Grimm carried through with the swing, caving in the chest of the second rogue.  As a third moved in behind the big warrior, Tilly intercepted him, and with two quick thrusts, ended any further threat from that quarter.  Kiko made quick work of the last thug with a double knife-handed chop to the man’s neck.
____________________________________________

The urban assault team made no further efforts of stealth as they bounded up the stairs to the second floor.  They knew that every second counted.  If the Last Laugh members had time, they might kill Skiriol outright.  Tilly was first up the stairs, arriving in what appeared to be a barracks room.  Fifteen wooden cots were spread out across the floor.  The room was dim, and once again, the darkness concealed would-be assassins.  Tilly’s eyes were just as sharp as Kiko’s, and the little rogue picked out four more thugs.  However, there were two other figures present:  two men who appeared to be twins, with shaved heads and painted faces, dressed only in loose-fitting black clothing.  Rather than immediately warn his friends, Tilly took the opportunity to strike first.  Darting towards the nearest thug, he effortlessly slit the man’s throat.  A second guildsman met the same fate as he came in low, hoping to tackle the halfling.  As Tilly rolled from beneath the dead man, he cried out in pain as a razor-sharp shuriken embedded itself in his shoulder.  When he looked up, he saw the twins somersaulting across the room towards him.  With unnatural agility, they landed on opposite sides of him, empty-handed, but still looking decidedly deadly.

At that moment, Rusty thundered to the top of the stairs, just as a third thug was moving to block the landing.  The priest swung his axe low, chopping the man’s legs out from under him, and then cleared a path for Grimm.

The half-ogre quickly assessed the situation, then grinned broadly at the twin assassins flanking Tilly.  “Not your lucky day boys!” he growled.  The monks were instantly in motion, but it was an instant too late.  Their lifeless bodies struck opposite walls as Grimm’s lethal weapon did its work.  The last thug made a break for a far door, but Tilly was on him in a flash, burying his swords in the man’s back.
___________________________________________

A quick search behind the four doors leading out of the barracks, revealed only empty bedchambers.  There was no other exit from the room, yet from the layout of the building, there had to be more space on this level than there appeared.  “I’m gonna take me a little look around,” Rusty said, and then he began chanting a prayer of travel to his goddess.  Slowly, the dwarf’s form faded from view as he passed into the ethereal plane, the shadowy dimension directly adjacent to the material world.  Though technically on another plane, the priest could still see into his own.  Better yet, he could literally walk thru walls, just like a ghost.  Stepping thru the north wall, he found himself in a short hallway that seemed to have no entrance and no exit.  He reasoned that the doors must be hidden, but that was no barrier for him.  He stepped thru a second wall, entering what appeared to be another bedchamber.  This one, however, was not unoccupied.  A male half-elf lay face down on a wooden torture rack in the middle of the windowless room.  The man’s hands and feet were bound with iron manacles, and his bare back was striped with crimson lacerations.  Standing next to the rack was a young woman in black garb, with half her face painted black, and the other half white.  She held a dripping blade near the half-elf’s throat with one gloved hand, and a silvery whip in the other.  She was looking expectantly towards a blank wall.
_____________________________________________

“He’s traveling in the border dimension,” Gunther patiently explained to his bewildered companions.  “He can scout undetected that way.  Perhaps in the meantime, I can lend some assistance.”  He fished around in his robes, and pulled out a slender wand.  Muttering a strange word, he began turning slowly in a circle, holding the wand in front of him like a divining rod.  “There,” he said finally, pointing towards a bare wall.  “There is a door concealed there.”  Tilly moved to the wall, and began running his hands over it carefully.  In short order, he found a well-hidden button, and when he pressed it, the wall slid aside, revealing a short hall on the other side, ending in another blank wall.  The rogue performed the same search of that barrier, and found a similar switch.  However, as he pressed it, in addition to the wall opening, a loud, shrill alarm began to sound.  Tilly ignored the signal, and crept cautiously ahead.  The chamber beyond was hung with thick red curtains, which divided it into a maze of five-foot wide passages.  As the little halfling got his bearings, a guttural shout sounded from above him, and a beam of energy struck him in the back.  For a moment, the rogue felt his entire body stiffen, unmoving, but then just as quickly, the feeling passed.  Looking up, Tilly saw another halfling clinging spider-like to the rafters.  His face was unpainted, but a red, four-pointed star-shaped tattoo circled his left eye, and he was draped in a gaudy red and gold cape.  A wand was clutched in his outstretched hand.  

Suddenly, one of the curtains directly in front of Tilly was ripped aside, and a masked Last Laugh guildsman lunged through.  Tilly tumbled into a forward roll, ducking beneath the man’s slicing blade, and coming up behind the thug.  Before the rogue could regain his balance, Tilly plunged his short blade into the back of his neck.  

Meanwhile, Grimm barreled into the room, and spotting the wizard on the ceiling, whipped his chain out to its full extension, impaling its point thru the halfling’s abdomen.  
____________________________________________

Rusty knew he had to act fast.  Calling again upon Mystra’s magic, he charged his empty hand with a deadly, life-draining spell.  Willing himself out of the ethereal, he appeared directly in front of the female assassin.  With a hiss of surprise, the woman drew her blade across Skiriol’s throat at the same moment that Rusty laid his hand upon her.  Screaming in agony, she stepped back, and vanished in a blinding flash of light, but it was too late for Skiriol.  He was already dead.
_________________________________________

“So we did all this for nothing,” Tilly said in disgust as he stared at Skiriol’s body.  
“You insult me,” Rusty chided.  “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”  The dwarven priest drew out his holy symbol, and gently laid it upon Skiriol’s breast.  He began chanting, praying for Mystra to return the departed soul of the Harper, imploring her that it was not yet this man’s time.  With a great whooping gasp, Skiriol’s eyes snapped open, and he looked around in disbelief.  “Easy boy,” Rusty said.  “Yer boss man sent us here to fetch ye, and we arrived a might too late.  But yer back now, and all’s well that ends well, so now ye can be tellin’ us what yer doin’ here in the first place.”
Skiriol knew the Bright Axes could be trusted.  Not only had Meerthan imparted this to him telepathically, but when Rusty’s miracle had called him back from death, he could read the dwarf’s soul, and knew it to be honorable.  “I was caught outside House Rhiavadi,” he began, “as I was following up on information we had obtained about Lady Thifirane.  It seems that members of the town guard, including half-orc mercenaries hired by Lord Vhalantru, have been seen entering and leaving the manor at all hours of the day and night.  Some of the half-orcs then head straight to House Vhalantru, and vice versa.  Lady Rhiavadi herself has not been seen entering or leaving the house in weeks, although members of her household staff come and go during the day.  She must have a dozen or more halflings in her employ.  Recently, she has had several shady characters as guests.  A comely, yet pale half-elf clad in scant, tight-fitting black garments arrived last night by horse-drawn carriage.  She wore a cloak of black shadow that fluttered about her, even though the night air was still.  Her coach had blackened windows and it sped off into the night after dropping her off.  Also, a band of well-armed humans arrived two days ago.  One of them carried a black mace capped with an iron skull, and he bore a heavy shield emblazoned with the symbol of Cyric.  Lastly, a contingent of five well-armed dwarves arrived three days ago.  One of them was white-haired and white-bearded, and wore a black leather half mask that covered his right eye.  The mask had a black gem set into the eye socket.”
“Hmmm,” Rusty said, glancing at his companions, “it seems we’ve got a party to crash at House Rhiavadi.”


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Well, well, well, it seems that this first encounter was no match at all for the Bright Axes. They have also leared the lesson of not asking questions anymore - which cannot always be a good thing, though.

Thanks for the outline of the last soul cages session and this great update, JollyDoc. I hope your time will allow you to keep up a semi-regular course of updates. 




> I find your lack of faith disturbing.



Read it, got it, loved it! 

PS: Is the new dwarf a henchman of Rusty or a new PC?
PPS: Any other news of what Gardrid is doing nowadays?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Thanks for the outline of the last soul cages session and this great update, JollyDoc. I hope your time will allow you to keep up a semi-regular course of updates.
> 
> 
> PS: Is the new dwarf a henchman of Rusty or a new PC?
> PPS: Any other news of what Gardrid is doing nowadays?




My plan is to post at least every two weeks from this point on.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Gunther is Rusty's cohort.  He took the Leadership feat.  As you will see in coming posts, he turns out to be a very valuable ally.

No news on Gardrid just yet, but Richard has been kicking some ideas around.  You never know.


----------



## gfunk

Sorry for the delay Lela, I've been travelling around for the last couple of days.  Do you still need the builds?

BTW, great update JD.  Glad to see that this thread is finally back up and running.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Is it just me, or has Tilly suddenly become more effective?

GW


----------



## LordVyreth

Well, to be fair, if I remember that module, all the enemies were a few CRs below the party, and this entire subset of the adventure was more of a party "morale-booster" and to make them overconfident for the second part.  I'm not sure if the death of Skiriol was the expected ending of this scenario or not, but Rusty made sure it wasn't an issue, of course.


----------



## war wizard

*Ika tisk tisk tisk*



			
				Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Kiko was not in the room when Fetor was murdered   By Dalthon. But he Believed what Kylon told him so he will be watching that sorcerer.
> We had Fetor subdued and was interogating him and getting no where so dalthon shot him with a Maagic Miiissille. Was some great roleplaying between Kylon and Dalthon.





Ika Ika Ika…. Murder is such an ugly word. 

I prefer to say Dalthon expedited the prisoner’s judgement by whatever eternal powers he served by removing the cumbersome baggage that kept his soul tied to the prime material plane.

That and 15 minutes of circular questioning, which availed the party, virtually no pertinent information.
Followed by more debate as to how to secure the prisoner, It seemed to be the most effective way to keep the gaming session moving along.


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> Sorry for the delay Lela, I've been travelling around for the last couple of days.  Do you still need the builds?
> 
> BTW, great update JD.  Glad to see that this thread is finally back up and running.



 Yep, I'd love 'em.  Assuming the player's not leaving town on Thursday, we'll be playing on Saturday.


----------



## JollyDoc

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Is it just me, or has Tilly suddenly become more effective?
> 
> GW




If you think that's something, wait till you see him now!  He's gotten a hold of a Holy sword, and has taken Crippling Strike as a feat.  He is positively lethal!


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Well, to be fair, if I remember that module, all the enemies were a few CRs below the party, and this entire subset of the adventure was more of a party "morale-booster" and to make them overconfident for the second part.  I'm not sure if the death of Skiriol was the expected ending of this scenario or not, but Rusty made sure it wasn't an issue, of course.




Tru' Dat, but as you'll see in my next update, they kind of make the Lords of Oblivion look like a cake-walk as well.

We just started Thirteen Cages last night, and so far they're having a fairly easy time of it, but we've only just begun, and much more fun awaits...guaranteed!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

war wizard said:
			
		

> Ika Ika Ika…. Murder is such an ugly word.
> 
> I prefer to say Dalthon expedited the prisoner’s judgement by whatever eternal powers he served by removing the cumbersome baggage that kept his soul tied to the prime material plane.
> 
> That and 15 minutes of circular questioning, which availed the party, virtually no pertinent information.
> Followed by more debate as to how to secure the prisoner, It seemed to be the most effective way to keep the gaming session moving along.



 I understand and completly agree with you! However, since the paladin is one of my favorite classes, I can see why Kylon does not!


----------



## LordVyreth

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Tru' Dat, but as you'll see in my next update, they kind of make the Lords of Oblivion look like a cake-walk as well.
> 
> We just started Thirteen Cages last night, and so far they're having a fairly easy time of it, but we've only just begun, and much more fun awaits...guaranteed!




Yeah, you mentioned that a few months ago in the NPC only forum, and I was quite impressed.  Considering how much difficulty this adventure path has given even seasoned players like gfunk, I thought that CR 20 fight would be a potential TPK.  I thought the ending fight was easy, too, until I heard that gfunk decided to "play for the other team" and spruce it up for you.


----------



## Joachim

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Yeah, you mentioned that a few months ago in the NPC only forum, and I was quite impressed.  Considering how much difficulty this adventure path has given even seasoned players like gfunk, I thought that CR 20 fight would be a potential TPK.  I thought the ending fight was easy, too, until I heard that gfunk decided to "play for the other team" and spruce it up for you.




The problem for the Lords of Oblivion was that we caught them in the middle of a BBEG Board Meeting.  The Urban Assault Team proceeded to bring the smack down.

Then the Pain Train carried on to Oblivion, where the final fight was kind of a let down.  Could have been a lot tougher if Vhalantru had been accompanied appropriately.


----------



## Trellian

JollyDoc, will Caine have to make a return visit in Asylum? The Smoking Eye Template is kind of essential to the story..


----------



## gfunk

JD has already realized this and at some point in the story another PC will receive the Smoking Eye Template in an interesting plot twist.


----------



## gfunk

Lela, here is part 1 of 4. These are generic 1st level Werewolves. Everything is as per the MM except as where noted below.

*Werewolf, Medium Humanoid (Human Shapechanger)/Barbarian 1*

*HD: *1d8+1 plus 2d8+6 plus 1d12+1 (27 hp)
*AC: *17 (as MM, but with _+1 chain shirt_ and sans shield) in human form; 16 in alternative forms
*Speed: *40 ft in human form; 60 ft in alternative forms
*BA/Grple: *+3/+5 in human form; +3/+6 in alternative forms
*Attack:* Greatsword +5 melee (2d6+3) in human form; Bite +7 melee (1d6+3) in wolf form; 2 Claws +6 (1d4+2) and Bite +2 (1d6+1) in hybrid form
*Saves (F/R/W): *+8/+3/+2 in human form; +10/+5/+2 in alternative forms
*Abilities: *Str 14 in human form; Str 16 in alternative forms
*Skills: *Listen +5
*CR: *4

*While raging: *(lasts 6 rounds in human form; 8 rounds in alternative forms before fatigue sets in): *HP *35, *AC *15 in human form; 14 in alternative forms, *BA/Grple: *+3/+7 in human form, +3/+8 in alternative forms, *Attack: *Greatsword +7 melee (2d6+6) in human form; Bite +9 (1d6+7) in wolf form; 2 Claws +8 (1d4+5) and Bite +4 (1d6+2) in hybrid form, *Saves (F/W/R): *+10/+3/+4 in human form; +12/+3/+4 in alternative forms

Don't forget that all the abilities in the MM still hold such as DR 10/silver, scent, etc. I just posted the differences here for the sake of brevity.


----------



## gfunk

Lela, here is part 2 of 4. These are generic 3rd level Werewolves. Everything is as per the MM except as where noted below.

*Werewolf, Medium Humanoid (Human Shapechanger)/Barbarian 3*

*HD: *1d8+1 plus 2d8+6 plus 3d12+3 (42 hp)
*AC: *16 in all forms
*Speed: *40 ft in human form; 60 ft in alternative forms
*BA/Grple: *+5/+7 in human form; +5/+8 in alternative forms
*Attack:* _+1 Greatsword_ +8 melee (2d6+4) in human form; Bite +9 melee (1d6+4) in wolf form; Claw +8 (1d4+3) and +_1 Greatsword_ +4 melee (2d6+2) Bite +7 melee (1d6+1) in hybrid form
*Saves (F/R/W): *+9/+4/+3 in human form; +11/+6/+3 in alternative forms
*Abilities: *Str 14 in human form; Str 16 in alternative forms
*Skills: *Listen +9, Any other skil +4
*Feats: *Multiattack
*CR: *6

*While raging: *(lasts 6 rounds in human form; 8 rounds in alternative forms before fatigue sets in): *HP *54, *AC *14 in all forms, *BA/Grple: *+5/+9 in human form, +5/+10 in alternative forms, *Attack:* +1 Greatsword +10 melee (2d6+7) in human form; Bite +11 (1d6+7) in wolf form; Claw +10 melee (1d4+5) and _+1 Greatsword_ +6 melee (2d6+3) and Bite +9 melee (1d6+2) in hybrid form, *Saves (F/W/R): *+11/+4/+5 in human form; +13/+4/+5 in alternative forms

Don't forget that all the abilities in the MM still hold such as DR 10/silver, scent, etc. I just posted the differences here for the sake of brevity.


----------



## gfunk

Lela, here is part 3 of 4. These are generic 5th level Werewolves. Everything is as per the MM except as where noted below.

*Werewolf, Medium Humanoid (Human Shapechanger)/Fighter 5*

*HD: *1d8+2 plus 2d8+8 plus 5d10+10 (61 hp)
*AC: *18 in human forms, 17 in alternative forms
*BA/Grple: *+7/+9 in human form; +7/+10 in alternative forms
*Attack:* Masterwork Greatsword +11/+6 melee (2d6+5) in human form; Bite +11 melee (1d6+5) in wolf form; Claw +10 (1d4+3) and Masterwork Greatsword +7 melee (2d6+3) Bite +9 melee (1d6+3) in hybrid form
*Saves (F/R/W): *+10/+4/+3 in human form; +12/+6/+3 in alternative forms
*Abilities: *Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14 (_+2 amulet of health_) in human form; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 20 in alternative forms
*Skills: *+10 to useless fighter skills
*Feats: *Blind-fighting, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Claw), Weapon Focus (Greatsword), Weapon Specialization (Greatsword)
*CR: *8

Don't forget that all the abilities in the MM still hold such as DR 10/silver, scent, etc. I just posted the differences here for the sake of brevity.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> JD has already realized this and at some point in the story another PC will receive the Smoking Eye Template in an interesting plot twist.



Please don't tell me it's Rusty! I'd hate for that one to receive a taint to his soul. Dalthon makes a good candidate, if you ask me. 

Has that already happened in your campaign, or is it still coming up?


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Has that already happened in your campaign, or is it still coming up?



Yes it already happened.  Like three months ago . . .


----------



## Trellian

Good decision guys, I was really annouyed when I discovered that the conclusion of the modules almost depended on the Smoking Eye guy surviving all the adventures from the Test of Smoking Eye. With the mortality rate of this series, that's unlikely to happen. But then again, Caine did only die because you were leaving anyway Gfunk, correct?


----------



## LordVyreth

Err, you might want to edit or wrap spoiler tags around that last post.  I'm not sure what the players have left to do with the campaign still, and a lot of the readers might be learning the plot of this Story Hour as it progresses here.  JollyDoc has an NPCs-only board for covering spoilers and such.


----------



## gfunk

Trellian said:
			
		

> But then again, Caine did only die because you were leaving anyway Gfunk, correct?



Well, yes and no.  Caine did die legitamately at the hands of the Ice Devil's _cone of cold.  _At the time, Rusty was on the other side of the Ice Devil so there was really no way he could _revivify _Caine in time.  Rusty ended up going _ethereal_ to avoid combat after the rest of the party fled so the jury's out on whether or not he would have returned in time to _raise_ Caine before the Apostle's corpse left for Occipitus.  In the end I suppose the party could have _plane shifted_ to Occipitus and they probably would have if I was still playing.

Overall though, it worked out well for me and the campaign.

BTW, the new Smoking Eye template will be bestowed near the end of _Foundation of Flame _(e.g. not anytime soon).


----------



## Lela

These are wonderful gfunk.  Any chance you'll be able to post the last one by or tomarrow morning?

 Thanks a ton, werebeasts are so not my forte.


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Err, you might want to edit or wrap spoiler tags around that last post.  I'm not sure what the players have left to do with the campaign still, and a lot of the readers might be learning the plot of this Story Hour as it progresses here.  JollyDoc has an NPCs-only board for covering spoilers and such.





Good point.  Let's limit these types of discussions to the NPCs only forum in the future.


----------



## gfunk

And here's the grand kauhna!

*Werewolf, Medium Humanoid (Human Shapechanger)/Ranger 12*

Note: For sake of simplicity, assume that this guy never leaves hybrid form.

*HD: *1d8+2 plus 2d8+8 plus 12d8+24 (98 hp)
*AC: *19(+4 Natural, +5 Dex)
*Initiative: *+9
*BA/Grple: *+14/+17 
*Attack:* +1 _frost composite longbow (Str 16)_ +21/+16/+11 ranged (1d8+4+1d6 cold) or +1 _frost composite longbow (Str 16) _+19/+19/+14/+9 ranged (1d8+4+1d6)
*Saves (F/R/W): *+17/+18/+7
*Abilities: *Str 17 _(gauntlents of ogre power),_ Dex 20 _(+4 boots of dexterity),_ Con 14 (_+2 amulet of health_), Int 10, Wis 13 (_+2 bracers of wisdom_), Cha 8 
*Skills: *+19 Spot, +19 Listen, +29 Hide, +24 Move Silently
*Feats: *Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Composite Longbow), Improved Critical (Composite Longbow), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Lightning Reflexes
*CR: *15

*Ranger Abilities: *
1. Favored enemy #1 (Dragons [he hates his half-brother]) = +6 to damage rolls, and +6 to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival

2. Favored enemy #2 (Humans) = +4 to damage rolls, and +4 to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival

3. Favored enemy #3 (Elves) = +2 to damage rolls, and +6 to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival

4. Virtual Feats: Rapid Shot (included in stat block above), Manyshot (can't figure this one out, more power to you if you do), and Improved Precise Shot (ignore cover/concealment unless it is total).

5. Evasion (he's got a high Reflex save, don't forget this!)

6. Animal Companion: Wolf, of course! Equivalent to a 6th level druid's companion. Too lazy to stat it out.

7. Spells: 2/1/1 (pick some good ones)

8. Crappy Ranger abilities: Wild empathy, track, endurance, woodland stride, swift tracker

*Other important abilities as an archer:*

1. Don't forget with Precise Shot, this guy ignores the usual -4 for firing into melee.

2. Don't forget to add the bonus damage for favored foes. This guy will do 1d8+10+1d6 cold per arrow against his half-dragon brother!

3. Don't forget he gets an extra +1 to hit when within 30 ft with point blank shot.

4. Don't forget that he gets an extended crit range (19-20/x3) as it could come in handy.

5. And, maybe most importantly, don't forget his DR 10/Silver

Good luck!


----------



## JollyDoc

LORDS OF OBLIVION

“So that’s the place?”  Tilly mused.  
“It fits Skiriol’s description,” Grimm rumbled.  The Bright Axes were gathered in an open pedestrian square on Obsidian Avenue, about a block away from the manor of Thifirane Rhiavadi.  The lavish estate was two stories, and its walls had been built from the native volcanic stone.  Four squat towers were spaced evenly about the main building, three with pointed spire caps, and the fourth with a domed observatory made of alabaster and glass.  A large portico fronted the main avenue, supported by four marble pillars carved to resemble dragons.  All of the windows were of heavy, frosted glass, in sturdy copper frames.  It was opulent, but to the trained eye, also easily defensible.  
“So what’s the plan?” Grimm asked his companions.  It was early evening, and the avenue and square were not crowded.  Although the adventurers were not exactly inconspicuous, the locals were used to seeing them here in the high rent district since they had been offered membership at the Cusp of Sunrise.  
“I don’t feel like knockin’ on the front door and playin’ nice,” Rusty growled.  “We know they’re up to somethin’ in there.  I say we rush the place!”
Kiko, not usually one to interfere in inter-party negotiations, felt that it was his duty to speak now.  “While I agree in principle that Lady Thifirane keeps dubious house guests, the last time I checked, that was not against the law.  On the other hand, breaking and entering is.  In addition, I do believe the local constabulary would frown upon one of the nobility being summarily executed in her own home without benefit of due process.”  Rusty scowled at the monk.  “Well, what’s yer plan, baldy?”
Ignoring the jibe, Kiko shrugged slightly.  “I believe we should test the waters.  We should go to the door like civilized citizens, and request an audience with the Lady.  Let the actions of her household then dictate further action.”
“Bah!” Rusty said dismissively. 
“Perhaps I can offer another option.”  This from Dalthon.  The aasimar had reserved comment up to this point, but the evening was wearing on, and the arguing was pointless.  All eyes turned to him expectantly.  “Well,” he continued, clearing his throat, “I suggest we infiltrate the premises with magic…unobtrusive magic.  Once inside, we can have a look around discreetly, without drawing undue attention to ourselves.  With any luck, we can discover the nature of this gathering and obtain hard evidence of wrongdoing.”  
Rusty stared for a moment, and then shrugged.  “As long as we’re inside, I don’t care how we get there,” the dwarf said.
“And as long as we do things by the book once we’re inside as well,” Kiko retorted.
“It’s settled then,” Dalthon hurriedly interjected before another argument could begin.  “Grimm, you’ll go with me, then Kiko with Tilly, and last, Rusty with Gunther.”
____________________________________________

Discreetly, and in pairs, the Bright axes ducked into a nearby alley, then with the magical abilities of Dalthon, Kiko and Gunther, they stepped briefly between dimensions, to appear within the observatory atop House Rhiavadi.  Cautiously, and as quietly as men in armor were capable of, they descended to the second floor, finding themselves in a small gallery outside the tower foyer.  Tilly and Kiko silently crossed to a set of doors leading into the main house, but as soon as they were within a few feet of them, the doors opened of their own accord.  Kiko cursed as he saw a halfling dressed in house livery in the parlor beyond.  The man looked up, but did not seem surprised or nonplussed to see the band of armed adventurers.  Nevertheless, Kiko didn’t intend to give him a chance to raise an alarm.  In two long strides, he reached the butler, and nimbly stepped behind him, twining his arms through those of the halfling's all in one swift move.  Tilly was right behind the monk, and he winced as he drew back his small fist to strike, “Sorry, brother,” he said to his kinsman, “I’ll owe you a drink next time I see you.”  The rogue punched the servant squarely in the jaw, but instead of collapsing as expected, the halfling seemed to fold in on himself, transforming into a mound of muddy, wet snow.  “What in the Abyss?”  Tilly cried, his jaw dropping open.
“Ah…I’ve heard of this!” Gunther said as he stepped into the room.  “It’s a simulacrum…a magical construct.  You have to have a live model to create one though.  I wonder where the original is?”
“Shhh...” Kiko said, holding up one hand for silence.  “Do you hear that?”
From beyond a set of doors on the far side of the parlor came the sound of harpsichord music, and several voices.  Kiko approached the doors, careful to stay back several feet lest they too were rigged to magically open.  His companions gathered around behind him.  The voices did not seem raised in alarm, so it seemed their small struggle here had gone unnoticed.  Abruptly, one voice rose above the general babble.  It was a woman’s voice:  “More than five centuries ago, the demodands sent a few of their kind to our reality.  Disguised as humans, they mated with humans and other denizens of this plane.  Most of their spawn were stillborn, but a few survived.  They mated and produced the next generation with demodand blood.  As the generations passed, all obvious traces of their demodand ancestry faded away.  Today, we recognize this sacred lineage by an invisible birthmark:  the sign of Carceri!  We call these honored descendants ‘the Shackleborn,’ and their sacrifice is key to unlocking a portal to Othrys, the first layer of Carceri.  Here, demodands and countless other fiends have languished for near-eternity.  In Cauldron, we have found more Shackleborn than anywhere else in the Realms, and in Cauldron, we have the perfect conditions for the Ritual of Planar Junction.  For the past five years, the Cagewrights have labored in secret to build thirteen soulcages to drain the life energy from the Shackleborn.  These soulcages hang from an artifact called the Tree of Shackled Souls-the device that gathers the life energy needed to unlock the prison doors of Carceri.  All of the preparations are now complete.  The Shackleborn are safely in our hands and ready to give their lives to change the world forever.  All that remains is the ritual itself, and it is already underway.  Once the ritual is complete, Cauldron won’t be the same quiet little burg it is today.  It will be the unholy font from which darkness gushes forth, a roiling pit filled with doom and despair for our enemies.  Almost immediately, fiendish armies will sweep across the land and lay waste to surrounding territories, enslaving the weak, and carving out new dominions.  Naturally, we expect resistance on all sides, and that’s where you come in.”
A second, deeper voice spoke up:  “All eyes will be on Cauldron.  We’ll have their worst fears to toy with.”
“Precisely,” came the woman’s voice again.  “As kings raise armies to confront the legions of Carceri, your slavers, merchants, spies and assassins will methodically search for weaknesses from within, soften their resolve, and convince them that their only true choices are to yield or die!”

As the babble of different voices rose again after the stirring speech, Rusty turned a cynical eye towards Kiko.  “I think that’d count as evidence,” the priest smirked, and then he hefted his axe, lowered his shoulder and charged through the doors.  “It’s clobberin’ time!”
_________________________________________________

Beyond the doors was a grand ballroom, the floor of which consisted of black, lavender and ivory tiles that spiraled towards the room’s center.  Directly above the spiral’s core, hung a dazzling crystal chandelier lit by magical flames.  A tapestry hung on one wall with a dark symbol stitched into it.  The symbol resembled an eye impaled on an upward pointing arrow.  Beneath the tapestry stood a table covered with a magnificent arrangement of crystal wine goblets, each filled with some sweet vintage.  A semicircle of seven black chairs faced the tapestry and the table of goblets.  Standing before the tapestry was woman in her middle years, wearing an elegant, yet elaborate black gown decorated with arcane glyphs stitched in silver thread.  A bizarre hairpiece held her golden-brown hair up above her neckline and around her neck hung a pendant shaped like a tiny, silver cage.  More disturbing than her attire, was the third eyeball staring out from the center of her forehead.  Nearby the woman, stood a tall humanoid construct, seemingly crafted out of pieces of plate armor.  This was Thifirane Rhiavadi, a full-fledged member of the Cagewrights, and she was attended by her personal shield guardian, a gift from that same organization.

Seated in the first chair was a snowy-haired, snowy-bearded dwarf, wearing a black leather half-mask with a translucent black gem set into the eyehole.  His good eye was a crisp blue, like a frozen lake, and his complexion was pale.  The teeth which filled his smiling mouth were all gold.  He was dressed in studded leather armor, and had a waraxe slung across his back.  This worthy was known as Adrick Garthun, an unscrupulous dwarven merchant who had recently made a name for himself selling gold and silver to the Last Laugh so that they could mint their own coins.  He had agreed to attend Thifirane’s meeting because he had been promised exclusive mining rights to the mountains around Cauldron once the new regime was in place.  Flanking him were two dour looking dwarves, Daxavalt and Kerg, dressed in full plate armor and brandishing heavy crossbows, with large urgroshes behind their shoulders.

The second seat was occupied by a sensationally handsome man with short black hair and creepy yellow eyes.  He wore spiked full plate armor, and carried a shield adorned with the symbol of the mad god Cyric.  Hanging at his side was a black mace with a black, skull-shaped head.  Khyron Bonesworn was the leader of a band of adventurers called the Necrocants.  His personal aspirations stopped at nothing less than ruling the Turmish.  Next to the priest was a gaunt figure with long, white hair and clad in black robes.  Melagorn Thureq was a fellow Necrocant of Khyron’s.

 In the fourth chair was a half-elven woman with long, black hair with a silvery white stripe running through it.  She currently called herself Mhad, and she had lived for 330 years thus far, although “lived” was a relative term, considering she was a vampire.  Her alabaster-white visage was a twisted mask of contempt, and her eyes burned crimson.  She wore an elegant but tattered black gown and silvery gray bracers studded with red bloodstones.  Mhad had agreed to attend the meeting because the Cagewrights had offered to assist her in the removal of a particularly onerous group of monks known as the Order of the Silver Dream that had tried and failed to destroy her several times over the past 200 years.   A voluminous, black cloak swirled about her, though there was no perceptible wind in the room.  This was Mhad’s traveling companion, a dread wraith called Hate.

To her right, sat a corpulent swine of a creature, who seemed fat in all the wrong places.  This was the self-proclaimed “Lord” Vervil Ashmantle, a tiefling, not to mention a notorious slaver, who traced his abyssal ancestry back to a nalfeshnees demon.  His plan was to legitimize and rule the local slave trade, and the only way that could happen was by allying with the Cagewrights and their fiendish masters.  His bloodshot eyes were sunken deep into the folds of his face, and his lower jaw sported a pair of stumpy, four-inch yellow tusks.  He wore a gold ring on one tusk, and a black platinum ring scribed with silver runes on the other.  His bloated body was hidden beneath elegant purple robes threaded with gems.  Standing alertly behind his chair were a pair of emaciated, demonic beings with long horns protruding from the back of their skulls…babaus!  

The second from the last seat held a dour, young woman, barely five feet tall, with a slender build and short, curly red hair.  In reality, Velior Thazo was no woman at all.  He merely chose to assume this guise to hide his true, fiendish nature.  As a Jester, one of the Last Laugh’s five guild masters, and personal leader of the assassination division, he heeded Thifirane’s summons as a gesture of good will between his organization and what he perceived as the wave of the future.  

Last was a large, ogre-like monstrosity, with purple skin and a pair of ivory horns.  Zarn Kyass, the “Blue Duke,” dealt in ogre and half-orc mercenaries.  He had already provided several of his finest men to the current powers-that-be in Cauldron at a generous discount, and he planned on providing countless more.  His fervent wish was to be made general, or archduke once the Cagewrights’ plans for Cauldron came to fruition, and the fiends of Carceri were unleashed upon the land.

In was into this cozy little enclave that the Bright Axes burst unceremoniously, not knowing, and not particularly caring, who they were dealing with.  Their only thought was to bring the conspirators to justice, either by the court or by the sword, or die trying.  No sooner had Rusty entered, than Adrick’s henchmen sprung into action.  They were well trained, and always on the alert for trouble.  In an instant, they had fired their crossbows at the charging priest, dropped them, and unholstered their urgroshes.  However, just before Rusty engaged the two warriors, Dalthon stepped to the open door, and seeing the tightly packed group, unleashed a ball of fire into the center of the ballroom.  The flames engulfed most of the assemblage, though most of them managed to duck for cover at the last minute.  The one exception was Melagorn.  The necromancer never knew what hit him, and his smoldering corpse hit the floor before Kyron’s stunned eyes.

Rusty bowled into Daxavalt and Kerg, forcing them backwards in his mad rush, while Tilly somersaulted around the skirmishing dwarves, coming to his feet directly behind Kerg.  Before the mercenary could react, the little rogue seized his beard, jerking his head back, and cleanly sliced his throat.  Adrick couldn’t believe this.  Though not naïve enough to ever feel totally safe, he had thought this particular meeting to be an exception, and now some insane band of do-gooders had come out of nowhere and where mopping the floor with his allies.  The dwarf was trying to decide if discretion was going to be the better part of valor in this fight, and was slowly inching his way towards the door, when suddenly a massive, spiked chain whipped through the doorway, slicing deep into his thigh.  As Adrick quickly back-pedaled, a large, surly half-ogre lumbered into the room, and in one fell swoop, liberated Daxavalt’s head from his body.

Zarn Kyass could see the writing on the wall as well, but he would be damned if he would be a casualty of this debacle.  Using his innate magic to render himself invisible, he quickly moved to protect Thifirane.  Then, while most of the intruders were still bunched near the doors, he unleashed a blast of freezing cold at them, catching the majority of them in its path.  “Nicely done,” Thifirane whispered from behind him, and then he heard her begin her own spell casting, calling upon a dweomer that would hasten the movements and attacks of all their allies.  

“Don’t just stand there, you idiots!”  Vervil howled in Abyssal at his babau thralls, “Kill them!”  One of the demons vanished in the blink of an eye, only to instantly reappear right next to Dalthon, claws and fangs bared to rend the sorcerer limb from limb.  “Not so fast, ye beastie!”  Rusty roared, seeing the aasimar’s imminent danger.  The priest quickly uttered a prayer to Mystra, and then blasted the babau with a beam of pure, searing light.  The demon vanished in a puff of smoke and brimstone. 

Mouthing a silent thank you to his companion, Dalthon added to the general chaos by unleashing a second fireball.  This time, their opponents were not close enough together to catch more than one, but that one just happened to by the priest of Cyric.  Khyron howled in pain as his already blistered skin began to char.  He called upon his dark god to grant him healing power, and began to mend some of his terrible wounds.  

Kiko saw the one-eyed dwarf trying to make his escape, and he took three running steps, then launched himself into a flying kick to Adrick’s head.  As he landed, he was momentarily taken aback to see the slight, red haired woman suddenly change forms into a bat-winged humanoid with claws, fangs, short horns and smoldering orange eyes.  Recovering quickly, the monk dropped to the ground, then swung his leg in a circle kick, sweeping the half-fiend’s legs out from under him.

Grimm continued to wade through the fray, headed straight for the ogre mage, who was now visible again after his magical attack.  Four lightning fast strikes with a spiked chain later, and Zarn Kyass lay unmoving at Thifirane’s feet, though Grimm could readily see that the creature’s wounds were already starting heal.  As the half-ogre drew back his weapon to deliver a coup-de-grace, he found himself suddenly entwined and wrapped up by, of all things, the cloak that the half-elven woman was wearing.  It seemed to have a life of its own, and as it twisted around him, Grimm could feel it starting to suck his own life away.

Velior quickly rolled over from his prone position, and glared hatred at the monk standing above him.  “Do you think me so easily defeated human?” he spat.  Then, speaking in a guttural language, he called upon his demonic heritage to unleash a hammer blow of chaotic energy that sent Kiko reeling away from him.  

“This has gone far enough,” Thifirane hissed.  “How dare you people enter my home and attack my guests!”  Her hands began moving in a blur of arcane gestures, and then from the tiled floor sprang a forest of writhing, black tentacles…an all too familiar sight to the Bright Axes.  One by one, the heroes were snatched, and grappled by the rubbery appendages.  Only Grimm managed to evade the initial assault.  Kiko twisted and whirled like a dervish, until he was able to squirm free from his captor.  Seeing the half-fiend trying to get to his feet, the monk leaped upon him, raining a barrage of fists and elbows down.

Gunther felt the life being squeezed out of him.  Worse yet, he could see that Rusty wasn’t faring much better.  What an ignominious way for a legendary, dwarven hero to meet his end!  Unable to bear the thought, the sycophant summoned all his will to cast one desperate spell.  Once again, he stepped between dimensions, slipping out of the deadly coils of the tentacle, and appearing just beyond the parlor doorway.

Grimm flailed madly at the living cloak, trying to wrench it off him.  Finally able to free his chain arm, he swung at the undead thing over and over, driving it back further with each hit.  Finally, though the creature existed partly in the real world, and partly in the ethereal, the planar champion’s weapon shredded the thing's corporeal form and sent it wailing back to its shadowy domain.  Just as the half-ogre breathed a sigh of relief, he was snagged from behind by one of the waving tentacles.

Thifirane was not about to let this opportunity go to waste.  She had most of the interlopers trapped, and now she was going to seal their fate.  Casting again, she created an impenetrable wall of magical force that split the room in half, separating half of the Bright Axes from their companions.

Vervil saw his opportunity as well.  Recognizing Thifirane’s spell, the tiefling quickly rendered himself invisible, then darted to the far side of the room.  Using the wall of force as a backsplash, he centered his own fireball in the midst of the entangled adventurers, relishing their cries of anguish as their own skin began to burn.  

Gunther knew he had to do something, and now.  Rusty couldn’t take much more.  Thinking quickly, he snapped his fingers and shouted the words to the dispelling charm he’d memorized.  In a flash, the entire nest of tentacles vanished, freeing his newfound companions, and most importantly, Rusty.

Vervil barely had time to savor his brief contribution before the newly freed half-ogre bore down on him.  “Eep!” the tiefling shrieked as the last thing he saw in this life, a whistling length of spiked chain, came down between his eyes.  Grimm turned back towards the main combat, but ran face first into the wall of force.  As he rebounded backwards, he was stunned by the sudden appearance of the second babau.  The demon appeared out of thin air, right over the half-ogre’s head.  It began slashing and tearing at Grimm’s flesh like a wild cat.  With one massive hand, the planar champion seized the fiend, hauling it bodily into the air, and then slamming it against the force wall.  Taking one step back, Grimm snapped his chain out, stabbing its point right thru the babau’s skull.  A shout of rage from behind warned him a fraction of a second before Khyron’s mace would have splattered his own skull.  Whirling around, the half-ogre caught the Cyricist right across the abdomen with a backhanded strike.  A loud “whuff” came from Khyron’s throat as his breath was driven out of him, and he hit his knees hard on the floor.

“My, but you’re a dangerous one, aren’t you,” Thifirane taunted as Grimm stood over his handiwork.  “Too dangerous to have lumbering around, as a matter of fact.”  Tossing out another incantation, she conjured an invisible cage of force this time, imprisoning Grimm inside.  “Mhad!” Thifirane shouted, turning to the vampire, who up to this point, had remained seated, unperturbed, coldly observing the entire melee.  “You should go now!  Our business is concluded here, but we will meet again.”  The vampire nodded slightly, then rising slowly, and regally, she turned and stepped into a nearby shadow, vanishing from sight.

“Get off!” Velior shrieked, heaving Kiko from him, and then surging to his feet.  The half-fiend unfolded his wings, and leaped into the air, lunging towards the stumbling monk, but just as he did so, three rays of scorching fire intercepted him, blasting him to the ground.  Dalthon nodded at Kiko’s gratitude, and turned away from the smoking corpse.  It was then that Kiko noticed the priest of Cyric bolting for a side door.  The badly wounded man was trying to escape!  The monk was after him in a flash, but Khyron had just enough of a head start.  Bursting into a guest bedroom, he dove head first through a window, plummeting towards the ground below.  Alas, the priest had miscalculated the extent of his own injuries, and the distance to the ground.  When Kiko looked out the window, he saw the man’s broken body lying on the flagstones below.

Thifirane knew that the battle had ended.  It was time to cut her losses.  She placed one hand upon her shield guardian, and the other on the unconscious form of Zarn Kyass.  Uttering one last spell, she invoked her teleportation spell, vowing silently that Vhalantru would help her to avenge this insult….


----------



## monboesen

Is it just me or does Grimm seem far too dangerous ?

Every time he gets of a full attack an enemy goes down. Often a single attack is sufficient to kill a foe.

A pretty anticlimatic fight that seems to highlight some of the stuff that I find faulty in the rules, like spiked chains and the ability to run through a room, tumble behind a sitting man and slit his throat before he can take any action. Thats just wrong !!


----------



## LordVyreth

Well, keep in mind that everyone was already hit by the fireball, which probably did a good amount of damage to him before Grimm even got there.  My favorite part was the cleric who got killed by falling damage!


----------



## JollyDoc

monboesen said:
			
		

> Is it just me or does Grimm seem far too dangerous ?
> 
> Every time he gets of a full attack an enemy goes down. Often a single attack is sufficient to kill a foe.
> 
> A pretty anticlimatic fight that seems to highlight some of the stuff that I find faulty in the rules, like spiked chains and the ability to run through a room, tumble behind a sitting man and slit his throat before he can take any action. Thats just wrong !!





Also bear in mind that I'm taking some artistic license here.  This combat basically took an entire evening's worth of play, with a lot of failed attempts to hit, cast spells, etc on both sides.  That kind of stuff would be boring to read, so I hit the highlights, and add my own detail.  For instance, Tilly's kill of Kerg:  the dwarf had 60 hp to begin with.  One fireball, and a failed save later, that total was halved.  Rusty was already engaging the dwarf.  Tilly tumbled behind for a flank, then hit with a sneak attack...more than enough damage to kill.

As for Grimm, yes he is a tank and is lethal, especially in close quarters.  This room was approximately 35 feet by 40 feet, and was crammed with 19 people, two of them large!  What you would call a target rich environment for someone with a reach weapon.  Plus, most of those in the room where not fighters, but spell casters.  Even worse for them to be in a situation where they could not put distance between themselves and the combat to cast spells.  Stay tuned.  Grimm is not the invulnerable monstrosity he seems to be now.  No matter how big and nasty you are...there's always something bigger and nastier...like an advanced, half-fiend Morkoth...


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> As for Grimm, yes he is a tank and is lethal, especially in close quarters...Grimm is not the invulnerable monstrosity he seems to be now.  No matter how big and nasty you are...there's always something bigger and nastier...like an advanced, half-fiend Morkoth...




The advanced half-fied morkoth encounter was one of those that basically took advantage of every one of Grimm's weaknesses, but in the end our half-ogre friend still manages to acquit himself pretty well.  Grimm is ECL 17 right now, and is about as powerful as an ECL 17 tank should be, but just like every character-type he has his Achille's heel(s).

It is worth probably worth noting that Grimm's real power is not in sheer damage-dealing capability, however, but in his ability to control a battlefield with reach, AOO's, trips, disarms, and (JD's Bane) Stand Still.  Now, when I want Grimm to 'put the hammer down', he does well with it, but not nearly as well as if I had built him specifically to inflict HP damage.    Not to get overly technical here, the main thrust of Grimm's development has been to try and take away the enemy fighter's/brute monster's full attack action.  This is accomplished by making him waste his move action by standing up, picking up his weapon, moving to close, etc.

Having said all that, Fred's new Goliath character (when given the chance) is the one that can deal WITHERING amounts of damage, as can Tilly now when he has an enemy's flank (provided that enemy is not a golem or undead).  We also discovered another neat trick..._polymorphing_ Kiko into a Stone Giant gives him a 45 +/- armor class and stupid-sick damage capability.  This is not to forget our two competent (and extremely well-constructed) arcane casters, who regularly make the real difference in our harder fights.  With Rusty and Gunther adding the healing and buffing, we really have a party that is really coming into its own right now.  We still have our run-ins and the need for revivification, to be sure.  

God, I am starting to sound like a college football coach...oh well, I may as well stick with it...WAR EAGLE!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Great job of retelling the combat, JollyDoc, especially since it took place a long, long time ago. 

Grimm is a death-dealing foe to be sure, but this combat might have taken a completly different turn, if some other NPCs had decided to stick around... Joachim, I think you're being a little too modest with Grimm, though. He is really essential to the party in a way no ordinary fighter could be. A tank well-built!


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

It's cool to see the team at work again.  I hate to see the baddies get away though.  I had to laugh at the Cleric dying from jumping out the window.

GW


----------



## JollyDoc

We just finished our session for the evening, and I feel the need to make a case-in-point here.  One of the main battles of the night revolved around three kelubar demodands.  In the course of the battle, they basically imobilized the entire party (which now consists of seven members) with acid fogs.  The demondands themselves are immune to acid, and have freedom of movement.  Grimm, as it so happens, has a ring of freedom of movement, so he was the only one who could maneuver in the fog.  He did so, cornering the demodands in a room...all alone...with no back-up.  Well, another little thing about demondands...they can sneak attack.  The ganged up/flanked Grimm.  All the while he was taking constant acid damage from the fog.  Ultimately, he was forced to flee them.  The demodands had him down to 18 hp at one time, and were moving in for the kill when Rusty was finally able to Heal Grimm.  It was completely a joint party effort that finally won the day.


----------



## Neurotic

Also from Croatia. I didn't mean to post anything here, but you should know you have readers from everywhere


----------



## Neurotic

Uh, sorry about that late post. I just transferred and didn't see number of pages already posted...that last post was reply to some posts on the first page  Sorry...


----------



## R-Hero

*Ike likes what he see's so far..*

Deleted


----------



## R-Hero

*Ike likes what he see's so far..*



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> _It is worth probably worth noting that Grimm's real power is not in sheer damage-dealing capability, however, but in his ability to control a battlefield with reach, AOO's, trips, disarms, and (JD's Bane) Stand Still. _
> 
> This is a nuance of fighting that Ganguokia/Ike hasn't seen before.  The character developement will steer toward learning a more scientific approch to battle from Grimm. Ike's fighting style is opponents pound each other untill one falls.
> 
> _Having said all that, Fred's new Goliath character (when given the chance) is the one that can deal WITHERING amounts of damage, _
> 
> Minimum damage from Ike's Greathammer is 18 (3d6+15), max single blow is 33
> Throw in a spongy organ system or brittle skull=x4 critical, (unless opponent is in Fortification enchanted armor,BLAST YOU JD) the result is anywere from 54 to 132 hps. Multiply that by three succesfull attacks 162-396 hps.
> 
> Ike is learning from Grimm about how to otimize Power Attack (Max P.A.+Max Crit x 3 Attacks =474 hps) for even more hit point loss and Damage reduction to make even invincible out-worlders bleed.


----------



## war wizard

*Like Ike, I like it too,*

Excellent post JD, I would stilll like to hear Rich’s take on the “kinda sorta update” I’m sure he’ll get to it eventually.  It just seems like a good story-telling nugget.  Hate to see it go to waste.

As to Coach Grimm’s  take on the home team, yes we are very balanced force. Two tanks, (Grimm & Ike)
Two arcane spell casters, (Dalthon and Houshang) Two divine spell casters (Rusty and Gunther) and the two wild cards. Kiko and Tilly. (The Stun and stab twins). I’ll also throw a mention of Kiko’s fast movement. That Ricky has utilized quite effectively in times past.  We’ve worked well and gotten through quite a bit, but I think the main battle to prevent Caldron from becoming demondand central, is going to push us to the limit.

Let’s hope the armor, artillery, ground support and airborne have enough gas to see through to the final conflict.


----------



## monboesen

I did not really realize you are that many players. How does the DM accomodate the module for this group that is exactly twice the "core" size.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

monboesen said:
			
		

> I did not really realize you are that many players. How does the DM accomodate the module for this group that is exactly twice the "core" size.



Well, they still die more or less frequently. Also: Ice Devil!   

'nuff said.


----------



## war wizard

*X2 party size*

Not every player is present every week, and to give credit where credit is due. The good Doc is an excellent DM, the only thing that bog's down the gaming activity is the occasional debate over a nuance of a rule interpretation, movement, AOO cause or susceptible. Sometimes it can be referenced quickly and a decision made. Other times it seems to dwindle to the downright nit-picky :\ 

But even then that seems to have melded into the experience of playing with this group. I am very glad that I've been fortunate enough to find a group of like minded players and a quality DM.  

I’d also like to thank Mrs. Jollydoc for the hospitality, because if there is one power that will overrule the DM , it is the DM’s spouse.


----------



## Hammerhead

Rule -1: The GM's spouse is always right.


----------



## Joachim

war wizard said:
			
		

> Not every player is present every week, and to give credit where credit is due. The good Doc is an excellent DM, the only thing that bog's down the gaming activity is the occasional debate over a nuance of a rule interpretation, movement, AOO cause or susceptible. Sometimes it can be referenced quickly and a decision made. Other times it seems to dwindle to the downright nit-picky :\




I admit that our discussions on the rules commonly become the proverbial immovable object vs. the unstoppable force, but we rarely have a conflict that lasts more than a few of minutes or so before we put it to a quick vote and move on.  Getting nit-picky is in my detail-oriented, engineering nature, much like it is with JD.


----------



## war wizard

Joachim said:
			
		

> I admit that our discussions on the rules commonly become the proverbial immovable object vs. the unstoppable force, but we rarely have a conflict that lasts more than a few of minutes or so before we put it to a quick vote and move on.  Getting nit-picky is in my detail-oriented, engineering nature, much like it is with JD.




True the debate on rules rarely takes up more time than say, the discussion of Alabama /Auburn's performance in the last football game, or the question of who showed up at Ultimate, or the impromptu renditions of pop songs from the 80's...   

Besides that a methodical detail-oriented mind set is a definite plus in an engineer or a physician. 

My previous post was just an observation; no judgement or criticism was intend or implied. Just the way things work with JD at the helm. And again things work quite well in my opinion.

I'm sure things will be subtly different if/when the eberron campaign starts, 
And everyone’s favorite engineer is the DM.  

Add a player - remove a player and the gaming session is changed, switch DM's and a bigger change is noticed. But I think that is one of the strengths of the concept of RPG's.


----------



## Joachim

war wizard said:
			
		

> Add a player - remove a player and the gaming session is changed, switch DM's and a bigger change is noticed. But I think that is one of the strengths of the concept of RPG's.




To be honest, the biggest change will really not be with the DM (I think that largely Joe and I run similar-style games), but with the change in the player list.  Joe and I play differently as characters, possibly *very* differently, but we are equally as brutal/merciful on players.

My problem with DM'ing is that I get an adventure started, but because it is a 'secondary' campaign it often falls to the wayside when we get back to JD's 'primary' campaign.  C'est la vi.

I am looking forward to running the Eberron campaign, but when we start I would like for everyone to sit together and work on 'party construction' rather than 'character construction'.  This is one of the reasons that I went through so many characters at the beginning of this current campaign because I was trying to find the PC-type that would complete the group's skill-set.  And thus, Grimm was born from the husks of Ajax, Gardrid, and Salazar.


----------



## JollyDoc

Hi gang!  Sorry to be out of touch for a few days, but I was visiting lovely Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  Had a great time, but I must say I've never seen such a wide variety of mullets gathered in one place.

Anyway, I appreciate War Wizard's, aka Eddie's, commentary on our game.  The addition of him, his brother Fred (aka Kylon/Ike) and Ricky (aka Kiko) have greatly enriched our game.
As far as party size goes, it is a challenge, but I have found, and I think my players will agree, that the adventures, played "as is" would routinely TPK a standard 4 character party of appropriate level.  Five, or maybe six can survive successfully usually.  For seven or eight, I have used the "Scaling the Adventure" ideas to up the challenge a bit.  

It is my intention to have a new post up by this weekend, so bear with me.


----------



## beer_motor

It's "Houshang" you turkey!  

I personally enjoy the challenges the well-tuned group is pitted against.  I mean, yes it is true that Grimm is pretty monstrous and between Dalthon and Houshang, anything that can be nuked from range is going to die (probably very quickly, too), and our up-close melee is pretty damn deadly too... but quite often during the course of an evening a whole lot rides on a single (or rather party-sized) roll ... saving throws, spell resistance, these make a huge difference.  I think, for example, that the recent demodand fight, Rusty had to bust an SR to heal Grimm . . . and things would have been quite different had he not been healed.  I have no idea where the module goes from here, but if he had to burn another heal, or even three just to heal Grimm once because of unlucky rolls ... well ... we never, never, never, EVER have it easy, I promise you that.  There's only The Hard Way with this group, I've learned.

Even on a called shot to the eye and a 20 on a to-hit roll, a lowly dwarf fighter/thief from 2nd edition couldn't score a deathblow on a very ancient black dragon that was cleaning our clocks... I still recall that night with fondness.  And since nobody else will toot my horn, I guess I have to!  Heh.

love,


----------



## R-Hero

beer_motor said:
			
		

> It's "Houshang" you turkey!




Cut Dalthon some slack, he has a hard time with Ike's Goliath name as well.

Ganguokia "DayWalker" Elionenlimu, Common Spelling, just like it sounds...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> It is my intention to have a new post up by this weekend, so bear with me.



We're bearing, Doc, so what's the status?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> We're bearing, Doc, so what's the status?




Status:  Completed!

THE PLOT THICKENS	

The ballroom was a shambles.  Bodies were strewn across the floor, and gore spattered the rich furnishings.  Flames still smoldered from the ruined wall hangings.  Kiko stared at the destruction and shook his head at the incredible loss of life and property damage that seemed to follow his companions like a cloud.  Did they accomplish their goal here?, he wondered.  True, enemies were dead, though not all.  True, they had learned of the ultimate plan of the Cage Wrights.  However, it seemed as if they were always one step behind their opponents, and never in time to prevent death…only to deal it out in retaliation.  “Now what?” he asked aloud, though to no one in particular.  
“What do ya mean?” Rusty snapped.  “You heard what that three-eyed witch said!  They’re plannin’ on openin’ a doorway to Hell, then enslavin’ the whole of the Reach, if not the Realms!”
“Yes Rusty,” Kiko said patiently, “I heard Lady Rhiavadi’s speech as well as you did.  However, it seems we’ve killed anyone capable of answering further questions for us, such as when and where this ritual is to occur, and who are the rest of the Cage Wrights.”
Rusty’s mouth worked silently as he tried to think of a response.  It was Dalthon who saved him from further embarrassment.  “I hate to interrupt, but from the sounds of those whistles coming from the street, I’d say the house guards have raised the alarm with the city watch.  I think our current situation would be difficult to explain to the authorities, so I suggest we table this discussion until we can consult with Jenya.”
Rusty quickly cleared his throat, “Er…umm…yeah!  Good idea!  Gunther, you and Dalthon start workin’ yer magic and transport us outta here…fast!”

___________________________________________________

“This is very disturbing,” Jenya said, pacing back in forth before the desk in her study.  “However, it fits with information I’ve recently obtained.  I consulted with Tyr through divination, and I was told to seek out ‘Cauldron’s proud orphan.’  At first I didn’t know what to make of this, but then I recalled that in many public meetings, Lord Vhalantru would often refer to himself in this manner, referring to the fact that he is from a noble elven house, but has no family in Cauldron or the Reach.  With what you have told me of these so-called Shackle Born, I feel more sure that young Terrym is one of them, and that Lord Vhalantru’s adoption of him was not altruistic.  Given the close dealings between House Vhalantru, and House Rhiavadi, it might be prudent to turn your investigation in that direction.”
Grimm nodded, but his face betrayed his misgivings.  “I do not mind our company taking on this role for you, the Church and the City, High Priestess, but it would ease my thoughts if I knew we could depend on the support of other allies.  The city guard is of no use, and the Lord Mayor is missing.  The Bright Axes are increasingly looked upon with suspicion, despite our efforts on behalf of the people.  Whom might we count on?”
“You’re point is a valid one,” Jenya replied.  “You know that you have the full support of this church, but do not count on the others.  The church of Kelemvor is no more, and the church of Tempus is choosing to bury their heads in the sand.  Alas, the steward of Lathander’s shrine seems unbalanced of late.  However, we now have new allies that have revealed themselves in the Harpers.  I will contact Meerthan and see if his agents can pursue other avenues of investigation for us.”
“I have one more idea,” Rusty added.  “Seems to me that the Storm Blades owe us one."

_________________________________________________

It was an odd gathering that night in the Tipped Tankard, and most of the patrons were uneasy as they cast askance glances at the large corner table.  The last time that the Storm Blades and the Bright Axes met they had managed to completely wreck the place.  
“So what do you want from us?” asked Annah Taskerhill.  The dark-skinned bard had agreed to this conclave readily, but with caution.  She realized now that she and her comrades had been unwitting dupes of the false priests of Kelemvor, and they owed the life of Todd Vanderboren to their old rivals.  Still, pride was a very difficult meal to swallow.
“Only what you are willing to give,” Grimm answered.  “We have been completely forthcoming with you, at great risk to ourselves.  If you were to go to the city officials and report us, we would all be clapped in irons by dawn.  We ask for your trust, and for your support.  Most of the local adventuring bands have abandoned the city for greener pastures.  We are all that remain.  We don’t ask you to accompany us, but merely to be our eyes and ears in the city.  You are of the nobility.  You have contacts and influence that we do not.”
Annah nodded, then turned to her friends.  Cora Lathenmire shrugged.  “Suits me,” the burly woman said, eyes downcast.  Annah knew that would be the most she could hope for from the surly warrior.  Her pride would be even more injured than the rest, especially since that Cage Wright wizard had managed to neutralize here with barely an effort.  

“We will readily do as you ask,” Zachary Aslaxin said.  “It shames me that my own church, the followers of Tempus, will not open their eyes and see what is going on around them.  I will do my part to make amends for the shortcomings of my brothers.”
“I owe you my life,” Todd said simply, “and I always pay my debts.”
The rival bands shook hands around the table, and toasted their new alliance, to the utter astonishment of the bar regulars.

________________________________________________________


House Vhalantru was a stately, three-storied manor located on Obsidian Avenue.  Like many estates in Cauldron, it had walls of mortared volcanic rock.  Its sturdy wooden doors bore ornate silver hinges and fittings.  This time, as the Bright Axes stood in the pre-dawn darkness observing the house, there was no discussion or disagreement about the nature of their mission here.  In their hearts, the heroes all knew that the man who had assumed the mantle of leadership in Cauldron was not what he appeared.  At the very least, he was a liar and a traitor to the city, having brought in the brigand bands of half-orc mercenaries with their draconic rules and enforcements.  At worst, he was far more sinister, perhaps even a member of the Cage Wrights himself.  In any event, he had to be made to answer for many injustices and to explain himself before the citizens of Cauldron.  The Bright Axes intended to bring him to justice, no matter the cost.

The plan was a simple one.  Dalthon had previously cast a spell of flight on Tilly, and the little rogue now willed himself from sight with his magic invisibility ring.  Silent as a shadow, he took to the air, and sped towards a window in the second story rotunda of the manor house.  Peering inside, he saw a darkened, and more importantly, unoccupied library.  It was child’s play for the halfling to unlock the window, and slip inside, memorize the floor plan in detail and then flit out again and return to his companions.  He described what he had seen to Dalthon and Kiko, and in two quick flashes of light, the sorcerer and monk transdimensionally transported the other members of the company inside the room.

The library was richly appointed, with the floor-to-ceiling shelves carved with exquisite leaf scrollwork.  The glass of the windows had lovely, silver laurel designs etched into their panes.  All of the décor befit the tastes of an elf, yet something about it all seemed false and hollow to the adventurers, as if it were a façade, merely for show.  Tilly wasted little time admiring the craftsmanship.  Instead, he crept silently to the door leading from the room, and pulled it open, its oiled hinges making not a sound.  Beyond, he found a short hallway, which gave onto a balcony overlooking the main floor foyer.  A double staircase descended from the balcony to the marble-tiled entryway below.  Several wooden doors gave off the hallway and the balcony, and on the far side of the walkway, an arched opening seemed to lead towards the front of the house.  As Tilly passed by the first door on the balcony, his sharp ears caught a faint, almost imperceptible sound.  From behind the door came a subtle whisper of movement that the rogue could only describe as a slither.  Still invisible, the little halfling cautiously grasped the door handle and gently eased the door open, peering around its edge as he did so.  Inside it was dark, but Tilly’s halfling eyes could pick out details in black and white.  The room was obviously a privy, but a handsome one.  It seemed empty at first glance, but the rogue was used to noticing details that might elude someone with less acute senses.  In the far corner of the room, coiled behind a basin, was what appeared to be a large serpent of some sort.  However, as it lifted its head at the sight of the door opening, Tilly could see that its facial features were distinctly humanoid, yet twisted and evil, with lank, stringy hair hanging from its scalp.  Tilly reasoned that the creature must be some sort of guardian, placed here by Vhalantru, or else it had been put here by someone else to assassinate the acting lord-mayor.  Either way, it was up to no good, and now it was alert to the halfling’s presence, even though it couldn’t actually see the rogue.  Moving with the quickness of a snake himself, Tilly pushed open the door completely, took three steps across the room, drawing his blades as he went, and then plunged his shortsword deep into the creature’s neck.  Instantly, the little rogue became visible, but he continued to press his attack.  Three more times he struck at the beast, all the while dodging and ducking its mad thrashings and vicious strikes with its wickedly sharp fangs.
“Tilly, down!” a voice boomed from behind him.  Instinctively, the halfling hit the floor, just a heavy, spiked chain whistled past his head, wrapping around the neck of the snake-creature, and then jerking taught, snapping the monster’s spine.  As Tilly rolled onto his back, he saw Grimm silhouetted in the doorway, slowly reeling in his deadly weapon.

The rest of the company had quickly gathered on the balcony after hearing the sounds of Tilly’s melee.  Now it was Rusty who heard noises.  From the floor above came the thumping of booted feet running.  From a door further down the walkway came the distinctive words of a spell being cast.  Without hesitation, the priest rushed across the balcony and slammed one hob-nailed boot into the door, splintering it wide open.  On the far side was a servant’s pantry, with a spiral staircase in the floor leading down to the kitchens below.  Coiled in the center of the chamber were two more of the snake-creatures, which Rusty now recognized as nagas…members of a mostly evil race of serpentine spell-casters.  The creatures were writhing hypnotically, preparing to unleash their magic.  Acting quickly, Rusty called upon Mystra and conjured a whirling wall of razor-sharp blades in the center of the room.  The naga nearest the door was caught in the midst of the blade barrier, and in an instant it was shredded to ribbons, leaving a red haze in the air to mark its passing.  The second naga, however, managed to dart to the far side of the room, on the other side of the barrier.  From there, it continued its casting, and launched a pea-sized ball of fire directly past Rusty’s head.  The flaming missile shot out over the foyer, and then blossomed into a mushroom cloud of fire.  Rusty could feel his beard smoldering from the heat of the explosion as he was knocked backwards off his feet.  The magical fire immediately set the hanging tapestries in the foyer alight, and in seconds the entry became as bright as day as the flames began to spread.

At that moment, three half-orcs wearing chainmail and carrying double-headed axes came pounding out of the archway on the far side of the balcony.  Bellowing, they charged around the walkway towards the trespassers, but they had gotten no more than halfway round when Grimm, now standing in the doorway of the room containing the trapped, but by no means helpless, naga, whipped his chain directly in front of them.  Almost comically, all three were brought up short by the deadly weapon, stopping dead in their tracks.  Immediately, Tilly, Kiko and Rusty closed the distance with them.  Tilly reached the trio first, rolling under a potentially lethal swipe from an axe to come up inside the first guard’s defenses.  He plunged both blades into the half-orcs belly, and as the mercenary slumped forward, the little rogue used his momentum to heave him over the railing, sending him plunging to the foyer below.  Kiko came directly at the second guard, parrying the half-orc’s wide swings with his bare hands.  As the guard recovered from one such swipe, the monk swept his front leg in a circle, meaning to take the mercenary’s legs out from under him.  However, to Kiko’s amazement, the half-orc managed to bring his axe head back around in a short arc, catching the monk’s leg behind the knee and then lifting straight up.  With a shout of surprise, Kiko tumbled flat on his back.  Moving in for the kill, the half-orc raised his axe over his head, obviosly intending to chop it down right between Kiko’s eyes, but his fatal mistake was in believing that a prone monk was a defenseless monk.  Kiko flipped onto his side, then drew one knee back all the way to his chin, and shot his foot out in a devastating side kick directly to the guard’s throat.  Dropping his axe and clutching at his crushed windpipe, the half-orc staggered a half step and fell gurgling to the floor.  Meanwhile, Rusty used no such means of finesse.  Bellowing a steady stream of dwarven curses, he exchanged blow for blow with the third guard.  The half-orc’s axe slammed against the priest’s shield over and over, and then the dwarf would counter with his own axe.  It was only a matter of time before the mercenary made a mistake, and when he did, Rusty ended his career.

Grimm was quickly learning that the last naga did not intend on leaving this world without a fight.  From behind the protection of the whirling blade barrier, it repeatedly fired a barrage of flaming missiles at the big half-ogre.  Though he was in no mortal danger from these, Grimm still thought they hurt like hell, and he was getting more than a little annoyed.  Trusting on the magically toughened metal of his chain, he wound it above his head, and then struck through the blade wall.  Sparks flew in all directions as the small razor blades careened off the chain, but the projectile still struck true, it’s barbed tip impaling the naga through the forehead, leaving it twitching and jittering on the carpet.

A second trio of half-orcs arrived on the scene.  Coming up the stairs from the foyer, they were greeted by Tilly, Kiko and Rusty as well.  This time, Dalthon added artillery support, lobbing his own magic missiles into the melee, and in short order, this new set met the same fate as their predecessors.  Still, it seemed that Vhalantru valued his privacy, or else he was just extremely paranoid.  Six more half-orcs closed on the balcony, coming from both the first and third levels.  Though well paid for their loyalty, and experienced fighters in their own right, they had never run up against the likes of the Bright Axes.  Like a well-oiled machine, the heroes went thru the mercenaries in less than a minute, taking very few injuries themselves.  When no more guards arrived, the companions were finally able to take notice of the fact that the foyer was in flames.  “Well, we’ve made plenty of noise, and more than enough light,” Rusty sneered, “and still no sign of the boss-man.  Either he ain’t here, or he’s well hidden and well protected.  That fire’ll burn for a while, but that don’t mean we’ve got all night.  Let’s start searchin’ and flush this rat outta his hole!”


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

<From between steepled drumming fingers> Excellent.

GW


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Status:  Completed!
> 
> THE PLOT THICKENS



Perfect! Very nice combat description. Tell us, JollyDoc, which of your players saw Lord Orbious Vhalantru for what he really was (or at least had some suspicions before the fight) ?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Perfect! Very nice combat description. Tell us, JollyDoc, which of your players saw Lord Orbious Vhalantru for what he really was (or at least had some suspicions before the fight) ?




Ask me this question again in the NPC's Only thread NWK, as I don't want to spoil anything for the constant readers.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Ask me this question again in the NPC's Only thread NWK, as I don't want to spoil anything for the constant readers.



Been there, done that, where's my shirt?


----------



## Berandor

Hey there. As I'm, finally (!) getting ready to start the AP (this sunday), just one question now that you're almost through.

Did you have the impression that after starting off brutally hard, the Adventure Path gets easier by the end? I kind of got that feeling from reading it, but just reading high-level characters is not always enough.


----------



## JollyDoc

Berandor said:
			
		

> Hey there. As I'm, finally (!) getting ready to start the AP (this sunday), just one question now that you're almost through.
> 
> Did you have the impression that after starting off brutally hard, the Adventure Path gets easier by the end? I kind of got that feeling from reading it, but just reading high-level characters is not always enough.





No, I wouldn't say that, actually, and I think my players would agree.  True, it is difficult to get a "feel" for an NPC just by reading the stats.  When you finally play the character, the experience is totally different.  There have been many that I thought would be lethal, just from a stats point of view, and then my players just walked all over them.  On the other hand, there have been some I thought would be easy (ie the erinyes in Zenith Trajectory) that almost TPK'd the group.  Also, I have found that the authors of the adventures tend to give the NPC's a home-field advantage by making terrain and other circumstances favor them.  Plus, most of them in the higher level adventures tend to have advance warning that that PC's are coming and have a chance to buff up before hand.  If played correctly, I think the majority of them can be quite a challenge.  Case-in-point (without giveing too much away):  the group is currently midway through Thirteen Cages in real game time.  This past weekend they encounterd a relatively weak 15th level Conjurer.  However, he had arranged his chambers in such a way that he was nigh unbeatable on his home turf.  The group had quite a time with him and were almost forced to retreat.  I'm sure my players can add their own input here as well.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Well It also depends on what kinda DM is running it. If you have a go for the throat kinda DM as Jollydoc is it can and has been awfully hard at times. Even with all the players we have playin he still makes it hard to come out on top and even if we do not get Hurt alot we use up alot of our spells on trying to kill his minions. To sum it up so far I have not seen it gettin any easier.


----------



## JollyDoc

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Well It also depends on what kinda DM is running it. If you have a go for the throat kinda DM as Jollydoc is it can and has been awfully hard at times. Even with all the players we have playin he still makes it hard to come out on top and even if we do not get Hurt alot we use up alot of our spells on trying to kill his minions. To sum it up so far I have not seen it gettin any easier.




Now, now...it's only because I love you guys that I care enough to do my damndest to kill you!


----------



## war wizard

Yeah, just because you love us so much....  

The last session was a cluster (explicative-delete), on the party’s half. No one seemed to pick up on the problem; but then again hindsight is always 20-20.

Also some pretty crappy die-rolls to dispel area of effect spells contributed to the air of frustration.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Speaking of the adventure gettin easier Here is a little sliver of Info about last nights session.  
 2 Deaths and alot of Bad air So stay tuned for the upcoming updates to catch up and see who goes down.


----------



## JollyDoc

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Speaking of the adventure gettin easier Here is a little sliver of Info about last nights session.
> 2 Deaths and alot of Bad air So stay tuned for the upcoming updates to catch up and see who goes down.





Yes, we concluded Thirteen Cages last night, and I must say that it did not end at all as I had expected.  It DID end with the catastrophic, and seemingly permanent, deaths of two major PC's.  'Nuff said.


----------



## JollyDoc

I realize that I already asked this question a couple of months ago, but I'd like to ask it again.  I should be posting the conclusions to Lord's of Oblivion within the next two to three weeks (two or three more posts), and then begins Foundation in Flames.  I had previously mentioned that, after I ran this adventure, I ran the group through a linker adventure, Lord of the Iron Fortress, to let them gain enough experience to be prepared for Thirteen Cages.  Now, LotIF has nothing to do with the Adventure path, and though it was fun and interesting, no major shake ups occured in the party.  The question I had originally posed was how many readers would be interested in reading the posts of that adventure?  I could omit that one entirely, and proceed directly into Thirteen Cages so that the posts won't be so far behind the actualy game.  Or, if enough of you are interested, I can recap that entire adventure.  Please everyone, let me know your opinion...hmmm...btw, does anyone know how I can pose this question in the form of a poll?


----------



## Jack of Shadows

I think a quick synopsis would be fine. LoIF is old enough that I don't think it really needs a full work-up as most of us are already familiar with it. Besides it doesn't really work with the flow of the story.

2 cents given.

Jack


----------



## Joachim

The only real major shake-up in LotIF was the addition of Houshang.

Regarding Sunday's session, I will not say too much so as not to spoil the surprise, but considering one encounter that we walked around, we finished the module according to the writer's Plan B.  

Plan B has a major, major problem.  If the party does not have access to some form of _teleport_ magic (which could be *highly* possible at that point in the module) the mission could be successful but then all PC's would be killed without any (and by any, I mean *ANY*) chance of escape, barring some form of _Deus ex Machina_.


----------



## LordVyreth

I'm more worried about the "bad air" myself.  Are there some problems developing at the table itself between players or between the DM and players?


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> I'm more worried about the "bad air" myself.  Are there some problems developing at the table itself between players or between the DM and players?





     No problems at the table the bad air was refering to something in game that kept happenin. Only bad air around the table comes from Ozz Jollydocs dog when he has one to many chips under the table


----------



## Joachim

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> Only bad air around the table comes from Ozz Jollydocs dog when he has one to many chips under the table




That would not be 'bad air'.  That would qualify as 'rancid air' or even 'biological warfare'.


----------



## Longbow

I´m not very interested in the linker adventure so I vote for leaving that out and continue with the path. Especially after I read what JD wrote how Thirteen Cages ended. Sounds scary.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> I realize that I already asked this question a couple of months ago, but I'd like to ask it again.  I should be posting the conclusions to Lord's of Oblivion within the next two to three weeks (two or three more posts), and then begins Foundation in Flames.  I had previously mentioned that, after I ran this adventure, I ran the group through a linker adventure, Lord of the Iron Fortress, to let them gain enough experience to be prepared for Thirteen Cages.  Now, LotIF has nothing to do with the Adventure path, and though it was fun and interesting, no major shake ups occured in the party.  The question I had originally posed was how many readers would be interested in reading the posts of that adventure?  I could omit that one entirely, and proceed directly into Thirteen Cages so that the posts won't be so far behind the actualy game.  Or, if enough of you are interested, I can recap that entire adventure.  Please everyone, let me know your opinion...hmmm...btw, does anyone know how I can pose this question in the form of a poll?



I could live well with a short recap of the LofIF, for instance, Rusty tells a short summary to the St. Cuthbert Lady, after having been absent for a few days/weeks... 

Skip it, it will help the story along!


----------



## beer_motor

I won't be broken up if you skip the LotIF bit.  Also, I will be gone again this weekend, but I should be there at the next session.

And I heard about the death bit ...


----------



## JollyDoc

beer_motor said:
			
		

> I won't be broken up if you skip the LotIF bit.  Also, I will be gone again this weekend, but I should be there at the next session.
> 
> And I heard about the death bit ...




Count your lucky stars, little Red Wizard man!  Next time, it could be you!! Mwaaahahahahah!


----------



## war wizard

*Lord of the Iron Fortress*

Some detail about the  LotIF would be welcome, but I'm a little biased that was when I was able to start playing with the group again. Perhaps one post of average length to cover the whole of the adventure.


As to our comrades that fell, they died, as heroes should.


----------



## beer_motor

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Count your lucky stars, little Red Wizard man!  Next time, it could be you!! Mwaaahahahahah!






Hmmf.  Is there a way I can research a spell to permanently turn myself into a mindflayer?  Bah, I am EEEEENVEEEEEEEENCEEEBEEELL!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

war wizard said:
			
		

> As to our comrades that fell, they died, as heroes should.



Don't tell me it's Rusty! I'd hate to loose that old dwarf!!!


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Don't tell me it's Rusty! I'd hate to loose that old dwarf!!!




Now, now...no spoilers.  But if anyone reallllllly wants to know...just let me know over in NPC's only.


----------



## R-Hero

Joachim said:
			
		

> The only real major shake-up in LotIF was the addition of Houshang.





AHEM!!!  

Let us not forget the adopted Daywalker that [_Spoiler Deleted_] at the very end.

There has to be something written on the Lords of the Iron Fortress, even if its just a shorthand account.


----------



## war wizard

But for the adopted Daywalker, the end result of the final encounter may have been very different.


----------



## JollyDoc

R-Hero said:
			
		

> AHEM!!!
> 
> Let us not forget the adopted Daywalker that [_Spoiler Deleted_] at the very end.
> 
> There has to be something written on the Lords of the Iron Fortress, even if its just a shorthand account.





Yeah, yeah, yeah...I think I will post it as a synopsis, as suggested.  Probably have Rusty telling his wild story of planar travel to Jenya over a beer.


----------



## JollyDoc

INTO OBLIVION

As the rest of the band hurried down stairs into the foyer, Kiko dashed quickly through the archway across the balcony and up a short flight of stairs to the third story.  He did not believe Lord Vhalantru would be there, especially not now with the house slowly going up in flames, but he didn’t want to provide the noble an easy escape by being careless.  A brief room-to-room search revealed only richly appointed guest rooms and no sign of anyone inhabiting them.  The guards must have been posted in the hallway to prevent break-ins by enterprising burglars.  The monk rushed back downstairs, expecting his companions to have dispersed to search the rest of the house.  Instead, he found them still gathered in the foyer, apparently engrossed in examining several statues there.  “What are you doing!?” he shouted.  “Have you lost your minds?  We don’t have time to admire the sculpture!”
“Easy lad,” Rusty said.  “Take a closer look.  These ain’t just ordinary artwork.”  
Kiko shook his head in exasperation, but nevertheless stepped up to the nearest statue.  It appeared to be a depiction of a male dwarven warrior wearing plate armor and carrying a greatsword.  At first, Kiko noticed nothing unusual about it, but suddenly he realized that the craftsmanship was extraordinary.  Though no art critic by any means, even his untrained eye could see the almost life-like quality of the detail.  It was disturbing in its authenticity.  Furthermore, the statue did not rest upon a pedestal, but instead was freestanding.  The other three sculptures were equally impressive.  One was a female halfling crouched with a staff in one hand and a short sword in the other.  Another was an unarmed and unarmored human male poised in what Kiko immediately recognized as the joom-bi ready stance of his own unique fighting style.  The last statue was of a male gnome holding a morning star and clutching a small shield.  The symbol of the gnome god Garl Glittergold hung around his neck.  “What are these?”  the monk asked quietly, momentarily heedless of the flames crackling behind him.
“I’m not sure,” Rusty answered, “but I can tell ye this ain’t like any stonework I’ve ever seen.  T’ain’t natural.”
“You’re correct, my lord,” Gunther said.  “It is not natural at all.  In fact, I would venture to say it’s magical.  Though I can’t be sure, I think these were once living, breathing people, and now they’ve been petrified.”
“Petrified?” Grimm asked.  “What do you mean?  They were turned to stone?  By whom?”
“That’s the question o’ the day lad,” Rusty answered.  “By whom…or by what?”
______________________________________________________

Towards the front door, in the main entry, they came across four more of the strange statues:  a female elf dressed in robes; a male elf clad in forest garb and carrying a long bow; a female elf in armor and carrying a shield emblazoned with the crest of Corellon Larethian, chief among the elvish gods; and a second male elf wearing a cowl and carrying a vine-like whip.  It seemed that Vhalantru was quite the collector of rare art.  It also seemed to the group that their situation was even more dangerous than they had expected.

Beyond the foyer they found a large parlor, an opulent dining room, and the kitchens.  All were free of inhabitants, and seemed to have no other exits, save for the latter room, which had a small wine storage area off the far side.  It was Tilly who found what they were looking for.  He was searching among the casks and wine racks, hoping to find evidence of a cellar entrance, when his hand simply passed through one of the walls.  The little rogue shrieked in fear for a moment, thinking he had triggered some sort of trap and had lost a hand because of it.  Then, realizing he wasn’t feeling any pain, he slowly drew his hand out of the wall, finding it intact and unharmed.  An illusion then, he concluded.  “Look here,” he shouted to the others, and then as they all stared in wonder, he simply stepped through the false barrier.  One by one, the Bright Axes followed, finding themselves in a circular room containing six more of the life-like statues.  There was a male halfling with a quizzical expression etched onto his face; a female elf aiming a wand; a female human drinking a potion; a cheetah; a male human with his long sword and short sword crossed in a blocking maneuver; and last, a bear.  The six figures were arrayed in a circle around a ten-foot wide shaft in the middle of the floor.  It seemed to plunge straight down, and even with the keen eyes of some of the party members, no bottom could be seen.

“It would seem that we’ve found our rat’s bolt hole,” Kiko remarked dryly as he gazed into the black depths of the shaft.  “I would say that our path has been chosen for us.  I’ll go first.  The rest of you follow as you may, but please…don’t take too long.”  With that, the monk stepped off the edge of the opening, free-falling into the darkness and disappearing from sight.  Reckless as the act seemed, it was actually completely premeditated.  As Kiko dropped, he kept his body within inches of the wall of the shaft.  Every second or so, he would reach out and lightly touch the wall with his fingertips, or his feet.  Gradually, this continued friction began slowing his descent.  When he finally fell from the bottom of the shaft, it was at a speed no more than if he had jumped down a distance of ten feet.  Landing lightly, he found himself in a thirty-foot high, forty-foot diameter cylindrical chamber.  Carved into the rough walls at various heights were twenty-one shallow alcoves, each holding an ancient statue.  A twelve-foot high opening in the north wall led into darkness.  Unfortunately, Kiko also found he was not alone.  Three half-orcs stood before the archway, and as one they turned towards him.  The chamber was pitch black, and only the soft blue light from the monk’s kama revealed the features of the guards.  As they lurched into its shallow radius, Kiko saw that they weren’t quite…whole.  Their faces seemed partially eaten away, and bone and sinew showed through their skin in various places.  They bore no weapons, reaching for him with ragged claws and bared teeth.  “Now would be good!” he shouted towards the blackness far above him.


At that very moment, his companions were already on their way.  Dalthon and Gunther had pooled their magical resources to imbue the power of flight on themselves, Grimm, Rusty and Tilly.  It was Rusty who arrived first at the bottom of the shaft, just as the zombies had completely encircled Kiko.  “Bah!” the priest scoffed, seeing the anxious look on the monk’s face.  “Is this all yer hollerin’ about?  Stand back laddy and watch the Lady’s power at work.”  Rusty then drew his amulet bearing Mystra’s symbol from beneath his breastplate.  Holding it aloft, he shouted:  “Return to your graves, worm food!  By the power of the Weave I command it!”  One by one the zombies shielded their eyes, moaning in agony as the holy light poured over them.  Their desiccated bodies began to collapse inward, turning to dust.  However, just as each one imploded completely, a brilliant flash of red light erupted from them.  Standing in their places were now three frog-like humanoids, with sickly yellow skin covered in black ichor.  “That wasn’t supposed to happen,” Rusty muttered, lowering his holy symbol and backing towards Kiko.  One of the creatures waved its clawed hand in a large arc, and a shimmering portal appeared in mid-air.  From this doorway, four more of the monsters appeared, hemming in the priest and the monk.

Just then, Gunther and Dalthon flew into the chamber and observed what had transpired.  “Demodands,” Gunther shouted to the sorcerer.  “Outsiders native to Carceri!  This could be trouble!”  
“Do you think?” Dalthon replied sarcastically.  “Don’t just hover their gawking, do something!”  With that, the sorcerer soared along the ceiling, then focusing on three of the demons, he hurled a ball of roaring flames towards them.  It exploded with a terrific blast, flinging the outsiders in all directions, and buying Kiko and Rusty precious time.  Apparently inspired, Gunther repeated the feat from the far side of the room, causing minor damage to the other four demodands, but also managing to divert their attention momentarily.  Rusty didn’t waste the opportunity.  Calling on one of his most powerful miracles, he conjured a blistering blast of diamond-like shards of pure solidified holy energy.  The spray ripped through the flesh of the demodands, but passed harmlessly thru Kiko.  The creatures howled in agony, and one of the ones that had stepped through the portal suddenly winked out of existence.

It was at that point that Grimm and Tilly arrived.  The rogue had rendered himself invisible on the way down, and he now flew down behind one of the ravening demons, slicing at it repeatedly and taking it completely by surprise.  Grimm landed like a sledgehammer right in the middle of the horde.  With pure instinct, Kiko leaped to the half-ogre’s side, standing back to back with his brother-in-arms.  The demodands surged forward, slashing and ripping at the two warriors, but it only took a well-placed strike from Grimm’s chain, and a barrage of kicks and blows from Kiko to fell two more of them and cause the rest to retreat several cautious steps.  Though the faces of the outsiders appeared feral and stupid, their piggish eyes betrayed a cunning intelligence underneath.  As one, the four demodands began gesturing and swaying.  Before Kiko and Grimm knew what was happening, four waves of magical energy washed over them, and each could feel several of the defensive enchantments placed upon them suddenly cease to exist.  “I think we might have underestimated them,” Kiko whispered over his shoulder to his friend.  “Nah!” the half-ogre laughed, “This just makes it more interesting.”  With a simultaneous war cry, the pair leaped forward, carrying the fight to the demodands, overwhelming the monsters with their sheer ferocity.  Behind them, Rusty summoned Mystra’s might again, in the form of a single word of Holy power.  The blast of energy further weakened the already beleaguered creatures, and though they fought like demons-possessed, the battle was ended quickly, and decisively.
______________________________________________

“Natives of Carceri, ye say?” Rusty asked Gunther.
“Why yes!” the theurge replied cheerfully, excited that his liege was interested in the information he had to offer.  “There are actually three known species of them:  the farastu, which we just encountered, the kelubar, and…”
“Yeah, yeah,” Rusty waved his hand dismissively and Gunther’s face fell.  “I just think it’s awfully interestin’ that a bunch o’demons from the plane the Cagewrights are tryin’ to open a portal too are runnin’ around underneath the good Lord Vhalantru’s house!”
“Quite a coincidence, I would agree,” Dalthon said thoughtfully from across the room where he had been investigating the arched exit there.  The dark opening gave onto a second shaft, descending even further below ground, this one apparently every bit as deep and dark as the first.  “I suppose the rest of our answers will be found down there.  While our ability to fly still lasts, I suggest we press on and have Vhalantru answer them personally.”

Cautiously, and as quietly as they could, the party descended the second shaft, this time with Kiko riding piggyback on Grimm so as not to stumble into another ambush alone.  After about one-hundred feet or so (by Rusty’s best estimate), they came upon a large and intricate circular door measuring nine feet across that seemed to seal off some sort of side passage leading from the main shaft.  The portal was made of interlocking parts composed primarily of darkwood, bone, iron and adamantine.  Its face had been worked into the likeness of a stylized beholder with ten eyestalks.  Set into each eyestalk was a different colored gemstone, and set into the large central eye was a transparent crystal the size of a human fist.  The thick, stone door frame surrounding the portal was shaped like a ring and carved with eight strange glyphs.  “Do ye ken it?” Rusty asked Gunther as they hovered before the door.  “Yes,” the smaller dwarf nodded, seeing that the glyphs were letters of the Undercommon alphabet.  “It spells OBLIVION.”  “Sounds like a nice little vacation spot,” Rusty snorted.  “I vote we leave it be fer now.  Don’t see no way past it anyhow.”  The others couldn’t argue, and so they continued their descent.
__________________________________________

The bottom of the shaft was unremarkable, save for two archways leading from it east and west.  To the west was a short hall blocked at the far end by another of the large, circular doors, identical to the one they had just passed.  To the east lay a second, larger circular chamber, empty except for a scattering of old, gnawed bones, dried droppings from some large animal, and tattered bits of leather.  On the north side of this room was a third OBLIVION door.  “It would seem we have no choice now,” Grimm remarked to no one in particular.  Tilly sighed, then cracked his knuckles.  “Let me have a look at it first.  Living in that old locksmith’s shop has given me sort of a knack for this kind of thing.”  The little rogue stood squarely in front of the large portal, examining it thoroughly with his eyes first, and then running his hands across its surface.  Finally, he nodded in satisfaction.  “It’s trapped alright,” he announced, “but I think I can disarm it.  Just the same, the rest of you might want to stand back.”  Not needing to be told a second time, his companions all moved a respectful distance away from the great door.  Tilly began touching each of the ten gemstones in sequence, then the central eye.  He quickly stood back afterwards, eyeing the door expectantly.  Suddenly, five of the gems flared brilliantly, and then five beams of scorching light arced from them, slamming into the halfling and smashing him to the floor.  “Tilly!” Grimm shouted, rushing towards him.  “I’m…okay,” the rogue stammered, though the smoke rising from his clothes and his hair seemed to contradict that statement.  “I…almost had it.  Maybe one more try…”  “Ferget it!” Rusty shouted.  “Last thing we need is fer you to get yerself kilt.  Lemme try somethin’ first, and then ye’ll get a second chance.  Stand back, all o’ye!”  Obediently the others retreated again.  Rusty began a prayer, moving his hands in large circles.  When he had finished, he put his hands on his hips and said, “Now yer clear.”  Tilly wasn’t exactly sure what the priest meant.  He could see no effect from Rusty’s spellcasting, and as far as he could tell, the trap was still active.  “Umm…are you sure?” he asked.  “Of course I’m sure!” Rusty barked.  “I got me a null-magic field around me.  It’ll keep those beams from fryin’ yer tail while ye disarm the trap.”  Tilly nodded in dawning comprehension, and then went to work.  In a matter of minutes, he was satisfied that the deadly trap was indeed disarmed, but unfortunately, the locking mechanism on the door was still to intricate for him to bypass.  Once again, Rusty had the solution.

Gathering the group into two circles, Gunther and Dalthon both called on their transdimensional magic and willed themselves and their charges to the other side of the portal.  On the far side, they found yet another circular room, this one twenty-feet high, with brick covering the walls, floor and ceiling.  Some of the bricks in the north wall had been neatly removed, creating rows of cubbyholes and giving it a slightly pockmarked look.  Many of the cubbyholes appeared to hold bits of treasure.  One piece in particular caught Kiko’s eye.  It was an exquisitely crafted kama, glowing softly and with its blade coated in a thin rime of frost.  The monk reached for it, testing its heft and balance.  Suddenly, a loud grinding noise sounded from behind him and he whirled on his heel.  The very floor of the chamber seemed to be shifting and churning, reshaping itself into two large, animated stone statues…golems!  The rest of the group was caught equally by surprise, and for Gunther, it was a fatal error.  The theurge had just turned to look at the golems, when a massive, hammer-like fist fell upon him, crushing him to the ground where he lay unmoving, his body twisted at an unnatural angle.  “Gunther!  No!” Rusty cried, dashing towards his cohort.  The second golem prepared to send him to join his friend, but it was then that Grimm, Tilly and Kiko sprang into action.  Throwing themselves between the golems and the dwarves, they managed to divert the attention of the behemoths, giving Rusty one desperate chance to capture Gunther’s spirit before it departed the prime material plane forever.  Summoning a powerful spell from Mystra, the priest invoked a revivification upon his friend, seizing his spirit just as it left his body, and jolting him back to life.  The theurge gasped, opened his eyes and blinked uncontrollably.  Rusty scooped him up and dashed for cover on the far side of the room.

Meanwhile, Grimm, Tilly and Kiko were dealing decisively with the golems.  Though the constructs were enormously strong, they were also slow and it didn’t take long for the three well-trained friends to outmaneuver them and smash them to so much harmless rubble.  
Rusty tended Gunther’s remaining wounds, all the while admonishing the younger dwarf to stay out of harm’s way, even though the theurge had not voluntarily put himself there in the first place.  The chamber itself seemed to be a dead-end.  The treasure was abundant, and apparently for the taking once the guardians had been neutralized, but there was no other way out.  Once more, Dalthon and Gunther transported the group to the other side of the door, and then they regrouped before the western portal.  “Let’s do it,” Rusty said, and linking hands one final time, Dalthon, Rusty and Grimm dimension doored, followed immediately by Kiko, Tilly and Gunther.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Yes, taking a cohort can be risky, given the level difference. They're often quite useful, but die easily... 

Did the door have a combination lock after all?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Now, now...no spoilers.  But if anyone reallllllly wants to know...just let me know over in NPC's only.



 Thanks, JD, but I for one would rather find out the old fashioned way.


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Yes, taking a cohort can be risky, given the level difference. They're often quite useful, but die easily...
> 
> Did the door have a combination lock after all?




Stay tuned!  The Bright Axes certainly haven't seen the last of the OBLIVION doors, and constantly d.dooring around them will become taxing after awhile.


----------



## Funeris

Just read the entire thread...awesome SH JD and gang.  Keep it up.


----------



## JollyDoc

Funeris said:
			
		

> Just read the entire thread...awesome SH JD and gang.  Keep it up.




Thanks Funeris!  Always love to hear input from new readers!  Hope you enjoy the exciting conclusion to our tale as well.


----------



## Joachim

*Holy...Crap*

This is too freaking funny (or disturbing, I don't know which).  Check out Brian's long lost twin in his Halloween costume...little bit too form-fitting for my tastes.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Thanks Funeris!  Always love to hear input from new readers!  Hope you enjoy the exciting conclusion to our tale as well.



You mean 
1. you hope he'll stick around 'till the end,
2. you had a TPK this weekend and won't finish the campaign or
3. you finished the campaign.


?!?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> You mean
> 1. you hope he'll stick around 'till the end,
> 2. you had a TPK this weekend and won't finish the campaign or
> 3. you finished the campaign.
> 
> 
> ?!?





Meaning, I hope he'll stick around till the end, which, in real game time, not post time, is not all that far away since the group started Strike on Shatterhorn last night.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Meaning, I hope he'll stick around till the end, which, in real game time, not post time, is not all that far away since the group started Strike on Shatterhorn last night.



 Cool, - must - read - latest - dungeons...


----------



## R-Hero

*Ikon Leveled with XP enough for another level*



			
				R-Hero said:
			
		

> Neutral Good   Male Goliath   Fighter 10/Goliath Liberator 4                      (Level 13/CR 14)                HD 14d10+112                                                Medium/Monstrous Humanoid     7’7” 303 lb                         Hit Points 184
> AC: 29 (Flatfooted: 27 Touch: 15, ) +2 vs. Reach/Thrown Weapons
> Init +2;  Base Speed 30ft
> +21/16/11 attack melee, +16/11/6 ranged;
> 
> SV Fort +24, Ref +13, Will +11
> STR 24 +7        DEX 14 +2        CON 26 +8                                           INT 12 +1        WIS 10 +0         CHA 10 +0
> 
> +23 / +18 / +13   (2d6+1d6+10, +1 Silver Alchemical Trident of Shock, Critical 20 x2  {10 ft reach})
> +26 /+21 / +16   (3d6+2d6+15, +3 Holy Adamantine Goliath Greathammer, Critical 19-20x4) +2 to Sunder Attk
> 
> *Skills *
> Climb +15  Hide +6    Intimidate +14     Jump +20    Listen +4                 Move Silent +6     Spot +4,       Sense Motive +2   Use Rope +3
> 
> *Goliath Liberator Class Features*
> *Favored Enemy* +2 for Listen, Bluff, Sense motive, Survival and Damage vs Giants
> *Avoid Thrown Weapons* +2 Dodge to AC vs thrown weapons
> *Equal Footing* = Improved Trip with +4 to Str vs Large or Larger opponents
> *Avoid Reach* +2 Ac dodge vs melee attacks not adjacent to Goliath
> 
> *Fighter Class Features*
> Weapon and Armor proficiencies, Bonus feats and Weapon Specialization
> 
> *Feats: 6 Fighter/5 General*
> 
> Armor, Shield & Simple Weapon Proficiency
> Bull-Headed, Lightning Reflexes,
> Power Attack, Track,
> Weapon Focus: Trident & Greathammer
> Weapon Specialization: Greathammer
> Greater Weapon Focus: Greathammer
> Improved Critical: Greathammer
> Exotic Weapon Proficiency, G.G. Hammer
> Blind Fight
> 
> Weapons +1 Trident: Shock, Silver Alchemical
> +3 Greathammer, Holy Adamantine
> 
> Armor: +5 Chainmail: Fortification, Light (25%)
> Shield: +2 Heavy Steel Shield, Animated
> 
> Wondrous: Amulet of Health+4  Belt of Giant Strength+4  Cloak of Resistance+5, Ring of Protection +2, Boots of Striding and Springing, Ioun Stone, Dusty Rose +1 AC, Gloves of Dexterity +2
> 
> Goods: Backpack; Bedroll; Winter Blanket,; Fishing net, 25 sq. ft.; Flint and steel; Grappling hook; Piton x2  Rope, silk (50 ft.) Waterskin; Common Lamp; Oil (pint x2)  Ale, gallon x2 (2 sp); Rations, trail (per day x2) Iron Pot
> Weight carried 181lbs     Carrying Capacity  Light 0-266lbs
> Medium 267-533         Heavy 534-800
> 
> *Goliath Racial Traits *
> +4 strength, -2 dexterity, +2 constitution, Base Speed 30
> +2 Sense Motive Checks (Reads body language) +5 to Climb Checks, Level Adjustment +1
> *Powerful Build*
> Able to use Large Description if its is advantageous to him (i.e. Large Weapons Use w/no penalty, Grapple, etc.)
> *Mountain Movement *
> Can make standing long or high jumps as if he were running
> Can engage in Accelerated climbing (1/2 speed=move action) without the –5 penalty
> *Acclimated*
> They do not take penalties for high altitude for Mountain Travel pg 90 D.M.G.




Minimum damage (one hit, no Power attack, no holy) 18 hps
Max Power Attack 15x2 (2-handed) 30 hp x 3 attacks = 90hps
Attack bonus 15 x 3 attacks per round = 45hps
Greathammer+Holy damage = 5d6 x 3 attacks 30 x 3 = 90 hps
90+45+90= 325
Now throw in critical x4 = 1305 hps 

A damage range of 18 to 1305 in one round. (22 to 1317 vs Giants) 
I believe this reflects the randomness of the game. Ike can wound an orc or put the Tarrasque on its butt. (Very unlikely!! )

Ike Leveled Sunday to 10th Fighter/ 4th level Goliath Liberator and picked up blind fight feat.  He has more than enough XPs to level again.  The above numbers reflect a 10th fighter/ 5th Goliath Liberator.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

How do you handle levelling in this situation? Do you have to go through formal training or wait another session before you can level again? 

BTW, how 'bout an update?


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> How do you handle levelling in this situation? Do you have to go through formal training or wait another session before you can level again?
> 
> BTW, how 'bout an update?




We usually level when we rest that is when he hands out experience points.


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> How do you handle levelling in this situation? Do you have to go through formal training or wait another session before you can level again?
> 
> BTW, how 'bout an update?





Experience is handed out whenever the group rests for the night.  We don't go into detail about formal training.  It's assumed.  

As for update, it is in progress as we speak.  I would like to say it will be up by this weekend, but I'm not sure, what with holiday hecticness going on.  What holiday you say?  Well, for those of our readers in faraway lands, it's Thanksgiving time here in the states in less than a week.  Happy Turkey to all!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Experience is handed out whenever the group rests for the night.  We don't go into detail about formal training.  It's assumed.
> 
> As for update, it is in progress as we speak.  I would like to say it will be up by this weekend, but I'm not sure, what with holiday hecticness going on.  What holiday you say?  Well, for those of our readers in faraway lands, it's Thanksgiving time here in the states in less than a week.  Happy Turkey to all!




Whenever you're ready...enjoy the holiday! 





			
				Phoebe Buffet said:
			
		

> Happy needless-turkey-murder-day to you too!


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Whenever you're ready...enjoy the holiday!





Thanks, although I'm not a turkey eater.  Is eating pigs considered murder?  I'm a ham fiend!

I'm almost done with the update.  I should have it up in the next couple of days.


----------



## JollyDoc

The Lord of Oblivion

As their heads slowly cleared from the disorientation of interdimensional travel, the first thing that Dalthon, Rusty and Grimm became aware of was a terrible howling that filled the air.  Their vision blurred into focus, and they saw that they were in a large, mostly empty chamber that smelled strongly of animal musk.  Three more OBLIVION doors led from the chamber, while a pair of mundane double doors stood closed on the far side.  Closer to hand stood the source of the unearthly howling…three huge wolfish-looking canines with glowing red eyes.  They wore thick, black leather collars studded with diamonds and rubies, and smoke rolled from their mouths each time they expelled their fetid breath.  

Just then, two events occurred simultaneously.  First, Kiko, Tilly and Gunther made their appearance in a brilliant flash of eldritch light.  Second, the double doors on the far side of the room swung open.  From them emerged a tall woman with hair like flames.  Her body was covered with a layer of rust-colored fur and her eyes smoldered.  She was clad in a mithral breastplate with metal gauntlets, and a large shield floated beside her in mid-air, moving as she moved.  A pink, rhomboid-shaped stone orbited her head lackadaisically, and a red, lacquered armband adorned her upper left arm.  She carried a greatsword before her, and as she casually swung it through the air, flames played across one edge, while ice crystals formed on the other.  Standing behind her was a man, also with flaming red hair, and the same fine layer of downy fur, though his face appeared more lupine than human.  He was clad in a chain shirt, and bore the same sort of armband as the woman.  A long, sturdy bow was slung across his back, and in his hands he gripped a wickedly sharp greataxe.  “Welcome, Flameless Ones,” the male said in a voice that   sounded like gravel.  “Have you come to pay tribute to Ti’irok Coalfire?  If so, the tribute will be ten-thousand gold coins…each!”
____________________________________________

From her chambers beyond the northern-most OBLIVION door, Lady Thifirane Rhiavadi could hear Khetru and Aszithef challenging the Bright Axes.  She had warned the haraknin that the intruders would follow her here.  It was only a matter of time before they deduced Vhalantru’s involvement in the Cagewrights’ plans.  She had also told the shapechangers to stall them and buy her some time, so that she might prepare a proper welcome for the meddlers.  Now, with her magical defenses fully in place, she was ready to make her move.  She silently commanded her shield guardian to stay put and kill anyone who entered the room.  Then she began casting, instantly transporting herself inside the haraknins’ quarters, where she waited for the final battle to begin.
___________________________________________

“Ten-thousand, you say?” Rusty replied, scratching his beard thoughtfully.  “Well, this Tickle-butt Old-fart must be quite the muckety-muck to demand such tribute.  Can’t say as I’ve heard of him though.  Tell you what, we’ll give ya ten gold each and call it square.  What do ya say?”  
Khetru’s eyes blazed in anger.  “You dare!” he growled, “I don’t care what the human woman said, Aszithef, these hairless apes must pay for their insolence!”  With that, the shapechanger hefted his axe and charged forward.  Behind him, the one called Aszithef began swinging her greatsword to and froe, sending alternating patterns of frost and fire dancing along its length.  “Khetru can be hot-blooded,” she said in a tone of mock apology, “but his anger is easily sated once he has tasted blood.”  Then she too lunged to the attack.

Grimm prepared himself for the onslaught, fully intending to stop the were-creatures dead in their tracks with a well-placed snap of his chain.  However, just as he was preparing to strike, his sharp ears picked up the distinct sound of chanting coming from behind the doors the haraknin had entered through.  Spell casting!  “Kiko, Tilly, Rusty!” he shouted.  “Hold them off!  We’ve got more trouble coming!”  He quickly dodged to the side of the oncoming warriors, and then threw his full body weight against the doors.  They buckled under the blow.  Sconces shaped like stony fists protruded from the walls of the room beyond, each one grasping a brightly burning torch.  Standing against the far wall was none other than Thifirane Rhiavadi.  “I’ve been expecting you,” she said with a smile as Grimm stumbled into the chamber.  The smile turned into a grimace of pure hatred as her spell reached completion, and Grimm found himself encased in a box-like cage of pure force.

Caught off guard by Grimm’s sudden feint, Kiko was a fraction of a second too late to avoid Aszithef’s first strike.  The huge blade she bore scoured a deep furrow along the monk’s left arm, searing the flesh simultaneously with bone-numbing cold and scorching heat.  With a monstrous force of will, Kiko pushed past the horrific pain, and quickly stepped inside the arc of the sword, making it difficult for the haraknin to bring it to bear a second time.  Instead, she raised the weapon straight over her head, preparing to bring the pommel down on Kiko’s skull, but at the last moment, the monk grabbed both of her wrists, pitting his strength against hers in an effort to wrest the blade from her grasp.  

Khetru ignored Aszithef’s struggle, feeling confident that his superior could handle one unarmed human.  Instead, he bore down on the heavily armored dwarf.  Ducking his shoulder, he barreled into the stout priest, hoping to bowl him off his feet, but he underestimated the stability of Rusty’s race.  The Mystran planted one foot a half step firmly behind him, and braced himself.  Khetru rebounded back and while he was momentarily off balance, Rusty swung his hammer, catching the haraknin square in the gut.  Khetru doubled over, his breath driven from his lungs.

Thifirane chuckled evilly as she watched Grimm feel his way around the bounds of his prison, searching in vain for some means of escape.  “You should never have followed me here,” she said.  “You and your friends don’t know what you’re meddling with, but you are about to learn the error of your ways.  Now, let me see…I think I would like you better as a rat.”  She began moving her hands in a complex pattern, the words of a spell coming to her lips once again.  Grimm watched her carefully, waiting for just the right moment.  Just as she completed the final gesture, the half-ogre spoke a brief command word, and the wrapped his cloak about him, vanishing into thin air, only to reappear right beside Thifirane.   The sorceress’ eyes bulged in disbelief, but she had not survived for so long by letting the unexpected distract her.  Instantly, she began a new spell, and a thin beam of green light arced from her index finger to Grimm’s chest.  The big warrior cried out in anguish as his body was wracked with burning waves of agony.  For a brief moment, he saw pieces of the flesh on his arms actually seem to disintegrate from the bone before solidifying once more.  The attack passed as quickly as it came, and Grimm knew that he had only barely managed to escape with his life.

With a final grunt of effort, Kiko twisted his arms beneath Aszithef’s, ripping the sword from her and hurling it over his shoulder to land several feet away.  As the haraknin’s weight carried her forward, the monk drew in his knee to his chest, and then planted his foot squarely into her chest, sending her crashing to the floor.  As she tried to rise, the heel of his palm caught her under the chin, rocking her head back to smash against the flagstones again, and leaving her briefly stunned.  Though Kiko hated senseless violence, he also understood the need to end a threat quickly and decisively.   While Aszithef lay dazed, the monk placed a hand on either side of her head, and with a quick twist, ended her threat.

Khetru regained his balance in time to parry Rusty’s next swing and counter with one of his own.  The priest narrowly avoided having his head parted from his body as the shapeshifter’s axe came within a hair’s breadth of his windpipe.  As it was, his own weapon was carried wide, away from his body, leaving him completely open to the next incoming attack, but just as Khetru was about to press his advantage, a barrage of glowing bursts struck him about the head, sending him reeling backwards.  Ever the opportunist, Tilly was waiting.  As the haraknin stumbled, the little rogue buried one blade in his abdomen, and the other in his heart.  Tilly quickly whirled about, looking for the three huge hellhounds that Gunther and Dalthon had been fending off, only to find a trio of smoking carcasses.  

“You are a resourceful rat, I’ll grant you that,” Thifirane panted, spitting the words at Grimm as he still struggled to recover his wits, “but you are still a rat, nonetheless, and so now I will make your form match your character.”  One final time, she began her incantation, but Grimm was determined she would never complete it.  Though still weak, it didn’t take much strength for the half-ogre, at such close range, to wrap his chain once around Thifirane’s body and then pull it taught, snapping her spine.  The Cagewright crumpled to the floor, her part in the saga finished.
______________________________________________

A quick inspection of the room where Thifirane had made her last stand revealed no other exits.  The only means of egress from the haraknins’ suite was either back thru the OBLIVION door that had bypassed, or thru one of the other three leading off the kennel.  

“Gunther and I can probably get us past one more portal,” Dalthon offered, “but there is no way we have the resources to take us past all three, and then back again should the need arise.  We have to find a better alternative.”
“Fine,” Grimm said decisively, “I have one.  Rusty, you stand by.  I have a feeling I may need you.”  With that, the half-ogre uncurled his chain and approached the nearest sealed portal.  Before any of his comrades could protest or intervene, he began smashing at the door repeatedly, knocking great chunks of metal from its face with each blow.  Also with each blow, the embedded gemstones in the barrier unleashed a volley of multi-colored beams of light.  As they struck the planar champion’s body, passing thru his armor as if it were made of paper, he grimaced in agony, yet did not relent in his assault.  After three massive strikes from the spiked chain, the OBLIVION door shattered.  Grimm collapsed to one knee, blood pouring from numerous burns.  Rusty rushed to his side, calling on several of his powerful healing prayers to mend the half-ogre’s wounds.

The area beyond the destroyed portal appeared to be Thifirane’s private chambers.  A wooden floor had been placed across the room to flatten out the normally hemispherical surface.  Several pieces of fine furnishing were arrayed, as well as numerous trunks overflowing with outlandish clothing.  Standing inert on the far side of the area was the sorceress’ shield guardian.  Grimm instantly dropped into a defensive stance, ready for the construct’s inevitable charge, but the hulking behemoth remained quiescent.  Stepping into the room behind the half-ogre, Rusty eyed the guardian for a moment and then nodded knowingly.  “I think we may have just stumbled upon a little bonus courtesy of Lady Rhiavadi.  Gunther!” he called.  “Bring me that amulet we retrieved from her corpse!”  Obediently, the theurge complied, and no sooner had Rusty placed the amulet around his neck, than the shield guardian lurched into motion, sketching a deep, clumsy bow before its new master.  “Ahhh!” Rusty laughed, “I think I shall call you…Sherman!”
_____________________________________________

Grimm repeated his door-opening trick on the second OBLIVION door leading from the kennel, with Rusty once again healing his injuries.  Beyond this portal, they found themselves at the bottom of another shaft, which rose into darkness far above them.  At the far side of the shaft was another OBLIVION door.  Kiko spoke a brief word of command, and from his boots sprouted a pair of tiny wings, lifting him easily into the air.  The monk flew a short distance up the shaft, intending to scout ahead of his companions.  After about one hundred feet, he found, as he had expected, a side-shaft, blocked, of course, by an OBLIVION door.  Quickly, he descended back to his friends.  

“There has to be an easier way around these portals,” Dalthon sighed.  “We can’t just keep smashing thru them.  We don’t know how many there are, and Rusty doesn’t have enough magical energy to keep Grimm alive.  The rest of you stand down for a few minutes.  Give Gunther and I a chance to study this on our own.”
_________________________________________________

“What does the lay-out of this place put you in mind of?” Dalthon asked Gunther as they stood contemplating the portal.
“Well, it’s not hard to imagine that it was not created with biaxial creatures in mind,” the dwarf replied.  More like spherical ones, I’d say.”
“And what sort of spherical creatures are you familiar with?” Dalthon asked with a smile quirked on his lips.
“Surely you jest!” Gunther laughed.  “Why, beholders!  What else?”
“I just wanted to make sure you had reached the same conclusion,” the sorcerer said.  “Now, observe this door.  It is in the likeness of a beholder, including ten eyestalks.  Each eyestalk bears a separate gem, and then there is the central one to consider.  Do you recall the powers of a beholder’s stalks?”
“I do indeed,” said the dwarf.  “Are you implying that by replicating those spells, we might bypass the trap?”
“Not all of the spells,” Dalthon said thoughtfully, “One per door, I should think.  Now, to figure out which spell opens which door…”
_________________________________________________

As the final words of the _slow_ spell faded from his lips, Dalthon watched in satisfaction as the giant door made a dull grinding noise and then split into three sections.  Each section quickly retracted into part of the adjoining doorframe, leaving the passage open.  “As simple as that,” Gunther said to their duly impressed colleagues.  “Beholders may be devilishly crafty, but they are not exactly deep thinkers.  Knowing their minds is no great feat.”

The lower half of the room beyond was filled with approximately three-feet of murky, steaming water, obviously run-off from Cauldron’s central lake.  On the north wall of the room stood another OBLIVION door.  Dalthon and Gunther quickly made their way over to it and began to study the patterns inscribed there.  “Damn!” the sorcerer cursed after a moment.  “I don’t have the spell to open this one, and I’ll wager Gunther doesn’t either.  Charming monsters has never been my forte’.  I’ve always preferred the more direct approach.  
“Guess it’s back to the old-fashioned way,” Rusty said.  “But this time, I’m gonna save ya some licks Grimm.”  Muttering under his breath, the old dwarf chanted a spell that erected a hemisphere of total null-magic around him.  He felt all of his protective charms wink out, and all of his personal magical items and weapons revert to their mundane forms, but he also knew that the deadly eye beams from the door would be equally suppressed.  Standing to one side, he let Grimm go to work, and in short order, the half-ogre had the door removed.

The twenty-foot square (not hemispherical, of all things) room on the far side had a ten-foot diameter, bowl-shaped indentation carved out of the floor, ceiling, and every wall.  Floating in the exact middle of the room, just out of arm’s reach from the floor, was a single book with a red leather cover.  Undeterred, Rusty strode boldly into the center of the room.  The anti-magic field still radiated from him and as soon as he approached the book, it floated gently into his hands.  Rusty examined the writing on the cover:  Zar’ilkoth Tarteros.  “It means Carcerian Transformation.”  Gunther translated from over Rusty’s shoulder.  He took the book from his master’s hands and flipped briefly through it.  “It seems to detail a ritual of some sort, that allows a Carcerian spirit to transfer some of its power to a creature on any other plane in exchange for a brief moment of freedom before the spirit is annihilated.”
“That doesn’t sound promising…”  Rusty said, voicing the fear raised in all of them.
____________________________________________

There seemed only one way to go at this point, and that was back up.  The company returned to the shaft Kiko had scouted, and with the aid of various spells, flew en masse to the OBLIVION door that the monk had discovered.  Dalthon was quickly able to determine that a _fear_ spell was needed to bypass the portal, and Gunther ably provided the requisite magic.  The walls of the large room beyond were carved with myriad bas-reliefs depicting various Underdark creatures and terrains.  The hall also held an impressive collection of monstrous statues, arranged in a semicircle and all very lifelike.  These included:  a young black dragon, a young minotaur, a harpy, an otyugh, a rust monster, a kuo-toa and a phantom fungus.  The chamber was obviously intended to be some sort of trophy chamber.  Two more OBLIVION doors led from the chamber, one directly across from the portal the party had just come through, and one to their left.  Guessing that the far door led onto the first shaft they had descended, Dalthon suggested the left –hand portal might be their best bet.

Once again, Dalthon was able to decipher the magical script on the massive door, this time seeing that a _disintegrate_ spell would be necessary.  The sorcerer immediately prepared the incantation, while Kiko, Grimm and Tilly stood ready, preparing themselves for whatever might lie on the other side of this final barrier.  To Dalthon’s great surprise, instead of separating and opening like the previous doors, this one simply disintegrated, crumbling into a large pile of dust.  Instantly, the half-ogre, monk and rogue felt all of their magical dweomers that surrounded them vanish.  The effect was identical to the null magic field Rusty had created, only on a much larger scale.  Through the open archway could be seen a fifty-foot high, fifty-foot wide hemispherical chamber, with weird, abstract murals painted on the ceiling.  Torches in sconces brightly illuminated the room, revealing a bloated sphere with nine flailing eyestalks floating in its center.  Pale, green fluid wept from knobby, festering sores covering its body.  It hovered above a large symbol carved into the floor:  a triangle inscribed within a circle, both inlaid with gold.  At the three corners of the inscribed triangle, chained to the stone floor, were three figures wearing crude leather straitjackets fitted with black straps and iron buckles.  They appeared to be a human male, a half-orc male and a gnome female.  They were held in place by ankle and wrist manacles, their heavy chains looped around iron rings securely fastened to the floor.  Suddenly, arcs of black lightning leaped from their eyes and struck the beholder, causing its great bulk to heave and become even more distended for an instant.  The three figures then collapsed into heaps of ash on the floor, leaving behind nothing but charred straightjackets and burn buckles.
The beholder turned to face the Bright Axes, as though just then becoming aware of them.  Pressed up against the convex pane of its enormous central eye could be seen the horribly fat visage of some demonic creature with a wide mouth full of sharp, triangular teeth.  At the moment, the beholder’s own mouth spread wide and slime poured from its gums and onto the stone floor.

“I suppose this moment was inevitable from the first moment you creatures decided to meddle in the affairs of my city,” Vhalantru said in a harsh, otherworldly voice.  “You will never know the time and effort I have invested over the years to usurp ultimate power over Cauldron and remake it in my image.  It was my hand guiding Kazmojen and his slave traders.  My will that prompted your descent into the Underdark to retrieve Zenith Splintershield.  My power that brought the half-orc mercenaries into the city and instigated the riots, and yes, my genius in allying myself with the Cagewrights so that Cauldron could become the gateway to Hell on Faerun.  I have also guided your careers.  I have eliminated other adventuring groups who might have been competition for you.  I have placed certain bits of information in your path to lead you in directions of my choosing.  Yes, you have indeed played your roles well, but now, I’m afraid, you have outlived your usefulness to me, and like any other played out tool, I will now dispose of you.”
With that, the demonic beholder once again opened its gaping maw and spat out a wad of steaming, green ichor.  The horrid substance splashed messily against Grimm’s breastplate and began to sputter and hiss, pitting and gouging the now non-magical metal.  Grimm looked down at the foul excrement, and then raised his narrowed eyes to the beholder once more.  “Well,” he grumbled, “since my friend Kiko and I didn’t join this merry little band until just recently, I guess you didn’t account for us in all your sordid plans.  So, here is where we throw a wrench into your schemes.  Kiko!  Fastball special!”  In an instant the monk leaped onto the half-ogre’s shoulders.  With one smooth motion, the huge warrior lifted the lithe human into the air and hurled him bodily at the levitating monstrosity.  Kiko’s arc carried him over the effect of the anti-magic field emanating from Vhalantru’s central eye, and once again the small wings on his boots began to flutter, lifting him even higher.  As the beholder quickly attempted to reorient himself to keep the flying monk in the effect of his field, Grimm charged, coming to a halt directly beneath the beast.  Too late, Vhalantru realized he’d been duped.  He quickly fired a volley of his deadliest beams at the approaching monk, while at the same time twisting his body to engulf Grimm once more in the null-magic zone.  Kiko deftly avoided each of the lethal rays and landed atop the beholder, just as Grimm struck from beneath.  Vhalantru’s body shuddered with the force of Grimm’s blow, and the creature began to careen about the room wildly.  Kiko held fast and rained strike after strike at the sensitive eyestalks, crippling them one by one.  Finally, as the beholder slammed into the far wall, the monk summoned all of his ki, and buried his fist straight thru its tough outer hide, deep into the soft brain matter beneath.  With one final convulsion, Lord Orbius Vhalantru settled to the floor of home, and closed his eye forever.


----------



## gfunk

I was playing all of the NPCs in the Thifirane encounter.  I thought I would inflict some major casualties but Rich and the gang really stuck it to me with some excellent tactics.  I felt kind of bad, until I stuck it to them in Foundation of Flame.


----------



## monboesen

Great story but.....

Once again it seems as the characters are to powerfull for the adventure ?

They have trampled all over the last couples of fights. In fact the most difficulty has been from trapped doors !

Wasn't this supposed to be some sort of climatic last fight. And all it took was two of the companions to win that fight easily. 

Hey DM, I say its time to step up the opposition or whip out the Disjunctions. I crave more close calls. Its strange because if my memory serves me they had plenty trouble in the last adventure (the one with the strange egg and dragon thingie). 

Why has this changed. Better tactics, better equipment or something else ?


----------



## R-Hero

monboesen said:
			
		

> Great story but.....
> 
> Once again it seems as the characters are to powerfull for the adventure ?
> 
> Why has this changed. Better tactics, better equipment or something else ?




I believe this has been addressed before. The good doctor takes a certain liberty when writing the S.H.  It takes away from the story re-writing every die roll.

Better tactics helped out but for the most it is in the die rolls.  J.D. recieves as good as he gives combat-wise.

As far as power, wait till Ikon Daywalker makes an apperance.


----------



## JollyDoc

monboesen said:
			
		

> Great story but.....
> 
> Once again it seems as the characters are to powerfull for the adventure ?
> 
> They have trampled all over the last couples of fights. In fact the most difficulty has been from trapped doors !
> 
> Wasn't this supposed to be some sort of climatic last fight. And all it took was two of the companions to win that fight easily.
> 
> Hey DM, I say its time to step up the opposition or whip out the Disjunctions. I crave more close calls. Its strange because if my memory serves me they had plenty trouble in the last adventure (the one with the strange egg and dragon thingie).
> 
> Why has this changed. Better tactics, better equipment or something else ?




Way back when our group first ran thru Lord's of Oblivion I posted a few teasers reports from the adventure and mentioned that this particular installment was a relative cake-walk for the group.  Yes, Vhalantru was supposed to be the BBEG at the end, but he really didn't amount to much.  He had the tarterian template, which gave him the following:  paralyzing slime (DC19 Fort save...not much of a challenge for big fighter and monk types, nor for dwarves); spell-like abilities( detect magic, clairaudience/clairvoyance, fear{again, DC 19}, invisibility, spider climb and tongues...all at will.  3/day...cloudkill, fog cloud, ray of enfeeblement, stinking cloud.  2/day...dispel magic.  1/day...charm monster); freedom of movement; see invisibility; immune to acid, mind-influence, and poison.  Other than that, he was pretty much a standard beholder.  All of the DC's on these abilities were relatively low, and he didn't have time to bring any of them to bear.  The best situation for a beholder to be in, is to have a cadre of several big bruisers who don't need magic buffs to inflict lots of damage.  Then, when the beholder cuts loose with the anti-magic cone, the meat puppets walk in a clean house.  Vhalantru was all alone and hopelessly outnumbered and outpowered.  IMO...a poorly designed climax.  

Not to worry...I assure you the Bright Axes meet up with more than their fair share of challenges in the coming adventures.  Why, in Strike on Shatterhorn alone I managed to take down Grimm, Dalthon, and Tilly in one fell swoop.  That left Rusty, Kiko, Ike and Gunther...the B team...to save the day.  It was touch and go there for awhile...a potentially campaign ending encounter.  Yes, the BA's had their day in Lords of Oblivion, but up to this point in the SH, they haven't really met the Cagewrights yet.  Stay tuned!


----------



## monboesen

On a related note. The party consist of 6? characters and a cohort. I believe they have above standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) scores.

What do you, as a DM, finds works best to adjust adjust the modules to a larger, more powerful group than its meant for. 

I'm curious as I have a sort of similar situation (though with less character optimization).


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

Nice to have a chance to catch up with all this!

I see the reputation of the group has not been lessened.  Still kickin' butt and takin' names! Huzzah!


----------



## Joachim

monboesen said:
			
		

> On a related note. The party consist of 6? characters and a cohort. I believe they have above standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) scores.
> 
> What do you, as a DM, finds works best to adjust adjust the modules to a larger, more powerful group than its meant for.
> 
> I'm curious as I have a sort of similar situation (though with less character optimization).




We do not use the standard array.  We use a 32-point buy system, and it works out pretty well.  When we do the standard 4d6-roll method, we almost always end up with substantially higher scores than with the 32 points.  The modules can be given upgrades to larger number and higher level parties, so it gives JD some latitude to increase the level of the encounters.

Now, Monboesen, please tell me that your best answer to a powerful party is not to just 'whip out the Disjunctions.'  I think you should probably look at upping the challenge, and not downgrading the power of your party.  PC's at a certain level are _supposed_ to have a certain level of magic items, and removing them just for your convenience would be extremely frustrating.  If a certain rule is broken (see Polymorph, version 3.0), then by all means fix it, but don't randomly punish PC's for putting together a fairly optimized character with a thoughtful selection of magic items.  Chances are, the PC's you are wanting to disempower are going to be the ones who pass all of their saves (and keep all of their stuff) because they will have taken their saves into consideration and selected protective items and feats accordingly, while the underpowered (i.e. poorly-constructed) PC's (i.e. collateral damage) will be the ones who really eat the turd sandwich.  And thus the snowball at the top of the hill begins to roll, and the strong continue on (getting stronger) while the weak continue dying (getting weaker).  

Also, one thing that should not be missed is that the party is not supposed to have 'close calls' every single fight.  It might make for good reading, but that, too, can be equally frustrating due to the expenditure of resources, increased number of resting periods, level loss associated with death and raising, etc.

MB, I'm sure you are not guilty of any of this, because I know you are a dutiful reader of this SH, and as such show better judgment.   

Rant over.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

First chance to comment: Great storytelling, JD !!! It's nice to see they finally used their brains to open the doors.
Also, Rusty's quote 







			
				Rusty said:
			
		

> "Well, this Tickle-butt Old-fart must be quite the muckety-muck to demand such tribute. Can’t say as I’ve heard of him though. Tell you what, we’ll give ya ten gold each and call it square. What do ya say?”



 had me laughing my ass off !!!!!!




			
				gfunk said:
			
		

> I was playing all of the NPCs in the Thifirane encounter.  I thought I would inflict some major casualties but Rich and the gang really stuck it to me with some excellent tactics.  I felt kind of bad, until I stuck it to them in Foundation of Flame.



If I remember correctly, there was only one big bad encounter in FoF. You don't mean...


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> If I remember correctly, there was only one big bad encounter in FoF. You don't mean...



Yep, it was a take off on the old Snatch, Jerk and Breathe weightlifting manuever.


----------



## Nightingale 7

Hello again,Bright Axes!Congratulations on your smashing success.The beholder is indeed a rare specimen of a monster.It's spell-like abilities are powerful,indeed,but their pathetic HP's and AC make them easy prey for a well-prepared adventuring group.Also their big weapon,the antimagic cone negates their rest eye rays.It's an "if I use magic you do too,if I don't you don't either" kind of situation,and the beholders need big,magic-independent brutes to retain the edge.If a beholder decides to close the central eye,it has to be sure it will devastate the opposition with his eye rays,or a co-ordinated counterattack from the party is going to be deadly.It must also have ample space to bring it's natural flying ability to bear,so it can outmaneouvre it's opponents.In this encounter,Vhalantru was alone,in a closed space,without surprise on his side,and with a melee brute with 20ft melee reach,a monk(natural beholder-bane),and a blaster-sorcerer,among others.Taking all this in consideration,his easy defeat was not only natural,but a given.

Now,a dragon,THERE'S a creature to solo an adventuring party with!


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> I felt kind of bad, until I stuck it to them in Foundation of Flame.




This is the equation for said encounter:

High Age Red Dragon + Broken Draconimicon Feats + Incomplete Printing of Broken Draconimicon Feats in Module (making feats more broken) + Party with No Time to Buff + Dragon with Time to Buff (only a couple of spells, but still) + Open Skies for Dragon to Breathe on Unbuffed Party - Party Has Full Spell Complement = ADVANTAGE: DRAGON

Now Gfunk, we all know you are better than that.  I have seen you do much much worse with much less.  Why would you need to crow about beating the party down (given the circumstances above) and not something that you actually earned?


----------



## gfunk

Joachim said:
			
		

> Now Gfunk, we all know you are better than that. I have seen you do much much worse with much less. Why would you need to crow about beating the party down (given the circumstances above) and not something that you actually earned?



Well, this is precisely why I merely "temporarily" killed a party member or two (nothing a quick Revivfy couldn't fix) as compared to a TPK which be both know I could have very easily done. This is why said Dragon stayed on the map instead of snatching one PC at a time, flying 10 miles away, consuming PC at it's leisure -- rinse and repeat.  This was not simply PC mercy (which was called for b/c of the depleted state you were all in), but also overconfidence on the part of the Dragon.  He was a bad-ass and he knew it, he didn't expect much of a challenge -- his mistake in the end.

Also, we all know that both of us take advantage of broken feat, class, and spell combinations as players, why have a grudge when the DM occasionally does the same?

Besides, I did give you ample credit for your superlative combat tactics in "Lords of Oblivion" if you go re-read my post. Would it be so hard to return the favor?


----------



## Joachim

Laf...you misunderstand me...I was returning the favor, but for the magnificent stuff you have managed to pull in the past...not the unavoidable butt-whipping with the dragon. 

I will say this G, I am in agreement with you on one thing...the more we see with these modules, the more I absolutely have to scratch my head at the whole D&D CR system.  At the higher levels, there are some real discrepancies between the difficulties (or ease) of encounters and the amount of XP's awarded.  Sometimes, its absolutely boggling.  Some encounters are far, far easier than the XP award (see Vhalantru) and some are the opposite (see the Morkoth...ugh).


----------



## monboesen

Joachim I'm sorry if I came off as being totally serious, I was not. But thats how boards sometimes works. As for disjunctions, no that would likely not be my answer if my bad guys even had that capability. That said I find there to be to much implied reliance on magic items in 3ed. But thats an entirely other discussion.

I must confess (and I guess thats already obvious) that I do not agree with the way you make characters and especially not with the, at times, strange pc races and class combinations. But that hardly matters as it is your game, not mine. And in many ways the story serves me well as a warning post of things that I might not like in my game.

But thats does not at all detract from the story to me. I'm an avid fantasy reader and a sucker for a well crafted story, and it is indeed that. So I take my hat off and salute you for documenting your game for all of us in a most entertaining way.


----------



## Joachim

monboesen said:
			
		

> But thats does not at all detract from the story to me. I'm an avid fantasy reader and a sucker for a well crafted story, and it is indeed that. So I take my hat off and salute you for documenting your game for all of us in a most entertaining way.




Naw...you didn't come across all serious, and I wasn't trying to either.  

Trust me, the gaming of the 'Bright Axes' or, more appropriately, 'Dr. Jolly's Merry Band of Real-Life Nerds' can be somewhat disorienting to those not accustomed to rules-heavy power-gaming combat-centered hack-and-slash mayhem.  'Heavy Roleplayers' need not apply.  Not to say that the heavy roleplaying is bad, but just not our cup of tea, and such players will most likely leave unhappy.

Considering the past few months, if you want to salute anyone, you need to salute JD.  He's been carrying this board for the past few months.  No one else deserves any credit for it.  Unless you count the periodic blather from his players.


----------



## JollyDoc

monboesen said:
			
		

> I must confess (and I guess thats already obvious) that I do not agree with the way you make characters and especially not with the, at times, strange pc races and class combinations. But that hardly matters as it is your game, not mine. And in many ways the story serves me well as a warning post of things that I might not like in my game.




I suppose I'm just the opposite.  I am more of a "if the rules allow it, they go for it" kind of mentality.  To me, it cheapens the game to play a sub-par character just because you are afraid it might unbalance the game.  I see it as a challenge to my DM skills to keep provide pimped-out PC's with equally pimped-out challenges which walk a fine line between fun, yet nerv-wracking, and lethal.  It's like Joachim said, we are not big on "role-playing."  Now, don't get me wrong...when I say this, what I mean is that we don't get into faux british accents for characters, talking to barmaids, picking pockets of bystanders or your fellow PC's, coming up with home-made poetry, etc.  We role-play within the context of the adventure...ie asking appropriate questions of PC's, interacting with other party members, etc, but we enjoy role-playing as a means of moving along the action.  Again, our style of play is not for everyone, and that's what makes this game so great...it can fit anyone's style.  Our SH is just one group's version, and we submit it for your enjoyment, and hopefully approval.  Read on!


----------



## gfunk

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> It's like Joachim said, we are not big on "role-playing."



What are you talking about!?

"I go into the bar to make some contacts."

- said by player during a short-lived Werewolf campaign during some "in-game" downtime.

"Eat lead Chinaman!!!!"

- said by me during a short-lived Deadlands campaign.  I was playing a xenophobic, 80-year old vet of the war of 1812 who was referring to a "kung-fu" character run by the "contacts" player above.

"Seriously Joe, you should give him the Axe and watch the fun."

- Me, convincing our DM to give "contacts" player the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords during a 2nd ed campaign.  I was convinced that any potentially unbalancing aspects of the weapon would be offset by the sheer comedic value in the hands of an idiot -- we were not disappointed when he tried to start an Earthquake spell in an underground cavern.

"Sorry, he failed his morale check and he can't go underground."

- Our DM to the "contacts" player in the same 2nd ed campaign.  Said player had constructed a Sundred Dwarf whose persona included a pathological fear of the underground.  Right after making a character, our first destination was an underground ice cave and the player promptly failed his morale check thus rendering him useless.  JollyDoc later felt bad and let him "re-check."

"I polymorph him into a cockroach."

- Me, declaring my action against the "contacts" player after he had become drunk with power with the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords.  Said player had been charmed by an enemy spellcaster and was relishing his ability to sever body parts of former allies a little too much.  Unfortunately, the "cockroach" escaped before we were able to catch him.

"Sorry Chris, you've been voted off the island."

- JollyDoc, in an email to "contacts" player after a particularly heinous incident where said player pulled a "screw you guys, I'm going home" when we wouldn't give him the magic bastard sword we recovered from the Forge of Fury.  Said player wasn't sure if we wanted him back so he suggested we take a group vote.  Everyone voted him out . . . except me.  In my wisdom, I recognized said player as more than comedy gold -- this guy was comedy uranium.


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> What are you talking about!?
> 
> "I go into the bar to make some contacts."
> 
> - said by player during a short-lived Werewolf campaign during some "in-game" downtime.




For those of you who may not be familiar with Werewolf, Contacts is a trait that you can purchase during character creation/development.  Said player, aka "Stupid Chris", made a Werebear character, and he was jealous of the pages of background info that I prepared for the characters that were not just combat machines.  So, his answer was not to actually invest any character development (i.e. experience points) on Contacts, but to walk into a bar at midday and talk to the nearest hobo or alcoholic.  Like  G said, comedy uranium.  Of all of the miscreants that have graced Jollydoc's basement, I think he had to be in the bottom 2 or 3, if not the National 'Chump'-ion.

EDIT:  I almost wet myself with laughter during the whole 'cockroach polymorphing' incident as well.  Laughing at that guy for being stupid is like laughing at the handicapped for their infirmity.  

I know.  I am soooo going to Hell.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> For those of you who may not be familiar with Werewolf, Contacts is a trait that you can purchase during character creation/development.  Said player, aka "Stupid Chris", made a Werebear character, and he was jealous of the pages of background info that I prepared for the characters that were not just combat machines.  So, his answer was not to actually invest any character development (i.e. experience points) on Contacts, but to walk into a bar at midday and talk to the nearest hobo or alcoholic.  Like  G said, comedy uranium.  Of all of the miscreants that have graced Jollydoc's basement, I think he had to be in the bottom 2 or 3, if not the National 'Chump'-ion.
> 
> EDIT:  I almost wet myself with laughter during the whole 'cockroach polymorphing' incident as well.  Laughing at that guy for being stupid is like laughing at the handicapped for their infirmity.
> 
> I know.  I am soooo going to Hell.



 A munchkin...some say there is a thin line between a powergamer and a munchkin, and I think that line is intelligence.

Best quote from my groups:
DM: You walk into a perfectly spheric room.
Stupid player: I go hide in the corner.

:x


----------



## Lela

Nice kill on the beholder guys.  Seems to me he wasn't planning ahead, odd for a beholder, but it's still a trophy you can stuff, stick on the wall beside the door, and hang coats from.  And that's nothing to scoff at.


----------



## gfunk

It turns out "Strike on Shatterhorn" ended with another exceedingly interesting plot twist, just like "Thirteen Cages." The group is starting the final chapter, "Asylum," this weekend and I'll be there. Sweet!


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> It turns out "Strike on Shatterhorn" ended with another exceedingly interesting plot twist, just like "Thirteen Cages." The group is starting the final chapter, "Asylum," this weekend and I'll be there. Sweet!




Here's a teaser:  Don't Rope Trick in the middle of the Bad Guys stronghold unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure ALL the Bad Guys are dead!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Here's a teaser:  Don't Rope Trick in the middle of the Bad Guys stronghold unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure ALL the Bad Guys are dead!



 That sounds promising !!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> It turns out "Strike on Shatterhorn" ended with another exceedingly interesting plot twist, just like "Thirteen Cages." The group is starting the final chapter, "Asylum," this weekend and *I'll be there*. Sweet!



That sounds even more promising!!! Please leave one of them alive...


----------



## Tony Vargas

Joachim said:
			
		

> the more we see with these modules, the more I absolutely have to scratch my head at the whole D&D CR system.  At the higher levels, there are some real discrepancies between the difficulties (or ease) of encounters and the amount of XP's awarded.  Sometimes, its absolutely boggling.



 What game balance there is in D&D, even in 3E, which is better-balanced than it's predecessors, tends to fall apart at higher levels, or as you add more non-core material.  Since you've got both, you can expect things will get a little out of whack.  Those same balance issues aply to CR.  Even in a core high level game, the choices (both tactical and in terms of character development) faced by the players multiply, so they can be much more capable of dealing with some encounters than others, even if those encounters are of basicly the same power level, compared to an 'average' party.  Add tons of non-core material, and becoming too specialized in dealing with specific challenges or dealing with challenges in specific ways become even easier.


----------



## gfunk

Hey Tony, welcome to our SH.  I do agree with you that addition of non-core content tends to throw everything out of whack including the CR system.  The problem I have when I DM is that I find it necessary to optimize my monsters using various splat-book PrC's and spells.  Unfortunately as you said, this can be very hard on PCs, resulting in frequent TPKs.

 In this campaign though, the published challenges are generally quite significant to keep the PCs busy (especially the lower level ones).


----------



## monboesen

IMO it in many ways works like a arms-race. Once the players are allowed acces to third party material (or even stuff outside of the three core books) the DM can be forced to follow or to use higher CR encounters than character levels indicate. 

But at real high levels (15+) there is no balance anyway. Its all about story (and combat boils down to initiative and preparednes).


----------



## Lela

monboesen said:
			
		

> IMO it in many ways works like a arms-race. Once the players are allowed acces to third party material (or even stuff outside of the three core books) the DM can be forced to follow or to use higher CR encounters than character levels indicate.



 It was the other way around in my campaigns.  I started using non-core books to enhance NPCs and find unique monsters.  It was the players who had to start with the arms race.  Which I was fine with, considering I had all the books already and know them better than the players.



			
				monboesen said:
			
		

> But at real high levels (15+) there is no balance anyway. Its all about story (and combat boils down to initiative and preparednes).



 And luck, can't forget luck.  I've watched as a 17th level druid take down 23 spells of caster level 22 with one _Greater Dispelling_.  We all, myself included, just stared at the player as the BBEG deflated.  She missed one spell and that one was essentially used up by that point anyway.  That series of dice rolling knocked prepardness right out from under the bad guys.


----------



## Joachim

monboesen said:
			
		

> Once the players are allowed acces to third party material...




We don't allow 3rd party books.  We use anything that WoTC/TSR puts out, and that pretty much is it.  We had a Freeport campaign going there for a short while, but we never really even used any of the PC options from those books.

Regarding our access to multiple sources, the only characters that use more than a handful of non-core materials are the two group tanks...Grimm and Ike.  

Otherwise, we have a straight human monk (who has 2 feats from Complete Warrior), a halfling fighter/rogue (has Improved Buckler Defense from CW, but otherwise completely core-built), a straight dwarven cleric (who uses a few BoED spells, but all feats are core), a straight aasimar sorcerer (aasimar is in the Monster's handbook, so is considered a potential 'core race', and he has all core spells and feats), a dwarven Mystic Theurge cohort (has 3 feats from Complete Divine, otherwise all core), and a part-time human Red Wizard (again, in the DM's guide so all core).

Grimm and Ike are a very different story, but IMHO the construction of viable high-level party tanks is much more dependent on the options that the various sourcebooks offer.  A Fighter 20 held to the core rules is at a much greater disadvantage than a sorcerer 20 or cleric 20 held to the same books.  Shoot, a cleric 20 made for melee combat is easily head and shoulders over a fighter at beating things down.  While it can be said that warrior-types are ascendant at the lower levels, it is little solace for the character that can't contribute past 15th level.  So that character's player has to be like the guys working on the Six Million Dollar Man.

"We can make him stronger, faster, tougher.  We can rebuild him.  We have the technology (or cheesy sourcebooks)."


----------



## Nightingale 7

part time human Red Wizard?I thought you were good,upstanding heroes!Is he a kind of sponsor from a Thayan Enclave?You guys would be the best customers there


----------



## monboesen

> We don't allow 3rd party books




Just to reassure, I was not commenting on your game in that post, just D&D3ed in general.

And I agree that a standard fighter faces incredible difficulty at higher levels without carefully selected magic items. 

Even in my game (around 8-9th level) the fighter have had trouble with manuevering and at times even getting to the enemy in order to attack since the beginning. 

It has only worsened since reaching multiple attacks. He rarely gets to make a full attack vs. real enemies (other than mobs) except for Giants or other big melee monsters that he actually should not trade full attacks with. Less melee inclined foes can usually find a way to limit his attack options.

I think that they are finally realizing that he desperately need more movement capabilty instead of increased attack or defense power.

And lastly a question related to your game. How does one grapple a beholder (a 6ft. diameter orb)? Or rather how does grappling affect a creature with no actual limbs (other than eyestalks). It str and size would allow it to fly even with a human monk hanging on it, but it would be slowed down. How did you handle it in game ?


----------



## Joachim

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> part time human Red Wizard?I thought you were good,upstanding heroes!Is he a kind of sponsor from a Thayan Enclave?You guys would be the best customers there




I don't know if we would be great customers or their suppliers...our last haul of magic items was somewhere around 1 million gold pieces, at least 85% of which we will probably have to sell.


----------



## Joachim

monboesen said:
			
		

> Just to reassure, I was not commenting on your game in that post, just D&D3ed in general.




No worries.      Our general philosophy regarding 3rd party stuff is that you can't be certain that those writers necessarily have game balance foremost in mind.


----------



## JollyDoc

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> part time human Red Wizard?I thought you were good,upstanding heroes!Is he a kind of sponsor from a Thayan Enclave?You guys would be the best customers there




Ah...Houshang's story is still one yet to be told.  Rest assured, it is an interesting tale...very interesting


----------



## JollyDoc

monboesen said:
			
		

> And lastly a question related to your game. How does one grapple a beholder (a 6ft. diameter orb)? Or rather how does grappling affect a creature with no actual limbs (other than eyestalks). It str and size would allow it to fly even with a human monk hanging on it, but it would be slowed down. How did you handle it in game ?





That was purely flavor text.  In game, Kiko did not actually grapple the beholder.  He simply beat it down while flying.  Just thought it seemed more dramatic to write it up as posted.


----------



## gfunk

All I can say after witnessing the first part of "Asylum" is . . . WOW!

 For those of you who thought Vhalantru the Beholder was an easy victory the first time, the "new and improved" version went down in a blaze of glory.

    Can you say . . . 3 _Finger of Deaths_, 1 _Charm Monster_, 1 _Sleep_, and the rest of the party running scared?

    In the end, an old friend will prove to be their salvation.  I can't wait for this update . . . my goodness!

  Oh and monboeson, you'll like this one.  The Beholder WAS grappled . . . for real.


----------



## Lela

Let the Dispenser of Justice ride forth from the gates of Celestia once again!


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> Let the Dispenser of Justice ride forth from the gates of Celestia once again!




Oh my dear Lela...if you only knew how wrong you are!!


----------



## JollyDoc

FOUNDATION OF FLAME:  PART ONE:  ELECTION DAY

“Vhalantru was not a Cagewright himself,” Rusty explained, steepling his fingers beneath his bearded chin as he reclined in a comfortable chair in Jenya Urikas’ office, “but he was their most powerful ally.  He woulda gained even more power if he’d lived to see their plan in action.”
Jenya massaged her temples, absorbing the narrative she had just heard.  How could all this have come to pass?  How could a beholder, of all things, have managed to supplant Cauldron’s Lord Mayor, orchestrated the encampment of a half-orc army of thugs within the city, and all along schemed with a cult of unholy demodand worshipers who planned to open a portal to Carceri in the middle of her home?  How could she have been so blind to this?  “Have you discovered any further information about the identification of the remaining Cagewrights, or where they might be based?” she asked the old dwarf.
“Nay,” Rusty grunted, “but I’ve got Dalthon and Gunther looking into it.  For all we know, this ritual of theirs could already be taking place.  I’m not sure what kind of time window we’ve got anymore.”
Jenya remained silent and thoughtful for a time, then she raised her eyes and sat upright, her features firmly set.  “I’m going to call a meeting tonight of the more influential nobles and merchants in the city,” she said.  “We have to make some hard and important decisions about Cauldron’s fate, not the least of which is who will rule the city now that we know the Lord Mayor is dead.  Rusty, I ask that you and the rest of the Bright Axes attend this meeting.  Your input would be valuable…and it would be a personal favor to me.”
The priest allowed a slight smile to his lips.  “So, ye want we should rub elbows with the upper crust, eh?  Well, I’ve certainly enjoyed chapping their asses by dining at the Cusp of Sunrise every chance I get, so why not send’em right over the edge by crashing this little shindig?  Count us in!”
_________________________________________________

The assembly room of the town hall was already crowded by the time the Bright Axes arrived.  Every head in the chamber turned to regard them as they entered.  Some of those faces were full of warmth and genuine friendship, others were more amused, especially considering the fact that all of the adventurers had come dressed in their armor and battle gear.  Still some others were openly hostile, with looks of loathing and contempt shooting daggers at the would-be heroes.
“Welcome, my friends,” Jenya said as she approached, breaking the uncomfortable silence.  “I am pleased you could come.  Allow me to introduce our other guests.  This is Lord Ankhin Taskerhill.  I believe you are acquainted with his daughter Annah, a member of the Stormblades.”  The dour man she indicated was dark complected, with a regal bearing.  He was known to be the wealthiest noble who had not yet abandoned Cauldron.  He had made his money from several mines that he owned the rights to in the mountains surrounding the city, and he also was a dealer in exquisitely crafted obsidian furniture.  He favored the Bright Axes with a cold look, and the barest hint of a nod.  “Next,” Jenya continued, “we have Lord Premiach Vanderboren, and his wife, Lady Aeberrin.  Again, I think you know their son, Todd.”  The Vanderborens were a handsome couple, who seemed genuinely enamored of each other, judging by the way Lady Aeberrin kept her arm affectionately linked in her husband’s.  They were known among the nobility as “new money,” having started off as a messenger runner, and a tavern server respectively, then having made their wealth by investing in real estate.  Because of this, some of the other nobles tended to look down their noses at them, but the Vanderborens didn’t seem to mind.  In fact, they thrived on taking any opportunity they could to bring the “old moneyed” nobles down a peg whenever the opportunity presented itself.  Lord Premiach stepped forward, beaming, and grasped the hand of each of the adventurers.  “Please, call me Vandy,” he laughed.  “I believe my wife and I are in your debt.  We owe you for the life of our son.  Oh, by the way, I would dearly love to hear the details of this ‘secret lair’ beneath Lord Vhalantru’s house!  Something like that would certainly increase the market value of the estate, don’t you think?”  Jenya made a timely intervention at that point, moving the Bright Axes along to the next guest.  “Here we have yet another proud parent of a Stormblade, Lord Zachary Aslaxin I.”  Lord Aslaxin was a prominent art dealer in Cauldron, who was known to have a running feud with the Taskerhills over control of the obsidian trade in the region.  He cast an icy gaze over each of the Bright Axes, not offering his hand nor a smile.  However, when his stare fell on Dalthon, a slight grin creased his mustached face.  “Dalthon of Redgorge, I presume,” he said in an emotionless voice.  “I’ve heard much about you.  Perhaps we can speak later in the evening.”  The sorcerer stared after Lord Aslaxin, perplexed, as the company was led away to another noble.  “Lady Ophellha Knowlern,” Jenya said, introducing a sternly beautiful woman with slightly elven features.  The Lady was unmarried, and was a dabbler in many enterprises, including ownership of the Drunken Morkoth inn, and two local crematories.  She also had the reputation of being a ruthless businesswoman, and a real “ball breaker.”  No potential suitor had ever emerged unscarred by her savage inquisitions.  She didn’t speak, but nodded politely to each of the adventurers.  
Jenya then went on to introduce the remaining guests, all of whom were known to the Bright Axes, either personally, or by reputation.  Present were all of the local members of the Harpers, including Fario Ellegoth, Fellian Shard, Shensen Tesseril, and Meerthan Eliothlorn, once more in his disguise as a dwarf merchant.  Also in attendance were Maavu Arlintal, the leader of the Chisel, Omar Tiskinsen, priest of the temple of Tempus, Skie Alderson, a wizened gnome woman who traded in wondrous magical items, and lastly, Tygot Mispas, the halfling proprietor of Tygot’s Antiques.  

After all of the introductions had been made, and everyone seated, Jenya opened the meeting.  She began by having Rusty speak for the Bright Axes, and offer a summation of their recent dealings with the Cagewrights and their minions.  The assembled nobles and merchants were aware of most of the general facts, but they were fascinated and horrified by the details, and the extent of the corruption in the city.  When Rusty finished, Jenya addressed the assembly again.  “As all of you can see, our city is in desperate straits.  We have no firm idea where these Cagewrights are, or even who they are.  They could be among us even now.  Furthermore, we don’t know where or when this ritual of planar junction is to take place.  We must devote all of our resources to discovering these facts, but we must also reassure the populace so as not to create a panic and a full-scale exodus.  We need a strong leader in place to present a unified front to the people that their government is taking all steps to insure their safety and well-being.  The question before us now is how should Cauldron go about replacing the lord mayor, or would a new form of government be better, such as a ruling council, with the office of lord mayor becoming a tie-breaking position within the council?”
Almost immediately, Ankhin Taskerhill rose to his feet.  “I do not agree with the idea of a ruling council,” he began.  “Leadership should rest with one person, advised by the council as it has been in the past.  This would avoid petty bureaucracies and endless committee discussions.  Furthermore, in my opinion, the Lord Mayor should be chosen by the nobility.  After all, who better knows the intricacies of politics?”
This drew an immediate uproar from the assembled merchants, and it took Jenya several minutes to regain order.  Lord Aslaxin stood once calm prevailed again.  “It seems to me,” he said coolly, “that only someone with ulterior motives would actually want to assume such a difficult position as Lord Mayor.”  His frigid blue eyes fixed on Lord Taskerhill as he spoke.  “Personally, I would prefer a Lord Mayor who was reluctant to take the position.”  There were a few murmured assents from the crowd at this, but Omar Tiskinsen surged to his feet, slapping one meaty hand on the table.  “What kind of nonsense is this?” he shouted.  “Tempus teaches us that it is the strong who should lead in battle!  Cauldron needs a firm, decisive leader, one who will take charge and not suffer fools!  I nominate Lord Taskerhill!”  Another uproar erupted in the wake of the priest’s tirade, but Ankhin Taskerhill remained in his seat, smiling smugly across the table at Lord Aslaxin.  “What about the will and representation of the people?” This from Maavu.  “A city cannot survive on strength of arms alone.  Political allies and economic ties are equally important.  I nominate Lord Vanderboren.  He rose from the masses to become one of the nobility.  Who better to govern than a leader who has personally dealt with all levels of society?”
Skie Aldersun and Tygot Mispas both responded with hearty a hearty “Hear, hear!”  The faces of the other nobles, however, showed clearly their opinion of this idea.  As the bickering continued, Grimm rose silently from the oversized chair that had been provided for him.  The sight of the hulking half-ogre, dressed in full plate armor, and dangling his spiked chain from his belt, quickly silenced the crowd.  “Perhaps I have a solution,” the big warrior rumbled.  “It seems to me that Cauldron is at war for its very survival.  We are not talking about one nation attacking another.  We are talking about a full-scale invasion from Hell!  Now, how many of you here have ever even seen a demon?  None?  I thought not.  My friends and I have.  In fact, I’ve devoted most of my life to dealing with these foul creatures.  What Cauldron needs now is a war-time leader, at least until this crisis has passed.  Then you can elect a mayor in whatever manor you please.  I say one of us, the Bright Axes, should fill this role.  After all, we have the most hands-on experience at this point.  My nomination is Rusty Anvilbreaker.  He is a priest, a warrior, and a businessman.  I think you can find no better candidate.”  As Grimm resumed his seat, shocked silence filled the hall.  Only Meerthan made any noise, softly chuckling to himself and nodding enthusiastically. 

It was Lord Taskerhill who first found his voice.  “That is the most preposterous idea I’ve ever heard of!” he sputtered.  “An adventurer as Lord Mayor?  Can you imagine?”  At that moment, Grimm leaped to his feet, overturning the table as he did so.  As he rose, his right hand moved like a striking serpent to his belt, unhooking his chain and coiling it in his grip.  His one visible eye was fixed on Taskerhill, and the noble quailed at the look of intent that he saw there.  “No!  Wait!  Please!” the man begged, but Grimm completely ignored him.  
“Grimm!” Rusty shouted, meaning to put himself between the huge warrior and the pale-faced noble.  “What’s gotten into ye?  Are ye mad?  Me skin’s not so thin that I can’t stomach a few insults from some fancy-pants dandy!  Sit yerself down lad!”  But Grimm ignored him as well, raising his left hand to silence the dwarf.  “You can’t see it Rusty, but I can,” he said softly.  “It’s there…right above Taskerhill’s head.  It looks like a small, disembodied, floating eye.”  Instantly everyone in the room was on their feet, gawking at Lord Taskerhill.  The man himself whipped his head in all directions, looking horrified at the prospect of an eyeball floating somewhere near his head.  “Is it glowing, Grimm?” Gunther asked the fighter, scanning the area intently.  “Does it have a red iris?”  
“Yes, exactly!” Grimm said.  “Do you see it Gunther?”
“No,” the little dwarf replied, “but I think I know what it is.  It’s a scrying sensor.  Someone is spying on us!”  

At that moment, pandemonium erupted in the small chamber.  From out of nowhere, five creatures appeared in the center of the room.  They appeared to be some sort of small, hunched dwarves, with blue-white skin, and bulging white eyes.  Four of them were clad in chain shirts and held wicked looking great axes in their hands.  Drool and foam dripped from their mouths, and they gibbered unintelligibly, turning this way and that.  The fifth one was dressed in unkempt, but fine robes, and a long, wispy goatee hung from his chin and upper lip.  His hair was crudely chopped in no particular fashion, and he wore various items of jewelry draped about him.  “Enough talk!” he screamed in a squeaky, grating voice, followed by a torrent of maniacal giggles that ended in a violent bout of hiccups.  “Time to die now!” he shouted again after he had caught his breath.  “Now, my children!  Kill all the pretty little people!  _Fireball_!”  With that he hurled a pea-sized ball of fire into a far corner of the room, and instantly the chamber filled with flames.  Bodies flew in all directions, and Jenya looked on in horror as she saw the charred remains of Lord Aslaxin, and Lord Vanderboren.  Dalthon was caught in the blast as well, and the sorcerer struggled to put out the flames that threatened to immolate him.  Grimm managed to dive behind a table at the last instant, narrowly avoiding the conflagration.  Most of the others were out of the initial blast radius, but they were by no means safe.  Immediately, the berserkers waded into the crowd, swinging wildly with their axes.  

Dalthon was the first of those assembled to gather his wits about him and take the offensive.  Finally managing to extinguish his smoldering robes, he quickly summoned his own magic and sent four scorching rays of fire at the strange little sorcerer.  “Ahhhhh!” the little mage shrieked.  “Is that your most powerful spell, mud blood?  Just stay where you are for a moment!  I’ve got some real magic to show you!  Hahahahah…whoops!”  Just in time, the creature ducked beneath a crushing swing of Grimm’s spiked chain.  “Missed!” he whooped with glee, and he continued to laugh madly as three more swipes of the big warrior’s deadly weapon failed to score a telling blow.

Across the room, Gunther struggled to reach some of the wounded, hoping to lend some magical aid to them before they died from shock.  He had just managed to pull himself to Tygot’s side, when a shadow passed over him.  The last thing he saw as he looked up was the axe blade descending towards his forehead.  The ravening barbarian chortled and cavorted crazily over the theurge’s body as he wrenched his weapon free, but his celebration abruptly ended as he too saw a shadow loom above him.  Turning slowly, he found himself face-to-knee with Sherman, whom Rusty had recently placed under Gunther’s command.  The shield guardian smashed the berserker with a sweeping backhand, slamming him into a nearby wall, where he slid to the floor, unconscious.  Then, a pulse of arcane light flashed from the construct, enveloping Gunther’s corpse.  With a gasp, the dwarf drew in a sharp breath and opened his eyes.  His contingency plan had worked.  He had discovered that the shield guardian was capable of storing magic, to be released under a particular set of circumstances.  Gunther had prudently placed a _Revivify_ spell on Sherman, to be triggered in the event of his own untimely demise…like now.

Shensen Tesseril fought for her life.  Unlike the Bright Axes, she had not come to the meeting prepared for a fight.  Though she had studied the druid arts for years, it was her early monk training that took over as the berserk, axe-wielding warrior tried again and again to back her into a corner.  Time after time, the half-drow had narrowly escaped decapitation by somersaulting and dodging away.  Now, however, she was running out of escape routes.  Her last bit of acrobatics had carried her to a part of the room with no nearby window, or door.  As the berserker approached, gloating and drooling, she finally called upon her druid magic, using it to meld her body into the very stone of the wall itself.

Rusty saw Gunther’s murder, but he also knew of his cohort’s back-up plan, and he nodded in satisfaction when he saw the younger dwarf rise again.  He then returned his attention to the business at hand, namely, trying to save these dandelions before they all got themselves dead.  Speaking of which…Lord Aslaxin’s smoking remains lay at his feet.  The old priest knew he only had seconds to act.  With a quick prayer, he too summoned the _Revivify_ magic, and in an instant, the dead noble’s wounds vanished, and he blinked his eyes open, astonished to be alive and breathing once more.  “Maavu!” Rusty shouted, “Get’im outta here!”  The retired wizard-turned-merchant did not hesitate.  Grabbing the addled Aslaxin by the arm, Maavu uttered a single word and vanished.  

Jenya, no slouch in healing magic herself, made her way quickly to Lord Taskerhill.  In an instant, she had repeated Rusty’s spell, and lifted the newly revived man to his feet.  “Go!” Rusty bellowed at her as she looked at him questioningly.  The exit was nearby, and pushing Taskerhill before her, the high priestess made her escape, silently uttering a prayer to Tyr to protect her brave comrades.

“Now, my friend,” the demented sorcerer said, turning his attention to Dalthon once more, “here’s that spell I was telling you about.  I like to call it…_Disintegrate_!”  A brilliant beam of emerald light burst from his hand, engulfing Dalthon instantly.  The aasimar screamed in agony as the destructive magic tore thru him.  Miraculously, he did not crumble to dust, as his opponent had hoped, but he still collapsed to the floor in a heap, unmoving.  

Fellian and Fario positioned themselves back-to-back as a pair of the barbarians harried them relentlessly.  Like the Bright Axes, the two Harpers had come armed, but they quickly discovered they were outmatched by the sheer ferocity of their enemies.  Fellian managed to deflect a devastating swing, but when he stepped forward to press the attack, his footing slipped in the blood and gore covering the floor.  As he went down on one knee, the slavering warrior sank his axe into the half-elf’s chest.  Fario cried out in anguish as his cousin fell.  This reflexive display of grief was his undoing.  His own opponent ducked his head and caught Fario around the knees, driving him to the ground.  Before he could attempt to rise again, both berserkers were on him, hacking and slashing until he stopped moving forever.

The third remaining berserker had moved to the fallen form of Dalthon, meaning to end any life that still remained in the sorcerer. However, he was completely taken aback by the unarmed, and unarmored man striding calmly up to him.  Thinking he would have another easy kill, the warrior swung with all his might, but he might as well have been striking a ghost.  Kiko leaped over the axe blade easily, landing behind the barbarian as his momentum carried him completely around.  Reaching over the creatures shoulder, the monk seized the axe haft and heaved, ripping it from his hands.  Before the derro could turn back around, Kiko had dropped the axe and wrapped his muscular arms around the berserker’s neck.  With one quick twist, the derro’s neck snapped.  Kiko didn’t give the body a second glance as he began stalking towards the crazed sorcerer.  “Stay back!” the savant shrieked, “I’m warning you!  I’ll…I’ll turn you into a newt!  I’ll grind your bones to dust!  You don’t know who you’re dealing w…”  A blindingly fast knife-hand strike shattered his jaw, silencing his ranting.  His eyes bulged even further as a second blow crushed his windpipe.  Gasping futilely for breath, he died still not fully aware how one bald human had managed to get the best of him.

As the last two derro gleefully stomped the dead bodies of Fario and Fellian, Grimm’s deadly, one-eyed gaze fixed on them.  From the far side of the room, he snapped his chain, caving in the chest of the nearest berserker, and then hammering him again and again until the shapeless mass of flesh was unrecognizable.  At the same time, Shensen stepped silently out of a nearby wall.  She and Rusty now stood on either side of the remaining berserker.  “Shall we?” she asked, cocking her head.  “After you.” Rusty nodded.  Simultaneously, two roaring columns of flame formed around the derro, and when they dissipated, only charred bones remained.
___________________________________________

“I told you we couldn’t trust that little worm!” Thearynn Louvel raged.  The Cagewright conjurer leaned back from the crystal ball on the table before him, having just witnessed the disaster at Cauldron’s town hall.  “We should have killed him from the moment he first appeared here!  To think, he considered himself our equal!  Hah!  Now look what his rash behavior has done!  It won’t take long for them to trace him back here.  He was too stupid to have adequately covered his back trail.  Now what do we do?”
“Not too worry, my dear Thearynn,” Dyr rumbled.  The loathsome demodand leaned forward out of the shadows.  “This merely moves the schedule up a bit.  After all, we were only waiting for the others as a courtesy, not a necessity.   There is no better time than the present, right Ryd?”  The shator turned his head slightly, just enough for Thearynn to see the rest of his face.  From the left side of the demodand’s skull, sprouted a small, misshapen version of Dyr himself, like some sort of twisted homunculus.  “Right you are, my brother,” the grotesque twin chittered.  “The Tree is ready.  All is in place.  Let the Ritual begin!”
____________________________________________

“Heroes of Cauldron!  Please attend to me at once at the temple.  The city and its citizens require your immediate aid.  Hurry!”  Jenya’s words echoed thru Rusty’s head as the Sending delivered her cryptic message.  “What now?” the dwarf sighed.  He and his companions had just spent the last several hours tending to the injured from the attack, and cleaning up the aftermath.  There seemed to have been no rhyme or reason for the assault, and Jenya was supposed to be using her divination skills to investigate the matter more.  To further complicate things, several small earth tremors had occurred throughout the city, and were getting steadily stronger since the attack.  Not only that, but it looked as if a monster of a storm was forming as well.  Dark clouds had gathered over the city, crackling with rippling lightning strikes.  It was going to be a long day, and a dark night it seemed.  Rusty had been looking forward to spending it indoors recovering from their ordeal.  Now it appeared as if there was going to be no rest for the weary.  “Looks like we’re back on duty,” he informed his friends.
______________________________________________

By the time the Bright Axes reached the temple of Tyr, the tremors had strengthened considerably, and the townsfolk they passed had gone from their usual casual attitude towards these occasional ground shakes, to overt concern, alternating worried looks between the dark sky above them, and the trembling earth below.  A nervous acolyte quickly conducted them to Jenya’s chambers, where the high priestess stood calmly, giving orders to several clergy members present, and occasionally reaching out to steady herself by clutching a nearby chair when a tremor would shake the building.  “My friends,” she said, turning to them as they entered, “I believe it is no coincidence that the attack on the city’s leaders, Lord Vhalantru’s death, and these tremors all occurred so quickly one after another, especially in light of all the other near catastrophes that have hit our city of late.  But I cannot put these pieces together.  Nor do I feel that I, or the citizens of Cauldron, have the time for such deliberation.  I have consulted with Tyr, and his answers have led me to believe that I have neglected my duty to the city in my pursuit of these questions.  The citizens of Cauldron are my first priority, and it is to them that I must see before any other concerns.  That is why I have called you here.  My divinations indicate that these tremors are but a forewarning of things to come.  The volcano is becoming fully active, and I fear a full eruption is imminent.  The people must be warned, and evacuated with all haste.  You, my friends, as heroes to the populace, are the best choice to aid in this process.  The people will listen to you, and follow you.  For myself and my followers, I will devote all my resources to discovering where the Cagewrights are operating, and what must be done to stop them.  We shall be relocating outside the city walls for now, and it is at the old Trilspeck manor that you can find me, should you need my immediate assistance.  Might I suggest that you direct the evacuees towards Redgorge?  I will notify the governors there of our circumstances, and our need.”
The Bright Axes were at a loss for words.  How could this day have gone from charting a new beginning for Cauldron to preparing for its destruction in such a short time?  Jenya fully believed what she was saying.  That much was obvious from the look in her eyes.  “We will of course do as you ask,” Dalthon said, speaking for all his comrades, “but how would you suggest we…?”  Just then, a huge quake shook the building, and panicked screams sounded from the streets outside.  The adventurers bolted for the doors, followed by Jenya.  When they reached the street, they were astonished at what they saw.  In a matter of minutes, the sky had gone completely black.  Multi-colored flashes of energy swept thru the clouds, unlike any conventional lightning they had ever seen.  Fires could be seen burning in distant quarters, and great gouts of steam and smoke rose skyward in several other districts.  “The lake!” one citizen shouted as he ran by.  “The lake is boiling!  It’s going to flood the lower neighborhoods!”  
“Go now!” Jenya urged.  The Bright Axes needed no further prompting.  They set off at a run to the aid of their city.
__________________________________________

As the company reached the lakefront, they could see the waters of the crater lake steaming and bubbling.  People fled in panic in all directions, and several of the lower docks were already being submerged.  Suddenly, a huge geyser fountained in the center of the lake, and a massive pale gray shape surged out of the boiling water with a thunderous roar.  The creature’s face was that of a deep-sea fish with protruding red eyes and a gaping, fanged maw.  Horns protruded from its brow and chin, and a spiny, sail-like fin ran along its back.  Its lower body resembled that of an octopus in that it had eight tentacles, but the creature also sported long, lobster-like legs.  The front pair of these legs ended in massive pincers.  A pair of huge, silvery wings or flippers unfurled from its sides, lifting it out of the water and into the air.  Its flesh was blistered in places, obviously scalded by the boiling water, and it roared again as it approached the shore and a group of panicked citizens.  The legendary Monster of the Lake, a story used to frighten small children for decades, had now come to horrible life, bent on destruction!


----------



## LordVyreth

Err, I might have missed something, but where was Tilly during this incident?  Was his player absent that game?


----------



## gfunk

JD, that was a superlative job!  Great to see some great role-playing in addition to pulse-pounding combat.  A nice post to hit the 20,000 view mark on.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> JD, that was a superlative job!  Great to see some great role-playing in addition to pulse-pounding combat.  A nice post to hit the 20,000 view mark on.



 My compliments as well, JD! Almost like we were there... How's your progress on the final module?


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Err, I might have missed something, but where was Tilly during this incident?  Was his player absent that game?




Tilly was present during this event, but as I recall, a series of bad rolls on his part limited his effectiveness during the combat.  Imagine him, if you will, in the background, helping the walking wounded to make their escape...


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> My compliments as well, JD! Almost like we were there... How's your progress on the final module?




Thankyou!  It was fun to write some dialogue for a change )  

We just got started on Asylum this past week.  Haven't progressed past the first encounter yet.  Promises to be wildly entertaining though!  Just wait till you see the surprises we have planned!


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Excellent, Conscription to government work is staved off by deadly conflict.  If they are the only ones left alive, do they get to keep cauldron?

GW


----------



## R-Hero

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Excellent, Conscription to government work is staved off by deadly conflict.  If they are the only ones left alive, do they get to keep cauldron?
> 
> GW




The real question is, Do the Bright Axes _want_ to keep Cauldron after (spoiler deleted) happens?

Also, JD missed the untimely loss of Sherman in this battle.
I was running him at the time, Revivified Gunther and propmtly got axed into tinsel by the Dwarven Berzerkers.


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Oh my dear Lela...if you only knew how wrong you are!!



 Well, the only other one I can think of would be Entropy.  But she was never really a friend.  Nor, in fact, a direct enemy.


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> Well, the only other one I can think of would be Entropy.  But she was never really a friend.  Nor, in fact, a direct enemy.





Entropy?  Who's Entropy?


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Entropy?  Who's Entropy?



 Hmmm, what if Entropy and Pez hooked up?  What would the kids be like?


----------



## Hammerhead

Confused


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lela said:
			
		

> Well, the only other one I can think of would be Entropy.  But she was never really a friend.  Nor, in fact, a direct enemy.



 You are absolutely right, Lela. I had really forgotten about her. I really think she'd make an excellent, excellent cagewright, although I think she is a little too powerful for that group. They do share a lot of the same goals, though...

Also, didn't JollyDoc & Co. mention early in the SH that she had a part in this. I believe the TPK demon (eyrine - spelling?) was commanded by her in Zenith Trajectory. 


Are the Bright Axes really strong enough to face a foe that powerful? Is gfunk really prepared to send his champion into a battle she might loose?

Stay tuned for more of the SH.   BTW, I know we just had an update, but what's the ETA of the next one???


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Confused





Gfunk's story hour has the adventures of Joachim, Entropy, and (no disrespect intended) others, all from the same gaming group I believe.  Powerful evil sorceress iirc.

I tried re-reading the Gfunk story hour pdf, but I dropped my palm pilot, and brok the screen. 
GW


----------



## gfunk

There have been a handful of Entropy references in our Shackled City SH.  Some were more overt than others, for instance . . .

  During _Test of the Smoking Eye_,


> Myaruk turned abruptly from his contemplation of the Nexus as he heard the sounds of battle from below. He had hoped not to be disturbed in his research. *The Chosen of Kiaransalee had been very explicit in her instructions. He was to learn all that he could about the source of the Nexus’ power. The Chosen felt that it might be harnessed to fuel the Portal she wished to establish between this world and the Far Realms.* Now it seemed someone else was interested in his find. Not for long. The golem would only delay them, but it would be enough. Grinning evilly, he stepped into the Nexus and began chanting.



  Also, if you'll recall the end of the Bastion of Broken Souls story arc in Gfunk's SH . . .



> Entropy was forming new alliances, in lands beyond Cormyr and its environs. There were others out there of a similar mindset. They planned on a grand scale, and in the new world order to come, Entropy would play a central role. Yes, her mind was indeed occupied with many details, but one in particular kept coming to the fore. Such a minor thing on the surface, but oh so vital. *There was a small, practically unknown frontier town on the far borders of Turmish. This town was called Cauldron, and until recently, Entropy had never heard of it. Oh, but she knew of it now, and woe to those poor souls, for they had no idea of what was coming...*



  For a refresher on Entropy and her exploits, please refer to: http://www.enworld.org/downloads/Gfunks_CotSQ_SH.pdf

 All of this is somewhat premature since we are currently three adventures behind on updates. But I will be authoring the final installments of the SH during _Asylum_.  Trust me, it's not quite what you expect.  Hell, after the first day of playing _Asylum_ it wasn't what *I* expected!


----------



## Joachim

For those who get Dragon Magazine, check out page 22 of the January edition...you can see the smiling faces (unshaved after 5 days of nerding out) of JD and myself after winning the Indy GenCon D&D Open competition.


----------



## Hammerhead

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Gfunk's story hour has the adventures of Joachim, Entropy, and (no disrespect intended) others, all from the same gaming group I believe.  Powerful evil sorceress iirc.
> 
> I tried re-reading the Gfunk story hour pdf, but I dropped my palm pilot, and brok the screen.
> GW




No, no. I've been a fan of Gfunk's since the beginning. Pez and Entropy's children would be confused. 

Next time I need to remember to use the quote button.


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Stay tuned for more of the SH.   BTW, I know we just had an update, but what's the ETA of the next one???




Hopefully, and probably by next weekend...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> All of this is somewhat premature since we are currently three adventures behind on updates. But I will be authoring the final installments of the SH during _Asylum_.  Trust me, it's not quite what you expect.  Hell, after the first day of playing _Asylum_ it wasn't what *I* expected!



That's great news !!! 

Even if JollyDoc set a high standard for this SH with his last installment, I'm looking forward to your post...and to what surprised you during the game!


----------



## Lela

WooHooo!  All final projects finished.  Just waiting on some, really easy, final exams.  Access to the internet on a Sunday (due to heading over to my mother's house to finish said final projects).  Time to relax and. . .


Hey, where are those updates that always distract me during finals week?

Dangit.


----------



## LordVyreth

Heh, I know the feeling.  Well, if it helps, I've gone back to writing Story Hours after taking last month off.  They're nowhere near as good as the JD hours, but I have been working to improve them lately.


----------



## Lela

Well, I have so much to catch up on anyway.  It's just frightening to look at the pile.

But, seeing as I've got next Semseter off and I should be getting internet at home again, I shouldn't have problem catching up.  Especially with the all to common gaps between updates.


----------



## Myconid Sage

*New Reader*

Yes, I finally made it to the end of the thread. What a marathon and a Great Story Hour, it frickin' Rocks! Great job to all involved in the campagin.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Myconid Sage said:
			
		

> Yes, I finally made it to the end of the thread. What a marathon and a Great Story Hour, it frickin' Rocks! Great job to all involved in the campagin.



 Welcome & well met. 

I believe we're all looking forward to the update of the upcoming weekend!!! Go JollyDoc!


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Welcome & well met.
> 
> I believe we're all looking forward to the update of the upcoming weekend!!! Go JollyDoc!




Yes, welcome Myconid!  Always glad to hear from new readers!  My wife will be out of town this weekend, leaving me with very little to do except work on my update...sad isn't it?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> My wife will be out of town this weekend, leaving me with very little to do except work on my update...sad isn't it?



Depends...  

So will this weekend's update be twice as long?


----------



## Myconid Sage

Hello back to ya. It was an enjoyable read!


----------



## Myconid Sage

Hello back to ya. It is an enjoyable read and a great group of gamers. Also the your group's play style is very similar to my own group, so that has made it, that much more enjoyable.


----------



## PrimeAvatar

Let me second the great work by JollyDoc and the rest of his crew.  Update!


----------



## gfunk

Thought I would toss you guys a little gem while we patiently await JollyDoc's update.

  So "Asylum" has entered full-swing. The party (now a total of 9 PCs!!) enters Carceri after repeated attempts on their lives, some more successful than others, by the minions/spawns of the big A.

  They ACTUALLY use diplomacy to solve a problem and not brute force.

  Actual OOG dialogue by Rick (Kiko's player): "Hey guys talk faster or let's kick some ass, my Polymorph spell is wearing off!"

  We finally make it to big A's "prison" and find that indiscriminately opening prison cells is a bad idea.


----------



## JollyDoc

FOUNDATION OF FLAME PART 2:  EVACUATION

The morkoth had long ago resigned itself to exile on this dismal plane.  Its masters, the kopru, had summoned it some time in its long forgotten past to guard their deep, underwater lairs against the depredations of their ancient foes, the spellweavers.  When their titanic battles finally resulted in cataclysm, both races were all but destroyed, leaving the morkoth stranded here.  For centuries it had expanded its abode, tunneling deep caverns in the bedrock of the volcano, hunting the deep waters for prey and sport.  When the humans had arrived, building their city in the crater above, it had found a new source of amusement.  Periodically it would rise to the surface on a moonless night and take some unlucky swimmer or hapless fisherman back to its lair to feed, or to perform its own, twisted version of the experiments of its former masters.  It had been content with this existence, and had never thought to escalate its predations upon the humans…until now.  Like his masters of old, these parasites had somehow unleashed the fury of the volcano once again.  The fires were rising, turning the waters of its abode into a boiling hell, forcing it to the surface in broad daylight.  Already the morkoth’s skin was scalded and burned, the pain fueling its rage.  The sight of the humans massed along the shoreline, looking like frightened sheep, only served to further its ire.  They would pay for this!  They should have been wiped clean from the caldera long ago, but now that mistake would be rectified.  Though a prisoner of this plane, the morkoth still had limited access to its home in the Abyss, and now it opened the portal, calling to its lesser brethren.
____________________________________________

For a moment, the Bright Axes could only stare in mute awe at the creature moving across the surface of the lake.  Its very presence was hypnotic, and though the townsfolk nearby had looks of horror upon their faces, they made no move to flee.  Suddenly, in the midst of the crowd, three creatures appeared.  They looked like anthropomorphic vultures, towering seven-feet on their clawed legs, with wickedly hooked beaks and talons where hands should be.  Filthy, feathered wings sprouted from their backs.  They shrieked an inhuman wail at the crowd, and then proceeded to tear into the dazed people.  Grimm shook himself violently out of his stupor and turned quickly to his companions.  “Rusty!” he roared.  “They are vrocks!  Demons from the Abyss.  You and the others must stop them!  Kiko, come with me!  We have to intercept that behemoth before it reaches the shore!”

Rusty cursed himself for a fool for his lapse in attention.  He immediately began barking orders to his comrades, instructing them to herd the Cauldronites from the dock to the relative safety of the warehouses.  Then, realizing that the demons must have been summoned by magic, he quickly wove a dispelling prayer.  Instantly, two of the fiends vanished as quickly as they had appeared.  The last one, having no more innocents to prey on, turned its attention on the dwarven priest.  “Come on then, ye beastie!” Rusty bellowed.  As he braced himself for the attack, he called upon Mystra’s magic again, this time causing gleaming horns to sprout from his forehead, manifesting the celestial aspect of the holy cervidals.  He lowered his head as the vrock charged, impaling the demon on the horns.  The exalted magic of the weapons severed the fiend’s connection to the prime, sending it squealing back to the Abyss.  

Grimm and Kiko flew across the lake towards the oncoming morkoth, Grimm with the aid of Dalthon’s magic, while Kiko used his winged boots.  As they closed the distance to the beast, a sudden surge of magic energy washed over them.  The morkoth had used its fiendish heritage to manifest a _Blasphemy_, magic of such evil that it had the power to weaken, and paralyze any creature of good heart.  So it was with Grimm and Kiko.  Both of them felt their limbs first grow limp and fatigued, and then instantly rigid, freezing them in place.  Fortunately for both, the power of flight was a manifestation of the mind, and so they were spared an instant and violent death by willing themselves out of the morkoth’s attack path.  

Back on shore, Dalthon watched the battle above the lake with growing apprehension.  He could see the effects of the morkoth’s magic on his friends, and knew they had little chance of escaping.  He began an incantation and sent a barrage of flaming missiles streaking over the water towards the demonic creature.  Instead of striking the morkoth, as he’d expected, they seemed to ricochet off the creature’s hide and come straight back at him!  Dalthon reeled in pain and disbelief as the magic missiles struck him.  Never had his magic behaved this way!  What new manner of evil was this?

Grimm willed himself in a broad, circular path behind the morkoth, maintaining a distance of some sixty feet.  His intent was not just to follow the creature, but to bring it just within the effective area of a special form of magic imbued upon him by Gunther.  The little dwarf had enchanted the half-ogre’s breastplate that very morning.  Now, it shown with brightness and intensity of the sun, but instead of radiating heat, it shed pure holy power, enough to cause pain to any denizen of the lower realms or their offspring.  The morkoth felt the burn of the celestial brilliance on its skin, and knew the creature following it was the source, but it dared not turn upon its tormentor yet.  It was barely maintaining itself aloft above the boiling lake water as it was.  It had not used its wings in centuries, and the effort of flight was taxing.  When it reached the safety of dry land, it would deal with the insect that continued to sting it.

Kiko, having willed his flight directly away from the morkoth, was the first one to reach the shore.  As his feet touched the ground, he collapsed in a paralyzed heap.  Gunther quickly rushed to the monk’s side, saw that he still breathed, and ascertained the nature of his affliction.  Fortunately for Kiko, Gunther knew a counter to the dark spell that had ensnared him.  The theurge began chanting, and in a moment, the monk felt not only movement return to his limbs, but his strength as well.  

Rusty had seen Dalthon’s magic deflect off the morkoth, and so he assumed his own would as well, but he also knew that the horns of the cervidal could banish extra planar creatures back to their homes.  Seeing no other choice, he quaffed a magical potion, which would enable him to fly, and charged the fiend.  The morkoth saw the crazed dwarf coming, but try as it might, it could not bat the annoying thing away.  Rusty impaled the monster with his horns, but to his dismay, they barely made a scratch on the demon’s thick hide, and they certainly did not dismiss it as the priest had hoped.  Then, seeing Grimm approaching from behind the morkoth, Rusty had a better idea.  He too had the ability to neutralize paralytic effects, and he knew that Grimm was better at this whole hand-to-hand thing than he was.

Dalthon shook of the lingering effects of his own magic and wracked his brain for an answer as to why it had malfunctioned.  He could only imagine that the monster had some variation of a _Shield_ spell in place, one that reflected the missiles rather than just deflected them.  He resolved to try another tactic, and this time he sent three rays of scorching fire at the fiend, but once again his dweomer was turned back on him, and the sorcerer suddenly found himself in dire straits.
“Dalthon,” he heard a familiar voice cry from the vicinity of the warehouses.  Turning, he saw Shensen Tesseril standing there.  “Do not target the morkoth directly!” she shouted.  “Use broader magic!  Like this!”  Gesturing grandly, she called out a spell unfamiliar to the sorcerer, and instantly, a column of fire erupted from the sky, engulfing the morkoth.  The creature roared in pain, its flight wavering, almost plunging it into the lake.  

Tilly had been quietly observing the battle from the shadows of the warehouses.  Though he was no coward, he knew these types of situations were not his forte.  Still, he couldn’t stand idly by while his friends risked their lives, and potentially lost them.  When he saw Shensen’s spell harm and distract the morkoth, he knew that it would be his only chance.  The monster was now near enough to the docks that he could reach it from land.  Darting quickly from shadow to shadow, the little rogue closed the distance to the lake monster, and then began hacking viciously at its thick, armored skin.

The morkoth was close to total madness.  Its skin still throbbed in agony from its burns, and now it burned even more furiously from the spell that had struck it.  The infuriating scorch of that accursed creature’s light still beat upon it, and now an ant was stinging its tentacles.  It needed space, room to breath and gain a reprieve.  Calling upon its most potent magic, it proceeded to suck the very moisture from the air around it, and even from the bodies of its assailants.  

Tilly screamed as the _Horrid Wilting _ spell washed over him, drying and cracking his skin and seeming to pull the very air from his lungs.  Behind him, Kiko reeled as well, but it was a hideous cry of anguish from his right that caught his full attention.  There, he saw Dalthon collapse, his skin pulled tightly around his bones, giving him a gaunt, skeletal look.  It was obvious even to Tilly’s untrained eye that the sorcerer was dead before he hit the ground.

As the paralysis and weakness finally left him, Grimm charged.  The morkoth was preoccupied with his companions, and so did not hear the half-ogre’s approach until it was too late.  Before it could react, Grimm’s chain punched into its flesh again and again, ripping deep, terrible wounds.  The great creature howled and shrieked, folding its wings against its body as it fell into the scalding waters of Cauldron’s lake, never to rise again.
________________________________________________

It was too late to use the revivification magic.  As Gunther kneeled over Dalthon’s body, he knew that too much time had passed.  The sorcerer was beyond his aid.  “Shensen,” he said, calling over the druid.  “We cannot delay the evacuation.  Too many lives are at stake.  Will you take Dalthon to Jenya?  Perhaps her magic is powerful enough to recall his soul.”  The Harper nodded silently, the picked up the emaciated and feather light corpse, and disappeared back into the teeming city streets.

“Well, its out of our hands for now,” Rusty said, gathering his gear.  “We’ve still got a job to do, and it ain’t gonna get done any quicker by just standing around.”  Earlier, the company had agreed that they would divide the city into sections, starting with the lakefront, and then work up and around towards the city gates.  The morkoth’s attack had sent most of the dockside residents fleeing for their lives, and the district was mostly empty.  The companions started towards the southeast now, in the direction of the livery stables and some of the less prominent merchants.  No sooner had they turned onto Lava Avenue, than they began hearing distant shouts accompanied by a steadily rising rumble that overrode the constant rumble of the tremors.  Suddenly, rounding a corner about a block away, a handful of people came running and screaming.  A cloud of dust rose behind them as a herd of horses, goats and cattle stampeded into the street.  An elderly woman who trailed behind the other folk tripped and fell and was quickly trampled by the animals.  Gunther and Tilly quickly ran towards the fleeing townspeople, shoving and cajoling them into nearby alleyways and storefronts.  Grimm and Kiko, meanwhile, stepped into the middle of the avenue, directly into the path of the herd.  As the animals thundered ahead, Grimm swung his chain in a wide arc, snapping it before the lead animals, hoping to frighten them into halting.  The animals were already in a full panicked rout, however, and Grimm was forced to leap aside as they continued their mad dash.  Kiko was a fraction of a second too late.  The herd completely overran the monk before he could dodge, and Rusty also found himself overwhelmed.  The stampede never broke stride.  The priest and the monk pulled themselves painfully to their feet, battered and bruised, but not seriously injured.  “Alright,” Rusty snorted, “enough of the humanitarian approach.  Who’s up for steaks tonight?  Gunther!  Follow my lead!”  With that, the two dwarves began their spells, and in an eye-blink, a whirling wall of blades appeared in the path of the herd, while under their feet, the road became suddenly covered in slick grease.  The terrified animals began slipping and sliding on the frictionless surface, and before they could slow their momentum, every one of them careened headlong into the blade barrier.  What came out on the other side was no longer living, and no longer recognizable as livestock.  
“That settles that,” Rusty said in satisfaction as he surveyed his handy work.  His jubilation faded, however, when he saw the faces of the people they had just saved.  They gaped in horror at the butchered animals, and then turned wary eyes on their ‘saviors.’  Slowly, and wordlessly, they began to disperse into the streets.
______________________________________________

As they continued to seek out stragglers and move them along in the directions of the gates, the Bright Axes came upon a tall tenement building, the windows on its top floor thrown open.  A hysterical man leaned precariously out one of the windows, a wailing child clutched in his arms.  On the street below, another man stood screaming up at the man in the window, gesticulating wildly and pointing at the ground floor.  
Rusty strode towards the man on the street and the crowd of onlookers gathered there.  “What’s going on here?” he shouted.  “Don’t you people know this place is dangerous?”
“It’s my brother, Tomash,” the man babbled.  “I can’t get him to come out!  He won’t leave his home, and…the children!  The children!”
“Alright, alright, calm down!” Rusty said.  “We’ll handle this.  Gunther, stay with this fella.  I’m goin’ in.  Kiko, see what you can do topside.”  The priest then tried the door to the building, and found it locked.  Lowering his shoulder, he slammed into the portal, smashing through it and into the entryway beyond.
“Stay out!” Tomash shouted from the upper window.  “Don’t come in here!  I’m warning you!”
Kiko quickly commanded the small wings on his boots into action, and lifted into the air.  “Please sir,” the monk said placatingly as he ascended.  “We’re only trying to help.”
“No!” Tomash yelled, “I won’t let you take me!”  He jerked away from the window so suddenly that he lost his tenuous grip on the struggling infant, sending it plummeting towards the street.  “My baby!” he wailed.

On the street, Tomash’ brother, Rhegin, screamed as well, “What are you people doing?  You’ve killed my nephew!”  Gunther grabbed the man by the tunic as he rushed towards the building.  “No!  You mustn’t,” the theurge urged, “It’s too dangerous. Your brother will be safe!”
“Let go of me, you murderer!” Rhegin shouted, and twisting about in Gunther’s grip, he punched the little dwarf squarely in the jaw.

As the baby fell, Kiko’s reflexes took over.  With split-second timing he dove beneath the child, scooping it into his arms.  Tomash, however, saw none of this.  The heart-broken man had retreated inside the building and shut the window.

Rusty, closely followed by Tilly, took the stairs two at a time.  Finally reaching Tomash’ apartment, they burst in to find the man sitting against the far wall, his face buried in his hands as sobs wracked his body.  “Now listen here,” Rusty said, advancing slowly.  “We come to get ya outta here.  It’s fer yer own good.  This place is about to come down around our ears!”  
“Murderers!” Tomash screamed, lunging towards the priest with hooked fingers.  Tilly quickly stepped in front of the crazed father, sliding his foot between the man’s and sending him sprawling to the floor.  The little halfling pounced on Tomash, wrenching his arm high behind his back, causing him to wail in agony.  “Please!” Tomash pleaded, “Do anything you want to me!  Just spare my daughter, Uhlia!  She’s just a child!”
“Oh for Mystra’s sake,” Rusty sighed, rolling his eyes.  “Doesn’t anybody in this burg understand the concept of hero?  We ain’t here ta kill ya, ya nitwit!  Now where’s the kid?”

Back on the street, Rhegin and Gunther rolled and scuffled on the pavement as the crowd looked on in stunned amazement.  Suddenly, a shadow fell over the pair, and as Rhegin looked up, a ham-sized hand seized him by the scruff of the neck, and hauled him bodily into the air.  “You’re going to do yourself an injury, little man,” Grimm rumbled.  “Look!  Your family is safe…all of them.”  Rhegin turned and saw Rusty escorting Tomash from the crumbling building, Tilly right behind leading a young girl almost as tall as he.  Kiko moved to hand the baby back to his father, and Tomash collapsed into tears once more.  
“I…I guess we owe you and apology,” Rhegin stammered, “and our thanks.”
_____________________________________________

An hour or so later, the Bright Axes found themselves on a narrow residential street that was choked with rubble.  The shattered remains of a large house seemed to be the primary source of the debris.  It had apparently collapsed fairly recently, as the dust had not yet settled and the rocks still shifted periodically.  At that moment, a ragged figure staggered out of the rubble about ten yards away, and collapsed in the street.  “Come on!” Rusty shouted, “There might be more trapped under there!  Gunther, see what ye can do about that one!”  As the Bright Axes approached the wreckage and began frantically heaving it aside, Rusty spotted a dozen or more citizens watching from a nearby alley.  “Don’t just stand there, ya idgits!” he bellowed, “These are yer neighbors under here!  Lend a hand!”  
Just then, as Grimm shifted a particularly large stone, the entire mound began to crumble, sliding and collapsing in on itself.  From below, muffled screams could be heard.  Amazingly, the bystanders did not move.  They continued to look on in morbid fascination.  
“If ye won’t help willingly,” Rusty snarled, “then it’ll have ta be the hard way!”  He began chanting, and as the magical incantation faded, he saw the peoples’ eyes glaze over.  “Yer way outta here is blocked,” Rusty said to them in a reasonable tone of voice, “If ye want to escape with yer lives, ye’d best get to movin’ this pile…now!”  Nodding agreeably, the now-compliant citizens set to work.  In short order, the worst of the wreckage had been removed, and the trapped family exposed.  Unfortunately, there were only two additional survivors.  Four more lay dead.
__________________________________________

A long, and trying day seemed to only be getting longer.  Though the Bright Axes were having some success at urging the citizenry towards the city gates and safety, they were also being emotionally taxed by the death and destruction they were witnessing.  It was becoming more and more obvious that it would be a long time before Cauldron would be habitable again…if ever.  Its people would certainly never be the same.  

The company was making its way along Magma Avenue when they were abruptly brought up short by the sight of a massive fissure, at least fifty feet long, and half that wide, bisecting the street ahead.  Steam rose from the crack in great jets.  Suddenly, the ground convulsed sharply, and the edges of the fissure began to crumble a bit and started to slowly close up.  A chorus of screams welled up from within the crack.  “Here we go again,” Rusty sighed.

Kiko was the first to reach the pit.  Heedless of the danger, he leaped in, using the sloping sides of the ravine to slow his fall to the bottom.  A dozen or more people, at least half of them unconscious, were at the bottom of the rift.  “Come with me!” Kiko called, quickly taking the nearest two by the hand.  Closing his eyes and concentrating, the monk briefly stepped between dimensions with his passengers, reappearing on the street above.  

“Nice work,” Rusty called to his friend, and then following the monk’s lead, he too jumped into the ravine, albeit with quite a bit less grace.  Landing hard on the bottom, the priest quickly regained his feet.  Reaching into his cloak pocket, he drew out what appeared to be a folded black handkerchief.  Setting it on the ground, he began unfolding it bit by bit until it seemed a large, dark circle lay there.  “Get in,” Rusty commanded to the dumbstruck townsfolk.  When he saw that they did not understand, he shoved his hand into the circle…and through it, revealing it to be an actual hole in the fabric of reality.  “Get in!” he said again.  “You’ll be safe.  Safer than here, anyway.”  Four of the remaining folk grabbed two of the unconscious ones and then lowered themselves thru the hole.  “Hold yer breath!” Rusty called down to them, and then he grabbed the edges of the pit and folded it neatly back into its original square, and then tucked it into his pocket.

“Grimm,” Kiko said, “if I might borrow your cloak for a moment?”
For an instant, Grimm didn’t follow the monk’s logic, but then understanding dawned on his sloped brow.  He unfastened the cape and handed it to Kiko, when once more leaped into the rift.  When he landed, he tied the cloak about his neck, then called three more of the trapped people to him.  Locking hands with them, this time he used the magic of the cape to travel between dimensions, once more appearing right where he’d left.

“Gunther!  Rope!” Rusty called from the bottom of the ravine.  The theurge obediently lowered a line to his master, and began hauling him up.  Rusty reached street level, and quickly began unfolding his portable hole once more.  “Get yer carcass down there,” he shouted at Gunther, indicating the rift.  “Yer magic’s as good as Kiko’s.  There’s still two more down there unconscious.  Gunther nodded and then shimmied down the rope.  Once on the bottom, he moved quickly to the last two citizens, but discovered that one was already dead.  Grabbing the last one, he too _Dimension Doored _ back to the street.  In due course, the Bright Axes managed to revive the unconscious townsfolk and sent them on their way with their neighbors.  Then the companions continued on their own path, knowing there was still much to be done.


----------



## Krud

Wow. Actually helping the populace.

Its kind of easy for Adventurers to get disillusioned with helping commoners, because a lot of the time they actively work against the PC's who are trying to save the town.

Nice Read as always Jollydoc


----------



## gfunk

Nice post JD, good to see some RPing for a change.

 Fight with Adimarchus (Part I) concluded tonight.

 1 PC imploded, 2 PCs paralzyed (and reduced to zero strength)


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Ha, the stupid populace should have made the ground beef into burgers and roasted them over the lava instead of frowning on the heros... When enters big red?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Nice post JD, good to see some RPing for a change.
> 
> Fight with Adimarchus (Part I) concluded tonight.
> 
> 1 PC imploded, 2 PCs paralzyed (and reduced to zero strength)



Hmm...he looked thougher to me in the book. But what's this part 1? Did you break off in the middle of the fight?


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> When enters big red?



We plugged him in at the end and I was running him for JollyDoc.  The party did quite well against him, especially considering that they had precious time to buff.



			
				Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Hmm...he looked thougher to me in the book. But what's this part 1? Did you break off in the middle of the fight?



Oh, he's plenty tough.  All the casulaties he inflicted on the party were with minor damage to himself, despite herculean efforts to the contrary.  We did have to pause the fight in the middle b/c it was rapidly approaching midnight.  Fortunately for JollyDoc, we paused right on Adimarchus' next action, therefore giving the DM a full week to ruminate on the myriad possibilites.


----------



## Joachim

Big A is pretty tough.  Nasty AC.  Nasty SR.  Nasty to hit.  Nasty spell like abilities.

We shall see how it goes.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

gfunk said:
			
		

> We plugged him in at the end and I was running him for JollyDoc.  The party did quite well against him, especially considering that they had precious time to buff.




Seems hardly fair to have you two on the same side against the party. 

GW


----------



## JollyDoc

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Seems hardly fair to have you two on the same side against the party.
> 
> GW





Well, if it's any consolation, I also let G run Thifirane in the final encounter with her in Oblivion, and you see how quickly she got punk'd.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Well, if it's any consolation, I also let G run Thifirane in the final encounter with her in Oblivion, and you see how quickly she got punk'd.



 I would not have thought that battle would be difficult for the Bright Axes, even with gfunk running her. Or did you have anything special planned, gfunk?


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> I would not have thought that battle would be difficult for the Bright Axes, even with gfunk running her. Or did you have anything special planned, gfunk?




Blessedly, Joe has not allowed gfunk to 'modify' any of the encounters that he runs.


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> I would not have thought that battle would be difficult for the Bright Axes, even with gfunk running her. Or did you have anything special planned, gfunk?



Well, I tried mightily to get JollyDoc to change some of the encounters, but he was always reluctant because of the "X" factor.  Namely, at high levels there is always a good chance that things will become very easy for the PCs or a TPK will ensue.  If the "X" factor happens to be a product of the module (e.g. the Eriynes in Zenith Trajectory) then the DM can legitimately blame it on module design, thereby washing his hands of responsibility.

However, if the "X" factor results from DM tinkering with the module he will not have this convenient excuse to fall back on.  Hence, JollyDoc was understandably reluctant to make any module changes.  A few of my suggestions were to add levels of Frenzied Beserker in exchange for Barbarian levels due to party propensity to deal pure hit point damage.  The ability to Deathless Frenzy would certainly have been comedy gold.

Alternatively, I thought about plugging in Revenenat, Keening Spirt, Kry'izoth, or T'lak'ith templates to leave the touch of Entropy on the campaign.  Given the power of the latter two templates, the former two were more reasonable.  However, neither was implemented for the reasons stated above.  With that said, there may be some sentient undead forming in the final battle with Adimarchus if he keeps racking up the body count.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

I may not access the net for a couple of days, so here it goes: Merry Christmas! 

Since this time of the year many old friends return home, I might even get to host a quick one- or two-night X-mas session...maybe run a group through old Adi's plane.


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> I may not access the net for a couple of days, so here it goes: Merry Christmas!
> 
> Since this time of the year many old friends return home, I might even get to host a quick one- or two-night X-mas session...maybe run a group through old Adi's plane.




Merry X-mas NWK, and have fun with your old buds.


----------



## JollyDoc

Joachim said:
			
		

> Merry X-mas NWK, and have fun with your old buds.





Happy Holidays Loyal Readers!  With any luck, there will be one more post before the New Year.  If not, well that's one more thing to add to my list of resolutions.


----------



## gfunk

The campaign ended today and, true to form, the group had an unconventional finale.  I won't say more for fear of spoiling it, but I think it will be worth waiting for.


----------



## beer_motor

gfunk said:
			
		

> The campaign ended today and, true to form, the group had an unconventional finale.  I won't say more for fear of spoiling it, but I think it will be worth waiting for.





Any ETA on the new campaign?  I move in with Laura on Friday ... I might be able to start making regular appearances again on every other sunday or so starting on the 9th of January...

-Bret


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

beer_motor said:
			
		

> Any ETA on the new campaign?  I move in with Laura on Friday ... I might be able to start making regular appearances again on every other sunday or so starting on the 9th of January...
> 
> -Bret



I think we are starting new characters this weekend for a short Eberron game.


----------



## JollyDoc

beer_motor said:
			
		

> Any ETA on the new campaign?  I move in with Laura on Friday ... I might be able to start making regular appearances again on every other sunday or so starting on the 9th of January...
> 
> -Bret




Alas, poor Houshang...I knew him Horatio.


----------



## Joachim

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> I think we are starting new characters this weekend for a short Eberron game.




Short as in 6 months or so until the new Adventure Path is released.  I will be GM'ing the Eberron campaign.

EDIT:  I think as far as the Eberron campaign goes, right now we are steadily approaching our goal of 1 billion PC's: Gfunk, Joe, Brian, Ricky, Eddie, Fred, Bret, Courtney, Dylan, and (for the first week) Jim.  Jim is one of the original players who started with me, Joe, Brian, and the host of random freaks from about 7 years ago, and he's visiting from D&D purgatory.


----------



## beer_motor

Joachim said:
			
		

> Short as in 6 months or so until the new Adventure Path is released.  I will be GM'ing the Eberron campaign.
> 
> EDIT:  I think as far as the Eberron campaign goes, right now we are steadily approaching our goal of 1 billion PC's: Gfunk, Joe, Brian, Ricky, Eddie, Fred, Bret, Courtney, Dylan, and (for the first week) Jim.  Jim is one of the original players who started with me, Joe, Brian, and the host of random freaks from about 7 years ago, and he's visiting from D&D purgatory.





I'd like to play in this ... I MIGHT be able to make it this Sunday ... it is this sunday that it's starting, right?  

Do you guys use any other messageboard to keep in contact?  I mean I hate to clutter up the story-hour with this type of stuff...

Oh btw, is that Jim "Can you cast fireball yet?" Jim?  hahaha


-Bret


----------



## JollyDoc

beer_motor said:
			
		

> I'd like to play in this ... I MIGHT be able to make it this Sunday ... it is this sunday that it's starting, right?
> 
> Do you guys use any other messageboard to keep in contact?  I mean I hate to clutter up the story-hour with this type of stuff...
> 
> Oh btw, is that Jim "Can you cast fireball yet?" Jim?  hahaha
> 
> 
> -Bret




You can just email me directly Brett, and I'll fill you in on details.  And yes...it's that Jim.


----------



## R-Hero

Just checking to see if the update feature still works.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
It does, J.D.  
</sarcastic hints off>


----------



## JollyDoc

R-Hero said:
			
		

> Just checking to see if the update feature still works.
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> It does, J.D.
> </sarcastic hints off>




So does the Bite Me feature...


----------



## Vargo

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> So does the Bite Me feature...




The winner!


----------



## JollyDoc

Ok, just to prove that the Update feature works as well...

FOUNDATION OF FLAME:  JUXTAPOSITION

Dalthon slowly returned to consciousness by following the gentle sound of Jenya’s voice.  Opening his eyes, he found himself lying in a comfortable bed in the master suite of a grand manor house.  The high priestess sat nearby, holding one of his hands in her own.  “Welcome back,” she said.  “I know now that I have nothing to fear from the afterlife,” the sorcerer said wryly, as he levered himself to a sitting position.  “I’ve been there often enough to become a familiar face.”  Jenya laughed, and shook her head, “Ah, but it is obviously not your appointed time, my friend, or else I would never have been able to call your spirit back.”  Dalthon nodded, then looked around in curiosity.  “I see you and your clergy have found yourselves adequate accommodations to ride out the crisis.  What of my companions?  I trust they are not equally as fortunate.”  “Alas no,” Jenya sighed, “and neither are my brethren.  Every room of the manor is filled with wounded and displaced from the city.  Your friends are still there.  Their efforts this day have been truly heroic, but I fear they are far from rest.  You are needed.”  “As I expected,” Dalthon said in resignation.  “No rest for the weary…or the dead.”
___________________________________________________

“This don’t look promisin’,” Rusty muttered as he and the Bright Axes faced the large mob gathered across the square.  The companions had been in the process of clearing this particular block, when they’d heard the approaching crowd.  Assuming it was just another band of fleeing refugees, they had moved to intercept the gathering, and direct them towards the evacuation route.  Instead, they found themselves confronted with an angry swarm of townsfolk, brandishing clubs, pitchforks, and other makeshift weapons.  Leading the band was none other than Keygan Ghelve, the gnome locksmith who had been imprisoned for his part in aiding Kazmojen’s slave ring.  Apparently, the prison guards had become a bit lax during the current disaster.  

“There they are!” Keygan shrieked as he spied his former accusers.  “They are the ones responsible for this!  Ever since they came here, plague after plague has struck our city, and now look!  The volcano itself, dormant for all these centuries, wakens once more!  It is because of their meddling!  Death to the Bright Axes!”  The crowd roared in agreement and began to surge across the square.  The Bright Axes started to back hastily away, but the mob was in full charge.  There was no escape.  Suddenly, a blazing wall of flames appeared in the middle of the square, blocking the path of the oncoming horde.  Dalthon had appeared from thin air before his companions, and now grinned smugly at them.  “It looked like you could use some help.”  “It looks like we still can!” Rusty responded, pointing towards the wall of fire.  Heedless of the flames, the mob surged through the barrier, the people in front being shoved by those behind.  Several fell screaming to the ground, fire engulfing their clothing, but from the alleyways and side streets around the square, more people came to swell the masses.  “Gunther!” Rusty shouted.  “Can ye think of anything?  Now?”  The theurge scratched his beard for a moment, then cried, “Aha!”  Digging in his pouch, he produced what looked like an old cobweb.  Muttering a few quick phrases, he tossed the thing to the ground.  Instantly, a mass of sticky, rope-like webs erupted towards the mob, entangling their feet, cementing them in place.  The throng roared in anger, and struggled mightily to free themselves.  In the melee of pushing and shoving, many were thrown to the ground, becoming completely enmeshed in the webbing and then being trampled and suffocated.  “We have to stop this,” Kiko cried.  “They’re going to kill themselves!”  The monk rushed forward, to the edge of the mob, and raised his hands placatingly.  “Please,” he shouted, “you must listen to us!  We are trying to help you!  You must evacuate the city now!  Your lives are in danger!”  
“Don’t listen to him!” Keygan shouted from inside the horde.  “He’s trying to lead you to your doom!  It’s a trap!  Seize him!”  Before he could react, Kiko found himself grappled by dozens of hands, which pulled him into the midst of the mob.  The crowd began beating and flailing at the monk, knocking him to his knees, trying to force him face down into the webs.  Suddenly, there were cries of shock and surprise from some of the people near the edge of the crowd, and Kiko felt the crush around him momentarily abate.  Then he saw what had given the rioters pause.  Grimm stood well out of reach of the mob, swinging his chain around his head.  He snapped it forward, drawing it back bare inches from the faces of the nearest townsfolk.  Reflexively they drew back.  “What are you waiting for?” Ghelve shouted.  “He’s bluffing!  He can’t kill you on the street in broad daylight!  That’s not their way!  He’s trying to hold you here, afraid, until the streets open beneath your feet and swallow you!  Kill them!”  Once again, the mob converged atop Kiko, slowly crushing the life from him.  

“That’s it!” Tilly said, darting forward between Grimm’s legs before the half-ogre could stop him.  “Enough playing nice!  If these bastards don’t want our help, then let them burn, but they’re not taking Kiko with them!”  Like a pouncing cat, the little rogue leaped on the nearest mobster, wrapped his legs around the man’s chest from behind, and then sliced his throat.  The merchant collapsed with a gurgle, and Tilly was on to his next victim before the man hit the ground.  Several more townsfolk fell to the halfling’s blade as he tried desperately to reach Kiko, but inevitably, he was overwhelmed.  Several people grabbed him from all sides, despite his vicious thrashing and slashing. Clubs and fists rained down upon him, and he felt his vision going dark.  Suddenly, people were being bodily thrown off of the rogue.  He could hear a familiar whistling sound, and then the telltale whip-crack of Grimm’s chain, followed by the equally familiar sound of bones breaking and people screaming.  It was only a matter of time before the relentless assault by the half-ogre, aided by Tilly’s lightning quick sneak attacks, and Kiko’s own, desperate blows for survival succeeded in killing or disabling the bulk of the mob.  The survivors, including Keygan Ghelve, fled in all directions, casting looks of horror and hatred over their shoulders at the Bright Axes.

_________________________________________________________________ 

The companions worked in silence.  Their guilt at having to slay so many of those they were sworn to protect threatened to overwhelm them.  They went about their search and rescue tasks mechanically, urging the citizenry to evacuate, and always fearful of another mob scene.

At the edge of a narrow side street, they came upon a steaming fissure, lit from below by an ominous orange glow.  Suddenly, the fire within seemed to surge, growing suddenly brighter and fiercer.  A spray of lava spewed from the opening and spattered the surrounding buildings as a glowing appendage of flame erupted from within.  A burning figure clambered out of the vent, howling in a voice that crackled and roared like an inferno.  It was an elemental, a creature spawned by the very fury of nature itself.  Like a striking cobra, it leaped forward, but Grimm’s reflexes were a fraction of a second faster.  The half-ogre wrapped his chain around one of the elemental’s tree-trunk sized legs, instantly feeling the metal of the weapon grow hot in his hands, and yanked savagely, pulling the creature from its feet.  The Bright Axes had battled such creatures before, and knew them to be quick and dangerous.  Kiko and Tilly wasted no time in leaping to the attack.  Tilly’s blades sliced thru the living flame that comprised the monster’s body, but seemed to do no visible damage.  As for Kiko’s lightning-fast, hammer-like blows, the only one that seemed to take any damage from them was the monk himself, as his skin was scorched by the elemental’s searing heat.  “Back away,” Grimm cried as he lunged forward, leveling a crushing blow from his chain across the creature’s body.  The chain sank deep into the elemental’s fiery body, tearing loose huge gobbets of molten flesh.  The fire elemental heaved itself to its feet, buffeting Tilly to the side as it roared in obvious agony.  Grimm stood his ground, trading blows with the beast as it loomed over him.  His companions surrounded the elemental on all sides, doing their best to support their friend.  Finally, the behemoth roared out one last time, before collapsing into a bubbling, coagulating pool of lava.
_______________________________________________________

Night was falling and the Bright Axes were exhausted.  It seemed that throughout the day, they had averted one near-disaster after another, only to find yet another waiting for them.  They had managed to rescue a dozen or so townsfolk who had found themselves trapped atop a small lake of barely solidified magma, and then abruptly found themselves in the midst of an urban avalanche of debris and collapsing buildings, which had buried several more people.  Some quick thinking, and split-second teleporting by Dalthon and Gunther had resulted in no loss of life.  Now, as the deeper gloom of night settled over the cloud-covered city, the weary band made their way towards the main gates, convinced that the majority of the citizenry had been evacuated.  Overhead, the strange, multi-colored lightning continued to flash between the storm clouds, yet still no rain fell.  

Without warning, directly in front of Rusty, a body tumbled from the sky, landing with a wet thump in the middle of the street, splattering a large area around it with a copious spray of thick, black sludge.  The creature was humanoid in shape, about seven feet tall, and possessed of overly long arms and legs, and a deformed, oblong head.  Its skin secreted more of the tar-like ooze, even as its body shuddered twice and then lay still.  This unfortunate creature seemed to only be the precursor of a full-fledged storm of falling bodies, as another dozen or so similar creatures began to tumble from the sky.  They simply appeared in the air at varying elevations, crashing down through roofs, glancing off statues and walls, or simply thudding down into the street like the first.  Unlike the initial victim, at least a few of these creatures seemed to have angrily survived their falls.  Four of them slowly climbed to their feet, and stared around in momentary confusion.  Then, their frog-like eyes fixed on the adventurers, and they began to snarl and howl, foam spraying from their mouths.  “Grimm,” Rusty said tiredly, “now I’ve seen everything.  It’s raining frogs.”  “Those aren’t frogs, my friend,” Grimm replied.  “They’re demodands…natives of Carceri.  I’ve run across their kind before.  They aren’t big on negotiating.”  To illustrate that point, the quartet of fiends charged headlong towards the group, ravening and slavering like rabid dogs. 

Kiko met the first one head on, dropping to the ground at the last minute, and sweeping his legs around in a wide arc, tripping the charging demodand, who went sprawling on its back.  As the monk attempted to leap to his feet, however, he found that his leg was stuck fast to the creature’s skin.  The tarry ooze appeared to have strong adhesive properties.  

Grimm moved to intercept another of the fiends, and as he approached, the demodand began to hiss and spit as its flesh sizzled from exposure to the celestial light of the half-ogre’s armor.  As the creature recoiled, Grimm’s chain bit deeply into its smoking hide.

“You know the drill,” Dalthon instructed, as he stood back-to-back with Gunther.  “On my mark.”  As a third demodand hurled itself forward, the two spell-casters unleashed a bombardment of scorching magic missiles.  

Kiko and his opponent rolled over and over across the cobblestones, a tangled mass of flailing arms and legs.  Though the raging monster’s claws and teeth were razor sharp, the monk was a blur of precise blocks and strikes.  Again and again he found his target’s vital spots, and it wasn’t long before the fiend ceased its struggles, and Kiko was finally able to wrench himself free from its oozing skin.

Grimm’s celestial brilliance continued to roast his enemy, and the fiend found itself unable to bring an effective offense to bear.  As it writhed and screamed on the ground, Rusty ended its agony with a solid hammer-strike to its skull.  Grimm immediately turned his attention to the remaining two demodands.  The one Gunther and Dalthon had enspelled was still reeling from the assault when the half-ogre reached it and quickly dispatched it.  The remaining one managed to unleash a green ray of magical energy at Grimm before he could close with it.  Instantly, the planar champion felt weak, his strength seeming to ebb, yet he had more than enough fortitude left in his sinews to snap the demodand’s neck with a flurry of strikes from his chain.
________________________________________________

“What in the Abyss just happened here?” Rusty demanded, kicking angrily at one of the dead demodands, then cursing roundly when his boot stuck to its tarry hide.  
“I told you,” Grimm said calmly, “they’re demodands.  They are native to Carceri.  Isn’t it obvious?  The Cagewrights have begun the Ritual of Planar Junction.  They are trying to open a permanent portal.  That’s why the volcano has awakened.”
“A perceptive deduction, my half-breed friend,” Gunther nodded enthusiastically, oblivious to Grimm’s glare at the term ‘half-breed.’  “Equally obvious is the fact that the ritual is not yet completed.  The juxtaposition is still unstable.  How else do you explain these random appearances?  No, we still have time…but not much, I fear.”
“Maybe even less than that,” Rusty growled.  “Look!”  The dwarf pointed at the sky above a nearby rooftop.  An immensely obese creature was flying in lazy circles there on bat-like wings that seemed to small to effectively support its bulk.  Its leathery skin was knobbed, rough, and coated with a pale, green slime.  Its bloated face was demonic and hateful.  A crowd of cowering civilians huddled below the circling monster as it barked out orders in a thick, phlegmatic voice.  The townsfolk rooted through the rubble of a fallen building, placing stones atop each other as if building some sort of structure.

“What in the Abyss is going on here?” Rusty roared again, this time at the massed citizenry.  “What are you people doing?  Get yer collective arses in gear and hightail it for the gates!  Now!”  The frightened villagers stared wide-eyed at the dwarf, then shifted their gazes to the flying demon above them, obviously unsure of which was the more fearsome.  
“You there!” the demonic being shouted as he spotted Rusty and his companions.  “Get to work!  Start toting those stones!”  The Bright Axes glared up at the demodand, fingering their weapons meaningfully.  “So,” the overseer sneered, “troublemakers, is it?  Well, we have ways of dealing with troublemakers.”  The fat fiend waved its hands in wide circles above its head, and in a bright flash of light, two more of the foul creatures materialized out of thin air.  

“Let’s make this quick!” Rusty shouted to his comrades.  “Jenya promised me a pint when we finished our work here!”  Booming out a prayer to his patron, the old priest called upon her holy power to smite the trio of fiends.  All three reeled from the power of the divine force, and as they struggled to regain their senses, Grimm leaped into the air, aided by Gunther’s _fly_ spell.  He charged the original demodand, recognizing it and its reinforcements as kelubars, a breed of fiend that was found in a leadership position over the more unreliable farastus.  Grimm dealt the fiend a withering blow, sending a huge gout of its ichorish blood pouring to the ground.  The creature howled in pain, but instantly a cruel, calculating look came over its toadish face.  Gesturing again, it conjured up a cloud of thick, acrid vapor that surrounded the cowering townsfolk.  Immediately, screams came from within the dense fog, as drops of acid embedded in the mist began eating into their exposed flesh.  Simultaneously, one of the summoned kelubars conjured a second _acid fog _ cloud, this time to envelop the Bright Axes.  Grimm watched as his friends were engulfed, all save Tilly, who managed to roll free of the deadly cloud at the last instant.  The little rogue did not stay free for long, however.  The final demodand added his magic to that of his kin, sealing Tilly and Grimm both in a third acid fog.  Not only did the vapor burn Grimm’s flesh, but it also thickened and coagulated about him, restricting his movements severely.  The kelubars were not so hindered.  The very nature of their demonic heritage rendered them immune to the effects of their own magic.  They moved freely into the mist, ignoring its acidic burn.  Beams of green energy shot from their hands, striking Rusty and Gunther, sapping their strength.  One of them moved in close to Gunther, and began slashing at the theurge with claws and dripping fangs.  

Suddenly, as quickly as they had appeared, all three fog clouds vanished.  Dalthon, thinking quickly, had managed to weave one spell of dispelling over the magical mists, removing them all in one swoop.  Kiko sprang into action, leaping upon the nearest Kelubar, and pummeling it mercilessly, ignoring the pain in his hands as they struck the acidic slime covering the fiend’s skin.  Though the monk’s blows did severe damage to the monster, it was the magical hammer of force that Rusty conjured above its skull that ultimately ended its threat.  

The second kelubar found itself under assault from a steady stream of bolts from Tilly’s crossbow.  Normally, the demodand would have laughed off such a pathetic attack, but as each missile sank into its doughy flesh, it burned like a brand.  The cursed things were blessed!  Realizing its danger, the fiend struggled to gain altitude, but a pair of the holy bolts ripped through the leathery skin of its wings, and it plummeted to the ground, snapping its neck with a sickly crack.

The last of the fiends was dispatched by Rusty as he followed Dalthon’s example and dispelled the magic that had summoned the beast, sending it back to its home in Carceri.


----------



## Funeris

Nice update JollyDoc..full of suspense, action, and stupid townsfolk manipulated by evil...what more can you ask for?


----------



## R-Hero

Great update.........................Hurry up and get to Ike.



Seriously, I really like how you described the combat with the 'mob' and just how aggravating it was to player and character alike.

The "Oh my god, they killed Dalthon" parley at the start.  Shows how you can get used to anything if you do it often enough.
 Also how one tracked mind Jenya and Co. was.  _"Hi Dalthon, we just wrested your immortal soul from the awaiting gods in the afterlife, but we need you to un-butt that cot now and get back to work." _ 


Great update, but hurry up and get to Ike.


----------



## JollyDoc

Funeris said:
			
		

> Nice update JollyDoc..full of suspense, action, and stupid townsfolk manipulated by evil...what more can you ask for?




Welcome Funeris, and thanks for the commentary!  As you will see, the Bright Axes will continue to take flack from those they are sworn to protect.


----------



## JollyDoc

R-Hero said:
			
		

> Great update.........................Hurry up and get to Ike.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Great update, but hurry up and get to Ike.





Never fear!  Ike's debut is on the near horizon, but first we'll have to deal with...Hooknose' Revenge!!!


----------



## gfunk

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Never fear! Ike's debut is on the near horizon, but first we'll have to deal with...Hooknose' Revenge!!!



 Don't you mean Gfunk's revenge?


----------



## Myconid Sage

Nice update as usual. Thanks


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Welcome Funeris, and thanks for the commentary!  As you will see, the Bright Axes will continue to take flack from those they are sworn to protect.



 Great job, JD! I especially liked your inclusion of Keygan Ghelve as mob leader. Pez really did give him a hard time...


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Great job, JD! I especially liked your inclusion of Keygan Ghelve as mob leader. Pez really did give him a hard time...





Yeah, but IMO, the little rat deserved it.  I never saw him as the hapless victim that he was portrayed in the adventure path.  He's like a bad penny...just keeps turning up.


----------



## JollyDoc

FOUNDATION OF FLAME PART 4:  HOOKFACE’ REVENGE

Hookface crouched on the mountaintop above her lair, gazing out over the heights towards the lurid glow in the distance.  She had felt the tremors several hours ago, and now it seemed as if a full-scale eruption was eminent.  She knew for a fact that the mountain had lain dormant for over three hundred years.  For it suddenly to awaken like this, and reach its current point of activity was not natural.  Not that the dragon particularly cared about the impending destruction of Cauldron, but all the noise was interrupting her rest.  Still, there was a bright side to this.  Now the city would be empty, and ripe for the plundering.  Furthermore, the old hermit had told her, albeit after extensive ‘interrogation,’ that the adventurers responsible for the death of her son, Gotrrod, had come from Cauldron.  Again, she wasn’t particularly saddened about her offspring…once the little ingrates left her lair they were no longer her concern as long as they stayed out of her territory…but there was a principle involved.  After all, how would it look to others of her kind is she simply allowed her children to be slaughtered like cattle, unless of course it was her doing the slaughtering?  So it seemed she would be able to kill two birds with this particular stone.  She spread her great wings and took to the sky, smiling to herself at the prospect of gold and blood.
_________________________________________________

The Bright Axes had made their way out of the city and to the safe house Jenya had procured as a staging headquarters for the evacuation.  Cauldron had been completely emptied of its populace, and now they were encamped near the base of the volcano, preparing to depart at first light towards the safety of Redgorge.  The heroes had given their report to the high priestess, and were preparing themselves for a short, but much needed rest.  The weary adventurers felt secure in their surroundings, and so posted no watch, contrary to their usual habit of late.  So it was, that in the deepest part of the night, they were all awakened by a soft, blue light suddenly flooding the darkness of their room.  All of the seasoned warriors were on their feet in an instant, weapons at hand, suspecting some foul, new attack on the part of the Cage Wrights.  They were therefore taken completely aback by the sight that greeted them.  Standing in the center of the room was a tall being, with green skin and a shaved head.  Great feathered, white wings lay folded against his back, and he wore robes of the purest ivory.  He clasped a golden horn in one hand, and when he turned to regard each of them, they could see that in place of one eye, there was a glowing red orb, which constantly trickled a thin stream of acrid smoke.  “Hello my old friends,” the creature said in a voice like silver rain.  “Do not fear me, for I am one who was once known to you and called you all allies.  I am he who was Pez, and also Caine, and I return to you now with tidings, and a gift.”  “Pez?”  Rusty exclaimed in an uncharacteristically husky voice.  “Is it really you lad?”  “Caine?” Grimm asked.  “How can this be?”  “Be at peace,” the archon replied.  “There was a time when I dishonored the celestial host, and it was deemed that I should suffer penance for my transgression.  As the one you knew as Pez, I was sent here to live as a mortal, so that I might learn humility.  That was but the first lesson.  The next was compassion, and so I came to you once more as Caine, to teach you that violence and death are not the only path to victory.  Now I am redeemed, and have once again taken my place among my brothers.  Yet I find that I cannot put aside the bonds that I forged when I walked this earth.  I have watched you and witnessed the great things you have accomplished, and I also have foreseen the path that still lies ahead of you.  You have yet to face your greatest challenges, and much sorrow will be visited upon you.  It is with sadness that I say I cannot directly aid you along this road, but there is one need that I may fulfill.  When we journeyed to Occipitus together, it was I who took the mark of the Smoking Eye.  However, if you are to have any hope of seeing your quest through to its conclusion, one of you must now bear it.  Grimm, you tried to take this burden from me at the Skull, and it cost you dearly.  Now I give to you that which you would willingly have received.”  The archon approached Grimm, and the half-ogre knelt before him.  Placing one hand upon the warrior’s head, the celestial closed both of his eyes.  A moment later, when he opened them, they were both of the purest blue once more.  When Grimm raised his head, however, his left eye was gone, replaced by the mark of Occipitus.  “There is no more I can do for you, my friends,” the archon said.  “Go your way and know that what you seek to do has greater ramifications than you can imagine.  Heaven and Hell will pay close heed.”  With that, the angel vanished, leaving the room in darkness once again, save for the glow from a single, red eye.
__________________________________________________

It was the great sage Dalthon who once said, there is no rest for the weary.  Truer words had never been spoken, and with the coming of dawn, the Bright Axes continued to learn that lesson.  A frantic pounding on the door by one of Jenya’s acolytes awakened them.  “My lords!” the boy babbled.  “You are summoned!  Come now, and hurry!”  Muttering and cursing, the company collected their gear and followed the young cleric to the rooftop widow’s walk of the manor house.  There, they found Jenya staring intently towards Cauldron.  “What’s so fascinatin’ at this ungodly hour?” Rusty asked sarcastically.  “There,” she replied, pointing.  At first the group could not see what she was indicating.  Dark clouds and flashes of energy still enveloped the city, making it difficult to discern any details, but then one particularly bright explosion revealed the circling form of a huge dragon over the central lake.  “She’s been there since before dawn,” Jenya said.  “The sentries first spied her as she was setting fire to some of the buildings that were still intact.”  “She?” Kiko asked.  “Yes,” said Jenya.  “I believe it is Hookface, a dragon rumored to have lived in this area for centuries.  She has not been seen nor heard from in decades, and many now believe her to be a myth.  They are obviously mistaken.”  “I’d say so,” Rusty replied, “and it looks like that myth is headed this way.”
__________________________________________________

Hookface was disappointed.  She had been circling the city for hours now, and had found no sign of treasure.  The city was empty, and most likely all the magic had been taken by the evacuees.  She had noticed the refugee encampment on the way in, but had paid it little heed, thinking the larger haul would be found within Cauldron itself.  Now she began winging her way towards the base of the volcano, using her keen senses to detect the taint of magic below.  As she approached a large outlying estate, she instantly felt the familiar tingling that told her a large stock of magic was nearby.  She pinpointed the area to the rooftop of the manor house, where she could see a group of humans gathered.  Only adventurers tended to carry such a large supply of magic on their persons.  Could she be so fortunate as to have found Gotrrod’s killers as well?  Tiamat be praised!
_____________________________________________________

“Take cover!” Rusty cried, but it was too late.  The great wyrm deftly turned on one wing and raked the entire roof of the manor with its fiery breath.  As the Bright Axes and Jenya scattered, the dragon soared directly over them, snatching Kiko with one mighty claw as she passed.  Grimm leaped to his feet and ran for the edge of the roof as Hookface retreated.  With all his formidable strength, he snapped his chain out directly in front of the dragon’s face as she flew by.  With a roar of surprise, Hookface back-winged abruptly, coming to a stop in mid-air.  Grimm wasted no time, lashing out at her twice more, going for the kill this time.  Kiko used the momentary distraction to gather his ki to him and step between dimensions to the relative safety of the ground below.  Bellowing in anger, Hookface lashed her tree-like tail behind her, sweeping Grimm off his feet.  She beat her wings furiously, struggling to regain altitude and come around for another attack.  As she circled above the rooftop, Gunther managed to get off one spell, blasting her from behind with _searing light_.  “Get below!” Grimm shouted.  “All of you!”  Quickly, Jenya, Tilly, Gunther, and Dalthon, followed closely by Grimm, descended the stairs back inside the manor house.  Once below, Jenya wove a spell of healing over them all, soothing the worst of their burns.  “Dalthon,” Grimm said once he’d caught his breath.  “I need to be able to fly.”  The sorcerer readily obliged, casting the spell upon the half-ogre.  “This might help too,” Gunther offered, weaving a charm of prolonged invisibility on Grimm as well.

Back on the rooftop, one of the Bright Axes had remained behind.  Rusty knew he had to cover the retreat of his comrades to safety.  Hookface was coming around for another attack, and Rusty attempted his own _searing light _ as she drew near.  However, despite his long battle experience, he found himself unnerved at the wyrm’s approach, and his shot went wide of the mark.  As he struggled to call up another spell, the dragon fell upon him, grabbing him with her forepaw and carrying him into the air.  

At that moment, Grimm reached the roof once more.  Leaping into the air, he struggled to close the distance between himself and the dragon, hoping his invisibility would mask his approach.  “I smell you, little worm,” the dragon hissed, coiling her neck to peer behind her.  “Your parlor tricks do not impress me.”  “Well, what’dya think of this one?” Rusty shouted, as his right arm suddenly morphed into a gleaming, razor sharp blade…the aspect of a sword archon!

Tilly availed himself of one of Dalthon’s fly charms, and quickly bolted back to the roof, pausing only to invoke the power of the ring he wore to render himself invisible.  On the ground below, Kiko also took flight, using the winged boots he had come to love so well.

“You might impress me more dwarf if I actually gave you a chance to bring that pig-sticker to bear!” Hookface cackled, and then she tightened her grip around the priest, squeezing the breath from his lungs.  At the same time, she beat her mighty wings, easily outdistancing Grimm as she flew back towards the city.  Rusty gasped and wheezed as he tried desperately to draw air.  Blindly, he thrust his sword arm at the dragon, and felt it sink deeply into her hide.  Hookface screamed, and squeezed harder.  Rusty felt his sight grow dim.  Behind her, Hookface saw that two more of the adventurers were now airborne, and pursuing her.  She could still sense the invisible half-ogre as well.  Though no sorcerer, she had learned a few tricks in her long years.  Calling upon her innate magic, she willed herself to become invisible, and before the startled eyes of Kiko and Tilly, the huge beast simply vanished.  Kiko cried out in rage, and charged ahead towards the last place he had seen the dragon.  No sooner had he reached the spot, than he was thrown back several yards as Hookface’ invisible tail smashed into him.  Hookface laughed at this game she was enjoying so thoroughly.  How wonderful it was to experience the thrill of the kill once more.  Confident in her ability to best these so-called adventurers, she plunged towards the street with Rusty, landing in the middle of a large square.  

Gunther and Dalthon watched the aerial battle from the manor roof.  “We’ve got to do something,” Gunther said grimly.  “I can’t just stand her and watch Rusty die.”  Without another word, the theurge hurled himself over the side of the roof, and gently drifted to the ground below, thanks to the enchanted, levitating boots that he wore.  He then set off towards the city gate at a steady trot.  Dalthon shook his head, praying to all the gods to keep fools safe.  He then cast a fly spell on himself and took to the air.

Grimm had no problem seeing Hookface.  The half-ogre’s extensive training in extra-planar combat had given him the ability to see invisible creatures at will.  He charged the dragon at full speed, laying into her with all his power.  Though his blows were telling, the wyrm kept her back turned to him.  “I’ll deal with you in a moment, fool!” she cried, and then with snapping jaws and rending claws, she tore into Rusty.  The priest fought back feebly, before lapsing into death-like stillness.  Satisfied, Hookface cast his body aside, then turned towards Grimm.

Gunther cried out in anguish from a nearby alleyway as he saw Rusty’s limp form strike the cobblestones.  Knowing the dragon was still in the area, the theurge layered the entire square with a dispelling field.  Instantaneously, the massive wyrm appeared.  Tilly had been hovering above the square, waiting for the right opportunity.  He now saw his chance, and darted in towards the dragon’s flank.  Hookface was a clever opponent, however, and as she sensed the halfling approaching, she struck out, snatching him from the air with her scythe-like jaws and shaking him like a dog with a bone.  At that same moment, Grimm lashed out again, landing blow after withering blow.  Kiko, somewhat recovered from the beating he had taken, moved in as well, trying to draw the dragon’s attention and goad her into releasing the hapless halfling.  Then, from above, a heavy barrage of magic missiles bombarded Hookface as Dalthon joined the fray.  Enraged, Hookface unleashed her fiery breath once more.  Tilly, still trapped in her mouth, took the full brunt of the blast.  His death was instantaneous.  Kiko and Gunther also felt the flames upon them, and then Kiko found himself once more sailing thru the air as Hookface’ tail batted him aside like a fly.  The great dragon knew she was mortally wounded, but she intended to take every last one of these creatures to Hell with her.  Further opportunity was denied her, though, as one last time, Grimm’s devastating chain bit into her.  She crashed to the ground with the impact of a small earthquake, her legend finally at and end.
___________________________________________________

Gunther breathed a brief sigh of relief when he saw that Rusty still lived, and then he hurried to what was left of Tilly.  Praying he was not too late, he cast his spell of r_evivify_.  Immediately, the halfling’s flesh began to regenerate and heal, and in moments his eyes opened and he breathed once more.  The Bright Axes all smiled despite their injuries.  Once again, their people had been saved by their hands.  Perhaps things would be all right after all.  None of them, however, saw the yawning portal that suddenly appeared behind them.  As it expanded, it engulfed them all in one fell swoop, and then vanished as quickly as it had come, taking the heroes with it…


----------



## LordVyreth

Did you guys run another side-quest after this adventure?  I don't remember the portal thing, but I could be mistaken.

Actually, that dragon did not seem as bad as you made it out to be before.  Only one PK, and it was reversed with a revivify.  Course, I have no idea where you guys were at hp-wise in the end.

Edit: Fixed the use of negatives.


----------



## R-Hero

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Did you guys run another side-quest after this adventure?  I don't remember the portal thing, but I could be mistaken.




_None of them, however, saw the yawning portal that suddenly appeared behind them. As it expanded, it engulfed them all in one fell swoop, and then vanished as quickly as it had come,_ *taking the heroes with it…*

Yup...There was a side adventure that eventually led to the "Lord o' Iron Fortress."


----------



## gfunk

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Actually, that dragon did *NOT* seem as bad as you made it out to be before. Only one PK, and it was reversed with a revivify. Course, I have no idea where you guys were at hp-wise in the end.




 Heh, corrected it for you.  Yep, I could've just grabbed one PC at a time, flown miles away, mauled him and come back for one more.  But doesn't make for fun gaming.

 Thanks for the quick "double-update" JD, it was much appreciated!


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Did you guys run another side-quest after this adventure?  I don't remember the portal thing, but I could be mistaken.
> 
> Actually, that dragon did not seem as bad as you made it out to be before.  Only one PK, and it was reversed with a revivify.  Course, I have no idea where you guys were at hp-wise in the end.
> 
> Edit: Fixed the use of negatives.




Depends on your point of view.  Tilly was killed.  Rusty was taken down.  Jenya had to use a mass healing for all the others after the first attack from Hookface, and later during the combat, several of the party members had to make repeated trips back to her for more healing (not chronicled...it would have gotten repetitive).  So, more a grueling fight, than a fatal one, though as G mentioned it could have been the other way, with Hookface snatching a PC, carrying him away and killing him, then returning to rinse and repeat.  Not much fun for the party that way though.

As for the side treck, yes there was one to give the PC's xp enough to be sufficient level for Thirteen Cages.  It will not be chronicled in detail, though.  I plan to summarize it, but in a way that blends with the story.  Stay tuned!


----------



## JollyDoc

INTERLUDE:  STRANGERS IN STRANGE LANDS

Ikon Daywalker arrived in Cauldron at the worst possible time.  It seemed that the entire city was literally going to Hell in a hand basket.  He had passed a refugee camp full of evacuees on the way up the main road and had been told that the volcano had become active the day before and was in danger of imminent eruption.  The big warrior shook his head.  Why should the end of his journey be any easier than the beginning?
______________________________________________

Ikon was adopted as an infant by a high clerist of Kelemvor named Caderon Daywalker.  The priest had stumbled upon the babe during an assault on a rival temple of Umberlee, saving the newborn from sacrifice by the priestesses of the Queen of the Deeps.  Caderon had not immediately known what race the infant came from, but he was obviously not human.  His skin was the color of stone, and tough like leather, and his entire body was hairless.  Nevertheless, Caderon knew that the child was now his responsibility, and he took him to raise with his own family.

Young Ikon grew to monstrous proportions in a very short time.  He quickly outsized his adoptive older brother, Kylon, while they were still in their early teens.  Caderon started knighthood training for the two boys at about this same time.  Kylon took to the discipline with ease, and understood the chivalric code as if he’d been born to it.  Ikon was not a quick learner, and he would inevitably resort to brute strength rather than tactics.  While he understood the concept of fair play, he was never quite convinced that an enemy should be given this courtesy.  In fact, Ikon’s idea of a warning shot was to aim for his opponent’s thigh rather than his heart.  

After completing his training in arms and combat, Ikon took to wandering the countryside, pitting his skills against any challengers.  One day, while stalking a large elk in the high mountain passes, he came across a hidden cave.  Inside, he was astonished to discover an unconscious being that looked remarkably similar to himself.  As he worked at freeing the creature from the chains that bound him, he was surprised by the arrival of the hill giant occupant of the cave.  Ikon made short work of the brute, and then freed his captive.  The creature was equally amazed at seeing Ikon, and even more so when he discovered the warrior knew nothing of his race or his origins.  As it turned out, Ike was a goliath, a race of mountain dwelling giant-cousins.  However, the goliaths and the giants were bitter enemies, due to the fact that the latter frequently made slaves of the former.  Ike returned with the rescued goliath to his home clan, and there was immersed in the full culture of his people.  In time, he was given a goliath name, Ganguokia Elaoinlimu, and was trained as a goliath liberator, a warrior adept in the arts of battling giants in order to free his captured brethren.

Years passed, and Ike divided his time among his adoptive people, and his blood kin.  His brother Kylon fully embraced the teachings of the church of Kelemvor as a holy paladin, and left home to pursue his duties to his religion.  Then, a day came when Caderon lay on his deathbed.  As his last testament, he left his lands in Ike’s care, but willed his holy sword to Kylon.  His final request was that Ike find his brother and deliver the sword.  Ike did not hesitate in undertaking the journey, and his quest ultimately led him to the Turmish, and the city of Alaghon.  There, however, he was given more tragic news.  It seemed that Kylon had been sent to a small, frontier town called Cauldron.  The local church of Kelemvor there had become corrupt, and the older Daywalker was assigned to set matters straight.  Sadly, the paladin was killed in the line of duty, and his remains were interred in the church, whose evil had been rooted out by Kylon and a group of allies called the Bright Axes.  Once again, Ike knew his own duty.  Guessing his father’s wishes, he left the holy sword in the care of the temple, but resolved to go to Cauldron and retrieve his brother, so that he might take him home, and there lay him to rest with his father.

And now here he was, at the end of his road, only to discover that the city was about to be consumed by a volcano.  A local priestess of Tyr seemed to be in charge of the evacuation, and she told Ike that another threat had struck the city just this morning.  A dragon had attacked, and the Bright Axes had been dispatched to deal with it.  The battle had carried over back into the abandoned town, and the adventurers had yet to be heard from.  Ike thanked the priestess, and said he would go on to Cauldron and lend what aid he could.  He had no difficulty finding the site of the conflict, since a huge, dead dragon was a hard thing to miss, but he saw no sign of the Bright Axes.  He was just about to continue his search, when beneath his feet, a brilliant portal of multicolored energy opened…
_______________________________________________________

Houshang stood in zulkir Trelame’s study, eager for the opportunity this meeting presented, yet at the same time wary of the danger involved.  The head of the Conjuration school was a difficult man to read.  He was known for being secretive and guarded, and his motivations were never what they seemed.  Houshang was an up and coming member of the academy, having reached his status as Red Wizard a full three years before his contemporaries, and now recently attaining the coveted title of Archmage.  And here he was, summoned before the most powerful zulkir in the academy.

The memory began to fade from the confused mage’s mind, as most of his thoughts did these days.  Only fleeting reminiscences of a life dimly remembered.  He recalled zulkir Trelame telling him of an ancient artifact called the Blade of Fiery Might, and how a warlord on the battle plane of Acheron was laboring to reforge it.  The warlord, Imperagon by name, had gone so far as to abduct the souls of some of the greatest smiths in history to aid him in his undertaking.  The Red Wizards, Trelame had informed him, were very interested in this artifact.  They wanted Imperagon to complete his work on it, but did not want to see it put to use by him.  Houshang was to journey to Acheron and retrieve the blade, and return it to Thay.  At the time, Houshang had instantly understood the duel nature of this quest.  On the one hand, it was an honor that he could not refuse, to undertake such a prestigious mission.  If he should succeed, his esteem and power would increase considerably.  On the other, it was a quest Trelame knew he had no hope of completing, and in assigning it, the zulkir would be ridding himself of a potential rival.  Houshang had been well and truly trapped.

Again, the memory faded.  Now Houshang vaguely recalled his arrival on the battle plane.  The _Plane Shift _ had brought him to Avalas, the first layer of Acheron.  Once there, he had planned to _teleport_ to Kolyoral, the supposed location of Imperagon’s iron fortress.  However, he quickly discovered that such travel was somehow blocked on that particular cube, and so he had to resort to more mundane means of travel, namely flying, to reach Imperagon’s domain.  Kolyoral itself was huge, a metal cube nearly one hundred miles on a side.  It was going to take Houshang days to find the iron fortress…and the cube was not uninhabited.  Though free from the endless battles that plagued other cube worlds on the battle plains, Kolyoral was still home to many diverse groups of creatures.  It was Houshang’s misfortune to stumble across one such group…formians.  The intelligent, ant-like creatures were not native to Acheron.  Their home plane was the clockwork realm of Mechanus, but they frequently brought their hive enclaves to other planes in attempts to colonize.  When Houshang came upon this colony on Kolyoral, he sought to use his great magical power to ‘convince’ the formians to aid him in his quest.  It was his thought that with a small army behind him, he might actually have a chance to succeed in his suicide mission.  But he underestimated his supposed slaves.  The formians were no stranger to the concept of slavery and thralldom themselves, and they often utilized ‘lesser’ creatures to do their manual work for them.  The myrmarchs of the formians were specially bred to be able to control the minds of other creatures, and when Houshang encountered his first group of them, their combined mental powers quickly overwhelmed him.  The great Red Wizard and Archmage came under the influence of the myrmarchs, and all memory of his origins and his mission began to fade…more and more each day.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

So Ike enters at last. And what's Househang's alignment, if I may ask?


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> So Ike enters at last. And what's Househang's alignment, if I may ask?




 Well since JD doesn't allow PCs into his campaign that start off with evil alignments, my guess is LN, TN, or CN. Houshang has the trappings of a "future Entropy" but none of the subtle machinations that made her so diabolical.  In the end, Ike stayed true to his mission, loyal to the memory of his brother and to the party as well.  As for Houshang, well, let's just say he got shanked by Entropy's familiar.  

  Nice update JD.  This is the part of the campaign that I didn't follow very well, so it's all new to me.


----------



## beer_motor

gfunk said:
			
		

> Well since JD doesn't allow PCs into his campaign that start off with evil alignments, my guess is LN, TN, or CN. Houshang has the trappings of a "future Entropy" but none of the subtle machinations that made her so diabolical.  In the end, Ike stayed true to his mission, loyal to the memory of his brother and to the party as well.  As for Houshang, well, let's just say he got shanked by Entropy's familiar.
> 
> Nice update JD.  This is the part of the campaign that I didn't follow very well, so it's all new to me.





Bah!  Houshang is a badass Transmuter (with a minor in Evocation) ... LN, yes - certainly not insane or evil like Entropy.  But then, gfunk is a real evil bastard in real life and I am a very nice, friendly hobbit.  So it fits!

Anyway - subtlety is not the realm of a guy who specializes in Disintigrate and Polymorph Any Object.  I think Transmuters are the very definition of overt.  I rather enjoyed it, I just wish I could teleport to and from the games on Sundays.  Maybe some day it will be possible.


----------



## gfunk

Just a friendly bump to resucitate this thread.

  And to say that our Eberron campaign has begun in earnest.  Joachim is DMing and the current party consists of:

  Halfling Rogue 3 ("Sol")
  Changeling Rogue 3 ("Ben")
  Warforged Figher 2 ("Bender")
  Were-touched Barbarian 2/Druid 1 ("Bango")
  Human Cleric 3 ("Talwyn")
  Human Shaper (Psion) 3 ("Escobar")

 2 of these characters are played by totally new players. The remaining 4 are played by me, JollyDoc, "Kiko's" player, and "Rusty's" player. Any guesses as to who's who?


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Is anyone going to do a story hour thread for the game?  I haven't played eberron yet, I'm curious.  Oh yes, and bump for this story.

GW


----------



## gfunk

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Is anyone going to do a story hour thread for the game?
> GW




 Not a chance.  We had a great time with the last two SHs but it takes up too much time unfortunately.  Shackled City will be our last hurrah . . .


----------



## LordVyreth

Well, it's a big group.  Maybe you can "encourage" one of the other players, like one of the new guys or Rusty or Kiko's players, to do it?  If you guys even contribute occasionally, it should still be pretty good.


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Well, it's a big group.  Maybe you can "encourage" one of the other players, like one of the new guys or Rusty or Kiko's players, to do it?  If you guys even contribute occasionally, it should still be pretty good.





Chin up, little camper.  It's probably going to take the better part of six months for me to complete this SH as it stands.


----------



## JollyDoc

INTERLUDE PART TWO:  ACHERON IS A NICE PLACE TO VISIT, BUT…

Jenya sat rubbing her temples at her desk in the temporary office she’d procured at the abandoned estate outside Cauldron.  Across from her, Rusty calmly blew the foam off his third mug of dwarven ale.  “Tell me again,” Jenya finally said, staring at the dwarf thru her interlocked fingers, “where exactly have you been for the past two months, and then explain once more, slowly, how that could possibly be, since I last saw you one hour ago.”  Rusty sighed, sitting his flagon down on the desktop.  He had already been thru this once, but he could understand the high priestess’ incredulity.  He wouldn’t believe such a tale himself if he hadn’t lived through it.  “Tell you what,” the old priest said, pulling his pipe and his tobacco pouch from his belt, “I’ll skip the details, and just hit the high points fer ya.  Maybe that’ll make it easier to get yer head around.  It all started after we killed the dragon…”

___________________________________________

“Before we knew what was happenin’, there was an explosion of color so bright it’d make yer head swim.  Then the noise started.  You’ve never heard such a commotion, not even in the busiest dwarven mine.  Clangin’ and bangin’ that just kept gettin’ louder and louder.  When the light finally faded, we found ourselves starin’ out over a landscape of cracked and fissured iron.  The sky was slate gray, and these giant cubes was floatin’ all thru it.  The bangin’ noise seemed to be comin’ from all around us.  Before we could gather our wits about us, we saw we weren’t alone.  Sittin’ on top’o one of the biggest, ugliest spiders you ever laid eyes on, was an honest-to-Hela drow elf!  Now, I ain’t never actually seen one of the devils, but I heard plenty, so I was quick to set fer another fight.  As it turned out, this particular drow lady wasn’t interested in scrappin’.  She said her name was Edylyn, and she was an emissary from a drow city right here in the Realms.  She was visitin’ some local warlord by the name of Imperagon, and was on her way back home.  When we asked her where in the nine Hells we were exactly, she told us Acheron, the Infernal Battlefield.  Well, that was disturbin’ enough, but we figured it wouldn’t be no problem gettin’ home, seein’ as how me and Gunther could Plane Shift.  She told us that was a negative, though.  Seems this Imperagon liked his privacy, and this particular cube-world we were on, Kolyoral, was his, and he’d rigged it so’s nobody could do any sort of extra dimensional travellin’ to it or on it.  We asked her how she was goin’ home, and she said she planned on flyin’ to a distant cube, then leavin’ from there.  She didn’t recommend we try it, though, as the skies were loaded with all sorts’o nasties, and the other cubes were just endless battlefields.  She did tell us that Imperagon kept a permanent Gate in his fortress on the far side’o the cube, and she was pretty sure it would take you wherever you wanted.  Before we let’er go, we asked her what sort of fella this Imperagon was, and would he be willin’ to let us use his portal.  She said not likely, mostly because he was workin’ on forgin’ some great artifact, and he’d managed to enslave the spirits of thousands of forgemasters to do it.  Nice, huh?”

“So, we took our leave of the drow lady, and set off across that blasted wasteland.  I’m here to tell you, that’s the last place in all the planes that I’d ever want to visit again.  No scenery to speak of, and plenty’o buggers wanderin’ around lookin’ fer their next meal.  After about a week of this, we stumbled right into the middle of battle.  It tweren’t one army against another, mind you, but a group of critters that looked like upright ants fightin’ a bunch’o two-legged frogs.  As it turned out, the first group were called formians.  The originally hail from Mechanus, but they’re spread out all over the place, lookin’ fer spots to settle new colonies.  Not a bad bunch, but sort’o single-minded, if you know what I mean.  They was squarin’ off against some slaad.  They come from Limbo, and they're nothing but a bunch of maraudin’ wrecking machines.  When we tried to break up the fight, the slaads turned on us.  It didn’t take long for us to mop the ground with’em, and the formians were pretty grateful.  That’s when we noticed the slave with’em, mainly cause he was human.  When we asked about him, they said we could have him in payment for our help.  That’s how we found Houshang.  The formians offered to take us to their colony and their queen were we could rest up a bit.  Course, things are never like you think they are, are they?  No sir.  That queen formian was grateful and all, but she wanted something more from us.  Her hive was bein’ hunted down by some monsters they called steel predators…sort of like metallic lions.  She told us if we was to get rid of these critters, she’d send some of her folk with us to guide us to Imperagon’s fortress.  We didn’t have much choice really, so we took her up on it, and ended up takin’ on the granddaddy o’all steel predators.  He gave us a run for our money, but we ain’t exactly new to this game, and we took care of business.”

“The queen was as good as her word, and she assigned the myrmarch…sort of a formian captain…that we rescued to be our guide.  He was a decent sort.  Called himself Glicknock-9.  We just called him niner.  It took about two weeks o’travellin’ across that blasted cube, and we had a run in with a pair o’blue dragons along the way, but we finally made it to the fortress.  It was quite the sight, made completely out’o metal plates bolted together, and a big cloud of smoke and steam hovered over it.  There was only one way in, and ole’ niner took his leave once he showed us.  Well, to make a long story short, Imperagon’s folks were none to hospitable.  He had a bunch’o them steel predators and quite a few steel golems hangin’ out as guards.  Not only that, but he was entertainin’ some clients as well.  It was a runnin’ battle from the time we hit the door.  We made our way thru the fortress, and eventually found the slave pit were they was keepin’ the forgemasters.  Their overseers were a bunch of flamin' boys straight from the plane’o fire itself.  We had a time with’em, cause they had some help from a few elementals, and one’o the biggest steel golems you’ve ever heard of.  Still and all, we put paid to’em.  We thought after that the forgemasters would be grateful, but when we told’em they were free they said they couldn’t be freed till they’d finished the artifact.  We asked’em what they were makin’, and they said it was a sword called the Blade of Fiery Might.  They said it had once been wielded by the Grand Sultan of the efreet himself against the djinn.  It was shattered at the end of that battle, and scattered across the multiverse.  Turns out that Imperagon managed to recover the fragments and had almost completed the reforging.  The forgemasters said that once it was finished, Imperagon planned to use its power to lead an army on an invasion of the prime material plane.  We asked’em how we could stop this from happenin, and they told us that if they blade was destroyed, they would be free.  Then they showed us the unfinished sword, and said that extreme cold could undo it.  Needless to say, we poured every bit of cold magic we could muster into that thing, and sure enough, it shattered like ice.  For some reason, Houshang didn’t seem too happy about that.  Anyway, the forgemasters were set free, but we still had to find Imperagon’s Gate.”

“We kept on searchin’ the place, and finally we found a throne room, complete with the Gate on the far side.  Sure enough, Imperagon was there, and he wasn’t alone.  The warlord himself was a cross between a dragon, and a dwarf, if you can imagine!  With him were a few more steel predators, a horned devil from the nine hells, and of all things, a celestial archon, who’d apparently turned his back on the Bright Lands.  They were none-to-happy about us breakin’ their sword, and they meant to let us know about it.  It was touch-and-go for a while there, and Gunther had to dole out a couple of his Revivify spells.  Imperagon’s bunch almost had the best of us, when all of a sudden, from out of the Gate, out stepped Ikon!  You met him earlier, right?  Well, I’m here to tell ya that boy can sure swing a sword!  He laid into those scoundrels, and before long the tide turned.  We finished that business, made introductions all around, then stepped thru the Gate…and here we are!”

___________________________________________________

Jenya sat back in her chair, and shook her head incredulously.  “I still don’t know what to make of it,” she said, “but you’re here now, and you’re safe, and you have new allies to help you.  Though I haven’t had near the adventures that you have, I’ve still been able to gather some further information for you.  We know that the organization responsible for this catastrophe are the Cagewrights.  They seek to turn Cauldron into the site of a permanent portal to Carceri, the home plane of their demodand masters.  Their sign is called the Carcerian Eye, and as you now know, Lord Orbius Vhalantru was in league with this group.  The tremors are the result of a ritual the Cagewrights are performing to achieve this end.  It seems they have found a way to harness the latent power of the volcano to open the portal to Carceri.  Judging by the fact that the volcano’s activity has so far been relatively calm, as far as volcanic eruptions go, I believe that the majority of the volcano’s energy is being siphoned into some sort of focus to power the final creation of the portal.  I don’t know how much longer the Cagewrights need, but every second wasted is a second closer to Cauldron’s doom.  Fortunately, not all is yet lost.  You still have a chance to put a stop to their plans, but alas, I know not how much time you have left.  My divinations have uncovered the approximate location of where the Cagewrights are performing their ritual; deep under Cauldron near the volcano’s core in a magically reinforced stronghold built to withstand the volcano’s activity.  Alas, these same magical reinforcements prevent direct observation or divination about it or its contents, as well as block teleportation magic.  Yet you cannot let this stop you; if they complete their ritual, we can’t get the citizens of Cauldron far enough away in time to avoid an unspeakable doom!  I’ve been able to determine which of the lava tubes gives the most direct route to the proximity of their stronghold, an can supply you with the last of the Church’s healing stores, but beyond that, Cauldron’s fate is in your hands.  There should be time for you to rest and recover, but don’t tarry much longer.  Once you embark on this quest, I doubt you’ll have the chance to rest again until its resolved, so make sure to watch your resources closely!”  Rusty sighed and shook his head, rising slowly to his feet.  “You know,” he said, “once upon a time I thought that when I was an old man, I’d be able to sit back with my grandkids at my feet and tell’em tall tales of all the adventures I’d had during my life.  I don’t see that time happenin’ Jenya, but maybe some day, you can tell’em for me.”  With that, the old dwarf left the room and the mansion, and made his way back to his friends to break the news.


----------



## gfunk

Very fine job JD!  The first-person perspective was a novel and interesting change of pace.  Maybe you should do the next update from Entropy's perspective.


----------



## R-Hero

Very good story telling from Rustys perspective.  I wanted to pop open a cold frosty beverege myself and sit in on the story tellin'..


----------



## beer_motor

Hrmm... didn't Ikon swing a hammer?  Tee hee ...

When are you turkeys going to relocate to Atlanta and play D&D here??


----------



## JollyDoc

beer_motor said:
			
		

> Hrmm... didn't Ikon swing a hammer?  Tee hee ...
> 
> When are you turkeys going to relocate to Atlanta and play D&D here??





Hammer, sword...as long as skulls were cracked, what's the difference?

They play D&D in Atlanta?


----------



## beer_motor

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Hammer, sword...as long as skulls were cracked, what's the difference?
> 
> They play D&D in Atlanta?




 

Actually, looks like I may be joining an OD&D (1974 edition) group that I found off the En World boards.  It would be cool to see at least some out-of-character discussion of your guys's Eberron game.  I like the BANGO SKANK name, btw.      I can see how you'd want to get away from doing a StoryHour, but at least some bragging rights/rundown discussion would be fun to lurk on, somewhere here.  Also, I may drop by this coming Sunday for an hour or two, just to say hi and pick up my dice and Manual of the Planes.


----------



## R-Hero

beer_motor said:
			
		

> Hrmm... didn't Ikon swing a hammer?  Tee hee ...
> 
> When are you turkeys going to relocate to Atlanta and play D&D here??





Whew, I'm glad something was said.

Ike was getting fidgety, but didn't want to speak out aganst Rusty.........


----------



## Nightingale 7

Great storytelling JD!It really brought out the dwarven point of view of Rusty.On the other hand,I'm sad to hear that you won't be SHing the Eberron adventure.I like this campaign world very much,and would like to see your crew walk through the Mournland!  .
And Gfunk,you're playing too?I knew you couldn't last for long without your D&D fix!  
I'll take your challenge about the who's who:
I'm betting you're the Psion,as it's the most apparently twinked build and I seem to recall a few statements of yours in some thread about how sick a Shaper can become.Your playing a primary caster must have spurred Jollydoc to play the cleric.Having witnessed the Entropy-Joachim crisis from the other side of the screen,he may think that Joachim will cut him some slack now that he's DMing.  
Spending so much time as a mobile-high dex type of combatant,Kiko's player must have opted to play the tank this time around,so I think he's either the WF or the WereTouched barbarian.
A dwarven cleric is as far from stealthy as humanly possible,so there's a big chance that he's the Changeling rogue this time around.

So...How close did I fall?


----------



## JollyDoc

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> Great storytelling JD!It really brought out the dwarven point of view of Rusty.On the other hand,I'm sad to hear that you won't be SHing the Eberron adventure.I like this campaign world very much,and would like to see your crew walk through the Mournland!  .
> And Gfunk,you're playing too?I knew you couldn't last for long without your D&D fix!
> I'll take your challenge about the who's who:
> I'm betting you're the Psion,as it's the most apparently twinked build and I seem to recall a few statements of yours in some thread about how sick a Shaper can become.Your playing a primary caster must have spurred Jollydoc to play the cleric.Having witnessed the Entropy-Joachim crisis from the other side of the screen,he may think that Joachim will cut him some slack now that he's DMing.
> Spending so much time as a mobile-high dex type of combatant,Kiko's player must have opted to play the tank this time around,so I think he's either the WF or the WereTouched barbarian.
> A dwarven cleric is as far from stealthy as humanly possible,so there's a big chance that he's the Changeling rogue this time around.
> 
> So...How close did I fall?




Thanks for the input NG!  Funny you should mention the Mournland, as our group just finished up a jaunt there.  You were of course right on the first count.  Gfunk is indeed the scion, and a more powergamed 4th level character you will not find.  Sadly, you missed out on the other guesses.  I am playing the shifter...so far Barbarian 2/Druid2.  He started out as neutral, but if you can believe it, I'm taking him exalted!  He is now NG, and making a bee-line towards Lion of Talisid prestige class.  Brian, aka Rusty, is playing the changeling thief.  He always was a rogue at heart(so you were also right on that guess).  Ricky, aka Kiko, has taken on the cleric role.  We also have a couple of new players.  One is playing a halfling rogue (who has now taken levels in mage), and the other started out as a ranger...died...then took on the warforged role, which I'm sorry to say also died this past week.


----------



## JollyDoc

THIRTEEN CAGES

Houshang paced nervously in the anteroom outside zulkir Trelame’s office.  The shards of the destroyed artifact clinked in the bag he clutched.  Though the Bright Axes had surely saved his life, he considered the debt paid in full due to the assistance he had provided them while storming Imperagon’s stronghold.  He had hastily explained that he must return to his home and had bade them an unceremonious goodbye.  The fools had not even noticed that he had managed to recover the remnants of the Blade of Fiery Might, for all the good it would do him.  In truth, his life was probably still forfeit.  He had held out hope that his long absence would convince his superiors that he had died as expected on the suicide mission.  Now, having realized that only a few days had passed on the Prime, he knew they would be looking for him, and expecting a full report on his success or failure.  The only sliver of redemption was that they would accept the remains of the artifact for study and perhaps be able to reforge it some day.  At that moment, Trelame’s door opened on its own accord.  Houshang gathered what dignity he could muster and strode confidently into the inner office.  Trelame didn’t look up from the scroll he was penning.  “I’ve read your full report, so you needn’t bore me with further details,” the zulkir said without preamble.  He waved towards a table in the corner of the room.  “Put the shards there.  I’ll examine them later.”  Finally, he raised his cold, blue eyes to Houshang’s.  “Now, tell me everything you know about the Cagewrights…”

_____________________________________________________________________________-

A monstrous gate of black metal blocked further progress along the smooth, volcanic tunnel.  The Bright Axes had hiked for two hours, deep into the bowels of the volcano before reaching the barrier.  Rusty estimated that they had traveled at least four miles into the earth.  Fully fifteen feet high and eight feet wide, the gate was emblazoned with a symbol the adventurers had come to know as the Carcerian Eye…the symbol of the Cagewrights.  A twisted, leering visage sculpted from the same metal as the gates adorned the lintel above the portal.  The face seemed both calm and entirely insane, if such a thing were possible, and its race or gender was indeterminate.  Its glowering eyes were also carved in the symbol of Carceri.  

“Looks like this is the place,” Rusty said with a smirk.  “They ain’t exactly tryin’ to hide their politics, are they?”
“Well,” Tilly replied, hitching up his belt, “let’s see if anyone’s home.”  The little rogue turned the plain silver band on his finger once, and vanished from sight.  He began creeping forward, as silent as a whisper, until he was within twenty feet of the gates.  At that moment, some sixth sense warned him of danger, and he quickly rolled to his right as a beam of green light lanced from the left eye of the carving above the doorway.  Where he’d been crouching an instant before, there was a large, smoking crater in the floor.  Suddenly, the right eye began to glow, and Tilly dove into a forward roll as a second beam struck.  He was now at the base of the gate, and he quickly began to scrabble up the doorframe until he was level with the demonic visage.  Without hesitation he used his dagger to pop first one of the eye gems and then the other from its respective socket, dropping them into his pouch before leaping back to the floor.  Twisting his ring again, he became visible.  “Safe now,” he called back to his companions, and then he bent to examine the intricate locking mechanism on the portals.  “Afraid this one’s beyond me though.”  
“Never send a thief to do a sorcerer’s work,” Dalthon said as he strolled forward, rolling up his sleeves.  He muttered a few words, and then rapped softly on the valves with his bare knuckles.  With a soft click, the gates parted, revealing a long corridor beyond.  “After you,” he said bowing to Tilly with a flourish.
“Nobody likes a smarta**,” Tilly muttered as he walked through the doorway.
__________________________________________________________

“Ah, we have guests!” Shebeleth said, looking up from his book as the silent ping of the _Alarm_ chimed in his head.  “Keeriv, would you be so good as to inform the others that company has arrived, no doubt with all sorts of nasty ideas and good intentions.”  The shator glowered at the human behind his back.  That he should be forced to serve as lackey to such an inferior creature still galled him, but Dyr’ Ryd had commanded it, and Keeriv would never dare to cross the two-faced one.  Without a word, he left the chamber to warn the Cagewrights of the intruders.
___________________________________________________________

Tilly paused at the intersection.  They had encountered no resistance so far, and that was making him nervous.  The corridor continued on directly ahead, but to his right, it seemed to end at a blank wall, and that always made him suspicious.  Motioning the others to wait, he crept down the hall to the dead-end.  Just as he thought, all wasn’t as it seemed.  Rather than rock, the ‘wall’ at the end of the passage was actually a cleverly woven curtain of some sort, made to look, and even feel to the casual touch, like stone.  The rogue worked his fingers behind the material, and parted it a fraction of an inch, peering beyond it into a large, irregularly shaped room.  Odd, uncomfortable looking pieces of furniture lay about the chamber, including several long, narrow beds.  Bizarre statuary and paintings adorned the walls and several low pedestals, and a thick, black tarry substance covered most of the room’s surfaces.  Something about this struck Tilly as familiar.  The chamber at first appeared empty, but then the rogue’s sharp eyes spied a deeper shadow in one of the far corners.  Instantly he recognized the creature…a farastu demodand, but much larger than any they had previously encountered.  Quickly, Tilly moved back up the hall to his companions, warning them of what he had seen.  

“If he’s hiding, he already knows we’re here,” Grimm rumbled.  “It seems there is no further need for stealth.”  The big half-ogre stalked down the corridor, and when he reached the curtain, he tore it aside, filling the entire chamber beyond with the celestial light that radiated from his helm.  
“I like his style,” Ike said, smiling.  The goliath had decided to join the Bright Axes after he heard more of their mission.  If Kylon had put his faith in these people, then that was good enough for him.  Besides, they always seemed to be able to find the best fights!

As soon as Grimm entered, the farastu leaped from its hiding place, but was immediately blasted back several paces by a barrage of glowing missiles from Dalthon’s outstretched hand.  Ike roared past the sorcerer.  “Thaaval!” he shouted, cursing his enemy in the goliath tongue as he closed the distance to the demodand and cleaved into it with his hammer.  Meanwhile, Tilly had once more rendered himself invisible and managed to position himself behind the farastu.  Now, as the creature reeled from Ike’s onslaught, the rogue drove his own blade deep into its knee.  The demodand stumbled, throwing up one arm to ward off further blows, but it was too late.  Grimm’s chain caved in its skull and it collapsed to the floor.  “Well, that was easy enough,” Tilly said, wiping off his blade.
“Not so fast, little fella,” Ike said, staring past the halfling.  From around a corner of the irregular chamber, two more farastus had emerged.  Simultaneously, twin beams of green energy shot from their hands, striking both Ike and Grimm.  Instantly, the two warriors felt themselves weaken as the magic sucked the strength from their sinews.  The demodands then began shaking and quivering, foam slavering from their jaws.  With incoherent cries of rage, they flung themselves forward.

As the farastus charged, Kiko appeared, leaping past his weakened companions.  When the first creature surged towards him, the monk met the onslaught with a flying kick to its chest.  The force of the blow was such that the monster rocked back on its heels, momentarily stunned.  Ike gathered what strength he had left, which was still considerable, and rushed forward once more.  This time, however, the farastu saw him coming.  It reached out one long arm, and cuffed the goliath in the ribs.  Before Ike could react, the large demon had scooped him up into a bear hug, and began squeezing the breath out of him.

Tilly once more took advantage of an opportunity provided.  Seeing the effects of Kiko’s attack, he dove behind the stunned farastu, and slashed at the creature’s Achilles tendon, driving it to one knee.  Grimm was right behind the halfling, smashing his chain into the demodand as it fell.  Before the beast could recover its wits, Kiko struck twice more, crushing its windpipe and ending its life.

Dalthon stood alone back at the intersection, confident that his friends had the situation under control.  At the entrance to the chamber, Rusty and Gunther stood ready to lend aid should the need arise.  At that moment, the sorcerer heard movement behind him.  Whirling around, he saw three more farastus approaching from the bend of the main hallway.  Shouting a warning to his companions, he unleashed one of his most deadly spells at the lead demodand, the dreaded _Finger of Death_, but the hulking beast shook off the effect without pausing.  Realizing he was outmatched, Dalthon took to the air, flying towards safety in numbers.  He had no desire to visit the Bright Lands again any time soon.

The farastu dug its claws deep into Ike’s skin and began to rip and tear at the goliath.  Clenching his jaw against any weak cry of pain, Ike struggled mightily to break the beast’s hold, but in his weakened state it was impossible.  Suddenly, Ike felt the demodand’s grip loosen.  Looking down, he saw Kiko striking repeatedly at pressure points on the monster’s legs and torso.  Ike dropped to the floor, then regained his grip on his mallet, and laid into his opponent.  Blow after blow rained down on the beleaguered farastu, until one final stab to the heart from Tilly put it to rest.

Back in the corridor, Grimm had moved to block the next wave of farastus.  The group paused several yards away, and the foremost stabbed its hand into the air, seeming to rip a hole into the very fabric of reality.  From the rift stepped a fourth demodand, and this one sent another of the green, strength-draining beams straight at Grimm.  Again, the half-ogre felt himself weaken.  Sensing an opportunity, the farastus began moving forward again, but by this time, Grimm’s own reinforcements had arrived.  From the chamber behind him, Dalthon once more sent a burst of Magic Missiles, striking the newly arrived demodand full in the face.  As the creature brushed at its momentarily blinded eyes, Grimm charged.  Summoning all the strength he had left, he drove his chain into the farastu’s chest, almost imploding it with the impact.  In a flash of light, the monster vanished back to Carceri.  Maintaining the momentum of his charge, Grimm snapped the spiked chain back, wrapping it around the neck of the next demodand, and snapping it almost completely from the creature’s body.  

Kiko closed towards the remaining two farastus, but as he approached, the nearest demodand struck first.  Slashing and biting, it tore at the monk, and then wrapped its massive arms around him, squeezing and rending in mindless fury.  Its companion, also overwhelmed by bloodlust, leaped forward and began slashing at the monk as well.  Dalthon fired off another volley of missiles, trying to drive the rampaging beasts away from the monk, but the demodands were single-minded in their rage.  Kiko calmed his panic, and gathered his body’s energies into his hands.  He then drove his fists repeatedly into the farastu’s neck, hammering at the tender pressure points there.  The farastu stumbled back, yet maintained its hold on the monk.  This hold ended, however, when Tilly arrived and severed the beast’s spinal cord.

The final farastu found itself surrounded by Ike, Grimm, Kiko and Tilly, and though it fought as if demon-possessed, its was a lost cause, and it quickly joined its companions in oblivion.

__________________________________________________________________ 

Gau stood poised in her chamber, her falchion gripped tightly in both, melon-sized hands.  The minotaur had not heard the silent alarm that had alerted Shebeleth to the presence of intruders.  Neither the lore master nor Dyr’ Ryd credited the barbarian with the intelligence to understand the nuances of even such a simple spell.  No, Gau was valued more for her physical assets:  brutality, viciousness, and unswerving loyalty.  She had heard the distant sounds of battle, and knew the demodands had been bested.  Now she waited, knowing instinctively that the trespassers would come to her sooner or later, and then it would be her turn.
____________________________________________________________

The group had reached a dead end.  Beyond the chamber where they had encountered the first group of farastus, they found another, identical room, which had obviously been the lair of the second group.  Beyond this, there seemed to be no other way to go.  Gunther fished a small, bone wand out of his backpack, and began pacing around the room.  In a matter of moments, he nodded in satisfaction, having detected a hidden door at the far side of the room.  “This would seem the obvious choice,” the theurge said, “but perhaps we have bypassed other passages as well.  Give me a moment to retrace our steps before we make a final decision.”  With that, the young dwarf began making his way slowly back down the main hallway.  At two points along the passage, he marked the location of other hidden doorways, one within only a few yards of the main gate.  It was this path that the companions chose to investigate first, believing it might be a bypass used by the Cagewrights to navigate around their sentinel demodands.  

Tilly made quick work of the locking mechanism on the secret door, and pushed the portal open.  The severe neatness and organization of the room beyond stood in stark contrast to the animal stench that filled it…a combination of sweat, manure, and wet fur made the air thick and fetid.  It appeared to be some sort of dueling or training chamber.  Practice dummies lined the walls, along with weapon and armor racks displaying exotic equipment of all sorts.  The most disturbing thing about the chamber were the spikes protruding from the walls in clusters at various heights…that and the eight-foot tall minotaur standing poised to charge on the far side.  “Now you die!” the beast shrieked, and then surged forward.  In the blink of an eye Tilly vanished from sight, only to reappear a moment later behind the rampaging minotaur and sink his sword deep into her calf.  Gau roared, wheeling on her other foot and slashing down instinctively.  Once…twice her huge blade slashed into the rogue, nearly disemboweling him.  Incredibly, deep wounds simultaneously appeared in the minotaur’s hide as well when the falchion struck, and Gau screamed even louder in apparent ecstasy.  Kiko dove forward while the beast was distracted, delivering a powerful kick to her flank.  Ike was two steps behind the monk, but Gau was already turning, her sword slicing viciously across the goliath’s midsection.  Again, blood spurted from the minotaur, and once more she howled with pleasure.  She raised her weapon to strike again, but at that moment a length of heavy, spiked chain wrapped itself around the blade, and it was instantly jerked from her hands, sailing across the room to clatter against the far wall.  In a flash, Rusty stepped forward and picked up the falchion, then darted back behind the relative safety of Grimm.  With a shriek of frustration, Gau lowered her head, wicked horns flashing in the torchlight, and charged towards the half-ogre.  Grimm snapped his chain forward again, cracking it directly in front of the minotaur’s face, stopping her in her tracks.  Kiko and Ike were on her in a heartbeat, keeping her off balance with a flurry of attacks.  Gau batted and swatted at them futilely, until Grimm moved in and slammed his chain into her skull directly between her horns.  The minotaur’s cranium shattered like an eggshell and she sank to her knees, looking like nothing so much a pole-axed cow as she collapsed.


----------



## Nightingale 7

Oh,well...Two out of four ain't too bad,is it.Congrats for that update too JD.I'm confused though,since I don't have that Dungeon,why was the minotaur wounding herself with each strike?I guess it must have been a Vicious weapon,in conjuction with that Masochist feat from BOVD,but,care to elaborate?


----------



## R-Hero

Ike says "Kuli ananaka kulae aulaka."  (For those whom do not speak the goliath language it loosely translates into an exclimation of exitement.  'My heart is in my head')



> If Kylon had put his faith in these people, then that was good enough for him. Besides, they always seemed to be able to find the best fights!
> 
> Clenching his jaw against any weak cry of pain...




That sums up Ikon in a few short words.  Good job J.D.  When Ike is cheiftain of his own tribe, he wants you as his dawn-caller...


----------



## JollyDoc

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> Oh,well...Two out of four ain't too bad,is it.Congrats for that update too JD.I'm confused though,since I don't have that Dungeon,why was the minotaur wounding herself with each strike?I guess it must have been a Vicious weapon,in conjuction with that Masochist feat from BOVD,but,care to elaborate?




It was indeed a Vicious weapon.  No masochist feat, just a minotaur barbarian in full rage.


----------



## JollyDoc

R-Hero said:
			
		

> Ike says "Kuli ananaka kulae aulaka."  (For those whom do not speak the goliath language it loosely translates into an exclimation of exitement.  'My heart is in my head')
> 
> 
> 
> That sums up Ikon in a few short words.  Good job J.D.  When Ike is cheiftain of his own tribe, he wants you as his dawn-caller...




I would be honored...as long as I didn't have to be up before 9 am.  Missing you at the table, btw.  We're keeping your spot warm.


----------



## gfunk

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Missing you at the table, btw.  We're keeping your spot warm.




True enough.  But sadly, the role of the tank that dies a lot has been filled.  

Nightingale, you are right on the money about me being the Psion.  Though Astral Construct is very sweet, _Overchannel_ + _Mind Thrust_ and/or _Energy Stun_ truly rocks the house.  Especially with augmentation!


----------



## Nightingale 7

Heh,yeah,I can relate.I'm DMing a group through the Adventure Path.The party is still in Jzadirune(They want to explore EVERY SINGLE ROOM.They are driven positively mad at the sheer amount of traps,and empty gnomish bedrooms   ).
The party includes a half-orc barbarian,a human warlock(oddly enough a front liner,with MWP:Greatsword and Hideous Blow),a human cleric of Lathander,a human rogue and an elan Psion.
The psion drives me NUTS as he keeps wasting most of the enemies with augmented Mind Thrusts and Energy Rays,though to be frank,the worst foe they have faced was the Hammerer/Dark Creeper team in the room with the invisibility fields.This automaton was nasty!It got the barbarian in the negatives,and left the Warlock at 2 hps before the psion electrocuted him with Energy Ray.We'll have to see how they'll fare against the ogre-tugh and the stone spike.And I don't want to even think about Kazmojen   .

Back to the Psionics conversation:What is your position on the Wilder Gfunk?The ridiculously small amount of powers hurt,but he can really excel at what he does.I'm thinking about playing one in an Eberron campaign.Even ignoring the obvious blast-them-all capabilities,by taking Expanded Knowledge(Astral Construct) you can create a fully augmented/Wild Surged Astral Construct that is equal to,or better than your party tank,at pretty much every level!


----------



## gfunk

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> Back to the Psionics conversation:What is your position on the Wilder Gfunk?The ridiculously small amount of powers hurt,but he can really excel at what he does.I'm thinking about playing one in an Eberron campaign.Even ignoring the obvious blast-them-all capabilities,by taking Expanded Knowledge(Astral Construct) you can create a fully augmented/Wild Surged Astral Construct that is equal to,or better than your party tank,at pretty much every level!




Never seen one in play, but they seem pretty darn good!  Basically the Wilder is an enhanced version of the Sorcerer.  Decent skill points (with ACTUAL Cha-based skills), d6 HD, Medium BAB . . . what's not to like?

I took a Psion mostly b/c I wanted powers faster and didn't want to wait until 6th level to take Astral Construct.

You can make some truly awe-inspiring tankish builds using Wilder/Elocater and Wilder/Slayer builds.  Hmm . . . sounds like I'll have to try 'em out sometime!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Friendly bump - why is this thread not on page 1? Here's hoping for a new update this weekend! 

@ Joachim, could you post the final stats for Grimm? I would really like to see how he ended up!


----------



## Nightingale 7

I,on the other hand,will repost my request(scratch that,I meant desperate plea!) to JD for a full list of the team stats!Pleeeeease?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Friendly bump - why is this thread not on page 1? Here's hoping for a new update this weekend!
> 
> @ Joachim, could you post the final stats for Grimm? I would really like to see how he ended up!




I, for one, think this post should always remain on page one, but alas...

Sorry, no post this weekend...hopefully by next though.


----------



## JollyDoc

Nightingale 7 said:
			
		

> I,on the other hand,will repost my request(scratch that,I meant desperate plea!) to JD for a full list of the team stats!Pleeeeease?




I don't personally have that info, but I will pass your request (once again) on to the rest of the crew.


----------



## R-Hero

*17th level Ikon*

Neutral Good   Male Goliath   Fighter 12/Goliath Liberator 4  (Level 17)                       Medium/Monstrous Humanoid      7’7” 303 lb        Hit Points 235

AC: 28 (Flatfooted: 26 Touch: 14,) +2 vs reach weapon
Init +2;            Base Speed 30ft (20ft Med armor)
+23/+18/+13/8 attack melee,       +18/+13/+8/+3 ranged,          BAB  +16/+11/+6/+1 

Saving Throws
 Fortitude +23    Reflex +14     Will +14

STR 24 +7        DEX 14 +2        CON 27 +8        INT 12 +1        WIS 10 +0         CHA 10 +0


+28/+23/+18/+13
3d6+ 2d6+17 Damage     +3 Holy Adamantine Goliath Greathammer                                    Critical 19-20x4       +2 to Sunder Attacks

+25/+20/+15/+10
2d6+1d6+10 Damage      +1 Silver Alchemical Trident of Shock                                  Critical 20 x2       10 ft reach

Skills

Climb +16  Hide +6 Intimidate +16 Jump +24    Listen +4     Move Silent +6     Spot +5        Sense Motive +2   Use Rope +5  Speak Language +1  (Giant)                           


Goliath Liberator Class Features
Favored Enemy +2 for Listen, Bluff, Sense Motive, Survival and Damage vs Giants
Avoid Thrown Weapons & Reach +2 Dodge AC vs melee attacks not adjacent to Ike
Equal Footing = Improved Trip with +4 to Str vs Large or Larger opponents


Feats: 7 Fighter/6 General

(Free) Armor, Shield & Simple Weapon Proficiency 
(G) Bull-Headed, 
(G) Lightning Reflexes, 
(G) Iron Will
(G) Track 
(G) Exotic Weapon Prof. Greathammer
(G) Greater Weapon Focus: Greathammer 
(F) Weapon Focus: Greathammer
(F) Weapon Specialization: Greathammer
(F) Greater Weapon Spec. Greathammer
(F) Improved Critical: Greathammer
(F) Weapon Focus: Trident
(F) Power Attack
(F) Blind Fight


Weapons +1 Trident: Shock, Silver Alchemical   +3 Greathammer, Adamantine, Holy
Armor: +5 Chainmail: Fortification, Light (25%) 
Shield: +2 Heavy Steel Shield, Animated

Wondrous 
Amulet of Health+4
Belt of Giant Strength+4  Cloak of Resistance+5 
Ring of Protection +2  
Boots, Striding and Springing
Gloves of Dexterity +2 Hat of Disguise** 
Ring of Evasion* 


Goods: Backpack; Bedroll; Winter Blanket,; Fishing net, 25 sq. ft.; Flint and steel; Grappling hook; Piton x2  Rope, silk (50 ft.) Waterskin; Common Lamp; Oil (pint x2)
Ale, gallon x2 (2 sp); Rations, trail (per day x2) Iron Pot, 

Trophies: Giant Drinking Horn. Tiny Demodan Skull (puppet), Stone Arm (medusas), Clockwork gear (Inevitables), crumpled helms x2 (Blackguard & Drow single hit crit's) Ceremonial Dagger (Shatterhorn yuanti)


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wow, this guy really packs a punch! But why would Ike need a "Hat of Disguise"?

I hope to see some of the others here as well - but did you only get up to 17th level at the end? Or did JollyDoc not give you any End-BBEG XP?


----------



## Joachim

Sorry I never re-posted him after level 14.  It was at this point that I got the Smoking Eye, and if I had posted him with those stats it would have ruined some of JD's surprise. 

*Grimm Grakka (Fighter 6/Exotic Weapon Master 3/Planar Champion 7)*
*Dervish of the Planes, ECL 18*

----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Large Giant [Half-Ogre, Oerthian]*
*Hit Dice:* 16d10+80 (167 hps)
*Initiative:* +2
*Speed:* 30 ft. (6 squares)
*Armor Class:* 35 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +8 natural, +11 armor, +5 shield, +1 insight), touch 13, flat-footed 34
*Base Attack/Grapple:*+16/+30
*Attack:* _+3 Holy Cold Iron Spiked Chain_ +29 melee (2d6+20+2d6 holy)
*Full Attack:* _+3 Holy Cold Iron Spiked Chain _ +29/+24/+19/+14 melee(2d6+20+2d6 holy) or Flurry of Strikes +27/+27/+22/+17/+12 (2d6+20+2d6 holy)
*Space/Reach:* 10 ft./20 ft.(with Spiked Chain)
*Special Attacks:* Flurry of Strikes, Attack Ethereal, Exotic Reach, Exotic Trip
*Special Qualities:* Darkvision 60 ft., Favored Plane (The Abyss), _See Invisibility_ at will, Planar Survival, _Ethereal Jaunt_ 3/day, _Plane Shift_ 1/day
*Saves:* Fort +24, Ref +18, Will +15
*Abilities:* Str 30, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 10
*Skills:* Knowledge (The Planes) +18, Listen +22, Craft (Weaponsmith) +6
*Feats:* Blindfighting, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain), Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Stand Still, Weapon Focus (Spiked Chain), Weapon Specialization (Spiked Chain)
*Environment:* The Pomarj (previously), Vilhon Reach (currently)
*Organization:* Solitary, Murder (6-7)
*Challenge Rating:* 18 (Exp: 143,000)
*Treasure:* Items
*Alignment:* Chaotic Good
*Advancement:* By character class
*Level Adjustment:* +2

_This massively muscled humanoid before you stands just over eight feet tall, has drab olive skin covered in strange tatoos, and brandishes a massive spiked chain in his hands.  Obviously of giant-ish stock, he observes you cautiously, a spark of cunning in his eyes.  His left eye has been removed, and in its place you see puffs of acrid smoke._

Grimm Grakka was born the product of a rampaging ogre warrior and the poor victim of the ogre's lust.  Grimm's mother died during childbirth, and he was raised by her husband, a common blacksmith from the Pomarj area of Oerth.  Grimm was recruited by Barret Tremean, a Paladin of Heironeous, to join the Swords of Light.  The Swords of Light were a band of good adventurers sworn to fighting all fiend-kind.

Having received his indoctrination into the Swords of Light, the half-ogre is now a warrior of the planes, seeking to beat down evil outsiders wherever they may reside!

Grimm stands just over 8 feet tall and weighs 425 pounds.  He speaks Common (Oerthian), Common (Faerunian), Celestial, Draconic, Giant (Oerthian), Infernal, and Abyssal.

*Combat*

Grimm attacks using his spiked chain.  He prefers to attack from the full extent of his reach with the long weapon, using his flurry of strikes ability and attacks of opportunity to decimate his foes.  His _modus operandi_ includes utilization of Potions of _Heroism_ and _Shield of Faith (+5)_ prior to entering major combat (giving Grimm an additional +5 to AC, as well as +2 to hit, skills, and saves).

*Flurry of Strikes [Spiked Chain]:* When wielding a spiked chain in both hands, Grimm may elect to use a full attack action to make a flurry of strikes.  When doing so, he may make one extra attack in the round at his highest attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as do all other attacks made in that round and until Grimm's next turn.

*Favored Plane (The Abyss):* Grimm has studied the natives of the Abyss extensively.  Grimm gains a +1 bonus of Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against an Abyssal native.  Likewise, Grimm gains the same bonus on weapon damage rolls against Abyssal natives.  In addition, Grimm gains a +1 on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks when interacting with Abyssal natives (yeah, that's gonna happen).

*See Invisibility (Su):* Grimm has the ability to see invisibility, as per the spell cast by a 5th level sorceror.  This ability allows Grimm to see ethereal creatures.

*Attack Ethereal (Su):* Grimm can transform his spiked chain into a material force effect at will, enabling him to attack creatures on the Ethereal Plane.  If Grimm is wielding a magical spiked chain, this ability eliminates the 50% miss chance when attacking an incorporeal foe.  This ability begins and ends as a free action.

*Exotic Reach [Spiked Chain]:* Grimm threatens opponents with cover (except total cover) and may attempt attacks of opportunity against targets with cover.

*Exotic Trip [Spiked Chain]:* Grimm gains a +2 bonus on the Strength check to trip an opponent when using his spiked chain (making his total check +17).

*Planar Survival (Su):* Grimm is persistently under the affect of the equivalent of an _Avoid Planar Effects_ spell.

*Ethereal Jaunt(Sp):* Grimm can use _Ethereal Jaunt_ 3 times per day.

*Rip Portal (Su):* Grimm can use the equivalent of a _Plane Shift_ 1 per day.

*Smoking Eye Template (Su):* +1 (insight) bonus to hit and on all saves.  Imbued with Evil.  Lie in state.

*Magic Items of Note*

_+4 Cloak of Resistance, +6 Belt of Strength, +4 Bracers of Health, +4 Headband of Intellect, +3 Holy Cold Iron Spiked Chain, +2 Adamantine Spiked Chain, +3 Full Plate of Moderate Fortification, +3 Animated Large Steel Shield, Ring of Freedom of Movement, Ring of Evasion, +4 Amulet of Natural Armor, Boots of Striding and Springing, Deep Red Ioun Stone (+2 Dex), Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 insight bonus to AC), Pale Green Prism Ioun Stone (+1 luck bonus to hit, saves, skills, and checks), Bag of Holding I _

*Other Items*

_12 Potions of Cure Light Wounds, 12 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds, 12 Potions of Cure Serious Wounds, 8 Potions of Heroism, 8 Potions of Shield of Faith (+5)_, Locked Gauntlet, Portable Ram, Masterwork Spiked Chain


----------



## Joachim

Let the complaining about Grimm begin...


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> I hope to see some of the others here as well - but did you only get up to 17th level at the end? Or did JollyDoc not give you any End-BBEG XP?




Well we had a hugely expanded party, so the average level was lower.  IIRC, the final participants of the final battle (and level) were:

1. Grimm (ECL 18) -- see above
2. Ike (ECL 17) -- see above
3. Rusty (Cleric 17 or 18) -- had access to 9th level divine spells
4. Dathon (Sorcerer 17) -- had access to 8th level arcane spells
5. Tilly (Figher/Rogue with a total of 16/17 levels)
6. Kiko (Monk 18 or 19)
7. Houshang (Transmuter/Red Wizard/Archmage with a total of 15/16 levels)
8. FACTOR X!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> Let the complaining about Grimm begin...



 I like the build! Death dealing, but with a lot of options. Did you find the spiked chains or did you have to have them custom made? That's always the problem with characters using exotic weapons...

Thanks Joachim!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Well we had a hugely expanded party, so the average level was lower.  IIRC, the final participants of the final battle (and level) were:
> 
> 1. Grimm (ECL 18) -- see above
> 2. Ike (ECL 17) -- see above
> 3. Rusty (Cleric 17 or 18) -- had access to 9th level divine spells
> 4. Dathon (Sorcerer 17) -- had access to 8th level arcane spells
> 5. Tilly (Figher/Rogue with a total of 16/17 levels)
> 6. Kiko (Monk 18 or 19)
> 7. Houshang (Transmuter/Red Wizard/Archmage with a total of 15/16 levels)
> 8. FACTOR X!!



 Thanks gfunk,

I'm really looking forward to the conclusion of the SH !!!


----------



## R-Hero

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Wow, this guy really packs a punch! But why would Ike need a "Hat of Disguise"?




Didn't really get to use it.  It was picked up at tward the end of the adventure.  Some bad things happened. {spoiler deleted} Ike was searching what was in possession of the party, it was found and claimed because Ike had nothing on his head.... (empty Item Slot)

And Let me stop the smartazz reply before it starts...  
.
.
.
.
_And very little in his head as well _


----------



## beer_motor

Joachim said:
			
		

> *Organization:* Solitary, _Murder (6-7)_





Haha - you turkey!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

R-Hero said:
			
		

> Ike was searching what was in possession of the party, it was found and claimed because Ike had nothing on his head.... (empty Item Slot)
> .
> .
> _And very little in his head as well _



Well, that sounds like a good reason - and it seems to be very "in character" !!! 




			
				R-Hero said:
			
		

> Some bad things happened. {spoiler deleted}



Looking forward to that part !!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> I, for one, think this post should always remain on page one, but alas...
> 
> Sorry, no post this weekend...hopefully by next though.



ahem...bump?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> ahem...bump?





Patience my friend...patience.


----------



## JollyDoc

DEMODANDS IN THE MIST

“Well, I hope this isn’t your idea of a stealth operation.”  As one, the Bright Axes turned towards the sound of the voice, weapons ready and still on the razor’s edge from their confrontation with the minotaur.  They were stunned to see a familiar figure lounging against the doorframe at the entrance to Gau’s chambers.  Houshang shook his head and smirked.  “Doors left standing wide open, bodies strewn everywhere, and not to mention that garish light that Grimm insists on carrying around with him.  It’s a wonder the whole place hasn’t come down on you yet.”  
“What are ye doin’ here, baldy?” Rusty snapped, lowering his axe, but not returning it to his belt.  “I thought ye’d had enough of us.”
“I don’t suppose you would believe that I had a bout of conscience thinking of you all taking on these mad Cagewrights all by your lonesome?” the wizard asked innocently.  “No?  Well then, suffice it to say that I was not exactly welcomed back to Thay with open arms, and I find myself temporarily displaced.”
“Ye mean they kicked ye out, and ye got no other place to go,” Rusty snorted.
Houshang shrugged.  “Let’s just say I’ve had no better offers.”
“Suit yerself,” the dwarf said, turning away, “but if ye’re in fer a penny, yer in fer a pound.  Don’t be cuttin’ out on us when the heat’s on, or it won’t just be yer wizard buddies that ye have to worry about.”
“I’m a man of my word,” Houshang said, smiling, but the mirth didn’t quite reach all the way to his glittering black eyes.
_____________________________________________________

The group retraced their steps to the chamber where the second group of farastus had been quartered.  Gunther had located a hidden exit from the room on his initial sweep, and having no other alternative, it seemed the logical choice.  “Kiko,” Houshang said, sidling up to the monk as the others proceeded thru the door, “I’ve noticed your fighting style.  You’re very effective and deadly, but I think that maybe I could improve on your natural ability.”  “How do you mean?” Kiko asked somewhat skeptically.  “Well,” Houshang replied, rubbing his hands together, “if you’ll trust me, I can weave a simple spell that will vastly improve your strength, your stamina, and the thickness of your skin.  Interested?”  “Well…” the monk hesitated.  “Excellent!” Houshang said.  “Hold still!”  Before Kiko could respond, the red wizard began an incantation, weaving intricate patterns in the air all around the monk.  Then, before the startled eyes of his companions, Kiko’s body began to change, growing taller, more massive, his skin turning slate gray with the consistency of stone.  When the spell was completed, Kiko found that he was no longer human, but a giant…a stone giant!  “What…what have you done to me?” he asked incredulously, gazing down at his new form.  “Only what I promised!” Houshang said gleefully.  “Don’t worry, it’s not permanent, and like I said, now you’re more powerful than ever.  Besides, I want to make sure there’s plenty of muscle between me and whatever these Cagewrights are going to be throwing at us.”
“I have to admit,” Rusty said chuckling, “it’s improved yer looks lad!”

________________________________________________________

Beyond the door was a smaller, rough-hewn tunnel.  Tilly took the lead once more, and before he’d gone more than a dozen yards, he came to a sudden halt.  His sharp ears had picked up a faint noise from around a near bend.  It almost sounded like the rustling of feathered wings.  As he turned back towards his companions, he saw Grimm nodding and pointing at his ear, indicating that he had heard the noise as well.  “Trouble,” the half-ogre grumbled to the others, and no sooner had the words left his mouth, than two concealed curtains on either side of the passage just beyond Tilly were flung to the side.  From hidden alcoves emerged easily a dozen creatures that looked like anthropomorphic vultures.  Vrock demons!  The Bright Axes had met their kind before, most recently on the shores of Cauldron’s crater lake when they had been summoned by the morkoth.  Tilly immediately began tumbling away from the onslaught, back towards his friends.  Grimm braced himself for the rush, but found himself unprepared for the sight of Dalthon rushing past him.  “Wait!” the sorcerer cried.  “All is not as it seems!”  With a word, Dalthon fired a volley of _magic missiles _ from his fingers at the oncoming swarm.  One missile struck each of the first five vrocks, and in a flicker of light, the creatures vanished.  “It is as I suspected,” the sorcerer shouted.  “They have created illusionary images of themselves.  There are only two that are real!”  Grimm nodded, and surged forward, striking at random at one of the remaining vrocks.  By blind luck, his blow landed true, and instead of vanishing, the real demon shrieked in pain.  In a flash, Tilly rolled into position behind the demon, first banishing another of its doubles, and then planting his sword firmly into the true culprit.  
“Hey, save one for me!” Ike boomed, rushing towards the melee and leveling his hammer at the lead vrock.  As the demon reeled, it shrieked again, but this time the timbre of its voice was suddenly different, and all of the Bright Axes found themselves involuntarily clasping their hands to their ears.  Even as Houshang did so, his knees buckled, and the red wizard swooned to the floor.  Next, the demon seemed to momentarily fold in on itself, and then an explosion of black, spiny spores erupted from its body, embedding in the flesh of Tilly, Ike and Grimm.  Instantly the heroes felt the nettles boring into their skin and taking root.  In a matter of seconds, leathery, black vines began to sprout from the wounds, quickly lengthening to the floor, and giving each of the adventurers the appearance of a large, freakish shrub.  
Recovering from the stunning screech, Dalthon quickly launched another flurry of missiles at the second vrock, blasting away four of its protective images, and then hitting the demon itself with the remaining projectiles.  Grimm, ignoring the pain from the sprouting vines, lunged like a huge shambling mound at the first vrock, hammering it to the ground with his chain, and then stepping over its broken body to flail away at its cohort.  Suddenly, the half-ogre felt himself roughly pushed to the side as the giant form of Kiko tumbled past him.  The large monk seized the vrock in a vice-like bear hug, lifting it bodily from the ground.  As the demon struggled to free itself from the giant’s embrace, Tilly plunged his sword into its belly, and its attempts ceased.

____________________________________________________

The narrow corridor ended at a non-descript pair of double doors.  Beyond was a much larger hall running south to north.  To the south, a glowing red light could be glimpsed from somewhere in the distance.  Closer, to the north, the passage ended at a T-intersection.  The Bright Axes chose this path first.  Tilly was once more in the lead position, though the rustling vines which still sprouted from his body made it a bit more difficult for him to be discrete.  At the intersection, the rogue cautiously peered around both corners.  To the east, the hallway seemed to round a corner a dozen yards or so away.  To the west, it opened into a large chamber only about fifteen feet from the intersection.  Tilly crept forward and looked into the room.  It reeked of a strong, acid odor.  A pale, green ichor coated the floor, and strange, warped furniture stood among the chamber’s other contents.  Against a far wall a rack had been attached, and stretched out on it were the burned and disfigured remains of at least seven humanoids.  The halfling felt sickened at the sight, but his attention was rapidly diverted by the pair of loathsome creatures standing near the torture device.  They were obviously demodands, though more bloated than the farastus, with a pair of stubby wings protruding from their backs.  Tilly recognized them as kelubars.  The Bright Axes had run into a pair in Cauldron trying to herd some hapless citizens into building their own prison.  As silently as possible, the little scout began to move back toward his companions, but the telltale swishing of the vines was his undoing.  The kelubars jerked their heads towards the chamber entrance, and began growling at each other in their unintelligible tongue.  As Tilly turned to flee, he saw a third demodand suddenly appear in the center of the chamber, apparently summoned there by its brethren.  Then everything went dim.  A heavy, dense mist abruptly filled the entire hallway with noxious green vapor.  Not only was it almost impossible to see where he was going, but Tilly felt as though he was walking thru quicksand.  The fog would not part for him, and every step was an effort.  Even worse, where the acrid vapor touched his skin, it burned like fire.  The other Bright Axes were just as taken aback as the acidic fog enshrouded them.  Gunther instantly recognized it for what it was, a powerful spell that was deadly with prolonged exposure, and an effective prison due to its hindrance of movement.  He had to try to get rid of it.  He quickly began reciting a prayer of dispelling, but when it was complete, the fog still remained.  The demodands must be powerful spell casters indeed.

Grimm was not having the same problem that his friends were.  Though the acid fog burned him, it did not impair his mobility thanks to the magical ring that he wore which gave him total freedom of movement, no matter the restriction.  Quickly, he made his way out of the mist and into the demodands’ chamber, but just as quickly he found himself enveloped in a second fog bank…and then a third.  Soon, the mist filled the entire chamber.  Though Grimm was unhindered, he knew he was at a severe disadvantage without the ready support of his allies.  The half-ogre turned this way and that, searching for his opponents, but they found him first.  A thin beam of green energy struck him from out of the fog, and Grimm felt the familiar sensation of his great strength ebbing.  A moment later, a wave of power washed over him, and the celestial brilliance that bathed him was snuffed out like a candle.  There was movement all around him.  A rustle of wings from behind him told him that he was surrounded.  He whirled around, but not fast enough.  Wicked claws tore into his exposed flank, and blood gushed.  Clutching his side, the half-ogre began moving back towards the chamber’s entrance and his companions, but no sooner had he started to retreat, than the kelubars were on him.  All three struck at him from out of the gloom, opening up more hideous wounds in his flesh.  The great warrior staggered, then lunged towards the exit.  He could hear the demodands following, and as the first one’s shadowy shape appeared in the hallway, Grimm lashed his chain at it, causing it to rock back on its heels to avoid the deadly blow.  The second kelubar rushed past its brother, but Grimm was ready for it.  He struck at it with wicked precision three times as it approached, giving it pause and allowing him to make it back to the relative safety of his friends.

Rusty and Gunther could hear the battle approaching, and knew they had to act fast.  Acting in unison, they each began a prayer which granted the recipient the same freedom of movement afforded Grimm by his ring.  Rusty’s target was Ike, while Gunther’s was himself.  However, no sooner had the priests completed their spells, than Dalthon’s triumphant shout accompanied the abrupt disappearance of the fog bank.  The sorcerer had successfully disrupted the spell, and now all the combatants stood revealed.  

Tilly was first to Grimm’s aid.  The halfling darted between the massive legs of the kelubars, planning to come up behind one of them and hopefully hamstring the behemoth.  Though the rogue’s blade struck true, the size of the demodand belied its speed, and it rolled with the blow, coming up to face the halfling, bleeding but not crippled as he had hoped.  

Ike was right behind the little rogue, but as he approached his intended target, the large demon swatted him aside, slamming the goliath into a wall.  Never one to be deterred by such minor annoyances as broken bones, Ike bounced off the stone and allowed his momentum to carry him straight back towards the demodand.  The kelubar’s eyes went wide in surprise, and then pain as the goliath’s great hammer hit with a meaty thud right between them.  Down the beast went, and Ike roared out a tribal victory oath.  His celebration was cut short, however, when one of the remaining demodands conjured up yet another acid cloud.

Houshang was caught on the far side of this cloud, and he could not see what was transpiring within.  Never one for subtlety, nor one to be bothered by such concepts as collateral damage, the Archmage hurled an exploding ball of pure sonic force directly into the cloud, heedless of whom might be its target.  The spell exploded with a thunderclap of sound, yet the kelubars' innate resistance to magic allowed them to shrug off its effects without harm.  Fortunately, Houshang’s own allies were outside of the blast radius…that time.

Grimm found Rusty and Gunther in the fog.  “Heal me priests,” he growled, staring back into the mist at the approaching shadows.  Before either of the dwarves had a chance, one of the kelubars lumbered forward, slashing again at Grimm, and carrying him away from them with the force of its blow.  As it passed, its foul stench assailed Gunther’s nostrils, and the theurge suddenly found himself overcome with nausea.  He bent double, heaving and retching, and then finally collapsing to his hands and knees.  Rusty looked down at his cohort, but knew that he didn’t dare take time to relieve the other’s illness.  Instead, the senior priest uttered a different sort of prayer, and a wreath of baleful red light formed around his outstretched right hand.  Moving as fast as the viscid fog would allow, Rusty followed after the demodand, until he was close enough to place his palm against its stinking flesh.  Instantly the monster howled in agony as the necromantic magic literally began sucking the life out of it.  Grimm didn’t waste the moment.  Stepping forward, he flailed at the demodand.  Enraged and in mortal pain, the beast lashed back at him, slamming him backwards with two great blows.  Knowing this might be his last chance, Grimm redoubled his efforts, whipping and smashing at the kelubar, until finally it fell to his assault.

The last demodand found itself toe-to-toe with Ike and Tilly.  The trio traded several glancing, but non-lethal blows, but the kelubar had the decided advantage, being able to move freely in the constrictive, burning mist while Tilly could not, and Ike felt his skin being melted slowly off him.  From the gloom the two heard Grimm’s cry, “To me Bright Axes!  We must fall back!”  With one deft movement, Ike swept Tilly up in his arms, and then fled towards Grimm’s voice.  Behind him, he could hear the ponderous steps of the kelubar as it pursued him.  Finally, the goliath broke free of the mist and raced towards his comrades.  As the kelubar emerged from the fog, a salvo of _magic missiles_, courtesy of Houshang and Dalthon, surged into it.  Ike dropped Tilly unceremoniously to the ground, then turned back towards the demodand.  With Grimm one step behind him, the liberator charged the brute.  Like a tidal wave, the fury of the goliath and the half-ogre washed over the demodand, leaving nothing but a bloody mist in the air as the creature was banished back to Carceri.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wow - talk about disadvantage of surroundings. Did they really almost kill Grimm? I'll have to check out the stats of these Demodands again. 

I also like Househang's style! Was he killed by the party, though?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Wow - talk about disadvantage of surroundings. Did they really almost kill Grimm? I'll have to check out the stats of these Demodands again.
> 
> I also like Househang's style! Was he killed by the party, though?




Kelubars are tough enough as is, but due to party size and strength, I used the Scaling the Adventure sidebar to advance them to the next size category.  They did Grimm some major damage.  They have a sneak attack ability, and when they had him flanked in the mist, they were dealing withering damage to him.  Acid Fog is a beast of an ability, and they can each do it three times per day.

As for Houshang's ultimate fate...you'll just have to stay tuned.


----------



## gfunk

First off, great post JD.  It's refereshing to see that Grimm is not totally unstoppable, just mostly unstoppable.  I'm sure that the Kelubars were given each other high-fives during that encounter screaming, "You see? You see? He's not a machine, he's a man, he's a man."



			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> As for Houshang's ultimate fate...you'll just have to stay tuned.




Houshang does have some bad ju-ju in his future but I wouldn't exactly call it death nor is it really by the party's doing.

This module was ended in a rather unconventional way too, as you will see.


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Kelubars are tough enough as is, but due to party size and strength, I used the Scaling the Adventure sidebar to advance them to the next size category.  They did Grimm some major damage.  They have a sneak attack ability, and when they had him flanked in the mist, they were dealing withering damage to him.  Acid Fog is a beast of an ability, and they can each do it three times per day.




If memory serves, all three attacked me at once with flanked positions (I had a moment of bad decision making when it came to my movement and placement).  They all rolled very well, and in one round I went from unhurt to around 33%.  I was filled with hubris, thinking that they were normal Kelubars.  They were considerably more buffed.

Acid fog was not the problem for Grimm.  Ray of Enfeeblement is much, much worse.


----------



## R-Hero

Excellent tale once again J.D.  The tribe has decided if we ever need a 'crack-of-noon' caller, you'll be the first choice.  




			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> DEMODANDS IN THE MIST
> Never one to be deterred by such minor annoyances as broken bones, Ike bounced off the stone and allowed his momentum to carry him straight back towards the demodand...



Those bones weren't broken, goliath bones _always_ make that grinding-gristle noise  
And thats _not_ a head wound, its goliath sweat.  




			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> Acid fog was not the problem for Grimm. Ray of Enfeeblement is much, much worse.



Actually its JDs rolling of just how much str or con damage.  I know Ike was hit with several maxed and near-max negative rolls.  (He loved to hit Ike where it hurt, his con bonus.)


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Kelubars are tough enough as is, but due to party size and strength, I used the Scaling the Adventure sidebar to advance them to the next size category.  They did Grimm some major damage.  They have a sneak attack ability, and when they had him flanked in the mist, they were dealing withering damage to him.  Acid Fog is a beast of an ability, and they can each do it three times per day.
> 
> As for Houshang's ultimate fate...you'll just have to stay tuned.



I WILL stay tuned!  





			
				gfunk said:
			
		

> First off, great post JD.  It's refereshing to see that Grimm is not totally unstoppable, just mostly unstoppable.  I'm sure that the Kelubars were given each other high-fives during that encounter screaming, "You see? You see? He's not a machine, he's a man, he's a man."



If it bleeds, we can kill it...





			
				gfunk said:
			
		

> Houshang does have some bad ju-ju in his future but I wouldn't exactly call it death nor is it really by the party's doing.
> 
> This module was ended in a rather unconventional way too, as you will see.



Unconventional...was it also funny?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Unconventional...was it also funny?





That depends on your sense of humor...


----------



## diaglo

gfunk said:
			
		

> Houshang does have some bad ju-ju in his future but I wouldn't exactly call it death nor is it really by the party's doing.





just want say thanks for the new player.

having a good B_M is always appreciated.


----------



## beer_motor

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Wow - talk about disadvantage of surroundings. Did they really almost kill Grimm? I'll have to check out the stats of these Demodands again.
> 
> I also like Househang's style! Was he killed by the party, though?





He was such a fun character... transmuters are really sweet, lots of good options.  From what I heard, he met his demise (sort of) at the hands of Entropy, but at that point I was no longer playing him with the group, and one of the new fellows had stepped in and taken him over.

Happily, Houshang lives on in the OD&D game I just joined this past Sunday.


----------



## Lela

Lela = Caught up

*Faints*


----------



## LordVyreth

Lela said:
			
		

> Lela = Caught up
> 
> *Faints*




So that means I can expect more comments from you in MY Story Hour next, then?


----------



## Lela

Hey, I'm just caught up with 3 of the SH I read (4 if you count Sep, which I'm not).  There are still plenty more ahead.

You're on the list somewhere.  Higher because you've actually acknolaged my existance.


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> Hey, I'm just caught up with 3 of the SH I read (4 if you count Sep, which I'm not).  There are still plenty more ahead.
> 
> You're on the list somewhere.  Higher because you've actually acknolaged my existance.




Lela!  We've missed you!  You had me worried there for a while.  Welcome back!


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Lela!  We've missed you!  You had me worried there for a while.  Welcome back!



 Sorry, I still have no access at home and I'd gone to work at a call center.  Let me tell you, most of my friends were worried on that one too.  Apperently you need a _Protection From Evil_ up at all times in there.  That possession thing is nasty.

Now I'm back at my old tutoring job, which really shouldn't have me doing things like reading online but that never stopped me before.

But, arriving back at one of my favorite story hours (I can prove it; I keep a ready e-mail on this due to being asked for advice so often) and find the "Packing it in" notice.  Sure there are some new updates but, alas, the mood is dampened.

I love seeing the impact of the PCs ripple across campaign after campaign; affecting all who come after.  I've tried to immitate the same concept in my games, with much success, because of what I've found here.

I'll be sorry to see you go.  So don't.  Okay?


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> I'll be sorry to see you go.  So don't.  Okay?




I think that I speak for Joe and Gfunk when I say that its been a lot of fun, and we have enojoyed ourselves and the international acclaim we have received.  Just like the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, all good  things must come to an end.  Maybe after some time away we might cure ourselves of the burn-out...


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> I'll be sorry to see you go.  So don't.  Okay?





Not to worry, at least for the time being Lela.  I predict this SH won't wrap up for at least another six months...there are still that many updates to post.  Who knows?  By the time we're finished, the readers may be sick of us and will want a break too


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> ...there are still that many updates to post.



Example? 





			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Who knows?  By the time we're finished, the readers may be sick of us and will want a break too



Don't count on it. I would love to see the heros truely epic, epic - and that could only lead to the confrontation with entropy...but maybe we'll still get to this part. If not, maybe you can arrange a comeback session when you've finished the SH. And of course, post the SH...


----------



## JollyDoc

Hey guys...sorry for the update absence.  We bought a new computer last weekend, and are setting it up tomorrow.  I have to transfer all my files from old to new, including the story hour, and I didn't want to risk losing any new info.  Hopefully, I'll be able to work on it with gusto this weekend.


----------



## JollyDoc

I must beg the indulgence of all the readers a second time.  I did get my new computer hooked up, but unfortunately, I ended up being hospitalized this past weekend, and that has delayed my update, as well as life in general.  I am in the process of completing the SH, so bear with me.  I can promise an update by this weekend.


----------



## Lela

Best wishes* JollyDoc and hope for a speedy recovery.


*One of those wishes, of course, is that the hospital has cable.  'Cause there's not a lot to do with just the WB, UPN, and 4 channels of PBS.


----------



## Vargo

*One more of those wishes would be that they have a nice 'n speedy internet hookup, because quite frankly, TV sucks even WITH cable.


----------



## Lela

Vargo said:
			
		

> *One more of those wishes would be that they have a nice 'n speedy internet hookup, because quite frankly, TV sucks even WITH cable.



 *DVD Player and a friend with a Blockbuster or Hollywood Video card?


----------



## JollyDoc

Well, fortunately it was only an overnight stay, and for the majority of that time I was heavily sedated, so didn't miss the comforts of modern technology too much.


----------



## Joachim

WTF?!?!  Did you get that nasty stomach virus that I got, too?  I know a lot of folks that have gotten messed up by that stuff.  It knocked me out for a couple of days, and is currently doing the same to the finance...


----------



## JollyDoc

HALL OF THE FIRE GIANT KING

With the last of the kelubars vanquished, the company found themselves at a dead end.  They would have to backtrack, either towards the distant glow they had seen, or down the east branch of the T-intersection they had passed.  As they approached the intersection, Rusty’s keen eye for stonework picked out a faint inconsistency in the wall on his left.  Human and even elven eyes would have missed it, but to a dwarf, it was as clear as if it had been marked in red paint.  The wall for a space of about ten feet was slightly discolored; a lighter shade than the stone to either side.  Rusty paused and rapped his knuckles lightly against the spot, pressing his ear firmly to the wall as he did so.  
“Is there a problem?” Grimm rumbled, turning to scowl at the dwarf, irritated at the delay.  “Maybe…” Rusty said absently, continuing to knock in different places.  Finally, he stood back, “Grimm, me lad.  Would ye be so kind as to use yer whippin’ chain there as a batterin’ ram?  I want ye to hit this wall right on this precise spot.  Oh, by the way, the rest of ye should stand back and make ready.”  Grimm shook his head in confusion, but he trusted the old dwarf, and so he dutifully faced the wall, reared back, and leveled all his strength at the spot Rusty indicated.  It was as if his chain had hit paper, so easily did the thin stone blast apart.  On the far side, a hidden corridor was revealed.  Its floor, walls, and ceiling were polished to a mirror finish.  It was stifling hot in the hall, and the light of dozens of cages of glowing grubs reflected a hundredfold.  The western wall of the corridor had been carved in a series of terrifying scenes.  Fiends of all shapes and sizes forced creatures of an even wider variety into burning servitude.  Lording over them all, however, was a horrifying menace.  Its misshapen face seemed to face two directions, implying that nothing escaped its fierce, maniacal gaze.

Some fifty feet down the hallway stood four humanoid figures.  They appeared to be anthropomorphic dogs or wolves, for they stood on two legs and wore chain shirts.  Great axes were slung at their backs, while longbows where held in their hands, arrows knocked.  Their canine eyes glowed red, and steam or smoke curled from their snarling mouths.  Grimm, Rusty, Dalthon, Tilly, Kiko and Gunther immediately recognized the creatures.  They were haraknin, hell-hound shapeshifters the Bright Axes first encountered in Oblivion, Vhalantru’s stronghold.  They were fierce warriors, and swore their allegiance to someone named Ti’irok Coalfire.  What they were doing here in the Cagewrights’ lair was anyone’s guess, but it couldn’t bode well.  Kiko was the first of the Bright Axes to cross the threshold.  No sooner had he done so, than the eyes of the two-faced carving on the wall began to glow.  Beams of black energy lanced out towards the monk.  Only his lightning quick reflexes saved him from whatever terrible effect the trap was bound to have.  Kiko dove into a forward roll, coming up nimbly to his feet and then sprinting full speed down the corridor.  Before the haraknin could loose their arrows, the monk was among them, sweeping the legs from under the foremost with a low circle kick.  As the shapeshifter fell, the monk stabbed two fingers into its neck, momentarily stealing its breath.  Two of the remaining haraknin quickly dropped their bows and grabbed their axes, stepping quickly to flank Kiko, while the last one fired back towards the other adventurers still waiting beyond the trapped portal.  The arrow flew true, embedding itself into Ike’s shoulder.  With a quizzical raise of his eyebrows, the goliath stared at the protruding missile for a moment before shrugging and ripping it free.

Tilly had watched Kiko’s narrow escape from the deadly beams, and now the little halfling was sure he could accomplish the same trick.  First taking several steps back, he then ran forward and cart wheeled thru the doorway.  Quick as he was, though, he was not fast enough.  One of the beams clipped his leg as he tumbled past, and instantly the rogue felt his limb go cold.  For a moment, he couldn’t feel it at all, and then with agonizing pain, sensation returned, but also a bone-numbing weakness and body wide chill.  Forcing himself into motion again before the haraknin could regroup, Tilly charged towards one of the lycanthropes surrounding Kiko.  With all his effort, the little halfling thrust his sword forward, piercing the haraknin under the ribs.  As the shapeshifter howled and spun, swinging its axe, Tilly sprang back, narrowly avoiding the loss of his head.

Ike was not particularly quick, either in wit or in body, but he had a certain knack for surviving…almost a sixth sense about danger.  It was that gift that told him to run directly behind Tilly thru the portal, and sure enough, the death trap did not have time to reset itself after firing at the rogue, and the goliath made it past unscathed.  Just as Tilly dodged his opponent’s counter attack, Ike moved past the halfling and seized the haraknin by the neck.  Whirling around like a discus thrower, the goliath launched the stunned lycanthrope bodily back down the hall.  As the haraknin struck the floor, it continued to slide along the mirror-smooth surface before finally coming to a halt almost directly in front of the door.  Before it had a chance to regain its feet, Grimm’s chain sailed through the air in a series of lethal strikes, and the number of enemies was suddenly reduced by one.

“So these beasts like it hot, do they?” Houshang mused as he stood in the door behind Grimm.  “Let’s see how they like it when we turn down the heat a bit.”  The wizard began an invocation, and then thrust his hands forward.  A blast of frigid air, filled with ice and sleet filled the corridor from end to end, yet somehow holes appeared in the maelstrom exactly where Tilly, Ike and Kiko stood, leaving them inside small eyes, unaffected by the cold.  However, the haraknin had their own defenses.  Two of them were a blur of motion as they dove and rolled around a bend in the hall, narrowly avoiding the effects of the spell.  The third stood its ground, but the spell simply washed over it, seeming to have no effect whatsoever.  Ti’irok had, as always, prepared them well, the haraknin thought as it patted the elixir at its belt which protected them from just such magics.  

“Looks like our boys could use some help,” Rusty said to Dalthon and Gunther.  “I’m goin’ in.  Cover me!”  The old priest stepped thru the door, and was immediately struck by one of the dark energy rays.  For an instant, he went pale as a sheet, his eyes wide and staring.  Then the dwarf shook his head to clear it, laid one hand across his heart and spoke softly, “Bright Lady, ease my soul so that I may continue to work your glories against our foes.”  A soft, blue glow surrounded Rusty for a moment, and when it faded, he looked hale and whole once more.  

“You heard your boss,” Dalthon said, looking down at Gunther.  “I, for one, am not following his foolhardy example, but I think we can lend a hand from here, no?”  With that, the sorcerer began his own incantation, and sent a barrage of magic missiles down the hall, striking the magically warded haraknin full in the chest.  The bellow of pain from the shapeshifter was proof enough that his defenses were limited in their protection.

Now that Kiko’s assailants had been forced back, the monk pressed his attack once more.  Leaping around the corner, he pummeled one of the haraknin repeatedly, pushing the creature back into the main hall, and back towards Ike.  “Round two, Grimmy!” Ike shouted as he seized the lycanthrope.  “Fast ball special coming up!”  Once again, a haraknin went sailing down the corridor, and once again, Grimm made quick work of the shapeshifter.  As Ike turned back around, the remaining bowman fired two quick shots at him point-blank.  Both arrows were spot-on, and this time they struck the goliath in the chest.  Simultaneously, the remaining haraknin dodged around Kiko, and swung its axe at Rusty as he approached, knocking the dwarf back several feet as his breath was forced from his lungs.  

“Enough of this!” Houshang spat.  Reaching into a belt pouch, he pulled out a blank sheet of parchment, which his deft hands quickly folded into the origami shape of a frog.  He spoke a short phrase and the sculpture went up in flames.  Simultaneously, the haraknin bowman disappeared.  Where it had stood, there now was a croaking toad in the middle of an empty chain shirt.  The last haraknin stared incredulously at where his companion had been only a moment before.  As his guard momentarily lowered, Rusty and Kiko were on him, a combination of hammer blows and knife-hand chops ending his life.  “You ok lad?” Rusty said, turning to Ike who was busy chewing the arrows loose from his flesh.  “This?” the goliath asked.  “I’ve had worse while mending my shirt with a bone needle.”  

There was still the matter of the remaining Bright Axes being trapped on the far side of the eye-beam trap.  Tilly tried to disable the beams, but was struck by two more for his efforts, prompting Gunther to use the same restorative magic on him that Rusty had used on himself as the rogue tumbled to safety beyond the mirrored hall.  Finally, Kiko volunteered to trigger the beams, relying on his amazing reflexes to dodge to safety while his companions raced thru as the trap reset.
___________________________________________________

Cautiously, the company continued down the mirror-bright corridor, and rounded the far corner.  The hallway continued on for some distance, but immediately to their left was a short hall ending at a set of iron double doors.  Tilly crept to the portal, and pressed his ear against it.  Immediately, he pulled back, hissing in pain as the searing heat emanating from the door scalded his ear.  Rusty chuckled and motioned for the rogue to just open the door.  After all, if whoever was behind it hadn’t heard the sounds of battle already, they were either deaf or dead.  Tilly wrapped cloth around his hands and quickly tugged open the massive door.  The walls of the room beyond were rough and natural, although the floor was polished smooth.  A massive iron bed filled half the wall to the east, and a stream of glowing lava ran slowly through the center of the room to what appeared to be a large sunken pool built into the west wall.  A tapestry made of dark, heavy metal adorned the wall directly across from the door, displaying a silhouette of a bearded face outlined in flames and howling in fury, all on a field of red.  A large iron bookshelf sat on the floor below, carrying several oversized books.  Next to that, and facing the door was a massive iron table cluttered with metal sheets and a dragon’s skull.  Two more haraknin stood poised on the far side of the lava stream, bows drawn back to their cheeks.  Between them, seated at the desk was a giant.  His ebony skin contrasted sharply with his flame red hair and flowing beard.  He was dressed in black plate armor, and a huge sword rested on his back.  As the doors open, he stood slowly, resting his hands on the table.  “So,” he rumbled in a deep bass voice, “these are the ones who bested Aszithef Flamewarder and stole Coldburn.  Tell me, where is the sword now?”  It took Rusty a moment to understand what it was the fire giant was talking about.  Then he remembered the haraknin band they had encountered in Oblivion.  The big female had been wielding a sword that burned with both fire and ice.  “That hunk o’junk?” he said aloud.  “We hocked it first chance we got.  Brought a couple o’thousand gold as I recall.  Was it yours?  I’m sure we can work out a percentage fer ya.”  Ti’irok Coalfire’s eyes narrowed to slits and his jaw clenched tightly.  “Kill them,” he said menacingly, “but save the dwarf for me.”

Kiko was in motion as soon as the words left the fire giant’s mouth.  Even in the form of a stone giant, the monk was still swift as a serpent.  Three quick strides brought him to the edge of the lava stream.  He swung one massive arm at the nearest haraknin, but at the last moment, the shapeshifter’s form seemed to blur and Kiko’s perfectly aimed strike missed by a fraction of an inch.  The haraknin quickly took a step beyond the giant monk’s reach, and then opened fire, knowing he couldn’t miss at such close range.  Kiko, however, had other thoughts.  He easily batted aside the first arrow, then deftly dodged two more, his own shape seeming a blur, but strictly due to the speed of his movement.

Ike looked at his hammer wistfully, then shook his head and put the treasured weapon aside.  Reaching over his shoulder, he drew forth the trident he’d been given by his father.  It was the same weapon the priestesses of Umberlee had planned to use to sacrifice him to their dark goddess when he was an infant.  He chose it now for its reach advantage.  Not being built for jumping, the goliath judged that by standing at the rim of the stream, he could still reach across with this weapon hopefully impale his opponents on the far side.  As he approached, the second haraknin began firing.  Ike completely ignored the arrows as they bounced and ricocheted off his armor.  

“The grunts are occupied,” Grimm said to Gunther.  “Time to take down the main man.  He looks like he’s got some skill with that pig sticker.  How about giving me a little advantage?”  Gunther nodded, knowing exactly what the half-ogre meant.  With a quick arcane pass, Grimm faded from view, invisible.  Seconds later, Rusty vanished as well.  “How about some artillery support to cover us?” the disembodied voice of the elder dwarf asked, and the three spell-casters nodded in understanding.  Dalthon took the initiative.  Stepping to the door, he began casting the deadly Finger of Death.  Stabbing his index finger directly towards Ti’irok’s heart, he sent a beam of jet-black energy arcing towards the giant.  As the ray struck, Ti’irok grunted and doubled over.  For a moment, Dalthon thought the battle was over, but then the fire giant slowly stood erect once more, pain etched on his face, but also hatred and fury.

Grimm moved quickly across the chamber as Ti’irok recovered from Dalthon’s spell.  Still unseen, the big warrior swung, smashing his chain into the side of the fire giant’s helm.  Instantly, the half-ogre appeared, much to the surprise of the leader of the Flamewarders.  Realizing his danger, Ti’irok dodged to his right, making a run for the lava pool.  Grimm was a fraction of a second faster, and he cracked his chain directly in front of the giant, stopping the brute dead in his tracks.  At that moment, Kiko sprang across the lava stream, landing in a crouch behind Ti’irok.  The giant whirled, planning on removing the monk’s head from his shoulders with his sword, but Kiko was below the blow.  As the blade passed over him, the stone giant monk rose smoothly, burying his fist solidly into Ti’irok’s armpit.  

“I’m missing all the fun, hanging around back here with you wet blankets,” Tilly said as Dalthon, Houshang and Gunther continued to ready their spells.  “I’m going to play with at the big kids’ table.”  With that, the rogue twisted the gold ring on his finger, and vanished.  “Good riddance,” Houshang sniffed.  “Don’t underestimate him,” Dalthon replied, turning, “He…” but the rest of his sentence was cut short as two arrows struck the sorcerer, one in the leg, and one in the shoulder.  “Get down!” Gunther shouted, pushing the human behind him.  With a word, he returned fire on the haraknin bowman, peppering the lycanthrope with magic missiles.  Behind him, Dalthon grimaced in pain, but managed to send his own missile volley at his assailant as well, followed up immediately by a barrage by Houshang.  Small minds, apparently, thought alike.

Ike saw that Grimm and Kiko had the fire giant boxed in.  Those glory hogs were going to steal his thunder!  Hefting his trident, the goliath charged along the near side of the lave stream, until he was directly across from Ti’irok.  Gripping the weapon in both hands, he thrust it forward, straight into the fire giant’s thigh.  Ti’irok roared and almost jerked the trident from Ike’s hands as he pulled it loose.  The giant then stepped into the lava and hammered down with his sword at the liberator.  Ike sank to one knee under the force of the blow, his left arm going numb.  A second blow followed, then a third and a fourth.  The goliath found himself on his back, staring up into the maddened face of Ti’irok.  So this is how it ends, Ike though to himself.  It was fitting.  He’d been trained to kill giants.  It just made sense that he would die fighting one.  As Ti’irok raised his sword for the killing blow though, a loud crack filled the room, and the fire giant lurched forward as Grimm’s spike chain almost fractured his spine.  As he stumbled, Ike managed to raise his trident, impaling Ti’irok on its razor sharp tines.  

Tilly gathered himself, then leaped across the lava stream.  He landed, still unseen, right beside one of the haraknin archers.  Picking his spot carefully, Tilly drew back his sword and slid it between the third and fourth ribs of the shapeshifter, hearing a sharp hiss of air escape the wound as the creature’s punctured lung collapsed.  The attack negated Tilly’s invisibility, but he wasn’t concerned.  A few more well-placed blows should end this threat.  Just then, a smaller door across the room banged open, and two more haraknin stepped through.  So much for a quick fight, Tilly thought.  

The second of the original archers saw that his chief was in mortal peril.  Dropping his bow, the haraknin leaped atop the desk and gripped his great axe, planning on cleaving Kiko’s skull with it.  The wily monk saw the movement, and hooked his foot up in a spinning kick, sweeping the haraknin’s feet from under him.  As he fell from the desk, Kiko struck him in mid-air, sending him sprawling in a heap to the floor.  

Across the stream, Ti’irok managed to disengage himself from Ike’s trident a second time.  Feeling his life leaving him, the fire giant resolved to take at least one of these bastards with him.  Raising his sword for the last time, he prepared to impale Ike, but once more, Grimm was there.  The half-ogre swung for the hills, crushing Ti’irok’s skull with the force of his blow, sending the chief of the Flamewarder mercenaries on his final journey.  Ike nodded in satisfaction, closing his eyes and taking what he thought would be his last ragged breath, preparing himself for is own last sojourn.  “Easy lad,” a voice spoke in his ear.  “Yer not gettin’ off that easy.”  Suddenly, Ike’s pain vanished and strength returned to his limbs once more.  Opening his eyes, he looked down at his wounds, only to find them gone.  Though he’d heard Rusty speak, the old priest was nowhere to be seen.  “I owe you my life,” Ike said aloud, “and I never forget a debt.”  “Ye can repay me now,” Rusty said, “by gettin’ yer lazy arse in gear and killin’ some were-dogs!”

Back at the door, the artillery unit continued their assault.  Gunther now sported an arrow protruding from his own arm, but the little dwarf kept launching wave after wave of missiles.  Dalthon leant his support, but Houshang was tiring of parlor tricks.  Still irked that his previous cone of cold had failed to yield the desired result, he decided to try again.  Yet again, one of the haraknin in the effect of the spell managed to dodge aside, while another stood bathed in the full force of the cone, yet emerged completely unscathed.  “Damn you all!” the wizard spat, and then he too fired off a volley of magic missiles.

The haraknin at Kiko’s feet struggled to rise.  Normally not one to kick a man when he was down, Kiko was also pragmatic.  As the haraknin reached his hands and knees, the stone giant monk dropped a big elbow on the lycanthrope’s spine, snapping it like a twig.  

Tilly’s opponent wheezed as he dropped his bow and, with difficulty, drew out his axe.  Tilly was incredulous that the creature was still standing, and received a second shock a moment later as the haraknin actually grazed his leg with a clumsy swing of its weapon.  “Die, will you?” the rogue shouted as he ducked behind the warrior, stabbing again and again, but the shapeshifter would not go down, not even when the triple tines of Ike’s trident burst from its chest as the goliath struck from behind.  Finally, Tilly planted his blade into the haraknin’s throat, and with a sigh, it gave up the fight.

The remaining two haraknin dropped their bows in unison, and howled like wolves as they leaped the stream, drew axes and charged headlong at the spell casters who had been harrying them.  The first reached the doorway, and chopped at Dalthon, sending the sorcerer sprawling to the floor.  The second was brought up short as Grimm’s chain wrapped around his legs and pulled him to the ground.  The half-ogre stepped over the fallen haraknin and seized the first who threatened Dalthon by the scruff of the neck.  As the downed shapeshifter disentangled himself from the coils of the chain, Houshang bombarded him again with magic missiles.  Grimm whirled, hurling the struggling haraknin in his grip back across the room to land at Kiko’s feet.  Before the creature could recover, the monk gripped his head in both hands, and broke his neck with one sharp twist.  Grimm ended the battle by wrapping his chain around the sole haraknin’s neck and strangling him where he lay.
_______________________________________________________

No more haraknin appeared as the Bright Axes began searching Ti’irok’s quarters.  Apparently this had been the mercenary bands’ last stand.  Ti’irok was apparently well read, as evidenced by the library of material he had on military tactics.   It was two metal sheets of paper covered in print written in metallic ink that proved most interesting, though.  The first mentioned by name the Ritual of Planar Junction.  It implied that once completed, the Tree of Shackled Souls still required several hours to build up enough energy to open the portal to Carceri.  Perhaps there was still time.  The second sheet was apparently a list of tasks:  See to Dechrini.  The constant organ playing has got to stop; Speak to the wyrm about the collar.  Ensure it is still cared for; Speak to Dyr’ryd once the portal is open to inquire about the dispensation of land; Establish plan with Nulin and Thearynn about a plan to round up remaining townsfolk as workers for the lords from beyond; Polish Blackfire.  This last task had been crossed out.


----------



## R-Hero

Great read once again, JD.




> The giant then stepped into the lava and hammered down with his sword at the liberator. Ike sank to one knee under the force of the blow, his left arm going numb. A second blow followed, then a third and a fourth.



200+ hitpoints down to single digit in one round. Nasty! But thats whats giant liberators do.
(_Fight giants and bleed_  )

Nice grusom visial, 'gnawing the arrows out'.  



> “This?” the goliath asked. “I’ve had worse while mending my shirt with a bone needle.”



 From then on Ike remembered to remove the shirt _before_ repairs are made with the bone needle.


----------



## war wizard

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Small minds, apparently, thought alike.





Excellent read JD, but small minds?


----------



## JollyDoc

war wizard said:
			
		

> Excellent read JD, but small minds?





Well...Gunther is a dwarf...so...and then there's Houshang, which goes without saying...so...um...oops.


----------



## beer_motor

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Well...Gunther is a dwarf...so...and then there's Houshang, which goes without saying...so...um...oops.




It is written: Do not taunt Happy Fun Hobbit.

"Mmmmmmm, SKEXSIES!"


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Very good episode, JollyDoc. I hope you are feeling better - if it was the super-mini-stomach virus, we also had it here in Germany. It has been circling since November last year and lasts about 2 to 3 days. Crazy stuff...

I am really very curious on how the heros ended this adventure path module. Grimm's spiked chain is only one of the solutions. And if I remember correctly, things are going to become even hotter than the fire giant. 





			
				R-Hero said:
			
		

> 200+ hitpoints down to single digit in one round. Nasty! But thats whats giant liberators do.



That was one nasty giant! Did Rusty's player come up with similar taunts during the game?


----------



## Lela

Amazing how much more effective a bad guy is when he has a little help.  Even if they're just fodder, they're a distraction.


----------



## JollyDoc

I am really very curious on how the heros ended this adventure path module. Grimm's spiked chain is only one of the solutions. And if I remember correctly, things are going to become even hotter than the fire giant. 

I probably have about 2 more post to complete this section of the path, and I will tell you that it does not end as expected.  Just a little teaser...if you will recall in days past, I mentioned that at the end of this adventure, one of the PC's was eliminated...permanently??


That was one nasty giant! Did Rusty's player come up with similar taunts during the game?[/QUOTE]

Brian...aka Rusty...has his moments.  However, I must tell you, in the current game we are running, Gfunk is playing a Wilder named Hextor who is fond of Triple H quotes...in fact he hast two pages of them!


----------



## JollyDoc

MINIONS OF THE EYE

Grehlia Cairnis knew they were coming for her.  She had heard the distant sounds of battle echoing from the upper levels near the barracks of the Flamewarders.  The Fish had told her that intruders were in the complex, but he hadn’t thought they would get this far.  He was wrong, and now they were coming for her.  She knew she could expect no assistance from the Cagewrights nor the other apprentices.  Even the Fish, her mentor, would likely leave her to her own fate.  To him this would be just another test of her abilities and her loyalty.  If she failed, then she was not worthy to serve him anyway.  She strolled casually through her sculpture garden, tenderly caressing the images she had worked so painstakingly to craft.  Others might find the statues disturbing, since so many of them depicted images of suffering or cruelty.  Some of the stone figures were hollow, filled with lava that she contained thru her magic, but which she allowed to show thru transparent holes in the rock.  This effect served to outline certain horrible wounds in the statues, or the cruelty in their eyes.  The White Banshee smiled on her work.  What did she care if the others were to dim to see the beauty in it?  They would not discuss their own religious beliefs with her, and seemed disdainful of hers.  No matter.  Kiaransalee smiled on her, and cursed her enemies.  Ah!  Here they were now!  Grehlia stepped quickly into the shadows behind one of the larger sculptures as the first of the trespassers appeared.  It was a giant!  He stood twelve feet at least, and muscles rippled beneath his skin.  He carried no weapons, however, nor did he wear armor.  No sooner had he entered the chamber, than his eyes focused directly on her hiding spot.  Quickly, she began a spell meant to slay the living instantly, but before the words could leave her lips, the giant was upon her.  Sticking out one massive leg, he swept her from her feet.  She landed hard on her back, the air knocked painfully from her lungs.  An instant later, a ham-sized fist slammed into the side of her head, and everything went momentarily black.  As she shook her head to clear it, she felt an agonizing, burning pain in her abdomen.  Her eyes cleared abruptly, and she looked down to see a halfling, of all things, standing over her withdrawing a foot of steel from her midsection.  Grehlia’s eyes widened in disbelief.  “Mother,” she managed to whisper before the giant’s fist descended again and darkness fell.
________________________________________________________________

“Damn it!” Thearynn Louvel cursed as he paced nervously around his mostly bare chambers, anxiously wringing his hands.  Nearby, Xarthyx squatted on his perch, his tail twitching in amusement as he watched his master’s anguish.  The quasit reached up absently to wipe the drool from his mouth.  It was an unconscious habit that occurred when he was excited.  He knew there was soon to be bloodshed.
“I warned Dyr’ryd that this would happen!” Thearynn shrieked, “But would they listen?  No!  They only hear Shebeleth, and that fool’s conceit will be his undoing!  I know the Fish is behind this, he and Ardeth!  They’re both out to get me!  They probably let those interlopers in here, and sent them right for me!  Well, it won’t do them any good.  I’ve prepared, haven’t I Xarthyx?  We will be ready for them, and then we’ll see who has the last laugh!  Now come!  They’ll be here any moment!”

“Yessss massster,” the quasit hissed, and then he began uttering the guttural words of a spell.  Instantly, the little demon disappeared, but thanks to the spell of True Sight Thearynnn had cast, the conjurer could still see his apprentice.  Hopefully, his enemies would not have the same foresight.  Next, Thearynn spoke a brief command word, activating the magic in his boots, and he began rising slowly up towards the ceiling.  Just when it seemed he would smash against the rock, he simply passed through it.  Yet another contingency he had put in place for the moment he knew would eventually come, when all of his many enemies sought to assassinate him.  He now rested comfortably in a concealed space bored into the ceiling, but the illusory image that covered it protected him completely from prying eyes, while his own magic allowed him to see out.  He began casting one last spell as he heard the first crash against his chamber door.  Now his foes would not even be aware where his voice was coming from when he began blasting them each out of existence. 

The door smashed inward, and Xarthyx got his first glimpse of the invaders.  For a moment, he was taken aback.  He had expected the usual assortment of elves, dwarves, humans and other do-gooders.  He was surprised to see a giant, an ogre half-breed, and a goliath, closely followed by a pair of the predicted dwarves, a halfling, and two humans…one of them a red wizard, if he was not mistaken.  He’d always wanted to kill a Thayan.  But first to deal with the muscle.  The quasit quickly threw his first spell, meant to confuse the mind of the dim-witted goliath.  To his surprise, the brute merely furrowed his brow for a moment, then shook his head as if bothered by a gnat.  Unfortunately, by taking offensive action, Xarthyx had negated his concealing invisibility, and they were all looking right at him.  The red wizard sneered, and stepped forward, hurling a wave of frigid air and ice at the diminutive demon.  Xarthyx shrieked as he tried to flap to safety.  Ice began to accumulate on his wings, and he shivered uncontrollably.  He absolutely detested cold!  Xarthyx yelped again as the giant moved like quicksilver, trying to grab him out of the air.  Fortunately, the demonic sorcerer had placed a spell of Displacement around him, and the giant’s clutching fingers missed him by inches.

“That’s my lad,” Thearynn muttered as he watched the melee.  “Just keep them busy a little longer.”  He began conjuring, but due to the Ventriloquism spell he had cast, it seemed as if his voice were coming from a distant corner of the room.  All of the intruders looked in that direction.  Predictable.  So as not to disappoint them, Thearynn concentrated on his summoned creature appearing right where they were focused.  With a deafening roar, the hell-spawned tyrannosaurus rex erupted out of thin air.  Hah!  Thearynn thought.  That should give the warriors pause.  Now, to deal with the so-called spell-casters.  He cast again, this time making his voice sound from directly behind the two dwarves and humans.  A thick, roiling green fog cloud coalesced around them all, leaving the halfling, half-ogre and giant cut off, facing the t-rex.  This was working out better than he’d planned.  He hoped the fools trapped within the cloud appreciated the extra acidic touch he’d added.

Xarthyx giggled in glee as he witnessed his master’s handiwork.  It was genius!  So, the red wizard liked cold, did he?  “Let’s see if he likes being on the other end,” the quasit tittered.  “My life for you, master!” he shouted as he unleashed his own Cone of Cold into the Acid Fog, hoping to catch all of those imprisoned within.  Xarthyx joy only increased when he saw the red wizard, grimacing in pain, step to the edge of the fog cloud and hurl a Fireball into the corner where he thought Thearynn was.  The explosion only served to singe the t-rex a bit, and enrage it more.  “Fool!” Xarthyx crowed.  Just then, a shadow fell over him, and he looked up to see a massive hand swinging towards him.  With one final squawk, the quasit was flattened into so much goo against the wall by the giant.

Thearynn watched his apprentice die dispassionately.  He had served his purpose, and had certainly been more loyal than his previous three apprentices, all of whom had tried to supplant his place among the Cagewrights before he had dealt with them.  Xarthyx would be hard to replace, but there was still the matter at hand.  The giant that had killed the quasit was now busy hammering away at the t-rex.  The halfling was scuttling around beneath the dinosaur’s legs, taking cheap shots wherever there was an opportunity.  Suddenly, the big half-ogre stepped in and dealt a withering blow with the spiked chain he wielded, and the t-rex faded from view as it died.  Near the door, the dwarves, humans and the goliath had finally managed to free themselves from the fog.  It seemed that another diversion was in order.  

Thearynn smiled, despite his paranoia, when he saw the forest of writhing, black tentacles erupt from the floor.  The giant, halfling, and half-ogre were unfortunate enough to be caught right in the middle of the mass.  The thick appendages immediately began wrapping around the limbs and necks of the so-called heroes, and the conjurer’s smile broadened.  His enemies would do well not to underestimate him.  He could picture the Fish in just such a predicament.  Abruptly, his smile faded as the half-ogre simply walked out of the Evard’s, ignoring the tentacles that continued to slap at him, yet slid off his body the moment they struck.  The cunning bastard must have had some sort of Freedom of Movement cast upon him.  Then, Thearynn’s incredulity increased as the giant began ripping tentacles from the floor and hurling them away from him.  In short order, he too was free.  The half-ogre peered all about the room, obviously looking for Thearynn, but not seeing anything.  With a roar of rage, the brute began randomly smashing up furniture and fixtures.  Thearynn’s smile returned.  So the dim wit felt impotent, did he?  Well, perhaps his mood would be improved if he had something else to occupy him.  

With a flash of blinding flames, the room below Thearynn erupted into a roiling inferno.  A cloud of ash and soot, wreathed in scorching fire, billowed across the floor, igniting everything in its path.  The half-ogre dove for cover, managing to roll beneath the bulk of the cloud.  Incredibly, the halfling wriggled free of the tentacles at the last possible moment, and tumbled out the door to safety.  The others were not so lucky.  Not only did they have the Incendiary Cloud to contend with, but the tentacles were still seeking out new prey, and the Acid Fog remained in place as well.  There was mass confusion and chaos below him, and Thearynn was loving every minute of it.  Suddenly, the green mass of the Acid Fog vanished.  Thearynn heard the words of a spell being cast by the older dwarf and he realized that his magic had been dispelled.  Just then, two tentacles seized the dwarf, and the red wizard standing next to him, but before the life could be crushed out of them, the second dwarf managed to dispel the Evard’s as well.  As the red wizard dropped unceremoniously to the floor, Thearynn heard him call out to his companions, “The voice is an illusion!  It is a Ventriloquism!  Do not waste your time searching for the source!  He must be hidden!”  Damn! Thearynn cursed to himself.  They were on to him.  Not that it mattered.  They would still never pierce his concealment.  And yet, the elder dwarf was now unfurling a scroll.  As he read it, a feeling of dread fell over Thearynn.  It was a True Sight spell!  

“There!” Rusty cried, “In the ceiling!”  “I’m on it!” Houshang shouted, but an instant later, a stone wall appeared out of nowhere in the center of the chamber, splitting the party in half.  Not hesitating, Houshang flung a Disintegrate spell at the barrier, blasting a hole in it ten feet wide.  On the other side, Kiko peered closely at the spot on the ceiling that Rusty had identified.  As his mind focused past the illusion, he could see a patch of the stone become transparent, and then he could see the figure concealed on the other side.  Immediately, he struck, his hand reaching into the hidden hole and connecting solidly.  He heard the tell-tale snap of bone breaking.

Grimm still saw only hard stone, yet he clearly saw Kiko seemingly put his hand directly thru the solid rock, and he needed no further convincing.  Aiming for the same spot, he struck in a flurry of blinding strikes, and as the last one hit, a body tumbled from the ceiling to land sprawled on the floor at an unnatural angle.  


Just because you are paranoid does not mean someone is not out to get you.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Beatutiful JollyDoc! Very nice to experience this part from the perspective of the Cagewrights. Kind of a little like "Dungeon Keeper". 

Just because Thearynn uses relatively simple tactics, it does not mean that this encounter is not dangerous. Glad to see the heros are finally closing in on the finale of the module.


----------



## scout989

never mind


----------



## beer_motor

Houshang, busting out the disintigrates!  Yeah baby... make papa proud.


----------



## Lela

I thought the whole thing was a brilliant plan.  How did he figure out it was an illusion and _Ventriloquism_?


----------



## war wizard

"I thought the whole thing was a brilliant plan. How did he figure out it was an illusion and Ventriloquism?"


By much wailing and gnashing of teeth on the part of the Players, if memory serves correct.


----------



## gfunk

war wizard said:
			
		

> By much wailing and gnashing of teeth on the part of the Players, if memory serves correct.




Eh, pretty much.  However, the module is designed this way.

Unfortunately, it very clearly states in the spell description, "*With respect to such voices and sounds, anyone who hears the sound and rolls a successful save recognizes it as illusory (but still hears it).*"

However, this was not stated explicitly in the module, but I found it while JD was running the encounter, much to the PC's delight.


----------



## Samuraicat

*Paizo Putting out AP in Hardcover*

JD and Crew,

You may or may not be aware that Paizo is coming out with a hardcover compilation of the AP due out in July.  They are currently making fixes, updates, adding a new adventure, etc...

James Jacobs, editor over at Paizo working on this, is asking for people to point out errors, omissions, problems, things we would like clarified or changed and so on.

I've read your whole story hour and can tell you are good gamers who may have a lot to contribute to such a discussion.  On the Dungeon message board for the AP, they have a thread for contributing these thoughts and ideas.  Just thought you might like to check it out if you already haven't.  I have actually made a couple of suggestions (under my real name, Dave Gilligan) that James has responded to already and in a positive manner.  I'm sure he would appreciate your group's input as well.

SC


----------



## JollyDoc

Samuraicat said:
			
		

> JD and Crew,
> 
> You may or may not be aware that Paizo is coming out with a hardcover compilation of the AP due out in July.  They are currently making fixes, updates, adding a new adventure, etc...
> 
> James Jacobs, editor over at Paizo working on this, is asking for people to point out errors, omissions, problems, things we would like clarified or changed and so on.
> 
> I've read your whole story hour and can tell you are good gamers who may have a lot to contribute to such a discussion.  On the Dungeon message board for the AP, they have a thread for contributing these thoughts and ideas.  Just thought you might like to check it out if you already haven't.  I have actually made a couple of suggestions (under my real name, Dave Gilligan) that James has responded to already and in a positive manner.  I'm sure he would appreciate your group's input as well.
> 
> SC





Thanks for the info Dave!  I'm sure we can come up with a few suggestions.  I know one in particular regarding the climax of the path that I would like to address.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Thanks for the info Dave!  I'm sure we can come up with a few suggestions.  I know one in particular regarding the climax of the path that I would like to address.



You are such a teaser, JollyDoc...


----------



## Elemental

Joachim said:
			
		

> Let the complaining about Grimm begin...




Are you kidding? Right now, he's probably my favourite character in the SH--partly because I've always wanted to try the Planar Champion class, and partly because a good tank is always entertaining to play or read about. Something I am a bit curious about--why does he have a Headband of Intellect +4?


----------



## beer_motor

Grimm is pretty tough, and I think Richard made a very good move in trading that ring of major fire elemental control for Houshang's free action ring.  But for some reason, I've always felt like Richard was/is a cleric player, and whenever he's doing something else, my brain always has a hard time coping.


----------



## Joachim

Elemental said:
			
		

> Something I am a bit curious about--why does he have a Headband of Intellect +4?




Why not?  We found one, Grimm had an open slot, and Planar Champion has some rocking good skills.  Plus, it helped with some skills (Knowlege: Planes) that he was maxing out.


----------



## Krud

Joachim said:
			
		

> Why not?  We found one, Grimm had an open slot, and Planar Champion has some rocking good skills.  Plus, it helped with some skills (Knowlege: Planes) that he was maxing out.




So you had the whole 'wearing the headband for most of that level so you get extra skill points' houserule eh?

Intelligence has always been shortchanged by the rules in terms of items and skill points. No one except for wizards (or other int prime requisite classes) would bother upgrading it after lvl 1. Then again, I can't exactly see people trying to put more ability increases into anything other than their prime req except maybe for con or dex.


----------



## Joachim

Krud said:
			
		

> So you had the whole 'wearing the headband for most of that level so you get extra skill points' houserule eh?




No need to houserule it...I believe its in the DMG.  I dont have my book in front of me, but I know for 99% certain that it was present in 3.0, and I can't imagine why it would have changed in 3.5...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

*What is this thread doing at the bottom of page 2?*

Nothing - it belongs at the top! C'mon JollyDoc, write us some story, please !!!


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Nothing - it belongs at the top! C'mon JollyDoc, write us some story, please !!!




Ah, I thought I would soon be getting my hand slapped by you NWK.  Never fear, an update is in progress, in which I will be concluding Thirteen Cages in a little exerpt I like to call CATACLYSM!  'Nuff said...


----------



## gfunk

Sweet, can't wait to read it.  The sooner you wrap this up, followed by SoS, the sooner I can begin the insane goodness of _Asylum_.


----------



## JollyDoc

Had to break this one in two.  Turning out longer than I had thought.  Don't worry, Part 2 will appear shortly.

CATACLYSM, Part 1

“We’re running in circles,” Rusty grumbled as he kicked the limp form of Thearynn in frustration.  “And each of these bastards we deal with uses up that much more of our resources.  Gunther and I are running thin on prayers, and I’m sure Houshang and Dalthon could use a rest as well.  We need to finish this thing and find this tree before we’re too exhausted to do anything about it.”

“I have an idea,” Gunther said, his face a mask of thoughtful contemplation.  “We’ve seen one of these Soulcages before, right?”  His companions nodded, not following his logic.  “Well then I have a prayer that can lead us to the nearest Soulcage.”  Rusty’s eyes suddenly brightened in understanding.  “Locate Object!  Yer right boy!  It stands to reason that if we find a Soulcage, then we’ll find the tree!  Let’s be about it then!”
_____________________________________________________

Shebelith Regidin allowed himself a faint smile as he heard the door to his study quietly open.  Keeriv, the big shator demodand cocked his bulbous head in a gesture that conveyed both alertness and mild confusion.  Much like a trained dog, Shebelith thought.  Keeriv himself thought that the man seated so calmly before him while a squad of dangerous enemies waltzed casually into his chambers was a mad man.  Yet he suffered the fool in silence, for Dyr’ryd had commanded that he attend the human, and the twins were not to be defied lightly.  

“I believe our expected company has finally arrived,” Shebelith drawled, taking another sip of brandy from his snifter.  Keeriv stared intently at the archway leading to the study, his claws clenching and unclenching, but no one appeared, though he could clearly smell their insufferable stench.  “Oh do come in!” Shebelith sighed in mock exasperation.  “There’s no sense skulking about in there.”  

Finally, a figure emerged from the shadows.  He was a hulking specimen, almost equal in size to the shator.  His sloping brow and bovine nostrils betrayed his ogrish heritage.  Heavy armor covered his rippling musculature, and a deadly looking coil of barbed chain dangled from one hand.  “Ah!  Grimm Graaka is it?” Shebelith exclaimed.  “I’ve waited a long time to meet you and your companions.”  One by one the Bright Axes formed up tensely behind Grimm, a look of wary expectation on their collective faces.  “If you are one of the Cagewrights,” Grimm said in a voice full of low menace, “then your one chance at ever leaving this room again is to take us to the Tree of Shackled Souls now and show us how to destroy it.”  

Shebelith chuckled as he sipped his drink once more.  “Come now.  Surely you don’t think it can be that easy?  Destroying the Tree is out of the question at this point.  It’s far too late.  Events have already been set in motion, and they can’t be stopped.  Cauldron is doomed, and Turmish as a whole will follow.  You and your friends, however, don’t have to become casualties of war.”  The loremaster steepled his fingers under his chin.  “You stumbled upon Thifirane’s little gathering, so I know you are aware of what she had hoped to accomplish by calling together that particular assemblage.  Unfortunately for her, your untimely arrival quelled that little tête-à-tête.  Perhaps not so unfortunate for me.  You see, I am in the singular position to offer you that which Thifirane sought to bestow upon her hirelings.  You could all become lords in our New Order.  Think of it!  Lands to call your own.  Power beyond what you could imagine.  Untold wealth at your fingertips!  Put aside this petty quest, and see reason.  What, after all, do you owe the cattle of Cauldron?   What have they done for you?  Have you not been blamed numerous times for the misfortunes of the townsfolk?  Do the nobles not sneer at you when you presume to invade their inner circles?  You could crush them all beneath your boot heels!”  

“Save your breath, Cagewright,” Grimm said flatly.  “I’ve heard this all before, and from those with more to offer than you could ever dream of.  Tell me where the Tree is.  I won’t ask you again.”  For just a fraction of a second, Shebelith’s eyes narrowed in anger, the first sign of emotion that he’d shown.  “This is your last chance,” he said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.  Houshang took a half step forward, his lips parting to speak, and then abruptly, he felt a grip like iron clamp down on his shoulder.  “I know what ye’re thinkin’,”  Rusty hissed from behind him, “and if ye open yer yap, I’ll shove this hammer into it.”  The Red Wizard sighed.  The Cagewright’s offer didn’t sound half bad.  “Oh well,” he said.  “If you can’t beat them, join them, and if you can’t join them, morph them!”  With that, his hands flashed up, fingers moving with blinding speed.  The words of a spell came pouring from his mouth, and Shebelith’s eyes widened as he came to understand the nature of the magic being wrought.  In a flash of light, the loremaster disappeared.  Where he’d been seated, only a disembodied eye ball lay, looking this way and that.

“About time,” Ike muttered as he pushed past his companions, unlimbering his war hammer as he went.  “All that blather was making my head hurt.”  Keeriv was still staring dumbfounded at what was left of his erstwhile master when the goliath swept his feet out from under him.  As he crashed to the floor, the shator was jarred back to his senses.  “You dare lay hands on me, slave?” the demodand spat.  His brow furrowed in concentration, and in the blink of an eye, two farastu demondands stood behind him.  “You, destroy him!” Keeriv commanded the first.  “You, undo this weave,” he said to the second, indicating Shebelith’s eye.  Without a word, the farstus moved to obey.  The second reached down and grabbed the eye ball, and as he touched it, magic flashed again.  Once more Shebelith appeared, his face now filled with unconcealed fury.  With a gesture, the loremaster cast his greatest spell, and everyone in the room, including Keeriv and the farastus, froze where they stood.  Shebelith took a moment to compose himself.  It wasn’t in his nature to lose control like that.  Emotion led to carelessness, and the Cagewright was anything but careless.  The Time Stop spell he had cast would last for a full minute.  Ample time.  His next spell was a summoning, at the end of which a frog-like hezrou demon appeared next to Grimm, as frozen as the half-ogre…for the moment.  Next came three blade barriers, their whirling blades motionless as they separated the room into three components, leaving Ike alone with Keeriv, Tilly and Grimm with the hezrou and one of the farastus, and Gunther and Houshang with the second.  Dalthon had remained outside Shebelith’s rooms, watching the company’s retreat should reinforcements arrived.  Now the sorcerer stood trapped in time just beyond the door.  Shebelith cast one final spell, rendering himself invisible, while at the same time creating an illusory double of himself standing in the very spot where he was when the Time Stop took effect.  Then the loremaster walked casually out into the hall, and positioned himself right behind Dalthon.

Grimm wasn’t sure what had just happened.  One moment the Cagewright had been rendered impotent, and the next the group was separated by three whirling walls of blades, and now there was a hezrou standing right next to him.  Suddenly, his stomach began to churn, and he felt his gorge begin to rise as the stench from the demon struck his nostrils.  He could see that Houshang and Gunther were similarly affected as they clutched at their stomachs and struggled not to retch.  To his amazement, even the two farastus looked greener than normal.  The demondands didn’t even try to fend off their nausea.  They simply emptied the disgusting contents of their stomachs at their feet, licked their lips and continued advancing towards their victims.

As the first farastu stalked towards him, Grimm stuck one large finger down his own throat, producing a fountain of emesis.  For a brief moment, the nausea abated, and he swung his chain in a desperate effort to fend off the demodand.  His first blow rocked the creature back on its heels, and his second threatened to take it completely off its feet, but as he tried to retract the chain for a follow-up, it stuck fast to the sticky tar-like slime that coated the farastu’s body.  The demodand grinned toothily at the half-ogre, and then vomited a second time.

Kiko still stood in the doorway, just in front of Dalthon, watching the chaos ensue around him.  His companions were cut off from one another, and the Cagewright was safe behind three blade barriers, where he could pick them off one by one.  The monk closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his spirit, his ki, to him, focusing past the mayhem that surrounded him.  When he opened his eyes, time seemed to slow down.  The shouting and sounds of battle faded into the background.  He could see the movements of the combatants in every detail.  Even in the whirling vortices of the blade barriers, he could see the individual blades revolving.  Then he was in motion.  To those watching, he must have seemed like a blur rushing past them.  Twisting his body in multiple directions at once, he slid between every razor-sharp blade of the first barrier, not a single one touching his skin.  Then he was past the second, and the third.  He was  directly in front of Shebelith and his shator servant before they even knew what was happening…or so he thought.  As he reached for the loremaster’s throat, the enormous right hand of Keeriv shot out and wrapped itself completely around his thigh.  The demodand slammed Kiko to the floor, driving the air from his lungs, and then buried his left hand squarely into the monk’s midsection.

Houshang wiped his dripping mouth with the back of his hand.  He sorely regretted that third mutton sandwich he had eaten before setting out this morning.  His stomach now blissfully empty, he tried to focus on more immediate matters.  Beside him, Gunther was still dry-heaving.  The farastu that was boxed in here with them was trying to get control of its own nausea so that it could begin rending the little dwarf limb from limb.  In the next section, Tilly was similarly incapacitated, while Grimm wrestled with the second farastu, trying to free his weapon from its hide.  All the while, the hezrou was circling the combatants, looking for on opening.  Ike still stood trapped in his own prison of blades, seemingly unsure of what to do next.  The oaf.  The shator himself seemed even now to be preparing to send Kiko’s soul on its final voyage.  Houshang had tried to tell them that they should perhaps listen to the Cagewright’s offer, but this group was far too noble for such things.  He would be all too happy to finish this assignment and be shed of these do-gooders once and for all.  Still, he had to make sure most of them survived to complete the mission in the first place, or otherwise he would never be able to return to Thay, and would surely be hunted down for his failure.  All these thoughts passed thru his mind in an instant, and as the nearby farastu finally seemed to regain its composure, Houshang struck.  A vivid spray of multi-colored light fanned out from his fingertips, the individual rays of energy arcing towards the far side of the room.  Amazingly, none of the beams struck the other Bright Axes, as the red wizard molded and sculpted the magic around his allies.  A beam of brilliant blue struck the farastu, and crackling electricity raced across its body, sending it into uncontrollable spasms of jerking and jittering.  As the energy faded, so did the farastu, returning to Carceri as its life-force on the Prime was snuffed out.  A yellow ray barely caressed Keeriv as it passed, but it was enough.  As the shator raised its arm to crush Kiko, its entire form suddenly stiffened, its skin hardening to the consistency of stone.  Kiko stared up in astonishment at the statue that was but a moment before his would-be executioner.

Ike shook his head to clear his momentary confusion.  He would have to give it to the shator.  The big brute was a wiley bastard.  He would be sure to mention that when he stood over his broken body.  The goliath slowly looked around, only to find himself completely caged in by walls of twirling blades.  The battle raged around him, but immediately before him, just on the other side of one blade barrier, stood the Cagewright, staring smugly down at Kiko.  Unfortunately, his shator sparring partner seemed to have become the victim of one of Houshang’s spells.  Ah well, he would just have to settle for feeling the arterial spray of Shebelith’s severed jugular as payback.  Without a thought, Ike stepped directly into the blade wall, barely feeling the thousands of tiny blades that sliced into his tough hide.  When he emerged on the far side, he looked like a nightmare.  Hundreds of wounds criss-crossed his entire body, oozing blood in rivulets from head to toe.  The goliath didn’t seem to notice.  He raised his hammer in a two-handed grip, and swung for the hills.  To his utter amazement, the blow missed.  One moment, Shebelith seemed to be a heartbeat away from a crushed skull, and the next, the loremaster was standing right where he had been, that smug smile still plastered on his face.

Tilly was on his hands and knees, praying for death, as it would at least be a welcome relief from the endless heaving of his stomach.  At the same time, he knew death was coming for him.  He could feel the hezrou’s slow approach, stalking him, relishing the kill.  Tilly hadn’t survived this long by giving up, however.  The hezrou now stood directly over him, its hot saliva dripping onto his back.  Its stench was overpowering, threatening to send the halfling into another bout of retching.  With a monstrous effort of will, Tilly threw himself into a roll, tumbling between the hezrou’s legs, and rolling to his feet behind the demon.  With a scream of rage, he stabbed his blade into the base of the monster’s spine, aiming for the most vital spot he could reach.  

Dalthon watched from the door, struggling with self-doubt over what he should do.  The sorcerer was no coward, and he certainly didn’t fear death.  After all, he’d faced it several times already.  No, his indecision stemmed from the fact that he feared the wrong choice might lead to the death of one of his friends.  Nidrama had laid a heavy burden on him when she had charged him with ensuring that the Bright Axes survive to destroy the threat of the Cagewrights once and for all, and he felt that duty acutely each time they entered battle, feeling that he was personally responsible for each of his friends.  Finally, he made up his mind.  The Cagewright was the key.  He must be eliminated for them to have any chance.  Dalthon took one step thru the doorway so that he had an unobstructed view of the loremaster.  Then he raised one finger and uttered the words to the deadly spell he intended.  A ray of black light lanced from his fingertip, traveling unerringly towards Shebelith.  It struck the Cagewright dead-on, but instead of immediately killing him as it was supposed to do, the magic simply dissipated.  “A nice parlor trick,” said a soft voice from directly behind Dalthon.  “Now here’s one of my own.”  Ice cold hands wrapped around the sorcerer’s throat, and his body went stiff as waves of pain like fiery knives raced through every nerve of his body.  After a moment that seemed like an eternity, the pain vanished, and Dalthon collapsed to the floor, his breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps, his vision blurred and fading.

The hezrou shrieked in agony as Tilly’s blade severed its spinal cord.  It fell to the ground in a writhing heap, twisting and jerking in anguish.  It cursed the Cagewright for summoning it to this gods-forsaken plane, and even though it knew it would be able to return to the Abyss upon its death here, it still wanted revenge and the taste of blood.  Calling on its own unholy magic, it conjured an inky black cloud that engulfed the enemies around it, including Tilly, Gunther and Houshang.  All of them felt the cold, greasy feel of the Abyssal taint course thru them, sapping their strength and leaving them with a hollow feeling inside.  The blight washed over Grimm as well, but the half-ogre already bore a dark mark on his soul in the form of the red, smoking eye in his left eye socket.  With a growl, he finally wrenched his chain loose from the farastu.  He turned, and flailed repeatedly at the convulsing hezrou, until the demon began to fade from this plane of existence.  Turning once more, Grimm met the charge of the farastu, seizing its upraised hand in one fist, and slamming his own chain-wrapped knuckles into the side of its head.

Kiko leaped to his feet and charged towards Shebelith.  There was no way that the Cagewright could elude him and Ike for much longer.  Once more, however, the loremaster was not were he seemed to be.  Kiko’s strike fell just short, and Shebelith continued to smile.  Kiko immediately dropped into a defensive stance, preparing himself for the magical assault he knew would come, but as he studied the loremaster, something caught his eye.  There was a tapestry on the wall behind Shebelith, depicting some horrid scene of Carceri.  However, Kiko found that he could see part of the tapestry through the man, almost as if he were translucent.  It was at that moment that Kiko realized they had been duped.  “Ike,” he shouted, “it’s an illusion!  Everyone,” he cried, turning towards his companions, “ware the Cagewright!  He walks unseen among us!”

Rusty heard Kiko’s warning at the same time that he saw Dalthon fall.  Backing quickly away from the door, he fished a small pouch of ointment from his belt pouch and smeared it into his eyes, muttering the words to a prayer as he did so.  Instantly, he saw the invisible form of Shebelith standing over Dalthon.  “He’s here!” the priest shouted.

Houshang seized Gunther by his robes and hauled the young dwarf to his feet from where he’d still be dry heaving.  “Come on my friend,” the red wizard chided, “time to buck up now.  We’ve work to be about.  Do as I do.  You won’t even have to think about it.”  Quickly, the wizard launched a volley of sizzling magic missiles towards the farastu.  Gunther nodded.  The spell was such a simple affair, that it would not require much concentration on his part.  He sent his own barrage on the heels of Houshang’s, buffeting the demodand as it struggled to fend off Grimm.

Shebelith was not worried.  He knew they’d find him sooner or later.  The fact was, they were still separated, weakened, and confused.  They would still be easy prey.  The sorcerer was as good as dead, and now the dwarf priest would soon be following.  So it was that he was totally unprepared when he heard Dalthon speaking from the ground at his feet.  Not only speaking, but casting!  As he looked down in surprise, he was suddenly seized from behind by a thick, black tentacle that wrapped completely around his waist and dragged him back out into the hallway, where an entire nest of similar tentacles waited, grasping and seeking.

Tilly wiped the ichor from his blade as the hezrou disappeared, thankfully taking its nauseating stench with it.  Feeling his strength slowly returning, he stood, assessing the situation.  Grimm and the farastu were nearby, face-to-face and toe-to-toe.  Quickly, Tilly crouched, circling behind the demodand, picking his spot.  Grimm saw his little friend moving into position, and at just the right moment, he gave ground, allowing the farastu to move him back, thereby overbalancing itself.  It was then that Tilly struck, coming from beneath the creature and spilling its guts as his blade surgically eviscerated it. With a final howl, the demodand returned home.  

Like two behemoths, Grimm and Ike waded thru the interdicting blade barriers towards the far side of the chamber were Shebelith was apparently trapped.  The wounds they suffered seemed grievous, but the warriors didn’t slow.  In the hallway, the Cagewright hung helplessly in the grip of the tentacles of Evard, the life slowly being crushed out of him.  The loremaster’s hands were pinned, so that he could not make the gestures necessary to unleash his most powerful spells.  Still, his face betrayed no emotion.  The calm smile still played across his lips.  After all, not all prayers required genuflection and clasped hands.  Some required only a word…a blasphemous word!  The raw force of the spell struck like a hammer blow.  Ike was stopped in tracks, paralyzed by the pure power of the evil inherent in the utterance.  Rusty was dazed by the after shock, and Dalthon, already weakened unto death, slipped into unconsciousness.  Once more, Grimm’s unholy taint protected him.  He stepped to the doorway and gazed calmly at Shebelith.  “You were warned,” he said, and then there was no further need for words.


“Which way now?” Grimm asked Gunther as the companions regrouped and recovered.  “It’s that way, beyond the altar,” Gunther replied.  He indicated a plain, black stone blocked engraved with the Carcerian Eye, which stood alone beneath a font on the far wall of Shebelith’s study.  Grimm approached the altar slowly, feeling an odd pull from it.  In some way, it felt familiar to him, comforting.  At the same time, the glowing orb in his head ached, and smoke began to billow from it in clouds.  Somehow, the altar was tied to Occipitus.  Grimm knew this instinctively.  He also knew that it would grant him power should he touch it…bow before it.  Without a word, he raised his chain and shattered the granite block into a hundred fragments.  A hidden door stood revealed behind it.  “This way,” he said quietly, and stepped through the door.


----------



## R-Hero

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Had to break this one in two. Turning out longer than I had thought. Don't worry, Part 2 will appear shortly....





Glad to see an update but how 'shortly' do we need to expect??
(Ike has been quite innefectual in the last couple of stories  )

EN world is my only outlet for DnD...I'm bad with the shakes.


----------



## gfunk

Nice update JD. Since I wasn't there for these sessions I am quite curious as to what actually happened. Your recovery from the Loremaster's unfortunate _polymorph_ _any object_ into an eyeball was quite good as was the 5 round _time stop_ -- I always wanted to see how you'd describe those.

Here's to looking forward to an expolsive ending to Thirteen Cages.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Great update & description of the time stop! One round, they have almost won the fight, and then it looks the other way around! 




			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Grimm approached the altar slowly, feeling an odd pull from it.  In some way, it felt familiar to him, comforting.  At the same time, the glowing orb in his head ached, and smoke began to billow from it in clouds.  Somehow, the altar was tied to Occipitus.  Grimm knew this instinctively.  He also knew that it would grant him power should he touch it…bow before it.  Without a word, he raised his chain and shattered the granite block into a hundred fragments.  A hidden door stood revealed behind it.  “This way,” he said quietly, and stepped through the door.



Wasn't that the opportunity for Grimm to get a Wish?


I'll be back, shortly...


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Wasn't that the opportunity for Grimm to get a Wish?




Yes, but even Grimm has his principles...


----------



## LordVyreth

Actually, if he had a minute to spend on it, wasn't it a 10-round time stop?  And are you using a new system for the prismatic spray.  Normally the yellow ray is electricity and the blue is petrification.


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Actually, if he had a minute to spend on it, wasn't it a 10-round time stop?  And are you using a new system for the prismatic spray.  Normally the yellow ray is electricity and the blue is petrification.





Again, this was a bit of artistic license.  In actuality, Shebelith had five rounds, but it didn't sound quite right to say, "He knew he had five rounds to act."  Didn't have the PHB right in front of me when I was writing the description of the Pris, so I guessed on the colors...oops.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> Yes, but even Grimm has his principles...



I guess that's the difference between a minmaxer and a munchkin. Good roleplaying, in any case!


----------



## beer_motor

Houshang rocks the house.  Archmage is kind of a cheater prestige class ... it might even be cooler on Sorcerers, but I guess it's harder for sorcerers to get the cheater DC on transmutation and evocation that Houshang had.  Prismatic spray and polymorph any object ... yummy.

You will all be very saddened to hear, in the OD&D game, he met a very unfortunate demise.  At approximately 1600 xp (total), he was struck by a lightning bolt, failed the saving throw and was forced to subtract 17 points of damage from his 2 maximum hps.  Cripsyfried.

So was born his replacement, Carl "The Grappler" Haraldsson, priest of Tyr!


----------



## Lela

2 hp?  Ouch.

Good use of the _time stop_ JD.


----------



## JollyDoc

CATACLYSM Part 2

The massive elliptical chamber glowed with a hellish light from lava bubbling through shaped channels that formed a familiar pattern in the floor.  These rivers coalesced in the shape of the sign of the Carcerian Eye, and from the eye’s ‘pupil’ grew a horrendous sight.  A large tree of metal erupted from the lava.  Thirteen branches sprouted from a central trunk several feet across, twisting menacingly around the chamber to increase the diameter of the area occupied by the tree to nearly sixty feet.  The branches were covered in wicked barbs, but each branch tapered to end in a hook.  From each hook hung a cage, and within each cage was the slumped form of a humanoid figure.  These were most certainly the Shackleborn, individuals cursed by fate to be the keys to unlocking the gate to Carceri.  Two of these were familiar to the Bright Axes:  Terrem Kharatys and Zenith Splintershield.  The others were strangers, but they all had something in common other than their unfortunate heritage:  they were all very obviously dead.

“We’ve been watching you.”  The rasping voices, speaking simultaneously, but slightly out of sync, came from the far side of the chamber, though there was no sign of the speakers.  Grimm blinked once, attuning his vision to see the unseen.  Immediately, he saw the hulking figure standing on the opposite side of the tree.  It appeared to be a giant shator demodand at first glance, but on closer inspection he saw that there was something wrong with it.  It was misshapen, or disfigured.  From one side of its face, there projected a second, smaller, and if possible, more loathsome visage, along with a stunted arm and leg.  “We knew you would come, and we know why you’ve come.”  Both faces of the monster spoke as one.  “We are Dyr’ryd, and we are the masters of the Cagewrights.  Please allow us to explain to you the folly of the path you have chosen.”  None of the other Bright Axes could see Dyr’ryd, but Grimm continued to watch them carefully, noting their every movement.  He smelled a trap.  “The Tree has already been activated, and the ritual completed,” the twins continued.  “The only way that the process can be halted is to destroy the Tree, but to do so would be disastrous.  The shockwaves would destroy this entire mountain, and alas, Cauldron with it.  So you see, your quest has already failed.  You should put it aside, and listen to reason.  What is it that you fear?  A new world order?  One dominated by demodands?  You need not fear this inevitability.  You should welcome it.  The people of this plane are incapable of self-government.  They war constantly with each other.  Strife defines your world.  Your kind needs structure and discipline.  They need masters with firm hands to guide them and instruct them.  My kind would be such masters.  In time, you will see the wisdom of our grand plan.  Embrace it now, or be overwhelmed in the deluge.”

“Seems we’ve already heard this routine,” Rusty shouted.  “You and yer folk need to get some new material.  The tree’s comin’ down, one way or the other, and yer goin’ back to that hell-hole you call home.”

“We knew you would say that,” Dyr’ryd tittered, “and we also hoped that you would.  Nevertheless, never let it be said that we did not offer our foes mercy before we destroyed them.”  Grimm saw the demodand close its eyes in concentration, and instantly three huge kelubars appeared around it, clearly visible to his companions as well.  “It’s on,” the half-ogre growled.

If there was one thing that experience had taught Rusty, it was that demodands were predictable.  He knew when the kelubars appeared that it would only be a matter of moments before the Acid Fogs followed.  So it was, that a split second before the first cloud descended, the old priest brought up one of his most powerful, yet also one of his weakest, defenses…a null-magic field.  In an instant, every magical protection and device that he carried became inactive and mundane, but at the same time, when the fog cloud appeared, Rusty stood unscathed in the middle of it, the area immediately surrounding him clear of the deadly vapors.  The kelubars saw the ploy immediately, and began conjuring more mists, but by that time the Bright Axes had scattered, rushing into the chamber in all directions and closing on their opponents.

In unison, Grimm and Ike bore down on the nearest kelubars, who stood just out of reach of Grimm’s chain on the far side of one of the lava rivulets.  Without hesitation, Grimm leaped the stream, landing squarely in front of the demodand, and hammering at it before it could step away.  Ike was right behind him, nimble as a mountain goat as he cleared the lava.  Swinging his maul, he slammed its head into the side of the kelubars, but to his amazement, the weapon only grazed the creature before sliding harmless off its oily hide.  At that moment, the kelubars squealed like a pithed boar.  It clawed at its back as black blood jetted from a gaping wound there.  Tumbling away from the flailing demodand, Tilly gave his partners a wink as he wiped the acidic ichor from his smoking blade.  The kelubars hissed and spat, crouching down on all fours like a cornered animal as it faced its assailants.  But no common beast was as canny as the native Carcerian.  Gauging the proximity of the its foes, it quickly conjured yet another Acid Fog cloud, this one centered directly on top of Ike, Grimm and Tilly.

Chuckling evilly, Dyr’ryd watched his minions harry the interlopers.  Three of them were now enmeshed in the fog, trapped as if they were wading in quicksand.  The mutant shator began its own conjuration, creating a cloud of nauseating, green vapor superimposed upon the Acid Fog.  They had often used this tactic in the past, first rendering prey immobile, and then lowering the Cloud Kill.  It would only be a matter of time now.  “Well done,” Ryd giggled.  “Why thank you, my brother,” Dyr replied.  It didn’t bother the twins in the least that their attack had negated their invisibility.  It wasn’t as if these amateurs actually posed them any real threat after all.

Dalthon knew his friends had their hands full, but he was more than confident in their ability to survive and triumph as they always had.  The bigger issue was the Tree.  It had to be shut down.  The sorcerer didn’t believe for a minute the lies Dyr’ryd had told.  The beast would say anything to keep them from stopping the ritual.  Still, it never hurt to be cautious.  It seemed the Shackleborn were the key to the Tree’s activation.  They were beyond saving now, but perhaps even in death, they still supplied the Tree with the energy it needed.  Dalthon took a calculated risk.  From the tip of his finger, he launched a green ray at the nearest Soulcage and its occupant.  In a flash, both cage and corpse disintegrated into a pile of dust at the base of the Tree.  There was no effect.  Dyr’ryd seemed unconcerned at the effect of the sorcerer’s spell.  Dalthon shrugged.  It had been worth a try.  Time for a more direct approach.

Rusty had a plan as well.  The Tree was very obviously a creation of magic.  He had surrounded himself with a field of dead magic.  If the two were brought together, it just might be possible that the ritual process would shut down.  The priest trundled across the chamber towards the Tree, heedless of the kelubars who stepped to intercept him.  As soon as Rusty approached within ten feet of the demodand, it simply winked out of existence, the magic which had summoned it negated by anti-magic. 

Tilly coughed and gagged as the cloying vapors seeped into his lungs, slowly choking the life out of him.  Not only that, but his skin itched and burned wherever the acid fog touched his exposed flesh.  The first kelubars stood slowly upright once more, confident that he and his companions were now easy targets.  The second kelubars had also entered the cloud, both creatures inherently immune to the effects of their own magic.  As the second kelubars loomed over him, Tilly lunged forward, stabbing repeatedly and desperately at its legs and flanks.  Surprised, the brute lumbered back several steps, unprepared for the vicious assault from what it thought would be a quick kill.

As the kelubar retreated, Kiko followed, ignoring the poisonous gas and the burn of the caustic fog.  Again and again he struck at the demodand, leaving it staggering and reeling, barely on its feet.  Then, from behind came the familiar snap/hiss of a chain being whip-cracked.  As the barbed coils struck the kelubars, it abruptly vanished, banished back to Carceri.  Grimm then whirled, his movements completely unimpeded by the heavy fog due to the magical ring he wore.  The remaining kelubar quailed before the hulking warrior, and joined his brother once more on the Prison Plane.  

“You see?” Ryd railed, pounding his shrunken fist against his larger sibling’s head.  “I told you they would defeat those pathetic brutes you called!  You never listen to me!  Fool!”  “Patience, little brother,” Dyr soothed.  “The battle is far from over.  These mortals depend largely on brute strength, and not enough on their minds.  Let us see how they do when their main weapon is taken away.”  Then, as Grimm stepped free of the two killing clouds, Dyr’ryd struck.  A cascading ray of blue energy washed over the half-ogre, and Grimm felt as if his muscles had become wet rags.  He almost collapsed under the weight of his armor and equipment, so weak had he suddenly become.  Nevertheless, the planar champion saw that Dyr’ryd was finally within his reach.  Gathering what strength he had left, Grimm leapt the intervening lava flow, and charged the shator.  “That’s close enough child,” Dyr said, holding up one hand.  To his own amazement, and also to that of his companions, Grimm did stop.  His head felt funny, muzzy.  For a moment, he couldn’t remember where he was, or what he was doing in this place.  Then his eyes found Dyr’s once more, and he wondered why he had just been considering killing his old friend.  “That’s better, isn’t it?” Dyr said calmly.  “Ryd, I do believe the little halfling runt is trying to sneak up behind us.  Would you mind?”  Ryd’s head whipped around, and his eyes locked onto Tilly’s, who had just crept up behind the demodand, hoping the distraction caused by Grimm’s strange behavior would give him the chance to cripple the big shator.  Instead, he too fell victim to the Cagewright.  He too perceived Dyr’ryd as his most trusted ally, and woe to those who meant his friend harm.


”We have to end this now!” Rusty shouted as he quickly grasped what was happening to Grimm and Tilly.  “Houshang!  Dalthon!  The Tree!  Destroy the Tree!”  With that, the dwarf priest began hammering at the metallic behemoth over and over with his hammer.  

“Ah, we can do much better than that, can’t we Dalthon old boy?” Houshang asked as he watched Rusty’s futile efforts with amusement.  “Follow my lead, and don’t let up!”  Then the Red Wizard released his own disintegration beam, only this time he targeted the tree itself, and was pleased to see a large chunk of its metal hide simply evaporate.  As it did, the ground began to tremble beneath his feet.  Seeing his tactic, and knowing it was the only way, Dalthon began adding his own magic to the assault.

“What are you doing?”  Dyr’ryd shrieked as he saw what the two arcanists were trying to accomplish.  “You two,” he said, barking at Tilly and Grimm.  “Leave this place.  Now!  Never return!”  Obediently, the warrior and the rogue turned without a word and began walking slowly towards the exit.  Dyr’ryd hefted his guisarme in both hands, and began moving towards the Tree and Houshang and Dalthon.  Kiko, however had other plans.  Having finally escaped the Acid Fog and Cloud Kill, the monk leaped at the shator just as he passed.  At the last instant, Dyr’ryd brought his weapon up, deflecting most of Kiko’s blow.  With blinding speed that belied his huge bulk, he manifested a second Ray of Enfeeblement, striking Kiko full on with it.  As the monk sank to his knees, Dyr’ryd hefted his pole arm again and brought it down solidly across his neck.  

Ike had heard Rusty’s warning, and against every warrior’s instinct he possessed, he had turned from the battle at hand, and gone to the Tree.  Now he stood near the priest, just outside of his anti-magic field where his weapons could still be used to full effect, and he slammed repeatedly at the massive artifact.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Grimm appear from around the far side of the Tree.  The half-ogre was headed straight towards Rusty.  Ike hefted his hammer and moved to intercept his friend, whom he might be forced to kill this day.  “Hold Ike,” Rusty said, putting up one hand and warning the goliath back.  “I’ll handle this.”  Grimm came on, but as he stepped inside the border of Rusty’s magic (or lack thereof), his eyes suddenly cleared, and he shook his head violently, as if to clear it.  “What happened?” he asked, bewildered.  “The Cagewright Charmed ya,” Rusty said, “and yer still under his power if ye step more’n ten feet away from me, so ye’d best stay put fer the time bein’ and help us bring down this lumberjack’s nightmare.”  Grimm nodded, knowing the priest was right, yet chafing at his own weak will and impotence.  Readying his chain, he settled for taking out his frustrations upon the Tree of Shackled Souls.

Again, and again Kiko climbed to his feet, managing to deliver a weak punch or kick here and there.  Again, and again, Dyr’ryd beat him back down, using either his pole arm, or a barrage of Magic Missiles.  The monk knew he couldn’t hold on for long, but at least he could buy his friends some time.

“It’s working!” Rusty shouted as another of Dalthon’s disintegration rays struck the tree, followed by an explosion of pure sonic energy unleashed by Houshang.  Half the trunk was now gone, and what was left was starting to splinter and crack.  Ike drew back his hammer one last time, and swung two-handed.  The head of the weapon completely shattered the last pieces of metal holding the trunk upright, and with an ear-splitting groan, the Tree of Shackled Souls toppled.  

The entire cavern began to buck and heave.  Lava spewed into the air in geysers from the streams.  Cracks began to appear in the floor, and rocks tumbled from the ceiling.  “Do you see?” Dyr’ryd wailed.  “Do you see what you have done?  You’ve killed us all, as well as those above you sought to save!  Fools!”  In rage, he smashed Kiko again with his guisarme, leaving the monk barely able to lift his head.  On the far side of the chamber, Gunther watched in horror.  “We have to do something!” he shouted.  “We can’t just leave him to die!”  Without a second thought, the theurge summoned the words for a Fly spell, and immediately took to the air.  “Gunter, ye idiot!  No!” Rusty shouted, but it was too late.  Gunther arrowed right towards Kiko, hoping to snatch the monk and Teleport them both to safety.  Unfortunately, he underestimated the reach Dyr’ryd’s deadly pole arm gave him.  As the theurge approached, the shator swung, batting the dwarf out of the air like he was a gnat.  As the Bright Axes looked on helplessly, the Cagewright then drove the tip of the weapon straight thru Gunther’s chest, impaling him.  Kiko knew he had to act.  Though near death himself, he still had one more trick up his sleeve.  Reaching out to touch Gunther’s lifeless body, the monk summoned his ki one last time, stepping between dimensions and taking his fallen comrade with him.

“That’s our cue to go!” Rusty cried.  “Grimm, grab Tilly and flee!  I’ll be right behind ye!”  Without hesitation, Grimm acted.  Snatching the bewildered halfling up under one arm, the half-ogre bolted for the door, and though as soon as he left Rusty’s side the Charm regained its hold over him, he was still under orders from Dyr’Ryd to retreat, and that was exactly what he was going to do.  No sooner had the pair reached the door, than Houshang appeared at their side.  “One way express to the surface is leaving now!”  he shouted, and then the Red Wizard leaped onto the half-ogres’s back and Teleported, taking Tilly and Grimm along for the ride.

No sooner had Rusty moved, than the last kelubars reappeared where it had previously stood, the anti-magic field no longer close enough to suppress its call.  Immediately it headed towards the last three Bright Axes remaining:  Rusty, Ike and Dalthon.  Moving in from a flanking position, was Dyr’ryd, and to make matters worse, the Acid Fog bank remained between the three and the exit.  They were cut off.  “Get behind me,” Ike said to his companions.  “If we’re going to die anyway, let’s make sure we die on our feet, and try to take these bastards with us!”  Then the demodands were upon him, and Ike began the fight of his life, whirling like a dervish, trying to keep the monsters away from Rusty and Dalthon.  

“Drop the field,” Dalthon screamed at Rusty.  “It’s no good now!  My magic won’t work, and neither will yours!  We are all going to die if we don’t get out of here!”  Rusty didn’t question the sorcerer’s logic.  With a snap of his fingers, he dismissed the null-magic effect, and instantly he felt magical power flow thru him.  But it wasn’t his magic that was going to save them.  “Now Dalthon!”  Nodding, the sorcerer seized the dwarf by the hand, and then both of them dashed towards Ike, narrowly avoiding the flailing weapons and slashing claws around them.  Both of them wrapped their arms tightly around the rampaging goliath, and then Dalthon uttered the words to his own Teleportation spell just as Dyr’ryd’s guisarme flashed thru the spot where they had just been standing.

_________________________________________________________

“I assume this means the plan has failed,” Freija Doorgan said coldly as Dyr’ryd barged into her chambers.  “It is only a delay, my dear,” Dyr said.  “Set back?” Ryd wailed, shaking his little fist.  “You are a complete and utter hopeless waste!  Our Lord was counting on us, and now you’ve betrayed his trust yet again!”  “Would that I could pluck you from my skull, you little parasite,” Dyr growled in an uncharacteristic display of anger towards his twin.  That alone told Freija that he was more shaken up than he appeared.  “Nevertheless,” Dyr continued in a calmer tone, “we are leaving.  Nulin and Ardeth are right behind me.  You know where we are going Freija?”  “Of course I do,” she snorted.  “Shatterhorn, where I’m sure that bitch Embril will find this all very amusing.”
____________________________________________________________

Kiko lay panting in the tunnel, desperately trying to regain his strength and his breath.  He had to move, had to get to safety.  He didn’t know how long he had until the volcano erupted, but from the sound of things, time was going to be of the essence.  Gathering Gunther in his arms, he began to run.  By his calculations, it was approximately four miles to the surface.  He thought he might just make it if he pushed himself.  He was wrong.  The monk of Ilmater was still well over a mile from Cauldron when the long dormant volcano finally unleashed all of its pent up fury, burying the city and everything in it and beneath it in a lake of fire.


----------



## gfunk

Superb update JD!  I never realized how hard a time the PCs had with Dyr'ryd, he was one bad ass with his extra actions due do his second head.

I can't wait to see how the readers react now that Cauldron has gone bye-bye.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

So the portal is closed to carceri, but the city was destroyed. So does the party's success to failure ratio go down here?  Or was it even possible to stop the eruption?

GW


----------



## JollyDoc

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> So the portal is closed to carceri, but the city was destroyed. So does the party's success to failure ratio go down here?  Or was it even possible to stop the eruption?
> 
> GW




There were three possible outcomes here:  First, the party fails completely and are defeated, thereby allowing the portal to be opened.  Second, shutting down the tree, which was possible to do via a collar that was being guarded by a pyroclastic dragon.  Unfortunately, or fortunately for the party, they never discovered the dragon's lair.  Third, the tree is destroyed, keeping the portal from opening, but destroying Cauldron in the process.  A pyrrhic victory at best.


----------



## Longbow

Fantastic updates JollyDoc. Epic! The final fight was great. Looking forward to the next chapter.

When I ran that adventure my players defeated the dragon and got the collar. They even used it but as the ground shook they unshackled the tree and went to rest in Mordenkainen´s Magnificent Mansion. They thought the collar was the final ingredient to end the ritual and open the gate. The day after that was one hell of a wake-up call. Literally.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Bah, the most important thing is that the portal could not open - Cauldron be damned! The party chose the wrong strategy by not focusing on Dyr'Ryd. Had they all concentrated on the fiend, they should have been able to defeat him fairly quickly!!! 

Kiko and Gunther are dead, then? A shame - Kiko was responsible for a lot of the party's recent success...

And what of Househang? I had expected that his fate ended here with this episode, but now, I guess, the wizard will die elsewhere.


Great updates, JollyDoc. Looks like the heros left several dangerous Cagewrights alive to haunt them another day, making us all look very much forward to Strike on Shatterhorn. Of course, I'm curious as well, what effects the ending of this episode will have.


----------



## Elemental

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Kiko and Gunther are dead, then? A shame - Kiko was responsible for a lot of the party's recent success....




Looks to me like Kiko survived--he Dimension Doored to safety with Gunther's corpse.

Great battle, and great writing to go with it--nice strategic use of antimagic.


----------



## gfunk

Elemental said:
			
		

> Looks to me like Kiko survived--he Dimension Doored to safety with Gunther's corpse.




Well, it was kind of worded cryptically at the end, but not only did Kiko and Gunther die, but all their equipment was vaporized in the explosion too!


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> Well, it was kind of worded cryptically at the end, but not only did Kiko and Gunther die, but all their equipment was vaporized in the explosion too!



 Well, dang.

*Goes back to final projects*


----------



## CrusadeDave

gfunk said:
			
		

> Well, it was kind of worded cryptically at the end, but not only did Kiko and Gunther die, but all their equipment was vaporized in the explosion too!




20d6 a round goes a long ways. Plus there's drowning possibilities too. Have no fear though. The party has access to True Resurrection for Kiko right?

Gunther's just a Cohort, There's always another one right around the corner.

This is just another reminder that there needs to be a LavaBomb spell. Lava is cool hot!


----------



## gfunk

CrusadeDave said:
			
		

> The party has access to True Resurrection for Kiko right?




Bullseye!

The larger issue, however, was replacing all of Kiko's magic items.


----------



## R-Hero

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Bah, the most important thing is that the portal could not open - *Cauldron be damned*!!!




That statement was heard 'round the table many times. (Especially from mayor-elect Rusty)
NPCs are notoriously ignorant and ungratefull.  Let them sleep in a smoking crater.




> The party chose the wrong strategy by not focusing on Dyr'Ryd. Had they all concentrated on the fiend, they should have been able to defeat him fairly quickly!!




It wasn't from a lack of trying..Several well placed acid fogs made it near impossable to move around.  It was almost the end of Ike as well.  From the far side of the Tree as it toppled, Ike went sprint, acid fog, Dyr'ryd AoO, acid fog, demodand AoO, acid fog, demodand AoO, into acid fog groping for Dalthon...


Officially, Ike wasn't happy about missing the fight with the dragon.
Unofficially, If he happens to run into him_ away _ from the lava pits, so much the better.


----------



## beer_motor

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> And what of Househang? I had expected that his fate ended here with this episode, but now, I guess, the wizard will die elsewhere.
> 
> 
> Great updates, JollyDoc. Looks like the heros left several dangerous Cagewrights alive to haunt them another day, making us all look very much forward to Strike on Shatterhorn. Of course, I'm curious as well, what effects the ending of this episode will have.





He's (er, was) LN, you jerk!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

beer_motor said:
			
		

> He's (er, was) LN, you jerk!



What did I do? 

The way I understood all the hints about Househang's death was that his demise took place at the end of Thirteen Cages. I'm acutally greatful that he is going to hang around longer.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

R-Hero said:
			
		

> That statement was heard 'round the table many times. (Especially from mayor-elect Rusty) NPCs are notoriously ignorant and ungratefull.  Let them sleep in a smoking crater.



I guess we will hear about that in the next update.




			
				R-Hero said:
			
		

> It wasn't from a lack of trying..Several well placed acid fogs made it near impossable to move around.  It was almost the end of Ike as well.  From the far side of the Tree as it toppled, Ike went sprint, acid fog, Dyr'ryd AoO, acid fog, demodand AoO, acid fog, demodand AoO, into acid fog groping for Dalthon...
> 
> Officially, Ike wasn't happy about missing the fight with the dragon.
> Unofficially, If he happens to run into him_ away _ from the lava pits, so much the better.



Of course - you couldn't tell from the story. Would magic (especially disintegration) have had a chance of affecting Dyr'ryd? Would the three demodands have vanished after his death?

I hold the group in the highest regard, when it comes to minmaxing and strategy & was just surprised the group had such troubles with this fight. Have to check up on the magazine.,,


----------



## Morrow

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> He was wrong.  The monk of Ilmater was still well over a mile from Cauldron when the long dormant volcano finally unleashed all of its pent up fury, burying the city and everything in it and beneath it in a lake of fire.




I love it.  More campaigns should wrap-up like this.  "We defended the city for the last 18 levels, but in the end we just decided to blow it up."  I think that's a problem with "Strike on Shatterhorn" and "Asylum."  If you saved Cauldron in "Thirteen Cages," there isn't a real compellng reason to continue.  On the other hand, if Cauldron was destroyed in "Thirteen Cages," it's not like a good showing in the last two episodes is going to make you feel like a winner.

Morrow


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> I hold the group in the highest regard, when it comes to minmaxing and strategy & was just surprised the group had such troubles with this fight.




Trust me, Dyr'ryd was a tough nut in that fight.  He had 20 foot reach, Combat Reflexes, Improved Trip, extremely high to-hit with a lot of attacks, improved uncanny dodge, good AC, SR, DR, triple-digit hps, natural freedom of movement, evasion, and he was old-school (3.0 Ed.) hasted with great spell-like abilities.  And Grimm failed his Will save with a natural "1", otherwise it would have been a fair fight.

When we ran into him later, he got punk'd.


----------



## R-Hero

Joachim said:
			
		

> When we ran into him later, he got punk'd.




Thats the same time Ike's trophy colletion started getting gruesome....


----------



## gfunk

Morrow said:
			
		

> I love it. More campaigns should wrap-up like this. "We defended the city for the last 18 levels, but in the end we just decided to blow it up."




Well, the truth of the matter is that they didn't exactly decide to blow it up.  Understandably, they though thtat Dyr'ryd was pulling their leg when he said that if the Tree goes, Cauldron goes with it.  You know, just a last minute plea by the BBEG to buy a round or two of extra buffing.

However, it did make the rationale for Strike on Shatterhorn on Asylum a bit more compelling -- revenge for Cauldron's annihilation.


----------



## JollyDoc

Elemental said:
			
		

> Looks to me like Kiko survived--he Dimension Doored to safety with Gunther's corpse.
> 
> Great battle, and great writing to go with it--nice strategic use of antimagic.




Kiko thought he'd survived as well...until he realized the D. Door ain't the same as Teleport, and he still had a long way to run to make it to the surface.  I calculated out the distance he could cover in the time before the explosion, and there was no way to make the numbers work.  He was still a good mile or so from safety when everything went KABOOM.


----------



## JollyDoc

CrusadeDave said:
			
		

> Gunther's just a Cohort, There's always another one right around the corner.





Just a cohort??!!  Was Robin just a sidekick??  Chewbacca just a co-pilot??  Ryd just a little malformed thing hanging off the side of Dyr's head??

Ahh...the ignomy of it all!!  How soon they forget the underdog!!  Attica!!  Attica!!


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> What did I do?
> 
> The way I understood all the hints about Househang's death was that his demise took place at the end of Thirteen Cages. I'm acutally greatful that he is going to hang around longer.





Houshang's...er...ultimate fate is far more entertaining than a random death at the hands of some feeble Cagewright.  Heh, heh, heh.


----------



## CrusadeDave

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Just a cohort??!!  Was Robin just a sidekick??  Chewbacca just a co-pilot??  Ryd just a little malformed thing hanging off the side of Dyr's head??
> 
> Ahh...the ignomy of it all!!  How soon they forget the underdog!!  Attica!!  Attica!!




Robin: Ask Jason Todd.

Chewbacca: He must not have been a good co-pilot. Lando chose someone else to fly against the Death Star. Han just liked having some quality muscle at his side.

For me as a DM, one of the more difficult things to do is to keep enough NPC's around in the game world, that sensically would want to follow my PC with Leadership, that continue to move the game forward. I don't like just having people show up Mid Dungeon asking if they can tag along. Especially when the Cohort is over ECL 10. Theoretically, they should have their own things to do.

But still, better to get a new cohort that comes with equipment, then True Resurrect your old one, and have to buy all the gear back.

That's just expensive.


----------



## gfunk

CrusadeDave said:
			
		

> But still, better to get a new cohort that comes with equipment, then True Resurrect your old one, and have to buy all the gear back.
> 
> That's just expensive.




True enough, which is why _True resuurecting_ and giving him brand spanking new equipment, should let you a +10 bonus on the cohort table.


----------



## beer_motor

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> What did I do?
> 
> The way I understood all the hints about Househang's death was that his demise took place at the end of Thirteen Cages. I'm acutally greatful that he is going to hang around longer.





It's Houshang, actually, but somehow I thought you said "evil wizard" ... sorry, I misread you (or you edited, sneaky bastard!).


----------



## Elemental

Morrow said:
			
		

> I love it.  More campaigns should wrap-up like this.  "We defended the city for the last 18 levels, but in the end we just decided to blow it up."
> 
> Morrow




Wasn't that basically what happened in _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

beer_motor said:
			
		

> It's Houshang, actually, but somehow I thought you said "evil wizard" ... sorry, I misread you (or you edited, sneaky bastard!).



I never thought of him as evil - he seems practical, though!   
And I never edit my posts...except when I can get away with it...


----------



## gfunk

Come on JD!  The sooner you finish posting SoS, the sooner I can start posting Asylum!


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> Come on JD!  The sooner you finish posting SoS, the sooner I can start posting Asylum!





Give me a break!  Some of us have lives outside medical school, and have other responsibilities...like playing playstation, watching my new Blade Trinity dvd, and going to see Kung Fu Hustle (great movie by the way).


Update coming soon...


----------



## Joachim

You gotten into God of War yet?  I already beat it.  I found out that the main developer guy lives in Mountain Brook (a burrough of Birmingham, for the unitiated).


----------



## gfunk

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> . . . and going to see Kung Fu Hustle (great movie by the way) . . .




Saw it last weekend with the missus.  Coincidentally, heard a couple of fellers at the _Soul Caliber_ arcade game talking about D&D.  Apparently their DM had the group in a TPK last week and they are taking new players to start a game this Sunday.

Could our own group share a similar fate in the Istivin campaign?


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> Saw it last weekend with the missus.  Coincidentally, heard a couple of fellers at the _Soul Caliber_ arcade game talking about D&D.  Apparently their DM had the group in a TPK last week and they are taking new players to start a game this Sunday.
> 
> Could our own group share a similar fate in the Istivin campaign?




As it turns out, that is just exactly what happened.  TPK by the Malgoth.  Anyone else out there played this three adventure arc?


----------



## Dolza

*Istivilin Arc*

I'm actually running my group through there.  I've had to change some of the flavor stuff so I can run the adventures.  We started with the last installment and if anyone survives the Malagoth then i'll send them on the second adventure to secure one of the border forts.  

I just about killed everyone in the fight with Derakshan in his temple underground and they're resting before they head back to town to fight Malagoth.  It's sure to be a fairly nasty fight.  If anyone has run this and has any ideas to make sure it's as nasty as can be please drop me a line at wared 'at' cfbisd.edu   I'd hate to short change my players with something like this.  

I've really enjoyed the 3rd installment so far and the second one looks pretty well written too.  My players are going to enjoy storming the castle!  In fact i think i'm going to give it to them as a reward if they survive the Malagoth and if they are able to route the Giants.  My guys have some cash lying around and I'd love to see them spend it on the fort instead of themselves for once!  

Hope your party enjoys the Istivilin stuff as much as we have.

dolza


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Come on JD!  The sooner you finish posting SoS, the sooner I can start posting Asylum!



The man's got a point there! 





			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Give me a break!  Some of us have lives outside medical school, and have other responsibilities...like playing playstation, watching my new Blade Trinity dvd, and going to see Kung Fu Hustle (great movie by the way).



Hmmm...I'm worried. Did you really like Blade - Trinity?   





			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Update coming soon...



Jucheissasa !


----------



## JollyDoc

STRIKE ON SHATTERHORN

Jenya stared open-mouthed and horror-struck as the eruption continued, spewing smoke and ash thousands of feet in the air.  Even here, over ten miles away from Cauldron, the sound was deafening, and the heat stifling.  What had gone wrong?  Where were the Bright Axes?  All around her, the refugees from Cauldron stood stricken.  Some covered their eyes, others mouthed silent prayers, while still more wailed and screamed.  Their home had just been obliterated before their eyes.  Did this mean that the Cagewrights had been successful?  Would an army of demons be swooping down upon them at any moment?  Some were already starting to panic, shouting that the end was near.  Jenya knew she had to get control of the situation before she had a full rout on her hands.  

At that moment Ruphus Laro came rushing up from the encampment.  “My lady,” the young cleric said panting.  “You must come to your tent quickly.  There’s…something you need to see.”  He nodded meaningfully in that direction, and Jenya understood that he didn’t want to speak openly.  “I’ll come at once,” she said, “but you remain here.  Gather others of the Order and try to restore calm to the civilians.”  Ruphus rushed off to carry out his orders while Jenya quickly made her way to her pavilion.

As she pulled aside the tent flap and stepped inside, she was shocked speechless as what awaited her within.  There stood the Bright Axes…or most of them, rather.  She did not see Kiko or Gunther.  “You…you’re alive!” she stammered.  “Only just, lassie.” Rusty grumbled.  “At least we can’t say the same for the Cagewrights.”  “They’re dead?” Jenya said, still taken aback at the miraculous, sudden appearance of the heroes.  “Then…what has happened?”  Rusty sighed wearily, and seated himself heavily on a camp chair.  “It’s a long story, lady.  We found their lair, right where you said, and after no small effort, we found the Tree as well, but the Ritual was already underway.  There was no way to stop it, except to destroy the Tree, but it seems that by doin’ that, we destroyed Cauldron as well.  We managed to Teleport out of their just in the nick o’time…but we don’t know where Kiko and Gunther are.  Last we saw’em, the monk had grabbed me boy and vanished into thin air.”  Jenya bowed her head.  “The loss of Cauldron is a great tragedy,” she said, “but an even greater one has been averted by your actions.  Do not carry this upon your shoulders, my friends.  The alternative would have resulted in incalculable death and destruction.  Rest yourselves now, while I attend to the camp.  I will also do what I can to discern the whereabouts of your missing friends.”
______________________________________________________

“Dead!?”  Rusty shouted.  “What do you mean, dead?  How?  We saw’em escape!”  “No, my friend,” Dalthon said.  “We saw Kiko Dimension Door.  The monk’s ability has a limited range.  No doubt they appeared somewhere in the tunnels, still below the surface.  Kiko couldn’t know the eruption would occur so quickly.  He must have thought he would have time to make it out.”  Jenya nodded in agreement.  “Still, they are not beyond our reach, Rusty, as you well know.  If it was not their appointed time, they may still be recalled from the Bright Lands.  Is that your wish?”  Rusty lowered his head in thought for a moment.  “We’ll ask them,” he said finally.  “If they want to return, they can tell us themselves.”

________________________________________________________
Kiko sat up slowly, imagining a stiffness in his muscles that was not there.  In fact, they were not even his muscles, technically.  His body had been destroyed beneath Cauldron, along with all his possessions.  The spell Jenya had used to return his soul from Ilmater’s court had created a new body for him out of nothingness.  It was a difficult concept to grasp, but he was still thankful to be alive once more.  Gunther apparently felt the same.  He was currently being roughly embraced by Rusty, an uncharacteristic display of emotion by the old dwarf.  Then, in true form, the elder priest cuffed the younger one across the jaw.  “That’s fer bein’ stupid, and rushin’ in where ye had no business stickin yer big nose!” Rusty bellowed.  “Maybe next time, ye’ll think afore ye run off half-cocked.”  The priest abruptly turned and stomped out of the tent.  “I missed you too,” Gunther said smiling after his mentor.
________________________________________________________

“Leaving!?” Jenya said, shocked.  “How can you leave?  Where will you go?”  “Our work here is done, Jenya.” Grimm said stiffly, but not unkindly.  “The threat of the Cagewrights is ended, and the people of Cauldron are safe.  Dalthon is going to accompany you to Red Gorge.  As for the rest, most of us, with the exception of Houshang, are going to the capitol, Alaghon, for now.  From there, who knows?  There always seems to be another adventure, or wrong to be righted waiting just around the corner.  Our paths may cross again in time.”  Jenya turned away, hiding her red-rimmed eyes with her hand.  “I understand,” she said quietly.  “You are owed a debt by me, and by many, many others, that can never be repaid.  You will be missed, my dear, dear friends.”
_____________________________________________________________

Rusty and Gunther sat in a quiet corner of the Swaggering Bugbear at their accustomed table.  In recent weeks, the two dwarves had become regular fixtures at the tavern, which was located in the merchant’s quarter of Alaghon.  It was a bustling establishment, with many travelers from across Faerun passing thru at any given time.  A wonderful place to gather information and rumors of the outside world.  The pair had started frequenting the bar as a relief for their boredom.  Due to the large amounts of wealth they had accumulated during their adventures, they had no need to seek out gainful employment.  They regularly offered their services to the local churches, but they were rarely called upon.  Instead they came here to hear tales and regale patrons with ones of their own.  With time, however, even that endeavor was getting old, and that is saying something, as dwarves are notorious for expounding on their great deeds.  So this was to be their last night.  In the morning they were leaving Alaghon, and indeed Turmish altogether, to return home to their clan.  They had already said goodbye to most of their companions.  Grimm was actually employed by the Bugbear as a bouncer, but he too seemed only to be biding his time.  Tilly and Maple had rented out a shop in the quarter, intending to go into the locksmithing business.  There were even rumors of possible nuptial on the horizon.  Kiko had taken up full time residence at the church of Torm, completely immersing himself in service to the Triad as they ministered to the city’s poor.  As for Ike, he planned on traveling with the dwarves.  He longed for mountains again himself, for in his mind, where there were mountains, there were sure to be giants.  

“Well, me lad,” Rusty said, raising his flagon, “here’s to the Bright Axes.  Long may the bards sing their praises.”  “Here, here,” Gunther said somberly, clinking his own mug to his mentor’s.  Suddenly, Rusty’s pint crashed to the table, spilling its contents onto the floor before rolling off to join them.  Several of the patrons turned to look for the source of the commotion and saw Rusty with his hands pressed tightly to the sides of his head.  Smiling at the old dwarf’s inability to hold his ale, they turned back to their own concerns.  “Rusty!” Gunther said urgently, “What is it?”  But the priest didn’t hear him.  Instead, he listened to the familiar voice speaking in his head…Jenya! “Cagewright’s still live,” the Sending began.  “Have retreated to Shatterhorn.  Bright Axes needed to stop them before cycle begins again.  Contact others soonest.  Time of essence!”
Slowly, Rusty looked up at his protégée.  “Looks like our trip’s been delayed, boy.  Don’t ye worry none, though.  We won’t be lacking for excitement.  Go round up the rest of the lads, but I’d not let Maple see ye fetchin’ Tilly if ye know what’s good fer ye.”
___________________________________________________________

Dalthon stood in the empty common room of the Bugbear, surrounded by those he’d thought not to see again for a long, long time.  “While I admit that I’ve missed you lot,” the sorcerer said with a smile, “this wasn’t exactly the reunion I’d envisioned.”  Grimm nodded, “That makes two of us, though I can’t say I’m disappointed.  Busting the heads of rowdy drunkards was getting monotonous.  Give me a fire giant or a beholder any day.  So, do you know where we’re going?”  “Shatterhorn,” Dalthon replied.  “Join hands everyone, click your heels twice and repeat after me…there’s no place like home!”

____________________________________________________

Shatterhorn…a two-hundred foot high spire of solid rock.  Four-hundred years ago, a yuan-ti prophet named Ssythar Vassha claimed the pinnacle was a divine oracle…an instrument for communing with the yuan-ti god Merrshaulk.  He and his followers raised a keep around the spire, and used it as a base for their raids.  One stormy night, an incredible bolt of lightning split Shatterhorn into three, cracking it open from peak to base.  At first, the yuan-ti took the event as an ill omen, but when no trace of Ssythar Vassha could be found, his followers assumed that Merrshaulk had rewarded the visionary yuan-ti by taking Vassha into his eternal embrace.  The cultists built a secret temple beneath Shatterhorn, in honor of their “prophet ascendant.”  Other yuan-ti prophets rose to take Vassha’s place and lead the cult, but it soon became clear that Shatterhorn had lost its alleged power to commune with Merrshaulk.  The cult’s fortunes turned, and they were eventually driven off and exterminated by their enemies.  Since that time, the temple beneath Shatterhorn has stood empty…until now.
_______________________________________________________

The Bright Axes stood on a high ridge overlooking a rough clearing.  At its center stood the tri-sectioned spire of Shatterhorn, dwarfing the surrounding trees.  Around the base of the clefts were the ruins of an ancient keep.  Many of the walls had collapsed, and a thick shroud of fog enveloped the structure.  The lone, shrill cry of a baboon echoed in the desolation of the dreary place.

“What do ye think?” Rusty asked Grimm, as he gazed out over the eerie landscape.  “Well,” the big half-ogre rumbled, “I hate to use a cliché but it seems quiet…too quiet.”  “As usual,” Rusty snorted.  “I suppose a bit’o scout work is called for.  Tilly, Kiko…yer elected.  Front and center.”  “My, my,” Tilly said, elbowing Kiko in the ribs with a knowing wink, “someone’s gotten awful full of himself during his retirement, hasn’t he?”  Kiko merely smiled noncommittally, and shrugged, “Nevertheless, his assessment is correct.  We need more information before we go barging in, and you and I are the logical choices.”  “Sheesh,” Tilly groaned, rolling his eyes, “you sure do know how to suck all the humor out of a joke.”  

Before long, the monk and rogue were making their way silently, and unseen down into the valley.  Or so they thought.  From within the misty ruins, two ancient creatures watched the stealthy approach of the intruders with more than just passing curiosity.  There was a hunger in their observance, and a deep seated hatred of the radiant life-force that illuminated the interlopers like a beacon.  Making not a sound, and completely invisible, the watchers slipped further into the crumbling keep to warn their erstwhile allies.

Once they were within a few dozen yards of the keep’s walls, Kiko and Tilly separated, each darting through the fog furtively, then hunkering down near opposite walls.  One could barely make out the other thru the shifting haze, and Kiko was just raising his arm to signal his friend to advance, when he saw something emerge out of the mist directly behind the unsuspecting halfling.  It appeared to be a glowing ball of light, and it moved in complete silence, until it was mere inches from Tilly.  Then it began to emit an electrical hum, and a bolt of blue energy shot out of it, striking the rogue, setting him jittering and shaking, his hair standing on end.  At that moment, another hum began right at Kiko’s ear.  The monk spun around in a blur, but it was too late.  The second will-o-the-wisp blasted him just as effectively as its mate had Tilly.  

Tilly’s violent seizure finally passed, but rather than waste time catching his breath and regaining his composure, the wily rogue immediately went on the offensive.  He knew that seconds counted, and his life might very well be forfeit if he didn’t act immediately.  Drawing his sword, he leaped towards the wisp, not knowing if his weapon could even harm what seemed like nothing more than floating torchlight.  His blade passed thru the glowing ball, and yet he felt resistance.  The wisp pulsed with a reddish glow, then emitted a second energy blast before moving several yards away.  

Kiko didn’t have time to recover from his own nervous system malfunction before the second wisp zapped him again.  Then it too retreated a short distance away, and stopped, seeming to enjoy watching the monk writhe in agony.  Suddenly, from out of the depths of the ruins came the echoing blare of a hunting horn, followed immediately by a cacophony of hoots and howls as a host of baboons appeared on the walls.  The black eyes of the apes watched the plight of the bipeds below them as if cheering on a gladiatorial competition.  Then just as abruptly, they quieted, settling back on their haunches.  From out of the silence came a steady, buzzing sound.  Several large shapes began coalescing out of the fog above the walls of the ruins, finally taking the shape of large, bloated, winged insects, somewhat arachnoid in their appearance.  Mounted on their backs were breastplate-armored half-orcs, composite longbows gripped in their hands.  

Immediately, the spider-eater mounted marauders opened fire.  Kiko spun as the first arrow whistled towards him, swatting the missile out of the air an inch from his face.  With a hastily spoken command word, the monk’s boots sprouted small, feathered wings, lifting him into the air towards the nearest archer.  Like a shot, the will-o-the-wisp was on him, streaking thru the air like lightning.  Another electrical jolt from its glowing body wracked Kiko, but he thought he must be growing accustomed to the pain.  The after-shock seemed to pass more quickly this time.  As he ascended, he flung out his leg in a stiff kick, feeling it connect solidly with the seemingly amorphous ball of light.

The remaining Bright Axes heard the horn blasts and the cries of battle, but the pea-soup mist blocked their view of what was actually occurring.  As one, they surged forward into the fog, closing the distance to the ruined keep.  At one point, Gunther briefly glimpsed one of the spider-eaters and its rider as it lifted briefly above the fog.  With practiced speed and efficiency, the theurge lobbed an explosive ball of fire towards his target.  As the spell ignited, both mount and rider were sent careening back into the mist.
____________________________________________________

Ghath made his way quickly through the ruins towards the sounds of battle.  Stealth be damned, he thought as he lumbered between the crumbling interior walls.  The hill giant had been expecting an attack.  Ever since the new Cagewrights had arrived and warned him and his Grayhaunt Marauders that they had probably been followed, he had drilled his men every day in preparation for this assault.  Now the big barbarian was itching for a fight.  Reaching into his belt pouch, he drew out a stoppered flask that would have been the size of a vase to an ordinary man, but was tiny in his ham-sized fist.  Quickly quaffing the liquid inside, he felt his body become abruptly lighter.  Bending his knees, he leaped into the air, taking flight towards the melee.
_________________________________________________

Grimm charged.  Two more spider-eater mounted half-orcs had arrived on the scene, and one now dipped towards Tilly, lining up for a back shot.  Unfortunately for the marauder, its attack brought it just within range of the half-ogre’s reach.  Grimm had fought cavalry troops many times in the past, and the one thing he’d learned was that without their mounts, they were mostly ineffective.  His chain whip-cracked to the end of its length, splitting open the spider-eater’s bloated abdomen.  With a shriek, the insect tumbled to the ground, spilling its rider in a heap beside it.  As the half-orc struggled to rise, Grimm was on him, wrapping his chain around the marauder’s neck, and snapping it like a twig.

The second wisp was circling Tilly cautiously.  It had been stung once by the wily halfling, and did not intend to be hit a second time.  Tilly had other plans.  He had managed to maneuver the creature between himself and Grimm, limiting its escape route.  Now he leaped in, suffering a scorching blast to his leg as he came, but the wisp could not retreat, and the rogue buried his sword deep into its body, such as it was.  The wisp flared red, and then vanished from sight.

As one of the mounted marauders strafed past, Gunther loosed a searing blast of ambient light.  The spear of energy impaled the spider-eater, blowing a fist-sized hole completely through it.  The bug dropped like a stone.

Dalthon silently applauded Gunther’s victory, but he saw that the spider-eater’s rider was still alive, slowly climbing to his feet.  Furthermore, a pair of huge wolves had just emerged from the ruins, and were making a bee-line right for the dwarf, jaws snapping and slavering.  In an eye-blink, the sorcerer loosed his own Fireball, engulfing the half-orc as well as the wolves.  When the blast had cleared, the marauder was a smoldering pile of ash, but the dire wolves were still coming.

Before the battle, Dalthon had had the foresight to place a Fly spell upon Ike.  The Goliath silently reminded himself to thank the sorcerer after the battle as he streaked towards the fray, a tribal war cry on his lips.  Like a thunderclap, he struck the third spider-eater, his hammer crushing its head into a pulp.  Its marauder rider plummeted, hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Kiko kept a respectful distance from the wisp.  Given a moment’s respite, he could heal some of the wounds that had been dealt to him, but every time he thought about it, the creature would dart in, forcing him back on the defensive.  Now it hovered just out of reach, waiting.  Kiko had just decided that he was going to take the fight to it and end the stand-off, when an enraged roar sounded from behind him.  Whirling around, his eyes went wide as he saw the huge form of an armored hill giant streaking towards him, a mammoth great sword clenched in its meaty fists.  The monk tried to tumble backwards, but the brute was too close.  Its blade swept down in a crushing arc, slashing across Kiko’s abdomen.  At the last possible moment, Kiko rolled, saving himself from being disemboweled, but still suffering a vicious, gaping cut.  

The wolves closed on Dalthon and Gunther, blood in their eyes.  The spell casters moved hastily backwards, but the animals were swifter.  They leaped in unison, going for the throats of their prey, but just before they struck, a whistling spiked chain slashed the air in front of them, stopping them in mid-air.  They tumbled to the ground, howling and snapping in fury, searching for the one who had thwarted their kill.  Grimm stood impassive as a stone, waiting.  As the dire wolves gathered themselves for another leap, two quick snaps from Grimm’s chain crushed each of their spines.

Tilly began moving towards Gunther and Dalthon, hoping the priest could tend some of his wounds before he reengaged, but as he did so, a blast of electricity erupted out of thin air in front of him.  Abruptly, the wisp reappeared from its concealing invisibility, once more barring the halfling’s way.

Rusty watched the battle unfold with a  critical eye, assessing which fronts were being pressed the most.  Kiko was all alone, and flanked by the giant on one side, and the will-o-the-wisp on another.  Slightly unfair odds.  Muttering a prayer, the old priest send a blast of glittering diamond motes into the air.  The spray engulfed Kiko, but passed harmlessly over him, its magic only affecting those with evil in their hearts.  The hill giant roared in pain as the dust burned his flesh, and momentarily blinded him with its dazzling light.  Kiko didn’t waste the opportunity.  He leaped forward, extending his legs and locking his knees, driving both heels into the base of the giant’s throat.  

Tilly tumbled to the side as the wisp came in for another strike.  As he rolled to his feet, he found himself face-to-face with the unseated half-orc whose mount Ike had annihilated.  The marauder scrabbled for the great axe slung across his back, but he never got his hands on it as Tilly drove both of his blades into his gut.

“Gunther!” Dalthon called to the younger dwarf.  “We’ve got to take out those wisps!  Follow my lead!”  Gunther nodded his understanding as he deciphered the incantation Dalthon began.  Simple, but effective, the Magic Missiles sped unerringly towards their target…the wisp harrying Kiko.  An instant later, Gunther’s own volley struck.  The wisp reeled from the double attack, giving Kiko a momentary breather.  The respite, however, was short-lived.  Ghath rubbed furiously at his eyes, trying to clear his vision at the same time his breath rasped through his partially crushed wind-pipe.  Still in a blind fury, the barbarian ignored his pain, and charged the monk again.  Again his blade struck true, cleaving into the human’s thigh, blood fountaining from what was surely a severed artery.

Ike heard Dalthon’s warning, and though he physically itched with the desire to go after the hill giant, he knew he had to help his comrades first.  Putting himself into a dive, he sped towards Tilly and the wisp hot on his tail.  The creature stopped on a copper in its pursuit of Tilly, angling ninety degrees towards the approaching goliath, and blasting the big warrior in mid flight.  Ike barely felt it.  He dropped his shoulder, bowling into the wisp and sending it tumbling back.  As he gained room to maneuver, Ike followed through, connecting solidly with his hammer.

Ghath saw that his opponent was almost done in, but his attention was abruptly drawn to the repeated volleys of magic being hurled by the human and dwarf below him.  Though he didn’t care a whit for the lives of the wisps, he knew that once the wizards had dispatched his allies, they would turn their spells on him.  Abruptly abandoning his attack on Kiko, Ghath dove towards the ground, landing right behind Dalthon.  The sorcerer gasped in horror as he realized what was happening, but before he could react, the hill giant’s massive sword cleaved down, and Dalthon felt the air being driven from his lungs as the blade bit into his shoulder.

Grimm smiled.  This was the opportunity he’d been waiting for.  The giant had come right to him.  “Hey ugly,” the big warrior said, getting Ghath’s attention.  “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”  As Ghath turned, Grimm struck.

Ike continued to stalk towards the wisp, every ounce of his will going into preventing himself from rushing head-on at the now grounded hill giant.  The wisp’s glow had become decidedly more dull, and it pulsed more rapidly, almost as if panting.  Abruptly, Tilly appeared out of the mist behind it, driving his short sword into it from behind.  A high-pitched wail escaped the creature, and once more, it vanished.  

Kiko gasped at the pain suffusing him now.  From deep reserves, he summoned his ki, staunching the flow of blood from his leg, and calming his racing heart.  Nearby, the second wisp pulsed red and fast, the repeated barrages from Dalthon and Gunther taking their tolls.  Ignoring his own distress, Kiko struck, hammering his fists down upon the creature in a flurry of hammer strikes and knife-hand chops.

“You’re on your own, boy!” Ike all-but-crowed as the wisp vanished.  Gripping his hammer, he pushed his feet off the ground, and rocketed towards Ghath, murder in his eyes.  Out of the corner of his eye, Ghath saw Ike’s approach.  Whipping his sword across his body and over his head, the hill giant slammed it heavily across Ike’s back when he moved within range.  Ike laughed.  “Is that all you’ve got?  My turn!”  Screaming a litany of goliath curses, Ike swung his hammer like it was feather-light.  Once, twice the maul struck Ghath, driving the air out of him in a huff.  The rage was still upon the barbarian, however, and pain was a distant thing.  Even as blood poured from his mouth and nostrils, he stepped toe-to-toe with the goliath, matching him blow for blow.  At that moment, Grimm stepped in, moving to Ghath’s flank, and delivering a brutal barrage of withering blows.  “Back off, ogre!” Ike roared.  “He’s mine!”  The goliath then dropped the head of his hammer all the way to the ground behind him.  Then, swinging the weapon over his head with a sound like a small tornado, he smashed it directly down on the top of Ghath’s skull…and kept going.  By the time his momentum ceased, the head of the maul was half-way down the hill giant’s chest.  With one last, staggering step, the barbarian collapsed.

The wisp struggled to free itself from Kiko’s assault, but the monk was like a cobra striking.  In time, he beat the creature all the way down to ground level, where it hovered stunned and shivering.  With one final blow, the wisp slowly faded from view, a high-pitched keen signaling the end of its long life.  

Above the melee, one Grayhaunt Marauder remained.  He watches as first his comrades, and then his leader died.  He knew he could save his own life by fleeing, but what would be the point?  Where would he go where the Cagewrights could not find him?  No, better to die here, and hopefully earn a place of honor among Gruumsh’s shock troops, than a coward’s death on the run.  He moved into position, lined up his shot, and loosed two arrows, both flying true and burying themselves into the back of the sorcerer beneath him.

Dalthon groaned as the arrows pierced him.  Already gravely wounded by the hill giant’s blow, he was barely able to stay on his feet.  Pointing one hand weakly, he sent one final blast of Magic Missiles towards the spider-eater.  The insect bobbed lower as the blast struck,  bringing it within range of Grimm’s chain.  The half-ogre struck, bringing the creature down, and spilling its rider to the ground.  Not bothering to beg for quarter, the half-orc rolled to his feet, raising his bow towards Grimm.  The half-ogre struck simultaneously with Ike, and the marauder got his dying wish.

Grimm scanned the battle field quickly, looking for more foes.  With his enhanced vision, he saw the last will-o-the-wisp flying invisibly towards the jungle’s edge.  Without a word, he charged, closing the distance between himself and the fleeing creature quickly.  The wisp saw the warrior approaching, and saw its own death written in his gaze.  It had been alive for many, many centuries, and was not prepared to depart this world just yet.  It had been here before the Cagewrights, and it was determined that it would be here long after.  Willing itself back into plain sight, it spoke.  “Halt, and spare my life,” it said in a breezy, buzzing voice, “and I will assist you in finding those you seek.”  Grimm slowed his charge, approaching cautiously, but not lowering his weapon.  “What do you know of whom we seek?”  he asked warily.  “You seek the ones who call themselves Cagewrights,” the wisp replied.  “I know this because they said you would come.  They warned the giant and his minions of this.  I can tell you how to find them.”  “Speak then, and speak swiftly and truly,” Grimm said, “or I will end your life without a second thought.”  
________________________________________________

Nag watched from his place of concealment as those-who-walked passed thru the illusory wall screening the stairs to the lower levels.  They must have defeated the guardians and the watchers.  His master must be warned.  Quiet, and unseen, the snake slithered down the stairwell to the dungeons below.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Allright.  Bouncing back with some kick-butt combat.

GW


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Allright.  Bouncing back with some kick-butt combat.
> 
> GW



Wow, I couldn't agree more. Also, I could not believe that those Willow-wisps could have caused the party so much trouble, so I looked them up: they were *Ancient Willow-wisps* with *212 hit points each*!!!
JollyDoc, did you upgrade their damage from 4d6 or did you just roll very well on your first attacks?

GREAT UPDATE! Gfunk, did you already start on Asylum?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> JollyDoc, did you upgrade their damage from 4d6 or did you just roll very well on your first attacks?
> 
> GREAT UPDATE! Gfunk, did you already start on Asylum?





Nope, didn't adjust damage, they just kept inflicting it, plus they had Spring Attack, so they would dart in, hit, and dart away, then go invis for awhile, and start over again.  Frustrating for the party.

I estimate that I have three more updates to post before concluding Shatterhorn, and then Gfunk will be assuming the helm.


----------



## war wizard

Hey a fight where Dalthon didn't end up a greasy smear on the wall!!!!
great.


excellent update JD


----------



## R-Hero

Whoo-Hoo!Great Update, once again.  J.D.

SoS is were Ike really made something of himself in the No 2 Tank role.  (Dice rolls went in the right way for a change. Hit almost everything he swung at with several crits, too)




> “Back off, ogre!” Ike roared. “He’s mine!”



I don't remember Ike ever snapping at Grimm.  (I asked Ike about it and he looked embarrased, mumbling something about bloodlust  )


----------



## JollyDoc

R-Hero said:
			
		

> Whoo-Hoo!
> 
> 
> 
> I don't remember Ike ever snapping at Grimm.  (I asked Ike about it and he looked embarrased, mumbling something about bloodlust  )




Ah, c'mon!  You know Ike always wanted a piece of Grimm.  After all, he was half-ogre...that makes him half-giant, right?  In Ike's book, the legal definition of giant is all the way out to 1/32.


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> GREAT UPDATE! Gfunk, did you already start on Asylum?




Ready to go, baby.


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Ah, c'mon!  You know Ike always wanted a piece of Grimm.  After all, he was half-ogre...that makes him half-giant, right?  In Ike's book, the legal definition of giant is all the way out to 1/32.




Grimm was a giant.  Ike was just scared of him.


----------



## JollyDoc

Joachim said:
			
		

> Grimm was a giant.  Ike was just scared of him.





And so the gauntlet was thrown down...


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> And so the gauntlet was thrown down...


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Sounds like the setting for a dream sequence Player vs. Player session.   I'd love to see the outcome of that.

GW


----------



## gfunk

While JD is cooking up the final installments of SoS, I'm nearly ready to post my own prelude to Asylum.


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> While JD is cooking up the final installments of SoS, I'm nearly ready to post my own prelude to Asylum.




JD is too busy being a groomsman in my wedding.  BACK OFF!


----------



## R-Hero

Joachim said:
			
		

> Grimm was a giant. Ike was just scared of him.



Thats a lie and you know it.  Ike wasn't scared of nothing.....




			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Ah, c'mon!  You know Ike always wanted a piece of Grimm.  After all, he was half-ogre...that makes him half-giant, right?  In Ike's book, the legal definition of giant is all the way out to 1/32.



...except fractions.


----------



## JollyDoc

Let's all raise a glass and toast Joachim aka Richard on his wedding day today!  We're finally marrying our little boy off  

Here's to Richard and Michelle!


----------



## gfunk

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Let's all raise a glass and toast Joachim aka Richard on his wedding day today! We're finally marrying our little boy off
> 
> Here's to Richard and Michelle!




Here, Here!


----------



## war wizard

Congratulations, best wishes to you both.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Best wishes.  I hope you found one that doesn't mind you gaming.

GW


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Let's all raise a glass and toast Joachim aka Richard on his wedding day today!  We're finally marrying our little boy off
> 
> Here's to Richard and Michelle!



CONGRATULATIONS !!!

Where are you going for honeymoon?


----------



## R-Hero

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Let's all raise a glass and toast Joachim aka Richard on his wedding day today!  We're finally marrying our little boy off
> 
> Here's to Richard and Michelle!





Dude, congrats.  

Best of Luck and Many Blessings on your union.


----------



## JollyDoc

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Best wishes.  I hope you found one that doesn't mind you gaming.
> 
> GW




He did indeed.  Though she can't understand the concept and has no interest in it at all, at least she understands the need to unplug and just hang with the guys every once in awhile.


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> CONGRATULATIONS !!!
> 
> Where are you going for honeymoon?




They are even now winging their way to Jamaica mon!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> They are even now winging their way to Jamaica mon!



And what better way to recover from such a fest than by hacking away some SH posts on your PC?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> And what better way to recover from such a fest than by hacking away some SH posts on your PC?




 :cracking knuckles:  The next update is officially a work in progress.  Promised by this weekend.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Thanks, JollyDoc. We wouldn't be bugging you this often, if we didn't enjoy your SH so much!!!


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Let's all raise a glass and toast Joachim aka Richard on his wedding day today!  We're finally marrying our little boy off
> 
> Here's to Richard and Michelle!



 Hmmm, my brother's name is Richard and his GF is Michelle.  Sign of things to come?

Rock on Joachim and I hope you enjoy(ed) the honeymoon.  After all, real life waits at home.  Best to avoid that whenever possible.


----------



## Joachim

*Back from Jamaica*

Thanks for all the support.  A gamer getting married is a big deal.  When the photographer sends me a photo or two, I will attach a picture of JD and myself in our get-up.  Y'all (that weren't there) may find it amusing.

Just got back from one of the Sandal's resorts on the south coast.  Couple of things I take back from the Islands:

1) When the nice, developed portions of a country (outside of the resorts) look like Harlem and the remainder looks like something from the Mosquito Coast, it makes you appreciate being from one of the first world countries.

2) There are roads in Jamaica.  Problem is that they don't believe in repaving, just patching potholes.  My neck is still killing me from the ride from the resort to the airport.

3) While we are on the subject of roads, Jamaicans drive really really fast on really windy and steep roads.  I had to ride to there and back with my eyes closed most of the time so I wouldn't crap my pants.  The whole driving on the left side of the road was an adjustment, too.

4) I saw some of the more interesting attempts at structural engineering in the middle of the island.  One house had two corners supported on natural rock, one corner supported on a stack of rounded boulders, and the last corner (about 10 feet in the air) supported on a STICK.  A 3" diameter stick, but a stick nonetheless.  And people were walking around inside of it.

5) The resort was very very nice.  All-inclusive pricing so you could eat and drink to your hearts content.  They also had lots of activities (snorkeling, boat rides, etc) that you could do.  If you are a big eater, then you are great.  If you are a big drinker, give yourself alcohol poisoning and the Jamaicans will just say, "No problem, mon".  Do all the activities you want until you are so sunburned you can't even breath without feeling pain.  Problem for Michelle and I is that we are not big eaters, we drink but not to the point of being stupid drunk, and our idea of 'activities' is floating in the pool for a couple of hours and then head to the room to...um...uh...watch HBO.  All in all, it was a very nice and relaxing time, but I don't know if we got our $4k worth out of the deal.

6) Jamaica is green.  Let me tell you, the island is simply covered with foliage as far as you can see.  The topography is beautiful, too, and can be quite breathtaking.

7) Delta is starting to suck.  The last two times I have flown, it has been a $#^&ing catastrophe.  I am going to start flying Southwest from now on I think.


----------



## JollyDoc

INTO THE SNAKE PIT

Ssythar Nahazir crouched low behind the altar, gazing intently into Nag’s slitted pupils.  The cobra has just informed him of the infidels’ impending arrival, and now the self-proclaimed prophet of Merrshaulk was formulating his plan.  He would not allow the soft-skinned filth to desecrate this holy place.  The only reason he abided the other Cagewrights was because they had promised him a prominent place for his people in the New World Order.  The Vilhon Reach and its surrounding lands would be controlled by its rightful rulers, the yuan-ti, once again.  Just then he heard a stealthy footfall on the stairs leading above.  Silently, he ducked back into concealment, signaling his minion as he did so.


Grimm made his way cautiously down the curving stair that was revealed behind the illusory wall the will-o-the-wisp had shown them.  Oddly enough, torches were lit at intervals along the stone wall.  In their dim light, the half-ogre saw numerous tiny snakes slithering across the floor, or coiled around a sconce.  Somewhere in the distance a faint rattling noise echoed.  

Shortly, the stairs opened on a large, unlit room, its ceiling supported by ten thick pillars.  Deep alcoves were recessed into the west and east walls.  A sculpted stone altar rested in the middle of the chamber, its surfaces stained with dry blood and carved with serpentine motifs.  One end of the altar curled up to form the head of a great snake with stony fangs and gems for eyes.  As Grimm scanned the room for signs of life, he spotted a slight movement from behind the ophidian altar, the flutter of a dark cloak.

At that moment, a tall, thin figure stood.  Its head and face were snake-like in appearance, but its body was humanoid.  It was clad in a form fitting, hooded, black robe.  A silver pendant, shaped like a tiny cage, hung around its neck, and coiled around its left forearm was what appeared to be a live cobra.  The creature began to speak in a hissing, spitting language.  Only Kiko, with his encyclopedic knowledge of tongues, could decipher the harangue, which amounted to a barrage of curses having to do with he and his companions being heretics who would soon be sacrificed to someone named Merrshaulk.

“In case any of you were wondering,” the monk said to his companions, “he’s not exactly welcoming us with open arms.”
“The cage around his neck was my first clue,” Ike snorted.  If there was still any doubt, Nahazir ended it when he began gesturing rapidly, uttering words that were obvious to Gunther and Dalthon those of an arcane spell.  “Scatter!” the sorcerer shouted, but it was too late.  A forest of black tentacles erupted from the floor, all too familiar to the Bright Axes who had fallen victim to the enchantment too many times.  Ike, Rusty, Gunther and Dalthon were ensnared immediately, the ebony coils wrapping tightly around them.  Grimm, thanks to the magic in his ring, slipped easily from the flailing appendages, and Tilly managed to somersault out of the area at the last moment, triggering the magic in his own ring to render himself invisible.  However, as the halfling tumbled behind a concealing pillar, the yuan-ti’s eyes locked on him, watching his every move.  “There,” the sorcerer shouted in his own tongue, speaking to someone or something out of view.  Suddenly, from out of the shadows slithered a huge creature with the bottom half of a snake.  Its torso was humanoid, but its abdomen gaped open, revealing its entrails, which writhed like a mass of serpents.  Its head was skull-like, with burning coals for eyes, and from out of its mouth coiled a horrid tongue, fully two-feet long.  It began racing towards Tilly’s hiding place at incredible speed, but no sooner had it started across the floor, than Grimm moved to intercept it.  Lashing out with his chain, he caught the beast near the end of its tail and pulled.  The half-ogre’s strength managed to yank the horror flat on its back, where it thrashed and hissed in fury.

Dalthon let himself go limp within the tentacles.  He knew it was futile to struggle.  Instead, he closed his eyes and centered his mind.  Concentrating, he uttered one sharp word, and in a flash of light, he vanished, only to reappear several yards away, free from the Evard’s.

Ike was not so subtle.  Grabbing the tentacle that embraced him with his bare hands, the goliath twisted and ripped, bit and tore, until the appendage was a gory stump.  Bellowing, the liberator forced his way to freedom through the remaining tendrils, until he stood on the opposite side of the altar from Nahazir.  Still without his weapon, Ike lunged for the yuan-ti, but with blinding speed, the sorcerer drew a scimitar from his robes, raking it across the goliath’s cheek.  As Ike drew back in surprise, he saw Tilly suddenly appear behind the yuan-ti.  Nahazir saw the rogue as well, but a fraction of a second too late.  Tilly drove his sword into the sorcerer’s leg, but as he did so, a flash of black fire erupted around Nahazir.  Tilly knew he had wounded the creature, but he suddenly felt his own strength being sapped by the unholy aura now surrounding Nahazir.  The yuan-ti quickly spoke a word, and vanished into thin air, reappearing on the far side of the room, beyond his undead servant.  

The creature on the ground began to surge upright, but as it did so, Grimm struck again, slamming it back to the floor.  At that moment, Kiko moved to the half-ogre’s side.  The monk had also been caught in the radius of the tentacles, but his agility and quick reflexes had kept him from being caught, and he had escaped their crushing coils easily.  Now he stood over the undead abomination, and added his strength to that of Grimm.  Each time the horror tried to rise, they rained blows upon it, until finally it collapsed into a gelatinous mass as it decomposed.

Gunther was one step behind Dalthon.  Casting his own Dimension Door spell, he appeared beyond the tentacles, and then immediately began a dispelling.  In an eye blink, the Evard’s vanished, freeing Rusty.

Dalthon had noted Nahazir’s Teleportation location, and as soon as the yuan-ti sorcerer reappeared, he unleashed a volley of Magic Missiles.  Dalthon wasn’t very surprised when the projectiles bounced harmlessly off an invisible shield before the sorcerer.  He would have taken the same precautions under the circumstances.  “Let’s see if he can deflect this,” Ike growled from behind Dalthon, hefting his warhammer and smacking the head into the palm of his hand.  With a goliath battle-cry of challenge, the liberator charged across the room.  Nahazir’s eyes went wide, and he cast one last desperate, defensive spell, one that would make him appear to be a couple of feet away from where he actually was.  Ike’s first blow did indeed miss, but with his second, he closed his eyes, and felt the satisfying crunch as Nahazir’s skull imploded.


“So much for the welcoming committee,” Rusty said.  “As usual, our stealthy approach never fails.  It’s gonna be a runnin’ fight from here on out, lads, so let’s hit’em hard and fast before they can form up against us.”  

The group continued across the entry chamber to an archway on the far side.  A second, larger hall awaited beyond.  Thick pillars supported the ceiling.  Four alcoves held heaps of dust and bone intermingled with shards of painted ceramic.  A stone arm…the remains of a shattered statue…rested on the floor between the pillars.  The arm looked human-sized and was broken off at the shoulder.  On one of its stony fingers was an iron ring.  Curious, Grimm approached the arm.  “Hold on there, boy,” Rusty said quietly.  “Don’t ye be touchin’ nothin’ in here afore we check it first.”  Quickly, the old priest cast a minor divinatory spell, and concentrated on the arm and ring.  Instantly, the ring began glowing blue to his sight, a tell-tale sign of magical emanation.  “’Ware the ring,” he cautioned Grimm.  The half-ogre nodded, and leaned over to pick up the severed appendage, careful not to touch the ring.  

Suddenly, four of the pillars shattered in an explosion of stone and plaster.  Where they had been, now stood four creatures.  Two had the lower torsos of snakes, but the upper bodies of bare breasted women, though their hair was a mass of writhing snakes.  The other two were humanoid males, their bodies intricately tattooed.  Each carried a shortbow and a shortsword.  Instantly, Tilly was in motion, tumbling across the floor to position himself behind one of the males.  As he moved, the creature’s eyes followed him, and when his own eyes met that penetrating gaze, he felt himself go rigid.  To the horror of his companions, Tilly was turned to stone right before them.

Before the Bright Axes could regroup, the assassin’s fanned out around and among them.  One of the females jabbed at Rusty with her shortsword, burying it deep into his ribs.  The old dwarf collapsed to his knees, his breath coming in ragged wheezes.  One of the males tried the same tactic on Ike, and though the blade succeeded in opening a deep gash in the goliath’s hide, he managed to twist at the last moment, and parry with the haft of his hammer.  As the remaining two moved in for their own lethal strikes, Dalthon acted.  Noting how effectively Evard’s had been used against he and his friends, he chose to learn from enemy tactics.  With a word and a gesture, he conjured up his own nest of the black tentacles.  In a matter of moments, three of the monsters were ensnared, though their piercing stares continued to search out their opponents.  The last one, a male, tumbled out of reach of the grasping appendages, rolling to his feet right beside Dalthon.  As his blade struck the sorcerer, Dalthon finally realized what it was they were fighting.  “Medusae!” he shouted to his companions.  “Cover your eyes!”  Unfortunately, his revelation came too late to save his own life.  His mouth froze as his final words formed, his limbs hardening into rock.

Kiko and Ike heeded the warning, and quickly shut their eyes.  Both warriors, however, had been diligently trained by their mentors in the art of blind-fighting, and both immediately moved towards the edge of the Evard’s, intending to dispatch the trapped medusae there before any more of their companions could be petrified.  

Grimm had no such training, and as such, was reluctant to lose the advantage of sight.  He chose instead to avert his gaze, hoping to avoid the deadly eyes of the medusae.  He was mistaken.  A third statue joined the growing stone garden of Bright Axes.

The free, male medusa noted the tactic of Ike and Kiko immediately, and quickly moved to intercept them.  With three, lightning-fast strikes, he left gaping wounds in Ike.  Kiko instinctively turned towards the sound of the attack, and lashed out with one of his legs, sweeping the feet from under the medusa.  As he heard the creature hit the floor, he leaped to straddle it, grasped both hands in a double-fisted, overhand hammer blow, and brought them down on the monster’s forehead.  Rolling to one side, and arching its back, the medusa managed to tumble away from the monk, but as it tried to stand, Ike was there.  Eyes still closed, the goliath struck blindly with his hammer.  The blow was deadly accurate, just the same, and Ike knew the coast was clear when he felt his face spattered with gore.

It was only a matter of time before Ike and Kiko, with the magical assistance of Gunther and Rusty, managed to dispatch the remaining three medusae.  The creatures could not bring their weapons to bear while entangled in the tentacles, and their deadly gazes were useless once the heroes learned to counter them.  As the last one fell, the companions opened their eyes once more and looked upon their fallen comrades, locked in life-like images of stone.  Rusty knew that the power to transform stone to living flesh was beyond him.  It was, in fact, a spell known only to powerful arcansists, well outside of Gunther’s capabilities.  However, the priest had an alternative.  His god, Dumathoin, would, on occasion, grant his most devoted priests a Miracle.  The need must be great, and the price the priest must eventually pay, either in the present or in the after-life, even greater.  Rusty asked for that boon, praying for the dwarf Lord to return Dalthon to life once more.  None of the Bright Axes ever knew what Rusty exchanged for that service, but whatever the cost, it was acceptable.  Before their eyes, Dalthon became flesh again.  He understood immediately what Rusty had done, and he nodded his gratitude to his friend.  The sorcerer then set about casting the spells necessary to restore Tilly and Grimm, and before long, the Bright Axes stood reunited.

___________________________________________________________

Further into the underground compound, the party entered another pillar-filled room.  The four innermost pillars bore lit torches in serpentine sconces, and the flickering light cast sinister shadows upon the walls, ceiling and floor.  Some of the pillars were cracked and crumbling, revealing slick, black stone beneath the plaster murals.  The murals depicted masses of writhing snakes and yuan-ti clad in black robes and golden armor. 

Tilly was the first to enter, scouting ahead.  He paused at the arched entry to the chamber, and peered about cautiously, pricking up his pointed ears for any sound.  At first he heard nothing, but just as he was turning to motion his friend’s forward, he caught a faint clink, as if someone in mail shifted slightly.  This was followed by a low, throaty growl.  Quickly, the rogue signaled his companions of danger, and then, using the magic of his ring, promptly vanished.  

Grimm was the next to enter, and with his vision attuned to see even invisible creatures, he scanned the room.  He picked Tilly out immediately, hiding behind a nearby pillar.  About ten feet beyond the halfling was another invisible creature, but it seemed to be a large animal of some sort, perhaps even a badger.  Standing behind it, was a humanoid shape in armor.  This second being seemed to instantly note Grimm’s scrutiny, and it stepped forward, becoming visible to all as he did so.  He appeared to be a human male in full-plate armor, that seemed to have shadows rippling across its matte surface.  He wore a cloak and gloves made of stitched, human skin.  His hair was black and shaggy, and blood-red tattoos patterned his face.  One of these was the unmistakable symbol Cyric, the good of death and murder, and this same symbol was displayed on his shield.  The man spoke as he appeared:  “ I am Adimarchus, god of madness.”  He then pointed towards Grimm, and the smoking red eye he bore.  “You dare to steal from me?  Occipitus is mine, not yours, and so it will always be!”  With that, he drew his sword, and ran forward, yelling incoherently.  As he moved, the giant badger appeared, ripping and tearing at Grimm’s feet.  For a moment, the half-ogre was taken aback, but when he regained his composure, he immediately went to work on the ankle-biter.  With three, powerful strikes, the dire badger collapsed.

Rushing past Grimm, Ike met ‘Adimarchus’ head-on.  However, as he swung his hammer towards his opponent’s head, he was surprised to see the man duck the blow effortlessly.  As he came up inside Ike’s defenses, ‘Adimarchus’ unleashed.  His first blow nearly decapitated the goliath, laying open the skin at his neck several inches.  This was followed by two, quick thrusts to the mid-section.  With the final strike, ‘Adimarchus’ called on the power of Cyric to smite his foe, and as his blade connected, Ike felt his flesh burning.

The Bright Axes did not hesitate.  As a unit, the surrounded ‘Adimarchus.’  Tilly struck first, drawing his blade deftly across the black guard’s Achilles tendon.  Kiko tried to follow up by quickly taking the man off his feet, but even crippled, the mad man was fast.  He rolled to one side, catching the monk’s foot as he went.  With a wrench and a twist, it was Kiko who wound up on his back, not ‘Adimarchus.’  As he raised his sword to finish the monk, Grimm’s chain suddenly wrapped around the blade, and with a jerk, sent if flying from his hands.  ‘Adimarchus’ didn’t even slow.  Laying himself out flat, he dove for his sword, but as he moved, so did Ike.  The goliath swung his hammer high above his head, then dropped it like a stone across ‘Adimarchus’ lower spine.  In snapped with a satisfying crunch.  “So much for gods,” Ike smirked.  “If that was Adimarchus,” Grimm scowled, “then these Cagewrights are the worst group of pansies I’ve ever come across.”


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Woha, three stoned adventurers? That must have been some bad dice rolling on your part... Did Dalthon really have two stone-to-fleshs memorized or how'd you do it?



			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> “If that was Adimarchus,” Grimm scowled, “then these Cagewrights are the worst group of pansies I’ve ever come across.”



 ->   ->    Classic! That Adimarchus was a funny read in the modules, too.


Nice update, JD. You're drawing closer to the end !


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Woha, three stoned adventurers? That must have been some bad dice rolling on your part... Did Dalthon really have two stone-to-fleshs memorized or how'd you do it?





Nope.  The old boy had to blow two Limited Wish spells.  Bear in mind that he is a sorcerer, not a mage, so doesn't memorize spells.  Stone-to-flesh, however, was not one of his known spells.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

You're right - somehow I always think him a mage. Could it be the name...?


----------



## LordVyreth

You know, I thought Break Enchantment also could be used to fix petrification.  And I have to admit I'm surprised that Stone to Flesh isn't also a divine spell.


----------



## htetickrt

Do you allow magic shops of any sort, JollyDoc?  I'd think that two teleports and a bit of cash would be preferable to the xp loss.

Great stuff, by the way.  You guys have hit 17th (18th?) level in the time it took my characters to go from 14th to 18th!


----------



## Joachim

htetickrt said:
			
		

> Do you allow magic shops of any sort, JollyDoc?  I'd think that two teleports and a bit of cash would be preferable to the xp loss.




At 16th level, the 500 xp you lose for two limited wishes is ok, as we see it.  Just don't use it that much.


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> You know, I thought Break Enchantment also could be used to fix petrification.  And I have to admit I'm surprised that Stone to Flesh isn't also a divine spell.





Break Enchantment can be, but alas, also not on Dalthon's list of spells.  Limited Wish is more useful anyway.  A wise choice on his part, as it turns out.


----------



## hbarsquared

Yes, I am one of your lurkers.  But, *NO MORE!*

I started reading when Pez was still around.  Devoured all of the updates within a week, then took a year long break, only to discover that an entirely new thread was created!  For the past few months, I've been catching up, and now would like to (as has everyone else) compliment all the writers in this thread on a job well done.  Your story hour has been a pleasure to read.

I love the powergaming optimization in the characters as well as the well-constructed story posts.  JollyDoc, Joachim, gfunk, and any others that have posted that I might have missed . . . well done.  Well  done.

And I'm sure that I speak for everyone else (including all the other lurkers out there!) when I say, _Can't wait to see more!_


----------



## JollyDoc

jeremy_dnd said:
			
		

> Yes, I am one of your lurkers.  But, *NO MORE!*
> 
> I started reading when Pez was still around.  Devoured all of the updates within a week, then took a year long break, only to discover that an entirely new thread was created!  For the past few months, I've been catching up, and now would like to (as has everyone else) compliment all the writers in this thread on a job well done.  Your story hour has been a pleasure to read.
> 
> I love the powergaming optimization in the characters as well as the well-constructed story posts.  JollyDoc, Joachim, gfunk, and any others that have posted that I might have missed . . . well done.  Well  done.
> 
> And I'm sure that I speak for everyone else (including all the other lurkers out there!) when I say, _Can't wait to see more!_




While I do not write this story hour to seek written praise from the readers, and in fact would keep on writing it even if no one ever responded, I truly and deeply appreciate the heart felt support and appreciation I have received from all of my readers (and I'm sure I speak for Joachim, Gfunk and the guys as well).  Those of you who lurk, I hope you continue to enjoy the story.  Those of you who respond, your input has been invaluable throughout this process.  As difficult as it has been to stick with this sometimes, it is replies like this that make it worthwhile.  I thank you all, as I near the end of my part in this story hour.  I'm certain Gfunk will continue to carry the torch proudly.


----------



## Elemental

I never feel very comfortable posting just to say "That rocked!", but I'll make an exception here. Even when I'm not posting, I'm checking in every few days to enjoy the latest installments. Keep on trucking.


----------



## JollyDoc

I appreciate the enthusiasm!  New update is in the works...


----------



## Lela

So, did anyone actually buy the Adimarchus rotuine?


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> So, did anyone actually buy the Adimarchus rotuine?




Well...let's just say that if nothing else, the badger kind of gave him away...Adimarchus wouldn't roll like that.


----------



## Joachim

For those who care, and of course for the groupmembers who will be there on Sunday, we are going to begin Dungeon's Age of Worms adventure path this week.  Instead of making characters, the group elected to let me make 5 PC's and on Sunday we shall random draw which character we get.  JD was going to allow up to +1 ECL characters, so I made all of them with a +1 ECL.  While watching a Heineken commercial (the one with the superheroes) followed by a preview for the Fantastic Four, I decided I was going to try and model them after a team of superheroes, called "The League" after the band of heroes in the Heineken commercial.  The following is what I came up with:

ANGEL – LG Aasimar Favored Soul of Tyr 1 (With the feat Outsider Wings from RoF)

PYRO  - LN Fire Genasi Wizard (Evoker) 1

COLOSSUS – NG Goliath Cleric of Grumbar 1 (Domains Metal and Time, eventually he will be able to cast Iron Body)

THING – NG Mineralized Shield Dwarf Fighter 1 (Adjusted for low-level play)

NIGHTCRAWLER – CG Shadow-Walker Human Rogue 1

For your reading pleasure (or displeasure as the case may be), here are the quick couple of background paragraphs I made up for each of the PC's, approved by JD:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Angel is the only member of The League to have lived his life in Diamond Lake.  From the moment of his birth, it was apparent that Angel had been touched by the gods of Good, and that one of his ancestors had been of Celestial blood.  Nothing made this more apparent than his white feathered wings, which were vestigial during his childhood but became considerably larger and stronger throughout his adolescence.  Angel’s parents were terrified of the implications, and gave the boy to be raised by the local temple of Tyr, where he was taken in by High Priest Jieran Wierius to be trained as his personal protégé.  The high priest of Tyr saw the boy’s celestial characteristics as an opportunity to milk more money out of the miners of Diamond Lake.  The high priest would bring Angel before the masses, crying out, “Do you not see the power of Tyr?  Look at how he has blessed this young acolyte!”  In private, however, Jieran is incredibly hard on the young Angel, bordering on belligerence.  

The source of the High Priests attitude is not clearly known, but Angel believes that it stems from his celestial heritage and a degree of jealousy and fear by Jieran.  The second in charge of the temple, a priest named Hamaneezer, has taken Angel under his wing (as it were), showing the young aasimar sympathy not shared by the High Priest.

The high priest, in his greed, could not understand just how close to Tyr that the boy was.  Angel was one of Tyr’s favored souls, and was becoming a divine spellcaster of his own right…

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pyro was born the son of a Thayan merchant loyal more to the Temple of Kossuth than to the Order of the Red Wizards.  Kossuth blessed the boy with a touch of fire, making him a genasi.  While it was not apparent to any around Pyro of his nature, his elemental bloodline was recognized by one of the local Red Wizard zulkirs, who demanded that the ‘boy’ be given for formal training as a Red Wizard.  Sadly, the merchant gave his son to the cruel tutelage of the wizards.  

Pyro learned of his mixed blood, and came to accept it, but when the opportunity arose he fled the academy as well as the depredations and evil of Red Wizardry.  He could not return home, for that would surely mean the death of his family, so Pyro chose to continue south, across the Sea of Fallen Stars, landing in a small town on the Sword Coast called Diamond Lake.  There, he found employment as a local prestiditator at the Emporium, pleasing the masses (and separating them from their hard earned coin) with his minor spells and cantrips.

It was not long before Pyro came to know Angel, whom he recognized to also have blood mixed with creatures from outside the Prime Material Plane.  The two young men, having somewhat similar outlooks on law and stability, became fast friends and commonly spent their off-hours together dreaming of adventure and excitement.  This friendship served as the starting point and foundation block for “The League”.

Recently, Pyro has come to the personal attention of Allustan Neff, the most prominent wizard in town and brother of the Governor-Mayor of Diamond Lake (Lanod Neff).  Apparently, Allustan sees some degree of promise in Pyro, and has offered to apprentice the young Evoker.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colossus was born in a small goliath tent city in the mountains of Chessenta.  The goliaths, being very close the earth and rock as well as of a balanced view on good/evil/law/chaos, were some of the more staunch followers of Grumbar the Earthfather.  Such it was with Colossus, and he became an apprentice to the high shaman of the tribe.  Trouble beset Colossus when he and the tribal chieftain’s daughter fell in love as it was strictly forbidden for Grumbar’s goliath clergy to marry.  Their eyes were supposed to be kept solidly on the flock, not on personal interests.  The affair between Colossus and his love was quickly exposed, and the young goliath was exiled for his dereliction to the needs of the tribe.  Dejected and without other prospect, Colossus shortly found himself in Diamond Lake as a miner, working for Balabar Smenk, a local prominent mine manager.  His large size and great strength, as well as his skill with a hammer, made him well suited for his new position.  At no time did the goliath explain his former role, keeping his magic and his prayers to himself, until he was approached one evening at the Emporium.

A fiery-looking young man with flaming red hair approached Colossus at his table.  When the man’s eyes spoke, the goliath almost swore that his eyes glowed red with excitement.  Pyro had been watching the giant for weeks, and knew that he could be the kind of muscle that he and Angel needed in their gang.  Learning that the goliath had some degree of divine spellcasting only sweetened the deal.  By the end of the conversation, Colossus had made himself a new friend and had committed himself to membership in a new adventuring group, should the opportunity ever arise.  Colossus welcomed the opportunity to better himself outside of the stale air of the mine, as well as bring some street justice to the local gangs.

Recently, Smenk has been applying pressure to Colossus to join his band of hired goons (led by a half-orc named Kullen).  Thus far Colossus has refused, feeling that the thugs activities were dishonorable, but Smenk’s coercion is becoming much more intense.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thing hailed from Citadel Adbar, one of the largest and most influential dwarven strongholds on Toril.  Like many dwarves, he was trained in the art of martial warfare, and was skilled with any axe that you put into his hands.  He was training in the Temple of Gorm Gulthyn, dwarven god of protection and defense, to be a church templar guardian when he was approached by one of the priests with an opportunity.  He was offered the opportunity to undergo the Rite of Stone whereby his essence would be mixed with that of a minor earth elemental.  The end result would be that the dwarf would be forever changed, his flesh transformed to that of living rock.  He would be more powerful and well protected than an average dwarf, but in repayment for the gift he would have to serve one of the dwarf nobles on the surface for one year.  The noble, a merchant by trade named Dulok Blitzhame, was located in the town of Diamond Lake, a human encampment near a ‘mine’ (not one that any dwarf would claim).  The vein on which the mine had been placed ran true with pure metal, and could be fashioned by dwarf artisans.  The trade between the merchant noble and the miners was critical to the craftsman of the dwarf craft city of Greysmere.  As such the noble’s protection was of utmost importance, requiring the aid of Gorm's clergy and warriors.

Thing’s time with the noble was pleasant, with little to report.  Just the rocky dwarf’s presence was commonly enough to end problems for the noble before they were started, and Dulok came to see Thing not only as a bodyguard but as sort of a spiritual advisor.  The year of servitude came and went, and Thing elected to remain with the noble on an interim basis.  This was partly due to the noble’s fair treatment and their friendship, but was mostly due to outside contacts that Thing had made.  Through Dulok, Thing has become familiar with the local Governor-Mayor as well as Ragnolin Dourstone, the only dwarven mine manager in Diamond Lake.

Lately, Thing has been listening to the offers of the local winged freak of Tyr telling him that he and his wizard buddy were putting together a new adventuring party.  The prospects sounded very, very interesting as well as potentially lucrative.  Besides, Thing couldn’t return to his homeland without getting through at least one major scrap, could he?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nightcrawler was on the run.  Those damn Shadow Lords were after him.  It was not without deep consideration that he had been selected for the Rite of Shadow Wallking, and then he decided that he was too ‘moral’ to follow through with the guildmaster’s orders.  Those orders had been to snipe out a local merchant’s five year old son in order to apply pressure to the man.  That order was enough to convince Nightcrawler to get the hell out of Turmish.  Where could he go?  Where would be so remote that he couldn’t be found?  The only place so large that a person could disappear…Waterdeep.

Waterdeep was far away, but was outside the long reach of the Shadow Lords.  He wasn’t worth that much trouble to the nefarious group of thieves and assassins…was he?  Stowing away on a series of merchant caravans, Nightcrawler found himself in Diamond Lake, a town bustling with sheep to fleece.  The rogue decided that this would be the perfect place to get lost in…the Shadow Lords would never find him in this wretched mudhole.

Nightcrawler has thus far made a living on petty theft, and he currently resides at Jalek’s Flophouse, a converted warehouse that houses nearly a hundred pitiful indigents.  During his stay at Jalek’s, Nightcrawler met Jieran Wierus (on his trips to tend to the poor and pathetic) and one of his acolytes…amazingly one with wings.  Angel, sensing skill and good in Nightcrawler, has recently offered him a chance at redemption…and adventure!


----------



## Lela

Angel's backstory really has character.  It's a little too common for clerics to be perfect--something that just doesn't happen.  I like how he's treated badly, even with wings, over church profit and personal jeolosy.

I've been playing with different ways for someone to gain templates, from birth to divine intervention at birth to a service to a particular concept (fire or battle for example).  Many times it doesn't have to be stated; simply that they have a talent for particular magics (fire genasi).  Helps break the mold D&D tends to hold over unigue story.

Just some thoughts.


----------



## gfunk

Joachim said:
			
		

> For those who care, and of course for the groupmembers who will be there on Sunday, we are going to begin Dungeon's Age of Worms adventure path this week. Instead of making characters, the group elected to let me make 5 PC's and on Sunday we shall random draw which character we get. JD was going to allow up to +1 ECL characters, so I made all of them with a +1 ECL.




Very cool, except that Angel is obviously a Pez wanna be

Wish I was playing with you guys, a PC draw sound like a fun idea.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

And you know That I will draw Pyro something I have never played that much is a Spellcaster.   By all That is Right in the world Give me The mineral Warrior.


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> Very cool, except that Angel is obviously a Pez wanna be
> 
> Wish I was playing with you guys, a PC draw sound like a fun idea.




Yeah, we thought we'd shake it up a bit and take people out of their traditional comfort zones.  Drop in any time G.  We could always use a Dr. Doom!


----------



## JollyDoc

OLD FRIENDS	

“Is it just me,” asked Tilly to no one in particular, “or are all of the so-called Cagewrights we’ve met here a bunch of loonies?  I mean, Dyr’ryd and his cronies were insane, but at least they were organized.  These guys seem like the second string.”  The group stood in a large chamber with slimy black walls, bits of painted plaster still clinging to them.  Around the base of the walls lay the broken fragments of murals.  Several pieces of furniture were arranged haphazardly around the room, including a table covered with clay jars and lit candles.  The chair in front of it was draped with human skin.  They had found the room beyond were they had fought “Adimarchus.”  It was obviously his personal abode, and by sorting thru his notes, they discovered he was actually someone named Alurad.  They also discovered that he kept the hearts of his past victims in the jars on the table as some sort of shrine to Cyric.  

“I would tend to agree with you,” Dalthon said, gingerly lifting the flayed skin with the end of his staff.  “However, that doesn’t make them any less dangerous.  If anything, being desperate, leaderless, and crazy makes them even more of a threat.”


Beyond Alurad’s rooms, the company found another pillared hall, remarkable from the others they had seen mainly by the presence of a six-foot tall black marble statue placed at the far end.  It depicted a humanoid creature with subtle snakelike features clad in a black robe and wearing a coronet.  In one outstretched hand it grasped a viper, and its other hand bore an unblinking eye set into the palm, staring blindly down the main hallway.  Behind the statue was what appeared to be an empty alcove.

Tilly moved across the room cautiously, looking all about him as he neared the statue.  At first glance, the sculpture was unnoteworthy except for its subject matter, but as the little rogue examined it more closely, he saw that the flagstone upon which the statue rested had built-in rollers, allowing it to be rotated up to three-hundred and sixty degrees.  Always suspicious of traps, Tilly continued to scrutinize the carving and its pedestal until he was sure it held no nasty surprises.  Then he began to turn it in a circle.  Initially, nothing happened, but once the statue faced in exactly the opposite direction, into the alcove, the back wall of the alcove began to rise.  Quickly, Tilly stepped back towards the center of the room, motioning his friends forward.  No sooner had the wall begun to lift, than the room was filled with brilliant light.  Revealed beyond the alcove’s false back was what seemed to be a second large statue of a cobra, carved entirely from crystal, and shedding a bright radiance, apparently from the inside.  Suddenly, the snake moved.

As it coiled and struck towards Ike and Tilly, the snake it began to emit a low, humming sound.  As the halfling and goliath braced for the attack, the buzzing seemed to intensify, filling their heads with blinding pain and white light.  Reflexively, both of them clutched at their ears in a futile attempt to block the noise.  Simultaneously, a searing ray of concentrated light emanated from the snake’s head, lancing straight towards Grimm.  At the last moment, the half-ogre heaved his bulk to one side, the ring on his left hand flashing as he evaded the deadly beam.  

Tilly shook his head furiously to clear it, and as he did so he became aware of a feeling of warmth coming from his chest.  As he looked down, he realized that it was coming from his vest…the magical one he wore that both protected him and enhanced his ability to deal damage to living constructs…golems.  The snake was a golem!  Excellent, he thought, and then dove into a tumbling roll that brought him to the side of the creature opposite from Ike.  Ordinarily, constructs could only be affected by weapons bearing strong magical enchantments, but through the magic of his vest, Tilly could use even as mundane a weapon as his shortsword.  Darting forward, and then springing back again, he drove his blade into the golem’s diamond-hard surface, piercing it as easily as if it were flesh and blood.

Grimm needed no such enhancements.  His chain was the most heavily enchanted item that he owned, and as he struck at the snake-golem, its crystalline hide cracked quite nicely.  As the serpent turned to strike at the half-ogre, Kiko raced in from its flank, diving over and behind the creature to place himself in the alcove, preventing the snake from retreating to a more defensible position.  

Dalthon, unfortunately, did not recognize the construct for what it was.  Had he done so, he would not have bothered to waste a Magic Missile volley on it.  Seeing his missiles bounce harmlessly off, however, brought revelation.  “I think we’ll have to leave this one to those with more brawn than brains,” he said, grinning at Gunther and Rusty.
_______________________________________________

Beyond the alcove lay a long corridor, filled with shadows.  Within that darkness, a deeper shadow detached itself, moving silently and unseen down the hall, away from the melee in the chamber beyond.  Soon, it reached a hidden vault, its walls painted with murals depicting yuan-ti warriors in golden armor marching toward the east end of the room.  Some of the plaster had cracked and fallen away, revealing wet, black walls underneath.  Two thick pillars supported the twenty-foot high ceiling and serpentine sconces were built into them.  An ornately carved sarcophagus rested in the center of the dark chamber, and it was here that the shadow drifted.  Passing through the walls of the coffin as if they were non-existent, the wraith wrapped itself around the occupant inside…a coldly beautiful woman, bearing features of an elven ancestry.  She was pale and showed no signs of life, yet her eyes snapped open as Hate whispered in her ear, “Mistressss…they have come.”
____________________________________________________

Ike, Tilly and Kiko groaned in agony as the dissonant resonance from the golem stabbed into their brains again.  Though excruciating, the effect was, mercifully, brief and limited in its range.  It seemed that only those in close proximity to the construct were affected by the resonance.  As his head cleared, Tilly launched himself at the construct, clambering onto its writhing back and slashing shards from it with both blades.  Grimm stepped into the breach, with Kiko and Ike flanking the serpent on opposite sides.  The golem was surrounded, and the damage being inflicted upon it was taking its toll.  Its crystalline hide was pitted and cracked, and the light the burned within it was dimming.  Kiko drew back for one final blow, striking with his palm directly under the snake’s chin.  A spider web of cracks fanned out from the point of impact, racing along the entire surface of the golem.  With the sound of a thousand shattering windows, the crystal snake exploded, showering those around it with a storm of razor-sharp fragments.
_______________________________________________________

Mhad lurked in the deep shadows, Hate wrapped protectively around her.  These were the same ones who had raided Thifirane’s house.  Silently, she cursed.  She knew no good would come of this so-called alliance.  When the Cagewrights had arrived at Shatterhorn she had been desperate.  The Brotherhood of the Silver Dream had been hunting her for over two-hundred years, and they were finally on the verge of catching her.  She had needed strong allies, and despite her better judgment, she had accepted Dyr’ryd’s offer.  Then had come the disaster at House Rhiavadi.  Since Mhad’s return to Shatterhorn, she had studiously avoided contact with the Cagewrights, retreating to the solitude of her crypt to consider her options.  Now, it seemed, her time had run out.  “Hate,” she whispered to her shadowy companion, “kill them for me.  Make them your minions.”
_______________________________________________________

As his companions tended their wounds, Kiko idly sifted through the remains of the golem as he searched the alcove, seeing that it opened into another hallway.  He never saw the patch of darkness that flowed like silk towards him, until it reached out for him.  With a gasp, he launched himself into a backwards roll, tumbling to his feet in the center of the outer chamber.  The Bright Axes looked up at the commotion, only to see a large, wraith-like creature emerge from the darkness of the alcove.  
Dalthon’s hands came up in a flash, once more calling to mind the words to launch a Magic Missile barrage.  From his limited knowledge of the incorporeal undead, which he assumed this to be, he knew that often as not, most attacks would pass right through them.  Not so the force-based magic in the missiles.  They could strike even those creatures that lived mostly outside the dimension of the Prime, in the ethereal plane.  Now his volley struck true, blasting into the dark creature, and drawing from it an animalistic wail.  

Rusty stood behind the sorcerer, his knowledge of undead much more complete.  This was no ordinary shadow, but instead a Dread Wraith, one of the most powerful of its kind.  It might be harmed by Dalthon’s pyrotechnics, but it would take much more than that to destroy it and it could take quite a toll on the Bright Axes in the mean time.  Gripping the amulet inscribed with the symbol of his goddess tightly in his right hand, the old priest stepped forward.  “In the name of Hela Brightaxe, I command you back to the Abyss which spawned you!”  To his mild surprise (which he would have to atone for later), the wraith quailed before him, cowering at first, and then retreating back into the alcove and disappearing into the darkness.  “It’ll be back,” Rusty said, turning back to the group.  “We should probably see where it went, and take care of it now, while it’s still weak.”
_____________________________________________________

As Hate fled past her, Mhad spat out a string of whispered curses.  Damn the Cagewrights and their grandiose ideas!  This is what came of such pretensions.  Cloaking herself in darkness, she darted back down the corridor to her crypt.  It was there she would be forced to make her final stand.
________________________________________________

Cautiously, the company made their way down the darkened corridor, Grimm’s Celestial Brilliance driving the shadows before them.  Finally, they stepped into the crypt, and light flooded the chamber.  A gasp of pain sounded from behind the stone sarcophagus in the room’s center, and a woman of elven descent stepped out, shielding her eyes, fangs bared in a hiss.  Grimm recognized the woman immediately.  The vampire from House Rhiavadi.  He smiled, having known they had not seen the last of her.  

Mhad pulled the hood of her cloak more tightly about her face, trying to keep the burning light from completely blinding her.  “I have no quarrel with you, mortals,” she hissed.  “I am not one of those whom you seek.”
“No?” Grimm asked, mockingly.  “Then what were you doing at Thifirane Rhiavadi’s home?”
“There were others there, too,” Mhad said.  “They, like I, were not Cagewrights either.  We were each approached, and made an offer.  Some accepted.  I refused.  Recall, I did you no harm when you raided the gathering.”
“Yet you set your wraith upon us then,” Grimm responded, “just as you have done again now.  We also find you here, where we have traced the last of the Cagewrights.  You still say this is just happenstance?”
“This was my home, long before the Cagewrights!” Mhad screamed.  “They invaded it, just as you have done.  Am I not justified in defending my home?”
“You are justified in nothing,” Grimm said coldly.  “You are a creature of evil, and your very existence is an abomination.  You claim innocence of allying with the Cagewrights, but what of countless other crimes that you have committed over the centuries.  Why should you be suffered to live, when you have killed so many others?”
Mhad’s red eyes narrowed as she peered out from her hood.  Her gaze locked onto Grimm’s, and she whispered, “Because you are weak, both in mind and in spirit, and now you shall serve me.  Kill them all!”
For a brief moment, Grimm’s grip tightened on his chain, and he half-turned towards his companions, a murderous rage momentarily clouding his mind.  But then, his noble heart, and great will reasserted itself, and he shook off the effects of the attempted Domination.  “I believe we have our answer,” he growled.  With a flick of his wrist, the spiked chain whipped out, aiming for Mhad’s throat, but managing only to clip her shoulder as she rolled, lightning fast, to one side.

Once more, Rusty brought forth his holy symbol, attempting to exert Hela Brightaxe’s influence upon the vampire, as he had the wraith.  Strong though his faith was, Mhad’s will was, for now, stronger.  “Your petty charms won’t work on me, priest!” she spat.  “Perhaps this will!” Dalthon shouted, stepping in front of Rusty and firing his simple, but reliable Magic Missiles.  They struck true, causing Mhad to momentarily stumble.  In that moment, Kiko was upon her, raining blows in a flurry to fast to be tracked.  However, the vampire’s supernatural nature made her immune to most mundane damage.  Though the monk’s fists were as strong as any magical weapon, the key to a vampire’s weakness lay in pure silver, and so his strikes were as ineffectual as if he had struck a stone wall.

Mhad leaped atop the sarcophagus, her foes surrounding her on all sides.  Desperately she looked upon each of them, searching for some sign of weakness.  At last, her gaze fell upon Ike, his sloping brow and beady eyes an obvious sign of his weak mind to her.  “Fight for me,” she whispered to the goliath, “Kill your friends.  Bathe in their blood!”  Ike was used to being thought of as stupid.  He had often used that misconception by his opponents to great advantage.  Today was no different.  “If you had any blood left in that cold heart of yours,” he rumbled, “I would indeed bathe in it.  Alas, I will just have to settle for wallowing in your dust.”  As one, Ike, Tilly, and Grimm struck.  Though all of their weapons lacked silver, the combined might of their blows overwhelmed the vampire’s defenses.  With a final scream, she dissolved into mist, flowing through a crack in the top of the sarcophagus.

“Not so fast!” Ike roared, and he slammed the head of his maul down upon the lid of the coffin.  As it shattered, a scything blade erupted from the side of the casket, ripping a deep gash into the goliath’s abdomen, but he barely seemed to notice.  As he raised his hammer to smash it down inside the crypt, Hate erupted from within.  The wraith rushed to envelope Ike, but from behind the liberator, a whistling, spiked chain struck, piercing into the ethereal plane upon which the creature partially existed.  Again, and again it ripped into the body of the Dread Wraith, until it flowed away in shadowy tatters.

Gunther moved quickly to the sarcophagus.  There, he saw Mhad lying quiescent, hands folded serenely over her chest.  He knew that while vampires were in torpor they were both vulnerable, and invulnerable.  Normal weapon blows and even magical spells would have no effect.  “Her heart,” he said.  “That is her weakness.  Drive a wooden stake through it.  Now!”  Without hesitation, Ike drew a torch from his pack, and snapped one end from it.  Climbing atop the coffin, he gripped the stake with both hands, and drove it into Mhad’s chest, impaling her to the stone beneath.

_______________________________________________________   

Freija Doorgan was frightened, and that was saying something.  She prided herself on self-discipline and self-control, but events had been recently set in motion that had shaken her confidence to the core.  The destruction of the Tree of Shackled Souls had effectively put an end her hopes and aspirations.  She had been forced to run and hide, like a rat in a sewer.  Furthermore, her confidante and friend, Shebelith, was dead, and she was now forced into an alliance of necessity with that disgusting demodand, Dyr’ryd.  The other surviving Cagewrights were worse than useless.  Fish and Ardeth were thick as thieves.  She didn’t trust them for a moment.  Meanwhile, the rejects stationed here at Shatterhorn, were just pathetic, and judging by the sounds of combat coming from the distant halls, they were even now meeting their makers.  She and her comrades had been followed here, that much was obvious.  She warned Embril that they would be, but that bitch has dismissed her as if she were some gutter-scavenging commoner.  Well, she would be damned before she would take the fall for those bastards.  She would watch them burn, and laugh as she made good her escape.  The world was a big place, with lots of holes in which to disappear.
_____________________________________________________

Tilly found himself in another pillar-lined hall, indistinguishable from the several that had come before it.  Three arched exits led from the hall, one each to the north, east and west.  Quietly he crept to each one in turn.  A small room lay beyond the northern most passage.  Two of its walls were carved with two-foot high niches, two per wall.  A one-foot tall gold statuette of a yuan-ti abomination stood in each niche.  An eight-foot diameter, semi-circular stone basin emerged from the wall opposite the doorway, its sides carved with serpentine engravings.  Water poured out of a stone snake’s head carved above the basin, filling it.  Tilly gave the room a cursory glance, and then moved to the eastern arch.  Beyond this, he could see a portion of a wide, long corridor, running north to south.  It walls were covered in crumbling plaster, with some sort of yuan-ti holy depictions painted on them.  Tilly withdrew again, making his way finally to the south exit.  Beyond, he saw an empty room, with another arch on its opposite wall, leading to a short hall with several alcoves branching from it.  Just as he was about to turn away and return to his companions, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.  The rogue retreated further into the shadows, and peered closely down the hall.  There…at the far end stood a figure.  It appeared to be a middle-aged woman, rail-thin with her hair pulled back in a tight bun.  She wore austere robes, blood-red in color that covered her from neck to wrist to ankle.  She seemed to making an attempt at hiding, poor though it was, and at the moment, she did not seem to have seen Tilly.  

Quickly, Tilly moved back to his comrades, briefly relaying what he had seen.  “Follow me,” he whispered to them, before giving his ring a twist and vanishing from sight.  Grimm could still see him as he crept back towards the archway.  “I’ve got a little surprise for our lurker.”

 _____________________________________________________

Freija could hear them in the antechamber, poking about.  Apparently they hadn’t seen Krojen or Tyrrxx yet.  She smiled to herself.  They would, sooner or later.  She stepped deeper into the shadows of the alcove, waiting for the tell-tale sounds of battle being joined.  That would be her cue to make her escape.  Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, a halfling appeared beside her.  He seemed momentarily as taken aback as she was.  His sword was stuck into the mortar of the wall just inches to the side of her.  Then she realized what had happened.  He had crept up on her invisibly, and tried to ambush her.  Fortunately for her, she had planned ahead, and placed a spell of displacement about herself.  The little fool had missed!  However, before she could react, the halfling pulled his sword free, slashing her across the ribs as he did so, ruining her robe.  Just as she was about to chastise the little rat and blast him from existence, he stabbed her again, this time far more seriously.  She knew she was in trouble, and her life was in very real danger.  


When Kiko saw Tilly appear at the far end of the passage, he made his move, streaking down the hall like an arrow.  He had made it only half way, however, when the woman noticed him, and raised her hands in the tell-tale gesture of spell-casting.  Abruptly, he ran into what felt like a solid wall, though he could see no barrier in front of him.  Backing up, he bumped against another wall, this one as invisible as the first.  As he began feeling around on all sides, he realized that he was completely caged in.

Ike stood in the archway, watching events unfold in the passageway.  Kiko seemed to be doing some sort of mime routine, feeling the air around him like a fool.  The wizard must have addled his mind.  Never send a monk to do a goliath’s work.  With a sigh, Ike started down the hall, but no sooner had he done so, than he heard a metallic clang behind him.  Whirling around, he saw that two of the pillars in the antechamber had vanished.  In their place were two creatures that looked to be half orc and half machine.  They were dressed in leather armor, and carried large, tower shields and battle axes, but there were metal plates grafted to their skin, and their limbs were also made of metal.

Krojen and Tyrrxx had once been tribe-mates, and fierce warriors for their clan.  However, their mixed heritage insured that they would never be fully accepted by their people.  They would forever be outcasts.  That all changed when the Grayhaunt Marauders, led by Ghath, attacked their tribe, slaughtering every man woman and child, except the half-breeds.  They were offered a new beginning, and a chance at power and glory.  Krojen and Tyrrx jumped at the chance.  They were brought to Shatterhorn, but instead of their promised reward, they were given over to the tender mercies of the Cagewrights, who performed unspeakable experiments upon them, turning them into living constructs.  They were automatons, blindly loyal to their masters, yet retaining a spark of intelligence and free-will…enough to know they were damned.

Now the half-golems responded to their predetermined command:  kill any non-Cagewright who tried to pass beyond this room.  They moved to separate the party, coming between Ike on one side, and Grimm, Dalthon, Gunther and Rusty on the other.  As the Bright Axes stood momentarily taken aback, Krojen struck, slashing across Rusty’s breastplate with his axe.  The old priest stumbled back, bumping into and becoming entangled with Gunther and Dalthon.  Then, both half-golems opened their mouths, and breathed out twin clouds of noxious, green vapor.  Dalthon immediately began to choke and gasp.  He felt the vitality being leached out of his body by the poison gas.  Blindly, he began casting, hurling a Disintegration ray at the nearest construct, only to have it bounce harmlessly off of the magic resistant creature.  

Tilly cursed roundly.  Not only had the sorceress succeeded in trapping Kiko, but she had placed the Force Cage in such a way that it blocked the passage, placing her on one side of it, and him on the other.  He couldn’t reach her now.  Cursing again, he looked back up the hall and the mayhem breaking loose there.  He could do no further good on this front, so he quickly made his way back towards his companions, giving Kiko a conspiratorial wink as he went.

Freija watched the rogue retreat, and smiled.  She was going to make sure that one paid for his audacity at laying hands upon her person.  Glaring at the trapped monk, she uttered a short phrase and vanished, only to reappear in an adjacent hallway, unseen and undetected by her enemies.

Dalthon, Gunther and Rusty struggled to put some distance between themselves and the relentless golems.  As the pair pursued, Grimm stepped between them and his comrades.  Whipping his chain in two quick strikes, he stripped the axes from both constructs.  Instinctively, Krojen bent to retrieve his weapon, but as he did so, Grimm struck again.  The half-golem managed to rearm himself, but he now sported a large rent in his armor plating for his trouble.  As Tyrrxx moved to grab his own weapon, Grimm’s chain wrapped around his knees, buckling them and pulling the construct to the floor.  Emotionless and undeterred, Tyrxx calmly picked up his axe and stood once more.

With Grimm’s distraction of the golems, Dalthon managed to maneuver towards the southern archway, where Ike and Tilly waited.  The sorcerer saw Kiko’s struggles further down the hall, and knew immediately what had happened.  His Disintegrate spell might not work on the golems, but he knew it would bring down a Wall of Force.  The green beam lanced out, destroying the Force Cage with a brief flare of light.  Kiko nodded his thanks, and moved towards his friends.

Freija was reassured at the continued sounds of combat.  That meant her pursuers still had their hands full.  Now she had time to prepare a little surprise for them.  She pulled a handful of powder from her hands, and began spreading it in a circle, chanting all the while.  When she had finished, the interior of the circle began to glow, and within the brightness, a figure began to take shape.  Soon, a bipedal, winged, vulture-like demon stood before her.  The vrock bowed and spoke in its guttural Abyssal tongue, “Command me, sorceress, but know that I may exact payment in time.”  “You will do nothing save what you are told, worm,” Freija sneered, knowing the demon’s threats were all false bravado.  “There is a group of mortals the next hall over.  Do with them what you will.”  The vrock leered evilly, and then loped down the hall.

As Dalthon watched Kiko approach, he suddenly saw a flash of movement in one of the alcoves at the far end of the hall.  Incredibly, a vrock stepped into view, and immediately began gesturing, calling upon its innate magical powers.  Instantly, Dalthon felt himself seized in an invisible, vice-like grip, the air inexorably being crushed from his lungs.

By this time, Ike had returned his full attention to the battle in the antechamber, so he did not witness Dalthon’s struggles.  Instead, he charged towards Krojen, slamming into the half-golem with his hammer.  As the construct reeled from the blow, Grimm once more ripped the axe from his hands.  This time, as Krojen started to retrieve the weapon, a faint glimmer of intelligence flashed in his dim eyes, and he instead brought his tower shield forward between himself and the half-ogre, then seized his weapon, gaining cover from any further attacks by Grimm.

Kiko had also bypassed Dalthon by the time the vrock made its appearance, and so he too was oblivious to the sorcerer’s plight.  As he entered the chamber, Tyrxx met him head on, opening two deep gashes across the monk’s thigh and upper arm.  

As usual, Dalthon thought to himself, he was going to have to get himself out of this mess.  Though his arms were pinned, preventing him from making any arcane gestures, he could still speak, and one word was all he needed.  As he uttered it, he transported himself transdimensionally out of the corridor, and back into the antechamber, well back from the melee.  “In case any of you care,” he said drolly, there is a demon coming up the hall.”

At Dalthon’s words, Gunther quickly looked down the hall.  His eyes narrowed as he saw the demon approach.  The dwarf immediately thought of two possibilities.  Either the Cagewrights had enlisted the permanent aid of a demon, not an unlikely possibility considering past encounters, or the missing sorceress was behind this and had summoned one.  Gunther decided to take a chance.  He wove a spell about him which nullified any and all magic within ten feet of him, including magical weapons, wards and armor.  If he was wrong, he wasn’t going to live to regret it, as the demon would have no problem tearing him to shreds.  He stepped boldly into the hall to intercept the vrock.  It screeched, charging towards the seemingly easy prey with outstretched claws.  As the demon crossed the invisible line of the Anti-magic Field, it simply winked out of existence.  Gunther had guessed right.

Kiko took a quick step back from Tyrxx, putting himself just beyond the arc of the golem’s battleaxe.  The monk then dropped to the floor, extending one leg and hooking Tyrxx’s leg from under him.  The construct collapsed in a heap, and Kiko leaped atop him, hammering between the metal plates at any exposed flesh that he could reach.

Freija stood beside a closed portcullis.  Beyond it opened the large, fresco covered hall that Tilly had glimpsed from the eastern arch of the antechamber, except the portcullis was further down the hall, well beyond the sight of those in the chamber.  She hurriedly summoned a second vrock, willing it to appear beyond the portcullis.  “Flank them,” she said, gesturing up the hall, “but make sure you warn that fat oaf first, in case he can’t hear the obvious, even with two pairs of ears.”  The demon nodded, cast a quick spell which surrounded it in several exact Mirror Images of itself, then darted down the hall.

Ike pounded repeatedly on Krojen’s shield, attempting to utterly destroy the thing.  Though largely ineffective, his assault completely consumed the half-golem’s attention, so that he never saw Tilly sneaking up from behind.  The little rogue plunged both of his blades into the constructs neck, and though the creature no longer had vital areas, Tilly’s magical vest allowed his weapons to pierce deep.  With a shudder, Krojen rolled onto his side, and died.

Grimm turned his attention to the prone form of Tyrxx.  “Incoming!” the half-ogre bellowed to Kiko, and the monk rolled clear as the spiked chain whistled downward.

Dalthon cursed as a second vrock entered the chamber, this one obviously surrounded by Mirror Images.  How many of these damn things were there?  The sorcerer had witnessed the effect of Gunther’s spell, and it gave him an idea.  Calling up a Dispel effect, he completely encased both the vrock and the images.  All vanished in an eye-blink, returned to the Abyss.

Freija watched from the shadows of the archway as the second vrock vanished.  No matter.  They had provided the necessary distraction.  She glanced behind her at her so-called colleague, and shook her head in disgust once more.  Never put your fate in the hands of another, she reminded herself for the hundredth time.  She would show him once and for all that she had no further need of him, nor his cronies.  Stepping from concealment, she spread her fingers fan-like and unleashed a Prismatic Spray of rainbow colors into the room.  Incredibly, only one of the light beams struck true.  The red band hit the goliath, causing his body to erupt into flames for a moment.  To Freija’s utter amazement, the brute never even slowed.  He continued his assault on Tyrxx as if nothing had happened.  It was the last thing Freija Doorgan would ever be amazed by.  Grimm moved like a snake, closing the distance between himself and the Cagewright in three strides, and wrapping his chain around her neck with one quick strike.  In an instant, it was over.

No one informed Tyrxx.  He fought on, heedless of his impending doom, striking out at Ike, and burying the head of his axe into the goliath’s haunch.  As Ike collapsed to one knee, Tilly leaped over him, slashing at the half-golem again and again.  Tyrxx raised his axe to strike again, but one last time, the weapon flew from his hands, disarmed by Grimm.  As the construct dove to recover it, Tilly drove his sword into his skull.
______________________________________________

Nearby, Dyr’ryd shifted his great bulk, and chuckled to himself.  “We warned her,” Dyr said.  “But she wouldn’t listen,” Ryd answered.


----------



## Joachim

Very nice.  Captured the chaos of that last fight very, very well.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> For those who care, and of course for the groupmembers who will be there on Sunday, we are going to begin Dungeon's Age of Worms adventure path this week.  Instead of making characters, the group elected to let me make 5 PC's and on Sunday we shall random draw which character we get.  JD was going to allow up to +1 ECL characters, so I made all of them with a +1 ECL.  While watching a Heineken commercial (the one with the superheroes) followed by a preview for the Fantastic Four, I decided I was going to try and model them after a team of superheroes, called "The League" after the band of heroes in the Heineken commercial.  The following is what I came up with:
> 
> ANGEL – LG Aasimar Favored Soul of Tyr 1 (With the feat Outsider Wings from RoF)
> 
> PYRO  - LN Fire Genasi Wizard (Evoker) 1
> 
> COLOSSUS – NG Goliath Cleric of Grumbar 1 (Domains Metal and Time, eventually he will be able to cast Iron Body)
> 
> THING – NG Mineralized Shield Dwarf Fighter 1 (Adjusted for low-level play)
> 
> NIGHTCRAWLER – CG Shadow-Walker Human Rogue 1
> 
> For your reading pleasure (or displeasure as the case may be), here are the quick couple of background paragraphs I made up for each of the PC's, approved by JD:



C'mon, this introduction of characters almost seems to scream for a SH !!! Besides, since JD is finishing his part in SoS & gfunk takes over for Asylum, there is some room for a new SH. 

What do you think, everyone?


----------



## Joachim

Well, we drew our random characters last night and the following were the results:

ANGEL - Me (Joachim, Alphar, Grimm, Ajax...I know I know, what a stretch)

NIGHTCRAWLER - Brian (Hor'ahun and Rusty)

COLOSSUS - Courtney (New guy)

THING - Dylan (New guy)

PYRO - You guessed it, Ricky (Ika, Kiko)

Let me just say this....swarms BLOW at 1st level.


----------



## Lela

Joachim said:
			
		

> ANGEL - Me (Joachim, Alphar, Grimm, Ajax...I know I know, what a stretch)




*Thwacks head*



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> NIGHTCRAWLER - Brian (Hor'ahun and Rusty)




Now that should be interesting.  Nightcrawler and Rusty are about as opposite as you can get.



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> COLOSSUS - Courtney (New guy)




New guy or new gal?



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> PYRO - You guessed it, Ricky (Ika, Kiko)




 *Thwacks head*

You know Ricky, if you had just said you _wanted_ to play Pyro, perhaps fate would have tried to mess with you in a different way.  Then agian, see what you can do with it.



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> Let me just say this....swarms BLOW at 1st level.




Takes notes for low level campaigns.  Mmmmmmm, dead PCs. . .


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

I am real happy with my Draw if he can make it a few levels I have plans for him. As far as writing another story hour I really don't think Jollydoc and Joachim have the time to write another. I know it would be cool But prob not goin to happen and Courtney is a guy he is the youngster of the group.  Now as you can see how I have no concept of punctuation and cant type but with 2 fingers is why I will not be writing anything.


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> Now that should be interesting.  Nightcrawler and Rusty are about as opposite as you can get.




No...not that interesting.  Most every character that Brian ever plays has a rogue somewhere in it.  I have been playing with Brian for the past 7 years.  There are two common themes with all of his characters:

1)  They go unconscious in most every fight, but somehow stabilize (or get saved) at -8 or -9 hps.

2)  They are rogues (I remember Brian playing 9 characters or so...only three were _*not*_ rogues - Rusty, Hor'ahun, and a cleric he played in a short-lived Gfunk game).  Generally speaking, they all have bows (so that slides Hor'ahun back in) and they come up with 'outside the box' solutions to problems.

As far as my pick goes, I have played the divine spellcaster of Tyr (Joachim and Alphar) and the winged angel-type (Ajax)...now I just get to smash them together like a D&D 'smore.  And, no, he's not a Pez wannabe.


----------



## Joachim

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> I am real happy with my Draw if he can make it a few levels I have plans for him. As far as writing another story hour I really don't think Jollydoc and Joachim have the time to write another. I know it would be cool But prob not goin to happen and Courtney is a guy he is the youngster of the group.  Now as you can see how I have no concept of punctuation and cant type but with 2 fingers is why I will not be writing anything.




Honestly of all of the characters that I made, Pyro had the greatest overall potential.  Alter Self + Being an Outsider = ROCK at 2nd level.


----------



## gfunk

Joachim, could you post a small blurb about the abilities of each PC that merit the +1 ECL?  I'm not familiar with these new races.  JD filled me in about your exploits last night -- sounds like you are having a great time!


----------



## Joachim

If you are WoTC, please don't yell at me:

ANGEL (Gideon) - 1st level Aasimar Favored Soul (from Planar Handbook).  Aasimars are Native Outsiders, 60' Darkvision, Daylight (Sp) 1/day, +2 to Spot and Listen, Acid/Cold/Electricity Resist 5, +2 WIS, +2 CHA.  Angel took Celestial Bloodline (Use Protection from Evil (Sp) 3/day, Use Bless (Sp) 1/day) and Outsider Wings (Fly at land speed with average maneuverability).  Also took Quick (+10 land speed, -1 hp per level) as a trait.  If he lives, will take Improved Flight (increases flight class one step, thus to good) as 3rd level feat.

COLOSSUS (Grubber) - 1st level Goliath Cleric (from Races of Stone).  Goliaths are Monstrous Humanoids, Powerful Build (treat as large and use large weapons), Mountain Movement (Climb at full speed with no penalty, Jump from standing still no penalty), +2 to Sense Motive, Acclimated to Altitude, +4 STR, -2 DEX, +2 CON

THING (Grimm, not copying the half-ogre but the guy from the Fantastic Four) - 1st level Mineral Warrior Dwarf Fighter 1 (From Underdark).  Mineral Warrior template does not change type, gain 60' Darkvision (if it doesn't have it already), Earth Smite 1/day (+CON to hit, +LEVEL to Damage) against target on ground, DR 8/adamantine (nerfed by JD and I to DR 1/adam per level up to max of DR 8/adam at level 8), +3 Natural Armor, gain Burrow speed equal to half normal speed, Normal Shield Dwarf Benefits, +2 STR, +6 CON, -2 INT, -2 WIS, -4 CHA (Mineral Warrior+Dwarf ability mods)

PYRO (Vladius) - 1st level Fire Genasi Wizard (Evoker) (From FRCS).  Native Outsider subtype, 60' Darkvision, +1 verses fire, increases every 5 levels, Control Flame 1/day.  +2 INT, -2 CHA.  Pyro is from Thay, and thus has Tattoo Focus (Evocation) and Spellcasting Prodigy.  Wait until he gets _Alter Self_ and gains flight 50 feet (perfect) for 10 minutes per level as a 2nd level spell.

NIGHTCRAWLER (Shay) - 1st level Shadow Walker Human Rogue (From Unapproachable East).  Shadow Walker does not change type, Gain 60' Darkvision, Light Blindness (same as for drow/orcs), and Spell-like abilities that accrue throughout the levels, including Shadow Mask, Dimension Door, Darkness, Shadow Walk, Evard's Black Tentacles, Shadow Spray, and others that I can't remember and won't be able to enter because I don't feel like walking into the bedroom where my wife is sleeping to pull out my book.  +2 DEX, -2 CON.


----------



## Lela

Joachim said:
			
		

> . . .and others that I can't remember and won't be able to enter because I don't feel like walking into the bedroom where my wife is sleeping to pull out my book. +2 DEX, -2 CON.




Note how he seems to remember everything else he just spouted off.


----------



## JollyDoc

New post to be upcoming soon (I hope).  I'm trying something different this time...writing the post from a first person perspective, in this case, Grimm.


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> Note how he seems to remember everything else he just spouted off.




I know...its frightening, isn't it?


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> New post to be upcoming soon (I hope). I'm trying something different this time...writing the post from a first person perspective, in this case, Grimm.




 Blink, blink.  That should be interesting.



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> I know...its frightening, isn't it?




Actually, it makes me a little envious.


----------



## gfunk

*RED DAWN*

It was truly glorious . . . and terrible to behold.

 Not since the great flight of dragons during the Year of the Worm, had so many wyrms been seen over the Dalelands. Indeed, the sky was crimson as the gargantuan beasts sailed over the ruins of Suzail.

 As the ragtag band of Cormyrian Purple Dragons and War Wizards watched the flight with trepidation, they were careful to remain hidden to shield themselves from the prompt incineration that would assuredly follow their detection. 

 Nearly a year had passed since the great Githyanki invasion and subsequent conquest of Cormyr and Sembia. It was not uncommon to see the Githyanki’s astral warships flying side-by-side with their allies, since they enjoyed a pact with red dragons. However, two particular facts made this occurrence decidedly extraordinary – one, dragons typically flew alone or, at most, in pairs; and two, there was not a single astral skiff in sight.

     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Raising the Scepter of Ephelomon aloft, Amal goaded his servants further north for the greater glory of Bane. A symbol of the covenant between the Lich Queen Vlaakith of the Githyanki and Tiamat’s most powerful consort Ephelomon, the scepter was an artifact of extreme power. Amal smiled as he had taken it from the dust of Vlaakith’s desiccated corpse deep within the bowels of Tunarath, the dead god that housed the Githyanki nation in the Astral Plane.

 However, convincing Entropy to let him take the Scepter proved to be a bit of a chore . . . that is, until the Alienist discovered the necromantic joys of the Crown of Corruption. Another of Vlaakith’s most powerful possessions, Entropy had used it to turn Noir into an undead T’lak’ith and Hor’ahun into a liquefied pile of goo that she could later use to power her own arcane spells.

 Upon their return to the Prime, Amal and Entropy had gone their separate ways. She inexplicably returned to Tilverton mumbling insanely about some new alien cult, whereas he had wasted no time in assembling his army.

     First, Amal had _gated_ in a half-fiend wyrm directly from the 1st of the Nine Hells. Bound by power of the Scepter, the dragon had little choice but to acquiesce to the Dreadmaster’s very whim. Their flight had taken them over all the major cities of Cormyr – Suzail, Tilverton, Arabel, Marsember, Thunderstone – where Amal’s army multiplied at every location. Drawn by the beacon of Ephelomon and the promise of destruction and pillage, the dragons joined Amal’s ranks with relish.

 The Githyanki, with their most powerful allies defecting and their lich queen slain, could do little but watch the mass exodus move inexorably northward. 

     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Similarly, the Zhentarim could do little but watch in awe and horror as a crimson cloud of death encircled Zhentil Keep. Too soon after their humiliating defeat in Yulash to the Red Plumes of Hillsfar, they were ill-equipped to stop such an overwhelming force. The few mages, soldiers, and Banites who tried to interfere were swiftly crushed. 

 Directing his minions to swarm the outside of the Temple, Amal dismounted and walked into the foyer. Predictably, the area was clear with nary an acolyte in sight. This would be a fight to the death to determine the High Impreceptor of Bane. 

     The Black Hand would tolerate no interference from non-believers, heretics, or from lesser clergy.

 Striding into the magnificently appointed sanctum with massive ivory pillars flanking both sides, Amal saw his challenger rise from his throne in turn – Fzoul Chembryl, High Priest of Bane.

 “Do you think your Scepter gives you authority here, Amal? I have power amassed from years of tyranny in Bane’s name. Even Manshoon and the Zhentilar acknowledge my authority, who are you to challenge me?”

 Amal sneered at the Chembryl’s bluster, “It is quite simple, Fzoul. My power has exceeded yours. While you have nearly lost Zhentil Keep through your gross ineptitude *I* have slowly been gaining strength and recruiting allies. What will happen today cannot be attributed to my Scepter, but instead a culmination of my inevitable ascent as the most powerful priest of the Dreadlord in Toril.”

     "We shall see . . .”

 Simultaneously, both priests began casting feverishly but Chembryl finished first. A crackling bolt of negative energy burst from his outstretched hands as it sped towards Amal. Instead of striking him, the beam instead was negated by Amal’s _rod of absorption._  Similarly, Amal’s spell of _domination_ had no effect on the Dreadlord as Bane had imbued his Chosen with a powerful _mind blank_ effect.

 Trying a different tactic, Fzoul used Bane’s divine power to increase his height twofold. With his improved combat prowess, strength, and durability he charged with his heavy mace. Sill attempting to end the duel quickly, Amal’s attempt to _implode_ the Impreceptor was shrugged off as he was smashed with a mace the size of a giant’s head sending him careening into a pillar.

     Composing himself quickly, Amal calmly stepped back and tossed a _heightened destruction_ at Chembryl, a tactic that had brought down so many powerful Githyanki. His foe’s body glowed emerald green as the divine power of the spell tried to consume the Impreceptor in unholy fire. Though it inflicted appreciable injury, it failed in its primary task. 

 Another trio of mace swipes all solidly connected into Amal as his body was thrown around like a rag doll. Standing up on one knee, suffering undoubtedly from numerous internal injuries, Amal had to smile inwardly at the tenacity of Fzoul. Indeed, he should have realized that in his desperation melee combat would certainly have been a final tactic to turn the table. Although he could _heal_ himself, it would simply put him on the defensive – an unacceptable tactical concession.

 Instead he used his trump card, given to him by Entropy. With a command word, the ring on his finger flashed and a burst of magic surrounded Fzoul. As the weave bent, then broke following the _disjunction_, the Impreceptor was left with nothing. All his spells were torn away, many of his powerful magical items rendered non-functional, and even his vaunted powers as Chosen temporarily suppressed.

 Though Bane himself would certainly frown on it, allies were necessary to prevent his own demise. “To me, death tyrants!! Protect your master at all costs!!”

 Suddenly, five bloated sacks of rotting flesh appeared in the chamber. Their central eyes clouded over and some of their eyestalks hanging limply, they were nevertheless potent in their own right. Ray after ray was fired at Amal, though he ignored most of their effects due to his powerful abjurations, the cumulative damage left him clinging to life by a thread.

 He could not believe this unfaithfulness on the part of the Chosen. NO ONE, and most assuredly not these zombie beholders should participate in such a sacred ritual of ascension. Otherwise, Amal would have seen to it that the interior of the temple become a raging inferno. Since one sacrosanct tenet had been broken, could another? Amal had to chance it.

 “Dreadlord, I have slain two of the most powerful tyrants in the multiverse in your name and usurped their power. Vlaakith the Lich Queen and Desayeus the Mad Titan were both crushed. If it pleases you, grant me the title of Impreceptor and annihilate this pretender!”

 A booming voice reverberated through the chamber, “SO BE IT . . . IMPRECEPTOR. DO NOT FAIL ME AS YOUR PREDECSSOR HAS DONE.”

     “Noooooooooooooooo!!!”

 The smell of charred flesh filled the chamber as Fzoul Chembryl’s skin began to smoke. His eyeballs bulged as his flesh began to quiver and his blood reached boiling temperatures. Within seconds, his body could no longer contain the pressure and it exploded in a cornucopia of gore. His former servants, the death tyrants, disappeared – their pact with their former master void.

     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Her trip to Tilverton was cut short by a _sending_ from Myaruk. Really, there was nothing to see. As far as Entropy could tell, the budding Alienist cult had been wiped out by a band of adventurers. Inexplicably, the lord high mayor appeared to have died in the ruckus and was replaced with a warrior called “Bane.”

 While she had been distracted in the Silver Void, events in Cauldron had accelerated according to Myaruk. Perhaps the Cagewrights had finally succeeded in opening their gate? If so, it would prove an interesting planar phenomenon to study so that her own gate to the Far Realms could at long last be flung open.

     Entropy eagerly _teleported_ to her Undying Temple.


----------



## Lela

At last, Amal reaches his true potential and the conflict with our beloved Entropy begins to take shape.

Mmmmmmmmm, our high level freinds return, mmmmmmmmmm.


----------



## Joachim

Amal was such a badda$$.  *SIGH*...I miss him so...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wow - I loved the update! Amal really was a bada$$ !!!

But I see you ignored my question about a new story hour...


----------



## gfunk

Thanks!  Yes, Amal was quite a bad mofo.  The next update will provide some illumination about the link between Entropy and the Bright Axes and the Cagewrights.

BTW, there were a couple of Easter Eggs in my post:

1. Myaruk was the Lich sent by Entropy to investigate the Dark Energy Nexus in Occipitus.  If you recall he gave the heroes quite a hard time in "Test of the Smoking Eye."

2. "Bane" the new mayor of Tilverton is a result of our failed campaign (Istivin arc from Dungeon).  The Malgoth TPKed the whole party with the exception of one, whom he dominated and made his puppet leader.


----------



## gfunk

Ay caramba!  This thread has dropped, down, down, down . . .

Anyway, I will post my second Asylum "prequel" by next weekend.  In it, Entropy finds out what REALLY happened to Cauldron (much to her displeasure).  She tries to gain some intelligence on our heroes in conventional and uh . . . unconventional ways (need I mention that Necromancy is involved?).

Finally, she has to do this detective work while dealing with a drow army that has come to reclaim their city now that Lolth's power has returned!


----------



## JollyDoc

Sorry for my absence and the delay in my update, but I was busy enjoying an all-expenses paid "Executive Board Meeting" to a Ritz-Carlton.  I got a bit...distracted.  Now I'm back, and with any luck, my final update will be forthcoming this week.


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> Finally, she has to do this detective work while dealing with a drow army that has come to reclaim their city now that Lolth's power has returned!




If it wasn't for her issues with spiders, I'd say they don't stand a chance.  As it is, she's probably really having a stressful time.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Ay caramba!  This thread has dropped, down, down, down . . .





			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Sorry for my absence and the delay in my update, but I was busy enjoying an all-expenses paid "Executive Board Meeting" to a Ritz-Carlton.  I got a bit...distracted.  Now I'm back, and with any luck, my final update will be forthcoming this week.



Good news, this is. And under these circumstances, JollyDoc, I think you can be forgiven.  Did you at least gain a couple of pounds? 




			
				gfunk said:
			
		

> Anyway, I will post my second Asylum "prequel" by next weekend.  In it, Entropy finds out what REALLY happened to Cauldron (much to her displeasure).  She tries to gain some intelligence on our heroes in conventional and uh . . . unconventional ways (need I mention that Necromancy is involved?).
> 
> Finally, she has to do this detective work while dealing with a drow army that has come to reclaim their city now that Lolth's power has returned!



Keep posting away your prequels - we love them. I also noticed your first easter egg. For Entropy's last problem, what better to do with a drow army, than turn it into an undead drow army?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

BTW, did you play out the events after the last recorded session of the Entropy - Amal party, or did you all agree on these subsequent events?


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> BTW, did you play out the events after the last recorded session of the Entropy - Amal party, or did you all agree on these subsequent events?




This was hashed out by Joachim, Gfunk and I in a brain-storm session.  Not actually played out.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> This was hashed out by Joachim, Gfunk and I in a brain-storm session.  Not actually played out.



 I like it - Amal is so much cooler! But...did the old party never actually finish Lich Queen's Beloved? If not, did you decide they did or will she return after having had her body destroyed?


----------



## gfunk

We stopped LQB b/c we wanted to start up Shackled City ASAP and we had a few new players whom we were leery of starting at 21st level.

In reality, since we squashed Vlaakith so easily, we figured that we would have little problem in ultimately locating and destroying her phylactery.  

The end of my next (and last) prequel is when Entropy actually entered our Shackled City campaign.  From then on, it will be what happened in actual play.


----------



## JollyDoc

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY

From the diary of Grimm Grakka, discovered by explorers on the plane of Carceri in the year 1500 DR (Year of the Rampaging Tarasque)…

1375 DR (Year of the Lich Queen), Midsummer:

After defeating the Cagewright sorceress and her half-golem minions, we were feeling pretty sure of ourselves.  None of the cultists we had encountered so far had given us much of a fight, and I must admit, we thought ourselves nigh invincible.  That was our first mistake…

Our luck still held at first.  Tilly had gone to explore one of the empty chambers we had found, the one with the small niches carved in the walls.  I was watching his back when I noticed something strange in the room.  There was a rectangular shimmer in the exact center, floating in mid-air.  As I stared at it, my eyes automatically adjusted into another spectrum, and I could see that it was a doorway of some sort…an invisible one!  I’ve made no secret throughout this journal that I’m no expert in magic.  This time was no exception.  I called Dalthon over and told him what I saw.  He cast a spell which allowed him to view invisible things, and then he nodded immediately.  “It’s called Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion,” he said, explaining that it was a powerful spell which allowed the caster to create an extra-dimensional dwelling that could not be entered by any save that caster and whomever he designated.  Well, it didn’t take a genius to figure out that this meant we had another wizard of some sort to deal with.  I called the others together, and gave them the situation.  It was Gunther who came up with the solution…

Rusty’s young apprentice had used his so-called anti-magic field to good effect on several occasions, and this time was no exception.  No sooner had he approached the enchanted portal, than it vanished, leaving two very surprised death slaad and their Cagewright master standing before us.  The Cagewright, as it turned out, was a creature known as a shadar-kai, one of a race of fey beings from the Plane of Shadow.  In retrospect, the battle that followed was rather one-sided.  Though the Cagewright proclaimed that he only wanted to be left in peace, that did not deter him from setting his two pets upon us.  Their fatal mistake, however, was failing to realize that they all still stood within Gunther’s field.  Death slaad are capable of wielding powerful magic, so I’m told, but when those abilities are negated, they are forced to rely on tooth and claw.  Likewise, our own magic was equally nullified, but as it turned out, our “teeth and claws” were sharper than theirs.  The shadar-kai was also a spell-user, and he had even fewer resources to fall back on than his minions.  To say the fight was brief would be generous…

_________________________________________________________

Our second meeting with the deformed and deranged Cagewright demodand known as Dyr’ryd occurred shortly after our encounter with the shadar-kai and the death slaad.  Tilly was on point, as usual, and had come upon an ancient hall, decorated in the yuan-ti snake motif we had become so familiar with.  Though adept at stealth and concealment, Tilly was nonetheless spotted immediately by the fiend.  Surprisingly, the psychotic creature invited him to come in, as if he might be inviting someone to lift a pint.  Tilly wisely declined.  We knew what this monster was capable of, and we wasted no further time on diplomacy.  My team, like a well-oiled machine, struck fast and hard.  Still, even though we were prepared for trouble this time, Dyr’ryd gave us a run for our gold.  He/they immediately summoned reinforcements in the form of another kelubar.  Then began the tiresome, though brutally effective routine of conjuring acidic fog, followed by a poisonous, killing cloud.  Separated and slowed, we still tried to maintain a coordinated offensive.  Gunther was able to dispel one set of the mists, but of course the demodands merely replaced them.  It was a pitched battle, with both Dyr’ryd, and our own front-line fighters being knocked flat time and again.  Still, with the priests providing healing magic, and Dalthon providing covering fire, we finally took the upper hand.  I felled the summoned kelubar, and then a coordinated effort by me, Ike and Kiko finally brought down Dyr’ryd himself.  Our vengeance was rapidly becoming satiated…
____________________________________________________________

Perhaps it was the relative ease with which we had defeated our opponents up to this point that lead to our over-confidence, and our inevitable misstep…

We ultimately found ourselves in some sort of ancient, yuan-ti temple.  There was a high balcony overlooking the main temple area, in the middle of which rested a large, black stone egg carved with ancient runes.  Several of the runes were glowing.  Other than the egg, what drew our immediate attention were the live occupants of the unholy sanctuary.  The first was a lovely, elven woman, dressed in a mithral chain shirt and carrying a beautifully crafted bow.  She stood right beside the egg.  The second, standing on the balcony, was a male drow.  He was dressed all in black, adorned in the web motif the drow seemed to find so stylish.  He was armed with a pair of rapiers.  Both bore the silver cage pendant of the Cagewrights.  I suppose, by this point, the Cagewrights had become weary of warning us away, offering us promises of power, or threatening us with unending torment.  This pair simply attacked us without speaking a word.  

Not surprisingly, they were not alone.  A pair of farastu demodands lurked in the shadows of the temple.  The woman was first on the offensive, but I was a fraction of a second faster.  As she knocked and drew her bow, I managed to disarm her, but she was nimble, I’ll give her that.  Quick as a flash, she somersaulted beyond my reach, recovered her weapon, and took up a new position.  Her accomplice was not so skilled, nor so lucky.  Apparently, he was some sort of sorcerer, as he immediately conjured up a large, disembodied hand and attempted to use it as a shield.  He then leaped from the balcony, and squared off against Kiko.  His first mistake.  Using his unorthodox fighting style, my friend quickly moved inside the drow’s defenses and carried the fight to him.  This allowed Ike a chance to flank the drow, and the rest, as they say, is history.

This did not sit well with the elf maid.  She shrieked something about us killing her true love (if you can imagine that), swore eternal vengeance, and then vanished.  Dalthon later told me that she had plane-shifted.  I can only assume, in retrospect, that she went to Carceri.  More’s the pity.  In the meanwhile, I busied myself with the farastus.  It was at this point that Dalthon shouted out a warning to Ike that someone invisible was sneaking up on him.  I turned to look, and sure enough, there was a human male, wielding a short sword, creeping up behind the goliath.  Dalthon acted rapidly, spearing the would-be assassin with that magic missile spell of his.  As he stumbled, I was able to disarm him, and then finish the job.  He was a non-descript man, though a snappy dresser.  He too wore the Cagewright amulet.  This place must have been a hive for all who had escaped Cauldron’s destruction.  In any event, we mopped up the farastus and celebrated yet another victory.

We searched the room completely, decided to leave the mysterious egg alone for the moment, and found no exit from the chamber, hidden or otherwise.  So, we reasonably assumed that we had rooted out the last of the Cagewrights, and cleaned out their final hideout.  We would give the place one final sweep in the morning, but first, we decided to rest.  Dalthon thoughtfully provided a camp site by conjuring up an extra-dimensional pocket that we could reach by climbing a rope into mid-air.  Thus, we took our ease, confident in our accomplishments.  Thus, we sealed our fate…
_______________________________________________________

As I recall, Gunther, Ike and Rusty were asleep.  Dalthon was meditating, and Kiko and I kept watch through the small, invisible window looking down into the temple.  Abruptly, we were falling.  All of us landed on the floor unceremoniously in a heap.  On the far side of the chamber stood an odd assortment of beings.  One was tall, hairless with large eyes and four arms.  Though we had never actually seen one alive, we recognized it as a spellweaver from the many corpses we’d discovered when we found the soul pillars.  Surrounding the creature were several shifting duplicate images of itself…a Mirror Image spell.  Nearby stood a woman, scantily clad, with a multitude of intricate tattoos covering her exposed skin.  A pair of small horns sprouted from her forehead, marking her as not entirely human.  Flitting about this unlikely pair were three undead shadows.  Better and better.  Finally, behind the entire group, lay a dark-haired woman, to all appearances dead.  We later discovered that this was Embril Aloustinai, the long-missing high priestess of Cauldron’s church of Kelemvor.

Before we had a chance to compose ourselves, the shadows attacked.  Tilly and I were their first targets, and as they reached out to touch us, we could both feel our strength, our vitality being slowly drained away.  At the same time, the spellweaver conjured a huge, disembodied hand, similar to the one that the drow had conjured.  This one, however, was far more aggressive.  It flew towards Dalthon, and seized the sorcerer in a death-grip.  Dalthon of Redgorge was not so easily captured, however.  He spoke only one arcane word, and vanished out of the spell’s grip, only to reappear several yards away, smoothing his robes.

Kiko was the next target of the shadow creatures, but as I have often observed, for a man who fights with no weapons, that monk is one of the deadliest warriors I have known.  With his bare hands, he struck, and ripped, and tore at the ephemeral substance that comprised the shadow, and sent it shrieking back to whatever hellish plane had spawned it.  Perhaps drawing inspiration from my friend, or perhaps not wanting to be out shown by an unarmed, unarmored dervish, I took the offensive on my own shadowy opponent, and dispatched it quite handily, then did the same to its final brethren.  It was at this point that the tattooed woman entered the fray.  She calmly approached me, but when she moved, it was like water…fluid and smooth.  I immediately realized where I’d seen movement like that before.  Kiko.  She was a monk as well, and carried no weapons, just like my friend.  If she had even a close measure of Kiko’s skill, I might be in trouble.  I knew I had to bring her down quickly.  I struck, sure I could not miss at such close range, but just as my weapon reached her, a tattoo of a scorpion on her back seemed to shimmer, and somehow my strike went wide.  Impossible, I thought, but when I tried another tactic, trying to trip her feet from under her, the same thing occurred.  Her tattoo almost seemed to move fractionally, and then I just…missed.  By this time, Tilly had joined the fight, and moved behind the woman, intending to flank her, and disembowel her at the same time.  He fared no better than I.  I must admit, at this point, I started to become slightly concerned.

The spellweaver was not done with us.  It sent the hand to grapple with Dalthon once more, while simultaneously discharging a spell upon my comrades and me that seemed to suck every ounce of moisture from our bodies, leaving us weakened and addled.  This left the woman monk unchallenged, and she took that opportunity to dart towards Gunther and begin attacking the young dwarf in earnest.  As she did so, her hands curled into claws, and a tattoo of a tiger on her right arm, flared with light.  Every place her hands struck Gunther, wide rents, like slashes appeared in his skin.  I must hand it to the young priest.  Though not a soldier, he was still a warrior born, able to keep his head about him and his composure, even under extreme circumstances. He quickly backed a few steps away from the woman, and then threw out his arms to hurl a spell at her.  It was a force wall, and with it, he managed to seal the monk into one corner of the chamber, rendering her completely ineffectual.

Dalthon was able to free himself once more from the crushing grip of the spell-hand, but this time he did not reappear.  He had been gravely injured, and needed a respite to tend his wounds.  Kiko recovered first from the horrid spell of the spellweaver, and he charged the creature, striking in a blinding flurry, but managing only to disperse one of the illusory images.  I regained my senses next, and joined my brother.  However, having fought against wizards who had employed this trick before, I tried a different tactic.  Closing my eyes, so as not to be distracted by the images, I struck blindly at the spellweaver, and was successful.  The creature realized its danger, and it lashed out at us again with its magic, once more using the wilting spell.  It was too much for Gunther.  His wounds at the hands of the monk were grievous, and the magic of the spell rendered him unconscious.  I shook off the effects of the spell as best I could, and struck again, this time taking the spellweaver off his feet.  Tilly wasted no time.  He leaped atop the creature and buried his sword in its throat.  The battle was over…or so we thought.

As I looked around to survey the damage, I saw Ike.  It was then that I realized that the goliath had not participated in the battle, though he had stood in its midst the entire time.  In fact, he had not been harmed at all by any of the spellweaver's magic.  Now, he was serenely walking towards Embril’s body.  As we watched, he set his weapons aside, leaned down and gently lifter her into his arms.  Then, in a flash, they were both just…gone.  

Behind Gunther’s wall of force, the monk was laughing.  Then she calmly sat on the floor, folding her arms over her chest.  I turned to Rusty, and asked him to dispel the barrier.  When he did, the woman calmly told us that she surrendered.  It was a surrender that I did not accept…


----------



## JollyDoc

This is my last official post in this SH.  It has been a pleasure, and I sincerely appreciate all of the commentary and support from all of our readers.  Take it away Gfunk!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> This is my last official post in this SH.  It has been a pleasure, and I sincerely appreciate all of the commentary and support from all of our readers.  Take it away Gfunk!!



Wow. First of all, I love the first person perspective! I do hope, though, that Grimm lost his journal on the prison plane and that it was not found on his skeletal remains! 
Ike was the target - the party should have equipped this one with an item against mind effects long ago! Or was the magic ineffective an Ike just made off with the chica?   

Thank you very much for the time and effort you put into this SH, JollyDoc!!! If you and your group ever decide to write another one (e.g. your new adventure path party   ), I will be there to follow that as well. Keep on gaming! 

Meanwhile I'm very much looking forward to gfunk's Asylum & the interconnection to Entropy & Co.


----------



## R-Hero

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Ike was the target - the party should have equipped this one with an item against mind effects long ago! Or was the magic ineffective an Ike just made off with the chica?




Ike's weakest saving throw is a Will save.  Rolling a 1 makes it that much easier.  (JD enjoyed that 1 far too much....  )


----------



## JollyDoc

R-Hero said:
			
		

> Ike's weakest saving throw is a Will save.  Rolling a 1 makes it that much easier.  (JD enjoyed that 1 far too much....  )





It was a thing of beauty.  As the battle raged around him, Ike strolled calmly over to Embril with no one the wiser.


----------



## R-Hero

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> It was a thing of beauty.  As the battle raged around him, Ike strolled calmly over to Embril with no one the wiser.




Randomness of the game makes things interesting but sometimes the dice follow the script...


Sorry to hear this is your final write, JD.  Lets hope G-man can carry the torch.
You _are_ done with school, right G??  No pesky honeymoons or finals to get in the way of writing??  The masses hate delays.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

R-Hero said:
			
		

> You _are_ done with school, right G??  No pesky honeymoons or finals to get in the way of writing??  The masses hate delays.



Hear thee, hear thee !!!   


About the dice following a script: It works both ways. Some of my fondest memories from gaming come from extreme dice rolls (good or bad) at the right or the wrong times.


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Hear thee, hear thee !!!
> 
> 
> About the dice following a script: It works both ways. Some of my fondest memories from gaming come from extreme dice rolls (good or bad) at the right or the wrong times.




You'll have to get Gfunk to tell you about the time one of their parties fought an avatar of Lolth, and the extremely poor dice rolling on my part which allowed the Spider Queen to get severely punk'd!


----------



## gfunk

R-Hero said:
			
		

> You _are_ done with school, right G??  No pesky honeymoons or finals to get in the way of writing??  The masses hate delays.



 Not quite, I'm still going strong until November.  But writing SHs is a good study break for me . . .



			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> You'll have to get Gfunk to tell you about the time one of their parties fought an avatar of Lolth, and the extremely poor dice rolling on my part which allowed the Spider Queen to get severely punk'd!




Long story short.

Lolth in spider form on ceiling.  She was hurling spells at us from there after interposing a _blade barrier_ in mid-air as well as an _evard's black tentacles_ on the ground to discourage pursuit.

My war wizard casts _transmute rock to mud_ on the ceiling where Lolth is standing.  She looses her footing and . . .

1. Falls through her own _blade barrier_ and fails her magic resistance and takes damage
2. Hits the ground and takes impact damage
3. Gets squeezed by _evard's_ and fails her magic resistance and takes damage

at this point, she only has a few hit point left until . . .

4. The mud that was dislodged from the ceiling smacks her own the head, sending her back to the Abyss


----------



## Lela

Ah, sadness.  I suppose, though, that things must come full circle.  It was, afterall, gfunk who started this whole thing.  He should probably end it.


----------



## JollyDoc

Gfunk?  Are you there?  Hello...?


----------



## gfunk

Eh, sorry.  I'm studying for Step 2 which is on 7/19.  I'll get to it during one of my study breaks.  BTW, how is Age of Worms going?


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> Eh, sorry.  I'm studying for Step 2 which is on 7/19.  I'll get to it during one of my study breaks.  BTW, how is Age of Worms going?




Boards, schmoards...get your priorities straight!

Ah yes, Age of Worms...so far our young band of new heroes is still intact.  Most of them have reached third level, without a single casualty.  They have just begun Three Faces of Evil, and have aquitted themselves well against the Hextorites/Banites.  They have also been joined by a new member...a feral human barbarian who goes by the handle of Sabertooth.


----------



## Lela

Well, that can only go well.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Nice !


----------



## JollyDoc

I have to admit, I find myself having to show much restraint to avoid taking notes every week on this new game.  The urge to start a new SH is strong, but I just don't have the time to devote to it.  This is a great setting and a fun adventure path.  The guys all love it so far.


----------



## catdragon

For all of us that live vicariously through your adventures, we hate you for not taking notes.  <sniff, sniff>


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

True, it will be bad when you don't continue. Maybe it would be possible to post a summary of your campaign milestones (i.e. the modules). Also, I would really like to know what happens to your campaign world and its major (N)PCs like Entropy & Co.

And gfunk, I read somewhere, that you can study better when you take several breaks writing a SH or something like that...


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> True, it will be bad when you don't continue. Maybe it would be possible to post a summary of your campaign milestones (i.e. the modules). Also, I would really like to know what happens to your campaign world and its major (N)PCs like Entropy & Co.




That, at least, I can do, since Age of Worms does have some interaction with Shackled City.


----------



## R-Hero

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> They have also been joined by a new member...a feral human barbarian who goes by the handle of Sabertooth.




Please tell me that this is an NPC??

My schedule has changed, I'm free Sundays.


----------



## JollyDoc

R-Hero said:
			
		

> Please tell me that this is an NPC??
> 
> My schedule has changed, I'm free Sundays.




See the email I just sent you)  For all you readers out there, if our old buddy here rejoins our group, that will bring our total number of active players to 8!!!


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> See the email I just sent you)  For all you readers out there, if our old buddy here rejoins our group, that will bring our total number of active players to 8!!!



 Wow, I thought your group was big.

*Looks meaningfully at the mess in living room*

Yeah, I know you're pain.


----------



## gfunk

_INFORMATION GATHERING

Kill them all.

_Entropy gingerly massaged her temple. Concentration was imperative. However, that was easier said than done as Myaruk continued to drone on. The lich, oblivious to his mistress' concerns, continued without skipping a beat.

". . . which led to the absolute destruction of Cauldron under a mountain of liquid magma and ash. I have visited the wreckage myself Mistress and it is most impressive."

"Idiots. Joachim would never allow something like this to happen. This is precisely what miracle spells were made for after all – divine intervention," Entropy motioned for Myaruk to continue, "but let us not dwell on the shortcomings of these so-called adventurers. Tell me more about the Bright Axes themselves."

"But of course, Chosen," the lich was, as always, pleased to be the center of attention, "though their numbers have fluctuated some over the course of the last several months, the core group remains unchanged. On Occipitus, I had the misfortune to meet Grimm, a half-ogre fighter. He encourages prejudice regarding his less-then-intelligent heritage to his tactical advantage. The beast's expertise with the spiked chain is uncanny."_

Gut him – roast his intestines in the fires of the Nine Hells!

_Her eyes squinted as she tried to focus.

"The dwarf cleric Rustifarius is the other lynchpin of the group. Strangely, he appears to worship Mystra rather than the indigenous deities of his race. For this reason, he is quite a multi-talented and versatile spellcaster. Then there is the halfling assassin Tilly. Like Grimm, he uses his slight stature as a decoy – more often than not his daggers can be found disemboweling or severing the Achilles' tendon of the enemy during the heat of battle. Finally, there is the monk Kiko of the Shining Faith sect. As you would imagine, he is a bane to medium-sized spellcasters with the mobility and speed one would expect of one of his ilk." _

Round them up, smear them in blood, and let manes devour them slowly . . .

"_SHUT UP, DAMN YOU, JUST SHUT UP!!"

Myurak paused, "Is there a problem, Mistress?"

The Alienist grasped her forehead in the palm of her hand, closing her three eyes as if concentrating, "No. Continue."

"The other members are more recent additions and I have little information about them. Dalthon is a sorcerer of some repute. It could be worthwile to waste some minions on him to better ascertain his limited spell repertoire. Then there is Gunther, a cohort and personal friend of Rustifarius. He is a mystic theurge and his knowledge of defensive and healing magics allow his comrades to focus on more . . . destructive evocations. Finally, there is Ike – some type of mutated dwarf who is essentially a meat shield. If you do not stand in front of him, then his defeat is assured."

"An impressive analysis. So what are they doing now that Cauldron has been leveled?"

"After the Bright Axes led the refugees of Cauldron to the town of Red Gorge, it was widely rumored that they would disband. This was not surprising considering the totality of their ineptitude and failure. Nevertheless, they received word of a remaining Cagewright stronghold in the ruins of an old Yuan-ti fortress. I believe they are still there, as my spies in Red Gorge have not reported their return."

"And what of these Cagewrights?"_

_"Following their defeat in Cauldron, they are all but destroyed. The Bright Axes' trip to Shatterhorn is simply slaughtering the stragglers. As of yet, I have not been able to reason precisely why the Cagewrights wanted to open a gate to Carceri. Logically, since it is the prison plane of the multiverse, it would follow that they are attempting to release some powerful extra-planar being."

Entropy grasped the the two femurs that served as the handles of her throne and rose, "Thank you Myurak, I believe you have given me sufficient information to forumlate a plan. Hold the fort for me, would you?"_

"_But Mistress, what of the drow army that is massing outside of Tilverton – surely they mean to re-take their territory."

"Myurak, I leave those details to you, Dorrina, Eclavdra, and the rest. The Revenancer's Chosen cannot be bothered with such trite bureaucratic trivialities."
_
--------------------------------------------

_Most buildings were smashed flat following the initial blast. Those structures (and few people) that remained were treated to a river of lava that devoured all in its path. Here and there, it was possible to identify a few humans and animals too slow to escape the liquid death and subsequently petrified. The sky was still in perpetual gloom from the ash. 

Amid the remnants stood two figures.

Tamion surveyed the wasteland with admiration, "Very inspiring, Mistress. It reminds me of the blasted volcanic flats of the 28th layer," the Balor turned to the diminutive humanoid at his side, "Yet you say this was wrought by a band of goodly adventurers?"

Entropy waved her right hand, enmeshed in the mighty Claw of the Revenancer, "Pah! I'm sure they will argue extenuating circumstances or some such tripe."

"Indeed," with a crack of his whip, Tamion casually incinerated a pack of dogs who wandered too close to the pair.
_
--------------------------------------------

_Why would the Cagewrights return after all this time? If what she heard were true, the Bright Axes were in the process of killing the few remaining members of that mad cabal. Nevertheless, a Balor and his keeper were a pair of foes even a being of Nidrama's power was leery of crossing.

In the Deva's mind, she replayed one event over and over again. Many months ago, she had tried to give a warning to the Bright Axes, informing them of the troubles they would face. Though she despartely wanted to do more, she was forbidden by the Lords of Good. She remembered the exact words from the human Caine . . .

"Profound words,” Caine had said, his face twisted in a grimace of disgust. By this time, the others had awakened, and were gawking at Nidrama, and at the exchange taking place. Caine continued, “The warning you have brought is next to useless. We could have guessed as much ourselves. If you will give us no further information, then waste no more of our time and be gone!”

Since that time, much had changed. Despite her lack of action, the Bright Axes had prevailed against the Cagewrights, handing them defeat after defeat. Finally, the heroes were on the verge of eliminating that vile organization from the face of Faerun.

And yet . . . they did not know that a far graver threat was already drawing a noose around their neck. 

Nidrama returned to Cauldron to reflect and consider the ramifications of her decision. A ten-day ago, she had removed herself from the Celestial Choir. Such an irrevocable action released her from Heaven's constraints it was true, but many of her angelic powers were lost as well. Perhaps worst of all, she could never again see the splendors of Mount Celestia – forced forevermore to wander the planes like a vagabond.

However, in her heart of hearts, she knew it was the right decision. The Bright Axes, not the amoral Celestial Choir, were the true paragons of goodness. They were mortal, bereft of the magnificent powers of the celestials and yet, they pushed on. Despite all of the betrayals and setbacks they were dedicated to the destruction of evil and protection of good.

Her planned contemplative moment lost, the Deva returned her gaze to her quarry. In moments she would teleport out back to Red Gorge and tell the Bright Axes the terrible news._

--------------------------------------------

_A voice in Entropy's mind spoke cooly, "Mistress, we have a visitor. A Deva . . ."

Not wishing to alert the intruder that she had been pinpointed, the Sorcerer continued to stare ahead even as she replied to the Balor's telepathy, "She will try to escape, distract her and then grapple her."

The Balor turned around and, with monstrous speed, flew towards Nidrama's position. 

She had been spotted! _

_As Nidrama activated her innate power to _teleport_ she was knocked to the ground as a powerful _fire storm_ enveloped her. Before she could stand, the human began to gesture furiously as an emerald field surrounded the Deva._

_A_ dimensional lock!

_ In moments, the Balor was on her as it placed her in a bear hug, its demonic muscles rippling with power.

The human walked towards them carefully.

"Shall I kill her Mistress?"
_
Slay her and animate her remains!

_The Alienist smiled grimly, "For once Winterwood, you and I are on the same page."_
_
Entropy's crown flashed with energy as a black, crackling ray struck the helpless Deva._


_


----------



## R-Hero

Meat Shield??  C'mon, Ike has done..., He has..., He can........
Yeah, O.K., so he's a Haversack of Hit points.



Good read. I like the 'other side of the fence' point of view.


----------



## JollyDoc

Bravo G!  Excellent read!  That's the old Entropy we know and love.  Can't wait for the events of Asylum to unfold.  Should be very satisfying for all of our patient readers.  Keep up the good work!  Are Boards finished?

PS...hey Freddie!  You gaming with us or what?


----------



## gfunk

Thanks guys!

I have postponed Step 2 to next year, b/c I wasn't 100% sure that I could exceed my Step 1 score.  This leaves me more free time to work on the SH.

This wraps up the two prequels, I will now focus directly on the events of the module.


----------



## Lela

*Breathing heavy*

Wow, I'd forgotten how much your writing style can drag me in gfunk.  I'm even hungry.

And, as one who focuses a bit more on the computer world than the biological world, I have no idea what the Steps are.  But I'm glad you have the free time.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

> Thanks guys!
> 
> I have postponed Step 2 to next year, b/c I wasn't 100% sure that I could exceed my Step 1 score. This leaves me more free time to work on the SH.
> 
> This wraps up the two prequels, I will now focus directly on the events of the module.



Gfunk, this is what we've been missing: some real Entropy goodness, ahem, I mean badness! And poor Nidrama's sacrifice was all in vain - better yet, she may face the Bright Axes as an undead adversary...   

More...please!!!


----------



## R-Hero

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> PS...hey Freddie!  You gaming with us or what?





Provided the hurricains quit blowing long enough, Yes.  I thought that Dennis was going to make a bigger splash last weekend.


----------



## gfunk

Lela said:
			
		

> *Breathing heavy*
> Wow, I'd forgotten how much your writing style can drag me in gfunk.  I'm even hungry.





			
				Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Gfunk, this is what we've been missing: some real Entropy goodness, ahem, I mean badness! And poor Nidrama's sacrifice was all in vain - better yet, she may face the Bright Axes as an undead adversary...
> More...please!!!




*blushes* Thanks guys, you two have always been my stand-bys during the whole SH. I'll try my best to put up another update before the weekend, when I will be leaving for sunny CA for a couple of months.


----------



## gfunk

*THE END OF THE CAGEWRIGHTS*

“I’m terribly sorry Adimarchus, but it seems that your scheming cabal of half-wits has been annihilated on the Prime Material Plane. Better luck in DR 2375, fool!”

 The taunting figure was a weird fusion of undead and demonic flesh – grasping a wickedly-sharp scythe in its bony fingers and held aloft by skeletal wings, it appeared as the Grim Reaper incarnate.

 A victim of the lichfiend’s acerbic wit, Adimarchus knelt in a cage crafted of the bones of former inmates of Skullrot. In sharp contrast to what one would expect of the former ruler of Occipitus, Adimarchus was a model of celestial perfection. Boasting magnificent wings of the purest white and shining golden armor under ebony skin, he could only weep at his captor’s jeering.

 Nevertheless, the Lord of Madness’ mind was truly elsewhere. Though he could not contest the veracity of the lichfiend’s claims – for the Cagewrights were indeed doomed – alternative plans were already in motion. If his minions could not manage his liberation from the Prime, then he would have to bring his would-be liberators to him.

     For that event to occur, however, a most extraordinary catalyst was required . . .

     -----------------------------------------

_I do not know what the Egg can do or what it represents.  My suggestion is that you had best leave it be Rusty._

     “I canna’ say exactly what the egg is,” speculated Rusty after Jenya’s _sending_, “but I’m willing to bet we shouldna’ leave it just lying here.”

 The other party members voiced their consent and with the aid of Grimm they managed to nudge the massive object into Rusty’s _portable hole_.

     “What about Ike?  Surely he must be in our enemy’s stronghold by now.  How do we go about finding and rescuing him?”

 “As we discussed Kiko, Rusty likely has the power to bring back Ike or, at the least, divine his whereabouts. Unfortunately, after our battle with _that_,” Dalthon jammed his thumb towards the mangled corpse of the powerful spellweaver they had slain, “it will take time to regain our magical energies and memorize the appropriate spells.”

 “Hell, even I miss the Goliath,” Tilly smirked as he replaced his dual weapons in their scabbard, “he was kind of brother to me, albeit a mentally challenged one. In any case, his disappearance has at least taught us that we can’t blindly stumble around this place anymore. I suggest we search every nook and cranny of this blasted stronghold for any information and loot.”

     Without waiting for approval, he trigged his ring and rendered himself _invisible_.

     "Good idea, lead on Tilly,” agreed Grimm who, as a Planar Champion, had no problems seeing his friend.

     -----------------------------------------

 Several hours of trap triggering, secret door finding, and random Demodand slaying later, the party was sorting through their final treasure pile when Grimm noticed something.

     “Tilly, why is that eye staring at you?”

     Upon inspection, it seemed that an invisible, ghostly eyeball hovered a few feet away from the rogue.

     “A scrying sensor.  Perhaps Ike’s captor is trying to spy on us?  Anyway, I’ll put a quick end to that,” Dalthon tossed a _greater dispel magic_ at the thing, fully expecting it to be eliminated – he was quite certain that his spellcasting power handily exceeded those of any surviving Cagewrights.

     Strangely, the _dispel_ had no effect.  A re-casting by Dalthon and one by Gunther yielded similarly ineffectual results.

     “Donna’ trouble yourself laddies.  There’s more ‘en one way to escape a scrying sensor.  Extradimensional travel fer one.”

     “You mean . . .”

     “Aye laddie, let’s pick up these remaining coins and _teleport_ the hell out of here,” the old dwarf couldn’t help but crack a smile, “I think we’ve made our point here.”

     -----------------------------------------

 Their return to Red Gorge was a bittersweet one. Though they had managed to eradicate the final pocket of Cagewrights and prevent a planar invasion of the Prime Material Plane, they still had lost Ike. This was, of course, not to mention the economic and social implications of thousands of Cauldronites who were now homeless refugees thanks to a certain natural disaster.

 Red Gorge, once a sleepy border town adjacent to the jungles to the north, had more than doubled in size since the great Cauldron exodus. The town’s infrastructure was simply incapable of supporting such a rapidly expanding population. Garbage was strewn all about and many make-shift tents and mud huts were all that kept the elements at bay.

     Even the wealthy and powerful found themselves in similar circumstances as the party realized when they entered the _Tent_ of Tyr.  

 “Welcome back my friends, I was very glad to hear from Rusty that you were successful in destroying the last of the Cagewrights. All of Turmish can rest easier now that they are finished. I was very sorry to hear about Ike however – he was most valorous . . .”

 “Thank you Jenya, we appreciate the accolades,” Kiko responded. After their long friendship, the Bright Axes were on a first-name basis with many of Cauldron's top citizens. “We plan on bringing him back in the morning, but in the meantime we need time to rest . . . and reflect.”

     “Of course.  In honor of your heorism and courage, Oliron Masht and the Chisel have provided you with a _magnificent mansion_.  If I may escort you . . .”

     -----------------------------------------

 After a round of ale and a sumptuous feast, the party sat down and relaxed for the first time in as long as they could remember.

     “Have you guys ever wondered what you would do . . . you know . . . when all the bad guys were dead?”

 That brought a round of chuckles from the group, “Grimm, to be honest with you, I never thought I’d see the day. But I think we’ve gone as far as we can as the mission that brought us together is complete. I always thought I would wander from place to place and assist where my services are needed. I hear that the monasteries in Cormyr are in dire need of aid. What about the rest of you?”

 “Well . . . assumin’ the Malachite Fortress ain’t totally buried by the volcano, I figgered the boy,” Rusty indicated Gunther, ”and me would go back and spiff up the place a bit. It’d make a great dwarven stronghold.”

 “Finally settle down with Maple! I can’t believe she’s still been with me through this whole thing! A girl like that – well as we halflings say, ‘if you blow up her home and she still loves you, then she’s a keeper!’”

 “I would stay around Red Gorge, of course. This has been my home for my family for many generations. She’s going to need a lot of help accommodating all of the refugees from Cauldron. Besides, somebody has to take up Spellmason’s mantle!”

 “Well, I hear that the Redhead Miner’s Inn needs a bouncer. You know, now that the population has exploded there are bound to be a bunch of drunk malcontents that need dealing with.”

     That comment brought another round of laughs.  Using Grimm as a bouncer was like wiping out a pair of koblods with a _meteor swarm_.

 The party continued their banter well into the night and the wee hours of the morning. Tomorrow, they would find Ike and finally reap the rewards of their hard work. There was certainly a tinge of regret as the time of the Bright Axes was drawing nigh – but the weight of their many accomplishments made that pill far easier to swallow.

   -----------------------------------------

     As Rusty prayed for many powerful spells that morning including the likes of _true resurrection_, the party decided to relax in Red Gorge and find some of their old acquaintances.

 Tilly, of course, made a bee-line to the outskirts of town to spend some quality time in Maple’s tent. Grimm, Gunther, and Kiko decided to pay a visit to Oliron Masht, Maavu, and the Honest Minstrel. Dalthon, on the other hand, headed back home. During the ruckus of the exodus he was afraid to see the whole place filled with Cauldronite squatters, but was pleasantly surprised to see that it remained relatively untouched in the sea of chaos.

     Uttering a quick _knock_, the door popped open for him as the Sorcerer headed straight for his library. Many of his most precious family heirlooms were stored here, including many works of Surabar Spellmason himself. He was so focused on cataloging his possessions that he hardly noticed a form sneaking behind him.

     “Greetings Dalthon, I see that my advice has been of some use to you.”

 Surprised, he spun around to see Nidrama causally leaning against the library’s doorway. Dalthon paused then re-appraised the figure, was it indeed his ancestral grandmother? She seemed changed – before she had a quiet, calm, and assured demeanor about her and bore only the essential trappings of clothing, including a simple garb and a lone longsword.

 Now she appeared different, beautiful still but a beauty that had become unrefined. Also her garb was now resplendent and dazzling consisting of a crown, exotic necklace, velvet cloak, several rings and, most disturbingly, a reptilian-like glove shaped as a claw over her right forearm.

     “L-l-lady Nidrama . . .is that _you_?”

     “Indeed it is Dalthon, and I am sorry to say that I’ve come bearing bad news . . .”

     -----------------------------------------

     “But if Adimarchus is imprisoned and the Cagewrights are dead, then what do we have to worry about?”

 “The Lord of Madness plots your destruction still. He is bound in his asylum of Skullrot on the prison plane of Carceri but his powers cannot be so contained. Through his insanity, he still maintains clarity of purpose and he will continue to raise minions against you until . . .”

     Nidrama let the words hang in the air, until Grimm completed the sentence, “. . . until we slay him in combat.”

     “Precisely.”

     Rusty raised a suspicious eyebrow at the Movanic Deva, “You’ve changed lassie, and I don’t jes mean your fancy get-up.”

 Without a doubt the celestial spoke with a charisma even greater than before, setting their fears to rest, “Indeed, Cleric of Mystra. I have absconded from the Celestial Choir and my will is now my own. I have seen the power of Adimarchus first hand and am confident that only my direct intervention can help stop it. Granted my powers are limited compared to yours, but I hope that you will find my counsel useful.”

 “We are pleased to accept your help my Lady, but first we must find one of our comrades who was abducted by the lone remaining Cagewright.”

     ----------------------------------------

     The party, with Nidrama in tow, placed a magnificent diamond – the essential component of the _true resurrection_ spell – on the altar of Tyr.  Jenya and several lesser clergy surrounded the group in anticipation of the Goliath’s return.

 Earlier, Rusty had confirmed that Ike had indeed been slain and his body was on one of the Outer Planes. Figuring that the Goliath would prefer his life to his equipment, the dwarf was ready to re-create his friend’s body with Mystra’s divine power and have the soul re-enter the vessel.

 As the words to the spell were complete, Ike’s naked, muscular body appeared on the altar. Moments later his chest began moving and his eyes fluttered open as the spark of life re-entered the Goliath’s massive frame.

 Before celebrations could take place, however, a 8 foot tall humanoid made of ebon metal appeared in the doorway of the tent, sealing escape.

 “Rustifarius Deepdelver, this soul was claimed by Velsharoon, Lord of the Dead. By taking  it without permission, your life is now forfeit!”


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

This is great! First they let Entropy invite herself into the party (I doubt this an "animated" Nidrama) and then they will face off against Velsharoon's avatar...
This will be very much fun, indeed!!!

Have fun in CA, gfunk!


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> . . . and then they will face off against Velsharoon's avatar...
> This will be very much fun, indeed!!!




Just to clarify, that's an Inevitable (Marut).  Tough, but not quite Velsharoon's avatar.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Just to clarify, that's an Inevitable (Marut).  Tough, but not quite Velsharoon's avatar.



 Yeah, I just reread the last two modules. Any comments on "Nidrama"? And were you involved in any of this (from the DM side of the table)?


----------



## gfunk

Let's just say that Nidrama's true colors will come shining through in the next update.  JollyDoc and I extensively discussed this before Asylum started and I played Nidrama throughout the entire module.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> JollyDoc and I extensively discussed this before Asylum started and I played Nidrama throughout the entire module.



Nice...  

That reminds me, wasn't Houshang supposed to rejoin the group for his "special" demise or something? Or did I miss it?


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> That reminds me, wasn't Houshang supposed to rejoin the group for his "special" demise or something? Or did I miss it?




He'll be baaahck . . .


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> “Rustifarius Deepdelver, this soul was claimed by Velsharoon, Lord of the Dead. By taking it without permission, your life is now forfeit!”




Ooops.  Now you've done it.


----------



## JollyDoc

Superbly done again, my friend!  Asylum promises to be quite the roller coaster ride, dear readers.  Fasten you seat belts!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Superbly done again, my friend!  Asylum promises to be quite the roller coaster ride, dear readers.  Fasten you seat belts!



 Maybe they'll open some cells and find...something interesting!


----------



## gfunk

*Vhalantru's Return

* Seeing the metallic horror before them, Gunther decided that Grimm had the best chance of taking it down with sheer strength – he quickly rendered the planar champion _invisible._  At the same time, Kiko rushed forward and adeptly tumbled between the Marut’s legs sealing its escape route from the tent.

   The Marut was oblivious to all targets save two, Rusty and Ike.  It hastily disappeared from its current location and _dimension doored_ across the room behind Rusty. Without fear, a naked Ike jumped off the altar and grabbed a nearby warhammer slamming it into the Inevitable with all his might. This blow was quickly followed by a series of spiked chain whips and hammer blows from Grimm and Rusty, but the creature shrugged off the brunt of these attacks.

     It wordlessly turned to face Ike and, unbeknownst to the rest of the party, placed an invisible _wall of force_ between Ike and the rest of the party. Magical attacks by Dalthon and Rusty and melee blows by Grimm were suddenly rendered ineffectual as the party was forced to watch the battle between the unclothed Goliath and the fully-armored construct.

 Despite his handicap, Ike was able to hold his own – connecting with blow after blow the force of which caused the Inevitable to shudder with force. However, the Marut responded with its fists in kind amid the sound of thunder and lightning. Ike suddenly found the whole world went silent.

     Recognizing the _wall of force_ for what it was, Gunther _disintegrated_ it, turning the fight into a general melee once again. The Marut was not potent enough to stand against the combined might of the party for long. In the end, a series of punches from Kiko finally caused it to crumble to dust.

     --------------------------------------------------

 Days ago, he has miraculously returned to Cauldron. Despite his profound intellect, emotional detachment, and perspicacity he found that everything he knew was supplanted with one feeling – wild, unquenchable rage!

 The town he had worked so hard to perfect, operating for years behind the scenes, had been turned into a charnel house. The volcano had left nothing behind and, undoubtedly, left the corpses of many citizens buried beneath its fiery, explosive power. 

 Though he was a tyrant by nature, he had come to love Cauldron over time. After all, it had been his adopted home and only he could have prepared its citizens for a planar invasion from Carceri. 

 Not only had the Bright Axes disrupted his plans, wrecked his magnificent mansion, and slain him but they had eradicated Cauldron! He had been brought back for a reason, he was sure, and that reason was to exterminate these amoral “adventurers” who had committed, in his eleven eyes, genocide on a massive scale. He had immediately left for Red Gorge then, consumed with exacting his revenge.

     --------------------------------------------------

 “Oh my gods, it was terrible, even for a Goliath! That bitch left my body on a rack and these flesh . . . things tortured the hell out of me! The bastards never even asked me any questions . . .”

 “Well, I got some good news for you laddie. We think ya may have been on Carceri and we’re gonna go back an’ get some payback. Adimarchus must be killed before his madness infects the Prime. Sorry we couldna’ bring yer equipment back with you but we pooled our resources and . . .” the dwarf indicated a pile of equipment the Bright Axes had donated for their comrade.

     “And what was _that _thing?” Kiko was still shaking out the throbbing pain in his fists. Though he had been fortified with holy power, punching metal objects was never a pleasant experience.

     “That, Kiko, was an Inevitable – specifically a Marut.  They are generally sent only to kill those who _resurrect_ on a tremendous scale or those, like liches, who try to cheat death. Based on its proclamation, I imagine that Ike was a sacrifice to Velsharoon and his soul was probably to stay in Carceri upon his death.”

     “I understand Lady Nidrama.  I guess that means . . .”

     The remains of the Inevitable had not even been cleared from the tent when an acolyte burst in, gasping for breath.

     “He's back!!!  Orbius Vhalantru has returned!  He’s coming from the south and killing everyone in his path . . .”

     The Bright Axes looked at each other grimly but knowingly.  The Deva’s prediction had come true after all.

     --------------------------------------------------

 Everyone in the party had battled beholders before and knew that approaching their foe from multiple angles was a wise tactical maneuver. The beholder’s _anti-magic_ cone could only affect a limited area after all.

 Given the power of flight by Dalthon and Gunther the party flew close to the ground, with their Deva guide flying high above them.

 They encountered Vhalantru in an open field and were filled with dread. Long gone was the beholder they had slain – before them was a sphere fully twenty feet in diameter! The chitinous carapace that surrounded him was replaced by a repulsive green slime that oozed through many deep fissures in his skin. The beholder’s mouth opened upon seeing his nemeses, letting forth a guttural, primal sound filled with loathing.

     As expected, Vhalantru’s _anti-magic_ cone was directed at the center of the party catching the bulk of them in it. Grimm slowly floated to the ground, as did Kiko and Dalthon. Quickly, they scattered with Grimm and Dalthon moving out of the null-magic effect in opposite directions and Kiko charging the Beholder at top speed.

     Trying to end the fight before it started, Gunther cast forth a _disintegrate_ ray which was shrugged off by the behemoth. In response, Vhalantru began firing his eye beams with abandon. Rusty immediately crumpled to the ground, Ike stopped his battle charge in mid-stride, and Gunther’s beam was matched by the Beholder’s own – leaving the theurge on the cusp of life.

     “Subdue your friends, quickly!”  Vhalantru was quick to take advantage of the Goliath’s _charmed_ state.

 Meanwhile, Grimm had managed to get underneath the Beholder and managed to expertly wedge his spiked chain in the fissures in Vhalantru’s carapace – releasing chunks of rotted flesh in the process. Though the damage would have been enough to easily kill Vhalantru in his former body it only angered him now. 

 Ike, meanwhile, was wrestling with his orders. Every fiber of his being screamed at him not to attack his friends, particularly not in such a precarious position – yet the power of Vhalantru’s magic compelled him. The Goliath thought about his orders carefully, “_subdue your friends . . ._” The Beholder too, was now his friend. Smiling, he threw himself at Vhalantru, smacking his hide with the side of his warhammer.

     “Insect!  Die!!!”

     An eye beam sent Ike into a lifeless heap and another one dropped Grimm like a sack of potatoes.

 Dalthon and Gunther stood together on the edge of the battlefield. Though they were currently out of range of Vhalantru’s offensive power they realized that the tide had unexpectedly turned and their options were vanishingly few.

     Nidrama landed next to them.

 “Leave my friends, trust me. I will defeat this beast but I cannot guarantee your safety. The beings I will summon will most assuredly lay waste to the battlefield. I promise to bring your comrades’ bodies back for _resurrection_.”

     Trusting his celestial progenitor implicitly, Dalthon nodded his assent and immediately _teleported_ away.

 Gunther, however, was not so swayed, “I’ve just met you, Deva! And my mentor and best friend needs my help right now! I’ll be damned if I let you do it alone! I refuse to leave until Rusty’s safety – and everyone else’s – is secured. I’ll never abandon them.”

     Nidrama stared at him in disbelief, “As you wish . . . mortal.”

 Nidrama calmly walked towards Vhalantru. She had slain at least a half-dozen Beholders in her time, but none were as large (or powerful) as this one. 

 “Beholder! You have had your revenge – the Bright Axes are no more! I implore you to leave now before I am forced to destroy you. Know that there are powers in the multiverse even beyond your ken!”

     In response, the Beholder directed his central eye towards the Deva and the dwarf behind her, suppressing all magic.

 To Vhalantru’s mild surprise and Gunther’s profound shock, Nidrama was replaced by a human of approximately the same build with long, wild black hair with an eye at the center of her forehead. Gunther felt strangely unsettled simply by looking at her.

     Entropy quickly sprinted out of the cone’s effect and everything froze as she invoked a _time stop_.  Acting with haste, she opened a _gate _to Kiaransalee's realm directly over Vhalantru as well as a _clenched fist_ underneath him.

     As the time stream resumed, Vhalantru was pummeled from below by the magical _fist_ and, from above . . .

     “Tamion, destroy him!  Quickly!!”

     Nodding, the Balor casually tossed his whip aside and in a wide arc swept across the top of the orb with his _vorpal _longsword. Several eye stalks were severed and fell lifelessly to the ground. Proceeding to a more aggressive attack, the sword plunged deeply into Vhalantru’s hide.

     Flying away as quickly as he could, Gunther found a secluded hiding spot.  He could hardly believe what he was seeing!

 The Beholder adroitly moved his eyes to focus on his new foe – connecting with one, then a second ray. The Balor fell to the ground as the second ray hit him.

_Curious that he did not explode_ . . . Entropy continued to move towards Vhalantru who again intercepted her with his _anti-magic _cone.  He then dropped to the ground and delivered a vicious bite, awakening the sleeping Balor.

     “Subdue her quickly fool, before she comes any closer!”

   Before he could rise however, Entropy was on them both.  Putting up her own _anti-magic field_, she stood next to Tamion thereby negating his _charm_ effect.  

_Carry me up to this idiot and let him grapple me.  Then finish him – painfully._

 The Balor grasped his mistress and dropped her on the Vhalantru’s huge body. The Beholder, who couldn’t believe his luck, grappled her with his jaws.

     Strangely, the human’s crown seemed to function in _anti-magic_ as a black beam of energy struck his central eye, greatly sapping his energy.

 Meanwhile, the Balor was upon him again and, this time, could not be turned aside by any number of eye beams. Like a knife through butter, the _vorpal_ weapon sliced through again and again littering the ground with viscera and gore. Finally, the great sphere began to spasm and collapsed to the ground in a stinking heap of goo.

     Gunther, in the interim, had _dimension doored_ around the battlefield collecting the bodies of Rusty and Ike. When he reached Grimm, he realized that the half-ogre was merely sleeping! Before he could awaken him, he found Entropy and the Balor next to him.

 “We need to exchange a few words, little dwarf. You were having an elaborate delusion, I’m afraid. Here, let my friend help you out . . .”

     The Balor seized him.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

What the...where did she...how, wait, what...

LOVED IT! The time for subtleties has passed.  You know why I still love Entropy, even though she is an insane, evil, undead-lovin' machine? She's still a prankster at heart. Also, she's so incredibly powerful.

Thanks for this flurry of fantastic updates! California must be good for you.


----------



## R-Hero

Excellent read, G.  Just finished both. I laughed, I cried, I wet myself.  





> Without fear, a naked Ike jumped off the altar and grabbed a nearby warhammer slamming it into the Inevitable with all his might.



Ironicly, this has happened to every character I have played.  It just ain't right if there isn't at least one nekkid' fisticuff.


----------



## Joachim

Great work again, G.  The rest of the story is sure to be interesting for all to read...


----------



## gfunk

Thanks for the compliments guys, it is nice to be wrapping up the SH after such a long absence.  Just a few more loose ends to wrap up before our heroes journey to Carceri!


----------



## war wizard

gfunk said:
			
		

> Trusting his celestial progenitor implicitly, Dalthon nodded his assent and immediately _teleported_ away.
> .





I never trusted her, especially since the G-man was "playing" her as a character....


Excellent updates nonetheless


----------



## gfunk

war wizard said:
			
		

> I never trusted her, especially since the G-man was "playing" her as a character....




True, but being the superlative role-player that you are, you stayed true to your PC.



> Excellent updates nonetheless




Thanks, I'll have the next update by this weekend.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> True, but being the superlative role-player that you are, you stayed true to your PC.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks, I'll have the next update by this weekend.



 Your pace is amazing!


----------



## Lela

Oh, this could go very badly.  Very badly.

In fact, seeing as I know entropy as well as anyone can, I'm sure it will.

Sorry about the delay in reading.  Been a stress filled week.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Thanks, I'll have the next update by this weekend.



*cough* .......


----------



## gfunk

Sorry that this update wasn't longer guys. I'll do my best to continue before next weekend. In the meantime, enjoy!!

*Embril's Last Stand*

It was a effectively a death sentence.

The Goliath had been a magnificent prize, to be sure, and Velsharoon had enjoyed his treasure. However, an unexpected _true resurrection_ from the Bright Axes robbed the god of the eternal torment he had been so eager to inflict. An Inevitable had been her only hope and it too had failed.

The price of freeing Adimarchus was growing ever higher. Velsharoon demanded the soul of the bearer of the Eversmoking Eye – Grimm Grakka.

When Embril Aloustinai heard that decree from her deity, the high priestess knew that all hope was lost. Even with total surprise, the help of a mighty spell-weaver sorcerer and a handful of demodands – she could not destroy the Bright Axes.

Now, she was being asked to take perhaps their most powerful warrior down single-handedly. With all the other Cagewrights dead, only she remained to carry out their mad plot.

In the end, it could not be helped – she _would_ do Lord Velsharoon’s bidding. 

As she stepped through the _gate_ into the Prime, she hoped against hope that her return trip to Carceri would not be as a petitioner.

--------------------------------------

“ . . . and the Planetar descended from the heavens, and amid the roar of celestial trumpets he smote Vhalantru! It was a glorious battle with forces of Good arrayed against the forces of Evil – a conflict as old as time itself and . . .”

“Enough! By Mystra laddie, we get the freakin’ idea!! You’ve been runnin’ yer mouth for the last four hours, lemme concentrate and git back me spells!”

Indeed, Gunther had described the encounter many times and in excruciating detail. After Dalthon had _teleported_ away from the battle, Nidrama had summoned a powerful Angel from Celestia who then did battle with the Beholder. The battle, the dwarf told, was of epic proportions and caused mass destruction just as the Deva had predicted.

After the struggle, Gunther woke Grimm who then carried the bodies of his companions back to Jenya. The High Priestess _true resurrected_ Rusty who then followed suite with Kiko and Ike. 

Though the battle had taken them by surprise, the Bright Axes were convinced that stopping Adimarchus in Carceri as soon as possible was their best option for survival. To that end, Dalthon had conjured up a _rope trick_ to allow them to rest and prepare accordingly. 

However, learning the harsh lesson taught to them by Embril Aloustinai and her Spellweaver companion, they took watch shifts outside the extra-dimensional pocket – just in case. 

--------------------------------------

She watched the hulking brute from the shadows. Really, this was the best she could possibly hope for. He was alone and, if she was quick enough she could take him back to Carceri before the rest of them knew what was happening.

However, it was possible that he could be corrupted by power.

Holding her breath, she _teleported _next to him.

Reacting immediately, Grimm began to whirl his spiked chain, but Embril’s words gave him pause, “Hold Grimm Grakka, I come with an offer for you.”

Smoke escaping one of his eye sockets, the half-ogre looked at Embril skeptically, “You are the final Cagewright, Aloustinai, I doubt you have anything of value to offer me.”

The high priestess exhaled, perhaps he could be reasoned with after all, “You have been marked warrior. You alone among your companions have the power to reshape Occipitus in your image. Return with me to Carceri and help me free Adimarchus. As his greatest champion, the planes will tremble at the mere mention of your name!”

“You stink of desperation. Prepare to join the rest of your vile organization in death!”

Prepared for this contingency, Embril revealed a hand from her robe that was crackling with negative energy. She boldly strode forward and touched her foe, discharging the _harm_.

Grimm just felt as if he had been pummeled by a Titan. Recoiling in pain, he nevertheless had the wherewithal to scream for his companions.

In the meantime, his first blow knocked Embril off her feet, the second tore through her armor, the third resulted in evisceration, and the fourth cut her body in half.

When Rusty emerged from the _rope trick_ mere seconds later, the fight was already over.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Well, Gunther seemed very enthusiastic! Maybe he'll convert to Nidrama - what did she do to him, anyway?

The hulking brute has to be careful - he seems to be on the top of a lot of lists...


----------



## JollyDoc

Another outstanding update, G!  I don't remember exactly what Nidrama/Entropy did to Gunther to alter his memory of the battle with Vhalantru...remind me.


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> The hulking brute has to be careful - he seems to be on the top of a lot of lists...




Well, Velsharoon better do more than send an unarmored cleric by herself next time.  I believe that when the dust settled, Grimm hit 5 times for over 120 damage, and all Jollydoc could say was, "Umm...well she's dead."


----------



## Lela

An unarmored cleric with no HP. Jeese, if you're going to play with the chain master, then come wearing a Con item. And armor. And with etheral assassians. And a bazoka. Or two.


Was it an overenthusiastic _Modify Memory_?  Could have also been done with _Wish_.


----------



## gfunk

Lela said:
			
		

> Was it an overenthusiastic _Modify Memory_? Could have also been done with _Wish_.




Bingo, _modify memory _via _limited wish_. It took several castings and more than 1000 xp before Gunther caved.

Next update = "Enter Houshang"


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Bingo, _modify memory _via _limited wish_. It took several castings and more than 1000 xp before Gunther caved.
> 
> Next update = "Enter Houshang"



 Hurray - bring on the wizard...


----------



## gfunk

*ENTER HOUSHANG*

Surrounded by heralds depicting green rays squeezed forth from a black fist, the Pit Fiend purposefully strode down the great hall. Recognizing the devil as a powerful representative of the Black Hand, the clergy were eager to provide him with an unobstructed path to the temple’s throne room.

Although he had expected to see Entropy at a later date, Lord Amal – ruler of Zhentil Keep and High Impreceptor of Bane – did not think she would reappear so _soon_.

Reclining lazily on his throne with a goblet of Faerun’s finest wine swirling in a gem-encrusted goblet, he regarded her warily as his _true seeing_ easily penetrated her disguise, “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

“My dear Amal, it warms my heart to see you again. I am pleased to see that you have taken your rightful place as ruler of the Zhentarim. I trust that the Scepter of Ephelomon was instrumental in your victory?”

Amal threw aside his drink with disdain. As it clattered messily to the floor, several acolytes rushed forward to clean it lest they earn their master’s ire.

“Let me make one thing clear to you sorcerer, as I did to _former_ Impreceptor Chembryl. My ascension is a culmination of my successes on the Dreadlord’s behalf. It was inevitable – not the product of some mere bauble.”

_Kill him and take the Scepter!_

“Indeed. And I suppose the dozen or so Red Dragons flying around the Keep are merely for aesthetic purposes?”

“You waste my time. Tell me what you want and begone!”

The fiend held up a placating hand, “Very well, I will speak plainly. You have a reputation for knowledge of planar lore, even greater than myself. I require information regarding a particular inmate of Carceri . . .”

-------------------------------------------

“Why do you want to know anyway,” the shopkeeper eyed the stranger with suspicion. 

After two attempts on the Bright Axe’s lives within the last day, Olaf the armorer felt obligated to maintain their anonymity. Though Cauldron was destroyed, the adventurers had saved countless lives not to mention their recent destruction of a rampaging Beholder who promised death and destruction to Red Gorge.

Looking around briefly to make sure no one else had entered the armory, the stranger removed his hood revealing a bald head with many intricate tattoos of arcane power.

“A damn Red Wizard . . .” he hissed as he unsheathed his sword.

The wizard was faster. After completing his spell, Olaf’s sword turned green as it simultaneously elongated and thickened. Within moments, it had changed into a giant constrictor snake which wrapped the shopkeep in a crushing vice-like grip.

Moving mere inches from his victim’s face, the wizard could _feel_ his fear. After running so long from the minions of Druxus Rhym, he almost forgot what it felt like to exploit the little people. It felt like a breath of fresh air.

-------------------------------------------

Their final preparations complete, the Bright Axes were simply waiting for Nidrama to commence their journey to Carceri. Dalthon had already issued a _sending_ to which she had responded affirmatively.

As many of their defensive spells had a duration of mere minutes, they held off on casting them. Unfortunately, they realized they may have made a grave error when a familiar face walked into the room.

“Houshang!! What are you doing back here!?” Tilly drew his dual short swords as the rest of the Bright Axes followed suite.

“Peace, my friends! Why the harsh reception, did I not assist you in destroying Imperagon and,” the wizard could not help but wince at the next part, “the Blade of Fiery Might?”

“And we appreciated the help but, if you’ll recall, we saved you from a long life in the Formian slave pits. I think that makes us even, so why are you back?”

Houshang scowled. As a native of Thay, he was taught from birth that magic could only wielded in the hands of highly intelligent and well-trained arcanists. Mastery of spells came through intense study and practice, not raw power. Sorcerers and bards, like Dalthon, were mistakes of the multiverse as far as he was concerned.

“Well let us say that the destruction of Cauldron had some uh . . . unintended consequences in Thay. I was to observe the Cagewrights and their artifact to see if we too could open a permanent planar gate. Unfortunately, since the _Tree of Shackled Souls_ was destroyed, this became impossible. Since _I _was responsible for making said observations, Zulkir Druxus Rhym was none too pleased. Considering my failure in recovering the Blade of Fiery Might, he pronounced a death sentence.”

“Wait a second! D’ya mean we could be surrounded by damned Red Wizards any second now? They’ll be fallin’ over ‘emselves to present your hide to this Rhym!! Once they find you they’ll be _teleporting_ in like freakin’ jackrabbits!”

“Possibly, but you need not see me only as a liability. For instance . . .”

Houshang weaved his post powerful transmutation spell around Kiko.  The monk doubled in height as his muscles grew more powerful. His skin turned to pale gray and hardened drastically providing him with natural armor to augment his own magical defenses.

Trying out his new body and his new and stunning physique, Kiko found that his prowess had been enhanced manifold, “I vote to let Houshang stay,” smiled the monk as he flexed his biceps.

-------------------------------------------

Approximately half an hour later, Nidrama _teleported_ to their location.

“Good news my friends, I have ascertained the location . . .” her words trailed off as she locked eyes with the Red Wizard.

“I did not realize that you kept company with such morally revolting creatures. What is the meaning of this?”

Not one to back down in the face of a Celestial whose alignment was diametrically opposed to his own, Houshang shot back, “And I though the mighty Bright Axes were powerful. Seeing that they have aligned themselves with a _lesser _Deva, I wonder if I was mistaken.”

Interposing his newfound body between the two, Kiko tried to assuage their rising anger and indignation, “Let us not get carried away my friends. Nidrama, we saved Houshang from a Formian slave pit in Acheron. Since then he has helped us in many ways and now is a fugitive from Thay. Even as we speak the Red Wizards hunt him down. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?”

“And Houshang, Nidrama has watched over our party since we first set foot in Cauldron. She has guided us with advice at first but has left the Celestial Choir in an effort to aid us directly. Surely you can see that her intentions are noble?”

_Annihilate him, animate him, and then turn him on these idiots._

Nidrama took a deep breath as if to calm her emotions. _All in good time, Winterwood_.

“Very well Bright Axes, I shall not bring up this issue again. But you have been warned. My sources tell me that we need to go to the Bastion of Lost Hope in Carceri located in a region called Harrowfall. There we will find an individual who knows of Adimarchus’ whereabouts.”

“Then what are we waitin’ fer? Let’s spell up and head out!!”

As they stepped through Rusty’s _gate _one by one, Nidrama and Houshang watched the Bright Axes with predatory eyes.


----------



## Lela

A _four_way fight?  Oi.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> “I did not realize that you kept company with such morally revolting creatures. What is the meaning of this?”



I love it, love it, LOVE IT !!!


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

gfunk said:
			
		

> “I did not realize that you kept company with such morally revolting creatures. What is the meaning of this?”




Isn't she corrupted now too?  Or is she just playing the part?

GW


----------



## JollyDoc

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Isn't she corrupted now too?  Or is she just playing the part?
> 
> GW




Entropy/Nidrama is just playing along...for now.

The Entropy/Houshang rivalry has only just begun.  Any dibs on the outcome?


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Entropy/Nidrama is just playing along...for now.
> 
> The Entropy/Houshang rivalry has only just begun.  Any dibs on the outcome?



 I'm shouldn't validate that with a response but I'd guess that Entropy finds herself facing the entire party.  To which I would ordinarlly recomend having backup in _fly_ range, so as to avoid _Dimensional Anchor_.  However, I think it's already taken place so I'll trust in da funk.


I forgot to mention, gfunk, you took me out of reality again.  Usually I start one of your posts thinking that I won't get dragged off, even after reading the first several paragraphs--even wondering why I find such a devotion to this SH.  Then, of course, I'm reminded.  Surprised me this time and usually does at other times.


----------



## gfunk

That's extraordinarily nice of you to say, Lela.  I'm flattered.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Entropy/Nidrama is just playing along...for now.
> 
> The Entropy/Houshang rivalry has only just begun.  Any dibs on the outcome?



 We already know that Houshang's gonna "leave the group" further down the road, but even if not, the dibs would be on Entropy. Besides being way more powerful, she has the others thinking she is a fallen deva, but she knows who/what Houshang is.

But Houshang could actually become a minion of Entropy's - either voluntary or through, hm, let's say, THE CLAW...  Then she wouldn't have to face the party alone...


----------



## gfunk

*The Bastion of Lost Hope*

The lichfiend continued his verbal assaults on the seemingly helpless celestial. Though Adimarchus continued his pathetic weeping externally, he was coldly calculating his return.

Even now he could _feel_ the _gate_ opening. The adventurers who had annihilated his slaves on the Prime were now en route to liberate him. His thoughts returned to reclaiming Occipitus and, eventually, exacting his terrible revenge against Graz’zt. 

But first, he would have the pleasure of destroying his presumptuous “saviors.”

The self-styled Prince of Madness smiled inwardly, though Carceri was well-known to be the prison plane of the multiverse it was also where the overthrown plot their return.

And what a glorious return it would be.

------------------------------------

Nidrama had been to many planes in her time including the Abyss, the Astral Plane, Pandemonium, and even the Positive Energy Plane. However, she felt a twinge of disappointment upon stepping into the so-called plane of exile. Before them stood a rather unimpressive castle seated upon black igneous rock.

The single entrance was carved to appear as a giant Hezrou, its maw inviting visitors to enter their demise. As the Bright Axes paused momentarily to take in their new surroundings including the hellish red ambience that accentuated the plane, Nidrama’s eyes fell upon Rusty who had just begun casting a spell.

_Celestial brilliance_!

“Stop!! Do not cast that spell!!”

Ceasing his somatic movements, the dwarf looked curiously at the fallen deva as the other heroes followed suite. “Eh? And why not?”

She was improvising here. The _real_ reason, of course, was that this particular exalted spell would burn her impure flesh regardless of her current form. A year or two ago, she had completed her transcendent transformation to become a perfection of pseudonatural horror – forever becoming an Outsider. 

“My friends, Carceri is a prison plane and many fiends lurk here. Our task is merely to dispose of one of these creatures, not to earn the ire of the rest. We had best tread carefully ‘ere we reach our goal. A _celestial brilliance_ not only declares our alignment loudly for all who would hear it, but it will injure any who would otherwise ignore us.”

_A masterful deception. It will be the death of them._

To Nidrama’s surprise, she began to see the Bright Axes slowly nodding. Dalthon spoke up, “Indeed you are correct my Lady. Since extraplanar travel is not something we have routinely done I suppose we had not considered this possibility. However, we certainly don’t want to bring undue attention to ourselves.”

Grimm, however, remained unconvinced, “Bah! Such subtleties are wasted on the Bright Axes. The _celestial_ _brilliance_ had aided us in many ways in the past like flushing out fiends who were spying on us. And it gives a constant, steady damage output even when our weapons cannot reach our foes.”

Nevertheless, the half-ogre was overruled and the party continued onward.

------------------------------------

Byakala was bored out of her skull. Since her arrival upon Orthrys many years ago, the Marilith had quickly stumbled upon the Bastion of Lost Hope. It was filled with a sickening group of anarchists, more interested in spreading chaos than the finer points of savagery.

In time, she had managed to slay or drive off many of these creatures and was able to repopulate the Bastion with as many demons as she could scrounge together – mainly weakling Babau’s. 

At first she had feared Adimarchus’ eventual liberation which would cause her to return to Occipitus as a mere servant once more. However, decades then centuries passed without event. As Byakala’s power grew, she decided to stay on Carceri thinking perhaps another would supplant Adimarchus and eventually come for her.

Little did she know that today would be the day.

A Babau approached her with its loping gait, “Mistress, there are three dwarves, two humans, a halfling, a giant, an ogre, and a . . . celestial. They request an audience with you.”

The Marilith stroked her face with one pair of hands thoughtfully while her remaining four arms were crossed, “Let them pass, but not the celestial. Bring Argnos and Kexel to my audience chamber and prepare for battle. I will see what these mortals have to say.”

------------------------------------

The pair of Babaus guarding the entrance watched the visitors like hawks, their pupilless black eyes boring into them like lasers. 

A third one emerged, “The Mistress has agreed to give you an audience. But you may not pass!” The demon pointed an accusing finger towards Nidrama.

“Go my friends and find what you can of Adimarchus, I will wait here.”

------------------------------------

Eight of the heroes strode boldly into the Marilith’s audience chamber. Already she had readied herself for battle with four longsword in addition to numerous bangles and assorted jewelry covering each arm, her torso, and her snake-like trunk. Despite her demonic nature, she was stunningly beautiful.

Her eyes immediately fell to Grimm and his smoking eye. The demon shuddered, though whether it was from fear, rage, or ecstasy the Bright Axes could not say. 

After several seconds of silence, the Planar Champion spoke up, “Greetings from the Prime Material Plane, mighty Marilith. We come seeking . . .”

Byakala cut him off, “The Prime? You bear the herald of the Prince of Madness, are you not from Occipitus?”

“No, not really. We learned of Adimarchus from the Prime and we have . . .”

The Marilith’s shoulders sagged momentarily as if bearing the weight of a terrible pronouncement, “Then what good are you to me? We have no further business – you may leave.”

“Wait! Let me finish! You don’t understand, we are here to _slay_ Adimarchus!”

At this comment, the Marilith could only laugh. In a plane as depressing as Carceri, humor was always in short supply.

------------------------------------

Nidrama was getting irate and it showed. Her Babau observers continued their vigil, interpreting her infuriated demeanor to be a clear sign of impending combat. 

She did not appreciate standing outside like a serving wench while her fate was discussed inside. Open combat with the Babau’s would only cause more to arrive and though she knew that obliterating the entire population of the Bastion was within her power, it would be an empty victory. Diplomacy was required here.

_See what the Bodak saw, use the Revenancer’s claw, and stroll freely into the Hezrou’s maw._

So creative . . . I’m beginning to like you Winterwood.

Before the pair of demons knew what was going on, Nidrama had changed forms into a gangly, black-skinned humanoid with curiously empty white eyes. As they locked gaze with this new form, ready to pounce forward to tear her to pieces, they fell over dead.

“Not so fast slaves. Though your flesh be weak, the Revenancer has not seen fit to release your soul. Arise once more!”

A mere touch of both Babaus with the _Claw of the Revenancer_ caused them to stand. Since their deaths had not been caused by violent blows, their bodies remained unblemished just as they were in life. 

“Take me to your _former_ Mistress slaves. Quickly!”

Returning to the form of a Movanic Deva, Nidrama followed the pair of Babaus toward the center of the Bastion. With these normal-appearing escorts, the other demons assumed all was well and did not interfere.

------------------------------------

It was fairly clear to both sides that the negotiations were spiraling out of control. Despite assurances by the Bright Axes that they were in Carceri to kill Adimarchus, the Marilith could not believe that mere mortals could present a credible challenge to fiend whose power rivaled a Demon Prince.

Then Nidrama arrived.

“Marilith, I must be allowed to speak!”

With murderous fury in her eyes, Byakala berated her retainers, “Fools!! I left explicit directions that this . . . _THING_ remain outside the Bastion!! How dare you disobey me!! And what in the Nine Hells were you thinking just walking away from your posts! Return . .. NOW!”

Infuriatingly, the Babaus did not seem to respond to her threats and continued to stare at her blankly. Nidrama waved her hand, “You may go.” The Babaus turned and quickly scurried away.

Byakala’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she prepared to draw her two most powerful weapons and bring all the demons of the Bastion on top of these fools.

With surprising speed, considering his greatly increased mass, Kiko interposed his Stone Giant form between the Bright Axes and the Marilith, “No! It must not come to blows!”

“Mistress Byakala, we have defeated a cabal of mad cultists in the Prime known as the Cagewrights. Their only goal was to free Adimarchus from his prison in Skullrot and bring him along with a horde of Demodands into our world. Over the last several months we have killed all the minions, followed by the leaders of this organization. The Prince of Madness, still not one to be defeated, began infusing our dead foes with his dark energies directing them to slay us. This will continue until we ourselves put an end to it. I assure you that we have the power to do so. Many mighty foes have fallen before us.”

For some reason, Byakala knew he was telling the truth. In the end, she decided, giving them the location of Skullrot would be a calculated risk. Most likely they would be destroyed by the mad inmates or else they would free Adimarchus. He would then annihilate them and come for her. But what if . . . what if _they_ murdered her former Master? Then, the possibilities for her were endless.


----------



## Lela

How often does she give into Winterwood?  Seems like it's becomming more common to me but that just might be the situation.


----------



## gfunk

She will give in more as Asylum progresses becoming more unstable in the process.


----------



## JollyDoc

I'm thouroughly enjoying the reader's perspective of the conclusion to our little tale.  Great work on the details and storytelling G!  Keep up the good work.

Meanwhile, Joachim and I are departing for Indianapolis in two short days to attend GenCon, and defend our title at the RPGA open!  Wish us luck!


----------



## LordVyreth

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> I'm thouroughly enjoying the reader's perspective of the conclusion to our little tale.  Great work on the details and storytelling G!  Keep up the good work.
> 
> Meanwhile, Joachim and I are departing for Indianapolis in two short days to attend GenCon, and defend our title at the RPGA open!  Wish us luck!




Excellent!  I'm going to Gen Con as well!  Any chance we can exchange schedules?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

I noticed the Winterwood thing, too. I just hope she doesn't become a complete nut - she's way too cool. 

At the way Grimm is going, it will all climax at gfunk vs. Joachim. Once again.


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> At the way Grimm is going, it will all climax at gfunk vs. Joachim. Once again.




Yes and no.  But mostly no.


----------



## Joachim

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Excellent!  I'm going to Gen Con as well!  Any chance we can exchange schedules?




I will be wearing an obnoxiously orange AUBURN t-shirt on Thursday.  If you see one of those on a white guy about 5'11", 165 #, with brown hair, purple backpack...that will be me.  I can't give more info than that, because I have scheduled nothing, except the Open, and I am not even sure when that is because JD signed me up for it.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> Yes and no.  But mostly no.



 

Could we be in store for a happy ending? E.g. Entropy and Adimarchus really hit it off, become King and Queen of Madness and live happily ever after in a castle in the far realms...

Too far out?


----------



## Lela

Entropy can't share power so intimately.  If she's aiming for Queen of Madness, Adimarchus has to die first.


----------



## JollyDoc

Greetings from GenCon, where the lingering aroma of Funions and stinky feet fills the air.  Just a quick update to track our progress.  Joachim, me and the rest of Aqua Teen Hunger Force played in the preliminary round of the RPGA open this afternoon, and were one of four teams in our block of about 25 to make it to the semis!  First round was reasonably tough, but our band of champions was more than up to the challenge!  We'll post more details as the weekend unfolds.  Saturday afternoon will be our next event.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lela said:
			
		

> Entropy can't share power so intimately.  If she's aiming for Queen of Madness, Adimarchus has to die first.



OK, but she could then animate him and keep him as consort & my story would still check out...sort of...   



			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Joachim, me and the rest of Aqua Teen Hunger Force played in the preliminary round of the RPGA open this afternoon, and were one of four teams in our block of about 25 to make it to the semis!  First round was reasonably tough, but our band of champions was more than up to the challenge!  We'll post more details as the weekend unfolds.  Saturday afternoon will be our next event.



JD, we expect nothing less than a total victory from you guys! Are you also participating in the single player competition like last year?


----------



## gfunk

Sorry guys, but I don't have time to update this weekend due to travel.  See you next week!


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> OK, but she could then animate him and keep him as consort & my story would still check out...sort of...
> 
> 
> JD, we expect nothing less than a total victory from you guys! Are you also participating in the single player competition like last year?




No, there is no Toughman competition this year, but Gfunk has given me the great idea to host one at next year's GenCon, so any of you who plan on attending, look for me, Joachim, and hopefully G to be bringing our collective creative genius to bear on all of those unfortunate gamers!

Also, just moments ago found out that Aqua Teen Hunger Force has advanced from the semi-finals of the RPGA open to the final round once again!!!!  The final round will take place at 8 am tomorrow.  Wish us luck!


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Like you need it.  But anyway.  Good luck to you guys.

GW


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Yeah, kick some DnD butt!


----------



## JollyDoc

Alright guys, here is the official word...Aqua Teen Hunger Force finished.....


























2nd out of 125 teams in the Open!!!  Let it be known that no one has EVER finished 1st in the Open in 25 years.  I'm willing to be no one has finished 1st and 2nd consecutively either.


----------



## Joachim

I believe that JD meant to say that no one has ever repeated as champions.  And we were very, very close.  3rd place was distant to us, and I found out that it came down to one friggin decision (not by anyone on our team) that lost the repeat for us.  Most of the judges were rooting for us to pull off the repeat (except one !#%@head judge who told us, "Good.  I never repeated as champion, and I didn't want you to have one up on me."  Jerk).

If you had said to us on Thursday (before tourney started) that we were going to come in second place, I would have jumped on it HAPPILY.  When the dust settled, however, to come that close to a repeat was, in a word, disappointing.  I should not feel this way.  Humility aside, I believe that our team proved that our win last year was not some kind of fluke.  Placing in the top 3 is fantastic, and we did it 2 years in a row!  But for some reason, it feels somehow hollow...

The GOOD news is that we made off with over $200 worth of D&D stuff, including th Dungeon Master's Guide II, Champions of Ruin, Waterdeep: City of Splendors, Sharn: City of Towers, PHB embossed with a silver 2nd place stamp, Eberron Character Sheets, box of Angelfire minis, 3 Underdark pre-release minis (Gwenwhyvar, Dark Naga, and Elminster), and 2 paperback Eberron fiction books.  Not bad for a $4.50 investment at the beginning  .

Afterwards, the guy with RPGA who was in charge of the Open Championship came up to us with his condolences/congratulations.  They even took our pictures with both PHB's (this years 2nd placer and last years 1st placer) and they are going to print one on the website and talk about our near repeat.  We ended the conversation with, "Don't worry, we'll just see you here next year."


----------



## Izerath

*Some other comments*

In my short conversation with Stephen Radney-MacFarland (the Tourney coordinator) he said that there was quite a bit of excitement that we made it into the finals. When I saw NINE (yes I counted) judges standing around our table watching the action, and SRM was snapping pictures of the table, I really began to think we were going to do it. The excitement around the table was electric, and it seemed like they almost expected us to win.

Before SRM handled the pictures for the first place team, he asked me if we would return to compete again next year. My last parting words to him were: "If you think a close second place on the heels of a championship is going to scare us off, think again - we'll be bringing it again next year." In response, he smiled, laughed and said "Then we'll see you next year!"

While I really wish we would have pulled it off, I certainly am not disappointed in retrospect.

In football, it's like making the Superbowl back to back and only winning once, but it’s still quite an accomplishment. People begin to speak of dynasties when two appearances are made in the big game and a third consecutive appearance only validates a team’s greatness.

I feel the same way about our D&D Open team. We should not be disappointed in our results. We gave it our all and left nothing on the table. Returning next year and shooting for the Open Championship once again, even if the result only gets us a 2nd or 3rd place showing, would lock down our place in Open history as one of the best teams EVER. As far as I am aware, no one team has ever placed in the tournament for 3 consecutive years. We could certainly email Stephen Radney-McFarland to find out, but I’m pretty sure this is the case. Even if it is not, we would become a modern day legend in Open Tournament history.

So, to all of ATHF, I want to express sincere congratulations on our combined accomplishment. We have something very special in our team - a chemistry that just cannot be defined or replicated by many. Unfortunate luck may have robbed us of a repeat championship, but I don’t think the team that beat us this year has what we have.

Watch out gamers. ATHF will return to the D&D Open ready to kick butt in 2006!

Ron J aka Izerath


----------



## Lela

Hmmmm, my roommate and I are considering going next year (assuming we can scare up the cash).  Congrats this time but, with any luck on my side, you won't take 1st next year.



Seriously guys, nicely done.  Ignore those jelious of your achievments; they can't cheapen true greatness.


----------



## Joachim

Izerath said:
			
		

> Unfortunate luck may have robbed us of a repeat championship, but I don’t think the team that beat us this year has what we have.




Let me say this:  I have nothing, and I repeat NOTHING, against the other team.  They did everything asked of them to win, and they *deserved* to finish in first place, as much as we did last year.  They were extremely complimentary and were very, very, gracious winners.  They could have beem complete jerks about it.  Quite the opposite.  When I walked up to congratulate them they simply smiled, shook my hand, and returned the kudos.  They realized that we had accomplished something by coming in 2nd, even if at that moment we weren't able to.


----------



## Joachim

Izerath said:
			
		

> I feel the same way about our D&D Open team. We should not be disappointed in our results. We gave it our all and left nothing on the table.




The fact that we came in second had nothing to do with any decision that we made or any action that we took.  I can firmly say that we did everything asked of us.  Luck, however, is a part of the game, as it is the part of any game (that is not chess).  Luck got us to the semis, through to the finals, and into second place.  We ran out of it for one round of combat.

Lady luck can be a fickle lover, but I will not hold that against her.  We came in second, and I am proud of that.  In fact, I become more proud every minute.


----------



## Izerath

*Agreed - but maybe it didn't sound right*



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> Let me say this:  I have nothing, and I repeat NOTHING, against the other team.  They did everything asked of them to win, and they *deserved* to finish in first place, as much as we did last year.  They were extremely complimentary and were very, very, gracious winners.  They could have beem complete jerks about it.  Quite the opposite.  When I walked up to congratulate them they simply smiled, shook my hand, and returned the kudos.  They realized that we had accomplished something by coming in 2nd, even if at that moment we weren't able to.




I too have the utmost respect for the other team. You are correct in that they deserved to win. I hold nothing against them either (though that dangling participle may have left that open to interpretation). I was merely referring to our team chemistry. A 1-2 placement is nothing to be ashamed of at all. As you, I become more proud of the accomplishment every minute I think about it.

I would have never dreamed that I would be part of a championship team in this tournament, much less having the same team place in the top three two years in a row. It's beyond my wildest dreams to be a part of something so special. It makes me truly realize exactly what we have and how special it really is. It really blows my mind when I think about it.

So kudos to the champions and the third place team. It's an amazing accomplishment to be in the final three. I for one will hold my head high.


----------



## gfunk

Hey guys, almost done with the update.  Will post tommorow night (PST)


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Hey guys, almost done with the update.  Will post tommorow night (PST)



Looking forward to it!


----------



## gfunk

*Welcome to Where Time Stands Still, No One Leaves and No One Will*

He only had to bear the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune for a few moments longer.  After countless years as the helpless recipient of torture from the Lichfiend, the Prince of Madness was about to cast off his shackles.  

His saviors had finally arrived.

----------------------------------------------

Much larger and, in Nidrama’s estimation, more impressive than Harrowfell, Skullrot looked every bit the prison.  Constructed from the same black granite as Harrowfell, that was where the similarities ended.  A huge central tower arose from the center and reached the sky beyond even where the Bright Axes could see.

Jutting from various levels on Skullrot were black cages which presumably held various planar denizens though it was too far away for details.

“No need fer subtleties any more laddies!  I say we kick down the friggin’ door and clean out everythin’ and everyone until ‘Marcus is dead at our feet?  What do ye say?”

Having been tormented by Adimarchus and his minions for so long, there was not a squeak of protest at the dwarf’s audacious plan.

Nidrama had to be most careful here.  Perhaps she was aiding them too much, providing them a crutch.  Really, she had meant to observe them closely to better appraise their strengths and weaknesses.  That plan had fallen apart upon Vhalantru’s arrival.  However, she promised herself she would show more restraint . . . that is until they met Adimarchus.

----------------------------------------------

The door flashed green for a moment after Dalthon’s _disintegrate_ lanced through it.  The party found themselves face to face with an old foe – a dozen Farastu Demodands.

Kiko tumbled through the remains of the door first, directly into the thick of the gangly creatures and began pounding away with his Stone Giant-sized fists.  As Tilly and Rusty joined the fray, they were not terribly surprised to learn that their _invisibility_ spells ceased functioning.  An _invisibility purge_ tied to an _unhallow_ had become a familiar staple when assaulting enemy strongholds.

Ike charged in next, delighting in the cracked bones that resulted from the powerful blows of his warhammer.  It was only after Dalthon _disintegrated_ another Demodand, that the stunned creatures began to respond.  Many _summoned_ their fellows as others tried to _dispel_ as much magic on the intruders as possible.  Rusty floated to the ground and Tilly felt his _stoneskin_ expire.

Using his ability to sculpt spells, Houshang was able to _dispel_ all of the summoned Demodands while avoiding affecting his comrades.  Grimm was the last to wade into battle but, as always, his presence was felt most acutely as a pair of injured Farastu’s fell to the ground.

Black tentacles erupted from the ground as Dalthon seized as many Demodands as he could.  Though they were far too slippery to be grappled by the _Evard’s_, between Rusty, Ike, Grimm, and Tilly a Tarterian chef salad was served up in no time flat.  

----------------------------------------------

The Dark Myrakul’s attention snapped away from the whining, pathetic caged Solar before him to the combat raging below.  It was not uncommon for demons and the like to try to invade Skullrot, generally for collecting slaves.  In a few instances, mortals from the Prime actually had the temerity to try to free their comrades.  Those particular instances were most amusing as the so-called “comrade” eventually turned on his former friends with a homicidal rage induced by the insanity of extra-planar incarceration.

In either scenario, his attention was not required.  His efforts turned to Adimarchus once again.

----------------------------------------------

The sounds of blades clashing were interrupted by . . . singing.

Descending from above, perhaps in time to save the few, bloodied Farastus remaining, came a bloated six-armed Kelubar Demodand serenading until its lungs turned blue.  Before the Bright Axes could register what was going on, let alone how to respond, the air around Rusty, Ike, Grimm, and Kiko was filled with a familiar stench of an _acid fog_.

Ike and Kiko didn’t seem to mind too much as they continued to rain deadly blows, finishing off the Farastus.  Rusty, on the other hand, found himself in a sticky situation as his battle-axe clung to the ichor secreted by the Hexavog.  Grimm, imbued with a _freedom of movement_, was unaffected by the fog as his spiked chain pierced the Demodand’s putrid flesh.

The confusion was ended by Nidrama, who finally contributed a _greater dispelling_ to destroy the _acid fog_.  

As the Hexavog fell, Houshang stared at the Movanic Deva with resentment as the fires of envy burned in his eyes.  

_Such magic is far beyond the power of a mere Deva.  I must watch this one very closely, she may prove useful to me yet._

----------------------------------------------

Tilly felt like a halfling pickpocket in a carnival.  There were endless rows of cells in Skullrot, all behind locked doors – and shoddily locked ones, he noticed, particularly for an extraplanar prison.  Logically, he knew behind each door likely lurked a stark raving mad Outsider filled with thoughts of murder and mayhem.  However, the Rogue in him considered other possibilities – perhaps vast treasure left behind after a prisoner’s remains had long since decayed into nothingness.

“Um . . . Halfling, I don’t think it is wise to randomly open cells in trans-planar sanitariums,” Houshang, cold and calculating, had no wish to roll the dice in such a fashion.

However, the lock had already “clicked” by the time the Red Wizard had completed his sentence.  Gingerly, like an adventurer kicking down his first door, Tilly slowly pushed the door in.

In the corner of the dank, dirty cell sat a dark, bloated figure.  The only sounds were a faint giggling and chains clattering.  Suddenly, Tilly was surrounded by acidic vapors.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Slamming the door in the Kelubar’s face, Tilly’s agony was cut short by a merciful _dispel_ from Dalthon.

“Perhaps a more tactful approach would be in order.”

----------------------------------------------

As the party waited at the end of the hall, Grimm moved around the corner alone.  The particular door he was approaching was filled with some type of exotic lettering.  Despite the best efforts of the group’s planar scholars, they could not piece together what the word meant.

Instead of subjecting the entire party to a nasty surprise, the Planar Champion volunteered to be the guinea pig.  Dalthon _knocked_ the door from a distance as it sprung open.  Gingerly, Grimm peered around the corner . . . only to be enveloped in an _acid fog_ yet again.

“Damn it!”

While the party was occupied with their friend's predicament, Ike's attention was directed to a laboratory off in the distance.  As he examined it, he began to feel a strange sense of deja vu.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Very nice start, gfunk. I really had not thought that the first encounters would trouble your group very much. The next rooms & fights will be more interesting! 


			
				gfunk said:
			
		

> While the party was occupied with their friend's predicament, Ike's attention was directed to a laboratory off in the distance.  As he examined it, he began to feel a strange sense of deja vu.



Hm, he might even find some his own remains there.


----------



## JollyDoc

Nice job, G!  Ah, the delights and sounds of Skullrot have only just begun!


----------



## Lela

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Nice job, G!  Ah, the delights and sounds of Skullrot have only just begun!



 Yey, children screaming in true, soul shattering, agony!


----------



## gfunk

Quick preview of the next update (which I hope to have up this Friday night, PST):

1. Ike sees dead people -- specifically, himself
2. The party debates the pros and cons of Celestial Brilliance with Nidrama
3. Reaching the top of Skullrot, the Bright Axes fight the creme de la creme of its guardians
4. DARK MYRAKUL


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Quick preview of the next update (which I hope to have up this Friday night, PST):



So soon? Yippi !!!   


1. Ike sees dead people -- specifically, himself
I knew it!  

2. The party debates the pros and cons of Celestial Brilliance with Nidrama
This isn't the point where Entropy kills the party and finishes the adventure on her own, is it?

3. Reaching the top of Skullrot, the Bright Axes fight the creme de la creme of its guardians
groovy - big A. at last  

4. DARK MYRAKUL
Between Entropy and Grimm, I give him 3 rounds tops.


----------



## JollyDoc

Long time fans of Shackled City might want to check out this website, a neat resource for enthusiasts of the campaign.

http://therpgenius.com/Default.aspx?alias=therpgenius.com/shackledcity


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Long time fans of Shackled City might want to check out this website, a neat resource for enthusiasts of the campaign.
> 
> http://therpgenius.com/Default.aspx?alias=therpgenius.com/shackledcity




Oh...and it includes a link to THIS Story Hour...LAF!  I thought you were posting this because it was a cool site, not to pimp our greatness.


----------



## JollyDoc

Hey man, one back scratch deserves another )


----------



## Joachim

*Got Cheese?*

Does this OOTS script remind y'all of anyone?

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=216

Man, even if he got the rules wrong, its still funny, and I love Rich's comic.  Joe and I met him at GenCon and got his autograph and sketches.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Yeah, a buddy of mine was talking about the comic, and I told him to come here and read this story hour if he wants to really see it in action.

GW


----------



## gfunk

*Whisper Things Into My Brain, Assuring Me That I'm Insane*

Moving slowly at first, and then picking up the pace as he neared the lab, Ike looked uncharacteristically worried.  As a goliath, few things frightened him, but what he experienced in Skullrot prior to his _resurrection_ was nothing short of mind-numbingly horrific.  

Walking into the room, everything fit, memories flooded back to him.  The racks, the vats filled with body parts, the vials of acid, the rusted scalpel and in the shadows, appearing as a mountain of stitched together flesh stood two huge humanoid-like creatures.  Ike approached with trepidation until he caught a glimpse of himself staring back.  A picture of agony, his face was sewed onto one of the golems, its visage paralyzed in an expression of unimaginable pain.  Suddenly, the fear left and the rage returned to him once more.

"You bastards!  You stole my face!!!  I"LL KILL YOU!!!!!!"

His warhammer caused a sickening squishing sound as it pounded against rotted flesh.  Responding to the aggression, the golems animated and began similarly slamming their fists into the battle rager – he hardly noticed.

A rush of cold air, followed by the tinkling sound of water vapor freezing manifested high above Ike as Houshang's _cone of cold_ enveloped the golems, slowing their movements significantly.  Next came Tilly and Kiko who continued to pound upon the golem that Ike had engaged.  Grimm's spiked chain then finished the creature off, bisecting it at the torso – then using the inertia to dig his weapon deep into the second one.

As a giant, Kiko was almost as tall as the construct he faced.  Almost effortlessly, his arms moved to intercept all the golems seemingly clumsy strikes.  These parries were followed by a masterful riposte into the creature's belly causing it to double over.  Ike ran up and smashed it in the head with all his might, as it stopped moving forever.

Still hyperventilating, Ike could hardly contain himself, "Those bastards . . . they beat me . . . tortured me . . . but I would never talk.  Then they ripped off my skin!  THEY MUST DIE!!"

He continued to bash the prone, inanimate piles of flesh until the Bright Axes managed to pull him away.  It seemed that the insanity that pervaded this asylum was beginning to slowly affect them.

---------------------------------------------

Slouva had thoroughly enjoyed the display.  It was indeed unheard of to have one of their stitched victims return to view their own corpse.  Frankly, she would have thought he would be glad to see that his useless face had gone to make something greater.

As she slid back into the shadows in the balcony, Lriznisith glided effortlessly yet quietly towards the interlopers.  The chasme was weak and it would provide the hor'd'oeuvres and she the main course.

Dark Myrakul must not have all the fun.

---------------------------------------------

"Look, deva, we are going to put up the _celestial brilliance_ and that's that!  We are not outside flying through Carceri anymore!  In this place," Grimm's arms gestured to encompass the totality of Skullrot, "everybody wants to kill us!"

"Grandmother, though I see your point and appreciate your concern for our safety, I must concur with Grimm.  Undoubtedly many more foes wait to ambush us and the spell will give us the upper hand in those cases."

Nidrama paused, it was probably useless to argue her case further.  She did not seek to battle them just yet, they had not even found Adimarchus.  

_Kill them, animate the all!  They will serve you far better as revenants anyway!_

The thought had crossed her mind, but undead had their weaknesses as Noir had aptly shown on multiple occasions.  No, this situation called for diplomacy.  She placed her arms up, palms outward in a placating gesture, "Very well my friends.  If you insist on this course of action, then I must protect myself.  Though I am not afraid to die in the course of our mission, I do not want to make it easier on my enemies.  And, the fact is, a celestial standing in a _celestial brilliance_ will be the first target for all the fiends here.  So, allow me to disguise myself."

Her feathered wings changed to bat-like ones as her size and muscle mass increased to a great degree.  A forked tail sprouted from her backside as her skin turned deep red with claws and teeth dripping with vile poison to match.

_A Pit Fiend!  She shapechanged into a Pit Fiend, the greatest of the devils!  _

Houshang's thoughts were mixed with jealousy and fear, mostly the former.  Though he knew some celestials had the ability to change forms, they could never assume the form of a creature with greater power than they.  And what a world of difference between a mere Movanic Deva and the undisputed masters of the Nine Hells!

Amid the shocked expressions of the Bright Axes, Nidrama continued, "As the fiends we are likely to face, I will still be damaged by the _celestial brilliance_ for my very flesh is now infernal.  However, there is a solution for that."

Gesturing, shadowy black tendrils appeared around her cloaking her body in a cloud of darkness.

"G-g-g-grandmother!  That is a _damning darkness_ spell, as vile as the _celestial brilliance_ is exalted!  How can you, a deva, do such a thing?"

"I am not of the Choir any longer.  By allying myself with you and defying their will, my very nature has changed.  I am not evil, to be sure, but no longer am I good."

Grimm's fingers twitched as he bounced his spiked chain in his hands.  This whole thing had not been right from the start.  So many had betrayed them, not the least of which was Kaurophon.  

"Planar Champion, I sense hostility in you.  Know that I have made sacrifices to make this trip to Carceri with the Bright Axes.  I have had to cut corners, bend my former ethos, find new powers to replace the ones I lost.  Let not my unconventional methods deter you from our true goal, the destruction of Adimarchus."

Her words were soothing, placating.  His distrust was still there but his rage slowly seeped away.  "Come, let us cast the _brilliance_ and move onward, we have wasted enough time here!"

---------------------------------------------

Before they could leave the laboratory, a strange droning sound filled the chamber.

"It's coming from over there," Tilly moved quietly to a nearby door pressing his ear against it as the sound increased to a crescendo.

Removing his lock picks, he easily flipped the lock and threw open the door. 

As the droning became ever louder, a demonic insect with human hands stood to greet them.  The droning was supposed to be doing something Tilly suspected, but none among the Bright Axes was affected.  

Before they had left Harrowfell, they had each obtained a _mind blank_ effect from a powerful artifact that Byalaka had squirreled away in the upper reaches of her castle.

As Ike and Kiko rushed to engage the creature, a thin green _disintegrate_ ray followed them from Houshang, though failing to take out the chasme.

Speaking in a weirdly alluring voice, the demon addressed them, "Leave Skullrot now fools lest it slay you forthwith."  As if to accentuate the point, its own body began to glow with a jet black _unholy aura_.

Sliding underneath Kiko's mammoth legs, Tilly stabbed the creature from underneath as he continued to slide away from its reach.  Ike followed suite, trying to hammer it into submission as he felt his own strength draining.  However, it was a whip from a familiar spiked chain that finished off the hopelessly outmatched chasme.

---------------------------------------------

Realizing that the object of their quest was likely upwards, the party began to ascend the winding staircase to reach the balcony.  As they moved around the final corner, they ran straight into another mammoth golem with another one on a balcony directly across from them.  In the distance, stood a gray muscled humanoid down a hallway surrounded by familiar cells.

The combined might of Ike, Tilly, and Grimm took down the first golem quickly as Gunther, Dalthon, and Houshang imbued their fellows with the power to _fly_.  

Smirking, Slouva moved to open the nearest door.  Since she had inhabited Skullrot, the hag knew well that Melchom had been here the longest.  Though many "wardens" liked to torment their mad prisoners, this particular door was always left untouched.

She decided that his time served was enough, parole was probably in order.

Slouva tore the lock off the door with her powerful claws and kicked the door open.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Woha, who is being invited to the party? An insane fallen celestial? I knew the group would not have a _very_ difficult time on the first levels of Skullrott.

That was great storytelling with Ike & his former face. But more than that I continue to enjoy "your Nidrama" and the thoughts & jealousy of Houshang. 

You're really building up to a grand final on all fronts - please keep it up, gfunk!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Joachim said:
			
		

> Does this OOTS script remind y'all of anyone?
> 
> http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=216
> 
> Man, even if he got the rules wrong, its still funny, and I love Rich's comic.  Joe and I met him at GenCon and got his autograph and sketches.



Yeah, I thought so, too. Did that ever happen to Grimm, though?


----------



## Sabriel

gfunk said:
			
		

> "G-g-g-grandmother!  That is a _damning darkness_ spell, as vile as the _celestial brilliance_ is exalted!  How can you, a deva, do such a thing?"




Why Grandma, what big teeth you have.   

Kudos!


----------



## Lela

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Yeah, I thought so, too. Did that ever happen to Grimm, though?



 'Course not, he pays attention to what's around him.  He's not some stupid half-ogre.


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> That was great storytelling with Ike & his former face. But more than that I continue to enjoy "your Nidrama" and the thoughts & jealousy of Houshang.
> 
> You're really building up to a grand final on all fronts - please keep it up, gfunk!




Thanks, I guesstimate three more updates before our tale is concluded. 



			
				Sabriel said:
			
		

> Why Grandma, what big teeth you have.
> 
> Kudos!




Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!  I'm sure you'll be interested to know that the party came *very, very* close to an all out brawl with Nidrama during this particular argument.  I ended rolling Diplomacy vs. Grimm's Sense Motive.  Fortunately, I rolled naturally high (b/c I have a -6 across the board penalty b/c of the insane certainty class feature of the Alienist).

Next Update Preview:

1. Party takes on Slouva and her mystery tag-team partner
2. Party takes on Dark Myrakul and tries a dirty, nasty trick to win the battle fast (but will it work?)
3. ADIMARCHUS BRINGS THE PAIN!! (and unlike a fellow SH colleague, I assure you that there will be no resting before *this* enounter)


----------



## gfunk

*Dark Myrakul*

The dim torchlight washed across Melchom’s face, his eyes unaccustomed to light after a century of confinement.  In reality, it didn’t make a damn bit of difference as he was able to see perfectly well without light, even in magical _darkness_.

He had managed to hold onto his sanity for years, but slowly, the corrupting influence of Skullrot – Graz’zzt’s asylum for foes who were unworthy of death – had slowly taken him.  To maintain at least a modicum of grip on reality, Melchom was forced to channel his rage though the dreamscape of his mind.  

Better times, better circumstances were common themes that occupied his thoughts --  dreams of war, dreams of liars, dreams of hellish fire, and of things that will bite.  He was in the midst of such violent ruminations when his door was abruptly torn from its hinges.  Unable to differentiate reality from his thoughts, Melchom rose to continue to battle his inner demons.

--------------------------

“Come forth devil, and crush my enemies!  Earn your freedom and you may yet escape the grasp of a demon prince!”

She was suddenly encircled by a powerfully muscled tail which began to squeeze her unmercifully.  Pulling her closer, Melchom held her in his grip as his fangs, dripping with vile poison, sunk into her shoulder.

Slouva was in shock – her ace-in-the-hole had suddenly turned the tables on her.  Seeing the Bright Axes tearing down her remaining flesh golem with alarming rapidity, she knew that her only chance was to interpose the Pit Fiend between herself and them.

The hag’s teeth clenched and her fists reflexively closed as the anger of her predicament coursed through her body.  Digging the claws of her left hand into the devil’s shoulder, she placed her right hand under his chin and pushed his head back until he was forced to free her.  Then she grabbed his bat-like wings and sent him sailing into a nearby wall with a resounding crack as she slipped deeper into the shadows.

-------------------------- 

_A Pit Fiend, oh my, this could get very messy, very quickly.  Not too long ago, Nidrama had encountered such a beast in the depths of the Underdark.  Its death at her hands had been highly fortuitous, she wondered if the Bright Axes would have similar luck._

The flesh golem turned out to be nothing but a stumbling block to the party.  Grimm and Kiko kept the construct off balance with well-timed strikes as Ike reduced it to quivering mush with sheer strength.

Five _magic missiles_ sailed through the melee to strike Slouva, still skulking in the shadows following the fiend’s attack.  This was followed by a flying Grimm and Kiko.  The half-ogre’s spiked chain dug wickedly into her back causing her to bend forward.  The stone giant monk straightened her out with an elbow smash to the face.

Surrounded by enemies, the stupid Pit Fiend could only babble incomprehensibly.  This was a bad situation – really, really bad.  Trying to escape, Slouva concentrated briefly as the area around her became covered with impenetrable fog.  That is, until it was _dispelled_ mere seconds later by Dalthon.

This was followed by an explosion of a _delayed blast fireball_ that ignited in the midst of the battle.  Miraculously, it only enveloped the hag and the Pit Fiend leaving “holes” around the others – a familiar mark of Houshang’s arcane mastery.  Before Slouva could recover, Grimm put her down permanently with several swings of his chain.

In the end, the Pit Fiend may have been a challenge for the party had he been sane.  But he could only offer melee attacks as the air of inevitably closed around him.  Tilly slid behind him, slicing his Achilles’ tendons followed by blow after blow from Kiko, Ike, and Grimm.  All told, the devil could only leave the Goliath a bloody mess before he himself fell to the floor – broken.

-------------------------- 

The lichfiend could only stare in amazement as his minions were sliced to ribbons.  Well, as a proficient multitasker he could watch _and_ buff himself with a ridiculous array of defensive magic.  Gripping his vorpal scythe in his bony fingers, he readied himself for certain conflict.

-------------------------- 

Months of struggle in Cauldron, its environs, and multiple planes had all led to this.  The mastermind behind it all knelt caged, apparently weeping at his fate.  His body was pure ebony, crisscrossed with deep scars undoubtedly inflicted during his prolonged captivity.

Grimm, his eye smoking, led the party down the narrow corridor that led to Adimarchus’ hanging prison.  The demon’s guardian hovered in front of them, daring them to advance.

_Interesting, a combination of undead and outsider, indeed a rare hybrid.  The Blood Fiends guardians of Irae T’ssaren’s . . . *her* Undying Temple were also such half-breeds.  Ah, memories!_

“Halt, half-ogre, before you make a grave mistake.  Do you realize where you are?  Skullrot is the domain of Graz’zzt, a demon prince whose power rivals that of Demogorgon and Orcus!  His greatest prize is this . . .,” Dark Myrakul gestured towards Adimarchus, “and the prince will brook no interference of his eternal torment.”

Grimm paused, uncertainty and doubt showing in his face.  Even in Greyhawk, Graz’zzt was a name that was universally feared.  Taking the witch-queen Iggwiliv as his consort, the demon prince had spawned the cambion abomination Iuz.  Under the direction of Iuz and the Greater Six, much of Oerth was immersed in protracted military conflict.

However, the Planar Champion took a deep breath which helped steel his resolve, “Adimarchus has caused incalculable damage on the Prime.  If he escapes, our world will suffer immensely.”

“I assure you, mortal, that he is quite safe here.  Having had the temerity to attack a true demon prince, he will suffer forevermore by my hand.  Leave and know that he is capable hands.”

“Unacceptable.  We wish him dead not tortured.”

As Grimm approached, with Tilly in tow a giant tentacle of writhing, rotting flesh crashed down on the half-ogre nearly crushing his skull.  Pushed down to a prone position, Grimm lifted his head up as Tilly leapt over him into the fray.

The Dark Myrakul opened his mouth and produced an unholy sound that reverberated throughout Skullrot.  The necromantic magic surrounded Tilly and Grimm, threatening to tear the very souls from their mortal coils.


----------



## Lela

Was the Pit Fiend attacking it's "ally" in the module or was that JD's thought process at work?



> “Unacceptable. He wish him dead not tortured.”



Confusing typo.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

What an update! Although the Lichfiend may have had the better start, I believe the situation will turn around soon.  Can't wait for Grimm's role in the battle with Big A. - he has the smoking eye, after all.




			
				Lela said:
			
		

> Was the Pit Fiend attacking it's "ally" in the module or was that JD's thought process at work?



I'm guessing JD let the dice decide the actions of the mad pit fiend - kind of like the confusion spell.


----------



## gfunk

Lela said:
			
		

> Was the Pit Fiend attacking it's "ally" in the module or was that JD's thought process at work?




NWK is right.  Inmates of Skullrot are cuckoo and operate as if under a _confusion_ spell.  It was rather embarassing to see a CR 20 encounter perform so poorly.



> Confusing typo.




Whoops, changed it!



			
				NeverwinterKnight said:
			
		

> What an update! Although the Lichfiend may have had the better start, I believe the situation will turn around soon.


----------



## Elemental

gfunk said:
			
		

> Walking into the room, everything fit, memories flooded back to him.  The racks, the vats filled with body parts, the vials of acid, the rusted scalpel and in the shadows, appearing as a mountain of stitched together flesh stood two huge humanoid-like creatures.  Ike approached with trepidation until he caught a glimpse of himself staring back.  A picture of agony, his face was sewed onto one of the golems, its visage paralyzed in an expression of unimaginable pain.  Suddenly, the fear left and the rage returned to him once more.
> 
> "You bastards!  You stole my face!!!  I"LL KILL YOU!!!!!!"




(whack) "Stop hitting yourself!" (whack) "Stop hitting yourself!"


----------



## JollyDoc

Ah...the exciting finale' approaches.  Believe me...it will be a shocker!


----------



## Joachim

Nice writing, G!

For those who do not believe our exploits, read the following.  Joe and Izerath will most likely read it and weep.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=rpga/articles/20050912a

Joe, my hotmail is down, could you email this link to the other ATHF guys?

Oh...and here is to the 1k post to another story hour.


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

Thanks for the link Joachim, but I think there's more people out there besides me who want names to go with the pic.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

At least I now better understand how Joe came to his ENBoards name...


----------



## JollyDoc

A'vandira Silvermane said:
			
		

> Thanks for the link Joachim, but I think there's more people out there besides me who want names to go with the pic.




From left to right:  Richard (Joachim), Bryant, Ron, Jeremy, Moi(JD) and Ronnie.


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> At least I now better understand how Joe came to his ENBoards name...





Yes, quite clever, eh?


----------



## gfunk

*The Thayan, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe*

The long journey that brought them to Carceri had fortified them immensely thus allowing both Tilly and Grimm to resist the death-dealing effect of the _wail of the banshee_.  Before they could launch a counter-attack however, Dark Myrakul’s wings abruptly stopped moving as he plunged into the darkness of Skullrot’s interior.

---------------------------

Countless calculations ran through Rusty’s mind.  Based on the _wail_ alone, it was abundantly clear that they were facing a spellcaster whose power at least matched their own.  For this very occasion, he had memorized just a spell to turn the tables, ensuring the Bright Axes would enjoy a decisive victory.  However, the magic was of such power that Mystra would grant him but one casting per day.  

But what of Adimarchus?  

Rusty knew that the caged demon prince likely possessed potent arcane energy but would not resort to casting spells – at least not as a mortal would.  Yes, indeed it was a measured risk for they would be losing a powerful weapon against the final enemy.  

He would do it, he decided, and trust his fate to Tymora.  

As his companions moved forward to engage the fleshy abomination that Dark Myrakul had left behind, Rusty readied to cast his spell.

---------------------------

Like a supremely trained athlete – an epitome of physical prowess and efficiency – Tilly, Grimm, Kiko, and Ike converged upon the giant dragonflesh golem.  While Grimm and Kiko flanked it and kept it off balance due to their extraordinary height, Tilly and Ike moved in close for the kill.  They were further aided by Dalthon who slowly stripped away the magical layers Dark Myrakul had erected to protect his most magnificent creation.

Meanwhile, Rusty nodded to Gunther as his younger companion rushed to the ledge where the Lichfiend had descended.  If a trap was to be set, a bait was required.

Squinting, the little dwarf allowed his sight to shift into darkvision as he scanned around for his quarry.  Upon seeing Dark Myrakul, he fired off a _scorching ray_ which was easily thwarted by the fiend’s resistance to magic.

Shaking his head with utter contempt, the cleric responded with a much more potent _energy drain_ whose crackling energy slammed into Gunther – weakening him greatly and eliminating many of his stronger memorized spells.

---------------------------

Nidrama and Houshang paid far less attention to the current tactical situation on hand as they planned their long-term strategies.

_Take them in the back now, while they waste time on this creature.  Then annihilate Adimarchus!_

“Shut up and watch,” the Pit Fiend whispered under her breath.  She had not amassed her current level of power through mindless slaughter.

_Wait._

She chuckled inwardly as she corrected herself -- though she certainly enjoyed the occasional carnage, it was tempered with watchful waiting.  

As she had done with Irae T’ssaren and Nalavara, she provided her tacit support until a critical point in the battle.  In the case of Irae, it has netted her a sentient construct, a legion of undead followers, and the patronage of a deity.  Of course, crossing Joachim and Nurn in Nalavara’s Bastion of Broken Souls had nearly cost her her life.  

She would wait a little longer, she decided.

_The Ashen Blade, by the gods where is that damn thing?_ 

Houshang thoughts idled as he tossed _disintegrates_ and _polymorphs_ at Dark Myrakul’s rampaging construct.  As an accomplished student of all things arcane, he fully knew that such magic would be wasted on the golem – but one had to keep up appearances.  

Subtlety was obviously something that was wasted on Nidrama, he thought smugly.  Since he had joined the party, she had contributed virtually nothing to their cause with the exception of a minor abjuration or transmutation here and there.

He, on the other hand, knew that earning and keeping the Bright Axes’ trust was vital to his mission.  For him to pinch an artifact from a demon prince (from his live or dead hands, the Red Wizard scarcely cared) was clearly not possible by himself.  

This time, unlike in Acheron, he would exercise great caution to see that the mighty sword came to no harm.  The _Ashen Blade_ so far exceeded the power of the trinket he had originally been sent to retrieve from Imperagon that Houshang knew that he would be well-rewarded upon his return to Thay.  

Forgiveness from the Zulkir?  Hah, such a wish lacked ambition – likely he would rise even higher in the magocracy.

---------------------------

It was appropriate that Ike, once again, administered the final blows that took down the dragonflesh golem.  In a way it was fitting that he had exacted a measure of personal revenge for all the suffering those monsters had inflicted on him and countless others.

With the golem destroyed, their final plan was enacted.

“Dalthon, Grimm, get into yer freakin’ positions NOW!!!”

Pulling his beleaguered cohort back, Rusty took Gunther's place and began casting.

Dark Myrakul’s eyes widened in panic as he realized what the dwarf would do.  In mere moments, all the magical defenses he had carefully constructed were torn asunder by the power of the _disjunction_.  True his undead flesh was resistant, but that hardly mattered consider the elite caliber of his enemies.

As if to accentuate that point, a thin green _disintegrate_ from Dalthon’s outstretched palm lanced the Lichfiend.  He buckled as he tried to fight the raging magical energies that consumed him, but without his magic little could be done.  Barely able to retain flight, the last thing Dark Myrakul saw was a spiked chain piercing his dessicated flesh.

---------------------------

“What now?”

“We open the cage, destroy Adimarchus, the Realms is saved, blah, blah, blah . . .”

“Aye Red Wizard, but aren’t a wee bit enthusiastic all of a sudden?”

Adrenaline still surging through his body from the last battle, Grimm was in no mood for conversation.  This caged . . . thing had been responsible for innumerable deaths and the destruction of an entire town.  He would be damned if he was going to let it live for one more second.

With his smoking eye, the planar champion knew intuitively what he must do.

As Grimm’s spiked chain struck the iron cage, it absolutely shattered as if hammer to glass.  

Never before had the party seen a being’s expression go from a state of abject depression to pure elation in such a short time.  Adimarchus immediately spread his white wings as his muscular ebon body was thrust upwards to the pinnacle of Skullrot.

_Kill all of them now!  Before they turn on you!_

Ignoring his insane pleas, Nidrama executed her plans.  First she invoked a _time stop_, causing the shocked expressions of her former comrades to be frozen in time – they had never suspected that a mere Deva could cast such a mighty spell.

Oh, but the surprises were just beginning!

Flying upwards quickly to the level where Dark Myrakul’s construct still twitched lifelessly in a mass of viscera, she stood against the wall and sealed herself off with a _wall of force_.  Finally, she conjured a _dimensional lock_ around her, ensuring that nobody could join her in relative safety.

She calmly sat down as the time stream resumed.  A perfect view, she decided, to witness a deadly conflict unscathed . . . and intervene when appropriate.


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

Double thanks guys.

JD for the names to go with the faces and GF for the awesome update.
I fear what may be coming, but I will eagerly await the next instalment, hoping against hope (or better judgment) for the Bright Axes to come out on top.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Thanks for doing this, gfunk! I want to see the Bright Axes square off against Big A., too & I love reading the thoughts of the different PCs from their perspective!
Too bad, though, we can't see Houshang's face.


----------



## JollyDoc

I loved the title of this one G!!


----------



## gfunk

A'vandira Silvermane said:
			
		

> Double thanks guys.
> 
> JD for the names to go with the faces and GF for the awesome update.
> I fear what may be coming, but I will eagerly await the next instalment, hoping against hope (or better judgment) for the Bright Axes to come out on top.




Hey, no problem, we aim to please!  A prayer for the Bright Axes before you go to bed tonight would probably be appreciated however.  



			
				NeverwinterKnight said:
			
		

> Thanks for doing this, gfunk! I want to see the Bright Axes square off against Big A., too & I love reading the thoughts of the different PCs from their perspective!
> Too bad, though, we can't see Houshang's face.




Before we brought Entropy into the campaign I promised JollyDoc that I would not intervene unless the circumstances were dire.  Combat-wise, you can see that I did not interfere much besides mutant Vhalantru.  A second exception is coming up shortly.



			
				JollyDoc said:
			
		

> I loved the title of this one G!!




Thanks, it just came to me!

Hey guys, because I love you all so much -- another update tonight!  What else am I going to do on the long commutes home? (BTW, I use mass transit, lest you guys are freaking out right now  )


----------



## Lela

Evil demon of ubber power breaks loose and the Celestial vanishes?  Doesn't surprise me all that much so I'm not sure if we're going to have our 3-way yet.

But, perhaps, soon.


----------



## gfunk

*The Prince of Madness Unleashed*

Looking downwards at his opponents, Adimarchus slowly and methodically locked gazes with each member of the party – staring down Grimm, perhaps the most powerful of Occipitus’ would-be successors, the longest.  The Bright Axes and the Prince of Madness had known each other only by reputation for what seemed like eons – and had longed for the destruction of the other just as long.

Therefore no words of introduction or braggadocio were required.  

Let the battle begin.

-------------------------

The demon prince made the first move by _summoning_ five Glabrezus to serve as his vanguard.  Standing at the edge of the square precipice that led to the bottom of Skullrot, the Bright Axes were suddenly surrounded by the huge dog-like demons.  By fortuitousness or design one of them happened to be Nabthatoron – the very one who had nearly thwarted them in Red Gorge and had taken the lives of Alec Terceval and Ajax.

At the sight of Rusty, Tilly, and Dalthon, recognition flashed into the fiend’s cruel, soulless eyes, “I told you we would meet again mortals!  What I began with Terceval I shall finish by tearing you limb from limb!  NOW, my brethren, make them quake before our might.”

In one synchronous gesture, the Glabrezu’s concentrated and unleashed _power word stuns_ that blanketed the entire area.  Unfortunately for them, Byakala’s magic had already rendered the Bright Axes absolutely invulnerable to such mind-affecting magic.

Retaliating for Nabthatoron’s failed pre-emptive strike, Ike launched one of his own.  Coming in at precisely the right angle, his warhammer smashed against the fiend’s femur – nearly turning it to dust under the weight of the impact.  Snarling in pain, the Glabrezu dropped to one knee only to receive two more terrific blows to his spine.  In desperation, he grabbed a nearby Gunther who was fumbling with a wand.  However, in the end, it was Grimm’s ever-present _celestial brilliance_ that sent the fiend careening back to the Abyss.

Kiko, realizing that fighting the four remaining Glabrezus were merely absorbing their resources, ran past them all as he masterfully dodged their attempts to intercept his course.  He leapt directly off the ledge and activated his _boots of flying_ as he fell.  The monk looked up confidently at Adimarchus who remained aloof and oblivious to the melee raging around him.

Meanwhile, Tilly and Grimm focused on yet another Glabrezu.  The rogue tumbled between its legs, frustrating the fiend's attempt at grappling, as his blows tore deep gashes in its hamstrings.  Thus off balance, it was easy prey for the planar champion whose spiked chain ripped through its beefy body.  Using the death blow as inertia, Grimm guided the trajectory of his weapon straight into Adimarchus.

To his credit, the demon prince attempted to grab the chain in mid-air with his free hand while his armored gauntlet struck it away.  However even he could do little to deflect the blow and was badly gashed across his torso.

Decidedly unpleased with this development, Adimarchus spoke a single word of _blasphemy_.

-------------------------

_Ah . . . blasphemy an oldie but goody.  Entropy fondly remembered the first time a demon from Lolth’s assassinations squads had tried to blaspheme her.  It had not done a damn thing as she was just as black-hearted as her assassin, if not more so.  Nevertheless, she remembered how incredibly irritating that spell was when she was more ethically-challenged._

The results in this case were dramatic as Tilly, Rusty, and Dalthon were in a brief daze from the evil energies unleashed upon them.  Houshang and Gunther fared even worse as they fell paralyzed to the ground, their strength absolutely sapped.  Only Grimm, by virtue of his smoking eye, and Kiko, out of the magic’s limited radius remained unharmed.

Taking full advantage of their master’s superb riposte, the Glabrezu’s began to go to town on Gunther and Houshang both of who were basically helpless.  In their blood frenzy, the demons did not try to kill them cleanly or efficiently but rather tried to land as many deadly blows in a short a period of time as possible.  Fortunately, this lack of foresight and the presence of Dalthon’s _stoneskins_ kept the pair on the cusp of life.

The remaining Glabrezu displayed a markedly better grasp of tactics as he buffeted Grimm with a _dispel magic_.  Seeing that the half-ogre offered the most credible threat to his master, he caused Grimm to float to the ground as his _fly_ expired – preventing him from reaching Adimarchus.  Instead both Grimm and Ike turned on the demon threatening their helpless companions, annihilating one outright and severely wounding the other.

“You will pay for your crimes, Adimarchus!!!”

Flying upwards with a spectacular spinning kick, Kiko’s Stone Giant sized leg failed to connect with Adimarchus who deftly flew aside at the last second.  The power behind the maneuver left Kiko temporarily vulnerable as the demon prince spun behind him.  Almost playfully, he cuffed the monk in the back of the head with his clawed gauntlet.

Though the blow itself was not extremely painful, Kiko felt a strange sensation.  His lips began to purse and his cheeks soon followed.  He tried to scream, but his entire face, arms, torso and legs rapidly entered his mouth.  A writhing ball of flesh, he then exploded with a unceremonious pop as his remains fell messily to the bottom of Skullrot.

Watching the remains, Adimarchus turned towards the remaining Bright Axes.  He smiled as he gestured at them to *bring it*.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Ouch.

GW


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Oops. Tough opening for the party! How could Kiko have missed his save? Also, Houshang is not evil? Now I'm disappointed! :[

Go Grimm!


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

gfunk said:
			
		

> As Grimm’s spiked chain struck the iron cage, it absolutely shattered as if hammer to glass.




When I read this, I read it as the spiked chain shattered, and I was thinking.  Uh Oh, does Grimm have a backup weapon, how will this affect his effectiveness?  The follow-on post cleared it up for me though.

GW


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Oops. Tough opening for the party! How could Kiko have missed his save? Also, Houshang is not evil? Now I'm disappointed! :[
> 
> Go Grimm!




Houshang is/was CN, as I recall.  

A natural 1 always fails...


----------



## Joachim

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Houshang is/was CN, as I recall.




Lawful Neutral, to be exact.

Yeah, Adimarchus was tough.  Toughest monster that I could remember since Nalavara (Ashardalon).


----------



## gfunk

*The Queen of Madness Unleashed*

The Bright Axes looked on with despair as the what little remained of Kiko’s corpse tumbled into the darkness of Skullrot.  Rusty, in particular, felt the loss most acutely as he had often _revivified_ comrades who had just died.  Unfortunately, the condition and location of the monk’s body made any such attempt impossible.

Spurred on by the death of their friend, Ike, Tilly, and Grimm put on a spectacular display of their battle prowess, annihilating the three remaining Glabrezus in the minimum possible time.  As if to emphasize this fact, Grimm once again used the terrific momentum of his spiked chain to cleave into Adimarchus who was now a mere 15 feet from the party.

Unlike many powerful foes they had faced, Grimm’s weapon seemed to have no problem  freely inflicting damage upon the Prince of Madness.

---------------------

_The Demon has almost finished them.  Wait a few moments more, allow them to go down in a blaze of glory – then kill Adimarchus._

Seeing the Bright Axe’s plight, Entropy had mixed feelings.  As a servant of the Revenancer, she would love nothing more than to see them all slain and _animated_ by her hand.  At the same time, she was an adventurer once too and could see that Adimarchus greatly exceeded the power of the group.  In reality, he was probably toying with them – unwilling to display the true limits of his power.

This bode poorly for Entropy as well for if Adimarchus crushed the Bright Axes with only a modicum of his potential arsenal, it put her at a severe information disadvantage.

Now would be a good time to encourage Adimarchus to be a little more forthcoming with his abilities.  Calmly, she dismissed the _wall of force_ that separated her from the battle.  Activating the fear aura inherent to her Pit Fiend form she strode forward and launched a spell.

---------------------

An amused expression on his face, Adimarchus looked over his shoulder as he felt a tingle of arcane magic bounce off him.  

_A maze spell – not a minor ability.  An arcanist shapechanged no doubt – I will crush her soon enough . . ._

The Prince proceeded to launch a _flame strike_ behind Grimm and Tilly catching Ike, Rusty, and Gunther in its fury.  Though two of them reacted quickly enough to miss the brunt of the damage, Gunther was fully immolated by the spell’s fury and fell over, a charred husk.

Fortunately, Rusty was nearby and quickly _revivified_ his cohort.  Standing up shakily, Gunther was given a restorative potion by Ike and the Mystic Theurge quickly scampered away from the battle lest he be slain forthwith.  

---------------------

In sharp contrast to the Prince’s amused expression, Entropy frowned severely.  Though the nature of magic was fickle, she was quite surprised how easily Adimarchus had resisted her spell, despite the power of the Soul Totem she carried.  Time to bring out the big guns . . .

_Shapechanging_ into a much larger Nightwalker, the Alienist fired an _energy drain_ ray from Queen Vlaakith’s Crown of Corruption.  Since this artifact was constructed by the Lich-Queen herself, its potential to rip through spell resistance significantly exceeded her own.  

The ray struck Adimarchus full on causing involuntary spasms to rock his entire body.  The Demon had been struck in just the right place and the right moment to cause the damage from the necromantic effect to increase manifold.  

Struggling to find a better tactical position, Adimarchus flew quickly past Grimm trying to pummel him with an _implosive strike_.  However, his blow was clumsy and slow – unworthy of a Demon Prince – allowing the Planar Champion to deflect the strike with relative ease.  Correctly thinking that their foe was weakened, Tilly launched a _bead of force_ at him as he flew by but to no avail.

Emboldened by their temporary advantage, the Bright Axes recovered from their initial losses.  A fleeing Gunther removed Houshang’s paralysis while Rusty answered Adimarchus with a _flame strike_ of his own, though the damage was inflicted was minimal.  Grimm, try as he might, simply could not connect his deadly weapon with the Prince – clearly his defensive capabilities had not waned along with his offense.

Once again Adimarchus was lanced with an _energy drain_, followed by the approach of Entropy in Bodak form.  Recognizing the death-dealing gaze of these undead, he averted his eyes as he tried to surround himself with _mirror images_.  However, the leeching power from Vlaakith’s crown had taken its toll and his spellcasting ability was but a shadow of its original power – a single image popped into existence.  In apparent desperation, he closed with the Bodak.

“Watch out lads, that thing is death incarnate!  Don’t ye dare look at it!!”

Rusty’s warning came a second too late for Tilly who looked into the Bodak’s empty eyes a moment too long.  As he managed to do with Dark Myrakul’s _wail of the banshee_, the halfling warrior proved his mettle again by resisting the powerful effect.

All the Bright Axes converged on the Prince now, trying their best to finish him off.  Though Rusty’s _implosion_ and Houshang’s _poloymorph any object_ failed to affect him, Grimm dug his spike chain deep into his shoulder – blood now flowing freely.

_Defeat was still far from likely, as he had his trump card.  He had been loathe to use it at first, confident that it would be patently unnecessary.  However, the appearance of a heretofore unknown arcanist forced his hand.  Most disturbingly, as he had done to the Bright Axes, she was likely toying with him._


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Toying with him?  Um, how far has entropy advanced?

GW


----------



## gfunk

Graywolf-ELM said:
			
		

> Toying with him?  Um, how far has entropy advanced?
> 
> GW




Well, this is his perception at the current time, not necessarily the reality.  As the next update or two will show, Adimarchus is *more* than capable of laying the smackdown.

Also, in the first particular instance of the energy drain, Entropy threatened a crit and then confirmed.  A roll on a 2d4 came up as 3 and 4.  Yes, my friends, the Prince of Madness just ate 14 negative levels all at once!!!!

Lke I said, I could have easily failed to bust his SR (50/50 chance even with Vlaaktih's caster level).  But he is, justifiably, freaking out right now.  But he will calm his jangled nerves once he smacks down a few more PCs.


----------



## Lela

He took 14 negative levels!?!?!  And he's going to continue to smack down?

Dang, now it's time to run like a squirrel with it's tail on fire.

(I'm doing squirrel metaphors today.  No, I don't know why.)


----------



## JollyDoc

Lela said:
			
		

> He took 14 negative levels!?!?!  And he's going to continue to smack down?
> 
> Dang, now it's time to run like a squirrel with it's tail on fire.
> 
> (I'm doing squirrel metaphors today.  No, I don't know why.)





The old boy still has one or two tricks up his sleeve...


----------



## Solarious

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> The old boy still has one or two tricks up his sleeve...



 Namely, he's going to switch bodies and start smacking Entropy with the _Ashen Blade_ and his oh-so-lovely _Eneverating_ tentacle-lampreys?


----------



## Lela

Hmmmm, now's a good time to toss out a _G. Restoration_.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Still, the end is inevitable...what's the CR for a demon prince zombie? 

This update was great - so glad you joined the fray, gfunk!


----------



## gfunk

Solarious said:
			
		

> Namely, he's going to switch bodies and start smacking Entropy with the _Ashen Blade_ and his oh-so-lovely _Eneverating_ tentacle-lampreys?





			
				NeverwinterKnight said:
			
		

> Still, the end is inevitable...what's the CR for a demon prince zombie?
> This update was great - so glad you joined the fray, gfunk!




Don't worry, I think both of you will be happy.  More fatalities up ahead.  IIRC, there should be four total (and, in one case, the same guy  [not Adimarchus] gets offed twice   )


----------



## Solarious

Ohhh, Grunther ges offed again!  Sounds FUN.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Don't worry, I think both of you will be happy.  More fatalities up ahead.  IIRC, there should be four total (and, in one case, the same guy  [not Adimarchus] gets offed twice   )



 A victim of revivify & heal to die another round?


----------



## Lela

All it takes is someone who knows the party and readies an action to cast _Fireball_ just after a _Revivify_ goes off.


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> A victim of revivify & heal to die another round?





			
				Lela said:
			
		

> All it takes is someone who knows the party and readies an action to cast Fireball just after a Revivify goes off.




Good guess, both of you, but wrong.  This unfortunate individual was at max hp before he (or she  ) died both times!  Will do my best to get an update before the weekend.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Good guess, both of you, but wrong.  This unfortunate individual was at max hp before he (or she  ) died both times!  Will do my best to get an update before the weekend.



Oh my god - you killed Entropy!  She's the only one with the Soul creatures back-to-life bonus...

Why ? *Why ? WHY ???*






I hope I'm wrong...     :\


----------



## Solarious

gfunk's jerking your chain and pushing your buttons. Entropy has a well defined sense of survival, and Adimarchus has problems of his own to worry about. Who wants to place bets on the fact his chain gets sundered sometime soon?  The _Ashen Blade_ is quite the smiter, I hear.


----------



## Lela

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Oh my god - you killed Entropy!  She's the only one with the Soul creatures back-to-life bonus...
> 
> Why ? *Why ? WHY ???*
> 
> 
> I hope I'm wrong...     :\



 Doesn't Grimm have something like that with his Smoking Eye?  Though I think he would end up back in his own little plane when that came up.


----------



## Solarious

Lela said:
			
		

> Doesn't Grimm have something like that with his Smoking Eye?  Though I think he would end up back in his own little plane when that came up.



 No, but Entropy does. Hmn, this isn't a good sign. Well, maybe this person gets a _Heal_ before getting offed.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Solarious, I hope you're right. From my point of view, I'd rather see the party go down than Entropy. *gasp* Don't worry, I'm still cheering for the demise of Big A.  




			
				Lela said:
			
		

> Doesn't Grimm have something like that with his Smoking Eye?  Though I think he would end up back in his own little plane when that came up.



He would be transported to Occipitus, bodily intact, but still dead. I don't think this would work when killed on that plane, though, and he would still be dead. Someone would need to ressurect him.


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Solarious, I hope you're right. From my point of view, I'd rather see the party go down than Entropy. *gasp* Don't worry, I'm still cheering for the demise of Big A.
> 
> 
> 
> He would be transported to Occipitus, bodily intact, but still dead. I don't think this would work when killed on that plane, though, and he would still be dead. Someone would need to ressurect him.



 And the party thanks you for your support in hoping we get wiped and the beloved entropy stay alive.


----------



## gfunk

*Adimarchus Gets Pissed*

The party watched with increasing alarm as the change occurred.  Adimarchus’ magnificent white wings tore in half as the feathers littered the floor, leaving four smaller bloody stumps in their place.  These gradually elongated taking on tentacle like shapes.  The Prince’s skin hardened and a pair of horns erupted from his forehead.  Most disturbingly, a sword as black as the void appeared suddenly in his expectant hand.

“Now . . . _heroes_ . . . let me show you the true power of a Demon Prince.”

Turning angrily at the impetuous sorcerer who crippled his angelic aspect, Adimarchus buffeted her with a _greater dispelling_.  Though her _shapechange_ remained, her magical aura dimmed significantly – undoubtedly rendering her more killable.  

With a snarl of fury, Grimm launched himself at the Prince’s new form.  The Planar Champion moved quickly placing a large gash in the demon’s shoulder, but the remainder of his blows were easily parried with by the _Ashen Blade_.

“Bearer of the Smoking Eye, I urge you to reconsider your position.  Though it may seem distasteful to you now, I assure you that being a retainer at my side is far superior to being a mangled corpse at my feet . . .”

“I’ll smash your skull you demon bastard!!”

Adimarchus’ appeal was cut short as Ike charged into the fray brandishing his deadly warhammer.  As he approached, one of the Prince’s tentacles lashed out at him.   At the end of the appendage was a row of teeth that bit into his flesh.  The physical damage, however, was minute compared to the _drain_ the attack had on his spirit.  Losing momentum, Ike’s hammer fell upon a _mirror image_ rather than his intended target.

“Perhaps, bearer of my herald, I can convince you of my power by annihilating your friends,” sneered Adimarchus as he gestured towards Houshang, Rusty, Dalthon, and Gunther.  The quartet initially felt slightly dehydrated but nearly keeled over in agony as the _horrid wilting_ continued to suck every drop of moisture out of their bodies.

Grimm had seen enough.  This time he put all of his strength into his blows, leaving behind any trapping of finesse.  Adimarchus moved to parry but the spiked chain merely pushed the _Ashen Blade_ aside as bloody chunks were ripped out of his body.

----------------------------------------------

_You are an arrogant fool.  When you had the opportunity, you could have taken them all in the back and subjugated Adimarchus quickly.  Yet you were too cowardly to do otherwise, just like always!_

“Get of my mind!!  I am the most powerful Alienist in Faerun, you are nothing! NOTHING!!!”

Both Adimarchus and the Bright Axes looked with confusion at Entropy as she seemed to be fighting a losing internal struggle.  Within moments, her turmoil subsided as her eyes became almond-shaped and her ears slightly pointed.

“Prince of Madness, see me and know that this body has slain the most powerful beings in Toril.  Vlaakith, ruler of the Githyanki for centuries, Nalavara, consumer of  the unborn, and Laveth, daughter of Llolth have all fallen before me.  You will submit yourself to my will or be likewise obliterated from the multiverse.”

The Prince’s eyes narrowed as he appraised the seemingly new personality of his foe.  With his _true seeing_ he could see that she was chaos and evil incarnate – much like himself.  Furthermore, the artifacts she carried – the _Crown of Corruption_, the _Soul Totem_ and the _Claw of the Revenancer_ – all supported the veracity of her claims.  The real question is how such a nauseatingly goodly group of adventurers could possibly have accepted her into their ranks.  Unless of course she was deceiving them . . .

“Heroes, do you realize who this person is?  She is evil personified, the Chosen of a vile goddess of undeath!  How dare you presume to have moral authority over me when you associate with such depravity?”

_Let them consider their hiring philosophy while I lay waste to them._

Erecting a _wall of force_ to close off Grimm and Tilly, Adimarchus strode over to the spellcasters.

They were ready for him.

Rusty discharged a _harm_ on the approaching Demon Prince, Houshang tried to turn him into a cockroach with a mighty _polymorph any object_, and Dalthon sent a green beam into Adimarchus’ skull as his _true strike_ empowered his _disintegrate._ 

Despite their best efforts, these utterly failed to stop his inexorable progress.

----------------------------------------------

_Entropy floated in the dreamscape of the Far Realms.  Somehow, Winterwood had managed to link to her mind and forcibly co-opt her body.  Since the damned elf’s own body probably lay safely tucked away somewhere, he had nothing to fear.  However, her body was freely expendable to him.  This was very, very bad._

“Don’t just stand their gawking brute, go help your friends!”

Entropy’s [_disintegrate_ removed the _wall_ as Grimm tried to intercept Adimarchus before he reached the rest of the party.  

This time, however, the Demon Prince was ready for him – he quickly moved closer to Grimm thereby negating the advantage of the half-ogre’s wide kill circle.  By the time a frustrated Grimm had pulled his weapon back for another strike it was too late.

Gunther, seeing that his friend and mentor was in dire peril tried the only thing that he had left – diplomacy.

“Please, mighty Demon Prince, we ask you for a truce.  Enough blood has been shed here today – let us go our separate ways.”

Adimarchus did not stop, “Yes . . . I _could_ do that.  Or I could just kill all of you and _then_ go my own way.”

As the _Ashen Blade_ tore a swath across Rusty’s chest, the dwarf staggered backwards.  Suddenly, his skin turned bright red and he began sweating profusely.  It seemed as if a raging inferno inside him was trying to burst outward.  Rusty dropped to his knees in horrible agony but fought to stay alive.

“You are stubborn dwarf, I’ll give you that.  Now let me send you to the glorious afterlife you so richly deserve.”

A final swing of the Blade severed the dwarf’s spine as he collapsed to the ground.

Without missing a beat, one of Adimarchus’ tentacles seized Gunther and held him aloft and immobile.  “_Revivify_ this,” he smirked as the weapon plunged into the Theurge’s gut.


----------



## Look_a_Unicorn

Ooh climactic 
Poor party


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> *Adimarchus Gets Pissed*
> 
> The party watched with increasing alarm as the change occurred.  Adimarchus’ magnificent white wings tore in half as the feathers littered the floor, leaving four smaller bloody stumps in their place.  These gradually elongated taking on tentacle like shapes.  The Prince’s skin hardened and a pair of horns erupted from his forehead.  Most disturbingly, a sword as black as the void appeared suddenly in his expectant hand.
> 
> “Now . . . _heroes_ . . . let me show you the true power of a Demon Prince.”




Um, I showed my roommate this.  We both agreed, this is when you run like, well, a Demon Prince is after you.  GET OUT NOW!!!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Ika_Greybeard said:
			
		

> And the party thanks you for your support in hoping we get wiped and the beloved entropy stay alive.



I didn't mean it like that...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Gfunk, nice description of the form change! Very worthy of a demon prince!!! Rusty's quick death is a shock, but the damage must have been immense. 

No reaction from Houshang to the Ashen Blade? I bet he is not so eager on making contact with it now that he's seen what happened to Rusty.


----------



## Lela

Let's all play with swords that make Vorpal look dull!  

That had to hurt.


----------



## catdragon

gfunk said:
			
		

> Without missing a beat, one of Adimarchus’ tentacles seized Gunther and held him aloft and immobile.  “_Revivify_ this,” he smirked as the weapon plunged into the Theurge’s gut.




I think this is my favorite quote ever.  Was it actually said in play?  I can not tell you how many times I have so wanted to really beat down a party of cocky adventurers and just smirk as I did so.


----------



## Elemental

gfunk said:
			
		

> _Entropy floated in the dreamscape of the Far Realms.  Somehow, Winterwood had managed to link to her mind and forcibly co-opt her body.  Since the damned elf’s own body probably lay safely tucked away somewhere, he had nothing to fear.  However, her body was freely expendable to him.  This was very, very bad._




I can honestly say I did not see _that_ coming!


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> No reaction from Houshang to the Ashen Blade?



Well, as you said, he's got more important things to worry about.  


			
				catdragon said:
			
		

> I think this is my favorite quote ever. Was it actually said in play?



Sadly no.  Our DM is not that cruel.


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> Sadly no.  Our DM is not that cruel.




Doesn't mean I wasn't thinking it though )


----------



## Solarious

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Doesn't mean I wasn't thinking it though )



 I would be disappointed if you weren't. All DMs need a good dose of sadism in them to do their jobs effectively. After all, challenges are always accompanied by screaming and suffering. 

Eagerly awaiting more PC smackdown and deaths... 

Also awaiting what the heck Winterwood is up to, using Entropy and all.  Hope she doesn't bite the dust... twice.


----------



## Lela

Oh, come on guys.  If anyone has plans for this kind of thing set up, Entropy does.  Even a _Clone_ spell would be enough to keep her going.

Not to mention, _Contingency (Teleport)_.  Either to put her body somewhere for a True Res or to move her equipment to the clone.


----------



## A'vandira Silvermane

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> I didn't mean it like that...




Yeah. That's what they all say


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Hey g,

where's the update?   Do you still commute or what?


----------



## gfunk

Sorry for the silence.  I'm back in AL and have a bit of catch up work to do.  Will do my best to update within a week, but I'm kind of burned out.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

No problem, gfunk. It's just that you've been spoiling us with your frequent updates...


----------



## gfunk

Thanks for waiting guys!

*Clash of the Titans*

Winterwood looked on the battle with a cold detachment.  Originally, he had planned for Entropy to slay Adimarchus and, with the _Claw of the Revenancer_, _animate_ his corpse and force him to serve.  However, upon possession of his rival’s body he came to know some interesting facts.

First, the _Claw_ had but a single use left in it for a tenday.

Second, Entropy harbored doubts that a being of Admiarchus’ power could be _animated_ in such a fashion.

Therefore a different tactic was called for.  Namely, to force the Prince to disclose how he had contacted and manipulated his minions on the Prime despite extraplanar confinement, a condition similarly hampering Winterwood in the Far Realms.

But how to beat his foe within an inch of his life without actually slaying him – that was the quandary.  

After contemplation, he decided to support the warriors – Ike and Grimm– and neutralize any spellcasters who launched direct attacks against Adimarchus.

The Prince could heal damage from physical blows in short order, but Winterwood was not going to bet against a lucky _destruction_ or _disintegrate_ getting through.

Time was short, he knew.  The duration of bodily possession was inversely proportional to the personal magnetism and force of character of the host.  While Entropy was mentally defective by his lofty standards, her charisma could build nations . . . or annihilate them.  And her consciousness was inexorably reasserting itself . . .

-------------------------------------

Adimarchus was too busy gloating over Gunther’s impending death to notice Ike charging him sideways.  Forcing the top of his hammer directly into the Prince’s gut, the Goliath forced him to drop the bleeding Theurge.  Meanwhile, Grimm applied two deft slashes across the Demon’s back – supplemented by yet another _energy drain_ from Entropy’s _Crown of Corruption_.

_The dwarf, half-ogre, and the shapechanging arcanist represent the most dire threats.  The rest of them are nothing to me._

Turning from Rusty’s corpse, Adimarchus launched a _greater dispelling_ upon Grimm who found his remaining spells stripped away.  

-------------------------------------

Houshang feared for his life.  The threats of Druxus Rhym simply paled in comparison to his current plight.  All thoughts of recovering the _Ashen Blade_ and his meteoric advancement in Thay’s magocracy were supplanted, overwhelmingly, with thoughts of self-preservation.  Certainly, magical escape appealed to him but it was obvious that a Demon Prince, unlike the Zulkir of Transmutation, would have little trouble finding and slaying him.

No, the current situation dictated that he fully throw in his lot with the Bright Axes.  Only together did they have a shred of hope.  He gestured at the Goliath and watched as his _polymorph any object_ spell turned him, like the _imploded_ Kiko, into a mighty Stone Giant.

Houshang’s morale was quickly deflated however, when his would-be protector failed to connect his warhammer with the Demon, despite his augmented strength.

-------------------------------------

Tilly quickly _flew_ to Gunther, providing him a healing draught before the afterlife claimed him.  The halfling’s self-confidence had been shattered by their encounter with Adimarchus.  Never before, had the Bright Axes faced an opponent so clearly out of their league.  One thing was apparent – they were never destined to emerge alive from this battle.

Though he was by no means a coward, his preservation instinct was strong and he had no desire for his life to be ended in an evil-aligned Outer Plane.  Tilly exchanged a concerned glance with Dalthon, whose _maximized magic missile_ finally inflicted a modicum of damage upon Adimarchus.  Clearly, the sorcerer was having similar thoughts.  

The Rogue quickly _flew_ over to him, hoping that he could convince him that the survival of two was superior to the death of all.

-------------------------------------

Ignoring everything and everyone else, Adimarchus advanced towards Grimm.  

“Warrior, your resistance has been inspiring to me.  But know that your victory was never meant to be.  A mere squire cannot hope to defeat his Knight.  And, by virtue of carrying my symbol, you are perhaps my greatest pawn.  Though I could slay you with ease, it would be a wasteful death.  Once more, I offer you the opportunity to serve me . . . what say you, Champion of Madness?”

“I say, to HELL WITH YOU!”

All alive on the battlefield paused to watch in awe as these paragons of combat clashed.

Grimm’s half-chain was deadly as it rapidly spun in front of him, making the Prince pay dearly for every step he took forward.  Despite the remarkable agility of his foe, Grimm’s weapon rained horrendous damage.  Black ichor began to pool on the stone floor as unholy flesh was rent. 

In the end, it was not enough to prevent Adimarchus from closing.

The first swing of the _Ashen Blade_ was partially deflected with adamantine chain links that made up Grimm’s weapon.  However, with a quick flick of his wrist, the Prince brought the artifact underneath the chain at a parallel angle, nicking both carotid arteries.

Smiling as blood began spraying on his face, Adimarchus sent the _Ashen Blade_ into the Half-ogre’s left kneecap, ruining the joint and causing the mighty Planar Champion to fall prone.

“A pity you remained a hero to the end.”

With a final thrust, the blade’s tip entered the back of Grimm’s head only to erupt through his right eye socket – dripping with blood and spinal fluid.


----------



## Solarious

Whee! There goes the party's free DR-piercing engine!  Goes to show that you simply can't underestimate a being who has a CR... somewhere in the range of 6 or 7 points above the party average, if I remember correctly.

This oughta be fun.


----------



## JollyDoc

Adimarchus was/is quite simply, a beast.  Even energy-drained as he was by Entropy's crown, he was still easily a match for the combined party...but don't despair yet for our heroes...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Adimarchus was/is quite simply, a beast.  Even energy-drained as he was by Entropy's crown, he was still easily a match for the combined party...but don't despair yet for our heroes...



With Grimm's death, things are really looking grim, indeed. (Sorry 'bout that.) Retreat might not be the worst option for the survivors. 

Winterwood is a pain in the ... If Entropy survives, I guess, she'll be even madder than before.


----------



## Lela

Sheesh.  Where's Joachim when you need him?  One more icon of power to throw against this guy would certainly be nice.


----------



## Solarious

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Winterwood is a pain in the ... If Entropy survives, I guess, she'll be even madder than before.



Insane mad, or 'I'm going to get you, Winterwood, after I kill Joachim, all the other HELL Alienists, and assorted hit-list people, as well as the open that darn portal to the Far Realms' mad?


----------



## gfunk

Solarious said:
			
		

> Insane mad, or 'I'm going to get you, Winterwood, after I kill Joachim, all the other HELL Alienists, and assorted hit-list people, as well as the open that darn portal to the Far Realms' mad?




   I like the way you think.


----------



## Solarious

gfunk said:
			
		

> I like the way you think.



 I like the way you run your games. 

Lots of death, destruction, and suffering for all involved.  These are the things that make me happy.


----------



## gfunk

Will post update on Thursday.  Tentaively titled . . . *A Reversal of Fortune*


----------



## Solarious

gfunk said:
			
		

> Will post update on Thursday.  Tentaively titled . . . *A Reversal of Fortune*



 This is the part where I moan and wail.


----------



## gfunk

*A Reversal of Fortune*

Though triumphant against the bearer of the Eversmoking Eye, Adimarchus let his attention slip from the wider tactical picture.  The cost of this failure became clear when he saw the _shapechanging_ arcanist, now in Pit Fiend form, standing over the corpse of the dwarven Cleric.

“Rise once more Rustifarius Deepdelver, I hereby ensnare your soul for the glory of the Lady of Undeath!”

Ike, Dalthon, Tilly, Gunther and Houshang looked on in shocked awe as Winterwood grasped Rusty’s head in the _Claw of the Revenancer_, hoisting him to a standing position.  The dwarf’s eyes opened as he was infused by unholy energy.  Unlike the effects of a _raise dead_ spell, those animated by Kiaransalee’s most powerful artifact did not have their wounds healed upon return the life.

Sickeningly, his vertebrae was still smashed at his mid-back with blood oozing out of the wound -- causing him to walk with a stooped gait.  In addition, his skin remained bright red as the fury of Adimarchus’ _Ashen Blade_ left its permanent mark.

“_Revivify_ the half-ogre,” Winterwood flicked a palm dismissively at Grimm’s corpse, “and keep both him and the Goliath alive.  Do *not* engage the Demon.”

----------------------------------

Houshang exhaled suddenly having held his breath with trepidation during the _animation_ of the Cleric.

Everything had become much more complicated.  He was sure that his chances of survival had improved somewhat due to Entropy’s (was it even her?) intervention, but he feared what would happen afterwards.

For it was now obvious to him that this battle had become much more than the destruction of Adimarchus.  Nevertheless, he launched another _disintegration_ at his foe, even as the Demon Prince stood over the half-ogre’s body.  Though it caused him some discomfort, the damage was a far cry from reducing him to dust.

----------------------------------

Placing his clawed foot on Grimm’s back, Adimarchus tore the _Ashen Blade_ from his skull as he sprinted towards the dwarf.  

_Whomever I kill stays dead._

Surprisingly, he found the arcanist moving to intercept him – preventing him from reaching his intended target.  Swinging his weapon in an arc before him, the Demon Prince attempted to cut a wide swath across the Pit Fiend.  

All he cut was air.

With outrageous nimbleness, his target somersaulted out of the way as no one had before.  In desperation, he launched a tentacle attack at the dwarf, who ran by the pair with a _revivify_ spell charging in his hand.  Though a piece of undead flesh was ripped loose, the _enervation_ only served to energize the revenant further.

Rusty’s hand contacted Grimm, in a fusion of unliving flesh, as the spell recalled the Planar Champion’s soul before it left for the Outer Planes.  Still weak, his body was nonetheless whole as the spark of life returned to him once more.

----------------------------------

Ike slammed Adimarchus twice with his warhammer in the confusion, though the blows maddeningly failed to do much damage.

“Excuse me, Prince of Madness, while I clear the pawns from the chess board,” Winterwood flew towards Houshang who continued to launch potent transmutations to finish the Demon.  

_The Red Wizard has to go.  I do not wish to negotiate with a pile of dust nor a cockroach . . ._

Panicking at the approach of the hated sorcerer, Houshang tried and failed to enclose him in a _resilient sphere_.  Instead he found himself wrapped in the Pit Fiend’s muscular tail as it constricted the life out of him.

His profound intellect and centuries of combat experience aside, Adimarchus began to drown in the flood of activity around him.  Each mortal, it seemed, had some ulterior motive.  Nevertheless, the sorcerer seemed to be source of it all, he must die first.  

He fired a _greater dispel magic_ at the Pit Fiend, though but a single, inconsequential spell was stripped away.

----------------------------------

Filled with anger, hatred, and self-loathing, Rusty only wished to end his own miserable existence.  He had been slain by Adimarchus and every thought he had screamed at him to return the favor – but he could not.  Furthermore, he was similarly prevented from taking any actions against his animator, further infuriating him.

At least, he felt, keeping Grimm and Ike alive was an order he could deal with despite the raging maelstrom of his psyche.

Conjuring a _mass heal_, the wounds of both warriors closed as if their bodies were created anew.  With that, the revenant _spider climbed_ down the main shaft of Skullrot knowing that he had to stay out of the fray but could magically intervene to keep his former friends alive.

Wistfully, he saw Tilly flying over him towards Dalthon and hoped that the halfling fared better than he.

----------------------------------

“Dalthon, Gunther – we need to get the hell out of here NOW!  Let Nidrama and Adimarchus fight to the death!”

The three companions shared a brief glance of sorrow.  Never before had they felt so helpless, so utterly irrelevant in the face of cosmic forces of power that swirled around them.  Of course, they would not leave without Grimm and Ike.  Houshang?  He was likely beyond help and his status as a Red Wizard certainly made him a lower priority in this moment of situational ethics.

Rusty, however, was a more complicated proposition.  If they took him, they would probably have to destroy his undead body and _resurrect_ him later.  Would he even come willingly?  Would . . .

Their plans were shattered as Adimarchus addressed Grimm once more.

----------------------------------

“My Herald!  You stand once more, but at what cost?  Your friend is now an undead monstrosity and your other companions cower before me on the brink of death.  What of them?  Will they be similarly _animated_, their souls' journey to the halls of Celestia denied by the whim of the Revenancer?  At what price victory, my Herald?”

Though Grimm was eager to enter the fray again, the weight of Adimarchus’ words could not be denied.  Were they all merely fighting now only to be brought back as revenants to serve a wretched goddess of undeath?  The Planar Champion briefly compared his slim chance of victory over a Demon Prince against the near certainty that his long-time companions would be slain, their corpses defiled.  

The choice was not a difficult one, for him.

“Prince of Madness, I . . . accept your terms.  But I demand that you allow my friends to leave this Plane.  That is the condition of my pact with you.”

“So be it.  However, the dwarf and the Pit Fiend must die,” the Prince turned to face the remainder of the party, “leave now and see to it we never cross paths again!”

----------------------------------

And thus began the party’s retreat.  While Dalthon and Tilly _flew_ down to the entrance of Skullrot, Ike grabbed Gunther and leapt off the edge – his size and fortitude causing only minor injures despite the 200 foot fall.

Winterwood could only seethe with impotent rage.  His plans to subjugate Adimarchus and pry open the secrets to his own liberation were shattered.  Only the undead Cleric remained with him and, alone, they were not enough to execute his plan.

He dropped Houshang who fell to the ground in agonizing pain, many of his ribs cracked.  Pulling a small, globular tentacled-filled horror from his robes, he tossed it at the feet of the Red Wizard, “Familiar, subdue him.”

Looking at the rest of the party scurrying beneath him, like insects, Winterwood knew what he must do.

_Everybody will suffer._

A _time stop_ was followed by an _Evard’s black tentacles_, _acid fog_, and the _summoning_ of a pair of huge Air Elementals to pummel anything that emerged alive.

It was all he could do really, before his mind was drawn back to the Far Realms once more only to replaced by Entropy’s.

Shaking her head in disorientation, the Alienist found the situation far different than when she left it.  Not only were most of the party out of her visual range, but Adimarchus smugly smiled at her, his hands at his hips.

Most disturbingly, Grimm ran towards her with murderous intent in his eyes.


----------



## catdragon

gfunk said:
			
		

> Most disturbingly, Grimm ran towards her with murderous intent in his eyes.





Wheee-ha!  Now its getting good..... In this corner.... Adimarchus, Demon Prince of Madness.... In that corner, Entropy, never before defeated, and the pretender to the title of Prince(ss) of Madness.....

Ding!


----------



## Lela

Too bad this isn't a democracy.  I'd vote Entropy in as Queen over Adimarchus in a second.

Still, she's freakishly powerful.  And absolutely brilliant.  Gfunk has often said that nothing can take her down.  I suppose we'll see.

My guess?  She runs away after frying Grimm and the party comes back after regrouping.


----------



## JollyDoc

Another nicely written entry G!  I really am liking the whole Winterwood/Entropy interaction.  It ties up a lot of loose ends rather nicely.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Another nicely written entry G!  I really am liking the whole Winterwood/Entropy interaction.  It ties up a lot of loose ends rather nicely.



 I have to agree - very nice unfolding of event! Gfunk, did you really have the conflict Winterwood vs. Entropy in mind while the fight took place?


----------



## Lela

Or before?


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> I have to agree - very nice unfolding of event! Gfunk, did you really have the conflict Winterwood vs. Entropy in mind while the fight took place?




I had the seed of the idea in my mind, but it was not at all fleshed out.  Generally, I play her as randomly as possible, alternating between benificence and wanton destruction.  It's not too hard to put it together afterwards.

Of course, in the actual game, everything played out exactly as I described though I do take liberties with PC thoughts/motivations on occasion.  

I will put the final update on Friday, tentatively titled *The Road to Nowhere*

Oh, and on a personal note: I want to apologize to all the other players of our "Asylum" module.  Truly, JollyDoc and myself had intended to put Entropy in mainly for role-playing "flavor."  I promised JD, in fact, that I would not interfere directly (but rather support the party with lower-level spells) unless it was close to a TPK.  

Of course, things in DnD (especially when CRs are involved) rarely turn out the way you want them to -- hence my intervention with Vhalantru and Adimarchus.  Of course, by turning on the PCs at the end like I did I'm certain I've generated a certain degree of displeasure.  However as Solarius and others have pointed out, the party really stood no chance against Adimarchus alone.

And at the risk of a major spoiler, let me say that the way "Asylum" ended was not exactly the stuff of heroic legend . . .


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> Oh, and on a personal note: I want to apologize to all the other players of our "Asylum" module.  Truly, JollyDoc and myself had intended to put Entropy in mainly for role-playing "flavor."  I promised JD, in fact, that I would not interfere directly (but rather support the party with lower-level spells) unless it was close to a TPK.
> 
> Of course, things in DnD (especially when CRs are involved) rarely turn out the way you want them to -- hence my intervention with Vhalantru and Adimarchus.  Of course, by turning on the PCs at the end like I did I'm certain I've generated a certain degree of displeasure.  However as Solarius and others have pointed out, the party really stood no chance against Adimarchus alone.




It made for good story anyway.  And Adimarchus is a scary, scary, dude.  How was any party expected to beat him?


----------



## Joachim

Lela said:
			
		

> How was any party expected to beat him?




I don't know.  Lela, I don't know.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lela said:
			
		

> It made for good story anyway.  And Adimarchus is a scary, scary, dude.  How was any party expected to beat him?



Maybe he was not devised with DMs like JollyDoc in mind, who use his powers to the max...


----------



## catdragon

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Maybe he was not devised with DMs like JollyDoc in mind, who use his powers to the max...




That is what i thought as well.

Remember... you must use your powers for good, not *evil*.   For with great power, come great yadda yadda yadda...


----------



## Lela

catdragon said:
			
		

> For with great power, come great yadda yadda yadda...




Hey, Gfunk, care to try making a monster called The Great Yadda Yadda Yadda?  That sounds like fun.


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Maybe he was not devised with DMs like JollyDoc in mind, who use his powers to the max...




Well, and even then I had to tone the SOB down.  As written, he could use Blasphemy as a spell-like ability at 30th caster level!  That means that anyone with 10 HD or less below his caster level would die...instantly...no save...ie, anyone 19th level or less.  Yay.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Well, and even then I had to tone the SOB down.  As written, he could use Blasphemy as a spell-like ability at 30th caster level!  That means that anyone with 10 HD or less below his caster level would die...instantly...no save...ie, anyone 19th level or less.  Yay.



 Having been out of touch with the rules for some time now, would this include draining a level from a Level 20 PC and then using his Blasphemy?

If so, nice touch adding the tentacles of his...


----------



## gfunk

Lela said:
			
		

> It made for good story anyway.  And Adimarchus is a scary, scary, dude.  How was any party expected to beat him?




Truth be told, we had a large party of characters with an average level ~4 below what was required for that encounter.  At such high levels a few levels (esp for the spellcasters) makes a huge difference.



			
				NeverwinterKnight said:
			
		

> Having been out of touch with the rules for some time now, would this include draining a level from a Level 20 PC and then using his Blasphemy?




Oooh . . . evil strategy.  

It would probably work though . . .


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> Oooh . . . evil strategy.
> 
> It would probably work though . . .



Good thing Entropy drained those levels from Big A...    That should have taken some of the danger away.


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Good thing Entropy drained those levels from Big A...    That should have taken some of the danger away.




This is actually what happened, esp. in Adimarchus' angel form.  He has been drained so many times that his caster level is ~2.

He couldn't even kill Meepo with his _blasphemy_ now.


----------



## gfunk

*The Road to Nowhere*

The party had left him behind.

Nevertheless, as he watched them enter the morass of death that Nidrama had conjured around them, he did not envy their position.  The small, floating mass of tentacles floating in front of him was of more immediate concern.  

Houshang took a quick glance around seeing Adimarchus/Grimm and Nidrama engaged in mortal combat and the party dying beneath him.  He could not know the outcome and decided that his own protection came first as he encased himself in a _resilient sphere_.  The familiar, lacking any type of visual organs, simply observed the Red Wizard, seemingly uncaring.

----------------------------------------

The wave of panic that initially washed over Entropy had subsided as her smug demeanor returned once more.

The Half-Ogre's first spike chain whip simply failed to penetrate her magical defenses and was merely deflected aside.  Subsequent blows were either similarly turned away or dodged.  She would ignore him for now and focus on the real threat.  A flash of necromantic magic poured forth from the _Crown of Corruption_ as Adimarchus was pierced yet again with an _energy drain_.

The Prince of Madness stood in awe of the arcanist's power.  Though he had slain his Herald in combat mere seconds ago, Adimarchus was impressed with Grimm's combat prowess -- even he, a Demon Prince, found it difficult to evade a spiked chain wielded with such power and grace.  Be that as it may, this mortal had avoided the blows like they were nothing.  Matters had to be taken into his own hands once more.  He drew the _Ashen Blade_ as he closed for combat.

----------------------------------------

Dalthon could not tell which was more painful -- the burning acidic vapors surrounding him, the ebon tentacles that threatened to crush the life out of him, or the cruel betrayal by Nidrama.  Though he originally suspected that his grandmother was corrupted in some way, there was no doubting now that they were dealing with an imposter.  His ancestor was probably long dead.

He mourned for her loss just as he mourned for the Bright Axes.  Would Adimarchus survive to rain destruction upon the Prime Material Plane?  Could "Nidrama" indeed slay him?  Such thoughts were the only comfort Dalthon could afford before pain wracked through his body in another wave.

----------------------------------------

Yet again the _Ashen Blade_ fell short, the potential of its destructive fury denied.  At his peak, Adimarchus could have destroyed them all, but he had cloaked himself in arrogance that left him blind to the true threat they represented.  His remaining options now were to flee or continue fighting in his weakened state.  Neither prospect particularly appealed to him so he sought a third possibility as he addressed the arcanist, "It seems that we are a stalemate mortal.  Allow me to depart with my Herald and return to Occipitus -- what you do with these so-called Bright Axes does not warrant my continued attention."

Grimm shot him a look of hatred, but there was little he could do.  Crossing either Adimarchus or Nidrama would assuredly result in his destruction.  Hoping that Nidrama was magnanimous hardly seemed appealing, but that was what he reduced to.

Entropy smiled at the Demon Prince's request.  Long had she dreamed to be placed in such a position -- where a veritable god would supplicate himself before her.  True, Adimarchus was but a minor being compared to the likes of Demogorgon let alone Lolth, but he was an abyssal monarch nonetheless.

She let the wave of euphoria pass over her for a few more seconds before her reply, "No, Adimarchus.  I refuse your offer."

A grimace of confusion and disgust crossed the Prince's face, perhaps with a glint of fear, "Then what do you require?  What do you want me to do, mortal?"

"Die."

----------------------------------------

Returning once more to his angelic aspect, Adimarchus' glorious white wings were spread widely as he plunged down Skullrot's central shaft.

In a final act of defiance, Grimm's spiked chain tore into his flesh as its pointed tip tried to seize the Prince like a grappling hook -- all the better to pull him back to Nidrama's embrace of death.  Ignoring the wound, a sizable piece of flesh was torn from his back as he continued his descent.

----------------------------------------

Houshang saw his chance to escape as he dismissed the _resilient sphere_.  Adimarchus was going to blaze a trail to the exit and he was quick to follow behind him.  However, before he could begin his descent down the shaft, the tentacled familiar beside him began to radiate with magic as a large, disembodied fist of force sprung into being.  Without hesitation, it pummeled the Wizard mercilessly as he fell to the ground senseless.

As the pseudonatural familiar approached him, there was nothing he could do but wonder what fate lay in store for him.

----------------------------------------

The battle field froze as Entropy entered another _time stop_.  First, she placed an additional pair of Huge Earth Elementals at Skullrot's exit to block the Prince's flight.  Then she dismissed the various spells Winterwood had placed to slowly slay the Bright Axes.  This was not an act of kindness, but merely a practical gesture.  She intended to put as many obstacles as she could between Adimarchus and his freedom.

"You," she screamed, pointing to Rusty, "heal your friends and do whatever it takes to make sure that Adimarchus does not escape."

Then, turning to Grimm, "You were wise to try to stop your former master.  Now let us complete the task."

Together, they descended after him.

----------------------------------------

Despite spells by Dalthon, Rusy and Gunther and the physical interventions of Tilly and Ike, Adimarchus simply breezed past them all relatively unharmed.  Even the Elementals could not strike the Prince, who was warded with a powerful abjuration to prevent bodily contact from such creatures.

Confidently, he burst through the door as the dull red glow of Carceri stood before him once more.  He turned to his would be executioners, "You shall rue this day Bright Axes.  My revenge shall be swift and unmerciful -- never again will I underestimate you."

Turning to Entropy, "And you . . . Pretender.  I have a special place reserved in Occipitus where I shall watch you suffer forever by my hand."

He switched to his demonic aspect once more, preparing to _plane shift_ -- but not before a _gate_ opened before him.

----------------------------------------

Cronus had come to enjoy these calling spells quite a bit.  Not only would his patron, Entropy, present him with a wide variety of beings to hunt and slay -- but she was most generous with her rewards.  

Seated on his throne in the Abyss, he was at the moment considering activities that would strike his fancy when a familiar _gate_ opened before him.  On the other side was a demonic creature of some sort, battered but unbroken, bearing a magnificent sword with a quartet of threatening tentacles writhing from his back.

Seizing the adamantine maul next to him, the Titan rose and approached -- delighting in the abject horror on his victim's face.  However, he quickly realized something was blocking him from entering.

Some type of warding spell he guessed.  Cronus watched with disappointment as relief washed over his would-be victim's face who quickly _plane shifted_ away.

A pity . . .

----------------------------------------

The Bright Axes stood in a semi-circle around Nidrama, now in Solar form.  Tilly and Ike had managed to collect what personal effects and items they could from the mess that remained of Kiko's corpse.  An undead Rusty had _healed_ the rest of them, though the emotional scars of this battle would not likely heal soon.

"What now, Nidrama--"

"No need for that obvious falsehood anymore, fellow Sorcerer.  I am Entropy, Chosen of Kiaransalee, Blessed of the Moonsea.  My interference in your quest was not intended but the result of the subliminal interference of my alter-ego," she smiled at the irony of her next statement, "somewhat like Demogorgon, I am at war with myself.  Both of my personalities try to usurp the body to manifest their desires.  This time, for now, it seems that I remain victorious."

"So I suppose another battle with you is not on the horizon?"

"Far from it Planar Champion.  As I said, my business here was not a product of my mind -- you are all free to go.  However, if you do not wish to leave as undead creatures, then you must abide by my conditions of your release."

She turned to Rusty, "You have been given the gift of unlife by the Dark Lady.  No longer will you feel pain, fear or remorse.  As a Cleric, you will maintain your link to your god unless undeath is an abomination in her eyes.  The damage inflicted upon you will heal quickly as your link to the Negative Energy Plane is stronger than most undead.  Never spurn your gift and never seek to reverse your condition.  You will be a Revenant forevermore."

"As for the Red Wizard," Entropy gestured high above their current position where her familiar stood guard over Houshang's unconscious body, "he belongs to me now.  I find that I am lacking in powerful retainers and he should serve nicely.  Besides," she tapped her Crown, "I've always wanted to make a Kry'i'zoth."

"Now, leave me."

Rusty entered their ranks once more and offered his hands, "Hold me hands laddies and form a circle -- it's time we left this blasted plane."

Adimarchus' escape had been a devastating blow to the Bright Axes.  Yet they were consoled by their other accomplishments -- shattering the Cagewrights and their plan to conquer the Prime, saving the entire population of Cauldron from a volcano's eruptive fury, and, with their valor and bravery, honoring the deaths of countless comrades.

In the end, cosmic forces beyond their control dictated the outcome of events.  Perhaps, in time, their paths would cross with the Prince of Madness.  When that time arrived, they vowed, they would finish matters decisively.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

Ummm does that mean it's over?   I knew it was coming soon, just not this soon.

GW


----------



## gfunk

No fear -- an epilogue is pending within a week.  That will be the final post.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wow, certainly not as satisfying as we had all hoped - but providing interesting options for the future. Too bad Cronus couldn't join the fray. He could really have made a difference. 

Only Rusty seems to have lost his life. Can he encorporate his Revenant status into his character? What's Mystra say to that? Did he become evil?


Looking forward to your epilogue!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

I've started to reread some of the earlier episodes. Are you going to make a PDF files like with CotSQ? 

(Please do  )


----------



## gfunk

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> I've started to reread some of the earlier episodes. Are you going to make a PDF files like with CotSQ?
> 
> (Please do  )




Well, if there is enough demand, I just might.  However, it'll be more difficult as I did not write the bulk of the SH (Jollydoc was the primary author with several segments written by Joachim as well).


----------



## Joachim

gfunk said:
			
		

> Well, if there is enough demand, I just might.  However, it'll be more difficult as I did not write the bulk of the SH (Jollydoc was the primary author with several segments written by Joachim as well).




Most of my entries were deleted when I had to format my hard drive (I damn spyware straight to Hell), but you could just copy/paste the text.  It would be tedious, no doubt, especially considering the number of entries we are talking about.


----------



## JollyDoc

gfunk said:
			
		

> Well, if there is enough demand, I just might.  However, it'll be more difficult as I did not write the bulk of the SH (Jollydoc was the primary author with several segments written by Joachim as well).




I actually have all of my entries saved on my hard drive...allllllll the way back to the beginning with Pez.


----------



## LordVyreth

I'm hoping the epilogue includes the party ignoring Entropy's last point, finding a safe spot, hacking Reve-Rusty to tiny bits, and then true resurrecting him.


----------



## gfunk

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> I'm hoping the epilogue includes the party ignoring Entropy's last point, finding a safe spot, hacking Reve-Rusty to tiny bits, and then true resurrecting him.




 LordVyreth are you sure that your sig is not an alt for one of our players?  Your wish is eerily prescient . . .

Anway, epilogue will be up on Saturday.  I'm looking forward to posting it -- should be chock full of tasty bits.


----------



## Solarious

You know, I was sorta hoping that Adimarchus would go down in a blaze of glory and flames, taking down at least half the party with him. Oh well, they've made a major enemy, and much suffering ensues. 

In other news, Adimarchus is back and is ready to wage terrible war on Graz'zt! Screaming was heard all over the Abbys as demons suffered horrificly due to his return to power and madness.


----------



## Suldulin

gfunk said:
			
		

> And at the risk of a major spoiler, let me say that the way "Asylum" ended was not exactly the stuff of heroic legend . . .




heh, have any of your stories ended as 'the stuff of heroic legend' always seem to be tragedies they do but always a fun read


----------



## JollyDoc

Suldulin said:
			
		

> heh, have any of your stories ended as 'the stuff of heroic legend' always seem to be tragedies they do but always a fun read




Such is often the fate of a "real-life" D&D game.  Our Age of Worms campaign just suffered its first, permanent fatality...and yes, you guessed it, it was Joachim's PC Gideon, aka Angel, the aasimar favored soul.  He went down in a blaze of glory while fighting a mind-flayer sorcerer.  The illithid had a couple of creatures called octopins working with it, and they had the ability to rend.  Young Gideon got too close, and suffered a claw/claw/rend combo, followed up by an empowered lightning bolt from the sorcerer.  Farewell brave traveller!  May Tyr hold you forever in his one, good hand!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Is this adventure path as deadly as the last one? Do you like it better, so far?

Joachim, what's your new candidate? Half-Drow Ithilid hunter? A new dwarven battlerager? A _*gasp*_ cleric?


----------



## catdragon

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Such is often the fate of a "real-life" D&D game.  Our Age of Worms campaign just suffered its first, permanent fatality...and yes, you guessed it, it was Joachim's PC Gideon, aka Angel, the aasimar favored soul.  He went down in a blaze of glory while fighting a mind-flayer sorcerer.  The illithid had a couple of creatures called octopins working with it, and they had the ability to rend.  Young Gideon got too close, and suffered a claw/claw/rend combo, followed up by an empowered lightning bolt from the sorcerer.  Farewell brave traveller!  May Tyr hold you forever in his one, good hand!





I don't suppose anyone is chronicling this on-line are they?


----------



## Lela

Nope.  That one's in house only.

Not that there hasn't been plenty of begging otherwise.


----------



## JollyDoc

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Is this adventure path as deadly as the last one? Do you like it better, so far?





I like this adventure path more so far, but it has been less deadly...the only two deaths have been Brian's (aka Rusty) rogue, who was raised, and now Richard's (Joachim) favored soul.  This could be due to the fact that we have a steady group of 8 players, although I am scaling up each adventure so that it will be more of a challenge.


----------



## JollyDoc

catdragon said:
			
		

> I don't suppose anyone is chronicling this on-line are they?




Alas, no, although I won't say I haven't been sorely tempted.  I just don't think I have it in me this soon after the completion of this past SH.


----------



## gfunk

Sorry guys, 24 hr delay.  Should post the epilogue tommorow.


----------



## Joachim

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Joachim, what's your new candidate? Half-Drow Ithilid hunter? A new dwarven battlerager? A _*gasp*_ cleric?




Well, I have recently become enamored by the Warlock class, and I can't figure out if its underpowered and useless or completely broken.  Usually I have a very good sense for this sort of thing, especially in recognizing the stinkers.  Time for experimentation, as no one in the group has attempted a warlock beyond very low levels.  I am trying to prove to myself that it is a playable class in a high-powered combat-heavy game (such as we play), and I will report to y'all when I have sufficient data.  Using spell-like abilities at will, even those that are less powerful than wizard spells at comparable levels, it very intriguing.

Gideon was not a very powerful character (he was probably the weakest in the group as it came to sheer combat power), but was a lynchpin in the party because of his superior healing/buffing/mobility.  It will be interesting to see how the party adjusts and responds to his absence, which frankly is one of the major reasons that I am not making another cleric.  I enjoy, even revel, in playing the healer role...a role that all too often the powergamers and optimizers of the world both ridicule and despise.  The party composition will now be:

Dwarven tank (extremely defensive)
Goliath Cleric (melee heavy)
Aasimar Paladin (balanced offense and defense)
Human Marshal/Fighter/Paladin (trip-, disarm-monkey)
Drow Wizard (electricity blaster)
Fire Genasi Wizard (fire blaster)
Human Rogue (ranged build)
Now, Human Warlock (eldritch blast concentration)

Should be interesting.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

So the party is putting all of its faith in the Goliath Cleric... How does he dispense healing - with his greatclub?

"I, Ike, grant you heal power of Hughsomosch" - hits PC on the head with greatclub, new hps = cure light (4 + 1 =) 5 - damage (5 + 4 =) 9 = -4.


Sorry, Ike...


----------



## LordVyreth

Joachim said:
			
		

> Well, I have recently become enamored by the Warlock class, and I can't figure out if its underpowered and useless or completely broken.  Usually I have a very good sense for this sort of thing, especially in recognizing the stinkers.  Time for experimentation, as no one in the group has attempted a warlock beyond very low levels.  I am trying to prove to myself that it is a playable class in a high-powered combat-heavy game (such as we play), and I will report to y'all when I have sufficient data.  Using spell-like abilities at will, even those that are less powerful than wizard spells at comparable levels, it very intriguing.
> 
> Gideon was not a very powerful character (he was probably the weakest in the group as it came to sheer combat power), but was a lynchpin in the party because of his superior healing/buffing/mobility.  It will be interesting to see how the party adjusts and responds to his absence, which frankly is one of the major reasons that I am not making another cleric.  I enjoy, even revel, in playing the healer role...a role that all too often the powergamers and optimizers of the world both ridicule and despise.  The party composition will now be:
> 
> Dwarven tank (extremely defensive)
> Goliath Cleric (melee heavy)
> Aasimar Paladin (balanced offense and defense)
> Human Marshal/Fighter/Paladin (trip-, disarm-monkey)
> Drow Wizard (electricity blaster)
> Fire Genasi Wizard (fire blaster)
> Human Rogue (ranged build)
> Now, Human Warlock (eldritch blast concentration)
> 
> Should be interesting.




Will you be continuing the X-Men/Marvel theme for new characters?  If so, what's everybody's moniker now?  Also, I like that you're calling wizards blasters.  I'm guessing you're a City of Heroes fan?


----------



## Joachim

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Will you be continuing the X-Men/Marvel theme for new characters?  If so, what's everybody's moniker now?  Also, I like that you're calling wizards blasters.  I'm guessing you're a City of Heroes fan?




Never even played City of Heroes, but that's what I use to refer to arcanists who concentrate on making things explode, as opposed to those that charm, polymorph, etc..  

But in any case, my new character is modeled after Havok.


----------



## JollyDoc

LordVyreth said:
			
		

> Will you be continuing the X-Men/Marvel theme for new characters?  If so, what's everybody's moniker now?  Also, I like that you're calling wizards blasters.  I'm guessing you're a City of Heroes fan?




The marvel heroes theme continues...as Joachim mentioned, his new warlock is Havok.  We still have the originals:  Colossus (goliath), Pyro (fire genasi), Nightcrawler (shadow walker), and Thing (dwarf, mineral warrior), who have now been joined by the Captain (paladin of Torm...modeled after Captain America...specializes in shield bash), and the Patriot (paladin of freedom...chaotic good).  

Of interest, as of last night's game, the group has entered a gladiatorial tournament, but, hoping to increase the odds against them in the betting pool (and thus increasing their own profits should they win), they have temporarily abandoned their team moniker of the Justice League, and now go by the name Impotent Rage!


----------



## Lela

Joachim said:
			
		

> But in any case, my new character is modeled after Havok.




*Moan*

I used to love Mutant X.  Now I want to read this story hour.  A lot.

Dang, I gotta remember to ask my mother what happened to my comic books.  I think I saw some of them at my old house a couple days ago. . .


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

JollyDoc said:
			
		

> Of interest, as of last night's game, the group has entered a gladiatorial tournament, but, hoping to increase the odds against them in the betting pool (and thus increasing their own profits should they win), they have temporarily abandoned their team moniker of the Justice League, and now go by the name Impotent Rage!



Have they attained so much fame already? I thought this would be their first adventure to the Free City...


----------



## gfunk

catdragon said:
			
		

> I don't suppose anyone is chronicling this on-line are they?





			
				Lela said:
			
		

> Nope. That one's in house only.
> 
> Not that there hasn't been plenty of begging otherwise.





			
				Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> True, it will be bad when you don't continue. Maybe it would be possible to post a summary of your campaign milestones (i.e. the modules).



God help me, my will is weakening.  We had a really fun and interesting role-playing session on Sunday night and I REALLY would like to post it in prose.  Of course, I can't just stop with one, can I?

This is all assuming I can get the epilogue out in a timely fashion!


----------



## Solarious

*waves a watch in front of gfunk and starts droning on*

You will write about the Age of Worms... you will write about the Age of Worms...


----------



## Ika_Greybeard

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Have they attained so much fame already? I thought this would be their first adventure to the Free City...




 Free City? What is this Free City you speak of We are In Waterdeep And we shall Be wearing the Champions Belt!!!!!! All 8 of us  So far I like this Arc better than Shackled City but I did not join that one till Late and I started this one from the Beginning. 


I play Pyro if you are wondering(Fire!Fire!Fire!) But right now I am a one armed caster atleast untill after the bets are made  .


----------



## JollyDoc

<sigh>  Gfunk actually emailed me tonight asking for initial details about the AoW campaign.  I honestly think he's really going to do it!  He's gone mad!  Mad I tell you!!

Although, I must say Sunday was entertaining, especially in light of the fact that a band of kobold monks known as the Crazy Eight have placed in the top six in the initial round of the Champion's Games!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

gfunk said:
			
		

> God help me, my will is weakening.  We had a really fun and interesting role-playing session on Sunday night and I REALLY would like to post it in prose.  Of course, I can't just stop with one, can I?
> 
> This is all assuming I can get the epilogue out in a timely fashion!



Excellent news!!! Gfunk, in which every way you choose to chronicle the campaign, you know we would be grateful! Anyway, I love campaign arcs like group tournaments!


As for "Free City", it was described as such in the modules to give the DMs the liberty to select another city of their choosing. Depending on which campaign setting they use, Waterdeep and (The Free City of) Greyhawk would make excellent candidates!


PS: Congratulations to all champions !!!


----------



## hbarsquared

Well, I've been here since the original thread and the original Pez.  It has been a great story and a wonderful read.

I am on pins and needles waiting for your epilogue, *gfunk*.  The longer it is, the better: I don't want this story hour to end.


----------



## Lela

jeremy_dnd said:
			
		

> Well, I've been here since the original thread and the original Pez.  It has been a great story and a wonderful read.
> 
> I am on pins and needles waiting for your epilogue, *gfunk*.  The longer it is, the better: I don't want this story hour to end.




I've been around since the original story hour--hail Joachim!--and I couldn't agree more.  This is one of those events that I both loath and yern for.  Gfunk, JollyDoc, Joachim, before the end, I bow to your achievements and thank you for sharing them with us.


----------



## gfunk

*EPILOGUE*

Around them stood the jungle hell of Turmish.  Rusty's _plane shift_ deposited them, expectedly, hundreds of miles from their intended destination.

They were isolated from civilization -- the perfect place to carry out their plan away from prying eyes.

Tilly struck first, plunging his blades into his former friend's back.  Disconcertingly, he had to direct his lunge slightly to the side to avoid being struck by Rusty's severed and exposed spinal column.

Without a hint of pain or fear in his eyes, the dwarf began casting but his spell, and his neck, were cut short by Grimm's spiked chain.  As Tilly withdrew his weapons, the dwarf's headless body crumbled to dust.

Wordlessly, they began to gather the Cleric's belongings as Dalthon prepared to _teleport _them directly to Red Gorge.  

-------------------------------------

Patrons stared in wonder at the half-ogre in the corner of the Redhead Miner’s Inn, as he downed yet another round of ale.  Grimm had become a fixture in Red Gorge over the last several months, serving alternatively as a bouncer, the head of the town's militia, and a raging alcoholic.

The nightmares had come slowly at first and were not unexpected.  He still bore the Smoking Eye after all, despite an effort at removing it (Jenya had managed to regenerate the eye, though the smoke never ceased bellowing forth).  However, the dreams had worsened in intensity to the point where he could hardly get any rest.  He spent sleepless nights simply staring into the star-filled sky -- knowing that Adimarchus would someday return for him, for them.

For now, Grimm guessed that the Demon Prince was concerned with rebuilding the shattered remains of Occipitus and his revenge against the hated Grazz'zt.  The plans of immortals were long, convoluted and inscrutable by mortal beings.  However, in his heart of hearts, the Planar Champion felt that his spiked chain would clash with the _Ashen Blade_ in time.

Fortunately, he had been able to channel his mounting fear and frustration into a shield for the innocent and defenseless.  With nominal help from the Chruch of Tyr, Grimm had personally repelled assaults from no fewer than five humanoid tribes eager to take advantage of the chaos swirling around Cauldron's destruction.  His successes in this regard coupled with his sterling reputation as a member of the Bright Axes led to acceptance of his newly acquired vice by the citizens of Red Gorge.

In a few weeks, he would return again to Jenya's scrying pool to confer with the other Bright Axes -- most of whom had spread out over Faerun.  They would compare notes and consider the most dreaded possibility -- the return of the Prince of Madness.  Until then, Grimm's life would be drenched alternatively in the blood of his foes and the strongest of dwarven brews.

-------------------------------------

The picture was one of a kind -- a magnificent rendering of an astral deva in mid-flight, her glorious wings bearing her aloft amidst a blue, cloudless sky.  

It was all he had left of his celestial heritage.

Still, Dalthon wondered would have been if Nidrama had survived Entropy's assassination and joined them in their journey to Carceri.  In one of life's great ironies the Sorcerer was forced to conclude that they probably would not be alive today.  Sadly, the only thing that allowed them to survive a battle they had no business living through was the madness and raw power of the Alienist.

That reality was particularly difficult to bear.

Unlike Grimm, whom he saw often in Red Gorge, Dalthon's time was consumed with the study of arcane lore.  In particular, his focus was on the legacy of Spellmason and his celestial heritage.  He hoped to someday shield the community from interference by evil outsiders just as his ancestor had done generations ago.  Of course, stopping demons such as Glabrezus seemed but hedge magic compared to the sheer power of Adimarchus.

His research had prompted Dalthon to suggest the bi-yearly meetings among the Bright Axes.  Furthermore, he _scryed_ upon his fellow adventurers on occasion using hair samples they left behind.  If ever they were in mortal danger he would recall them with a _bracelet of friends_ around his wrist -- each Bright Axe carried a recall bead for that very purpose.  Dalthon sincerely hoped that he would never need to trigger these, but he feared the worst.

-------------------------------------

Kiko thanked Ilmater for everyday he walked under the bright sun and the blue, open skies of the Prime Material Plane.  His time among the monasteries of Cormyr in meditation and contemplation had given him an added sense of perspective after the monumental battle they fought in Carceri.

Though he had been slain quickly and therefore was only told later of Nidrama's betrayal and Adimarchus' escape, Kiko carried a great deal of guilt on his shoulders.  Had he not succumbed to the Demon's clawed gauntlet, perhaps he could have made the difference.  Certainly, he could have disarmed the _Ashen Blade_ perhaps sparing Rusty's life and preventing his animation as a revenant.

Nevertheless, he reminded himself, he was in a land that was twice destroyed in recent months -- first by an undead horde and then by a Githyanki invasion.  The horrors that Cormyr's citizens suffered were no less than his own and besides, he was far more capable of bearing such burdens than they.  Indeed he was fortunate.

Kiko had donated all of his considerable wealth to the various monasteries he visited, which then sent the money to the needy of the Forest Nation.  That comforted him somewhat -- for he had much negative karma to atone for.  Though he had accomplished many good deeds in his life, releasing an imprisoned Demon Prince upon the world was a tremendous evil.

He wondered which would come first -- his atonement through continued good works or another battle to right the wrong they had committed.

-------------------------------------

Normally, unregistered practioners of the "art" were caught and summarily executed by the Shadow Thieves.  Robbery, blackmail, and larceny had been institutionalized for a long time in Amn and competition from "small business" proprieters was not appreciated.

However, they feared Maple Wayfarer.  

Agents who were sent to stop her unauthorized activities routinely went missing.  Diviniation magic had generally shown them to be deceased though their equipment and corpses were never recovered.  Larger strike forces had met similar fates.

Amn was a big city, the guild leaders had decided, too big to continue to waste agents on one female who, in truth, was stealing but the smallest fraction of their business.

The Shadow Thieves could not know that Maple's guardian angel -- as it was -- was her husband, one Tilly Wayfarer.  They could not know that unlike the rogues and cut-purses common to his race, Tilly's skill had been honed against giants, dragons, and evil outsiders of tremendous power.  

No thief in the city could hope to walk away unless Tilly wanted them to.

He preferred this anonymity, guarding Maple discreetly and allowing her to conduct their operations in public.  His face always registered a tight smile when he thought of the time that she toiled incognito in Cauldron while he was gallivanting around the Planes.

However, there was another reason to stay hidden -- even to employ powerful magic to augment his already great stealth -- and that reason had four tentacles coming out of it and bore an _Ashen Blade_.  One of the Bright Axes would be attacked in the future, Tilly guessed, but he was sure as hell going to stack the deck against it being him.

-------------------------------------

Thousands of tons of cooled lava was but a minor obstacle to an Elder Earth Elemental, as the ancient creature burrowed through the rock with ease.  Jzadirune, the underground kingdom of the gnomes was open to the surface again.

Ike relished the opportunity to clear out the remaining skulks, grells, and duergar from the tunnels -- setting off several remaining traps as he did so.  Not one for much contemplation, the Goliath found it easy to submerge himself in his work -- throwing off the spectres of their defeat by Adimarchus.

Meanwhile, Gunther had seen to the logistics of making Jzadirune into a viable dwarven stronghold.  The Theurge had originally found Kazmojen's throne room and decided to use it as his own personal study -- abjuring it with several powerful wards.  Once a place where slaves were trafficked, it was now littered with various blueprints and sketches.  Like Ike, he had little time to consider matters other than the ones directly at hand.

Rusty, it seemed, had enough emotional trauma for all three of them.  Not only had he been slain by the Demon, but he had been killed again as a revenant by the Bright Axes -- not that he faulted them for it, of course.

However, being one of the living dead had unmasked a level of rage and hatred that the Cleric never knew that he was capable of.  Also, after his second "death" he found it somewhat disconcerting to be in the presence of the Bright Axes -- preferring the company of strangers instead.  To that end, he scoured the surrounding towns, recruiting dwarves for his new kingdom.  

Besides the fear of Adimarchus, Rusty had another lingering fear -- Entropy.  The Alienist had made it abundantly clear that he was to remain a revenant forevermore.  It was not uncommon for him to awaken in a cold sweat, just as the Claw of the Revenancer closed around his face.  He hoped that either would strike soon -- he did not wish to put his newly acquired subjects at risk.

-------------------------------------

"Corruption, decay, death, and nothingness is upon us Mistress Entropy."

She looked at the Kry'i'zoth with utter contempt.  Though he was an accomplished Transmuter and served her well, his penchant for sarcasm and stating the obvious was beginning to get on her nerves.  However, some things are worth the trouble and Houshang definitely fell into that category.

Allies were in particularly short supply with the destruction of her Undying Temple and its myriad undead inhabitants.  Lolth, it seemed, had come back with a roaring vengeance as her drow -- repelled in their forays onto the surface world -- returned to reclaim their supremacy of the Underdark.  Entropy did not really mind as administering her denizens was becoming a bore and she longed for a change again.

Her own actions had brought about tremendous change in the Realms.  Cormyr had been destroyed twice over, the Dales were in financial ruin from massive, prolonged warfare, and the area around the Moonsea in political turmoil.  

All was at it should be.  

Kyuss was stirring in the Void.

Beware the dawn of the Age of Worms.


----------



## gfunk

Thanks everyone for your praise.  I know it is cliche to say that we all write Story Hours for ourselves and our group -- so I won't.  I wrote this SH for the loyal fans who have stuck with us over the last few years.  You'll never know how encouraging even a simple compliment or comment was in helping the authors push on to the next update.

Writing these things is definitely draining and only the accolades of of our fellow gamers makes it worthwile.

It is for this reason, sadly, that I have decided to decline to continue with an Age of Worms SH.  Before I started Asylum I was very excited and ready to get writing.  But now, again, I feel the pressure of writing updates in a timely manner and with a quality that you have come to expect from JD, Joachim and me.

Anyway, I am eager to read your comments and to all of you lurkers -- I encourage you to come out and say your piece (positive or negative) to this, our last hurrah.

Thanks everyone!


----------



## Nephtys

And thanks to you. Your stories have been very entertaining. It's great to read a story where the good guys don't always win. Entropy is an inspiration for us all.


----------



## JollyDoc

I want to echo G's sentiments, and thank all of our suporters, whether you be a vocal enthusiast, or a patient lurker.  G and I were discussing the fact that having an ongoing story hour seemed to bring out even better role-playing among our group because everyone knew their exploits would soon be in print for the world to read about.  Your insights have made us better gamers.  My thanks also to my "boys", the players, both past and present, who have made it a joy (and sometimes a headache) to DM and continue playing this game that I first discovered 25 years ago.  Special thanks to Richard and Gautham, for lending their literary talents to this hughe endeavor.  I, like Gfunk, also feel that familiar itch to sit down and begin writing again...but then I just have a stiff drink until the feeling passes.  But who knows?  There is always tomorrow.

JollyDoc


----------



## Joachim

So our band of intrepid adventurers have made it to the end.  While the ending might not have been victory for the good guys, it's not the destination that counts, but the journey.

Having contributed to probably less than 10% of the actual story posts, I can't call this mine, but I enjoyed being able to write when I did.  Kudos to Gfunk and Jollydoc, who spent countless hours crafting the tale.  

Now if you will excuse me, I have to put the final touches on my 1 billionth character.  For whatever reason, mine have this nasty habit of dying...

Sincerely,

Richard Mickwee

aka Alphar, Joachim, Amal, Salazar, Gardrid, Ajax, Grimm, Gideon, and now Giovanni


----------



## CrusadeDave

Joachim said:
			
		

> So our band of intrepid adventurers have made it to the end.  While the ending might not have been victory for the good guys, it's not the destination that counts, but the journey.




I think it's a GREAT ENDING. It's crying out for one of two things:

a) An Epic level Epilogue where the PC's band back up together after a few years to right their mistake.

or b) A switch to a Midnight-type setting, where Adimarchus wastes all of your PC's one by one, and takes over, thus needing your new PC's to save the world.

The ending reminds me of Empire Strikes Back. And I LOVE that ending.



			
				Joachim said:
			
		

> Now if you will excuse me, I have to put the final touches on my 1 billionth character.  For whatever reason, mine have this nasty habit of dying...
> 
> aka Alphar, Joachim, Amal, Salazar, Gardrid, Ajax, Grimm, Gideon, and now Giovanni




If Giovanni goes, may I suggest a Soulblade, manifesting as rectangular Shruiken to be thrown?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Hey, I can't believe your story is finally told! It's true that it's not a Hollywood ending (and the lived happily ever after…) but that has never been your style, has it? 

I could respect your decision for choosing not to write a SH for the Age of Worms campaign, if not for the last paragraph of your epilogue (and I think I speak at least for a part of your readership in this): We know a teaser when we set it! 

 But let there be praise for the completion of the epic: Thank you for putting in all those hours of your time, even in phases when you had a lot to do in real life (e.g. marrying someone  )! I have greatly enjoyed your adventures! Having so many of your group comment here in the forum also helped provide an atmosphere you otherwise only get at the gaming table - and you could tell you guys had fun gaming! That and also the humor you constantly brought into the story. 
I should not forget all the background info and details you provided, e.g. all the character builds or the nice and updated table of contents! All of your characters were interesting and fun to watch as they progressed - who could forget Gardrid, the battlerager with the orange Mohawk!

Having read your exploits from back when Joachim and Entropy were still … allies, if not friends, I loved the concept that the old characters could sometimes be reactivated or were still around as NPCs. After all, that is what let's your campaign setting grow. That I have a soft spot for Entropy, I think is no secret…  
That is also where I disagree with CrusadeDave. A showdown for the Bright Axes is a possibility, but not a necessity. I would love to see an occasional "guest appearance" of, let's say, a certain spiked chain wielding bouncer or a brothel-proprietor-turned-alienist.

Anyway, gfunk, JollyDoc, Joachim and the rest: Thank you once more, and I hope that this has not been the last we hear of you! There are some things I would like to see in the future (if I were to write a Christmas list, this would be on it):

- A SH of your AoW campaign or at least a short summary of the modules that you've finished. There could be a less draining / time consuming way to give us at least the basic story… 
- A compilation of your Shackled City SH.
- Your commentary when you win back your title as best gaming group, next year.

We shall see, if you get around to any of this... 


Regards,
Ingmar


----------



## knight_isa

I'm generally one of the "patient lurkers," but I want to speak up and say thanks for this story hour.  It's been great, I've really enjoyed it, and I'm sorry to see it end.  Thanks for all the hard work!  It will be missed.


----------



## Graywolf-ELM

I have to chime in and say Ditto's on the thanks guys.  Some of my favorite Story Hours have an ending.  Others just die off waiting for posts to happen again, I really appreciate that you finished up and posted an epilogue.  If you ever do get around to writing again, post here with the new Story Hour link to make finding it easier.  Good luck and good gaming to all of you.

GW


----------



## doktorziplok

first, lemme say, excellent read. really. i've enjoyed the story from start to finish, top notch.

second, i certainly hope i'm not stepping on any toes here, but i have compiled this awesome story hour into pdf format.

unfortunately, i lack the ability to add bookmarks and other nice features. it should do as an interim copy until someone with the right tools can do the job.


----------



## gfunk

All of your comments are really appreciated -- I enjoyed reading posts from both long-time posters and lurkers whom I've never seen before!

Dr. Ziplok -- Thanks so much for making that PDF, but I can't seem to download it b/c the link is dead.


----------



## doktorziplok

oops! sorry, i fixed the link. i had to move it to a geocities acct, i don't know how much bandwidth they allow. click the link, you'll go to a page that has the story hour on it, geocities is incredibly limiting, but i'm working with the tools i've got. again, link fixed and i'll repeat myself. if anyone can host it better, by all means.

again, guys, thanks for doing this story hour, way cool.

let me know if this is out of line, but if someone's got the ability to create pdf's with bookmarks i can send them the original compilation to save some prep work. it's just that i'm running a mac which has the innate ability to save as pdf, but it lacks any "advanced" formating features.


----------



## gfunk

Great job doktorziplok!  Please email me the original compilation at gfunk6266@yahoo.com 

I appreciate the fine effort you put forth with the ToC and the page #'s!  Who'd have thought that our humble story hour would stretch to over 400 pages?

I would like to do some re-formatting of JD's early posts (which seem to be paragraph-challenged) as well as add in some additional goodies.


----------



## doktorziplok

gfunk-

i just emailed you three versions (same content, different formats). the email subject is something like "shackled city story hour from enworld." hopefully you'll be able to work with at least one of them.

as you noted, i didn't touch the formatting other than to insert a page break after each entry and i left a blank page between each chapter (although i noted them as "books" instead of chapters). and yeah, wow, 480+ pages.

also, under the "ASYLUM" section, i couldn't find the first part, "red dawn (prequel)." i don't know if that was intentionally removed or what. in any case, i left that off the compilation's ToC.


----------



## Nightingale 7

Hi there peope.One of the old posters here,though I have degraded to the position of a lurker now.I didn't plan that to happen,but I had a lot of personal things to take care off.I did keep regular readings of the updates of my favourite SH,though,and I'm saddened to see it end   .All good things do,I suppose   .
Anyway,I wanted,at risk of becoming cliched,to say a big THANK YOU to the authors and players that made this beautiful story possible   .
I also hope against hope that Gfunk finds the time to post updates in some way or other,infrequent as they may be.No need to rush G   !
At the very least,pop by at frequent intervals to at least show us the new,interesting characters you've made.Perhaps I can survive without the SH,but go hep me,I NEED to see the twinked monstrosities of Gfunk and Joachim vie for dominance in yet another campaign   

GIVE THEM HELL JD!!!


----------



## Solarious

I agree. One can always use more advice on how to scatter your opponents, drive them all before you, and hear the lamentations of their women (and men, because this is *equal opportunity* lamentation!  Everyone knows its best in a large chorus, the bigger the better.)

On the other hand, it is always interesting to hear what happens to a party after the adventures are all over: one of my favorite parts of a story! The epilogue is truly a wonderful thing.

One must know how you do in the current module! One forsee many nasty surprises that could be stacked against you...  And Jolly should have no problem giving you a 'jolly' time.  And if he does, gimmie his address and I'll peel his toenails off his feet for ya.


----------



## Richard Rawen

*Finished!*

heh heh, what a RIDE !

Just finished your SH, bandwagon or not:
THANKS! I've been waiting for a week and a half (as I've poured myself into reading this SH exclusively trying to get caught up) and it has been great!  To all those that have contributed, from writers to drop-in players, Thank You for the great story!

Also, I have been copying the SH over to ms word faithfully so if anyone wants I can .rar the four .doc files (ranging from 179k to 128k compressed) and email them.  Just bug me at seeker4 at gpcom dot net  
The files contain the complete story, however I edited out any non-story posts so, sorry, no comments or stat blocks or anything else not directly included in a narative post. The only big changes I made were when something was brought up specifically addressing a confusion or misunderstanding that was corrected by the author(s) yet not corrected in the post... so I went back and clarified/corrected.
[Disclaimer: I made a few minor corrections to grammer due to my inherent A*** Rententive nature... nothing more than a rearranged sentence structure I assure you.]

As mentioned above, it is so refreshing to read a FINISH to a Major SH... and you guys definitely qualify in the Major League.  Looking forward to your next endeavor - and yes, I believe you have the writing bug now so it is just a matter of 'when', not if - I hope 

Blessings,
Richard
M < > <

edit:rebalanced chapter distribution over 4 files to make better stop points and even out file sizes


----------



## JollyDoc

Richard Rawen said:
			
		

> heh heh, what a RIDE !
> 
> 
> 
> As mentioned above, it is so refreshing to read a FINISH to a Major SH... and you guys definitely qualify in the Major League.  Looking forward to your next endeavor - and yes, I believe you have the writing bug now so it is just a matter of 'when', not if - I hope
> 
> Blessings,
> Richard





Wait for it....


----------



## gfunk

New SH link --> http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=155575


----------



## Lela

gfunk said:
			
		

> New SH link --> http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=155575




And here I was mourning.  You <insert explative here>!




I love you.

I have got to make a trip to Bermingham.


----------



## gfunk

Just wanted to see all of JollyDoc's SH on the main page!  For an added bonus, you can see pics of us and our gaming table on the 1st post of this thread (scroll to the bottom).


----------

