# The Order of Initiative In: "The City of the Spider Queen"



## tariff (Jun 12, 2004)

Starring:

Mr Brownstone 5th/5th lvl Half-elf Assassin/Rogue
Lipput: 9th/3rd lvl Half-Orc Barbarian/Rogue
Chandos: 10th lvl Human Fighter
Hairbear: 11th lvl Duergar Rogue​Thein Stormfist: 10th lvl Conjurer
Judas: 10th lvl Human Cleric​
*Character Descriptions*

*Chandos*
_A tall powerfully built warrior, pale skinned with a shaved head. The man follows ridged personal codes, although evil to the core he is a man that can be trusted to keep his word. He will never steal or take that which he has not earnt in some way.

Chandos started his career as a mercenary fighting for whichever cause paid the most.  On one such campaign, fighting on the side of evil for priests of Orcus he finally found his neich in life. He impressed his employers so much he was promoted to commander of a sizable troop and later put in command of the priests own bodyguards.

Soon after a necromancer by the name of Mortise the dark attracted the attention if the Orcus when he recoved the Rod of Orcus in the temple of elemental evil. Seeing the potential for much evil in this mans hands Orcus comanded his priests to send a warrior to aid this man and keep an eye on him, thus Chandos was despatched at once to work with Mortise.
The pair adventured together for a few years gaining much power and wealth, spreading evil in their wake. Now with Mortise deep in studies within his tower Chandos has undertaken some adventures alone with the aim of collecting items useful to the pair._

*Hairbear*
_“I’m a Kender. Least, that’s what I tell everyone. It’s simpler that way. I’ve never met no one that can prove me otherwise. Not here. Good thing too. I’ve changed, or I’ve been changed, and even me own kind ain’t sure of me. 
“I didn’t like Krynn very much. All those steel coins and we trudged about in the snow a lot. My lasting memory of the place is this great ice wall we had to climb to get to a keep. Some sort of lookout post, I guess. A lot of work for little gold. Sums the place up, really. Weren’t there long though.
“Ended up in this dump of a city run by a vampire. I know ‘cause we broke into his school. It was easier getting in than out, I can tell you. Most of ‘em didn’t make it. I didn’t get out with the evidence, though, and bugger all treasure. Bit of a black time, really. 
“The Celtic Island, on the other hand, was a different story. This witch in a village kept sending us on expeditions for stuff and she let us keep what else we could find. Happy days. She had some good stuff but I dare not lift none of it. She was canny for all her dwarf cakes and sugar coating. Met Running Wolf there. He did good out of her too, as I remember. 
“The place I did best though was Myth Drannor. That’s the place that changed me. Spent most of me working life there. It does stuff to you, some good, ‘cause it being a Mythal, see. I sees better now and I have this sort of guardian comes out of me and looks after me when I was knocked unconscious. Lifted some stuff out of there, I can tell you. Got a pretty price for what I couldn’t use and kept what I could. Nice one.” _

*Thein Stormfist*
_Whispered quietly and only to friends, it is rumoured that Thein was taken away from his mother by order of Nevron himself.  The reason is, of course, speculation but many rumours mention a prediction by Yaphyll. Thein is a natural and his ability is only equalled by his devotion to the pure art of wizardry. The first part of his early training was in the Tharch of Thaymount itself but he was soon moved to the metropolis of Eltabbar. His training continued until he found a burning quill pinning a message to his desk. The message had one word. 
Kossuth.
In the morning he had order to leave the hall of learning and move out of Thay altogether. There followed infrequent messages, giving directions and advice, accompanied by burning icons. Gaining experience in many Thayan enclaves he journeyed ever westward until he was cut loose in Dagger Falls. The message was wrapped around the hilt of a dagger with a burning blade. 
The next phase of your journey begins. Now you are training for the circle. Join the adventuring party fighting the drow.
The blade no longer burns but it is magical. This may prove to be the final step up before the trip home, and destiny!_


----------



## tariff (Jun 12, 2004)

*Session 1: * Wherein Emberent, Willow, Borinan, Gilby, Tregar &Brother Elyus return to the Realm of Greyhawk, they are Knighted or made Elders of the Land for their services in destroying the Temple of Elemental Evil, they learn that 5 years have passed (Willow & Emberent have a birthday party).  Meanwhile in Faerun in the Teshford Arms Inn just outside of Daggerfalls a discussion ensues as to who will and who wont work together.  Cleric Lowden fights to maintain peace in the room as the various adventurers argue.  Brod delivers a letter to Zarathrustra that reads thus:

_Dear most evil cleric of Bane, Zarathrustra,

It is most distressing to hear of your continued existence. I had hoped that when you were righteously cut down, after running from the skeletal horde like a frightened little girl, that you would, at last, stay in the Tormented Plane of your choice. It was a dark day when Faerun was again cursed with your returning. 

It is more distressing still to learn you wish to rejoin our party, no doubt to cause mayhem and chaos. I can not allow you to again disrupt our good works. I do, however, realise you have done well for us and those that live in Faerun – even if it was for all the wrong reasons! I could, therefore, see a circumstance when your rejoining the party would be beneficial, but under provisos. 

One, you pay an as yet undefined sum of monies for myself and a good cleric of Moradin, Soul Forger, to return to Durgeddin’s Forge to consecrate the despoiled tombs of my brethren. 

Two, at the first convenient time you plant a coppice of various trees in an area they will thrive. 

Three, search out a bear, or similar natural creature, in danger of its life and rescue it, taking it somewhere to live a full and happy life. 

Four, you found a hostel and soup kitchen for the homeless of Loudwater. It would be nice if you worked there for a time too. I would help you in this endeavour if you so wished. 

I hope you would, of course, enter into the spirit of these provisos and not try to wheedle through loopholes, in the letter of the law, as it were. Furthermore, there shall be:

No malicious murders, killings, pogroms, ethnic cleansings or whatever else you may wish to call them. 
No preaching in the name of the tyrant chaos monger that is your present patron. 
No antagonising behaviour. 
No wallowing in filth and depravity (no bathing in blood, or spider eating, etc.). 
No collusion with undead (or Demons, Devils or Daemons, etc!). 

I’m sure you would hate to die again but slaying of evil is fully endorsed by The Soul Forger. Have you considered a returning to all that is just and good? I would hope you become an avenger for Helm rather than an expendable puppet of your present master. 

Yours truly, The Good Dwarf Goodmountain. _ 

Zarathrustra protests his innocence and declares when has he ever gone against the party, as, in his eyes Coppice had done with “the Bear issue”..Hyakin shouts that Zarahrustra had attacked and animated her!!, Zarathrustra counters that by stating that he had been charmed by the “speaker in dreams” at that time.  Willow and Emberent state that they will not work with Zarathrustra before they depart for Greyhawk, Running wolf also decides not to join the cleric of Bane.  However, others are willing to work with Zarathrustra.  Stepping out of the Greyhawk portal arrives a half-orc named Lipput and the Assassin known as Mr Brownstone  Arriving from Loudwater, the Orcus worshipping fighter Chandos, and coming from who knows where the deurgar (tho he thinks he’s a kender!) rogue Hairbear.  They go shopping.  One evening in the inn they are approached by a man who identifies himself as a aide to Randal Morn.  He tells the party that a band of Drow had raided several farms about 10 miles south of Dagger Falls.  He states that local militia tracked the Drow band to the vicinity of an old set of crypts on the western edge of the Dagger Hills, rumor has it that those crypts contain an entrance to the Underdark.  Our party of heroes (villans) accept the mission and head toward the crypts.  It takes the party 5 hours to hike the distance.  They come to two old, small, stone buildings that stand in the shadow of a hill.  A stone door has been cut into the stone.  They decide to check one of the small buildings.  Mr Brownstone uses x ray vision to determine there a coffins inside.  They get in and are attacked by 2 vampire spawn, as they engage these they are lightning bolted, they see nothing that caused this and start hacking away in mid air trying to hit the cause of the lightning bolt.. again they are hit by a bolt before Zarathrustra uses some Dust of Appearance to locate a vampire/wizard named Chahir.  Chahir manages to summon four wolves to his aid, Chandos dicing these with his great cleave attacks.  Chahir also manages to drain Brownstone 2 levels (temp) and Dominate Lipput who attacks Hairbear causing him much distress/damage before they fell the vampire.  They search the area and decide to rest for the night.
Timeline: Chandos, Lipput, Hairbear, Zarathrustra, Mr Brownstone: Day 2


----------



## tariff (Jun 12, 2004)

*Session 2: * Wherein the party decide to open the great stone double doors leading into the hill.  The party spend 4 hours attempting to open the doors before deciding to wait until nightfall to see if any Drow emerge.  They wait over night…nothing happens.  The next day they again spend hours attempting to open the doors, eventually they manage to force them open.. Inside a corridor stretches off.. on the floor are five dead Drow.  They examine these bodies and deduce that three of the Drow died by wounds inflicted by small crossbow quarrels and the other two were killed by blows from blunt weapons.  Each has been stripped of arms and armor but each still wore a black tabard emblazoned with a silver spiderweb insignia.  Zarathrustra scalps one of the Drow and then uses Animates dead on them, he commands them to proceed ahead of the party.  They come to a door which they open, it leads into a large room, they enter.. a glyph flashes on the floor and 2 celestial dire lions appear and attack, these prove tougher than expected but the party slay them.  The room is a tomb and contains several bodies, the party find loot!.  They come to another door in the corridor and Zarathrustra commands one of his Drow zombies to open the door.  When the zombie touches the door it falls down.  Undeterred the party enter the room. The vaults most prominent feature was a large stone statue of a regal-looking woman dressed in a long elegant gown.  As the party enter the statue seems to animate.. It appears to talk to them but none in the party understand its words. Suddenly a ghostly woman materializes, her mere look drains Lipput of strength, dexterity and constitution.. Initially Chandos refuses to fight the Ghost, claiming he dosen’t fight intelligent undead, however , as various party members are drained by the ghost Chandos decides to step in.  The ghost disappears and they decide to smash up the statue..Mr Brownstone doing a particularly good job.  The area opens into caverns, graves are cut into the walls, Zarathrustra sends in one of his zombie slaves to check the graves in the walls..  the party see spores fly into the air.. Brownstone and Lipput don their “mask of the bees” (immune to airborne poisons ) and search the area.  They come into another cavern that has a marble statue that depicts a gaunt, alien-looking creature with bulbous eyes, an insects mandibles, and a elongated oval head.  They spend quite a while checking this statue out, but find nothing.  They proceed on through the chamber and are attacked by a Roper, but after Hairbear, Brownstone and Chandos sneak attack/critical it is nomore.  They decide to rest but are attacked by a Maurezhi, it manages to paralyze Lipput, Chandos, Hairbear.. Just before Brownstone is paralyzed he manages to shout and awaken a sleeping Zarathrustra who amazingly rebukes this creature.  They carry on searching more caverns and get attacked by a few Drow and spiders.. They are also attacked from behind by two Bebiliths which prove fearsome creatures, Zarathrustra gains control of a wraith spider and sends it into battle.  Once the Bebilith are slain Zarathrustra eats some of them and they retrace their steps and find a illusory wall.  They proceed through and see what appears to be a Drow elf being attacked by a spider creature…the party go to aid of the elf, but are instead attacked by both creatures which turn out to be two Aranea (drow-spider things).  After a few illusory walls the party encounter a band of 5 drow who attack the party.. The drow consist of a female cleric, a spellguard and noble guards.  The party defeats these.  Zarathrustra uses Speak with dead and they glean the following information.
Why the raids? ‘To get supplies.’ Why the expulsion? ‘Because we follow the Spider Queen. 
Lolth has gone silent. Followers of the White Banshee have control.’
Zarathrustra animates 5 dead drow again, Brownstone coats his blade with drow poison and they are attacked again by the Maurezhi, Hairbear proves his worth and it dies.  They resume searching the Dordrien Crypts and finally come to a wall of stone with a hole going down infront of it.
Timeline: Chandos, Lipput, Hairbear, Zarathrustra, Mr Brownstone: Day 4


----------



## tariff (Jun 12, 2004)

*Session 3: * Wherein the party return to Dagger Falls and spend 5 weeks training, Zarathrustra spends this time trying to convince the party to fund some scrollmaking (restorations, cures etc), his offer is met with indifference.  They spend some of their time in the Teshford Arms Inn and bump into a traveling wizard who asks the party if they have sensed a disruption in the weave… being as the party are made up of a fighter, assassin, rogue, barbarian, cleric..they hadden’t sensed e!… They return to the Dordrian Crypts and Chandos jumps down the hole (using a ring of feather falling).  He comes into a cavern and is attacked by Drow, a wraith spider and a creature called a quth-maren.  Chandos is knocked out and almost dead, but Brownstone successfully uses a Thunderstone on a Drow spellguard, Lipput strikes with two Javelins of Lightening, and Zarathrustra manages to heal Chandos.  They are standing in a chamber.. at the far end a chasm yawns in the earth, reaching far down into the endless reaches of the underdark.  Though it is only about 30 feet wide, the rift continues for hundreds of feet either side.  A large web is attached to the side of the chasm and stretches down into the darkness, and far below you can hear rushing water
Timeline: Chandos, Lipput, Hairbear, Zarathrustra, Mr Brownstone: Day 35


----------



## tariff (Jun 12, 2004)

*Session 4: * Wherein the party equip themselves with various magical items.  Mr Brownstone activates his boots of levitation, Hairbear his boots of spider climbing and Chandos, Lipput, and Zarathrustra use rings of feather falling.  Mr Brownstone braves the unknown first and drops off the side into the chasm.. He floats down 20ft then see’s a drow Spellguard materialize 30ft away, flying.. The spellguard casts dispel magic on Mr Brownstone, his boots deactivated he plummets.  Lipput attempts to come to Brownstones aid by chucking a rope of climbing at him as he falls..but he is gone..Miraculously (hero point) 300 foot down Brownstone manages to grab onto one of the strands of the web and breaks his fall, less miraculously he is held fast in the web… and a HUGE spider seems to have noticed him.  Lipput uses arrow fire on the Drow spellguard and Zarathrustra uses searing light to good effect, blinding the drow.  They manage to kill him and jump off to see if they can find Mr Brownstone.  They float down (quaffing potions on the way) and notice a cave entrance… They float down to 300ft and see another cave enterance.  Chandos is the first to land at the cave mouth and sees it opens into a large cavern.  Inside Chandos spies two pack lizards loaded down with packs and crates.  Three gray dwarves (who seem to be of the same stock as hairbear…but he said he was a kender!) seem to be selling wares from the lizards’ packs.  The customers include a pair of drow, a trio of kuo-toas, and a mind-flayer.  A ledge, about 10 feet of the ground, runs the length of the northeastern wall, and some half-dozen doors are set into the wall beyond the ledge.  Suddenly there is a shout, Chandos has been spotted by drow sentries and a spellguard who attack.  Lipput lands invisibly next to chandos.  They engage.  Chandos manages to cleave his way through the sentries, Lipput manages to avoid a lightning bolt from the spellguard and a charm person from the mind flayer, Zarathrustra once again employs searing light on the spellguard.  Lipput initially attacks the spellguard with his axe but notices that the drow seems to be under the effect of stoneskin, quickdrawing Crow the Bow Lipput steps back and arrows the drow to death.  The duergar disappear (invisible) and the kuo-toa flee…. Chandos rebuffs many attempted charms by the flayer until he eventually succumbs and attacks Lipput.  Lipput and Chandos exchange blows, Chandos seeming unconfident and uncharacteristically missing a lot, Lipput hitting hard, Zarathrustra helps with cures to Lipput and soon Chandos falls to a mighty blow from the half-orc.. The flayer, goes invisible. Hairbear also invisible searches for the flayer.  When it appears again Hairbear is ready and executes the killing blow.  Lipput, Hairbear and Zarathrustra view the surrounding carnage.  With Chandos dead at their feet and Mr Brownstone no-where to be seen Zarathrustra declares that that he just wants to go home.


----------



## tariff (Jun 12, 2004)

*Session 5:* Wherein the Duergar that went invisible re-appear and speak to Hairbear in their native language.  Hairbear addresses the party and states they must leave quick as “the web team is coming”.  They store Chandos and his equipment in bags of holding and they ascend the web, climbing up the central strand.  Hairbear gets up first using his boots of spider climbing, Zarathrustra also manages to climb up without problem, Lipput loses his grip at one point, but due to his great climbing skills he manages to catch himself and successfully climb to the top cavern.  They run through the Dordrian Crypts without incident and back to Daggerfalls where Chandos is resurrected by Cleric Lowden  (Lipput donates 10k for his fallen comrade).  Zarathrustra bids his final farewells to the party, he has decided to travel Fearun a while spreading the word of his lord and master Bane and maybe renewing contact with the Zhentarim.  Chandos, Lipput & Hairbear buy some potions in Daggerfalls and decide to head back and try to find Mr Brownstone.  They make their way through the Dordrian Crypts to the hole in the ground with the granite wall behind it.  Hairbear decides to check out the wall and being a dwarf he determines that it is a Wall of Stone spell in place.  They decide to leave it.  Hairbear bravely descends the hole first, stealthily sneaking he comes into the chamber that adjoins the chasm and web.  It again has Drow (14 in total) in, they don’t spot Hairbear and he positions himself in a vantage point in the cave, Lipput uses his strange Ring of Invisibility and descends into the chamber, he is unseen at first, but then a Spellguard spots him and combat begins.  Chandos goes into a cleaving frenzy, Hairbear succumbs to a Drow poisoned arrow and falls unconscious, Lipput gets enfeebled by a Ray of Enfeeblement from the Spellguard.  Chandos is lightning bolted by the Spellguard, Lipput returns fire but the Spellguard is protected by Stoneskin, the Drow goes invisible and flys out of the chamber, Lipput arrows into air but hits nothing.  They retreat to the back of the chamber and attempt to wake Hairbear.  After 5 hours Hairbear is still unconscious.
Timeline: Chandos, Lipput, Hairbear: Day 36


----------



## tariff (Jun 12, 2004)

*Session 6:* Wherein Chandos & Lipput slap Hairbear about a bit, after another hour he wakes!.  They decide to descend the web again.  Again they are attacked by the Spellguard who uses dispel magic on Chandos’ ring of feather falling, however chandos is climbing down and manages to hold on as he is lightning bolted by the spellguards wand .  Chandos, hurt, climbs back up the web and retreats into the cavern to consume potions of healing.  Lipput eventually fires the spellguard out of the sky with Crow the Bow.. the drow plummets into the depths.  They descend the web 600ft and see the raging torrent of water below, they decide that if Brownstone fell here he is gone… they also notice another cavern entrance..  They climb back up to the bazaar level and Chandos decides to try and attract whatever is in the web by throwing bits of dead drow at the sticky web.  His attempts attract a huge spider.  Chandos and Hairbear approach the spider but get stuck in the web.  Hairbear removes his boots and flees back to the cavern with lipput and they use arrow fire (hairbear having difficulty in hurting the spider).  Chandos donning his periapt of poison potection stands his ground and wades into the spider.  They slay the beast quickly.  They ascend the web again looking for Brownstone (noticing other cave entrances). They find a lair at the top left of cavern, inside is a dead cocooned Brownstone.  They place him in the bag of holding and proceed to another entrance off of the web.  Hairbear scouts ahead first and spies two drow sentries.  They attack these foe and slay them quickly, they determine it is a barracks area as they are attacked by another 8 drow and one of those undead quth maren creatures.  The quth marens horrific sight gets to lipput before he is hit by 4 drow arrows and knocked unconscious.  Chandos manages to stand the sight of the quth maren and bashes it up, Hairbear using range fire.  Chandos cleaves his way through the remaining sentries.  They decide to head back to Dagger Falls to get Mr Brownstone resurrected.  They are in luck, the cleric named Lowden is still in town, he resurrects Mr Brownstone but states “I will be continuing my travels shortly, I am going to Suzail, the capital of Cormyr.  So this will be farewell.” “Do not fret however, Randal Morns house cleric is Tunfer the Stout, he will be able to assist you”. Lipput awakens & trains.


----------



## tariff (Jun 29, 2004)

*Re-Entering the Crypts*

*Session 7:* Wherein the party goes shopping in Daggerfalls.  They buy a lot of potions, Antitoxins and Healing potions being a particular favorite.  As with Zarathrustra’s departure they are without cleric.  Whilst they have a quiet drink that evening in the Teshford Arms Inn a powerful looking Necromancer enters,  _“good day I am Mortise a associate of Chandos.  I need to speak with him, then ill be on my way” _ They whisper together for a moment.  Then Mortise leaves.  The party have a few more drinks and retire for the night.  Tomorrow they will set off back to the Dordrien Crypts, and back to the drow beyond.
	Morning arrives and the party set off on foot, none of the party wishing to ride.  They take a leisurely stroll, it takes about 5 hours to hike the distance of 10 miles along the wide and dusty track.  Two old small stone buildings appear out of the gloom.  It had been here the party had faced the vampire Chahir.  Nothing seems disturbed.  _“wish we had a tracker” _  says the Half-Orc Lipput.  They approach the large stone doors set in the hillside.  _“Hope these aren’t shut, took ages to open last time” _ grumbles Brownstone.  

The combined brute strength of Lipput and the human, orcus worshipping, Chandos pries open the doors easily, revealing the corridor stretching into the rock.  _“the doors haven’t been barred…” _ states Chandos.  The party proceeds in.  The Duergar, Hairbear feels comforted entering the Hillside, even though he has been blessed with Daylight adaptation, the dwarf prefers it underground.  Even so, he doesn’t trust the Drow, he knows what they are capable of.  He begins searching the corridor slowly for traps.  The half-elf, Assassin, Mr Brownstone, impatient, strides ahead.  Getting to the corner, Brownstone peers round to the right.  He spies the corridor stretching off approximately 80 feet before entering the first cavern area of the Dordrien Crypts.  _“Seems to be clear” _ he whispers to the party.  Lipput decides to check in the first room, it should contain a empty crypt.. yep, still does!.  Hairbear stops searching for traps in the corridor, figuring Brownstone would have set them off by now with his nonchalant steps.  Brownstone steps out and heads for a door on the left hand side of the corridor.  This had been a family vault, the party had triggered a glyph and celestial Dire lions had appeared and attacked the party.  The glyph therefore should be dispelled, best check.  Brownstone begins to check for traps when suddenly out of the corner of his eye he notices movement at the cavern area down the corridor.  Nanoseconds later a pillar of flame (flame strike) from above slams down on Brownstone, his reactions do not fail him however and he dodges the blast taking no damage.  _“we got company!”_ shouts Brownstone as he spies a Drow that has suddenly appeared in the cavern, by her vestments she appears to be a cleric, a cleric of this this new god Kiaranselee..  Chandos, hearing Brownstones cry starts getting potions/antitoxins from his backpack… “Poison me after I quaffed this lot!” thinks the warrior.  Hairbear runs forward, round the corner and fires off a arrow at the cleric.  The drow responds by attempting a _Hold person_ on Hairbear, it fails.  Brownstone once again utilizes his quick reactions as he sees several missiles scream towards him from another Drow that has appeared out of thin air in the cavern 80 feet away (a Arcane Guard), he is unsuccessful and two missiles slam into his body.  “That was unerring” he thinks.  More Drow come from the cavern, these appear to be common Drow armed with bows and rapiers, one fires a poisoned arrow at Hairbear but he resists its _sleep _ effects.  Chandos rushes forward with purpose.  He comes under a hail of arrowfire.  He can see the sticky black Drow _sleep _ poison coating the arrows, fortunately he is aided by antitoxins.  Hairbear engages the Arcane Guard with arrow fire initially before closing in.  The cleric speaks to the party in broken common.  _“I am Velina, you will bother us no-more, attack my prettys!” _ Out of the cavern steps a creature the party is only to familiar with, the flayed skin of the undead creature drips with its caustic blood.  It’s _horrific gaze _ to much to bear for Chandos and Hairbear who cower before the creature.  Lipput wields _Crow the Bow _ and rains arrow fire at the Quth Maron from the end of the corridor.  Brownstone attacks Velina.  Velina lets out a cackle as another of the undead creatures enters the fray from the cavern, its awful visage overwhelming Mr Brownstone who cowers in its presence.  Velina steps forward and attempts a _slay living _ spell on the cowering Chandos but Chandos resists .  The Arcane guard uses a wand on Lipput, but the Barbarian/Rogue manages to shake off the effects of the _Hold Person_ Spell.  Velina does however; manage to heal the Arcane guard.  Lipput the only member of the party not cowering before this drow onslaught lets loose with Crow, his aim is true and he fells one of the Quth Maron.  With the creature dead, Chandos and Hairbear are released from its gaze, they look up and see the other Quth Maron but both manage to overcome their fear.  The party engages their attackers with vengeance.  Hairbear attacks Velina with his shocking spear, he hits but as he hits searing flames burn him _“she’s got some kind of fire shield on”_ exclaims the duergar.  Brownstone attacks Velina and fells the drow cleric, but not before taking fire damage.  Lipput finnishes off the remaining Quth maron. The Arcane guard and the other common drow fall soon enough with Chandos’s flailing arms & Lipputs arrow fire.  

They search the bodies of the fallen Drow.  Velina T’sarran had acquired a few items the party may be interested in, these included a Corrosive Dagger and Elven Chainmail +2 and Velina’s wand of hold person

The party continues through the Dordrien Crypts again without incident.  Once again they come to the small shaft, behind it standing a wall of stone.  Hairbear leads the way and they climb down into the room that adjoins the huge chasm.  They peer down the huge web.  There seems no sign of life.

The party have the choice of a six possible caverns/cave entrances to enter from off of the huge spider web.  They decide to go back to the top right cave entrance, the area they had deemed The Barracks.
They successfully navigate the web and enter the small Barracks complex.  There are a total of six rooms in this area, as well as cells.  And the party encounter no Drow in this area.  They enter a officers quarters.  On searching this area Mr Brownstone finds on top of a neat stack of papers a wax-sealed bone tube containing a letter penned in Espruar Script, the drow dialect.  It takes a while, but Mr Brownstone successfully deciphers the letter and reads it to the party

_Indrizil:
Word has probably reached you about the fall of Maerimydra, and perhaps you have wondered about my safety. Obviously, i survived the sack of the city, although it was a close call indeed. The city fell at the hands of mere chattel— the priestesses of the Spider Queen had kept the city so cowed that, with their power gone, its defenders could not resist even a force of goblins, ogres, and giants. We held our strong places for a time without the clerics, but then House Chumavh was overthrown from within, and so we were undone.
I write to you now from Szith Morcane, the old outpost north and west of the city. "Perhaps you will come visit me— though I must say that if you still profess faith in Lolth you will not be welcomed by those who rule here now. The Spider queen's priestesses have found a new role here, which I think you would not enjoy very much.
I do not know if you still cling to the hope that the Spider Queen will restore you—will restore all of us—to her favor, but if you do, I urge you to reconsider, it is not too late for you or for our bond of blood. The Lady of the Dead will accept you still, just as she has taken me into her care. All Maerimydra is her temple now, and her emissaries rule here too. Abandon your empty allegiance to a silent goddess and come to Szith Morcane, but do not wear the emblem of the spider. I have need of allies of my own blood, and if Lolth still ignores your pleas, I suspect you do as well.
—Rhavauz_

They search the other quarters.. One has a _fire trap _ on the door wich blackens Chandos’s face!.  In the main barracks room Hairbear and Brownstone are alone searching while Lipput and Chandos search the wizards quarters.  Hairbear opens a footlocker and discovers a few interesting items including a scroll, a wand of fly, and a gold comb studded with small diamonds as well as 3 iron keys.  _“Will you say anything if I, err, keep this” _ says the bald dwarf holding up the comb to Mr Brownstone _“I could use it for my beard”_ he says, knowing what Brownstone is thinking.  _“I will KILL anyone caught stealing from the party” _ bellows Chandos from the doorway, Hairbear dropping coins and his comb on the floor in shock as he tries to shove them in his pocket.  Lipput, hearing Chandos, also agrees that death is a good punishment of inter-party thieving.  Hairbear sheepishly apologizes and puts the comb in the Party treasure sack!.

Chandos begins to search the cells, there are six in all.  All have heavy iron doors with small shuttered windows in.  One of them also holds a trap that Chandos sets off.  A Noble Salamander materializes in the hallway and attacks Chandos.  Chandos attacks back doing mighty damage.  The rest of the party running to aid Chandos.  The salamander summons a fire elemental to aid it.  Lipput gets burnt a lot by this creature, but the party survives the encounter.  They drink some of their healing potions.  _“Where have all the Drow gone” _ Chandos says to himself  _“we must have killed most of them last time”_ replies Lipput.  Where to go to next?.  Perhaps the Bazaar area.
_Timeline: Day 46_


----------



## tariff (Jul 2, 2004)

*Session 8: * 
Wherein the party leaves the barracks area and proceeds to the next cavern entrance down (on the left).  A short tunnel leads from the chasm inward, ending in a archway that opens into a larger room.  Hairbear precedes forward first, hiding.  He looks into the larger room.  Glistening walls of smooth, black rock tower upward, forming a octagonal room that looks like a squat tower turned inside-out.  A single archway leads to the northeast on the ground level.  Hairbear spies the two Drow Arcane Guard who stand watch here.  He moves into a better position undetected.  Mr Brownstone follows the Duergar into the room stealthily.  Chandos rushes into the room.  The Arcane Guard yell out a curse in their tongue and unleash two _lightning bolts_ at the fighter as he advances.  Hairbear uses range fire and downs one of the guards.  Lipput runs in and slays the other.  Suddenly, out of the sky, Chandos is hit by another two _lightning bolts_.  There, hovering 20ft above are another two Arcane Guard.  _“I hate invis” _ states the warrior.  Lipput arrows one out of the sky.  _“Give up and I might not kill you all” _ he shouts.  Chandos moves to the cover of the archway.  He notices a door ajar off of the room behind the alcove, just before he his hit by another 2 _lightning bolts _ from drow that appear directly in front of him in the room beyond!.  Badly hurt, Chandos runs out of the room, back towards the chasm to consume a _potion of cure serious wounds_.  Lipput arrows the other drow out of the sky.  Hairbear and Brownstone use arrow fire on the two remaining drow under the arch, one falls, one very badly hurt.  Lipput runs forward and punches unconscious the last of the drow.

_“Don’t Kill him, we need a prisoner”_ pleads Hairbear as the hulking figure of Lipput steps forward to put the unconscious drow out of his misery.  _“why” _ states Lipput simply.  _“They are of no worth, just slay them” _ states Chandos.  _“Ill bet you you can’t pull its head off in one go” _  Lipput grasps the unconscious drows head in his mighty hands.  It does come of, but not as easy as the half-orc had anticipated .

They search for secret doors around the base of this inverted tower, and the small room beyond the arch.  They find no secret doors and the room is a sparse living quarters area.  Brownstone activates his _Boots of Levitation _ and starts to levitate up the inverted tower looking for secret doors with his keen half-elf senses.  He finds none in this 50ft high tower.  He descends and rejoins his companions.  _“Nothing up there”.  _ Slightly bemused the party decide to head to another of the cave entrances.  The one furthest right.  Hairbear scouts ahead, the cave mouth in the chasm winds back deep into the rock, opening into a very large cavern.

 A feint green phosphorescence dances along the ceiling, which is easily 30 feet overhead at the entrance and rises sharply from that point.  The cavern stretches for hundreds of feet to the east, its floor broken into a myriad of ledges and tilted slabs.  Many of these are covered with weird fungal growths that appear to have been carefully cultivated; others sport bulbous houses or cottages that seem to have been grown from giant toadstools.  Eerie green witchlight dances in the small, round windows of these dwellings.  A few dark figures move about between the fungus patches and the houses.

_“wow, a drow villiage or outpost” _ whispers Hairbear to his companions.  _“we can’t take a whole villiage of them” _ sighs Brownstone

_“Go to the Bazzar” _ states Lipput bluntly.  They navigate the huge spiders web once more back to the bazaar level, 300ft below where the party entered from the surface.  The large chamber is empty, no sign of the pack lizards or drow and deurgar now.  A ledge, about 10 feet of the ground, runs the length of the northeastern wall.  Six doors are set in the wall beyond the ledge.  Working from left to right the party approach the doors.  Each door is barred from the outside, a heavy wooden beam nailed to the door.  Mr Brownstone says _“ahh, I think I might have something to aid us in this situation”,_ pulling out a ring.  _“this”_ he states _“is a ring of x-ray vision”_.  Using the ring, Mr Brownstone systematically scans behind each door.  Although he can only scan in 20ft he gathers enough information.  Of the six chambers beyond the doors five seem to be covered in webs, dozens of spiders are visible in the webs, some as small as peas, others as large as dogs.!  _“Why would they seal off these doors”_ says Chandos to nobody in particular.  _“Because the Spider Queen is no longer their patron?” _ Replies Hairbear.  Another room seems completely bare and featureless, no webs, no spiders.

Working left to right Chandos confidently steps forward.  But the human has difficulty removing the bar from the first door.  Lipput assists Chandos but still the bar wont budge.  Lipput growls and strikes two mighty blows at the door, which splinters into many pieces, the spiders scurry away and don’t attack the party.  Brownstone stands in the doorway and uses a wand of magic detection.  Nothing is detected.  They search the room which seems to be a old warehouse and a small room adjoined to it which seems to have been a small merchant residence.  There is nothing of interest in these areas.  The next door along hold the same.  A warehouse (with lots of spiders in) and a merchant residence.  In the third warehouse the party are attacked by two large blobs.  _“Black puddings”_ says everyone.  Hairbear is the first to strike at these oozes with his trusty bow.  As his arrow hits the ooze, it splits into two smaller puddings.  The arrow seemed to do no other damage.  _“oh no” _ says a startled Hairbear..  Chandos and Lipput retreat out of the room.  _“these things destroy your weapons or something” _ advises Chandos, who starts scrabbling in his backpack for his flasks of oil.  Hairbear also retreats from the room, leaving Brownstone alone.  He starts to go find wood to burn _“these things hate fire”_ thinks the Duergar.  Brownstone, alone, faces a large black pudding and two small ones, fortunately, due to his positioning; only two of the creatures can hit him.  He pulls out his wand of lightning bolt and bolts the large pudding.  _“Im coming in, gonna use oil on em”_, shouts Chandos.  Brownstone, hearing this, dons his ring of fire resistance.  Just in time, as sailing over his head comes a oil bomb.  It explodes on impact with the ooze, Brownstone is splashed, along with the other ooze.  But his ring protects him from any fire damage.  Lipput also throws oil bombs and Brownstone uses his _wand of lightning bolt_ again.  

Meanwhile Hairbear gathers as much wood as his short frame will allow him to carry, most of this wood had been acquired from the smashed down doors.  Overloaded, unable to see where he is going, the duergar shuffles slowly back to the party.

The second of the smaller puddings, begins to climb the wall and move onto the ceiling, it seems to be trying to maneuver into a attacking position.  Chandos moves back out of the room having thrown all his oil bombs, he sees a walking pile of wood coming toward him!. "WE GOT WOOOOD!" states the Duergar.  Shaking his head, Chandos grabs a piece to use as a club.  Lipput throws his last oil bomb over Mr Brownstone’s head onto the large pudding attacking Brownstone.  It hits the ooze, but fails to break on impact.   Chandos moves back into the room and strikes at the blob with his newly fashioned club.  It hits and hurts the creature, but the club dissolves in his hand _“arrrg” _ says Chandos.  Mr Brownstone dodges four attacks by the large pudding before it finally strikes lucky and hits the assassin.  It envelops him, constricting him, acid burning his clothes.  Chandos exits room again and the walking woodpile that is Hairbear hands him a lovely bit of wood.  _“thanx” _ replies Chandos before running back in and killing one of the smaller puddings.  The club again dissolves on impact tho.  Lipput slashes away at the second of the smaller puddings that had dropped down from the ceiling right in front of him.  He uses the Butt end of his Guisarm, thinking wood would be immune to the dissolving effects.  After seeing Chandos’s clubs destroyed, however, the half-orc knew this not to be the case, but it must have proved lucky because the weapon remained sturdy as he destroys the last of the smaller puddings.  Chandos, knowing Brownstone must be in trouble under the ooze slashes away at it to free his comrade, he does mighty damage but fails to slay it.  If they’re not quick, it could be too late for Brownstone (who is getting constriction and acid damage per round).  Lipput steps in just in time and kills the beast.  They pull up a badly wounded Brownstone, his body bearing the mark of acid burns.  He drinks several healing potions.

There are two doors in this room that lead to smaller rooms.  One of the doors was guarded by a glyph of warding that explodes in Chandos’s face as he attempts to open it.  It must be Chandos’s unlucky day.  On opening the door an unspeakably vile stench, combining the worst elements of decaying flesh, refuse, and waste, wafts out.  A fetid pool of slime glistens in the center of the chamber beyond, and a number of amorphous shapes twitch around it.  Within the pool of slime, something glows with a sickly violet light.  As Chandos is taking all this in he suddenly is hit by a long tentacle.  His line of sight follows the tentacle back to the opposite wall of the small room ahead.  It is attached to a creature that resembles a stalagmite, he hadn’t seen it before, it had been blended in with the surroundings.  The tentacle saps Chandos’s strength, before Lipput strikes and severs it.  As he does so the Roper exudes another.  Another two tentacles hit Chandos as he stands in the doorway, he is greatly weakend and can do nothing but stand there. _ “Do you need this wood?” _ inquires Hairbear _“NO, I need you to cut off these strands!”_ whimpers a weak Chandos.  Hairbear attempts to cut a strand but fails.  Brownstone sends a _lightning bolt_ toward the Roper.. it hits but the Roper is unaffected.  Lipput, not wanting to see Chandos pulled toward the Roper (and into whatever that puddle is) goes into a berserk rage and frees Chandos from the two tentacles attached to him.  As he does so, however, another strand shoots forth and attaches itself to the warrior.  Hairbear manically tries to cut it, but doesn’t do enough damage to sever it.  Lipputs strike is fast and true and once again he releases Chandos, who, so weakened, almost falls to his knees.  Before the Roper can fire another strand Lipput slams the door to the room shut.

They retreat and attempt to formulate a battle plan.  Chandos drinks five potions of restoration gaining some strength back, but he still isn’t 100% fit.  _“I say we leave that Roper, I hate Ropers, really, lets go”_ _“One little problem and you want to retreat?. I say we slay this beast”. _ Replies Brownstone.  _“It’s not far back to Daggerfalls, we could go back and resupply, I need rest, I am weakend”_.  Hairbear offers the suggestion of camping in the fairly secure and defendable Barracks area, but seeing Chandos will not accept this reluctantly agrees to go back to Daggerfalls. _“well…. if we are losing our main Tank, we might aswell head back”._  Lipput spins round and stares at the Duergar _“Lucky you find me in a good mood” _  It seems not being considered the “main tank” is a insult to the half-orc.  They search the rest of the bazaar area and find just more empty warehouses.


----------



## tariff (Jul 9, 2004)

*New Blood*

*Session 9: New Blood*
Wherein the party decide to head back again to Daggerfalls.  They ascend the spiderweb and proceed through the Dordrien Crypts without incident.  Back at Daggerfalls Chandos trains in the ways of the warrior, this takes two weeks.  During this break, the Necromancer Mortise once again comes to the Teshford Arms Inn and speaks with Chandos.  Lipput enquires of the mage “Do you have the Magiks to upgrade this” he says holding up his greataxe.  “I do, lets talk” replies Mortise.  “I’m going to stay behind, I need to upgrade my weaponry” says the half-orc to the party.  “I also will be abandoning the party for a time” says Hairbear.  “there are some matters I must attend to”.  “we will need others” says Chandos to Brownstone.  “Judas!” shouts Brownstone in surprise.  Across the room, sitting at a table is a human adorned in full plate mail.  He is playing chess with a man opposite him who also wears a red cloak.  A cleric of the Red Knight, thinks Chandos.  “Checkmate” says the Cleric who looks up from the Lanceboard “Brownstone”. “There’s our cleric” says the assassin to the fighter.

Thein the Conjurer was a little shocked.  He had teleported to Daggerfalls from a Thayan enclave, with the aid of scrying.  The journey had not been smooth; he was sure he felt “travel sick”.  He tries out a few mundane spells.  Nope, they seem to work fine he says to himself..  Suspicious Thein visits the Inns of Daggerfalls to try to find another Wizard.  He had just about given up when he spies a figure dressed in robes with a flowing beard coming ambling up the track toward Daggerfalls.  Thein rushes out to meet him.  The wizard is a little taken aback by the heavily tattooed Thein who is obviously much more powerful than himself.  “Have you noticed anything wrong with your spells my friend?” asks Thein. “Nope, cant say I ave” replies the mage. “Not your teleport spells?” “dunno, aint tried.  Mmm let me see, I have that memorized at the moment.  Tell you what, ill try it out.. ill teleport over to that tree” he says, pointing to a tree 50ft away.  “ok” says Thein.  The wizard begins casting and disappears.  Thein waits a while for him to appear by the tree.  He continues to wait, and there is still no sign of the other wizard… “mmmm” says Thein.  He begins to walk toward the tree pondering when he notices a dagger stuck in the base of the tree, its blade burning.  Wrapped around its hilt was a message

The next phase of your journey begins. Now you are training for the circle. Join the adventuring party fighting the drow.

These markers where familiar to Thein, they had been part of his life for a long time.  “Time to go to work” he says striding purposefully to the Teshford arms Inn.

“Yes, we could certainly use a wizard” says Chandos to Thein, “That would complete our party, we have a Assassin, a Cleric, a Wizard and a Main Tank!” he permits himself a small smile.  Mr Brownstone and Chandos fill in Thein and Judas as to the current state of affairs.  “Ahh Drow, what scum god do they bow too?” asks Judas “It seems Lolth has abandoned them, they now seem to bow to a god named Kiaransalee” replies Brownstone. “Lets go, their gods don’t interest me” states Chandos heading for the door.

They travel to the Dordrien crypts yet again on foot.  The stone doors leading into the hill remain shut, but not barred.  The party travel through the crypts, down the hole, and to the large spider web.  “There’s several ways to go here, but we have unfinished business with a Roper” says Brownstone looking over the chasm into the depths below.  “Lead on, with sound tactics we will avail anything” states Judas.  They navigate their way down the web to the Bazaar level some 300ft below.  They head straight for the room that contained the Roper.  The party prepare, drinking some potions.  Judas invokes his Domain Power (Nobility) Inspire Allies.  Thein readies his Magic Missiles and Chandos flings open the door.  The Roper is hit by the missiles but they fizzle on him ineffectively.  In the small room there is a pool of something, round the edges, blocking the way to the Roper at the back of the room, Chandos notices Ochre Jellys.  He leaps over one and confronts the Roper.  Brownstone stands at the door and throws a thunderstone, the Roper resists its effects.  Eleven tentacles shoot forth from the creature.  The attacks are aimed at Chandos and Brownstone, but all the strands miss.  Judas from behind Brownstone casts a Doom spell at the Roper, this too fizzles!.  “Do we need wood?” jokes Brownstone “uh?” says Judas.  Thein conjures up a flaming sphere and directs it at one of the oozes.  Chandos hits the Roper with two almighty strikes slaying the beast. “Now why couldn’t you have done that the first time?” says Brownstone “Because Last Time” snarls Chandos “I was stuck in the door”  The remaining Jellys advance on Brownstone and Chandos.  Judas steps in and clouts one with his sword, it spits in two.  “Doh” says Judas.  Chandos gets wood!.  Judas lends Brownstone a magical mace “use this” he says “I don’t think these destroy weapons” states Chandos.  The jellys attempt to hit Brownstone, but he is too nimble, avoiding their strikes.  Thein continues to control his flaming sphere, moving it into the oozes, the rest of the party engage in melee with them and soon destroy them.  Thein directs his flaming sphere into the pool in the middle of the room.  It fizzles out as it touches the liquid.  Chandos bends down and touches the pool with his dagger.. The dagger begins to fizzle at its end.. Chandos withdraws it and wipes it on the floor “Acid” he says.  A sickly violet light emanates from the pool.  Judas leans over to view what is making the light.  He sees the image of an unblinking lidless eye.  Judas casts detect magic.  “It’s a permanent magical symbol to the Deity Ghaunadaur” says the cleric “patron of oozes, slimes, jellys, outcasts, ropers and rebels.  And incidently one of Lolth’s foes is Ghaunadaur.  She really has fallen from favor here”.  Judas casts Dispel Magic on the eye and it fades.  In two clay urns in the room the party find some loot.

“Where to go now?” inquires Thein.  “I believe the bottom cave, some 600ft down, must go deeper into the Underdark” says Chandos.  “But we haven’t checked it out”.  “What was that stone wall back up in the Dordrien Crypts?” asks Thein.  “We don’t know” replies Brownstone “Hairbear determined it was a Wall of Stone spell, but that is all” “Lets go take another look” says Chandos.

The party ascends the huge web again.  They go up the hole in the roof of the cavern and stand before the wall of stone.  Chandos smashes through it in no time.  They come out into another roughly hewn tunnel that is very dark.  Thein, Chandos and Brownstone consume potions of Darkvision.  Judas pulls down his visors of dark vision..  Brownstone scouts ahead first, checking for traps.  He finds one.  A large pit trap is covered by a illusory floor.  “Nice one!” says Judas.  Brownstone takes out his block of chalk and starts marking round the pit trap.  A acrid, sulfurous odor fills the cavern probably emanating from the heap of filth in the far southwest corner.  Suddenly Brownstone notices two large forms shaped like bloated spiders with a drows upper body crawl down from the walls and ceiling and attack.

“Driders!” shouts Judas just before Chandos is hit by two Lightning Bolts “Not again!” crys Chandos.  Thein responds by using Magic Missiles on the Driders.  Brownstone throws another Thunderstone at the Driders but they resist.  Judas uses Command on one of the Driders “Come here” he says.  The Spider/drow creature walks forward willingly toward the cleric.  It falls into the pit trap and is impaled by two large spikes.  It stops twitching.  They destroy the other Drider with ease.  They search this cavern.  Concealed in the heap of filth in the corner they find some coin and two scrolls in waterproof scroll cases.

They proceed on into the last cavern in this area.  Gigantic tangles of webbing, encrusted with dust and rubble, fill this large cavern.  Two enormous spiders attack the party.  Thein launches a Fireball at them, causing them great damage.  Judas aids his comrades with a Prayer spell.  The first spider attempts to bite Brownstone but misses, the second fires a web at the party, but it misses and hits the wall of the cavern.  Brownstone retreats and Chandos steps in and hits one of the spiders.  Thein uses Melphs Acid Arrow.  The spiders are quickly dispatched.  Judas heals Chandos with cure critical and cure light wounds spells.

“Those Driders, says Chandos addressing the party “they were once Dark elves.  Lolth puts a test to them, if they fail they become these creatures.  They are then outcasts from the Drow community.” 

“well, there dead now anyway” replies Judas


----------



## tariff (Aug 10, 2004)

Session 10: 
Wherein the party formulates a plan.  Brownstone the Elf Assassin will use his disguise skills to disguise himself as a Drow.  He will then scout out the Drow village they discovered earlier.  The party decides to rest first and pitch up camp in the Drider lair in the Dordrien Crypts.  Around the campfire they discuss events.

“This apparent disruption in the weave.  It bothers me” states Thein.  His tattoos looking like strange shadows in the firelight.

“You probably scared that other wizard off” quips Brownstone as he tosses another stick on the campfire

“Either that or hes played a trick on you”  Chandos glances over to Judas.  The cleric is deep in prayer.  “Anyway, lets Sleep.  Tomorrow we raise a Village”

The morning soon comes.  They make their way once again to the huge spider web.  They descend to the village level.  Out of sight Mr Brownstone disguises himself as one of the Drow.  Judas casts Chain of Eyes on Brownstone enabling him to see through his eyes.

“I wont be able to hear you.  But I can see if you get in trouble” states Judas

“Here goes” says Brownstone to himself as he enters the large cavern that contains this drow outpost.

A feint green phosphorescence dances along the ceiling, which is easily 30 feet overhead at the entrance and rises sharply from that point.  The cavern stretches for hundreds of feet to the east, its floor broken into a myriad of ledges and tilted slabs.  Many of these are covered with weird fungal growths that appear to have been carefully cultivated; others sport bulbous houses or cottages that seem to have been grown from giant toadstools.  Eerie green witchlight dances in the small, round windows of these dwellings.  A few dark figures move about between the fungus patches and the houses.

Brownstone stealthily moves into the cavern toward the houses and a path.  He notices some of the drow seem to be carrying baskets of mushrooms.  Figuring this to be a good ploy to enable him to look around the village Mr Brownstone decides to acquire a Basket and some mushrooms.  He scans about the area.  Ahead of him, outside a small mushroom house, on its doorstep, Brownstone spies a basket containing aforementioned mushrooms. 

Taking a deep breath Mr Brownstone moves forward toward the house.  Ducking under the front windows of the house he manages to grab the basket without being seen.  He makes for a nearby pathway and follows at a distance several drow with similar baskets.  Whilst walking Mr Brownstone tries to take as much information in as possible.

“Good” whispers Judas to Chandos and Thein, who are out of sight in the entrance to the cavern  “Take a good look around Brownstone, let me see what you see”

Clutching his basket of strange mushrooms Brownstone continues down the path.  He traverses a small bridge that spans a stream.  The Drow ahead of him seem to be heading for a gate.  Guarded by two armored Drow. 

Striding forward, with all the confidence of a professional basket carrier Brownstone approaches the guards at the gate.  A 8 ft high wall separates the area beyond from this cavern.  They look up and eye Brownstone

“Abbil….. Bwael” one addresses Brownstone

“Um” he replies.  Although he was a Elf, Brownstone didn’t understand the Drow dialect

The guards look at one another.  “Golhyrr” shouts one of the guards to the other before they draw their weapons and begin to slowly move toward Brownstone.

Brownstone reacts quick casting Obscuring mist right where he stood.  The fog envelops him.  He then drinks his potion of invisibility.  He runs invisibly back toward the cavern entrance.  “do’ bauthin”  “do’ bauthin” he hears the guards shouting as he races toward the bridge.  Out of the mushroom houses Drow appear, curious to the noise.  Many seem to be drow common folk.  Women, children.  Some however are clearly trained as guards.  However, they do not see the invisible assassin.

Brownstone makes it back to the others at the cavern entrance and relays events to them.  “Yes I saw” says Judas.

“Charge” says Chandos as he runs into the cavern. Brownstone follows, still invisible.  Chandos runs up to one of the nearest huts and attacks a Drow.  Brownstone appears out of nowhere and slits the throat of another.  Judas and Thein look on from the cavern entrance.

With the alarm raised more drow rush to the frey.  Apart from the common drow, our hero’s are accosted by a drow cleric of ghaunadar called Tooman Thendrik and a Bugbear named Thulk.
	Tooman’s hands weaves strange patterns, Chandos and Brownstone look down at the ground, out or which rubbery black tentacles grasp at their feet.  Chandos manages to avoid their clutches, but Brownstone is less successful and is held fast by the tentacles.  Thein responds from the entrance in the cavern in the only way he knows how.  A fireball explodes on the advancing drow, killing six instantly.  Judas also responds with a show of power, a pillar of flame hits Tooman where he stands.  The bugbear Thulk throws a javelin at Brownstone who is still grappled by the tentacles, it whistles past his ear.  Several arrows fired by the drow also miss the trapped rogue.  He drinks a potion of antitoxin.  Chandos is hit by a poisoned arrow but does not succumb to the poison.  Tooman heals himself of the damage done from Judas’s flame strike.  Judas then casts Doom on the drow cleric.  Thulk runs forward and engages Chandos.  Brownstone, still entangled, manages to shoot his wand of lightning bolt at Tooman, but the lightning fizzles on impact.  “damn magic resistance” thinks the rogue.  A pillar of flame crashes down on Judas causing the cleric of the red knight a great deal of damage.  Thein conjures up magical acid arrows and fires them off toward Tooman.  They strike successfully.  Chandos and Thulk swipe away at each other, Chandos clearly having the upper hand.  Tooman points his finger at Chandos and the warrior freezes in place.  Thulk lets out a squeal of delight as he hits the prone warrior.  Judas moves forward into the cavern and is accosted by two drow fighters.  Thein fires off a lightning bolt at Tooman but it fizzles on contact .  Judas manages to dispatch the two drow and casts spell resistance on himself.  Thulk continues to beat on a held Chandos for a few rounds longer before the fighter is free of his magical bonds “right” says Chandos to the Bugbear boss. “now you die”.  Tooman attempts to Bestow curse on Judas, but Judas’s spell resistance nullifies the spell.  Theins Magic Missiles also fails to penetrate Toomans magic resistance.  However, the repeating damage from the acid arrow spell continues to hurt Tooman.  Tooman and two other drow run and engages Judas.  Judas responds with a slay living spell on Tooman, but it fails to penetrate the spell resistance.  Chandos finally slays the bugbear Thulk and rushes over to help Judas fight Tooman and the two other drow.  Tooman attempts a slay living spell on Judas, but it fails to penetrate Judas’s spell resistance.  Thein summons a celestial bear who runs over to assist Judas and Chandos.  It strikes Tooman.  Brownstone, still entangled by the black tentacles watches on.  Thein fires another magic missile at Tooman but it fizzles, eventually, one of Thein’s quickened magic missiles strikes successfully on Tooman.  But it is Judas that finally slays tooman.  Brownstone dances.  Chandos takes time to kill all residence including women, children and baby drow.  They decide to advance to the gate beyond the bridge.

They walk on following the path that Brownstone had followed earlier.  They observe the mushroom fields and the Rothe pastures, and pass many toadstool houses.  They cross the bridge that spans a small stream.  Up ahead, they see a gate.  It is manned by four drow guards.  A 8ft high wall separates the cavern they are in and the one beyond.  Chandos and Brownstone decide to sneak up to the guards as close as they can and engage.  

With a cry Chandos launches himself at one of the drow guards, Brownstone is second into the fray.  Thein fires off a flame arrow.  From behind the 8ft wall, two stone giants peer over and begin throwing huge boulders at the party.  Judas utilizes his domain spell and Inspires Allies.  The drow are dispatched fairly easily with Chandos’s cleave attacks.  One of the stone giants steps through the gates and beats on Chandos, the other throwing rocks from behind wall.  Brownstone casts obscuring mist, the mist making combat difficult for all involved.  Judas continues to heal Chandos as he gets hit by the stone giant.  Thein summons a celestial giant owl and sends it in to attack a giant, he then begins smmoning another owl.  One giant in slain, but Chandos is taking a mighty beating, the other giant steps forward and attacks Chandos.  Judas casts his last heal on Chandos and states “that’s it, I’m out of heals”.  “its gonna be close” says Chandos hitting the giant with a almighty blow.  The two celestial owls claw at the giant, Brownstone stabs away, and soon the last giant falls.


----------



## tariff (Aug 10, 2004)

*Session 11:  A Assasination and a Artifact*

*Session 11:  A Assasination and a Artifact*
Wherein Chandos says to the party, “I wish to go back to Daggerfalls, I feel the need to train.  And we are depleted of spells”.  “We can’t keep going back to town all the time” protests Brownstone, wiping his brow.  I do feel a little queasy thinks Brownstone.  The party decides to vote.  The outcome is, they find themselves ascending the web and trudging back to Daggerfalls.
	The party enter the familiar Teshford Arms inn that evening, weary from battle and travel.  They settle down and enjoy  few drinks. As they are at the bar a few of the party engage tho locals in conversation.  They hear the following rumors:

_·	A Monk of Tyr had been found dead in the streets last night, apparently assassinated, he had a strange mask in his pocket
·	A Army of Drow had emerged from under Haptooth Hill and had ravaged Battledale_

The party return to their table a discuss events “ I think I should travel to Battledale, assist in their efforts there” “Im not going to Battledale” states Chandos “Who cares” “I will pray for guidance tonight” says Judas
“Brownstone, why are you not touching your ale” inquires Thein “im not feeling to well to be honest” “ill take a look at you in the morning friend, once I pray to my lady says Judas, we have plenty of time, Chandos needs to train” “ok” says Brownstone. “Think ill go get some water from the bar” he says getting up from the table.  As he moves to the bar he is bumped into by a man dressed in a leather jerkin.  “high friend, care to talk?, may have something you may be interested in”.  Brownstone eyes the man up and down, “ill come over and join you in a minute”.  The man nods and walks over to a table in the corner of the Inn.  Brownstone glances back at his companions.  Judas is bidding them goodnight before he retires to his room.  Thein is falling asleep in his chair, and Chandos is staring into his ale looking bored.  

“Ok, what is your proposal” says Brownstone as he seats himself opposite the stranger.  “In essence, I will pay you a 1000gp to assassinate that man there” he says, pointing to a man dressed in a leather jerkin and breeches who stands alone at the bar.  “when he leaves to go home, you will strike.  I don’t care how you do it”.  “ok”says Brownstone “I will accept the mark”

Brownstone remains in the bar, watching as one by one his comrades retire to their beds.  Mopping his brow he gets up and follows as the man he is deigned to kill leaves the Inn and steps into the cold night air.

The assassin Brownstone hides in the shadows of the night as is quarry proceeds down a alley.  Studying carefully, Brownstone decides where he will strike, if lucky, it will take only one strike to kill the man.
Brownstone leaps from the shadows, but his quarry is fast, very fast, and blocks Brownstones blow.
The man strikes back damaging one of Brownstones two magical shortswords.  They stare at each other for a instant before resuming the fight.

“ lets have a look at you” says Judas as he begins to cast a spell on Mr Brownstone, who is throwing up in a bucket.  After a while Judas says “you had contracted Blinding Sickness, you are now cured my friend” “Thanks” says Brownstone.  “Now lets go join the others, they’re waiting downstairs”

Brownstone and Judas join Thein and Chandos who are waiting outside the Inn.  “what a beautiful morning, I take it you all slept well” says Chandos  “apparently there was another murder the other night” says Thein “Doesn’t concern us” says Chandos. “we have drow to kill” “if we keep coming back to town every five minutes its gonna take a long time” snaps Brownstone.  “I received no command to go to Battledale” states Judas “Therefore I will continue with our current objective”.

The party once again trudge their way back to the Dordrien Crypts, down the web, to the village.

“Well, nothing seems to have changed” states Brownstone as he peers into the cavern.  The party proceeds in, weapons drawn.  They make their way back to the gate with no sightings of drow or other inhabitants.  Beyond the gate the party spy goblins and bugbears who run away from them into small caves.  More mushrooms grow here.  The party proceeds into the cavern.  As they walk Judas sees a goblin spying on them from a cave entrance.  “Where are the drow” shouts Judas looking directly at the frightened goblin. It replies in broken common “they have been destroyed, we thank you”  “what is this place” shouts judas back “Szith Morcane” shouts the goblin.  Other goblins and bugbears have now come and stood at their cave entrances, watching the party.  “What is in the cave entrance at the bottom of the web” shouts Chandos.  “Most of us have only seen this cavern since being enslaved here, some of us were born here” replies the goblin. “then take this” says Judas, throwing a wineskin upto the goblin. “this seems to be a dead end” whispers Brownstone. “yes, lets get out of this area and search around the rest of this complex, we haven’t looked north” says Chandos

The party exit from the gate.  They continue back up the path and over the small bridge.  They then follow the path north and then follow a path east.  They see a lake but don’t investigate further.  They see a tunnel in the north wall “ahh” says Chandos striding forward.

About 30 feet into the tunnel, a heavy, swinging iron gate bars the passage.  A padlock holds the barrier closed.  Beyond it, the tunnel continues to the northeast, stretching into the darkness.

“I believe we have the key” says Thein, holding up a iron key.  “Found it on one of the previous drow”
Brownstone moves forward and checks the gate for traps.  When he is convinced there is none, he uses the key on the padlock, and the gate swings open.

Chandos steps forward looking into the gloom beyond “what now?”  “Lets check that last cavern at bottom of web first, before we go here” suggests Judas “Ya” says Thein.

They go back to the web and descend to the lower cavern.

A yawning hole in the chasm wall opens into a well-crafted room with smooth walls and floor.  The far portion of this chamber curves in an octagonal shape.  Two passages lead out of the room through crafted archways, and a narrow tunnel seems to form an exit through the ceiling.  A ladder that strongly resembles a spiderweb leads up to the tunnel mouth.

Brownstone steps forward into the entrance, but then stops looking puzzled.  “whats wrong” says Judas “dunno” says Brownstone.  Judas begins to cast Detect magic.  A wall is suddenly visible, spanning the entrance to the cavern.  Brownstone is the other side.  “I think its Forbiddance” says Judas.  Thein moves his hands in a strange pattern and chants a few words.  The wall disappears.  From out of the passages step familiar adversaries.  Four Quth Maron.  Chandos averts his eyes, counting on his blind fighting feat.  Brownstone cowers on the floor at the presence of these undead.  Thein lets loose a quickend magic missile befor he to is rendered impotent by the horrific abherations.  Judas raises the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and turns two of the Quth Maron who cower before him.  Chandos kills another.  Through the passage ways come two Drow.  Judas notices that these drow have unusually pointy teeth!  “Drow Vampires” he shouts. “oh ” says Chandos downing the last of the quth’s.  Judas raises his Holy Symol of Ravenkind once more.. It flares with the light of the sun.  The vampires cower in front of the cleric, before turning to dust.  “wow” says Thein as he stops cowering.
If only that had been Strahd, thinks Judas.


----------



## tariff (Aug 10, 2004)

*The Stand of Chandos*

*The Stand of Chandos* Session 12:  
Wherein the party hear “Go back to Daggerfalls fools, or face the might of Solom Ned’razak and Dorina T’sarran”  All but Chandos move toward the cavern entrance and begin ascending the web, as if under the command of some spell.  There, floating in mid air, is a Drow wizard.  It smiles at Chandos. Suddenly out of mid air, next to the other drow a lightning bolt shoots forth and hits Chandos, his magic sword which eminates spell resistance, fends off the strike.  Geez, how many are there invisible. thinks Chandos.  He runs for the left hand corridor.  Standing at the end of the corridor is a female drow cleric.  Flanked by two Quth Maron, she looks strangly familiar; Chandos gets a sense of deja vu.

“I am Velasta T’sarran, you killed my sister Velina T’sarran. I always knew I was more powerful than her, but enough of my worthless sister, now I shall destroy you.  Attack my prettys!”

Chandos charges at the cleric.  She casts a dominate person at him but he shrugs off the effects, and breathes a sigh of relief.  Avering his eyes Chandos swings at one of the Quth Maron and hurts it bad.  Suddenly from behind him a lightning bolt arcs toward him, yet again his trusty weapon saves him from the spells effects.  But still he see’s noone there.  “I HATE INVIS” screams Chandos.  Velasta steps forward, Chandos can see she is engulfed in tiny flickering flames, she attempts to cast Slay Living on Chandos, but yet again his spell resistance is good.  Again from behind Chandos is hit by acid arrows.  This time a drow wizard has appeared, by the arch, down the corridor behind him.  Chandos growls and spins back to face the quth maron who he hurt last time, taking another huge swing he fells the undead beast.  He then does another almighty swipe against the other quth.  Velastra touches the quth, healing it of its wounds.  As chandos swings at the quth again he feels his mind being tampered with, he withstands the Suggestion.  Looking behind him he sees at the end of the corridor the wizard has cast a ball of fire, and it hovers infront of him.  He turns back strikes at Velastra and hits her, but the flames covering her hurt the warrior.  Chandos senses foes behind him and swings into mid air.  He hears a cry of pain as the invisible drow wizard falls to the floor.  Again from behind him he see’s magic missiles hurtle toward him from out of thin air. They are absorbed by his magical broach of shielding “ok, I got 1 wizard invisible behind me, another, visible at corridor entrance guarded by a ball of flame, and Velastra, who, if I hit much more will kill me.. thinks Chandos as he turns from Valastra and swings into the space from where the magic missiles had eminated.  Again he hears a scream as another invisible wizard is felled.  The wizard at the end of the corridor points a finger at Chandos, but Chandos manages to shrug off the effects of the hold person.  Chandos takes another swing at Valastra and hurts her, but he too is hurt by the flames. “I can’t take much more of this” thinks Chandos

At the end of the corridor Chandos spies the Drow wizard run off.  The ball of flame winks out.  Seeing his chance Chandos runs up the corridor and into a room.

Judas, Brownstone and Thein continue to climb up the massive web “just gotta get back to Dagger Falls” they all think.  “Its of upmost importance”  They pay no attention to the Drow wizard who flys past them.

Two sets of manacles hang from the wall in this bare room.  One set is empty, the other holds a female drow.  She sits slumped on the ground, her arms twisted awkwardly above her head.  Chandos doesn’t know and dosent care if she is dead or alive.  His eyes dart around the room.  Two exits and a door.  He runs to the right exit.

Three wooden coffins lie in state on the floor of this room.  Behind them stands a row of counters and cupboards that has obviously been well ransacked.  Chandos runs in and croutches behind one of the coffins.  As he opens his backpack and retrieves a healing potion he can hear movement outside the room.

Judas, Brownstone and Thein continue their advance up the web, Brownstone leading the pack “Dagger Falls, Dagger Falls, Dagger Falls!!”.  They pay no attention to the two drow wizards who fly down past them.

Chandos peers from behind the coffin.  He can see Velastra at the rooms entrance, shes looking about and talking in drow to someone else.  Suddenly she turns around and catches sight of Chandos

“nin dos ph'usst”	 Spits Velastra as a blast of light eminates from her hands toward Chandos.  Chandos ducks as the coffin he is hiding behind is destroyed.  He gets up in time to see the remaing Quth Maron rush toward him, talons beared.  It misses the warrior.  Velastra also runs in to attack Chandos.  Chandos swings his trusty sword and slays the last Quth.  Velastra attempts a harm touch on Chandos, but once again he resists.  And notices, she is not covered in flames anymore.  Chandos smiles.

“uk zhah wun ghil ussta senger” hears Chandos, he turns to the entrance of the room and sees the drow wizard who had run off before.  He seems to be beckoning someone

Chandos makes a silent prayer to Orcus before he swings his weapon again at Velastra.  It strikes true and she falls to the floor.  Chandos, badly wounded, runs for the wizard at the door.  Out of know where  Twin Lightning Bolts smash into Chandos.  His prayer must have worked, he was undamaged (hero point used).  Chandos smiles once more before he is hit by a thin green ray.  Chandos is turned to a fine dust instantly.

“byrren orn doer” says Solom “udos z'klaen tlu kr’athin”

Judas, Brownstone and Thein arrive back in Dagger Falls in time for supper.  They seat themselves in the Inn and order food.  Suddenly Judas looks up “what are we doing here” Brownstone and Thein look at each other and then at Judas.  “Chandos!”


----------



## tariff (Aug 28, 2004)

*Enter the Necromancer*

Session 13:  
Wherein the Necromancer Mortise approaches the party in the Teshford Arms Inn.  His cowl obscuring his features he addresses the party “I have not heard from Chandos, do you know what has become of him.?”  The party relay events.  “Then I will accompany you back into these crypts Chandos spoke of, and this city.. Sith Morcane I believe it’s called”

“I believe we are being scryed” says Judas as they set out in the morning air.  He dons a Amulet.  “This will make me invisible to scrying” he states.  “Unfortunately it doesn’t help the rest of you”

The party trek once more up the dirt track.  Five hours later they arrive at the familiar stone doors.  They descend through the Dordrien Crypts.  They arrive at the top of the web.

“Ok, this time we’ll be ready.  No-one will be walking back to Dagger Falls.  Lets buff up!” says Judas

“Lets move closer, down to the village level.  Then we have only a little way to travel to the area where Chandos was last seen” says Brownstone 

They proceed down the web to the drow village area.  They then spend some time casting beneficial magics on themselves, and preparing for the inevitable battle ahead.  Judas burns a block of his incense of meditation and casts many spells on the party and Mortise uses a wand of Stoneskin librally  

“I have a feeling they will be ready for us, they have probably put the Forbiddance spell up again.” States Brownstone.  The rest of the party nod “would make sense” replies Mortise.  A small head emerges from Mortis’s pocket.  It belongs to a small winged creature  “a quasit” notes Thein.

Mortise casts a spell and turns into a Bat and flys out into the cavern and descends to the entrance below.  The rest of the party follow down.

They arrive back onto the ledge where they had last seen Chandos.

A yawning hole in the chasm wall opens into a well-crafted room with smooth walls and floor.  The far portion of this chamber curves in an octagonal shape.  Two passages lead out of the room through crafted archways, and a narrow tunnel seems to form an exit through the ceiling.  A ladder that strongly resembles a spiderweb leads up to the tunnel mouth.

Brownstone gets out his wand of Detect Magic and scans the area.  He picks up two magical emanations coming from the room ahead.  One is a invisible wall spanning the entrance “Forbiddance” states Judas “So, they have another Cleric”.  The other emanation seems to cover the room.  Mortise raises his hands and breaths a incantation.. The Forbiddance is dispelled.  Thein detects that the other magical emanation is a feint evocation type spell, but he does not know the actual spell.  Mortise once again raises his hands and the spell is dispelled.

They step into the room and begin to advance.  Suddenly Brownstone spots something out of the corner of his eye, a feint fog like wisp.  Judas also see’s the vapor like wisp.  But he has had much experience of this before “Gaseous form” he thinks as two driders and a Drow solidify before their very eyes.

The Drow attacks a flat footed Thein, As he swings at the mage Thein notices his pointy fangs “Vampire!” stutters Thein.  One of the driders also advances on Thein and attacks but fails to strike the buffed up wizard.  Thein also notices that the Drider appears to have fangs and a deathly palor “the Driders are undead too!” shouts Thein.

Brownstone steps forward and strikes a blow at one of the spider-drow (drider).  As he hits he can see figures advancing down both Corridors that enter the room.  From the left hand corridor comes a drow Blackguard who seems to be accompanied by a large cat with two tentacles (displacer beast).  Down the right corridor comes running a female drow cleric, her features look familiar to Brownstone.

Zedarr the Blackguard and his displacer beast pet Ripper run into the room and attack the invaders, Velastra holds back at the archway.

High Priest of The Red Knight Judas raises up the artifact known as The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind.  The platinum symbol, crafted in the shape of the sun has a large crystal embedded in its center, surrounded by celestial symbols of light and truth.  This crystal, as Judas holds the symbol aloft, flares with the light of the sun.  The Drow vampire, and the Drider/vampires scream in agony as their flesh begins to burn.

Thein makes a gesture and launches off magic missiles at Zedarr, who has closed on Brownstone and is attacking the assassin.  He watches as the missiles shriek toward the Blackguard and are absorbed harmlessly in a broach the Blackguard is wearing.  I recognize that item thinks Thein.  “Its Chandos’s broach of shielding” says Mortise

Valestra fires a Flame Strike at Judas, it engulfs the cleric in flame.  Judas eyes the drow cleric, ready to strike back at her, when he is attacked by Ripper.  The creatures tentacles only just missing.

Brownstone launches himself at Zedarr, his blade coated with poison.  The assassin had one dose left of the Black Lotus extract, he hoped it worked.  His strike is true, hitting Zedarr just below his ribs.  The blackguard staggers back, visibly weakened by the poison coursing through his veins.  Zedarr could hardly lift his weapon when Brownstone makes the killing blow.

Vander the Quasit perches himself on his masters shoulder.  Mortise mumbles a few words and touches the creature.  “vampiric touch my little one”, “now go deliver it on the cleric”.  Vander flys off toward Velasta.

Thein moves forward toward the Drow cleric Velasta, he fires off magic missiles which impact on her, causing her visible harm.  Velasta howls with rage and strikes back at Thein with a slay living spell, luckily Thein resists the spell.  Vander flys down on Velasta and strikes at her, causing her damage.  At the other end of the room Mortise breathes in, enjoying his new stolen health.

Judas attacks Ripper.  The creatures displacement properties causing the cleric to miss several times before landing a solid blow.  Ripper also finds it difficult to hit Judas back.

Mortise.  From the edge of the room, fires off magic missiles at Velasta.  They impact on the cleric.

Thein launches melphs acid arrow at Velasta, she is seared by the acid.  She responds by attempting a bestow curse on the wizard.  But she misses with her attack.

Judas and Ripper miss each other a lot, but Judas does land a couple of solid blows.

Vander flys back to his master.  He flys round the back of him and begins to unbuckle his backpack.  His master wants him to retrieve his Wand of Magic Missiles.. Vander liked wands!

Velasta squints in pain as the acid burns her again.. She makes a gesture and casts a healing spell on herself.  Seconds later she is hit by a lightning bolt from the necromancer at the end of the room.

Brownstone moves in on Ripper.  Flanked, the beast has no chance against Brownstones deadly strikes.

Vander squeals with glee as he fires the wand at Velasta.  The missiles screaming toward her and hitting.  Another lightning bolt hits her, but she resists its effects.  The acid burns the drow one more time.  And she goes down.

The party loot the remains of their fallen foes.  Zedarr had been wearing a cloak, it had a image of Orcus on.  “This too is Chandos’s” states Mortise.
“We still have nothing by which to resurrect him tho” states Judas.


----------



## tariff (Oct 27, 2004)

*Session 14:  Solom & Dorina*

Wherein the party continue down the left hand corridor.  It opens out into a hexagonal room with another spiderlike ladder leading up into the roof.  Morise uses his boots of levitation and a ring of invisibility and ascends up the hole.  It comes into a cramped crawlspace that stretches off.  He returns to the party and informs them.  They decide to keep searching the ground area.  The come into another corridor that has double doors set in the south wall.  Mortise steps forward and detects for magic on the doors, he detects none.  Mr Brownstone steps forward and checks if the door is trapped.  It appears not.  They open the doors.
Enormous, lurid tapestries featuring grisly deaths and walking corpses line most of the walls of this large room.  Near one wall stands a massive stone block draped with black silk and adorned with silver candelabras, silver bowls, and a silver handed dagger.
They enter the room.  Mortise strides forward his huge black skull tipped wand (Wand of Orcus) is pointed at the alter, the desecrate spell hits.  Brownstone and Judas meanwhile pull down the tapestries and burn them.  Thein silently looks on.
They exit this room and continue down another corridor, they find 3 bedrooms, two sparsly furnished, one lavish.  They search these areas.  They come to another set of double doors.  Brownstone steps forward and begins to study the doors, suddenly he is hit by a column of flame.  Luckily his resistace spell is still in affect and absorbs most of the damage from the glyph.  Brownstone swings open the doors.
The ceiling of this octagonal room rises 30 feet off the ground, and a pillar in the center stands fully half that height.  On the pillar rests a throne made of bones, with a gaunt drow woman draped casually across it.  The walls of the room are covered with majestic dark tapestries, and several long tables of gleaming black wood stand along the walls.  The drow woman looks up and howls at the party.  Standing just inside the door is a Dretch wich moves to attack the party.
Suddenly out of the ground rubbery tentacles spring and entangle the party.  Mortise and Brownstone, who are at the front of the party,  in the doorway, stuck fast by the tentacles, both react instantly.  Mortise casts spell turning on himself and Brownstone reaches into his backpack and retrieves a potion of gaseous form.
Thein manages to break free from the tentacles and moves into a room 40ft away, opposite the chamber with the drow woman.  Judas also reaches into his backpack and dons his ring of freedom of movement, he also follows thein into the other room, out of the area of the tentacles.  The Quasit Vander the Wicked hisses as he fails to break free from the grasp of the tentacles.
Evards black tentacles, thinks Mortise, nice wizard spell, so wheres the wizard… ahh there he is….he spies Solom hovering invisible next to the pillar on top of wich is perched the vampire/drow/cleric Dorina.  I can see youu…
Suddenly out of the ground, spanning the corridor at the entrance to the room springs a blade barrier. Separating Mortise and Brownstone from Thein and Judas.
The strange creature (dretch) lets off a stinking cloud at Mortise and Brownstone.  Though smelly, they are not unduly hurt
Brownstone feels himself begin to dissolve, into a gaseous mist.. he wafts into the room.  Free of the tentacles.
The conjurer Thein brings his hands together and begins to summon aid to the party, in the form of a celestial polar bear.  Judas, standing next to the wizard, also summons a creature to the parties aid.  A chain devil appears.
Vander the Wicked squeals in delight as he eventually frees himself from the grasp of the tentacles, he flys into the room where Judas and Thein stand.
Solom snarles and releases a twin lightning bolt towards Mortise, a lot of the damage is absorbed by resistance spells already cast on the necromancer, the rest reflects back toward Solom, however the spell fizzles out causing no damage to the Arch mage of sith morcane.   “Spell turning?” says Solom, “haha, fool, you wont be able to reflect ALL of my spells, and your spells will prove useless on me”  Mortise smiles as he dons his Ring of spell turning.  Dorina snarls from atop the piller and cast bestow curse on Mortise, but the necromancer resists the effects.  “why do you attack us” says Solom to the Necromancer “all I wish to do is set up a mageocracy, surely you can understand that?, I have no time either for these gods and cults” “You treacherous scum Solom, I will have your head once these surface dwellers are destroyed” screams Dorina.  “where is the body of Chandos” states Mortise “let us recover his body and we will leave” “He was utterly destroyed” barks back Solom.  “Then so to will you be” whispers Mortise
The creature called a Dretch manages to hit Mortise, but causes little damage.
Brownstone, wafting through the air studies Dorina perched atop the pillar.. Somethings not quite right thinks the assassin.  Suddenly, he notices, at the base of the pillar, no, IN the pillar, is another drow.. Hang on a minute..the pillar, bone throne, and dorina pertched atop is a illusion..  The real Dorina stands in the middle of the illusion, firing out her spells at Mortise.  The problem with gaseous form is.. You cant speak!
Thein looks on as his celestial polar bear rises up on its hind legs and claws at the Dretch, both claws strike, and the viscous bite from the bear finishes the Dretch off.
Judas instructs his summoned chain devil to attack Dorina, it attempts to climb up the 15ft high pillar to hit her, but fails.  Brownstone looks on gaseous and sees the Chain devil standing right infront of Dorina, attempting to hit a illusion of her 15ft above.  That’s the problem with gaseous form, you cant be heard giggling!.
Mortise, still restrained by the tentacles stands vulnerable in the doorway to the room, he recognizes the thin green ray as it hits him.. Disintegrate.. he opens his eyes, still here..  Solom’s eyes widen.  Mortise casts grease on himself, which enables him to move.  He moves out of the room and shuts the doors.  Behind him is a spinning wall of blades.  Down the hall, approximately 40 feet away he can see Judas, Thein and Vander in the other room.  Suddenly next to him wisps of smoke begin to solidify into the shape of Mr Brownstone.  “The pillar and Dorina…it’s a illusion..its not there!, shes inside it!!” states Brownstone..
Inside the room the Polar bear still cannot climb up the pillar to attack the foe his master had instructed him too.  The chain devil manages to climb up and strike at the Drow.  Inside the piller Dorina permits herself a small smile.. Good, the stupid pets have fallen for the illusion.. at least your good for something Solom.
Suddenly the door swings open and Mortise is hit by a chain lightening spell, it hits him then Brownstone.  The bolt that hits the necromancer is reflected back onto Solom, striking the wizard hard.. Solom, hurt, looks back in amazement..  Brownstone ducks his bolt effectively.  Brownstone casts true strike upon himself and rushes forward into the room.  And into the pillar he knows not to be there.  He strikes true at Dorina, but she does not die.
Thein mutters under his breathe and a celestial owl appears.  “Attack the female” instructs the conjurer.
Vander the wicked let loose with his masters wand.. out shoots magic missiles.  They scream through the barrier of whirling blades and hit Solom.  But they seem to do no damage.  Solom spits out a curse and fires magic missiles back at Mortise “you can have no more spell turning left”… Mortise smiles as the missiles are reflected back and slam into the rival wizard.  He hits the floor dead.  Mortise brings his hands together and casts another spell turning spell upon himself.  Now aware of the illusionary pillar Mortise can see the real Dorina, the drow vampire cleric is attacking Brownstone.
Brownstone is hit by Dorina, but manages to shrug off the slay living spell, and he avoids the negative energy of the vampire.  Breathing a sigh of relief the assassin quick draws his other weapon.
From the other room Thein looks on happily as his pet owl and bear tear up the drow atop the pillar.  He mumbles a few words and fires off a magic missile at the drow.  This may finnish her he thinks.  The missiles seem to impact, but something is not right.. infact, he can see now that this is a illusion!
Brownstone avoids another slayliving spell and manages to strike back at Dorina, the drow is covered in flickering flames, but Brownstones buffs afford him protection.  Thein and Judas begin to shout from the end of the corridor.  “we can’t get to you, the blade barrier, and the tentacles prevents us”.  Mortise casts transmute rock to mud in the ceiling above the blade barrier, a large chunk of rock falls down, revealing a gap above the blade barrier.
Dorina casts harm on Brownstone, but the lucky rogue manages to avoid its effects.
Vander the wicked flys over the blade barrier into the room.  Judas also flys, carrying Thein over the barrier.  Mortise attacks Dorina with his dagger, but he misses.  Thein fires magic missiles at Dorina and they hit.  Dorina casts dipelmagic at Mortise but he resists.  Brownstone and Mortise both miss Dorina in melee, and she herself fails to hurt either of her foes.  Thein launches a lightning bolt at her, but it appears not to affect her.  Suddenly she is knocked to the ground by several missiles.  Vander, hovering nearby cackles with glee.


----------



## tariff (Oct 27, 2004)

*Session 15:  Recovery of Chandos & Final looting of Szith Morcane*

Wherein the party loot the corpses of Dorina and Solom.  Although they find a few magical items on their corpses.  They find nothing belonging to Chandos.  They search the room.  Brownstone locates a secret door which is opened by 4 pressure sensitive pads.  They open it and it reveals a small chamber.
This room is unusual for this area in that its walls are plastered white and the floor is tiled with flagstones.  A stone sepulcher covered in gorgeous,  shining copper leaf stands in the middle of the chamber, and copper bands securely fasten the lid to the rest of the coffin.  The lid is carved to resemble a beautiful drow woman.
Mortise does a detect magic spell on the room.  Something indicates as magic on the coffin.  Probally a glyph thinks Mortise as he tries to dispel.. He fails.  Judas strides forward to smash the casket, as he does spinning, whirling blades spring up around the coffin, cutting the cleric and forcing him back.  Blade barrier.
They discuss what to do and decide to wait for the blade barrier spells to subside.  They wait a while and eventually the blades dissapear.  They open the coffin.  It is empty, but they do find a secret compartment in the bottom.  Mortise immediately recognizes Chandos’s boots.  He grabs them and tips the contents onto the floor, among the dirt/hair/crap there is some dust.  Mortise opens his backpack and withdraws a rod.  “this is a rod of ressurection, it has three charges, would you use it on this dust Judas, it may restore Chandos”  Judas agrees and uses the rod on the dust from the boots..  From the dust begins to form a body, the body of Chandos, his eyes open and he breathes once more. “thank you master”
“My swords are missing, there not here” states a angry Chandos “we will locate them” replies Mortise.  Chandos takes a few practise swings with a warhammer but looks unsatisfied.  “Theres other areas we should check” says Brownstone” “Yes, those wizards came from somewhere” replies Chandos “Now you mention it, I did see a couple of wizards fly down past us when we fell to the suggestion before.. they just didn’t seem ….important.” says Judas.  “And also, the area up those spiderweb like ladders, there was a crawlspace, we don’t know where that leads too” says Mortise.  The party agree to try there first.

The party proceeds to one of the spiderweb ladders and attempt to ascend.  Chandos goes first, cluching the web ladder he attempts to climb, but hes stuck.  “Im stuck to the web” he cries.  Brownstone moves forward and pulls off his comrade (!!!!).  Chandos decides to utalize his boots of levitation.  He gets up the hole and into the crawlspace, he throes his boots down to the rest and they ascend using the same means.  The party begin to crawl.  They come into a strange area.
The pungent smell of decaying flesh fills the stale air, giving this great hall the aura of a battlefield-but without the croaking of ravens.  Indeed, most of the corpses strewn about the floor and slumped against the twin rows of columns look as though they fell in battle, since their weapons are close at hand.  The flesh of the corpses has begun melting to slime, allowing the bones to show through-a fact that suggests this battle was fought long ago.
The walls of the chamber are carved to resemble an enormous spider, as if this room were the inside of its front portion.  At one end, an opening leads to some kind of platform where the spider’s mouth would be.  At the other end of the room, a heavy iron gate hangs loose on its hinges, battered and bent.  Eight tunnels leading down converge, four on a side, near the wall separating the two parts of the spider’s body.
Mortise sends Vander the wicked into the room, the smell clearly affecting the Quasit as he begins puking on the spot.  Mortise enters the room and resists the nausea.  He casts animate dead on the corpses which rise and wait to serve their new master, there are 17 in total.  Mortise looks at the alter in the north section of the room.  The platform at the front of the spider is clearly a sacrificial alter.  It is surrounded by walls carved to look like the sharp, venomous fangs of a spider.  A female drow corpse lies on the alter, string vacantly toward the ceiling, a hand crossbow bolt still protruding upright from its neck.
Mortise commands the skeletons to approach the alter, they do, but nothing happens.  Mortise casts a desecrate spell on the alter, still, nothing happens.  “I see no reason to interfier with this” he states to the party.  
Mortise commands his small army of skeletons toward the broken gate to the right of the chamber.  It has clearly been bashed in.  It hangs crookedly on its hinges, open in the middle.  About 8 feet behind it is a curving wall adorned with a tattered tapestry.  Drow figures are visible in the foreground of the tapestry, but the figure before which they are prostrating themselves has been almost completely defaced.
As the skeletons move through the gate a glyph flares and a creature the party know to be a Bebilith appears.  Mortise reacts quickly, casing finger of death on the beast… It dies instantly.  Chandos follows the undead through the gate.  
Two short, curving walls loosely define this area as a distinct section of the temple.  Inside the curve of the far wall is a long platform that looks like it might be a sacrificial altar.  A plush carpet covers the floor, and a number of cushions and pillows are strewn haphazardly around the area.
A lingering stench of death remains here.  Bloodstains and weapons are scattered about the floor, but there are no corpses.  The air feels thick and unusually cold.
As the skeletons slowly shuffle into this area a spirit manifests itself. “I am Alisannara Morcane, high priestess of Szith Morcane, Lolth give me power to repel these infidels” she shouts at Chandos.  Chandos runs back to the party shouting “Undead!”.
The conjurer Thein readies for battle by casing fire shield on himself, Chandos stands readied.  The ghost floats through the gate toward the party.  The cleric judas raises the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and mutters a few words.. The spirit howls in anger as it cowers before the cleric.  “Do not harm her” states Chandos.  But he does not interviene when Brownstone and Thein put the spirit to rest.
Chandos commands the 17 skeletons to remain in this chamber.  “let us search the last area we haven’t been to” he says.  “The area up the web, the inverted tower” states Thein.
They procced back to the main web and ascend to the tower level.  When they had been here before, Brownstone had ascended the tower but had found no other entrances, so they had left.  Mortise casts detect magic, the whole tower radiates of magic.  He then casts dispel magic and three doors appear in the walls high above them.  “ahh” says Brownstone.  Using various magic devices they ascend and open the first door.  It leads to four bedrooms.  They appear to be the quarters of the wizards they defeated earlier.  To Thein and Mortise’s delight they recover the spellbooks of Solom and his cohorts.  Through the next door up they discover two chambers.  One appears to be a classroom of sorts, a blackboard has strange arcane writings on.  Thein manages to read enough to decipher that the drow had been using scrying.  They open the door to the other chamber and immediately Mortise see a Vrock demon who is invisible in the middle of a circle of runes.  It speaks to him “free me”. “who imprisoned you here?” asks the necromancer “the drow Solom” replies the demon. “he is dead” states Mortise.  “if I free you, will you do us any harm?” asks the necromancer “I have no quarrel with you” replies the Vrock.  Despite the rest of the parties protests, Mortise steps forward and breaks the circle.  The demon lets out a howl, and then disappears.
The party stand in silence a moment.  “lets head back to Dagger falls and train” says Brownstone.  They all agree.  They arrive back in dagger falls and train and divide loot.  Thein and Mortise spend quite a while scribing their new found spells in their spell books.


----------

