# Milo Windby's Collected Story Hour



## Milo Windby

Hello everyone.

Here's the new home for Milo and friends.  I'm just going to lump all of the current story posts into one thread.  I'm sorry that the flavorful comments won't be included between posts, but I urge you to start anew once the posting is done!

Enjoy, all!


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part one*

Keep of the Borderlands -part one
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Milo Windby made some new friends. He's not too sure where they all hail from, nor what brought this motley crew together. He does know that they all seem to get along in their own way and there is strength in numbers. He met Mazithra Liadon at the gate on his way into the dismal keep in northern Karameikos. The willowy elf had a battle-hard edge to her that belied her age, not easily determined at first glance among elven-kind, much less to a halfling. Milo was always the observant type though, he had no trouble noticing those small signs of age. A weary look to the eyes at an unguarded moment, a regal grace that hearkened back to days when elves were the paramount of civilization, the odd twist of the wrist that only serious sword masters seemed to display. There was something else about her too though, a mystical quality that was a little hard to define. No matter, he would discover those secrets in time, he always did. It was a skill that served him well in his home shire and then in the courts of Darokin. But that was another time, now he had purpose and goals, and every scrap of information he obtained would bring him that much closer to his objective. The two of them hit things off immediately, she seemed to think of Milo as a little brother, someone to watch after in this "big" world full of "big" people. He never did think of other's size unless it was to exploit any weaknesses that were inherent in those of large stature. He was naturally drawn to her obvious strength as a warrior and her easy attitude. "Big" people do have their advantages after all. 

The next to join this ragtag party was Brigit of the Deeperdown clan. Pity to the hapless soul that finds humor in that clan name. Brigit has settled many a dispute in and out of the tavern over her name, or her beard, or her table manners, or the perceived color of the sky. In fact that's how Milo and Mazi met her, she had just finished mopping up a "debate" on the origins of her clan name right outside the tavern. They were so impressed with her skills at getting her point across that they offered to buy a nice pint of dwarven ale and sit down to discuss some of the finer details in the world of street politics. "Aye, never one to pass up a good pint O ale, dwarven at that! Don't know how anyone kin stand anything but, unless supposin nuthin else be onhand." Her colorful manner of speech was as delightful to hear as it was to watch her down one pint after another. 

Inside the tavern they met her traveling companion, one Jeremiah Tansden. A wild looking young man that obviously hailed from the lands of the plateau. He had well-tanned skin and a giant greatsword strapped to his back. Other than his pack he didn't carry much, and he said even less. Quiet and brooding, he'd put back as much ale as Brigit could, well almost as many. Brigit invariably had him passed out under the table before the faint rays of dawn made there way into the smoky interior of the common room. She was quick to comment on his prowess in the field though. Seems she found him on her way to the keep, hacking away at some recently deceased goblin corpses. He was in a rage and had obviously quickly dispatched both goblins with one blow. Very impressive, if a little moody. If time went on too long between hacking and slashing, Jeremiah would get a little antsy. It just happened to be one of those dry periods and they all decided it was time to find out what was amiss at the Keep. 

Tall tales abound in outposts on frontiers and in the wilderness. Castellan Keep was no exception. Milo and his friends heard many while nursing (or guzzling in the case of Brigit and Jeremiah) their ale in the common room of the tavern. Stories of haunted caves to the northwest, full of little beasties and the occasional undead, hungry for the brains of the living. Undead always gave Milo the creeps, he hated them with a passion. Probably due to his strict religious upbringing. Some of that still stayed with him, not quite worn off by the dust of the open road or the blisters that it granted. Still other stories told of masses of goblinoid creatures raiding the occasional caravan. Most of these could be discounted outright due to the amount of obvious exaggeration that seems to accompany all such tales. 

One in particular had a ring of truth to it though. It seemed that a much loved and much respected caravan owner had recently gone missing. Victim of the goblinoids or the hungry undead no doubt. The tragic turn to the tale was the loss of his lovely wife who traveled with him. Even worse still to Milo was the thought of the vast unclaimed wealth that a caravan of that size must have carried. He was curious to say the least. Any Darokinian worth his blood would be, one of his nature even more so. He wasn't sure, but he could swear that he was slightly in tune with Brigit on that line of thought. After a few well placed questions and decidedly hard-earned copper Milo and Mazi tracked down a little more of the truth. There was indeed a caravan that was taken over recently, suspiciously near the trail that leads up to the haunted caves. The caravan leader's wife was also with him, even if the tales of her beauty were a tad overstated. 

There was word also of a traveling priest, known and loved in these parts, that was willing to assist any brave souls that might venture forth to save the doomed caravan. The four of them discussed the information they found and after obtaining a map decided to pursue this story a little deeper into the wilderness. Perhaps the caravan was salvageable, the drivers, leader and wife too, he supposed. Milo, Mazi and Brigit, trailing a slightly inebriated Jeremiah behind, found there way to the traveling priest's quarters. A dour young man answered their knock, not a word uttered. The group had heard of him and his peer, two disciples of the priest. Not talkative at all and rather suspicious in their manner for their age and position. After a polite request to meet with the priest they were led into the small dwelling. A kindly middle-aged man warmly greeted them. He was fit from his travels and had a ruddy glow to his face, whether this was from a little early evening partaking of sacramental wine or just his cheery demeanor it was hard to say. His name was Bordamere and he traveled the road spreading the good word and good cheer where he could. Mazi had a hard time believing in him right from the start and conveyed this to Milo through a subtle gesture and look. Milo, unusually unobservant, blithely ignored the unspoken warning and engaged the priest in a discussion about the caravan and the possibility of rescuing any survivors or leftover goods. The priest was willing enough, even going as far as donating some holy water to the cause at Milo's request. Milo hated undead, really. Bordamere also recommended two stout mercenaries that could be found and enlisted at the tavern. One Sir Paul and one Sir Charles. (_'Barkley?'_ Milo asked. _'No, Berkley. Why do you ask?'_ answers Bordamere) Milo was shocked to hear of two knights of the realm selling their services for coin. That is until Bordamere displayed a particularly annoying speech pattern. Apparently everyone in his eyes was "sir" or "lady". Thus it was that Sirs Milo and Jeremiah, and Ladies Mazi and Brigit found themselves on their way back to the tavern, after arranging to meet with the priest near the gate at 6:00am the following morning. 

A quick discussion later and very little persuasion it was decided Milo and Mazi would arrange matters with the hired swords while Brigit helped to keep Jeremiah entertained at the bar. It seemed Jeremiah was getting a little antsy again. A few pints of ale were preferable to a few broken jaws and a night in the stocks. A couple of the frequent guest to the tavern pointed the two towards Sir Paul and Sir Charles. The pair were slowly drifting towards the floor during a drinking game that had obviously started much earlier in the day. After introducing themselves to the wavering eyes of the mercenaries ('No, there's only one halfling, one elf') Milo dived right into the proposition. He hoped that some coherent dealing could be done before the two of them became a little too personal with the floor. 

_"We have need of aid in retrieving, er, rescuing the members of the caravan that was recently waylaid near the keep. We have it on good word that you two stout individuals would be willing to assist us for a price,"_ Milo started.

_"Yesh?"_ came the soggy reply from Sir Paul.

_"Yes, the priest Bordamere sent us your way,"_ said Milo.

_"Ahhhhhh! Good ole ::hic:: Bordy! Boy kin he put away ale like nobody!"_

_"Yes, that's the man. So, what do you say?"_

_"You would be outfittin ush with materialsh, eh?"_ 

Ahh! That's is what Milo was looking forward to, a good haggle!  _"Well we assumed, you being old war veterans and all, that you would have your own sturdy arms and armor."_

The warrior gave him a look that would curdle milk, had it not been watered down by untold pints of ale. Paul answered back, _"That'sh true. Ya will be provishnn-provishnn-givin ush food an the like?"_

_"Of course, standard procedure in this sort of arrangement I gather."_

_"An a share O' the booty too?"_

_"Ah well, a share of the booty would imply that you were partners, not hired hands. Perhaps if you'd like to come along without the fee we could come to a different arrangement?"_ Milo warmed up to the bargaining. Just then Mazi seemed to need to speak with Milo rather urgently, _"Hang on a sec lads."_ The two of them retreated a ways from the table, 

_"We don't know these two, can they even be trusted?"_ Mazi asked.

_"The priest recommended them, and everyone loves him around here. I don't think there will be a problem."_ Milo responded. Mazi seemed to accept this reasoning. 

They approached the table again, noticing that a new round of pints had been delivered to the soldier's table in their absence. _'Ah, this should make things even easier,'_ thought Milo. _"So, what is your going rate for employment, boys? We'll plan on a journey of four days, two out, two back."_

_"Hmmm, four daysh you shay? ::hic!::"_ Paul paused, whether to choke down some ale coming back for a visit or to consider the price it's hard to say. _"10 gold pieshes for the two of ush."_

_"Ten gold for four days! Are you mad?"_ Milo was in his element now, these two inebriated swordsmen had no idea what was about to hit em. _"2 gold along with a weapon and/or piece of armor from the loot, if we find any. That doesn't include any magical items we may find."_

_"2 gold? Bah! We'd make more shovelin dung fer the local farmersh. Make it 8 and you have a deal"_

_"6 gold, no more. Imagine how much ale that can buy you." _Milo replied.

_"Fine then, but we demand payment up front."_ Again Mazi signaled Milo to step back for a little conference.

_"I don't think we should pay these two in advance, look at them! We probably won't even see them tomorrow morning, either they'll be too drunk to show up or they'll be who knows where with our gold!" _

_"Good point Mazi, how about we give them half before we leave tomorrow and half when we get back?"_

_"Agreeable."_ Mazi agreed.

_"Well then gentlemen,"_ as they once again approached the table, _"We'll give you half tomorrow morning when you show up for the trip and half when we get back to the keep."_

_"How about half now and half after inshtead?"_

Milo gave them another look-over. 3 gold would certainly be enough to rot what was left of their livers and put them in a comatose, if not permanent rest. _"I think 5 silver now, 2 gold and 5 silver in the morning, then 3 gold when we get back. That way you can drink your silver tonight and still have some left over for your victory celebration when we get back."_

_"Fair enough little one, hand over the shilver and ya've got yershelf a deal. ::hic!::" _

_"It's a deal then, here's your shil-silver."_ Milo handed them five silver. _"See you at six o'clock tomorrow. Near the gate. The priest will be with us as well."_

_"SHIX O'CLOCK!?"_ There was that look again. Milo had to bite his lip to keep from grinning. He partook of the drink here and there, but he preferred to have his fun with those that were more liberal with the libations. It never failed to amuse him when they were delivered a little shock to the system after a good bout of drunkenness. Yes, he could see he'd have a little fun with this group after all. 

Milo and Mazi made their way back to the bar. Funny, they couldn't see Jeremiah anywhere near Brigit at the bar. Upon wending there way past tables, chairs, and wandering servers they discovered Jeremiah hadn't strayed far. He was slumped against the feet of his stool, reeking of cheap ale. Ah, youth. Brigit just looked at him and giggled. _"Ya big boys never kin drink a dwarven lass down. Well here's to ya lad, on account of ya tryin!"_ She tipped another pint back, from the frothy top to the very bottom of the tin stein, slamming it down onto the bar afterwards. _"Barkeep, another rou-"_

_"Actually, it may be time to call it a night Brigit,"_ Mazi interjected, _"We've got a long way to walk tomorrow and it'll be a little easier without having to drag two of you halfway there."_

_"Ach, yer always tryin ta spoil ma fun, elfie. Ah well, Jer here couldna keep up wi' me. I spose I'm done fer tha night."_ Brigit answered and then, _"Any luck wi' them boyos at the table?"_

_"Not a problem at all, 6 gold for four days of service and a piece of weaponry and armor from any loot we find."_ Milo said.

_"Weapons and armor! They'll be gettin nuthin magical from me loot, I kin tell ya that!"_

_"Not to worry, only mundane equipment that may still be of use."_

_"Aye, ya be right there little-un. Very well, let's drag Jerry here up to the room,"_ Brigit hiccupped. 

With that they heaved Jer's rather large frame up the stairs to our room. That is to say Brigit and Mazi dragged his rather large frame. Milo dragged his boots up after. Somehow the heavy leather boots had made there way to the other side of the bar during their carousing. Milo didn't want to know. 

In the morning they approached the gate, seeing that the priest and his disciples were there waiting. Thank goodness those two wouldn't be coming along. Nothing like a couple of melancholy youth to bring down an entire adventure. Bordamere informed them that he was sending a couple of letters with his associates to bring to the high priest if they didn't return within a week. With that he dismissed the two and cheerily looked on at our little party. Brigit had recovered rather well from the night's festivities. She was chipper as ever, all trussed up in her shiny breastplate with her stout dwarven axe strapped to her back. I'll never cease to be amazed by the bottomless stamina of dwarves when it comes to alcohol. Even their women could drink an orc into a stupor. Not that you'd ever catch a dwarf celebrating anything with an orc. Poor Jer didn't fare so well. His eyes were bleary and he kept smacking his lips, as if trying to get rid of a bad taste in his mouth. That couldn't have anything to do with his rather hasty rush to the window that morning, could it? Mazi and Milo were composed and ready for anything. Mazi with her longsword and finely crafted elven bow, one in the scabbard at her side, the other lashed to her pack. Milo with his light crossbow stowed at his waist, almost hanging to the ground. His short sword at his side and his dagger in his belt. It was another half-hour before Sir Charles and Sir Paul made their appearance. They looked much like poor Jeremiah, pasty faced and watery eyed. 
_"*WELL*,"_ Milo said, just under a parade ground shout, _"*Shall we be on our way gentlemen and gentleladies?*"_ He grinned as Jer, Paul, and Charles all winced in unison. Yes, it was going to be a very good day. 

They started out on the winding mountain path out of the keep. They made good time on the well-traveled road. Milo noticed the wheel ruts from the many caravans that came this way. After they passed the marshlands the road started to show its wear. Sir Paul mentioned the long abandoned moathouse, former seat of power in this small region. It had been overrun by the local beasties long ago, before the Keep was built. Some parts of the road were a little soggy from the swampy residue of the marsh and other parts were overgrown. Since they were on foot and had no wagon wheels to worry about, the party made it through these areas with a minimum of difficulty. As evening approached they found a large clearing up on a hill, just north of the road. Figuring the clearing to be a good place to camp they all set about finding a comfortable place to rest. Being a half-day from the caves they figured a little fire couldn't hurt either. _'Especially if it kept the undead at bay,'_ thought Milo. He hated undead, really. Milo and Bordamere took the first watch, discussing the merits of ale, mead, wine, and other drinks on the road. Mazi and Paul took the next watch, discussing very little. Mazi's distaste for the mercenaries wasn't outright evident, but she made no show of being friendly towards them. Jeremiah and the equally quiet Charles took third watch with Brigit taking a lone watch during the early morning hours. Not a soul, or soulless thing, disturbed their sleep that night. This oddly set Milo on edge, rather than relaxing him. 

The next morning he was ready to start into the caves and see some action. He and Jeremiah shared that feeling a little more than usual this day. The winding trail meandered north, closer to the gorge where the caves started. As they neared their goal the party noticed that the trees took on an especially gnarled appearance. Twisted and haggard, their branches pointed like the bony fingers of skeletons towards the gray sky. Milo hated the undead, really. _"So what say you, priest? Any feelings for this place, can you tell if anything may be close by?"_ Milo asked.

_"Only that things appear worse than we feared,"_ Bordamere responded gravely. 

They reached the caves after a slightly more difficult hike up the rest of the road, then more of a trail. The trail petered out into a depression, almost a small valley, dotted with cave mouths all the way to the top. Unsalvageable wreckage and skeletons littered the ground. It indeed appeared that the caravan had been taken here before the drivers and their kin were slaughtered by the evil denizens of the caves. There appeared to be 6 or more entrances, plus the brush may have hid more that. The party decided to handle the caves in a more-or-less organized manner, starting at the bottom to the East and working their way around, then up. That way they left no caves empty behind them. All of them readied their weapons as they approached the first cavern. Slowly Milo crept into the dim recess, able to see now, but he knew he'd have to break out his lantern before they got too deep. The rest of the group followed about 10 feet behind. First Jer and Brigit, then Mazi and Bordamere, followed by Paul and Charles bringing up the rear. Milo would work as a scout, using his keen powers of observation and experience with dangerous traps to rout out any danger to the party. When and if any beasties reared their ugly heads he would retreat back into the midst of the party, letting Jer and Brigit rush up to the front lines.

_[Edited for *emphasis*]_


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part two (session one)*

Keep of the Borderlands -part two (session one)
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Milo crept forward, not trying to be too quiet. As he ventured into the cave Milo noticed stonework on the walls. This was not a natural cave, at least farther in. Not ten feet into the cave he happened upon it's inhabitants. Goblins! Luckily they were just as shocked as Milo. _"Bree Yark!"_ the lead goblin shouted when he spied Milo.
With a startled _"Eep!"_ Milo raced back the ten feet to the rest of the group and warned them of what lie directly ahead. The goblins seemed very unorganized as they all tried to ready their lances and get a formation going. The narrowness of the tunnel prevented the six beasties from charging en masse. They had trouble deciding who would go first. Goblins were a cowardly lot when it came to even numbers. 

In the rear of the group Charles was the first to react to Milo's return. He noticed the goblins but was unable to reach them through the party members before him. Not wasting a moment Jeremiah let loose a great battle cry and rushed forward to hack away at the nearest goblin. It didn't stand a chance, his greatsword cleaved the miserable beast in two and almost did the same to his companion, had it not ducked at the last moment. Unfortunately for it Brigit was right behind Jeremiah, charging forward with her mighty dwarven waraxe and chopping the hated goblinoid nearly in half. Mazi was next to act, firing an arrow from her elven bow right past Jer and Brigit into the shoulder of the next goblin in line. Meanwhile, the priest Bordamere had been chanting a strange, ominous litany. Milo, suspecting something amiss, barely avoided the priest's touch. As he moved he could see a deep, glowing, black discharge from Bordamere's hand right where he stood moments ago. _"Bree Yark!"_ the cleric shouted. 
_"He's one of them! Get the priest!"_ Milo shouted.
Sir Paul, though surprised at this turn of events, noticed the evil chanting and discharge of energy as well. He pressed his attack behind the priest but was still off balance from the sudden turn of events. The cleric heard him behind and ducked out of the way. Just then Brigit spied some movement down the right passage, four more goblins were rounding the corner. She shouted a warning to her companions before returning her attention to the fray. 

Recovering from the near miss of the evil priest's attack Milo attempted to fire his crossbow pointblank at the turncoat. He found that firing on a moving target up close is harder than he thought as his bolt flew past Bordamere to bounce uselessly off the cave wall. Charles, following his friend's example, engaged the priest in combat. With three attackers the priest was hard pressed to avoid the next attack and groaned in pain as Charles' longsword finds its mark. The goblins finally got organized after watching two of their own fall under the mighty charge of the barbarian and fierce dwarven warrior. The goblin closest to Mazi thrust his javelin in her general direction but Mazi easily sidestepped the clumsy attack. The goblin next to him attempted to pierce Jeremiah through but was similarly avoided. The other two goblins moved closer but were unable to attack due to the narrow passage. Jeremiah swung his greatsword in a huge, diagonal arc once again slicing clean through another green beast. His sword bounced off the cavern floor before he could complete the arc through the goblin standing next to him. Brigit followed Jer's attack with another of her own, easily dispatching her racial enemy with a snarl. She paused long enough to spit on the twitching corpse. Mazi, ignoring the danger of the goblins near her took aim with her trusty bow at the evil Bordamere. Whispering a silent prayer to the powers that be she let the arrow fly. Her aim never more true, the flying missile found its mark, the evil priest's head. The arrow sunk to the flights, right between his eyes.  The traitorous cleric didn't even have a chance to cry out before he fell to the floor, dead. Mazi recognized the true nature of the priest and his evil spells. She put his murderous actions to rest with one blow. While the party shouted in victory over the amazing shot of Mazi, the group of four goblins move up the hall, closer to the melee. Just then another group of six more goblins appeared in the left passage, moving towards the battle as fast as their stumpy legs could carry them. 

Not being near the action and holding an empty crossbow, Milo decided to take a few moments to reload another bolt into the weapon. Charles, his way free now that the battle had spread out and the priest had fallen, moved forward to attack the two remaining goblins. His attack swung wide and the goblin that was his target laughed cruelly. The two goblins in front of Charles pulled back simultaneously before thrusting their lances directly into his groin. The poor mercenary cried out before he fell silent to the ground, beyond help. Paul, seeing his best friend dying in front of him began to look a little green around the gills. He let out a sob and started toward the goblins responsible for his friend's death. Jeremiah also saw the fighter fall. He heaved his bulk behind a mighty blow of his sword as both goblins virtually explode on contact. Brigit moved next to Jeremiah, sealing off the way they came so the two goblin parties couldn't flank the group. Mazi fired another arrow into the approaching group from the right corridor. She's rewarded with a shout and groan as her arrow finds its mark. By that time the two groups of goblins had made their way down the hall and clashed futilely into the stalwart defense of Jeremiah and Brigit. Their blows easily avoided by Jer and glancing off of Brigit's shield. 

Seeing no easy target Milo quickly searched the cleric's body after a prompting from Mazi. She and he thought alike, what kind of loot might an evil cleric hide? He found a rolled parchment on the body along with the priest's mace and full plate armor. Milo decided to leave the loot until the battle was over. Jeremiah, rage in his eyes, once again brought his weapon to bear. This time the goblins were wearier and stayed clear of his swinging blade. Brigit attacked the third group of goblins from the left hall and killed the first to reach her easily. As Jer and Brigit fended off the hordes of goblins, Paul, Milo, and Mazi heard a clatter coming from the mouth of the cave. Milo was the first to see the huge ogre stomp up the corridor, followed by two more goblins. Mazi, fearing that the ogre might squash Milo in his charge, switched to her longsword. In the meantime Paul stabbed forward with his longsword at the nearest goblin, missing by the breadth of a hair. Once again the mass of goblins pressed against the two warriors. Again Jeremiah danced away from the lances while Brigit stood steadfast in the rain of blows that bounced harmlessly off her armor and shield. 

Milo fired his crossbow at the approaching bulk of the ogre. He watched it sink into its thick hide as a slow smile spread from one side of the ugly beast's face to the other. On the other side of the hallway Jeremiah was slightly off balance from dodging the lances of his enemies and missed with the next swing of his greatsword. Fighting behind him Brigit sunk her ax into yet another hapless goblin with a satisfyingly meaty thud. Mazi, noticing the size of the ogre and his equally huge club, decided to cast a protective spell upon her. A faint glow surrounded her briefly and her skin seemed to harden. Paul rose to the challenge of the new threat and moved to block the ogre's path to his newfound, and only, friends. Unfortunately the brave action was to be his last. The ogre, with one mighty downward thrust of his club, drove Paul down to the earth. Never to rise again, Paul gave his life to defend those to whom he pledged his service. Milo looked on in horror as the ogre laughed at the broken body at his feet. Back at the other front Jeremiah, still dodging blows from the goblins, made a slight misstep and was brought up short by the tip of a lance. He groaned as it sunk into his arm, temporarily thrown off by the wound. Brigit was busy fending off the other group of goblins that were still attempting to get past her seemingly invincible armor. 

Milo took a moment to switch to his shortsword as he shook his head sadly at the loss of first Charles, then Paul. Truly these foul creatures will pay. The pain in his arm distracted Jer and his next attack fell short of its mark. The goblins cried out thinking to take advantage of his lapse. Brigit swung her ax down on the latest foolish goblin that braved her reach. She laughed as she mowed through the goblins like so much wheat in the field. Mazi took a moment to find an opening in which to attack the ogre to the best advantage, readying her longsword to dispatch the beast. She heard a shout of triumph from the goblins behind her as both sides managed to sneak their lances through Jeremiah and Brigit's defense. Their cries are cut off short however when they notice what small effect their lances seemed to have on the pair. Mazi's attention was brought back to the fight near her when she heard Milo cry out from a near miss of the ogre's club. He felt the club whiz by his head as he rolled out of the way. 

Mazi felt this was her best chance for an opening and drew back her sword a little too quickly. She began to lose her footing on the bloody ground and has to take a few moments to right herself. Her opening lost, she must wait until another opportunity presents itself. Meanwhile, Milo decided to put some of his training to use as he tumbled behind the ogre. The ogre took a swing at the flying halfling but slammed his club so hard against the ground that the vibrations from the impact shook him. If it were another time and place Milo would probably find humor in the comical expression on the ogre's face. At that moment he was more concerned with coming out of the battle in his own skin. He turned quickly and swiped his longsword across the ogre's ankle, bringing a roar of rage from the monster. It'll think twice before it assumes the smallest of them is the weakest. Back in the tunnel Jeremiah's hands slipped on his hilt. The sword had become thick with blood, mingled with his own, its grip had become slick. He took some time to find a firmer hold on the weapon. Brigit was unaware of Jer's predicament as she turned another goblin into minced meat. "That's six of ya scum!" She spat out to the remaining forces. A fury in her eyes glowed with fuel beyond that of the normal dwarven hatred of goblinoids. The goblins seemed shaken and failed to mount an effective counterattack. Perhaps fearing that the tide was turning against them, regardless of the presence of the great ogre. While the ogre was regaining his composure from his fumble with the club his cohorts attacked the halfling that rolled into their midst. One of them tagged the nimble rogue with his lance, drawing a small amount of blood. 

Heedless of the wound Milo took a stab at the ogre in the back, right near his spine. His shortsword sunk in almost to the hilt before he twisted it and slid it back out of the great beast's hide. The ogre reared his head back and roared in pain. Mazi, seeing her opening, slashed the monster's neck, giving him a second, more permanent smile. She sighed in relief before refocusing her attack at the remaining goblin cohorts. Brigit attacked and missed for the first time against the goblins. The cowards had moved back a little from her deadly ax. The goblins' weak jabs with their lances failed to connect even with her armor from their safe positions. Jer was wounded once more by the lance of the nearest goblin. Though he is still fighting bravely Brigit notices that his strength is lagging. He had taken a lot of damage since the battle was joined. Both of the ogre's cohorts converged on Milo, intent on trapping him between them. He leapt out of the way, but not before a goblin lance pierced his flesh once again. 

Angered by the wounds and his inability to dodge the clumsy goblins Milo jumped at the offending goblin. With perfect aim he impaled the goblin straight through its heart. The goblin died with a shocked look on his face. It didn't even have the chance to groan as the sword slid out of its body. The goblin's companion was still distracted by Milo's critical blow when Mazi's sword tip appeared through his leather jerkin. He too died with a look of surprise on his misshapen features. Jeremiah fought on bravely, but it was apparent to his friends that he was in dire need of aid. He looked a little dizzy as he swung his sword wildly. Behind him Brigit scored a glancing blow on one of the remaining goblins. The goblin turned tail and ran down the tunnel. "Coward!" She shouted after it. Just then she heard Jer cry out as another lance created a jagged hole in his thigh. Near death, Jer was persuaded to move back a little to let the others finish off the goblins. He rests for a moment. The remaining goblins in front of Brigit surged forward at the sight of Jeremiah retreating but they were still unable to pierce Brigit's defenses. 

Milo sneaked over to the corner of the forked passage from where Jeremiah retreated. In the partial concealment he took careful aim and once again found the perfect mark for his shortsword. His arm snaked out and his sword traced a deep gash across the throat of the goblin, felling it instantly with another critical blow. Mazi also came to the aid of her barbarian friend, finding her target's heart with her longsword. Many goblins have died between she and Milo's carefully aimed attacks. She dispatched the goblin without a sound. Leaving one goblin out of the original four that attacked Jeremiah. Brigit swung her ax again but was unable to land a blow on the pitiful goblins. The final goblin that attacked from the right passage made a pitiful attempt to injure Mazi but his blow bounced harmlessly off her magically strengthened skin. The final goblin from the other hallway made a similarly pitiful attempt to attack Brigit. She batted its lance aside with her shield and swung her ax in the opening, killing the goblin with one mighty blow. 

Milo, taking advantage of the lull in combat, tumbled past the last goblin to flank it. He turned too slowly to land an attack but was able to watch with satisfaction as Mazi inflicted the final blow. The goblins were no more. 

After conferring quickly over the mass of bodies the party decided to loot what they could and run back to safety. In the distant halls they could hear the angry noises of reinforcements on their way. They would have to return and clean out these warrens another day. Milo shook his head sadly over the bodies of the mercenaries. He felt somewhat responsible for their deaths, being the one that persuaded them to come along. Still, they're gold is no good where they are now. He searched their bodies for the payment he gave them that morning but left all of their other valuables as they were. The rest of the group rummaged about the goblin bodies, finding copper and silver pieces on each. They had another hurried discussion over the matter of the evil priest's full plate armor. It would fetch a good price at the market, no damage was evident since Mazi's arrow pierced the shirt in-between plates. Still, the time it would take to divest the cleric of the armor was more than they had. With another sad shake of his head Milo agreed with the rest that it wasn't worth dying for. The group made their way out of the cave and moved down the trail at a steady pace. Eventually they reached their camp and stopped for the night. The excitement of the battle had since worn off and they all seem to be in a melancholy mood. Not only did the seemingly good-natured priest betray them, but they lost the two young mercenaries to the horde as well. They all vowed that their new friends' lives and the murderous priest's betrayal would be repaid in the blood of the goblins. With that they settled down for the night. Milo, Brigit, and Mazi taking turns at watch. They let Jeremiah rest, he was near death by the time they reached the camp anyway.

_[Edited for *emphasis*]_


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part three*

Keep of the Borderlands -part three
------------------------
The night passed without incident.  The morning broke, finding the group in much better shape.  Jeremiah could walk on his own, though he was still a little shaky.  The rest of the party were physically fit if not still saddened by the loss of the mercenaries.  Their journey back to the Keep was uneventful.  Conversation was limited as all four were lost in their own thoughts.

Upon arriving at the Keep Milo noticed the gate was shut and the portcullis down.  Fearing the worst, the group approached with caution.  

_"Hallo!"_ Milo called to the guards.  Two haggard men appeared at the gate and eyed the crew suspiciously.

_"What business do you have here?"_ One guard asked.

_"We have returned from the haunted caves with bad news.  The traveling priest betrayed us to the goblins, we barely escaped with our lives.  There are more in the caves, we've come to warn the Keep and recover from our wounds."_ Milo responded.

Still wary, the guards open the gate.  The party was greeted on the other side by more armed guards, all look pale and gaunt.  

_"Please come with us.  The priest of the Keep would like a word with you,"_ said the captain.  It sounded like a request, but Milo heard the unspoken command and warning.  They could decline and risk death at the hands of the guards or they could go peacefully.  _"Your weapons, please,"_ prompted the captain, pointing to a large sack one of his subordinates was holding.

_"Now wait just a minute!"_ started Brigit.  She was never one to give up her ax.  Jeremiah looked defiant as well.

_"Hang on Brigit, I think it would be a good idea to cooperate right now."_ Milo interrupted.

_"I agree,"_ said Mazi, _"as much as we don't trust priests now it would be foolhardy to risk death over this.  Justice will be done once the truth has been told."_

Grumbling all the while Brigit handed over her ax and bow, Jeremiah likewise with his greatsword.  Mazi placed her longsword and beloved Elven bow in the sack as Milo divested himself of his dagger, shortsword, and light crossbow. 

_"Very well, follow me,"_ stated the captain.
The party trooped after the sickly man, surrounded by over half dozen guards.  Milo notices that very few people are about the grounds of the Keep.  Those that are look much like the guards, worse for wear and not long for this world.

They're taken to the Keep's church, a fair sized functional building.  Nothing fancy this far out in the hinterlands.  The interior is well kept with the main chapel lit brightly.  The pews are all polished and gleaming and the altar is covered in worn velvet.  Nothing special, thinks Milo.  His father's church was much more impressive.  The group is led to a medium sized office where behind a huge oak desk sits a decidedly unfriendly priest.  He was getting on in years but still looked strong, thought Milo, unlike many of the unadventurous priests he had met before.  The priest muttered something under his breath before addressing the party.

_"I know who you are by descriptions given at the tavern.  Where is the cleric and what have you been doing for the past three days?"_ he asks brusquely.

Milo was taken aback by his direct manner.  He related their journey and travails to the priest, leaving nothing out of the story.  After his tale was done the priest leans back in his oversized chair and lets out a deep sigh.

_"Your story rings true.  You should know that I cast a truth spell upon you before you shared your experiences,"_ After a pause the priest finally said, _"I regret that you did not come to me before you ventured to the caves.  I have had my suspicions about the traveling cleric for some time now.  What do you know of his disciples?"_

_"Only that they're quiet and depressing.  He gave them a letter to pass on to the high priest if we did not return by the end of a week."_ Milo told him.

_"They have disappeared, and shortly after this plague fell upon the Keep.  As you can see many of our inhabitants are ill,"_ the priest states.  Milo thought back on the odd absence of people on the Keep grounds. _"I appreciate your honesty and we mourn the loss of the adventures that traveled with you.  They will be missed.  However they knew the risks when they agreed to join you,"_ the priest said sadly.  _"I must ask for your further cooperation in this matter.  Please remain at the inn until we can discover more about this issue.  You will be sent for when we have completed our investigations and have contacted the duke."_

_"And our gear?"_ Milo prompted.

_"You may have your weapons, we only ask you to keep them stowed while at the inn.  We don't need to lose any more residents than this plague has already claimed.  You may go now,"_ the priest finished.

_"Before we leave we'd like you to examine this 'holy water' Bordamere gave us.  Can you tell if it is indeed blessed?"_ Milo said hurriedly.

_"Let me see,"_ answered the priest.  Milo dug the holy water out of his pack.  The priest took one look at it before making a sound of utter disgust.  _"This is far from blessed, my halfling friend.  This water is cursed.  It would do you no good against undead or anything evil.  I suggest you dispose of it immediately."_

_"Perhaps you, being a man of faith, could find a way to dispose of it safely?"_ Milo asked, _"Might you be able to provide us with replacements as well, real holy water of course?"_

The priest took on a pious look, _"The church's funds are limited and blessing holy water is a taxing process.  Perhaps if a donation to our faith was made we could oblige you."_

This was one time when Milo had no problem forking over a few coins.  Milo hated undead, really.  The priest sent an acolyte off with a written note requesting four vials of holy water.  He dismissed the party after the acolyte returned with the promised bottles.

The guards led them out of the church and their gear was returned to them.  They were then escorted back to the inn and given a room to share for the duration.  Brigit and Jeremiah wasted no time making their way to the common room.  As soon as their gear was stowed they were at the bar, reveling in their survival of the goblin ordeal.  Milo and Mazi even joined in.  Mazi regaled the locals in the inn with the tale of their adventure in the haunted caves.  Not one of the party members complained when she exaggerated the number of goblins or the size of the ogre.  Her retelling of the arrow that felled the priest may have been slightly over dramatic, but Milo figured she earned it.  Besides, it was his skin she likely saved.  Her stories seemed to lift the people's lagging spirits.  Mazi was quite the spinner of tales.

After three days the priest sent his acolyte to the tavern.  He brought with him a short letter that stated the party was free to go.  The duke had been notified and their names cleared.  The four of them discussed their choices.  It was unanimously decided that they would return to the caves and finish off the goblin threat.  Milo wanted to retrieve the evil cleric's full plate and any other goodies those monsters might be hiding from the caravan.

They all prepared to leave for the caves once more.  Milo brought the ring and the parchment he found on the cleric to the priest.  After another 'donation' the priest identified the ring as mind shielding device and the scroll contained the divine spells 'hold person' and 'silence 15' radius'.  "So this is why I could never really figure out the cleric," the priest said, holding up the ring, "Whoever wears this ring is protected from mind reading and the like."  Hmm, thought Milo, not something he could use offhand.  The scroll he would keep though, divine spells always fascinated him.  Mazi decided to wear the ring, she said you can never tell when it might come in handy.

With that they left the relative safety of the Keep once again.  The road to the caves was empty and they met no resistance.  The party camped at the same site they had before the fateful day of the battle.  This time Milo slept much better than before.  He trusted his companions with his life.  The next morning, after Mazi finished preparing her spells and they all had a bite of cold rations, they continued on their way. (Milo knew he'd figure out her mystical quality, he'd heard that all elves had a magical affinity.)  They reached the gorge and noticed something a bit different.  Not too far from the cave they entered before they could see trampled brush and huge tracks.  Obviously the ogre and his goblin entourage came from there.  Upon further inspection they found a cave mouth that was hidden by more brush.  They all readied their weapons, Milo with his crossbow, Mazi with her Elven longbow, Brigit and Jeremiah with their ax and sword, respectively.  Milo decided to do things a little differently this time.  For once he tried being quiet as he moved into the cave.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part four (session one)*

Keep of the Borderlands -part four (session one)
------------------------- 
Not that it mattered how quietly Milo was treading. The scene that was spread about before him wasn't completely unexpected. There was a huge pallet in the corner of the small natural cave. Milo could see it went deeper into the side of the gorge to the East. Rags were strewn all about. On one side of the room was a pile of bare bones, mostly human sized. A couple leg bones had been snapped in two, the jagged edges perfect for an ogre toothpick. No big thing, Milo thought, that's one ogre that won't be doing much bone crunching anymore. He motioned a thumbs up to the others outside the cave mouth. As the rest of the party trooped in Milo did a little more of a search and asked the others to do likewise. Though Milo didn't uncover anything but more smelly rags and bones. Brigit on the other hand turned over the sleeping pallet and found some arrows, a small vial full of an unidentifiable liquid, and a rolled up parchment. 
Brigit handed the parchment to Mazi, _"I kin read, but I've no truck wi' this magik stuff. It's all yer's." _

Mazi examined the scroll but was unable to make much sense of it, _"It's not of arcane origin, that's for sure."_

_"Mind if I hold on to it then?"_ Milo said quickly, _"Just for safekeeping of course."_ He finished as he snatched the scroll out of Mazi's grasp and stowed it with the other he held before Mazi could utter another syllable. If it wasn't arcane, he theorized to himself, it must be divine. That might come in handy, especially if it had anything to do with killing undead. Milo hated undead, really. 

Satisfied that there was nothing more of value in the room they headed out into the hallway. Milo once again led, treading quietly with his hooded lantern lighting the way. Well, he thought wryly to himself, if the rest of the beasties in here are blind I'll have no trouble sneaking up on them. The passage opened back up into a smaller cavern, completely empty. 

_"There's something odd about this wall,"_ Mazi said.

_"Aye, I feel it too Elfie,"_ Brigit agreed, running her hands along the rough stone wall. 

Milo sprung up to the wall, peering closely at it. _"Uh yeah, something, uh, odd."_ Mazi and Brigit both gave him a look, then each other, and finally a up, as if to say _'halflings!'_

Brigit was the first to find the secret catch. She refrained from triggering the mechanism, their past experiences taught them a little healthy paranoia. _"Come on up here, Milo, do yer thing on this here catch. Trapped, ya think?"_

Milo looked closely at the catch, examining it as best he could without triggering it. Not finding anything obvious, he shrugged and pushed in on it.

_"Wha!? Are ye daft boy?"_ Brigit sputtered. The door swung open with the sound of stone grating on stone. Milo just stood back and grinned ear to ear. He then bowed and motioned his hands from Brigit to the door.

_"After you, milady."_

_"Harrumph,"_ harrumphed Brigit, shaking her head. _"Healthy paranoia indeed."_

The door opened into a small room with passages leading in two directions, east and west. Both branched off not too far from the room. Figuring that the passage to the East would take them near the entrance they used during their last visit, the group moved that way first. The extra branch off the East tunnel led around a corner as the cavern walls slowly closed in. It eventually just turned into a dead end. As the party trooped back the hallway they noticed a distressing lack of bodies in the passage they came through originally. No goblins, no ogre. 

_"Someone likes their warrens tidy, that's all"_ Milo said, _"Something big, or a lot of little somethings. I hope that ogre didn't have a friend-or a mate."_ He shuddered. 

With that heartening thought they headed the opposite direction, down the western passage. The branch off that passage turned left and ended as the other one, the walls closing into a dead end. They could tell these walls hadn't been worked, this was just the natural cave structure, with crevasses and cracks like any normal cavern would have. Milo just hoped the rest of the cave turned out to be "normal". The main passage led further west, with an opening to the South. The group moved together, not wishing to split up with the thought of more ogres about. Jeremiah and Brigit led the way around the corner, walking right into a large room. Besides crude beds and furniture there were live occupants in this room, goblins, and tons of em. Milo could just make out a couple in front of Jer and Brigit. Here we go again, he thought before yelling, "Incoming!" With that he loosed his crossbow bolt at the nearest green ghastly, and so the battle was joined. 

Milo's bolt sunk into the shoulder of the goblin in the front. They were waiting and ready for the group of adventurers though. Could it have been the pile of bodies they left a few days before? Jeremiah wasted no time, and raced towards the goblin Milo had wounded. His initial swing neatly chopping the ugly little head off of the beast and finished up in the belly of the goblin standing beside it. 

_"They may have been ready for us, but that isn't going to help them any!"_ Mazi said to Milo after she pegged another goblin in the leg with her bow. 

Brigit moved up past the Jeremiah's kills, slipping a little in the fresh carnage, she missed her first attack. The goblins in the second rank, outraged by the invasion of their home and the death of their many comrades, moved forward and attacked both Jeremiah and Brigit. Neither blow landed its mark though, the human and dwarf easily sidestepped the lances. With the rest of the group farther in the cavern Milo could make out the remainder of its inhabitants. There must have been over a dozen more of the monsters with weapons, and in the far corner of the room were three human sized female and three large male goblins carrying longswords. Just behind them Milo could make out a bigger, bulkier goblin in chainmail, looking none too happy. In addition to the fighting goblins he could see some startled goblin women and their spawn in another corner of the room. 

His attention drawn back to the battle at hand, Milo took some time to reload his crossbow. Jeremiah attempted to fell another goblin but swung a little too high and wide. There was a great *"CLANG!"* of metal hitting stone as his sword bounced off the wall. The vibrations of the quivering sword stunned Jeremiah, looking much like the ogre with the club from their previous battle. Trying not to laugh at the comical sight, Mazi took the opportunity to cast her mage armor spell and target Jer. His skin shimmered with the mystical energy. Near him Brigit's attack barely missed her target as the goblin ducked down to all fours and scurried to the side. It made an attack of its own but it bounced off her armor harmlessly, as did the blow of its companion off of Jeremiah's hardened skin. 

Milo attempted to shoot a goblin through the melee but missed the wildly moving form of the goblin. Jeremiah, his composure regained, slashed at the next goblin. His sword cut through the beast like a hot knife through butter but it failed to connect with the other goblin close by. Mazi stood back and completed some more arcane gestures, her skin shimmering much like Jer's had a few moments before. Brigit, tired of the dancing goblin in front of her, put all her force behind a vicious blow of her waraxe. The goblin all but exploded, "No more dancin fer ya, little beastie!" she crowed. The other goblins were startled by the attacks of the front-line fighters and drew back to regroup and give their leader time to enter the fight. By that time the cavern's occupants were crowded around the entrance, the bigger goblins in the rear jostling for an attack position. 

As the goblins moved back Milo took careful aim and fired another bolt. Bulls eye! Goblins eye, rather, he thinks as he watched the corpse fall with the end of the bolt protruding from it's left eye socket. Jeremiah pressed farther into the room but got a little too close to the goblins to bring his sword to bear. Mazi took advantage of the opening he created though, shooting another arrow into the shoulder of a goblin, wounding but not killing it. Brigit moved forward as well, leaving more room for Mazi and Milo to attack, she easily sliced through the goblin in front of her. Three goblins then converged on Jeremiah, he was able to avoid two attacks and his magically thickened skin absorbed the third. Two goblins attempted to breach Brigit's defense, neither was successful. Their blows harmlessly bounced off her expertly wielded shield. 

Milo, who thought he could get up close and personal to a goblin's back, switched weapons and waited for an opening to spring through. Jeremiah moved back a half step and swung his greatsword through yet another ex-goblin, his follow through barely missed the next one in line. Mazi, unable to take a direct shot, fired another arrow into the melee. She scored a hit into the side of one of the goblins attacking Jer. It crumpled to the ground, ichor oozing out of the wound. Brigit made good use out of her dwarven ax and slashed a vertical line head to toe in one of the beasties attacking her. Both of the two remaining goblins attacking Jeremiah managed to tag him with their lances. Luckily for him the mage armor Mazi cast held true and he escaped damage once again. Another goblin moved along side the one attacking Brigit, but neither was able to get past her whirling ax. 

Milo sensed his opportunity and somersaulted forward, right past one of the goblins attacking Jer. He sprung up in the corner of the cavern, turned around, and plunged his shortsword deep into the back of the goblin. He smiled in grim satisfaction as it slid off his blade to the ground. Jeremiah, intending to attack the goblin Milo just dispatched, instead swung his sword around and just missed the next nearest creature. Brigit tried to sink her waraxe into another goblin, but they both leapt back. They were wary of this dwarven fighter, she fought as ferociously as the barbarian did! Mazi again shot an arrow into the fight, wounding another monster but not dropping it. Her bow got quite a workout during the battle. Milo rethought about his acrobatic display, he was then in range of one of the bigger goblins. He ducked the blow coming his way and mentally kicked himself for not sticking to the back with his crossbow. One of the goblins in front of Jeremiah started to gibber, seemingly unable to fight any longer. Its larger companion had no such problems as it swung its longsword right into Jer's arm. The sword managed to cut through his magically strengthened skin, wounding him slightly. The two goblins fighting Brigit missed again. They were visibly distraught over their inability to land a blow on the dwarf. 

Milo attempted to stab the large goblin with his sword but was unable to pierce its armor. Jeremiah spotted the gibbering goblin and put it out of its misery with a left to right slash clean through. The blood from his recent wound had once again made his grip slick though. He almost lost hold completely, grabbing onto the hilt as the sword nearly flew out of his hands from the mighty swing. Mazi took aim again and planted a feathered arrow into the throat of one of the few remaining average goblins. Brigit drove her ax through the shoulder of another goblin, the ax head sinking fully into its body. In the corner two goblins had reached Milo's position. He deftly avoided one blow but moved a little too close to the other. He was rewarded with a prick of its lance, opening a small wound on his upper arm. Jeremiah was similarly wounded with a thrust of a longsword. The blade barely pierced his toughened skin and only a small amount of blood appeared from the wound. By then two of the large goblin females had engaged Brigit but both missed with their initial attacks. The one remaining small goblin facing Brigit weakly poked its lance at her, not coming anywhere near. 

Milo landed a blow with his shortsword on the small goblin that wounded him, puncturing a vital organ and felling the beast. Jeremiah had a much better grip on his sword as it swung at his assailant. The goblin fighter was cleaved through from his groin to his head, falling neatly in two. Jer was unable to follow through with the attack though, since the next goblin moved just past his reach. Mazi targeted the furthest female, hoping to take her out before she reached one of her friends. Her arrow flew wide, clattering to the floor near a group of screaming goblin young. Near her Brigit attempted to follow her last kill with another but overextended herself. She pulled back before reaching far enough to drop her ax, thankful for her training as a fighter that kept her from fumbling the attack. The largest of the goblins, apparently their leader, reached and engaged Jeremiah. His first swing missed the angry barbarian, the other goblin made contact and drew more blood through his augmented armor. The remaining female and its companion also missed their target, Milo, as he ducked and moved as fast as he could to avoid the multiple attacks. The two females attacking Brigit managed to distract her enough for the small goblin at her feet to plant his lance through a chink in her armor, wounding her for the first time that battle. 

Milo, still weaving and bobbing to avoid his attackers, dropped his shortsword. He cursed under his breath at his luck and moved around, looking for a way to pick it up without being hit. Jeremiah recognized the threat of the stronger goblin leader and took a swing at him, the tip of his greatsword causing tiny sparks to fly off the goblin's chain shirt. Mazi attempted to fire a shot at the leader as well, but missed while it was recovering from the close shave of Jer's sword. Brigit ignored the smaller goblin and took another swing at the nearest female. She missed by mere millimeters as the creature hopped back a scant couple of inches. The female and large goblin focused on Milo were unable to land an attack as he reached out and snagged his sword, lightning-quick. The leader of the goblins couldn't recover completely from the two near misses and his opportunity to attack Jeremiah passed by. On the other side of the cavern all three goblins pressed against Brigit were unable to make a dent on her newly wary defense. 

Milo paused another moment to ensure his grip on the shortsword wouldn't slip again. Jer swung against the leader again, as he missed he realized that this huge goblin was a more formidable opponent than the rest of the beasties he'd been used to mowing through. Mazi decided it was time to put away her bow and wade in against the leader, coming to the aid of her human friend with her longsword. Brigit, concentrating on defending herself from the three goblins facing her, was unable to make contact with her waraxe. In an amazing display of almost simultaneous attacks and nearly acrobatic dodging, all seven goblins attacking the intrepid adventures missed! This heartened the four of them and they attacked with renewed vigor. 

Still concentrating on hanging onto his sword, Milo missed with his stab and pulled back to watch for another chance. Jeremiah's greatsword at last hit the leader, slicing through the chainmail and inflicting a mighty wound on the monster. It was still standing, though not nearly as hale and hearty as before. Mazi spied her chance and snaked her longsword towards the leader, piercing through the gap Jer's sword opened in its armor and killing the huge goblin. She winked at Jer as she pulled her sword out of the body, ready for the next goblin to attack. Meanwhile Brigit landed a blow on one of the females, wounding it severely but not enough to drop it. The large goblin and the female were still after Milo, not realizing their leader had fallen. One made contact and drew a little more blood from the wounded halfling. One of the goblins that had been concentrating on Brigit switched focus along with his large companion as they both charge toward Mazi. They had seen her kill their beloved leader and wished for revenge. Mazi was ready for them both and avoided their blows. The two in front of Brigit, distracted by the death of the large goblin, made half-hearted attempts to hit her. 

Feeling a little light headed from the loss of blood, Milo missed his next attack and concentrated a little more on avoiding further blows. Jeremiah swung his greatsword past the two goblins that charged Mazi but was unable to hit either. Mazi on the other hand brought her longsword down on the goblin that she sidestepped moments ago, easily running the wounded beast through. Brigit also landed her attack, killing one of the females that had been taunting her. Regardless of Milo's attempt at avoidance, one of the goblins tagged him with his sword, drawing more blood. Jer avoided a blow from the other goblin that previously charged Mazi. Close by Brigit is wounded very lightly from the other female goblin. The group could see they had the upper hand, even with the wounds they had taken so far. 

Milo's vision went a little fuzzy as he thrust his sword at the nearest goblin, missing its mark. Near him, Jeremiah dispatched one of the bigger male goblins with a mighty swing of the greatsword. He looked around for another to attack with the follow through but none were near. Mazi aimed at one of Milo's attackers, unable to hit but hopefully drawing its attention away from the beleaguered halfling. Brigit made contact with her ax again, wounding the large goblin badly but not killing it. The female still focused on Milo easily slashed him through his weakened defense. He felt a little more faint, feeling the blood draining from the wound. He wasn't going to last much longer if this kept up, he thought as he staggered from the blow. The other female swung at Mazi, hitting her but unable to cut through her magicked skin. The wounded goblin attacking Brigit thrust his longsword into her shield feebly, she grinned evilly at it. It would fall with her next attack, she thought to herself, or she weren't a dwarf. 

Not thinking straight, Milo attacked and missed the female who then proceeded to mock him in its guttural tongue. Jeremiah moved up to protect Milo with Mazi but wasn't able to attack before Mazi beheaded the creature. She once again turned to wink at him, a grim smile on her elven features. Brigit swung her dwarven ax at the last goblin near her, but the wary beast hung back from her range. She nearly overextended herself again, chiding her over-eagerness to dispatch the hated goblin. 

Milo, his loss of blood clouding his mind, nearly fumbled his attack and almost dropped his sword again. Jer and Mazi both attempted to pin the last goblin female to the wall but it avoided their attacks again. They feared another blow to Milo would be his last. Brigit recovered from her swing and jumped the half step between her and the goblin to plunge her ax deep into its chest. It died with a croak. The female, then the last fighting goblin standing, was hard pressed by the elf and human. It missed its attack on the nearly unconscious Milo. 

That would be its last, as Milo feebly slashed at it with his sword, Jer roared and ran the female through with a mighty thrust of his huge greatsword. The goblins were at last vanquished, with only the crying spawn and their dames surviving. The group considered them from a distance. All of them were exhausted but exhilarated by their victory. They had won against incredible odds and extremely tough opponents. Even including the cleric and ogre Milo figured this battle was much more of a challenge. He loved challenges, unless they almost got him killed. 

After a rest to catch his breath and clear his head Milo said, _"They need to die."_ as he motioned to the mewling ilk in the corner.

_"Aye, that they do, they be evil spawn and will do nothing but plague us if we let em live,"_ Brigit agreed wholeheartedly.

_"Do what you will,"_ Mazi stated, _"I won't stop you, but I won't join you."_

Milo shrugged, looked at Brigit and nodded, _"It's gruesome work, but it needs to be done."_

The two of them set about the grisly work of dispatching the brood. Milo was in a foul mood as they made certain none would grow up to pester the Keep or the adventurers again. Meanwhile Mazi and Jeremiah had searched the bodies of the goblins. They found some coins on each, but nothing else of worth. Their weapons were old and notched and the best armor in the place was the damaged chainmail the leader wore. After searching the room for any hidden caches of goods they discussed their options.

_"I'm willing to continue, as long as I can stay in the back,"_ Milo told the group. He appeared to be in a better mood after clearing away the remaining living monsters.

_"If you're certain, then I'm up for some more exploring. I'm curious as to what happened to the bodies of the others we killed."_ Mazi responded.

_"Yeah, that and the full plate on that twice cursed cleric,"_ said Milo.

_"Yer as hardy as many a dwarven lad I know, little halfling," _grinned Brigit, as she pounded Milo on the back. _"Ya make me proud. What say you, Jeremiah? Press our good fortune and see if we can roust out any more gobbies?"_ Jeremiah just nodded his agreement.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part five (session two)*

Keep of the Borderlands -part five (session two)
--------------------------------------- 

_"This time you guys go first,"_ Milo said as he held his hand to one of his wounds. _"I don't feel all that good."_

The four of them started down the southern passage, moving as quietly as possible. Considering one of them was a dwarf in a breastplate, it wasn't too quiet. Brigit and Jeremiah led the way with Mazi and Milo a short pace behind. They were all battle ready, with weapons drawn. No way they were going to be taken by surprise. If there were any goblins left, they were making themselves scarce. The party met no resistance as they explored the passages out of the room. Eventually they came to a large cavern stacked to the ceiling with boxes and barrels, large sacks lay strewn about. Milo's jaw dropped. 

_"What I wouldn't give for a couple of packhorses right now,"_ he said. _"Imagine how much in goods there is here!"_

_"Beer, beer, beer. Ain't there any good dwarven ale in these barrels?"_ Brigit could be heard to say while looking over the stacked barrels in one corner. 

Mazi just shook her head at the two of them while Jeremiah headed over to where Brigit was running her hands over some smaller casks of alcohol. _"Beer?"_ was the only word he uttered.

They had found what became of the caravan. The caravan's goods at least, still no sign of the drivers and the leader or his wife. Milo turned to his companions and began to discuss how they would search the room for the more valuable goods to haul back to the keep. As the four of them considered the finer points of a nice orderly search they heard a small rumbling. A piece of the wall they were facing opened outward and four equally surprised hobgoblins stood before them. 

_"Get em guys!"_ Milo shouted as Brigit and Mazi surged forward to engage the startled monsters. 

Brigit reached them first, her short legs propelling her forward with her ax raised high. Her attack barely missed the leading hobgoblin's shoulder, bringing a smile from its lips and a curse from hers. The hobgoblin attempted to return the favor but missed its mark as well, that time the smile was Brigit's as she avoided next blow from the other creature. The two remaining beasts had no more luck than their allies did when they swung wildly at the nimble elf, Mazi. She easily dodged their blows with a mocking grace. Unfortunately She failed to connect with her longsword as well. Milo stood back and fired his crossbow at one of the ugly brutes, pegging him square in the shoulder. The beast grunted as it was pushed back a bit, but continued to press its attack. Behind Brigit and Mazi, still wounded from the previous battle, Jeremiah made a surprisingly wise decision and drew his bow rather than joining the sword fight. 

Brigit completed another fruitless arc with her waraxe, again barely missing her target. The two hobgoblins arrayed against her grinned again as they attacked. Both swords bounced harmlessly off her shield and a grim smile reappeared on her face. Mazi spun her sword through the air, dazzling her opponent before running it through. She danced away from the falling body as she withdrew her weapon from its body. Meanwhile Milo had reloaded his light crossbow and thunked another arrow into the same hobgoblin he hit before. This time he pierced a vital organ and was rewarded with the sight of another fallen enemy. He crowed victory as he reloaded his crossbow, preparing for another strike. Next to him Jeremiah knocked his first arrow to the bow and let it fly. The close melee made it hard to find a mark and his arrow flew wide. 

By that time Brigit had grown frustrated with her inability to slay one of these goblinoid creatures. She let loose a warcry and nearly hacked one of the two remaining hobgoblins nearly in twain. Its lone companion realized its plight a moment too late. It attempted to strike Brigit before turning to flee, the beast's sword bouncing off her armor. It never had a chance to turn around before Mazi's longsword came down in a diagonal slice, cutting its body open from shoulder to hip. 

_"Well, that wasn't so bad,"_ said Milo as he lowered his crossbow. _"Goblins, hobgoblins, ogres, whatever! Let em come, we can take em!"_ This time all three of his companions shook their head at the diminutive halfling.

_"What?"_ Milo said loudly, _"I'm serious!"_ He paused as he seemed to think about things a little longer. _"Then again, Jeremiah and I probably couldn't take much more punishment."_

_"Why don't we block this door off and find out what's in the other room we saw on the way over here?"_ Mazi suggested.

_"Alright, I guess we can pile up some of this stuff in front of the door. Some of those crates are pretty heavy, it should keep whoever else from that side of the door out."_ Milo said.

_ don't think they might break through then?"_ replied Brigit. Milo couldn't be sure, but there might have been a hopeful tone to her voice.

_"With the amount of goods we can pile in front of that thing, they'd have to be pretty dang big to push through."_ Answered Milo.

_"Ach, I guess so."_ Brigit sounded disappointed.

The four of them set about the room, finding the heaviest things they could carry to stack in the way of the swing-out wall. Brigit could be seen shoving a huge box of pewter pots and dishes, Jeremiah strained at heaving a crate of horseshoes and pot metal. Mazi rolled a few barrels of fish and beer to stack on top of the boxes and crates Brigit and Jer hauled over. Milo did his best, hauling a couple of casks of wine to place neatly on top of the pile. 

_"There,"_ he said, wiping off his hands. _"That should keep em out,"_ he finished with satisfaction. 

They filed out of the room as Mazi and Brigit once again took point. Back in the warrens they decided to head west. One dead end and another non-trapped door later they made their way into a medium sized, well-furnished room. There was actually a bed here, along with a chair and a table. Hmmm, thought Milo, single bed and nice furniture, this has got to be the leader's room. After expressing this theory Milo went into search mode. He looked all over the room, finding a bag full of copper, silver, and gold. Eagerly opening another bag they discovered, Milo's senses were assaulted by a foul stench. Inside was a half eaten, moldy piece of cheese. 

_"Ugh, no thanks,"_ he said, moving on to look under the bed. 

He struck gold there, or rather silver, as he pulled a beautifully crafted silver cup from under the unkempt bed. Just looking at it he could tell it would be worth right around another ninety gold pieces. His eyes glinted with something more than the reflection of silver. In the chair Brigit found a secret drawer under the cushion. She called Milo over to check it for any traps or locks. After looking over the hidden space carefully he declared that it was just a normal secret compartment and it could be opened without worry. Inside was a richly woven tapestry, gold and silver thread interwoven throughout material. Milo glanced once at it and declared it practically worthless. Before Brigit tossed it away Jeremiah broke his usual silence and asked to see. Exhibiting an amazing eye for detail, especially for one such as he, Jer pointed out the gold and silver filaments in the cloth. He finished by saying it had to be worth at least another hundred gold. 

_"Worth more than the cup? Not likely,"_ Milo scoffed, _"you can hang onto it if you like, I'm not hauling it out of here."_ He was never all that interested in wall hangings or the like. 

They determined that all of value had been found and trooped out of the goblin leader's room. Besides the secret door they had blocked, this end of the cavern had been completely investigated. The four of them decided to find out what was at the other end of the long passage. They passed the cavern entrance where they vanquished the ogre days ago and continued up the diagonal passage towards the Southeast. After one dead-end branch they came to a widening of the passage that ended in another room. All they found here was a barrel of spears, 3 score or so, Milo guessed. Jeremiah grabbed one of them, figuring it might come in handy. They decided to leave the rest on move on. 

Another passage branched out from the opposite end of the room. It began to lead up a sloping ramp. After a corner and more upwards climbing they spied a closed door. The party conferred about the wisdom of continuing on past the door. With Milo still bleeding through the crude bandages he patched together with rags and Jeremiah feeling just about as bad, they all decided to head back to the keep for a well deserved rest. The caves weren't going anywhere after all. 

Milo and his friends trooped out of the caverns in good spirits. They saw no more goblins or hobgoblins on their way and they were feeling pretty confident, despite the wounds they were dealt. They had come out on top this foray and not one of them was lost to the goblinoid buggers. The four made their way back to the crest of the hill they camped at the night before. Mazi volunteered to take first watch, then Brigit, Jeremiah, and finally Milo. They went this night without a fire, still aware that more creatures may venture from the caves and realizing that the top of a hill is not the best place to light a fire when you're trying to be inconspicuous. 

The night fell and Milo drifted off to sleep. He slept deeper than usual that night, so deep his normally edgy reflexes relaxed and he started to dream: 
*
Your eyes have been closed for what seems to be only a moment when you feel surrounded by a bright light. A portly halfling appears before you, smile on his face, glowing radiantly. "My boy, I have been watching you and you have something that I like. Spunk. So I have decided to take you under my wing." A serious look overcomes his face. He reaches over and touches you on the forehead with his finger, "You now have My Mark...I have chosen you to be My hands in this matter...do not fail Me. Have faith and courage and you shall succeed. Beware the Evil, it shall attempt to enslave you My boy." The light fades and the halfling disappears. 
*
Milo awoke with a start. He realized that it was morning now, somehow one of his friends on watch fell asleep as well. _"So much for elves not having to sleep,"_ he joked to Mazi. She had fallen asleep as soon as the rest of the group drifted off. _"You know, I had the weirdest dream."_

_"So did I!"_ said Mazi.

_"Was there a halfling in yours?"_ Milo asked, half jokingly, half hopefully. He didn't recognize the halfling in his dream, though he was obviously important, even holy. He felt uplifted, bolstered in spirit. It was as if a part of him that had been dormant, sleeping, had awakened. He remembered many of his father's teachings, they came flooding back to him in a staggering burst. He also realized that he could remember things that he never even knew. Divine spells, their somatic and verbal components leaping to mind. He felt stronger in body as well as in spirit. 

_"No,"_ replied Mazi, looking at him funny. _"No halflings."_ She muttered something about _"darn trees"_ under her breath though. Odd, another mystery for Milo to figure out. There seemed to be a lot of those cropping up lately.

_"I dreamt too,"_ Brigit said, she seemed a little shaky. _"Don't think I wanna talk about it."_

_"Do I have a mark on my forehead?"_ Milo asked Brigit as he held up the hair above his brow.

_"No, ya don't. Yer actin strange, Milo."_ she responded.

Milo masked his surprise over the newfound knowledge and strength by changing the subject. _"And you, our savage friend, did you have any dreams last night?"_ he said as he turned to Jeremiah.

_"Yes, I dreamt that I fought a giant ogre and killed him with my sword, then I fought a man with a bull's head-"_ Jeremiah started.

_"Ah! A minotaur."_ Milo said sagely.

Jeremiah glanced at him for a moment after the interruption. He continued, _"but I didn't beat him, I woke up first."_

_"Very strange goings on here. Do either of you want to talk about your dreams?"_ Milo asked Brigit and Mazi.

_"Nah."_ said Brigit, still looking a little shaken.

_"No, I don't."_ answered Mazi.

_"Well, I feel different. I think that's all I'll say about mine right now. I have some things to figure out. Shall we head out to the Keep then?"_ he asked while gathering up his bedroll.

The four broke camp in relative silence. Each of them reflected on what they dreamt the night before. Milo was in a good mood though, and he tried to cheer up the rest of the group as best he could. They struck out about an hour after dawn and made it back to the keep by evening. Again they noticed the lack of people on the roads, no other travelers, no caravans, no brigands or bandits. Not even the animals of the woods crossed their path. 

They met the guard and were let in without a challenge, they were recognized from their last return trip. Their first destination was the church and the priest's quarters. An acolyte ushered them in almost immediately. The priest stood to meet them, a grave expression on his face.

_"Welcome adventurers. I have news."_ he started in a low, strained voice. _"This disease that has plagued our Keep is beyond my powers to abolish. I have sent word to the duke of our plight, but it is unlikely that help will arrive in time."_ He shook his head sadly. _"The people are dying, and I must ask for your aid. Last night I had a vision-"_

_"You too?"_ Milo interrupted with a startled glance to his compatriots.

_"I know not of what dreams you may have had. In my vision I beheld a cup, crusted with blood. It was a thing of great evil. It was revealed to me as the source of this plague. You, halfling, filled the cup with blessed water. You, dwarf, destroyed the cup with a bright hammer. This vision must come to pass or the people of this Keep are doomed. Will you help us?"_

The four of them spoke briefly, coming to a unanimous decision quickly. _"We will aid you in this. What is it we should do, where is this cup?"_ Milo spoke for the others.

_"The cup is in the caves you have already visited. Take this scroll, halfling, it contains on it a blessing that you must confer upon the cup after it is filled with holy water."_ the old priest said as he handed a rolled parchment to Milo. _"A warning though, do not touch the cup, it is evil and will corrupt you completely. You must not touch the cup."_

_"Got it, don't touch the cup. Okay, no cup touching here, understood."_ Milo answered, a little excited at the role he was to play in this new quest.

_"Now you, brave dwarf, you must destroy the cup with the blessed hammer of my dreams. Even now I have the Keep's blacksmith crafting the hammer. It will be for this one purpose only and we will invoke the gods' blessing upon it when it is completed."_ He said to Brigit. _"Now, I have good news. You will not be alone in this quest. Two of our men-at-arms will aid you."_  He called to his acolyte and spoke to him briefly. The young robed man rushed from the room and returned shortly, followed by two armored men. _"This is Maruf,"_ the priest said as he pointed to a swarthy man in a blue surcoat. _"And this is Thorgrim,"_ he finished as he pointed to the other, more fair skinned warrior in chain.

After greetings were exchanged Milo asked the two fighters, _"That's great, but we found that the last two hired hands we brought with us were pretty inexperienced in melee. Have you two seen battle?"_

Maruf answered by pulling a longsword and a dagger from their sheaths and dazzling them all with a graceful display in the cramped office.

_"Aye, he can swing a sword."_ Brigit said as she ducked instinctively. Her breastplate and shield might protect her well in active combat but she wasn't too keen on the swords swinging near her in this packed office. _"I'm willin ta bet ya can fight too, no need ta whip yer weapons out too."_ she mentioned to Thorgrim. He just smiled.

_"Well, friends, it will be another day before the hammer is completed and it grows late. Please return to the inn and come here in the morning. We will impart to you the hammer and any other help we can give."_ the priest said as he dismissed the party. 

They headed off to the inn above the tavern, had a light dinner and retired for the evening. The next morning found the four adventurers with their two new members at the front of the chapel. The priest came outside to the morning light to greet the group. _"Well met, friends. We are about to start the ceremony to bless the hammer."_ He said. _"We also blessed these vials with healing spells, there is enough for each of you to carry two,"_ he stated as he handed eight potions to the group, each of them stowing two into their packs. _"They will strengthen you when you are wounded. Now I must return and begin the rites."_

_"Um, excuse me,"_ Milo started before the priest could turn to enter the chapel. _"I'd like to spend some time in your library. I have some-ER-religious questions that I'd like to have answered."_

_"You are welcome to any knowledge we have to impart."_ the priest answered kindly, _"I'm afraid our library is rather limited. You are welcome to any aid my acolytes and scribe can give you."_ 

Milo spent the day poring over the few books the priest had in his library, searching for any mention of the halfling from his dream. Neither the books nor the scribe could aid him though. Even the priest admitted he was unfamiliar with the figure after he emerged from the room where the rite was being held. He requested that Milo fetch his friends, the hammer was ready. 

When the others arrived he presented Brigit with a glowing hammer. It was of normal size and shape for a carpenter's hammer but it was metal from haft to head. The smooth surface glowed with a warm light. Brigit smiled as she picked up the hammer from the priest's open hands. 

_"Remember, you must not touch the cups. First fill it with the holy water you have, bless the cup Milo, and then destroy it with the hammer, Brigit."_ he said as he made a religious sign with his hands. _"Now I bid you farewell, please do not fail us." _

It was afternoon when the six set out for the caves once again. Milo found on the way that Jeremiah was indeed right about the tapestry, they managed to sell it for nine hundred gold! Live and learn, he thought, maybe there is something to tapestries and wall hangings. The silver cup did garner the group ninety more gold. Mazi had exchanged the gold for platinum and the four of them split the earnings on the way to the caves. They left a few platinum and gold in a 'party fund' for unforeseen expenses and the like. 

The group made good time and arrived at their campsite as dusk deepened into dark. All six of the party members took a turn at watch, none slept past their allotted time, and no one dreamed anything out of the ordinary. 

The next morning Milo felt refreshed. He said a short mental prayer to powers that be. _"I don't know who you are, but you've awakened something in me. Whatever it is has already changed my life. I hope you know what you're doing, because I sure don't. Anyway, keep my friends safe and allow me to aid them as I can. Well, um, what do you want, I'm new to this holy thing. Oh, and don't let our new companions die this time, please?"_ Milo felt a little silly, he hadn't prayed since he left home, and then they were the memorized prayers of his father's. 

Well, he thought, it can't hurt, right? 

With that the adventurers headed the rest of the way to the caves, pausing at the mouth near the ogre's den to group. _"Once more into the warrens, right guys?"_ Milo said as he readied his crossbow and headed in, taking the scouting position again. 

Brigit and Jeremiah followed with Mazi close behind. Maruf and Thorgrim brought up the rear, keeping their guards up.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part six (session 2)*

Keep of the Borderlands -part six (session 2)
--------------------------
They decided to check out the secret door in the room of caravan goods first. Milo lit his lantern once again and the group moved down the tunnels. When they arrived in the goblin warrens they noticed that once again the bodies had been removed. While this didn't really surprise any of them, Milo heightened his senses even more, tensing in preparation for any action that might come their way. They continued down the hall to the storage room and the secret door that waited there. The group was treated to a minor shock when they entered the room, all of the goods were gone. Not even a single cask of wine or bolt of cloth was left behind. Milo rushed to the door, checking for any newly laid traps. After he found none he tried to open it, and discovered that it was bolted from the other side.

_"Well, I think we know who's been cleaning up after us now,"_ he said. _"Looks like the hobgoblins have more than one way into the warrens. Let's keep on guard."_

The only other unexplored area was the door they left on the other end of the cavern, up the ramps. 

So up the ramps they went after a non-eventful trip back through the tunnels. If the hobgoblins were out and about they weren't making themselves known. Milo reached the door and listened in. He heard faint scuffling noises and guttural grunts from through the thick, heavy door. Before doing anything else he decided it'd be best to check for traps. There was obviously someone behind there, he thought, and they were probably waiting for the adventurers. He motioned back to the others to hold off and keep quiet while he ran his hands over the rough wood door and its frame. His keen eyes picked up no sign of tampering or treachery, but he did notice that the door was locked. Ahh! Finally a chance to use his shiny new lock picks. 

He rifled through his pack and produced the small leather pouch with the delicate tools inside. Milo peered at the crude lock on the door and chose the sturdiest of the picks. He carefully pushed the pins of the tumbler until he heard the familiar *'click'* of an open lock. Just as he was about to flip the last tumbler his grip slipped and all of them snapped back to place. Milo started again, and hoped that the creatures on the other side of the door didn't overhear the small noise he made. That time he easily moved the pins and the door opened just a little bit. Milo leapt back, fearing a charge by whoever was in the room. He gave the go ahead signal to Brigit and Jeremiah then pressed himself against the wall as they ran past him. 

Jeremiah booted the door and paused for a split second at the sight that met him a few feet into the room. Over a dozen hobgoblins stood arrayed in the large room, they growled and snarled and were obviously intent on taking a chunk out of the infidels that invaded their caverns. They had been waiting for the group. There was another passage leading away on the opposite end of the room. As soon as the door had been kicked open Mazi let the arrow from her bow fly. It whizzed by the head of a particularly ugly hobgoblin near the front of the mass. It didn't stand long though, as Jeremiah's slight pause came to an end and his greatsword met its neck. Through one hobgoblin and the next it went, one clean arc as if there weren't two thick creatures in its way. As he swung Jeremiah let loose a loud battle cry, his ferocity startled the closer hobgoblins. 

Maruf worked his way up to the front lines, he looked eager for battle. He missed as his initial attack was a far space from the first hobgoblin. Milo took advantage of the gap between Maruf and the beast as he fired off a bolt into the hobgoblin. It lurched back, wounded. Brigit, Jeremiah, and Maruf blocked Thorgrim from reaching the front lines so he held back a bit, waiting for his chance to enter the fray. 

As Milo watched, Brigit swung her mighty dwarven axe at the goblinoid in front of her. The axe head made an even uglier mark on the shocked looking hobgoblin as it fell to the floor. Three more hobgoblins moved up to the front line to fill the space and attacked Brigit and Maruf. One of the monsters facing Maruf made contact with its weapon, inflicting some minor damage on the man-at-arms. The other three hobgoblins' attacks were far too clumsy to hit the front line fighters. 

Mazi, who was still in the back, let another arrow fly into the battle, grazing the face of one of the monsters near Jeremiah. The beast howled with pain. Jeremiah moved in to attack it but was brought up short by the next hobgoblin, snarling and baring its fangs. Nearby, Maruf regained his composure and expertly sliced the beast that attacked him previously, he wounded the creature badly. 

Milo took a moment to survey the scene before him, including the three that were down he counted thirteen hobgoblins in all. He hoped it wouldn't be an unlucky number as he pulled the trigger on his crossbow. He cursed as the mechanism jammed and crouched down to work on the jammed string. Ahead Brigit had worked herself into a frenzy, swinging her ax from one side to the next. The pathetic hobgoblin in front of her didn't even see the blow coming as the waraxe sliced through its belly, spilling its innards to the floor. The body followed soon after as the dwarf snarled her distaste of the vermin before her. 

Meanwhile, the hobgoblin that blocked Jeremiah's attack countered with its own, slicing its longsword along his exposed arm. Jer hissed at the wound and drew back his sword to retaliate. Near him one of the hobgoblins attacking Maruf actually swung its weapon back too far and bashed its companion in the head, it was temporarily stunned. The following swing was successful though, as the blade cut Maruf through his chain armor. He groaned, heavy on his feet. 

Mazithra again fired an arrow into the fray, wounding another hobgoblin with her expert aim. She had enough time to see Jeremiah finish his back swing and slice through not only the hobgoblin that wounded him, but clean through the one next to it. His greatsword was shiny with the creatures' blood and his face had a feral look to it. 

Maruf was already weakened by the wounds he had taken before he made his next attack. His sword was unable to land a blow on the hobgoblins before him. They grinned as they pressed their advantage. Thorgrim finally reached the battle next to his fellow man-at-arms. His weapon also fell short of the mark but he hoped to at least draw some of the goblinoids' attention. 

Brigit hacked away at any hobgoblin stupid enough to get near her. Her swinging blows felled another as more of the monsters moved up to the front of the fight. The four that were engaged failed to hit any of the adventurers at the forefront. 

Another arrow flew from Mazi's bow as she took careful aim. Not careful enough though, her target moved at the last moment. Jer had no such problem, dodging or no, the next two in front of the 'Hobgoblin Killer' went down in a spray of blood as his huge weapon sliced through the air. Maruf didn't fare so well, he swung his sword hard at the hobgoblin attacking him and overextended himself. Just as the hobgoblin's blow was about to land, Milo sprang into action, rolling along the floor to stop behind the attacker. He was too late though, the creature moved with uncharacteristic swiftness and delivered the crushing blow that knocked Maruf to the ground. Thor shouted as he saw his friend fall, he swung his sword wildly to fend off any hobgoblins that might try to finish Maruf off. 

Milo began to prepare a spell to aid the fallen Maruf but was pierced by a longsword before he could get the first words out of his mouth. The hobgoblin grinned as it withdrew its sword from his side. Milo ignored the pain and began the mantra that sprang to his mind, determined to use his newfound power to save his newfound friend. 

Brigit dispatched her latest victim as she had the others, with another vicious blow of her axe. She grinned to herself as she realized that not one of the hobgoblins had made it past her defense. 

Determined to finish off the beasts, Mazi fired another arrow, this time exclaiming in satisfaction as she saw that it pierced the throat of her target. The hobgoblin loosed a breathy sound as it tried to scream its death cry. 

Up ahead Jeremiah moved behind the hobgoblin that mortally wounded Maruf, intent on finishing it off. Near the floor Milo crouched down as he finished his chanting and placed his hands on Maruf's wounds. A warm tingling sensation traveled from his spine down his arms and through his small fingers. He watched in amazement as Maruf's wounds stopped bleeding and the skin stitched itself closed. _'So this is what the healers feel'_, he thought, _'I could get used to this.'_ The sensation left him before the wounds were completely healed, but Maruf's eyes fluttered open and he had the strength to stand. 

Just as the hobgoblin near Maruf and Milo was about to strike the woozy Maruf down again, Brigit's thirsty axe found its mark again. The last beast fell, nearly on top of the still crouching Milo. He scarcely noticed, still thinking about the amazing feeling he just had. _'I'll have to figure out how to make the healing more effective'_, he thought absentmindedly to himself. 

Maruf thanked Milo profusely. He told him that he could feel himself slipping farther away from life before the halfling brought him back. Milo, feeling a little self-conscious from everyone's attention, played it off. 

_"It was nothing, I did what I had to do. We're just glad you're still alive, right everyone? Hey, is that a money pouch I see on that hobgoblin?"_ Milo swooped down on the corpse that Brigit created and pulled up a little bag of silver. _"See, money! I bet the rest of them have some too!"_ He started industriously searching the rest of the bodies lying about the room. 

Eventually the rest of the group joined in and they pooled the various coins they found together. They would split the loot later. 

Satisfied that attention was sufficiently distracted away from him, Milo handed Maruf one of the potions that the priest had given him. He told the man-at-arms to gulp it down before anything else happened. He gratefully complied and the rest of his wounds were soon healed. Milo couldn't find anything else of interest in the room besides the money they found on the bodies. The adventurers readied themselves to continue on through the passage leading out of the room and into unknown danger ahead. 

The tunnels were extremely dark this far in. Milo, Jeremiah, Maruf, and Thorgrim were unable to see anything past Milo's lantern. They decided that Brigit, being the only one of them with the ability to see in complete darkness, should go ahead to scout out the way. She moved up a bit, her armor jangling. _'It's either me blind and silent or Brigit loud and aware'_, Milo thought to himself, _'we can't win.'_

After some slanting passageways and a couple of straight tunnels the group found themselves at a fork. The passage continued west and the side passage veered south. They decided to head down the left passage and headed south together. After a couple of curves the passage opened into another cavern. 

Two large and very surprised hobgoblins stood in the middle of a grisly scene. One had a sword and a whip, the other just a longsword. Across the room, chained to a wall were three human men and one woman as well as an orc and a gnoll. Before anyone could react Milo started rummaging through his pack. 

_"Ahah!"_ he shouted as he found one of the divine scrolls he carried. He quickly chanted the contents of the scroll and pointed his finger at the hobgoblin carrying the whip. The creature made to move, but was frozen in place. A look of surprise crept across its dull features. 

The other hobgoblin jumped into action. It lunged at Brigit, its hated enemy. She easily fended off the blow as the other four adventurers closed in. Attack after attack rained down on the hapless hobgoblin. Thorgrim finished off the beast with a stab of his longsword to its chest, right through the chainmail. Milo sauntered over to the frozen hobgoblin and pulled out his dagger. He walked behind the straining monster and took aim, right through the thin muscles in the back to the monster's black heart.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part seven (session two)*

Milo found a ring of keys on the corpse and handed them to Mazi.  She immediately let down the four humans.  One was slightly older and pudgier than the rest, Milo astutely guessed that this would be the caravan leader.  The other two men immediately armed themselves with the hobgoblins' weapons and chainmail.  The woman stood slightly behind the caravan leader almost in a deferring manner, he guessed she was the leader's wife.  Milo noticed that she wasn't quite as beautiful as the stories told, but he was never that good of a judge of human attractiveness.  

The leader introduced himself and his wife, thanking the party over and over.  His two guards were introduced as Charles and Gerwin.  Another Charles, thought Milo to himself, here we go again!  The caravan leader explained that he was a very wealthy individual and he would pay the party well if they helped him escape back to the Keep.  The four looked at each other, an unspoken conversation seemed to take place.  All of them wanted to see the hobgoblins dead and they didn't fancy leaving their backs exposed to the enemy as they turned tail and fled.  

Milo explained the situation to the caravan leader thusly, _"See it's like this, we have to finish taking out these beasties or they're just going to get to you or someone else again.  Now you could leave here the way we came in and take your chances on meeting a roving pack of slavering goblins and hobgoblins-"_ he let that statement hang in the air, his voice dripped with implied violence and danger.  _"Or you can follow us as we abolish the rest of the vermin in this cavern and rid you of future threat."_  Milo wanted any reward the man was offering but he wanted the hobgoblins dead even more.  This seemed to be the best way to get both.  

The pudgy man considered the offer for an extremely short amount of time before he emphatically agreed that the best course was to stick together.  Smiling with satisfaction Milo surveyed the rest of the room, his eyes finally resting on the orc and gnoll chained to the wall.  

_"What of these two?  Anyone here speak orc or gnoll?"_

Brigit stepped near the orc, her racial hatred made her eyes glint like steel.  _"I speak this vermin's tongue,"_ she spat out with obvious distaste.  _"But I'd rather gut tha pig than ask 'im about tha weather."_

_"Um, hang on to that thought for a moment, Brig.  How about the gnoll?  Anyone speak its language?"_  Milo asked.  He was answered with shakes of the head from the rest of his travelling companions.  _"Okay then.  Brigit, I know you're eager to take out the orc, but maybe you can get some information from it first?"_

_"Aye, but I canna promise ya anything,"_ she said.  

She then uttered some guttural syllables at the chained orc.  It answered her back in the same guttural sounds but with a wheedling tone.  

_"It says it will help us if we help it. I'm fixin ta help it to me waraxe tho.  Orcs canna be trusted, they're all lyin vermin."_

_"Mayhap, what do you think guys, can it be trusted?"_  Milo asked the rest of the group.  

Jeremiah and Mazi studied the orc while Brigit spoke with it.  As far as either of them could gather from the orc's mannerisms it had been as honest as they could tell.  Neither of them thought that the thing would help them as soon as it became convenient for it to do otherwise.  They all discussed the matter and voted to leave the orc chained for the time being, perhaps coming back to free it when they were done killing hobgoblins.

Milo walked up to the gnoll, _"You, do you speak common?"_  All he was able to get out of the jackal headed creature was a whimper and a lost puppy dog look.  _"I guess not.  I say we leave the gnoll here too, at least until we clean out the rest of the non-chained beasts."_

The party agreed and they all prepared to continue on.  Milo told the caravan leader that he should stay in the back with his two guards in front.  They looked eager to fight after their harsh imprisonment and torture.  

Brigit and Jeremiah rounded the corner of the hallway leading out, directly into a barrage of crossbow bolts.  Big crossbow bolts.  The two heavy bolts skimmed past Jeremiah, they missed him by the breadth of a hair.  The hobgoblins holding the crossbows cursed in their throaty language and started to reload the heavy weapons.  

Jeremiah raised his sword and charged with a scream.  Behind him Mazi quickly fired and arrow at the evil beasts down the hallway.  She was unable to take aim with Jer charging down the tunnel in front of her.  Milo had a similar problem when Brigit stumped off ahead of him.  His bolt flew too high and ricocheted off the ceiling, it hurt nothing more than some loose stone that fell to the floor with a rattle.  

The hobgoblins saw their previous target looming before him and decided against reloading in favor of drawing their swords.  Nearly oblivious, Maruf and Thorgrim hadn't turned the corner yet, but they glanced at each other as the sounds of battle echoed down the tunnel.

Right as Jeremiah reached the T-intersection of the passage four more heavy bolts flew, two from each side.  Three missed their mark but one sunk deep into his shoulder, breaking his stride.  Milo groaned as he watched Jeremiah run right into the trap.  He started to tumble forward, intent on using his divine power to protect the barbarian.  

Mazi fired another arrow at the hobgoblins, frustrated at her line of sight to her targets.  Her arrow flew wide again.  Jeremiah paused to pull the bolt from his shoulder and quaff one of the potions he was given.  Milo reached Jeremiah and placed his hand on the shoulder that so recently bore the wound.  He chanted quickly and a faint glow passed from his hand to Jeremiah, spreading out over his body before fading away.  

_"You'll find the evil beasts have a harder time hitting you now, Jer,"_ Milo said as he turned to see who fired from the other hallway.  

By then Brigit had reached the hobgoblins and laid waste to one with her axe, splitting its skull.  The other original ambusher attempted to strike Jeremiah but was repelled by an unseen force just as its sword was about to hit.  A look of perplexion crossed its porcine features.  

Down the two passages the other four hobgoblins dropped their crossbows and prepared to attack the adventurers.  Up the other passageway Maruf and Thorgrim strived to reach the fight.

Mazi and Milo both fired their weapons simultaneously.  The arrow from Mazi's bow missed its target, but Milo's bolt found its mark in one of the approaching hobgoblins down the hallway.  Jeremiah, bolstered by the potion, sliced the one in front of him, finishing off the original ambushers.  

Thorgrim and Maruf had made it to the fray by then, Maruf sidling up to Milo and Thorgrim protecting Brigit's flank on the other side.  Just as they reached their positions the other four hobgoblins attacked.  The one with Milo's crossbow bolt sticking from its shoulder smashed its longsword through Milo's defense, wounding him badly.  Thorgrim also felt the sting of the enemy's weapon, equally wounded.  

Brigit swung her axe at the beast that attacked Thorgrim after she dodged a blow herself.  The axe head met home as it smote the goblinoid creature.  Down the hall Charles and Gerwin stood guard while the caravan leader and his wife peeked around the corner frightfully.

Once again Mazi fired her bow at the melee, still unable to enter the fray directly.  Once again her arrow missed the hobgoblin of her aim.  Milo quickly downed a potion of his own, he felt its restorative powers as they coursed through his veins.  

Brigit swung her axe at the next monster, sending it to its maker with the rest of the vermin she'd dispatched.  Standing besider her, Jeremiah looked around for a target, he prepared himself to lunge at the hobgoblin Maruf fought in case the man-at-arms fell.  Maruf nimbly dodged an attack and countered with his longsword.  The blow wounded the hobgoblin in the leg, drawing blood and causing it to snarl in pain.  The hobgoblin made to attack again, ignoring the gash caused by the longsword.  Its companion attempted to hit Milo but the newly restored halfling dodged the sword with ease.

Mazi moved closer, hoping the proximity would improve her chances of shooting one of the beasts.  The distance didn't help as her arrow was thrown off course at the last moment as she refocused her aim when one of her companions moved in the way.  That companion was Jeremiah, seeing an opening in the fight between Maruf and the hobgoblin, he shoved his greatsword tip-first at the creature.  It died with a gurgle as it slid off the huge blade.  

Milo moved a half-step away from the last hobgoblin and fired his bolt pointblank into the monster's chest.  It too fell to the ground while a gurgle escaped its lips.  

Flush with victory the group quickly assessed the situation.  Milo and Mazi's sensitive ears picked up the sound of more hobgoblin footsteps approaching from the northwest corridor.  The six combatants conferred and decided to set up an ambush of their own.  

Milo motioned the body guards to stay down the hall.  All of the party members with range weapons readied their ammo, three bows and one crossbow aimed down the hallway, waiting for the first hobgoblin to appear.  Maruf and Thorgrim, both still wounded slightly from the battle so far, stayed to the rear.

All four strings were released as the first of the approaching mob made their way around the corner.  Mazi and Jeremiah's arrows barely missed.  Brigit's missile winged one of the surprised hobgoblins.  Milo's dead aim led his crossbow bolt straight into the eye of his target.  The beast fell straight back onto the floor, the only noise it made was the sound of its sword clattering against the stone.  

The hobgoblins didn't take long to recover from their shock and the remaining three charged at the group.  Milo was overconfident with his critical shot to the previous hobgoblin and misloaded his bolt.  He cursed quietly when the string snapped past the bolt, damaging it and causing him take time to reload.  

Since she was in front and preferred her waraxe to the bow, Brigit took a moment to switch weapons.  Mazi took the difficult shot and tried to hit the hobgoblin that approached her.  The beast was too close and her arrow missed as the hobgoblin shuffled to the side quickly.  

Jeremiah was behind Brigit and attempted to fire his arrow into one of the approaching enemies.  The arrow skittered across the wall as he was nudged by Brigit trying to draw her axe.  

Maruf was able to move past the crowd and attacked one of the hobgoblins that had reached the front.  His swing failed to connect though.  Behind the others Thorgrim waited impatiently, unable to find a way into the fight in the tight passageway.

Brigit released her axe from its holster on her belt and brought it up into the face of her enemy, splitting the head vertically from chin to skull.  Mazi and Jeremiah released their arrows once again, Mazi's missing her opponent as the unusually nimble hobgoblin danced out of the way.  Jeremiah's arrow sunk deep into the chest of one of the hobgoblins approaching Brigit.  Brigit laughed as the beast fell before her, unable to raise its spear in time to attack before the arrow robbed it of life.  

Next to Mazithra, Maruf snaked out his longsword at the nimble hobgoblin, ending its threat to the elf.  She glanced over to the man-at-arms, a quick expression of gratitude on her face before turning to aim at the next beast.  The hobgoblins kept filing around the corner, an unending flow it seemed to Milo.  Luckily not one had connected with the deadly short spears they carried.  

One approached Mazi, hampering her aim again as she fired her arrow wide.  Another distracted Maruf, its spear deflecting his sword as he attacked.  The third hobgoblin approached Brigit carefully, avoiding her waraxe but not making any headway with its own weapon.  

Milo and Jeremiah were unable to hit any of the beasts as they engaged the party in a swirling melee.  They both quickly reloaded, looking for another opening.

Milo found one and let his bolt fly.  It sunk into the hobgoblin facing Mazi.  The bolt pierced a vital organ and the beast dropped to the ground.  

Brigit swung her axe past the longer reach of the hobgoblins spear to slice it right across the chest.  A spray of blood followed the axe's trail before the goblinoid dropped dead.  

The opening allowed Jeremiah to target one of the beasts farther back and his arrow sunk into its leg.  The hobgoblin howled with rage and charged towards the fight.  Unable to reach Jer, the monster lunged at Maruf, piercing his armor and dropping the man-at-arms to the ground for a second time that day.  

Milo saw his friend drop and prepared another incantation.  His new powers were coming in more than handy, he thought.  Mazithra shot her arrow point blank at the monster that stabbed Maruf.  The yew bow she carried snapped straight, propelling the arrow into the hobgoblin, the tip emerged from the other side of its shoulder.  

His incantation finished, Milo touched his hands to Maruf's wound.  The ugly gash closed and the man-at-arm's eyes opened.  Milo could tell that the spell didn't heal the Maruf's wounds completely though.  Milo helped Maruf up and they retreated a few feet carefully.  

Mazi and Jer both aimed at different hobgoblins, ones they had wounded before.  Both arrows flew true, wounding the beasts fatally.  The one remaining hobgoblin turned to flee just as Brigit's axe fell.  The beast didn't even have a chance to turn down the hall.  

The six adventurers stood over the bodies of their vanquished foes, breathing heavily.  Maruf was still wounded badly and Milo was out of spells.  The caravan leader approached them and expressed his deep desire to see the light of day again.  They all decided that the rest of the hobgoblins, if there were any, could wait a few days more.  

Milo and the rest searched the bodies, coming up with more coins.  Brigit carried the 'burden' of copper, silver, and gold.  Their stash of currency was getting hefty and she was about the only one of them that didn't mind the extra weight in her pack.  Nothing else of interest lay with the bodies.

_"Well, let's get out of here and regroup guys, that cursed cup isn't getting any closer with us standing around,"_ Milo said as the group headed down the eastern passage.


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part eight (session two)*

The group, then inflated to ten strong, filed their way outof the caverns.  They were constantly onguard for any more ambushes, but the trip out was uneventful.  The caravan leader seemed shocked at thecarnage that lay in the group's wake.  Milosmirked, we don't mess around, he thought to himself while glancing over at thepudgy, frightened man.  The going was alittle slower to the hill this time due to the leader and his wife.  The group stuck together on the way up,deciding strength in numbers was more important than scouting ahead to theirold camping grounds.

After setting up another cold camp the party slept.  Two stood watch at any given moment exceptfor the caravan leader and his wife.  Noone complained.  The night passedquickly and no dreams were mentioned the next morning.  The caravan leader was anxious to make it tothe Keep that day so they headed out as soon as their camp was struck.  They made good time on the road back to thekeep.  Milo again noticed the lack ofpeople along the roads, the plague seemed to be taking its toll.

They reached the Keep by early evening and were greeted bygaunt looking guards.  The guardsrecognized the caravan leader immediately and ushered the ten of them throughthe gate.  Charles and Gerwin led the wayto the caravan leader's home, setting a fast pace.  They seemed more than relieved to be home.  Milo didn't have the heart to tell them ofwhat was happening in the Keep currently, or that they would most likely bepressed into service as guardsmen.  Oncethey reached the ostentatious home of the caravan leader he turned and beckonedthem inside.  
As a gesture of gratitude he handed the group a hefty bag ofcoins.  He also handed each a signetring.  "For saving my life and thelife of my wife and men-at-arms I present to you this money and theserings.  Those rings you hold will markyou as exempt from taxes and fees for one year.  The moneychangers will not charge you for their services and themerchants will not charge you taxes. This is just a small token of our appreciation.  Please accept these gifts," the caravanleader gushed to the adventurers.  Theyaccepted the rings and money graciously, thanking the leader for thereward.  

Before they left to check in with the priest the wife pulledMazithra aside. "Please take this dagger, it's been in my family foryears," she said as she pressed the hilt of a large dagger into Mazi'shand.  "It's magically sharp andwill serve you well.  Thank you so muchfor saving us, I thought I would die in that horrible place."  Mazi thanked her and asked if there wasanything in particular she knew about the knife.  "Only that it cuts meat and cheeses well.  I've always used it in the kitchen,"the woman answered, turning slightly red. "I was told by my mother and grandmother that it had an enchantmentplaced on it, that's as much as I know." Mazi thanked her once again and the party headed to the temple.

Milo was eager to see what the woman had imparted to hiselven friend.  He practically stood onhis tiptoes to get a glance at what was in her hands.  Mazi shook her head in amusement as she held out the dagger. "Here you go, Milo.  I don't think I have a use for this.  It seems more your style anyway.  The Goodwife said it was enchanted.  It should be better than that little knifeyou carry around anyway."  She saidas she handed the magic dagger to Milo.
"Really?  Youmean it?  Thanks Mazi! You're the best!" Milo said as helooked over the well-crafted weapon. Hecould feel a slight tingle as she handed it to him.  Yes, this would serve him well, he thought as he stashed it inhis belt, removing the mundane blade that was in its place.  I'll just have to sell this one I guess.

The group made their way to the chapel to meet with thepriest.  The elderly man met them,eagerly awaiting news of the cups and their quest.  Milo related to him their battles in the caves and the rescue ofthe caravan leader, his wife, and his guards. He also related that there was no sign of the cups from the priest'sdream.  The old man looked crestfallen.
"I am very disappointed and saddened that you have notfound the cups yet.  The people of theKeep grow weaker day by day, some have died from the plague already.  I fear that if the cups are not destroyedsoon then the guards will not be able to fend off any attacks from the denizensof the caves or the hills."  Thepriest told them.  "We will ofcourse heal your wounds and provide you with more healing draughts.  I beg of you to find those cups.  The Keep's safety and our very lives dependon it!"  He left them to theacolytes then.  Once the six of themwere healed and given more potions they decided to restock their provisions andhead out in the morning.

While Milo was changing in the coins they found Maziinquired of the banker about higher valued coins that may be easier tocarry.  Though the banker did not carryanything worth more than platinum, nor had he ever heard of any coin mintedthat was more rare, he was able to point her in the direction of the Keep'sjeweler.  At the mention of jewelsMazi's pointed ears seemed to perk up. With a glint in her eye she headed over to the aforementioned shop.  The next time Milo saw her he noticed aconsiderable decrease of the size of her money pouch.  He also noticed a small blue gem set in gold, hanging from herear.  It was hard to miss, she had herhair swept away from that ear as if to showcase the beautiful gem.  Milo guessed at its value to be somewherearound 500 gold.  A hefty bit of changeto be wearing on your ear, he shrugged. "Women," he thought.

The party spent a restful night in their rooms above thetavern after a refreshing dinner. Brigit and Jeremiah went easy on the drink that night.  Perhaps they felt as Milo did, that theworst was ahead of them yet.  They got anearly start the next morning, heading towards their favorite campsite atop thehill.  It was past dusk by the time theyreached it.  They once again set threewatches of two.  The night passedwithout event, each of the watches struggled to stay awake.  They spoke of their homelands to each other,getting to know Maruf and Thorgrim a little better.  The dawn found the six adventurers already heading towards thecursed gorge and its deadly caves.  

The gorge was still uninhabited when they arrived.  The cave mouths hanging open like hungrymouths, ready to swallow unprepared victims to the center of the earth.  Milo was feeling a little dramatic thatmorning.  They started into the cavescautiously, on the watch for any more ambushes like the last.  The party made their way to the hallway thatthey fought the ambush and reinforcements in. Once again the bodies were gone, no trace of the carnage or the clean upcould be found.  Again Milo attributedthe lack of bodies to the denizens of the caves.  He figured that he wouldn't want dead people lying about thestreets where he lived either. Carefully they moved past the intersection and around the corner of thenext corridor.  No heavy bolts shot outof the darkness, not even a sound echoed through the abandoned tunnels.  They came to an opening on the left of thepassage, a small room with some poorly kept weapons.  Probably where the reinforcements were waiting.  Milo tread softly down the corridor, henoticed a thin string suspended at human knee level.  Along the string were tiny bells, a lot of them.  It was a primitive alarm, buteffective.  If any of them had trippedover it they would have made quite a noise. Milo quieted his friends down while he studied the simple trap.  Well, he thought, here I go.  He carefully cut the string at one end ofthe line with his new dagger, keeping it as still as possible as he lowered itto the floor.  Unfortunately he couldn'tstop some minor tinkling from the bells as they reached the ground.  He winced, knowing that someone waslistening for that precise sound.  Hehoped that the noise did not carry as far as he feared it would.
"Alright, if anyone was listening for the bells thenthey're probably ready for us.  Howabout we get the big ones up front, just in case?"  Milo whispered as he turned to thegroup.  He almost laughed when he caughtsight of them.  They were holding theircollective breath, to the last one.  Heshook his head a little and motioned for Jeremiah and Brigit to lead theway.  Milo and Mazi followed with Marufand Thorgrim bringing up the rear again.

As they came around the next corner they could see thehallway ended in a wooden door.  AfterMilo quickly checked for traps, finding none, Jeremiah kicked it in.  The six of them charged into the room,hoping to catch the occupants somewhat unaware.  They plowed into a large room, filled with hobgoblins.  There were two tables turned on their edges,feet away from the party, with two hobgoblins behind each.  Behind them Milo could see another dozen orso hobgoblins, including a very large, particularly mean looking one to theback.  Thorgrim and Brigit wasted notime, they ran towards the tables while dodging all four crossbow bolts flyingtheir way.  The hobgoblins seemed verysurprised at this tactic, they had assumed that their cover put them at anadvantage.  Jeremiah gleefully strodeinto their midst after Brigit and Thorgrim yanked the tables down, leaving thelegs standing straight in the air. Jerswung his greatsword as he walked forward, slicing through one, then another ofthe surprised crossbowmen.  Milo andMazi let their own missiles fly, the bolt finding the shoulder of one of theremaining crossbowmen.  Mazi's arrowflew past the other hobgoblin as it leaned down to hurriedly reload its weapon.  Maruf didn't give the beast time as hecharged towards him, he missed with his swing but distracted the hobgoblin fora moment.

Brigit and Jeremiah were proving their prowess against thehobgoblins once again, each dispatching one of the ugly brutes.  A look of fear spread among the assortedhobgoblins.  One of the remainingcrossbowmen managed to fire another bolt off before falling to Brigit's ax.  The bolt struck home in a chink through herarmor, wounding her in the side.  Shegrimaced through the pain as she hacked through the monster.  Milo and Mazi loosed another volley at theenemy, Milo's shot finding a target in one of the dumbstruck hobgoblins.  Mazi's arrow flew wide again, she cursed asit clattered off the wall.  Three morehobgoblins moved up to engage Jeremiah, Brigit, Maruf and Thorgrim.  One of them made contact through Jeremiah'sthin armor, causing him to wince in pain. The wound was at the cost of its compatriot's attack as it stepped onthe beast’s foot, bringing a roar of pain from its mouth.  The other attackers were unable to make adent in the adventurer's defense.  Thecrossbowmen slowly retreated as they reloaded their weapons, allowing the otherhobgoblins to move in front.

Mazi pulled her bowstring back again, taking careful aim atthe nearest hobgoblin.  She fired thearrow straight at the beast and pierced its lung, felling it instantly.  It gasped for air past the blood that wasnow filling its lung.  Milo's boltwounded another hobgoblin, grazing its arm as it raised its sword to attackMaruf. Disregarding the wound, thehobgoblin slashed at the man-at-arms. Maruf received the blow on his own arm and was unable to complete hisown attack.  Near him Brigit andJeremiah fought on.  Brigit missed withher next swing but looked on as Jer took out the second to last crossbowmen,two with one stroke.  She admired hisability to cleave through the goblinoids so easily and tried to study histechnique as the battle raged on.  Onthe other side of their fighting Thorgrim was engaged in a near even battlewith the hobgoblin in front.  They bothswung at the same time, their swords grating as they slid to the hilts. Both pivoted their blades simultaneously,choosing to accept a wound in order to inflict one.  Thorgrim's blade bit deeper than the hobgoblins, killing thecreature as it did its damage to the brave man-at-arms.  

Milo fired another bolt into the fray, this time sinking thequarrel into the leg of one of the hobgoblins. Maruf also made contact with his weapon, scoring a glancing blow on hisopponent.  Thorgrim, flush with hisvictory but wounded by the mutual sword thrust, wavered a little.  It was just enough for the next hobgoblin tomake it past his defenses.  He cried outas the sword was pulled from his gut, sinking to the ground unconscious.  The hobgoblin laughed as it licked the bloodfrom its blade.  The wound was severeand Thorgrim's blood quickly pooled on the floor. Milo quickly moved to his side, readying his incantations.  Brigit and Jeremiah pressed forward throughthe hobgoblin ranks, not landing any blows but stopping their progress towardsthe halfling and the fallen Thorgrim.  

With his friend fallen, Maruf had two hobgoblins to dealwith.  The clumsy beasts attacked him,one shoving the other out of the way as it slid its sword into Maruf'storso. Maruf cried out like his fallencomrade, wavering on his feet as Thorgrim had before him.  Milo finished his chanting as Mazi, Brigit,and Jeremiah fought to fend off the hobgoblins.  They had seen two men fall and their morale was raised as theirleader shouted in hobgoblin at the rear, struggling to move forward through thefight.  Thorgrim's eyes fluttered openas the wound in his belly closed.  Milocould see that the man-at-arms was still injured and he whispered to him totake it easy.  The soldier nodded andgot to his feet, readying his sword for another attack.  The leader had almost made its way toJeremiah, obviously intending to take out the largest threat first.  Milo noticed its progress and quicklyprepared another incantation.  The lastcrossbowman let out a guttural curse as its weapon jammed.  It pounded on the mechanism while itscompatriots attempted to wound the standing party members.

Mazi decided her sword was needed more than her bow.  She switched weapons as she moved to thefront of the battle, near Brigit and Maruf. Jeremiah roared in rage, his eyes had a crazed look in them.  A bit of foamed spittle escaped his mouth ashe slashed through another hobgoblin. His muscles bunched and he seemed to grow a bit bigger as his ragecontinued.  Milo had a moment to reflecton this apparent change in his friend as he finished his spell and touched thebarbarian. He would be protected fromthe vile goblinoids a little more now. Just in time, thought Milo.  Hewatched as a blow fell short of Jeremiah, the hobgoblin seemed to shy away fromthe towering human as it got near enough to strike.  Brigit swung her axe in a great arc, keeping the hobgoblins atbay.  Maruf moved up to engage thehobgoblins near the dwarf, directly in the path of a sword intended forher.  He crumpled to the ground, ashocked stare at the ragged wound the sword caused.  The beast the struck down Thorgrim seemed personally insulted byhis recovery.  It charged the soldierwith a shout.  Thorgrim took the attackhead-on and the sword pierced his armor. He sunk to the ground from the loss of blood. The hobgoblin grinned at Milo, as if challenging him to heal theman-at-arms once again.  

Jeremiah, in an inarticulate rage, swung his sword at thecowering hobgoblins before him.  Theyslunk out of his range, but not out of the range of Mazi's spinninglongsword.  She slashed at one of themonsters, killing it with the graceful stroke of her blade.  Near them Brigit knelt to feed Maruf one ofher potions of healing.  He made it tohis feet shakily, thanking the dwarf as he stood.  Milo was undaunted by the challenge of the hobgoblin, he loweredhis hands over Thorgrim, healing the latest wound but not bringing his fallencomrade to consciousness.  Thorgrim wasstabilized, that's all that mattered to him then.  A bolt whizzed by Mazi as she danced through the melee.  Maruf took another minor wound from anadvancing hobgoblin.  Jeremiah felt thesting of a longsword as well.  A smallslash that enraged the angry human even more. 

The hulking barbarian swung his huge greatsword out awayfrom himself.  It pulverized first onehobgoblin, then the next.  He shoutedsomething unintelligible and cast about, looking for another victim.  Mazi tried to fight her way to the remainingcrossbowman.  Her sword found anotherweak point and the beast that she was fighting crumpled to the ground.  Brigit moved next to Maruf, both of themswinging their weapons at any hobgoblin that dared to come near the two.  Milo was out of healing spells for theprostrate Thorgrim.  He took aim withhis crossbow and fired another bolt at the approaching hobgoblin leader.  It grazed the huge beast, only serving tomake it angrier.  The monster stabbed atJeremiah, but was unable to hit him through the magical enchantment that Milohad cast.  The two other smallerhobgoblins could not penetrate the party's defense.

Mazithra was in rare form as she spun around the clumsyattack of one hobgoblin.  She expertlyslid her sword into the beast's breast, stabbing it through the heart.  The hobgoblin didn't even have a chance tolook shocked, its face stuck in the same grimace it wore as it attackedMazi.  Brigit moved to attack thecrossbowman, her ax falling short of the beast.  It let a bolt fly at the other approaching enemy, Mazi.  The bolt came nowhere near the dancingelf. Jeremiah towered over theconsiderably large hobgoblin leader and swung his greatsword.  The sword sliced through the creature'sarmor and traced a nasty gash through its flesh.  The leader held its wound and weakly stabbed at Jer. Milo took the opportunity to fire a quarrelat it.  The bolt found its home in thebeast's brainpan, forever rendering it incapable of any coherent thought, oraction for that matter.  Mazi made onemore graceful pirouette before she plunged her longsword deep into the body ofthe crossbowman.  It gasped out in painas it fell to the ground.  

Milo raced to the fallen form of Thorgrim.  He confirmed that the man-at-arms was stillstable.  He channeled some minorcantrips he had prepared into a small amount of healing and the brave soldierwas once again to his feet.  The two ofthem stood to look around at the carnage. Not one hobgoblin remained standing. Many died by grisly wounds dealt by all six of the party.  Milo spied a shine from the waist of thehobgoblin leader.  He moved aside thetattered tunic the large hobgoblin wore and found a bejeweled silver belt.  Near the back of the room Brigit uncovered acache of a gem, a potion, and a wand. Mazi eagerly snatched the gem, holding it out and trying to appraiseit.  
"Let's leave that for later, Mazi.  I think we can find out what all this isworth back at the Keep." Milo spoke up. "Maruf and Thorgrim are looking pale from the loss of blood and Ithink we could all use a little rest after this battle." 
Mazi agreed and they stowed their findings.  After searching the rest of the bodies andfinding more coins on each, the group trooped out of the caverns to the lightof day once again.  Though they had onlybeen in the caves for a short while this time, it felt to Milo that they hadspent days within.  He felt emotionally,spiritually, and physically drained as the group made their way back to thecamp.  The battle was long and taxing.  He had not exercised his divine powers tothat extent before and he felt the difference. Once they made it to camp he said another little prayer to hismysterious halfling benefactor, thanking Him for helping Milo to saveThorgrim's life.  Exhausted, he fell asleepand didn't wake again until it was his turn at watch.  They would go back to the Keep for more healing before trying tofind the cups in the caves again.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part nine (session three)*

The party made it to the Keep, hauling some of the treasurethey found in the back rooms of the hobgoblin's lair.  Brigit had stumbled across two suits of full plate armor, onedwarven size and one human size.  Theonly things that gave off magic after Milo and Mazi cast a couple of cantripsat the hill were the wand and their rings, as well as Milo's dagger.  As soon as they made it past the gate sheheaded off to the smithy to get the suit modified to her dimensions.  She mumbled something about"impenetrable" and "tank" as she stumped off.  Milo and the rest took their gear to thepriest, hoping he could identify the wand and the potion they had found. The priest seemed distraught at the factthat they had not found the cups. Heunderstood their plight as he caught sight of the two men-at-arms.  Though Milo had healed them to the best of hisability he could not bring them to full health that morning.  The priest welcomed them in and usheredMaruf and Thorgrim off with an acolyte to receive healing.  He took the potion and wand Milo offered tohim and promised to find out their nature by the next day.  Mazi and Jeremiah excused themselves, theyboth wanted to spend some time meditating in their own way, Mazi in her innroom and Jer at the bar in the tavern. Milo decided to stay at the chapel until evening, spending more time inthe library. He learned from theirscribe how to commit his incantations to parchment for later use.  After spending his hard earned coin on somewriting utensils and supplies Milo found that he could produce his spells onpaper, in effect storing them for later use. He had heard Mazi mention the technique but didn't realize that it wasuseful for divine spells as well as arcane. It turned out that Jeremiah and Brigit spent some time comparing notesbefore the night was through. Shelearned his peculiar technique of slicing through enemies and he learned somegeneral strategies to use in close quarters. Mazi had taken care of the party’s other loot.  She sold the gem and belt for a hefty amount, doing Miloproud.  Mazi also changed the group’ssmaller coin for higher denominations, easy to carry.  The four split the coin evenly but left some set aside for groupexpenses.

The next morning the four met at the chapel.  Maruf and Thorgrim were completely healedand carrying a short bow and longbow that they had found in the caverns.  The priest saw them in his office.  He handed the wand to Milo, stating that itheld multiple charges of a healing spell, though he couldn't tell how many wereleft.  He had discovered the keyword forthe wand in its glyph's.  Milo wouldhave to utter the word "Abernathy" in order to discharge thewand.  Milo looked at the priest with anodd look in his eye.  He could havesworn he'd heard that name before.  Hewas certain some of the more weathered sailors told tall tales about anotherland and a powerful wizard by a name not unlike that.  Odd, he thought, oh well, no matter.  Milo shrugged off the thought. The priest further related that the potion they found was no potion atall.  It was poison, a deadly varietythat usually resulted in death.  Miloand the others asked the priest to dispose of the foul brew rather than takingit back.  The priest was glad to helpthem in that manner.  He also gave eachof them a healing potion if they had already used theirs.  The old man excused himself for not handingout more, but the people of the Keep came first.  They found that even healed by the priest's divine magic andprayers the people would fall sick shortly after.  Milo also noticed the ever-present crows and vultures circlingthe Keep.  They seemed to be circlingcloser than the night before.  With afarewell and the promise to return with word of the destroyed cups, Milo andhis friends headed out of the chapel and through the front gate of the Keep.

The journey to the hilltop campground was uneventful, if notdismal.  The sky remained graythroughout the morning and afternoon. Dark fell early that night.  Bythe time camp was prepared it had been an hour after nightfall.  Their watch was also uneventful.  All six of them were on edge from the denseatmosphere that seemed to pervade the surrounding countryside.  The next morning Mazi and Milo preparedtheir spells for the coming day and inevitable battles.  Not far from the camp up the winding trailto the gorge they heard a thumping sound. The party stopped and listened, straining to make out the sound.  It was definitely drums, their deep rhythmicpounding only deepening the ominous feelings that were shared by thegroup.  It was decided that Milo shouldsneak up the path and scout out the source of the drums while the rest of theadventurers hid themselves among the trees and brush.  Milo took a deep breath and worked his way quietly towards thegorge, careful to stay off the trail. He arrived at the upper parameter of the small valley after a littlehike through the wooded area.  Peeringdown into the cauldron of the gorge he could make out little lizard men liningthe sides of the hills, beating on taught skins stretched across primitiveframes.  Well there was the source ofthe pounding, he thought.  At the end ofthe narrow valley he spied a robed figure, holding up a cup and shouting incoherently.  Milo sensed that the being near the top ofthe gorge was a powerful enemy.  Withthe knowledge he had gleaned Milo made his way back to the concealed party.

They discussed possible approaches and decided to use Milo'spath.  Remarkably enough the six of themmade it to his vantage point without calling down an alarm. Perhaps it wasn't so remarkable, they couldsee that the lizard men were in a frenzy. They were oblivious to everything as they pounded away at theirmakeshift drums, the man in robes whipping them up into a religious fervor ofsome kind. The group watched as the manraised up a cup, all six of them recognized it from the description the priestgave them.  That was one in the set thatmust be destroyed, thought Milo, if only we could get to him.  They started to discuss the best way to takeon the man in robes, not too worried about the small lizard men along the hillsof the gorge.  As they talked the tempoof the drums increased and the man's shouting became harder to hear.  Then a deep rumbling emanated from theground of the gorge, felt all the way up where the group was hiding. Milo watched in horror as the groundchurned, clumps of dirt rising like molehills. As they looked on fingers clawed their way out of the mounds of raisedearth.  Skeletal and partiallydecomposed hands, arms, and then heads followed the fingers, as a mass ofundead broke the surface.  Milo hatedundead, really.  He shuddered as theunholy figures shambled from their shallow graves. The group recognized many of the walking corpses as the enemiesof the past few days, goblins and hobgoblins made up a large portion of theundead army.  Two giant skeletal figuresappeared from the rear of the undead. The huge skeletons had a moving mass suspended in their breastcages.  Straining his vision, Milo madeout the forms of the two disciples of Bordamere inside.  He couldn't tell if they were controllingthe giant mass of bones or if they were merely hosts powering the unholyconstructs.  Milo shuddered again, wrenchinghis eyes from the massive force of undead. He looked up to the man in robes to see the figure motion with the cup,towards the mouth of the gorge.  Thedrums stopped and the undead army began to shamble out of the clearing, towardsthe Keep.  Just as Milo was about tosuggest that he down the potion of invisibility and sneak up on the robed manhe noticed movement on the top of the hill. The shrouded man then turned towards the group.  He can see us, thought Milo.  Before they could do anything else a hugepillar of blinding light struck the earth near them, miraculously missingall.  

By the time they made it to their feet and cleared theringing from their heads the man had fled. They could see the lizard men filing back into the caverns.  Milo, Mazi, and Brigit conferredquickly. They couldn't let the undeadarmy march on the Keep without warning. Milo asked Maruf and Thorgrim if they would brave the journey back tothe Keep to warn their fellows.  Thatwas all the men-at-arms needed to hear.  They turned to rush out of their concealment after a brief warningto stay off the trail and roads and to make it to the Keep as fast as humanlypossible.  As the two men made their wayback down the hills the group spotted a huge shape detach itself from the wallof the gorge.  Wings unfurled and agiant vulture clawed its way to the sky, intent on following the soldiers.  All four adventurers drew their bows andcrossbow and took aim.  After oneunsuccessful volley all four hit the grotesque bird.  Each missile finding the bird in the air as it seemed to sprout afew more feathers.  With a wounded crythe vulture wheeled in the sky and headed the opposite way.  The bird was too far away for any morepotshots, but the group felt that they had accomplished something.

The four of them conferred briefly on the best course ofaction.  They decided they had done allthey could for the people of the Keep in sending Maruf and Thorgrim to warnthem.  Milo suggested that if they foundand destroyed the cups first that the army might never reach the Keep.  Mazi agreed and they decided they'd headinto the caverns that they had seen the lizard men file through.  After preparing themselves as much as theycould the four intrepid friends ventured into the caverns once again.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part ten (session three)*

Milo moved ahead of the group once more, scouting carefully for any traps that the lizardmen may have laid.  A short distance into the cavern mouth the passage ended in a "T".  The wall facing them was adorned with grisly heads in various states of decay.  Milo moved cautiously forward to get a better look.  As he walked forward he felt the ground move out from beneath him.  The floor began to revolve under his feet and he barely jumped back as a giant stone panel spun down and back around, covering a pit about ten feet deep.  The others rushed up to see why Milo was jumping about only to find an empty intersection decorated with skulls and heads.  Before any of them could walk to the wall Milo shot out his hands to either side.
"I don't think that would be a good idea."  Milo stated.  "That floor isn't exactly stable." He finished as he placed the tip of his foot on the edge of the rotating stone slab, pushing it down slightly.  
"Ah, it's just a little pit trap, Halfling." Brigit scoffed.  "Ah've seen dwarven littl'uns craft better!"  She said, pounding Milo on his back with her open hand.  He cartwheeled his hands as her emphatic pounding almost pushed him into the pit.  "Why don' we tie a rope to tha halfling and toss em across?"
Milo gave Brigit a horrified look, not certain she was kidding.  "Thanks but no thanks, Brig!  I'll just skirt the wall if it's all the same to you."  He said in a huff.  Brigit just chortled a little while reaching in her pack as if to draw out a piece of rope.  
"Aw c'mon Milo, we kin have Jer here throw ya the whole way, eh Jer?"  She broke out into an unruly bout of laughter.
"I've got another idea," Milo said back, "how about we don't?  Just give me the rope in case I slip and fall.  No throwing!"  Milo said to Brigit with a sidelong glance to Jeremiah.  The barbarian simply smiled.  Mazi had an amused look on her face.  She shook her head and raised her eyes to the ceiling.
"Maybe we can get across this thing before all your talk and laughter brings down the whole place around our ears?" She said to her diminutive companions.

With that Milo tied the end of Brigit's rope around his waist.  He made sure he was out of arms reach of Brigit and Jeremiah as he inspected the edges of the revolving floor.  Milo carefully tiptoed out along the narrow lip of the pit, his heels hovering over the slab.  He managed to complete the little balancing act and arrived at the eastern side.  As he peered into the darkness past his lantern he thought he caught sight of moving figures.  The light from his lantern glinted off a spearhead and he could hear the shuffling of many feet from an alcove farther down the tunnel.  The shout of alarm that came from the dim passageway caused Milo to remember that he was the only one on that side of the pit.  Should the denizens of the caves rush him he would be alone and outnumbered.  Ever the self-preservationist, Milo quickly turned about and shouted to his friends to pull him back.  The words had barely left his mouth before the wind was pulled out of him, the rope going taut.  He was heaved through the air like a fish on a line.  Just before he landed on the false floor he managed to twist his body and roll acrobatically.  Milo sprang to his feet next to a grinning Brigit and Jeremiah.  Both had hauled him back as hard as they could, nearly braining him and making him think twice about who's hands should hold the rope next time.  Milo turned to see the enemy for the first time and nearly fell over laughing as several little kobolds approached the lip of the pit, shouting in whatever language the small lizards used.  

Two of the little creatures threw their spears at the party, both missing badly.  Milo laughed and shot a missile of his own.  He nearly tripped as he brought his weapon to bear, momentarily forgetting that the rope was still tied to his waist.  He watched as his bolt flew above the heads of his opponents.  Mazi moved to the far end of the pit and sighted one of the creatures with her bow.  She fired the arrow straight into the little beast's chest.  The kobold fell backwards, a little chirp escaping its mouth.  Brigit took a grip of her ax, hoping one of the kobolds would brave the pit.  Jeremiah wasn't so patient.  He moved Milo to the side and took a running jump towards the small lizards.  The rope still tied to Milo's waist was lying in his path though.  The hulking barbarian yelped comically as he tripped over the obstacle right onto the false floor.  He scrabbled at the surface of the slab, as it quickly became a vertical wall.  He found no purchase and plummeted to the bottom of the pit, taking a small amount of damage.  The pit floor revolved back into position, sealing off the poor barbarian.

Milo bit back another giggle as he plopped down to prop the floor open with his feet.  Giving Jeremiah a way out by lowering the rope still tied to his waist.  The kobolds were chattering excitedly on the other end of the pit.  Two more spears sailed by Milo.  He didn't even try to dodge as the clumsy throws caused the spears to fly wide.  Mazi took aim again and watched in satisfaction as another kobold fell with feathers protruding from its small chest.  Brigit figured she could do better than her barbarian friend.  She took a deep breath, crouched, then sprang forward, intent on leaping over the gap.  What she didn't realize was how heavy full plate armor can be, especially when there was nothing beneath her feet.  She plummeted into the pit, right onto Jeremiah.  Milo howled with laughter, not able to keep it in any more.  He was echoed by the kobolds on the other side of the pit and he could swear that he heard a slight chuckle from Mazi's direction.  From the pit emanated a few colorful dwarven curses and a grunt as Jeremiah pushed the bulky form of Brigit off of himself.  He grabbed the rope and started to haul himself up.  This caused Milo to pay a little more attention to his position on the lip of the pit.  He braced himself as the human made his way to the top.

Two more spears flew over the pit towards the three party members.  One wounded Mazi, grazing her leg and drawing blood.  She sucked air into her teeth at the pain.  The offending kobold witnessed the damage and pranced around in a comical jig, adding insult to injury.  Mazi was none too happy as she drew her bow.  She let the arrow fly as the lizardman spun around in his insane little dance.  The arrowhead sunk right into its left cheek, its left REAR cheek.  The kobold's victory chant changed to a shriek of pain as it scampered off into the dark.  Mazi smiled to herself.  Brigit had been trying to climb her way out of the pit during this display but was having just as much luck in that endeavor as her last.  She couldn't seem to find purchase enough to support the weight of her gear as she slid back down the rope.  Jeremiah decided once wasn't enough and crouched down again.  He jumped mightily, right into the upturned floor.  Milo again couldn't stifle his laugh as the poor barbarian slid down the relatively smooth surface of the slab, right onto Brigit.  More dwarven curses floated up from the pit.  This time it was Brigit's turn to shove off the bulky form of Jeremiah.

The two kobolds left on the other side of the pit chattered loudly at Mazi.  They threw their spear and missed completely, tossing the missiles down the other passage in an attempt to injure the elf.  Mazi drew another arrow to her bow and aimed at the closest lizardman.  Her bowstring twanged as the arrow flew, directly into the kobold's chest.  Milo looked at her in admiration.  Mazi was on fire today, he thought.  Jeremiah and Brigit worked together to get out of the pit this time.  Jer gave the dwarf a boost while she used the rope.  Once to the surface Brigit helped Milo haul Jeremiah back out.  They were both breathing heavily, bruised from their falls in the pit and on each other.  Milo stood back grinning at the two.  He hadn't seen a show like this since his days back in Darokin.

The kobold with an arrow sticking out of its backside slunk back to the edge of the now closed pit.  It had brought more spears and it chucked one over the other side.  That spear and its companion's clattered off the wall.  Milo shook his head again.  He thought bemusedly, that is what I ran from?  Milo decided to try a different tactic and tiptoed his way back across the pit, hugging the wall.  He managed to make it across without receiving any blows from the lizardmen.  They actually seemed scared of the diminutive halfling.  Another arrow sped from the other side and Mazi felled the next kobold.  Both Brigit and Jeremiah had learned their lessons.  They glowered impotently at the final remaining kobold.  

The lizardman with the arrow tail poked its spear towards Milo, who easily sidestepped it.  Milo and Mazi shot their weapons at nearly the same time, Mazi's arrow finding the kobold before Milo's did.  The little beast went down with the second arrow protruding from its chest.  After confirming that no more kobolds remained Milo started to giggle.  His giggle turned into a laugh which in turn developed into a full-blown guffaw.  His laughter was infectious.  Mazi joined in, slapping Jeremiah on the back.  The brooding barbarian glared at her for a moment before his faced cracked into a lopsided grin.  Brigit eventually joined in, seeing the humor in their recent encounter.  There's nothing like a good belly laugh, thought Milo as he looked around for some way to disarm the rotating slab.  In the alcove Milo found a few wide planks of wood, obviously what the kobolds used to cross the pit.  He dragged a couple of the planks over to the edge of the pit and formed a makeshift bridge.  The others made their way across, Brigit and Jeremiah taking extra care as they traveled the planks.  Mazi and Milo stood at the other end, grinning.

"Now if you three hooligans are done goofing around, maybe we can finish exploring this cave." Mazi said.


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part eleven (session three)*

Before moving on Milo decided to try out his new toy.  He pulled the wand of healing out of his pack and aimed it at Jeremiah.  Milo spoke the activation word, "AberNATHy!"  A dull glow emanated from the tip of the wand and came to rest on Jeremiah.  He watched as a couple of the barbarian's wounds from falling into the pit closed.  He was disappointed when he noticed that Jeremiah barely seemed restored at all though. "Maybe it's the activation word?  I wonder if it matters how I pronounce it." Milo muttered to himself.  Jeremiah merely shrugged and pointed down the tunnel, wishing to continue on.

The group ventured further down the eastward passage, Milo led once again to ferret out traps.  Eventually the tunnel branched off to the left, one passage continuing east and one leading north. Deciding to stick with the trusty, always-turn-left-never-get-lost principle, the party took the north passage.  Not far ahead the tunnel ended in another "T" intersection.  Milo carefully advanced, searching all over for any traps, especially a giant rotating stone slab.  None were found and no sounds echoed down either passage.  Again turning left, the party walked on.  This tunnel ended in a stout wooden door.  Milo searched the frame and lock for traps while the party waited a fair distance away.  They had already seen Milo's trap disabling abilities and decided caution was the better part of valor in the face of his technique.  Milo scoffed at their temerity before turning around.  He waited until he knew they couldn't see his face before he let a slightly worried expression creep across it.  After double checking the door and declaring it trap-free, he pulled his trusty lock picks from his pack.  The crude lock on the door was no match for his skill and he heard the satisfying click of the tumblers.  Brigit and Jeremiah moved forward to open the door and lead the way into the unknown room.  Inside they made a disgusting discovery.  They had stumbled on the kobold's food storage room.  Milo held back his gorge as he investigated some piles of meat, obviously human.  The smell that pervaded the room made all four of the adventurers nauseous.  Tattered cloths still remained on torn limbs that were strewn about the small room.  After a cursory examination of the area Milo decided that nothing of worth was in the foul pantry.  He left the room with the other three following.  As he looked back Milo noticed Jeremiah gripping the hilt of his greatsword tighter than usual, his knuckles turned white.  He knew that holding back the barbarian against any more kobolds would be out of the question.  Probably for the best, thought Milo, his sword will make short work of the others we saw enter this cavern.

They followed the left wall down the passage, carefully treading past the intersection.  The ambush by the hobgoblins made the group especially wary of blind corners.  The tunnel widened into a small natural cavern as the party continued on.  Two spears flew out of the darkness not yet illuminated by Milo's lantern.  One spear pierced his leg as he let his own missile fly in the direction of the kobold that just revealed itself.  His bolt was a little more deadly than the spear and the kobold fell to the ground with a rattle from its pierced lung.  Mazithra fired her bow from the rear of the party but was unable to make out a solid target and her arrow flew above the little lizard men. Brigit and Jeremiah moved up past Milo simultaneously.  Brigit swung her dwarven war axe at one of the diminutive creatures.  The kobold all but disintegrated as her weapon cut through.  She would have followed through to the next beastie if Jeremiah hadn't already sliced the lizard man into two pieces with a powerful vertical slash.  The two warriors seemed eager for battle after their disappointing show at the pit.  

Milo's lantern revealed no more kobolds hiding in the small widening of the cave.  They did notice another door leading out of the room though.  Just as Milo moved forward to examine it, the door flung open. Another kobold, dressed garishly in robes with crude stars and moons painted in blood, appeared in the doorway and wiggled his fingers at the party.  Just as he raised his crossbow to fire Milo began to see swirling colors spiraling out of the lizard man’s hands.  The fascinating display drew close to Milo and the rest of the party at an alarming rate.  Soon Milo, Brigit, and Jeremiah could only see a dazzle of lights and multihued shapes dancing across their vision.  The colors dispersed before reaching Mazi near the tunnel opening.  The kobold chittered something, seeming frustrated that his little lights didn't affect the elf as they had her friends.  As for them, Milo and the others couldn't get their bearings, blinded and stunned by the sparkling of lights in their eyes.  Mazi had no such problems as she quickly drew back her bow and fired at the kobold sorcerer.  Her arrow grazed the creature as it let out a startled shriek.

The kobold wiggled its fingers at Mazi again, this time two globules of bright energy shot from its fingers. The globes raced towards Mazi, hitting her hard and pushing her back a bit. She groaned at the bruising blow of the spheres.  Mazi shook her head clear of the dazzling stars that filled her vision and let another arrow go at the little sorcerer.  This time the missile stuck, wounding the creature in its shoulder. The other three adventurers were also shaking their heads.  Milo finally rubbed the colors out of his eyes but was still slightly dazed.  He noticed Brigit and Jeremiah in similar shape.

The little lizard man tried once more to stop the inexorable advance of the willowy elf.  It flexed its fingers at her again. This time nothing happened.  It looked down at its hands with a bewildered expression.  Unbeknownst to it, Mazi's ring of mind shielding blocked the spell, it burned hotly around her finger.  She later related that the little kobold must have tried to cast some sort of mind affecting dazzle spell at her.  The sting on her fingers seemed to be just enough to throw off her aim as she fired another arrow.  It flew into the doorframe behind the kobold, quivering in the wood. By now Milo, Brigit, and Jeremiah had recovered and all three of them attacked at the same time.  Milo's bolt barely missed the kobold, as did Jeremiah's greatsword.  Brigit was the one that ended the creature's miserable existence with a great diagonal slice of her ax.

"So the kobolds know a little magic," Mazi said.  "I guess we'll all have to be on the watch for any more finger-wigglers here."
Milo decided to try his luck at the wand before they found any more sorcerous kobolds.  "AbernaTHY!" he muttered as he pointed the want at Jeremiah.  Again the barbarian's wounds closed slightly, but not completely.  "I guess I'll have to keep trying," he said to himself.
The group set about the four corpses, finding a few gold coins on the guards.  Milo carefully unhooked a gold chain from around the sorcerer's neck.  A heavy red gem rested at the bottom of the chain.  Mazi snagged the jewel from his hands. "Aww, it won't match my earring" she said, disappointed at the lack of blue. "Oh well.  Here you go."  She tossed the bauble back at Milo.  He stowed it in his pack, thinking to cast a magic detection cantrip on it later.  Milo also found a tiny key in a hidden pocket on the body.  He looked up at the open door while holding the key.  Tiny keys like this fit tiny locks, he thought, tiny locks keep treasure chests closed.  The four of them started into the kobold sorcerer's room.

A harem of kobold females hissed defiantly at the four. Brigit and Jeremiah made short work of the evil beasts.  
While Milo was searching for the chest that matched his key Brigit and Mazi made their own discovery.  Brigit found a lump while inspecting a wall hanging.  Mazi joined her in front of the tapestry, running her hand along the irregular hem.  She cut along the stitch and a cache of about fifty gold coins dropped out of a pocket sewn into the cloth.  The clatter of the coins made Milo's ears perk up a bit and he would have investigated further if he hadn't found the chest he sought. It was a small chest and his key fit perfectly.  A turn of the wrist later and he had plenty of coins to investigate right in front of him.  A literal treasure trove of copper, silver, and gold winked back at him from the top of the box.  A quick search through the coins confirmed that this was all the chest contained. Milo wasn't complaining though.  He hauled the chest to Brigit, who was quickly becoming the party's defacto packhorse.  She stowed the chest in her pack along with the other coins.  Another search around the room revealed nothing, the party was ready to head out into the rest of the cavern once more.

They traveled back down the hallway to the intersection and turned left then left again.  This put them back in the original eastward passage past the revolving trap.  The dark passage stretched before the group and Milo once again took the lead.  His cautious tread making much less noise than his armored friends trailing behind.  He came to another widening in the tunnel.  This one opened to a huge room, much too large for his hooded lantern to illuminate.  In the darkness the group could make out countless glinting, beady eyes, all at kobold level, peering back at them.

Mazi reacted first, reciting a speedy chant and gesturing into the middle of the cavern.  Jeremiah and Milo heard a rustling sound, as if a score of bodies fell to the ground.  The eerie silence was punctuated by soft snores.  "Ten are down," Mazi said, "that's all my magic can put to sleep for now."  With that Brigit and Jeremiah rushed into the room, each to one side, Brigit to the south and Jer to the north.  Neither connected with their blows, as the lizard men closest to the tunnel had been ready for them. Milo turned to use his wand on Mazi, recalling the nasty hit she had taken from the kobold sorcerer's energy bursts.  
"ABernathy!" Milo uttered.  This time he could see a noticeable difference in Mazi's health.  Maybe it really was the way he said the word, he thought as he turned to survey the army of kobolds facing them.  Milo could dimly make out a mass of kobolds asleep in the middle of the cavern, their compatriots shaking them awake.  So much for the sleep spell, Milo said to himself, at least they were out for a little while.  The kobolds in the front didn't waste time waking their allies.  Ten of the little creatures tossed their spears in an impressive if low volley at the party. Amazingly all ten missed or were outright dodged.  Things looked good for the adventurers.

Milo stayed to the rear as Mazi drew her longsword, moving forward to wade into the fray.  A bolt flew from Milo's crossbow, piercing one of the frontline kobolds through.  The creature dropped with a ragged hiss. Brigit swung her ax through the kobold facing her.  The ax very well could have continued its vicious deathblow had another lizard man been in its path.  On the other side of Mazi Jeremiah was having trouble hitting the agile kobold with his greatsword.  His weapon described great arcs in front of the barbarian, each arc bringing him closer to his prey.  Another huge volley of spears flew from the second row of kobolds, now awakened from the mystic sleep Mazi placed them under.  Their spears were thrown without skill though, and all ten flew past the party members without a hit.  One kobold that moved to engage Jeremiah did make contact however.  Its short spear drew a small amount of blood from his leg. Milo watched with apprehension as another row of kobolds moved into the light. This was going to be a pitched battle, more than seven to one outnumbered them.

Mazithra did her part to winnow the numbers of the massive kobold force.  Her graceful spins and pirouettes making her sword flash in the lantern light.  She slashed through a kobold without any apparent effort, the attack appearing more as a move in an elaborate dance.  Jeremiah finally made contact with his heavy weapon, a spray of blood flew up from the severed neck of the lizard man before him.  The blade barely missing the kobold closing in on his flank as it finished its deadly arc.  Milo shot past his comrades, a little too high to have any effect.  He quickly loaded another quarrel into his crossbow. Brigit seemed to be imitating Jeremiah's earlier attempt at dispatching the kobolds.  Her ax swung closer and closer to the aggressive lizard men.  By now three kobolds had engaged the stout dwarven woman, one poked in between Mazi and Brigit at Milo, two attacked the elf lass to no effect, and three more pressed in on Jeremiah.  One spear scratched his side, wounding him slightly.  The rest of the kobolds crowded behind their comrades, some from the back throwing their spears directly at the fight.  None of the spears hit the party or the kobolds, most flying high over the heads of the combatants.  The kobolds appeared to value the lives of the others fighting after all.

In a simultaneous counter-attack the party repelled the advancing kobolds.  Each weapon found its mark.  Mazi's sword traced a red streak across the chest of another kobold, the creature died at her feet.  Brigit and Jeremiah both swung their weapons at the creatures trying to get behind them, killing those that would attack their flanks.  Their blows did not connect with the follow through, some of the kobolds were more cautious than their companions.  Milo shot through the gap between Mazi and Brigit, killing the beast that was attacking him.  More kobolds pressed in after the attack, another rain of spears came from the rear of the horde.  One lucky shot grazed Milo in the arm, causing him to wince and place his lantern down before he dropped the precious light source.  The next row of attackers moved in, two more attempting to move around Jeremiah and Brigit to distract them from the rear.  One of the kobolds in front of Jeremiah tagged the barbarian with its spear while he was focusing on the other kobold sidling behind him.  Some of the other kobolds thrust repeatedly with their weapons, another one filling the gap between Mazi and Brigit to poke in at Milo.  The party repelled the attack again and prepared for another counter-strike.

Mazi executed a near perfect stab with her longsword, killing the kobold that recently tried to do the same to her.  On either side of her the human and dwarven fighting machines sunk their weapons into two kobolds each, with one swing apiece.  Brigit grinned in satisfaction as she performed the technique taught to her by her barbarian friend.  Jeremiah was fighting back the urge to let his blood boil and turn himself into a raging maniac.  He feared that the kobolds would have more of an advantage over him should he wade too far into the throng.  His greatsword sliced through the kobold moving behind him and through the one rushing to take its place.  Milo shot his crossbow at the most recent lizard man to brave the gap between his friends.  He wounded the creature but it did not fall.  The kobold nearest Mazi made a horrible misjudgment and thrust his spear right past the spinning elf.  It lost its grip and the weapon clattered to the floor.  The creature hurriedly ducked to pick up the weapon and was pushed from behind by the next kobold itching for a chance to attack the intruders.  The kobold fell to the ground, its limbs splayed comically as it flailed to regain balance and its spear.  It caused enough of a diversion for one of the kobolds attacking Brigit to find a critical chink in her full plate. The wound might have been more grievous if the two plates didn't shift as she recoiled.  The spearhead slid back out of the chink and Brigit escaped with a minor wound.  

Milo spied another kobold that had made its way behind Brigit, dividing her attention between multiple fronts.  He stepped back a pace and fired his crossbow at the cowardly creature.  The bolt skimmed past its head, causing it to duck before moving into position.  He cursed and flipped open his next case of bolts to reload.  Mazi moved back to create a straight line between herself, Brigit, and Jeremiah.  Her attack fell short from the distance created by her move.  Brigit and Jer readjusted their stances to accommodate the new formation, both missing their targets as well.  The kobold behind Brigit sunk the tip of its spear into an unguarded spot on her calf.  The tip withdrew before it could inflict too much pain though.  The one on the floor had regained its footing and its spear.  It moved in to fill the space left by Mazi's step.  One of the kobolds attacking Jeremiah apparently hadn't learned from its companion's mistake.  It too thrust too far and lost its grip on the spear, ducking immediately to find the fallen weapon.  More kobolds moved in to harass the party.

Brigit was distracted by the amount of enemies facing her, she hesitated for a moment allowing the kobolds just enough time to see her ax coming.  Milo shot at the kobold flanking Brigit and watched the beast drop with his feathered quarrel protruding from the side of its head.  The kobold that moved to fill the gap in front of Mazi was easily dispatched by her longsword.  She turned slightly to address the next attacker.  Next to her Jeremiah swung his sword almost blindly, striking down another lizard man but loosing his grip.  The sword made a loud clatter as it fell to the ground. Jeremiah now joined the kobold on the floor in a strange dance of four-limbed weapon recovery.  The kobold found its spear and stood back up before Jeremiah, just in time to block the way of the other lizard man about to stab at him. Brigit's defenses were strengthened by the extra attention she was able to give to her frontline.  No spears breached her expert shield play.  Mazi's sword was a blur as it deflected thrust after thrust from the kobolds arrayed before her.

Mazi concentrated on keeping the kobolds around Jeremiah and herself at bay.  Her defenses were too thinly spread though and Jer took two light spear thrusts as he regained his footing.  He growled at the kobolds through the pain. Milo shot his next bolt at one of the kobolds attacking Jeremiah.  He let out a breath of relief as he saw the quarrel skim past his friend.  Milo swore to himself that he'd take even more careful aim next time.  Brigit missed on her swing, provoking a thrust from the nearest kobold.  The spear tip scratched her side through the gap in her plate, not a major wound, but enough to anger the already incensed dwarf.  

Mazi spun around again, her sword reflecting broken shards of light at the kobolds.  One was so enthralled by the lightshow that it didn't seem to realize its wound before it dropped dead to the ground. The other kobolds weren't as impressed, they were waiting for her to try another fancy move like that.  The two still facing her stabbed in at the same time, both connected and pierced through her light armor.  She winced but kept fighting, the wounds felt more like scratches than the ragged holes most spears inflicted.  Next to her Jeremiah redeemed his fumble with a grand swing of his recovered greatsword, right through the two kobolds that wounded him.  One of them had just inflicted a nasty gash down his leg as it nearly trampled its companion to wound the barbarian.  The two top halves of the creatures dropped to the floor to along with the rest of the corpses that lay at his feet.  Brigit likewise dispatched the kobold that wounded her, narrowly missing the beast next to it.  Milo cursed as his bolt again whizzed by his companion's head, barely missing him and coming nowhere near the kobolds.  Shooting from the back was becoming increasingly difficult with so much going on at once.  One of the kobolds facing Brigit poked at the heavily armored dwarf.  The spear somehow managed to get caught between two of the plates of her armor.  It was wrenched out of the shocked lizard man’s hands before its very eyes.  

Brigit swung back around, causing the snagged spear to drop. The kobold didn't have a chance to reach for it though, as her ax bit into the creature after slicing completely through its fighting companion.  She kicked the spear away and taunted at the remaining two kobolds near her.  Mazithra and Jeremiah wove a tight defense against the last approaching line of kobolds. Neither side landed a blow on the other.  Milo aimed carefully with his crossbow, waiting for one of the beasties to come through his sites.  He pulled the trigger but watched in dismay as the missile flew dangerously close to Jer, continuing in between the approaching kobolds.  He cursed and shook his head as he reloaded his crossbow once again.

Mazithra connected with a particularly vicious swipe of her longsword, nearly cutting her enemy in twain. The other kobold attacking her thrust just as she was recovering from her attack and tagged her free arm, blood followed the line the spearhead traced. Though their numbers were diminished the fierce lizard men continued to press their attack.  Milo could see desperation in their scaly features.  He figured that this must be the lot of them, none had come from behind to outflank the party.  It was no wonder they fought with such tenacity.  He pulled the trigger on his crossbow and gave a little shout of joy as it sunk home into one of the lizard men.  The creature fell straight back, stiff as a board with the arrow protruding from its forehead.  Next to him it was Brigit's turn to come dangerously close to hitting one of her companions.  The kobold she was attacking had feinted right and nearly led her into a swing at Mazi.  She muttered a dwarven curse and renewed her effort to down the kobold. 

Brigit's next attack was much more successful, slicing through the dancing kobold and ending halfway through the breastbone of the next.  She hauled on her ax and kicked the creature off as it rose with her recoil. Mazithra ran her sword through the kobold that inflicted the last wound on her. She looked around and noticed that only four of the scaly monsters remained. One fell before her as Milo let loose another happy shout.  His bolt stuck out right between its eyes.  The look on its face made him laugh, both eyes crossed in looking at the feathers of his quarrel.  The kobold dropped from the critical wound.  One of the three last kobolds made a desperate thrust at Mazi, causing another bloom of red to appear down her leg.

Mazi spun on her other leg, her sword following her in a wide arc as it sliced through the kobold.  Brigit moved forward and slashed into the last kobold before her, the head of her ax sunk deep into the beast's brainpan.  Milo bounded through the opening created by Brigit's move and fired a shot at the last kobold.  The bolt uselessly clattered against the far wall.  He watched Jeremiah take a moment to line up his attack and masterfully run the kobold straight through the heart with his greatsword.  Jer used his boot to slide the creature off his sword, cleaning the blade with a rag torn from its clothing.  The four lowered their weapons and looked around.  The air reeked of kobold blood mixed with their own.  Bodies were literally piled in a swath in front of the adventurers.  Milo shook his head at the grisly scene.  He knew somehow that worse was to come, even after that tiring battle.  

He set about assessing the damage done to his friends.  He himself had taken a light wound, but nothing as bad as Mazi and Jer.  Even Brigit in her heavy armor took more damage from the assault than he. It turned out that the wand was good for four more uses.  "ABernathy!" he muttered on the fifth try.  A funny fizzling sound emanated from the tip, but no dull glow.  Milo shrugged and stowed the wand back in his pack.  Maybe he could find a way to recharge the magic later.  He chanted his own spells to heal his friends, all three of them nearly back to full health.  They then set about searching the bodies.  A few silver were scattered here and there on the corpses.  A piece of cloth caught Jeremiah's attention in the far corner of the cave, barely illuminated by Milo's lantern.  He reached down and pulled up a finely woven piece of silk.  
"Soft," was all Jer said.
Mazi's ear's perked up and she spied the cloth that Jeremiah found.  "Is it blue?" She asked excitedly.  She looked crestfallen when Jeremiah shook his head in the negative. Milo wondered at her recent obsession with blue, fine gems, and cloth.  
He shrugged again and filed the question away for another time.  Milo asked to see the silk swatch.  "Well it'll fetch a pretty copper, there's enough her to make a blouse or the like.  It's not even stained." He noticed while running his hands through the purple cloth.  "One more tunnel to check out fellas," Milo said to the other three, "Erm, fella and girls that is."  Brigit harrumphed at that.  "What say you?  We're all pretty hale and hearty thanks to the wand and spells.  Shall we check it out?  Might be a blue gem over there somewhere-" He trailed off as he winked at Mazi.
Her eyes seemed to brighten at the prospect and she agreed readily.  Jer and Brigit shared the sentiment, if not for the same reasons.  With one more search around the room revealing nothing, the party left down the way they came.


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twelve (session three)*

The group moved back down the passageways to the tunnel entrance and the pit trap.  Milo quickly looted the kobold bodies they had left from their first battle.  He couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of Brigit and Jeremiah falling all over each other.  That seemed like days ago to Milo for some reason.  After adjusting the boards across the pit to reach the other side the party continued.  Not far into the new passage Milo's sensitive nose crinkled.  Something smelled bad, very bad.  He looked back at his friends and noticed that they too detected the foul stench.  As he turned back to look down the tunnel, Milo noticed that it widened into a large cavern.  He motioned the others up to the front and pointed out the cavern, motioning Brigit and Jeremiah to their battle positions as quietly as possible.  The last cavern they ran into was full of kobolds, no reason to assume that this one wouldn't be either.  Mazithra still had her sword out so she moved up with Brigit and Jer as they entered the dim, dank cave.  

The odor was worse in the cavern than outside, Milo didn't even think that possible.  Towards the middle of the cave the group heard some loud squeaking.  Milo swung his lantern around and the source of the noise, as well as the smell was revealed.  Nine huge rats faced them, long yellow teeth bared.  Their den consisted of piles of refuse.  The group had just stumbled into the kobold's garbage dump.

Jeremiah reacted quickly, he moved forward and swung at the closest rodent.  His sword caught nothing but garbage as the rat scurried to the side, avoiding his blow.  Jeremiah deflected a bite at his calf, the rat scratched his blade with its wicked teeth.  Brigit and Mazi fanned out from Jeremiah's position, each choosing their targets carefully.  Neither seemed too eager to be overrun by the vermin.  Brigit's ax decimated two rats with one swing, bloody bits of the rodents raining down in the already putrid waste of the garbage pile.  Mazi tagged the rat in front of her, causing it to hiss in pain and bare its broken teeth.  Milo fired his crossbow at the rest of the approaching rats, missing as he attempted to shoot past his comrades.  The other rats reached Brigit and Mazi and attacked.  Three of them swarmed around Mazi.  Her blade became a swirling maelstrom of light as she repelled bite after bite.  Brigit wasn't so lucky, one of the large rodents pierced the armor on her ankle.  She winced as she felt the large incisors sink into her flesh.  A wave of nausea coursed through her body, passing quickly.

Brigit shook the rat from her leg and stepped back a little, trying to bring her ax to bear.  She missed, her ax swinging wide.  She bared her own teeth at the vermin, almost growling with anger.  The rat pounced on her again, plunging its teeth into her other ankle.  Brigit roared at the rat, causing it to disengage and cower from her ferocity.  Mazi finished off the wounded rat before her and turned to face the other two pressing in on her defenses.  Milo shot his crossbow at the beast that wounded Brigit.  His quarrel pierced its tough hide and pushed it back a half step.  The rat advanced on Brigit once again though.  Jeremiah found his rhythm as he scythed his greatsword in a great swath before the rats.  First one rat fell from his sword tip slicing a deep gash in its side, then another as the blade created two halves out of the previously whole creature.  The two rats still facing Mazi came at her simultaneously, both managed to get past her defenses.  One bit her calf and the other found purchase for its teeth in her outer thigh.  She faltered for a split second as nausea washed over her as well.

The wounds they had received chagrined the group.  Mazi slashed fiercely at one of the rats that wounded her, her blade biting into its furry neck.  The beast fell before her.  Milo slipped past Mazi where the rat fell and fired his bolt unfettered at the rat he had already attacked.  He missed, but watched as the rat fell to Jeremiah's sword.  Jer followed the first kill with an impressive display of strength.  The unsuspecting rat he cleaved through literally exploded with the force of his blow.  Brigit performed a similar feat of strength, if not more so.  Her ferocious attack left nothing but a bloody pulp where the last rat's head used to be.  

"Well how do you like that?" Milo said, "We can wade through a cave full of kobolds with nary a scratch, but a swarm of rats can bite us into oblivion."
Brigit and Mazi gave Milo a dark look.  They stepped out of the room to mop up the blood from their bite wounds.  Milo poked through the garbage, trying to find anything of value in the huge compost heap.  He pushed one of the rat corpses to the side and noticed a glint in his lantern light.  A silver chain was nearly overgrown by the fur around the rat's neck.  He found the catch and released the necklace, cutting away the fur with his dagger.  After he pulled the last of the foul matted fur from the chain he noticed five bright gems inlaid in the chain.  "Looks to be worth some money," Milo said to the others. "Probably around 400 gold or so."  He stashed the chain in his pack for later.  

"Doesn't  to be much else to do here." Milo stated. "Let me heal you two up a little before we head out though."  Milo completed some minor cantrips before placing his hands over Brigit and Mazi's wounds.  He felt something different as he cast his  pa healing spells.  Something foreign in their systems that he couldn't quite place.  

"That's odd.  There's something strange here."  Drawing from the limited knowledge of healing he gained from his studies at the Keep's chapel, Milo looked over the two women.  After a quick examination, not really finding much.  "Just from our surroundings and the nature of these rats, I think you two will probably get a fever of sorts in a few days.  I hope it's not too rough.  I can't even slow the disease, so you'll have to ride it out.  Sorry."  Both of them accepted the news calmly.

"Well if we're going to get sick in a few days then we should find those cups soon."  Mazi said to the three of them.

"Aye, I'm wi' tha elf.  Let's get rid o' tha cups and get back to tha Keep, I don' relish tha idea of gettin' sick in here" Brigit agreed with a wave at the caverns.

"It's settled then, let's check out the next cave." Milo said after a nod from Jeremiah.

They filed out of the garbage dump and trooped over the pit.  They chose the last cavern at ground level and approached the opening carefully.  Once again Milo took the lead while Brigit and Jeremiah followed, Mazi taking up the rear with her bow at the ready.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part thirteen (session three)*

A familiar sight greeted Milo as he crept into the cavern.  The tunnel ended in a "T" intersection.  It was the grisly display of severed heads that was really familiar.  Milo recognized several races on the wall, human, elf, dwarven, even some kobolds and orcs.  He shuddered.  Milo carefully advanced, searching for another pit trap as before.  Some distant sounds reached his ears from the left passage.

"Running feet!" Milo whispered back to the group.  

Brigit and Jeremiah wordlessly moved up into the intersection.  Mazi walked up behind them and readied her bow.  Four orcs came tromping down the tunnel before Milo could retreat to the relative safety behind the two warriors.

Jeremiah swung his greatsword a little too early, coming up short before the orc reached them.  Mazi fired past Jer at the same orc.  Her arrow hit the monster with such force that it actually fell backwards a few feet as it died.  Then Milo fired a grazing shot at one of the rapidly approaching orcs, barely wounding it.  Brigit's nostrils flared as she sighted her ancestral enemies.  She went into a dwarven rage as she sliced into the first orc to reach her, its belly opening up in an unnatural grin and its guts spilling to the floor.  Her ax wounded the next orc viciously as well, nearly toppling it on top of the other.  Three more orcs rounded the corner as the other two made their way to Milo.  Both attacked the halfling.  Milo was able to avoid one blow but was nearly knocked down by the other.  The orc's spear came back bloody and he could hear it chuckle at his pain.

Brigit moved up in front of the orc that wounded Milo, brandishing her ax at the beast.  The orcs attacked their hated enemy.  Both spears glanced off her shield as she swung her ax at the orcs.  Jeremiah cut a swath through the two in front of him, creating a great "V" in the air as his sword slashed down diagonally through one, then up through the other.  The second was neatly cleaved in two by his critical attack.  Mazi and Milo fired their attacks at the orcs.  Milo's grazed another orc while Mazi's arrow flew past, barely missing Jeremiah's head.  She grimaced as she knocked another arrow to the string.

Jeremiah cut through the final orc facing him, easily felling the beast.  He looked around, a hungry battle lust apparent in his eyes.  Milo was unable to find a target as he shot his crossbow.  Mazi had the same problem firing past her comrades at the last two orcs.  Brigit swung her ax once again at the hated creatures, her ax deflected by their armor and spears.  The orcs had no more success than she did, her shield once again protecting her from their thrusts.

Mazithra loosed another missile into the fray, this time she hit.  The orc that Milo's crossbow bolt grazed previously fell from the wound her arrow inflicted.  Jeremiah moved to engage the last orc, but was unable to find room to swing his greatsword.  Milo took a moment to cast a heal spell on himself, worrying that the wound he was bleeding from may take a turn for the worse.  He sighed as he felt the magic penetrate the ragged hole caused by the spear.  A frown crossed his face when he noticed that the wound did not close completely.  The final orc attacked Brigit in a rage.  It was still unable to penetrate her armor.

The orc took one more attack at Brigit, feinting left with its spear before attacking to the right.  She saw the move for what it was, not fooled for a moment.  She easily deflected the orc's attack.  Mazi carefully took aim with her bow.  After a slight pause she let the arrow fly.  Her bowstring made an audible twang a split second before the arrow pierced the orc in the back of the neck.  Brigit could see the arrowhead protrude from the beast's neck as it keeled over.  Milo was in the process of quaffing a healing potion when the last orc fell.  He felt much more refreshed.

The party heard some noises coming from the west passage.  They had a hurried discussion and prepared themselves for another force of orcs.  This time Milo made sure he was behind the big beefy warriors, Brigit and Jeremiah.  He and Mazi had their range weapons drawn at the ready while the dwarf and human kept their melee weapons at hand.

After a few minutes of tense waiting it was apparent that no more orcs were coming.  Milo listened intently down the hallway.  Nothing.  A plan started to formulate in Milo's head.  A particular spell had been knocking around up there since he was "awakened".  The chance to use it hadn't presented itself.

"Hey everyone, listen up." Milo said quietly. "I'm going to change myself into an orc." That particular statement brought some strange glances from his companions. "Trust me on this one.  I'm going to change myself into an orc, head down that hallway, and see if I can draw them here.  Once I run back here, you open fire on the buggers and we'll wipe the floor with them!"

"Sounds good to me, I've heard of the spell to which you're referring.  I'd be interested in seeing it in action." said Mazi.

"How about you two?"  Milo asked Brigit and Jeremiah.

Brigit shrugged, "Suit yerself, halflin', I'll be ready wi' my bow.  Jus' don' kill any before ya get back.  I'm itchin' ta send more O' these vermin back to their maker."

Jeremiah just shrugged and put away his sword.  His bow was soon in hand as well.

"It's settled then, here goes nothing."  Milo said as he formulated the words to the chant in his head.  Soon a medium sized orc was standing in front of the crew, complete with rusty armor and drool.  Milo was proud of that last little detail.  "Ok, I'm off!"

"Uh, Milo," Mazi interrupted before he could turn. "I don't think you should talk at all when you get to the orcs.  They may notice the decidedly high pitch of your 'orc' voice." She finished.

Milo nodded gravely.  Brigit just snorted at him and pulled out an arrow, ready for the first real orc to show its face.  Milo started down the hall, leaving his lantern behind.  For the first time he began to reconsider his artful scheme.  The tunnels were awfully dark, and he couldn't see all that well without some sort of light source.  Then there was the fact that he couldn't talk to the other orcs either.  Even if he knew their language his voice would be a dead giveaway.  That last thought was cut short as he stumbled into branch off to the north.  He decided to check it out.  The tunnel came to another "T" intersection before long but he couldn't see down too far.  Milo returned to the original passage, figuring that he could come back to that passage later.

The main passage terminated in a large room.  This room was lit by a couple of torches in the wall, their flickering flames guttering and belching off dirty smoke into the ceiling.  Two tables lay in his path, behind each were three orcs, spears at the ready.  He flinched slightly before he remembered his current form.  Beyond the tables were half a dozen more orcs.  One of them was a female, her grotesque form belying her gender.  Another was a huge beast of an orc.  It was this one that called out to Milo in its guttural tongue.  Milo gestured wildly back the way he had came.  He hoped to convince the orcs to follow him back to their ambush.  The lead orc bellowed out another line of unintelligible commands, pointing with its sword.  Milo once again motioned frantically down the way he had come.  The leader finally turned to two of its ilk and spoke to them.  The two orcs started towards Milo.

Not waiting to see if the orcs were following or chasing, Milo turned and bolted down the passage.  He passed his friends before too long, the orcs about 15 paces behind.  Once he was about ten paces past the intersection where his companions lay in waiting, Milo spun around and fired off a bolt from his crossbow.  The bolt flew into the ceiling as he nearly lost his balance from spinning around at a full run.

The orcs didn't have time for the attack to register.  Two arrows stuck straight out of their skulls as they fell to the floor.  They wore a slightly surprised expression on their porcine faces.  Milo breathed a sigh of relief before returning back to his friends.  He told them of the forces that awaited them.  

Once again they formulated a plan, all four of them giving their input this time.  Milo noticed another passage coming into the main room from the north.  He figured that it must be connected to the "T" intersection he ran into earlier.  If they could come in from the north and the east they may have a better chance of surprising the wary orcs and gaining an advantage.  Mazi mentioned the oil she had been carrying.  She thought it might work well as an impromptu firebomb.  If they lit a cloth stopper on fire it should almost explode on impact.  The oil would spread and inflict a good amount of damage whether it hit an orc or not.  The very least they could do is light one of the tables on fire.

Their final plan came down to Brigit and Milo throwing oil bombs from the northern passage as Mazi and Jeremiah fired arrows from the eastern passage.  The group prepared themselves for the onslaught.


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part fourteen (session 3)*

Milo and Brigit readied their oil bombs and sneaked up the northern passage. Jeremiah and Mazi would wait for the chaos from the oil to break out before they'd rush in from the eastern passage. Just as Milo suspected the tunnel to the east of the second intersection came back down into the fortified orc cavern. Brigit was surprisingly quiet in her full plate, but they both knew that the orcs would hear them coming. 

They burst into the room and tossed their flaming oil. Milo's oil broke on the center orc behind the northern table before the creature could react. The oil spread from the glass flask and caught fire immediately. The room was filled with the scent of burning orc flesh. Brigit's toss was hampered by her armor, the oil fell to the side of the table, inadvertently causing a flaming barrier between the orcs and the group. Mazi and Jeremiah made their entrance with their bow's firing. The general confusion caused by the flames allowed Mazi to pick an easy target. Her arrow flew into one of the orcs behind the southern table, killing it immediately. Jeremiah's own arrow made a dull "thunk" as it sunk into the wood of the table. 

The orcs behind the front lines were in confusion, their leader tried to rally them. The flaming orc behind the table had the presence of mind to drop onto the ground in an attempt to put itself out. The five other porcine beasts behind the tables lobbed their spears at the adventurers. The missile intended for Brigit fell pitifully short, the orc throwing it was still distracted by its burning compatriot. Three spears were aimed at Jeremiah. Two of the missiles struck him. He grunted at the impact and took a moment to pull the spears out. Milo winced inwardly when he saw the wounds that were left. Mazi dodged the spear meant for her as she drew another arrow from her quiver. Two more spears flew towards the elf, catching her by surprise. She cried out involuntarily as the short spears struck her. One grazed her side but the other pierced her shoulder. She pulled the spear out and readied her bow again. Two spears each flew at Brigit and Jeremiah. The metal spear-tips clanked harmlessly off Brigit's armor. Jeremiah was hit again, taking another spear in his thigh. He roared as he pulled the spear from his flesh, yet he continued to advance.

Brigit was near the northern table and figured that if the orcs could take advantage of cover, she could too. She dropped her bow and slid out her ax, the head glinted in the firelight. Brigit moved next to the table and used the partial cover to ready her next attack against her hated enemy. Jeremiah strode forward, also dropping his bow. His greatsword made an audible scrape as he drew it out of the scabbard on his back. Milo fired off the crossbow that he had switched from his offhand. The bolt struck the closest orc behind the table, causing it to gurgle as it slumped forward over the side of its protective barrier. Mazithra let her arrow fly at another orc behind the southern table. Her aim remained true as the arrow created a nasty chest wound in her target. It gurgled as it slumped to the floor, dead.

The party's fierce assault had momentarily confused the orcs. Only one combatant lay in reach due to the burning oil on the ground though. Three orcs attacked Jeremiah. One of them was the slightly burnt orc from behind the table. Growling in rage it hurled its spear at the hulking barbarian. The flying missile shattered on the far wall, the force behind it immense, but poorly aimed. Two of the orcs from the group beyond the tables pressed in to attack Jeremiah. His swinging sword repelled them. It almost seemed thirsty for orc blood. One more spear flew through the air, this one aimed at the elf. Mazi neatly sidestepped the weapon as it slowly arced through the air to clatter to the floor. She had reached the relative cover of the table.

Jeremiah was filled with an inner fire. His rage was building slowly from the wound he received and it finally broke through the surface. He roared a loud battle cry, almost causing the orcs before him to cower. Jer swung his sword with such blind ferocity that the blade could be heard to slice through the air. Unfortunately no orcs felt its bite, but chunks of stone flew from the impact it made in the floor. Jeremiah was forced to pause in his berserk, recovering his tenuous grasp of the hilt from the vibrations caused by the blow. By then the fire had died down and Brigit moved into the gap. She attacked the orc closest to her. The huge waraxe easily found purchase in the orc's body, spilling its lifeblood. Milo took careful aim at the blackened orc from his earlier attack. His quarrel pierced its flesh, causing it enough damage to fall. On the south side of the room Mazi pulled her bowstring taut, another arrow knocked. The missile whistled through the air before sinking deep between the eyes of her enemy. The orc fell without a sound from the critical attack.

The two orcs facing Jeremiah attacked again. One made it past his rage-weakened defense and inflicted a horrible wound with its spear. Jeremiah bellowed at the beast, not even showing his pain. This seemed to cause a reaction in the rear of the orcs. The orc leader bellowed a similar shout, almost as if in challenge of the raging barbarian. Milo noticed quite a bit of frothy spittle beginning to drip from the orc's mouth. He worried for Jeremiah, the orc leader appeared to be a berserker as well! To Jeremiah's right Brigit blocked a spear thrust with her shield and pulled her axe back for a vicious blow. To the left of the barbarian Mazi used the cover of the table to defend herself from the spear thrusts of the orc beyond her. More of the orcs pressed in, as well as the raging leader and his concubine.

Milo found another target past the table, his bolt grazing the orc's face. It didn't seem to notice, focusing solely on the berserker attacking its tribe. Mazi fired her arrow at her would-be attacker, making the point blank shot look easy. The orc was thrown back a foot or so from the force of the arrow before it fell to the ground. Brigit completed her back swing and carried straight through the orc before her. The ax bit through the air mere centimeters before the next orc's nose. It caused the beast to pause in its advance for a moment. Milo shouted at Jeremiah, trying to penetrate the battle-induced haze that had come over him. "Step back and drink a potion Jeremiah! You're bleeding to death!" He could only hope the barbarian understood him. Jeremiah looked slightly dazed, his arms still quivering slightly from the vibrations of his earlier fumble.

Only two orcs were within range of the party now. One thrust its spear at Brigit, finding nothing but shield. The other attempted to take advantage of Jeremiah's hesitation. Jeremiah wasn't too dazed to dodge the clumsy attack. He took a half step back as the spear came at him, arching his back so it fell short of his stomach. The shouted warning from Milo seemed to have sunk in. The berserking orc and its concubines moved to the front of the battle but were unable to quite reach the combatants. The raging orc bellowed again, completely unintelligible to even Brigit, who understood their guttural language.

Jeremiah fished into his pack as he completed his wary retreat. In a second he had quaffed a healing draught. He then made to pick up his discarded bow. Milo was amazed at his friend's self-control. He knew what the battle lust did to Jeremiah. It was impressive to see the barbarian withdraw to fight from a distance. Milo fired off his own ranged attack, aiming for the orc he had already wounded. The bolt flew with precision, scoring a similar mark to Mazithra's earlier arrow between the eyes. Milo grinned over to her in satisfaction. He watched as she released her bowstring. Her arrow soared towards the raging orc. It passed by, ricocheting off the wall to fall unnoticed at the floor. The angry beast didn't even realize it had been attacked. One of the orcs approached the table Milo was hiding behind as he loaded his crossbow. He was unaware of the danger as he crouched behind the barrier. Brigit attempted to end the threat but her ax swing was dodged by the wary orc at the last moment.

The raging orc reached Brigit and brought its longsword to bear. The massive orc made a huge vertical blow cutting through the air as Jeremiah had moments ago. Brigit was not there, she moved swiftly despite her heavy armor. More chunks of stone flew up from the impact of the orc's blow. This time the blade was stuck in a crack on the stone floor. The berserking orc wrenched at the sword, attempting to dislodge it. Near the orc leader the beast behind the table stabbed its spear over the top. Milo didn't see the blow coming as it pierced his shoulder deeply. His instincts reacted immediately and he dropped down further before rolling to the side away from his enemy. He left a red smudge on the ground where his wound came in contact with the stone. Milo nearly rolled into the attack of one of the orc leader's concubines. He narrowly dodged the female orc's spear thrust, swearing at his inattentiveness.

Milo quickly fired off a shot at the female. He was surprised by her agility as she dodged the bolt. A smile spread across her grotesque features. Jeremiah had reached his bow and he picked it up while drawing an arrow from his quiver. He looked up to chose a target, his eyes falling to rest on the leader. As he watched, the berserking orc pulled its sword from the ground and jumped back right before Brigit's ax made contact with its torso. On the other side of Brigit was Mazi, aiming her bow now at the orc leader. Her arrow missed its mark however, the orc once again displaying remarkable speed as it dodged the missile.

All three orc concubines had made it to the front. All three attacked different combatants. One focused on Milo along with the last remaining orc guard. Milo moved nimbly, avoiding their spear thrusts with halfling grace. The other two focused on Brigit and Mazi, neither landing their blows. The leader started forward again. It roared a challenging war cry as it lifted its sword above its head. 

Jeremiah switched targets, realizing that the orc leader could be taken down easier without its concubines cluttering the battlefield. His arrow pierced the concubine attacking Milo, almost running straight through. The orc concubine died before it hit the floor. Brigit attacked the approaching berserker, her ax finally biting into its skin. The orc bellowed again and continued its approach. Mazi and Milo were unsuccessful in their attacks, both of their missiles flying past the intended targets to shatter or ricochet off the far wall. Halfling and elven curses could be heard as they drew more shafts to reload.

The orc leader completed its swing at Brigit, somehow clearing her shield. The blow struck her hard, inflicting great pain to the dwarf. Brigit gritted her teeth and set her shield before her, preparing to swing her own blow at the raging beast. The last concubine attacked Mazithra past the table, but was unable to get past the cover of the table. The orc attacking Milo had a similar problem. Its spear didn't have enough reach to tag him as he moved swiftly around the table.

Mazithra pulled back her bowstring and let an arrow fly at the concubine facing her. She scored a glancing hit as the arrow sliced past the orc. Near her Brigit swung her ax at the orc leader, again biting into the beast's flesh. The orc raged on, almost oblivious to the pain. Behind Brigit, Jeremiah loosed his own arrow at the last orc facing Milo. The arrowhead sunk deep into its chest and Milo was no longer threatened. He decided to take advantage of the gap created by the dead orc. Milo tumbled past the raging leader and spun about to fire his crossbow. He may have landed a bolt if the weapon did not snag on a rock protrusion. The crossbow was ripped out of his hand as he spun about. Milo cursed again. 

Now only two orcs remained, the raging leader and his last concubine. The orc female thrust her spear at Mazi. She used the partial cover of the table to her extreme advantage, ducking and weaving around the orc's thrusts. The leader put all its force behind a thrust of its sword at Brigit. The point pierced a thin portion of her armor, wounding her badly. Brigit did not cry out though, she reached down with a gauntleted hand and forcefully withdrew the blade from the joint in her shoulder where the orc found a weakness. Her strength was impressive as she pushed the orc back a fraction while removing the blade. 

Brigit was furious, nearly raging herself. She brought her dwarven waraxe around in a horizontal slash, nearly laying the orc leader's belly open. She could tell the ax met muscle though, and a grim smile spread across her face. Mazithra and Jeremiah let their arrows fly almost simultaneously. Mazi found that the partial cover that served her so well worked in reverse too. Her arrow missed the bobbing and weaving orc concubine. Jeremiah's arrow flew past the wounded orc leader, barely missing the beast's shoulder. Milo had finally recovered his crossbow and finished reloading it, he took a moment to aim at the back of the raging orc.

The concubine thrust its spear at Mazi again. The orc was unable to overcome the table and Mazi's graceful dodging. Mazi was in rare form as she pulled another arrow from her quiver and knocked it to the string, all the while avoiding the spear aimed at her. The orc leader took another swing at the stout dwarf. It was obvious that it was weakening as its blow fell short of Brigit. The dwarf's grim smile widened as she gripped the haft of her ax, preparing to cut down the berserking leader.

She didn't get the chance as Milo's careful aim paid off. His crossbow bolt punctured the orc leader's lung from behind. It rasped a weak sound before toppling to the ground. The orc's concubine wailed before it was cut short by Mazithra's arrow, silencing the grotesque female forever. Milo stood from his stable crouch and let out a ragged sigh. Even with tactics and strategy this battle was close. All four of them had taken a lot of punishment, but they were all standing and none of the orcs lived. 

Milo surveyed the damage to his companions. Wounds greeted him everywhere he looked. He was grateful for his healing spells. He used all of them in a short space and stopped most of the bleeding. Milo was unable to bring any of them back up to complete health, but they all looked much better than they had a few moments before he started. 

The group set about the corpses, looking for valuables. Quite a bit of silver was found on many of the bodies, over ninety pieces all told. The orc leader also carried a ring and some gold in a pouch at its belt. They stowed the ring for future examination. Two passages led out the back of the room. The party decided to investigate further. The fight had exhilarated them and Milo's healing bolstered their morale. They were also eager to find the cups before the undead army reached the Keep. Milo hated undead, really.

A short tunnel led to the orc's warrens. The leader's brood was here, along with smaller females. Brigit wasted no time in dispatching the evil spawn. She worked methodically, ridding the caves of one orc at a time. Once she was finished the group set about searching the room. Nothing was found in the warrens so they decided to check down the other passages.

Milo led them to the second intersection and they moved cautiously down the passage to the west. No reinforcements came during the battle, but they weren't going to assume that no orcs were left. After a few paces past the intersection another hallway branched to the south. Milo investigated it quickly. It ended in a curtained opening. He drew the curtain to the side carefully and found an empty alcove. A hole in the wall was all that he could see. Jeremiah looked through the hole and found that he could see the entrance to the cavern. He related the fact to the others. They deduced that they were on the other side of the grisly display of heads. If one were to put his or her head through the hole no one would be able to pick it out easily, making it a perfect vantagepoint for spying. It was no wonder to the adventurers that the orcs knew they were coming so quickly.

The group returned to the main passage and followed it up a slope to another intersection. They decided to continue on through the main passage before investigating the northern branch. The tunnel ended in a stout wooden door. Milo motioned the others back and checked the portal for traps. There were none he could detect and the door was unlocked. He signaled Jeremiah to move up and kick in the door, making sure that all had their weapons ready. The room was devoid of life, but was full of supplies. They found spears and other weapons as well as crossbow bolts. Milo picked out enough to restock his supply and the party finished searching the room. Besides some mediocre weapons there was nothing of value there. 

The group made there way back to the northern branch of the last intersection and found a shallow alcove. Brigit ran expert fingers over the stone, sensing something different about a portion of the wall. She found a loose stone that covered a sizable niche. Inside was a small flask of liquid and what appeared to be a parchment tube. Milo inspected the flask and determined it to be a healing draught. Brigit took the potion back from him and downed it in one gulp. Her wounds were still the most severe and none in the party argued with her. She sighed contentedly as the potion restored even more strength to her limbs. Meanwhile Mazi was inspecting the contents of the tube. She declared the scroll inside to be a powerful fire spell. She stowed the scroll in her pack while mumbling something about "To cast or scribe, that is the question."

Mazi decided that the shield that the orc leader had used would serve her well. She told the others that she'd like to go back and retrieve the large metal shield before they explored any more of the cavern. They trooped back into the main room, the bodies of the orcs still lie where they left them. For some reason that comforted the group. At least none were shambling about undead or worse yet, disappeared completely. Mazi lifted the shield from where it fell after the berserker's death. She remarked on how light and easy to wield the shield was. 

Milo reminded them that there was one more passage to investigate. The four headed back to the cavern entrance and continued past to the west. This tunnel ended in another alcove, this one with furniture and tapestries. One thing caught Milo's eye though, a chest in the corner. He moved quickly to its location and immediately set about searching it for traps. After he found none he used his small lock picks to work the lock. With a satisfying click the lid opened and a mass of coins greeted his eyes. Another good haul, he thought to himself before motioning the others over to see. While he was working on the chest they had found two suits of chainmail. One was dwarven sized while the other would fit a human. Consideration was given to equipping Jeremiah with the chain, but the decision was put off until later.

The group was exhausted. By then the excitement from the battle had worn off and the pain from their wounds had hit. It didn't take long for them to agree to find a camping ground and rest for the night. They were slightly disappointed in the fact that the cups were still at large, but mostly heartened by their hard won victory over the orcs. Especially Brigit, once they trooped out of the cavern and found a clearing in the forest nearby, she could be found carving small tick marks in the back of her shield. Milo guessed she was tallying off the body count from their most recent battle. 

The adventurers set up watch with Brigit first, Milo second, Jeremiah third, and Mazithra last. Before they slept Milo asked Mazi to cast her magic detection cantrip on the items they had found. To their surprise her shield glowed with a similar light to his magic dagger. They figured that this explained its uncharacteristic lightness. Mazi was even more pleased with her decision to keep the shield. Night fell uneventfully as they settled down to rest.


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part fifteen (session four)*

A strange thing happened while Brigit kept watch.  The air seemed to coalesce before her, right above a low boulder.  The swirling mist solidified.  Suddenly an old man in robes and with a long staff appeared before her, a mountain lion at his side.  He was a kindly man, Brigit could tell as he looked down at her. The man stepped down from the boulder and moved to each party member in turn. He touched each of them on the head with his staff, first Milo, then Mazi, then Jeremiah, and finally Brigit.  The other three awoke, completely refreshed and strangely at peace.

"I have healed each of you of your wounds." He said to them all.  Then, turning to Brigit and Mazithra, "The fever will not affect you, I have cleansed your bodies of the infection."  The old man shook his head sadly.  "I have tried to remain apart from this conflict, but the events that you witnessed yesterday have forced me to take hand in the matter.  Now I must help you to bring the Balance back to my forest."

"You will help me.  You must continue in your quest, find the cups and destroy them so my children may find rest."  The old man turned to each of them.  

"You, Milo Windby, know that the One whom you follow has plans for you that will conflict with your responsibilities.  When the time comes you must chose well."  He said as he pointed his staff at Milo.

"Brigit Deeperdown, know that revenge is futile.  Once completed your life will be empty."  The old man told Brigit.  The taciturn dwarf only glowered.

"Mazithra, know that the faster you run from your destiny, the closer you draw to it."  He said to Mazi.  She looked slightly embarrassed to Milo.

"Jeremiah Tansden, know that you are almost the warrior that your people need for the struggle ahead."  The barbarian ducked his head at the statement.  It almost appeared that he blushed.

The old man disappeared in a wisp of mist before any of them could respond.

"But wait!" Milo cried, "I have so many questions!"  Milo spoke thin air.  The man was gone, without a trace.  The mountain lion was gone too, no tracks to indicate where it had loped off.  The four friends looked at each other, at a loss for words. Each of them had many things to think about.  They set up another watch and settled down to consider the old man's words.  Milo was very curious as to what the old man meant to the others.  He had a pretty good idea of what he was trying to tell him though.  He thought about how long it had been since he sent a letter back to Darokin.  People were likely to become concerned if he didn't communicate with them soon.  These were his thoughts before he drifted back to sleep.  It was an extremely restful sleep.  He even got a few good hours of sleep after his uneventful watch.

The morning found the group hale and hearty.  All felt completely refreshed and much better than they could remember for a long time.  Milo smiled and slapped Brigit on the back.

"Well everyone, ready to find us some cups to break?" Milo said good-naturedly. Jeremiah even smiled at him.  The adventurers gathered their belongings and made their way from the clearing back to the gorge.  Not even the oppressive atmosphere could bring down their spirits.  They chose the north most cavern at the top of the depression to investigate next, methodically working their way around the upper level of the shallow valley.

Milo led the way again, with the others following him in their standard formation.  A few paces into the cavern they came to a natural fork.  Bones and debris scattered the floor.  A horrible stench filled the air, almost palpable.  Milo searched the area for traps, making sure that a repeat performance of their kobold adventure was not forthcoming.  No traps were evident so the party moved on.  They took the left branch, heading west.  The cavern grew dark as they ventured deeper.  All four of them heard a growling noise coming from deep within the caves.  Jeremiah whispered that it sounded to him like a bear.  Since they didn't want to light up the whole cavern it was decided that Brigit would go investigate the sounds. She moved past the light cast by Milo's lantern and crept into the darkness. 

The noises grew slightly louder after a few moments, then quieted again.  Just as the group began to fear the worst for Brigit she emerged from the depths of the tunnel.  What she described to the group was a hideous mix of beasts.  The bear shaped creature had a beak like a bird and was covered with feathers and fur.  Milo knew what it was from her description right away.  He had seen one in the travelling Darokin zoo when he was young.  It was an owlbear.  A crazed mix of the nocturnal predator and the feared beast of the forest.  Milo warned them that owlbears were extremely ferocious and territorial.  He asked Brigit if the owlbear had seen her.  When she responded in the affirmative he readied his weapon.  The beast had heard her coming and saw her around the corner.  The loud sounds they heard were the monster rising up and shambling towards her.  If they didn't attack the owlbear, it would come after them.  The four moved forward through the caverns carefully, almost expecting the creature to pounce on them from the darkness.  They reached a widening of the cave and saw the owlbear, the beast reared up on its hind legs and let loose a cry that was somewhere between a roar and a screech.

Milo was in the rear, they were prepared for the fight in their normal battle positions.  He fired his crossbow into the body of the monster, causing it to howl in pain.  It swiped out with its claws at the closest party members, it missed with one swipe then stumbled as it moved forward to strike at Mazi with its other taloned paw.  As it regained its balance its beak snapped at Brigit, scraping a long line down her steel shield with its sharp point.  Jeremiah was in the rear with Milo, unable to come to the front in the confines of the cave tunnel.  He sheathed his greatsword and drew his bow, readying an arrow to fire at the unnatural creation before them.  Brigit and Mazithra made a beautifully concerted attack, both scoring good hits on either side of the beast.  Once again it howled in pain.

The wounded and enraged beast swiped at Brigit, missing her by the breadth of a hair.  It took another bite at the party, this time towards Mazi.  It's jaws snapped on air.  Just as she dodged the beak Mazi brought her longsword down across the creature's neck, slicing a long gash through its hide.  Brigit swung from under and up, into the underside of the owlbear's chin.  Her ax clove through the monster's jaw and embedded itself within the bottom of its brainpan.  The beast fell heavily to the side, taking Brigit's ax with it.  She reached down and yanked the ax out with one foot steadying the owlbear's head.

"Ain't so tough, Milo.  Ya had me thinkin' we'd be up against a challenge!" Brigit said to the side as she pulled on her stuck ax.  

"We got off lucky there Brigit, I've heard tales of owlbears rending a man apart once they get a hold of him.  They're no joke, we can count ourselves blessed for coming through this unscathed." Milo responded to Brigit.   "I wonder if anything else lives in this cave, owlbears are pretty territorial."

Near where the beast bedded at night Milo found a parchment tube made of bone.  Inside was a scroll containing the spell of protection from evil.  Milo explained the spell to his friends and stashed it in his pack for later.  The entire group found in the owlbear's den besides that was more refuse and stench.  Milo noticed two other branches of the natural passage on their way into the den.  He suggested to the others that they might want to check them out just in case.

Milo took lead again as they left the den.  The first branch they came back to extended east beyond the southern branch they came from.  After a turn to the right the passage narrowed into nothing, just a dead end.  Back in the southern passage the party continued through the other branch, this one also petered out into a dead end.  The last unexplored area of this cave was to the west of the entrance.

After a turn to the left the cavern widened again into a natural room.  A shallow pool of water filled the northeast corner of the cavern.  The walls glistened with slime and moisture dripped from the stalactites.  Suspicious, Milo picked up a bone from the debris that littered the floor and tossed it into the water.  He half expected some other monstrosity to leap from the pool and attack.  Nothing happened.  Milo shrugged and ventured further in the cave to explore the water. Just as he approached the pool the dripping from the ceiling intensified.  Milo heard a loud sucking noise emanated from above Milo and he jumped back instinctively.  It turned out to be in the nick of time, a mass of gray ooze plopped onto the ground before him, its tendrils reaching out hungrily.

Milo tumbled backwards and fired his crossbow at the slime. The bolt sank into the gelatinous mass and began to sizzle.  Milo did notice that a bit of runny ooze seeped from the ragged hole his quarrel created.

"Don't hit it with your swords or anything, it's acid!  See the bolt melt?"  Milo shouted to his friends.  "Back away and fire at it with your range weapons!"  The others responded by drawing their bows and moving away from the room.  Just as Brigit and Jeremiah moved two more oozes dropped from the ceiling and began to reach for Milo.  Mazi fired her arrow at one of the new oozes, her missile also starting to sizzle as it pierced the mass of goo.  

Milo couldn't back up any more from the approaching ooze, he fired his crossbow and sighed in disappointment as it flew past one of the gray blobs.  All three of the others moved back a pace and fired their bows.  Mazi's arrow found its mark and more liquid spewed from the ooze, her arrow sizzling as it suspended within the creature.  Brigit's arrow grazed one of the ooze, causing some of the brackish liquid to seep out as well.  Jeremiah's shot flew high, he was attempting to fire above Milo.  Only one ooze was in contact with Milo, the creatures couldn't move very fast, he noticed.  Tentacles formed from its amorphous body and reached for him.  He jumped back in alarm, barely avoiding the surprisingly fast tendril.

Milo hopped back another pace and fired his crossbow.  His bolt went clean through the previous hole he created and out the other side of the ooze.  More liquid spewed out of the mass, it deflated as the grayish muck pooled on the ground.  One down, two to go, Milo thought.  Mazi, Brigit, and Jeremiah ran out of room to back into.  The three of them turned and moved down the tunnel from where they came, ready for the ooze to round the corner.  The one ooze in range of Milo formed two more tentacles, reaching out to him.  He dodged the grasping arms of goo, shuddering to think of the damage that the acid might cause him.  

Milo could see no way to retreat from the ooze without it attacking his back or sliding up to him if he took a backward step.  He tumbled backwards in an acrobatic somersault, attempting to put space between himself and the gray mass.  He was too slow, the ooze reached out with a tendril and slapped his foot while he was tumbling.  The contact made him wince and he felt his foot burn.  Once he completed his backward roll he fired his crossbow at the ooze that attacked him, wounding it as well.  The other ooze moved towards Brigit, who wasn't able to move very far away due to the encumbrance of her heavy armor.  Its formed tentacles raced out and smacked into her as well.  Milo could actually hear the sizzle as the ooze made contact.  Brigit grimaced and pushed the tentacle away.

Milo moved back another pace and fired at the ooze, creating a new hole in the creature. Brigit moved back with him and fired as well, her own arrow sinking into the shifting mass before sizzling away.  Jeremiah and Mazithra fired their arrows from down the hall, Jer's making contact with the ooze advancing on Milo.  The ooze absorbed the arrow, bleeding more of the gray liquid.  It reached out for Milo again, barely missing his arm as he weaved and bobbed to avoid the disgusting blob.  Brigit was not as nimble and the ooze slapped into her again, the sizzling noise was even apparent to Jeremiah and Mazi down the tunnel. Brigit once again pushed the blob away.

Mazi and Jeremiah moved back another pace to leave room for Brigit and Milo's retreat.  Both fired their arrows at the approaching ooze, both hit their target with unerring aim.  The two masses of ooze deflated as the first one, the gray liquid that passed for their innards creating two puddles of putrid goo on the ground.

Milo breathed a sigh of relief and moved to Brigit.  She was hurt, but not too badly. Her skin was red under her armor where the acid had seeped through.  Milo used a spare tunic to wipe the excess acid off her armor and tossed it into one of the puddles.  They noticed that the cloth continued to sizzle in the leftover acid of the ooze.  They stepped gingerly around the puddles and made their way back into the cavern.  No more ooze dropped from the ceiling as the entered the cave.  They couldn't see any more in wait above.  Milo figured that they couldn't be that intelligent, he hoped that they all came at once.  

A glint from the pool caught his eye.  Deeper in the water he could make out the form of a goblet.  After making sure it wasn't one of the cups the priest described Milo asked Jeremiah to wade in and grab it.  The water was a little deep for halflings.  Jeremiah retrieved the goblet and Milo examined it.  He guessed the value to be over 1000 gold.  Mazithra looked over the cup as well, her guess was closer to 1300 gold.  Not a bad deal, Milo thought.

"That seems to be it.  I don't think there's anything else here."  He said as he handed the goblet to Brigit for safekeeping.  The party still felt good, especially after a quick healing spell for Brigit.  The party readied themselves for an assault on one of the other caverns.


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part sixteen (session 4)*

Milo and the adventurers emerged from the cavern into the gloomy half-light that seemed to pervade the gorge.  It was a short hike to the next cavern opening along the slope.  Brigit and Mazi followed a few feet behind Milo with Jeremiah bringing up the rear.  Milo approached the entrance carefully, stepping inside with a cat-like tread.

Just about five paces in he spied a thin wire suspended between the cavern walls.  He motioned for everyone to stop.  Following the strand with his eyes he could see it lead up the right-hand wall to the ceiling.  When he looked up he saw to what the wire was attached.  A large net stretched across the ceiling.  It was covered with what looked like tar and spanned from two paces back to five or so paces down the tunnel.  Just past where the net was hanging they could make out an intersection.  The passage continued straight while two branches went off from either side.  Milo and the crew slowly backed out of the cavern to regroup and plan.

_"How about we make a lot of noise and attract whatever guards that are in there?"_  Milo suggested. _"They'll come running, thinking someone is caught in their trap, then we can surprise them."_

_"Wi'out springin' tha trap?  Don' ya think they'll be a bit suspicious if they come a'runnin' and they see that their trap ain't sprung?"_  Brigit retorted.

_"Yeah, I guess you're right.  Well how do we spring it without getting caught?  The wire is right under the net."_ Milo said.

_"I know a spell that would do the trick perfectly."_ Mazi interjected.  _"I haven't had the opportunity to use it much yet.  I can spring the trap from here and we can wait for the guards to come from out here. We all have the range to hit them."_

_"Perfect Mazi!  Any objections?"_ Milo asked Brigit and Jeremiah, when there were none given, _"Ok then, everyone get your bows out and Mazi can do her stuff."_

The group arrayed themselves right at the parameter of the net, Mazi and Brigit directly in front of it while Jeremiah and Milo waited behind them just outside of the entrance.  Mazi spoke some arcane words and made a few slight gestures with her hands.  A faint light emanated from her fingers before floating out away from the concentrating elf.  The light slowly moved towards the tripwire.  When it reached the destination the glow rested on the wire, then snapped forward.  The net came down with a loud clatter, there were rocks to weigh down the edges. 

Mazi brushed her hands off each other while she grinned in satisfaction.  She readied her bow and crouched with Brigit, aiming down the passage.  Before long stamping feet could be heard approaching from a distance. Four orcs rounded the corner, armed with swords.  Brigit and Jer shot their arrows at the first orc they saw.  Brigit's missile flew past its ear, but Jeremiah's sunk deep into its chest.  The orc died in mid-run.  Milo fired his crossbow at the other sword-bearing orc.  He too sunk his missile into the beast's chest, killing it in mid-stride.  

Mazi could see from her vantagepoint over half a dozen more orcs with swords approaching.  She realized that the monsters would be on them in no time and put away her bow.  She wanted to have her sword ready to take out the orcs at close range.  

Brigit and Jeremiah began to draw their own melee weapons.  The dwarf and human moved towards the intersection and the orcs, being careful not to get their feet caught in the tarred net.  Ahead of them Mazi had already drawn her long sword. She slashed expertly at the first orc to approach her.  Her blade cut into its throat, the wound was critical.  The orc fell with a spray of blood from its neck.  Milo winged one of the other orcs visible to him.  His bolt barely caught the beast on the arm as it raced by.  An orc made a move to attack Mazi.  She parried the blow with expert skill, her hand twisted and the orc's sword clattered to the floor.  The shocked orc ran for its weapon.  

One other orc attacked the elf but she blocked his sword thrust as well.  She began her graceful sword dance, weaving away from attacks and moving in to slash at the openings.  Rather than face the willowy elf and her strange swordplay, another orc advanced on Jeremiah.  The creature scored a blow with its sword, slicing a nasty gash along Jeremiah's upper arm as it bypassed his guard.

Jeremiah tried to return the blow but nearly lost his sword from his weakened grip.  He held onto the hilt firmly and avoided the fumble.  Brigit moved up to engage her hated enemy.  The orc she attacked growled as it dodged her waraxe.  It too recognized it's ancestral adversary.  Another orc from the left passageway pressed in on Brigit.  Neither was able to breach her defense as she wielded her shield before their blows.  

The orc that dropped its sword finally recovered it and jumped back up before Mazi.  She was busy attempting to dispatch the orc that Milo wounded.  Her sword danced in the air but failed to make contact.  The orc had no more luck hitting her.  Her spins and twists made Mazi an elusive target.  Milo fired his bolt at the wounded orc.  The quarrel whizzed past, breaking on the cavern wall behind it.  

_"Keep moving orc, doesn't matter.  You're going down."_  Milo muttered at the beast.

Milo hurriedly reloaded his crossbow as the action continued before him.
  He fired off his crossbow at the bleeding monster facing Mazi.  It sunk home and the orc fell back.  Brigit moved forward to engage more orcs, staying within the initial passage so none of the foe could surround them.  She missed her target and snarled at the elusive orc.  

_"Move Mazi, please."_  Jeremiah said to the elf almost impatiently.  Because of their positioning he could not bring his greatsword to bear.  Mazi grumbled a bit but took a step back, disengaging from the orc that tried to hit her.  She sheathed her sword and drew her bow.  Milo hoped that bad feelings weren't going to form between the two.

Jeremiah swung his sword in front of himself.  The great blade cleaved through two orcs in one blow.  Mazi nodded appreciatively as she knocked an arrow to her bow.  _ Maybe they'll be all right after all,_ Milo thought.  

Two heavy bolts flew at Jeremiah and Brigit.  It seemed that they had come in range of some crossbowmen in the back.  Both bolts missed the adventurers but they did serve to hasten their efforts.  They needed to get to the orcs in the rear before they reloaded.  A clatter came from the other passage.  Four more orcs followed by two more heavy crossbowmen charged down the tunnel. The two orcs before Brigit and Jeremiah attacked.  Jeremiah batted the sword away with his own weapon while Brigit fended off the attack with her shield.

Brigit followed her successful block with a doubly successful attack.  Her ax hacked through the orc in front of her and continued on to the orc before Jeremiah.  The second beast didn't even see the blow coming as her ax cut its spine in two.  Jeremiah charged past the corpses to attack the orcs that were preparing to reload their crossbows.  Milo fired off a bolt at one of the orcs from the other tunnel.  The orc moved forward right before the quarrel struck and it fell to the floor.

This put him in the line of fire of the fresh crossbowmen from behind.  Luckily for Jeremiah they had to shoot past their own comrades and were unable to aim accurately.  The other orcs turned their crossbows around and tried to club Jeremiah with them.  Jer swatted them away with his sword and stabbed at the beasts.  He missed, but the barbarian did strike fear into the orc's faces.  The look they gave each other hinted that they would have fled, if a barked orcish command hadn't stopped them dead in their tracks.  Milo spotted a huge orc stomping down the passage straight ahead.  He could also make out another guard and a female with the leader.  It shouted more commands in its snarling voice and the orcs rallied against the group.

Milo fired his crossbow again, this time his shot went high.  He had tried to avoid hitting Brigit who was engaged with the orc front.  She heaved her ax down through the shoulder of her enemy.  The ax head sliced through the orc as if it weren't there.  Jeremiah swung his great sword at the two crossbow men.  Splinters flew as the heavy blade bit into their weapons.  The orcs were soon to follow the crossbows into oblivion, as his weapon sliced through them both in one powerful motion.

More orcs moved up to Jer and Brigit.  They attacked swiftly and caught the adventurers off guard.  Jeremiah was wounded in the side by one of the wicked long swords.  Brigit bled profusely from a ragged wound caused by a stabbing thrust.  The sword had found one of the few chinks in her armor and the orc wielding it had twisted the blade as he withdrew.  

The other two crossbowmen were busy cranking their strings to fire another volley.  Up the other passage the orc leader's guard moved towards the combat.  Behind him the leader waited with arms folded across its chest, waiting for the outcome to be more certain before it committed itself to the battle.

In the original passage Milo and Mazi took aim separately and fired.  Mazi's arrow flew down the hallway, missing the general maelstrom of the melee.  It skimmed along the wall for a few moments before falling to the earth.  Milo's bolt pierced his target's chest, the flight protruding from its breastbone.  

Near the dying orc Brigit's ax scythed through the air.  Two more orcs fell from her viscous onslaught.  She vanquished many of her hated enemies that day.  Jer swung his sword next to Brigit, but no orcs fell from his blow.  The porcine beasts were wary after Brigit's massive attacks.  After his mighty swing the beasts pounced on Jeremiah, both of them slashing at him with their long swords.  He took two ugly wounds from the viscous attack.  

Mazi fired her bow at the crossbowmen, which in turn fired their weapons at the hated dwarf.  None of the missiles found their targets.  Mazi reached back for another arrow as the orcs bent down to crank their strings back into position.  

Down the main passage the leader and his female started towards the fray.  The leader evidently decided that he could turn the tide of the battle.  They were blocked from direct combat by the other orcs facing Brigit and Jeremiah.  The leader shouted something in orcish and pointed its sword at Brigit.  Apparently it wanted a chance to fight its despised foe.  Milo noticed as the orc drew near that it was armored completely in plate.  He grimaced before turning his attention to his friends.

Milo was concerned about Jeremiah.  He noticed that the barbarian's wounds were bleeding badly and thought that Jer may not be on his feet much longer.  He chanted quickly and ran up to place his hands on his companion.  A powerful feeling of well being emanated from his hands into Jeremiah.  His wounds closed and he drew in a deep breath, invigorated by the stronger spell.  Milo was getting better at this healing thing.

Brigit brought her ax down on the last normal orc that they faced.  She spit on its corpse before surveying the scene.  There was still the two crossbowmen, reloading their weapons, as well as the leader, his female, and his guard.  Brigit saw the leader charge at Jeremiah, its sword held high and its shield poised in front of it.  The sword came down in a feint before thrusting forward past Jer's sword block.  It pierced his abdomen and started another bleeding wound.  Jeremiah was unable to recover in time to retaliate.  His great sword swished through the air, inches from his attacker.

Mazi spied the opening left by her friends' movement.  She slung her bow across her back and moved to engage the crossbowmen with her longsword.  The orcs took a lesson from their compatriots just moments before.  They turned their crossbows around, abandoning hope of reloading in time, and brandished the weapons as clubs.  Neither was able to hit the nimble and graceful elf with their clumsy makeshift cudgels.

Before the orc leader could attack Jeremiah or Brigit again Milo began a different chant.  He finished and pointed dramatically at the orc leader.  The beast threw its head back in a throaty laugh at the diminutive halfling.  When it tried to move forward it stopped laughing.  Its limbs were frozen in place.  A look of fear and terror filled its eyes.  It was Milo's turn to laugh.

Three things happened in quick succession.  Brigit gave a mighty heave and swung her waraxe straight down the middle of the leader's orc guard.  The beast was cut in two separate pieces.  A mist of blood suspended for a brief moment between them before they topple to the ground on either side.  Next Jeremiah stood up straight and peered at the frozen orc.  A broad smile spread across his face.  He lined up his sword with the leader's unprotected face and pulled back.  He thrust forward with his whole frame, splitting the orc leader's head in two.  Lastly, Mazi slashed her sword past the upheld crossbow of the orc before her, slicing through the beast's armor and chest.

The orc female realized that she was out numbered and in serious trouble.  She turned up the main hall and fled.  The other crossbowman made a feeble stroke at Mazi.  She sidestepped the crossbow as Jeremiah charged towards it.  He ran the orc straight through and skidded to a halt.  He pushed the orc off his sword with his boot.

Milo, Brigit, and Mazi chased the female up the passage.  They caught up to it around the corner and in front of a wooden door.  It stopped fumbling with the door and turned to run again.  Brigit cut her down in her tracks before she could take more than a half step.  

_"Ah, nuthin like a good ole fashioned orc slaughter, eh boyos?"_  Brigit said as she leaned on her ax.

_"Riiiiggghhht."_ Milo said as he breathed heavily from the run.

The four adventurers returned to the intersection, viewing the mass destruction that lay at their feet.  _If nothing else,_ thought Milo, _we're clearing these caves of the hordes of orcs, kobolds, goblins, and other assorted beasties._  Just as he started to think about the undead army and their contribution to its forces the past few days, Milo saw Brigit hacking away at a corpse.

_"Just- in- case- tha'- robed- guy- tries- ta- raise- these- suckers-"_ Brigit said in-between swings, _"I'm- gonna- make- it- hard- for- the- bugger- ta- get- any- satisfaction!"_  By the time she was done talking four of the orcs were completely dismembered, head, legs, and arms.  

_"Hmm, not a bad idea.  How about we check them for valuables before we hack them to pieces though?"_  Milo replied.

They got down to the business of stripping the bodies of valuables.  The leader had a silver belt with a gold buckle, Brigit stashed it in her pack for safekeeping.  In the belt was a handaxe.  The haft was crafted of bone and the head was exceedingly good craftsmanship.  They decided to stow it for later examination, not wanting to throw something potentially valuable at a lowly enemy.  The leader's sword had a beautiful gem embedded in the pommel of the hilt.  Mazi snatched the sword up and examined the stone.  She weighed it against her own sword, obviously considering using the new weapon for aesthetic reasons alone.  Milo grinned at the vain elf.

They decided to strip the plate mail from the orc and bury it to take back to town later.  Milo tossed the shield in with it.  The pile of armor was left near the entrance so they could check out the rest of the cavern before heading out.  Jeremiah helped Brigit finish dismembering the corpses.  The grisly work took a few minutes and Milo and Mazi spent the time discussing differences in divine and arcane spells.

After the human and dwarf were finished the four traveled back up to where the female fell.  Milo spotted an ivory bracelet around her thick wrist.  It wouldn't fit Mazi's slender arm so he stashed it for later.  

The door was unlocked, the female had almost made it in before they struck her down.  Inside they found some crude furniture and a bed.  On a table next to the bed a copper bowl sat filled with garbage.  Milo dumped it out and looked over the bowl.  It would fetch a good price for its quality.  In the corner they found an untapped barrel of wine.  Brigit, ever the connoisseur, recognized the vintage stamp and pronounced to be high quality wine.  Good enough to haul back with them, for drinking or selling.  The last thing they found was a coin bag tied with a rope.  Inside were fifty platinum pieces.  Milo whistled at the haul.  All told he guessed they had in excess of two thousand gold pieces of money and valuables.

Before they went any further Milo decided to use one of his magic detection spells on all of the items they came across.  They returned to the entrance and placed all of the new gear next to the pile of plate mail.  Milo spoke the minor cantrip and gestured to the pile.  Two faint glows could be detected.  One came from the bone-hafted handaxe, the other from the rope that tied the coin purse.  

_"Interesting!  I wonder what this rope does?"_  Milo said as he fingered the braided rope.  _"We need to get this stuff identified."_  Milo considered what he said and the reason they were in the caves.  _"But not until we find those cups."_


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part seventeen (session 5)*

Before heading to the next cave complex Milo decided to use one of his healing spells on Jeremiah.  After he had finished the chant and touched his hands to the barbarian's wounds, he shook his head sadly.  The spell didn't heal much, perhaps Milo wasn't focused enough.  Jeremiah supplemented the spell with his last healing draught, healing many of the wounds he had received.

The group made their way up the slope and to the next cave mouth.  Near the entrance was a multitude of signs in many languages.  Mazi and Brigit only recognized one, orc.  Jeremiah and Milo couldn't make out any of the characters and waited for the two women to translate.  Brigit muttered something about a recruitment office.  Mazi told them what the sign said:

_"Welcome humanoids.  Come inside for food, shelter, and warmth.  Please apply to the guard station at the left."_

It was obvious to the adventurers that they would encounter intelligent foes in this cavern.  They discussed various options, finally settling on a stealthy approach.  Milo and Mazi would go invisible, Milo using a spell that was specially granted to him and Mazi using the potion that they had found days ago.  Milo readied his short sword before casting his spell.  He hoped to get close to his opponent and surprise them with a viscous sneak attack before they knew what hit them.  Brigit and Jeremiah would come in after Milo and Mazi as soon as the fighting started.

The two stealthily crept into the cavern.  Not far from the entrance they arrived at an intersection.  Remembering the sign, they headed to the left.  After another intersection and a length of passage they spied a fire.  Around the fire sat three large humanoid shapes.  Bugbears!  All three were roasting something over the heat with skewers.  

Milo tiptoed behind one of the hulking beasts and took careful aim.  Both he and Mazi struck simultaneously.  Rendered visible, the two adventurers were spied by the bugbears.  The beast before Milo dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding his sword.  Mazi slashed down at the bugbear in front of her, leaving a nasty gash along its back.  The bugbears roared in defiance.

One roar was cut short as Jeremiah's arrow whistled out of the darkness.  It plunged deep into the wounded bugbear's chest.  The creature fell to the ground with a great _"whomp"_.  Brigit quickly ran in after Jeremiah's arrow, hacking away with her dwarven waraxe.  The head cleaved through the gut of one bugbear, spilling its contents on the ground.  The weapon continued through the air to slash through the hide of the next monster.  The bugbear bled profusely from the wound but mustered the strength to spear Brigit with its skewer.  The flimsy weapon skittered off her shield as Milo moved behind the beast.  His sword flashed quickly and the bugbear fell to the floor.

_"Whew, fat lot of good the invisibility did me."_ Milo said as he wiped his blade clean with a rag torn from the bugbear's tunic.  _"At least we took them down before they could sound an alarm.  I'm sure there's more about."_

The others agreed and they set about looting the corpses.  After they had found a few gold pieces on each corpse, Brigit began her grisly work.  She hacked away at the large bodies until she was satisfied that no necromancer could bring them back, at least not easily.

They decided to skip the second intersection after noticing that the passage sloped upwards and possibly into another cave system.  As they continued past the entrance, trying to tread as softly as possible, Brigit stumbled.  Her armor clanked loudly as she righted herself.  The sound startled Milo who was already on edge.  He too stumbled, his lantern swinging wildly before it bounced off the cavern wall with a loud din.  Mazi shushed them both as they stood as silently as possible.  They waited for a few seconds, fearing that an alarm may be sounded.  But they waited in vain.  No running feet, no shouts down the halls, nothing.

The party continued on, suspicious that no one came to investigate the clamor.  The passage terminated in another intersection.  This one branched to the north and south.  The southern passage led down a flight of stairs.  They decided to head north and finish the main level of the caverns before going down into the depths.

After a short curve to the east the tunnel ended in a door.  

_"OK everyone, considering that the whole cave probably knows we're here, why don't we take the old tried-but-true approach?"_  Milo said after checking the door for traps. _"Which one of you wants the honor?"_ He asked Brigit and Jeremiah, bowing to them while motioning to the door.

A glint appeared in Jeremiah's eye.  He stomped up to the door, leaned back, and heaved himself forward with his foot extended.  The door burst open behind his weight, slamming into the opposite wall.  Over a dozen mildly surprised bugbears stared back at them.  Three large males stood in front of seven considerable females.  Three young bugbears peaked through from the back, their own weapons ready.

Milo fired a bolt at the first bugbear, winging the beast.  Brigit rushed in past Jer and hacked into the wounded bugbear.  Her ax clove through the first and into the female standing next to it.  Both died almost simultaneously.  

Mazithra moved next to Brigit and slashed at the male to her right.  Her sword swished through the air, failing to make contact with the snarling monster.  

The bugbears recovered from their initial shock and pressed in on the two fighters.  Mazi deftly dodged the ugly brutes' attacks.  The male she attacked swung a heavy blow down at her, but she was no longer there.  She spun to the side and hopped back a half step to avoid two attacks from the females to her right.  Brigit was not as agile as her companion was, but the bugbears had no more luck attacking her than they did her elven friend.  The bugbears' maces made loud reverberations throughout the large cavern as they bounced off her magical shield.  

Jeremiah spied an opening from his position next to Milo and fired his bow.  The arrow sped past Mazi and Brigit but did not meet any resistance before it shattered against the far wall.  The barbarian looked anxious to draw his great sword and wade into the battle but drew another arrow instead.

Another bolt from Milo's crossbow flew into the fray.  It sunk into the big male's hide with expert precision.  Regardless of the accuracy of Milo's shot, the beast roared and fought on.  It swung its bludgeon at Mazi.  It roared again as she dodged the blow.  

Mazithra performed a graceful pirouette, attempting to avoid the two females.  She completed her spin and swung her sword arm out to attack the male when one of the females brought its mace down hard.  She pulled her arm back quickly, a large bruise already forming under the skin.

Oblivious to Mazi's plight, Brigit swung her ax for another attack.  The other male fell to her mighty swing.  It made to claw at her as it fell back, barely missing one of the approaching young.  Her ax continued its lethal work and the female attacked her moments ago fell with a harsh scream.

Two more females took their place against the hated dwarf.  Three females and one youth were arrayed against the dwarf.  Unfazed, Brigit warded off each of their blows easily.  She scoffed at them and watched in satisfaction as an arrow grazed the youth.  She glanced back to see Jeremiah reloading his bow.  He nodded to her quickly then focused on the enemy, taking aim.

Another young bugbear approached Mazi.  Milo lined up his crossbow and pulled the trigger.  The youth fell with the bolt protruding from its chest cavity.  Mazi was busy attacking the last male and avoiding his mace.  Neither combatant hit the other, but one of the females landed a blow on the slender elf.  She jumped away from the offending mace before it could strike again.

Mazi took care not to get too close to Brigit's deadly ax.  The head bit through bugbears as easily as air.  The dwarf didn't even appear to break a sweat as she cleaved through two more females.  A mist of blood floated to the floor, following the bodies of the dead monsters.  

Two more youth approached Brigit.  One had a chance to swing at her before it was cut down by Jeremiah's arrow.  The other youth and the female tried to bring their maces down on the dwarf.  Her shield once again deflected the heavy weapons.  

Brigit pulled back, heaving her ax above her head.  The lethal blade crashed down upon the unprotected shoulder of the bugbear youth, cutting it from neck to waist.  She brought the ax up in a curving motion, slicing through the female to the side.  It fell atop the cleaved body of the youth.

Mazithra sprung at the last remaining male, her sword finally inflicting a wound.  The bugbear bared its yellowed fangs at the elf and roared.  Its mace swung at the elf, causing the wound Mazi dealt to bleed even more.  It missed her completely, she had already spun around the reach of the clumsy bugbear.  The two females tried to hit the madly whirling elf but couldn't land a blow on her graceful form.

Jeremiah and Milo moved into the room, through the pathway cleared by Brigit.  They fired their missiles at the male.  Jeremiah's arrow landed in its chest, puncturing its lung.  The beast fell back with a loud wheeze.  Its body crashed to the floor.

Milo quickly reloaded his crossbow and fired at one of the remaining females.  His bolt found its target, wounding the bugbear gravely.  Mazithra spun to the side and sliced through it.  Her sword made short work of the injured female.  

Brigit stumped to the final female.  Her ax literally whistled in the air before sinking deep into the female's chest.  Brigit grunted as she pushed the heavy bugbear off of her ax blade.

_"Not a very hardy bunch, is they?"_ Brigit said to no one in particular.

_"Bah, I hate the stupid louts."_ Mazi said as she spat on the corpse of the bugbear that gave her so much trouble.  _"They can all rot!"_

_"A little upset at your battle prowess today, Mazi?"_ Milo teased.  _"I'm sure you'll have more chances to spill bugbear blood."_ he finished with a grin.  

Milo was already floating over the corpses, his little fingers working deftly to remove any valuables he found.  One of the males had a large key ring.  Milo clipped it to his belt for future inspection.  The males and females all carried gold.  It began to strike Milo as suspicious.  Almost every humanoid they had fought so far had some sort of coin on them.

_"All of these beasts we've been battling have got to be in the employ of that robed guy."_  Milo thought some more.  _"Well, maybe not the cultist kobolds, but I've noticed that the rest of them have all had money.  I bet they're paid by that fiend."_

The others considered the idea while they finished looting the bodies.  Once they were done, Brigit set about hacking the arms, legs, and heads off the corpses.  The others stood to the side and looked on.  The dwarf was quickly earning the nickname of Brigit the Butcher.  _At least it's for practical reasons,_ thought Milo.


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## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part eighteen (session 5)*

They left the room in good spirits, intent on investigating the lower portion of the cave complex before heading north to the sloping passage.  A flight of stairs led them into a widening of the cave.  Two hallways branched from the main cavern to the east and west.  All along the walls were stacked boxes and sacks of supplies.

_"Well here's the supplies they won't be needing anymore."_  Milo said as he toed one of the sacks on the ground.  

_"Aye, them undead don't need no grain 'n food."_  Brigit agreed.

Jeremiah hushed the two impatiently.  He had a concentrated look on his face.  After peering intently into space he spoke to the others.

_"People shouting for help that way."_ Jeremiah said, pointing to the east.

_"We should probably help them then, but that makes me a little too suspicious."_  Milo said.  _"Everyone keep your guards up, this could be a trap."_

The crew readied their weapons and advanced down the hall.  The quarters were tight due to the stacked boxes and sacks.  After a zigzag in the tunnel they came to a door.  All four could now hear the shouts for help.  There was more than just one language too.  Milo checked the door for traps.  Nothing caught his trained eye.  He fished out the key ring he found on one of the guards and located a key that would fit the door.  A couple of tries later he heard the satisfying _"click"_ that he loved so much.  He swung open the door, ready for an ambush.

What he and the others saw was far from an ambush.  A variety of humanoids were chained to the walls.  They were all in a horrible state, some of them had been there for a long time.  Milo spied three kobolds, a goblin, four orcs, and two humans that wore the remnants of a familiar livery.  All of them cringed when he opened the door until they noticed that he wasn't quite the size of a bugbear.  They all started clamoring for attention as soon as they realized that the adventurers could rescue them.

Milo ignored the beasts and made his way over to the humans.  _"Hello, who are you?"_  He asked them.

_"We're caravan guards,"_ one answered weakly, _"we were captured and brought here."_

Milo and Mazi walked back a pace to discuss the situation while Brigit talked to the orcs.  Mazi was distrustful as always.  Milo reasoned that they were wearing the remnants of the caravan's livery and that the other caravan guards were trustworthy.  The least they could do was escort them out of the caverns.  Mazi agreed reluctantly.

_"We're going to let you down,"_ Milo told the humans, _"Just beware that there may be other bugbears about, keep behind us and don't get into trouble."_

Mazi whispered to Jeremiah to keep an eye on them.  Milo found the keys that matched the shackles and handed them to Jeremiah.  While the barbarian released the humans Brigit walked over to talk to Milo and Mazi.

_"The orcs're askin' ta be let go.  I don' trust em tho."_ Brigit said to her friends.  _"They be a pitiful bunch.  Apparently them bugbears keep this rabble on hand ta supplement their food supply."_  She said with a wicked gleam to her eye.  _"I kin think of some more creative ways ta use em."_

The orcs and other creatures were whining by that time.  Brigit further relayed that the orcs promised to help them if the party freed them.  The dwarf and elf couldn't seem to decide what to do.  Milo stowed his crossbow and drew his dagger.  He decided to take matters into his own hands.  Milo walked to the kobolds first, methodically slitting their throats and ending their lives.  He moved from creature to creature until none remained alive.

_"I don't fancy having my enemies travel with me when there's a much more simple solution available."_ Milo said to the slightly shocked stares of his companions.  Brigit cracked a smile while Mazi just shrugged.  The dwarf set about hacking off the legs and arms of the prisoners.

Jeremiah had released the humans and the party took stock of their situation.  Nothing of value remained in the room so they moved back into the corridor.  When they reached the main cavern again they could hear more shouts for help faintly down the other hallway.

The inflated group moved through the western passage.  A branch headed south while the supply corridor continued west.  The shouts were coming from behind a door at the end of the hallway.  Milo found the key that matched the lock and they peered into the room.  No ambush greeted them here either.  Chained to the wall were three hobgoblins, two gnolls, a large bearded human, and surprisingly, a bugbear.  

Milo moved first to the hulking bearded man.  _"So who are you?"_  He started companionably.

_"A traveler."_  The man replied.

_"Riiiiiight.  So you 'traveled' into those chains?  Doesn't sound like a good journey.  Where will you go if we release you?"

"I will travel."_ He answered cryptically.

Nonplussed, Milo asked, _"Alright then, are you any good in a fight?"_

At that the burly man grinned. _"Oh aye, I can swing a weapon."

"You wouldn't by any chance be a berserker, would you?"_ Milo asked hopefully.  Another barbarian at their back could be a good thing, though he didn't quite trust the furry human.

He just shrugged, _"Ye'll never know if yeh leave me up here, now will yeh?"

"True enough, then you can travel with us until we get out of these caves.  We'll find you a mace from the bugbears."

"It's not an axe, but it'll do."_  The big man said as Jeremiah reached up to his shackles to release him.

Mazi trusted this fellow even less than the caravan guards.  She once again whispered to Jeremiah to keep an eye on the newly freed prisoners.  _The poor barbarian is going to have his eyes full_, thought Milo.  While the mountain man and Milo were discussing things Brigit had kept herself busy.  The other prisoners were already dead and dismembered by the time they were ready to leave.  The caravan guards looked a little green and they seemed to avoid looking at the dwarf.

The large party now moved back up the stairs.  They only paused for the guards and the mountain man to pick up a mace each from the bugbear's corpses.  No sounds echoed down the hallway but the sound of their boots.  The adventurers passed the cavern entrance and turned the corner to look up the sloping passage.  They could see it curve up to the right, but more interestingly, they could see a door on the western wall.

Not one to leave a stone unturned, or a door unopened, Milo cautiously stepped forward.  He quietly searched for traps before examining the latch.  It didn't appear to be locked.  Milo motioned to Jeremiah, pointing to his boot.  The barbarian grinned as he moved in front of the door.  Brigit moved herself next to Milo as Jer kicked in the door.

Milo fired his bolt at the first bugbear he saw.  There were only two in the room, a large male and an equally large female.  The male snarled as the bolt sunk into its shoulder.  The great beast hurled its handaxe at Milo.  The axe head sunk into his left shoulder, almost causing him to drop his lantern.  Milo staggered from the blow and looked down.  He dimly recognized the axe through the haze of pain.  It was exactly like the handaxe they found on the orc leader's body.  He ripped the axe from the wound and sucked in a deep breath of air at the fresh wave of pain.

Brigit moved in next to him and hacked at the female.  Her axe cut it down even as it swung its mace at the dwarf.  Jeremiah fired his bow from behind the crew, his arrow whizzed by the head of the huge bugbear.  Mazi readied her sword, waiting for an opportunity to attack.

Milo quickly moved to the side and fired another bolt from his crossbow.  The quarrel missed but his movement gave Mazi an opportunity to move in.  She worked out her frustration with the previous bugbears on the hapless beast.  Her sword inflicted a grave wound on the monster.  Near the back Jeremiah loosed another arrow at the bugbear.  

His arrow missed the retreating form of the bugbear.  Apparently it had a rudimentary knowledge of arithmetic and found the numbers to be against it.  It pressed an unseen switch and the wall beside it swung away.  The beast ran down the passageway.  Brigit gave chase.  She ran full tilt with Milo, Mazi, and Jeremiah close behind.  

They all reached the bugbear just as it was turning back to watch for the pursuers.  Brigit heaved mightily with her axe as the bugbear tried to run again.  The blade cleft through the monster's skull and it fell face-first with a heavy thud.

_"Good job Brigit!"_ Milo said, out of breath from the chase.

_"Stupid bugbear, shoulda knowt better than ta turn yer back on a dwarf!"_ Brigit said to the dead body.

Milo stooped down and searched over the body.  He found a pouch with a good amount of platinum coins and a key.  Under the coins he found three small gems, he guessed to be about 50 gold apiece.  A key was at the very bottom of the pouch.

_"Not bad guys, check out the coin he was hauling around!"_ Milo said as he showed the pouch to the others.  _"I'm guessing this was the bugbears' head honcho."_

Brigit merely grunted as her axe swung again and again, severing the leader's limbs.  Mazi peered into the pouch and agreed with Milo.  Jeremiah simply stood to the side and stared down the secret passage.

Milo and the others decided to investigate this passage before they rejoined the guards and mountain man in the leader's room.  A short distance from where the bugbear fell they emerged into a small room with four other tunnels branching in all directions.  All four experienced a queasy feeling as they entered the room.  They had no time to reflect on the odd sensation as three large, glowing beetles skittered towards them, their pincers snapping.  

Milo and Jeremiah reacted quickly, firing their crossbow and long bow respectively.  Milo's bolt skittered off the hard carapace of the lead beetle.  Jeremiah's arrow found a soft spot on one of the two following bugs, but it didn't seem to damage the beetle much.

Mazi slashed down at the first beetle before it could close its pincers around her legs.  The insect made a piercing sound as her blade bit into it.  Its legs twitched as it flattened to the ground.  The other two beetles reached Mazi and Brigit.  Mazi winced as the razor sharp pincer of the beetle sliced a gash on either side of her right leg.  She beat the beetle off and backed up.

Brigit swung her axe at the bug reared up before her.  The insect fell back to its legs just before the blade passed through it.  Milo shot another bolt at the beetle attacking Mazi.  It again skittered off the glowing shell of the bug.  Mazi kicked at the beetle that wounded her other leg, cursing the luck.  She was unable to bring her sword to bear while she fended the beetle off.  

Brigit gave a hoarse battle cry and swooped her axe low, she sliced the legs off the first beetle before pulling the blade up through its mandibles.  The axe continued its journey through the air and finished in the carapace of the beetle that wounded Mazi.  A green ichor covered her axe head as she withdrew it from the beetle's back.  

Milo noticed that the beetles' shells still glowed after they died.  He figured that it must be a way for the insects to find their way around the caverns.  Milo walked to the other tunnel openings and listened to any sounds filtering through.  In one tunnel he could hear flapping, like leathery wings rubbing against each other and the air.  Not good.  He heard the skittering of insect feet down another tunnel.  Milo wasn't eager to fight more bugs.  Yet another tunnel yielded a heavy, monstrous breathing.


_"I don't think we should investigate these tunnels just yet."_ Mazi said.

_"Yeah, I feel a little disoriented and we may still have some bugbears to deal with."_ Milo agreed.

Before they left Milo cast a healing spell on Mazi.  Her wounds sealed and some color flushed into her cheeks.

The adventurers trooped back up the tunnel into the bugbear's room.  The guards and the mountain man were still in the room, waiting.  The caravan guards looked a little nervous but the mountain man was sitting in the corner, disinterested.  Milo leaned over the body of the female, noticing a glint on its ear.  He found a pair of gold earrings and pocketed them after showing them to Mazi.  She seemed interested, but it could wait for later.

Brigit was peering intently at a bare spot of rock a space above them, near the cavern roof.  Milo looked up where she was staring and saw nothing.  He just shrugged and turned to search the rest of the room.  

Brigit tapped him on the shoulder and pointed up to the wall.  _"Ya see that, halflin?"

"See what?"

"That little spot on the wall, jus' a tad differnt from tha rest."_ Brigit said, trying to point out what she saw.

Milo stared at the wall for a long moment.  After a good thirty seconds he noticed what Brigit had seen.  There was a square of rock, almost indistinguishable from the wall.  Milo called Jeremiah over and asked for a lift up.  The barbarian obliged and heaved Milo up to his shoulders.  Milo inspected the rough patch closely.

_"It's a chest!  Brigit, you are amazing!  You sure you didn't get any training on the streets?"_  Milo teased Brigit.  _"It looks like it would take two of you to heave it out, but it's possible."_

Jeremiah called over the burly mountain man and they heaved on the chest.  A low rumble could be heard as the chest slid from its cavity.  It fell with a resounding thunk to the floor.  The lid flew open and the adventurers were treated to an impressive sight.  Over a thousand silver pieces were piled in the stone chest.  An alabaster and ivory statue rested on the pile of silver.  Two small flasks that were wrapped in silk lay next to the statue.  

Brigit unwrapped the potions and handed the silk to Milo.  _"Let's see what we got here."_ she said as she sipped from the first flask.  She perked up a little and sighed.  _"I think it's a healin' potion.  I feel pretty refreshed."_  She sipped from the second flask and related the same.  They stowed the two healing potions for later.  Brigit loaded up the coins and statue in her pack.  She was feeling the weight now.  They had to unload some of these goods soon.

_"Let's check out the other door we passed up before."_ Milo recommended as he gestured to the door.  _"I think we can leave the other complex for later."_

The party filed out of the leader's room and returned to the original passage.  Considering the amount of noise they made in the other room they figured that any more bugbears would be ready for them.  The tunnel branched to the other door.  Milo listened carefully, his head pressed up to the rough wood.  Hearing nothing, he checked the door, frame, and lock for any traps.  He noticed that the lock matched the key they found in the leader's pouch.  Milo retrieved the key from the pouch in Brigit's pack and tried it in the door.  The lock clicked and the wooden door swung open.  

A medium sized room lay before them, more supplies stacked to the ceiling.  There was ale, dried meat, oil, and even an old shield.  The group restocked their rations and Milo refilled his oil flasks.  He asked the group to lay down all the items they had found so far so he could cast his magic detection cantrip.  After he completed the short chant he could see a faint glowing around the handaxe the bugbear leader threw at him.  Another faint glow was around the large shield that Brigit had been using.  It was a similar glow to the magic shield Mazi had picked up.  Everything else was either mundane or had already been detected as magical, so Milo ignored them.  He imparted his findings to the rest of the group.

With only one more passage to investigate the party trooped on.  Back up the sloping, curved passage the group came to a door.  Milo listened in again, this time hearing grunting and shuffling.  He quieted his friends and motioned from Brigit to kick in the door, figuring she could surprise the inhabitants and have the advantage.

Brigit brought up her steel boot and smashed it into the door.  It flew open and was greeted by the ugly faces of more bugbears.  They were ready for the infidels.  Mazi was a split second faster than the monsters, she let an arrow fly from her elven bow, straight into the heart of one of the males.  It keeled over without a sound.

Three bugbears, a male and two females, rushed at the elf.  She dodged two swings of their maces when she felt a clipping blow on her shoulder.  She stumbled but righted herself before another mace could land.  Brigit moved past the door and introduced her axe to the closest bugbear.  The beast fell before her mighty slash.  

Milo pulled the trigger on his crossbow, only to see the string jam in the mechanics.  He cursed and went to work on the faulty crossbow.  Jeremiah shook his head at the halfling and let go of his bowstring.  His arrow sunk into the leg of an advancing female.  He smirked at Milo.  He might have been offended if he wasn't so intent on fixing his weapon.

Mazi dispatched the bugbear that Jeremiah wounded, her long sword pierced the female's chest.  She withdrew her sword and readied herself for the other two bugbears' imminent attacks.  She twirled past one mace and parried the other with her long sword.  


Brigit closed in behind one of the attacking bugbears.  Her muscles bulged under her armor as she heaved her axe down.  The axe head swung straight through the bugbear's head, through its neck and continued down its torso.  The monster fell in two perfectly even parts, one to the left, one to the right, from the critical blow.  

Jeremiah loosed another arrow at the last bugbear.  He took care to aim away from Mazithra and his arrow flew wide of the mark.  Next to the barbarian Milo was still muttering under his breath about his crossbow.  He almost had another bolt loaded before a whirlwind of action brought the fight to its finish.

Mazi parried a blow from the bugbear.  She in turn was repelled from her opponent.  The bugbear couldn't concentrate on the elf and the dwarf at the same time though.  Brigit's axe flew through the air and sunk into the monster's hide.  The blade bit deep before the bugbear fell in a heap.

_"Aha!"_ said Milo as he jumped up with his crossbow aimed towards the former battleground.  His face fell when he realized that there were no more bugbears to take out.  Milo lowered his weapon, shrugged, and set about to relieving the dead of their valuables.  These bugbears carried gold as well, a few pieces each.  Milo also noticed something funny about the fireplace in the back of the room.  Behind the old fireback he found a blackened spittoon.  On a hunch he ripped off a rag from one of the corpse's threadbare clothes.  After some vigorous polishing he found that the spittoon was really a silver urn.  A valuable one at that.  

He motioned to Brigit and tied the urn to her pack.  He didn't notice the look of bare avarice in the mountain man's eyes.  They all searched the rest of the room and found nothing.  

_"I'm just about out of energy and spells, what say we camp before we check out any more caverns?"_ Milo suggested.  He thought about the other cavern they found and the disorientation they felt there.  He'd rather be fully rested before tackling that place.

_"I agree with Milo, let's find another campground and rest for a little bit."_ Mazi said.

_"Just...let...me...finish...what...I'm...doin..." Brigit said between strokes of her axe.  The butcher was at work.

The guards' queasy faces returned at the sight of Brigit's handiwork.  The mountain man only had eyes for the urn, the most valuable item he had seen the party pick up besides the statue that was stowed in Brigit's pack.  The adventurers left the cavern with the former prisoners trailing behind.

After a half-day's walk the party found a suitable campground.  The four friends discussed watch and decided that the two guards and the mountain man could sleep while they stood watch.  Mazi still didn't trust them.  The seven of them set about making a cold camp._


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part nineteen (session 5)*

The party and the liberated prisoners settled in for another cold camp.  Watch was set and Milo slipped into his bedroll after doffing his chain shirt.  It wasn't nearly as comfortable as his old leathers but he had to admit it offered him much more protection.  It was a few minutes before Brigit had finished removing her plate mail.  The heavy pieces of metal clanked noisily to the ground.  Milo sighed, he was going to have to teach her how to be quieter with that stuff.  He had drifted off into a light, alert sleep before the thought was even complete.

Milo awoke with a start.  He heard a leathery flapping and a shout from Jeremiah.  He was up in a flash, reaching for his crossbow and lantern before he even knew what had happened.  Milo looked about the campsite and saw what made the sound.  He could barely make out a huge bat hovering over Jeremiah.  Milo found his flint and steel and struck a light to the lantern.

The others were up by then, each reaching for their weapon, not even taking time to don their armor.  Jeremiah was in trouble as he dodged the bat as best he could.  In one uncharacteristically fluid motion Jer sidestepped a lunge from the beast and brought his great sword straight down.  The blade bit into the foul monster's hide, splattering the barbarian with blood.  The creature snapped its neck back and sunk its fangs into his arm.  Jeremiah jumped back, hand held to the twin wounds on his forearm.

Mazi wasted no time, as soon as she stood up from retrieving her bow she loosed an arrow.  Her aim was remarkable and would have wounded the bat seriously if it hadn't raised a hair's breadth from its position.  The arrow skimmed along its underside, grazing through its hide.  Milo drew back his crossbow string, loading a bolt as quickly as he could.

Brigit had drawn her bow as well.  Her shot was not as successful as Mazithra's.  It flew past the huge bat's wings on a downbeat.  She swore and tossed the bow to the ground.  Jeremiah and the bat continued their deadly dance.  They exchanged a flurry of blows, the bat's glistening fangs biting at Jeremiah's sword.  Somehow the huge flying beast made it past Jeremiah's guard.  It pierced his armor at the shoulder and drew more blood.  Jer returned the favor with his sword.  He brought the great blade down on the bat's flank, slicing through the furry hide.

Brigit rummaged through her gear and heaved out her waraxe with a satisfied exclamation.  She turned to charge back into the fray.  She noticed the mountain man and guards cowering at the edge of the camp and snorted her disdain before returning her attention to the giant bat.

Milo loosed his first crossbow bolt at the creature.  He sighed in disappointment as the bolt bounced harmlessly off the bat's thick hide.  He grabbed his bolts and moved closer for a direct shot.  Mazi suffered a similar problem.  Her arrow grazed the beast's underside again, but no wound trailed the arrowhead.  She grabbed another arrow from her quiver.  

Jeremiah slashed at the flying monstrosity a moment too late.  The bat flew in too close and bit down on his other shoulder.  Jeremiah staggered back, bleeding profusely from many wounds.  The bat looked to be about to finish him off.

Milo grabbed one of the flasks he always kept handy on the outside of his pack and rushed it to Jeremiah.  The barbarian recognized the vial and immediately downed its contents.  His wounds stopped bleeding immediately and he looked greatly refreshed.  He let out a loud roar and gripped his sword, ready to dispatch the loathsome beast.

Brigit moved in and swung her axe.  For the first time she cursed her smaller stature.  It was as if the bat taunted her, flying just inches above her swinging axe.  The bat waited for a pause in her attack and lunged at Jeremiah again.  Its glistening fangs sunk once more into his flesh, this time two puncture wounds in his leg began to bleed.  

Mazi sensed a perfect moment to attack as the bat pulled away from its bite.  She drew back hard on her bowstring, ready to plunge the arrow into the bat's heart.  A resounding snap could be heard in the clearing as her string whipped off the top notch.  Her arrow remained in her hand and a bewildered look crept across her face.  She immediately set about rummaging through her pack for her spare string.

Meanwhile Jeremiah roared again and charged at the bat before it could rise above the group.  His muscles bunched up around his shoulders as his sword swung down at the huge, le creature.  The blade sliced clean through its hide and didn't stop       until the bat's head was completely severed from its body.  Its heavy corpse fell like a rock to the ground.  Jeremiah stood over the dead bat with his sword tip embedded in the earth.  He was breathing heavily and his wounds were bleeding again.

Milo rushed over to Jer and began his chants.  After a couple of healing mantras Jeremiah felt revived and healthy.  Mazi had found that in the confusion the mountain man she distrusted so much lived up to her expectations.  The silver urn they had found that day was gone, as was he.  She muttered under her breath and threw a nasty glare at the remaining caravan guards as if challenging them to flee with any more of their goods.

The guards were happy to still be alive and they thanked the party profusely again.  They swore their trustworthiness and promised to keep a low profile if the party would allow them to stay.  Milo saw no problem with the guards, the one he didn't halfway trust had already fled.  He was glad that all the burly mountain man took was the urn.  They had many more valuables that could have gone missing.

Brigit hacked off the wings of the great bat and they rolled it out of the clearing.  Milo was half-worried that the carrion may attract other residents of the cursed forest but the party was too tired to move out.  They decided to set up watch again and brave the rest of the night where they were.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty (session 5)*

The party woke the next morning with no more visits from the evil denizens of the woods.  Milo stretched and surveyed the scene.  There was an area of crumpled grass and brown stains that the party had avoided sleeping on.  The clearing was empty save the group and their gear.  They set about donning armor and eating cold rations for breakfast.  All four adventurers shared a bit with the two guards.  They decided to stay at the camp rather than venturing back into the caves with the group.  Milo shrugged and wished them well.  He didn't have too much confidence in their chances, but they refused to go back into the den of creatures from which they so recently escaped.

Another half-day journey brought them back to the gorge.  The ominous presence remained throughout the small valley.  It was as though a blanket of doom covered the gorge, oppressive and bleak.  _The sooner we destroy those cups, the better, Milo thought._ 

The next cavern had rough, natural walls.  They could hear the same leathery flapping they heard in the bugbear cave.  Milo just hoped they were done with giant bats.  They approached an intersection, more of a branching of two passages from one.  A slightly disorienting feeling washed over the party.  Milo felt a little sick to his stomach.

Ignoring the discomfort Milo asked the others, _"So shall we take all left turns?  Keep ourselves from getting too lost at least."_

His friends agreed and they took the left.  Milo noticed that the others had the same discomforted expression he wore.  He shrugged and tried his best to ignore it.  They came to a slight widening of the tunnel and the leathery flapping increased in volume.  Ever paranoid, Milo glanced up at the ceiling.  He was just in time to see a cluster of giant insectoids detach themselves from the cavern roof and swoop down on them.  

Milo fired off his loaded bolt and watched it tear into the translucent wing of an approaching bug.  The missile left a ragged hole through the membranous tissue.  The mosquito-like insect came on.  

Mazi fired her arrow directly into the body of one that was buzzing towards her.  The flying bug faltered in the air for a moment before recovering itself and continuing its dive.

Brigit waited patiently for the insects to come to her.  _"Stirges,"_ she said as they moved closer.  _"Used ta get tha nasty buggers inna caves back home.  Don't let em latch on wi' them needlenoses, ye'll be weak fer days."_  Three of the stirges attacked her at once.  She swatted one away with the flat of her axe then turned the motion into a full swing at the next.  The stirge fell in pieces at her feet.  It was barely noticed as her weapon continued to cleave through the air.  The third stirge that attacked her fell in pieces as well.  The first insect buzzed angrily around her, looking for a spot to land.

The stirges broke away from each other, three on each of the adventurers besides Brigit.  Two swooped at Milo, buzzing above his head as he leapt away.  The distraction caused by the stirges above prevented him from spotting the one behind.  The large flying insect landed hard on his shoulder, immediately plunging its proboscis into his arm.  The bug was the size of his head and his vision swam as his blood was forcefully pulled from his veins.

Mazithra was busily fending off the stirges attacking her when Milo was hit.  She was unable to move to his aid as she spun and ducked the swooping stirges.  One grazed her arm, its sharp footpads seeking purchase.  She wrenched her arm away and rolled to the side, safe for a moment.

Jeremiah watched the insect approach him and readied his sword.  One stirge swooped at him from the front as another attacked from behind.  He stepped sideways, avoiding the stirge aimed at his back, but the other swerved to match his position with blinding speed.  The bug attached itself to his arm and plunged its needle-like snout down.  Jer stumbled a bit, narrowly avoiding the third insect swooping down at him.  He roared and slashed at the attached stirge, slicing its snout off and dropping it in one blow.  His sword caught the hind side of the stirge he just dodged.  That insect dropped as well.  Jeremiah paused to pull the proboscis from his arm and looked around for another target.

Milo fought down panic as he struggled to reload his crossbow for another shot at the wounded stirge attached to his shoulder.  He carefully pulled out the bolt from the hipcase and notched it into the string.  He took aim at the huge bug on his shoulder, careful to avoid hitting himself, and fired.  The bolt skimmed over its insectile head, causing no damage.  He cursed and reached over to load another bolt.  

Brigit ignored the last stirge buzzing over her head and turned to Milo.  Her axe came dangerously close to Milo's neck as she swung at the insect on his shoulder.  Milo ducked and threw a terrified glance back at the dwarf.  

_"Kill the stirge, the stirge!  Not me!"_ Milo shouted.

_"Hold still, halflin!  I canna kill tha stirge wi' ya bouncin round like that!"_ Brigit shouted back.

Mazi turned from her current target, an angry stirge buzzing above her, to see Milo with one of the insects latched on.  She shifted her aim with a smooth movement and released the bowstring.  The arrow pierced clean through the stirge, the arrowhead stopped a mere inch from Milo's neck.  He gave a startled exclamation and pushed the giant insect off his shoulder before making a thumbs up signal to Mazi.

Mazi's move cost her dearly.  All three stirges circling the elf swooped in, swarming over her.  They alighted on her, two on her shoulders and one in a tenacious lock on her arm.  Mazi almost fell over from the attack, her already pale elven skin turning white.  

Jeremiah and Milo avoided the stirges tailing them as they turned to help their comrade.  Milo rolled under a particularly vicious dive.  Jeremiah merely batted a stirge aside as he made his way to where the beleaguered elf stood.  Jeremiah took careful aim and ran the stirge on Mazi's arm straight through.  He lifted it off of his friend and flung the corpse at the other buzzing insects.

Milo aimed at one of the stirges on Mazi's shoulders.  He fired his bolt and hoped that Mazi would stand still before it reached her.  The quarrel sunk into the stirge.  It paused its draining of the hapless elf momentarily, but continued on.  

Brigit swung her axe at Mazi in much the same way she had when Milo was in a similar predicament.  This time the heavy weapon ground through the huge bug.  The sharp snout flew from her skin as the stirge was propelled across the cavern from the force of the blow.

Mazi herself managed to strike the final stirge before it could continue its grisly drain.  She pierced the wounded insect and it dropped at her feet.  She nodded her thanks at the others quickly then turned to take aim at any remaining insects.

Milo had looked down to reload his crossbow when he felt the foul touch of a stirge on his back.  He shuddered as the insect's proboscis sunk into his back, through his chain shirt.  Another stirge swooped down and landed next to the first, also plunging its snout into Milo's back.  He cried out softly as he felt the life being drained from his body.

Jeremiah was no more fortunate.  He swung at one of the grotesque insects in vain.  The mosquito-like stirge zipped to the side with blinding speed before diving towards the barbarian.  He too shuddered as the bug landed on his upper arm.  The stirge began sucking his blood as soon as it had landed.  

Jer scraped at the giant insect and snapped off its snout.  The stirge fell to the ground dead.  Jeremiah pulled out the proboscis, his second during this fight.  The others could tell Jer had no more patience for these insects.  Neither indeed did they.

Milo shot his crossbow over his shoulder, tearing through the membrane of a stirge's wing.  The creature continued to sap his strength, oblivious to the pain caused by his quarrel.  

Brigit stepped up behind Milo, _"Now hold still, halflin!"_

She swung her axe just a hairbreadth away from Milo's chain shirt.  The sharp dwarven steel sliced cleanly through the wounded stirge before exploding into the second.  Two halves of a stirge fell amid the giblets from the second insect.  Milo turned and glanced at Brigit's work with approval.

The last stirge swooped at Brigit.  Her plate mail protected her beautifully.  A sharp _"CLANG"_ could be heard echoing through the cavern as the insect rammed nose first into her breastplate.  Brigit grinned as she watched the stirge flop to the floor.  It's wings flailed around as it struggled to right itself and take back to the air.  Brigit didn't give it the opportunity.  Her axe flashed from the light of Milo's lantern as it swung straight down, chopping the stirge in two.

_"Okay, it's official.  I don't like stirges at all!"_  Milo stated.

_"Aye laddie, they can be a serious threat, no doubt.  Ya gotta get em offa ya quick, 'fore they start ta suck out yer innerds."_ Brigit answered him back.  _"I don' fancy none O these comin' back at me undead an' the like."_  Brigit walked to another stirge corpse and hacked it beyond recognition.  Milo was quick to help.  Milo hated undead, really.

Their grisly work done, the adventurers took stock of the situation.  Considering that all of the stirges had been removed before they could do serious damage, they were all feeling relatively good.  The party decided to venture deeper into the disorienting cavern.

After two more left turns past seemingly identical intersections, Milo spotted a strange, somehow familiar glow.  The chittering and scrabbling sound of insect feet approaching them refreshed his memory.  He alerted the group just as two of the same type of glowing beetles they had fought previously emerged from a three-way intersection ahead.

Milo shot off a bolt at one.  He remembered to aim low, under their glowing carapace.  The beetle emitted a high-pitched keening when his missile found its mark.  It continued to advance, too stupid to notice the pain over its hunger for their flesh.  

Jeremiah strode forward, meeting the two beetles up the corridor.  They reared up, moments away from lunging to attack.  Jer was waiting for their move.  As soon as they reached full height he swung his great sword in a wide horizontal arc.  Both beetles exploded in gray and green ichor, splattering the cavern walls.  The barbarian strode back to the group with a smug look on his face.

_"No work for you Brigit, already cut in two."_ said the normally silent human.

Brigit shook her head in mute amazement.  Milo laughed and clapped Jeremiah on the back.

_"Was that a joke, my reticent friend?  I'm impressed!"_ Milo said.  Jeremiah actually seemed to blush a bit.

They moved on, always turning left at any intersection they reached.  After three more turns they came to a familiar room with five entrances.  One of them led to a door.  This was the same cavern they left in the bugbear's lair, Milo realized.

They decided to take the next left out of the familiar cavern and continue on.  Three more lefts brought them right back into the room with five passages.  Mazi moaned in frustration.  Her impeccable mental map didn't make any sense at all.  She shared her information with the group who had already come to the realization that they were definitely lost.  

_"We've tried turning left at every intersection and it hasn't worked.  Tell you what, let's go through the same passage here,"_ he said as he pointed to the tunnel they had entered earlier, _"and we'll turn right at the next intersection.  Sound good?"_

They all nodded affirmative so Milo led the way down the next passage.  As they came to the next intersection they veered right, hoping to break the circle they were running in.  Not far down this passage they came to another intersection.  Figuring they were in a different part of the caves, they returned to the all-left pattern.  They heard an ominous noise mere feet into this passage.  A heavy, animalistic breathing emanated from the tunnel ahead.  

_"Well, we're certainly not alone here guys,"_ Milo said quietly.  _"I'm willing to bet that's no beetle or stirge.  Everyone get ready for a biggun."_  Milo had a bad feeling about the rhythmic breathing.  He readied one of his favorite chants, thanking his unnamed patron that he had prepared it that morning.

The passage ended in a large room after about another ten feet.  They had barely entered the natural cave when a rumbling bellow echoed towards them.  From the other end of the room a huge humanoid charged.  The large male figure had the head of a bull and a fierce battle-axe.  Milo's lantern reflected off the finely sharpened tips of its horns.  

_"My dream!"_ Jeremiah said breathlessly.

Milo shuddered inwardly, thinking about what those horns could do in front of that powerful head, neck, and body.  He called the mantra from the front of his mind forth and gestured fiercely at the charging minotaur.

The minotaur's bellow was cut short, ending in a slightly quizzical tone as it slowed to a halt.  Its muscles seemed to freeze after Milo finished his incantation.  The great beast's axe was raised high above its down-turned horns, frozen in place like a statue.

Jeremiah loosed a hoarse cry of his own and charged at the minotaur before he knew what was happening.  He was caught by surprise as the beast stopped dead in its tracks.  His sword sliced into the minotaur's abdomen, severing muscle but not killing it.

Brigit walked up to it and set her axe to its waist, much as if she were about to chop down a tree.  She pulled her arms back, turning her whole body before swinging back.  The dwarven waraxe bit into the minotaur unlike any axe to a tree.  Brigit finished her movement facing the opposite direction, practically spinning 180 degrees.  The minotaur's legs and waist fell to the ground, on top of its torso and head.  She turned and gave a jaunty salute to Milo.

Jeremiah looked somewhat disappointed.  Apparently he had never finished the fight in his dreams and this wasn't quite what he expected.  Milo gave him a pat on his back and told him to keep watch for any other minotaurs that might live here.

He very much doubted that there were any more.  Right as Brigit made her fateful attack Milo noticed the disorienting feeling lift.  He guessed that the minotaur had some sort of constant enchantment that prevented them from finding their way through the labyrinthine caverns.  Probably to weaken them by the time they found their way to the middle, the lair of the beast.

At the far end of the cavern Milo found the minotaur's sleeping area.  It was obviously a fastidious beast.  There were bones stacked neatly from the floor to level with his chest.  Skulls topped pyramids of bleached bones.  He found a dwarven waraxe, it was in remarkable shape and looked sharper than Brigit's, if that were possible.  

Before he could show his discovery to Brigit he heard her exclaim.  She had found an odd section of wall.  She discovered a large loose rock that slid away from the wall easily.  Behind the rock was a shallow alcove with a small chest, a suit of plate mail, and a long stick.

Jeremiah looked very interested in the plate mail.  It looked just his size.  Milo was more concerned with the chest and stick.  He checked the small box for traps, eyeing the lock carefully.  He noticed a tiny needle just inside the mechanism.  It was perfectly placed to snag anyone too careless as they tried to force the lock.  He withdrew his tools and set about disarming the spring-set needle trap.  As careful as he was, the trap sprung as one of his tools slipped.  He steeled himself for a quick poison or a sick sensation.  A slight shudder coursed through his system but he was able to shake it off.  He guessed the poison was a low grade.  One more attempt at disarming the trap and he was successful, pulling the needle out carefully with tweezers.

The lock was no match for his lock picks after he was warmed up with the trap.  The lid sprung open and three bottles met his gaze.  Under the bottles was a pile of gold and electrum, with a bit of jewelry poking through.  Mazi looked over his shoulder at the sparkling, very interested in the colors of the stones.

Brigit volunteered to taste the potions, relying on her dwarven constitution to prevent any complications.  She described the first liquid as slightly smoky.  Milo noticed that she appeared slightly hazy around the edges as she sipped.  

_"That's got to be some sort of gaseous form potion.  You could change to smoke and slip through cracks after drinking that!"_  Milo exclaimed.

Brigit shrugged and tried the next.  She described the same refreshed feeling that she felt after she drank healing potions.  They stowed that one as a curing draught.  The last potion seemed the most alarming.  After sipping a bit an alarmed expression appeared on her face.  

_"My armor is too tight!  Ack, I canna breath!"_ Brigit said with shock.  

The sensation was only temporary.  Mazi theorized that it must be an enlarge potion.  If Brigit had drank the whole thing her armor probably would have grown with her.  They stowed the three potions for later use.  

Milo turned his attention to the long stick.  It was sturdy and had some runes carved into it.  Neither he nor Mazi could figure out what it might be used for.  They both agreed that it had to be magical, whatever it was.  Mazi stowed the staff since it was much too large for Milo to haul around comfortable.

The adventurers discussed their finds with excitement.  They decided to camp again to ready themselves for the last two caverns.  Mazi also mentioned a spell she had been researching that would identify magical items.  If she only had a few more hours to devote to it she thought that it might be ready for use.

Their course decided, the friends set out to find their way through the maze.  Without the disorienting magic they found their way without a problem.  No more beetles or stirges bothered them on the way out.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-one (session 5)*

A horrible sight awaited the party back at the camp.  The two caravan guards had been slaughtered, their heads and limbs severed from their bodies.  They found the appendages far from the corpses.  Milo was both sickened and furious.

He pushed his anger to the back and forced himself to think clearly.  They needed a new campground, which was obvious.  The guards were buried in shallow unmarked graves.  He was sad that more could not be done. 

Their new campsite was farther up the trail to the gorge, but not so close that the trees had become twisted and black.  They found a small clearing in the forest and began shedding gear.  Mazi needed time to finish her research and meditation before they could begin to identify the items they found.  She immediately went to work, pulling out her spell book and various components.  

Milo took Brigit aside and started a conversation about her armor.  She expressed her interest in moving with a little less noise.  Milo showed her some of the secrets he learned in his own training, placement of feet, bits of cloth between plates to muffle the clinking metal, how to pack gear for a minimum of noise.  Brigit was a fast learner, she sneaked up on Jeremiah twice without him hearing a whisper of sound.  Milo was very impressed in his apt pupil.  

Brigit mentioned his skill with the lock pick and trap disabling tools.  Milo enjoyed having a student and was glad to teach her the basics.  They used one of the chests they had found.  He would lock it, show her step by step how he used his picks to trip the tumblers, then let her try.  Her hands were amazingly dexterous considering her short fingers and stocky frame.  Milo gave her his backup set of lock picks as a gift when she showed that she was able to pick the lock without any of his help.  He was proud of his student.

Disabling traps was much harder to teach, without any complex traps to demonstrate on.  He gave her some basic tips on finding and recognizing different traps.  As well as how to disable said traps.  He also tried to impress upon her the importance of success and the drawback of failure.  He didn't think she'd be able to dodge a sprung trap very well with her heavy armor, but he did know that if there was anyone of them that could take the punishment, it was she.

Mazithra had finished her research by the time Milo was done teaching Brigit.  She waved them over excitedly and showed them her discoveries.  She had found much more about the dwarven waraxe than she thought her spell would reveal.  She told her three friends the following:

*Trollgrater   
Description:  Trollgrater is a magic waraxe that inflicts double damage against trolls and other regenerating creatures and in addition, trolls are unable to regenerate limbs severed by Trollgrater.  Trollgrater's blade never dulls and always feels warm and pulsating (like a heartbeat) to the touch.

History:  This was the battle-axe used by Mesmira Jericho during the Virago campaign against "Eve of the Poisoned Nails" and the Orcs of Tyr Bannon.  She lost it somewhere on the Astral plane after a brief encounter with minions of the Greater God, Za'adun.  During the Forgotten Isle invasion of Nuria, it was recorded that a great warrior wielded a powerful, magical battle-axe that fits the description of Trollgrater*

Brigit was in awe.  She vaguely remembered hearing about the Trollgrater when she was younger.  She picked up the axe reverently, with a wide-eyed look on her face.  

_"Thank ya, Mazi.  Ya don' know how much this means ta me.  This axe served me ancestors well, I'll do it justice by them, I will."_ She said to Mazi.  

Mazi waited for a moment before picking up the staff.  She turned to Milo and told him in hushed tones that it was a powerful healing staff, with multiple magical spells embedded in it.  The staff could cast a great healing spell, it could cure disease, magical blindness or deafness, it could restore weakened minds, bodies, and will.  Mazi carefully handed the staff to Milo before she told him the word to activate the effects.  _"Abercromby"_ she said.  Milo gave her a quizzical look before shrugging his shoulders and looking back down at the staff.  It was as though Mazi's spell had awakened some power within the staff and he could feel a peaceful emanation of power from it.  She warned him that there were eighteen more charges within the staff and to use them wisely.  Milo nodded gravely.

The last item Mazi had before her was the rope that tied the orc's bag.  It turned out that the rope was almost sentient.  It would obey simple commands to attach itself to almost anything, releasing only after a command from its wielder.  It would tie knots in itself for climbing as well as hold an impressive load before giving out.  It was indeed a useful little item to have around.

While Mazi studying and Milo was training Brigit, Jeremiah had been training himself as well.  He showed Brigit a new maneuver he discovered that could possibly allow him to cleave through not just one enemy, but multiple enemies in one attack.  Brigit was very impressed.  Jeremiah had been practicing in the magic suit of plate mail they had found in the minotaur's cavern.  Though the magic allowed him to move freely, Brigit could tell he was still somewhat clumsy in the hefty armor.  Before een they set up watch she instructed Jeremiah in some of the finer points of fighting in heavy armor.  Jer was a quick learner and was soon moving agilely about in the full plate.  He was considerably louder than Brigit, but he would be much harder to wound.

They set up watch, paranoid of midnight visitors after the attack from the dire bat the night before.  None of them slept too soundly, but they were refreshed enough the next morning.  Milo and his friends journeyed back to the gorge and its cursed caverns.  

They decided to skip the next cavern down the row.  It was set high up along the gorge, straight back from the entrance.  They figured that the robed man probably entered that cavern during the lightning bolt attack from a few nights ago.  They chose instead to enter the cave set lower and farther over from the entrance in question.

Once again, Milo led their way into the darkness.  His hooded lantern shedding light into the rough cavern tunnels.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-two (session 5)*

Dawn broke over gray skies the next morning.  No creatures disturbed their rest and the group felt refreshed and prepared for the day.  Milo found a quiet corner to pray while Mazithra prepared her daily spells.  Finished with their preparations, they set back out for the caverns.

They reached the gorge a couple of hours before midday.  After a quick rest and a few bites of trail rations, the party steeled themselves for the challenges ahead.  There were only two visible cavern mouths that were unexplored.  One at the very rear of the gorge, near the top, and the other to the south and lower.  Milo swore the robed figure was heading towards the upper cavern before the lightning bolt hit those many nights before.  They couldn't be sure, but decided to take the lower cavern to be on the safe side.

Milo tread softly as they entered the cave.  Brigit and Jeremiah led the way with Milo and Mazithra following behind.  Brigit practiced her new skills at detecting hidden traps.  Milo kept his eyes on the walls, floors, and ceilings.  There was no way he was going to be taken by surprise and trigger any traps.  Just then a crossbow bolt whizzed by, barely missing Brigit.  One was followed by another, Brigit was ready for it this time and raised her shield to intercept.  

_"That's what I git fer payin attention to tha walls."_ Brigit could be heard to say as she readied her axe for the inevitable charge.

A hyena-like howl rose from four inhuman throats down the tunnel.  Two humanoid creatures charged from the darkness, Milo recognized them immediately as gnolls.  Their slavering jaws dripped with drool and their fur was matted.  They brandished old battleaxes.  Two other gnolls dropped heavy crossbows and drew their own axes.

Milo fired a crossbow bolt of his own at the approaching dog-beasts.  His bolt flew past his target, as did Mazi's arrow.  Both drew their next missile with grim determination as the gnolls clashed with Brigit and Jeremiah's steel.

Jeremiah reveled in his new armor.  Every blow that the gnoll landed caused a brief glow to spread out from the impact.  Not one to dwell too long on novelties, Jer brought his great sword into play.  He was a daunting figure, clad head to toe in shining steel with a great two-handed sword swinging at the bestial gnolls.  His sword bit into gnoll hide and kept going.  The two gnolls attacking Brigit and Jeremiah fell in pieces.  

Brigit immediately advanced, her magic waraxe raised high.  The sorcelled axe head came down hard into the breastbone of the crossbow wielder.  Brigit cursed at her luck, heaving at the lodged axe.  The other gnoll was still drawing its axe as its beady eyes focused on the struggling dwarf.

Milo had reloaded by that time and he fired another bolt.  His quarrel sunk into the gnoll's thigh, drawing a hoarse howl from the creature.  Mazi fired her next arrow at the noisy beast.  Her missile found its mark as well. 

The wounded gnoll raised its battleaxe, fury shone in its red-rimmed eyes.  Its axe glanced off Brigit's shield, causing sparks to fly from the hardened steel.  She had just pulled out her axe and brought her shield around in the nick of time.

Jeremiah rushed behind the gnoll and slashed down with his sword.  The wounded gnoll fell with a severed spine.  The four adventurers paused, listening intently.  They worried that the commotion may have alerted other cavern dwellers.  A few moments passed with no audible effects.  Amazingly enough it appeared that no other gnolls heard the howling of their brethren.

Milo and the others stooped over the corpses to check for valuables.  Each of them carried a few pieces of gold.  Their battleaxes were worn and rusty.  Not worth the effort to haul them out.  Their armor was in similar disrepair.  The party ventured on.

They soon came to a guardroom of sorts.  It was more of a widening in the tunnel than an actual room.  A couple of stools and a small table indicated the room's purpose.  Milo and Brigit searched the room for any secrets.  Finding none and hearing nothing down the hallway, they continued.

The passage narrowed past the guardroom before curving to the north.  A long tunnel stretched before them.  They moved as quietly as possible, no mean feat considering the amount of metal the party carried.  The adventurers came to a staircase leading up the passage.  At the top of the passage they could see the tunnel continue to the north as well as a branch to the east.  

The northern tunnel widened ahead into a room.  They decided to investigate that area first.  Their stealthy approach was somewhat ruined by the clanking of their armor.  Three growling gnolls awaited the party in the rough-hewn cavern.  Milo loosed his crossbow, the bolt raced towards one of the three and sunk into its hide.  Another howl rang through the cavern.  

Jeremiah charged at the cluster of creatures with his sword trailing behind.  He brought the huge weapon around and cleaved straight through the two leading gnolls.  Their torsos severed, the corpses toppled to the ground.  The third gnoll hacked at Jeremiah with his axe, but couldn't get past his armor.  The mystical glow spread from impact to impact as the gnoll pressed its attack.

Brigit moved into position next to Jeremiah, bringing her own axe into the fight.  The gnoll was no match for her expert axe wielding.  Just as she dispatched the furry beast, five more gnolls could be seen approaching from an irregular outcropping of the cave wall.  They howled in a high pitched keening after they saw the bodies of the slain gnolls.  These were females, and they were angry.

Three of the females cast their spears at Brigit, the closest culprit.  The weakly thrown weapons rang off her armor as she turned to face the new threat.  The females growled deep in their throats and continued to approach.  

Milo caught sight of the gnolls as they rounded the outcropping and fired his bolt.  It ricocheted off the rock, narrowly missing the lead female.  The bolt splintered against the wall and fell to the ground, useless.

Jeremiah waited for the females to reach him before lunging into action.  His sword sliced deeply into the gnoll Milo missed.  The ugly gash that trailed his blade was fatal, the gnoll toppled.  His sword swung mere centimeters from the face of the next female.  It blinked its beady eyes at the barbarian then continued to advance.

Mazithra loosed her bowstring at the females.  Her arrow performed a similar ricochet off the rock near the gnolls.  It too shattered from the force of hitting the wall.  She grumbled under her breath as she quickly drew another arrow from her quiver.

Two of the gnolls reached Brigit.  They didn't get a chance to attack the dwarf before her magical axe whirled through the air, lantern light gleaming off its polished edge.  It soon reflected red as she hacked through first one, then another gnoll.  She cut them down to her height with her powerful blows.

Two gnolls remained with spears brandished.  They howled their anger at the group and ran at Brigit with spears raised.  Milo let another bolt fly, aiming low at the charging females.  His target's howl faltered and she fell back an inch before continuing on with a bolt lodged in its arm.  Jeremiah stepped before Brigit and met their charge.  His sword moved quickly as it sliced past their meager guard to pierce their matted hides.  The gnolls fell at his feet, their lifeblood pooling beneath them.

The bodies had a few gold apiece.  The party quickly divested them of their valuables.  A single door led out of the room they were in.  They could see a side room past the outcropping of rock where the females had dwelled.  As they were examining the room and its wall hangings Milo came across an exceptionally fine quality hide.  After a closer look he determined it to be made of sable.  The hanging turned out to be a cloak of excellent craftsmanship.  They stowed the garment for later use or sale.

Milo searched the door for traps but found none.  He did discover that it was locked.  None of the bodies had a key so he reached for his lock picks.  His nimble fingers worked the small tools into the narrow space of the lock.  The mechanism was stuck, perhaps slightly rusted.  His lock picks slid out of place and he lost the progress he had made through the stiff tumblers.  He heard someone clear her throat behind him and turned to address the interruption.  Brigit stood behind with an almost pleading look on her face, holding the bigger training lock picks he lent to her.  He shrugged and stepped to the side before bowing with a flourish before her, gesturing to the lock in a deferring manner.

Brigit grinned and moved forward to try her hand at the stubborn lock.  After a few seconds of fidgeting with the lock picks they could all hear the familiar click of the tumblers falling into place.  She withdrew her tools and smirked at Milo.

_"Sure, after I've loosened it up for you!"_ Milo whispered with quiet mock indignation.  

Inside was a supply closet.  All that was of value was a dwarf-sized suit of chain mail.  The rest of the supplies were either too old to bother with or of an unfamiliar origin.  They grabbed the suit of chain and turned to leave the room.

The party moved to the other passage outside the room, heading east.  An entryway opened on the northern side of the passage ahead of the group a few feet.  They readied themselves, assuming that whatever was in the room would be ready for them.  They rounded the corner and were met by a room packed with gnolls.

Rather than jumping in and wading through the gnolls, risking attacks from every angle, Jeremiah waited for the slavering beasts to approach his position.  He didn't wait long, the males in the fore charged at Jeremiah and Brigit with their axes high.  The full plate armor that the fighters wore protected them from the gnolls' attacks.

Jeremiah returned the attack but met no more resistance than air.  The gnoll had jumped back with blinding speed.  Brigit's attack found a similar lack of contact.  These gnolls were more agile than the last.  

Mazithra loosed her bowstring at the gnoll attacking Jeremiah.  The arrow skimmed by its head, barely missing its neck.  She didn't even pause as she pulled another arrow from her quiver and set it to the string.

Milo fired his bolt at Brigit's assailant.  It howled at the pain a crossbow quarrel causes when it punctures the chest.  The gnoll turned its baleful gaze on the halfling, intent on squashing the annoyance that just made itself known.  The gnoll couldn't reach Milo through the heavy fighting before it.  

The gnoll attacked Brigit instead.  The sturdy dwarf ignored the clumsy swing and readied her waraxe to show the gnoll how much damage they could really do.  The other gnoll attacked Jer, trying to penetrate the defense provided by his steel and his armor.  Jeremiah batted the axe aside and slashed down.  The gnoll jumped back a moment too late as the sword tip traced a bloody line across its chest.  The wounded gnoll wavered but did not fall, determined to kill the dwarf.

Another bolt flew from Milo's crossbow.  It skimmed past Brigit's assailant, trailing blood as it grazed its snout.  The gnoll shrieked and threw itself at Brigit in an attempt to reach Milo.  Brigit's axe was waiting.  She thrust her axe into the gnoll's abdomen, slicing through its stomach.  Her axe emerged from its side to hack through the gnoll Jer wounded.  Both gnolls fell with their hands clutching their guts.

Jeremiah seized the opportunity Brigit's attack provided.  He jumped into the gap left by the ex-gnolls and slashed at the waiting enemies.  Jeremiah's companions were amazed at the carnage.  Jeremiah's sword flashed in the lantern light as he slashed away at gnoll after gnoll.  Three dead and one narrowly missed.  The gnolls were just as shocked as the adventurers were.  A red mist settled around the barbarian.  

With an outraged howl the gnolls pressed in to attack Jeremiah.  Their blows rained down futilely.  His magic armor protected Jeremiah from the axes his sword did not.  A single female moved in to attack Brigit.  She scoffed at the beast as she swatted its axe to the side.

Mazithra and Milo aimed for the hapless female.  Both loosed their weapons at the same time.  Milo's bolt sunk into its chest, causing it to grunt from the impact.  Mazi's arrow flew by its snout, barely missing a fatal blow.  

Brigit ignored the weak attacks from the female and strode forward.  She spun 180 degrees, her axe trailing behind her.  The blade eviscerated first a female that charged her as she moved then the original female that attacked her.  They both dropped without so much as a groan.

Jeremiah continued the carnage farther into the room.  He sliced through another male, his sword barely missed the next victim.  The beasts were cautious of this gnoll-killing machine.

The gnolls circled Jer warily.  Four of the hyena-headed beasts surrounded him.  They all attacked simultaneously.  Only one was able to do any damage to the hardy human.  He groaned as an axe sliced his arm in-between the plates of his armor.  

Brigit was busy with more of the females that seemed to fill the cavern.  She dodged a blow and returned the attack.  The gnoll facing her was not as quick as she was.  It fell to the ground, joined shortly by one of it's kindred.  Brigit hacked through the gnolls as quickly as they came at her.

Mazithra and Milo tried to choose their targets carefully.  By now there were no enemies that were not fully engaged in combat with Jeremiah or Brigit.  Milo fired at the group surrounding Jeremiah but was unable to hit the fast moving beasts.  Mazithra shot at the other side of the group but had the same problem Milo suffered.  The gnolls moved too quickly to hit without firing directly into the fight, risking further injury to Jer.

For his part Jeremiah lunged at the nearest gnoll.  His blade sunk hilt deep into the breastbone of the hairy creature.  He pushed at the corpse with his booted foot, but was unable to dislodge it.  He let the gnoll corpse hit the ground and tried to use the additional leverage to pull his sword out, to no avail.

One male and three females still bracketed Jeremiah.  He dodged lithely while trying to pull his sword out.  Two of the attacks landed but had no more effect on Jeremiah than the glow they caused from his armor.  

Meanwhile Milo and Mazithra heard a commotion from the eastern passageway.  More gnolls approached.  Two large males in higher quality armor and one huge gnoll, towering over the rest.  Four females followed closely with spears of their own.  It appeared the party attracted the leader of the gnolls and his entourage.

Milo spun around and fired his crossbow bolt at the approaching gnolls.  They saw the bolt fly and had plenty of time to dodge.  Mazi calculated the distance between the gnolls and their position, did some quick math, and decided to draw her long sword.  She looked excited to get into the thick of battle finally.

Back in the room Brigit faced two more females.  She blocked an axe with her shield and swung her own at the gnoll.  She felt the satisfying crunch as her axe sliced through bone and muscle.  The gnoll growled before it fell dead.

Jeremiah finally wrestled his sword out of the gnoll corpse, just in time to dodge more attacks from the remaining gnolls.  He saw Milo and Mazithra turn to face a new threat and redoubled his efforts to dispatch the gnolls in the room.

The reinforcements arrived enmasse.  The two that must have been lieutenants or sons of the leader converged on Mazi, putting their considerable bulk behind their axe swings.  Mazi dodged one but was clipped by the other.  She hopped back with a wound dripping blood from her arm.  She noticed with gratification that the gnoll had a similar wound on its own arm.  

Milo bounced and tumbled as he dodged the gnoll leader's surprisingly fast battleaxe.  He sprung to his feet and stowed his crossbow, opting to fight the burly gnoll with his short sword.

With his great sword swinging, Jeremiah spun in a full circle.  The gnolls around him fell back, flung by the force of the huge barbarian.  All four of the gnolls that surrounded him lay dead.  Brigit paused for a second to whistle in amazement.  She had never seen such a lethal blow.  Once again a red mist settled around the barbarian who grinned in its midst.

The last female in the room made a feeble attempt to wound Brigit.  She nearly batted its axe from its grasp with her parry.  Beyond the room in the hallway a pitched battle was at hand.  Mazi barely avoided the large gnoll plaguing her.  Her sword nearly slipped from her grasp as she spun to the side.  She recovered her grip before it caused disaster.

Milo moved as fast as his small limbs could carry him.  The other large gnoll focused its attention on him instead of Mazi.  Milo dodged its axe only to roll practically into the leader's grasp.  The huge gnoll's axe whistled through the air before it sliced a deep gash in his arm.  He sucked a sharp intake of breath through his teeth at the wound.

_Time to even the odds_ Milo thought.  He tumbled past the two sons into the open hallway.  As he did so he bumped their legs, not quite getting a proper start to the maneuver.  Both gnolls hacked at him, barely missing the lithe halfling.  He flipped around and stabbed one in the back, scoring a critical hit to its vital organs.  The gnoll fell with a rattle from its lungs.  The leader saw its son die and growled deep in its throat before yelling something in gnoll at Milo.  

Brigit and Jeremiah converged on the final female in the commons room.  She was no match for their charge and fell before Jeremiah's blade.  Both turned to aid their friends in the passageway.

The leader thought better of chasing the small halfling and turned instead to Mazi, alone in the corridor to the room.  The leader's axe swung down and sliced into Mazi's shield arm.  She gasped at the severe wound that opened.  She turned a steely gaze onto the gnoll, intent on its death.

One of the females in the hallway moved past the leader and engaged Milo.  She thrust her spear at Milo.  He sidestepped and ducked the son's blow as well.  Milo was hoping Jer and Brigit would finish up in the room soon.

Milo stabbed at the axe-wielding son but his short reach prevented him from scoring a hit.  Mazi tried to slice the leader with her long sword, barely missing the agile gnoll.  It growled defiance at her and pressed in.  Brigit moved to block his advance, thrusting down with her axe.

Jeremiah moved forward to join the battle in the hall.  He shouted as he heaved his sword at the leader.  The gnoll howled in pain as the blade bit through its thick matted hide.  It slashed blindly at Jeremiah, he blocked the axe with his great sword.

The leader's son and the female continued to attack Milo.  He hopped and weaved about to dodge the blows.  The female's spear snagged a ring from his chain shirt but he was able to jump back before the weapon could inflict any more damage.

Milo moved in close and slashed at the large gnoll.  The quick beast parried his move.  It raised its lip in a sneer and pressed back at the halfling.

The leader's son failed to notice the plight its father was in.  Mazithra and Brigit overwhelmed the huge gnoll as they struck in unison.  Mazi's sword bit into his chest while Brigit's waraxe sliced through its belly.  The leader snarled as it fell, dead before it hit the ground.

Jeremiah moved past the corpse to attack the leader's son.  It didn't see the blade coming as he cut it from buttock to shoulder.  The gnoll turned with a yelp to face its new assailant.  It hacked at Jeremiah ineffectively as another female moved to close the gap.  Its spear was no more successful as it clanked against his armor.  Milo continued to dodge the female that harried him, finding it much easier with only one enemy to focus on.

Milo's sword snaked past the female's spear and tagged its leg.  Blood soaked through its legging and it snarled at Milo.  What it didn't see was a full steel clad dwarf move behind and take a mighty swing with her axe.  The female spontaneously split in two from Milo's vantage.  The leader's son fell as well just moments later from the deadly dwarven forged steel.

Jeremiah turned back around to face the last three females.  He growled at them in a close approximation of the leader and jumped with his sword flailing.  The females cowered back from the daunting figure, obviously cowed.

They stabbed uselessly at the towering barbarian.  He scoffed as Brigit moved up next to him, her devastating axe slicing through the air.  Two more gnolls fell to her furious assault.  Jeremiah stabbed at the last female.  Her death cry turned to a gurgle as the blood filled her lungs.  He kicked her off of his sword and stood up straight, surveying the scene with satisfaction.

Milo noticed Mazi panting slightly as she leaned against the wall.  She had taken a nasty hit from the leader's axe.  Milo moved up to her and chanted a healing mantra.  He placed his hands on her wounds and the bleeding stopped.  The wounds themselves remained open but appeared a bit healthier than before.

She waved Milo away and stooped down to retrieve a silver armband from the leader's thick wrist.  Milo noticed a matching armband on the other side and removed it for Mazi to inspect.  He also found a hefty coin purse on its belt, full of gold.  Brigit found necklaces on each of the leader's concubines.  They looked valuable so the party stashed them.  The two sons had a few gold pieces in their coin purses as well.  Each of the other gnoll corpses in the room had silver in various pockets and purses.

They decided to check out the hallway the leader and his entourage emerged from.  A short distance down the tunnel led to an open door.  Inside they found crude furniture and a fireplace.  The furnishings were lavish compared to what they had seen so far.  They figured the leader must have lived in this room.  

Milo set about searching the room.  He was quick to remember some of the valuables they had found in other rooms similar to this.  He discovered a loose flagstone which, when lifted, revealed a literal pot of coins.  Gold, silver, copper, and electrum winked back at the happy halfling.

Meanwhile Brigit was giving the far wall an odd stare.  Mazi recognized the same look from the orc cavern and the incredibly concealed chest Brigit had found in the stone work.  After some long minutes Brigit moved forward slowly and pushed at a single stone with her axe head.

The stone moved in a fraction of an inch and a deep rumbling sounded.  The wall before her swung outward, stone scraping on stone.  Milo was impressed, he had completely missed that secret lever.  Brigit never ceased to amaze him.  His thoughts were cut short at a startled exclamation from Mazithra.

Just inside the revealed passage was a broken body.  It had been there for a long time, its skeleton belying the cause of death and its race.  It was obvious that it was once an elf, and judging from its clothing, a very important one.  Its left leg was broken, the injury apparently kept the elf from escaping the tunnel.

Mazi knelt reverently before the corpse, she retrieved a finely tooled scabbard.  Elven runes were set into the well-preserved leather.  She slowly drew the sword.  Looking closely Milo noted that it appeared to have wood grain down the length of the blade.  More elven runes were etched into the sword itself.

Mazi held the blade before them and spoke softly of the sword:

*This is Sylvanglade, it is an elven sword made out of the wood of a tree sacred to elves (the tree is nourished with a fertilizer with a high-mithril content, and the wood, once shaped into weapons, is indistinguishable from steel. Sylvanglade (and its twin Greencopse which was destroyed, or so say the legends) is a silvery Longsword with an ornate golden crossguard to protect the hand. The hilt is wrapped in silver wire.

It's said that the blade is masked from detect magic, dispel magic and even anti-magic shell will not negate the powers of this elven blade. The blades were used for ceremonial battles between the champions of elven kingdoms. The blade has one unique ability; it temporarily negates the enchantment on the blade of the opponent *
_(thus, if the opponent has a long sword +5 it operates as a simple long sword. If there is more than one attacker then only the first attacker of the round has his/her "plusses" negated if Sylvanglade's wielder does not specify otherwise.  The blade functions as a +2 magical blade with regards to Damage Resistance/what it can hit.)_

Mazi was gently stroking the blade as she spoke, the reverence and awe in her voice was apparent to all.  Milo noticed a pouch on the skeleton's belt as she finished speaking.  He scooped it up and peered inside to find a dozen gems.  He guessed their value to be about fifty gold apiece.

Mazi had sheathed the blade and reached down to the skeleton's hand.  She retrieved a signet ring and explained to the group that there would be no problem with her wielding the blade since she had the signet ring.  She stooped over the elf one more time, removing exceptional fine elven boots.  Milo whistled at their craftsmanship.  He figured boots like those would be quieter than a cat's tread.  Too bad they didn't come in his size.

While Mazi was looking over the skeleton, the others peered down the new passage.  Tired after the grueling battles with the gnolls, they decided to leave it for the next day.  Perhaps it led to a back way into the robed figure's inner sanctum.

After Mazi finished her work the group started back.  Brigit stopped at each group of corpses to hack off the arms and legs.  She remarked on the keen edge of the Trollgrater.  It hacked through the corpses in a fraction of the time of her unenchanted weapon.

The friends emerged from the gnoll cavern at dusk.  They made their way from the gorge to a new campground, not willing to take a chance and lapse into habit.  They found another clearing a good distance from the caverns and set about making camp.

Mazithra found a quiet spot and grabbed Milo's handaxes.  She wanted to identify them after her other discoveries.  She didn't think they'd be normal weapons like his enchanted dagger.  Milo shrugged, he wasn't quite sure how to use the unwieldy axes anyway.

They set up watch and slept, each taking their turn until near morning when Mazi finished her spell and had a few hours of meditation.  She woke Milo and the others excitedly.  She had found some background information on the axes as well as what they were enchanted with.  She told them in an excited voice:

*Reft and Rend, the Axes of Ambidexterity
Haft of bone
These weapons are a matched pair.  When used individually, they confer the Feat of ambidexterity upon the wielder, he is able to fight with an additional (one-handed) weapon in either hand.  When used together, the wielder maintains the Feat of ambidexterity, and each axe functions at +3.

History:  These weapons are probably of Duergar origin since the symbol to the entrance of every Duergar Place of Power is a relief of the crossed Axes of Ambidexterity.*

Milo whistled as he took the axes from Mazi's outstretched hands.  He turned them over in his hands, examining them as if he had not seen them before.  To think, one of those was buried in his shoulder not too long ago.  He would have to give some serious thought into learning to use these weapons.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-three (session 6)*

Milo stowed his handaxes, there'd be time later for practicing.  They had some cups to find.  Milo and his friends struck camp and prepared for their next assault on the caves.  He hoped it would be their last.  The pervading evil of the gorge seemed to be spreading across the countryside.  It made him nervous.

They talked as they journeyed back to the caves.  Only one cavern remained completely unexplored.  There was also the secret passage they discovered in the gnoll cavern.  Mazi theorized that the secret passage could be a back way into the other cave complex.  Whether it was or not, none of them felt right leaving it unexplored.  They decided to head into the secret passage and find what lay in store.

They ventured into the gnoll cave cautiously.  No dismembered corpses littered the floor.  No gnolls attacked them from the darkness either.  The cave was eerily quiet.  The only sounds they heard were from their own armor and gear.  They made their way to the secret door that Brigit found the day before.

She triggered the catch and the door once again rumbled open.  The skeleton of the elf lay exactly as they had left it.  No obvious signs of passage were evident.  It seemed that this hidden path was not known to the other denizens of the caves.  The party carefully moved forward, all senses straining to hear or see anything out of the ordinary.

The passage led them to another secret door.  They were on the other side of the camouflage and found the catch easily.  Before opening the door Brigit listened carefully through the solid rock.  Milo smirked and made a comment about listening to a brick wall.  Brigit cast a nasty glance back his way and opened the door.

On the other side were stacks of supplies.  They were in a small room with an open entryway.  Boxes and crates were lined up along the sides and in the middle of the room.  Just down the hall they could hear a faint sucking, slurping noise.  It almost sounded like a child playing with his gelatin dessert in a bowl, magnified tenfold.  It dawned on Milo.

_"Gelatinous cube!"_ he whispered loudly to the others, just as a translucent square of jelly rounded the corner outside the room and started to flop towards them.
_"Probably the hallway cleaner, it's stupid, but it will attack if it senses us.  Don't let it touch you, you'll be paralyzed."_

Milo and Mazithra took the initiative by firing their range weapons before the creature could reach them.  Both hit the cube, their arrow and bolt sinking deep into its mass.  They sat suspended like fruit in a fancy upper crust dish.  

Brigit also wasted no time.  She began pushing at a couple of crates, blocking the entryway before the cube could reach them.  

_"Brilliant idea Brigit, only now I can't see the thing to shoot it!"_ Milo said.  The crates were about a foot taller than the diminutive halfling.

Brigit shook her head and ran to a small box, positioning it so Milo could hop up and see past the blockade.

While they worked on the makeshift stool, Mazi had knocked another arrow to fire at the cube.  Jeremiah had also drawn his bow and readied an arrow.  They let them fly.  The large mass of gelatin made an easy target and both plunged into the cube.  The arrows made ugly puncture marks but otherwise just hung in the middle along with the other missiles.

Milo crawled onto the box Brigit positioned for him and fired his crossbow.  His bolt joined the rest in the center of the goop.  He hoped the thing was being damaged as it flopped up to the barrier and began to ooze over the top.

The adventurers backed away from the blockade, Milo hopping down right after he finished loading his crossbow.  After two steps backward he aimed and fired again.  The quarrel burst through the membrane of the gel and the entire cube collapsed.  Thick jelly poured through the holes their arrows and bolts had created.  A large puddle formed on the ground before them, stinking of decay and chemicals.

Crinkling his nose, Milo toed the edge of the puddle with his boot.  No reaction, these gelatinous cubes weren't corrosive like the slimes from the other cave.  At least not after they were dead.

The party regrouped.  There was nothing of value they could find in this room and the corpse wasn't exactly anything Brigit could dismember.  They hadn't made a lot of noise in the battle so they hoped that nothing was alerted to their presence, yet.

They moved into the hallway.  Milo noted that the stonework was deliberate, much more so than the other caverns.  Brigit remarked on the same, her trained dwarven eye noticing the obvious labor that was put into carving the walls.  After a few feet the party came to the bend that the cube emerged from.  Around the corner was a long hallway punctuated by a door midway.

The friends approached the door cautiously, Milo leading to watch for traps.  There was something odd about this portal.  The door was bolted on their side.  A quick discussion followed about whether it was to keep something out of the tunnels or something inside a room.  They remembered the bolted door in one of the first caverns, merely leading to the outside.  

They decided to check it out anyway.  Brigit removed the bolt and rigged the door so it could not be locked on them after they entered.  They peered into the darkness, unable to see far even with Milo's lantern.  After a few feet they came to stairs leading down as far as they could see.  Something made Milo feel that this staircase would be better left for later.  He told his friends and received no objections.  They walked back out the door and Brigit bolted it shut.  Whatever dungeon awaited them down the stairs would be visited later.

The group moved down the hallway, rounding the corner cautiously in case more cubes or worse were waiting for them.  An even longer hallway stretched before them.  Two passages led to the right and left at different points before the passage curved back off to the right.  The checked the right hand passage first, it was closer and they decided to clear out what was at hand before venturing down any further.

The branching passage continued for a ways before cutting to the right.  There was a door at the corner, on the left side of the hallway.  They moved to search the area, Milo checking for traps on the door while the rest kept watch.  The door was unlocked and untrapped.  Milo pushed it open.

Inside was a furnished room.  Hangings adorned the wall, depicting grisly scenes, demons, sacrifices, unholy symbols.  There were beds as well.  Filth littered the floor.  If it weren't for the garbage Milo thought this looked like a guestroom in some demon lord's estate.  He shuddered at the evil that seemed to fill the room.  There was nothing of interest in the room.  No secret caches or hidden compartments were behind the hangings and beds.

Moving out of the room they continued down the hallway.  It cut back to the left and led down a steep staircase.  They decided to clear out the level they were on before heading down the stairs or behind the bolted door in the other hall.  Before they left Milo listened intently at the top of the flight.  He heard nothing.

Back in the main passage the group moved to the left hallway.  It too went for a few feet before cutting, this time to the left.  Another few feet and it cut back to the right.  At the end of the hallway was a door set into the stone to the left.  It was solid metal with bars set up about human eye-level.  Obviously it was a prison of sorts.

Jeremiah and Mazithra were the only ones tall enough to peer through the bars.  Jer moved forward and looked into the room.  He described skeletons hanging from shackles on the wall.  After a second he exclaimed in surprise.  He could just barely see a girl hanging in a corner.  She had her head down and he couldn't make out much, but she looked alive.

Milo grabbed his picks and set himself at the lock.  He had the door open in a flash and moved aside to let Brigit and Jeremiah lead the way.  Brigit walked in with a stride, ready to rescue the girl.  A hissing came from the corner where the girl hung.  Brigit stopped suddenly froze in her tracks.  Jeremiah nearly walked right into her.  He stopped himself short and began to ask Brigit what was wrong.  Before he had the chance to utter the first word they noticed a strange change coming over the dwarf.  Her skin started to pale, her position remained the same, axe raised and in mid-step.  Seconds later a stone statue stood in Brigit's place.  A perfect replica of their dwarven friend in every way, down to the braids in her hair and the whisper of beard on her chin.

_"Oh no!  Medusa!  Everyone come back into the hallway, we've got to think about this one."_ Milo said hurriedly.

_"Help me pleassssssse."_ came a sibilant plea from the 'girl'.  _"I have a potion ssssssss it will change your friend ssssssssss back to fessssssssssh."_

A quick look at each other told Milo that neither Jeremiah nor Mazi trusted the medusa farther than any of them could throw her, which was nowhere while she was shackled.  That gave Milo an idea.

_"Hey, if it's chained to the wall, we can pick it off from a distance.  I can fire my crossbow over my shoulder without looking at it, or getting close to those snakes in its hair."_  Milo said to his friends.  _"But I'll have to shoot blind.  It can't move much, but I'm not going to be able to see it.  Maybe you guys can tell me how close I'm getting?  Hmm, that wouldn't work either, you'd have to look at it to see."_

_"Eep!"_ Mazi exclaimed with an excited look on her face.  She took off her pack and started to rummage through her belongings.  _"Ahah!"_ she stated as she pulled out a polished mirror.  

_"Mazi, your vanity will never cease to amaze me!  I'm glad you're with us."_ Milo said with a grin as he slowly shook his head side to side.  _"Okay, you stand to my side and hold up the mirror and I'll fire at the abomination."_ he finished.  


Mazi and Milo sidled past the statue of Brigit and took up position next to the wall opposite of the medusa.  Mazi held up the mirror and Milo looked into the face of a medusa for the first time.

_"I sure hope you've got that potion, spawn of hell."_  Milo said to it.

_"Pleassssssse help me."_ came the reply.

Milo didn't answer.  He set his crossbow over his shoulder, aimed as best he could, and fired.  A shriek answered his shot.  The bolt pierced the medusa's belly.  Milo could see the snakes in its hair writhe and hiss at his direction.  The medusa was impotent to protect itself.

He fired again, this bolt slamming into its shoulder.  He tried to aim closer to where he hoped her heart was.  His next bolt missed, breaking against the stone wall under its armpit.

Milo cocked the crossbow and fired a fourth shot.  The bolt protruded from the medusa's chest.  It shrieked again, writhing in agony.  He reloaded and took aim.  His next bolt missed.  It was trying to move now, its lithe body swayed back and forth erratically.  Milo had a hard time aiming at the wildly flailing creature in the mirror.

He fired again and again and again.  Three more bolts shattered against the rocks.  His next bolt struck true.  The quarrel plunged into the medusa's chest, straight to the heart.  The medusa stopped thrashing and hung limp.  Milo fired another bolt into the body, to make sure it wasn't trying to trick them.

The medusa didn't so much as twitch when the bolt thunked into it.  Milo turned around slowly and approached the body.  He kept his eyes squinted, just in case it moved.  He hoped he could shut his eyes before it could work its fell magic on him.  He prodded the body with his loaded crossbow, certain that a point blank shot would finish things if it were still alive.

Nothing at all happened.  He breathed a sigh of relief and examined the body.  He was still careful to keep from looking directly at its face, just in case.  He found a vial tied around its neck, concealed by the rags it wore.  He removed the potion and walked over to the statue that was Brigit.

_"I hope this works, I certainly can't haul Brigit out and we won't be able to make it to the keep with her through that undead army."_

Milo pulled out the stopper as he held the vial away from his body.  He slowly tipped it over Brigit's arm and let a drop fall to her stone skin.  The color immediately returned to her flesh, just a spot of living tissue in the middle of the statue.  He handed the vial to Mazi carefully and pointed at Brigit's head.

Mazithra took the vial and poured its contents onto Brigit's helmet.  The steel shine returned immediately and spread down.  As it reached her forehead the pink of flesh showed through the stone.  The color flushed through Brigit's body in a wave.

_"What the!?"_ The startled dwarf exclaimed.  _"What in tha blazes is goin on?  Milo, Mazi, how'd ya git in front of me.  What's with tha bolts in tha girl.  I just stepped in an..."_ realization dawned on Brigit's face.  _"I was - I was - that thing -"_ she pointed at the medusa with her axe. _"A *medusa*!?"_ she finished.  

Milo giggled and nodded.  He explained what happened to the dumbfounded dwarf.  She pounded him on the back and thanked him for risking his and Mazi's life to bring her back.  Milo stumbled from the impact but stood back up grinning.

_"Well, ready to brave more doors, Brigit?  We're not done here."_


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-four (session 6)*

Before they left the room Brigit kicked apart the skeletons and dismembered the medusa.  They certainly didn't need an undead medusa chasing after them.  They left the prison cell and returned to the main passage.  Brigit was ready to crack some live skulls after her experience with the medusa.  They decided to check out the staircase beyond the 'guestroom'.  

At the bottom of the long staircase they learned what the guestroom was for.  It was a visiting station for the torture room below.  Torture racks lined the far wall.  An iron maiden stood in the corner, open wide with its rusty, bloodstained spikes ready for another victim.  Torches were guttering in brackets at random points along the walls.  Various torture tools hung from the sidewall.  In another corner sat a low bed with a very large man.  He wasn't sitting still either.  As soon as the four entered the chamber he was up and charging with his battleaxe.

Milo reacted quickly, he shot a bolt at the fast approaching bulk of the torturer.  The missile skimmed past his head as he charged on.  The burly man reached Mazi first.  He brought his battleaxe down on the slight elf, cutting a shallow wound in her arm.  She danced back as she stowed her bow, readying her longsword for melee.  

Jeremiah and Brigit moved up to engage the dealer of pain.  He dodged quickly out of their range.  His dexterous movements were startling for his size.  Milo stashed his crossbow while he circled behind the large human.  He drew his shortsword and approached the torturer from behind.

He was attentive and he caught on to Milo's game.  Down came the battleaxe, this time wounding Milo.  He took the vicious blow to his side, sparks flew from the axe as it sliced into his chain shirt.

Milo's distraction was enough to allow Mazi's sword to bypass the torturer's defenses.  Her grace belied the deadly accuracy of her blade as she cut through the torturer's armor.  Blood appeared from the wound she inflicted under his arm.  The large human whirled around.  In a freak happening his battleaxe tangled with Jeremiah's incoming great sword.  The two wrestled for a split second before Jer's sword was flung from his hands.  The large blade clattered to the floor and skittered to a stop next to a torture rack across the room.

The torturer was about to follow through on his advantage against the weaponless barbarian when Brigit's axehead emerged from his chest.  Brigit had swung from behind and buried her axe in the torturer's back.  She had learned another of Milo's maneuvers, taking advantage of distracted or unaware foes.  Brigit kicked against the body, pulling her axe out as it fell to the floor.

Milo congratulated his apt student.  Brigit caught on to his lessons quickly.  He was very impressed with how far she had come in just a couple of days.  He stooped over the body of the human and looked through his person for valuables.  The torturer carried nothing but his battleaxe.  

Jeremiah had retrieved his great sword and was sheathing the weapon when he spotted a coin bag on the torturer's bed.  Inside were well over a hundred gold and a finely crafted golden bracelet.  

The only other thing they found in the torture chamber were the tools of the grisly trade the dead man had plied.  Brigit once again butchered the body, feeling vindicated knowing the atrocities the torturer had likely practiced in the macabre room.

Luckily there were no current victims in the room.  All of the tables and devices were empty.  _A slow day in hell perhaps_, Milo thought as they left the chamber.

The resolved to clear out the other dungeon behind the bolted door after they saw what that staircase revealed.  The party moved back to the original passage and approached the door.

Brigit once again slid the bolt off and opened the door.  Before they began down the stairs she rigged the bolt to remain open.  They didn't like the idea of being trapped with whatever was down there.

At the bottom of the stairs the tunnel opened into a long room.  They emerged in the middle of one lengthwise wall.  All along the walls were coffins, dusty and old.  Milo immediately thought of undead creatures, crawling out of the coffins and reaching for him.  He gave an inward shudder before bracing himself.  He was going to clear out all of these coffins, dead or undead.

Milo moved to the nearest coffin and heaved at the lid. He had a hard time reaching the lid from his precarious perch on the coffin pedestal.  Brigit moved to help him and they managed to pry the lid up and back.  Inside was a withered corpse, long dead and completely undisturbed.  Milo shrugged and moved to the next coffin.  Brigit went with him and helped him lift that lid as well.

Half expecting another undisturbed body, Milo and Brigit jumped back as a grey decrepit humanoid sprang out of the coffin.  It bared its fangs and claws at the two and made to attack them.

Milo felt a surge of divine power and holy inspiration.  He stood to his full height of three feet and raised his hand.  A bright light shone from his outstretched palm that seemed to sear the undead creature.  It wailed in a pitiful voice and cowered in the coffin.  

Brigit had her axe at the ready, she hacked down at the undead abomination.  Her weapon chopped clean through its arm, severing it from the body.  It wailed again and turned to flee.  The only way it could turn was to the foot of the coffin as Mazi and Jer had taken up position on the other side.

Mazi struck out at the aberration as it tried to slink away from Milo's outstretched palm.  Her sword bit through the grey, tough skin and hit the creature's backbone.  It severed the spine and the beast fell into the coffin.  Dead for good this time.

Milo explained that the creature was a wight.  He had learned about them in his studies at the Keep's chapel.  They were particularly nasty undead that could actually turn a living being into undead after it killed.  

The group was a little taken aback by his display of light.  Milo couldn't explain that phenomenon as easily as the wight.  He tried to tell them more about the power that seemed to infuse him at the time and the sudden insight, but couldn't quite convey his meaning properly.  

He gave up after looking into their blank stares for a few moments and turned to examine the coffin the wight had sprang from.  The wight had been on top of a false bottom.  Milo lifted out the plank and gazed down at the trove of gear.  Inside was a polished helm, a great sword, a scroll, and a silver dagger encrusted with gems.

Jeremiah had his hands on the great sword before Milo could turn to tell him.  He was admiring the beautiful craftsmanship of the blade and the amazing balance.  He turned to look at the helmet and would have reached for that too had his friends not stopped him.  

_"How about we find out if these are magical and what they might do before you use the sword or helmet, Jeremiah?"_ Mazi said to the eager barbarian.

_"Aye laddie, that helm er that sword mayhap is cursed.  We wouldna want ya down 'n out when we need ya tha most, now would we?"_ Brigit further explained.

Jer looked crestfallen, but understood the need for caution.  He put the sword back with the others.  Mazi chanted a brief cantrip and looked across the gear.  She pointed to the sword, the helmet, and the scroll, indicating that they each had a magical aura.  She picked up the scroll and looked over the text.  Unable to read it properly she figured Milo might have more luck.  

Milo glanced over the parchment.  It was definitely divine.  He recognized it as a ward against evil.  He told the others about its effect and stowed it with his other evil protection scroll.  Jeremiah put the helm and sword in his pack and Brigit put away the jeweled dagger in her gear.

After all was accounted for they moved to the next coffin.  Surrounding it, they heaved open the lid.  Underneath lay another withered corpse, nothing special.  Each of the remaining coffins revealed the same.  It appeared there were no more undead for Milo to hate in this room.

They trooped back up the stairs and into the corridor.  Nothing seemed to have disturbed the door or bolt.  Brigit returned the door to its original condition and they carried on.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-five (session 6)*

The four adventurers moved back into the long hallway past the wight room.  At the end was a right hand turn and stairs leading up.  They each readied their weapons and climbed the flight of steps.  Around another corner they came to a sturdy oak door.  Brigit tromped up to the door, being the first to reach it, and started looking about for traps.  While she was scanning the edges of the door and its latch she could hear faint sounds on the other side.  She described them as groaning and shrieking, muffled as though they came from a far distance.  This didn't exactly fill any of her friends with confidence.

She finished up her search for traps, declaring the door clean.  It was also unlocked.  She and Jeremiah stood side by side at the door and opened the latch.  The portal led into a cavernous tunnel, twenty feet wide with vaulted ceilings.  The walls were rough hewn and a sooty black.  A strange ore ran through the rock in blood-like veins.  Milo shivered, this place was evil.  The tunnel stretched off to their left and turned a sharp corner to the right of the door before it continued straight ahead.  They couldn't see anything or anyone down either hall.  They hoped that they had arrived unnoticed.

They could see another door to the right, just another ten paces in.  Figuring it to be a good place to start as any, they approached the stout door.  Brigit once again searched for traps, putting Milo's lesson to good use.  She found none and was about to try the handle before Milo stopped her.  He moved past Brigit and placed one pointed ear to the rough wood of the door.  Inside he could hear muffled voices.  They sounded human, but he couldn't make out what they were saying.  He informed his friends and they prepared for a hostile encounter.

Milo moved back to stand with Mazi as Jeremiah and Brigit approached the door.  Brigit raised up a steel-clad boot and kicked in the door.  Four men in deep black robes waited for them.  They were prepared for the intrusion, as one raised a finger, pointed at Jeremiah and shouted, _*"DIE!"*_  A stunned look appeared on Jeremiah's face and he fell backwards, stiff as a post.  He lay on the floor with his eyes wide open, staring unseeing at the ceiling.  One of the other men jumped at the prone barbarian.  He brought his mace down on Jer, bruising his arm.

Another of the robed men pointed at Brigit and chanted a profane litany.  Brigit shivered and a wild look came to her eyes.  She looked as if she were about to flee for a split-second before she shook off the effects of the spell cast on her.    The fourth robed man sprang at the dwarf, swinging his mace.  She let the blow ring off her shield and swung her axe around to end his life.  Milo wasn't sure if she was still shaken by the fear spell recently cast on her or not, but he noticed that her grip slipped on the axe.  She almost lost hold of the weapon as her swing went wide.

Milo held back to allow Mazi room to attack the priests.  She leapt over Jeremiah's body and stabbed at the man that clubbed her friend.  He yelped in pain and shrunk away from the fast-moving long sword.  Behind her Jeremiah was coming to.  He shook his head and groaned as he struggled to his feet.  Milo was relieved to see that the Word of Power was a lesser version and not capable of truly killing.

The same fell priest that spoke at Jeremiah pointed at Brigit.  Again he shouted, _*"DIE!"*_  Brigit glared at him and shouted herself, _"Put a cork in it, wizzie.  I'll get to ya soon enough!"_  With that she side stepped a blow aimed at her skull and whipped her axe around.  The magically sharpened blade sliced into her attacker and spilled his lifeblood.  He sank to the ground with his hand over the deep wound, he died in seconds.  Brigit didn't wait to see the result of her blow.  She carried through to the mace wielding man that was attacking Jeremiah.  He had just swung at the now standing barbarian and didn't see the axe flying towards him.  A sickening crack could be heard as Brigit severed the man's spine.  He dropped his mace to the ground and fell, the light of life fading from his eyes before he reached the floor.

Mazithra and the fourth priest circled each other.  She speared her sword at the robed man, tearing at the cloth but not piercing his flesh.  He swung down at her exposed arm and scored a hard blow.  She withdrew, her arm already turning purple from the impact.  

Meanwhile Milo had been biding his time to get in a shot at the dark priest that started it all.  He brought up his crossbow and aimed carefully at the black-clad human.  When the opportunity presented itself, he fired.  His bolt sped from the crossbow and planted itself deep into his skull, right between his eyes.  Milo crowed with his critical blow.

Mazithra and the last priest were still locked in combat.  His mace came down again, bruising Mazi's shoulder.  She danced back a half step and rotated her arm, loosening the muscle that was brutally assaulted.  Before she could engage the mage, Brigit moved in behind and buried her axe head into his back.  The priest coughed blood and then fell with a thump to the floor.  Brigit hauled her axe out and spat on the corpse.

_"Good riddance, finger-wiggler"_ She muttered.

Mazi massaged her shoulder as she moved further in the room.  There were four cots, a desk, and some shelves in the room.  She looked over the books on the shelves, hoping to find some useful spells or formulas.  She grumbled in disgust on finding the grotesque nature of the volumes.  They outlined various rites and rituals of the evil persuasion.  She tossed the book she was perusing back onto the shelf, complaining about the contents.  Brigit walked to the shelf, pulled out her tinderbox, and lit a spark to the dry, dusty pages before anyone could say anything.  

_"If they be evil, they're better left unused by anyone."_ was all she said to the party's perplexed looks. 

Milo shrugged and stooped down over the body of one of the priests.  They had nothing but an amulet around their necks.  He felt revulsion when he focused on the devices.  He couldn't bring himself to even touch one.  He left the amulet where it was and searched through the robes.  He found nothing, not even a copper piece.  

By then the smoke from the books was filling the room.  They decided to leave and shut the door behind them.  The shelf was isolated and not likely to start a major fire.  Even if one started, the materials in the room would burn themselves out upon the rock floor.

They turned down the left hall.  Milo noticed that the red veins of ore seemed to pulse in the rough black rock.  A few paces further a branch opened to the left.  Down the new tunnel they could see the light of day.  They figured that they were looking out at the final cave opening in the gorge.  They continued down the main hall.  The cavernous path branched in a "Y" further down.  Deciding to stay with consistency, they chose the left branch.  The hall continued on for a few paces before veering sharply to the left, almost a switchback in the huge tunnel.  There was a caved in passage leading off to the right before the sharp turn.  Just looking at the rubble Milo guessed there were tons of rock blocking the way.  Brigit told them it was likely an old deadfall trap for some escaping force, that or an earthquake long ago.

Down the tunnel to the left they saw the hall open into a large cavern.  The vaulted ceilings were even higher than in the great hall.  They could see a dais at the end of the hall with a grand throne.  Milo could see the sparkle of jewels from the other end of the throne room.  Lining the walls were skeletons, standing with swords.  They appeared to be guardians of some sort.  At the time they were still.  Milo didn't trust that, he knew as soon as they set foot in the room, or approached a skeleton, or approached the throne, whatever, that they would spring to life and attack.  Milo hated undead, really.

Milo loved jewels more than he hated undead though.  He volunteered to investigate the throne and risk the chance of the skeletons attacking.  There were six on each side of the room, evenly spaced and ominous looking.  The other three stayed near the entrance as Milo tread softly into the throne room proper.  There was no reaction from the skeletal sentries.  He approached the dais cautiously, still nothing.  He put one foot on the raised platform-

The room burst into life.  All at once the skeletons lurched forward, their swords lifted.  Milo groaned.  The skeletons looked around the room, spotting the trespassing halfling as well as his companions.  Six moved towards Milo and the other six turned towards the others.

Jeremiah gave a battle cry and ran at the two closest skeletons.  His great sword bit into white bones, causing shards and chips to fly in all directions.  The first skeleton he cleaved to pieces at its waist.  Jer recognized the single spine as a weak point to exploit.  He swept through the first skeleton and into the second, likewise severing it in two at the waist.  Both skeletons tumbled to the ground, inert piles of bones.

Milo said a silent prayer and lifted his hand as he had against the wight.  The light shone from his palm again and some of the skeletons slouching towards him opened their jaws in silent screams.  A couple of the skeletons approaching his friends did likewise.  Six of the undead constructs turned immediately and made for the only exit in the room.

Two skeletons made their way to Milo's position on the dais.  They swung their swords at the nimble halfling.  Both missed as Milo dodged and weaved.  Two others attacked Brigit, one sword made it past her shield and bit into her armor.  The rusty blade came back with her blood.  Brigit grimaced and hacked at the offending skeleton.  She aimed for the neck, her axe skimming clean through the neckbone.  The skeleton's head flew off its body and landed some feet away, spinning on the rock floor.  The body fell to a pile at her feet.  She pressed her attack on the other skeleton, but her axe found no purchase on its skinny bones.  

It occurred to Milo that they would do better with something a little more blunt against these undead, as he watched Jeremiah slice into another skeleton.  The skeleton collapsed as Jeremiah maneuvered his sword past its guard and into its spine.  The great sword didn't cut all the way through this time though.  Jer grunted in frustration as the blade lodged into the skeleton's spine and he lost his grip.  

Milo focused on his current situation.  The two skeletons were pressing in on him and he felt slightly unprotected.  He chanted a protection against evil and felt the power surge through his body.  The skeletons attacking him seemed unable to land their blows, almost shying away from his presence.

Near the entrance Mazi was waiting for the fleeing skeletons.  Jeremiah had already destroyed one of them, but five more were on the way to the hall.  Her blade was a blur as she attacked each of them as they shambled by.  She missed only one but her long sword reduced another to a pile of whitened bones.  The skeletons seemed oblivious as they continued on.  

Two passed close enough to Brigit for her to make a couple of opportunistic attacks.  She hacked at the skeletons that Mazi had wounded and watched them crumple to their own separate heaps.  She turned back to the skeleton that was not fleeing and slashed down on its arm, severing the limb at the shoulder.  The skeleton continued on, using its good arm to wield its rusty weapon.

Jer lost precious seconds as he wrenched his sword out of the spine of the fallen skeleton.  Up on the dais Milo switched to his short sword.  He recognized that his crossbow would have even less effect on these undead than the slashing weapon he was drawing.  The skeletons continued to attack him, causing him to bound about wildly as he attempted to stow his crossbow and unsheathe his sword.

Near the entrance Mazi had pursued the fleeing skeletons.  She reached one and slashed down at its retreating form.  Her sword sliced through its ribcage, reducing the undead creature to another pile.  One other skeleton remained to flee.  Her sword snaked out to cut through its leg as it shambled forward.  It didn't fall, but lurched with a pronounced limp, still trying to get away from the room in which Milo stood.

Brigit dispatched the last skeleton that faced her.  She ignored the single arm wielding the sword and aimed for the tried and true weak point under the rib cage.  The skeleton toppled to the ground in pieces, its sword clattering atop the bones.

At the other end of the throne room Jeremiah had finally recovered his sword and ran to assist Milo.  He cut into one of the skeletons from behind.  A few bones flew from the impact of his attack, but the skeleton remained standing.  It turned to face the barbarian, swinging its rusty sword in his general direction.  Jer easily avoided the blow but raised his sword to guard against any further attacks.

Milo moved in quickly to the other skeleton and scored a minor break on its leg.  The skeleton attempted to return the attack but couldn't land a blow on Milo as he about moved swiftly.  

Mazithra ran after the last fleeing skeleton as it limped past the entryway.  She reached the stumbling construct and slashed down through its shoulder and ribcage, reducing another skeleton to a heap of bones.  Brigit, upon seeing that all the nearby skeletons were destroyed, charged towards the two attacking Jeremiah and Milo.

She reached them a moment too late as Jeremiah's great sword turned one skeleton's skull to powder and completely demolishing the second's structure.  All that remained standing besides the adventurers were small mounds of bones.

Milo grinned at his compatriots and gave a thumbs-up sign.  He turned to the throne and got a closer look at the shining gems.  Four large red jewels adorned the fancy throne.  He drew his magic dagger and pried at the closest one.  It popped easily from its setting into his open palm.  He whistled as he looked over it.  He concluded that it must be worth at least 400 gold if a copper.  He passed it to Jeremiah and pried off the next red stone.  He handed this one to Brigit.  By the time he had the third stone pried Mazithra had made it to the dais.  He handed that gem to the elf as she stepped up on the raised platform.  The fourth jewel he kept for himself.  _He may be roguish_, he thought to himself, _but he was always fair._

They searched the rest of the room, finding it to be rather bare for the apparent importance of the throne and the protected dais.  The adventurers left the throne room and backtracked to the main cavernous hall.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-six (session 6)*

Back at the "Y" intersection Milo and his friends turned left, up towards the other passage.  There was still no sign of alarm throughout the cavern.  No sentries roamed the hall.  Milo guessed that the undead didn't care.  He did wonder about the mastermind of the caves though.

His musings were cut short when they reached another cavern.  The passage terminated in a long room.  As soon as they entered, the inhabitants came alive.  Four zombies on either side of the cave shuffled forward as soon as Jeremiah's foot crossed the threshold.  

Milo groaned again.  Milo hated undead, really.  He uttered another quick prayer and waited for the zombies to close in.  Jeremiah was not as patient.  His sword gleamed in the lamplight as he slashed into the nearest oozing undead.  He gouged a great deep cut through its flesh but it kept shambling on, intent on damaging the intruders.  The zombie clawed at Jeremiah, its fingers scrabbling against his armor.  He kicked the zombie away as another heaved its bulk at him.  He dodged the zombie and glanced over to his friends.

Mazi moved forward, next to Jeremiah, and slashed at a zombie as it grew near.  Her sword inflicted a lighter wound than Jeremiah's.  It would have given any live opponent reason to pause, but the zombie shambled forward, a low moan emanating from its putrid mouth.  It swiped its heavy arms at Mazi, trying to slam and disorient her.  She spun lithely out of the way.  Another zombie lurched at her but was likewise gracefully avoided.

Milo chose that moment to raise his hand and call on the power of his deity.  Nothing happened.  No light shone forth, the zombies didn't even pause in their advance.  Milo shook his hand and looked at it in puzzlement.  

He didn't have much time to wonder as two zombies converged on his position.  They took clumsy swipes at the nimble halfling.  He jumped out of the way and readied his short sword.  _I guess we'll do this the hard way,_ he thought.  

Two more zombies shuffled forward and Brigit met them.  She hacked at the lead zombie with her war axe.  The head bit deep into the foul creature's flesh, buried into its chest for a moment.  The zombie groped for her while she struggled to free her weapon.  She kicked it away in time to deflect the other zombie's attack.  

Milo had a sudden revelation.  He had read in his studies at the keep about another way to combat undead.  Their negative undead energies were the exact opposite of the healing energies he used to cure wounds.  He chanted his most powerful healing spell and reached out to touch one of the zombies.  Just as he was about to place his hand on the creature he was forced to dodge the other.  The healing spell discharged into the air.  Milo cursed his luck.  It was the sword or nothing then.

Farther in the room Jeremiah was a sight to behold.  His great sword sped into the wounded zombie, chopping off its half-rotted head.  His sword continued into the torso of the next.  The unholy construct was weakened, but continued on.  Jeremiah narrowly avoided the zombie as it tried to slam into him.  

Mazithra pirouetted around a clumsy attack and sunk her long sword into the zombie's flank.  Already limping, the zombie persisted in its offense with a definite angle to its awkward gait.  The other zombie swiped at the agile elf.  She continued in her spin, neatly avoiding the zombie altogether.

Both zombies beset Brigit simultaneously.  They threw themselves on her, attempting to bypass her rock solid defense.  She kicked one away with her steel-booted foot.  The zombie stumbled and fell.  It moaned horrifically as it struggled to regain its footing.  Brigit shrugged the other off her shield.  It slid down and backwards before starting to surge forward again.

There were still two zombies pressing in on Milo.  He slashed at one, wounding the enemy for the first time in the battle.  It moaned and struck at him.  He switched focus to the other zombie only to see it turn to fight Jeremiah.  Jeremiah slashed at the zombie he had wounded, again scoring a dire hit on the putrescent construct.  The zombie hammered at him again, only to be deflected by his adept swordplay.  Jeremiah wielded his great sword in an impressive display, dealing damage as well as preventing it.

Mazi's sword was equally occupied.  She parried a blow from one zombie before turning the blade to strike the already wounded foe before her.  The creature groaned and buffeted her with repeated blows, each expertly fended off.  The zombies were slowly wearing down the adventurer's defenses.

Brigit only had one zombie to deal with at the time.  The other was still striving to attain an upright position from where she had kicked it down.  She blocked the pounding fists of the zombie with her magical shield as she readied her own strike.  She brought her axe down in a mighty arc but narrowly missed the oozing beast before her.  The zombie had just lurched backwards in an attempt to get a bigger swing of it's arms as it assaulted the dwarf.

Jeremiah and Milo fought side by side.  Three zombies assailed their stand.  In a splendid display of teamwork Milo reached in and sliced at one of the moldering creatures as Jeremiah swung his own sword.  Both blades met the foe at once and the zombie fell to the floor in a rank heap.  Jeremiah continued his attack and brought down the other zombie that had attacked him.  His sword dripped black and green muck from the wounds he had inflicted.  

One of the two zombies fighting Mazithra turned at the happening and struck at Milo.  He found his position very perilous all of a sudden.  He ducked under the blow and fended off another from his original assailant.  For her part Mazi slashed down at the one zombie that continued to attack her.  Her sword sliced into the unwounded construct.  It oozed green slime from the fresh wound across its chest.  The injury did not prevent it from pounding at Mazi.  She stepped away from the zombie's swinging arms just before its meaty fists pummeled her.

Brigit swung hard at the wounded zombie, finally driving her axe home.  The creature all but exploded in a shower of decomposed flesh.  The other zombie bashed at Brigit as she pulled back her axe.  Its large fists bruised her through her armor.  She roared at the pain and brought her axe back around, slicing deep into the zombie's hide.  The construct faltered but did not fall.

Milo and Jeremiah continued to work together.  Milo slashed in at the zombie, wounding and distracting it, while Jeremiah brought his sword into play.  The huge blade sliced deep into the zombie and it fell, twice dead and never to rise again.

Mazi moved slightly to work with Brigit.  Her long sword sliced deep into the zombie's flesh, causing green and grey ichor to leak from the grotesque humanoid.  Brigit weighed in with her axe then, chopping through the creature like so much soggy firewood.  The zombie could not withstand their combined assault and fell as the rest.  

Two remaining zombies faced the females.  They had different ways of avoiding the damage, but both brought about the same results.  Brigit stood stoically in the path of the oncoming zombie, warding against its blows with her magic shield.  Mazithra was a picture of grace and elegance in the ugly background of the grisly battle.  She spun and danced around the zombie's clumsy blows as though in tune with an inner music.

Milo moved in to assist his friends, stepping behind one of the zombies.  He slashed ineffectively at the zombie, his sword slashing at the tatters that were the remains of its clothes during its living days.  Jeremiah moved in likewise.  His great sword was much more effective against the zombies than Milo's shorter weapon.  The blade sliced down upon the shoulder of one of the wounded zombies.  It sunk as far as its breastbone before the creature slid to the earth, unmoving.  Mazithra, still twirling to the beat in her mind dealt a similar blow to the last standing zombie.  Her sword did not sink quite as deep but the final effect was the same and they all watched the last zombie slump to the ground, truly dead.

The four friends were all breathing heavily when the battle was over.  The zombies proved to be formidable opponents.  Jeremiah actually looked disappointed that he wasn't able to use his technique to mow through the enemies like he had in the past.  Milo stooped over one of the stinking corpses to do a quick search.  As he had suspected there was nothing on the bodies worth noting.  Not many pockets in the tatters they wore.  It seemed the room was merely a guardhouse of sorts.  The zombies had stood lining the walls until they were needed, not requiring food, sleep, or other upkeep.

The room was empty save the bodies of the undead.  Milo and Brigit searched the walls for any secret catches or doors but came back to the others with no news.  After a brief assessment of their condition it was decided that they would continue on.  Though the zombies were hard to kill, none had dealt much damage to the crew.  Milo conserved his remaining spells in case they were needed for more vital matters.

They followed the hall all the way back to the door they had entered through.  Around the corner past the smoking room where the mages books and belongings still burnt they trooped.  The hall opened into a wide intersection.  The rough walls continued in its blood vein pattern, the veins of ore seemed to become more numerous as they continued.  The pulsing through the ore was very disconcerting.  

They looked either way down the new hall.  The vaulted ceilings spanned down to the left and opened into a large room.  Milo mentioned that the room was probably full of skeletons like the other.  They could see two doors down the other way, both on the right side, before the hall curved to the right.  Never one to pass up a closed door, Milo voted for the right-hand hall.  The group agreed and they set off for the nearer of the two closed doors.  An open invitation if Milo had ever seen one.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-seven (session 6)*

Milo crept up to the door and placed his ear against the wood.  He motioned for his companions to be a quiet as possible as he strained to listen.  He heard muttering and movement inside.  He thought it sounded human.  He considered the fact that besides the medusa and gelatinous cube, everything else in this cave complex had been human or undead.  Milo checked the door for traps and locks.  It had a simple untrapped and unlocked latch.  He lifted the latch and stepped aside as Brigit and Jeremiah moved into the room.

Following close behind with Mazi, Milo found himself in a short corridor leading into a large room, some kind of living quarters.  Just inside were four more black robed priests, waiting and ready for them as the others had been before.  Milo wished they could be quieter as they trooped about the hallways.  

Milo fired the bolt that was already strung in his crossbow.  It whizzed by Jeremiah and Brigit to land squarely in a bedpost between two of the robed men.  He muttered and reached for another quarrel.  Jeremiah ran at the closest man, his sword up and behind him, just as he moved to swing the blade down upon the priest, the man shouted.  _"SLEEP!"_  Jeremiah's sword clattered to the ground behind him shortly followed by his considerable bulk.  An almost comical snoring emanated from the floor where he lay.

Another of the evil priests chanted for a second before pointed ominously at Brigit.  She paused for a second then shouted at him.  _"Ha!  Yer buddy already tried that 'un on me.  I ain't scared of ya now, any more than before ya cast yer spell!"_  With that she charged forward and brought her dwarven waraxe down on the priest.  She hacked clean through his breastbone, stopping his heart instantly.

The other two men advanced with their maces.  One stood over Jeremiah's prone form with his weapon brandished high.  Milo winced as the mace crashed down on his friend but was relieved when he saw that the blow glanced off Jeremiah's mystical armor.  His attention was brought quickly to the other priest as a mace whistled a scant space from his face.  He finished cocking the crossbow and fired at his assailant.  The bolt tore through the folds in his robes just under his mace arm.  The priest barely seemed to notice the shot.  A bloodthirsty gleam shone in his eyes as he pulled back his mace for another blow.

Down on the floor Jeremiah was coming to.  He shook his head and opened his eyes.  He seemed slightly disoriented.  Brigit had moved to defend her friend and blocked a blow from the mace-wielding priest that stood over the barbarian.  Jer scanned the ground for his sword as he struggled to get on his feet.  Just as he reached for the large weapon Brigit came crashing down atop the blade.  The priest that shouted the Word of Command at Jeremiah had just done the same to Brigit.  She lay on the ground snoring as he had moments ago.

Mazithra parried a vicious attack from the robed man she was locked in combat.  She turned the parry into an impressive riposte, stabbing the priest between two ribs.  His crazed battlelust faded as he gurgled blood from his lungs.  He fell dead from the wound.

Milo managed to reload again as he ducked another swipe of the mace.  The robed priest's offensive was daunting.  The crossbow was difficult to aim at point blank range.  He fired at the priest.  The bolt tore through the loose fabric of his robe again, but missed the priest himself.  Mazithra moved near Milo to aid him against the merciless onslaught of the priest.  Her first attack would have rained down on the human's unprotected skull had he not lifted his mace to block.

Jeremiah shook Brigit who was gradually returning to consciousness.  She sat up slowly and Jer was able to reach his sword.  He grabbed the hilt and whirled around just as the priest's mace came down.  He took the brunt of the blow on his gauntlet-clad arm, sustaining some damage from the block.

He ignored the pain as he gripped the hilt of his great sword in both hands.  His muscles bulged as he put all their considerable power behind his stroke.  The sword carved a perfectly straight and deep diagonal gash from shoulder to hip.  The priest toppled to the ground, his mace made a dull clank against the rock floor.

Milo dodged another strike from the last standing priest.  His face was fixed in a crazed grimace as he swung again and again.  Milo fired another bolt at the fiercely swinging madman.  The quarrel skimmed by his head, barely missing.  It seemed to cause him to pause for a second though.  The maniacal expression dulled marginally and his swings slowed. 

Mazi chose just that moment to plunge her long sword into the priest.  The magical Sylvanglade drove deep into his crazed heart.  He died with a grim rictus affixed to his face.  Milo slapped Mazi on the back for her amazing aim and attack.

_"Evil priests, who needs em?"_ Milo quipped.

_"I could sure use without em!"_ Brigit said gruffly.

Milo chuckled and crouched next to the body of the fallen priest.  Once again there were no valuables on the corpse, just a single amulet around his neck.  Milo tried to examine it more closely but felt the same revulsion as he had earlier.  

_"Pure evil.  I don't even want to pick that thing up."_ Milo said as he pointed at the amulet.

No one else seemed interested in examining the pendants so they left the bodies and searched the room.  A set of copper dishes and a few copper belts were all that they found of value.  The dishes looked to be worth anywhere around 150 to 175 gold pieces.  They were worth enough to haul out.  Along the same side of the room from which they entered they found another hallway.  The passage led to the other door they had seen in the main hall.

Again no alarm had been sounded and there were still no patrols in the passages.  They decided to investigate the large room at the other end of the hall before checking out the angled portion of the main hall.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-eight (session 6)*

They approached the wide opening into the large chamber with trepidation.  It seemed that they all felt that something momentous was waiting for them.  From a distance Milo could make out four large pillars stretching to the vaulted ceiling.  Three robed figures had their backs turned to the entrance.  As they drew near Milo could hear them chanting.  A queer shiver crawled up his spine and he felt somehow defiled by just the sound of the words that were being chanted.  He could see the figures hunched over some kind of desecrated altar.

As they entered the room, weapons drawn, the chanting stopped.  The central figure's hooded head raised and he turned around slowly.  Grey skinned fingers reached up and pulled the hood back to reveal a face that none of them thought to see ever again.

It was a kindly face at one time.  Once rosy cheeks were fallow and dull.  The smile it wore was much different than the welcoming, friendly grin that it had once shown.  There was no doubt who the figure was, he had a gaping hole right at the center of his forehead where one of Mazithra's first arrows had once lain.  Bordamere, the rogue cleric stared back at them.

_*"At last!  Do you have any idea how much this hurt?"*_ came the raspy voice from the figure as he pointed at the grisly wound in his head.  _*"I miss the taste of wine!  But I have learned to love the taste of flesh!"*_

With that he gestured at Mazi, hate gleaming in his eyes.  Mazi stiffened, it appeared she was being held magically.  As suddenly as she went still she was moving again though.  The ring she had taken from Bordamere's body weeks ago was now burning hot on her finger.  She grinned at the undead cleric and began her own incantation.

_*"ARRRGGHHH!"*_ Bordamere shouted in inarticulate rage.

The other two figures had turned and started to approach the party.  They were still shrouded in their robes.  Milo chanted as well.  He finished before the cowled figures reached them and touched Brigit.  A glow passed from his hands to suffuse her body before fading away.  

_"Evil will have a hard time harming you now Brigit, go get em!"_ He said to her.

The figures reached the group and attacked.  Their hoods fell back as they both threw themselves at Jeremiah.  Their faces were familiar as well.  It was Paul and Charles, the mercenaries that fought with them in the goblin caves those many days ago.  Milo felt a pang of guilt for leaving the bodies of the once stalwart warriors.  Now they had been twisted to evil.  Jeremiah was successful in fending off the initial attack of the undead mercenaries, their sharpened fingernails clawed ineffectively at his armor.

Jeremiah was unable to bring his great sword to bear.  He kicked Paul away to make room for his weapon.  Paul stumbled back just as Brigit swung her axe.  The axe head bit deep into the dead man's side.  He kept clawing despite the deep wound.  

Behind the battle Mazi had finished her incantation.  Two bright orbs or light formed on her hands.  She shot her arms out at Bordamere and the spheres flew straight at him.  The light impacted with force into the undead cleric, wounding him and drawing another cry of outrage.

Bordamere tried a different tack.  He completed another chant and pointed at Brigit.  She paused in the battle for a split second, shivering in her armor, before throwing the effects of the spell off.

_"Hah!  Yer lackeys already tried that 'un Bordy!  It ain't gonna work on me."_  Brigit scoffed.

_*"ARRRGGHHH!"*_ came again from the evil cleric in frustration.

Milo raised his hand and willed the power of his deity forth.  The light shone from his palm, but the two undead mercenaries seemed completely unaffected.  Milo look quizzically at his hand, he didn't understand why it wasn't working.

Charles and Jeremiah were locked in a brutal battle.  Charles clawed at Jer, scratching his face and drawing blood.  Jeremiah roared in anger and swung his great sword into the undead mercenary.  The blade cut deep into his shoulder, leaving one arm truly lifeless at his side.

Paul and Brigit were in a more cautious fight.  It was as if the soldier could feel the effects of the spell Milo placed on the stout dwarf.  She taunted Paul with her axe.  He sprang at her, trying to claw past her shield.  He jumped back as quickly as he had jumped forward, Brigit's axe tore through the fabric of his tunic.  Paul held the hand that scratched Brigit's shield, as though attacking her hurt him.

Behind it all Mazithra finished a different chant and formed her hands in a strange symbol.  A large badger appeared behind Bordamere, glowing faintly.  It immediately attacked but its bite was unable to pierce his armor.  Bordamere turned to the badger and swiped at it with clawed fingernails.  The badger died instantly, shriveling as if its life force had been sucked out.

Milo raised his hand again.  The light shined yet again, but still there was no effect.  He was getting frustrated, thinking that perhaps his god had already abandoned him.

Right in front of him Brigit blocked another clawed attack with her magic shield.  She did not pause as Paul cringed back nursing his fingers.  Her axe fell in a vicious arc, cleaving into the undead mercenary.  The light of unlife faded from his eyes as he fell.  He looked almost peaceful, as if Brigit had released him from a great pain.

An inhuman scream came from Charles as he leapt for Jeremiah's throat.  Jer swung his sword in a desperate attempt to keep him at bay.  The blade tip slashed through his tunic and gouged into his grey flesh.  Charles screamed again, a high-pitched, piercing cry.

From across the room Milo saw the badger stir.  He thought that maybe it was made of sterner stuff than he was aware.  He was sorely disappointed as he noticed the feral attitude of the once celestial beast.  It was wightspawn, which meant Bordamere was a wight.

_"Don't let Bordamere touch you, he can turn you undead if we're not careful!"_ Milo shouted to his friends.  

Bordamere growled and gestured at Jeremiah.  _*"DIE!"*_ he said in his gravely voice.

Jeremiah didn't even notice, he was deeply involved in his battle with Charles.

_*"ARRRGGHHH!"*_ yelled Bordamere again.  

Milo almost laughed in spite of the situation.  Good old Bordy couldn't get a break.  He grew serious as he raised his hand again, determined to turn these undead away.  For a third time the light shone from his palm with no effect whatsoever.  Milo was disheartened as he watched the wightspawn badger approach.

Next to him Mazi finished a minor incantation she memorized especially for that day.  She gestured at Bordamere.  The undead cleric convulsed for a few seconds.  Whatever Mazi had cast at him had disrupted him severely.

The undead badger reached and bit at Brigit but was unable to penetrate her armor.  She kicked at the beast before stowing her axe and drawing her bow to fire at Bordamere from a distance.

Next to her Charles and Jeremiah struggled back and forth.  Jeremiah fended off claw after claw but couldn't quite get in an attack of his own.  His sword always seemed one second behind the undead mercenary.  He was surprised by the soldier's dexterity.

Mazithra chanted the same cantrip and pointed at Bordamere.  The evil priest was ready for her spell this time.  He made a sign with his hands right as Mazi gestured.  The convulsions didn't affect him this time.  He screamed at his enemies and jumped towards Brigit.  His claws found no purchase in her armor as she shrugged off his attack. 

_*"ARRRGGHHH!"*_ he screamed impotently.

Worried about the relative proximity of the wight, Milo chanted his protection spell again, this time conferring its defenses to Jeremiah.  Just in time it appeared, for Charles made it past his defenses and scratched at Jeremiah.  The spell prevented the undead creature from damaging the barbarian.  Jer once again pushed Charles back, this time his sword found its mark.  Charles fell with a brutal thrust to his chest.  Jeremiah pulled his sword back and thrust again, this time at Bordamere.  The cleric's full plate armor protected him though.  The sword skittered off the breastplate.

Brigit drew her axe and shield to attack the undead priest hand-to-hand.  Mazithra gave up her spell casting for a space and leaped into the battle with her sword brandished.  She circled behind Bordamere and slashed at his back.  The wight was well armored though, and her blade caused no wound.

Bordamere sidled away from Mazi and attacked Brigit again, his claws scratched at her shield and armor, but no damage was caused.  Milo ducked and rolled to get behind the cleric.  His tumbling was clumsy and as he brushed past the wight he reached down a claw.  Half-lucky, Milo rolled safely past him.  He sprang to his feet and whirled around to fire his crossbow.  The bolt bounced off Bordamere's plate mail.

Jeremiah moved up to Bordamere's flank, he was quickly becoming surrounded.  Jer thrust in his great sword again, this time puncturing the steel of the undead wight's armor.  

_*"ARRRGGHHH!"*_ Bordamere shouted one last time.

Brigit cut his anguished cry short with a brilliant sneak attack to his unguarded waist.  Bordamere fell to the ground, dead again.  

_"And stay dead!"_ Mazi said with a nod.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands -part twenty-nine (session 6)*

The group had no time to celebrate their victory.  No sooner had Bordamere fallen then a gong from the corner of the room sounded loudly.  Milo looked around and spied the altar Bordamere, Paul, and Charles had stood at.  Upon it stood three goblets, crusted with blood.  

Milo grabbed Brigit and ran towards the altar, fishing out his holy water on the way.  Mazithra heard, or rather felt, a deep rumbling.  She looked down the hall and saw what caused it.  Two score skeletons and zombies were marching in step up the main hall, straight towards them.

_"We've got company!"_ She shouted back to Milo and Brigit.  _"Lots and lots of company!"_  She pulled a scroll from her pack.  It was one she had been hoping to save to scribe into her spell book, but it would serve them well now.

Milo carefully emptied his holy water into the three cups.  He was sure not to touch the goblets or the altar as he split the blessed water evenly between them.  All the while the marching was getting louder.  He pulled out the sanctifying spell scroll the Keep's priest had given him and quickly read over its contents.  It was easily cast.  He cleared his mind of all distractions.  No easy feat considering the rumbling he felt under his feet.  He chanted the word of the spell and watched as the holy water within each goblet began to sparkle.  The specks of light began to coalesce and grow brighter and brighter.  The cups themselves began to glow, it was as if the light was cleansing them physically, pure white shone under the dirt, grime, and dried blood that covered them.  

_"NOW Brigit!"_  Milo shouted.

Brigit had readied the blessed hammer before they even reached the altar.  With a powerful blow she shattered the first goblet, holy water and shards flew everywhere.  She moved to the second cup and smashed it as well.  The gong in the corner of the room sounded softer.  Brigit moved to the last cup, raised the hammer high, and brought it down with amazing force.  The cup shattered with a brilliant flash of light.  

The gong stopped suddenly.  The rumbling under their feet did not.

_"Here goes nothing!"_ shouted Mazi over the din.  

She read over the scroll one last time before reciting the incantation.  The scroll turned a red orange in her hands before catching on fire.  Mazi let go and it floated in the air in front of her, crisping and curling.  When it had curled completely into a small flaming sphere she thrust her hands towards the horde of undead approaching them.  The fireball flew forward, over the heads of the first four ranks of zombies.  A giant conflagration sprouted from the center of the army, spreading out in all directions.  An intense wave of heat washed over the adventurers as the blast reached its maximum size.  

In moments the smoke cleared.  Charred skeletons and zombie corpses littered the grand hall.  Milo whistled, he was very impressed.  Through the smoke shambled three zombies, still smoldering.  Behind them eight skeletons advanced.  The fireball destroyed most of the forces but there were still some to mop up.

They decided to let the undead come to them.  Milo pulled out another scroll, this one a protection spell.  He cast it quickly on Mazi.  All four of them would be protected from evil, undead and otherwise.  Mazi cast a spell of her own.  She chanted the same cantrip that had disrupted Bordamere and gestured at the closest zombie.  The creature convulsed but moved forward after a few seconds.

The four friends formed a line, four abreast, and drew their weapons, waiting for the zombies and skeletons to reach them.  The three zombies and one skeleton shambled forward and attacked.  Not one blow landed on the protected adventurers.  

Jeremiah's sword sprang into action.  He mowed through the zombie to his left, cutting it completely in half.  His blade continued on to sever the spine of the skeleton in front of him without slowing a fraction.  He completed his swing by burying a good foot of the sword into the zombie to his right.  All three undead fell before his attack.

Brigit swung her axe at the only remaining zombie.  It sunk deep into the burnt flesh of the undead construct.  The zombie slumped to the floor as Brigit jerked her axe out of its corpse.

As more skeletons advanced to take the place of their fallen comrades Mazi chanted her cantrip again.  The skeleton before her convulsed, rattling its bones together and loosing cohesion.  It recovered enough to slash at her with its sword, but Mazi wasn't there.  She dodged the blade deftly.  The other skeletons attacked.  Milo ducked under a horizontal slash that came his direction while Brigit and Jeremiah used their armor and weapons to deflect the blows aimed at them.

Milo and Jeremiah attacked the same skeleton.  Milo's shortsword bit through bone seconds before Jeremiah's sword finished the job.  The skeleton crumbled to a heap.  Jeremiah's great sword cleaved into the skeleton before him.  The tip struck bone and knocked a few out of place, but the skeleton still stood.

Brigit made short work of the skeleton facing her.  Her axe slashed down at an angle, cleaving through neck and shoulder.  Bones littered the floor and flew through the air from her attack.  The Trollgrater continued its deadly arc through the spine of the skeleton to her right.  More bones scattered as it fell to pieces.

Mazi slashed at the skeleton Jeremiah wounded.  Her sword chopped through the ribcage and into the pelvic bone.  The skeleton flew apart, the magic holding it together dissipated.

Three skeletons remained.  They advanced on their enemies, compelled to attack.  The magical protection that Milo's spells afforded kept Jeremiah, Brigit, and Mazithra safe.  The skeletons couldn't quite focus on the adventurers.

Milo and Jeremiah worked together again.  Milo's sword weakened the skeleton, causing it to lose its coherence.  Jeremiah slashed down at the wounded undead and shattered another set of bones.  He continued to the next, his strike growing even more powerful in the follow through.  The skeleton flew apart, the bones that met the sword powdered instantly.

Brigit aimed for the spine of the last skeleton.  Her dwarven axe cut cleanly through the bone.  The final enemy fell into a heap at her feet.  They all stood back and surveyed the wreckage.  Bones littered the floor and zombie corpses still smoldered down the grand hall.  

_"WOO Hooo!"_ Milo crowed. _"Take *THAT* undead!"_

His friends grinned at Milo and they turned to look back into the foul altar room.  Everything was still.  Brigit and Milo approached the body of Bordamere.

_"Poor sap just couldn't learn when to quit."_ Milo said to no one in particular as he shook his head slowly side to side.

_"Aye, he looks good wi' that hole in his head, don't he Mazi?"_ Brigit said.

_"Heh heh, that he does.  Let's make sure he doesn't come back, okay?"_ Mazithra suggested.

The four set about removing his plate mail.  They noticed an amulet matching the priests around his neck.  They left it and finished removing the armor.  Once he was stripped to his tunic and leggings Brigit went to work.  She chopped his arms, legs and head off.  

_"I don't think you can raise undead twice, but I don't want him coming back either."_ said Milo as Brigit butchered the corpse.  _"Well, we finally got those cups!  Good job with the hammer Brigit.  I don't know if that stopped the armies marching on the Keep.  I hope they're okay.  I'm certain that Bordamere wasn't the mastermind behind this.  I bet whoever did all this is still here."_

They left the altar room and headed down the main hall.  Mazi picked her way carefully past the smoldering remains of the undead horde.  They made it past the scene of carnage and came to the curve in the passage.  It straightened back out and opened into another large throne room.  

The ceiling stretched far higher than the grand hall, completely carved in the manner of some of the throne rooms in castles Milo had been to in his youth.  Curtains adorned the side walls but the far wall is what drew their attention.  The wall was slightly translucent and reflective.  It was a deep red color and had the appearance of depth.  Other than the curtains, the jeweled throne, and a few candelabras the room was empty.  

They adventurers approached the wall cautiously.  The black candles in the candelabras lit as soon as they stepped into the room.  They jumped collectively and readied their weapons.  Nothing sprang from the curtains or from behind the throne.  They continued in, candles lighting with every step they took.

Drawing closer to the wall they could see it pulsed rhythmically.  A red glow beating in time with the ore veins in the rock walls outside the throne room.

_"Does this remind anyone else of a heartbeat?"_ Mazi asked.  Her voice sounded quiet in the huge space of the grand throne room.

_"Too much-"_ Milo started before cutting himself short.  Brigit had walked closer to the wall and was reaching out to touch it.  She suddenly stood stock straight and began to mumble in a strange tongue.  All three of her companions tackled her, breaking the contact with the wall.

_"How about we leave the wall of evil alone for now?  I don't want to lose any of you to that thing."_ Milo said in relief as Brigit shook her head clear of whatever overcame her.  _"What would you bet that this is how Bordamere was subverted?  This thing is pure evil.  I wonder if we could destroy it?"_

_"Mayhap, but let's come back to it later.  I wanna find that robed scoundrel what started all this.  We owe 'im big."_  Brigit said after a few moments.

They all agreed and set about searching the room.  The throne was the main attraction.  One large red gem adorned the high back near the top.  Milo pried out the jewel and handed it to Brigit.  She estimated the weighty stone to be worth at least a thousand gold.  She remarked on the crystal clarity of the stone as Milo worked on the smaller gems that encrusted the throne.  He was able to pry ten opals and ten rubies from the arms and sides of the cushioned seat.  He guessed the rubies to be worth around five hundred gold apiece and the opals around a hundred each.

There was also a single door near the entrance, on the right wall.  Milo searched it, finding no traps.  They entered the room, Jeremiah and Brigit in the lead.  A short passage led into a long waiting room of sorts.  From the garments and gear littering the room they could tell this was some sort of preparation chamber.  Another door led to a passage that ended behind a curtain leading into the main room.

A further search of the curtains around the side walls revealed another secret passage, this one leading to the side of the mirrored wall.  They followed the passage into a well-lit, well-furnished waiting room.  

Three zombies rose to their feet as they entered the room.  Milo and Mazithra leapt to attack the undead creatures.  They each scored a hit, slicing into the grey, rotting flesh of the zombies.  Brigit moved past Mazi and hacked into one.  It fell before it could even attack.  Her axe struck the unwounded zombie next.  It caused a wound the width of its body deep into its torso.

The zombie didn't even notice as it swiped at Milo, who was standing near.  Milo jumped back and gave Jeremiah room to move in.  The other zombie moaned and swung its fists at Jeremiah.  Once again Milo's spell protected him.  The zombie wasn't able to strike the large barbarian.  Jer roared as he swung his sword into the undead creature.  The zombie fell, its head severed from its body.  His sword continued through, chopping straight into the wound Brigit had started in the other zombie.  Its legs and waist stood for a moment before toppling over to join its torso on the ground.

They looked around, wary of any other undead approaching.  No other enemies made themselves known.  A door led out of the room to the left.  They searched the contents of the waiting room before they checked the door.  On a table in the corner were an ornately carved flagon and a set of gold goblets.  They looked askance at the cups before handling them.  Not completely certain that they were done with cursed vessels.  

Milo braved it and picked one up.  It was a normal drinking goblet, with a bit of wine still at the bottom.  They poured out the remaining wine in the cups and stowed them along with the flagon for later.

Brigit searched the door for any traps.  She didn't find any, nor was the door locked.  She kicked it in and she and the rest stormed into the room.  A robed man waited for them.  As soon as Brigit and Milo entered a voice spoke in their mind.

Milo heard, _"I can give you anything you desire...you fear the Undead?  You can become their Master.  Riches untold can be yours in a heartbeat.
Anything you desire...

all you have to do is give me the Elf woman and they will be yours."_

Brigit heard, _"I can give you anything you desire...I know the secret desires of your heart.
Your sister?  I can reunite you with her.  You wish vengeance on those who slaughtered and enslaved your Clan?  I can give you the one who planned it and carried it out.

Anything you desire...

all you have to do is give me the Elf woman and they will be yours."_

Milo and Brigit didn't even consider the offers.

_"Not a chance, she's my friend and you can't have her."_ Milo said.

_"Aye, she's not fer you, finger-wiggler"_  Brigit agreed.

The wizard didn't say a word.  He raised his hand and darkness fell.  Milo was disoriented for a second.  He heard a crash come from the corner of the room where the man was standing.  He chanted a cantrip quickly and light blossomed from his short sword.  

The robed man was gone.  There was a screen near where they saw the man last.  Behind it was a passage and a door.  Brigit swung the door open and a secret panel sprung open from the ceiling.  A shower of small gems and jewels rained down on the party.  They ignored the riches and charged through the door.  The emerged back in the grand hall just in time to see the robed figure turn the corner.  They gave chase, Jeremiah pulling forward quickly, his lanky form and muscles propelled him down the hall after the wizard.

They rounded the corner and saw the man turn to the right.  It seemed he was heading for the other throne room.  They ran after him, not quite fast enough to catch up.  He ran down the slanted portion of the hall and took the left branch at the "Y" intersection.  

They near end of the intersection in time to see the robed figure stop in front of the rock fall.  He laughed ominously before chanting a spell.  His form went hazy, then smoky.  He seemed to dissipate into thin air.  The smoke left from his outline moved unnaturally.  It seeped into the rocks of the deadfall.

_"He's getting away!"_ Milo shouted.

They ran to the wall as the last of the smoke seeped through the cracks.  Milo considered the potion of gaseous form they still had.  Perhaps Jeremiah could drink it and catch up to the wizard.  That gave him pause.  They knew the wizard was powerful, he wouldn't want to face him alone.  He was pretty sure that the robed spell caster had some tricks in store and he didn't want Jeremiah coming to a foul end while they were trapped on the other side of the rock fall.

_"That's it.  We almost had him!"_ Milo said in disappointment.  _"You can bet he'll be back again."_

_"What was that all about?  You said 'she's my friend and you can't have her' Milo.  What did he want?"_ Mazi asked.

Milo and Brigit explained what they heard in their minds when they entered the room.  Mazi looked concerned but thanked them for their loyalty and protection.

They made their way back to the secret door leading into the wizard's room.  The passage was littered with small gems.  Milo was careful to get them all.  He may not have been greedy enough to stop for them earlier, but he was of the firm believer of 'waste not, want not'.

Upon entering the wizard's chambers the group noticed a full size mirror standing in a corner.  The mirror was full of smoke.  The smoke solidified and a stranger stood in its midst.  He reached forward and passed his hand through the glass.  In it was a piece of parchment.  He dropped it and smiled at them.  The smoke began to fill the mirror again before it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.  Milo examined one of the shards, all he saw was his own reflection.

Mazithra picked up the note.  It was written in a unique handwriting.

"I await you beyond the Black Mountains.

Do not disappoint me."

She shrugged and handed the note around.  None of them recognized the man or the handwriting.  They all exchanged puzzled looks.  Milo shrugged too, pushing the mystery to the side to search the room.  He found some papers on the wizard's desk.  He read through them before handing them to the others.

In the same handwriting as the note that was passed through the mirror was this:

"All has gone according to plan.  Do not be concerned that you have been discovered.  Have faith in Me and all will proceed as it should.  You may now destroy them.  Leave only the elf woman.  She MUST NOT BE HARMED or I shall be most displeased.  Take her and bring her to me."

Two other notes were on the desk.  Both in different handwriting.

"L,

The merchandise has been delivered to the Baron.  The gold has been deposited in your account in Luln.  The girl is with me as per our agreement and the spell is working as advertised.  There was no sign of the sister.  I am going to lay low for a while 'til the heat is off.  I think Snurre is due for a visit.

O"

The other note was more of a list:

"2,000 Cavalry
4,000 Light Infantry
4,000 Heavy Infantry

350 Giants
150 Air Cavalry
500 Undead

10,000 Auxiliary Units

300 Wagons
500 Extra Mounts
45 Ballistae
50 Light Catapult"

Brigit's breath caught in her throat as she read the note about the sister.  Milo deduced it must be in reference to her sister.  The man named "L" had offered her reunion.  

_"I think we all need to talk.  There are sides of each of us that we haven't shown.  It may be time to let down some walls."_  Milo said seriously to his friends.

_"Aye, I think yer right, halfling."_ Brigit agreed.

_"Perhaps, but I don't think this is the place to do so."_ Mazithra indicated the room.

Jeremiah nodded his agreement.

_"Very well.  Let's make our way out of here and camp for the night.  Tomorrow we'll make our way back to the Keep.  I only hope it still stands."_ Milo finished.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Keep of the Borderlands - fini*

The four friends spoke long into the night.  They discussed the newfound information they obtained from the caves.  They talked about each other's backgrounds and what brought them to the Keep.  They spoke of directions and what they would do after they made it back to civilization.  Soon they grew tired and decided to set up watch before they all drifted to sleep.  

A few short hours later they awoke to the sun rising.  Mazithra had been busy during her watch and the early morning, only requiring a few hours of deep meditation.  She had identified the great sword and helmet that the party had found.

_Windsword of Sharda
GreatSword +1
Once per day the wielder can perform a Whirlwind Attack. 
_

The helmet was cursed, she looked meaningfully at Jeremiah, a mute warning not to take magic weapons and armor lightly.  Jeremiah remembered how closely he had come to donning the helmet.

By the time camp was struck it was a bright cheery morning.  Off in the distance Milo could see the caves.  He thought they didn't look quite as bad from the distance.  Everyone's mood was bright, even Jeremiah smiled all morning.

The journey back to the Keep took most of the day.  They could see evidence of the undead army's passage along the way.  Milo worried that the army might have broke through to the Keep.  They reached the foothills of the mountain and started up the long winding road to the gate.  

They could make out the destruction wrought by the enemy at the gates from a distance.  The rest of the journey was made in haste as the adventurers hurried to the Keep.  They feared the worst as they approached the scene.  One of the doors to the massive gate hung from one hinge, moving side to side in the breeze, squeaking like a plaintive dire rat.  The other door lay on the ground, flung not a few feet from its casing.  One of the enormous bone constructs powered by Bordamere's lackeys lay atop the door.  Its progress had been halted where it broke through.  Zombie bodies and heaps of bones littered the base of the outer walls.  A putrid smell wafted through the air, it reminded Milo of the meat market in Darokin on an exceptionally hot day.

As they drew near they were relieved to see a guard, a living, human guard, step through the gate to challenge them.  He was disheveled and wore a bandage on his arm.  What appeared to be a permanent scowl on his weary features evaporated when he realized who approached the gate.  He called back to the guardhouse and a small commotion could be heard.  Four more guards and the captain emerged from the broken gate, while Milo could make out another one running in the direction of the chapel.

The captain welcomed them.  He had spoke with the priest and knew the mission they had embarked on.  The grizzled captain told them of the undead siege they had endured.  The bone construct had broke through last, the guards were ready for the monster and dispatched it quickly in a concerted effort.  The other undead swarmed the walls but were handled with burning pitch and oil thrown over the sides.   

As the captain finished telling them about the attack the Keep's priest had made his way to the gates.  He greeted them warmly and, noticing the crowds beginning to gather, invited them to retire to his private quarters in the chapel.

They moved through the small streets with the priest and the captain of the guard.  Windows opened and people stood in their doorways, watching the heroes pass.  A couple of the bystanders cheered as they continued.  Milo felt slightly embarrassed and a little exposed.

The priest led them into his office and directed them to four comfortable chairs.  Jeremiah and Brigit clanked to their seats and settled as comfortably as they could in their full plate.

After they were settled, the old priest related their battle with the plague to the heroes and their miraculous recovery.  Given the timeframe Milo suspected the disease had been lifted at the same moment Brigit had destroyed the goblets.

Milo then related their story, starting with the secret passage into the foul temple of the enemy.  He skimmed over the elf skeleton they had found as he glanced knowingly to Mazithra.  When he came to the unveiling of the chief servant in the scheme, the evil cleric turned wight, Bordamere, the priest nodded.  Milo then told him about the wizard that seemed to mastermind the siege and plague.  The old priest knew nothing of him by description, nor did he know of the man they saw in the mirror before it shattered.

He welcomed them to stay in the inn, free of charge for the services they had done for the Keep.  He also asked if there were any other magical items they needed identified.  Milo declined and told the priest proudly that Mazi had discovered a means to identify their spoils on her own.  The priest saw them to the door and wished them well.

A raucous, impromptu party took place in the inn that night.  The newly healed citizens of the Keep were eager to celebrate the victory at the Keep and the cleansing of the nearby caves.  Milo spun stories for any willing ears in his clumsy way.  Jeremiah and Brigit won many drinking contests that night.  Mazithra could be found performing dazzling maneuvers and graceful dances.  The festivities lasted far into the night and the party trickled into their room one at a time.

Milo slumped into bed, as exhausted as if he had just fought a horde of undead, but exhilarated too.  He drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

*[Below was provided by Frog, it is unedited]*

_After the long trials of the Caves it feels good to be back at the Keep and in a warm, SOFT bed for once.  As you drift off to sleep you can't help but wonder what will happen next...

A soft, familiar glow fills the room as you open your eyes.  Your companions lie sleeping around you, seemingly oblivious to the light emanating from the short, rotund figure that has appeared in the room.  

"Good job my boy" He says.  "I knew I was right in choosing you...although your lack of faith there at the end was most disappointing."   

You think back to your attempts to "turn" the undead that had met with failure after you had questioned your Deities faithfulness to his servants.  Perhaps it wasn't His fault at all, but your own lack of faith in Him that had rendered your attempts in vain?

He smiles at you knowingly "You are beginning to catch on after all,  good.  I was worried that you may need more time than you have left."  A troubled look crosses His face for a moment.  "In answer to your questions...I am Usamigaras."  He sits down as a glowing chair appears beneath Him.  "Boy, I have a task for you.  You must save my people."

"They are in thrall to an Evil of unspeakable proportions.  They are blood sacrifices to satisfy the cravings of this Minion of Death.  They have need of a champion...I have chosen you."

"Your task will not be easy.  First and foremost you must destroy the Beast that holds them under Its sway. This will not be easy as it has corrupted some of my people into serving It as if It were a god.  They will try to protect It.  They MUST NOT succeed.  After destroying the Beast comes the second part of your quest...make the desert grow green so that it will once again nourish My people,  that they may rise from the darkness and back into the light."

He stands again, the chair dissolving.  "This is not easy my boy,  not easy at all.  I cannot tell you much more at this time...I am prevented from doing so.  One last thing may I tell you...the Beast has a Name...and it is Xargon."  Usamigarus fades away as the Name echoes in your mind...Xargon._


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 1 (session 7)*

Milo and the others stayed at the Keep for a few days, resting and recuperating from their ordeals in the cursed caves. They spent much time poring over the notes and missives they had found in the robed man's inner sanctum. There were clues aplenty and hints at vast conspiracies. Milo felt right at home among them.
"So, we've got this guy waiting for us in the Black Mountains, which are here," Milo said, stabbing a finger at the map they borrowed from the priest. The Black Mountains were a far distance west and slightly south of Darokin. "We know from his note to the robed one that he's interested in you, Mazi." Mazi looked none too pleased at the idea that anyone was taking notice of her.

"Whoever he is, I don't like it. He knows too much about me for my liking. I say we track him down and find out what he has to do with the rest of this." Mazi said as she gestured to the other notes collected on the table in their room at the inn.

"Sounds like a good plan to me. We can follow the Highreach River to Kelvin then head north to Darokin before striking west to the Black Mountains." Milo suggested. "I have some business in Darokin anyway. I think some people would be very interested to find out what's happening down south."

"That'd be fine except your route would take us right by the forests I'm trying to avoid," said Mazi. "I think you can understand why I wouldn't want to travel that route."

"Aye, 'sides that I wanna find out if that bastard in tha other note has my sister!" spoke up Brigit. "Luln be to tha south, an' I wanna check out that 'fore we head into those Black Mountains. I canna pass up the chance to find her."

"Hmm," Milo said pensively, studying the map. "Hang on, this might work for all of us." He spent a few more seconds peering at the map before speaking again. "If we follow the river all the way down to the capital, Specularum, we can head west to Luln through Radlebb Keep. Once we're done there we can head further west, cut north to Darokin, then west again to the Black Mountains. Going this route we may even pass by your lands in the plateaus, Jeremiah." The barbarian only nodded in reply.

"I suppose that would work, at least then we won't have to travel the forest road the whole way." Mazi said thoughtfully.

"Aye! Luln ain't gettin closer wi' us gabbin over a map!" Brigit said excitedly.

"Sorry Brig, we won't be leaving today. I've still got some scrolls to scribe." Milo said.

"That will give me enough time to call for my familiar!" Mazi said. When she noticed her friends giving her strange looks she replied, "Well a girl's got to keep her mysteries about her." Milo shrugged and turned to pick up his parchments and quill.

"Ach, fine then, the two O ya can sit round up here all day wi' yer heads in yer books, Jer an me will go find our own entertainment. C'mon Jer, let's see what's goin' on downstairs." With that Brigit tromped out of the room with Jeremiah trailing behind.

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

The next day Duke Stefan's reinforcements arrived, days late to aid in the battle. They would help to fortify the defenses of the weakened Keep. A messenger arrived with them. Milo and his friends were summoned to the priest's office later that day. The priest sat behind his desk and the messenger stood nearby.

"It appears that you are not only to be congratulated by the folk of the Keep, but that your fame will reach a bit wider." The priest said enigmatically. He nodded to the messenger who then lifted four scrolls he had been holding. He presented one to each of the adventurers.

Milo broke the ducal seal and unfurled his scroll.

"Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Let it be Known to All in the Duchy, both Far and Wyde,
that His Highness, Duke Stephan Karameikos, has Deemed
Milo Windby Worthy of the Tytle of Court Lord of
Karameikos and does Hereby grant to Milo all Rights and
Privileges of said Tytle.

Stephen Karameikos
Duke of Karameikos

Milo flushed with excitement. "Lord Windby, I like the ring of that!" The priest looked on with an amused expression. Milo glanced over Brigit's scroll and saw that it read much the same as his. "Lady Deeperdown, may I present to you Lord Windby" Milo said in a lordly tone as he bowed to the dwarf. Brigit guffawed and slapped him on the back. After Milo had regained his balance he stood up and looked over at his other friends. Jeremiah was beaming after Brigit read his scroll to him. Mazi had a dark look to her face as she stared at the scroll. It seemed she would burn a hole through it with her intent gaze.

"Be wary, friends. Fame is a two-edged sword. Travel cautiously. I know that you are preparing to leave. There are those about that may take notice of famous heroes." The old priest told them with a meaningful glance at Mazithra.

The willowy elf practically stormed out of the chapel after Milo bid the priest and the messenger farewell. She wouldn't tell the others anything besides "These people know way too much about my history. Even the duke!"

Two days later Milo announced that he was done scribing his scrolls and was ready to set out. The friends busied themselves with plans for departure. Milo went to the chapel to take his leave of the priest and thank him for the help he'd given. The old priest had arranged for a barge to take them down river to the capital. He wished Milo and his friends luck on their journey and gave a prayer before they left.

Jeremiah and Brigit were more than ready to leave as they gathered their belongings and made their way to the gates. A few people gathered to see the heroes off. They cheered as they walked under the repaired arch of the gates. The captain of the guard was there with his men. As they walked by the guards snapped to attention and saluted the adventurers. Mazi looked slightly embarrassed and put out, but Milo was soaking in the attention. He waved and beamed a great smile out to the guard and the watching citizens. He puffed out his chest and drew himself up to his full 36 inches. Brigit just laughed at the comical halfling as they made their way down the road to the river.

They had figured that it would take four days to make their way to the capital city, Specularum by river. Then another three days to the small town of Luln if they purchased mounts in the city.

The small barge waited for them where the road ran by the river Castellan that would take them to the Highreach River. It was anchored in the shallow water of the bank. A large, rotund man waited for them upon the flat planks of the riverboat. He wore a bushy brown beard and welcomed them heartily when they announced who they were. The man introduced himself as Yomann as he heaved their heavy packs onto the barge. He seemed to be a jolly sort of fellow to Milo. Honest, with a hearty sense of humor, but not too intelligent. 

They started down the river right after their belongings were stowed. Each of them kept their adventuring gear on hand though, in case of trouble on the water. The first day passed by uneventfully. They glided by rocky shores, moving faster than they could on foot, but not rocketing down the river at full speed. Milo admired the steep cliffs that raised in the distance, their strata marking passage of time far before the dawn of civilization.

By the second day they were in the foothills of the Castellan Mountains. The rocky slopes and cliffs gave way to rough hills and dales. There were few trees along that stretch of the river, mostly bush and brush cluttered the landscape. As the day waned they spied trees in the distance. A forest appeared on the east bank, curving farther eastward to leave the further part of the banks in green marshy land. 

Before they emerged from the wooded area into the marsh the barge lurched to a stop. Jeremiah almost fell flat on his face as the barge hung in place. Milo ran to the fore immediately, his sharp eyes scanning the water for anything amiss. He found a rope, strung across the river. Just then he spied movement on the shore, within the trees. Slowly, the barge moved sideways across the current. The rope was pulling it closer and closer to the bank.

"Get ready guys, I don't think they're friendly!" Milo warned. Just as the barge touched the bank a huge man jumped out from behind some brush.

"Gimme me axe, dwarf wench!" He shouted. It was the mountain man they rescued from the bugbear's cavern! With a shout he charged at the group. Six more burly men jumped from the bushes with him. "Fer tha Brotherhood of the Axe!" They shouted.

Jeremiah was ready for the charge, he swung at the mountain man as he crossed the bank to the barge. Unfortunately he swung too soon, his sword whistled in the air before the huge warrior. Brigit stepped forward to fill the gap, her dwarven waraxe cleaved the air as is sped towards the burly mountain man.

"It's my axe!" She said as it sliced into his armor. The magical axe blade hewed through the leather armor and sunk into his flesh. He let out an enraged roar and swung his own mundane axe at her. His axe bit deep as well, wounding Brigit almost as much as she had wounded him.

Milo turned from their skirmish to see the other six men rushing onto the barge. He stowed his crossbow and pulled out Reft and Rend, ready to use the deadly handaxes for the first time. Mazi knocked an arrow to her bow with blinding speed and loosed it on the first axe wielder she could see. The arrow sunk just to the side of his shoulder. He let out a hoarse shout but did not falter in his mad dash for the barge.

The Brotherhood of the Axe boarded the barge in a rush, their booted feet tapping out a harsh, hollow sound on the wood of the boat. They clashed with the combatants. Two flanked their master and attacked Brigit and Jeremiah. They were not as expert in wielding the axes as the mountain man and found no purchase with their blades.

The remaining four streamed past the dwarf and human to attack Mazi and Milo. The axe man with an arrow bristling from his shoulder reached Mazi first. He swung his axe down in a vicious arc that grazed along Mazi's arm, drawing a streamer of blood after it. She winced at the pain, momentarily distracted as the other axe wielder attacked her. His blow did not inflict as great a wound, but his axe drew blood nonetheless.

Two men beset Milo as well. All the more huge from his perspective. He jumped to the side to avoid one blow from an axe man. The axe whistled by, barely missing his shoulder. His comrade followed up the near miss with a telling blow. Milo's shoulder ached from the wound and he saw a bit of blood limn the edge of the axe. He shifted his eyes back to the face of his attacker and gave him a feral grin. He wielded his handaxes against his foe, slashing the air with one then the other. He closed in on the large man, making an almost comical scene as his fierce offense forced the axe man back. He landed a blow with both of the enchanted axes, first one diagonal slash from hip to knee, and then a devastating hack into the man's sternum. He yanked his axe back out before the human fell to the deck, dead.

Ahead of him he watched as Jeremiah swung his sword again, this time almost losing his footing as he slipped on the slick planks that made up the barge. He regained his balance before he fell but his attack was foiled. The mountain man ignored the barbarian, focusing all of his attention on the dwarf and her axe. Brigit fended off the two blows from the experienced axe wielder. One glancing off her shield and the other she turned into a startling riposte with her own axe. The head sunk into the mountain man again. The wound was great, blood immediately welling and dripping from the gash in his chest. He kept fighting, seemingly ignorant of the pain.

Mazi was busy fending off her two attackers while she stowed her bow and readied her sword. One axe man came at her and was bewildered as he slashed at air. The lithe elf was already a foot to the side of his attack. The other axe wielder watched closely and swooped in for the attack when he thought Mazithra was vulnerable. She spun to meet his offense, kicking out with her booted foot. Her kick caught the man unawares, knocking the wind out of him. He dropped his axe to the deck and clutched his stomach.

Jeremiah moved to surer footing and planted his feet. He took aim at the mountain man and heaved his sword at his enemy. The blow never landed, the bearded hulk had already moved. He was nimble for his size and wounds he had received. Jeremiah's attack left him open to one of the brotherhood and he winced as the man's axe cut into him. On the other side of the mountain man another bearded giant of a human hacked at Brigit. She calmly deflected his blow with her shield and readied herself against the real threat of the mountain man.

Behind the beleaguered fighters Milo and Mazi strived against their foes. Milo's one remaining enemy was more cautious of the diminutive halfling, jumping back from his swift handaxes. He was no more able to hit Milo than the halfling was able to land a blow on him though. Mazi had only one of the brotherhood to deal with for a moment. The other was stooped over a few feet away, recovering his axe and his breath. She focused on the warrior before her and dodged his axe as it chopped air. Her sword snaked out at her attacker, nicking his tunic and traveling through his beard. It trailed nothing but unkempt hair behind it, leaving the axe man wide-eyed and wary.

Brigit and the mountain man were locked in a vicious struggle. They traded blows as if each were engaged in a log splitting contest. Brigit's arm vibrated from the two blows she took on her shield. She traded the blows with no less vigor but was met with likewise resistance. The mountain man blocked her axe with the haft of his own, catching Brigit's waraxe under the head. They stood for a moment in that pose, two fierce warriors striving against one another, before Brigit broke the hold and pulled back her axe. "I tole ya already, daft human, it's MY axe!"

The other two men flanking the mountain man attacked Brigit and Jeremiah. Both axes slid off of the full plate armor the dwarf and barbarian wore. Jer's armor glowed from the impact of the axe, a sharp point diffusing to a dim glow before it faded. The man that attacked Jeremiah stared in bewilderment at the sight.

He was so bewildered he didn't see the next attack coming. Jeremiah activated the whirlwind spell embedded in his Windsword of Sharda. He let loose a blinding flurry of blows. His sword cleaved clean through the axe man hounding him to the left. He continued his startling round of attacks against the mountain man. The big man staggered under the force of Jeremiah's greatsword. Jer was breathing heavily as he withdrew his blade, tainted with the mountain man's blood.

Mazithra noticed that her other adversary had recovered his axe and was preparing to enter the battle once again. She focused again on her current threat, analyzed his stance and found a weakness. She thrust her longsword past the axe wielder's guard and pierced his armor. The strike was enough to fell him and he toppled to the deck, causing the barge to shift slightly.

The shift was just enough to throw Milo's attack off as he pressed in on his foe. Reft fell from his right hand to clatter on the wooden planks. He ignored the fumble and pressed his attack with Rend. The axe cut a minor wound in the axe man's arm and caused the man to hop back out of range. Milo turned to recover his axe.

The other member of the brotherhood hefted his axe and started for Mazithra. She was just getting her footing on the shifting boards of the barge when he attacked. The slight disorientation cost her as the axe sliced through her armor to draw blood. She glared at the grinning axe man and prepared to fight.

Back at the fore of the barge Brigit fended off another blow from the mountain man. Her shield rang from the impact but couldn't stop the second attack from sneaking through. She grunted as the axe worked past her plate mail and slice through her skin. The attack made her nearly loose grip on her own axe. She caught the grip just as it was about to slip from her hand, too late to return the attack. She brought up her shield just in time to deflect the mountain man's lackey. The axe slid off the enchanted metal to reveal the frustrated face of the axe man.

Jeremiah was free to concentrate wholly on the mountain man. He planted his feet once again and sized up his opponent. His sword shined in the light of day as it arced towards the bearded man. He raised his axe to fend off the blow but couldn't overcome the immense power behind Jeremiah's swing. He staggered as the sword cut through his shoulder.

Milo hopped back from the axe man and grabbed at his handaxe. The swaying of the barge made it more difficult to get a grip on the handle. He dodged a swing from the axe man as he crouched to retrieve the weapon.

The other member of the brotherhood near him attacked Mazithra. The ring of steel could be heard as she deftly blocked the axe with her sword. The axe slide off the burnished wood of the Sylvanglade. She attempted to riposte but was foiled as the axe wielder jumped backwards with startling speed.

Meanwhile Brigit had grown tired of the mountain man's endless attacks. She roared a dwarven battlecry, "Baruk khazad ai-menu!" Her axe swung in an inexorable arc towards the mountain man. Her cry disheartened the giant human and he could only offer a weak block with his axe. The head of Brigit's axe split the haft of the mountain man's weapon and continued through. A split second later his head bounced from the wooden planks of the deck. Brigit's mighty swing didn't stop with the death of the mountain man. The deadly axe bit into the shoulder of the other axe man, severing his jugular. She wrenched her axe from his dead form and spit on the mountain man's slumped body.

Seeing all the enemies at the fore dead, Jeremiah turned to fight the threat to Milo and Mazithra. He came up behind the axe man threatening Milo and chopped straight down with his sword. The magic blade split the muscle-bound brute almost in two. Jeremiah gave a growl and scanned around for another foe.

Freed from his opponent, Milo sprang to aid Mazithra. He hurried behind the last axe man and hacked away with his axes. The astonished human felt the sting of one of Milo's handaxes before hopping to the side. He was hard pressed to face this new threat. While Milo distracted him on one side Mazi closed in for the kill on the other. She slashed at the axe wielder's exposed back, cutting clean through his armor and severing his ties with life.

Milo noticed that all four of them were breathing heavy, but otherwise living. There were a few wounds to tend to, but nothing life threatening. He turned to find what had become of the barge master, Yomann. He found him cowering behind their gear near the aft of the barge. He chuckled and called him out. The poor barge master had not seen much battle, that was certain. His faced turned a bit green as he looked out on the deck of his barge.

"Well you're a lively bunch, urp, that's for sure." he said weakly, holding a hand to his mouth.


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 2 (session 7)*

With the threat gone, the party checked the bodies. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Just seven large, bearded men, each with their own battle axe. There were a few silver pieces on each.
"That's it?" Milo said, "He stole that urn and all he could get was some silver?" He finished in disgust. Milo would have got a few hundred gold out of it at least.

"He must have used the rest to buy those axes. He really wanted that axe, Brigit." Mazi said with a slight smile.

"Want it or not, it won't do em no good where he's at now. Good riddance!" Brigit replied as she spat on the mountain man's corpse again.

Not wanting to take the time to deal with the bodies, Milo convinced the barge master to have someone come back and dispose of them properly after he dropped them off in Specularum. Yomann agreed hesitantly and they unloaded the corpses to the shore. 

Yomann used his steering pole to detach the rope anchoring them to the bank and they glided back out onto the river. Once again underway, Milo relaxed a little. All of the adventurers kept their wits about them, wary for another ambush further down the stream. 

There were no more traps between them and Specularum. It took two more days to reach the capital city of Specularum. They could see the city from miles upriver, stretching from the banks of Highreach to the grasslands beyond. A large forest could be seen in the distance. A few hours later they pulled into the special port designed for river barges. Yomann helped them unload their goods then bid them farewell. He seemed eager to get back on the river. Milo couldn't tell if it was a desire to be back on the water or to get away from them. He did hear the portly man mutter something about cleaning the stains off the deck.

Walking out from the port into the city was a blase experience for Milo. Specularum was big, but not as grand as the jewel city of Darokin. Mazi seemed similarly unaffected. Brigit and Jeremiah had obviously never been in a big city before though. Brigit's head craned this way and that to catch all of the sights, sounds, and smells. Jeremiah's mouth gaped at the assaults on his senses. Milo worried for a moment about the barbarian, afraid that he may have a problem with the massive amount of people bustling about their own business. He didn't worry long, Jeremiah's face split into a wide grin when Brigit pointed out to him all of the taverns near the port.

"Um, before you go making a permanent indentation on any barstools, let's find slightly nicer accommodations. I don't fancy spending the night in my armor sitting on my gear in case some foolhardy cutpurse decides we're easy marks." Milo said to two eager friends.

"Ya worry too much, halflin. Fine. We'll do it yer way, but I don't see what tha fuss is about. These look like my kinda people!" Brigit answered with a broad sweep of her arms.

"Drinking buddies are one thing, greedy bottom-dwellers are another. Trust me, this is the perfect place to catch travelers unaware. I speak from experience. Let's head farther into the city and find a place to stay for the night. Tomorrow we can get outfitted for our trip to Luln." Milo said.

With that the group headed into the city. They passed a huge outdoor market. Hawkers could be heard competing with each other as they tried to sell their wares. Jeremiah's head whipped back and forth as he tried to take everything in at once. A few entertainers could be seen plying their trade for a coin or two. A fire-breather puffed a gout of flame right above Brigit's head as they passed by. Jeremiah giggled. Milo was amazed at the change the city had on the normally dour barbarian.

Once past the market they found more taverns. Not the nicest places in the city, but a far cry from the dilapidated buildings littering the wharf district. Mazi and Milo examined a few inns from a distance and agreed on one to spend the night. The Shorn Sheep looked to be the classiest inn in the district. They headed in, under the sign displaying a rather bald ruminant. 

The common room was well lit and busy, especially for the early hour of the evening. The four made their way to the bar and stood by as Mazi made arrangements with the barkeep for their room and board. After obtaining a key to an upstairs room they were warned against causing any disturbances on the premises and the strict consequence of breaking the peace. 

Once their gear was settled they decided to go back downstairs and get a real dinner before surveying more of the city. The fare was passable, better than any of the rations they had been eating on the journey to the capital. Brigit challenged Jeremiah to a drinking contest before the last bite had been eaten. They headed off to the bar with the flimsy excuse of the contest to enjoy the ale in this strange new city. Milo and Mazi laughed at their eagerness as they finished their meals. They split up after dinner and scouted out the immediate surroundings of the inn.

Milo found that most of the shops closed up shortly after nightfall. He mentally marked the shops that were best suited to outfit them for the journey. He learned of a halfling district after speaking with a countryman passing by. They exchanged pleasantries and found that their home shires were neighbors. They swapped a couple of stories about mutual acquaintances before the other halfling had to leave to finish his errand.

Once back in the inn Milo found that Brigit and Jeremiah were well on their way to a drunken stupor as they slammed back pint after pint. Apparently Specularum ale was agreeable. Mazi entered the inn a few minutes later and they compared notes. There were plenty of shops in the area that would do well to prepare them for the next leg of the journey. After dragging Brigit and Jer away from death by inebriation they settled in their room with plans to visit the shops the next day. 

The next day extended to three days as they went from shop to shop, finding all of the gear they needed or wanted. Jeremiah had been saving his gold for a great war-horse. Not exactly a steed needed to ride from one town to the next, but Milo figured it was his coin to do with as he pleased. He returned to the inn that night with a great smile on his face, leading a huge grey gelding with military tack. Brigit found a reasonably sized pony for a dwarf-sized rider and Mazi purchased a lighter steed, a white and dappled grey mare. For his own mount Milo found the halfling district and tracked down a dog stable. He picked out a riding dog with white and black fur and light blue eyes. They took to each other immediately. The Shorn Sheep had accommodations for halfling mounts in their stable so he had no trouble keeping the dog.

On the third night the companions sat around a table in the common room, discussing the journey to Luln. Brigit was getting impatient to be off and find her any clues to her sister's whereabouts. They decided that they were as ready as they ever would be and they would leave early the next morning.

Just then a commotion broke out on the other side of the inn door. Shouts could be heard as well as a crashing. The night fell unnaturally silent for a few moments. Milo glanced at his friends and nodded, they all reached for their weapons. The doors to the inn burst open, throwing splinters and chunks of wood all over the common room.

A slumped figure shambled through the debris, Milo strained to make out its features in the gloom that surrounded the entryway. He heard Mazi groan and say, "Not again."

The figure slouched into the light and Milo saw what prompted those words from the elf's lips. A slack jawed face stared at them, its flesh was stitched together crudely and it limped horribly. Worse of all, he recognized the gaping wound in the creature's forehead. It was Bordamere! Brought to life again, this time as an animated golem pieced together after the battle in the caves. Milo was the next to groan.

The unnatural automaton shambled towards Mazi. It made no sound but the scraping of its limp foot on the ground. The silence was eerie. Milo stowed his crossbow and reached for his axes, the drawing of the twin bone hafts breaking the preternatural silence in the common room. As if the silence had bound him, Jeremiah charged forward at the sound. His sword dived down at the animated golem, inflicting serious harm. With blinding speed he slashed sideways as well, shearing off more of flesh from the beast. 

Brigit hung back from the fray and drew back the string in her bow. Her aim was precise and the arrow flew true, straight into the ex-Bordamere's chest. It was unfazed. Mazi shouted, "Magic only, it's a magic construct, your weapons have to be enchanted!"

Distracted by the shout Jeremiah was surprised by the speed that the golem displayed as it moved to attack him. The construct slammed Jer with a double-fisted blow to the head. Jer staggered under the critical blow, stars swimming in his vision. A nasty wound bled from the side of his skull. Milo noticed that fragments of bone were protruding from the golem's fists, the better to wound its victims.

Mazithra drew back her own bowstring and knocked one of the special magic arrows she had been saving. She fired the missile at Bordamere but was disappointed as it skimmed past his head, mere inches from the wound her arrow caused it in life.

Milo started towards the creature but was passed by Brigit. With expert speed she had stowed her bow and drawn her waraxe in one fluid motion. Before she reached the flesh golem Jeremiah recovered from the massive blow to the head to rally an impressive round of attacks. He slashed fiercely at the golem, sloughing off flesh and breaking stitches. Bordamere was all but falling apart by the time Brigit reached Jer's side.

She skidded to a halt and lifted her magic axe. The enchanted metal swung down heavily, whistling in the air above the golem's head. It crashed upon its skull, shattering the damaged bone and cleaving it in two down to its chest. The golem fell backwards from Brigit as she kicked it away from her axe.

"Alright, tell me now, how do we get rid O this guy fer good? How many times do we gotta kill em?" Brigit said with an exasperated sigh.

Any forthcoming response was interrupted by the arrival of the city guard. Luckily the adventurers had kept the damage to a minimum, the only property destroyed was the door to the inn. No patrons were harmed and the barkeep had hid behind his bar through the whole battle. Nevertheless, they were detained by the guard and put under house arrest while an official investigation was conducted.

They were each questioned individually by the court inquirer. After the stories were correlated and scrutinized the party was released. It was determined by the investigators to be a single episode of revenge directed towards the group. They were held liable for repairs on the inn door but suffered no other consequences. All in all the process took two more days. Milo was impressed, he had seen lesser infractions lumber through the system for months in Darokin. Apparently flesh golems bent on revenge were commonplace in Specularum.


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## Milo Windby

Temple of Elemental Evil - part 3 (session 7)
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The next morning Milo and his friends prepared their mounts and supplies. They left the city under the watchful eye of the city guard. Apparently they were still under some amount of scrutiny. They made it to the gates unmolested and started on the road to Luln.
Their nights were uneventful, oft times Milo would wile away his watch stargazing or practicing with his handaxes. Their mounts performed beautifully. Jeremiah's war horse and Mazithra's mount would often trot side by side when given their heads. Brigit and Milo's smaller mounts followed behind. The dusty road gave way to rolling hills covered in tall deep-green grass. The miles rolled by as they traveled. They discussed trivial matters, the weather, the local political climate, and what they would do once they reached Luln.

After three days and two nights on the road they spied the town in the distance. It wasn't large by Specularum standards, but it was a fair sized village. They arrived at the outskirts before dusk and headed into the town proper. Milo noticed that it was a mixed populace, humans, a few elves here and there, a dwarf or two, and not a few halflings. He guessed that Luln's proximity to the northern shires had something to do with that. 

They found the single inn and checked for a room at the bar. The gruff barkeep gave them a room and a wildly overpriced charge. Milo whittled him down to a decent fee, but he could tell the innkeeper wasn't too happy about it. They stowed their belongings in the room and headed out to gather some information before seeking dinner. The town was under the control of The Black Eagle Baron, Duke Stefan's cousin. He was known for his especially cruel nature and a despot-style rule. Those under his control would never speak such a thing aloud though. They each found those of their own persuasion or race, depending on the person, and tried to find out as much about current affairs in Luln as possible.

Three hours later, after the sun had set and a swollen full moon had risen to hang above the town like a baleful eye, the adventurers met in the common room of the inn. Over a high priced meal of vegetables and mysterious meat they discussed what they found.

"Tha other dwarves here told me about an ole dwarf that took his daughter out ta visit tha forest garrison last month. They ain't been seen since." Brigit told the others, "What you wanna bet that be tha bugger that's got me sister? If he ain't, then he'll know where she is!"

"Could be Brigit, could be." Milo agreed. "I found out that there are some old ruins out in the forest that have been there for as long as anyone can remember. I wonder if that's where that garrison is?"

"Well I found an elven shopkeeper that's none too fond of the Baron." Mazi shared, "I don't think she recognized me, but she did tell me that the Baron has been hiring lots of mercenaries lately."

"I found out that the Baron has some slaves out there building a new fortress in the forest." Jeremiah told them before falling silent again.

"Okay, that's too much. After that note about the army and the odd goings on in the forest, we have got to check it out tomorrow." Milo suggested.

"Aye, if nuthin else than ta see if that bugger O a baron be usin dwarves as his slaves!" Brigit was getting a little worked up.

"Calm down Brigit," Mazi soothed, "We'll find out the truth tomorrow. There's nothing you can do about it tonight but rouse suspicion from the townspeople." She gestured back to the bar and the surly innkeeper. Brigit settled down and they spent the rest of their meal planning the foray into the forest in the following morning. 

That night Milo slept well, comfortable in the bunk upstairs in the room. Dawn came too soon as the first rays of light peeked through their window. He yawned and stretched as he rose from his cot. Mazi was already awake, needing only a few hours of meditation through the night. They roused Brigit and Jeremiah and prepared to leave. 

Before they went out into the forest they found arrangements for their mounts. There was a stable in town with a trustworthy staff that was willing to accommodate their mounts, even Milo's riding dog. After paying for a few days in advance they obtained directions to the Baron's garrison/earthworks. They found that they were one day's travel from Luln by foot. Not wanting to waste any daylight, the party set out at once.

A few miles down the road they entered into a light forest. Trees grew all over, but none too close together. A few more miles later they noticed the growth starting to twist and gnarl. It reminded Milo of the cursed gorge they had so recently purged. Not again, thought Milo. 

They came upon a large clearing, full of ruins. There was a low wall that had once been twice as tall as a human as evidence in some sections that were still intact. Within the wall rose a crumbling stone structure. A temple of sorts by Milo's reckoning. Beyond the wall were a dilapidated tower to the south end of the clearing and a ruined shack to the north.

They decided to leave the temple grounds and investigate the surroundings first. Milo led them north to the ruined shack. There was no door to the slumped building and they could see stairs leading down inside. Thinking the stairs to lead into a lower portion of the temple, perhaps catacombs, the group decides unanimously to hold off on further investigation. That left the tower to search.

The top of the tower had collapsed in on itself but much of the structure remained intact. Milo examined the chains barring the door from the outside. The lock was old and rusty, it obviously hadn't been moved for some time. Two slits opened to either side of the door. Brigit and Mazi peered into them, being the only two that could see into the dark of the tower. They couldn't make out anything, it appeared pitch black inside.

With no other way to get into the tower, Brigit pulled out the warhammer she purchased in Specularum. The shiny head of the hammer swung down at the brown rusty metal of the lock. Its impact seemed to trigger a reaction, as soon as the hammer hit the lock arrows shot out of the slits to the side of the door. Four of the missiles flew, each aimed at one of the adventurers. Sensing that this was an ambush rather than a trap, they worked harder at breaking through the door. Jeremiah struck the lock with his enchanted sword after Brigit withdrew her hammer. The lock shattered and Brigit kicked in the door.

The sight that greeted them certainly wasn't a pitch black tower floor. The whole garrison was arrayed against them. On first glance Milo counted over a half dozen swordsmen, four archers and four crossbowmen, and nearly a half dozen officers in the back. The captain in the rear commanded his forces to attack. The adventurers wasted no time.

Jeremiah charged in swinging. He missed the first swordsman before him but drove the point in on his return thrust. The blade impaled the soldier's shoulder right before Milo's crossbow bolt sunk into his chest. The soldier fell to the ground, the first dead body to litter the floor of that battle.

Brigit and Jeremiah stood side by side while Mazi slipped in through the doorway. Three of the swordsmen attacked Jeremiah and Brigit each. Jer sustained a light wound from one attack that slipped past his sword. He growled at the warrior that inflicted the blow. Brigit received a shoulder wound as well. She batted the sword aside with her shield and hacked back with her waraxe. The magic edge sliced through the soldier that wounded her, severing his link with life. Brigit continued her attack, cutting short the life of another mercenary that attacked her. Her fierce display caused the others to pause.

All of the bowmen and crossbowmen loosed their missiles on a command from the captain. The shifting battle prevented any from taking precise aim. Not one arrow or bolt pierced the heroes. One of the arrows ricocheted off Brigit's armor and another bounced from Jeremiah's plate mail.

Seeing the formidable force arrayed against them, Mazithra took a more tactical stance to the battle. She chanted a spell and cast her splayed fingers towards the warriors. Strange goo materialized from her fingertips and spewed out over the combatants. In seconds over half of the garrison was covered in sticky strands of webbing. Mazi grinned and brushed her hands against each other.

Jeremiah took advantage of the struggling warriors, being free of the web himself. He swiveled himself around, almost facing backwards before sweeping back in an impressive and massive swing of his greatsword. The blade sliced clean through all three mercenaries, their struggling ceased immediately. Milo gaped for a moment at the incredible maneuver.

He regained his composure and concentrated on a spell that would compliment Mazithra's web perfectly. He chanted the words as they came to him, conjuring up images of hard spikes flying through the ether. The very air around his outstretched hand coalesced into tiny sharp daggers before spraying outwards towards the enemy. The small knives of hardened air stabbed into nine of the garrison, wounding them badly. It was Milo's turn to brush his hands against one another.

Mazi grinned at the halfling before wielding her sword at the closest warrior. She took careful aim and stabbed the mercenary straight through the heart, killing him instantly. She turned and shouted to the others, "The webbing is flammable, can any of you torch it?"

"Oh aye, that I can!" replied Brigit. She drew out a flask of alchemist's fire and tossed it towards the magic webbing. The effects were spectacular. The flask exploded on impact and the bottled fire within blossomed to the sticky strands. A huge flash of fire lit the room as if the sun had descended to ground level. When the smoke cleared there were only seven warriors remaining, the crossbowmen, the two lieutenants, and the captain.

Jeremiah moved towards the crossbowmen right away. His sword flashed as it sliced through first one, then the other mercenary. The second blow was stronger than the first, chopping the hapless crossbowman neatly in two. He barely missed the third but realigned himself to try again.

The captain roared his frustration at the adventurers. His forces had been cut by more than half in a matter of seconds. He charged forward to join the fray. He came up behind Jeremiah and stabbed through a chink in his armor, wounding the barbarian before he had a chance to react. As swift as he attacked Jeremiah, he turned and slashed at Milo, inflicting a nasty wound across his shoulder. Milo moved to the side, bracketing the captain and plying his handaxes. He was unable to make contact on the nimble warrior. The captain was certainly an experienced fighter.

The two remaining crossbowmen took heart at their captain's success and dropped their crossbows to draw their swords. Jeremiah looked to be in a dangerous situation. The two lieutenants moved in from the rear of the room. One slashing at the air with a wicked rapier while the other carried a sword as big as Jer's. The lieutenant with the rapier stabbed at Milo, the point sunk past his chain shirt, deep into his arm. Milo cried out and withdrew a pace away from the dangerous sword. The greatsword-wielding lieutenant attacked Jeremiah. He had no where to move with enemies on almost every side. The sword skittered across his armor and in-between two of the plates near his waist. Blood flowed from the wound after the lieutenant withdrew.

Mazi made to move in to aid her beleaguered comrade but slipped on an unseen bit of gore left from the carnage in the web. Her sword slipped from her grasp as she flailed out to catch her balance. Brigit charged past her with her axe held high, making a beeline for the captain. The waraxe glinted in the torchlight before it was buried deep into the captain's back. The axe head emerged from his breastbone. A trickle of blood escaped his mouth. Brigit grunted as she completed her swing, slicing the captain from chest to groin. The critical slice killed him before he had a chance to feel it.

Jeremiah took heart from the captain's fall and rallied against his foes. The soldiers didn't realize the mistake they made surrounding the powerful barbarian too late. Two blindingly fast attacks from his greatsword decimated the lieutenant, toppling him to the floor. His sword blazed on to crash through the defenses of a crossbowman. The hapless mercenary fell before his onslaught. The scene didn't have time to register with the last crossbowman before Jeremiah's wrath claimed his life as well. The only foe that remained standing was the lieutenant with the rapier. 

Milo risked close range to hack at him with his handaxes. One made contact, wounding the soldier in the leg. He attempted to return the favor before the rest of the adventurers closed in on him. His attack failed and he stepped back pace to escape the advance. Brigit swung her axe, clipping the air directly in front of the slowly retreating lieutenant. Mazi had recovered her balance and her weapon and moved towards the officer. The threat was cut short as Jeremiah spent the remainder of his wrath on the last enemy. He thrust the Windsword straight through the lieutenant's chest. The officer died with a rattling sigh. 

"Well so much for questioning." Milo said disappointedly. "Still, nice work with the web Mazi! I'm impressed!"

"You didn't do so bad with that knife spell of your own. That was vicious," Mazi replied. "And that alchemist's fire sure came in handy, Brigit. To think I laughed when you bought all those things from the apothecary."

Brigit merely snorted at the remark and turned about to survey the room. The archers had shot past black cloth that was hanging over the slits. No wonder they couldn't see anything through the other side. Torches burned in sconces set about the tower room. The interior of the tower was in much better repair than the exterior. The only damage to the room was the soot marks from the burning web. Two doors led into other rooms on the bottom floor as well as a ruined staircase leading up to the demolished top floor.

They searched the bodies first, finding a fair amount of coin on all of the bodies, especially the captain's. They cautiously walked into the first room. No one challenged them. It appeared they had vanquished the entire garrison in the main room. Rows of bunks lined the walls and a large chest squatted at the end of the narrow room. Milo moved to the chest immediately, checking for traps and locks before opening it. Inside were fine silks, a jeweled dagger, a healing draught, and a sack containing more coin, electrum pieces. The others had been searching the room as the chest occupied Milo. No other valuables were discovered. Milo was happy with the contents of his find though. They distributed the loot evenly for weight, choosing to deal with it later.

The other door led to nicer quarters, obviously the captain's room. An iron lockbox sat at the foot of the double bed near the corner. There was a wardrobe as well. The wardrobe contained a fine suit and hooded cloak of brown velvet lined with fur. The box proved to be trapped and locked. Milo noticed a needle poised within the lock. Poison, it figures, he thought to himself. He told the others to hang back while he dealt with the tricky lock.

He drew out his new masterwork tools that he had picked up in the halfling district in Specularum. He slipped in a pair of tweezers and carefully worked the needle trap. It disarmed with an audible click. Milo breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off his brow. He pulled out his tumbler tools and easily picked the untrapped lock. The box lid swung up to reveal a treasure trove of coins. They had found the garrison treasury it appeared! In addition to the gold, silver, copper, and platinum Milo found a finely crafted short sword with a topaz set in the pommel. Easily worth another 500 gold pieces if they chose to sell it.

"I'd say we were well rewarded for cleaning this garrison out of the Black Eagle's scum, wouldn't you?" Milo asked no one in particular. All three of his friends heartily agreed. He noticed Mazi eyeing the topaz on the short sword and grinned at her slight obsession. "Why don't you hang on to the dagger and sword for now, Mazi? I know how much you like the sparklies."

Brigit barked out a laugh and Jeremiah grinned. Mazi scowled at Milo and stuck out her tongue. She did take the weapons after all.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 4 (session 7)*

After a thorough investigation of the broken tower, the group left the corpses behind and headed towards the shack. The splintered wood of the hovel jutted towards the sky like an accusing finger pointed to the heavens. From within the detritus of the shanty Milo could make out a stair well. 
"Looks like it's down into the earth again folks." Milo spoke over his shoulder. "You should be right at home Brigit."

"Mebbe so, depends on what else 'as already made it its home." Brigit answered.

The stairs led down to a small room with a hatch in the floor. Milo searched the area quickly and found no traps. 

"Jer, you think you could muscle this door open? Probably easier for you than Brigit." Milo asked the barbarian. Brigit bristled at the comment and shouldered her way past Jeremiah.

"Probably easier for you than Brigit." she imitated Milo. The halfling sniggered.

With a single heave she wrenched open the hatch, nearly ripping it off the hinges. "I knew we could count on you Brigit." Milo said with a smug grin on his face as he patted the fuming dwarf's shoulder. "Kinda dark down there, I'll go down first and set up one of my sunrods."

Milo pulled out a slender wand with a bulbous tip from his pack. He cracked the bottom of the wand against the floor of the shack and the bulb flared into light. Everyone shielded his or her eyes against the intense flare. The light died down to a sufferable level after a few moments, bright enough to illuminate the passage down, as well as the mildly annoyed glares directed at Milo. He pretended not to notice as he peered down the shaft. A ladder led into the darkness past the range of his sunrod. He fastened the wand to his pack and turned about, feet first into the shaft.

"Let's head down, this sunrod doesn't last forever." Milo called up to his friends.

They climbed down the rickety ladder one at a time. Milo and Mazithra barely made a noise as they crawled down lightly. Brigit and Jeremiah rattled the wooden ladder in its casings as they clunked down in their heavy armor. Jeremiah looked a little embarrassed at the noise after he reached the bottom. Milo had time to plant his sunrod in-between some rocks in the small room while he was waiting for the others. The magically glowing wand washed over dusty rubble and long unused shelves. There didn't seem to be much in the room besides the empty shelving. 

Just as Jeremiah's boots hit the ground another sound filtered up to their ears. Squeaking noises surrounded them, seeming to come from every direction.

"A trap!" Jeremiah said.

Before anyone else could comment a flood of huge rodents swarmed towards them from cracks in the walls and floor. At least a dozen of the large rats scurried into the small room, hedging the companions in.

"Not dire rats again!" Mazi whined before as she unsheathed Sylvanglade.

Mazithra showed her distaste in more ways than one as she found a critical weakness in the leading rat's hide. The point of her sword sunk deep into the beast as it let loose a shrill squeak, it's last.

Two of the diseased vermin scrabbled towards Milo. Their speed startled the halfling, he barely had time to jump back to avoid a nasty bite. The first rat's teeth snapped on air, inches from his arm. He wasn't as lucky with the second rodent. It's yellowed teeth bit into his leg as he hopped away, drawing a small amount of blood. A wave of sickness washed over Milo, but he fought it off, refusing to give in to the filth fever these vermin carried.

Next to him Mazi fended off three of the rats, her sword keeping one at bay at a time. As she wielded the weapon at one, the other two would approach, nipping at her waist. She managed to ward off the closest but winced as the other two made it past her defenses. Milo watched as an almost imperceptible green hue crept up Mazi's skin and her face flushed. She would be feeling that bite for days to come if he didn't do something about it.

His attention was brought back to the rats as Brigit brushed past him, her axe brandished high. She swung the deadly blade down at the rats, causing many to fall back. Two rats were too slow though, her heavy axe head swung clean through their chests as they reared up on hind legs. The rats stood nearly as tall as the dwarf for a moment before toppling back among their kin. The squeaking seemed to grow louder around them.

Milo had finally notched a bolt to his crossbow and fired a shot past the vicious dwarf. The bolt skimmed the tough hide of one of the rats. He sighed in disappointment as it skittered to the ground, inflicting no damage whatsoever.

Jeremiah practically stepped over Milo's head in his rush to get to the battle. His greatsword fought for room in the cramped quarters. Jer changed styles, forgoing his usual grand slashes, as he stabbed at the creatures again and again. One, two, then three of the feral rats keened their death squeal before Jeremiah was forced back by the rest of the swarm. His Windsword had no trouble dispatching the diseased rats.

Meanwhile Mazi had recovered from her bite wounds and rallied at the rats the flooded the space left empty by their dead kin. She also abandoned her usual graceful style, adopting a no-nonsense approach to dispatching the rodents. Her sword cut short the life of one of the vermin as it sank half to the hilt through a rat's flank. She pulled her sword out and glared at the rest of the rats as if their attack was a personal insult she wished to address.

Six of the beasts remained but only three were able to attack the companions at once. The rats surged towards Mazi, Brigit, and Jeremiah. Mazi was already weakened from the initial bites and was unable to mount a sufficient defense. She lashed out at the approaching rat with her boot and was rewarded with a slight wound on her calf. She favored her other leg for a moment as she stepped back. 

Jeremiah scored a similar wound as he kicked away another rat. The beast's head whipped about and caught the lightly protected calf of the barbarian. Jeremiah merely grunted and bashed the rat in the head with his hilt. The creature let go of his leg but was not stunned in the slightest by the powerful human's blow. Brigit's defenses fared considerably better. The rat had a hard time bypassing her shield as she fixed it firmly between herself and the attacker.

Her shield stayed between them only long enough for the rat to attack. As soon as it dropped back down to all fours her axe came swinging from behind the metal barrier. The enchanted edge sliced through the rat's shallow brainpan, killing it instantly. She took advantage of the powerful blow by following through to the rat that had attacked Jeremiah. Her axe buried itself deep into its shoulder, breaking through the bones into the ribcage and severing the rodent's link with life.

Jeremiah saw the opening and leaped past the expired rat, swinging his sword from the middle of the small room. Mazi ducked unnecessarily as the sword whistled by inches away from where she stood. The blade dipped as it approached the first of the rats and did not emerge again until it passed through three more rats. The creatures wailed as his massive sword ripped into them. They had no way to defend themselves from the cold hard steel of the Windsword. 

Milo fired another bolt at the last remaining rat, trying to thread the needle past Jeremiah and Brigit. His quarrel soared over the rat's head, splintering against the far wall.

Mazi's eyes glinted as she advanced on the last rat. She sliced into the gibbering vermin with her sword, barely looking as if she expended any energy in the effort. 

"I hate these filthy rats. Every time we see one I'm getting bit on the leg. Ugh, I don't feel so well" Mazithra said after the last dire rat had fallen. 

"For how many there were I'd say we got off pretty easy." Milo said as he explored the small cellar. "Everyone but Brigit got bit, but only you seem to have been infected with that filth fever. How is your leg?'

Mazi marveled at how Milo could carry on a conversation while his attention seemed focused solely on the ground at his feet. Before she could answer he let out a little shout of "Ahah!" and bent down to pull on the corner of a musty old mat.

The old woven rug pulled up at the corner and revealed another door under its musty protection. Milo struggled with the large rug, trying to roll it the rest of the way off of the hatch. Jeremiah bent over to help the small halfling. Just as he reached out his hand to pull aside the mat he froze. He slowly extended his hand towards Milo instead, who was too distracted by his task to hear what bothered Jeremiah so.

"More rats." the large barbarian whispered. It was Milo's turn to freeze. He could hear the squeaking and the faint scrabbling of claw on stone. He groaned and turned to look at the others. Not one of them were in the mood to fight more of the vermin and from the sound of it there were even more this time. Mazithra was the first to head up the ladder, her wounded leg didn't slow her ascent at all. Brigit followed her up, then Jeremiah. Milo grabbed his sunrod and scampered up the rungs just as the first rat emerged from the cracks in the walls. If the vermin hadn't paused to sniff at its dead kin they may not have had the time to close the hatch after the nimble halfling shot up out of the passage. Jeremiah swung the heavy wooden door down on its hinges. They could hear as one of the rats fell from the ladder to the cellar floor as the hatch slammed into its resting-place. All four adventurers breathed a sigh of relief. 

Milo turned to confer with his friends. They could ignore the scrabbling of claws on the wooden hatch. It was obviously too heavy for the rats to lift. Mazithra however couldn't shake the idea that they could find other ways out, through the cracks in the floor of the shack.

"I'm sick of them. Stupid rats always spreading their disease. I say we camp for the night. I'm not feeling so well." Mazi said.

"While I'm not quite as frightened of the rats," Milo said, dodging a half-serious fist from Mazi, "I agree. We could all use a rest after the garrison and the rats. I can use my staff to heal Mazi of the fever before it gets serious too."


"Alright, let's get clear O tha temple. I still don' like the looks O it. I swear there's somethin familiar about this place." Brigit said.

"Yes, I can't quite put my finger on it either Brigit. I feel it too though. It gives me the shivers." Mazi said as she held her shoulders.

"That or the filth fever, eh? You need to stop trying to make friends with the rats, Mazi." Milo said, again dodging a more serious punch from Mazi. He grinned back at her as Brigit and Jeremiah chuckled.

They made their way out of the temple's clearing, choosing a wooded area surprisingly free of roots and brambles to settle down in for the night. As they unloaded their gear Milo pulled asked Brigit for the staff of healing she carried for him. He examined the staff, reading over the now familiar runes of the smooth wood. 

"What was the that activation word again? Ah! Here it is." He muttered to himself. He stood up, holding the staff before him. His head barely reached three quarters of the way up the wooden staff. "Come here, Mazi." He motioned to the elf with the staff. He looked comical standing with the large staff held out in front of him. "Ready?" he asked Mazithra. She nodded and Milo raised the staff as far off the ground as he could.

"Abercrombie!" Milo said in a booming voice.

"ah-FITCH" Mazi sneezed.

"Bless ya." Brigit answered the sneeze.

Milo gave Mazi a queer look then shrugged. "How do you feel?"

"Pretty good. Really good actually. That's a nice little trick there, Milo." Mazi replied.

"Trick! That's some powerful magic! Completely abolishing all of the toxins in your elf body is no little thing!" Milo said, incensed. It was Mazi's turn to grin and dodge as Milo swung the staff most unceremoniously towards her.

They finished setting up camp and settled down for the night after a brief cold dinner. Watch was set and each of them took turns staying up peering into the gloom that pervaded the woods near the temple. Random sounds seemed ominous in the dark, almost as if something were watching them, waiting, waiting, waiting.

Milo woke the next morning relatively refreshed, despite the unease from the night before. They discussed the shack and the rat infested cellar and the ruined temple. Finally the group decided to investigate the temple before going any further. Bad feeling or no, the temple wasn't going anywhere with them traipsing about outside.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 5 (session 7)*

Milo whistled a merry tune as they made their way out of the forest into the temple's clearing. It sounded out of place in the gnarled and twisted wood but it lifted his companions' spirits nonetheless. The clearing was as they left it, nothing was disturbed through the night that they could see. The temple squatted in the center of the clearing, its secrets waiting to be unfolded.
Surveying the actual building for the first time Milo noticed the huge double doors that guarded the interior. The doors were six or seven times his height and almost as wide. It looked as though an army could pass through at full march without pause. They were chained shut with thick iron links. Oddly enough Milo couldn't focus on the chains, they seemed to hurt his eyes. As they got closer they noticed runes etched all along the planks of the doors. They seemed to crawl and shift unnaturally, making it impossible to decipher them. As Milo moved to get a closer look he suddenly had the compulsion to bolt. He quelled his inexplicable fears and fought to take the next step forward. His body would not obey, the only direction he seemed able to move was away from the temple. As soon as he made his way back to where the rest of the party stood the blanket of dread lifted from his shoulders. 

"There's some powerful magic protecting those doors. Mazi, can you get close enough to make out those runes?" Milo asked when he covered the few short steps between the invisible wall of fear and his companions.

Mazithra nodded and started towards the huge double doors of the temple. Milo watched carefully as she walked. He noticed her falter about the same time he had. Her face went ashen pale and he could see her throat work to swallow. She made it two more small steps before she too had to return to the group. 

"I can't do it. Someone or something is keeping me from getting close to the doors." Mazi said after she returned. Her skin was recovering its color, not remarkably different from the pale hue it had adopted nearer to the temple.

"It be whether it's a someone or a something that worries me, Iff'n ya get my meaning." Brigit said to no one in particular. "Bah, lemme take a lookit the things." Brigit said with a wave of her axe.

She stomped towards the doors with a heavy step. She got no further than Milo or Mazi had and was forced to turn back. Whatever power enchanting the doors was too much for them to overcome.

"Ah well, vast conspiracies underway, evil enchantments warding us away, probably mounds of undead to slog through." Milo started half-jokingly. "When has it been any different? Let's look for another entrance."

They started around the temple, intending to walk the length. Milo hadn't realized how big the ruined structure was. The temple itself had to be fifty feet high and it stretched back into the clearing at least nine times its height. Milo felt small walking past the temple. 

Near the rear of the temple they found three more doors. They were unchained and unmarked by runes of any sort. They all noticed the extensive foot traffic that had to have recently passed through the doors though. The grass near the doors had been trampled and dirt had been thrown up near the entrances. It looked rather recent to Milo too.

"Well you all know how I feel about front doors, or rear doors that get used just as much. I say we try that shack again. I bet the other trap door leads into the temple as well." Milo stated. "I'm all for coming in through a secret passage and surprising the devil out of whatever is in there."

Ever the voice of reason, Mazi said, "That's assuming whatever is in there doesn't know we're coming."

"True, but better safe than dead, right?' Milo countered. 

The others agreed and they set out for the shack again. As they walked they thought of some way to fend off the rats long enough to find out what else was down there. After a couple of abortive plans vetoed by Milo (mostly involving tossing the halfling) they settled on throwing down some oil and lighting it with one of Jeremiah's torches.

Drawing near to the shack they could see that the hatch was intact and no apparent movement around the portal. Milo bent over to place his ear against the heavy wood and listen for the rats. He heard squeaking and the scrabbling of claws on stone, but nothing immediately near the hatch. 

"OK Jeremiah, you light up a torch." Milo said. "Brigit, you heave open the hatch, I'll toss down my oil and Jeremiah will chase it with his torch. Sound good to everyone?" 

Brigit was already at the hatch, her hand grasping the ring that would lift it on its hinges. Milo removed a vial of oil from his pack and nodded to Brigit. She heaved on the ring and the door swung up with a loud protest from its rusty hinges. Milo threw his oil into the darkness, and then Jeremiah tossed in the lit torch. They heard the tinkle of breaking glass followed by the unique "whoosh" of flame as the torch made contact. This was followed by a mass amount of tortured squeaking as the surprised rats were caught in the impromptu fireball.

Once the flames died down the group peered into the smoky darkness as they stood around the hatch. No more squeaks rose up from the passage down. Milo pulled out another of his sunrods, grateful that he was able to find the handy glow sticks in Specularum. He struck the ground with the bottom end and it flared to life. Once the glow diminished to normal he tossed the rod into the hole, watching the light plummet through the smoke.

They waited until the sooty darkness cleared and they could see the sunrod and floor of the chamber below. The stones were charred and they could make out blackened remains of the dire rats. Milo started down first, descending the ladder as quick as only a nimble halfling could. He looked around, noting that many of the corpses from the day before had been picked over before the flame hit. He also noticed the smoldering bodies of more rats, slumped over the old carcasses. He called up an all clear to his friends and started kicking at the charred remains of the woven rug covering the other hatch. He had the door uncovered by the time Jeremiah clinked down the ladder, being the last one.

Brigit bent over the heavy door and pulled up on the similar ring. The door swung upwards, revealing another ladder down. Milo shrugged at the sight, grabbed his sunrod, and started down. He reached the bottom just before Mazi, whom Brigit followed, then Jeremiah. They found themselves in a slightly larger room than above. This one also lined with shelves. The only intact item they could see was a cask of what appeared to be brandy. Brigit gave a low whistle at the find. She recognized the seal and told the others how much the brandy would be sold for from the distillery. Milo's mind boggled at the price of 400 gold pieces for such a small cask of liquor. 

Brigit tied the cask to the bottom of her pack, securing it for later sale or consumption. Just as she finished shouldering her hefty gear they heard a familiar sound. Squeaking noises, off in the distance, but growing near. The direction was not clear, but they could hear them from more than one side of the chamber. With nary a word they started back up the ladder, Milo once again leading the way with his sunrod. He didn't even pause in the first cellar chamber, but headed straight up the other ladder. He could hear the squeaking grow closer as he ascended the rickety ladder. Jeremiah kicked the hatch closed on the second chamber and followed Brigit up to the surface. Once he emerged Brigit swung the heavy door closed once again.

"They jus don' quit. I'm as tired as tha elf of these durn rats!" Brigit said vehemently. Jeremiah nodded his agreement.

"Okay, okay. It doesn't look like we'll find our way into the temple through here. The back door it is then." Milo said with resignation.

They walked back to the temple, warily approaching the doors in the rear. There were three of the smaller entrances. All three had apparently been used recently too. Milo chose the right most door from the rear and walked up to the portal with a light step. He examined the lock and latch as well as the ground around the entrance. He eyed the stonework around the door, especially the arch that curved above the wooden planks. He could spy no crafty device or devious trap. Examining the lock closer he realized how simply of a mechanism it was. He slipped out his tools and selected two of his largest picks. After two seconds of manipulating, the lock gave the audible "click" that Milo loved so well.

He pushed open the door and jumped back, allowing Jeremiah and Brigit to enter first. They stepped over the threshold cautiously, wary of an ambush after the tower garrison. No arrows were there to meet their approach, no guards shouted an alarm as they entered the ruined temple. They walked through the rear door unchallenged, into the unknown mysteries of the temple.

Milo and Mazithra followed them in. They stayed close, but out of the range of Jeremiah's greatsword, in case trouble happened upon them and he had to start swinging. The door opened into a large chamber, a foyer of sorts. There was a door leading further into the temple and a staircase leading down into the depths underneath. The smooth walls were painted a reddish brown, somehow simulating the color of dried blood. Milo felt a shiver run down his spine as he set foot into the place. It felt - unholy, somehow.

Pushing the sudden feeling of dread back, Milo said, "So, business as usual friends? Top floor first, then stairs?"

"Yes, I don't relish the thought of leaving anything behind that may follow us down." Mazi voted.

"Aye, jus show me ta tha baddies an' we'll clean this place out, eh Jer-boy?" Brigit joined in.

"Yes." came the proliferate reply from the normally silent barbarian. Milo noticed a look of determination on his face that indicated he felt the same as the halfling. He was committed to ridding the temple of the oppressive feeling of doom that pervaded the very rock.

They pushed through the swing doors that led into the main chamber of the fell temple. They had entered through what appeared to be an antechamber at the rear of the temple, emerging near the dais and altar of the temple. The walls stretched up past them and curved into a vaulted ceiling far above their heads. Arches led into smaller antechambers here and there, composed of a sickly, pale pink color, reminiscent of material found after a particularly active night of carousing. A darker pink material hung from the arches, veiling the hallways from easy view.

Pink marble was wrought all along the walls and the floors. Broken pews littered the floor leading up to an altar made of a white marble streaked with red veins. The altar reminded Milo of the walls in the cursed caves. Atop the altar was a form that appeared humanoid, obviously dead. Sacrificed in some evil rite no doubt, Milo thought to himself. In front of the altar was a well of stagnant liquid, Milo didn't need to hazard a guess as to its contents. Channels ran from the altar down to the well, streaked with the ruddy brown of dried blood. Broken crystal vials were scattered on the altar and the ground along with a knife. Most likely used to perform the unholy ritual that cursed this temple even more than it already was, thought Milo.

Paintings depicted shadowy acts all along the walls. Some rites of evil, others great battles being won by unspeakable horrors, still others seemed to be portraits of unnamed gods and creatures.

"I don't like the feel of this place." Milo said in a small voice. Still it echoed against the vaulted ceiling.

"Yer right there, halflin. This place ain't right." Brigit agreed.

The grand chamber was devoid of life, a preternatural silence lay like a blanket on the cavernous room. To the right of where they emerged, along the east wall, stood one of the veiled arches. A similar arch led to the west as well as one to the south. They chose the east arch and stepped cautiously towards it.

Jeremiah reached out his greatsword and moved the tattered pink veil to the side. He revealed a vestry of sorts, also apparently empty. They moved into the new room, peering in every direction. Each minute that passed by without an outside sound made them more on edge and cautious. 

Another altar stood in the vestry. A broken bronze knife lay atop the marble. Thick stone columns crowded the vestry. It was smaller than the main chamber, but large in its own right. A slimy film seemed to coat the altar at the end of the room, spreading from the stone to the floor around it. Mazi wrinkled her nose in disgust and made her way into the room with dainty elf steps.

"I don't want to know what this stuff is, do I?" Mazi asked rhetorically.

"Probably not, I have a feeling we'll find out before this is all done." Milo answered anyway.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 6 (session 7)*

Another door led out of the room behind the altar, as well as a set of grey steps leading up to another wing. Skirting the slime, they made their way to the door. Milo checked it for traps but found none, indeed, the door was unlocked. He pushed the large door in, ready for anything.
The room was smaller than the vestry. Broken furniture littered the floor. On the far side a staircase led down to the southwest. A large, old-fashioned wardrobe stood in a corner, one of the doors hanging on a single hinge. A broken triton jutted from one cracked chair. One of its tines was missing and its haft was snapped in two. 

Milo gingerly picked his way to the wardrobe and pulled the broken door open. Inside was a few moss green robes, stained with other colors. A few stains Milo could easily identify. From what he could make out, he didn't think he wanted to find from what the others were caused. 

Nothing else appeared to be of interest in the room, apart from the stairs leading down. They marked them for their first foray down after they checked out the rest of this floor. Back in the main chamber they chose the arch to the south. Still cautious, Jeremiah used his sword tip to once again push aside the veil. Another vestry waited beyond.

This room was different than the last vestry. A broad staircase wrought of green and brown stone led upwards. More slime coated the sides of the stairs and crept upwards with the steps. The room extended to either side of the grand staircase. The party moved to the right and continued past the putrid smelling muck. 

The vestry stretched on, couches and chairs were scattered about as well as tables. A humanoid skeleton slumped in one of the chairs while another was strewn about a table. Bones littered the ground. A couple of the skeletons still wore tattered robes. Milo eyed the remains warily, certain they would hop up and attack. His caution was unnecessary, the skeletons remained where they were while they explored the room.

A huge bronze altar and a throne shaped in a semi-circle sat at the end of the vestry. A long chain descended from the ceiling to hang directly over the large altar. Burnt bones hung from the links, belying the altar's purpose. Above the altar and throne were inscribed words that were easily legible:

*The power of elemental death
Brings mortals low
But raises the nameless one high

"That's rather ominous, isn't it?" quipped Milo. "I just hope we don't have to find out who the nameless one is. Heh heh." he said, trying to lighten the mood. His attempt failed in the oppressive atmosphere of the cursed temple.

Milo spied a large cupboard to the rear of the room, the door still intact. He checked them for traps before opening one side. Silk robes hung within, embroidered with skulls and other generally evil markings. Milo snorted in disgust and closed the closet.

The room was otherwise empty. They made another circuit through the vestry to make sure nothing was hidden from their eyes, but none of them found anything out of sorts. With one more vestry to investigate they moved back through the veil.

"So far so good, I don' like tha lack O people here." Brigit spoke up. "Where be all tha feet that trampled that grass outside? This ain't right." She said, repeating her previous statement.

No one answered her as they crept towards the last vestry. Jeremiah repeated his actions, pushing the sickly pink veil away. The west vestry contained more furniture and another altar. This room was different though. The brownish-red stone that composed the altar was crumbled and broken. Hammers lay about the ground around the shrine. Broken bowls and cups, rimmed with crusted blood lay about the altar as well. 

The companions shared knowing looks, thinking back to their adventure in the caves a mere week ago. It appeared that someone else had performed a similar activity here. They wondered why only one altar had been destroyed. The answer occurred to each of them in moments though. They were all determined to have a different fate than whoever came before them. Clothes and broken candles were strewn about the room along with the obligatory broken furniture. Milo found some sets of brown robes in a corner of the vestry. 

Another staircase led down from this room as well. That made three staircases leading down to investigate. They decided to check the stairs behind the first vestry they looked into, towards the east of the temple. Milo left the robes where he found them and they headed towards the other vestry.

The stairs led down three separate flights, folding back on each other. At the bottom a corridor led off to an intersection. Milo moved to the front of the group to watch for traps. Brigit and Jeremiah side by side with Mazi bringing up the rear followed him. They walked through the corridor as quietly as possible, which was not that quiet with Jeremiah clanking along in his full plate. Brigit had been practicing her movement and made considerable less noise, but they could still probably be heard throughout the tunnels.

They chose the passage to the right and saw that it came to another intersection after a few paces. This intersection led straight, left, and right. They chose right again, trying to keep their bearings by using the tried-and-true method of spelunking. The passage led into a large chamber, high ceilings stretched up above them.

Milo stopped them before they could enter the room. His keen eyesight made out a pressure plate set into the ground. No doubt it would set off a deadfall of some sorts. He pointed out the plate to his friends and they skirted the trap safely.

No sooner had Mazi stepped past the plate did a soft singing filter to their ears. The tone had a strange, hypnotic quality and Milo found himself almost lost in its melodious notes. He shook his head as he realized that he almost started blindly towards the source. Looking around he noticed that Brigit and Mazi had shaken off the effects as well. He was too late to help Jeremiah though. The barbarian started forward, a distant look to his eyes. He had a wide smile on his face as he stepped further into the room.

Milo looked ahead and saw what was producing the music. A half human, half fowl creature flapped grimy wings above the ground. A harpy! The music was decidedly out of place coming from the throat of that hideous amalgam of female and vulture. Jeremiah moved in a beeline for the singing creature.

A second harpy flapped into sight. Milo wasted no more time, he pulled up the crossbow he loaded before they headed down the stairs and let loose his bolt. The missile grazed the singing harpy but did not interrupt her song. 

"We've got to stop the singing, Jeremiah will be enthralled until we do!" Milo shouted to the others as they raced forward to help their friend.

The other harpy recognized the threat of Milo's crossbow and swooped down to deal with the annoying halfling. Milo dodged too late as her filthy talons dug into his shoulder. His armor protected him from most of the damage but he felt their sting nonetheless.

Two paces in front of him the other harpy descended to attack Jeremiah, singing all the while. Her sharp talons scratched at the barbarian, wounding him lightly but not bringing him out of his reverie. The singing continued to hold him in the harpy's thrall. 

Brigit paused before running forward to aid Jeremiah. She saw the other harpy in her range and took the opportunity. Her axe swung with unerring aim, finding a critical weakness in the harpy's back. The dwarven axe sliced through the creature's flesh, rending it in two. Brigit had a fierce look in her face as she turned to deal the same blow to the other harpy.

Mazi reached the singing beast first, wielding her longsword with expert grace. The wooden blade easily cut through the feathers and hide of the grimy half-bird, half-woman. The harpy loosed a hideous screech, cutting off its song. Jeremiah recovered instantly. The light of comprehension dawned in his eyes. He heaved the greatsword he had been dragging behind him like a heavy stick towards the harpy. It flapped out of the way in the nick of time, showering the companions with dirty feathers.

Milo moved towards the creature while he drew his handaxes, the bird was flapping low enough for him to reach and he intended to pay it back for its damage on his friend.

Just as he reached the struggling harpy it fled. Turning its back on the combatants it strove to gain altitude. Mazi struck out at the exact moment, her sword finding the same critical weakness Brigit had plumbed on the other. The harpy screeched and lost rhythm as it waved its wings. Jeremiah took the opening, stabbing through the air with the Windsword. The point struck the harpy in the back, slicing straight through to the hilt as it pierced the creature's black heart and emerged from its breast.

Jeremiah withdrew his sword from the wound and turned as a new sound drew their attention. A door on the same wall they entered in opened as moaning figures emerged. Ragged tatters of cloth hung from gaunt bones. They recognized the pale figures with their shrunken, taught skin as ghouls. A total of six undead filed out of the room, all reaching out their arms in hunger as they shambled towards the group.

"I knew it'd be undead eventually." Milo said as they approached them.

Jeremiah and Brigit sprung from their positions, leaping ahead of the halfling and elf to attack this new threat. Jer brandished his sword in a full swing. The point sliced into the chest of one of the ghouls as they closed in a rough semicircle. He swung the sword back and deepened the gash, managing to fell the first ghoul. He followed his swing with a mighty thrust into the gut of the ghoul to his right, creating a bloodless wound from belly to back.

Brigit was next to attack as she reached her barbarian friend. She stood to his right and hacked away at the wounded ghoul. The creature toppled backwards with an unearthly scream. Brigit ignored the noise and sliced into the third ghoul to reach them to the right. The ugly wound she inflicted ran from its shoulder to its hip, but it still pressed on, lunging for the dwarf. It gnashed its teeth at Brigit, trying to bite at any exposed flesh. Her plate mail protected her from the undead's teeth.

Milo and Mazi had moved to the left and behind Jeremiah, each member of the group faced a single ghoul. Milo dodged a swiftly moving claw near Jeremiah while Mazi sidestepped a lunging bite from her own opponent.

"Do they have to bite?" She asked plaintively as she prepared her own counterstrike.

"I don't - suppose - they have - to do - anything." Milo answered between swings of his handaxes. "Bite - or not - they're - going down." He hacked into the undead ghoul, making twin wounds appear on either side of its torso. The creature merely moaned and moved to attack him again.

Brigit wasted no time in speech but showed her distaste of the ghouls with her furious attacks. Her axe came down and up in a great "V". Both ghouls attacking her and Jeremiah fell under her attack. One had the wound to mirror the other as they fell side by side.

Freed from his own opponent Jeremiah turned to attack Milo's assailant. The ghoul didn't notice the sword bearing down behind it. The heavy sword slashed into its shoulder, severing its arm from its body before continuing into its torso. The spark of unlife died in the creature and it fell away from his sword.

Mazithra dodged a claw from the last remaining ghoul but was unable to land a blow with her own sword. The ghoul moaned unintelligibly as it ignored all other threats. Jeremiah had kicked away his last kill and swiveled to attack the last ghoul. His greatsword chopped completely through the creature's torso, putrid grey slime oozed from its innards as it too joined its undead brethren on the ground.

The friends stood up and looked around, waiting for the next villain to jump out and attack them. No further threats emerged from the darkness though. Milo allowed himself to relax a fraction from the nervous edge he maintained during battle.

"See Mazi, told ya they were going down. And no one has any teeth marks to show for it." Milo said to break the silence.

"I'd rather they didn't bite at all, Milo." Mazi said good-naturedly.

They took a moment to survey their surroundings, noticing another door on the far side of the chamber in addition to the one the ghouls emerged from. It was decided to check the ghoul room before heading towards that door though.

An almost empty room greeted their gaze as they walked in. In the corner was a small pile of coins. Milo could make out copper, silver, and gold coins glittering in the torchlight. An odd glitter shined from the bottom of the pile though. The glitter caught Mazithra's eye as well and she hurried over to investigate. She reached down and pulled on the metal that glimmered through the coins. In a shower of money a finely worked shirt of chainmail emerged. Mazi gave a startled exclamation as she realized what she held.

"Mithral! It's an elven shirt of mithral chain!" Mazi said excitedly. She showed the finely wrought metal to Brigit. Pointing out the fine craftsmanship. "You won't see anything this delicate yet strong in your dwarven forges!"

"Girlie, who do ya think taught ya durn elves how ta do that? Tha goblins? Phfaugh!" Brigit replied. Still she took off her gauntlet and ran her fingers over the small links of silvery metal.

Mazi tossed the whole shirt at Milo. Surprised, he raised his axes to fend off the seemingly heavy chain shirt. He was surprised as it landed lightly on the axe heads. He barely noticed the weight. Stowing one axe he retrieved the shirt from the other. The metal was cool and almost slick in his hands.

"So this is mithral? Nice, very nice, Mazi. This is worth a pretty copper, I can tell you." Milo said.

Mazi was on him in a flash, snatching the shirt from his hands. "I know you don't think you're going to sell this! You can haul out my old shirt if you want to sell something." She said, indicating her mundane suit of chain.

A few minutes later Mazi had donned the new shirt over her tunic. She pranced in front of the others, showing off the perfect fit. It was obviously crafted for an elf to wear.

"Alright, enough O yer dancin, missy. We gots baddies ta take care of. Let's be off." Mazi said after a few moments, a laugh evident in her mock-gruff voice.*


----------



## Milo Windby

*Ohhhkay!*

Well that's it.  I've got all of the story posts moved over.  When I have time today I'll be going back through and editing the italics back into the Temple posts.  Those didn't carry over.  I noticed some of the spaces were truncated on the earlier posts from notepad.  Love that old app.  I'll see what I can do about those too.

Please tell me what you think of the story, there's an infinitely easy way of rating on the new boards by selecting from a drop down the amount of stars you'd give the thread.  I never complain about posts either.  Good, bad, indifferent.  I want to know what you think.


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## Rel

Milo, I don't know how it is that your story slipped off the first page.  I think it is great.  I am anxious to hear the further exploits of Milo and gang in the ToEE.


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## Broccli_Head

Hey! you made it! 
Never played the original ToEE, but heard it was a meat-grinder just like the sequel. How many of Milo's troupe will be ground?


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## frog

> Never played the original ToEE, but heard it was a meat-grinder just like the sequel. How many of Milo's troupe will be ground?




So far, no one.  I think that it has something to do with the fact that I was rushed when I converted the first level.  I converted most everything straight across and ended up with a ton of cannon fodder troops and very little that could give the gang a run for the money.  Don't worry though, I will be taking a bit of time to remedy that this next weekend.  THERE WILL BE NO MORE MR NICE FROG!!!

Some few modifications have been to the module in order to better fit it into the gaming world in which we are playing.  I cannot disclose all of the changes of course, but I will say that if they are not careful Milo and the gang will end up with a HUGE problem on their hands...


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## Mazi

frog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Don't worry though, I will be taking a bit of time to remedy that this next weekend.  THERE WILL BE NO MORE MR NICE FROG!!!
> 
> *




Sure........this is what he always says.  All week long I hear how one of us may die.  Anything he throws at us we just throw Jeremiah back.


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## Milo Windby

*It's true!*



> _Originally posted by Mazi_
> 
> *Sure........this is what he always says.  All week long I hear how one of us may die. Anything he throws at us we just throw Jeremiah back.*




It's so true, Jeremiah is a one-man killing machine, with Brigit a close second.  Most of the time Mazi and Milo end up looking at each other and throwing up their hands in resignation.  A kill by either of us earns a high five, a kill by Brigit or Jer doesn't even make us blink.   

I've got some school work dumped on me this week but I will be striving to get out a good post this weekend.  Sorry for the extremely long wait between updates.  I was as horrified as you were about the thread falling off the front page, Rel.   

I don't know what Frog is talking about though, he seems to think of four earth elementals, of which we only fought one, as cannon fodder.  Ask Brigit if she thinks that encounter was a breeze.    No fatalities yet though.  If we had stayed and fought in that room (as Frog wanted us to)  the other three elementals would have made their way in and we definitely would have been toast.  Anyways...stay tuned for a story post.


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## frog

Ah c'mon...they were just baby elementals really...more "elementlets" than elementals.  They just wanted to play with you is all.



> Jeremiah is a one-man killing machine, with Brigit a close second.




I wouldn't say that to her face.  She  may have a beard but she AIN'T NO MAN!!!

Dwarven women...ya gotta love 'em.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 7 (session 8)*

Temple of Elemental Evil - part 7 (session 8)
-----------------------------------
Following Mazi's impromptu fashion show the group trooped back into the main room where they encountered the harpies.  Brigit went to work hacking up corpses while the others searched the area.  Milo noticed something fishy about a section of the west wall, near the corner of the room.  He called Mazi over, recalling the elven trait of seeing past illusion, magical or otherwise.  She noticed the wall as well, particularly a man-sized section that seemed to swing out.  Try as they might though, neither could find any catch or release to work the secret door.  Shrugging, Milo figured out loud that it could be a one-way door leading into the harpy’s room, but not out.

The other door in the room led to the north.  Brigit had finished her grisly, self-imposed job and was already examining the door, listening for any sounds of occupants in the room beyond.  Milo joined her at the door, both with their ear to the rough wood.  Neither heard anything on the other side.  All seemed quiet.

Never trusting the apparent state of things, they proceeded cautiously.  Brigit opened the door with Jeremiah close behind.  Milo followed with Mazi bringing up the rear.  The door opened into a mid-sized room, full of broken furniture and rotted rags strewn about.  A broken chest lay in one corner and another door led out to the west.

Milo was the first to notice that they were not alone in the room.  Four shadowed shapes detached themselves from the walls and began to shamble towards the adventurers.  Moaning, they raised their clawed hands and lurched forward.  Milo was standing behind Brigit and Jeremiah as they readied their weapons.  He quickly raised his hand, calling on the power of his deity.  A holy light broke on the ghouls.  Three of the four shrieked and turned to flee.  

Jeremiah was faster than they were.  He leapt forward to bar their way, coming close to the three that turned to flee.  His sword whistled through the air before sinking into the putrid flesh of the ghouls.  His first swing sliced a nasty wound through the belly of the middle ghoul, a blow that would have killed it if it weren't undead.  He quickly reversed his swing and chopped through the same wound, severing its spine and dropping it to the ground.  Jeremiah kept swinging, his sword found its way into the chest of the ghoul to his right, slicing clean through the decrepit muscles and tendons. The ghoul shrieked again and fell as well.  Jeremiah was in rare form as he spun around full circle, his sword extended.  The huge blade was a silver blur as it sped towards the third ghoul on his left.  The ghoul shrieked from the wound but still had enough strength, and enough fear, to flee from Milo's outstretched palm.  

The ghoul ran through the door to the west, shrieking the entire way.  Milo could hear its unearthly voice grow faint as it fled.  The other ghoul was made of sterner stuff, it ignored Milo's invocation and sprung towards Jeremiah, its yellowed teeth gnashing.  Jeremiah warded off the biting undead with his gauntlet, pushing back and cracking one of the brittle teeth.

Brigit stepped in to aid her barbarian friend.  Trollgrater cleaved the air in a vertical stroke, coming down hard on the ghoul's shoulder.  Bone was sheared from bone as the magic axe crashed down.  Brigit was left with her axe embedded in the ghoul's tough breastbone.  The corpse toppled with her axe still mired.  She stepped up onto the corpse and heaved at the axe while shouting to the others, _"Well don' jus stand there lookin cute.  Go get tha other un!"_

The battle was over in a matter of seconds, Mazi didn't even have time to react.  She came to her senses after hearing Brigit and ran over to the other door.  She pushed it open and peered through, seeing a dimly lit hallway leading to the south and ending in another door.  The ghoul was nowhere to be found.

By that time Brigit had recovered her axe and stomped up to the elf.  _"Move aside, lassie.  We gots one more O them ugly critters ta get rid of before it calls down tha whole place on us."_

Mazi stepped to the side to let Brigit by, Jeremiah and Milo followed close at the dwarf's heels.  Mazi just shook her head and fell in behind the others.

Brigit came to the door at the end of the short hallway and planted her steel clad boot right in the middle.  The wooden door swung on its hinges before slamming into the wall of the room beyond.  The ghoul was there, as well as two larger, similar creatures.  Milo recognized them as ghasts.

_"Gas is right!  This place stinks!"_  Brigit said.  Mazi would have agreed if she weren't busy retching behind the others.  The smell seemed to affect her more than the others.

The ghasts were standing over a half-eaten orc.  The room appeared to formerly be quarters for a lesser priest of the temple.  The walls were plastered and had paintings of unmentionable scenes scrawled from corner to corner.  There were couches and a bed, broken furniture and bones scattered across the floor.  The room reeked of rotted flesh and other, less recognizable odors.

Brigit and Jeremiah stood side by side in front of Milo, Mazi hung back in the doorway, holding herself steady with one hand on the frame.  Milo raised his hand again, summoning forth the power of Usamigaras.  The light burst forth from his hand once more, shining on the undead.  The ghoul screamed and ran to the corner to cower but the ghasts merely winced at the bright flash of light.  

Mazi knocked an arrow to her bow and sited the ghasts from in-between Jeremiah and Brigit.  She loosed the missile and watched it fly in an unerring path directly into the forehead of the ghast to the right.  The undead creature growled and turned its baleful glare on the slightly nauseated elf.  It started forward to exact its revenge on Mazi.

Before it could move a step, Jeremiah had sprung to the attack.  He leaped forward, in range of all three undead, and started his deadly swordplay.  The Windsword blurred in the low light of the cavern.  Jer attacked the cowering ghoul first, hitting it twice in quick succession.  The ghoul couldn't take the extreme amount of damage Jeremiah was dealing out with his enchanted sword.  It practically fell apart, the decomposing skin stretched taut along its bones peeled back under his assault and the ghoul nearly exploded from his attack.  Jer didn't even pause to see the ghoul fall, his sword was already stabbing at the wounded ghast.  The point sunk deep into the scabrous flesh, creating a bloodless wound that stung nonetheless. 

The ghast turned it's gaze from Mazithra and focused on the new threat of the barbarian's greatsword.  The undead bared its fangs and lunged for the exposed flesh of Jeremiah's head.  It was rewarded with a mouth full of steel as Jer raised his gauntlet to fend off the blow.  The rings of magic radiated from the impact before dying down again.  

The ghast to the left of the group attacked the closest enemy, Brigit.  She performed a similar defense, using her arm to block the incoming teeth of the undead creature.  Her armor came back dented, but whole.  The impact of the supernaturally strong jaw had numbed her arm.  She slashed ineffectively at the ghast, her axe feeling heavy in her numb hand.

A fresh wave of stink washed over the party seconds after they had entered the room.  It was as if in moving the ghasts had revealed an even more nauseating odor.  Mazi retched again, marring her aim.  Her arrow missed the wounded ghast Jeremiah fought against.

Milo gave up his attempts at turning the undead.  They seemed to be especially resistant to the divine power.  He grabbed his handaxes, Reft and Rend, and tumbled into the fray.  He got near the wounded ghast and the wall and planted his feet.  The frenzied battle between Jeremiah and the ghast left Milo little room to attack, he missed with both axes.  _'I should practice more often,'_ he thought to himself.

Jeremiah and Brigit rendered him without targets to practice on with their next flurry of attacks.  Jeremiah lunged at the ghast with his sword, piercing its preternaturally tough hide.  Once impaled, he wrenched the sword to the left, cutting completely through and spattering the other ghast with gore.  He continued his cut, free from the confines of the ghast's body, into the other.  The sword slid against bone as he slid the blade into the undead's rib.  He withdrew the greatsword and stabbed at the still-standing creature.  Brigit's axe crashed down on the pinned ghast, cleaving straight through and jarring against Jeremiah's sword that still impaled the creature.

The only sound they could hear after the last ghast fell was their own heavy breathing and Mazithra's quiet retching near the door.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 8 (session 8)*

Temple of Elemental Evil - part 8 (session 8)
-------------------------------
Milo politely ignored the quietly heaving elf near the door and gestured to the orc corpse.

_”I dunno if ghasts can spawn, but you may want to do your thing with your axe on that orc corpse.”_ he said to Brigit.

_”Aye.”_ was her simple reply.

Brigit set to work on the orc corpse, rendering it so much ground meat in a matter of moments.  Meanwhile Milo kicked around the room, pushing garbage, rotten clothes, and bones about in search of anything of value.  Not finding anything shiny or interesting he focused his attention on the walls.  He ignored the various disgusting murals and searched for any secret niches or doors.  Moving along the length of the wall slowly and carefully he found a loose wall sconce.  Upon further examination he could tell that it was loose by design, there was some sort of mechanism that the sconce worked in the stone wall.  He peered closely at the sconce, jiggling it just a little from his vantage point near the bottom of the wall.  Determining it relatively safe, he triggered the mechanism.  

A low rumble sounded from deep in the wall.  Slowly, a large portion rotated around a central axis, leaving two openings on either side of the turned portion of stone.  Mazi tempted fate and the gods of sour stomachs by speaking up.

_”That’s got to be the ::urp:: one way door we found ::urp:: in the harpies’ lair.  ::HURP::”_ she managed to squeak out before a renewed fit of retching rendered her speechless.

Mazi had been keeping careful track of their whereabouts with her parchment and ink.  Milo appreciated the effort, keeping them from getting too lost and completely off track.  He nodded his agreement and let swiveled the sconce back into place.  The stone rumbled to a close, barely distinguishable from the rest of the wall.

Brigit had finished her work and the orc was no more.  She even went the extra measure and made sure the ghoul and ghasts wouldn’t be making a repeat performance.  By mutual assent the party moved back into the previous room where they had originally encountered the ghouls.  

Milo noticed a dull shine beneath some of the rags piled on the floor.  He kicked the old clothes to the side and picked up a platinum piece.

_”Paydirt!”_ he cried as he brandished the coin.  _”There’s more of this around, I’d wager.”_ 

With that he bent closer to the ground and resumed his search.  Brigit and Jeremiah joined in, both stooping down to find more coins.  They found various denominations scattered about the room with the highest concentration near the broken chest in the corner of the room.  All told they had accumulated more than 50 gold pieces worth of coins.  

Milo did a careful once over of the room before they backtracked to the harpy room.  No other secrets revealed themselves to his keen eyes.  He reminded his friends of the pressure plate near the entrance of the room and carefully skirted the trap.  Figuring more of the same was ahead, Milo stayed five to ten paces in front of the group to find any other devious traps.

The group took the right at the four-way intersection down from the harpies’ room.  The dimly lit corridor led straight for a few paces before jogging to the right, then continuing straight again.  A passage branched to the right at an angle from the main corridor.  Keeping with tradition, they chose the right-hand passage.

The hallway opened into a hexagon-shaped room.  A broken stone chair dominated the room midway to the rear, opposite from the southerly passage they entered from.  Broken furniture once again littered the ground.  It was getting so Milo wouldn’t know what to do in a room free of splintered wood and torn upholstery.  The stone chair, perhaps a throne at one time, was fashioned from the same brown marble veined with black that they had seen in use around this area of the temple.  Milo began to have an inkling about the nature of this portion.  If it was elements, this had to be Earth.  The ceiling stretched above them, supported by arches as its dome raised into the darkness.  

Milo stopped the others before they entered and checked the entryway from traps.  Open hallways into empty rooms always made him suspicious.  He found no obvious traps and pronounced the entry safe.  A few steps into the room and Milo felt more than suspicious, he felt watched.  He peered around the room, trying to find the unseen eyes.  He and Mazi spotted them at the same time.

Milo’s hand was already on his crossbow, fetching a bolt to load.  Mazi pointed to the ceiling and said, _”Bat-sized shadows.  I hate bats, they’re just rats with wings.”_

There was no time for a response as a large number of winged shadows detached from the ceiling and winged their way towards the adventurers.  

_”Stirges!”_ Milo groaned.  _”Let’s see how they fare in a little turbulence.”_

Milo concentrated and raised his fingers in the direction of the approaching stirges.  He chanted a litany that had served him well in the past.  The air around his fingers coalesced into tiny solid shards.  The miniature knives sprung from his hand and sunk into the cloud of stirges.  A thirty-foot spray streamed from the focal point of his outstretched fingers.  The inhuman sound of the stirges’ screams filled the vaulted ceiling of the room, echoing from the top of the dome.

Thirteen stirges fell to the floor, dead.  Milo watched in satisfaction as the other eight flapped up to the ceiling, out of sight.

_”There’ll be no blood for you birds today!”_ He scoffed at the retreating creatures.  He turned quickly to his companions still standing in the doorway.  _”Mazi, Jeremiah, you two take out your bows and cover Brigit and I.  We’ll give this room a thorough search before the stirges gather their strength and come back.”_

Mazi and Jeremiah nodded quietly, their eyes still on the thirteen dead stirges on the floor.  Milo grinned boyishly and turned to investigate the marble throne.  He and Brigit couldn’t find anything special about the broken and cracked chair, other than it was made of a marble they had never seen before.  Brigit glanced at the wall behind the throne, thinking she saw something.  Milo looked at the wall closer, noticing a slight crack running up between the floor and ceiling.  He found a loose stone that moved to the side slightly.  

Fearing the stirges would get brave and not knowing how many more roosted in the rafters or cracks of the ceiling, Milo chanced the sliding stone.  Another deep rumbling could be heard from within the wall.  Milo hopped back and watched as the wall swung out towards him.  A short hallway was revealed behind the throne.  He motioned to Mazi and Jeremiah to follow him and Brigit through.  They ducked and ran into the hallway barely behind the dwarf and halfling.  

The dank hallway led to a blank hallway.  After a quick search Milo found another sliding stone.  He pushed the stone to the side and watched as the wall slid forward, into another room.  They filed through, closing the door, and the stirges, behind them.

This room was unique.  It was circular in shape and fashioned out of polished black stones.  Another exit led off directly opposite from the door they walked through.  An eerie glow illuminated the room, provided by a phosphorous material coating the ceiling.  In the center of the room was a circular depression, taking up a large portion of the area.  Around the depression was a low bench, the perfect size for a halfling facing outwards, or a human if he were facing inwards.

Milo and Mazi both felt a prickling at their necks.  They were sure this place had some sort of quasi-mystical purpose.  Milo moved closer to the depression, examining it from a distance and taking a better look at the low bench.  There was nothing abnormal about the depression, but Milo did find drawers carved into the stone of the bench.  He checked the first drawer for traps before sliding it open on its stone track.  It was completely empty.  Milo examined the next with the same care, making sure it wasn’t trapped before drawing out the compartment.  It was also empty.  There were six other drawers of identical make.  Milo figured if two weren’t trapped, neither were the rest.  He methodically opened the drawers, only to find them as empty as the first two.

It was the last drawer that finally yielded something.  Inside were geometric shapes, out of wood.  There were cones and rods among other assorted models.  As Milo examined them he felt a strong urge to pick them up and toss them into the depression, to get a better idea of their nature.  He cut that line of thought off as quickly as it occurred to him.  Something about the shapes made him want to throw them in, and it wasn’t his own latent curiosity.  That invariably meant trouble.  

_”Something makes me want to throw these in the circle.”_ he told the others, addressing Mazi specifically.  _”I don’t think I should, considering the fact that it’s not something I would normally do just out of the blue.”_

Mazi shrugged but Brigit agreed, _”Aye, I remember tha wall in tha caves, if it ain’t ya wantin ta do it, then don’ do it!”_

Milo slammed the drawer shut, sealing off the tempting shapes.  _”That’s it then, nothing more to see here.  Let’s get out of this room.”_ he said with a shiver.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 9 (session 8)*

Temple of Elemental Evil - part 9 (session 8)
-----------------------------------
The other exit led into a smaller circular room.  The same black polished stone was used in this room's construction as in the last.  A phosphorous glow also illuminated the chamber, but instead of an indistinct, diffuse light there were pinpricks all across the ceiling.  

_"Some kind of map of the stars maybe?"_ Milo postulated.

No one replied.  Milo broke his gaze from the fascinating lights on the ceiling and surveyed the rest of the room.  A broken obsidian altar stood between them and the other exit from the chamber, directly opposite from the entrance.  Milo turned to look the way they came and noticed carved letters along the arch of the passage leading into the circular depression chamber.  

_"'Exalted Chamber of High Augury' it says,"_ Milo stated, pointing up at the writing.  _"So that's what those cones and rods were for, and the shallow center with the bench.  I'm glad I didn't throw them in.  I don't think we'd get much of an answer from that particular augury, judging from the atmosphere of this place."_

_"I don' know nuthin bout this augury stuff, but this place certainly ain't no vacation spot."_ noted Brigit.

_"You know, I had a faint recollection about this place when we first saw it in the clearing."_ Mazi interjected.  _"I was reminded of my childhood."_  Mazi paused, her expression one of deep thought.

_"Well?  Out wi' it elfie, what d'ya know O this place?"_ Brigit said impatiently.

_"As a child, I remember the stories told around the campfire of terrible days long ago.  When the dwarves allied with the elves to fight against the Ancient Evil, Zahadun.  The greatest of these battles ended with the allies chasing the servants of Zahadun to their Temple stronghold.  While the Red Queen, The Scholar, and The Beast escaped and were later brought low, The Rotting Stench was defeated and entombed in the ancient Temple."_  Mazi took a deep breath before continuing her story, _"As I gazed on the ruins outside I knew in my soul that this was the place of Her defeat.  I know that the Baron is unwittingly about to raise one of the ancient evils from the dead and free her from her eternal prison."_  Mazi almost seemed unable to continue before finishing with, _"This is the place of childhood nightmares come alive - this is the Temple of Evil."_

_"Wheeeew."_ Milo let out a low whistle.  _"That's pretty serious Mazi, The Rotting Stench?  It's a She?  And the Baron is digging her up?  This can't be good."_

_"Aye, I remember tha tales now Mazi.  Ya jogged me memory but good.  O all the stories me pa told round near the fire, those were tha worse.  I never paid em no heed once I got out on me own and learnt tha ways O the fighter."_  Brigit said.

_"So now we know what's in here, but we don't know how much of it our dear friend the Baron has dug up.  Lovely."_ Milo quipped sarcastically.

_"Nothing to do for it but destroy what's in here."_ said Jeremiah.

The others looked at their normally quiet with surprise.  He stared back with a serious expression set in his face.  After a few seconds of the focused attention he actually blushed a little.

Finally, Brigit broke the silence, _"Our quiet friend has tha right O it I fear.  We gotta clean this place out at least as far as tha Baron has dug up, an' hope nuthin' more comes O it."_

_"At least as far -"_  Milo left the statement hanging.  After a second of pondering he shrugged, all grins and laughs again.  _"Well let's get to it then, as pretty as the ceiling is here, I don't think we're getting any closer to that goal standing around gabbing all day."_

Brigit and Mazi chuckled at Milo's swift change in attitude.  They all had their own way of dealing with the new sense of dread that Mazi's tale instilled in them.

The hall leading out of the star room led north a few paces before slanting slightly to the west.  It ended in an intersection, the new hallway stretching from the east to the west.  They followed the easiest pattern, taking the right hand turn and heading east.  

At the end of the hall, only forty paces or so from the intersection, they found a door to the north.  The door was decorated with strange runes and had a sturdy lock.  Milo motioned for the others to hang back while he investigated.  He used his limited knowledge of other written languages to decipher the script on the door.

Before he could make out the first word of the writing the runes glowed brightly.  In mere moments the runes exploded outwards, spraying white-hot energy towards Milo.  His fast reflexes served him well as he ducked and tumbled away from the exploding trap.

_"Right!  No reading strange runes on doors!"_ Milo said to himself.

_"Nice trap findin', halflin'.  I bet ya woke up tha whole place wi' tha one!"_ Brigit scoffed.

_"Hush you, let me work."_ Milo answered.

Milo approached the door again, cautiously.  The runes were gone and all that remained was a simple, if not stout, oaken door.  He examined the lock, noting the fine craftsmanship and its surprising complexity considering its size.  He couldn't find any traces of another trap in the lock.

Milo broke out his trusty picks and went to work on the door.  The lock was much more complex than he had thought on the first inspection.  Five tries later a frustrated Milo finally heard the satisfying "CLICK" of the lock opening.  Milo turned around to the sound of sarcastic clapping.

_"You can try your hand at it next time Brigit, we'll see how smug you are then."_  Milo said, finishing by sticking his tongue out at the grinning dwarf.

Inside the group found an apparently empty room.  Cabinet doors lined the walls of the long room.  The walls started about ten paces from either side of the door before narrowing down to ten feet wide at the end of the room.  Eleven doors in all were set evenly along the walls, five on each side with a single center door.

Milo moved from the group to the first door on the right.  He looked over the simple wooden construction.  _No runes, that's a good thing_, he thought to himself.  The doors were not locked, just held in place with a simple latch.  Milo pulled open the first door, peering into the alcove beyond.  A decomposed mummy lay on a carved rock bed.  Milo looked over the body, paranoid that it would spring to life and reach for him.  His fears were laid to rest after a good poking and prodding with his hand axes produced no reaction.  

Milo found a ring of bronze with a jet triangle device on one of the corpse's finger.  He figured it would be worth at least forty-five gold pieces if they could find a buyer.  Acting on a hunch, or a whim, Milo casts his cantrip for detecting magic.  The ring didn't respond, nor did anything else he could see besides their magic items.

_"It's not magic,"_ he told the others as he showed them the ring, _"but it may be worth something.  Shall we open the rest and see what's here?"_

_"I'm not in the habit of desecrating tombs,"_ Mazi started, _"but after the caves, I don't want to leave anything behind me that could catch up later.  Go for it."_ 

Jeremiah seemed indifferent.  There was nothing to kill here, yet.  He simply shrugged.

Milo checked the next door down for traps.  Finding none, he swung open the panel and looked in.  Another mummified body lay inside, as well as another ring identical to the other.  Milo slipped the ring off the bony finger and closed the cabinet after a quick search inside.

_"Looks to be more of the same."_ Milo said, holding up the ring.  _"Brigit, would you like to do the honors with the rest of them?'_

_"Aye, outta the way, halflin'."_  She answered.

Brigit moved to the third, not even bothering to check for traps, and swung it open.  More of the same lay inside: A body and a ring with the jet triangle.  Milo kept track of the rings as Brigit made her way around the room.

The rest were the same as the first three, until she swung open the second to last door.  A rush of air accompanied the door as well as a blast of dust and dirt.  Not expecting anything out of the ordinary, Brigit inadvertently breathed the dust in.  She sputtered then coughed, hacking on the age-old dust.

_"You okay, Brigit?"_ Milo asked, concerned.  

_"::HACK:: I'm ::KOFF:: fine, ::WHEEZE:: jus gimme ::HACK:: a minute!"_  Brigit coughed out.

Brigit recovered and seemed all right.  Milo peered into the alcove that Brigit had opened, ready for a ghoul or a wight to spring out at them.  Nothing.  He drew closer and saw that the alcove contained the same as all the others.  Milo slipped off the ring and stood to the side as Brigit moved to the last door, in the center of the far wall.

The same burst of air and dust were expelled as Brigit opened the door.  She didn't seem as affected by the stale air and stinging dust as she had the first time.  The body that lay inside was slightly different than the others.  A brown cloak draped the mummified remains.  Milo slowly drew the cloak off the body, careful not to disturb the corpse too much.  He examined the robe, it was a good weave.  A black triangle was embroidered over the front left side.  The body had the same ring as the others, no different as far as Milo could tell.  

They decided to keep the cloak, in case it came in handy later, and closed up the alcove doors.  Milo searched the room for any secret stones or switches before they left.  He found nothing beyond the doors to the small crypts.  

_"I think we're all done here, guys."_ Milo told the others after he had combed the walls for clues.  _"I can't find anything worth noting.  This must have been the burial chamber for the temple's priests or something."_

_Yes, but what are those rings for, and what does the device on them signify?"[/I} Mazi questioned.  "I don't recognize it, but I'm sure these were no priests of light or anything." she finished.

Milo nodded his agreement.  "I don't recognize them either.  I'm sure they're some sort of insignia ring.  I'm willing to be we'll find out who's insignia they belong to before we're done here."_


----------



## Broccli_Head

Just checking in....
And observing that the temple seems really empty at this level.


----------



## frog

> Just checking in....
> And observing that the temple seems really empty at this level.




That is because our fearless heroes have managed to traverse a giant circle around all of the encounters on this level...fear not, when Milo returns with more updates you will see that they had more than their fill of fun later on.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Empty? Not quite.*

Hey Broccli,

I'm going to be writing up the rest of session 8 this weekend.  You'll see that there are plenty of baddies for Jeremiah and Brigit's blades to bite.  Poor Mazi and I are feeling rather useless in battle lately with the two hack-masters slicing and dicing anything that comes our way.  Ah well, things change.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 10 (session 8)*

Temple of Elemental Evil - part 10 (session 8)
-------------------------------
The four left the room no more closer to figuring out the mysteries of the temple than before.  Every room so far only served to deepen the riddle.  Deeper into the temple they came across another door, not so heavily runed or locked this time.  

_”It’s all yours, guys.”_ Milo said, stepping aside. _”I pronounce this door clean, though what’s behind it-“_ he let the statement dangle.

_”Right, enough spooky talk, halflin.  Prolly nuthin behind this door like tha last.”_ Brigit said as she and Jeremiah readied themselves to pounce on anything that moved beyond the door.

Brigit opened the door on creaky hinges.  She and Jeremiah peered into the doorway.  An empty corridor with a single branch to the right lay beyond.  Brigit shot Milo an ‘I told you so’ look before tromping in.  Jeremiah followed behind, then Milo and Mazithra.

The branch led into a new room, this one triangular in shape.  Milo glanced about, taking it in.

_”Temple of Elemental Evil?  More like Temple of Geometrical Evil!”_ he quipped.  _”Cuz there’s this triangle - and the circular room - and - and - the hexagon - ah, forget it.”_  Milo imagined he could hear crickets chirping.  _”Hey, look at that up there, a big eye!”_ Milo said, trying to draw attention away from the awkward silence.  _‘Humor is lost on these guys’_ he thought to himself.

Painted on the ceiling was a large eye, peering down on the occupants of the room.  They had entered from the middle of one of the equal sides, facing the apex of the triangular room.  There was writing on the wall to the right, luckily in common.

_”No runes, about time!”_ Milo said before concentrating on the writing.  _”We’ll retreat and ponder the glories of Earthly Elemental Evil”_

_”Well I think we can safely assume we’re in the aspect of the earth element here.”_ Mazi said.  _”Do you think that’s what the triangle on the rings symbolizes?  Priests of the earth element I wonder?”_

_”What difference do it make, elfie?  Whether it be earth, water, whatever, as long as ah kin hit it with me axe, ah ain’t worried!”_ Brigit offered.

Benches lined the other wall, but beyond the simple furnishings the rest of the room was empty.  Milo examined the benches and floor around them.

_”Okay, I think we’re getting somewhere.  These benches have been used recently.  Look at the scuffmarks on the floor, we didn’t cause those.  Looks like someone has been pondering in here.”_  Milo said after a moment of examination.

Further searching revealed nothing more in the room.  Jeremiah seemed eager to find what denizens remained that may have used the room recently.  Milo knew Jer would get antsy if they didn’t find something to hit soon.  They left the room behind, marginally closer to figuring out the riddle of the temple.

The other end of the hallway opened into a small room, rather normal in its shape.  There were rows of shelves, some broken, some intact.  Scattered all over the room was containers, tins, and clay pots.  Most were broken, their contents spilled and mixed.  A strong, acrid smell wafted from the debris on the ground.

Milo slowly stepped into the room to take a closer look at the mess. It was difficult to find a clear spot to place his feet.  Milo found himself treading softly on the most stable surfaces he could find.  One such surface was not as stable as the others were and he felt his foot sink a couple of inches.  The acrid stench in the room grew stronger suddenly.  Milo glanced down at his foot, wrinkling his nose.  Yellow powder covered his sole.  He had broken what must have been the only intact container in the room, a small metal tin.

_”Sulfur, yummy.”_ he said sarcastically.

He carefully scraped the powder off with a pottery shard and continued his search.  He could find nothing of value in the mess of broken shelves and shattered containers.  All that remained were rotten herbs and dried specimens.  

_“Some sort of arcane supply closet?”_ Mazi guessed.

_”Your guess is as good as mine.”_ Milo answered.  _”There’s nothing of value that I can see here.  Let’s go, this smell is getting to me.”_  Milo did his best to repress the mounting dread the temple was filling him with.  All these empty rooms, but some recently used.  There had to be somebody dwelling here.

Back through the door and into the main hallway the group traveled.  The hallway ended into another, larger corridor.  This one stretched to the left and right, the vaulted ceiling yawned upwards before curving back down to the far wall.  The corridor was sheathed in more of the strange brown marble, veined in black.  To the right they could make out polished yellow marble triangles set in the floor.  They were lined up to point around the bend to the left.  Intrigued, the party followed the direction the arrows led.  

The triangles pointed to a curtain, strung across the corridor.  Milo motioned the others back and stealthily crept to the hanging brown cloth.  He carefully peered through a gap in the side.  Beyond the curtain he could make out a grand chamber, at least forty paces square.  In the center of the chamber was a large earthen pyramid, with steps carved into the sides.  The steps led up to the flattened top of the pyramid, which was built around a large pillar.  The four sides of the square pillar bore the triangle device with which they were becoming so familiar.  Bronze manacles dangled from just above human height on the face closest to Milo.  He could see three doors on the far wall, two unadorned doors on either side of a huge set of double doors.  The central doors had the strange silvery runes that seemed to swirl and move as Milo tried to focus on them.  He felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and focused his attention elsewhere.  There were lit torches along the walls of the room, but nothing stirred within.  

Milo returned to his friends to report his findings.  Nonplussed as to the lack of people, or any sort of resident, they decided to investigate the pyramid.  Brigit and Milo entered the room while Mazi and Jeremiah stood back next to the curtain, ready for anything to pop up or jump out.  Milo noticed that the floor was packed dirt as well.  

As soon as the dwarf and halfling came within ten paces of the pyramid, the earth began to rumble.  They turned to see a mound form right behind them.  The mound rose until it was Milo’s height before it began to take shape.  It continued to grow upwards and outwards, two lumps on either side formed into arms as a third lump formed into a head atop the now monstrous mound.  

_”Earth elemental!”_ Milo shouted.  He glanced to his left and noticed another in the other corner of the room.  Glancing behind him he could see two more, one at each corner of the far side.  Milo groaned.

Milo acted before the elemental was fully shaped.  He fired his crossbow at the huge mound, feeling rather under-armed.  The bolt bounced from the hard packed dirt that made up the body of the elemental.  _”Magic only, of course!”_ Milo shouted to the others.

Brigit loosed a dwarven cry and charged the huge elemental.  She heaved Trollgrater through the air and struck the elemental with a great blow.  The axe carved a large chunk from its side that quickly closed back over with the constantly shifting earth.

The elemental had fully formed by then.  It raised up huge, blocky fists and hammered down on Brigit.  The first blow caught her on the shoulder, staggering her.  Her armor took the brunt, but Milo could tell she was hurt.  The second fist swung down with the same deadly intent as the first.  Brigit was able to fend off the blow with her shield, her arm tingling after the impact.  It was then that Milo noticed the other elementals hadn’t moved from where they emerged.  Relieved, he focused his attention on the one before them.

Jeremiah had charged up behind the elemental while it was pummeling Brigit.  He swung his greatsword at the large target.  The elemental’s attention was split between Milo and Brigit in front and the barbarian swinging his sword behind.  Unable to fend off the attack, the elemental lost more of the earth that made up its body.  Jeremiah reversed his powerful swing and slashed into the elemental again.  Dirt flew from the impact, raining all over the area.  Mazi dodged a couple of large chunks flying her way as she stowed her bow and reached for Sylvanglade.

Milo stood a pace away from the battle and summoned his spiritual energies.  He spoke a new incantation he had prayed for that morning.  A glowing short sword formed before him, pulsing with holy light.  The weapon flew through the air and stabbed into the elemental, causing more earth to crumble away from the lumbering giant.

Brigit rallied from the blow she received and slashed into the earth elemental.  Her axe sunk deep into the dirt, as if she were chopping mud.  The elemental crumbled from the blow, reduced to a pile of dirt.  

_”Let’s get out O here ‘fore the others decide to avenge this un!”_ Brigit said, still nursing her shoulder from the harsh blow she received.  

The others quickly agreed and they left the room from the way they came.  Milo noticed a similar curtained archway opposite them on the same wall as they were leaving.  He filed away that information for the future.

_”You okay, Brigit?”_ Milo asked once they were a safe distance down the hallway.  _”Do you need any healing?”_

_”Ah’ll be fine.  Tha’ thing packs a whallop tho, no mistake.”_ she answered.  _”Ah don’ think ah coulda taken three more O em poundin’ on me like tha’.”_

_”I’m sure we can find something else to pound on you here Brigit.”_ Mazi joined in.  _”I’m with you though, I don’t want to have three of those on us at once, that one blow took you down a peg or two.”_

_”Peg or two nuthin!  Ah’ll be fine ah said, an ah will.  Jus give me a minute.”_


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 11 (session 8)*

Temple of Elemental Evil - part 11 (session 8)
---------------------------------
Milo peeked through the curtain before they left the area for good.  He could see the other three elementals patrolling the room, circling the pyramid.  The mound that was the earth elemental they fought remained, it appeared they had put it to rest permanently.

The cavernous hallway stretched on from where they stood.  A passage branched off from the left and another door was set in the same wall a few paces down.  The door was the priority, so Milo set to work checking it out.

_"No traps, but,"_ he said after he checked the door, _"I hear something on the other side."_  Milo placed his ear to the wood.  _"Some voices, human I think, and a lot of movement."_

_"Right, this be our area O expertise,"_ Brigit said while she motioned to Jeremiah.  _"Lemme through, Milo."_

Milo hurried out of the way.  Brigit and Jeremiah kicked the door in simultaneously, swinging it wide on its hinges.  Four half surprised guards were on the other side.  One guard stood next to a bell-pull while the others were sitting around a low table.  A jangling alarm sounded seconds after they burst into the room.  Milo could see the guard pulling on the rope above as the others stood and drew their weapons.

Jeremiah rushed into battle, his sword trailing behind.  He swung his arms upward for a vicious slash when his grip slipped.  The sword clattered to the ground and a rather sheepish barbarian stood empty handed in front of four grisly guards.

Milo and Brigit drew their attention from the weaponless barbarian.  A crossbow bolt stung the face of the guard yanking on the alarm.  A trickle of blood seeped from the wound.  Brigit caused much more than a trickle as she leaped forward, brandishing _Trollgrater_ high.  Her first attack robbed the life from the nearest guard, he barely had time to draw his longsword.  Her following attack was even more brutal as she slashed into the other guard, ending his life just as quickly.

Their number suddenly decreased by half, the guards looked frightened.  One lashed out at Jeremiah, hoping to wound the disadvantaged human.  Jer leaped away from the stabbing longsword, barely saving his skin.  The other guard, the one that sounded the alarm, wiped the blood from his face and attacked Brigit.  The sturdy dwarf easily fended off the blow with her shield.

Jer scrabbled away from the guard and retrieved his sword.  He jumped up with his sword held between himself and the approaching longsword.  From near the door Milo tried another new spell he had prepared.  He stabbed a finger towards the guard that triggered the alarm and uttered a quick phrase.  He was disappointed to find the guard's will stronger than the spell, the human didn't break into random action as he had hoped.

Brigit was oblivious to the spell firing off behind her as she attacked the same guard.  Her axe crashed down onto the guard's shield.  The wooden defense cracked under the pressure and her axe won through.  Brigit scored a nearly fatal wound on the surprised human.  He staggered back with half of his shield still attached to his arm.

He recovered quickly though, and holding his sword in two hands, he charged at Brigit.  She brought her axe up to meet the downward thrust and held true.  The wounded guard howled in a rage.  To his left his comrade struggled with Jeremiah.  The two traded blows back and forth.  It was plain to see the guard's defense using the longsword was weakening against Jeremiah's greatsword.  The clash of steel gave way to the guard's dying scream after Jeremiah broke his defense.  Jer's sword sought another combatant as he continued his attack.  The final guard, the one who triggered the alarm, was the last to fall as the Windsword of Sharda sliced through his abdomen.  

Milo surveyed the room in the short moments that followed the battle.  It was a small guardroom with a table in the center and another door leading out the rear.

Just then that very door burst open and two swordsmen charged in.  Reacting quickly, Milo tumbled past the charging guards and attacked from behind.  His crossbow once again merely grazed the guard.  The guard's counter was much more painful.  Milo's thigh blossomed with pain as the guard's longsword sliced into him.  He was quick enough to avoid the other guard's attack but he would be feeling the bite of that wound for some time.

Brigit ended the conflict swiftly.  She stepped forward, swung her axe back, and then rained vicious blows on both guards.  Her axe cleaved cleanly through the guard that wounded Milo.  She then hammered past the other guard's sword and sliced into his leather armor.  The guard didn't survive her assault.  

The adventurers gathered their wits quickly and charged through the door before any more guards emerged.  Milo and Brigit led the way.  The room they entered was larger than the last.  Bunks lined the right wall and a short hallway led into a larger room.  Two crossbowmen stood behind the bunks and four guards stood behind a solid barricade in-between the adventurers and the hallway, two crossbowmen and two swordsmen.

The crossbowmen fired immediately, taking Milo and Brigit by surprise.  Their aim was horrible, Milo dodged two bolts while the other two whizzed by Brigit without coming close.  

Milo grabbed one of his scrolls and read its contents.  He splayed his fingers and stretched his hand towards the guards behind the barricade.  The air coalesced into tiny shards that flew from his hand in a blinding flash.  The small daggers of air sped towards the guards, some thunked into the barricade but even more flew past and into the guards behind.  The crossbowmen took the brunt of the magical force, but the swordsmen behind felt the sting of Milo's spell as well.

The crossbowmen had been busily reloading their weapons right after the first volley was loosed.  They fired off a second at the halfling and dwarf.  Luckily their aim hadn't improved.  The bolts flew far too high to hit even the tall Jeremiah.  The swordsmen behind the barricade sheathed their swords and reached for long pikes to defend the crossbowmen if the party decided to assault them.

Brigit didn't bother, she pulled out a glass vial, took aim, and chucked it straight at one of the wounded crossbowmen.  He chose the wrong moment to peek over the barricade.  The alchemist's oil broke over his helmet and coated his head and shoulders.  The unique oil flamed up on impact, turning the crossbowman into a flaming brand.  With a gurgling sigh, the guard sunk to the floor in a smoldering heap.

Jeremiah saw the vicious pikes the rear guards were wielding and chose to attack the men behind the bunks.  He slipped by the narrow space between the bunk and the wall and attacked the closest guard.  Twice his sword cut into the crossbowman, the guard died in mid-reload.  The other guard backed away from the fierce barbarian and groped a bolt to reload.

Mazithra thought better of a frontal assault as well.  She sheathed _Sylvanglade_ and drew her new mighty composite bow.  She had an arrow knocked and ready to fire in moments.

Just a few feet from the barricade Milo fired off his crossbow at the other front guard.  The bolt struck the crossbowman in the face, dropping him out of sight behind the barrier.  The other two guards moved forward to bring their long pikes to bear.

Behind the bunks Jeremiah was advancing on the fumbling crossbowman.  He fired his weapon at the hulking barbarian, but missed with Jer's sword swinging in his face.  Jeremiah growled as he swung his sword at the guard.  The frightened man ducked at the last second and Jer's sword whistled inches over his head.  The heavy blade sunk deep into the sturdy wood of the bunk, temporarily lodged.  Jeremiah struggled to get it free.

Mazithra and Milo stood side by side, aiming at the pikemen behind the barricade.  They fired their weapons at the guards, aiming for vital organs.  Neither shot landed though.  Milo's bolt quivered in the wood of the barricade while Mazi's arrow flew in-between the two guards.

The pikemen laughed at their foes, relying on the safety provided by their barricade.  They taunted the heroes to attack them then waved their long pikes over the barricade, exhibiting their superior reach.  Jeremiah's enemy saw his opportunity as Jer struggled with his sword.  He dropped his crossbow and drew his longsword, prepared to strike.  Before he had a chance Jeremiah wrenched his blade free.  He turned with a fierce, defiant glare at the guard.

In a blindingly fast maneuver Brigit stowed her axe and drew her own mighty composite bow.  She knocked an arrow and let it fly in mere seconds towards the guards behind the barricade.  The guard to the right was caught completely by surprise.  The arrow sunk into his shoulder, rendering his arm almost useless.  Brigit grinned toothily at him.  Mazi fired her own arrow at the same guard.  He had already ducked behind the barricade to recover from Brigit's arrow.  Mazi's missile flew over the barricade to splinter against the far wall.

Milo chose the other guard to fire upon.  It appeared that with Brigit's attack the pikemen had gained a new respect for the missile weapons.  He too ducked behind the barricade before Milo's bolt reached its mark.  

On the other side of the room the guard behind the bunk swung ineffectively at Jeremiah.  His inexpert wielding of his longsword was not enough to wound Jeremiah.  Jer countered with two attacks of his own.  He slashed towards the warrior's abdomen, guarded by his longsword, then reversed his swing into a thrust.  His aim was off slightly and the sword sunk into the guard's shoulder.  It was a grisly wound nonetheless.

Both guards had stood up behind the barricade to ensure the heroes kept their distance.  That was one thing they had no problem with.  Brigit, Milo, and Mazi all were waiting for the pikemen to show their faces.  Brigit shot the wounded guard, her arrow hitting him square in the chest.  The guard keeled over behind the barrier.  Milo and Mazithra aimed at the frazzled guard left standing.  Both arrow and bolt left their mark.  Mazi's arrow pierced his arm while Milo's bolt grazed his abdomen.  The guard looked surprised at the wounds from behind his barrier.

Jeremiah ended his struggle with the guard with a decisive thrust of his greatsword.  The blade sunk into the guard's chest, finishing his battle.  

A clamor rose from the room behind the barricade.  More guards emerged, all carrying pikes.  The last original guard glanced into the room behind, nodded, then grinned evilly at the heroes.

Mazi wasted no time, she concentrated for a second, chanted a familiar spell, then pointed at the guards.  A sticky substance appeared mid-air and expanded quickly to fill the entire room behind the barricade.  A giant web soon filled the space, suspending the guards in place.

Milo giggled at their predicament.  He fired his bolt at the last original guard, leaving a dead body to hang in Mazi's web.  Brigit pulled out another vial and lobbed it into the web.  The vial cracked and broke on impact, spreading liquid fire all over the sticky strands.  

The party could hear a scream of _*"Nooooooo!"*_ filter in from the back of the room before the room flashed bright as day.  A huge explosion shook the room, blasting into Milo and Brigit, the closest to the web.  They were thrown backwards into the far wall and left slumped on the floor.  

Both came to in seconds to find Mazi and Jeremiah stooped over them with concerned looks.  The room was empty of any guards, the smoke still clearing.  

_"Wha - what happened Mazi?  That wasn't like your normal webs!"_ a rather shocked Milo asked.

_"I don't know!  They've never exploded like that before."_  Mazi replied.

Jeremiah had already climbed over the barricade and was surveying the smoky room beyond.  He motioned for the others to climb over as well.

Milo was the last to struggle over the barricade, his head still ringing from the blast.  What they found on the other side answered his question.  A metal vat lay blasted in the corner, next to a sturdy door.  Glass shards lay all over the room.  They figured the guards in this room were filling containers with some sort of explosive to throw at the party when they were caught in Brigit and Mazi's fire trap.

_"Heh heh heh, I guess you could say that plan backfired."_ Milo joked.  _"You know, explosion, backfire, boom?"_ Milo trailed on.  _"You guys need to loosen up!"_ He finished.

The others had all but ignored Milo, more interested in the door that somehow withstood the blast from the vat and web.  Jer and Brigit both got that glow in their eye and before Mazi or Milo could object the door had been kicked in.

Two huge men waited for them.  One carried a greatsword, the other a huge battleaxe.  The room was lavishly furnished with couches, wardrobes, and a chest in the corner.  Another closed door led out of the room behind the lieutenants.  Jeremiah charged at the axeman, raising his sword high.  His sword sliced into the axeman, the huge man tried to block Jer's assault but couldn't keep his greatsword from wounding him twice.  Brigit ran at the same enemy, concentrating their attacks on one foe at a time.  Her axe cut underneath his defenses and slashed at his legs.  The axeman faltered, stumbling forward.  Milo finished him off with a well placed bolt, straight to the head.  The huge man fell forward heavily, stranding his comrade alone in a room full of four hostile fighters.

The swordsman slashed ineffectively at Brigit, his greatsword glancing off her shield. Mazi stood back and fired her bow at the huge warrior.  She had to aim high to avoid hitting Brigit so her shot was off.  The arrow sailed past the swordsman before glancing off the wall behind.

They could tell the swordsman would have bolted if he had an escape.  He knew he was outnumbered.  Jeremiah and Brigit attacked him at once, leaving him no quarter.  Their vicious assault left no resistance.  The last lieutenant was felled, no more guards emerged from any doorways or back rooms.  The party had a moment to breathe and gather themselves before investigating the door.


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## Milo Windby

*Long post*

Hello all,

I wrote one fargin huge post today.  I'm actually going to break it into three and post them in a row.  Just a warning.


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 12 (session 8)*

Milo looked around the room.  He noticed an unlit candle atop the wardrobe on the right wall.  There was also a wooden chest in the corner.  Milo pulled out his picks and went to work.  The lock was very complex, Milo's skills were put to the test.  He eventually got the lock open, but at the expense of his tools.  He bent his masterwork picks just slightly, rendering them no better than his old set.  

_"This stinkin' thing better be worth it.  Those picks were expensive!"_ Milo muttered as he opened the chest.

Inside he found some old clothes, a potion of healing, a length of rope, and some very fine brandy.  Milo muttered again, but was slightly pleased at the find of the potion.  They kept the rope and brandy for later.  The rope may be worthwhile, and the brandy most certainly could be put to some use if it wasn't worth selling.  Milo also hung on to the unlit candle, curious to see if it had any unusual qualities.

The door at the end of the room had no latch or lock that they could see.  Milo searched all over the area around the portal, coming up empty handed.  

_"We'll have ta do this tha ole fashioned way then, eh Milo?"_  Brigit said as she loosed her axe.

She took a sturdy stance, her legs planted wide, and began to hack away at the sturdy door.  _Trollgrater_ made short work of the door, reducing it to splinters in a little over a half dozen shots.

The room inside was filled with an inky darkness.  Mazi produced a scroll outside the broken door and recited its contents.  A flash of light washed away the darkness inside.  The room was flooded with daylight.  The group ventured in slowly, careful to avoid an ambush.  

A poshly furnished room lay beyond the splintered wood of the door.  A trickling fountain sounded from the corner.  Plush pillows lay about the room.  A finely crafted wardrobe stood tall in one corner and a similarly crafted table dominated the center.  An empty chest lay atop the table, as well as other scattered items.  It was obvious that the inhabitant of the room fled in a hurry.

_"Probably started clearing out right after the explosion."_ Mazi said.

_"Yeah, and wouldn't I have loved to known what was in that chest."_ Milo added.  _"Ah well, what's gone is gone."_

_"Aye, but how did tha guy make it outta here?"_ Brigit asked, _"There's only but one door."_ She finished as she pointed back the way they came.

_"What do you want to bet there's an escape route?"_  Milo said as he began scanning the walls.

Moments later he found what he was looking for.  He was searching the wall behind the fountain, which stood in its own alcove.  A loose stone looked a little suspicious.  Milo moved the stone to the side and the wall before him slid forward.

_"Forward or not, friends?"_ Milo asked.

_"Lessee what we got here first."_ Brigit said quickly. _"Not like ya ta go runnin' off wi'out checkin' tha loot first, Milo."_

_"Good point, what do we have?'_ Milo said, remembering himself.  _"I got a little carried away."_ he looked slightly sheepish.

They found incense in the wardrobe, it was of very high quality.  A staff and a swaggering stick were propped in the corner of the wardrobe as well.  A finely crafted robe hung from the top, bedecked with semi-precious stones.  The ever-present triangle was also stitched into the fabric.  On the table they found a quill and some parchment, though there were no written notes.  They kept their findings and did one more quick search of the room before investigating the tunnel behind the secret panel.

The hallway beyond was very familiar.  They recognized the brown marble and huge dimensions.  They were back out in the main passageway.  A smaller offshoot was mere feet away, the same passage they noticed when they came by earlier.  The group decided to investigate that first.

Just a few feet into the hallway they came to two doors, spaced about thirty paces apart.  Milo scurried up to the closest and put his ear to the wood.  He heard nothing.  Brigit volunteered to open the door.  She carefully pushed the heavy door inward, peering inside.  

Brigit swung the door open all the way after confirming the room empty.  It was a large rectangular shaped room, with two doors leading in.  Inside were shelves of books.  Most had been burnt beyond recognition.  Mazi examined a couple of the less singed volumes.

_"Well this triangle thing is definitely a cult."_ Mazi concluded.

_"Really?  What gave you that idea."_ Milo said wryly.  

_"Don't try to be smart, Milo.  The stuff in these books are not *right*." Mazi responded. "Not right by any decent standards, that is."

Milo shrugged and searched the rest of the room.  Someone wanted the books destroyed, and that was fine by him.  There didn't appear to be anything more of interest in the burned out shell that remained.

They left the room and continued down the passage.  A thin door separated them from another passage that led straight and to the right.  They chose to go right, keeping with their thoroughly ingrained habit.  The hallway slanted to the southwest, straightened to the south, then slanted again, eventually crossing into another passage, this one leading west, east, and southeast.  The adventurers chose west and continued on.  Another branch moved off to the southwest further on before the passage hooked north and ended in a door.

They decided to skip the passage and check out the door.  Milo motioned for the others to stop and headed for the doorway.  Just as he was closing in on it his eye caught an irregularity in the floor.  Milo stooped low to examine the area.  He noticed a seam running along the middle of the ground with matching seams a few feet away to the left and right.  It appeared to be a pit trap.  The room was wide enough to skirt it easily, but only if you knew it was there.  Milo warned the others of the devious trap before approaching the door.

There were no traps on the door itself, and it appeared unlocked.

"Well, do we want to do this the slow cautious way, or the rush-in-and-get-em-boys route?" Milo asked.

Brigit just grinned and gently moved him to the side.  One fierce kick later the door stood open and a score of men stood glaring back armed to the teeth.  

Milo groaned and pulled out his axes.  "Time for the dirty work."_


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 13 (session 8)*

Jeremiah stood closest to the door with Brigit.  He charged in, that slightly unnerving glow in his eyes and the equally unnerving grin on his face.  He slashed into the first rank of guards, spilling some blood but not bringing any down.  Behind them Mazi pulled her bowstring taut and let an arrow fly.  There was a cry from a wounded soldier in the front rank.

Before any could retaliate a captain near the back barked out an order and half of the force ran out of the room through a door on the north wall.  The other guards didn't take their eyes off of the interlopers.  Ten men stood arrayed against the adventurers, five abreast in the front with longswords, four prepping javelins in the rear, with a captain wielding a wicked looking longbow aimed at the heroes.

The four javelineers in the rear heaved their weapons at Brigit and Jeremiah.  Their allies impaired their aim and they all clattered uselessly to the floor.  The captain likewise missed his mark in aiming for Jeremiah.  His arrow whizzed by the large barbarian and splintered to pieces on impact with the stone wall behind.

Brigit dodged and blocked multiple blows with the warriors she was engaged in battle before returning the attacks.  Her axe was a blur as it cut through one, then two guards.  They both fell lifeless to the ground, leaving a gap for more fighters to close.

Three guards converged on Jeremiah, intent on his life.  Jer expertly blocked two thrusts from the flashing longswords and took a third blow on his gauntlet.  The impact rattled him slightly, but he was unharmed.

Milo moved up in-between his friends Brigit and Jer.  His axes did little damage though.  He was still getting the knack of fighting with both hands.  Jeremiah was a whirling dervish as he moved forward to engage more warriors.  His greatsword cleaved through the first attacker, speeding on to the second.  He was cut neatly in two pieces from his shoulders up.  His next victim avoided much of the strike, but wasn't expecting Jer's second attack.  The large barbarian reversed the direction of his blade with speed that belied his size.  The warrior fell from his second wound.  Jer carried through to the last fighter in the range of his greatsword.  The fighter sustained a serious injury from Jer's attack, but he kept standing.  He raised his longsword weakly.  Jeremiah beckoned to the warrior, taunting him with his bloodied sword.

Mazi aimed for the wounded soldier, but was unable to hit him from aiming around Jeremiah.  One fighter managed to squeeze by Brigit and attacked Mazi.  She dodged the long sword and knocked another arrow to her bow.  The fighter she aimed at moments before slashed at Jeremiah, meeting the steel of his greatsword rather than his flesh.  Two more warriors jumped forward to attack the fierce barbarian.  His sword clashed left and right, fending off the blows from he new attackers.

The captain in the rear of the room aimed for the greatest threat he could see, Jeremiah.  Again his aim was thrown off from his own men trying to circle the barbarian.

Facing only one enemy, Brigit gripped her axe tight in her right hand and hacked at the warrior.  The enchanted metal cut clean through his armor and sliced the fighter in two.  Brigit immediately looked for another combatant.

Milo attacked with his axes again, slashing once with each.  The limited reach and his foe's nimble feet kept him from scoring a blow.  He ducked under the larger human's own attack, exhibiting his own dexterity.

To Milo's left and deeper in the room Jeremiah swung his sword to keep his attackers at bay.  The first slash missed, but his return swing caught an unwounded warrior in the arm, nearly severing the limb.  Jeremiah drew back his sword and finished the fighter off with a lunge of his greatsword.  He withdrew the weapon from the fighter's ribs and focused on the other two guards.  Neither could seem to make it past his defense, the greatsword moved faster than they thought possible.

Mazi made to aim at the fighter encroaching her space but thought better of it.  She instead aimed at the only other range fighter in the room, the captain.  Her arrow flew true, whistling through the air.  The arrowhead embedded itself in the captain's upper arm, drawing a sharp cry of pain and a grimace from his weathered face.

Milo's attacker came to the conclusion that the halfling wasn't worth his attention and focused instead on Brigit.  It was his fatal mistake.  Brigit had just fended off a blow with her shield from the guard to her right when Milo's attacker lunged at her from the left.  She batted away his sword with her axe handle and followed through with a vicious blow to the head.  The guard fell dead, his skull split.

The captain, seeing the battle going in the adventurer's favor, drew his own sword and made as if to join the melee personally.  He paused to wrench Mazi's arrow from his shoulder first.

Milo moved to Brigit's side, attacking her enemy as well.  His axes made no more damage than they had before.  Milo was getting frustrated with his apparent inability to land a blow.

Jeremiah swung at the two guards before him.  His second blow landed on the guard to the right, wounding him in the hip.  To his credit, the warrior remained standing and pressed his own attack.  He blocked the blow with his own sword and moved to deflect the other guard as well.

Just then the clash of steel was interrupted by sounds from the hall behind Mazi.  The missing eight warriors and their captain trooped in from the passageway.  The captain engaged Jeremiah immediately, wounding him with his longsword.  Jeremiah's attention was now split between two guards in front and the second captain behind.

Mazithra moved a step away from her own attacker and fired at the other approaching captain.  She found her mark again and the captain was flung back a step, the arrow protruding from his upper left chest.  He groaned and yanked out the arrow with a fierce glare at the elf.

The captain attacked Brigit, the obstacle between Mazi and himself.  He slashed at her fiercely, wounding the dwarf slightly.  That only seemed to anger Brigit.  She dispatched the guard fighting her and concentrated on the captain instead.  She inflicted a much more serious wound on the captain than he had to her.  The captain fought on, but looked much paler from the multiple wounds he had already received.

More of the soldiers filled the room.  One attacked Milo, who currently was not engaged in the melee.  Milo tumbled to the side, deftly avoiding the guard's longsword.  He came in range of one of Jeremiah's wounded foes.  His hand snaked out with a handaxe and finally made contact.  The guard perished from the blow, Milo crowed.

Another guard came up behind Brigit, flanking her with the captain.  His sword was unable to pierce her armor, but it did split her attention between the two.

The tireless Jeremiah continued to swing his sword at his attackers.  They had learned the mistake of approaching too close to the blade and kept their distance.  He swung twice with no contact.  The second captain lunged at Jer with his sword, sliding between plates and wounding him.  Jer winced but made no sound.

Some of the guards were stuck in the hallway, unable to make their way to the fight.  They loosed their javelins and aimed for Jeremiah and Brigit.  Two javelins flew at the heroes.  Luckily the distance and the combat hampered their aim, neither javelin reached its intended target.

Brigit and the first captain fought in their own world.  The two traded fierce blows, Brigit blocked the captain's then managed to crash through his defense to land her own.  The grizzled human winced and paled even more.

Milo finally got the attention of one of Jeremiah's attackers.  The guard turned to address the new threat but relaxed once he caught sight of Milo's diminutive nature.  It was his last mistake.  Milo slashed twice at the warrior, once with _Reft_ and once with _Rend_.  The axes did just as their namesake implied and the human was left dead.

For his part Jeremiah bridged the gap to the captain and slashed at him with his greatsword.  The second captain took the blow full in the chest but kept fighting.  These captains were certainly made of sterner stuff than the rest of the guards.  The captain slashed at the barbarian, meeting resistance in the form of his greatsword.  The two stood locked for a few precious seconds before they both leaped back a half step.

Mazithra sighted the first captain with her bow and let her arrow fly.  The captain reeled from the arrow, unable to continue fighting.  He fell, freeing up Brigit to attack some of the fresh guards from the corridor.

Two more Javelins flew from said corridor, both aimed at Brigit and Jeremiah.  Again neither made contact.  The battle was a frenzy with constantly shifting combatants, it was difficult to draw a bead on any of the fighters.

Three more guards made their way from the corridor, each chose a different target.  Mazi was unable to move fast enough to avoid a blow from the leading warrior.  His longsword cut a red streak along her upper arm.  The other warrior once again flanked Jeremiah, but he was able to dodge the blow meant for his abdomen.  

The third guard charged Brigit but was repulsed by her expert shieldplay.  Brigit slashed back at the new attacker, wounding the guard with her axe but not killing him.

Milo moved to help Jeremiah.  He slashed at the captain with his handaxes.  His first blow sunk into the tall man's thigh, wounding him badly.  Milo wrenched the axe free but was unable to land a blow with his offhand.  

He no longer had to worry about the captain.  Jeremiah finished the threat with one last thrust of his weapon.  The sword pierced the captain's breastbone and ended his life.  Jer sliced sideways, freeing his sword and driving it into the adjacent guard.  He also fell from the attack.  Jer continued his assault by whirling to face the other way and planting his sword into the third combatant's ribs.  The guard fell with a ragged wheeze.  He narrowly dodged the next attack aimed at him from the only other guard nearby.

Mazithra took a step away from her attacker and fired her bow nearly point blank.  The arrow lodged in his chest, piercing his lung and taking him out of battle completely.  Another guard took his place, swinging wildly at the elf.  She sidestepped the attack and reached for another arrow.

Brigit dodged a blow from the last guard facing her but was surprised by a javelin.  The thrower managed to toss the missile between plates on the back of her right shoulder.  The weapon fell to the floor, but not before wounding her weapon arm.  Brigit angrily slashed at the guard near her.  She landed the blow, but it seemed weaker after the wound.  The guard still stood to attack.

Milo found himself face to waist with another guard.  He ducked the horizontal slash meant to behead him and moved in for the attack.  His axe cut into the guard's waist, drawing a good amount of blood.  He attempted an attack with his offhand but couldn't manage to land the blow.

One of the guards from the hallway leaped toward Jeremiah, slashing his sword as he moved.  Jeremiah batted away the weapon and thrust his sword straight into the man's neck.  He died instantly.  His next attack came inches from doing the same to the other guard had he not winced away from the frenzied barbarian.  The guard overcame his fear long enough to attack while Jer was recovering from his thrust.  The guard's longsword slid past a weak spot in his armor and stabbed through Jer's side.  Jeremiah grimaced, but battled on.

Mazi moved back from the guard that swung wildly at her.  The soldier moved swiftly, making it hard for her to aim.  She stretched back the string of her composite bow and loosed the arrow.  It flew past the human and skittered along the sidewall before cracking into pieces in the corner.

The guard that wounded Brigit with the javelin closed in with his sword.  Brigit ducked the attack and roared as she returned the blow.  Her axe cleaved through his waist, severing his spine and killing him instantly.  She continued the deadly arc straight into the other guard.  He died just as quickly as the last.  

Milo leaped to Mazi's aid with both axes swinging.  Bringing both axes down simultaneously he hacked into the guard advancing on his elven friend.  The enchanted blades sliced straight through, meeting in the middle and ending the warrior's life.  Milo stared at the axes in surprise, they were deadly when he managed to hit something.

The final guard was quickly dispatched with Jeremiah's greatsword.  The warrior didn't even realize his comrades were gone.  Jer ended his life with a diagonal slash, opening him from shoulder to hip.

The adventurers stood tense, expecting another wave of warriors to charge in from one entrance or another.


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 14 (session 8)*

When no guards trooped in after three or so minutes Milo finally started to relax. He had his first chance to really survey the room.  There was another door leading out of the room on the same wall as the corridor they emerged from.  There was the door the captain and his guards ran through to come around behind them.  There was also a simple fountain and pool in the corner.

Besides what he already noticed about the room Milo spotted a chest and table in the corner with glass stoppered beakers.  Mazi walked over to the fountain, inspecting it closer.  

_"Look at this,"_ she said to no one in particular, _"These knobs control the water flow."_ 

She turned a knob on the wall near the fountain and the water flow increased.  Milo heard a strange sound under the stones of the floor.  He followed the sound from the pool to the pit trap outside the door.  

_"Now that's mean,"_ he said, _"this pit trap fills with water."_

_"A bit O overkill, don' ya think?"_ Brigit said.

_"And to think we almost walked right into it.  This battle was bad enough."_ Mazi said gesturing to the dead bodies strewn about the room.

_"Speaking of which,"_ Milo broke in, _"what do we have in this room?"_

Milo moved to the first captain, checking him for a key to the chest on the table, just in case.  He found no keys on either captain.

_"Doesn't anyone believe in opening their own chests?"_ Milo asked out loud.

He checked the chest, sure enough, it was locked.  He couldn't find any indication of traps on it.  

_"Well Brigit, it's your turn to bend your picks."_ Milo said to the dwarf.

Brigit grinned at Milo and produced her own set of masterwork picks.

_"Holding out on me, eh?  Well get to work!"_ Milo said in mock-indignation.

Brigit struggled with the lock for a good ten minutes before she set all the tumblers.  The lid sprung open, revealing its contents.  Inside was a good amount of coins of various denominations and a small box with two potions.  Brigit tested both and declared them healing potions.

Milo examined the stoppered beakers on the table, they seemed to contain oil.  He was glad the captain hadn't decided to lob any of those into the fight.  Brigit grabbed a few to replace the alchemist fire she had already used.  She doubled over in a fierce bout of coughing as she stowed the beakers, almost dropping one.  Milo noticed blood flecked on her chin after she stood up.

_"Brigit!  Are you okay?"_ Milo asked concerned.

_"Ever since tha' dust in tha crypt - "_ She wheezed.

_"I was afraid of something like that.  Will you break out the staff for me?"_ He said to her.

Brigit retrieved the staff of healing from her pack and handed it to Milo.

_"*Abercrombie!*"_ Milo said as he touched the staff to Brigit's forehead.

_"Aaah-fitch"_ Brigit sneezed.

_"Bless you,"_ Mazi and Jeremiah said at once.

Brigit drew a deep breath.  _"Ahhhh, ah hadn't realized how bad tha' was!  Thank ya Milo."_

_"No problem, I think we could all use some healing as well."_ Milo responded.

A full round of healing spells from the staff and a few potions later, the group was back up to fighting strength.  All of the serious wounds had been closed and the lesser wounds were well along their way to healing.

_"I'm willing to bet we've taken out the main force of this triangle cult.  I say we keep going.  I feel great after those potions, what say you?"_ Milo asked the others.


----------



## Broccli_Head

Holy bloodbath, Milo, frog and company!
What was the final tally of cult guards killed? 
How come the other earth elementals did not attack?


----------



## frog

What was the final tally of cult guards killed? 
How come the other earth elementals did not attack?
=====================================

Final tally was in the neighborhood of 18 to 20...the backbone of the Earth Temple forces.  As for why the other elementals did not attack...well...I can't tell you that because Milo and the gang may head back that direction.  We wouldn't want to spoil any suprises for them would we?  

Fear the Frog


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## Milo Windby

Yes Broccli, it was a bloodbath.  I tend to tone it down a teensy bit since I know Jeremiah's player reads this sometimes.  So far the temple has been some slow, tension building rooms followed by a frenzy of fighting.  We're still undecided as to whether we'll tackle the rest of those earth elementals.  Brigit was the only one who was hit but it was _*hard*_.  I know what her answer would be if we asked her to go back.


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## Nail

*IMHO*

Hey Milo-

A humble question: Could you shorten up yer descriptions o' the fights a wee bit?  I love yer dialog and pacing otherwise...it's just all those parries and thrusts and fancy piroettes obscure all the good stuff.

Take it or leave it.

-Nail


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## Milo Windby

You know Nail, that's exactly what I'm looking for, some good constructive feedback.  Any one else have any suggestions?  I've been feeling that my posts have been a little dry so far, perhaps I am spending a little too much time on combat descriptions.  Any other comments are welcome.  Don't be shy people.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 15 (session 8)*

There was a round of agreement for venturing further into the temple.  Milo felt that they hadn't yet found the 'meat' of the temple yet, and he was eager to explore more. But first, Milo thought, the chest.  Milo approached the table with the beakers and chest while withdrawing his lockpicks.  

_"Hang on Milo, lemme try this time."_ Brigit spoke before he could begin the work on the lock.

_"Be my guest, Brigit."_ Milo said as he made room for the sturdy dwarf.  

Milo examined the beakers while Brigit worked on the lock.  He discovered they were full of oil, perfect for rigging as firebombs.  Milo pocketed a couple and told the others of his find.  By that time Brigit had managed to spring the lock on the chest.  She lifted a small box out of the chest.  Milo peered in and saw what filled the rest of the chest.  Coins were heaped up inside, some platinum and gold pieces as well as quite a bit of silver and copper pieces.  Brigit opened the box and pulled out two vials of healing draught.

They split up the potions and stowed the coins for later.  The other door beckoned to them from the other end of the room.  It still stood ajar from the swift exodus of the other troops.  Milo peeked past into the hallway beyond.  The passage began at the door and stretched west.  He could make out a side passage leading left a few yards away.

Milo led the others from the room.  Brigit and Jer followed behind with Mazi trailing closely.  They skipped the intersection, choosing to continue west.  The passage took a sharp turn to the north, continued for a few yards, then turned to the east.  A sharp intersection with a passage leading southwest branched off midway through the passage.

Scouting ahead, Milo found that the eastern passage led back to the main hallway.  It appeared that the large marble hall led around the earth elemental room.  They had skirted the main part of the hall by moving through the smaller outlying rooms and passages.

Milo returned to the others and reported what he found.  They chose to investigate the southwestern branch before returning to the main passage.  They spotted a door set in the northern wall of the passage further in.  Milo searched the area, wary of the last deadly trap.  The only thing he found was an unlocked door.  They opened the door into another hallway.  Three doors were set on the western wall and a curtained arch was set in the east.  The passage turned back east in the distance.  

The doors to the west had barred windows set about human height.  Jeremiah peeked inside and made out three dwarf sized shapes.  Brigit perked up when she heard Jer's findings.  She moved closer to the bars and called out in dwarven.  Her eyes lit up with the answering call.  She recognized the voices, as they had her.  

Brigit hastily pulled out her lockpicks and went to work on the lock.  Her hands were shaking as she tried to unlock the heavy mechanism.  After a few failed attempts Milo gently pulled her aside and pulled out his own set.  Soon the door was open and the light from the hall spilled on three slumped dwarves in the cramped cell.

Brigit swooped in and helped up the oldest of the prisoners.  He was an old dwarf with a patch over his right eye.  He greeted Brigit, happy to see that she was alive.  The two spoke in hushed dwarven.  Bored, Milo spent the time examining the curtained alcove on the other side of the cells.  The curtain hid an alcove with a bed and table.  It appeared to be a jailer's quarters or the like.  There didn't seem to be anything valuable around.  He returned to the cell to find out what had happened to the dwarves.

Brigit explained that the one-eyed man was Bill, a family friend from her village.  She was overjoyed to find that there were survivors.  Not only that, but she found that her father and mother had survived along with her sister.  Bill had grim news though, her uncle had turned traitor.  Bill had described to her how he seemed to gloat over her father as they were taken into slavery.  He also had news that disturbed Brigit greatly, it seemed that her father had been sent to be sacrificed recently.  Bill didn't know what kind of sacrifice or for whom, but he was certain that he would never see him again.  Her sister and her mother had been taken away by her uncle not too long ago as far as Bill could reckon.  He didn't know where they were going, but it seemed to be away from the temple.  The rest of the dwarves had been pressed into service excavating under the temple along with some humans that were locked up nearby.

Bill and the others begged to be led out of the temple, most were severely beaten and barely able to walk.  As saddened as Milo was by their plight he felt it was necessary to find their jailer and terminate that threat before leading them out.  Mazi and Jeremiah agreed, not willing to leave any threat behind them as they tried to lead the dwarves from the temple.  Bill agreed reluctantly, not having much choice.  He told them that he would take them as far as the door of the path they were led every day.  Milo moved to the other doors and freed six more prisoners.  Bill told of three more cells on the other side of the wall from their own, also full of dwarves and humans.

They found the other cells in a hallway just down from the original door.  Six more dwarves and three humans were freed.  All were weak from hunger and broken in spirit.  Bill showed the adventurers to a door at the end of the diagonal passage, refusing to go any farther.  Brigit told the prisoners to wait in the unlocked cells in case a sentry passed.  All but Bill shuffled back to their cells, downcast at the prospect of sitting in their prisons any longer than they had to.  Milo had found food in the jailer's room and he distributed it evenly among the prisoners before they left.  There wasn't enough to make a full meal for any one man or woman, but it seemed to be more food than they had seen in a long time.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 16 (session 8)*

The door was unlocked, as Bill had said it would be.  He had also told them that there were stairs down that led into a room behind the door.  Milo tapped into Usamigaras' trickery and turned invisible to scout ahead and surprise whomever he discovered.  Milo told the others to wait near the bottom of the stairs for him to act. 

Milo had no trouble creeping down the stairs without making a sound.  He could hear the others follow, barely though.  He was impressed that Jeremiah could move so quietly considering his heavy armor.  A dimly lit scene of horror awaited them at the bottom.  Iron bars sectioned off part of the room into small cells with chained humans.  The rest of the room was full of various torture devices.  An iron maiden stood open in the corner, it's spikes brown with the lifeblood of past occupants.  Assorted racks and tables lined the walls as well.

Only one table was occupied.  A dwarf lay stretched out on a rack worked by two shadowy figures.  As Milo drew closer he could see that it was a large human and a bugbear.  Milo moved behind the human torturer and prepared to strike.  He glanced to the stairs to make sure his companions had arrived.  The torturer and his lackey were completely oblivious to their presence, too intent on their perverse task.  

Intent on the working of the rack, the torturer didn't know what hit him.  Milo's axes fell with vicious strokes, cutting into his back.  Milo turned visible just as the others charged into the room, weapons raised.

Brigit and Mazithra made it to the torturer first.  He didn't even have time to find a weapon.  Two blows fell, one from the dwarf, one from the elf, and the torturer fell dead.  

Milo tumbled over to the bugbear and slashed at its legs.  The creature ignored the pain from the axes.  With a malevolent gleam in its beady eyes it stared right at Brigit, raised an axe it picked up next to the table, and brought it down.  Brigit was unharmed, the axe was not meant for her, but for the prisoner.  The bugbear's attack was fatal to the already weak dwarf on the rack.  A rumble emerged from the bugbear's throat, it was chuckling!  Jeremiah charged the beast, outraged at its callous disregard for life.  Jer's fury tore through the bugbear, leaving a barely reckognizable corpse behind.

Brigit rushed to the dwarf's side.  _"Can ya help him Milo?"_ Brigit asked.

Milo stood next to Brigit and put his hand on the corpse.  He felt nothing, no spark of life at all.  _"I'm sorry Brigit, he's beyond my help."_ he said sadly.  _"Did you know him?_

_"Aye, course I knew 'im.  He's not me father, if tha's what yer aimin' at."_ Brigit returned.  _"They're gonna pay fer this, whoever's behind this is gonna pay."_

The others were taken aback with her vehemence.  None had known Brigit to feel so strongly, this was a side of her that she rarely showed.  

_"Ahem"_ they heard a small voice say at the top of the stairs.  Bill waited for them, eager to know if the torturer had been stopped.  Brigit spoke with him briefly in dwarven and his eyes lit up.  Milo assumed she had told him about the torturer's death.

Milo found a set of keys on the torturer's corpse.  He used them to free the rest of the humans in the cells downstairs.  They gathered the dwarves and the humans together and cautioned them to be a silent as possible as they wound their way out of the temple.  

Regardless of their warnings the group made some considerable noise as they moved through the halls.  No alarms were sounded though, no guards came running.  It seemed that they had done an efficient job in cleaning out this section of the temple.

The clearing outside was quiet when they emerged.  Milo scouted the path ahead, making sure that no ambushes waited.  He was certain the Baron had heard of his missing garrison by then.  He found no opposition in the woods or on the trail.  They led the prisoners within one day of the town, worried that a sudden influx of disheveled, wounded, and newly liberated dwarves and humans might raise more than a few eyebrows.  

Mazithra and Milo went ahead to the town.  They decided to check in with the smith/stable owner before anything.  The jovial man greeted them warmly, a little surprised to see them.  He warned them of a current investigation of a rumor.  It seemed that a band of brigands had cleaned out the Baron's garrison.  Milo and Mazi had the decency to look sheepish.  The smith told them to lay low, he had no love for the Baron either.  

Milo broached the subject of the liberated prisoners with the smith, asking if he knew of any place that many people could go without raising too many questions.  The smith looked sly, he told them of a clearing where they might find food and supplies for just that many people.  He also knew of transportation that could take the same amount of people back to the capital.  He wouldn't tell them who was willing to go to so much trouble.  Milo and Mazi both tried their best to read the smith and his intentions.  

They excused themselves and stood away for a moment.  They had both come to the conclusion separately that the smith was honest and had good intent.  What his own motives were they couldn't tell.  They returned to the smith and hinted that a group of people would probably find their way to the specified clearing by the next evening.  The smith looked happy and relieved, perhaps he had personal reasons for wanting the prisoners safe.

They settled their bill for the keep of their mounts and gave the smith a little extra for his help.  Milo and Mazi left the town quietly, choosing a roundabout way to get back to the rest of the group.

Bill was excited to hear the news.  They left immediately for the clearing.  Night fell by the time they approached their destination.  Milo went on ahead to make sure that the smith wasn't mistaken in his trust of the mysterious benefactor.  Milo couldn't spot a soul  Blankets and clothes were set in a neat pile near the edge and a fire had been set in the middle, ready to be lit.  A chest of food and two barrels, one of ale, one of water, were near the fire.

Milo returned to the others and led them into the clearing.  Many of the prisoners went straight for the clothes while others rushed for the food.  Brigit moved to the dry wood in the clearing and started the fire.  Milo found some ponies tethered a little distance from the clearing along with a small chest of healing salves and directions to the capital city.  When he returned to the clearing the fire was blazing and a celebration was in the works.  

The adventurers decided to camp the night with the freed dwarves and humans before seeing them off in the morning.  Brigit and Jeremiah won a few drinking contests with the brandy they had found.  They stayed up late in the night, celebrating the freedom of Brigit's townsfolk and the other humans.

In the morning Milo and the others helped to see Bill and his people off to the capital.  Brigit and Bill had one last dwarven conversation that ended in a fierce embrace.  Milo could see tears in the one-eyed man's eyes, he swore he saw a bit of moisture in Brigit's as well.  The ex-prisoners got on their way, refreshed and clothed from the supplies left for them.  

The adventurers decided to leave their other keg of brandy as well as some platinum pieces for the mysterious benefactors to find.  They made their way back to the temple, making sure no new developments had occurred.  The temple was just as they had left it.  

By mutual consent they all decided a few days of rest before heading deeper into the temple would do them all a world of good.  The four friends spent the next four days training and scribing scrolls in the forest.


----------



## Rel

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *You know Nail, that's exactly what I'm looking for, some good constructive feedback.  Any one else have any suggestions?  I've been feeling that my posts have been a little dry so far, perhaps I am spending a little too much time on combat descriptions.  Any other comments are welcome.  Don't be shy people.  *




Well, Milo, you clearly have a talent for providing detail when you describe your combats.  I don't really mind that (I am usually pretty detailed with the combats in my own Story Hour).

But, in light of the fact that your story is told from the perspective of Milo and not the 3rd person of the GM, perhaps you could strike a medium.  Maybe you could detail the fight from Milo's perspective, discussing his every swing with Reft and Rend.  But with regard to the other characters, you could more simply describe the outcomes without discussing every blow.

Just a thought.  Keep up the good work.  I'm having a lot of fun reading it.


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## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *You know Nail, that's exactly what I'm looking for, some good constructive feedback.   *




Constructive?  Ya mean: me?  Huh.  I'm sure I could _ dig up_ a few people tha' might say quite the opposite.....

...but hey, I'm in a givin' mood, so here's some more construction:

More dialog!  Anything you can remember from within sessions by the players would be good.  Heck, you could even do some o' the exposition (wha's that?) wit th' dialog.

Jus' tryin' ta be helpful,

Nail


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## Milo Windby

Thanks guys,  I will take your suggestions into account.  Both sound like good ideas.  It may take a couple of posts to train myself.  So bear with me.


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## Milo Windby

*An apology, and a link*

Hello all, I have to apologize for not posting this week.  Instead of writing (bad Milo) I spent the weekend composing a website for the story hours.  I will continue to post all of my story hours here but they will also be present at Milo Windby's Hole in the Ground. 

Please go take a look and tell me what you think.  It's a work in progress but most of it is up and running, including all of the story hours that have been posted on these boards.


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 17 (session 9)*

Milo and Mazi spent the following days scribing scrolls like mad.  Milo could be found pacing the clearing massaging cramps from his hand.  He wasn't accustomed to so much handwriting.  He hoped the scrolls would serve them well.  Jeremiah and Brigit spent the time training.  On one of his pacing breaks Milo noticed Brigit practicing with not just one, but two dwarven waraxes.  He could tell she wasn't as adept while holding both of the heavy weapons, but she was improving fast.  Jeremiah was intent on improving his accuracy and deadly power with his greatsword.

Refreshed and ready to tackle the temple again, the party set out for the evil grounds again.  The temple's clearing seemed abandoned.  They could see no change in the surroundings, it didn't appear that anyone had come or gone.  The inside was the same, no evidence of passage other than their own.  They made their way to the same vestry and descended to the lower level.

Rather than begin where they left off before they chose a different route from the first intersection.  The dank hall led them to another intersection with the passage stretching left and right.  A few paces to the right the passage opened to an abandoned room.  Skeletons of humans and gnolls lay intact and scattered across the floor.  Broken weapons lay next to the long dead corpses.  Milo moved in cautiously, fully ready for the bones to jump to life and attack.  Milo hated undead, really.

As he ventured further in he let his attention wander to the walls, curious if they held any secrets.  Milo scanned the floor for any obvious traps.  He noticed that the engineers that built the temple seemed to favor the simple pit traps they had experienced before.  Scanning ahead, he placed his footing carefully, cautiously, right on a bare femur.  His foot rolled and he pitched forward into a pile of bones.

_"Well if there is a trap in here, you just set it off."_ Mazi said with a laugh.

Milo picked himself up, brushed off his sleeves and harumphed. _"Everyone's entitled to their off days.  Besides, I could tell with my keen sense of observation that there was nothing under the bones."_ he said before sticking out his tongue at the elf.

Whether by purpose or by luck, Milo was right.  No one came running at the sound.  More to his relief was the fact that none of the bones formed anything to attack him.  They all watched their footing as they searched the room.  Nothing but rusted and broken weapons and decrepit bones seemed to fill the area.  

Down the passage past the intersection they found a room that mirrored the other in placement.  The contents of this room were markedly different than the last.  It was empty, completely bare.  Milo searched the walls and floor, certain that an empty room may as well been a huge sign reading: 'Secret stuff here!'  Apparently Milo was wrong, he found nothing.  Brigit and Mazi used their knowledge of stone work and innate ability for finding secret portals respectively with similar results.

Milo left the room in disappointment, so far they hadn't found much of interest.  Backtracking and taking another turn of the main passage they came across another odd shaped room.  The walls were set diagonally to the entrance, creating a diamond room.  Garbage covered the floor, piled halfway up the room in the corners.  

_"Oh no, I'm not going in there."_ Mazi spoke up, _"Garbage means rats, rats mean disease, disease means I'm the one that gets sick."_

_"Suit yerself elfie, we found a couple O good things in tha last garbage pit, I'm checkin' it out."_ Brigit replied as she readied her twin axes.

_"Just wait here Mazi, we'll clean out the rats then you can wade into the trash."_ Milo said with a grin.

Jeremiah was already stepping into the knee-high garbage, his greatsword drawn.  The trash came up waist high to Milo, he wrinkled his nose and pressed forward.  Jer reached the middle of the cramped room and began to poke at the trash with his sword.  The garbage seemed to respond.  It was as if the whole room came alive at once.  Squeaking noises filled the air, Mazi was right, rats.

More than two dozen of the vermin surfaced from the garbage, the dire rats attacked at once.  Jeremiah was completely surrounded by the hairy beasts.  He invoked the mystical properties of the Windsword and became a blur as he landed his blows.  The shrill pitch of the squeaking rose a few octaves as his greatsword claimed one rat after another.  

Milo took a second to marvel at the carnage Jer caused.  He attacked with his own weapons, slicing into two rats in turn.  Both fell, adding to the growing pile around Jeremiah.

Brigit swung with her two axes.  Where her blades fell, so did the vermin.  The rest of the rats scattered, finding cracks under the garbage to flee through.  Not one of the heroes had been touched by the filthy beasts.  All told they had brought down over a dozen rats in the space of seconds.  

They decided to leave the room before the rest of the rats rallied.  Milo couldn't see anything of value, no nice necklaces on a pet rat this time.  He waded out of the garbage to see Mazi at the entrance, slightly pale.  

_"Why so white Mazi?  No problems here!"_ Milo asked.

_"I *hate* rats."_ came her only reply.

Brigit seemed reluctant to leave.  _"Come on, It's jus' a few li'l rats!  Ya pansies!  I bet there's tons O stuff down here!"_

_"I don't think so, Brigit.  I'd say we've terrorized enough rats for one day."_ Milo responded. _"Besides, I want to save the remaining charges in my staff for when we really need them.  Let's find someone else to bother."_

They continued through the labyrinthine halls of the lower temple.  Milo had come to think of it as the earth floor, considering the elementals and symbols they had found.  They found two more abandoned supply closets, one with moldy grain and old traveling supplies, the other with empty and broken beer kegs lining the walls.  Crushed casks of bad wine were strewn across the floor.  

_"That's tha saddest sight I've ever seen."_ Brigit lamented at the spilled spirits. _"Woulda been worse iffin it was good dwarven ale I s'pose."_

Continuing on they found a door set in the passage.  Milo checked it as he usually did, searching for traps or locks.  The door was clean, quite unremarkable compared to others they had come across.  Brigit opened the door cautiously and entered.  

That's when the gnolls attacked.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 18 (session 9)*

Jeremiah entered the room first, straight into the four gnolls.  They descended on the oblivious barbarian like a pack of hyenas.  Thanks to his armor Jeremiah was only marginally wounded.  

The room they found themselves in was a plain square chamber.  A table with some mugs and cards sat in the middle, the chairs thrown back in the gnolls' haste to attack the intruders.  A single door led from the room.  One of the jackal-like creatures ran out of the door, probably to gather reinforcements.  The others circled Jer, flanking him and inflicted another light wound.

It was not long before Jeremiah fought back.  His sword followed a well-placed arrow fired from Mazi's bow.  Three dead gnolls were left in the wake of the greatsword.

Brigit and Milo took after the fleeing gnoll.  They found four more gnolls in the next room along with the original.  This room was much as the last.  Weapons lay in one corner next to a table with flasks lined neatly along its edge.  Another closed door led out next to the table.  

Brigit made short work of the first two gnolls, felling them like young trees with her enchanted axe.  Milo rolled into the room past Brigit and tagged the fleeing gnoll with one of his axes.  

Mazi was close behind, an arrow already knocked to her bow.  Just as she entered a single gnoll in the corner pulled a rope attached to the ceiling, trapping she and Brigit under a heavy net.  Mazi was able to loose her arrow before the net came down, killing the last gnoll from the other room.

Jeremiah came charging in behind the others, with one mighty leap he cleared Brigit and landed in front of the startled gnolls with a snarl.  The gnolls seemed to cower towards the table near the rear of the room.  Seconds later they surged back, with the flasks brandished high.  One lobbed a flask at the trapped heroes, poorly aimed, the oil splashed on the net and flamed to life, burning not only Brigit and Mazi, but Jeremiah and two of the other gnolls.

While Mazi and Brigit struggled free Jeremiah advanced on the gnolls.  He cut one down with an offhanded blow and stalked on.  The gnolls seemed to falter before four more figures burst through the door, two gnolls and two hobgoblins.  The leading gnolls attacked Jer but were repulsed by his bladework.

Brigit and Mazi were able to struggle free from the net by then.  Brigit charged the gnoll that Milo was fighting, easily bringing its life to a close.  Closer to the door Jeremiah's sword claimed another victim while wounding the other.  Milo tumbled forward and finished it off, preventing Jer from being flanked.

One gnoll made it past Jer's defenses, wounding his arm.  Before he could retaliate a swift arrow from Mazi's bow struck the gnoll right between the eyes.  Jeremiah instead moved forward and attacked the last gnoll and the two hobgoblins.  They lasted no longer than any of Jeremiah's other foes.  Soon the room was empty of any threat.  

Milo felt almost dizzy from the whirlwind battle.  Everything had happened so quickly it was hard for him to come down from the adrenaline rush of battle.  He practically bounced as he walked around the room, full of nervous energy.  Trying to occupy his attention, Milo set himself to searching the room beyond.  

He found ruined chambers, obviously quite nice at one time.  They had been through rough times since then though.  Nothing in the room was intact.  The gnolls and hobgoblins had cleaned out anything of value long ago.  In his searching Milo found a catch in the stone wall.  He recognized it as the opening of a secret door.

Milo returned to the other room to tell the others.  He found that they had been busy as well, searching the other two rooms and the bodies of the fallen.  

_"Well, anything else guys?"_ Milo asked his friends after they had gathered in what he referred to as the 'net room'.

_"Nah, nuthin but tha oil.  I think it'll come in purty handy tho'."_ Brigit said, hefting a flask in one hand.

_"Easy Brigit, I don't need any more of that splashed on my nice shiny armor."_ Mazi said, shying away from the dwarf.

_"Oh, an' I did find this purty,"_ Brigit said as she lifted a silver chain set with a bright green gem.  

Mazi's eyes lit up at the sight. _"I'll hang on to it if you don't mind, Brigit."_ came her predictable request.

Brigit snorted and tossed the necklace to her.  She caught it and spent the next few minutes staring at the necklace, testing the quality with her hands and teeth.  

_"I found some coins on the bodies back there."_ Mazi said absentmindedly, flipping her head in the direction of original room without taking her eyes from the necklace.

_"Me too."_ Jeremiah spoke up.

_"Well I found something a little more interesting."_ Milo told them. _"There's a secret door in the other room.  Probably leads to a secret cache of some sort."_  A particular gleam creeped into his eyes at the idea of valuables tucked away in a secret vault.

_"A'right, ya know Milo won' be happy 'til we check it out.  Let's go."_ Brigit said.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 19 (session 9)*

Pressing the stone that triggered the secret door, Milo stood back and watched.  A low rumbling was followed by the grating sound of stone on stone as a section of the wall swung inward.  Brigit and Jeremiah went through the dark portal, followed by Milo and Mazi.  

Milo's eyes adjusted to the gloom quickly, revealing the contents of the room.  It was a guest room at one time.  A single door led out of the room in the back.  A large pile of cushions sat in the middle of a cracked and ruined bed.  Two hulking ogres rose from the cushions as the heroes entered.  

_*"Mmmmmeat!"*_ one said.  The other grunted in agreement as they both lifted heavy clubs and advanced.

Brigit charged right in, drawing her two axes as she ran.  Milo tumbled into the gap left by her charge, trying to get behind one of the huge humanoids.  As soon as the two came within range of the ogre's clubs they were attacked.  The beasts moved too slowly to make contact with either wily veteran.

Brigit made Milo's fancy tumble a useless gesture.  With two mighty blows from her axe the first ogre fell, its club clattering to the ground.  Jeremiah and Mazi concentrated on the other ogre.  Jer moved in close, swinging twice and wounding the huge beast.  Mazi's arrow brought it closer to the brink of death.

The ogre got one more good swing in before Brigit's axe brought it down.  It swung its club straight at Jeremiah's head, its aim dead-on.  Jer raised his arm to deflect the blow.  The force of the club sent him sprawling and would have broken bones if it weren't for his enchanted armor.  Brigit attacked the ogre from behind, inflicting a massive wound to its back and bringing the beast to the ground.

_"Meat nuthin!"_ Brigit said after the last one fell.  _"This dwarf be no one's meat!"_

_"They wouldn't have liked you anyway Brigit, you'd be all tough and stringy.  Too gamy."_ Milo quipped.

_"Tough an' stringy?! Wha?!"_ Brigit sputtered.

Milo laughed and scuttled out of the way of a polished steel toe zoning in on him courtesy of the offended dwarf.

They found a big open chest of weapons on the far side of the room.  The weapons were serviceable, obviously a surplus for the guards.  Just to be on the safe side Milo spoke a magic detection cantrip.  None of the weapons in the chest glowed, although the ones they carried shined bright.  Milo winced at the thought of some greedy enemy casting detect magic on their little band, they'd turn a few more shades of green if they could see what he could.

There were a few quivers of arrows and a barrel of shortspears as well.  Milo noticed something rather odd about the stone slab under the barrel.

_"Hey Brigit, you know a lot about rocks, come take a look at this."_ Milo said.

After a few seconds of examination Brigit said, _"Aye, tha stone's been moved, and often. Jer, come over here an' help me push tha barrel off."_

Jeremiah had been admiring the trove of weapons in the chest when he heard his name.  He walked over to his smaller companions and took the barrel in both hands.  With a heavy push he and Brigit were able to muscle the barrel off of the stone slab.  Brigit pulled her crowbar out of her pack to work on the slab.

_"A crowbar Brigit?"_ Milo asked in disbelief.  _"What *don't* you have in there?"_

_"Ya never know, tha's all I'm sayin'."_ Brigit said as she pushed down on the bar.

Once they managed to move the stone they found a sizable cache of silver coins.  A silver bracelet was buried under all of the coins as well.  

_"Nice place to keep your payroll."_ Milo noted.  _"Let's check out the next room."_

Milo listened at the door before checking for traps.  He heard nothing, and found even less.  The door was unlocked and untrapped.  The other side wasn't a room at all, but a large hall stretching to the left and right.  They entered the passage cautiously, checking both ways for patrols.  The cavernous hallway was silent, no echoing boots or clattering claws sounded.  

They could see another door further down the hallway and decided to check it before continuing.  Hearing noises at the door, the party prepped for battle.  They hoped the grunts and shuffling feet they heard belonged to one unaware of their presence.  Brigit barged in through the door and the others followed.

What lay beyond was a half-surprised ogre.  This one was far larger than the last two.  It reclined on a bed made from four ragged couches pushed together.  The plaster walls of the room were peeling and stained with smoke.  Rotten food was piled next to the door leading out of the other side.

The ogre growled as it stood, it's ham-hock-sized hands grasping a huge maul.  The crew was ready for it.  The fight was over in seconds.  Mazi fired an arrow at the same moment Milo tumbled past the ogre with his twin axes drawn.  The arrow sunk into its thick hide, protruding from its ribs.  One of Milo's axes sliced at the beast's hamstring, crippling it.  Brigit ran forward with her waraxes gleaming in the torchlight.  The monster had enough time to swing its giant maul at Brigit, missing by a wide margin.  Brigit finished the ogre off with a fantastic blow from _Trollgrater_.  She actually cleaved through its thick neck and brought its heavy head tumbling to the floor.

_"Bring on more of those!"_ Milo said in a rush, grinning ear to ear.  _"What's that they always say?  The bigger they are-"_

_"Tha harder they fall, aye!"_ Brigit finished.

They found an iron bound chest in the corner, locked of course.  Milo found no traps and went to the precise work of picking the lock.  He rubbed his hands in anticipation, always up for a good challenge.  The lock sprung open on one try.  Milo leaned back and popped his knuckles, grinning at his friends.  They all looked on impatiently, apparently unaware of Milo's brilliance.  He muttered and flipped open the lid.

The contents shined brightly.  Inside were two huge agates atop a heap of gold coins.  It was hard to tell who's eyes lit up more at the sight, Milo's or Mazi's.  Jeremiah lost interest quickly and turned to occupy himself with the rest of the room.  He found a copper belt on the ogre, figured it would be worth something, and removed it.  As he heaved on the belt a coin purse fell from the ogre's corpse.  More silver and gold coins lay within.

Just as the four gathered together to venture further, the door burst open.  Three gnolls charged in, surveyed the room, saw the dead ogre, and attacked.

Milo and his friends made even shorter work of the gnolls than they had the ogre.  Mazi shot one in the chest just as Jeremiah cleaved through it.  He slashed clean through the next as well.  Brigit finished the fight with a vicious swing of _Trollgrater_, slicing through the last gnoll.


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 20 (session 9)*

The gnolls didn't carry much by way of valuables and the group had moved on within moments.  They were aware that they had probably roused the whole area of the temple by then, and they didn't want to stand still with gnolls and ogres tromping about.  The room the gnolls had sprung from was mostly nondescript.  There was a fireplace on one wall and a table with chairs in the middle of the room.  Watered-down wine sat in heavy clay mugs atop the table and a few cloaks hung from pegs on the wall.

All four searched the room quickly, each taking a quarter of the room.  They all came up empty-handed though.  Milo was a little disappointed but he took solace in the haul they found under the barrel of spears in the other room.

They were soon moving out of the room, deeper into the temple.  Brigit chose to listen in on the next door.  She also heard the shuffling of feet, but she could tell it was much more than just one set.  Ever ready to barge in head first, Brigit gripped her axe and kicked in the door.

The sound of trickling water could be heard from within the room.  Brigit had interrupted the inhabitants in mid-preparation for battle.  The trickling came from a font set in the wall to her left.  Wood was stacked along the other wall, probably for the fireplace in the last room.  Another door was set in the far wall as well as an alcove near the entrance.  Over half a dozen gnolls and one nasty looking bugbear stood with weapons drawn, snarling at the intruders.  One gnoll near the back held a wicked quadruple heavy crossbow.

_*"Attack!*_ the bugbear shouted in common.  The battle was joined.

The four friends spread out slightly, with Brigit furthest in front.  Milo was able to reach one of the gnolls that moved to bracket Brigit.  _Reft_ bit deep into the thick matted fur of the gnoll right before Brigit's axe finished it off.  Intent on aiding Brigit, Milo didn't see the longsword meant for him until it was almost too late.  He took a glancing blow from the blade, wounded nonetheless.

As the battle began the air seemed to fill with missiles.  Four bolts from the gnoll's special crossbow zoomed towards Jeremiah while a single arrow from Mazi's bow sped towards the bugbear.  Only one missile hit it's mark, the crossbow bolts whizzed by Jer a hairsbreadth from the top of his head.  Mazi's arrow sunk deep into the bugbear's chest.

Jeremiah was unfazed by the proximity of the bolts, he charged the bugbear, intent on felling the leader of the gnolls.  They traded blows, only Jeremiah was able to land a hit though.  

The crossbowman was the only enemy that was not engaged in melee as it frantically tried to reload just one of its bolts.  Mazi took aim and fired another arrow with her elven bow, wounding the gnoll but not killing it.

The gnolls in the room foolishly surrounded Jeremiah, hoping to separate him from his companions.  The barbarian loosed a primal roar and attacked the bugbear again.  Jer's swing knocked the bugbear's sword completely out of his hands.  The blade clattered to the floor, followed shortly by its owner.  Jer was in frenzy as he attacked the other gnolls again and again.  Three more bodies littered the ground by the time Jeremiah was done.

Fear entered the eyes of the other gnolls, they looked ready to bolt.  Brigit didn't give them the option.  The two gnolls within the range of her axe fell quickly, leaving the crossbowman the lone enemy.  The action was over so quickly it didn't even realize it was alone.  Milo finished it off while it was still struggling to load the crossbow.

Milo moved to the far door as soon as the last gnoll was dispatched.  He listened intently for a few moments.  He could hear nothing on the other side.  It seemed they were safe for the time being.

They set about searching the bodies.  Mazi came up with a gold chain woven with gold coins that hung from the lead bugbear's neck.  The others found a few coins on each body, but nothing more.  Milo began searching the room, not sure if he'd find anything but game to try.  He was surprised when he found that one particularly large log of wood had a hollow compartment.  Inside he found a coin purse full of silver and gold pieces.

Brigit took a couple of minutes to dismantle the large crossbow the gnoll had been using.  She stowed it in her pack, _"Just in case"_ she said.

Jeremiah had found how the gnolls knew they were coming.  _"They saw us here."_

_"Here what?  Ohhhhhh."_ Brigit started before she saw what Jer had discovered. _"Handy lil' peephole in this alcove, they saw us comin' before we got anywhere close ta tha door."_

_"See anyone coming?"_ Milo asked as he strained to see the peephole.  Being small had its advantages, seeing through human-constructed peepholes not being one of them.

_"Nah, nobody's comin'."_ Brigit replied as she peered through the small chink in the rock.  She was just tall enough to see through it.

_"Let's check out the next room then.  Just because Milo didn't hear anything doesn't mean there's no one there."_ Mazi said.

_"What, you don't trust my sensitive ears Mazi?" Milo replied in mock sorrow. "Here, let me try again."  Milo pressed his ear to the wood of the door as he had before.  "Nope, nothing!  Happy Mazi?"  He grinned at the elf.

"Quit trying to be cute.  Let's go." Mazi said with a wrinkle of her nose.

The door led into another corridor.  Not too far from the room they came from they could see another door.  Milo gave Mazi a pleading look as if asking permission to listen in on the door.  Mazi just rolled her eyes at the dramatics and waved him off.  Milo grinned as he padded ahead to the door.

He heard faint noises on the other side.  It sounded guttural, probably gnoll.  Milo whispered back to his friends, "Sounds like gnolls, don't seem to be moving around much.  Either they know we're here and they're waiting for us, or they have no idea and we can surprise them."

"Better safe than sorry, I'll be a lil' quieter this time." Brigit whispered back.

She approached the door rather silently.  An impressive feat considering how much metal she wore.  Unlatching the door, she pushed it open and they all entered the room.

Three surprised humans stared back at them from a game of dominoes at the table.  A fourth seemed a little more prepared, he had a crossbow and had just stood up to face the door, kicking his chair back in his haste.

The crossbowman didn't get his bolt off.  Jeremiah swooped down on him before he could take time to aim.  The other three guards were barely on their feet before he hit the ground.  

Brigit and Mazi worked as a unit.  Mazi fired an arrow to weaken one guard and Brigit would follow up with her lethal axe.  Meanwhile Milo had moved up to Jeremiah's side, darting in to tag a guard with his axes when the chance presented itself.  Jeremiah followed Milo's attack through with his weapon, finishing the guard off.

The last guard fell with a feathered arrow protruding from his throat, downed by Mazi.  As he lowered his axes Milo could hear booted footsteps running down the corridor towards them.  

"Quick everyone, switch to your range weapons, they'll run right into us." Milo told everyone.

"I'll cast my web on them, Brigit you throw some oil on it after we've softened them up." Mazi said, trying to hammer out a plan before the reinforcements arrived.

Jeremiah was sheathing his sword when eight guards rounded the corner to enter the room.  Before any could attack Mazi finished her incantation.  A mass of sticky strands expanded into existence right in the middle of the guards.  Its mass soon reached from the front to the rear of their party.  

Brigit, Jeremiah, and Milo all fired into the morass.  All three of their missiles lodged in the web, missing the front two guards.  Milo threw his hands up in disgust and began an incantation he had used may times before.  The air around his outstretched hand began to sparkle, then coalesce, and then harden into small triangular daggers.  The daggers shot through the air and sliced into the trapped men.  

Brigit followed up the knife spray with a flask of oil she rigged to explode.  The flask burst open on impact and showered the web with liquid flame.  The web caught on fire in a flash, creating an instant conflagration.  The flames died quickly, only singing the occupants of the web.  

Newly freed, the second row of guards flung javelins at the heroes.  Neither the javelins nor the swords of the first two guards hit any of the heroes, but the battle became much closer in the few seconds after the fire.  

Determined to put an end to the battle, Milo began his incantation again.  The two front guards chose that moment to attack.  One slashed down on Brigit and the other Milo.  Neither made contact but Milo's spell was almost thrown off.  He completed his incantation despite the alarming distraction and stretched his arm out towards the guards.  The air coalesced around his hand again, rocketing forward on divine winds.  The weakened guards couldn't handle another wave of the crystal hard daggers, all but one hearty human survived the volley.  Jeremiah finished him off with an arrow from his longbow.

No sooner had he dropped than a blinding light flashed down the corridor towards them.  The light zeroed in on Brigit and jagged towards her.  She jumped out of the way but was tagged in the leg by the streaking lightning.  The lightning dimmed and they could see the shape of a jagged javelin before it crumbled to dust.

Brigit struggled to her feet to see two humans charging up the corridor at them.  One had an obvious rank, a captain of sorts.  That was all the group could make out before the battle was begun again.  Milo and Mazi moved back to fire with their missile weapons while Jer and Brigit fought up close.

The guard reached them first, nearly impaling himself on Jeremiah's sword.  Brigit spun in with her axe and nearly burst the guard open with her attack.  The captain quailed at the vicious blow, distracted long enough for Milo to get in a vital shot.  The bolt punctured the captain's lung, causing him to gasp for air.  

Mazi followed up Milo's bolt with an arrow of her own.  Brigit and Jeremiah swung at the captain simultaneously, their blades meeting in his midsection.  The large human fell, nearly cleaved in two by the rush of attacks.

"Wow." was all Milo could muster.

"I can see a room down tha hall, looks empty tho." Brigit said, already looking for the next threat.

They peered down the hall, seeing that it ended in an oddly shaped room.  Milo cautiously led the way down the hall, wary for traps even though the humans had just trampled down the corridor moment ago.  As they drew near they could see the room was in the shape of a triangle.  The corridor ended at the base directly opposite from the apex.  Bunks lined the walls and a custom fit desk was wedged into the peak.  A large triangle table sat in the middle.   The room was indeed empty.  They had dealt with the last of the guard.  

Mugs and dishes were scattered on the table, food half-eaten. "Looks like we disturbed dinner, that's too bad." Milo said with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Oh aye!  I'm sure yu're all choked up 'bout that, Milo." Brigit laughed.  

"I'm more choked up about those," Milo said as he pointed at four large chests at the end of each double bunk bed.  "A closed chest is a sad sight to see."

Milo went to each chest in turn, rather disappointed at what he found.  They appeared to be simple wardrobe chests, full of clothes and not much else.  In the third chest he found a ceremonial bronze dagger and harness, not worth keeping.  The fourth chest had a little more interesting contents, but not by much.  He found a parchment with a scribbled note:

Remember to check augury chamber to see if Belstro is lying.

"I think we've already been there," Milo said, "Remember the room with the low bench and circular depression?  I think I'll stick to my own augury methods."

"I do wonder who Belstro is though." Mazi thought out loud.

"Think while ya walk, we ain't gettin' much younger.  You least O all, Mazi." Brigit interjected.

"What's that supposed to mean?  I look as young now as I did forty years ago!" Mazi looked insulted.  

She pulled out her mirror and checked her face, distressed to find a smudge of dirt on her chin.  The others left Mazi in the room, frantically scrubbing at the dirty spot with a kerchief.

As Milo was looking over the body of the captain down the corridor he noticed something odd about his uniform.  "Did you guys notice that we're not fighting the Triangle Gang anymore?" he said as he pointed at a star that was stitched on the captain's uniform.

The triangle patch had been ripped off and replaced by a poorly stitched eight pointed star.  Milo could still see the threads from the triangle that had so recently adorned the uniform.  

"Interesting, so do you think we're done with the Earth cult?  I wonder what the star stands for?" Mazi wondered aloud again.

"Don't know.  I'm willing to bet that the next cult isn't going to be any easier to get rid of than this one.  Oh well, one down, three to go."  Milo said.

"Even so, I'd rather fight them than what's trapped at the bottom of this place." Mazi said with a shudder._


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 21 (session 10)*

The door out of the guardroom led to a long passage with two diagonal branches leading to the southeast and northeast.  After listening for movement down both corridors, the group decided to go southeast.  The passage led into a grand hall stretching west from where they entered.  Complete skeletons and broken bones were scattered throughout.  Milo made a quick count and came up with sixteen complete skeletons.  He had a sneaking suspicion that they weren't going to remain harmless if they set foot in the hall.  Weapons lay near the piles of bones, morningstars, swords, and the odd hammer.  Most were rusted beyond repair, but they could see that a few had lasted the years.

_"Must have been some battle here."_ remarked Milo.

_"Look at the bones, there's more than human remains here."_ Mazi said, _"There's plenty of orc and gnoll bones there too.  I wonder when this happened, and if it was infighting or an outside attack?"_

_"Judgin' from tha stuff we seen already I'd say infightin'."_ Brigit ventured a guess. _"It don't look like tha differnt factions here be too friendly wi' each other."_

_"True, but who knows how long ago this happened?"_ Milo said, _"Maybe we'll find out as we get further in.  What worries me more are those intact skeletons.  You just *know* they're gonna jump out at us as soon as we go in."_

_"Ach, yer paranoid, Milo.  Let's go."_ Brigit replied.

For a moment it did seem that Milo's fears were unfounded.  The group moved as one into the hallway, keeping their eyes on as much area as they could.  Milo's head was constantly craning as he scanned from skeleton to skeleton.

Before long they came upon a "T" intersection, the grand hall continuing west as well as an equally large offshoot to the south.  As soon as Jeremiah's foot landed on the first tile of the intersection, Milo's fears were realized.  He groaned as the skeletons rattled to life before his eyes.

_"Not again,"_ was all Milo said as he drew out the club he brought along for this very purpose.

The four stood back to back, making a small circle.  Brigit drew her warhammer while Jer and Mazi had only their swords to rely on for the time being.  The skeletons, all sixteen of them, formed a loose circle around the heroes and closed in.

The skeletons attacked a few at a time.  Four of the undead attacked at once, three in the range of the pummeling head of Brigit's warhammer.  Brigit was well rewarded in her investment with the hammer.  All three crumbled easily from the powerful slams of the blunt weapon.  Jer expended much more energy dispatching the fourth skeleton.  His sword didn't inflict quite as much damage as Brigit's bludgeoning.  

More of the undead moved in while the heroes waited.  One of the skeletons scored a lucky blow on Mazi, stabbing her in the arm with its rusty sword.  She held her hand to the wound and kicked the skeleton away from her.

Brigit brought two more skeletons down with her hammer, demolishing the bones into a fine powder with her powerful swings.  Jeremiah fared better during that wave of skeletons.  He found if he could manage to sever the spinal cord the skeletons had less of a chance of staying cohesive.  His sword bit through two spines in quick succession, the skeletons flew apart from the attacks.

Milo and Mazi waited for more to come into range.  As soon as one of the hapless skeletons drew near they both struck out with their weapons.  They managed to wound the undead creature but it somehow kept together, defying their efforts.  The clumsy attacks from the undead were not able to wound any of the heroes, their circle defense serving them well.

Brigit finished off another skeleton with her hammer but was unable to reach any of the others.  Their dim intelligence seemed to recognize the threat of her blunt weapon.  The remaining skeletons focused their attack on Jeremiah instead, to their misfortune.  Jeremiah had mastered his technique in dispatching the undead.  First the skeleton his companions wounded was destroyed, next came the skeleton approaching from the right, followed shortly by the undead attacking from the left.  Jeremiah crowed.

Four skeletons remained, all of them circling the group.  One jumped in to attack Milo, slicing a gash on his shoulder.  He retaliated with a double-handed swing with his club.  The skeleton was obliterated from the impact.  It was Milo's turn to crow, he hated undead, really.

Brigit finished off the other three with some help from Mazi.  The skeleton she wounded with her _Sylvanglade_ fell quickly to Brigit's hammer.  The other two followed shortly.  

_"Let that be a lesson to all you undead!"_ Milo said loudly.

_"Ya did purty good there, Milo.  That was a nice swing O tha club."_ Brigit told him.

Milo swelled at the complement before getting down to the work of searching the room.  With all of the weapons, some in good repair, Milo figured a magic detection cantrip was in order.  He uttered the incantation and concentrated on the hall before him.  Nothing seemed to react to his newly augmented vision.  Nothing but the considerable amount of enchanted gear he and his companions carried.  

_"There doesn't seem to be anything magical in this mess,"_ Milo told his friends, _"But Jeremiah and Mazi would probably do well to pick up a couple of those nice morningstars for any more skeleton encounters."_

Both agreed quickly and rummaged through the remains for serviceable weapons.  Brigit and Milo searched the rest of the room, finding that it had obviously been picked over before.  There didn't seem to be anything worth noting besides the weapons.

They skipped the intersection and moved on west.  Near the end of the great hall another slanting passage exited to the northeast.  Figuring that the passage led back to the original corridor, they passed by that one as well.  One last corridor led from the end of the great hall to the south.  The corridor zigzagged south and west until it ended in another long passageway.  This hallway stretched from north to south, well beyond Milo's vision.

The southern passage led through a four-way intersection, into yet another four way intersection, and ended in a "T".  

_"Let's check out the first intersection before these."_ Milo suggested.

_"Aye, we'll see it all anyway."_ Brigit agreed.  

They headed west at the first intersection, passing a door on the southern wall before seeing that the corridor ended in a door on the west.  They found that a large chain locked with a sturdy padlock secured the southern door.  Milo's trained eye could see the lock was well oiled and had been used often.  The door to the west was a normal portal, unlocked and untrapped.

_"Decisions decisions, let's take the normal one first."_ Milo suggested.  _"I bet the other door has captives.  We don't need them running around."_

_"Agreed, I'm sure whatever is guarding them is inside this door."_ Mazi said, indicating the unsecured door.

_"Well then, to tha door!"_ Brigit said as she raised her boot to charge in.

One half-destroyed door later found the heroes face to face with six bony white-skinned creatures.

_"Ghouls.  Of course."_ Milo said.

Jeremiah and Brigit moved as one.  Their cooperation made short work of four of the ghouls.  Mazi and Milo fired their weapons at a single retreating ghoul in the rear.  Their missiles didn't stop the undead creature from making its way out of the door to the side of the wide room.

It returned shortly with six more ghouls in tow, the room started to get cramped.

Another shot from Milo's crossbow whistled through the air as the battle heightened.  His bolt stuck into the chest of one of the ghouls, not even slowing it down.  The ghoul snarled and lunged for Jeremiah, landing on his sword and ending its own existence.  Jer withdrew his sword and lopped off the head of another.

That's when the other ghouls retreated, forming a rough semicircle around the group.

_"What is that stench?"_ Milo gagged.

A rotten stink filled the room, emanating from the door the ghouls had entered through.  Milo doubled over, retching.  The others fought off the foul effects of the approaching odor.  Two large, ghoul-like creatures emerged from the doorway.  The odor was almost visible, emanating in waves from the undead monstrosities.

_"Gh-ast-s."_ Milo managed to choke the word out between heaves.

Brigit drew her bow in a flash and she, Mazi and Jeremiah took down two more of the ghouls before the ghasts could join the battle.

Three of the four remaining ghouls crouched for a moment before throwing themselves full speed at Brigit and Jeremiah.  Just before they could attack, the ghouls leaped into the air, bounding over the heroes.  

Brigit and Jeremiah made short work of the first jumper, slicing it to pieces midair.  Milo and Jeremiah tried to do the same to the next, both able to plant missiles into the flying ghoul, but not killing it.  The last ghoul leapt unchallenged, none of the heroes had enough time to strike at it as well.

Now surrounded by the ghasts and the ghouls, the party was assaulted by a fresh wave of the stench.  It was the others' turn to gag and retch.  Milo still hadn't recovered from the initial blast of stink.  

One of the ghasts lumbered to the front, swiping at Jeremiah.  He took the blow full on, struggling to overcome the paralyzing effects of the ghast's claws.  He retaliated with _Sharda_ wounding the great undead creature.

Milo and Mazi readied their melee weapons, now uncomfortably close to the undead ghouls.  Jeremiah and Brigit struggled to quell their stomachs and fought back.  Jeremiah cut past the ghast's claws and chopped through its abdomen, toppling the large creature to the ground.  Brigit moved forward through the gap and attacked the other ghoul.  She slashed through the ghoul as if it weren't there.  Her blow wounded the remaining ghast, gouging a wound in its chest.

The stench in the room seemed increase, washing over the heroes as they struggled with the remaining undead.  Two giant ghasts heaved their bodies into the room, filling the limited space with even more sickening fumes.  

Jeremiah choked back his bile and leapt forward to help Brigit.  He destroyed the ghast that Brigit wounded and stabbed at one of the new larger ones.  Near the entrance to the room Milo and Mazi had their hands full.  The ghouls lunged at them repeatedly.  Both friends were able to wound the undead but Milo bore a bite to his right arm as well.  His axe skittered to the floor.

Brigit dodged a blow from one of the ghasts and hammered her axe towards the wounded one.  The ghast loosed an unearthly, shrill scream at the wound but did not fall.  The ghast reared back to strike, leaving itself open for Jer's attack.  He jumped at the opportunity and felled the first of the two large undead creatures.

Milo grabbed at his axe while Mazi fended off the ghouls.  Her _Sylvanglade_ wounded one of the lunging undead.  Milo recovered in time to follow the attack with his own.  The ghoul fell with a gurgling sigh.  The two friends turned as one to face the last ghoul.

Inside the room behind them Jeremiah advanced on the wounded ghast.  His sword flashed brightly in the torchlight of the room as his inexorable swing completed its arc.  The last ghast lay before him, truly dead.  

Brigit remembered the leaping ghouls.  In one fluid movement she spun on her heel, dropped her axe, drew her bow and an arrow, and fired.  The arrow sped through the arrow, coming to a dead stop directly in-between the ghoul's eyes.  It was just enough of a wound to fell the last of the undead.


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## Rel

Milo, just dropping in to tell you I'm still reading.  As far as the tweaking of your writing style, I'd say the "mix" you've got going now is right on.  Keep up the good work.


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## Milo Windby

Thanks Rel.  I've tried to add a little more dialog in lately and shorten the fights a little, but I have a hard time paring it down any more.  I think this is working so far.  I'm also trying to update more regularly.  

On that note, back to composing!


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 22 (session 10)*

Looking around the room Milo could see a startlingly lifelike relief carved into the south wall.  A large face protruded from the rock, staring into the room.  The face was human shaped, but flattened, crowned with a mushroom-shaped cranium.  

_"A little grotesque, don't you think?"_ Milo asked out loud as he examined the carving.

_"It ain't purty, that's for sure."_ Brigit agreed.

A demolished sandstone altar sat at the rear of the room.  Smaller carvings covered the walls depicting obscene and unholy acts performed by various demons and grotesque creations.  Milo's gaze passed over them fleetingly, looking for any important clues or hidden switches.  

Finding none, he instead centered his attention on a large wooden box in the corner.  The box was unadorned, nothing indicating the contents within.  Milo examined it quickly, checking for traps.  The wooden box was quite unremarkable.  He lifted the lid and found nothing but rotten clothes inside.  It appeared to be full of old robes and other accouterments fit for unholy rituals.  Under the robes and rags he found a carved ivory statuette, certainly worth some gold pieces.  A pile of copper pieces lay under another robe further down.  Milo began loading the rags back in the box.

Mazi and Brigit had checked the bodies of the undead while Milo was occupied.  He didn't mind, the farther away from those smelly ghasts he was, the better.

_"Nothing over here, you find anything on the Great Stinky Undead?"_ Milo asked his companions.

_"Aye, more jewelry fer our fancy elf."_ Brigit said as she held up a gold chain set with three sizable rubies.  

_"Looks like a matching set."_ Mazi said, lifting a gold ring set with a ruby.

_"Probably, let's stash them for later, I'd like to see what was in the big ghast's room."_ Milo said as he stowed the statuette and copper coins that he found.

Milo gagged as they entered the next room.  If anything the smell inside was worse than the ghasts themselves.  He couldn't figure out how anything could smell as bad as the undead creatures, the smell of the grave was preferable to their stench.

The room was littered with broken furniture and the usual pile of cushions acting as a bed.  The walls were covered with torn and ratty tapestries.  A barrel full of stagnant, tainted water sat in the corner along with a lumpy sack.  Another door led to the north.

Remembering the barrel of spears in the ogre's den and the trove underneath, Milo scurried to the water barrel and examined the floor underneath.  His curiosity paid off, there was definitely something under the heavy barrel.  

_"Brigit, Jeremiah, will you two see if you can budge this barrel?  I think there's something underneath it."_ Milo asked his friends.

Brigit had been examining the sack near the barrel and was disappointed to find nothing but clothes.  

_"Fine wi' me.  There be nuthin but old clothes around here.  Ya could cloth a village wi' all tha stuff we found here.  Wha's with that?"_ Brigit complained as she set her shoulder to the barrel.

Jeremiah took his place wordlessly, helping Brigit shove the barrel off the floor tile.  The stone was certainly loose, Brigit heaved the tile up without too much effort.  A small sack lay in the space underneath.  Milo grabbed the sack before Brigit dropped the slab back into place.  It held a hefty amount of silver pieces, nearly two hundred by Milo's estimate.

The door to the north was slightly ajar, apparently not trapped.  Milo checked it anyway, ever paranoid.

_"Nothing on this door.  Never know though."_ Milo responded to the quizzical looks he was given by his companions.

They entered the room cautiously, set for another undead assault on their olfactory senses.  Surprisingly this room was a little easier to breathe in.  The room was devoid of undead occupants, or any live occupants that they could see.  There was an alcove in the north wall with a door at the end of the shallow hall.  The walls were at one time plastered with the grimy brown and tans that ran throughout that section of the temple.  The plaster had long since molded in some places and peeled in others.  

A large ironbound chest squatted in the northeast corner, near the alcove.  Rotten cushions were piled in the opposite corner.  Heaps of bones were piled in the alcove itself, almost blocking the door.

_"Do yer thing Milo, that looks ta be a nice treasure chest there."_ Brigit said.

_"Way ahead of you."_ Milo said, already crouching at the chest and examining the sturdy padlock that secured it.

He checked the lock for a trap, knowing that if there was one it would have to be relatively small to be encased in the padlock itself.  Milo wasn't able to find anything suspicious.  He withdrew his picks and went to work on the mechanism.  After four attempts and subsequent slips, he was able to manipulate the final tumbler into position.  The *"click"* he lived for signaled the opening of the lock.  He threw back the lid and the rest of the group peered into the chest.

They found a sack of silver pieces, quite a bit more than the last, a shiny golden broach, and a silver scroll tube.  Milo opened the tube and pulled out the parchment inside.  Inscribed on the scroll was a divine spell for warding a person against evil.

_"Now who leaves a protection from evil spell in an *evil* temple?"_ Milo asked rhetorically.

_"I don't know, but I wouldn't complain, they've served you well so far."_ Mazi said.

_"You mean they've served Brigit and Jeremiah well so far."_ Milo fired back, teasing their two front line fighters.

_"Do ya want ta get in tha front next time, Milo?  Ya kin cast them spells on yerself if ya do!"_ Brigit retorted.

_"You know I'm only teasing Brigit.  You look so much better when you're knee-deep in the mayhem.  I couldn't take that from you."_ Milo said.

While they were talking Jeremiah was already checking the alcove.  None of the bones swirled up to fight him so he ventured further.  The door opened easily and Jer was halfway into the room before the others noticed.

_"Jer!"_ Milo managed to squeak out before realizing that Jeremiah set off no traps and was perfectly safe.  He followed the others through the door.

The next room was a hallway that ran east to west, ten paces each way.  Broken cases and empty hooks along the walls indicated the nature of the room.

_"Looks to be some sort of trophy room."_ Mazi said.

Jeremiah was inspecting one of the broken displays, grisly trophies rested on the broken shelf, scalps, skulls, and other more disgusting spoils of war.  A few old weapons and armor still hung from the walls here and there.  On a hunch, Milo cast his magic detection cantrip and concentrated on the contents of the room.  As he thought, one item glowed out of the wreckage.

_"Jeremiah, will you go take down that shield over there?  I can't reach it."_ Milo asked.

Jeremiah walked to the large shield and pulled it down from its mounting.  He handed the heavy shield to Milo who examined it closer.  The glow from the shield was very similar to Brigit's.  

_"Looks like an enchanted shield,"_ he told the others. _"I think this is our fourth."_

_"Aye, yer tha only one that don't have one, Milo."_ Brigit said.

_"I don't think I want this one, it's a bit heavy."_ Milo answered the dwarf.

_"Ah well, let's save it fer later then."_ she said.

Behind the clutter at the east end of the hallway they found a door.  Mazi predicted that it would lead right back into the north-south corridor they came from.  After the all clear from Milo they tested the prediction.  Mazi was right, the hallway yawned to the north and south.

_"Let's check the door that was padlocked."_ Mazi suggested. _"I'm willing to wager whatever behind there is something the ghasts were keeping captive, judging from the condition of the lock."_

_"How very astute, Mazi."_ Milo said to the elf, _"I'm impressed."_

They traveled south then west to the door in question.  Milo checked the door first, making sure there were no traps in the door's lock, he checked the padlock next. 

_"With how well oiled and used these are you'd think we'd have found a key around here."_ Milo muttered as he withdrew his picks.  He was only half-serious though, he loved the challenge of the lock, especially padlocks.  They always seemed to have a little extra complexity.

One try each and two satisfying *"clicks"* later, Milo had the door open.  

_"Some days I got it."_ He said as he pocketed his tools and backed away.

They entered the room in their usual formation, Brigit and Jeremiah first with the other two following.  The room beyond the door was dank and reeked of human refuse.  About a dozen humans huddled in the corner, clothed in rags and emaciated.  Milo counted nine men chained to each other and the wall as well as two women that were unfettered.  All cowered at the light, clearly expecting a more horrific sight at the door.

_"Uhh, hullo."_ Brigit ventured.

The humans squinted at the light streaming in from the hall.  It took a few moments to sink in, but eventually they all realized that the four were much different than the captors they were used to.  

_"H-h-hel-lo?"_ said one of the men.  He had loose skin, as if he was accustomed to eating well but had lost a lot of weight. _"Ar-re you g-g-o-ing to t-t-ake us to be sac-sa-sa."_ the man couldn't seem to get the words out.

_"Sacrifice?"_ Milo finished for him, _"No no no, nothing like that.  We just found the ghasts in the other room."_

The prisoners winced collectively at the word "ghasts", Milo figured they had been treated harshly by their captors.

_"You're all free to go,"_ Mazi told them, _"Who are you?"_

The speaker introduced himself as a traveling merchant with his wife, men-at-arms, and servants.  They had been captured on the open road and taken to the temple.  

_"These must be yers then,"_ Brigit said, tossing the sack of clothes she found to the merchant.

_"Hang on, let me take care of your manacles,"_ Milo said as he moved towards the men with his lockpicks.  

The manacles were opened easily and Milo had the eleven prisoners free in moments.  Their only request was to be pointed the way out.  Rather than tell them the direct route Milo and Mazi explained how to reach the hall with the weapons and bones.  The merchant expressed his gratitude and told them that if he ever saw them again he would reward them for their liberation.  

The heroes saw the prisoners down the hall and let them go from there.  

_"I'd be surprised if they found anything here.  I think we've just about decimated this place so far."_ Milo stated.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 23 (session 10)*

Once the prisoners were out of sight the heroes returned to the first ghoul room.  There was still a door that had not been explored to the west.  The door opened into a hallway that traveled to the north for a good space before cutting to the east.  It ended with an open archway to the north.  

Beyond the arch was an enormous banquet hall.  Long trestle tables dominated the room, stretching the length with a grand table at the far end.  Many chairs were still intact but the majority were nothing more than kindling.  Tapestries lined the walls, depicting grotesque scenes and acts of war much like the others they had already found in the temple.

_"This place ended in a mighty battle."_ Brigit said in hushed tones, seemingly loath to break the silence in the hall.

Milo could see what she meant.  Skeletons of men and beasts lay all over the hall.  Only a few were complete, most had been toppled or scattered.  Rusty weapons lay near the bones, evidence of the battle.  A grand archway led out of the hall on the east wall, dead center.  A smaller passage led to the east from the other end of the hall as well.

_"Looks like they caught them at supper though."_ Milo said quietly, pointing at the fully dressed tables.  

Cheap plates and goblets were lined up along the table, broken here and there by a slumped skeleton draped over the table.  The food had long since decomposed, if there ever was any.  It was obvious that the battle took place long ago.

_"Let's check the place out, it's getting eerie just standing here."_ Milo said. _"I don't care if any of these ones come to life, better that than the ominous quiet that's settled on this place."_

Milo needn't have worried about any undead in that hall.  Their actions brought no animation to the long dead warriors.  They spread out, four abreast, and walked down the hall slowly, searching along the way for anything of note.  Since rusty weapons and old dishes were not too noteworthy, they progressed the length of the hall quickly.

The passage to the east led into a large kitchen.  A large fireplace was set in the north wall like a yawning mouth waiting for the next meal.  An intact ogre skeleton was slumped next to the fireplace, its hand still on the spit handle.  Open cupboards stood bare, long since picked over by whatever inhabitants inherited the temple after the battle.  Three doors were set in the west, south, and east walls.

Milo moved to the middle oven and peered in, thinking he saw something from a distance.  Saw something he did, a huge snake darted out from the darkness to bite him in his forearm.  Milo fell back, his vision swimming as the snake's venom coursed through his veins.  He soon recovered, his body fighting off the poison. 

Mazi reacted immediately, drawing an arrow from her quiver faster than the eye could follow.  The arrow flew straight and true, piercing the snake's scales farther down its body.  It withdrew into the oven after the first strike.  They could hear its dry slithering as it retreated up the ventilation shaft.

_"Huh, musta not liked wha' it tasted, eh Milo?"_ Brigit said.

_"Very funny.  This bite stings!"_ Milo said, rubbing his arm.

_"Are you feeling well though?  Was it venomous?"_ Mazi asked, concerned.

_"I think so, but I feel fine.  I was a little woozy when it first bit me, but I'm okay now."_ Milo answered.

They searched the rest of the room.  Milo concentrated on cupboards, leaving the other ovens to the armored ones, Brigit and Jeremiah.  They found ash, a few cracked bones, but nothing else.  The three doors led into old pantries, long since empty.  The eastern pantry had a back door that led back into the north-south hallway they started in.

_"The only thing left down here is that other intersection at the end of this passage."_ Milo said after they finished searching.  _"What about those other elementals?  I just know there's something in that room.  Why else have four earth elementals guarding it?"_

_"Hah hah, leave it up ta Milo ta sniff out tha treasure!"_ Brigit laughed.  _"Ah'm up fer another battle, they won't hit me so easy this time."_

_"How about it Mazi, Jeremiah?"_ Milo asked, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of unlocking the secret in the main chamber. _"We'll take em down one at a time!"_

_"Alright, let's do it then."_ Mazi agreed.

Jeremiah only nodded his assent.  They readied themselves for the battle, Milo casting defensive spells and Mazi readying what she had by way of offense.  The way  back to the elemental room was clear.  It appeared that they had really cleared out the inhabitants of the upper level.  

They entered the room from the curtain on the east side of the room, opposite from their previous entrance.  Brigit and Milo split from the others and stepped onto the packed earth floor of the room, remembering where the first elemental had surfaced.

As soon as they were within ten paces of the central pyramid the ground rumbled.  All three of the earth elementals rose from the ground slowly, dirt cascading down from their lumbering forms.  The southeast corner's elemental rose in-between the two groups, right where they predicted.  

Jeremiah charged forward, his sword held high, flanking the elemental between the four of them.  The next few seconds passed in a blur.  Jeremiah's sword bit into the elemental on one side while Brigit and Milo's axes carved dirt from the other.  Mazi's sword added to the melee proved to be too much for the newly formed elemental.  It crumbled to pieces as Brigit's waraxe cut through its torso.  

_"Quick, to the next one!"_ Milo said after the elemental was reduced to a pile of dirt.

All four of the heroes ran to the northeast corner where one of the two remaining elementals stood, stock-still.  As soon as Jeremiah was within ten paces the huge creature swung to life.  It's packed earth fists slammed into Jer, stopping him in his tracks.  The others arrived in seconds, Mazi in time to dodge two ruthless attacks aimed at her slender frame.

Dirt rained down on the party as they surrounded the elemental and attacked.  All four of them worked together to bring the beast down.  Despite the massive damage the heroes inflicted, the elemental had one chance to strike back before it fell.  Brigit's armor protected her from the heavy fists slamming into her.  She shook the effects off in time to see Jeremiah finish the elemental off.  Another pile of dirt decorated the floor.

_"One more!_ Mazi said.

Milo was the first to reach the other elemental, this one had moved towards the center pyramid.  Milo was afraid of what might happen if it made it to the middle.  He wasn't expecting the speed with which the elemental reacted to his presence.  Milo's body was flung to the ground as the huge fists of the elemental slammed into him.  He could feel at least one cracked rib as he tried to stand a shake off the stars that swam in his vision.

The others ran to help, Mazi lifting Milo from the ground as Brigit distracted the elemental.  The sturdy dwarf paid for the interference, the elemental slammed down on her twice.  Brigit reeled from the blows, stumbling slightly.  Milo sympathized.

By that time Jeremiah had reached them and the battle with the final elemental began in earnest.  The elemental swung at Jer once before it was surrounded, Jer dodged the blow, wary from the first one.  Each of them attacked at once, carving large chunks from the elemental with their weapons.  

The elemental seemed diminished, but was not defeated.  It's huge fists swung at Jeremiah again.  He was not fast enough to dodge the blows that time.  Both fists slammed into his midsection, sending him sprawling.  Jeremiah struggled for breath on the ground as the others moved in for the kill.  It was ultimately Milo's small handaxes that dealt the final blow, reducing the last elemental to another pile of dirt.

Jeremiah stood where he had fallen, holding his hand to his ribs.  Even with the enchanted armor he had taken a wallop.  Milo's own head was ringing from the surprise blow he had taken in the last run.  He looked to Brigit and could tell she was in worse shape than the two of them.

_"Let me take care of the wounds before we look around."_ Milo said, as he drew out his staff of healing.  _"Abercrombie!"_ he said, placing the staff to Brigit's side.

_"Ah-FITCH!"_ Brigit sneezed.

_"Okay, now that's just strange.  What's with the sneezing every time you use that thing Milo?"_ Mazi asked the halfling.

_"I don't know.  Side effect of the healing?"_ he answered, nonplussed. _"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, my father used to say.  That goes for healing staffs we find in dungeons too."_

Mazi shrugged.  She was the only one not wounded in the struggle against the elementals.  She began to look around the room, noting her inability to focus on the double doors to the north.  She instead concentrated on the pyramid while Milo healed himself and the others.

Milo joined her once he was finished, letting Brigit and Jeremiah heal the rest with the draughts they had brought from Specularum.  

_"There's a bronze box next to the column."_ said Mazi as she pointed to the large column jutting from the center of the pyramid. _"I wonder if that's what the elemental was going for?'_

_"I don't know.  Did you notice the manacles at the top of the column?"_ said Milo. _"I'm willing to bet this is where the prisoners were being sacrificed.  *Ponder Earth's Elemental Evil* and all that."_

Mazi giggled at Milo's attempt at a bass voice.  

_"I'm going to try a spell I prayed for today, I thought it might come in handy."_ Milo continued.  

The spell was similar to the magic detection cantrip he always kept ready.  This one was instead tuned to detect evil rather than magic.  He closed his eyes and completed the incantation.  Opening his eyes he saw the world in a much different light.  The room was slightly dimmer than before, as if its colors were muted.  His eyes were drawn to a bright glow in the middle of the room.  The pyramid itself shined with an otherworldly light, unholy and foul.  Brighter still was the bronze box near the central column.  It almost hurt his eyes to concentrate on it too long.  Milo swung about, concentrating on any other evil, far or near.  The only glow he found was the pyramid and the mysterious bronze container.

_"Ohkay, that box and the pyramid are definitely bad."_ Milo said with an understatement.  _"They scream evil, kinda hurts my eyes."_

_"Anything else?_ Brigit asked.  She and Jeremiah had finished and were standing next to he and Mazi.

_"Nothing else evil, let me see what's magic though."_ answered Milo.

He quickly spoke the magic detection cantrip and concentrated on the pyramid again.  The pyramid glowed with a diffuse light.  He was surprised at the strong auras he could detect beyond the pyramid and near them.  Concentrating harder he could tell that all four were underground, each at a corner of the pyramid.

_"Wow, there's some magic stuff here!"_ Milo said, his eyes lighting up again.  He had found the trove he suspected was here. _"Something is buried at each corner, a lot of glowing Mazi, you'd be impressed."_

_"Do we know what it is though?  What if what we dig up could be of an elemental evil nature?"_ Mazi asked.

_"Whatever is down there isn't evil, I would have seen it when I cast the other spell.  I'm willing to risk it, how about you?"_

Jeremiah shrugged, Brigit seemed eager.  Mazi agreed, hanging back a little from the digging in case anything else showed.  They found treasure after only two feet of digging.  The first hole revealed a wand case, a brass box with three jars of ointment, a dirt-caked rope, and a ring.  The next hole contained a morning star and twenty-eight semi-precious gems.  The third hole hid a bag of platinum pieces and a suit of chain mail.  The last digging spot covered a large bag of gold pieces and a flask.  Most of the contents glowed with magic to Milo's enhanced sight.

Brigit let out a low whistle. _"Whew, tha's some treasure!"_

_"No doubt about it.  We'll have to take a couple of days to have you identify all of this, Mazi."_ said Milo.

_"I'd say, there's enough here to keep me plenty busy."_ Mazi agreed. _"Let's check out the other two doors before we go though."_

The first door led to a room of rocks and dirt.  Pebbles and stones of every size were piled all over the room.  Great huge boulders lined the walls.  Piles of dirt were concentrated in the middle.  There was a single stone in the very center of the room.  

On a whim Milo spoke his magic detection cantrip once again.  To his surprise the stone in the center of the room flared brightly at the spell.  

_"The only thing in here that's at all magical is that center stone."_ said Milo as he pointed at the rock.

Brigit moved to the stone and bent over to pick it up.  She was empty-handed when she stood up though.  The stone didn't budge.  With a quizzical look she crouched down, got both hands under the curved sides of the stone, and heaved.  Her face turned a bright shade of red and a vein pulsed in her forehead, but the stone didn't move.

_"Uhm, Brigit?  I don't think you should try anymore."_ Mazi said. _"That's a Weighted Stone and it may be keeping something down that we don't want up."_

_"Ach, who needs tha stupid thing anyhow?"_ a very disgusted Brigit spat.

_"That, Mazi, or these are used in whatever rituals they perform to appease the 'Earthly Elemental Evil'."_ Milo finished his statement in a spooky singsong voice.

Jeremiah had been exploring the room while they examined the rock.  He found a path in-between rocks and piles of dirt that led to twelve kegs stacked in the rear of the room.  A quick examination showed the kegs to contain oil.  Since none of them had anything to store the oil in they left it be.

The back of the door had a note nailed into the wood.  The note was addressed to someone named Romag.  The basic message was to swear his oath to the Water Temple along with some rambling praises to the power of Water.  They filed the note away for future consideration.

The other room on the other side of the chamber was obviously a robing area.  One of the many wardrobes lining the walls contained brown robes adorned with triangles, certainly the mark of the earth element.  One other wardrobe had shelves of ritual components, including many dishes with different colors of dirt neatly piled on top.  There was also ceremonial wine along with pewter goblets.  On another shelf was a bone scroll case with a protection from earth elementals spell as well as a gold brooch.

_"Piles of dirt for their ceremonies?  Brigit, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"_ Milo asked the dwarf.

_"Ah think so, Milo.  Does it involve desicratin temples an' tha like?"_ Brigit asked with a grin.

_"It may, it may."_ Milo answered slyly.  _"Oops!"_ he said as he 'accidentally' tipped over one of the trays into the dirt.

_"A halflin' after me own heart!"_ Brigit crowed as she 'accidentally' dropped her axe on the shelf, upsetting the rest of the dishes and spilling most of the contents on the ground.

Mazi and Jeremiah watched on in amusement, loath to ruin their friends' fun.  Once Milo and Brigit had finished with the dirt and thrown out the robes they returned to the main chamber.  

_"What do we do with that bronze box up there?"_ Milo asked.

_"Well we're not about to stop you two now."_ Mazi responded.

_"Actually I'm more worried about what might happen if one of us sets foot on the pyramid."_ he responded.

_"Good point.  I don't know.  That box is too big for my mage hand spell to retrieve it."_ said Mazi

_"Ach, ya stand watch an' Ah'll go get it."_ Brigit exclaimed.

So they stood around, waiting for more elementals to rise up as Brigit set foot on the first step of the pyramid.  Nothing happened.  She took another ginger step, looking quite comical as she tiptoed in plate mail.  Still nothing.  She sighed and climbed the rest of the steps up to the bronze box.  Once to the top she reached out tenderly to the metal container.  Nothing happened, no rumbling of the earth, no crashing of the temple around their ears, nothing.

Brigit shrugged and opened the bronze box.  Inside were bronze ceremonial items, a knife, a bowl, a small maul, and an ewer.  Brigit tossed each one to the foot of the pyramid.  She finished by climbing onto the box and pulling down the bronze manacles from the central column and tossing them onto the pile at the base of the steps.

_"Ah know what we gotta do wi' those."_ Brigit said.  

When she reached the base of the pyramid she picked up the manacles and the ewer, walked to one of the holes, dropped them in, and started filling the hole back in.  Milo laughed at the temerity of the dwarf then pitched in to help.  By the time they were finished all four of the friends were covered in dirt and none of the accouterments were anywhere to be seen.

They left the room in good spirits, deciding to finish mapping out the earth element before starting on the next level.  They assumed it would be the element of water, and that didn't promise to be any easier than what they had already encountered.  They would all need to rest up before they tackled anything like that.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - part 22 (session 10)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> * Inscribed on the scroll was a divine spell for warding a person against evil.
> 
> "Now who leaves a protection from evil spell in an evil temple?" Milo asked rhetorically.*




Heh, heh.

Yup, that's always been a good one.......that an' why you often find scrolls of Fireballs or the like on dead mages that have been peppering you with lesser magicks.........

Hey, it's treasure, ain't it?  Who's complainin'?

I suppose you could explain your new scroll as useful by one of the evil clerical sects against another evil clerical sect......

-Nail


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## Milo Windby

*Too true, Nail*

 I always thought that was funny too Nail.  I'm sure Mazi  wishes fireball scrolls were even more common than that.  Of course we never complain about _any_ scrolls found laying around.  We _LIKE_ scrolls, honest Frog, we do.


----------



## Nail

*Character sheets?*

Say, Milo.....

Didn't ya post you an' yer buddies over at the Rogue's Gallery, er sumpin'?  I can't find 'em.  At the beginning of this thread?  (I'm too lazy to look.....;^P

If not,...well....?

Mayhap you could put 'em up at yer web site.  Make sure ta include "when" the character sheet snap-shot was taken.  Before the Earth Temple?  After the Water Temple?  Keep OTB-L?

<mutters under breath, looks at boots> Ummm......An' yer writtin's gettin' better too........

-Nail


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## Broccli_Head

Finally caught up and at such an appropriate juncture...you've finished the earth elementals and are now proceeding to the next 'level'. 

MW, you've definitely tightened up your story hours to good effect. I like the balance between the fighting and the witty dialogue, especially the verbal sparring between Brigit and Milo. 

Keep it up!


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## Milo Windby

Thanks Nail and Broccli!  Glowing praise indeed.  I'm-a workin' on it.  

Nail, we did at one time have our csheets up in the rogue's gallery, no longer.  I'll generate them for Brigit and Milo and get them up.  It'll be up to Frog and Mazi to get Jeremiah and Mazithra's posted.  Thanks for reminding me.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 24 (session 11)*

According to Mazithra's well-kept map there wasn't much they hadn't uncovered on the floor they were exploring.  One particular area that they hadn't investigated was near the first prison cells they had found, where Brigit's people had been held captive.


_"I fergot all 'bout that."_ said Brigit.

_"You were a little preoccupied with freeing your people at the time, Brigit."_ Mazi said kindly.

_"That or your memory is going, it's that ripe old dwarven age Brigit."_ Milo said, sure to be a fair distance from Brigit's gauntlet when he opened his mouth.

_"Keep yer talkin, halflin'.  I've a right mind ta-"_

_"Ah, but then who would open all the chests and doors?"_ Milo interrupted. _"You didn't seem to like that dust you sucked down in the mausoleum."_

_"Ach, mebbe we'll keep ya round a lil' while longer then, but watch yer mouth fore I have ta stuff it wi' somethin'."_ Brigit muttered as she held up an empty sack menacingly.

Mazi shook her head at the two, amused by their banter in such a dismal place.  They started towards the prison cells, only a few passages away.  The hallway they hadn't explored before ended in a stout oak door.  Milo padded quietly up to the portal and listened in.

_"Some grunting, a little bit of movement.  Probably not human, but always hostile."_ Milo whispered to the others after he returned.

_"Let's do this tha old fashioned way then!"_ Brigit exclaimed.

Gripping _Trollgrater_ she kicked in the door.  Three startled bugbears stared back at the adventurers.  They barely had the chance to look surprised before Brigit and Jeremiah were upon them.  The bugbears went down quick, two to Brigit's axe and one to Jer's greatsword.

_"That's got to be the last bit of demi-intelligence that didn't know we were here."_ Milo stated.

_"Don't be too sure, you never know what else lurks around here."_ Mazi told them.

_"Always so gloomy, elfie.  Lighten up a lil'.  What'cha find Milo?"_ Brigit said to her friends.

Milo shrugged and pointed out some watered down ale in clay mugs on the table the bugbears were sitting around.  There was a water barrel in the corner as well as a stocked freestanding pantry.  Some unburned torches were thrown to the side of the wall.  As Milo bent over to examine one he noticed something odd about the wall.  Looking closer he could see an odd seam running up the length of the wall to the ceiling.  Moments later he found the catch that released the secret door.

_"It never ceases to amaze me how many of these secret doors we find around here."_ Milo said as he triggered the catch.

The door swung open to reveal a short passage back to the prison cells.  Nothing of interest seemed to be in that direction.  They divested the bugbear guards of their valuables, only a few coins apiece, and left the room.

The other passage near the cells led to a spiral staircase leading down into the darkness.  

_"Looks sturdy enough, prolly leads down ta tha same place as tha other stairs we found."_ Brigit said in a matter-of-fact tone.

_"Yeah, let's finish up what we've missed here before we head down though."_ Milo suggested.

_"Agreed.  I don't want anything sneaking up on us from above as well as below when we get there."_ Mazi said.

They made the cautious walk to the southwest corner of the temple and the intersection they had skipped before.  The passages led both ways into rooms that mirrored each other.  Both rooms contained broken weapons and armor, nothing of use at all.  The passage they were in was also reflected on the southeast corner of Mazi's map, lending a symmetrical appearance to the floor.  

_"What about this little area here, where the floor sloped a little?"_ Milo said while he pointed at a spot to their north.

_"That passage'll lead ya down ta tha next level, I'd wager."_ said Brigit, employing her innate sense with stone work and subterranean passages.

_"Alright then, I say we go get some rest before going down to the next level."_ suggested Milo.

_"What's tha matter Milo?  All this walkin' too tirin' for ya?"_ Brigit laughed.

_"Actually I just thought we should slow down before you broke anything Brigit, you know how old bones get brittle."_ Milo retorted.

_"I'll show ya old bones ya little-"_ started Brigit.

_"Score one for the halfling, you keeping track Brigit?"_ Milo laughed.

_"Ach, don't make me toss ya agin, halflin'."_ Brigit grumbled.

_"Just giving you a hard time, no need to get physical Brigit."_ Milo held up his hands in a gesture of peace.  _"We'll call truce for tonight, eh?"_

With that the four friends exited the temple, through the west vestry this time to vary their pattern in case anyone was paying attention.  They found a suitable camp ground a half-day travel from the temple.  

_"If I'm to identify all of the things we found down there I'm going to need two or so days."_ Mazi told the others.

_"Tha's fine Mazi, Ah need ta brush up on some O me techniques anyhow."_ Brigit said.

_"We could probably all use with a little training before we head to the next level.  How about you Jeremiah, would you be okay with staying here for a little while?"_ Milo asked the barbarian.

Jeremiah looked impatient to get back to the temple and the joys of combat, but he acquiesced for the time being.  They would spend a few days camped in the woods to give Mazi time to find out what they had unearthed in the temple and to train for the next level.

The next day Mazi was able to tell the others what four of their findings were.

_"This,"_ she said as she held up the vial they found, _"is a potion of reduction.  It will make the person, or object it is sprinkled on smaller, down to half its normal size.  I don't recommend Milo using it, he's small enough as it is."_

_"You too Mazi?  What's a lonely halfling to do?"_ Milo groaned.  _"What else do we have?"_

_"This chainmail is enchanted to provide the wearer with added protection.  It's the same enchantment that's on Jeremiah's armor.  Too bad none of us wear chainmail.  It will fetch a decent price at the market though."_

_"Aye, if we ever make it ta another market."_ Brigit said.

_"The morningstar we found has a similar enchantment.  It's actually closer to the one on the dagger the merchant's wife gave us back at the Keep Milo.  Whoever uses it will find their target easier to hit and will inflict more damage than normal."_

_"Ah've already got me hammer, Jeremiah why don'tcha take this one?"_ Brigit asked her barbarian friend.

Jeremiah took the morningstar from Mazi, hefted it a little to test the weight and handling, then stowed it in his pack with a nod.

_"Lastly, this beautiful little ring here,"_ Mazi said while she held up the piece of jewelry, _"Will make its wearer a little harder to hit.  Its enchantment adds to the wearer's innate ability to dodge blows."_

_"Very nice Mazi.  Now who should we give this one to?"_ Milo wondered out loud. _"I'm already pretty good at dodging, Brigit's a walking armory, Mazi is a little easier to hit when she uses her bow, and Jeremiah's in the front of the battle all the time without a shield."_

_"Ah've no need fer tha ring, at least not as much as Mazi er Jeremiah."_ Brigit said.

_"I have to admit, a little added protection while using my bow would be nice.  I always feel a little too vulnerable when we're in close quarters.  What do you say Jer?"_ Mazi asked.

_"You wear it Mazi."_ said Jeremiah before falling silent again.

_"Thank you Jer.  We'll save the next one for you."_ said Mazi.  _"That's all I've been able to identify, I'll have more tomorrow."_

The four settled down for the night, swapping stories and retelling recent battles as they prepared to sleep.

The next day Mazi had identified three more items. _"This wand is just the opposite of the potion."_ she started. _"It will enlarge my target, up to half again as large.  Of course if we use this on Milo he'll be harder to toss-"_ Mazi left the statement hanging.

_"Hah hah hah!  Ah like tha way ya think elfie!"_ Brigit laughed.

_"I can't win.  Now I'm being double-teamed.  Ah well, what else Mazi?"_ Milo asked.

The elf smirked at Milo. _"The three jars of ointment we found in the small box are five doses each of Keoghtem's ointment."_ she said as she held up one of the pearlescent jars. _"I read about this a long time ago.  The ointment can neutralize poison, remove disease, or heal minor wounds."_

_"Very nice, all three?"_ asked Milo.

_"Not one dose.  Depending on how it is used is what effect it will have."_ Mazi clarified.

_"Considering the fact that I've got the staff, you three can split up the ointments between you."_ Milo said.

_"How very kind O' ya, Milo, don' put yerself out er anythin'."_ Brigit said as she grinned at Milo.

_"You two are merciless today!  Was it breakfast?  I made sure the bacon was nice and crispy for you Brigit."_ said the beleaguered halfling.

The only reply was Brigit's guffaw and Mazithra's slightly more refined laugh.

_"Well if you two are done then let's finish up tonight and head back in to the temple tomorrow."_ said Milo.

_"Sounds good ta me."_ said Brigit. _"Tho Ah don't think I can rightly say that Ah'm done wi' ya."_

_"I was afraid of that."_ Milo said.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 25 (session 11)*

Morning found them in the temple clearing, refreshed and ready for another foray into the depths of the evil house of worship.  They entered from the west vestry, ears tuned and eyes sharp.  The temple was as they left it, perhaps even quieter than before.

_”Shall we go for the spiral staircase?  That one intrigues me the most.”_ asked Milo.

_”One’s as good as tha other, suits me fine.”_ Brigit answered.

Jeremiah and Mazi agreed and they made the trek from south to the north end of the temple.  They were accompanied by the sound of water dripping in distant rooms and the tread of their own boots.  The quiet on the earth element floor was almost oppressive.  

The stairs led down one level but didn’t continue further.  They exited into the corner of a southwest, southeast branching passage.  The walls were much as they looked on the floor above, grey and cracked plaster.  

_”Eenie meenie minie moe, which way?”_ asked Milo.

_”Let’s go right, it worked for us before.”_ responded Mazi.

They could see the southwest passage straighten to the south and continue into a large room.  All four readied their weapons and steeled themselves for whatever lay in wait.  As they entered the room Milo scouted for traps and ambushes.  

Bones and skeletons were scattered all over the room, some intact.  Gruesome depictions of new arrivals to the temple were scrawled on the walls.  A life-size statue of a minotaur stood in the very center of the room and a single door led from the southwest corner.  Milo glanced back at Jeremiah, remembering his dream and the particular zeal he exhibited when dealing with the last minotaur they found.  Jeremiah seemed at ease though.

_”Let’s check the parameter of the room before we fiddle with the statue.  You can almost assume a statue is a trap right off.”_  Milo said.

They followed the north wall to the east wall, searching as they walked.  Midway along the east wall Mazi noticed a discoloration of the stone wall.  Looking closer she found a secret catch in the wall.

_”Milo, what do you make of this?”_ Mazi asked the halfling.

_”It’s complicated,”_ Milo said after a close examination of the trigger Mazi found. _”I think I can get it to work, hang on a second.”_

After three attempts working the complex mechanism Milo finally managed to trigger it.  A large section of the wall pivoted around a central axis.  Milo and Mazi led the way into the hall leaving Brigit and Jer to defend the rear in case the statue was a threat.

That’s when everything came crashing down around their ears.  

An empty hallway continued east while another less empty passage led south.  Four guards occupied the bunk-lined hallway along with one in the livery of a sergeant. Just as the enemies registered in Milo’s vision he was thrown to the ground, hard.  A spiked log had been dropped from the ceiling.  Mazi and Milo were both struck with glancing blows.  

Brigit took advantage of the opening and fired an arrow into the group of humans.  Mazi struggled back to her feet and finished off the guard Brigit had wounded.  Milo immediately tumbled backwards to leave room for Brigit to advance.

Before any of the guards could attack one of the sergeants in the rear pulled on a torch.  A rumbling could be heard above a barely audible cry for help.  The heroes didn’t have time to worry about the cry, especially Milo.

The statue indeed was a trap, but nothing like Milo expected.  The minotaur came to life and charged at the surprised halfling.  It had merely been painted grey and flecked to appear like a statue.  It was a very real and very angry minotaur pointing the nasty end of its horns at Milo.

The first attack crushed Milo to the floor, sending him sprawling.  His vision swam with a field of stars.  He was nimble enough to dodge the next blow on reflex alone but he knew he couldn’t stand against the minotaur without help.

Brigit reversed her direction, drew her axe, and managed to get behind the minotaur.  The beast swung its head around, knocking its horns into Brigit’s axe and wrenching it from her hands.  Brigit stooped to pick up the weapon before the minotaur could follow through.

Back at the front of the fray Mazi and Jeremiah were keeping the guards at bay.  Mazi fired off an impressive spell she hadn’t used before.  Flame spurted from her fingertips and burned three of the guards beyond recognition.  Jeremiah had worse luck, his sword clanged into the ceiling as he brought it down in a vertical swing.  He recovered the greatsword quickly but lost his opportunity to attack.

A clamor rose from the room behind the guards and Mazi could see eight more well armed men trooping into the hallway.  She reacted quickly, summoning another spell from her memory.  The now familiar gooey strands of her web spell filled the space around the new enemies, trapping all but the rear three.  Mazi brushed her hands off in satisfaction.

With the threat of the guards contained for a moment Jeremiah turned to help his friends against the minotaur.  Brigit and the beast had been trading blows while Milo backed away to heal himself.  Brigit took a nasty blow but returned it two-fold.  Jeremiah’s greatsword added to the battle was too much for the camouflaged beast.  Milo looked up to see the large monster fall dead to the ground.  

Mazi, unaware of most of the struggle behind her muttered under her breath as the sergeant approached. _”First the burning hands, then the web, now the sergeant, do I have to do everything?”_ 

Brigit answered the question with her axe, ending the threat of the sergeant before he could really begin.  Mazi moved back while Jeremiah joined the dwarf near the web.  Before they could decide what to do with the captive guards they heard more feet running their way.  Down the empty hallway three more guards charged.  

The guards couldn’t have predicted the reception they received.  A quick volley of arrows brought down the leading human while Jeremiah’s impressive sword cleaved through the other two.  The group turned their attention back to the webbed humans.

They could here shouting from behind the captives, probably the leader urging his troops forward.  Brigit and Mazi fired into the web, wounding one guard and killing another.  Jeremiah drew a vial of oil and rigged it to explode.  He tossed the firebomb into the web and watched as it exploded.  The other seven guards were caught in the blast.  The wounded guard fell but the others advanced angrily on their attackers.  

Only one of the first three guards made it to Brigit and Jeremiah’s front line.  He attacked Jeremiah, wounding him slightly and angering him more.  He was soon dispatched as well as two of the other guards by Brigit and Mazi’s arrows.  

Milo could see that there were two leaders behind the guards, urging them on.  One drew a shortbow and fired two arrows in quick succession at Jeremiah.  They missed, but barely.  Milo didn’t like the look of them.  He called upon his newfound faith in Usamigaras and cast a shield of protection on Brigit, then prepared to do the same with Jeremiah.

Brigit, Jeremiah, and Mazi finished off the remaining guards and readied themselves for the leaders.  Both were armored in leather and carried short swords.  The first one performed a surprising move, rolling forward, he tumbled past Jeremiah and Brigit.  Both struck at the opportunity to attack and wounded the rogue badly.  The other rogue cautiously approached Jeremiah, trapping him between the two.

Brigit attacked the second rogue while Jeremiah and Mazi concentrated on the tumbler.  Milo finished his second spell and touched Jer, covering him in a divine shield.  The standing rogue was able to hit Jeremiah despite the protection, wounding him badly with an expertly placed strike.

The tumbler didn’t last much longer.  Brigit switched her focus and slashed down on the crouching rogue, ending his life.  Jeremiah spun around and delivered two serious blows to the other rogue.

The crafty-eyed villain could see the tide turning against him.  He turned to run.  Only Jeremiah was close enough to get in a parting blow.  The rogue stumbled once, recovered, and continued to run.  

Milo gave chase.


----------



## Broccli_Head

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - part 25 (session 11)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> Milo gave chase. *




hahahahaha....Frog splits the party!


----------



## frog

This was the first time that I had felt that I may have gone "over the line" with the gang...after all, we are all here to kick butt and have fun,  not become the latest sacrifice to Frog's Ego.  When the minotaur sprung the ambush and whacked Milo, (if I remember correctly it was a crit also), I thought "oops, maybe this one is a bit too much for them".  The only thing that saved them was a well placed web spell and a blown tumble roll.  They made it through the last of the foes and then...

...Milo had to go and chase the guy...sheesh.

Things will get a lot harder for the crew before they get any easier.

Fear the Frog


----------



## Milo Windby

*True*

Yeah, I got bashed pretty hard by the minotaur.  One hit and I was almost dead.  

What Frog didn't tell you was my motivation for chasing after the guy.  The last few times anyone has ran from us there's always been an empty chest.  What drives adventurers more crazy than knowing that the kick-butt treasure just ran out the door?  So I chased, knowing that there'd be a big fat pot O gold at the end.  As you'll soon see, I was probably right.  Grrrr.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 26 (session 11)*

_He's a fast bugger."_ Milo thought to himself as he chased the fleeing rogue.

Milo was just as fast, even gaining on the retreating figure.  The rogue darted to the right into a doorway.  Milo followed close behind.  The room beyond was lined with beds as the hallway behind him.  A sturdy wardrobe also decorated the room.  A table littered with maps and notes sat in the middle of the room and a fire roasted food near the hearth.  Milo noticed a trickling fountain set in the wall to his left.  Two door led out of the room to his right, one had just been used.

Milo leaped to the door, tore it open, and stopped dead in his tracks.  Five very angry men looked back at the panting halfling.  Seconds later Milo was running again, in the opposite direction.  Two javelins and two crossbow quarrels chased him out of the room.  He was surprised when he made it back to the hallway, no one had followed him.

Out of breath and thankful for his life, Milo returned to his companions.

_"Four - fresh - guards - and - the - rogue."_ He puffed between breaths.

_"Ach, they know we're here, we canna take em by surprise.  They've prolly got a nice lil' ambush set up fer us in there."_ lamented Brigit.

_"Hang - on - a second."_ Milo said.  Once he caught his breath, _"Let me heal up a bit and we'll set up an ambush of our own."_ 

_"Ah like tha way ya think, Milo."_ Brigit said excitedly.  

Once Milo healed himself they retreated to the minotaur's room.  They arrayed themselves to either side of the secret door, readied their range weapons, and waited.  After a few moments they could hear sounds from the hall.  Milo heard voices and some movement, but no one peeked out of the secret door.

Time stretched one, every second seeming like minutes.  The tension built up, the aggravating wait began to gnaw at Milo.

_"Ok, here's the new plan."_ said Milo after he couldn't take it anymore.  _"I'm going to go invisible, check things out, and see what trouble I can bring back here."_

With that Milo called on Usamigaras' domain of trickery to render himself invisible.  He snuck back into the hallway, wary of any traps or tripwires.  The door to the first room was still open so inside Milo crept.  The room was empty as far as he could see.  The left-hand door, the one he had run through before, was closed.

Milo cursed mentally, unwilling to risk further attacks on his own.  Milo left the door and returned to his companions.  He told them in a disembodied voice of the lack of people and the likely ambush waiting beyond the closed door.

_"We'll jus' have ta wait here for em then."_ Brigit said.

_"Ok, I'm going to stay invisible then.  Twice the surprise!"_ Milo whispered.

Just as Milo returned to his position the door in the southwest corner of the room burst open.  Six large and vicious bugbears spilled into the room, searching for targets.

Thinking quickly, Brigit spun around, shut the secret door, and started to pound her pitons into the wall.  She soon had the door completely jammed.  The others turned to attack the new threat.

Mazi was able to fire off two shots before Jeremiah closed the distance to the bugbears.  He tore into the first bugbear with abandon, completely cutting it in two.  Milo moved next to Jeremiah and let loose a deadly knife spray, becoming visible immediately.  By then the bugbears were more than aware of the battle and most dodged the spray from Milo's fingertips.

Brigit finished spiking the door just as she heard voices and pounding from the other side, followed by shouted instructions to "go the back way".  She shouted a warning to her friends before joining them in the fray.

Now visible, Milo suffered two blows from the attacking bugbears, pushing him backwards with their force.  Jeremiah took one particularly mean slash to his leg.  The wound was just enough to push him over the edge.  Jeremiah growled in rage, his muscles bulged, and his eyes went wild.  

Just as Jer moved to attack Milo heard Mazithra shout, _"*Zaboomifoo!*"_ She had used her Wand of Enlarge!

Jeremiah grew as he bore down on the bugbears, soon he towered above them, his greatsword was the size of a tree as it came slashing down on three separate bugbears, killing two and wounding a third badly.

Milo drew his axes in preparation for more close combat.  He stood next to the towering giant Jeremiah had become.  On Jer's left Brigit fought axe to sword with another of the monsters.

The third bugbear sidled behind Brigit, dividing her attention.  It didn't get the chance to exploit its advantage, Jeremiah spun around and sliced clean through it.  His spin took him around full circle to cut down the next bugbear as well.

_"*Zaboomifoo!*"_ came from Mazi again.  This time Brigit grew.  

She was soon as tall as Jeremiah used to be.  He enlarged axe cut through the last bugbear with ease.  Sheathing her weapon, Brigit ran to the door, slammed it shut, and spiked it closed as well.  Mazi and Milo drew their bow and crossbow.  Now they had only one avenue of attack to watch.

They didn't need to watch for long, a half dozen more bugbears were soon tromping up the hall towards them.  Jeremiah charged with abandon, his greatsword sliced through three more of them before they could even enter the room.

The others fired their range weapons before the enemies could come into close quarters.  Behind the bugbears were four guards and another lieutenant or captain.  Milo loosed an exasperated sigh, they just didn't stop coming.

The bugbears charged into the room making way for the human guards.  One bugbear flanked Brigit while another attacked Mazi, wounding her slightly.  A human guard stabbed Jeremiah, finding it easy to hit him while he was in his enraged state.

The human had no time to revel in his minor victory, he was brought down next to his comrade and another of the bugbears with Jeremiah's next blinding attack.  The barbarian was in a frenzied battle haze as he relentlessly hacked away at his opponents.

Mazi took a cautious step away from the bugbear, leaving herself enough room to form an arcane shield in front of her person.  Brigit distracted her enemy after she destroyed the bugbear attacking her.

The remaining humans and bugbear mounted a weak attack before Jeremiah's rage consumed them.  Mazi felled the bugbear with a well-aimed arrow to the head.  The room fell quiet.  The four waited for another charge from the open passage, or for more pounding on the spiked doors. 

After a few moments of tense silence they allowed themselves to relax slightly.  It seemed that the attacks had stopped, for the time being.  

_"Whew, they mean business."_ said Milo with a low whistle.  He looked around the room at the bodies of the fallen.  _"Neither were we though._

_"Got that right Milo._ Brigit agreed. _"Ah like that enlarge thingy Mazi.  So this is what tha world looks like ta ya, Jeremiah."_ 

_"I thought it might come in handy.  The added strength at the very least."_ Mazi said.

_"Okay, let's take care of these bodies before we're attacked again.  Why don't you and Jeremiah stand watch near the passage while Mazi and I check the bodies?"_ Milo asked Brigit.

_"Aye, get ta work."_ replied Brigit.

Before setting about the corpses Milo drew out his Staff of Healing then used it on himself and Jeremiah.  The staff almost completely healed the wounds they had received in the last battle.

He and Mazi searched the bodies quickly, finding a good amount of coins distributed among the soldiers.  The lieutenants had slightly better gear, they divested them of the more valuable items and kept them for identification later.

_"Done here, let's un-spike the secret door and finish up in the other room."_ Milo piped up.

Still enlarged and feeling strong, Brigit and Jeremiah agreed readily.  Brigit wrenched out her pitons and they pivoted the door.  The hallway lined with bunks still had the bodies of the dead.  No ambush awaited them on the other side.  Milo and Mazi went to work again, finding the highest concentration of gear on the dead rogue.  They kept his armor, sword, cloak, and coin pouch.

While they were working Brigit was listening in on the door leading to the previously empty fountain room Milo ran through before.

_"Shhhh!"_ Brigit quieted them, _"There's some mighty heavy breathin' on tha other side 'O this door."_

_"We're done, are you two up to taking out whatever's behind this door too?"_ Milo asked.  _"I know that other rogue either knows something, or has something.  We can't let him get away."_

_"Ah said it before, yer a halflin' after me own heart, Milo."_ Brigit said quietly.


----------



## Broccli_Head

Exciting battle! How long did it last? And Jeremiah was in a rage the whole time? 

Definitely like that _enlarge_ tactic. No problems fighting in close spaces?

Just some questions to get a better image of the events.


----------



## Milo Windby

Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> *Exciting battle! How long did it last? And Jeremiah was in a rage the whole time?
> 
> Definitely like that enlarge tactic. No problems fighting in close spaces?
> 
> Just some questions to get a better image of the events. *




Broccli,
The battle was the whole session really.  I've only posted the first half so far.  That was an exhausting fight.  The funny thing is how often Frog would shake his head at our eagerness to keep fighting.  He kept muttering about how the module was designed to weaken you up with the little guys then whomp you with the big ones.  Did we care? Naahhhhh.

Jer was enlarged and enraged during the fight against all of the bugbears.  We were in a pretty big room at the time, 40X50 if I remember correctly, so not much of a problem with the size.  I don't think the enlarge lasted into the next portion of the battle.

I'm still toying with the battle descriptions.  I'm somewhere between blow-by-blow and summaries and not sure which is working better.  What do you, my readers, enjoy more?  The detailed blow-by-blow or the quick-and-dirty summaries?


----------



## Nail

*from yer reader legions.....*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> What do you, my readers, enjoy more?  The detailed blow-by-blow or the quick-and-dirty summaries? *




Well, I'm sure both of us readers...err, that is, th' vast majority of us....I mean, wit' all th' readers you've got....awww hell........  :^)

_I_ like the summaries mostly, and "round by round", so to speak.  Especially good are those "And Jer takes out three with a single swipe" -sorta lines.  (Usually there's no need to talk about which part of 'em the sword entered.....)  Tho' that leaves you, Milo, wit' a bit less ta say fer yerself.... 

...but 'cha knew I'd say all that dreck already....

-Nail

BTW, I think I've heard that enlarge wand command word before....somewhere...somewhere else......I think me daughters might also recognize it.....I mighta even cracked a smile when I read it....


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: from yer reader legions.....*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> BTW, I think I've heard that enlarge wand command word before....somewhere...somewhere else......I think me daughters might also recognize it.....I mighta even cracked a smile when I read it.... *




 Ask Frog about that.  Here's an example:

Milo: So what's the command word for the wand?

Frog: Hmmm, I don't know, uh, zaboomifoo.

Milo: Riiiiiiight.

It's pretty funny to watch Frog come up with those things on the fly.  

Oh, and thanks for the reply to my question.  I know you've already contributed but a little update never hurts.  We'll see how things progress from here.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 27 (session 11)*

Brigit's steel-clad foot making contact with the wooden door broke the quiet.  The heavy planks swung back on their hinges to reveal a room full of growling, snarling, and drooling enemies.  A huge ogre stood in the doorway before Brigit and Jeremiah.  A dozen bugbears, a couple of gnolls, the rogue, and a man dressed in priestly robes were in the room beyond.

Brigit attacked immediately, counting on Jeremiah to back her up.  Unfortunately the priest was waiting for them.  They couldn't hear him casting, but the effects were readily apparent.  Jeremiah stiffened, his eyes glazed over, then he toppled backwards, frozen in mid-swing.

Milo struggled with the prone form of his friend, trying to drag him away from the range of the ogre.  The huge beast was busy with the dwarf and something Mazi had conjured up.  The willowy elf had cast a spell that summoned up a swarm of the subterranean temple's inhabitants to harass the ogre.  Rats of all sizes scurried across its massive feet, nibbled on its massive toes, and crawled up its massive legs.  

The ogre roared and stepped forward out of the swarm, taking a mass of tiny wounds from the rats in the process.  This left a single narrow space for the bugbears to advance in, stemming the tide of monsters that threatened to overrun the heroes.

Brigit finished off the ogre with two quick attacks from her waraxe, then taunted the waiting bugbears, tempting them to charge into the space occupied by the squirming mass of rats.  Instead they began jostling each other to get through the small space between the wall and the swarm.

Mazi could feel the priest's presence, pushing on her concentration.  Her spell held but she could see the priest's own spell fizzle away.  He failed to dispel her swarm of rats.  

Milo moved into the space formerly occupied by his large barbarian friend and drew his axes, ready for the melee.  The three standing heroes were now in a reverse "L" formation with Mazi's swarm directly in front of Brigit.  This formed a small pocket in which the bugbears would drop into that all three of the heroes could attack.  Unfortunately this left Mazi exposed to an attack from the latest bugbear.  Her concentration was broken with the wound but she told them the swarm would last for a few more moments.

Brigit cleaved through another gnoll before freezing for a split second.  Milo could see a frightened look pass over her face momentarily.  Brigit's icy resolve took over and she continued to fight, but Milo could tell she was struggling now.  He recognized the evil effect of another of the priest's spells.

Two more bugbears moved through the gap and attacked.  Mazi took another blow while preparing to cast a different spell.  She carried on valiantly while Milo tried to distract the monster.  Brigit fielded a minor wound as well, shrugging off its effects but still struggling with the priest's spell.

Just then a brilliant idea hit Milo.  He had the perfect way to disable the priest and he knew it was something that couldn't be countered easily.  He hurriedly reached for his scrolls.

Brigit was slowly taking her toll on the bugbears, taking one out at a time.  Milo glanced up to see the priest cast another spell, he held his breath in anticipation.  After a few seconds he recognized that the priest was casting a protection spell on himself, a protection against good of all things!  Milo let out his breath and grinned evilly.  He found his scroll and cast the spell scribed upon it.

A sudden unnatural silence fell on the room.  The snarling and growling of the bugbears could only be heard from the ones in the short hallway occupied by Mazi's swarm.  Milo laughed and pointed at the furious priest.  The robed human was opening and closing his mouth as if to speak, but no words could be heard.  Milo had finally found a use for the silence spell they had found in the cursed caves.

Milo's attention was soon drawn to the battle at hand as he felt the sting of the bugbear's sword.  He bounded to the left to dodge another blow.  From his new angle he noticed the rogue sneak out of the room through door he hadn't explored earlier.  An arrow whistled by from Mazi's bow as she tried to take out the bugbears before they could attack en masse.

He focused once again on the bugbear and attacked, between he and Brigit the bugbear joined its fallen ilk on the floor.  

_"Do I have to do everything today?"_ Milo heard Mazi say with a slight grin.  She started to chant another spell.  Suddenly a blast of heat washed over them as a flaming sphere appeared in the short hallway.  The ball of fire slowly began to roll forward, directly into the first bugbear to step in its path.  The bugbear screamed in pain as its flesh was seared.  Mazi's face was a mask of concentration.

Milo finished off the burned bugbear with his axes.  He then noticed that the priest had left the room as well.  He wasn't surprised, it's hard to cast many spells when you can't make a sound.  He grinned evilly again.  Milo heard a low growl from behind him, it appeared that Jeremiah had come to and wasn't all that happy.

Just then Mazi's swarm of rats dispersed, disappearing into the cracks and nooks they emerged from.  The bugbears swooped into the now empty space and attack the three adventurers.  Milo dodged a blow by tumbling backwards, leaving room for Jeremiah to enter the battle.  Brigit and Mazi were able to avoid the blows from their attackers as well.  

Mazi directed her sphere into another one of the bugbears, the acrid smell of burnt fur and flesh filled the room.  Jeremiah jumped into the fight, slashing his greatsword at the bugbears in the tight confines of the hallway.  He traded blows with one particularly ugly and large bugbear that hadn't felt the flames of Mazi's spell.

The rest of the bugbears and the two gnolls fled the room through the doorway Milo had gone through before.  _"Cowards!"_ Milo shouted after them.

Brigit, Mazi, and Jeremiah took out the last four bugbears that remained.  Mazi's sphere burned into the last bugbear, dropping him as it fizzled out of existence.

_"After the rogue!  Let's take him out before we go after the priest!"_ Milo shouted.

The four heroes climbed past the bodies of the bugbears and ogre and ran into the room the rogue entered.  Their running footsteps didn't make a sound as soon as they passed the hallway.

The room was empty of occupants.  More disconcerting was the lack of another apparent exit.  It was a small room, a rug and a table sat in the middle.  On the table was exactly what Milo was afraid of, an empty chest.  

He cursed under his breath, _"It's always the cowards that get away with the treasure."_

An ewer and a cup sat beside the chest, but nothing of value could be found in the room.  Convinced that the rogue had used some sort of secret exit, Milo set about searching the room thoroughly.  He knew the time he took allowed their enemies to flee farther and possibly elude them altogether, but he was set on finding the rogue and taking him down.  

All four of them set about searching for another exit, but no one could find anything.  The walls were just as they appeared, walls.  Milo cursed again.  He concentrated for a moment then spoke his magic detection cantrip.  Nothing in the room showed magic, but to his surprise the gear they took from the other rogue glowed with enchantments, even his coinpurse.  Milo filed that away for future consideration.

_"Let's check the other door, maybe we can still catch the rest of the group."_ Mazi suggested.

The other room was empty as well.  It appeared to be a small bedroom of sorts.  A bed was pushed up against the left-hand wall and a small table was set next to it.  They left the room for later and charged through the door on the other side.

The next room was a bit larger, but no less empty of inhabitants.  An alcove was set in the wall to the north and another door led to the south.  It was closed, which prompted them to be cautious.

It was Milo who broke the silence, _"Since when has the threat of certain ambush stopped us before?  Let's go."_

Brigit grinned and barged through the door.  A passage led to the east, jagged to the south, then led to the east again.  The passage emptied into a huge hall, stretching to the east.  The obligatory skeletons and bones were scattered all over.  Torn and frayed tapestries depicting unholy acts and battle scenes adorned the walls.  Grisly war trophies and weapons laid all about as well.  Long tables were set down the hall, indicating the room's purpose as a banquet hall.

Once again they were disappointed in their search for the fleeing monsters and humans.  There were many exits from the room, too many to search quickly.  Milo stood next to one close by, leading to the south.  He could hear noises echoing from a far distance, but nothing that he could make out as fleeing feet or preparations for another attack. 

Disappointed, he turned to his companions, _"I think they've lost us."_

_"Aye, Ah'm sorry Milo.  Ah know ya wanted ta catch tha priest an' tha rogue, but Ah don' think we're gonna find em this way."_ Brigit said.

_"I think you're right Brigit.  Let's go back and check the rooms we skipped."_ Milo agreed dishearteningly.

The room with the alcove had some broken furniture, an intact table, and nothing of value.

_"If there was anything in here, they took it as the fled.  Cowards."_ said Milo.

The small bedroom leading into the alcove room was similarly picked over.  The only room with anything to speak of was the one they had fought in.  By the time they returned Milo's silence spell had worn off.  He set about searching the room, especially the fountain, for any secrets.  

Milo found beer in the mugs on the table, old clothes in a wardrobe in the corner, and useless maps and notes scattered about, but nothing of value.  The others had found a green drape on the ogre as well as three silver hairpins set with pearls in its ratty hair.  The other corpses carried some coins but not much else.

_"I'll take the hairpins!"_ spoke Mazi.

_"But they were in that thing's ha-"_ Milo began.

_"They'll wash!"_ Mazi said quickly, cutting Milo off.

Milo grinned and shrugged, _"Ever the practical one, Mazi."_

_"Let's check tha other side 'O that secret passage."_ Brigit said, _"Mebbe they weren't able ta clean that out."_

They returned to the passage that started the long battle and peered down the eastern branch.  The hallway turned to the left then to the right again before ending in a blank wall.  A door was set to the east.

The door was barred on their side and had an opening set at eye level for a human.  Jeremiah peered in but the other side was covered with a heavy curtain.

_"Not another medusa, do ya suppose?'_ Brigit asked, not eager for a repeat of her last encounter with one of the snake-haired monsters.

_"We'll just be extra careful if it is, this time."_ said Mazi.

Brigit's worries were laid to rest as they saw what lay beyond the door.  The room was stacked with old furniture, wall hangings, and rugs.  Another door led from the other side of the room, into the other hallway from the spiral staircase according to Mazi's map.  There were a few wardrobes full of various types of clothing.  Everything from lordly robes to street urchin's rags could be found in the wardrobes.

_"Now why do you think this would be here?"_ Milo asked.

_"I can only think of one thing,"_ responded Mazi.

_"Aye, me too."_ Brigit said.

_"Disguises!"_ all three of them said together.

_"I'm feeling a bit vindictive,"_ Milo said after a few moments.  _"Shall we leave our cowardly friends with a parting gift?"_

_"What do ya have in mind Milo?"_ asked Brigit.

_"Well it involves a healthy amount of flames and a lot of smoke."_ Milo's lips curved up into a mischievous grin.

_"Milo!"_ Mazi said in a shocked tone, _"You wouldn't!"_

_"Watch me,"_ he answered.

Milo had a makeshift firebomb constructed out of his lantern oil in seconds.  The others were waiting outside the far door as Milo lobbed the bomb directly into one of the wardrobes.  The old wood burst into flames, which were soon spread to the furniture stacked next to it.  Milo left the room while brushing off his hands.

_"Well, shall we go?_ he asked nonchalantly.


----------



## Rel

*Re: Re: from yer reader legions.....*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Ask Frog about that.  Here's an example:
> 
> Milo: So what's the command word for the wand?
> 
> Frog: Hmmm, I don't know, uh, zaboomifoo.
> 
> Milo: Riiiiiiight.
> 
> *




I just wanted to mention that I'll be stealing the word "zaboomifoo".  Not for my D&D game (my players would think that was silly) but for my 7 month old daughter.  She thinks that the word "zaboo" and all words that sound vaguely like "zaboo" are an absolute scream.  "Zaboomifoo" might drive her right off the giggle chart.


----------



## Broccli_Head

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - part 27 (session 11)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *"If there was anything in here, they took it as the fled.  Cowards." said Milo.
> 
> *




No, the bad guys are finally playing like PCs. Run when the going gets tough to live and fight another day!

Way to go Frog! I'm glad you are not letting all the adversaries through their lives uselessly into the meat-grinder (Jeremiah and Brigit!)


----------



## Nail

*Re: Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - part 27 (session 11)*



			
				Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> *Way to go Frog! I'm glad you are not letting all the adversaries through their lives uselessly into the meat-grinder (Jeremiah and Brigit!) *




Alright....the DM gets advice, time fer some PC advice: At the beginin' of combat, yer primary focus should be on th' leaders and spell-casters.  Make sure Mazi an' Brigit know that.  Let Jer work on the masses o' underlings...assuming he can handle 'em....an' you, Mazi, an' Brigit get those missile weapons/spells/flaming oils a-workin' on the spell casters.   Maybe even figger a way er two ta close the distance an' melee wit' 'em.  When they fall down or flee, suggest to yer dear ole DM that a morale check of some kind er another might be in order.....

If you, Mazi, an' Brigit have a "readied action" when Jer boots th' door.....well, the leaders could be in a world o' hurt....fast.

-Nail

Broc: What's wit' th' Rule #1 Violation, eh?   :^P


----------



## Milo Windby

Broccli,

I agree that some NPC's should play as smart as PC's.  One look at the lethal tactics of the kobolds in Rel's campaign can see how well that's worked for them.  
Milo's (read: mine) main complaint about this last fight was the fact that the room was still half full of bugbears and gnolls, a wicked rogue, and a spell-casting evil priest.  Granted, the silence spell puts a hamper on spell casting, but that's when they retreat out of the silence range and set up another ambush...which we would have run head first into.  Anyway, I hope you see where the PCs were coming from here.

Nail,

That's three readers!  Count em, three.  I'm movin' up in the world.  
I agree we need to get together on our tactics and priorities.  That priest took Jer out for five rounds.  I'm pretty sure Mazi just took a level in wizard (been a couple of weeks) so our range spells just got a whole lot meaner (fireball or lightning bolt anyone?)  Good point on the readied action bit.  We'll have to see what Frog says about that.

I've got one more session to write then we're up to date.  Mazi recently gave birth to a junior Frog, so we're still up in the air about the next play session.  With as bad as I procrastinate we'll have played by the time I get caught up with the current state of affairs.


----------



## frog

> Milo's (read: mine) main complaint about this last fight was the fact that the room was still half full of bugbears and gnolls, a wicked rogue, and a spell-casting evil priest. Granted, the silence spell puts a hamper on spell casting, but that's when they retreat out of the silence range and set up another ambush...which we would have run head first into.




Ok...now you have upset the FROG.  

Milo, what none of you (the group) realize is that there are about 15 to 20 different plot threads behind the scenes affecting what happens to you and what reaction your incursions provoke.  Each of these people that you are so gallantly slaying has a background story and a REASON for doing what they are doing.  It may not be clear now...but there is always a REASON for it and a good one at that.  So far you have been seen as a minor thorn in one groups side...and some of them even feel that you have done them a favor by defeating/damaging their challengers to power.  For those of you who are reading this story hour and who have the original ToEE from which this is taken...go back in and read the section on the factions of the Temple and how they "play" together.  You will then understand why their reactions are the way that they are.  

If you REALLY want me to I could post the whole thing here for the world to see...but I think that it would be detrimental to the enjoyment of all to have that happen.  You must trust the FROG Milo...everything will be ok.  

Having said that, the gang has seriously angered some of the Higher Ups in charge of things.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

*Fear the Frog* for he does not and WILL NOT change the rolls of the dice to keep impulsive players from meeting their fate.


----------



## Broccli_Head

*special quote*



			
				frog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Fear the Frog for he does not and WILL NOT change the rolls of the dice to keep impulsive players from meeting their fate. *




I love that quote.   Can I use it also?


----------



## frog

> "If there was anything in here, they took it as the fled. Cowards." said Milo.




And just for the record...Milo was extremely lucky that the thief who had slipped into the room and imbibed the potion of *INVISIBILITY* that was there after taking the goods didn't stick around and backstab his little butt into the afterlife at this juncture.   

See Milo...there are plots within plots...just wait 'til I get you to the next level...relying on your unaided sight there will just get you into a world of hurt.

That is all the hints for today.  Mazi has recovered from the flu, Jeremiah has also recovered from the flu, Frog has recovered now from the flu, and baby frog never got the flu but he does have an icky eye that he goes in tomorrow to have looked at.  My work schedule is back to "normal" so we have our Mondays back to  play again.  My promotion just went through and I can now afford more "toys" (gaming books) with which to torture the intrepid adventurers.  

All told it has been a good week for me.  My sympathies to those at WotC who have not had such good fortune.


----------



## Milo Windby

frog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Ok...now you have upset the FROG.  *




Well, now that I've got the Frog's fires burnin', any bets on the PC's mortality rate in the coming sessions?



> *Milo, what none of you (the group) realize is that there are about 15 to 20 different plot threads behind the scenes affecting what happens to you and what reaction your incursions provoke.  *




Right, as Frog says none of us (the group) realize this, which is why to us every time one of the 'players' of the story run away they're nothing but simpering cowards and will remain such unless they prove otherwise, whether that's an invisible backstab or something else is completely up to the Frog.



> *Having said that, the gang has seriously angered some of the Higher Ups in charge of things.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
> 
> Fear the Frog for he does not and WILL NOT change the rolls of the dice to keep impulsive players from meeting their fate. *




You know Frog, we don't mind that at all.  Jeremiah did earn the nickname 'Giant Killer' fair and square after one of those un-changed rolls of the dice. (soon to be seen in a story hour near you!) The good comes with the bad, we'll take it all and roll with the punches.


----------



## frog

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> 
> You know Frog, we don't mind that at all.  Jeremiah did earn the nickname 'Giant Killer' fair and square after one of those un-changed rolls of the dice. (soon to be seen in a story hour near you!) The good comes with the bad, we'll take it all and roll with the punches. *




Frog mutters something about "obscenely improbable dice rolls" and goes back to converting more of the dungeon...


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

frog said:
			
		

> *Fear the Frog for he does not and WILL NOT change the rolls of the dice to keep impulsive players from meeting their fate. *




With Hack (myself) and Slash (Jeremiah) it's a good thing you don't change the rolls.  After all, Jer's rolls boggle the mind.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 28 (session 12)*

Mazithra needed two days to identify the items they had found in their latest foray into the temple.  The others decided to use the hiatus to train.  The days went by quickly, each of them lost in their own training.  They discussed their plans at night before bedding down.  

Mazi would also share her findings of the day with them as well.  The leather armor they had lifted from the rogue's body turned out to be enchanted much as Jeremiah's full plate.  Milo lamented at the lack of protection the armor would give him compared to his heavier chain.  Brigit stowed the leather in her pack for later use.  The rogue's long sword had an even stronger enchantment placed on it.  Mazi hefted the blade and swung it about gracefully, commenting on its weight and ease of use.  They all decided she would be the best suited to carry the blade, sheathing _Sylvanglade_ for special occasions.

The next night Mazi showed them the other two items.  The cloak the rogue wore was a cloak of protection.  It's wearer would move faster, his will would be strengthened, and his health bolstered.  Jeremiah, who had always wanted a good cloak, was happy to receive the magical raiment.  The last object was the rogue's coin pouch.  It turned out to be a minor bag of holding.  Milo's eyes lit up at the mention of the bag's properties.  It was able to hold much more than its total size and also rendered its contents a fraction of the weight.  

_"I've *got* to have that bag.  Pretty please?"_ Milo said. _"I'd be able to move much faster with a lighter load.  I'd dodge more often and that means more healing for you, my dear, good friends."_

Mazi and Brigit laughed aloud at his pitiful display.  Mazi tossed the bag to Milo whom immediately started stuffing in his belongings.  He had a gleeful grin plastered on his face, reminding both of them of a little boy with a new toy.

The next morning they set out for the temple.  The familiar grounds soon met their gaze and they continued into the rear foyer cautiously.  They descended through the opposite vestry, still fearing to establish a pattern that would welcome ambush.  Travelling through the deserted halls carefully, Milo spotted an amorphous shape slumping down a long hallway towards them.

_"We've got company, some kind of slimy ooze."_ Milo whispered back to his companions.

Mazi readied one of the magical arrows she found in the caves.  Her arrow flew straight, slicing into the ochre jelly right down the middle.  The party looked on in dismay as the slime parted down the cut, forming into two separate entities.  Both new jellies oozed towards them.  

Milo, thinking fast, summoned a spell to mind that Usamigaras granted him during his meditations.  A searing light poured from his hands after he finished his incantations.  The light slammed into the ooze on the left as if it were a solid wall of force.  The jelly seemed to thin a bit and sizzle at the contact.

_"Fine,"_ Brigit growled, _" We'll see how ya like dwarven steel!"_ 

_"Brigit, no!"_ Milo cried, _"Not with your axe!"_

He was too late, Brigit's _Trollgrater_ sliced down into the ooze Milo damaged, splitting it straight through the middle.  Once again the jelly separated in two and squelched forward.  

Jeremiah, displaying amazing reservation, finally acted.  He rigged a flask of oil into a firebomb and tossed the makeshift weapon at the nearest slime.  The oil exploded on impact, spreading flames across the top of the ooze.  It sizzled and thinned as the one Milo wounded earlier.  Jer quickly worked another oil flask into a firebomb and threw that one as well, wounding the ooze further.

_"I think he's got it"_ Mazi shouted, _"Use fire!"_ 

She relaxed into a spell casting position and chanted an incantation.  Suddenly a great ball of fire sprouted into existence and slowly rolled into one of the ochre jellies.  The acrid smell of ozone and burning muck filled the cavern as more of the slime sizzled away.

Milo fashioned a firebomb, following Jer's example, and lobbed it at the same ooze.  The membrane seemed about to burst as the smoke cleared.  

Brigit swapped out her waraxe for her hefty warhammer. _"Don' like me axe? Try me hammer instead!"_

The heavy steel head crashed down on the slime Jer and Milo had weakened.  Its shape conformed itself to the bottom of the head, sliding out from under it.  It did not return to its original shape after she withdrew, but continued to pull apart.  Two more jellies confronted the party in seconds.

Three of the four oozes formed slimy tentacles to reach out towards Brigit.  She deflected the slimy muck with her shield, keeping her weapon far from them.  Mazi leapt away from the fourth ooze, concentrating hard on keeping her sphere rolling.

_"Put the weapons away!  We've got to use fire."_ Milo said, _"Any of those handy alchemist's fire left?"_ 

As he was talking Milo was fashioning another firebomb.  He tossed it into the split jelly and watched in satisfaction as it broke, spilling its inner liquid to the floor.  Mazithra rolled her sphere into the ooze that attacked her, also breaking its membrane.  Two slimes were left both groping at Brigit.

Brigit broke out her last alchemist's fire and tossed it towards the middle ooze.  The damage from the fire overcame the ooze, splitting it open like the others.

Mazi's sphere rolled into the last ooze, sizzling into its membrane.  The thick skin held and it pressed its attack on Brigit.  One of its slimy tendrils made contact with her arm and she flinched back violently.  They could hear Brigit's armor sizzle from the acid in the jelly's tendril.  Her flinch saved her from a fierce grip the slime almost completed.

Brigit stepped back to throw her own makeshift firebomb at the final ooze.  Her good arm was wounded though, the oil fell from her grasp on the back swing and smashed into Jeremiah.  Flaming oil splashed on all of the combatants, dealing minor damage.  Brigit swore as she patted out the flames.

Distracted by the fire, she was wounded again by the ooze.  The acid stung her through the armor and she pulled away again.  This time she was able to toss her firebomb in the ooze's general direction, but only a splash of oil made contact.  Mazi's sphere rolled into the ooze one last time before fizzling to nothing.  The slime was intact though, and made to attack Brigit again.

Mazithra pulled out an oil flask as soon as her sphere disappeared.  Her aim was true and the oil spread over the surface of the jelly before its membrane exploded and slime washed over the ground.

_"Ok, note for the future,"_ said Milo after they had a few seconds to regroup, _"Weapons and ooze do *not* mix."_

_"Aye, fargin' slime.  Ah'll hafta stock up on more 'O them firebombs now."_ Brigit grumbled.

It seemed the party's supply of oil and alchemist's fire was dangerously low.  They hoped that no more slimes patrolled the halls.

A burnt smell reached their nostrils as they drew closer to the spiral staircase leading to the next level.  The stairs were unguarded so they descended.  The walls were sooty, gradually thickening as they rose to meet the now black ceiling.  Milo grinned.

The lower passages were empty.  They could see where the fire had spread from the disguise room out into the hallway.  There were charred remains of a door lying in the hall.  

_"I wonder if we have their attention yet?"_ asked Milo.

_"For good or ill, I think we do."_ answered Mazi.

Following the passage past the ruined door they could see a four-way intersection.  The soot petered out towards the branching passages.  They chose left.  Heading north they could see a door to the right and the hallway turning left.

_"Let's check the door out first, we don't want anything sneaking up behind us while we're exploring what's around the bend."_ suggested Mazi.

Since the door was set facing the passage after the bend they could see a few feet down the hall.  Some sort of open chamber lay ahead in that direction.  Milo turned to face the door and found it sealed with a well-oiled padlock.  Milo rubbed his hands and pulled out his picks.  

The lock fell quickly from the chains securing the door, amounting to no great challenge for the experienced halfling.  Inside the well sized room were a large amount of weapons and armor.  Armor and shields were hung from the walls while swords, spears, and other basic weapons were lined up in racks.  Huge hampers were full of gear and travelling goods.  

_"Supply room?"_ asked Milo.

_"Looks ta be."_ Brigit said, _"We shoulda burned thisun instead 'O tha room 'O junk."_

_"Yeah, but you gotta admit, that was fun."_ Milo said with a gleam to his eye.

_"I thought the wizards were supposed to be the pyromaniacs, Milo."_ grinned Mazi.

As they were searching the room Milo cast his magic detection cantrip.  He was disappointed to find that none of the gear or weaponry glowed at all.  Just then Milo heard the stomping of great feet from the hallway.  All four friends turned to see four huge ogres tromp through the door, each hefting a mighty club.

The battle was joined immediately.  As soon as the two forces clashed an ogre in the rear sounded a horn he pulled from his belt.  The sound echoed through the cavernous hallways.  Milo worried.

_"Reinforcements?  But they just got here!"_ Milo shouted.

Only two ogres could attack the group at a time, so the four split into two groups.  Milo slashed at the ogre Jeremiah cut into while Mazi fired her bow at the ogre Brigit was hacking away.  The ogres fought feircely, both landing a heavy blow on Jer and Brigit.

Jeremiah, dizzied from the blow, slashed ineffectively at the ogre.  he lost control of his sword and stumbled to catch the weapon.  Milo tumbled in to assist his friend, drawing a heavy blow from the ogre himself.  Brigit hacked at her enemy twice, bringing the first ogre down.  She was unable to draw the next ogre's attention away from the awkward actions of Jeremiah who took another blow while recovering his weapon.

Once again the horn sounded from behind the first two ogres. 

_"Will someone shut tha bloody thing up?"_ Brigit shouted as she reached for her second axe, abandoning her shield.

Jeremiah recovered his sword and drove it point-first into the belly of his enemy.  He snapped the blade out and slashed at the other ogre as Milo did the same.  Brigit performed a vicious two-handed attack, burying the axes into its chest then ripping them outwards. 

The last ogre continued to blow on its horn, retreating as it did so.  As soon as it reached the doorway it fled, blaring its loud tone as it ran.

_"Coward!"_ Milo shouted after the ogre.  Then to the others, _"We should be ready for whatever that horn has summoned."_

Seconds later they felt rather than heard what the horn summoned.  A great thumping could be felt under their feet.  Thump...thump...thump.  Brigit gave a startled exclamation as _Trollgrater_ started to hum.  Thump...THUMP...THUMP.  Whatever was making the vibrations was drawing near.  The four companions exchanged glances full of confusion and a tinge of fear.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!  A huge shape filled the doorway, towering above it.  Brigit's axe hummed louder.  The shape bent forward, revealing a huge misshapen humanoid head with a toothy grimace.  

_"A giant!"_ Milo lamented.

The giant crouched down to enter the room, a mammoth maul clutched in one hand.  It's mouth cracked wide in a menacing grin.  

_"Surrender or die!"_ Milo was surprised to hear the words come not from the giant, but from Jeremiah!

The only response from the giant was a widening of its toothy grin.  Apparently Jeremiah took offense.  Jer charged the giant, before he reached the huge humanoid it swung its massive maul in a crushing blow.  Jer's magic armor absorbed some of the shock and he continued his charge.  In an amazing maneuver Jer cut deep into the giant twice, opening a gash in its belly and its chest.

_"*Surrender or die!*"_ he repeated.

The staggered from the wounds and roared inarticulately.  Brigit moved in to help Jer, scoring her own blow on one of its trunk-like legs.  Mazi decided to give the two as much of an advantage as possible, she summoned a celestial badger just on the other side of the giant.  The badge nipped at its heels, drawing its attention for a split second.

Milo stole the opportunity to cast a strengthening spell on Brigit, imparting the power of the bull on the dwarf.  The giant's attention was freed as an unkown force slammed into the badger.  The summoned creature nearly exploded from what hit it.  None of them could see what had attacked the hapless celestial.

_"*SURRENDER OR DIE!*"_ Jeremiah shouted at the giant.

It roared again and swatted at Brigit with a backhanded blow from its maul before shifting towards Jeremiah.  Jer shook his head sadly and plunged his sword deep into the giant's belly, drawing a deep scream from the huge creature.  Brigit put it out of its misery with one final chop of _Trollgrater_.

Brigit's axe was glowing slightly and humming louder than ever.  Figuring there was still some sort of threat still present, Milo healed Brigit with his most powerful spell.  No sooner had Milo finished when two green-skinned humanoids lumbered into the room with the horn-blowing ogre trailing behind.

_Trollgrater_ burst into flames, lighting the room in an otherworldly fire.  The trolls hissed at the light, perhaps recognizing an old foe.  Brigit's teeth gleamed in the fire cast from her axe.

_"Oh aye!  This is how it's meant ta be!"_ she exclaimed as she attacked the trolls with abandon.

Her first attack was explosive.  The blade sliced into the troll like a hot knife through butter.  Once it reached mid-troll the fire flared into an intense heat, bursting through the troll.  The hissing creature completely exploded, a testament to [I[Trollgrater's[/I] true power.  

Jeremiah left the trolls to Brigit and attacked the recalcitrant ogre.  Displaying another feat of impressive strength Jer cleaved straight through the ogre on his second attack, slicing the monster in two.

Brigit advanced on the lone troll with her axe raised.  The creature hissed at her and attacked desperately.  Brigit shook off the attack from the troll's claws and brought her axe down. The troll's skin parted and peeled back from the flaming axe-head.  The troll withered before their eyes as it died.

_"I love this axe!"_ Brigit crowed.


----------



## Milo Windby

I think it's worth noting the amount of confirmed criticals in that last battle.  Jeremiah Giant-Killer had three criticals in a row against that giant.  Three...in...a...row.  The feared giant (don't know what race) lasted a whopping two rounds against our dreaded barbarian.  Frog was boggled.

That alone is worth mentioning, but that's not where it ends.  Brigit's first attack against the trolls was also a confirmed critical, with _Trollgrater_ acting as a flaming burst dwarven waraxe against trollkin it amounted to a whopping 79 points of damage!  Needless to say there were only a few bits and pieces of the troll to clean up.

To top it all off, Jeremiah let loose with one more critical at the end of the fight against the ogre.

The grumbling of the FROG could be heard all across the Potomac that day my friends.


----------



## Nail

*The...errr....Frog is mad!*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *I think it's worth noting the amount of confirmed criticals in that last battle.  Jeremiah Giant-Killer had three criticals in a row against that giant.  Three...in...a...row.  The feared giant (don't know what race) lasted a whopping two rounds against our dreaded barbarian.  Frog was boggled.*




Good shot, Jer!  We're all cheerin' fer ya!

An' Milo, if I were you....I'd keep a close eye on yer friend's health, an' how many o' them cure spells you've got left.....wit' th' Frog lookin' fer vengence...an' now up ta full strength (flu-free)... yer likely ta see more "challanges" than yer used to.

Oh, one more thing:  You _do_ know how probability works, right?  You've jus' rolled a spat of crits....an' the DM rolls dice more often than you do....so it's pretty likely a spat (er should I say "splat"?) of crits is headin' yer way.  *Pray* they're not saved fer the climactic battle, Milo.  Pray.

-Nail


----------



## frog

> The grumbling of the FROG could be heard all across the Potomac that day my friends.




To set the record straight, I am not out to kill the players.  Nor their characters  

The only time I "grumble" is when I feel that the luck of the dice have made it so an encounter is "less than" what it was originally intended.  Having said that, almost this entire session was taken up by encounters with patrols that had been set up in case of another party incursion.  Yep, that's right, these weren't even the "real" bad guys.

One enjoyable thing about that session was watching Jeremiah's player (a 6 year old boy), sit in his chair and with deadly seriousness say "you'd better give up or I will kill you giant."  He gave him 2 warnings and then completely wiped the floor with a Hill Giant.  And to think that he is using the dice that Mazi gave up because all she could roll were a bunch of "1's".


----------



## Nail

frog said:
			
		

> * To set the record straight, I am not out to kill the players.  Nor their characters  *




*What!*  An' you call yerself a DM?!  Eeesh.....   ;^)



> * One enjoyable thing about that session was watching Jeremiah's player (a 6 year old boy), sit in his chair and with deadly seriousness say "you'd better give up or I will kill you giant."  He gave him 2 warnings and then completely wiped the floor with a Hill Giant.  *




Heh, heh...reminds me o' my youngin's.....th' younger they are, th' more serious they can get wit' their threats.

.....but tell me, Frog: What d'ya think a 6 year old blood-thirsty barbarian would do with a captured Hill Giant?  Teach 'im tricks?  Jus' be happy ye didn't have the giant surrender.........

-Nail


----------



## frog

> Jus' be happy ye didn't have the giant surrender.........




Oh now you have GOT to be kidding me...SURRENDER???
Any "surrender" that is to be done is done with a long term (read "evil DM") plot in mind.

Milo had a dentist appointment today and we had cable installers over all day long doing cable tv and modem installation in our new apt. so not a lot of new stuff happening today.  Never fear tho, I have plenty of plotting goodness that will show up in our next session (assuming we have another session, with the way the last 3 weeks have gone).


----------



## Rel

Just checking in to give kudos to the party for their excellent performance against the Giant and Troll.

Also, "Zaboomifoo" was (as expected) a big hit with my 7 month old.  Thanks for that.

Looking forward to more.


----------



## Darklone

*HeyHo*

Reader count went up. 

*Darklone dreaming nostalgically about ToEE times...*


----------



## Darklone

*Time ...*

... for a bump!


----------



## Milo Windby

*Bump? Wow!*

Heh heh, thanks Darklone.  You're making me feel all wanted-like.  I'm always happy to see my reader count go up.

I've got one more post to write up then we're up to date.  Unfortunately we'll not be playing Monday since Brigit and I have friends coming in from out of town.  I'll try to make the next post a good one.  It's hard to top the giant killer though.

Speaking of which, we never did ask Jeremiah what he would do with a giant prisoner, Nail.  I'd imagine he'd love him and stroke him and pet him and call him George.

Gosh it's hot.


----------



## Broccli_Head

*giants...Oy!*

Jeremiah is definitely a giant-killer! 

It's amazing that in every campaign that I know, there is a tale where a hero slays a giant single-handedly and never lives it down. In one campaign, this one 2nd ed., a halfling rogue took down a hill giant with one strike (this before sneak attack!)...He rolled two twenties which was triple damage and then the backstab multiplier put the damage above 50 pts. They had that 50 pt rule for all sizes back then. The giant failed its save and keeled over.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

frog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Oh now you have GOT to be kidding me...SURRENDER???
> Any "surrender" that is to be done is done with a long term (read "evil DM") plot in mind.*




I just want to comment on the Jer and a Giant surrender.  I think that would have been a bad thing. Think how concerned he is about his horse.  What would we do with the concern he would have for a giant?  For those of you needing back ground information. We all have horses.  And Jer is forever very concerned about his horse.  Its cute.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 29 (session 12)*

A few minutes later, after a quick search of the bodies, the four friends left the room to explore further.  The short hallway opposite of the door led into another storage area.  Firewood was stacked along the wall and lumpy bags of coal were piled in a corner.  

_"Maybe we should have waited and set this room on fire?"_ Milo suggested light-heartedly.

_"No thanks!  We want to find out what's going on down here, not smoke them out into the forest."_ Mazi answered quickly.

_"Don't get your elf-britches in a bunch.  I'm just kidding."_ Milo giggled.

_"Milo?"_ Jeremiah asked quietly.

_"Jeremiah!  I completely forgot.  You need to speak up more often if you need some of the healing touch!"_ Milo said after he turned to see Jer holding his side in pain.

Jeremiah had taken a couple of hard hits from the ogres and trolls.  Amazingly enough the giant hadn't landed a single blow on the barbarian.  Milo called up the divine energies entrusted to him by Usamigaras and channeled them into a healing spell for Jer.  The barbarian was soon hale and hearty, ready to take on another giant.

They returned to the intersection and ventured down the eastern passage.  After a couple of turns they entered a long room.  The floor was littered with broken containers.  A rotten stench filled the room from the old food supplies that still lay inside.  

_"Smells rotten, like a garbage dump."_ Mazi groaned.

_"Yeah, but at least there aren't any rats, right Mazi?"_ Milo said with a grin.

_"Shhhh!  Don't even mention rats!"_ she replied.

Milo chuckled a little.  He started walking near the wall, making a complete circuit around the room.

_"Nothing hidden here that I can see."_ 

_"I wouldn't think so.  Who would want to hang around here with that smell?"_ Mazi said, wrinkling her nose.

_"I don't know, this could have been the troll's personal quarters."_ he replied. _"Either way, we'd better leave before Mazi's delicate senses are bruised any more."_

One last passage led from the central intersection, this one to the south.  The passage eventually branched into a 'Y', one hallway leading to the southeast, the other to the southwest.  Right at the intersection stood a door leading to the south.

_"Door first, hallways second.  Good?"_ Milo asked to unanimous agreement.

Milo found no traps but could hear the dripping of water through the doorway.  He warned the others then stood back as Brigit and Jeremiah led the way.  The room beyond was an oblong octagon bisected by a curved wall.  The dripping noise was from a pool of water filled right up to the edge of the wall.  A steady drip from the ceiling kept the pool full while the excess seemed to drain elsewhere in the room.

_"Um, I hate to ask this,"_ Milo said, _"but what's on the other side of the wall?"_ Milo strained to see over the obstruction.

_"Heh heh heh, Ah ferget how small ye are sometimes, Milo."_ Brigit laughed, _"Come 'ere, Ah'll give ya a boost."_

Milo clambered up Brigit's outstretched hands to peer over the top of the wall.  The surface of the water was very still besides the small ripples caused by the steady dripping.  He could see that the floor sloped down as the floor drew closer to the far wall.

_"I can't tell if there's anything in there, alive or otherwise.  Hang on a second."_  Milo then spoke his magic detection cantrip.  _"I see something glowing at the far end.  It looks like a dome-shaped object at the far end."_

Brigit then let Milo down.  They gathered around to discuss plans on investigating the magic object.  Many ideas were offered and subsequently discarded.  (_"We are *NOT* going to 'toss tha halflin', Brigit!"_)  They finally settled on tying one of the Ropes of Climbing around Mazi and letting her wade to the deep end to retrieve the object.

Mazi shed all of her gear down to her armor and sword.  Milo withdrew a Rope of Climbing from Brigit's pack and encouraged it to secure itself around Mazi's waist.  Once they were sure she wouldn't slip out Jeremiah gave Mazi a boost up to the top of the wall.

_"It's shallow here,"_ Mazi said as she slipped her feet gingerly into the cold water.

No sooner had she stood on both feet then they were swept out from underneath her.  Mazi had stood on a particularly slippery bit of slime.  She slid right to the bottom of the pool, barely able to gasp a breath of air before going under at the deeper end.  Brigit and Jeremiah let the rope pay out, trusting her to signal if she was in trouble.  She soon regained her equilibrium and cast about for the dome.  

She soon found what she was looking for.  The edges were buried in a fine silt that lay at the far end.  Mazi found the edges after digging into the silt.  The dome turned out to be the outward surface of a shield.  She lifted the heavy metal shield from the silt and strapped it to her back.  Once secured she kicked off to return to the wall.  

The silt she had disturbed swirled in the water around her, her kick served to cloud the waters even more.  Mazi had trouble seeing in the murky waters.  She began to panic, not able to tell which way was up and which was forward.  Her arms flailed as she tried to find some sort of surface to cling to.

Brigit and Jeremiah felt the tugging on the rope that her motions caused and hauled away.  A sputtering, wet, and very bedraggled Mazi soon stood at the edge of the pool.  She tossed down the shield and climbed to the floor with Jeremiah's assistance.  Milo immediately crouched down to examine the object, which still glowed in his magically enhanced vision.

_"This shield has a stronger enchantment than the others we've found."_ he remarked.

_"Well I hope it was worth it,"_ Mazi sniffed, _"My hair is a mess!"_

Mazi had already found her mirror and was shaking out her wet hair.  She soon gave up with an exasperated moan and put the utensil away.

_"What now? Any more pools full of slime and silt I can jump into?"_ she asked sarcastically.

_"Nope, I think we're all done here.  Thanks Mazi."_ Milo said with a perfectly straight face.

They investigated the two branching passages outside the door.  The southwest passage followed the contour of the room they just left, ending in the great hall they found before.  The southeast passage mirrored the southwest except for one difference.  At the oblique corner leading south a separate passage led back to the northeast.  The south passage led back to the southwest before ending in the great hall as well.

_"Let's see, we could go deeper into the temple this way or we can check out the other side of the minotaur room."_ Milo said, _"We never did find whatever that rogue took with him."_

_"Tha's right.  Ah say we go track 'im down!"_ Brigit agreed wholeheartedly.

From the grand hall they returned through the slightly turning passage around the pool room.  They were soon back at the circular stairwell, facing the hallway that led into the minotaur room.  

_"Be ready, we didn't finish all of them so we don't know what they may have waiting for us."_ Milo warned.

They entered the room cautiously, but couldn't have been prepared for what they found.  Two giant centipede-like creatures hovered over the corpses piled next to the secret door.  One was feeding off the minotaur's corpse and the other on a bugbear.  Mazi retched.

The centipedes raised up on their rear sets of legs and their antennae quivered in the party's direction.  Eight tentacles waved slowly in the air, protruding from their carapace.  They fell back to the ground and scurried with alarming speed towards the surprised group.

Brigit reacted faster than anyone, stowing her axe and whipping out her bow.  An arrow sped towards the leading centipede, followed shortly by another arrow from Mazi's and a bolt from Milo's crossbow.  Two missiles sunk into one centipede and a third into the other.

The centipedes ignored the wounds and slammed into Brigit and Jeremiah.  Sixteen tentacles reached for the two fighters, eight each.  Brigit was able to avoid most but the few that landed caused a chill to run down her spine.  She fought off the lethargic effect that washed over her in time to avoid a nasty wound from the centipede creature's mandibles.  Jeremiah fought a similar battle not five steps away from his dwarven friend.

Brigit turned the tide of the battle with two surprises she picked up in Specularum.  She pulled out two thin pouches and tossed them at the creatures.  They exploded on impact and showered the creatures with a fine powder.  The powder soon solidified into a much harder and stickier substance, reminiscent of Mazi's webs.  One of the centipedes was stuck firmly in place by the tanglefoot bag, the other's tentacles were bound tightly by the substance.

They made short work of the centipede creatures.  The one still moving was first to drop from a fierce round of attacks by Mazi and Jer.  The bound centipede was finished off by Brigit and Milo working in concert.

_"Ugly critters!"_ Brigit spat.

_"Those tanglefoot bags came in handy thought!"_ Milo said.

_"Aye!  Ah figgered they'd be useful sooner er later."_ she answered.

A quick look around revealed that besides the centipede feedings nothing else was disturbed in the room since they left.

_"At least we know they're not making these into an undead army."_ Mazi stated.

_"Ugh, don't remind me of that.  I hate undead."_ said Milo.


----------



## Milo Windby

Ok, I miscalculated.  I've broken the last half of the session into two smaller posts.  So there is still one more little nugget of the story to post before we're completely caught up.  Since we've got friends coming in this week I probably won't get it posted until next Friday or Saturday.  In the meantime, feel free to post comments and whatnot!


----------



## frog

Just a quick note,  the "centipedes" were actually carrion crawlers.  Unless the characters have encountered something before we go off of descriptions instead of names.  Most of the players are new enough not to know the stats by heart, but you can never be too careful.


----------



## Darklone

*Ahehehehe*



			
				frog said:
			
		

> *Just a quick note,  the "centipedes" were actually carrion crawlers.  Unless the characters have encountered something before we go off of descriptions instead of names.  Most of the players are new enough not to know the stats by heart, but you can never be too careful. *




Thanks for the info, I wondered which kind of centipedes do have this strange effect and 8 tentacles...  

There's nothing like wasting a high level group with some puny critters!


----------



## Nail

> "Well I hope it was worth it," Mazi sniffed, "My hair is a mess!"
> 
> Mazi had already found her mirror and was shaking out her wet hair. She soon gave up with an exasperated moan and put the utensil away.
> 
> "What now? Any more pools full of slime and silt I can jump into?" she asked sarcastically.
> 
> "Nope, I think we're all done here. Thanks Mazi." Milo said with a perfectly straight face.




Good stuff!

Y'all gotcher fire stuff ready, eh?  Fer the next level?  I mean...come on, that isn't unexpected, right?  No spoilers here....


-Nail


----------



## Darklone

*Hehehehe*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> * Y'all gotcher fire stuff ready, eh?  Fer the next level?  I mean...come on, that isn't unexpected, right?  No spoilers here....
> -Nail *




You wanna burn Mazis hair???


----------



## Nail

*Re: Hehehehe*



			
				Darklone said:
			
		

> *
> 
> You wanna burn Mazis hair???   *




_<chuckles>_

Not if I wanna keep me own ......  Mazi knows fireball now, ye know.

*-Nail*


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: Hehehehe*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> 
> <chuckles>
> 
> Not if I wanna keep me own ......  Mazi knows fireball now, ye know.
> 
> -Nail *




Too true Nail!  She is a force to be reckoned with.  

Sorry for the prolonged absence.  Company has gone home and life is returning to normal.  I'm hoping we play soon.  Brigit and I are going through withdrawals.  

I'll have the final writeup out this weekend, it will probably be a small one.  Then we'll have to see what comes up.  Don't worry about the elemental stuff, Nail, I've got some elemental protection scrolls up my sleeve.


----------



## Mazi

> "Well I hope it was worth it," Mazi sniffed, "My hair is a mess!"
> 
> Mazi had already found her mirror and was shaking out her wet hair. She soon gave up with an exasperated moan and put the utensil away.
> 
> "What now? Any more pools full of slime and silt I can jump into?" she asked sarcastically.
> 
> "Nope, I think we're all done here. Thanks Mazi." Milo said with a perfectly straight face.




Hey just because I'm adventuring it doesn't mean I have to look and smell like it.  

Mazi


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 30 (session 12)*

_"Shall we find out where those bugbears came from?"_ Milo asked pointing to the southern door of the large minotaur room.

_"Aye, buggers tried ta sneak up on us!"_ said Brigit.

The door led to a long hallway that stretched off into the darkness like the yawning throat of some great beast.  They tread cautiously with Brigit and Jeremiah in the lead.  Brigit searched for traps as they continued down the dim passage.  

In what seemed like an eternity to Milo, they reached the end.  There was a door to the east and a blank wall to the south.

_"Nuh uh.  No way someone builds a passage this long that doesn't lead straight into something."_ Milo said as he shook his head.

Within moments Milo found the secret catch that he knew would be there.  The heroes ignored the door to the east and watched as the south wall swung forward easily.  Another long passage led south.  They could make out a bend towards the southeast from the vantagepoint at the door.  A single door was set in the eastern wall a few paces from the secret passage.

Milo set his sensitive ear to the wood of the door and listened.  He could hear the snuffling grunts that they associated with the denizens of the temple.

_"Before we go in,"_ Milo whispered, _"Let me toughen you up a little."_

With that Milo whispered an incantation and cast a shield of faith on Brigit and Jeremiah.  A shimmer of divine light played about their bodies before settling into a minor sheen, barely noticeable.

_"A'right, it be hack 'n slash time!"_ Brigit said quietly right before Jeremiah kicked in the door.

Four pairs of bugbear eyes met their gaze on the other side of the door.  The room was fair-sized with two doors leading to the north and east.  The bugbears were seated around a table, apparently engaged in a dice game.  Food and drink were set as well.

Before the bugbears could move Brigit and Mazi pierced one with two arrows followed closely by a fatal slash from Jeremiah's _Windsword_.  The other bugbears jumped from their seats and backed away from the group.  Just then the eastern door slammed open.  A huge bugbear entered, its patchy fur hiding bunched muscles.  Its fierce gleaming gaze finally rested on Brigit.  Brigit beckoned to the bugbear, daring it to attack.  Milo could see the years of racial enmity spark between the two before the battle was joined in full.

The huge bugbear shoved one of its kindred aside in its haste to reach its dwarven enemy.  The other bugbear sprawled to the ground and had to take a moment to retrieve its weapon and rejoin the fight.

Jeremiah and Brigit, enhanced by Milo's spell, avoided the rain of blows that fell upon them from the bugbears.  Jeremiah returned the attack while Milo and Mazithra concentrated on assisting him.  Jer slashed into one, followed by two missiles from behind thunking into the bugbear's hide.

The leader shouted at the top of its lungs in its guttural language and attacked Brigit again.  She warded off the blow and attacked herself.  _Trollgrater_ tasted bugbear flesh twice, dropping the leader before it could recover.  Her axe wounded her other attacker in almost an offhand manner as it continued its arc.

Brigit was too late though, the leader's shouting brought four more bugbears tromping into the room.  Instead of disappointment Brigit grinned in anticipation.  Meanwhile Milo and Mazi continued to fire as fast as they could from the rear.

After seeing the battle one of the rear bugbears left the way it came, a crafty grin on its fanged mouth.  The others attacked.  One managed to break past Jeremiah's magical defenses and scored a critical blow, finding a weak spot to exploit.  Jer shook off the pain and fought back.  He too landed a critical blow, proving too much for the bugbear.

Near him Brigit turned into a whirling force of destruction.  In four quick attacks she dropped all three bugbears that attacked her.  The other bugbears seemed reluctant to approach the bloodthirsty dwarf.

Mazi and Milo continued to lend support from behind.  Jeremiah cleaved through the next to last bugbear, leaving only one of the beasts to face the fury of the four.  Just as the bugbear seemed ready to flee Milo heard a stomping from behind the eastern door.  

The source of the minor vibrations felt through the floor soon revealed itself.  The lumpy face of a large ogre emerged through the doorway, followed shortly by its enormous bulk.  The ogre grinned with a dim-witted expression, revealing a broken tusk and a fair amount of drool.  It focused on the only enemy near its size and swung its heavy club at Jeremiah.

Jer avoided the slow attack and sliced a chunk of flesh from the ogre's hide.  That really got its attention.  The ogre howled in rage and the speed of its attacks seemed to gain momentum.

At the same moment Brigit attacked the last bugbear.  It seemed to take courage from the presence of the ogre and deflected Brigit's attack with surprising skill.  Brigit's axe was thrown to the side from the deft defense of the bugbear.  Before the beast could press its advantage Milo shot his crossbow.  The bolt sunk deep into the bugbear's chest, puncturing a critical organ.  The bugbear recovered but was much worse for the wear.

The ogre and Jeremiah swung their huge weapons repeatedly.  Only the barbarian seemed able to land any blows.  Jeremiah patiently whittled away at the huge grotesque, confident that he would eventually defeat it.  

Brigit recovered her axe and dealt with the bugbear quickly, putting it out of its misery.  With only one target left, Milo shot his next quarrel at the ogre.  The missile sped true and turned out to be fabled straw that broke the camel's back.  The ogre fell with a crash on the table, scattering the dice and splattering food all over the room.

_"They just keep coming, don't they?"_ said Milo.

_"Let em come!  My axe'll be here ta meet em!"_ Brigit exclaimed.

_"Let's not get too overzealous, Brigit.  I'd rather not face an army just yet."_ Mazi said.

They found some coins on the corpses as well as some semi-precious stones on the ogre.  Mazi pointed at the ogre's topknot.

_"Could you get those for me Jer?"_ she said indicating three silver pins set with pearls.  _"They'll match the others perfectly"_

_"Ogre too dirty for you, Mazi?"_ Milo teased.

_"I finally got myself dry and clean from the pool, I don't want to get any more mess on me."_

It was then that Milo noticed, to his amazement, that it seemed Mazi was the only one out of all of them that avoided the splatter of foodstuffs the ogre's fall caused.

_"Hey Mazi, you've got something on your tunic."_ Milo said.  He laughed out loud when she hastily pulled out her mirror and looked frantically about for the imaginary speck of filth.

_"I'll remember that one Milo!"_ she said after assuring herself that she was clean.  

Jeremiah actually giggled as he handed Mazi the three pins from the ogre's hair.  

_"It was only a joke Mazi, take it easy."_ Milo grinned.  _"On a more serious note,  one of the bugbears left to fetch that ogre."_

_"An' never came back, tha coward!"_ Brigit said as she pounded her fist.

_"Cowardly?  Yes, dangerous?  More so.  I'm sure it went to get more reinforcements.  We'll have to be especially careful."_ said Milo.

_"Why do I get the feeling that the word 'ambush' figures into our near future?"_ Mazi groaned.


----------



## frog

We gamed again tonight for the first time in about a month.  It was ugly.

Brigit and Jeremiah were into negative hp and unconscious twice and Mazi has decided that she has no intention of becoming the "vessel" for any new incarnation of a demon-goddess.

Milo will be bringing you details soon.


----------



## Milo Windby

Four near death experiences, bugbears doing what bugbears oughtn't, unwilling elvish vessels, and why not to traipse past large tentacular statues, coming to a story hour near you.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 31 (session 13)*

Wary of any imminent ambushes, Brigit peeked past the eastern door.  It was still ajar from the bugbear’s flight and the ogre’s entrance.  Brigit waved her companions in after insuring that it was safe.  The door led to a short hallway ending in another partially open door.  This portal led to a room much like the last.  Another open door led to the north.  Judging from the décor Milo figured that the room was used by minor temple officiates.  The usual tapestries depicting gruesome scenes of evil draped the walls.  Milo found a partially concealed door behind one on the southern wall.  Brigit found a sack next to the northern door full of rancid meat and spoiled provisions.  She threw it to the side in disgust.

_”These guys sure knew how to eat well, eh Brigit?”_ said Milo.

_”If well is packin yer gut full O rot, then yeah, they ate well.”_ she answered.

_”Let’s check the open door first.”_ Mazi said, all business.

Brigit once again led the way, peeking inside for an ambush.  The others followed her in shortly.  A putrid stench filled their nostrils as they entered the room.  It was the same size as the others, but no other doors were apparent.  Moldy and lumpy pillows were pilled near the far wall, the imprint of the ogre’s body still pressed into the cushioning fabric.  Bones picked clean and drained of marrow were piled in a corner.  One thing in particular drew Milo’s eyes.  An iron bound chest lay partially covered by cushions near the wall.  Milo sprang for the chest, eager to pry out its contents.

_”Like a little-un wi presents, he is.”_ Brigit marveled.

_”Yes, but let him have his fun.”_ agreed Mazi.

The padlock securing the chest couldn’t stop Milo for long.  His fingers worked the lock steadily, hitting the last tumbler after a couple of attempts.  He soon had the lid to the chest wide open.  Inside they found objects that must have been of import to the ogre, old clothing, a brass candlestick, even a rusted saw.  Underneath the junk Milo found the real treasure, coins of copper, silver, gold, and platinum.  

Once they had taken care of the coins, Milo set about searching the rest of the room.  There didn’t appear to be anything hidden in the ogre’s den.  Mazi and Brigit had searched as well and came up empty-handed.  

Back in the minor staffing room Milo set his ear to the concealed door.  He heard a rustling sound, much like a few people in cloaks, or-

_”I hope that’s not the sound of wings.  Cuz there’s either a lot of them, or really big ones.”_ said Milo.

Milo backed up and readied his weapons, noting that Mazi and Jeremiah did as well.  Brigit pushed open the door and they all braced themselves for the worst.  Nothing happened.  All Milo could see from his vantage point was a murky darkness beyond the door.  

_”Okay, I’m going invisible to check it out.  You all wait here.”_ said Milo.

He called upon the domain of trickery that Usamigaras reigned over.  A shimmer appeared around the halfling, starting from his head and settling down around his body.  Soon Milo’s whole person shimmered as if he were part of a desert mirage.  Moments later Milo disappeared, much as a mirage when reached on the horizon.

Milo crept as quietly as possible into the room, heading to the right to clear himself from the door.  He had no wish to stand in front of the inviting target of the door.  The room was huge, almost a hundred feet wide and at least forty deep. The air itself was murky, almost damp.  There appeared to be some sort of illusionary magic placed on the room.  A green illumination emanated from the walls, it took a second for Milo’s vision to adjust.  Milo felt as if he were deep underwater. He groaned inwardly when seeing the columns at each corner, topped with stone gargoyles.  A stone statue composed of a conglomeration of sea creatures, most with tentacles, squatted near the middle of the room.  An bronze altar adorned with fish lay beyond.  There was a large bronze sheet of metal hung on the west wall with a fish head sculpted in the middle.  The head protruded forward and water spewed from the fish’s open mouth into layered pools.  There were two pairs of double doors as well, one set leading back north and the other to the east.  The bronze altar itself was set into a wide alcove.  Behind the altar was a curtain of seaweed, blocking the rest of the alcove from view.  Milo’s eyes at last came to rest on the room’s occupants.

A man stood behind the altar, flanked by two bugbears dressed in robes with morning stars belted at their waists.  The cowardly bugbear from the last battle stood behind the priest, whimpering.  To Milo’s shock one of the robed bugbears was staring right in his direction.  Milo swore inwardly, he must have made just a little too much noise.  The bugbear leaned over to the priest and spoke below its breath.  

The priest merely smiled beatifically and said, _”Come in, come in.  Be not afraid!.”_

Milo stood stock still.

_”We merely wish to…talk.”_ the priest said.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Short*

Short post, but it was a short session.  I'm breaking this one into two.  I just received the rest of the material I needed to write up the rest of it from Frog.  What you'll see in the next post are rash decisions and some not-so-great tactics.  We were all hanging by a wire for quite a bit of the ride.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 32 (session 13)*

Options were weighed quickly in Milo's mind.  Turn tail and run?  Not his style.  Surprise attack right away?  No backup and one of the bugbears knew where he was.  Full frontal assault?  There was the issue of the gargoyles and who knows what else the priest had up his sleeves.  No, the only other option was to talk.  Milo decided to keep the invisibility spell up though.  He hoped the others would be able to parlay while he positioned himself a little more conveniently.

He tiptoed back to his companions waiting in the other room.

_"He wants to talk."_ Milo whispered.  

_"Ta talk!  Are ya daft?  This is tha Temple O Evil, it didn'a get tha name by bein' nice ta people that come in killin' everythin' in sight!"_ Brigit sputtered into thin air.  Milo thought it funny watching her try to place his disembodied voice.

_"I know, but I'm half out of spells and none of us are exactly at full strength.  We've all taken a few wounds."_ Milo continued.  _"We should at least listen to what he has to say.  We've already lost the element of surprise anyway."_

_"Milo's right.  We'll hear what this guy has to say."_ Mazi agreed, _"If we don't like it *then* we take them down.  Let's try to keep the priest alive though, he may have more information to share under different circumstances."_

_"Alright, but Ah don' like it one bit!"_ Brigit spat, _"It's nah becomin' ta deal wi' tha enemy."_

_"Okay then,  let me tell you about the room,"_ whispered Milo, _"There's two more bugbears besides the one that ran, the priest is between them.  I counted four gargoyles, one at each corner of the room.  There's a grotesque statue in the middle of the room and an altar in front of the priest.  Oh, and some sort of fish head sculpture and fountain thing on the far wall."_

_"Good enough, let's get this over wi'."_ Brigit said.

_"I'm going to stay invisible and work my way around the room.  Try to talk long enough for me to get into a good position."_ Milo finished.

Milo crept back into the room ahead of the group and moved away from the door.  The others entered shortly after, stopping just past the doorway.

The robed priest spoke as soon as he spied Mazithra, _"Thari-ma, Thari-ma.  Zu baya ma Tak Nari, Thari-ma.  All hail the Vessel of Thari.  Remember, oh Great One, Thy servant who was first to announce Thy coming when Thou comest into Thine inheritance and once again rule the worlds, Great Thari.  For years had we worked to bring you to us, and the night before our plans fruition you disappeared.  We had thought years of work gone in vain, yet here you are.  Our faith in our Goddess has not been in vain.  She has brought you here for us and fulfilled our prayers."_

Mazi did not take the greeting very well.  

The priest then turned to Jeremiah with a wicked gleam in his eye. _"Thy people have forgotten their Purpose and Charge.  In forgetting that, Thari's victory is now complete!!!"_

The somber barbarian bristled at the mention of his people.

Then to Brigit, _"Those who serve the Fire have taken thine father.  Thy father's Soul hath gone to serve the Warlord of Thari. He is his Master now 'til the Ebon Blade is complete for my Mistress."_

Brigit's hands gripped her axe haft as the priest spoke, Milo could tell she was barely able to restrain herself from charging the priest and finishing the conversation her way.

The priest raised his voice to be heard throughout the room, _"Thy mewling godlet cannot save you when the Great Darkness arises, small one. Thou hast chosen thy fate...and it is death!!!"_

Milo shook his head at the statement.  It didn't sound like the priest had any intent to deal peacefully with him.  Milo crept forward quietly.

A smoldering rage burned in Mazi's eyes.  _"Vessel of Nothing!  I belong to *no one*!"_

She raised her bow with a smooth deliberateness, knocked an arrow, and let it fly.  Milo held his breath during the arrow's short flight.  He was disappointed to see the shaft skim past one of the robed bugbears to clatter uselessly on the ground.  The battle was begun.

With an inarticulate roar Jeremiah charged towards the altar.  His headlong rush brought him within striking distance of the two bugbears, eliciting two lightning fast attacks.  The robed bugbears missed but Milo was startled to see them attack Jeremiah with their bare hands!  He had seen a travelling group of monks in Darokin that performed amazing feats with their bare hands and feet, the bugbears' movements reminded him of those monks.

Jeremiah's rush brought his sword into a monk's torso.  The bugbear ignored the wound, gripped the blade, wrenched it away, and tossed it to the ground as if to mock the fierce barbarian.

The priest lowered his head and shook it sadly, but when he raised it again a maniacal gleam shone through his eyes.  He uttered a spell quickly and gestured near the middle of the room.  Milo felt a stillness wash over him, centered from where the priest cast.  His invisibility was _dispelled_ and he suddenly became visible again.  _There goes any hopes of sneaking up_, he thought to himself.

Suddenly Jer was beset from all sides.  Both monks attacked along with an unseen foe behind.  Milo could see the enemy and he was doubly shocked.  The grotesque statue of octopus, squid, and eels suddenly came to life.  Four thick tentacles groped for Jeremiah.  The statue was a juggernaut!

Brigit was already on her way to aid Jer, her axe bit into the tough hide of the juggernaut, drawing its attention from the beleaguered barbarian.  Milo tumbled into the fight, attempting to draw the fire of one of the monks.  He was successful in landing a couple of blows and the large bugbear turned to address the new threat.

The priest barked an order to the cowering bugbear behind him.  The pitiful beast ran as if a horde were chasing, directly through the eastern double doors.  The juggernaut swiveled and attacked Brigit, scoring numerous hits and a critical blow to the side of her head.  Brigit's vision swam.  

Frustrated with her last attack, Mazi broke off to the side of the door until one of the monks was in her direct line of sight, she summoned a spell to mind that she had just researched.  Once she finished her arcane gestures a spark appeared at her fingertips.  Lightning arced from her hands directly into the bugbear Milo was fighting, then into the priest behind.  Both attempted to dodge.  The _lightning bolt_ grazed each before scattering into the ether on the far wall.  Mazi grinned at the smoking priest.

Jeremiah had taken a lot of punishment.  He had retrieved his sword and charged back into battle in a rage.  His muscles bulged with renewed vigor and he swung his sword with increased fury.  The smoldering monk fell from his attack and he continued on to the juggernaut, only to lose his sword as it clattered against the beast's hard hide.

The priest made a motion in the air before focusing back on the struggling barbarian.  Milo heard a familiar noise.  He looked to the source of the sound, one of the corners of the room.  The gargoyle perched on the stone pedestal unfurled its wings and took flight, headed his way.  The priest finished chanting another spell and gestured at Jeremiah.  Milo recognized the movement as a _hold person_ spell.  He was relieved to see his friend shake it off, bolstered by his battle rage.

The other three gargoyles had sprung from their stone perches and winged towards the different party members.  Two swooped down on Brigit who was hacking away at the juggernaut, one each attacked Milo and Mazi.  The gargoyles proved to be more of a nuisance than a great threat, but the distraction was costly.

Milo and Mazi turned to fight the new threat in their own ways.  Milo with his axes and Mazi with flames that fanned out from her fingertips.  The _burning hands_ spell crippled the gargoyle but didn't stop it.  

Still facing two enemies and unable to reach the spellcasting priest, Jeremiah let loose a great bellow.  He slashed down into the juggernaut, ending the tentacled threat and ripped into the monk.  

The priest gauged the combat, chanted a spell, and gestured just to the left of Jeremiah.  A whirling storm of metal sprang into existence and expanded to encompass Jeremiah, Brigit, and Milo.  Milo sprang out of the way of the blades but Jeremiah and Brigit were caught dead-on.  Brigit had already taken numerous wounds from the juggernaut and the _bladestorm_ was too much for her.  The spell sapped what little strength she had left and she fell unconscious to the floor.  

The two gargoyles plaguing Brigit scanned for new targets, one choosing Mazithra and the other Jeremiah.  Milo sprang to Brigit's side, avoiding the whirling blades.  He drew out the staff of healing from his bag of holding and used its powerful healing spell on Brigit.  

_"Abercromby!"_  The dwarf stood to her feet shakily, slightly disoriented.

Jeremiah was barely clinging to consciousness himself.  He stalked out of the _bladestorm_ and attacked the priest directly.  He broke the evil cleric's concentration and the blades vanished.  

On the other side of the room Mazithra was being attacked by two of the gargoyles and finding it extremely hard to concentrate.  Each gargoyle would attack with two claws and then swoop in for a bite.  She set herself into a defensive stance and cast another spell.  Four _mirror images_ of Mazi split off from where she stood.  The gargoyles were confused, not knowing which to attack.  One slashed into Mazi, only to see her shatter into thousands of reflecting glass shards that vanished as they hit the floor.

The priest was not finished casting his evil magiks.  He finished another spell and this time an inky cloud sprang from his hands to settle on Jeremiah and Brigit.  Both hearty fighters resisted the _unholy blight_ as best they could but Jeremiah was too wounded.  He fell in a heap before the cackling priest.

Almost back to the point of unconsciousness herself, Brigit took a heavy step forward to engage the remaining monk, keeping it away from Jeremiah's vulnerable form.  Her distraction worked, too well.  The monk focused all of his energies on Brigit, lashing out with two well placed fists.  Brigit fell to the ground as darkness enveloped her sight.

Milo had to decide who to heal first.  It seemed that Jeremiah was worse off, laying in front of the priest.  He ran to Jer's side, staff still in hand, and used its healing spell.

_"Abercromby!"_ Milo spoke the activation word.

A few of Jeremiah's wounds closed and he opened his eyes.  A steely determination was set in them as he climbed to his feet and glowered at the priest.  Before Jeremiah could reach the priest again a blinding light slammed into the evil man.  Mazi had cast another _lightning bolt_, this one scoring a direct hit!  The priest was thrown backwards a few feet and dazed for a split second.  Jer stepped in and added his sword to the priest's woes.  

Apparently the attacks were too much for the priest.  He backed up to the side wall of the alcove behind him and cast one last spell.  The stone behind him seemed to soften and his body sank deep into the wall.  He was gone in seconds.

The monk, no longer feeling Brigit was a threat, approached Jeremiah from behind.  Two punches to the kidneys and Jeremiah crumpled again, unconscious.  Milo felt like a child's toy, bouncing back and forth between his two friends.  He took time to activate the staff over Brigit's prone body.

_"Abercromby!_  Brigit stood to her feet again, resolving to stay there at all costs.

Seeing the priest gone, Mazi drew her weapons to deal with the two gargoyles still attacking her _mirror images_.  The gargoyles that hounded her had finally dispatched her last image and bore down on the real Mazi.

Brigit stalked up to the monk that felled Jeremiah and tapped it on its shoulder with her axe, hard.  The monk crumpled under the blow and she used her momentum to spin and dispatch the gargoyle behind her.

Meanwhile Milo had reached Jeremiah and used another charge from the staff of healing.  _"Abercromby!"_

Jeremiah struggled to his feet.  He glanced around, noting that there were only three gargoyles left, and took a moment to down a healing draught before re-entering the fray.

Mazi dispatched one of the two gargoyles circling her but was hit with a swiping claw from behind.  Brigit struck down the other gargoyle at their end of the room and turned to attack the last one harassing Mazi.  Jeremiah reached it first, cutting off a wing with a deadly stroke.

Milo took a moment to channel one of his unused spell into healing energy to bolster Jeremiah.

_"Okay, that was *not* good."_ he said after he finished his healing.

_"Aye, tha's an experience Ah coulda passed on."_ Brigit said.  Jeremiah nodded his head emphatically.

They could hear footsteps approaching rapidly from the eastern door that the cowardly bugbear fled through.

_"There's a lot of people on the way, I don't think they're going to want to chat."_  Milo warned.

_"Agreed.  I think we should get out of here."_ said Mazi.

_"Ah couldn'a agree more wi' ya, elfie.  Let's go."_  Brigit said, following Jeremiah who was already through the door.


----------



## Milo Windby

*OUCH!*

Four charges of the staff of healing saved us from a TPK.  I was down to only a couple of spells and had no other recourse to keep Brigit and Jer alive.  Without them I don't think we would have made it out alive.  Mazi's two lightning bolts got rid of the priest though.  It was a close fight.  Had the juggernaut got rolling we probably would have been smashed in no time flat.  

Frog got my vote for the RBDM club with that little configuration.  The bugbear monks were a surprise too.  They hit almost every turn, sometimes twice each.  The juggernaut had four attacks per turn and the gargoyles three each.  Throw in a dirty evil cleric and some half-baked PC tactics and you've got a nasty concoction.  

He doesn't know it, but I was almost ready to boot up Frog's computer and start on another character.

To our defense, we were trying to keep the priest alive for future questioning.  The smart thing would have been to take him out in the first place.  To my defense, I wanted to talk it out for a little bit but was unwilling to give up my (useless) invisibility edge.  Ah well, we survived, made it out, and will be heading back in to track down the evil priests in the water temple soon.


PS.  Frog or the players, please post your dream sequences for that night.  I'd like to get them from your perspective if possible.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Milo's dream*

That night they all settled down for a good night's rest after the whalloping they took.  Milo fell asleep immediately.  He started dreaming:

_A familiar glow begins to surround you, yet somehow seems weaker or more distant than usual.  A whispy, almost ghostly form appears where normally a solid figure of Usamigaras would be.  Faintly you hear his voice, as if carried upon the wind...

"Milo, time is growing short.  My followers are growing fewer, and my power here is weak.  That which is buried there is a Sister to that Beast which is devouring my flocks and enslaving my people.  I know not how much longer my people will last.  Hurry in your task there and beware lest that Greater Evil which manipulates the events of the day seek to distract you from your greater purpose."

The sound of the night breeze and the light of the moon are all that remain..._


----------



## frog

Mazi’s dream:

You are walking among the Sacred Groves of Alfheim.  A place that has brought you both peace and hope in troubled times.  Peace once again settles on you as the sun sets.  The leaves are green…the air fresh.  As you reach out to touch one of the sacred trees you hesitate as you see blood from a cut on your finger drip to touch the leaf.  As your blood touches the leaf, it seems to spread through the veins of the tree.  The tree hardens, crystallizes.  The leaves turn to glass, almost obsidian in their appearance. The trunk looks translucent like crystal.  All around you, the natural green of growth has turned to crystal and glass…beautiful in form yet hard and cold to the touch.  You bring your cut finger to your mouth and see the blood, not red…but black as oil oozing from the wound.  You look to the sky to find answers and see that the sun has not set…but rather has darkened…as though seen through a darkened filter.


----------



## frog

Brigit’s Dream

Darkness.  Endless space filled with giant cubes of clashing metal.  One comes closer, a flaming pit scores its surface.  Inward, onward you fly to the center of the conflagration.  Hammers ringing out, deafening.  Smiths chained to the forges, heat unbearable.  Your father is among them, whipped, beaten bloodied.   Above them all stands a Dwarf with a whip whose shadow casts great wings of darkness upon the walls.  And over all lies the image of a Sword whose length spans the stars and whose touch brings Death.


----------



## frog

Jeremiah’s dream:

Soaring, eagle like, you look down through the clouds.  Beneath you lays the Plateau, home to the Tribes.  For years they have been scattered, their strength spent in quarrels amongst themselves.  Invigorated by the morning air and bright sun, you glide amongst the clouds, far away from the disharmony below.  Off to the west you see clouds gathering.  A darkness not of this world slowly creeps towards your homeland…smothering it in shadows.  Hidden by the shadows is an army…and a silent figure behind them…that of an armored man.  His hands reach towards his helm and remove the faceplate.  A face which you have seen before…in a mirror located in a place full of Death.  The face slowly changes, dozens of others seem to overlay the one which you saw in the mirror yet you know in your soul that all of them are the same Being.  And as his armies reach your homeland you hear his laughter as if it were the screams of your family and friends lain out upon the rack of despair…then all fades to darkness as the echoes of laughter reverberate through your mind.


----------



## Darklone

*Elves rule!*

Gladly elves don't dream


----------



## frog

> Gladly elves don't dream




As she drifted off into her nightly meditation...this one did.  That in and of itself should be a bit scary


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*RBDM*

Frog
Okay now you deserve the Rat Bastard DM award.  But just so you know when I find that priest I am gonna beat him to a bloody pulp then have Milo heal him so I can beat him some more.


----------



## Darklone

*hehehe*



			
				frog said:
			
		

> * As she drifted off into her nightly meditation...this one did.  That in and of itself should be a bit scary  *




Got that melody in my head... Marilyn Manson ... "Sweet dreams are made of fears... "

"Now dream a little dream of me....", sang the demon as he walked home...


----------



## frog

Another Monday night gaming session completed.  

Brigit has decided that she doesn't like being the first one through doors anymore.  Mazi found some old friends wallowing in a dungeon.  A freed prisoner sheds some light on the inner workings of the temple and Milo finds a girlfriend.

All this and more in the next Storyhour update.


----------



## Milo Windby

frog said:
			
		

> *Another Monday night gaming session completed.
> 
> Milo finds a girlfriend.
> 
> All this and more in the next Storyhour update. *




Nuh uh, nooooo way.  Milo's a swingin' bachelor.  No girlfriends here.  Old Mother Skrang has met Milo's alter-ego, a 4' short human he _changes self_ into in unfriendly environments.  Milton Waffleby...yeah, that's the ticket...Milton Waffleby.  Regardless, Milton isn't exactly a willing subject in this matter anyway.  All I have to say is be very careful when bartering for healing potions from Mother Skrang.  Just don't be *too* nice.  She's got a single daughter that would give a medusa a run for the money, and a temperment to match.

I just hope I can capture the dialog we had during play.  Frog speaking in a wheedling high pitch brogue while all hunched over is a sight, and sound, to be experienced.  I never knew buying healing potions could be so...what's the word...different? Interesting? Horrifying?


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> I never knew buying healing potions could be so...what's the word...different? Interesting? Horrifying? *




Horrifyin'.  Th' word you want is: horrifyin'.

Uuuuuck.

*-Nail*


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 33 (session 14)*

The dreams were ominous.  The atmosphere pervading the temple's surroundings seemed to be taking its toll on the heroes.  All four woke that morning at the same time.  Milo immediately checked his belongings, wary of what could happen when one didn't have a watch overnight.  They were all accounted for.  They decided to light a fire for breakfast, more for the warmth and light than anything.  Milo was chilled to the bone from Usamigaras' visitation.  He suddenly wished to be done with the temple and on his way.  He couldn't ignore Brigit's plight though, her desire to be reunited with her family was strong and he wasn't in the habit of abandoning friends.

They all shared their dreams around the fire.  Each one filled them with more trepidation than the last.  It was clear that although the temple was an important step in thwarting the man in the mirror and from Jeremiah's dreams, there were even more important things to deal with.  The dreams created more questions than answers.  What did Mazi's dream of the forest portend?  Was it something to do with the talk of her being the vessel of Thari?  Where was Brigit's father?  What was the sword the dwarves were forging?  What of Jeremiah's people?  Who was the many-faced man in his dream?  Was he related to the evil of which Usamigaras spoke?  What was happening to Milo's people?  His head spun with all of the questions.  He tried to push most to the back of his mind and focus on the task at hand, ridding the temple of the evil of the priests.

Milo suppressed a shiver then asked, _"What's the plan today?  Do we want to go after the water priest or explore the elsewhere?"_

_"Ah've a bone ta pick wi' tha' priest."_ Brigit grumped.

_"I don't know if we should walk back into that kind of trap.  They're had the night to plan for us to return there.  Finding a different way around would be wiser."_ said the even-headed Mazi.

_"Mebbe so, but ya didn't get smacked unconscious a couple O times!  Tha' priest needs ta feel tha bite O me axe!"_ Brigit countered, Jeremiah nodded his agreement.

_"That's exactly why I don't want to go barreling back in there.  I'd rather stay conscious."_

_"Hang on, hang on."_ Milo interrupted before the conversation could get out of hand. _"I've got a spell scroll that I've been hanging onto.  I can cast an augury to find what would be the wisest course."_

_"Well why didn't ya say so?  Cast away, Milo."_ Brigit said impatiently.

_"I'd rather save it until we get outside the temple.  Auguries don't seem to be able to predict too far into the future."_

_"Then let's get goin'!  Tha sooner we get in there, tha sooner Ah can introduce tha' priest ta Trollgrater!"_

They struck camp and headed back towards the temple.  Milo absentmindedly ran his finger across the scroll case that held his _augury_ spell.  He tried to formulate his question in his mind, leaving out no room for loopholes or error.

They arrived at the temple as they had for the past few days, without incident.  The air was still and warm.  The adventurers stopped at the edge of the clearing.  Milo emptied his scroll case of the _augury_ spell and sat cross-legged.  He spoke the words on the scroll, closed his eyes, waited for a moment, then asked his question: 

_"Will returning to the water-enchanted room bring us weal or woe?"_ he spoke to the air.

A few moments passed.  _"Tha's it?  Ah'm not impressed Milo."_

A slight breeze picked up around Milo, picking up his hair slightly before dying down.  His pointed ears twitched once.  His eyes snapped open with a slight gaze of wonder, then disappointment.

_"Weal and woe.  Not too helpful after all."_ he said sadly. _"Sorry, looks like we'll have to hammer this one out anyway."_

_"How's this,"_ Mazi began, _"We'll get down to the second level, see how things stand, then go from there."_

_"Ach, anythin' if we can jus' get down there today!"_ said Brigit.

The upper level was as empty as ever.  The next level down was equally as empty.  Milo noticed that the far off sounds of screaming they used to hear in the hallways was now gone.  He hoped that was a good thing.  They were soon at the bottom of the spiral staircase, ready for anything, or so Milo thought.

They chose to walk in the direction of the watery room, passing through the minotaur's den.  The large room was much as they left it.  Dead carrion crawlers and human guards lay where they had fallen.  The half-eaten corpse of the minotaur still lay heaped near the secret eastern passage.  Something seemed odd about the minotaur to Milo.

_"It moved!"_ Milo shouted in alarm, _"The minotaur moved!"_

The creature slowly raised itself to its feet, dead flesh falling from its wounds.  Its teeth were fangs and his hands ended in vicious claws.  There was a whitish hue to its undead skin.

_"I hate undead."_ Milo muttered as Brigit and Jeremiah charged at the undead beast.

Brigit drew her other axe on her way, intent on finishing this threat off quickly.  Mazi supported them from the doorway with her bow.  Milo decided to follow Brigit's example as he drew _Reft_ and _Rend_.  Brigit dodged an attack from the minotaur's claws as she moved in swinging.  Her axes found no purchase on the undead creature's tough hide.  

Jeremiah's sword carved chunks out of the minotaur's ashen skin.  The minotaur ignored the wounds as if they hadn't happened, focusing instead on Brigit.  While its attention was on the dwarf Milo tumbled behind and sliced two more good-sized chunks from the minotaur's furry hamstrings.  The beast didn't fall, but took one great swipe of its claws at Brigit.  

The attack wounded Brigit more than the mere scratch from the claws.  Milo could see the color drain from her face as the foul nails of the beast wounded her.  She stumbled for a moment, dropped her second axe, then hacked away at the minotaur.  Her offensive seemed to weaken the beast slightly.  Jeremiah followed Brigit's attack with two powerful slashes of his greatsword.  The minotaur went down, dead for good.

_"Ah don' feel so well.  Ah think Ah'll sit down fer a moment."_ Brigit said before falling backwards unceremoniously.  

Milo leapt to her side to examine the wound.  He shook his head sadly.

_"I was afraid of this.  That minotaur was a wight.  Their wounds do more than draw blood, they drain life energy."_ Milo informed them.  _"You may be able to resist the effects, but your body will need to rest in order to maintain your strength.  Otherwise..."_

_"Otherwise?"_ a nervous Brigit questioned.

_"It's permanent."_ Milo answered with a concerned gaze. _"It would be best that we get you back to camp to see if you can shake off the effects.  Fighting more may make it harder for you to shake it off."_

_"Ah'm fine!  Lemme jus' sit here for a few minutes.  Ah'll be ready ta go in no time!"_ Brigit protested.

Mazi interjected, _"Brigit, wights are nothing to shrug off.  I think Milo is right, we need to get you out of here for the time being."_

Brigit didn't respond.  A deep scowl was plastered on her face as she looked at first Milo, then Mazi, and finally Jeremiah.  The quiet barbarian merely nodded his head.

_"Ach!  Ya too, Jer?"_ she said in resignation, _"Fine, ah'll go wi' ya, but Ah've got some work ta do first."_

With that the burly dwarf stood up, grasped both axes, and set about dismembering the minotaur wight corpse.  The others stood back and let her vent her frustrations.  She didn't stop with the minotaur.  In moments the entire compliment of bodies in the room were reduced to pieces.  It appeared the Butcher was back.  

After Brigit worked out her anger at the minotaur on the rest of the corpses the party made their way cautiously back out of the temple.  The day was still bright as the exited the decrepit building, a sharp contrast to the temple.  The adventurers traveled a half-day from the temple before setting up camp again.  Milo insisted on a fire as night fell.

That night Milo sat with Brigit as the wight's curse sank into her soul.  He prayed to Usamigaras on her behalf, hoping that his god could aid in some way.  He eventually drifted off to sleep.  Midway through the night Mazi woke Milo.  Brigit seemed to be getting worse.  Her brow was furrowed and sweat poured from her body.  Milo had never personally witnessed the wight's affect and he hoped the sweat was a good sign.  He draped a cool, wet cloth across her brow and continued to watch.

Near morning, after Milo had drifted off to sleep again, he was awakened by a slight nudge.  Brigit was sitting up, supported by one hand as she prodded Milo with a stick.  She was grinning ear to ear.  Milo whooped with delight!  

_"You're okay?  You feel alright?"_ he asked the dwarf.

_"Aye, a little weak in tha bones, but Ah feel fine otherwise."_ she answered.

Milo's outburst had roused Jeremiah and broken Mazi from her meditation.  They were both standing over Brigit in seconds, relieved at her recovery.

_"So, what say we find tha priest tha' brought tha' beastie back, Milo?"_ asked Brigit.

Milo grinned and pounded her on the back. _"I knew you'd be okay Brigit.  Nothing can keep you down for long."_

_"Oh aye, one thing.  Lack O good ale.  An' we're not gettin' any out here!  Let's get on wi' it.  We got a temple ta clear O baddies."_

They struck camp immediately and set out for the temple once again.  The heroes were in high spirits as they made their way through the woods back to the clearing.  They were able to move faster with Brigit fit and well.  The temple soon rose from the trees as they neared the clearing.

The adventurers made it to the minotaur room with no incidents.  It was exactly as they left it the day before, Brigit's work was a testament against corpse raising.  They started down the long hallway towards the secret door in the south of the temple but decided to check the door they skipped before.  The door was not locked.

_"The usual?"_ Milo asked. 

_"How bout Jer boots in tha door an Ah'll pick off what we see this time?"_ Brigit asked.

Jer shrugged at Brigit before bracing himself in front of the door.  One kick later found the four of them in a room full of cots, couches, stools, tables, and assorted furniture.  A door led to the northeast.  Milo noticed the cots were not empty.  Eight former bugbears rose from the cots to attack the four.  

Milo's hand was already on Usamigaras' holy symbol.  He brandished it high and called on his faith.  Despite Usamigaras warning of weakness in his dream, the divine power poured stronger than ever from Milo's being.  A breeze blew in the room behind Milo and slammed into six of the eight.  As if wind swept sand, their flesh and bones disintegrated before blowing into nothingness.

_"Wow."_ said Brigit.

The other two bugbear zombies were dealt with quickly, Brigit and Mazi weakened them and Jeremiah's _Windsword_ finished them off.

Standing up from a battle crouch, Brigit turned around to stare at Milo in amazement.

_"I don't know!"_ the flustered halfling spoke, _"The last time I tried that nothing happened at all."_

Milo felt almost as if someone had patted him on the back, but no one stood behind him when he glanced backwards.  A warm glow suffused him.

_"I'd say your faith is growing, Milo."_ Mazi said.

Milo turned about to examine the room.  One wall had a large mural depicting the evils of the element of air.

_"I thought we were in the water temple?"_ Milo said out loud.

_"That secret door must lead to the water temple, this northern section of the temple must be dedicated to air."_ Mazi postulated.

The northeast door led into a hallway leading to the east before turning to the left.  Another door was to their immediate right.  Milo listened carefully to the door.

_"There are voices on the other side."_ he whispered.

_"Right, Jer?"_ said Brigit with no attempt to quiet her voice.

Jeremiah kicked in the door to reveal four bugbears in a smaller room decorated in gray.  Brigit fired at them with her readied arrow.  She scored a hit on the closest bugbear before the others entered the room to fight.  A following arrow from Mazi's bow brought the bugbear down.

Brigit stowed her bow and brought out her axe and shield before wading in.  Her first attacks reached empty air, but Jeremiah's sword did not.  He felled on bugbear with two swings and wounded another with his third.  Brigit refocused and attacked again.  She took down the wounded bugbear first before attacking the last one with vigor.  The creature fell before her fury.

Brigit was just about to dismember the corpses when Milo stopped her.

_"Uh, Brigit?  Can we loot the corpses before you do that?"_ 

She actually appeared slightly embarrassed.  They found a few gold and silver pieces among the bodies, but nothing else of value.  Milo concentrated on examining the room while Brigit set about to the corpses.  There were a couple of cots as well as some piled cushions in the room.  A cabinet dominated one wall.  The walls and carpet were a dull gray, apparently the color used to signify the evil element of air.  He figured this to be an old guestroom.  Two doors led out, one to the east and one to the south

Inside the cabinet Milo found a handaxe, a jar of honey, some candles, and old clothes.  He stowed the handaxe in his _bag of holding_ figuring he would be the only one to use them.  Brigit decided to keep the honey.  She had no reason she could give them.  

_"Sure Brigit, you're just wanting to brew some honey mead.  I remember your ale comment from the other day."_ Milo ribbed her.

Milo checked the southern door first.  He found that it led to a small storage closet, full of more old clothes, rags, and bedding.  The eastern door was locked, barred from the other side.  

_"Interesting, barred to keep something in here?"_ Milo guessed.

There was no barred opening to look through, so they left the door for later.  Upon returning to the hallway outside they found that it led back into the grand hall they chased the first priest and his rogue lackey into when they first came down to this level.  Nothing had changed in the hall.  They could still hear echoing noises from the many entrances and exits.  

It was then that Mazi recalled the other hallway they had left to explore near the hexagonal, water filled room.  Since they were so close they decided to check that hallway before continuing back to the water temple.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 34 (session 14)*

After a turn to the east then another to the north they arrived at a north/west intersection.  They could see the left passage led to a charred doorway.  Intrigued, the adventurers decided to investigate.  The doorway led into a room covered in soot and ash.  The door had been blown off its hinges and scorch marks were evident around the frame.  Charred bones were scattered about with mostly burnt pieces of furniture.

_"Hmmm, I wonder what happened here?"_ Milo asked to no one in particular.

_"Mebbe these air temple guys pissed off some O tha fire temple guys."_ Brigit guessed.

_"Your guess is as good as mine.  I'm inclined to agree with you though.  It looks like we could be in for quite a fight in the fire temple then."_ said Milo.

If there was anything of value in the room before, it had long since been taken.  They left the room as they found it.  The north passage turned to the northeast before straightening to the east.  Another intersection lay ahead, this one continuing east as well as leading back to the southwest.

The southwest passage led to a unique room.  It started narrow and expanded towards the south.  An odd-shaped alcove bent out of sight to the east of the entrance.  The contents of the room appealed to Milo more than the shape.  Supplies were neatly arranged along the walls and in the middle of the room.  Ammunition and hand weapons were in barrels and hung on the walls.  Rations and waterskins lay upon shelves, crates and boxes full of gear were stacked around the room.  Milo's eyes lit up with the possibility of treasure hidden in the room, or restocking supplies at the very least.

The room was not unguarded.  As they stepped forward to look into the supplies a beastly growl emanated from near the ceiling.  A huge lumbering shape dropped from above to land in the middle of the room.  Four hairy arms stretched outwards as the blue furred beast roared.  Milo had heard of a creature such as this in Darokin.

_"A girallon!"_ Milo shouted, _"Wait for it to come to us, and don't let it get more than one claw into you!"_

Milo trusted in Brigit and Jeremiah enough to take a moment to utter a _prayer_ to Usamigaras to bolster his friends and weaken his enemies.  

Mazithra was busily preparing as well, _"Zaboomifoo!"_ she shouted as she pointed the wand of enlargement at Jeremiah.

The girallon roared once more before striding forward to attack.  The creature towered above all of them but Jeremiah, its reach extending beyond even Jeremiah's greatsword.  A glimmer of intelligence sparked in its eyes as it stopped just outside of that reach.  It's huge hands, all four of them, grasped for Jer.  Jeremiah wasn't fast enough to avoid the surprisingly fast attack.  Two of the girallon's claws grasped him at the shoulders before tearing into him in a horrific rend.  A third claw inflicted even more damage.

Jeremiah was wounded badly, but not incapacitated.  He roared his own defiance and bridged the gap between them.  His sword chopped into the beast twice, drawing gouts of blood both times.  Milo took more time to strengthen Jeremiah's defense, casting a _shield of faith_ on his friend.  Mazi also took another moment to enlarge Brigit as well.

The relatively huge dwarf stepped in near Jeremiah and finished the fight in one mighty swing.  The girallon fell with a severed artery in its leg, crashing into some of the supplies before coming to a rest face down.

Jeremiah staggered slightly as his wounds caught up to him.  Milo quickly came to his side to administer some minor healing spells.  Jer downed a healing draught as well, repairing most of the wounds the girallon inflicted.  Meanwhile Brigit proceeded to dismember the girallon corpse, not willing to fight an undead version of the huge beast.

Once Milo was done healing Jeremiah, he turned his attention back to the room of supplies.  He was certain something would be stashed in the room somewhere.  He was dismayed to find nothing but run-of-the-mill supplies and some very grisly corpses.  It was obvious that the girallon was feeding off of past victims.  

The adventurers restocked their ammunition, Milo taking an extra set of crossbow bolts as well.  They also marked the room on Mazi's map for future reference.  Once she was done with the girallon, Brigit scoured the room for oil flasks.  

_"Ah want ta be ready for any more O those slimes."_ was all she would say.

She found some casks of lantern oil but no flasks to hold them.  Brigit ultimately left empty handed.  Back at the intersection they followed the eastern passage to a corner leading to the south.  They came across another intersection after a few minutes of exploration, this one to the east while the passage continued south before turning east itself.

The eastern intersection led down a long passage that opened into a small room.

_"What is that *smell*?"_ Mazi said in disgust.

There was a distinct odor filtering towards them from the end of the hallway.  Mazi wrinkled her nose at the putrescent smell.  The scent grew stronger as they neared the small room.  By the time they reached the end even Brigit and Jeremiah were breathing light to avoid drawing in too much of the stench.  The source of the smell was obvious, the room was full of garbage.

_"Uh uh, no way.  That's garbage, garbage means rats, I don't do rats."_ Mazi said, shaking her head.

_"Hang on, I see something."_ Milo said as he peered into the garbage heap, _"There's a coffer in there."_

_"Ya can stay out here, elfie, we'll go in an' brave the eensy weensy rats."_ said Brigit.

Brigit, Jeremiah, and Milo waded into the garbage towards the coffer.  They were mere feet away when the trash heap burst outwards.  Two suckered tentacles snapped out of the garbage towards the three.  A third tentacle lined with eyes emerged above an elongated mouth of teeth.  The reek of the room grew worse.  

_"*Dinner*"_ the putrid stench of the creature's breath washed over them.

Not willing to be anyone's dinner, much less the garbage monster's, Milo waded in with both axes.  Mazi's arrow and Brigit's waraxe soon followed him.  The creature fell before it could even bring a tentacle to bear.

_"That's an otyugh, even worse than rats!"_ said Mazi, _"I'm glad I stayed out here."_ she finished with a shudder.

Brigit and Jeremiah dragged the coffer from the garbage heap into the hallway before anything else could jump out at them.  Milo took some time examining the lock.  It was an intricate, complicated piece of work.  He took several attempts to open the coffer, thankful that there were no traps to set off when he'd slip now and then.  It wasn't too long before he heard the _click_ of the lock disengaging.  He sat back on his haunches and lifted the lid.

A small treasure trove of scrolls lay inside the coffer.  Milo lifted on to read and found the arcane markings eluded him.  He passed it back to Mazithra to study.  Mazi glanced over the runes excitedly.

_"This is a web spell!"_ she said.  Milo handed her another, _"This is a new one, a slow spell, I think."_

In all there were six arcane scrolls: web, slow, knock, Rary's mnemonic enhancer, magic missile, and a charm spell Mazi wasn't quite clear on.  

_"Any time we can brave the horrors of garbage pits, rats, and otyughs to bring you scrolls, you let us know Mazi."_ Milo said sarcastically.

Mazi patted Milo on the head condescendingly, _"Thank you so very much, you big, tough, meanie."_

Once the main passage turned east again they could see a branch to the south just ahead, as well as a funny intersection beyond.  The intersection led to the south, east, and southeast.  They chose the first branch before investigating the intersection.  A short hallway led to an old storage room.  This one was not in as good repair as the last.  Broken containers long empty lay strewn about.  Cracked tables lined the walls, laying empty and bare.  There didn't appear to be any secret doors or passages from the room either.  

Being the methodical sort, the adventurers chose the southern passage at the intersection first.  After a brief walk they came to a western bend that led directly into the grand hall.  They emerged at the eastern end of the room.  Still it was empty of life, and unlife Milo was relieved to find.  The southeast passage led to a more interesting find.  Once it straightened to the south they came across a door set in the western wall.  

Milo found no traps so they cautiously proceeded.  The door led into a short north/south hallway.  To the left the hall cut to the west, to the right it opened into an angled room, much like the triangle they found upstairs.  Torches lined the slanted wall ahead.  From his vantage point Milo could see a bugbear dressed in solid black seated at a table.  He quickly fired a shot from his crossbow before the bugbear could react.  The arrow missed, but the battle was on.

Jeremiah was itching for combat since the fight with the otyugh was too short.  He charged at the bugbear, directly into a club wielded out of sight.  The unseen assailant had reach and clobbered Jer as he ran by.  Jeremiah stumbled from the critical blow to his head but continued his charge nonetheless.  His sword met the bugbear as it was drawing its weapon.  The unused longsword clattered to the ground, shortly followed by the bugbear's body.

It was then that Jer turned to see what hit him like a bag of rocks.  A black-clad ogre grinned maliciously back at him.  Mazi stepped into the room, sighted the ogre, and loosed an arrow.  The missile reached the ogre seconds before Brigit who charged in past the elf.  

Brigit was able to hold off the ogre and allow Milo to tumble in and attack from the other side of the room.  His bolt sunk into the ogre's chest and elicited a hearty roar.  Jeremiah cut the ogre short as he stepped in and slashed into the beast.  They quickly glanced around to make sure no other enemies were about.  

Milo found that they were standing in a prison.  Cells lined the inner wall.  They found the hall leading to the west ended after a few paces and also was lined with cells.  In all they found three human men and four elves, three men and one elven maid.  Mazi let out a startled gasp when she looked into the cell with the elves.

_"<Lady Tillahi?>"_ Mazi said in elven.  Milo was glad he had taken the effort to pick the language up in Darokin.

The elven woman peered out into the bright torchlight, _"<P-princess Mazithra?>"_

Mazi looked extremely embarrassed at the sound of her title.

_"<Yes, it's me.  What are you doing here?>"_

Brigit and Jeremiah were completely lost in the conversation.  They set about searching the corpses and investigating the other cells.

_"<My consort, Sir Juffer, and I were abducted months ago.  Surely you knew?  We've lost track of all time down here. But what are you doing here?  Why aren't you with the others?>"_

_"<Wait, months?  That's impossible, I was with you up until the day I ran awa...left, the day before the ceremony.>"_

_"<No my lady, we were kidnapped long before the day of your ascension.  I fear that we have recently outlived our usefulness.  We were insurance until they spoke of sacrificing us.>"_

_"<They?  Who do you mean?>"_

_"<The priests of the water temple.>'_

_"<I should have known.>"_

_"<What do you know of all this, princess?>"_

_"<Probably less than you.  We need to get you out of here.>"_

Milo turned away at that point to search the jailers.  He found the keys to the cell on the bugbear's corpse.  He noted again the bugbear and ogre's uniforms.  They were both completely black with no insignia at all.  He turned to Mazi and handed her the keys.  She was still communicating with Lady Tillahi in elven.

They seemed to be talking mostly about personal matters so Milo gave the keys to Mazi and let them be.  He walked around the corner to where Brigit and Jeremiah were watching silently over the three men in the other cell.  Two were obviously once wealthy men, perhaps merchants.  The other was of a different sort altogether.  He was a shady individual, with a very shifty gaze.  Milo felt immediately that he may have something in common with the man.  He spoke to him first.

_"Who are you?"_ Milo asked the man.

_"I'm a...collector...of sorts."_ he answered.

_"A 'collector'?  I can imagine.  I may have done some 'collecting' of my own.  So is that how you came to be here?  Did you 'collect' something belonging to the temple?"_

The rogue grinned before responding, _"Not quite.  I found I had fallen in with the wrong sort of people and they didn't seem to want to let me leave."_

_"Right.  What kind of people might that be?"_ Milo said, hoping to gain more information about the temple.

_"Let's just say I've seen things that no man should see.  The priests here are sick, sick in the brain."_

_"So we've found.  Tell you what, we can free you, but we need a guarantee that you won't run back to the priests as soon as you're out of our sight.  A guarantee that you won't double-cross us like they supposedly did you."_ Milo did his best to watch for signs of deception from the rogue.  Either he was honest or he was better at hiding them than Milo was at spotting them.

_"I have information that may help you.  What guarantee do I have that you won't just kill me once you have it though?"_

_"Honor among thieves, eh?"_

_"I ain't no thief!"_

_"Merely an expression.  We'll let you out of your cell and give you some food as a goodwill gesture.  You tell us your story and we let you go.  Simple."_

The rogue studied the small halfling intently for a few moments before speaking, _"Suits me, I've got nothing better to do."_

Milo retrieved the keys from Mazi, who had already let out the elves and was still speaking with them in a quiet corner.  He returned to the other cell and located the key to the lock.  The rogue came out cautiously, followed by the two cowering older men.  They ignored Milo completely, directing their attention towards the brooding dwarf and huge barbarian.  Milo led them to the bugbear's table, still set with a sizeable amount of edible food.  All three dug in with gusto.  Once the 'collector' seemed to have his fill Milo continued their discussion.

_"So what kind of information can you give us?"_ Milo asked.

_"I know things, things about this place."_

_"Secret passages?  Back ways?"_

_"Nah, they never showed me any of that sort of stuff.  I know about the temples though."_ the rogue answered, _"There are four temples, one for each of the basic elements.  Earth, Air, Water, and Fire."_ He stopped to take a long drink from the bugbear's watered down ale.  _"None of the temples are all that friendly with each other, but its those in Black that are the real scary ones.  They're the strongest of any of them."_

_"So none of them have banded against the ones in Black?"_ Milo prompted.

_"Oh sure, they try to band together.  The Water temple is the strongest of the four.  The Fire temple is trying to enlist the aid of the Air temple and they're trying to combine with the Earth temple.  It's worse than a king's court with the intrigue that goes on in this place._

_"It's those that are in Black that keep it from going too far.  They come up from the lower level whenever one of the temples gets too strong and break it up.  They know what they're doing."_

_"So we've found the Air and Water temple here on this level, does that mean the Fire temple is below us and the Black ones below that?"_

_"Nah, not at all.  You got the Earth temple above, looks like you sneaked past them"_  Milo grinned at that statement.  _"The Water temple is in the south portion of this level, the Air is near us here, and the Fire is in the southwest area of this level.  The Black Ones are below us.  Whatever they're digging up is below that._

_"Thing is, I don't think the four temples want it dug up.  They all go on and on about some Thari or something,"_  Mazi's ears pricked at the sound of that name,  _"The Black Ones speak only of Zadoom."_

_"We've heard of Thari, who is Zadoom?"_ asked Milo.

_"Don't know.  I wasn't exactly high up on the food chain here.  I've told you all that I found out in short time that I was here.  The priests didn't see it to trust me too much.

"I've upheld my part of the bargain, now it's your turn."

"You're free to go just as soon as we're done here."  Milo turned his attention to the two older men.  "Now you two, tell me why we should let you go?"

The taller of the two addressed Milo, "We are of no consequence to you.  We would cause no trouble.  We were taken in a raid on our caravan."

"Fine and good, but you're going to have to make it worth our while to get you out of here." Milo answered.

The two men conversed quietly for a moment before turning back to Milo and speaking three words, "Gaffer and Jaffer."

Milo recognized the names.  Gaffer and Jaffer was a huge shipping company.  Their interests lied mainly on the coast but he supposed they had caravans that traveled inland.  If they were important enough in the company then helping them out could come in very handy in the future.

"So are you trying to tell me that you are the famed Gaffer and Jaffer?"

"Not at all, but if you were to help us we can guarantee that they would be very grateful.  The gratitude of Gaffer and Jaffer can go a long way in some places."

"Good enough.  We'll help you out, but understand that this is drawing us away from very important matters.  This is no light task." Milo played their plight up as much as he could.

"We understand sir.  Completely."

Mazi called Milo over for a hurried conference before they prepared to leave._


----------



## Nail

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - part 34 (session 14)*



> _Originally posted by Milo Windby _*
> 
> "A girallon!" Milo shouted, "Wait for it to come to us, and don't let it get more than one claw into you!"*




Someone's been readin' these message boards about "Heart of Nightfang Spire".......good thing that someone's a PC.....



> *
> "Any time we can brave the horrors of garbage pits, rats, and otyughs to bring you scrolls, you let us know Mazi." Milo said sarcastically.
> 
> Mazi patted Milo on the head condescendingly, "Thank you so very much, you big, tough, meanie."*




An' here I thought she might'a ended that differently......  :^)



> *"<Lady Tillahi?>" Mazi said in elven.  Milo was glad he had taken the effort to pick the language up in Darokin.
> 
> The elven woman peered out into the bright torchlight, "<P-princess Mazithra?>"*




I musta missed somethin' a ways back....Princess?



> *"<My consort, Sir Juffer, and I were abducted ......[snip]*




and:



> *"So are you trying to tell me that you are the famed Gaffer and Jaffer?"*





LOL!

...awww...you blew it here, kid.  Ya should've said: "Not the famed Jaffer and Gaffer?!  .....Or is that Guffer and Juffer?.......So good to meet you, Jeffer and Giffer......oh, we'd be happy to help any representative of Guffir and Jiffer.......

<Thoughts o' _Rosencrantz and Gildenstern_ are playin' thru me head even now......>

*-Nail*


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - part 34 (session 14)*

Nail,

Mazi's been tightlipped about her past, even to her friends.  The princess thing was played down quite a bit until this encounter.  She wasn't too happy to see anyone she knew personally so far from home either.  There was a bit of internal struggle evident on her face when she decided whether to reveal her presence to the prisoners.

And yes, visions of Halma being reduced to a bloody mist were not pleasant.  As it was the beast got a nasty hit in with three claws and a rend anyway.  Lotsa blood lost in that battle.



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> ...awww...you blew it here, kid.  Ya should've said: "Not the famed Jaffer and Gaffer?!  .....Or is that Guffer and Juffer?.......So good to meet you, Jeffer and Giffer......oh, we'd be happy to help any representative of Guffir and Jiffer.......
> 
> <Thoughts o' Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are playin' thru me head even now......>
> 
> -Nail *




Now that you mention it we should have.  With all of the names being thrown around I was having a hard time just keeping notes.  

Now are you referring to _Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are Dead_?  That's an excellent movie.  One of the few of Gary Oldmans' where he is not a villian.  

I think you'll be amused by the whole Mother Screng encounter, that is if I can get some time on my swing shift to write it up this weekend.  I just wish I had a tape recorder to capture Frog's RPing.  Priceless.


----------



## Broccli_Head

Just thought I'd drop on by.

I waiting for further revelations from the elven friends that Mazi and co. just rescued. There was a time gap mentioned there. The elven lady was abducted before Mazi remembers not seeing her...

Mazi's a Princess! No wonder she never wants to get her hands dirty...and loves that jewelry   

Too bad I have a soft spot for axe-wielding dwarves or she might become my favorite character. I like hidden pasts.


----------



## frog

Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> *Just thought I'd drop on by.
> 
> I waiting for further revelations from the elven friends that Mazi and co. just rescued. There was a time gap mentioned there. The elven lady was abducted before Mazi remembers not seeing her...
> 
> Mazi's a Princess! No wonder she never wants to get her hands dirty...and loves that jewelry
> 
> Too bad I have a soft spot for axe-wielding dwarves or she might become my favorite character. I like hidden pasts. *




Actually it went more along the lines of Mazi having seen them the day before she ran off...as they were to escort Mazi to her new abode...in fact...they were both rather high up in the Priesthoods heirarchy.  They "claim" to have been abducted weeks or months before Mazi's scheduled ascension...which is why Mazi is confused.

Plots within plots...


----------



## Mazi

Hey Milo any hints on when we can expect the next posting?


----------



## Milo Windby

Sorry everyone.  It's been a while.  I'm going to be doing some write ups this weekend.  

I'll be honest, what with school (now over) and other things going on I've had a hard time finding motivation to write.  I think I can get past this momentary writer's block, we'll see.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 35 (session 14)*

The two had a hurried discussion about the rogue and the wisdom of loosing him in the dungeon along with the other prisoners.  It was decided they would escort all of them out, including the rogue, then let him decide what he would do outside of the temple.  Milo returned to the table with the rogue.

_"Change of plans, we're all going to leave the temple together."_ Milo told the shifty-eyed man.

_"Yeah?  How can I trust you not to run me through on the way out?  No thanks, I'd rather take my chances alone."_ he answered.

_"You'll just have to trust us.  We've let you out this far, we're not going to doublecross you now.  We have a deal.  Once we're all out of the temple you are free to go where you will, as long as you don't try to inform anyone here in the temple about us we don't care."_

_"Don't have much choice.  All right then, but I'll be keeping an eye on you."_

_"I wouldn't have it any other way."_ Milo said, then turning to the others, _"We'll go to the store room and stock up before we leave, then it's straight out by the shortest route possible."_

The others solemnly agreed.  After checking everything and deciding on what order to travel, they set out away from the cells.  The halls were empty as the bloated party traveled towards the storeroom.  The elves chose simple hand weapons, as did the rogue.  The merchants filled some bags with food and drink but eschewed weapons.  

The journey out of the temple was short.  They ascended the spiral staircase quickly and made their way through the Earth Temple.  Milo noted with satisfaction the look of surprise and a small amount of admiration from the rogue when he realized that there was no one left to man the defunct temple of earth.  They exited the temple through the west vestry and stood outside blinking in the hard light of the sun.  Milo basked in its warmth, always glad to leave the confines of the temple and its cold, dark hallways.  He often felt as if an oppressive weight was lifted when he left the grounds behind.

_"You kept your bargain, I won't be seeing you again, peck."_ the rogue said to Milo.

_"Probably so, good journey."_ Milo said in farewell.

_"We'll see."_ and with that the rogue was gone, hidden from view in the trees in a matter of seconds.

Milo turned to the others, _"We'll make camp at least half a day from here.  Tomorrow Mazi and I will head into town and find some sort of accommodation for the elves and the merchants."_

When no protests were offered they turned their backs to the temple and walked on.  As night fell Jeremiah went forward to find a suitable campground.  He circled back to the party and led them to a sizable clearing perfect for a few days' rest.  Exhausted from the long walk, the elves and merchants chose their spots and went to sleep with the blankets they took from the storeroom.  All but Lady Tillahi and Mazi slept or meditated.  They stayed up talking long into the night.  Milo slept, aware of the long journey he and Mazi had on foot the next day.

Milo and Mazi set out early, determined to reach town as quickly as possible.  They left with explicit instructions from Brigit to bring back some oil, alchemist fire, and tanglefoot bags for her supply.  Milo's plan was to use his _change self_ spell on himself and his _invisibility_ spell on Mazi to keep suspicion low on entering town.  A day and a half later they reached the outskirts of town and readied themselves.  Milo transformed himself into a four-foot tall bald human with forgettable features.  Hopefully an image that wouldn't rouse any suspicion.  He then rendered Mazi invisible.  Trusting that she followed close behind he ventured into town.

He gathered a few sidelong glances as he made his way to the blacksmith/stables, but attributed that to townsfolk' distrust of strangers.  Milo soon found himself before Otis' shop.  He let himself in and held the door long enough to be sure Mazi made it inside.  Otis was behind his counter, fussing with some shelves when Milo entered.

_"Otis.  Is it good to see you."_ Milo said.

The portly blacksmith turned to look at the stranger, _"Do I know yeh, sir?"_

Milo glanced around, making sure that no one else was in the shop.  When he was satisfied that they were alone, he let his _change self_ enchantment drop.

_"Ahh, Milo lad!  I thought it might be you."_ Otis said, _"Yeh've caused quite a stir round here!  There's a bounty on yer heads, one hundred gold apiece.  Dead or alive, well, mostly dead.  All but the elf that is."_

Milo could only imagine Mazi's reaction to that news. _"Only one hundred?  I guess we're not trying hard enough._ Milo's comment elicited a chuckle from the rotund man. _"We've come to settle our debts with you for the mounts and extend the arrangement.  That, and we've got some more, er, 'friends in need' we've come across."_

Otis raised his eyebrows at Milo's statement. _"I think I understand.  Well I'm sure we can come to an arrangement again.  What kind of 'friends' are yeh talking about?"_

_These are a little more sensitive than the others.  There are three elves, at least two nobles.  Mazi is very interested in their safe return to their kingdom.  The other two are human merchants, part of the Gaffer and Jaffer Shipping Company."_

Otis' eyebrows raised even higher, something Milo didn't think possible. _"Elven nobles and Gaffer & Jaffer?  You're dealing with some sensitive people indeed."_  Otis sat in thought for a few moments.  _"I think we can come up with something.  There is that clearing-"_ Otis left the statement hanging.

Milo grinned, _"I know just the clearing you're talking about.  Here, for your troubles."_ Milo dropped a few platinum pieces into Otis' outstretched palm, more than enough to cover any expenses plus quite a bit extra on the side.  _"We really appreciate your help Otis."_

_"Always happy to help a friend in need.  Just so yeh know, if I'm not around there is someone else that may be able to help yeh.  Old Mother Screng runs an herb shop here in town.  She and her daughter-"_ Otis paused as Milo could see a shiver run down his spine, _"-Hrulta, may be sympathetic to yer cause."_

_Thank you Otis, your help is always appreciated."_ Milo said, _"There is one more thing.  You wouldn't happen to know where we could pick up some alchemist fire or tanglefoot bags?"_

Otis scrunched up his face in thought, _"Nah, there's no call for stuff like that around here.  Yeh'd probably find some oil in the market though."_

_"That will have to do.  How about healing potions?  Anywhere around here we could pick up something like that?"_

_"Ahh, for that yeh'd want Mother Screng."_ Otis said with a toothy grin.  _"Yeh'll find her shop past the market.  She won't be open this late though, yeh'll have to come back tomorrow."_

_"Okay, we can do that.  Thanks again for your help Otis.  We'll see you again."_  Milo flipped him a jaunty salute as he left the shop.

Milo made his way back to the outskirts carefully.  He was painfully aware that his disguise was dropped and that he may be recognized.  He arrived outside of town in a few minutes and called out to Mazi, hoping she was still with him.  He was relieved when she dropped her invisibility just a few feet from where he stood.

They found a secluded spot to camp for the night after an hour of hiking.  Milo determined to prepare his _change self_ spell again the next morning and venture to Mother Screng's shop for some healing potions and the market for some oil.

The next morning Milo recast _change self_ and assumed his short human persona.  Mazi was soon _invisible_ again and they set on their way to town again.

Mother Screng's shop was easy to find.  It was a small cottage set at the end of the market.  The roof was sunken and dilapidated, weeds grew almost as tall as Milo in the front, the grass was thick and unkempt.  The door hung crooked off its hinges but was open wide.  Milo walked in and was immediately assaulted by a variety of smells and odors.  He wrinkled his nose and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness within.  Rows upon rows of shelves were filled with jars of herbs and other unidentifiable objects.  A shrill cackle pierced the quiet.

_"Ehee hee hee!  What we got here?"_ Milo was soon face to face with the most wrinkled, pointed, hairy-moled, face he'd ever seen.  It was attached to a hunched body covered in tattered clothes and rags.  _"A new customer eh?"_

_"Uhm,"_ Milo was taken aback, more by the smell of her breath than her appearance.  _"I'm, uh, looking for something of a healing nature."_

_"A healin' nature?"_ came the shrill voice, thick with a back country accent, _"Ya sure ya don't want a loooove potion?"_ again came the cackle, _"Ehee hee hee!  Looks like ya could use it, little man."_

_"Uh, no.  I'm thinking something along the lines of healing, say for a person caught in a farm accident or the like?"_

_"I've gots lots of looooove potions.  That's wha' most of ya want when ya come ta Old Mother Screng."_ her putrid breath washed over him, much worse than anything a dragon could spew he'd wager.  _"I'm sure ya could use somethin' like this, little man."_ she said as she held up a bottle with a number nine inscribed, _"guarenteeeed ta git ya what yer after!"_

_"No, really, I'm looking for something to heal with."_ Milo insisted, pushing away the vial.

_"Well yer not too much ta look at, little man, thought ya could use some help.  Yer friend over there ain't much ta look at either._ Mother Screng said with a nod to an empty corner of the room.  _"I kin see why ya might have some problems gettin' tagether."_

Milo was more than disturbed that this old woman could see right through Mazi's invisibility with a glance.  At least he assumed she was talking about Mazi and no imagined woman in the corner.  All he needed was to try to haggle with an insane woman.

_"I got somethin' nice in tha back.  If all ya wants is healin'.  But ya gots ta know, it can't give ya what ya don't already have."_ she said with a meaningful glance below Milo's waist.  _"Ehee hee hee heeee!"_  Milo blushed at her frank stare and insinuation.  She disappeared into the back room in a flutter of rags.  Milo could hear banging and crashing, he assumed she was digging out her healing potions.

_"'Ere's just tha thing for ya, little man."_ Mother Screng screeched as she reappeared. _"This'll heal ya an' leave ya feelin' mighty good, if ya gets my meanin'!  Ehee hee hee!"_  She held a jar of ointment that looked much like the Keoghtem's Ointment they found in the temple.  _"It's tha good stuff.  I been known ta use it myself from time ta time."_

_"How much for the ointment then?"_ Milo asked.

_"Ohhhh, this is tha good stuff.  It'll cost ya, erm, four-five."_ she said.

Milo tried to hide his surprise at such a low price for Keoghtem's Ointment.  _"forty-five gold pieces?"_

_"Ehee hee hee hee!  Forty-five?  Try forty-five hundred, simpleton."_ she cackled.  _"I tole ya, this is tha gooood stuff.  Heal what ales ya an' make ya feel real nice ta boot."_

_"Forty-five hundred?  Do you have anything a little less pricey?"_ 

Mother Screng looked him up and down again, as if reassessing him.  _"Maybeee, maybeee.  Let me check."_  Again she was off into the back room, banging and crashing around.  She came back brandishing three small vials.  _"Here they be!  This maybeee what yer lookin' for.  This ain't as good as me other stuff, but it gets tha job done.  This'll cost ya, tho not so much as me ointment.  One-three, that's about right."_

_"Let's see how good it is before I pay that much."_  Milo said, warming up to the haggle.

_"Ya can't doubt Old Mother Screng's brew!  This is tha good stuff.  I already tole ya that!"_

_"Fine, fine, then we'll pay ten."_

_"Ten?  Ten fer my finest brew?  Yer insultin' Mother Screng now, little man."_  The old hen glanced down at her bottles, then at her clothes, then gave a shrewd stare back at Milo.  _"One-one, that's it.  Yer not gonna find this stuff anywhere else, I can tell ya that!"_

_"Done, One thousand, one hundred gold pieces."_  Milo hefted the party coin purse up and carefully counted out the gold.  Mother Screng looked on greedily, almost drooling at the money piling up.  When Milo was finished she gleefully handed the vials over to Milo and sat staring at her money.

_"Ehee hee hee hee!  Yer a crafty one, little man."_ Mother Screng was up and about again, speaking right into Milo's face.  _"It's too bad my daughter ain't here, she'd do well with a crafty one like ya.  Though ya ain't much in tha height department, is ya?  Ehee hee hee hee!  Ya mayhap need some O my loooooove potion anyways, she ain't so well rounded like me, socially speakin'."_

Milo shuddered at the thought of another Mother Screng, or worse.  _"Yes, it's a pity.  Well I must be going.  Thanks again for the potions."_

_"Maybeee next time Hrulta will be here.  Then ya can meet me charmin' daughter!  An' don' forget, that stuff is good, but it can't give ya what ya don' got!  Ehee hee hee hee hee!"_

Milo beat a hasty retreat, back into the light of day.  He was very relieved to be out of the cramped quarters of Mother Screng's hovel, even more relieved to be away from her putrid breath and peircing cackle.  He could hear a faint laughing over his shoulder.

_"That's enough from you Mazi.  No one asked you what you thought."_

Once he picked up some oil from the market, a considerably less stressful venture than Mother Screng's shop, they departed for camp.  Outside of town they dropped their disguises.  As soon as she was visible again Mazi doubled over holding her stomach.

_"Milo's got a date!"_ she guffawed.

_"Stand up Mazi, it's not befitting for a lady of your position to give herself to such bouts of hysteria."_

_"Oh ho ho!  You're never going to live this down, 'little man'."_

_"Enough, let's get back to camp."_

_"Are you sure you don't want to wait around for lovely Hrulta?"_ Mazi giggled.

Bearing Mazi's teasing all the way back to camp, Milo thought he held up rather well.  The elves and merchants were eager to hear of the arrangements.  Mazi assured her friends of Otis' trustworthiness and asked them to take a written message back to her people.  Milo once again thought of the messages he had waiting to go to Darokin.  He hoped he would make it there soon, or at least find some way to get the messages there.

The next day Brigit, Jeremiah, Mazi, and Milo led the others to the clearing.  They were not surprised to find a wagon and mule waiting, as well as provisions.  There was enough to get the merchants back to Specularum and the elves to Mazi's homeland.  Mazi bid her friends farewell while Milo wished the merchants good journey.  That night found them camped a little less than half a day from the temple.  They prepared once again to enter the foul shrine in the morning.


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## Krellic

Just finished reading this from post one and it's good stuff.  Milo your style of writing has picked up all the way through.

Good luck with the 'lovely' Hrulta, and remember, no kissing on the first date!


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## Milo Windby

Thanks Krellic!  Your comments are greatly appreciated.  It's nice to have another reader.

On a personal note, I had four impacted wisdom teeth extracted this week.  I haven't been up to doing much but laying around making Brigit's life miserable.  I will be trying to write up a new post today and tomorrow though, so stay tuned!


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## Nail

Jus' so you know, at least some o' th' rest of us are here, now that the boards are behavin'.

More story!  <bump>   More story!

-*Nail*


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## frog

Milo's oral surgery has left him with a rather nasty infection in the previously occupied portions of his mouth.  He has been out of commission for a few days now but should be getting back on his feet shortly to continue with the story.  As for me, I am ashamed to admit that I had to pull some punches or the entire group would have been slaughtered like a bunch of cattle.  I have subsequently turned in my membership card to the bastage dm club until I can make amends.


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## Broccli_Head

Poor Milo....

Catching up wasn't that bad. Maybe it'll inspire me to post again.


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## Milo Windby

Frog is right, the dry socket really wiped me out.  The other part of it is I normally write during the slow periods at work which have been few and far between the past few weeks.  I've got some free time now so I'm diligently plunking away at the keyboard.

Sorry about the lack of updates folks.  I've got two sessions to write up then we'll be up to date.  Hopefully we'll be playing this week.  We'll see if Frog gets his membership to the RBDM club reinstated.


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil – part 36 (session 15)*

That night Milo had a disturbing dream about a woman, a hideous woman with leathery skin and moles bristling with wiry black hair all over her face, making amorous advances towards him.  He awoke with a start, shivering from a cold sweat.  It took hours before he could wipe the image from his mind and even longer before he could banish the unease he felt after waking.

Mazi giggled to herself the whole way back to the temple.  Milo just shook his head and kept quiet, believing that silence was the better part of valor.  The temple waited.  Downstairs they decided to fill out Mazi’s map in the northeast.  The hallways twisted in their labyrinthine meandering, eventually leading past a door in the southern wall.

The door led into a square antechamber.  The walls were decorated with all four elements, Fire, Water, Earth, and Air.  Evil depictions of the elements, performing things that Milo would rather not think about.  Brigit and Jeremiah led the way.  Before Milo or Mazi could follow an explosion rocked the doorway, bowling them back.  Brigit and Jer were caught in the blast.  Brigit managed to through herself through, taking less of the heat but unfortunately leaving Jeremiah in the full brunt on the _glyph of warding_.

When the smoke cleared they could see that four bugbears were waiting for them, javelins at the ready.  Milo and Mazi fired their weapons as soon as they could see through the haze.  Both missed, unable to make a decent shot past their friends and through the smoke.  One bugbear made a lucky throw past the dwarf and grazed Mazi with its javelin.  Brigit had pulled out her bow right after rolling past the doorway, her arrow shot straight through the neck of one of the slavering bugbears.  Jeremiah shook off the effects of the _glyph_ and charged in, dodging an attack from one bugbear and slicing into another. 

A flurry of missiles rained down on the bugbears as Milo, Mazi, and Brigit loosed their next volley.  Two of the wounded bugbears were cut down by Jeremiah’s greatsword, leaving a lone, suddenly scared, guard.  The beast turned tail and fled through a door at the rear of the antechamber.  

Milo and Mazi gave chase immediately, followed closely by Brigit and Jeremiah.  The next room was a large hall, living quarters of some kind.  A large iron pot hung over a charcoal fire near the middle of the room.  There were boxes and a chest in the southeast corner.  Large couches and chairs adorned the room as well.  Standing behind two couches set end to end were more bugbears.  Milo made a quick estimation at over half dozen males and almost as many females.

Both Mazi and Milo dropped into spellcasting mode right away, hoping to accomplish something before the melee was joined.  Mazi hurriedly finished an incantation for her _web_ spell but was hampered by her armor.  She failed to move her hand just so and the spell fizzled before the _web_ could manifest.  Milo spoke a sacred _prayer_ to Usamigaras for protection of his friends and the defeat of their enemies.  He felt bolstered by his faith and could see the bugbears physically weaken.

Jeremiah and Brigit had bowled into the room, coming to a stop between Mazi and Milo and the fire pit.  They were the first targets for the bugbears’ javelins.  The wooden shafts sped towards the pair but couldn’t quite make their mark.  Brigit and Jeremiah scoffed at the bugbears and approached their makeshift barricade.  

The bugbears quailed noticeably when Jeremiah took a running leap at the couches.  One batted out weakly at him as he literally flew over the top of the barricade.  Jeremiah growled at him and attacked, wounding one of the males.

Mazithra took one look at the bugbears behind their barricade, spotted a similar arrangement at their side of the room, and ducked for cover.  Milo followed suit, shooting past the side of the tall couches.  Mazi fired a single wounding arrow before ducking back under the cover.

The bugbears had the advantage of numbers, but couldn’t seem to put it to use.  Four surrounded Jeremiah, one actually managing to wound him through his heavy armor.  He merely grinned, activated the _Windsword_ and flew into a whirlwind of attacks.  Every attack landed in the close quarters.  Jer finished off with a flourish, slicing a bugbear’s head completely off.  Meanwhile Brigit weathered a hail of six javelins without a scratch.  She too grinned as she made her way over the barricade, considerably slower and more careful than her barbarian friend did.

Mazi knocked another arrow to her bow, drew back, and let loose.  There was a great “snap!” as her bowstring broke in the middle.  She cursed and crouched back behind the barricade to restring her bow.  Milo gave her an empathetic look before peeking around to fire his crossbow.  He was disappointed to see five of the bugbears clambering over their barricade to attack he and Mazi.  He fired at one of the beasts for good measure before leaning back to warn the elf.

Brigit and Jeremiah kept their share of enemies on the other side of the couches.  Brigit moved in to aid Jer, eliciting a fumbled attack from one of the bugbears.  Jeremiah flew into a frenzy of attacks, dropping four of the creatures before they could retreat from the range of his deadly sword.

Mazi and Milo guarded their barricade with a flurry of fire.  Two of Mazi’s arrows cut down as many bugbears.  Jeremiah jumped over the barricade again, chasing down two of the bugbears and finishing them off before they could attack.  The other two made it to the barricade and poked over at Mazi.  She easily dodged their attacks and drew her sword.

Milo stowed his crossbow and pulled out his twin axes, prepared for close fighting.  Brigit cleaved through two more bugbears on her side of the barricade.  Jeremiah reached three bugbears that were assaulting Mazi and Milo’s barricade, he took down two but took two vicious wounds during his effort.

Suddenly the southern door near Brigit slammed open.  Three huge bugbears and their mates lumbered through, heading straight for Brigit.  The sturdy dwarf wasted no time, she cut into them with a vengeance, killing one and wounding another badly.  

Mazi cut down the last bugbear attacking their barricade, freeing Jeremiah to charge back to Brigit’s side.  Jeremiah ran with abandon, clearing the couches easily.  One bugbear fell before his onslaught and two others were wounded by Brigit’s axe.  The last bugbear took one last swipe at Brigit before succumbing to Jeremiah’s next attack.  

Milo had scurried to the far barricade to offer Jeremiah some much needed healing.  While Milo worked on bringing Jer back to full health Brigit drew some spikes from her pack and nailed the south door shut.  

There were two other doors leading to the west.  They could see that the southwestern door was ajar.  Milo crept close and listened in.  He heard shuffling and grunting from beyond the door.  Mazi moved past the door with an arrow at the ready.  She narrowly avoided being hit by a thrown javelin and turned to return fire.  While she was keeping them busy, Milo tumbled into the room and loosed his quarrel, eliciting a startled scream from one of the three bugbears laying in wait.

Jeremiah moved in next to Milo just as the three swooped down on him.  Jer’s sword cut into the leading bugbear, skewering him through the heart before it could get close enough to strike.  Milo dodged the other two.  Two expert thrusts of Jeremiah’s greatsword finished the others.  

_”Well that’s one way to start the day.”_ said Milo as he tried to catch his breath.  He looked around, surveying the damage done to his comrades.  It appeared that Jeremiah was the only one of them that sustained any sort of severe wounds.  One more healing spell cured him of his most painful wounds.

They took a few moments to make sure no other bugbears were heading their way.  It seemed they had cleaned out that corner of the temple.  Milo noticed that all of them wore the black livery of the jailers.

_”More of the black-clad cult.  I think we’re getting towards the serious enemies now.”_  Milo said.

_”Aye, Ah noticed it too.  No matter, they drop jus’ as good as tha rest!”_ Brigit responded.

_”Even so, let’s stay on our guard.”_ said Mazi.

They checked the body, finding that a couple of the larger males wore some fine jewelry.  Mazi’s eyes lit up immediately.  Others carried gold, silver, and platinum pieces that they stowed for later redistribution.  The chest Milo spotted contained nothing more than junk, some old clothes and spoiled food.

_”I’ll never understand why these people feel the need to secure their rotten food and old clothes in locked chests.”_ Milo complained.

_”Just for you Milo, just for you.”_ Mazi answered.

Milo grumbled as he rummaged through the junk.  His search uncovered no valuables.  Jeremiah made a retching noise as he stirred up the cauldron over the coals.  Fingers floated to the surface along with other less easily identified pieces of meat.  They decided to pass on dinner in the temple.


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## Nail

<cups hands, shouts>

Miiiillllooooooooooo!   Are you there????!!!

<listens, intently>


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## frog

Milo has developed a severe case of "writers block".  Rather unfortunate since there have been several memorable incidents including exploding zombies and Brigit's famed quote:

"Yer violated me axe, now I'm gonna violate yer ****"

(which left us all rolling on the floor when she finally realized what she had just said and blushed accordingly)


Not to mention a rematch against the High Priest of the Water Temple...


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## Milo Windby

*I'm Sorry, so sorry...*

Hello everyone.  I owe you all an apology.  I have suffered from writer's block as Frog said.  I feel that I've let you down though, by not even commenting on the board for so long.  Well I'm over my slump now and I've got not one, but two installments to post.  This brings us within two sessions of being current.  I hope you enjoy them!


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 37 (session 15)*

Mazi noted a portion of their map that indicated a door near the prison that held her friends.  They decided to check that area out before venturing back into the Water Temple.  Milo was careful to check for any more traps like the one that exploded on Brigit and Jeremiah.  They ran across no more glyphs on the way to the prison block.  The door they marked opened into a long changing room.  Empty wardrobes and armoires lined the east wall.  

_"Quite a walk for a changing room, Mazi."_ Milo said sarcastically.

Mazi ignored his tone as she walked to the end of the room.  _"Something doesn't feel quite right over here."_

Sarcasm or no, Milo trusted in her innate sense to find hidden portals.  It appealed to his 'inquisitive' nature.  He joined her at the south end of the room where Mazi was examining the wall.  An especially large wardrobe towered above them, taking up most of the wall.  Milo peaked inside and noticed one of the hooks was crooked and seemed to be loose.  

_"Mazi, will you pull that hook, it's a little too high up for me."_ Milo asked.

_"Sure thing, 'little man'."_ she laughed as she reached for the hook.  

The back wall of the wardrobe swung out, revealing a room with two exits to the south.  Brigit and Jeremiah were soon with them as they entered the large room.  Tables much bigger than any human used were set in the middle of the room.  A gurgling fountain circulated the water in a pool to the right of the entrance and a warm fireplace lit the room from the southern wall.  Five very surprised bugbears wearing short red capes sat at the table where they had been picking at a haunch of cold meat.

Two were cut down where they sat by a lightning fast attack from Brigit, Mazi, and Milo.  The other three sprung from their seats, one shouted an alarm in their growling language.  Jeremiah dashed in and cut the shouting bugbear down.  His sword wounded another that was soon brought down by one of Mazi's arrows.  Brigit finished off the last bugbear before it could turn from Jer.

They stood still for a moment, waiting for a response to the alarm.  All they could hear was a scritching sound growing louder from the southwest passage.  They hurriedly employed the bugbear's tactic by dumping over the table and drawing their ranged weapons from behind the makeshift barricade.  The sounds grew louder as whatever was making them drew closer.

The scritching was soon revealed to be the wiry bristles of a huge spider's eight feet.  The bulbous body of the spider hovered into view from the passageway.  It's many eyes searched for its prey.  As one the adventurers looses their arrows and bolts.  The spider couldn't withstand the barrage.  The spider crumpled in a heap of legs and green ichor.  After a few seconds it began to shrink.  In moments a small, dead spider lay in the middle of a jumble of arrows.  Brigit walked to the spider and stamped down with her metal-clad foot for 'good measure'.

They listened down the hall for any more approaching sounds.  After a full five minutes of silence they went about searching the room.  Brigit got down to her usual business of dismembering the corpses after the others divested them of a few coins found in pockets and pouches.  

When they were ready to move on Milo led the way down the southwest passage.  After a few feet it ended in a closed door.  Taking a deep breath, Milo cast a _magic circle against evil_ before they entered the next room.  The adventurers found themselves in a small room with another door to the south.  There was a writing table with some blank parchment as well as a chest in the corner.  Before Milo could move to investigate they all heard some shuffling coming from behind the door.

Brigit and Jeremiah were through the door before Milo could object.  Mazi and Milo followed behind just in time to see a glowing glyph explode into their friends.  Brigit and Jeremiah managed to jump back enough to minimize their exposure.  They didn't have a chance to recover as all four were then blasted with another spell.  Another explosion rocked the room and burned them all.  Brigit then stood stock still, a look of anger and fear plastered on her frozen face.  Milo could tell a _hold person_ spell when he saw one.  He growled at the situation and their lack of tactics.

Two human priests populated the room they had blundered into, more than prepared for battle.  Milo took in the room quickly.  The floor was covered in thick carpet.  Tapestries adorned the walls depicting the usual grotesque scenes of the elemental evils.  The ceiling was painted with murals of demons and humans engaged in lewd activities.  A table with an ewer and cups sat next to the west wall along with a large box.  The two clerics flanked a door leading south.

Mazi recovered first and fired off three _magic missiles_ at the cleric to the left.  The priest grunted as the glowing balls of energy slammed into him.  Milo readied a spell of his own, waiting for one of the priests to try to cast.  As soon as the other cleric rose his hands and began to chant Milo let loose his _sound burst_.  A thundering boom filled the room, deafening the two clerics.  The casting priest lost his spell as he flung his hands over his bleeding ears.  Jeremiah moved to stand between the humans, shrugging off their attacks.  He slashed into the cleric on the left who was also trying to manage another spell.  The offense caught him off guard and his spell fizzled as well.

Their confidence returned, even with Brigit _held_.  Milo moved in to attack the priest to the right with his axes.  His over-confidence caused him a wound as the priest took the open opportunity to attack.  Mazi swung up her hands to cast another spell.  A dull orange glow grew brighter and brighter from her fingertips, forming into a _flaming sphere_.  She sent the burning ball towards the cleric that struck Milo.  One more attack from Jeremiah's greatsword sealed the other cleric's doom.  He turned to survey the battle.

The other cleric took a step away from the sphere and Milo and began to cast again.  Milo struggled for a few seconds with a sense of extreme dread as the priest's _bestow curse_ failed to take hold.  He stepped forward to press his attack, scoring a hit with one of his axes.  Jeremiah joined him, taking an ugly wound from the cleric after his near run.  The priest paid for it in kind.  

As they fought the southern door swung open.  A tall warrior in glittering chainmail entered.  In one hand he carried a flaming longsword, the other a coiled rope.  Two bugbears followed him.  Jeremiah swung at them as they entered, felling one of the bugbears.  The human reacted quickly, shouting a command word and tossing the rope at Milo.  The halfling soon found himself struggling against the ever-tightening bonds of the _rope of entanglement_.  He despaired as it constricted, cutting off all movement.  He was no more mobile than Brigit.

Just then Brigit broke free from the effects of the _hold person_ spell and sprung into action.  She snarled as she raised her axe and charged the human.  The warrior grinned and parried the incoming blow before striking with the flaming sword.  The flames burst into a small fireball, exploding into Brigit!  She was badly burned from the explosion as well as the exceptionally sharp blade.  Milo was even more concerned than before as he struggled to escape his bonds.

Brigit recovered from the flaming attack and surged forward again, this time doing some damage of her own with *Trollgrater*.  Mazi followed Brigit's attack with a _flaming arrow_ spell.  It was the human's turn to writhe in flames as her spell slammed into him.  The fiery arrow proved too much for the warrior, he fell dead at Brigit's feet.

Jeremiah rushed to Brigit's side to fend off the last bugbear's attacks.  Two slashes of their weapons brought the last foe down.  Milo escaped the rope just as the bugbear died.  He fumbled with his pack, trying to draw out the _staff of healing_ for anyone that needed it before any more reinforcements arrived.

The four stood quiet, battle-ready for a few moments.  They could hear no more approaching feet coming from the open door or from the way they came.  Not wishing to tempt fate, they quickly looted the bodies.  Milo cast _detect magic_ to make sure they didn't leave anything important.  He was amazed as he saw that not only did the rope and the flaming longsword glow, but the human's chainmail and shield as well as one of the cleric's warhammers.  They gathered up the gear as well as all of the coins and gems the priests and others were carrying.  The clerics and human also wore amulets with fire emblems, they didn't show as magic, but they were set with crystal clear rubies.  Milo stashed them in a pouch as they left the room back the way they came.

The chest in the other room contained a vial of liquid as well as some clothes.  Mazi cast _detect poison_ on the vial, wary of a trap.  Her suspicions were rewarded when she found that the draught was indeed poisoned.  They left the chest and its contents to the temple.  Jeremiah, Brigit, and Milo were all in sore need of healing.  The party wasted no more time in leaving the temple to heal their wounds and fight another day.  Milo figured that their last battle was won by luck as much as by skill.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 38 (session 16)*

Their next trip into the temple brought them back to the secret door leading into the Water Temple.  Mere minutes ago the decision was made to finish their explorations past the watery room by the flip of a coin.

_"Okay, heads for water, tails for fire."_ Milo said as he flipped a copper piece.

The shining coin spun in the air, reflecting the light of the sun filtering through the trees near the Temple of Elemental Evil.  Milo snagged the coin mid-spin and opened his palm.

_"Heads.  Water Temple it is.  Maybe we'll meet up with old stony."_ he said after viewing the coin.

_"Aye, an' mebbe this time he won't run through a solid wall.  Ah canna stand cowards."_ Brigit spat, remembering their last encounter with the head priest.

_"I just don't like how much he knew about me.  That and the whole 'vessel' thing."_ Mazi said with a chill, despite the warm morning sunlight.

Into the temple they went.  Milo noted as they traveled through the depths that many of the dismembered corpses were still present.  _Good_, he thought, _I hate undead._  The corpses meant no undead, but they did leave quite a stench.  As if the temple wasn't repulsive before, the mess they were making was leaving an even more grotesque mark on its vile stones.  Milo's musings were cut short when they reached the secret door.  He stepped forward and triggered the release.  The heavy stone wall swung back to reveal an empty hallway stretching to the south and a door to the east.  

_"We tried the door before, shall we head down the hallway this time?"_ suggested Milo.

_"Sure, let's see where this leads."_ Mazi agreed.  She wasn't eager to meet up with the priest quite yet.

The hallway twisted to the southeast before straightening south again.  A single door stood on the west wall.  The door led to another set of stairs leading down.  They left the stairs for later, intent on eliminating the evil on one floor at a time.  The stony passage led away from the door through many twists and turns.  They eventually turned to the east again, according to Brigit's cavesense.  After some time the passage led north to an intersection.  It continued north while a branch led to the east.  They could make out a fair sized room from their vantage point.

_"Into the slaughterhouse my friends?"_ Milo asked good-naturedly.

_"Oh aye, but not fer our slaughter."_ Brigit said with a malicious grin.

Just as she spoke *Trollgrater* hummed to life in her hands.  A ruddy glow suffused the chamber, centered on the legendary waraxe.  There were crates, boxes, barrels, and sacks all along the walls.  A door led to the east.  The room reeked of dung and spoiled meat.  Brigit took a look around and spoke one word:

_"Trolls"_

What they thought was a pile of refuse lying in the corner suddenly shifted.  A mass of warty green skin rose until the stooped figure of a troll glared at the intruders.  Drool dripped off its tusks in thick strands as the thought of its next meal filtered through its mind.  It stretched out its claws as Brigit's axe flamed in its full glory.  Brigit's face was highlighted by the strong glow and her eyes burned much as the axe as she stared down the troll.  With a scream of recognition, then rage, the troll sprung at them.

It's claws swiped down before they could get into range to bring their own weapons to bear.  Luckily it appeared either the troll was dim-witted or sluggish from sleep.  Brigit, Jeremiah, and Milo dodged its claws and teeth easily.  They each moved in, harrowing it as they tried to surround it.  Mazi fired her arrows into the melee as the others attacked.  The troll screamed again as Brigit's axe cleaved through its thick skin.  It was obvious that the creature was not used to the pain that the flaming *Trollgrater* inflicted.

Their attacks quickly wore down the large troll with Brigit's flaming weapon dealing the final blow.  They paused to take account of themselves.  It seemed they all made it through the fight unscathed.  Brigit wasted no more time, while *Trollgrater* still burned she decapitated the troll and proceeded to completely dismember the beast.

The others searched the room and the containers lining the walls.  All they found were rotting food, watered wine, moldy grain, and old clothes.

_"They sure are fond of the threadbare here, aren't they?"_ Milo said as he lifted a tattered cloak from a crate with his handaxe.

_"Perhaps no one has told them that it's out of style."_ Mazi said with a completely straight face.

_"Uhm, yeah, right."_ Milo said, unsure whether she was serious or not.

Brigit joined them as they examined the door.  It led into an antechamber of sorts, a small room with another door leading to the east.  This door led into what seemed like a makeshift throne room.  The walls were decorated with the bones of countless creatures, mostly humanoid.  Another door led to the east.  A huge throne fashioned from more bones dominated the room.  Sitting in the throne was an equally huge troll.  Brigit's axe flamed into new life, thirsting for the blood of its enemy.  The troll grinned as it fingered its club.  It was dressed head to foot in a strange bone armor.  One moment it lounged on the throne and the next it lunged at Brigit.

The stout dwarf dodged its blows while she lined up her own attack.  Taking careful aim, she brought down the axe right into its chest.  The axe burst into a small fireball, the flames licking at the troll's horrified face.  Although *Trollgrater* inflicted a horrible wound, it didn't seem to do as much damage as it had before.

_"Its armor must be enchanted!"_ Milo shouted as Jeremiah swung the *Windsword* at the huge troll.

Milo tumbled behind the huge troll, avoiding its attacks easily with his small, lithe frame.  *Reft* and *Rend* dug into the troll's exposed hamstrings, bringing it crashing down.  Brigit finished it off with a vicious chop to its now accessible neck.  The flames from her axe cauterized the wounds immediately and she went to work on the rest of the huge monster.

They managed to grab a couple of things off the troll before Brigit could bring her axe to bear.  Mazi found a beautiful gold necklace adorned with 4 large rubies and a belt set with 4 large emeralds.  On a whim Milo sat back and cast _detect magic_.  He could see two glowing objects in the room, but was surprised to find that neither of them were what they had already found.  One was the ring on the troll's dismembered hand, the other a diffuse glow under some rags.  He struggled removing the ring from the thick finger of the troll before pocketing for later identification.  The glow under the rags turned out to be a vial of liquid, some potion of sorts.  He tossed it to Brigit for safekeeping until it too could be identified.

Listening to the door Milo could make out some guttural growls and other troll-like sounds.  *Trollgrater* seemed to growl back.  The door opened into a large chamber with a passage leading out from the northeast.  More boxes, crates, barrels, and sacks were piled around the room.  A lone troll wielding a trident stood near the exit, growling in their direction.

The warriors arrayed themselves before the troll, waiting for it to make the first move.  Brigit's axe lent an orange cast on the scene, four adventurers with weapons at the ready and a lone snarling troll.  A dim thought seemed to occur to the beast as it stood, leaning forward, then back.  Finally it seemed to make up its mind: it ran.

_"Bugger!  Every time!"_ Brigit shouted as she stood from her battle crouch.

_"Hang on, before you give chase let me pump up your defenses."_ Milo said, prepared just for such an occasion.  

Three _shields of faith_ on Jer, Mazi, and Milo later and a short jog out of the chamber led them to a north-south passage.  They could hear noises coming from the north, more than just a single troll this time though.  Milo was glad he took the time to cast.  The passage led to a huge circular chamber.  A great post rose from the center with a sturdy iron ring at the top.  Chained to the ring was a seven-headed beast, slavering at the end of its reach for the entrance to the chamber.  The troll that ran away was at the other end.  It had obviously skirted the edge and stood waiting to see how the adventurers dealt with this obstacle before it fled out the exit to the west.

_"Hydra, just pray it doesn't grow back heads like the ones I've heard of."_ Mazi said.

_"Let's see if I can't soften it up for you guys, plug your ears!"_ Milo said before chanting a quick spell.

A thunderous boom echoed from in-between the hydra and troll as Milo finished casting his _sound burst_.  The troll was stunned but the sound only seemed to anger the hydra.  Mazi made to cast her own spell but was impeded by her armor.  The arcane magiks swirled around her fingers before sputtering to nothing.  Jeremiah cautious approached the hydra, trying to bring his sword to bear.  Brigit decided to sheath her axe for now, hoping to do more damage at a distance with her bow.  She let out a frustrated growl when she lost grip of the heavy composite bow on the first loosing.

Out of offensive spells, Milo tumbled towards the hydra, hoping to avoid any heads looking his way.  His maneuver drew attention from one of the hydra's heads but he was able to avoid its lunging teeth.  The other six heads were busy attacking Jeremiah.  His armor and sword fended off all but a small nick.  By then Brigit had moved in with her axe, dealing major damage with the still burning weapon.  

The troll recovered and lurched for the nearest enemy, Milo.  He saw blood trickling from its hairy ears.  Milo took a quick swipe at the beast as it moved in but took two heavy wounds from its trident in return.  He thought twice about tangling hand-to-hand with the troll.  Mazi tried another spell, this time succeeding in her ritual.  The now familiar sticky strands of her arcane _web_ sprang into existence around the hydra and troll.  Mazi's expert casting ended the web right between Milo and the troll.  The hydra took a second to stomp the web out of its way.  Its seven heads whipped about, tearing the web around it.  Mazi shrugged and drew up her bow.

Milo felt a little more confident in fighting the now trapped troll.  He scored two vicious attacks as the creature struggled in its bonds.  He was dismayed as it broke free, first one ham-sized fist, then the other.  Meanwhile Jeremiah managed to move in on the hydra, ducked under the heads, and dealt a deadly blow to its squat body.  The hydra raised all seven heads and screamed.  The high-pitched sound was cut short as Mazi's well-placed arrow brought the enormous creature crashing into her web.

The troll lumbered towards Milo.  He kept his ground for one more attack, waiting for just the right moment.  *Reft* sliced through its powerful quadriceps as Milo darted past its defenses.  He quickly tumbled backwards after avoiding the troll's counterattack.  Behind him Mazi had drawn her own flaming weapon, the flametongue from the human warrior.  She set the web afire with the longsword and watched as the flames neared the troll, still picking its way out of the strands.

As soon as Milo was out of the way, Jeremiah moved in with his greatsword.  The clash of metal on metal could be heard as he broke past the upheld trident.  With no room to approach the troll, Brigit drew her bow again.  She fired her arrow just as the flames from the web reached the troll.  The troll was overpowered by Jeremiah's greatsword and Mazi's flametongue.  She seemed eager to join the fight after her two spells seemed ineffective.  It died in the flames of her web, gurgling its death.

Seeing that the room was fairly nondescript and empty, and still feeling the rush from the battle, they headed towards the exit.  A passage led past huge double doors to the north and a wide staircase leading down to the south.  They could hear a 'click-clack' noise from further down the hall.

_"I remember that sound."_ Milo said.

_"The caves."_ Jeremiah spoke.

_"Yeah, that's it.  Give you odds it's an owlbear."_

The hallway led into a triangular room, they were in its northeast corner, a diagonal wall led southwest while the north wall stretched east before making a right angle to end at a passage in the southwest corner.  The owlbear sat hunched near a post similar to the hydra's, hissing and hooting.  It clacked its beak as the adventurers entered the room and hissed even louder.

_"They keep odd pets here."_ Milo noted.

_"Not 'xactly a run-O-the-mill Temple, Milo."_ Brigit said as she drew an arrow to her bow.

The owlbear pounced forward, drawing a heavy chain behind it.  A volley of arrows from Brigit and Mazi met it, their hands moving from their quivers to bowstring almost faster than the eye could follow.  Three arrows contributed their feathers to the owlbear's coat by the time it reached Jeremiah.  The barbarian was waiting.  He knocked away its claws and brought the sword down through its beak.  The beast slumped to the ground, dead.


----------



## Nail

This module really is a meat-grinder, eh?

Nice t' see you back, Milo.


----------



## Krellic

Writer's block's a bitch..,  but great when it's gone!


----------



## Broccli_Head

*more like, hackfest!*

nice to see you back, too  Milo. 

don't know if it's a meat-grinder, though. No players have become meat.


----------



## frog

> don't know if it's a meat-grinder, though. No players have become meat.




Well, if I hadn't turned "softy" on them during the fight with the 2 priests and the guy with the flaming sword we would have had a TPK.  The missing component to this scene was an invisible rogue/cleric in the corner just waiting to whack someone.  When it became apparant that they had their hands full with this, he became the "artist formerly known as an invisible rogue/cleric in the corner just waiting to whack someone."

Yes, this is the encounter where I had to turn in my RBDM card cause I went soft on 'em.  My only defense is that it is supposed to be a "fun" game and killing off Brigit and Milo as they are held motionless while a fighter with a flaming longsword creates a human candle out of Jeremiah with a critical hit (which is what Brigit took when she charged in) isn't in my definition of "fun".

Will I kill them?  Yes, but only because of their own stupidity, not because I "misjudged" an encounter difficulty when creating it.


----------



## frog

Besides, how is Milo supposed to marry Mother Screng's daughter if he gets himself offed in some hair brained dungeon siege?


----------



## Krellic

Not even a RBDM wants to be haunted by Mother Screng...


----------



## frog

In our latest adventures we have:

- Giant Fiendish Octopus
- human sacrifice 
- exploding zombies 
- a Water Temple priest that makes Milo really mad
- a wraith that crits Brigit TWICE in a row (best rolling I have ever done in my life) and sucks 12 points of constitution in one fell swoop
- a swim that turns nasty
- and a visit with my favorite NPC ever, Mother Screng.

At which point Brigit is cured...but at what cost to both her AND Milo?  

All these things and more, if Milo doesn't succumb to writers block again.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 39 (Session 17)*

Outside of the Owlbear's lair they found a long, twisting corridor.  Flames guttered on old torches, casting distorted shadows on the walls as they walked.

_"Fire Temple?  This is the only place that's been lit so far.  Not to mention I'd wager we're near where we found the warrior with Mazi's Flametongue."_ Milo said quietly.

_"You're probably right, I wonder where their chapel is?"_ responded Mazi.

_"We'll find it soon enough, elfie.  Ah only hope tha' _Trollgrater_ won' fail me against no flamin' elementals er whatever they got down 'ere."_ Brigit added.

The passage eventually twisted to the north, heading back in the direction of the fateful battle where Milo and Brigit were held helpless while the flaming swordsman attacked.  The passage eventually opened into the room leading into the very place they were thinking about.  They had come full circle, and it was a large circle at that.

_"I'm willing to bet that if we went past the door those clerics were guarding we'd come into the Fire Temple's chapel.  We had to skirt a large area through that lit passage."_ Mazi said as she studied her map.

_"What's this little blank bit here?"_ Milo said as he strained on his tiptoes to see the map.

_"That was near the prison where we found the Lady Tillahi and Sir Juffer.  We're not too far from there now."_ Mazi said.

_"Let's check out there before we take the Fire Temple head on, I'd rather rest up and come back for that."_ Milo suggested.

_"Ach, ya pansy magic users, ya rely too much on yer spells when all ya need is good strong muscles!"_ Brigit scoffed.

_"I guess I need to remind you that these pansy spells are what keep your strong muscles going after a long day, or save your bacon when we're faced by a mass of baddies."_ Milo said, a little miffed.

_"Let em come, Ah'll always have fight in me!"_ Brigit said, but to Milo she sounded a bit more mollified.

The unmapped area Milo referred to led to a hooked hallway to the east of the great hall.  The hallway ended in a plain door.  Brigit led the way once Milo declared it safe.  The room beyond was lit with a soft, warm, diffuse glow.  The floor was made from polished alabaster, gleaming in the light from a cloudy crystal set in the eastern wall next to the door.

As soon as they entered Milo felt at peace, as if this were a holy place set among the evil and filth of the temple, a bastion of safety and comfort in the midst of unrest and strife.  The crystal that hung next to the door was large.  It stood from the floor to the ceiling and was wide enough to span from the door to the far wall.  Milo could make out two floating shapes within the mirror.  They were human-shaped, but he could make out feathery wings extending from their backs.  _Angels!_ Milo thought.  He was mystified.

The forms drew near the crystal and Milo could make out more detail.  They were human, but for their angelic wings.  Their faces wore beatific smiles and their arms were folded serenely.  They were clad in shimmering white robes and they were floating a few inches from the floor.  One of them spoke.

_"Good people, what are ones such as you doing in a place of pure evil such as this?"_

Milo began to speak, but was interrupted by the other floating angel.

_"It matters not.  Good people, place your weapons before the *Window of the Plane of Weal*.  We will enchant them to aid in your battle against the evil of this place.  You must leave the room for the count of seventy-seven."_ he indicated a door opposite of the entrance.  _"If you enter the room before your time then you will be destroyed by the full glory of the *Window of the Plane of Weal*.  Our enchantment will last but seven hours, if you return in seven days we will enchant your weapons once again.  Now, place down your weapons."_

Milo dropped his axes before the crystal without even consulting the others.  He _knew_ these were good beings without a shadow of a doubt.  He was surprised to see the others hold back.

_"Don't you want the blessing of the angels?  Trust your feelings, this room is enchanted against the evil.  It must be, don't you feel it?  I think we can use any help we can get it in this place."_ Milo said to the others.

All but Mazi seemed swayed by his argument.  Brigit and Jeremiah approached the crystal.  Brigit unloaded her mass of weapons, lastly placing _Trollgrater_ down with great care.  Jeremiah did likewise, leaving the _Windsword_ for last.  Their willingness seemed to convince Mazi as well.  She began placing her weapons in her own pile in front of the crystal.  She reached for the bundle that held _Sylvanglade_ but stopped.

_"Everything but _Sylvanglade_.  I won't let this out of my possession."_ 

Her reticence stirred something in Brigit and Jeremiah.  They both silently fished out a weapon each, just in case.  Brigit found her old waraxe and Jeremiah pulled out a spear he had been hanging onto.  Milo shrugged and left his weapons be.

_"Good people, you must leave now or be destroyed by the light of the *Window of the Plan of Weal!*"_

Milo led the way out.  They found themselves in one of the large hallways leading into the great hall.  Milo eagerly counted to seventy-seven while the others watched the door nervously.

_"Ah don't feel so right about this no more."_ Brigit said

_"I didn't feel right about it in the first place!"_ Mazi said, _"I don't even know why I left anything at all."_

Milo was too busy counting to explain to them how right it all was.

_"Seventy-five, seventy-six, seventy-seven!"_ he finished.  _"Let's go!"_

Milo bounded back through the door, eager to see his newly enchanted weapons.  He skidded to a halt right as he passed the doorway.  In the place of their weapons he saw two slavering beasts.  They were half-human, half-beast, with elongated snouts and yellow eyes.  Their patchy fur covered their bodies down to their backward bent legs.  The feeling of peace and calm immediately left Milo.

_"*Werewolves!*"_ he shouted.

The others ran into the room around him, their weapons at the ready.  Milo groaned and kicked himself inwardly for not even keeping a dagger.  It was then that the werewolves attacked.

Brigit and Jeremiah arrayed themselves in front of Mazi and Milo.  The werewolves sprung towards them.  They dodged the initial blows and the battle was joined.

_"Not all of my weapons are physical!"_ Milo muttered.

He spoke the words to a ward against evil that would blanket the entire party.  When he was finished a _magic circle against evil_ shimmered into being, centered on himself.  Brigit and Jeremiah struggled to wound the lycanthropes.  It seemed that Jeremiah's spear could inflict no wounds.  Brigit's non-magical axe could harm the beasts, but only from her most vicious attacks.

Mazi cast a spell as well.  Her arcane chanting produced a familiar fire from her fingertips.  She molded the flame into a sphere and released it towards the werewolves.  Mazi was rewarded with a startled yelp as it burned the fur and crisped the flesh of one of the creatures.

The battle was even until one of the werewolves sunk its yellowed teeth into Jeremiah.  Milo could see him falter for a few moments.  Jer tried to focus on the battle, but Milo saw that the fangs had done their worst.  He worried about the future of his barbarian friend.

Milo redirected his attention to the lycanthropes and began chanting again.  This time the air coalesced before his outstretched fingers.  Solid air rocketed away from him and into one of the werewolves.  The creature saw them coming and was able to dodge some of the _sword stream_, but damage was dealt.

Brigit and Jeremiah continued to fight, but were unable to do more than scratch the werewolves.  Mazi directed her sphere back into the flank of the closest monster, which elicited another howl.  The beast turned from Brigit and pounced for Mazi.  She dodged, unscathed.

Milo was getting desperate, he thought back on the spells he prayed for that morning and selected one dubiously.  Focused on the werewolf fighting Jeremiah, he gathered his divine powers and cast _searing light_.  Milo pointed a single finger at the werewolf as a sharp white light streamed forward.  The beam shot out at the werewolf but missed by a hair.  It sizzled a pockmark in the far wall.

Brigit hacked away at the werewolf attacking Mazi, who blithely ignored her and attacked the elf anyway.  Mazi dodged another blow and brought the sphere back into the backside of the beast.  It howled again as the smell of cooked meat filled the room.

Milo had one more offensive spell prepared, he hoped it didn't backfire on them.  He chanted once again, bringing his divine powers to a focus.  A piercing, high pitched sound rose to a crescendo behind the werewolves.  The keening noise proved to be too much for the sensitive canine hybrid ears of the singed lycanthrope.  It fell to the ground with a whine, its ears bleeding.  The other werewolf howled but fought on.  

The friends rallied forward with only one of the beasts left for them to concentrate on.  Mazi's sphere of fire and Brigit's repeated blows from her axe eventually brought the final lycanthrope to the ground.

The four took a moment to catch their collective breath before three of them turned menacing stares towards Milo.  Milo looked back, abashed.

_"What?  They looked like angels!  Hey, it's not like I forced any of you to put down your weapons!"_ a light dawned on Milo, _"The weapons!  They've got to be around here somewhere!"_

Glad for something to concentrate on, Milo ran up to the crystal and began looking for a secret entrance.  His search led him out of the door next to the crystal and into the hallway beyond.  He found what he was looking for just a few steps from the door on the north wall: a cleverly concealed entrance into another room.  The room smelled strongly of dogs.  He noticed two red capes lying on the floor.  Piles of weapons, backpacks, and gear lay in the small room, theirs and others as well.  A cupboard was hung against the inside wall.  The crystal looked more like a window from his side of the room.  He could clearly see Brigit, Jeremiah, and Mazi.

_"Har har har!  Milo's a wee little angel!"_ he could hear Brigit guffaw from the other room.  Apparently the crystal was enchanted to show the inhabitants of the room as angelic, no matter who they were.

_"I found our things!"_ he shouted.  

Milo hoped that would be enough to exonerate him in his allies' minds.  Brigit came racing in first, her armor clanking as her short legs propelled her to the pile of weapons.  She lovingly lifted _Trollgrater_ from the heap.  An evil glint entered her eye as she turned back towards the crystal window.

_"*Ya violated me axe, now Ah'm gonna violate yer arse!*"_ Brigit loudly exclaimed.

Absolute silence followed.  Then, _"Uhhhmmmm,"_ Milo started, _"Did she just say what I think she said?_

Brigit suddenly started, her grimace slackened.  Her brow furrowed as she contemplated her statement.  Her mouth dropped open and a look of shocked horror filled her eyes.

_"Ah didn't mean..."_ she sputtered, _"Well Ah mean...ARGGHH!"_

Milo was clutching his side as he laughed, _"Oh, it hurts, it hurts, stop it Brigit."_ he gasped out.  He was soon on the ground, rolling as he held his belly.

Mazi couldn't stifle her own laugh, a bell-like tinkling giggle that grew into a chuckle then a full-bore guffaw.  The elf's whole frame shook as she tried to bring her laughter under control.

Brigit glowered at the two before stalking off with the rest of her weapons into the other room.  She soon worked out her frustration on the werewolves' corpses.

Milo noticed that Jeremiah wasn't laughing.  He instead wore a look of curious concentration.  Sweat beaded his brow.  He looked at Milo with a grimace, holding the bite wound on his shoulder.

_"Don't - feel - so - well - Milo."_ he said.

_"Oh frell, the werewolf's curse.  Let me see your shoulder."_  Milo said, beckoning Jer down to his level as he stood up.

Brigit heard him from the other room and ran back in to see what was wrong with her young friend.

_"Did tha werewolf get ya, Jer?  Don't worry, we'll get ya fixed up."_ Brigit said, fishing for something in her pack.

She held aloft a small jar of Keoghtem's Ointment.  She soon had a healthy dollop out of the jar and began slathering it on Jer's wound.  They all waited for it to heal.  Jeremiah again had the look of curious concentration on his face.  After a few minutes Brigit cursed.

_"Ach!  This stuff is worthless!"_ she said, close to dashing the rest of her ointment on the ground.

_"Hang on, Brigit.  Don't throw it away yet.  I don't think Keoghtem's Ointment can heal a werewolf bite.  One second,"_ Milo said.

He drew out their Staff of Healing and held it over Jeremiah's shoulder.

_"Abercromby!"_

_"Ahh-FITCH!"_ Jer sneezed.

The wound slowly closed up under the staff, until Jer's shoulder was completely whole.  It was as if he had never been bit at all.  The four friends breathed a collective sigh.

Milo retrieved his weapons from the pile, inspecting each one for further treachery.  He also noted the pile of weapons that the werewolves had obviously gathered from other unwary intruders.  There were arrows, bolts, daggers, holy symbols, a flail, hammer, mace, morning star, long sword, two short swords, and three spears.  Some of the arrows and daggers were silvered as well.  

_"Perfect weapons against werewolves,"_ he said as he held one of the daggers, _"too bad we found them a little late."_

Before packing away any of the weapons Milo cast _detect magic_ on the pile.  None of the weapons on the pile glowed, but he could make out a faint light behind the cabinet doors.  Inside were a shortsword, a dagger, and some herbs.

_"Wolfsbane,"_ Mazi said as she sniffed the herbs.  _"How appropriate."_

They stashed the silver weapons as well as the magical ones in various packs and made ready to leave.


----------



## Milo Windby

frog said:
			
		

> *
> - and a visit with my favorite NPC ever, Mother Screng.
> 
> At which point Brigit is cured...but at what cost to both her AND Milo?
> 
> All these things and more, if Milo doesn't succumb to writers block again. *




::shudder::
I don't even want to think about that.  I have a feeling Frog is trying to railroad Milo into something that he most definitely does not want.  That alone may qualify him for the RBDM club in Milo's opinion.


----------



## frog

> I have a feeling Frog is trying to railroad Milo into something that he most definitely does not want.




I resent that.  When have I EVER railroaded  you guys into anything? 

I think that you are just grouchy about the whole "why isn't there anything that fits dwarves and halflings in this dungeon" conversation that we had.  Like I told you, the giants and trolls  will be wearing halfling sized armor on the next level...and maybe a tutu and ballet slippers too...   

"Prepare to meet your DOOM" screams the Master of Evil (followed by a lovely pirouette and a jetes to the left)


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 40 (Session 17)*

Flames cast their shadows in flickering silhouettes against the wall as they approached the Fire Temple once again.  The area they were in appeared to be the only place in the temple to be lit by torches, a fact Milo was grateful for.  He hated trying to sneak around with a lantern.  They left from the werewolves' den and entered the room of their near-defeat at the hands of the fire priests and the warrior with the flametongue.  The bodies of their enemies lay where they had fallen.  Brigit grunted once, pulled out *Trollgrater* and went to work on the corpses.

Besides the door they came in through, thankfully no longer trapped with the glyph of warding, there were three others.  Two were along the same wall as their entrance, flanking the door.  The third was opposite them, where the swordsman entered.

_"When you're done over there, Brigit,"_ Milo began.  _"I think we should check these two doors first."_

_"Jus'...a...minute...be...right...with...ya..."_ Brigit said in-between each chop of her axe.

They were soon gathered around the eastern door while Brigit led the way.  The room seemed to be living quarters.  There was a bed with a large brass chest at the foot, a copper box on the floor, and a large wardrobe in the far corner.  There was also a lit brazier, its smoke curling to the ceiling.

Milo wrinkled his nose at the smell.  _"I think I need to relieve myself."_ he said cryptically.

In a few seconds Milo felt better and the brazier was no longer lit.  It was Mazi's turn to wrinkle her nose.

_"Do you think you could have done that *after* we had left?"_ she said.

_"What can I say?  Potty emergency."_ Milo shot back.

He crouched in front of the copper box, tools already in hand.  It took a few seconds to work the lock and pop the lid up.  Inside were various herbs and some jewelry.  The latter brought Mazi over in a flash.  She handled the baubles like fragile eggs as she examined them.  Milo shrugged and moved to the large bronze chest at the foot of the bed.

_"Awwww, crap."_ he exclaimed after a couple of tries with the lock.

The sturdy mechanism inside was slightly jammed, just enough to bend his tools.  They were worthless now.  He threw the formerly masterwork picks to the ground with an exasperated sigh.

_"Here Milo, try mine."_ Brigit said as she handed her personal set to the halfling.

_"Thanks Brigit, you sure you trust me with these?  I've already ruined a perfectly good set."_

_"Ach, Ah'll jus' take it outta yer hide if ya break 'em."_

_"Your confidence overwhelms."_

Brigit's tools proved just right for the job though.  Milo soon lifted the lid to reveal the contents of the chest.  Inside were clothes and armor, as well as a mace.  The armor was chainmail, human sized.  Underneath all of the clothes Milo found a stash of gold pieces in a small sack.  They stowed the chainmail and coins for later.

Mazi and Jeremiah had been looking through the wardrobe while Brigit and Milo worked on the chest.  Brigit stood up and joined the elf.

_"Worthless lot O' junk, if'n ya ask me."_ she said as she grabbed a robe off its hangar.  _"Hold on a secon'."_ Brigit paused in her act of tossing the robe over her shoulder.  _"This is heavier than it should be."_  She turned the robe over and found a collection of semi-precious stones arrayed in a decoration on the back.

_"No reason to carry the whole thing then, Brigit."_ Milo said as he walked over.  _"Here, let me see it."_  Milo drew his enchanted dagger and sliced through the fabric, cutting around the stones.  _"There you go,"_ he said as he handed the weighty piece of cloth laden with jewels back to Brigit.  He tossed the torn robe to the floor.  _"Anything else?_

_"Not that I can find,"_ Mazi said.

Jeremiah led the way into the next room, eager for some sort of action.  He was disappointed to find nothing but a study of sorts.  Tapestries depicting the usual elemental evils were hung all about the room with lit wall sconces placed in-between.  An open book sat atop a wooden pedestal in the middle of the room.  A couple of chairs, a table with some notes strewn about, and a chest completed the room's contents.

Milo's first concern was the open book.  Carefully marking the open page by placing his dagger in the book, he closed it.  The binding described the book as a treatise on the element of fire.  Trusting it to be safe to read, he opened it to the marked page and read the passage.

_"Looks like our friends in the Fire Temple are boning up on their fire elemental knowledge."_  Milo said after reading for a few seconds.  The pages described various attributes of fire elementals as well as methods on summoning them.  Milo took a few minutes to read more, hoping the knowledge would come in handy in the future.

_"Milo!"_ Brigit snapped him out of his reverie, _"Get yer nose outta yer book an' come open this chest."_

_"Patience my dwarven friend.  I just wanted to see what we could find out about the fire elementals before we find their chapel."_  Milo said as he walked over to the chest with Brigit's tools in hand.

The chest contained a small silver box and a bone scroll case.  He handed the box to Brigit and opened the case to examine the contents himself.  Inside he found a scroll with a spell of protection against devils and demons.  Brigit opened the box to find a jeweled ring and some platinum pieces.  Mazi peered over her shoulder, transfixed by the shiny jewelry.

_"Ah ah ah, not yet elfie.  We gots ta know if this be magic 'fore ya slip it on.  Ya already gots two O' these on yer tiny fingers ya know."_ Brigit closed her hand around the ring.

_"I was just admiring it."_ Mazi said petulantly.  _"Oh!  I found this,"_ she said, remembering the slip of paper she was holding.  She held it low so Brigit and Milo could read it.

_"Your rewards will be great if you bend your knee to the vast power of the Element of Fire..."_ Milo read aloud

_"Looks a lot like the note we found upstairs in the Earth Temple."_ Mazi said.  _"It goes on like that for a while, 'Awesome might of Fire' and 'Burn for eternity' and the like.  Pretty boring after a while."_

_"I wonder if we've already dealt with the author yet or if he's still hanging around here somewhere."_ Milo asked no one in particular.

_"Well someone had to light that brazier you put out."_ Mazi crinkled her nose at the memory.

_"True, well let's see if we can find that 'someone'."_

Back in the main room they checked the southern door.  It led into an antechamber of a large throne room.  Torches in wall sconces lit tapestries already hot with color.  They showed fire elementals laying waste to landscapes and people.  Fires burned everything in every illustration.  An empty gilded throne dominated the center of the room, padded with bright red and orange cushions.  They could also see a privacy screen to the west.  

_"Ain't nobody home?  We'll see bout that."_ Brigit said as she drew her bow.

She shot an arrow into the screen, aware of the privacy that it may afford a concealed occupant.  Her missile tore through the fabric and clattered against the wall.

_"Ah well, jus' in case,"_ she knocked another arrow and loosed it at the throne.  The shaft quivered after the point embedded itself deep in the back cushion.

_"Ya never know._ she said to the expectant stares of her companions.

A quick examination of the room revealed a passage concealed by the privacy screen.  The passage led back into one of the wide hallways that emptied into the great hall that ran through the central part of the temple.  They returned to the throne room, certain there was something they were missing.

As Mazi passed the middle of the south wall she stopped, a curious expression on her face.  _"This wall isn't quite right."_

Milo examined the wall carefully.  He found a vertical seam rising from the floor to as far as he could see.  He also noticed the wall sconce to the side of the seam was slightly crooked and loose in its bracket.

_"Mazi, I can't reach that sconce, will you twist it for me?"_

The willowy elf turned the sconce and the wall swung outwards.  Beyond they could see a huge well-lit room.  They fanned out past the secret door, surveying the room.

The chapel was sweltering.  Milo could see a shimmer in the air and could smell heated metal and fire.  Great doors of beaten brass reflected the light of Hundreds of torches that lit the vaulted room brighter than daylight.  Just in front of them was a shallow fire pit.  Above which hung a brass tube by chains, at least twenty feet high and two feet in diameter.  Beyond the pit were two stands of brass filled with charcoal.  The room also contained octagonal tables with copper bowls and dishes.  There were torch stands arranged on either side of the chapel.  They were placed in diagonal lines that drew near at the middle of the room but veered back out as they approached the other end.  The design formed an incomplete 'X' with room to walk in-between.  Large cauldrons full of bubbling oil squatted on either side of the room as well.  There was another fire pit at the far end of the room and an octagonal altar; the corners were pointed like the amulets they found on the bodies.  Like the Earth Temple's chapel, the room was devoid of life.

Milo remembered the elementals upstairs and turned to his friends.  _"Let me bolster you before we head in there."_

A few moments later Brigit was protected by a _resist fire_ spell and Jeremiah by a _protection from fire_ spell.  They approached the far fire pit carefully, eyes watchful.  As they neared the fire pit Milo could make out tiny figures dancing in the flames.  Milo had prayed for a spell perfectly suited for this situation.

Once again Milo began chanting.  A breeze seemed to pick up in the hot, still chapel.  The refreshing air picked up speed, centered on Milo.  He finished chanting and gestured at the fire pit.  The whirling air of the _divine zephyr_ swirled dust from the floor as it moved over the pit.  Once over the pit the air sped up even more, drawing the flames up higher before subduing them to a small burn.  The flames didn't go out completely, but the dancing figures disappeared.

They shifted their concentration on the altar.  It was adorned with a large skull, its empty visage staring out over the windswept flames.  Milo carefully approached.  He figured that any action taken towards the altar would summon more elementals and he wanted the others ready to face the threat.  Milo drew nearer to the altar.  The heat began to be unbearable as he approached.  He found himself longing for the breeze of the _divine zephyr_.  Almost without thinking he reached for the altar.

As soon as his finger touched the red stone a sheet of searing flame erupted from the altar.  He tumbled backwards, his instincts barely saving him from the fire.  The skull animated to life and a booming voice issued from its chattering teeth.

_"*Who dares disturb the Element of Fire?*"_

Milo had recovered from the shock of the flame burst.  _"Whatever."_ was all he said.

He reached into his pack and drew out a vial of holy water, reached back, and pitched it into the altar.  The flames burst out from the altar and the voice boomed again.

_"*Who dares disturb the Element of Fire?*"_

This time the flames in the fire pit flared, despite Milo's spell.  They could see the dancing figures again, but they were bigger now.  They were lizards, Milo could make out their thick tales and scaly skin.  They hopped on their hind legs and brandished tridents.  The friends could also hear a chorus of small voices, rising above the crackling of the flames.

_First the father,
Then the daughter,
Lead them both,
Into the slaughter._

Brigit growled as she made out the words.  She drew her bow to take some pot shots at the small lizards.  Milo finally placed what the creatures were from his readings in the book.

_"Salamanders!  This must be some kind of portal to their realm."_

_"Ah don't care what they are, they're gonna be dead soon."_ Brigit shouted.

Mazi and Milo had prepared their ranged weapons as well.  All three fired into the flames as Jer waited with the _Windsword_ drawn.  The salamanders made easy targets.  Four popped out of existence as they rained arrows and bolts on them.  There were at least a dozen left dancing though.

The salamanders grew in size, all the while singing and dancing.  Just then flames burst from the two cauldrons.  full sized salamanders sprang from within, tridents at the ready.  All four turned to face the new threat.  Milo and Mazi fired at the salamander advancing from the east and Brigit fired to the west.  Only one of Milo's bolts found its mark, but it did plenty of damage.  It pierced the salamander's shoulder, rendering its right arm lifeless.  The other was forced back a step from one of Brigit's arrows, but advanced nonetheless.

Worried about the growing salamanders in the fire, Milo and Mazi turned to face the flames as the _divine zephyr_ lost its power.  They fired into the flames again and destroyed three more of the dancing figures.  

Two more full-sized salamanders emerged from the cauldrons.  They hissed and snarled as they headed for the group.  Brigit and Jeremiah met them head on.  Jer attacked the one Milo wounded, slicing into it twice with his sword.  It merely hissed and attacked.  The salamanders jabbed at Brigit and Jeremiah with their tridents; one actually scoring a burning hit on Brigit.  She soon taught the creature its folly with her axe as it inflicted a deep wound on the offender.

Just then the salamanders from the fire pit jumped out at Milo and Mazi.  The two friends were relieved to see that rather than six full salamanders attacking them there were only two, but the two had two _mirror images_ each.  Milo thanked his blessings and stowed his crossbow for his axes.

The battle raged on as the salamanders attacked over and over.  Milo and Mazi managed to whittle down the salamanders' mirror images, leaving two very real and very aggressive fiery lizards.  Brigit managed an impressive cleave with _Trollgrater_.  She sliced clean through the first salamander then lopped off the head of the next.  Jeremiah was in rare form as well.  He stabbed one through its reptilian heart.

The salamanders fought viciously as well.  Milo was wounded badly towards the end of the battle.  He survived the fight with two nasty trident wounds in his side.  The only other hero that was wounded was Jeremiah.  His last opponent managed to slice into his hand with a downward thrust.  Jer lost grip on his sword for a moment.  He recovered and sent the salamander to an early grave with another critical stab of his sword.  Milo managed to take down one of his own as well.

The last salamander fell to Brigit's axe and Mazi's sword.  The group stood tense for a few minutes, waiting for more of the fiery salamanders to spring from the flames.  The fire in the pit had ebbed to mere coals and the cauldrons remained silent.  Milo breathed a sigh of relief.  He couldn't take much more abuse from the tridents.

Once it was evident that the battle was truly over they took to investigating the surrounding.  They were careful to steer clear of the altar.  Milo cast a _detect magic_ cantrip and examined the chapel.  The whole room had a ruddy magic glow but the brightest of it came from the altar.  It came as no surprise to him.  The pit also glowed.  He was surprised the tubular bell and the cauldrons did not glow though.  

_"Let's get rid O' these buggers."_ Brigit said, just finished from hacking the salamander corpses.  

Milo thought she was referring to the bits and pieces of salamander that decorated the floor.  He was proved wrong when Brigit stalked to one of the cauldrons and put her back to it.  She strained against its heavy weight; the spell Milo cast protected her from the heat.  The bubbling liquid within sloshed as the cauldron tipped.  The superheated oil splashed on the ground, sending the others running from its path.  There seemed to be a dip in the floor that led to the fire pit.  The oil streamed into the pit, igniting the blaze anew.  The flames sped back towards the cauldron along the stream of oil.  Brigit couldn't get away from the cauldron before the flames reached the still-large reservoir of oil.  The cauldron exploded with a shower of fire.  

When the smoke cleared Milo made out Brigit standing with her feet apart and a huge grin plastered on her face.  

_"Ah like that spell, Milo."_

She stumped over to the other cauldron and performed a similar feat.  The oil raised the flames near the vaulted ceiling before racing back and igniting the cauldron.  Smoke streamed up from an invisible aura around the grinning dwarf.

_"Are you finished?"_ Milo asked, trying hard to suppress his own grin.

_"Ah suppose so, ya spoil sport."_ Brigit responded.

Her good humor was infectious and Milo found himself laughing through the pain of his wounds.  They decided to explore a little further while Milo's enchantments remained in place.  The bronze double doors to the east led into a large hallway.  The walls pulsed with an otherworldly red light.  They soon came to a four-way intersection.  The path to the south glowed with a blue light, green to the north, and gray to the west.  The halls to the south and north were short, leading to huge double doors with demonic symbols and faces leering outward.

_"This must be the center of the four elements on this level."_ Mazi said.

_"I think you're right,"_ Milo agreed.  _"Let's head back to the Fire Temple though.  I don't think we're ready to fight anyone from the others yet."_

_"Aye, an Ah wanna make use O this nice flame shield ya cast on me too."_ said Brigit.

They decided to check the double doors to the north back in the chapel.  These led to another large hallway.  After a few paces it headed northwest and eventually ended in another pair of brass doors.  The doors opened into the end of another cavernous hallway.  Directly across from them were yet another set of double brass doors.  To the north they could see where the passage behind the screen back near the fire chapel emptied.  The hallway led directly into the temple's great hall.

_"I think we've done all we can today guys,"_ Milo said, the effects of the salamander's wounds catching up to him.  _"Besides, I think your heat shields have worn off by now."_

_"Ach, if we have ta.  Ah suppose so.  Let's get ya patched up, Milo."_ Brigit said to the halfling.

_"I appreciate that, Brigit."_ 

With that they left the temple for another day.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 41 (session 18)*

Dawn arrived quietly like a cat slinking home after a night of hunting.  Mazi rose from last watch to rouse the others.  The preternatural silence of the woods seemed to muffle the sounds they made as they struck camp.  They had decided as they began camp the night before that today they would abolish the evil of the Water Temple.  

Each were lost in their own thoughts as they went about their tasks.  Milo occupied his mind by figuring out what they might be thinking.  He decided Mazithra was absorbed with thoughts about the head priest that they would be facing that day.  He knew that she was extremely uncomfortable with what the priest said in their first meeting about her and some 'Thari'.  He knew Brigit had to be thinking about her father.  Ever since they left the temple she had grown surly and quiet.  Milo remembered what the salamanders chanted in the fire.  He was sure they weren't done with the Fire Temple yet.  Jeremiah was harder to decipher.  He was always silent, only speaking when absolutely necessary.  Milo thought he was unusually somber for one so young.  He did know that Jer had a great responsibility to his tribe back on the plateaus.  Perhaps that is what occupied his thoughts.

They discussed tactics as they traveled through the woods.  Milo assured them that he prayed for spells specifically for dealing with the priest of the Water Temple.  He wasn't happy with how he had escaped them before.  They all vowed that he wouldn't escape again.  Mazi seemed grateful for the thought.

The temple sat as it had since long before their time, unchanged by their actions of the last few weeks.  That changed at the door though.  As soon as they entered the temple they could tell something was different.  Everything was cast in a greenish-blue hue.  It was as if the air itself had taken on a different color.  The normally musty smell that filled the halls had intensified and taken on a sea-air quality.  Far in the distance, or perhaps deep underground, they could hear the steady beat of great drums.  Milo thought back to the last time they heard that sound and the climactic battle that followed.  The villain had gotten away that day, he was determined that their foe would not escape this time.

The drums grew louder as they descended the stairs to the second level.  The sound reminded Milo of a beating heart.  Thump-Thump, Thump-Thump.  He couldn't help but notice that all of the remains they had left strewn about were gone.  Brigit had done a thorough job of dismembering all of them, so raising them as undead would be difficult.  They could be reanimated though, like their old friend Bordy.  He shuddered at the thought of an army of flesh golems shambling towards them.  It was almost as bad as the undead.

Thump-Thump, Thump-Thump.  The rhythm picked up pace by the time they descended to the third level.  The drums echoed throughout the halls, drowning out their careful footsteps.  The beating gave them a sense of urgency, like a lightning bolt striking too close as you run to get out of the rain.  Thump-Thump, Thump-Thump, Thump-Thump.  Milo gripped the hafts of _Reft_ and _Rend_ with sweaty hands as they neared the Water Temple.  

They entered the room preceding the chamber where the original battle against the water priest occurred.  It was empty, completely devoid of life and unlife.  They could tell the drums were being beaten beyond the secret door into the chamber.  

Milo paused and ignored the drums for a minute.  He concentrated on a spell granted to him by Usamigaras that morning.  The familiar shimmer that followed one of his protection spells surrounded the whole party.

_"Stay close, the _circle against evil_ only extends a few feet from me."_

_"We will if we can."_ Mazi responded.  _"I want to cast a spell of my own before we go in."_

Mazi slung her bow around her shoulder and began her incantation.  Her fingers formed complex symbols almost faster than the eye could follow.  She suddenly stopped and a look of intense concentration came over her face.

_"I can see the large fountain.  The water is still though."_

_"What tha devil is she babblin' about?"_ Brigit began.

_"Shhhh!  It's a divination."_ Milo interrupted with a whisper.

_"There are four figures, two on either side of the altar near the middle.  I think they're zombies, definitely bugbears.  They're beating the drums."_

Milo fingered Usamigaras' holy symbol that hung from his neck.  He hoped he could perform the same kind of turning that obliterated the last batch of undead they faced.

_"A man is lying on it, alive.  Another man is holding a knife over him.  It's the water priest!"_  At this her face contorted into a mask of loathing.  _"I think - yes, the man on the altar is the earth priest.  The water priest is about to kill him!"_

_"Enough O' this.  Let's go!"_ Brigit stumped to the secret door and activated the catch.

The drums reached a crescendo as they entered.  Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump. The heroes seemed to be unnoticed, more likely ignored.  The water priest's back was to them.  He was caught up in the frenzy of his ritual.  Milo examined the room quickly, taking in the sight of the zombie bugbear drummers.  The room was much as they left it, except that the bugbear corpses, the juggernaut, and the broken gargoyles were all gone.

The priest shouted words in a strange language, one that made the skin on Milo's arms crawl.  Milo readied his _silence_ spell.  He hoped to disrupt whatever ritual the priest was performing.  The sound of the drums sped up even more, growing deafening.  THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!

Just as it seemed like their eardrums would burst, it stopped.  Complete and utter silence filled the vacuum left by the drums.  The absence of sound hurt Milo's sensitive ears almost as much as the beating of the drums.

It lasted only for seconds.  The stillness was broken by a piercing scream.  The water priest's twisted knife plunged into the chest of the bound earth priest.  The cry trailed off into a weak sigh as the life drained from his body and his blood stained the altar.

It was as if a spell on the heroes was broken as they all launched into action as one.  Jeremiah charged the nearest zombie.  His sword cleaved through its unfeeling flesh down to the spine, severing the vital link.  Milo released his _silence_ spell on the altar itself.  He hoped to prevent any spells from the priest.  Mazithra ran to the other side of the room and cast a new spell, aimed directly at her enemy.  A _fire arrow_ sped from her pointing finger to sizzling impact on the priest's back.  Brigit charged after the arcane arrow and joined her axe to its damage.

Surprised, the priest staggered under the attacks.  He turned to see the invaders with an almost feral look in his eyes.  He tried to speak and the feral gleam turned to shock.  Milo grinned.  The zombies didn't need to speak though.  The three remaining zombies lurched into motion and dropped their drums.  One stumbled in-between Jeremiah and Brigit and the other two shambled towards Mazi.  It was then that Milo noticed strange capsules that hung around their rotting necks.

Their purpose soon became dreadfully clear as each zombie reached up to their capsule and pulled the cork.  Three detonations rocked the room as the _"glyphs of warding_ hidden in the capsules activated.  Jeremiah and Brigit ducked the blast and flying zombie bits.  Mazi didn't escape as easily.  Her lithe reflexes allowed her to avoid most of the first blast but she rolled right into the path of the second.  She was blown back a pace by the explosion.  An audible grunt escaped her lips as she sprawled to the ground.

_"This,"_ she said as she climbed to her feet, _"is why I hate that man."_

The priest leered at Mazi as he backed around the altar and out of the range of Milo's _silence_ spell.  He shouted more words in the outlandish language of the ritual.  The twisting syllables and harsh consonants almost hurt to hear.  He gestured to the fountain and then to the heroes.  The fountain began to churn.

Milo quickly summoned another spell to mind.  He cast _sound burst_ at the priest and was happy to see the effects reach all the way to the fountain.  Some sort of black liquid swirled in the bubbling water and the water priest covered his ears against the sonic assault.  Mazithra worked her fingers into arcane formations and cast her own spell to disrupt the priest.  Sticky strands of her magical _web_ sprang into being like a compressed ball of yarn exploding.  The web covered the fountain and stuck the priest firmly to the wall he backed into.

The stench of the briny deep filled the room as slimy tendrils slipped out of the seething water of the fountain.  The tendrils gripped the lip of the fountain and heaved an immense body into view.  Eight tentacles dotted with vicious suckers whipped around as the summoned octopus searched for its prey.  Another heave of its huge body brought its flailing tentacles closer to the combatants.

Brigit and Jeremiah stepped back, not eager to face eight tentacles as once.  Brigit drew her bow and an arrow in a flash and fired a shot at the menace.  The arrow sped faster than a swallow towards its target only to bounce harmlessly off its rubbery hide.  

_"Don' tell me, magic only?"_ she cursed.

_"Maybe, that or you have to hit it harder."_ Mazi shouted back.

The priest could be heard shouting in his harsh tongue from within the web.  He pointed at Brigit almost triumphantly.  Brigit froze in mid-draw.  She trembled for a moment as she tried to break free from the curse the priest flung at her.  She strained against the invisible bonds that the _hold person_ spell drew around her.  Suddenly she was free, her willpower overcoming the spell.  She turned to the priest with a vicious snarl, paused, then stuck out her tongue.  Brigit turned around in a little jig as she held her bow and arrow over her head.  The priest cursed in his guttural language.

Jeremiah had stepped back with Brigit and drawn his own bow.  He pulled back on the heavy string and aimed for the immense bulk of the octopus.  His arrow sped as Brigit's did, but this time it stuck.  Thick black ichor seeped from the wound and the octopus emitted a piercing cry.  His next arrow bounced off like Brigit's first.

_"See, you've just got to hit it *hard*!"_ Mazi said as she launched her _lightning bolt_ at the fiendish monstrosity.  The bolt fizzled midstream.  Mazi, hampered by her armor, had been unable to complete the spell.

Then the octopus was upon them.  Brigit, Jeremiah, and Milo virtually danced to avoid the flailing tentacles.  Brigit and Jeremiah's heavy armor made them slower targets.  The octopus whipped a tentacle into each, sending their heads spinning.  Milo managed to tangle two of the tentacles together for a moment with his nimble tumbling.

It was then that a palpable miasma settled on them.  The priest had cast an _unholy blight_ right in their midst.  Milo seemed least affected by it.  He shrugged off the affects quickly and focused on the battle.  Mazithra was hit much harder with the _blight_ she doubled over and emptied her stomach in a quick succession of painful heaves.  The priest cackled.

Milo could see the dire strait Mazi was in and disengaged from the octopus.  He ducked under a flailing tentacle and tumbled by two others that whipped past him.  He was soon at Mazi's side with a healing spell ready.  Mazi herself sat down and pulled out a healing draught to recover from the sickness and the burns she sustained.

The priest ceased cackling and pointed a bony finger at Milo.  _"Vile avatar of a long dead god!  You will die!"_

With that an icy mist coalesced before him and sharpened into tiny daggers.  The stream of hardened air raced towards Milo.  He recognized the _sword stream_ as it was cast and hoped he could dodge the small blades.  The priest didn't count on the effect of Mazi's _web_.  The daggers cut through pieces of the mystical trap but were nearly spent by the time they reached the edge.  The spell didn't have enough impetus to reach Milo.

Mere feet away the octopus proved it was a challenging foe.  Only one of Brigit and Jeremiah's attacks pierced its thick skin.  It's retaliation was vicious.  Tentacle after tentacle slammed into the heroes.  Jeremiah was buffeted back and forth like a child's toy.  His eyes glazed over after four repeated blows sapped the energy out of him.  

Brigit tried to avoid the tentacles coming her way.  She managed to dodge one but stepped into another.  The tentacle wrapped around her, squeezing her armor into her flesh.  Another tentacle whipped around her torso, followed by yet another.  Brigit was caught in a deathgrip by the fiendish octopus.  She strained at the tentacles, unwilling to be held by spell or by creature.  Brigit summoned the strength of the dwarves from deep within and broke one of the tentacles' hold.  She ripped free of another then pried loose the third with a roar.

Milo paused a moment to make sure Mazi was all right before springing to Jeremiah's aid.  He jumped into a forward handspring and bounded over a questing tentacle.  Once by Jer's side he channeled another spell into healing energy and bolstered the barbarian's dwindling reserves.  Jeremiah shook his head and charged back into the fight.  His sword punctured the octopus and sunk deep.  More of the black ichor oozed out of the wound and the great beast reared away from the pain.

The octopus was far from finished.  This time it had three targets to deal with and it seemed to know just where to strike.  Two tentacles slammed into Milo, sweeping him off his feet.  He sprang up immediately but could feel a cracked rib where he had been hit.  Brigit and Jeremiah were slammed as well and Milo could tell that they wouldn't last through much more of this abuse.

Suddenly the priest stopped struggling in his bonds.  A sly, knowing look passed over his face.  He spoke quietly but nothing happened.  Milo could tell he cast a spell but couldn't tell what.  Mazi tried to attack him from her vantage point outside the web but found that she couldn't quite force herself to bring down the sword.  Milo then knew what he had cast, _sanctuary_.

Meanwhile Jeremiah had taken enough from the octopus.  His blood boiled as he drew from an inner well of strength.  He loosed a deep bellow as his barbarian rage took over.  Milo could see his muscles bulge as his plate mail expanded and marveled at his ferocity.  The plateau barbarian charged into the writhing mass of tentacles again, delivering a piercing thrust with the _Windsword_.  The octopus screeched it's piercing cry again.

Brigit and Milo joined their friend.  Both of them cut deep as they drew nearer to the rubbery body of the beast.  It flailed back and connected with multiple tentacles.  All three were slammed by the attack, taking even more damage.  Jeremiah's raging constitution saved him from being knocked out completely.  Brigit was very close to toppling over as well.

Back at the web Mazi struggled to attack the priest.  Her sword came inches from her hated enemy but she couldn't force it into him no matter how hard she tried.  The priest smirked at her before he began to pull at his bonds once again.

The others surged back together in one last desperate onslaught against the octopus.  Jeremiah single-mindedly hacked into a tentacle, lopping it off near the base.  His attack opened the way for Milo.  He tumbled into the opening and sliced away at the thick hide.  _Reft_ and _Rend_ had no trouble cutting through the rubbery skin of the beast.  Dark ichor flew and the octopus began to keen as he chopped deeper.  With three strokes of his axes he found a vital organ.  The keening ended and the whole octopus seemed to deflate around them.  Tentacles practically rained down before bouncing lifelessly on the ground.

Milo dug himself out from under the sagging skin of the dead octopus.  _"That's right, they slice, they dice, they serve up sushi in record time!"_

He was the only one paying attention to himself.  Brigit and Jeremiah had turned to address the threat of the priest.  Mazi still couldn't attack him.  In a flash Brigit drew her bow again and fired two arrows in quick succession at the bound priest.  The _web_ was too thick between them and the arrows got caught in its sticky strands.

The priest stopped struggling again, a bemused expression on his face.  He held up his hand and stared at the ring on his right index finger.  Suddenly a brilliant flash of light flared from the gold band.  The webs around the priest slipped off and he was free.  He snarled at the others as they hurried to bring him down.  He summoned a _divine storm_ right in-between the three heroes.  Blades sprung into being and sliced into their legs.  They managed to move out avoiding the better part of the whirlwind, but Brigit was on her last legs and Jeremiah didn't look much better.  Even Milo was beginning to feel lightheaded from his wounds.

Jeremiah and Brigit fired off more arrows at the priest.  The arrows fared better with the web out of the way.  The priest was wounded, but not out.  Milo cast his lesser version of _sword stream_ and directed it towards the priest.  He was disappointed to see his foe dodge most of the _knife spray_.  Meanwhile Mazi was busy swearing a storm in elven while trying to attack, unsuccessfully.

That was when the priest ran.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 42 (session 18)*

Milo bounded over to Jeremiah before he could charge after the priest.  He quickly channeled a spell into healing energy and mended what wounds he could on the flagging barbarian.  His hands were soon resting on empty air as the raging Jeremiah vaulted towards the door.  He was soon followed by a fiercely growling Brigit and an equally ferocious Mazi.  Milo brought up the rear with no less enthusiasm.

He skidded into the room in time to see Brigit held stock-still, the apparent victim of a _hold person_ spell.  He groaned at her luck.  Milo glanced towards the priest and realized what actually happened to the stationary dwarf.  The priest had stopped in the middle of the room and was brandishing his mace.  The weapon was horrible to behold, but Milo's eyes felt drawn towards it.  The shaft was crafted of the blackest wood, harvested from the most twisted forests.  The butt was capped with a shiny metal that was fashioned into a miniature death's head with small black onyx for eyes.  The most fearsome aspect of the weapon was the head.  A grinning skull with long fangs was sculpted from some black ferrous metal.  Wicked iron studs protruded from the polished dome of the skull.  Ruby eyes shone out towards the heroes.  Milo felt as if they bore a hole straight into his soul.  

For a moment Milo faltered in his step, almost stumbling onto the stony floor.  He drew from a reservoir of faith and courage deep within and stared back at the glinting ruby eyes.  Slowly, Milo was able to push down his fear to a point of tolerance.  He couldn't quite shake the ice-cold feeling in the pit of his stomach.  He hoped Brigit was able to break free soon, but he had other things to concentrate on.

The priest held his mace aloft until Jeremiah, bleeding from several wounds, attacked.  Mazi spied the exit that the priest was running towards and settled back in a casting stance.  Soon a _flaming sphere_ appeared between the priest and the door.

_"I may not be able to touch you,"_ she said, _"but you're not getting away this time."_

In desperation the evil cleric cast one more spell.  A _summoned_ fiendish dire ape appeared before the heroes.  It roared at the nearest foe, Jeremiah.  The tall barbarian nearly matched it for size.  He fended off its claws and teeth then swiveled to face the fearful priest.  His will overpowered the invisible barrier Mazi could not penetrate and his sword came crashing down.  The Water Priest was dead.

The ape was quickly dispatched by _Reft_ and _Rend_.  Milo paused to wipe the blood off the enchanted hand axes and look around.  

_"The tongue has got to go."_ Mazi said.

Milo was taken aback at the ferocity of her statement.  She drew her dagger and crouched down over the priest.  When next she stood the dead priest was without a tongue.  She tossed the bloody organ over her shoulder and nodded with satisfaction. 

Just then Brigit shuddered to life.  

_"GRAHHHH!"_ she loudly expelled the air from her lungs.  _"He's lucky he's dead!"_

The dwarf glowered at the priest's corpse.  Milo was quick to interpose himself between the two.

_"Let's divest him of his goods before you go butcher on him."_ he said.

Milo cast _detect magic_ and surveyed the scene.  He could tell the priest's full plate armor was enchanted.  The mace was as well, but that came as no surprise to him or the others.  The priest also wore a magic ring on his right hand.  There were other non-magical odds and ends on the corpse as well.  They found an iron key inside the cleric's purse along with some coins.

_"Finished, Milo?  Good, he's all yours Brigit."_ Mazi said with spite.

Milo was again surprised by her vehemence.  She really disliked the priest.  Most likely due to the business about her being a vessel for some ancient evil and the abuse he heaped on her good friend, the Lady Tillahi.

Milo sat back and looked around.  The room they had run the priest down in was longer than it was wide and lined with greened tapestries depicting the element of water.  The room was illuminated by two stands with greenish-blue glowing stones atop.  A lit brazier burned a fish-scented incense.  Six plush armchairs sat in a semicircle at one end of the room.  A table near the chairs bore a finely crafted ivory serving tray.  The door Mazi had blocked led to the south.

Two armoires squatted at either end of the room.  The northern armoire held a solitary shield.  They grabbed it in case it turned out to be magic.  The southern armoire held a black cloak with gold thread throughout.  A ten-armed octopus dominated the back with twelve gems of varying size.

_"Ach, another cloak?  How many O these do we have ta lug around?"_

_"Here,"_ Mazi said as she drew her dagger again.

Soon Mazi's simple solution produced a roughly cut patch of material adorned with the gold octopus and gems.  Brigit grinned at Mazi's ingenuity.  She then turned her attention to the tapestries along the north and east walls.

_"Ah am getting' really tired O these things."_

She placed a physical exclamation on her statement by tearing down the nearest tapestry.  She proceeded to shred the material into unrecognizable pieces.  Once finished she did a dwarven jig on top of the mess with a sneer towards the dead priest's remains.

The door to the south led into a narrow room.  A writing desk stood at the end of an empty shelf.  A mirror was set on the east wall, opposite the shelf.  Near the door a closed chest was partially covered by some old clothing.  There was a small table that had a few dishes piled atop as well.  

Milo carefully opened the chest to reveal a small coral box, a book, and some clothing.  Carefully lifting the box from the clothing, Milo opened the lid to reveal the contents.  Inside were a fair amount of tiny pearls.  He figured they'd be worth some money, or useful as spell components for Mazi.

Leaning next to the mirror they found a trident with barbed tines.  Jeremiah stashed the spear-like weapon.  His fascination for shafted spears and tridents sometimes turned out for the best.  Meanwhile Mazi had begun perusing the book from the chest.

_"Whatcha reading, Mazi?"_ the inquisitive Milo asked.

_"Nothing more than I expected."_ she replied, _"Rituals concerning the element of water.  Summoning instructions and information on the properties of water.  Pretty boring, actually."_

_"Hmph, if you say so.  Any information is good information I think.  Hang on a second, I think I found something."_

Milo had run across a catch in the wall near the mirror.  The wall the mirror was mounted on swung inward as he tripped the catch.  The sound of moving water could be heard beyond.  The four shared a brief glance of trepidation before and decided they would come back to the door after they investigated the other door in the main chamber.

The opposite door led into a room that mirrored the priest's final resting place.  Even the door was mirrored to the south.  Four bronze pedestals, four arm chairs, and four tables sat in a circle in the middle of the room.  A large wardrobe sat against the west wall and a writing desk sat near the southwest corner.

Milo checked the wardrobe first.  Inside the closet were another set of robes.  It had the ten-armed octopus insignia as well, but this was just a patch stitched on.  A shelf in the wardrobe held a box with six sugared fruits inside.

_"Wait a second, sugared fruits?  Here?"_ Mazi said with disbelief.

_"Sure, the priest had a sweet tooth or something."_ Milo suggested.

_"I don't think so."_

Mazi cast a spell to _detect poison_ on the sugared fruit.  Her distrustful nature paid off this time.  The fruit was indeed poisoned.  They decided to hang on to the fruit.  Milo's reasoning was that if anyone decided to try to rob them they'd have a nasty surprise if they tried out the goodies.

While searching the desk Milo found some blank parchment.  As he picked them up to hand to Mazi he noticed a loose panel.  Behind the wooden plank was a rolled parchment.  He excitedly unrolled the paper and read the contents.  Three spells were inscribed upon the parchment.  _True seeing_, _resist fire_, and _neutralize poison_.  Milo happily rolled the scroll back up and stowed it with his others.

The southern door led to another room that mirrored the western chamber.  This one contained two beds separated by a screen.  A chest lay at the foot of each bed.  After Milo picked the locks on the chests they found more coins, a bronze mace, and a ring set with a rare green pearl.  One of the chests had a large potion with at least two doses as well.  As far as any of them could tell this room had no secret passages.  They agreed to check out the secret chamber leading from the western room.

A large chamber awaited them with an oval pool that filled most of the room.  It's greenish water reflecting from an identically shaped crystal set in the ceiling.  Soft green light emanated from torches set in the wall.  A huge bas-relief of the ten-armed octopus stretched out over a portion of the pool.  The noise came from a merman chained at the bottom of the pool.

As soon as they entered the room a tortured voice filled their minds.

_"It's coming!  It's coming to destroy you!  It will live soon!"_ the merman said, _"I can help you!  Get me out of here!  Please, it will kill us all!"_

As one, the four friends shrugged.  Too tired to care, again as one, they turned their backs and walked out on the telepathic merman.

_"Probably a trap anyways."_ Milo muttered as they made their way out of the temple for the day.


----------



## Krellic

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 42 (session 18)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> "Probably a trap anyways." Milo muttered as they made their way out of the temple for the day. *




Ah the eternal cynicism of the hard-bitten adventurer...


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 42 (session 18)*



			
				Krellic said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Ah the eternal cynicism of the hard-bitten adventurer...
> 
> *




And hard earned cynicism at that!  Maybe Mazi is rubbing off on the rest of us...


----------



## Nail

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 42 (session 18)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *As one, the four friends shrugged.  Too tired to care, again as one, they turned their backs and walked out on the telepathic merman.
> 
> "Probably a trap anyways." Milo muttered as they made their way out of the temple for the day. *




Alright, then.  Good boy, Milo!  I'd almost lost faith in ye, what with th' werewolf incident, and all.......

...y'do go back t' ask him a few questions though, right?


----------



## frog

Well we had another session last night.  Full of all sorts of fun and games.  We won't be meeting for another 2 weeks as my work schedule is strange.  I have gone ahead and declared an "amnesty week" for the gang so that they can do a bit of redesign based off of where they would like to take their characters in the future.  Some of the limitations are:

- no changing race 
- no changing classes
- if you decide to rearrange skill points, you must leave at least one rank in each of your current skill areas.  This way you still have the skill for backstory but you don't have it remain as a "sinkhole" for skill points that could be better used doing other things.
- feats can be swapped if they want

All of the changes are subject to DM approval of course.  Two character sheets (a before and after) will be sent to me so that I can give the official stamp of approval.  

The reason for all of this is that I want to give them each a chance to redesign based off of how they really play, rather than how they THOUGHT that they would play.  We have a couple of players that are newer to RPG's and when they started they didn't have a good grasp of where they wanted their characters to go.  Now that they have some gaming under their belts they can make informed decisions.


----------



## Broccli_Head

*who cares about mermen anyway?*

A third! on the the cynicsm . Am interested in the changes after 'amnesty week' also.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: who cares about mermen anyway?*



			
				Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> *A third! on the the cynicsm . Am interested in the changes after 'amnesty week' also. *




Who needs mermen indeed!  I don't think a lot is going to happen with Milo through the amnesty.  I've got him pretty much planned out as I want him.  I'm sure Mazi will have some changes since she started out wanting to be a prestige class that doesn't appeal to her as much anymore.  Brigit is undecided on what she wants to do though.  As far as Jeremiah, it's anyone's guess.  His player isn't exactly "hands on" anymore.  

It appears that I won't be able to write up any more story hours at work due to my current workload.  Since I get a couple of hours during my daughter's naptime throughout the week I'm going to try to get caught up then.  I think we're only two sessions behind on the story hour now.  I don't know how regular the updates will be once I get caught up.  Frog's schedule is about to change again and we'll see then how often we play.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 43 (session 19)*

The battle-weary heroes returned to the cool refuge of the forest for some much needed rest after the life-sapping ordeals of the water temple.  Milo used what divine energy he could muster after the battles to heal his comrades.  They camped early that night, eager for a bit of rest.  

The next day Milo tended to their wounds with a refreshed spirit.  His spells and growing skill at healing restored the party to full vigor.  They decided to spend one more day in the quiet solitude of the woods so Mazithra could identify some of the goods they had found.

Mid-afternoon Mazi returned from her studious and exhausting research of the items and explained each one.

_"This rope,"_ she hefted the coiled cord between her hands, _"is a rope of binding, as I'm sure Milo can attest."_

_"That I can, not a very enjoyable experience I might add."_

_"The word to activate the enchantment is 'sysyfus'.  I know that Milo and I already have a rope of climbing each.  Which one of you wants this thing?"_

Jeremiah shrugged indifferently.  Brigit however looked upon the rope with a mixture of greed and trepidation.

_"It'd be nice ta bind up one O tha baddies fer a change.  Ah'm always gettin slapped wi' them hold spells, mebbe I kin return tha favor wi' tha'."_

_"It's yours then,"_ Mazi tossed the stout rope to Brigit.  

She turned and walked two steps to stand before the rest of the items, neatly arrayed on the ground.  Weapons, armor, and potions lay at her feet, the sun glinting off the polished metal of the dagger and short sword they found with the werewolves.  Chainmail, a full set of platemail, and a large steel shield were stacked neatly to the side.  The wooden handled warhammer, trident, and mace were beyond the pile.  Milo still had a hard time concentrating his gaze on the mace.  Two philters were set atop the pile with a ring lying in-between.  Milo's pulse quickened when he saw the ring.  He'd love to get his hands on a ring of invisibility.  Milo could only dream.

_"I can see what you're interested in Milo.  It's a ring of free movement.  The wearer can move regardless of impediments, magical or otherwise.  It even works underwater."_

Milo couldn't hide the disappointment on his face.  _"Well that'd be good for Brigit I think.  She has the hardest time getting around with all of her armor and gear that she's packing around."_

_"If ya don' want it, I'd be glad ta wear it."_

_"Now there are two potions.  One compliments the ring.  It's a potion of water-breathing.  The other is a healing potion."_

_"Well Brigit should take the waterbreathing potion to go with the ring.  I can heal anytime I want so I don't need the healing draught."_

_"I've got a couple of healing potions left."_ the winnowy elf said, _"That and I think we all know who is in the need of them the most."_

Three pairs of eyes turned on the tall barbarian.  Jeremiah turned a light shade of red from the attention.  He shrugged again before snatching the potion from the pile and stowing it carefully in a pocket of his pack.

_"Now to the weapons.  We've got a lot."_  Mazi pointed to the dagger first. _"This has an enchantment similar to the one you already carry, Milo."_

_"Great, they'll make a fetching set."_

_"Okay, this short sword also has a similar enchantment, but it is specially tuned to werewolves and their ilk.  I can tell that it would be especially effective against lycanthropes."_

_"Well there's only one O us tha' could use such a lil' pig-sticker."_

_"True, I'll take that as well Mazi."_ Milo reached for the smaller blade.

_"Fine, fine.  The warhammer is a bit stronger, probably twice the enchantment of the dagger and short sword."_

_"Ah could use tha' 'gainst tha odd skellie we run across, so's long as ya don' object Jer?"_

Jeremiah didn't seem to mind.  He already had an enchanted hammer.  She pulled out her mundane bludgeoning weapon and replaced it with its magical counterpart.

_"The trident is strange.  It's the handle alone that is enchanted.  It's hard to place what it is.  The enchantment actually seems to be *inside* the haft."_

_"Brigit, will you do the honor?_ Milo asked as he handed the trident to the puzzled dwarf.  

Milo made a motion as of breaking a stick over his knee then gestured at the weapon.  The light of understanding dawned in Brigit's eyes, as she comprehended what Milo was trying to say.  She lifted the rod in both hands and raised her knee.  Her hands came down fast and there was a loud crack as the weapon met her armored leg.  Two perfectly even pieces were in either hand.  They could then see that the lower piece was hollow.  Inside the cavity a tightly rolled scroll was barely peeking out the top.

_"You may as well, Milo.  My *identify* didn't show anything arcane within the haft."_

Milo withdrew the parchment from the shaft of wood and carefully unrolled it.  Sure enough, there were familiar markings on the scroll.  He recognized a couple of protection spells.  Milo left the scroll for later perusal since Mazi was already moving on to the next item.

_"It's not evil, though it may as well be."_ she was standing above the water priest's mace.  _"It's a mace of terror.  Any who look upon it won't see the wielder as they really are, but as the most frightening being they can imagine.  It explains why poor Brigit was stopped dead in her tracks during the fight and why the rest of us were shaken from the shock."_

Milo shuddered at the memory.  It seemed to him that the priest transformed into a putrid undead lich before his very eyes.  The living corpse shifted its watery gaze to look straight at him.  It took Milo a few moments to shake off the illusion, but he still had trouble concentrating on the fight after that.  He could only imagine what scared Brigit enough to stop her cold.

_"There is one upshot about someone using the mace though,"_ Mazi continued, _"Every once in a while the mace exacts a payment for its use.  The wielder looses a part of his force of personality to the mace.  If used enough he could conceivably become as appealing and persuasive as a warty toad.  At least that's how I like to think of the water priest."_

_"Well I don't think I'd like it, even if it wasn't a little big for me."_ Milo said.

A credit to her courage, Brigit spoke up, _"Ah'll hang onta it 'till we can get rid O it elsewhere.  Ah don' like what it kin do.  Ah think Ah'd be more comfortable keepin' it out O other hands."_

Mazi nodded and carefully handed the mace to Brigit.  She then turned to the small pile left.

_"The armor and shield then.  The shield is like all the others we've found so far.  Same enchantment and it’s nothing special from what we have already.  The chainmail and the plate mail have stronger enchantments though.  The plate mail is certainly stronger than what you're wearing right now, Jer."_ She said as she lifted the breastplate. _"And the perfect size, I might add."_

_"None O us wear chainmail tho.  Looks like we got another barterin' piece fer when we get ta a real town."_

_"True, I don't think we'd find much of a market for it in the village.  I suppose we'll just split up the rest and hang onto it until we can trade."_ Milo said.

They spent some time divvying up the non-magical goods and stowing various items here and there for future sale.  Milo had used all of his spells for the day in healing the others and himself.  They decided to wait one more day before venturing back into the temple.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 44 (session 19)*

Newly armored or armed, they set out the following morning.  The water temple was their first destination.  Fully rested, they decided to tackle the riddle of the merman.  Rather than enter the room through the secret door close to the pool they chose the double doors to the north.  The main room of the temple still contained the rotting corpse of the dire octopus.  The room reeked of dead fish, much like a fish market might smell if fully stocked and abandoned for a few days.  Brigit looked at the mound of octopus once, looked at the others, then sighed.  She loosed *Trollgrater* from her belt and started in on the huge mass of blubbery flesh.  Milo looked on with a bemused expression, from a safe distance to the flinging chunks of gray gore.

Brigit was finished a few minutes later and the way to the double doors was open.  Milo bolstered himself mentally for the assault on his mind that he knew was imminent.  The huge doors swung easily on their hinges, not making a sound.  Watery light danced along the walls and the ceiling.  They couldn't tell if the great crystal set in the ceiling reflected the water or if it was the other way around.  The blue torches still burned on the walls, casting odd shadows on the carving of the ten-armed octopus.  From a certain angle the outstretched tentacles almost looked alive, thought Milo.

As soon as they set foot into the room the mental barrage began.

They could each hear the merman whisper in their minds, _"Ohhh, you have returned!  Pleeeaaase, save me!"_

They ignored the ignoble pleas.  The room seemed too much like a trap for them to blindly wade in and rescue the bound merman.  If that's even what he was, thought Milo.

_"Ya kin call me crazy, but Ah don' trust statues much anymore."_ 

Brigit had drawn her bow and aimed it dead center on the grasping octopus jutting from the wall.  The arrow sped from her bow with a whisper.  It nailed the body of the sculpture with a loud *chink*.  The only effect was a fair-sized divot of stone that chipped off with the arrow strike.

_"Ya never kin be too sure."_ Brigit said, not meeting the amused gaze of her companions.

_"Please!  You must help me!"_ the persistent echo of the merman's increased pleadings hammered in on the four.  _"I can save you from him!"_

_"Forget it, let's go.  There's nothing in here we need to take care of."_ said Milo.

_"You must save me!  Don't leave me here again!  He's coming!"_

_"An' why should we save ya?"_ Brigit asked, a little fed up with the incessant noise.

_"He'll torture you!  I can save you from him!"_

_"Who'll torture us?"_ she asked.

_"The beast!  The beast!  The beast!"_

_"What beast might tha' be?"_

_"The beast on the wall!"_

_"Uh huh, tha vicious beast tha' just broke one O me arrows on account O his stone hide I suppose?  An' how will he torture us?"_

_"Ahhhhhhhhh!"_ came an anguished scream in their minds.

_"Fair enough, then how do we get rid O tha beast on tha wall?"_

_"*AHHHHHHHHHHHH!*"_

_"All you're doing is giving me a headache."_ Mazi broke in.

_"Yeah, let's get out of here."_ said Milo.

Brigit shrugged at the merman and they turned to leave.  As they crossed the threshold the screaming in their heads abruptly stopped.  Brigit threw one disgusted look over her shoulder before they left the water temple.

_"It seems to me that there's only one thing on this level we haven't found."_ Milo said.

They had stopped for a brief conference outside the water temple.

_"Aye, tha Temple O Air.  It's gotta be here somewhere."_ Brigit said.

_"I'm sure it is.  Look at all of these doors we've left for later.  They all seem to lead into one central chamber."_ Mazi said pointing to her map.

_"Let's go then, I'm ready for anything."_ said Milo.

The nearest set of double doors was to the east of the water temple.  The doors were set right in the middle of a long twenty-foot wide hallway that led to the fire temple.  The doors opened as smoothly as the matching set in the water temple.  Stairs led down into a cavernous chamber.  The chamber was deeper than it was wide, it stretched at least a hundred paces to the north and over thirty to each side.  The ceiling rose to peak in a dome directly above a huge pit that dominated the chamber.  They couldn't see the bottom of the pit from where they stood, but the floor seemed to sink as their gaze neared the dark pit.  The effect was completed by a thick swirling mist that rose from the stones of the floor to fall around the edges of the pit.  As he concentrated on the mist, Milo could make out an odd glitter within.  An otherworldly light glinted off the corner of a bronze altar.  The block of metal stood four feet high and eight feet wide.  Two knives and a bowl were arrayed atop the gleaming metal.  

_"Alright, who's turn to touch the altar?"_ Milo said.

_"Ah'll do it, we've desecrated everthin' else in this place already."_

_"Me too."_ Jeremiah said.

_"Before you do,"_ Milo began.

Milo fell into a low chant.  A mystical energy flowed from his fingertips into Brigit, warding her from elemental damage from air.  He chanted a similar spell and warded Jeremiah.  Confident in Milo's protection, they approached the altar.  Brigit reached out and gingerly touched the bowl set between the knives.  

The rushing of wind could be heard as if in the distance, steadily growing louder.  The mist around Brigit and Jer's feet began to swirl.  Suddenly they were caught in a whirling maelstrom.  Had anyone besides the two warriors in heavy armor been in the midst of the storm they would have been flung into the pit.  As it was Milo could make out a dull glow as his spell activated and protected the two from the scathing winds.  As suddenly as it appeared, the whirlwind died.

The huge chamber grew unnaturally quiet for a short moment.  A quiet chiming began, barely audible at first.  As they stood still, listening, the chiming grew louder.  A light tinkling joined the chiming as it increased in volume.  Milo quickly spoke a _prayer_ to bolster them in battle.

The chiming reached a crescendo and they could see a ghostly form appear at the north end of the chamber.  It wafted through the wall and drifted slowly towards them.

_"Milo, ya know yer undead, what is that?"_ Brigit said.

_"I have no idea.  Mazi?"_

_"Well it's not a ghost, or a spectre.  I think it is undead."_

_"Jus' tell me if Ah kin hit it!"_

_"We'll know soon enough, here it comes!"_

The ghostly form reached Brigit and Jeremiah.  They both took the opportunity granted and swung at it.  Brigit's axe seemed to drag through the apparition, causing an unnerving screech from its incorporeal throat.  Jer's sword swiped through its form though, doing no damage whatsoever.  The phantasm dived for Brigit, furious at her assault.  It swiped ethereal claws right through her armor.  Brigit could feel the icy touch of the grave pass through her skin.  The color drained from her face and her resolve faltered for a moment.  Her steel fortitude saved her and she moved to attack.  

Neither she nor Jeremiah could place another blow on the insubstantial creature.  Mazi fired a couple of arrows its way as well, only to see them pass through its body, barely disturbing its form.  

Milo concentrated hard on the holy symbol he fashioned.  He brandished it high.  He hoped for the same effect that he had on the ghouls long ago.  He felt the divine power coursing through his veins and culminating at the holy symbol in his uplifted hand.  The white light poured from the symbol to wash over the ghostly apparition.  And did nothing.  The phantasm didn't even look his way.  Milo lowered his hand in disappointment.

_"Guess we'll do this the hard way."_

The apparition slashed its claws at Brigit again, passing through her armor and cutting deep with its icy touch.  This time Brigit was not able to resist the undead's steady drain.  She could feel the life pass from her.  She staggered back a half step and went ashen white.  It was almost as if she shrank within her armor.  Milo began to worry.

Mazi threw down her bow and gathered her arcane powers about her.  Her fingers formed inscrutable signs as she cast her spell.  Soon a crackle of electricity formed about her hands.  She pointed at the apparition and a bright, jagged _lightning bolt_ streaked towards the apparition.  The magical electricity ripped through the creature, dragging more of its substance away.  The screeching grew louder.  As if to silence the creature, Jeremiah took one mighty swing of his sword through its floating midsection.  One last scream pierced their ears as the apparition dissolved away into the swirling mist at their feet.

_"Ohhhhh."_ Brigit groaned.

Milo raced to her side to assess her situation.  He could see right off that the  damage dealt was beyond his aid.  Her life had been permanently drained.  

_"Judging from your wounds I'd say that was a wraith.  I've never seen one, but I've heard of them.  I'm afraid I can't help you, Brigit."_ Milo shook his head sadly. _"It pains me to say it but I think we'll have to get you to Mother Scrang.  If she can't help you maybe we can go back to Specularum."_

_"Mother Scrang then,"_ Brigit said weakly, _"Jus' get me outta here."_


_Edited for content_


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Mother Screng*

A wraith, a frelling wraith, totally hosed my day.  I honestly thought I was going to die.  I never knew one thing could cause so much chaos.  12 points of constitution gone.  Man that was a nasty battle.


----------



## Broccli_Head

Yup! Energy draining undead are nasty....that's why I love 'em. Them and shadow dragons!


----------



## frog

> A wraith, a frelling wraith, totally hosed my day. I honestly thought I was going to die. I never knew one thing could cause so much chaos. 12 points of constitution gone. Man that was a nasty battle.




Critical hit paid off in a big way.  Consider it payback for all of the minor "grunts" that you have retired.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 45 (session 19)*

The next day Milo set out with a considerably gaunt Brigit.  Her skin held the same pallor that the wraith had bestowed on her with its touch of death.  Her face was gaunt, her eyes sunken and her cheekbones protruding.  The fine red hairs that made up her light beard had begun to fall out.  The night had been no kinder to her than the day.

Before reaching town Milo stopped Brigit.

_"From what we've been told the town's not too friendly for strangers right now."_ Milo told her, _"I'm going to disguise myself and you're going the rest of the way invisible."_

_"Fair 'nuff."_ Brigit said weakly.

Milo called upon his god's domain of trickery.  Divine energy coursed over his skin.  The coruscating light played across his features, momentarily obscuring them.  His long braid drew up, eventually absorbed into his scalp.  His girth increased and his armor changed in appearance to a brown tunic and brown vest.  In moments a short, plump, bald human stood before Brigit.  

_"Humph, purty good trick, Milo.  Can we go now?"_

Once completely transformed by the _change self_ spell, Milo turned to Brigit.  He again called on Usimigaras' trickery and cast _invisibility_ on Brigit.  The air around the dwarf shimmered, like the air on a hot day across the plains.  Milo could see through bits of her at first.  The empty holes widened until they joined, making even larger spaces of nothingness.  Soon Brigit was completely invisible.  Satisfied, Milo turned towards town, trusting that Brigit would follow.

They arrived at Mother Scrang's unmolested.  Milo entered, leaving the door open long enough to feel Brigit brush by.  The familiar and musty smell of Scrang's cottage cum shop enveloped him.  Dusty shelves lined the walls, full of bottles and flasks crowding each other for room.  Milo chose not to dwell too long on the contents of any one bottle.  The few he had recognized convinced him that it was not a worthwhile endeavor.  Bat's spleens, newt stomachs, dried skin from a salamander born under a gibbous moon in November on a leap year.  He wasn't interested in the rest.

They didn't have long to wait.  Mother Scrang soon bustled into the room.  Her wrinkled features split into a wide grin when she spied Milo standing near the door.

_"Back for some more goodies are we?"_ her piercing cackle followed her statement.

_"You could say that."_ Milo began, _"Brigit, you can drop the spell."_

_"Ah can?"_ came the confused reply from a disembodied voice.

_"Yes, just concentrate on becoming visible.  It's pretty simple actually."_

The air shimmered next to Milo and suddenly Brigit was standing there.

_"Eh?  Who's yer lady friend, little man?"_ Mother Scrang screeched.  _"What's she want, a shave?_ again the cackle.  _"She looks a scrawny one.  Whatcha want hangin' round with 'er sort?  Me daughter's much better for ya, believe you me!"_


Brigit was too weak to take offense at Scrang's comments.  She merely glared at the witch.

_"Be that as it may, Brigit is my good friend and she's in trouble."_

_"I can see that much jus' lookin' at 'er.  She needs some meat on them bones.  What kinda dwarf do ya fancy yerself, walkin' round like that?"_

_"That's just it, we ran across a pretty harrowing fight with a wraith.  I'm afraid Brigit was wounded and her being drained."_

_"Now whatcha doin' gettin' inta trouble like that, little man?  My daughter don't wanna be slummin' round with no ruffians.  Tho come ta think of it, she do like bein' rough sometimes."_ Scrang's screeching cackles threatened to break the many glass jars in the shop as she laughed at her own joke.

_"Well now, maybe I am a bit too much of a ruffian for your daughter."_ Milo quickly replied, jumping at the chance to get out of the relationship that Scrang dreamed up for he and her daughter.  _"But can we get back to the problem at hand?  Do you have anything that can restore Brigit to her old self?"_

_"Mebbe I have, mebbe I don't.  I think yer gonna have ta let us ladies talk about this.  Ya go make yerself scarce an' me an' the dwarf'll get down ta business."_

_"Fine by me.  Brigit, will you be okay here?"_

_"Ah'll be okay if'n she kin help me.  Ah don't fancy a trip all tha way back ta tha capital right now."_

_"Very well ladies, I'll be at the stables when you're done."_

_"Now that we're alone dwarfy..."_ Milo could hear as the door closed behind him.

The high ceilings and wide space of Otis' shop was much more welcoming to Milo.  Otis' shop was combination smithy, stable, and store.  The counter stood in front of shelves lined with general goods.  To the left of the counter the shop stretched back into a decent, if small, smithy.  A wide door led into the stables, making it easy to bring horses in for shoeing.  This was exactly what Milo found Otis doing.

_"Otis!  How are you?"_ Milo said.

The burly smith looked up from his work to see a short, fat, bald man looking back at him.  His brow furrowed for a moment as he tried to place Milo's voice with his face.  Suddenly recognition dawned on his face.

_"Milo!  That disguise of yours is pretty good."_

_"It has its uses."_ Milo grinned sheepishly.  _"How are the animals?"_

_"Well I haven't sold them yet, if that's what you're asking."_

_"Sold them!?  Why would you do that.  Are you asking for more money?"_

_"Nah nah nah, nothing like that.  It's the Baron.  He and his men have been in the area and they're snatching up all the mounts they can get."_

_"The Baron?  That's just lovely.  What's going on?"_

_"He's been requisitioning a bunch of armor and weapons too.  They came round here but I couldn't help them much.  I'm more used to shoeing horses and the like."_

_"Blacksmithing and mounts.  That's not a good combination, not in quantity."_

_"Tis true, a lot of us can see the writing on the wall,"_ at this Otis lowered his voice and leaned closer toward Milo.  _"The Baron's got a wormy court wizard hanging at his elbow everywhere he goes.  Folks say he's a necromancer."_ Otis signed a ward against the evil eye.

_"Really?  Do you know anything about him?_

_"His name is Bargul.  He's an old wizard, long bushy beard.  He looks of death warmed over though."_  Otis leaned even closer to Milo, nearly whispering.  _"I don't know if he's been poisoned by the wizard or if he was born this way, but that Baron's got venom for blood.  I don't know why the Duke puts up with him.  Even being blood, there's only so much you can ignore."_

_"True, true.  We'll have to watch out for him."_

_"You'd do well to make yourself scarce.  Strangers are viewed with more suspicion than usual."_

_"I'd love to, but Brigit is with Mother Scrang right now.  She got beat up pretty bad."_

_"Mother Scrang again, eh?  Women like that just don't die.  She's good for them potions and ointments.  I pity the man that gets saddled with her daughter though."_

_"Don't talk like that.  She's forever trying to get me together with her."_

_"Hruda?  You'd do even better to stay away from her than the Baron!"_ Otis's voice returned to normal and he sat back up.  _"They say she stopped an invasion with her face alone.  Forces took one look at her and the wails of ten score men could be heard racing through the hills."_

Milo stood with a look of mute horror on his face.

_"Heh heh.  You're looking a little pale there Milo.  Anyway, you see these gray streaks in my hair?"_ Otis went on oblivious, _"The first one was from the first time I saw the girl.  This other one was from the second time I saw her.  You can be sure I avoided her like the plague after that!"_

Just then door to the shop opened and in walked Brigit, hale and hearty.  She looked better than Milo remembered her in a long time.  Milo breathed a sigh of relief, both for her health and for her interruption.  He noticed that she wore an extremely worried expression though.  She barely acknowledged Otis before addressing Milo.

_"We may have a problem."_


----------



## Nail

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 45 (session 19)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *<Brigit> barely acknowledged Otis before addressing Milo.
> 
> "We may have a problem." *




A cliffhanger!   Yer gettin' a bit Rat-Bastard yerself, Milo.

BTW, does Frog take a player aside fer this, or is it all done in front of the whole group?


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 45 (session 19)*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> 
> A cliffhanger!   Yer gettin' a bit Rat-Bastard yerself, Milo.
> 
> BTW, does Frog take a player aside fer this, or is it all done in front of the whole group? *




Heh heh, thanks Nail.  I try.  

Frog does the interactions in front of everyone.  Since Milo wasn't actually in the shop with Brigit I decided to let Brigit's player write up the scene.  Not to mention the fact that I was running after our daughter during the entire encounter.  Kinda hard to pay too close attention.  

Keep tuned for Brigit's "deal" with Mother Scrang from her own mouth.


----------



## frog

> BTW, does Frog take a player aside fer this, or is it all done in front of the whole group?




It would be nice to do that, but unfortunately the circumstances surrounding our gaming night don't allow us much flexibility with things like that.  As Milo said, his daughter is there (1 yr), my daughter is there (2 yr), my older son is there (6 yr), and our newborn son is there(4 months) all crammed into a little apartment...we are lucky to get any roleplaying at all done some nights between diaper changes, putting kids to bed, eating, and changing videos for the children.   

I hope that the gaming experience for them is worth the difficulties that we have getting together


----------



## Mazi

> I hope that the gaming experience for them is worth the difficulties that we have getting together




It's worth it but it is pretty common for me to spend most of the next day kicking myself because I missed out on some great opportunities.  That's what happens when I try to pay attention to too many things at once.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Waiting*

Are you kidding me its so worth it.  I love playing.  And your story lines are great with all the twists and turns.  Besides who wouldnt love playing with Mother Screng.


----------



## Nail

Frog: Sounds like yer doin' it right.

A while back, when I was DMing, I'd take players aside....the upside is th' suspense...but th' downside is th' boredom of the other players.  Of course, if ye 'ave little ones running around, that might make things more....distracting for those players left behind.  Sounds like you've got a regular zoo over there.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Brigit and Mother Scrang's Exchange*

_"A'right Scrang, Ah need ta be healed. Wha's it gonna cost me?"_ Brigit asked.

_"Well ya see's, me old bones been achin' lately. I be needin' some ointment for me feet."_ Mother Scrang said slyly.

_"Ah've some Keoghtem's ointment, if tha's what ya mean. Ah'm hard pressed ta let tha' go tho. Are ya sure ya wouldna want a nice ivory statue ta brighten up tha place?"_ Brigit bartered.

_"No, I don't be needin' any more useless ornaments on me shelves. Ya can already see me lovely stuffed dearies."_ Mother Scrang pointed out various poorly stuffed animals crowding her shelves. _"But I would be lookin' for some pretty ornaments for me fingers. The one's I got be gettin' a bit tight."_ she pulled absent-mindedly at a ring that was a few sizes too small.

_"Ah'm hesitant ta part with me gems. But as Ah'm fellin' very weak at tha moment, Ah s'pose Ah can part wi' me ruby ring."_

_"Nah, I don't like it. Red don't suit me hair color"_ Scrang paused for a cackle as she lifted some grey strands of stringy hair. _"But me daughter would like it. Ya could give it to me from your little man. I could pass it along to me daughter. Ya can be bettin' she would like a ring. An engagement ring so's to speak."_

_"Ah don't think Ah could answer for mah friend tha' way. But if ya be willin' ta take it for a bit O healin' Ah would be very appreciative."_

_"We'll see, we'll see. What else have ya got for me?"_

_"Ah s'pose Ah could part wi' mah emerald ring. Bein' as special ta me as it is, I wouldna hope ya ask anythin' more O me."_

Mother Scrang took the proffered ring and slipped it onto her crooked middle finger. A crooked smile formed on her wizened features.

_"Ahhh, even with a beard ya have good taste. I'll heal ya for the two rings-"_ Brigit breathed a sigh of relief as Scrang paused, _"-An the ointment for me feet of course."_ Scrang finished with a cackle. 

_"Done. Ah don' suppose ya can hurry it up a li'l? This armor is wearin' heavy on me."_

_"Tsk, these things take time. Ya don't want me to screw it up now, do ya?"_

_"No, no."_

_"Alrighty then. Ya best be layin' down then. This sometimes makes a body light-headed and I don't want ya falling about on the floor."_

Mother Scrang cleared off a pallet for Brigit to lay down. Brigit carefully settled herself down and lay waiting tensely.

_"Get outta your armor! Ya don't think I can do any healin' through that, do ya?"_

Brigit groaned as she sat back up. She grumbled in dwarven as she struggled out of her full plate armor. Mother Scrang looked on, cackling every once in a while. In a few minutes Brigit was back on the pallet, dressed in her tunic and breeches. Mother Scrang started flapping her arms wildly, reminding Brigit of a chicken trying to fly. Scrang spoke, but it was in no language Brigit understood. She began to grow sleepy. Her eyelids drooped of their own accord. Soon Brigit drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

She felt herself gradually coming to, unaware of how much time passed. She heard a quiet voice at her ear. _"And you'll know what to do when ya get there."_ She couldn't tell if it was part of a waking dream or if Mother Scrang whispered to her. The statement filled her with dread though.

Brigit took a few more minutes to fully awake. When she did, Mother Scrang was stooped over her. _"How ya feelin' me dearie?"_

_"Ah'll admit, Ah've not felt better in many days."_

_"Wll then me dearie, how do ya suppose you're going to be gettin' back out of town now? You're quite visible and the little man be gone."_

Brigit recognized a sales pitch when she heard one. _"Ah don't know, but Ah'm sure ya 'ave somethin' for it."_

_"I suppose I could drag out me invisibility draught to help ya out, for a price of course."_

_"Why am Ah not surprised? Ah s'pose Ah would be needin' tha'. Now tha' we're on tha subject O potions tho, Ah was curious about any healin' potions ya might have. After all, now tha' yer gainin' a son-in-law, ya might wanna keep 'im. If he falls ill Ah'll need a way ta cure 'im."_ Brigit said with a conspiratorial grin.

_"Don't you be threatenin' me daughter's suitor, dearie. I don't wanna haveta turn ya into a toad."_

_"No no, Ah'm very thankful for yer help. Ah was jus' lookin' out fer yer best interests in our good friend."_

_"Don't ya worry about that. Ah've got a potion that'll take care of that. It's a potion of love, among other things."_ Scrang cackled. _"What are ya lookin' for in particular?"_

_"What's tha best ya got?"_

_"Well what do ya have for me in trade?"_

_"Ah've got this enchanted chainmail and shield."_ Brigit pulled the items from her voluminous sack.

_"What's it look like to ya, that I'm runnin' an armory here?"_

_"Perhaps not, but ya asked."_

_"Fair enough. Ya know I like rings"_ Scrang let the statement dangle.

_"Sorry madam, all tha reast of mah rings are stuck on mah fingers."_

_"Ahh well, what else ya got? That ya be willin' to part with, that is."_

_"Ah've got a special shield or two."_

_"Well for two of those 'special' shields I could part with maybe one of my best potions. It's sure to cure what ails ya."_ Again with the cackle.

_"Ah don' think Ah can take tha' trade. Ya've gotta have more than a single potion, otherwise tha deal's off."_

_"This is me *best* stuff. It's good for what ails ya, poison, wounds, fallin' down big holes, whatever._ Scrang considered for a few moments. _"I suppose I could offer ya two of them."_

_"No, Ah canna take less than three."_

_"Hmmm, ya drive a hard bargain, dearie. I could part with two of the good ones and maybe one of my weaker draughts. But I want somethin' a little more in return."_ Mother Scrang suddenly looked very pious, _"After all, have ya seen the shack I live in? It be needed some repairs. Otherwise me daughter and me new son-in-law won't have a place to live."_ She eyed the sack Brigit held, _"You've got some nice jewelry in there, I'd wager."_

_"Ah already told ya, Ah'm not gonna give up any more jewelry."_

Mother Scrang looked very put out. _"How about some gold then? I'm a starvin' old woman. Gold I can use to buy meself some food."_

_"Ah don't think Ah can part with any of mah gold. Ah worked hard for it. Ah got another shield ya can sell fer gold."_

_"What would an old woman like me do with all these shields? After all, Duke Stephen has been acting really odd as of late. And then there's the Baron in the castle of Fort Doom. It's said he's been really friendly with the Duke lately. It's all very strange. People comin' through town buyin' up all the weapons and armor they can find for a great war or somethin'. I don't need the extra suspicion with all of your armor. You best be on your way. My final offer is two good potions and one weaker one in trade for your shield and fifty gold pieces."_

Grumbling, Brigit counted out the money and handed over the shield in return for the three healing potions and the invisibility potion. She quickly downed the invisibility potion and gradually faded away. Brigit left Mother Scrang to her own devices and headed for the stables. 

Before reaching the wooden building she recalled the words she heard, half dreaming, _"And you'll know what to do when ya get there."_ A shiver of dread coursed down her spine. Mother Scrang did something to her. A myriad of possibilities ran through her mind. What if she was going to force her to do something to Milo? Make her bring him to her for her daughter? Brigit couldn't stand to be compelled to do anything against her will. She was a dwarf, she thought to herself, dwarves are their own people, always have been, always will be! What if it's something more sinister than that? What reason do they have to trust Mother Scrang after all? Nothing other than the word of Otis, she didn't trust him much either. The fear of unknown after affects from Mother Scrang's 'healing' settled like a cold stone in the pit of her stomach. She had to warn Milo, in case she was forced to do something against her will.

Brigit picked up her pace, heedless of the sound of her armor and the odd expressions of the townspeople she passed. Many folk thought a shade passed by, it's ghostly chains rattling as it moved through town. Brigit glanced about before entering Otis' stables. Seeing no one around, she burst through the unlatched door.

_"We may have a problem."_


----------



## Milo Windby

*Brigit's Post*

Just a note for any of those wondering.  Brigit's post was written by Brigit's player, who then sent it to me to revise the speech patterns.  I've got a kind of unique way of writing Brigit and Mother Scrang.  I added a little bit of non-dialogue then sent it back to her and she posted it.  I think Brigit did an excellent job though.

You should have seen her that night.  After Frog layed the line about "You'll know what to do when you get there".  She was certain Mother Scrang had it out for her.


----------



## Nail

Update?  Soon?  Yer fans await.....That, an' frog paid me a cool 20 t'post this......


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil – Part 46 (session 19)*

Brigit hurriedly explained everything that she remembered from Mother Scrang’s, including the foreboding message she received when she was half awake.

_”Hmmm, that is odd.  I don’t know if it’s something we have to worry about though.”_ Milo said after some thought.

_”Mebbe not, but Ah canna shake tha feelin’ tha’ she’s got somethin’ planned for tha lot O’ us.  Tha’ just don’t bode well.”_ Brigit said, _”‘Specially seein’ how fond O’ ya she is.  Who knows, she may be forcin’ me ta bring ya back ‘gainst yer will.”_

_”I can honestly say I’ve never seen you so scared of anything in the whole time I’ve known you.”_ Milo said with surprise. _”Very well, we’ll be on our guards.  We’ll tell the others when we get back.  You just be sure to tell us if you feel anything out of the ordinary.”_

_”Aye, Ah will.  But ya gotta watch too.  Ya know Ah’m tha first ta go when we’re up ‘gainst finger-wagglers.  One look in me eye an’ they already got me held er some other humiliatin’ enchantment.  It ain’t right.”_

Milo turned to Otis.  The balding blacksmith was amused by his customer’s discussion.

_”I’m afraid we have to go.  Thanks for all of your help Otis.  Take good care of the animals.”_

With that Milo pressed a few more gold coins to his palm and waved goodbye.  The two were soon out of town and nearing the edge of the forest.  The dark closeness of the trees enveloped them as they entered the woods.  A false twilight set upon them under the boughs of the ancient oaks and the occasional drooping willow.  Brigit plodded next to Milo morosely.

_”Cheer up Brigit, you’re back to full health!”_ Milo said.

_”Aye, but Ah don’ feel as well as Ah did ‘fore Scrang laid tha’ li’l bit on me.”_

_”We’ve been through worse.  Remember in the cursed caves when you decided you *had* to touch the smoky glass?  You almost jumped Mazi with your axe!  Besides, we’ll keep close watch.  I really don’t think Mother Scrang is that malicious.”_

_”Ah suppose.  We’ll see.”_

They walked the rest of the way to camp in silence.  Milo reflected on the time that had passed since Usamigaras last visited him.  His God was weakening and it was up to him to rescue His people.  Milo fretted inwardly at the time it was taking them to find Brigit’s family and clear out the temple.  He also worried that the others wouldn’t be interested in accompanying him to the shires to help him.  He had spent most of his life alone and thought that was the way he preferred it.  Now that he thought about it, the others had become like a family to him.  He hated the thought of parting after all they had been through together.  His resolve strengthened, he would do everything in his power to make sure they stayed together.

They made camp by nightfall.  It was hard to determine under the leafy canopy of the forest, but the telltale sounds of evening slowly took over.  The chirping of the birds was replaced by the song of the crickets.  An owl hooted in the tree above their path.  A lone wolf howled in the distance.  The fire of the camp was a welcome sight to Milo’s eyes.  He envied Brigit her darkvision at times.  Milo cheerfully strode into camp.

_”We have returned!”_ he said with a flourish.

Brigit dragged her feet into the circle and slumped to the ground.  

_”What’s wrong?”_ asked Mazi, _”Couldn’t Mother Scrang help?”_

_”Oh aye, she ‘helped’ a’right.  Gave me some sort O’ gease along wi’ the healin’, Ah’m sure.”_

_”I think you may be exaggerating things a little,”_ Milo said, _”Mother Scrang gave Brigit some sort of message as she healed her.”_

Mazi and Jer listened intently as Brigit told of her visit to Scrang.  Milo also told them all that Otis shared about the Baron and his mustering of troops and equipment.

_”You may be too quick to judge, Milo.”_ began Mazi after she heard Brigit’s tale. _”Scrang may have indeed set some sort of enchantment upon Brigit, perhaps as payment for the healing.  Maybe she wasn’t satisfied with the shields and rings.”_

_”Or me ointment!  Tha’ ole witch drove a hard bargain!”_

_”Or your ointment,”_ Mazi agreed. _”We won’t be able to tell for sure until her enchantment takes affect.  We’ll have to keep close watch on you until then.”_

_”Tha’s what Ah’ve been sayin’!”_

_”Well I’ve had enough intrigue for one day,”_ said Milo, _”I’m packing it in.  It’s back to the temple tomorrow.”_

Milo was still unconvinced of Mother Scrang’s ill intent.  She was strange, and a little frightening when she’d go off about Hruda.  Milo just couldn’t see her forcing Brigit to do anything horrible, not even to kidnap Milo for a crossbow wedding.  These were his thoughts as he drifted off to slumber.  Even with his surface feelings about Mother Scrang, Milo dreamt of Brigit stealing off with him in a knapsack at night.  She brought him before Mother Scrang who cackled with delight.  In his dream Milo was still in the form of the short, fat, bald man whom Mother Scrang knew.  She forced him into a suit of finery and cackled with glee as she scooted him off to the town’s church.  At the altar stood a woman with her back to him.  He was drawn inexorably towards the altar, under no power of his own.  The woman turned to face him, reaching a hand up to lift her veil…

Suddenly Milo woke with a start.  Brigit was shaking him gently.

_”Ya were screamin’, laddie.”_ she said with uncharacteristic gentleness. _”It’s yer turn fer watch.”_

Milo found that he and his bedroll were soaked with sweat.  His hair was plastered to his skull.  He took a few moments to get his bearings and compose his wits.  He spent the rest of the night reconsidering his thoughts on Mother Scrang.

They were up before dawn; Milo woke them as the first birds tentatively chirped to each other in the trees.  Camp was struck with practiced alacrity and they were soon on the way back to the temple.  They discussed options en route.  There were only one or two rooms unexplored on the second level.  There was also the matter of the chained merman.  They figured that he needed to be dealt with one way or another.  Brigit had a potion of water-breathing as well.  They’d figure something out one way or another.

There was a single door near the Water Temple that was bolted from the other side.  Milo was certain they’d find a secret door in the vicinity that would reveal what was hidden behind.  The trip down into the temple was quiet.  It seemed that all of the patrols had been dealt with already.  Milo scoured the walls near the door.  He led them farther and farther from the portal.  

Finally, just as the others were ready to give up on him, Milo found what he was looking for.  The secret door was near the Air Temple and the site of Brigit’s close encounter with the wraith.  The door swung inward, revealing a forked passage.  To the right was a curved hallway that led to a set of stairs leading down into the darkness.  To the left was a hall lined with piles of armor and an ironbound chest.  The hall ended in a curtain.  The others examined the armor while Milo busied himself with the chest.

Perhaps overconfident, Milo did a cursory check for traps before attempting to unlock the sturdy container.  He felt a wash of dread as he heard the click of the needle trap in the lock.  Milo yelped in pain as the sharp point of the needle embedded itself in his finger.  He yanked his hand back and stood up.

_”Stupid, stupid, stupid.”_ Milo said to himself.

A wave of nausea washed over him as the poison made it’s way through his bloodstream.  Milo fought the ill effects inwardly as the others gathered around him concernedly.  It took him a second to realize that the nausea had passed.  It seemed that he weathered the poison with no affect.  

_”Ha!  Teach them to use weak poison against me!”_

He doubled over suddenly as a new wave of nausea swept through him.  He suddenly felt weak and stumbled to one knee.  Mazi steadied him as he tried to shake the effects off.  He had no luck this time.  The slow acting poison had done it’s damage.  

_”Stupid, stupid, stupid.”_ Milo said again.

He was ready to stand on his own in a few seconds, but could tell that his muscles needed time to recuperate from the poison still in his veins. 

_”You going to be alright, Milo?”_ asked Mazi.

_”Yeah, I’ll just need to rest after we’re done today.  Now I know how Brigit felt.”_

_Aw, ya look fine, laddie.  If Ah looked as good as ya do now when Ah was hit by tha’ damnable wraith, then Ah don’ know what all tha fuss was about.”_

_”Thanks Brigit, I get the message.  I’m going to spring that lock now, if it’s the last thing I do.”_

Milo did just that.  He swung the lid back with satisfaction and peered into the spoils.  He was disappointed to find a paltry sum of eleven gold pieces and some silver.  He checked the lining and the walls of the chest, but it seemed to be a normal, everyday box.  

_”Ach, well ya canna always have everythin’, eh Milo?”_ Brigit said as she slapped him on the back good-naturedly.

Milo stumbled from the blow and had to steady himself on the wall.  _”Thanks Brigit, but how about holding back on the friendly pats until I get some rest?”_

Brigit had the decency to look slightly embarrassed.

The curtain hid a room with a table and chairs.  The bolted door was on the far wall.  A few pewter dishes were scattered on the table but there were no diners.  Milo searched the room.  Another hidden door was concealed to the right of their entrance.  The door led out into an offshoot of the grand hall.

_”That’s it as far as I can see.”_ said Mazi as she poured over her map.

_”I suppose that leaves our telepathic friend in the pool then.”_ Milo said with a sigh. _”Let’s get to it.”_

They entered the room from the north this time, the farthest point from the pool of water.  The merman remained at the bottom of the pool, still chained.

_”You’ve returned!  It’s not too late, you must help me!”_ came the pleading voice in their minds again.

_”Not too late for what?  You’ve been going on about nothing ever since we first found you.”_ Milo said out loud.

_”He’s still coming!  The beast is still coming!”_

_”Keep your fins on.  We’re just about ready.”_ Milo said.

He turned to Brigit.  She had just activated her ring of freedom of movement and was about to drink her potion of water breathing.  Milo decided some extra precaution was needed.  He still didn’t trust the situation.  Milo focused and prayed for protection against water.  He imparted his blessing on Brigit.  She shimmered with a blue haze for a second before returning to normal.

_”Just in case something in there isn’t friendly.”_

Brigit nodded and downed a dose of the water-breathing potion.  She handed Jeremiah her rope of entanglement for an emergency.  The others stood back and watched as she slowly stepped into the water.  As soon as the sturdy dwarf was waist deep, about three feet past the edge, the water began to churn.  Her armor and gear started to sizzle in the frothy water.

_”Get out of there, Brigit!”_ Mazi shouted.

Jeremiah readied his sword, peering into the churning pool.  Brigit backpedaled as quickly as possible, making it to the edge before any of her armor was eaten through.  It appeared the Milo’s spell was just enough protection to get her out.

The voice in their heads turned even more urgent.  _”Please hurry!  Get me out of here.”_

_”Oh no.  I see what’s happening here.  You’re probably not even real.”_ Milo said, _”In fact, I’d wager that this whole pool of ‘water’ is what’s actually doing this.”_

_”Let’s test that theory,”_ Mazi said.

A few seconds later a lightning bolt jagged from her finger and struck the water.  The electricity played across the surface for a few seconds before dissipating.  

_”Nooooo!”_ came the shrieking mental voice.

_”I think you’re onto something, Milo.  The lightning didn’t seem to do too much though.”_ Mazi said.

_”Hmm, let’s try a knife spray then.”_ Milo replied.

Milo finished his prayer and gestured at the pool.  A stream of coalesced air formed into tiny shards and sped into the pool.  The water on the surface slowed, almost congealing.  The shrieking in their head intensified.  The water was back to normal in seconds though.  They could see the merman at the bottom writhing.

_”Better, but we’re getting no where.”_ Milo said.

A sudden thought struck him.  They had found a scroll not too long ago with the spell _control water_ scribed.  Milo fished out the parchment and located the incantation.  He spoke the divine words and forced the water to lower.  The shrieks became mentally painful then.

_”I think we’ve hit on something.”_ Milo said, _”Too bad that’s my only control water spell.”_

Just then Brigit stepped forward.  Milo glanced at her before turning back to the pool.  Something in her face made him look again.  

_”Ach, it’s hot in here.  Ah need a bit O’ a bath, methinks.”_ Brigit said absentmindedly. 

The dwarf stepped closer to the pool.  Jeremiah was faster.  He spoke the command word and Brigit’s rope sprung into action.  She was soon trussed up just as Milo had been days before.  Jer gave a strong tug and she toppled.  Brigit shook her head as if clearing cobwebs from her mind.  

_”Wha’?  What was Ah thinin’?”_

_”Don’t know, don’t do it again.”_ Jeremiah said.

He let her free and the four turned again to the pool.

_”Stop!  Please stop!  I’ll give you anything!  Anything you desire!”_ the voice in their minds persisted.

_”We don’ make deals wi’ demons, devils, or tha likes O’ ya!”_ Brigit spat into the pool.

The water shuddered.  Milo wracked his brain for any spells that dealt with water.  All he had was a scroll of _purify food and drink_ as well as one prepared.  Stumped and with nothing better to do, he prayed for the pool to be purified.  

_Aauuuugghhh!”_ screamed the voice in their heads.

The water literally boiled at the effect of the purity.  Milo grinned.  He fished out the scroll with the same spell.  Again the voice wailed and the water churned.  It didn’t seem to be enough to finish off the mysterious being.  The water settled.

_”What about this?”_ Mazi said, holding up a vial of holy water.

_”It’s worth a try.”_ Milo answered.

Mazi emptied the vial into the pool.  The water boiled on contact with the blessed fluid.  Milo whistled in appreciation.  He emptied all of his vials, as did Brigit, Mazi, and Jeremiah.  The water boiled and frothed but the voice never stopped wailing.  Milo was beginning to get a splitting headache.

_”It’s really hot in here.  Ah need a drink.”_ said Brigit as she poured her last vial of holy water into the pool.

Jeremiah was ready with the rope.  A few seconds later Brigit lay bound next to the pool, still trying to reach the edge.  Her lips protruded as she tried to drink some of the tainted water.

_”Thirsty?  Wait a second, let’s try plain water.”_ Milo said.

Again the water boiled and frothed as they emptied their water skins into the pool.  The screaming seemed to die down slightly as they each contributed their personal supplies.  Just as the last drop from Jeremiah’s water skin fell the screaming ceased.  The blue glow that suffused the room winked out.  The crystal on the ceiling had grown dark.  Suddenly, with the sound of ice on a lake thawing in spring, a jagged crack snaked along the face of the crystal.  The ceiling shattered into thousands of tiny shards that rained down into the now still pool.  The merman was nowhere to be seen.

_”Whew,”_ sighed Milo, _”I was about ready to drop my trousers and relieve myself.  Wonder if it would have worked?”_

_”Get me outta this thing!”_

_”Oops, sorry Brigit.”_

In the heat of the moment they had forgotten the dwarf lying next to the pool.  She had narrowly avoided a few stray shards by rolling this way and that.  Jeremiah spoke the command word and the rope loosened, allowing Brigit to go free.

_”Sorry ‘bout tha’.  Ah don’ know what came over me.”_

_”Some sort of suggestion or hypnotism I’d imagine,”_ Mazi conjectured.

_”Ya see what Ah mean?  First moment we’re up ‘gainst anythin’ like tha’ an’ Ah’m tha first ta go.”_

Milo listened half-heartedly to the conversation as he surveyed the wreckage.  Most of the shards had sunk to the bottom of the pool.  Floating near the far edge he could see a coral tube.  Milo walked to the edge and knelt next to the pool.

_”Milo!  What are you doing?”_ Mazi shouted.

Jeremiah brandished the rope and started forward before Milo spoke.

_”It’s a scrollcase, I’m not thirsty.”_

Mazi laid a hand on Jeremiah’s arm and he lowered the rope.  Milo fished the case out, unafraid of the water now that the creature had been destroyed.  Inside the case he found a parchment.  It was a note written in common.  Milo read it aloud.

_”On three in six lies nine,
But none shall ever see,
A vile good cloaked in fair evil for eternity,
Who will answer, Answerer?
Where is your power, pray?
With the wealth of Karemeikos,
And there until Doomsday.”_

The four looked at each other in puzzlement.  It was a few minutes before anyone spoke.  Mazi broke the silence.

_”The Answerer, that’s the name of the Duke’s sword.  This does not bode well.”_


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*bum bum bum*

I just wanted to share the Bum bum bummmm.  What will happen next boys and girls?  Will they discover what the riddle means?  Will they find the wealth?  Will they survive?  Tune in next time for Milo's next post.

_Edited for spelling & grammar_


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 47 (session 20)*

Stumped by the meaning of the scroll they found, the heroes decided to retire for the night and think on it before they ventured to the next floor.  That night they discussed possible meanings of the message.  After some discussion they settled down for sleep no closer to a solution to the riddle than before.

Morning found them as stumped as the night before.  Nonplussed, the four friends decided to head back into the temple.  Perhaps more investigation on the next floor would shed some light on their puzzle.  

The temple was eerily quiet on the first two floors.  Mazi pointed out all of the stairs they had uncovered during their initial search of the second basement floor.  One of the staircases they had discovered behind a secret door so recently seemed to be the perfect place to go down.  The stony steps led deep into the darkness.  The familiar dank smell of the temple filled their nostrils as they carefully made their way down.  The stairs ended in a dead-end with a single door set in the north wall.

The door led to a passageway running east to west.  To the east they found an oddly angled room lined with shelves.  The room struck Milo as odd, it was the first time they had seen anything on shelves that were completely intact.  Mazi seemed the most interested in the varied bottles and flasks crowding the shelves.

_"There must be enough spell components in here to cast just about anything!"_ she said excitedly.

_"Wha?  Ya mean all this worthless dreck?  There ain't anythin' in here worth packin' 'round."_ Brigit decided.

_"Speak for yourself."_ Mazi said as she pored over the labels on the closest shelf.

_"Well these might come in handy,"_ Milo said as he picked up some empty flasks.  _"I can bless some water and fill the flasks, since we used all of ours upstairs."_

_"Tha's more like it.  Ah'll carry 'round as many of those as ya like."_ Brigit said.

Milo and Mazi took some time to scan the shelves and stock up on empty flasks and spell components.  Mazi grinned from ear to ear as she practically skipped from shelf to shelf of arcane material.  

The other end of the passageway twisted around a sharp bend before coming to an intersection.  One way led to the north, the other continued to the west.  The northern passage led them around another corner into circular room.  This room was filled with tables, lined orderly in rows.  Upon the tables were beakers, glass tubes, and other alchemical devices.  A table full of pottery turned out to be alchemical supplies.  Mazi identified many of the powders and liquids.  She paused at a pot full of what appeared to be liquid silver.

_"Hmmm, quicksilver.  This would sell for a pretty copper, Brigit.  Quicksilver is valued highly by many alchemists."_ Mazi said slyly.

_"Really?  How much?"_ came Brigit's answer.

_"Oh, I don't know.  This much quicksilver would probably go for a few hundred gold back home."_

_"Well then, Ah can hold onta some O' that."_

_"And this,"_ she said as held up a flask from a matched set. _"is acid, sulfuric I believe."_

_"Now tha' can come in handy!  Gimme some O' tha' stuff."_ Brigit said eagerly.

Brigit stowed five flasks of the corrosive liquid in her pack, cushioned by an empty sack she carried around.  They split many of the rest of the ingredients between the four.  Mazi estimated that there was over a thousand gold pieces worth of potion brewing material.

Back at the intersection they found the western passage slanted to the north before emptying into another hallway heading north and south.  They kept to the "right turn only" mantra and followed the passage to its end.  A stout oak door opened into a short east-west passage.  Both ends of the passage opened to the north into a large workroom.  Tables, desks, and shelves were arrayed in an orderly fashion along the walls.  To the west was a small fountain and to the east was a supply area of sorts.  

Milo approached the nearest desk first.  Just as he neared the desk a thin tentacle whipped out towards his feet.  His quick reflexes saved him from being wrapped up and hauled under the desk to an unknown fate.

As Milo tumbled backwards the owner of the tentacle slinked out from under the desk.

_"A roper!  That's all we need."_ Mazi groaned.

The amorphous body of the roper elongated to a pillar of greyish flesh with constantly shifting tentacles.  The creature's only eye focused on the speaker, Mazi.  One of its rope-like tentacles shot out towards the elf.  Mazi wasn't nimble enough to avoid its steely grip.  The roper hauled back and Mazi was inexorably drawn to the creature's opening maw.  

A quick count revealed to Milo that five more tentacles were free to attack the three free heroes.  He prayed for assistance in the form of as many _summoned creatures_ as his god could spare.  Three celestial badgers winked into existance around the roper.  Milo hoped they'd be enough distraction for the roper to spare them the tentacles until they could vanquish it.  

Brigit and Jeremiah tried to keep their distance but attacked fiercely with their bows.  The roper's rubbery hide was difficult to pierce but they were able to exact a small amount of damage.  Brigit snarled in frustration.  Milo's hope for the badger's assistance was short lived as three tentacles snaked out and rendered all three completely helpless in a matter of seconds.  

Milo was next to feel the creature's constricting hold.  The tentacle shot behind him before looping around his waist and pulling him towards the central pillar.  Milo struggled to break free but found his strength was severely sapped from the roper's paralyzing hold.

Jeremiah was soon in the same predicament as Milo and Mazi.  The roper snagged his armor in its inflexible grip and yanked him off his feet.  His gauntleted fingers scraped the stone floor as he was dragged to the roper's waiting mouth.

Left alone to face the roper, Brigit dropped her bow and drew her axes.  She brandished them high and charged with a dwarven battle cry.  Her axes bit deep into the roper's flesh, but weren't enough to free her comrades.  She was hard pressed as she avoided the other three tentacles.  Only her dwarven fortitude kept her from being affected by the creature's paralyzing touch.  

Milo twisted and turned as he tried to free himself.  He managed to twist his shoulder back enough to free some slack and dropped to the ground.  He immediately began a _prayer_ to strengthen his allies and weaken the roper.

Brigit continued to hack away at the creature, finding the job considerably easier with two tentacles focused on Milo and two on herself.  Jeremiah and Mazi continued to struggle in the adamantine hold of the roper.

Milo despaired, the roper showed no signs of weakening.  He drew a scroll that he had been saving for emergencies.  The _flame strike_ spell was the most powerful spell he had in his arsenal.  He spoke the divine incantation and gestured to the roper, centering the strike away from his companions.  The holy flames rained down on the creature with a loud 'woosh'.  Milo grinned in satisfaction.  His smile was soon replaced by a look of shock.  As the flames cleared he could see that the roper was completely unscathed.

_"They're...resistant..."_ wheezed Mazi as she struggled, _"to...magic!"_

Milo's curse changed to a shout of exclamation as one of the roper's tentacles reclaimed him.  The air was filled with the heroes' shouts as the roper gnawed on each in turn.  Brigit doggedly attacked over and over, batting away the persistent tentacles when they'd draw near.  

Suddenly the roper's hold slackened.  Brigit's _Trollgrater_ came down with a final swing, embedding itself in the roper's single eye.  She shouted in triumph as the pillar of gray flesh collapsed on itself.  The others climbed to their feet shakily as Brigit took out her frustration on the remains of the roper.  

Jeremiah, Milo, and Mazi took a few moments to steady themselves.  All three felt weak after the struggle against the roper's touch.  As Milo shook the cobwebs from his head he noticed a gleam in the roper's remains.

_"Hold on a minute Brigit.  What is that?"_

_"Wha?"_ Brigit paused, _"Yer right, there is somethin' in there."_

Brigit crouched and drew out a perfectly cut gem from the gory remains.  She whistled in admiration at the fine craftsmanship as she stood to examine it closer.  The gem was small, but well made.  Brigit shuffled some of the gore around and found more of the precious jewels.  She eventually crouched back down and rifled through the remains until she found twelve more of the stones.

Meanwhile Mazi had been examining the shelves.  She came across three rolled scrolls near the fountain to the west.  Unfurling the first, she began to read.  

A cloud of smoke suddenly appeared near her with a loud noise.  The acrid smell of the smoke caused Milo's eyes to water.  He squinted into the smoke as it cleared.  Standing before them was a skeletal demon, its grinning skull peered directly at Mazi.

_*"You summoned me, fleshling?"*_ the demon's voice was like a thousand screaming voices combined into one.

_"Errrr, no."_

_*"No matter, I'm in no mood for games."*_

The demon attacked Mazi with his serrated long sword.  She leaped out of the way, but the spell she was working on was lost in the ether.  Brigit had already reached into her pack.  She drew her _rope of entanglement_ and aimed it for the demon's back.  The rope wrapped around the demon, hampering its movements.

Milo intoned a prayer and centered the effect on the demon.  It reeled from the _sound blast_ but kept fighting.  Mazi took the chance to finish her spell.  The jagged _lightning bolt_ sprang from her finger to play over the skeletal demon's bare bones.  Brigit and Jeremiah jumped into the battle then, wary of their friends' spells.

The demon couldn't withstand the combined attack from the burly dwarf and huge human.  Milo and Mazi continued to cast.  Another _lightning bolt_, perfectly aimed to miss Brigit and Jeremiah, slammed into the demon.  Milo's _sword stream_ and _knife spray_ finished the infernal beast off.  The demon's skeleton seemed to fracture in all over before imploding on itself into a pile of dust.

_"Does anyone know what demons do when they get desperate?"_ Milo asked. _"We're lucky we finished him off so quickly."_

_"Nah, wha' do demon's do?"_  Brigit asked as she scattered the demon dust.

_"Thorough, Brigit, very thorough"_ Milo said before answering. _"They tend to call for help when the going is rough."_

_"More demons?  I don't think we could have handled more than this one."_

_"Ach, bring 'em on Ah say."_ Brigit scoffed.

_"Easy for you to say, you weren't sucked dry by the roper."_ Milo countered, _"I couldn't have scratched a pudding with my axes, much less that thing."_

_"I'm with Milo.  One demon is one too many."_ Mazi said as she absent-mindedly opening another scroll.

_*"Wait!"*_ all three of her friends shouted in unison.

_"Let me see if I can _detect evil_ on the other two."_ Milo said after they caught their breath.

Milo prayed for the insight to _detect evil_ and focused on the remaining scrolls.  He couldn't tell a difference until he looked at the scroll at Mazi's feet.  The residual taint of evil still hung about the parchment like a greasy cloud.  

_"Nope, those scrolls seem unmarked."_ he said.

Mazi opened the first one and read its contents.

_"This has four spells scribed!"_ she said eagerly, _"_Polymorph other, charm monster, fly, _and_ magic mouth_!  I can scribe those to my book."_

_"How about the other?"_ Milo asked.

Mazi peered at the scroll.  She turned it upside down and sideways.  She squinted at the printed text, obviously confused.

_"Can't make it out.  It doesn't make much sense."_

Milo grabbed the parchment from her loose hands.  He could understand the script perfectly.

_"That's because this isn't arcane writing,"_ he told Mazi, _"There's an _animate dead_ spell on here.  Oh, and _raise dead and restoration_ spells too.  Excellent!  We could probably use the _restoration_ spell after the fight with the roper."_

_"Aye, ya prolly could.  But let's use it outside.  If yer all weak Ah don' wanna stick 'round to see wha' other demons come outta tha woodwork."_ Brigit seemed to have taken Milo's warning to heart.

They left the temple for the relative safety of the woods.  Milo was a little disappointed that they didn't have more time to explore the third floor of the temple, but three of them were in dire need of rest.  The next day Milo prayed for restorative magic.  His _lesser restoration_ spells weren't enough to heal all three of them in one day.  The group wound up spending more time in the forest than they had planned.  It was three days before they were ready to head into the depths of the temple again.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 48 (session 21)*

Three days later the party was completely rested.  Milo's _lesser restoration_ spells eventually restored the three roper victims to their former strength.  Brigit chafed at the wait, but Milo was insistent that they be completely healed before heading back down to the third level.

They entered the same hallway leading to the room of the roper and demon.  Another passage branched from the main passage.  The passage led them to another intersection.  Mazi paused near the parting of the hallways.

_"Something here feels,"_ she paused for a moment, _"off."_

_"'Off'?  Like secret passage 'off'?"_ Milo's eyes lit up.

_"Humph, Ah canna see nothin' 'off', ya sure yer not imaginin' things elfie?"_ Brigit scoffed.

_"No, there's definitely something odd about this passage."_ Mazi said.

Milo was busy scouring the walls for anything he could find.  Mazi and Brigit waited patiently while Jeremiah shifted back and forth in his armor.

_"I can't find anything Mazi.  Can you be a little more specific?"_ He said after minutes of fruitless searching.

_"No, things just don't feel right here"_ Mazi made a feeble gesture at the surrounding area.

_"I guess we'll come back later.  Maybe we'll have a fresh perspective coming from the other direction."_ Milo suggested.

Mazi shrugged.  Brigit made a scoffing noise and turned back to the intersection.  The southern passage turned back the way they came before opening into a desolate room.  Broken pottery shards lay about.  A pile of old rotten clothes were heaped in the middle of the room.  Brigit eyed them suspiciously.  She drew her bow and loosed an arrow at the pile.

_"Ah don' trust anythin' sittin' in tha middle of any room."_ she explained.

The pile of old garments remained quiescent.  Milo cautiously entered the room and poked around in the pile.  The heap of clothes were just that, a heap of clothes.  Milo found a few gnawed bones in the mess, but nothing of note.

_"This is either a den of sorts or a discard pile."_ he concluded.

_"If it's a den, then where is tha beast?"_ Brigit asked.

_"Out shopping?"_ Milo quipped. _"I don't know.  Not here."_

They left the room for the other passage.  Mazi paused again on the way past the intersection, concentrated for a minute, then shrugged and walked on.  Whatever was there was either hidden too well or non-existent.  The other hallway opened into a much larger room.  It appeared to be a grisly museum of sorts.  There were trophy cases filled with decapitated heads, wall hangings fashioned from flayed skin, cases of helm crests, unholy symbols, and ancient evil heraldry.  The center of the room was completely empty.

The first thing Milo decided was to stay away from the middle of the room.  As he moved around the room searching for traps and secrets he wished he had told the others as well.  Mazi strode directly to the center of the room to look around.  She immediately wished she hadn't.  A dark shape loomed above her, vaguely shaped like a manta ray and dropping fast.

The battle was a blur.  Mazi turned upwards and cast _burning hands_ directly into the belly of the beast.  Brigit fired two arrows in quick succession, easily piercing the mass of the lurker.  The creature dropped onto Mazi, constricting on contact.  Mazi's cry of pain was muffled by its mass.  Jeremiah took one great stride and slashed deep into the lurker's flesh, inflicting massive pain.  His return swing cut even deeper, setting the dark skin of the lurker quivering.  Milo tumbled in and finished the creature off with a slice of his one of his enchanted axes.

Brigit and Jeremiah hefted the edge of the lurker as Mazi struggled to crawl out from beneath its large body.  Milo stood by tossing his axe and catching it.

_"The sushi master is back!  Raw manta ray, anyone?"_ said Milo.

_"If ya wanna slice somethin' up, help me wi' this thing."_ Brigit said as she began chopping the lurker with alternating strokes of her axes.

_"I'll leave that up to y-"_ Milo was interrupted by the sharp sound of metal striking metal.

One of Brigit's axes had struck something solid in the mass of the lurker.  She stooped down and retrieved the object.  After wiping the gore off they could see the bright gleam of silver.  She held a solid silver mace adorned with a myriad of shining jewels, from the pommel to the head.

_"Har, Ah'd love ta see tha pansy that'd carry this thing 'round."_ Brigit laughed.

_"Well I'd hang on to it, whether you think I'm a pansy or not.  That thing's got to be worth a fortune."_ Milo said.  

They left the museum with their prize and returned to the mysterious intersection.  This time Mazi seemed better able to pinpoint her intuition about the walls.  She pointed at the southern wall opposite from the branching halls.  Milo ran his fingers along the wall and peered intently at the cracks.  His nose was inches from the wall when he noticed a slight inconsistency.  There was definitely something concealed in the wall.  It took him a few more minutes to find the release for the secret door.  The wall swung back smoothly, revealing a passage beyond.

Milo glanced back at his companions with a small amount of trepidation before venturing forth.  The passage turned to the west before opening into an angled room of black stone.  The walls were covered with three white tapestries, each bordered with a different color.  One was lined completely around in purple, another had gold lines spaced completely around, the last was adorned with silver corners.  A wooden altar painted white sat in the middle of the small reliquary.  The altar was covered with rich red material spread with dark red runes.  In the center lay a simple silver lamp.  Across from the entrance hung a large silver cross.  Something about the room made Milo's spine shiver.

Brigit stopped at the entrance and clutched her stomach. _"Ah don' feel so good."_

_"You going to be alright?"_ Mazi asked.

_"Aye, just mah gut churnin'"_ Brigit waved the concerned elf away.  _"Ah'll tell ya one thing though, Ah don' trust tha' altar any more than Ah trust a pile of clothes."_

She knocked another arrow to her bow and shot an arrow point-blank into the altar.  Nothing happened.  Brigit shrugged and went back to clutching her stomach.  Milo approached the altar cautiously.  He found writing near the lamp that he could understand.  He read the message out loud.

_"Venerate this shrine of good then hasten away."_ Milo recited. _Riiiiight.  Any of you interested in 'venerating' this shrine?"_

_"After the werewolves upstairs?  Not likely."_ Mazi snorted.

_"I'm with you."_ Milo began.  He stopped when he saw what Brigit was doing.

Brigit was in the process of pulling down the silver cross on the opposite wall.

_"What are you doing!  Don't take down the cross!"_ Milo shouted. 

Milo had desecrated his share of shrines since they began their adventures, but something felt different about this supposed holy ground.  He was too late though.  Brigit stepped back with the heavy cross in her hands.  She gently laid it down on the altar and returned to the wall.  She studied the hook closely, finally reaching up and twisting it sideways.

The wall swung outward, just as the previous secret door.  A large, mostly empty hexagonal room greeted their gaze as they joined Brigit at the door.  The only contents of the room were a large iron coffin placed on a pedestal near the far wall and a skeleton sitting by the door.  The coffin's lid leaned against the pedestal.  Another silver cross adorned the coffin's lid.

_"One coffin, huge room, fake reliquary.  Anybody guess who's in the coffin?"_ Milo asked with a gulp.

No one answered.  Brigit stepped into the room and kicked the skeleton.  No magic animated the dusty bones, they skittered across the floor.  Milo spotted a rolled up scroll in one of the bony hands.  He pried off the skeletal fingers and yanked out the scroll.  Unrolling it, he found there were two pieces of parchment.  The first was written in common.  He read it aloud.

_"Let the good ones use their new found strength to seal in the horror of darkness to prove their faithfulness to right and justice.  We who wrote this lacked the power to do this."_ He examined the other scroll, _"It's a scroll of _bull's strength_, there's two copies."_

Brigit suddenly jumped as if stung by a bee.  The others peered at her concernedly.

_"Ah jus' remembered Scrang's warnin'.  You'll know wha' ta do when ya get there."_ Brigit said shakily, _"Ah think Ah'm there."_

_"Well?  Now what?"_ Milo asked.

_"Ah don' know.  She wasn't too specific.  Ah think it has ta do with whoever's in tha coffin."_

Milo had dreaded investigating the coffin.  He was certain that some sort of undead creature would be there, especially after the warning note.  Milo hated undead, really.  The four closed in on the coffin, approaching it from three sides.  Milo could barely see over the edge, but he could see that it was empty.

_"Hmph, nobody home, guess we're free to go!"_ said Milo hopefully.

_"Hang on.  Milo, cast tha' _bull's strength_ on me an' Jer.  I got a feelin'"_ Brigit said.

Milo groaned but did as she said.  In moments both Brigit and Jeremiah were bursting with magical strength.  Brigit motioned Jeremiah to join her in-between the coffin and the wall.  They braced themselves against the wall and pushed the coffin.  Slowly the iron coffin scraped along the pedestal.  Brigit strained against the heavy metal, the veins on her neck protruded.  Jeremiah grunted as they pushed, focusing all of his strength on the task.  Eventually the heavy coffin plummeted off the pedestal to land on the floor with a loud crash.  

Milo glanced around furtively.  The atmosphere in the room seemed to be getting to him.  It was Mazi that heard the extra thump with the crash.

_"Something dropped out of the coffin."_ she said, _"But I can't see anything."_

_"Invisible...maybe?"_ wheezed Brigit

_"Maybe, hang on.  I've prepared a spell just for such an occasion."_

Mazi sheathed her sword and began casting.  Once her incantation was complete her eyes glowed bright yellow for a few seconds as the _see invisibility_ spell took hold.  She started when her eyes came to rest on the coffin.

_"There's a man on the floor, he's got a stake through his chest!"_ she exclaimed.

_"I knew it.  Vampire, why did it have to a vampire?"_ Milo groaned.

_"From what I know about them, a stake is not enough to kill.  It will hold them immobile, but it's not lethal."_ Mazi said.

_"Only thing I know that will kill a vampire is direct sunlight."_ Milo said.

_"That's not all, immersing them in running water or decapitating them will do the job as well."_

_"Well the only running water here is that small fountain in the roper's room.  I say we take it out to the sun and see what catches fire."_ said Milo.

_"Aye, sounds good ta me.  Where is it Mazi?"_ Brigit asked.

_"Actually, I don't think it's a good idea to let you sling it over your shoulder.  What if we're attacked and you drop it?  The stake might come loose and we'd have an invisible vampire to deal with as well."_ Mazi argued. _"I'll use a _Tenser's floating disc_ and take it out that way."_

_"Suit yerself.  I jus' can't figger out why Scrang would go ta all tha trouble jus' fer a incapacitated vampire."_ Brigit said.

_"Don't know, but let's get it to the surface quick, this place is getting to me."_ Milo said.

Mazithra concentrated on her casting again.  This time a translucent platform appeared on the floor, presumably under the invisible vampire.  She focused on _Tenser's floating disc_ and it rose in the air.

_"I'm ready."_ she exclaimed.

They left the room, Milo in the lead.  As soon as they came around the corner out of the secret passage they were assaulted by a familiar stench.  _Trollgrater_ burst into flames.

_"Ya know what tha' means."_ Brigit said with a grin.

Three huge shapes lumbered into the light.  

_"Ugly, warty, green trolls."_ Milo finished.

Milo moved behind the fighters and they waited.  The trolls stumped forward but stopped just shy of Jeremiah's reach.  The first troll hammered into Jer with his fists.  Jeremiah reeled from the blows.  Milo was quick to heal Jeremiah before the troll could do more damage.  Meanwhile Mazi cast her own spell to _shield_ herself.  

While Brigit and Jeremiah struggled against the trolls Milo and Mazi busily cast spells from the back row.  Mazithra cast _flaming sphere_ and rolled it into the rear troll, eliciting a surprised growl.  Milo began a _prayer_ to aid Brigit and Jer.  The _prayer_ made them harder to hit, but the trolls still got in a few vicious swipes of their fists.  

Mazi's sphere continued to assault the rear troll.  Jeremiah roared and with a mighty swing of his sword cleaved through one of the trolls into the other.  Milo jumped at the opportunity to tumble to the back and cause a little havoc of his own.  He attacked the rear troll along with Mazi's sphere.

Right as Milo sprang over the downed troll it began to stir.  The wounds Jeremiah caused began to knit together and the troll staggered to its feet.  

_"We need more fire!"_ Milo shouted.

_"Workin' on it, me boy."_ Brigit shouted back.

Jeremiah activated the _Windsword_ and flew into a whirlwind of attacks.  His sword snaked out to hit all three of the trolls in turn, actually dropping two of them.  Brigit jumped in and attacked the two prone trolls, slicing into the warty green flesh with the burning axe.  The combination of Mazi's flaming sphere and Milo's axes brought down the third troll.

Milo's troll and one of the others staggered back to their feet, still regenerating from most of the damage inflicted.  Jeremiah fought back, inflicting a fatal wound across the troll's chest.  Brigit hacked away at the downed troll, keeping it dead for good.  The last troll tore at Milo, spilling his blood on the thirsty stones.  Brigit jumped forward to attack just as Mazi's sphere rolled into it from behind one last time.  The troll expired with a gurgling hiss.  

_"Ah love fightin' trolls."_ Brigit said with satisfaction.

_"You may, but I know I could do without."_ said Milo, nursing his wounds. _"Jeremiah took some nasty hits as well."_

_"The disc is fine, still have the vampire.  Let's get to the surface."_ Mazi interrupted.

The rest of the trip through the twisting halls of the temple was uneventful.  They were soon on the surface in the bright sunlight.  Three pairs of eyes turned to Mazi.

_"Hmm,"_ she said, _"That's odd.  Nothing is happening."_

Before anyone could remark they heard a shout from across the field.

_*"You there!  Halt and surrender!"*_

Four bugbears, a human priest, and the missing rogue from weeks past were advancing on them from the crumbling tower.  They were wearing the baron's colors.

_*"Not wi'out a fight!"*_ Brigit shouted back.

She fired two quick arrows at the priest.  They missed, but made their intentions clear.  Milo cast a spell he always prepared for fights with priests.  His _silence_ fell like a blanket, centered on the priest's longsword.  Milo hoped the human wouldn't figure out his target.  He was rewarded with a look of surprise on the priest's face as he tried to bark out orders to the bugbears.

Mazithra cast a preparatory spell as well.  Suddenly Jeremiah winked out of existence as her _improved invisibility_ spell enveloped him.  One of the bugbears suddenly lurched back as something unseen hit it from its flank.  It was then that Milo noticed that the bugbears were carrying nets.

_"They mean to take us alive.  Let's make it worth their while."_ Milo shouted.  

With that he cast another spell, this one centered on the rogue.  He frowned when he noticed the _hold person_ didn't take hold.  Milo stopped worrying as an unseen sword ripped into the rogue's abdomen, spilling entrails, before it swiped his head clean off.  The rogue never saw what took him out.

Brigit continued to fire arrow after arrow at the advancing cleric.  The priest was soon beset by more than one enemy.  Mazi's _lightning bolt_ ripped into the cleric and one of the bugbears.  The priest managed to twist his body outside of the main current but the electricity sparking along his armor indicated that he wasn't unscathed.  

The bugbears had come close enough to throw their nets, and throw they did.  Mazi was the only one of the heroes that couldn't manage to avoid the hazard.  She growled in frustration as the net settled on her, entangling her hands and making casting near impossible.  The cleric closed the distance to Mazi and stabbed into the net.  That's when they found that the nets were attached to ropes wielded by the bugbears.  Mazi was unable to escape the priest's sword, or the zone of _silence_ that followed it.

Milo tumbled to Mazi's defense and unleashed a _sword stream_.  Again the priest was able to avoid much of the damage but the hardened blades slammed full force into the bugbear holding Mazi's rope.  The other bugbears gave up their fruitless search for their invisible stalker and focused on the two free heroes.

Brigit ignored the bugbears and charged at the priest.  Her axe left a deep cleft in the cleric's back.  The priest tumbled to the ground silently.  Milo found fighting in the zone of silence partially disorienting, but livable.  He turned his attention to the bugbears.

Jeremiah was an unseen angel of death.  Another bugbear fell by his invisible great sword.  Brigit finished off Mazi's captor with an axe to the neck.  Mazi cut her way out of the net while the others turned to fight the other two bugbears.  Jeremiah's sword cut down one as Brigit dropped her axes and swung out her bow in one smooth movement.  Her arrow landed right between the last bugbear's eyes.  

_"Well I guess we've got the Baron's attention."_ Milo said after they made sure there were no more enemies.

_"Aye, let em come too!  They'll find me axe waitin'."_ Brigit said with fervor.

_"Now, about the vampire,"_ Milo left his statement hanging.

_"Like I said before, nothing is happening.  No smoking, no burning, nothing."_ Mazi said.

_"Then Ah guess we gotta cut off his head."_ Brigit said.

_"Not yet,"_ Milo stopped her, _"I've got one more trick up my sleeve.  Though if this doesn't work, I don't know what will."_

Milo pulled out a scroll.  Scribed on it was a spell that would allow him to see how things really were.  Something about the reliquary, the note, and the odd reaction the vampire had to sunlight didn't sit right with him.  He spoke the words to the _true seeing_ spell and looked towards Mazi's disc.  His eyes widened as he realized who was really on the floating platform.  In the place of the vampire was a man clad in white.  No stake protruded from his chest.  On his finger was the royal ring of family Karemeikos.

It was the Duke of Karemeikos.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 48 (session 21)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> * He spoke the words to the true seeing spell and looked towards Mazi's disc.....<snip>
> It was the Duke of Karemeikos. *



I was wonderin' whether you'd get fooled by this nasty trick or not.  In this module, caution and wariness should be your constant companions.  Things are not all "kill first, ask questions later".

Fortunately for you, th' werewolves tipped you off, right?  ...or was it somethin' else.......  Milo, could you or Mazi or Brigit go thru yer thinkin' process a bit on this one?  Why didn't you get caught?

I remember reading about this encounter from another group, who was fooled.  Ouch.  Of course, after they had decapitated th' Duke, they had quite a bit of 'splanin' to do.........

_Raise Dead_ worked fer them, tho'.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 48 (session 21)*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Milo, could you or Mazi or Brigit go thru yer thinkin' process a bit on this one?  Why didn't you get caught?
> *




IIRC we were all a little stumped by the "vampire's" resistance to sunlight.  I figured that something was strange if the people hiding the vampire's body would go to all of the trouble to make it permanently invisible _and_ leave messages for people to find it.  I had the scroll of true seeing that I had been hoarding and figured it was now or never.  Funny thing - we were seconds from chopping his head off.  That would've been a bad scene.  There was enough suspicion for our motives as it was.  

I'm going to be writing up the next post tomorrow, (my daughter willing) so you shouldn't be waiting too long to find out the Duke's fate.


----------



## frog

> Fortunately for you, th' werewolves tipped you off, right? ...or was it somethin' else....... Milo, could you or Mazi or Brigit go thru yer thinkin' process a bit on this one? Why didn't you get caught?




Because they have all become a bunch of paranoid pansies  

They were literally 2 seconds from hacking into him and then Milo remembered that he had that scroll. I was so depressed.

For those of you who have ever had the chance to go through this adventure, soon it will veer wildly from the pre plotted course. Mainly so that it fits with the current campaign that we are in. Stay tuned though for the shocking conclusion to "The Temple of Elemental Evil" and a great cliffhanger to lead us into the next set of adventures of Milo and the gang (we hope, unless they do something to screw it all up.)


----------



## Nail

frog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Because they have all become a bunch of paranoid pansies  *



Paranoid is a good thing (_tm_)

*



			They were literally 2 seconds from hacking into him and then Milo remembered that he had that scroll. I was so depressed.
		
Click to expand...


*Poor DM.  We are all so sorry for you.......  <violin music>

*



			For those of you who have ever had the chance to go through this adventure, soon it will veer wildly from the pre plotted course.
		
Click to expand...


*Jus' fer th' record, I've only read the accounts of others. ..and my memory is foggy, at best.  I wouldn't be able t' give any spoilers....

*



			leading us into the next set of adventures of Milo and the gang (we hope, unless they do something to screw it all up.)
		
Click to expand...


*
Milo and gang screw up?  You've got to be joking.......


----------



## Milo Windby

Nail said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Milo and gang screw up?  You've got to be joking....... *




Heh heh, ignoring the sarcasm for a moment... Frog was telling us _last_ session that we'd finish up the temple that night.  Instead we get to one room and got our behinds handed to us.  The paranoia factor rose a couple of notches.  We ended up going through maybe a fraction of what Frog was planning for us that night.  So by screw up he may mean run into all random encounters or spend the entire night in one encounter.  C'est la vie.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - Part 49 (session 22)*

_”There’s only one place I can think of to take him.”_ Milo said after they had recovered from the shock of his discovery.

_”Mother Scrang, joy.”_ Brigit muttered.

_”Unless I can manage to _dispel_ whatever enchantments are placed on him.”_ Milo said. _”I’m not too confident though, I haven’t had much experience in _dispelling_.”_

They set out for the town immediately.  Mazi’s disc did a wonderful job of transporting the comatose Duke through the rough underbrush of the forest.  Night fell before they made it to the outskirts of town.  They set a vigilant watch over the Duke, ever aware of the growing danger of being found by one of the baron’s squadrons.  It was obvious now that the Baron was intent on seizing power, that or someone controlling the baron himself.  From what they new back in Karemeikos, the Duke was still at the palace.  Milo had to wonder how long he had been in the temple, and whether an impostor was in his place as Mazi’s elven entourage before she fled.  They eventually slept, each considering the implications of the enchanted Duke’s discovery. 

Milo prepared as many _dispel magic_ spells as his god would allow the next morning.  Before breaking camp he stood over where the body lay and began casting.  Disappointment after disappointment was his only rewards.  Three times he attempted to _dispel_ the enchantments, three times his spells fizzled away, battering at the nigh-impregnable wall of the existing spells.  

_”Whoever did this to him is more powerful than my magic can touch.”_ Milo said after his last attempt. _”We just have to hope that Mother Scrang has the means to bring him back, and the motive.”_

_”Aye, Ah still don’ trust her farther than Ah kin throw her.”_ Brigit said.

_”Neither do any of us,”_ Mazi said, _”but we don’t have a choice.”_

Mazi once again cast her _Tenser’s floating disc_ and _see invisibility_ while the others prepared to leave.  The rest of the journey to town was quiet.  They stopped near the outskirts.

_”We can’t all go in looking like we do,”_ Milo said, _”we’re wanted by the Baron’s troops.  I can [change my appearance as usual and turn one of you invisible, but that leaves two of us undisguised.”_

_”I can make myself _invisible_ too, then all we have to do is find a way to disguise Jeremiah.”_ Mazi said.

_”Well he’s going to stand out like wheat in grass with that clunky armor of his.”_ Milo said.

Jeremiah bristled at the comment.

_”It’s nuthin’ ‘gainst yer armor, Jer.  Ya gotta admit ya’d stand out.  Yer already taller’n most’a tha people in town.”_ Brigit laid a placating hand on Jer’s arm.  _”We gotta do sumthin’ ‘bout all yer metal.”_

_”Since we’re just going to town, why not put your armor in a sack?  Brigit or Mazi can carry your sword invisible so you have easy access to it.”_ Milo suggested.

Jeremiah almost looked as if he’d refuse.  He was loathe to divest himself of the _Windsword_ much less all his protection.  He finally relented when Mazi assured him that she’d hold his sword near his side the entire time.  Once his armor was stowed in an empty sack and the various spells had been cast, the four adventurers headed into town.  Milo as his bald, portly alter-ego, Jeremiah as a country lad, and the two women invisible.

Milo’s new face was becoming known in town, and he only drew a few double takes for his stranger-companion.  Still, Mother Scrang’s shop was an odd relief from the oppressive feelings of watchfulness in the town.  The shop seemed deserted at first.  The strange stuffed animals were gathering dust on the shelves.  The smell of garlic permeated the entire room.  _At least if he’s really a vampire he’ll have a hard time in here,_ Milo thought to himself about the duke.  

Mother Scrang soon bustled into the room, responding to some unknown signal at their presence.  Jeremiah settled himself on a barrel in the corner and kept close watch of the door.

_”Ah, if it isn’t me little son-in-law to be!  Have ya come for me daughter?”_ she spoke in her high-pitched voice.

_”We come bearing a gift of sorts.”_ Milo answered.

_”Part of me dowry?”_

_”Not exactly.  I think you’ll appreciate this one.”_

Mother Scrang looked at Milo shrewdly. _”Ya want somethin’, don’t ya?”_

_”We’re here ‘cause O’ yer message anyway, Scrang.”_ Brigit’s disembodied voice rang out.

_”Did ya bring ghosts to my shop?  Mother Scrang don’t deal in ghosts, minor possessions maybe, but no ghosts.”_ she cackled.

_”Ya know who Ah am.  Ya cursed me, sorta.”_ Brigit shot back.

_”Nah, haven’t been givin’ out many curses.”_ Mother Scrang said thoughtfully.

_Ah canna come visible cuz Ah’d have ta leave wi’ a potion.”_ Brigit complained.

_”I’ve got one or two potions that might help with that, show yerself.”_

_”Ah don’ wanna give ya tha gold neither!”_

_”Ahhh, ya must be that dwarf.  She’s a grumpy one.”_ Scrang said aside to Milo.

_”Aye, an’ Ah thought ya cursed me wi’ some sort O’ business ‘bout yer daughter.”_

_”Hruda?  Never, she can handle herself.”_

_”An’ can make men’s willies fall off wi’ a glance, Ah’ve heard tell!”_

Milo was quick to intercede, _”Ladies!  Ladies!  Can we get back to the point?  Mother Scrang, do you have anything that will allow you to see invisible object?”_

Mother Scrang concentrated for a moment before obviously seeing Mazi and the duke.

_”Oh, ya got yerself a man do you?  Is that the only way ya can get a man, elfie?”_

_”They don’t argue this way.”_ Mazi shot back.

_”Well then, I guess ye’ll be wantin’ to try on me daughter’s wedding dress then.”_ 

Mother Scrang made a show of studying where the duke lay.  Suddenly her face changed, as did her manner.  She drew herself up to her full height, some of the wrinkles seemed to disappear from her face and she took on almost a regal appearance.

_”Murfles, Otis, get down here now.”_ she said to the air.  She sounded like a completely different person, the screeching was gone and a stately voice issued from her.  _”Put him over there.”_ she indicated a palate in the corner.

_”Otis we know,”_ Milo said, _”Who’s Murfles?”_

_”You might have known her as my daughter, if you would have stuck around for a bit.”_ Scrang said sharply.

_”No need to be snotty about it, considering who we’ve brought.”_ Milo said.

Jeremiah made a sound, then the front door burst open.  Otis strode into the room.  From the back a woman appeared.  Murfles, Milo assumed.  She wasn’t near as ugly as Otis would have had him believe, but now Milo thought Otis had him believing quite a few things weren’t as they appeared.  He also noticed that the three of them had them effectively surrounded.

_”Where did you find him?”_ she asked.

_”Where do you think we’ve been all this time?”_ Milo answered.  He then gave her a condensed account of their discovery of the Duke.

_”Took a lot of nerve to send us out here to watch the place where they buried him.”_ Otis spoke.

_”Yes it did.  So what do we do now?”_ Scrang asked him.

_”Can you wake him?”_ Otis asked.

_”I don’t know, what do we do about them?”_

_”Well here’s what I’ve found.  The elves that I helped, looks like they’ve been infiltrated too.  Two kingdoms infiltrated and who knows how many more.”_

_”I’ll go see if I can wake him and see how long he’s been here.”_

Otis turned to the others as Scrang and Murfles slipped into the back, supposedly with the Duke’s body.

_”So you found him in the temple disguised as a vampire with a stake through his heart?”_

_”An’ invisible, wi’ a dead cleric nearby.”_ Brigit said, still invisible.

_”whose side are you on?”_ Otis asked.

_”You know our track record as well as anyone.  We have these from the Duke as well.”_ Milo drew out the title of lordship they each received after the cursed caves of Karemeikos Keep.

_”Whose side are ya on yerself?”_ Brigit asked.

_”Who do you think?”_ Otis said as he studied the title.

Murfles reappeared from the back room.  She whispered into Otis’ ear then turned to Milo. _”He’s awake.”_

_”He also has no idea who you are.”_ Otis said, _”Last thing he remembers is from 6 months ago.  He was out riding, tossed from his horse, apparently got knocked unconscious.  We were separated chasing deer on a hunt.  I remember that day.  It was shortly after that when they sent us here.”_

_”Who’s ‘they’?”_ Milo asked.

_”The Duke and his advisors.”_

_”Kind of odd, what with the Duke being in the other room.”_ Milo said.

_”Yes, odd too that your title is only a month old.  They’re probably back at the ducal palace laughing at us now.”_

_”Not for long, now that he’s awake.”_

_”Yes, now comes the hard part.”_

_”Convincing others that he’s the real one?”_

_”So what are we to do with you?”_ Otis said, focusing on the matters at hand.

_”We still have business at the temple.”_

_”What business?”_

_”Well do you like the temple?  You want us to leave whatever’s in there alone to fester and grow until it’s too late?”_

_”Do you know what they’ve got buried out there?”_

Mazi’s voice came from somewhere behind Milo, _”An ancient evil god, what else?”_

_”From what I’ve heard they’ve got more than one group operating in there.”_ Otis ignored her sarcasm.

_”Not anymore.”_ Milo said smugly.

_”So, you’ve effectively removed their opposition?”_

_”We were in the process of removing everything when we found the Duke.  We though he was more important at the time.  You think we chose poorly?”_ Milo said, annoyed at their judgment being questioned.

_”I can accept that.  That fits.”_

Brigit spoke, _”Fit’s what?”_

_”You don’t need to know.”_

Mazi spoke as well, _”I think we do!”_

_”Your people are returned home and are dealing with this.”_ Otis referred to Lady Tillahi. _”It took six months for them to be replaced.  We’re going to have to leave right away to get the Duke reinstated.”_

_”I don’t want to sound too mercenary,”_ Milo said, _”but what do you have to leave us?”_

_”Ydey may be able to help you.  Now we have to get him out.”_

_”Ydey?”_ Milo asked.

_”Scrang is Ydey, Hruda is Murfles.  Murfles, get out here.”_

Murfles re-entered the room looking considerably better.  Milo almost regretted his reticence at Scrang’s insistent advances, almost.

_”Murfles, tell Ydey to stock them.  We’re getting out of here.”_

_”Do you mind telling us who you are?”_ Milo asked.

_”The Duke’s master huntsman and trusted advisors.  After the misadventure with the hunting trip we were sent out here.  We’re being watched.  You’re going to have to find a different place for your mounts.  There’s no one here to trust.  Matter of fact, there’s a gang of river pirates down at the tavern.  Don’t go there, especially with valuables.”_

_”Any suggestions then?”_

_”Unless you let us take them.  We could use them to get back to Karameikos.”_

_”Will you take care of them?  Will we get them back?”_

_”As best as we can, and if we make it.”_

_”What do you think guys?”_ Milo asked the others.

All three gave their assent, Jeremiah last.  He was going to miss his horse.

_”There’ll be no more smuggling of prisoners after we go.”_

Brigit spoke again, _”All that Ah care about is me pa.  Whether he’s mah father or not anymore is anyone’s guess.”_

_”I don’t know anything about that.  We’ve got an hour to get out of here.  Murfles!  Pack the stuff on the horses.”_

_”Anything else we should know about what’s out there?”_ Mazi asked.

_”Don’t know.  Wouldn’t be surprised if the Baron’s little henchman, Bertal, is out there.”_

_”Yes, you told me about him before.”_ Milo said.

_”What I didn’t tell you is that he’s a powerful sorcerer.  They’ve had at least six months having the ‘duke’ look away.  If whatever’s out there gets out I wouldn’t want to be in its way.  They bit off more than they could chew at the temple.  Are you sure you didn’t find the Duke’s sword?”_ Otis changed the subject.

_”Yes.  How do we contact you if we do find it?”_ 

_”Use a code word with the guard at the capital.  We’ll make it ‘Mother Scrang’s son-in-law’.  Don’t forget to bring a ring.  Murfles is particular about that kind of thing.”_ Otis chuckled.

_”Oh hah hah.”_

They could hear the horses pull up outside.  Otis made ready to leave.

_”How about our help?”_ Brigit said.

_”You’re welcome to whatever you can find in the back.”_

_”What else can we do to help?”_ Mazi asked.

_”That’s it.  We’ll be a completely different group when you see us next.”_ Otis left to the back room.  _”Hurry up, we’ve got to go.”_ he said to Murfles.

Milo and the others followed Otis to the back room.  There were two beds as well as a workbench with all matter of alchemical materials.  On one of the beds sat Duke Karemeikos, his head in his hands.

_”Ow.”_ he said, _”It appears I owe you a debt of gratitude.  It won’t be forgotten.”_

_”We just hope that you’ll be alright and that you can win back your kingdom.”_ Milo said.

_”So do I.  Ydey?”_

Ydey stood behind the Duke.  She appeared much more beautiful than they had seen her.  She bent over the Duke and applied some makeup to his face.  When she stood back they couldn’t recognize the man sitting on the bed.  Murfles walked in dressed as a coachman.  They led the Duke out through the back door.

Ydey spoke over her shoulder as they left, _”Anything you find is yours.  I’m done with this place.  Just wait until I get back to my monastery!”_

Milo was shocked to learn that Scrang, or rather Ydey, was a priest.  After watching the Duke and his caretakers leave the four looked at their surroundings closer.  There were stuffed animals all over the back room as well.  The source of the smell was revealed as a bowl of peeled garlic on a small table.  Next to the bowl was a scroll.  Milo found it scribed with three spells, _silence_, _neutralize poison_, and _raise dead_.  Brigit found three flasks of holy water and five of lamp oil.  Mazi opened a cupboard to find enough rations for the four of them for over two weeks.  Jeremiah found a treasure trove of potions in another cupboard.  There were two lesser and two greater healing draughts along with five healing poultices that interested Milo greatly.

Wary of suspicion from the townsfolk after Scrang and Otis left, Milo and the others wasted no time in the town.  They retreated to the relative safety of the forest to discuss recent developments and plans for the temple.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Killing the duke*

For those of your who care I was really two seconds away from chopping his head off.  Because well in my book a vampire is better off dead then even partially alive.  Thank goodness Milo thinks with his head instead of with his axe's like me.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Killing the duke*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *For those of your who care I was really two seconds away from chopping his head off.  Because well in my book a vampire is better off dead then even partially alive.  Thank goodness Milo thinks with his head instead of with his axe's like me.  *




Thinkin' with yer axe is good.

Thinkin' before yer axe is better.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 50 (session 22)*

Talk that night revolved around the chance discovery of Duke Karemeikos and the sudden change in Mother Scrang and her daughter, Hruda.  It was certain that town was no longer safe for them.  The sudden disappearance of the town witch and blacksmith would definitely not go unnoticed.  Conversation eventually turned to the temple.  Brigit was eager to infiltrate the lower levels and find her father.  They decided to enter through a different staircase to keep the temple denizens guessing.  It was obvious that they knew they were coming.  Their actions so far had not gone unnoticed.  Milo was left alone to his thoughts as he took up first watch and the others settled down to sleep.

The night passed quietly.  It seemed the sun rose early the next morning.  Milo was glad they had made such good time the day before.  It was less than a half day to the temple.  The corpses of the hit squad lay where they fell, strewn about the temple lawn.  Milo made a mental note to clean the mess up next time they left.  The first two levels of the temple were devoid of life.  They weren't surprised, judging from what they knew about the black clad organization below.  If anyone had survived the heroes' numerous forays the stronger creatures from below probably mopped them up.

They made their way to the concealed staircase near the water temple.  The stairs led down into a dark, musty chamber.  The walls were angled together to form a perfect triangle, with the stairs in the middle of the base.  A dim passage led out through the apex, directly opposite from their entrance.  Four doors were set in the walls, two to either side of the stairs and one each in the opposite walls.  Milo felt an oppressive weight settle about his shoulders as they entered the room.  His quick eyes took in the details of the room.  His eyes were drawn to a large gong near the entrance.  There was a large scorch mark on the floor where multiple fires had been burned.  Near the mark was a triangle with bisecting lines meeting in the middle of an eye wreathed in flame.  It was then that he noticed the walls.  Thousands of angry eyes stared back at him.  The walls were painted with all sizes and shapes of eyes, all of them seeming to bore directly into Milo with their baleful gaze.  The hairs on the back of Milo's neck stood on end.  

Suddenly the door to their right burst open.  There was a low growl and the heavy thud of huge feet.  Milo spun to see a hill giant and a warg enter the room.  The party was already high strung from the quiet journey to the lower levels, they were ready for a fight.

Milo and Mazithra acted in unison.  One of Mazi's arrows sunk into the giant with a dull thud, barely drawing his attention.  Milo's spell ripped that attention away.  He had recently discovered another aspect of Usamigaras' trickery domain.  His _confusion_ spell washed over the giant and warg.  They could see the muddled expression on the giant's simple features.  The two huge creatures stood dumbfounded.  Milo grinned at his compatriots just as the other three doors slammed open.  Two bugbears from the southwest, six bugbears from the southeast, and four ogres from the northeast beset the heroes.  Milo groaned.  

On the outer edges of the group and closest to the newcomers, Brigit and Milo laid into their ranks before they could attack.  They each got a good shot with their axes before the battle was joined.  Sticky strands of a magical _web_ sprang into existence around the ogres as Mazi finished her casting.  Two were entangled in the haphazard mesh of the spell, the other two avoided the trap, but were standing right in the center of the mess.  

Something seemed to snap in the warg, momentarily forgotten in the rush of the battle.  The great shaggy beast spun and sunk its fangs deep into the giant's leg.  The huge monster roared, his eyes filling with rage.  In one mighty swing of his club he smashed the warg into furry jelly.  The bugbears stared, the giant was supposed to be on their side.

One of the bugbears fell from Brigit and Jeremiah's combined assault.  Brigit slashed through the bugbear that Jer's sword weakened, only to have it batted out of her hand by her next opponent.  The bugbear drove its morningstar into her shoulder.  She gritted her teeth and drove her other axe into its flank.

Suddenly a lightning bolt jagged from the midst of the web as one of the ogres activated his _javelin of lightning_.  Mazi managed to twist sideways at the last moment and the bolt just grazed her, continuing on to the confused giant.  The huge humanoid roared at the top of his lungs, shaking dust from the ceiling.  It stumped towards the suddenly terrified ogre.  Mazi stepped back and watched it go with a grin.  She trusted in the giant to deal with the ogres as long as Milo's spell held.  She instead aimed for the other bugbear attacking Brigit, dropping it with two perfectly aimed arrows.

The other six bugbears spread out through the room, one strayed too close to Jeremiah's whirling sword.  It was cut down before it knew what direction the attacks were coming from.  The others were more cautious.  Jeremiah paid for his over-extension with a morningstar to his stomach.  Milo's shoulder was clipped as he tumbled for a better angle.

By then the giant had tromped to the edge of the web.  He ignored the magical obstacle to his misfortune.  The giant was soon entangled in the sticky strands, struggling to reach the horrified ogre.  His compatriots were slowly making their way through the web back the way they came, wanting no part of a confused hill giant.  

The rest of the bugbears fell in a quick succession.  Mazithra brought one down with an amazing bowshot, her arrow actually pierced the back of the bugbears skull, splattering gory bits of bone and flesh on her fighting companions.  Milo's axes brought down another before Jeremiah activated his _Windsword_.  The whirlwind of attacks easily cleaved through the last three remaining bugbears.  

The giant easily tore free from the thin strands of Mazi's _web_ and pushed closer to the ogre unwise enough to damage him.  Meanwhile the others dropped their weapons and drew bows, or in Milo's case, a crossbow.  The web offered marginal cover to the ogres, but a few arrows and bolts made it through.  They were beating a steady, if slow, retreat through the web.  The lead ogre struggled to make it far enough through the web to get away from the giant.  The ponderous monster merely raised his club and brought it down, thundering on the thick ogre, caving in its misshapen skull.  

_"Get ready everyone, that _confusion_ isn't going to last much longer."_ Milo shouted.

Jeremiah and Brigit stowed their bows and picked up their discarded weapons, readying for the giant's revenge.  With no more ogres in range the giant lurched for the nearest living thing, Brigit.  Brigit scoffed at the huge giant and easily dodged the club.  Her racial enmity against giants gave her a supernatural insight to the way they moved and attacked.

Brigit moved in and attacked.  Her twin axes, _Trollgrater_ and her family waraxe cut deep into the giant.  With another roar the giant swung back, this time connecting twice.  Brigit reeled from the blows.  One of the ogres had made it free and immediately lit the _web_ on fire from the rear.  The fire spread towards the other ogres.  They looked almost eager for the lick of the flames if for nothing else than the freedom they would grant.

Milo drew his axes and tumbled into the giant's range.  He was too distracted by Brigit to notice the small halfling until his axe bit into the giant's ankle.  The giant spun to find the source of his new pain.  He growled at Milo who flashed back his trademark grin.  While he was turned Brigit and Jeremiah closed in.  Their combined offense brought the giant crashing down.  Milo tumbled to the wall, just a hair's breadth from being crushed by the giant's heavy skull.  All that was left to deal with were the three ogres.

The web burned slowly.  Mazi drew her _flametongue_ and spoke the activation word.

_"Flamberge!"_ flames sprung from the hilt of the longsword and coursed down its length.  She gently touched the blazing sword to the _web_.  The ogres had a bloodthirsty gleam to their eyes as the burning strands of the _web_ neared.

In seconds the flames washed over the ogres.  They emerged slightly singed, but no worse for the wear.  Rather than charging at the heroes they simply stepped back into the corridor, grinning, and closed the door.  Milo blinked in bewilderment.  He'd never known ogres to back down so easily from a fight.  

_"Ambush."_ said Jeremiah.

_"Aye, an' Ah have'na tha desire ta waltz right inta it."_ Brigit said.

_"Neither do I.  Let's let 'em stew.  They'll wait for us who knows how long.  I'm sick of playing their games."_ Milo said.

They investigated the bodies of the bugbears and giant before moving on.  They found some jewelry on the corpses as well as the usual gold and platinum pieces.  To be certain they weren't leaving anything important, Milo cast his _detect magic_ cantrip.  Nothing in their recent findings glowed in his enhanced sight.  They picked the first door to the right, the giant's room, to investigate first.

The large room was covered in mosaics.  The scenes were graphic, but Milo was growing used to them in the profane temple.  Something different was depicted along with the usual filth.  A fungus like growth seemed to be covering various places and objects all over the mosaic.  Milo hoped that it wasn't another element they'd have to face.  Splintered wood from broken furniture lay about the room.  The giant's bed was made up of musty old cushions spilling stuffing all over the floor.  A few tapestries or blankets topped the heap. Milo wasn't interested in investigating those any further.  A large cast iron kettle was suspended over a cold fireplace set in the eastern wall.  A large ironbound chest squatted in one corner.  

Milo's attention was immediately drawn to the chest.  He let the others explore the rest of the room.  The heavy padlock on the chest was soon sprung.  Inside the chest a multitude of coins and jewels glittered back at Milo.  He grinned at the cache.  Under a pile of gold coins he found a vial of fluid.  Mazi examined the potion as Milo counted the coins.  After casting a _detect poison_ cantrip Mazi declared the potion safe, at least where poison was concerned.  They stowed the vial for later identification.

While Milo had worked on the chest the others had found nothing but a kettle full of congealed fat and rancid meat.

_"Shall we see if the ogres are back?"_ Milo asked as they headed out of the hill giant's den.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Ambush*

 Ambush we always get ambushed.  Well it was quite a fight.  But the oger's lighting the net on fire and running away was quite odd.  I am curious to see what frog has in store for us in a week.


----------



## Nail

Are y'all caught up now?  I'd like t' give a comment er two, but don't wanna spoil th' fun.

Nice call on th' ogres retreating......be cautious, ya lily-livered varmints! (Did I jus' write that?)


----------



## Milo Windby

Nail said:
			
		

> *Are y'all caught up now?  I'd like t' give a comment er two, but don't wanna spoil th' fun.
> 
> Nice call on th' ogres retreating......be cautious, ya lily-livered varmints! (Did I jus' write that?) *




Not quite caught up yet, Nail.  We're one session behind.  I should be able to get that written up in the next couple of days.

I don't think the ogres liked the way we dealt with the giant and all the bugbears in a matter of rounds.  We've since dealt with them though.  It's the encounter before that which nearly sapped all of our resources.  Frog's glee is always at the highest when he's got us over a barrel.  You should have seen him hopping up and down as he sic'd his latest surprise on us.


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *Frog's glee is always at the highest when he's got us over a barrel.  You should have seen him hopping up and down as he sic'd his latest surprise on us. *




Seems fitting Frog would do that......


....hopping, that is.


----------



## Milo Windby

Nail said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Seems fitting Frog would do that......
> 
> 
> ....hopping, that is. *




Ohhhhh, very PUNNY.  I didn't even realize what I was writing.  It's true though, maybe Frog is living up to his name more than he realizes.

Update today!  I'm at the writing desk right now.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil – part 51 (session 23)*

The Chamber of Eyes was still empty, except of course for the massive body of the hill giant, his worg, and all of the bugbears.  There was no sign of the ogres; the door to the southwest remained closed.  They moved counterclockwise through the room, checking the bugbear duo’s doors next.  The chamber beyond was hexagonal, but that was about the only interesting feature.  A large, cold iron brazier sat on the floor by a table near the south wall.  An open cabinet leaned against the wall as well, its contents of smoked meats, cheese, and cheap wine easily visible.  There were two heaps of cushions set away from the table, presumably the bugbear’s beds.  

Two of Brigit’s arrows confirmed the bundles of cushions’ innocence.  _”Quit yer starin’, Ah don’ trust anythin’ big enough ta hid a dire rat.”_

At the mention of rats Mazi stiffened.  She was suddenly grateful for Brigit’s cautious nature.

They spent little time in the bugbear den.  The next door from the Chamber of Eyes was at the end of the passage leading opposite of the stairs.  Another passage continued on from the door as well as branching to the right.  The western passage led to a circular chamber full of cobwebs.  The spindly tendrils of wispy material seemed to crawl up the walls, groping for the ceiling.  The webs thickened as they climbed, eventually massing in a dense thicket of dusty cover that the keenest eyes couldn’t penetrate.  There were castings and husks of some indiscernible nature on the ground as well.  

_”From the amount of dust on these webs,”_ Milo said after a bout of sneezing, _”I’d say whatever made them is long gone.”_

_”Well I don’t want to hang around and find out.  Spiders are almost as bad as rats.”_ Mazi said with a shudder.

The southern passage continued from the door to lead into another circular chamber.  This room was much more interesting than the last.  A strange light illuminated the room, emanating from four weirdly glowing cressets of ancient bronze spaced evenly along the walls.  The bluish light cast strange shadows over the room’s occupants.  Milo immediately crouched into a battle stance until he realized that the nine figures scattered around the room were completely still.  

His eyes adjusted to the dim blue light and he took in the strange sight of the statues.  There were nine of the monstrous stone sculptures.  On one side of the room a huge fire giant, a slavering manticore, and a hideous medusa seemed to be frozen in speech.  Brigit shivered upon seeing the medusa, no doubt recalling her time as a statue weeks ago.  Along the wall were six other statues.  To the left of the first three sat a small blue dragon, nearby a mass of eyes on tentacles and stalks surrounding a large central eyeball sat quiescent on the ground.  Milo assumed that it was a beholder.  He had heard of them and their lethal gazes, but had never seen one before.  To the right of the conversing group was a passage, guarded by a tiger-like raksasha; it’s upturned claws splayed and its fangs bared.  Next to the raksasha a familiar depiction of undeath, a wight was expertly carved.  The flowing tatters of its clothes were swept back and its filed teeth were exposed.  It was Milo’s turn to shudder at the sight of one of the statues.  Milo hated undead, really.  Towering above the wight was a statue of an ogre-mage.  His greatsword was propped on his shoulder and a superior sneer was carved into his facial features.  The last statue was a tattered mummy, guarding another passage.  The stone bandages hung from its decimated frame and dangled loose from its outstretched arms.

It was then that Milo noticed that all of the statues were concentrating on something they were either holding or that was at their base.  Before Milo could investigate further a sharp sound rang out, as of metal striking stone.  Milo spun around to see Brigit brandishing her bow.  She had loosed an arrow at the medusa.

_”Take that, ya stone hussy!”_ she said under her breath.  Then to the others, _”Ya remember tha minotaur upstairs, don’t ya?  If one O’ these be a beastie actin’ like a statue, then it’s gonna get a sharp surprise from me bow!”_

Brigit then shot each statue in turn, starting at the blue dragon near the entrance and working her way around the room.  By the time she was done nine broken arrows lay shattered at the statues’ bases.

_”Well it’s gotta be a trap.  No way anybody’d put all them statues here wi’out some purpose.”_ Brigit said, nonplussed.

They stood at the entrance, none of them willing to set foot into the chamber for fear of what trap they’d spring.  

_”Ah know!  Let’s toss tha halflin’!”_ Brigit said with a sudden exclamation.

_”No way, uh uh.  There will be no halfling tossing!”_ Milo said, backing away.

_”Aw, c’mon.  We’d tie a rope ta ya.”_ Brigit persisted.

Mazi giggled.  _”We wouldn’t tie a rope to you if we didn’t like you.”_

_”Oh, thanks.  That makes me feel soooo much better.”_

_”Fine then, Ah’ll go.  Ya better watch me back.”_

Brigit stepped into the room.  Nothing happened.  She approached the statue of the blue dragon, closest of the nine.  Still nothing.  

_”This li’l guy is starin’ at some box.”_ she said as she cautiously walked by.  She slowly made her way around the room, _”Tha beholder’s got some tube it’s starin’ at.”_ then, _”Tha giant’s got some sort O’ spear, Jer’d like that’un.”_ and, _”Tha medusa’s cloak ain’t stone, neither is tha manticore’s crossbow.”_ she walked by the passage to the raksasha, _”He’s got some sort O’ ring on. This wight next to him’s got an urn.”_ and to the ogre mage, _”Got’s a pretty necklace.”_ finally the full circuit to the mummy, _”He’s got a staff an’ a ceramic bottle.”_  Brigit met the others back at the entrance.

_”All of them had something not made of stone.”_ Milo said thoughtfully, _”Let’s see if there’s anything magic in here.”_

Milo cast his _detect magic_ cantrip.  His eyes glowed for a second before settling back to their normal, piercing, blue color.  He was startled at the amount of glowing auras in the room.

_”The beholder’s tube is magic, so is the fire giant’s spear, the manticore’s crossbow, the medusa’s cloak, the mummy’s staff, the ogre mage’s necklace, and the raksasha’s ring.  Wow, almost all of them are holding something magical.”_

Brigit shrugged and reached for the nearest item Milo mentioned, the mummy’s spear. _”Let’s see what we got here.”_

_”Brigit, no!”_ Milo shouted too late.

A tinkling sound, as of a glass pane being broken and the shards scattered, filled the room.  Brigit shouted.

_”Ah can’t see!  Ah’m blind!”_

The light in the room suddenly shifted.  Shadows from the statues jumped and leaped.  Milo glanced around in apprehension.  The bluish lights of the cressets were no longer _in_ their wombs of bronze.  Instead glowing balls of blue light floated around the room!  They spun in a mesmerizing dance before diving for the vulnerable heroes.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Fighting Blind*

”Ah can’t see! Ah’m blind!”

Just so you all know this was kind a of a cool fight when Milo finishes writing it up.  As I got to flight blind.  A new thing for me.  I can not say I want to do it all the time but it was a change.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 52 (session 23)*

The Will-O-Wisps dived into the surprised adventurers, wreaking havoc with their electric shocks.  Milo and Mazi both felt the deadly jolt from the floating lights.  Milo immediately cast a spell in response.  The _protection from elements_ spell shimmered around Milo, protecting him from the wisp's shocking touch.  Mazi too leaned back to cast a defensive _shield_ before her.

Jeremiah backed off from Brigit, wary of her blind thrashing.  He scored one hit against the softly glowing wisp attacking Mazi.  Brigit centered herself, breathed deep, and then swung with her axe.  She was rewarded with the odd buzz the will-o-wisps made when wounded.  The wisp zipped away from her axe before she could follow up on her amazing blind stroke.

Milo knew what he had to do.  He breathed heavy as he gripped his _staff of healing_.  He knew all four of the wisps would get a shot at him if he couldn't manage to roll past fast enough.  Milo cleared his mind of doubt and tumbled forward.  He felt a sharp sting as he passed by the first wisp.  The electricity played off of his elemental shield before dissipating into the ether.  He was treated to three more light shows as he sprang by, failing to avoid even one will-o-wisp.  Surprisingly, he was unhurt by the time he made his way to Brigit's side.  He quickly tapped Brigit's forehead with the staff to _cure blindness_.  Brigit blinked once, then grinned.

_"Now that Ah can see ya, yer dead."_

Despite her strong words, Brigit was less able to land a blow with her sight restored than she had been blind.  The wisps moved erratically, making any blow difficult.  Milo watched as all three of his companions struck blow after blow on empty air.  He crouched back and cast another spell.  This time the effect of his _prayer_ could be felt by all.  He noticed that the wisps didn't seem affected though.  His suspicions were confirmed when Mazi's _burning hands_ washed through three of them with no effect.  

_"I don't think our spells are going to affect them any, Mazi."_ Milo shouted.

She grunted her agreement as she dropped her bow and drew her _flametongue_ and slashed at the will-o-wisp just as ineffectively.  On a thought Milo drew a vial of holy water.  He didn't know much about will-o-wisps, but thought it worth a try after the pool upstairs.  His holy water fizzed as it struck the wisp, but the light flared bright after the water was evaporated.

Brigit and Jeremiah were having more success, scoring occasional hits as the wisps relentlessly zapped each in turn.  Milo's protective spell was weakening from the constant bombardment.  

Suddenly two of the wisps winked out of existence.  Milo and the group concentrated on the two left.  The four traded blows until another wisp winked out.  Milo was suspicious, but they couldn't do anything but gang up on the last wisp.  The will-o-wisp seemed to turn to flee, sapping more of Milo's protection as it floated away.  Milo, Jeremiah, and Mazi pursued as Brigit drew her bow to take pot shots and wait for the others to return.  

Halfway down the hall to the Chamber of Eyes Brigit raised an alarm.  Milo spun to see the other three wisps teaming up on the beleaguered dwarf.  He ignored the other wisp as it winked out and _summoned_ a formian worker to aid Brigit.  The insectoid creature materialized beyond one of the wisps and attacked immediately.  It's horizontal jaws snapped at air, but managed to attract the attention of the floating blue light.  

Brigit was hard pressed; it seemed her axes acted like lightning rods to the wisps' electric attacks.  Her body was wracked with convulsions as the electricity played over her metal armor.  She dropped one of her axes after the last attack, unable to grip it in her hands for the violent spasms.  The others ran to help.  Jeremiah reached them first and sliced into one of the wisps with a vicious backstroke.  The light seemed to split into two before fading as it dropped.  

Brigit was slipping fast.  Milo sprang to her side and channeled one of his spells into healing power.  Some of the burns along her skin faded but she was still shaky.  Meanwhile his formian ally moved behind another wisp long enough to distract it for an expert shot from Mazi's bow.  Jeremiah's greatsword followed soon after.  The will-o-wisp faded from sight as his enchanted blade sliced through its center.

Meanwhile Milo concentrated on channeling more divine healing energy into his dwarven companion.  She suddenly surged back into action, scooping up her dropped axe and charging at the last visible wisp.  _Trollgrater_ sliced cleanly through the buzzing blue wisp, extinguishing its other-worldly glow.  

They knew one more will-o-wisp was floating around, unseen.  Mazi cast _see invisibility_ and peered down the hall towards the Chamber of Eyes.  

_"I can see it!  It's heading down to the Chamber."_ she said.

_"Let's go!  We don' need no more O' those things divin' down on us.  Ah canna take any more punishment.  If'n tha wisp is in our way on tha way out then we'll take care O' it."_ Brigit shouted over her shoulder as she headed down the hall.

Milo signaled for the formian to follow and they set off for the retreating wisp or the exit, whichever came first.  Mazi would call out its location as they cautiously moved down the hall.  As they neared the Chamber of Eyes the wisp winked into life again.  Milo glanced over his shoulder to see his formian worker wink out.  He shook his head and focused on the Chamber.  

In their haste to leave the four almost didn't notice the welcoming party back in the Chamber.  Standing in front of the gong and over the massive corpse of the giant was yet another hill giant.  The sight brought all four up short at the entrance to the Chamber.  Flanking the giant were two of the ogres that had fled the previous battle.  Mazi could see the fading glow of the will-o-wisp reflecting off the stairs across from the passage.  The giant's mouth gaped in a toothy grin as he hefted his greatclub, almost as if testing its weight.  

Milo acted first, slapping his hand on Jeremiah's arm before the barbarian had a chance to run in and be attacked from three angles.  His _shield of faith_ enveloped Jer, bolstering his already formidable armor.  Jeremiah bellowed a warcry and charged.  Milo's spell wasn't enough to ward him from the giant's greatclub.  Jeremiah shrugged off the attack and surged back ferociously.  The giant was thrown back from the barbarian's attack.  His stomach was laid open from the horrible gash.  Brigit charged in after her friend, brandishing one of her axes high and shouting in dwarven.  Right before she reached the giant she threw her hand to the side and caught one of the flanking ogres by surprise.  Brigit's _rope of entanglement_ snaked out and wrapped itself around the ogre like a python closing in on its prey.  She finished her charge with battlecry and sunk her axe into the giant's torso.  

The huge monster roared at the top of his lungs, thrashing wildly at its attackers.  Brigit ducked a moment too late and was grazed by the greatclub.  She staggered under its massive weight.  Milo sucked in a breath at the sight.  He was afraid that Brigit was barely hanging on by sheer will alone.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 53 (session 23)*

_"Jeremiah, MOVE!"_ shouted Mazi.  Just as he spun to the side two expertly aimed arrows sped into the massive giant's bulk.  Milo took the chance to tumble to Brigit.  He cast another spell and touched her arm.  Another _shield of faith_ shimmered into existence around the dwarf's form.  Mazi then showed the true reason for her shout.  A sizzling _lightning bolt_ zigzagged from her pointed finger to slam into the giant full force.  The huge monster reeled from that spell and roared his defiance.

Jeremiah stepped into the unoccupied space and swung into the hill giant.  His sword found just the right weak spot and Jer exploited it for all he was worth, shoving the sword in to the hilt.  The giant groaned loudly.  As Jer withdrew his sword the giant's ponderous weight seemed to fall in slow motion.  The fierce barbarian followed through with another savage blow, this time to one of the ogres.  

The large monsters seemed unable to land a telling blow against the magically bolstered duo of Brigit and Jeremiah.  Milo stayed at Brigit's side anyway, keenly aware of the damage the club had done on top of her already fried nerves.  He sacrificed another spell to channel more healing energy into his indomitable friend.  

Brigit grunted a terse thanks before dealing with the bound ogre.  Her axe and Jeremiah's sword soon made short work of the two ogres.  The room echoed with the last ogre's death rattle.  All that could then be heard was Brigit's shallow, ragged breathing.  She stood with her hands on her knees and panted heavily.  Milo stood next to her with a concerned expression.  Brigit waved Milo away after regaining her breath.  

_"Thanks all tha same Milo.  Ah gotta take care O' these things,"_ Brigit waved at the numerous corpses laying about. _"Keep an eye out for tha' wisp tho', elfie.  Don' need 'em comin' back ta zap me no more."_

With that Brigit the Butcher set about her grisly work.

_"I'll say one thing about her, she's consistent."_ Milo said.

_"So is Jeremiah, our giant killer."_ Mazi said as she patted the barbarian on the back.

Jeremiah blushed.  Milo ignored Brigit's protest and healed her once more for good measure.  They gathered what valuables they could find and headed up the stairs.  Mazi kept close watch on their path for the last wisp.  The telltale blue glow never appeared though.  The journey back to the surface was uneventful.

They spent two nights recuperating in the woods.  Brigit's wounds required serious healing from Milo and he was tapped out of divine energy by the end of the first day.  The others had to nurse their wounds as best as they could until the next day.

The third day found them back in the temple.  They descended down to the Chamber of Eyes cautiously.  Whoever was in the lower levels would surely begin laying traps if they continued to use the same path, but all four were eager to solve the mystery of the statue room.

Nothing had changed in the Chamber.  They stepped over the grisly pieces of giant, bugbear, and ogre on the way to the statue room.  There was no sign of the will-o-wisps in the room.  The only light reflecting off the statues was from Milo's lantern.

_"I think we can assume the statues are trapped somehow.  I don't think magic weapons and the sort would just be left here for anyone to take."_ Milo said.

_"How's this then, you check for traps and I'll use _mage hand_ to bring them over here just in case?"_ Mazi suggested.

Milo thought for a moment, then nodded.  _"That's an excellent idea.  Especially considering my track record for finding traps lately.  Either way I'm going to take my time looking.  Just make sure nothing pounces on me while I do."_

Milo quietly padded into the room.  He chose to examine the manticore's crossbow first.  He noticed the absence of a string before anything else.  He thought that very odd.  Beyond that he couldn't find anything else amiss, either on the crossbow or the manticore statue.  Milo shrugged and walked back to the others.

_"All yours, Mazi.  I can't find anything on it."_

Mazi concentrated on the crossbow.  Imperceptibly at first, the crossbow shifted from its stand.  Nothing happened.  The crossbow dragged across the floor to rest at Mazi's feet.

_"No problem."_ Milo grinned.

He examined the beholder's tube next.  With the absence of a trap on the crossbow Milo decided his first estimate was wrong.  He didn't take as much time examining the tube.  A couple of close glances revealed nothing.  Strolling back to the others with a grin, he gave Mazi the thumbs-up.

Milo was suddenly pitched forward from behind.  As Mazi used her _mage hand_ to shift the tube a trap had been sprung.  The small explosion ripped the tube apart and would have done the same to Milo if he hadn't been halfway across the room.  Milo stood from his hands and knees and brushed off the dust from the explosion.

_"Nice, Milo.  Real nice."_ Brigit said.

_"Okay, okay.  I'll be more careful.  I thought that's what Mazi's telekinesis was for.  Jeesh."_

Milo slowly made his way around the room, taking extra time to examine each enchanted item and its statue.  It appeared that they had found the only two traps the hard way.  Brigit's blindness from the staff and the tube's explosion were the only safeguards over the room.  Before long a healthy pile of goods lay at Mazi's feet.  The fire giant's spear lay under the medusa's cloak, the mummy's staff lay near the ogre mage's necklace and the raksasha's ring.  The last item Mazi couldn't drag over with her spell.  The two-foot wide box was too heavy for her _mage hand_

Milo returned to re-examine the blue dragon's box.  He tried his hand at the clever locking mechanism but was completely unable to spring it.  Mazi instead prepared her _knock_ spell and walked towards the container.  As she neared she noticed invisible glyphs scribed onto the surface of the box.  

_"Someone went to the trouble to place invisible runes on this thing."_ she said.

After closer examination she found that there were four words inscribed, Glooben, Gleeben, Glouben, Globen.  She grinned at some private memory of the words before trying one out loud.

_"Glooben."_

The box suddenly shrunk to a tiny two-inch cube.  Mazi's eyes lit up.  She tried another word.

_"Gleeben."_

Nothing happened.

_"Globen."_

Milo and Mazi had to back away as the box suddenly expanded to eight feet wide on each side.  

_"Glouben."_

The box returned to normal, two feet each side.  Milo had an idea.

_"Try that one again, the one that didn't do anything."_

_"Gleeben?"_

The box slowly went transparent before winking out of sight completely.  The box was gone.  Even Mazi's spell-enhanced vision couldn't detect the box.  

_"Way ta go Milo!  Ya made her lose tha box.  Ah could think O' a ton O' uses fer that thing."_  Brigit said disappointedly.

_"No no, try one of the other words again Mazi."_ Milo said.

_"Globen."_ 

Slowly the box appeared again, this time eight feet wide.  Brigit let out a low whistle of appreciation.

_"Glouben."_

The box returned to its original state.  Mazi looked very pleased with herself.  She then cast _knock_ to see if anything was inside.  The box was indeed full.  A couple hundred small gems winked back at them in the light.  Brigit reached in and grabbed a few.  She made a show of examining each closely.

_"Bah, quartz.  Mebbe worth a gold piece each."_

_"That's a couple hundred gold though, not bad."_ Milo said.

_"None of you would mind if I hang on to it, would you?"_ Mazi asked.

_"Nah, I don't want to lug it around and Brigit's already carrying enough to break a mule's back. Jeremiah?"_ Milo said.

The barbarian shook his head and Brigit shrugged.  

_"Great!  Glooben."_  Mazi said.  The cube shrunk again and Mazi stashed it into her pack.

_"You just better hope no one else knows the command words.  I'd hate for an eight foot box to flatten you in the middle of battle."_ Milo said.  _"Before we stash the rest of this stuff I want to be sure of something."_

Milo cast _detect evil_ on the pile of gear they had looted from the statues.  He peered intently at the gear, but nothing was inherently evil.  Just to be safe he concentrated on the walls around them as well.  He felt a strong evil presence when facing the west.  He concentrated harder on the wall and found he could tell the aura was strong, and near the limit of his spell.

_"There's something really bad down that way,"_ he said pointing at the northwestern passage.  _"Let me get the four of us ready and we'll go find out what it is."_

Jeremiah was practically jumping in his armor at the chance to hunt down something again.  Milo cast _shield of faith_ on the two warriors and a _magic circle against evil_ centered on himself.  They moved together through the passage.

The hallway opened into a large room.  To their right along the north wall was a big fountain.  Looking to the south they could see what seemed to be a subterranean field of fungus.  Mushroom caps of different sizes emerged from a dark, rich soil.  Growths of fungus were all over the walls.  A narrow path led south through the field and split off to two doors, one to the east, and one to the west.  

_"Jeremiah, you're our wilderness expert.  Are these dangerous?"_ Mazi asked.

Jeremiah crouched over a patch of bulbous mushrooms and examined them carefully.  He stood up, thought for a moment, then answered.

_"Shrooms."_

_"Uh huh, thanks, we weren't sure of that."_ Milo said sarcastically.

A voice called out from the south end of the field, _"Stand still, some of the fungi are dangerous.  I know the path, I'm coming to help you."_

They could make out the form of a woman carefully picking her way through the field.  Milo immediately had a bad feeling about her.  This was the room where he detected the evil, after all.

The woman drew closer.  She was dressed in a simple white dress, barefoot.  She approached Jeremiah first, staring into his eyes intently.  Milo thought he noticed a snarl of frustration before she covered it with a smile.  She turned her gaze towards Brigit.  Her smile grew wider.

_"Some of this fungus causes insanity.  You *need* to restrain your friends in case something happens."_ she said to Brigit.

Brigit nodded slowly and turned to face her companions with a beatific smile on her face.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil - part 53 (session 23)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *...... She turned her gaze towards Brigit.  Her smile grew wider.
> 
> "Some of this fungus causes insanity.  You need to restrain your friends in case something happens." she said to Brigit.
> 
> Brigit nodded slowly and turned to face her companions with a beatific smile on her face. *




Aakkkk....now look.....I thought dwarves were supposed to always make their saves........


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Making the save*

Aakkkk....now look.....I thought dwarves were supposed to always make their saves........

Not when you only have a + 2 will save.


----------



## frog

Elsewhere...

====================

On a throne of bone in the blackness she sleeps.
Eyes closed, breath shallow.
Footsteps echo through the endless halls.
They stop. 
The sound of stone door on stone floor drags her from dreams.
A faint flicker of light penetrates the gloom.
Eyes open, mouth sighs. Two black pits resting above a gaping steel lined orifice of pain.
A voice half heard, half felt, caresses the mind "What news?" 
"The Pretender has been found, Mistress"
"Summon my Handmaidens. We hunt."
"Yes Mistress."
The door closes. Darkness regains its hold.
The footsteps recede, echoing through the silent halls. 
Eyes open, breath quickened.
On a throne of bone in the blackness she waits.


----------



## frog

Elsewhere...

====================

Tick, tock...tick, tock...

The water clock marks the passing of the seconds. Seconds become minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, days to years. For over a thousand years the clock has marked the days of his life. Passing almost unnoticed but for the ticking of the clock.

The board is set, the pieces each in their place.
The Man in Black reaches out an armored hand and lifts the Queen.
"You will be mine. And once you are mine, so shall ALL be mine!"

Tick, tock... tick, tock...

The Man in Black looks up at his generals.
"You may begin...."

The clock chimes.

"*Now*."

Tick, tock... tick, tock...


----------



## frog

Elsewhere...

====================

Unbearable heat. Sulfur scorches the lungs. The crack of whips followed by echoes of screams. 

The hammer rises. The hammer falls. 

Over and over, beating out a rhythm of pain and suffering. The old dwarf wipes the sweat from his brow and looks up, into a raging inferno fire and brimstone. His daughter will come. She will see him free again. And when she does, he shall take up the mantle which he had long ago lay aside and exact vengeance on his tormentors.

He turns back to the anvil.

The hammer rises, the hammer falls.


----------



## frog

Elsewhere, 

====================

Zaaaar...
Gon
*BOOM*
Zaaaar...
Gon
*BOOM*

The chant echoes throughout the cavern. The voices of hundreds rise to the ceiling high above and fill the depths of the earth. 

Fierce beast masks cover the faces of the priests who carry the sacrifice to the altar. Burning incense intoxicates the congregation, raising their voices higher in supplication to their Master.

Zaaaar...
Gon
*BOOM*
Zaaaar...
Gon
*BOOM*

The man is chained between two pillars at the end of the pier, arms outstretched as if to embrace what is to come. His eyes wide with terror, he struggles to free himself from the THING which is coming to claim him as ITs tribute.

Drums and voices join now in a chorus

Zaaaar...
Gon
*BOOM*
Zaaaar...
Gon
*BOOM*

Silence.

The water churns...a scream...blood covers the altar.

Silence.

A dying God cries tears of anguish as another of His worshippers feeds the growing evil.


----------



## Milo Windby

Uhhhhh.

Anybody else freaked out by Frog's plot hooks?  Let's see, we've got an ancient evil of some sort brooding in darkness, about to HUNT, a man ordering multiple generals around, Brigit's father working in what can only be described as HELL, and a halfling capping off what appears to be a long string of sacrifices.

What to do, what to do?


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *Uhhhhh.
> 
> Anybody else freaked out by Frog's plot hooks?*



Yup.

*



			What to do, what to do?
		
Click to expand...


*Punt.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil – part 54 (session 23)*

Milo had prepared himself for just such an occasion.  Since finding the Duke he had kept a _dispel magic_ prepared at all times.  As Brigit turned to face them the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.  He weaved the dispelling magic in a net around her and spoke the holy words to seal the spell.  A previously invisible aura around Brigit shimmered.  Spider-like cracks jagged along its surface before it shattered into countless fading motes of light.  Brigit shook her head, unsure of what had just happened.  Her thoughts caught up to her after a second.  She turned and growled from her throat at the girl.  The fight was on.

Seeing her charm fail on the dwarf the once-smiling, friendly woman hissed and clawed at Brigit.  Her sharpened fingernails scratched at Brigit’s skin, causing more than just pain.  Brigit seemed slightly less aware of her surroundings.  Jeremiah came to his friend’s defense.  The woman hissed again, this time in pain as she staggered back from the blow.  Mazi backed up a step and fired her bow, two shots, two arrows suddenly protruding from the girl’s chest.  Milo tried his _hold person_ spell on the girl, but couldn’t seem to master her will.  

Brigit was furious, she drew her second axe and lay into the woman with a vengeance.  The woman stepped back and snarled out an arcane litany.  Eight more women suddenly appear around her, each exactly like the other.  Jeremiah waded into the sea of _mirror images_ and began attacking any within reach.  One image shattered, but the next did not.  With a scream the real girl staggered back from Jer’s sword again, this time unable to keep her footing.  She toppled over into the fungus.

Before any of them could react the girl’s appearance changed before their sight.  Her torso expanded behind her, her legs splitting into two pairs.  Her white shift drew up to become a shirt.  The girl’s features didn’t change, but lying before them was anything but a human woman.  The upper portion of her body looked human enough, her lower torso was that of a horse or donkey.  

_”Centaur?”_ Milo said incredulously.

_”Not likely,”_ Mazi said, crouched over the body. _”They’re not prone to evil, though occasionally one goes bad.  No, not a centaur.  Considering what it was doing to Brigit and its size I’d say this is a lamia.”_  She withdrew a beautiful necklace set with rubies from the lamia’s neck.

_”Lamia?”_ Brigit said.

_”Yes, half human, half animal.  They’re usually not a horse though.  I suppose this one was different.”_

_”Good riddance anyhow.  Ah canna stand all tha things tha’ keep holdin’, confusin’, er charmin’ me!  Gimme a knock down, drag out fight anyday!”_

_”Do you think it’s safe to travel through all this fungus?”_ Milo said, getting back to matters at hand.

_”I think we can if we follow the path she was on.  See?  It weaves through the mushrooms.”_ Mazi said as she pointed to a dirt track clear of fungus.

They stepped over the lamia’s body and carefully made their way to the rear of the room.  The dirt track split to the east and west, each leading to a door.  The west door opened to a flight of stairs leading back to the second level.  They instead chose the eastern door.  A long hallway led to another staircase, this set leading down.

_”Do we go down?  I have a feeling that we’re very near to whatever is at the bottom of this place.”_ Milo said.

_”Ah don’ know.  Ah’d rather not leave nobody up here ta chase after us.”_ Brigit said.

_”I agree with Brigit.  Let’s clear out this level of the temple before heading down.”_ Mazi said.

_”I suppose.  I’m just antsy.  It’s been some time since Usamigaras spoke to me last and I don’t know how long His people will wait.”_ Milo voiced his concern.

_”We’ll leave once we got everyone taken care O’ here, Milo.  ‘Specially mah pa.”_

_”Sorry Brigit, I know you’re eager to find your father.  Let’s go.”_ Milo said, defeated.

_”There’s still the eastern passage from the statue room, plus a couple of doors we missed back at the Chamber of Eyes.”_ Mazi suggested.

_”Let’s stick to the general area, how about the passage from the statue room?”_ Milo said.

The statues stood mute in the room.  The only change was the absence of some of the items the heroes had claimed.  The empty-handed statues seemed to stare at Milo in accusation for the plunder.  Milo shrugged, stuck out his tongue at the statues, and continued on.

The eastern passage led past two northern branches.  On the southern wall opposite the second passage was a stone fountain.  The back was carved with strange, horrible faces that spouted sulfurous, tainted water.  Strange aquatic growth spread from the bottom.  Milo’s attention was violently distracted when an arrow shattered on the back of the fountain near him.  He spun around to see who attacked him.

Brigit stood with her bow at arms length, slightly abashed.  _Ah gotta check, Milo.”_

_”Next time you think you can wait until my head isn’t inches from your target?”_

_”Jus’ fer ya, Milo, Ah think Ah kin handle tha’.”_ Brigit said.

They continued past the fountain.  Another intersection slanted off to the northeast.  Looking down the hall they could see that it led to another downward staircase.  They continued east.  The passage eventually opened into a natural cavern.  The cave walls were hewn to appear like boulders.  The floor was unevenly cracked as well.  The whole room was lit with a gray light, emanating from nowhere.  The dome of the ceiling curved away from the walls to reach a good forty feet above their heads.  Another passage led to the south.  There was a damp breeze ruffling their hair as they entered.  The whole room stunk of death.  To their west a large stone slab sat with a leering skull planted atop.  Directly across from their entrance a full skeleton clad in chainmail lay near a fissure with a bone protruding.  The skeleton’s hand was stretched out to the protruding bone, as if it had died trying to pull the bone out.

_”Creepy.”_ Jeremiah said.

_”Aye, tha’ it is lad.”_ Brigit agreed, _”D’ya see anythin’?”_

Jeremiah’s features scrunched up in concentration as he peered around the room.  His eyes eventually landed on Brigit, _”I see you!”_ he said, pointing.

Brigit rolled her eyes and lowered his finger.  _”How’s about this?  We tie a rope ta Jer here an’ he kin go in an’ investigate.  If’n anythin’ happens, we drag him back in.”_

_”Eager to volunteer Jeremiah, are we?”_ Milo said with a raised eyebrow.

_”He’s faster’n me!  ‘Sides, ya already vetoed tha halfling toss.”_

They tied one of their _ropes of climbing_ to Jeremiah’s waist and sent him into the cave to investigate.  Jer first approached the slab with the grinning skull.  He tentatively reached out to touch the slab, fearing for the worst.  Milo didn’t realize until Jer stood up, unmolested, that he was holding his breath.

_”What are we doing?  This is nuts.  I’m going in.”_ Milo said.

He too approached the slab.  Slowly walking to stand next to Jer.  The slab was unremarkable, as was the skull as far as grinning skulls went.  He left Jer’s side to investigate the skeleton.  It appeared to be dwarven in size and rough shape.  The crack that the bone was jutting from was about six inches wide and a couple of feet deep.  By then the others had entered the room as well.  All four stood near the skeleton and the fissure.

_”Well it’s got to be a trap, look at the evidence.”_ Milo said, _”Nothing I can find though.”_ 

Mazi had the others back away a few feet and cast _mage hand_.  She pulled the bone from the fissure with her mind, concentrating on levitating it inches from the ground.  Still nothing happened.  She used the floating bone to poke at the skeleton.  The chainmail shifted and some of the rib bones dropped to the ground.  Mazi shrugged and let the bone drop.

The elven fighter-mage then cast _arcane eye_ to spy down the fissure.  She could see an axe wedged at the bottom of the crack, just out of reach of even Jeremiah’s long arm. 

_”Let me see your _rope of entanglement_, Brigit.”_ said Milo after he too had peered down the crack.  _”I think I can haul this out of here if I can get a good angle.”_

Brigit grunted agreement and fished her rope out.  Milo soon had one end dangling into the fissure.  He was about to speak the command word when his sensitive ears picked up a sound from behind the hewn boulders near their wall.  He dropped the rope just as two howling shapes bounded from behind the boulders to attack.

They were horrific dog-shaped beasts.  Their skin hung tight between their bones, almost making them appear skeletal.  Nests of long, sharp quills were raised on their backs, quivering in anticipation of fresh meat.

Milo jumped back and drew his axes as the others rushed to attack.  Milo couldn’t jump far enough to avoid the snapping jaws of the first howling monstrosity.  Its teeth sank into his arm as it fired four quills directly at him.  Through some amazing feat of dexterity, or of dumb luck, Milo avoided all four.  

Jeremiah was beset by the other dog-beast.  He two fell victim to its slavering jaws, but was able to avoid the quills.  The howling creature had caused Jeremiah to drop his sword as it shook his arm like a housedog with a toy.  Brigit moved in to protect the barbarian.  Her axes fell again and again in a blinding display of speed.  The creature howled once more before crumpling into a whimpering heap.

Milo had his hands full with his own howling beast.  He scored two good hits with his axes, but the creature fought on.  Jeremiah recovered his sword and moved to help.  Milo was bit once more before his friends brought the beast down.  Jeremiah’s sword and Mazi’s arrows saved him from another attack of quills.

Nursing his sore arm, Milo stood over the bloody corpse of the dog-beast.  _”What in the frell was that?”_

_”I don’t know, but I’m glad none of you were hit by its quills, look at the wicked barb at the end.”_ said Mazi as she held one of the dangerous slivers in her hand.

_”Me too.”_ said Milo, _”Back to work though, let’s get this axe then get out of here.”_

Milo once again lowered Brigit’s _rope of entanglement_ into the fissure.  In moments he had withdrawn the rope, attached securely to the haft of the battleaxe.  Milo dropped the axe near the skeleton and cast _detect magic_ to see if their trouble was worthwhile.

The battleaxe and the skeleton’s chainmail glowed with a magical aura.  Milo grinned and told the others.  Meanwhile Mazi had sent her _arcane eye_ to explore the other passage.

She found that the southern passage led around a corner and to a downward staircase that matched the one leading from the fungus room.  She brought her _eye_ back and sent it down the way they had come.  The passage leading opposite the fountain opened into what appeared to be a fighting pit of some sort.  

Mazi described the room to the others.  The room was built in an octagon, lined with a six-inch ledge.  The floor dropped off into a sixteen-foot deep pit with two archways leading to the north and south.  Above the pit hung a bronze latticework.  The lattice began near the passage before the pit and continued out to almost the end of the room.  A heavy bronze chain hung from the end to dangle about ten feet above the pit floor.  Her _eye_ winked out before she could explore the archways.


----------



## Milo Windby

Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Punt. *




Hmmm, sage advice.  But what to punt?


----------



## Sniktch

*Will the REAL Milo Windby please step forward?*

Hmm, for the past year I thought Milo Windby was the extremely cowardly arcane trickster that hides from all the big nasties I throw at him each week while the rest of the party deals with it.

Thank you, its refreshing to read about an alternate dimension Milo who's first response to each situation is NOT, "I take a 10 for my Hide check - that's a 44."

His second response?  That's easy:  "I read my scroll of expeditious retreat and run away."


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*I will save him.*

" She will see him free again. And when she does, he shall take up the mantle which he had long ago lay aside and exact vengeance on his tormentor."

I will set him free Frog.  Unless you kill him first.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Will the REAL Milo Windby please step forward?*



			
				Sniktch said:
			
		

> *Hmm, for the past year I thought Milo Windby was the extremely cowardly arcane trickster that hides from all the big nasties I throw at him each week while the rest of the party deals with it.
> 
> Thank you, its refreshing to read about an alternate dimension Milo who's first response to each situation is NOT, "I take a 10 for my Hide check - that's a 44."
> 
> His second response?  That's easy:  "I read my scroll of expeditious retreat and run away." *




Yeah, the dirty secret is out.  Milo Windby is a randomly generated name from the WotC Character Generator.  I liked it so much that I had to keep it.  

It's sad that there are other PCs out there sullying Milo's good name.  Throw some blindsighted, supersensitive creatures and an anti-magic aura at him, see how cowardly he can be then.  

I hope you enjoy the story hour, Sniktch.  Your visit is appreciated.

As for updates, I probably won't have one until around Tuesday.  I would normally write one up today or tomorrow, but my time is running out for today and tomorrow Milo will be enjoying the thrill rides of Six Flags.  Take care all!


----------



## Nail

*Re: Re: Will the REAL Milo Windby please step forward?*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *Yeah, the dirty secret is out.  Milo Windby is a randomly generated name from the WotC Character Generator. *



Shocking.   I stand here agog......er somethin'.  A un-original name.....what will you steal next?

Some have claimed my name's been other places too.  Not a chance!   It's got my original hob-nailed boot prints all over it.



> *...tomorrow Milo will be enjoying the thrill rides of Six Flags. *




Have fun!  Meanwhile Nail and all th' little nails went off t' enjoy th' zoo.  The lions actually roared at us....very impressive...th' depth and timber of that sound is simply amazing.  Th' smallest Nail loved it!  ("Da....., li-on go RAAAR!")


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## Milo Windby

Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Have fun!  Meanwhile Nail and all th' little nails went off t' enjoy th' zoo.  The lions actually roared at us....very impressive...th' depth and timber of that sound is simply amazing.  Th' smallest Nail loved it!  ("Da....., li-on go RAAAR!") *




You realize she'll be going "RAAAR!" for the next few weeks.  I love that.

We had a blast.  Not quite as fun as Paramount King's Dominion or Busch Gardens, but a thrill nevertheless.  The little Brigit got to ride the Wile E. Coyote Acme rollercoaster. Heh heh heh.

Story post coming soon.  I'm sitting down to write it now.


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil – part 55 (session 24)*

_”Nothing for it but to go in then,”_ Milo said after Mazi’s _arcane eye_ gave out.

The shimmering of the bronze in the room could be seen down the hall as they approached.  The floor dropped steeply to a packed dirt bottom before the passage actually entered the room.  Milo stood at the edge of the sixteen-foot drop and peered into the room.  The walls were covered in beaten brass, glowing dully from his lantern-light.  Above their heads was the bronze latticework.  They could tell now that it was a ladder constructed to lead from the pit floor up to their level once the bronze chain at the other end was pulled down.  The chain hung a full ten feet above the ground of the pit, inaccessible to even Jeremiah’s height.  The narrow ledge Mazi described led around the room.  At six inches wide even Milo was reluctant to risk it.  They couldn’t quite make out what was under the two archways from their vantage point.

_”Anyone interested in finding out what would happen if we got in?”_ Milo asked the others.

_”Nah.”_ said Brigit.

_”Not really.”_ said Mazithra.

Jeremiah shrugged.

_”Didn’t think so.  Okay, let’s go.”_ Milo said with indifference.

They turned their backs on the pit and explored elsewhere.  The passage to the west of the fountain led to the north.  The dim light that they were so accustomed to in the bowels of the temple gave way to what appeared like sunlight.  The bright light emanated from the ceiling of a large room at the end of the passage.

It took a few seconds for Milo’s vision to adjust for the light.  He looked to the ceiling, half-expecting a tunnel to the surface.  The blue sky winked back at him, fluffy white clouds drifted by lazily.  The one problem was that the sky was only a few feet above their heads, an illusion for certain.  Milo lowered his gaze to the room.

It was no welcome sight.  The floor was a writhing mass of fur.  He had no way to tell how many there really were, but a veritable army of dire rats and jackals snarled and snapped at each other, drool slavering from their jaws.  They all seemed to be concentrating on a stone slab set just out of their reach.  Atop the slab was a pair of humans, one man and one woman.  They were shackled to the slab with just enough slack to fend off one of the rats or jackals when they eventually scrabbled atop from the backs of others.  Their gear was just out of their reach, a cruel mockery to the bound prisoners.

A movement on the wall brought Milo’s eyes up.  Their captors sat inside four alcoves set up on the walls.  A cackling harpy squatted in each, their grimy feathers flapping and their dirt-caked talons scratching the ground.  Just as Milo noticed them they seemed to notice the adventurers.  With an ear-splitting screech the harpies took flight, zeroing in on the entrance and the four interlopers.

Something dimly registered with Milo as the harpies closed in.  Their screeches didn’t seem to affect him like the lone harpy they fought on the first level so long ago.  He set the fact aside and prepared for the onslaught.  The two prisoners noticed the newcomers and shouted for help as they battled off more rats and jackals.

The first two harpies swooped down on Brigit and Jeremiah.  The two managed to fend all but one claw off.  Jeremiah’s armor protected him from most of the damage, but the harpy drew a small amount of blood.  Mazi’s bow twanged next to Milo, firing off a quick arrow.  She was taken aback when it reflected off the harpy’s skin with an audible “CHINK”, almost the sound of an arrow hitting a stone wall.  Mazi reached for a carefully hoarded magic arrow from the cursed caves.  She fired again but this time the harpy was aware of the attack.  The enchanted arrow flew wide and shattered on the wall.

Milo knew just what to do.  He called on Usamigaras’ trickery and cast _confusion_.  He watched in satisfaction as the temporary insanity spread throughout the room.  All but one of the harpies was hit by the wave of confusion.  A few of the beasts were outside of the range, but a good half of them were affected.  Another inconsistency registered in Milo’s mind, none of the dire rats seemed affected by his spell.

He soon found out why.  As the jackals set upon each other and the rats a very odd thing happened.  Whenever a jackal managed to clamp onto a rat, the rat winked out of existence.  

_”Illusions!  The rats aren’t really there!”_ Milo called out to the others.

_”Good!  I hate rats!”_ Mazi breathed as she drew another arrow.  The arrow again bounced off of her target with a stony “CHINK”.  

Brigit and Jeremiah focused on the single unconfused harpy.  Their blades sounded like metal grating on stone with each attack.  Eventually they wore down the screeching harpy.  The filthy beast ceased screeching and crashed to the ground.  Before it hit the ground, the harpy’s flesh seemed to evaporate.  Beneath was the stony body of a gargoyle.  The magical beast shattered as it hit the ground, pelting them all with stone shrapnel.

_”More illusions!  What’s going on here?”_ Milo shouted.  He was drowned out by the sounds of three score feral beasts growling and snarling.  Milo knew Jeremiah and Brigit could handle the three confused harpy/gargoyles.  He focused on the back of the room and _summoned_ two celestial bison directly over the writhing mass of rats and jackals.  The celestial outsiders reared above the wild animals before crashing down and flailing their great heads around.  One made contact with an illusory rat, dissipating its form into nothingness.

The creatures that managed to avoid the effects of Milo’s_confusion_ ignored the fight, focusing instead on the two flagging prisoners.  Milo’s attention was brought back to the forefront when Brigit’s axe brought down another stony harpy/gargoyle crashing to the ground.

_”Mazi!  If you attack the confused gargoyles they’ll go after you instead of Brigit and Jeremiah!”_ Milo had noticed that Mazi was perfectly protected behind the two fighters.

Mazi took the hint and fired off two ineffective arrows, one for each of the remaining confused harpy/gargoyles.  They screeched at the attack and flapped towards Mazi with the crazed look of bloodlust in their eyes.  Mazi instinctively cringed before Jeremiah’s greatsword and Brigit’s axes stopped them short.

More and more of the rats winked out as the confused jackals attacked them and each other.  Milo’s bison thrashed wildly, harried on all sides by the feral animals.  One bison’s heavy skull cracked into a jackal, hurling it to the side like a limp rag doll.  As the jackal hit the ground its fur seemed to change color and its muzzle widened.  Milo was surprised to see a wolf shakily regain its feet in the place of the jackal.

_”The jackals are illusions too, they’re really wolves!”_ Milo warned the others.

_”What difference does it make?  Their fur will still burn just as well.”_ Mazi said.

She finished casting her spell and a _flaming sphere_ appeared in the midst of the clawing, writhing mass of animals.  She seemed especially gleeful as she rolled the ball of flame into the illusory rats.  Mazi’s smile grew as each of the dire rats winked out.

Two great peals of cracking stone drew all of their attention back to the entrance.  Jeremiah’s _Windsword_ cleaved through the two remaining harpy/gargoyles, forever banishing their illusion and their lives.  Brigit shouted a dwarven war cry at the top of her lungs and waded into the mass of animals still clawing towards the slab.

Milo watched sadly as his _summoned_ bison were set upon by more of the rats and jackals.  It seemed that the rats were substantial enough to wound.  First one bison was brought down.  Slavering jackals pounced on its back and ripped into its neck.  The celestial animal shimmered, then disappeared before it hit bottom.  The attacking jackals barely paused before swarming to the other.  The bison thrashed about, taking out a couple of rats before it too was brought low.  The bison winked out, returned to its home plane.  It appeared the rest of the beasts were all theirs.

Mazi remained at the entrance, directing her _flaming sphere_ into groups of rats and jackal/wolves.  Rats disappeared, jackal/wolves howled, the smell of burning fur and singed flesh filled the room.  Milo drew _Reft_ and _Rend_ and waded in along with Jer and Brigit.  

They made steady headway towards the slab, dispelling rats and bringing down jackal/wolves with each attack.  Jeremiah and Brigit took the brunt of the press of animal flesh, sustaining wounds from both illusory animals and real wolves.  They ignored the pain and drove the animals further into the room, away from the slab and the entrance.

Sudden movement from the slab attracted Milo’s attention.  The woman had freed herself and dove for the sword.  She jumped from the slab to stand behind Brigit and Jeremiah.  The two were too focused on the battle to pay her much attention, but Milo watched her suspiciously while he dispatched another rat.  Nothing was as it appeared in this room; he didn’t trust the humans any more than the rest of the denizens of the room of illusions.

Mazi’s sphere eventually fizzled out, having done its damage.  Only two rats remained of the original mass.  Brigit and Jer had the last of the jackal/wolves cornered.  They sliced into the jackals, revealing their true form and ending their threat just as Mazi fired off two arrows in quick succession.  The last two rats winked out as her arrows passed through them.  Milo noticed that the arrows would have come to rest right in their brainpans, had they been real.  Mazi hated rats almost as much as he hated undead.

The man atop the slab broke free with a shout as the last wolf fell.  He scooped up the rod that lay just out of his reach and stood legs apart in a battle stance.  Brigit and Jeremiah whirled to face the woman who still brandished her sword.  Mazi had an arrow knocked and aimed at the man’s heart.  Milo wondered what would happen next.


----------



## Schmoe

This is a great story hour!  I give it a hearty two thumbs up.  My group went through the temple a little over a year ago, so it's fun to see how another group handles the same things we did.  So far, I think your group is clearly the better thinkers than mine.  Some highlights of what we did:

The monk jumped in the pool of acid to save the elf.

The monk jumped down in the brass/bronze pit.

The mage died in the room with 9 statues.

We beheaded Thrommel.

Doh!

Anyway, this is a fun read, keep it up!


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## Nail

Schmoe said:
			
		

> *<snip>.......Some highlights of what we did:
> 
> The monk jumped in the pool of acid to save the elf.*



Replace monk with dwarf.....check!
*



			The monk jumped down in the brass/bronze pit.
		
Click to expand...


*Even money that Brigit was _this close_ to jumping in.....half-check!
*



			The mage died in the room with 9 statues.
		
Click to expand...


*Well, none of the Milo Gang(tm) died here, but they did set off traps!  Check!
*



			We beheaded Thrommel.....Doh!
		
Click to expand...


*Reports of this module seem to show that most PC groups did it that way.  Don't feel bad.

_"Must.......kill........bad-guys!"   <pause with weapons raised>
"Huh?  What clue?"_


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## Brigit Deeperdown

"Even money that Brigit was this close to jumping in.....half-check!"


Actually no my idea was to tie the rope to the halfing and make him try and walk around the room that way if he fell.  He was attached to the rope and I would just catch him.  But well Milo didn't like that idea at all.  So needless to say me being the paranoid person I didn't want to go down with out finishing what was left on that left.  So it didn't bite us in the bum.


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## frog

Milo is not a fan of the "toss the halfling" game. Even when they promise to pull him back if things turn ugly.


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## Schmoe

Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Replace monk with dwarf.....check!
> *




The funny thing about the pool of acid is that, upon entering the room, my character (a ranger/fighter) immediately began stripping off his armor to jump in and save the elf.  The monk beat me to the punch, though, and "won" the race to be the first in.  

Brigit, have patience and persistence.  When properly trained, halflings make excellent yo-yos and can be used for a great many purposes!

As for the bronze room and the cause of our wizard's death, well, I wouldn't want to spoil you all, now would I?


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## Brigit Deeperdown

*Toss the halfing.*



			
				frog said:
			
		

> *Milo is not a fan of the "toss the halfling" game. Even when they promise to pull him back if things turn ugly. *




I think the "toss the halfing" is a great idea lots of times.  With Jerimahs strenth and mine.  We could easily hold onto him.  But alas he doesn't ever let me do it.  One of these days Milo you must really let me try it.


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## Milo Windby

*Re: Toss the halfing.*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I think the "toss the halfing" is a great idea lots of times.  With Jerimahs strenth and mine.  We could easily hold onto him.  But alas he doesn't ever let me do it.  One of these days Milo you must really let me try it.  *




Uhhh, no.  Since "toss the halfling" usually consists of finding the most dangerous spot in the dungeon, tying a rope around the hapless victim, then hurling him into the middle of the danger, I think I'll pass.  Thanks for the _repeated_ offers though!

Welcome to the party Schmoe!  Thanks for the compliment.  I don't know if we're going to revisit the bronze room since Frog is itching to finish the Temple soon.  We've been playing it for quite a few sessions now and I think all of us are ready to move on to The Next Big Thing tm.  Not to say the Temple isn't a blast, cuz it is.  There are some *devious* things in there.  

Don't give anything away about the bronze room though, just in case.  As far as the 9 statues, we're done with that room.  Now the items...we'll see about those.  I cast detect evil on the lot and didn't find anything, but that doesn't necessarily mean the other shoe won't drop.

Update this weekend.  Unfortunately work and other matters will occupy me until Saturday.


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 56 (session 25)*

After a brief moment of apprehension, the man lowered the rod.

_"We thank you for saving us.  We've been here for what seems like forever."_ the man rubbed his eyes tiredly.

_"Who are ya?"_ Brigit said, axe still raised.

_"Brother and sister.  We were captured and brought here to be tortured."_ he answered.

_"Sounds about right, where are you from?"_ Milo asked.

_"Specularum."_

Milo raised his eyebrows.  Specularum was a long way to bring prisoners.

_"What did you do there?"_

_"We worked for our father's shipping company."_ he began.

Milo immediately thought of the Gaffer and Jaffer Company and the prisoners they released upstairs that worked for them.

_"Actually, not quite a shipping company.  Just a boat, we're a small company."_ He finished abashedly.

_"Small company?  So what did you ship then?"_

_"You name it, we'd ship it!"_ the bedraggled man said proudly. _"Our father would reward you for saving us."_

_"Aye, we've plenty O' promises of rewards.  Tha's not gonna help us now."_ Brigit scoffed.

_"Let's not be too hasty, Brigit."_ Milo said, _"We can help you out of here, but not before we clear out a couple more rooms.  We're not quite ready to leave."_

_"How long have ya been down here?"_ Brigit asked.

_"We have no way of knowing,"_ he squinted up at the light coming from the ceiling. _"The light has been shining since we were put here."_

_"So were all these animals here when ya were captured?"_ Brigit continued.

_"No, we were tied down in an empty room, the harpies, rats, and jackals came later."_

_"If you're done grilling the ex-prisoners, Brigit, we can get out of here.  I'd rather not stand around jawing while something may be creeping around out there."_ Milo said.

_"Aye, fer now."_ Brigit said with one last sidelong glance at the humans.

The four set about searching the room.  Brigit stumbled across a niche under the stone slab as she kicked a jackal out of her way.  She crouched to peer into the dark recess.  After a second she drew an arrow from her quiver and prodded the niche.  By then the others had come behind her and were watching with curiosity.

Brigit turned with a start. _"What?"_ she said grumpily, _"Ah gotta be sure!"_  Satisfied, she stowed the arrow and reached into the cavity.  She felt around for a few moments before withdrawing a scroll case.

She tossed the case disinterestedly at Mazi and felt back into the niche.  Mazi carefully unrolled the scroll inside; wary of the last time she randomly read a parchment such as that.  She was relieved to see that inscribed on the scroll were a few arcane spells.  

_"_Spider climb_,"_ Mazi said as she scanned the scroll, _"_Levitate_, and _darkvision_."_

Brigit grunted as she freed a small bag from the niche.  She poured out nine gems and two necklaces encrusted with jewels.  Mazi tore her eyes away from the scroll to stare lovingly at the jewelry.  

_"Oughta be worth a copper or two."_ Brigit said, dropping the necklaces back in.  _"There's a bunch O' coins down there too.  They're jus' lyin' in there though."_

Brigit began scooping out coins by the fistful.  All told they had found a respectable stash of platinum, gold, silver, and copper pieces.  Brigit stowed the bag and coins in her expanding backpack.

_"I don't want to leave without exploring the bugbears' and ogres' rooms off the Chamber of Eyes."_ Milo said.

_"Aye, then we'll getcha outta here.  Yer on yer own after tha' though."_ Brigit said to the humans.

_"We'll give you enough provisions to make your way to Specularum."_ Milo continued, _"There's a town nearby, Luln, but we don't recommend you visit.  They're not to friendly to strangers lately."_

The brother nodded his understanding.  They were soon out of the room and cautiously traveling through the dark, quiet halls of the temple.  The ex-captives gasped as they entered the statue room.  Mazi assured them that there was no danger from the statues, but they all kept a wary eye out for the last will-o-wisp.

The myriad of eyes in the next chamber greeted them silently.  Remains of the giants, bugbears, and ogres still littered the floor.  They entered the door to the southeast from which one of the groups of bugbears had attacked.  The room mirrored the opposite chamber they had explored days ago.  The walls were set in a giant hexagon with a large iron brazier set in the center.  The brazier was cold, its ashes mute testament to the disuse the room had fallen into since their initial assault.  A stout oak table sat near the south wall.  Other than the table and the brazier, the room was bare.

Milo strolled beside the wall, examining the cracks and seams as he walked.  Something on the northeast wall caused him to stop.  He looked closer and found a deep seam that ran higher than he could see.  A few seconds of searching revealed the concealed door's catch.  Milo triggered the door as the others gathered around.  A short hallway lay beyond, leading to another concealed door.  As they neared the second door Brigit's axe hummed to life.  

_"Trolls,"_ she whispered.

_"Stay back,"_ Mazi warned the humans.

Mazi drew her _flametongue_ at Brigit's whisper.  Milo cast his last _shield of faith_ on himself before pointing out the release lever to Brigit.  The dwarf brandished _Trollgrater_ and triggered the wall.  The room was filthy; smudges of unidentifiable origin were streaked along the walls.  A stout chain hung from an even stouter eyebolt in the wall.  The other end of the chain lay at the feet of Brigit's target.  The slavering troll hissed at the sight of the dwarf.  Just then _Trollgrater_ snapped into flame with a whoosh of heated air.

The heroes rushed the troll.  Brigit easily dodged the first swing and slammed her flaming axe into the troll's gut.  Jeremiah and Milo followed suit, wounding the leathery creature.  Mazi joined the battle just in time to dodge out of the way from the troll's grasping claws and gnashing teeth.  She let out an uncharacteristic growl and slashed twice in a graceful, spinning arc.  The troll fell to the ground, burned and dead.

Mazi let out a shout of triumph, _"Just call me Troll Slayer!"_

Brigit chuckled at the elf before making sure the troll was truly dead with _Trollgrater_.

Milo had noticed a glint of metal as he charged into the room.  Returning to the entrance he found some scattered coins, nothing too valuable.  On the wall next to the eyelet he also found a large key.

_"Putting the key next to the prisoner seems a little counterproductive to me."_ Milo said.

_"Who says that's the key to the chains?"_ Mazi said in response.

_"Good point."_ Milo said.

There was another door to the southeast.  They entered a larger hexagonal room with polished walls and floors.  Four more doors led from the room, one from each wall but the one to the west.  A staircase led up from there.  Empty torch brackets lined the walls.  Their footsteps echoed in the large chamber.  Milo padded to the door to the southwest and opened it quietly.  

Another snarling troll welcomed him.  The room was identical to the last.  Milo immediately tumbled to the troll and slashed ineffectively at its thick hide.  A loud roar distracted him for a moment.  Two more trolls emerged from the other doors to pounce on the unsuspecting humans.  Milo could hear the woman's shriek from within the room.  The distraction cost him a healthy swipe of skin as the troll retaliated.

In the main room Jeremiah leapt to the human man's aid.  He was already nursing a vicious claw wound as he backed behind the burly barbarian.  Brigit assessed the situation and decided to help Milo, trusting Mazi and Jer to handle the other trolls.  Her trust was well placed, Mazi sliced into the third troll, somehow finding a critical weakness in its defense.  The troll howled and slashed at the lithe elf.  Though its claws never found purchase, the troll bit into her savagely as she dodged.

Brigit could hardly be seen from her whirling axes.  Firelight glinted off the head of her offhand dwarven waraxe.  Three direct hits brought the troll down and a fourth made sure it was down for good.  As soon as the her axe fell the last time the human woman ran into the room with a squeal, obviously not too familiar with battle despite her weaponry.

Milo and Brigit ignored the woman and charged out to help their friends.  Just as she neared the door Brigit heard a growl from behind.  Her last axe chop hadn't been enough to take the troll out completely.  She whirled around and cleaved down with _Trollgrater_ one more time.  The troll's doom was sealed.

Milo found that Mazi and Jeremiah had the battle well in hand.  Both of them were holding their own against the trolls.  Milo dove headfirst into a handspring and flipped cleanly over a grasping claw.  He deftly sliced into Mazi's opponent.  Mazi had already done significant damage to the beast with her _flametongue_ and the troll fell.  Mazi finished it off with another slash of her flaming sword before they focused on the last troll.

Jeremiah cut into the thick, green hide of the large creature, but couldn't manage to wound it terribly.  Milo and Mazi closed in and bracketed the troll.  The creature roared defiantly and slashed at everyone in its reach.  Milo ducked a claw and struck with his axes.  His attacks were followed up by flaming death from Mazi's enchanted longsword.  The troll swayed for a moment before crashing down in a smoldering heap.  Brigit had just run into the room from dispatching the first troll.  She used _Trollgrater_ to make sure the creature wouldn't assault them again.

_"Whew."_ Milo blew out a bit of air.  _"From what I saw in the other room I'd guess that the rest of these are the same as the first."_

_"Aye, 'cept no troll came from tha' door."_ Brigit pointed to the eastern portal.  

They investigated the rooms the trolls were either guarding or held captive.  They still couldn't tell which was the case.  Each room had a similar key next to the chain's eyebolt as well as a few scattered coins.  The eastern door opened into a downward sloping passage.  Milo eyed it with apprehension.

_"I don't think we want to take bro and sis down with us."_ he said, _"Shall we escort them out and make camp for the night?"_ 

There was a general assent.  They emerged from the temple after cautiously treading the upper halls to the surface.  Each of them donated a few of their rations to the brother and sister.  After making sure they knew the way back to Specularum and that they would avoid main roads for a few miles, they bid the duo farewell.  The humans thanked them profusely before heading in the direction of the capital.


----------



## Krellic

That's the kind of nice little good deed that any good RBDM gets to abuse further along in the campaign...
 

I'm enjoying this, methodical destruction of the TOEE but surely the bad guys have got to be getting some kind of nasty surprise waiting for you!


----------



## Milo Windby

Krellic said:
			
		

> *That's the kind of nice little good deed that any good RBDM gets to abuse further along in the campaign...
> *




Yeah, we've saved a ton of people in the temple.  I'm practically expecting half of them to come back to haunt us.  Heck, the barbarian we freed in the caves at the beginning came back with a war party to take Brigit's axe.  Then there's that rogue we let out of the jail cell upstairs...

Oy.



> *
> I'm enjoying this, methodical destruction of the TOEE but surely the bad guys have got to be getting some kind of nasty surprise waiting for you! *




I'm glad you're enjoying it.  We're having fun taking out a chunk of the temple at a time.  I'm sure the worst is still ahead though.  The story hour is all caught up by the way.  We play again tonight so we'll see what sort of RBDMing Frog has in store.


----------



## Milo Windby

Sunday's game was a blast.  We went through quite a few battles and we finally found something _halfling_ size!  Milo was ecstatic.

I'm going to start the write up as soon as my daughter goes down for a nap today.  An update is forthcoming.  Stay tuned!


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil – part 57 (session 26)*

Two nights of rest and a full day of Milo’s healing touch found the heroes once more at full health and vigor.  The companions delved into the temple again.  They soon made their way to their first entrance point on the third subterranean floor.  The room where they had fought the roper and demon was not far off.  Instead of revisiting the laboratories, they chose instead to explore the last hallway.  They walked for a few feet before noticing light ahead.  Spaced in regular intervals, torches burned in wall brackets.  The torches ended at a set of stairs leading down deeper into the temple.  

_”Are we ready to go down yet?”_ Milo asked Mazi.

_”Not if we want to cover the rest of this floor before we go.”_ she said viewing her maps. _”There’s one more room off from the Chamber of Eyes and a passage and staircase leading out of the troll room.”_

_”An’ tha bronze pit wi’ tha arches.  We still don’ know wha’s down there.”_ Brigit interjected.

_”What’ll it be then?  Troll room, Chamber of Eyes, or Bronze Pit?”_ Milo asked.

After a short discussion they decided on the troll room.  The stairs led up, turned east, and then ended just beyond.  A blank wall was all they found at the end.  Milo was too pragmatic to leave it alone.

_”No one goes to all the trouble of building a staircase and hallway underground just to finish it in a dead-end.”_ he said as he examined the wall closer. _”Ah hah!  Here we are.”_

With the push of a loose stone the blank wall slid backwards.  Milo stood to the side and leaned against the wall as Brigit and Jeremiah passed into the darkness beyond.  They emerged through a secret passage leading into the air chapel on the second floor.  Brigit shivered from the memory of the battle with the wraith days ago.  

_”There’s nuthin’ fer us here.  Let’s go back down.”_ Brigit said quickly.

Milo simply shrugged and turned to leave.  The others followed shortly.  Since the door leading out of the troll room seemed to slope down, they decided that it was likely that it led to the next floor.  The four instead decided to finish up the Chamber of Eyes.  

The last door to be opened was unlocked and well used.  What appeared to be living chambers sat in darkness until the light of Milo’s lamp illuminated the chamber.  The floor and the walls were covered in a detailed mosaic.  The subject of the mosaic was familiar to all of them by now.  Evil beings consorted with priests and unidentifiable beings.  What they were consorting in Milo cared little to figure out.  The murals and mosaics always left him with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.  He turned instead to the mundane items in the room.

Heaps of rugs and animal skins were scattered around the room.  A large barrel sat between two.  Some small pots sat next to a dead fire.  Hanging above the cold ashes was a kettle full of a thick liquid.  

_”Looks like we came down during dinner.”_ Milo said as he stirred the kettle.  The congealed fat on the top covered a stew consisting of unmentionable bits of meat.

Brigit perked up when she found what was in the barrel.  _”Ale!”_ she smacked her lips at the thought of a good draught.  She was soon spitting in disgust as she wet her finger and took a taste. _”Ugh!  Watered down!  Even dwarves have taste.  If it’s not dwarven ale, it’s crap!”_

Milo laughed at the dwarf and her ceaseless search for high-quality liquor in the most unlikely places.  There didn’t appear to be anything of value in the ogre’s living quarters.  The heaps of rags and pelts didn’t hide any tucked away trinkets.  

_”Ain’t no exits here.  Since we’re nearby, why don’ we check out tha pit?”_ Brigit asked.

_”If we’re going down there then we’re going to take some time to prepare.  I don’t trust anything that looks like a fighting pit.  You never know what they might keep down there for entertainment.”_ Milo said.

_”Ach, tha’s fine Milo, ya wanna be ready, we’ll get ready, but me an’ Jer are itchin’ fer a good fight.”_

They soon found themselves standing near the edge of the pit.  Milo’s lantern reflected light all over the beaten bronze sheets that covered the walls of the octagonal room.  Mazi bid them to wait on the preparations while she cast another _arcane eye_ to scan the archways.  Her small sensor appeared in her outstretched hand before gently floating to the bottom of the pit and heading out of sight beyond the left arch.

_”It’s just a small cubicle.”_ she said to the others, reporting the _eye’s_ findings, _”There’s some broken weapons and some torn leather.”_

Milo could see the _arcane eye_ drift across the ground to the other arch.  As soon as it was out of sight Mazi swooned.  She nearly toppled into the pit before catching herself on the wall.

_”Mazi?”_ Milo said with concern.

She shook off whatever had disturbed her before speaking, _”I – I don’t know.  I was looking through the _eye_ and was suddenly lost.  I saw thousands of sparkling facets, like an enormous jewel.  It felt as if I was being drawn, into – into the jewel.  That’s when I snapped out of it.”_

_”Is your _eye_ still active?  Can you see what did that to you?”_ Milo asked.

Mazithra concentrated and could once more see through the magical sensor.  _”I see a basin of water, a gargoyle head is spitting the water into the basin, that’s it.”_ she paused for a moment. _”Wait, something just moved.”_

It was another few seconds before Mazi recoiled in disgust.  _”It looks like a giant bug!  It’s about the size of a bear, but it’s got the body of a beetle.  It’s eyes – it’s eyes must be what got me.  They’re like a fly’s, so many facets.”_  It appeared Mazi would fall prey to the creature’s spell again until she spoke. _”I know what it is.  That thing’s an umber hulk.”_

_”Don’t those burrow?  How could they hold one here?”_ Milo asked.

_”I don’t know, but if we’re going to take it on then I’m going to stay on the ledge.  I don’t want to get close to those mandibles.”_ Mazi said.

_”Do what ya will, elfie.  Jeremiah an’ I gots plenty ta keep tha bug busy.”_ Brigit said as she hefted her two axes.

The logistics of the pit took a few seconds of planning.  They finally decided that their two _ropes of climbing_ would allow Brigit and Jeremiah to slide down in while Milo would have to trust to his acrobatics and jump.  Meanwhile Mazi would sidle around the pit on the narrow ledge above and cast down into the pit from across the way.

Milo cast _shields of faith_ on Brigit, Jeremiah, and himself before Mazi used her single _improved invisibility_ on him.  They were ready.  The three going into the pit waited a few seconds for Mazi to get into position.  Once she signaled, Brigit and Jeremiah slid noisily to the bottom from their ropes suspended on the ladder above.  

Milo dropped silently to the bottom and positioned himself near the arch.  He said a quick _prayer_ to even the field a little.  Suddenly a giant clawed arm swiped at him.  He was taken totally by surprise, trusting in the _improved invisibility_ to keep him safe.  His illusions of safety were dashed completely when the second claw struck home.  He reeled from the blow of the umber hulk’s intense strength.

The air sizzled as Mazi’s lightning bolt arced into the insect-like monster.  Electricity played over its chitinous plating and it convulsed in pain.  Milo could smell ozone in the smoking air.  That’s when Brigit and Jeremiah swooped in.  

Brigit screamed an ancient war cry in dwarven.  She hammered into the hulk with both axes.  Three penetrating slashes broke through the hard carapace of the creature.  Jeremiah followed after with two great strokes of the _Windsword_.  His enchanted blade lopped off one arm before slicing it open wide at the abdomen.  The umber hulk reeled backwards and crashed to the ground.  It’s mandibles clicked loudly and a rattling sound emerged from what Milo guessed was its mouth.  The umber hulk then lay still.  

Milo approached the corpse while nursing his sore arm.  The umber hulk’s claws were plenty sharp.  Milo knew why Mazi didn’t want to get close.  Brigit called out in his general direction.

_”Ya alright, Milo?  Ah saw it hit sumthin’ before we could charge.”_

_”I’m okay, thanks Brigit.”_ Milo said.

He skirted the body of the hulk, just in case.  Milo had seen something shine on the ground in the hulk’s alcove.  There were coins scattered all over the ground, under scraps of torn leather and cloth.  Some were half buried in the packed dirt of the pit floor.  Milo found something much more interesting in the corner of the alcove.  He shouted an exclamation when he figured out what they were.

_”Boots!  Just like yours, Mazi!”_ Milo said while he held up a small pair of leather boots.  They were extremely soft to the touch and padded in a most ingenious manner.  What made Milo the most excited was their size.  They fit him perfectly.  He was already sitting on the ground struggling out of his boots as fast as he could to try on the new pair. 

Mazi had made her way down by the ladder.  She had caught the dangling chain and pulled down the bronze latticework.  She stood across from Milo with her arms folded and just laughed as he tried to yank off his old boots without unlacing them first.  

Meanwhile Brigit was gathering the coins in the alcove.  She ran across a small alabaster bottle.  It was of fine craftsmanship but bore no mark.  She pulled off the stopper and took a whiff of the contents.

_”Phew!  Tha’s some pansy stuff!”_ she said as she recoiled.

_”Let’s see if it’s poison before you do anything with it, Brigit.”_ Mazi warned.

The vial passed her _detect poison_ test with no indication of pollution.  Brigit shrugged and rubbed a bit of the contents on her skin.  She wrinkled her nose at the smell that suddenly seemed to fill the room.  Brigit suddenly smelled much nicer than any of them remembered.  The perfume even covered the sour ale odor from her last drinking binge.

_”Ach!  Give tha stinky stuff ta tha elf!  She’s got tha pansy jewels an’ tha like, she can have tha pansy perfume!”_ Brigit tossed the vial to Mazi, who caught it carefully.  _”Ah smelled somethin’ tha’ stinky before.  They wanted a lot O’ money for it tho, so Ah didna buy any.”_

Mazi’s eyes lit up and she stowed the vial, for later use or sale, Milo didn’t know.  Milo had finally succeeded in getting his boots on.  He oohed and aahed at the fine workmanship that had to have been put into the boots to render them so quiet.  He padded around a little to get a feel for them.  He was perfectly silent until he shouted, _”Woo hoo!”_

By then Brigit had stumbled upon another find.  She drew up a pouch from under some cloth.  As she emptied the pouch into her palm Mazi’s eyes once again lit up.  Five finely wrought pieces of jewelry tumbled into Brigit’s hand.  A hair clip, broach, comb, arm clasp, and nose-to-ear clasp lay glittering in the lantern light.  Each was crafted from silver or gold and set with semi-precious stones.

_”Easily five hundred gold pieces each.  Ah suppose ya’d like ta hang onta these too?”_ Brigit raised her eyebrow at Mazi.

The elf nodded and Brigit tossed her the jewelry after placing them back into the pouch.  Still getting a new feel for his boots, Milo was quietly sneaking around the alcove.  He spied a small leather case in the other corner.  The case was too small for a scroll.  Inside he found a short stick.  Brigit had taken interest in his finding until she saw what the case held.  She snatched the wand from Milo’s hand and hefted it.

_”Jus’ a stick.  This would make great kindlin’.  A little skinny, might need a couple dozen more, but it’d work in a pinch.”_

She cringed at the shouts of protest from Milo and Mazi.  Milo quickly grabbed the stick from Brigit’s slack grip and slid it back into its case.

_”I think this particular stick has a much greater purpose than to start your cooking fire.”_ Milo said as he tied the case off.  He handed it to Mazi for identification later.

_”Suit yerself.  Far’s Ah kin tell, this place was pretty much a wash.”_

Milo amusedly shook his head at Brigit.  They left the pit after untying their _ropes of climbing_ and decided to leave to identify their finds and recuperate spells.  They still had the statue haul as well as some other miscellaneous items to figure out.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Temple of Elemental Evil – part 57 (session 26)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *It appeared Mazi would fall prey to the creature’s spell again until she spoke. ”I know what it is.  That thing’s an umber hulk.”
> 
> ”Don’t those burrow?  How could they hold one here?” Milo asked.
> 
> ”I don’t know..... Mazi said.*




Now, kids....ye don't want th' frog t' get all excited an' start jumpin' around again......

_Translation: don't pick on monster-placement logic!   Remember Rule #1!_


----------



## Schmoe

*Re: Re: Temple of Elemental Evil – part 57 (session 26)*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Now, kids....ye don't want th' frog t' get all excited an' start jumpin' around again......
> 
> Translation: don't pick on monster-placement logic!   Remember Rule #1! *




Not only that, but it sounds like frog went easy on y'all.  Either that, or our DM went a little tougher on us.  When our monk jumped down in the pit, the floor was a greased, nearly frictionless surface and there were *two* umber hulks.  Luckily it was the monk who jumped down there, and he managed to make both of his Will saves and then his DC 20 Balance check to run and jump back up.  Of course, we weren't smart enough to think about scrying the area first.


----------



## frog

The pit itself is sheathed in bronze that has been enchanted to prevent the Umber Hulk from digging his way out. As for why he is here in the first place, it was kept more as a curiosity than anything else. The holes in the ceiling above were an aborted attempt at building an observation platform. All the better to watch your "pet" devour captives.

Milo didn't want to tell me where he had landed when he jumped into the pit. Apparantly he believed that "Improved Invisibility" meant that it worked on the DM also.  

In all fairness to Milo, we HAVE tried playing invisibility by completely removing any information about the players location from the dm in order to prevent metagaming. But in a situation like this, where the player thinks that the invisibility is working and the dm knows that it isn't, has forced us to reconsider that.

I am thinking that a random roll of the dice to determine where the attacker is coming from is going to be our best way of playing it (unless you all have any other ideas).


----------



## frog

> Not only that, but it sounds like frog went easy on y'all. Either that, or our DM went a little tougher on us. When our monk jumped down in the pit, the floor was a greased, nearly frictionless surface and there were *two* umber hulks. Luckily it was the monk who jumped down there, and he managed to make both of his Will saves and then his DC 20 Balance check to run and jump back up. Of course, we weren't smart enough to think about scrying the area first.




Oh yeah...your DM went a LOT tougher on you. I played this part of the module straight as it was written. Nothing about greased floors or 2 umber hulks. Just an umber hulk stranded in a pit that had been specially constructed to hold him.

Milo and the gang should all feel better knowing that I am not nearly as cruel as some DM's


----------



## Milo Windby

frog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Milo and the gang should all feel better knowing that I am not nearly as cruel as some DM's *




Yeah, Frog would like us to believe that.  We know he gets his RBDM kicks in though.   

Actually, we have very little to complain about Frog.  He's refrained from any TPKs thus far.  On the other hand, he's also instilled an overly-active sense of paranoia in each of us.  Thus the scrying in the pit.  We search _everything_ for traps, and I mean _*everything*_.  If we know a fight is coming we'll buff up as much as possible.  It's when we don't know about an encounter that we get thrown for a loop.  You'll see an example of that later this session.  Frog was nice enough to remind Milo of his Luck domain's granted power.  We barely avoided a fatality if not a TPK.  I hope I haven't tarnished Frog's reputation with that admission.  

Speaking of later this session, the next write-up will probably be around Saturday.  Stay tuned!


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Frogs dming*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> 
> 
> Actually, we have very little to complain about Frog.
> *




That is quite true.  Frog does a really good job.  He isn't out to make our lives miserable just intresting.  Besides if he did really kill one of us we do have one resurrection spells.  Well Milo does so he can't kill him otherwise we are in serious trouble.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Frogs dming*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *
> 
> That is quite true.  Frog does a really good job.  He isn't out to make our lives miserable just intresting.  Besides if he did really kill one of us we do have one resurrection spells.  Well Milo does so he can't kill him otherwise we are in serious trouble.  *




Well, not exactly, we've got two raise dead scrolls and that's it.  So don't get any ideas, Frog.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Frogs dming*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *Besides if he did really kill one of us we do have one resurrection spells.*




Wow.

That's jus' _BEGGIN'_ fer it.  Wouldn't wanna be in your boots, Brigit.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Re: Re: Frogs dming*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Wow.
> 
> That's jus' BEGGIN' fer it.  Wouldn't wanna be in your boots, Brigit. *




Naw that's not beggin to die its optimism that if he kills me.  Then I can at least be brought back.  You forget I have died before.  The whole Medusa thing.  So I am looking on the happy side of life.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Apologies*

I have to apologize to anyone waiting for the update.  It looks like I won't be getting an update online until tomorrow.  Things at work are preventing me from writing much today.  Hopefully I'll have an update tomorrow.

It looks like we won't be playing for a while anyway.  Frog and family will be out of town for a while.  I'm only 2/3 of a session behind, so I might try to stretch this out.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 58 (session 26)*

After a day of identifying items, Mazi gleefully waved her new _wand of lightning bolt_ above her head.  She took a few seconds to rattle off the other magic items but was obviously more interested in her new toy.  There was an enchanted hammer, stronger than their other magic warhammer.  Brigit happily hefted the weighty weapon, eager to deal even more damage than before.  The crossbow with no string turned out to be a crossbow of speed.  Milo perked up considerably upon hearing that.

_"Ach, the thing's got no strings.  We'll sell it mayhap."_ Brigit said.

_"Uh uh, you're not selling *my* crossbow!"_ Milo said vehemently.

_"Okay, okay.  Yeesh Milo, quick ta claim tha', weren't ya?"_

_"Anyone else use a crossbow?  No?  Then no one will have a problem with me hanging on to this one, right?"_ Milo said, slipping the defunct weapon into his _bag of holding_

_"Nah, jus' thought it'd be more trouble than it's worth ta get tha thing fixed."_ Brigit said.

The other items were split among the group before they headed back into the temple.  Once inside, they made a beeline for the troll room and it's sloping passage.  That morning Milo and the others agreed that they needed to clear out the current level of the temple quickly so they could move on to the next, and hopefully last.  An increased sense of urgency seemed to spread among the four friends.  Perhaps it was the continued absence of Brigit's father or the imminent revival of the ancient evil buried under the temple.  Milo wasn't sure about the others, but his anxiousness stemmed from the urgent summons by his deity, Usamigaras.  He hoped they would soon be finished with the temple and Brigit's quest.

The room was as they left it; charred remains of the trolls tarnished the smooth, polished floor near the corner room.  They had explored all five doors and found that four led to identical rooms.  The fifth was the focus of their attention.  The passage sloped down to a large chamber, at least twenty-five paces to each side.  

The first thing Milo noticed was the two-headed giant in the far corner.  The strange beast noticed them as well.  Both heads split into twin toothy grins at the sight of fresh meat.  The ettin grabbed its two clubs and began stomping towards the adventurers.  Milo only had a few seconds to take in his environment before the giant was upon them.

A large fire pit dominated the room.  Dangling above the pit were thick, heavy chains.  At the end of one hung a large iron pot, presumably the ettin's dinner.  There were four doors that led from the room in addition to their entrance.  Two doors were set in the north wall and two in the east wall opposite from their passage.  Another passage led out from the southeast corner.  An especially strange feature of the room was the multiple eyebolts set throughout the chamber, each with a heavy iron chain that reached the floor at least.  

Milo had no more time to devote to the details of the room as the ettin covered the ground between itself and the adventurers in a matter of seconds.  The huge two-headed monster stopped short of their reach but swung one of its clubs easily into Brigit's smaller frame.  She was slammed to the side from the blow but shook her head clear and glared up at the ettin.

A plan came to Milo.  If he could summon a creature behind the ettin, he could tumble in and take out a few chunks with his axes while it was distracted.  Milo quickly cast his most powerful _summon_ spell.  A small creature with pebbly, loose skin suddenly popped into existence behind the ettin.  The xorn had three oddly placed clawed arms and a mouth as wide as its body.  It immediately attacked the ettin, clawing and biting for all it was worth.  The giant's thick skin protected it from all but the strongest of its blows.

Slightly surprised by the addition of the xorn, Brigit counterattacked anyway.  Her axes rose and fell with a wicked rhythm.  Mazi matched her blows with two arrows from behind, both piercing the ettin's shoulders.  The great two-headed monster roared with twin voices.

Those voices were soon cut short.  Jeremiah stepped into the ettin's range carefully then swung his sword with a vicious passion.  The ettin crumpled on Jer's sword with a gurgle from both throats.  Its heavy clubs clattered loudly, sending a reverberating echo in the large chamber.

Milo's _summoned_ xorn disappeared a minute later.  Milo shrugged.  He stood next the thick ettin's corpse.  He didn't even need to bend down to reach its belt.  There was a sack tied to the wide band of leather.  Milo untied the bag and emptied its contents one piece at a time.  A hefty amount of gold pieces as well as a couple dozen semi-precious stones.  Near the bottom Milo fished out a box of incense.  The fragrant smell of the incense wafted from the box.  Milo couldn't figure out why an ettin would be carrying around something as obscure as incense.  He cast a quick _detect magic_ cantrip and concentrated on the box.  As he suspected, the incense glowed with the distinct aura of magic.

_"Looks like our giant friend here had a liking for magic incense."_ Milo told the others.

_"Magic incense?  Who woulda wanted ta enchant that stinky stuff?"_ Brigit scoffed.

_"I don't know, but I'm sure Mazi can tell us when we have time to rest.  For now, let's check out these doors."_  Milo said.

The doors were composed of rusted iron.  The pocked metal looked extremely old.  Milo hoped they weren't locked or stuck.  The first door they investigated, in the northwest of the room, was indeed locked.  Milo peered into the lock and noted the same disuse that marked the doors themselves.  He despaired of his lock picking tools having any chance of moving the rusted tumblers.  

_"How about those keys we found?"_ Mazi said.

Milo struck his forehead with the heel of his hand.  _"Of course!  I'm so used to never having a key for any lock we come across that I didn't even think of it."_

He drew one of the four keys they had found in the four troll chambers and tried the lock.  The key fit the keyhole perfectly, but no matter how much he strained, it wouldn't turn.  He tried the next key, and the next, and finally the last.  He felt a small amount of give when he tried to turn the fourth key.  This one seemed to work.  He twisted the key as hard as he dared, worried of breaking their only hope of seeing what was beyond the mysterious iron doors.  Eventually, the lock opened with a loud creak.  Milo let out his breath and opened the door with an even louder creak.

The passage beyond led around a bend before ending in stairs leading up.  The flight of steps was small, not quite enough stairs to reach the upper floor.  They were curious to see where it went.  The stairs led to a winding passage that eventually led them back to their original entrance to the third level.  They recognized the area from the laboratories and the reliquary.  

_"There's nothing for us here."_ Milo said.

_"Aye, let's go back down an' see what tha other doors're hidin'."_ Brigit agreed.

Milo found the right key for the northeast door on the first try.  The key turned after some effort and the door swung open on rusty hinges.  Another set of stairs led up after the corridor jogged to the right.  The corridor continued past the top of the stairs to another bend.  One hallway broke off to the right before the bend, which they left for later.  The hallway emptied into a small chamber with another passage leading out on the opposite side.  The room seemed to be an antechamber of sorts that led into another room behind a door to the north.  There was a fountain on the south wall as well.  Snarling, horrid, stone faces vomited scummy water into a fungus-lined basin.  The room reeked of the putrid water.  

They decided to check into the room before checking the rest of the passage.  Milo declared the door safe after a few moments of searching.  Brigit reared back and kicked the door in.  Mazi shook her head at the headstrong dwarf.  The door led into a short passage.  The hallway emptied into a luxurious room.  Thick carpet lined the floor from wall to wall.  A curio cabinet at the other end of the room displayed mummified body parts and stone carvings of beings performing immoral acts.  The room was lined with ornate candelabras and wall sconces.  The sconces were placed between intricately woven tapestries depicting the usual nastiness.  A huge bed dominated the room; it's four wooden posts reaching to the ceiling.  There were a couple of low tables, one with comfortable lounging couches and the other with padded chairs.  To the right was a large folding screen with more scenes of nastiness painted across its pleated surface.  A wardrobe, dressing table and pillowed stool sat next to the screen.

All of this was secondary to Milo.  What he noticed first and what kept his attention was the body on the floor.  It was elf-sized and shaped.  A fine dagger was protruding from the body, which lay face down on the thick carpet.  The former elf was clutching a stone in one hand and the carpet in the other, obviously dying in a lot of pain.  Its clothes were of the finest craftsmanship, if out of date.  None of this concerned Milo though.  What concerned him was the state of the body.  The skin was taught on the elf's bones, mummified.  Milo hated undead, really.  The thought of an elf mummy sent shivers down his spine.  The mummified remains in the cabinet made him worry that this body on the floor was maybe even a collector, mummifying pieces of its victims to keep for grisly trophies.  A dread sense of fear settled over him like a heavy cloak.  

It was then that he heard the screaming.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Screaming*

Now when Milo posts the next part.  Those of you who know how bad my will saves are will find this very amusing.  I thought it was really funny.  But since Milo hasnt posted the next part I wont ruin the suprise of what happens after the screaming begins.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil – part 59 (session 26)*

All Milo could hear was screaming.  At first he thought it came from somewhere else in the room, then he realized it was he that was screaming.  An unnatural fear gripped him.  It was as if his deep-seated fear and hatred of undead had shot to the surface of his emotions and blocked out all other thought.  Heedless of anything around him, Milo spun to face the door, intent on running as long and far as his legs could carry him.

Suddenly, he stopped screaming.  A warm, calm peace settled down over him.  Milo felt confident, secure, and above all else, lucky.  He didn’t know what would have happened had he still been panicked.  He could still hear screaming, Mazi and Jeremiah had added their voices to the otherworldly sound emanating from behind the dressing screen.  A ghostly apparition floated through the screen just as Mazithra and Jeremiah fled, unable to resist the wailing terror.

The apparition floated slowly through the screen.  It’s head emerged first.  Milo could make out elfin features.  Could it be the ghost of the mummified corpse?  The mouth was opened farther than any natural elf could stretch though.  The piercing scream that oddly had no more effect on Milo was emanating from the wailing banshee.  Milo looked around for support and was more than surprised to see Brigit standing next to him, similarly unaffected.

_”Ah know what yer thinkin’, but Ah gots no time ta figger it out neither.  Ya got somethin’ fer this thing?”_ Brigit said hurriedly.

Milo had just the thing for the banshee.  Ever since they had started to encounter magic users he kept a certain spell memorized.  He whispered a prayer to Usamigaras and cast the spell.  Suddenly the banshee’s wail was cut off completely as a preternatural _silence_ enveloped the room.  Brigit shouted something, but Milo couldn’t hear through the magical _silence_.  He had placed the epicenter just beyond where he was standing.  If the banshee made it out of the silence he would hop into the area and hopefully lure it back in.

The dwarf charged the banshee, wielding both axes and still shouting silently.  Her axes whiffed cleanly through the banshee’s incorporeal form causing no damage.  The banshee merely reached out a translucent hand and touched Brigit through her armor as a friend may place his hand on her shoulder.  Brigit was visibly weakened.  She muttered a mute curse and dropped her family axe.  Fast a blink of the eye, she had the heavily enchanted warhammer that Mazi had just identified in her hand.  This time two of Brigit’s lightning fast attacks seemed to whisk away some of the banshee’s wispy form.  

Milo couldn’t tell if the banshee had stopped screaming or not.  He didn’t care to find out.  He lifted the holy symbol he had crafted high in his hand and delivered the second part of his attack.  The divine might of Usamigaras coursed through his being, centralized on the focal point of the holy symbol.  Milo nearly shook from the power before it was released in a flood emanating from his uplifted hand.  The banshee impossibly opened its mouth wider at the sight of the symbol and the wash of holy energy pouring forth.  Its form shifted and without turning around, it was facing the other way.  The ghostly apparition fled from Milo much faster than it had approached.  Its thin form trailed behind as it fled through the dressing screen and then the wall. Milo breathed a sigh of relief.  He only hoped it wouldn’t come back before they or the _silence_ was gone.

It took a few moments before he could tell that Brigit was talking to him.  She was still in the _silence_ bubble, apparently unaware that Milo couldn’t hear her.  He shrugged with his palms upward then pointed to his ears and shook his head.  Brigit dismissed him with a scoff then turned to investigate the rest of the room.

Milo figured that Mazi and Jeremiah ran upstairs.  With all of the work they had done so far, that was probably the safest place in the temple.  Without knowing which way they had run he thought it best if Brigit and he stayed put and let them come back after the banshee’s wail wore off.  

He entered the magical _silence_ and stooped over the elf’s body.  The clothes it wore were extremely fine, even in their aged state he could tell that this elf knew how to live well.  The stone it clutched in its skeletal hand turned out to be an amulet of some sort.  He dropped it into his _bag of holding_ for Mazi to identify later.  He then set his foot to its side and pushed the elf over with some effort.  He let out a silent whistle when he saw the jewelry that the elf had died with.  A crumpled scroll was also lying under the body.  After a few seconds of close peering he could tell it was of an arcane nature, better left to Mazi.  

He looked up from the scroll just in time to see Brigit grab one of the obscene sculptures from the curio cabinet and smash it on the floor.  Milo jumped up to his feet and shouted for her to stop to no effect.  Brigit systematically toppled all thirteen statues, one at a time.  The floor was littered with shards and chunks of ancient sculptures.  Milo jumped up and down and waved, trying everything to get the oblivious dwarf’s attention to no avail.  Brigit turned about and stomped on the pieces, doing a fine dwarven jig to some internal beat.  Milo grew red in the face trying to gain her attention.  Brigit finally noticed the wildly gesturing halfling and stopped her dance.  She ran over to Milo, grabbed his arm and excitedly pulled him to the edge of the spell.

_”Didja see?  Didja see Milo?  Ah smashed all tha dirty statues!”_ Brigit said proudly.

_”I saw you!  I saw you!  Those were *money*!”_ Milo said, still red, _”Do you have any idea how much collectors pay for those?  Hmmmm?  You could have just lost us thirteen thousand gold in those thirteen statues!”_

Brigit looked abashed, her enthusiasm drained.  Milo felt bad for taking her down. _”Don’t feel so bad, Brigit.  I’m sorry.  Besides, there’s plenty of jewelry on the mummy over there, so long as it’s not shaped in any obscene manner do you think we could sell it?”_ he joked.

_”Ah’m sorry Milo.  Ah jus’ thought-“_ Brigit let her sentence hang.  _”Ach, so what?  We gots more art than we know what ta do with.  Screw tha statues!  Er, Ah mean-“_ again she let her sentence hang.

_”I know what you mean.”_ Milo said. _”Let’s go take a look at the jewelry.”_

Just then Mazi and Jeremiah burst into the room, weapons at the ready.  The sight must have been odd to them, shattered sculptures all over the ground and Brigit and Milo stooped over the overturned mummy.

Brigit turned from the mummy and waved to the two.  She stood and explained everything, gesturing wildly to illustrate her points.  Mazi waited patiently for Brigit to finish before pointing to her ear and shaking her head.  Brigit smacked her forehead with the heel of her palm and walked to the edge of the spell again.

Moments later they had swapped stories and cleared the confusion.  Mazi and Jeremiah had fled blindly.  Their feet took them all the way to the ground level of the temple before the banshee’s terror had run its course.  Mazi was impressed that Milo was able to turn such a strong undead.  Milo grinned and handed her the scroll he had found under the body.

Mazi studied it while the quick halfling was busy divesting the mummy of its sparkling jewelry.  He found a pair of earrings with the most perfect diamonds he had ever seen.  Around the mummy’s neck was an ornate gold necklace of such fine craftsmanship that Milo was almost afraid to touch it for fear of breaking it.  Each hand had a matching emerald ring as well.  One was a bit less cloudy than the other and obviously worth more.  Milo sat back on his haunches and grinned at the set.

Meanwhile, Mazi had found a _gust of wind_, a _polymorph self_, a _remove curse_, a _tongues_, and a _breathe water_ spell scribed on the busy arcane scroll.  She was overjoyed at the find and more than eager to learn the spells well enough to cast without the aid of the scroll.  Of course none of them knew this until Milo’s spell ended.  The sudden onrush of noise, even the small sounds that they were making, was almost deafening after so long of an absence. Milo loved that spell.


----------



## Nail

...could almost _hear_ the silence in that bit.....


----------



## Milo Windby

*Luck Domain, gotta love it.*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *...could almost hear the silence in that bit..... *




So did I spread it on a little too thick?

I think it's worth noting that this was my first time using the luck domain's granted power.   It's not that I haven't had the opportunity before.  I've just been too boneheaded to use it.  So anyway, here's  how it went:

_Frog: Roll a will save.

Milo: ::sigh:: I rolled a 1.

(paraphrase) Frog: You do realize that you've got a certain luck ability...

Milo: Oh yeah!!!  ::reroll:: I rolled a 20.  Woo hoo!_

Brigit already had her hand on the doorknob, ready to run after us when I rerolled.  This worked out a little better than that, I think.

Oh, and Milo has some more chances to shine with the turning ability coming up.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Dirty Statues*

No Milo I did not think you spread it on to thick.  And just for those of you who want to know why I smashed the pricy nasty statues, a while back I got experience for burning some nasty books so now I make a point of destroying anything like that I can.  Apparently in this situation it wasn't a good idea.  Oh well.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Dirty Statues*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *... I smashed the pricy nasty statues... *




I think the words "Irish", "step", and "dance" were all used in the same sentence to describe Brigit's gleeful rampage of destruction.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 60(session 26)*

With the recent findings stowed in various packs, they moved on.  A large table lined with twelve comfortable-looking seats dominated the next room they came to.  A cabinet and a side table sat against one wall.  Overhead, a huge chandelier hung over the table.  The candles had been burned low but were no longer lit.  

"Looks like a dining room.  Not much to eat though." Milo said as he wiped dust off the tabletop.

"Aye, slim pickin's indeed." Brigit said as she investigated the cabinet.

"Doesn't look like there's much more here than the table and chairs.  Not even a door for the servants to come through.  I wonder where the kitchen is?"

"Elsewhere I'd think.  Let's go see where that other passage leads.  Maybe you'll find your food, Milo."

The passage Mazi mentioned did lead to the kitchen.  A huge fireplace spanned the back wall.  Tall worktables were littered with cooking utensils.  A large pantry lay open to their left.  Milo and Brigit made a beeline for the closet.

"Anythin' good in here?" Brigit asked, rifling through the pantry. "Mmmmmm, ale!" she found a tapped cask of the alcoholic beverage. "Ach, Ah need a drink O' some good dwarven ale, it'd be better'n this dredge.  Ah guess it'll do though."

While Brigit proceeded to fill the closest mug with the watered down ale, Milo continued to rifle through the food closet.  "Looks like there's enough food here to restock our supplies.  Mostly dried meat and some breadstuffs.  All of the perishables have done just that."

"What's this!" Brigit's exclamation surprised them all. "Ah think Ah found some brandy, good stuff at tha'!"  Brigit heaved a smaller cask out from a pile of sacks in the corner of the pantry.  

Surprising them all, Jeremiah reached out to relieve Brigit of the cask.  He examined the small barrel and smelled deeply of the earthen and charred scent of the wood.  "Good stuff."

Brigit guffawed and slapped Jeremiah on the back.  "Aye lad!  We'll drink up when we get outta this place!" Brigit turned to Mazi, "Meantime, what say we haul this thing in tha' box O' yers Mazi?"

"I don't see why not.  Hang on a second." Mazi withdrew the enchanted box and spoke the command word.  The box grew to fill an eight-foot square.  

"Do ya mind Jer?  Ah don' think Ah can reach."

Jeremiah stood high on his tiptoes and dropped the cask in.  Mazi spoke the command word to reduce the box to a palm-sized cube.  They were soon on their way back to the ettin's room to investigate more of the locked doors.

The third door in the cavernous room led to another short flight of steps before winding around.  A large room broke the monotony of the passage.  They could see it continued on the opposite side.  The room was lined with more dining tables.  This room was decorated with lavish murals spanning each wall.  The scenes depicted temple priest, blood-dripping vampires, ghouls, and ghasts sitting down to feast on roast dwarf, braised elf, and barbequed human in a grisly banquet.  Milo's stomach turned.

"This place is disgusting.  The sooner we finish up here the sooner I can try to wipe my mind of the scenes they saw fit to decorate with." Milo said, holding back his bile.  "Maybe I'm not the only one that was too disgusted to eat here.  These dishes have been here a long time." Milo wiped his finger across one of the dusty plates set at the head of one table.  "Wait a second, this is gold!"

"Good eyes, Milo.  Anythin' else 'sides tha plate?" Brigit asked.

Milo took some time to examine each setting and service.  When he finished they had in their possession two golden pitchers, a golden platter, a golden spice shaker, and the plate.

"Oughta be worth somethin' on tha market.  We can keep it all in Mazi's box."

They repeated the exercise from the kitchen and were soon ready to leave.  The opposite passage led a short way before opening into a twenty-foot square room, that room opened into a thirty-foot wide room that stretched back another sixty.  To the left of the passage another hall led back the other way, perhaps emptying into another room.  They found the same at the second opening into the main chamber.  

"What do you think?  Some sort of museum?" Milo said examining the contents of the main chamber.  The walls were lined with thirteen skeletons in armor and bearing weapons.  Shields and swords hung from the walls in-between the gruesome guardians.

"Museum or trap." Brigit said as she entered the room with Milo.  She drew her enchanted warhammer and took one mighty swing at the nearest skeleton.  The ancient form shattered with the impact and showered the two with dust from the bones.  The armor and skull made a loud clatter as they fell to the ground that echoed for a few seconds throughout the room.  Brigit turned to say something when the entire chamber seemed to fall deathly silent.

Something made Milo's spine crawl.  It was then that he noticed that the shadows from the passage seemed to detach from the wall and float forward of their own accord.  Milo gripped Usamigaras' holy symbol before shouting a warning to the others.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Something New*

I tried something slightly different, in case no one noticed.  So I'm going to ask: Do the colors for dialogue help or hinder reading?


----------



## Capellan

*Re: Something New*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *I tried something slightly different, in case no one noticed.  So I'm going to ask: Do the colors for dialogue help or hinder reading? *




Well, since you asked, I wasn't fond of them.  The concept is fine, but the colours actually used were often hard to read (especially Brigit and Jeremiah).  If you tried lighter colours I think it might work better.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Retry*

Thanks for the feedback, Capellan.  I've edited the post with some brighter colors.  How does it look now?


----------



## Krellic

Better, though largely unnecessary when you have a good writing style.


----------



## Milo Windby

Krellic said:
			
		

> *Better, though largely unnecessary when you have a good writing style.
> *



Thanks, I think.  So are you saying I have a good writing style or that I need the colors?


----------



## Capellan

*Re: Retry*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *Thanks for the feedback, Capellan.  I've edited the post with some brighter colors.  How does it look now? *




It's a lot easier to read, now - poor Jer and Brigit seemed like they were still stuck in the silence, before 

I still don't know if I am a fan of the "different colours" thing, though.  I found it a little distracting ... of course, that could well be because I am not used to it.

Fundamentally, as long as I can make out what is written, I'll be around to read it - colours or no!


----------



## Krellic

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> Thanks, I think.  So are you saying I have a good writing style or that I need the colors? *




  You don't need the colours.


----------



## Milo Windby

Krellic said:
			
		

> *
> 
> You don't need the colours.   *




Alrighty then!  It's settled. No colors.  Unless we want to put this up for a vote?  Any other opinions on colors, no colors, italics, no italics?

Oh, and thank you for the kind compliment, Krellic.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Colors*

I like the colors.  It finally made me realize how little Jer talks.  But if I am out voted on the colors thing that's okay with me.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 61 (session 26)*

Milo whirled to see the shadows take on menacing forms.  They were almost humanoid, but certainly not natural.  The chill down his spine developed into a full-fledged case of goose bumps.  The pall of undeath emanated from the eight wafting shapes.  

Before Milo could react Mazi cast a wide arc of _lightning_ that spanned the entire passage behind them.  Unnatural shrieks of pain filled the hall as the electricity streaked through each of the shadows.  Four of the eight dissipated, their incorporeal forms seemed shredded by the fierce _lightning bolt_ streaming from Mazi's outstretched fingers.

Milo raised his holy symbol, fully intent on banishing the rest of the undead aberrations.  Just as he was about to call on the power of Usamigaras another chill struck his spine.  He whirled again and found that eight more shadows had detached from the walls and floated towards he and Brigit.

The dwarf was undaunted.  She struck out with _Trollgrater_ and completely shredded one before the others beset her.  All four of the heroes fended off the shadows as best they could but the inexorable press made it impossible.  Milo felt his strength ebb as one of the shadows passed its billowy darkness through his flesh.  His muscles sagged from the contact with the evil shade.  

Mazi was in worse shape as two of the shadows picked up speed and streaked through her being like a wind through the boughs of a tree.  She wilted visibly.  Milo shook himself free of the malaise and lifted his holy symbol once more.  This time the holy power of Usamigaras coursed through his being.  Shining white light poured from the holy symbol and washed over the closest shadows.  More of the insanity-inducing shrieks filled the hall as five of the shadows melted away from the pure light of Usamigaras.

"Make way!" Mazi shouted to Brigit and Jeremiah.

The two fighters pressed their backs to the walls as Mazi finished another casting of her _lightning bolt_ spell and gestured at the three remaining shadows from the front.  The wide stream of electricity was more than the shadows could bear.  Their shrieks were cut off as the _lightning_ shredded away their spectral darkness.  

Jeremiah swung around behind Mazi to dispatch the last three shadows.  The _Windsword_ trailed smoky shadow as it sped through one shade, but Jer wasn't ready for the onslaught of the undead.  His magic armor couldn't save him from the strength-sapping touch of the shadows.

Milo ran to his side and raised his holy symbol again.  The shadows visibly quailed before the divine light poured out.  The last three shadows dissipated like a dark flame snuffed out by a windstorm.

Milo waited for the hairs on his neck to settle down before letting down his guard.  When he turned to take stock of the aftermath he could see that his friends were in a bad way.  Brigit had been the only one to avoid the sickening touch of the shadows.  Jeremiah and Mazi had both been severely drained.  Jeremiah was visibly shrunken in his armor, as if the plate mail was built for a slightly larger man.  

"You said that staff of yours could heal strength as well as wounds, Milo?" Mazithra asked.

"Heal," was all Jeremiah said.

"That it can, but I can pray for the spells to do that as well," Milo began.  "Why don't we leave for camp and I'll _restore_ you tomorrow, along with myself?"  Milo wanted to save the last few charges from the _staff of healing_ for a desperate emergency.

"Hold yer horses.  Ah wanna see what them shades were so intent on protectin' 'fore we run outta here with our tails 'tween our legs." Brigit said, hale and hearty as when she woke that morning.

"Fine Brigit, but you're the only one still at full strength.  You're going to have to pull the weight if something else finds us while we tempt fate." Milo said.

"Yeah, yeah.  Ah'm used ta carryin' yer weight 'round, li'l man," Brigit said with a wink.

Milo didn't have the energy to think of a retort.  He turned to examine the contents of the room.  The skeletons had thankfully remained quiescent during the battle.  They seemed to be normal bones sheathed in rotting armor.  The crossed swords and shields spaced on the walls were decorative at best.  

As they turned from the end of the skeleton hall Milo saw where the second group of shadows had emerged.  As the hallway expanded from ten to twenty feet another hallway led back the direction they had come.  A similar passage led back where the hall lengthened to thirty feet.  Both passages hooked to the right and opened nearly identical rooms.  

Milo's lantern illuminated plastered walls and junk-strewn floors.  He kicked garbage to the side in the first room as he looked for anything of value.  His foot made contact with something much more weighty than old clothes and pottery as he searched.  Milo bent down to find a ewer fashioned from solid silver.  Not far from the ewer was a matching serving platter as well as a bowl and serving utensils.  Meanwhile Mazi had come across a finely wrought set of golden candelabras.  The precious metals were stowed in her magic box and they left for the second room.

The second room was much like they had found the first.  Milo spent a few minutes shuffling through the refuse.  He found nothing but broken pottery and discarded clothing.  Just as he moved to leave Jeremiah brandished a particularly putrid ceramic pot.  He motioned for Milo and Mazi to come closer.  Inside was a thick black paste.

"Great, you found a pot of black paste.  You can hang on to it if you want, I don't need any," Milo said.

Jeremiah held up a finger to signify patience before reaching into the paste and withdrawing a string of beads.  Milo examined them closely, trying to buff off the paste with his sleeve.  After a few seconds of polishing Milo was disappointed to see that the paste wasn't coming off.  His disappointment evaporated when he realized that what he thought was paste caked onto the beads instead began to shine with a pearl-like sheen.  Jeremiah had found a fine bead of black pearls.

"Milo, I can't make heads or tales of this," Mazi said as she handed a newly discovered scroll to the halfling.

He studied the text for a second before discovering its use. "It's a scroll of _invisibility to undead_," Milo shook his head wryly. "This really would have come in handy a few minutes ago."

Mazi had been concentrating on a vial of liquid she had found in the refuse while Milo examined the scroll.  "Well it's not poison, I can tell that much."

"Ah'll tell ya what it is." Brigit approached from her lookout.

She grabbed the vial from the elf, uncorked the top, took a whiff of the contents and wrinkled her nose, then took a sip.  She swished the liquid in her mouth a few moments before gulping it down.  She hiccupped and her armor strained for a second before settling back down.

"_Bull's strength_!" Milo declared before she could speak.

"Aye, tha's what Ah'd think too.  Ah say tha' Jer could prolly use this most until ya can heal 'im up, Milo." Brigit said as she handed the vial to the barbarian.

Brigit went back to her lookout, as the others made ready to leave.  All three were more than ready for a good night's rest after their most recent battles.


----------



## Capellan

*Re: Colors*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *I like the colors.  It finally made me realize how little Jer talks.  But if I am out voted on the colors thing that's okay with me. *




Monochrome or technicolour ... it's all good as long as the text is light enough to read   From that perspective the revised colours Milo used were fine.

Any chance of an update on the characters' current levels and abilities, btw?  Seems like a while since we've seen them.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: Colors*



			
				Capellan said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Monochrome or technicolour ... it's all good as long as the text is light enough to read   From that perspective the revised colours Milo used were fine. *



Ok, so one vote for color, one for not, and a third to file under neither.

*



			Any chance of an update on the characters' current levels and abilities, btw?  Seems like a while since we've seen them.
		
Click to expand...


*I think that's a great idea since this was the last of the session notes.  We are now up to date.  

Brigit and I have a 'thing' this Sunday and I don't even know if Frog was planning on a game so soon after he and the famdamily gets back.  Hopefully we'll be playing the following Sunday, but that depends on the other game Frog plays in on alternating weeks.  ::whew::

Anyways, I'll get Milo and Brigit in the Rogues Gallery and pop a link in here for all to see.  We'll have to wait on the other two for Mazithra or Frog.


----------



## Milo Windby

And here it is!  That wasn't too long, was it?

Milo Windby's PCs


----------



## Capellan

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *And here it is!  That wasn't too long, was it?
> 
> Milo Windby's PCs *




Not too long at all.  Thanks!

I take it Brigit thought better of her level of Rogue, and went back to straight Fighter in Frog's last amnesty?


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Frog's amnesty day.*



			
				Capellan said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Not too long at all.  Thanks!
> 
> I take it Brigit thought better of her level of Rogue, and went back to straight Fighter in Frog's last amnesty? *




In Frog's last amnesty day I did drop the level of rogue previously.  Milo is a better rogue than I am, and the fact is that I wanted the feats since I really like fighting two handed and it takes several feats to fight with two dwaven war axes.


----------



## frog

No news other than we have all caught the dreaded flu bug and it is taking us a week or two to recover. When we ended our last session we had the entire party down several Str. points due to Shadow attack.

Now what do you suppose a DM who is aiming for RBDM status would do to a party that has been drained of most of their strength and is on the 3rd level of a dungeon inhabited by evil cultists trying to resurrect a dead god?

They get to find out next week.


----------



## Nail

*TH' Boards Finally let me on!*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *Ok, so one vote for color, one for not, and a third to file under neither. *




Make that another vote for "no color".

If you'd like a different look, try italics.  Save the different colors (like yellow and light blue) for special NPCs.....like p-kitty does, actually.  He does that stuff well.  If I had a story hour, I'd be copying him all over th' place.

Re: Rogue's Gallery
   Thanks for th' update.  10 level!  Whoo, whoo!

   Uhm, Milo?  Yer alignment is "TN"?   That mean "Too Nifty", Tall & Nasty",  or perhaps "Tender Nugget"?

   You probably don't need to list you weapon and armor proficiencies, unless they're unusual for th' class.

Re: Brigit's lost rogue level
    Very good idea, IMHO.  If anything, Brit needs a class with some kind of will save.  (I'll be blunt: your present save sucks.  If Frog doesn't take advantage of this early and often......)  Find her a PrC with a Will save!  Fast!



> Possessions: 6 Arrow (Silvered), .... *1 Trollgrater*, 1 Vial Honey.....



Jus' about died laughing after reading this.  Frog, note the "1" in front of the _Trollgrater_......I'd say she's expecting _at least_ one more as time goes on...better give it to her!


----------



## Capellan

*Re: TH' Boards Finally let me on!*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *Re: Brigit's lost rogue level
> Very good idea, IMHO.  If anything, Brit needs a class with some kind of will save.  (I'll be blunt: your present save sucks.  If Frog doesn't take advantage of this early and often......)  Find her a PrC with a Will save!  Fast! *




It's a pity she's not Lawful, actually - Brigit would make one _mean_ Dwarven Defender.  And the AC bonus would come in very handy given her preference for 2 weapons over weapon and shield.



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *Jus' about died laughing after reading this.  Frog, note the "1" in front of the Trollgrater......I'd say she's expecting at least one more as time goes on...better give it to her!*




That, or the character sheet was produced directly out of PCGen or something similar - the "1 This" and "1 That" equipment lists looks a lot like something out of my favourite character database!

And it would also explain why Milo was able to post them so fast.

I do have one question about Brigit's lost Rogue level, though - isn't it going to make the posts where she checks for traps and opens locks look a little odd?


----------



## Nail

*Re: Re: TH' Boards Finally let me on!*



			
				Capellan said:
			
		

> *It's a pity she's not Lawful, actually - Brigit would make one mean Dwarven Defender.  And the AC bonus would come in very handy given her preference for 2 weapons over weapon and shield.*




Well...there are pretty big weaknesses in the "Dwarven Defender" PrC......I'm not sure it's *ever* a good idea, except for one-shot NPCs.

I'm thinkin' Brigit should go have a talk wit' Moradin.  She needs a cleric level or two.  Then perhaps a cleric PrC.  Perhaps "Templar"...heh, heh, heh.   (Psst, Brigit: Templar can dish out lots of damage against those bad guys yer gonna encounter in chasing after yer dad....)



> *That, or the character sheet was produced directly out of PCGen or something similar.....*




Ah.    ...but what about that alignment?  "True Neutral"?



> *I do have one question about Brigit's lost Rogue level, though - isn't it going to make the posts where she checks for traps and opens locks look a little odd? *




Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds...an' we all know what Brigit thinks of hobgoblins......


----------



## frog

> I do have one question about Brigit's lost Rogue level, though - isn't it going to make the posts where she checks for traps and opens locks look a little odd?




I'll let Milo worry about the story's "internal consistency"...he is the one doing the writing (for the most part.)



> That, or the character sheet was produced directly out of PCGen or something similar - the "1 This" and "1 That" equipment lists looks a lot like something out of my favourite character database!




PC Gen...my favorite proggy!!!  One of these days I will get around to updating my old .lst files to the new format so that I can use the newer and faster version.

And Brigitt can hope for another Trollgrater...but she needs to take this one in and "up" the enchantment a bit so that it is a full time flaming burst instead of only against regenerative creatures. She has an emotional attachment to it tho...since she has had to shed blood to defend her right to own it. I guess it is one of those "dwarf" things 

Frog HAS taken advantage of her Will save...often


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Will Save's*

"And Brigitt can hope for another Trollgrater...but she needs to take this one in and "up" the enchantment a bit so that it is a full time flaming burst instead of only against regenerative creatures. She has an emotional attachment to it tho...since she has had to shed blood to defend her right to own it. I guess it is one of those "dwarf" things "

Yes I have a big attachment to my axe.  And yes I am planning on make it full time flame burst if we ever get to a place tha can do it.

"Frog HAS taken advantage of her Will save...often  "

Frog gets great pleasure out of my crappy will save that is why I have the ring on free movement.  We were all tired of the hold spells holding me. I just need a plus 5 cloak of resistances.  And I am so sure Frog will just have it waiting for me.  Right Frog?


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: TH' Boards Finally let me on!*



			
				Capellan said:
			
		

> *
> That, or the character sheet was produced directly out of PCGen or something similar - the "1 This" and "1 That" equipment lists looks a lot like something out of my favourite character database!
> 
> And it would also explain why Milo was able to post them so fast.*



Yup, PCGen _before_ it was castrated.  I've been afraid to DL any updates since I heard that WotC cracked down on them.



> I do have one question about Brigit's lost Rogue level, though - isn't it going to make the posts where she checks for traps and opens locks look a little odd? [/B]



Perhaps, but I think it's going to stay as it is.  We'll chalk it up to her dwarven heritage and unusual luck in finding complex traps.

When we finally do play again I think I will leave out the colors and throw the italics back in.  I'm used to writing that way anyway.


----------



## frog

We are back.  It was not pleasant. Fatalities amongst the party. Massive amounts of slaughter. An ominous ending to the session.

Coming soon to a messageboard near you


----------



## Milo Windby

It was bad.  I'm starting the write up now.  To preface this bit of slaughter I need to note what Frog asked us before the session.  It was something along the lines of:

"Do you want the fast way out of the temple or the long way?"  

Future note to players: if the DM asks if you want to go the fast way, say NO!


----------



## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil - part 62 (session 27)*

_"On second thought, Jeremiah,"_ Milo said, looking over the gaunt barbarian, _"You'd better give that potion to Mazi.  I think you're going to need a hit from the old _staff of healing_ after all."_

Milo drew the gnarled staff of unmarked wood from his _bag of holding_ as Jeremiah handed the vial of _Bull's Strength_ to Mazithra.  He had to think for a moment to recall the activation word to restore strength to Jeremiah's considerably drained muscles.  Jer stood watching, mute.  His armor hung on his gaunt frame, making him look almost skeletal from the shadows' draining touch.  Milo lightly touched the staff to Jeremiah's bare head.  

The power of the staff coursed through the weakened body of the barbarian.  His muscles expanded rapidly, as if he were flexing everywhere at once.  His armor creaked as he grew to fill it.  His sallow face burned with new strength and his sunken cheeks filled out.  In seconds a newly restored Jeremiah grinned at his companions, flexing his muscles in appreciation.

_"Thanks."_ came his usual one word reply.

_"Don't mention it big guy.  I know I was drained a couple of times, but I don't feel as bad off as Jeremiah looked.  How about you, Mazi?"_

_"I think I'll be alright with this,"_ she said as she held the potion to her lips.

As soon as she swallowed the draught, Mazi's muscles swelled like Jeremiah's.  The power of the potion seemed to stop short before restoring her to full strength though.  Her clothes were still slightly baggy on her lithe elfin frame.  

_"It'll do."_ she said.

_"I'll wait until I can heal myself tomorrow.  Let's get back to the woods."_

A deathly quiet lay over the temple as they traversed its empty halls.  The complete absence of sound other than the that of their feet hitting the stone floor filled Milo with a strange sense of foreboding.  Milo shared his sense of dread with the rest of his companions as they climbed the stairs to the main floor of the temple.

_"Ach Milo, yer jus' paranoid.  We've kilt everythin' from here down.  Relax, we'll be in tha safety O' tha woods 'fore ya know it."_ Brigit assured him.

_*"You're not out of the temple yet!"*_ boomed a voice from the main hall, just ahead.

The hairs on the back of Milo's neck stood on end.  Out in the pillared hall he could see a mass of humanoids armed with maces, rusty swords, rocks, claws, and teeth.  He groaned out loud.

_"You were saying, Brigit?"_ Milo said as _Trollgrater_ burst into flames.

Her answer was cut short by the voice's next word, _*"ATTACK!"*_  The deafening roar dozens of monster's battle cries drowned out any more conversation.  Milo took a quick survey of the forces surging towards them. Two groups were set to flank them, each led by two men, one armor clad, the other robed.  Milo guessed the armored men were priests of some sort judging by the devices on their armor and their blunt maces.  

To their right towered four hill giants, hefting boulders in their ham-sized fists.  Eight or so trolls, seemingly puny next to the giants but huge in their own right, snarled at the group as they dragged their knuckles towards them.  The first to reach them from the right flank wouldn't be the trolls though, two rows of nine bugbears began a disorderly march to attack, and the drool on their tusks gleamed in torchlight.

Their left flank was in no less peril.  The two commanders stood behind four more giants, these with two heads and great big clubs in each hand.  The ettins towered impatiently above a dozen ogres.  Their vacant eyes filled with hate.

_"Ah was savin' this fer a rainy day,"_ Brigit said as she uncorked her _haste_ potion, _"It's lookin' overcast ta me."_

_"It's going to be raining alright, and me without my umbrella."_ Milo quipped. _"Let's see if I can even the odds a little bit."_

Milo prayed that Usamigaras would _confuse_ his enemies and pointed to the left flank.  He let out a whoop of joy as he saw almost the entire motley crew stumble in their advance and stare at each other in bewilderment.  Even the cleric and his mage companion seemed unsure of their surroundings.

His joy was short lived.  Arcane speech filtered in from behind the giants to their right and a wash of power _dispelled_ Milo's _confusion_.  He glared at the robed man hiding behind the giants.  The mage simply smiled back, smug in his small victory.

It was then that the rain began.  Boulders whistled through the air, hurled with considerable force from the giants' hands.  Most crashed to the floor and shattered into rocks.  One unerring missile met its mark though.  Even with the extra speed afforded by the _haste_ potion, Brigit was hit.  The boulder slammed into her stomach, forcing out her air and denting her plate armor.

Mazi turned from the spectacle to utter her own arcane words.  A _lightning bolt_ thundered from her fingers towards the left flank.  The jagged lightning streaked through the ogres, leaving them smoldering, but still intact.  They lurched forward again intent on reaching the heroes, but their advance was halted once more, permanently.  Holy flames sparked into existence above their heads before crashing down like a waterfall of fire.  His three companions turned to Milo in wonder as the _flame strike_ burned all but one ogre to a crisp.

_"Don't look at me!  I can't cast that spell!"_

Their enemies looked just as surprised as they did.  The four commanders' heads shot back and forth as they tried to identify this new threat.  The other wizard suddenly winked out of sight as he cast an _invisibility_ spell.  Then the world went unnaturally quiet as his cleric companion cast another spell.  Mazi shouted mutely in frustration as the magical _silence_ settled upon her and her companions.

Jeremiah and Brigit ignored the magic battle, instead focusing on the very real threat of the closing monsters.  Their bowstrings twanged in quick succession as they fired into the crowd as fast as they could manage.  For himself, Milo recognized a _silence_ spell.  It was one of his favorite tricks to foil magic users.  He tumbled outside of the stillness and cast his own spell at the cleric, half expecting it to be resisted.  He was just as surprised as the priest to see the _hold person_ spell take effect.  The cleric's muscles tightened and his face froze in the surprised expression of one taken off guard. With a newly immobile target, Brigit and Jeremiah began to focus all of their fire on the _held_ cleric.

A breath of cold washed over Milo from behind.  He whirled to see that a wall of ice now spanned their only means of retreat.  Once again the wizard far beyond their enemies grinned smugly. The creatures continued to advance as the heroes backed themselves to the wall.  They still had a few seconds of breathing space before the crush of enemies would reach them.

Milo heard the sound of crashing boulders to his right.  He turned, surprised to hear sound from the _silenced_ area.  He looked just in time to see two boulders crash into his friends.  One huge stone nearly knocked Mazi from her feet, she was hurt badly from the huge stone  The other added another dent into Brigit's well-used armor.  The doughty dwarf shook off the pain and drew another arrow.

The other wizard roared in frustration at the heroes' unseen _dispeller_.  He too winked out of sight as he employed his own _invisibility_ spell. Mazi cast another _lightning bolt_ a moment too late to hit him, this one aimed at the giants and bugbears.  The giants easily shook off the electricity but four of the encroaching bugbears fell from the arcing energy.

An unholy presence seemed to appear above them.  Milo looked up just in time to see another _flame strike_, this one aimed at the four heroes.  He nimbly dodged the flames and heard the satisfying sound of the wall crumbling under the unholy fire.  Even more satisfying was the outraged scream of the wizard that had put the wall there in the first place.

Desperately low on spells, and unwilling to spend any that he may need for healing later, Milo pulled out one of his many scrolls.  He aimed the _sword stream_ at the party of bugbears and let the spell do its damage.  Shards of hardened air slammed into a row of the goblinoids, one that had managed to stay afoot after Mazi's earlier attack toppled.

The heroes took a moment to prepare for the imminent press of the advancing hoard.  Brigit and Jeremiah slung back their bows and drew their other weapons.  Mazi cast a spell and a transparent _shield_ barrier shimmered before her.  

All four friends cheered as another _flame strike_ rained fire down on the approaching trolls, leaving them smoking.  An unexpected animal roar grew louder and louder to their left.  Suddenly a dire bear charged into the fray.  The huge beast lumbered unerringly towards the held cleric.  It stopped short, reared back on its hind legs, and swiped its massive claws through the seemingly empty air.  A very visible head materialized as it separated from its now visible robed body.  The bear had killed the _invisible_ mage in one swipe!

Just before the bugbears and ettins could reach the heroes, Jeremiah let loose a blood-curdling battle cry.  His eyes widened in the barely controlled madness that was a barbarian's rage.  It was then that Milo noticed that Mazi was barely standing on her feet as she fought for concentration.  He tumbled away from the attacking bugbears, through the breach in the ice wall, and to her side to lay a healing hand on her shoulder.  As the healing magic flowed from his hand Milo could feel the press of unfriendly magic in his mind.  With all of his will he shrugged off the spell, foiling the other cleric's attempt to _silence_ him.

Jeremiah and Brigit soon had their hands full with the ettins and bugbears.  They mostly ignored the ineffectual attacks of the goblinoids and concentrated instead on the two-headed horrors that rainied blows from their huge clubs.  Jeremiah swung back to hit one of the ettins when five globes of force slammed into his chest.  He shrugged off the damage in his battle rage, but Milo could tell that the _magic missiles_ wounded him greatly.  The offending wizard winked back into existence with his smug expression still plastered on his face.  Milo vowed silently to wipe that off personally.

Much too close to the ettins, Mazi cast another defensive spell and five _mirror images_ of the elf winked into existence around her.  The ettins clubbed at them one by one and they shattered into tiny reflective shards before dissipating into the air.  

The group of singed trolls came closer to the heroes, the lust for blood evident in their eyes.  They were cut off from the group in moments as another wall sprang into existence.  This time it was a _wall of fire_ and it was centered on the trolls.  The wall curved around in a perfect circle, hedging in the flame-phobic monsters.  Five of them drew the courage to jump through the blazing barrier but suffered even more burns.

The tide of the battle seemed to be turning in their favor.  Milo allowed himself a breath.  Again he felt the influence of unfriendly magic worm its way into his mind.  This time not even the luck of Usamigaras could help him resist it.  Milo looked around himself in _confusion_, trying to gain his bearings.  He watched as all six images of Mazi turned to Jeremiah, drew their bows, and fired point blank into the raging human.  He roared in pain and turned to attack the latest threat.  

Another wash of power flowed over the whole group.  Once again, _confusion_ was _dispelled_.  This time they could see their benefactor.  One of the giants that seemed to be hanging back as the others advanced seemed to melt in on itself.  Standing in its place was a human woman, almost regal in a wild sort of way.  She stared hard at Jeremiah and seemed to judge his character as he lofted his sword over Mazi's head.  Mazi started, saw her arrow protruding from Jer's shoulder, and sheepishly hid her bow behind her back.  Jeremiah's tenuous control of his own mind turned his rage back towards his real enemies and the woman seemed satisfied.  

Meanwhile, her dire bear companion trundled up to the still _held_ form of the cleric.  It took one look at the immobile human, reared back again and brought its huge jaws down.  The cleric fell, very dead.  

Two more trolls emerged from the flames, howling in pain and fear.  The cleric from the right flank attempted to _dispel_ the wall, but his spell was not enough to surmount the power of the unnamed woman.

Brigit and Jeremiah cleaved through bugbears like hot knives through butter, but always ended their attacks on the ettins.  The first two-headed giant was brought down by _Trollgrater_ with a roar from its wielder.

Jeremiah's matching roar was suddenly cut short.  The giants had finally arrived in force.  The lead giant, towering over even its companions slammed down with both fists.  Milo looked on in sheer horror as the ham-sized fists completely crushed Jeremiah's skull.  His friend toppled to the ground, out of reach from even his strongest healing spells.

Rather than breaking their spirits, the death of their dear friend Jeremiah seemed to galvanize the heroes.  Mazi used her newfound wand of _lightning bolt_ and aimed through two ettins and four trolls.  The ettins continued to fight, destroying the last of her _mirror images_ but the trolls dropped to the ground.  Already their wounds began to heal though; they would be back in the fight in moments.

The dire bear continued to wreak havoc to the rear of the enemy, taking down another troll.  Brigit made to crouch over Jeremiah before she was unceremoniously shoved aside by their benefactor.  Brigit's protests died on her lips as the woman bent down to sigh gently into Jeremiah's dead lips.  His eyelids fluttered as the _last breath_ was granted to him.  The woman almost passed out from the strain of the casting, her own life energy drained to bring Jeremiah back to the living.

Overjoyed, Milo tumbled past the outstretched claws of the trolls and rolled to a stop next to Jer.  He quickly used the _staff of healing_ to further strengthen the life granted by the woman.  The two strangers shared a mutual glance of relief as Jer began breathing healthily.  The woman simply said, _"I am Kellah."_  It was enough for Milo to know she was on their side.  Milo pointed to a vial at his belt and mimed drinking.  Jeremiah got the idea and downed a healing draught.

To their left Mazi was too busy to spend much thought on the amazing events unfolding.  Her wand flashed again and again, eventually toppling one of the giant ettins.  

The trolls, their dull wits finally turned to the more immediate danger of the dire bear, began to retaliate.  Though the bear was able to bring one more down, it suffered greatly for the effort.  Blood mingled with fur as their sharp claws gouged the great beast.

As Kellah cured herself from the intense drain of her spell, Milo realized he had one more spell that would help all of his companions.  Milo prayed for protection as a _magic circle against evil_ radiated from his being.  Brigit and Mazi soon found it easier to dodge the blows from the evil creatures assaulting them.

During the excitement Milo had lost track of the other two commanders.  He now noticed that both were considerably closer to the fray.  Apparently they were coming in to deal even more magical damage.  

Mazithra hoped to kill two of the trolls attacking her with a _burning hands_ spell.  The flames washed over ettin and troll alike, but were not strong enough to bring down any of them.  Kellah understood Mazi's intent.  She conjured into existence a _flaming sphere_ directly on top of one of the trolls her bear brought down.  The green-gray flesh of the troll blackened as it expired.  

Now healed, Jeremiah extracted his revenge on the giants.  His sword cleaved through the giant that killed him before his thrust buried it into another.

Milo felt as though he were playing a deadly game of catch-up as he turned to expend another charge from the _staff of healing_ for Brigit.  The final charge he used to heal a bedraggled Mazi.  Useless, he threw the staff to the ground and drew his dual handaxes.

A streak of lightning from the other end of the hall jagged into Kellah's bear.  The beast roared in pain, nearly dead from the extensive wounds made by the trolls.  It fought on regardless, bringing down yet another of the regenerating creatures.  Kellah continued to roll her _flaming sphere_ over the fallen trolls, ensuring that they remained down.  

Lightning seemed to jag out of Mazi's wand in a continuous bolt as she fired it again and again at the ettin and trolls.  All three enemies fell before her onslaught.  She reached for her _flametongue_ grimly, aware that the trolls would soon be back on their feet.

_Trollgrater_, hungry for the blood of its namesake was busy fighting Brigit's ancestral enemies.  She cleaved through the one Jeremiah wounded and into the last.  Jeremiah, perhaps still recovering from the shock of dying, dropped his sword in his haste to attack the last giant.  He stooped to grab the fallen weapon just as the giant's fist whistled over his head.

Mazi, Kellah, and the bear seemed to have the trolls well in hand as they used a combination of flame and brute force to take them out one bay one.  The nearly forgotten wizard seemed intent to deal with the bear first.  Five more globes of force shot from his fingers, this time they slammed into the dire bear.  It howled again but clung bravely to life.

Fully aware of its plight and the debt they now owed to Kellah, Milo tumbled past the trolls again, this time to channel holy energy into the bear.  He hoped that the healing would be enough to keep it alive.  But once again, the orbs of force slammed into the beast, eliciting another agonized roar.  The enemy cleric seized the moment and closed the distance between he and the bear.  He slapped his open palm onto the bear's unprotected flank and delivered his charged _slay living_ spell.  With a heart-wrenching whine, the dire bear toppled, unable to resist the full force of the profane spell.

A hoarse yell came from Kellah's throat as her animal companion fell before her feet.  She turned on the cleric in fury.  Her _flaming sphere_ followed her sight, slamming into the evil human.  Unable to help the fallen bear anymore, Milo returned to the battle at the ice wall, acutely aware of his companions' suffering.  His hands were busy with healing spells as he kept first Brigit, then Mazi from the brink of death.  

Another cry from Kellah brought his attention round.  Both the cleric and the mage were assaulting her.  Ranged spells from the wizard streaked into her, first a _melf's acid arrow_, then five more _magic missiles_.  The cleric tried unsuccessfully to cast _hold person_ on the valiant woman.  She slowly retreated as she cast healing spells on herself and rolled the _flaming sphere_ into the cleric.

Mazithra methodically dispatched the remaining trolls with her _flametongue_.  In their weakened state they were no match for the lithe, athletic elf.  

Milo channeled his last spell into a healing touch for Jeremiah before readying his axes.  By then Mazi had maneuvered herself perfectly for a well placed _lightning bolt_.  The energy streaked through a troll into its real intended target, the wizard.  The robed man let loose a high-pitched scream as his hair crackled from the left over electricity.  He chanted quickly then popped out of existence, _teleported_ away to safety.

The cleric turned to where the wizard stood and shouted angrily, _"Senshock!"_

Milo grinned at the cleric’s frustration and focused on the last troll.  His first axe bit deep into the rubbery flesh and brought it down.  His foot slipped in the ichor of the battle and his off-hand axe clattered to the floor.  Mazithra easily brought down the bugbear that menaced him before she dealt the final blow to the last troll.

At last all but one enemy was dealt with.  The cleric saw his predicament too late as the heroes closed in menacingly.  Kellah continued to assault him with the sphere before she summoned a swarm of spiders from beneath his feet.  Jeremiah and Mazithra relentlessly attacked, alternating _lightning bolts_ and sword strokes.  In one final blow, Jeremiah swung the _Windsword_ cleanly through the cleric's neck.  The headless body tumbled to the ground in a pool of it's rapidly draining life.

The carnage was considerable.  Gore spattered each of them and they were all breathing heavily.  The battle took its toll on each, some more than others.  Milo scanned the room and took in the sight.  As his eyes came to rest back on his friends he heard a sound that caused his blood to run cold and his skin to prickle.

*CLAP...CLAP...CLAP...CLAP*


----------



## Milo Windby

Ugh, it's long.  Sorry about that.  But this was our whole session, this one battle.  It was intense and quite scary at parts.  I think we'll be seeing some interesting things happen between Kellah and Jeremiah.  But who in heaven's name was clapping?


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## Krellic

Great fight, scary finish


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## Milo Windby

Thanks Krellic!  

Just so's you know, I've edited the post.  I made a few grammatical and temporal errors and it wasn't quite as snappy as I liked.  Just minor changes though.  

We play this Tuesday.  Finally Milo will have flame strike!


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## Capellan

Just out of interest, how long - in real life, not game time - have you been in the ToEE?  Looks like it must have been over a year, by now?


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## frog

> Just out of interest, how long - in real life, not game time - have you been in the ToEE? Looks like it must have been over a year, by now?




It seems like forever. LOL  We ended up taking an unplanned 2 month break because of vacations, illnesses, and holidays.  This was the first session back. They all voted to finish the temple ths "quick" way because we are ready to move on. What started out as a "side quest" quickly turned into a long drawn out affair and we are anxious to move the plot forward. We have had some plot here...but mostly it has turned into hack, slash, and repeat.

So, it is time to move on.

BTW, I agonized for days over this encounter. I wavered between "It's just right" and "I have to be nuts to do this to them." In the end, the druid (who is actually an NPC in the module who is there to help the party) and her Bear were the things that convinced me to let it stand the way it was. A suprise ally wielding powerful magics made up for the fact that there were WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too many of the baddies for them to handle in the shape that they were in. It also gave me a chance to pull off the kiddie gloves and really sock it to them.  

The funniest part of the whole thing is when Jeremiah died. The look on Mazi's face was priceless. She was running the character for the 7 year old who had gone to bed. She didn't know how she was going to explain to him that she had gotten his barbarian turned into "Jeremiah Jelly"


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## Krellic

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *  Finally Milo will have flame strike! *




Let's be careful out there...


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## Nail

frog said:
			
		

> * The funniest part of the whole thing is when Jeremiah died.  *




Could anyone else, *other than a DM*, say such a thing?   Eessh.

That was quite a battle, Milo!  Great description.  It's really cool looking over all o' yer entries and seeing you mature as a writer.  Good Job!


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## Milo Windby

> *Finally Milo will have flame strike! *



Turns out Milo is a liar.  I'm cleric 8, rogue 3.  No flame strike yet.  D'oh!



Thanks for the compliment Nail!  It means a lot to me.  I went muuuuuch more freestyle with this fight.  I had hoped it would flow a little better.  At the very least it's a change from the usual structured fights I write.  Fewer notes frees me up for more game enjoyment.

This last week we finally wrapped up the Temple.  Wouldn't you know it, Frog, the RBDM, whisked us away from the Temple before we could even loot the bodies of the fallen.  That's right, a year of game time and no big treasure.  Milo's used to it now.  Watch, Frog will now go on about me whining and throw the line about the giants in halfling sized armor.  ::sigh::  He even threw in a barb about not letting us go to a town to sell off our current treasure.  He may not have got us with a TPK yet, but he's no less a RBDM for it.

This next bit of adventuring is definitely going to be heavy on the RPing.  Most of the session was spent with the players looking at each other quizically while Frog assumed the form of many certifiably insane NPCs.  We'll see if all of us can survive this sort of mayhem.


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## Brigit Deeperdown

frog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> 
> The funniest part of the whole thing is when Jeremiah died. The look on Mazi's face was priceless. She was running the character for the 7 year old who had gone to bed. She didn't know how she was going to explain to him that she had gotten his barbarian turned into "Jeremiah Jelly"   *




Jelly huh?  Well it was really kind of weird when Jeremy died.  I mean we have had him knocked down.  But we have never really had a party member die.  Strange.  And sadly now we have no magical heal staff for our cleric.   Frog the RBDM.  I think your getting closer to true RBDM status.  But hey it was fun.  I am a little sad I didnt get to kill and trolls.  But mazi did well on her own.    Hopefully Milo will write today about the ending of the fight and what each of us was told and heard.


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## Milo Windby

*Temple of Elemental Evil – fini (session 28)*

*CLAP…CLAP…CLAP…CLAP*

_”Congratulations!”_ came a voice from the far end of the hall, _”You’ve done far better than I hoped!”_

Milo peered at the figure standing so far away.  The man stood upright in dark robes, clapping sarcastically at the party.  He didn’t recognize him.

Brigit was the first to speak, _”An’ who are ya?”_

The man loosed a short burst of laughter, _”I am the reason you are here.”_

_”What’s your name then?”_ Mazi asked.

_”My name is Bargle.”_ Milo started at the mention of the head wizard of the Bloody Baron.  The man continued, _”I have to thank you for taking care of my problem.”_

_”Aye, yer problem.  What problem might tha’ be?”_ quizzed Brigit.

_”I was researching this gem,”_ he held up a medium sized gem, too far away for Milo to get a proper look at it,  _”and it led me here, where I found the cult.”_ he said with a nod to the dead bodies littering the floor of the temple.  _A few rumors planted and it was child’s play to get you to do my dirty work.  More simple than I could have imagined once I found out about your father, dwarf.”_

Brigit bristled, _”Wha’ do ya know ‘bout mah father?”_ she demanded.

_”Only what you already know now.  Your father is dead, betrayed by your uncle.  He has fled to the rainbow of fire with your mother and sister.”_  Bargle almost chortled at the obvious distress he was causing Brigit.  Milo vowed silently to wipe the smug look off the wizard’s face with his hand axes for the pain he was causing to his friends.  _”It was all for this,”_ he held up something else in his other hand.  To Milo it looked like a gilded human skull, _”and the gems to fill it.  But of course you cannot admire it’s beauty from clear over there!”_

_”What is it?”_ asked Mazi.

_”Suffice it to say that I will be all powerful once I find all of the gems.”_

_”Oh?  You wouldn’t mind me chopping your arm off for a closer look would you?”_ she replied sweetly.

His response died on his lips.  A harsh sound assaulted their ears.  It was as if someone were tearing a great, wet cloth in two.  Bargle’s head cocked to the side, his face startled.  He suddenly winked out of sight.  The tearing sound seemed to be coming from a spot about fifty paces from the party, six feet from the floor.  A ragged hole in the air appeared and expanded, revealing black space beyond.  Four armored elven women marched from the rippling tear in space to take up a defensive formation.  The next figure to emerge was a bald elf man, covered in strange tattoos.  He was followed by two humanoids on all fours, collars around their necks with chains leading back to the last to emerge, another elven female.  Dressed in luxurious dyed leather with dark black hair cascading down her shoulders, she walked through the hole and into the temple as if she owned all her gaze fell upon.  Her icy glare of contempt soon rested on Mazithra.  She stiffened noticeably and bared a set of filed, sharpened teeth.

The tattooed man spoke with a tone of authority, _”All bow before the vessel of Thari!”_

Mazi smiled easily, _”That’s right, bow down before me.”_

The elven woman shrieked, _”I am the vessel of Thari!”_  Calmer then, _”Don’t you recognize your friends?”_ she gestured to the two people chained at her feet, _”This is what I’ll do to you, and all who get in my way!”_

Milo looked closer at the two pitiful beings.  They were elves, or used to be at one time.  Both were emaciated beyond recognition.  Their tattered clothes hung from gaunt frames, their hair patchy, almost bald, their fingernails and bare toenails long and yellow.  They sat on the floor mewling piteously.  They would wince in unison every time the woman gestured.  Milo certainly didn’t recognize them.

The tattooed man spoke again, _”Let the ceremonial battle begin, vessel.”_

Milo was done with it all.  The frustrations from their time in the temple, fighting what seemed to be an endless battle while his god’s people lay beleaguered in another country.  Milo casually raised his crossbow, pointed it at the tattooed speaker and said, _”Who needs you?”_

His bolt sprung from the string and raced unerringly towards the haughty elf.  The man doubled over from the impact of the quarrel sinking into his torso.  His head whipped up with a glare, but Milo was not his target.  A crackle of electricity suddenly played over Brigit’s plate mail.  The man growled and again the electricity arced over her armor.  Brigit seemed shocked, but none worse for wear.

As if on some cue, the four elven warriors began to blink erratically in and out of sight.  Milo groaned, that would make them near impossible to hit.  

Just then a familiar voice spoke in Milo’s mind.  _”I will provide a distraction.  When I do, gather yourselves together quickly.  We have but a moment for you to escape.  Whatever happens, the Elf must live or that Thing will rule us all.”_ came the telepathic message from Bargle.  Milo balked at having to cooperate with the man that manipulated them all throughout the entire time they were in the temple.  He saw no other alternative; they were too weak from the previous battles to win through anything these newcomers had to throw at them.  He waited for a chance to gather everyone for Bargle’s escape.

Mazi raised her _wand of lightning bolts_ towards the other party and prepared to loose her own electric attack.  Suddenly a piercing, deafening shout roared in their minds.  The elven woman, the supposed Vessel of Thari, grinned maliciously at her psionic attack.  All but Milo were left stunned by the assault.  The tattooed counselor made ready to attack.

Another surprising turn of events occurred when a huge explosion centered on the elf party engulfed them all in flames.  Bargle’s _fireball_ blossomed into a fiery flower of destruction.  Milo almost cheered.  The world around him flashed and then his vision seemed to fade.  He could see the elf party turn to face the new threat as the temple began to collapse from all of the powerful magiks thrown back and forth.  Another _fireball_ shook the foundations, then it was all gone.  A different world shimmered into its place, one of sand and heat.  Milo stared agog at his surroundings.  Where once stood a temple devoted to evil in the middle of a forest, now there was desert as far as the eye could see.


----------



## Nail

Uhmmm...ouch?

Milo!  It's good to hear from you and yours again!


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

Thanks Nail!  It's good to have more to write.

Yes, the teleport took us all by surprise.  There's some major plot hooks hanging around now.  Frog will tease me for this, but I think the major blow to all of us is the complete lack of the final treasure reward after all the time we spent in the temple.  That and the inability to go shopping after a huge adventure and many levels.  I think it's going to hurt in the long run.  We'll see how things progress.

So far the next adventure has been more roleplaying than dungeon hacking.  It's quite a change for us.  I think we're all still trying to find our RPing legs, so things may be a bit rocky at first.

Wish us luck!


----------



## Milo Windby

*D'oh!*

Sorry folks.  That last post was done by yours truly.  The pitfalls of being married to one of the other players.


----------



## Nail

Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *...(snip)...the inability to go shopping after a huge adventure and many levels...{is}....going to hurt in the long run.  We'll see how things progress.*



An' here's the problem with 3e: Your "increasing power" is modeled by "increasingly powerful _items_".  That is, a 20th level barbarian without the armor, weapons, and misc. magic items of a 20th level character is not really a CR20.  In fact, t' be honest, he's a wuss.

You need that down-time, my friend, to do the required crafting an' shopping.  Without it, you'll struggle with those higher CRs and ELs.   More _Deus Ex Machina_ would be required........

But still: Here's to more o' Milo's Exploits!


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City – part 1 (session 28)*

Milo struggled with disorientation for a few moments.  Everyone was accounted for, even the stranger that helped them during the climactic battle in the temple.  The others took a few extra seconds to get their bearings after the parting psionic shout from the tattooed counselor to the current Vessel of Thari.  Milo scanned the horizon around them, his eyes finally resting on the only feature in the sandy monotony of the desert.  About a hundred yards away a pyramid rose like a giant snail shell from the dry wastes.  The pyramid was topped with three shining statues.  Even from the distance Milo could tell that the middle statue was either a halfling or a human child.  His heart raced as he remembered again the plight of Usamigaras’ people.  Had he finally come to the place for which he strived?  He controlled his upsurge of emotion to take stock of the party’s condition.

He noticed again the strange woman that was such a strong ally in the previous battle.  She was reminiscent of Jeremiah when Milo had first met him in the Keep of Karameikos.  He suspected she was from his tribe back in the plateaus.  Milo intended to find out.

_”Who might you be and how did you come to be at the temple?”_ he asked after she had cleared her head.

The wild-looking woman sneered at him in disgust.  She whirled on Jeremiah and began speaking in a strange guttural language, gesturing wildly.  Jeremiah spoke back in the same language, just as strongly.  They exchanged heated words for a few minutes before Jer raised his voice in a commanding tone.  His outburst seemed to mollify the woman.  She finally spoke again, this time in common.

_”Very well, for your sake I’ll demean myself and speak their language.”_ she spat, emphasizing the word ‘their’.

_”Friends, this is Kella.  She is a druid of my people.”_ Jer began.  _”She came to bring me back to the plateaus.  I have told her that I must help my friends before I return and she will have to wait.  If she wants to tag along, that’s her business.”_

The long speech was more than they’d heard from Jeremiah for months.  Milo nodded acceptance.  He was never willing to turn away a good helping hand, especially after she proved herself in battle.  He just hoped she would remain a helping hand considering her agenda.

_”So does anyone know where we are?”_ Mazi said, addressing their current plight.

_”No idea.  With Bargle, who knows?  We’re probably here to work out another one of his agendas.”_ Milo said resignedly.  _”Considering the fact that the only sight for miles is that pyramid, I’d say we don’t have a choice for now.”_

_”There’s always a choice, me lad.  We jus’ make sure whatever it is tha’ froofy wizzie wants, he don’ get.”_ Brigit said in classic dwarven wisdom.

_”On a higher note,”_ Milo said with hope in his voice.  _”I have a feeling about this place.  I think it may have to do with the dreams I’ve been having about Usamigaras.  See the statues?”_

_”So you think the one in the middle has something to do with you?”_ Mazi asked, peering at the distant heat-shrouded pyramid.

_”Only one way to find out.”_

With that statement, Milo began trudging towards the stone construct.  The others soon followed suit, not wishing to remain any longer under the exposure of the blistering sun.  As they neared, more structures became evident.  It seemed the pyramid stood at the head of a ruined city.  Broken columns jutted from the sand like fingers clawing for the sky.  Walls no higher than a foot stood as mute testament to grand buildings long fallen.  A large city must have once existed there.

Minutes later they stood at the base of the sand swept pyramid.  Milo peered up at the three statues.  The one in the middle was indeed a halfling.  It looked startlingly like himself.  The halfling held a wand in one hand and a fistful of coins in the other.  Twined about it from head to toe were two snakes.  Milo wondered at the symbolism.

The other two statues practically towered over the central figure.  The statue to the left was of a strong bearded man.  He held scales of balance in one hand and a jagged lightning bolt in the other.  The figure to the right was of a human woman.  She held a sheaf of wheat and a naked sword.  

_”Ah hafta admit, Milo, tha’ lil’un looks mighty familiar.”_ Brigit said.

_”Maybe you’re right after all.  What could Bargle want with your god’s people?”_ Mazi asked.

_”I don’t know.  I intend to find out though.  If it’s another jewel for his precious skull I’ll be burning in the pits of hell before he gets his greedy hands on it.”_

The others were taken aback by Milo’s vehemence.  He stood studying the statues for a few minutes more before they made their way around the pyramid.  They found a ramp leading up the rear of the pyramid.  With no other recourse they began up the steep incline.  There were no evident openings as they made their way up.  They had climbed almost to the top tier before Milo noticed something.  A pair of legs was sticking out of an opening of sorts off from the ramp.  

Closer inspection revealed what would have been a well-concealed door into the pyramid, propped open by the desiccated corpse of a hobgoblin.  Crossbow bolts bristled from its mummified body.  

_”Looks like we found a way in.”_ Milo said.

They stepped gingerly past the body and peered into the darkness ahead.  A passageway led deeper into the pyramid.  Cautious of followers, they dragged in the hobgoblin body and gently closed the thick slab of stone that served as a door.  

The air smelled musty, like an old crypt.  Every footstep disturbed long-quiescent dust that billowed around their ankles for a few seconds before resettling.  The passage led into a large room dominated by three large bronze cylinders stretching from the floor to the ceiling.  There was no other exit to the room.  Milo began investigating the nearest of the cylinders.  He noticed right away that each of them had a door set in front.  

Just as he began to look closer, the entryway to the chamber was sealed off by another stone slab.  A hissing noise filled the room as some sort of gas seeped in from the far corner.  Milo inadvertently breathed some of the poison in, instantly regretting it.  Though he was able to shake the effects off, he knew he’d have a headache for hours afterwards.

Thinking quickly, he pulled out an empty sack and raced towards the corner.  He hurriedly tore strips from the material as he ran.  Brigit caught on quickly and hustled to meet him there.  They found small holes lining the floor of corner, spraying out the noxious gas.  Milo fought off another bout of dizziness as he struggled to plug the holes.  Working together, he and Brigit soon had the gas stopped up.

There was apparently another means of air circulation, as the gas seemed to clear after a few moments.  Milo was relieved to see that none of his companions had succumbed to the fumes.  After the air was breathable, he went back to his task at the bronze cylinder.

Opening the door revealed a ladder leading up and down.  Milo peered up the shaft.  Judging by where they entered the pyramid, he could tell that the ladder had to extend above the top of the structure.  He climbed the rungs to the top, emerging in a tiny cubicle.  There were levers and a speaking tube.  He could tell by the shape of the cubicle that he was now inside the statue of the bearded man.  Milo guessed that the levers worked the arms of the statue and the speaking tube was to speak as a god to the masses of the long forgotten city that once stood here.

_”Looks like the religious leaders of whatever city this was held some sway over their people using the statues up there.”_ Milo told the others after he returned.  _”It’s a safe bet that the other two tubes lead to the other statues.  Shall we see what lays below?”_

They soon stood in another large room at the bottom of the ladder.  Milo was on the defensive at first.  The room was illuminated by three of the aggressive glowing beetles they fought back in the cursed caves.  He soon relaxed when he noticed that these particular beetles seemed docile.

Besides the three pillars, this room held a large table with what looked to be spare parts for the statues above.  There were various tools strewn about the table as well.  A single door led from the room.

They left the room for the dimly lit passage on the other side of the heavy stone door.  There were other stone doors dotting the passage as it stretched both to the left and right.  

They entered the first room they found.  It appeared to be priestly quarters.  Milo guessed for a cleric of the bearded statue above, judging by the wooden scales adorning the room.  There didn’t appear to be any other exit to the room.  An empty footlocker lay at the foot of the sleeping pallet and a single writing desk finished the compliment of furniture.  

_”I don’t know about you four,”_ began Milo, _”but I am dead tired.  I say we wedge the door shut and rest for a few hours.  I’m completely sapped of spells as well as strength.”_

_”Aye, not a bad idea.”_ Brigit agreed.

She drew out a few climbing pitons from her massive pack and set about spiking the door shut.  As she worked, the others settled down for a rest.  A few hours later Brigit woke Milo for his watch.  They were undisturbed for the rest of what Milo considered the ‘night’.

Milo felt a new man after more rest.  After his daily prayers he was more than ready to take on whatever they found in the pyramid.  His friends seemed to be in similar good moods.  In moments Brigit had removed her pitons from the door and they were on their way.

A four-post bed dominated the next room.  Milo could hear a strange scratching noise coming from the other side.  As he entered to investigate a strange hiss brought his attention to the ceiling above.  Milo tumbled to the side as a pale blue shape plummeted towards him, scrabbling for his flesh with all four clawed feet.  The gecko-shaped lizard landed on the hard floor, missing the halfling by bare inches.  Its scaly blue skin was covered in orange spots and it hissed at him with a forked tongue.

The other lizard from behind the bed emerged hissing as well.  Milo tumbled further in the room to give his friends space to attack.  Mazi loosed a short volley of arrows, piercing the first lizard’s hide.  Brigit moved into the space vacated by her halfling friend and brought both of her axes down, slaying the wounded lizard.  Jeremiah charged in from behind.  He ignored the scrabbling claws of the second lizard, slicing a chunk of flesh with his greatsword.  Mazi finished the short battle with another volley of arrows.  The lizard’s his trailed off into a death rattle as it fell.

Milo moved to the edge of the bed to see what the lizards had found.  A half-eaten human body lay sprawled on the ground.  Its face was covered with a golden mask in the shape of a bird’s head.  Ignoring the eviscerated torso, Milo reached for the mask, admiring the materials more than the craftsmanship.

Besides the bed and the three corpses, the room was empty.  All five of the adventurers were brought up short as they exited the room.  Two people in the same bird masks hopped by the doorway, cawing and flapping their arms as they made their way down the hall.

Milo blinked.  He looked again.  They were still there, cawing and flapping their way to the other end of the hall.

_”Ummmm, okay.”_ he said.

Brigit followed the odd humans with the others close behind.  She found them at the end of the hallway in a large nest.  Both were scratching the ground with their feet, as if looking for a juicy worm.  Brigit reached out the end of her axe carefully and prodded one of the men.

_”Oy!  What in the gods’ names are ya doin’?”_

_”Caw! Caw!”_ came the screeched reply.  The distressed human flapped his arms wildly for a few moments before settling on his haunches and pecking at the ground.

_”Okay, now that’s just weird.”_ Milo said.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Shock*

I must say Frog has me quit shocked with this encounter.  He was dancing around cawing at us.  Totally stunned me.  I am wonderful at hack and slash but well my RPing skills are a little worse for the wear.  But all in all it was fun.  I will always love to see Frog dancing around.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Shock*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *I must say Frog has me quit shocked with this encounter.  He was dancing around cawing at us.  Totally stunned me. ...(snip)... I will always love to see Frog dancing around. *



That sounds like a great scene!  Are you sure he was "dancing", tho'?   Coulda been just a seizure....


> *I am wonderful at hack and slash but well my RPing skills are a little worse for the wear.  But all in all it was fun.*



Don't sweat it.....

Wise man once say: "Rping is as RPing does, ma'am."


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Re: Re: Shock*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> That sounds like a great scene!  Are you sure he was "dancing", tho'?   Coulda been just a seizure....
> *




A Seizure well that is entirely possible.   Its up to him to tell us what it really was.


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City – Part 2 (session 29)*

The birdmen continued their bizarre dance around the nest.  They pecked the ground looking for imaginary birdseed as the heroes looked on in bemusement.  Brigit made ready to drive them off with her axe before Mazi spoke up.

_“Let’s try a softer approach, Brigit.”_ She said.

She withdrew a pack of rations and broke off a chunk of bread.  Trailing crumbs as she went, Mazi backed down the hallway.  The birdmen sat up from their search, cocked their heads to the side, and watched the elf for a few moments.  Suddenly they both lunged for the trail of breadcrumbs, jostling each other to get to the morsels.  

Milo used the distraction to search the nest.  His results disappointed everyone.  It was just what it appeared to be, a giant bird’s nest.  Milo shook his head in wonderment.  What kind of strange place did Bargle teleport them to?  A statue was set at the other end of the hall; hopefully it would hold more information about their mysterious whereabouts.  

The statue was a golden copy of the tallest of the three at the top of the pyramid outside.  The bearded man stood a mute watch guard, his piercing gaze fixed on the hallway stretched before him.  In one upraised fist he held a jagged lightning bolt, in the other a balanced scale.  Milo examined the statue closer.  Some of the original wood of the statue could be seen through its gilded layer.  He could find no secret devices or any more information about their surroundings anywhere though.

_”It’s just gold leaf,”_ Milo said when he caught the look of bare avarice in Brigit’s face.  _”I don’t see anything about where we are either.”_

_”Let’s continue on.  There’s got to be someone or something else here.”_ Mazi said.

They entered one of the two doors in the east-west passage.  It entered into what could only be a barracks room of sorts.  Three double bunks lined the walls.  The residents of the room looked up, startled by the interruption.  Five men sat on the lower bunks, presumably conversing before they had entered.  All five were dressed alike.  They wore chainmail covered by blue tunics.  The thing that attracted Milo’s attention was their face.  Each wore a likeness of the bearded statue, masking their features.  All five rose as the others entered the room.

Brigit was the first to break the awkward silence with her usual dwarven bluntness, _”Who are ya?”_

One of the masked men spoke, _”Who are you and what are you doing in our quarters?”_  He seemed offended as well as surprised.

_”Don’t know how we got here.  We came from outside.”_ Brigit responded.

_”Outside?”_ This caused some consternation among the five masked men.  _”Not from below?”_

_”Yes, outside.  Ya know, where all tha sun is?”_

_”Sun?”_ The men seemed to understand now what Brigit meant.  _”Ah, you must mean the Eye of Zargon at the lake below.  Are you worshippers of the Eye?”_  The men seemed to ready themselves for battle, dependant on the answer they received.

Milo answered carefully, _”No, not from below.  We’re from above.  You know, lots of sand, desert, bright sun, nothing for miles in any direction?”_

_”Ah, we’re not permitted to go above.”_

_”Not permitted?  Is that because of this Zargon you talked about?”_ Milo asked.

_”It is because of the evil of below.  All are enslaved.  The evil queen Zenobea is but a puppet.”_  The masked man broke off.  _”Who are you that don’t know these things?  We must bring you before the leader.”_  The speaker beckoned to one of the other men.

He left the room hastily at the motioned command, leaving through another door that would have led into the other room they skipped in the hallway outside.  They could hear a muffled conversation from behind the door before the man returned.  The original speaker led them into the next room.  Milo was starting to have trouble telling them apart.

Three more double bunks lined the walls of the next room.  This room also had a table and chairs set in the middle.  Six more men stood waiting.  One of them was slightly taller than the others.  His mask appeared to be a bit fancier as well.  It seemed more work was devoted to detail and slightly better materials were used.  It was he that spoke.

_”I am Kanadius.  I understand you do not know from whence you came?”_ he sounded older, more distinguished than their last interrogator.

_”We know where we came from,”_ answered Mazi, _”just not where we are.”_

_”Then you come from the Eye of Zargon?”_

Milo rolled his eyes.  _”No, no Eye of Zargon worshippers here.  We come from above, where there’s nothing but sand and sun.”_

_”From the wastelands then?”_

Milo sighed in relief.  Finally someone was catching on.  _”Yup, that’s it.  We came down from the wastelands.”_

_”We fled the lands above long ago.”_  The man paused, _”Sit, eat.  You must be hungry if you come from the wastelands.”_  He looked a little longer at Milo, _”You appear – strange.”_

_”Yeah, I get that a lot.”_ Milo said as he sat at the proffered table.

_”Are you of the Magi or the Brotherhood then?”_

_”Errrr,”_ said Milo, nonplussed, _”that would depend.  What are the Magi and Brotherhood?”_

_”No?”_  The man seemed confused.  _”Allied with the Maidens then?”_

_”I can’t say we’d know the Magi from the Brotherhood from the Maidens, really.”_

_”Then perhaps you’d join the Brotherhood of Gorm?”_

_”Again, that would depend.  What would that entail?”_ Milo asked carefully.

_”You would join with us.”_  Kanadius stopped again, noticing another detail from the strangers. _”You don’t wear masks?”_

Brigit spoke, _”Masks?  Wha’ would we need wi’ masks?”_

_”To protect you, of course.”_  He then turned to one of his men, _”Go get them some masks.”_

_”Protects us?  Does this have anything to do with the birdmen out there?”_ Milo asked.

Kanadius lowered his head and shook it sadly.  _”That is the fate of our people.  They are lost to us.”_  He settled down at the table next to them and continued.  _”The Maidens respect us for our prowess in battle.  We protect their homes and ourselves.  The Magi are – well, the Magi are strange.  They claim to be of the gods.  As for me, I know the gods are dead.  The Maidens follow Madarua, the mother.  The Magi follow Usamigaras,”_ Milo’s ears pricked at the sound of his god’s name spoken by another.  Kanadius continued, _”we of the Brotherhood follow Gorm.

“We escaped to here long ago.  We cannot go up further or down.  The maidens control the lower reaches, at least as far as they can until the rule of Zenobea takes over.  She is but a puppet of Zargon, the evil below.”_

Milo sat back in his chair, considering all that Kanadius had told them.  His reverie was broken by the older man’s voice.

_”Once again, I ask you, will you join us?  You and the large man there are welcome in the Brotherhood of Gorm.  Your women may worship with us, but they of course cannot ever be part of the Brotherhood.”_

Milo ignored the comment about the women for the time being.  _”What *exactly* would joining the Brotherhood entail?”_

Kanadius seemed more than happy to expound.  He sat up straight and expounded on the benefits of joining with the confidence of the best army recruiter Milo had ever seen.  He smiled as it reminded him of his ‘recruitment’ in the streets of Darokin that seemed so far away now.

_”You would worship Gorm with us, as brothers.  We would aid you in all ways possible.  Our home would be a place of refuge for you.  Our numbers may be weak now, but we grow stronger by the day.  Every brother we reclaim from Zenobea’s sacrifices aids in the cause.”_

_”Hold it, sacrifices?”_ Milo exclaimed.

_”Yes,”_ Kanadius’ shoulders slumped again, _”Zenobea sacrifices our people to Zargon.  More the reason for you to join us!  You can aid us against this injustice!  Will you join?”_

Milo swallowed heavily as he considered the offer.


----------



## Nail

Milo:  GOod Stuff!

The tension is there, and the mystery too!  This may be you best update yet!  I can't wait for more!

......and I can't wait for this d@mnedable gnome to be removed from my avatar!  

Sure, "tease the Administrators", they said.  "They can't hurt you", they said.  "Yer only a 'member' so they won't change yer tag-line", they said.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!  Get it off!  Get it offffffffff!!!!!!!!!"


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*The Gnome*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!  Get it off!  Get it offffffffff!!!!!!!!!" *




I like the Gnome.  He's cute.  So how did you get the adminstrators to do that?  Where did you tease them?


----------



## Nail

*Re: The Gnome*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I like the Gnome.  He's cute.  So how did you get the adminstrators to do that?  Where did you tease them? *



Gah!   You want a gnome?      

I was over in the General forum.......t'be honest, I've got only suspects, but not direct evidence linking them to th' crime.  

Here I was, just minding my own business, when WHAM!, and then alsih2o yells, "I think Gnail's smelling a little Gnomish......"

The plot thickens, but so far.....the leads are thin.

(EDIT) Can thick plots have thin leads?  What if the plot is stirred?  If the plot simmers, does it also thicken?   _<=See!  The gnome's got to me brain!_


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: The Gnome*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Can thick plots have thin leads?  What if the plot is stirred?  If the plot simmers, does it also thicken? *




Unfortunately, due to the chemical makeup of thin leads, they will not mix well with thick plots.  Rather, they will stay thin until a hunch or two are added.  The hunch acts as a catalyst, joining the thick plot and the thin leads into a completed story.  As for simmering plots, you don't want to leave a plot simmering too long.  Plots left simmering will thicken to the point of unrecognition, leaving all involved very hungry indeed.

BTW, thanks for the glowing praise, Nail.  Since this was our most heavy RPing session to date, I'm not surprised.  We're only 1/2 session behind RL now.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Re: Re: The Gnome*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Unfortunately, due to the chemical makeup of thin leads, they will not mix well with thick plots.  Rather, they will stay thin until a hunch or two are added.  The hunch acts as a catalyst, joining the thick plot and the thin leads into a completed story.  As for simmering plots, you don't want to leave a plot simmering too long.  Plots left simmering will thicken to the point of unrecognition, leaving all involved very hungry indeed.*



Ah-ha!  I knew there was a cookbook that was missing from th' collection!



> *BTW, thanks for the glowing praise, Nail. *



Deserved, I assure you.  And don't thank me: it was th' gnomes fault.  An' he's gone now (wheeeeeew!), so it's back t' me being crotchety again.

BTW, do you keep a flow chart of all the bad guy groups?  Sounds like yer gonna need it.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: Re: Re: The Gnome*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Ah-ha!  I knew there was a cookbook that was missing from th' collection!*




Dang it!  Ya caught me!*



			Deserved, I assure you.  And don't thank me: it was th' gnomes fault.  An' he's gone now (wheeeeeew!), so it's back t' me being crotchety again.
		
Click to expand...


*And we were just getting used to Gnail!*



			BTW, do you keep a flow chart of all the bad guy groups?  Sounds like yer gonna need it.
		
Click to expand...


*Not yet, but now that you mention it, that's not a bad idea.  When you mentioned the flowchart I thought about that post in Wulf's Story Hour depicting Wulf and Nolin from PC's game discussing their huge chart.  Heh heh, classic!


----------



## Nail

*Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The Gnome*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *  When you mentioned the flowchart I thought about that post in Wulf's Story Hour depicting Wulf and Nolin from PC's game discussing their huge chart.  Heh heh, classic! *



Absolutely.

I know when I was a player (infrequent, but...it happened occasionally) I always kept a running list of bad guys/good guys/ other.  Then I'd draw arrows from one to another, as they became connected.  Also I'd have space under each for important info, like "group membership" and "known weaknesses".

I really depends on how complex the campaign is.  ...Oh, and Frog, if yer listening: It doesn't _have_ to be complex, see.....it could be simple:  

Milo see treasure => Milo get treasure.
Mazi see shiny things => Mazi get shiny things
Brigit see +5 Vorpal Axe => Brigit get +5 Vorpal Axe
Jer see +4 Ethereal Fortified Plate of the Barbarian King's Half-Celestial Grandson.........

See?  Simplicity is sometimes best!

 Pssst: Milo, Brigit!  D'ya think he bought it?


----------



## frog

Milo doesn't need the flowchart...I need the flowchart. Actually more like a mind map. One of these days I really need to write some of this plot type stuff down.   

And as for whether or not I "bought it"...do you really think that someone who would whisk the party away just before they got to loot an ENTIRE TEMPLE full of treasure and plop them down in the middle of the desert with nowhere to sell what they currently have would succumb to such an obvious attempt at "suggestion"?

The mind boggles.

By the way...don't gnock gnomes...my gfavorite character that I have ever gplayed was a gnome.  Gnomes Grule!!!


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Pssst: Milo, Brigit! D'ya think he bought it?*

Heh heh heh.  Nice try Nail!  Somehow I don't think we're going to encounter a shop anytime soon, much less those nice freebies.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*No shops*

Nail
Thanks for the hint but I agree with Milo.  Frog will probally not give us a shop anytime soon or a forge and some time to improve our weapons and armor.  Oh well though so far we are still alive thats a plus.


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City – Part 3 (session 29)*

_”As sympathetic as I am to your plight, I’m afraid I cannot join you.”_ Milo said carefully, studying the other for his reaction.  _”However, we will do all we can to aid you.”_

Kanadius’ shoulders slumped in disappointment.  _”How can you five help us?”_

_”That’s what we’d like to know.  How can we help?”_ Mazi spoke.

_”You can join our army and strengthen our defenses, I suppose.”_ Kanadius replied in an offhand manner.

_”No, no,”_ Milo said quickly, _”What can we do besides shore up your defenses?  That’s not really our forte.”_

_”You may help in our forays to the caves below.  Many of the Brotherhood must be freed from the horrible grasp of Zenobea.”_

_”Ya mean yer bird friends, right?  Do they get better?”_ Brigit asked.

_”If the drugs are given a chance to wear off and they have time to come to their senses, yes.”_

Milo was taken aback.  _Their mental state was a result of drugs,_ he thought, _how interesting._

_”If we find any of your brethren in our travels below, we will send them back up here.  What can we do along a more proactive vein?”_ Milo thought over his question as well.  He spoke before Kanadius had a chance to respond.  _”What about an alliance with the Magi and the Maidens?  Have you thought of that?”_

_”We have worked together in the past.  We don’t always see eye to eye on certain matters.”_

Milo nodded his head sagely.  _”I understand.  Can you work together long enough to overthrow Zargon though?  We can go to the Magi and Maidens and propose an alliance.”_

Kanadius mulled the proposition over for a moment.  It was hard to read his emotions through the ornate mask he wore.  At length, he spoke, _”If you can bring the others together and we can defeat *both* Zargon *and* Zenobea, your help would be very welcome indeed.  We would not take a betrayal from the Maidens and Magi lightly though.”_

_”Betrayal?  Why would they betray you?”_ Mazi asked.

_”The Magi, they are strange people.  They worship magic and dead gods.  They are not like us.  The Maidens however, at times they do not know their proper place.”_

Milo hoped Brigit and Mazi didn’t take offense to the comment.  _”Do all here feel this way?”_

_”I am one of the more – liberal – of my people.”_ Kanadius thought again before continuing.  _”An alliance and an assault.  It may just work.  You must know that all of our efforts alone have been useless.  Zenobea has strange powers.  She can cloud your mind with a gaze; turn your mind against those you trust with a thought.  Zargon is all but invincible.  We would need the favor of the gods to harm him.”_

Milo grinned as he replied, _”We’ll give it the old college try!”_

_”You speak very strangely, little man.”_

_”I get that a lot.”_

_”Do you have maps of the areas below?”_ Mazi asked.

_”You can go through this door,”_ he pointed to the other door leading out of the room.  He withdrew his hand suddenly.  _”No, not that door.  You would have to go around.”_

_”Why’s tha’?”_ Brigit asked.

_”That is where our – valuables – are guarded.”_ Kanadius said with a weighted pause.  _”You may go back through the tube room and down to the Magi and Maidens.  The Magi are to the northwest and the Maidens to the East.”_

_”A map would be very useful.”_ Mazi prompted again.

_”Your maiden friend has a strange fascination with maps,”_ Kanadius said to Milo, and then to Mazi, _”There is no map, all I can do is describe what you may face.”_

_”That will have to do then.”_ Mazi sighed.

_”You must go with caution.  There are traps along the way.  That which should have died long ago still walks.  This place was a tomb.”_

_”Undead?  Milo here hates undead, really.”_ Mazi said with a stifled grin.

Milo shot her a quick look before Kanadius caught on to the humor.  _”Go through the southwest door, your way should become clear.”_ He stood up from the table.  _”I hope to see you again, bearing good news.”_  He clasped Milo’s arm in respect.

_”As do we all.”_ Milo said as he returned his grip.

They followed Kanadius’ directions.  The two birdmen seemed to be roosting back out in the hallway.  Milo shook his head in wonder at the sight.  He was curious about a drug that could elicit such an odd behavior.  They soon found themselves back in the tube room.  The beetles remained docile, their glowing carapaces shedding otherworldly light on the tubes and the walls.  

The door Kanadius told them about led to a hallway.  A few feet in Mazi halted the group.  She stood up straight, cocked her head to the side, and stared at a point along the wall.  She moved closer to the sandstone brick and gently traced her finger along an unknown path.

_”There’s a door here.”_ she announced.

Milo shook his head in amazement. _”We’ve found more secret passages thanks to your sixth sense than my keen eye.  I’m impressed Mazi.”_  The elf soaked up the compliment as Milo examined the hidden portal for traps.

The door shifted inward, made up of separate bricks that blended into the wall.  A room full of crates and shelves laid waiting.  They heard scraping noises as they entered.  The small noises they made as they walked through the door seemed to elicit strange clicking sounds from the boxes.  Suddenly four of the boxes burst open.  Four strange looking beetles, all the size of Milo or larger, crawled through sizzling holes in the wooden boxes.

All five of them reacted quickly.  Kella and Mazi stepped back and fired their weapons.  Mazi’s bow drove an arrow deep into the carapace of a beetle scrabbling towards them from the back of the room.  Kella’s sling stone sunk into the chitinous plate of another.  

_”Hahah!”_ Brigit loosed a short exclamation as she brought _Trollgrater_ down into another.  The beetle was split in two with one blow, showering the dwarf in green and gray remains.

Milo tumbled to aid Jeremiah as he fought the fourth and largest of the beetles.  Brigit loosed another exclamation, this one of surprise.  One of the beetles had reared up and spat a stream of acid directly at her.  Her armor took the brunt of the stream and was still smoking from the potent spray.  She raced towards the offending beetle as Milo and Jeremiah dodged streams aimed at them.  

Jeremiah somehow found a vital organ in the alien anatomy of the bug.  His sword stabbed it cleanly through.  Brigit and Mazi finished off the other two without much effort.

Brigit groaned as she tried to wipe the acidic spittle from her now pitted full plate armor.  

_”One of these days we’ll get you a more durable set of metal, Brigit.”_ Milo said in sympathy.

_”Aye, a fine dwarven-made suit O’ armor.”_ Brigit agreed as she mopped the rest off with a bolt of cloth she grabbed from a crate.

The crates and shelves housed general supplies.  There were even edible rations in some of the boxes that the beetles hadn’t ruined with their dangerous drool.  The group paused to restock their supplies before heading back out.

The original passage led to a ‘T’ intersection.  One direction ran as far as the eye could see, the other however, ended in another statue.  Milo’s heart raced for the second time in recognition.  The statue was identical to the one on the peak of the pyramid.  A halfling stood with serpents twined about his body, a fistful of coins in one hand and a wand in the other.

_”Lookin’ good, li’l man.”_ Brigit laughed.  _”Wonder what they made ya outta?”_  She approached the statue.  _”Looks ta be solid bronze.”_ she said as she rapped the statue with a gauntleted knuckle.  _”I bet we could melt this sucker down inta somethin’ more useful.”_

_”We are *not* melting any halfling statues here, Brigit!”_ Milo said with vehemence.

_”Jus’ a suggestion.”_ Brigit shrugged.

Milo searched around the statue, hoping to find some hint to its purpose or whom it depicted.  Instead he found that the wand seemed to be a lever.  He could tell it twisted to the left and the right.  As far as he could tell, the left would be more favorable than the right.  Milo shrugged and trusted himself to his luck as he twisted the wand to the left.

A deep rumble issued from the wall to the left.  Slowly, it drew back along tracks in the floor, revealing a passage as it moved.  The wall came to a stop about sixty paces from the statue.  A door was set on either side of the new hallway.  Milo looked back at the others with raised eyebrows.  He shrugged again, climbed down the statue, and cautiously advanced down the passage.

They chose the door to the right first.  Milo slowly opened it.  An altar in the shape of a five-pointed star dominated the room.  Milo blinked at the sight of Usamigaras’ holy symbol.  Thirteen people surrounded the altar, all dressed in rainbow-hued robes.  They each wore a silver mask depicting the same child-like face from the statue.  A central figure seemed to be leading the ceremony.

He stopped as the five entered the room.  All thirteen of the masked faces turned to the intruders.  The room filled with the sound of a collective gasp as they caught sight of Milo.  Mazi sidestepped behind Milo and gently shoved him towards the masked worshippers.

The leader raised his hands to the heavens and spoke, _”Great Usamigaras has returned to us to aid us in our battle for freedom!”_

Milo cleared his throat nervously, _”Um, actually, it’s Milo.”_


----------



## Nail

<laughs>


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

*Question: Jeremiah and his player*

Milo, or Frog perhaps, a couple of questions about your having a younger child playing:

1) How old exactly is he?  I recall it mentioned that he was six.

2) Do you find he enjoys playing?

3) How does having a child of that age playing impact your gaming sessions?

I ask all of this because I have a four _(and three quarters! One must not forget that)_ year old son who has already expressed great interest in "rolling the dice and moving the Dwarf", so I think I need to start planning.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Question: Jeremiah and his player*



			
				SpaceBaby Industries said:
			
		

> *.....I have a four (and three quarters! One must not forget that) year old son who has already expressed great interest in "rolling the dice and moving the Dwarf", ... *



Oh, I'm not sure "moving th' dwarf" is ever a good idea....   

I've got a 5 year old...and she occasionally moves the monsters around or rolls dice.  It's fun, and no one seems to mind.


----------



## Mazi

> 1) How old exactly is he? I recall it mentioned that he was six.




When we started playing he was six....now he's seven.



> 2) Do you find he enjoys playing?




He enjoys the fights alot more then the role-playing.



> 3) How does having a child of that age playing impact your gaming sessions?




I would say that it depends on the child.  At times it can be difficult.  Most of the time  I am the one in charge of his character.  When we get into exploring and role-playing he loses interest and starts playing with other things.  Sometimes in battle just waiting for his turn to come around again is just too long of a wait for him.  When we first started he had alot of fun but lately he has lost interest.

-Mazi


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

*Re: the young ones*

Thanks for the feedback Mazi.  I feel a bit sheepish that I didn't mention you in my initial request.  I was sticking with the frequent posters; no slight was intended.

Sounds pretty much like I expected.  I might let him try some dice rolling and such around when he turns five, but that will be one on one.  I don't think the other folks in my group are ready for the special sort of havoc he would bring - they're bachelors, and don't have any kids themselves, so the shock to their system could be fatal.

Nail: you're proably right about moving the Dwarf bit.  That comment was from when he got to make his own NWN character, a Dwarf named Tokee Frenzy.  He always wanted to move the guy around the screen, which was predictably dangerous in certain areas.  He seemed to have fun though, and it was a break from Midtown Madness and Atlantis.

I'll go back to lurking before I derail this thread any further.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: the young ones*



			
				SpaceBaby Industries said:
			
		

> *I'll go back to lurking before I derail this thread any further. *



No no no!  Comments and questions are always welcome!  Although I must say I'm surprised that anyone would be lurking in my storyhour.  You are welcome to attempt to derail the storyhour anytime.  

We're on a short haitus right now.  I'm caught up to present in the storyhour, Brigit is out of town until Monday and we were unable to play for the last two weeks due to sick children.  Our next game will be next Saturday at the soonest.  Feel free to post away with your questions, dear lurker(s).


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

Well, thank you Milo.  That's right neighbourly of you.  I've been reading since the start, but only got around to registering and posting last week.  Late bloomer, yes indeed.

It's way too easy as a proud parent to start rambling on about your kids if you're not careful.  Truly a temptation that can be harder to resist than wanting to talk about your favourite D&D character and/or campaign moment.  Probably nearly as boring for the average listener too.

In any case, I'll stick with the Scrabble Junior with the little guy for now as our preferred tabletop gaming option.   Same parent company, so we're on the right track.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Re: Re: the young ones*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> * .....we were unable to play for the last two weeks due to sick children...... *



Maybe strep throat?  My kids have had th' flu and strep throat for th' last week.  D&D time is not th' only thing that suffered.......

*Re: De-railing th' thread.*

Are you nuts, man?! That's what makes these story hours so great!

*Other Misc:*
 Did you eventually get any sort of directions?  It kinda sounds like you were left in th' lurch.....very little "help" from th' bird men.

 Did you ever find out what race these guys were?  Human?  Halflings?

 How about the ones you just ran into?  Sound like halflings.....but who knows; they could be kobolds!  Tip: "If someone asks you if you're a god, you say ________!"

Back to that "no maps" point: hey, did they tell you where the traps are?  Why not??!

Quote: _”Your maiden friend has a strange fascination with maps,” Kanadius said to Milo......_  She ain't th' only one that should be......

I wonder if this is a published adventure........


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

*Okay, you asked for it*

You want derailed and off topic?  Not to mention involving children?  Here you go.

One of my friends in our campaign decided he had too many dice.  He then put about fifty of them in a little wooden box and give them to my son as a gift.  Bear in mind at this point said child was about three.  What do you do at that age with so many interesting and colorful shapes?

Digger Dice!

How to play: one person rolls dice towards the other, who then uses a toy front end loader ("digger" - get it?) to catch and then store the captured dice.  Best played with the digger player has a wall right behind them to assist with containing "dice spread".

Great fun, and I am pretty sure he was in the minority of three year olds who knew what a dodecahedron was.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Derailed thread.*

Well here is a new derailment for you.  Milo and my daughter has her own D20 dice, mind you it is huge since she is only one and a half and we would prefer her not to chock on it.  She can roll that huge dice just fine by herself.   Every once in a while she even gets a twenty.


----------



## Mazi

> Thanks for the feedback Mazi. I feel a bit sheepish that I didn't mention you in my initial request. I was sticking with the frequent posters; no slight was intended.




None taken in fact I think I've broke my old record....2 posts within 6 months.  WOW!


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

> None taken in fact I think I've broke my old record....2 posts within 6 months. WOW!




Nothing like talking about the kids to bring out a proud parent, is there?

You know, I wonder if this might make an interesting(?) thread.   Gamers like to talk about their games, and parents usually can't stop about their kids - who could resist a discussion about your kids and their playing D&D?

Hmm.  Maybe the world isn't ready yet.



> Well here is a new derailment for you. Milo and my daughter has her own D20 dice, mind you it is huge since she is only one and a half and we would prefer her not to chock on it. She can roll that huge dice just fine by herself. Every once in a while she even gets a twenty.




Excellent.  Get them trained young right?  I have a nine month old, maybe I should get the gaming exposure underway immediately.  One of my son's dice is this enormous yellow 30 sided abomination (I mean really, what on earth uses a d30?).  That would make a good, no choking first attempt.


----------



## Nail

SpaceBaby Industries said:
			
		

> *  Get them trained young right? *



Heh.  

My wife has threatened me with bodily dismemberment if I corupt my daughters in that way.   ...So the oldest and I just call it "Playing Monsters and Bad Guys" when I get th' minatures, dice, and battlemat out.      The youngest just uses the counters and tokens as coloring practice (that is: color on them) and the dice as gems to give to her toy cat.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Train them young.*

Train them young that's what I say.  Nail just tell your wife honey it improves there imagination.


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

*young and the maternal unit*



> Train them young that's what I say. Nail just tell your wife honey it improves there imagination.




Good advice, I'll have to remember that one.

All of this talk of imagination reminds me of something amusing.  My son got a toy castle for Christmas, and the baby is exactly the right scale to be a Giant when I stand her up.  That she readily eats the horses _or_ the Knights if she gets her hands on them only adds to the image.  

I find it remarkable actually that not one, but two couples are involved in this campaign.  I don't have any statistics, but husband and wife (or any other sort of male/female in a relationship combination I suppose) gaming teams seem rather uncommon.  While I imagine it means nobody in the household looks down on this particular choice of leisure time, it does pose one problem I don't currently have: who looks after the little people on game day/night?  At least my wife's disinterest in the whole gaming concept means the brood will be looked after without any challenging logistics.


----------



## Nail

*Re: young and the maternal unit*



			
				SpaceBaby Industries said:
			
		

> *  At least my wife's disinterest in the whole gaming concept means the brood will be looked after without any challenging logistics. *



Once again:  I envy you.

In our household, the "younger units" are looked after by the DM, as the better half says:  "You're gaming?  Great.  I'm off to see friends then.  Tah-tah!"


----------



## Mazi

> who looks after the little people on game day/night?




Steve and Blue  



> My son got a toy castle for Christmas, and the baby is exactly the right scale to be a Giant when I stand her up. That she readily eats the horses or the Knights if she gets her hands on them only adds to the image.




My 7-year old asked for a Dragon Castle set for his birthday so that he would have a set like the one we play with on game night.  For the big final battle in the temple we ended up bringing out all of his little men to use for the bad guys.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Train them young.*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *Train them young that's what I say.  Nail just tell your wife honey it improves there imagination.  *



That's what I keep saying....

Milo and Frog are some lucky guys, that's for sure.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: Train them young.*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Milo and Frog are some lucky guys, that's for sure.
> 
> 
> 
> *




You won't find me complaining, that's for sure!

On the gaming couple note, Spacebaby.  It's not uncommon for us in the least.  While we're waiting to play another installment in Frog's masterful campaign, I'll wax nostalgic on how it all got started...

Frog and I were invited to play by a mutual friend who had just picked up the 3E core books.  I hosted the games at our apartment at first.  

My wife was intrigued when she heard how much fun we were having one night.  After a little pursuasion I convinced her to join in as a dwarven cleric.  Thus Helga Deeperdown was born.  Frog and I were playing dwarven fighter brothers at the time.  We came across the _lawful good_ cleric picking poisonous berries in the woods. "To poison BAD people!"  Brigit's first foray into role playing is still a source of constant teasing today.

Mazi was convinced to join the party when Brigit told her how much fun it was.  She broke the dwarven mold by creating an elven wizard.  Our little gaming group was getting quite big now.  

With two couples playing it wasn't too hard to convince our DM's wife to start playing either.  She joined in as a halfling ranger.  By now our little group was getting a little bloated.  We were playing through the Forge of Fury at the time.

Not too long after the DM's wife joined, another player was thrown into the mix in the form of another mutual friend playing another ranger.  

Now we had six PCs and a wealth of children running around.  Things got a little out of hand around then, not to mention there were some hard feelings caused by the DM's gaming style.  We just stopped playing.

A few months later Frog offered to DM a smaller game in his home involving myself, Brigit, and Mazi.  His son joined in for the ride as well.  The rest is detailed in these very pages.

Now Brigit and I are involved in three gaming groups.  I've started DMing for Brigit, our ranger friend and his wife from the first game, and two other friends from work.  Brigit and I play in another game with those same friends as well as two other couples we know from work.  In our gaming circle we actually know six couples that play together, not including ourselves.  So, to make a long story short (too late) it seems almost natural to have everyone play together.


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

*Page 3?*

Goodness, where did the fabulous foursome disappear to?  Come back, or where else can I combine comments about both my gaming habits and my progeny in the same discussion?  That sort of venue is valuable indeed!

My ten month old baby managed to catch the Chicken Pox.  Her older brother shows no signs however, which is odd considering we thought he was the carrier.  Ten days to date of seeing that many spots covering every part of the little infant...that was hard as a father to see.  I don't think I could have handled it with as much aplomb as my daughter did actually.  I'm starting to think babies have high pain thresholds or something.  

The only good news about being that small with something like the Chicken Pox is she had no idea how to scratch.  Things are finally receeding, so she (and I) may actually be able to get a night's sleep soon.  

I'll try to fit in some actual D&D items to maintain the balance in my next post.


----------



## Milo Windby

Not to worry SpaceBaby!  We'll be back soon.  The gang got together to play for the first time in many moons just last Saturday.  Illness and weather kept us from playing for the past long while.  

This marked our first session in which the dice were never rolled.  Pure RP baby.  My beautiful bride Brigit even got the chance to flex her newfound RP muscles as she took over an NPC and attempted to rally an army.  

This session was taped instead of transcribed.  I found that writing notes took away too much from my interaction in the important conversations.  It's going to take a little longer to get it posted though.  With the written notes I can do my writing anywhere.  Whereas with the audio tape I have to listen to at home and write a bit at a time.  At least I won't miss any good quotes this way!


----------



## Milo Windby

PS.  Sorry to hear about your kid, SpaceBaby.  I hope she recovers quickly.


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> This session was taped instead of transcribed. .....*



Milo,
    After you get a few of these taped sessions under your belt, tell us how that worked out....I've been thinking about it myself (started two new groups in the last 6 weeks!  Yoowza!), but I'm not sure if taping is better than note-taking........


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

> PS. Sorry to hear about your kid, SpaceBaby. I hope she recovers quickly.




Thanks for the kind words.  I thought ten or eleven days was a long time, but I'm told three weeks is certainly a possibility.  In that context, I guess she's recovered fast enough.

No more oatmeal soap baths in the sink; she's down to a few hard to notice spots, and the only think keeping me from a good night's sleep (other than the 03:00 bottle of course) is her ear infection.  Sigh.  

How her big brother didn't get the Chicken Pox is beyond me.   

I've got gaming stuff this time too, in no small part because I've started getting enough sleep again that my memory and other higher brain functions are actually working again thanks to sleep:  my son, who is working on this whole reading concept, has decided that my copy of the Stronghold Builders Guide is the best thing since sliced bread.  He looks at all the diagrams and tells stories about them, or spells out any words in boldface he sees and then asks me what they are.  I'm not sure how his telling everyone in the family about  _Ehtereal Solids_  is going to work though.

I look forward to hearing the next installment Milo.  I certainly empathize with the weather and illness bits.  I hope it wasn't anything serious.

Oddly enough, when you mentioned taping, I immediately thought about those NPR news shows that offer such transcriptions sent to you at a reasonable fee.  I must still have some sleep to make up


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Waiting for an update*

Spaceboy I am sorry to say but you will have to wait for a update till later this week.  Milo and I are moving now so his computer is in pieces and he can not write until its put back together.  The poor guy.  BTW how is your daughter?


----------



## Nail

*Re: Waiting for an update*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> * Milo and I are moving now so .... *




Moving?  Let's hope this does not mark the break up of a great group......


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

> BTW how is your daughter?




Fit as can possibly be, thanks for asking.  No more infections, no more chicken pox.  The happy smiley baby who sponges tribute from my breakfast is back with a cuddly vengence.

Alas, now my four year old is in the throes of chicken pox.  I didn't think it was possible to get more than what the baby had, but he's managed it.  There's enough calomine lotion on him to make another layer of skin I swear.  

At least you only have to deal with this once in your life.

I look forward to the update whenever the opportunity presents itself.  No pressure!


----------



## Nail

SpaceBaby Industries said:
			
		

> * At least you only have to deal with this once in your life.*




Heh.

If only that were true.  Ask yer doctor....immunity to chicken pox goes down with time.  Moreover, the virus can resurface when your immune system's low.  Ever hear of "shingles"?


> _What is shingles?_
> Shingles is a painful skin eruption caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. The virus remains dormant in a nerve root near the spinal cord after chicken pox. Fatigue,emotional upsets, immune suppressive drugs (such as corticosteriods), radiation therapy _or unknown factors_ cause the virus to reactivate. When it reactivates, it travels down the nerve to the skin. Anyone can get shingles if they have had chicken pox but it is more likely to occur in older people.



Unknown factors: The real killer!

Yep: you can get it again.  Happy, happy, joy, joy.


----------



## DrSpunj

Nail said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Heh.
> 
> If only that were true.  Ask yer doctor....immunity to chicken pox goes down with time.  Moreover, the virus can resurface when your immune system's low.  Ever hear of "shingles"?
> 
> Unknown factors: The real killer!
> 
> Yep: you can get it again.  Happy, happy, joy, joy. *




Ask and ye shall receive! 

Actually, when patients show up with shingles it's not uncommon (but not always the case) to find that they've recently been exposed to children (or adults) with chicken pox. It's believed but not proven (AFAIK) that the contagiousness of the virus somehow reactivates those left behind in people's nerves. Still, shingles usually only affect 1-2 dermatomes, so the area of effect is much smaller. Nothing like what infants and children get with chicken pox that can (as SpaceBaby Industries pointed out) cover your entire body!  

As to the story, I've just started reading the downloadable version. It's very entertaining so far! Hopefully I can find the time to get up to speed in the next few weeks!


----------



## Mazi

> Moving? Let's hope this does not mark the break up of a great group......




Nope they didn't move that far.  They live in an apartment and just moved in to the unit right next door.  It was one of the easiest moves I've ever seen.

-Mazi


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

*Pox and Shingles...such fun*

Thanks for the heads up about Chicken Pox and Shingles.  I actually did learn about that ages ago in a microbiology course, but it wasn't something I had stored at the tip of my mind until you reminded me.  Not anywhere near my major, but it was interesting, albeit sometimes disturbing (that parasite gets where?) stuff.

Truth be told, I'm with DrSpunj on this one.  A couple of spots is going to be a breeze for everyone compared to having an equal amount of surface skin covered with pox as what is still skin.  Makes me think of that old RNA retrovirus the Herpes Simplex (or was is Zoster? I know I've heard that name before) - aka cold sores.  I can't say I'm thrilled when I'm worn down and get one, but it sure beats the other possible strains of that particular little virus doesn't it?

The itchy phase of the pox for my son is over thankfully, but it still gives me pause to see that many spots all over him.  

D&D, kids, and medicinal information - what else could a thread possibly need?  No wonder it's a classic!


----------



## DrSpunj

*Re: Pox and Shingles...such fun*



			
				SpaceBaby Industries said:
			
		

> *Truth be told, I'm with DrSpunj on this one.  A couple of spots is going to be a breeze for everyone compared to having an equal amount of surface skin covered with pox as what is still skin.  Makes me think of that old RNA retrovirus the Herpes Simplex (or was is Zoster? I know I've heard that name before) - aka cold sores.  I can't say I'm thrilled when I'm worn down and get one, but it sure beats the other possible strains of that particular little virus doesn't it? *




Herpes is a family of viruses. I & II cause cold sores and genital herpes (can't remember which is which) and Herpes Zoster (that cause Chicken Pox and Shingles) is something like the Herpes 6 virus. So they're all related but your body sees them as separate diseases.

The kicker about shingles is, because they follow a dermatomal pattern and usually affect the trunk, anyone affected usually ends up with a band about 1" tall running from their back all the way around their side to the middle of their front. This band gets red and then develops sores similar to chicken pox, and usually hurts a ton. I've always thought of shingles as all the chicken pox you get as a kid packed into one small strip!



			
				SpaceBaby Industries said:
			
		

> *The itchy phase of the pox for my son is over thankfully, but it still gives me pause to see that many spots all over him. *




Glad to hear it! BTW, did he get the vaccine? My 2-yr old did, but I'm still trying to figure out how effective it is since we have friends whose children also got the vaccine, but then went on to develop what appeared to be a full blown case of Chicken Pox!


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City – Part 4 (Session 30)*

_”Milo Usamigaras!”_ the priest responded.

_”Nope, just Milo.”_ came the slightly self-conscious answer.

The room they entered was deathly quiet.  Mazi resignedly shook her head at Milo.  He cleared his throat nervously, the noise sounded exceptionally loud in the stillness.

_”But I do *know* Usamigaras-”_ he let the statement hang in the air for a moment.  _”Personally.”_ he finished weakly.

The tall, rotund man spoke again, _”You are not Usamigaras?”_

_”No, not as such.  But I come bearing news from Him.”_

It was impossible to tell with the mask, but Milo got the feeling that the man grew immediately suspicious.  _”News?  How are we to trust strangers with news from Usamigaras?”_

_”Look at me!”_ Milo said with his arms spread wide.  _”Can you see anybody else besides someone looking like me bringing news from Usamigaras?”_

_”The Evil Ones are very clever.  You must prove yourself to us.”_

_”Prove, prove, prove.  Alright, what do I have to do to convince you?”_

_”We ask for a sign that you are from the great Usamigaras.”_

_”A sign?  Why didn’t you say so?  I’ve got signs, plenty of signs.”_  Milo mentally reviewed the spells he had prayed for that morning.  Somehow he didn’t think a _divine storm_ would be an appropriate display.  Then he recalled the _recitation_ he had prepared.  Milo fumbled for a moment with his _bag of holding_ until he withdrew the parchment with the holy words he had inscribed that morning.  He also withdrew Usamigaras’ holy symbol, the five-pointed star.

There was a collective intake of breath from the gathered thirteen.  It was then that Milo noticed the same star inscribed on the floor beneath his feet.  He grinned before sobering his face and mind.  Milo spoke solemnly, _”I will now recite the words of Usamigaras.”_

Milo held the holy symbol in his outstretched hand.  A divine power seemed to enter him as he began reading.  The words that issued from his mouth were of no language he recognized.  It was as if the divine energy were translating his base words into a heavenly message.  As he spoke the star beneath his feet began to glow with a bright white radiance.  The light traced out previously unseen sigils.  They radiated out from the star to glow under the feet of all gathered.  Whomever the light touched seemed to be infused with strength borrowed from the heavens.  The thirteen masked worshippers seemed to be affected even more than Milo’s companions.  He sighed wistfully as the divine power drained from him after the completion of the _recitation_.

Brigit’s gruff voice broke the silence as she attempted to whisper, _”Milo, why’re tha stones glowin’?”_

_”Just go with it.”_ Milo whispered over his shoulder.

The robed men fell to their knees, prostrated before Milo.  _”Please do not worship me.”_  Milo said as he helped the leader to his feet.  _”You’ll give me an inflated head if you keep this up.”_

The man bowed his head as he spoke reverently, _”What shall we do for you, oh great Chosen One?”_

_”Chosen One?  That’s kinda nice.  I could get used to this!”_

_”Have you come to lead us to the Promised Land?”_

_”Now that depends.  What’s your definition of the Promised Land?”_

_”The Promised Land is below.  The caverns from whence we were expelled.”_  He said as if Milo should already have known.  _”Have you come to lead us against the Evil Ones?  To smite them down?”_

Milo nodded, _”That was basically the idea; a little bit of smiting, a little bit of mopping up.  Generally cleaning of the lower caverns of any unsavory, evil types.”_

_”I am Auriga Serkinos, I am High Priest of Usamigaras.”

”So, um-” Milo said, at a loss for a moment.  ”Are these all that is left of the followers of Usamigaras?”

”We have some few others in our stronghold down in the caverns, but they are besieged by the Evil Ones.”

”How many, and how far?”

”There are perhaps fifteen to twenty more of us below.”

”And what are they besieged by?”

”By the evil of Zargon and his High Priestess, Zenobea.”

”Of course, Zargon.  We’ve heard about him.”

”How is it that you do not know of all this, yet you are the Chosen One of Usamigaras?”

Milo thought fast, ”Well, this is a challenge for the people of Usamigaras.  Not just for you, but one that has been given to me as well.”

Auriga nodded sagely, ”Usamigaras is wise in all ways.  And these strange companions of yours?” he pointed to Jeremiah, ”This one we recognize as a man, but he has not covered his face.  You bear the semblance of Usamigaras, so there is no need for you to cover your face.  But these, the small bearded man and the strange women, we do not recognize.”

Milo suppressed a laugh at Auriga’s description of Brigit.  ”This,” he said, indicating the surly dwarf, ”Is a dwarven woman.”

”But she has a beard!” Auriga said in confusion.

”All good dwarves have beards.” Brigit answered for herself.

”You’ll find that dwarves have many idiosyncrasies, Auriga.” Milo added.  ”Some take more getting used to than others.  Her name is Brigit.” Milo walked to Mazi.  ”This is an elven lass, her name is Mazithra.  The man here is Jeremiah of the barbarian tribes of the plateaus.  His companion is Kella.”

”Why has Usamigaras sent you here?”

”To free you.  He’s been quite insistent on that.”

”Are you to be our leader then?”

”I will certainly lead you back into the Promised Land.  After that, we’ll see.”

”With what forces to you propose to help us?  You must be very powerful to succeed against the Evil Ones.”

”We’ve seen our share of battles.  We haven’t even died that often.”

Auriga started at Milo’s statement.  ”You come from the afterlife?”

”No, no, not exactly.” he glanced at Jeremiah and Kella.  ”It’s a long story, probably best we don’t get into it.  Suffice it to say that with our help I am confident that we can overthrow Zargon and get you back home.”

”We outnumber Zargon, Zenobea, and their priests, but they have powerful magic.  We do not know if we can overcome them.  But we must have faith.”

Milo remembered Kanadius and his warnings of Zenobea’s power over the mind. ”We’ve heard that they have more than just magic, is that true?”

”Zargon himself is magic.  Queen Zenobea, she is not normal.  She has lived for many, many years.  Since the death of her husband, King Alexander centuries ago.”

”This King Alexander, was he a good man?”

Auriga nodded again, ”He was, until she disposed of him in a most foul manner.  He had put her aside for worshipping the dark arts.  He had taken another wife in her place.  She slaughtered him and his new wife in jealousy.”

”I see.” Milo decided to bring things back to the present, ”Now, what kind of preparations have you made to free the others?”

”We are few, we are students of the arcane arts.  Our powers do not make us a good match against her.  She is very powerful; our weapons seem to do little harm to her, our spells even less.  We are not enough to overcome her.  As I said, the rest of our people are trapped below.  We manage to get messages back and forth, but-“

Milo interjected, ”Messages?  How do you get messages to them?”  He hoped for a secret way below that they could use to infiltrate Zenobea’s forces.

”We have carriers that ferry messages to the others.”

”Through passages?  Secret passages?”

”There is a passage.  Zenobea’s forces may know of it, but our powers are sufficient to hide us from them.  We do not have enough magic to hide a large force.”

Milo considered all the information they had obtained thus far.  He felt they had a good chance of freeing his god’s people.  They may need help from the other two groups of the lost city though.  ”If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I’m going to discuss with my companions our options.”

”Very well, we will depart and offer up thanks to Usamigaras.  Our Deliverer has come.”

Oh boy, Milo thought to himself, how many ways can this go wrong?_


----------



## Capellan

*Re: The Lost City – Part 4 (Session 30)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> _Oh boy_, Milo thought to himself, _how many ways can this go wrong?_




12,937.

Approximately.


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

*He's baaaack!*

Good to see another post Milo!  Brigit is obviously quite proud of her beard, and the "on the fly" actions of Milo were an amusing read.  I could hear the wheels turning in your head as you figured out your next move.



> Glad to hear it! BTW, did he get the vaccine? My 2-yr old did, but I'm still trying to figure out how effective it is since we have friends whose children also got the vaccine, but then went on to develop what appeared to be a full blown case of Chicken Pox!




Truth be told DrSpunj, we were a mite leery of the vaccine.  While the chances are _very_ small, it wouldn't be the first time a vaccine didn't work, or did more harm than good.  Anyone remember the fallout from those 1970s bulk immunizations at school?  We also had the line of thinking that Chicken Pox is an annoyance, not a danger for a kid.  As opposed to the MMR vaccination, or the proper name for the various needles stuck into our brood, as you don't want to contract potentially permanently debilitating conditions.  Add to that a rather lukewarm opinion of the vaccine from our Pediatrician, and well, you've got a couple of kids with spots.

I can't take him out in public yet (don't want to get people upset seeing all those spots), but he's back to his usual energetic self.  

Now if we can only figure out why our baby turns from Dr. Jolly into Miss Howl every night.   Ah, for eight hours continuous sleep.   Someday...


----------



## Nail

*Re: The Lost City – Part 4 (Session 30)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *”Have you come to lead us against the Evil Ones?  To smite them down?”
> 
> Milo nodded, ”That was basically the idea; a little bit of smiting, a little bit of mopping up.  Generally cleaning of the lower caverns of any unsavory, evil types.” *



This is great stuff, Milo.  I mean it.  Here's to smiting 'unsavory, evil types'!!! (raises glass)

Wow, do I have alot to say about immunizations...but I won't go inot it here.  Suffice it to say I completely disagree with Spacebaby.

More story!  (thunk!!)  More story!!!  (thunk!!)


----------



## Milo Windby

Thanks for the comments everyone!  You're going to give me as big of a head as Auriga is in game.    I was actually a little concerned that this post wouldn't be as favorably received since it was almost completely composed of dialogue.  

To answer your question from a while back Nail, I'm gong to have to give you the pros and cons to recording sessions.

*Pros:*
Frees up stenographer to concentrate on gameplay
Able to record table conversation and events verbatim

*Cons:*
Unable to transcribe and write posts while at work
Constant stopping and starting of tape to keep up with dialogue
Harder to formulate actions into words without written notes to study
Screaming kids and quiet dialogue don't mix well on tape

That's what I've found thus far.  I'm not sure if I'll stick with the taped sessions or resort to written notes again.  I'll give it a little more time.

I've still got a bit of tape to transcribe.  We have the maidens and the war council to get through after all.


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *Thanks for the comments everyone!  You're going to give me as big of a head as Auriga is in game.   *




Oh....well, we can't have any of that.  Let's see....(ahem)  "Yep, yer terrible writer, Milo, that's why I read yer story hour all the time......"  Wait, was that the effect I was lookin' for?   

*



			I've still got a bit of tape to transcribe.  We have the maidens and the war council to get through after all.
		
Click to expand...


*"Errr, uhmmm....ahem  ......(tries to look truthful)......Oh, I'd _hate_ to see you write *that* up.  I mean it.  (supresses chuckle) I  don't like the way you write at all....no, no...you've certainly made....ahem....no fans here.    Errrrm....yes.....   What you lookin' at?!!"


----------



## frog

For those of you interested, the campaign began with B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, moved to T 1-4: The Temple of Elemental Evil, and has now gone to B4: The Lost City. 

As you can probably tell, I have a collection of old modules that are just begging me to run them so I have given in to the temptation.

The game world is a modified Known World from the Dungeons and Dragons Expert set. Some of the "Mystara" stuff has been thrown in for flavor, but I was never a fan of the "Mystarification" of the Known World. I currently am using the Gazetteers to provide background setting information. 

For the Old Timers around here, we also have waiting in the wings the following (if they decide to follow these leads...I don't force them to do much of anything):

G 1-3
D 1-3
X 4-5
I 3-5

Note that I have not included the titles to the above mentioned modules so as to not tip them off as to the contents.

I am currently working on documentation of the various characters and players in this drama and the roles that they fulfill in the "grand scheme of things". Obviously I won't be posting this here, as my players don't need to know EVERYTHING. If you are interested in knowing more, let me know of a place to post it and I will be more than happy to do so.


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City – Part 5 (Session 30)*

Milo and the others walked a space away from the worshippers and spoke in hushed tones.

_”So, what do you think?”_ Milo asked the group.

_”I think you’ve got a good chance of getting these ‘Magi’ to play nice with the Brotherhood upstairs.”_ replied Mazi.  _”It looks like you’re in good enough standing with them to direct them where you will.  You can basically tell them what they have to do to win and they’ll do it.”_

_”Right,”_ said Milo with some trepidation.  He didn’t know how he felt about leading a group of blind followers into danger and possible death.  _”We still need to find the Maidens and convince them to ally with the others.”_

_”Aye.  Mazi’n me will bring ‘em round.”_ Brigit said with confidence.

Milo brightened at the thought of taking a backseat in the next diplomatic discussion.  _”That’s right!  That’s all you guys!”_

_”Don’t sound too enthusiastic about it.”_ Mazi said acerbically.  _”Why do I get the feeling that this is going to fall to me?”_

_”Well Brigit can help, but with her beard I don’t know if they’ll take her for a man or a woman.”_  Milo suppressed a grin.

_”Ya got a problem wi’ mah beard, then yer gonna have a problem wi’ me axe too!”_

_”No, no, no.  I don’t have a problem with your beard at all.  It’s very tasteful.”_ Milo raised his hands in a mock warding gesture.  He glanced at Kella, aloof and uninterested in the discussion.  _”I don’t think you’ll want to leave it to you-know-who.”_ he whispered to Mazi.

Kella’s ears were too sharp for Milo’s whisper to go unnoticed.  _”Stupid heathens!  I hope you all burn.  At least that would leave us to the important matters!”_

Milo raised his eyebrows at the vehement outburst.  He hoped Kella wouldn’t be that unfriendly until they got Jeremiah back to the plateaus.  They had no idea where they were, much less how to get back.  Who knew how long they’d have to spend together?

They fell into a short discussion on the merits of joining the Brotherhood and the Magi before they enlisted the Maidens.  It was decided to leave them isolated until all three groups agreed to the alliance.

_”I think it’s time to tell the Magi the news then.”_ Mazi said to the halfling.

Milo nodded.  He called to Auriga and the two met in the center of the room.  The older man lowered his head in respect.  Milo ignored the discomfiting gesture and spoke.  _”As you have probably guessed, we’ve passed through the levels above to reach you.  Along the way we met the Brotherhood of Gorm.”_

Milo was interrupted by a sharp intake of breath from the other.  _”The heathens?”_

_”Yes, yes.  It’s very scandalous, I know.  They’re kind of on the way down here, so it was inevitable.  Their leader, Kanadius, spoke of past alliances between your people.”_

_”They are untrustworthy.”_

_”That may be,”_ Milo tried to head the argument off but was interrupted.

_”They and the women live for war.  We live for studies and for worship.  They are very violent.  We do not have much communication with them, as it should be.”_

_”Yes, but you have to accept that in order to overcome Zargon and Zenobia, violence will be necessary.”_

_”This is understood.  We have studied the arcane arts to aid us in this battle.”_

_”Wise tactics.  But don’t you think that allying yourselves with warriors in a battle such as this would be prudent?  Especially allies that have the same goal as yourselves?”_

_”Knowing the intentions of their hearts is very difficult.  They have told us one thing in the past and have done something completely different.”_

_”That’s a valid concern.  But with us, my companions and I, to help lead you and keep the others in line I am confident that we can keep a truce active long enough to overthrow Zargon and Zenobia.  You can then part your separate ways and govern yourselves in peace once again.”_

_”And who will lead us once Zenobia is overthrown?”_

_”Well as far as who will lead the Magi, I think that is a decision we should leave up to Usamigaras.  I think the Brotherhood will have to determine their own leader.”_

_”So we trade one group who rules over us and sacrifices us for warring factions?”_

_”I’d say that depends on how long you plan on going to war with the Brotherhood.”_

_”We do not plan on war.  We simply defend ourselves from them.”_

_”After the danger has passed I believe we can write up documents.  Truces and treaties to which both sides can agree.”_

_”If they will swear on the altar that they will abide by these truces, then our God will ensure that they cannot break them.”_

Milo shook his head sadly, he very much doubted the Brotherhood would agree to such a thing.  _”And if they require the same from you?  You wouldn’t have a problem swearing on their altar?”_

_”We will swear on our altar, not theirs.  We can accept the judgment of our God.”_

_”Do you believe that will satisfy them?”_

_”I do not know.”_ Auriga said simply.

Milo despaired at reaching Auriga with reason.  He whispered back to the others, _”What do you think, burn this bridge when we get to it?”_

_”That may be for the best.  We can’t stand her and argue this forever.”_ Mazi said.

_”Argh!  Jus’ skip all this.  Let ‘em all die fer all Ah care.”_ Brigit exclaimed.  She earned a few fearful stares from the gathered worshippers.

_”Let’s find out where the Maidens are and get this over with.”_ Mazi said quietly.

Milo nodded and turned back to Auriga.  _”Now, in order to ensure our success at overthrowing Zenobia, we believe it would be wise to ally ourselves with the Maidens.”_

Auriga cleared his throat, obviously in consternation.  _”You suggest many strange things.  But if you can accomplish this, if you can win from them their sworn oath that they will not attack us when we are done, then we will ally with them and the Brotherhood.”_

_”Very well!”_ Milo clapped his hands together once in relief.  _”You point us towards the Maidens and we’ll get on our way.  Once we have everyone’s agreement on an alliance we will gather and overthrow Zenobia!”_

Auriga directed them to another door leading from the chamber.  He told them of a wall of symbols and which one to press to take them to the Maidens.  He warned them that they would hear a great rumbling before the way was opened.

_”Now, in case we encounter any of the queen’s patrols along the way, do you have any protections you can offer?  Invisibility would be a welcome spell.”_ Milo asked.

_”Is the Holy One asking for assistance from the Magi?”_ Auriga asked.

_”Yes I am, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”_

_”Does he not have protections granted him by Usamigaras?”_

_”I certainly do, but I’d prefer to keep them in reserve in case of emergency.”_  Milo thought for a moment longer before continuing.  _”I believe it would be wise to approach the Maidens with women only.  If you could render Jeremiah and I invisible, the negotiations may go more favorably.”_

_”Atu, Abu, come forth.”_ Auriga motioned two of the worshippers to stand before him.  _”Cast your spells upon the Chosen One and his companion.”_

The two did as they were bid.  Milo and Jeremiah shimmered as if they were figments of a heat mirage before they disappeared from sight completely.

Milo bid a disembodied farewell to Auriga and the worshippers as the others made their way to the door.

A long hall led to the aforementioned door.  A bank of raised symbols lined the door.  Milo wondered what would happen if they were to press the wrong symbol.  His curiosity would have to wait.  Mazithra pressed the symbol of which Auriga told them.  A deep rumble sounded beyond the door.  It seemed as if tons of stone grated upon stone behind the closed portal.  After a few moments the sounds died to an echo through the hall in which they stood.  Brigit heaved the heavy stone door inward.  Another non-descript hallway lay beyond.  Milo shrugged and followed the others in.

An identical door to the last lay at the end of the hallway.  Brigit heaved her bulk at the door as she did the other.  She tromped her plated boots into the large chamber behind the door.  Milo hoped her noise would mask the sound of Jeremiah’s similarly plated feet.  Brigit soon stopped as she took in the sight of the room.

Ten women sat at a table, all were staring at the interlopers.  They were clad in bronze chainmail draped over green tunics.  Their faces were also covered in bronze masks.  These were sculpted as the face of the third statue from the top of the pyramid, the woman with the wheat and the sword.  

The woman at the head of the table stood and spoke gruffly, _”Who are you and what are you doing here?”_

Mazi stepped forward.  _”Who’s in charge here?”_ she asked imperiously.

_”I am,”_ said the standing woman.  _”Do you come to claim challenge rights?”_

_”No, I don’t.  My name is Mazithra and I am here to help form an alliance between the Maidens, the Brotherhood and the Magi.”_

The other woman scoffed, _”Are you truly a woman that you pose such an outrageous alliance?”_

Mazi bristled at the implied insult.


----------



## Milo Windby

Hey folks.  Sorry for the hiatus here.  I'm on vacation in MO visiting an old friend.  We'll be returning Wednesday and I'll try to get the next installment out on Thursday.  We're just about back up to date now.


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *Hey folks.  Sorry for the hiatus here. .....(snip).....We're just about back up to date now. *



Your fans await!  
 

And...we (that is, all of us fans, all three of us!) get inspiration from you and your group!  Specifically, your story hour finally persuaded me to get off my lazy butt an' write my own.  Woot!

....anyway, here's hopin' Mazi has some 133t diplomatic skilz!

(...did I jus' write that?)


----------



## Schmoe

frog said:
			
		

> *For the Old Timers around here, we also have waiting in the wings the following (if they decide to follow these leads...I don't force them to do much of anything):
> 
> G 1-3
> D 1-3
> X 4-5
> I 3-5
> *




Oooh, ooooh, oooh!  I put in a vote for *all* of these!  Such great modules.  I especially like the X series and the I series, and I can see how they would tie very nicely together.  

BTW frog, check out the updated Juggernaut in MM2.  Very nasty.


----------



## Nail

Schmoe said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Oooh, ooooh, oooh!  I put in a vote for all of these!  *



The only problem: depending on XP awards, they will be well past the levels appropriate for these modules.  Moreover, it wouldn't take more than two of those to put them in the 20th level range.

'Cause those guys are *big* modules.......


----------



## Schmoe

Nail said:
			
		

> *
> The only problem: depending on XP awards, they will be well past the levels appropriate for these modules.  Moreover, it wouldn't take more than two of those to put them in the 20th level range.
> 
> 'Cause those guys are big modules....... *




Well, as frog will have to do some conversion anyway, I'm sure that he could make sure to "kick it up a notch," as appropriate to the party.  Heck, I'd be happy to help contribute to high-level conversions of these modules, if necessary.


----------



## frog

If we hit all 11 of those modules then I am afraid we would be 5 more years on this campaign. Considering that after 2 years now they are at 11 level, that would move us well into the "epic" areas. 

Not that I would mind. The changes that I already have in mind for the modules should be enough to challenge them. I always felt that X4 and X5 were made to be a "sneak" type mission and these guys have little or no "sneak" in them. It is "kick in the door and kick in some butt" for them 99% of the time. This tends to go against the party when there is an entire country of religious fanatics around them (and yes I saw the Juggernaut and it is one mean machine).

As for the "I" series, they are more of a thinking persons module set (as are most of the Hickman modules). Once again, this is not the parties strong point so I feel it would be challenging to them without needing massive amounts of imaginary carnage. 

The G series...well...lets just say that the last time I ran it I wiped out a party of 7 14th level characters...in the kitchen of G3...with the cooks using pots and pans to bludgeon them to death. I wouldn't worry too much about it being too "soft" for them


----------



## Milo Windby

frog said:
			
		

> *{SNIP}these guys have little or no "sneak" in them. It is "kick in the door and kick in some butt" for them 99% of the time.{SNIP}*



There are two reasons for this, I think.  Two of the three players in this game (we've just about lost Jer's player to boredom) are novice RPGers.  I myself have played in the past, but never got to the point that most players seem to reach after years of playing (non-combative, diplomacy-like play).  

The other reason is that I am the ONLY sneaky-type in our party.  I have three whole levels of rogue.  All of my measly 4 skill points per level as a cleric go to cleric skills.  So I have pretty much reached the pinnacle of my sneaking career already.  We'd be relying solely on magical tactics, which are extremely fallable in higher levels.  We'll see how it goes as things progress.  I think we've been doing good so far.  

We haven't killed any of the people we've met so far in this adventure.  I'd say that's a pretty good sign. 

PS.  I'm excited to hear about your pending story hour, Nail!  Throw an URL in here when you've got it up.  I'll read it.


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> There are two reasons for this ("kick-in-the-door" style play), I think.  Two of the three players in this game (we've just about lost Jer's player to boredom) are novice RPGers.......(snip)...
> 
> The other reason is that I am the ONLY sneaky-type in our party.  I have three whole levels of rogue......(snip)...  *



Sure.  You guys are optimized for fighting, not sneaking and diplomacy, so it only makes sense.  And really, just do what you have fun doing......although it's nice to see *frog* stretch you guys alittle.  Good stuff, that.

As Milo goes up in levels, those rogue skills will become less and less important.  Still, the sneak attack, uncanny dodge, and evasion are helpful, as you've written.  Isn't there some amazing PrC that can knit those two classes together in some way?  (Wait, did we already talk about that?)

...but anyway, enough chattering...what happened to the Ladies of the stody hour?  Do they succeed in convincing the Maidens to join the fight?  Concerned story hour readers want to know.




> *PS.  I'm excited to hear about your pending story hour, Nail!  Throw an URL in here when you've got it up.  I'll read it. *



Aaack.  I was kinda "pimping", wasn't I?  Sorry.  So don't any of you loyal Milo story readers get distracted and click here!


----------



## frog

The Maidens join...but at what cost to the party's fragile balance? 

And as a preview of last Saturday's game...has anyone ever seen what kind of effect an Insect Plague has on a charging army?

Milo has and he didn't enjoy it one bit.


----------



## frog

I have opened up a new thread on the "Plots and Places" board for any questions about the campaign. If you are interested in background or behind the scenes stuff go ahead and post there. I would appreciate it if the players stayed off of it tho as I may post "spoilers" there.

Thanks,


----------



## Milo Windby

I hope to have the next installment up within the next couple of days.  Sorry about the delay.

Insect plague isn't nice.

I don't remember talking about a rogue/cleric PrC, Nail.  To which one are you referring?  My main reason for not choosing a PrC would be spell levels.  I can't stand not to get a spell level every character level, especially since I'm three spell levels behind already.

I'm going to be reading your story hour right away Nail.


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City – Part 6 (Session 30)*

_”But they’ve had such alliances before.”_ Milo whispered softly at Mazithra’s side.  Mazi echoed the statement to the masked woman.

She looked at Mazi oddly.  _”I believe I hear something whispering in the wind.”_

Brigit thought quickly.  _”Errr, tha’s jus’ me gas.”_  This prompted another odd look from the maiden.  Milo resolved to keep his big mouth shut during the rest of the negotiations.

_”What is this bearded – thing?”_

_”Ah’m a Dwarf!”_ Brigit said proudly, somehow emphasizing the capital letter.  _”Ah’m a female, see tha lumps in tha breastplate?”_ she said simply, as she grabbed her breastplate for emphasis.

The maiden turned again to Mazi, _”Who are you that you bring these people into our sanctum and why should we listen to you?”_

Mazi did her best to smooth over the rough beginning, _”We have heard of your troubles with Zenobia and Zargon.  We’re here to help you stop them.”_

The maiden crossed her arms in a sign of misgivings.  Mazi looked nonplussed.  Suddenly she was pushed aside as Kella strode forward.  She looked back at the shocked elf with an expression of disgust and impatience.  With a sigh of exasperation, she spoke.  _”Please excuse my ‘companions’.  We are here to help you rid yourselves of the evil of Zargon and Zenobia.”_

The maiden seemed to perk up as Kella entered the discussion.  _”You, you are a human!  I do not know what these are,”_ she gestured at Mazi and Brigit.  Mazi was silently fuming, her eyes boring an imaginary hole in the back of Kella.

_”She is an elf, and she is a dwarf.  They come from different races, but they are still women.  We are all friends in the common cause of ridding the world of evil, evil such as Zenobia and Zargon.  Be it by themselves, or with the aid of others.  The alliance we three hold together make us much more powerful than any one of us alone.  Just as an alliance between you and the other two groups here would allow you to overthrow your common enemies.”_

_”Why should we trust you?”_ Even with the strong words, the maiden seemed impressed.

_”What reason would we have to deceive you?”_

_”Queen Zenobia is crafty and wise.”_

_”How can I prove to you that I am not part of her ilk?”_

_”You could join us.”_

Kella looked down for a moment before speaking.  _”My allegiance belongs to the Bear Clan of the plateaus.  It would violate my beliefs and morals if I were to join with your maidens.”_

The maiden was silent for a few moments, deliberating.  _”You could become a minor member of our people.  You would not be required to worship Madarua.”_

Kella seemed agreeable.  _”How would I go about becoming a minor member?”_

_”Through an initiation ceremony.  You will be given a token to show that you are an initiate and as key for us to know you.”_

_”Very well, I will join with you as a minor member if that will prove to you that we come as friends and allies.  In return I ask that you join the alliance with the Brotherhood and the Magi so that we may defeat Zargon once and for all.  What you do after he is overthrown I leave to you, I only ask that you leave the Magi to their own purposes and in peace.”_

_”You must first go through the rite before we make a decision.  We must know if you speak the truth.  Any enemy of ours would not go through this rite.”_

_”Very well.”_

_”Draw your scimitar and prick your finger.”_ Kella did as the maiden told her.  _”Now wipe the blood on the blade,”_ again Kella followed the maiden’s word.  _”Now you must swear to uphold the honor of the sisterhood.”_

_”I swear to uphold the honor of the sisterhood.”_

_”Even with your life.”_

_”If necessary.”_

The maiden seemed satisfied with Kella’s oath.  _”Can you speak for the other groups?”_

_”Yes, we have already spoken with them.  They have agreed to form an alliance to overthrow Zargon.”_

_”They listened to you, a woman?”_

_”We have other members of our party that are – persuasive.”_

_”Very well.  We have forces that can aid us in the city in our stronghold.  We will trust you.  Your oath will bind you and the others that travel with you.  If they break this, your word is broken as well.”_

Kella nodded her acquiescence.  

The maiden spoke again, _”When shall this alliance begin?”_

_”In two hours, we must gather the other groups.  They would not agree to an alliance without your participation.  Is there a neutral ground that all parties may visit?”_

_”There is a room above the passage that leads to the lower levels.  It is called the Room of the Ramp.  It will be large enough to house us all and it would be the natural place to start our journey to the city.”_

_”Then we’ll meet you in the room in two hour’s time.”_

_”Farewell, Kella of the Bear Clan.”_

The party turned to leave, Jeremiah and Milo invisibly trailing close behind.  When they had gotten out of earshot Mazi spoke, _”Was I speaking elven in there or something?  Why wouldn’t she listen to me?”_

_”I think it was the pointy ears.”_ Milo’s disembodied voice said, suppressing a chuckle at Mazi’s consternation.  

_”Shut up Milo.”_ Mazi said grumpily.

They visited the Magi first.  Milo let the invisibility drop to speak with Auriga.  He told him of their success with the maidens and the plan to meet in the Room of the Ramp.  In a short time they had also spoken with Kanadius.  The alliance was set for its first meeting.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Kella*

Just to give you a little background about this session.  This was the one where both Mazi and I failed our rolls.  So instead Kella had to step up and get the job done.  I actually played Kella for this session and it involved alot of Role Playing versus or normal hack and slash.  It was intresting to say the least.  I think Frog about feel over when Brigit tried to show she was a women by pointing at her chest.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Next Battle*

Just wait till Milo posts the battle its getting to be interesting.


----------



## Mazi

Yeah and let me tell you how _THRILLED_ I was to be upstaged by an NPC.


----------



## Nail

Mazi said:
			
		

> *Yeah and let me tell you how THRILLED I was to be upstaged by an NPC. *



(chuckles)

At least th' NPC was played by another player.

You know yer in trouble when the DM's NPC has to talk you out of a situation......


----------



## frog

> You know yer in trouble when the DM's NPC has to talk you out of a situation......




Not gonna happen.


----------



## Nail

frog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Not gonna happen.
> 
> *



...and to be clear, I wasn't implying that it does.  I've been reading this story hour long enough to know that!

I have participated in campaigns where the DM had "pet" NPCs which solved the PCs problems....not that fun.


----------



## frog

For those interested, I have posted some campaign information and background on the Plots and Places board.  Players, please do not read it...it will only spoil it for you.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Next Battle*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *Just wait till Milo posts the battle its getting to be interesting.  *



Still waiting.....


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City – Part 7 (Session 31)*

Soon enough two hours had passed.  All three leaders had brought their delegations with them.  The Room of the Ramp had more than enough space to accommodate all.  The ceilings of the vast chamber were too high to make out with their flickering torchlight.  The craggy walls stretched around for hundreds of feet.  They met at the opening of the ramp.  The huge slope slanted away from them gradually, the end lost out of sight from Milo’s inferior night vision.  Auriga, Kanadius, and Pandora, the priestess of Madarua, eyed each other warily.  Their three respective groups of followers huddled in a trio of masses behind each, whispering furtively through their masks.

It took all of Milo and Kella’s diplomatic skills to convince the leaders that the alliance would be fruitful and result in peace for all.  They eventually convinced the leaders to shake hands and get down to the business of planning their assault.

A long, low table squatted in the middle of the room.  It was there they drew up their tactics.  Auriga had brought a crude map of the caverns below.  Kanadius and Pandora marked the buildings that housed the remainder of their loyals.  If Milo was reading the scale on the map correctly, the dimensions of the cavern below were mind-boggling.  

There were two main thoroughfares that crossed each other.  One road led straight through the city, the other led to a large underground lake.  In the center of the lake was an irregular circle marked ‘Island of Death’.  On the far shore was another circle marked ‘Eye of Zargon’.  That would be their ultimate goal, to rid Usamigaras’ people of the evil of Zargon.  Near the far shore of the lake were a series of caves marked ‘Goblins’.  Zenobea’s stronghold, the Temple of Zargon, was on the corner of the main roads’ intersection.  Across the road from the temple was a large complex that housed Auriga’s people.  Pandora’s people lived in another large complex to their side.  Kanadius’ men stayed in a stronghold at the entrance to the ramp.  According to the leaders, the rest of the buildings would be completely deserted.

_”How many fighters can we count on?”_ Milo asked the leaders.

Kanadius spoke first _”There are thirty strong men that still call Gorm their god.  Coupled with the ten I lead up here, we are forty in all.  They will fight if I ask them.”_

Auriga was next _”My people are not accustomed to battle.  Even so, we have twenty-seven acolytes in our complex that know some basic spells.  They can support the thirteen mages that follow me here.”_

Pandora spoke last _”I lead ten fierce maidens here.  Twenty-five await our return below.  Each one of them has their reasons for hating Zenobia.  They will fight.”_

Milo did some quick calculations.  _”That gives us a fighting force of a hundred-fifteen, not including Auriga, Kanadius, Pandora, and ourselves.  How many would you guess Zenobia can field against us?”_ 

_”By my spies’ report, I’d say anywhere between twenty and thirty reside in the temple.  Though our numbers are greater, they hold a power that we have yet been able to overcome.”_ Auriga spoke gravely.

_”Things change.”_ Milo said simply.  

They began their planning in earnest.  A few tactics were discussed until they finally settled on a single course of action.  Milo and Brigit would lead a diversionary force directly at the front of the temple.  They would take five each of the brotherhood of Gorm and the Maidens of Madarua.  Kella would lead the bulk of the maidens at Pandora’s side as they attacked from diversion’s left.  Jeremiah would lead the brotherhood with Kanadius into the right flank.  Mazithra would offer arcane support with the mages and acolytes of Auriga from the rear of the battle.  Milo just hoped they could draw Zenobea’s forces out from the temple.  They weren’t equipped for a siege of any kind.

Their course set, the new alliance prepared to descend.  Milo drew off with Auriga’s group to offer a quiet prayer for assistance from Usamigaras.  Before long they were heading down the ramp into the deep gloom of the Lost City.

The battle plan was spread quietly among the people of the city.  It didn’t take long to ready those able to fight.  Milo waited with Brigit and their force in Auriga’s stronghold.  Two couriers appeared, they brought the word that all was in ready.  Milo breathed deep, concentrating on the daunting task ahead.  Brigit looked happier than he had seen her in weeks.  It seemed she craved the battle, her dwarven instincts rising to the surface as her bearded face glowed in anticipation.  

The flanking groups were to charge as soon as the sounds of battle reached their ears.  Milo hoped they would be able to cover the ground in time.  They would have to travel a hundred feet or more to reach the temple from their hiding places.  It seemed he and the diversionary party was marching out into the main road in no time.  The moment felt surreal to Milo.  At any other time he would have been awe struck by the cavern they traveled through.  The mere presence of anything as large as this occurring naturally made him feel very small indeed.  He pushed those thoughts to the side and focused on the temple that approached all too quickly.

The façade of the temple was hewn from the stone of the cavern.  Three large columns jutted from the floor of the cavern to grasp towards the unseen roof.  Two large doors, the entrance to the temple, were set between the three columns.  As they group of twelve drew near, the doors swung open.  Fifteen robed men filed from the temple and swayed towards the group.  A quiet voice filtered down to them, as if a woman were whispering in each of their ears, _”Worship me.”_

Brigit barked a laugh, then, _”Worship me AXE!”_

It was time to act.

Milo called down the heavenly might of Usamigaras.  A shaft of light poured down on all fifteen of the evenly spaced men advancing from the temple.  The light seemed to be liquid white, settling about two feet from the ground.  It began to sharpen and take focus.  Spinning luminosity began to take shape and solidity.  The air was filled with the sound of hundreds of short swords, gleaming brightly, whirring through the enemy ranks.  Thirteen of the men crumpled to heaps under the blades, their cries of surprise and pain cut short.  The last two limped away from the whirling _divine storm_ as fast as they could.  After the noise died down, Milo was surprised to hear an awed sort of chanting from behind him.  He turned to see Mazi leading the mages out of the complex.  Auriga led them in an impromptu chant: _”Chosen One, Chosen One, Chosen One,”_ Milo groaned.

Suddenly Auriga cried out, _”Destroy the heretics!”_ and brandished his walking staff.  A lance of _lightning_ streaked out from the roof of the temple.  It struck Auriga squarely in the chest.  The old man was thrown back through the doorway to the complex.  Milo choked back a shout.  They would pay for that, he swore to himself.

The thundering of seventy feet brought Milo’s attention back around.  Kanadius and Pandora’s forces were arriving.  They still had a few seconds before they would arrive.  Milo readied himself for the next assault.

He heard a shrill, empty laugh from above.  A woman had stridden out from the central tower of the temple to stand many feet above the central column.  She looked out among the gathering forces and spoke in a harsh, alien voice.  Thousands of tiny motes began pouring from her outstretched fingers.  The tiny shapes swirled and gathered before it descended across the battlefield.  It was as if a blanket of pure darkness tumbled down toward them.  In seconds it was clear that it wasn’t darkness that fell, but insects, thousands upon thousands of insects, clawed, bit, and stung at all within the cloud.  Kanadius and Pandora’s forces panicked, as did Brigit and Milo’s.  It seemed all were about to flee in terror.  

Milo raised his hands in supplication to Usamigaras and then brought them down in the motion of splashing water.  His _dispel magic_ ate away at the _insect plague_.  The bugs dissolved in a quickening ring around Milo, until it spread to the very edges.  The damage had been done though, Brigit, Jeremiah, Kanadius, Kella, and Pandora spent the next several seconds rallying their troops.  The Magi, silenced by the fall of their leader, took up their chant again, _”The Chosen One will prevail, the Chosen One will prevail,”_

In response to Milo’s spell, the woman above called down fiery revenge.  A well-placed _flamestrike_ decimated Milo and Brigit’s forces.  Milo managed to twist out of the way in time to see the maidens and brothers wither under the unholy firestorm.  His jaw set and he glared up at the woman that could only be Zenobia.  She grinned down at him maliciously, her eyes cold and emotionless.

Streaks of bright energy suddenly slammed into her.  Mazi had cast _magic missile_ from the rear ranks.  The spheres of force seemed to have no effect though.  They merely bounced off of her imperious form.  If anything, her evil smile widened.

Movement from the corner of Milo’s eyes brought his attention back to the temple.  Shuffling on bandaged feet, eight mummies lumbered from the temple’s doors.  Milo suppressed an irrational sense of fear at the sight.  Milo hated undead, really.  Brigit seemed able to quell her panic as well.  She reacted quickly to the threat and lobbed a flask of alchemist fire at one of the bandaged monstrosities.  The mummy burst into flame, its bandages catching fire easily.  Milo followed her attack quickly.  He drew his five-pointed star from within his armor and brandished it at the mummies.  Usamigaras’ holy light poured from the symbol, striking the mummies with a palpable force.  Two of the undead creatures, the flaming one included, turned to flee immediately.  A hoarse shout came from behind Milo as the Magi obtained yet more proof of his divinity.  Those beliefs were going to be hard to refute later, thought Milo.  

More important matters pressed themselves as Zenobia acted another time.  The other forces had come closer, almost within striking distance of the mummies.  Again the quiet female voice whispered in their ears, _”Worship me.”_  This time its affect was more widespread.  All of Kanadius men but one bowed down immediately.  They chanted Zenobea’s name with fervor.  Kanadius was left shouting orders to deaf ears.  Zenobea’s icy smile shone down on her new worshippers.

Another _lightning bolt_ lanced out, this time coming from the Magi’s ranks.  Mazi’s power was not great enough to overcome Zenobea’s resistance and the electricity played over her form harmlessly.  The Magi finally attacked.  A _web_ shot up from the temple roof around Zenobia, but this too she resisted.  She floated in the midst of the magical netting, untouched.  A volley of _magic missiles_ shot from the hands of the Magi.  Out of the dozen that shot through the web, Milo could see that two actually made their mark on the floating woman.  She grunted audibly at the assault.

Milo could hear another chant rise up over the battleground, this time it came from Kella.  She performed her own _dispel magic_, this one centered on Zenobia herself.  Another hoarse shout came from all who did not worship the woman as whatever magical force that kept her afloat dissipated.  She unceremoniously plummeted to the roof of the temple, out of sight.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Re: Re: Next Battle*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Still waiting.....    *



Sorry for the delay in the post.  I actually had this written and done around 1:00PM EST yesterday.  By then the site had crashed and I couldn't post until this afternoon. 

I hope you enjoy it, that's about 2/3's of the battle so far.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Re: Re: Next Battle*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *I hope you enjoy it, that's about 2/3's of the battle so far. *



Yowsa.

Had you thought of this?







> Dispel Magic as a Counterspell: The character can use dispel magic to counterspell another spellcaster, and the character doesn't need to identify the spell he or she is casting. However, dispel magic doesn't always work as a counterspell.  The character must make a dispel check to counter the other spellcaster’s spell.



(shrug) Not a _great_ idea, but your spell casters out-numbered the opponents, so you could get a shot at counter-spelling and attack.


----------



## frog

What Milo's comment didn't quite portray is that this is 2/3 of the battle that we have so far played out.  As you will be able to see in his next post, they have yet to really engage the mysterious Queen. 

I must confess tho that I misread a spell description during this battle which ends up in allowing the Queen an attack that she does not actually possess. I will leave it up to you to decide which it is. Sorry Milo and the gang...that is what I get for speedreading spell descriptions.


----------



## Nail

frog said:
			
		

> *What Milo's comment didn't quite portray is that this is 2/3 of the battle that we have so far played out.  As you will be able to see in his next post, they have yet to really engage the mysterious Queen.  *



You mean they haven't (in RL) finished this battle yet?  Oh.  Sorry for the kibitzing!


----------



## frog

> You mean they haven't (in RL) finished this battle yet? Oh. Sorry for the kibitzing!




Don't worry about it...they need all the help they can get...as you will soon see.

Milo has come down with a nasty cold bug this weekend so we will probably not be playing Saturday.  Sorry folks.


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

> Milo has come down with a nasty cold bug this weekend so we will probably not be playing Saturday. Sorry folks.



It happens to everyone.  Once you leave University for "real life" it gets pretty hard to maintain a regular smiting schedule.  I won't even get into what happens when you have a brood, as that seems to be a common factor to both players and readers on this particular thread.

Besides, I just got back from holidays, so I actually got to enjoy several story posts all at once.  I'm sated, and look forward to the continuing saga whenever it is ready.

I'm curious to find out more about this opponent they are fighting.  SR really does a number on player's plans doesn't it?


----------



## Nail

frog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Don't worry about it...they need all the help they can get.... *



Sure.

But now I'm thinkin': Rule 0.

Never give th' DM bad ideas.

Milo: email me, an' we'll talk behind *frog*'s back!


----------



## frog

> I'm curious to find out more about this opponent they are fighting. SR really does a number on player's plans doesn't it?




Spell resistance isn't the half of it...as you will see when Milo continues the story.

There is more to Zenobia than meets the eye.


----------



## Milo Windby

Shhh Nail!  You're going to get me into trouble.  Talking behind the DMs back can be hazardous to PC's health. 

Seriously though, the battle has taken a turn that has all of us worried.  I've already emptied my higher-level spells and I think we just barely got through the _prologue_.  Things are going to get interesting here pretty soon.  

I'm going to try to get the rest of the session written up here at work.  Then you'll see what I'm talking about.  If I don't finish it today I'll definitely have it done by tomorrow.  Besides, I get a little tired of Frog asking if I've posted yet.  

Just so you know that I was aware, Nail.  I do have one more Dispel Magic saved up that I was already considering to use as a counterspell.  Dispel rolls always make me worry though.  With my relatively low level in cleric, I don't get to add as much as I'd like to counter high level spells.

BTW, my email is in my profile.


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City - Part 8 (Session 31)*

Brigit growled a complaint about _Trollgrater_ not flaming on command before stalking towards the advancing mummies.  Her axe nevertheless slashed through bandages and undead flesh alike.  The mummy seemed especially resilient to her attack.  Kanadius and the Maidens found that their weapons did even less damage.  The mummies' resistance to their blows was alarming.  Even though they hit frequently, not one of the allies' attacks seemed to faze the undead horrors.  

The mummies lashed out at the allies, slamming into those not bowing in abject worship of Zenobea.  Brigit shrugged off one blow with dwarven hardiness.  She could feel the mummy's curse try to take hold but managed to resist the disease.  Others were not so fortunate.  Brigit suffered a stroke of good luck as a second zombie lunged for her.  The wrappings covering its desiccated corpse were a bit too loose.  The mummy actually tripped over its own bandages and fell to an ignominious heap at her feet.

Milo definitely didn't like the looks of things with Zenobea casting down on them from on high and a batch of enemies that none of their troops could damage.  He lapsed into a chant and summoned his limited knowledge of Usamigaras.  His _recitation_ seemed to flow from him like pristine water from a fountain.  His words strengthened his allies with a divine power while simultaneously weakening his foes.  The Magi in the rear ranks stood with mixed expressions of awe and content as the holy words of their god reached them through the din of the battle.  They began chanting his name as soon as he finished his impromptu oration.

_"Kill the women!"_ came a telepathically broadcast demand.  Kanadius' men stood as one and readied their arms to attack their former allies.  At the same moment there came a sound as if an immense cart were traversing a wooden bridge.  The loud creaking seemed to come from the roof of the temple.  Milo groaned, it couldn't be good news.

Before the Brotherhood could attack the Maidens, a quick-thinking Mazithra completely immobilized them with a well-placed _web_.  The men struggled against the sticky bonds to no avail.  Another stroke of luck imprisoned one of the mummies within the mystical strands.

Unfazed by the sounds from the temple, Brigit dropped her shield and pulled out her magical warhammer with blinding speed.  Her arms rose and fell in quick succession, landing multiple blows on a hapless mummy.  Mazi commanded her troops to unleash what little magic they had left.  The remaining mummies groaned as mystical energy _disrupted_ them.  Milo brandished his holy symbol again.  Light poured forth from the star to slam into the undead.  Two more mummies turned to flee.

Jeremiah had finally rallied the rest of Kanadius' men and they entered the fray just in time to attack the fleeing mummies.  Brigit got her shots in before the undead could run.  Her relentless blows rained down on the weakened mummies.  Her first hit sliced completely through the first mummy, bandages, corpse, and all.  She used the force to slide into the other, following up with four more solid blows.  Despite the heat of the battle, Kanadius' men whistled in appreciation.

The creaking on the temple roof increased in volume as it drew nearer to the edge.  Milo's fears were confirmed as a scaly black shape loomed over the temple wall.  It's triangular-shaped head was covered with horns and shiny obsidian scale.  Two bright red eyes gazed malevolently down at the assembled forces.  Someone from the rear shouted a hoarse alarm, _"DRAGON!"_

It seemed to Milo that the dragon's mouth curved up in a malicious smile before it opened its jaws wide.  A piercing roar washed over them, intimidating the strongest willed of the warriors.  The roar was followed by a viscous stream of acid.  The black dragon that was Zenobea sprayed Jeremiah and Kanadius' men with deadly accuracy.  The only standing man after the attack was Jeremiah, his armor steaming from the caustic fluids.

Mazithra rallied the Magi and led them closer to the battle.  On her command two of the men sent flames from their hands into the mummies that had not fled.  The _burning hands_ caught their bandages and they flared with the heat.  Mazi sent a _lightning bolt_ at Zenobea for good measure.  The spell was resisted once again and the electricity played across its scales harmlessly.

One of the flaming mummies toppled before Brigit could finish it off.  The other mummy Milo turned fled past Brigit and Jeremiah.  They both scored hits as it disappeared into the darkness of the temple.  _Things would be looking great right now_, thought Milo, _if it weren't for the frelling *dragon*!_


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*To much Farscape*

Things would be looking great right now, thought Milo, if it weren't for the frelling dragon!

Milo you been watching to much Farscape.   Well that last post puts us upto date and hopefully we will get to play again this weekend.


----------



## Nail

*Re: To much Farscape*

.....I hope things are lookin' a bit better now.....?

If it's a black dragon, with acid, then it's projected in a line, and it can only do it once every few rounds.  It's not that bad...other than being a damage type that is not often thought of.....


----------



## Milo Windby

*Farscape is gone*



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *.....I hope things are lookin' a bit better now.....?*



Actually, we still haven't played since the story hour was caught up. 

*



			If it's a black dragon, with acid, then it's projected in a line, and it can only do it once every few rounds.  It's not that bad...other than being a damage type that is not often thought of.....
		
Click to expand...


*It is a black dragon.  I'm a little more worried about the multiple attacks and Milo's low AC right about now.  I do wish I had prepared that mass resist elements that I was thinking about at the beginning of that session though.  Ah well, 20/20 hindsight, right?


----------



## Nail

Still on hiatus?


----------



## Milo Windby

Yup, unfortunately.  Frog and his family are VERY busy throughout a normal week.  Since we didn't play this last Saturday we have to wait for next Sat.  In the meantime I'll see what I can do about updating sheets in the Rogue's Gallery.

If you're looking for something to read during our hiatus, you can check out my fledgling campaign at Milo's Homebrewed Story Hour.  It's a game I'm running on Sundays, my first time as a DM.  Right now all we have up are bios and the world description.  Hopefully I can get the writer motivated to start posting soon.  I know he's got some bits already written, now he needs to get around to posting.

_edit - I like your new sig, Nail._


----------



## Nail

It's been awhile, hasn't it?  Race ya?  First update wins?


----------



## Milo Windby

Heh.  You'd probably win.  We still haven't played.  Keep your fingers crossed for this Saturday though.  If nothing happens (kids stay healthy, no surprise house guests) then we'll be playing.  We can dream.


----------



## Nail

Foolishly, we scheduled our next meeting for Mother's day...and now we've had to cancel too.   Arrg.

So, you guys are _still_ in the middle of a battle with a dragon, eh?  Ouch.


----------



## Milo Windby

Nail said:
			
		

> *Foolishly, we scheduled our next meeting for Mother's day...and now we've had to cancel too.   Arrg.
> 
> So, you guys are still in the middle of a battle with a dragon, eh?  Ouch. *



Make that still STILL in the middle of the dragon battle.  Mazi nearly passed out yesterday.  They think it's the flu.  We cancelled play so she could get some much needed rest.  Hope you get better soon, Mazi!


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *
> Make that still STILL in the middle of the dragon battle.  Mazi nearly passed out yesterday.  They think it's the flu.  We cancelled play so she could get some much needed rest.  Hope you get better soon, Mazi! *



Tell 'er that some wacko on th' boards hopes she gets better soon!  So the _story_ can continue, of course.


----------



## Nail

Now _what's_ this doing down here.  Not on page 1?!


----------



## frog

Waiting for Milo to update everyone on Saturday's game is what it is doing down there  

That's right...after over a month of schedule conflicts the gang is back together.

There is much blood, carnage, and death in the next update. Many nasty spells and sharp pointy teeth take a whack at the party.

Do they survive?

Tune in next time when Milo says...

"I hold my action to counterspell whatever she throws at us..."

Talk about having them on their heels!!!


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

> Do they survive?
> 
> Tune in next time when Milo says...
> 
> "I hold my action to counterspell whatever she throws at us..."
> 
> Talk about having them on their heels!!!




Thereby answering the age old question: Do Frogs gloat?

Looking forward to the eventual update Milo.


----------



## Broccli_Head

Just lettin' you know that I still stop in now and again!

The frog always gloats. I would too. 

:going back to lurker:


----------



## Milo Windby

I *will* have an update today, even if it's a small one.  I've gone back to school, so all of my free time at home is absorbed with class.  I'm going to get to the story hour today during my slow times today at work.  

And yes, there was "much blood, carnage, and death..." and "Many nasty spells and sharp pointy teeth take a whack at the party."


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City - Part 9 (Session 32)*

Raising his hand once again, Milo called on the holy power of Usamigaras to repel his undead foes.  He couldn’t tell if he was becoming more adept at channeling the divine energies required, or if his god had more to spare, but Milo could _feel_ the power flow through him.  Three of the remaining four mummies could not withstand the holy light pouring from Usamigaras’ star.

_”We have to take care of the mummy before the dragon can bring its full arsenal to bear!”_ Milo shouted to Brigit and Jeremiah over the din of battle.

Brigit nodded grimly.  She advanced on the last mummy, her axe and hammer raised apart.  In a blinding assault of five attacks, only one seemed to wound the hardy undead.  Jeremiah joined with her as the rest of the battle shifted towards the dragon.

The maidens stared up at the terrifying sight of the black dragon.  Its reptilian maw was fixed in a toothy grin as it cast its scornful gaze at the women.  Strange, hissing, sibilant sounds emitted from its throat.  Although Milo couldn’t understand draconic, the strange sounds had a very familiar cadence.  It came to him just as the _divine storm_ settled on the gathered maidens.  Their horrible cries of anguish and pain were cut off as they fell against the whirling blades conjured by the draconic priestess.  Only Kella, Pandora, and two of her lieutenants survived.  On a good note, the last unturned mummy was also cut down by the spell.

The smell of ozone and the standing of hairs on end signaled a lightning bolt from Mazi.  The electricity arced over their heads and into the dragon’s chest.  It grinned its toothy smile again as the lightning played along its scales harmlessly.  The dragon’s scales were hard to penetrate.

Meanwhile, those that were able to move headed towards the temple and under the dragon.  They hoped to at least lure it from the top of the temple.  Zenobea divined their strategy.  She let her _divine storm_ lapse, perhaps saving Kella and her maidens.  It was only seconds before another maelstrom of whirling blades settled in the midst of the running mages.  All were cut down as one.  Milo clutched his skull as a mental burst of anguish rocked through him.  It was as if the mages’ shrieks of pain were echoed in one culminating cry in his mind.

Only Atu and Abu were left, they had narrowly avoided the edge of the storm.  Mazithra survived, but barely.  She limped out of the disc of blades almost ready to drop.  Milo hurried to her side and applied his healing magic.

By then the survivors had huddled below the upper ledge of the temple.  The dragon took flight, her heavy wings stirred up dirt and dust from the cavern floor.  She settled heavily a few yards from the temple entrance and loosed an ear-splitting roar of challenge.

Mazi stepped up to the call.  _”This time, it *will* work!”_  She loosed another lightning bolt at the dragon.  This time, it did work.  The bolt slammed into the dragon with a thunderclap.  She reeled from the pain of the arcane electricity.

Painfully aware of the damage many of his cohorts had taken, Milo chose to ready a counterspell instead of healing.  He only hoped it would prove worthwhile.  Zenobea hissed another sibilant chant.  Milo made ready to counter whatever devastating attack she had prepared.  He was disappointed when he realized all she had cast was a _freedom of movement_ spell.

At last on equal footing with the black dragon, Brigit and Jeremiah let loose a shared battlecry.  They charged toward the squatting lizard, she slipped her tongue over her jagged fangs in anticipation.  Surprisingly, and showing a great deal of restraint, the two warriors stopped short of Zenobea’s sinuous reach.  She snapped at them as they came close, but not close enough.  The two seemed to enjoy taunting the dangerous priestess.

Kella and Milo cast some defensive spells and girded themselves for closer battle.  Mazi hung back and summoned a _flaming sphere_ near the dragon’s hindquarters.  The flame was not strong enough to harm Zenobea through her thick scales though.

Brigit made her move as she hoped the sphere distracted Zenobea.  The dragon’s amazing reflexes surprised her when she felt the sharp teeth clamp down through her armor.  Brigit suppressed the pain and attacked.  Jeremiah trusted Brigit’s assault to distract the dragon enough for his own.  He took careful aim and plunged his sword into the dragon’s hide, scoring a critical hit on some vital organ.  The dragon roared in rage and retaliated.  Her huge wings buffeted Jeremiah and Ozar, one of Kanadius’ last lieutenants, harming Jer, but killing Ozar.  Her tail slammed into Jer, but her most vicious attack was against Brigit.  She raked the armored dwarf with her huge claws and clamped down again with her jaws.  Brigit was hurt, but still going strong.

From a distance Mazi continued her assault with the sphere to no effect.  Tears streaming down his face for his fallen brethren, Abu cast the most powerful spell he knew, _Melf’s acid arrow_.  The dragon ignored it completely.  Its body was steeped in deadly acids, the acid arrow had no effect.

The rest of the mobile troops had closed around Zenobea by now.  Kella, Pandora, and the remaining maidens tried to surround the priestess, risking her deadly tail.  Brigit and Jeremiah attacked from both sides, chopping away at her tough scales.  Brigit, and then Jeremiah, managed to hit a critical weakness in Zenobea’s hide.  

Zenobea roared again.  Her flailing tail caught one of the maiden lieutenants and flung her far across the cavern to land in an unmoving heap.  Her wings, claws, and teeth didn’t manage to do as much damage as before, but each of the combatants was hard pressed to avoid them.

It was apparent that the repeated assaults were wearing Zenobea down.  Milo, Kella, and the remaining maidens pressed the advantage.  They struck blow after blow as the dragon’s head whipped back and forth in pain.  

Brigit’s next blow was more than the black-hearted priestess could withstand.  With a final roar, the dragon toppled.  The remaining fighters jumped back as her heavy body crashed to the ground.  It had barely settled when a strange thing happened.  The dragon’s scales seemed to soften and change color.  Its shape shrunk and deformed.  As they watched, the black faded to pink flesh, claws softened to fingers and toes, and the head formed the familiar spiteful visage of Zenobea.  No sooner had she reformed than her flesh began to age rapidly.  Her skin wrinkled, her hair thinned and grayed, her body took on a hunched form as her legs curled up.  In moments the flesh had drawn tight against her bones and had begun to crack.  The skeleton underneath was ashen white.  Not even a minute had passed since Zenobea had fallen before her body crumbled to dust before their very eyes.

Each of them stood in shock for a few moments before their reverie was pierced by a loud whoop.  Milo jumped and glanced to the source of the noise.  Brigit was whooping with delight, _”Ah kilt a dragon!  Ah kilt a dragon!”_  She was now dancing in Zenobea’s ashes.  Milo shook his head in amusement.  He guessed it wasn’t quite like urinating on an altar, but it would do.

Suddenly, a shaft of light pierced down from the cavern ceiling.  Brigit stopped her whooping when she noticed everyone’s attention elsewhere.  The cavern grew unnaturally quiet as they stood in rapt silence.  The light didn’t have an apparent source, it just streamed down from somewhere near the top of the huge cavern.  Milo wasn’t worried, it felt, he paused as he struggled for the word to describe it, _right_.

The light focused on a pile of rubble a few yards away, where Auriga was struck down at the start of the battle.  The rubble shifted under the heavenly rays.  As rocks tumbled down they were surprised to see a hand reach up to the light.  Auriga lifted himself out of the pile, whole and healthy.  He raised his arms to the light and said in a loud voice, _”*Praise to Usamigaras!*”_


----------



## Broccli_Head

I love battles against dragons!


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*I killed a dragon*

I must say that was a great session.  I was hit several times but in the end it was worth sinking the final blow.    Good job Frog


----------



## frog

Death has come to the party.

It was a big, ugly, nasty death with long tentacles and sharp pointy teeth.


----------



## Nail

How many tentacles?  Four?


----------



## frog

Naw...six.  The old model of "death" had four.  This is the new and improved model with six.


----------



## Milo Windby

Right, this death wasn't a mind flayer. It had tentacles for feet too. 6 tentacles with rend on a hit with two. ::shudder::


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City – Part 10 (Session 33)*

Something shining in the dust distracted Milo from the miracle of Auriga’s rebirth. Milo snatched the bits of jewelry for later examination. He stowed a headband, pearl pendant, and…was that a wedding ring?…in his pouch. _”Mazi, you may want to collect some of this dragon dust. You never know when it might come in handy.”_

The old priest was in full swing by the time they reached the crowd around Auriga.  He was speaking earnestly to Kanadius, expounding the glories of Usamigaras. Milo grinned; it would be good to have another soul to spread the word. As they drew near the crowd shifted its focus.

_”It is the Champion!”_ came an anonymous shout. Raucous cheers rose from the survivors. Milo ducked his head but raised his hand triumphantly anyway. In a few moments the crowd had settled into the chant that had become all too familiar lately, _”Mi-lo Windby, Mi-lo Windby, Mi-lo Windby.”_

Milo motioned for quiet, all too conscious of his companions amused stares. _”Thank you, thank you.”_ he said after they had calmed somewhat. _”I am not the miracle here though, Auriga is! Listen to what he has to say, there is much wisdom in the words of Usamigaras.”_

The crowd’s attention once again turned to the old priest. Milo breathed a sigh of relief as countless eyes shifted away from him. He was trained to stay out of the spotlight, to stick to the shadows and gather information. All of this ‘champion’ stuff was hard to handle. Thoughts of his training brought a pang of guilt. He still hadn’t reported in with his superiors back in Darokin. If he knew how to get a message to them, he would have done so already. Milo made a mental commitment to head for Darokin as soon as they were done here.

_”If you’re done soaking up the worship maybe we can get back to business?”_ asked Mazi, barely suppressing a smile.

Milo groaned, he was never going to live this down with his friends. _”Yeah, yeah. Let’s get back to the temple.”_

The group shouldered their way through the crowd and headed back to Zenobea’s stronghold. _”Remember, there’s still a mummy or two loose and who knows what else.”_ Milo warned.

_”Aye, an’ mah axe is ready for ‘em too.”_ Brigit exclaimed, still heated from battle.

They passed the huge pillars at the temple entrance warily. The profane structure was eerily quiet. The cavernous main hall led to a huge stone bas-relief mural and altar. The mural depicted a twenty-foot high creature made of mostly tentacles. It’s thick trunk split into six tentacles that Milo assumed were used for movement. The upper trunk split into six more, each tipped with a wicked talon. The head, if that’s what it was, ended in a lamprey-like mouth topped with a single eye and a single horn protruding towards the ceiling. The over-all effect was a bit unsettling.

_”What would you bet that we’re looking at Zargon himself here?”_ Mazi asked.

_”Nothing, I never bet on sure things,”_ came Milo’s reply.

The altar below the mural was nothing they hadn’t come to expect in their temple delving. It was crusted over with old, rust-colored blood. It was obvious now what became of those that fell under Zenobea’s charms. The one thing worth note was the hole in the ceiling above the altar. 

There were hallways branching to the left and right of the main chamber. They chose to explore the hall to the right first. The tang of exotic spices reached their noses before they came in sight of the next chamber. Milo was reminded of the wares of the spice traders in Darokin that would spin tales of deserts and pyramids. The chamber was filled with long, low tables. Bodies occupied some; others just contained various unknown tools. Milo noticed that the bodies were half-wrapped in bandages. There were various capped urns at the feet of the bodies.

_”Mummies, or soon-to-be-mummies from the look of it,”_ Milo said in disgust.

_”Not gonna be any more mummies from them tables,”_ Brigit said with relish as she set about destroying the bodies and as much of the tables as she could with her heavy axe. After a few moments Jeremiah joined in. Milo approved wholeheartedly.

The only other object besides the tables in the chamber was a small altar that mirrored the main chamber’s.  Milo searched the room carefully. He wished to ensure there were no hidden passages to other mummy chambers.  After Milo, Brigit, and Jer were satisfied with their respective work, they left the chamber for the main hall.

The hallway to the left of the altar led around a corner to a passage lined with doors. A large sarcophagus lay in an alcove with another small altar at the end of the hall. They passed the doors cautiously. The sarcophagus was too tempting to not investigate first. The heavy stone lid was soon heaved to the side with the help of Brigit and Jeremiah’s muscling. Inside laid an empty coffin with a familiar face carved in the lid. Milo recognized it as the cruel face of Zenobea, the priestess of Zargon they had so recently overthrown. A quick search proved that she didn’t sleep with any valuables and the group decided to move on.

It appeared door nearest to them was slightly ajar. Milo crept in carefully, peering back and forth as he nudged the door open with one of his axes. The cramped cubicle that met his gaze smelled musty and mildewed. Nothing stirred with his entrance. Milo could make out a cot in the dusty murk. There was a small desk lined with books just inside the door. As Milo pushed the door open he was held up short. It seemed the door was jammed.  He crept around the half-open door and peered around to the other side. Milo jumped back as the hunched form slid towards him. His axes at the ready, Milo prepared to take on the mummy. The slumped form didn’t move from the ground though. He crept forward to get a closer look. 

_”Wha’s tha hold up, Milo?”_ Brigit asked loudly.

Milo startled as her voice broke the quiet. The ‘mummy’ was just one of the priests they had fought earlier. He had come here to die. This place was giving Milo the creeps.

Brigit shouldered her way into the room. _”It’s jus’ a body, sheesh Milo, ya had me worried.”_

Milo shrugged and grinned sheepishly as he turned to the writing desk. A neat row of books educating the reader on how to properly embalm mummies set against the wall. A single book lay open on the table. After reading a few passages Milo figured it to be some sort of scripture to Zargon.  There didn’t seem to be anything else worthwhile in the room.

The other five rooms were identical to the first, minus the dead body. The last place left to explore was the hole above the main altar. Milo withdrew his _rope of climbing_ and instructed it to fasten itself on the floor above. He went first to scout the next floor. The hole opened to a balcony with two doors opposite each other. Milo called down for the rest to follow him up. As Jeremiah climbed a sudden noise called their attention to the ceiling above. Hurtling through another hole in the ceiling came a large bell. Jeremiah couldn’t dodge the heavy metal as it tumbled past. The wind was knocked from the sturdy barbarian as he was set swinging wildly on the rope. Somehow he managed to hang on as the bell crashed into the altar below.

_”Somehow I doubt that was an accident,”_ Milo said after everyone else had made it up safely. _”Someone up there doesn’t like us.”_

_”If tha’s tha best they can do, then ah’m not worried,”_ Brigit scoffed. Jeremiah didn’t seem inclined to agree as he massaged the shoulder that took the brunt of the blow from the falling bell.

They decided to explore the level they were already on before finding out who their mystery assailant was. They’d rather not have anything left unfinished below them as they climbed. All they needed was to have the rope lit on fire from underneath or something worse.

The first door they opened led into a lavish chamber. The walls were lined with yellowed tapestries that at one point were surely a pristine white. A very different altar lay in the center of this room. Carved from the purest ivory and topped with a rotting cushion, it could only be a wedding altar. The tapestries confirmed the guess, depicting a maid clad in the finest gown and a gentleman in royal finery kneeling before the altar. 

_”And here we have the ill-fated marriage of Zenobea,”_ muttered Mazi. Milo nodded in agreement.

An ancient book lay open on the altar beside two finely sculpted ivory figurines. The room was bare of any other furnishings. The book was written in an ancient language unknown to all of them. The pictures painstakingly scribed within illustrated various forms and stages of weddings. _”There’s some sort of great tragedy here that I think we’re missing,”_ Milo conjectured. _”Nothing for it now though, let’s press on.”_

The opposite door led into another lavish chamber. A huge four-poster bed dominated this one. The mattress sunk in the frame, rotten to the center. The room couldn’t be less than a thousand years old Milo guessed. 

_”So we got a weddin’ room an’ a honeymoon room,”_ Brigit said. _”This Zenobea was one obsessed lady.”_

They left the moldering honeymoon suite for the next floor. Milo peered up the hole. He hoped to catch a glimpse of their attacker. After a few moments he decided it was useless. They withdrew their other _rope of climbing_ and commanded it to fasten above. Once again Milo went first.

He clambered out of the hole into a barren chamber. There was another hole above him. He called down for the others to climb. Milo watched the hole above warily. The moment he glanced down to see Kella’s progress up the rope he heard another noise above. He dodged out of the way as the flailing body of a mummy plummeted past. The mummy caught Kella square as she climbed. The druid didn’t let out a single noise. She grabbed the bandaged undead, twisted lithely in the air, and rode the mummy all the way down.  The mummy practically disintegrated from the impact of the ground and Kella’s body above.

Kella merely stood up, brushed herself off, and spat on the corpse. Milo shook his head slowly; he was impressed. A few moments later and the entire party were reunited on the third level. Milo drew the rope up and commanded it up to the next level. As Milo climbed he saw a fevered face peer down at him. The look of stark terror in the man above was replaced with stout resolution in seconds. Milo swung out of the way as the last priest of Zenobea plunged by him, screaming. The priest’s body joined the mummy’s below.

Milo shook his head sadly as he progressed up the rope. The last level of the temple opened into an open tower. Milo could see where the priest had cut down the bell. He surveyed the cavern from his vantage point. There came a commotion below, where they had left the crowd of survivors. He shouted a warning down to the others before sliding down the rope.

It felt like an eternity as the group descended the ropes to the main level. Had Zargon come to exact his revenge so soon? Would Usamigaras be doomed to lose his new subjects already? Milo cursed himself for being so small and slow as they ran through the main chamber.

The sight that welcomed him was much less serious than he had feared. It appeared that the last surviving mummy had eluded them in the temple and charged out towards the gathered masses. Auriga had made short work of the lumbering undead with a powerful lightning bolt through its chest. Milo applauded the old priest.

Auriga had been busy during the foray into the temple. Many of Kanadius and Pandora’s people had converted to the worship of Usamigaras. Milo was proud of his god’s new missionary. Auriga led them all to the mage compound. They were shown to sparse rooms to freshen themselves for a feast in their honor. 

Milo had to admit that night, for a group of suppressed and poor people, Auriga’s men knew how to throw a party. Food and drink flowed freely. Milo chose not to overdo it; he wanted to be ready in case Zargon made himself known that night. He and Auriga talked much about Usamigaras that night. Unfortunately his god did not have any words of suggestion for Milo, but he figured that it might not be a bad thing. He’d just keep doing what he was doing until he was told otherwise.

Auriga also told them of Zargon. They new he lived on the island in the center of the underground lake. He would only come out when a sacrifice was left on the end of the pier. There was a large gong that was used to signal the sacrifice. They decided that on the morrow they would use the gong and hopefully lure Zargon to the shore rather than having to seek him out in his own stronghold.


----------



## Nail

*Re: The Lost City – Part 10 (Session 33)*



			
				Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *They decided that on the morrow they would use the gong and hopefully lure Zargon to the shore rather than having to seek him out in his own stronghold. *



Well, it _sounds_ like a good idea........


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Good Ideas*

Yea thats the key word it sounded like a good idea.  I will not however spoil Milo's writting by telling you what really happened.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Good Ideas*



			
				Brigit Deeperdown said:
			
		

> *Yea thats the key word it sounded like a good idea.  I will not however spoil Milo's writting by telling you what really happened.  *




See.......*I'm* thinkin' that ringing th' gong just let's him get _prepared_ for "supper".

(I'm curious about the "wedding gone bad" thingy, too.)


----------



## SpaceBaby Industries

> |See.......I'm thinkin' that ringing th' gong just let's him get prepared for "supper".



Whereas I'm thinking ringing the gong starts the Sumo Karaoke!

Sorry.  I've recently watched Rugrats in Paris.  This is what happens when you have one child old enough to watch movie rentals, and another still young enough to disrupt your sleep patterns.

Better movie than what I expected though.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*hmm now that's and idea*



			
				SpaceBaby Industries said:
			
		

> *
> Whereas I'm thinking ringing the gong starts the Sumo Karaoke!*




Hmm now that is a new idea for Frog. I can really see Mazi up there dancing a Jig and Milo standing on a table singing.


----------



## Milo Windby

Milo. Doesn't. Sing.


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> *Milo. Doesn't. Sing. *




_(Les Miserables)_

Do you hear the people sing,
Singing the song of angry Milo's.......


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Milo's followers sing*

[QUOTE*Milo. Doesn't. Sing. *[/QUOTE]

Milo's followers chant.  I bet that I could persuade them to sing the praise's of Milo Windby.


----------



## Brigit Deeperdown

*Milo's followers sing*

"Milo. Doesn't. Sing. "

Milo's followers chant.  I bet that I could persuade them to sing the praise's of Milo Windby.


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City - Part 11 (Session 34)*

Milo awoke on what he assumed was the next morning. He had trouble marking the passage of time in the sunless caverns. After a brief breakfast and a discussion on tactics, the entire party met at the pier. Mazi, Kella, and Milo busied themselves with the casting of numerous preparatory spells. Protection abounded in the party when they were done. By the time they had finished a crowd had gathered at the end of the pier; Milo hoped it was a safe distance.

_”No time like the present to get in over your head. Would you do the honors Jeremiah?”_ Milo gestured to the gong.

_*CHONG!*_

Milo shifted nervously in his armor. They had never fought a god before, not even a false one. 

_*CHONG!*_

He figured they got away lucky from the temple, defeating the temple forces and being teleported away before anything really big was awakened.

_*CHONG!*_

Fighting Zargon must be some kind of karmic thing. Trade one ancient evil for another.

_”You’re up,”_ Mazi’s words broke Milo’s reverie. He nodded and set to casting. In moments a divine sixth sense flowed from his being. He directed the _detect evil_ out over the water towards the island. The limited range of the spell prevented him from extending it all of the way out to the barren rock, but it was only moments before his senses were flooded with pure, malevolent evil. Seconds later they could all see bubbles breaking the murky surface of the water. The pockets of air moved slowly but determinedly towards the pier.

_”Get ready, here he comes!”_ Milo shouted unnecessarily. 

Zargon’s single horn crested the water first, followed by a single, baleful eye. His lamprey-like mouth made disturbing sucking noises as it cleared the surface. Six flailing tentacles splashed gouts of silted water on the pier. Milo noted with a resigned dread that Zargon was identical to the statue in Zenobea’s temple, right down to the wickedly curved talons capping his tentacles.

He reacted first, conjuring up a _divine storm_ on a sloping plane right through Zargon. A noise that Milo could only assume was a laugh emerged from Zargon’s tooth-ringed maw as the blades whirled and bounced off of his rubbery hide. The laugh was cut short as Mazi’s _lightning bolt_ arced into the half-submerged monstrosity. As he gasped in pain Kella cast _Miasma_, filling his maw with deadly gasses. Zargon shrugged off the effects of Mazi’s attack and seemed to breath in Kella’s conjured vapors with relish. With barely a splash Zargon slipped back into the water, out of sight. 

As the others readied themselves for Zargon’s assault, Kella cast another spell. Her _ice storm_ was aimed randomly at the water and Milo doubted if they’d ever know if Zargon felt the pelting hailstones. Milo used a _prayer_ that had served them well in the past. He hoped to bolster his friends and weaken Zargon with the same action.

Seconds later Zargon emerged with a surprising speed that his frame did not reflect. A hideous voice emerged from his sucker-like mouth, _*”After ages, I have my revenge!”*_ He slithered up the shore on six tentacles emerging from his thick trunk. He lashed out with a clawed tentacle, raking a large scratch into Jeremiah’s plate mail as Jer returned the blow with slightly more effect. Kella backed away and cast another _ice storm_, this time they knew the huge stones of ice made contact, they just didn’t seem to damage Zargon at all.

Jeremiah pressed his attack as _lightning bolts_ flew from Mazi’s fingers. Brigit charged in to join the fray. She was caught by surprise as one of Zargon’s long tentacles lashed out. He smote the dwarf with a profane power that struck her to the core. 

Milo tried to distract Zargon with a _confusion_ spell. For a moment it seemed as if it would work. It appeared that Milo was able to penetrate the unearthly resistance Zargon had shown towards his spells, but he was disheartened as the indomitable will of a being that had lived for an eon merely shrugged off the spell. The moment’s distraction is what Brigit needed to recover. She finished her charge and she and Jeremiah layed into Zargon like two woodcutters chopping a great redwood.

Kella conjured up a _swarm_ of spiders to plague Zargon’s tentacles as Milo, Brigit, and Jeremiah attempted to surround the monstrous ancient. All three scored multiple hits, slicing into his rubbery skin and releasing a black ichor that resembled anything but blood. 

Undeterred, Zargon shifted back into the water away from the spiders and lashed out with two tentacles. Time seemed frozen for an agonizing moment as the tentacles sunk their wicked claws into Milo’s sides. Milo’s chest burst into pain as the claws rended through him. All Milo could hear was a sick ripping noise as his skin was torn through. 

Milo staggered back along with the others, not wishing to fall victim to more of Zargon’s reach attacks. Mazi continued to loose _lightning bolts_ into Zargon. His skin singed, but he showed no signs of faltering. Suddenly, the false god slithered back under the water and out of sight. Milo clutched his bloody chest and stared out at the water. There were no bubbles this time.

After the seconds stretched on to minutes it was obvious that Zargon had done his damage for the day. Mazi quickly cast her _arcane eye_ to try tracking him back to the island. The water was entirely too murky to see through from the raised silt, so she directed the _eye_ to the shore of the distant island.

As Mazi searched for Zargon, Kella ran to the end of the pier and shouted insults at the retreating monster. Most were in a language Milo didn’t understand, but he could guess at her meaning. Milo joined her at the end of the pier.  He ignored the pain from his wound and picked up the gong hammer.

_*CHONG, CHONG, CHONG, CHONG, CHONG!*_

_”Come back, you coward of a god! Come get the revenge you’ve waited so long for!”_ Milo shouted. He eventually lapsed into silence before his throat was worn raw. Zargon was not coming back.

Meanwhile Mazithra’s _eye_ had made it to the rocky shore of the island. She described a ruined parthenon at the center. Broken columns littered the ground like stark-white bones on an ancient battlefield. There also seemed to be a ghostly presence on the isle, but every time she focused the _eye_ the wispy traces disappeared. She searched the island for any traces of Zargon, but found none.

By then the crowd behind them had grown quite loud. It seemed they thought that Zargon was defeated. Milo groaned at the thought of the chanting that was sure to follow. He groaned even louder at the thought of what the people’s reaction would be when they found that Zargon was still very much alive and likely to be very angry after today.


----------



## frog

Well gang...after talking with Milo today about the story hour it appears that we will have to find a new author as school is taking a HUGE chunk of his free time. He might be able to pull off one more update...but that is all. We will keep you all up to date on the progress of our search for a scribe.


----------



## Nail

Waiting...and cheering for the good guys!


----------



## Milo Windby

*The Lost City – Part 12 (Session 35)*

Milo pushed his way through the crowd, straining to reach Auriga. Brushing off the hands of would-be worshippers, he finally made his way to the masked leader of the Usamigarasites. _”She’s not dead,”_ Milo said breathlessly.

_”How can that be? We saw Zargon fall!”_ Auriga argued. The people crowded around them began to murmur.

_”He fled before we could finish him off. We’re not equipped for underwater fighting.”_ Milo explained. Auriga frowned at his words. _”Tomorrow we can prepare spells that will allow us to bring the fight to Zargon’s stronghold. We won’t give up until Zargon is truly defeated.”_

Auriga gravely considered Milo’s words. By then, the crowd had been subdued. All that could be heard were furtive whispers as the news of Zargon’s flight spread. Finally, Auriga spoke, _”Then the celebrations must be postponed. I will explain to the people, but they will not be happy.”_ He turned to the crowd and raised his hands to call for silence. _*”My people! Zargon yet lives, we must return to our homes and allow our saviors rest and respite. For on the morrow they journey to the Evil One’s own stronghold!”*_

Even with Auriga’s positive words, Milo could tell that the people were less than enthused to hear the news. He worked his way back through the now unresisting crowd to the others. _”Well, it’s time to plan. We’ve got to prepare ourselves for an underwater battle tomorrow. It’s something I’ve never had to do, but I know of some spells that will help.”_

The heroes joined Auriga’s people for a subdued dinner that night. The food was surprisingly flavorful for a society that spent their lives underground. Milo wouldn’t have thought them capable of finding the range of flavors that he was experiencing so far from normal sources of food. He was about to comment on this when he noticed Kella nearly slump from her chair.

Jeremiah was there in a flash. He caught Kella in his arms. She settled limply, relying wholly on the brawny barbarian for support. She looked up at Jer groggily and giggled. _”Jer-bear,”_ she slurred, and then broke into an uproarious laugh. Jeremiah settled her back in her chair and returned to his own as a deep red flush came to his exposed skin.

Milo groaned and pushed his plate away. He leaned over to Mazi and asked her if she had cast a _detect poison_ cantrip on the food before they sat. She shook her head side to side. Milo watched as she wiggled her fingers into arcane symbols under the table. She grimaced after examining the food.

_”There’s a slight hallucinogen in the food,”_ she whispered to Milo. _”I think Kella got a bad batch of mushrooms.”_

A grin slowly broke out on Milo’s face as the information sunk in. He leaned back over to Mazi. _”Watch this!”_ he whispered as he grinned evilly.

_”Kella! Watch, I can make my arm melt!”_ Milo shouted across the table. Kella watched in rapt horror as Milo raised his right arm and scrunched his face up in mock-concentration. Kella’s eyes followed the imaginary melting arm as it dripped to the floor. She added her own very real offering to the ground shortly after. Jer patted her on the back as she retched, then glared at Milo, who had the sense to look abashed.

_”Milo! That was cruel!”_ Mazi said as she punched him in the arm. Milo could tell she was barely hiding her own smile.

_”Ach! Tha’s rich, Milo!”_ Brigit guffawed, half eaten mushrooms spraying out of her mouth.

The refuse was soon cleaned up. Milo thought it best that they call it an evening shortly thereafter. Kella would need some time to sleep off the drugs, and the next day promised to be trying enough. Milo tried not to think about how cold she would be towards him if she remembered his little stunt.

The next morning they met out at the pier. Kella looked much better, but Milo could tell she was suffering from the world’s worst headache. He prudently chose not to take advantage of the situation.

There was a flurry of spell casting as Milo, Mazi, and Kella prepared everyone for the rigors ahead. They had secured a raft large enough for the five of them from Auriga the night before. Milo rang the gong one more time, hoping to lure Zargon closer to shore rather than having to face him where he would have the home ground advantage. No bubbles rose from the surface of the lake.

Milo shrugged. _”It was worth a shot,”_ he muttered. They filed onto the raft and were soon propelled across the mirror-smooth water by Jeremiah’s strong poling.

The raft made a faint sloshing sound as it bumped onto the shore of the island. The crumbled grand parthenon lay ahead. Milo thought he heard a faint whisper in the breezeless air, a haunting, melodic sound that was barely noticeable. He shook his head and attributed the sounds to his nerves.

They spent a few minutes scouring the rubble of the parthenon for some sort of entrance to Zargon’s home. All they found was bare rock and a few intact pillars. Milo heard the whispers again, this time more insistent, almost needy. He thought he saw something flutter out of the corner of his eye. When he spun about to see what was there, he saw nothing but rock. A chill crept up his spine that caused the hairs on the nape of his neck to stand on end. It seemed the others were just as ill at ease. 

Finally, a thought struck Milo. He ran to the shore near their raft and plunged his head into the water. Just at the edge of the ambient light, he could make out an indentation in the cliff-like side of the island. It was possible that Zargon’s entrance was underwater, since he didn’t seem to have a problem staying under for long periods of time. Milo thanked Usamigaras for the _water breathing_ spells.

_”Over here everyone,”_ Milo’s voice sounded alien in the preternatural silence. _”I think I see an entrance underwater.”_

The others were quick to join him, not wishing to spend any more time than necessary on the island surface. They tied their two _ropes of climbing_ together before fastening one to a boulder and dropping the other down to the indentation. Milo took a moment to cast a _light_ spell on one of his axes and one of Brigit’s. He volunteered to descend first, since his _freedom of movement_ spell allowed him full range of motion underwater.

Milo skillfully rappelled down the side of the island, marveling at the unreality of the experience. The indentation was indeed an opening of about ten to fifteen feet across. He motioned up for the others to join him as he cautiously landed on the tunnel floor. Milo waited for the others before continuing in. 

Suddenly, a looming white shape startled him as it streaked out of the darkness of the tunnel. Milo breathed bubbles of relief when he noticed that it was a blind cavefish, a big, blind cavefish, but nothing to worry about. 

Once the others had descended, they tread carefully into the tunnel. Moments into the cavern, Milo heard a strange bubbling noise, as of water boiling. He glanced around and spotted Brigit staring at her axe. Tiny bubbles had begun to form on its surface the deeper they went. Her eyes gleamed as the boiling increased. _Trollgrater_ would taste blood today.

The tunnel opened into a spacious cavern. Their light sources cast odd, watery shadows on the far walls. The light changed as some of the shadows seemed to detach from the walls and move towards them. Brigit’s axe had sprung to fiery life under the dark water. If Milo hadn’t already witnessed so many unbelievable things, he wouldn’t have thought it possible. 

Tall, green, grinning shapes loomed out of the darkness. Slimy, rubbery skin, covered with warts and sparse hair came in to view. The water trolls wasted little time converging on the group.

The heroes were cautious, they knew that only Brigit’s _Trollgrater_ and Mazi’s _flametongue_ had any hope of vanquishing these mutated trolls permanently. Milo cast _knife spray_ into their midst as Mazi unsheathed her sword.

The trolls converged on Milo; they slashed and clawed as they moved. Milo practically danced to avoid each of their attacks. The others moved forward to aid Milo. He was surprised to see even Kella readying her scimitar in his defense. He prepared to cast _magic weapon_ on the sword, hoping that it would give her enough of an advantage to make a difference.

That was when Zargon made his presence known. He loomed above Milo and Kella, his six tentacles thrashing in the water. Three of them snaked up to a ledge above them and toppled down a stream of boulders. The rocks fell behind, cutting their only avenue of escape. _That’s fine,_ thought Milo, _we aren’t leaving until you’re out of the way._

Mazithra cast _stone skin_ on herself before engaging the many trolls. Brigit and Jeremiah were already cleaving through the beasts. Their wounds would heal quickly from Jer’s sword, but Brigit left wide, scorched gashes with every hit. The trolls exacted their revenge on the two, even with their many protective spells in place. The two warriors were far from finished though. They fought through their wounds to bring down the trolls, one by one.

Milo knew that the real threat was Zargon, but he also knew that the remaining trolls would hairy them unless dealt with first. His fears were realized as one troll sunk both claws deep into Kella’s flesh. The troll grinned toothily as it gouged through her body. Kella screamed, expelling great bubbled to rise to the surface with her blood. Milo moved back to heal the severely injured druid, but was too late for the next attack.

Zargon chose Kella to make an example. All six of his wickedly clawed tentacles shot forward like striking eels. Four of the slimy protrusions made their mark. With a satisfied grunt, Zargon wrenched them through Kella’s frame. Her screams were instantly silenced. Milo watched in horror as her ravaged body floated limply to the cavern floor.

Jeremiah loosed a hoarse scream as he redoubled his attacks on the trolls to reach Kella. The monstrosities were unprepared for the fury of his attacks. He cleaved through one, then another with massive sweeps of the _Windsword_. Milo wanted to reassure Jer that he could bring her back, but Zargon had to be dealt with first. 

Meanwhile, Mazi and Brigit were making sure none of the trolls returned to attack them again. As she stooped to thrust her _flametongue_ into one, it reared up and clawed at her. Both claws made contact and it scraped them along her body. She grinned as the claws’ impact was absorbed by her _stoneskin_ and plunged her sword straight through its black heart. 

The battle raged on for what seemed an eternity to Milo. He fought Zargon endlessly, sometimes with help from Jeremiah and Brigit, sometimes alone when the trolls would make resurgence. He was grateful for their presence, as it would sometimes distract some of Zargon’s claws away from himself. At one point, Zargon focused wholly on Milo. He seemed intent on destroying the little halfling that harried him so. Milo managed to dodge most of his attacks, but two of the tentacles caught him unawares. Milo then knew the agony that Kella faced before death as the claws almost rent him in two. He staggered back to recover and heal himself, amazed that he could lose so much blood without passing out.

The water lit with electricity as Mazi covered for Milo. Her _lightning bolts_ streaked through the water, superheating it and leaving a trail of boiling bubbles behind. Some of her bolts surmounted even Zargon’s thick hide and resistance to spells. The trolls would fall and rise, constantly healing even from her magical attacks. She and Brigit returned to the task of felling them permanently. 

Jeremiah stood before Milo and Zargon as the halfling healed himself. Zargon grunted as he aimed all six of his tentacles at the defiant barbarian. Four of the claws found purchase in Jer’s armor. He didn’t make a sound as Zargon gouged his claws deeper. Jeremiah’s resolve seemed to take the godling by surprise. He reared back, allowing Jer a perfect opportunity to strike at Zargon’s underbelly.

That was the turning tide of the battle. Brigit and Mazithra finished off the remaining trolls as Milo tumbled behind Jer and healed him. Milo knew that Jeremiah was tough, but even he couldn’t take another attack like the last.

Jeremiah and Brigit pressed their advantage, forcing Zargon back. The huge monster loosed a mournful keening as Jeremiah sunk the _Windsword_ to the hilt into its rubbery trunk. He stood motionless and silent, his sword point resting on the floor, as Zargon’s bulk toppled in slow motion.


----------



## Nail

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> ......The huge monster loosed a mournful keening as Jeremiah sunk the _Windsword_ to the hilt into its rubbery trunk. He stood motionless and silent, his sword point resting on the floor, as Zargon’s bulk toppled in slow motion.



Woot!

The heroes prevail!

(Was there ever any doubt? )  The trolls sound like they gave you quite a bit of trouble....how many of them were there?  (And did Frog allow fire spells underwater?)


----------



## Milo Windby

Nail said:
			
		

> Woot!
> 
> The heroes prevail!
> 
> (Was there ever any doubt? )  The trolls sound like they gave you quite a bit of trouble....how many of them were there?  (And did Frog allow fire spells underwater?)




Let's see, how about in order?
1. Nope
2. Yes they did
3. I don't recall, but by the looks of the notes, a lot
4. Yes

I have to apologize to those waiting for updates. I feel bad for leaving so much time between posts. I'm attending school online, so most of my time in front of the computer these days is spent at work or doing schoolwork. Whether or not Mazi takes over for me, I won't let the story hour die. It just might be a long time between updates.


----------



## frog

Milo Windby said:
			
		

> Let's see, how about in order?
> 1. Nope
> 2. Yes they did
> 3. I don't recall, but by the looks of the notes, a lot
> 4. Yes
> 
> I have to apologize to those waiting for updates. I feel bad for leaving so much time between posts. I'm attending school online, so most of my time in front of the computer these days is spent at work or doing schoolwork. Whether or not Mazi takes over for me, I won't let the story hour die. It just might be a long time between updates.




Another session last Saturday. Mazi will be taking over the official chronicling duties now. The ceremonial "passing of the notebook" took place on Saturday.


----------



## Broccli_Head

frog said:
			
		

> Another session last Saturday. Mazi will be taking over the official chronicling duties now. The ceremonial "passing of the notebook" took place on Saturday.




Same thread or different?


----------



## frog

Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> Same thread or different?




Same thread to maintain continuity. Mazi hasn't written anything in a long while so this is going to be interesting


----------



## Nail

frog said:
			
		

> Same thread to maintain continuity. Mazi hasn't written anything in a long while so this is going to be interesting




Y'know, the truely crazy thing about writing, is that you get better as you do more of it.  I always find it just _strange_ that writing is just like riding a bike; the more you practice, the fewer times you do face-plants.

Unless that joker in the parked car opens up his door right in front of you.  Nothing you can do about that, I guess.

Come on, Mazi!  Pedal faster!  It won't hurt as much......


----------



## frog

Nail said:
			
		

> Come on, Mazi!  Pedal faster!  It won't hurt as much......




Expect a post sometime late tonight or tomorrow. Mazi has a bunch of catching up to do with it to get us current.


----------



## frog

Another Saturday night gaming session has come and gone. Amazingly, we have managed to play 2 weeks straight without having to cancel due to sick kids or other of life's little "pleasures". Mazi will be posting when she gets her account fixed so that it will let her post.

The gang has finally reached a civilized area where they can cash in their loot. They haven't had a chance to buy anything since about level 2 or 3 (they are level 11 now) so they have gone a bit spend crazy. But hey, when you are in the merchant capital of the Known World (Darokin city, pop 54,000) you have to cut loose just a little.

Milo got to see some old "friends" of his in town, the "Rat" seems to be missing an eye since Milo last saw him and the ladies in town welcomed him with open arms (as long as he was willing to pay up front that is). 

Milo's debriefing was not nearly so friendly...


----------



## Mazi

*The Lost City-Part...uh...next.*

Brigit picked up Kella’s lifeless body and moved her to the ledge. _“Ach, the stench! Not but moss and slime.”_

Milo climbed onto the ledge by the boulder.  _“See any way out?” _ Mazi shouted up to him. 
_“No it’s sealed up tight.”_

Milo continued to search around the cavern and then down the tunnel looking for another way out.  The tunnel was a dead end.  A shield lay and spear lay against the wall.  A clothed skeleton was crumpled nearby a bone scroll case in its grasp.  Milo cautiously approached the figure, finding it unmoving he cast detect magic. The shield, spear and bone case glimmered as well as the chain shirt, cloak, and boots the skeleton wore.  Milo smiled greedily _“I hope they’re elvenkind.”_

The ground shifted as Milo circled the skeleton relieving him of his possessions. He kicked the debris aside and scooped up a handful for a closer inspection.  In his hand were black and green disks, small and flat, a little like.....COINS! Scanning the area he thought, _“There are thousands of them, no tens of thousands!” _  He rose to the surface and climbed on the ledge to inform the others.

Brigit examined a few of the coins, did a little polishing and replied, _“Tarnished copper and silver coin.”_  She slapped Jer on the back, _“We have some shoveling to be doin’ big man”_

Milo looked to Mazi, _“They’ll need the box....super sized...there’s a lot down there.”_

Milo and Mazi continued to search for a way out.  Then Mazi glanced up, _“Is that a hole?” _ 

Milo came and stood beside her, _“Looks like a hole to me.” _ He loaded his crossbow and took aim.  The bolt flew into the blackness then the clatter on the rock could be heard and the bolt fell back to the ledge.

Milo looked at Mazi hopefully, _“Well we know it goes up.”  _ He pulled a sun rod from his pack.  Mazi commanded the _rope of climbing _ but it could find no hold and like the bolt it fell to the ground.

_“Mazi can you help me with a fly spell?” _ Mazi hesitated, _“I only have that on a scroll I’m saving to scribe, how about spider climb?”_

_“No,” _ Milo answered shaking his head, _“I need the freedom of movement fly will give.  We don’t know what is up there.” _  Reluctantly Mazi pulled out the scroll.

Milo grasped the sun rod and practiced a few maneuvers.  _“Hey flying is great!  You should try it some time Mazi.”_

Mazi scowled back, but Milo just chuckled as he started up the passage.  The light reflected off the mossy rock walls.  About 70 feet up niches and cracks scarred the walls and in the ceiling there was a trap door.  As Milo moved closer he heard fluttering.  He turned quickly to the noise.  The shape was familiar but the coloring didn’t seem right.....STIRGES!?!


----------



## Mazi

Well here is my first post.  I'm definately feeling out of practice when it comes to writing, but hey now I have plenty of opportunities to practice.  I know I need to work a bit on formatting.  Had to make this short because Frog and my kids seem to think that they need to eat dinner.

Mazi


----------



## Mazi

*The Lost City-Part 14 (Session 36)*

About a dozen buzzed through the air.  Milo swung at the closest and missed.  Pain surged through his body as another plunged its long nose into his back.  Concentration broken Milo plummeted toward the water.  _“GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!”  _ 

Mazi took a step back and drew an arrow. _“I think they’re undead!” _ he yelled and then displayed the star of Usamigaras. The stirge on his back burst into a cloud of colored dust and eight more flashes could be seen above.  Milo carefully started back up the tunnel and again called upon his God with the holy star in his outstretched hand. He was rewarded with five more flashes above.  

_“One more time for good luck,”_ he declared and once more wielded the star, no flashes this time.

_“Must have got them all”_ he shouted down to Mazi.  Despite his bold words he approached the trap door cautiously, all was calm.  Milo pulled at the trapdoor handle but it wouldn’t budge, he would need help.  Below he could hear Brigit and Jeremiah gathering on the ledge with Mazi. It was time to join the others and get ready to go.

_“The door feels like it is jammed but I bet with a few good tugs it will open”_ Milo explained when he reached the ground.

_“I can do it”_ Jeremiah whispered.

_“I can give Jer spider climb and my rope of climbing then Brigit and I can climb up when you have the rope secured.”  _ Mazi suggested.

Brigit pulled her rope from her belt, “_Here be mine in case ye be needin it too.”_

_”Who’s going to carry Kella to the surface,”_  Mazi asked.

Milo pondered for a moment, _“We can put her in the box.”_

_“You want me to haul a dead body in MY box, yuck!”_ Mazi exclaimed.

_“Come on Mazi,” _ Milo coaxed, _“we need Jer and Bridget’s strength to haul us out of here.”_

Mazi shuttered,  “_Can you at least wrap her in something first?” _ 

_“How’n bout yer cloak, Miss Priss.” _ Brigit snickered.

_“MY CLOAK! Over my.....um, never mind.” _ sheepishly she turned to equip Jer with a _rope of climbing_ and _spider climb_.

Jeremiah slung the rope over his shoulder and started his ascent.  Milo floated along side.  When they reached the top Milo motioned Jer over to the trap door.  After a few heaves the door swung open.   They both climbed out, they were standing in the middle of the Parthenon.  A shadow wisped past Milo but when he turned nothing was there.  _“Creepy,” _ he whispered.  Jeremiah moved to the first column and secured the rope.  

When the rope appeared Mazi took a step back and motioned to Brigit, _“Ladies first.”_  Brigit flashed a big toothy grin and heaved herself up the rope.  When she reached the top Milo hollered down, _“Your turn Mazi.”_

Mazi grabbed the rope and then thought _“Why do this the hard way.”_ Quickly she tied the rope around her waist and hollered back, _“PULL ME UP!”_

Jeremiah and Brigit both grabbed the rope and started to pull.  An ear shattering screech filled the air.  Jer and Brigit dodged as two wraiths rushed towards the group struggling to keep hold of the rope. Milo faced the wraiths and called upon Usamigaras.  The screeching came to an agonizing climax and then faded into silence as the forms dissolved.  Milo continued to hold out Usamigaras’ star and turned face the forms that drifted through the shadows.  

_“Is everyone ok?” _ Mazi asked when she reached the top.

_“Wraiths,” _ Milo said, eyes always watching the shadows.

_“We’ll be disposin’ of them sure enough,” _ started Brigit.

Mazi shook her head, _“No, we took care of the monster let the congregation of Usamigaras worry about consecrating the island.”_

_“They are ill-prepared for the task.” _ Milo argued.

_“Milo you can’t remove every obstacle before them,” _ Mazi said softly, _“you have pointed them down the path now you must let them discover their own strength.”_ 

Jeremiah mumbled an agreement and headed toward the boat.  Milo, a bit taken back, pondered this a moment and then reluctantly followed the barbarian.  

_“Ah still say we could take ‘em”_ Brigit grumbled as she fell into step behind the others.

As they approached the dock they could see the crowd anxiously gathered on the shore.  Aurigas was stand at the front looking uncertain.  As Milo climbed from the boat Aurigas asked, _“Is it finished?”_

_“Yes, he is dead.” _ Milo answered.

Aurigas turned to the crowd and shouted, _“Zargon is defeated!”_

The crowd sent up a cheer and began the familiar chant, _“Milo Windby! Milo Windby!” _ 

The rest of the party joined Milo as he unassumingly waved off the attention from the multitude.  

Jeremiah approached Mazi and asked, _“Kella?”_

Mazi pulled out the box.  _“We better drain some of the water out before we open it, we don’t want a flood.”_  She placed the box on the ground and spoke the activation words.  The crowd stepped back and water and slime spilled over the edge.  Jeremiah carefully laid Kella at Milo’s feet and looked at the cleric hopefully.  

_“Not to worry my friend I have a scroll saved for something like this.” _ Soon Kella was gasping for breath.  

As Milo restored Kella’s strength, Mazi asked Aurigas about the land above.  He explained that he could share no knowledge of the land beyond their underground realm.  Everything above was a mystery to his people.  Frustrated Mazi stepped back as Milo approached Aurigas.

_“Will you stay with us?” _ Aurigas asked.

_“No, we have duties that we must attend to elsewhere.”  _ Milo answered.

_“Many of us need your wisdom and guidance in the ways of Usamigaras,” _ disputed Auriga.

Milo smiled, _“The only guidance I receive is from Usamigaras himself, and you can receive that too my friend.”_

_“Thank you for your faith in our people.” _ Aurigas nodded and then turned and joined the crowd.

Brigit was with Mazi taking inventory of the treasures they had found. Milo came to stand by them and observe their work.  They rinsed the slime from the various items and the box and stored everything safely away.  Milo opened the bone scroll case and pulled out the rolled parchment _“Now it’s time for the scroll” _  As he began to read, darkness pressed in on him.  The group watched in horror as a shimmering shadow contorted Milo’s features, tentacles and a horn bulged into view.  Milo dropped the scroll and the shadow faded, _“Bad scroll, BAD SCROLL!”_ 

_“BURN IT,” _ Jeremiah said.


----------



## Milo Windby

*Bad scoll*

Very bad scroll! Yours truly was on the way to becoming the next Zargonator. Thank goodness for good will saves.

Kudos to you, Mazi! I think this is great. It's giving me a new perspective. I get to read our adventures instead of chronicling them. It's kinda fun. I'm looking forward to more.


----------



## Nail

Good stuff, Mazi!  Your description of the undead stirges was especially nice.

More story, less dinner for frog!

(Bangs fork on table)

Of course, I should be a bit careful.  I've not updated my own storyhour for the last two gaming sessions.  Too busy!  And now my players that come to ENWorld have the "search" function.  They can find out if I've been lollygagging around here, instead of dutifully writing the story!  Aaaack!


----------



## frog

*Milo Windby's Collected Story Hour (Updated 5/26/04)*

Many moons have passed since we last heard from our intrepid adventurers. From the Lost City they traveled west through the desert sands. Encountering the shade of a lost Pharaoh, they turned down his plea to free his soul from eternal wandering by plundering his tomb. 

Onward they travelled. Taking shelter from a storm in a semi buried city, they found a bottle sealed with forbiddings and enchantments. Opening it they freed an Efreet Pasha that had been trapped for centuries. It fled to the desert wastes and began ravaging the trade caravans of Ylaruam, causing immeasurable suffering. 

Westward from the desert into the meadows and forests of the Republic of Darokin their journey took them. Finally reaching the famed trade city capital of that great Republic. Darokin city. If it is for sale, it can be found there.

Milo was called before a council of his superiors in the Darokin Diplomatic Corp...Milo is a spy. Milo had been doing entirely too many "un spy like" things. His handlers wished to know why. He was grilled by agents from various Merchant families. Why did he let loose the Efreet Pasha? Was it part of a plot to undermine the Al Azrad house trading monopoly in Ylaruam? Who was the "Vessel of Thari" and why did she attack the party? Why is Milo travelling with an incognito Princess of Alfheim? Why did Milo tell his companions who he really was and what his real purpose was? What part did Milo and his companions play in the current civil war in Karameikos between the two men claiming to be Stephan Karameikos?

Milo was not treated like a returning hero. In fact, Milo came just short of being censured for his actions. Milo did not really care.

After selling off the loot of months worth of plundering to his fence "the Rat", the group went on a buying spree the likes of which Darokin thrives on. Milo purchased goggles to see in the dark, a cape of arachnidia, and other magical paraphernalia. Brigit underwent an arcane ritual to imbue her axe, "Trollgrater" with her life force, making it even more powerful. She also purchsed a matching Ice Burst axe.  

Mazi divested herself of most of her accumulated magical armor and dove head first into the role of party Wizard. Purchasing scrolls and wands, bracers and natural armor amulets, she became a magic wielding archer of renown. 

Kella dragged Jeremiah off and outfitted him as befits a Barbarian Chieftan. No more plate mail and shields, Jeremiah is covered in a chain shirt, bearskin cloak of resistance with a bear skull helm attached. The Windsword of Sharda was made more truly his, being endowed with a Keen Blade through blood sacrifice...HIS blood. A Ring of Sustenance to provide for his physical needs.

Kella called forth a new animal companion...a dire bear as befit her tribal status.

The party was set for their next foray into the unknown...


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