Warren ran from last week's cliffhanger to find the rest of the party who had been variously occupied with other engagements. Lucius and Cwthwn came running. Lucius, as it turns out, was perfect for the task and quickly saved his friends from the Howling Pillars using the magic of his music (150xp- Lucius). It then fell to the party to place the objects they had collected on a series of runic circles in the floor and see what would happen.
As the objects hit the floor all of the doors in the complex banged open and a series of traps were engaged. Bronx found himself being attacked by a pool of elemental water, Lucius and K'hash were attacked by roaring statues, Ralmandu had to deal with grasping undead and Warren and Cwthwn were treated to a futile clicking from the crossbow traps they had disarmed hours earlier. The doom sphere, of which they had been warned earlier, was also activated. It rolled around the inner track of the complex making getting around more difficult than one might like. The real treat though was the appearance of the guardian of the complex, a young green dragon.
All in all, it was nothing they couldn't handle. The traps were little more than a nuisance to such hardened warriors and the dragon they worried so much about was slain in one stroke by Ralmandu as the party contemplated entering the inner sanctum (proving grounds- 2700xp).
The inner sanctum proved difficult to enter. By the time the party was ready to enter the hall was clogged with the rush of demons trying desperately to get at them. three evistro carnage demons, a Barlgura and a giant skeletal minotaur were falling over themselves for a piece of the adventurers. meanwhile, in the chamber beyond, their master, Maldrick Scarmaker, was nearing completion on his great ritual. The two slaves he had ensorcelled stood waiting in a circle of runes for their horrible fate.
The battle was mighty and tested them all. As the demon onslaught continued with little remittance things began to look rather dire for the heroes. Their injuries were beginning to slow them down and the demons seemed unfazed. Try though they may the party had to watch one slave disappear in a jet of fire, consumed by the ritual. Soon thereafter the party found their reserves of energy, marshaled themselves and pressed forward slaying the demons and making relatively short work of Malrick once he was unprotected by his minions (2100 xp).
The plot was foiled and the day won. Malrick lived a spartan lifestyle aside from slaves and minions so the party was forced to be happy with a job well done, a day saved and some minor magic items. The most interesting thing on Malrick's person was a silver key which gave Ralmandu a rather cinematic vision of a secret passage off of the seven pillared hall which would take them to a "tower of mysteries". Now, with some incriminating notes about Paldemar in hand, the party sets its sights on the seven pillared hall where they hope to make sense of all they have learned.
Loot Gained:
+2 elven cloak
silver key
correspondence between Maldrick and Paldemar
Sense of accomplishment
XP Gained:
Cwthwn, Ralmandu, Warren, K'hash and Bronx- 800
Lucius- 950
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Sessions 4-7 with apologies
Session 4- 4/21/2010
When we left our heroes they were about to lay their heroic brows to heroic rest. Sadly, so near to the "Well of Demons" rest is hard to come by. Their rest was interrupted by Abyssal incursion. The party was awoken first by a cry of rage and anguish from a spectral Minotaur which then vanished. Unnerved by this apparition the party laid down to rest once more. This time they were woken by a warping of the fabric of reality. Warren, being the only one truly unnerved by this attack needed more rest and as no one else felt they had rested enough the party did so. Again their sleep was interrupted. A Quasit appeared to the party and offered them information if they would pay him either in money or sacrifice. He holds no love for Baphomet or Yeenoghu and serves as official emissary from the court of Demogorgon. In exchange for 100gp the Demon answered three questions.
1- Where are the items we need for this test? -They are to the Southeast of us, the south of us and there are two to the south west of us.
2- What can you tell us about Paldemar? -Paldemar is a member of the Mages of Saarun but he does not serve them alone. He also seeks the secrets of Vecna.
3- Where are the slaves? -The nearest slaves are to the Southeast but there are many more in the labyrinth.
Suitably annoyed by all of the interruptions the party broke camp and, after some investigation, decided to go back into the well in an attempt to save the slaves. Upon entering the antechamber they were beset by another ghostly minotaur who chastised Bronx ad X'abra asking what they were doing leading these people here and that they should know better. He then banished them to a tiny room with no doors where they fought a Basilisk and found a new friend, Samael, who joined the party.
Pressing forward the party then moved into a small hallway running east west and encountered the ghosts of three adventurers who offered them information if they could prove themselves honest, powerful and worthy of the knowledge. Being eventually convinced the ghosts informed the party that they would need four items, a mask, bell, book and knife. and the items will need to be placed on a series of runic circles in the complex at precisely the same moment. To the east of the proving grounds, where they then stood, was the inner sanctum which is where they would be able to go if they completed the test. The items cannot be removed from the well and return to their previous locations after being used. Once the ceremony has been completed it will wake the guardian, a green dragon, and activate a number of traps which will need to be overcome. Each of the chambers in the complex has a trap within which is designed to make the task difficult the fastest way to move around is the center track but there is a trap there as well, a crushing ball of magic force which travels around it. There is a treasure hidden in the complex it is to the south.
The convenient unloading of hints and plot hooks being dispensed of the party then moved on to their first room. In the room were two statues of minotaur which were magically possessed by demons to swing whips around and make life difficult. There were also two pools of poisonous magic blood in the way of getting to a blade and hilt on pedestals on the far side of the room. To make matters worse there were also a few demons swimming about in the pools of blood. Luckily the party is fairly agile and managed to jump about and destroy the statues without any permanent deaths. Samael made himself immediately useful and summoned an angel which snagged the blade pieces for them while they held off the demons and statues.
Loot Gained-
Blade and hilt of the Bloodhorn blade
XP Gained-
Warren, Cwthwn, Ralmandu- 312
X'abra, Bronx- 233
Samael- 545
Session 5- 4/28/2010
Hall of Enforced Introspection.- Annoying mirror traps.
Beginning of Gnoll Hangout- Hyenas
Loot Gained-
Face of Baphomet
XP Gained-
Warren, Cwthwn, Ralmandu- 816
Session 6- 5/5/2010
Gnoll Hangout- Blackfang Gnolls have developed a small base of operations here.
Loot Gained-
Book of Wrath Unveiled
XP Gained-
Lucious, X'abra, Bronx, Samael- 570
Cwthwn- 820
Session 7- 5/13/2010
Hall of Howling Pillars, super scary pillars and a load of demons. Can our party survive anything this evil?
Loot Gained-
Bell of Fury's Calling
XP Gained-
Warren, Ralmandu, K'hash, Bronx- 437
When we left our heroes they were about to lay their heroic brows to heroic rest. Sadly, so near to the "Well of Demons" rest is hard to come by. Their rest was interrupted by Abyssal incursion. The party was awoken first by a cry of rage and anguish from a spectral Minotaur which then vanished. Unnerved by this apparition the party laid down to rest once more. This time they were woken by a warping of the fabric of reality. Warren, being the only one truly unnerved by this attack needed more rest and as no one else felt they had rested enough the party did so. Again their sleep was interrupted. A Quasit appeared to the party and offered them information if they would pay him either in money or sacrifice. He holds no love for Baphomet or Yeenoghu and serves as official emissary from the court of Demogorgon. In exchange for 100gp the Demon answered three questions.
1- Where are the items we need for this test? -They are to the Southeast of us, the south of us and there are two to the south west of us.
2- What can you tell us about Paldemar? -Paldemar is a member of the Mages of Saarun but he does not serve them alone. He also seeks the secrets of Vecna.
3- Where are the slaves? -The nearest slaves are to the Southeast but there are many more in the labyrinth.
Suitably annoyed by all of the interruptions the party broke camp and, after some investigation, decided to go back into the well in an attempt to save the slaves. Upon entering the antechamber they were beset by another ghostly minotaur who chastised Bronx ad X'abra asking what they were doing leading these people here and that they should know better. He then banished them to a tiny room with no doors where they fought a Basilisk and found a new friend, Samael, who joined the party.
Pressing forward the party then moved into a small hallway running east west and encountered the ghosts of three adventurers who offered them information if they could prove themselves honest, powerful and worthy of the knowledge. Being eventually convinced the ghosts informed the party that they would need four items, a mask, bell, book and knife. and the items will need to be placed on a series of runic circles in the complex at precisely the same moment. To the east of the proving grounds, where they then stood, was the inner sanctum which is where they would be able to go if they completed the test. The items cannot be removed from the well and return to their previous locations after being used. Once the ceremony has been completed it will wake the guardian, a green dragon, and activate a number of traps which will need to be overcome. Each of the chambers in the complex has a trap within which is designed to make the task difficult the fastest way to move around is the center track but there is a trap there as well, a crushing ball of magic force which travels around it. There is a treasure hidden in the complex it is to the south.
The convenient unloading of hints and plot hooks being dispensed of the party then moved on to their first room. In the room were two statues of minotaur which were magically possessed by demons to swing whips around and make life difficult. There were also two pools of poisonous magic blood in the way of getting to a blade and hilt on pedestals on the far side of the room. To make matters worse there were also a few demons swimming about in the pools of blood. Luckily the party is fairly agile and managed to jump about and destroy the statues without any permanent deaths. Samael made himself immediately useful and summoned an angel which snagged the blade pieces for them while they held off the demons and statues.
Loot Gained-
Blade and hilt of the Bloodhorn blade
XP Gained-
Warren, Cwthwn, Ralmandu- 312
X'abra, Bronx- 233
Samael- 545
Session 5- 4/28/2010
Hall of Enforced Introspection.- Annoying mirror traps.
Beginning of Gnoll Hangout- Hyenas
Loot Gained-
Face of Baphomet
XP Gained-
Warren, Cwthwn, Ralmandu- 816
Session 6- 5/5/2010
Gnoll Hangout- Blackfang Gnolls have developed a small base of operations here.
Loot Gained-
Book of Wrath Unveiled
XP Gained-
Lucious, X'abra, Bronx, Samael- 570
Cwthwn- 820
Session 7- 5/13/2010
Hall of Howling Pillars, super scary pillars and a load of demons. Can our party survive anything this evil?
Loot Gained-
Bell of Fury's Calling
XP Gained-
Warren, Ralmandu, K'hash, Bronx- 437
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