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Chapter 3: The Temple of All-Consumption Turn 59: A Bridge Too Far
Karzak put his hands on his hips and glared back and forth between Syll and Danton. “Well, laddie,” he said
while looking at the latter, “we dinna bring ye along fer yer
good looks! How ye ginna be openin' the door? If we do have ta go
back, I dinna relish goin' o'er that bridge. I dinna think I be too
crazy 'bout the water temple at' all neither. Me stout,
heavily-muscled body from fightin' beasties be sinkin' like a stone.
I also winna mind fightin' that three-headed lion, goat, bird,
thingee, back “By the way, elf,”
continued the fighter, now looking at Syll, “dwarves be very
good-natured in their spirits an' appreciate the beauty of gold an'
jewels an' other things a' beauty.” Karzak paused in mid-tirade
to ogle Tenaris before looking back at Syll once again. “But I
suppose there may be one or two baddies “If we cannot open the door conventionally or even unconventionally, by virtue of picking a lock -- and for various reasons, it appears that we cannot – for I see no lock to pick,” said Danton, “then methinks we should knock and ask ... or demand ... to be admitted. What other option is there? We hath not the power to blast the door open, and methinks such an act would be counterproductive even if we could. If the door opens by way of spoken word, we know not the password ... do we? If we cannot think of a password or obtain entry via other means, Karzak, then if you truly wish to fight that monstrous thing, such may shortly be granted. But I wilt repeat a saying that we hath in Veluna: ‘Do not ask for what you do not want, because you just might get it’.” “I'm not sure demanding entry
would be a good idea,” said Luger as he looked over his
shoulder back at the mass of guards watching the party at the far end
of the bridge. “I'm guessing that access to the Doomdreamers is
limited, or why else cloister themselves within an Inner Fane behind
locked doors accessible only by bridges when they are seemingly
surrounded by their allies and minions? I think the dwarf suspected
us and let us through just to see what we'd do. No, the guards can
now wait for us to turn around and shoot us with arrows from a
distance or just let their pet loose upon us. I think we've made a
fatal mistake and we are going to pay for it with our blood, if not
our lives. But in any case, if you're going to try the lock, I'd
suggest you get on with it.” “Don't worry, good Luger,” said Danton, even as he continued to stare at the largely blank surface of the stone door. “We've been in tight spots before and, by luck or pluck, managed our way through. You seem to be pretty tight with your god -- give him a holler. Maybe he will lend a hand. And even if not, when unleashed, the lot of you are all masters of disaster.” “So,” added the
Velunese with a wink at Tenaris, “take heart—we’re
not dead yet.” Luger removed the two triangular metal bars and held one in each hand. “I wonder what would happen if I brought these two things together.” “We knowed they has some kinda magic, right?” asked Nanoc. “Let’s either try to fit them to that funny little circle on the door or elsewise bring the two together. Heck if that don't work, we is sure gonna be a missin' Asya. Greetin' those fellahs and dogs at the other end with a nice ball o' fire would be a good start to a hard battle. I don't suppose you can make a ball o' fire can you Syll?” “’Fraid not,” replied the elf. “But I’m workin’ on it. Greyhawk wasn’t built in a day, don’t ya know?” “Go ahead,” said Karzak, looking at Luger and the metal bars, “’swing the axe,’ as we say un'er the mountain, an' see what happens. Jus' dinna blast me ta smithereens 'fore I gits ta dance with the beastie back there!” “I say put the bars together,” said Tenaris, one hand on her hip and the other holding the blade Luger had given her. “What do we have to lose at this point?” “Yeah, why not?” agreed Syll. “Some times ya gotta cross the streams! Mabye the big guy could kind of block the view in case nothing happens.” “Fair enough,” said Luger. “I guess there is no harm in giving it a try. Nanoc, block the view of what I'm doing while I put these things together.” The massive barbarian complied, moving to place his bulk between Luger and the guards assembled near the far end of the bridge. When Luger brought the two bars together, there was a flash of light and energy and the two bars fused together to form a single, larger triangular bar with the same proportions that the two smaller ones previously had. “Nice trick there, priest-boy,” said Karzak. “Whadda we ginna do now? Them folks ginna be gettin' mighty suspicious. Even more so that we hangin' 'round tryin' ta open this here door like a bunch a' thieves at midday in the middle a' a crowded street in front of the constable. Oh yeah, looks like me ginna be gettin' me wish a' fightin' that pretty beasty!” Karzak might have continued to ramble on about the prospect of fighting the three-headed creature, but then another look at Tenaris caused him to lose track of his train of thought as he found himself once again staring at the woman, this time drooling out of both sides of his mouth. “I don't know if that was any
benefit,” said Luger as he looked down at the larger metal bar
in his hands, “but it certainly seems like it was meant to do
that. Let us see if it will open this door for us. I'll put the key
against the circle in the door and see if causes a triangular hole or
something to appear. One thing that concerns me though is the
different elemental temples. We found this key in the Earth temple,
which makes me think that the other temples have similar devices. I
wonder if we need one from each temple to make a whole key. If that
is the case, it will certainly make getting into the Inner Fane
difficult.” While the others watched, Luger placed the triangular metal bar against the circle on the stone door. To his disappointment and that of the rest of the party, nothing happened.
“I say we make a stand right here,” said Karzak, pounding his booted feet on the stone bridge below him, “an' fire our missiles - magicked an' from bows - as they come ta git us. If ye wanna goes 'visible, be me guest. I would be joinin' ye with me own bottle o’ magic, but I wants my pretty beastie ta see me with all three heads while I be choppin' them off one at a one, all in a row.” “By the way,” he added, looking pointedly at both Nanoc and Syll, “nobody be touchin' that dwarf. I’ma ginna show him not to join up with these baddies!” “My good dwarf,” said Danton, “I hath once read a scholarly tome on the arts of war, and its author -- whose name currently escapeth me -- hath written, amongst other wizened things, that, ‘if an army must travel ten miles to engage the enemy, make sure it's your foe's army that does the traveling.’ On that reasoning, you art p'raps correct -- let us wait for them to come at us. In this case, however, I am inclined against this wizened strategist's advice. For we art not fighting on ground of our choosing, but, rather, backed to an apparently impenetrable wall, with a long -- indeed, likely fatal -- drop only a handful of feet to either side of us. P'raps we're no better off fighting with these evil men in their guardhouse, but that's why methinks we should employ some strategy.” Almost as if to punctuate Danton’s
words, the assembled men at the far end of the bridge seemed to be
engaged in some sort of activity. It looked as if they were taking up
bows and the metal door that blocked the three-headed monster from
the bridge had been partially opened once again. “An’ as fer you, lassie,” concluded the dwarf while looking at Tenaris, “you jus’ stand there an' let me look at ya! “Woo-hoo! Looks like I'll be gittin' me wishes! Bring on the beastie!” “Hold just one moment,” cautioned Luger, placing a hand in front of Karzak, who had already spun to stalk back down the bridge. “Assuming this magical bar is in fact a key, how about just marching back pissed off and throwing it on the ground at the dwarf's feet and demanding to know why the key does not work? Since we're bluffing our way around here, why not go for it all? We could also tell the dwarf that ‘that bitch’ in the Fire Temple told us that if we cleaned out the Earth Temple, we could take this key from the trogs and enter the Inner Fane with it because she was too damn busy to take us herself. Course, we have no name and do not even know if the Fire Temple has female members, but I'm betting the guards do not know either. Mentioning the Fire Temple and claiming to have wiped out the Earth Temple again may give us some clout with these guys.” Karzak
scowled, but Luger pressed on: “Not a bad idea,” mused Syll. “We oughta be yelling at everyone and ranting like crazy about how some ‘idiot’ from the Earth Temple—where there’s now no one alive to dispute our tale—told us this was the key. Whoever’s doing the talking should be in a towering rage and be throwing curses and threats around.” Danton nodded
approval. “Methinks too that good Luger's idea hath merit --
the best way to deal with guards and underlings is to plow through
them as though they art beneath us. I would add the following,
however. We have 1000 feet to cross before meeting them. I shouldst
turn invisible as previously mentioned and cross the bridge in great
haste -- mine elven boots should aid mine silence, and then, as I
draw near, I'll slow down even more so that I can sneak into their
midst. Thus, I advocate that I rush down unseen and observe for as
long as possible. The rest should come at a deliberate -- but not too
quick -- pace. I wilt eavesdrop as long as I can, and if I determine
that they art going to attack in some devious fashion, I'll intervene
in some way to disrupt their mischief. Then, when the rest of you
arrive, have Luger do the bluffing. If asked, he can tell them that
‘Delchin’ hath teleported into the Fane to talk with the
Doomdreamers, and that Delchin demands entry for the rest of his
minions.” Danton winked at Tenaris as he finished speaking. “I’ma tellin' ye laddies,” said Karzak with a firm shake of his head, “invisible t'ain't ginna be matterin'. Bet ye a night a' ales that me pretty be ginna lookin' at ye an' raisin' the wee alarms 'fore ye can even git o'er there. But, don't really matter too much ta me, as all I want is a chance ta challenge me skills with me axe an' mebbe be eaten by three different heads on a beastie. Now, that would be somethin' ta tell me clan! 'Though I prefer ta do the tellin' 'bout how I slayed the baddie!” “One last thing,” added Syll. “We all need to remember that lever that locks up the chimera. We do not want that thing loose, and should avoid fighting it at all costs. Luger can try to make friends with it later. Should someone open the alcove, I want to try to pull the lever to send it back in. Oh, and save your potion,” he added to Danton. “I’ll take care of the invisibility business for you.” Just before Syll performed his spell, Danton turned and handed two of his potions to Tenaris, explaining that one was for healing while the other would enhance her dexterity. He also showed the elf woman where he kept his other potions in the pouches arrayed along his belt. “Since your are new to our little group, you hath not had the chance to accumulate such reserves of healing and magic as we have,” said Danton. “After all,” he added with a wink, “we cannot have anything happening to you at least until we hath had a chance to get to know one another better, no?” “I suppose not,” replied Tenaris with a smile and a shake of her head as she took the two potions. “Watch yourself and I’ll see you on the other side of the bridge.” While Syll stood so that Nanoc obscured him from the view of those on the far side of the bridge and cast his spell, Danton stood in plain view and gesticulated wildly as if he were the one engaged in spellcasting. A second later, the scout disappeared from view. At the same time, without consulting anyone, Karzak drank his own potion of invisibility. When both Danton and Karzak were invisible, the Velunese took his first few steps back down the bridge before he heard the dwarf’s disembodied voice: "Mind all ye, especially you, elf, I dinna be drinkin' this outta fear a' our enemies. Indeed, I be spoilin' fer a fight. I jus dinna wanna be caught o'er that water now that I be thinkin’ ‘bout it. Dwarves dinna take too kindly ta water, I kin tell ye." “What the heck do you think yer doin, kid?” asked Syll. “I could’ve turned you invis too! No need to waste potions!” “I’m followin’ Danton,” replied Karzak from somewhere nearby. “I’ll be behind him a bit, but not too far.” “No!” hissed Danton. “I must needs move in total silence—your armored footfalls will give us both away for certain!” "Face it,” said Karzak with a laugh. “I'm coming with ye, laddie. I'll stay behind though an' not git too close so you kin still go all quiet-like." Since there was little that could be done to prevent the now-invisible dwarf from following Danton, and he could not be dissuaded from doing so, the rest of the party could only grumble and accept his decision. Danton made his way across most of the bridge at a rapid pace, slowing only when he drew near the far end. As he jogged across the span, he watched as the guards at the far end fully opened the alcove where the three-headed beast resided and allowed it to come out and block the end of the bridge once more. Behind the beast, it seemed that the assembled men and dogs were gathered in case anything managed to get past the monster. When he was a hundred feet away, Danton slowed to a walk and began a conscious effort to silence his footfalls. Behind him he could see that the rest of the party was slowly making its way across the bridge with Luger in the lead. As for Karzak, Danton knew he was close by, for he could hear both the dwarf’s ragged breathing—taxed by the run across the bridge in heavy armor—and his heavy footfalls. Danton admonished Karzak to stay put once more, but to no avail—the dwarf insisted on following Danton and getting off the bridge and away from the water no matter what it took. [Move Silently: Danton: 6+21=27, Karzak: 7 +2 (dex) –8 (armor check penalty)=1] Despite the fact that he was still breathing rapidly, Danton managed to move in near total silence, thanks to years of practice and the added help of his elven boots. He went out of his way to put as much distance as possible between himself and Karzak, seeking as much to prevent the dwarf from discerning his location as the monster and men ahead. He moved to the extreme western side of the bridge and made his way along the railing. At the same time, Karzak moved and stumbled directly towards the three-headed beast, his heavy footfalls and the clanging of his armor making more noise than Danton would have thought possible. Both the beast and the men and dogs behind it clearly heard the racket. The dogs barked loudly, while the men clenched blades and shields tight and the three-headed beast turned fully toward the bridge and blocked most of the way off the span with its body. Fortunately for Danton, when the dragon head of the monster opened its maw and breathed a mass of cold air and ice down the bridge, he was already creeping past it on the western side of the bridge, so he avoided the blast. Karzak, directly in the path of the cone of cold, saw the attack coming and leaped and rolled towards the eastern side of the bridge (reflex save: 18+2=20; success), avoiding the worst of the blast but still feeling the wave of cold wash over him (7 damage). [Initiative: Danton: 21, Karzak: 15, Luger: 5, Nanoc; 24, Syll: 15, Tenaris: 17, Foes base save: 10] Still invisible, Karzak was on his feet in a flash. He rushed towards the three-headed beast screaming out, “"I been lookin' fer ye all me life! Finally, a wee challenge worthy a' mighty Karzak!” Seconds later, the dwarf’s waraxe slammed into the chest of the monster below the necks of the three heads (attack: 19+11=30; hit; 14 damage). As Karzak’s attack made him visible, the monster reared back and all three heads shot down at him and its foreclaws slashed at his body. The dwarf’s armor and shield protected him from the worst of the assault, but the goat’s head still butted him hard on his helmet and both claws slashed through his armor (hit for a total of 17 damage). When Nanoc, Syll, Luger, and Tenaris saw the monster breathe the wave of ice down the bridge and Karzak appeared out of thin air fighting the beast seconds later, they knew the game was up and began running at full tilt across the bridge (Nanoc 160 feet per round, Syll 120 feet per round, Luger 80 feet per round, Tenaris 60 feet per round). With legs of varying lengths and strengths and encumbered to varying degrees, considerable distances soon opened up between the party members, with Nanoc far out in front, followed by Syll, Luger and Tenaris. Unfortunately, the group had been no more than a third of the way across the bridge when Karzak engaged the monster, so even Nanoc still had a great distance to cover before he could aid the dwarf. As Karzak’s fight with the great beast began and the rest of the party ran pell-mell across the bridge, Danton moved silently around and behind what he judged were the two leaders of the bridge defenders—the goblin-like creature and the armored dwarf. This pair stood in the center of a mass of men and dogs as they watched Karzak and the monster have at one another. Seeing Karzak fighting alone, Danton considered stabbing the dwarf or the goblin in the back immediately, but he realized this would provide no real aid to Karzak and would only bring two dozen foes down on him immediately—with Nanoc and the others still far across the bridge. For better or worse, Karzak was on his own. With the great monster as far out onto the end of the bridge as its chains would allow, it continued to rear back as Karzak hacked at it (attack: 14+11=25; hit; 13 damage). The dwarf slashed away at its center of mass, cutting through its thick skin again, but suffering terrible abuse as its three heads and two sets of foreclaws tore into him (hit for 11 damage). “Yer about ta lose yer head . . . ahem . . . pardon me, laddie—heads!" screamed Karzak amidst the roars of the beast. Behind this melee, Danton could see that Nanoc had reached the center of the bridge, with the others trailing behind. The defenders saw the half-orc too, and, as Danton watched, the dwarf in front of him swelled in size to over double his normal height, with his weight and bulk growing in proportion. A fraction of a second later, the dwarf disappeared from sight. Recognizing an unexpected threat to the others, but unable to do anything about it, Danton moved behind the goblinoid and bided his time. At the end of the bridge Karzak and the beast continued to tear at one another, with the dwarf hacking his axe deep into the space between the dragon and lion heads (attack: 12+11=23; hit; 10 damage), and the monster biting, butting and clawing the dwarf in return (hit for a total of 14 damage). “Ugh,” grunted the dwarf, “mebee a lil’ help here’d be alright after all…” Staggered by the incredible punishment the claws and three heads of the monster were able to dish out, Karzak stumbled backwards. As the monster lunged at him again, he swung his axe with all his strength (attack: 18+11=29; hit; 15 damage), and was rewarded when the blade lopped the goat head clean off its neck. Unfortunately, the dragon head closed around his midsection and held him in place while the lion’s maw bit down on his head and the two sets of claws slashed at his legs (27 total damage taken). As so many claws and teeth sank into his flesh all at once, Karzak’s axe slipped from his grasp. When the monster released its grip moments later and tossed the dwarf’s body to the side with twin roars of triumph, the dwarf did not get up. Nanoc had intended to rush straight to Karzak’s side, but when he saw the dwarf go down, there seemed little point in having a second member of the party rush into a nasty fight alone, so he slowed and allowed the others to catch up before charging close to the monster. When he, Luger, and Tenaris finally rushed the badly wounded beast, Syll held back and began casting spells. As the trio of other attackers closed the distance, the dragon head breathed another wave of cold over them (reflex saves: Nanoc 7+7=14; failure—18 damage, Luger: 2+5=7; failure—18 damage). Although Tenaris managed to cover most of her body with her shield, both Nanoc and Luger took the brunt of the cold attack. The cleric was staggered by the freezing blast, but Nanoc did not even break stride and cut off a second head from the creature—this time the very dragon head that had just blasted him (attack: 15+14=29, 7+9=16, one hit, 18 damage). The only head remaining—that of the lion—swung around to bite Nanoc, but at that moment three magic missiles fired by Syll slammed into it. The lion’s eyes closed and the great beast fell to the stone bridge unmoving. Even as the rest of the party managed to finish the great monster, Danton slipped Rat’s Tail into the back of the goblinoid when it began what looked to the Velunese to be some sort of spellcasting (attack: 18+8=26—potential critical hit—2nd roll: 2+8=10; no critical hit, but still sneak attack: 17 total damage). Danton’s attack was not quite as devastating as it might have been, but he still caused the goblinoid to scream in pain and clearly wrecked whatever incantation it had begun. Moving in the blink of an eye, the Velunese then drained his potion of invisibility and blinked out of sight again almost as quickly as he had appeared when he stabbed the spellcaster. The assembled defenders were so stunned by the combination of the death of their pet monster and Danton’s surprise attack and subsequent disappearance that Nanoc, Tenaris and Luger were upon them before they could react. Having seen Danton attack the goblin and with no sign of the dwarf, Nanoc made to finish the goblin, smashing his massive axe into the creature (attack: 7+14=21; hit; 11 damage). This attack, along with magis missile fire from Syll, stunned the goblin, but it still managed to cast some sort of spell against the barbarian and he felt an unwelcome presence in his mind. Fortunately, experience with such mental attacks enabled Nanoc to ignore the voice that urged him to lay down his weapon and surrender (will save: 14+4=18; success). Suddenly, just as he had warded off the mental assault, Nanoc sense a hostile presence behind his back. Some instinct told him to duck low at the last moment and, as he did so, a massive axe flashed through the air where his head had been. Turning his head just enough to see who was attacking him, Nanoc saw that the dwarven leader of the guards, now standing nearly twelve feet tall, was behind him. Wanting to finish the goblin first but distracted by the massive dwarf, Nanoc swung twice at the goblin, but failed to connect (attack: 1+14=15, 10+9=19; both miss), even as the dwarf hit him in the back with its axe (hit for 8 damage). Judging, as had Danton and Nanoc, that the goblinoid spellcaster was the greatest threat present now that the three-headed monster was dead, Luger targeted the thing with his most powerful spell (Cast Searing Light: 20 damage). The flash of brilliant light burned into the creature and caused it to shriek in pain, but somehow it remained standing despite the massive amount of abuse it had now taken from Danton, Nanoc, Syll, and Luger. Even as their two leaders engaged Nanoc, the massed men and dogs fanned out to surround all of the party members they could see, Nanoc, Luger, and Tenaris close at hand and Syll out on the bridge. Luger and Tenaris, in their heavy armor, held up fairly well against the press of so many attackers, but both Syll and Nanoc (hit for a total of 21 points) were stabbed and bitten multiple times. Against this chaotic and shifting backdrop, Danton appeared out of thin air for a second time when he sought to stab the gigantic dwarf in the back of his right leg, but the dwarf’s armor deflected Rat’s Tail (attack: 2+8+2=12; miss). This attack nevertheless drew the dwarf’s attention and he spun about, swinging wildly at Danton, who leapt out of range, with his axe. Nanoc still wanted to finish the goblin, but it disappeared from in front of him with a flash of blue light, appearing with another flash and the far end of the wide hall, well out of Nanoc’s reach and with a mass of guardsmen and dogs now between the barbarian and his target. As Nanoc moved towards the guards, intending to mow them down en masse, Luger cast a healing scroll on the barbarian (Cast Cure Moderate Wounds: Nanoc +17 HP). While their leaders were obviously very tough, the rank and file soldiers present were clearly no match for Nanoc, who mowed down two of them and one of their dogs in the blink of an eye (attack: 19+14=33, 12+9=21; two hits; 11, 13 damage, 2 guards killed, 2 cleave attacks: 3+14=17, 7+9=16; one miss on a guard and one hit on a dog; 16 damage). From somewhere nearby another dog bit Nanoc (hit for 3 points) even as he waded into the second rank of guards, cutting down another guard and killing another dog (attack: 15+14=29, 5+9=14; one hit; 14 damage, activates cleave feat: attack: 4+14=18; hit; 11 damage). While Nanoc went through guards and dogs like a knife through hot butter, Syll finally finished the goblinoid spellcaster with another salvo of magic missiles and then floated up into the air to escape the pounding he was taking from the guardsmen who had surrounded him. Some of these men began to scramble for bows while others decided to turn their attention to more easily accessible targets. As all of this was happening, Danton engaged in what could only be described as a desperate holding action against the massive dwarf that sought to cut him to pieces with his axe. Danton was complexly unable to penetrate the dwarf’s armor (attack: 5+8=13, 7+8=15; both miss), but he was fast enough to avoid most of its lighting speed counterattacks. However, those few strokes that did connect were devastating (hit twice for a total of 21 points), slicing right through Danton’s leather armor and nearly knocking him off his feet. “Nanoc!” screamed the Velunese. “Ignore that riffraff and get over here where thy axe is most sorely needed!” While trying to hold the mass of men and dogs pressing him at bay with his shield, Luger did his best to cast spells to aid the party. His first effort, to freeze the dwarf in place (Cast Hold Person), was ruined when one of the guards hit him hard in the side with a blade (hit for 10 points; concentration check: 2+5=7;failure) and disrupted his reading of the spell. Switching to another spell on the same scroll, he ignored the bit of a dog on his left leg (hit for 3 points; concentration check: 16+5=21; success) and summoned (Cast Monster Summon III) three huge wolves into existence. The animals tore into the backs of the guards who pressed him, drawing some of them away as they were forced to focus on self-defense rather than harrying the cleric further. Unfortunately for the cleric, Tenaris, who had been fighting next to him, went down under the press of so many enemies, and the soldiers who had been attacking her turned their attention to Luger, replacing those drawn off by the wolves. Having heard Danton’s cry, Nanoc turned away from the remaining guardsmen in front of him, allowing them to strike him in the back (hit for 15 points) and took two massive steps towards the dwarf, slashing his axe twice through its armored back (attack: 9+14+2=25, 16+9+2=27; two hits; 34 damage). The dwarf screamed in pain, cursing Nanoc even as it spun around to face him, knocking the barbarian back with a blow of the dwarf’s own enlarged axe (hit for 12 points). As the dwarf turned away from him, Danton finally managed to pierce its armor with Rat’s Tail (attack of opportunity: 14+8+2=24; hit; 6 damage). The Velunese might have pressed the attack further had not four guardsmen surrounded him at that point, hitting him from all sides and knocking him out of the fight even as Tenaris went down across the chamber (hit for 10 points). From his perch above the battle, Syll continued to blast away at the guards with magic missiles, concentrating his fire on those who had gone for bows in an effort to bring him down, but on the ground only Nanoc and Luger remained standing against a massive number of men and dogs that was almost certain to wear them down eventually. Screaming out in raw anger and frustration Nanoc flew into a rage (+4 strength, +4 con, +14 HP). With his incoherent yells echoing off the walls of the chamber and over the lake outside, Nanoc threw everything he had at the dwarven leader of the guard post (attack: 10+16=26, 15+11=26; two hits; 35 damage). This sudden, screaming, raging assault was more than the gigantic dwarf could handle, and Nanoc bashed through his defenses and cut him down before the stunned eyes of his men. At the same time, Syll blasted three of the men off their feet with his magic projectiles, shouting as he did so: “I am Darth Vader of the planet Vulcan and I shall burn you all to cinders where you stand!” Although there still remained over a dozen men and dogs facing only three intruders, somehow Nanoc’s dramatic killing of their leader, combined with Syll’s rhetoric and pyrotechnics, broke the will of the remaining defenders. With shouts of panic, the men began to stream away from the bridge, with their surviving dogs following in their wake as they rushed around the corner to the west and out of sight. Syll, Nanoc and Luger might have wanted to pursue in other circumstances, but they were in absolutely no condition for it. Instead the trio quickly found the bodies of Tenaris, Danton, and Karzak. The elf woman and the Velunese were still breathing, unconscious and badly wounded, but the dwarf was clearly dead. Using almost every bit of magical healing they still had, the three survivors of the battle managed to get Tenaris and Danton back on their feet and patch up some of their own wounds (Luger converts Speak with Dead to Cure Moderate Wounds and casts on self: +17 HP, Nanoc drinks potion of Cure Moderate Wounds: +13 HP, Luger administers Danton’s potion of cure light wounds to him: +12 HP, Nanoc administers Tenaris’ potion of cure light wounds to her: +12 HP). While Nanoc and Luger were bringing Danton and Tenaris around, Syll rifled through Karzak’s equipment, removing Karzak’s gauntlets and a potion from his pack, and pocketing the dwarf’s coin purse. The elf slipped the gauntlets onto his own hands and then passed the potion to Danton when the Velunese got to his feet. “No point being sentimental,” said the elf simply. “The kid got himself killed and he ain’t gonna need these things any more where he’s goin’. Speaking of which, I think we better throw his body off the bridge out there and then make ourselves scarce. Those guys that got away will be raising a general alarm for sure and we don’t want the bad guys casting that ‘speak with the dead’ spell on the dwarf so that he can tell them all about us and our plans.” “No way,” said Nanoc. “That ain’t right.” “I don’t like it any more than you do,” countered Syll, “but you’re already carrying everything but the kitchen sink. You really think you can carry the dwarf—armor and all—and still be able to move and get us out of there before this whole place comes down on our heads?” “He’s right,” said Danton authoritatively. “We must needs move immediately and we cannot have Karzak’s corpse fall into enemy hands. Nanoc, do what must be done. We shall mourn Karzak later, when time and circumstances permit, should we ourselves live long enough to do so.” While Syll looted both the dwarven garrison commander and the dead goblinoid of anything and everything that it seemed might be of value and Danton helped Tenaris to her feet, putting an arm around the woman to steady her when she wobbled momentarily. With tears in his eyes, Nanoc picked up Karzak’s body, carried it out onto the end of the bridge, and dropped it into the dark waters below. “You were a funny guy, Karzak. I’ll miss ya,” said the barbarian as he wiped his eyes and turned to walk back into the guard post. Seeking to perform as quick a search of the immediate area as possible and then find a way to get as far from the guard post as possible, Danton and Nanoc led the others into the room to the east where the dwarf and goblin had been occupied when the party arrived in the area. They passed was obviously a latrine—and a foul smelling one at that—on the south wall and then entered a large, irregularly shaped room that held six long wooden tables each flanked by benches. At the head of two tables sat ornate, padded chairs. Tapestries of red and gold hung on the plaster-covered walls, and red and gold carpets ran along the sides of the room as well as in between the tables. There were two closed wooden doors at the eastern end of the room. Spotting nothing of interest and not willing to take the time for a real search, the party moved to the two doors. Nanoc knocked the southernmost one open with his axe. Beyond was a small room, no more than twenty feet to a side, from which wafted the smell of spices, baked bread, and cooking meat. A large fireplace with both a roast on a spit and a simmering pot over the flames was built into the east wall. Two tables, covered in fresh bread, chopped vegetables, and bowls full of various half-made mixtures, stood in the middle of the room. No other exits were visible. “Kitchen,” grunted Nanoc. “Moving on.” The northern door on the east wall led to a small antechamber with yet another door on the far side. When Danton gave the antechamber a once over, he spotted five suspicious holes on the far wall (search: 14+13=27). Motioning for the others to back off, Danton tried to find some way to disarm what he suspected was an arrow trap (disable device: 7+10=17). His initial efforts were unsuccessful, and the scout ultimately had no choice but to return to the outer chamber and have Nanoc throw a chair into the antechamber to set off the trap (disable device take ten: 10+10=20). When the chair landed on the floor, it must have activated some sort of pressure plate, and five arrows shot out of the far wall and into the western one. With the trap fired and Nanoc again leading the way, the party barged through the antechamber and into another square shaped room slightly larger than the kitchen. This room had a lavish bed covered in blue blankets and white pillows. The other contents of this bedchamber included a chest, a bureau, a wardrobe, a bookcase, two tables—one small and one large, and a large padded chair. Etched into the plaster of the walls were frescoes of skeletal figures dancing in long robes around bonfires. The small table next to the bed had an oil lamp on it. The large table appeared to have a piece of paper and some writing utensils. Judging that this room was worth at least a cursory investigation (Danton search: 4+13=17), Danton and the others found that the wardrobe and bureau contained a variety of dwarf-sized clothing, mostly in shades of gray, and personal gear, while the bookshelves held tomes on a variety of topics, including books titled The Worship of the Elder Elemental Eye, A History of Evil Cults, and a small notebook with the words ‘The Temple of Elemental Evil’ scrawled on the cover. Additionally, sitting on the large table next to an inkwell and pen, Danton found what appeared to be a recently penned letter writing in a fluid script in Oeridian: “Masters— It has been a month since anyone has wanted to use our bridge, but that is probably for the best. We are under siege. Not only do the forces of the nearby Earth and Water Temples occasionally extort and bully my people, but now a pack of particularly crafty Raagen (what my people call cave apes) have taken to stealing from and sometimes attacking my forces. I cannot send a party of armed warriors from among my troops without risking the security of this access to the Outer Fane, so I request assistance in this matter from you. Your faithful servant, Oamarthis, Commander of the Northern Bridge Complex” Gathering up the three more interesting books and the letter, Danton led the rest of the party back out of the bedroom and out into the main chamber leading to the bridge. Much to the party’s relief, there was still no sign of the surviving guards or any reinforcements, but everyone knew this was only a matter of time. Turning to the northern hallway on the east wall, the party found that it ran east for twenty feet, then north for twenty and then east again for another twenty before opening up and ending in a rectangular chamber running north-south. The smell of urine and fur was strong here. This room was mostly empty except for a low water trough, an empty trough next to it, and six padded straw pallets. “This is where they kept the pooches,” said Nanoc unnecessarily. Retracing their steps quickly, the party came to the double doors on the north wall of the chamber that accessed the bridge. These were now partly open, and beyond them was a small room with twenty wooden bunk beds with stuffed mattresses, a long table and a number of chairs, and at least ten small chests of drawers all crammed into it. On the table, a lute, a harp, and a stack of books sat next to a statuette of a wolf. A large open barrel of water was under the table. The walls had racks of swords, spears, and bows. Six arrow quivers hung on pegs. At the far end of the room, a wooden door was open—leading to some sort of storage area with no other exit. “This is the quarters of the rank and file grunts,” muttered Syll. “No point wasting out time with a search here when the bad guys could be here at any moment.” The next room the party checked was the one just south of the hallway by which they had first entered the bridge complex. This was the room where several guards had sat playing games of chance when the party walked past. The room was twenty feet to a side and had two round tables surrounded by chairs. One table was covered in small game tiles with images of trees, people, and monsters. The other held a bounty of food and drink—a tin platter of breads, meats, and cheeses, and two bottles of wine. A large gong stood in the southeast corner, a mallet hanging from a hook in the wall next to it. When the party exited this guardroom, they noticed that while the door immediately to the west was still closed, the one 60 feet off to the north was now open, suggesting the fleeing guardsmen might have gone that way. With still no signs or sounds of an alarm being raised, Danton nodded for Nanoc to open the door to the west. Beyond it was a twenty foot square room with doors on the northern and western walls. Three divans with end tables, five padded chairs, and a round rug with a checkerboard pattern decorated this room. The frescoes on the walls depicted armored men riding dragons. Otherwise the room appeared to be empty. The room to the north was slightly smaller and far less pleasant. Chains ending in hooks dangled from the ceiling, rattling in some unfelt breeze. Bones were scattered haphazardly on the floor, which was stained with disturbing splatters of reddish brown. Some of the chains and places on the plaster-covered walls were also stained. “What is this place?” muttered Syll to no one in particular. Someone might have answered the elf, but at that moment a loud noise that sounded like a powerful cough or sneeze sounded from somewhere not far beyond the door immediately to the west of the party’s position. Everyone in the group froze and looked at one another. ________________________________________________________________ Notes for turn 60: Please send postings for Turn 60 by the end of Wednesday, June 20th. Nanoc and Luger have earned enough XP to advance a level. Please send me the list of changes and updated character sheets either with, or in advance of, your postings. Please remember that if you want your character to use or wear an item on a regular basis, you have to tell me. I will not simply equip your characters for you with new items that may be found. Current date/time/location: 10 Kolovoz (August) [Day Three in the Temple]; approximately 1130; The Temple of All-Consumption Items gained this turn (not yet divided): Oamarthis note, 3 books: The Worship of the Elder Elemental Eye, A History of Evil Cults, and The Temple of Elemental Evil, two metal keys (one taken from Oamarthis and the other from the goblinoid), assorted gems, set of bracers, dwarven waraxe, steel shield, set of dwarven-sized full plate armor (all of the latter items taken from Oamarthis) Undivided Loot previously gained: none Items used/lost/destroyed/sold/left behind this turn: Karzak’s potion of invisibility, Danton’s potions of invisibility and cure light wounds, Luger’s cure moderate, summon monster III, and hold person spells on scroll, Nanoc cure moderate wounds potion, Tenaris cure light wounds potion, most of Karzak’s gear ‘buried’ with him in the lake FOES DEFEATED: Active party members listed in bold. This Chapter:
Entire Campaign:
Current Status of the Party: Note: known magic items listed in bold. Nanoc AC: 17 Hit points: 14/79 New XP: 1680 XP total: 29,151 XP needed: 28,000 Equipment: masterwork great axe, great axe +1, masterwork studded leather armor, 69 arrows, 2 quivers, backpack, 3 waterskins, 29 days trail rations, bedroll, 2 sacks, 2 flint & steel, bearskin, 50’ rope, 1 sap, masterwork mighty composite shortbow, masterwork shortsword, 3 iron triangles with inverted ‘Y’, three black cones made of some unknown substance, a black scepter decorated with a half dozen violet gems, metal scroll tube, a black cloak, two inverted ziggurat pendants; potion of bull’s strength, potion of water breathing, potion of spider climbing, Aseneth’s House Torquann dragon ring, ring of jumping (+30 to jumping checks), cure moderate wounds, invisibility, silver and gold brooches, potion of spider climb, two-handed sword, 2 emerald pendants, one suit of half-platemail, one suite of full platemail, one morningstar, one large metal shield, one curved knife, potion of invisibility, troglodyte chitin breastplate, cloak of resistance +1. Gold: 1812 Silver: 1420 Danton AC: 16 (17 vs. one opponent) Hit points: 7/30 New XP: 1680 XP total: 27,201 XP needed: 28,000 Equipment: rapier, 6 daggers, light crossbow, studded leather armor, quiver with 33 bolts, bedroll, backpack, flint & steel, thieves picks, 3 waterskins, 29 days trail rations, hooded lantern, gold ring engraved with the name Karakas, 1 sap, 1 metal key from Yusdrayl, Everburning Torch, scrolls with pyrotechnics and melf’s acid arrow, old journal, 8 iron triangles with upside down ‘Y’ inside,1 inverted ‘Y” pendant in a brown triangle, 1 protection from fire scroll, new journal, notebook, pen, ink, parchment in sealed waterproof box, pipe, tobacco, metal box, whetstone, six packets of tinder for lighting fires, gold inlaid dagger, Journal of Geynor Ton, a folded piece of parchment with a note addressed to someone named Festrath, spider pendant, a wand of monster summon I (12 charges), disguise kit, letter to Master Dunrat, ochre-colored robe, scrolls of animal messenger and stone shape, potion of love, potion of spider climb, a dozen vials of lantern oil, masterwork thieves’ tools, scroll with summon monster II, Rat’s Tail (Rapier +1), scroll with change self, enlarge, and two sleep spells, silver and gold brooches, bracers of armor +1, potion of hiding, pouch of unknown dried herbs taken from the home of Tal Chamish, emerald pendant, a small ebony troglodyte statuette, a curved dagger, six sticks of incense, a black robe, an emerald pendant, potion of invisibility, boots of elvenkind, potion of levitate Gold: 1419 Silver: 1200 Luger AC: 20 Hit Points: 37/53 New XP: 1680 XP total: 22,651 XP needed: 21,000 Equipment: heavy mace, light x-bow, dagger, 20 bolts, chainmail +1, large steel shield, 3 belt pouches, large bag, 50’ rope, 5 torches, hooded lantern, 3 oil flasks, flint & steel, 29 days rations, silver holy symbol of Heironeus, 3 flasks holy water, 3 healer’s kits, backpack, cleric’s vestment, traveler’s clothing, 3 waterskins, bedroll, iron triangle with upside down ‘Y’ inside, eight cockatrice feathers, scroll of cure disease, potion of cure moderate wounds; Geistblatt (ghost touch longsword +1), 5 vials of Furyondian Fire, cloak of resistance +1 (+1 to all saves), potions of enlarge, reduce, nondetection, silver and gold brooches, tattered black cloak with burning eye emblazoned on it, note from Master Hedrack to Master Uskathoth (in Draconic), 2 triangular metal bars, 2 emerald pendants, upside down pyramid symbol, book on history and worship of Elder Elemental Eye cult, two inverted Y pendants in brown triangles, scroll with remove paralysis and protection from elements. Spell Selection: Level 0(5):
none Level 2 (4+1): Domain: Aid Level 3 (3+1): Domain: Magic Circle Against Evil Turn Undead attempts left on current day: 7 of 7 Gold: 169 Silver: 0 Tenaris AC: 22 Hit Points: 7/24 New XP: 1680 XP total: 5,580 XP needed: 6,000 Equipment: longsword, chitin full plate mail, large steel shield, masterwork morningstar, 6 javelins, 2 troglodyte spears, inverted Y pendant, 28 days rations, cat’s grace potion Gold: 0 Silver: 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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