7/21/2007

Players: Kathi, JC, Chris
Characters: DM, Elendil & Jolley, Billi

[Begin nearing dusk on the 26th of Elient]

Elendil waits, mounted on his horse near the wagon wheel marker, and eyes the storms brewing in the distance. The north wind is cool but he trusts his luck to see them through the evening without being drenched. Jolley is hidden on the west side of the trail, nearest him but Elendil can't make out exactly where he is. Billi and Bethan are on the east side.

About 20 minutes later, just as the last rays of the sun are disappearing beyond the horizon, the human returns with a nasty looking half-orc that is wearing a holy symbol of bane.

"Where are my men?!?" the human says advancing with sword drawn as he notices their absence.

"They thought to relieve me of something I value." Elendil replies coldly trying to assess the half-orc. "Where is my sister?"

A cruel grin crosses the half-orc's features. "I left the human bitch alive after having some fun with her if that's what you're asking. The others may not be so generous but I assure you the longer we linger here the more fingers and toes she will lose."

It is all Elendil can do to not act on the rage building inside him but Bethan, hidden in the trees, doesn't have the same restraint and he makes a slight movement that the half-orc hears. The foul creature tells the human to take a look.

Billi silently casts Know Protection on the half-orc (with no result) and then he and Bethan attack the human after he passes by.

MELEE

Elendil successfully casts Silence on the half-orc's staff and then charges to attack. The half-orc swings at Elendil and as the creature is focused intently on him, Jolley comes out of the forest and takes down the half-orc with neat clinical efficiency. The fighter then charges towards the others still engaed in battle.

Elendil rides about 60 feet further down the trail the Banites had come from and scans the area ahead in the twilight looking for others. He then returns, searches the half orc and lets him die. Jolley knocks the human unconscious and then cleans his bloody sword while Billi and Bethan search the man. [The half-orc had a staff, holy symbol, and pouch containing human teeth. The human had a masterwork long sword, a crossbow, a pouch with 21 gp, and a bronze bracelet.]

Elendil removes the crossbow bolt and casts Cure Moderate on Billi. They drag the dead half orc off the road. The human is gagged, bound and tossed over the saddle. Elendil casts Detect Magic on the items retrieved but nothing is magical.

They proceed down the track for perhaps 15 minutes (maybe 20) and then reach a point where it's pretty obvious the tracks seem to lead into an overgrown thicket. The bramble is actually tied together and Billi laughs when he sees such a pathetic deception and trap.

500 yards later we spot a small ruined keep with no light showing whatsoever. A moment later we spot a brief flash of light from within. Billi and Bethan sneak around back. Elendil and Jolley wait ten to fifteen minutes for them to get in place and then approach. There is a Glyph of Fear on the bridge but neither Jolley nor Elendil is affected. Elendil casts Light on a rock and calls out that he is here to make the trade. Four humans emerge with crossbows.

Meanwhile, Bethan and Billi haven't quite remained as hidden as they'd have liked and are shot at as they pass one of the ruined sections of the wall. However, they keep moving and come around at last to the front corner of the building.

The four men indicate for them to proceed within but when Elendil dismounts and turns to Jolley and says "Stay here and make sure they don't get the item until Teal and I return", the men fire their crossbows.

MELEE

Elendil kills one, and Jolley kills one, and then quickly dispatches the remaining two. Bethan and Billi have snuck into the keep and are being attacked within. More of the evil clerics appear and the group kills them all except one woman who flees downstairs. Elendil follows and narrowly misses being split in two by a swing blade trap. He manages to evade it and continues after the woman. Jolley following behind is hit by the blade trap but takes only minor damage. The two remain in pursuit of the fleeing woman.

Elendil trips another trap, this time a freezing blast with deadly ice shards, which wounds both himself and Jolley. But they contiue the pursuit and when they manage to corner the woman, she kills herself biting down on a fake tooth that releases deadly poison rather than allowing them to question her.

Elendil takes the opportunity to cast Cure Moderate Wounds on himself and Cure Serious Wounds on Jolley.

Billi and Bethan search the bodies and find only chain mail, crossbows, large shields and dark clothing. As they follow after Elendil and Jolley, Billi is able to find and remove the blade trap but sets off the ice shard trap. The group is then reunited and continues down the stairway which ends at two tall doors beyond which is a faint purple glow.

As Billi checks for traps on the doors he sets off another Glyph but is not affected by it. Elendil casts Bless and then Protection from Evil. When Bethan checks he sets off the same Glyph of Fear, is affected by it, and away he goes back upstairs. Billi sets off after him but sets off another Glyph of Fear and away he goes as well. (At least they got the doors open.)

Elendil and Jolley ignore the six statues within and advance straight to the glowing swirling misty portal beyond and go through. They find themselves in a hexagonal room with another six statues, this time with arms outstretched. They ignore these statues as well and continue through the chamber to a room downstairs. They come to a long hallway and Elendil can detect this is a VERY bad place.

There is a single door and a set of double doors in the hallway. They hear voices receding away from them. At one door they hear a low rumbling sound. The door at the end of the hallway is the one which the voices went through.

[Note: A Luck Check for Elendil is d20 + his cleric level.]

Elendil's luck (after his free daily reroll) tells him to check the door with the low rumbling. He and Jolley find the door unlocked and Elendil opens it. There is a man sleeping on a cot who appears to be passed out drunk. They also spy a key on a peg. Elendil quietly tells Jolley to watch the man and he goes around the corner further into the room. He sees a woman chained to the wall above a pit of burning coals and recognizes her as Teal, his sister.

Elendil goes back to Jolley and indicates he should kill the sleeping jailor. Once done, Elendil uses the jailor's shield to stand on the burning coals and reaches up to aid her. He uses oil to slip her wrists and ankles out of the manacles and frees her.

Having achieved their only objective in this dark place he and Jolley make their way out and are glad to note that the traps on the misty entryway do not go off when they go back through. As they continue the three of them make it past the fear glyph on the stairway but Elendil sets off the ice trap and goes down. Jolley carries him out while allowing Teal to lean heavily against him for support. Bethan, who has recovered from the fear enchantment, casts Cure Moderate Wounds on Elendil and another on Teal.

The group gets back to town and goes to Elendil's as it is the closest to the entry gate.

End of session.

Next Session 9/8/2007