9/4/2010

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

Start Date: 17th of Mirtul, mid-afternoon - as we are about to break for lunch

As Salaisee and Billi are getting lunch ready, Elendil casts Cure Critical Wounds on Jolley. Just as we are sitting down to start eating, the plants rise up to attack and Entangle us. Elendil is not entangled because of his ring and he fires two arrows in the direction he thought he saw someone.

Next round a stirge attacks Jolley out of the fog. It hits and attaches itself to the back of his neck. He tries to grab it and does, pulling it shrieking from his neck.

We see a glowing form levitated about 10' off the ground approaching from the SW. Salaisee slings but its hard to tell in the fog whether she hit or missed. Jolley crushes the stirge and drops its body to the ground.

Elendil puts two arrows clean through the floating form but no damage appears to be done. It speaks "What you have come for is no longer here! LEAVE NOW!!"

The "LEAVE NOW" is so loud it frightens some of the horses. Then the apparition disappears. Billi advances to the south as his Fly spell takes effect and does some recon (what he can in the thick fog). Elendil moves in the direction he's pretty sure the earlier creature went. He looks for any sign of movement or light or activity. Then he checks the ground and tries to spot any tracks. He does see some but they look like ours from our journey in.

Nothing happens for several rounds. We stay in verbal communication. Jolley notices Saunders ears flatten and calls out that something has spooked the horses.

Elendil starts to return to the group when Salaisee calls out "I thought I heard something!"

Billi turns and listens. He hears something too, coming from basically north of the group. After another round or so, we hear a loud buzzing coming from the northwest. After a few moments it becomes obvious that the sound is not coming closer. It strikes Elendil as odd. Jolley seems to be on the same wavelength.

"I've heard about insect swarms," Jolley says looking steadily in the direction of the sound, "But don't they usually come attack? I mean I thought that was the point."

Elendil shakes his head uncertainly. "I don't know what to make of this and I don't like it. With this fog the Gorgon herself could be sitting on a rock over there and we'd never know it. It think we're being played."

Jolley discovers that one of his saddle straps has been cut. He also discovers the same is true of Billi's war pony, and that the Halfling's backpack is gone. Jolley searches for tracks or evidence of a recent intruder but finds none.

We search to make sure the other horses and pack mules are untouched and are relived to find they are intact. Billi, flying, passes through the sound of buzzing with no ill effect.

A few rounds later, the buzzing stops. Jolley calls out to Billi but gets no reply. Elendil casts Bless.

Billi finds a giant head and we investigate, Jolley staying to guard the horses.

Salaisee, as she comes around to one side sees the mouth of the statue's head. There is a darkened cavity within. She tries to jump up on the head to get out of the marshy sludge and does so successfully reaching the mouth opening to peer in. She can tell there is a room within half filled with scum covered water, and a darkened passage beyond that.

Salaisee goes from the mouth to the eye and peers in. Billi flies in slowly to investigate but screams "Look out!" as he is making an abrupt 180 and comes zooming back out of the mouth just ahead of a gargantuan centipede that nearly fills the entire opening with its girth.

MELEE

There is a terrific battle and true to form the killing blow comes from Billi with a sling bullet. Oh buh-rother!

We return to where Jolley is guarding the horses and discuss what to do. Elendil, despite the unpleasantness and danger, would prefer to risk camping here rather than returning to the cold trail outside. Other things to discuss and do:

• Further investigate the head.
• Investigate the tunnels below.
• Find and retrieve Billi's backpack.
• Salaisee to pray for Mending spell to fix the two saddles.
• How to set up an alarm to warn us if the druid-crone is poking around.
• Check to see if Elendil or Salaisee has Remove Poison - Billi's loss of strength is due to the Centipede's poison so a Remove might cure him now rather waiting for tomorrow and a Restoration spell.
• Remember that we don't know if she might be listening.

Starting for next session: Just after return from battle with centipede - late afternoon and no one has eaten but the horses who have been grazing.

End of session.

Next sessions: TBD