Date: 9/15/96

Players: JC, Kathy, Chris, Lauri, Richard, Jeff

Characters: Rio & Glow, DM & Dre, Raagnar, Beccah, Elrin & Brona, Kaeldric & Jerinydd

Suddenly everything is different. Looking around Rio notices that he is no longer where he was. Kaeldric is present, as is Glow who comes into his arms with a look of concern and relief on her face. Kaeldric is watching a half-ogress (holding a scroll) who is looking straight at Rio. The rest of the party appears to be stone statues.

"Well that worked." the ogress says. "Lets do Elrin next."

The situation is very weird but neither Kaeldric or Glow seems disturbed. At Rio's questioning glance Glow begins to explain about basilisks and most of the group, including Rio, being turned to stone. By the time Rio is caught up on the situation the ogress has read another scroll which causes the statue of Elrin to animate into Elrin himself. Elrin seems greatly disoriented and begins to advance on the ogress with his sword drawn.

"Wait !" she says removing a pin from her hair. The Ogress turns into Beccah, the pin into her hat of disguise.

That explains a lot the druid thinks to himself returning Glows hug. Beccah reads the two remaining scrolls reviving Raagnar and then Dre. Since Jerinydd, Brona and the cat creature are still stone the decision is made to take the cat (Beccah wants it as a familiar) and Jerinydd (a good sort who deserves to be rescued) with us back to the surface to be restored. We travel back toward the yawning portal passing a room in which there are some giant bats. They're disturbed but do not attack and we pass them by with no incident.

After a while we reach Moss Isleys Tavern where one of the ogre guard/bouncers leans in announcing our presence. Raagnar leads us in and the flind (the owner/bartender) greets us motioning for us to sit down. We accept the offer of flasks of 'Pete's Wicked Ale' and Raagnar gets promptly blasted and Dre soon finds it necessary to drag him off to one of the private rooms before he gets himself, or us, in trouble. After the others retire Rio and Glow stay out in the tavern area. Rio is curious and very wary of the surroundings and is expecting trouble. They stay until the conversation topic turns to the ingredients of the soup. Upon hearing how the soup is prepared Glow turns slightly green and says she's going to retire. Rio excuses them and they retire to an unoccupied private room.

Rio is not able to rest well, still wary of attack or other disturbance. Fortunately it does not happen and he and Glow are later awakened by Kaeldric banging on the door saying it's time to get going. We depart, now being mostly rested and healed, and travel for perhaps 10 minutes when we come upon a group of adventurers, one of which is injured. We offer aid but all of a sudden Elrin, Kaeldric and Beccah slump to the ground and the strangers attack those of us still standing. Rio casts 'Hold Person' and luckily affects them all. The affected party members seem to be sleeping and are awakened with relative ease. Elrin and Raagnar are not happy at being deceived and want to kill them for ambushing us. Kaeldric doesn't think that's appropriate but since Dre is sure that they're actually some kind of evil creature (and not really human since none of them cast a spell to put the party members to sleep) the Paladin relents and Raagnar slits their throats. Rio, as the last in line, pauses to see if the bodies become anything other than humans. They do not and the druid leaves to follow the rest of the group wondering if killing them was the right thing to do. "Well," he says to himself in the end. "They did attack us."

We make it to the spot beneath the Yawning Portal and ring the bell. The elevator slowly lowers and picks us up. We stay only for a moment wanting to return immediately to the grove. Instead of morning as we expected it's actually evening. The owner of the Yawning Portal speaks of continued, increased undead activity and recommends we take a carriage back to the grove, which we do. There are only the great druid and 2 of the 13 remaining due to continued undead attacks. Rio and Glow join them in their prayer circle while the others set up camp. The night passes uneventfully and Dre, Raagnar and Rio go to Castle Waterdeep to report to the Lords of Waterdeep. We tell of Angstroms death, showing the head as proof, and learn more of the stories of this world. Rio asks them for aid in destroying Angstroms dagger and arrangements are made for two days hence. We mention the petrified Jerinydd but realize while talking it out that Eric will report her to his guild since she was also a member and actually had heard of Elrinith before we rescued her.

We spend several hours with the Lords and then go to the Monster Shop. Since the proprietor is the one who got us the rings that worked against Angstroms magic, Rio is hoping to get more information about Angstroms ring, although he does not say specifically that it is the Ring of Wild Magic. While here Dre picks up a tidy sum by selling the basilisk eggs and we get the name of a recommended arms and armor shop which just happens to be on our way back to the grove. Naturally we go. Raagnar arranges to get the Xorn teeth made into a brass knuckle type weapon and buys new armor (to replace his beat-up scale mail) after selling the huge chain mail for a very nice price.

We then go next door to the tavern for dinner. It's a fighter's place but Raagnar says the food is good and plentiful, and we are greeted almost with a hero's welcome. Raagnar has to tell the tale to the surrounding patrons and is well into the second or third retelling when Rio breaks in saying that we need to be going back to the grove before it gets dark and we hire a carriage to do so.

We get back to the grove and again the night passes uneventfully into the 27th. During the next day Rio is able to at least replace his Ring of Fire Resistance. Again we are fortunate that the day and night pass uneventfully into the 28th. We go to Khelben Arunsun's to get Angstroms dagger destroyed. Retrieving it from his backpack, Rio gives the leather wrapped dagger to the mage who unwraps it and places it on the thick stone table. It bites him when he touches it and he is forced to 'Disintegrate' it.

The morning of High Harvest arrives with Dre waking the group and leading us to one of the few remaining stands of bushes and trees (the grove has really been hit hard by undead attacks). There sitting peacefully in the grass is Elminster of Shadowdale. Rio shakes his head smiling and greets the old man warmly. Raagnar bows deeply on introduction. Elminster says he was here visiting Khelben and learned we were also here so he came to visit. Dre gives him the scroll we've been carrying and Rio asks if he knows of a Ring of Warmth. Elminster actually does have one, back in a junk drawer in Shadowdale, and says that Rio is welcome to it when the group comes by to pick up the copy of the scroll. When we ask him about the days events he says that what will happen here in Waterdeep will probably happen at Khelben's tower and says that if we wish to help we should go there. After he departs there is a very brief discussion and we set off to Khelben's.

In the streets, on the way there, two things from hell attack us. It quickly becomes apparent that only Magic weapons are effective against them and hence Rio is the only one doing damage. Glow seeing this begins 'Molecular Agitation' on the one attacking Dre and Raagnar. The battle goes on for many rounds. One actually flew and attacked from the air. Rio is able to drive it off and then comes to attack the ground bound one. It is soon driven off as well and we travel to Khelben's tower.

Arriving there we find the door blasted open and no one around inside. We search quickly calling for occupants and find only 3 people, none familiar, on the roof. One is dead, a man. The others a man and a woman are unconscious. Rio revives them both. The woman is Midnight as she speaks of needing to get to Mount Waterdeep immediately as Cirric has taken possession of both the tablets of AO and is headed for the celestial stairway to ascend into godhood. Rio offers to fly her there if she could make herself smaller or lighter but it isn't necessary as gryphin-mounted dragon-riders descend to the rooftop we are swept into the events of High Harvest of which we can only observe.

We reach the top of Mount Waterdeep quickly where Midnight steps onto a stairway that we can not see. She is challenged and told only the one with the tablets may pass. At this a human, Cirric, steps out of one of the aerie with the tablets. AO appears behind the stairway guardian and speaks to Midnight and Cirric. Events have led to Cirric becoming the new God of Strife and Midnight becoming the new Goddess of Magic. AO decrees that the Gods will now derive their power from their worshippers rather than from him and allows them back into Heaven. IT IS THE END OF THE TIME OF TROUBLES.

Things to do:

1) Rio gets a 'Restoration' from the Great Druid.

2) Return to Shadowdale for the 'Enhanced Familiar' spell and the 'Ring of Warmth'

END SESSION ÿ