Date: 2/22/98

Players: Kathi, JC, Thomas, Davy, Kris, Bryan, David, Jeff

Characters: DM, Rio & Glow, Beneton, Caland, Bo, Erin, Vorn, Saunder

Pick up with the group examining their supplies determining what, if anything, was damaged or destroyed by the flame strike or any other fire damage.

Because the group has agreed to investigate and continue adventuring on behalf of the Lord of Aithe, the cleric of the keep gives us each a Potion of Extra Healing. Rio askes if someone can give him a good description of the captured druid and he is shown a drawing of the mans wedding. He studies the mural, getting a good grasp of the mans features, and then returns to Glow and the rest of the group to find out what the departure plans are.

We leave the following morning and come to the edge of the forest by midday. Rio transforms into a large wolf and travels ahead to investigate. He follows the trail to the east deeper into the woods. He comes to a several forks at which it is obvious which direction the wagons went so Rio contniues without worrying whether or not the others will be able to follow.

At one fork in the road there is a huge ancient oak that Rio sniffs thoroughly looking for signs of territory marking and other signs of life. Continuing from there he comes to another fork where a deer carcass, with the legs (haunches) removed, has begun to rot. It's only a few days old (if that) and further confirms that he is on the right track.

Soon the path becomes steep and rocky. As Rio has been out ahead for close to an hour he is just about to turn around and return to the group when he hears a low moan coming from a bit off the trail. He goes to investigate and finds the abandoned wagons (which are empty), three burned bodies (from a lightning bolt), and a badly wounded, badly burned human who looked like he tried to crawl away from the wagon (where had obviously been left) toward a small stream. Rio nips at his nose and then tugs lightly at the mans ear hoping to rouse him. He doesn't so the druid sits down to wait for the others.

A short while later the group comes up to discover the abandoned wagons. Rio "yips" to get there attention and Glow and then the rest come over to investigate. Saunder uses his healing proficiency and gives the wounded man a small amount of water. This, however, does not revive him and Saunder if forced to use a Cure Light Wounds. The spell is successful and the man slowly sits up dazed and confused. Vorn casts Charm Person and finds out that he is a member of "The Broken Ring" (a thief group from Snowdown, their leader is Thontavar) and that the large party that attacked us has separated into two groups. The first group, the humans and thieves, went back to Snowdown (south) after being paid. The second group, the dark clerics of Bane and the undead they were controlling went in another (east).

There is some discussion as to whether or not we should kill him at which point he panics and as the group discusses it he bolts. Saunder casts Forget on him and we watch him depart and his somewhat reduced top speed.

We continue following the trail of the undead and Rio again ranges ahead. After perhaps an hour or so he is surprised by a giant toad which almost lands on his back with a nasty bite. Fortunatly the creature missed him and the druid is able to escape by simply outrunning it. He then he returns to the trail and shortly thereafter, close to evening, he comes to a grove surrounded by oak trees. The trail of the undead gives this grove a wide berth as something about it looks familliar. As he enters to inestigate it is immediatly obvious that this is a druidic holy place. As he waits for the others to catch up he opens himself to the suroundings and it comes to him that this is "Atlantar's Grove".

After the others catch up he lets the group know that we are safe here (within the grove) and that any shades or spirits that appear WILL NOT be harmful. After relaxing for a few minutes he casts Commune With Nature followed by Commune. He learns that Atlantar (the captured druid he is searching for) is alive and that he is a prisoner of the group of evil characters. He also learns that there are no evil creatures or other obvious unnatural occurances within the rage of the spell (5.5 miles). There are less than 100 undead and do have a single focal point (human?) that is controlling them. We also will encounter them if we continue on our present course. During the evening Saunder casts Call Animal and befriends a small black bear.

During the evening Rio dreams that he is walking about in the peaceful grove. Suddenly the sky grows dark and the wind grows cold. The small creek begins to boil over with a foul pestilence and as Rio goes to investigate he sees Atlantar and his wife being pulled into the festering water. As he reaches out to them, trying to pull them out, a black hand reaches out of the creek, grabs him and pulls him in as well. He awakens abruptly.

In the morning Rio again takes the form of the grey wolf and follows the trail of the undead to the east ahead of the group. The trail he is following comes to a T intersection and Rio is able to determine which direction the undead went. Since a good bit of time has passed, Rio returns to the group just in time to stop for lunch.

During lunch Rio, still in wolf form, catches the scent of something extremely foul and sits up to sniff the air. His hackles rise and an involuntary growl escapes his lips. Looking around he sees that a large group of undead has surrounded the us. He immediatly returns to human form and after alerting the others begins to cast Aura of Nature.

MELEE

Rio's spell kills 5 zombies and 5 skeletons (turns them to dust) and causes 5 ghouls to flee. Glow invokes her Displacement ability. Next round Rio casts Flame Blade while Glow attacks with her dagger.

Beneton and Vorn are quickly paralyzed and the ghouls continue to eat them after they are down.

Glow is paralyzed in the 5th round. Fortunatly she can still use her psionic power and immediatly begins Cell Adjustment to try to dispel the paralysis. While she is concentrating Caland scoops her up and blinks her out of harms way. Unfortunatly the Cell Adjustment does not dispel the paralysis but she cntinues it's application anyway to heal her physical wounds.

Bo and Erin continue to decimate the undead.

By the 11th round Erin has gone berserk and Caland has managed to get Glow, Feather and Vorn out of harms way.

In the 14th round Rio's Flame Blame expires and because of the damage he's taken he transforms into a hawk and flies over to the group that Caland has assembled to cast Cure Serious Wounds on Vorn.

In the 15th round Glow stirs as the paralyzation wears off. Both she and Rio go to attack the creatures attacking Caland. Caland casts Web and catches two of the creatures in front of him in the sticky gooey mess. Glow begins using her bow and arrows to shoot at the zombies and ghouls.

In the 21st round Caland, who has by now freed himself from where he was partially stuck in his own web, begins to search the bodies of Feather and Beneton who have both been killed.

In the 22nd round Rio casts Produce Flame and tosses it into the web causing fairly severe damage to the ghoul and two skeletons stuck within.

Finally, in the 23rd round, the battle is over.

END SESSION