For those who came in late:-We are on what is to our likening a(n) (un)holy quest to reclaim our friend the paladin and the warlords bodies be their souls there or not and return them to our realm and killing all who dare stand in our way. Accompanying myself and my darling Phobos are a mixed bag of misfit “adventurers”. Berrien and Palos, two Eladrin rangers skilled in bow and blade respectively and who's killing ability is admirable. Guy, a cleric of the sun, who’s divinity has caused many a foe to burn away and our wounds to be healed. There’s Torin, a fellow dragon born, skilled in the arts arcane, packs a mean loogie and travels around on a disk (his chariot). Then there is Rhodes, a dwarf fighter ---nuff said. As for myself and Phobos ask us the question that is on your mind, we dare you, and you’ll find that we have added another tongue to our collection
We ventured further into the Shadow Fell and eventually came upon an area that seemed suitable to make camp. Phobos and I were obliged to share a watch with the dwarf who made snide comments about my relationship with Phobos. I reminded him that our skills at killing protected his rear flank and he should be respectful of that.
During a most beautiful dream involving myself, Phobos, the dwarf and a pair of sheers I was awoken by a sharp pain, I awoke to find myself staring at a strange rat like creature assailing me. With it was about half a dozen rats and a few other of its ilk but our attention was on “Mr. Stabby”. Moving as one Phobos and I rose up and struck the offending creature cutting deep into its furry hide. Berrien teleported into a flanking position and cut into its flesh with his longsword. The dwarfs hammer crushed on of the larger rats into a bloody pulp. Then the creature on me shifted its position and bit me and Phobos reacted with lightning speed, slashing into its body in retribution. One of the other rat/humanoid things’ swords cut deeply into the dwarfs hide. Another struck Torin with a powerful blow, Palos neatly dodged an attack, Guy cast a beacon of hope both weakening those near him and healing his wound he received earlier. He followed this up by sending a bolt of white radiance that blew a chunk of flesh from one of the ratty things. Torin then sent a chill strike down its throat but it dove out of the way at the last second but was badly burned by his fire breath a moment later while a rat was reduced to ash. Palos used an evasive strike to cut a bloody chunk out of his foe and then shifted to attack a rat assaulting Berrien, killing it.
I ordered Berrien into an advantageous position for us he then moved and struck and as he did Phobos and I made our move as one. We slithered up behind the creature so that he was between us and Berrien, then in perfect synchronicity, we struck our blows simultaneously and severed his spine and pierced his heart that burst showering us both in arterial spray. As our victim was prepared for the carrion eaters I spat my venom at another wererat while Phobos tried to blind it with a deft strike at its eyes. While only partially successful it did cause it to cease attacking us (pity). The dwarf’s next attack was clumsy allowing the wererat to land a blow. One of its comrades charged Palos but missed. Guy healed my wounds fully and then sent a sacred flame that scorched one of the wererats’ furry hide and Torin finished it off with a well placed magic missile shot as Palos struck a carefully placed blow that bit deep into its flesh.
Moving with “elegant grave” Berrien moved and lashed out at one of the nearby wererats, however it parried the blow allowing myself and Phobos to move into flank and transform it from a living, breathing thing into a mass of twitching, VERY dead pile of bloody gore. The dwarf attacked the remaining wererat with a blow that whilst powerful opened himself up to attack. This time the creature decided running away really fast was the better part of valor. Guy raced after it hurling barbed insults, Torin’s magic missile missed, Palos teleported and charged but his blow was deflected by the wererats sword. Time appeared to slow down as Berrien took up his bow and let fly with an electrically charged arrow. It seemed to home in on the wererat, no matter where it moved, the arrow followed as though alive, and it struck with such force that the wererats entire head was torn from its neck. So sudden and violent was the blow that its body didn’t realize it was dead and still tried to escape for several seconds.
We then tended our wounds and even though we had bite marks we avoided contracting any foul diseases.
We continued toward Fallcrest and to our surprise instead of being just a mirror of it, it was a much older version of it. The dwarf asked of the group if anyone wanted to enter the town, believing in an information gathering expedition I put my hand up and immediately regretted it as the dwarf said “bye” grabbing Phobos before she could violently react. I told the dwarf that he should be serious he again made a feeble reference to some mythical creature and I promptly ignored him.
We pressed on and made camp later. This time despite Palos lending the dwarf a spare hide armor we were not disturbed. The only event was when an argument between myself and the dwarf about entering Winterhave arose. Torin using his academic knowledge informed us that being a mirror of our realm it may not garner us any information and that we should not go on what someone said. I disagreed but the dwarf deffered to our leader and so it was decided that we will make camp near the keep so we will be fresh before we enter.
From the direction of an abbey in the distance we spied a gray speck on the distance and as one does when presented with an unknown we hid and prepared to kill it then loot its still warm corpse.
The gargoyle as Berrien identified it tried to grab Torin. Its strong stony arms encircled him and it made to fly away with him. I loaded a malice missile (an acid one) and fired at it striking its right flank, as the acid ate it Torin tried unsuccessfully to break its grasp. Palos fired two shots at it one struck home while the other split on its stony hide. Berrien’s shots likewise only snapped as they struck it. The dwarf surged forward dealing it a mighty blow, fueled by this he struck again but the hide proved too tough for him. Guy sent a beacon of light at it hurting it.
I then fired a normal bolt at it wounding it badly. I loaded a malice missile but it failed to do anything. Torin again tried to escape but the gargoyle proved just too strong. Palos aim was off and his shot went wide. The same was not true for Berrien for his shot pierced the hide of the creature and dropped it to the ground. That was good but the twenty foot drop was not. Fortunately Torin is a mage and cast feather fall to glide to the earth unharmed.
I find it ironic that most normal people hope to have an uneventful night so that are well rested fro the next days work. This is not the case for adventurers for some unfathomable reason they hope that all manner of calamities befall them and so once again during our watch the disembodied head of Kallel appeared. Not to give out free veiled threats as is the norm but to offer us a deal. Two thousand gold pieces to go away. This was where ones inner self can sometimes come to the fore. The dwarf tried to barter for more money using his “humor” but that annoyed the head, this caused the head to try to cut deals with us individually. Berrien, always defiant, spat insults. I asked a simple question “When could I collect my friend’s corpse?” To this the head replied “4four days” giving us a time frame to work in (were it ever that simple?)
After a short strategic meeting several points were made.
1) If he is able to spy on us setting a trap would be pointless
2) If we charge in now we may have some advantage but we’d be underpowered
3) If we move, rest and charge we would be at full power
And so it was decided that option three was the best because it kept up the pressure he was feeling. We found the keep and like the town it was no longer ruined but a true keep with flat windowless walls but it beckoned us to enter and not one to say no to and ominous keeps call we approached.
While the road had no traps it also had no recent tracks which meant that all the villains were in the keep (makes it easier to kill them all) First however there was the small matter of the portcullis that blocked our way. Having a keen sense of danger for these moments proved to be beneficial for as one might expect it was trapped. A simple one, when one raised the portcullis one had boiling liquid pored on them. The others inquired of my expertise on this and I told them triggering it was simple but it may be alarmed. Climbing to the top was easy in theory but we did not know what was up there so with practiced skill and aid from Palos I disarmed the trap and the portcullis was lifted
To my surprise from the next room some creatures were discussing how they should be quiet, they’re meant to be guards so to be fair we decided to test their guard skills and barged in. Lo and behold two goblins (soon to be less) behind a balcony.
Guys spell hit the wall, I moved forward for a better shot but in doing so encountered unstable floor as I yelled a warning Phobos had already struck the goblin in the chest. Berrien on my instruction fired at the one on the right. The goblins made their move, the left one threw an all too familiar pot at me and as it struck I was stuck fast to the ground. The one on the right was not as dexterous and dropped his pot which exploded in flames singeing him. The dwarf delayed and told Torin to move forward. Palos took careful aim and with masterful shooting grievously wounded the right one. As per his instruction Torin moved his chariot forward belching flame at the goblins burning both. The dwarf hurled a javelin at the right one but only scratching it then he moved back to cover our flank negotiating the unstable floor quit well (because he is nearer to it I suppose). The goblin took blows from both Phobos and Berrien which sent it into a rage. It leaped off the balcony onto Torin’s Chariot and cut deeply into him with it’s axe. Palos shot at the enraged goblin piercing its flesh with both shots. Torin moved over to the dwarf and struck it with his staff nearly kill it and the dwarf finished the job.
