Mara followed Pretis into the chamber and a full out battle was joined. While Demin, Lythandar, Alhellara and Melisana remained in the hallway firing ranged and area attacks into the room, the fighters made short work of Ignassi (the robed figure). Meanwhile the female disciples kept up their dagger and ray attacks. The Disciples soon fell to an onslaught of damage from Pretis, Mara and Gofin. With the battle quickly over the group was slightly wary, waiting for the other shoe to drop as the battle felt quick and easy. Most of the group entered the room, searching for secret or concealed doors or items.
Lythnadar and Melisana checked for magical items and found that something in the armoire was magical. Meanwhile Gofin searched the desk and found 700 GP, a 5000 GP gem and three 1000 GP gems along with a potion of Vitality. She also uncovered some correspondence from Ugwaerel and a group known as the Doomguard. The party recalled that some Vecnian Clutists in the Tovag Baragu had indicated that Ugwaerel was the leader of the Cultists in Adytum.
Lythandar opened the wardrobe and found a +3 Death Weapon Spear and a +3 Bloodletting Longsword. After some discussion Mara took ownership of the sword and Melisana the Spear. Melisana was reading the correspondence which was written in purple ink on a pale skin. By the condition of the skin, the message is a few years old. The gist of the message is that some faction of a larger group known as the Doomguard have prepared an entry into their "place of strength" called the Armory for their brothers-in-faith. The test suggested that on finding a small blue door inscribed with a hand and eye over a symbol of a stylized animal skull, one need only press one's "channeling knucklebone" upon the door to gain entry.
Lythandar remembered that the group had found a knucklebone, but no one recalls seeing a small blue door. So the group decided to continue searching the rest of the Adytum. Moving back up the hallway and continuing to a door on the west end, Mara found no traps and opened the door into an area strewn with broken statuary and another door leading west. Finding this door also untrapped Mara again opened it. Inside was a larger chamber with smashed wooden tables, splintered chairs and shattered crockery covering the floor. Several animate skeletons stood idly around the room. Mara and Pretis stood outside the door but no movement occurred in the room. Lythandar moved forward and threw a magic missile at the skeleton standing directly west of the doorway.
With that the skeletons prepared for battle, interestingly four of the five skeletons disappeared from view just as the battle began. The last skeleton moved to the doorway and shrieked, dazing four members of the party. Alhelllara backed the skeleton with her Astral Defenders and Demin fired his crossbow at the visible enemy. As the battle continued Pretis and Mara advanced into the room as Alhellara used her Turn Undead. Demin determined where a skeleton was located on the far wall. While Alhellara found the other three skeletons in the south side of the room. The party used their Radiant powers to devastating affect on the the skeletons. The Shrieks seemed to do little more than daze a few party members for a round. Osseous Thrusts were directed at party members but the skeletons could never gain combat advantage as they either fell or were blinded by the party.
Finally all five skeletons were dispatched and the group continued its search. Melisana move to the halls leading south where the party found the kitchen doors ripped off their hinges. Cooking pots, pans and all manner of kitchen paraphernalia lay scattered amid several well-gnawed bodies in cultist robes. Further search found a Wine Storage area with overturned wooden racks and smashed glass bottles, a Cold Storage area with magically enhanced walls that apparently kept it cold. In the Cold storage were several portions of preserved meat, chicken, beef, pork and other less identifiable carcasses. Finally they found a Dry storage with shelves stuffed with jars and dried goods.
The group moved back past the kitchen to a unopened door that led to the north. Behind this door was apparently the latrine. At this point the party rested to determine where to go next identifying which areas or doors they had yet to explore. The decision was made to return to the room where they fought the Trolls to the door inscribed with a relief sculpture showing the tortures awaiting any who open it. Mara moved to the door which appeared untrapped. Lythandar used his mage hand to open the door, or at least attempt to open it. As he did so the sculpture morphed into a humanoid stone figure, darkness streamed from its missing left eye and dripped from its severed hand. It obviously is carved in a guise of Vecna!
Scorecard: The party gained 721 XP for the two battles that were completed. They now have 41,427 XP and need 5,573 more to reach 14th level. The spear was claimed by Melisana and Mara kept the Longsword. The gems and GP were added to the party's loot kept by Demin and Gofin kept the Potion of Vitality.
No comments:
Post a Comment