The heroes made their way slowly down the staircase and found many ruins at the lower level. The ruins continued for many miles and consisted of courtyards and gardens overgrown with empty pools, shattered benches and tables and broken statues. Some areas were groves of dead blackened trees. After some time the group came upon a mass grave site with dismembered body parts, swarms of insects and burning pyres. Next they came upon a battle site, ruined tombs and religious sits that had been destroyed. Amongst the rubble they found a Symbol of Mortality +5, a Rod of Obliterating Wrath +5 and a Death Shroud Ki Focus +5.
After some hours travel the group came upon another staircase leading down. These stairs ended at a shattered garden containing a number of dead black trees. A barred gray gate set within a high wall of black ice was the only way forward.
In the area in front of the party, a horde of ragged skeletons and zombies struggled to lift and ferry massive shards of blood red stone in an effort to rebuild a enormous statue - the skeletal form of Nerull. Looking around the group decided that they had not been noticed and attacked with surprise with ranged and area spells going off amongst the enemy. Some creatures fell immediately to the attack. At that point the creatures noticed the attack and lumbered toward the group. A large skeleton led the creatures accompanied by three large Zombies. As the enemy moved forward the dead?? creatures stood up again to attack.
The heroes quickly spread out amongst the area, Demin to the blackened trees, Mara and Pretis charging into the middle of the enemy, Alhellara and Melisana using their special undead attacks, with Radiant damage. Gofin placed shrouds upon the enemies while Lythandar used his lightning and thunder attacks. Mara was grabbed by the large skeleton and weakened. Zombie attacks left the party dazed and prone. And the large Zombies reacted to being damaged by creating a burst around themselves.
Demin soon moved down the slope toward the gate and found himself amongst several skeletal swarms. The group discovered shrieking, immobile Undead laying on the ground in various places. These undead later were found to have attacks against anyone in their area as Gofin learned as she fell unconscious. The large skeleton caused a Blood Burst as it died and when the large Zombies were killed they later rose again to attack. The party was under a strong siege but soon reduced the enemy to two Zombie Manglers. Demin invisibly teleported through the gate, which had narrow bars covered in ice. He looked for a mechanism to open the gate but found nothing but two Skeletal swarms who attacked, even after he teleported back to the original side of the gate.
The Zombie Manglers fell but rose again and had to be dispatched once more, and the skeletal swarms were easy prey once the party fell upon them. As they licked their wounds the group tried to decide how to move through or over the 50' tall gate and ice wall. Gofin successfully squeezed through the narrow slats followed by Demin. Lythandar teleported to the far side while the others eventually forced the slats further apart allowing everyone to move to the far side.
In the distance the group could see the ruins of some large structure atop which a haze of white fire writhed around a large skull like shape of fallen ice. The dark eyes seemingly watching the party. The storm then increased in intensity, obscuring the ruins and skull but still white light shot forth from the storm with increasing frequency.
The adventurers moved through more ruins, with some white soot covered grass in areas. They move stealthily toward the storm and ruins while Alhellara tried to encourage the group to take their time before reaching the fearsome storm. As they moved forward the entered an area where a path led to the foundation of some ruined structure. As they crept along they were attacked by necrotic damage from the grass? itself. Demin moved on top of a log while Alhellara and Gofin climbed the closest stone outcropping as Pretis planted the standard.
Suddenly larval creatures arouse from the grass and attacked. As the group moved into battle some found themselves taking psychic damage as they shifted around. Rays of Cold Death were thrown on Alhellara and Gofin as others were subject to Mandible Blade attacks. Again the group whipped out their Undead attacks, slowing, blinding, immobilizing, and knocking the enemy prone. That did not stop them from using Withering Flame and Ray of Cold Death though. Lythandar gave everyone resistance to necrotic damage which was greatly appreciated. Lythandar found hitting the creatures way more difficult though in fact in one attack the only creature he hit was Gofin.
Shifting still caused psychic damage and just as Mara was healed from Alhellara, the War Master used Punishing Beetle to inflict massive poison damage to her. Demin was afflicted by Horrific Visage from one of the Mages but the party soon wore down the creatures and slew them. They then sat down again for a short rest.
Scorecard: The group earned 8964 XP for the nights battle and now have 154776 XP, requiring 20224 additional to reach 21st level and create their Epic Destiny. The Holy Symbol was claimed by Alhellara, the Rod by Melisana and the Ki Focus by Gofin.
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