In a Feywild chamber the group encountered Hespotherad who invited them to play a game. He of course would allow the party to cooperate against him, else it wouldn't be a challenge. All of the group except Mara gathered around the table and examined the game board. Demin started the challenge spotting a chance to play a card and advance the party toward winning. Hespotherad started to go red in the face and spout threats against the party as the group continued to take their turns. Each time a hero would make a move toward winning he grew angrier and redder.
Melisana motioned everyone away from the table and suggested that they might want to try and lose the game as Hespotherad might attack upon losing the game. The group then moved back to the table and attempted to "Game the Player" instead of "Playing the Game" Using Bluff, History, Insight and/or Thievery skills the players then attempted to throw the game. Meanwhile Lythandar was still attempting to "Play the Game" but with his terrible Wisdom he continually made losing moves. As the heroes continued in their ruse Hespotherad seemed to become more calm and taunted the group, even when he caught them twice trying to "lose on purpose."
Eventually the party lost the game and Hespotherad exulted in his victory, "I win, I win, I am the King of the Games. You're weak attempts were no match for me." After taunting the group for a few minutes he faded away, leaving the party alone in the chamber. Now the group approached the floating gem. It was a match to the previous gems that they had collected. As the group was feeling the effects of a long days work and having some members low on healing surges the party decided to take an extended rest in the chamber. Demin attuned himself to the gem, grabbed it and lost one healing surge.
Upon waking from their extended rest all of the party found themselves down one healing surge. In addition Demin, Alhellara and Melisana were still down an additional healing surge, and Lythandar was down a total of three healing surges. The group determined that holding the gems still left them short a healing surge for each gem to which they were attuned. Next the group stepped through the orange mist and found themselves in the Orcus/Demogorgon chamber.
The group then moved to the southern gate and opened it stepping though into the Tuern Shrine. After determining that they had gone through all the gates in the Tuern shrine they moved back to the Orcus chamber and opened the eastern gate. Stepping through the group again experienced the sudden familiar vertigo. The chamber into which they moved was clearly part of some tomb -- but just as obviously not part of the astral crypts through which they were exploring. Mildew clung to the crevices of the rough stone wall, water dripped in the distance, and every sound echoes throughout the room.
The group had been here before, they were standing in the abandoned remnants of the infamous Tomb of Horrors, beneath the ruins of Skull City. The chamber appeared to be the ruins of an old chapel. Cracked and broken pews spilled across the floor, and a dais on one wall held an equally shattered altar. Two candelabra stood, one on each side of the dais. They were covered in cobwebs, their holders filled with dried wax uncountable years old.
Al check for magic failed to reveal anything, no gem was visible and the only exit appeared to be the doorway through which the group entered. Mara started searching around and under the broken pews, Melisana looked for a trap door in the floor, which they had encountered in this area before. Pretis eventually moved up onto the dais carefully, but no effect was seen. Demin, Gofin, Lythandar and Alhellara were also inspecting walls, ceiling or tiny alcoves to see if there was a gem anywhere. Finally convinced that they had not missed anything the group moved back through the doorway and appeared in the Orcus chamber. Moving to the north gate they returned to the entry hall.
In the entry hall the group moved through the gate and entered the "Prayer for He Who Was" chamber. Here they had only gone through two of the gates, Selecting the nearest they group ended up back in the Orcus chamber, but they were stymied for an instant because that gate had previously led to the "Wild Game" room. Backtracking to the entry hall they made for the "Prayer" chamber and the last unused gate.
Pretis and Mara again led the party through the gate. They entered a chamber with rough walls that dripped with a viscous black slime that filled a fissured pool. A gleaming purple gem hung suspended above the pool. Nearby several undead humans cowered before a devil and a robed humanoid whose left eye and hand pulsed with an eldritch glow. Clearly this humanoid resembled an aspect of Vecna. The group was arguing over who would enter the black pool to retrieve the gem, but they broke off the argument to attack the party.
The group found themselves in a aura taking 10 necrotic damage and the Aspect cast a necrotic Web which created a large area of difficult terrain, which immobilized and dealt ongoing necrotic damage. The Devil cast a Shadow Net which weakened dealt ongoing necrotic damage. Seeing all this necrotic damage, Lythandar gave everyone a resist necrotic of 11 for the length of the encounter to offset some of the damage. Demin attacked with his crossbow, while Pretis donned her new gauntlets since she determined that there were immortal beings here. The Cultists turned out to be minions who took a healing surge when they successfully attacked and they also exploded on death dealing necrotic damage to all those around them, even other Cultists.
Gofin shrouded the devil and attacked while Alhellara gave a critical hit to Mara on the Aspect. Lythandar stood away casting Magic Missiles as Pretis kept charging the enemy and dealing extra damage to the immortals. Soon all the minions were eliminated, followed by the Devil. The Aspect kept up its Paralyzing Touch and Ray of Death attacks but was soon bloodied. Demin moved his glove to the gem and scooped it into a bag, whereupon he took damage. Just as the Aspect fell a viscous black slime lurched out from the pool.
Scorecard: The party gained 6429 XP for "winning" the encounter with Hespotherad and now have 194791 XP. They need 15209 more to reach 22nd level. The experience for the Aspect, Devils and Cultists is not yet accounted since the encounter is still active.
No comments:
Post a Comment