It started off innocently enough. A group of adventurers assembled to simply take care of some lizard man bandits ambushing caravan trains on the Coast Road. Who'd have thought it would lead into the bowels of the Underdark on a mad quest to recover an artifact from the temple of an evil drow goddess?
On 608/1/16 Venturus Drake (6th lvl fighter) lead a party of adventurers in a counter-attack against the lizard man bandits, ultimately finding their lair. Aiding the merchant were Mandar Drake (6th lvl fighter) and Kate Ashbrooke (5th lvl fighter), both long-time associates of the Drake Merchant House, as well as Balthazar Coven (but his friends call him Zar) (4th lvl fighter and Winged Lion), Artec (4th lvl 1/2 orc archer), Zandra (4th/4th 1/2 orc fighter/acrobat), Tasha Whiteblood (6th lvl necromancer), Sage Edulis (5th lvl cleric of Wee Jas) and Ichthyus (5th lvl cleric of Poseidon). After a few raids, the heroes discovered the real base of the reptile threat and the real force behind it; a group of power-hungry draconians stranded on Oerth after the ley storms. By this point, however, Venturus left the adventure (the threat to trade was taken care of), but his grandson, Garlok Drake (5th lvl 1/2 elven fighter), replaced him. This coincided with Artec being raised by Tritus in Portown (that damn brain spider venom does nasty shit to the nervous system!)
The party made several raids against the lizard man/draconian command center. Ultimately, the heroic mammals proved victorious over the marauding reptiles. In a massive battle the heroes slew the majority of the lizard men, troglodytes and draconians, including their aurak leader in a spectacular display. Unfortunately, in the process Artec's ribs were terribly shattered by a siege ballista. As the party rested and healed their wounds, Garlok received a mysterious message to return home. Mandar and Ichthyus escorted the teenager back to Portown, along with a wagon-full of loot.
While journeying back to the dungeon to help finish off any lingering survivors, Mandar and Ichthyus encountered a mysterious wizardess, Kit Brandywine (9th lvl mage), who claimed to be the sole survivor of a larger expedition wiped out by the lizard men. In reality, Kit was Kara Drake who had journeyed from Zakhara to profess her undying love to Mandar.
Before she had a chance, however, the adventurers entered an ancient and unnatural temple. The surviving troglodytes and lizard men claimed that the shrine's god granted Wishes, albeit at a terribly price. And no one had yet left the site alive... Undaunted (and driven by Zandra) the heroes bested the temple's odd, beholder-like, gelatinous guardian, but not before it caused a serious amount of damage and disrupted most of the parties' magic, including Kit/Kara's disguise.
It was at this point that the Elder Elemental God projected himself onto the Prime Material Plane. The guardian had really been to test the worthiness of any who entered the shrine. Those that vanquished this monster were due a reward from the god. The three with the strongest, deepest, most heart-felt desire were granted their true Wish. But not without a price...
For the Wishes to last and truly come true, the recipients had to perform a service for Ghaunadaur, the Elder Elemental God. And time was a factor. If the mission was not completed in time for the god, the Wish would become a curse; a twisted perversion of the recipients boon.
Mandar, many years ago reincarnated as a female ogress and secretly living under the dweomer of a polymorph self, regained his true manhood and humanity.
Zandra, a half-orcish child of rape who despised her beastly heritage, became completely human.
Artec, a strong but marginally dexterous archer, found grace and swiftness in shrunken muscles and sinews.
But the quest: to delve deep into the heart of the Underdark, locate a specific temple of Lolth (the drowic Demon Queen of Spiders) and steal away her precious artifact, the Egg of Lolth.
At this point, Zar happily took his cut of treasure and headed home. He had no interest in pissing off evil divities and swore no good would come of this mission. Kara transported Artec back to Portown where Tritus Healed his wounds and shattered ribs. Near the entrance to the lizard man lair, Kara and Artec encountered two new adventurers; Wooden Thighs, an Amerind puma-werelord (6th) and a strange, red-robed, lizard man mystic from another world, N'thog'm. The party overcame their mistrust of the new comers, especially the lizard man, and joined together in their descent into the Underdark.
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Day One one hour "out" |
Party encounters a huge cavern filled with bones. Their drow guide attempts to flee across the chamber, but Kara and Wooden Thighs cut him off and finish him. Suddenly eight giant spiders descend from the ceiling. Artec is mortally poisoned, but Sage saves him. The party recovers a wand of polymorph and some magic arrows. |
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Day Two early |
Party enters a small cavern and is ambushed by a small male drow patrol. Some of the dark elves fire poisoned darts from on top of a boulder while others use the cover of a pair of caves. Unfortunately, for them Wooden Thighs is a good jumper. The heroes made short work of the drow, but not before their mage tossed a fireball into the midst of the melee. Party found some healing potions. |
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Day Two late |
Two trolls and a party of troglodytes show up. One of Kara's lightning bolts fries nearly the lot of them. Later, Kara dispels Kate's death wish (from Ghaunadaur's guardian). |
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Day Three "morning" |
Party hears a scratching noise coming from the other side of the sand seal. |
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Day Four late |
Party encounters a side passage from the larger caverns. They avoid this and are attacked by a horde of ghouls and ghasts. Most are either destroyed or controlled (and then destroy one another) thanks to Sage and Tasha. Kara dashes after the survivors, intent of frying them. A few still get away. |
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Day Four "midnight" |
A horde of bugbear and slave miners burst into the party's camping space. They and their drow masters attack. The party recovers a few more potions and a scroll of ice storm. |
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Day Six early |
Party descends from the top of a huge conic-shaped cavern, dropping into the upper Underdark. Certain party members discover a fear of falling, even with a feather fall. |
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Day Seven early |
Sixteen shadows attack the party. They don't last long against Tasha and Sage... |
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Day Seven later |
Party runs afoul of a full female drow patrol. The party is unable to push forward and begins to fall victim to the drow poisons. Kara first uses ice storm to make the terrain slippery then attempts to dash past as a polymorphed mongoose, but is taken out by a dart. Luckily, one of the warriors also fumbles, taking out her priestess-commander. Zandra, Mandar and Wooden Thighs lead a charge. Wooden Thigh's claws give him excellent traction, both on the ice and in the drows' flesh. Mandar slips out of control and plays a deadly game of bumper-cars. Zandra saves Kara from certain death. Party recovers several potions and some unholy water. |
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Day Eight "midnight" |
Dreams from Ghaunadaur warn the Wish recipients to make haste lest their worst nightmares come true. |
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Day Eight late |
Party descends a huge underground cliff mostly by means of a feather fall. Tasha screamed and Kate puked. Sage decided she kinda liked it this time! |
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Day Nine late |
Large party of huge and giant spiders laid in ambush for the party. Ultimately they were defeated but not before Wooden Thighs was badly poisoned and suffered lasting neurological damage. Tasha received similar wounds when one spider nearly bit through her leg. Everyone lived, but at the cost of some sweetwater and a bit of limping. |
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Day Ten early |
Party arrives at a drow fortification guarded by males. A huge curtain wall 30' high cut a massive cavern in half. The party turned itself invisible. Mandar and Kate got fly spells while Kara turned herself into a pixie. Mandar and Kate shuttled Wooden Thighs, Artec and Zandra to the top of the wall, while the rest of the party approached under a silence spell. Kara pushed the first dark elf off the wall (to fall to his death), while Zandra did likewise. Unfortunately, her foe had better balance, so she was forced to gut him with her enchanted stiletto. Wooden Thighs chewed and clawed his way through drow guards while Artec rained down arrows. Mandar and Kate swooped down invisibly on the guards at the gate. Mandar swung alot, but Kate did the mowing. Sage and Tasha each engaged another drow although N'thog'm helped finish them. Ichthyus, meanwhile, poked straight through the heart and lungs of another drow. Death was instanteous. Then the rest of the drow garrison began spilling out. Mandar and Wooden Thighs went after the leaders. They didn't last long. The mage tired to protect himself with a web after he had already fireballed the party (poor N'thog'm lost most of his items and a large patch of his scales while Tasha was burned naked except for her piwafwi and boots). Mandar's magic resistance let him slide right through the web and he quickly took out the spell caster. Meanwhile, Artec started trading shots with the rest of the drow, although he and Kate got taken out by poison. Kara's lightning bolts and ice storms proved of little effectiveness (one or two drow each). Finally, to save Kate, Kara assumed the form of a bullette and fought over her body, only to be taken out by a poisoned dart herself. But it bought the time for the rest of the party to arrive and finish off the drow. The party recovered a huge amount of loot (after Sage and Ichthyus slowed the poisons) including several sheafs of scrolls, a few spell books and many potions. During the battle, Sage's hand was seriously maimed by a lucky crossbow bolt. Figuring there was nothing to lose, she opted to try out hte various scrolls, including the cursed one. In an instant the beautiful and sensuous form of Sage was replaced by the bronze lumbering bulk of a bozak draconain. At least she's got her "hand/claw" back... Before the party left, Kara changed into an umber hulk and ruined the fortress by burrowing tunnels into the walls. |
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Day Eleven early |
A massive purple worm (120 hit points!) slithers up from behind out of a side passage. It surprises N'thog'm and Sage (who can only waddle slowly at the rear of the party now). Kate spins around and gets in several good slashes with her axe while Wooden Thighs claws at it. The purple worm swallows Kate whole while it ruptures Wooden Thigh's veins with a gush of venom. Suddenly, Tasha's spasm spell takes hold and the worm vomits up Kate in a puddle of putrid goo. Sweetwater saves Woody while Kara blasts the worm with lightning. The party debated cutting the thing open for treasure, but figured it would be a waste of time. |
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Day Eleven later |
Artec invisibly walks into the midst of a full-size, hiding, patrol of male drow. He shouts a warning as he opens fire. Kate, Mandar and Woody arrive to find him looking like a pin cushion and VERY poisoned. The drow did put up too much of a fight, but did provide the heroes with more potions. |
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Day Fourteen "evening" |
As the party makes ready to camp in a side cavern, N'thog'm captures the thoughts of other long-dead drow who also camped at this site. They were attacked by ropers disguised as stalacmites. Sure enough, he gives a warning and the next thing the party is battling three ropers! Poor N'thog'm almost got eaten. |
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Day Fifteen early |
Large party of huge and giant spiders laid in ambush for the party (again). Sage spotted them while scouting ahead invisibly. Kara's monster summoning III produced a fire drake which happily toasted the arachnids. |
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Day Fifteen later |
Sage again scouts ahead to find a massive, beautiful cavern filled with delicate fungus, glowing lichen, a gentle stream and an impressive waterfall. It also holds a large contingent of male and female drow, their troll and troglodyte slaves, various other slaves and three merchant wagons complete with pack lizards. The party again turns itself invisible. This time Sage makes use of her wings to deposit Kara behind and to the side of the waiting drow. The rest of the party creep silently into position. Mandar and Kate have fly spells and each take position across from waiting drow. Kara launches a lightning bolt which takes out most of the trolls, many troglodytes and alot of the mushroom cover. Mandar and Kate swoop in (Kate again proving fairly adept while Mandar makes lots of cuts through empty air). After drinking his potion of super-heroism, a "super-charged" Wooden Thighs leaps into a mass of dark elves, ultimately heading after the non-combantant (at least at first) merchants. Zandra takes up position in the middle of the room, joining Artec, but they are quickly surrounded and overwhelmed. Kara tries to free them, but Zandra has invoked a minor globe of invulnerability from her broach so all the mage can do is call down an ice storm and hope it helps. Ichthyus gets off a prayer spell and then finds himself locked in senseless (and lame) combat with a low-level drow. Tasha lets loose a few pain and spasm spells, taking the fight out of a few monsters and keeping the trolls from getting back up. Tasha then conjures some darkfire to make sure these trolls never rise again. The black flames feed off the trolls' life force, further strengthended by the monsters' power to regenerate. Woody mops up most of his foes, letting out a roar which makes several litterally piss their pants. One drow merchant finds a javelin of lightning and throws it at the puma-werelord taking out nothing but the poor wall. Sage scooped up the drow priestess and deposited her in the darkfire her magic resistance proved stronger. She used the flames as cover, only to discover Kate had drunk her potion of magic resistance and was equally resistant to the dark flames. Meanwhile, a hill giant strength-enhanced N'thog'm made a bloody mess of troglodytes. A few drow opted to flee, only to be run down by Kara, Wooden Thighs and Sage (on wings of a draconian). The party recovered a mass of new scrolls and potions, plus the remaining javelins of lightning. And lots of loot on top of that! They also discovered that this cavern was once the home for a cult of the drowic goddess of goodness, Eilistraee. The worshippers had been recently wiped out by Lolth's minions... Sage cast a speak with the dead to question the spirit of the slain drow priestess. The party discovered they were eight more days away from their goal, with only a demon-guarded chasm and a shrine between them and the temple of Lolth. |
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Day 16 "predawn" |
The Wish recipients wake up screaming after nightmares from Ghaunadaur warns them that their Wishes will revert to terrible curses if they do not complete their mission. |
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Day 16 early |
Sage (the invisible, flying bozak draconian scout) flew right by a pack of five giant and four huge spiders ahead of the party. But the heroes made short work of them anyway. |
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Day 18 late |
A prowling nycadaemon happened upon the party. He bypassed Sage and started mashing the rest of the heroes. Kara's magic missiles kept bouncing off his hide, while Kate and Mandar could bearly hit the creature. When everyone finally jumped on him and did some damage, the daemon reversed gravity twice, causing major damage and preventing everyone but Zandra from keeping the creature meleed. Wooden Thighs and Kate took the brunt of the punishment and both nearly died. A few hits later, after Kara mirror imaged herself and engaged the daemon, the monster did likewise. Luckily, Zandra invoked her minor globe of invulnerability, allowing the party to strike at the real creature and finally kill the monster. From its remains, the party found a pair of magical rings and some gems. |
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Day 19 late |
The party arrived at a 100' wide chasm running hundreds of feet in either direction and 200'+ feet over a underground waterway. The gorge had a 10' wide, natural, slippery-looking bridge across it. Sage scouted the place out briefly before reporting back to the party. She spied a single demon who didn't "see" her. While the party turned itself invisible and prepared for a charge (Kate and Wooden Thighs got fly spells), Sage came back and was ambushed by the demon (who could see her just fine, thank you). She was terribly wounded and just managed to down a potion of water breathing before plunging into the slow, dark river below. After Sage didn't come back, the party charged. The battle was relatively short and one-sided. One of the demons got his wings trashed, but died before he had a chance to do much else, falling into the waters below. Oddly, his body was never found... The second demon, getting the crap beaten out of him and facing the entire party, elected to teleport away...to where...? |
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Day 22 late |
A small band of female drow came up from behind the party. They attacked ruthlessly and without hesitation. Tasha was held while poisoned darts rained down on N'thog'm, Artec and Kate. The party turned and fought back, finding that some of the dark elves had been on the surface and had had their cloaks, boots and armor burned away; it its place were improvised Tuskar equipment. Wooden Thighs charged after Kara softened the drow up with an ice storm, which took out several of them. A hold spell took out Mandar and Sergio. A poison dart put Wooden Thighs to sleep. The drow then held a knife to the werepather's throat, gesturing for the party to back off. Unable to perform an action without being seen, the party faced a standoff. Kara slipped behind Kate, using the big fighter's body to cover the movements of spell-casting, and launched a lightning bolt, the intent being to force the dark elves to take the blast or jump away. Luckily, the one with the knife jumped. Unfortunately, the blast nearly took out Kate as well. N'thog'm engaged the commanding priestess in melee while the rest of the party charged after the other drow. A running fight finally ended with the party quite victorious. The heroes recovered several items stolen from the surface world, including nearly a dozen scrolls and a pair of potions. |
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Day 23 late |
Sage scouted out a pair of 12' diameter giant spiders which Artec and company shot into oblivion. One spider did manage to jump onto N'thog'm and bite him, but a dose of sweetwater and a cure light wounds from Ichthyus took care of the wound. |
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Day 23 later |
Sage scounted out a huge chamber containing dozens of giant spiders and a large, open-faced, pagoda-like shrine, complete with sacrificial altar. Expecting battle, Kara attempted to summon an invisible stalker (the spell failed) and Artec drank his potion of heroism. The party prepared to sneak past when Kara (via her detect invisibility spell) discovered that the front of the cavern mouth had been trapped with dozens of tiny trip-wire spider-threads. The party turned back and after much debate the party decided to charge in after Kara summoned a diversion. A shocker, two leprechauns and a giant weasel ran into the cavern, followed by Sage, Kara, Zandra and Wooden Thighs (who could all get past the trip-threads) who carried one of Ichthyus' silence stones and headed for the passage at the rear of the cavern. Once the alarm and attention was focused on the monsters, the rest of the party tried to sneak, only to be followed by a jade spider which sensed intruders, but couldn't see what to attack. The shocker charged the pagoda where the entire host of the drow shrine had gathered. The jade spiders had revealed intruders, but nothing could be seen. Dozens of crossbow bolts passed through the creatures body, creating an impressive show of fireworks but little else. As the drow actually struck at the creature, they received nasty jolts of electricity for their troubles. Unfortunately, two blows were all the creature could manage. Meanwhile, the giant weasel got nailed once by a jade spider then charged the main platform from behind where it got the attention of most of the remaining drow, giving the leprechauns a chance to transforms two pistol bows into bouquets of flowers. Now, the majority of the spiders had joined the 13 dark elves in the shrine. A few drow noticed the jade spider pursuing the invisible party members and started to fire into the area the party was in. Artec (raised to 8th level) returned fire, for deadly effect. Kate charged while Tasha cast pain. Mandar turned and attacked the pursuing jade spider. Before the drow had a chance to react and while they were fairly tightly grouped in the temple, Kara dashed forward with Wooden Thighs and Zandra acting as blockers. They ran through the curtain of webs at the rear of the temple (which they knew was not trapped thanks to the giant weasel). Kara slid under the sacrifical altar and invoked the power of her potion of mass destruction, to devastating effect. Bolts of teal-white lightning blasted out from her body to strike nearly every creature in the chamber. More than half the spiders exploded on the spot and all but the two out of range were stunned. Several drow were wounded while many of the lower level dark elves perished. Unfortunately, the effect left Kara totally stunned and defenseless. So Wooden Thighs lept over the altar and engaged the high priestess, but her magical chainmail and buckler proved resistant to his claws and fangs. Zandra, meanwhile, scooped up the mage and carried her out of the temple, back to Sage. Wooden Thighs soon found himself sorely pressed as two more drow joined the high priestess, her snake-headed whip scoring several painful wounds. A drow chased after Zandra, and only her training and speed as an acrobat prevented him from catching and killing her. Meanwhile, several more drow turned their crowssbow and faerie fires against Sage, who shielded Kara's body. Luckily, her draconian hide deflected their bolts. Mandar finished off the first jade spider and while battling the second found himself surrounded by more giant spiders. Another priestess joined in, turning a tiny temple spider into yet another giant spider for Mandar to fight. He killed two more, but the jade spider's saw-like forelegs began to score home. Ichthyus took advantage of his invisibility to score surprise attacks against the drow, killing one, but he soon found himself being bitten several times. Only his clerical nature and his new magical ring saved him. Kate killed the spider, but soon got mired in combat with drow. Tasha, meanwhile, found herself the target of another charging spider. Although her spasm spell took effect, the creature bit her, its poison killing her almost instantly. Artec couldn't help as a dark elf had engaged the archer. N'thog'm and Kate were likewise occupied. Then Woody dropped, victim to numerous drow strikes. Sage and Kara charged to save him, the mage engaging the drow while the draconian pulled his body under cover of the altar. Zandra, meanwhile was still mired in combat with the same drow. Kate reached Ichthyus, leaving dead drow and a dead spider in her wake. Artec broke free long enough to gun down the priestess facing Mandar before the half-orc again found himself engaged. Mandar, however, took advantage of this and finished both his remaining opponents and charged to help out. Unfortunately, Kate was too late; another priestess got through to Ichthyus and caused fear. The priest of Posideon ran from the cavern. Kate cut through the drow facing her and she took off to help Wooden Thighs, shouting to Mandar to help Artec, but the big oaf didn't hear and took out the giant spider threatening N'thog'm instead. Pinned under the altar, Sage was struck at by a drow, while Kara faced two more. The dark elves had used their fearie fire by this point to outline all the heroes. This advantage allowed the priestess' five-headed whip to score a terrible blow against Kara, cracking several ribs and causing massive internal bleeding. She began to faulter, just in time for Kate to engage the priestess. Kara, meanwhile, unleashed a full volley of magic missiles into the other drow, turning the dark elf into instant "swiss-cheese". Mandar and Artec closed, the last of the other drow finished off. N'thog'm revived Tasha with a dose of sweetwater, further casting a cure light wounds as she recovered her strength for her near death experience (as she floated up to her afterlife, she felt her soul being snared in a giant web). The priestess, knowing the tide of battle was turning, used a strange metal rod to open a gate to the abyss from which poured manes. While not terribly dangerous, they were a new host to buy the priestess time for more spell casting. The first wave of demons, however, met one of Kara's ice storms and didn't reach the fight. The second wave engaged Kate giving the high priestess, Baltana, time to hold Kate and Ichthyus. But not before Ichthyus (who had recovered from the fear) dispelled the gate, preventing any further reinforcements. The priestess moved aside ot cast a spell, but Kara engaged her again, receiving two more hits from the whip in the process. But this was enough time for Mandar to arrive and seriously thrash the drow cleric. Realizing she was alone, terribly wounded, hopelessly out-numbered and completely out-classed, Baltana cried out to her goddess to save her. A single, tiny, temple spider jumped onto the priestess' shoulder, biting her in the jugular. The cleric's death was instantaneous...Such is the mercy of Lolth for those who fail in her service... Gathering their strength, the party healed itself nearly back to full power. Most spells and scrolls expended, they headed out the far side of the chamber toward the true Temple of Lolth and the artifact they sought. |
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Day 23 even later |
With Kara still detecting invisibility and Sage now finding traps, the party made itself invisible and quickly moved to the ugly pagoda-like structure that squatted in the center of the temple cavern. One hundred feet away, Sage picked up Kara and they made a brief reconnoiter, detecting no traps but a shadow guarding every window. The heroes crept through the front door and into the apparently deserted temple. They passed through several galleries and even journeyed into a large worship room with a idol to Lolth, but found naught but a pair of 12' diameter giant black widow guardians. Making quick and silent work of these sentinels, the party descended the stairs into the lair below. They found the sacrificial altar to the demoness, complete with a pair of captive female drow awaiting their turn. But the entire area radiated such a powerful evil that it was only with difficulty and aid that most of the characters were able to enter. Wooden Thighs, in fact, was never able to conquer his fear. They found a side passage and freed the captives, who turned out to be Faeleen and Kennibrae, a pair of priestesses of Eilistraee. The party then took out some ghoul and ghast guardians before finally entering the actual domain of the demon spider… Lolth left a 13' diameter demonic-spider to serve in her temple. The creature bore most of the attributes of her monsterous avatar and was guarded by a pair of Yochlol. Kara cast a passwall and the party leapt to the attack. Kate and Mandar lead off the attack, striking at the monster as Kara hasted the group. The demon-beast missed in response, only to cast webbing at Artec and N'thog'm. Wooden Thighs and Zandra joined in as Kate and Mandar continued their assault. Kara targeted a wall of fire against Lolth's Handmaidens, but they stepped through it unharmed and struck at her and Wooden Thighs. In one round, one bludgened Wooden Thighs to death, although the other was unable to do too much damage to Kara. Meanwhile, the spider-creature bit Mandar, who fell from its poison. Zandra attacked the Yochlol who killed Wooden Thighs while Sage and Ichthyus engaged the one fighting Kara. This allowed Kara to flip and jump to the other side of the chamber where she administered a potion of anit-toxin to her fiancé. Kate, meanwhile, held her own against the demon-spider, but it's hide proved quite tough while its regeneration repaired much of the early damage. Tasha tried to free Artec and N'thog'm, but the webs wouldn't burn and even caused further damage by acidic and poisonous touch. Zandra's flurry of attacks slew her opponent, while Kate continued to harry the spider while denying it a chance to strike her back. The other Yochlol seriously wounded Ichthyus and rendered him unconscious just as Mandar rejoined the fray. Tasha healed the priest of Poseidon, as Mandar's singing sword killed first the spider and then the 'Handmaiden. The body of both creatures immediately began to dissolve, revealing an ornate platinum egg in the body of the spider. The party regrouped and prepared to leave. The priestesses of Eilistraee had healed Kate so that she actually left the temple in better shape than when she entered. Sage administered the party's elixir of life to Wooden Thighs and Kara cast item on him. The Arabian wizardess then levitated and polymorphed the party, who then beat a very swift retreat. They paused to recover Sergio and to polymorph their former mounts to to rocs and ropers to slow drowic pursuers. Eighteen miles away from the temple, the heroes rested from their victory. |
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Day 24 early |
Leaving N'thog'm polymorphed into a giant eagle and itemized Wooden Thighs, Kara levitated most of the party and they very swiftly flew back to the demon-guarded chasm. Here they met up with a triad of demons, a vrock, a glabrezu and a succubus. Kara swooped in and transformed herself back. Unfortunately, Kate didn't realize what was happening, failed to apply her fly spell to slow her groups speed, so Ichthyus, Artec, Kate, Tasha and Zandra (although she took no damage) plowed into the wall on the far side of the chamber. The succubus charmed Mandar who then nearly killed Artec. N'thog'm group moved in to help. Zandra's broach freed Mandar of the charm. Artec shot the succubus out of the air and before she could fall or teleport, Mandar blew her to pieces with a javelin of lightning. Kate moved to help, but was feared by the glabrezu. The vrock tried to telekinetically drop the party into the stream 200' below, but stupidly didn't understand the interaction of the minor globe of invulnerability and their standing levitate spells. The glabrezu had better luck, telekinetically holding Mandar's wings of flying together and literally sitting on him so the platemail-clad fighter submerged. Kara and Zandra were unable to fight him off and Mandar soon lost consciousness, just as N'thog'm was able to pull the demon away. Sage moved to save Mandar, but was harried by the demon. Kara's spells proved pointedly useless. Finally, Artec rained down a volley of arrows that slew the demon. The party healed and continued on their way. |
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Day 25 early |
Kara levitated most of the party and with N'thog'm pulling one group and she the other, they flew across many miles of underdark tunnels. They did meet some resistance in the garden chamber, when Kara and Zandra were victims of a wyvern watch, but Mandar invoked his "wings of darkness" and flew them to safety. The drowic adventure party was able to manage a lightning bolt, but nothing else. The blast didn't do the heroes any serious harm, although it did vaporize Sergio. |
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Day 26 early |
The next morning the party came up with a daring plan. Using item, levitate and polymorph, plus a scroll of wind walk, the party would make it out in a single day. The clerics (Ichthyus, N'thog'm and Faeleen) gathered around Sage and combined with her. She then cast the spell and led the way as the party zipped to the bone-filled cavern at the very start of their journey. |
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Day 26 later |
Healed and in good spirits, the party prepared to leave. Only Kara's spells had been used and the group (now 12 strong with the priestesses of Eilistraee) was well-rested. Suddenly a female voice called to the party and offered to let them live in exchange for the egg. The heroes didn't answer, but merely hurried across the cavern to the exit. Before they reached it, a creature coalesced out of the darkness; an exquisitely beautiful drow clothed in living spiders; Lolth herself. Her divine aura stopped all but Kara, Kate, Mandar, Tasha and Ichthyus in their tracks. Kara began an acid bolt, but Kate and Mandar charged. Kate reached the Queen of Spiders first and wounded her. Lolth summoned eight huge spiders. Ichthyus invoked a protection from evil 10' radius. Mandar hit the demoness and Kate struck twice more. Lolth had taken quiet of bit of damage; nearly 90 hit points. Lolth's response was to heal herself as her spiders moved behind the pair fighting her. Mandar's armor protected him, but Kate was seriously bitten. Kara finally hasted those that could act while Ichthyus cast a prayer. Now Kate's axe caused serious mayhem and Mandar's sword added to it. Lolth took quite a lot of damage. She responded with a power word: STUN on Kate while her spiders leapt on Mandar. The holy symbols of the priestesses of Eilistraee began to glow dimly and hum harmony to Mandar's singing sword. The sword, meanwhile, shed a shinning silver nimbus. Ichthyus moved to shield the party from the summoned spiders while Kara started magic missiling the creatures on Mandar. Mandar hit the demon-goddess again and again, each time inflicting maximum damage. Thanks to the haste, Kate stood and struck as well. The demon-goddess of the drow was seriously wounded again, and abandoned her human shape for her true, demon-spider form. She also called down her divine blessing upon her spiders, making their attacks more fierce. A flickering black and mauve-edged radiance coalesced around the spiders as they continued biting Kate and Mandar, nearly killing Kate. Kate was forced to drink her last draught of her potion of sweetwater to save her life, although she did manage a single, successful strike against a spider shielding Lolth with its body. Mandar continued to rain blows on the demoness, his sword singing twin harmonies and shedding a strange light, each blow wounding for maximum affect. Lolth was seriously wounded and certainly about to heal herself again (12 hit points left!). Kara's magic missiles began to seriously deplete the spiders and she moved in to throw a vial of holy water at the Queen of the Drow. Amazingly, she not only hit the demoness in her true spider form (AC -10), but the holy water did critical damage (inflicting 38 hit points)… …a distant, melodious, female voice sang out in that instant… "Oh, Queen of Spiders, you have taught the drow so well: Be patient. Strike when your foe is weak. And the enemy of my enemy is my ally. So be it; your lessons have been learned well by followers and foes alike. Now reap the rewards of your evil labors and trouble my children no more…" …joining this voice was a strange, deep, gargling sound, similar to the echoes of water falling in distant caverns. But the sounds formed distorted words… "Return to your demonweb, oh, little demon lord, for you are the Queen of the Spiders no more, but merely a princess…" In that moment, the holy water struck, instantly killing Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders and Lord of the Drow. The remaining party members finished the summoned spiders. Sage even managed to hit one with a magic missile from her ring. The party was truly victorious! |
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Day 26 even later |
The party breached Kara's sand seal. On the other side waited guardians; a scruffy-looking street punk, a young noble fighter, a female fighter clad in silk and a teenage dark elven wizard. Zar, Garlok, Bethany and Malok greeted their friends. Zar explained that he had gone for help after he left the party. He wasn't convinced that helping Ghaunadaur would be a good thing. He sought out the Cult of the White Circle and with Bethany's help, convinced the good witches of Ningal to help. They revealed that Ghaunadaur, the Elder Elemental God, is an entity which has, over the centuries, had both true clerics and witches. He shows up every now and again, stirs up trouble as only ancient chaotic evil gods can, gets defeated by a combined host of "good guys" and then resurfaces a century or two later in a manner keeping with either a demon lord or demigod. The only problem is a) he doesn't seem to have any of the ear-mark strengths and weaknesses of a demon, b) he doesn't seem to get too badly weakened without worshippers, and c) can grant spells as a lesser divinity. Now, one thing that is consistent is that Ghaunadaur is a VERY old divine figure. We're talking when Angellus, Pyrrhea and company were young! He dates from the dawn of civilization and since that time has been a corrupting influence on established societies, both on the surface of Oerth and in the Underdark (as a rival to Lolth!). Moreover, they made contact with Mandar's adopted brother, Moorak, who in turn contacted Pope Hazem of Angellus. The Pope communed with her god, Angellus. The Lord of the Skies revealed that this mission would not pose a more serious threat to the surface world, but would undermine Lolth's position in the Underdark. Ghaunadaur would not gain as much strength as Lolth lost, so the net result would be a weakening of evil in the world. So the younger adventurers awaited their loved ones return. Ichthyus headed directly for the surface with Malok and the two dark elven priestess. The party, led by Zandra, Mandar and Artec, brought the platinum egg of Lolth to the temple of Ghaunadaur. The Eye manifest and the strange, inhuman voice from before was heard saying, "feed the Eye of Insanity." Suddenly the eye split lengthwise and reshaped into a hungry maw. Zandra stepped forward and dropped the egg into the mouth. "You have served me far beyond my wildest expectations. Your Wishes will be granted for all eternity." Zandra, Mandar and Artec suddenly felt their anxieties lift. They could strangely sense a permanence to their states; it would take exceedingly strong forces to undo what had now been wrought. As the party moved to leave, the voice spoke again, "know that you have served me well. If any here wish to serve again, the time is now for her forces are weak. I can still grant others their hearts desire!" Unmoved, the party left the dungeon to enjoy the midday sunlight… |
The heroes have returned home. The crisis is over. Now is a time for peace and reflection; for healing and mending. And the building of something new.
Before the heroes left, Kara declared her undying love for Mandar. In the "garden cavern" of the Underdark, Mandar proposed to Kara, using a single link of adamantine mail as an engagement ring. On March 11th of the Common Year 608, the three day festivities for the wedding of Kara and Mandar begin...
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