RttToEE [3.5 D&D] (Inactive)

Game Master Stiehle

Years ago, brave heroes put the denizens of the Temple of Elemental Evil to the sword. Now, dark forces whisper again in the shadows of the once-deserted temple - forces far more insidious and dangerous than any sane person could dream. Evil has risen again to threaten the village of Hommlet.

Brosh takes a step back to hold the front line alongside Svaerd, slashing at the gnoll before him while maintaining a strong defensive stance.

Gains +5 to AC for the entire round (Combat Expertise)

Phaligast heeds the call of Sol, continuing to back away from the skirmish and casting a protective spell on himself, sheathing his body in mystical armor.

Move 20' south, cast Mage Armor

Sol continues to call for a retreat as he retreats, but the front line fighters don't appear to be interested in running from this fight!

Move 40' south

Norian takes a step back, then casts a spell to enlarge Svaerd.

Cast Enlarge Person on Svaerd

Earthday, 20th day of Fireseek, 593 C.Y.
3rd full day underground
Estimated time is early in the day

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Brosh backs up to form a solid front alongside the barbarian and uses his khopesh to easily bring down the gnoll (47 damage!). Phaligast keeps a steady, if slow retreat and uses his magic to protect him from harm. Caeldrim moves up behind Brosh and sends a flurry of arrows (28 damage) at the troll that is beginning to regain its wits.

Sol retreats past Norian, continuing to call out for a retreat, perhaps all the way back to the strange, magical circle ringed with unknown symbols.

Round 3

The badly injured troll rises slowly to its feet, as the other one with a couple of Brosh’s arrows sticking out of him takes hold of its shoulder and shoves it back behind him, eager to engage the party in combat as it slashes at the unarmored Svaerd (12 damage) with its sharp, filthy talons, opening a nasty wound across his bicep!

Norian casts a spell that makes Svaerd turn as large, if not bigger than the ogre! The two nearby gnolls stagger away from the enlarged barbarian.

Svaerd is up!

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OOC: I will pause it here on Svaerd’s turn, since the tactical situation for him especially (and the rest of you to a lesser extent) has changed dramatically. The Enlarge Person spell shunted those gnolls into the nearest squares available, and now he has reach on the troll, the ogre or the gnolls. Also, as the map shows, only Brosh, Svaerd and Caeldrim are now at the front line. The other three have retreated back along the hallway a fair distance, and keep in mind that of the front line fighters, Caeldrim is significantly injured, Svaerd is fairly hurt and Brosh has also picked up a few wounds himself.

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Combat Table

Combat Map

Svaerd will full attack, cleave options, gnoll/gnoll/troll target order, if they all drop then continue into ogre.
with haste i have 3 attacks. see what i can do.

Not wanting to risk another mishap and not having any other immediate ways to bolster the group Norian casts Shield on himself and will follow the parties retreat.

Phaligast stops his withdrawal when he is about to lose sight of his comrades. He shouts up ahead, "stay out of the line of sight of the sorcerer! Pull back a step or two if you must!"

OOC: When I click "Show," nothing happens... nothing in FAQ about formatting text either (not that I could find). But at least I'm in...

I am going to cast invisibility when it is my turn. I'll also set down the lantern or hand it to Norian. No point in being invisible if I'm glowing.

Also, West, your spell list for me shows 2 invisibility spells, but I only have 1 invisibility prepared and then mirror image.

Svaerd shows no intention of retreating, instead laying into the enemy with a vengeance!

Earthday, 20th day of Fireseek, 593 C.Y.
3rd full day underground
Estimated time is early in the day

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Svaerd shows no intention of retreating, instead laying into the enemy with a vengeance! The nearest gnoll (#1) goes down in a splash of gore (20 damage), and the barbarian’s momentum carries him into the next one, and though that gnoll (#3) gets its shield up in the nick of time, Svaerd’s heavy blow crushes through it, the blade of the axe driving deep into the gnoll’s chest (22 damage), smashing the creature lifeless against the wall. Squaring off against the ogre that is now about his size, the barbarian brings down that formidable foe as well with two mighty strokes of his giant axe! (42 damage)
Greataxe (Huge) Cleave Attack DRR: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16 vs AC
Damage DRR: 4d6 + 10 ⇒ (4, 2, 1, 5) + 10 = 22 slashing

The commander moves back behind his men barks an order at his soldiers to fire their arrows at the exposed barbarian, though only one of the arrows get past his armor (DR 1; Damage = 1) even as they shift slightly to form a wall between the party and their spellcasting leader, even as the rat-faced sorcerer sends another grouping of magic missiles at Brosh (Damage = 13), apparently deciding that the half-orc warrior is posing problems to the trolls with his stalwart defense.

Yep, that ‘Show’ button is broken. I have put up a list of known codes you can use in a PM I’ve sent (actually will send soon, at the time of this writing!) out to everyone from the d20 board and will have one up here as well for future reference. And on that note, I really would like for my players to make their own dice rolls whenever possible. I have demonstrated above with Svaerd’s posted attack (I made it myself, using the player account I’ve given you all a link to) as to how I can blend the player’s rolls and my own in game terms, since the player can’t know if he’ll be using the Cleave feat or not (since he will have no idea of whether his attacks hit and whether they will bring down the target). But when I look at the player’s dice rolls, I can see that his first attack did indeed cleave, and I rolled that one myself, determining that it brings down the second gnoll. As the player told me his intended targets, I knew that he would use his last two dice rolls (on his post) against the ogre, which was enough to bring it down). So if the player had rolled his own dice, I would have only had to roll once for the cleave attack, using the player’s rolls and his intended targets to determine the outcome of his dice rolls.

Also, I will be using the Taptalk board board to send PMs, as it’s the best way to let you know when I post to this thread. I also have a ‘Gateway’ thread on the d20 board you can subscribe to which I will post to when I update the adventure thread here. So we will be using a combination of the d20 board and Paizo, playing to the strengths of each (or so I hope!)

Bolded names below may post their actions!

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Initiative Order/HP Condition:
Round 3
2 Trolls - #1 is badly wounded, the other has taken a fair amount of damage
Norian - 34/34
Svaerd - 52/100
6 Warriors - All are unwounded
Commander - Unwounded
Rat-Face Sorcerer - Unwounded
2 Dire Rats - Both are unwounded
Brosh - 42/68
Caeldrim - 18/52
Phaligast - 25/37
Sol - 42/61

Combat Map

Combat Table

Sol realizes that their fighters do not intend to attack, and decides to shift to the role of healer. He steps up to Caeldrim, touches his shoulder and channels.

=OOC=
Burn Tongues for a Cure Critical on Caeldrim

"Retreat as we can, but we cant just turn and run" Svaerd screams behind him, and then adds "Or can we?" he looks at Brosh.
he is bigger now, and thinks 1 more round of slaying might help, their cause, or to slow their followers "anyone going to burn these trolls to the ground? oil, anything?"

Brosh shrugs at Svaerd's look and heeds the advice of those behind, beating a hasty retreat with Svaerd hot in his heels followed by the enemy trolls and human warriors as well as the rat-faced sorcerer. But as they run past the threshold of the magic circle, the sorcerer screams out a warning and there is a flash of light and suddenly a monstrous demon appears in the center! Vaguely resembling a giant spider twice as tall as a human (nearly as tall as Svaerd in his current enlarged state), the demon has four legs ending in massive cleavers and four bulbous eyes, each of them blazing with an evil malevolence.

Fortunately for the adventurers, they are already moving past it before the thing reacts, and the sounds of combat can be heard behind them as the demon apparently begins tearing into the sorcerer's men, not caring about who or what it destroys. They are a good distance away when the sorcerer's dying shriek echoes behind them, and then there is silence.

Sol warns the others of what the demon is, though. Called a retriever, it is born and bred to hunt down anything its master desires. The cleric also believes that the summoning circle was of a type that has called the demon here permanently, though for what purpose he cannot fathom. He suggests they escape these mines entirely and regroup in Hommlet before returning after resting and preparing to face the demon again should they wish to return to determine what the Doomdreamers are plotting in this evil place.

Avoiding the enormous black pudding that still sits at the base of the cliff, the sounds of the demon closing in behind them occasionally reach their ears, but perhaps it is otherwise distracted as it pursues them through the mines, for they eventually reach the main entrance and make good their escape.

A week later, they reach the town of Hommlet and the Inn of the Welcome Wench, where Ostler Gundigoot welcomes them back after their grueling journey with good food and drink, as well as rooms should they be staying overnight once again. The heroes figure that the town leaders, Rufus and Burne, should be warned of the Doomdreamers and the evil creatures that have been discovered in the Crater Ridge Mines, as well as their glimpses of the Fane they glimpsed at the center of the lake in the caldera of the ancient volcano.

Now that the adventurers can rest and recuperate, perhaps they can seek further aid in their quest, if they still desire to learn of what the Doomdreamers are planning...

OOC: Sorry to bring this to an abrupt end (of sorts), but I've decided I'm going to restart this adventure. My next post in this Gameplay thread will have a summary of what's transpired thus far, and hopefully give you all some focus on what your options are - whether returning to the Crater Ridge mines or something else. I also plan to write out some players and bring in new ones, recruiting them here on the Paizo board. If any of my players from d20 World of Greyhawk would like to continue on, please post in the Discussion area and let me know. So far, I've seen Svaerd, Sol and Phaligast post on this board, but nobody else. My established players will of course have priority, presuming you are interested in remaining active in this adventure. Please don't post in this thread, so we can keep it clear for my next post that will 'reboot' the adventure. Thanks!

Svaerd screams as they run, being the back guard in case of any issues arise, until his enlargement runs its course.
On the way back to town, Svaerd is happy to have fresh air, and clean ground beneath them.
He looks forward to the future with this group

Though Phaligast cannot hope to keep up with the longshanks, he is invisible and does not fear being left behind. He'll catch up to the others eventually.

OOC: I am willing to continue, however, using this board is still very awkward for me. I still do not know how to format and various other things that may slow me down a bit. I'm still excited about having a mid-level spellcaster to play with, though, since I have played very few in my 35+ years of gaming. But I would just offer the caveat that while I definitely want to remain in the party, I do not want to slow the group down. If things become too annoying, I reserve the right to honorably bow out. Hopefully it won't come to that!

Norian is a mix of panic and elation as the group flees. They had survived and with so many evil creatures slain and loot collected he didn't feel defeated by any stretch. Still, to say he hadn't been shaken by their encounters would be lying.

As Svaerd turns back to his normal size and Phaligast makes himself known to them he finds himself letting out a deep sigh of relief. "We made it..." he says his voice uneven, "I was growing very worried we would not."

OOC: I am still very much trying to stay in the game. I was on duty for more than a month with nothing to attempt posting with but a six year old "smart" phone that was in the process of dying. Took me a while to get access back into my account.

Freeday, 28th day of Fireseek, 593 C.Y.
The weather is cold with mild to moderate snowfall throughout the day.
Estimated time is early in the day

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By the evening of their arrival, the adventurers freshly returned from the Crater Ridge Mines receive a summons from the leaders of Hommlet, requesting their presence to report on what they’ve discovered, with a promise for more information that might be useful to them as well. Though some of those that delved into the twisted tunnels plan to leave the quest for their own reasons, several stay in town, hoping to learn more of the mysterious Doomdreamers and those that serve them. It seems that there is something sinister at work, and their knowledge of the local history of Hommlet – specifically the infamous Temple of Elemental Evil, give rise to truly terrible imaginings.

Early the next morning, the recently clear skies and very cold weather that has recently dominated the region gives way to a mild snowstorm that coats Hommlet and the local countryside under a couple inches of the fluffy white stuff. Footing is a bit treacherous as they climb the stone steps of the small, but well-maintained fortress that sits atop the highest hill in town, which grants a very fine view of Hommlet itself and the forested Kron Hills in which the community is located. The captain of Hommlet’s militia, who arrived at the inn around noon to pick up the heroes, bids the adventurers to enter the small but austere audience chamber, where Rufus and Burne are waiting behind a polished table. The renowned wizard Burne is clad in brightly colored robes of blue and green, a staff of darkwood topped with a sizeable emerald leans against the padded chair upon which he sits. Rufus is clad in heavy plate armor, which is no surprise given his reputation as a warrior, and leans against the back of his own chair as he watches the party enter. There are a few other adventurer-types sitting at the table as well, and the two groups take careful stock of the other as Burne gestures for the party to sit. “Thank you, Elmo. Please stay, so you may offer your own words as we speak to these worthies who have already done much good for Hommlet, and very likely the lands surrounding – even if the local rulers aren’t willing to admit it.” He adds the last comment with a scowl, and Rufus shakes his head. “Enough already, you know that Veluna deals with whatever madness grips the kingdoms to the west, and there have been growing rumors that Iuz is plotting something big, even as his armies clash more and more often with the patrols that ward Furyondy’s northern border…” The wizard waves a well-manicured hand at the burly fighter. ”Tish tosh. The Old One is always up to some evil design or another - and you know you shouldn’t speak his name aloud, or you will bring his attention to us, which would be a very bad idea, all things considered.” Rufus rolls his eyes, and those watching the interplay get the feeling that this argument had been played through many times over between the pair.

Turning his attention back to the gathered adventurers as the new arrivals take their seats, Burne speaks on. “Well, regardless of how much, or rather how little, aid we might expect from the local powers, it has been some three weeks since you departed for the mines we spoke of at our last meeting. During that time I have put word out of the evil that rises once again in the Kron Hills and these few have answered the call. I know some of your group have left Hommlet for their own reasons, and Elmo spoke with those that have already departed earlier this morning, but we desired to speak with the rest of you firsthand. What news do you bring of the Crater Ridge Mines and the elemental-based temples that lay within?”

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OOC: I’m going to use this first bit as a way to introduce the newcomers to the players who have migrated from the old board. I believe that I’ve still got Svaerd, Norian, Sol and Phaligast from the old group, and three new players which brings the group to seven, which is the very highest number of players I can carry at the moment. I’d like those players who have been in the Crater Ridge Mines to speak in-character of what you’ve seen and done (you can be as detailed or not as you’d like), and the new players should feel free to interject with introductions, questions, internal musings, or anything else you might think of. Between my own information of the adventure thus far offered by Rufus and Burne, coupled with that of the players who have delved into the Crater Ridge Mines, I hope to give everyone a fresh start on what’s been learned thus far, and what your immediate and long-terms goals are. Because this adventure will (hopefully!) last a long time, players can just refer to the first few pages of this adventure thread to refresh their memories.

"The crater Ridge Mines is a nasty place", Sol assures the newcomers. "We are still fighting in the outer Circle. We have decapitated two of the element's outer defences, the Earth and Water, but we had to retreat as we reached the Fire outskirts, We prepared ourselves for a possible use of stealth and trickery, but in fact, we had to force our way through in every encounter."

I haven't been with the party all the time, but I beleieve we hold some important artifacts from the earth/water defeats.

The silver-haired gnome clears his throat and then says, "the Pelorite speaks true... if any of you newcomers choose to accompany us, know that we will be phighting on evil's own territory and against greater numbers! Trolls, dark sorcerers, and an enormous black pudding who eyed me quite hungrily in a manner I did not appreciate -- yes, I know they don't have eyes, Svaerd! That is not the point!" He sighs deeply and then continues, "well, at any rate, the mines are philled with peril and we believe that we have just barely scratched the surface. Perhaps our only advantage seems to be the different elemental phactions do not appear to lend aid to one another... they may even be at odds. If each of you could perhaps tell us your names and how you believe you might help make our phellowship stronger, that might help move things along... I am Phaligast the Phabulous, a magician of great wierdness and wit. I have cousins in the Kron Hills that I would not see troubled by these devilish phiends, so I pheel I must return to Crater Ridge, despite the danger."

Loren strode into town, leaving her friend in the forest outside of town. Her designation was clear as she headed straight to the inn, pausing only for a moment to check her reflection in a window. looking back at her was a human face with mud brown hair and eyes that were the coal of a evergreen. she wore simple clothing and carried a club with her. she shock her head before she walked thru the inn's door.

Where is Burne at? she spoke shortly and sharply as if every second talking was the most important second ever. the inn keep pointed her towards the audience chamber. She slowly walked towards the door stopping to listen before pushing in to the room. The gathered people stopped talking and turned to look at who entered the room. Standing before them is a human woman standing 5'3" tall rather frail looking. She had long mud colored hair.

What do you need woman? came a gruff voice in the gathered crowd.

Loren looked towards the voice and gave a small smirk before speaking, I am Loren ALthorn I was sent by the Druid Circle....I came to help you all, for the very balance of nature hangs in peril.

Freeday, 28th day of Fireseek, 593 C.Y.
The weather is cold with mild to moderate snowfall throughout the day.
Estimated time is early in the day

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Burne smiles at the druid’s entrance as Rufus scowls and Otis stands in uncertain silence, glancing at the leaders and then at the short, frail-looking woman who entered the room, disturbing the conference. The militia leader seems torn between ushering the druid out at sword point and allowing her in, based on her confident statement – fortunately for the warrior, the spellcaster takes the burden away from him. “Enter, and have a seat. I admire a grand entrance…” at this, Rufus snorts in derision, but there is a smile playing across his lips as the town leaders wait for Lorne to take a seat at the table.

When the druid settles into her chair, Burne begins to speak again. “Though you have missed some of what has been said, I will let the others fill you in later on the pertinent details. For now, know that there is a new evil rising but a short distance away to the southeast, just within the Lortmil mountains. At first look, it would appear that there is some connection to the nearby ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil that caused havoc in years past, but we have sent a few patrols to investigate the area and they have found no signs of recent disturbance. Still, that there are temples dedicated to the four elements within the Crater Ridge Mines is undisputed. As Sol has reported, the Earth and Air temples appear to have been neutralized, for the time being at least. Their excursion into the environs of the Fire temple nearly met with disaster, but the time might be ripe to finish the assault now, especially since the group has identified a possible ally within the ranks of the Doomdreamers – unless it is an elaborate trap, of course. In any case, it is the tower at the center of the lake that appears to be the base of that evil group, though access may only be granted via any of the three bridges only by utilizing the proper keys. One of which is held by Svaerd,” the magic user gestures to the silent barbarian. “The greatsword he carries acts as a key that appears to allow access to the tower, though we believe that at least two keys must be used in tandem to access the tower – and you have found but one of them. The others might appear as weapons as well, or something else entirely. Still, you will likely know them for what they are when you see them - or so we hope. We believe they are all likely to be powerful relics attuned to each of the elemental temples, the greatsword being the one that represents the Earth temple.”

Rufus steps forward and takes charge of the meeting at that point. “We know that the denizens of the Crater Ridge Mines are varied, and that so far the friction between the elemental factions has so far worked against the enemy, for they have not been able to mobilize an effective force to counter the efforts of the adventurers that have infiltrated their lair. Gathering a larger force to assault the Crater Ridge Mines is problematic due to... political considerations, and we also believe than an invasion of a larger number of troops would perhaps unite the enemy against us, so we plan to keep up the efforts to defeat the Doomdreamers by utilizing a much smaller force. You all, in fact.” The fighter adds with a grim smile. We know that there is a demon loose in the mines now, likely having escaped the control of the Fire temple sorcerer that summoned it to this plane – apparently on a permanent basis, judging by the report of those of you that escaped the mines in order to give us an update of your progress. As Burne has said, we believe that your group should strike again at the Fire temple, for it is likely they are still in some amount of chaos – especially if the demon is causing them problems as well. My erstwhile colleague believes the demon to be a retriever, specializing in hunting its victims and delivering them to its master – though this one may not have anyone exercising such control over it. If such is the case, any weapon should be able to cause it harm, though it heals quickly – but as there are other demons that resist weapons not blessed with planar powers, Burne has agreed to bestow a wand upon you, one that he has used before. Be aware though, that its charges are limited, only a dozen and one castings remain within the item, after the 13th it will turn into dust.” The warrior glances at Burne as though for confirmation, and the mage nods then steps forward again to conclude the assembly.

“Though the perils of this task are great, we believe your group is well-equipped and talented enough to survive the dangers you will likely face. If the secret tunnel into the Crater Ridge Mines is still a viable route, I would suggest you take that, rather than risk the main entrance that my magical sight shows as still quite heavily protected. Do you have any questions?”

OOC: You have been given a Wand of Align Weapon with 13 charges remaining. It is a divine wand (though of course the wizard Burne has been able to use it successfully because of his Use Magic Device skill), so it will likely go to Sol - unless another with UMD wants to keep it. Hopefully this series of introductory posts have served to bring the new players up to speed on some of the details of what you’ve seen and learned thus far. If I’ve missed anything, I ask my veteran players to chime in and remind me. Next post will likely see you all back at the Crater Ridge Mines!

Norian was quiet for the meeting. The sorcerer's body chilled from the weather. As the new face made her entrance his tabby peeked out from the hood of his cloak. The cat's interest didn't hold. Finding it easier to jump down to the carpet than return to the inside of the cloak Norian quickly found himself abandoned so that his familiar might stalk the room. The feline was seemingly indifferent to those gathered.

Norian found it hard to talk of their last trip. The man had been shaken, and while he was resolute in returning to aide his newly minted comrades... his confidence was still at an all time low.

As Phalighast spoke Norian peeked up from under his brow to heed the words of the wizard. His gnomish companion had proven himself clever and learned in their trip. A fact his feline didn't respect... as the cat had stalked up behind him. Norian's face slackened in surprise a moment before the cat pounced,yanking at the back of the wizard's clothes as it blitzed by.

"I am Svaerd Kriggerson, born to the Bluff Hills. I do not speak as goods as these here" he points to Sol and Phaligast, "and they are good men, I follow them, into the pits of evil it appears, and beyond, if needed. We fought so many different things, the cat with tentacles out its back, the pudding that wants to date phaligast or have him over for dinner we bypassed for now, large creatures, orgres and trolls, orcs and hobgoblins, leaders of their tribes, casters of the magix that befuddle your mind..... i ... i even almost saw the darkness forever..... then there was that, ratfaced creature, and then the one time i woke up after saving the entire lot of these poor fools, and all they did was stare at me, most likely due to them never seeing such raw power and strength before......."

Svaerd eyes up most, leans his rather large sized greataxe against the table beside him, and if it is uncomfortable, he does the same with his twohanded sword to the other side and liffts it when it is mentioned "It can do awesome things in battle against a horde of enemies".

he then sits back and listens mostly, perhaps snorting, or sighing depending on what he hears and how far from the version of the truth or memory he recalls.

"Many with us, are no longer, for reasons of their own liking" he adds, almost to himself.

Sol wants to Call Burne's and Rufus' attention to several items they have found, but have not been able to identify. He also presents the amulets they have found and asks if the veterals knew more about them.

"These items may be of help. We have so far not been able to identify them properly. Maybe you could help?"

[OOC]
Black scepter - Crafted of jet, studded with several small violet-blue tanzanite gems
Magical Iron Torch - Black iron torch, purpose is unknown, even after magical identification, other than it appears to be of the school of divination in nature
Magical Incense - Black cones apparently to be used in the torch, but its purpose is unknown, even after magical identification, other than it appears to be of the school of divination in nature
Cult [Elemental Eye] amulet - Crafted of dark onyx and emblazoned with an upside down triangle containing an inverted Y in yellow paint
Cult [Tharizdun] amulet - Silver necklace with an onyx pendant attached that depicts a two-tiered pyramid
Holy symbol of Tharizdun - Crafted of onyx, depicts a two-tiered pyramid

Burne addresses Sol's questions. "We have studied the scepter, the torch and the incense, but I am afraid I can offer no solutions as to their use. I suspect they are largely ceremonial, used in rituals and the like - though they could certainly have some sort of specific magical abilities that I cannot discern when subjected to the appropriate conditions I cannot replicate."

Rufus snorts. "All that to say he just doesn't know..."

The wizard casts as scowl at the fighter, then shrugs. "My ham-headed companion is correct, unfortunately. The amulets are holy symbols, the one that appears to be an inverted 'Y' is representative of The Elemental Eye. My studies indicate this religion began among the drow, and then waned when Lloth became their queen. I admit that I know little of the Elemental Eye or what it is. I suspect that it might have something to do with the powerful elemental beings called Archomentals. There are five of these elemental princes that are known: Imix, the Prince of Evil Fire Creatures; Ogremoch, the Lord of Evil Earth Creatures; Olhydra, the Princess of Evil Water Creatures;, Yan-C-Bin, the Master of Evil Air Creatures and lastly Cryonax, Prince of Evil Cold Creatures - though that being is of the Paraelemental Plane of Ice that borders the Elemental Planes of Air and Water. One could perhaps ignore Cryonax as a true Archomental because of this..."

With a heavy sigh, Rufus speaks over the words of the mage as he interrupts, lifting the amulet that depicts a two-tiered pyramid. "I believe that this fascinating lecture on the various planes can wait for another time, old friend. Why don't you speak on this holy symbol and allow these worthies to get on with their mission before the Doomdreamers conquer the Oerth while you prattle on endlessly."

Scowling at the fighter, Burne coughs in annoyance but then obliges. "I believe we have spoken before of Tharizdun, He of Eternal Darkness that would see the entire universe dissolve into chaos and madness such that life could no longer exist as we know it. Those that worship The Dark God are insane, and seek to free their master from the bonds that have held him imprisoned for many thousands of years. There are indications that at least some of those in the Crater Ridge Mines are Tharizdun cultists, though how wide-spread their infection might be and their relationship to those that worship the Elemental Eye is unknown. Beware of them, for the sake of your very souls."

Phaligast nods respectfully to the druidess upon her entrance to the proceedings. She may indeed become a mighty ally for he has heard such practitioners have some measure of power over the four elements.

The sneak attack by the feline startles the gnome, but when he turns to see Norian, Phaligast grins and says, "might I suggest a leash... perhaps a very short one."

When Burne mentions Tharizdun, the gnome visibly winces. He has never heard the name spoken aloud, and it now makes his skin crawl and his stomach churn. "My lord, Burne... perhaps it is wise not to speak the name of the Chained God. Imprisoned though he may be, no being was ever so powerful -- or so evil."

When all the introductions are done, Phaligast recommends heading back to Crater Ridge with all speed. He mentions concerns about their foes regaining some of their former strength.

Norian gave Phalighast a thin smile, not wanting to imagine the manyfold acts of vengeance his familiar would unleash were he to do such a thing. His cat to it's own credit had moved from the ambush to sit in front of Loren. The feline's tail darted slowly about behind it, and it stared at the druidess as if seeking something. Perhaps it was desiring attention from the newcomer, but if so the cat had taken up it's seat a step beyond her reach.

"The feline is Oricalcum." the sorcerer explained as he straightened himself up to be more presentable. "My name is Norian Abronze. Glad to make your aqquantice." He followed his ingroduction with a slight nod and dip of his shoulders. Not a proper bow, but a mild courtesy he felt he should show the druidess.

Loren looks at the cat and smiles, before looking at Norian "a fine animal you have there. I am Loren." she extends her hand awkwardly in an offer of greeting.

Norian steps forward to take Loren's hand in a easy handshake. As his sleeve slips back from his wrist she can see a patch of light bronze scales that extends down almost to his palm. A few matching mettallic flakes dust his knuckles.

"A pleasure." he adds as introductions arr finished. The shift in focus stirs his feline, the tabby stepping forward onto it's masters boots and letting out a light yowl for attention. The sorcerer manages a smile and steps away to take his seat again.

When Norian takes hold of Loren's hand he noticed it was then there is little strength in her grip and arm. shes short and rather plan. After Norian sat down Loren took the rest of the gathered people in with her gaze.

Svaerd nods to Phaligast, "Speed is of the utmost, as it seems by all these large words, and talk of magic and evil and gods"
he sighs heavily.
"Shall we be on with it then, one nights sleep in a good bed was enough, it appears."
he hefts his large axe and slides the 2 handed sword back into its scabbard on his back.

Freeday, 28th day of Fireseek, 593 C.Y.
The weather is cold with mild to moderate snowfall throughout the day.
Estimated time is early in the day

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The meeting ends, and the adventurers purchase any needed gear before setting back out for the Crater Ridge Mines, and the secret tunnel they used last time to take their leave of the place. The first half of the trip is made in the company of Elmo and a group of militia, as a large show of force is enough to keep any would-be bandits or other predators at bay. When they reach the pass into the Lortmil mountains, two days from the tunnels, the militia leader turns back with his men, wishing the adventurers luck in their mission.

As the group negotiates the mountain pass, they get to know each other better, and they spend time going over what they’ve learned of the Doomdreamers, and of the encounters they’ve had in the Crater Ridge mines, going over the maps in detail so as to give them some idea of how to proceed once they’ve arrived.

The Entrance Area on the west side of the Crater Ridge was destroyed by the denizens of that place after their first assault. Later scouting reports indicated the entrance on the south side has been heavily reinforced. Entry into this area is no longer possible, and it is presumed to be abandoned.

Northeast of that area, moving around the crater ridge mines in a clockwise direction, the Lower Earth Temple is also still presumed to be abandoned, though the previous expedition hasn’t seen this area lately to be certain. The Earth Temple Key (which also serves as a magical greatsword carried by Svaerd) was recovered in this area – largely inhabited by troglodytes and their human allies.

Roughly east of there the previous party encountered the Upper Earth Temple, where resistance was somewhat more organized and the leaders of the temple were killed and a handful of prisoners released. This area too is likely still abandoned, as the expedition noticed no activity in the area when they escaped the Crater Ridge mines via the secret tunnel just beyond their eastern-most border.

This fortified position is for the most part a Bridge Stronghold, one of three that allows access from the Crater Ridge mines to the Doomdreamer’s fane in the center of the lake that now fills the caldera of the ancient, dormant volcano. The rooms and corridors that grant access to the bridge are likely to remain heavily guarded, their former guardians probably replaced by fresh troops. Fortunately, there are tunnels that allow access between the secret tunnel and the rest of the Crater Ridge Mine, circumventing the stronghold now that the outer doors to the complex have been sealed for a more solid defense. Getting past the area shouldn’t be difficult, but a direct assault on the bridge itself would likely require a very strong effort.

Beyond the bridge complex, still moving clockwise around the caldera in a southeasterly direction is the Lower Water Temple, which is warded by a deep lake that had been inhabited by a water hag. That creature was killed and this western-most section of the Water Temple was unguarded when the previous expedition passed through the area.

The West Water Temple was also found to be abandoned, at least in the northern tunnels that the expedition passed through as they made their escape from the Crater Ridge Mines a couple of weeks ago.

The East Water Temple, like the western part, is really divided into two distinct sections, one side mostly submerged and the other half in the northern area being relatively dry (if somewhat damp and humid). The latter tunnels and rooms were abandoned when the expedition passed through, but it is not known whether the sacred area in the submerged section is likewise empty of its former inhabitants. The party dealt the temple and its leadership a heavy blow when they assaulted the place, but they know that there were survivors as well, for they used subterfuge to make their escape. What might have happened to those that remained is unknown – it seems possible that they were sent to other areas as reinforcements, perhaps the Bridge Stronghold.

Beyond the Water Temple lay a vast maze of Tracked Tunnels, much of which was mapped by the previous expedition – though not all of it. Here they encountered savage bugbears, a potentially deadly trap involving an exploding corpse, and even a deadly black pudding of massive proportions that they were able to flee.

To the south of this area, now on the opposite side of the Crater Ridge Mines from the entrance they had originally passed through, the expedition encountered the Lower Fire Temple, where they met with stiff resistance in a powerful were-rat spellcaster and his minions. Here too they met with the messenger of an unexpected ally, who bore gifts and words of promised assistance from an unlikely source – someone within the ranks of the Doomdreamers! Forced to flee before their group was overwhelmed in battle, they triggered a magical summoning circle that called forth a demon called a retriever, which will no rest until it hunts them down. Though how much control the sorcerer might have over the demon is unknown, perhaps it might even be causing the Fire Temple trouble, for all they know.

The two days pass uneventfully, and after a fair amount of searching they manage to find the entrance to the secret tunnel that their former scout had located. Slipping inside, they make their way through the lightless passage, utilizing their own resources now to provide light to see by as they negotiate its twisted, at times very narrow, length of roughly a half-mile or so where it terminates at a blank stone wall. After a few minutes of searching, the cleverly concealed niche with a rough metal handle inside is found, and twisting that lever slides a section of the wall away from the rest of the stone, just wide enough for the adventurers to move through. After two minutes, the door slides back into place, the only reminder of its existence being a barely-noticeable seam in the rock. The same handle can be accessed by this side as well, by reaching into another niche that is twin to the one on the far side. But for now, the secret door will remain closed as the adventurers decide on their course.

To the north past the Water Temple and on to the Fire Temple, chancing an encounter with the guardian demon that is likely even now seeking them out? Or the other way, past the Earth temple and the collapsed main entrance to access the tracked tunnels that lay in that direction? Presumably, the Air Temple lies somewhere in that direction, should they move in a counter-clockwise direction through the Crater Ridge Mines. But what obstacles and dangers they might face in that area is entirely unknown.

OOC: OK, the maps should help give you all some idea of how the circular mines are arranged, at least in the areas you have explored. Going clockwise (left) from the secret tunnel (in the Bridge Stronghold) will take you past the Water Temple, the maze of tracked tunnels, and then to the Fire Temple. Heading right (counter-clockwise) will take you back past the Earth Temple, then the collapsed Main Entrance area, and to the unexplored tracked tunnels that lay to the south of that. Come up with a plan and let me know your intentions and we’ll get this adventure started up!

During the meeting:

The Half-Orc man sat quietly, introducing himself as only as Vorlan. His fair hair had been dyed black, and he wore a mithral shirt that had been colored black. His only conceit towards weapons was an empty quiver that said on his back. Unlike many of his kind, Vorlan's skinny was a dusky gray, with no trace of the typical green.

He asked no questions, but seemed to keenly study the faces and equipment of those around him. He can't help but scowl at any arcane casters he sees, although if he harbors malice, he does not act upon it.

Now:

During the trip, Vorlan continued to be terse, only mentioning things if they pertained to the group's mission, although it quickly became apparent that he had an intense dislike of arcane casters. Once they had parted from their armed escort, Vorlan had drawn and strung a Elven-made bow of White Ash from the quiver at his back and then carried it in his left hand, while he twirled an arrow in his right hand as a thinking gesture.

Turning to those who had been here before, he said "Where to?"

"Maybe it will be wise to avoid the Guardian Demon, and hope it will do havoc searching for us in the fire-temple. I thus suggest we head rightwards towards the Air-temple. A key should be found there as well.", Sol suggests.

"Last time we hoped that we could use stealth and trickery to put the elemental forces against each other. I prepared prayers for that purpose. But actually we had to fight our way through each and every encounter. Should we still hope that diplomatic skills and trickery could help, I will prepare my prayers in the same way, he continues.

Last time Sol prepared spells like Tongues, Eagles splendor, Undetectable Alignment and Detect Lies, and we agreed that we should approach the encounters diplomatically, if possible.

After the meeting
Loren walked out with the others and awkwardly mounted a donkey. Anyone watching could tell the druid has never rode an animal before. As they rode along Loren kept shifting her gaze around and nodding every once and awhile as if she was looking for something

after the militia leaves

The morning after the militia leaves the others awake to Loren sitting around a campfire with a large ape sitting behind her. Even sitting down the ape towered over the small druid. Loren shifted her gaze to the others as they approached

" morning don't mind my friend here his name is Maximus, he wont harm any of you. sit I have made us some breakfast of eggs, oats and berries."

After the party eats they go to mount up and notice that they are missing the donkey, before anyone can speak Loren shifted her shape from that of a human to that of a dire celestial hawk.

"I will fly ahead and scout the area. Maximus will stay with you and signal you if i find anything"

With that she leaped in the air and flew off ahead

Freeday, 28th day of Fireseek, 593 C.Y.
The weather is cold with mild to moderate snowfall throughout the day.
Estimated time is early in the day

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At Sol’s suggestion, the group heads in a southerly direction, bypassing the Water Temple and the Earth Temple, both of which appear to be abandoned. They evade the bridge complex easily enough, which remains sealed off tightly from the tunnels that make up the Crater Ridge Mines. Whether or not they are being observed as they bypass the locked door leading into the stronghold is unknown, but there is no alarm raised at least. After a bit longer, the adventurers reach the entrance area, which is still in bad shape after being torn down by whatever magics were utilized by local spellcasters to prevent easy entry, and then they are standing in a large chamber, roughly hewn that houses three large iron carts with hand pumps that can be used to move them along the tracks that disappear into the two tunnels.

The passages themselves are very rough-hewn, with a ceiling height ranging somewhere between ten and fifteen feet in some places and a width of roughly the same distance. The silence is broken every now and again with faint skittering as rats and other small creatures scatter before the light of the adventurers as they explore the apparently empty tunnels, though their nerves are on edge knowing that sooner or later they are going to encounter some sort of resistance. And there is not telling where the demon might be in this lightless place.

After another half-hour or so of exploration on foot, it turns out the tunnels have a couple of crossover points, along with a few empty grottoes that might once have served as ore storage or for active mining. After the second cross-over point - where Loren takes note of a patch of green slime on the ceiling that could have posed serious problems to the unwary - the left-hand passage begins to descend sharply while the right-hand tunnel slopes upward at a moderate incline. It is easy enough to take one or the other by backtracking to the first crossover in order to avoid the caustic slime patch.

OOC: Taking the upslope or the downslope? Sol, you have learned from previous excursions that tricking the denizens of the temples is very difficult indeed. Visitors from other temples are met with suspicion or outright hostility due to the constant friction between the them. And obviously trying to pass oneself off as belonging to the same temple is even more problematic. Trying to pose as mercenaries for hire or the like might be possible, but assuming news of your attacks on the other temples is widespread, your story might be difficult to believe. Trying to pose as a Doomdreamer and his retinue might be a more likely scenario, but you know precious little of the Doomdreamers themselves, save for a couple of names you've managed to gather from messages, journals and the like. Naquent is one name you've learned, another is Hedrack.

"We should go down." offers Vorlan.

What Races seem common at each temple? How about animals?

There's been a bit of a mix of races, though humans are predominant thus far as far as the humanoid-type guards and spellcasters. They've also seen the usual bugbears, hobgoblins, gnolls and other 'monster humanoid' types. The Earth Temple had troglodytes as well, the Water Temple had kuo-toa as the more exotic humanoid races. There have been a few other monster-type creatures serving the temples that I just can't recall at the moment. As far as animals, there hasn't been many. Most notably is a maddened cave bear (tortured by the guards) that the adventurers were able to bypass and leave alive, though they couldn't approach it - that creature is still chained to the wall near the Fire Temple. There were some dead giant apes that one of the temples had been skirmishing with prior to the arrival of the adventurers, but I don't recall them ever encountering a live one of those. The areas between the temples have a few 'wandering monster' types as well, like the giant black pudding they ran away from.

Loren Closed her eyes focusing on the image of a bugbear as she shifted her form to that.

"maybe I can distract them so you all can sneak past

Spell list as before with the following changes: Level 2 spells - Replace Undetectable Aligment and Eagle's Spendor with Delay Poison and Bull's strenght. Level 4 spells - Replace Tongues and Discern Lies with Dismissal and Neutralize Poison

Sol just nods as Vorlan suggests going down. It was impossible to say what way would be the better.

Upon arrival to the mines, Phaligast happily takes up the lantern for the party -- a role he served well with the last group -- and then assumes his position in between the two largest, sturdiest warriors he can (actually anyone will qualify).

He readily agrees that down would be a favorable direction to follow (being a rock gnome who was mostly raised below ground), and cannot help but voice his agreement boisterously in Vorlan's earshot. He is not ignorant of the fellow's dislike for magi, but he is determined to win him over. Two or three times during the journey, Phaaligast would create humorous illusions along the side of the road (a knot on a tree trunk that looked eerily like a human butt, a boulder resembling a raccoon copulating with a loaf of bread, etc.). He would point them out to Vorlan, hoping to get a reaction. He did, though perhaps not the ones the little wizard was hoping for.

Elbowing Norian, he asks, "come on... the butt-tree was hilarious, wasn't it?"

For his part, Vorlan did not seem to react to such tricks, although the first time that Pharligast pointed one at Vorlan loosed an arrow before he discovered it was an illusion. After that, he did his best to stay away from the Gnome and his tricks.

Svaerd lets SOl do most if not all the talking. he will respond when spoken to but tactics and the like are not his wheelhouse to speak of.
"down is good" he says, when the topic comes up
"lots of fighting, not so much the talking, in here" he adds as they move along.

Loren walked along with the others, Its been what a decade since she really has been around other people...no longer. she ran over the spells she prepared that morning in case she cant wild shape. this bugbear form wouldnt be good for long but it worked for now.

"what did you all face the last time you were here?"

Freeday, 28th day of Fireseek, 593 C.Y.
First day underground.
Early in the day, the party has been exploring for about an hour and a half.

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By quick consensus, the group takes the downsloping tunnel with the druid in the form of a bugbear, her hulking celestial ape companion lumbering along beside her. The tracks pass through a large domed cave with a smaller chamber off to one side (Areas #23 & 23A on the map). A well-rusted ore cart lies on its side in the smaller cavern, and a few rusted mining tools can be seen lying discarded on the floor or leaning against a wall, apparently long-forgotten. Beyond this area, the passage splits into a ‘Y’ intersection, with the tracks leading off to the left, or southeast as far as direction can be discerned. Ahead and to the southwest, the passage widens into a natural cave (Area #24 on the map), the central portion of which is filled with water. A steady dripping sound echoes off the stone walls, which rise up to roughly fifteen feet or more to a ceiling that is festooned with glistening stalactites.

Beyond the pool, which is about forty feet across, the floor of the cave rises up in a sheer cliff that is a bit more than ten feet higher than the surface of the water so as to form a narrow shelf of rock no more than two feet in height between floor and ceiling – less than that in some places.

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Current Map

Condition Table

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OOC: Investigate the pool? The narrow shelf on the far side of the water? Or head southeast along the tracked passage?

Loren walks around looking at the pool thoughtfully.

I think we should investigate the pool.then head southeast

Spot to see if he can see something in the pool: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Sol waits alert as Loren and Vorlan approach the pool.