Did someone say Storamere?

After a long night of healing and regaining spells the party feels much better, especially with the aid of their new companions. Shensen and Churchkey spend about 30 minutes talking in private about who knows what. Otherwise the two young ½ elves spend their time licking their own wounds and chatting up Fharlanghn. At this the party is offered to join their group and thus makes a new prestige class open to everyone (The Pathwarden).

The night goes by pretty uneventfully and with little to no sounds emanating from the rest of the temple or rooms. After a little discussion it is decided that even though the prisoners have all said that Splintershield is located up that the party does not want to be flanked. Especially by a group as challenging as the Kua-toa. So, through the bottom double doors they go.

After opening the doors and looking down a long corridor that has a four way intersection located 25 feet away, the party makes a long and patient walk down the corridor following the ever watchful eyes of Barrett. No traps but the intersection leads to ever-increasing curiosity. To one side there are obviously different chambers closed off by curtains. To the other side a large room with a stairwell leading up into the darkness. The room is also covered with a large pool of water.

Ahead is a set of large double doors.

Setting up a guard post facing the open room with a majority of the party the rest of the party makes their way to the curtained off chambers. With a prodigious use of “detect evil” Churchkey eventually notes that the chamber at the end of the hall has a figure in it. Pepper, Barrett, and Churchkey spring into action and begin combat with a wicked spear wielding Kua-Toa. Immediately it becomes apparent that his spear is quite magical and that this is no ordinary amphibious pugilist.

A few rounds later a spear comes hurling out of the water towards the guards at the intersection. The rest of the party springs into action. Some draw swords others bows but all come charging the two Kua-toa in the water.

Splashing into the water goes Donner and Connel, followed closely by the duo-sword weilding Fario and Fellian takes out a bow. Bolgrim charges to the edge of the water. It is soon realized that there is more than just these guards inhabiting the water. Two swarms of bizarre black tadpoles nip and bite at the legs of those in the water causing extreme damage by both their biting and acid.

It is also noted that there is a mettle grate/portcullis that descends into the water. At one point Donner leaps a skinny portion of the water and looks/listens at the grate.... he hears and sees more kua-toa coming. Donner leaps to the other side of the pool and waits next to the portcullis to attack anything that come out.

Unfortunately, the Kua-toa spearman is taking way more time than expected. No one is being really wounded but their are a lot of nicks and cuts. However, the spearman is obviously an accomplished warrior.

The combat against the two warriors in the pool is almost finished when a white hot flash of lightening arcs out from behind the portcullis. Fellian is staggered back and the portcullis opens.

Charging out of the portcullis are some of the heavily armored clerics. The team jumps into action and a deadly combat ensues.

Meanwhile, Churchkey, Barrett and Pepper have felled the Spearman. Quickly
Barrett picks up the obviously magical spear. When they hear what turns out to be a second electrical strike. The trio very quickly rushes back to the rest of the party.

Here they jump into the action. They see the clerics and a number of female kuo-toa that have now joined the fray. Rounds of combat go by and the party is making strong headway. When they hear a very loud crash of doors being kicked open at the top of the stairwell that extends into the darkness. Shensen (the only one who’s dark vision is strong enough to see the top of the stairs) yells, “Run! Dragon!”

The party makes dutiful and rapid retreat to the intersection. Churchkey summons his horse while others take up positions. The dragon charges down the stairs and across the water causing a torrent of water to splash onto the once dry stonework. The size and ferocity of the Black Dragon causes some to falter in their actions but the overwhelming aura of Churchkey keeps people from fleeing.

Churchkey mounts the horse and has a lance in hand, Connell, Shensen and Bolgrim ready themselves. Meanwhile Barrett and Fario are on either side of the four way intersection with readied actions. At this a gout of acid brings pain and suffering to those in the corridor.

The Dragon makes a charge towards Churchkey. At this, those on the opposing sides of the intersection spring into action. Donner makes a great use of his spring attack by leaping across the intersection and bonking the wyrme on his way by. Others use bows and yet other engage in hand-to-hand.

The Beast takes large painful chunks of flesh from members of the party and acid sprays across the adventurers. Then Shensen is able to summon her pet jaguar behind the dragon giving the rogues a hayday for damage and ease to attack. Finally the dragon totally bloodied makes a rapid move backwards overrunning the jaguar. The party charges after the dragon. The dragon on his last legs is able to make it up the stairs and cast a spell. He then winks out of existance.

Both buzzed by how close they were to defeating the dragon and exhausted by the damage they sustained the party makes their way into the dragons den and spends the next couple hours sorting through goods and setting up a system to destroy the ½ kuo-toa/ ½ black dragon spawn.

It is here the we have paused the action.

Stay tuned for more adventures at Bill and Kelseys.

A Return from Intermission (2/3/08)

So after we returned from the proverbial bathroom and collected another beer from the fridge [burp] we continue in mid action......

The winged she demon having nearly run out of arrows makes one last flyby and again makes Churchkey her target. she lands up on one of the mettle catwalks obscured from view.

Barrett, using his spider climb tries to use the statue as cover and climbs so he is level with the winged bringer of death.

Bolgrim helps bring Churchkey from the throngs of death via the power of Pelor.

Connel also looking like a sieve stays under the protection of the stone alter and heals himself.

Churchkey swaps weapons and barks a command for the troops to gather together.

Pepper helps in the healing of churchkey

Donner gathers around the crowd.

At this the Winged beast launches herself off the catwalk with sword in hand. She charges Churchkey. At this the party begins a massive cooperative siege against the winged demon. It takes close to full minutes of combat but finally she falls to her death.

At this the party takes a look around the carnage. Bolgrim holds up the wand of healing that has expelled nearly 20 charges in almost as many rounds.... smoke emanates from the wand. Donner guards against one of the locked doors located behind the statue.

While the group begins collecting items the healing commences.

A couple of minutes later Churchkey announces that friends are on their way. About a minute later the door Donner is at opens and Donner quickly holds the door closed. Some very, very large Kua-Toa in full armor is on the other side of the door. The party prepares and Churchkey replies with an added little message in his head... "hurry".

While party members get into place, Barrett behind Donner holding the door and Bolgrim saying a prayer of blessings to the party, when the second door opens revealing a Duegar. A quick bolt from Peppers crossbow buries itself into the Duegars chest. Churchkey charges and removes fells the underdark dwarf.

Meanwhile when the Kua-Toa pulls mightily on the door, Donner lets go of the door and steps around the corner. The Kua-Toa stumbles back but very quickly was able to gain composer and casts a spell at Barrett who feels the stinging pain of his muscles atrophying leaving him weak.

Connell, Churchkey, Pepper and Bolgrim charge into the room past the Duegar. The room is about 2-3 feet deep with clear water. Sloshing through the water they make it to the heavily armored and magically buffed Priest.

Donner jumps into the room in front of Barrett and the party surrounds this creature. The Kua-toa prooves to not only be amazing difficult to hit, but taking 52 hp from Churchkey the first round gave everyone a moment to pause.

Entering the Temple room from the door under the statue comes the aid Churchkey was talking about. The Kua-Toa then casts a spell and the water level in the room expands with in seconds to be 10' deep. The water pressure pushes the doors closed with a loud and wet CRASH.

Donner swims to the door and tries in vein to pry open the door. Barrett pulls out a crowbar trying to damage the locking mechanism to at least create a leak of some kind. The rest of the party continues to try and fight a slow motion battle underwater.

Charging up the steps are two 1/2 elves who the party has not seen in nearly 7 months lead by Shensen, the beguiling Drow Monk/Druid rescued from the Lucky Monkey.

The two 1/2 elves turn to look at the Druid with a look of... what now? Shensen casts a spell and in moments the door that Barrett is hammering on begins to turn color and start bowing out as the stone begins to soften and turn to mud. Quickly the 1/2 elves also begin to aid Barrett as they realize that a good chunk of the wall also turns to mud. Moments later the slowmotion, underwater combat comes to a close as the water level pours from the room knocking Barrett and one of the 1/2 elves prone and washing them back 5 feet.

At this a combined effort of everyone begins attacking the Kua-Toa. Concentrating once again on Churchkey, it takes Bolgrim, Pepper and at times Connell's healing to keep him alive.

Shensen pulls out a scroll and with that some of the magical enhancements are notably missing from the parties foe. This bolsters the parties moral.

Another 30 seconds of combat goes by. Connel is felled and revived but otherwise healing and wounds are being traded back and forth. When another of the Kua-Toas's buffs is no longer active. At this it is inevitable the party will bring down their foe, but at what cost.

Yet another 30 seconds later, the Koa-Toa falls with a heavy and loud thud. The once clear water is now the breading ground of bacteria and the color of crimson.

We begin next session with an exhausted, bloody, wet, lacking of resources and pleasantly relieved... I mean, what else could be in this unholy underdark temple?