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?