An Unexpected Encounter

March 16, 2007

We are resting under the Cathedral alter after the spider battle. We are startled by a rumbling. Elwin checks and finds the passageway has collapsed and our return to the surface is now blocked. Upon further searching we discover a hole in the corridor wall. We investigate and find an open tunnel with tracks on the floor. (Maybe an old mining tunnel) We climb through to search for another way out. Elwin and Oosana scout cautiously ahead. About a half mile ahead on the track, they stop at the sound of an approaching echoing from the darkness. They both jump off the tracks and hide against the wall. A mining cart rolls toward them, and comes to stop just a few feet away. Oosana and Elwin both sense the danger and dive to the rock floor just as the cart explodes. They narrowly escape any damage but are deafened and partially blinded by the blast, After a few minutes to clear their senses; they search the area and discover a pressure plate that must have triggered the explosion. As they continue to scout farther ahead they find more of the pressure plates. They are marked, and the party is redirected. Elwin scouts ahead to a fork in the shaft. While Elwin searches for any tracks, the main party moves down the tunnel. Dubious discovers an abnormality in the rock wall. As he begins to investigate, a huge creature bursts through. It attacks all nearby party members. In addition to its bites and clawing it is spraying an armor & weapon-dissolving acid. Aereon attacks and then flees down the corridor toward Elwin. The party battles the gigantic creature but armor and weapons are dissolving with each attack. Dubious is shedding his dissolving armor and Oosana races away, dodging the melting spray. Jian releases a huge fireball and the monster slumps. Skye leaps forward and breathes his fiery breath over the toasted carcass just to be sure. Elwin comes back to the party and releases Streak, his magical raven, to fly over the fallen creature to check the tunnel behind it. It only reveals three nearby lairs full of old dissolved metal weaponry and bones. Jian cuts open the creature to examine the acid glands. Skye helps to complete the grisly task. He and Jian collect acid and skin from the monster. Perhaps they will fashion an acid-resisting armor later.
As we turn to move on down to the tunnel’s fork, a lightning bolt flies from an adjacent corridor. Skye spots the source and immediately turns and sprints down the hall. He is followed by Jian and Dubious. They surround a small gnome. They attempt to dispatch him, but to their surprise, as he doesn’t seem to be affected by many of the attacks. Oosana joins the battle with the amazingly tough little creature. The gnome fights back and then retreats to another small cavern. As the party races in pursuit, they see the room is now filled with gnomes. Jian fires a ball of fire into the room and all the ‘illusions’ disappear. The original gnome remains. He now ‘shifts’ into a spider form. It crawls up the wall and begins skittering out along the top of the corridor. The party continues to attack on the run. They follow and eventually Jian roasts it with another fiery spell. As it falls from the ceiling, it changes into its original half tiger - half man form. A fabled Rakshasa!! No wonder he was so much trouble. We search the small rooms in this area and find…
1200 cp, 480 sp, 500 gp, 130 pp
4 teardrop blood stones @ 50 gp
2 gold cloth tapestries @ 1050 gp
1 ebony jewel box @ 2100 gp
1 set of silverware @ 55 gp
30 Dinner plates @ 30 gp
12 sets of stemware?? @ 35 gp
4 platters @ 60 gp
2 scrolls of Dispel Magic – Lvl 7
+2 Ring of protection
XP = 1750 Kills, 100 story

Elwin

Cathedral in the Abyss

Keep traveling for two days through forest and into Celestial rubble. A small valley is formed by the rubble. Dubious spots a ten foot tall frog shaped ogre sized critter. Another slaad. Three fireballs go off centered in the party. I am scouting ahead and out of the effect. Gracie falls and disappears in a lilac cloud of smoke. Several of us react and move to one of the slaad, quickly reducing it to smoke. Dubious is severely wounded and I goto him and use the cure wand. The other two slaad are soon turned to smoke as well. Heal up before traveling another half day. Approach the cathedral. Large front entrance with large stone doors, closed. Parts of the roof are collapsed. Elwin uses his special boots to explore the roof and such. Looks in the various holes. In one, sees a couple of half spider/drow things resting in webbing. On the floor is a statue of Orcus and a pretty winged female. Piles of rubble litter the floor. We decide to try sneaking through the center roof hole. Despite Jian tripping on the rubble, the critters don't seem to notice. Move to a narrow part. Aerrion squeaks up the other side. A half serpent moves toward Aerrion, carrying a half spear that glows. The winged female, a sucubus, flies atop the Orcus statue. As the serpent approaches Aerrion, it calls to the sucubus, which flies down, calling to Aerrion. He moves toward her and she kisses him. Bet he's never done that before. Carifon moves forward slowly and casts something. Sucubus flies up yelling at Aerrion. He draws his weapons. Dubious charges in. My bolt bounces off the serpent. The sucubus tries to influence me but I shrug off her attempt. Aerrion joins Dubious and Carifon in attacking the serpent and they quickly smoke it. The sucubus screams and flies away.

Approach the statue. A bound female lays there. When she is freed, she slaps Aerrion. Gracie sent her(Helena) to help us. Helena is a Pelorian cleric. There is a door leading down. Carifon says it leads to the first guardian. Search the area first. Find the dropped long spear from the serpent. Jian thinks it is very magical. We descend down to a large room. Elwin vanishes. A corpse in light armor speaks query about taking the first challenge. "Choose a door and slay the critter behind." Short version. Carifon says he can go no further. North door - Ugly, Beolith (demon). South door - Beauty, Haliece. Debate. Decide on the north door and open it. A system of narrow wooden paths are suspended about thirty feet above a spiked floor. A spider thing is in the middle of a large chamber. Aerrion charges the demon. Dubious moves forward but gets webbed. I move forward after getting Alicast from Helena. Smack the demon with it to great effect. It responds by bullrushing me and knocking me off the path after I smack it the second time. Moments later, Jian finishes it off, its body falls to the floor and stays, splatting as it hits. We cure Aerrion of the poison he received from the demon. Move through the room. Find a mummy that speaks of a lantern that will guide us to the second test. Find the lantern.

Oosana

XP: Kills - 2250

Loot: Half Spear (Magical) from serpent thing.