Journal – Session 10
Having made the arduous journey to the port city of Inequity, a party of six bold adventurers – Barrack, a plain-spoken dwarven Fighter, powerful wielder of the hammers favored by that strong and dour race; Marik, a reptilian dragonborn Warlock, heir to an ancient and proud lineage, but inescapably bound to a pact granting him supernatural powers; Jaeran, an elven Cleric upon whom the gods have granted a measure of divine power as a reward for his faith; Luke, a cloaked half-elf Wizard of mysterious origins and arcane might; Syxia, a tiefling Rogue, dark daughter of a cursed bloodline, her ancestors given to the infernal worship of fiends; and Ur-Kadar, dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, a holy warrior dedicated to upholding the tenets of his faith and protecting the weak with his battle axe – rested after their difficult assault on Skylde Gate Keep en route to Inequity, and asked questions of the townsfolk.
The group first paid a visit to Sister Eramora, priestess of Melora at the Sanctuary of the Sea to see if they could learn anything more about the monstrous Sea Drake menacing Inequity and the surrounding waters. After depositing a few coins into the collection box, they proceeded inside and met with the Cleric. She told them that the drake is probably between 20 - 25 feet long and confirmed that it did indeed possess a breath weapon. Its pattern appeared to coincide with the moon (and therefore the tides). While this was not new information for the party, it corroborated what they had learned before. Sister Eramora informed the party that the Sea Drake cannot breathe underwater, so it probably has a lair where it can retreat for rest. She concluded that the den of the beast lay to the east, probably along the rocky coastline where the sea meets the eastern range of hills. She thought it likely that the creature had a lair that can be reached via an underwater channel - the water levels inside the cavern rise with the tides, making it accessible only for a certain amount of time each month, which could help to explain the rhythmic appearances of the sea monster. Jaeran then asked about the “Fish People” raids. Sister Eramora confirmed that these creatures were indeed Sahuagin, or the dreaded sea devils of the deep. She had tried to communicate with them, but they did not respond. She indicated that they are relatively new to the waters around Inequity, and had not yet acted in a hostile manner. She believed this to be abnormal, as everything she had ever learned or heard of their race painted them as bloodthirsty aggressors bent on rape and pillage. She theorized that there may be some relationship between their appearance and that of the Sea Drake. The party thanked her and made their way back to the street.
While there was a desire to go after the Sea Drake on the part of some party members, others thought it wise to try to talk to the Sahuagin. Still others felt the best course of action would be to find and eliminate Gorshak, the Orc war leader who had led a sizable force away from Skylde Gate Keep before the party attacked the ruin. Unable to agree upon a course of action from among these choices, the party decided to make for an ancient temple rumored to lie to the northeast of Inequity; the place was said to be nestled in the deepest recess of the dangerous jungle. They also considered the possibility that Lord Braccus, ruler of Inequity, will need them to accompany him to the town of Folkestone in a little more than two weeks. Marik joked that it would be good to see Pendingle again and to check in on the progress of his ballad, “Folkestone Heroes,” while others grimaced at the mere mention of the barely-talented minstrel. They spent the remainder of the day refreshing their supplies and preparing for their trek into the jungle before retiring to the tavern in the Black Gull for ale and dinner near the fire. Syxia, of course, wasted no time in taking a long, hot bubble bath and washing her long, silken blue hair before going to bed early (since she would be without the comforts of civilization for a time, as she was being forced to sully herself in the murky depths of the trackless jungle by her friends).
Early the next morning, the party left Inequity on foot after having a quick breakfast at the Black Gull. The group made it to the edge of the steaming jungle by mid-afternoon. While they believed that they were getting close to the temple ruins, the sun was setting, so they decided to make camp for the night. The first watch of Marik and Ur-Kadar proved uneventful. The second watch was taken by Syxia and Jaeran. Near the beginning of their watch, they heard some faint noises and saw a flickering light moving through the trees. Syxia snuck off to investigate, while Jaeran roused the rest of the party. As the shapely Rogue closed in on three robed figures carrying torches, she stepped on a branch and it snapped loudly. The hooded figures stopped and looked around, but failed to spot Syxia, who had dropped low to the ground. They eventually turned their attention back to the well-trod path that they walked, and proceeded out of sight. After the robed figures were a safe distance away, Syxia snuck back to the party. She relayed what she had seen, and they decided to investigate the path in the morning. The rest of the night then passed uneventfully. They roused in the morning, had a light breakfast and then made for the path she had discovered.
They followed the well-trod path through the overhanging jungle, as an eerie silence reigned around them. Eventually, they noticed that the jungle trail led to a large clearing in the middle of the jungle. The party positioned themselves off of the path, with three on the left and three on the right. As the jungle began to thin out at the edges of the clearing, the two groups halted their advance and Syxia crept lightly ahead to investigate. She stealthily advanced to the clearing, and from her hiding place, she saw a large stone ziggurat, towering 25’ high over the clearing; she could also see a long set of weathered stone steps leading to the top. All around the structure were clusters of sinister hooded cultists, who were walking about and having small group discussions. The cultists were dressed in either crimson red or dark green robes. At the top of the ziggurat stood a robed man wearing what looked like a helm fashioned of bone. He was obviously in a position of authority and was flanked by two other cultists in crimson robes. Circling the truncated pyramid were four guards who brandished wicked flails; these fighting-men were well-equipped with chain mail and large shields. Syxia silently returned to the group and revealed what she had seen. The group quietly discussed using subterfuge to enter the main courtyard, but they fell back on their now-familiar plan of simply rushing in headlong.
As the party rushed from the jungle into the courtyard, they caught their enemies by surprise. Barrack and Ur-Kadar raced forward to establish a line of defense, with Syxia following right behind them. Luke hurled a magical force orb at a cultist in crimson; the burst of arcane energy exploded, damaging him and killing the green-robed cult member beside him. As battle ensued, the priest at the top of the pyramid screamed “Destroy the heretics!” and rushed inside the temple, presumably to sound the alarm and alert the others. The armed and armored guards moved forward to engage Barrack and Ur-Kadar while the other cultists fell back. The guards were very proficient with their wicked flails, and their attacks slowed everyone they hit. Syxia rushed to flank one of the guards with Barrack, but the guard unleashed a nasty surprise. He dropped low and managed to swing his flail in a wide circle, attacking both Barrack and Syxia. Barrack managed to deflect a crushing blow with his shield but Syxia was unable to dodge a glancing blow, and was knocked down, with the flail’s chain wrapped around her ankles. The crimson-robed cultists, while armed with maces, preferred to rely on foul incantations that attacked the party from range. The party quickly learned that these curses were testing their fortitude and could be highly damaging to the unwary.
As was normally the case, the party started slow in the first battle of the day, and it took a few moments before their combat reflexes kicked in. Syxia broke off from the guard she was flanking and engaged a small group of cultists, forcing them to forego their curses and draw their maces. Luke focused on conjuring clouds of force daggers, bewildering the cultists with dozens of floating, razor-sharp blades and continued to strike down many of the green-robed believers. Marik’s curses also filled the air while his eldritch powers were enhanced by the powerful implement he now used. The snap of Jaeran’s bow could also be heard, in between his chanted words of divine power and healing. With a flick of his wrist, Ur-Kadar threw down his Creature Coin and was surprised to see a giant weasel appear. While not a serious threat, the weasel made for a distraction and an additional target for demonic attacks. Outnumbered and surrounded, Barrack also threw down his Creature Coin and a large bat appeared. While not exactly what he would have hoped for, the bat did manage to harass the temple guard he was fighting, even managing to bite him twice before tearing off the guard’s ear in a shocking, savage attack.
As the party began to make progress against the guards, they heard a powerful roar - a barbaric, blood-curdling shriek - erupt from the top of the ziggurat. Racing down the steps of the pyramid was a grotesquely muscular human wearing only a loincloth and brandishing a huge club. It was clear to everyone that this cretin posed a significant threat. Ur-Kadar managed to put down the first guard as the degenerate cultist reached the ground. The freak was obviously deranged and was foaming at the mouth. However, he remained aware of his surroundings and it was clear he was determined to destroy the heretics and false believers, i.e., the party. Ur-Kadar challenged the monstrosity to keep the brute from other party members. Those who were able focused their attacks on this enemy, in order to assist Ur-Kadar in bringing down the madman as soon as possible. The concentrated attacks were successful and the hulking behemoth eventually dropped, gurgling and choking on his own foul blood. With that, the rest of the cultists in the courtyard began to retreat, but were eliminated before they could reach the stairs of the ziggurat.
With a watchful eye on the top of the temple and the jungle surrounding them, the party took a brief rest to catch their breath and regroup. They climbed approximately 25’ of weathered and crumbling stone steps of obviously ancient make, and arrived at the top. There they found a stone slab that was slathered in brownish stains - clear evidence of the dried blood of untold numbers of unfortunate sacrificial victims. There was also a small structure atop the pyramid containing a winding staircase leading to the inky darkness of the horrid underground chambers waiting below. The group carefully descended a steep, angular staircase, the steps slick with an unknown blue slime. After treading a significant distance into the hellish confines of the dark temple, they entered a small 15’ x 15’ room. Syxia inspected the door and it appeared to her to be locked, but untrapped. She deftly picked the lock and proceeded into another room of equal size that opened into a hallway. The entire labyrinth seemed to be lit with sputtering torches, their weak flames giving off an acrid, greasy black smoke. As Syxia quietly opened the door, she thought she caught a glimpse of robed figures turning a corner to her left. The party proceeded along the subterranean catacombs very cautiously; they noted a hallway to the right that ended in a stout door banded with iron, as well as a hallway leading away to the left. Syxia went to inspect the door on the right. She did not find any traps, nor did the door appear to be locked. However, as she touched the door handle, the door exploded in a thunderous blast, pushing her back 5’ and dazing her. The injury was minor compared to the anger and embarrassment she felt after missing the trap. Luckily, she was the only one caught in the blast.
The party wandered around in the labyrinthian series of corridors and rooms of the underworld until they turned a corner and entered a large, round room with a small alcove approximately 5’ off the ground near the far side of the area. This entire area looked and felt as though it were awash in arcane light and energy – there was no doubt that some dark sorcery was at work. On the floor of the circular room appeared to be a series of arcane symbols; Luke recognized this to be a circle of protection. Standing inside the circle were two guards, two crimson-robed underpriests and several of the green robed acolytes. While the circle of protection aided their defenses, this group was easily outmatched by the group of heroes. A quick battle ensued, and while the villains did get the occasional shot in, the party dealt with the cultists in mere minutes. The room appeared to be an area of instruction, as its construction and layout allowed one or two people to oversee others working in this room. Given the amount of chalk and wax, as well as the alchemical and arcane supplies found in the alcove, this area was quite obviously used to instruct the faithful on the creation and maintenance of magic circles and gates to other planes, worlds or even dimensions.
The party then turned south and travelled down a short hallway that ended in a room with three prison cells. The first cell contained an Elf that looked to be near death; once she picked the lock, Syxia confirmed that the Elf was, in fact, recently deceased. The second cell contained a human prisoner that appeared to be in terrible shape. He was sitting in the cell, rocking back and forth and mumbling to himself. He did not appear to notice the party even as they stood in front of him. The final cell contained two men. The man in front appeared to be in a similar condition to the man in the second cell, but the man in back made eye contact with the party before standing and stumbling forward. He begged them to set him free. He stated that he just wanted to get out of the miserable place. The party asked him how he got there, who was holding him and the others, and for what dread purpose. He told them that his name was Delyd, but it took some time for him to remember. Delyd said that he was a sailor, and that all he can remember is that he was having a drink late one evening when he began to feel sick and made his way out of the stale beer dive in which he sought to drink away his sorrows. He woke up in this cell the next morning. He cursed those who were holding him, and stated that they were constantly subjecting him to vile tortures and wicked torments, all the while telling him that he was a false believer, but hinting that they could help him. He also reported that the Elf and the man in the other cell were here when he arrived, but the man in the cell with him arrived the day after he was captured. He said that he must have been drugged, and that he just wanted to get out of there. It was clear, however, that his mind remained in some sort of a fog, as if he were bewitched or glammered. The party convinced him that they were there to wipe out the evil, unholy sect, and that they would come back for him after they had dealt with the foul and loathsome worshippers of the temple.
The group slipped out of the prison room and completed a sweep of the entire level of the catacombs. During this time, they managed to encounter and destroy at least 10 more of the acolytes. They also encountered a series of rooms that apparently housed the brothers, as well as a small chapel area. With the level explored, they realized that they must have missed something, as the head priest they had seen atop the pyramid was nowhere to be found. They surmised that they must have missed a secret passageway located somewhere in the dungeons. They carefully retraced their steps, looking for something that they must have missed. After all of them failed to locate a secret passageway, they returned to the room with the prison cells. They asked Delyd if he had seen any of the brothers pass this way, and he said they frequently walked past his cell in large numbers. The group then made a quick search and found a secret door. Pushing open the hidden portal, the party saw a steep stone stairway leading further into the bowels of the underworld.
The party descended down into the second level of the catacombs, and soon found themselves in a small 20’ x 30’ room. The hallway outside the room led east and west. To the east, the hallway ended in the door. The party quickly headed west into an area of small chambers that looked to be living quarters. They encountered no cultists, and found that most of the rooms had sparse furnishings. There was also a long corridor north that led to yet another area that looked to be an area of worship and instruction. The group returned to the main passage and the door leading east. Syxia listened at the door and reported hearing a great deal of commotion on the other side. A number of the foul brothers had apparently decided to make a stand in the room beyond the door. Surprising them was not in the cards, but Syxia managed to disable the lock and the party braced for combat.
On the other side of the sturdy door was a room shaped like a pentagon with a well in the middle and a door on the far side. Inside the room were several acolytes, two guards, two underpriests and another one of the degenerate, hulking cultists. The party rushed into tactical position with Ur-Kadar unleashing his fiery dragon breath, Luke creating swarms of force daggers and Marik hurling the bolts of eldritch energy that trace their origins to the forbidden pact that makes the Warlock’s power possible. Jaeran seized the opportunity to Command the behemoth forward and into the well, but the brute managed to shrug off the powerful suggestion just before he plunged down the shaft of the narrow, rocky well. Syxia advanced, and flashed her vicious short sword and her equally wicked smile. Sensing the need to quickly dispatch the hulking monstrosity, Marik uttered one of his most powerful and fell curses and attempted to send the degenerate cultist down the well, but to no avail. While the thing was still down, Syxia plunged her merciless sword into him, but was unsuccessful in her attempt to use his own weight to force him down the shaft. Despite their focused attacks, the party was unsuccessful in quickly dispatching the cretin. With a majority of the party members close or closing in on him, the hulk let out a frightening, ear-blasting scream that was infused with dark necrotic power. Those unable to steel their will to it were dazed and suffered significant damage to their psyches. Despite the barbaric cry, the brute was by then outnumbered, and faced an onslaught from hammer, axe and sword – to say nothing of eldritch, arcane and divine magical powers. He eventually fell, his wheezing death-rattle the only sound echoing in the chamber, his fearsome body broken beneath the party’s combined blows, blood gushing from a dozen fatal wounds and pooling on the rough stone floor of the place. The room belonged to the heroes.
The party took a quick rest and then pressed on, sensing more danger ahead. A door led to a hallway that revealed several large rooms that appeared to be used for religious instruction in the unholy rites of the cultists. One room was found to be nicer than the rest, although it was certainly not extravagant. This area was strangely absent of defenders, and the party grew suspicious. A quick inspection revealed that the area led to a pair of reinforced iron doors. Syxia checked them and noted that they were locked. Sensing that the cultists intended to make a stand there, Barrack stood guard while the rest of the group searched the well-appointed room. They discovered a small, locked trunk. Dropping to her knees on what passed for a rug in the miserable dungeon, Syxia quickly inspected it and managed to free the lock. Inside were 600 gold coins, a scroll of Sending, a scroll of Magic Circle, and a magical dagger carved with runes of fire and flame – on command, the dagger was wreathed in flames. Also inside the locked box was a coded note that looked to be of some importance. Back at the door, Barrack heard a loud thump, followed by another. He called for the rest of the party to join him, which they did. Syxia was absolutely winded, and the girl was wounded, but they all knew that they must press on. While they thought there might be some difficulty getting in, it didn’t occur to them that something else might be trying to get out and at them – this would be par for the course for bubble-headed Syxia, but was unusual for an experienced fighting-man like Barrack. As the banging grew louder and more frequent, the party decided it was time to throw open the door and rush into the room. Jaeran called for a blessing from the heavens and the party received a divine blessing of protection.
As the doors swung inward, the party looked into a long room that was approximately 60’ x 25’ with a high, arching ceiling supported by six columns. Toward the back of a room was a raised dais overlooking a magic circle that was approximately 15’ in diameter. However, directly in front of the party was a foul denizen of the Abyss. Jaeran recognized the creature as an Abyssal Maw. The disgusting beast looked like a huge toothy mouth perched on a few stubby appendages. As these abyssal monstrosities lack ranged attacks, they usually rush into melee as soon as possible, where their gnashing teeth do the rest. As the lowliest, but most numerous, residents of the Abyss, they usually attack in waves with little thought. Their focus is on clamping onto their enemies and dragging them down with numbers. Once on the ground, they can devour a fallen enemy in mere seconds.
Realizing that they needed to get past the Abyssal Maw guarding the door so they could rush the room, Jaeran Commanded the brute back and dazed it. This allowed the party to advance into the room and observe their enemies. Standing on the dais, looking over the arcane gate, was the high priest the party originally observed standing on top of the ziggurat. He was wearing a black cape over magical robes with a flail tucked in his belt sash and a bone helmet rested on his head. To his left was a veteran guard who wore chain mail and a magical cloak and wielded a fearsome wingspear. To his right was a senior cult member dressed in crimson robes. Unlike the others, who were human, this one appeared to be a Tiefling.
As the group advanced, two demons appeared, and came through the gate. The first was another Abyssal Maw, while the second was something else the party had yet to encounter. Those skilled in the lore of demons and the planes recognized it as a Runespiral Demon. Sensing they needed to close the gate, Luke stayed back and began the appropriate magical countermeasures to close the gate. Ur-Kadar also stayed back to guard Luke, and engaged the first Abyssal Maw. Calling upon the power of his dark and nefarious pact, Marik unleashed the Hunger of Hadar, ensnaring the high priest and his guard in swirling blackness. Barrack charged to the right, around the guard and closed on the priest. The magical blackness caused by the Warlock caused the priest to retreat, but he quickly realized that it would continue to block his line of sight (in retrospect, this combination may have been the deciding measure in the pitched battle. For with Barrack upon him and Marik’s zone of blackness blocking his line of sight, the head priest was unable to attack Luke, who was diligently working to close the gate. Had the priest been able to hurl attacks at Luke from behind a wall of demons, the gate may never have been closed, and the heroes captured or slain. As it was, the battle was easily one of the toughest faced by the party).
With each passing minute, more demons appeared from the gate. Just as quickly as Ur-Kadar, Syxia Marik and Jaeran put one down, it seemed as though two more appeared. At one point, it appeared that their lines would be overrun and Luke would be attacked. The Tiefling priest and an Abyssal Maw were advancing and threatening to skirt around the engaged party members. Ur-Kadar’s mighty axe chopped through a Maw, Syxia’s wicked blade slashed wildly and Marik’s blasts ultimately pushed back the demonic advance. Just as the heroes believed the battle had shifted in their favor, a new demon appeared from the gate. The Runespiral Demon was the polar opposite of the Abyssal Maw, for it was small and blindingly fast. The demon literally turned into a tiny bolt of lightning and bounced throughout the room. While it drew attacks from the party members as it raced past, it seemed to gain speed as it shocked party members. However, given all the attacks it drew, it went down quickly, but it was a cause for real concern, as everyone felt that several of those at one time would be a handful.
Barrack continued hammering away on the high priest, but he was now being attacked from behind by the guard and from the side by two demons. He was forced to use both the healing powers from his armor and the potion he had carried with him from Dunwin. Syxia and Marik made progress and were getting closer to being able to help Barrack. Fingering his prayer beads, Jaeran uttered words of divine inspiration and healing in between making his divine attacks. Summoning a deep well of faith, he spoke into existence a mighty Spiritual Weapon, which aided Barrack in his battle against the evil priest. Ur-Kadar shook off an Abyssal Maw and chopped down the Tiefling priest, whose gory blood arced high into the air as the powerful Dragonborn’s axe broke itself free of his shattered chest and shoulder, with the additional effect of invigorating Ur-Kadar’s allies around him. The dwarf turned and with a powerful swing smashed the body of the high priest, who was also buffeted by the Spiritual Weapon; the villainous Cleric slumped dead at the iron-booted feet of the dwarven Fighter. Marik then dropped his sphere of darkness, allowing the others to advance. A momentary pause in the demon hordes appearing at the gate, thanks in part to Luke’s efforts, allowed the party to gain the upper hand.
Tightly-focused attacks dropped the guard (whose blood was streaming down his stricken face from the gaping red ruin in the side of his head that had been his ear, soaking into his surcoat and making his armor slick with blood), and the tide of the battle turned solidly in favor of the party. One last abyssal monster appears through the gate before Luke succeeded in closing it for good. The insect-looking creature had four arms and wielded a nasty trident. Jaeran recognized this as a Mezzodemon and warned his friends of its breath weapon. Despite the demon’s poison trident, and blasts of poison breath, the group succeeded in quickly dispatching it and finally ended the battle.
Luke, Jaeran and Marik busied themselves with identifying the magical items in the room after the heroes all took a brief respite. They found a Robe of Contingency +1, an Amulet of Resolution +1, a Frost Fail +1, a Skewering Trantyr +2 and a Cloak of Resistance +1 that was marked with stitching that read “E.T.” It took a minute for Luke to recognize the significance; his father’s initials are ET. With a bit of discussion, the items were handed out to their new owners, with the exception of the flail. It was decided that the flail would likely be traded in once the group returned to Inequity. With the battle won, the group headed back up to the first level of the dungeon to retrieve Delyd and the other two captives, all of whom were freed. The three men accompanied the companions back to town. Upon their return to Inequity, the party deciphered the note they found in the high priest’s trunk. It reads as follows:
Brother K,
Having made the arduous journey to the port city of Inequity, a party of six bold adventurers – Barrack, a plain-spoken dwarven Fighter, powerful wielder of the hammers favored by that strong and dour race; Marik, a reptilian dragonborn Warlock, heir to an ancient and proud lineage, but inescapably bound to a pact granting him supernatural powers; Jaeran, an elven Cleric upon whom the gods have granted a measure of divine power as a reward for his faith; Luke, a cloaked half-elf Wizard of mysterious origins and arcane might; Syxia, a tiefling Rogue, dark daughter of a cursed bloodline, her ancestors given to the infernal worship of fiends; and Ur-Kadar, dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, a holy warrior dedicated to upholding the tenets of his faith and protecting the weak with his battle axe – rested after their difficult assault on Skylde Gate Keep en route to Inequity, and asked questions of the townsfolk.
The group first paid a visit to Sister Eramora, priestess of Melora at the Sanctuary of the Sea to see if they could learn anything more about the monstrous Sea Drake menacing Inequity and the surrounding waters. After depositing a few coins into the collection box, they proceeded inside and met with the Cleric. She told them that the drake is probably between 20 - 25 feet long and confirmed that it did indeed possess a breath weapon. Its pattern appeared to coincide with the moon (and therefore the tides). While this was not new information for the party, it corroborated what they had learned before. Sister Eramora informed the party that the Sea Drake cannot breathe underwater, so it probably has a lair where it can retreat for rest. She concluded that the den of the beast lay to the east, probably along the rocky coastline where the sea meets the eastern range of hills. She thought it likely that the creature had a lair that can be reached via an underwater channel - the water levels inside the cavern rise with the tides, making it accessible only for a certain amount of time each month, which could help to explain the rhythmic appearances of the sea monster. Jaeran then asked about the “Fish People” raids. Sister Eramora confirmed that these creatures were indeed Sahuagin, or the dreaded sea devils of the deep. She had tried to communicate with them, but they did not respond. She indicated that they are relatively new to the waters around Inequity, and had not yet acted in a hostile manner. She believed this to be abnormal, as everything she had ever learned or heard of their race painted them as bloodthirsty aggressors bent on rape and pillage. She theorized that there may be some relationship between their appearance and that of the Sea Drake. The party thanked her and made their way back to the street.
While there was a desire to go after the Sea Drake on the part of some party members, others thought it wise to try to talk to the Sahuagin. Still others felt the best course of action would be to find and eliminate Gorshak, the Orc war leader who had led a sizable force away from Skylde Gate Keep before the party attacked the ruin. Unable to agree upon a course of action from among these choices, the party decided to make for an ancient temple rumored to lie to the northeast of Inequity; the place was said to be nestled in the deepest recess of the dangerous jungle. They also considered the possibility that Lord Braccus, ruler of Inequity, will need them to accompany him to the town of Folkestone in a little more than two weeks. Marik joked that it would be good to see Pendingle again and to check in on the progress of his ballad, “Folkestone Heroes,” while others grimaced at the mere mention of the barely-talented minstrel. They spent the remainder of the day refreshing their supplies and preparing for their trek into the jungle before retiring to the tavern in the Black Gull for ale and dinner near the fire. Syxia, of course, wasted no time in taking a long, hot bubble bath and washing her long, silken blue hair before going to bed early (since she would be without the comforts of civilization for a time, as she was being forced to sully herself in the murky depths of the trackless jungle by her friends).
Early the next morning, the party left Inequity on foot after having a quick breakfast at the Black Gull. The group made it to the edge of the steaming jungle by mid-afternoon. While they believed that they were getting close to the temple ruins, the sun was setting, so they decided to make camp for the night. The first watch of Marik and Ur-Kadar proved uneventful. The second watch was taken by Syxia and Jaeran. Near the beginning of their watch, they heard some faint noises and saw a flickering light moving through the trees. Syxia snuck off to investigate, while Jaeran roused the rest of the party. As the shapely Rogue closed in on three robed figures carrying torches, she stepped on a branch and it snapped loudly. The hooded figures stopped and looked around, but failed to spot Syxia, who had dropped low to the ground. They eventually turned their attention back to the well-trod path that they walked, and proceeded out of sight. After the robed figures were a safe distance away, Syxia snuck back to the party. She relayed what she had seen, and they decided to investigate the path in the morning. The rest of the night then passed uneventfully. They roused in the morning, had a light breakfast and then made for the path she had discovered.
They followed the well-trod path through the overhanging jungle, as an eerie silence reigned around them. Eventually, they noticed that the jungle trail led to a large clearing in the middle of the jungle. The party positioned themselves off of the path, with three on the left and three on the right. As the jungle began to thin out at the edges of the clearing, the two groups halted their advance and Syxia crept lightly ahead to investigate. She stealthily advanced to the clearing, and from her hiding place, she saw a large stone ziggurat, towering 25’ high over the clearing; she could also see a long set of weathered stone steps leading to the top. All around the structure were clusters of sinister hooded cultists, who were walking about and having small group discussions. The cultists were dressed in either crimson red or dark green robes. At the top of the ziggurat stood a robed man wearing what looked like a helm fashioned of bone. He was obviously in a position of authority and was flanked by two other cultists in crimson robes. Circling the truncated pyramid were four guards who brandished wicked flails; these fighting-men were well-equipped with chain mail and large shields. Syxia silently returned to the group and revealed what she had seen. The group quietly discussed using subterfuge to enter the main courtyard, but they fell back on their now-familiar plan of simply rushing in headlong.
As the party rushed from the jungle into the courtyard, they caught their enemies by surprise. Barrack and Ur-Kadar raced forward to establish a line of defense, with Syxia following right behind them. Luke hurled a magical force orb at a cultist in crimson; the burst of arcane energy exploded, damaging him and killing the green-robed cult member beside him. As battle ensued, the priest at the top of the pyramid screamed “Destroy the heretics!” and rushed inside the temple, presumably to sound the alarm and alert the others. The armed and armored guards moved forward to engage Barrack and Ur-Kadar while the other cultists fell back. The guards were very proficient with their wicked flails, and their attacks slowed everyone they hit. Syxia rushed to flank one of the guards with Barrack, but the guard unleashed a nasty surprise. He dropped low and managed to swing his flail in a wide circle, attacking both Barrack and Syxia. Barrack managed to deflect a crushing blow with his shield but Syxia was unable to dodge a glancing blow, and was knocked down, with the flail’s chain wrapped around her ankles. The crimson-robed cultists, while armed with maces, preferred to rely on foul incantations that attacked the party from range. The party quickly learned that these curses were testing their fortitude and could be highly damaging to the unwary.
As was normally the case, the party started slow in the first battle of the day, and it took a few moments before their combat reflexes kicked in. Syxia broke off from the guard she was flanking and engaged a small group of cultists, forcing them to forego their curses and draw their maces. Luke focused on conjuring clouds of force daggers, bewildering the cultists with dozens of floating, razor-sharp blades and continued to strike down many of the green-robed believers. Marik’s curses also filled the air while his eldritch powers were enhanced by the powerful implement he now used. The snap of Jaeran’s bow could also be heard, in between his chanted words of divine power and healing. With a flick of his wrist, Ur-Kadar threw down his Creature Coin and was surprised to see a giant weasel appear. While not a serious threat, the weasel made for a distraction and an additional target for demonic attacks. Outnumbered and surrounded, Barrack also threw down his Creature Coin and a large bat appeared. While not exactly what he would have hoped for, the bat did manage to harass the temple guard he was fighting, even managing to bite him twice before tearing off the guard’s ear in a shocking, savage attack.
As the party began to make progress against the guards, they heard a powerful roar - a barbaric, blood-curdling shriek - erupt from the top of the ziggurat. Racing down the steps of the pyramid was a grotesquely muscular human wearing only a loincloth and brandishing a huge club. It was clear to everyone that this cretin posed a significant threat. Ur-Kadar managed to put down the first guard as the degenerate cultist reached the ground. The freak was obviously deranged and was foaming at the mouth. However, he remained aware of his surroundings and it was clear he was determined to destroy the heretics and false believers, i.e., the party. Ur-Kadar challenged the monstrosity to keep the brute from other party members. Those who were able focused their attacks on this enemy, in order to assist Ur-Kadar in bringing down the madman as soon as possible. The concentrated attacks were successful and the hulking behemoth eventually dropped, gurgling and choking on his own foul blood. With that, the rest of the cultists in the courtyard began to retreat, but were eliminated before they could reach the stairs of the ziggurat.
With a watchful eye on the top of the temple and the jungle surrounding them, the party took a brief rest to catch their breath and regroup. They climbed approximately 25’ of weathered and crumbling stone steps of obviously ancient make, and arrived at the top. There they found a stone slab that was slathered in brownish stains - clear evidence of the dried blood of untold numbers of unfortunate sacrificial victims. There was also a small structure atop the pyramid containing a winding staircase leading to the inky darkness of the horrid underground chambers waiting below. The group carefully descended a steep, angular staircase, the steps slick with an unknown blue slime. After treading a significant distance into the hellish confines of the dark temple, they entered a small 15’ x 15’ room. Syxia inspected the door and it appeared to her to be locked, but untrapped. She deftly picked the lock and proceeded into another room of equal size that opened into a hallway. The entire labyrinth seemed to be lit with sputtering torches, their weak flames giving off an acrid, greasy black smoke. As Syxia quietly opened the door, she thought she caught a glimpse of robed figures turning a corner to her left. The party proceeded along the subterranean catacombs very cautiously; they noted a hallway to the right that ended in a stout door banded with iron, as well as a hallway leading away to the left. Syxia went to inspect the door on the right. She did not find any traps, nor did the door appear to be locked. However, as she touched the door handle, the door exploded in a thunderous blast, pushing her back 5’ and dazing her. The injury was minor compared to the anger and embarrassment she felt after missing the trap. Luckily, she was the only one caught in the blast.
The party wandered around in the labyrinthian series of corridors and rooms of the underworld until they turned a corner and entered a large, round room with a small alcove approximately 5’ off the ground near the far side of the area. This entire area looked and felt as though it were awash in arcane light and energy – there was no doubt that some dark sorcery was at work. On the floor of the circular room appeared to be a series of arcane symbols; Luke recognized this to be a circle of protection. Standing inside the circle were two guards, two crimson-robed underpriests and several of the green robed acolytes. While the circle of protection aided their defenses, this group was easily outmatched by the group of heroes. A quick battle ensued, and while the villains did get the occasional shot in, the party dealt with the cultists in mere minutes. The room appeared to be an area of instruction, as its construction and layout allowed one or two people to oversee others working in this room. Given the amount of chalk and wax, as well as the alchemical and arcane supplies found in the alcove, this area was quite obviously used to instruct the faithful on the creation and maintenance of magic circles and gates to other planes, worlds or even dimensions.
The party then turned south and travelled down a short hallway that ended in a room with three prison cells. The first cell contained an Elf that looked to be near death; once she picked the lock, Syxia confirmed that the Elf was, in fact, recently deceased. The second cell contained a human prisoner that appeared to be in terrible shape. He was sitting in the cell, rocking back and forth and mumbling to himself. He did not appear to notice the party even as they stood in front of him. The final cell contained two men. The man in front appeared to be in a similar condition to the man in the second cell, but the man in back made eye contact with the party before standing and stumbling forward. He begged them to set him free. He stated that he just wanted to get out of the miserable place. The party asked him how he got there, who was holding him and the others, and for what dread purpose. He told them that his name was Delyd, but it took some time for him to remember. Delyd said that he was a sailor, and that all he can remember is that he was having a drink late one evening when he began to feel sick and made his way out of the stale beer dive in which he sought to drink away his sorrows. He woke up in this cell the next morning. He cursed those who were holding him, and stated that they were constantly subjecting him to vile tortures and wicked torments, all the while telling him that he was a false believer, but hinting that they could help him. He also reported that the Elf and the man in the other cell were here when he arrived, but the man in the cell with him arrived the day after he was captured. He said that he must have been drugged, and that he just wanted to get out of there. It was clear, however, that his mind remained in some sort of a fog, as if he were bewitched or glammered. The party convinced him that they were there to wipe out the evil, unholy sect, and that they would come back for him after they had dealt with the foul and loathsome worshippers of the temple.
The group slipped out of the prison room and completed a sweep of the entire level of the catacombs. During this time, they managed to encounter and destroy at least 10 more of the acolytes. They also encountered a series of rooms that apparently housed the brothers, as well as a small chapel area. With the level explored, they realized that they must have missed something, as the head priest they had seen atop the pyramid was nowhere to be found. They surmised that they must have missed a secret passageway located somewhere in the dungeons. They carefully retraced their steps, looking for something that they must have missed. After all of them failed to locate a secret passageway, they returned to the room with the prison cells. They asked Delyd if he had seen any of the brothers pass this way, and he said they frequently walked past his cell in large numbers. The group then made a quick search and found a secret door. Pushing open the hidden portal, the party saw a steep stone stairway leading further into the bowels of the underworld.
The party descended down into the second level of the catacombs, and soon found themselves in a small 20’ x 30’ room. The hallway outside the room led east and west. To the east, the hallway ended in the door. The party quickly headed west into an area of small chambers that looked to be living quarters. They encountered no cultists, and found that most of the rooms had sparse furnishings. There was also a long corridor north that led to yet another area that looked to be an area of worship and instruction. The group returned to the main passage and the door leading east. Syxia listened at the door and reported hearing a great deal of commotion on the other side. A number of the foul brothers had apparently decided to make a stand in the room beyond the door. Surprising them was not in the cards, but Syxia managed to disable the lock and the party braced for combat.
On the other side of the sturdy door was a room shaped like a pentagon with a well in the middle and a door on the far side. Inside the room were several acolytes, two guards, two underpriests and another one of the degenerate, hulking cultists. The party rushed into tactical position with Ur-Kadar unleashing his fiery dragon breath, Luke creating swarms of force daggers and Marik hurling the bolts of eldritch energy that trace their origins to the forbidden pact that makes the Warlock’s power possible. Jaeran seized the opportunity to Command the behemoth forward and into the well, but the brute managed to shrug off the powerful suggestion just before he plunged down the shaft of the narrow, rocky well. Syxia advanced, and flashed her vicious short sword and her equally wicked smile. Sensing the need to quickly dispatch the hulking monstrosity, Marik uttered one of his most powerful and fell curses and attempted to send the degenerate cultist down the well, but to no avail. While the thing was still down, Syxia plunged her merciless sword into him, but was unsuccessful in her attempt to use his own weight to force him down the shaft. Despite their focused attacks, the party was unsuccessful in quickly dispatching the cretin. With a majority of the party members close or closing in on him, the hulk let out a frightening, ear-blasting scream that was infused with dark necrotic power. Those unable to steel their will to it were dazed and suffered significant damage to their psyches. Despite the barbaric cry, the brute was by then outnumbered, and faced an onslaught from hammer, axe and sword – to say nothing of eldritch, arcane and divine magical powers. He eventually fell, his wheezing death-rattle the only sound echoing in the chamber, his fearsome body broken beneath the party’s combined blows, blood gushing from a dozen fatal wounds and pooling on the rough stone floor of the place. The room belonged to the heroes.
The party took a quick rest and then pressed on, sensing more danger ahead. A door led to a hallway that revealed several large rooms that appeared to be used for religious instruction in the unholy rites of the cultists. One room was found to be nicer than the rest, although it was certainly not extravagant. This area was strangely absent of defenders, and the party grew suspicious. A quick inspection revealed that the area led to a pair of reinforced iron doors. Syxia checked them and noted that they were locked. Sensing that the cultists intended to make a stand there, Barrack stood guard while the rest of the group searched the well-appointed room. They discovered a small, locked trunk. Dropping to her knees on what passed for a rug in the miserable dungeon, Syxia quickly inspected it and managed to free the lock. Inside were 600 gold coins, a scroll of Sending, a scroll of Magic Circle, and a magical dagger carved with runes of fire and flame – on command, the dagger was wreathed in flames. Also inside the locked box was a coded note that looked to be of some importance. Back at the door, Barrack heard a loud thump, followed by another. He called for the rest of the party to join him, which they did. Syxia was absolutely winded, and the girl was wounded, but they all knew that they must press on. While they thought there might be some difficulty getting in, it didn’t occur to them that something else might be trying to get out and at them – this would be par for the course for bubble-headed Syxia, but was unusual for an experienced fighting-man like Barrack. As the banging grew louder and more frequent, the party decided it was time to throw open the door and rush into the room. Jaeran called for a blessing from the heavens and the party received a divine blessing of protection.
As the doors swung inward, the party looked into a long room that was approximately 60’ x 25’ with a high, arching ceiling supported by six columns. Toward the back of a room was a raised dais overlooking a magic circle that was approximately 15’ in diameter. However, directly in front of the party was a foul denizen of the Abyss. Jaeran recognized the creature as an Abyssal Maw. The disgusting beast looked like a huge toothy mouth perched on a few stubby appendages. As these abyssal monstrosities lack ranged attacks, they usually rush into melee as soon as possible, where their gnashing teeth do the rest. As the lowliest, but most numerous, residents of the Abyss, they usually attack in waves with little thought. Their focus is on clamping onto their enemies and dragging them down with numbers. Once on the ground, they can devour a fallen enemy in mere seconds.
Realizing that they needed to get past the Abyssal Maw guarding the door so they could rush the room, Jaeran Commanded the brute back and dazed it. This allowed the party to advance into the room and observe their enemies. Standing on the dais, looking over the arcane gate, was the high priest the party originally observed standing on top of the ziggurat. He was wearing a black cape over magical robes with a flail tucked in his belt sash and a bone helmet rested on his head. To his left was a veteran guard who wore chain mail and a magical cloak and wielded a fearsome wingspear. To his right was a senior cult member dressed in crimson robes. Unlike the others, who were human, this one appeared to be a Tiefling.
As the group advanced, two demons appeared, and came through the gate. The first was another Abyssal Maw, while the second was something else the party had yet to encounter. Those skilled in the lore of demons and the planes recognized it as a Runespiral Demon. Sensing they needed to close the gate, Luke stayed back and began the appropriate magical countermeasures to close the gate. Ur-Kadar also stayed back to guard Luke, and engaged the first Abyssal Maw. Calling upon the power of his dark and nefarious pact, Marik unleashed the Hunger of Hadar, ensnaring the high priest and his guard in swirling blackness. Barrack charged to the right, around the guard and closed on the priest. The magical blackness caused by the Warlock caused the priest to retreat, but he quickly realized that it would continue to block his line of sight (in retrospect, this combination may have been the deciding measure in the pitched battle. For with Barrack upon him and Marik’s zone of blackness blocking his line of sight, the head priest was unable to attack Luke, who was diligently working to close the gate. Had the priest been able to hurl attacks at Luke from behind a wall of demons, the gate may never have been closed, and the heroes captured or slain. As it was, the battle was easily one of the toughest faced by the party).
With each passing minute, more demons appeared from the gate. Just as quickly as Ur-Kadar, Syxia Marik and Jaeran put one down, it seemed as though two more appeared. At one point, it appeared that their lines would be overrun and Luke would be attacked. The Tiefling priest and an Abyssal Maw were advancing and threatening to skirt around the engaged party members. Ur-Kadar’s mighty axe chopped through a Maw, Syxia’s wicked blade slashed wildly and Marik’s blasts ultimately pushed back the demonic advance. Just as the heroes believed the battle had shifted in their favor, a new demon appeared from the gate. The Runespiral Demon was the polar opposite of the Abyssal Maw, for it was small and blindingly fast. The demon literally turned into a tiny bolt of lightning and bounced throughout the room. While it drew attacks from the party members as it raced past, it seemed to gain speed as it shocked party members. However, given all the attacks it drew, it went down quickly, but it was a cause for real concern, as everyone felt that several of those at one time would be a handful.
Barrack continued hammering away on the high priest, but he was now being attacked from behind by the guard and from the side by two demons. He was forced to use both the healing powers from his armor and the potion he had carried with him from Dunwin. Syxia and Marik made progress and were getting closer to being able to help Barrack. Fingering his prayer beads, Jaeran uttered words of divine inspiration and healing in between making his divine attacks. Summoning a deep well of faith, he spoke into existence a mighty Spiritual Weapon, which aided Barrack in his battle against the evil priest. Ur-Kadar shook off an Abyssal Maw and chopped down the Tiefling priest, whose gory blood arced high into the air as the powerful Dragonborn’s axe broke itself free of his shattered chest and shoulder, with the additional effect of invigorating Ur-Kadar’s allies around him. The dwarf turned and with a powerful swing smashed the body of the high priest, who was also buffeted by the Spiritual Weapon; the villainous Cleric slumped dead at the iron-booted feet of the dwarven Fighter. Marik then dropped his sphere of darkness, allowing the others to advance. A momentary pause in the demon hordes appearing at the gate, thanks in part to Luke’s efforts, allowed the party to gain the upper hand.
Tightly-focused attacks dropped the guard (whose blood was streaming down his stricken face from the gaping red ruin in the side of his head that had been his ear, soaking into his surcoat and making his armor slick with blood), and the tide of the battle turned solidly in favor of the party. One last abyssal monster appears through the gate before Luke succeeded in closing it for good. The insect-looking creature had four arms and wielded a nasty trident. Jaeran recognized this as a Mezzodemon and warned his friends of its breath weapon. Despite the demon’s poison trident, and blasts of poison breath, the group succeeded in quickly dispatching it and finally ended the battle.
Luke, Jaeran and Marik busied themselves with identifying the magical items in the room after the heroes all took a brief respite. They found a Robe of Contingency +1, an Amulet of Resolution +1, a Frost Fail +1, a Skewering Trantyr +2 and a Cloak of Resistance +1 that was marked with stitching that read “E.T.” It took a minute for Luke to recognize the significance; his father’s initials are ET. With a bit of discussion, the items were handed out to their new owners, with the exception of the flail. It was decided that the flail would likely be traded in once the group returned to Inequity. With the battle won, the group headed back up to the first level of the dungeon to retrieve Delyd and the other two captives, all of whom were freed. The three men accompanied the companions back to town. Upon their return to Inequity, the party deciphered the note they found in the high priest’s trunk. It reads as follows:
Brother K,
Congratulations on your continued success. Your temple, like the others to the east, serves as a testament to our growing power and control. The knowledge of how to summon, bind and control the demons was the key finding and our growing mastery of the subject is our greatest asset. Our progress at the great Temple of Shar-Ngrond continues. The Temple has been restored and is beginning to swell with true believers. Our priests continue their work on restoring the gate and anticipate that it will be opened very soon. Upon breaking the seal and opening the portal, we will have completed two of the nine steps necessary to complete the transformation. With the opening of the final gate, we will open a massive rift in this accursed continent. The hordes from the abyss will wash over this place and cleanse it. As true believers we will be spared and when the demon swarms recede whence they came the Chosen Ones will remain to command what is left of this world. We, the true believers, will be all powerful and no one will stand in our way. In the east, we have recruited the sons of Yeenoghu to assist us. They believe we have the power to free him and in exchange they do our bidding. They will be useful allies in guarding our strongholds and finding the remaining places of power. In the west, I have enlisted the orc leader Gorshak to complete a quest for me. This mission is intended to keep Ithacar busy while we continue to expand our power. In exchange, we will assist them in defeating the remaining dwarves at Draig Durrok. The orcs have been besieging them for months but have yet to break down the gates on their remaining stronghold. We care not who wins, for they are just pawns in our rise to power.
Brother H
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