Game summary for November 15, 2007; present characters included Chuck Ahammer (shield dwarf master thrower/rogue/thunderthrower), Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Iapetus Hasur (hu-charad giant rogue/scout/vigilante), Lady Aridarye Phylund Brokengulf (human aristocrat/harbinger/ranger cohort), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).
After the encounter with the displacer beasts, the Mercenaries pressed on through the night to make up ground. They used lesser restoration to fight off fatigue and moved through the morning as well. Eventually, they spotted a ruined keep in the distance, with half a dozen winged humanoids flapping about. As the team moved closer, the creatures—gargoyles—beckoned them forward. Taravin spoke to the gargoyles, and they stated that Krathanos the Conqueror awaited a group of heroes to rescue him. Within a few moments, a massive titan emerged from the keep, his booming voice announcing himself as Krathanos.
The Mercenaries attempted to bargain with Krathanos for his belt. At first, he demanded they free him from Tilagos Island, but it soon became apparent they lacked the means. He showed them the head of a minotaur he had killed a few hours earlier. Then, he proposed the team trade Eolas and Taravin to him in return for the belt. They party considered the trade until it was made clear Krathanos intended to eat them. During their conversations, Krathanos behaved erratically and somewhat crazed. Aridarye hoped to secretly communicate with the gargoyles and began casting private conversation. The casting provoked a violent response from the gargoyles and the titan, and a fierce battle was joined.
Chuck and Syvarius found their hammers and arrows of little use against the armored and powerful titan, so they soon turned their attacks upon the gargoyles. As thrown hammers and streaking force arrows flew forth, the gargoyles began their own rain of terror, firing volley after volley upon the Mercenaries. Krathanos sprang forward and swung his massive adamantine hammer, shattering the blade of Eolas. Then, the titan blasted the team with a chain lightning. Iapetus began a system of strategic spring attacks against the titan, while Taravin charged and smited the brute. Aridarye and Morak assisted their allies with a series of enhancing spells. Meanwhile, Lyrin started testing the resistances of Krathanos with his combat spells.
The dozens of gargoyle-fired arrows and devastating strength of Krathanos rocked the Mercenaries back on their heels. Taravin went down under a furious pounding of hammer blows, only to be saved through a bit of divine luck and the healing prayers of Beardfist. More lightning ripped through the team, and several party members had to scatter to avoid the onslaught. Unarmed, Eolas turned to his duskblade spells and finally succeeded in enfeebling the titan. Chuck and Syvarius continued to trade injuries with the gargoyles, and Lyrin bought some time with a well-placed incendiary cloud. Taravin scrambled to relative safety while Aridarye began singing a discordant song of discouragement to distract and hamper her foes.
The tide of battle began to turn as Lyrin caught a trio of gargoyles in a raging inferno of evoked flames while Eolas did the same to another gargoyle and Krathanos. Morak was sent spiraling into an extradimensional maze, but his quick thinking led him almost immediately to the exit and a swift return. Taravin crawled about and found a bow to use from a gargoyle the archer and hammer-tosser had slain. With fight still in him, Krathanos stepped back and dispelled some of the protective magic from the party members. Morak tried to distract the titan with his magic while Eolas unleashed more fiery explosions. Suddenly, Krathanos toppled as Eolas’ fire burned through his body and boiled his brain. Overcome with the traumatic injury, the titan perished. As his body slammed into the earth, the gargoyles appeared to shake off some kind of compulsion and immediately wheeled about on the wing and flew off to parts unknown.
With the grueling battle finished, the Mercenaries collected the belt of Krathanos as well as his treasures. Morak used make whole to fix Eolas’ sword and then cast transition of arms to pull the magical power from one of the weapons they found into the Eolas’ blade. Although the magic was somewhat different, Eolas was back in business. The Mercenaries rested from the ordeal and prepared to set out the next day for another Trial of Tilagos.
Man, when I miss a game, I really really miss a game.