Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for April 17, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

After the previous encounter with the Kyuss chimeras, the team pressed on into the cave, following it down for about a mile. Eventually, it opened into a vast chamber holding a oozing lake of green slime. Viscous waterfalls of the stuff cascaded from up above, while the shore was lined with millions of green worms munching on the drying slime, their mandibles filling the air with a constant click-clack. In the middle of the lake stood a huge stone formation like a castle. Six natural pillars supported massive 70- to 80-foot long Kyuss worms gazing “blindly” about the cavern. A pair of massive doors could be reached by crossing a huge rock archway spanning the river.

Using their magical key and hat, the party transported themselves to the door. They discovered it appears to be made of stone, but it rippled with the undulations of thousands or more worms within. They attempted to tug on the door with telekinesis, which triggered some kind of summoning—a massive overworm appeared on the bridge and tried to eat Morak! The team tore into the vermin, and Beardfist tumbled back down to the bridge as the worm slide off into the slime and was dissolved.

The group began tinkering with the door, trying to discern its secrets. Repeatedly, overworms appeared on the bridge and sought to consume the party. Grim tried to hack through the door, dealing it a tremendous blow, but where the stone split, dozens of worms sprayed forth and burrowed into his flesh. He moved back and engaged the latest overworm and was slapped by a flailing tail sending him hurtling into the green slime below. Somehow, he managed to use his flying armor to extract himself, but not before a large amount of his equipment dissolved into nothingness.

The team triggered and fought seven of the overworms while Lyrin used a blade barrier to reduce the door to pulp. His cloudkill prevented the spraying worms from infesting the party. Meanwhile, Morak healed Grim of his damage and infestation. With the last overworm destroyed and the doors torn down, the party stands at the entrance to Kyuss’ most unhallowed temple. As the cloudkill drifts through the opening, what horrors will the team see revealed? Did anyone notice the half-dozen battles that took place on the front porch?

Game summary for April 10, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), and Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer).

Once in Longsaddle, the troupe went about re-equipping themselves with new magical weapons and charms. After a while, they arranged an audience with Malchor Harpell through his associate, Cymria. The Mercenaries summoned forth Balakarde and reunited him with his old ally, Malchor. The group discussed tactics and the implications of Lashonna’s involvement with the cult of Kyuss. Eventually they decided that killing Dragotha was still a priority and returned to the Wormcrawl Fissure near the Tabernacle of Worms.

The team crept forward in the oppressive darkness of the chasm and found themselves attacked by a gaggle of Kyuss chimeras. The four monsters tore into the Mercenaries and flung worms about, trying to infest them with the taint of the Wormgod. Syvarius wasted no time unleashing a hail of arrows upon the beasts, while Ranulph brought the fight in close. Lyrin and Morak released a barrage of spells, and Eolas strode into the midst of the undead to flail about with blade and spell. In short order, the creatures were cut down.

Continuing onward, the team found a faintly glowing cave opening with tracks of slithering creatures and chimeras all about. Standing in the opening, Lyrin began summoning forth a small army of elementals to assist in the assault; however, another gaggle of Kyuss chimeras came upon the group and attacked. Lyrin stopped his summoning and engaged the creatures along with his allies. Ranulph wasted no time getting into the fray, charging through the air with his fly effect to meet a chimera head-on. He, and the chimera, discovered milliseconds later that a chimera cannot easily stop during a sweeping dive. The two crashed into one another and felling into a heap on the ground.

Again, the Mercenaries brutally slaughtered the Kyuss spawn, leaving great rotting corpses of worm-writhing hide littering the ground. Ranulph suffered from a burrowing worm but was rescued by Morak. The worm was destroyed by yet another magic missile blast from Lyrin.

With the monsters destroyed, the team prepares once again to consider entering the cave. What causes the green glow? Can Lyrin summon an elemental platoon for assistance? Is Dragotha waiting?

Game summary for April 1, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

Trapped in the fortress with Thessalar and a polymorphed twelve-headed pyrohydra, Eolas found himself in dire trouble. Fortunately, his insanity was suppressed for a short time, allowing him to grab Mael’s corpse and dimension door to safety. Outside, Beardfist rained down healing through the power of Moradin, and Mael’s cloak of the phoenix restored him to life. Thessalar quickly pursued Eolas outside, a huge tactical error. Ranulph used his flying ability to charge the lich and press him viciously. Thessalar unleashed several more spells but could not stand against Ranulph and his allies.

With the lich destroyed, the team moved immediately into the fortress where Mael tried to consecrate a vat of bubbling, plasmic flesh. The result was the unstable material condensed and burst forth as a fully grown, deadly powerful thessalhydra. The aberration tore into Taravin, sending him spiraling into a bloody, poisoned death. With the paladin slain, Lyrin and Syvarius still petrified, and Eolas low on mana, the team was hard pressed by the powerful monster. It hissed and snapped and tore into brave Grim. The clerics unleashed divine prayers upon the beast, weakening it, but not laying it low. Finally, with his last ounce of energy, Eolas cast a powerful polar ray at the thessalhydra. The monstrosity froze and died beneath the power of the duskblade’s spell! As the beast shuddered into death, a white light shone forth and settled into Eolas’ blade—a second fragment of Balakarde’s soul!

Nursing terrible wounds, depleted of mana, and with two of their own petrified, the Mercenaries made camp within the now-empty fortress of the lich. After several hours of rest, divine prayers restored fleshy life to Lyrin and Syvarius. Using translocation magic, the Mercenaries went to the tower of the lillend to bargain for the statue of Balakarde. They presented her with the dust of the lich as proof of his destruction. They also offered her the powerful blade—Stalker—of their fallen ally, Iapetus. The lithe elven archer offered to craft a bow the likes of which the lillend had never seen. Indeed, his skillful hands flew lovingly across the wood and coaxed forth a work of perfect craftsmanship. His mighty bow was delivered to the delighted lillend. With all of their conditions met, and Ranulph set to serve the lillend for a year, starting in three weeks’ time, the statue was theirs.

Upon combining the purse, the statue, and the sword in a pile, the spirit of Balakarde reformed. The ghostly entity spoke telepathically into the minds of all the Mercenaries. He thanked them for restoring him and pledged his assistance in destroying Dragotha. The team told him what they had learned, and he blanched when they mentioned their service for Lashonna. He revealed that Lashonna was Kyuss’ high priestess and next in line of power behind Dragotha. She had betrayed him years before, sending him to kill Dragotha. When he failed, she was found out, and Dragotha drove her from the Writhing Sanctum.

With this new information, and some details regarding Dragotha’s defenses from Balakarde, the Mercenaries decided to translocate to Longsaddle and re-equip themselves. When they next see the dark depths of the Wormcrawl Fissure, they will be armed and ready to face one of the greatest evils to ever walk the earth, in his own fortress!

Game summary for March 25, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

Wasting little time, the Mercenaries set out in search of Thessalar, lich wizard and father of the thessalmonster. After a few hours travel, the troupe found a lake and used the folding boat to head out toward the lich’s tower. Following a short boat ride, the party got to the cliff leading up to Thessalar’s keep and used flight and dimension door to arrive on his doorstep. The party was confronted with a thick-walled stone keep with a closed double portcullis. Using a grapnel, the team scaled the outer walls and moved along the parapets to avoid a stasis field in the courtyard noticed by Mael’s arcane sight. Along the wall, Mael discovered a staggering array of magical traps laid out with the murderous tenacity of an undying lich with nothing but time to ward his domain. Apparently, Thessalar is a firm believer in overkill.

Rather than meticulous defeat the dozens of traps, Mael attempted to dispel the stasis field, with success. Syvarius was lowered down on a rope and started searching for traps. Apparently, the stasis field originated from an item, not a spell, because it soon flickered back into existence. Syvarius’ presence within triggered the effect, causing four stasis-held thessalmonsters to appear—two thessalhydras, a thessalisk, and a thessalnaga! Syvarius succeeded in avoiding the petrifying gaze of the thessalisk and fled back up the rope to his allies. The first thessalhydra moved forward and launched a glob of acid spittle into the midst of the Mercenaries, damaging them and destroying several of Mael’s items.

Meanwhile, the thessalnaga warded itself with greater invisibility and started moving into better position. In order to buy time, the quick-thinking Lyrin separated the thessalmonsters with a prismatic wall. The team started hammering away at the thessalhydra, including a diving attack from Grim and a feather fall-assisted advance from Taravin. Lyrin turned the creature to dust with a disintegrate and dismissed his prismatic wall.

As the wall flickered out of existence, the skeletal form of Thessalar—his steel snake-crown firmly on his head—was seen across the courtyard above the doors on the parapet. Apparently, he had emerged from the open doorway behind him. The lich wasted no time hurling spells at those who hurt his thessalmonsters. He attempted a disintegrate of his own, with much less spectacular results. The thessalisk whipped its pincer tail through the air and scissored Grim’s left arm off above the elbow. A flurry of attacks from spells, bow, and blade soon cut down the thessalmonsters; however, dealing with the creatures bought the lich more time to hammer the team with his fell magic. Lyrin, flying a few feet in the air succumbed to a flesh to stone spell and toppled to the ground.

Grim and Taravin, using the skeleton key, appeared behind the lich and triggered some of the parapet wards. Grim was scoured with energy, while Taravin was dimensionally shifted out over the water and slowly drifted (thanks to feather fall) toward the lake. One-armed Grim attempted to grapple with lich, but discovered it to be no more than an image. Unfortunately, he was caught by a maze and sent into the labyrinth. Mael dispelled the illusion lich, Ranulph flew up to the open doorway, and Taravin used the skeleton key to return to the area where he triggered the ward. A blast of colorful rays, a dreaded prismatic spray, rippled out of the doorway and engulfed Taravin and Ranulph. It had no effect upon the paladin, but the hellreaver caught the full effect of a green ray and died in poisoned agony. A second maze sent Taravin into a labyrinth as well.

Moving quickly, Eolas grabbed Syvarius and Mael and used a series of dimension doors to end up within the keep. They discovered the second floor they could see through the open doorway was an illusion and the actual floor was twenty-five feet down. As they plunged to the stone floor, they saw Thessalar flying above, startled by their appearance. They could see a blade barrier flash into place across the doorway as they entered the room; fortunately, their magic by-passed the danger zone entirely. Somehow, the three just missed the edge of a huge bubbling vat of swirling, fleshy stew. The effect of landing in the protoplasm would have no doubt been disastrous!

With three foes in his sanctuary, Thessalar went on a real offensive. He hit the trio with a slow spell and followed it with another prismatic spray. Eolas became confused from an insanity effect, Mael was struck dead by a poisonous green ray, and the swirling colors left Syvarius a petrified statue. Eolas retaliated with a polar ray, but the spell slid off of Thessalar like water. The snarling lich countered with a ray of enfeeblement, which missed Eolas. It then turned Syvarius the rock into pyrohydra the hungry. The hydra attacked Eolas, who began babbling in his insanity, and Thessalar moved to the corner to let his monster do its work.

Meanwhile, Beardfist removed any traces of poison from Ranulph, and the cloak of the phoenix spell Morak had cast earlier brought the slain hellreaver back to life. Now, two allies are outside moving toward the opening (with an unknown blade barrier behind an illusion!), and two more Mercenaries desperately seek escape from their mazes. Any moment, Mael will be raised by his cloak of the phoenix as well. Can the confused Eolas survive long enough for his allies to arrive? Will the return of several supposedly vanquished foes give the Mercenaries the edge they need to bring down the archlich?

Game summary for March 18, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

The Mercenaries wasted no time pursuing poor snatched Grim up the cavern. Taravin led the charge and found another mindkiller scorpion and a massive ulgurstasta awaiting. A vicious battle erupted as the rest of the party worked their way up the cliff, and the scorpion holding Grim scuttled off down a side chasm. The second scorpion stung Taravin and snatched Syvarius in its pincer, but he slipped free. Eolas hammered away at the scorpion with polar ray, while Mael and Morak used mass heal offensively. Taravin engaged the scorpion in melee while Ranulph attacked the ulgurstasta. Syvarius ripped a volley of stinging arrows into the ulgurstasta’s slimy hide.

Using disintegrate, Lyrin eliminated the mindkiller scorpion. Morak dropped a flame strike and searing light on the ulgurstasta. The writhing worm hit the team with a horrid wilting and a mind fog. It attempted to hold Eolas, but he shrugged off the effects. His retaliatory polar ray rippled off the ulgurstasta with no effect. Taravin charged the worm while Ranulph continued his attack. Soon, Lyrin was in position to unleash a sunburst, which blasted the ulgurstasta into pieces.

The team searched the area and found a comatose Grim lying under the rotting remains of a mindkiller scorpion, its animating magic shattered. The ulgurstasta’s treasure horde gleamed with gold and gems and not a few magic items. Lyrin also discovered the source of his compulsion, a fragment of Balakarde’s soul imprinted upon an everfull purse. After finding this, Lyrin was able to sense a similar pull in another direction, which the team followed.

After a few hours of travel, the party ascended to a plateau via wind walk and approached a massive claw-like tower. Beautiful stained-glass windows surrounded the upper floors, and Lyrin’s tug seemed to originate from within. A pull chord hung beside a pair of crystalline doors. When pulled, the chord caused a horrendous scream to echo through the tower. The party pulled the chord again. After the second scream, a series of clicks and thumps resounded from the doors, and they swung open with a creak. Standing within was a exotically gorgeous lillend drinking a fine wine. She spoke with the Mercenaries at length and agreed to let Ranulph and Lyrin inside. They located a statue of Balakarde, and after accepting a geas, Lyrin was allowed to touch it. As he suspected, another shard of Balakarde’s spirit is tied to it.

After reuniting with the Mercenaries, the group spoke to the lillend about payment for the statue. She proffered four tasks or payments. She requested they kill an annoying lich, Thessalar. Second, she wished they make her some artistic creation that is impressive, even to her (a consummate artiste). Third, she requires valuable magic items of interest to her. Finally, she requires the service of Ranulph as a servant and guardian for a period of one full year, starting in three weeks time. Unsure, the group debated ideas and decided to rest on her stoop. The lillend invited Ranulph to spend the evening in the tower with her, which he accepted.

The next day, the lillend and Ranulph emerged, and she provided the team with a map to Thessalar’s fortress. Will the Mercenaries accept the terms to acquire the statue from the quirky outsider? What repercussions, if any, will Ranulph face for his illicit tryst? Is Thessalar as daunting as legends say?

Game summary for March 11, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

After the brutal battle with Prendergast’s assault team, the party gathered their dead and regrouped. Grim was successfully recalled from the dead, but Iapetus, Chuck, and Aridarye were stripped of their possessions and left on the cold hard ground to rot. Before long, the group encountered a cleric and hellreaver also intent on stopping the Age of Worms and joined forces. After some debate, the new Mercenaries set out to follow Lyrin’s tugging sensation along the canyon wall. After a few hours of travel, they came upon a series of waterfalls and a broad, shallow lake deep within the chasm. Their attempt of crossing with a folding boat failed due to the shallowness of the water.

The team skirted the lake and eventually found a crossable river they could use their limited flying magic to hop across. They again veered in the direction of Lyrin’s vision tug. After a long hike down, down, down into the dark bleak domain, they came upon a cave. Mael recoginized the floor as an illusion covering a deep dark chasm. Morak unleashed a wind walk, and the group advanced into the caves. The Mercenaries disrupted a writhing mass of centipedes ranged from 30 to 40 feet in length, which skittered after the cloudy party. Meanwhile, a flaming sigil appeared and flashed, unleashing deadly magic at Mael, but he shrugged off the effects. The party back-pedaled into a side chamber, and Morak dismissed the wind walk while the centipedes scurried toward them. Lyrin, using his own flying abilities, backtracked down the cave-chasm to unleash spells from a different angle.

In moments, scuttling legs and gnashing mandibles met stinging steel and scorching magic. The fighting became hurried and brutal. From the side cavern the Mercenaries retreated into, another scuttling arose. A massive black-carapace scorpion dripping green worms scurried into sight, its three stingers whipping about furiously. Syvarius felt an intrusion into his mind as the thing appeared but shook it off. Grim rushed to meet the new threat head-on and found his mind shredded by some fell power around the scorpion. The frenzied dwarf stood his ground and hacked away at the beast, but in short order, his mental faculties ruptured, sending him into a catatonic vegetative state. He hit the ground with a “thump!”, and the scorpion snatched him up in a claw and fled.

While this was going on in the back, the fight was brought to the centipedes with a vengeance. Syvarius’ arrows whistled out, stinging with their anti-undead magic. Spells of sunlight, cold, and lightning illuminated the caves with the first light to ever grace the walls. Centipedes writhed, squirmed, burned, and died. The priests channeled positive energy into twitching bodies, and the paladins rushed to Grim’s aid. The fierce fighting finally resulted in the slaughter of the centipedes, but the scorpion hurtled up a vertical shaft, leaving the Mercenaries in its wake. The team could do nothing but watch in horror as a limply-flopping Grim disappeared into the darkness in the clutches of the insanity-causing monster. With no time to spare, the Mercenaries rushed to the shaft and prepared to ascend. Will they reach Grim and save him? What will happen to the dwarf if they are not in time? Is the scorpion retreating or leading the party into the midst of a hive swarming with the creatures?

Game summary for March 4, 2008; present characters included Chuck Ahammer (shield dwarf master thrower/rogue/thunderthrower), Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), 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), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

The Mercenaries spent some time requipping themselves in Longsaddle and taking an audience with Malchor Harpell. They told him what had transpired, and he asked them their plans should Kyuss’ prison be found with Dragotha. The Mercenaries had no answer for that situation but decided to take the fight to Dragotha anyway. They used a sending to speak with Lashonna who urged haste in confronting the dracolich before he could build a new phylactery. Morak used discern location to pinpoint Dragotha and confirm he was within the Wormcrawl Fissure. The team whisked themselves via magic to the Fissure and set off within.

The downward sloping fissure proved to be a very wide chasm cloaked in mist so thick the sunlight could not reach the bottom. Within the fissure, Lyrin experienced a vision of Balakarde being tortured and rotting away into a pile of worms. Thereafter, a steady tug pulls Lyrin one direction, while Morak’s find the path leads another toward Dragotha’s Writhing Sanctum. While discussing which way to go, a dry, deep voice snarled out, “This is the last place you should have come, lover.”

The party spun about to find the green-flame eyes of Prendergast Brokengulf staring balefully upon Aridarye. Beside him stood a worm-draped wormcaller, and the writhing true form of Gazzilfek. Much to the Mercenaries’ surprise, a very much undead Filge stood behind Prendergast, black necromantic flames whipping around his body. Within a heartbeat, Filge sent waves of necromancy across the party, spiraling everyone into exhaustion. He then caused a plague to erupt, weakening and blinding several. Prendergast lunged forward, slashing a wickedly serrated dire blade and hacked into his lovely wife. With a grin of malice, Prendergast swept Aridarye’s head from her shoulders. Meanwhile, Gazzilfek moved up and slashed into Lyrin while the wormcaller walked into the air and sent a barrage of darkness rays down upon Beardfist.

The party attempted to scatter and take some defensive positions but found themselves hard pressed. Grim came roaring into the forefront, and quick-thinking Chuck hurled Lyrin to safety and then hid from the attackers. Iapetus, blinded by disease, charged into the melee, swinging wildly. Lyrin began a steady barrage of magical attacks, and Taravin started engaging the foes about him. Filge sent life-sapping magic down upon Morak, stripping him of the ability to cast the majority of his spells. Only through his fast-thinking use of a wand of restoration allowed him to stay in the fight.

The battle started to turn in favor of the Mercenaries, with the undead trying vainly to slaughter Grim in his tracks. Both the dwarven battlerager and the party paladin put pressure on Filge, forcing him to unleash a deadly keening wail. So horrid was the sound, that it stopped cold the hearts of both Chuck and Iapetus, who collapsed in heaps. Lyrin harnessed the power of sunlight and eradicated Gazzilfek, Filge, and the wormcaller, leaving only the blackclad death knight, Prendergast, standing. He took a desperate charge at Beardfist and pressured him with his attacks. Grim attempted to lay him low but found his charge met and countered. Knowing he could not penetrate the death knight’s tremendous armor, Taravin moved in and channeled his divine power into the undead madman. Green flame spewed from the death knight’s eyes, and he exploded in a conflagration of emerald abyssal fire. As the fires died out, the translucent form of Prendergast, still armed and armored, glowered at Taravin and faded into nothingness. With the last foe vanquished, Grim came out of his frenzy and succumbed to the staggering damage he had received.

With four of their own slaughtered within the first hour of entering the Wormcrawl Fissure, the Mercenaries find themselves questioning again what they are doing here. How many more such minions can Dragotha throw at them, and how terrible must the dracolich be if such powerful undead are at his beck and call? Looming like a spectre over the thoughts of the vicious red dracolich hangs the possibility that Kyuss himself waits somewhere deep in the dark of the Fissure.

Game summary for February 26, 2008; present characters included Carn Fodelfex (whisper gnome cleric), Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), Iapetus Hasur (hu-charad giant rogue/scout/vigilante), Lady Aridarye Phylund Brokengulf (human aristocrat/harbinger/ranger cohort), Lyrin Sinbal (simian incantatrix/ring sage/warmage), and Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer).

The Mercenaries were able to rest within the Citadel, and move toward the vault room, enhancing their abilities with spells as they went. Aridarye used her ring of telekinesis to insert both vault keys in the doors, but she could not turn both at once. With the looming “undead” giants on either side of the door, Grim and Iapetus sprinted for the doors in an effort to turn the keys at the same time. Both skid to a halt as a ghostly figure of a boy appeared, his fingers long and clawed, and his head lolling to one side on his broken neck. The spirit, Alastor Land, called out to Lyrin and told him how both were descendants of ancient guardians the Djinn had set to protect the Whispering Cairn. Alastor helped Lyrin delve into the memories of his ancestors and awaken the ritual of opening. As Alastor faded back into the netherworld, Lyrin began chanting in Druidic, and the party helped him fling the doors wide.

Within the vault rose a platform adorned with a large draconic statue. Resting inside the dragon’s exposed ribcage lie a glowing ruby orb—Dragotha’s phylactery! Immediately, Grim flew across the room to chop at it with his axe while Lyrin battered it with spells. Nothing seemed to harm the stone, and when spells slammed into its shimmering facets, smoke poured from the eyes of the statue. Iapetus examined the statue and found no traps, but he warned the party that the sharp ribs of the statue would be the perfect place to put a trap he may not have discovered. As the team began puzzling over the phylactery, the room began to quake, and a large crack ripped across the floor. Suddenly, light spilled through as a third of the room plunged into the gorge below, riding atop a mudslide. Dust filled the air, which was quickly driven back into the room. The Mercenaries caught sight of a massive dragon winging its way up to the opening just as its horrendous, burning breath filled the room.

The dragon filled part of the room with a mind fog, which destroyed Syvarius’ ability to resist mental influence, and he found himself magically compelled to stay within the room for the next 15 hours. Grim flew out of the vault and assaulted the dragon, only to find himself driven insane by the dragon’s magic. Lyrin, noticing Gazzilfek moving into the room, surrounded the spriggan with a blade barrier. Eolas peppered the dragon with alternating dispel magic and polar ray effects, with tremendous results. Aridarye tried repeatedly to pull the phylactery to her with telekinesis, to no avail. To protect the gem, Lyrin surrounded it with curtain after curtain of blade barriers.

With the insane Grim flying about haphazardly outside, and Syvarius’ arrows only landing a few true strikes, Iapetus felt he alone could bring the fight right to the dragon. With no thought of his own safety, he quaffed a potion of flying and hurtled toward the dragon. His early assault did little, but he pressed the wyrm every time it cast. The dragon unleashed a mass suggestion, which caused Syvarius to cluck like a chicken continually; fortunately, Eolas and Carn avoided the compulsion. The massive winged lizard failed to drive Carn insane and continued to suffer under the arrows of Syvarius, the spells of Eolas, and the biting blade of Iapetus’ legendary Striker.

Eolas, the elven duskblade, successfully stripped the magical defenses from the dragon, leaving it vulnerable to the party’s assault. Brave Iapetus, still battling toe-to-toe (or wing-to-fly, as it were) with the dragon, grabbed the monster (suffering a horrible bite in the process) and pulled himself up astride its neck. With a grunt of effort, the giant vigilante drove Stalker deep into the neck of the dragon, spraying blood high into the air and eliciting a ground shaking roar of rage. With its head thrown back in agony, Eolas saw his opening. His rapid elven magic flowed from his fingers, striking the wyrm in its neck with double polar rays. So precise were the strikes, that part of the dragon’s throat froze and burst, spraying flaming gore and blood into the air. Iapetus lithely leaped away as the carcass plunged into the gorge, thousands of pounds of dragon all but exploding upon impact, spraying gore and entrails hundreds of feet.

Soon, Carn was able to recover Grim, while Aridarye pulled the phylactery from the remains of the statue battered apart by the blade barriers. Gazzilfek made his move, trying to invisibly grab the phylactery. Carn used invisibility purge to reveal the spriggan and darted toward the gemstone himself. Carn took a painful stab from the giant’s sword, but he was able to greater teleport with the phylactery to Waterdeep. As invisibility settled back over Gazzilfek, Iapetus (whose gaze could pierce the shrouding magic) caught a glimpse of the spriggan’s true form—a rotting corpse writhing with green worms. Gazzilfek snarled and disappeared with a tip of his hat.

Grim gathered a fortune in gems and items from the dragon corpse, while the party found a hidden cache of treasure in the vault. Using a sending from a ring found on the dragon, Lyrin called Carn back. Lyrin unleashed a disintegrate, and unprotected by the statue, the phylactery cracked into dust. A dark spirit rushed from the phylactery and darted past the party deeper into the gorge. The gnome then whisked the party away to Longsaddle, home of the loony Harpell family. What course shall Malchor steer the Mercenaries to now? With the phylactery destroyed, can Kyuss’ general be eliminated once and for all?

Game summary for February 19, 2008; present characters included Chuck Ahammer (shield dwarf master thrower/rogue/thunderthrower), Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), 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).

The fire giants in the guardroom engaged the Mercenaries immediately, and Grim chopped one down in a moment, terrifying another. The third giant, an arcane caster, empowered a fireball and blasted a large number of the party; however, the team weathered the flames well. The giants fell back further into the room to force the Mercenaries to come to them. Meanwhile, a blast of smoke filled part of the hallway, and Kagro Thundersmiter and another of the Tiamikal Nul-Shada sergeants appeared from nowhere.

Several of the Mercenaries used ranged attacks to bring down the spellguard giant, and Iapetus moved in to engage the remaining sergeant in the room. Grim stepped up to Kagro and found him defended by displacement. Kagro injured Aridarye and brutalized Grim. The frenzied dwarf somehow remained on his feet. Eolas dispelled the displacement from the Heartkeeper, allowing Syvarius and Grim to land a series of solid blows that dropped the fire giant. Soon thereafter, the party mopped up the remaining giants and looted their corpses. Taravin dragged them all into the guardroom and blessed them on their way into the netherworld.

With Kagro’s vault keys in hand, Morak led the team into the bowels of the Citadel in search of the phylactery vault. After a moderate descent, the Mercenaries found a large room, hallway, and stairwell outside of a shrine to Bhaal. Within the shrine writhed a six-armed marilith demon! She immediately conjured blade barriers into the room, but Eolas dispelled them with ease. The archers discovered the visible marilith was an illusion, and Lyrin deduced she had to actually be in the room with them. Taravin used detect evil to locate the marilith, in the form of a spider, hiding on the ceiling. Meanwhile, Iapetus slipped down the stairway and found the vault doors flanked by massive, standing, giant corpses.

The Mercenaries traded spells with the demon for some time. Soon, blade barriers whirled all about the chamber, and charring blasts of conjured flame ripped back and forth through the area. Grim bashed open a closed door and charged in after a frost giant within. The giant dispatched Grim with a maze spell and fled by using the spell upon himself as other party members moved into the room. Meanwhile, Morak dealt a killing blow to the marilith with his conjured flames. The group quickly surrounded the location vacated by the frost giant, but he never returned.

Battered and low on mana, the Mercenaries decide to make camp in the dungeon level before moving on to the vault. Do any defenders remain in the Citadel to drive them out during the night? Can the Mercenaries open the vault doors, and what riches or horrors lie beyond? What have the hordes of dragons been up to while the team has spent days inside the Citadel?

Game summary for February 12, 2008; present characters included Chuck Ahammer (shield dwarf master thrower/rogue/thunderthrower), Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), 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), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

The Mercenaries, inside the front gates of the Citadel of Weeping Dragons, discover secret doors in the entrance hall thanks to Iapetus’ helm. Sneaky Chuck and Iapetus slip through and begin exploring quietly. Two routes outside are discovered along with two ways up higher into the Citadel. Chuck ascends a ladder into a ruined barracks and finds himself outside on one of the walls on the third floor. While investigating the garbage shoot, a blue dragon lands on the barracks and begins rummaging through for missed treasure. As quietly as possible, Chuck makes a break for the ladder and uses feather fall to plummet down to safety. The dragon, noticing him at the last moment, crashes into the building and blasts lightning down the ladder shaft, just missing Chuck as he nimbly rolls to safety at the bottom. He casually remarks to his allies that a dragon is up top.

The team tries the other route up and finds a hallway with several doors. Listening against one, they hear a rustling chain. Chuck and Grim fling open the doors to find a fire giant and a twelve-headed pyrohydra waiting within. Grim wastes no time laying into the hydra, but its remarkable regenerative powers heal the worst of the injuries in moments. All twelve heads unleash a blast of scorching flame that badly wounds several in the party. Iapetus slips in trying to flank the hydra, while the remaining Mercenaries slide into the room and jockey for position. The fire giant clips Iapetus with a spear and draws forth flaming axes, ready to do battle. The spellcasters unleash cold upon the monsters, and Grim manages to slay the hydra. The fire giant tears into Iapetus but is nearly cut in twain when Taravin charges and smites with the authority of Kelemvor. Following the battle, Grim’s bloodlust overwhelmed him, and he killed Lyrin before calming down.

With no means to recover Lyrin, the party begins discussing plans. The dead giant’s corpse was quickly looted and the room secured. After a time, a knock comes at the locked door and a giant shouts for “Bram”. Iapetus (a giant himself) yells back that everything is fine, while Taravin rattles the hydra’s chain. The giant bought the lie and left. The Mercenaries set up watch and allow Morak to recover his spells and pray for raise dead and discern location. With Lyrin restored, the party presses on.

Morak leads the team up another level in search of the chamber of the Heartkeeper, where the other vault key lies. In a trophy room, a ceiling door is found way above the group’s heads. Before going through, the team moves about to secure all the other exits. The northern door opens, and a group of mail-clad giants comes pouring through. Will the Citadel’s defenders get to even the score with the murderous home-invaders? What have the dragons done in all the time the Mercenaries have spent inside?