Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for May 13, 2008; present characters included Eolas Windmaster (moon elf duskblade), 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), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), and Syvarius Strongbow (moon elf archer-ranger/peerless archer).

With backsides still smarting from the rump-stomping the wormdrake delivered, the Mercenaries seemed reluctant to return. They took their time debating what equipment, if any, to buy and where to return within the temple of Kyuss. Lyrin used the time to enchant himself with permanent arcane sight. Five potions and a scroll were also picked up to bolster the arsenal against the dragon. The Mercenaries spent some time buffing themselves with magic spells and teleported back into the room with the mysterious green cage. Lyrin created numerous everburning coins for Mael, and the troop headed back into the lair of the wormdrake.

The party crept along the ledge while the wormdrake, from above, dispelled protection after protection. Finally, the party was split up into three groups—folks on the outer ledge, folks on the main ledge, and folks on the window ledge. The wormdrake summoned a trio of worms onto the window ledge to engage Eolas, Morak, and Lyrin. Eolas blasted a purple worm apart with a mighty flurry. Lyrin was attacked by a frost worm but protected himself by securing himself behind a prismatic sphere. The worm was petrified, but Lyrin decided to play it safe and stayed within. Meanwhile, Morak slew the other frost worm, causing a powerful explosion of frozen entrails and gore.

Then, the wormdrake dropped into view, its terrifying countenance shaking several of the Mercenaries. The hovering beast began biting and slapping Mael, isolated on the outer ledge. Ranulph and Saedd used flight to close in on the dragon and started hacking away, Saedd with a silver weapon. The wormdrake sucked in its breath and blasted out thousands of Kyuss worms over Mael. The cleric was eaten alive by the creatures, which tore through his eyes and into his brain. In a moment, his screams abruptly ended, and a grinning, wormspawn, Mael turned toward the party.

Can the divided Mercenaries focus enough power on the dragon to bring it down? What role will Mael play in the next few moments? Can the Mercenaries stand their ground against a slavering wormdrake and a full-fledged cleric at the same time?

Game summary for May 6, 2008; present characters included 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), Saedd West (human fighter/pious templar/wormhunter), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

Within the cage chamber, the team discovers Saedd West, a wormhunter seeking to destroy Kyuss. They team up with him and proceed through a secret door leading toward the Writhing Sanctum (based upon Morak’s find the path). Behind the secret door, a spiraling stone ledge descended into the darkness. The chamber, massive in size, revealed layer after layer of ledges and outcroppings, making plenty of places for enemies to lurk. Taravin discovered an illusory section of walkway and fell to a ledge below. His allies quickly joined him.

On the ledge, a purple worm and three frost worms appeared from nothingness and attacked. The frost worms breathed blasts of cold, and all bite with gnashing teeth. Soon, a massive green wormdrake dropped from above to hover next to the ledge. The horrific eyeless monstrosity unleashed a breath of freezing acid that killed both Mael and Morak instantly. It also attempted some spell-like abilities that were shrugged off by the party.

Meanwhile, Ranulph, Taravin, and Saedd began slaying the worms. To their surprise, the frost worms exploded in shards of ice and bone when killed, injuring everyone even more. Then, Ranulph found the wormdrake breathing a line of thousands of Kyuss worms at him. Somehow, the agile flying man dodged the blast all together! The team, realizing their severe tactical disadvantage, scooped up their dead and used the greater skeleton key to flee to Longsaddle.

In Longsaddle, the Mercenaries received the attentions of Agath Harpell, who restored Mael and Morak to life. Saedd quickly headed to the market and purchased half a dozen potions while Taravin bought some winged boots. Lyrin headed off to the library to research the wormdrake, and the team now prepares to face the fearsome beast again. What supplies will they gather? Will it be enough? If Dragotha’s pet is so deadly, how terrible is the lichlord dragon himself?

Game summary for May 1, 2008; present characters included 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), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

After assessing their remaining mana and stamina, the Mercenaries decided to attempt an 8-hour rest in the southern corner of the temple of Kyuss. Lyrin, Morak, and Mael stripped out of their armor and laid down to rest while Grim, Ranulph, and Taravin made a defensive ring to protect them. Within thirty minutes, a half-dozen strong avolakia death squad assaulted the group.

The wormspawn opened with a series of curses and crippling waves along with blessings and prayers for themselves and allies. Bolts of wicked flame and columns of unholy fire rained down on the Mercenaries, rousing the casters from sleep. A brutal onslaught rocked the Mercenaries back on their heels, and Lyrin bought some time with a blade barrier. Although the whirling steel kept the monsters a distance away, they still unleashed divine magic at their leisure. Blindness afflicted several Mercenaries, fell curses in response to the Kyuss priests’ prayers. Two of the avolakias were laid low, but the other four kept up a relentless stream of deadly evil magic.

The Mercenaries tried to further ward themselves, but the avolakias hamstrung the efforts with a barrage of dispel magic effects. With their melee fighters separated from the wormspawn and casters very low on mana or stumbling around blind, the team felt a tactical withdrawal was necessary. Taravin whipped out his greater skeleton key, but he could only take himself and four of his five allies. Frenzied Grim was selected as the “man behind” and left to fend for himself. The Mercenaries teleported a half-mile away and quickly took cover. Meanwhile, the avolakias held Grim and blasted him with curses and mindworms until his went comatose.

The Mercenaries hid themselves in a hole in the cavern and recovered their strength. Wasting no more time, they returned to the temple to find no sign of Grim or the avolakias. They slipped down a stairwell and found a pair of worm doors. Using blade barrier again, Lyrin slashed his way into a large room overlooking a cavern. A deep whole spewed forth green mist, and a twisting cage hung above. Where does the hole lead? What horrors creep in the dank, dark cavern?

Game summary for April 24, 2008; present characters included Grim Firestorm (shield dwarf barbarian/battlerager/frenzied berserker/warmain), Mael Gabrian (human cleric), Morak Beardfist (shield dwarf fighter/rage cleric), Ranulph Wathbater (human berserker/fighter/hellreaver/paladin of freedom/rogue), and Taravin Truesilver (human gray guard/paladin of honor/pious templar).

With the door to the temple of Kyuss destroyed, the team followed in behind the cloudkill. Within, they discovered a vaulted ceiling supported by pillars and a large fountain of thin green slime. Broad stairs lead down in one direction, and a worm-like door leads the opposite way. With a brief flash, several niches along the walls disgorged half a dozen loyal minions of Kyuss—a disciple, two dark ladies, an advanced wormcaller, an advanced sword of Kyuss, and a disgusting avolakia priest. The creatures wasted no time before trying to defend the temple.

A dark curse was laid across the party, weakening their abilities. This was followed with evil, sinister prayers to the dark wormgod, which granted a boon for the cultists but further diminished the heroes. With their curses laid and protective charms invoked, the battle was joined. Ranulph bravely charged into the fray and drew the attention of the sword of Kyuss and one of the dark ladies. Together they dealt grievous wounds to the brave warrior, but the power of Mael kept his injuries from being fatal. Grim grappled the wormcaller and pinned the monster to the ground. Morak called upon the power of Moradin to aid his allies, while Taravin put pressure on the disciple and other dark lady.

The avolakia and disciple did what the could to destroy Mael but were ineffective. Ranulph succeeded in chopping down the dark lady and sword of Kyuss. Spells and determination eliminated the wormcaller tangled with Grim. Finally, the remaining foes found themselves outclassed and overrun. The heroes made short work of them, finally burning up the avolakia for its wounds kept regenerating.

After the skirmish, Grim snatched up several items to replace the gear he lost to the green slime minutes earlier. Prayers were invoked, granting healing to injured Mercenaries. Now the team, already short on mana, must choose a direction. What other horrors of Kyuss lie within the temple? Can the team reach Dragotha, and will they have the strength to slay the great undead wyrm when they get there?

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?