(As reported by the roaming reporter, EarTell)Note from the Editor: Fresh from our roaming reporter in the field! You can't beat this late breaking action. Read on!
More on V'Tar and Associates: The Aftermath!
- After dispatching the giant snakes, V'Tar and Associates spent a moderate
- amount of time patching up wounds, cleaning slimy stuff off the dwarf (whose
- most recent exploits included cutting through eight feet of the giant snake
- that fell on him after Xenos killed it), and arguing about which way to
- proceed.
Scouting Ahead
- Finally, Xenos boldly started to explore the cavern ahead (since the only
- known exit from the hill was blocked by thousands of angry ants). After
- wandering past numerous hideous, blasphemous, and disgusting pictures of
- dead gods and reptillian horrors, the hall opened into a huge hall of bones.
- Xenos wisely chose to mark this spot with his light and head back to warn
- the others--who by this time had figured out their marching order and were
- only about 200 feet behind their "scout".
The Hall of Bones!
- After surveying the situation, bold V'Tar and fearless Flintmore strode into
- the middle of the room of bones. Just as the others were beginning to think
- it safe to proceed, bones began piling up against the doorway--forming a
- wall more than a foot thick!. At the same time, skeletal arms began
- attacking the brave twosome who had ventured to explore the room...
- At nearly the same time, V'Tar and Flintmore dispatched the last of the
- horrors and Skylar found a way to circumvent the wall of bones. Suddenly,
- there was a hideous cackling and a flying, flaming, talking skull came
- floating down from a hidden recess in the ceiling.
- After taunting the members of the group (and effectively rendering their
- magical attacks and defenses inert), the abomination started playing on each
- party member's imagined weaknesses. While this reporter cannot relate those
- weaknesses, it must be stressed that not even Xenos wavered, the party was
- as one in resisting what was assumed to be a cheap trick.
- Finally, after allowing the party to fruitlessly expend spells, weapons, and
- time, the skull darted off down the hall...
Avoiding Self-Inflicted Damage? Not This Group!
- Chasing the skull down the hall, the party came to a strange doorway leading
- to a short, strangely slanted passageway. Lacking a stick, and apparently
- common sense, Flintmore stuck his arm through the doorway and could not pull
- it back. After a few false starts, the dwarven arm was burnt and quite
- sore...
- It turns out the passage was protected by magical runes of fire, oil, and
- grease--designed, no doubt, to protect the proprietor from peddlars,
- tinkers, wandering monsters, and unwary adventurers.
- Once again, Skylar found a way to bypass the oneway door and the magical
- traps. Xenos built an ingenious rope, spike, and support system to avoid
- having party members tumble to their doom. He then disarmed a simple trap
- and unlocked the door--bravely standing aside to allow the Paladin to enter
- the next room.
Interview with a Necromancer
- The next room... how can I describe it? Even Volo never saw such a
- horrific wonder--or else he carefully avoided describing it!!! To be brief,
- imagine a huge pit filled with molten lava, several pillars of some volcanic
- rock (like obsidian?) supporting a huge draconic skeleton, which in turn
- acted as a bridge between steps going down from the party's position to a
- raised platform nearly a hundred feet away and fifteen feet higher than the
- entrance.
- Lining the skeleton were more of the large, glassy golem-like creatures. On
- the platform was another golem, obviously incomplete, the floating skull
- abomination, and a dark, sinister human (or at least human-shaped!) creature
- who appeared to be in charge.
- While the party hesitated, the figure spoke, welcoming each of us into his
- chamber. V'Tar managed to control her bloodthirsty intolerance of those who
- follow other religions while the rest of the party negotiated for their
- release.
- As it turned out, all the fellow wanted for the ticket home was an
- insignificant bit of amber jewelry. Having exchanged this, the party was
- released, no harm done, no bad feelings (we kept the Paladin out of the
- negotiations); and, as you receive this, the camping trip should be over
- with the party back in Boarskyre's Bridge, ready to resume more productive
- work...
- Ta-ta for now.