Abecoste backed away, apparently not inclined to follow us, though she did not attempt to impede us. The small chain from the vampire’s neck indeed was very powerful. The party voted to cast \spell{Legend Lore} to locate the brooch before sending Kyril down to look for it. The material components include ivory strips formed into a rectangle and an item to sacrifice. We decided to sacrifice Kyril’s +1 Staff. We sliced some ivory with the Sword of Sharpness from tusks found in one of the mountain giant’s treasure chests.

Kyril cast Legend Lore from the ring of spell storing. The +1 Staff was enveloped in blue flame and sucked into the smoke given off by the incense. He concentrated on the brooch, the chain and the Elder Sign. He saw words: “descend you shall and proceed directly”. Casting time was around 20 minutes. Menka cast sanctuary on the druid. Flint covered him with dust of disappearance while the rest of the party averted their eyes. We set Kyril up (lent him some gear) and he headed down the ladder we just found.

Kyril levitated back up the ladder, sweating and looking terrified. He had welts around his neck, breathing heavily. He was a mess. His fear was apparent. He removed all his lent gear and handing it back, shaking his head, desultorily. He said Carter was down there. It was a long haul to a 4- way intersection, far south.

He entered a room that seemed to have been once intended as a shrine of some sort with walls of marble and small alabaster columns built into the wall on the southern end. Seated at a desk of ancient, solid looking wood on the southern end of the room was an odd-looking old man in robes. He was chained by a long chain to the southern wall. On the desk was a candle and a large book, within which the old man was writing. He looked up briefly, went back to his writing, appeared to finish and then looked up.

“Don’t touch the walls or you will never leave, and you must not pass my desk.” - said the old man.

Against the flat portion of the southwestern portion of the wall was another man, partially embedded in the wall at an angle. Part of his left leg was visible, and both arms. He had long white hair, a pale, corpse-like appearance, with pallid skin drawn tightly over hollow cheekbones. The eyes, sunken in the face, were closed. Around his neck, on a silver chain, hung a brooch. Upon entry, Kyril felt the elder sign begin to vibrate. The brooch did the same and the humanoid figure opened his eyes, which blazed with an unnatural intensity. He raised his head, and looked straight at Kyril, and lurched toward him, unable to reach because he was stcuk in the wall. He continued to lunge silently. Kyril observed that the figure was none other than Randolph Carter, noticeably older, slightly decayed, appearing deceased yet possessed with malevolent energy within. He lunged again, looking directly at Kyril.

Dead Carter was able to dispel the Cloak’s displacement, the invisibility and the sanctuary with ease. Kyril found himself under the influence of a fear spell. He refrained from applying any fireballs to avoid taking out the old man. Kyril was able to grab the brooch (natural 20) but Carter grabbed him back. Kyril was able to break free and run like hell.

Tim wanted to try a knock spell on the brooch. Cathal is immune to fear so wants to give it a try. Menka used his last cure light wounds on Cathal. The paladin and Tim planned to head down the ladder. Gonchar grabbed the Ring of Feather Fall and jumped into the hole (Kyril said the rungs were untrustworthy).

Cathal drifted slowly back, Tim holding to his shoulders, avoiding his neck, holding on to Gonchar. Cathal did not look good at all. He dropped Tim and Gonchar and collapsed to the floor. He had gotten his neck wrung, good. Tim displayed the brooch. The knock spell worked. As Carter reached for the brooch, Cathal used the boots of jumping to jump in and get it and while doing so Carter wrung his neck.

We decided to head back to the gate and lock it up and then either rest or wish as the events determined. Back to the frozen room north and west of Grastic’s hut. It stunk like Gonchar’s last bearded girlfriend - starting to smell really, really briny. Much worse than before.

Flying Carpet time. With Cathal pulling up the rear, following us. And off we went to the kitchen. We saw activity way at the other end where the gate is. Grastic and some very, very large creatures. A bit of a flood going on at the far end. We were on the landing across the river. Flying toward us as we passed the building were several bya-kee.

• Lycovyne wand of fireballs (more than one charge) - once at B1 and B2 and another at B3 and B4 - B2 saved, B1 took 22 points, B3 and B4 both took 22 points
• Menka necklace of missiles - 5th level missile - B4 and B3, crappy roll, 13 points, B4 takes no damage (saves), B3 did get hit
• initiative loss
• Lycovyne got one more fireball off before they closed - B1 unaffected, B2 effected for 22 points
• they missed Lycovyne
• B1 hit Gonchar twice for 8 points
• B2 hit Gonchar for 3 points
• they missed Menka
• Menka hit B4 for 9 points
• Gonchar hit B3 for 16 points of damage
• Gonchar hit B3 again with a natural 20 for 30 points, killing it (bya-kee, 65 points)
• Lycovyne hit B2 for 13 points with a magic missile for zero effect, second missiles hit for 10, though, and the 3rd missile hit for 11 points
• Lycovyne got all his spells back, as did Menka
• initiative loss
• they missed Menka
• Cathal returned on the carpet, dropped everyone off and then he went back
• Gonchar got hit for 1 point
• Lycovyne got hit for 7 points
• Menka hit B4 for 7 points
• Ulland jumped off the carpet and attacked B4 with his long sword, hitting it for 18 points, killing it (bya-kee, 55 hp)
• Gonchar attacked B1, hitting it for 17 points and 12 points on his second attack
• Kyril gave B2 attempted to give B2 a staph infection and barely succeeded, hitting it for 5 points
• Lycovyne attacked B2 with his long sword, hitting it for 7 points
• Flint hit B2 with his long sword for 13 points of damage
• initiative win
• Ulland hit B1 for 10 points
• Gonchar missed with a natural 1
• Kyril missed
• Lycovyne killed B1 with the Sword of Sharpness - nothing got cut off as they just crumble into nothingness when they die
• Ulland then hit B2 with his sword for 12 points
• Gonchar hit B2 for 18 points, killing it
• 4 bya-kee, 65, 55, 75, 60 hp

Menka cured Cathal’s rather serious wounds for 16 points. Cathal used a wish from the Luck Blade on his way back on the carpet and the party got all its spells back, praise Thoth! He wished specifically for all the spell casters to have all spells restored to where they were at the end of our previous rest. Refreshed and energized, the party hurried east toward the gate on foot and on the carpet.

2 large slime-covered, fish-like creatures with 3 eye slits stacked vertically flanked Grastic while he slowly turned the gate opening mechanism. Menka, Gonchar and Menka were on the carpet with Cathal following. Trails of slime lead up from the river. Tentacles flailing, Menka in his studies had read of such unspeakable aberrations from the deep places - aboleths. Grastic, glassy-eyed, kept slowly turning the mechanism. The aboleths looked at us; Cathal flashed the elder sign but it had no effect.

• Lycovyne cast ray of enfeeblement on Grastic and it slowed him down
• Menka said a prayer
• initiative win
• Gonchar attacked FC1 hitting it 15
• FC1 attacked Gonchar with 4 tentacles for 2 points but Gonchar had to save vs. spells and did so
• FC2 attacked Gonchar as well for 4 points and saved
• Gonchar hit FC1 with his second attack for 18 points - disgusting, slimy blood splattered everywhere but it still lived
• FC1 hit Gonchar for 2 and he failed his save
• FC2 hit him for 9 more
• FC4 attacked Lycovyne hitting him for 6 points and he made his save
• FC3 attacked Menka, hitting him twice for 9 points and he failed his save
• Cathal hit FC2 for 18 points
• Gonchar attacked FC1, hitting it for 12 points
• Lycovyne cast Cone of Cold at FC3 and FC4 for 15 points
• Menka missed
• Gonchar’s second attack was a natural 20, hitting FC1 for 34 points, killing it (fish thing, 48 points)
• initiative tie
• Ulland, separate fight, over by the bridge, failed his save as FC5 slithered out of the water - he put away his weapons and remonstrated with Tim and Flint, suggesting that the creatures are obviously from a superior race and there’s really no reason to fight.
• Unmoved, Tim zapped FC5 with a lightning bolt for 24 points
• Menka cast sanctuary on himself
• FC3 hit Lycovyne for 4 points and FC4 hit him for 2 and he made his save
• FC2 attacked Cathal, hitting him for 10 points but he made his save
• Kyril attacked FC3 as a giant eagle from high above, hitting it once for 9 points with a claw
• Lycovyne backed out of melee combat and fired 2 magic missiles for 11 points, then 10 points
• Gonchar attacked FC4, hitting it for 17 points, blood and slime splattered forth, then hit it again for 12
• Cathal attacked FC2, hitting it for 19 points, then attacked again, hitting it for 9 more points, killing it (50 hit points)
• initiative loss
• Kyril changed back to an elf druid, gaining 12 points
• Menka got attacked by FC3 but nothing hit
• Gonchar got hit by 2 testicles tentacles for 9 points
• Kyril hit FC3 for 6 points
• Menka hit FC3 for 7 points, killing it (56 hit points)
• Gonchar hit FC4 for 13 points
• Cathal hit FC4 for 10 points, killing it (49 hit points)
• going west - Tim hit FC5 for 13 points of damage with magic missiles
• Flint tried to attack FC5 but a charmed Ulland got in his way
• FC5 slithered back into the water but Ulland remained charmed

Cathal tried to interrupt Grastic, successfully. He asked Grastic to close the gate, but Grastic said he felt he feeble. M-O-O-N feeble. Lycovyne gave Gonchar the Potion of Fire Giant Strength. Gonchar and Menka, having failed their saves, started turning into fish creatures. Cathal cured disease on Gonchar on Menka (he has 2x per week plus 1x from the sword), praise Thoth!

Gonchar quaffed the potion of fire giant of strength.

• initiative tie
• Tim hit FC5 for 12 more points of damage, killing it (49)
• 4 large, slimy fish creatures - 48, 50, 49, 49 hp
• Ulland and Gonchar, confused, come back to themselves and Gonchar closed the gate

Tim, Lycovyne and Kyril on the carpet and Cathal floated out to the gate with the brooch, the Elder Sign and both chains. They closed the gate and saw 100s of fish creatures start crashing up against it. They applied the brooch to the chain, a blue light of energy enveloped the gate and all the creatures started swimming away from the gate. The pervasive feeling of evil dissipated. Completely. The chain and brooch assembly looked tight, it seemed to have secured itself quite effectively.

Menka and Cathal got on the carpet and headed north to see the Sphinx to let Pippen know his son could leave. Pippen looked a little healthier than before. Cathal sensed no evil in the room. We let him know that Grastic was free. Pippen didn’t want to head to the surface and would prefer to head to the Hall.