Lagartha was at full health. We verified that a knock cast on the door caused it to open for 1 minute, after which it closed again, requiring another knock. We also verified that it was locked from the inside, as well. This door lead into a small circular room that seemed to be a study of some sort. Kyril detected magic somewhere along the northern wall. Shelves on the southern wall held gruesome statuettes of horrifying creatures, none magical, all horrifying. One held down a note with Nalfeshnee scribbled on it.

There were three grotesque obsidian figures on the shelves. One a multi-armed snake-like female torso with 6 hands and many, many teeth. Second, a goat-horned dog with pincer like arms protruding from its chest. The third obsidian figure was of a succubus in lurid detail.

On the top shelf sat a painted stone figurine - fungoid, half animal, but even this is a mere approximation to describe something that was essentially alien. It was crustacean in appearance, with a huge pair of wings (or dorsal fins in the case of peak-dwellers) and several pairs of jointed limbs. Two of these ended in large lobster-like claws, adding to the impression of crustacean-ness. It was painted pallid pink in color, like an undercooked shrimp. Where the head should be was an ellipsoid mass covered with scores of short antennae.

There was a comfortable, red-cushioned chair under the southernmost globe of light, with a small table next to it. Two books were upon it. One a treatise on the natural and magical aspects of electricity, and the use thereof. The author’s name was “I. Astbury”. The second was a volume titled “Vampirism: causes, cures, prevention, defenses and theory”, by Marius de Romanus. It was a lengthy work.

The northern wall held large shelves containing vellum and other writing supplies. Menka pinched the vellum and a quill. The bottom shelf on the northern wall was notably empty.

With detect magic in effect, Kyril went off, exploring. The western hallway was really, really evil. Also barred and reeking of sulfur. More evil than anything we’ve seen thus far\wtf.

A Cursed Thief#

Kyril return from his detecting and filled us in. We had another look at the shelves along the northern wall where the druid had previously detected magic. The shelves were literally hewn from the stone wall, tastefully decorated. Flint poked around among the items on the shelves. When he poked around on the bottom shelf, he found something invisible and went for a walk with the DM. He had found an invisible book. He rolled it around in his hands and opened it up. Suddenly, it was visible to him, the first page depicting a laughing skull which, incredibly, began to speak!

The voice was unintelligible to the rest of the party, but was understood by the thief - he knew it spoke a language unknown to him, but its meaning was known to him: “\emph{Curse the thief of secrets! Let him know his heart’s corruption! What he reads here is the writing on the walls of his own tomb!}”. He closed the book.

The book was no longer invisible. The covers were apparently of obsidian, with currents of color swirling within, and the thief thought he saw swirling, shadowy images moving over - or perhaps within? - the book’s surface, causing him to be most disconcerted. The thief couldn’t look away and, in fact, made a save vs. magic saving throw while failing a save vs. death magic save. The effects of that failure are not yet apparent beyond the words spoken, above.

Gonchar knocked the book out of Flint’s hands and had to make both saves. Menka tried to knock it into a Bag of Holding but fumbled and failed the magic save, dropped to his knees and began to weep openly. Cathal was able to make both saves and knock the book into the Bag.

Gonchar smashed his way through the wizard locked door. Cathal dragged a weeping, terrified Menka through the door into the large central chamber. The party pondered next steps while the cleric whimpered. Gonchar successfully spiked the door.

Kyril had detected magic in the general direction beyond the bars in the western hallway. He had also seen a flesh golem beyond the bars and heard a buzzing sound in that direction.

We examined the door to the south. The druid had detected magic beyond that door. Looking at it closely it was covered in some shiny, viscous slime and also seemed to be bulging into the large chamber, as if holding back water or earth. For grins Cathal tried the door but it seemed to be \spell{wizard locked} and would not budge.

The party returned to the western hallway. The Paladin felt a palpable, huge evil somewhere beyond the locked gate. A quality of evil as big - or bigger - than the mind-wrecking evil the party had faced in the past. For some reason we decided to fire our remaining Arrow of Golem Slaying at the flesh golem beyond the bars. Determined to make a bad decision worse, Lycovyne rolled a natural 1, missing utterly, and probably costing us the arrow. The golem seemed to take no notice.

Failure continued to haunt the party. We failed en masse to bend the bars so we could step through. Luckily, the slight, wiry 17-year-old girl with the party was able to bend them. As we began to step through the bars, one at a time, the golem took notice and approached us. Also, 2 electric crawlers dropped from the ceiling. Dice were rolled and battle ensued.

• initiative win
• … although apparently the crawlers surprised us and emitted a shocking field of some sort. Cathal took 4 points of damage due to his metal armor.
• Gonchar nailed the golem with the Rod of Smiting, doing 18 points of damage.
• Cathal whacked a crawler for 15 points as well
• Seamus attacked with his fists, having no effect
• The golem clobbered Gonchar for 9 points
• initiative loss
• The golem and one of the crawlers missed Gonchar
• Cathal hit a crawler for 7 points
• Lycovyne hit the same one for 11 points, felling it!
• Gonchar hit the golem again for 36 points, destroying it
• Gonchar took 8 points of electric damage, then killed the remaining crawler
• 2 electric crawlers, 25 hp
• flesh golem, 40 hp

Cathal bound his wounds (51/67) and stitched up Gonchar (85/100) while he was at it. Stepping over the corpses we noticed that it was colder here. Smashed darkened globes lined the walls. Menka finally snapped out of it.

Moving forward, we follwed a tunnel northwest. This also terminated in a portcullis. The stench of carrion was overpowering and by the time we reached this second portcullis we all needed to save vs. poison.

Gonchar and Cathal found 2 undead creatures in a cell. Terrifying to look at, they had glowing yellow eyes in curiously human heads devoid of noses. Akin to human skulls, yet with yellow eyes which glared at the party hungrily.

Backtracking we followed a corridor southwest. Halfway down this corridor the floor and walls changed to full, seamless steel. A large iron door blocked our path, barred from our side. The area near the door reeked of sulfur and carrion. Cathal was openly nervous. There was something far more than evil going on, here.

We decided to step through and see what was on the other side. Why waste a good iron door? Tim cast quickening on Cathal. Menka cast aid on Gonchar. Kyril cast protection from flamers upon himself.

The door was stoutly locked, much like the one in the study had been. A knock spell was cast by \wtf, and Cathal lifted the bar and walked in.

Nalfeshnee, I Presume…#

Within was a magic circle which enclosed a large portion of the room. The room stunk of overwhelming sulphur. Within the circle Cathal observed a woman who looked exactly like the female wizard depicted in the frescos throughout the room. She said “that demon” had tricked, trapped and imprisoned her within this circle she had summoned it to. She asked to be freed and warned that he “may be loose” in this place.

Meanwhile, Menka saw a Priest of Thoth within the circle encouraging him in the language of the South to free him, and Flint saw a portly dwarf with twinkling eyes who entreated him to come in for some “free gems”.

Cathal ignored the woman’s pleas, broke the circle and walked in, at which point the room went utterly black. The paladin felt two crushing blows as he stepped through, taking 32 points of damage immediately . Kyril cast dispel magic but it had no effect (missed it by 2). Menka moved in and the continual light on Menka’s shield winked out as the blackness was dispelled.

A large circle was drawn on the floor in the room. Within that circle stood a hulking monster. A huge body stood on short, stubby legs. The creature had pale blue hair, small wings and a hairless tail. The demon’s visage was oddly beautiful but cruel, and its mouth was huge and fanged. It smiled disconcertingly as Cathhal attacked. Cathal struck the creature with his holy sword (and a natural 20) for 24 points of sanctified damage. He then cast cure critical woulds on himself from the same sword, regaining 27 points.

• initiative tie
• the creature wrapped its tail around Cathal, doing 3 points of damage to the knight, who found himself being pulled toward the creature’s mouth
• Tim cast magic missiles on the creature - it resisted many of them but 3 struck home, doing 57 points (is this correct\wtf)
• Lycovyne followed suit but the creature resisted all his missiles
• Menka applied Oil of Impact to his +3 flail
• initiative loss
• Lycovyne once again found his magic missiles resisted
• Constricted by the creature’s tail, Cathal lost 5 points and got bitten for 8 more
• it attacked Gonchar, punching him for 8 points
• Cathal hit it 3 times for a total of 36 points
• Kyril attacked twice, hitting once for 10 points
• Gonchar nailed it for 34 more
• some of Tim’s magic missiles got through, doing 16 points
• initiative tie
• Cathal got constricted for another 11 points
• Menka was able to use the Staff of Healing to cure some of Cathal’s wounds, gaining him 18 points
• The horrid demon smirked and nodded towards Gonchar, whose world went black, utterly blind. Gonchar, using blind fighting, nonetheless hit it for 38 points
• Flint hit it for 23 points
• Kyril hit if for 10
• Lycovyne sliced it for another 18

The creature, despite its wounds, smiled with glee and each of the party heard, in their head, in their own native language, something to the effect of “\emph{thank you fool, enjoy your new friends, and if you survive, I hope to see you again!}” At that, an aperture opened behind the badly wounded creature and it fell backwards, shrieking laughter echoing in the party members’ collective heads. Its wounds seemed to heal as it fell through. Cathal made a strength check as the foul abomination exited and broke free of the crushing tail. As the aperture closed, 4 creatures stepped through, each a horrid, foul, gigantic mix of human and vulture, each one nearly 9’ tall. Vrock!!

• initiative loss
• win for Cathal, due to the quickening - he nailed one of the new creatures for 11 points
• Seamus, assailed by 4 claws and a bite, took 10 points of damage
• Gonchar got hit for 4
• Flint was still invisible
• Menka got clawed for 14 points as well
• Seamus hit a vrock twice for 10 points
• Lycovyne hit one for 8
• Gonchar hit one for 30 points
• Flint got in position for a backstab
• Menka clobbered his opponent for 17 points, praise Thoth!
• Kyril staved a vrock for 7 points
• initiative tie
• Flint, invisible, double back stab on one opponent, did a whopping 92 points of damage, setting a table record and felling a vrock
• Lycovyne got bitten for 6 points and loved every minute of it
• Gonchar got clawed for 2 points and hardly noticed
• Kyril got hit, but did not get hit
• Lycovyne sliced a vrock for 12 points
• Menka hit the same one for 15!
• Kyril hit that same demon for 8
• Seamus mugged one for 7 points
• Gonchar hit one 3 times for 43 points, destroying it
• Flint setup for another backstab
• initiative win
• Flint, suprising and backstabbing again, felled a third vrock!
• Cathal hit the remaining monster for 9 points
• Lycovyne then hit it with a natural 19, lopping its head off
• 4 type 1 demons (54, 50, 48, 48 hp)

The single, large demon that was in the room when the party entered was indeed huge. Knowing its name (Nalfeshnee), Lolath had probably summoned it here to do her bidding. For some reason, she left it locked up and confined in this steel prison. Knowing its name, we could have spoken with it ourselves and perhaps learned much. A grievous error, perhaps. Menka is determined not to make that same mistake the next time we meet Nalfeshnee.

Gonchar was still blind. Perhaps he really needs a bearded girlfriend. Lagartha offered to lead him around. Menka laid some healing prayers on himself and Gonchar, while Cathal used his Sword to cure his own more critical wounds.

We backtracked to the bent portcullis where we encountered the flesh golem and the crawlers. Still invisible, Flint searched the room due south. A broken circle on the floor, dark stains, torn silken fabric. The door was torn off its, smashed out into the hall. Something had gone down, there.

The northern corridor lead to a chamber with an unbroken circle behind a locked gate. The bones of a winged humanoid lay within.

Slimed Again#

We returned to the glistening, bulging door. Lycovyne knocked it. The air was reflective through the door. Rather blob-like, actually.

• initiative loss
• A huge gelatinous blob flowed through the door and slimed Kyril for 8 points of damage
• Kyril cast produce flame, thereby producing flame, like a torch in his hand for 20 rounds
• Menka cast resist fire on Cathal as the knight charged into the room
• Cathal sliced into the slowly moving blob, doing 9 points of damage
• Lycovyne dashed in and slashed it for 10 points as well
• Lycovyne, Kyril and Cathal all took 9 points of corrosive damage and the metal armor worn by the elf and the knight took visible damage
• Tim cast flaming sphere into the room, doing 6 points of damage to the gelatinous mass (but not Kyril or Lycovyne? yes?)
• initiative loss
• 8 more points of corrosive damage to Cathal and the 2 elves
• The flaming sphere did 5 more points of damage to the blob
• Tim shot a fireball into the room, doling out 35 points of damage which Cathal resisted and took 8. No idea about the elves in the room. The fireball destroyed the gelatinous mass.
• blob, 60 hp

Cathal and Lycovyne need some serious-as-a-heart-attack armor repair, and soon.

We were in a circular room with the ceiling 20’ above our heads. The remains of ladders and shelves were scattered about. What little the blob had left behind, Tim’s fireball had destroyed, utterly. So much for finding anything of value in the famed library of Lolath. Kyril detected magic through the eastern wall.

We examined the room from top to bottom. 15’ up, Cathal found what sounded like a hollow area in the wall. Flint climbed up, checked it out and discovered a 3x3 hatch in the wall. He opened it and entered the crawl space. The walls were carved with intricate runes and symbols. A few feet in and he found himself in total darkeness. He pitched one of his continually lit coins into the blackness, dispelling it. Menka joined the thief in the tunnel.

As Menka and Flint crawled along the cramped tunnel they found the skeletal remains of something humanoid, when alive at least 7’ tall, strange leg bones almost like a kangaroo, with sharp teeth and claws. The small passageway opened into a circular room

Kyril had entered the tunnel. The darkness began to return as he approached Flint and Menka in the small room. Flint produced another \spell{continually lit} coin and as Kyril dropped into the room, we briefly saw an 3-lobed, tentacled monster form in the room. The light seemed to hurt the creature badly. Darkness fell to the ground again and in that darkness, Kyril got attacked. Seamus and Flint scrambled up the wall and into the tunnel. Cathal heaved Gonchar into the tunnel and followed. Close quarters in the room made combat difficult. Not to mention the pervasive darkness.

• initiative loss
• Kyril got hit for 10 points of damage
• The elf hit back with a natural 20 for 18 points
• initiative win
• Menka cast continual light - it went out immediately but seemed to harm the creature
• Kyril missed the creature
• Menka got hit for 8 points but struck back for 6
• initiative win
• Flint entered the fray, shining another light and dealing 5 points of damage to the creature. In the flash of light we saw a 3-lobed burning eye.
• Menka hit it for 9 points while he could see
• It hit Flint for 8 points with its huge, amorphous tail
• initiative tie
• it missed Menka, praise Thoth!
• Flint threw out yet another coin and did 4 points of light damage
• Menka nailed the tentackular fuck again for 11 points while he could see it
• Seamus dropped into the room at just that well-lit moment and clobbered the creature with his drinking vessel and a natural 20, doing 18 points, destroying it - a blob with an eye and tentacles, completely dead
• dark hunter, 70 hp

We found ourselves crowded into a smaller, circular room, covered in obscene carvings. No exits were apparent, so Flint and Menka searched around. Notably, Cathal no longer detected evil in the area.

Menka and Flint found a secret door directly across the room from the tunnel through which we entered, 15’ up. Flint was able to open the door, finding unnatural darkness beyond. The tunnel was 3x3 and, unlike the one just prior, was covered in dust and cobwebs and seemed to be unused. The walls were not carved, but were plain stone.

Kyril and Flint entered this new tunnel while Menka waited behind in the circular room. The rest of the party removed themselves to the large hall to the west just in case a hasty retreat became required.

The Feline Trap#

The darkness receded in front of the thief and the druid as they traversed the narrow tunnel. They saw a second circular room, similar to the first. This room contained only a gold box with a cat sitting on it, calmly observing the intruders. Kyril cast stone shape to make the room a bit larger and the cat hissed. Menka blessed himself, Kyril, Flint, Cathal and Tim, who seemed to be holding position in the first tunnel. Cathal detected no evil in the area.

The cat was sitting on a small, embroidered gold box. Kyril attempted to parlay with the creature but it did not respond. The druid reached for the box and the cat swatted him for 1 point of damage. He reached again and the cat hissed and swatted again and the druid took 3 more points of damage, but also learned that the box was attached to the floor. Tim cast knock on the box and the lid popped open. The cat immediately jumped on the box and closed it.

Kyril made one more attempt and actually got his hand in the box. The cat flipped out, scratched and bit and did 11 more points of damage to Kyril and then all hell broke loose.

• Kyril shape changed into an ape to regain some points
• Cathal somehow took a shot at the cat, doing 10 points of damage
• Kyril changed back, healed somewhat (38/69)
• The cat did 9 more points of damage to the druid
• Gonchar somehow killed the cat and immediately a bigger cat appeared atop the box in its place, immediately attacking Kyril, who was reaching for the box
• Tim zapped it with some magic missiles
• Kyril shape changed again, this time into megamaid
• Gonchar destroyed the bigger cat and an angry lynx appeared in its place
• Kyril managed to get the lid open on the box during the melee and Cathal grabbed the book contained therein. The lynx turned its attention to the knight and bit him for 13 points of damage, then again for 13 points
• Kyril hit Cathal with 2 cure light wounds spells (36/67)
• Cathal maintained his grip on the book and the whole party started backward, quickly
• Cathal used a cure serious wounds on himself from the sword then hurled the book down the tunnel to Flint. The lynx turned its attention to trying to get to Flint and Cathal fought a rear guard battle as we backed through the tunnel.
• Flint jumped up into the first tunnel and hauled ass to the bigger room beyond. Menka, Seamus and Kyril all attacked the lynx as it ran through the middle room, trying to delay it and doing 25 points of damage. We all ended up in the first tunnel Cathal in the rear bearing the brunt of the pursuing lynx.
• Tim webbed the critter, slowing it down a bit. It tore at the web as we backed into the larger room.
• Tim then used a sepia snake sigil (whatever that is), with no effect
• The lynx burst through the net into the room and Seamus killed it.
• A new, bigger cat, this time a panther, appeared upon the box in the other room and began running forward. Luckily, the party was able to destroy it after it blazed right through Tim’s webs.
• Kyril began to cast stone shape as we killed the critter and then heard what he presumed to be an even larger cat materialize tunnels away. This time, the snarls sounded more like roars.
• By the time the new creature reached us, Kyril had stone shaped the tunnel closed. Only Thoth knows what would happen to the cat next…

The book was large, 200+ pages. Bound in some type of wrinkly skin, it was warm to the touch. It bore the title Cultes de Ghouls.