Chapter 08:

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Session Number: 178
Date: Sunday 2 June 2013
Venue: Densial's
PCs & Players:

Ariel Sor12 (Fergus) (kills: none)
Calico Drd12 (Yeran) (kills: none)
Lionel Rgr6/Wiz1/ArcA5 (Ash) (kills: none)
Rowaine Pal12 (Craig) (kills: 1 Juvenile Nightwing)
Troll Wiz12 (Densial) (kills: none)
Violet Drd12 (Tammi) (kills: none)

Special Guest NPC: Arrian

XP Awarded: TBA

DM clarifies that people cannot see with low light vision here.
Also gnomes do not have darkvision.
So Ariel casts Darkvision on Lionel, Troll, Violet and Arrian.
The party fords the river and heads away from the river.
Calico and Lionel study the local flora as they travel and realise the plant life are all twisted versions of plants they know from the Material Plane.
Rowaine Detects no evil on the local plant life.
After ascending a rise some of the party notice a blue glow ahead (the Portal?)
The party encounters and darker area where everyone but Calico takes damage.
The party backs out and with some careful study they can identify a line of darkness the party can avoid. The party circumnavigates the area of inky darkness and get to a portal.
The portal consists of two very large bones that curve up and cross at the top. Where the bones cross is carved an eye. Rowaine and Arrian recognise the symbol of Gruumsh One Eye, the evil god of orcs. Inky blackness blocks any view through the portal.

As the party approach they notice a line of extremely churned ground extending out in a line from the portal. Lionel identifies the tracks of poissibly up to hundreds of arachtria and two matre. They passed through within the last couple of hours and the tracks were going into the portal.
Troll and Lionel examine the portal to see whether they could temporarily deactivate the portal. They notice the portal is in pristine condition. The magic on it is a modification of the Plane Shift spell. Its complexity is beyond Troll's ability at this point. They don't think they could deactivate it.
They also work out that there is a Desecrate spell on the eye carving. The effects extend twenty feet around the symbol.
The party passes through.
They find themselves in a box canyon, the portal at the end. The level of light is much brighter. It is like an overcast day just before dusk. So the party can see the surrounding terrain but colours are a bit washed out.
The have emerged from a portal that looks identical to the one one the Plane of Shadow. Arachtria tracks emerge from the portal and proceed into the canyon.
Rowaine Detects Evil and finds that just about all the terrain has an aura of evil.
Cliffs extend a couple of hundred feet upwards.
Moments after their arrival, Arrian, Troll and Lionel spot an orc watching from above. It quickly disappears. As the party starts down the canyon a few more heads appear at the top of the cliffs.
Troll casts Acid Arrow on one and hits. The party hears a piercing scream. After the scream the party hears they hear another sound from a different direction. It sounds like a roar from something very big…
Moments later the party sees a huge batlike creature land at the top of the cliff where the party saw the orcs. It has a chain trailing from one leg and it seems to be flailing at something at the top. It has a wingspan of about forty feet.
The creature's head swivels towards the party and then drops off the ledge and plunges towards the party.

(Fergus: Here I am editing what happened to make it look more like I knew what I as doing as a DM!)

Lionel had gotten ready to fire if it looked hostile so shoots. Criticals!
Lionel attacks again and misses with three arrows! This thing has an armour class above 29!
Troll does not recognise the creature. He Fireballs it. The fire seems to wash over it but is ineffectual! He moves 30 ft away from Rowaine.
Calico waits to coordinate with Rowaine.
The creature glares at Rowaine. Some magic attacks Rowaine who makes a fortitude save of 26 and takes 23 points of damage. It moves 120 feet closer.
Rowaine gets ready to attack the creature if it gets in range.
Calico Dimension Doors forty feet in the air and then casts Blinding Spittle on the creature. The spell seems ineffectual. Calico falls back down and takes damage.
Arrian casts Magic Circle vs Evil.
Ariel cast Disintegrate. The spell seems to hit the creature but does no damage!
Violet (in the form of a legendary bear) delays to next round. Then readies an action to attack if the creature gets in range.
Lionel thrice fires, hits once and does damage.
Troll casts Acid Arrow. The spells seems ineffectual.
The creature slams down in front of Rowaine who has readied an action.
Rowaine smites with Divine Might and hits and does a good amount of damage!
Violet hits and damages the creature and then grapples and pins the creature successfully! The roll to pin it was a natural 20 for a grapple check of 52! The creature had a +28 so could not win… with a +bloody 28!!!
The creature glares at Violet who saves on a fortitude roll and takes 30 points damage.
Calico turns into a legendary eagle and casts Blinding Spittle again. This time it seems to be affected!
Arrian casts Recitation.
Ariel casts Disintegrate, which does no damage.
Lionel attacks! Two hits. The creature is looking very hurt now!
Rowaine again smites with Divine Might. Hits twice. 63 damage!
The creature slumps to the ground! Violet contines to attack just in case!
Arrain and Troll and Calico see orcish heads peering over the cliff again.
Troll Acid Arrows, again hitting another orcish head.
Rowine Detects Evil on the creature. There is a fading aura of evil.
Rowaine shouts, "I smite thee with Moradin's Anvil!" Her voice echoes through the canyon.
Arrian and Calico hear orcs muttering above.
Rowaine and Arrian heal the party.
The party moves on continuing to hear the muttering of orcs from above.
As they move on small object falls from above.
Troll Acid Arrows it and when the object falls it appears to a be a misshapen lump of partially dissolved metal.
The party continues. Another object falls and Troll misses. The object falls in front of the party.
It appears to be a holy symbol of Moradin.
Rowwaine Detects no evil on it.
Ariel casts Tongues on Rowaine.
Rowaine: What accursed hands throw these holy symbols towards me?
Orc: Not accursed! Not accursed! You kill us!
Rowaine: Where did you get this?
Orc: Got it from Cleric! Priest Cleric!
Rowaine: Name?
Orc: Krag!
Calico starts flying up in a spiral.
Rowaine: What is the meaning of this?
Orc: Um. Heard you say 'Smite in Moradin's name'. You killed evil thing!
R: Yes.
O: Why are you here?
R: I seek the one you call Krag.
O: What is your name?
R: My name is Lady Rowaine Kharag of the Silver Hand, paladin of Moradin.
Orcs: Upset muttering. Some swearing. Some of which in orcish translate as "By the Hammer of Moradin!"
The party mounts up. Tenser's Greater Floating Disc.
O: Are you Paladin of Moradin?
R: By His holy name I am!
O: Moradin is our god too!
Calico continues up.
The party ascends. Rowaine reports that orcs say they follow Moradin and that they have met Krag.
Violet turns into an owl.
R: We're coming up!
O: Sounds of dismay
R: We wish to talk to you and we will not harm you if we have the same promise from yourself. I swear it on the name of Moradin the All-Father.
The party hears the sound of running feet but one voice declares
O: I… I will stay.
Calico gets to the top and sees about twenty orcs fleeing into scrub that goes toward a forested area.
Calico sees the canyon is contained in a roughly conical hill surrounded on three sides by scrub and forest. To the north the canyon widens onto plains.
Calico spots something in the distance. Something much larger than the nightwing is approaching. It is about half a mile away. Calico can hear a rhythmic thumping sound. Footsteps?
Calico follows the orcs toward the scrub.
Rowaine and party get to the top just in time to see orcs disappear into scrub.
One orc remains, trembling, at the edge of the canyon.
Rowaine lands about thirty feet away, dismounts and approaches.
Calico rejoins the group.
R: Who are you?
O: My… name is… name is… Karg.
R: Karg, how do you know of Krag, Cleric of Moradin?
O: He taught us of Moradin.
R: When did you meet him?
O: I have always known him. He is our priest from when I small baby.
R: How long ago? How old are you?
O: I have 25 years. He taught my father too!
R: Since birth?
O: No. He came when my father was old.
R: Where is he?
O: Who are you? Rowaine? Paladin of Moradin?
R: Yes. (Rowaine shows him her symbol of Moradin.)
O: I can't tell you. Secret! Secret from bad people. Can't tell anyone. You can kill me but I not tell!
R: I have no intention of killing you.
O: (Starts crying) Don't kill me! Not like Angd and Fra!
R: I am very very sorry. What are you doing here? Looking into this canyon?
O: Our job is to watch portal for people who come through. Save from nightwing if can… You killed nightwing!
R: It was chained.
O: Prisoner to guard portal.
R: So it was chained to the top of the canyon.
O: Chained near mouth of canyon.
R: Look Karg it is vitally important that I find Krag. This is not his place. I want to have words with him.
O: This is his place! He lives here! Not tell where!
Calico flies toward Rowaine intending to land on her shoulder. Rowaine spots him coming. Rowaine points at the ground beside her and Calico lands there.
Rowaine notices Karg has lost control of his bladder on the approach of Calico.
R: Karg. This is another of my party. A druid of Obad-hai.
K: Not eat orcs?
R: Uh. Only if it is really hungry.
On hearing this Karg loses his nerve and runs for it.
R: Karg stop! We mean you no harm!
Karg keeps running.
R (to the party): I want to stop it but I don't want it killed.
Karg reaches the undergrowth and Calico, Arrian and Troll see that he stops and tries to hide and watch what's going on.
R updates the party.
Calico turns into a human and tells the party about the colossal thing approaching.
The party can now all see the thing approaching. ETA 15 minutes.
Think Oliphant size.
R: Calls out: Karg. I am sorry if I startled you. I and none of my party mean you any harm.
K: Eagle not eat Karg?
R: See that human behind me? He was the eagle. He is a Druid of Obad-hai.
K: Good god.
R: A god of balance. Do you speak any other languages?
K: I can say dwarf words. 'Blessed are the children of Moradin.'
It is apparent that Karg is quoting words in dwarven from the start of a major rite fro the Moradinic faith. Doesn't really sound like he understands what he is saying.
Karg tentatively emerges from the scrub.
R: Karg, I really need your help. I do not know this place. I know you will not tell me where Krag is. I accept that and I will not ask again. But I need your help. I am a stranger in this land.
K (Looking towards the colossal thing approaching): Karak coming. Can't stay! You must leave too. Can take you to safe place for visitors!
R: I would greatly appreciate that.
K: Follow!
R: May my friends come too?
K: Not hurt us? Him not hurt us?
R: I will vouch for them all.
R: Updates party.
K: One last thing. I am only allowed to take people who subject to Moradin's Law.
R: I will vouch for them and make sure they are aware of their obligations.
R explains to party: I am the Law! Be like me and dwarves etc.
R checks Karg for evil. Detects no evil.

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