Al looks much better. At least he has stopped drooling.
Nroda is asleep.
"Wow, that hurt !" Al says wiping his chin. "Last time I try that ! Who's the little furball?" he asks about Nroda.
Niko nudges Nroda awake.. "Time to earn your keep!" Niko hisses.
Nroda jumps awake.
"What? Eh? Ready to set out are you?"
Occa says, "Yes, let's move on then."
He asks, "I saw what a true sight did to Al. Do you know what a wizard eye might do, if anything?"
"Rub it in, why don't you ? I am still new to some of this stuff. Horus nor Thor never told me that you could go dumb looking at Hell. Ok, I am not an experienced plane traveler, pardon me," he says, somewhat offended at being the continual butt of jokes.
"Er," Gilstrock says, "I think Occa was really asking."
Occa says, "Gilstrock is correct, I am asking because I want to cast the spell and send it ahead."
"Well, I am a cleric and a cavalier, I never thought much of the workings of magic," Al explains sheepishly.
Occa says, "Okay!"
"I believe the question was directed at Nroda, too...not you, Al."
"By the way, you've got a little bit still there..." Niko adds, pointing to Al's chin.
"Ha, not!" Al says as he turns away and quickly wipes his chin.
Nroda replies, "I know not! Perhaps nothing, for it does not reveal the aura."
Niko ponders for a moment. "You'd think wizard eye should be ok...if only because it only sees what we would see."
"Give it a shot, Occa. From my swiss cheese memory, I recall that Stiff used wizard eyes, in many different planes, to scout areas out," says Orlon.
"Alright as long as you can heal me."
He casts wizard eye and sends it down the corridor 60 feet ahead of the group as they go along.
"I was thinking about what Nroda said regarding the pool of acid and the guardians on high," Emm states. "Just before we enter that chamber, perhaps the arch mages can cast fly on those fighters who do not already possess the power. This way we can avoid the ambush that has been laid."
You set out, following the winding passage. In most places it is no more than five feet wide, but in some places it narrows down to less than two feet. In these places you must remove your backpacks and equipment, then turn sideways just to squeeze through. At one point Al becomes firmly wedged, but a solid shove from Gilstrock pops him through, and you continue. For the most part the tunnel is tall enough for you to not have to stoop, but there are a places where you must bend over.
The tunnel seems to be deserted but for yourselves, and Occa's wizard eye expires long before you reach the end.
Finally, the tunnel widens a bit, out to 10', and ends at a rough wall.
Nroda, who has been bringing up the rear, shuffles to the front.
"Secret door here," he says. "Opens into the ground floor level of a tower in Lord Vrith's stronghold it does. Through this door a passage runs, and across the passage is another door which leads down into his dank dungeons, where you wish to go.
"Sometimes this passage is patrolled by his minions, so be prepared! Shall I open it?"
"Right behind you," Orlon comments.
Occa turns invisible and flies.
He says, "Go for it!"
"Which side is most likely going to have his minions? Right or left?"
Nroda shrugs.
"The passage encircles a central stairwell, so it does not matter," he says.
"Gil, Robert, Niko and I go out first. Two of us each side, just in case. Let Gonzo go through the door on the far side, first and then everyone follow. We'll fold in behind the rest of the group."
Darian draws his frostbrand.
Equinox gathers his darts and loosens MC Hammer in his belt.
Niko draws his cutlass and SMC sword. "Wait a sec while I try and use my helmet to hear what's on the other side."
Niko tries to listen on the other side of the door.
He hears nothing.
Niko swaps his ring of truth for ring of invisibility.
Niko then turns invisible. "Did anyone check for traps?"
"The honours is all yours," Orlon waves his hand to Niko.
"There are no traps!" hisses Nroda, inspecting the blank wall. With a flourish, he presses a certain spot, and the door slides aside with a barely audible rumble.
Through the door you see a 10' wide passage, extending to the left and to the right. The wall opposite you is 30' long in all, with a door in the middle, directly across from you. The wall in which the secret door is located extends an extra 10' each way. After that, the walls of the passage angle off to the northeast (right) and northwest (left), respectively.
This dry passage has outer walls of rusted iron. Its inner wall, floor and ceiling are of stone. Across from the secret door is a stout wooden door. The air here is dry, and smells faintly acidic.
The passage appears to be deserted.
Niko asks his cutlass if there are any traps in the area.
He gets no response.
Niko moves forward, awaiting directions from Nroda.
Nroda, at the rear again, points to the door.
"To the dungeons it leads!"
Niko goes to the door and again checks for sounds on the other side of the door and traps in the area.
Again, no tingles. He hears nothing.
Darian hisses, "Hurry!"
Niko opens the door, succeeding on the first attempt.
Before you is a short passage running (arbitrarily) north, to where it opens out into an octagonal stairwell. A landing or balcony overlooks the scene below. Moving forward, you look into the shaft. It descends about 50', and there is a flight of stairs winding down around the walls to the floor below. The stairs start to your left. Above, the ceiling is some 30' above you, and some 5' below the ceiling in the west wall is a glowing red panel. The ceiling itself is of wood.
At the bottom of the shaft, you see a passage exiting to the west. Also down there are some monsters, pacing about.
The air flowing up out of the stairwell is warm and surprisingly damp.
The dimensions of the stairwell are thus: the east and west walls are each 20' long; all of the others are 10'.
The monsters are eryines devils. You have battled their ilk before, and you recall that with their magical resistance, ropes of entanglement and poison-tipped daggers, they make deadly foes.
Apparently forwarned by the clanking armour and equipment of certain party members, they look up and spot you. The spread their wings and fly up to attack!
Darian fires off a magic missile at one of them.
His spell blasts into a devil, badly hurting it.
He then prepares to meet one with his frostbrand.
Niko forks a lightning bolt at them, trying to hit ones that are lined up one behind another.
Orlon starts to cast a flame strike at the devils.
Occa says, "Dont' forget, devils are immune to fire."
"OH SHIT! I've been out of the loop too long," Orlon curses as he tries to turn the devils instead.
The devils laugh at the high priest of Thor.
He then starts to cast 'dispel evil'.
Occa lightning bolts the devils...trying to get as many as he can before they arrive.
Emm is prepared to fight with Bubba and shield if attacked directly. Otherwise he fires his bow and magic arrows at the closest one.
He buries two arrows into the belly of a devil. She screams in pain.
Al unleashes a set of magic missiles from his wand, and draws Claw.
His missile misses its target.
Varlen readies his silver staff, hoping it will be enough to vanquish these devils.
Gilstrock draws Thawbreaker and waits to attack.
"Someone give me a magic dagger so I can cut a Rope of Entanglement," suggests Equinox.
Robert does not have a dagger to lend. Instead, he steps back and around the corner.
Gonzo fades into the shadows.
Nroda is not to be seen.
Niko releases his spell, catching two devils. Only one is affected, however. The other is injured, but not fatally.
An instant later, Occa cuts loose with his bolt. His bolt catches three of them, and all of them take damage.
After casting his lightning bolt, Niko engages with his flame tongue (lit) and Sinclair molecular chain short sword (dagger length).
The devils pause outside of striking range and release their ropes. As they do so, Occa sends a second lightning bolt flying. Three more are struck. Two drop to the bottom of the stairwell below, in little fleshy pieces, while the third - badly hurt, now - howls demonic curses at him.
Suddenly the air is full of ropes, and just as suddenly, everyone but Gilstrock, Darian, Gonzo and Robert find themselves trussed up.
Niko finds the arm holding his flame tongue bound fast and tightly against his body. The flaming blade sears him for 2 hit points. His hand with the Sinclair blade is free, though.
In similar fashion, Al has his sword hand free, Varlen his silver-tipped stave, Occa his magic missile finger, Emm has Bubba and Orlon continues to make arcane gestures.
As the devils swoop in for the kill with their daggers, Occa gets off one more spell: a magic missile. Another devil dies, and a second looks about ready to do so, as well.
A brief look tells Gilstrock that while most everybody is tied, they look like they aren't helpless... so he will let them stay tied until they start screaming at him to cut them free.
Gilstrock moves forward to attack the devils.
Occa unleashes his magic missles at any devils coming toward him. He will then start hitting the more injured ones...working toward the more healthy ones.
His first spell finishes off the badly injured one which had been heading for Gilstrock, and also does in one of the healthier ones which had been closing on Darian.
Varlen relaxes his muscles and tries to maneuver within the rope without struggling so that he can use the staff to jab at whatever devil comes close to him.
The rope tightens about him as he relaxes.
Emm uses Bubba to try to disentangle himself. He begins to saw away at the rope.
Darian fires another magic missile at the closest devil. His spell kills the erinyes about to get Niko, and hurts the last devil, on Al.
He then moves to meet it.
Equinox tries to shape change into a bear to break the rope. The rope expands around the bear. He then changes into a small sparrow and flies free, the rope dropping off him.
The rope on Al also drops free.
Gonzo timees his attack for best advantage against the devil. He leaps from cover and attacks the last devil.
"KARUMBA!" he says.
Al swings twice with Claw at his foe, cutting her down, as Gonzo leaps out of the shadows, just an instant too late to get in on the fun.
Once the devils are dead, the remaining ropes drop off, and you are all freed again. There are seven of them.
Emm picks up the rope that once held Equinox. He coils it up and puts it in his backpack.
Occa takes one of the ropes.
"I wonder if they will work for us?"
Equinox takes another rope for himself.
Darian picks up the remaining ones and looks for a command word.
"Hey! Don't be so greedy! There's plenty to go around!"
"I'm not keeping them, Niko. Just trying to determine if there's a common command word or if they're all unique. I'll pass them around after I've figured that out."
You find no command words on any of the ropes. Now that you think of it, you heard the devils utter no command words, either.
Darian hands them out to whomever wants one. "I think you just have to concentrate to get them to work."
Darian demonstrates by mentally commanding a rope to encircle Varlen's staff.
It does so.
"Now that's handy to know. I'll be able to keep one handy in case that Who Knows thief is up to no good," Orlon smiles.
Orlon takes up the rope that was on him and searches the devils for anything of value.
You find nothing else of value besides the ropes.
Niko starts dragging the bodies off to the side. "We should probably put them somewhere that they won't be found easily...I mean, we already made enough noise, so there's no need to attract any more attention!"
"I can hide them in the walls by shaping the stone to serve as their permanent coffins," says Equinox as he begins casting Stone Shape.
The druid speaks words of power, and the stone walls seem to shift and flow, emitting low, barely audible groaning noises as they do so, sounding for all the world like the pitiable cries of the doomed souls who are consigned to this place. A cavity is opened, and you toss the bodies in. Equinox then seals them up. The moaning of the walls stops, but for the occasional faint whimper, and all appears as it did before.
"Poseidon's beard! That was ghastly! Let us find Salaam and be done with this place!"
"Hmm... A useful spell, that..."
Darian takes one of the ropes and hangs it off his belt. "Who else wants one?"
Niko picks up the rope that was around him and hooks it to his belt.
Varlen reaches down and picks up one of the ropes, inspecting it closely. He then coils it up and sticks it in his belt, waiting for the others to decide upon their next course of action.
Gonzo looks at Darian... "Me dinks one o' dose might be mighty nice 'Karumba' assisting... lemme gif one a try."
All of the ropes have been claimed.
"Occa, we need to head downstairs, according to Nroda."
Niko, cutlass and chain sword out, heads down the stairwell.
Down you go, Niko leading, with Al close behind.
The bottom of the octagonal-shaped stairwell is undistinguished. The air is distinctly damp, down here. The place is presently adorned with bits and pieces of dead erinyes devils. Out of the west wall, northern half, runs a 10' wide passage. It is only 5' high. It runs west for 20', turning north after 10'. The walls of the passage are streaked with molds and slimes.
From around the corner comes a flickering glow, as from a torch. Also from that direction comes the occasional sound of dripping water.
Occa whispers, "Ick! That looks nasty."
You do not recognise the species (this being the Hells and all) but none of them resemble the lethal molds and slimes that you are familiar with.
Occa sends another wizard eye down the corridor and around the corner.
He gets a vacant look in his eyes for a time...even more vacant than normal.
Suddenly he snaps back to what passes for reality, and reports thus:
The passage runs north for 20' and then opens up into a chamber. Orlon starts furiously mapping. The right wall continues north for 20', then west for 10', northwest for 10', north for 20', west for 50', south for 60', east for 50' and northeast for 10', where it meets up with the other side of the passage.
The 20' long, 10' deep place where the passage terminates is obviously an alcove looking into the chamber to the west.
This large, irregularily-shaped chamber is mostly filled with water. The water is rather opaque. One cannot see more than a foot or two into its depths. The floor of the alcove is about a foot above the surface of the water.
Jutting out from the middle of the south wall is a long (30') pier or walkway. It is about 5' above the level of the water. There is a door in the south wall at the end of the pier. A pentagram has been crudely painted across the door...in blood.
Between the landing and the pier, a stone pillar rises up out of the depths, connecting with the ceiling some 50' above.
Occa noticed that there seems to be a glow of light emanating out from somewhere under the water, along the middle of the north wall. He also saw a few bubbles rising to the surface of the water, off the end of the pier.
Pacing impatiently back and forth along the length of the pier are three fire giants and three horrible, demonic-looking creatures. These latter creatures are roughly man-sized, with hard, chitinous exoskeletons, and long arms which almost drag on the floor. The arms end in enormous hands, tipped with razor-sharp claws. Of course, they have horns.
Occa has not yet sent the eye underwater.
"Occa, what are the three demons? Something worse than what we just faced?"
Occa says, "Let's go find out."
"Who can detect traps with their weapons? Also secret doors and magic? If you can, let know so that we can check as we go."
"Bubba can detect traps," replies Emm. "Right buddy?"
"Right! Tender traps are my favourite!"
"Dwarf's Envy can detect traps, Occa."
Orlon starts to cast a True Seeing spell.
"Careful, father, I was stunned when I cast one," Al warns Orlon. "Beseeching Thor to find traps would be a wiser choice, what a hell of a headache I had."
Darian, taking a more direct approach, hits Orlon in the gut, disrupting the spell. "Are you stupid, Orlon? Don't you remember what happened to Al when he did that?"
"My short term memory sucks," Orlon groans as he rubs his stomach.
"Sorry for being so rough, Orlon, but I was afraid punching your arm wouldn't do it. I didn't want you to end up like Al."
"Yeah, poor Al," Orlon nods.
"Thanks, Father," Al says with a frown, criticism from the high priest bothering him, "I shall do better next time."
"Orlon, did you ever heal Al?" asks Robert with a grin, "It's hard to tell."
"As I said, my memory sucks. Must be due to boring pizza withdrawal. Al, do you need healing?" Orlon asks.
"No, I am ok, father, are you?" Al queries as it seems like he is being ignored.
Niko hands his rope to Gil. "Here, you can have mine, if ya give me hand bringin' back one of dem fire giants to Sandas. Dead, of course."
Gilstrock says, "Thanks. And, deal. 'course, I'm big, but a Fire Giant is pretty damn bigger."
Niko shrugs. "He doesn't have to be in one piece."
Darian's rope winds itself off of Darian's belt and into Gonzo's hands. "You can probably make better use of this than I can, Gonzo."
Occa has everyone start to move forward. "Hopefully, there isn't something too bad in that water. Probably is, though."
Niko leads the way, asking his cutlass to detect traps along the way.
The party moves cautiously forward, but you note no traps.
As you approach the entrance to the chamber there is a roar from within, and suddenly a flying boulder bounces off of the wall and down the passage at you! Niko just jumps aside in time, as does Al, to avoid being mushed. Evidently the approach of the clanking, armour-clad warriors in the party gave the enemy an opportunity for a blind shot.
At the same time, two of the daemons suddenly appear out of thin air at the rear of the party, where Robert and Varlen are! They immediately move to attack.
Emm moves to engage one of the daemons with Bubba and shield.
The daemon laughs and takes a swipe at Varlen, raking him for 11 hit points.
Varlen grabs the new magical rope and tosses it at one of the daemons, mentally commanding the rope to entangle the creature.
The rope snakes forward, wrapping itself around the monster. It grunts in surprise and abruptly vanishes again, taking the rope as well.
Robert faces the remaining daemon. It scrapes its claws down his breast plate, as he nails it with his defender.
Orlon also tosses his rope at the remaining daemon, thinking the rope to wrap around it.
This monster is also entangled. It too suddenly vanishes.
Equinox hesitates, and refrains from throwing his rope.
Darian turns invisible and begins looking for a fire giant to skewer with his frostbrand.
Niko turns invisible and searches for the fire giant who threw the boulder. He'll then throw two Sepia Snake Sigil daggers at the fire giants.
Al peeks around the corner and looks to see what is attacking them with Claw and shield in hand.
Moving up to take a look, you see that they are still on the wharf...separated from you by about 30' of water.
Suddenly the two roped up daemons appear on the wharf as well. The last daemon curses them in some foul language, and moves to try to disentangle the creatures. One of the fire giants also moves to help, while the others ready more boulders to throw.
Niko throws his daggers. Both strike home, into two different giants, freezing them both in shimmering amber fields of force.
Darian fires a forked lightning bolt and then quickly turns invisible and moves position.
The bolt strikes the remaining giant and the untrussed daemon. The daemon is unaffected, but the giant is shocked momentarily.
Occa lets loose two lightning bolts on the daemons and giants. The mezzodaemon and giant are tearing at the ropes holding the other daemons.
His first spell catches all three daemons plus the giant. One of the held daemons takes the full brunt of the bolt, which also blows the rope entangling him to pieces (this was Varlen's rope); the other trussed up daemon is unaffected; the free daemon takes a glancing blow; and the giant is reduced to small chunks of black meat, sizzling in a most appetizing manner.
Gonzo slips into the shadows and waits.
Niko grins at the effect of his daggers. He then gestures and yells at the daemon.
"C'mon, you ugly beetle! Let's see what you've got!"
Niko draws his Sinclair to complement his now flaming cutlass, awaiting the daemon to teleport to him.
The newly freed daemon fades from sight.
Emm moves into the shadows, waiting to sneak attack any daemons that reappear.
Al sheathes Claw and uses his wand of magic missiles at the nearest daemon.
His wand has no effect on the daemon.
Orlon is on the lookout for any more enemies that may appear on the scene.
Darian draws his bow.
Occa lets loose with another bolt, aiming at the two remaining visible daemons. Both monsters are struck, and the bolt destroys the second rope (Orlon's), freeing the daemon, though it is now quite hurt. The other daemon suffers only a glancing hit.
Suddenly both daemons vanish...to instantly reappear in the midst of your party! Gilstrock and Equinox find themselves face-to-mandible with two very upset mezzodaemons.
Occa uses his rope to entangle both of the daemons. He then turns invisible again.
Gonzo pulls his rope from his haversack and grasping it from one end will point it at the mezzodaemons thinking to himself... "DAT one! Sic 'em rope."
The rope snakes out, further trussing up one of the daemons, while the dwarf holds the end of it.
"I hate daemons," Al mutters as he does a weapon shift again and wades in with his scimitar to attack either of the daemons.
Equinox swings MC Hammer at the (hopefully) helpless daemon.
Emm emerges from the shadows to attack the closest daemon from behind.
Niko keeps an eye out for the remaining daemon and will attack if it re-appears.
Gilstrock says, "How nice of you to drop by! Now drop!" as he attemts to sever mandibles with Thawbreaker.
As you converge on the monsters, Gilstrock, Darian, Al and Niko suddenly feel an invisible, irresistable force begin to push them away from the daemons, and back towards the water-filled chamber.
One by one they tumble into the water, and disappear beneath the surface.
Suddenly there is a crunching sound.
"Yo!" says MC Hammer, as he collapses the skull of one of the daemons. The monster sags in his bindings, and dies.
Emm sticks the other daemon, and it too dies.
"EEEEERG!" says daemon number three, as it charges around the corner to the east, and finds itself facing Varlen and Robert.
"Ohh great, what no... glub.." Al says as he disappears underwater.
Gonzo grins from ear to ear as the daemon is killed.
"Me likes dis magicks.... KARUMBA!".
He disengages the rope and looks around for something else to tangle up with the rope.... finding nothing close, he jogs over to the edge of the water and peers in to see if he can see any of those who were pushed in. "Come on rope-dingie... letz see how goods youse is at rescuing."
Emm extracts his rope of climbing, then moves to the edge of the water. He lowers the rope to just above the water's surface. Stiffening it, he shouts down to the others to take a hold. Emm keeps at least one hand on the rope, to prevent his own fall.
Orlon starts to cast Lower Water.
Al surfaces in wraithform.
A 10' diameter sphere of ice bobs to the surface. You see Gilstrock encased in it...looking rather dismayed.
Gilstrock makes "mmmm! mmm! mmmmmm!" noises and begins to show a little panic on his face.
Darian surfaces nearby. There is no sign of Niko.
"Hey, use one of those ropes to wrap around the block of ice so we can pull him out."
Gonzo attempts to wrap his rope around the Gil-popcycle to bring it closer to shore.
The rope obliges, and the powerful dwarf pulls the sphere if ice over to the edge of the landing.
"Equinox, if I recall, you are a druid. Can you melt the ice using any nature abilities? I once knew a druid who could exert some control over the basic elements," Al asks.
"Unfortunately not with the spells I have currently prepared," replies Equinox.
Orlon continues with his spell, hoping that it works on ice as well as water. It will take him ten minutes to complete his spell.
Meanwhile, at the back of the party, Robert and Varlen are fighting the last mezzodaemon for their lives. The warrior is clawed for 11 hit points as he fans badly with his bastard sword.
"Wait a minute," exclaims Equinox, "I can melt that ice! Get Gilstrock out of the water and step away from him!"
Equinox runs up to Gilstrock and casts Wall of Fire in a tight circle around himself so that the wall cuts directly through the ball of ice. Equinox will move about as the flames melt the ice so that the circle of fire moves over the ice in order to free Gilstrock as quickly as possible.
Gonzo removes his rope before this is done. The globe containing Gilstrock bobs in the water, being too heavy to lift out and onto the dry floor.
Darian, seeing that folks have Gil well in hand, climbs onto the surface of the water and runs to the aid of Varlen and Robert, drawing his frostbrand as soon as he hits dry land.
Seeing that combat is still in progress, Al reforms himself and charges the daemon with Claw in hand.
Meanwhile, Robert lands a good solid hit on the daemon. This gets the mezzodaemon mad, and suddenly all of you find yourself being repelled by that unseen force...away from the monster and towards the water-filled chamber. The mezzodaemon advances.
One by one, you all are pushed into the water...
At about the same time, you note a slight disturbance in the water, over near the north wall where the glow emanates from...
One by one, you end up in the drink, as the mezzodaemon comes to the entrance to the ledge, his repulsion field at full force. Orlon has his spell ruined, as does Equinox. Gilstrock remains encased in the sphere of ice. He has been without air for over two minutes, but he is a tough guy and is still looking pretty good.
Robert immediately sinks below the surface, as do Al, Orlon and Tracy...weighed down by their heavy armour.
Equinox, Emm, Occa, Varlen and Gonzo do not go quite as quickly.
Darian, frost brand in hand, uses his psionic ability to stay above the surface, thus avoiding Gilstrock's fate.
The water is strangely clear, once you drop below the surface. Beneath the pier is a construct of stone, with several openings. Some 5' below the water level in the middle of the north wall is a 10' wide tunnel, angling upwards. Light shines from down this tunnel.
The floor of the chamber is some 25' below the surface.
Utilizing his ring of flight, Al attempts to lift himself out of the water and if it succeeds, he flies at the daemon with Claw swinging.
The daemon's repulsion field stops Al about 30' away, leaving him fanning the air.
Emm climbs the rope of climbing, reaching the surface of the pool. The repulsion field also keeps him at bay, however.
Occa can swim and flies out of the water. He then lightning bolts the mezzodaemon and will cast up to two magic missles after that.
Darian uses his last lightning bolt followed by his last magic missile (if necessary) against the demon.
Niko similarly unloads magic missiles at the mezzodaemon until it's dead (including 3 more from Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer if he needs them).
None of his three spells even bother the daemon.
Equinox changes shape into a dolphin and heads down to the heavily armored Robert, Al and Orlon to drag those of them up to the surface where they can hold on to something to keep from drowning.
Robert climbs aboard the dolphin, and Equinox transports him to the surface. Unable to return to the ledge where the daemon now stands, he lets Robert off to cling to one of the pillars which support the pier which extends out into the pool.
If Equinox can't manage to get Orlon, Tracey, and Robert to the surface, then Orlon will try to grab Robert and Tracey, and cast Word of Recall.
Occa lets loose with his bolt, followed almost immediately by Darian. The first bolt does not affect the daemon...and neither does the second. They open up with magic missiles. Occa's second spell gets through, injuring it slightly.
Then he turns invisible again.
Darian's spell fails to penetrate the monster's resistance.
The dolphin turns and swims back to Tracy and Orlon.
Occa starts to cast lightning bolt and then will use his last magic missle on the remaining daemon.
Darian swears and then smiles.
He casts a dimension door and appears just behind the demon, swinging as he steps through the door so that he gets in a swing before the repulsion field forces him away.
He bounces his frost brand off of the monster's chitinous exoskeleton, achieving little more than gaining the mezzodaemon's attention. His second swing has greater effect, however, and his sword comes away covered in frozen ichor.
The monster bellows, spins around, and Darian is forced away from the daemon and back up the passage by the repulsion field. At the same time, the remainder of you in the water feel the field lift, and you are free to move against the enemy.
Emm sheaths Bubba. With one hand firmly gripping the rope of climbing, he extracts a magic sling bullet from a pouch on his belt. Emm places the bullet in his mouth, then grabs the sling from his belt. He carefully transfers the bullet to the sling, winds up, and fires at the enemy. He repeats this procedure until he runs out of bullets or the daemon is destroyed.
He misses with his bullet.
There is a crackle, and Occa's lightning bolt releases. Again, the daemon is not affected. He releases his last magic missile spell, and that gets through. The monster is badly hurt, but not dead.
Gilstrock continues to not breathe and begins to look a bit frantic.
"Gonzo, can you melt Gil out with your flametongue?" calls Darian, as he is forced up the passage.
Niko flies over and starts to melt Gilstrock out with his flametongue.
Occa says, "Hold on Gil!"
He casts passwall on the block of ice.
Most of the ice suddenly vanishes, and Gilstrock is freed. The ice immediately begins to reform around his frost brand, but the warrior lets go of it before becoming entrapped again.
He then stands up with his boots of levitation and breathes deeply, the bluish hue to his features fading rapidly.
A new 10' diameter sphere bobs in the water beside him, the frost brand in the middle of it.
Equinox has fished out Tracy, and is now heading down to fetch Varlen. That leaves Orlon, who is about to speak his word of recall, and Gonzo.
Equinox, still in dolphin form, dives down to the remaining party members on underwater and brings them up to the surface as quickly as possible.
He gets to Varlen, who is starting to look like he is about to start drowning properly, and carrys him up to grab one of the piles which support the pier.
Occa polymorphs self into a dolphin to try and get Orlon if it isn't too late.
Seeing that help is on the way, Orlon holds his breath as long as possible. Occa the dolphin comes to him, and helps the high priest to the surface as quickly as he can.
Both dolphins then head down to Gonzo. The dwarf looks none too pleased about being in the drink and all, but he is made of tougher stuff than the humans, and does not appear to be near death yet.
"Thanks Occa!" Gilstrock says.
Leaving Thawbreaker where it as at the moment, Gilstrock to pushes himself off of the bobbing sphere of ice, and gets himself back over to where he can lower and stand on the solid ledge.
Once he's standing, the large blond warrior takes his short bow off from his shoulder, to start firing arrows at the demon.
"The repulsion field only affects those the demon is facing. We need to hit him from all directions!"
When Gilstrock hears this, he stops getting his bow out. Instead, he draws Hangnail (the sword of sharpness) from the scabbard across his back. He charges the demon, striving to be on the opposite side of it from Darian. Whenever he can, he will charge forward and swing with Hangnail.
Niko flies over the mezzodaemon and attacks it from above/behind with his flametongue and dagger.
Darian dimension doors behind the demon again and swings at it.
Al looks for an opening and swing with Claw, trying to slay the damned creature.
Darian appears behind the monster, swings and misses.
The daemon spins about again, and, forgetting all about the repulsion field, cancels it and swings at the elf, missing.
Gilstrock steps up and swings with Hangnail. It pierces the daemon's hide easy, it gurgles, and expires on the spot.
Finally, all of those annoying monsters are dead.
Robert, meanwhile, still clutching a pile, has unhooked his rope with the grappling hook attached, and tossed it up and over his head with his free hand. The hook catches the far side of the pier securely, and he then hoists himself up onto the top of it.
He then helps Varlen, Tracy, Orlon and Gonzo - just fished out - up onto the pier, where several dead giants and mezzodaemons lie.
There are also three large sacks on the pier.
One of the giants has a strange adornment hanging from a chain about his neck. It appears to be a large (fist sized) glass eyeball.
At the end of the pier in the south wall is a door.
Gilstrock gives Darian the thumbs-up. "Good plan, Darian!"
Darian grins. "Took me long enough!"
Catching his breath, Orlon tells the others, "Thanks,I thought I was a goner for a minute."
Gilstrock points across the water vaguely at the potential loot. "Somebody look through those... Occa, can you use that eyeball for anything?"
"Oh, and could somebody help me get Thawbreaker out of the ice? I'd hate to lose it... it's a fine sword. I just have to remember to stop using it when I'm over water."
Darian chuckles. "You want us to yell out reminders?"
Gilstrock nods, "Sure thing, can't hurt."
Occa says, "I can cast passwall on it...just the top half so that that is an ice layer between it and the water."
He manages to do this, though the sword is still somewhat stuck in the ice. After some work, though, he gets it free and returns it to Gilstrock.
"Woo-hoo! Thanks Occa," Gilstrock says, carefully sheathing Thawbreaker. He also throws his bow back over his shoulder, sheathes hangnail in the scabbard across his back, and retrieves his spear from wherever he dropped it.
Niko flies over to the pier. He examines the glass eyeball.
The glass eyeball appears to be just that: a glass eyeball. The eye is somewhat bloodshot.
"When we got knocked into the water, I swam through this tunnel. It seemed to teleport me to this room with a couple of fire giants. The air was nasty and I had a hard time breathing without choking and being noticed. Also, my anti-gravity belt wasn't working there. I guess it was affected by wherever that place is located."
Occa says, "Hmm, I wonder if that could be a link to the elemental plane of fire or to Surtur's lair."
Niko shrugs "I was thinking more of the next plane of Hell..."
With Claw in hand, Al moves to open all three sacks carefully.
Getting up to the pier, he opens the sacks. They are full of the usual giantish knick-knacks...plus 12,000gp in all.
Once back on the pier, Gonzo sputters and shakes the water off... "Wuzn' time fer me bath yet," he mutters.
He then proceeds to examine the bags and anything else he can poke his curious nose into.
Al beat Gonzo to the sacks, so he searches the corpses.
On one giant he finds a vial; on another he finds six beads.
Niko takes the chain and glass eyeball from the giant. He looks at it an begins concentrating on the fire giants he saw when he swam through the tunnel.
Nothing appears to happen.
Niko casts Detect Magic on it.
Everything here radiates magic: the cave, the water, the pier, the door, the eye, the sacks...
Emm unsheaths Bubba. "Hey Bubba. Any treasure besides this stuff around here?"
"That's all she wrote, pal!" says the sword.
"Would you like me to cast 'True Seeing' on it," Orlon asks Niko.
Occa says, "Orlon...don't. Remember what happened to Al? It isn't good to cast here."
"Orlon, you got to fix that short term memory problem. I already had to hit in you in the gut once to stop you from casting that spell. Maybe your should tie a string around a finger to remind you."
Before he starts casting, Orlon frowns. "What, are only clerics affected by this spell casting thing? Occa, you have been casting spells left and right without anyting happening. What's the catch?"
"I think it is true seeing in general....probably because if you see what is truly here in hell, you will go mad as Al did."
Grimacing, he replies, "That's it. I'm going into my fighting mode from now on."
"Maybe it's that the whole place radiates evil? Anyway, I don't think a true seeing spell in hell is a good idea for anyone, Orlon. Feel free to cast other spells, though."
"Oh, was anyone wounded? If so, line up for healing. Orlon, do you want to do the honors? I don't want to deplete my psionics in case we meet demons who use them."
"Gladly," Orlon answers.
"Orlon, it is only the spell 'True Sight' that I believe is affected. It allowed me to see Hell for what it really is and my mind couldn't handle it," Al says with a shiver. "Even now the memory is painful."
Orlon nods, "I promise not to try to cast that spell again while we are down here."
Equinox changes back into human form and shakes his head to get the water out of his hair. "Thor has also given me the ability to heal people, although not to the extent of Orlon's ability."
Orlon uses a cure light wounds spell on each of Niko (for 1 hit point), Varlen (7) and Robert (1).
Occa says, "I am nearly out of spells...at least the ones we rely on most for artillary. Maybe we should camp out for a bit while we relearn spells."
Darian looks around. "Where? We need a defensible position and I haven't seen one since we snuck in here. And where's our guide?"
Now that you think of it, you have not seen Nroda since the erinyes devils appeared.
Darian heads back towards the stairway. "We need to find that coward and chain him so that he can't do this again."
"Me dinks he should lead," offers Gonzo with a snicker.
"If you ask me, I bet he was paid to lead us directly to these beasts," Orlon sneers.
"After listening to everyone, and considering the situation," says Equinox suddenly, "I think we may be jumping to conclusions. How do we know that he has actually left? He might just be invisible, around us right now. Can anyone detect the invisible?"
After a pause, Equinox continues, "On the other hand, we ought to be prepared for an attack because, if Nroda has turned on us, he has reported our presence to an entity intending to bring us grief. Prudence suggests we return to the surface and replenish ourselves. However, if an attack is headed our way, perhaps we ought to consider an ambush of our own and wait to see if any beings appear who might be bent on our destruction. In that way, if any appear, we will have both determined that Nroda is a traitor and, if successful in defeating our attackers, sent a message to those in the path of our goal."
Occa sends his wizard eye out looking for the gnome...back the way we came and around here.
His wizard eye turns up nothing that you have not already seen before. There is no sign of the gnome.
"Let's camp here and then move on."
"The pier would leave us too exposed," Orlon remarks.
"Ok. Let's push on. Into the chamber. First defensible room we find, though and we camp out."
"I vote for the door, I don't like the feeling of drowning," Orlon comments.
"What about Niko's magical shelter device? Can't we just use that here?"
"I don't see why not," Orlon nods.
"Let's try." Occa says.
Niko draws the rod. "OK...let's all hold hands and I'll activate it."
Niko waits till everyone is touching before speaking the magic words.
You all find yourselves back in Niko's version of paradise.
Niko smiles at all the beautiful naked women serving ale and hand feeding him grapes.
"Now this is more like it!"
"Nice place, though do you have anything other than ale, I have been sober for almost a year now," Al says with a grin. "The women, on the other hand..." he says, approaching one of the nubile women.
He peels off his chest guard, exposing a well built physique and asks, "I could use a backrub, m'lady,"
"I don't do backrubs, mister," the lady replies, "How about a front rub..?"
"If you insist," he says with a smile, allowing the woman to do what she wants.
She starts to massage him, paying particular attention to a very stressed and tense area below his belt line.
Darian blushes as he looks around. "I don't think Jesse would approve of this."
Darian addresses one of the women. "Miss, would you please put some clothes on?"
"No," replies the nubile nymph.
"And just some food and some ale will be fine. You don't need to attend me."
"Hey girls, lets gang bang this guy!" says one of the women to her fellow servants.
A half a dozen naked women move towards Darian, giggling in a most provocative manner.
Darian stammers out, "No... Look it, I'm newly married, okay?"
"That's what they all say!"
Darian turns invisible and hides.
Niko frowns and grumbles something about "Darian gettin' all the women..."
He slugs down some ale and digs into the food.
Gilstrock, noble guy that he is, comes to the aid of his friend, sacrficing himself for Darian.
"Hey, ladies!" the big warrior says, waving them over. "How 'bout some grapes?"
The women converge on him.
"This could easily make one forget about the other world," Orlon smiles at the scene, as Gilstrock finds his armour being removed...followed by other, more private, articles of clothing...
Occa finds the fact that Gilstrock is actually going to get laid at last, too much to take, and decides to disbelieve the surroundings. "Call me paranoid, but Nroda was a gnome and could be an illusionist. What if we are still in hell?"
Nothing changes in Occa's eyes, and Gilstrock continues to get his grapes nibbled on.
"Eh?" Niko says, as he pauses in mid-drink.
His eyes narrow "But how would he know that this is exactly how I remembered Paradise?"
"Anyone have a Detect Evil spell handy?" he asks the group.
"Not at the moment, but I can pray for one quickly," Orlon answers.
Equinox laughs and catches the hand of one of the lovely lasses and pulls her into his arms. "I will pray for my spells after I celebrate the greatest wonder of nature - beautiful young women!" Equinox leads her off to a secluded place where he can properly take care of the business at hand.
Occa sets about studying and relearning his spells. "Any treasure that needs to be identified?"
"How about this giant eyeball on a chain?"
"How abouts dez beads 'n stuff me found on dem giants?" queries Gonzo.