Journal #8 - August 2010

Real Date: 22-Aug-10
Game Date: 12/01

With barely time to draw breath after rescuing Baeshra from the gelatinous cube the party are attacked by some extremely smelly rotting corpses which threw lumps of their own corrupted flesh as an attack which caused Tryn's flesh to start rotting as well. Ash manages to Turn them and they back off a distance whilst taking some serious sparkly radiant damage. Balasar and Tryn continue to pummel away at the corrupted corpses as Ash uses his Lance of Faith to shine forth the divine glory of Pelor upon the unclean spirits. Arranis deals the death blow to the final corpse with a might Magic Missile.

[750xp/5]

The next few rooms contain a pair of plain-looking sarcophagi and a chest within which there are three amulets. One of which is rather shiny, in a nicely magical type of way, and the other two have the names of Sir Keegan's children inscribed on them. Also in the chest are some wooden practice swords and a hairbush with a mother of pearl handle.

Treasure
1x Amulet (Safewing +1) = Arranis
2x Children's Amulets (450GP in total)
1x Mother of Pearl Handled Hairbrush

After an extended rest to get Baeshra back on his feet and a lengthy review of maps scrawled so far they head off and find a room they hadn't so far investigated. And what a room! Rivers of blood and a Priest of Orcus accompanied by skelewags.

Treasure from Priest of Orcus
1x Mace
1x Dagger

[975xp/5]

The blood within this temple flows to the centre and down into a pit. The pit has four chains descending into the darkness, slick with gallons of blood. The only way forward is down so the party attempt to climb down the slippery chains with varying degress of success with Ash, Arranis and Balasar falling into the darkness and landing badly in a pool of blood fifty-plus feet below. Arranis and Balasar are fairly quick to recover themselves, but Ash can't find his footing.Which is particularly bad news as this is the temple to Orcus with Kalarel himself presiding over the ritual to open the rift and bring Orcus and his minions into the world. Kalarel had been waiting for them and opens fire with his diabolical powers. Tryn bravely takes on a wight all by himself while Balasar, Arranis and Baeshra fight Kalarel and his minion skeletons. Ash eventually makes his way out of the pool of blood and joins the fight as the skellybones slowly fall one by one and Tryn single-handedly dispatches the wight. Kalarel is on his own but he is stood in front of the rift itself and black tendrils of nether-worldly nastiness lash out at anyone who passes too close. Kalarel tries to draw the party towards him but they are wise to the trap and continue their long-range hit and run tactics... until, with a cry to the glory of Orcus, Kalarel falls. Before he can hit the ground, though, a black tendril wraps itself around his body and drags him into the rift.

Success! Kalarel and his death cult have been uncovered and maybe even eradicated. To prove to Edric in Waterdeep that the job has been done Ash takes Kalarel's Prayer Book with the intention of showing it to Edric and then destroying it.

[Encounter = 1350xp/5]
[Quest Bonus = 2000xp/5]
[Misc Bonus = 750xp/5]

Aaaaaand rest...