Sorry for pumping out all those long winded entries on such a short notice but I've got a deadline here and I would like to get this LP done before it expires. There will be another, much shorter update either tomorrow or the day thereafter. I originally planned to stick them together but the second one features two very exclusive characters from the Greyhawk universe so I wanted to honor them (and a PC's death) with a separated entry.
The inner sanctum: Meeting the boss
'The greatest threat always waits where it can do the least harm. Right at the bottom.' Lord Grey,
A Man and his Dungeon
On last weeks's episode, we've left Screamer, still the leader of the yet to be named band, with a crucial decision. Either turn the golden skull in to the chief cleric of the fire temple or keep it for herself. Since the skull is both featured in the intro and on the box cover art it is easy to guess what she will say to Alrrem during their next appointment. Considering the circumstances, the outcome of the discussion about ownership rights ends to our complete satisfaction without any lawyers involved.
Now Screamer can hold onto the skull and we've solved two quests on the fly as well! The earth temple wants the water temple dead now while the water temple just asks for some prison guards getting killed and the earth temple framed for the murder. After we've killed those, we check out what poor tortured souls they were guarding. There are elves that are still alive for once.
The prisoner keeps on babbling about that she's a princess of sorts. It’s clearly another deception that should trick us into freeing her. Screamer takes offense in that and gives those cheating elves some misdirection that will lead to their doom.
Disclaimer: Rescuing the woman you see above is actually the main reason for chaotic good parties to enter the campaign.
Another prisoner catches the eye.
You can release this low level rogue and ask him to join if you want. I don't know anything about him except that the name Wicked doesn't really speak for competence. Our reputation has suffered enough as it is.
Finally, it's time for everyone to remove those musty old robes and return to his or her comfortable self. Punkaid's new pal doesn't approve this sudden wave of individualism and attacks. That wouldn't be too bad if it wasn't for the otherworldly being that suddenly appears out of nowhere. Frost Brand would be nice against these foes but Johnny left it behind during one of our visits in Nulb. He will have to deal with them the conventional way.
Where are all those other guys on the initiative bar? Shall a prayer from Punkaid reveal them.
Seems like there are quiet a lot.
Yup, our heroes are completely surrounded. It also comes to Johnny's attention that he suffers fire damage when he hits those creatures. We need to clear a path for our weaker characters to retreat. Magedude has just the thing in stock for us. Another ice storm.
It only kills one of them but that's good enough for now. Before she makes her retreat, Tumblefingers uses a scroll of protection from energy (fire) on Johnny but ignores Punkaid although she possesses a second scroll. She doesn't have enough good in her neutral to act otherwise. Punkaid gets quiet upset about that and cast one of his best super duper divine spells at his disposal. RIGHTEOUS MIGHT!
This spell turns even a lackluster fighter like Punkaid into a true killing machine. One of the smaller elementals we've overlooked attacks Magedude and deals a devastating critical.
Luckily, they are not as resistant towards missile weapons like their greater brothers. A combined effort from Screamer and Tumblefingers brings them down.
Punkaid got beaten up rather bad. We need more charming!
Problem solved. (Until we ambush our new found allies that is)
Since we've already looted the chest, our only reward from this encounter is XP and the flaming longsword that the fancy priest was wielding. What's curious about his weapon is that it deals fire damage yet it is not listed as such when Magedude takes a closer look at it as a crafter. This means that we could technically give it a double fire enchantment when the time comes.
Only the water temple and that snake Belsornig stands in our way to evil stardom. We throw a fireball at him that kills one of his disciples right away. Magedude is quiet surprised to see that the fireball also brought the statue behind Belsornig to life. It's Juggernaut!
It should be well established by now that Johnny isn't one of those people that are intimidated by the size of his opponent. He storms in and almost disappears behind the beast.
'Needs more faster killing' he yells. Magedude is always eager to please.
A wounded bugbear tries to engage our casters in melee. He doesn't survive long.
Gargoyles from the north, more bugbears from the south. The bugbear looks useful enough for Magedude’s purpose.
Belsornig bites the dust during the next turn. Screamer casts a slow spell on the Juggernaut and is even able to penetrate its spell resistance. This will decrease its attacking rate to a significant degree. Easy picking for Johnny.
Level complete. We can now go back to Kelno in the air temple (who reacts quiet agitated by the demise of his two hateful rivals) and ask him to meet the authorities of this place. After the usual blindfold routine, we finally meet Hedrack. He is the great man behind it all.
Screamer is completely taken in by this demonstration of pure masculine prowess and is easily persuaded to investigate a disturbance on the above level. He also provides the party with more robes (this time in stylish black) that will prove to be the most useless disguise yet. Starting with Major_Blackhart who attacks us on sight. What he was doing with all these trolls is anyone’s guess.
He carries some very handy boots of speed that go to Johnny. Behind a pair of secret doors we find an important looking troop commander. He's a very jolly man but doesn't have too much to say at all.
There are more secret doors that lead to the laboratory of Hedracks own personal Magedude. He apparently doesn't like his privacy being disturbed and sets his elementals on us.
He even summons more of those darn fire elementals. A little AI bug makes the other elementals attack the new ones, eventually killing them. That's some true jealousy between summons for you.
This seems to be an earnest fellow.
Screamer must have it!
Death of a mage, the final act.
The elementals are easily dealt with after that. Our reward: nifty bracers of +5 armor and a fancy looking robe for Magedude. There are some ogres nearby who react strangely apathetic to our uniforms as well. They gladly try to stomp our dwarf into the ground though.
I have to repeat the encounter several times since I keep on underestimating the commander in their midst (who has the highest challenge rating until this point). Screamer will have to exploit her charming nature again for us to succeed.
RIGHTEOUS MIGHT!
What ogre could withstand a kick-ass cleric who is about 9 feet tall? No one.
An ogre shaman comes to investigate the noises we produced during the struggle. He falls for Screamer's 'just passing through' attitude and ignores us.
Wish the same could be said about these guys.
Magedude tries a new toy of his called the ‘mind fog’. It will greatly decrease the saving throws of any creature contained in the targeted area, making them easy picking for Screamer's charm spell. Anyways, MORE RIGHTEOUS MIGHT! (Sorry, sorry I'll quit it now. Promised)
An ice storm hits our enemies really hard, killing some of the ogres and all archers in reach.
Tumblefingers is about to deal with the last bugbear archer as she makes an unnerving discovery. There are more ogres in the sleeping bunkers although they don't seem to be interested in a fight.
Of course, this changes immediately after we're done with the bugbears.
Once the fight is over, the ogre shaman makes his return and is baffled by the sight of such bloodshed. At least he isn't suspicious of the party who still standing right next to the mess.
We find a potion by that chance that surely going to make Punkaid a heartthrob.
Sounds reassuring. Only the west wing is now left to explore containing a shoddy hill giant,
three ettins that guard three trapped chests,
and a room full of trolls. This would normally not be worth mentioning but it is then when 85 percent of the group hits the level cap. Disappointingly anticlimactic.
We search Hedrack's private chambers for more loot but only find a scroll of dispel magic and two obviously unimportant concubines.
Disclaimer: As you can probably guess, there is something wrong with concubine number two. If you use the scroll on her she will turn out to be the missing wife of Valden back in Homlett. You can then guide her outside for some XP if you got the urge of doing something lawful stupid.
We're done with this level and there is no excuse anymore why our heroes shouldn't take care of the little task Hedrack gave to us. It turns out that the disturbance is actually a rogue hill giant called Scorpp and his warg, who reside in their 'Pleasure Dome'. He is one of the few NPCs who actually react to our new dress for once.
Thanks to Screamer's high rank in diplomacy, he tells about his life in service of the greater temple until he decided to quit and tricked everyone with a doppelganger. We will still have to fight him though. This is easier than it looks like since he will only use a rather harmless crossbow +1 which does close to none damage in comparison to the club he’s carrying around. Once you get his HP down enough, he will surrender and offer his servitude to you. If you want the rest of the game turn into a cakewalk, take him. That guy will destroy *everything* in his path. He has about 200 HP, can wield two-handed swords with one hand thereby letting him use a shield, gets three attacks per round and his strength stat is way off the charts. His two major downsides are that he takes tons of loot for himself and that there are close to none NPCs willing to talk to you after you recruit him. If you should try to disband him, he'll attack you by default. It's still really sad watching him bleed to death. A wasted opportunity. We find the missing crossbow and a scroll on him that the gnome (back from the first level) wanted so we return the items. He says thank you for being good kids and let us keep the scroll as a sign of his appreciation. It’s during this moment that Screamer realizes that the gnome is now the only person in all of Greyhawk (the reachable in-game parts that is) with a magical crossbow. She orders Tumblefingers to place an arrow in his back and takes his weapon again for herself. While on their journey back to Nulb for further enchantment work they encounter a beautiful blonde in distress.
He's a bard with a tragic past (and present) who is looking for a group. He's a fairly good asset and if it wouldn't be for Screamer forcefully pressing on we might have replaced her by now.
Once we've returned to Hedrack, there is one last task that needs to get done which, although simple, appears to be rather dramatic, judging by his dissipation of prose.
Who is Screamer, an unworthy woman, to argue? She bows down and gently sucks it up while the screen fades out and the credits start to roll.
Aha, so it is goddess and not mistress as Lareth kept on calling her. Thanks for the heads-up.
Prince who?
This is not the actual ending since it took me too long to get to this point. I would normally get the 'happily ever after' thing but I think this one is more fitting considering the following events.
The satisfying results of our honest work.
Burn Baby Burn!
Nulb deserves at least that for sure.
Uh, I like that. But who is bowing to whom?
The End (?)
