Uktar 8, 1372 DR (8:00 AM) Deep Wastes: Lake of Shadows to Glouroth's Chasm

In the morning, everybody gets up and the spellcasters meditate, pray, or study their spellbooks. Hazen sidles over to Kress. "How ya doin', big guy?" he asks his henchman.

Kress shrugs. "OK, I guess," he answers. "I don't like it when people mess with my mind."

Hazen nods. "That umber hulk was no 'people', but I hear ya." Tapping his own head, he continues "You just gotta be strong. You won't find me being controlled some cheatin' mental spell!"

Veracity looks up from her spellbook and smirks at him. "Right, Hazen. Only those that have minds are susceptible."

Kress smiles and turns away as Hazen sputters.

Soon, all were ready, and the party lines up and trudges off through the darkness. Little of note happens until after the party had eaten lunch and resumed their hike. Rounding a bend in the passage, the heroes encounter a group of fiendish creatures.

One of them is large, towering as high as an ogre. Its body is covered with scales and it has huge, bat-like wings and a prehensile tail. Two huge horns jut forth from atop its head and its glaring red eyes and gaping maw full of sharp teeth bode ill for anyone who should fall into its grasp. Flexing a large spike chain stretched between its two hands, it hisses with malevolence at Igor.

In front of it stand three devils, each as tall as a large human, their bodies covered with sharp spikes and barbs, all the way to the tips of their long meaty tails. One excitedly hops from foot to foot, while the other two simply fidget nervously. Their eyes shift and dart around as they glance quickly from one approaching warrior to the next.

Nobody in the front rank seems to comprehend what they've just encountered, but several others are aware of the peril.

The horned devil, a cornugon stares at Igor and a huge ball of flame blossoms around the rogue. Using pure instinct, he dodges to the side and escapes unscathed. "What?" he wonders. "Oh!" he exclaims, staring at the devils. Veracity, although subconsciously aware that something was amiss, stands still as the fireball engulfs her. The flames wrap around her, but her powers of resistance render them ineffective: she is unharmed.

The first barbed devil, a hamatula, grins. Small flashing particles surround Igor, Veracity, and Brianna, moving in regular patterns, before disappearing. Igor and Veracity seem unharmed, but small wounds appear all over Brianna's flesh. "Ouch!" she yelps.

The second hamatula vanishes.

Hazen moves up between Tebryn and Brianna, drawing his dagger. He stops and stares at the fiendish group.

The third hamatula grins. "More meat for my spell!" he says in Infernal. A cloud of black motes spin and flash around Igor, Veracity, Brianna, and Hazen. This time, Veracity and Brianna are unharmed, but the two rogues are each slightly wounded.

Tebryn raises his eyebrows. "This could be tough," he comments, as he draws forth a small item from his pouch. "Haste for all of us!" he says, as he waves his hand. All of his companions seem somehow more alert.

"Tough?" says Yol. "Let's just see how tough they are." She casts a small wad of guano at the infernal raiders and a fireball blossoms around them. All smile and bask in the flames. "Just like home," taunts the cornugon. Yol scowls.

Veracity leers at the devils and wiggles her fingers. Five bolts of force shoot from her hand and plunge into the body of the first hamatula. It grimaces. Igor smiles and mutters a command word. His cloak shimmers as he advances, drawing his greatsword, to stand next to the third hamatula. Kress moves up from the rear of the party to just behind Igor. The cornugon grins and another fireball blossoms around Igor. Just as before, the rogue leaps to the side and avoids the flames, but the unfortunate Kress is not quite so lucky: he stands and is singed. The first hamatula disappears and reappears right behind Kress.

Meanwhile, the second hamatula, who had disappeared earlier, now moves up from the rear of the line and claws at the unsuspecting Yol. She wheels around, shaken, but unstirred, as it attempts to grapple her. She wriggles free of its grasp and stands her ground.

Hazen fearlessly flies back and flanks Yol's hamatula. He stabs it with his dagger, striking true and penetrating a sensitive spot, but discovers the perils in attacking such creatures in this fashion: he, himself, also is injured by the sharp barbs on its body. Yol nods in approval. "Way to go, Hazen," she says to the gray dwarf.

Igor's hamatula grins and lashes out at him with its spiky fist. The spines dig deep into the hapless rogue, injuring him severely. The devil pulls Igor against its barbed body, impaling him on more spikes and hurting him just as severely. Its other flailing arm is unable to grab him. Igor pales and starts to flail around in a panic.

Brianna looks at both ends of the group, and sighs. "Against such foes, you must bolster your courage and do mighty deeds of your own," she says. "Let me sing of the heroes of old who slew devils like these."

Tebryn tosses four silver pins to the ground. A bolt of lightning strikes Kress's foe, before arcing to Igor's foe and finally grounding itself on the cornugon. All of the devils are somewhat burned. "Right," says Tebryn. "Fire won't do, but you didn't like that, did you?"

Yol stares at the devil standing between her and Hazen and shakes her head. She concentrates, and surrounds herself with five images of herself.

Veracity utters an arcane phrase and Igor's hamatula briefly stiffens, before shaking free of the spell. Veracity stamps her foot in annoyance and draws the Sword of Kas as she moves up behind Kress's hamatula. She frowns, as she considers the barbs covering it.

Igor pulls himself together and no longer seems paniced, although his predicament remains dire: he is still impaled on the hamatula's spines.

Kress swings his longsword four times at a devil. He misses twice, but two of strikes land solidly. Unfortunately, he inadvertently stabs himself on the creature's barbs while attacking it, and takes even more damage than his foe. He frowns. "I don't like the way this works," he complains. His foe chuckles at him.

The horned cornugon concentrates again and yet another ball of fire blossoms, engulfing Igor, Kress, and Veracity this time. Somehow, the grappled Igor manages to twist his way out of flames. Veracity stolidly stands her ground and completely resists the spell. The unfortunate Kress is not so lucky: he takes the full brunt.

Adding injury to injury, Kress's hamatula claws him twice with its spiky hands, fortunately failing to grab and impale him. Kress is still shaken by the experience.

At the opposite end of the group, Hazen's devil strikes the rogue. Hazen screams and flails about in panic as the devil grabs him and impales the unfortunate rogue on its body spikes, pushing him more firmly into place with yet another powerful blow. Hazen tries to pull himself together but fails: his straits are too dire.

Tebryn concentrates and thrusts forth his staff of wizardry. Yellowmane the leonal appears behind Igor's hamatula and immediately claws the devil twice. Just as had happened with Kress, the sharp barbs covering the fiend's body injure the guardinal.

---

Yol steps back 5 feet and casts Magic Missiles, which fail.

Veracity drops her life stealer, pulls out her godstone (provoking a missed attack of opportunity) and shoots a Energy Drain at Hamatula 1, bestowing 5 negative levels on it.

Igor (still held) attempts to break free. He succeeds. He swings his great sword, missing. He swings again, missing, He hits again, critical for 77 points. Igor takes 13 points of Barb damage.

Kress tries to withdraw, flying overhead. Veracity glares at him and he settles back to the ground and goes into full defense.

Cornugon swings his spiked chain at Yellowmane for 13 points. He is not stunned. He swings it again for a critical for 34 points, stunning him. He swings it again for 13 points. He bites him for 4 points. He swings his tail for 4 points, bestowing an infernal wound.

Hamatula 1 claws twice at Veracity, missing twice.

Hamatula 2 claws at Hazen, hitting for 10 points.

Hazen wiggles free and runs away. Hamatula 2 hits him for 20 points. Hazen is gone.

Hamatula 3 strikes twice at Igor, but his cloak saves his butt both times.

Tebryn summons Leonal 2 (Loudroar, 119 HP), between Yol and the Hamatula. He hits for 9 and 9, taking 25 points in return.

Yellowmane is stunned.

Yol summons a Spectral Hand.

Veracity bestows another 5 negative levels on Hamatula 1.

Igor hits Hamatula 3 for 7, 8, 29, miss. Igor takes 37 points of damage.

Cornugon hits Yellowmane for 12 points, for 14 points. Yellowmane vanishes.

Hamatula 1 strikes Veracity for 12 points. It misses with its second attack.

Hamtula 2 claws Loudroar for 2 points, panicing him, but failing to grab him. It hits again for 0 points.

Hamatula 3 misses, and hits for 13 points. It tries to grapple him but fails.

Brianna continues to sing.

Tebryn summons Leonal 3 (Longclaw HP 125) between Igor & Kress. He sees the cowering Igor about to be struck down and Heals the poor wretch for 100 points.

Yol runs away, like a cowering pathetic yellow striped chicken hearted fool. She puts Cure Serious on her Spectral Hand and gives Kress 11 points.

Veracity shoots a black ray at the Cornugon. It resists. She scowls.

Igor strikes at Hamatula 3 for 13 points, 28 points. It falls. Igor takes 26 points of damage.

Kress taunts Hamatula 1.

Cornugon steps forward swings his spiked chain at Igor, missing (due to displacement), misses again, misses, bite misses, and tail misses.

Hamatula misses Veracity. It frowns and turns towards Kress, missing.

Hamatula moves up and misses Tebryn.

Tebryn casts Power Word Blind and fails to penetrate Spell Resistance.

Longclaw Cure Criticals Kress for 38 points.

Yol casts Inflict Critical for 20 points on Hamatula 3

Veracity inflicts Cornugon with 7 negative levels.

Igor steps forward 5 feet. He misses 4 times.

Kress hits Hamatula 1 for 4 points, misses, misses, misses, and takes 13 points of damage.

Cornugon misses, misses, misses, misses with bite, and misses with tail.

Hamatula misses Kress twice.

Hamatula hits Tebryn for 17 points, grapples, impales for 25, hits for 12. Tebryn is shaken.

Tebryn summons Leonal 4 (Fiercebite HP 106) behind the Hamatula. It claws for 12 and 11 and takes 18 in return from the barbs.

Longclaw Cure Criticals Kress for 30 points.

Yol does Vampiric Touch on Hamatula 1 for 10 points.

Veracity afflicts the Cornugan with another 5 negative levels.

Igor hits for 10, misses, misses, misses.

Kress attacks Hamatula for 10, miss, miss, 5 points, taking 23 points.

Cornugon misses, misses, misses, misses with bite, misses with tail.

Hamatula attacks Kress and misses and misses.

Hamatula impales Tebryn for 19 points and misses.

Tebryn fails to wriggle free.

Fiercebite claws for 13 and 12 and takes 19.

Longclaw Cure Criticals Kress for 24 points.

Veracity 24 Igor 24 Kress 23 Cornugon Hamatula 1 on Kress Hamatula 2 on Tebryn Hazen 15 Brianna 15 Tebryn 15 Fiercebite on Hamatula 2 Longclaw on Hamatula 1 Yol 14

Veracity shoots a thin black ray at the Cornugon and bestows 4 more negative levels on it, for a total of 16, slaying it. "Yes!" she gloats.

"Move back!" calls Igor to her. "I need to tumble into your space!" Veracity nods.

Kress misses, hits for 1 (taking 8), misses, misses. Hamatula 1 misses with both claws. Hamatula 2 impales Tebryn for 14 points, ands claws for 16 points. Hazen is running in fear. Brianna retreats 10 feet behind Yol. Tebryn D-Doors between Brianna and Yol.

Fiercebite claws for 11 (taking 12), misses, and misses with his bite. Longclaw roars, affecting Kress, Hamatula, Veracity, Brianna, Tebryn, and Yol.

Effects:

Kress: deafened but saves vs. sonic damage. Hamatula 1: killed, deafened (1d4 rounds), blinded (2d4 rounds), and paralyzed (1d10 minutes) Veracity saves and is unaffected by sonic damage. Brianna takes 6 points of sonic damage Tebryn takes 7 points of sonic damage. Yol is deafened but unaffected by sonic damage.

Yol conjures Contagion onto the Spectral Hand and swipes Hamatula 2. It resists the spell.

Veracity turns and moves up behind Brianna, watching the other battle with interest.

Igor flies up and lands next to Hamatula 2. Kress flies up and lands behind Igor. Hamatula claws at Igor, missing him. It claws again, hitting for 18 points. Igor is shaken but not stirred. It fails to grapple him.

Tebryn lowers his SR and asks Brianna for a Tongues spell.

Fiercebite deals 9 points and takes 8 points. Igor takes the opportunity to hit it for 45 points, taking 8 points. The Hamatula falls.

Longclaw lays on hands on Tebryn, curing 125 HP, bringing him to full. Fiercebite heals Igor to full. Fiercebite Cure Criticals Kress for 25 points & 35 points, to full. Fiercebite Cure Criticals Brianna for 19 points. Hazen returns. Fiercebite lays hands on him, curing him to full.

Loudroar returns. All three Leonals blink out and return to their home plane.

Hazen searches the devils and finds nothing.

We proceed on our journey. We travel three more miles.