Veracity's notes

Toril (Irae) Day 31, after our visit to shattered, Shattered Tower.

Veracity, Brianna, Yol, Tebryn, Igor, Haxen, Kress pack up their gear head towards the plateau to look for better digs in the villas on the terrace.

(One more acid damage to Veracity for 5pnt for total of 14. 87 - 14 = 73.)

Veracity asks about healing? Brianna offers to let Yol use her wand to cure light. Yol does a cure from Goddess Hel for 13 pnts. on Veracity. Veracity is grateful.

Veracity, "Well, my Honeys, where shall we go next?"

Tebryn suggests the stairs to the plateau, as planned, rather than any detours. But REALLY! Me thinks he DOES have a certain Temple in mind...conveniently located at the top of the stairs. ;-)

We move through the blocks, not the open streets and attempt to move stealthily. Marching order: Veracity and her pet Igor, Tebryn and Brianna, Yol and her pet Hazen, with Kritter Kress last.

A massive - roughly humanoid - Toad Demon with arms in place of forelegs, is leading two Fire Giants and three Ogres.

The Toad spies us and says, "Oi, what are you doing there?"

Veracity, nonplussed. "We Drow are walking our pets."

Igor grunts like an Ogre. The Toad and his pals are not amused.

We prepare to do battle.

Veracity does a successful Hold Monster spell on the Toady Guy. He freezes in place. Phew! One of the Fire Giants throws a boulder at Veracity, but misses.

Yol casts a Ray of Enfeeblement on one of the Fire Giants, sapping its strength. Igor, cautiously, cloaks. Tebyn does Chain Lightening. It fries two of the Ogres, who drop.

Veracity boldly runs up and strikes the remaining Ogre for 13 pnts damage with her Sometimes Very Mighty Sword of Kas.

Fire Giants keep missing Veracity with boulders. Hazen is also dodging boulders. Kress is doing battle with a Fire Giant and his Great Sword. (Fire Giant's Great Sword. Kress is NOT fighting against his OWN sword, at least in this battle ;-)

Her faithful pet, Igor runs up and helps Veracity with her Ogre, finishing it off with one mighty Cleave. Igor-dearest then wipes out the Demon (still under Veracity's Hold Spell) in the same swoop of his blade! What a "swinger!"

Veracity takes out one of the Fire Giants with her Cold-Empowered Dark Bolt for 47 pnts in one power-bolt of cold. The remaining Fire Giant is Enraged by Kress and is now a Fire Hot Barbarian Giant - berserk over Kress!

Kress yells that he is prepared to die, but Yol doesn't feel he has perfected himself enough to deserve this yet. So she moves to assist him.

Igor also moves in to help Kress with the one remaining Fire Giant. Igorkins remembers the blessing feast of the morning and this gives him the strength to do Critical Damage.

We step out of the street to do some healing. Only Kress is really hurting, though. Brianna offers Yol her wand of Cure Light Wounds to wield for a while. Veracity turns a bit green around the ears and tells Brianna not to get too generous with Yol ;-)

Another patrol comes along as we start back towards the stairs. Igor says, "After we beat these guys, let's go back and search the bodies of them other guys!"

Veracity says, "Whatever you say, Honey."

Igor says, "Sure thing, Sweetums!"

This patrol is just like the last. A Toady Demon, two Fire Giants and three Ogres. Veracity centers a Confusion spell. All but one of the Fire Giants is confused.

This batch of Fire Giants miss Veracity with boulders as well. One of the Confused Orgres runs away. The Confused Demon summons another like himself directly in front of Igor. :-( Poor Snookikins! Veracity must help her pet fighty-poo!

One of the Confused Fire Giants runs away. Another Ogre flees after being attacked by his confused buddy. Two Demons, one Fire Giant and one Ogre are left.

Veracity steps up and flanks one of the Toad Demons with Igor and does 15 pnts damage to the Demon with her Sword of Kas. Then Veracity does 16 pnts Magic Missile attack on the last remaining Confused Ogre and fells him. Hooray!

The last remaining Fire Giant breaks his enchantment while Igor is felling the other Demon.

Veracity stands aside and cheers on the boys as they outfight the last remaining Fire Giant.

We hear an alarm and we run up the stairs and hide. Not because we are cowardly, of course! But because we want to know what we are up against and prepare our wise strategy.

Igor cloaks. Veracity activates her invisibility.

A very, very nasy flying critter is soaring towards us - with a soul-cutting sword. -!! It is obviously beyond our means at this time. Yikes!!

Yol has a D-Door left and Veracity has Teleport. Veracity suggests we bounce back to our basement hideaway. She says she can take 3 people with her and Yol can take 2.

Veracity: "Tebryn! Brianna! Igor! Quick!! Come with me!"

Our pursuers are coming at us from below the stairs. The flying creature lands and attempts domination.

Tebryn begs that we pause, while he attempts to Banish it. But it is still there!!

Yol vanishes with Hazen and Kress. Iggkinz runs up clings, childlike, to Veracity's arm. Tebryn and Brianna join hands with Veracity - just in the nick of time!!

We teleport back to the basement where we were hiding before and fortunately make it in-tact.

1-6-5 our time. Same day 31 as previous and still in the Underdark = game time - plus into Day 32.

Veracity, Brianna, Tebryn, Yol, Igor, Kress, Hazen

Igor is complaining about Veracity "Confusing" our foes and then they call that nasty flying critter with "the sword" to their aid!

Veracity offers to "Confuse" Igor.

Brianna gives Veracity a kindly intended, but overly bleeding-heart, lecture about "not casting spells on our friends, as agreed..." and warns that "every time you talk about that, Dear, I see Igor fingering his weapons and itching for a fight with you..."

Veracity very patiently explains, "I'm not out to HARM any of my fellows, but I do think a girdle of sex change would REALLY improve Igor's outlook... And just think of the fascinating evening he could have with himself... ;-)

Brianna, "Now, now... Veracity..."

Igor, meanwhile, stands in Willing, if not Eager, silence. ;-)

Hazen says, "Aren't you going to respond to that, Igor?"

Igor says, "Whatever I say will just make it worse..."

Veracity gives Brianna a look that means, "See, Igor is starting to show some respect...!"

Igor finally breaks his respectful silence and bursts into the previous topic, "Okay.... Okay! Cast whatever - BUT - I say we should not allow any of our foes to escape alive - confused or not! Because 'dead men tell no tales' and raise no alarms."

Hazen says, "Hey! I like your 'no survivors attitude!'" And does a High Five (or whatever kind of playful slapping it is fighter boys do ;-) with Igor.

Veracity raises her eyebrows...making mental notes... "Hmnnnn, Igor and Hazen are more Evil than I thought. Excellent!!"

Tebryn warns Igor against rash action, saying, "If they weren't Confused, two Fire Giants could take you out, boy! All they need is two lucky hits between them..."

Igor says, "Well, I would HOPE that I would never be up against two Fire Giants - ALONE. I would HOPE that I would have some help...." He looks meaningfully at Veracity.

Veracity says, "You know I am ALWAYS by your side, Honeymuchnybear - - - - IN BATTLE that is!"

Igor says, "Wow! 'Honeymuchybear.' I'm moving up in the world!" He does a little victory dance and sings, "She called me Honeymuchybear... She called me Honeymunchybear..."

Kress says, "Way Cool, Dude! That sounds a LOT better than 'Sugarwart.' !!" and gives Igor a "way to go" playful slap.

Tebryn frowns at us, Brianna rolls her eyes, and Yol looks like she just smelled something unpleasantly sweet. But Hazen is currently paying us no mind. He is off by himself, sniffing his armpits. Brianna notices this and offers him a Personal Hygiene spell.

But Hazen says, "No, they smell okay to me. I mean I had a bath at least 3 weeks ago. So that will hold me... Thanks anyway... And it's been at least a week since I was up to my waist in gore..." Then he's surprised when no one wants to stand next to him... ;-)

Tebryn very diplomatically reminds us of our task and so we begin to debate what to do about the Balor...

Veracity asks Igor for input. He says, "I don't know. Sounds pretty nasty. If it didn't have the Vorpal Sword, I'd say let's beat it up. But I don't like the idea of losing my head on a lucky shot!"

Veracity says, "Okay, so what Spells do you think I should learn tomorrow morning, then, Igor?"

Igor says, "Why are you asking me about Spells... ?"

Veracity says, snidely, "Well you seem to know when I should cast Confusion or not, so I just expected you'd have an opinion..."

Igor shakes his thick, but very handsome, head and demurs to Veracity, respectfully.

Tebryn suggests we negotiate with the Balor. Veracity asks what we have to offer.

Tebryn says, "We can send it home."

Igor says, "Yeah, right! Like it wants to go home... Then why did it bother to protect itself against your Banishment Spell?"

Hazen says, "Yeah, and how do we know there aren't 3 or 4 of them flying demons, not just one... And this guy can call up his buddies for help...!"

Tebryn insists there is just the ONE demon/Balor and that it must have been summoned from somewhere against its will, ergo it must INDEED want to go home! (Veracity pictures it in her mind, " 'Home Sweet Firey Pit' or 'Cozy Black Pit of Despair' - perhaps Yol would like to escort the Balor home... hmnnnn... sounds like her dream vacation....!)

Hazen solemnly informs us, "The main thing when facing this Balor is that we NOT get chopped into little bits."

Veracity rolls her eyes to Brianna, (at the obvious!) and says to Tebryn, "Negotiate or not, what does it matter? The thing isn't exactly law-abiding, is it? So we can't trust it no matter whether it claims to join our side or not..."

Yol says, "Well, I think what Hazen was trying to express...is that it's at least good if we not get hacked into little pieces RIGHT AWAY..."

Hazen chimes in, "Yes! That's right. I mean it could be thinking in the back of its mind, 'I'm going to hack them guys into little pieces LATER,' but that's okay as long as it's LATER and not NOW."

Veracity expects Yol to lecture them all on "Death-Preparedness Routines for Body and Soul" at this juncture, but thankfully she does not.

Tebryn says, "Well, WE want to destroy the castle and IT probably does too, so we might actually be able to join forces... at least until we are strong enough to take it on..."

Tebryn seems to be implying that we would be thinking about hacking IT to pieces LATER as well!

Veracity, "Well, I still wouldn't turn my back on it in battle."

We agree to try to talk to it anyway. Brianna very bravely steps up and offers to handle the negotiations. Then Veracity flips out!!

Veracity, " I can't believe you would put yourself in danger like that, Brianna! Don't you ever consider MY feelings? What would I ever do without you?? If that...that THING touches so much as one hair of your head...I'll....I'll....!!

Hazen interrupts Veracity's diatribe: "Well, what if it doesn't actually harm any of Brianna's hairs? What if it manages to hack off her head without disturbing a single hair?"

Veracity is now convinced that Hazen IS truly E-V-I-L in every sense of the word!!! But she manages to pull herself together and say, calmly, "That is hardly likely considering that Brianna has LONG hair. And very full, glossy and sensual it is, too, " she turns aside and embraces Brianna warmly, softening instinctively towards her, unable, EVER, to stay mad at Brianna for long...

Veracity then addresses the party and takes charge, "Okay, listen up. If we are going to talk to the Balor tomorrow, then I suggest we Veil as a patrol: Frog Demon, Fire Giants and Very Smelly Ogres. Yol-- You want to be the Frog Demon or a smelly Ogre. What do you fancy?"

Yol darkens a shade. "Me...?? Oh, I couldn't be the Frog Demon... then I'd have to walk in the front of the line..."

Veracity, "Right! I'll be the Frog Demon. Then I can stay close to Brianna."

Tebryn complains, "The problem with Veil is it only affects sight and smell - not sound. So we still have Kress clanking and rattling his damn armor!

Veracity jumps in quickly before Kress can retort. "Okay, well perhaps we should do a Silence on Kress. Wouldn't hurt, I suppose, to be on the safe side..."

The plan settled, we bed down for the night.

["Brianna, I'm sorry I lost my temper. Do you forgive me....? I just can't stand the thought of you killed or of your beauty soiled... It makes my blood boil and I just can't stay calm. Course it's difficult to stay calm now, in a different way... ;-) There goes my blood Ð heating up again...]

Tebryn's notes

MA 552

Yol offers to carry Brianna's wand.
Yol cures 13 points of the acid damage on Veracity.

We decide to slink through the blocks to the stairs up to the plateau.

We round a corner and find a random encounter. A massive roughly humanoid toad (Hezrou) with arms instead of forelegs, with two fire giants and three ogres meets us on the street and confronts us. "Oy! What are you doing here/"

Veracity says "we drow are walking our pets."

Veracity: 27 Kress: 24 Hazen: 21 Yol: 14 Igor: 13 Brianna: 9 Tebryn: 9

Veracity casts hold monster on the Hezrou, He stops moving.
Kress moves up, drawing his weapon.
Fire Giant 1 tosses a boulder at Veracity and misses her handily.
Yol cast Ray of Enfeeblement on Fire Giant 2
Igor activates his cloak of displacement
Hezrou attempts to shake off the hold monster - and fails.
Ogre 1 moves up.
Brianna invisibly starts to sing.
Tebryn casts chain lightning at Fire Giant 2, arcing to everybody else, for 66. Two ogres falls. Everybody else is singed.

Veracity moves to Ogre 3, drawing the Sword of Kas and strikes it for 13 points.
Kress moves forward to attack the Hezrou. The Fire Giant misses him. Kress strikes the Hezrou for 12 points.
Hazen moves opposite the Hezrou and strikes it for 46 points.
Fire Giant 1 hits Kress for 26 points, hitting for 28 points, and missing.
Yol casts enervation against Fire Giant 2, bestowing 6 negative levels.
Igor moves up between the ogre and the Hezrou.
Igor hits the ogre from 22 points, felling it. He cleaves through to do 57 to the Hezrou. The Hezrou falls.
"Good teamwork, Igor, honey", says Veracity.
Brianna's singing kicks in.
Tebryn casts finger of death at Fire Giant 2. He saves, but still takes 36 points.
Fire Giant 2 hits Kress for 20 points, misses, and misses.

Veracity casts darkbolt against Fire Giant 2, dealing 27 points of cold and 18 points of regular damage, felling him.
Kress steps forward and hits Fire Giant 1 for 18, 20, 18
Hazen takes the opportunity to hit for 12 points.
Hazen steps 5 fight and strikes Fire Giant 1 for 11, miss, miss
Fire Giant 1 hits Kress for 24 points, misses, and misses.
Yol moves up and creepily lurks directly behind Kress.
Igor steps up to the fire giant and strikes at it, critical for 47, felling it. He deactivates his cloak. Yol steps up and does a death knell against the fallen fire giant, slaying it and buffing herself up.

We step into a block of ruins.

The spontaneous Yol casts a cure critical on Kress to cure 23 points.
She starts to use up Brianna's wand: 4, 4, 8, 7, 9, 7, 5, 2, 2, 7, 7, and 3

We proceed. Another Heavy Patrol, just like the last one, appears around a corner.

Igor: 25 Veracity: 22 Yol: 21 Tebryn: 21 Hazen: 18 Brianna: 16 Kress: 9

Igor activates his cloak.
Veracity casts confusion to afflict the whole heavy patrol.
Fire Giant 1 saves, Ogre 1 is confused, Hezrou is confused, Fire Giant 2 is confused, Ogre 2 is confused, Ogre 3 is confused.
Yol casts blindness on Fire Giant 1 to no effect.
Tebryn does ice storm on the whole party of enemies for 10 points of bludgeoning and 7 points of cold damage.
Fire Giant 1 throws a rock at Veracity, missing her.
Ogre 1 runs away.
Hazen boldly moves in front of the party
Brianna starts to sing
Hezrou 1 summons another Hezrou directly in front of Igor.
Hezrou 2 strikes at Igor, missing.
Kress moves up next to Veracity, drawing his weapon. Fire Giant 2 runs away
Ogre 2 attacks Ogre 3, missing
Ogre 3 flees. Ogre 2 takes the opportunity to hit him for 11 points.

Igor moves forward between the two Hezrous, drawing his greatsword. Hezrou 2 bites him for 16 points. Igor strikes Hezrou 1, critical it for 48 points.
Veracity moves to flank Hezrou 2, drawing her weapons. She hits for 5 points.
Igor takes the opportunity to critical it for 76 points.
"Good distraction, Veracity!" "Thank you!"
Yol casts a spectral hand
Tebryn casts hold monster against Fire Giant 1
Fire Giant 1 attempts to break free of the hold
Hazen steps five feet next to Hezrou 2, hitting for 0, critical for 7, miss
Brianna's singing kicks in.
Hezrou 1 babbles incoherently.
Hezrou 2 bites Igor for 16 points, and claws him twice, missing with both.
Kress steps 5 feet next to Hezrou 2. He hits for 4, hits for 6, and misses.
Hazen take the opportunity to hit it for 1 point. Ogre 2 moves up and misses Igor.

Igor strikes at Hezrou 2, critical for 59, felling it. He cleaves through to Hezrou 1 for 19. He hits Hezrou 1 for 13 points.
Veracity shoots 5 magic missiles at Ogre 2 for 16 points. He falls.
Yol touches Fire Giant 1 with a vampiric touch via her spectral hand for 24 points of damage.
Tebryn puts up his own spectral hand
Fire Giant 1 stretches. He steps forward and wails on Igor. He misses, hitting for 26 points, and missing.
Ogre 1 runs back to the battle
Hazen moves to flank Hezrou 1. He hits it for 32 points.
Igor takes the opportunity to hit it for 40 points, felling it.
Kress moves up next to Fire Giant 1. It takes the opportunity to swing at him and miss. Kress hits it with a critical for 60 points.

Igor steps five feet and attacks Fire Giant 1. He hits for 23, 25, felling it.
Veracity cheers on the "boys". "Go, honeys!"
Yol casts chill touch and delivers it against Ogre 2 via her spectral hand for 4 points of damage and a point of Strength damage.
Tebryn casts vampiric touch and drains 16 points out of Ogre 2. Brianna stops hiding.

From the distance we hear the call "Alarm! Alarm! Over here!" We run up the stairs, doing our best to be stealthy.

Huge flying demon barrels down upon us from behind. Very sharp sword and flaming whip.

Hazen 28 Veracity 21 Tebryn 20 Igor 17 Yol 13 Brianna 11 Kress 8

Demon lands 10 feet behind Kress.

"Oh, no!" calls Tebryn. "We must teleport away. But, wait: let me try something, first."

Hazen steps up next to Yol.
Tebryn attempts to banish the demon. He fails.
Igor steps five feet and grabs Veracity.
Yol steps and grabs Kress and dimension doors to the basement with him and Hazen.
Brianna grabs Veracity's arm.
Veracity steps and grabs Tebryn's arm and teleports to the basement with him, Igor, and Brianna.

"Whew!" says Veracity. "What was that?"

"Balor," says Tebryn. "The nastiest demon, short of a demon lord."

Brianna: +804, (10,640)
Hazen: +570, (6,192)
Igor: +128, (7,512)
Kress: +1,000 (10,000)
Tebryn: +0
Veracity: +570 (5,153)
Yol: +1,000 (7,915)

Igor wants to kill people before they run away. "No survivors!"

Veracity calls Igor "Honey Munchy-Bear."

We discuss the Balor. Tebryn points out that it was certainly allied with Kurgoth, since Kurgoth's army called for its aid.

We discuss talking with it, and either sending it home to the Abyss - if it was tired of being here - or, if it wanted to stay be wreak more destruction, of letting it help us assault the castle.

We discuss spells for the next day. We decide to veil as a Heavy Patrol of the sort we fought that day.

Yol casts her last cure light on Kress.

We set up our "digs" as comfortably as they had been before and decide to go up to the plateau first thing tomorrow morning - after the girls wake up.