Caelesti's notes

Date

9/07/2006

Log

The party worked up a plan to investigate the underwater passage and beyond. Carric was to summon a crocodile to swim down the passage, and the party was to follow. The hope was that the crococile would engage any enemies, giving the swimmers time to get to dry land. Grimble and Talon refused to go along, Grimble because he didn't want soggy wings, and Talon because she didn't want to leave her stuff with Grimble, and she feared drowning. Siobhan tried hard to talk Talon into going along, but to no avail. Talon did sing to inspire courage in the swimmers before they left.

Carric, Caelesti, and Siobhan left most of their possessions on the shore and swam to get close to the underwater passage. Carric cast Speak with Animals and then summoned a crocodile. He then sent the crocodile down the underwater passage with orders to attack whatever was down there. The swimmers followed. The underwater passage headed upward to a small chamber with a landing where the party could breathe again. A new passage continued out the back of the small chamber. Carric sent the crocodile down the new passage, where it might encounter something before it disappeared.

There were bones on the landing. Caelesti ignored them and held up the sunrod to look down the new corridor. Carric passed her and moved into the corridor. A ghast dropped from the ceiling and landed behind him. Carric attacked it with his scimitar, cutting into it, but the stench of the creature sickened him. Caelesti hit the ghast with a pair of Magic Missiles. Siobhan started singing to inspire courage. The ghast bit Carric, paralyzing him. Caelesti fired another volley of missiles into it. Siobhan cast Soundburst at it, doing minor damage. The ghast bit Carric a second time. Caelesti hit it with a third set of Magic Missiles, dropping it.

Carric's paralysis was gone after a few moments. Siobhan cured most of Carric's wounds, but he was still worried that he could have caught ghast fever.

The party went back to examine the bones on the landing. They appeared to be human (and were likely to be Luren's), but were ripped apart. The figure looked like it was killed by the jeweled dagger sticking out of the back of its skull. There was a small key lying near the body.

While the party was looking over the body, they heard a noise in the corridor. A large, multi-legged, multi-tentacled creature was lumbering out. Caelesti tried to put it to sleep, but failed. Carric moved up to block it from everyone else, hitting it with his scimitar. Siobhan started singing. The creature struck Carric with a few tentacles, causing no damage, but paralyzing him. The creature then moved up next to Caelesti, blocking her movement. Caelesti let down her guard to attempt Magic Missiles, but was struck and paralyzed too. Siobhan cast Soundburst on the creature to finish off.

The party then gathered up the bones and swam back through the underwater passage to where they had left their stuff. Grimble, Talon, and the party's stuff were gone. Grimble and Talon had been bickering again which lead to mud slinging. The mudslinging continued until Talon locked herself and the party's stuff inside the closet that had the chest.

Carric tried out the new key on the lock on the closet door, and it opened right up, revealing the hiding Talon. Grimble came back too. The swimmers told of their adventure. Grimble and Talon each complained about the other.

Siobhan asked if the jeweled dagger was magical. Caelesti cast Detect Magic and declared that it was. As Caelesti used dagger as her primary weapon, it was decided that she would use the newly-acquired jeweled one.

The party then moved outside and called for Luren. Carric told him that they had recovered his body and asked how he would like to be laid to rest. Talon, being a follower of Luren's deity, performed the appropriate ritual with coaching from Carric.

The party rested within the one intact room of the tower for the night. The night was uneventful.

In the morning, the party headed toward the next crossroads. Just after noon, they passed through it, arriving in a rocky desert at night. The stars appeared similar to those from the party's home world, but some stars were out of position, indicating that the party was far from home.