May 25, 2008 - Attended by Tim, Josh, Chelsea, Shawna, Robert, Dave, Jesse, and Dan
When our adventurers arrived back at the inn, they were greeted by a shipment from the Long Roads Adventuring Company. Brude received Battle Robes, Hayato received Robes of Inner Barrier and 100 pp, while everyone else received 200 pp.
All the intelligent adventurers decided to stay at the inn and recuperate for the night, while Arius traveled into the woods alone. Febrien followed him, and it wasn’t long before they were attacked by a giant mutant bear. Arius managed to get a hit or two in as Febrien rained arrows upon it from the treetop. After a short time, however, it became apparent that their opponent provided more of a challenge than they had expected, and both beat a hasty retreat. Both escaped, though Arius took a hit, and Febrien narrowly missed being crushed when the bear bull-rushed the tree and plowed it over. She was saved by her trusty steed, and the two elves headed for home with their tails between their legs, Arius dodging lightning bolts the whole way.
Back at the Dancing Lark, Jadan, Hayato, Jeyld, Gurl, and Brude find themselves in trouble as well. There had been several mysterious attacks on Tokma Proper recently, so the party decided to stand guard in the alleyway outside the inn. Their diligence was rewarded when they were attacked by a group of orcs. Hayato and Brude easily dispatched two of the beasts in the first few seconds, and Jadan managed to set one of them on fire with his enchanted sword. The rest were quickly taken care of, though one managed to take a large chunk out of Jeyld, first.
As the party regrouped, Alaya was facing trouble of her own back at Nurom. As she walked out the door of her secluded cabin, a troupe of kobolds descended upon her and her unfortunate dire wolf puppy (who was looking rather skinny). Melanor took a javelin to the flank, and Alaya fired flurries of arrows upon any that threatened him as the pup retreated across the clearing. The brave ranger turned to her own defense only after he was safe, and soon the five kobolds lay dead upon the grass. This was to be only the beginning of her troubles, however.
Her sister of the forest dreamt of the kobold attack, but Naturos also warned her of a greater danger that threatened. Spurring the party into action, all rode hard for Nurom and the Inn of the Horned Beaver. After some convincing from Brude, the owner imparted the location of the cabin, and the group set out to retrieve their absent companion. They returned to the inn before nightfall, and Arius retreated to the roof as the others mingled in the commonroom. Jadan headed upstairs just before a camarilla of vampire spawn materialized throughout the lower level.
Brude quickly hid in the corner and cast a disguise spell as the others readied for battle. Parzak, the owner of the inn fought one creature behind the bar, leaving two others to the party of adventurers. Within moments, Hayato was struck down and weakened by one of the opponents. Seeing her beloved in danger, Gurl leapt onto a table and delivered a glorious death blow to the undead fiend, who evaporated into a fine mist and floated away. Jeyld cast a spell to increase his speed and set into the remaining vamp, whose attention was fixed unwaveringly on Alaya. The party finally managed to take it out, with Jeyld delivering spells from under a table, but not before it managed to deliver a blow to sap the human ranger’s strength and health as well.
As the adventurers worked on their vampire, Parzak easily felled his opponent and raced to the stairs as the sounds of fighting descended from above. Arius was also alerted and swung through the window to the upper level. The two men joined Jadan and a dwarf, wizard, and rogue from another adventuring party and managed to knock one of the two vampires prone. Arius finished it with an eldritch blast and turned his attention to the remaining foe. Jadan landed a healing spell that weakened the spawn, and the rogue from the other party felled it with a mighty blow.
Parzak, Arius, and Jadan left the others on the upper level and descended to the common room. After Parzak healed the worst injuries, the group saw the three other adventurers streak past as the smell of smoke descended from above. The inn’s owner told everyone to run, but he was too late to make it out himself as a well dressed master vampire came down the stairs, grinning. The party made it to the stables as the vampire grabbed Parzak by the throat and prepared to strangle him. Realizing what was happening, Febrien jumped on Kiera and disappeared back inside as flames engulfed the upper level. She was followed by Hayato and a reluctant Arius, while the others retreated outside to safety.
Febrien raced back into the common room and attacked the vampire, who merely laughed and threw Parzak across the room. The unfortunate ranger rolled down the stairs to the basement as his opponent watched with amusement and moved to block the way to the stairs. Crossing to the other side of the room, Febrien dismounted and sent her horse toward the bar at a run, hoping she could leap it and get to the stairs safely. The mare tripped, however, falling and breaking her back before the paladin sent her to safety in the Celestial Plane. Seeing no other option, the three retreated to safety just before the building collapsed.
Turning to mist, the master vampire drifted outside and materialized in front of Alaya. He told her of the destruction of her family and accused her of making them this way. Pulling out a hairpin, he dropped it in front of the ranger and said he would spare her that night. He told her to meet him in Tenshiir, then flew off and disappeared as the city of Nurom burned to the ground. Arius and Febrien scoured the remains of the inn for any sign of Parzak, but they were unsuccessful. Disheartened, the adventurers retreat to the Temple of Lefos for the day to seek shelter and healing. Only Arius remains in the town, flying low and trying to kill as many vampires as possible. Later that night, Parzak crawls into the temple, alive but minus a limb.
In the morning, the troupe sets about cutting off the heads of those who were bitten and throwing them in the river. There are far too many, however, and the group is forced to retreat. Brude called the captain of Tempest’s Fate, who tells them to ride for Tokma Proper as fast as possible. Since all the rented horses perished in the fire, the adventurers are forced to rent yet more mounts. Arius and Jadan forgo this task by bumming a ride on Kiera (though Jadan is forced to settle for a spot in one of the saddlebags). Arriving at Tokma Proper, the group is met by a city in flames, screaming, and a familiar face: Tenket sits next to the gate, grinning.
Arius flies up and blasts the halfling ninja with eldritch power, but the evil man just grins and disappears, reappearing on the roof of a building halfway across the square. A hell hound materializes and starts to circle the ground below him, while two bearded devils appear on either side of the fountain to block the way to the docks. Febrien and Jadan managed to pass the devils, and Tenket nearly laughed his head off when he saw his fellow halfling scrambling out of the saddlebags. The rest of the group gets mired in combat, however, and the two return to help their friends.
Gurl and Hayato manage to land hits, but Febrien and the monk are inflicted with infernal wounds. Jadan quickly heals them, but Febrien is disarmed a moment later and drops her sword into the fountain, causing electricity to ripple across the water. Jeyld manages to lift the sword with a spell, but is hit by a shuriken from Tenket and drops it back into the water before the paladin can grab it. A few seconds later, Gurl is also disarmed, and her sword lands in the fountain as well, freezing the water solid. Meanwhile, Brude summoned a fiendish centipede to the roof behind Tenket. The large insect bull-rushed the ninja and managed to knock him off the roof, which is not as fortunate as it may sound.
Tenket’s body exploded, and the Balor that inhabited it breaks free and ascends to hover over the square. Arius quickly dispatched of the remaining devil and made for the ship. The others quickly followed, except for Febrien and Jeyld. Frantic, Febrien willed Kiera to rain blows upon the frozen fountain until the ice broke, exposing Imbri’s hilt. Grabbing her beloved sword, the elf leaped onto Kiera’s back and raced for the ship. Jeyld also managed to break the ice with Baritone's sonic powers, and Gurl's sword was saved as well. The Balor ignores this spectacle and flies off to rain fiery destruction from his derriere upon the city.
The companions receive no rest, however; when they arrive at the ship, it is being attacked by an Erinyes Devil.
Conclusion to follow…_________________
Subject: Adventures Abound 
Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:33 pm
