We continued with City of the Spider Queen last Saturday and most everyone had a good time - I think. :) Continuing where we left off:
After the drow vampires were killed, the party decided to camp for the night and wait for the next morning to destroy the now headless vamps. A watch was set and people went to sleep. Sometime near the end of the second watch, Faurgar and 3 of the men were standing watch around the bodies of the vampires when all of a sudden they noticed that the bodies had disappeared! A hue and cry was raised and the party began to fan out, searching for the missing fiends.
Titus ran in the direction of the Crypt mouth thinking that the vampires were headed there. Havay, inside the crypt with Zamiraj, Priam, and Xandos, went as far as he dared (knowing that the mouth of the Crypt was filled with Glyph's set to ward again drow) and called upon his innate drow abilities to cast
faerie fire in the area surrounding the entrance. Tempus (or some other God) lent his aid and one of the vampires, still headless, was wreathed in violet flames. Titus, now seeing a foe, proceeded to make short work of it. Seconds after, Shaumar the Chaplain also headed in the direction of the Crypt and proceeded to call upon Tempus to turn back these foul beings. As the first vampire "died", Titus felt an invisible creature strike him and he swung Thunder Cleaver in an attempt to slay it. Soon after swinging his sword, a loud thump was heard as a body struck the ground.
While Titus, the Chaplain and Faurgar battled outside the Crypt, a lightning bolt from out of nowhere sizzled into Priam, Zamiraj, and Havay. Guessing that the human vampire from earlier was the culprit, Priam proceeded to
faerie fire the area to no avail.
Suddenly, just outside the crypt, 4 vampires appeared and procceded to head into the Crypt! As they rushed by the party, various attacks proved that the conjured vampires were in fact
mirror images and not true vampires. As the vampire reached the door that went further into the Crypt, all of the images had been destroyed. Zamiraj attempted to bring him down, but it took the holy blade of Priam to finally bring the creature to gaseous form.
The creature then fled to his tomb where he was staked. The Chaplain called upon Tempus and ended the vampires unlife. Searching the crypt the party found various items of look and some magical items that were passed out among the group.
Not wanting to risk their lives further, the party sent 2 of the men back to Lord Morn requesting further clarification on their mission, some items of healing from the local temple, and a request for more pay. That evening the men returned with the items, and the word of Lord Morn: The party was to continue deeper into the Underdark, to find for certain the cause of the drow raids. Unfortunately, the rebuilding of Daggerdale required all of his remaining funds and nothing extra could be spared.
Deciding to find further guidence, the Chaplain prayed to Tempus to divine his will. Tempus answered Shaumar's prayer in the following fashion:
"Death, destruction, and the fate of the world await you."
With the word of Tempus, the group decided to continue in their mission.
Sensing that the crypt might still be filled with undead creatures, the Stormhawks procceded to systematically search the various rooms, finding nothing. As they marched deeper into the crypt, the Chaplain sensed that in one of the rooms there was some sort of powerful undead creature.
Not wanting to leave their flank open, Titus and Priam grabbed hold of the groups battering ram and procceded to bring the plastered door down.
Before the rest of the group could react, a foul black eldrich energy coursed up the ram. As the party recovered, Titus was found to be only lightly wounded, but the slumped Priam was dead! The champion of Titus, servant of the Red Knight had gone on to his final rest.
In order to avoid the same fate, Xandos studied the door and found that a glyph of
slay living had been engraved upon it by some unknown hand. Havay then dispelled the glyph, protecting the group from further harm.
Angered at the death of their friend and desiring vengence, the Stormhawks battered the door down and found a well maintained crypt with the statue of a beautiful woman inside. As the group proceeded to prepare itself for battle, Xandos called out that a Ghost was in the room, ready to attack them. As Xandos called this out, the Ghost animated the statue and warned the Stormhawks to leave her tomb. They ignored her.
Faurgar then pulled out of his pack an obsidian steed which he then mounted, after which he disappeared from sight, gone into the ethereal plane! Titus entered the room, followed by the Chaplain who proceeded to call upon Tempus to turn back this undead creature. As the Ghost fled from the holy word of Tempus, Xandos disintegrated the statue she had animated.
As the Ghost fled, Faurgar, in the ethereal plane, charged the ghost and brought her down, spitted upon the end of his lance.
With the ghost dead, the Stormhawks looted her tomb, finding the decayed body of a nobleman. When his burial goods were taken, a voice from nowhere called out, warning the group that the defilers of his tomb would meet death at the hands of a demon 7 days hence. Ignoring the voice, the party finished collecting their equipment.
As the session ended, the Stormhawks where discussing ways of bringing their fallen companion back from the dead, and wondering if he would rather rest with the Red Knight, or continue with them, deeper into the Underdark.
