Now that the troupe has officially cleared the Vale of Shadows, we get a levels/stats/inventory update!
[spoiler=Character Sheets] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Inventories] [/spoiler]
And now, time to get back in character:
Day 9, Hour 17 (10 Mirtul, 1281)
Elona
Well, after returning to Arundel, we've got a new mission in place: he wants us to search for the Heartstone, some ancient druidic artifact that could help him pinpoint the evil seeking to destroy Kuldahar. We took a couple of days to rest up before heading out, and good thing too--all of us stank so bad, we were like a walkin' talkin' Stinking Cloud that swept through town.
Arundel says that the Heartstone was stolen from Kuldahar many years ago, and that it should be found in a canyon to the east of us. I dunno why the old man waited so long just to tell us about it. I mean, if it could really do as he says it should and locate the evil itself, why didn't we just go grab it first instead of defacing the crypts in the Vale of Shadows? I wonder... What evils we'll face down there for ourselves just to get the stone back. Clangeddin protect us, if it's anything like the hordes we fought in the Vale, or something even stronger... Well, we're all much stronger now too than we used to be. Like the winter cold hardened our spirits. I just hope it'll be enough.
That was interesting. After a day or so of hard travel through the snow, we came upon the ruins of the temple Arundel told us about, at the bottom of the canyon. I couldn't help but notice some of the hooded statues looked a lot like the ones in the Vale, though before I could really discern their nature, a verbeeg approached us. All of us were about to draw our weapons when it spoke, demanding that we move out of his way so he could flee.
This verbeeg, Red Toe, was one of several guards for the "good priests" of the temple, but he and his friends were attacked by what he calls "bad priests." Red Toe would have been killed too if he hadn't played dead, and fled when the enemies had gone. Before we could ask for more details though, Red Toe pushed us out of the way and fled for his life. But if these "bad priests" were enough to frighten Red Toe and kill his friends--and keeping in mind that verbeegs are very, very big--then they must have been formidable. I hope they're not still in there, but we have no choice. We must press on and search for the Heartstone within the temple.
Since we've come to another stopping point, it's my turn to write again! Anthi dear wasn't feeling so well, with wounds from an earlier battle stinging against the cold air, so she found what looked like a healing potion in one of the barrels. Nothing too impressive, just a little elixir potion. But whatever she drank clearly wasn't what she thought it was. The liquid must've gone straight to her head and turned her all loopsy-daisy drunk! Elli insists that we wait for her to come out of her stupor; it's not safe to go into combat with liqueur in your blood, after all. Still, it's given us a nice laugh for a change. Anthi's quite the cutie when she's intoxicated!
Upon entering the temple, the surviving acolytes attacked us at once. They wouldn't even listen to our explanation, convinced that we were with their enemies. The next thing we knew, we had the entire temple turned against us. Midra found dead verbeegs and acolytes alike as she scouted through the hallways, but there were still plenty left alive willing to fight. I wish there was some way we could talk to them, but they just refuse to listen... Who were the evil priests who attacked this place, and driven the survivors to attack first and die protecting what little remained of their temple? Even against those who claim to be their friends?
[spoiler=Out of Character]All I wanted to do was heal Anthi's HP an extra 9 hitpoints, like the description said it would... Sure it had this funny red color and wasn't the same kind of potion as a regular Healing Potion, but hey! There weren't any enemies in the next room and I figured, why the heck not? But NO. It just HAAAAAAD to be a cursed potion. Thanks game. Thanks a bunch. =_=[/spoiler]
Yikes. Okay. Um, soooo... We got to the inner part of the sanctum, and low and behold, the Heartstone's gone. Whoever attacked the place musta took it before we got here. Looks like whoever they were, all the varbeegs and the other acolytes put up quite a fight to protect the stone from them. On one of the dead bodies, we found he'd been killed by some sorta oozing black poison that even Midra couldn't identify--and poison's kinda her schtick, so if she doesn't know what it is, there's no way in the Nine Hells that any of us could figure it out. And inside the chamber, along with all the dead acolytes, we found one guy wearing a priest of Talona uniform. All we found on his body was this glowing vial of green liquid, and judging from its stink, it's no antidote.
Everyone's kinda at a loss. Who the hey were these guys and what'd they want with the Heartstone? Guess we got no choice but to run back to Kuldahar and tell Arundel what we found, but... Man I am so not looking forward to the long trip back.
Big fancy druid man tells Bri and party where we find heart stone next. Green potion comes from snake poison found only in mountains and gets really weak really fast. How come Midra not know these things? Bah! Scrawny elf will get talking to later. Druid man tells Bri that poison must come from caverns in smokey mountain of Dragons eye. Bri hear of Dragons Eye! Is dangerous. Got lots of bad monsters that like the heat. Bri like dangerous! Bri will clob many heads! And wear scalps on back as trophys!
Anthium got furry armor suit made from many yetis Bri kill. Smells bad. But soft and furry! Anthi like big furry bear. Bri try to bear hug Anthi, but Bri no like smell. Bri thinks of Bear tribe when Bri smell it. Bah! Chief would wear yeti pelt when he take Bri hunting. Makes Bri mad. Bri will clob many MANY heads in Dragons Eye! That make Bri feel better! When we leave? Bri hope soon.
[spoiler=Out of Character]That dungeon was a lot quicker than I thought it would be. Ah well. On to Dragon's Eye!
...
EWWWWWWWW I have to go to Dragon's Eye!! TT_TT I don't remember much about Dragon's Eye except that I HATED IT. (But who actually likes Dragon's Eye anyway, right? Hahaha not helping.) So, nope! Nah-ah. Not today. I'll hit that abomination some other day...and cry. In a hole.[/spoiler]
We've arrived at Dragon's Eye within three days of hiking. The mouth of the cavern looks like a dragon's head with its mouth wide open, and the spires and stalagmites all look like pointed teeth! Plus with the warm, volcanic air steaming against the rocks inside, I can see where the caverns got their name. Resting inside this rock dragon will be much more pleasant than the icy cold tombs in the Vale of Shadows.
Oh, and it appears that we were not the only ones to survive the avalanche after all! Unfortunately though, they... They didn't make it to Kuldahar like us. We found Everain's body, an elf who'd journeyed with us through the pass before the avalanche separated us. He was being nibbled on by some spiders... My skin gets cold just thinking about it. To think, he'd survived the avalanche, only to wander lost in the caverns and get eaten by spiders. According to his journal, the last entry in the pages, he'd been expressing his great disdain for the expedition led by Hrothgar. He must have written it right before the snow fell on top of us. It doesn't feel right, just leaving him there on the ground, but his body would freeze if we took him outside, and we can't make the long trek back to Kuldahar after coming so far out. We've no choice but to leave him... Though Midra's taken a liking to his sword--built for an elf, she says, like her. I intend to carry his journal; perhaps it will make a bard's tale one day, to help keep his memory alive.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Okay, so I can't remember if Everain actually came with you on the expedition or not, but for all intents and purposes, he did. Even if I'm wrong. *dons sunglasses* Deal with it.
Villagers in the caves. Status: malnourished, captured. Scared, upset. These must be the ones who'd gone missing from Kuldahar. They claim that the lizardmen are going to eat them. Considering the state of their health, the intricacies of their cages, and the vast number of lizardmen we've encountered in the caves, I can only assume this analysis is accurate.
It's not my place to deny an entire race of creatures their well-earned meal, but to say this aloud would likely anger many members of my group. That aside, Kuldahar is a long three day's trip away from Dragon's Eye, and that makes it an inconvenient food source for the large lizardmen tribe. So the question is: why do these monsters seek out food so far from their home? Next logical answer: because their food stashes have begun to run out, and whatever used to feed them in the past has turned unsatisfactory.
Clangeddin's beard, that was a hell of a fight... We found the King of the Lizardmen down here, so he calls himself. Turns out he's been taking villagers for food, by order of some sorta snake mistress called Yxunomei. I could guess she's the real mastermind behind all this, though after a tough fight with the king, the villagers should make a clean getaway through the caves just fine. All they need fear is the snow outside, and if these hardy northerners are anything like the folks in Easthaven, a little cold ain't gonna slow them down.
Bri, though... She got hit bad. The fool girl went charging into the mob swinging her sword o'er her head and all, but there were just too many for her to take on. That King was pretty tough too, bigger than the rest of his people with that huge trident. If not for Lauren's fiery sorcery, we'da been done for. Anthi's not looking so good either anymore, and as brave as Lauren was, head-rushing the bad guys with her sparkly magic hands wasn't the best of plans either. The villagers will be happy to be free, but we're going back to Kuldahar to get them some proper healing. Bri's gonna need a professional after that serious blow to the head...
[spoiler=Out of Character]I probably tried this fight like five or six times before I finally won, and that was with a character death. Not that the lizards are all that hard to take down, but their shamans and their stupid Hold Person spells are killer.
I hate Dragon's Eye.
Much later I realized that Bri's rage ability makes her immune to Hold Person (along with another slew of movement-based ailments). But of course I only remembered she can do this AFTER I'd overwritten my save file, so she was still dead and the fight over. D'oh!
Well, nothing to do about it beside crawl back to Kuldahar and resurrect her...before letting the villagers free so she can get the quest experience. *whistles innocently*[/spoiler]
Bri's been feeling much better since we returned from Kuldahar. The chambers are empty of the villagers, and the lizardmen don't seem to have noticed or tried to investigate. I just hope the people have made it home.
On the second floor, we've found more captive villagers. This time, exclusively children. Among them we found Sheemish, the missing son of Kuldahar's blacksmith, Conlan. It looks like the lizardmen really are behind the disappearances, and Conlan will be immensely relieved when we tell him that his son's still alive! The last we spoke with him, he'd just about given up all hope. Once we clear out the monsters, Sheemish and the other kids will be free to return home.
There are many...many monsters to cut through, though. Midra's come back from scouting, and she says there's several trolls and priests in one of the rooms. Talonian, by the looks of it. From what she tells us, they seem to be waiting to perform some sort of ceremony atop a ziggurat. Whatever they intend, I doubt they'll appreciate a few six armed women dropping in on them. Time to talk strategy. Midra's poisons will come in handy, along with Lauren's fire-based magic (trolls are weak to fire and acid, you know). Rena will sing, Elona and I will provide support, and Bri... Bri will do what Bri does best: cleave heads.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Ahhhh yesssss... I remember this fight. And how much I HATED IT. Priests spamming Hold Person, and tons of trolls that JUST. WON'T. DIE. Not to mention the start of the battle sticks you in this super-tiny corridor so one hold spell aimed at one person hits EVERYONE. =_= And then, once you think you're done with the hardest part of the battle, once all the trolls are dying or down and the priests are out, there's another wave of trolls that surprises you when you're most vulnerable. *tableflip*
I've already tried this fight several times. I deserve a break, before I start tearing my hair out...
Have I mentioned how much I hate Dragon's Eye?[/spoiler]
Thanks @Nonnahswriter for sharing this with us! The Lady's Night became one of my favourite playthrough in the past few week. The character shifting makes the journal quite amusing, the posts are not too short and not too long (sometimes i get frustrated, when i must deal with walls of text, despite the quality of the writing, and the fact, that i like reading. However I think, that this is my flaw...)
Thanks @Nonnahswriter for sharing this with us! The Lady's Night became one of my favourite playthrough in the past few week. The character shifting makes the journal quite amusing, the posts are not too short and not too long (sometimes i get frustrated, when i must deal with walls of text, despite the quality of the writing, and the fact, that i like reading. However I think, that this is my flaw...)
Very good work!
Thank you!! Since I'm actually writing these within the in-game journal, that helps to restrict me on the length, so they never get too long. A blessing in disguise! ^_^;;
Har! Good battle! Bri cleave many heads, and dwarf woman too! Bri love the smell of death and blood!
Other scrawny women useless! Priests cast spell that keep them in place, and Bri had to fight all by herself! Dragon girly do OK, but she no make sound in battle, so she could no cast spells either! Bah! Bri feel like only horse dragging carriage. Bri carry so much weight on back, make Bri mad! Warrior-priest dwarf only one understand. She look at me funny, but she like fighting as much as Bri! Har! Bri love smell of blood and death! Bri love rush of battle!
We meet Ilmater priestess that Talona priests gonna kill. Neat! She heal for us! Ilmater girly say more Kuldahar people in caves. Tiny elf gonna go scout ahead while we rest. Bri hope there be more priests and trolls she can kill! Hmmm... But first, Bri take nap too.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Alllll right, after procrastinating for a few days, I took another shot at the ziggurat fight. I rarely yell at my computer when I'm playing, but today... I yelled. A lot. >_>;;
I went in pre-buffed. Haste, Bless, and I had Bri chug a Potion of Freedom--no way in hell was I letting my number one damage-dealer freeze. The Talonites began their chanting, and I'd been through this more than enough times already thanks to know: they cannot get their spells off. As Anthi, Rena, and Lauren cast their AoE spells, Midra, Bri, and Elona focused all their ammo on the priests.
But alas, they could not stop them all! All at once, a Hold Person spell hit Anthium, Renanon, and Midra. They were frozen and vulnerable, but they'd done their job--Anthi's vines writhed in the ground, and the trolls slid and fell in the slimy Grease!
Now we just have to protect the other three. Elona and Bri struck holes in the priests until they were dying or dead, and whenever a troll moved in too close, they switched to melee. Lauren's magic must come in handy, but--no! I stared at the computer screen despairingly as I clicked on Lauren, and her voice didn't answer me. She'd been Silenced! My Dragon Disciple was Silenced!! O_O
Lauren may not be able to cast magic now, but she'd already gotten off a couple Skull Traps, and most of the trolls had been crippled. Together with Elona, Bri picked them off with fire arrows, and chunked whoever came too close. At last, one by one, the trolls fell, and right as the reinforcements arrived, Anthi, Rena, and Midra were freed from the Held, and Lauren could speak again. Anthi summoned a nymph that healed the whole party while everyone else bashed the straggling trolls, and with that, the ziggurat battle came to a close.
I got very...very lucky. @_@ I couldn't believe how well it went after so many frustrating tries! It's all a bit of a blur, to be honest... But! A victory is a victory, and I shall relish it well! >:D[/spoiler]
Eugenia, our Ilmater priestess buddy, pointed us in the direction of the Kuldahar villagers. They were prolly gonna get sacrificed to whatever those Talona priests were thinking of doing at the ziggurat. They sure were glad to see us, and once the tunnels get cleared, they should be able to escape. Still, a lot of us were wondering, why the ceremony? The Lizard King was all about just eating these guys, so why go to all that trouble of some cultist sacrifice? What alliance do these Talonites have with the lizardmen, anyway?
So, after getting some healing from Eugenia, we kept going.
Aaaaaand that brings us to: now. It's the Vale all over again. Undead. Soooooo much undead. When we first entered the hall, we ran into this skeleton, but it wasn't sentient like the ones in the Vale. This guy was just a puppet, conjured and controlled by a necromancer somewhere deep within the caves. He warned us to back off, so we told him to shove it. We can't just keep letting him and his lizard pals kidnap Kuldahar's people and freeze the pass. Except...he said he wasn't the one freezing the pass. Which means he's also not the evil threatening Kuldahar, or at least the frozen parts of it. Drat!
He mentioned something about an Old Enemy, but before we could ask more, he went all psycho (like he wasn't already) and let loose his horde of wights at us. SO. MANY. WIGHTS. And their hands and claws were all cold to the touch. I mean, I'm part dragon, but even I can still feel where they'd sunk their teeth into me, even after Anthi and Elona healed us all up. Scary stuff, I tell ya. He's even rigged up some exploding skeletons--ya touch em once, and BOOM! A giant explosion of cold burns your fingers off! We've been picking em off with our ranged weapons, but I dunno how long that's gonna last. All it takes is one to sneak up on us...
Good news is... I learned a new spell today that should help. The wights like cold? Let's see how they handle the hot blaze of my fireball! Haha! Ha... That was a bad joke, wasn't it?
[spoiler=Out of Character]For not liking to write, Lauren, you sure do write a lot... >_>;;
But seriously, HOLY POOP SKILLET, that's a lotta wights! O_O;; Back to the Vale routine: Elona flashes her holy symbol, Rena sings, Lauren and Anthi spam AoE spells, and Midra and Bri do the killing. (Can you kill the dead? Hmmm... Bashing? Shooting? Beating? Eh...)
[spoiler=Out of Character]With the holiday season over, everyone's getting back into their playthroughs. It's about time I get back to mine too! It's been a while, so the writing style might be a little rough. Just gotta break back into those voices![/spoiler]
Day 27, Hour 21 (28 Mirtul, 1281)
Anthium
It seems we've finally discovered the necromancer behind this whole floor: a woman named Presio. After a long, well-fought treak through the caverns, we finally found a round tent at the farthest end. We send Midra ahead to scout it first, and when she came back, her eyes were the widest I've ever seen them. The room was filled to the brim with undead, according to Midra, along with a woman in the garbs of a mage. Presio, as we would later learn. No matter her name, we dared not take any chances trying to probe her for answers; we all knew that as soon as she saw us, we'd have one heck of a battle on our hands. After some preparations and strategy discussions, we charged into the tent swords blazing.
Elona and I would fend off the hordes with her Turning and my Tangles. Bri cut through the wights like a scythe through the grass while Rena sung her most valor of tunes. And Lauren and Midra distracted Presio with a rain of Magic Missiles and crossbow bolts. But even between the two of them, I knew it wouldn't be enough; Midra had too many bodies standing between her and Presio to land consistently clear shots, and while Lauren's missiles never missed, she could only throw so many of them.
So I put my foot down. I felt the echoes of the spirits reverberate through my body as I called into the mists. I was so far from home, so deep inside this smoldering volcano... But a snake answered me and came to my aid. And boy, he was a tough little fella who pushed on through the whole fight, enduring even mage fire and poisoned zombie claws alike! Even when we were almost overwhelmed by reinforcements in the north, he stuck by us and lashed out at our enemies with his ethereal fangs. It's a comfort of mine, to know that even as the dark cold creeps ever closer to Kuldahar, even in the dank pits of these caves, away from the trees and the soil... Nature still comes when it is called. It brings me a little hope in this vile place.
After the battle was over, we set up camp to rest inside the tent. We searched Presio's belongings and found a handy crossbow for Midra, along with a few other things. We even found her journal (and that's how we learned her name). It seems she was keeping a head-count on people in the area, even...even people from Easthaven. Lots of people whom we've met are in this journal--Everard, Hrothgar, and even some Kuldahar names like Arundel and Orrick. She has their names and their titles and their relations, as if she were keeping notes. And she also mentions this "Old Enemy," a second time... That it "may remove" Hrothgar. Does this mean that the Old Enemy is responsible for the attack in the pass, and the evil creeping into Kuldahar?
[spoiler=Out of Character]After several weeks, months away from Icewind Dale, I opened up the game to find my party parked right in front of the dome, ready to fight Presio. I remember walking into that camp and shrinking back against the hordes of undead, but really... It wasn't that tough. I believe it was Alvaeus Malcanter who said to AIM FOR THE MAGE, right? After Presio went down, it was just a matter of taking out the zombies and wights. And there were a lot of them, but they weren't very strong, and all Turnable.
That spirit snake though. Took out the mage, took a blast of fire to the face, and he was still slithering about like a boss. He even took out a ton of the zombies on top of that! o_o;; I gotta remember to use spirit animals more often, especially now that I can cast two of them a day...[/spoiler]
Well, we've found the stairs that take us deeper into the caverns, but now that we've arrived on this new level, things are...odd. So very...very odd.
We came upon a refuge of Eldathyns, worshippers of some nature goddess of peace and tranquility. They've offered us shelter, healing, and we even found a few merchants willing to sell us some goods. In the heart of Dragon's Eye. An active volcano. Filled with man-eating lizards, exploding skeletons, and only Clangeddin knows what else.
Look, I enjoy a hearty meal and warm bath as much as the next woman, especially when I needn't worry bout any monsters charging in to cleave my head off. But this? This doesn't ease my worries one bit, this is just...bizarre. What are a bunch of peace-worshipping priests doing in the heart of a volcano? They sure as hell ain't sharing the wisdom of Eldath with the kidnapping lizards upstairs! I don't like none of it, no matter how trusting they might look, but Anthi's alignment-finding magic hasn't found anything... They also claim to know nothing about the Heartstone either.
I'll play along for now... Most of us girls could use the rest anyway. But know this, by the name of Clangeddin, I'll be keeping my hammer close while I sleep.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Anthium decided that Albion wasn't to be trusted and tried to cast Know Alignment on him. But as with most targets of my Know Alignment spell, he saved. =_= I'm on to you, Albion. On to you...[/spoiler]
Oh my goodness, Elli was right! This isn't an Eldathyn sanctuary at all--these people, these...these monsters worship a snake god, Sseth! They're in league with the yuan-ti who've been kidnapping and eating the Kuldahar villagers. We found Sseth's murals on their walls, strange tomes on the bookshelves, and even adventurers who'd been imprisoned while playing dead. But worst of all... We found yuan-ti dining upon the dead carcasses of innocent people. They hadn't noticed that we'd come into the dining room, but we didn't wait to strategize; Lauren was so furious, she released a giant ball of fire on the horde, and the fighting began.
They've been summoning trolls, snakes, and performing other rituals. We've found treasures at the feet...tails of statues depicting their god. A monster whose upper torso is a woman's and lower body is a serpent. Good grief... Just when we thought we'd caught a break from the fighting, this madness just falls in our lap! And there was that name again, Yxunomei. A high priestess of Sseth, Albion had called her, before he lost himself in some mad reverie and Bri cut him down. Oh by the gods above and below and everywhere else, this tale just gets stranger and stranger. And still no sign of the Heartstone, either, though now there's little doubt in our minds: these snake-loving cultists must be behind it all.
New floor discovered. Upon entry, a small girl spoke to us and warned us from proceeding forward. Likelihood that this girl is what our eyes tells us she is: miniscule. The girl speaks The girl speaks in a cryptic monotone that no ordinary human girl would use. Not only that, but every time thus far that she has appeared to us, she has disappeared shortly after by means of teleportation magic. The evidence leads me to believe that she is an illusion, perhaps conjured by the Sseth priests that we have found slithering through the halls and gathered in the rooms. There are five of them so far, the rooms. Further theorizing suggests that because this specter has appeared to us and tried to scare us off our course, then whoever sent the girl feels threatened. We must be reaching closer to the end of the caverns, and closer to the Heartstone.
Once we have retrieved the Heartstone and returned it to Arundel, I will dispose of my target. Presuming that this stone is all Arundel needs to save his town, then he will have no further use for us, and the party will go their separate ways. They will be vulnerable, and that is the time I shall strike.
Bri fight lots of monsters in tunnels. Lots of snake guys that stick Bri full of arrows. Bah! Pointy arrows no stop Bri! Bri too strong to let sticks get in her way. Bri cleave through them all to get Heartstone!
But Bri also fight monsters Bri never seen before. Scrawny bard lady call them histachii, but even she no know why they are there. They fall easy to Bri's giant sword! One swing--gone!
But there be reason for that after all. Bri and party found a yuan-ti priest in room full of pools and snake serpent statue, along with many villagers. We try helping them, but villagers attack us instead! Bah! Bri was ready to cut through puny human peasants when the druid snake and flashy mage destroy the priest. Squish, boom! Bones and blood go everywhere! Bri a little proud of puny druid then. Never knew she had it in her. Seeing villagers get turned into histachii must have really make her angry!
Villagers turn normal after priest die. They very grateful! Bah! Bri thinks if villagers were more grateful, they give Bri and party reward. But Bri also thinks they no have much to give anyway. Woulda been easier to just cut through! Ah well, now the histachiis won't be made no more. Take that, snakes!
[spoiler=Out of Character]You know, Bri acts all confident and all, but seriously, screw those yuan-ti elite archers. =_= How do they hit so consistently? For SO MUCH!? I can't tell you how many times I had to reload because of stupid archers pummeling my people. Next to the yuan-ti barracks, the fight with the baptist was a piece of cake.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Out of Character]And with the last of the tunnels cleared out, there's only one room left... The dreaded chamber of Yxunomei. *gulps* This is the room that had stopped me when I was little. This is where my prior Icewind Dale knowledge ends. Let's see how I did...[/spoiler]
Day 31, Hour 21 (2 Kythorn, 1281)
Elona
So, it seems our cryptic little friend is actually Yxunomei herself, a snake demon with giant tits, six arms, and a snake body below her waist. She needn't be evil for me to want to smite her off the face of Faerun. Gods.
We found her in the last, farthest room of the tunnels. We snuck Midra in through the doors, and when she came back to report, she saw the little girl and a slew of yuan-ti in the room with her. As clear a sign as any that a bloody battle was bout to be had, praise be to Clangeddin.
Yxunomei was actually surprised to see us, almost impressed that we had thwarted her so-called "recipe" to deal with an old vendetta. Against whom or what, I don't know. She wasn't in much of the mood for answering our questions. Unsurprising, seeing as we'd been stomping around in her lair and killing her minions. I'd be pissed too. Luckily, for me, I'm not an evil, psychotic snake-bitch. It turns out that she'd been using the Heartstone for its divination powers, tending to a personal matter of hers. She claims that even kidnapping the people of Kuldahar were serving in her grand scheme, mere tools to forward her plans. No, I knew then and there, there would be no reasoning with this creature. I give Anthium her credit though; she was much nicer about asking than I ever would have been.
We threw all we had at the beast... And with Midra's insight, we entered fully prepared, or as prepared as we could be. In the end, we prevailed, and the Heartstone gem now lies nestled in my pack. Arundel will be glad to see us... I can see it now: all of Kuldahar, showering us with a rain of leaves like confetti, all of the people cheering and praising... And there'll be a feast! Oh, what a feast it will be, worthy enough for Clangeddin himself and his holy champions! Ahem... Such as myself, of course.
Though first, we've got a long sluck of walking to do...
[spoiler=Out of Character]You know, it actually wasn't that bad. I beat her on the first try. I remember her being a lot harder, but then again, I was young and foolish the last time we fought, and I have learned a lot since.
Long story short: crowd-control, crowd-control, crowd-control. I spammed Entangle, Grease, Stinking Cloud, and Web, and with a couple of Greater Malisions, even Yxy herself got trapped a little in the grease and vines. By the time she actually got up front and began wailing on my party, she was already severely injured. You can thank Midra and Bri for that, since they were the only ones throwing +2 missiles at her.
As for the minions, they were already super-stuck in the mass crowd-control, so Lauren was able to pick them off all at once with some Skull Traps and Magic Missiles. Whatever survived Lauren's barrage of spells was promptly eaten by Anthi's spirit bear, or pinned down by my distance characters.
Which means... The curse is broken! I've finally defeated the evil snake-lady! WOOHOO!![/spoiler]
We... We are betrayed... I am betrayed. I...I don't want to write, and yet... As a druid, I feel I may be the only one who can and should.
Upon returning to Kuldahar, we'd hoped for celebration. With the Heartstone, Arundel could lift the curse on the town and the people could rejoice... But instead, we found monsters killing townsfolk in the roots of the Great Oak. We disposed of them, saved those we could, but... That was not the worst of it. A man, the villagers had told us. A man in a gray cloak had led the monsters into Kuldahar, and walked into Arundel's home. Arundel hadn't been seen since.
Inside, we found Arundel, but of course, it wasn't really Arundel. A shape-changer of some sort had stolen his face, his voice, his whole form. He thanked us for disposing of Yxonumei, that she and him had been "ancient enemies" for a long time, and that we'd fulfilled his plan perfectly. What plan, and who this monster was, we couldn't find out. He disappeared before we could force the answers out of him, with a chilling smile on Arundel's face that would send a shiver even through an Aurilite.
We ran upstairs, but... We were too late. Arundel, Archdruid of Kuldahar, and a man I had admired for most of my life...is dead. He died in my arms, and left us with this last bit of guidance: we must take the Heartstone to the Severed Hand, an elven fortress. With Arundel dead, there's only one man left who can use the gem to restore Kuldahar, and we are the only ones who even stand a chance at finding him in the Hand.
I've taken Arundel's quarterstaff into my hands. Even if he hadn't asked, I... I feel as though he would have wanted me to have it. I will avenge you, Arundel. I will restore the balance that this evil has thrown awry, and save the town that you so loved. I hope, from wherever you are now, you'll be able to watch me do it. Silvanus guide your soul.
[spoiler=Out of Character]...
...
...
Well that happened.
And elsewhere, in the darkest deepest parts of her heart, Midra cries a little. "Gods damn it, one thing after another! When am I going to find the chance to finish my mission!?" The answer, Midra? Never. >:D Mwahahahaha![/spoiler]
Dragon's Eye: CLEAR. ^_^ And thank goodness... I wasn't sure how much more of that madness I could take. With another dungeon down, we get a character sheet and inventories update!
[spoiler=Character Sheets]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Inventories]
[/spoiler]
Anthi and Bri: "So...close...to...leveling...up!!"
Well, the Severed Hand will fix that for you guys, won't it? Now, onward women! We must follow that trail!
Five days and many sore feet later... We've arrived at the Severed Hand. Not exactly the kinda name I'd expect from an elf fortress, you know. They're all about forests and trees and magic and stuff, and the best name they could come up with was... The Severed Hand? No trees, no fairy magic, no flowery language, just five towers all next to each other, close enough to--OH. It looks like a hand, but without the rest of the body! Ha! I get it now. Them elves, thinking they're so clever and all.
So, we walked up to the entrance of the Severed Hand, not really knowing what was gonna happen. Then all of a sudden, this ghostly spirit thing walks out and yells at us. "A DWARF DARES TO SET FOOT HERE?" it asked. Gods, you could hear Elona's bones stiffen as it spoke. We all looked at her, and she just kinda stood there, frozen mid-step, but the specter didn't seem to notice her. He had his ghostly eyes on a squirrel hiding amongst the tree stumps. He kept up his angry rant like he was talking to a dwarf--except to a squirrel--until he shot out a fireball at the poor thing and fried it to cinders! Yeesh! What'd the squirrel ever do to you, huh? But everyone's just glad he didn't throw it at us, what with Elona being here and all. Weird... It was almost like he was speaking from a script. I don't even think he knew we were here at all...
Still, not the best kinda warm welcome I was hopin' for. We'll have to be careful, going forward, especially if there're any elves in there that don't like dwarves.
The Severed Hand... A name as hollow and empty as the insides of the tower itself. Arundel had told us that it was a fortress, and perhaps once upon a time, it was. But now... Now the stairways are molding and creak beneath our feet. Broken pots and collapsed tables are strewn about like an army marched through and pillaged the place. Of course, knowing the Severed Hand's history, I suppose that's more of an accurate description rather than a metaphor. We've seen goblins, orcs, and worgs inhabiting the tower remains, but they're more like...shades of their former selves. They're transparent, not all there, and some even appear out of thin air. Ghosts, more like. I...I don't like ghosts. Or ghost stories. They're just so scary, they create a different kind of mood than a heroic tale!
Although, we seem to have found a bit of laughter in this broken place. A laughter we've been in sore lack of, ever since the death of Arundel. You see, we found this magic bag on one of the worgs. I'd heard of them, Bags of Holding, that can hold objects larger than itself, and so many at once! This one is already full of items, and its patchwork is colorful and silly, like a jester's hat. It might have even belonged to a jester at one point, with what we found inside. I pulled out a bottle of elven wine, except it was meant to be a healing potion. Someone had diluted it with too much wine! Bri didn't care, not with out banged up she was, so she gobbled it down in one swig. Bri drinks a lot though, not like sweet Anthi, so we didn't get much of a show. Still, who knows what else we might find in this wondrous item? If they're anything like the wind... Maybe this adventure will lighten up after all, if only a little.
[spoiler=Out of Character]So. The Severed Hand likes ambushes, does it? I'm just walking along, and then BAM! Monsters outta nowhere! I thought Midra's scouting could come in handy, so after a big battle without taking the chance to heal, I sent her forth to see what was up ahead. But even though she was hiding in shadows, she still triggered a scripted event for the goblin to release his pack of worgs on whoever stepped too close...even though he technically couldn't see her.
Oh poop, I thought. I had an easy dozen worgs coming at me, and Midra was on the whole other side of the map, and the rest of the party was still hurt. o_o;; That was one of those rare moments in this game when I reacted on-the-fly: I had Rena cast Web in the place where I thought all the worgs were gonna gather before they maul us down, and IT WORKED. Almost all of them got stuck in the webbings! Midra was still on the other side, but she got backstab damage on the head goblin and took him out while the rest of the party elsewhere picked off the worgs with Lauren's magic and a ton of missiles. I was quite proud. ^_^[/spoiler]
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Also, I think it's funny how these ghostly monsters, even though they're ghostly, still leave bodies behind.[/spoiler]
If you ever plan to revisit this that would be awesome i really enjoyed reading through this more than my favorite ed greenwood books (the shandril saga).
Comments
[spoiler=Character Sheets]
[spoiler=Inventories]
And now, time to get back in character:
Day 9, Hour 17 (10 Mirtul, 1281)
Elona
Well, after returning to Arundel, we've got a new mission in place: he wants us to search for the Heartstone, some ancient druidic artifact that could help him pinpoint the evil seeking to destroy Kuldahar. We took a couple of days to rest up before heading out, and good thing too--all of us stank so bad, we were like a walkin' talkin' Stinking Cloud that swept through town.
Arundel says that the Heartstone was stolen from Kuldahar many years ago, and that it should be found in a canyon to the east of us. I dunno why the old man waited so long just to tell us about it. I mean, if it could really do as he says it should and locate the evil itself, why didn't we just go grab it first instead of defacing the crypts in the Vale of Shadows? I wonder... What evils we'll face down there for ourselves just to get the stone back. Clangeddin protect us, if it's anything like the hordes we fought in the Vale, or something even stronger... Well, we're all much stronger now too than we used to be. Like the winter cold hardened our spirits. I just hope it'll be enough.
Anthium
That was interesting. After a day or so of hard travel through the snow, we came upon the ruins of the temple Arundel told us about, at the bottom of the canyon. I couldn't help but notice some of the hooded statues looked a lot like the ones in the Vale, though before I could really discern their nature, a verbeeg approached us. All of us were about to draw our weapons when it spoke, demanding that we move out of his way so he could flee.
This verbeeg, Red Toe, was one of several guards for the "good priests" of the temple, but he and his friends were attacked by what he calls "bad priests." Red Toe would have been killed too if he hadn't played dead, and fled when the enemies had gone. Before we could ask for more details though, Red Toe pushed us out of the way and fled for his life. But if these "bad priests" were enough to frighten Red Toe and kill his friends--and keeping in mind that verbeegs are very, very big--then they must have been formidable. I hope they're not still in there, but we have no choice. We must press on and search for the Heartstone within the temple.
Renanon
Since we've come to another stopping point, it's my turn to write again! Anthi dear wasn't feeling so well, with wounds from an earlier battle stinging against the cold air, so she found what looked like a healing potion in one of the barrels. Nothing too impressive, just a little elixir potion. But whatever she drank clearly wasn't what she thought it was. The liquid must've gone straight to her head and turned her all loopsy-daisy drunk! Elli insists that we wait for her to come out of her stupor; it's not safe to go into combat with liqueur in your blood, after all. Still, it's given us a nice laugh for a change. Anthi's quite the cutie when she's intoxicated!
Upon entering the temple, the surviving acolytes attacked us at once. They wouldn't even listen to our explanation, convinced that we were with their enemies. The next thing we knew, we had the entire temple turned against us. Midra found dead verbeegs and acolytes alike as she scouted through the hallways, but there were still plenty left alive willing to fight. I wish there was some way we could talk to them, but they just refuse to listen... Who were the evil priests who attacked this place, and driven the survivors to attack first and die protecting what little remained of their temple? Even against those who claim to be their friends?
[spoiler=Out of Character]All I wanted to do was heal Anthi's HP an extra 9 hitpoints, like the description said it would... Sure it had this funny red color and wasn't the same kind of potion as a regular Healing Potion, but hey! There weren't any enemies in the next room and I figured, why the heck not? But NO. It just HAAAAAAD to be a cursed potion. Thanks game. Thanks a bunch. =_=[/spoiler]
Lauren
Yikes. Okay. Um, soooo... We got to the inner part of the sanctum, and low and behold, the Heartstone's gone. Whoever attacked the place musta took it before we got here. Looks like whoever they were, all the varbeegs and the other acolytes put up quite a fight to protect the stone from them. On one of the dead bodies, we found he'd been killed by some sorta oozing black poison that even Midra couldn't identify--and poison's kinda her schtick, so if she doesn't know what it is, there's no way in the Nine Hells that any of us could figure it out. And inside the chamber, along with all the dead acolytes, we found one guy wearing a priest of Talona uniform. All we found on his body was this glowing vial of green liquid, and judging from its stink, it's no antidote.
Everyone's kinda at a loss. Who the hey were these guys and what'd they want with the Heartstone? Guess we got no choice but to run back to Kuldahar and tell Arundel what we found, but... Man I am so not looking forward to the long trip back.
Bri
Big fancy druid man tells Bri and party where we find heart stone next. Green potion comes from snake poison found only in mountains and gets really weak really fast. How come Midra not know these things? Bah! Scrawny elf will get talking to later. Druid man tells Bri that poison must come from caverns in smokey mountain of Dragons eye. Bri hear of Dragons Eye! Is dangerous. Got lots of bad monsters that like the heat. Bri like dangerous! Bri will clob many heads! And wear scalps on back as trophys!
Anthium got furry armor suit made from many yetis Bri kill. Smells bad. But soft and furry! Anthi like big furry bear. Bri try to bear hug Anthi, but Bri no like smell. Bri thinks of Bear tribe when Bri smell it. Bah! Chief would wear yeti pelt when he take Bri hunting. Makes Bri mad. Bri will clob many MANY heads in Dragons Eye! That make Bri feel better! When we leave? Bri hope soon.
[spoiler=Out of Character]That dungeon was a lot quicker than I thought it would be. Ah well. On to Dragon's Eye!
...
EWWWWWWWW I have to go to Dragon's Eye!! TT_TT I don't remember much about Dragon's Eye except that I HATED IT. (But who actually likes Dragon's Eye anyway, right? Hahaha not helping.) So, nope! Nah-ah. Not today. I'll hit that abomination some other day...and cry. In a hole.[/spoiler]
Day 18, Hour 13 (19 Mirtul, 1281)
Renanon
We've arrived at Dragon's Eye within three days of hiking. The mouth of the cavern looks like a dragon's head with its mouth wide open, and the spires and stalagmites all look like pointed teeth! Plus with the warm, volcanic air steaming against the rocks inside, I can see where the caverns got their name. Resting inside this rock dragon will be much more pleasant than the icy cold tombs in the Vale of Shadows.
Oh, and it appears that we were not the only ones to survive the avalanche after all! Unfortunately though, they... They didn't make it to Kuldahar like us. We found Everain's body, an elf who'd journeyed with us through the pass before the avalanche separated us. He was being nibbled on by some spiders... My skin gets cold just thinking about it. To think, he'd survived the avalanche, only to wander lost in the caverns and get eaten by spiders. According to his journal, the last entry in the pages, he'd been expressing his great disdain for the expedition led by Hrothgar. He must have written it right before the snow fell on top of us. It doesn't feel right, just leaving him there on the ground, but his body would freeze if we took him outside, and we can't make the long trek back to Kuldahar after coming so far out. We've no choice but to leave him... Though Midra's taken a liking to his sword--built for an elf, she says, like her. I intend to carry his journal; perhaps it will make a bard's tale one day, to help keep his memory alive.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Okay, so I can't remember if Everain actually came with you on the expedition or not, but for all intents and purposes, he did. Even if I'm wrong. *dons sunglasses* Deal with it.
Also, apparently he's a cousin of Xan's!
Midra
Villagers in the caves. Status: malnourished, captured. Scared, upset. These must be the ones who'd gone missing from Kuldahar. They claim that the lizardmen are going to eat them. Considering the state of their health, the intricacies of their cages, and the vast number of lizardmen we've encountered in the caves, I can only assume this analysis is accurate.
It's not my place to deny an entire race of creatures their well-earned meal, but to say this aloud would likely anger many members of my group. That aside, Kuldahar is a long three day's trip away from Dragon's Eye, and that makes it an inconvenient food source for the large lizardmen tribe. So the question is: why do these monsters seek out food so far from their home? Next logical answer: because their food stashes have begun to run out, and whatever used to feed them in the past has turned unsatisfactory.
Elona
Clangeddin's beard, that was a hell of a fight... We found the King of the Lizardmen down here, so he calls himself. Turns out he's been taking villagers for food, by order of some sorta snake mistress called Yxunomei. I could guess she's the real mastermind behind all this, though after a tough fight with the king, the villagers should make a clean getaway through the caves just fine. All they need fear is the snow outside, and if these hardy northerners are anything like the folks in Easthaven, a little cold ain't gonna slow them down.
Bri, though... She got hit bad. The fool girl went charging into the mob swinging her sword o'er her head and all, but there were just too many for her to take on. That King was pretty tough too, bigger than the rest of his people with that huge trident. If not for Lauren's fiery sorcery, we'da been done for. Anthi's not looking so good either anymore, and as brave as Lauren was, head-rushing the bad guys with her sparkly magic hands wasn't the best of plans either. The villagers will be happy to be free, but we're going back to Kuldahar to get them some proper healing. Bri's gonna need a professional after that serious blow to the head...
[spoiler=Out of Character]I probably tried this fight like five or six times before I finally won, and that was with a character death. Not that the lizards are all that hard to take down, but their shamans and their stupid Hold Person spells are killer.
I hate Dragon's Eye.
Much later I realized that Bri's rage ability makes her immune to Hold Person (along with another slew of movement-based ailments). But of course I only remembered she can do this AFTER I'd overwritten my save file, so she was still dead and the fight over. D'oh!
Well, nothing to do about it beside crawl back to Kuldahar and resurrect her...before letting the villagers free so she can get the quest experience. *whistles innocently*[/spoiler]
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Anthium
Bri's been feeling much better since we returned from Kuldahar. The chambers are empty of the villagers, and the lizardmen don't seem to have noticed or tried to investigate. I just hope the people have made it home.
On the second floor, we've found more captive villagers. This time, exclusively children. Among them we found Sheemish, the missing son of Kuldahar's blacksmith, Conlan. It looks like the lizardmen really are behind the disappearances, and Conlan will be immensely relieved when we tell him that his son's still alive! The last we spoke with him, he'd just about given up all hope. Once we clear out the monsters, Sheemish and the other kids will be free to return home.
There are many...many monsters to cut through, though. Midra's come back from scouting, and she says there's several trolls and priests in one of the rooms. Talonian, by the looks of it. From what she tells us, they seem to be waiting to perform some sort of ceremony atop a ziggurat. Whatever they intend, I doubt they'll appreciate a few six armed women dropping in on them. Time to talk strategy. Midra's poisons will come in handy, along with Lauren's fire-based magic (trolls are weak to fire and acid, you know). Rena will sing, Elona and I will provide support, and Bri... Bri will do what Bri does best: cleave heads.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Ahhhh yesssss... I remember this fight. And how much I HATED IT. Priests spamming Hold Person, and tons of trolls that JUST. WON'T. DIE. Not to mention the start of the battle sticks you in this super-tiny corridor so one hold spell aimed at one person hits EVERYONE. =_= And then, once you think you're done with the hardest part of the battle, once all the trolls are dying or down and the priests are out, there's another wave of trolls that surprises you when you're most vulnerable. *tableflip*
I've already tried this fight several times. I deserve a break, before I start tearing my hair out...
Have I mentioned how much I hate Dragon's Eye?[/spoiler]
Very good work!
Bri
Har! Good battle! Bri cleave many heads, and dwarf woman too! Bri love the smell of death and blood!
Other scrawny women useless! Priests cast spell that keep them in place, and Bri had to fight all by herself! Dragon girly do OK, but she no make sound in battle, so she could no cast spells either! Bah! Bri feel like only horse dragging carriage. Bri carry so much weight on back, make Bri mad! Warrior-priest dwarf only one understand. She look at me funny, but she like fighting as much as Bri! Har! Bri love smell of blood and death! Bri love rush of battle!
We meet Ilmater priestess that Talona priests gonna kill. Neat! She heal for us! Ilmater girly say more Kuldahar people in caves. Tiny elf gonna go scout ahead while we rest. Bri hope there be more priests and trolls she can kill! Hmmm... But first, Bri take nap too.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Alllll right, after procrastinating for a few days, I took another shot at the ziggurat fight. I rarely yell at my computer when I'm playing, but today... I yelled. A lot. >_>;;
I went in pre-buffed. Haste, Bless, and I had Bri chug a Potion of Freedom--no way in hell was I letting my number one damage-dealer freeze. The Talonites began their chanting, and I'd been through this more than enough times already thanks to know: they cannot get their spells off. As Anthi, Rena, and Lauren cast their AoE spells, Midra, Bri, and Elona focused all their ammo on the priests.
But alas, they could not stop them all! All at once, a Hold Person spell hit Anthium, Renanon, and Midra. They were frozen and vulnerable, but they'd done their job--Anthi's vines writhed in the ground, and the trolls slid and fell in the slimy Grease!
Now we just have to protect the other three. Elona and Bri struck holes in the priests until they were dying or dead, and whenever a troll moved in too close, they switched to melee. Lauren's magic must come in handy, but--no! I stared at the computer screen despairingly as I clicked on Lauren, and her voice didn't answer me. She'd been Silenced! My Dragon Disciple was Silenced!! O_O
Lauren may not be able to cast magic now, but she'd already gotten off a couple Skull Traps, and most of the trolls had been crippled. Together with Elona, Bri picked them off with fire arrows, and chunked whoever came too close. At last, one by one, the trolls fell, and right as the reinforcements arrived, Anthi, Rena, and Midra were freed from the Held, and Lauren could speak again. Anthi summoned a nymph that healed the whole party while everyone else bashed the straggling trolls, and with that, the ziggurat battle came to a close.
I got very...very lucky. @_@ I couldn't believe how well it went after so many frustrating tries! It's all a bit of a blur, to be honest... But! A victory is a victory, and I shall relish it well! >:D[/spoiler]
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Lauren
Eugenia, our Ilmater priestess buddy, pointed us in the direction of the Kuldahar villagers. They were prolly gonna get sacrificed to whatever those Talona priests were thinking of doing at the ziggurat. They sure were glad to see us, and once the tunnels get cleared, they should be able to escape. Still, a lot of us were wondering, why the ceremony? The Lizard King was all about just eating these guys, so why go to all that trouble of some cultist sacrifice? What alliance do these Talonites have with the lizardmen, anyway?
So, after getting some healing from Eugenia, we kept going.
Aaaaaand that brings us to: now. It's the Vale all over again. Undead. Soooooo much undead. When we first entered the hall, we ran into this skeleton, but it wasn't sentient like the ones in the Vale. This guy was just a puppet, conjured and controlled by a necromancer somewhere deep within the caves. He warned us to back off, so we told him to shove it. We can't just keep letting him and his lizard pals kidnap Kuldahar's people and freeze the pass. Except...he said he wasn't the one freezing the pass. Which means he's also not the evil threatening Kuldahar, or at least the frozen parts of it. Drat!
He mentioned something about an Old Enemy, but before we could ask more, he went all psycho (like he wasn't already) and let loose his horde of wights at us. SO. MANY. WIGHTS. And their hands and claws were all cold to the touch. I mean, I'm part dragon, but even I can still feel where they'd sunk their teeth into me, even after Anthi and Elona healed us all up. Scary stuff, I tell ya. He's even rigged up some exploding skeletons--ya touch em once, and BOOM! A giant explosion of cold burns your fingers off! We've been picking em off with our ranged weapons, but I dunno how long that's gonna last. All it takes is one to sneak up on us...
Good news is... I learned a new spell today that should help. The wights like cold? Let's see how they handle the hot blaze of my fireball! Haha! Ha... That was a bad joke, wasn't it?
[spoiler=Out of Character]For not liking to write, Lauren, you sure do write a lot... >_>;;
But seriously, HOLY POOP SKILLET, that's a lotta wights! O_O;; Back to the Vale routine: Elona flashes her holy symbol, Rena sings, Lauren and Anthi spam AoE spells, and Midra and Bri do the killing. (Can you kill the dead? Hmmm... Bashing? Shooting? Beating? Eh...)
Also, Skull Trap is amazing. JUST SAYING.
Lauren's spellbook, in case anyone's wondering.
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Day 27, Hour 21 (28 Mirtul, 1281)
Anthium
It seems we've finally discovered the necromancer behind this whole floor: a woman named Presio. After a long, well-fought treak through the caverns, we finally found a round tent at the farthest end. We send Midra ahead to scout it first, and when she came back, her eyes were the widest I've ever seen them. The room was filled to the brim with undead, according to Midra, along with a woman in the garbs of a mage. Presio, as we would later learn. No matter her name, we dared not take any chances trying to probe her for answers; we all knew that as soon as she saw us, we'd have one heck of a battle on our hands. After some preparations and strategy discussions, we charged into the tent swords blazing.
Elona and I would fend off the hordes with her Turning and my Tangles. Bri cut through the wights like a scythe through the grass while Rena sung her most valor of tunes. And Lauren and Midra distracted Presio with a rain of Magic Missiles and crossbow bolts. But even between the two of them, I knew it wouldn't be enough; Midra had too many bodies standing between her and Presio to land consistently clear shots, and while Lauren's missiles never missed, she could only throw so many of them.
So I put my foot down. I felt the echoes of the spirits reverberate through my body as I called into the mists. I was so far from home, so deep inside this smoldering volcano... But a snake answered me and came to my aid. And boy, he was a tough little fella who pushed on through the whole fight, enduring even mage fire and poisoned zombie claws alike! Even when we were almost overwhelmed by reinforcements in the north, he stuck by us and lashed out at our enemies with his ethereal fangs. It's a comfort of mine, to know that even as the dark cold creeps ever closer to Kuldahar, even in the dank pits of these caves, away from the trees and the soil... Nature still comes when it is called. It brings me a little hope in this vile place.
After the battle was over, we set up camp to rest inside the tent. We searched Presio's belongings and found a handy crossbow for Midra, along with a few other things. We even found her journal (and that's how we learned her name). It seems she was keeping a head-count on people in the area, even...even people from Easthaven. Lots of people whom we've met are in this journal--Everard, Hrothgar, and even some Kuldahar names like Arundel and Orrick. She has their names and their titles and their relations, as if she were keeping notes. And she also mentions this "Old Enemy," a second time... That it "may remove" Hrothgar. Does this mean that the Old Enemy is responsible for the attack in the pass, and the evil creeping into Kuldahar?
[spoiler=Out of Character]After several weeks, months away from Icewind Dale, I opened up the game to find my party parked right in front of the dome, ready to fight Presio. I remember walking into that camp and shrinking back against the hordes of undead, but really... It wasn't that tough. I believe it was Alvaeus Malcanter who said to AIM FOR THE MAGE, right?
That spirit snake though. Took out the mage, took a blast of fire to the face, and he was still slithering about like a boss. He even took out a ton of the zombies on top of that! o_o;; I gotta remember to use spirit animals more often, especially now that I can cast two of them a day...[/spoiler]
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Elona
Well, we've found the stairs that take us deeper into the caverns, but now that we've arrived on this new level, things are...odd. So very...very odd.
We came upon a refuge of Eldathyns, worshippers of some nature goddess of peace and tranquility. They've offered us shelter, healing, and we even found a few merchants willing to sell us some goods. In the heart of Dragon's Eye. An active volcano. Filled with man-eating lizards, exploding skeletons, and only Clangeddin knows what else.
Look, I enjoy a hearty meal and warm bath as much as the next woman, especially when I needn't worry bout any monsters charging in to cleave my head off. But this? This doesn't ease my worries one bit, this is just...bizarre. What are a bunch of peace-worshipping priests doing in the heart of a volcano? They sure as hell ain't sharing the wisdom of Eldath with the kidnapping lizards upstairs! I don't like none of it, no matter how trusting they might look, but Anthi's alignment-finding magic hasn't found anything... They also claim to know nothing about the Heartstone either.
I'll play along for now... Most of us girls could use the rest anyway. But know this, by the name of Clangeddin, I'll be keeping my hammer close while I sleep.
[spoiler=Out of Character]Anthium decided that Albion wasn't to be trusted and tried to cast Know Alignment on him. But as with most targets of my Know Alignment spell, he saved. =_= I'm on to you, Albion. On to you...[/spoiler]
Renanon
Oh my goodness, Elli was right! This isn't an Eldathyn sanctuary at all--these people, these...these monsters worship a snake god, Sseth! They're in league with the yuan-ti who've been kidnapping and eating the Kuldahar villagers. We found Sseth's murals on their walls, strange tomes on the bookshelves, and even adventurers who'd been imprisoned while playing dead. But worst of all... We found yuan-ti dining upon the dead carcasses of innocent people. They hadn't noticed that we'd come into the dining room, but we didn't wait to strategize; Lauren was so furious, she released a giant ball of fire on the horde, and the fighting began.
They've been summoning trolls, snakes, and performing other rituals. We've found treasures at the feet...tails of statues depicting their god. A monster whose upper torso is a woman's and lower body is a serpent. Good grief... Just when we thought we'd caught a break from the fighting, this madness just falls in our lap! And there was that name again, Yxunomei. A high priestess of Sseth, Albion had called her, before he lost himself in some mad reverie and Bri cut him down. Oh by the gods above and below and everywhere else, this tale just gets stranger and stranger. And still no sign of the Heartstone, either, though now there's little doubt in our minds: these snake-loving cultists must be behind it all.
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Ouch. This fight hurt.[/spoiler]
Midra
New floor discovered. Upon entry, a small girl spoke to us and warned us from proceeding forward. Likelihood that this girl is what our eyes tells us she is: miniscule. The girl speaks The girl speaks in a cryptic monotone that no ordinary human girl would use. Not only that, but every time thus far that she has appeared to us, she has disappeared shortly after by means of teleportation magic. The evidence leads me to believe that she is an illusion, perhaps conjured by the Sseth priests that we have found slithering through the halls and gathered in the rooms. There are five of them so far, the rooms. Further theorizing suggests that because this specter has appeared to us and tried to scare us off our course, then whoever sent the girl feels threatened. We must be reaching closer to the end of the caverns, and closer to the Heartstone.
Once we have retrieved the Heartstone and returned it to Arundel, I will dispose of my target. Presuming that this stone is all Arundel needs to save his town, then he will have no further use for us, and the party will go their separate ways. They will be vulnerable, and that is the time I shall strike.
Bri
Bri fight lots of monsters in tunnels. Lots of snake guys that stick Bri full of arrows. Bah! Pointy arrows no stop Bri! Bri too strong to let sticks get in her way. Bri cleave through them all to get Heartstone!
But Bri also fight monsters Bri never seen before. Scrawny bard lady call them histachii, but even she no know why they are there. They fall easy to Bri's giant sword! One swing--gone!
But there be reason for that after all. Bri and party found a yuan-ti priest in room full of pools and snake serpent statue, along with many villagers. We try helping them, but villagers attack us instead! Bah! Bri was ready to cut through puny human peasants when the druid snake and flashy mage destroy the priest. Squish, boom! Bones and blood go everywhere! Bri a little proud of puny druid then. Never knew she had it in her. Seeing villagers get turned into histachii must have really make her angry!
Villagers turn normal after priest die. They very grateful! Bah! Bri thinks if villagers were more grateful, they give Bri and party reward. But Bri also thinks they no have much to give anyway. Woulda been easier to just cut through! Ah well, now the histachiis won't be made no more. Take that, snakes!
[spoiler=Out of Character]You know, Bri acts all confident and all, but seriously, screw those yuan-ti elite archers. =_= How do they hit so consistently? For SO MUCH!? I can't tell you how many times I had to reload because of stupid archers pummeling my people. Next to the yuan-ti barracks, the fight with the baptist was a piece of cake.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Day 31, Hour 21 (2 Kythorn, 1281)
Elona
So, it seems our cryptic little friend is actually Yxunomei herself, a snake demon with giant tits, six arms, and a snake body below her waist. She needn't be evil for me to want to smite her off the face of Faerun. Gods.
We found her in the last, farthest room of the tunnels. We snuck Midra in through the doors, and when she came back to report, she saw the little girl and a slew of yuan-ti in the room with her. As clear a sign as any that a bloody battle was bout to be had, praise be to Clangeddin.
Yxunomei was actually surprised to see us, almost impressed that we had thwarted her so-called "recipe" to deal with an old vendetta. Against whom or what, I don't know. She wasn't in much of the mood for answering our questions. Unsurprising, seeing as we'd been stomping around in her lair and killing her minions. I'd be pissed too. Luckily, for me, I'm not an evil, psychotic snake-bitch. It turns out that she'd been using the Heartstone for its divination powers, tending to a personal matter of hers. She claims that even kidnapping the people of Kuldahar were serving in her grand scheme, mere tools to forward her plans. No, I knew then and there, there would be no reasoning with this creature. I give Anthium her credit though; she was much nicer about asking than I ever would have been.
We threw all we had at the beast... And with Midra's insight, we entered fully prepared, or as prepared as we could be. In the end, we prevailed, and the Heartstone gem now lies nestled in my pack. Arundel will be glad to see us... I can see it now: all of Kuldahar, showering us with a rain of leaves like confetti, all of the people cheering and praising... And there'll be a feast! Oh, what a feast it will be, worthy enough for Clangeddin himself and his holy champions! Ahem... Such as myself, of course.
Though first, we've got a long sluck of walking to do...
[spoiler=Out of Character]You know, it actually wasn't that bad. I beat her on the first try.
Long story short: crowd-control, crowd-control, crowd-control. I spammed Entangle, Grease, Stinking Cloud, and Web, and with a couple of Greater Malisions, even Yxy herself got trapped a little in the grease and vines. By the time she actually got up front and began wailing on my party, she was already severely injured. You can thank Midra and Bri for that, since they were the only ones throwing +2 missiles at her.
As for the minions, they were already super-stuck in the mass crowd-control, so Lauren was able to pick them off all at once with some Skull Traps and Magic Missiles. Whatever survived Lauren's barrage of spells was promptly eaten by Anthi's spirit bear, or pinned down by my distance characters.
Which means... The curse is broken!
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Anthium
We... We are betrayed... I am betrayed. I...I don't want to write, and yet... As a druid, I feel I may be the only one who can and should.
Upon returning to Kuldahar, we'd hoped for celebration. With the Heartstone, Arundel could lift the curse on the town and the people could rejoice... But instead, we found monsters killing townsfolk in the roots of the Great Oak. We disposed of them, saved those we could, but... That was not the worst of it. A man, the villagers had told us. A man in a gray cloak had led the monsters into Kuldahar, and walked into Arundel's home. Arundel hadn't been seen since.
Inside, we found Arundel, but of course, it wasn't really Arundel. A shape-changer of some sort had stolen his face, his voice, his whole form. He thanked us for disposing of Yxonumei, that she and him had been "ancient enemies" for a long time, and that we'd fulfilled his plan perfectly. What plan, and who this monster was, we couldn't find out. He disappeared before we could force the answers out of him, with a chilling smile on Arundel's face that would send a shiver even through an Aurilite.
We ran upstairs, but... We were too late. Arundel, Archdruid of Kuldahar, and a man I had admired for most of my life...is dead. He died in my arms, and left us with this last bit of guidance: we must take the Heartstone to the Severed Hand, an elven fortress. With Arundel dead, there's only one man left who can use the gem to restore Kuldahar, and we are the only ones who even stand a chance at finding him in the Hand.
I've taken Arundel's quarterstaff into my hands. Even if he hadn't asked, I... I feel as though he would have wanted me to have it. I will avenge you, Arundel. I will restore the balance that this evil has thrown awry, and save the town that you so loved. I hope, from wherever you are now, you'll be able to watch me do it. Silvanus guide your soul.
[spoiler=Out of Character]...
...
...
Well that happened.
And elsewhere, in the darkest deepest parts of her heart, Midra cries a little. "Gods damn it, one thing after another! When am I going to find the chance to finish my mission!?" The answer, Midra? Never. >:D Mwahahahaha![/spoiler]
[spoiler=Character Sheets]
[spoiler=Inventories]
Anthi and Bri: "So...close...to...leveling...up!!"
Well, the Severed Hand will fix that for you guys, won't it? Now, onward women! We must follow that trail!
Day 40, Hour 18 (11 Kythorn, 1281)
Lauren
Five days and many sore feet later... We've arrived at the Severed Hand. Not exactly the kinda name I'd expect from an elf fortress, you know. They're all about forests and trees and magic and stuff, and the best name they could come up with was... The Severed Hand? No trees, no fairy magic, no flowery language, just five towers all next to each other, close enough to--OH. It looks like a hand, but without the rest of the body! Ha! I get it now. Them elves, thinking they're so clever and all.
So, we walked up to the entrance of the Severed Hand, not really knowing what was gonna happen. Then all of a sudden, this ghostly spirit thing walks out and yells at us. "A DWARF DARES TO SET FOOT HERE?" it asked. Gods, you could hear Elona's bones stiffen as it spoke. We all looked at her, and she just kinda stood there, frozen mid-step, but the specter didn't seem to notice her. He had his ghostly eyes on a squirrel hiding amongst the tree stumps. He kept up his angry rant like he was talking to a dwarf--except to a squirrel--until he shot out a fireball at the poor thing and fried it to cinders! Yeesh! What'd the squirrel ever do to you, huh? But everyone's just glad he didn't throw it at us, what with Elona being here and all. Weird... It was almost like he was speaking from a script. I don't even think he knew we were here at all...
Still, not the best kinda warm welcome I was hopin' for. We'll have to be careful, going forward, especially if there're any elves in there that don't like dwarves.
Renanon
The Severed Hand... A name as hollow and empty as the insides of the tower itself. Arundel had told us that it was a fortress, and perhaps once upon a time, it was. But now... Now the stairways are molding and creak beneath our feet. Broken pots and collapsed tables are strewn about like an army marched through and pillaged the place. Of course, knowing the Severed Hand's history, I suppose that's more of an accurate description rather than a metaphor. We've seen goblins, orcs, and worgs inhabiting the tower remains, but they're more like...shades of their former selves. They're transparent, not all there, and some even appear out of thin air. Ghosts, more like. I...I don't like ghosts. Or ghost stories. They're just so scary, they create a different kind of mood than a heroic tale!
Although, we seem to have found a bit of laughter in this broken place. A laughter we've been in sore lack of, ever since the death of Arundel. You see, we found this magic bag on one of the worgs. I'd heard of them, Bags of Holding, that can hold objects larger than itself, and so many at once! This one is already full of items, and its patchwork is colorful and silly, like a jester's hat. It might have even belonged to a jester at one point, with what we found inside. I pulled out a bottle of elven wine, except it was meant to be a healing potion. Someone had diluted it with too much wine! Bri didn't care, not with out banged up she was, so she gobbled it down in one swig. Bri drinks a lot though, not like sweet Anthi, so we didn't get much of a show. Still, who knows what else we might find in this wondrous item? If they're anything like the wind... Maybe this adventure will lighten up after all, if only a little.
[spoiler=Out of Character]So. The Severed Hand likes ambushes, does it? I'm just walking along, and then BAM! Monsters outta nowhere! I thought Midra's scouting could come in handy, so after a big battle without taking the chance to heal, I sent her forth to see what was up ahead. But even though she was hiding in shadows, she still triggered a scripted event for the goblin to release his pack of worgs on whoever stepped too close...even though he technically couldn't see her.
Oh poop, I thought. I had an easy dozen worgs coming at me, and Midra was on the whole other side of the map, and the rest of the party was still hurt. o_o;; That was one of those rare moments in this game when I reacted on-the-fly: I had Rena cast Web in the place where I thought all the worgs were gonna gather before they maul us down, and IT WORKED. Almost all of them got stuck in the webbings! Midra was still on the other side, but she got backstab damage on the head goblin and took him out while the rest of the party elsewhere picked off the worgs with Lauren's magic and a ton of missiles. I was quite proud. ^_^[/spoiler]
[spoiler=THE CARNAGE]
Also, I think it's funny how these ghostly monsters, even though they're ghostly, still leave bodies behind.[/spoiler]