Players:
Irving the Reluctant (Paladin of St. Cuthbert)
TerryOr the Cleric of St. Cuthbert
Dixon the Dwarven Fighter
Oleg the Half-Elf Magic-User/Cleric of St. Cuthbert
Slash the Bard
NPCs:
Zert the Hero
Spugnior the Theurgist
Clouds: Mostly cloudy
St. Cuthbert appears before the adventures and Speaks:
"In the year 569 of this age, Prince Thrommel of Furyondy, noble and bold, led the Righteous Host against the unholy tide of the Temple of Elemental Evil. With sword and spell, with faith and fire, they struck down the dark horde that threatened to consume the land. The demoness of fungi, vile Zuggtmoy herself, was sealed away within the temple’s accursed walls—bound by powerful enchantments woven by Burne the wizard and Canoness Y’dey, stalwart of the faith.
Victory should have ushered in an age of unity and strength. Thrommel was to wed the Lady Jolene of Veluna, forging a bond between their realms, sealing Furyondy and Veluna as one against the creeping shadow. But fate is cruel, and destiny often bends to unseen hands.
In the year 573, on the northern border of his own realm, Prince Thrommel vanished. Some say he was taken by those he once vanquished—fanatics of the very darkness he had sought to destroy. Others whisper that the Temple of Elemental Evil, though broken, was never truly defeated. If the prince yet lives, he may be nearer than you think.
But there is more, and it is dire. A fragment of the Evil Rod of Six Parts lies within this cursed place. If the rod is reforged, it will become a key to a darkness beyond reckoning, a doom that must never come to pass. You must find this piece and ensure that neither it nor the others fall into the hands of our enemies.
Only when all the pieces are gathered shall we have the power to destroy the rod and unmake the shadow that looms. The fate of the world now rests upon your choices.
And to ensure this demon never leaves this place, I grant you these four links of lock and chain. Take them. Place one upon each pair of enchanted doors, reinforcing what is already there. Strengthen the prison that holds the darkness at bay, and let no mortal nor fiend ever break its seals."
Gasping, he looked up at his companions, his expression unreadable. The touch of the divine had changed him. He rose to his feet, his voice steady: “No more thieving. No more deceit. I serve St. Cuthbert now.”
With no time to dwell on what had just transpired, they pressed onward.
The Chained Beast
In the dim torchlight, the triangular chamber revealed an owlbear, its massive form bound by thick chains, muscles coiled with barely restrained fury. As the group took another step forward, the iron restraints snapped with a metallic scream.
The battle was instant.
Slash moved to strike but was too slow—razor-sharp claws tore across his chest, sending him crashing to the cold stone floor. The others fought with brutal efficiency, hammering the beast with arrows, and blades. Dixon’s hammer crushed bone, Irving's new mace smashed, Crush's sword cut deep and Dog’s short sword bit. The creature collapsed, its final growl fading into silence.
But Slash lay still.
TerryOr unrolled a scroll of Raise Dead, the sacred script glowing as he read. A frigid wind swept through the chamber, and Slash’s body convulsed before his eyes flickered open. A healing potion pressed to his lips restored color to his face, but the exhaustion of death lingered.
There was no time for rest. They moved on.
The Garden of Fungi
Descending deeper into the temple, the air grew damp, thick with the scent of decay. The corridor opened into a grotesque fungal garden, where massive mushrooms pulsed with eerie bioluminescence. Spores drifted lazily in the air, coating armor and weapons in a fine, sickly dust.
Then they saw her.
A demonic woman, naked from the waist up, stood at the far end of the chamber. Her burning red eyes locked onto them as she took a slow step forward, her presence warping the air around her.
The fungi pulsed. The very room seemed to breathe.
She reached out and charmed Crush who kept everyone out of the room.
This was not a fight they could win.
Without hesitation, the group turned and fled, her chilling laughter echoing behind them as they retreated into the darkness.
These gods want us to do these things. They never give us a map and clear directions. Which doors? There are so many doors in this temple. I almost think their god is a door! The demon has not gotten out because it has to go through a million doors. At least the Bard is back and Lita Ford can stop mourning his death.
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