Game Notes, Session 14

Gameplay begins at the crest of the Valley toward the temple where Sikator is holed up. The party descends into the valley, only to discover an elf by the name of Pskenart who was planning to visit the temple at the bottom of the valley for archeological purposes. Having gotten himself caught up in a snare trap, the party frees him, and he accompanies them down the valley. As they get closer to the temple, they discover these little blue electric lizards (non-sentient) who attack the party en masse. They fight them off, but are battered and bruised by the experience. The party chooses tries to rest in the temple, but they dicover two gaurds, whom they quickly dispatch – but not before one of them blows an alert horn. The party retreats back out into the jungle to rest.

After resting, the party treks back into the temple. The party discovers a room with two dead bodies and a gemstone. They take the gemstone, but do not pause to examine it. They wind their way through the temple, fighting guards, a shaman, a giant viper (who seriously wounds Virgil, taking some massive constitution damage), and a crocodile, before heading down to the lower level and discovering a black dragon egg hatchery. After fighting off two wyrmlings and a youngling, they find a chest with the archeological stuff that Pskenart needs. Then the party heads up to the third level, where they encounter Sikator, a shaman, two fighter lizards, and four minor guards. The minor guards are quickly dispatched, and Pskenart charms one of the fighter lizards, who kills the shaman and engages the other fighter lizard. Brix and Guy pursue Sikator, who is throwing sonic booms their way, until he retreats to the fourth level of the tower. Brix follows and is downed by a Flamestrike spell.

The fourth level of the tower contains a chest and a cage with the girl. The fighter lizard and Guy pursue Sikator, who summons another viper to fight Guy, but Guy is able to take the snake down in one well-placed stroke. Floyd and Guy make their way to Sikator, who leaps out of the window. Floyd follows, discovering that there is a net placed below for just such an espape. Meanwhile, Pskenart and the charmed lizard fighter go to open the chest, and are summarily downed by the needle trap inside. Floyd sends a message to Chris Tennison, Guy, Virgil, and the newly healed Brixmore about the net, and the party quickly pursues. Sikator places a Hold Person on Floyd, who is unable to act further. As Sikator tries to escape, Virgil nails him with an arrow, and he goes down. Guy and Brixmore approach the body, and Guy beheads Sikator’s corpse, but Sikator, having prepared for that, placed runes on his neck contingent to it being removed from his head that blast Guy and Brix with another Flamestrike. Guy is downed, and Brix is killed by charring. Chris Tennison pours a healing potion down Guy’s throat, and the party heads upstairs to revive Pskenart, rescue the girl, and examine the contents of the chest – which apparently is a note taunting the players about how Sikator has given all of his valuables to his new allies.

Deciding that they should patch Brixmore up before reviving him with the cards they got from the Tower of Puzzles, the party returns to the Cracked Flagon, where they turn on the gemstone, discovering that Sikator is in league with Gruth and Doogal, and that Drea has been sacked and the hatchery of black dragons was part of the Doogal army badness, thereby moving Doogal up on the totem pole of bad guy priority. They also learn from an Illrean ranger that Yish has been burned to the ground by the town the party was supposed to go to and introduce diplomatic relations with. The party splits up briefly – Floyd, Guy, and Chris Tennison head to Guarm’s to bring the girl back and pick up Ethan, while Virgil stays behind to recover from his snake bite poisoning, and Pskenart volunteers to tend to Brixmore before going on his way.