May 1, 2010: Session Name Here

== Dramatis Personae ==
* Mungo - shifter rogue 7 (Westerling/Brighton County)
* Vitrano - deva avenger 7 (Malringer)
* Bim - deva artificer 6 (Malringer)
* River - shifter warden 7 (Westerling/Brighton County)
* Kristof - human wizard 7 (Westerling/Regis Vale)
* Aria - warforged bard 7 (Westerling)
* Teodahr - elf ranger 7 (Westerling)
== Planning, etc. ==
From the annals of The Hard Way, as told to Kieran McTiernan by Aria:
We returned to the stables and set watches while we rested to recover from the recent harrowing battle. In the shadows outside, we could see more of the grell drifting just at the edge of our vision. Thankfully, none ventured close enough to the stables to see us inside (none even come within 100 feet).
We discussed the rift beneath the central keep.
It was clear to me that the rift must be closed. I for one, felt bound by the promise made to the Watcher of the Seal. Kristof believed that, as bad as this place has become, it would only get worse as aberrations multiply and their presence widens the rift.
"If this place is not cleared and occupied, it will certainly become a stronghold for the forces of chaos. There is no telling what elder horror will cross into this world in the next week, day or hour."
El-Sha' said that he has seen the grell coming in and out of there, and that he's certain they are in telepathic communication with one another. Any assault will certainly bring reinforcements from the rest of the castle, albeit at the relatively slow speeds that grell move.
There is a moment of quiet as everyone contemplates the grim situation.
Kava grunted. "No help's coming. It's up to us." He looked around the stable at the war-scarred band crouched among the reeking offal. "Heroes or not, the best hope, maybe the ONLY hope, is for us to strike now. I'll guard the mounts."
"Me too. You know, just in case." Says El Sha.
Bim fingered the small bottles containing his precious healing infusions. "I don't have nearly enough of these. Watch yourselves."
Vitrano noded. "And keep moving. We sit still in there and they'll overrun us."
== Not As Smart As You Think ==
The Hard Way approached the castle, stealthily this time. As they approached, Aria reported in a whisper that the area behind the front doors was empty, but there were aberrations to both the right and the left. River and Vitrano in the van, the doors were opened and passwords spoken. The thundering crash of automatic thunder casters split the darkness.
Apparently, one of the aberrations was clever enough to reset the defenses. River charged in followed by Mungo, Kristoff, and Vitrano, while Aria, Teodahr, and Bim held the door. Insubstantial creatures (ethereal marauders) phased into the room from each side and attacked. Mungo and Kristoff discerned that the defenses could be disabled or reset and began to work on that. Meanwhile, four-armed creatures dashed in and attacked Vitrano and Kristoff (foulspawn manglers). About this time, Aria sensed aberrations approaching from the rear with the Amulet of Planar Mojo, and got Bim and Teodahr inside the castle, so it could close the doors. A brainfish (grell) and a wannabe beholder (gauth) joined the party.
Kristoff used a powerful spell to disrupt their formation, hurling the grell and gauth up on the balcony, and away from the poor melee combatants. The gauth used its eye-rays to seriously inconvenience the party with immobilize, daze, and other attacks. The grell repeated grabbed River until she and Teodahr made it regret that to death.
Bim, Kristoff, and Mungo retargetted or disabled the thundercasters, while the rest of THW ground the aberrations up.
Experience 10%
== Going Deep ==
After a short rest where someone found a pair of foechaser boots (temporarily on River), the heroes seal the ground floor windows against the grell lurking outside. Aria senses a large mass of creatures directly below them. Venturing down the stairs, THW is presented with the sight of a mass of small and tiny monstrosities, flitting, crawling, and hovering around four blind quadrupeds (destrachan). The destrachan fill the stairway with deafening sound that dazes most of the heroes.
An insubstantial creature made mostly of shadow, passes over and through the party to block the stairway above. River shakes off her daze and advances to hold the destrachans off of the rest of the group. A wave of tiny aberrations break on Vitrano's swift blade. Vitrano and Teodahr engage the shadow creature from behind. River is savaged by repeated blasts of thunder from the destrachan while the other adventurers try to recover while being blasted themselves.
The shadow creature engulfed Vitrano, and chased Teodahr back into the stairwell, then turned back on the party to engulf Kristoff. Another wave of tiny monsters tried to attack River and most fell to her spear. Meanwhile, Bim cast an Acid Wall on the destrachan at the bottom of the stairs, killing one and scattering the remainder. All seemed lost when River was felled for the second time, as there was no way to heal her, but miraculously, she shook off the damage and returned to the fight. From there, the party was able to gather their wits and defeat first the shadow, then the destrachan.
Experience10% encounter with a 2x terrain modifier for 20% (7.55)
== Tripping the Rift ==
Decision time. Everyone was injured. Mungo (as usual) was out of surges. Aria could sense the rift just below us, with two strong aberrations guarding it. The chances were deemed to be high that if THW didn't close the rift now, our job would just get harder later. And so they girded their loins.
The stairs descended into a large open chamber, with a large nasty looking beast covered with scales, mouths, fangs, and reptilian eyes (squamous thing). Next to it was a smaller creature, covered in mouths that spouted random sounds with many voices, all maddening (gibbering mouther). The larger thing had vaguely draconic traits that recalled to the group that the former commander of Vertansholt was rumored to be a dragon. Their minds rebelled against the madness, as River and Vitrano launched to the attack. Around the edge of the room, thundercasters fired. Kristof, Bim and Mungo once again used their skills to deactivate or subvert the devices. Aria and Teodahr launched ranged attacks, while Aria closed on the rift. When the squamous thing was lured far enough away, Aria was able to shut down the rift.
Achievements
Seven of Nine - Kill all in a group of charging minions but one.
Awarded to River and Vitrano.
Go-go-gadgeteer - Turn a trap back on the enemy.
Awarded to Kristoff and Bim
Back from the Brink - Roll a 20 on a death check to spend a surge and rejoin the fight.
Awarded to River.
April 03, 2010: Christening the Party
May 8, 2010: Squamous Maumous, Gibber Jibber
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