Sisspak (yuan-ti)
Kronig (Ogre)
Korlok (Lizardman)
Funtarig (Goblin)
If you wonder who the other "power" combats could have been you would have to include:
Tindoreg (Bugbear)
5-Headed Hydra (in lizardman area)
Davers (Dryad)
Arcanocere
It's strange because the other 4 are there, but not expected for combat purposes unless something goes horribly wrong.
And the first four WILL wipe the party across the floor if they try to go toe to toe with them. To paraphrase what my freind Mike is fond of saying, "Not every problem can be solved with a hammer."
Write up follows:
With Korlok down we had the opportunity to look over the chamber. There were 4 other corridors out of here, two on the north and two on the south. They were dark and filled with water, the same as the main chamber we were in. IN the quiet we heard nothing and blocking the torch light allowed the elves to look with care, seeing no heat sources of any kind. Finally a handful of arrows were sent flying down them but resulted in nothing but faint“tik” as they hit the far walls.
We listened then to the two doors on the eastern wall, the one we came in from and the 2nd that we had blocked with a shovel. We heard nothing. Not sure if the lizardmen (we suspected 1 or 2) were still nearby but confident that the sound of our tremendous fight would have given them pause that assaulting us would be a deadly and stupid idea. We took the shovel out from under the door and then discussed our options and what to do next.
We opened the door and looked, seeing a corridor roughly 20 paces long that turned to the left. A door was just at the entrance of the hall on the left hand side and through it we heard lots of deep, regular breathing. What was it? Did we want to attract it? Fist’al assured us the door was open and unlocked and dark inside. We decided not to shine a light inside.
No longer wanting to go down that hall we went back to Korlok’s chamber and gave the side corridor’s a serious once over – finding nothing except for places where they joined one another back and forth. The party then wanted to check out the rest of the basement and see if they could find anything they might have missed.
We left via the original corridor we came in and proceeded back the way we came, turning northward down the passage that the 2 flying compys had come out of. We proceeded with care, seeing nothing yet except for the ankle deep water and the base stone walls. Eventually the corridor turned to the right and we travelled on, feeling a disturbance on the floor under our feet, a section where the floor was cracked and water was oozing up through the faint crevice. Past here was a door on the left, closed and tight.
Convinced it wasn’t trapped we were going to open it but decided not to and pressed on. The passage moved to the left where it went for some distance, turned to the left again with another long travel, and then the left again. By this time it was getting close and back to where the breathing was coming from. That and Marcus and Fist’al were convinced that something was following us. Was it lizardmen? Doubtful, unless they were also suicidal. Yuan-ti and Sisspak? Most likely –they had been shadowing us now for 2 days, watching and observing.
We back tracked, finding no one until we arrived back at the firmly closed door. Some shoulder action forced it open and then we heard WHAM as a ballista bolt shot out and just missed Ben and Fergus, blasting into the stonework on the other side of the hall. It was a training room of some sort, although outside of the ballista there were no other weapons present.
The group worked the bolt out of the wall and began to look around the room when we heard figures in the distance and getting closer. Heavy, big, couldn’t understand the language due to the distance and intervening walls. We thought about it and guessed on Kronig, the ogre that supposedly lives on the top floor. Taking Flimflam’s advice we retreated into the training room, shut the door part way, and drew up into lines with bows and arrows at the ready.
Kronig and company (which we now were able to deduce as the half-elves based upon their voices and the polygot of elven and common words being spoken) tromped on till they got to Korlok’s chamber where there was much conversation and moving about. Some 15 minutes of tense time passed until we heard them coming back out of the chamber and back down the hall they had come from.
The decision was made to make contact, especially after we heard Kronig complaining to his companions about us, the trouble we’ve caused, and that we are currently in the Chapel in the Courtyard. Not wanting to let them find Tempi we spoke up and tried to arrange some sort of alliance. Kronig didn’t take well to it, and we found ourselves talking in circles and the ogre only growing more wroth at the thought of allying with us – even against Sisspak. He left but we waited 10 minutes to make sure they were gone before daring to come out.
Now what?
We went back to Korlok’s chamber and were dismayed to find all the bodies gone as well as Korlok’s humongous axe. Also, the other door was open and beyond that, the door with the breathing seemed to be ajar.
We drew up battle lines, Fergus and Ben taking spots closest to the door, and using his trident, shoved it open. Something with an alligator’s head came snaking out on a long neck and bit at the two heroes! Spears and tridents were plied as it bit and savaged the two of them, Ben’s shield being chewed through and folded in half. A second head came over and we heard something heavy moving. Ben and Fergus shouted for the party to flee and then Ben was bit! The fighter was mauled terribly as he slid over, only a well-placed aid from Fergus kept him from being eaten. Either way he was at -6 and dying. Marcus came to help carry the fighter away when the paladin was also bit, also badly wounded and barely able to stand.
As for the retreat, Link had broken his nerve and was leading the way out of Korlok’s chamber and down the corridor. He hit the corner…and blam – giant frog! It wrapped its tongue around him and he twisted and pulled and struggled…and managed to make his strength check! Flimflam and Fist’al hit the corner next, circling around and leading the attack to the giant frog who released Link and moved to defend itself. Arrows flew, the last giant rat we had with us was eaten, goblins added their missile fire to the melee. Finally it was Flimflam who landed the final blow and the giant frog fell over dead.
We limped and cried and staggered, eventually making our way to the stairs and then out of the lizardman compound. The last few goblins (not Ratterig who was staying with us) spoke to us of honor and respect and how they watched what we did and recognized there were other ways to not only fight, but work together. We wished them well and suspected that we would not be having much dealings with Duuk Garthic and Meredint again.
It was after 2:30 when we returned to the Chapel where we found the priest’s quarter’s busted in, dead horses, 2 dead half elves (stripped of everything) and no Tempi. We looked over the place and deduced that Kronig and the half elves came in, killed the horses, took the useable meat, and Tempi lashing out in his simple fashion killed the two half elves before being taken along with all his gear.
Sonovacrap.
We needed a change. We healed what we could, our stores of goodberries exhausted now and healing spells pretty much gone. Them we geared ourselves up, Link and Urthar admitting that they wanted spears too until they could help get Tempi back, and we left going to Tindoreg.
Reentering the Keep was odd and we were anxious for any possible attack. The door to Tindoreg’s area was closed and we were informed by Jether and Loink to “Go away! Scram!” Lovely. Now wanting to anger to resourceful bugbear, we discussed options and voted on going upstairs and trying to meet with Murgo and the Bullywugs – just to get a lay of the land so to speak. We ascended the stair to the second floor from the Grand Foyer, weapons out and palms sweaty…wondering just what we were going to find.
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