Evening falls over Orlane, a chill wind whispers tales through the cobbled streets, and old Vilma finds herself once more settling by the hearth, a steaming mug of spiced cider warming her hands. Tonight, the whispers are of true heroes, of the recent harrowing escapade on Day Nine of Ready, a day that truly tested the mettle of our valiant adventurers.
Oh, what a day it was, my dears! Our brave group found themselves knee-deep in combat against a terrifying host of gargoyles. Not just any gargoyles, mind you, but a formidable force led by Ziggstrol, the Margoyle, flanked by his four-armed bodyguards. And as if that weren't enough, the treacherous Zach revealed his true, vile colors, launching an ambush from the shadows.
The battlefield was chaotic, heroes scattered but resolute. Cairo and Nikki held the western front against Zaxic’s gargoyles, while Norsha and Los faced a hasted gargoyle to the east. And down in that accursed main chamber, Feno and Armed grappled with two magic-wielding gargoyles, Magog and Visix V. With Armatzi nowhere to be seen, having been whisked away to another dimension, and Hyde and Dwaram long absent, the burden fell heavily on those who remained.
A moment of quiet wisdom came when one of them, a true leader, stepped forward to guide the day's desperate choices. Their first targets? The magic-users, Visix V and Magog, a sensible strategy against such formidable foes.
The fight was brutal, round after round of relentless attacks. Poor Norsha, already struggling with the gloom cast by a continual darkness spell, found herself in the thick of it, struck down by a hasted gargoyle. Eight points of damage, they say, brought her down to negative one. A grim start indeed. Armed, too, faced the wrath of Magog, taking ten points of damage.
But even in darkness, light shines!
• Feno, ever the fierce warrior, with his mighty sword, delivered a slaughtering blow to Visix V, the very creature that had cast the haste spell, ending its menace in one swift strike.
• And Los, with a touch of pure genius, tried a new spell, 'Push', successfully knocking that hasted gargoyle prone, negating its attack for a round! Later, Los would land a critical backstab on the fearsome Zaxic, a blow that shifted the tide.
• Cairo, though targeted relentlessly by multiple gargoyles, seemed protected by a divine grace, dodging many attacks. Yet, the relentless assault eventually took its toll, leaving him bleeding out.
• Nikki, with her trusty Mr. Paws, delivered strong blows and later, with her precious healing spells, began to mend the broken bodies of her comrades.
Our heroes, though bruised and bleeding, showed true grit. One by one, the gargoyles fell. The treacherous Zaxic himself was eventually slain by Feno's relentless attacks, a truly satisfying end for such a villain. When the dust settled, Ziggstrol, Zaxic, the four-armed bodyguards, Magog, and Visix V —all lay defeated. But the victory came at a cost: Norsha, Armed, and Cairo were all knocked out.
Once the immediate danger passed, the urgent work of healing began. Nikki, a beacon of hope, poured her magical energies into stabilizing the fallen. But alas, the wounds were deep, leaving lingering effects:
• Norsha suffered debilitating trauma, facing a penalty to hit for weeks.
• Armed was plagued by nightmares, impacting his initiative for weeks.
• And Cairo endured haunting pain, causing random penalties to his attack rolls. These, my dears, are wounds that even the finest healing spells cannot erase without time and proper rest.
Despite their exhaustion, our crafty heroes planned their spoils. They would take Ziggstrol’s head, the heads of the hated Magog and Zach (the betrayer), and the remaining 14 gargoyle horns. And let us not forget the enchanted battleaxe that Ziggstrol never got to wield! A fine collection, though it presented quite a challenge to carry, with heads weighing 30 pounds each and wings (thankfully mostly left behind) at 45 pounds. Even cutting them from the stony hides required magical weapons and time.
With their trophies collected, weighing them down considerably, especially poor Norsha who found herself carrying more than double her body weight in gold and gear, the decision was made: retreat was the only sensible option. No more treasure hunting for now; the party was simply too injured to risk further encounters. Thankfully, Armed took on the burden of carrying Norsha, while Cairo managed her friend's excess gear.
Unfortunately for the party as they fled, they were ambushed by another gargoyle party in the main entrance room (with the gargoyle statues). Fortunately, they were able to defeat these gargoyles without much problem. Unfortunately, there wasn't any free yogurt after the battle. Fortunately, there were more gargoyle bodies. Unfortunately, the group decided not to accumulate more trophies.
But the journey out of the dungeon was far from over. Moving quickly, they were met by yet another surprise: shambling undead led by a malevolent shade. Another battle erupted, forcing our weary heroes to fight on! Once more, their teamwork shone through. Los ignited zombies with vials of oil, Armed hurled his mighty hammer, and Feno, though weakened by the shade’s chilling attack that drained his strength, ultimately struck down the spectral foe. The zombies, too, fell swiftly.
Finally, bruised, exhausted, and carrying their hard-won trophies, our heroes emerged from the dungeon and slogged through the cold, stinking marsh. They arrived back in Orlane at 19:40, just in time for a well-deserved dinner and a long rest.
What a haul it was for experience, my dears! Slaying eight gargoyles, Zigstrol, Zaxic, four armed gargoyles, Magog, Visix V, a greater shade, and six zombies earned them a staggering 1,081 experience points each. A high mark indeed!
So, as you see, the barrel marsh holds many dangers, but it also tests the spirit and courage of those brave enough to venture within. Our heroes, though changed by their ordeal, are home. They'll need rest, good food, and perhaps a bit of Vilma's cider to fully recover. And who knows what tales they’ll weave once their strength is fully restored? This old storyteller, for one, is eager to find out!
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