Journals - Tarasakh 21, 1379 DR (04/21/2007)

[Greylen]

[Theylan]

The smoke caused some disorientation as it seemed we wandered in circles for some time. we finally decided on a plan to form a line of people and in this way maintain one general direction. It was a good plan as we finally arrived at the steps of the temple. we entered the giant structure cautiously expecting to find a foe at any moment. None awaited us at the front doors but the feeling of evil was unnerving and we spread out around the pillars. the pillars were grotesque with something slithering through it. obviously it was so repulsive that it was no invitation to inspect beyond just visual observations. We came to a corner in the great hall and the druid in bear form could detect something around the corner. I went to peer around and was greeted by a couple of javelins narrowly missing my head. Hobgoblins were waiting for us as near as I could tell about 20 of them. we formed up lines making the hobgoblins stretch around the wall and pillars before they could fully encircle us. Our quick actions worked as they were too spread out to gain any advantage by surrounding us and we were able to dispose of them quickly. We searched about after finding very little of significance until we arrived at a set of stairs. We gave the stairs a cursory investigation which was almost our undoing. a great dog suddenly appeared and grasped the stout dwarf in his bite. It was a furious wrestle from that point on and judging it to be a grave situation I flew over the railing onto the stairs behind the enormous hound and tried to cast a spell on him which failed and I was only able to do minimal damage. The fight went on for a few more seconds then finally the wounded animal turned tail and escaped down the stairs I made chase and discovered a Portal which appeared too ominous for me to unwisely enter in our current condition so I made my way back up the stairs. Some disturbance was sounding from above so I hastened to reach the top. Perhaps I need to fly over the rails again.

[Boric Glanduum]

April 21, 2007 session notes

We had the chance to rest up for a short time as Nyrvald tended to Treebrother's wounds. Amrus took the opportunity to dust the soot from his clothes and face; according to his story, he was standin' a bit too close to a group of eljuten {hobgoblins} when they were incinerated by one o' Edynn's fireballs. He did the targetin' and got's bits o' charred eljut all over him in return.

The fog thickened as we started towards the temple. After losing our way several times, we had to form a straight line and moved our way forward as if we were torstding aunalfnee-kalg {playing "leap-frog"} until we reached the temple. After mounting the stairs, we found some large yal {brass} doors, over 20 feet tall. The lin {workmanship} on these doors appears to be of good quality, and with the apparent thickness of the doors, it would certainly take a large battering ram to break through. Fortunately for us, one o' the doors is standin' open. ‘Course, that raises some troublin' questions as well.... Sometimes an open door is only an invitation to destruction. After a quick look around the outside of the temple, however, it became apparent that the yal doors were the only logical entrance.

The inside of the temple was utterly ing. There was a heaviness in the air and a silence in the building that was almost physically painful. Me skin felt oily, almost as if the der {evil} had taken the form of an invisible, greasy mist. I noticed that our footsteps did not echo as they would in a caurak {cavern} or another large empty space. All of our sounds and movements were strangely dampened. The decorations--if you can call them that--consisted of every imaginable vile practice and some that were unidentifiable. And the stonework in the building! --stone columns that appeared on close examination to be made of flesh: some had a pallid, deathly look, while some had an all-too disturbingly living and vibrant look. I didnae dare even touch the columns to examine them further for fear of the worm-like formations within the surface of the stone.

We had not gone too far into the temple when we were attacked from one side by two large mobs of eljuten. We immediately moved to engage; Treebrother was a killing machine, tearing through the first group of eljuten in his bear form as if the beasts were parchment. I quickly moved towards two that were attempting to flank Treebrother. It was a simple feat to cut both of them down; they barely had time to realize what was happening to them. They fell in a tangle at me feet, which slowed me up a bit.

Barr sang a quick tune and several of the eljuten dropped to the ground, as if asleep. The rest of the group made quick work of the others. By this time, the second mob--or those that weren't already slumberin'--had moved forward; Amrus and Treebrother were met by a hail of alfrosh {javelins}. Several hit Treebrother and wounded him deeply; if it had been me, the Beast, as subdued as it has been the past day or so, would surely have been loosed. I moved past him, trying to overrun one of the hobgoblins that had gravely wounded Treebrother. The eljuten kept his feet, however, so I simply cut him in two with me axe, then cut down the one next to him. Blood spattered on me back as Treebrother finished off the last of his attackers.

In our search, we found a door to a squalid little room in which was hiding eight young hobgoblin children. It may prove to be an unwise act, but we had seen enough senseless slaughter and simply closed the door and left the wee ones alone

In our search, we found a shaman's room and a sacrificial altar and pit. We gave this latter a wide berth. We also found a dark stairway which led to the lower levels of the temple. As Barr passed the top of the stairway, he was attacked by a merkkel rak frus {large dog-like creature} and badly wounded by the one attack. He was able to withdraw and scampered to the wall of the room to tend to his wounds; he was visibly shaken. No one else was near enough, and so I raced around the railing to engage the merkkel. As I ran, I released the Beast; I would need every advantage I could get. The merkkel stood twice me height at his shoulder and its teeth were nearly the length of me forearm.

Power filled me arms and I was almost deafened by the roaring of blood in me ears. I was immediately struck by a blast of tel--the frus has itself a algros {breathweapon}! Most of the tel simply washed around me, but I still blanched and cowered away from the tel out of reflex. That moment of inattention nearly cost me greatly--the merkkel seized me in its powerful jaws and held me fast.

Amrus raced to me aid, casting an olnarn {spell}. I felt a shudder pass through the frus' body, but there was no other apparent effect. Well, there was one; the frus chewed once and clamped down even harder around me body. Its teeth punched through me flesh in several places; I felt me blood began to ooze forth and I felt the Beast begin to stir. Looking back, though, I do not believe the merkkel did its worst; I wasnae as hurt as I could have been.

Barr began to sing . . . and my courage grew. The frus shuddered again. I mustered me strength and tried several times to break the merkkel's grip around me body. I had one hand free and tried to lever up its upper jaw enough to wriggle free. I was stuck fast and getting hurt worse every attempt I made just caused the frus to chew and clamp down harder I was hurting meself by tryin' to escape, but I wasnae about to go gentle like some dainty toe-biting snot-fondler.

For all me resolve, though, it did not seem that I could break the frus' grip on me. I took a moment to gauge whether I could reach the creature's eye with me fist; the spike on me gauntlet should give it somethin' to think about. I had just started to draw me arm back to make a strike when Treebrother suddenly grabbed me other arm. What the Tel is that warty tree-climbing hurm tryin' tae do?!? His pullin' meant that the merkkel's teeth were tearin' through me skin, rippin' me to even more pieces!

His pullin', however, gave me just enough leverage; I was able to lever the jaws apart and suddenly found meself out of the merkkel's grasp and in Treebrother's instead. The frus was then illumed by a faint glow--likely another olnarn--and the frus let out a loud yelp. The merkkel then turned and sprinted down the stairs into the darkness. Amrus ran after him, only to return a few moments later to describe the narnborn der {evil portal} that was at the base of the stairs.

Treebrother dropped me to the floor at the top of the stairs. We had a brief discussion between us--Treebrother, Amrus, and I--standing on the stairway. We had just decided that the narnborn was likely far beyond our power, when Edynn let out a yell.