CHAPTER TWENTY – THE BEAST
While
in Rauxes, Lili reads the documents that were found in the lich’s possession.
One of them gives details of the wizard Zane (the lich), and how he went mad; a
second document, written by Zane, gives details of the plague, and where he
believes the mastermind to be (Brekstad). The third is a letter from a cobbler
in Twilight Hollow, telling of a noble lady who has had her soul trapped. After
various discussions, the party (now without Fritz) decides to visit Twilight Hollow on their way to Brekstad.
15
September 1003 (Festival of Ehlonna, vernal equinox)
Before
leaving the port, the party buys a wagon and fills it with imported goods. Dyes
and farming tools are the products of choice. Half a ton of cheap dyes and 40
pounds of expensive dyes take up some space, along with about 100 farming
tools.
The
road becomes progressively worse and filled with ill-shaped rocks. By
mid-afternoon it is only a dirt track and the party is heading into a forest.
Early
in the morning, the party is going hard through the forest, when Corin reports
back that there is a dry riverbed that the party could use for the wagon. Corin
takes the left side, and Errol takes the right side. The party continues
without event to their campsite. During the night, the winds cools and a fog
descends.
Morning
breaks, and as Lili is cooking breakfast, a band of bedraggled people
approaches out of the mist. Takashi hails them, only to find out that their
village has been destroyed by “dog-men”. Apparently there was a massive great
lizard thing, and flying beasts. One more yells something about the Tarrasque.
A
couple of the villagers rabidly refuse to get help from Lili but accept water
from Corin. Corin informs them that Lili is her companion and they form a
circle muttering “witch” and “sorceress”.
A
group of soldiers, apparently having been through a battle, ride up. The group
of Whitecloaks, as they turn out to be, seems to be in the middle of a
conflict, with the officer deep in argument with one of his underlings, who has
a sunburst symbol on a chain around his neck and a red ribbon tight around his
neck, like a line of blood. The officer is dragging a sledge containing a screaming
statue of a Whitecloak.
He
speaks of a group of gnolls fighting from the back of a huge beast that looked
slower than it was. Apparently the beast is going from town to town.
The
priest walks over and informs Takashi that the lieutenant considers tactics
dishonourable. The lieutenant yells at Takashi that he could never catch it “in
that thing”, Takashi informs Corin, who appears out of the forest, that they
may have to go for a bit of a ride, and that they are going to make a swap.
The
party, accompanied by Father Rhonehart, heads about ten miles on, coming out of
the forest. The Father points to the Southwest, away from the tracks that lead
away from the village. The party heads for the village, which is now rubble and
ash, though the ash is still warm. About a hundred feet away, as the party
enters the village, a group of about four creatures is sifting through the ash
of one of the houses. Errol and Corin flank the group on horses. Takashi
advances on foot, Krugnut dismounts, as does Lili, who carefully takes the
reins of the horses. Father Rhonehart looks at the group with a great deal of
satisfaction as he takes out the lance from under the covers and sets it,
maneuvering his horse into position.
One
of the figures lets out a loud yelp, while Errol cuts off the major escape
route. They pick up weapons and charge at Corin. Takashi tries to intimidate
them as he swings his sword around his head. Errol charges one, and hits one
with his horse and another with his rapier. Rhonehart charges another with his
lance, while Ulmor advances. Corin, atop her horse, drops two with her bow, and
sticks an arrow into a third. The remainder take their chance to surrender to
the knightly figure.
A short
debate ensues as to whether they should be able to go free. Rhonehart, Corin
and Errol seem not to mind their freedom, while Ulmor wants to kill, hamstring,
gibbet, or any other nasty thing. Corin and Errol manage to find the tracks of
heavy warhorses with shod hooves, light warhorses, and the signs of a cart.
The
party finally reaches the site of the battle. Rhonehart finishes his
conversation with Errol, revealing his name to be Kalen. An examination of the
battlefield leads to a discussion of tactics and a polite analysis of the
defending force as “brave”.
Tracks
of light horses and a wagon lead off to the Northwest. Kalen mentions that
Gildalen, the beast’s expected destination, is through a pass to the Southwest.
The party follows the tracks for about an hour, until they find the beast’s
tracks once again. Corin mentions that the party is keeping pace with the
beast.
The
party comes to a copse of trees at about dusk, which has been completely
demolished by the beast. They argue about watch order, assuming that Kalen is
not a spellcaster. Kalen and Errol eventually agree to take first watch, Corin
and Ulmor take second watch, and Takashi and Lili take the dawn watch.
Before
the party goes to bed, they are informed by Lili that the beast is out on the
plains. The night passes uneventfully, though Errol is irritated by being
awoken at dawn.
The
party follows the tracks, which are zig-zagging South, roughly toward the pass.
The tracks suddenly veer away from the pass. Takashi says the beast may be
difficult to control. Kalen backs this up. Corin sees the horse tracks head on
toward the pass, though the horses are moving in strange patterns. The party
continues toward the pass and arrives to find the tracks are half a day old.
Proceeding
through the pass, the beast has gone Northwest through the hills, while the town
of Gildalen is clearly visible and appears to be unharmed as yet. Takashi
quietly asks Lili to try to work more closely where the beast is. Lili stares
at her bowl and announces that she can’t find it, then drinks the water. Corin
taps Lili on the shoulder and leaves, while Kalen is speaking about tactics for
town defence.
Takashi,
Errol, Krugnut, and Kalen reach Gildalen in less than two hours. Kalen asks to
be taken to the Mayor and politely informs him that there is a force of gnolls
large enough to decimate forty armoured men heading for the village.
Corin
and Lili track the beast until mid-afternoon, when they find it up to its
haunches in a lake. They wait until they can be sure that it is moving again,
and Lili rides back to Gildalen to collect the others.
Corin
continues to track the beast, only to find that it is moving toward the
village. She tracks back and has a deep conversation with Gustav, trying to
convince him that it is necessary to tell Lili that the village is in danger to
help her.
The
party turns around, Lil and Errol are going slower than the frantic pace set by
Takashi, Kalen, and a bouncing, saddlesore Krugnut.
(20/9/03)
We
prepare at the village, and evacuate the villagers. An hour before dusk,
Takashi and Lili see the beast coming from the North, about 5 miles away. The
party decides to go a mile Northeast of the village, so we can float/fly onto
the beast (there is a strong wind from the East).
Takashi
Invisibles everyone, and Gaseous Forms Lili and Kalen. He sprouts Fire Wings
himself, and Errol grows wings. We all go off in the direction of the beast.
Kalen
spots a group of four horses attached to a winch as he lands on the roof of a tower
(on the beast’s back). He strikes at the guard on the crow’s nest. Lili splats
on the side of the beast, and is hanging on for dear life. Takashi flies in
over the fleeing Corin and makes her gaseous and invisible.
Errol
floats in over the central tower and lands behind the guards. Corin floats in
shortly afterward, falling on top of Errol before he can strike down the
archers shooting at Kalen in the corner turret, who has thrown the prone body
of the gnoll down through the hole in the crow’s nest. Kalen grabs his short
spear, holsters it, and swings down through the hole, grabbing hold of the
ledge and using it for leverage.
While
this goes on, Corin and Errol attack the archers. Errol strikes one down and
injures the other. A voice from behind him, sounding like Corin, says, “Tie him
up.” Errol threatens the remaining archer, who says “No hurt” and falls on his
face. Errol ties him up.
Kalen
retreats from the attacking gnolls, only to find them reaching out for him. He
strikes one, forcing it back, while another grabs him and throws him down a
hole. While Kalen is being thrown, he calls an appeal to his God, who
intervenes as he is falling. Kalen grabs hold of the side and struggles to his
feet as he casts Protection from Evil, repelling the attacking gnolls.
An
aerial patrolling wyvern swoops down over Corin and Errol in the central tower.
Corin manages two hits on it as it closes and swoops Errol.
The
gnolls continue to attack Kalen, who responds by summoning a duplicate of his
spear that glows like the sun. Takashi drifts in and invisibly falls through
the same hole in the crow’s nest that Kalen went through before. He lands and
begins slicing gnolls.
Krugnut
bursts out of the pit where he has been hiding and grabs his whip as he jumps
up beside the wagon. He cracks it at the horses, which go out of control. Lili
calms the horses down, stopping the wagon while Ulmor is attacked by archers
from inside the wagon, as well as the cavalry, one of which he trips with his
whip. He also manages to avoid all the flaming arrows raining down on him from
the top of the beast.
As
the beast stops, Kalen grabs hold of the ladder as he falls over. The gnolls
slide to the rear end of the beast, straight into Takashi, who drops one.
Errol
pulls a longbow out and hits the approaching wyvern twice, to cries of “hit
your own creatures” from Corin.
Takashi
tumbles past a gnoll and stands beside Kalen, obliterating a gnoll as he
stands. He then stabs another one, and lays a healing hand on Kalen. Kalen
summons another sunlit spear, only to be smited unconscious. Takashi attacks
the remainder.
Corin
and Errol take down the wyvern, which crashlands on the tower they are standing
on. The shock forces Corin to her knees, and as she stands, something cold
strikes her on the arm. She spots a retreating group of gargoyles, then begins
shooting at them. Errol shoots at the gargoyles as a wyvern swoops down and
carries Corin off.
Lili,
meanwhile, throws some Pirean Fire at the wagon, setting it alight. Krugnut
throws some acid inside the wagon as a distraction. Lili stays invisible and
lobs another Pirean Fire onto the roof, setting it alight, while the axle
continues to burn.
Takashi
heals a prone Kalen, restoring his consciousness, and destroys the last gnoll.
Takashi then drops down the ladder.
Krugnut
follows the wagon and looks around to see where the fire has been coming from.
Errol is the victim of a second stinkbomb, as well as a flash. While this
happens, Corin hits the wyvern and forces it to drop her 120 feet.
Takashi
goes below deck and clears the galley, disposing of the two gnolls within. He
continues down into a set of sleeping quarters.
(27/9/03)
Lili
goes back to the wagon, only to have the horses bolt as she tries to calm them
down. Lili chases after the horses. Three gnolls turn and try to ride down
Krugnut. Krugnut fails to take out one of the riders, and they ride on past,
failing to hit him.
A
gnoll emerges onto the top of the tower, howling. An arrow comes from the far
corner out of Errol’s vision, hitting him. Several other arrows rain down on
Errol.
Something
spins down from on top of the beast’s head and narrowly misses Krugnut.
Errol
swings and misses the gnoll emerging from the hole, focussing on its actions so
it doesn’t take him by surprise. Two vials of acid drop down and splash one of
the gnolls.
Takashi
stands behind Kalen and casts Endurance. A sense of inner strength fills
Kalen as he looks out over the winch to see a gnoll on a basket and three more
by the winch.
Lili
tries again to cut the reins, but fails to slice through the toughened leather.
A
volley of flaming arrows streaks out of the sky and one strikes Errol, still
alight. Meanwhile, the archers at the head continue to rain down arrows on
Krugnut, who fends off another pass from the cavalry. A horn sounds on the left
of the beast.
The
wyvern dives from a height of 120 feet, streaking down toward Corin. She fires
a barrage of arrows, while the overly aggressive wyvern misses.
A
gnoll who has his head on fire emerges from the trapdoor into the point of
Errol’s sword. It struggles up through the trapdoor. A sudden burst of fire
erupts over the scene. Errol dodges and finds himself occupying the same space
as some gnolls who seem to be in shock from burns.
Krugnut
waits for the cavalry to come past once more, while Lili tries one more time to
calm the horses as the gnoll driver finally manages to pull them to a halt.
Takashi
becomes the target for a few shots, while Kalen, in the room below, pulls some
rope from his pack and begins fashioning a lasso.
Corin
continues shooting at the wyvern, although it still has not dropped.
Takashi
takes flight on wings of fire, striking at one of the gargoyles with both his
wings and his fists, then again with his wings as the gargoyles fly away.
The
wagon falls over with a mighty crack, although the horses keep running, getting
further away from Lili. Ulmor gets his whip out again, but still seems unable
to to drag the rider off his horse.
Takashi
dodges a rain of arrows, while Errol is hit by another flaming arrow. Kalen’s
lasso lands on the deck beside the gnolls with a pathetic flop. The gnolls look
up.
Errol
jumps down into the chamber below to find a dozen gnolls. A sudden lurch
unbalances most of the gnolls in the room. Two slide past Errol, who whips his
rapier out and scores some wounds in their sides. Kalen falls against the
window he was looking out of, then struggles back to his feet.
Krugnut
finally connects with his whip as the inept gnolls ride by again.
Takashi
heads for one gargoyle, only to find that he is pursued by two more.
Kalen
goes down into the kitchen, finding a couple of gnoll corpses, one with a
detached head.
Errol,
surrounded by six gnolls, is still only hit by one. He tumbles back to a wall,
and attempts to fend off the gnolls.
Takashi
flies around past the front centre tower, and past a gargoyle, switching his Fire
Wings off. He falls, saving himself with a Featherfall, only to cast
a fireball into the centre of the pavilion containing burning pitch.
The
resulting explosion attracts a little attention, especially from those inside
for the few seconds they still live. The room does not completely explode, but
the catapult and the ballista are obliterated, as is a passing gargoyle.
Five
strange multi-winged birds attack Takashi as they appear out of nowhere. They
then spew tiny lightning bolts at him.
Krugnut
feels a sensation of magic within him as the tin can becomes a clay pot.
Krugnut is turned to stone. Lili runs back to find that Krugnut is stoned.
Errol
faces off against flame-haired gnolls, until Takashi glides in from above,
dropping a fireball on the unsuspecting gnolls. This kills a number of them. He
follows this up with a Major Illusion consisting of another 25 Takashis
on the tower roof with him.
The
sudden reappearance of a massive creature in the room with Errol causes a
little bit of a problem. The creature raises seven gnolls as zombies.
Lili
distracts the cavalry from taking out Krugnut by exploding his stone body. She
yells and screams at them from behind, waiting for them to turn around.
Kalen
climbs up a rope to a nearby tower, while 25+1 Takashis’ Magic Missiles
destroy three arrowhawks and a gargoyle. A gargoyle swoops over and drops two boulders
on Takashi.
Errol
is confronted with his worst fear, his fiancee, who is in reality a phantasmal
killer. He successfully disbelieves the spell and nothing happens to him.
Takashi
casts a fireball downstairs, after Errol has already fled the room in fear
through the trapdoor. He finds a young woman trapped in a cage, who curls up in
a ball when a jet of fire comes down the opening.
Kalen
reaches the window of the nearby tower. He tries to pull himself throught the
window and slips. He manages to grab hold of the ledge with one hand. Pulling
himself in throught the window, he does a one-handed chin-up. As he does so, he
is hit with fire by a gargoyle.
Lili
suddenly wonders why she was trying to put the gnolls to sleep. She very
suddenly remembers that the gnolls are her friends…
Errol
goes down through the trapdoor and finds the treasure hoard. He cowers among
the treasure, while the girl screams abuse at him.
Kalen
is knocked unconscious by a gnoll with an axe-handle.
Lili
decides to try and climb the beast, and considers tying a rope to a crossbow
bolt and using it as an anchor.
Errol
cowers in a corner, drinking healing potions. He sees green smoke seeping down
into the room and filling it up. He goes up the ladder, through the smoke.
Takashi
talks to the girl, convincing her that she needs to fly to get off the beast.
Errol collects his sword and gets up to the top. Takashi tells him he needs to
get Kalen. Errol introduces himself to the girl with “Errol the Bard, heard of
me?” She responds with “Not THE Errol?” She then turns to Takashi and asks him
if he is a wizard. He replies that he is a little bit of one. She asks if he
can heal her as he does, restoring her to full health with a Cure Light
Wounds.
Takashi
tries to climb in through a window, after jumping to a nearby tower. He then
falls off the side after most of his spells go down. A massive lightning bolt
sears out of the sky at Errol, who ducks. Takashi climbs back in through the
window and attacks the gnolls.
Lili
ties herself to the beast’s leg, while she attaches the other end of the rope
to another crossbow bolt and shoots it further up.
Kalen
gets to his feet and stabs the nearest gnoll. Takashi finishes them off and
Kalen knocks the surrendering one unconscious. They discuss that Errol needs to
be healed to have a chance. As they talk, Lili gets up and painfully sets off a
sonic alarm. She emerges into the crew of a ballista as a gargoyle flies over
and drops both frost and fire onto the horse right beside her.
(12/10/03)
Takashi
jumps out of the window, tumbling as he hits the ground. He attacks the gnolls
surrounding Lili, dropping the one menacing her with a Magic Missile.
Corin fires an arrow into the leg of the beast and begins her ascent.
Meanwhile, Kalen gets to the base of the tower, searching for the door to the
room containing Errol.
Lili
takes a swipe at the gnoll between her and Takashi, slamming her staff into its
groin. Meanwhile, Takashi is hit on his shield from behind, resulting in a glow
of green. Takashi takes a slash at one gnoll and hits. He then turns and in one
cruel swipe, cleaves a gnoll in half.
Kalen
charges into the door, failing to break it open. He then opens it as the
remaining gnolls and Lili are caught by black tentacles that erupt from the
platform Kalen is standing on.
A
ballista moves down off the platform and attacks Takashi, although it does no
damage. Takashi is suddenly surrounded by a swarm of rats, gnashing their
teeth. He steps around the gnoll and attacks a tentacle. He cleaves it in half
and it falls off Lili. Takashi then casts an illusory Fireball on the
vermin and gnolls. Lili apparently get caught in the blast. After some
reassurance that the wounds are only in her mind, she no longer believes the
fireball to be real.
Kalen
enters the building to find an empty cage in a room with a trapdoor and a
ladder. Remembering Takashi’s advice, he heads for the top of the tower.
Meanwhile,
Lili is knocked down by another tentacle. Takashi has Dispel Magic cast
on him, forcing everything except his shield to go down.
Kalen
gets to the top of the tower. He finds an unconscious Errol, who he immediately
casts Cure Light on.
As
Lili drinks a potion, another tentacle grabs her. Then another one writhes up
and grabs hold of her. She yells for help. Takashi obliges and cuts one of them
open. The other is still clinging to her. As he does this, he is attacked by
two of them. One tries to grab him and fails, but the other one succeeds in
grabbing him.
A
massive cloud of fog descends over Lili and Takashi. Takashi manages to keep
breathing, while Lili just fails to hold her breath. Takashi tries to break
free of the tentacles. Lili’s tentacle releases her suddenly as something goes
“thump”. She manages to crawl away from it. Without warning, she hits her head
lightly on something wooden.
Kalen
and Errol crouch atop the tower, as Errol asks if Kalen knows where the mage is.
Kalen answers that he does not, then asks if Errol needs more healing.
Takashi
finally breaks free of the tentacles as Lili realises she is right next to the
platform where the tentacles are coming from. Takashi walks off toward the edge
of the beast, then steps over to avoid the cloud. He hits the ground and is
still nauseated.
Corin
ties the rope around her waist, while Lili tries to find a way out of the fog,
up the stairs. As she feels around on the platform with her staff, a tentacle
comes up from the front of the staff and grabs her. She screams, then there is
total silence.
Corin
shouts out, “Lili, where are you?” Kalen replies, “She’s at the top of the
stairs on the platform.” As he does so, an arrow streaks out of the sky and
misses. A lightning bolt misses Errol, but not Kalen. As he is struck, Kalen
realises that the magical presence of the wizard is on the second floor of the
left tower.
His
decision made, Kalen whips off his cloak and invisibly zips down the line
hanging on to his cloak. Errol grows wings. Kalen attacks the wizard as he
enters the room, while Errol drops in from above. They both attack; Errol,
raging, does massive damage.
Corin
gets up and lays waste to the tentacles. She then hides in the building and
clears a path to Lili. She gets to Lili and feeds her the Cure Moderate
potion.
Kalen
realises that the image of the mage is an illusion. Errol keeps attacking, even
after Kalen waves his spear through the illusion. Errol is only moved when the
girl, who he released from the cage before, calls out for him. He leaps out the
window and flies over to the tower.
Takashi
has already landed on the tower. He climbs down the ladder and has a short
discussion with the girl. Errol arrives and the girl tells him she was attacked
by a big, nasty dogman.
Corin,
meanwhile, is covering Lili as the gargoyle drops yet another boulder on them.
Corin goes very pale as she is hit. While this is going on, Kalen searches the
room where the illusion is.
Takashi
flies off and tries to break the yoke on the beast. He fails to break it and
comes back, checking on the magic around the towers.
The
party argues with the girl, while Kalen is pulled up the rope to join the
party. The party takes a long time to talk the girl into helping them. During
this she finds her spellbook and teleports out.
(26/10/03)
The
party opts to use the walkway to get to the main tower. Errol goes to the top
of the tower and retrieves his items. As the party leaves, they spot the girl
flying away on a broomstick, carrying a bag. Corin fires at her and Kalen
summons a brilliant spear of light, which immediately strikes her. Corin gets
one shot off that strikes, while two miss.
Kalen
and Errol climb the outside of the tower. Errol leads, going up past Kalen.
Kalen stops to break in a window, revealing a room that has been set on fire, although
nothing is burning. Errol reaches the roof, getting a nice view of the back of
the beast, while the beast is only 5 or 10 minutes from the village.
Errol
attempts to climb the next tower, only to find the whole wall becomes greasy
and slippery. Kalen crawls across the beam to the gutted room. The others
follow him, although strangely, Errol almost falls. Kalen and Lili both
complain bitterly about the heat, and the party emerges onto the platform
containing the catapult. The party runs into a sonic trap. The fight is then
on, as a group of six tentacles appear. Takashi starts and takes down two
tentacles. Corin destroys a tentacle and wounds another. Lili takes down
another one. A tentacle grabs Kalen, who falls unconscious. Takashi destroys
the tentacle holding Kalen, following it up with another swipe at the last
remaining tentacle, destroying that too.
A
few arrows fly in the direction of Takashi. Errol, meanwhile, grabs Kalen and
drags him inside the burning building, then flies over and up to the top of the
tower in front of the party and hits the gnoll on the roof with his bastard
sword.
Takashi
asks Corin if she can jump the gap. The response is “That’s a twenty foot gap!”
Takashi tries to force his way in through the window. Corin shoots a gnoll, but
it doesn’t drop.
Meanwhile,
Errol has some fun with the guard on the roof. A cry of “That head must have
gone thirty feet!” is heard by the rest of the party.
Lili
tries to grab Kalen as he begins sliding to the other end of the room. One of the
gnolls attacking Takashi half-falls out the window. It then goes “urgh” and
drops out as Corin takes a shot. The other gnoll in the room is attacked and
severely wounded as Errol drops in from above.
Takashi
flies in through the window and charges the gnoll. Errol tumbles around the
gnoll that comes up behind him, and begins to flank it, while Takashi strikes
it, hitting. Takashi sees another gnoll coming up the ladder and instantly takes
a series of strikes. It releases the ladder and falls through the hole in the
floor. Errol kills the remaining gnoll easily.
A
polite exchange, where both Errol and Takashi motion for the other to go first,
eventually leads to Errol going down the hole before Takashi. They cross in
midair as Errol lands first. Takashi finishes off the gnoll and looks around
the room at the fingerpainted mural of the beast attacking a village.
Errol
flies back to the bridge and tells Corin about the tower below the bridge.
Corin ties off the rope and starts down. Takashi jumps across, only to find the
wall is greased. He begins sliding down until Errol grabs hold of the rope
below Corin and maneuvres it so that Takashi takes hold.
Takashi
tries to smash into the shuttered window, but sprains his ankle against the
wall. Errol goes up to the window and breaks it open. Takashi tumbles in, down
a floor and few feet across the floor, to rise and strike an Alsatian-headed
creature. He strikes a gnoll wearing a helm with a dagger, killing it
instantly. Errol comes flying in and attacks the creature with his rapier.
Corin comes in through the window and begins shooting. The creature swings back
at Takashi, taking a bite out of his hand, as well as hitting him twice with a
battle chain.
The
creature grabs the helm from the gnoll’s corpse and disappears. Takashi and
Errol quickly rejoin Corin as Kalen enters. A quick discussion reveals the
creature to be a Hound Archon. Errol also tells people that the creature should
be good and that all he can guess is a Mirror of Opposite Alignment.
A shrieking
noise is heard as Lili turns around to find the Archon behind her. It attacks,
but misses twice and fails to bite her. A crossbow bolt has also hit her from
somewhere. Takashi and Errol make it up there to check on the noise. They find
the Archon and Errol stabs at it. It disappears again and the party slowly
reforms. Every round the Archon appears in a different place, along with a
crossbow bolt.
The
party hides in the room that Takashi blew up earlier, then continues across the
beam. As they go across, Kalen falls off, catching hold of a hunk of the
beast’s fur. As he strains to pull himself up, Lili falls past. Kalen grabs her
and hauls her up with him. The party reforms and returns across the beam to
find the Archon hiding in the tower again. Takashi shoots a few more times,
while Kalen Blesses the party to help stave off the fear caused by the
crossbow bolts.
Lili
is hit and falls unconscious. Corin stays with her while Takashi, Kalen and
Errol go down into the drive room to find a gnoll acting strangely. After a
long discussion, Takashi leaves and disguises the party with an illusion.
Takashi
head off the back of the beast, taking illusions with them. As they go down,
the remainder discuss what to do. The monster shakes from side to side, making
Errol’s plan to jump out difficult.
It
is all solved in the end, as all three hold hands and jump out as one. As they
begin to scream and hall hideously, Errol simply casts Featherfall,
allowing them to leave the beast safely, as it wanders off into the pass,
through the woods.
They get back to the village to find that part of it has been destroyed. After a LOT of healing for Kalen, Lili and especially Takashi, Kalen waits for the rest of his colleagues.