Gaedracis

Our heroes have gathered in Aifos' tent and the mirror has gone dark.

Oliveryn thinks long and hard on what he just saw.

Sparta: Mask, did any of that look like The Crater?

Mask: That was interesting.

Mask: There is not anything like that in The Crater. There was grass among the ruins.

Wintersky: Hey, what is going on?

Legeand: Looked like a fairly decrepid building.

Sparta: Howdy, Miss 'Sky

Wintersky: Met your brother, Sparta.

Mask: I get the impression the ruins are out on the plains east of here.

Sparta: I was wondering where you have been. No time to be missing a party.

Sparta: My brother?! He lives?!!!

Sparta: Elroy, did you bring him home?

Wintersky: Elroy and I had much to speak of. No, I am sorry he does not live.

Nyza: Interesting, to be sure. But um, why does the scrying show this creature? We want to see who write this riddle-letter.

Sparta: Oh.

Sparta is crestfallen.

Wintersky hugs Sparta.

Sparta: But you talked to him?

Mask: That decripid creature is the one who wrote the riddle, I am quite sure.

Nyza pats Sparta on the shoulder.

Oliveryn: So this misshapen fellow wrote the riddle?

Wintersky: I am so sorry. I should have spoken more carefully.

Wintersky: I spoke with his ghost. He was busy haunting a half-orc.

Sparta: That is alright. I new he was gone. I found his body in the wood.

Mask: I would say he is quite powerful to have dispelled the scrying spell.

Ozimius grins.

Sparta: Grrr, an orc?

Ozimius: Sounds like fun.

Legeand: Yes, but what about those sayings he was trying to erase.

Wintersky: It is now orc paste. I saw to that.

Sparta: Where is he? I will do more than haunt him.

Nyza: You saw those too, then? "Point a stick to do one's bidding."

Sparta: Hmmph, I should have been there to help Elroy.

Mask: They are more of the riddle. Clues to defeating him, I believe.

Legeand: Yes, but what in the world is a quaff?

Mask: That term usually refers to drinking a potion.

Ozimius: Normally, to quaff means to drink.

Legeand: Oh, new one to me.

Sparta: Drink? I could use a drink.

Sparta: Sergeant, can you fetch us some ale from the feast?

Mask: But, quaffing a tumbler is a lot at one time.

Nyza: Hey, do these four new phrases not match the actions of the lieutenants? Usurper pointed a magic-stick at us and the gnoll had death spike.

Sergeant: Certainly.

Ozimius: Sparta can handle it. I have confidence in him.

Sparta: Heh, thanks, Ozi. I was just thinking that.

Ozimius grins.

Legeand: So, use their own weapons against him?

Nyza shrugs.

Mask: So, which of the lieutenants had a potion?

Oliveryn: So what is the plan? Have we tried to figure out what the riddle means yet?

Nyza: Well, Gaedracis the Troll had my runestaff. The first Gaedracis had potions me think?

Wintersky: I think we are trying to figure it out.

Nyza: Nyza is just guessing though, eh.

Oliveryn laughs.

Ozimius: Well, do not look at me. I did not take anything they had.

Wintersky: I got a mace from one of the baddies.

Ozimius: Who got that potion of Tumbling from the Scout?

Legeand: And, I took that death spike

Sparta: If the first Gaedracis had a potion and we have not used it yet, I brought all the rest in Ringo's saddle bags.

Ozimius: I think the stick is the staff too, or the spike.

Nyza: No one. It is still in the war chest.

Mask: What did it say about pointing the stick exactly?

Mask: To do one's bidding?

Nyza: Oh, yes it did. And the staff can do that, yes. Spectral Hand spell.

Ozimius: I do not remember, Sparta was teasing me with temptations of his cousin.

Ozimius grins.

Oliveryn laughs again.

Sparta: Ozi, you are incorrigible.

Ozimius: I say we go cut off his head and then Wintersky can question him.

Mask: But, a spectral hand is incorporeal. It can manipulate anything physical.

Wintersky: I suppose that could work.

Wintersky: The problem is the cutting off the head part.

Sparta: But, we have all four: the mace, the staff, the spike and the potion.

Mask: I suspect going after this fellow without figuring out these clues will be suicidal.

Wintersky laughs.

Ozimius: Well, we know we have to drink the potion.

Mask: Did we not find a wand among the Usurper's things?

Wintersky: But, who?

Ozimius: Hmmm. Yes, another stick.

Nyza thinks about it a second.

Mask: It is a wand of knock. It opens things. Kind of a bidding.

Ozimius: True.

Oliveryn: Interesting.

Sparta: Did anyone bring it from Redemption?

Wintersky: Maybe they will become clear in proper context.

Sparta: Well, the spike seems pretty to the point.

Mask: Speaking of context, we should also put these in context with the riddle-letter.

Nyza: Usurper has wand (stick), Scout has elixir (quaff), Gnoll has death spike (lance de mort), troll has uh... clapper

Ozimius: Well, Wintersky, Mask, and Nyza are the casters. They should be smart enough to figure it out, right?

Wintersky: What riddle?

Mask hands Wintersky the parchment.

Sparta: Well, let us put them in order.

Ozimius: Hmmm. A clapper. I did not see anything like that. Maybe we missed something, a drum or instrument?

Mask: Did you notice that the bell tower of the ruins was in pristine condition?

Sparta: Quaff clapper stick lance.

Sparta: Um, that does not make much sense.

Sparta: So, the clapper is still in the bell tower?

Mask: May be we need to ring the bell in the bell tower for some reason.

Nyza: Or if clapper does mean the mace, we can strike the bell with it.

Ozimius: Hmm. But that would not be the clapper.

Sparta: "Toll" the bell?

Mask: Masse is the elvish word for mace.

Legeand: Well, that would work.

Wintersky: I have the mace right here.

Ozimius: So what is the elvish word for clapper?

Wintersky pats the mace in her hand.

Mask shrugs.

Sparta: Maybe we need to ring the bell with the mace.

Wintersky: Maybe just ring the bell with the mace.

Legeand: Looks like a few of those sayings were in mixed languages.

Mask: Let us go with that ringing the bell with the mace. We just need to get to the bell.

Ozimius: Hey, Sparta do you know of any bells around here?

Nyza: You say the ruins are probably east on the plains somewhere? Who would know exactly where?

Mask: Maybe we need the wand of knock to open a door to get to the bell?

Sparta: If it is a temple, maybe Ashippun has heard of it.

Mask: Aifos' scouts?

Nyza: Ok, let us take it with us just in case. And the other items.

Sparta: She is an aspiring priestess.

Ozimius: Yea, let us go get your cousin.

Ozimius smiles.

Wintersky: Which cousin is that, Ozi.

The sergeant returns with food and drink.

Sparta: Thank you, sergeant. I was about to faint.

Ozimius: Ashippun. She is a priestess.

Oliveryn eats lightly some of the food, thinking and listening to what the group is going to do.

Sparta: But, to Lukinvor, Ozi, not Borgose.

Sparta winks.

Ozimius shrugs, "Same difference."

Ozimius grins.

Mask: So how does the elixir of tumbling fit in?

Ozimius: Maybe you have to drink it to reach the bell.

Legeand: Trap dodging?

Wintersky: Most likely evading something.

Mask: Maybe.

Mask: Is anybody already good at tumbling?

Sparta: Or, to fall from the tower.

Mask: Let us try and avoid that.

Ozimius: I have an idea. Let us go get a gnoll prisoner and make him go ring the bell. Then if it is trapped, we will know.

Sparta: Yeah, not so much.

Legeand: I do not think that will work to well, Ozi.

Oliveryn: I could make him do it, possibly.

Oliveryn shrugs.

Eregard: I am pretty good at tumbling around.

Eregard smiles.

Nyza: Nyza think we should have a look at the bell before ordering a prisoner to possible death.

Nyza: It is quite a lot of trouble to haul a gnoll with us for miles.

Wintersky: Using a prisoner to find the trap is wrong somehow.

Mask: The potion would make you even better then, Eregard.

Eregard: I could use the potion if no one else wanted it.

Ozimius: Sounds like your up, Eregard.

Eregard nods.

Mask: So, when the time comes for tumbling, that is covered.

Eregard: I guess, if that is what everyone needs me to do.

Mask: I assume the death spike is needed to slay the villain then, no?

Legeand: If that is what that morte means then possibly.

Ozimius: Morte means death, so it is a good assumption.

Sparta: I have a cousin Butte do Morte. Well more like a third cousin, twice removed.

Aifos steps up to the group.

Ozimius: Is she cute, Sparta?

Sparta: He.

Ozimius: Damn.

Wintersky: Cool.

Sparta: And no, he has not had much luck with the ladies yet.

Aifos: I have been listening and you seem to have a good idea of how to use the clues.

Wintersky: He is not a toddler, is he?

Ozimius looks at Wintersky sideways.

Sparta: Only when he has too much to drink, which is a bit too often.

Nyza: Ah! Me do not see you there, general.

Nyza: Might you have anything to add, sir?

Aifos: My scouts have seen a ruins such as the one in the mirror.

Ozimius: Good. How about you take us there, Aifos?

Aifos: I can direct you there, but most of my army is on the way back to Redemption.

Legeand: As long as we can get there, it will help end this.

Nyza: Nyza is sure that will be enough. We cannot rely on having an army at our call at all times, after all.

Ozimius: How far is it?

Wintersky: Yes, it is getting a bit crowded.

Aifos: About ten miles straight east of Rebelton.

Wintersky: Not too far then.

Ozimius: Well, unless you managed to save me a surprise set of wings from something, I suppose it is Shank's Mare for us.

Oliveryn: About half a day's ride/walk.

Sparta: That is only a couple hours for Ringo.

Legeand: If we keep walking everywhere, I might buy a horse and strap myself to it for life.

Wintersky: I can teach you to ride, Legeand.

Legeand: I can ride, but I have yet to own a good horse.

Nyza: Considering how much gold we have made, we could easily buy an entire caravan of horses.

Legeand: Considering how much we walk, I was just saying I might want to make my riding permanent. Though it would be a good and bad conversation starter in a pub.

Ozimius starts walking east, calling over his shoulder "Speak for yourself, Nyza."

Wintersky: A lot of work, the care and feeding of a caravan worth of horses.

Nyza steps aside for a moment, so she can speak with the Diviner.

Legeand: Aye.

Oliveryn: I would just run them into the ground before I had to feed them.

Oliveryn smiles.

Wintersky: No, I would have to tan your hide for that.

Legeand: Well your a bard, we would expect you to end up getting towed behind one first.

Nyza (to the Diviner): Oh, a moment please? Nyza believe she can use scrying magic too...but that mirror is far too heavy to lug around.

Oliveryn: My hide would not be good for anything though. Unless you sell it to my grandfather after he finds out what we are doing.

Nyza: Might you have something a bit uh, smaller?

Mask: I have a horse, but I have not seen many horses in Rebelton, mostly ponies.

Sparta: We could get a wagon?

Wintersky: Why?

Diviner: There is a solution to that, Nyza.

Oliveryn: Or a carriage; ride in style.

Legeand: I would rather not own a pony. I could hear the princess jokes coming a mile away.

Sparta: That might attract a bit of attention.

Nyza: That me can buy?

Sparta: There are plenty of bandits and miscreants about.

Diviner: It is a scrying shard. I happen to have one that I have not used for quite a while.

Oliveryn: I can buy one if there was one.

Legeand: At least the halfings are lucky, they can ride dogs and worgs.

Wintersky: I am a good judge of horses.

Sparta: Bite your tongue, Legeand. No Mantyson has ever ridden a worg.

Diviner holds out the shard to Nyza, "You may purchase this one."

Nyza: Ooh, that sounds good. How about er...(she thinks about how much this will reduce the size of her bed of gold).

Nyza: 1,500 monarchs?

Diviner: That will do.

Legeand: Never said you had, but you do not see a full grown man riding that ilk either. More or less due to the fact we would crush them with our weight.

Nyza: 'Kay. Me will get the money before we leave town.

Sparta: I do not know, they seem to carry orcs and goblins just fine.

Diviner hands the shard to Nyza, "Deal."

Legeand: True.

Sparta: Are we gonna let Ozi walk there by himself?

Diviner: If you do not mind walking back, I can conjure horses for those of you who do not have them for the journey there, but you will have to wait until tomorrow.

Legeand: Next time I kill a worg, I will attempt riding it first just to see. How is that, Sparta?

Sparta: If you have the chance, kill it first.

Sparta: The only good worg is a dead worg.

Legeand: Or, a trained worg.

Sparta: That only makes them worse.

Oliveryn: Can Ozi not raise the worg?

Sparta looks at Legeand like he is crazy.

Oliveryn smiles.

Nyza: Bleh, worgs. Nyza will ride a dire weasel any day over one of those beasts.

Legeand: Depends on the person, though coming from the melting halfing, I am surprised your that upset by it.

Nyza: The conjured horses would be great. Waiting until tomorrow will give us time to prepare for the trip anyway.

Sparta: Hey Ozi! Come back, we are not leaving until morning.

Sparta: Still time for you to meet my cousin.

Wintersky: Hey, Sparta, how did Ringo get a magic mouth.

Ozimius stops and looks back.

Ozimius: Your cousin, you say?

Mask snickers.

Sparta: A magic mouth? Oh, the diviner helped me with that a bit.

Wintersky: Do you think he could help with SnowShadow.

Sparta: It was a little expensive.

Diviner: I can, but it is not cheap as Sparta well knows.

Sparta: But I could cast the Magic Fang if you can pay to make it permanent.

Wintersky: How much?

Oliveryn: I can help pay if Wintersky needs it.

Oliveryn: For your dog.

Ozimius: Your generous today, Sir Oli.

Sparta: I think I paid you 3,000 in gold, yes?

Ozimius: So, what is all this discussion about dogs and horses?

Wintersky: I can pay 3,000.

Oliveryn: I am always generous.

Oliveryn smiles.

Ozimius: I can go "liberate" some funds if you are low, Sparta.

Wintersky: Thanks, Oli.

Wintersky smiles.

Sparta: I would rather you did not, Ozi.

Legeand: Were trying to figure which is better for a spoony bard, never know when you need a bard like your in tow.

Sparta: You would probably be liberating them from one of my cousins.

Ozimius grins.

Sparta: I would like to be welcomed back to Rebelton the next time I come home.

Ozimius: Well, if Oli would teach me to turn into something that could fly, like he said he would, I could...

Ozimius: "liberate" from someplace else.

Wintersky: If you will do it for 3,000 pieces of gold I would like you to, Sir Diviner./

Sparta: We will get to Troll's Bridge soon enough and you can do all the "liberating" your heart desires.

Ozimius: Sounds like a plan. So let us get this done so I can get rich!

Ozimius grins.

Diviner: I can, with the help of your friend Sparta.

Sparta: I will need time to prepare the spell.

Wintersky: Looks like I get to get poor!

Sparta: I have not kept it ready since we fixed up Ringo.

Over the next couple of days of interruptions from partying halflings and the casting of spells, our heroes prepare to travel to the temple ruins.

Wintersky: Thank you, Sparta. SnowShadow thanks you too.

Sparta: Welcome to the family, Ozi.

Ozimius grins.

Wintersky: Ozi is in the family way?

Ozimius: Who, me?

Our heroes ride there mounts out to the ruins the following morning.

Ozimius laughs.

Nyza: That belltower looks familiar.

Ozimius: Hey Wintersky, could you not find me one in black? Maybe with flaming hooves?

Wintersky: Nah, you do not want one like that. They are very tempermental.

Ozimius: Yea, but it is all about image.

Ozimius grins.

Sparta: Sounds like a nightmare.

Wintersky: I can just see you landing on your head over and over again.

Legeand: Sounds like Ozi needs a story about himself.

Ozimius: Ok, so do we have a plan or are we just winging it.

Legeand: Run in screaming our names and hope we win sound like a plan?

Gaedracis (booming from the ruins): TURN BACK OR MEET YOUR DEMISE!

Nyza: Well, we have the four items with us.

Ozimius (yelling): How about not!

Nyza: OK, that settles it. This IS the right place.

Sparta shouts back...

Sparta: NOT A CHANCE!

You see the decripid creature descend the stairs within the ruins.

Sparta: Heh, he already knew we were here.

Ozimius: Good. Now let us not dissapoint him.

Legeand: Well, he saw the scry.

Sparta: Time to ring the bell?

Ozimius: Hells' bells. I hve got to get used to this new suit.

Oliveryn starts singing and pulls out his bow.

Nyza casts an unfamiliar spell, then divides herself into many illusory copies.

Sparta: Whoa, where did all the kobolds come from?

Legeand: And one fire starting lizard was bad enough.

Nyza: The six images all speak to Sparta at once.

Nyza: It is just me, Sparta!

Sparta: That is a neat trick.

Mask casts Invisiblity and vanishes from sight.

Legeand: And now watch as I pull a sword out of my hat. No, really I can do it!

Sparta: I will keep this simple. No need for magic here.

Sparta draws his bow and readies a rapid shot as he rides Ringo into the ruins

Wintersky starts chanting and a holy glow surrounds her and SnowShadow.

Wintersky casts Divine Power.

Wintersky follows Sparta to the ruins.

Ozimius trots forward.

Ozimius: Wait for me!

Eregard moves forward drawing his blades.

Legeand full out runs to the other open side.

Oliveryn moves forward singing loudly.

Nyza: The band of Nyzas follow Legeand.

Mask creeps invisibily forward into the ruins.

Sparta: Miss 'Sky, there is a door to the bell tower straight ahead...

Sparta: but, I am gonna check out those stairs down.

Sparta keeps his bow at the ready.

As Sparta approaches the stairs the pile of wood begins to whirl about, buffeting Sparta and Ringo.

Sparta is struck, but Ringo is spared.

Wintersky: Sparta, are you hurt badly?

Sparta: No, go ring the bell.

Wintersky chants again.

Wintersky casts Cat's Grace shared with SnowShadow.

Wintersky moves to the door.

Ozimius continues trotting forward.

Eregard moves into to the ruins.

Legeand moves intot he ruins.

Legeand prepares his sword.

Oliveryn follows into the ruins slowly, but confindently like a king. Singing.

Nyza moves into the complex.

Nyza: The heck? I will take care of that, Sparta.

Mask continues advancing unseen.

Sparta: Oh, thank you, Nyza. I was just thinking of something to try.

Sparta: But, you are probably better at this than I.

Sparta and Ringo retreat from the whirling dervish of sticks and logs.

Wintersky dismounts and tries to open the door.

Wintersky finds the door is locked.

Wintersky: I need help with this lock here.

Sparta: The wand?

Nyza: Nyza bring the wand with her.

Wintersky chants.

Wintersky casts Divine Favor shared with SnowShadow.

Wintersky: done

Ozimius moves towards the tornado of wood.

Sparta: Careful, Ozi, do not get too close to that thing.

Ozimius nods.

Eregard moves and looks around.

Legeand stands his ground, prepared to face anything that appears.

Oliveryn moves foward still singing, keeping an eye out for any danger.

Nyza raises the wand of knock and points it at the locked door.

Nyza: Do my bidding, stick!

The door swings open before Wintersky.

Mask brushes passed Nyza noticing the stone arranged in words on the ground.

Sparta moves off the rubble back towards the wood tornado.

Nyza: The figures of Nyza jump in startlement. They look around as if someone is next to them.

Wintersky looks in the door.

Ozimius: Nyza, you got flees or something? Your not usually so jumpy.

Wintersky sees a spiral stair case ascending through the bell tower.

Nyza: Mask needs to watch where she is going is all.

Wintersky and SnowShadow run up the stairs carrying her mace and her bow.

Ozimius: Bang the gong, Wintersky, bang the gong!

Ozimius stops short of the floating woodpile, and watches the tower waiting for Wintersky.

Eregard moves over and looks around for any threat.

Eregard sees the stones that one of the clues was written in stirring on the ground nearby.

Legeand continues to hold his ground scanning the area for threats.

Oliveryn casts Eagle's Splendor on himself.

Nyza: Hey, Ozi! Do not think that Nyza forgot about your "fleas" comment!

Ozimius grins.

Nyza begins casting a spell, centered on Ozimius.

Ozimius: Hey, lizard breath!

The whirling column of wood catches fire and slowly begins to diminish.

The fireball miraculously avoids Ozimius and Eregard.

Mask appears and casts Dispel Magic upon the agitated stones used for writing the clue.

The stones stop moving.

Sparta holds where he is, but takes a moment to quaff a potion of cure light wounds.

Wintersky continues running up the stairs.

Wintersky: Seeing that the bell is still out of reach begins to cast another spell.

Wintersky casts Fly shared with SnowShadow.

Ozimius dives down the rabbit hole.

The burning, whirling wood batters Ozimius as he leaps through.

Eregard follows Ozi down the hole.

Nyza: You all may want to wait for the wood to burn.

Eregard manages to slip past without harm.

Sparta: Mask, can you dispel what ever magic is making the wood whirl?

Mask: That is my next move, Sparta.

Legeand continues his alert stance.

Oliveryn stays outside, still singing and looking around for any danger.

Nyza: Legeand, you look bored.

Legeand (smirking): Legeand is not here, only the grass and the bushes.

Nyza: Bet you can race Ms. Sky to the top of the tower!

Nyza casts Fly on Legeand.

Legeand: Oh, now I can have some fun.

Sparta: Hey Legeand, how about you fly that death spike over this way? I think we might need it pretty soon.

Mask turns towards the burning, whirling wood and casts Dispel Magic.

Legeand: I will fly to the first star on the right and right on till morning!

The whirling falters for a moment, but then builds up speed again.

Sparta: Well, that did not work so well.

Mask: No, it did not.

Sparta casts Entangle.

The whirling wood is snatched by the nearby tree and the tree bursts into flames. The stairs are now open, however.

Sparta: Doh, did not mean to start a forest fire.

The Nyzas raise her arms and cheer at the burning tree.

Sparta: No, Nyza, that is not a good thing at all!

Wintersky flys up to the bell uses the mace to make a mighty swing.

The bell tolls in the bell tower.

Eregard and Ozimius hear a howl from down the passage way.

Ozimius (to Eregard): You hear that?

Eregard: Yeah.

Ozimius (to Eregard): Let us check it out.

Eregard nods.

Eregard follows Ozimius listening and looking.

Eregard blanches.

Ozimius grins.

Legeand flies up and over the stairs.

Gaedracis Pejorative advances on Ozimius, but misses.

Oliveryn moves over to Mask...

Oliveryn: still singing and studies the burning tree.

Sparta: Can anybody put out that blaze?

Nyza: Grr, me want to stay and watch! But no, let us take care of the Gaedracis first.

Nyza: The Nyzas push past Oliveryn, Mask and Legeand as they walk down the stairs.

Mask casts Mage Armor and advances to the stairs.

Sparta rides Ringo down the stairs.

Sparta draws his sword.

Sparta: Legeand, we could use you down here!

Legeand: I'm coming, I'm coming. Stop nagging me.

Wintersky: Wintersky hits the bell with the mace again hoping to crack it.

Sparta: You here that? The bell tolls for you Gaedracis!

There is a astonding clang and a resounding crash as the bell falls. At the same time, the bell tower begins to collapse.

Ozimius strikes the Gaedracis with his new sword.

Eregard moves and attacks, but fails to strike the creature.

Legeand dives and enters the passage at the bottom of the stairs.

The Gaedracis switches to Eregard and misses him as well.

Oliveryn continues to sing and moves down the stairs.

Nyzas flood into the room.

The Gaedracis swipes at Nyza and misses.

Nyza casts a scorching ray at the bandit lord.

Mask casts Fear on The Gaedracis.

The Gaedracis shakes off Mask's spell.

Sparta charges in on Ringo and strikes the Gaedracis with his sword.

Wintersky and SnowShadow fly down the stairs.

Ozimius strikes the Gaedracis again.

Eregard attacks again, this time thrusting both weapons into the Gaedracis.

Legeand thrusts the death spike into the Gaedracis and he explodes in a shower of greenish acid.

Legeand: Eewweh, not what I expected.

Ozimius checks the body.

There are a number of things within the ichor that remains and even more in the chamber to the north.

Sparta sheathes his sword and draws Manty's dagger.

Nyza: Yikes! Better be careful with that thing, Leg. Do not scratch yourself.

Ozimius makes a check of the area and begins piling loot.

Sparta: There Manty! We are avenged on Elroy.

Oliveryn scratches his head and wonders what happened.

Manty: Good job, Sparta.

Legeand: Next time stand away from exploding enemies. Yes, got to remember that.

Implements of Gaedracis Pejorative's Destruction