DavesGaming

A shorter update this time, I will try to do a few short ones coming up.

I wanted to include a brief introduction of sorts for my “NPC” Erato. I have used her on several runs now, so regular readers will recognize her. As cleric and thief are both classes I will often feel a need for running into SoD, I created Erato to fill that gap. With A7’s “NPC Generator” mod, I have installed her as always waiting for me at Elfsong Tavern in SoD. She is level 6 in both classes, and has absolutely no equipment. Hence my “head canon” that she is a refugee eager to stop the Crusade. She is proficient in short bow, quarter staff and two-handed weapon style. She is potentially a strong character, but starts lower level than the team, and being multi-class will not advance too far. We will simply call her solid and useful. I use the “AoN: Elyse” voice set for her, so head canon again, I see her as upbeat and good natured. Erato made 7th level in both her classes during the period of the previous update.

*****

We scouted ahead of the army as we all made for the Troll Claw Woods. This would be our camp. Its just a couple hours hike from the Boareskyre Bridge. While camp was being set, my team explored the surrounding area.
We routed out a small group of orcs, and some bandits who broke and ran when they recognized us. The most persistent problem in the Troll Claw Woods is, wait for it, trolls. We battled several, and a larger group was established in a cave not far from our camp. None of the trolls were willing to talk, so we eliminated those we found.

She reported the Bridgefort at Boareskyre was under seige by the Crusade. Her husband Khalid had taken charge of the Bridgefort garrison. But for now they were cut off.
There was however a magic circle hidden in the nearby woods that allowed transport into the fort. The bad news was, the ward stone for activating it had disappeared. She was pretty sure it had disappeared with a Cleric of Cyric into a temple somewhere in the nearby Forest of Wyrms.

Well that was all a lot! I asked Jaheira to rejoin with us, which she happily did! We stopped back by the camp, and determined with Captain Corwin and Bence Duncan we would set out in the morning. First for the Forest of Wyrms, then on to the Bridgefort.

We really didn’t have a lot of information about *where* this hidden temple might be.

Giants are obviously big and strong, but this guy was not a very skilled warrior. The fight did not take long. We also battled a few Displacer Beasts and found a cave full of spiders (yeah, yuck). The cave was at the base of a good sized rocky hill, and there was a rugged path heading up.

They came at us in two groups of less than a dozen, it was not a huge challenge. Except to note their uncanny ability to just disappear into the background. I don’t think its magic per se, just an unsettling talent they have. Eventually they move and you can see them.
Near the top of the hill was a good size cave entrance. Um, it was dark in there! We cast a few preperation types of spells, and entered.

Suffice to say this was a big challenge. At one point Minsc and I were both wing buffeted into a cavern wall (ouch!). And the dragon belched a cloud of chlorine gas on us all, every one of us warriors were coughing and badly reduced by that. But the six of us ultimately were too much for the big gal. This seriously felt like an important win for us. A dragon.

There were more smaller caves behind the dragon’s cave. These were home to the whole tribe of bugbears. The chieftain briefly agreed to parlay with us, I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. As soon as I said we just wanted to find the temple, they attacked. After our bloody trip through the bugbear caves, we found an entrance to a very old temple. Almost first thing in we saw the cages.

Obviously they wanted to be free. We learned they were Crusaders. Regardless, I would not let these men rot here, or worse. We will find a way to set them free and hope for the best.

It became obvious this had once been a Temple of Bhaal. What’s more, a derainged old priestess was locked in another cell nearby. She was telling stories about this place. Of interest, she claimed that years ago Harpers had come here and killed all their children. I felt a chill. I’m pretty sure that’s not true, I suspect I could be one of those children. Clearly the woman was a lunatic, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth in her words. Her tale might mesh with Gorion and his friends coming here and rescuing some of us.
But this was no longer a Temple of Bhaal, Cyric was now worshipped here. Fitting. The Mad God had slain Bhaal, then his clergy claimed his old temple.

We battled several small groups of guards and priests.

She was dragon-born of some sort. I’d not seen anything like her before. But we’d already cut through her troops. As bad and fearsome as she was, she stood alone. We overwhelmed her. I believe she was sister to the guardian dragon we slew at the entrance?
We found an interesting journal in her room. Ziatar had noted the high priestess seemed to be having headaches, and was possibly loosing her mind. Really, a priestess of the Mad God was going bonkers. Who’d have thunk. Ziatar also had a couple keys on her. The first let us release the Crusaders. I let them think they’d convinced us to join up with them at the seige works around the Bridgefort. It might be useful to be able to enter, and reconnoiter the site.

Another key Ziatar had, unlocked a sturdy door heading into the actual Temple part of the complex. We entered a large audience chamber. A few Cyric cultists were battling, something.

Given what a nightmare illithids are we were not happy to see this beast. But it only seemed to cast spells? We slew it, cut it all up. Like a huge vile earthworm…

Nearby we found the priestess, she was standing in a corner arguing with the wall. But she attacked when she saw us. She had the ward stone we’d been looking for. The smart move would be to get ourselves over to the Bridgfort.
But the Neothelid, and the priestess’ insanity, had me a little worried about what else was down here. If Illithids have moved in we need to put a stop to that. Oh listen to me, so brave. I’m feeling a little sick to my stomach with what we’ve seen in the last few minutes.

We cautiously decided to explore just a little deeper.

I don’t know what they were up to, but we stopped it for now.

And it was time to clear out of this place. It was late in the day, and we decided it was a good time to set camp. We would continue on to the Bridgefort tomorrow.

For attacks its not any better than the sword I’ve been using; but defensively it will sometimes, while we’re fighting, put a Mirror Image effect on me. That’s a nice spell! Dyna doesn’t think I can control it, but an occasional random extra layer of defense could be handy!

A god, murdered another god (my sire. And no, I will never call him my father. That will only be Gorion.) there. That sort of thing can leave a mark. Like apparently the water that flows under the bridge has been toxic for almost twenty years, it just turned clear recently. What else might linger? I should approach that place with care and reverence. Even an evil god commands respect. And it could effect me in a number of ways, few of the possibilities are good.

Swell.