Grand Duchy 86

Grand Duchy of Adventure

Session 86
April 13, 2016

Three Shadowy Figures and a Pack of Ghouls

Tserdain 27 Yarthmont

As Draven attempts to use his divine magic to dispel the magic holding the large door bar in place, Griffin and Remar see something small fly up from the top of Draven's head and disappear in the shadows near the ceiling of the temple. Draven stands there, completely still staring ahead, ignoring all questions to his current state of well being.

A disembodied eyeball

Griffin quickly grabs his friend under the arms and starts to drag him back, telling Remar to keep an eye out for whatever it was they had seen flying around the place. Scanning the upper reaches of the room, Remar spots the object, which he thinks looks like a 2-inch eyeball, now flying quickly directly at him. Thinking quickly, Remar summons up a defensive spell that allows him to not only avoid being struck by the flying eyeball, but to roll and catch the tiny orb in his hands. Before he can examine it closer though, it disappears with a tiny popping sound. 

The shadowy speaking figure

Thinking it was some sort of Wizard Eye, Remar begins to explain this to Griffin and Iris but is interrupted by a booming, disembodied cackle echoing through the large temple chamber. The laughing voice then taunts and threatens the group, telling them their doom lies behind the double doors they had been trying to open. As the group starts to leave, dragging the unresponsive Draven with them, the voice changes its mind and invites them in. The locking bar on the door magically rises and the doors swing open, revealing a long dark hallway that ends in a larger chamber some distance away. Three shadowy figures can be seen standing in the center of this distant chamber. Griffin tries tricking the voice, no doubt coming from one of the three figures but that does not seem to work. Remar flings his glowing dagger down the dark hallway, trying to get a better idea of the lay of the land. The light of his thrown dagger, only about halfway down the hallway, reveals a pack of Ghouls making their way through the darkened hallway toward the Company. 

Remar's glowing knife reveals a pack of ghouls on the prowl.

The Death Knight

The Company prepares for battle and Draven snaps out of his paralysis, ready to battle the undead abominations. Remar crouches behind the doors and starts casting a spell while the voice from the far end of the hallway continues to taunt the Company. Remar taunts back and learns the name of the speaker, Orule. The voice quickly tires of Remar's witty remarks and declares that the companions will now die. As the pack of ghouls advances, Remar summons an explosive fireball and holds it ready. Behind the ghouls, two of the three figures from the far chamber are also advancing, at a faster pace than the ghouls and will soon catch up to them. One is fully armored and wears a huge horned skull helmet while the other looks like a person with all their skin flayed off. The Death Knight charges forward in a straight line while the Flayed One cartwheels, flips and rolls back and forth across the hallway, stopping briefly to snatch up Remar's glowing blade in the process. 

Griffin takes a shot at the advancing Flayed One but it twists and flips, dodging easily. Remar continues to watch the approaching ghouls, waiting for the right moment to release his flaming orb. Draven and Iris stand ready to back the others up once the pack reaches them, Draven going over a mighty spell to blast the undead before it can rip his friends apart. As the ghouls get closer, forced together in a tighter group while passing between a set of wall pillars, Remar flings his explosive fireball at the floor just below their rotting, undead feet. All watch the flaming bolt speed down the hallway but just before it its the 

The Flayed One

ground, the bolt turns around and flies right back at at him, heading right at his chest! The exhausted mage does what he can to avoid being struck by the bolt and drops frantically to the floor at the very last second. The bolt sizzles past him and heads directly for Iris instead! She too frantically dives out of the way, barely avoiding the magical missile. The bolt flies past and hits the floor behind her, exploding. The fiery blast expands and engulfs everyone in its magical fire!

The explosive fireball idea backfires.

Fortunatley, everyone is far enough from the blast that it is not too painful though the laughing voice of Orule finds it amusing. The ghouls and their two scary companions continue to advance while the Company braces for the onslaught. The Flayed One holds Remar's glowing knife aloft and croaks in a strange, froggy, bubbly voice, "I've got your knife! I would like to return it to you!"

The Flayed One tries to be a good friend by returning Remar's glowing knife.

Cast of Characters: 

Garrett "Griffin" Constantine, a Thyatian rogue of a gambler from Penhaligon rolled by +Arne Jamtgaard 

Draven Rickart, a Thyatian Acolyte of the Church of Karameikos ministered by +Jason Packer 

Remar Umerus, an Alphatian battle mage that escaped forced service in the Thyatian army currently marshalled by +Patrick Kelly 

Iris Varda, a Thyatian explorer and historian searching for answers and adventure, now guided by +Stephanie Kelly 

and +Jason Woollard as The DM