"You really don't have to tell me twice..." A still-smarting Aldara assures the Dwarf.  "I've read about hungry jellies that like to lie in wait for passerby."

Valthur leads the party into the long chamber and, moments after all have passed through the doorway, six grotesque ghoul-like creatures lunge forward from the alcoves flanking either side of the room!

Cast in the dim-yellow light of the glowing pool, the slavering monsters howl with delight as they leap free of the alcoves. Two sinuous, salmon-colored tentacles whip wildly from their distended bellies as they press in on the adventurers with great rapidity.


OOC: Please check your hit point values below and let me know if you see any errors. I believe this is updated, but verify. Thanks!

Bonedrinkers
AC: 6
HP: 10/10 (Valthur), 10/10 (Marklin), 10/10 (Aldara), 10/10 (Eoni), 10/10 (Taerix), 10/10 (Sarah)


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8   6/15   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Eoni       8   4/28   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Marklin    2  10/19   7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Sarah      4  15/21   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Taerix     1  10/22   7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Valthur    4  17/26   7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14


PCs are UP!!!
]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:10, Mon 25 Feb 2019.

Sarah learned her lesson from earlier: when in doubt, use the magically enhanced club.

She swings the enchanted piece of woods and connects solidly with the ghoul-like creature's ribs.


10:28, Today: Sarah rolled 12,3 using d20+1,d4+1 with rolls of 11,2.  Round 1 (10 to hit).

OOC: The HPs you have for me are consistent with my records.

"In the name of Avandra!" Eoni shouted, fumbling for the wooden symbol about her neck without getting it tangled with the phylactery.  "Leave us be!

"We are here to see the Ghostlord!" she added optimistically.

[Private to GM: Eoni Daflin rolled 9 using 2d6.  Turn Undead, Bonedrinkers.
Eoni Daflin rolled 11 using 2d6.  Turn Undead HD, Bonedrinkers.
Good rolls, hope they're undead.  Turns 11HD worth of 7HD creatures.]

OOC: Eoni should be at 4 HP.

Taerix tries to duck those tentacles as he swings in with his sword. He doesn't want this giant lion to be his tomb.

18:45, Today: Kane Taerix rolled 5 using 1d6+1 with rolls of 4.  sword damage.

18:43, Today: Kane Taerix rolled 17 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 16.  sword attack.

"Moradin's beard! I knew it! Didn't I say watch out for the alcoves?" With a flash of his axe, Valthur chops decisively against the nearest of the tentacled ghouls.

OOC: My notes match yours - Valthur's at 17 hp... for now (gulp).

00:09, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 10 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 7.  Axe vs. Bonedrinker.
00:09, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 10 using 1d8+3 with rolls of 7.  Damage.

Aldara was at -1 a while back.  Ought to be at 6, now!

Anticipating a world of pain, Aldara prepares herself.  She invokes a spell of protection around herself.

Casting protection from evil.

Having expected an ambush, Marklin has his broad sword out in a hurry and thrusts deeply at the first bonedrinker that draws near. His blade bites deeply and the strange thing collapses to the ground just as quickly, though not with emitting a horrific death howl.


18:11, Today: Marklin rolled 10,10 using d20+2,d8+2 with rolls of 8,8.  attack.

Marklin and Valthur make quick work of two bonedrinkers while Eoni turns the remaining four. Howling in agony upon hearing holy words and feeling a divine presence wash over them, the undead horrors turn on their heels and flee back into the alcoves they had been lurking inside prior to the adventurers arrival.

Cowering within these dark spaces, the party occasionally hears the creatures' guttural whimpers and unsettling throat clearings.


OOC:

Bonedrinkers
AC: 6
HP: 0/10 (Valthur), 0/10, 10/10 (Aldara), 10/10 (Eoni), 5/10 (Taerix), 7/10 (Sarah)


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8   6/15   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Eoni       8   4/28   9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20
Marklin    2  10/19   7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Sarah      4  15/21   8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Taerix     1  10/22   7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Valthur    4  17/26   7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14


PCs are UP!!!
]

"Leave them," the Sister declared, looking to see that everyone was all right.  "Let's stick with the tracks.  We don't want to stir the Ghostlord's ire by destroying his guard any more than we must."

Valthur gives Marklin a concerned glance as if to say I'd rather take care of the rest of these creepy things first, but leads the team along the tracks toward the eastern corridor without audible protest. "Stay clear of the pool," he reminds the others.

This area appears to be heavily trafficked and there are signs of movement throughout this long chamber. No easily discernible tracks lead to any one particular place.

Immediately east of the long hall, a short arched corridor leads into an oval-shaped chamber, empty except for a single massive sphere of polished black stone that floats over a low dais. The stony sphere is about four feet in diameter, and whirling streaks of pale orange vapor orbit the stone in a frenzy of activity. Closer observation reveals that there are seven different orbiting shapes...each of which almost resembles a distorted ghostly lion.

Save for the doorway the adventurers entered and the short tunnel leading into the oval chamber with the floating stone, the party does not notice any other entrances or exits.

Eoni stood before the sphere and called out, "Ghostlord!  We have come to return your phylactery!"  As an afterthought, she took it off and proffered it to the ominous stone.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting of the sphere, but as she'd called upon him so many times already, she felt compelled to make it work at least once.

Tense moments pass as the party awaits a response to Eoni's call, the swirling yellow pool casting strange shadows on the walls, the stench of death thick in the long chamber. After what seems an eternity, the adventurers hear the rumble of stone upon stone, as a secret door along the chamber's south wall slides open.

The chamber grows unnaturally cold, and then a terrible figure strides into the room. The creature's flesh is yellow and shrunken, clinging to his bones in ragged tatters, and pale green flames dance where his eyes should be. The ancient figure wears old, tattered armor made from lion pelts.

"Phylactery?" he hisses in a thin, death-wracked voice. "You dare trespass in my domain speaking of my phylactery?"

Upon seeing the adventurers in the adjoining chamber, the Ghostlord cocks his head curiously and begins to scrutinize each in turn. Then, his eyes settle upon the strange necklace now resting atop the omenous stone.

"My phylactery!" his voice now rising uncomfortably. "Hand it over at once!!!" he demands while stalking closer, his body shifting steadily across the floor but making no sound...

Sarah shrinks away as the Ghostlord shuffles into the chamber, and urgently looks for a place to hide.

[Private to DM Pawn: Hide, even if it's in a sub-optimal place.  (Sarah distrusts magic and is frightened of the supernatural.)]

Suddenly weak in the knees, Eoni carefully retrieved the necklace and turned to face the deathly visage.  "We come…" she croaked before clearing her throat and starting over more resolutely.  "We of the Vale have recovered your phylactery from the Red Hand.

"This war was not of our making.  Was not of your making.  We have come to return what is yours."

She leaned forward with a bow, holding out the phylactery with head down.

Taerix joins Eoni quickly, hoping that if the Ghostlord takes a swing at her that he might somehow get in the way and take the blow himself.

Valthur's hands strain against the handle of his axe. He suspects if the ghostlord chooses to lash out against any of them, their chance of survival would be minuscule. But surely he wouldn't attack the very party who offered him his prized necklace, would he? There must be some honor in his wretched soul, mustn't there?

With skeletal hand outstretched, the deathly, robed figure strides toward Eoni with a purposeful gait. The green flames flickering in his eye sockets flare brighter with each step, those spectral orbs trained on the phylactery Eoni now holds before her.

"Yes, yes," he intones, "you have chosen well to return what is rightfully mine. And those who attempted to rob me...shall pay..."

The Ghostlord draws to within arm's reach and gingerly takes the proffered phylactery, his bony fingers tremoring as they grasp around the strange rune-carved amulet. Holding it aloft proudly, a cruel smile forms on his face, his rotten and broken teeth exposed for all to see. Throwing his head backward, the Ghostlord cackles in what begins as a dry, controlled tone but what ends in unbridled, evil pleasure.

"Mine...yes. We are back where we belong...all previous debts, deals and bargains, null and void!" he says with finality.

The Ghostlord appears to be talking to himself, though a few of the bonedrinkers have now emerged from their alcoves and watch the scene with great interest. The Ghostlord seems momentarily unaware of the party's presence and he whispers something unintelligible.

Seeing the Ghostlord momentarily distracted, the Sister turned quietly and tried to herd the others back out of the room.  Mission accomplished, the odds of catastrophe increased the longer they lingered.

She'd been expecting the extirpation of his deal with the Red Hand, but the way he'd said it...  All debts, deals, and bargains, null and void.  What else had they nullified?

The Sister was now worried they may have unleashed much more than she'd bargained for.

With hands still clenched on the handle of his trusty axe, Valthur slowly backpedals toward the exit.

Marklin nervously grips the pommel of his sword, uncomfortable with the prospect of handing anything over to the hideous thing calling itself the Ghostlord. The fighter is no great judge of character, this point made patently clear by a string of instances he would just as soon forget, but it was pretty plain to his simple mind the Ghostlord was the epitome of pure chaos.

Glancing over at Eoni and Valthur, the Marklin takes his cue and likewise slowly retreats from the long hall, back through the secret door leading to the tunnel and ultimately, the exit from this dread place of necromantic art.

Sarah has no intention of being left alone.  She scurries from her hiding place to exit with the others.

[Private to DM Pawn: Sticking to the shadows as much possible].

Taerix refuses to be left behind, and accompanies the others out of the room.

Taking advantage of the Ghostlord's preoccupation with its own dark designs, the adventurers retreat from the strange vault and file quickly through the secret door from whence they came. The bonedrinkers observe their movements with great interest, but seemingly give no chase. Their feet carrying them faster with each step, the party is soon hastily making their way out to fading daylight and the hot, dry air of the Thornwaste. In the distance, the party sees spectral lions converging upon the Ghostlord's lair, seeminglky drawn to their master now that he is in possession of his cherished phylactery once more. Like the bonedrinkers, the ghost lions pay the adventurers no heed and instead are drawn into the great stone lion's maw, where they disappear inside and are no longer seen.

Their mission complete, the adventurers proceed as quickly as possible toward their rendezvous point, hopeful the Tiri Kitor elves have remained true to their word and will be awaiting their return. Though they have no way of knowing so, in the annals of future sages, this day would be accounted as a pivotal moment in the War of Elsir Vale. On this day, through their actions, the adventurers' return of the Ghostlord's philactery gives hope to the people of Brindol and beyond. At this very moment, the Red Hand has blazed through much of the western vale and presses steadily toward the walls of Brindol. Now robbed of the bargaining piece he had to hold against the Ghostlord, Wyrmlord Kul must proceed with the planned invasion without the aid of the undead host that would have most assuredly tipped the scales decidely in the Hand's favor.

But the war is far from over, and much still lies in the balance if the Horde's advance is to be thwarted. But, at least some small shred of hope remains for the people of Elsir Vale, and hope is greatly needed in the coming days. As the sun sets on the blasted sun-drenched landscape of the Thornwaste, miles away, thousands of small bonfires now blaze within eyesight of the walls of Brindol, her forces gazing out in the distance, wondering if this night will be their last...