OOC: This is what the Summary would be like, as mentioned in the Comment thread.

Temple of Ashmere 32 - It Came From Beneath the Earth

To avoid the rushing water, the party ascended to a giant oval-shaped cavern with several layers of a circling ramp-like path that appeared to be carved by a giant worm.  The center of the cavern was filled with water, and the top of the cavern had giant stalactites with sleeping giant bat-like creatures.  The spiraling path (9 feet high, 5 feet wide) had essentially 4 levels, and water was pouring in from the ceiling above like waterfalls, but the water level did not appear to be rising.  The giant cavern was about 100 feet high from the surface of the water, about 250 feet lengthwise and 50 feet across.

The party found many of the mossy bushes they encountered earlier that absorbed heat and grew phenomenally fast.  There were also mossy growths all over that created an eerie glow in the cavern.

Earthquake-like tremors continued to rock the cavern.  The party jumped out of the way just as boiling water spewed from the tunnel they were coming through.

The party stopped to heal and recover, and also to read the scrolls found.  They discovered a party led by Peglar had come through here searching for Purple Worms.  Details about the worms were in the report, but none had been found, although it warned that heavy vibrations might return them to the surface.  The personal diary listed Peglar's treason and killing of the group.  (Message #18 gives important details in the note and the scroll.)

The party descended a level and were faced with water spewing forth and then stopping like an intermittent geyser from the tunnel in the level below.  They decided to rappel down rather than risk being hit by the boiling, high speed water.

A large tremor knocked a giant stalactite into the water, and its large tremor brought a purple worm into the cavern, along with stirring to action the giant bat-like creatures.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:34, Wed 07 Dec 2011.

The party drove the purple worm back into the mountain, and fought off the bat creatures, but the water in the cavern is rising quickly.  The bat creatures spit fire.  Grung and Kahan jumped from the cliff to douse the fire, landing in the water.  Grung is struck unconscious and is helped by Grizz.  Adaran went into the water and did not return.  The ceiling of the cavern was breaking apart, sending stalactites into the water and warning of imminent collapse.

The party found a tunnel underneath the water.  The current there is strong and they swam while holding their breath.  The tunnel split into a dead end on the left and another tunnel to the right.  Some went each way.  While the warriors moved the stones from the dead end, Grung began drowning.  The pressure of the water pushes those at the dead end through, and the party flies out of the mountain cave, splashing far below in the lake where they had initially entered the mountain.  Those in the dead end area suffered from the exposure to lack of oxygen; those on the right side were banged around by the water against the cave walls.  Marcus and Draaz also fall unconscious.

By then, the mountain was erupting, and lava spilling over the sides.  The water from the caves in the mountain was draining like a sieve, making the lake much larger than it was when the party initially crossed it two days earlier.

They climbed back where their boats were at, rescusitated Grung and brought back Marcus and Draaz, and started across the lake.  Then they realized that the heat and sulfur under the lake was turning the lake into a deadly acid that was eating away their boats and oars.  They have to decide whether to risk splashing acid around or carefully and slowly rowing across.

Their desperate crossing of the lake becomes painful as they hit shallows that halt the boats and their boats begin to spring leaks.

Meanwhile, a major explosion and eruption of the volcano appears imminent behind them.  Tremblors and earthquakes are shaking the island.

As some oars rot away, they have to jump into the acid to push the boat and their fallen comrades across or use their arms in the acid like oars.

Just when they are nearly across, the purple worm re-emerges, splashing acid everywhere in its frantic attempt to escape the acid, the volcano, and the dire situation.  A battle ensues as the party finally makes it across the lake.  The purple worm digs under the ground and traps the party between its tail and its head, striking from both sides.  It swallows Grizz whole, and its poisoned stinger finds Marcus' chest, slaying the valiant paladin.  Then Draaz is swallowed whole.

Though the purple worm is finally slain, only Grizz survives and emerges from its gullet.  Draaz is slain from its digestive juices.

The bodies of Draaz and Marcus were placed in the portable hole and the party had to continue onward to avoid being engulfed in the imminent volcano explosion.

Temple of Ashmere 33

A huge explosion rocks the island, and nearly half the mountain falls into the ocean to the east, likely to cause a mega-tsunami somewhere across the ocean.

Even while the party watches explosion, another explosion knocks out the rocks and collapsed entrance into the temple.  From it emerge the death knight, soulseeker demon, its taloned assistant demon, and numerous experience draining demons.  The party had fought them in the temple when they crossed over to another plane, but their destruction of the temple through evaporating all magic within has led to a release of the demons from the other side.

A chase ensues, with the party choosing between paths through forest or rugged land, dodging falling ash and pushing through a forest fire in the hopes of reaching the earthrocs and escaping.

Meanwhile, other demons have appeared to have escaped.  They are flying demons covered in spikes that they fire at their victims.  The party splits, with Adaran taking the direct approach and avoiding the forest.

Adaran found that the earthrocs were gone, and Prump's body was dead on shore.  Their guide and earthroc tender was gone, along with the earthrocs.  But he found that a mass invisibility spell really hid them all.  One of Tarimar's mages, Maellarean, along with two dwarf henchmen, is waiting.  He casts a spell on Adaran as Adaran tries to escape, then hogties Adaran as bait and makes them all invisible again, but not before giving Adaran some very important news about Tarimar.

The rest of the party flees the flying demons, which go back, pick up the soulfeeder demons, and drop them nearby to chase the party.

This culminates in finding Adaran tied up and a three way battle between Tarimar's followers, the demons, and the party.  The last surviving demon flies back toward the forest for some unknown purpose.  Tarimar's dwarf follower makes peace with the party as the last of the demons is killed.  He questions Tarimar's teachings and what he was told about this party of bandits.

Even as the party is preparing the earthrocs to return and Prump is brought from the dead to guide them back to the dwarf compound, the demons emerge from the forest, having been led back by the last of the flying demons.  Scores of the shadowy soulseekers, the death knight, and the soulsorrow demon and its sharp-clawed companion come towards the party.

Their newfound dwarven friend tells them to hurry as he jumps in the fray to distract the demons and give them time.  They take off on the earthrocs just as the dwarf is thrown to his death and surrounded by soulseekers.

The last of the flying demons land, and the death knight and soulsorrow demon and its companion walk into the water, sinking but still walking...toward Tienna and the direction of the dwarven compound.

Meanwhile, the volcano gives a last belch of an eruption, sending ash flying and filling the sky with darkness for as far as the eye can see.

But the party is safe, and flies safely back to the dwarven compound to get its reward.

END OF TEMPLE OF ASHMERE
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:26, Wed 20 July 2011.

The summary will continue with the thread "The Orc Invasion Summary"

THE ORC INVASION

Back at the dwarven compound, the party began an investigation of who might be the traitor revealing secrets to Tarimar.  The suspicions fell on a halfling mage trying to join the party (Nimith), on a gambling overlord (Polyanthar), and upon an archeologist who spends long periods outside the compound with his sons (Anlisade).

Nimith acts suspiciously and has Tarimar's tattoo.  He tells a story of how he was forced to get it.  Ultimately, the party has him locked up just in case.

Polyanthar offered to join the group if the party could beat his men in some contests.  The party wins, and Polyanthar offers 10 men and himself to fight alongside the party.  He is cleared of wrongdoing.

Anlisade was not at home, but a secret tunnel was found under his home leading away from the compound.  But a conflict with his sons arose, and a solar generating weapon sent a "Sun Ray" into the party, which was lined up perfectly in the underground tunnel.  But Anlisade arrives during the subsequent battle and breaks it up.  He says he will join the party if Kahan raises his now dead 2 sons from the dead.  Kahan agrees, and the party gets another 10 to join its group.

The party also gets the broach from Anlisade.

Krugoth is the dwarf clan leader at the compound, and his general is Pamaran.  The party begins to suspect that it is really Pamaran who is the traitor.  They accuse Pamaran, who also has the tattoo.  Krugoth threatens to execute the traitors, but the party says just to lock them up until later.  Krugoth and Nimith are locked up.

Primm and Kruin are Krugoth's counselors.  They tell the party about the Kuvlah Tah and the Seven Pillars.  The Seven Pillars include ancient artifacts.  The party gives them the broach and a necklace to determine if they might be the artifacts.  It will take time, so they are promised to find out after the orc battle.

THE ORC BATTLE BEGINS THE NEXT DAY

The party fought off countless orcs, some wolves, trolls, goblins, and even an ogre mage and dracolisk.  Finally, they are approached the orc king, who calls a parlay and asks only that they help him find and destroy Tarimar using Augmantium.  Chaos erupts as the party finds Tarimar and Krugoth approaching from the rear.  They are friends.  Both Krugoth and Pamaran were the traitors!  Pamaran stands next to Krugoth, alive and well.  They have with them the broach and necklace artifacts.

Even as they advance against the orcs, with the party in the middle, the demons and death knight reappear.  The party gets on the earthrocs to let the battle go on without them.  The demon flings Krugoth and Tarimar at the party as they fly away.  The dwarf screams and then dies as he hits the ground. Tarimar casts a levitation spell.

Grung turns Augmantium on Tarimar, destroying all his magic.  Tarimar falls to the ground, injured.  The first level orcs attack and kill him.

The death knight, meanwhile, has walked over to the king and, using his Power Word, Kill, kills the orc.  You recall the great enmity between the ancient death knight in his human form and the orcs at the temple of their gods in the Temple of Ashmere.

Grung remains with Augmantium and the orcs, fleeing with the King's cleric to the east.

The demons ignore the orcs and begin walking after the party and their earthrocs, which are now flying south.

Kahan had charmed a dire wolf, which charges after them as well.

Bump