Getting out of the School of Wizardry



The party huddles in the council chamber of the School of Wizardry, gazing at the items suspended in the magical globes.

Quilro magically investigates the green glowing flames in the center of the spaces, and confirming to his satisfaction that this is indeed the necessary ritual he pitches the books from the ruined temple into the fire.  They take a while to burn, yielding thick greasy smoke and a smile whine as they combust.

After small discussion, Quilro climbs a table an attempts to inspect the globes.  So doing, his fingers go straight through the glowing globes to no apparent effect.  Scurrying off the table, he searches the room.

Kailute sticks his hands into the sopping remains of the mutilated grell, and hucks it over the table.  The magical globes appears to float out of the way, and the grell carcass impacts the wall and slides down with a wet ‘schlop.’
“Hey orc, grab the egg!” DonBrapp states, but Kailute has already reached up and grasped the silver crown.
DonBrapp jumps up on the table, and reaching to his extremities grabs a large, pinkish and red egg.

Kailute finishes the haul by grabbing the staff, and the group discusses the way out, and the road ahead as DonBrapp eyes the beautifully woodworked conference table and the hand carved chairs.

The group scurries out of the passageway and backtracks southwest to the large cavern and back into the subterranean stream.  They make their way back through the icy cold waters, across the viaduct and eventually return up through the garderobes where Dirthax and Belox stand waiting.

“What was in the shitter?” Dirthax asks.

“Well, your Mom says hello.”  Quilro states flatly, as the rest of the party guffaws.

“Very funny.” The dark skinned Calishite responds.

“Not as funny as my next joke.  I would like my dagger back.”

Dirthax’ face goes tensely flat, and he states “I know not of what you speak.”

Quilro turns away, and group make their way southwest back toward the galley area of the underground school.

Heading back to the surface, the group attempts to move as quietly as possible back to their small protected grove of trees within the decrepit inn.  Flying shadows to the northeast are observed in the skies again.

Reaching the small area of sanctity, DonBrapp distributes healing favors from his backpack as well as his deity, and the team establishes a watch for the evening
.
The sound of ethereal singing can be heard through the trees to the west, but nothing molests the party during the evening, and dawn breaks to the now familiar silence of Myth Drannor.

In the morning Quilro invests some time examining the collected magic items, revealing a staff with the ability to heal as well as a magical crown of seeing from the council chambers.  DonBrapp slides the staff into his backpack, and the elf loops the crown into his side pouch.

After quietly breaking fast, the group moves due north in an attempt to return to the elfhold as fast as possible.
Within several hundred feet, Quilro and Fyrnlocke begin to see a small depression within a cleared dell, and the baying of hounds fills their ears, closing from the northwest.

DonBrapp signals the party to take refuge in a dilapidated blue brick building with a small courtyard wall, as Quilro takes to the skies as a harpy.

Eight oversized mastiffs are closing on the party, as a chitinous floating eye with several smaller eyestalks crowned upon it is slowing floating behind the yapping canines.

Quilro turns himself invisible, and he notices two winged beasts in the skies to the northeast.

“Good luck.” Quilro thinks grimly, looping around to the west.

Kailute and DonBrapp assume a waiting tactical position behind the ruined doorway and put the undead elven wights in the flanks to the side of the door.

Revealing himself mid-air Quilro releases an enormous series of flaming magical fire that explode into the courtyard amidst the yapping hounds.  The scent of burning fur, exploding masonry, and smoke fill the area as the large explosion shakes the foundation of the building the party is seeking refuge in.  The group recoils from the heat and energy of the enchanted attack as a small cloud of dirt and dust rises above the battlefield.

DonBrapp levels his hammer and releases a follow up lightning bolt through the pack, slaying three of the hellhounds.

Belox and Dirthax stand ready inside the building holding back with Kailute to ambush the dogs.
The remaining hounds leap through the doorway to bite and strike any they can smell, landing small bites on the party.

Quilro sees the multi-eyed monstrosity from his elevated location and attempts to wheel behind the blue brick building.

The group within sees the awesome visage of a beholder turn the corner around the fence staring with its menacing eye into the doorway.

One of the dogs leaps up and nearly rips Dirthax’ throat from his neck.

DonBrapp summons a protection spell, and the group assumes a defensive position in the stairwell of the ruined building.  The very foundations of the building shake as the beholder uses a magical ability to rip the walls of building down upon itself, showering the party with fallen brick and rubble.

Fyrnlocke is fumbling with his longsword.

“TO ME!” DonBrapp yells into the destructive maelstrom.

The elf releases a volley of magic missles into the eye tryant.

“WHO DARES ATTACK KARAXUS!?” The creature booms, shifting to see where the magic came from.

The cleric summons forth a ring of magical blades, appearing as razor sharp sword blades circling the head Fendeygo’s hammer and launches it toward the monster.  It connects, and in addition to cutting through some of the chitinous armor, it slices off two eyestalks.  DonBrapp is rewarded by wracking pain within.

Kailute focuses his axe swings on the hellhounds, and the dwarf unrolls a scroll and hurriedly reads it.

As several more magic missiles impact, Karaxus turns toward the flying harpy as the hounds attack the half-orc again.  Quilro feels the world begin to magically warp into much slower, and he is unable to keep aloft with the speed of his flapping harpy wings.

Slicing through both the remaining hounds, Kailute steps forward.  Belox charges out toward the floating monster, and during his fifth step is stopped fast turning to stone.

DonBrapp releases another lightning bolt into the mouth of the beholder, which bounces around internally before the hideous creature collapses to the ground.

“That elf, is how it is done.”  The dwarf states flatly.

Hearing the taunt, Quilro assumes the form of a flying squirrel, and lands deftly among the rubble behind the blue brick building.

Dirthax is scavenged, and the missing onyx dagger is located on his body as the smoke of small fires and the recent melee continue to rise.

In squirrel form, Quilro runs up Kailute’s arm and takes position on his shoulder as the group quickly moves north.
DonBrapp’s stony visage conceals an inner turmoil.  His hands grasp Fendeygo’s hammer with an easy grip, and it fits with such an easy and familiar balance that feels difficult to imagine parting with.
Fyrnlocke leads the party out of the depression, bypassing the hole that was the beholder’s lair.
Just outside the depression, Fyrnlocke stops short amazed to behold an adult green dragon sitting lazily astride the path.

Kailute is certain he saw something flying in his peripheral vision, but it is gone.
“We do not know your name, but I assure you our intent is to get out this forest, and your way as soon as possible.” Fyrnlocke is stammering, attempting to de-escalate any encounter with the wyrm.

The dragon’s head moves lazily over the party, and with a snort it asks “What might you have in those packs of yours?  Do I smell magic?  Magic treasure?”

“Do you know Auzgauth?  Local barghest?  Animosity toward dragons?  Particularly GREEN dragons, if you understand what I am saying.  Yeah.  We killed him.”  Kailute struts forward, as he weirdly does not feel benumbed by the fear usually associated with great wyrms.

“Auzgauth?  There is no way these puny fleshlings bested Auzgauth…  turn your treasure over to us and depart.  Or die.”  The green beast snorts, taken aback and out of sorts at the mention of the demon’s name.

“We could give him the egg.”  DonBrapp whispers sidelong.

Quilro squirrel chirps quietly.

“Instead of a costly and unnecessary fight with us, how about we tell you where there is some treasure?”  Kailute leans on his upturned axe, attempting his most beguiling tone.

“We are always interested in where there is treasure, but you WILL PROVIDE AN OFFERING before leaving this place, or we will make sport and play with your lives.”

“We just annihilated Karaxus the beholder, and we know where his treasure hoard lays.”  DonBrapp retorts.

Interested, the dragon demands to be led there, and leaps into the air.  The party doubles back to the depression.  As they reach the lip, it is clear the “dragon” was in fact an illusion perpetuated by two 12’ tall winged humanoids, cloven of foot with torsos that resemble the misshapen union of a human and boar while crowned with a canine goat like head.  The wings appear too small to afford flight, and wicked curved horns protrude from their skulls. These two demons laugh as they land behind the party.

“So this is the pit of Karaxus?  Throw down your offerings and we shall let you live.”  One hisses.

“Why don’t we go inside?  See what’s inside?  Perhaps there’s more than enough there…”  Kailute begins, pitching his best curbside appeal to “this old hole.”

“By all means.  Go inside the hole and tell us what is inside, little fleshling!”  The demon chuckles.

Quilro’s accurate insight on the nature of demons goes unheard, as he continues to twitter in squirrel cant.
The demons lounge atop the hillside, as the party warily begins to head, once again into the hole.
Exploring the hole, they discover an elven crypt, likely once the basement to a structure long obliterated.
DonBrapp relates a plan to lure the demons into the crypt, and then collapse the ground above upon them, injuring and trapping them.

The crypt holds a ruined beholder and mastiff lair to the west, and the antechamber and a solemn elven crypt to the east.  Within the crypt, Quilro locates a secret chamber holding a not insignificant amount of coin collected in tall ceramic jars.

Kailute relates the situation to the tapestries found in the crypt, but there is nothing but utter silence in return.

Within the beholder dog pound, another small stash of coin is found in a decoy wine tun.
The half-orc brings up the idea of luring the demons in, and deploying a ruse to suggest the party has already departed.