Session 27: The Pit of Slime

Together Krius and Prophit moved in to engage the elemental demonic form in close melee. As they closed they both noted that an eddy of electrical forces seemed to hold the creature aloft and kept it from touching the ground. Krius launched a sword attack that seemed to do little harm to the electric creature while Prophit circled to flank the foe.

Alton and Elarios continued to assist with ranged attacks, Alton firing magical missiles of energy while Elarios launched volley after volley of more mundane arrows. The attacks would hit the creature causing sparks of energy to fly off, but still seemed to do little meaningful damage.

As Mannon watched arrows fly and sword swing he heard a voice inside his head, a compulsion that urged him to use his eldritch magic to attack his own allies. He resisted the urge, but as he did he noticed that the clawed pendant around his neck began to burn and dig into his flesh. He ignored it for now, cursed the foe and attacked it with a magical bolt of energy that he very well could have aimed at Krius or Prophit...just not now.

The elemental beast, crackling with energy, rose into the air on a wave of power, the place on its face where its eyes would have been lit up as an arc of electrical power arched through the air striking Prophit, Elarios, and Mannon. As the beast sank back towards the ground it lashed out with its monstrous sword at Krius whose shield barely deflected the thundering attack.

Prophit sized up the lack of real damage that group of heroes was causing the elemental foe and that coupled with the amount of damage the creature was delivering knew the battle was not winnable and would lead to the demise of everyone in the fight. It was then that he knew something drastic was needed. Observing the beast he knew that its power could be siphoned from it if it could be forced to the ground. With that thought he dropped his hammer and launched himself at it. He grabbed the creature pulling it to the ground. As he did electrical energy coursed into his skull, through his chest, down his legs and into the ground. The plasma killed him instantly turning him into a pile of smoldering ash, broken chain mail, and dropped weapons on the ground.

The demonic creature had one last trick before it too was drained of its power. As its elemental life force was sucked from it, it released the last of its electrical energy in a blinding burst of light and heat that filled the room scorching everything and everyone in it. Krius, Mannon, and Elarios we knocked flat on the ground while Alton was picked up and thrown through the air, slammed against the cave wall and dropped in a smoking ruin. This final attack wasn't enough to kill, but left those that remained dazed, weakened, smoldering, and completely exhausted.

Once the fog of battle lifted Krius got up, only to slump down in the throne in the middle of the room. Exhaustion from battle, seeing a friend reduced to ash, and the quest for the demonic skull had taken its toll. The paladin got up, lit his trusty lantern and wandered down the cave to find a dark place to unroll his sleeping kit and pass out. Alton urged the others to do the same and they followed Krius into an abandoned portion of the cave, set up watch, ate what food they had, and slept what sleep they could get.

The night watch passed by uneventful for the most part. Eerie sounds, echos, the drip of water, rats, and what sounded like Abyssal being whispered was all that was heard. Alton, being the only one to understand the language of the Abyss knew full well what was being said. It was the demons skull taunting and offering power to those that would take it.

After a depressing "night" of rest everyone recollected themselves. Their reason for entering the cave remained. The skull, it had called to them in the night, yet it remained unfound. Knowing that the old lizard king and his witch doctor had escaped down a secret passage in the throne room the group returned there.

Soon Elarios' ever keen eyes found the hidden doorway, the group formed up ranks with Krius leading the way and followed a long smooth secret passage. Just into the darkness the group found evidence of a battle, weapon marks and lizard blood splashed against the walls. After a bit of investigation it was speculated that the old lizard king had slain the witch doctor at this spot, however, things seems a bit too clean...a mystery.

The group continued down the long passageway which eventually opened into a huge cavern. A narrow ledge ran along one side leading to a stone outcropping, at the foot of the ledge twenty to thirty feet below was a disgusting festering pit of slimes, oozes, and a barely visible transparent cube like abomination slithering and quivering around waiting for fresh flesh to dislove. A series of discs suspending by chains hanging from the cavern ceiling created a path to another stone outcropping on the other side of the cavern. And on that other outcropping...treasure, a huge chunk of amber, and a demonic five eyed skull.

The object of their quest in site, Mannon and Elarios removed their bulky armor and began leaping from precarious platform to platform narrowly avoiding a fall into the muck below. Soon both were safely across. Mannon began stuffing treasure into Alton's bag of holding while Elarios investigated the giant piece of amber more closely. Embedded within the amber was something not seen in the world for over a thousand years; a dragonborn warrior.

Mannon stuffed the demonic skull into the bag of holding, once the deed was complete the room gave a shudder and the amber around the dragonborn warrior began to melt. Wasting little time he began to recross the chasm with Elarios close behind him. As Mannon leapt from one platform to the next he miscalculated and landed in the slimy muck below just in time for a large gelatinous cube to bear down on him. A ghastly pseudopod shot out from the quivering mound of transparent goo paralyzing him.

His friends scrambled to help using ranged weaponry to distract the foul creature. Krius invoked the aid of his deity, a holy aura lifted the paralysis on Mannon and he quickly climbed a rope lowered by his friends and was safe for the moment.

The amber around the dragonborn warrior had completely melted by the time Elarios was half-way across the chasm. Unsure of what to make of the ancient creature, only knowing they were the noble scions of the ancient line of dragon kings the heroes urged the creature to cross the chasm and escape the cavern and its hideous collection of oozes, slims, and goo.

With the skull, which was issuing mental commands to Mannon, in their possession the group decided to make haste for the exit before the vile pit of slime overcame them...

The characters present:
* Alton/Morrainna (Absent ran by Jeff), drow wizard
* Mannon (Dave), halfling warlock/warlord
* Prophit (Jeff), human cleric
* Squire Krius (Matt), human paladin
* Elarios Amanodel (Guest player Witt), elf ranger

Rumors and clues gathered (this session):
* None this session

Treasure found (this session):
* +2 Thundering Fullbade (picked up by Krius)
* Random valuable non-magic treasure 750gp total (in Altons bag of holding)
* Potion of Healing (held by ?)
* Grave spawn potion (av pg 187)
* Level 1 anti-venom (av pg 25)
* Level 3 herbal poultice (av pg 28)
* Level 5 thunder stone (av pg 30)
* Gold, silver, copper coins total worth 220 gp

Foes/traps/tricks overcome (this session):
* Ascendant elemental lizardmen god-king
* Swinging platform challenge
* Slime pit monsters
* Retrieving demon skull quest bonus

Experience gained (this session):
480 each player