From the door leaving Zyrxog's disturbing museum, the group made their down a curving hallway that sloped downward as they went. The wall of the hall was painted with a long frieze, depicting mind flayers marching across the surface world, the sky a torrent of unbroken storms completely blocking Pelor's light. A myriad of races bowed in subjugation to the tentacle-faced monsters.
The ramp finally opened up into a huge, round chamber, the ceiling easily eighty feet high. Opposite the entrance, an octagonal stone of jet-black rose, its forward surface etched with sinister runes of glowing green. Before the column was a still pool of green liquid, the reflection from the columns glow casting the room in a disturbing, otherworldly light. Floating above the pool on its own power was Zyrxog. The four tentacles curled and wrathed with a mind of their own as the illithid looked down upon them. Its alien voice filled their heads.
-Fools. You dare to enter my sanctum? I shall finish what Telakin could not. Your minds will be a sumptuous feast, your terror a pleasing garnish-
The air seemed to ripple as Zyrxog unleashed a mind blast. More octopins, hidden on the walls, charged down into the group. Ardynn wove a spell of flying and touched it to Bolero. The paladin took to the air, drawing the new sword as he advanced. Zyrxog rose higher to keep out of the Shadowstriker's reach, blasting the group with a bolt of lightning channeled through its twisted metal rod. Ash and Rowdy charged into the octopins below.
The illithid could not avoid the paladin for long. Even as he called on Pelor to smite the evil, alien sorcerer, the magic of the greatsword enveloped him, sending him into a battlefury worthy of a Tiger Nomad. Zyrxog chucked, then squealed as Bolero crashed through its defensive magics to cut a searing strike through its robes, taking flesh with it. Two battles raged in the chamber, the rest of the group battling Zryxog's creations while Bolero, in a blind fury, hacked at their master above. Spells thunders across the floor and ceiling and mighty blows were struck. When the beasts below had been destroyed, Ardynn transformed into a panther and began to float up into the fray to help Bolero. Zyrxog noted her arrival and spoke in Bolero's head.
-I leave your friends to you, paladin. I will return to pick at what is left-
Zyrxog vanish once again, leaving the seething paladin without a target. Seeing the battle over, Arynn quickly released her levitation spell and dropped back to the floor below. Bolero calmed down, the sword's magic leaving him, but so too left the vigor the rage had bestowed, and he succumbed to his previously unnoticed wounds, dropping from the air like a stone to splash into the green pool below. Ash quickly grabbed for him. They notice the pool was full of small tadpole-like creatures that began to swarm towards the bleeding, scorched, and unconscious paladin, and quickly pulled him out. While Snuffy tended to Bolero, Ash recovered the sword. They had seen the paladin's rage, and judging from the nature of everything from the museum, Ash suspected the magic was not without its drawbacks, and quietly slipped it into the bag of holding before Bolero woke up.
Arydnn, still a panther, found a door next to the dark stone column, and went in. Beyond was the private chamber of the mind flayer. They found a chest full of assorted gems and coins and two shelves full of books on the Free City, covering a wide variety of subjects. They also found a large book of ledgers, some of it written in undercommon. The ledger contained Zyrxog's business transactions within the city.
Bolero woke up winded from the battle, and concerned for his missing sword. No one volunteered its location.
The group noticed a balcony halfway up the rooms wall, and climbed up, discovering another pool of green liquid. This pool was a devise for scrying. It took some effort, but they managed to demolish it, not wanting the mind flayer to have use of it when it returned. They also made sure to destroy the tabpoles, which they figured to be an early form of illithid, and the pool they nested in. At the bottom of the pool, they found Zyrxog's metal staff. Knowing it empowered magic spells, the group deemed Ardynn would use it best.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Early in the spring of common year 595, in the month of Readying, four adventurers have been thrust together by old ties and happenstance, or perhaps Fate itself, as the turn of an Age comes to an end and another rests just beyond the horizon. Will their simple quest to aid a young man with an unfortunate debt turn into something more? An outcast druid, a wandering monk, a questing paladin, and a dwarf vagabond-priest; an unlikely group stands together as great evil begins to writhe just beneath the surface of the world...
Campaign Homepage
Links
Early in the spring of common year 595, in the month of Readying, four adventurers have been thrust together by old ties and happenstance, or perhaps Fate itself, as the turn of an Age comes to an end and another rests just beyond the horizon. Will their simple quest to aid a young man with an unfortunate debt turn into something more? An outcast druid, a wandering monk, a questing paladin, and a dwarf vagabond-priest; an unlikely group stands together as great evil begins to writhe just beneath the surface of the world...