This session we had a large house combo pizza, sans pepperoni.

Games are on Tuesdays sometime after 5PM at World's Best Comics, 9714 Warwick Blvd Newport News, Virginia 23601. For purposes of this message, that means 9 December, 2014.

++++ START OF SESSION ++++

We acquired a new Player and using the expediency of last week I simply declared that Numrendir had summoned an extra character beside's Daniella, since not much else was accomplished and no one in the Spell Caster's Union would notice the discrepancy. The fighter Bane was drawn out of retirement.

Last week we had left Huang's body possessed by a Shadow Demon and Huang's soul was now entrapped in the old Shadow Demon's form. Huang's body was down due to a Threshhold of Pain failure so he was immobilized. We spent an hour long debate (over pizza) on how to get this undone. Still unresolved, we skipped this decision to the end of the session, were we determined there were three ways: 1) Cast out the Demon from Huang's body then perform a Dispel Magic on the Shadow form, which would send Huang's soul back into his body; 2) Find a Magic User with several Magic Jar spells to play the old shell game and bubble-sort the souls; or 3) Wait a week and let Huang make the attempt himself when his new power as a Shadow Demon gets recharged.

Approaching Huang's body and Huang in Shadow Demon form, Elefus our Lawful GOOD Deacon of Heimdall sees Huang's body lying on the ground with the EVIL presence of a Shadow Demon hovering over it. Elefus of course senses the Shadow's "evil" presence, and steps forward to attack with his Mace of Disruption. A hit thereof would destroy Huang forever. Huang as a Shadow Demon retreated into the wooded section of this maze where Elefus could not follow.

Elefus now alone, decided pack Huang's things in his Bag of Holding and carry Huang's body back to the party.

GM's note: Although I can't explain why Elefus didn't use his curative powers immediately on Huang's possessed body. As everyone present knew, healing Huang's body would bring him back in an active state. So it would be better to keep Huang in immobile and in pain. My suspicion is the Player was acting with out of character knowledge which would be loss of Honor points.

So carrying Huan'g down the path he encounters Honda's unconscious body on the ground.

GM's note: If you recall last session, Honda landed on Heel Borers and brought herself down to zero hit points pulling them out. She would thus be unconscious.

Elefus is now compelled by his good nature to heal both Huang and Honda.

Before that happened, one of the characters yells out that Huang was possessed in the hope that Elefus would hear before casting a heal spell.

GM's note: Again one would think this was another act of out of character knowledge, because whoever yelled it out had no line of sight around the corner of the forested path and could not have known what Elefus was about to do, if anything.

Elefus now knowing with Huang's status, ties him up, THEN heals Huang and Honda.

For the remainder of the game, the party battled three monsters in different parts of the area, a Stump Horror, a Medusa and the Heel Borers.

++++ THE MEDUSA ++++

I'll begin with Weasel versus the Medusa. Weasel had wandered off by himself and encountered what appeared to be a old woman in a hooded robe tending her tomatoes in a garden. Of course this turned out to be the Medusa who threw her hoodie off. Consistently making his saving throws NOT to meet the Medusa's gaze, Weasel fired his Model S3 Blaster Pistol a total of three times.

Honda now recently healed, heard the shots and headed in that direction bounding through the tomato plants, he found himself entangled by the vines and it took a round to free herself. In any case Honda was able to strike a few blows on the Medusa from behind.

The killing blow however, came from Huang the Shadow demon, who was still able to make three attacks in this state and not be affected by the Medusa's gaze.

++++ THE STUMP HORROR ++++

A Stump Horror is a conglomerate creature of three parts. Part one, an imitation of a small bunny, has only two hit points but is merely a lure to attract prey. Part two are its faux roots, which entangle and draw prey to its center to be consumed. Part three is the stump itself which is mostly a giant maw consume flesh.

Special Ed easily killed the bunny, but became entangled and drawn towards the central Stump by the roots. Daniella and Bane did what they could. Daniella mostly using bow and arrow, the first one missed and hit Bane, the second one hit the Stump, and the third was lit on fire but missed and entered the woods. Numrendir summoned four Large Whip Scorpions, Honda showed up near the end after finishing with the Medusa. But it was not destroyed Special Ed was chewed up and eaten alive.

Meanwhile the forest path was now on fire.

++++ THE HEEL BORERS ++++

Seeing as more fire couldn't be any worse, Elefus simply cast a Flame Strike spell on the location of the Heel Borers in the path and fried them all.

++++ CLEAN UP ++++

While the party was occupied for several rounds with the Stump Horror, Weasel and Kmaregh met up in an unoccupied portion of the path and discussed options. Kmaregh made a deal with the GM, he would turn in four Player cards in return for NOT having the temporary Wuss of Heart flaw, in return he would pick a GM's card at that would be randomly played on another player sometime during the session.

Then Kmaregh and Weasel then went down the only unexplored path and found an iron spiral staircase going up that emerged on a stone landing at one end of a sea of fire. Away from the landing were two narrow winding paths of stone leading to another stair case at the far end, guarded by a Fire Giant.

Going back down they met the rest of the party recuperating from the Stump Horror near the remains of the tomato garden and the dead Medusa. They noticed a not so well hidden small chest half buried in the vines they retrieved it and found a small treasure within. A few gems, three potions (which were drunk), and a magazine of "Hunk Fighters" issue #42.

It turned out two of the potions were Extra Healing and were drunk by party members that sorely needed it. Kmaregh drank the third potion, the party never found out what it was but it tasted like very good water.

Regarding restoring Huang back to his body, they decided they would try solution number one by casting out the Demon from Huang's body then casting Dispel Magic on Huang (in Shadow Demon form) which should theoretically return Huang's soul to his body.

Unfortunately after performing a character inventory nobody had any Dispel Magic spells.

Looks like Huang will have to wait.

Elefus of course healed all survivors who had damage remaining. Krazzek who was raised from the dead last session was still exhausted from the ordeal but a rules check determined he only needed either a day of rest or healing so he chose the latter instead of being carried around. The party is still carrying Slims dead body waiting for Elefus's Raise Dead and Neutralize Poison spells to be renewed at midnight.

Elefus then said a few words for the dearly departed Special_Ed Then followed by a certain shadow, they all went up the stairs away from the smoke and flames of the rapidly growing forest fire to the stone landing at the sea of fire.

Well at least it was a clean burning fire and there wasn't any smoke.

Per the deal with Kmaregh, at the end the session I had one last chance to play the GM card on the random character. It turned out the Fire Giant at the far end of the sea (160 feet away) threw a boulder and hit Daniella in the chest with a called shot. She survived the damage and was lucky enough not to have been pushed into the fire (nor down the stairs) with the force of the hit.

The party is now looking at two narrow paths amidst the sea of fire and the expectation is they'll be dodging boulders thrown by this Fire Giant.


++++ OUT OF CHEESE ERROR ++++

BT







BBBB

++++ CHARACTER ROSTER ++++

PLAYERS

Count Elefus, Human Male Deacon
Sir Weasel, Human Guild Soldier, Enchanter, & Myrmidon
Sir Kmaregh Dismal, Human Evoker
Sir Huang - Shadow Demon
Dame Honda - Human Samurai Bushi
Numrendir - Human Coercer
Krazzek Thunderkeg - Dwarf Tracker
Special Ed - A Human Risk Mage (now deceased)
Daniella Lia Xiloscent - Half Elf Apprentice (Thief)
Bane - Human Hero (Fighter)


NPCs:

Slim, an Elf Presdigitator/Apprentice. (deceased, pending a raise dead spell)


MISSING CHARACTERS (captured)

Junkbot Jackson - Tracker/Adept
Gerry Castagere, Human Fingersmith, and ever loving devotee of Elefus
Fundisha - Half-Elf Swordsperson