Games are on Thursday night sometime after 5:30PM at World's Best Comics, 9714 Warwick Blvd Newport News, Virginia 23601.

This time we had a hamburger and sausage pizza.

++++ START OF SESSION ++++

After a sudden influx of Experience Points due to a spreadsheet fix, we also ended raising NPC Gnomex a level. I placed it concurrent in the timeline from last week when the other characters raised up also.

One event occurred after training in that a old woman named Mother Screng, tried to set up her herb shop in town after a conspicuous absence during the towns internal troubles. She discovered her herb shop had been taken over by rebellious plants and she hired the party to clear it out for 500 gold.

Since the abandoned herb shop was across the street from the party's lair they easily took the job.

Jacko manipulated the door lifting the latch as it was apparently locked from inside. Aerys took the lead and successfully avoided a gas attack from Black Poppies and the clutching vines of a Yellow Musk Creeper. A quick fire got rid of them and they put it out shortly after (thus avoiding burning down the building).

The party took their 500 gold without asking the obvious question why a such a venerable herbalist couldn't control her own plants.

The party was later contacted by the town's Blacksmith, revealing him to be a Blackmoorian spy and he asked the party "When they would stop dickin' with the town's internal politics and get to the point of investigating the resurgent Evil Temple down the road? (The original mission they were sent there in the first place.) To keep you on track, we're assigning you this other rookie agent. Tanzen a Fae-Born* (first level) magic user.

* Fae-Born are the result of the last reincarnation of a Pixie Fairy to an Elven mother. Eventually when a Pixie Fairy dies after several short lives of 6 to 10 years, they reach their last eligible reincarnation. Thus the relatively long life of a Fae Born (12 to 20 years) sounds like a good idea. While they are a form of immaculate conception, they are usually shunned and the appearance of this one caused the Husband of this one's mother to abandon the family.

Meanwhile the Blacksmith explained that due to their fame in rescuing the town's Mayor may have bring undue attention from the Temple's minions in town who have been biding their time. My other spies (four Sprites and two Owls) report the way is clear to the Temple and now would be a good time to go.

Without further ado, the party sets off down the road the The Temple of Existential Evil.

The only encounter along the way were two dead Gully Dwarves that the party stripped of their armor and weapons. (Two short swords, one set of chain mail and one set of leather armor. The armor detected as magical.)

Making it to the Temple they walk past the overgrowth of the outer walls, ignore one broken lookout tower, and make one circuit around the building looking for secret entrances. The stained glass windows windows were too high and too small to enter (and probably had some form of protection anyway).

The Temple's outer description described various spooky similes and dark metaphors that we shall ignore for brevity.

Finding no secret or concealed entrances they head the what appeared to be the main entrance. It was a 60 foot square vestibule on each side were some single solid bronze double doors. The front had a set of 23 foot wide, 20 feet tall double doors bound by chains and glowing runes.

Like I said, spooky.

Each party member who got close had to make a saving throw. (I marked what appeared to be a free throw line on the map to show where they got close enough to make a throw.) Everyone failed except the new first level Magic User. Those that failed simply hated the door and had to turn away. (For the record, it was an antipathy spell.) If the party had any rotten eggs they would have thrown them at the door.

Our single magic user cast a Bash Door spell at it knocking it down. (Again looking at the text of the module, it was Wizard Locked requiring an 18 strength to break it. Oddly enough the lower level Bash Door spell emulates 25 strength, which makes me wonder if Wizard Lock is even a worthwhile spell anymore. I suppose it would still be good for a steel hatch.)

The spell broken the party entered the vestibule went past it and into the temple interior. A large open area with even more disturbing artwork on the walls, pillars, and stained glass windows. They reached another area of hidden demarkation and they all made more saving throws. Those not of Lawful Good alignment and failed took two 6-sided dice of damage could not pass any further. Those with Lawful Good alignment were not harmed. Either way pass or fail no one could pass. Players emulating of Marcel Marceau against an invisible wall would be a good visualization.

For the record and for Players doing their research, this was a Forbiddance spell. Magic Resistance does not apply. (The question was asked, and I had to look it up.)

The Player who owned Elefus had not been present for a long time and was asked offline about his participation. He decided to retire and decided to use a Word of Recall spell to go back to his lair. Oh and before charge 100 gold pieces per character to heal any damage before leaving. When the players were appraised of the situation they counter proposed the player isn't really there and can't retire and should be converted to an Non-Player Character (NPC).

I'm still undecided.

Anyway the Party decided to leave the Temple proper and go investigate hitherto ignored broken watch tower.

As they were leaving past the busted down doors of the vestibule they noticed in the near dusk sky an owl flying away back towards town in the distance. Before the party tried to shoot it down I reminded the Character of Tanzen that was one of his owl buddies.

How quickly they forget.

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

BT







BBBB

++++ CHARACTER ROSTER ++++

PART 2.

CHARACTERS (New players on top.)
Jacko, an Albino Dork Elf, a Probe (an Infiltrator, Thief subclass).
Blake, a human Creep (an Infiltrator, Thief subclass).
Vixine Numar, a human Sigil (a Chosen One, Cleric subclass).
Aerys, an Elvariel, a Larcenist (Thief class).
Count Elefus, a human Abbot of Heimdall (Cleric class).
Baronet Huang - a Master of the North Wind of the Stone Tiger Order, (Monk class).

NPCs:
Baronetess Honda - a Human Datai Samurai, Steward of Catan (formerly Temple of the Frog)
Gnomex, a Gnome Brother of Geardal Ironhand (Cleric class.)
Sum Dum Gai - Brother of the Winds (Monk, Fighter subclass).
Bang Mi - Sister of the Winds (Monk, Fighter subclass).
Sum Ting Wong - SheMale Brother/Sister of the Winds (Monk, fighter subclass).

MISSING or CAPTURED CHARACTERS (PCs or NPCs)
Gargoyle (Elefus henchperson, demoted from Sidekick, out of town on business, acting as courier to BlackMoor).
Numrendir - a human Conjurist (a Conjuror, Magic User subclass) - Gone off to BlackMoor to check his Investment Account.
Junkbot Jackson - a human Tracker/Adept (a Ranger, Fighter subclass and Cleric).
Gerry Castagere, human Fingersmith, (Thief class) and ever loving devotee of Elefus.
Fundisha - a half-Elf Swordsperson/Tout (Fighter and Infiltrator, a Thief subclass).
Sir Weasel, human Guild Soldier, Warlock, & Champion (Thief, Magic User, & Fighter classes) he stayed back in BlackMoor.
- and nine Pilgrim henchmen of various levels. (They wear hoodies.)
Slade Wilson - Dwarven Professional (a Bounty Hunter, Fighter subclass) Left behind at Catan.

BT







BBBB

++++ RECORD KEEPING ++++

PART 3.

This is also posted on two forums, and a blog:
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http://www.furiouslyeclectic.com/forum/ ... php?fid=13
http://furiouslyeclectic.com/hackmoor/