Session Report 28

General Summary

The end of the Gauntlet was finally in sight for the Muskrats. 
The Muskrats departed from the Tribute Chamber and proceeded to the lair of Thelnarlus and Rhaztus, the Ettin Guardian of the Gauntlet. Over the next seven days the Muskrats would find themselves braving the harsh conditions of the subterranean tunnel. Extreme heat and cold began to assault the party. Cambio and Shade found themselves succumbing to the harsh conditions causing them to lag behind the party. After the extreme temperature shifts, the Muskrats found themselves faced with the task of scaling a sixty foot cliff. Through the magical prowess of Itzal and the sheer brawn of Sauvek, the party successfully scaled the cliff. The final challenge before facing Thelnarlus and Rhaztus was a fifty foot across crevice, that stretched nearly sixty feet down into a massive pile of bones. The crossing of the crevice was uneventful except for the perilous fall of Tev. He was nearly to the top when his sweaty palms lost grip of the rope causing him to plummet into the bones. He immediately fell asleep on impact and his new friends theorized that perhaps he had died. 
With the party fully across the crevice, they approached the entrance to the lair of Thelnarlus and Rhaztus. A massive stone door with the carving of two Giants blocked the path. Sauvek, never fearful of a challenge, approached the door and gently pushed it open to reveal a tunnel of heat and cold. The ground was covered in frost, while steam accumulated at the ceiling and water dripped to the ground only to freeze again. 
As the Muskrats moved further into the tunnel, they emerged in a large cavern with pits of lava breaking up frozen platforms of land. On the opposite side of the cavern, a massive two headed Ettin stood waiting. Immediately, the two personalities of the Ettin, Thelnarlus and Rhaztus, started to argue and challenge Sauvek to a battle. Sauvek choosing to stay mute ignored their words and instead charged forward. The two personalities fought for control of the body, and Thelnarlus, the descendant of the Frost Giants, gained control. Frost and ice stretched across his body, and two massive shields of ice formed around his arms. He raised Elduris, the legendary axe that they wield, and the axe begin to pulse with cold energy as the blade turned to ice. 
Sauvek was met with an enemy who towered over him, but his magical tattoos, those that foretell of a grand prophecy, stretched across his body and unleashed untapped magical energy. This energy welled up inside of Sauvek and spilled out causing him to grow in size and match that of Thelnarlus. Despite the increase in size and power, Sauvek was unable to match the power of Thelnarlus, and quickly found himself succumbing to the incredible might of the Ettin. Through a stroke of ingenuity, Itzal cast polymorph to transform Sauvek into a T-Rex. This was futile however, as it only delayed the brutal destruction of Sauvek. As the T-Rex transformation was reaching its end, Thelnarlus lost control and Rhaztus took control. 
With Rhaztus in control, fire began to burst from his body and two shield formed of hardened magma formed, lava and flames still erupting through cracks. Eyeing an opportunity, Rhaztus charged knocking the transformed Sauvek into lava and almost certain death. Sauvek's trusty friend Itzal, who had saved him once, would save him yet again. In a daring maneuver, Itzal teleported and then bending the dimensional space transported both him and Sauvek from the dangers of the molten lava to safety. With the sudden disappearance of the frontline, the unsuspecting Tev was now the next target of Rhaztus. A sudden tremor rocked the cavern, sending Tev falling to the ground. Seeing him fall, Rhaztus knew he had an opportunity. Raising his shield he charged. Flames and lava began to burst forward from the shield and Rhaztus charged, trampling Tev in a fury of flames. The new addition to the Muskrats nearly died. 
Rhaztus continued to charge nearly killing Tev. He would meet his match however, when Kelgac unleashed a burst of necrotic energy that dropped the deadly Ettin to the ground in a pool of his blood and vomit. The Muskrats had once again survived what seemed to be certain death. Finally, leaving the Gauntlet, the party discovered the truth of the Gauntlet. A hidden city of Giants awaited them on the other side.

Report Date

22 Sep 2021