Fall of the Lesser Temples Report

General Summary

Hearthseek 26, 2322

2022-09-07

Back at the Temple after a month's hiatus, the Venatore first made their way down to the Fire Temple. Finding the fire pit still magically aflame, Elyot magically collapsed the stone basin, then levitated the iron chest. Balan pushed the chest to the side and they set it down. The lock was no trouble for Rudy to pick. The chest contained magical treasures useful against fire and fire creatures.
From there, they headed back to the main hall and breached the bronze doors across from the Fire Temple approach. These doors displayed a gray square symbol prominently, which seemed to suggest the Air Temple. Rostam called on his patron and began flying about the room while the rest stepped down the steep stairways and began searching.
Four doors led out of the temple. The two side doors on the east and west. Opening the west door they found it led into another processional corridor like the east door. The southern door looked similar to the others, but the northern door was chained and magically sealed. The room was filled with a misty gray radiance, providing a dim and eerie glow to everything. Two crystal knives and a ceremonial blood-encrusted bowl lay on the altar.
As they searched, a secret side room opened and out flew two air elementals bound in what looked like plate mail pieces. While they got some hits in with their lightning-charged weapons. The two guardians were no match for the companions. The passage they came out of held some of the books Elyot had been looking for as well as a magical censer.
Taking time to prepare for the water temple Elyot gave all of the Venatore the ability to breath underwater, while Adrea cast a spell allowing them to walk atop the water and not sink in. The gargoyles they had previously seen in the four corners of the temple leapt from their pedestals to attack, while the strange fountain to the south turned into a blob-like water elemental creature. Crasokk was able to shoot the gargoyles from outside the temple doors, again unwilling to enter the elemental temple. Soon the guardian creatures were destroyed.
Rostam than sunk down into the water and started scooping out the treasures in the shallow pool near the main altar. When Elyot began to help with mage hand, Rostam grunted, "We'll that's much easier." and did the same.
As they pulled aside the curtain to the inner chambers, they saw a great snake-like water creature emerge from the pool beyond just as the waters of the outer temple rose in a tidal wave. The high priest of the water temple, Belsornig, stayed close to the gigantic water weird while casting spells at the companions, backed up by his two underpriests. One of the underpriests managed to magically paralyze Rudy, while the other fired magic missiles at the companions. When Elyot countered the next spell Belsornig cast, he fled through a secret door, leaving the companions to mop up his underlings and the water weird.
Just as they were finishing off the others, Belsornig reappeared and from his chambers cast a storm of ice, injuring Adrea and Balan while the remaining underpriest was able to use the water wierd's pool to summon another tidal wave. Just as quickly, the battle turned. Soon Belsornig was the only one left, and a lance of psychic energy from Elyot severely limited his choices of actions. He cast one last spell and dissolved into the water of the outer temple.
Unfortunately for him, Crasokk had marked him and was able to keep track of his whereabouts, even in his watery form. After playing cat-and-mouse for a bit, Elyot stuck her hands underwater and angled a cone of intense cold towards his location. His watery form evaporated as his body became encased in ice.

2022-09-21

It took a while to free Belsornig's body from the ice, and during that time, the companions began searching all of the rooms of the water temple complex. Searching through the chambers uncovered the rest of the planar tomes Elyot had been asked to recover along with magical and mundane treasures.
Moving to the rooms formerly occupied by the air temple forces, the Venatore decided to take a few minutes to rest before moving on. The dungeon was fairly quiet, with only the usual background noises which never truly seemed to go away. They realized that they had so far avoided the northeast area of the level.
The northeast areas proved to be disappointingly safe. Mainly consisting of storerooms. One corridor led to a midden heap, where a huge tentacled creature spoke in their minds. Adrea took the lead, and the creature failed to get past her defenses. Rostam cast a blight on the creature and got close enough to be dragged in, but the creature soon fell. Rostam recovered a bronze-bound box, while a few other dug through the refuse and found some coinage. Elyot was quick with her cleansing cantrips, trying to get all of the stink, etc. off of her companions, and the items they retrieved.
North of the midden heap was a mystery. A complex of rooms, definitely recently inhabited, had been deserted. The smell of fur reminded a few of the companions of the bugbears they had frequently encountered in the temple, but nothing definitive as found. Searching for clues, the Venatore realized that this wasn't a quick exit. Whoever, or whatever inhabited this area took the time to take everything they owned.
Knowing their path now took them deeper, the companions had a dilemma. The hydra was still chained near the ramp from the first level. Determining that they couldn't control it, they ended up putting it out of its misery from afar.

Deeper Into the Dungeon

Heading down a small side passage, the Venatore reached the third depth of the dungeon. Coming out into a soil-filled mushroom farm, they were surprised by a feminine voice telling them to not touch the fungi, for some were dangerous. A beautiful woman and her armored guardian approached the party and began to speak with them. Balan thought she was the most beautiful human he had ever spoken with and so caring. When the companions started attacking her, Balan tried to interpose himself between the two, confused on to how to deal with the situation.
She had given her name, but when Elyot attacked with her psychic lance, the name proved false. They the woman changed form, her lower body stretching to become lion-like. She attempted a spell which was countered by Elyot. Severely hurt, she tried to flee but was soon slain, as was her confused armored guard a few seconds later.
Gathering up the treasures she wore, the party stopped for a minute to decide their next step.

Campaign

Trouble in Hillsboro

Protagonists

Crasokk

Rostam Qajar

Balan

Rudy

Adrea Ravensworn

Elyot

Report Date

25 Sep 2022