Fullfalling 1, 2321
As the Infiltrators prepare to enter the pillared hall, the sound of beautiful singing began within the hall.
Balan,
Elyot,
Crasokk, and
Virion, entranced by the music moved into the hall, unaware of any dangers.
Adrea also moved into the hall, but fully cognizant. The singing came from two harpies, awful, filthy creatures. One of the harpies grabbed Balan and deposited him in her nest, while the other did the same with Crasokk. A portcullis slammed down over the entrance to the hall, trapping the party in with the harpies.
While still singing, the harpies attacked Elyot and Virion, now that the other two were out of the way for a few moments. Adrea fought back, yelling at her companions to snap out of it. Once attacked, Elyot and Virion were freed from the enchantment and joined the fight. As the battle heated up, Balan snapped out of it, and then Crasokk. Balan used his misty step to reach the floor, while Crasokk grabbed his bow and chose to use the harpy nest as a platform. Without the enchantments' effect however, the harpies were no match for the party and soon fell.
As the combat with the harpies reached the end, a doorway in to the southwest opened, and six ghouls began to approach the party warily. Realizing the still wore the cultists' robes, the party ordered the ghouls to return to their lair, which several of them did until one screamed at the others, recognizing the ruse. However, the ruse was effective, by dividing the ghouls up into groups, they were quicky destroyed.
Searching for a way out of the hall, the party opened a door to the north, revealing another group of ghouls. The complex continued with a door in the west wall, to an abandoned chamber, with a door to the south. The southern room held two ghasts, ghoulish creatures whose rotting smell is able to incapacitate creatures near them. In the battle Virion and Adrea were temporarily paralyzed but even the ghasts fell without too much damage to the Infiltrators.
In the southern room the party found the lever to raise the portcullis, and were finally able to escape the area. Heading back to the intersection, they decided to continue west, the first corridor to their north looked promising, and Adrea saw some type to creature through a wide arrow slit at the end of the passage. As they approached the end of the corridor, with doors on the east and west walls, four large crossbow bolts shot out from the arrow slit, shooting through everyone in the hall, then heard the sound of a large crank being wound up through the slit, obviously preparing another barrage. Once they reached the north end, Balan opened the east door, while Adrea opened the west door, and chaos ensued.
Balan found himself facing six guardsmen with stone-like armor, while Adrea's room contained about a half-dozen gnolls and a bugbear. Having no choice but to split up, the party let Balan handle the guards as they took shots at the gnolls, Adrea called on her spirit guardians, while Elyot put her flaming sphere to good use. The gnolls started to fall, but Balan was in over his head. Soon the battle shifted to the eastern room while Balan defended himself.
As Balan began moving to a northeast corridor, he heard even more movement beyond, and chose to make a stand rather than turn the corner and possibly bring more creatures down on them. It was a vicious fight, and the Infiltrators were severely hurt. Adrea heard more sounds beyond a southern door in the gnoll room and in a fit of rage, she opened the door to kill more gnolls.
But these weren't traditional gnolls, they were gnolls trained as berserkers, and they pounced on Adrea, dropping her in only a few seconds. Not being as reckless with the larger group, the gnoll berserkers attacked. Virion rained blows on them, while Elyot attacked their minds. Crasokk pulled his shortswords out and stood toe to toe with the vicious creatures, side by side with Balan until he too fell under the berserkers' greataxes. Though the companions were all bloodied and near death, they finally felled the last berserker.
Healing Crasokk and Adrea, who had dropped in combat, they companions decided that a retreat was in order. Not taking the time to search the rooms or the corpses, they limped back to the cleared guard tower on the temple grounds. Knowing that eventually someone would notice the guards were not reporting in, they took the chance and decided to rest.
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