(G228 23/01/2015 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, Mira, Guru)

(G228 23/01/2015  via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, Mira, Guru)

DAY 227 (24th Marpenoth)(October) cont ...

We waited for the Enfeeblements to end, which was a matter of minutes, then went to the western most
door in the ruins and listened at it. A low moaning emanated from within.

Mira opened the door and we delved inside. There was a massive misshapen ogre type thing inside. It's
face was a black hole, a swirling void and its body was covered in screaming faces from which the
moans were coming.

Now, it was truly monstrous and horrifying and in all likelihood it meant us harm. However I usually
like to establish this for a fact first. However the forced cheery 'Hello there!' I was about to call
out died on my lips as Mira and Gurudor charged in for the attack. Sylvia shrugged her shoulders and
joined the fight.

Well, it was happy to fight us anyway, and I summoned my usual army of crocodiles to join the battle.
It had some sort of magic part to its attacks as those who were stuck by it were hit with a sense of
crushing despair. Gurudor reported later that he felt his whole soul being crushed by a tremendous
sense of misery. I think the crocodiles were hit with this too, but this did not stop them from fighting
the thing and besides, a miserable crocodile is largely indistinguishable from a joyful one.

We all crowded around the monster hitting at it and casting spells, while it lashed out at us. It definitely
had some sort of powerful magic on it as even the strongest blows did hardly anything. Mira was hit a dreadful
blow and sent flying. Gurudor used his paladin magic 'Lay On Hands' and she bounced back up and joined the
fight.

I cast Shadowblast on it, but this had no effect. It hardly seemed to notice anyone else and focused its
attacks on Mira, as if it couldn't stand the fact that she hadn't died on its first powerful attack on her.
At one point though I seemed to get in the way of it and it really caught me a good one. I was sent reeling
and moaning in pain I scuttled to Sylvia to get healed up.

There was an altar in the room and I jumped up onto it to blast it with Frost Breath. Still no effect! I
was just wasting my time on this thing, the only option I had was to poke at it with my scimitar which didn't
seem to bother it much at all.

We were really struggling to find a way of hurting the thing. Next Sylvia tried to Turn it twice with her
divine powers, but this did nothing. I guessed this thing was a construct and not undead, maybe some sort
of horrible golem.

In the end I think we just held it at bay long enough for Gurudor to get in some really powerful blows with
his two handed sword and eventually the thing was felled. The crocodiles did manage to knock it about a bit
as well, but it was mainly the paladin's sword that did for it in the end.

So, the 'Gloomgolem' finally dispatched we got our breath back and searched the chamber we were in. It was a
sort of altar room, and on it we found an emblem of Cyric (skull and sunburst). There were statues in each corner
shrouded in heavy drapes.

Mirabella had been badly affected by the fight, the blows that had hit her, although healed by Sylvia, had left
her cursed and disfigured. She had turned into a sort of hideous version of herself and when she went to get some
comfort from Badger, he growled at her and backed off.

We were all exhausted from the fight with the Gloomgolem and the previous nasties so a watch was posted and we got
some rest in this room. I rolled out the magic bedroll and took a nice long nap. It's always good to get a nice rest,
particularly for magic users, and I awoke some time later refreshed and revitalised. I truly thank the day I purchased the
magic bedroll, it doesn't matter where I am, I just kick the monster guts to one side, roll over to ignore the corpses
and snuggle in. Perfect repose guaranteed every time!

Before we left the chamber, Mira took a look at the statues. One was of a tall woman in robes and the other was of
a young nubile dancer. Behind the altar was a coffer full of treasure which we helped ourselves to. I also did a quick
sketch of the Gloomgolem and took a few tissue samples.

The later part of this day then, saw us continue the exploration of these ruins. After skulking round a few deserted
rooms we found our way down some dark outdoor steps to a closed door. Mirabella skulked around the exterior wall to try and
get a look in a window, but Gurudor blew our cover once more by walking up to the door and knocking loudly on it.
A voice from within asked, 'Who goes there?'
'Gurudor of Mystra!'
'What do you want?'
'I'm looking for the people kidnapped from Weyloon!'

Someone opened the door and looked out, a nasty looking character. The interior of the room he was in was well
appointed and there were two pale looking human warriors behind him with skulls emblazoned on their shields.
The man looked Gurudor up and down and said, 'Get lost! Go on, bugger off!' and made to close the door.
Gurudor stuck his foot in the doorway and the man drew his sword and stuck it in the foot.
Gurudor withdrew his foot and the door was closed and locked.

I'd been thinking about a tactic I might use in this sort of scenario so I smugly said to the others,
'Stand aside!' and turned into a rhinoceros. Much to my satisfaction (and luck, since I'd never tried this before)
I went through the door like it was a sheet of paper. It was worth it to see the expressions on the faces of the
men inside.
Mr B scuttled between my legs and bit at one of the men, but he had misjudged his victim as he was swatted aside
and landed in a bloody heap in the corner. The main nasty man was a caster of some kind as he summoned a bunch of
odd looking small fire breathing beasties which were extremely annoying.

Gurudor was next into the room and Mira entered from another door around the back. Sylvia came in and healed up Mr
B nicely. Mira had snuck round them, but the caster hit her with a spell that made her stand and babble for over
a minute. This was tragic, loosing one of our party for so long in the melee and it really turned the tide
against us.

I was finding that, being such a large creature I was a very easy target. The caster hit me with flames and then
some sort of disease spell. I roared and snorted and killed him with my horn. But some other spell landed on me
and I slipped into unconsciousness, my last thoughts being... there must be another .. invisible.. caster in the
room...