Game Session Recaps

[frenzied67]

Highlights of Episode One Hundred Eleven
Draman 16th CE 1032

Flinging himself at first one target, then another, Enkili slew the shrouded spirit currently assaulting Routhetor before darting to the next nearest and finishing it off. He then took up a warding position just north of Leiya, after wondering aloud that it seemed that magic and magic weapons seemed to effect these creatures more than mundane equipment seemed to. Finding a couple of these shrouded not-undead creatures lined up to the east, Jolrael hit them with an Aganazaar's Scorcher. Despite the Mandagan's statement, the spell seemed half as effective as it should have been.

Twang, twang! Blaylocke launched two missiles at a shadowy figure, one hit but did not drop it's target. The bard then hit Grynn with a Healing Word. Wailing piteously, a sound that seemed to come from underwater, one of the spirits closed with Grynn, but before it cold latch onto him, the priest's Spiritual Guardians consumed it in a dissipating charcoal cloud. Dispersing the waning cloud when he moved through it, Grynn took a few steps south, hurling a Guiding Bolt at a new apparition; destroying it utterly.

Aiming at a new foe from the south east, Grayhill watched two of his arrows pass to either side of his target. His Elven was possibly very colorful at that moment. Leiya dropped a Sacred Flame on a newcomer, but her spell did not finish it off. An enemy coming from the northern wood line was met by Routhetor. Though the guide chopped mightily, the wounds his hand ax left were not especially detrimental. The guide then suffered a return attack and was drained further. Though the priest could restore the physical damage the guide suffered, Grynn's Cure Wounds spell could not restore the drained strength.

Grynn moved his Spiritual Weapon up next to himself. From the south east and north west the third and fourth waves of shrouded spirits began to arrived. Gamely, the Angierthan Guide tried his weapon on another of these distraught sounding enemies. Again, his hand ax barely injured it. Not seeing an escape route, Enkili told everyone to collect around the clerics, seeing their twin Spiritual Guardian spells as the instruments of their salvation. At the same moment, Blaylocke disengaged from the shrouded spirits who had closed on him. That same knot of tormented souls was graced with the bard's Confusion spell.

Routhetor hit once again with the same effect as before. Grayhill also withdrew back into the shelter of the divine spells following Blaylocke's example. Even more of the unnatural creatures arrived. Seeing Routhetor at the edge of Leiya's Spiritual Guardians spell, Enkili dragged the man a few steps back for his safety, he then moved south to guard Grynn. Finding a line of shrouded spirits nearby, Jolrael upcast his Aganazaar's Scorcher. Though they burned, he did not kill a single one of the three. The sorcerer fell back into the overlapping Guardian cloud.

After moving to ensure all her people were covered by her Guardians spell, Leiya dropped another Sacred Flame on a nearby enemy. An inner malevolence seemed to thwart the cantrip. Enkili could see eighteen enemies from his position, but the sounds he heard told him there were more concealed in the foliage. Grynn's thrown Guiding Bolt hit like a dart thrown at a balloon; wisps of vapor spreading and settling where the spirit had popped. Since the encircling shrouded spirits seemed to hesitate from closing in on the group, Jolrael dashed out and changed his Aganazaar's Scorcher into a thunder spell. Even as he was lifted and moved back by the winds of his Tempestuous Magic, the sorcerer could see that his thunder was resisted like his cold and fire based magics had been.

A few more of their enemies arrived, but declined to close on the surrounded mortals. A Sacred Flame from Leiya killed a western opponent, but her Spiritual Weapon injured but did not drop the one she attacked with it. She then moved east a bit, encompassing several shrouded spirits with her Spiritual Guardian's field. First one shrouded spirit began to chant, then another, then another after that. The air began to pulse rapidly in an alarmingly unnatural manner.

Darting out of cover, Enkili slew one northern spirit, then darted back into safety. Seeing so many of the shrouded spirits clumped to the east, Blaylocke broke out his little used Conjure Volley spell. he slew close to half of their attackers (8). He sped an arrow at the lone shrouded spirit that had survived the magic, killing it before it could congratulate itself for surviving the massacre. More started to chant, the air thickening with vibration. Grayhill struck the eye socket of one shrouded spirit (critical) but missed with the second arrow.

More chanters joined those already calling forth. A hurled dagger from Routhetor hit a spirit, though it did not end it's threat. Two arrows from Blaylocke did finish one of the few enemies left. Now all the shrouded spirits were chanting, and the air pulsed with the menacing sound. Grynn figured out that they were in the midst of a summoning ritual. Clued in by her fellow cleric, Leiya tried to fathom their enemies plan, but though she dredged her mind, she could not discern what was afoot.

Hoping his effort would break the spell the enemy was weaving, Enkili charged the nearest mass of four shrouded spirits. He was only able to reach and kill two of them; it did not stop the sound that was creating a rift between planes. Jolrael followed the fighter and hurled twinned Firebolts at two more enemies, harming but not stopping them. He then darted back. The chant stopped.

From the west a hungry cry of lamentation sullied the air. Utter misery emanated from the big voice. Moving out of the brush so he could keep track of Enkili, Grynn killed one of the nearby shrouded spirits with a Sacred Flame. Exuding an air of satisfaction, the shrouded spirits dropped back from the party assuming the attitude of spectators at a boxing match. Asking if they should run, Enkili waited for several seconds for an answer. When no one replied, the fighter pelted west and killed the lone shrouded spirit lounging near a crumbling wall.

Killing another spirit with a Guiding Bolt, Leiya then moved west possibly to see what big creature had been summoned into their world. Impossibly heavy footsteps vibrate the ground, a thirty foot tall figure with a twisted deer head on a humanoid body waded literally through the trees. Raising a finger with knuckles enlarged by emaciation, the thing pointed at Routhetor. The Angierthan paled as life's vitality was pulled from his body. The attack so unnerved the man that he remained in place rooted by fear and horror.

Blaylock had tried to Counterspell the giant misanthrope, but found out too late that it was not a magic effect it was using. He then touched Routhetor with a Healing Word. The magic restored some health but did not remove the terror and paralysis. The Dwarf then tried to lift the man and carry him away, but could not get a proper purchase on the Human. Breaking to the east, Grayhill skirted around the last visible shrouded spirit and dashed away, everyone was saying the same thing. "Run!"

Hitting the shrouded spirit with a Firebolt before running, Jolrael also had to move around it as he ran; vexed that it yet lived. A dark aura manifested around the disconcerting giant, an ill looking stain on reality. It advanced on the party. Blaylocke finally broke through to Routhetor, and after seeing the man was truly anchored in the here-and-now, he dashed away with the speed of his Haste spell. He disappeared around an eastern building bending his steps back to the south. Grayhill followed in the bard's wake like a leaf caught up in the speedster's draft.

A second too late, Leiya called out for everyone to close around Grynn. The Halforc had their means for all of them to magically escape. Heeding her own advice she closed on Grynn then cast an enhanced (upcast) Cure Wounds on Routhetor; the man remained wan and sickly looking. Knowing that it would take several seconds for everyone to gather around his person, Grynn protected himself with a Deathward spell. Enkili and Jolrael, from the west and east (respectively), collected around Grynn. A few moments later Blaylocke sped back around the corner, pushing himself to rejoin his crew.

Their Elven guide, Grayhill, also came around the corner, but though he strove mightily, he could not reach the party. Closing on them the Giant looked like it would beat the guide. Grynn had to start his Word of Recall spell. As Jolrael's Firebolt hit and slew the last shrouded spirit, Leiya began to pray for a Miracle that Grayhill would be caught up in the transportation magic with them....

*It is a sad day when doughty heroes have to flee an evil adversary, but that is exactly what is happening. We won't know what will happen until next Sunday, August 17th. Until then, we hope all of you have a grand week. Again we had to play without both Ghosttusk and Ramsay Symara, I hope their weekend rocked despite missing the game.