• Adaeril
• Kek
• Randimir
• Galeria
• Fandillas

• Adaeril is in Criss Antha, doing training. He finishes on the 11th.
• Maervahr SUCCESSFULLY CREATED THE FIRST MAGIC ITEM, a Scroll of Read Magic.
• Kek got 2287 xp from a few sessions ago. He now has 30,492 total.
• Randimir owes 5,079 gp for upkeep and his loan.
• Kek owes a lot of upkeep.
• Adaeril caught a Chronic, Mild Respiratory disease.

We are on another quest into the West Reach of Hollow and will once again travel to the site of the Reliquary of Gel'Sha'il. Inside is a sealed Demon who once lead a battalion of Demons into the area. The god, Cine, wants Gel'Sha'il released from service so that he can ascend to Olympus to become a DEMIGOD!

We had two previous expeditions and found the location of the big pit in the woods. We will stop in the Wistari village populated by Wood Elves whom we have gotten to know quite well.

• The Jump spell lets you get out of melee without being attacked with free attacks.
• Healing potions can be purchased in the village, but they only have one for sale at twice the gp value. There are no first level Cleric scrolls.

We arrive on midday of the second day. Horus, Fandillas's Hawk, spots two Trolls with a Tiger on a chain. They are lounging outside the moss covered cave. There was also an Ogre cave that was spotted in the area but we decide to bypass that cave for now. We have two more leads:

Troll Cave
Ogre Cave

It is uneventful the rest of the way to the location of the cave. Some new tracks are spotted and we see some new large bird like tracks. The tracks are very big and Galeria can identify them as multiple Hippogriffs residing here at this cave.

The Hippogriff training can be done by Kana, the Druid, but some interaction is required by the one who is to be paired. A Hippogriff egg is hatched over the course of a month or two months. After a few more months, they will be ready to ride.

We descend into the stones of the Reliquary and the inside chamber seems undisturbed.

We try to open the door and once we do, there is the sound of anguish and rage that comes from inside. The howls of hatred come from somewhere inside and then Kek howls back.

We head back to the center of the chamber and suddenly, three Dretches appear on the right side of the room.

Adaeril charges, Fandilas charges, Galeria uses her sling and Randimir casts Sleep. Kek also charges.

There is one hit for 11 damage by Fandilas and another Dretch is effected by Sleep. Kek strikes as well while Adaeril is attacked by all 3 attacks and he is struck for 15 damage.

In the next round, Adaeril casts Protection from Evil and it goes off. There is an attempt to gate in a Demon and Fandillas is hit for 12 damage. Adaeril hits for 6 damage. The Dretch attempts to attack Adaeril but cannot due to PROTECTION FROM EVIL and it Teleports away. We destroy the sleeping one.

Pepe does not notice anything as 10 minutes has passed after the fight. After which we head to the stairs, a short way away. We walk past the hallway with broken tables and broken chairs covered in cloths. There is darkness down the stairs which descend sharply into the earth. There is warm humid air coming from down below.

There are 24 turns in total on the Strength spell and Adaeril has 21 left.

We head down the stairs where a corridor branches to the right and continues ahead. To the right is a door. The stone floor becomes rocky ahead and is littered with dirt and rock. The corridor opens up to the outside and into a forest, where we see a growth of ferns, plants and trees.

Adaeril pulls out the Rod of Alertness and he senses Magic but no good or evil. He also detects Illusion. We spot several birds of many kinds that are native to the jungle environments and there are even some “big” birds. This biome is not found in the Hinterlands. Randimir attempts to disbelieve the illusion and everything fades away but the Rod's detection of illusion ability did not work here for some reason. Some of the dirt on the ground remains but the rest of the area is revealed to him as an illusion. The scent in the air changes to a cool air and we find ourselves in an underground grotto with a trickling of water.

We listen at the door (a roll of 1-3 for Adaeril). We do not hear anything.

Kek sees two big creatures move in the blackness beyond and he can hear thudding on the ground. Adaeril and Fandillas each cast Mirror Image. Adaeril gets 4 images.

Galeria calls up roots with an Entangle spell. The thudding is followed by some heavy, loud croaks by some Giant Frogs. They are non-intelligent and have half their normal hit dice.

Kek shoots 2 arrows. Actually he does not as the arrows would totally miss in the darkness where the Giant Frogs are concealed. Adaeril moves up as Fandillas move up as well. Randimir retrieves the lantern while Galeria pulls out a sling, Kek's cloak transforms into 20' long bat wings and he flaps the wings through the Stinking Cloud as Randimir's lantern illuminates a Giant Constrictor Snake head. It slithers slowly down the corridor, revealing the entire Snake. Eventually, the Stinking Cloud disperses into the grotto as our light reaches the 3 Frogs. Though they are poisonous and deadly, they are completely entangled and immobile. The Snake is also disabled.

There is an AC 5 to hit the Snake and the Mirror Image spells last for 8 rounds. The Giant Snake is assassinated along with one Frog since assassination rules are used for immobilized targets.

Fandillas charges up and sees the grotto and finds a sense of serenity here. With 20' of light, we look into the grotto and listen but we do not hear anything else. The greenery seems unusual with dense trees and everything else is gone. It is still kind of strange in here according to the Druid.

The area is too large to see the whole thing but this part of the iluminated grotto is beautiful. It is punctuated by a pond and a pool of water that is fed by openings in the back of the stone. The water babbles into the pool below.

The other Giant Frogs are all dead. Adaeril pulls out the Rod of Alertness to Detect Magic. The walls are covered in a natural moss and plants that grow out of the cracks. The ground is soft and feels as though we are walking on a cloud while the air is still, cool and refreshing,

The pond has a bottom that is 3-4 feet below and made of smooth stone which was maybe chiseled out intentionally. The water is clear but Adaeril uses Detect Magic on the pool. Kek dips a bat wing in but nothing happens.

Gel'Sha'il is known to be a a Cleric of Cine. The pool does not change at all when it is touched but Galeria notices a smooth round stone that is about the size of a palm and has begun to glow with a soft yellow light. It seems unusual and magic and glows steadily though not as bright as a Continual Light.

Kek drinks from the pool and it tastes pure and refreshing like from a natural spring. Galeria, the Druid, detects the pool to be pure and she speaks to the pond. The pond does not respond. Galeria gets the feeling that the Pond is an entity that has seen many millennia.

Adaeril uses the rod to check the stone which stops pulsing but then dissipates. He detects no magic but detects the power of good on the stone. Randimir grabs the stone and tries to commune.

We wonder if this is Gel'Sha'il's resting spot. The area emits a light from a stone on the opposite side, there is a rune on the opposite face of the stone that we have never seen before. It appears to be a rune against the outer planes or against evil. It would be impossible to manufacture except only by Clerics. Eventually the rune dissipates leaving only a black rune. We do not receive an answer from anyone else.

Randimir anoints the stone with some holy water and goes to submerge the stone in the pool. The stone floats down to the bottom of the pool. Randimir senses that there is some power tugging at home from some reliquary. It struggles to communicate. Fandillas and Adaeril drink the water from the pool but nothing happens.

We search through the room and it is apparent that the plants are sustained by magic. There are no secret doors or openings. Kek determines that the earth does not hold signs of a burial.

We head south and open the door which reveals a small chamber with some normal barrels, but the contents are few. There are also 4 spears and 4 longswords with some racks for bows. A single longbow hangs on the rack and there is a quiver with arrows falling out that show signs of rot. The back wall has a wooden table with a thin wooden box about the length of a foot wide. Kek draws the string and it snaps in two, the bow breaks. Using the Rod of Alertness, the only thing Adaeril can see is a faint minor magic from within the box.

Kek picks up the box which weighs about 50 coins with something moving around inside.

We open 3 doors and head back to the rubble strewn room. We move through the chamber where the ceiling has partially collapsed, we see the skeletons of Elves in the area below. There is a door in the wall and we can tell the skeletal figures are still wearing tattered robes and hold blades that are heavily rusted.

We listen at the door and then clear the rubble away to make the door accessible.

We push open the door and find a pantry, It is lined with shelves that are filled to the brim with dried herbs, alchemy supplies and numerous supplies for a holy shrine. There is overall about 3,000 pounds of equipment and all of it has value. We also find a wooden chest underneath the second row of shelves. The chest has a latch. We determine that 2/3 of the supplies could be used for alchemy. There are no seeds and there may have been some loose herbs that are now long gone.

At 7th level, a Magic-User can hire an alchemist lab and an alchemist to create potions. These supplies could be used for that alchemist lab.

Galeria finds the remnants of seeds and some husks in a jar. Some of the other jars contain powders for alchemy and have some value. Randimir judges that the chest does not move and weighs probably thousands of coins.

Adaeril detects a very faint magic from 3 small vials behind a clay pot. Whatever it is seem to be a very minor magic. We look at the vials and see some little bubbles form. There appears to only be a couple drops of liquid inside.

The chest weighs 6,700 coins.

Randimir casts Find Traps but finds no traps on either. Kek opens the tiny box and the two latches come off like they were nothing. Inside, he finds:

• A scroll of vellum,
• A crimson coral gem.
• A zircon.

Fandillas finds that the scroll contains unreadable magic runes on the vellum. Adaeril opens the chest which is unlocked and finds that it is piled high with thousands of silver coins. Randimir finds 6,500 sp in the chest

We camp out in the Grotto and sleep very peacefully, there are no encounters. We re-memorize spells and Fandillas uses Read Magic and finds that the vellum scroll is a Magic Treasure Map. The Grotto area was the location of the jungle, where we camped. We determine that the Treasure Map leads for many miles into a cave and is about 5 days of travel.

Fandillas is fully healed.

We go back to the room with the rubble and start removing more of the rubble. After 20 minutes, we clear out the rubble and buried beneath are four robed figures. On one of the finger bones is a golden ring and among the corpses are numerous broken wands made of bone, glass and wood. Two of the wooden wands have evidence of once having metal caps but they are long gone.

There is a powerful aura of magic coming from the gold ring. Fandillas puts on the ring but nothing happens.

• Magic Gold Ring.

We briefly discuss whether a safe wish could be made to remove the level cap based on race.

The party returns to rest once again at the grotto and to memorize four Protection from Evil spells before taking on the next challenge…

After our rest, we start heading back toward the chamber with the Demon that is held in the mirrored form.

We push open the door and we see the 9' tall Demon as it begins writhing and screaming. The sound tears throughout the reliquary as we gaze upon the Demon, with its 6 horns protruding from a goat-like head.

Adaeril casts Protection From Evil on himself and Randimir casts it on everyone else. Galeria casts barkskin.

The Demon is still held by the mercurial, mirrored arms and the glowing sword lies just out of reach of the Demon. The mirrored arms still have a strong grasp on the creature.

Kek approaches and the Demon tries to reach out for Kek but it is unable to touch him. The glowing blade lying on the ground does not respond as it did before…until suddenly, the sword calls out in Elvish, “Pick me up and destroy the mirror”. Adaeril attempts to Detect Evil.

Fandillas picks up the sword and immediately takes 7 damage from a powerful evil energy. He is instantly weakened when he grabs it. The sword calls out to strike down the mirror. The sword's drive is strong and it implores him to strike the mirror. Fandillas immediately throws the sword down and Adaeril kicks it out of the room.

At this point, the entire mirror shatters and fragments falls to the ground. Behind him, a soul or a spirt pours forth from the wall and goes through the stone. Fandilas does nothing to the Demon and it is now ENERGIZED. Fandillas and Kek are in melee.

Magic Missile is cast and all the Magic Missile spells are resisted. The Demon strikes out with its claws and is repelled by the Protection from Evil. Fandilas does 5 damage to it.

Suddenly, there is a great ball of hovering darkness, our vision is completely blocked at the door. Claws and teeth lash out but cannot strike any of us.

This is a large creature with AC -4. Pepe charges along with Adaeril. A beam strikes the guard dog and he flops around on the ground. Adaeril misses as the Demon rages. Fandilas does 10 damage.

Adaeril uses the Rod of Alertness to activate Prayer and the Animate Object effect. The Prayer will effect the objects too. Fandillas swings blindly as the others charge out of the darkness. Standing next to Kek, just outside the door is the Demon and now Galeria is floating perfectly still 20' up in the air.

Animated Bones are flung into the Demon and strike into its form, then burst into dust. Galeria falls downward and takes 18 damage. The Demon then stands up again and it is evident that it has taken numerous wounds.

Galeria's Barkskin and Protection from Evil spells expire so both Galeria and Randimir escape. Fandillas takes 3 and 9 damage for a total of 12. Then he takes 5 more damage, increasing the total to 17.

At Kek's plea, an unknown force answers his call and a sliver of a column of light expands to form a bright white column of light, cenetered around his body. The light encompasses also the Demon. It is a FLAME STRIKE that blasts down on both of them. The great Demon FAILS its save! The Flame Strike hits the Demon for 30 damage. Meanwhile, Kek is also blasted for 12 damage. This spell was cast by a Demigod Cleric!

THE DEMON IS OBLITERATED.

Randimir feels that Gel'Sha'il has ascended and within the ashes of his body is a pouch.

• 2 bloodstones.
• 5 topaz.
• 1 impressive topaz.

Kek can become a worshipper of Gel'Sha'il, the Demigod of Cine!

The Demon called BULROCK HAS BEEN SLAIN!