Conquest of the Temple

The Vast

Slowly moving from sector to sector the adventurers cleanse any remaining enemies to ensure that nothing will fall them in the rear before they enter the evil temple at the farthest end of the valley.

An animated swarm of skeletal rats are swiftly destroyed though the use of a fireball but except for that there is hardly any trouble.

They encounter a female orc who's remained behind to loot the leftovers of her slain of evicted tribe mates. She is seen off with a sack of copper coins and told to stay away from wicked deeds in the future.

In the deepest parts of the orc caverns the heroes free a captive merchant, his wife, his guards, a mercenary barbarian and a bugbear shaman. The latter had been imprisoned for opposing the cult of Orcus. The shaman himself being a worshiper of Hruggek was slated for sacrifice.

The barbarian, Vladimir, and Grizlock the bugbear shaman equip themselves with weapons and armour from fallen orcs and side with the heroes. The merchant and his guards set up a camp and keep an eye out for further troubles.

Eventually the assembled adventurers and associates set put and cautiously move into the evil underground temple.

From the north a host of skeletons and zombies come forth and leaving Legolars to cover the southern flank they heroes clash with the shambling undead who are bolstered by the evil nature of the place.

Despite the turning of undead by Rista, the majority of the undead must be destroyed in close combat.

While still in the ending stages of the fight against the living dead a warning shout from legolars rings out as the elf sentry finds himself facing a fiendish tiger! Although injuring the horrid feline badly it nevertheless manages to maul Legolars badly before it is slain by the combined effort of Grizlock and Legolars.

Taking a short break to destroy an evil chapel from whence the undead came our intrepid protagonists advance deeper into the tunnels.

Rista and Jaden stop to sanctify yet another evil place of worship when they suddenly hear Grizlock shout a battle cry. Seeing the bugbear fighting some evil cultists and seemingly having the matter well in hand the adventurers are not very much worried at first but when suddenly the shaman is struck down by a priest wearing the colours of vile Orcus!

Reacting swiftly, Jaden launches a fireball from his wand, vapourising the cultists but to his horror the priest seems utterly unscathed!

Preparing for battle, Rob suddenly finds himself surrounded by a quadrumvirate of blackguards who have approached invisible and now proceed to attack the hulking elven warrior!

Vladimir and Jaden rush to the rescue only to find themselves fighting yet more mummies who have emerged from a door foolishly left unguarded by the gang!

Only desperate use of fireballs and the healing magics of Rista prevents the band from falling before the evil onslaught although Vladimir the barbarian falls in battle. Rob is afflicted by the Tomb Rot but once again Rista comes to the rescue as she uses the vitalizing prayers to Chauntea to render the undead disease harmless.

Meanwhile Jaden and Legolars are locked in fierce fighting with the High Priest of Orcus and pushing their skills and assets to the limit they eventually vanquish the mighty opponent.

Although victorious everyone is thoroughly exhausted with spells, potions and scrolls in very short supply indeed.

Despite this they push on to finally cleanse the inner temple and gather what leads and loot they can from the abode of the cultists.

Rista insists on incinerating the books of evil lore in the library of the high priest to the dismay of Jaden who wished to sell them for a profit.

A strange and evil bell infused with demonic magic is found as well as smelting equipment fueled by abyssal fire. All of this is destroyed at the demand of Rista who cannot abide any evil items or artifacts in her presence.

Having learned their lesson they now turn to cleansing every single room and tunnel behind them and find where the mummies had been lurking.

They also find a room for important (and presumably evil) guests and a captive paladin of Torm. The holy warrior woman, Marissa, had been hunting and hounding the cultists for some time and had been captured. Being a worshiper of a deity of Good as well as a paladin she was of course a prime candidate for a sacrifice to vile Orcus.

Although barely conscious she thanks her rescuers who bring her along to be taken to the temple of Torm in Soffleport.

Eventually the band withdraws, everyone tired but they have finally overcome this heinous place of demonolatry and the revolting cult inhabiting it.

As they set out, back to the castle to rejoin Said and Gates to return to Soffleport to resupply and rearm themselves at the onset of winter they still know one thing: The final fight against the servants of Orcus has yet to come.