First Assault

The Vast

Having more or less secured the upper levels of the keep, the band of intrepid heroes descend to the lower levels.

They find some useful herbs and magical components as well as minor supplies that can come in handy.

Further down they find a barred and locked door. Having managed to get it open they proceed warily inside. A small underground river is connected to subterranean baths and a small jewelers shop is found. Even as they contemplate how best to loot the place they find themselves under attack from a water elemental!

Jaden and Rob are badly hurt and only manage to escape with some difficulty and clever tricks. Even heavily armoured Gates is no match for the brute strength of the extraplanar entity and so the heroes withdraw to lick their wounds.

Said sneaks inside again, this time Invisible. It seems the elemental is indeed oblivious to the sneaky Calishite and after having secured a sizeable quantity of precious gemstones he returns to the others.

Meanwhile Jaden has come up with an idea to take the bothersome elemental out: By snapping a Wand of Fireballs in half, tossing it inside and slamming the door shut they should be able to create an explosion powerful enough to slay the pesky critter.

The plan works like a charm and then some. The explosion and the expansion of the steam created by the heat impacting on the subterranean river proves too much for the structure and our heroes make a hasty retreat upwards, lest they all become trapped under the rubble of the collapsing tunnels.

When they finally exit the keep they see that the entire building is leaning and looks less than stable. Despite this they stash some supplies and after some much needed rest they proceed to follow the tracks of their enemies to the lair deeper into the wilderness.

As they make their way through the dense undergrowth they eventually find the enemy. A small U-shaped valley seems to house several tribes of humanoids, some of which seem to be enslaved.

Soon however, they find themselves under attack. It seems the escaped wizard had warned his compatriots and the adventurers soon come under attack from a throng of bugbears.

Rob must flee into hiding under a large boulder after having sniped on enemy archers and suffering badly from a counter attack by a senior bugbear.

Gates, Jaden and Rista soon are locked in hand to hand combat while Said wisely stays low and strikes from behind while the foes are distracted by his friends.

Only through use of healing magics and brute force can the clerics and the duskblade overcome their enemies and turn the tables on the archers.

Rob, on the other hand has hidden and cured himself through the use of potions before finally getting a chance to attack the bugbear chieftain. Despite this the elf is hard pressed in the ensuing melee as the bugbear is supported by magics from across a low ridge. Only through daring charges by Jaden and Gates is the hulking goblinoid laid low.

Even as this transpires, Said has skulked around the prerimeter of the battlefield and draws a bead on the wizard, who turns out to be the very same necromancer that escaped from the keep!

Said makes short work of the wizard.

The adventurers withdraw for they are on dire need of rest and healing, even though this will give their enemies a chance to regroup.