– Session Recap –
Much time is used discussing strategies to destroy the orb. The party does not want a recap of the battle with the Queen. Scrying on the dragon and teleporting inside the volcano is ruled out due to the low probability of scrying success. Methkarten flying into the volcano, or Vystal changing into a bird and flying into the volcano are also ruled out since the red dragon would surely see them and destroy them without the rest of the party. The party finally decides to do some standard dungeon crawling and heads straight for the visible entrance. Once inside, the party finds a magical wall at a t-junction and every wall, floor, and ceiling covered in bronze. The party concludes that the bronze is used to shield the inhabitants from the volcanic heat. As the party finds out, there is a continual 5-points of damage each round inside a bronzed area and 10-points of damage elsewhere. All of the party members had resist energy cast upon them or were wearing an item that resists energy, thus this damage is of little consequence. Quickly, battle looms when a fire dwarf rounds a corner headed for the party at a run. Right on his heels is a fire giant. The party’s first instinct is to attack both, but a rare side of caution is seen when Avriyael steps up and fires a single manyshot (3 arrows in a single attack) towards the fire giant. It was quickly obvious, as the fire dwarf runs past the group, the fire giant was the enemy and not the fire dwarf. After the party makes quick work of defeating the fire giant, the fire dwarf informs them of the location of other giants and the dragon within the volcano as well as how to get to the dragon. The party needed an amulet of the six-fingered cult. With this knowledge, and some help from the fire dwarf, the party is able to defeat a giant with an amulet and enter the central corridor (previously barred by the magic wall). As the fire dwarf informed us, there would probably be giant guards, and there were. After quickly dispatching the guards, the party continues forward. Proving that he is great with spotting, Quarrion is the only member of the party to see a small green thing (as we find out…an imp) scuttle through the air ahead down the corridor. As the party pursues, an iron golem rounds the corridor and charges toward the party. After a VERY long battle…Not difficult, just long…The iron golem is destroyed. As a side note, you wouldn’t expect a golem to lose its balance too much…Well, in Quarion’s case you would be wrong. Quarion spent much of the battle tripping the golem, successfully. You can imagine the sound an iron golem makes when it falls on a bronze floor. It was like hitting a gong to announce the party was there. After the golem, the party continues forward to where the golem came from. They find what they believe to be the dragon’s lair, but there is no dragon to be found. Within the lair is a river of lava, just perfect to destroy the orb. The party figures a quick plan and charges into the lair. Quarion walks over the lava, with the help of an air walk spell, and drops the orb. As we all expected, the dragon bursts up through the lava with the orb in its mouth. He then spits it to the opposite corner of his lair. The party expected this to be a difficult battle, due to the unforseen difficulties from the last red dragon, but this red dragon is dispatched quickly and with little damage to the party. In the meantime, the party notices the orb picked up and moved by an invisible force. They all assume it was the little green imp. Quarion, with enhanced speed from a haste spell, quickly engages the invisible imp. With the dragon defeated, the imp had very little chance. The orb falls and rolls into the lava. The party quickly picks up all of the dragon’s treasure and searches for any secret locations. After a few minutes, they find the imp’s quarters and discover a spellbook. Hoping to find more, the party is dismayed to find the lava’s level rising. In order to save their lives, they decide to have Methkarten and Avriyael use teleport scrolls to return them outside the temple in Queenstown (**Side Note: I needed to roll a 6 to cast teleport from the scroll. I missed. I rolled only a 4. I decided using an action point would be good timing. The action point let me roll 2d6 and add one of the dice to my d20 roll. What did I get? a 1 and a 2. I was in luck. I needed a 6 and I got a 6 
). Without even a few minutes to catch their thoughts, as soon as the party arrives at Queenstown, Parisha (A vampiric succubus that is the party’s nemesis) is waiting. She starts by saying, “So, you have destroyed the orb.” Normally the party is fairly docile and thinks before they act, but they have encountered Parisha long enough to realize they have no interest in hearing what she has to say. Thogar, without hesitation, throws his axe (The “Arm of Pelor”…An artifact this campaign centers around) and deals a square hit. Realizing we’re not interested in talking, Parisha quickly teleports away.