Uthlik Unleashed

Summary:

At last, the party arrived at a massive set of double doors, fashioned in the image of a sneering minotaur face. Double doors opened at the minotaur's mouth and the party entered carefully, pulling out everburning torches and sunrods to illuminate the passage before them. The hallway ended soon enough, expanding into a huge chamber with five columns depicting fanged minotaur faces. The adventures discerned an open passage to the south and a set of double doors to the east. An ominous pit lay closest to the south east passage. The columns suddenly spoke in the voice of a minotaur, referring to Baphomet and power to come from mask, blade, bell, and tome.

Gareth stepped carefully into the chamber, his axe readied, magical torch stuffed in his belt. He paused for a moment as the ground rumbled softly and dust fell from the ceiling. He looked back at the party just as the ground exploded in front of him, two writhing tentacles emerging from the floor and slamming into Gareth and Gilic. Two more tentacles descended from the ceiling, enveloping alternating party members. Taegahn took aim at one of the chokers attached to the ceiling; at the last second, the choker suddenly flung Gilic in the reign of fire, shielding itself at the paladin's expense.

The phalagar and two cavern chokers proved dangerous foes, rooting adventurers with wrapping tendrils that oozed acid that burned through armor and flesh with equal ease. Gareth managed to approach the phalagar and even prevented it from shifting away while Taegahn circled around for a better view of all three foes, completely unaware of a ghoul lurking in the nearby shadows. Observing the merciless sneak attack on her brother, Shava focused divine light on the ghoul, shoving it back several feet into the yawning pit. It landed at the bottom with an audible thud and then rose from prone and began clawing at the walls in a vein attempt to escape. The phalagar and cavern chokers died not long after.

The Victors next approached the east double doors. Ear to egress, Orchid reported the signature barking giggle of gnolls. Gareth led the way down a passageway that branched north and south and ended in a room to the east. Just fifteen feet from he doors, two gnolls stepped out from the north passage and the battle was joined. In the midst of slaying the two ambushers, a giant gnoll stepped into view at the end of the hallway. Gilic held his hammer to the heavens and prayed for the wrath of his god to aid his friends in righteous might before he charged the demonic gnoll and his pack of laughing hyenas. The ensuing battle was fierce and bloody, but ultimately the demon gnoll and his pets breathed their last. Weary from fighting, the party made camp. Upon awakening, Queequeg complained of sleeping and dreaming badly.

Gathering their equipment, the Victors turned down the south passage. Two sets of double doors were a good distance from each other on the west side of the wall. Orchid listened and heard more barking along with some incongruous snorting. The party discussed skipping the door with its odd barnyard sounds, but Queequeg was intrigued and flung the door open. Beyond, a rectangle chamber, a pen of chicken wire taking up much of the north end, a six foot high wall of hay bales the south end. A set of double doors led out the west wall. Four hyenas circled the pen which held a humongous, enraged boar. Someone in the party shouted "Uthlik!," Uthlin's missing and beloved pet pig. Half the party stepped into the room and engaged the hyenas. Gareth leaped over the pen and began hacking at the chain staked into the ground.

Suddenly, an army of gnoll archers peeked over the south wall of hay. A leader barked a command and the company all focused on the dragonborn warlord and opened up withering fire. The warlord nearly felled, Shava healed him before dashing after Gilic, Taegahn, and Cedric as they headed out of the room and back down the passageway to the southern set of double doors. Queequeg bounded into the pen to help Gareth break the chain holding Uthlik the Angry Dire Boar. The latter, tortured and persecuted for countless days, was long past the point of telling friend from foe and savagely gored Queequeg just as Gareth broke the chain. Orchid made quick work of hyenas, her dagger a blur of blood, sinew, and steel.

Gilic, Shava, Taeghan, and Cedric meanwhile flanked the gnolls, flinging the southern doors wide and charging to attack. Gilic nearly fell numerous times from a series of gnoll archer volleys, while Shava brought down divine light to heal friends and harm foes. Orchid stepped out of the room, closed the doors and spiked them for good measure. She backtracked north and around to spike the west doors as well. Gareth and Queequeg ran to the wall of hay, avoiding Uthlik charging into the last remaining hyena. The pair climbed the bales deftly, reinforcing their friends soon the last gnoll archer died.

TO BE CONTINUED

Phat Lewt(z):

Cloak of Resistance +2 - Orchid