Lupin Damakos, Female Tiefling Rogue + Willow, Cat Animal Companion
Enuffdain, Male Elf Paladin
Torek, Male Dwarf Cleric
Henrick, Male Human Warlock
Flush from victory over the Lich King and Ghost Beholder (see Chapter 18), The Heroes prepare to indulge in every adventurer’s favorite pastime: Looting!!! Amazingly, each player gets the appropriate magical item they were hoping for (such a benevolent DM). Enuff dons the crown of the self-appointed King of Liches, stating that it goes well with his other bling (see Chapter 4). However, the pilfering poltroons fail to notice a stirring in the surrounding shadows!
The Heroes make relatively short work of the Warriors, but the Mage captures most of them with a web spell. The Drow Mage rushes Lupin and, wielding the large red Gem that was once Baraku (see Chapter 17), yanks the gem out of Lupin’s satchel. The two gems unite as the infuriated females wrestle for control. Enuff teleports out of the web trap and joins the assault on the Mage.
Struck by a fatal blow from Lupin, the Mage transmogrifies into a terrifying Draegloth! Torek unleashes his picket fence of spirits to prohibit the morphed Mage from fleeing to the next room. Freed from their webbing, all of the Heroes concentrate their attacks on the awful Abomination. Faced with a medley of magic and muscles, the Spider Beast is at last vanquished. With the gem out in the open, the confused Heroes begin to interrogate Lupin as to it’s origins. (Side Note: All of the players/characters were present when the gem, and subsequent adjoining gems, were brought out in the open in Chapter 14. Lupin revealed what little knowledge she had about the mysterious stone to EVERYONE. Except for Lupin, not one player remembered this fact!!!) The Larva Mage is taken aback and reveals that the gem is really The Heart of Darkness! Enuff demands to know how much it is worth. The Mage scoffs and states that its' monetary value is worthless compared to its’ power. It is a dimensional doorway to demonic domains! And more, that it is nearly complete! Henrick demands that it must be destroyed and suggest that they throw it into the volcano. Conrad agrees, stating that it should work because he saw something similar done in a movie. |
While the Larva King and Conrad watch the tableau unfold, Enuff teleports over to the pentagram. Torek and Henrick begin to battle the approaching Genasi and Azers. Sinking her claws into Raven’s wrist, Lupin forces her to release the rouge ruby. Enuff catches it and, to everyone’s surprise, teleports back to the others! Checking to see if the giant gem will fit in his new crown, Enuff takes the Larva Mage's words at face value, “its’ monetary value is worthless compared to its' power;” and tosses the crimson gem into the volcano. The enraged Larva Mage declares him a fool, and flies out of the volcano. |
As the bone platform descends into the surrounding jungle, The Heroes discover a scroll of puns relating to love:
HORRIBLE LOVE PUN NUMBER 1: Matching pair of the bottoms of shoes.*
HORRIBLE LOVE PUN NUMBER 2: What a knight in love wears.**
HORRIBLE LOVE PUN NUMBER 3: A rabbit in a bee hive.***
HORRIBLE LOVE PUN NUMBER 4: Two pieces of coal going out.****
HORRIBLE LOVE PUN NUMBER 5: An elk’s aorta.*****
HORRIBLE LOVE PUN NUMBER 6: A sugar coated aorta.******
HORRIBLE LOVE PUN NUMBER 7: A bird’s aorta.*******
Side Note: This session ended a little early due to the fact that Mike/Egnarts became ill at the last moment and couldn’t skype in. There was supposed to be a battle and/or hilarious dialog between the Senile Sorcerer and embittered and imprisoned Larva Mage. Since Mike/Egnarts truly knows nothing about this threat from his forgotten past, it would have been/will be interesting when they finally meet.
Epilogue: As the cold, cold waves of the ocean intermingle with the molten magma, one of nature’s most amazing natural phenomenon occurs. The lava transforms into the glass like mineraloid: obsidian. However, instead of the normal ebony hue, the jewel like substance sparkles with a vermillion glow. The rising sun reveals that the entire beach is covered with dozens of red gems the size of fists. And if one were to look closely, one would swear that they were slowly, ever so slowly. . . coalescing.
To be continued? ? ?
* Matching pair of the bottoms of shoes: Matching pair = mates; bottoms of shoes = sole – Soul Mates.
** What a knight in love wears: Knight wears = suit of; love = amour – Suit of Amour.
*** A rabbit in a bee hive: Rabbit = bunny; in a bee hive = honey – Honey Bunny.
**** Two pieces of coal going out: Coal = carbon; going out = dating – Carbon Dating.
***** An elk’s aorta: Elk = Deer; aorta = heart – Dear Heart.
****** A sugar coated aorta: Sugar = Sweet; aorta = heart – Sweet Heart.
******* A bird’s aorta: Bird = tweet; aorta = heart – Tweet Heart (You try making these up!).
Each Player received a random Drama Card for solving a pun.
Next: Chapter 20 - Primordial Soup & Slaad
Previous: Chapter 18 - No Small Feat