Session 35

Instead of investigating the hooded rider, the group decides to turn back to rest for the night. They head back up the road just a bit to the guard tower they had just passed. Elora and Anakir scaled the tower and climbed inside the window on the second floor. Anakir went downstairs and unbarred the door for the rest of the party while Elora investigated the roof.

On the roof, Elora saw multiple skeletons with ruined weapons and armor. Down the cliff laid the valley over 500 feet below. Looking back down the whence path they came, she saw the wolves paused on the path, seeming to give up for the night. Looking forward to the bridge, she saw no more sign of the hooded rider.

The group started a fire and settled in for the night. Shalooti awoke to a change in the sound of the wind. van Richten also noticed the sound, but he chalked it up to just a change in the wind. He told Shalooti about the legend of the Roc of Mount Ghakis as well as the legend of Sangzor the giant goat. He says he's not concerned as these are only stories.

In the morning, the party makes their way to the Amber Temple, and arrive after an hour with no other trouble.

Investigating the front, the party gets the sense that this temple was not built for evil, but must have been later melded to serve evil. Inside, the group begins to investigate. Anakir makes psychic contact through a translucent amber door to someone on the other side. After a conversation in broken Common, Anakir casts invisibility and looks inside where he sees multiple large humanoids and a wolf. He informs the party and they explore elsewhere.

Escher becomes bored with the party's search, and lies in the floor. Impatient, Ezmerelda makes her way down the stairs to the main temple floor. Halfway down the stairs, she's struck by a fire bolt, and Pelanil pulls her back up the stairs. She apologizes for running off in haste. Bardolf brightens up the temple by throwing a magical rock. He hits a 40-foot tall statue on the other side of the huge room. A fireball immediately issues from the statue's hooded face, and the party enters combat.

Pelanil and Elora sprint for cover behind the columns only to be attacked from the arrow slits on the upper floor. Bardolf rides Metarlos and is able to reach the back of the statue. There, he uncovers two secret doors: one leading out of the back of the temple, and one opening into the back of the statue itself. Metarlos is killed in battle, Ezmerelda runs for cover after taking significant damage, Rictavio is knocked unconscious, and Anakir continues to lob fireballs into the head of the statue.

Shalooti explores further into the hallways on the upper floor. She finds a room with a 10 foot hole, and sees green light coming from it -- likely emanating from more Flameskulls. She silently attacks the Flameskulls down the hallway that are using the arrow slits to fire at the party on the lower level. She finds another guard room with a secret door behind the bunks.

Elora, Pelanil, and Bardolf climb the spiral stairs inside the statue, then ascend a ladder to a trapdoor. On the other side, they are surprised to find a small kitchenette within the chest cavity of the statue. The kitchen seems to run on magic, and the nooks and crannies are stuffed with books and scrolls.

Anakir lobs another fireball into the statue head that destroys the trapdoor that Bardolf has already weakened. Elora, Pelanil, and Bardolf ascend another floor, entering a sitting room in the head of the statue. A magical darkness obscures the area facing the the main floor of the temple. Out of the darkness runs a medium-sized fox-looking lil guy. He rushes over to his burning books and works to snuff out the flame.

Pelanil and Elora pelt him with attacks, and Pelanil bodyslams him out of the statue onto the floor 40 feet below. Bardolf follows close behind with an elbow off the top rope.

Still grappled by Pelanil, The Furry suddenly disappears from sight. Elora sees him reappear inside the statue head and finish putting out the flames on the books.