Ninth Entry - in which shapes change

With the newly recruited Hank, we followed his directions directly to the chambers of the priest Verrakahn. Hank had described him as the most merciful of the temple leaders, but his surroundings did not betray his gentler nature. He wore robes of a cleric of Bane, and sat at a long table clutching his holy symbol tightly in his hand. When he saw me kick in his door, he actually seemed to relax.

He bid us to enter, and explained his station. He had been the chief agent of Hedrac, ruler of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Seeing what the Lord of Chaos would unleash on the world had caused a crisis of faith, and Verrakahn had chosen to abandon the order. He gave us a rundown of the temple's leaders, most importantly Hedrac's newest Chosen One, who would try to loose Bane upon the world. With this, he dropped his holy symbol and tore the symbols of office from his robes. I demanded that he make up for his sins by giving more details about the temple's layout. He described Hedrac's private chambers in the rooms ahead, and that we must fear the temptations of a succubus in his employ. There were monstrous beasts held in closed pens, by a troglodyte beast trainer. Hedrac seemed to prefer employing Trolls, as he used them as jailors also. I was surprised the temple could be supplied well enough to support this much staff, being hidden so deeply within the mountain. Verrakahn answered that there was a portal Hedrac used to move supplies back and forth and to import new slaves. Neebo brightened at mention of this, knowing that we must seek out the portal if we sought to escape this mountain of madness. Verrakahn left us promptly, saying he felt his part was played and that he would escort the remaining slaves to safety as best he could. I believed he wanted to be sincere in his pledge to do no more harm to the world, but I warned him of the consequences should he fall in to his old lifestyle.

We moved stealthily into Hedrac's chambers, and Koda pilfered some scraps from the cult leader's private journal. The pages described his most recent activities, preparing a new Champion to unleash Bane and perform a specific ritual in the Purple Veil, vaguely alluding to a Black Cyst containing the Essence of Bane. The Champion would also have to carry a special rod and Armor of Force before the ritual could be complete.

This was in the most recent entry, and Neebo said we must be swift. The preparation of his new champion neared completion, and we had to beat them to the punch - my new favorite metaphor! Neebo begun to strum his lute and perform a rapid ditty describing Verrakahn, the Illithid Satow, and the Drow couple we met earlier. We saw ourselves take on the guises of our former enemies, although Rog and Koda simply became generic slaves, ones Hank had referred to as Dirt and Dirt. I found myself curiously sprouting illusory feminine wiles of the drow maiden. I disapprove of lying, but I believe there is an edict of Sensei Ping's back at the Order about the deceptive feint leaving an enemy open for a devastating strike. I think the principal applied here, although I believe I caught Rog's eyes drifting in a direction to which I object unless I've received a formal letter of romantic intent first.

We adjusted to our new disguises, and Neebo explained that we must stay in character at all costs. Koda was visibly uncomfortable, but he muttered that would do this if it meant killing Hedrac and his champion earlier. I found myself staying a few feet behind Gwen, now disguised as Satow.

We made quick time down the temple halls until we saw a large room with straw floors housing cages for all manner of animals, each several sizes beyond their breeds' average. We were hailed by a Trog, who wanted to know why we needed so many Dirts outside the living quarters. Neebo as Verrakahn bluffed that Hedrac had summoned us telepathically, to bring slaves for sacrifice as the next stage of an important arcane ritual. The savage laughed, joking that slaves were good for little else. The beast master muscled arms swung out and struck Koda, but he remained true to his vow. We soon came to a group of ogres, whom Neebo ordered to fall back to the Thane entrance and search the dragon's chambers for intruders.

The temple's structure became more maze-like, and we had many possible routes to move forward. Koda spied long swooping paths in the dust on the floor, a sign that someone had been dragged down a descending staircase. Hearing a light shuffling side down below, Gwen came to the conclusion that this could be where they were holding her former master. In search of a new ally we hurried down the staircase. What we found was not good for my mental state. The chamber was almost a hundred feet long, and every ten feet we saw a man fixed to the wall by an elaborate mechanical shackle. Only one of them in the far back stirred as we approached, and Koda fiddled with the apparatus to free the prisoner. The man lurched on all fours, and Gwen stooped to help him up. Nervously, I glanced around the chamber and realized every person in every trap on the walls was exactly identical. The man on the floor rose with sudden speed and embraced Gwen in liplock. Some readers would find this ribald, but I remind you that at this time Gwen's face was an ever wriggling mass of tendrils most closely associated with devouring the brain of it's enemies. The face of the mind flayer drew suddenly pale, and Gwen fell to her knees as soon as the kiss was over. The man we had freed suddenly shimmered in my vision, and revealed the demonic feminine form. Neebo's eyes drew wide, and after regainining his composure, yelled "Succubus! It's a demon!" I leapt through the others like lightening to lead the assault on the un-lady-like demoness. Unfortunately Gwen was now firmly in the thrall of the succubus, and rose to protect her new love. It took some subtle breaking of the fabric of space around me to get Gwen away from her, causing the effect to die down. Unfortunately, the effect was soon transferred to Rog, who tried to disembowel Hank! I dove between the two for Hank's safety, while Gwen avenged herself on the un-lady.

We were at a loss to explain the duplicates lining the walls, but left with haste before our disguises wore off - the spell would only last for one hour, and had wasted precious moments being romanced by evil.

We moved through the endless hallways of the temple until we found a chamber dedicated to the worship of elements. When I first entered I was struck by the elaborate tile work on the floor, vast geometric shapes representing earth, wind, water and fire. There were also four large elementals swirling about and releasing their energies. Rog was quick to charge into the fray, leveling his battleaxe at everything in the room. But immediately after his swing he found himself surrounded by beings intent on tearing him apart. I wrangled with the living forces of nature while I saw Gwen's familiar Didi hovering by the ceiling, unleashing a torrenta lightning over us. The result was fire, earth and water mixing in a pile on the floor, prompting Hank to try to clean up the resulting mud.

Unfortunately Koda had was ravaged badly by the elementals, and Neebo's healing prowess proved futile in invigorating the hairy rogue. Neebo himself was exhausted by the day's events, and we thought we might have rest before killing Hedrac. I was looking forward to killing him today, or at the very least having a lengthy exchange of banter before crossing weapons. I've always wanted to have a true Nemesis.

Pressing on, we found an alchemists' lab adjacent to the prison Verrakahn foreshadowed. He failed to inform us that there were fresh prisoners. One was a well dressed if slightly ragged halfling, a strange looking dwarf whose hair was a kind of shimmering fire, a wounded beast with a lion's body and a human face, which I recognized as a mythical lamasu, and a human paladin who bore the markings of Pelor. Sadly the troll jailors were also present, for the time being. Recalling the ruse that worked so well on the beast master, Neebo demanded that they free the Paladin, for yet more sacrifices. The human jailor Doggra released the Paladin to us, but said the others were still scheduled to be tortured for information. The party took our new 'prisoner' to the alchemist lab and explained. She demanded that we free the other prisoners, especially Athamel the halfling. She was very hesitant to believe our story, since we still bore our disguises, but allowing her to arm herself earned enough loyalty for the time being. Fortunately, the exit from the prison to the lab provided a natural choke point, and Neebo in Verrakahn's voice demanded the trolls "Help us defend against the intruders!" The hallway was barely big enough for one troll to traverse, so the first came out alone. Still disguised as the drowess, I stood directly in front of him and yelled, "Watch out! Jaxton Chase is here, and he brought both of his biceps!" and my hammer started swinging. The troll took only a moment to realize it was a trap, but by that time he was already being savagely pummeled by Rog and myself. I only stopped swinging after I saw a crossbow bolt fly past us at Neebo. I looked past the immediate troll threat and saw Doggra reloading his weapon. Fortunately I've got a real knack for teleportation, and put myself between the archer and the others. The next time he tried to fire down the hallway, I took full advantage of his distraction and pressed the attack. Meanwhile the troll fighting in the hall fell quickly to Rog's massive axe. Gwen had hurled an orb of acid on the others, whose wailing rang through the chamber. Doggra the remaining troll to free the lamasu, but the creature apparently remembered his abuse at their hands. The creature mauled the troll until Rog pushed him back into his cage as I pulled a lever to shut the cage door. One of the trolls began to regenerate until Gwen poured fire over his prone body.

Reader, rest assured we freed the other prisoners, and they had much to tell us of the temple, and recent events in the outside world. But after having slain so much evil, I am thoroughly exhausted. My writing hand grows tired, and I must rest. Tonight I sleep in the evacuated prison, and tomorrow I will write of new companions.

Entry the Eigth

We slept poorly in the creature's home. We all felt the loss of Rikka, and I slept especially poorly. My dreams were troubled by the psychic violation the day before by the original occupant of the dark chamber. It had called itself Satow, and was identified by Neebo as an Illithid, though even he had never seen one in person. The creatures are well known in Water Deep as horrific creatures, known for devouring the brains of their victims. The Illithid resonated within my psyche somehow; I'd encountered a horror like it only once before, early in my heroing career. In writing this I shudder at the memory, and have had to explain to Rog that sometimes it looks like tears, but I have a technique for sweating directly through my eyes. If there are more things like it in this temple, I have suggested that we find someway to bring the entire mountain down, lest they threaten the outside world. Rog approved of the idea, clapping his hands at the idea of crushing a mountain, but Neebo only laughed. He has failed to realize that I am serious.

We proceeded with all due caution as we explored the other chambers. The team briefly toyed with the mystical sphere, but we could think of nothing new to thwart it's random motions. I've given up on trying to keep track of our path through the labyrinth, as Neebo has been taking excellent notes of our movements. with loose paper and charcoal. After many days traveling together, we've fallen into an regular pattern; Koda several paces ahead, quietly sneaking about to find enemy units, while Rog and I stand in front of the remaining formation, with Neebo and Rikka close behind. She used to dart in and out of battle with such ease, leaping over or sliding under our enemies, it mattered little how the rest of us formed up.

Soon we came upon a room dedicated to holding the enemies of the temple, with one lone prisoner. She was human, with an accent from the Dalelands said her name was Gwen Lazzano. Rog commented that it sounded delicious. She pretended not to notice his comment and pressed on without pausing, explaining that her mentor had been taken by agents of the same temple and she sought his freedom, as he had been protecting a powerful tome of mystical significance. Koda seemed indifferent to her presence, I suspect after seeing so many allies fall he may hesitate to let new friends in to his circle of trust. Neebo let her free without hesitation, declaring that the enemy of our enemy was our friend. Upon her release, she introduced us to her ally, an arcane familiar called Didi. It is only about two feet long, like a small dragon hatchling, but even its diminutive stature raised all the hair on Koda's body. They took turns hissing at each other for several moments. Ignoring his feline shortcomings of etiquette, I introduced myself. I admitted that I knew little of the ways of magic, but I offered to take her mentor's place, and to educate her in the ways of pugilism and bravado. She declined. I will try not to let on at my offense.

Koda guided us to a chamber housing a clan of savage Orcs. They were deftly handled by our team work, and Gwen apparently excels in offense spellcraft. Her magic seems to be much more aggressive than Deiter's. Once the howling of our green skinned enemies subsided, we found much more spacious living quarters. Koda identified a human mopping floors, who was immediately set upon by an ash-faced matron that he identified as Drow. I was warned about them by my teachers at the Order of the Pointed Stick; as they are enemies intelligent and nefarious. They are the most cruel and self-centered lot, as evidenced by the savage beating this female (I cannot bring myself to call her a lady) as she savagely beat the poor slave who fell prone before her. I could see Koda's teeth set and his lips part revealing gnashing fangs, but he stayed silent for the time. The drowess gave orders to the hunched bawling mess on the floor and returned to what we later discovered were her chambers. We agreed that she seemed to be in charge and taking her out would allow us greater freedom to move throughout the temple.

I kicked in the door to her chambers, finding her in the company of another male Drow. Neither of them had wedding bands, and they were unchaperoned! The male drew a longsword as I dashed to meet his steel with my own, and the battle was on. Unfortunately I had much to learn about fighting drow, and after my first strike threw him across the room he seemed to burst with a noxious black smoke, blinding us all and buying him a few precious seconds to reposition himself. The female shouted orders for the slave to release the beasts. By the time the smoke cleared I saw Gwen bracing the door while throwing acid into the drowess' face. Her death incensed the blade master, who was somehow able to hold his own while surrounded by Rog, Koda and myself. The drow was willing to parlay, but only long enough to share how much he despised us and assuring that we would be consumed by the agents of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Our feline rogue finished him quickly while I telekinetically repositioned Gwen so I could open the door to meet the next threat. Apparently the temple maintained a stable of demonic chitinous bugs nearby, which swarmed over the entrance. I held the line in the doorway while my allies decimated them, followed by killing the remaining nine tenths.

The slave we had witnessed earlier was unharmed. He had curled in the fetal position while the demons crawled past him. Eventually he stopped whimpering long enough to tell us his name was Dirt, and begged us not to kill him. Koda and I were especially horrified at his treatment, and vowed to keep him safe until this damage is undone. Neebo is uncomfortable with calling him Dirt, and we have collectively decided to call him "Hank." He seemed to improve slightly at this, and offered up what little he knew. Hank warned us of some of the dangers ahead - he was most afraid of Heckran, leader of the Temple. His second in command was Verrakahn, who was just ahead in his own private chambers, and that there would be less to fear in dealing with him. He also mentioned a ferocious troglodyte called Yukkamel. I have noticed Hank seems able to evaluate his surroundings in only slightly differing levels of fear. Afterwards, I spoke with him privately, assuring him that he was safe from all harm as long as he was in my care, and that it was our personal mission to destroy each of these evils. I cannot tell if he believed me, yet - but I hope he will be empowered in his new position as President of my official Fan Club.

We would shortly meet these enemies, and so far I have been surprised by them all.

Entry the Seventh

Having resupplied ourselves, Neebo suggested we pause to study our enemy's habitat. We had noticed in the ogre's den a series of oil paintings depicting various evils visiting the mortal world. As we contemplated the ways the worshipers of Bane sought to destroy us, Deiter realized there was a secret woven into the fabric of the painting, literally. The painting canvases had extra stitching in the material, each spelling out cryptic riddles. I've written them down here, sure that we will be tasked with solving them before long.

Who are you?
What do you bring?
Where are you now?
Why have you come?
When shall I be free?
Who am I?

Neebo and Koda also discovered a secret passage, a retractable wall that led us down a dark corridor opening into a broad, well lit room. Before progressing further, Neebo suggested we try some other hallways in the maze-like temple and try to find more ways to resupply with minimum threat to our safety; as the secret path would obviously have some treacherous mechanism to test us. Personally I live for proving myself against such obstacles, but I concede to the troop leader's wisdom as a superior strategist. Dear reader, you've just witnessed my rarely witnessed mastery of the subtle art of humility. Take that, emotional spectrum!

Along another path we found a door that was the exact opposite of what Neebo was looking for. This was almost the most threatening thing I'd seen this day. The passage was blocked by a door carved in the shape of a howling demonic face. It's mouth was agape in an almost audible shriek, and it's eyes were shining gemstones. We think it was made of ebony stone, but it showed no signs of the craft, no worker's carving tool had ever graced it's surface. The nostrils were flared in outrage, it's brow twisted and curled around eyes of gleaming emerald. It's expression was of defiant rage at our presence. Since Neebo had suggested we try to minimize the threats to our health and sanity, we reverted to the secret passage.

The illumination at the end of the secret hallway was provided by a sphere of pure mystical energy, spinning furiously throughout the room, an erratic buzzing torrent of force. It was unlikely that any of us could cross the room without being touched by the orb. Koda dared to take a few quick steps and realized the were further secrets in the chamber. One hall led through a more pedestrian route to the ogres' den, and a hall on the far side led to a new section of the vile temple. But the greatest mystery was a glass door. It seemed sealed tight to keep in another mystical sphere - like a black star, radiating intense darkness but with a crimson hue at its edges. He was only able to discern its existence before he hastily retreated back into the secret passage to share his findings. We debated the nature of the spinning sphere and decided that it must be some sort of guardian or trap. Deiter took a stab at disarming it by summoning an ethereal hand and pushing it out of it's winding path, but to no avail. The magic ball moved right through the magic hand. Shrugging in frustration, Rikka picked up a small rock from the floor and threw it at the spinning trap. The results were even worse, as the rock disappeared in a blinding flash and the sphere doubled in size, as if it had consumed the stone. We experimented with the effect, and found it seemed able to dissolve anything we threw at it, but it always made the orb larger. We studied the phenomena until it maxed out at teen feet wide, almost the height of the room itself. We'd hoped to overload the orb until it swelled beyond it's own limits of capacity and destroyed itself, but no such luck. Neebo discerned that the sphere might be capable of killing any of us who touched it as we tried to traverse the chamber, and since there was no apparent means of disarming it, suggested we invest our intellect against other obstacles, such as the grimacing devil door.

We returned to the door and spent a full ten minutes trying to figure out how to open it. The fanged mouth proved to be no workable handle to even Rog's terrible strength, and Koda suggested focusing on the gemstone eyes. He studied the optics closely, looking for a way to move them, (or I suspect to pocket them) when his face became placid as a lake on a calm day. Koda has always been guarded, to the point of being labeled an introvert, but this effect was uncanny. After several moments of not blinking, his eyes watered until he finally pulled himself away. He muttered the eyes were key, but that they were overwhelming for his mind before he curled into a fetal ball in the corner. Deiter said that his arcane prowess would likely protect him from the door's assault, but I had to step in his way. Ever since being taken in by the warrior priests of the Order of the Pointed Stick, I've been taught that it was my purpose in life to protect others. If anyone was going to risk mental injury in a contest of wills, my sharply honed psionic brain would be the first to face the challenge.

I gazed into the eyes of evil itself. I saw movement in those stones, like an endless tumbling of acrid smoke lay within. I could hear winds roaring past me, but felt nothing. Then came a tingling, like the pins and needles of a foot when it falls asleep, but this was rippling through my entire body. I held my ground as sizzling lightning poured out of the emerald eyes and into my mind, but I took the pain and stood firm. If the others said anything, or tried to stir me it must have failed to register as the only sensation I experienced was the screaming force pouring into my head. I dared not look away, knowing that any hesitation or reluctance could shatter my adamant resolve and allow this evil to take hold in my soul. For a brief instant, I thought I heard laughter, and visions of endless tentacles flickered before dissipating.

And then there was silence; and the rest of the world returned to my senses. Only then did I realize I'd broken out in a cold sweat. I stayed motionless, waiting for a second assault but the double doors silently parted to grant us access. I mentioned to Rog that among the list of my accomplishments I can now list winning a staring contest with an inanimate object. He chuckled, and asked what most of my words meant. I shook my head and walked in first ready to take the brunt of whatever lay beyond such a foreboding entrance, but there was only the dark and silence of a tomb.

Someone lit a torch and illuminated a dining hall, with a well using feasting table and an enormous pit that went on for some unknown depth. None of us wanted to explore the edge, knowing that something horrid lived here. Koda had briefly composed himself, though still visibly shaken, and while we fanned out he went to the table and called out that it was covered only with bare, stripped skulls. He lashed out violently, standing on the table and kicking away plates and goblets, as craniums scattered about the room shouting that we were being attacked. Then there was laughter. I don't know if it was spoken aloud, or if it was an echo in my mind from my encounter with the door. I responded out loud, demanding that whatever had tried to attack my mind to come and challenge me face to face and get what was coming to him. For the first time, I can now say that my bravado was misplaced.

A figure appeared between me and Rikka, our eyes had simply been ignoring him this whole time. It was wearing robes with a high collar, it's flesh was a sickly bruised purple and it's head was like that of an octopus, a tangled mass of tentacles. It revealed itself by lashing out with telepathic bolts of anguish before wrapping it's pseudopods around the young fighter's face. I cried out and tried to pull the fiend away, demanding that he face me. Yet as my first blow struck he vanished, only to reappear beside Koda and Neebo. For the record, I teleport a lot and this fiend teleported like a girl. Rog and I moved to flank the creature before he took flight again. The room shook as he cried out and I felt him trying to pry into my mind, but I withstood the blow. Others were not so lucky, buying the monster precious time to dart about us, skirmishing only when he saw fit. Each time we started to surround him he was able to slink away to a safer vantage point to unleashing psychic agony on all of us; each time filling me with outrage at my inability to keep him in my sights. As I hurtled like lightning across the room, using every trick in the play book of the Pointed Stick I saw him staring into Rikka's eyes before she bolted over the edge of the pit. Despair snuck into my heart; I felt my own strength waning after so many assaults from the hideous abomination.

Then something wonderful rang in my ears; a triumphant song of exalted joy proclaiming my strength and righteousness- never before had I been so invigorated and inspired. Neebo had begun to pluck on his lute, prodding us to return to the struggle with new found reserves of energy. His throat parched, I saw him down the potion to renew his efforts before he clamored down into the darkness of the pit. Rog and I briefly struggled with the horror until I saw a flying boot catch him between his spiraling tentacles. I knew Neebo had brought Rikka back to the fray.

As we all moved to surround him, the creature's tentacles extended fully, and he cried out with a sound that bored its way fully into my mind. I felt his suckered digits extending into my brain, pulling my limbs like those of a puppet on his infernal strings as each of us turned on each other. After my hammer pounded into Rikka I regained my senses, only to have to weather a blow from my giant barbarian friend. I focused only on the puppet master, waiting for the others to regain their senses. I saw his next psychic onslaught coming and braced myself, only to see Rikka fall from its blow. She did not move again. Only after several more exchanges, daggers and axes and magic bolts against howling madness did the fiend eventually fall. As Koda's daggers slit his throat, Neebo hurried to Rikka's side, an invigorating note pouring from his throat but to no effect. Rikka was gone.

I write this now in the beast's chamber. We have closed the door behind us, confident no intelligent servant of the temple would have dared enter this room if it could avoid it. When my time at watch is finished I doubt I will sleep much. We said words for the soul of our departed ally, and I was surprised to hear that Rog has decided to worship the god of justice, as Rikka did. Though her spirit is at rest, we have no way to honor her earthly remains, and have elected to lay her in repose in this chamber. We've slain her killer, but my own sense of justice demands more. I vow to avenge her on every evil doer in this foul place. Bane himself will answer for this.

Entry the Sixth

From the ashes of the Fire Mephits, we found a key to the Fire Temple. Deiter was able to combine the two into a Grand Key, which would grant us access to the cult's inner sanctuary. We found a safe hiding spot and bedded down for the night. Before letting my defenses drop to sleep for the night, I continue to update the log of our adventures. I wish I could recall the date. My friends and I have been down here so long, we've lost all reference points to the calendar. It feels like many seasons, but I suspect it's been a few weeks in reality. I chuckle at the notion of reality. I've been known to slow down time, and bend space to move across battlefields instantly. But for now the best title I have for these entries is to list them in sequence until I see the true sky again.

This morning we began our march back to the large gate of the Outer Thane. Neebo strummed a lute, singing a dirge of our inevitable triumph over the foul cult that infests the mountain's veins. After a few hours of walking, we could hear a roar throughout the caves. It was like the crashing of a wave, but never ending. Soon we could make out voices, screaming for the blood of the intruders. Neebo suggested we move faster.

Eventually they caught up to us - a horde of robed Doom Dreamers, servants of the Earth and Water Temples. An eclectic mix of every race I've ever known, and many I did not. Although they often took swipes at each other with whatever weapons they had on hand, the majority of their rage was definitely focused on us. We neared our goal, but was a long desperate dash to reach the enormous door that had kept us from reaching the temple's Inner Thane. Vertical columns of gargoyles outlined the door, callously observing our hectic approach. Koda was the first to reach the door, and used the newly formed Grand Key. As I caught up to the less armored heroes, I took no notice of whatever lay beyond the threshold, my only thought was to escape the screaming hordes behind us. Fortunately we all made it in time to slam the door shut before any of the cult members could stop us from locking them out.

Beyond the door was a vast chamber, oppressively silent. There were statues of female figures carved in stone, but their heads were gloating pyramids. They cast a haunting yellow light throughout the chamber. The statues made my eyes water to look at, not from the bright light but because there was something wrong about the light they cast. It seemed thick, like the room had been preserved in amber before our entry. It was only after shrugging off the effect did I notice the treasure.

Treasure! An enormous pile of it in a twenty foot wide pit! A small army could be equipped by the polished weapons and armor littering this horde of finance. I could plate the entire Temple of the Pointed Stick with so much gold. I knew that this could help us triumph over whatever forces lay inside the Inner Thane, so I went to investigate. Koda and Neebo shot angry looks for my distraction, that I had not taken time to secure the area. I froze in place, chided and embarassed like a school child. I had just turned to join my team when I noticed a rippling effect in the pile of coins. Neebo continued to move to the corners of the room, preparing to investigate the chamber's forked exit, when he literally bumped into a red dragon.

In his defense, the dragon had been invisible. She revealed herself in all her glory, radiating outrage. Her formidable form stood between us and the only exit. She screamed in the draconic tongue, and demanded to know how we gained entrance. Neebo argued politely, that we were agents of the Fire Temple. Surprisingly, I saw our clothes shimmer and change. We were now clothed in the raiments of the Fire Temple. The dragon hesitated, and considered our leader's tale. She wanted to know who had sent us. Neebo explained we were agents of D'Gron, ruler of the Fire Temple. There had been a plot by the other temples to combine forces over throw them, and we had flew inside at his command to escape servants of the other temples. The Dragon refused these credentials, and lunged to kill the bard. I had to scramble to join the fray while the others tried to flank the beast. The dragon managed to maul Rikka before I was able to get her full attention. Finding herself surrounded, she billowed flame over the whole team, but we held firm. To escape, the beast screamed with such force that I can barely remember what happened next, but when I shook off the effect I saw the she had fled to the other side of the chamber. Clearly she didn't realize what she was dealing with. I got a full running start and bent the space between us, crossing the pit instantly. I held the beast in place while the others caught up. Unfortunately, wrangling with the lizard took the last of my strength. It's jaw clamped around me and drug me to the ground. I awoke to find that the others had finished the job. After Neebo patched up my wounds I helped in dividing up the dragon's horde. It was easilya greater haul than we could carry, but I found a new shield and finally a suit of armor that could contain Rog's girth.

We would have loved to rest at that point, but Koda knew there was no way to fortify this room from the temple's servants. Neebo declared the chamber had a splendid acoustic quality, and began to play. He knew a tune with a power to dull those who heard it, to lull them into a tranquil state Of course it would have no effect on his friends while Koda scouted ahead to find a place to rest. The cat man left silently, his movements muffled by the haunting melody. He reported back that there was a den of enormous ogres, resting as though they'd had a holiday feast. We weighed our odds and decided to ambush them where they napped.

Koda darted in first, with a hissing battle cry throwing knives into the sleeping giants. With the signal given, I moved like lightning to establish a choke point. The element of surprise had granted an enormous yield. Unfortunately, the giants layed hands on the nearest, biggest objects - their patio furniture - and lobbed it straight at me. The ogres wielded vorpal recliners, made of solid wrought iron and covered in barbed spines. I was knocked senseless by the blow. Have no doubt in your mind, reader, that these atacks have had any effect on my descriptive capacity. This was the meanest set of furniture I'd ever laid eyes on. Rog retaliated by walking past the choke point to wade into the middle of the room and started swinging like the wrath of the god of your choosing. I was disappointed that my strategy was ignored, but at least giants were split clean in two. I saw a bundle of robes fly over my head as Rikka leapt and kicked every single ogre square in the teeth before returning to my side. When my ears stopped ringing, I heard the most magnificent sound - my own name lauded in song. Neebo spun a wondrous tale of my blinding speed and strength. Thusly honored, I had no choice but to rise to the occasion and return to the fight. The giants fell quickly, their own armor lacking the fortitude of their living room furniture. Unfortunately, the ogre's den would be just as hard to fortify as the dragon's chamber, and we pressed on. Scrounging through a supply room, Koda found a potion to revitalize ourselves as the day grew long. It's effects were promised to be monumental in scope. The team agreed that we would only drink the potion as a last resort, as there was only enough liquid for three sips.

I wish I could say that it was not needed, but the potion was drank before the end of this terrible day.

Entry the Fifth

As we walked deeper into the caves, we came upon a nest of fire scorpions. The brutes were especially difficult, though their spiked carapace eventually yielded to my psionic crab-claw-cracker technique. Yet after that melee, we had to plow through an entire hive of enormous ants. I suspect the cult's allowance of the abyssal influence into the cave network has twisted and broken the local wildlife. Yet another crime for which they will be punished.

After accosting roughly a googleplex of aberrantly deformed arthropods, we emerged at the outer-most fortifications of the Fire Temple. Our team stepped into an enormous chamber lit up like Bahamut's birthday by an enormous sphere of combustion. Defining the edges of it's searing heat was a series of pillars. Some mysterious, inhuman faces peered at us from the cavern's distant and foreboding shadows.

At Neebo's suggestion, I walked in first and introduced myself and my reputation. Surely by this point in our exploits, they've heard of me. There's actually a cadre of wizards who beam pictures of me into the primordial realms - as a warning. The faces were suddenly very well illuminated when their flesh ignited, revealing they were made of living flame. I decided that if they hadn't heard of me by now, I was going to give them autographs signed in warhammer. They decided to set me on fire. I heard Deiter call them "mephits" before his arcane missiles flew over my head. I struggled to hold the front line from within the blaze, and my patent-pending Iron Fist technique held firm against the heat. Rog and Rikka tried to move through the flames as best they could to surround them, but the demons radiated heat in all directions; being surrounded simply played into their strategy. A steady barrage of Dieter's magic missiles finally doused the fire devils.

Deiter poked and prodded the source of the arcane fireball at the center of the cavern. He deployed an ethereal hand to push and guide the fire's power source, an orb at the center of the inferno. Moving the ball drew the flames with it around the cavern, which resulted in minor singing for the rest of us. Knowing that such a fire would be all but useless against the Fire Temple, the wizard put it to good use by pushing it back to the second biggest nuisance of the day.

Operation Insect Ignition was a rousing success.

Entry the Fourth

By the cheap use of tawdry profanity, I had sullied my perfect mind. I had to serve penance. As the party drew near to a forbidden chamber, we carefully undid the seals. To be fair, I desecrated the unholy burial grounds of the damned, and some seals were broken. What we uncovered was dire indeed.

It was huge, reclining in it's ebony throne. I'll never know how long the evil had rested in it's tomb. The stench of decay poured off of it, filling the room. As it stirred from it's throne, I knew it would suffice to serve my penance. I approached the necrotic spell-caster, arms at my sides, and demanded he do his worst, because it would be his last. I heard the others rush in behind me as his gaze burned into his mind.

I awoke in a daze on the floor moments later. The insidious evil had indeed done his worst - molesting my mind and using me as an instrument of his own malicious intent against my teammtes! Fortunately Koda was able to drop me to the floor before I levvied my awesome might against them. Lucky for the others I'm constrained by the laws of gravity.

For now.

The Dark One was successfully removed from the land of living, to languish in the hells permanently. I was horrified at the heinous infection it placed on my mind, combined with my earlier guilt. But having punched the fiend's ticket I redeemed myself in the eyes of the Order of the Pointed Stick and was ready to move on, though I knew I would never be as pure as I was. Slaying the evil took all of us acting in concert, and it felt good to be part of a real team instead of laboring as a guard on my own. If a battle master levies his talents against an abomination, and he has no audience, is it still awe inspiring?

As Rikka and our furry rogue snuck ahead in search of the Fire Temple, I wondered how she came to be in this cave. When I queried her before, she only answered that her presence was the will of Bahamut. I plainly refuse to place my bets on tempermental deity who may or may not dain to help us, but her faith is fast. I suspect she entered the mines as part of the local temple's youth group, on a "Teens Embracing Bahamut" field trip. She probably just got lost and tried to pet the gnolls.

Before long the stealthy spelunkers had segued us to a cave lined with a liturgy of lichens. (Alliteration is another value of the Order of the Pointed Stick) They sensed a trap and proceeded with caution. They found whispers in the dark, voices urging someone called Koba to wait for interlopers to fall into their trap. The two returned to us an explained the interlude. Neebo hoped to avoid further violence, and went into the cave and claimed we had an appointment with Koba. While I admire his cunning, Koba was not willing to parley, and our gamble failed to pay off.

A man in tattered earth tone robes had been talking to "Koba," his enormous pet wild bear! I kept the beast's attention while Reeka pelted him with punches and pugilism. Sadly, even my steel resolve failed to protect against being mauled by the ursine foe.

Eventually the druid relented, rather than see the bear choke to death on my armor. I retrieved my hat from it's maw and we made peace. The druid served the Doom Dreamer of the Fire Temple before he was betrayed and exiled. He had been laying in wait for the temple's agents, and siccing his hirsute partner on them whenever they met.

The druid explained that each temple had it's Doom Dreamer, and each carried one of the keys we sought to gain access to the temple's inner chambers that may thwart the cult. After we had gained two keys, we could progress to the black tower in the center of a vast lake at the crater's center. We thanked him for laying bare* the temple's weaknesses and prepared to bed down for the night. I take this time before resting to update my log of our tale. I know that when we emerge from these mines after triumphing over the worshipers of the Death God, there will be quite a story to tell. I see Neebo also taking notes for an epic ballad. I look forward to seeing my part in the song.

* Battle Pun!

Entry the Third

We pressed on, of course. Koda moved forward like the aftermath of a dwarven dinner party - silent but deadly. After searching the gnoll barracks, the party possessed two elemental keys, but of separate elements. Neebo explained to me that they had briefly encountered a Kuo-tah, a man-trout agent of the water temple who explained the temple's key system. We would require two keys of the same element to gain access to the inner temple, if we wanted to do some real thwarting.

Eventually we came to the sandy shore to a vast, underground lake. I suspected we were close to the Water Temple, the next victim in my ledger under the column "Maximum Thrashing!" I stood on a pier, taking in the sight of the lake when a living wave crashed upon the shore and grabbed me by the throat. The team moved in to save me from its grasp when the same breed of slimy fish men began to march out of the water. As we piled on the elemental with sundering blows, the fish men began to pitch tridents at us. But know this, Jaxton Chase fears no dire man-trout, no matter how big his spear.

As the wave submitted to my righteous pummeling, the soaking wet party split to engage the fish-wizard and his guard. Immediately another party of fish men came from the opposite end of the beach. Dreading a pincer maneuver, Deiter remembered the fish-men's great weakness - they are entirely susceptible to explosions.

Our first engagement with the water temple concluded, we set out to continue searching our surroundings for the next key in the set. We found an enormous chamber containing only a pit lined with spikes, clearly intended to keep something wthin. Neebo shivered at the notion of penetrating the dank hole, sensing the obvious trap, so we pressed on.

Koda advanced stealthily on his own, leaving us to wait as he infiltrated a dwarven forge. He came back to us muttering about a flying sword. Much to his consternation we insisted on witnessing the levitating weapon for ourselves. I surmised we could recruit the blade to our side, gaining a potent weapon against the sanctuary's transgressors, but the blade was not listening to our recruitment pitch. It simply lunged for us as we moved through the forge. Neebo, Deiter, and the surprisingly dwarf-literate Rog tried to reason out some way of disabling the sword, but nothing short of Jaxton-brand pummeling seemed to put it down. Rather than destroy a valuable artifact, we evaded the blade and left the chamber to emerge in a darkened cave. As Rikka's faith somehow illuminated the room, it revealed flickering movement in the shadows.

Rikka's light quickly revealed two large bipedal reptiles, with wide circular mouths lined with serrated teeth and hunger for man-flesh. But today all they'd found was a league of top-notch adventurers ready to dispense castigation to would-be predators. I wrangled the beasts into position while the others focused on putting them down. One of them reared back and lashed out at Rog with it's savage maw. As he fell, I was incensed at the idea of my new friends dying at the hands of these creatures. I had toiled in mundane labor for too long to lose one the chance at true adventure now.

I am not proud of what happened next. As you know well by now, my mind is my greatest weapon, and it is a sacred vow that I must wield it in the name of heroism. If I were to use my powers for a lesser cause, or sully myself in the trappings of a lesser man, a weaker soul, it would undercut all the epic deeds that lay before me. As the beast struck, my entire mind was seized with outrage. I wish I could blame it on my frustration with the dwarven blade, or our search for the key. But it was no other falling than my own weakness.

I swore with all my psionic might. Loudly and profanely, in clear violation teachings of my order. Although my outburst felled the beast and helped my friends, in doing it I sullied myself. I had failed to be all that I could be, and succumbed to a weakness of his spirit. It was a method only used by the tawdry, the cheap and common man. It was not the way of a true hero, and for my failure I new I would have to pay penance.