Session+74

 **Battle vs The Red Lord!** **6-27-15** A vast underground area that was perhaps once an underwater cave... but was now magically devoid of water. 150 feet of sand with large rocks jutting out preceded about another 150 feet of red fungus covered ground with large mounds of thick red vines. After that was a massive Ghaundahaur temple depicting strange underwater creatures, sacrifices, tentacles ripping people apart... a horrible and tragic story. A wave of hate and hunger pulsed in the area like a heartbeat. Shri pulled out scrolls for Azarius and Wren to cast floating disks to carry the anti-fungus barrels.

There was a large main entrance at the front center of the temple and a smaller entrance on the side. Posy pointed out large thick vines coming from the temple that seemed to flow into the mass of fungus before it.

Thorn and Posy lead the way through the sand. Thorn walked beside her invisible, making it look as though she was approaching alone to any would be ambushers. "Hold up, don't move!" Thorn's voice came from beside her and Posy froze in mid stride, her foot still in the air. "Good, no carefully move your foot back and do not step forward," his voice came again from just ahead of her and she stepped back carefully. She watched a danger flag appear in the sand before her, marking a strange mound that she nearly stepped on. She alerted the others to the presence of the flag and continued with a little more cautious stride. Thorn kept his eyes on high alert and marked a few more traps as they moved on.

An explosion of lightning emitted outward from a stone as Posy accidentally stepped on another mound that Thorn missed! Both of them wore horrible electrical burns from the explosions and Thorn looked a bit jittery. The rest of the group gave them a slightly larger lead after seeing that, but as they moved up, Erevin seen the drow runes on the stone symbolizing the explosives, "Drow..."

As Posy and Thorn neared the edge of the red fungus at the end of the sand halted their steps as several orc and farmer bodies descended from the ceiling as marionettes held by vines from the ceiling! The group looked up in horror to see the fungus above them holding various stages of decomposed bodies.

Erevin moved with amazing speed, lunging forward to sever the vines from one of the puppeted bodies, "Remember, no lightning on the vines!" He glanced back at Wren and Mali who both nodded. The body fell to the ground with a sickening thump. Posy pulled her axe up defensively, looking over the dropped bodies in surprise. Thorn stepped up behind one of the orcs, stabbing him in the back and severing the vine with a second precise strike. The body fell to the ground with strange bloodless holes in it.

The orcs swung at Posy, but she easily dodged, fully prepped for defense. The bodies on the ground, severed from the vines above, crawled on the ground to try and grab Erevin and Thorn's ankles, but the elf and halfling nimbly avoided them. Mali backed away in her water elemental form from another and moved back over the ground to slam into the marionette who swung out and then back into her. Azarius vanished from sight.

Wren stepped past Mali and Mell to send out a massive cone of cold from her hands to freeze and shatter three of the bodies... the vines snapped and recoiled to the ceiling coated in frost! Satisfied with the result, she glanced past the large rock between them, shouting, "More cold, Erevin!" Erevin used his moonblade to send out three powerful strikes, one on each of the bodies around him, severing two of the vines and freezing the one on the ground! Posy swung her greataxe in multiple directions, but the marionettes seemed to throw her off and she only managed to cut the vines from one. Thorn cut through the vines on another.

One of the bodies grabbed onto Erevin's ankle while another grappled onto Posy's ankle activating her shirt of immolation that burst into flame!! The arm of the body turned to ash from the sudden burst of fire!

Mali carefully avoided the flag in the ground, and slammed into the body, still upright from the vines in the ceiling, near Thorn with a heavy slap of water. Azarius flew over the ground up near the edge of the fungus as Wren stepped past the rock to send out a mass of silver darts into two of the bodies near Erevin, shredding them into tattered pieces. Kale swept up the other side, taking out the third body to clear the area around Erevin.

Erevin glanced back to be sure Shri and Mari were safe and then charged across the field to sever one of the bodies past Posy. He stopped just before another of the trapped mounds. Posy chopped into the two bodies on the ground around her with her greataxe, sending out pieces of shredded vine and fungus.

Thorn vanished, backing away from the last body still up, leaving it for Mali who slammed into it, rocking it back to swing right back at her. Azarius turned around and sent out a barrage of magic missiles into the soggy body dangling on vines, eviscerating it.

Angry at the loss of it's marionettes, the forest of vines on the ceiling shook, cascading dead bodies and bones like rain! Wren screamed, backing away as one of them collided into her and another clipped Azarius.

After regrouping, Azarius took two of the barrels and flew slowly over the fungus, pouring out the anti-fungus to clear out a path for everyone to get to the temple entrance. He paused at the entrance to see a monstrous sea-looking beast sitting on a throne with an armored vest of thick vines and red vine crown. A booming voice came forth despite it's mouth not moving, "Who dares disturb the Red King?" He lifted his arms up with several tentacles, 3 swords and a shield were held in each "hand". An enormous heart of vines hung in the air behind him, pulsing.

Everyone else drank another dose of anti-fungus and doused in it before traveling along the brown path made by Azarius. The mounds of vines opened up near the path to reveal a large and a huge red dragon as well as two stone giants... all four controlled by red fungus vines...

The huge red dragon reached out and bit Thorn, able to see him just fine despite the invisibility protecting him. Thorn looked ragged and hurt. One of the stone giants smashed into Mari. The Red Lord moved slowly forward, advancing toward Azarius who put up a magic shield. Wren brought up her black feathered bow, forming an energy arrow that pierced into Thorn. Wincing at the surprise strike, Thorn was imbued with heroism, giving him the strength to push on.

Posy cleaved deeply into one of the vined stone giants! Thorn quickly moved toward Shri along the path. Erevin swept his moonblade in an arc to send out a cone of cold against the large dragon who managed to remain up despite the massive damage from the cold. Shri laid her cool hands on Thorn, healing over some of his wounds.

 Azarius sent in a barrage of magic missiles, puncturing holes through the pulsing heart of vines. The Red King glared at the sorcerer. Mali shapeshifted into a manticore, grabbing one of the barrels from a disk hovering near Wren. The larger red dragon breathed out a great wave of fire over Wren, Kale, and Mali! Wren and Kale managed to evade most of it, but Mali and Melleron were charred horribly! The other red dragon bit into Erevin while striking a sharp talon across Thorn! An enormous giant swung his club just over Erevin's head as the nimble elf ducked down.

"They are here! Where is my promised aid?" The Red Lord shouted to the room. Wren sent out a powerful bolt of cold back at the larger red dragon, bringing his full attention to the witch! Posy enlarged with righteous might and stood toe to toe with the other giant, striking into him with her massive axe to take him down! Thorn slipped behind the other fire giant and flew into rapid shredding strikes with his daggers, dropping the giant in an exceptionally impressive display! "Have you been down here that long... or are you just too daft to know who I am?" Erevin spouted off arrogantly as he leapt in with his moonblade carving through the glinting red scales of the other dragon to take him down! Shri laid her cool hands on Erevin's skin, healing over his wounds. Azarius sent an empowered ice storm over The Red King, pelting him with ice chunks and blurring the area with a flurry of blinding snow.

Mali flew in with her barrel in her talons, smashing it over the larger red dragon. The red vines melted off of the dragon, leaving gaping wounds in it's body! It roared angrily, barely tearing it's gaze away from the witch to turn and bite into the charred manticore form of Mali! She fell unconscious into the fungus covered ground! "Mali!" Wren screamed as the druidess fell... too far to help her and an angry red dragon between them. She and Kale moved forward along the path as she prepped a spell to counter another potential breath attack. Posy grabbed one of the barrels from the discs floating around the witch and rushed in toward the Red Lord with Thorn following her in.

 Erevin sheathed his moonblade and shot a dragon slaying arrow from his bow, striking the larger red dragon in the throat, the dragon slaying magic taking it down! Shri made it to Mali's unconscious manticore body, holding up her head and opening up her mighty jaws... the drow priestess scrunched up her face and blew quickly down the throat, breathing life back into the druidess. Red vines of fungus began wrapping around Mali and Shri despite the liquid still clinging to their skin and clothing... Azarius began summoning a winged woman to help carry barrels. Posy and Wren looked up to the entrance to see a flash of blue light come from within the The Red Lord's temple. Kale hoisted one of the barrels from one of the disks floating around Wren and tossed it over the area of Shri and Mali with the witch exploding it with a bolt of lightning to rain down the liquid inside, clearing the vines from around them. Posy readied her axe and charged in to the Red Lord to be met with multiple swords being held by the tentacles at his wrist to pierce into the supersized gnome! She moved through the massive ice storm still swirling around to strike into him with her great axe.

Thorn's eyes widened in shock watching the mighty Red Lord's strike against Posy and the resistance of her fierce strikes. He stepped off to the side, drinking down a potion of blur only to notice the appearance of two drow in the corner of the room. One carried two blades and the other crackled with energy. "We've got company! Off to the sides!" he quickly warned the others, "Erevin, I think they're friends of yours..." The Red Lord's wounds began to close. "I thought I smelled drow," the elven ranger glanced back to be sure Shri was free of the vines and safe. He shuddered as he looked into the temple at the enormous Red King before Posy, but bravely stepped into the doorway, "My Lord's command was to put you down..." he whispered the Red King's name to his bow and shot an arrow into his head. The Red Lord glanced out to notice the elven prince for the first time. Shri laid her cool hands on the manticore, moonlight flowing over Mali to heal some of her still charred skin.

Mali swept up Shri and leapt up next to Erevin in the doorway. An azata appeared next to Azarius and the two of them grabbed barrels from his disks. Azarius flew toward the heart of the vines while the azata flew over the Red Lord. Erevin and Mali blinked as there was a shimmer in front of them, closing the opening of the doorway while Wren called out that the side entrance became filled with whirling blades cutting them off!

The drow pulled two daggers and struck into Thorn, slowing him down with poison, "I have you now, runt!" The Red King tried to strike Posy with his swords, but they clanged against her armor! Wren and Kale ran up to the doorway with the witch recognizing the Wall of Force in front of them, "I can't bring it down... I'm sorry. I could teleport us to the other side, but..." she glanced at the massive wolf standing next to Erevin, "I don't have enough power to take Mari too." "Do it then," Erevin nodded, shouldering his bow, and stroked the wolf's neck affectionately, "Mari, wait here. I'll be back." He pulled his moonblade. Mali shifted back to her halfling form and collared Melleron, picking him up. "I'm sorry, Mari... just give me some time," Wren nodded to her, hugging her arms around Erevin, Shri, Kale, and Mali, who was holding onto her tiny collared lion.

Thorn used the blood vial that hung around his neck and whirled back against the vaguely familiar drow with his daggers, striking him multiple times! "If that's the best you can do... you may as well lay down and die!" the drow taunted him, whirling with his own daggers. Azarius and his azata released the liquid from the barrels, the Red Lord roared in pain as his protective red vines of armor browned and dried, making Posy's strikes much more effective! The godling of Ghaundahaur turned his hateful gaze toward the sorcerer. The heart began to brown and blacken, and the vines carried the death up and out of the temple... The Red King turned to strike into Azarius, drawing large gashes across the sorcerer. The other two drow moved from the other side of the room, one of them moving in to flank Thorn who glanced through the clear wall at his companions trapped on the outside. The other waved to the group and wove darkness on the inside, blocking them from sight. The drow with the daggers struck into Thorn again, but the halfling rogue fought off the poison!

The mage drow sent a barrage of magic missiles into Posy, and the gnome cast a warning glance back at her, pointing her finger before keeping her focus on the godling in front of her. Wren stepped through a dimensional door, taking her companions inside the temple just inside the wall of force. Her three disks carrying 5 barrels hovered outside of the wall next to Mari. Kale struck the mage drow now beside them, a female drow squeal coming from the deep darkness. Erevin swung his moonblade toward the scent of the other casting drow now behind him, but she managed to dodge out of the way. Shri casted moonlight in the area to counter the deep darkness, bringing it up to dim.

The Red King struck into Azarius again, drawing another huge gash across his back as the sorcerer shattered another barrel over him! The azata broke another barrel over the heart, shrinking it down and browning it further... the sea of red outside browned and died as the antifungus continued to spread. Mali pulled Melleron's collar and closed his wounds, sending him to attack the drow on Thorn's back. The lion struck into the drow with his teeth and claws, giving Thorn an opportune moment to strike the drow in his turned back! The Red Lord struck into Posy again, the gnome was covered in blood and still raging angrily ignoring her grave wounds. The casting drow beside Kale sent out a cone of cold over everyone, but several managed to get out of the way.

The drow behind Erevin reached out, laying her hands on the elf, "Feel the power of Ghaundahaur!" A massive wave of negative energy washed over him, paling him with severe damage despite his strength of will resisting the full effect! Thorn fought nimbly, bouncing back and forth between the two drow on him, striking them as they struck against him again. "Drow bitch!" Erevin struck back against the drow cleric with his moonblade, slashing her twice to cut her down! Shri put her hands on Erevin's back, healing him fully.

Wren pointed at the drow mage, nodding to Kale, "Destroy her! ...and don't watch this." She turned around to spew out an army of ants to swarm over one of the drow attacking Thorn. Kale nodded, striking twice with his blade into the drow mage! The azata hit the heart with another barrel and it fell to the ground with a leathery plop and the fungus outside seemed to be dead and turning to dust, and Azarius hit the Red Lord again with a barrel of liquid. Melleron slashed deeply into one of the drow, giving Thorn the opportunity to finish him! Mali sent in a powerful flamestrike into the Red Lord, the divine magic causing him to scream in agony as it ate away at his flesh! The mage drow sent out an ice storm over several in the group while her dagger wielding companion slashed into Thorn!

Posy struck, in an angry rage, gashing into the tentacled godling with her great axe again and again, carving massive chunks from his body! "Ghaundahaur! Help your Red King!" The Red Lord called out still striking back against the gnome desperately who finally fell unconscious to the ground! "You'll be with him soon enough," Erevin taunted back in a whisper. "Kale, go and help Thorn! Leave the mage to me," Wren pulled her empowered wand, sending a bolt of lightning into the casting drow woman, dropping her to the ground! Kale stepped quickly to down the final screaming, ant-covered drow beside Thorn.

Thorn threw alchemist fire onto the Red Lord, covering him in flames and Erevin sent in three precise and powerful arrows into the godling to finish him, toppling him wailing to the ground! Something rose into the air from his body, and a rumble came from the sky. Dust fell from the ceiling. Wren moved to the stone wall beside the wall of force, and phased through the stone with a passwall to create a door back to Mari outside. The vines in the temple now dead, the walls began crumbling all around. Erevin quickly grabbed the leathery heart from the ground and the group ran quickly from the collapsing temple. Dashing through the cavern while healing Posy and Thorn, and quickly returning to swim back up to the surface where they healed more. Returning to the wall of stone that was blocking the cavern, Wren again formed a passage through the rock.

Exiting out into the clearing, the fungus was gone... but the Echoes were prepped for battle and waiting! The leader stepped closer to Thorn, "Will you come with us?" Thorn sighed heavily, "You're never going to stop, are you?" "He is never going to stop," she shook her head. The halfling rogue looked around at his battered group. Wren stood beside him, shaking her head, and whispered to him, "Azarius and I can teleport us out." Thorn nodded to her, and turned back to Echo, "Would you allow me to say goodbye to my companions first?" "That seems... honorable," she nodded and turned to nod at the wizardess among them. She began casting what Wren recognized to be an anchor spell. Black feathers swirled around Wren as she pulled Cirdan to swift dispell it, but a chaos of noise... roars and bellows and thundering steps of the unicorn and several beasts arrived to trample the group of women, biting and clawing into them! The unicorn nodded to Mali, "You have avenged my father and restored the forest... I can not thank you enough. Go with your companions. We will distract these elves." The little red-haired halfling curtsied graciously, "Thank you, kind prince... until we meet again... under better circumstances." "You are always welcome here. You have healed the forest. It will take time to regrow... and if you wish to come back to help, we will be here," he nodded to her.

Wren and Azarius collected the group and teleported to Lyrabar, arriving in the open elven embassy courtyard. The elves in the area jumped in surprise! Erevin nodded to them, "We need aid." Several ran for help while others healed and lead the wounded to chairs.

6 magic swords, 2 magic shields, and magic drow loot to be identified! LEVEL 14!!!!!!! Woot!!