Game Events 11/29/03

10/5
Before game, discussion regarding Joe's email from the previous week. Agreement was that we would discuss solutions upon each room and problem we face, and take a vote if necessary. In addition, anyone who does not wish to go along with the group decision due to beliefs may do so, but it will be on their own time and they are of the understanding that if they wish to risk their own lives, that is their choice, but they are not to risk the groups'. Just waiting on Russ' agreement.

10/6

All rested, we are ready for level 2. We talk to the guardian, and are told that our lifeforce can be insured for a price. Should we die, our life can be restored to the beginning of the level. For either 15k GP or 3 yrs of our life relative to our race (i.e. 30 years for an elf, 3 yrs for a human). We are given two hours to pass the level. It is a maze where we will be followed by a hunter. After two hours he will be let loose to track us down.

We leave immediately. Once we leave the room, the stonework is similar to a sandstone carved in blocks, layered. We all have darkvision. Level is lit. Group heads left. Follow passage, get to a door. Minotaur head in door, big sweeping horns sweeping out. Eyes staring out, jet black. Oak door. Where handle would be, no handle. Just an opening. Both locking mechanism and lever are missing, need to go find it first.

We turn around and go the other direction, right. Continuing along the passageway, we can smell minotaur. At this point, about 2 minutes has passed. Our current path ends at a wall. After searching, we find nothing.

We continue another direction. It sounds like we will be coming up to a large room. The room is 20x30, and there is a simple white stone pedestal midway through the room. No dust in the room at all, completely clean. Sandstone has been completely whitewashed. Ceiling is 15' tall. Pedestal looks like a large horn. Very slender. Laq and Drake examine the pedestal while the rest of the group stays back (yet close enough to aid if necessary), with the exception of Elayshea. There are no physical wires, pressure plates, etc. Drake grabs the horn. As he does so, red bars form on the doorway. The walls turn a red color as a drum, or metronome begins to sound. Drake seems to have problems grabbing the horn. None of the other group members seem to be able to touch the horn also.

Drake attempts to destroy the pedestal with "crumble". Cracks start ripping through it as part of the pedestal turns to dust. After everone starting to whack on it, the pedestal is destroyed and the horn continues to float. Everyone is pissed off at Justin, who takes glee in this.

We try many things, including having an air elemental try. At this point, 15 minutes have passed. Laq attempts to teleport, can't take the horn, but can go behind Elayshea. The air elemental returns, with a chunk of it missing. 15 more minutes have passed. Bars go down, and we are free to leave. We decide to go look for other things first.

We head down another direction. There is a plaque on the wall, with a small crystal quartz case holding a locking mechanism. In each corner there are statues. In one corner, gentleman, human looking, great sword, backpack, tall, potions, cloak, dagger, ready for battle. In another, a shorter human, studded leather armor, daggers, cloak, short swords, pouches. In another, another human figure, very defiant, strong sense of purpose. Flowing robes, hand extended to cast a spell, spell pouches, wand, potion vials, crossbow, spear. In another corner, human, female, banded mail, cloak, shield, holy symbol of fortuna, getting ready to cast. The plaque reads "we stand warriors here ready, holding the lock to the horn. We stand prepared to defend it. Should you wait too long to take the key, the hunter takes you and you shall take our place."

We leave this area to search the rest of the level. As we are walking, Laq notices a door. He opens the door, into a room, 20x20. 2 barrels on the far wall. Tray with ham, large wheel of cheese, sleeping mats, and a note rolled up on top of a box. Laq goes in and reads the note. "congratulations. Hope this is of help to you. While the hunter knows of this place, none of the other minions do."

7 vials inside the box, each of different colors. We make a mental note of the room and continue on. Suddenly, we hear deep voices talking. 4 minotaurs. We move up and attack. We slaughter them, and find ourselves standing in a minotaur barracks. We find some treasure, and look for the key but cannot find it. We decide to move on.

We come to a long hallway. Lightning bolts explode down the hallway. Drake comes up with the idea to wall of stone the end of the wall. We get to the end of the hallway, and there is another long hallway around the corner. It smells of a trap. We load up on resist element spells, and Hana goes down the hallway. Freezing cold ice blasts down the hallway. Laq sees a secret door a little more than halfway down the hallway. Laq finds that the secret door is a passageway to avoid the triggers in the hallway. We find another hallway, with acid. We see a button. Hana pushes it, and we hear "wrong". Minimal Fire damage. Pushes another button. "Pop!"

Hana is now in a room, 15x15. A very large plate on the ground, plate of steel. On the opposite end of the room, there is a minotaur. Fight ensues. Hana steps onto the plate to attack him, and kills him. she removes his armor. The minotaur begins healing. there was a lever that teleported us back to the group.

Hana pushes another button, which lands in the same situation. Brings the armor with her when she returns this time.

We all go collectively to the last button, and the same situation happens.

We determine that all plates need to be depressed, so we go back and drag the minotaurs onto the buttons. Then we push the levers. We hear "wards disable for two minutes". Hana flies to the room where the horn was, picks it up. She flies to the room with the crystal, breaks the glass. The figures come to life. Large battle with the figures. As the figures die, they crumble away to ash.

We grab the items from the room and go to the minotaur door handle. We put all the items in the door and swing the door open. The horns lock together, the head bows a little bit, and the door swings open. The room opens forward, it is dark in here. 15x20, and there are three passageways going forward. We can smell electricity, fire, and acid in the air. There is a large seal on the floor, raised, of a huge minotaur head. The one on the right has a plaque with a sword suspended above it. The one on the middle has a plaque with 5 elements above it. The one on the left hangs a symbol of arcane magic. Drake tells us the hall of the frozen heads lies ahead. Remember: Do not meet his gaze. Fear is all about him.

We head down the physical passageway and feel a magical effect wash over us. We see a minotaur, 9-9.5' tall. This guy looks *very* strong. Dressed in studded leather armor, covered in runes, holding a large shield, great axe. Great axe covered in icy cold. Probably the strongest minotaur we have ever seen. He is waiting for us.

He begins by casting a spell at us that removes one of the spells cast on us. He goes ethereal. When he reappears, we attack. Laquavious does the final attack, bringing it to exactly -10 HP.

We open the door, where a basket lies. There is a note that says "to level 3". We loot all of the treasure out of the level, and then move up to Level 3.

LEVEL 3

We go in to Level 3. Blast of heat. Easily 110 degrees. Desert winds. Seem to be opening the door into the back of a large pavillion tent. Large 30' across pavillion tent, comfortable pillows across the ground. Very chic of the middle eastern legends. Ghostly image rises up.

"welcome to level 3." Repeats Rules, offers same offer as before, 4 yrs and 17,5k GP. Asks if we have any questions. 6 Groups have made it this far, 5 groups have left the level. 1 group did not leave the level. This place is part of the structure. The environment is as real as it would be outside of the structure. No place is particularly safe. No time limit, no specific objective other than reaching next Level. Challenge of this level is to find the exit to the next level. This level is structured similar to the deserts. It is inhabited as such. The goal is to survive the perils. There are many false exits and one real exits.

Drake turns into a desert hawk and flies to view the area. He sees a lot of desert insects, and some tents in the distance. He sees some areas where it looks like some things didn't survive in the area. He comes back and describes it to the rest of the group.

We rest 12 days for those that need to level up. We rest 1 extra day so that Laquavious can gain some extra spells.

10/19

potion diviation: Cure Serious - hana Neutralize Poison - Laq Remove Curse - Hana Cure Disease - Laq Cure Blindness and deafness - Laq Lesser Restoration - Hana Dispel Magic - Hana axe, +1 - Elayshea (will hold on to it for now) shield, +1 - Martin studded leather, +1 - Elayshea jade shot glass - Hana Black Sapphire - Hana

Drake asks the guardian to tell us of this place. We are told that they are moved there. The group all has endure elements on them. We start to head to the tents.