Session 49: the Triad takes a lickin' Report

General Summary

After The First, cleric of Tharizdun vanished from his chamber the party spent time examining the horrifying surrounds. In this, and next door in the half-elemental's room, there were numerous devices of pain: shackles, an iron maiden, torture screws and scalpels, metal pliers and needles, blood, lots of blood.   A metal chest with a Glyph of Warding (bypassed through Dispel Magic) lay in a corner. Inside Orlac found a Torch of Revealing and six balls of charcoal to go with it. Next to these items was a leather bag containing 940 platinum pieces. Orlac sensed more magic emanating from the chest and within a false bottom he found a magical book full of wise aphorisms, guidelines, and training for increasing one's wisdom. On the desk were a series of papers and notes detailing the Triad's plans. They describe that by recovering the elemental nodes, the princes of evil elementals can return to the Prime Material plane and free Tharizdun. To recover the nodes the elemental power gems must be found and placed within the Orb of Oblivion, all within the Temple of Elemental Evil.   In the quarters of The Third, Emmanuel Woodsmoke's Detect Magic uncovered something magical within the bedsheets. After carefully investigating Mike discovered a Portable Hole with two Potions of Superior Healing (one immediately drunk by Barbados) and a spell scroll with two spells, later determined by Orlac to be Scrying and Etherealness.   Still despondent at Tymaret's disappearance, Orlac suggested the party test again the fates in the level below and draw cards from the skeleton. They did with a range of fantastic and fateful effects. First Emmanuel drew one card, The Idiot (no, that's the name of the card), and instantly lost 4 points of Intelligence. Orlac drew three cards: Gem, fifty 1000 GP gems appeared at his feet; The Fates, he can erase one event as if it never happened; and Moon, he gained the ability to cast one wish spell. Orlac used The Fates to bring back Tymaret and the paladin appeared before all, naked and pleased to see his friends. Barbados couldn't help himself and rushed to draw one card: Flames, a powerful devil has become his enemy and will seek to ruin his life, savouring Barbados's suffering before slaying him. Barbados shrugged, "sound like mother-in-law".   The topmost level beckoned. Upon cresting the stairs the hereos were in a room of darkness, but strangely they could see. Two pillars of writhing shapes fronted a dias with three altars. Immediately all, but Barbados saw their most loved person about to be sacrificed upon the altar. Orlac realized it was a phantasm, but could not shake the vision. The rest rushed to the altar to save their love. This trap perpetrated by The First drew in the heroes, and it was he standing at the altar in guise. Barbados was able to battle the cleric and Orlac dealt the death blow. Orlac wished to destroy the evil altar, but all his magics failed. It was Em who (uncharacteristically) used his single wish spell to rend the evil block in two. From the destroyed altar a Corpse Flower arose and attacked, dropping zombies from its shambling horror.   This, too, was defeated and the heroes retreated to level 2 and passed an uneventful long rest inside Orlac's Leomond's Tiny Hut.

Rewards Granted

Monster XP:
The First, cleric of Tharizdun: 13,000
Corpse Flower: 3,900
Zombie x 3: 150
  Adventure Advancement:
1000 XP   Total per PC: 3,610