The Spire of Long Shadows - Part Two

15 June 2007

Players/Characters
Crumpus (Russell) 12th level male Human Fighter
Elzara (Will) 12th level female Elven Monk
Volon (Ian) 12th level male Human Druid
Milliardo Maquis (Andrew) 12th level male Human Knight
Ellan (Ewar) 12th level male Human Wizard
Eolias (Richard) 6th/1st/5th level male Elven Ranger/Wizard/Arcane Archer

Game Events

Tenser provided the party with two scrolls of Greater Teleport to allow them to travel to the ruined city of Kuluth-Mar.

On arrival the group found themselves looking down onto what had once been a magnificent city, but was now in ruins and mostly covered by encroaching jungle.

The main points of interest were a 30' obsidian wall surrounding a huge ziggurat, at the peak of which was a strange looking spire that had been broken at its apex.

Vollon wild shaped into an eagle and flew over the wall, noting that it was 5' wide, and was inscribed with glowing runes on the top. The runes repeated the same phrase over and over, and by using a Comprehend Languages spell the group read that it said 'Kyuss, forever bound'

When they crossed the wall, Elzara and Eolias felt a strange popping sensation in their heads, but apart from that there appeared to be no other effects.

As the party carefully approached the pyramid they all experienced a vision in which the city was restored to its former glory and the space around the ziggurat was filled with thousands of people, all worshiping one man on a green throne. The crowd were chanting for Kyuss.

As the vision faded, one of the group noticed that the ground was slowly moving, and brushing off the surface revealed hundreds of tiny green worms!

At this, the party all broke and ran for cover at the pyramid, Elzara easily outdistancing the rest, but that proved to be her downfall.

As she raced up the steps of the ziggurat she was attacked from the shadows by a Kyuss Knight, plus two giant undead beetles whose maddening clicking caused several of the party to stop and cover their ears.

Before help could arrive, Elzara had been cut down and lay still on the step as Ellan managed to disintegrate both Knight and one of the beetles. The Knight's magical Full Plate +2, heavy Steel Shield +1 and +1 Unholy Bastard Sword were collected by the group whilst Volon cast reincarnate on their fallen comrade.

Returning to life as a Human, Elzara rejoined the party and they decided to investigate the strange-looking spire. Volon wild-shaped and flew up to get a closer look, but as he got close to the ruined apex the party all experienced another vision in which the peak was restored as a fifteen foot tall three foot thick trapezoidal pinnacle of black rock. The characters only had enough time to register this before it was ripped off and carried away by an ancient red dragon.

Entering the pyramid they passed through an antechamber and came into a large room which dominated the interior of the ziggurat - doors led off but the main point of interest was a large jagged hole in the floor which appeared to have been blasted, felling pillars all around it.

As they approached the hole feelings of palpable evil eminated from it, so the group decided to try the doors first.

One led to another antechamber which mirrored the one through which they had entered, but upon opening the third door they were confronted by a dark skinned Elf flanked by two 9' tall angels who immediately attacked.

The angels turned their forearms into flaming blades and attacked whilst the Elf started to cast spells at the group.

One of the angels smashed a glass wall, releasing a swarm of greem worms which landed squarely upon Milliardo.

Ellan once again came to the rescue with his disintegrate spells, but not before the angels had done serious damage to the main fighters by diving at them and turning incorporeal to pass through the characters.

As soon as the last enemy fell, the group experienced another vision in which a strange six-armed undead creature presented Kyuss with a green worm. The party identified the creature as a spell weaver - a creature that can cast up to six levels of spells in a single round.

From their foes the party took a +3 breastplate and a +4 unholy greatsword.

Eager to press on the group moved to open the final door to find a kind of library guarded by four more Kyuss creatures whom they attacked.

Unfortunately these creatures had a way of dealing negative energy damage which healed them whilst injuring the party. This, combined with the fact that the characters had not fully healed after the encounter with the angels, led to both Millardo and Crumpus being hacked apart, and Ellan surviving just long enough to use the scroll of Teleport provided by Tenser to snatch the rest of the party from certain death!


Magical Items Found

+2 Full Plate
+1 Heavy Steel Shield
+1 Unholy Bastard Sword
+3 Breastplate
+4 Unholy Greatsword


XP Earned

Interpreting Vision 1 – 5,400 XP
1 x Kyuss Knight – 5,400 XP
Interpreting Vision 2 – 5,400 XP
2 x Beetles – 3,600 XP
2 x Wormswarm – 3,600 XP
Elf – 5,400 XP
2 x Angels – 4,800 XP
Interpreting Vision 3 – 7,200 XP



Total XP - 40,800 XP


Volon - 6,800 XP
Eolias - 6,800 XP
Crumpus - 6,800 XP
Ellan - 6,800 XP
Millardo - 6,800 XP
Elzara - 6,800 XP


Current Totals

Volon - 73,200 XP
Eolias – 73,200 XP
Crumpus deceased
Ellan - 74,450 XP
Millardo – deceased
Elzara – 73,200 XP