New Acquaintances - Princes of the Apocaverse - Session Eight

Sacred Stone Monks

The Chapters and Cast of the Ballad

Rested from their most recent battle;
The young heroes return to the monastery;
Passing through with a bit of a rattle;
They came into the halls of old history.

Their visit a hour previous had gone unnoticed;
And thus the return had little difficulty;
Until they saw a man being led with some protest;
By stone-armored guards in a manner of militancy.

With little warning Mystra’s cleric acted solo;
Firing the first shot and the second and third;
A hail of missiles striking many a true blow;
The surprised guards not warning had heard.

Fennle slipped forward and struck with her spear;
The only one primed to act with due haste;
Another chink carved out of the cult’s air of fear;
The monk kept the guard outpaced.

The mysterious prisoner backed against a wall;
Acting the innocent and helpless sot;
In hopes that the guard would ignore a thrall;
And move past him to engage this new lot.

The tiefling then stepped into view;
And lifted her crossbow to fire;
The bolts scattered and failed to hew;
Still of these heroes the guards did tire.

Another barrage hailed from Elivia’s wand;
Striking Fennle’s opponent hard and true;
Of this weapon Elivia had become quite fond;
For its ability to leave others black and blue.

The guard slipped around the monk;
A path to clear for his other partner;
And lifted a club carved from stone hunk;
Crashing it down on Fennle’s marker.

Talindra advanced into the fray;
Moving as swift as she could;
Alongside the enemy’s flank to lay;
But no time to strike where he stood.

The arcane technician applied his cunning;
And directed a bag of ball bearings;
To hang in open air before those coming;
With a thought to his odd maneuverings.

The second guard stepped past his charge;
And swung at the monk’s side;
His ally flanking gave him a chance large;
To tan Fennle’s delicate hide.

The monk retaliated with spear and foot;
Cracking armor and skin from the guard;
Clearly stating her stand on his violent input;
The cultist now found standing hard.

Seeing his chance clear the prisoner acted;
Making his chains an impromptu weapon;
He kept the second guard distracted;
With a chain grapple he did step in.

The tiefling then flitted into the fight;
Rapier and dagger scratching along stone;
The armor not allowing one blow to light;
Her blades were left to simply hone.

The prisoner asked for a bit of help;
Thinking the spear might have answers;
But she noted it was not a neck spear;
Being more for knees and prancers.

Mystra’s cleric then intoned a prayer;
Calling sacred flame to sear the caught man;
Who was unable to dodge the holy glare;
And power radiantly seared his brain pan.

The paladin lashed out with her sword;
Ending the first guard’s desperate bid;
And attempt to avoid death abhorred;
But of him the group were now well rid.

Fennle noted on the paladin’s neck sword;
While Talindra noted its purpose more general;
For cutting down any sort of horde;
A strike the edges or even something more central.

Then Lohn’s invisible hand made use of its bag;
A small bundle of ball bearings pouring;
Into the stone armor of the guard in a snag;
Making his life horribly far from boring.

The guard struggled against the prisoner’s grip;
But with the metal balls giving trouble;
He could not find a way out to slip;
Leaving him facing disadvantage double.

Still the guard persevered a little while longer;
His armor protecting him from foot and blade;
Though he became not any more stronger;
And he saw his hold on life beginning to fade.

South down the hall, a door was opened;
Out stepped a monk wondering at the racket;
The prisoner saw as this happened;
And warned of incoming new foes to hack at.

Fennle turned to this new foe to fight;
Dodging a clumsy strike from the enemy;
And landing a flurry which was far from slight;
But seeing that these new foes were many.

The prisoner took his captive in hand;
And rammed his head into the wall;
Giving the helmet a crack grand;
Pushing the guard ever more to a fall.

Marle heard Fennle’s call for aid;
And rushed down the passage rapier leading;
The earth monk’s evil was then paid;
As his body was left sliced and bleeding.

One more action did the tiefling take;
A blade from her belt moved into the air;
Finding in the far guard’s armor a break;
It found in his flesh a new lair.

Elivia stepped up with a hand full of lightning;
Seeking to channel it through the metal balls;
But with the guard’s struggles heightening;
Her shock failed and the enemy avoided falls.

Then Talindra decided they needed this foe gone;
And her blade through his armor struck true;
A heavy blow landed through the black earth pawn;
This fanatic killer she most verily slew.

Fennle in stance swirled about her hands;
Gathering together a font of inner light;
Her unleashed power on the foes lands;
And the kienzan took out most of his fight.

Bending low, the prisoner searched the body;
And snatched the tiefling’s dagger;
Out of armor that was now quite shoddy;
But in unlocking his manacles he did stagger.

A door burst open further down the hall;
With another masked monk to the charge;
He attempted to cause Fennle to fall;
Through her defenses he did barge.

Another appeared in the doorway below;
Lashing out at the tiefling bard;
He did little but to overextend his flow;
Slamming foot into stone wall hard.

Marle’s own assault had little chance;
As the monk applied a legendary defense;
Known as the stubbed toe stance;
Which consisted of random nonsense.

Talindra rushed again to join the lines;
Engaging the monk pressing Fennle;
Forcing the cultist to watch her signs;
So that his body did not gain a tunnel.

Around the corner the cleric moved;
And called out an encouraging word;
Some of her friend’s pain thus removed;
She set sacred flame on the lagging third.

Lohn applied his locksmith’s skill;
And though it took some extra time;
Set their unlooked for ally at will;
The manacles clinking like a chime.

Fennle retreated from the fray;
And took the chance to catch her breath;
The foes she faced did nearly slay;
Giving her a glimpse of the land of death.

The unnamed prisoner took a chance;
To look into a nearby storage room;
Finding his armor, weapons at a glance;
To better arm himself against doom.

The last monk foolishly held fast;
Slamming his foot into Talindra’s skull;
Rattling her some but now to the last;
He proved his sense in common with a bull.

Elivia advanced to take Fennle’s place;
A fistful of lightning drawn from Mystra’s grace;
She reached out for the monk’s metal face;
But the monk avoided the shocking trace.

Lohn bent his task to collecting lost coin;
As their new ally sought his gear;
Before anyone else could purloin;
And thus insuring financial cheer.

Fennle took the chance to lash out;
With a fluffy dart and a kienzan;
Two targets she sought in this bout;
One dodged but the other did not stand.

The now armed prisoner to his guards returned;
But found their treasures had been nicked;
And his efforts gaining profit spurned;
Though Lohn assured him a fair ticket.

The one remaining monk did with style;
Slam a fist into Talindra’s armor;
With a ringing blow that sent her a trial;
And bruised the ribs of the once farmer.

Tiefling wings flipped out and caught air;
Carrying Marle over the cleric and paladin;
She made her strikes with a bard’s flare;
Bringing the fanatic’s life to a sliver thin.

Talindra’s blade made a final end;
To this last foe in the hallway to stand;
Though he did stubbornly fend;
In the end his body did certainly land.

A moment of peace the party had;
To make introductions and search for loot;
Talks of orcs and monsters mad;
And the prisoner’s attempts to escape the brutes.

He gave his name to them as Angus;
And applauded Lohn’s practical acumen;
As the locksmith collected the spore dust;
Of a trap disarmed with magical zen.

They found a robe of golden silk;
Embroidered with suns and wings;
Of which Hellenrae had disliked the ilk;
But no harm to it anything brings.

Fennle meanwhile found texts and scrolls;
Unrayle’s testimonial and mad rant;
Filled with the extent of his eventual goals;
And information that was not scant.

Their discussion and rest was cut short;
As toward them many foes did stalk;
Unable this time an investigation to thwart;
They raced for the door with arcane lock.

Marle’s magic resounded with a mighty knock;
And in they fled to the cobwebbed lab;
As the magic door slowly relocked;
They held the door against their foes’ jabs.

Finally, the blows faded away;
And the cultists angrily cursed;
Calling them fools to within stay;
Expecting their fate to be the worst.

Not long after a skeletal form;
Entered the room and demanded silence;
Calling for them to leave his dorm;
A never again to return hence.

Fennle managed with great effort;
To hold her hatred of the undead in check;
While Angus and Elivia sought a safe port;
And apologizing to the lich for the pain in the neck.

The ancient mage hero Renwick Caradoon;
Reluctantly gave them leave to stay;
And asked that they leave the front room;
Then as soon as possible to be away.

Tired and shorn of most of their reserves;
The party set in to take their rest;
Mystra’s servant looked to their nerves;
And their new items they did test.

The robe was a gift to a heavenly resident;
To the angels merely a trinket;
But it carried power for a mortal eminent;
And swell the ki of a monk wearing it.

The Chapters and Cast of the Ballad