The World of Telvar

Eventually we cast a Detect Magic and discovered a weird bubble of magic
in the bottom of the stream, in a 15' radius hemisphere. We determined
it must be some sort of fear effect. Cassian Lowered the water and
uncovered a genie, encased in some sort of shell, radiating fear.

The genie did not detect as evil (Chaotic neutral, in fact), and we
decided to free it with a Dispel from Cassian. This was successful, and
Cassian, Quentin, and Donald spoke with the being. It was haughty and
arrogant and of course laid down the usual threats, but eventually turned
out to be relatively benevolent, or at least unconcerned with us. It was
really angry that the original creator of the dungeon had sealed it here
with the help of four earth elementals, all of whom had ganged up on the
poor thing.

It thought the elementals might still be there, and it really wanted to
waste them, but we didn't know where they were. It thanked us (at least,
it didn't insult us) and disappeared.
We shrugged and moved on.

We were out of options, so we spoke with the "Ecks" in the corridor at
the beginning of the dungeon. This time we didn't bring a light, and
they were happy to speak with us. We proposed our plans of dropping the
ceiling on the guardian creature, and they thought it was really cool,
but wouldn't work. It turns out that the entire dungeon is virtually
indestructible, resisting fully Stoneshape and Transmute Rock to Mud, and
any burrowing creature. Only elemental earth creatures can affect it
significantly (though Peacemaker chipped the wall slightly).

They said it would be a 20 year project or so. We thought about it, and
told them we'd get back to them.

They told us we could bribe the guardian monster, but that only 3 of
maybe 15 adventuring parties had returned from down there (the last was
Ranore's, according to their sense of time).

The other interesting tidbit we learned-- the earth elementals are where
the "Antechamber to the Garden of a Thousand Delights" was. DOH!!!!!!!
We ran back to the river and yelled for the genie, saying we had his
information, but we couldn't get his attention. Oh well. Maybe later.

In any case, we were left with few options. We decided to bribe our way
past the many-headed guardian monster. The last time we had encountered
it, we had run, and it had yelled, "Come back, dinner!" as we fled. This
time, we determined to dump 1500 gp (or was it 1000 gp) in front of it
immediately.

This worked! The thing even had a funny line about how we should go
quickly before its unnecessarily haughty demeanor required it to kill us
(or something along those lines). We went past.

Down we descended, perhaps 500 feet in altitude, and a half a mile in
corridor. We reached the lower levels, and here the walls were type FOUR
alteration instead of type 3. Otherwise, more cavern.

We think we spotted the poem that had so frustrated Ranore's group
before, and avoided those doors, believing that to be the way to a place
where all the treasure had already been looted. Instead, we wandered
around the caverns.

The first thing of note happened when we walked around a corner and
spotted a greater demon statue. It was holding some sort of chest.
Felix and Donald entered the room, and it animated and spilled the chest
onto the floor, dozens of magic items landing all over the place. It
said to chose one and leave one.

Overcoming our trepidation, we (Felix) left a Token of Arch on the floor,
and took the type 5 magic rod that Donald had spotted (it was non-evil).
Heck, even if it's cursed, we didn't give up much, and it seemed worth
the risk!

We then left, not wanting to push our luck by trying it again.

After more wandering, we reached a room with four portals, each of which
appeared dark from inside the room. Felix and Morgan walked in, but when
they tried to walk back, they found themselves coming out one of the
OTHER doors. After a few attempts of this failed, we tried guiding them
with rope. The first time, Morgan crashed into a wall and hurt himself.
Then they shut ththeir eyes and were guided, and this time they got
free. Weird room.

Finally, we rounded a corner and were breathed on.

By a mutant basilisk with wings.

Quentin and Albee immediately turned to Stone. Felix and Morgan charged,
yelling and hit the invisible cloud of poison around the creature.
Morgan dropped dead instantly, and Felix felt burning in his chest.

Cassian dropped her Dispel, and she and Kain began lots of Slow Poison
spells. Balinor skidded to a stop and fired his new repeating crossbow.
Alduin climbed up the walls and planned to drop on the creature while
holding his breath. Donald slammed it with Magic Missiles.

Felix stood against the monster, and hit it once. It struck back with
three claws, swiping Felix twice and he dropped dead.

This left Kain standing in front of Morgan, the only target for the
monster. At this moment, Alduin fell from the ceiling, jabbing a dagger
into the thing's back, but having his breath blasted out and inhaling the
gas. Fortunately, Alduin lived and rolled back to the side.

Kain dropped a Slow Poison on Morgan and he stood back up. Cassian
Slowed Balinor, and Kain Slowed Felix. Felix and Morgan, with a second
Magic Missile from Donald, killed the thing before Balinor ever got
there, including a powerful Thunderstruck from the elf.

Cassian dropped a Dispel Magic just in time on Quentin and Albee, freeing
them from the Petrification just before it became permanent!

Geez!

And there was treasure.

We didn't find out what it was as it was 2 AM.

Next game is currently set for 3 weeks later, when we reunite at Cornell.

Joel/Balinor