Category The Tormentors

After defeating the flesh-stripping devil, the group explores the last major gatehouse on the causeway before making the final push to the walls of the city. They discover a lot of spiders and a few tattered servants of the orc and goblin variety. One way or another everything is killed, with the exception of one huge spider that manages to wedge its bulky body out a hatch before the fireballs and missiles could claim its life. They find the flayed body of a dead dwarf and use the cleric’s powers to question the fallen soul about the general layout of the city they plan to enter, They learn the approach is guarded by an evil beast of some sort that examines all who pass...

Pressing onwards after slaying the pair of lurking frogs, the group searches the towers and finds evidence of a wholesale – evacuation? – slaughter? – judging from the appearance of the contents, it would appear that it was inhabited by a contingent of troops. Perhaps they were slain by the frog folk?

Departing the towers, the group wanders on down the causeway. After a few miles, they hear the beat of a large drum drawing closer. The mage goes airborne and scouts, returning quickly to report the presence of a large troop of orcs, ungern, giants and trolls heading towards the towers they just vacated.

Opting for discretion over valor, the group goes over the side of the causeway and hides out in the swampy waters while the troop of reinforcements passes by...

The group decides to call it a day after slaying the ungern troop and climbs the rope. When they descend in the wee hours of the morning, they resume their journey. As the sun rises they become aware that a giant fog bank obscures the causeway ahead and extends for miles on either side of their path. They proceed with caution and eventually find that a large section of the causeway is collapsed, so they descend into the swamp and try to continue on their course. As they follow a trail made by the passing of many (orc?) feet, they become aware that there are large creatures moving about out in the mist and swampiness. The mage ascends by levitation and gets a view of the fog, the causeway and the surrounding lands. Another 6 to 8 miles of mist lie between them and their goal. Sigh...

The group does one final round of head-scratching and decides that it might be time to finally come to grips with the threat rising in the east. With the Vessel of Souls in tow, they board a ship – fight off a swarm of sahuagin – and land near Botkinburg. After a brief visit they journey to see Miles in Ludensheim, pausing to revel in the glory of their restoring him to power. From there, the journey along the Giant’s Causeway proves to be largely uneventful and as the group draws near the swamps, they depart the road and travel overland through the fields of the dead. There, they are beset by a small army of zombies, but the combined efforts of cleric, paladin and helm-toting elf reduces them to so much dust.

From there it is a peaceful journey through rolling fields, skirting far north ...

Pausing briefly after the latest tussle for life, the group decides to try thr tried and true approach of using the holy symbol to bypass the wall of writhing soulless elf bodies. Dipping the token into the well of bubbling blood causes the wall to roll back, leaving a 10 foot opening through which the group witnesses a most unique sight.

A large chamber lies before them – open to the afternoon sky, the walls rise some 30 feet, topped with a narrow overhang. Near the middle of the room, a whirling maelstrom of smoky air writhes in place. Near the rear of the room are pillars that crackle with electrical energy. They flank a fountain fed by three dragon heads mounted on the rear wall. A set of mirrors line the floor between the group and the occupants.

The occupants are a quintet of dracohu...