Upon hearing the grim news from Dalliance regarding the fate of their Feastery friend (trapped and tortured in a temple of Orcus) the group brainstorms feverishly to cobble together a workable plan. Deciding that it is unlikely to be able to recover both the Budly One and all of his neat-o equipment – the decision is made to recover the Budster. Low on resources, the group gets all McGuyver-y with it. Dalliance fires up a Polymorph Self spell and drawing upon her knowledge from the scrying, she outfits herself to look like a druegar temple guard. Nil uses Barada’s Hat of Disguises to copy Dalliance. So, now there are two temple guards. They will act as an escort for Barada, Ron’j! and Demming. Hm. Maybe they should be prisoners? No – we’d need more guards. Maybe they can be dignitaries. Hm. That is completely insane. It is a million to one chance. It is bound to work!
Quickly, Demming assumes bear shape. Ron’j! rides upon his back, and Barada trails behind, while playing his instrument. Every bad-ass needs theme music. Off they go. Down the cliffs and along the mushroom fields. They attract attention, but the temple guard outfits keep anyone from staring too long. Off they go, into the city proper. Here the druegar are more numerous, and the stares a bit more lengthy, but the sight is so bizarre that most of the viewers are more interested in trying to figure out what is going on instead of wondering whether or not the party should be here at all…
As the group (now with a long tail of curious druegar) approaches the temple of Orcus it becomes clear that a checkpoint will need to be passed. Barada uses his last LImited Wish to give himself the ability of Tongues and manages to bluff through the guardpost with little resistance, telling the soldiers that Ron’j! is an expert torturer that has been brought in to deal with the interloper. Entering the dungeons is a different matter and the head jailer is most concerned that the chain of command is not being followed. In the end – Barada manages to convince him to allow the group to proceed onward.
As they travel along corridors and descend into the gladiator arena, they see the object of their quest. Bud lies injured upon the sand in a cell, one of many that lines the arena floor. FEaster is a fearsome sight. He is missing an eye, an ear, a foot and three fingers on one hand. He has been roasted over an open flame, been beaten to a bloody pulp, whipped and salted. He is one sorry hobbit. While the ‘temple guards’ stay outside the cell, Ron’j! whispers to Bud that he has to make it look good…so he bites his nose off and begins to shout questions at the thrashing form.
As Bud yells out ‘answers’, Ron’j! looks disgusted and unleashes the bear upon him. Demming eviscerates Bud but is careful to chew off one of Bud’s fingers for subsequent resurrection.The slaying of the prisoner does not go unnoticed, for when the group returns to the checkpoint, they find the head jailer in consultation with the guards. Upon noticing the party, he begins to point at them excitedly.
Deciding that the poop and the fanblades have now met – Dalliance and Nil teleport away. Ron’j! dissolves into mist – while Barada and Demming assume their bird forms and flee the scene. The birds are the targets of many crossbow bolts, and they take serious damage, but int he end the group regroups behind the waterfall and beats feet away – marching for 6 hours before preparing to deploy a Rope Trick. There, they attempt to resurrect the fallen Feaster. Alas, Bud is unwilling (or perhaps unable) to return to his earthly shell. He joins TBA and Reza in the torment reserved for those marked for doom by Thatanos. The group is most distressed, and the following morning they teleport back to Shadowdale.
There they investigate leads and recruit a cleric of Azuth to join the group. Eventually they decide to tell the Baron that his mines are fooked and they are off the case. A quick trans-continental teleport and the group is back in Damara. When they meet with the Baron, Barada is convinced that the speech pattern is that of the Abbot – reveled to be a vampire. He says as much and there is a brief tussle. Once Daliance makes her charm save, the vampire flees in mist form. The group gives pursuit, but it is a bit half-hearted. Have they been working for a vampire the whole time? Gah. Screw those dudes.
Hah!