After some debate and a double helping of paranoia (just about the right amount), the group decides to pull out all the stops and prepare for an all out assault, hoping that the element of surprise will allow them to win past the superior numbers and defensible position of the enemy. With a loaded Spell Matrix and wands at the ready, the party prepares. Bud, in bird form is stuffed into a backpack. All nonessential items are ditched. Potions are quaffed and spells readied. When the signal is given, the group charges onto the long arching bridge – and triggers an Alarm spell. Alarmed, the group races forward. Once just past the apex, Dalliance announces the party’s arrival with a Rod of Fury-ed Fireball. The triple blast detonates in the middle of the ambush site with some spectacular resu...

Pressing onwards past the Drow ambush site, the group starts to wander the twisting passages of the vast underground area in which they find themselves. They are lost… They check out side passages and side-side passages and the like, gradually making their way towards the map hex marked with what certainly looks like Cthulu. Upon arrival, Barada is scouting about 90 feet ahead of the party, trying to stay stealthy and invisible. As he approaches an especially well-lichened area, he is set upon by a band of 12 rats – no make that wererats – and a pair of Mind Flayers. Subjected to two Psionic Blasts in rapid succession, Brada resists the brain-pulping and lapses into panic mode. Screaming, he runs past the rest of the party...

Once restocked and clear on purpose, the group ventures back past the decaying beholder (now part of the food chain again) to the cavern of molds. A ring of fire clears a path through the cavern and then into a tunnel array. After crossing the cavern of moldy doom, the group finds a winch and staircase that descend into a sinkhole ending sixty feet below. At the bottom of the descent are a trio of cargo nets, one of which still contains four barrels. Three contain berry scented ink (or what looks like ink) and the last contains ‘fruitcake turpentine’. Reza and Bud sample the berry drink, and while Bud is unaffected, Reza suffers a partial memory wipe following a night of intense hallucination.
Dalliance ponders the use of a Wish spell to return him to his ‘original’ self, but decides in th...

Pausing only to scoop up the handful of items and a bindle-full of Naima left behind by the Beholder’s disintegrating blast, the group hefts Reza’s corpse between Lubboch and Barada. There is some discussion about a Feaster in the rear, but eventually the party sorts out internal order and proceeds away rapidly from the scene of the confrontation. As soon as the Anti-Magic Shell winks out, the beholder’s voice echoes in the cavernous hall…Barada translates as he accepts all Lubboch’s magic arrows and a quiver of normal ones. As the evil eye drifts into range he lets fly, aided by the potion of speed. One, two arrows streak through the air and into the target, the third arrow is used to pin Lubboch’s foot to the floor and the fourth arrow slays the Death Star...

After summing up the sums of gold, the party decides it may be time to plunder the other wing of the palace. Wandering about, they come to see that most items of worth are worth very little. They scrounge some coinage here and there, come across servants still chained in place in the kitchens, find a teleportation pad, discuss heaving all their loot into the teleporting hot tub – decide against it – then hole up for three days sending gold back to Dalliance’s home. After all the loot has been looted, Dalliance flips them the bird and teleports home.
Booyah suckah!
No…that was the old Dalliance. New Dalliance is loyal and leaderly.
New Dalliance springs into action when the sounds of a minor horde (or herd) is heard...