A16 - An Impatient Cleric tending his Patients

After the long rest in the Oni’s chamber, Sudieman is the first to climb down avoiding the well below. Fakeem casts Animal Friendship trying to converse with the jaguar before the Ogre statue but is met with silence as the creature continues to stare toward the doorway (its ears twitching). Only when Sudie approaches the statue does the jaguar stand and pad menacingly toward…and past him; standing before the doorway as if inspecting the walls. And that’s when Fakeem’s own panther begins to miss. Suddenly a cat fight! The jaguar soon dead from Fakeem’s arrows. Meanwhile, Daizee climbs the Ogre statue while Sudie casts Detect Magic then stoops to pick up a magical flail from the discarded pile at the statues’ feet.

Sudie now in a rush to get back to the hallway with the golden-sealed double-doors before his detect spell ends. Meaning we go thru the cat room. Sudie already climbing thru the secret passage behind the stone calendar. Fakeem pausing to pocket the magical dagger and stuffed cat statue upon the table under the calendar.

And that’s when the cat guardian statue animates to attack the ranger (who’d stolen his guarded treasure). Kevar tries to intercede casting Command Person but the guardian saves. Everyone ganging up against the guardian who is clawing mercilessly at the ranger. Except Sudie who has discovered a trap on the double-door seal, “Daizee, I need your skills.” The passage clogged by Fakeem and the guardian; yet, Daizee weakly offering, “I’m coming”. Minutes before the cat is killed and discovered to be a Weretiger. Daizee lamenting, “Aah, if I’d known, I’d let him bite me. I’ve always wanted to be a lycanthrope.” At least the passage is clear for his allies to join the cleric.

Pause to heal the ranger who now reads the seal glyphs, “Beware! Beyond this door is death.” Daizee disabling the needle trap; Sudie then breaking the seal, “Yes, death to all evil inside.” We stand before the model of what must be the above-ground realm of Orlunga now hidden under forests. Guardian statues stand before pillars, clay pots at their feet. Beyond, rivers made of flowing metal (mercury?), miniature ziggurats at the river heads, a copper raft shaped like a dragon, a corpse slumped on a bench to the right. Diero now casting Detect Magic from his scroll, “Stop. While there is magic within the raft, I sense a glyph on the floor suggesting magical trap.”

We all enter avoiding the trap to expand our search. Surprised at the sound of Kevar in a fight…with himself! A mirror image? Which is the real wizard? Daizee tries to reason, “Hey Nivy” but both turn at the beckon. The ranger’s panther able to smell a difference and attacks; Fakeem using the moment to mark (Hunter’s Mark) the target. All trying to attack the false Kevar. Daizee directing her dragon Flit, “That one.” Flit’s Polymorph touch turning it into a panda. Which is soon killed and revealed to be a Doppleganger. We continue the search and plunder of the model room. Diero opening a coffin within the raft finding a corpse inside…and hole on the inside of the coffin. “I think the Dopple came from here, having feasted on the corpse inside.” We retrieve a magical granite baton and ferret-faced-feathered-mask. And a ton of other items (jade bracelets, jade earplugs, coin necklaces, loose gems, coral statues, etc.) Enough to bog us down as pack-mules. But in our plunger, Kevar reaches into one too many pyramid-shaped treasure chests; his arm snared by clenching jaws of a trap. Unable to get free till stuck by poisonous needles. Too late to remember his Knock cantrip. Diero casting Protection from Poison as an after-thought. And that’s when Fakeem decides to open the stuffed cat finding a scroll Protection from Beasts and Lycanthropes. “Now you tell me!”

We return to the cat room taking another unexplored door. A zig-zag hallway that opens into a long flooded room. A huge tree in the center, standing in water, “Is that oil glistening on the surface?” 

Sudie throws a torch into the water starting a flickering fire that animates the tree into flopping its branches in attempt to smother the flames. The branches elongating as they reach for us! A 60ft wingspan and growing…grabbing Diero, Fakeem and his panther and squeezing tight. The cat drawn to its…mouth?...and bitten in half! Kevar casting Firebolt on the branch holding the druid, but the tendril holding tight. Then here comes Daizee and her hoopak a wacking (CRIT: 36 damage and gouging out an eye!).

Diero drawn to the mouth and bitten before another ally’s attack frees him. Only to be grabbed by another tendril. Spiritual Weapon, Magic Missiles, and the druid transforming into a large bear to bite and claw mean little compared to the kinder’s onslaught. She pummels the tree. Bark chips flying everywhere. More bark consumed by the cleric’s Sacred Flame. The tree finally lifeless. Water ripples soon dissipate leaving bark chips calm on the surface. Silence before Fakeem yells “Medic!”