Avach's private notes

We returned to the Quaan, though without Damien. We had relied on his powers to combat the beholder and I decided it best that I use some of the gifts I had been given to enable me to throw arcane barbs.

Proceeding to the tower where we had fought the beholder, we sent Aeriana aloft with the boots of flying to secure our rope. We had forgotten about the harpy’s lair that we had found previously. Or, more likely, the others had also assumed that with the harpy absent on our previous visit that the lair was abandoned.

Unfortunately we were wrong and Aeriana was struck down by the harpy’s bow and began to fall slowly towards us. With the harpy hovering far above us it was hard to be effective with bow, and I was unwilling to commit my arcane power at this early point of what I foresaw as a long day to come. However we were at least able to distract its attention from Aeriana long enough for her to reach the floor and then we exited the tower to draw the harpy down through the door where we could attack it.

A cunning plan, to be sure, except that shortly after we left the tower we were attacked by a mind flayer and an ogre that appeared from nowhere. Deathspank charged and swung his sword so surely through the mind flayer’s neck that its head was never seen again. The ogre took more work, and of course the harpy came out to play as well. Sir Lucius and Deathspank made short work of the ogre, and I was just wondering how we would deal with the harpy when a column of flame incinerated her. I guess Searc had something to do with this as he was looking very pleased with himself.

He had also healed Aeriana so we cleaned up and headed back inside. This time we were able to climb the tower and then proceed through the trapdoor to the room from which the beholder had previously appeared. The room was dressed in dark stone but Ignitz managed to find a hidden panel behind which was a portal. I suspect it it the way back to our plane, but there was no need to put it to the test and there is still the manor house to explore so there is a chance it goes elsewhere.

With the tower fully explored we made our way to the manor house. We had stocked up on alchemist fire so we had no problem burning a clear path through the slime and went straight for the front door.

Of course as we threw it open they were ready for us. I have no idea what the first of “them” was—some sort of giant centipede-like thing that greeted us with a lightning bolt and then proceeded to snap at us with its mandibles. And just to make things more amusing he was supported by several ogres with bows. They weren’t that dangerous, but had a fairly free hand with that thing in the way and they occasionally scored a lucky shot.

With its electrical affinity the thing was resistant to the shock that my bastard sword gives off, making it something of a slog. The others had left to face the attacks that had come to flank us from both sides, and I was taking enough damage that I would not last to clear out this group so I decided it was time to commit my arcane energy. Dodging the thing I was able to summon enough arcane energy to twice assault the thing and it was enough to dispose of it. Once it was gone I was able to engage the ogres and though I was covered head to foot in blood they put up little resistance.

I went back outside to see what was going on. One force consisted of several ogres and a hag. By the time I could see what was going on the hag was down and Searc and Deathspank were cleaning up the last of many ogres. Aeriana was nowhere to be seen, but I had felt her healing magic and the sound of music was in the air, so I assumed she was keeping herself safe with her spell of invisibility.

The biggest concern by far was the other force. It was “only” a crocodile and a deformed snake-headed humanoid, but they were formidable combatants. Ignitz was rolling all over the place to strike from unprotected angles and the crocodile soon collapsed.

With several people attacking the snake-man we were finally wearing him down. Having depleted my energies already I was trying to decide how best I might help. He had crushed Lucius almost to death and tried to do the same with Deathspank, who evaded by turning to a cloud of gas (aided by Aeriana, I assume). Ignitz struck just then and it was enough that the snake-man decided we might actually win so he dived into the slime but we were able to connect with some missiles and finish him off.

As I write this we are preparing to enter the manor house. By now it must surely be empty but better safe than sorry.