Session 26 - Wringing Out the Sodden Hold (part 2)

16th of Uktar, 1371 DR
Egwaine blessed us all with the ability to breath water and we descended the 40’ shaft to the water below. We swam (sunk) down even more before findin’ a passage leadin’ into a partially submerged chamber. Inside the chamber lurked a deadly predator. A Giant Octopus came out of nowhere and grabbed Tyree. It lashed me with one of its tentacles, but my spell shield protected me from harm (and from bein’ grabbed). If you can believe it, Tyree actually head-butted the monster. I doubt he actually hurt the rubbery beast, but it was still brave (if not slightly crazy). Aedrinar pelted it with his own Magic Missiles and Egwaine tried to help by usin’ her new Wand of Spiritual Weapon. Unfortunately, she only managed to slash Tyree! I hit the Octopus with a barrage of Empowered Fell Drain Magia Missiles, burstin’ the thing like an ink-filled balloon!

A few minutes later, we found ourselves on top of a pillar of stone with a metal grate leadin’ to an iron door. There was also a level which activated the machinery that drained the water from the room and lowered the pillar to the “ground” level.

Behind the door we found a long hallway with many doors and six Doppelgangers. These ones weren’t even tryin’ to hide their true natures. It was like fightin’ wax statues, really. These Doppelgangers fought as a cohesive fightin’ unit. They even formed up a shield wall to make themselves tougher to attack! None of that mattered to us.

Aedrinar launched a Fireball and some Magic Missiles to weaken our foes. Alobron was bit off durin’ this fight. I think the coordinated defensive tactics threw him off a bit. He was able to kill two and he kept their leader on the defensive, but he didn’t lay waste to all around him like usual. Egwaine provided excellent support. Her Spiritual Weapon added to our offensive power while she healed the injured from safety. Quarto used his amazin’ acrobatics skills to get behind the Doppelgangers (almost getting’ killed when they turned on him) and managed to kill one then he flanked the leader and stabbed him right through the neck! Tyree killed two by assistin’ Alabron and Quarto. I used Chain Missile, Fel Drain Magic Missiles, Empowered Fel Drain Magic Missiles and an Orb of Force to deadly effect. I tell you, I’m really beginin’ to love the look on an enemies face with a minor spell like Magic Missile robs them of their ability to fight and resist attacks! The looks on their faces are actually kinda funny.

Then Tyree went nuts and beheaded all the Doppelgangers, sprayin’ blood all over the hallway and us!

The hall turned out to be full of traps. And Quarto turned out to know nothin’ about traps.

Fantastic.

Quarto’s probationary period is lookin’ shorter by the minute.

We ended up avoidin’ most of the traps because Alabron triggered them by hurling decapitated Doppelgangers on them and then used his adamantine falchion to hack them to pieces. Amazin’.

We discovered several sleepin’ chambers of the Doppelgangers complete with full length mirrors, royal outfits (from Perigiron’s court), city watch uniforms, and other disguises. We also found a plannin’ room full of maps, notes, and all manner of compromisin’ information. We collected it all and headed through the illusory wall I discovered.

Beyond the illusion, we found a circular chamber with Doppelgangers “tied” to chairs. Of course, each of them was disguised as one of us and it made for a strange, chaotic, and unsettlin’ fight. In the end, the Doppelgangers never had chance. They didn’t fight together as a unit like the last group did and we tore them apart.

In the room we found another Dolgun and another Olaf. Now we have two of each.

Fabulous.

Session 25 - Wringing Out the Sodden Hold

5th of Uktar, 1371 DR
Met with Master Agent Fenten at the Hall of Justice today. He wants us to get to the bottom of this “Doppelganger problem.” I spent the rest of the day researchin’ Doppelgangers. It cost me a bit of money and what I learned scares the holy hell outta me.

6th of Uktar, 1371 DR
The Champions Belt Games have been announced. Everyone seems quite excited. Alobron really wants us to field a team and since he happens to know a licensed manager, this seems like a real possibility. I think this is a great idea. As long as we put up a good performance, even if we lose, we should make a good name for ourselves and the Three Hills Adventurn’ Company.

Tyree has a new “recruit” for us. A quiet, shy little man named Quarto. Claims he’s good with locks and such. Not that I want to stagnate the guild, but I don’t think it’s such a hot idea to accept new people into our fold while we are under assault by Doppelgangers. Everyone else seems to think I’m bein’ paranoid. (That’s only because they don’t know what I’ve learned.) At any rate, we have a new probationary member, now.

7th of Uktar, 1371 DR
A member of the city watch (the same lieutenant that was sent to investigate disturbances at the Sodden Hold) was exposed as a Doppelganger. This has started the beginin’s of what could build into widespread panic and paranoia.

8th of Uktar, 1371 DR
The Hill Giant diplomats were attacked by Calishite thugs today. I immediately went to talk to Master Agent Fenten as soon as I heard the news. I told him about Mascar WinterEagle and his proposition. He chastised me for not doin’ somethin’ about it as soon as it came up (we were still unsure as to our duties, responsibilities, and authority), but said that he would look into it and we were to leave it alone for now.

9th of Uktar, 1371 DR
Trouble in Cormyr. I heard a rumor that the King had been killed by an ancient Red Dragon (killin’ the beast in the process). If this is true it could mean dark times in the east. The Prince is just a child, so intrigue and death is certain to plague Cormyr for the foreseeable future.

10th of Uktar, 1371 DR
More rumors of a Black Dragon attackin’ travelers on the roads. I bought a map of the local are and am using it to mark all the locations of the sightin’s of the monster (includin’ where the senior guild members were killed and the lair of the Twisted Branch tribe). I hope I can use this information to figure out where the Dragon’s lair is.

13th of Uktar, 1371 DR
Wow! I got to witness an honest-to-goodness mage duel today! A Red Wizard named Ezeek Fastoon (also known as the “Black Hand”) walked into the Eltorchul Academy and started ranting at Thesp. Eventually, this argument became a duel. It was amazin’! I had no idea there were so many different spells in existence! I mean, I’ll stick with my Magic Missiles and other Force spells, but wow!

Thesp won the duel and Ezeek went limpin’ off to the Thayian embassy. I never did get anyone to tell me what that was all about.

15th of Uktar, 1371 DR
I completed by studies at the Eltorchul Academy, and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy! Most of my classmates were trained Wizards with lots of book learnin’ and such. Me, magic always just sorta came to. Half the time, I’m not even sure how I do what I do. So, tryin’ to actively learn new magic is a bit of a struggle.

Thesp keeps tellin’ me that people like me (Sorcerers) just need practice and life experience with their magic. He says even though I can’t reliably use the techniques I learned yet, I would eventually get the hang of it. He said my magic would adapt itself to the teachin’ as long as I am diligent and determined.

Let’s hope so.

At any rate, Thesp calls these skills part of the Argent Savant – a school of magic that specializes in manipulating Force energy. I did learn more about what makes up my Magic Missiles than I ever knew. I just hope I can fit it all together sooner rather than later.

16th of Uktar, 1371 DR
We used the cover of night (and the comin’ storm) to approach the warehouse known as the Sodden Hold. Quite the imposin’ structure – lots of windowless stone with only one door. The doorway is lit, though, confirmin’ that the warehouse is not as abandoned as people are led to believe.

We used the key we found on the Doppelganger to enter the buildin’ An altercation with some vagrant resulted in Alabron accidentally killin’ the man. Not sure what we’re supposed to do about that. Anyway, the main room of the warehouse is full of boxes, crates, and barrels. Definitely not an abandoned warehouse. We soon discovered that not all was as it appeared. Five of the crates turned out to me Mimics lyin’ in wait!

Alabron and Tyree killed one pretty quickly, but the nasty creature gets stuck on Alabron’s sword. Alabron the proceeds to wield the dead Mimic as a weapon, bludgeoning the other mimics to death with their own deceased kin!

We all ended up helpin’ with the fight, but it was Alabron and his deadly Mimic-sword that was the most conspicuous. Honestly, I still can’t decide if I’m impressed or repulsed by the entire display. I’m leanin’ towards impressed; I mean what a feat of strength! But every time the memory comes into my head, I get a little nauseas.

We ransacked the offices look for clues, but all we found was a Ring of Swimming. We eventually found a secret door (after narrowly avoiding a terrible pit trap) and beyond that a prison complex. Even though Dolgun and Olaf were in a cell, we knew we couldn’t trust anythin’ any of them had to say on account of any one of ‘em could be (probably would be) a Doppleganger.

My suspicions proved valid when the “prisoners” who looked like captured city watch, burst from their cell and attacked us. By the gods they were brutal fighters! I used Fel Drain Magic Missiles to hurt and hinder them and we finished them off in short order, but not before several of us were seriously hurt. As they fell, their featured flowed like meltin’ wax revealin’ them for what they really were – Doppelgangers!

Next, we came to a room with no floor. Or rather, the floor was some twenty feet below us covered by a layer of water and the water, in turn, concealin’ hundreds (if not thousands) of rusty blades, spikes, and hunks of jagged metal all pointin’ up! Risin’ from the water were a series of narrow pillars and these pillars supported a zig-zaggin’ lattice of wooden planks leadin’ to (we hoped) another door.

Tyree, of course, ran out onto the planks before we could come up with a solid plan of attack. He was ambushed by one or more invisible enemies and was nearly knocked off the plank he was traversin’! What followed was a chaotic and frustratin’ fight with a handful of Invisible Stalkers. The unseeable Elementals pounded into us from every angle. Even though must of us opted to stay on the stable floor rather than venture out onto the wooden planks, the fight was tough. In the end, I think it was mostly Aedrinar’s area of effect spells (and my Scroll of Lightnin’ Bolt) that won us that fight. Each time one of these spells went off, it briefly outlined the location of one of the Stalkers, allowin’ Alabron and Tyree to bring their swords into play.

I think we killed four of ‘em, but I can’t be sure. We were able to cross the planks (Egwaine flying and acting as a portable balance beam for all of us) to a door on the other side. The door lead into a room with a deep well leading down to yet more water.