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Ogres and Captives

So, our story this week finds the band of 5 (Half-elf Rogue/Druid Felix, Elf Ranger Corrail, Gnome Sorceress Ally, Human Bard Don the Magnificent, and Human Fighter River) still trapped in the Dungeon of Ruins.  Corrail and Felix had just narrowly escaped the clutches of a brain ooze.

The party gathered back up (5 PCs and two animal companions) and started deeper into the ruins.  A number of traps paved the way to two new rooms.  The first room was a kitchen where humanoids of various sorts were being cooked into a stew (mostly bullywugs).  Unfortunately, a particularly dangerous magical trap was triggered by the half-rogue as he tried to disarm it, at the same time drawing out two ogres into the dungeon hall.

The fighter rushed into action with corrail close behind.  The double-ended sword went snicker-snack, and ogres started to fall.  The rogue got pulled into an adjacent room and was healed.  The bard did an excellent job of distracting one of the ogres and gaining his favor, until another ogre and an ogre mage appeared.  The cooperating ogre became quickly ugly at the sight of his 'boss'.  The sorceress and bard fled down the hall, while the fighter and Corrail continued fighting the charging ogres.  Felix got in some strikes as did his tiger.

Suddenly the ogre mage disappeared and out of sight flex down the hall, following the gnome and bard.  Upon reappearing, he slashed the bard to death with a huge katana-like greatsword.  The cloaker on the bards back took up the fight -- he tried to engulf and attack the orge mage.

Soon the rest of the party were scurrying at the mage.  A charm spell from his fingertips removed Corrail from the fight, but also freed him up to heal his friends.  The gnome blasted the ogre mage with fire breath twice before falling to a terrifying katana strike.  And as the party was about to find victory, the ogre mage vanished.

Still under combat turns and moving down the hall, exhausted and thirsty, looking for traps, the group passed two sleeping quarters for the orges.  In one, the smell of the ogres' toliet pit drove the back.  One possible exit of the dungeon is blocked.  Their map holds no other possible exits and the party worries that someone or something is out to get them.  Moving along down the hall, searching, they spied two chained humanoids in a room.

Cautiously, with Felix lurking in the shadows, they tried to draw out any hidden foes to no avail.  Inspection of the room found a halfling woman covered in dark leather armor with a single shining metal sleeve and glove.  At her feet lay a wooden cleric's shield.  Next to her, hanging from him chains, a human cleric missing one arm swung without words.  The party helped the two loose and the woman took up a crossbow and strapped her shield on immediately.  The man slumped to the ground and was helped along by the fighter.

Perevius, a halfling with dark hair and a "let's gets moving attitude" follows the group down the hall.  After a brilliant disabling of an electrical trap by Felix, the group finds shelter in a room with a couple of old minecarts.  They push them into place to barricade the door so they can rest safely.  Ally meditates to regain her magic spells.  Perevius curls up in one of the carts and sleeps.  Six hours go by without incident when their is suddenly a pounding at the door.  Perevius takes up a position in the corner with her crossbow.  The others, startled but sure that the carts will hold, wait out the pounding on the door.  Perevius fills canteens and sharpens her bolts for battle.

The doors is unbarred and the rogue sneaks quickly away to check a nearby room.  He pies the ogre mage, who quickly drops an arrow through his chest.  Staggering back, he passes the fighter waiting anxiously for Perevius to disable the lock on a set of double doors they spotted someone slipping through.  Perevius throws open the doors to find a couple of ragtag golems wandering about and a rather busy looking dwarf.  The bard charges in to speak to the dwarf, setting off a trap in the process.

The dwarf is bitter to be interrupted, but seems slightly interested in the fact that he and the bard are wearing the same necklace.  The bard coaxes the dwarf to just let them leave.  A quick alignment check by the dwarf on the bard leaves the dwarf in a foul mood, pulling out a sword sheathed in electrical charge and swearing "If the golems don't finish you, I will."

The fighter hits a golem hard, dropping its arm, as Felix and the Tiger move to flank the mithral golem.  Greed drips from the rogue's face as he admires the mithral, but falls in shocks as the lost mithral arm disintegrates as it hits the ground.

Here the battle stops until next week.

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