Hey Hey We're the Monkeys!

The exploration of the foul temple continues, as the party traverses the pit and proceeds into the next chamber. Daria and Rudy scout ahead and discover a well, and a moment after, four large armored baboons rush out of the side corridors and charge the party. Rudy charges, and the party engages in combat. Making quick work of his monkey, Rudy discovers the fiendish octopus living in the well. Always one for a good wrestle, the barbarian allows himself to be grappled. The noise of combat draws four troglodyte priests and two large war apes wielding swords. The battle continues on, with the party eventually triumphing over the temple denizens. Daria spends a bit of time milking the octopus.

Though well equipped, the temple residents appear to be living in almost squalid conditions. A search of their dwelling chambers reveals nothing except the stench of monkey and trog. Exploring a back passageway, Daria discovers a glyph trap, and it is quickly discharged. The passage way continues around and opens midpoint in a large hall. The adjoining chambers house more large monkeys and a troglodyte priest with is baboon assistant. Daria draws a bead on the biggest monkey and knifes 'em good. The battle collapses into the middle of the chamber quickly as the party brings their might to bear against Garag, the Cannibal, Khelm and Satonga. Again, the temple lieutenants are not enough to repel the party from the mighty Demogorgon's unholy shrine and the party is victorious.

Rudy is completely dissatisfied with the lack of loot, and presses on down to a set of double doors. Exploring the caverns beyond, the rest of the temple appears to be abandoned. Only one chamber has anything significant inside, but that was a pile of well used furs (smelling of trog) and some rudimentary furniture. A careful search concludes there is no loot to be had, and the party presses on to the next set of double doors.

The doors open revealing a large cavernous room. Sacks and boxes are along the right wall, and left, large wooden benches lined up in parallel. At the far side of the room, a large statue of the demogorgon stands behind a bloodstained altar. A robed troglodyte priest stands to the left of the altar, a gargantuan war ape to the right. Sitting in the pews, a heavily armored skeletal figure looks over to the party and stands up slowly. Far off in a corner on the right wall, under a glowing red light, a large rune covered anvil glows eerily with heat.

The skeletal figure raises his arm in a gesture to the party, and says "Hold, intruders! You know not what you interfere with! These creatures have no business with you, save that you have attacked them. I, Lord Khayven of Rax, have no interest in fighting you at all. Begone, and I will spare your lives." The party offers to leave, taking the anvil. The high priest troglodyte hisses at the party with the mention of the anvil. An unknown caster hurls a feeblemind spell at Ortho, and with that combat ensues.

Vin and the gargantuan monkey meet in the middle of the room. Ruddy dashes in, Nesta fires arrows at the undead knight, and Daria slips into the melee. The statue of the Demogorgon comes to life and moves briskly into the middle of the room. Tellax, high priest of the Demogorgon, hurls a blasphemy spell that stuns most of the party. The next round is brutal as the temple leadership pounds the party without reprisal. As combat rages on, Vin is the first to fall as the Great Beast rends the paladin into a lump of armor and flesh. Lord Khayven moves across the room and slowly moves the anvil into a giant sack after laughing Nesta's hail of arrows.

Spells fly and the battle limps along as the party struggles to find its footing in the battle. Hjalmgerdr revivifies Vin and Daria distracts the great beast with deadly sneak attacks. The unknown caster appears between the alter and the anvil, a baboon with sorcerous abilities. Tellax flame strikes the back of the room, leaving Ortho a bit woozy. Finally, after a few rounds of concentrated effort, Nesta's hail of arrows and Daria's biting dagger. The Great Beast falls, and Rudy is able to focus his entire rage against the Demogorgon stone golem. With the center of the room no longer dominated by the Great Beast, the party scrambles after Lord Khayven to thwart his efforts to pack off the anvil.

Another well placed flame strike by Tellax and Ortho crumples, other party members are strained as Lord Khayven continues his work with impunity. Rudy charges the undead knight and takes a brutal lump as he swings into range. Rudy hammers the knight but Lord Khayven's reprisal attack is truly devastating. Rudolpho falls after three powerful swings from Lord Khayven's chilling blade. Hjalmgerdr is faced with a difficult choice, but decided to revivify Ortho to avoid moving near the dread knight. The party dispatches the baboon sorcerer, Shamok, leaving only the high priest and the dread night defending the temple and the magical forge.

The undead knight summons a fiendish steed, and it picks up the bag with the anvil. Tellax summons a demon and retreats behind the altar. The party begins assaulting the steeds, and Nesta takes aim at the high priest. Tellax creates a wall of stone around the undead knight sealing him off from his assailants. The party tries to get past the barrier, as two members of the party focus on the priest. With Rudolpho's body trapped inside the barricade, Vin looks for a way over the wall, but finds that Lord Khayven and his steed are completely enclosed in stone. Nesta contines to assail the priest with arrows, as the party tries to deal with the stone wall. The summoned demon is destroyed by the party as the high priest plane shifts away. With all immediate threats gone, the party suspects that the undead knight has fled as well.

After a long and arduous effort the party opens the wall, Lord Khayven and the anvil are gone. Rudy's body is still crumpled on the ground, the party gathers him and the sparse contents of the main temple and heads back to the Sea Wyvern.

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Session Characters: Ortho, Nesta, Vin, Gwendelyn, Hjalmgerdr, Ruldolpho, Daria
Session Loot: 3 - potion of cure serious wounds, 8 - wands of cure light wounds (20 charges each), 2 - cloak of resistance +1, gauntlets of ogre power +2, helm of wisdom +2, ring of invisibility, wand of cure light wounds (35 charges), lesser rod of extended meta magic, amulet of natural armor +1, bracers of health +2, 3 vials of fiendish octopus ink.

The value of the "demontainted" items will be determined in a future post.