Trick or Treat! Smell Defeat? You Know We Can, The Demogorgon Beat! (*revised*)

After a couple of days of recovery, the party wanders up the trail to the tower.  After some bizzarre antics, the party is ambushed by a trio of arcanaloths.  Invisible, polymorphed, the arcanaloths optimize their strikes for the closed quarters.  Using walls of force to cut off some party members, but the party still manages to hold their own.  The fight is disrupted by an arcanaloth disguised as Iggwilv, who scares off his brethren.

Landerbold, the fourth arcanaloth, apologizes for the behavior of the other apprentices and informs the group to be dressed (formally) and ready for their audience with his mistress.  Iggwilv receives the party coolly and gives them a rundown of potential allies they could petition for help.  Charon, Orcus, Gwynharwyf, Malcanthet, Obox-ob, Bagromar, and finally the Demogorgon himself.  Graz'zt is going to be a no-show.

Iggwilv gives the party a letter of introduction to Orcus.  And the party departs for Thanatos.  Before leaving the ship, the party takes special precautions again the planar effects.  The party tries to recruit a bit of help from the Dustmen, but their price was too high and Rudy's patience too thin.  Rudy quick draws his falchion and lops the dustman's head off.  The party finishes off the rest of the dustmen, and goes it on their own.  After a bit of travel, the party gets an audience with the dread demon lord Orcus.  Orcus challenges the party to a battle of champions, one of his death giants against the party's chosen:  Rudolpho.  The party powers up Rudolpho with everything they have, and with a modest effort Rudy takes her down.  Orcus is amused and agrees, and the party departs for the next leg of their journey.

Finding the Court of Stars seemed easy enough, but the party was greeted by a snobby eladrin.  Negotiation strained by argument with Sir Andros almost leads to blows, until Celeste breaks in and calms things down.  The party is taken to the court where the Queen asks the party to retrieve a star from the belly of a monster of a beast, Redfang.  Redfang is an ancient linnorm, powerful and deadly.

Arriving at the lair of the linnorm, the party cautiously approaches and feels its way along the roots of the great tree.  Perched above the party, on one of the roots, the invisible linnorm strikes.  Pelted by repeated prismatic sprays, the party takes a heavy toll.  Nesta dies from poison, Mittens and Gwendelyn are sent to other planes.  The rest of party toils with Redfang, and things are looking grim until Rodolpho's vorpal weapon strike brings down the great dragon.

The party takes a few days to recover and then resumes their quest.  Malcanthet's realm, Shendilavri, is the next stop and is conveniently located on the river Styx.  Arriving at the dock a pair of mariliths stop the disembarking party.  In an effort to win the "who-gets-bored-with-negotiations-first-contest", Maybold attacks one of the mariliths.  The party triumphs and no one seems to bat an eye at the scuffle on the docks of Malcanthets city, Miomanta.

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Session Character:  Ortho, Daria, Rudolpho, Hjalmgerdr, Maybold, Nesta, Gwendelyn, Vin, Mittens
Session Loot:  +4 huge banded mail, +3 huge unholy great axe, cloak of protection +3, headband of intellect +4, boots of levitation, ring of improved jumping, ring of three wishes, and The Bearded Anvil. "The Bearded Anvil of the Midgard Dwarves". It is a 300lb steel anvil, inlaid with mithral to show a thick silvery beard on one side. It is a minor artifiact that grants a +4 divine bonus on any Craft or Profession involving metalwork. Any slashing weapon that is worked on this anvil for 1 minute (plus a DC 25 Craft[weaponsmithing] check gains the keen magical property (and a +1 enchantment bonus if not already magical).  This effect lasts for 24 hours.
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(Revised) additional loot:  170400 sp, 32350 gp, 6061 pp.