Arcade’s Journal -- Nostradis Ghend and the Brotherhood of Night, Part 2

...Ghend’s black tower. It is 60’ high, on a small hill in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by deep woods. There are a few small outbuildings to the northwest, including a large two story barn. The tower has a large double door, but no visible windows....

...upon entering the clearing we were attacked by two large wolves. A timely Sleep spell saved Glimmer from a torn-out throat, and we dispatched both of them. More trouble from the new members: Rofan tried to launch his bola at a wolf and badly entangled himself. While we were still engaged in combat, Alix tricked Rofan into falling into a nearby well where he nearly died. After his rescue all Rofan could do was complain about losing his holy fleas!

We approached the front door. Detection revealed multiple traps. Suddenly, the voice of the mage began taunting us from somewhere above. This enraged Grundo, who tried to charge the door. The acid traps destroyed Grundo’s helm and armor, and we were lucky to escape.

The party was in an angry and vengeful mood. We approached the barn and chicken coop, and the others wanted to kill or steal the animals and burn it down. I managed to talk them out of it, and spent a while trying to find a secret entrance in the barn without success. With no other options, we returned to town to regroup....

...next evening, Highdark, we stealthily returned to the tower. Multiple booby traps had been set, but we managed to avoid them. Guards were spotted on top of the tower. We slipped into the barn, undetected. A brief scuffle ensued with some orcs guarding the barn. Alix spotted one trying to escape up to the loft and chased him. The orc flung open the upper doors to blow his signal horn and had just placed the horn to his lips when Alix tackled him, hurling both of them to the ground and killing the orc. Alix may turn out to be some use after all....

...after a short search of the barn I finally found the secret entrance that I knew had to be there. On a built-in lift, we descended into a dark underground basement tunnel....

...slew the giant spiders in the tunnel and found some valuables in their webs. The hall terminated in another secret door. We found a room full of sheet-covered furniture and supplies, and three well-armed orcs. Rofan hurled his bola at one and connected, wrapping it around the orc’s head. Just as the bola arrived, Nolin swung his sword and decapitated the orc, sending the bola spinning towards the second orc. Alix was in the middle of a tumbling run, but redirected himself in mid-air to catch the head and land perfectly upon a piece of furniture. The third orc managed to grab Glimmer, and held him hostage from behind with a blade at his throat. Rofan wrenched the sword away with one stroke of his bullwhip, and Glimmer raised his legs just as Grundo’s axe swept through at knee height, shortening the orc considerably. The third orc was quickly dispatched, and we congratulated ourselves on a job well done.

Outside the room, behind a tapestry, we found the black, featureless portal of Cadrienne’s visions. We could not get it open, and so proceeded up the stairs....

...searched the first level after killing a few more orcs. We found a speaking-tube. Chanting echoed down through it from somewhere above. We hastened upstairs....

...on the second floor I found the mage’s library. A rapid analysis of his papers reveal that he enjoys anagrams, and that his goal is to obliterate the sun itself. It appears that he sacrifices living beings to power certain rituals that would achieve this goal. I suspect that among these papers is the key to the black portal. But first... Ghend.

...we ran up the next flight, tripping some type of alarm. The taunting voice of the mage beckoned us to our doom. We discovered a large chamber surrounded by a disgusting, sticky curtain of the deepest blood-red. Within moments, most of the party dropped to the floor, victims of a Sleep spell. As we frantically tried to wake the party, a second Sleep spell swept through us. The stairs to the roof were close at hand, and Nolin confirmed for me that the taunting voice was in fact coming from above. I ran upwards towards the voice and onto the roof where I found a giant black rat clad in a waistcoat and hat (quite obviously Ghend’s familiar creature). It taunted me once more and began to flee.

Meanwhile Ghend stepped out from behind the curtain and blasted the party with a black ball of crackling negative energy, nearly killing Nolin. The mage was hit with both thrown warhammer and bola, but both rebounded from him as if from an invisible barrier. Cadrienne began to cast Hold Person, but sadly she (and several others) were struck by Magic Missiles and her spell rebounded upon her.

On the roof, seeing an opportunity, I cast Sleep upon the rat and closed in. Below, Ghend yelled "NO!" and ran for the stairs, bowling over Glimmer in the process. As he reached the top I saw his pale, black-bearded face twisted in hatred. His clawed hands reached towards me.

"Thus do those who serve evil pay the price," I said, and slew the rat with a single stroke across its throat.

Ghend grabbed his neck, blanched, gurgled softly, and slid down the stairs, landing dead at Glimmer’s feet....