CHAPTER 24: BATTLE OF THE FORGE OF SPELLS
The Arcane Trickster places 4 of his normal Shortbow Arrows into the Forge of Spells with the intention of retrieving then when his Magic Arrows run out.
The 2 Giant Spiders emerge from the northern workshop chamber. The first one out spits its Web directly at the Monk who was closest to it. The Giant Spider misses but levees a large area of webbing along the floor making it difficult for the Heroes to move about that space. The Giant Spider then moves into the chamber climbing along the ceiling.
The second Giant Spider also enters the Forge of Spells chamber and moves towards the Monk and also spits out is webbing and also fails to tap the female Halfling. It then moves in and forces the Monk into combat.
Galdor fires his Longbow at the second Giant Spider and mages to do damage on the creature. The Rogue then comes out of hiding in the southwest corner and fires at the Giant Spider attacking his sister knowing that the first Giant Spider will see him and attack.
Astrid strikes at the second Giant Spider, twice and still needs to use her strike to finish it off. The webbing on the floor is a disadvantage and so the Monk moves out of its effect and stands by the northern door into the workshop.
The first Giant Spider is now free to scurry over to the Rogue and bites little Lofty. Lofty is able to fight off the worst of the effect of the Poison but it hurts never the less.
Light then suddenly fills the Starry Cavern, bright light as if something had torn the top of the mountain right off and the bright sunlight was shining down.
Galdor: “Praise Tymora, Sister Garaele heard and has arrived to aids us.”
The Cleric calls out to Astrid in Halfling.
The northern main stone door is opened by a Bugbear.
The Rogue pulls out his Shortsword, while keeping hold of hid Shortbow, and finishes the last of the two Giant Spiders.
Astrid is hit in the side by more of the Eldritch Blast cast by the Black Spider who she sees standing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Booming Cavern. The Monk also spots 2 more Bugbears in the workshop adjacent to the Forge of Spells.
Galdor steps out, takes a quick look and closes the northern main stone door leading into the Forge of Spells chamber. Galdor sees Obadiah Hakeswill standing with another Redbrand, 2 Bugbears and a larger Bugbear leader by the side of both the doors, north and south, a bright light illuminating the Starry Cavern and 2 Giant Spiders above the main doors into the Forge of Spells. The Cleric closes the door and draws his Longsword.
Astrid jumps up onto the table by the northern door to get out of the way of the Black Spiders ‘Eldritch Blasts’ and the Bugbears javelin range.
The Bugbears from the Workshop then enter the Forge of Spells with the first one throwing his Javelin at Galdor and then, after hitting the Cleric, he ran into the chamber. The second Bugbear enters the Forge of Spells and jabs at Astrid with his Javelin but he misses.
Astrid deals with the Bugbear, hitting him in the Codpiece with one of her Flurry of Blows. Astrid then moves over to the first Bugbear and engages with it. Astrid fire another Magical Metal Shortbow, leaving her with fewer than she would have liked.
Astrid has no more KI points left and Galdor has runs out of Luck points too.
Galdor drags on of the tables in front of the door to provide a barrier and some form of cover for the adventures.
Something can be heard to clink along the floor and a light brighter than the Daylight Spell can be seen to flash for a second, Sister Garaele is still in the fight.
Then, this time, there were 2 Bugbears that made a grab for the stone doors into the Forge of Spells and they were both ranched open. Outside Obadiah Hakeswill and the last Redbrand stood, Obadiah with a Longbow and the Redbrand with a Longsword and a flask of Oil.
Obadiah Hakeswill: “The game is up and I like my Game well done, drench them and then burn then all.”
The Redbrand hurls the flask of oil which smashes onto the upturned table.
Astraea: “Do not be foolish, we can all win from this if you just lay down your arms.”
Galdor cast a Spells which allows him to make attacks against those outside from a distance, ‘Spiritual Weapon’.
Astrid fights the last of the Bugbears inside the Forge of Spells with a little help from the Rogue.
Obadiah Hakeswill fires his Longbow and hits Astrid, whilst the Redbrand light a torch.
The Bugbear Leader, not wanting to wait for the Humans to act, barges his way past the upturned table and seeks to do battle with the Dragon Embossed Breastplate, Dragonguard, wearing Elf. Galdor strikes with his Longsword, managing to do damage better than when he was using the Mace called Lightbringer. The Bugbear Leader does not mange to pass the Cleric’s defences.
Galdor uses the summoned Mace ‘Spiritual Weapon’ to strike at Obadiah Hakeswill.
The Battleforce Angel summoned by Sister Garaele provides Battlefield Inspiration and allows Galdor to strike with more conviction.
Astrid is then hit in the side by a Poisoned Bolt from and handheld Crossbow, Drow work. The stout Halfling manages to resist the majority of the effect but the Bolt and Poison cause the Monk damage.
Galdor continues to do battle with the Bugbear Leader as they both manage to strike each other and then Galdor strike out at the Redbrand with his floating Mace ‘Spiritual Weapon’ as Obadiah Hakeswill had already retreated out of the line of sight of the Forge of Spells chamber.
The Rogue then moves out of the corner intent of following his sister and helping out in dealing with the Black Spider.
Astrid dashes headlong into the Workshop and inside she finds the Black Spider and this time he was taller, skinnier and fairer of skin. The Monk attacks with her Shortsword and fist and the Black Spider takes the first round of pummelling.
The 2 Bugbears that had forced the doors open then could be seen rushing towards the Angelic entity and the other one towards Sister Garaele, throwing their Javelins at the Celestial Being. One is successful and Golden Blood can be seen to flow by Galdor. Sister Garaele could be heard grunting as she is also seemingly hit.
A huge Spider enters the Forge of Spells and looks to eat the Rogue Halfling.
Astraea: “Enough of this childishness, stand back and allow me to do what you have all failed me with.”
Astraea can be seen by Galdor and Lofty standing In front of the stone doors and apparently unaffected by the webbing on the floor. Also, it was clear to Lofty and Galdor that she was now dressed in Magicians Robes and carrying a Magical Staff with a Black Spider mounted on its tip.
Astraea casts ‘Web’ from her Staff in an attempt to trap Galdor and Lofty and then allow her Super Giant Spider to slip through the web and devour them both. The True Black Spider, Astraea, is unable to trap them as they both moved faster than she had anticipated.
Galdor continues his fight with the Bugbear leader out of the line of sight from those outside and Lofty runs off to aid his sister Astrid. The Monk inflicts server damage upon the Doppelganger, but it is once again the Rogue who is able to dispatch the creature with a magnificent shot from his Shortbow and Magic Arrow.
The Doppelganger stops appearing as a Drow and his features revert to his original form, grey of paler, androgenous in form and no real facial features that you would call humanoid.
Galdor strike the True Black Spider, Astraea, with his Mace ‘Spiritual Weapon’ it enrages her. Astraea casts ‘Melf’s Acid Arrow’ at the Cleric moves out of sight of Galdor. Galdor takes the acid damage from the Spell.
The Battleforce Angel summoned by Sister Garaele cannot see a fellow comrade and so fly down and engages the Bugbear who had thrown a second Javelin at it. The Celestial does much damage to the puny Bugbear.
The Redbrand runs off and joins Obadiah Hakeswill at the north-west corner of the building. Both Giant Spiders by the main doors into the Forge of Spells stay put.
The Huge Giant Spider follows the 2 Halflings out of the Forge of Spells and into the Workshop. By this time The Monk had exited the Workshop and found Obadiah Hakeswill and the last Redbrand outside the north door.
Astrid immediately sprints over to the hapless foul and proceeds to slash and kick the murderer of her parents. However, she is not able to completely finish the dead man walking. Once again, the Rogue make a stupendous strike and is able to hit Obadiah Hakeswill through the eye and explodes out of the back of his head.
The second Redbrand has no hope and chooses to die fighting and swings at, but misses, the Monk.
The Bugbear fighting Sister Garaele had now joined his associate and was also fighting the Battleforce Angel summoned by Sister Garaele. The Celestial being was able to kill one and the other was able to strike at it.
The 2 Giant Spiders had also moved over to join in with the fight against the Battleforce Angel and Sister Garaele, bleeding but up was standing at the top of the stairs leading down to the Wizard’s Quarters.
The Monk is able to finish off the last Redbrand and then turn to engage with the Huge Giant Spider that had popped out of the Workshop area. This is cut clen in half by the Monk.
Galdor, having finished killing the Bugbear Leader, and having taken a lot of punishment, exited via the northern door in the workshop and joined the Monk and Rogue. The effect of the ‘Melf’s Acid Arrow’ Spell burns the Cleric once more.