Encounters Sessions 9-12

Sorry for the delay in updating the story notes.  Sometimes work gets in the way of my D&D habit :)

Lady Anya Tamora, Ruler of Crystal Brook
Lord Carric, Ruler of the Sildaine Forest
Count Varis Sybar, Ruler of Sybar (mediator between Tamora and Carric)
Juliana, daughter of Carric
Orlando, son of Tamora
Caerwyn, inside Juliana, daughter of Oran
Porpherio, inside Orlando, adopted son of Tiandra
Oran, archfey, Green Lord
Tiandra, archfey, Summer Queen
Ragnar, agent of Oran, a verbeeg mercenary
Uma, agent of Tiandra, a briar witch dryad
Basal, Ragnar's cousin, sent to kill Orlando/Porpherio
Soryth, Dream Queen, hag, at the Palace of Spires
Kalbon, Soryth's partner in crime?

In Encounter 9, our party traveled with Basal and Orlando back to Ragnar's camp.  They fey were more united now.  Uma asked that the party be gentle on any fey that Soryth must certainly be swaying if at all possible and the party is led to the maze entrance that guards the Palace of Spires.  Before getting to rest fully, our party is ambushed by Xivorts rolling down logs down a hill toward their camp.  Our party is ultimately successful, and finally gets a much needed long rest before entering the maze.

In Encounter 10, the wander the maze getting lost several times and upon finally finding the center, where they enter their leaf keys, two boggles steal their keys and run off in the maze.  Our party gives chase and fights these boggles in the close and confusing confines of the maze.  Some neat tricks of the boggles allowed them to divide the party some but, as seems typical in these matters, the party ends up victorious once again.  They come back to the center and reinsert the keys, to be whisked away to a glorious courtyard in front a palace.

In Encounter 11, our heroes fought two possessed fey berserkers, two xivorts, a boggle snatcher, and a xivort shadow caller.   The party broke the spell on the two berserkers and dispatched the rest of the foes.  The few turn out to be from the rescue party and are brothers.  Alain finds a magical chrysanthemum in the courtyard and decides to take it with him.  They then figure out a puzzle where the door to the palace is reflective and has no reflection, but their reflections in the pool in the center seem "independent".  They ultimately ask their reflections to op en the door for them and they do.  Two lifelike statues around the door speak "Enter in Peace,"  Our heroes sheath their weapons and enter.

Lastly for this update, in Encounter 12, the party explores the castle entrance and finds a fountain with nymphs playing.  They ask the party to solve a few puzzles in the room.  Our party takes some damage removing some glyphs that turned a room for night to daylight, and they located some "crystal" ware that chimes to teach some squawking birds to sing.  Having completed these two challenges, the nymphs form a water stairway to the chamber above, just as Kalbon and two pixies drop from above to engage the party. 

In nearly one hit, a party member bloodies a pixie, who then recognize the party as friends thanks to their saving of previous fey creatures such as the two fey berserkers from the previous encounter.  They flee the battle.  Unfortunately, when our characters draw their weapons, the status just outside the door come to life and engage the enemy.  They do not engage Kalbon because he fights with his horns.   Our party concentrates their attacks on Kalbon, nearly avoiding the statues, killing Kalbon in three rounds and quickly sheathed their weapons.  Once all sheathed, the statues immediately regress back to their pedestals and turn back to the stone.   They hear a scream from upstairs and approach up the stairs as the session ends.

The final encounter of Beyond the Crystal Cave, Session 13, will be this Wednesday at 6pm at Morningstar Games on Montgomery Crossroads.  If you would like us to save you seat, and allow us to prepare for the right number of folks, please feel free to RSVP by commenting here.