Temple of Death, Part Six

Forrest and Relaxation
After hightailing it out of Magden, the party run their horses through the night before finally slowing due to horse-related problems. Deciding to travel by night, they head on their way, leaving behind the blacksmith in a convenient ditch without shoes, but with the full knowledge of where they are going. (Very useful, on both accounts, I'm sure.) And, unfortunately, during the kerfuffle, Emergency Rations (the dog) got away. Shame.

The party travels for a few days, before discovering they had the ability to warp time and space and arrive at the forest, a week's travel away. Forgoing the obvious benefits this ability would bestow on a potential courier service, they decide to enter the large, black, dark, foreboding evil-looking forest. 'Cos that's what they do, you know.


Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Character
Picking their way carefully through the forest, the group eventually comes to a clearing, at the centre of which is a large black obelisk. Excrutia, being at the front, makes her saving throw, but fails due to "unknown modifiers", and thus becomes spooked. Or rather, really spooky. All she wants is to run away, although various other party members are intrigued.

Giving into the warrior woman, they depart some distance, and set up a camp for resting. The group splits as Lotus, the Bard, Argorn and Thads decide to go "rabbit hunting", in the direction of the obelisk. This leaves Morf, Habenath, Alrick and Kogaun to suddenly fend off Excrutia's magic attacks! In the Confusion (yep, the spell), Excrutia takes to the skies and isn't seen again. (In fact, technically, she wasn't seen since the failed saving throw, as whoever escaped from the magic jar into her body definitely wasn't Excrutia.) [Score one party member death to the GM!]

Back at the obelisk, Argorn gets touchy feely with the obelisk, causing it to admit a stream of light into the sky, with the completely incidental effect of alerting all and sundry to where the heroes are. (Oops!) Deciding that discretion is the better part of valour, and that disintegration is the better part of discretion, the Bard blows a blast with his horn, and shattered the obelisk, disabling the lights, and providing nifty black stone souvenirs!