From the diary of Vida Pankhurst
Earth, air, fire and water. The elder eye blinds them all, as they dance to the sound of their own slaughter.
I awoke feeling more myself today than I have since entering this place. My companions gathered around and set about finding a route that we have yet to traverse in the temple. I let them guide me to a new area down a series of corridors near where they freed the slaves. There we entered a large chamber with two large columns at the far side of it. As we entered a barrier slammed down behind us trapping us in the room. Before I could react to this trap I heard the most beautiful music filling my ears.
Joe and I felt ourselves powerless to resist the music’s pull which lured us into the room towards the columns. On top of these were what appeared to be winged women with large talons, which I now know to be the creatures known as harpies. It was their song that kept us so enraptured.
I remember nothing from that point other than floating upon the blissful melody of the siren’s song. Sweet and enchanting it held us in its sway. Unbeknownst to me some foolish servants of Iuz attacked my companions whilst I was in a trance. Thank the great one they were no match for Fillian’s magic. I came around to discover piles of undead bodies, including a Wight that had a strange medallion around its neck. My companions had also managed to slay one of the harpies and the other had retreated from the chamber thus ending her song and our trance.
The next thing my companions did was to destroy the amulet. Apparently it had blocked Sameson’s ability to turn the creatures. Interesting, I wonder how this undead servant of Iuz came to possess such a device.
We took what treasure we could from the chamber and followed the trail of bloody feathers left by the dying harpy. Our pursuit was delayed by ghouls and the nastier ghasts, which we hacked to pieces as quickly as possible. Joe spotted a secret door that we opened and followed a passageway inside north. Fillian released we were going to enter a chamber that we could double round to. Therefore, we opted to split up and surprise whatever was inside.
I ended up lumped with the elf and thief on my side, whilst Sameson and Ugg looped round. Anyway, we entered another large room with three figures inside surrounding the dying harpy we had been chasing. Imagine our surprise to see that whore Mae dressed in air temple robes with a rather lithe looking woman and the temple spy Grommag who we encountered in Hommlet. The surprise at seeing Mae with these air temple flunkies was enough to ruin our sneak attack. The lithe looking woman broke the harpy’s neck and Mae transformed before our eyes into the familiar face of Neddy.
Finally a chance to inflict some pain on something mortal. Especially these failures. Frustratingly, Neddy managed to shrug off my first attempt to break him with a Wrack spell. Ugg lept forward to fight Grommag whilst the lithe woman, a monk, threw a shiruken at Fillian and Sameson. They found themselves unable to speak since the weapon seemed to be enchanted with a silence spell. Ugg dispatched Grommag quickly but, whilst I was distracted by the monk leaping to attack me, Neddy cast a charm spell on him forcing Ugg to attack an advancing Sameson.
Joe confronted and killed the monk bitch with a point blank shot into her neck leaving me free to summon the power of my mighty deity to put Ugg into deep slumber. I caught Joe in the same spell which left just Sameson, Fillian and I conscious to advance on Neddy. The cornered rat tried every trick in his spell book to stop me taking my revenge upon him. I shook off most of these attempts but he got lucky and blinded me with a glitterdust spell. His luck was out though when Sameson removed its effects and I sliced him to pieces with my axe. Of course death is too pleasant an option for one such as him so whilst Sameson was busy waking the others, and Fillian absorbing the secrets of Neddy’s spell book, I made sure Neddy’s soul was put to good use and I left the battle feeling empowered.
I must confess I did enjoy Fillian’s confusion at the powers I exhibited in this battle. How typical of an elf to be under the mistaken impression that they possess all of the magical power in Greyhawk.
Healing ourselves from the battle we continued to explore the area and found a strange circular shaped room to the north which glowed with an inexplicable light. I recognized it as an augury chamber. My companions decided to all make use of this most eldritch chamber and I, of course, followed suit. The predictions, or rather warning, it gave me was ‘beware cursed artefact’. A statement that I feel states the ‘bloody’ obvious. My companions had similar warnings and advice given to them of what to beware or go to. Nonsense it may be, depending on what power made the chamber and for what purpose. Time will tell.
Heading north we passed an altar that I warned the others not to touch. They wisely heeded my warning. Further north was a door enchanted with a magical cold trap. Joe disabled this and we entered into a crypt owned by the earth temple. Being who they are, my companions wasted no time in defiling the crypts and taking the treasure inside. Including an enhanced cloak and ring that Sameson and Joe took respectively. Much to my censure the party also decided to rest here. These men have no stamina. Do they not realize the clock is ticking and I may not command powers tomorrow that I have today?! Unfortunately I was outvoted I had no choice but to rest as they suggested. Let us see if tomorrow favours me.
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