The party finally made it into Firestorm Peak
Who would've thought that the entrance would be guarded!?

(This encounter took more than one session to resolve.
Starting during our meeting of 5 May, 2007. This is a
synopsis from the first session of that battle...)

Synopsis:
The party has finally crossed through the Gates of Firestorm Peak. In their quest to uncover the fate of Tanar's father, and eliminate a source of taint, the party has entered the mountain - And met some determined defenders!

Some time ago, the party began a new adventure (Real date: 16 Dec 2007 / Game date: 11 Det 1002). The party set out in search of Tanar's father. So far, the party has discovered two very large gates in the side of the mountain. They believe that their quest takes them into this cursed mountain during a period of celestial confluence. While they search for a way into the mountain, they've witnessed some strange sights, met unlikely allies, and fought some terrible monsters.

Recently, the party reached the 'Monastery of the Hallowed Doctrine'. A sanctuary for those who fight taint. After a brief battle with a pair of huge stone golems, they entered the monastery, met it's occupants, and took a short break to receive healing and some much needed reset. After some conversation with the residents of the monastery, the party hooked up with another traveler, and prepared for the heart of their battle - On to Firestorm Peak!

The journey back to the entrance of Firestorm peak took our party over the Charnel bog - A haunted remnant of a long ago battle. The party flew over this fetid place, avoiding encounters with most of the occupants, and minimizing exposure to the taint ridden moor.

As they finally reached the gates of Firestorm peak, an unusual snow storm was under way. While white fluffy flakes drifted down from on high, the mountains peak was ablaze in crimson flames. As the celestial fires danced on the mountain, the party entered the now open gates that led into the heart of this mystery.

The entrance was not without it's defenders. Lurking just within the entrance, were enlarged guards. Duergar, a group of underground dwelling Dwarves, were waiting for the party. Stationed just inside the entrance, these 16 foot tall Dwarves sat quietly, invisibly, intently waiting. Just as the party attempted to pass the first barrier, the defenders struck!

As the battle raged on, the clock ticked forward. Eventually, 1 AM rolled around, and we realized that this battle was going to take longer than we had anticipated.

Here is an illustration with legend, to remind us how difficult it is to come in the front door.

Legend (Party members):

1 - Thalidimar - The cleric has activated a magic item which conceals the party in darkness, and blinds those who do not know the secret word. While some party members didn't know the secret word, word has been spreading about the secret word. Party members that were initially blinded by this darkness are no longer affected. Just who far has this knowledge spread? They party might find that the secret word is no longer that... Thalidimar is ready for the next initiative roll with a -2 penalty. His divine power is still in effect, and it has 8 rounds to go.
2 - Duracell - So far the Monk has managed to evade most of the combat, by using her flying belt. When will that thing run out of charges? She's currently flying 15 feet above the ground, right over one of the defenders barricades. She has a -2 to her next initiative roll. All that hesitation has it's price.
3 - Zeddishous & Fang - Battered but not down, Zeddishous has never been one to back down from a fight. Moving forward from a brief respite, he's back in the midst of things. Back at the front of the battle, we can only hope that he doesn't get hit by more of those huge ranseurs. Those gigantic polearms sure pack a wallop. With wings a flappin' he's currently flying 15 feet above the defenders barricades. Fang is a bit further back. Just adjacent to Grenco, his howling hasn't really caused much damage to these monsters, but I'm sure they 'all' heard it.
4 - Tanar - Trying to stay out of the line of fire, Tanar is cautiously picking his way through a mine field. The adventurers began this encounter by clearing the entrance of some invisible caltrops. Unfortunately, the defenders re-seeded the area after initial contact. As the caltrops are covered with some type of poison, it's probably a good idea to clear the area again. Invisible caltrops make for a good defense. Tanar is currently sweeping the area, 5 feet at a time.
5 - Grenco - Lacking his ring of invisibility (de-magicked in a previous encounter), Grenco finds that staying out of the way is a bit more difficult with the ultimate form of cover. Currently, he's trying to convince a summoned Hippogriff that it can see in the dark. If only it could figure out the connection between the secret word 'GOSFARNIK', and the darkness. Perched on the Hippogriff's back, Grenco is calmly 'EXPLAININ' what 'GOSFARNIK' means. Where's Flash? Grenco's blink dog companion is currently outside, waiting for the appropriate time to enter this mountain of madness.
6 - Solmar - The party's bulwark. While this living construct may be immune to poison, he's not immune to the hole in his foot. Stepping on a caltrop hurts! One result of stepping on these invisible spikes is a reduced movement. While the caltrop hasn't stopped him, or caused much damage, it has slowed him down some. Wielding sword and shield, Solmar stands ready to defend or destroy.
7 - Dynnera - The party's newest member has summoned a celestial hippogriff in the hopes that it will help ferry the party over the defenders palisades. Unfortunately, hippogriffs can't see in the dark. The darkness generated by Thalidimar's belt is helping conceal the party, but it's not without it's drawbacks. Dynnera is ready for the next initiative roll, but she's also at a -2 on the roll. The hippogriff has 6 more rounds left before it disappears.

Legend (Entrance defenders):

Umm, where are the bad guys? There is currently one enlarged Duergar - as far as the party knows. While these defenders were initially invisible, they appeared as soon as they attacked. Thank goodness for that. Right now there's only one visible Duergar, and he's sitting down against the wall of the primary palisade. Engulfed in a magical darkness, his available options are pretty limited. What about other defenders? Well, the party suspects additional defenders, but they haven't encountered any yet.

As this encounter enters it's fifth round, one can only wonder whether the party is moving from the frying pan into the fire! Will more Duergar arrive to defend their home? One can only assume so. Is there some other way into the mountain? I think it's too late for a more subtle approach to the entrance.

While the players have a couple of weeks to think about this encounter, the party fearfully waits to see what their dangerous opponents will do next.

The map above was created using Dundjinni for the Mac. The corridors and rooms have not been completely mapped, and those side corridors are actually pretty small. At 12 inches by 12 inches, one can only imagine what might use them?

Hopefully, the party can safely conclude this encounter on the 19th of May. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion. Stay tuned for adventure!