6. Defending Argent

Nymm 7, YK 1000

Bulette misses Magnus. Zargosz, immobilized, turns into a giant toad, fires lightning from his mouth at a Bulette and his crocodile bites and grabs the basilisk, then he turns into a stone toad. Obenharr begins trying to reinforce the magical protections around Argent. Magnus determines that Obenharr is using ancient warding rituals that may be the basis of Kundarak rituals, and the statue is of Boldrei, then attacks and bloodies the Bulette. Galeb Duhr attack Torgen, then withdraws, drawing AOO from Torgen, and the other calls forth a wall of stone that misses Torgen. Another Galeb tries to hit the crocodile with a stone wall, but fails.

Xiu uses her acrobatic strike on the bloodied Bulette, who is looking wan. Torgen attacks a Galeb Duhr through its stone wall. Rrowthar shifts back and roars, blasting the non-bloodied Bulette and healing his allies. Alain steps out and uses lightning motes on Bulettes and basilisk, and is slowed as a result. Bulette leaps at Torgen and attacks, missing. The bloodied Bulette takes 5 from Zargosz's effect, takes her second wind. Crocodile attacks basilisk and misses, and is no longer slowed. Obenharr continues the ritual. Magnus uses crushing surge on the bloodied Bulette and crits him. Galeb Duhr throws rock at Torgen and hits him, another one punches and bloodies him and the other attacks the Crocodile.

Xiu uses acrobatic strike on the bloodied Bulette, nearly killing it, and uses action point but misses. Torgen attacks Galeb Duhr, bloodying him, then moves away, drawing an AOO from the Galeb Duhr and then spends his action point to charge the other Galeb Duhr. Basilisk uses gaze on Rrowthar, Alain and Crocodile, hitting Alain and slowing him. Rrowthar moves. Alain steps into predatory shards, fires off a static shock that bloodies the basilisk and saves versus slow, but is immobilized by basilisk's gaze. Bulette digs into ground, comes up and sprays earth and stone at Rrowthar, crocodile and Alain. The other Bulette shifts, taking an AOO from Magnus that kills him. Crocodile bites the basilisk. Obenharr continues his ritual. Magnus steps and engages the other Bulette. Galeb Duhr attacks Torgen, Magnus and Obenharr unsuccessfully.

Xiu moves in to flank Bulette with Alain with Tornado Strike, hitting him and sliding him into the predatory shards. Torgen runs up next to the Galeb Duhr and attacks him with Ardent Strike and gives Divine Mettle to Alain, ending his petrification. Basilisk takes lightning damage, attacks and bloodies the crocodile, then saves against lightning. Rrowthar uses healing word on Torgen, almost fully healing him, then attacks and bloodies the Bulette. Alain shifts and attacks Bulette with aggravating force. Bulette takes lightning damage, leaps out of the predatory shards and misses Magnus, spends action point to take his second wind, and is no longer bloodied, fails his lightning save. Crocodile misses the basilisk. Obenharr continues the ritual, but makes no progress this round. Magnus hits the Bulette, bloodying him and pushing him into the predatory shards. Galeb Duhrs throw stone shards at Torgen and crocodile.

Xiu moves to flank with crocodile and stabs the basilisk, nearly killing it. Torgen moves in and attacks bloodied Galeb Duhr, missing. Basilisk misses crocodile. Rrowthar misses Bulette. Alain moves in and kills the basilisk, moves his dancing shield to Magnus. Bulette takes lightning and force damage, it dives underground and attacks Alain, who crits with shockweave armor and dazes the Bulette, but then is knocked prone. Crocodile attacks Galeb Duhr and grabs him. Magnus dives into the tunnel and misses the Bulette. Torgen gets hit with stone shards by Galeb Duhr, the other one punches the crocodile.

Xiu acrobatically moves between the statues to get to flanking the Galeb Duhr with crocodile, attacks with Acrobatic Strike. Torgen moves in, attacks bloodied Galeb Duhr and misses. Rrowthar attacks the Galeb Duhr, flanking with Torgen. Alain stands up, draws his crossbow and fires an aggravating force bolt at the Galeb Duhr being bitten by the crocodile, bloodying it. Crocodile bites the Galeb Duhr. Obenharr completes his ritual and a wave of energy seals the Bulette tunnels and expands outward, inadvertantly trapping Magnus underground with the Bulette. Magnus attacks the Bulette with crushing surge. Galeb Duhr throws stone shard at Torgen, the other one uses his stone wall and misses Torgen and Rrowthar. The other Galeb Duhr kills the crocodile.

Xiu uses changeling trick to gain combat advantage on the Galeb Duhr and stabs him, nearly killing him. Torgen crits the Galeb Duhr and kills it, then closes with the other one. Rrowthar moves to flank with Xiu and kills it. Alain fires an aggravating force bolt at the last Galeb Duhr and hits it. Bulette tries to bite Magnus and misses. Obenharr fires and kills the last Galeb Duhr. Magnus misses the Bulette.

Rrowthar administers oil of flesh returned to Zargosz. Bulette hits Magnus. Magnus pulls out a sunrod and tries to irritate the Bulette into diving for the surface. After Obenharr defuses the ward effect in that area, it dives up into the room with Magnus on his back, hitting him with a crit, which Magnus negates with his shield.

Obenharr calls up a map of the city in the reflecting pool and shows us the areas under attack. "Other invaders have entered the city. I must go to the highest level of the guardian's tower. Rrowthar will lead you to the intruders so you can deal with them." We are unable to take a short rest, and follow Rrowthar to a more collapsed part of town. A rough voice calls out "You are not the old annoying one. I do not know who you are, but you're too late! Our task here has been completed!"

Everyone but Torgen notices a large hole in the air above the street pulsing with elemental energy. A large magma elemental humanoid stands in one of the rubbled buildings. Magnus can see the magma brute, but senses more elemental creatures behind walls that we can't see.

Xiu pulls out a distance shuriken and throws it at the Magma Brute, but misses. Rrowthar moves into the building and sees two "little rocky things" and crits the Magma Brute. Zargosz moves up with Rrowthar and sees the "rocky things" made up of shards of stone and fires a Storm Spike at the Magma Brute, activates his Ring of Giants to push him down and blast him into wall. Torgen summons Wrath of God, then charges Magma Strider and misses him. From his new vantage point, he sees more stone creatures and a Hill Giant. Hill Giant fires volcanic blast, hitting Torgen, making him vulnerable to fire. Alain misses with crossbow bolt but gives magic weapon to Xiu and Magnus. Magnus uses his action point, runs up to engage the other Magma Strider with Kneebreaker. Stony creatures move in to surround Torgen and Magnus. Magma Brute smashes Rrowthar, lighting him on fire, and takes Storm Spike damage from staying in one place.

Xiu moves over and flips up onto the wall to attack the stony creature with Clever Strike and destroys it, then spends an action point to move around the Magma Brute and attack it with Acrobatic Strike. Rrowthar takes fire damage, moves in and attacks Magma Brute, bloodying it, then puts himself out. Magma Strider misses Magnus, other Magma Strider misses Torgen. Zargosz uses clay of creation to summon a fierce boar next to the Magma Brute, then uses a Storm Spike on the Magma Brute. Torgen takes fire damage, then swings and misses Magma Strider but kills stone creature, uses lay on hands on himself. Hill Giant Shaman fires volcanic blast and misses Magnus. Alain misses with crossbow bolt, uses curative admixture to un-bloody Rrowthar. Magnus uses Thicket of Blades to attack the Magma Strider and three rock creatures next to him, killing one and causing the others to skitter away and share its energy with the Magma Strider and then charges back to hit Magnus, knocking him down, but he stands back up. They then try to attack Magnus, and one hits. Bloodied Magma Brute moves over to Zargosz and attacks him, lighting him on fire. The other one moves past Torgen, drawing an AOO, then smashes down on Torgen and misses.

Xiu moves up, uses Clever Strike on Magma Brute. Rrowthar moves up and claws Magma Brute with a crit. Magma Strider misses Magnus, moves past him and lights him on fire when he misses his AOO. The other one misses Torgen and moves past him, lighting him on fire when he misses his AOO. Zargosz takes fire damage, transforms into a toad, spews a plague of locusts on the Magma Brute, but misses, leaving a cloud of locusts around the Magma Brute, and the boar attacks and misses. Torgen takes fire damage and attacks the Magma Brute behind him, missing him but marking him, and puts out the fire on him. Hill Giant Shaman fires volcanic blast and hits him. Alain throws Alchemist's Frost at Magma Strider, uses action point to fire Aggravating Force bolt into Magma Brute, killing it. Magnus misses the Strider, takes his second wind, and avoids attacks from the rock creatures. The other Magma Brute misses Torgen.

Xiu moves along the wall, uses Clever Strike to attack the Magma Strider next to Magnus, killing it. Magma Strider misses Torgen, moves away and draws AOO from Torgen and Magnus, both of them catching on fire again. Zargosz hops over and fires plague of locusts at the other Magma Brute. Torgen takes fire damage, is bloodied, and misses, but saves against the effects on him. Hill Giant Shaman misses. Alain fires aggravating force crossbow bolt at remaining Magma Strider, uses Regenerative Infusion on Torgen. Stony creatures attack and miss Magnus. Magma Brute attacks Torgen and misses.

Xiu flanks Magma Strider with Magnus, hits and bloodies it, shifts back out of its reach. Rrawthor moves over to attack the Hill Giant Shaman. Magma Strider attacks Magnus and misses. Zargosz takes fire damage, draws his thundering club and charges the Magma Strider, missing, he is still on fire, and the boar misses. Torgen uses Ardent Strike to hit Magma Brute. Hill Giant Shaman slams his staff into the ground and fires an earth storm out at Rrowthar, bloodying him. Alain moves over to Magma Brute, misses with his staff. Magnus uses Tide of Iron on Magma Strider, pushing him back. The portal of elemental energy expands out further, and bursts out, hitting Rrowthar. Magma Brute tries to smash Torgen and misses.

Xiu attacks the Magma Strider and kills it, then moves over to engage the Hill Giant. Rrowthar moves back, is still blinded. Zargosz takes fire damage, steps back and fires tremor at Magma Brute and misses, but is no longer on fire, the boar crits and destroys a stone creature. Torgen regenerates, misses the Magma Brute, moves off and draws an AOO to move over and lay hands on Rrowthar. Hill Giant Shaman moves away from Xiu, uses action point to fire volcanic blast at Xiu with a crit. Alain hits the Magma Brute, moves past him, drawing a missed AOO that causes him to take holy damage from Torgen's mark, then moves to Rrowthar to use clearsense powder and give him back his sight. Magnus tries to attack stony creature, it misses, rebounds and misses Alain. Rift bursts out, crits the Hill Giant Shaman and damages Magnus. Stony creature attacks Alain and misses. Magma Brute hits Zargosz, setting him on fire again.

Xiu moves to attack Hill Giant Shaman and misses. Rrowthar uses healing word on Torgen, then moves to attack Hill Giant Shaman. Zargosz takes fire damage, charges Magma Brute with thundering club, triggering thundering attack, is still on fire, boar charges the Magma Brute and misses. Torgen moves around to attack Magma Brute. Hill Giant Shaman swings at Xiu with his staff. Alain kills the magma brute with static shock, moves over to stand near Rrowthar and Magnus, pulls out his crossbow and puts his staff back into his cloak. Magnus attacks Hill Giant, immobilizing him. Rift bursts out, damaging most of us.

We manage to kill the Hill Giant, find a scroll that includes a ritual to open an elemental rift. Alain use the ritual to close the rift, with assistance from Torgen and Magnus. Rrowthar suggests we follow him to the guardian's tower to join Obenharr, after we take a brief rest.

Quotes:
"The invisible underground Bulette is marked. And bloodied."
"1... 2... 3... 4... FUCK!"
"I want a Donkey Kong jelly sandwich."
"One-armed lion man is just alright with me."

MVP: Torgen