Frostmane’s attack (FDW7): 1d20+13 = 20 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite: 1d8+18 = 24 (Piercing)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 3 (5 Resisted)

Frostmane’s Trip Attempt: 1d20+13 = 21

FDW7’s STR check: 1d20+15 = 16 (Fail, Prone)

Frostmane did not miss the chance that Siora had given him. The wolf that had been rattled by the spell stood no chance as Frostmane’s jaws sought his shoulder. Blood flew as the wolf was thrown to the ground.

Melinda’s Caster Level Check: 1d20+9 = 12 (Success)

Melinda’s Attack (FDW5): 1d20+12 = 27 (Success)

Eldritch Chain Damage: 4d6 = 12 (Magic)

Melinda’s Attack (FDW6): 1d20+12 = 18 (Success)

Eldritch Chain Damage: 6 (Magic)

Once again, I unleashed a bolt of magic, and once again it jumped from wolf to wolf, though with less precision and power than it had the last time. That was fine, though. I was back in the fight, and half of the wolves were already dead, and I could see a couple of the survivors were nearly done, as well.

FDW1’s attack (Frostmane): 1d20+11 = 12 (Miss)

FDW5’s Attack (Frostmane): 1d20+11 = 31 (Crit Threat)

Confirm Crit: 1d20+11 = 20 (Normal Hit)

Damage: 1d8+10 = 15 (Piercing)

FDW5’s Trip attempt: 1d20+11 = 31

Frostmane’s STR check: 1d20+17 = 37 (Success)

FDW6’s Attack (Frostmane): 1d20+11 = 23 (Miss)

Frostmane’s AoO (FDW7): 1d20+13 = 20 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite: 1d8+18 = 23 (Piercing)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 3 (5 Resist) (Dead)

The demonic wolves did not give up, however. The wolf I’d hit, the one that had killed the charmed wolf, was proving to be quite the combatant, as it scored another bite. The other wolves tried to match it, but were utterly unsuccessful. Or, in the case of Frostmane’s last victim, dead, as his jaws broke the wolf’s neck as it tried to rise to its feet.

Vestele’s Attack (FDW1): 1d20+7 = 18 (Hit)

Damage: 1d8+2 = 8 (Bludgeon & Pierce)

Vestele apparently decided to save her spells for after the battle, as she walked forward, and brought her morningstar down upon the closest of the wolves. Looking back to us, she grinned wickedly. “Let’s finish this, so Mel can stop hiding behind her wings.” She just laughed at the rude gesture I sent her way.

Siora’s Attack (FDW1): 1d20+5 = 24 (Crit threat)

Confirm Crit: 1d20+5 = 17 (Crit)

Damage: 2d6+4 = 11 (Piercing) (+2 Vile)

Siora also looked to be getting in on the fun. With a flourish, she lunged forward with her rapier, and pierced deeply into the wolf’s body, striking where its neck and shoulder met. “Just a little bit more, and we’ll be done with this.”

Frostmane’s attack (FDW1): 1d20+13 = 16 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite: 1d8+18 = 24 (Piercing)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 3 (5 Resisted) (Dead)

Frostmane followed up on the twins’ attacks. The wolf they’d hit was looking a little too keenly at Siora, sizing her up. The beast paid for that lapse in concentration with its life, as Frostmane ripped out its throat.

Melinda’s Caster Level Check: 1d20+9 = 25 (Success)

Melinda’s Attack (FDW6): 1d20+12 = 23 (Success)

Eldritch Chain Damage: 4d6 = 18 (Magic)

Melinda’s Attack (FDW5): 1d20+12 = 14 (Hit)

Eldritch Chain Damage: 9 (Magic) (Dead)

Seeing how the more active of the two remaining wolves looked to be on its last legs, I turned my attention to the healthier of the two this time. The blast hit, center of the wolf’s chest, and bounced, just as I intended it to. I was pleased to see the half-dead wolf get promoted to fully dead as the bounced blast hit it.

FDW6’s attack (Frostmane): 1d20+11 = 24 (Miss)

The final wolf clearly saw that this was not going to end well for it. Even I could see it in the way it moved. But it had nowhere to run, and it clearly knew that, too. It bit at Frostmane, trying to take the winter wolf down with it, but my fluffy companion was not so easy to catch, especially when only one enemy was left to attract his attention.

Vestele’s Attack (FDW1): 1d20+7 = 21 (Hit)

Damage: 1d8+2 = 9 (Bludgeon & Pierce) (Dead)

Striding up beside Frostmane, Vestele carefully avoided the magic trap at the bottom of the stairs, as she raised her morningstar once again. With a satisfying crack, she hit the last wolf between its eyes. The wolf fell, and did not get up again.

Your party has defeated 8 Fiendish Dire Wolves and overcome a Baleful Polymorph trap.

Melinda earns 1125 XP.

Frostmane earns 825 XP.

Siora earns 825 XP.

Vestele earns 825 XP.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I got the message. Quickly, I began grabbing my clothes and other equipment, and pulling them on. “Well, that was not fun. Siora, can you disable that trap so we don’t have to worry about it on our way back up?”

“Sure, now that I know it is here, and we don’t have wolves trying to eat us, it should be a piece of cake.”

Siora’s Disable Device Check: 1d20+20 = 28 (Success)

Pulling out her thieves’ tools, Siora went to work on the stone at the bottom of the bottom of the stairs. As she did so, I had to mutter a curse. There was nothing to distinguish the stone from any of the others that made up the floor of the room. The trap was dangerous enough on its own, without the threat of being a rabbit in a room full of wolves. It was a good reminder that they weren’t going after mere beasts, despite the quality of the foes they’d fought, for the most part. There was a will behind the minions, and it was cunning.

“Ah ha!” There was a flash of light, drawing my attention back to Siora. Thankfully, that flash had been the trap being disabled, rather than it going off again. Smiling, the beguiler looked to the rest of us. “I couldn’t bypass it to make it safe for us, but it is off, and won’t turn back on again until someone manually comes and fixes it. Interesting design. I think it was designed to affect anyone who steps on it, unless they are wearing the Beastlord’s symbol.”

I nodded thoughtfully. “So, their followers can move through it without worrying, without any visual cues or spoken words. Even the initiates in the shrine might not know of it, if they’ve been told that anyone passing deeper must be wearing their symbol. Who would question that, in a shrine?”

Vestele shook her head. “They wouldn’t. Unless a shrine is hidden away and secret, then it is common practice to show one’s faith when entering the parts not open to the commoners.”

Melinda’s Cure Light Wounds (Frostmane): 1d8+1 = 7

Melinda’s Cure Light Wounds (Frostmane): 1d8+1 = 4

Melinda’s Cure Light Wounds (Frostmane): 1d8+1 = 7 (2 overhealing)

As I expended a few charges from the wand to tend to Frostmane’s lingering wounds, I looked around the room. “This place is too empty to be anything more than a killing ground. Siora, check the stairs. If they had a trap coming into the room, they have to have put one on the stairs leading down.

The beguiler grimaced, and nodded. “Yes, it is what I would do, too.” She turned, and headed slowly towards the stairs down, looking for trouble.

Siora’s Search check: 1d20+19 = 31 (Success)

Siora’s Disable Device check: 1d20+20 = 25 (Fail)

Siora’s Disable Device check: 1d20+20 = 38 (Success)

And trouble she found. Carefully, she pried at the corner of one of the stones, and began maneuvering her tools. Once, her hand slipped, and she began cursing fluently in the abyssal tongue, but nothing happened. A moment later, there was a black glimmer from the stone which quickly went out.

Standing, Siora smiled sheepishly when she saw us all staring at her. “Sorry, almost set it off when my hand slipped. Thankfully, I didn’t set it off. It was another magic trap. Tentacles, and not the fun kind.”

I shook my head. “I don’t even want to know.” Perverts were the same wherever you went, it seemed. “So, while learning a whole host of interesting new swear words to use when demons are around is great, did you manage to disable the trap?”

“Oh, yeah, got it the second time. The trap is safe, so we don’t have to worry about it after this.” Then she grinned. “But don’t worry, ‘little bird’, once this is over, we’ll find someone to your tastes, and get you to loosen up a bit. I happen to know all the best talent in Northport, male, female, or other.”

I groaned. “Yeah, let’s not, and say we didn’t. I really don’t want to be thinking about stuff like that now, or anytime in the foreseeable future.”

Your party has overcome a Black Tentacle Trap.

Melinda gains 250 XP.

Frostmane gains 206 XP.

Siora gains 206 XP.

Vestele gains 206 XP.

Siora looked like she was about to continue on as the message popped up, but her sister gave her a smack to the back of the head. Sighing, she said, “Fine, fine. But just know that we’ll be happy to help you out when you inevitably come around.”

Turning my attention away from the sisters, I looked over to Frostmane. He was standing by the stairs again, sniffing the air. “So, big fellow, you got any idea what’s down there?”

Frostmane’s Spot check: 1d20+16 = 30

The wolf turned to look at me, and nodded, slowly. “It is strange. We’re far from the sea, but I would swear by the Frostmaiden’s winter cloak that I can smell the ocean down there. One of those not-quite wolves passed this way, probably more than one. But there’s something else. Something I’ve never smelled before.”

Frowning, I turned to look down the stairs. “The sea, hmm? That is strange. Not like the Malarites to do something like that. Oh, sure, there are plenty of fearsome creatures in the sea, but they’re more likely to belong to one of the ocean gods, not the Beastlord, right?”

Vestele shrugged. “There are always exceptions, of course. If there was a breed of hunter that favored savagery like the Malarites do, then they might follow the Beastlord. But why would they be here?”

Siora shook her head. “Because anyone who made it this far into the Shrine is likely to be kitted out for fighting on land. Even just trying to keep from drowning while wearing armor is difficult. Trying to fight creatures born to the water in their native habitat? Well, that won’t end well.”

“Yeah, so we’ll have to be careful. Girls, probably best to have your wings out for this one. The fewer of us in the water, the better things will be.” I put a hand on Frostmane’s shoulder. “Will you be all right?”

The wolf chuffed. “We’ll see. but there isn’t any sign of water coming up out of the stairs, so there has to be some way to cross without getting wet. And you saw those clothes the Malarites were wearing. Those hadn’t been dunked in saltwater and left to dry.”

“Yeah. I just hate going up against enemies that actually have a clue what they’re doing.” I sighed. “All right, anyone got any ideas?”

The beguiler was smiling. Why was the beguiler smiling? That couldn’t be good, right? She wasn’t going to suggest some weird tentacle thing, was she? Nervously, I acknowledged her. “What is it, Siora?”

“How about I cast Invisibility on you, before you head down? It will only last for a few minutes, and if you attack or something like that, it will end the spell, but it should be enough for you to get down and back up without anyone the wiser.”

Huh. That was surprisingly normal. My expression must have betrayed my thoughts, because the twins started laughing. “Oh, come on, Mel!” Siora choked out, “I’m full of great ideas! Not all of them are about enjoying my… assets.”

I sighed. “Fine, fine. Cast the spell on me, and let’s see what we’re working with.”