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I thought I’d try something a little different this time, as the majority of this session’s players were new to the group here are tonights cast of players and their characters:-

• Tilly Calow, playing Ardeth Bey (Elf Hunter)
• Daniel Creed, playing Sir Osric (Half-Elf Cavalier)
• Matt Mawdsley, playing Valorite (Dragonborn Hexblade)
• Simon Hunter, playing Rendar (Half-Orc Slayer)
• Robert Cleale, playing Eliza (Half-Elf Sorceror)

As the encounters format is designed to accommodate a changeable lineup we dispensed with the “several new adventurers have arrived” and just continued after the recap as if everyone had played upto this point.

As the party recovered from the battle with the shrines defenders they realised the strange blue altar the dwarves had been

Alone apart from the bodies of her enemies, Ping, oops I mean Vestra, heard faint whimperings down a side corridor. Investigating revealed a half dozen locked cells, which she eventually broke open to reveal an elf hunter, a half-elf cavalier, a re-incarnated Gauldoth, and a dishevelled hermit named Malgrym. Remembering the conversation with the Galeb Duhr en route to the shrine, Vestra realised this was its companion, and after making sure he was healthy enough and recovering the newcomers equipment from a nearby chest, escorted him back to the entrance. As they returned to the outer annexe they encountered a quartet of the stoney goblinoids but made very short work of them.

As the hermit ascended the stairs our heroes felt a cold breeze coming from another of the corridors and throwing

Due to various reasons we were down on number of players this week, though we had the addition of a prospective new player who had come to watch and see if it was “something he could get in to”.

The reduced party entered the first chamber of the underground shrine to be confronted by crazed dwarven cultists. As the purple robed one at the back announced “Your arrival has been foretold” our dwarven knight tried to converse with them, only to be interupted by the flame-wielding dwarf in the centre of the room shouting “Too much talking!” as he motioned for his allies to prepare to assault.

Legless the elven rogue whirled forward to strike at the yellow robed pyromaniac, receiving a flaming punch in return before the cackling dwarf surrounded

Following the roughly translated notes from the journal found in the drow encampment the heroes come to the entrance of the Sunset Shrine.  Seeing the area apparently disserted, Legless the elf theif tries to climb one of the spires of Ghaunadaur;s Teeth to get the lay of the land.

 Unfortunately all he managed was to fall on his back (again!) 

As the heroes prepare to proceed towards the area, they realise the pools of mud are bubbling, giving off a stench similar to rotten eggs. Orin the mage uses a spell to create a small flame and directs it to the nearest pool, causing a small blossom of greenish fire.  Then the mud begins to rise up forming into humanoid shapes and launching globs of the mud at the assembled heroes as a mini cyclone forms

Distributing the treasure from last session the reduced-size party (one player missing due to braking his foot) continued into the badlands in search of the crazy dwarven cultists temple.

In the ensuing Skill Challenge (I still dislike them  but this one was better written than some others) the party failed overall but managed to befriend the Galeb Dhur and get a heads up on the Drow activity in the area.

As they approached the Drow’s campsite the party became aware of the location of a pair of dark elves and a large spider.

The rogue moved to intercept the drow male swordsman, scoring a solid hit which the evil elf replied to with a double strike from his admantite blades (one of which was a critical) bloodying the pc immediately.

The female drow priestess moved

Well this week saw the official start of our first season running/playing the D&D Encounters. The adventure is titled “The Elder Elemental Eye” and as our assembled players looked expectantly up at me from their seats around the table we began.

Their characters, a halfling sorceror, human sunpriest, and eladrin knight had been hired by the agents of the rulers of Iriaebor (in the Forgotten Realms) to investigate a suspected outbreak of the abyssal plague in the small but strategically important tradeway town of Easting. If they were to find evidence of the plague they were tasked with finding and halting its source.

Approaching Easting they came across a burnt down home with five fresh graves beside it. A cursory investigation revealed that the doors and windows of the