Okay, so they told me not to go...

Brat!

But I'm an ELF!

We're known to be mischievous... they should have held the rope tighter, right? At least we didn't die...

We did manage to kill 2 croc... oops! Alligators... I skinned 'em and hauled their teeth. Elves are woodland creatures and we don't kill for fun. These guys 'friends' tried to eat me and when we offered them the deceased body of a Cleric, (an unspeakably disgusting cleric), they took umbrage that we wanted their hides too... (can't imagine why...)

We had to be back in town by dusk; it was only noon and the staircase beckoned...

Sacker was occupied and I took advantage of the inattention to drag the newest member of our team, Carlos, to see the staircase...

He followed and we crept down; slimy moss, overgrown vegetation and the smell of death greeted us...

It was dark; Carlos insisted we go back for a torch before we broke our necks; reluctantly, I retreated, heeding his wisdom... but worried that Sacker would knock my block off and refuse to let me go back down... (brat that I am; I would never intentionally put the group in danger...)

We gathered a torch and started back down, this time a rope around my waist, the end of which was left to trail down the steps behind me, (someone was supposed to be holding it!) the rope being long enough to coil at the top of the stairs and follow me down...

The group, Sacker rolling his eyes and shaking his head; Carn agreeing only because I was halfway down; Josh, joining us late and getting caught in the confusion, followed single file down the narrow staircase...

Inch by inch we crept to the bottom, the body (dead we assume), covered with black-hide-like armour lay on the floor; stained-glass motifs patterned the floor of the round area; glow shining from four equally spaced windows, though brighter from two and duller from two, leading us to question North...

Stepping around the staircase I was attacked by a BeHolder, class Ghaul(?)...

OUCH!

9-HP... as his venomous trickery nailed me with a sleep and weakening something-or-other. Yeah, I screamed...

The others, just coming down the stairs; only Carlos had stepped onto the floor yet...

I was staggered back, into Carlos, knocking him back onto the stair and a saving throw of barely enough kept my butt from kissing the bricks... (Thank goodness for the previous turn this gave an additional point to my turn...)

Could I be content??? Heck, noooo, I wanted to play and find out what this blinding creature was...

Picture this 1.55m/5’2”-43kg/95lbs shaking fists of fury shouting at this creature with eye-balls popping out of its head and a vicious set of teeth that is too wide to fit up the stairs... I really want to know if it talks and understands English (or Elven; my honest intention was to kinda be nice...)

So here I am Shouting, “What the hell did ya do that for?”

Shocker of shocks, the beast answers me...

“Fall on your knees and worship the Ghaul(?)...”

Yah, right, I don't THINK so buddy!

He then takes aim at the party, sending Carlos scampering up a few steps, pushing the party, still on the stairs into a close bunch...

Me, truly stupid that I am, declare war on this beast’s ass; he hurt me! (Maybe worse than the alligators...) I tilt my head and smile, gracefully falling to my knees and throwing the dagger I held in my left hand, aiming for the beast’s centre eye...

Well, yup, you guessed it – I missed... BUT, in falling to my knees, the rope tied round my waist jerks those on the stairs into the room in a heap... They aren't happy with me right now...

A minor skirmish ensues...

I’m debating another round of fire power, when the beast lashes out and hauls me into its mouth, biting! (Gads I hope this isn’t a beast with vampire-like, or were-beast powers...)

Stunned the party makes for the stairs as they recognise the level-5 beast...

I’m down to 6-HP left... when the party yanks the rope, jerking me free from the jaws of that ...hideous creature...

Am I satisfied???

Nope, I want another shot...

My companions wisely haul me up the stairs via the rope, bouncing my ass all the way... **ouch**

So now I’m supposed to let our unofficial leader head off with the scariest dude yet? I don’t know if my character will concede to that... she is pretty obedient, but she’s also got a wild-streak... she might just follow, hang back; be available if called for...

I guess we’ll have to wait until next week to find out... In the meantime I’m going to take care of these interesting wounds, eat some chicken and drink some ale...

~khrys... Elven Sorceress...

PHOTO ONE: ELF
PHOTO TWO: MONSTER
PHOTO THREE: ME
PHOTO FOUR: ROPE

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