Episode 6

Entering the Temple
After a brief rest, the party explored the rest of the temple exterior to find an entry way. They found four pairs of doors, two on an upper level, and two on the ground level. The doors on the northern side of the temple were collapsed, which left four doors on the south side as the remaining options.

Eager to impress, Athenra prepared to stealthily breach the temple from the upper level. However, before she could begin, she heard a loud crash beneath her.

Apparently, Aggumar was equally eager – to continue fighting. His current opponent: an immense, corroded door made of obsidian and rusted metal. At first, both he and Indie gave a great charge and produced a great clatter against the still shut door. A confused Athenra peered over the temple terrace, then quickly resigned to join the party below.

Once more, Aggumar let out a ferocious roar as he battered himself against the stubborn entrance. The racket produced by his ineffective charging worried the party — they were much less eager to face another group of bullywogs.

Oblivious to the party's concerns, Aggumar threw himself against the stone slab a third time, and slumped against it when it remained firmly shut. Even with the growing clamor, it seemed the party had yet to attract any negative attention.

The party gave a sigh of relief when Aggumar walked away from the door, which turned to horror when Aggumar began sprinting at the temple. After his running start, Aggumar slammed against the temple door, and finally knocked the slab to the ground. "I have defeated the door!"

- Aggumar

A Forced Entry
As Aggumar reveled in his victory, the rest of the party gave a cautious peek into the room while Athenra hid alongside the wall. To their collective dismay, the room was guarded and lightly barricaded by a group of bullywogs.

Evidently prepared after Aggumars generous door knocks, the bullywogs launched their attack as the party entered. At the front of the party, Aggumar imitated his last conquest and was knocked over by a charging Mucker. A Twitcher followed up by launching a javelin at Chali.

Aggumar regained his footing, but was unable to exact revenge upon his foe. However, he provided ample distraction for Indie to swing his hammer across the Mucker's face.

The clustered fighters were given a disgusting shock as they felt a burning liquid cover them — a grotesque onslaught of vomit, courtesy of a nearby Croaker.

Donn swiftly moved to provide aid to Aggumar, insulting a Croaker to death on his way over. The veteran then turned his steely glare over to the Mucker nearby, challenging it to topple him.

In the midst of the chaos, Athenra remained unnoticed by the entryway. She threw a shuriken around the corner and struck true - finishing the Mucker with a shot to the eye – and then followed the party into the room.

The small room became a tangled mess of fighters, a prime target yet again for a Croaker to belch its noxious fluids onto the party – Aggumar, Indie, and Donn were caught in yet another disgusting shower. Fortunately, they were managed to dodge the next deluge of vomit from a a second Croaker.

Near the entrance, Chali kept out of range from the flood of acid, and let loose her spear at a nearby Twitcher. The Twitcher ducked behind its makeshift barricade to dodge, and returned fire at Athenra, who was not fortunate enough to have her own cover.

Aggumar flung his axe with the war cry of a raptor spirit, slaying a nearby Croaker. Donn followed up by killing yet another Croaker with his Ardent Strike.

As their allies fell around them, the remaining Twitchers attacked at range while hiding behind cover. Athenra took advantage of their cowardice by sneaking along the barricade before launching a shuriken through a Twitcher's throat.

As the party closed in on the bullywogs, one Twitcher fled the battle with a frantic leap down a winding staircase. Aggumar refused to let his prey escape, but was unable to catch up. Indie, too, tried to follow, but was unable to climb over the stair's railing.

"Do you need a boost, short man?"

- Aggumar

The remaining Twitcher had its personal space invaded by Donn, who scrambled over the barricade to unleash his challenge upon it. Unfortunately, the bullywog decided to follow its brethren and leapt away, down the staircase.

Down the Frog Hole
Athenra, exhibiting great bravery – or foolhardiness – also gave chase to the fleeing bullywogs. After peering down the staircase into darkness, she hoisted herself over the railing – unaware of how far she would land.

"I'm FIIIIIIINE"

- Athenra's voice, echoing up from the staircase

After tumbling through the darkness, Athenra crashed to the floor below with a resounding crunch. Although Athenra yet lived, her odds of remaining that way seemed slim as she laid prone at the feet of the fleeing bullywogs. Even from her view on the ground, however, Athenra noticed a sinister glow from the northern room, adjecent to the staircase.

Chali rushed down the staircase to Athenra's aid, though her healing was not effective near the noxious fumes of the surrounding Twitchers. As Athenra writhed in pain on the floor, one of the fleeing Twitcher took advantage and gave her a firm kick to the gut.

The rest of Athenra's allies –taking a less acrobatic route– joined the fray on the lower floor. Aggumar, first on the scene, let loose yet another ghostly raptor upon his foe, but did not strike true. Next, Indie arrived at the end of the staircase, though he was unable to assist Athenra. After a few moments of rushed clanking and clatter, Donn arrived and stepped between the prone Athenra and her attackers. He glared them down, silently challenging them.

Athenra, encouraged by the arrival of her allies, dragged herself to her feet and swiped her attacker with a dagger. As though reminded of the party's strength, the Twitcher fled the room through an adjacent doorway.

Before the Twitcher could travel too far, Aggumar pin its foot to the floor with one of his axes. The rest of the party closed in, and the combined attacks from Indie, Donn, and Chali finished it off.

Meanwhile, Aggumar left to pursue the other Twitcher. Athenra chose to not follow her allies, and dragged herself up the stairs to escape. Atop the staircase, she hid behind the makeshift barricade and called for the party to join her.

"Guys?! RETREAT! I'm getting the fuck out of here!"

- Athenra

Food Fight
Aggumar ignore Athenra's call for retreat, and continued chasing the remaining bullywog – interrupting a room full of bullywogs having a meal. He relished the opportunity for further conquest, and created a torrent of vicious bats through the room.

Although Donn agreed with Athenra – a rare occurrence – he realized that the rest of the party did not, and would need his assistance. After following Athenra's initial retreat, he returned to the lower floor to aid Aggumar.

While the rest of the party fought in the bullywog mess hall, Athenra began shifting the debris around her to form a blockade for the stairway. Since she was hindered by her wounds, she was unable to move much, though she was fortunately undisturbed by an enemies.

Aggumar, Donn, Chali and Indie managed to hold their own in the underground mess hall, and eventually cleared the room. The adventurers were finally safe – for now.

Visited Locations

 * Sun Temple
 * Sun Temple, underground

Treasure and Loot

 * 200XP per PC