[Cerek the Barbaric]

Gabriel finally escapes the Chateau

After taking a much needed rest, I awoke to find that, as suspected, two more duergar had appeared in the large room where I destroyed the mephit portals. There was another door I had not yet gone through, so I hastily ran towards it. I managed to slip through the door before being detected by either dwarf, but my elation was short lived. I encountered a couple more mephits and one assassin (who turned to attack me after I helped kill the mephit attacking him - talk about a lack of gratitude). As I went further down the corridor, there was yet another dwarf. {sigh} I was ready for him this time though. I backed toward the door I had come through and waited for the dwarf to follow. As soon as he turned the corner in the corridor, I cast my Charm Person spell on him. We became instant friends and I sent him through the door to go deal with the other two dwarfs that had come to attack me. Then I closed the door behind him and just left without even waiting to see how the fight turned out.

I went through the next door and crossed a bridge that led to another very large room. Fortune smiled on me as there was another assassin in the room and he was fighting two dwarves. He was killed rather quickly and then the dwarves advanced to attack me - only to be stopped in their tracks by some hidden traps in the floor. I noticed there were several mosaics in the floor of this room and they were aligned with a number of pillars along the left-hand wall. I also noted that the traps the dwarves tripped seemed to be located somewhere between the mosaics and the pillars. I went to the nearest pillar to inspect it and - eureka - found a tiny slot that seemed to be the exact size for the odd looking keys I had been finding throughout the dungeon. Sure enough, I tried the different keys until I found the one that fit. I heard a mechanical click within the pillar and the key disappeared, only to be replaced by a wand. Now THAT was a good deal. I avoided the traps in the floor AND got a wand in the bargain.

After inserting all the keys into the proper pillars, I had gathered several wands. I then noticed three hallways on the far side of the room and decided to investigate them.

Down the first one (closest to the throne) I found yet another nest of dwarves. My first challenger was a spellcaster. I used my Mirror Image and Melf's Minute Meteors to dispose of him. I advanced further into the room and found two huge stoves full of burning coals. I also could hear more dwarves in the room beyond the stoves, but couldn't see them yet. Not to worry. I sent a Stinking Cloud into the general area and heard much gagging and coughing. I followed with a Fireball to the same area and heard much less gagging and coughing. I approached the edge of my Stinking Cloud cautiously and found one of the dwarves still alive (barely) but overcome by the fumes I had cast. A few well placed arrows finished him off and then I searched the room once the Cloud cleared out.

The next hallway had an old man imprisoned behind a wall of glass. When I didn't agree immediately to help him, he changed forms to that of a small boy. I don't know what kind fo demon he was, but I knew he was not to be trusted. I closed the door I had entered (so that he wouldn't escape and attack from behind later) and looked for a key to his cell. I let him out and he seemed congenial - until I refused to allow him to join me on the way out. Then he shifted to his true form and attacked. I was surprised at how easily I killed him since I expected a shape-shifter to be a more dangerous opponent.

A trip down the 3rd hallway revealed more assassins and thieves lying in wait. I didn't take time to ask their intentions - I just blasted the area with the Wand of Fireballs I had found in one of the pillars. That turned out to be a good decision, since I managed to kill a thief that I hadn't even seen, since he was hiding in some shadows very near me.

I could smell the faintest hint of fresh air and was tempted to rush headlong towards the source, but remembered passing a door between two of the pillars. I had not taken time to investigate that and (like an itch you can't scratch) I just couldn't leave without exploring the room or corridor that awaited behind the door. I'm sure you've heard that curiosity killed the cat, and that was almost the case with the bard also. I entered the room only to be confronted with a vampire!!! Praise the gods that there were 3 assassins in the room already fighting her. I attacked with my crossbow and magical bolts from the dwarf in Illyich's gang. I hit her several times, but she seemed to take no notice of the pain. She killed the two fighters horribly fast and was attacking the female spellcaster. I knew she wouldn't be able to withstand the vampire's attacks for very long and then I would be left to face the monster alone. I cast my final Fireball spell and killed both of them. I felt a twinge of guilt for the female spellcaster, until I remembered that the one assassin I did help had promptly turned on me despite my aid. So I realized I would have had to kill her either way.

I gathered up my belongings (some of which I had laid down to lighten my load) and headed for the surface. I emerged amid a huge battle between Irenicus and Imoen. Then both of them were taken away by the Cowled Wizards. I had many questions that needed answering, but foremost among them was the location of the nearest inn with a soft bed. My exodus from the prison had once again used up most of the spells I had memorized and it was time to once again revitalize my body and mind with some much needed rest.