Joes vs. The Volcano (Part 2)

Feb 24: We made camp on the beach. Our rest was disturbed by Zimon, who approached a spell tyrant (ACKS Beholder) he found wandering on the beach for some reason. The subsequent shakedown cost us a suit of magical armor to avoid a fight that we couldn't afford to take. The abomination wanted more but I drew a line in the sand. Bad enough to have to bribe the creature at all, but there are limits to what indignity I will endure. It is unfortunate that we engaged with it at all. It sensed my resolve and decided better of battle, wandering off after stuffing its bribe into some fleshy cavity.

We moved our camp away from that area and found another adventurer washed ashore. He called himself V and shared some of Zimon's feelings and experience with Sirlios.

Feb 25: Located the ground level cavern entrance to the volcano from this side of the planar veil. After a short scout, we decided to go back in the top. The fire elemental on guard was compelled to defend itself and the place against our entry no matter how much we bartered. With immunity to fire I dispatched the being back to its home plane.

The bronze golem that had chased us was quite close to our return entrance. The ensuing fight was very tough but we prevailed through the grace and might of Pelor. We found some treasure and carried what we could forward, attempting to either locate our targets or the way back to our camp.

Zimon reported a lone fire salamander in the next chamber. We engaged, it summoned four others, and a brutal battle left us with one dead and many wounded. We fed the fallen henchman Kyros to the lava with Fr. Cassian blessing his journey then carried on. The only way is forward.

Sunlight. The beach. Our waiting men. Reprieve. We fell back to our camp and established a defensive perimeter. We would recuperate as best we could before returning. Evil must still be vanquished, the kidnapped Crusader liberated.

Musings:

We did our best to try and understand the logic behind the place. There is a pattern, but as is the way in these things it is not as obvious as the DM thinks. It never is. We have some theories, we can try to test them next time.

The battles in the place are punishing, even the "easy" ones costing us in resources, which doesn't give us a lot of wiggle room for experimentation. Being able to drop off loot at the boat will at least make us faster.

DM was surprised that we didn't run from the fire salamanders, but we were just too slow. We're doing well in treasure but it's heavy. Such is the way. We could have dropped our packs and fled, but we didn't, we fought, we won. It just beat us up pretty good. Hopefully our rest isn't disturbed by too many more spell tyrants.