Sessions 28-30 recap

Our heroes, after the counsel of elders, made their way to the ruined Temple of Pelor to find the weapon which once reposed there. The priestess told them that the chambers which hold the weapon remain but are open only to those who seek to become initiates to Pelor. None of the party wished to pledge allegiance to Pelor so an initiate was sought. They fell upon a young boy of the town, Timothy. Timothy had nothing better to be doing so he gladly accompanied the party on this, no doubt suicidal, mission.

Entering the temple they first found themselves faced with six doors all bearing relief carvings of weapons. They were, in order from east to west, a spear, sword, mace, axe, kukri and hammer. Choosing wisely they opted for the door bearing the image of a mace, Pelor's favoured weapon. This led them to the test of valor in Pelor's Holy Order.

The party was tested first by an ancient dragon which Timmy, in his excitement, attacked head on. Luckily the dragon turned out to be illusion and the hapless youth, instead of being charred to death, fell down a pit into a long corridor. The party followed. This hall grew progressively smaller as the party followed it. at the end was an impossibly small door. Smashing through was hardly trouble for the adventurers who tired of puzzles though it did bring them face to face with a spear trap. They took the spears with them and found themselves in a room full of gold. Sensing that the gold was a trap they scanned about for options. There were three small holes in the far wall near the ceiling. The adventurers, after some debate, decided to stop up the holes with the spears Pelor had provided them. This activated a switch mechanism making the gold on the floor disappear and revealing three more holes in the floor. Putting the spears in the floor activated another switch which caused the floor to begin descending from the walls.

Now, swinging out in space of a suspended platform, the adventurers found themselves, once again, in extra-planar space. They came level with a demon in a cage who warned them that only an initiate of Pelor may pass. Also, for his parting words, he warned them that "Pelor Provides, Pelor Removes, Pelor Shows and Pelor Saves." After his statement the chains holding their platform released and they fell without any control for what must have been hundreds of feet if not thousands. Suddenly, though, it slowed and they came to rest in an anteroom. A small hallway led to a round room in which there were placed four statues all wearing amulets. One held out an offering to the passerby and wore an amulet fashioned like an open hand. Another seemed in the middle of a sweeping gesture and wore an amulet in the figure of an open circle. The third held open a casket full of gold and wore an amulet in the figure of a circle with a smaller circle in its middle. The last held a shield and wore an amulet of the same shape. Each amulet was removable. Between each of the statues were doors, four in all. The party selected the amulet of a shield which Pelor had provided and took it from the statue. Once it had been donned a heretofore unnoticed adventurer ran through the room and through one of the doors. A wall of force stopped our heroes from following or helping the man in his fight. In the chamber beyond four constructs waited and with the expertise of a well practiced team dispatched him. Each construct bore one of the symbols from the amulets and performed a specific task in combat. After the man had died the force wall was removed and the party allowed to enter as Pelor removed the shield bearing construct. The constructs, while still formidable, were much less effective without one of their number. Each fallen construct left behind it a piece of glass. Each one a quarter circle. The pieces fit into the center of the previous room's tile work. The pieces became a window through which Pelor showed them a room below which was full of constructs, just like the ones they had just fought. Also in the room was a statue of Pelor with his hand outstretched. The party then fell into this room as the floor disappeared. Prompt thought lighted them upon the trick. Each shook hands with Pelor and was transported from the temple back the entrance where Timmy was declared a member of the Holy Order of Pelor.