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We’ve seen Michelle use Legos for crowd scenes….

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And you gotta love a prop that you can get inside.

Not to ruin the story, but later this creature & his siege engine came out of the same elevator. There goes the neighborhood, eh?

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And one more picture of this amazing Lego prop…. which shoots real bullets, by the way.

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We have off this week. House party at Michelle’s instead of gaming tomorrow night! So here’s a little meta post….

Many of the pictures I take for the blog end up with hands in them. Usually Michelle’s hands, which makes sense — DM controls the map and so her hands would be all over the place. Some of the pictures are too fun not to see the light of day. Here, for you enjoyment are some of my favorites….

Dragon circling above us

Are we about to die?

Legos make good body parts

Figuring out loot

Is that a secret door?

Taj putting bunny ears on Acgar

“Hello. Are you back with us?”
I frowned. “What do you mean? Back where?”
“Oh dear. You missed all of that, did you?” A smile played across her lips.

“I don’t approve of killing Gau that way. But I suspect that it wasn’t you, exactly.”

“I remember….. did we go to the Cusp of Sunrise? And then buff a goblin? It’s like, like a dream. Hazy and odd. ” She nodded quickly. “I expect that some parts will always be that way. Not that Pel gave us any guidance. Actually, I’m not sure he would know what it’s like.”

We heard voices outside the door. Sadi was talking with someone. I got to my feet a bit unsteady. Acgar grabbed my arm. “Do you remember Durilin? Dwarf. Miner? We met her at the Academy?”

I squinted through the doorway. “She doesn’t look like a minor. But it’s hard to know with dwarves. No beard. Various will be disappointed.”

Acgar patted my shoulder. “No my friend, the pickaxe kind of miner.” She turned her face to me. “Are you going to be OK? Let’s look at the nice weapons on the wa –” She stopped speaking and stared at a sword on the wall. “That,” she said softly. “Is a Holy Avenger sword. I’ve seen pictures of them…..” As she got closer, she reached out one hand and gently touched the hilt. Teresa walked over. “Whatcha got?”

“It’s a sword, a special sword” Acgar glanced at me. “It’s made for a paladin of Pelor.”
Teresa whistled. “Huh. Gotta be worth a few gold pieces, eh?”
Acgar lowered her hand. “This is a holy relic. Its only purpose is to do God’s will. It –”
Teresa laughed. “I’m just yanking your chain. Oh! Is that a silver flail?” And she walked across the room.

Durilin stood looking at the weapons. Her eyes scanned the weapons and occasionally she’d glance at the fiery axe in her hand. “Can I have a couple [cough] a couple of these weapons. For, for myself, I mean?”

Sadi was covering Gau’s body with a lion skin rug. Ian came over, pointed at the spreading blood. “That’s gonna stain.” Brus sniffed the rug and shuffled to the curtain.

Teresa was beside him in a flash. “I’ll check this area!” The curtain revealed a spartan bedroom. “Gau had simple tastes. But she knew her weapons alright.” Teresa’s fingers moved deftly over the chest of drawers. “Not one for keeping extra cash on hand…. What?” She moved to the wall as though she’d been called. “Door! Woo-hoo! Can I call ‘em or what?”

Durilin peeked through the doorway. “Hmm, that looks odd.” She started down the hallway.
“Wait!” Teresa called crossly. “Traps! Good thing I’m around, yeah? Make room!”
They hurried to the wall at the end of the short hallway.

Durilin ran her hand over the stone. “This is simply <elgraz>! Very <elgram>. Amateurs.”
“Riiiight. In Common this time.” Teresa rolled her eyes in the dim light.
“It’s, it’s, well look at it! A good wind will knock it down! Sad, really.”
Teresa nodded. “Brus!” She yelled. “Come knock down this nice wall!”

Ian stepped into the hall. “What did you want with Brus? He’s feeling fragile right now. He really dislikes teleportation.” Myntilly followed Ian into the hall. “Can you give him something? I hate the idea of him being –” Teresa screamed.

“What the hell is that!?!?” She pointed at the six-foot creature that had just flown down and attacked Durilin. I raced into the hall beside Myntilly. “What in God’s name….?”
Suddenly the sound of leathery wings and a second creature landed between Ian and Myntilly. It folded its wings almost completely around Ian. I looked at Ian and swiveled to look at Durilin.
My mind raced. Dismissal might work. These must be creatures from another plane. What would happen though if I dismissed the creature while it enveloped Ian? Would he get zipped out of this plane? I couldn’t chance it. I turned toward the creature attacking Durilin and stretched out my hands. My fingers curled and I yanked my hand backwards violently. “Be gone, filth!” And the creature vanished as he was about to rake his claws over Durilin again.

Behind and beside me I heard groans. I looked over my shoulder to see Myntilly, Acgar and Sadi doubled over retching. “What? What’s wrong?”
Between gasps Myntilly said, “Can’t you smell that?” I sniffed the air, cocked my head. “No.”
Acgar, with tears streaming down her face, jabbed her spear at the creature. “It’s. A. Stench. Attack of some sort……”
Sadi slotted two arrows, held her breath and fired at the creature. “Wait!” I cried. “You might hit Ian!”
At that moment Ian appeared to blink into existence over by Teresa. His clothes were tattered and he was barely standing. Before I could get to Ian, Myntilly’s sound lance had finished off the creature. She straightened her robes, took a sip of water and came over to help me with Ian’s wounds. Every day Myntilly’s powers of healing improve.

As we worked I was dimly aware of the others checking the body. I heard Sadi exclaim — “That’s an iron flask. Holy crap. I’ve heard of these. Wow. I wonder if anyone is trapped inside.”
Acgar, who was kneeling beside her, said “Let’s not find out, shall we?”

She crept up to the next turn in the tunnel. She paused and waved us forward. “Little guy, big bear. Fighting two golems.” She touched the brooch at her throat. “Do you remember Tarkelar? I got this brooch — ”

She was interrupted by a strange voice. “Are you quite sure they are golems? Let me through. I would look at them.” A strange elf pushed past me and stood beside Cinder. After a moment she turned around. “Oh. Indeed. Golems. I’ll just wait back here, shall I?”

As she walked past, Sadi grabbed her arm. “Who are you?” Sadi had one hand on the hilt of her sword.
“I am Elenriel Annanole. But people call me many names. So you may call me Various. And you are…..?” She peered seriously at Sadi.
“Impatient.” Sadi pulled out her sword.

“OK. Everyone just calm down.” Myntilly put herself between Sadi and the elf. “I am called Myntilly. What brings you to this place?”
“I am Various. I visit all the planes. I like Occipitus. This looks like a nice place to vacation or buy a house.”

Everyone looked at her. “This is an evil place. You realize that, don’t you?” Acgar had come up beside her and put a hand on her arm.

Various looked at Acgar, seeing her for the first time. “You are a motley bunch, aren’t you! A half-dragon, by the look of you.” She pointed at Kaurophon. “Demon.” Then at me, Sadi and Myntilly. “Human. Human. Human.” She turned to Cinder. “Thank the goddess! One familiar face. Oh, are you a wood elf, perchance? Hmmmm. No chance you’d have any books then.” She turned back towards the battle. “Why don’t you deal with those golems and then we’ll talk more, hmmm?” She opened a book and turned away from us.

Cinder opened her mouth. “What was that?”
“Later.” Sadi pointed at the golems. The little guy, as Cinder had called him, was darting in and slashing at one of the golems. He had a bear fighting beside him. Just past the golems, you could see an altar with a large black stone.

“They could use our help.” Sadi got out her quiver of arrows. “Did you say you have a brooch? I remember it, now. Golembane.”

Cinder nodded. “Indira can you bless my bow? I think this scarab will really help me in this fight.”
I cast greater magical weapon so that Cinder’s arrows would fly true and fast to the target. Myntilly added a focus spell as well, so that Cinder had even more power behind each shot.
Kaurophon moved out towards the first golem.

He stayed out of reach of the massive clay hands. He cast a spell — I didn’t quite catch it. Perhaps magic missile. Sometimes it is hard to discern his spells. The golem glowed for a moment and then nothing. Acgar moved up beside Kaurophon and opened her mouth to spray acid at the golems.

I heard Various behind me. She made a clucking noise. “I shouldn’t have done that if I were you.”
I whirled around. “What are you talking about?!”

“Acid.” Various blinked at me and put a finger in her book to mark the page. “Acid heals clay golems.” She frowned. “Didn’t you know that?

Perhaps, I could do a little something to speed this up.” And she reached into her pack and pulled out a square of paper. She unfolded it and turned to face the golems. She blew hard and dust swirled into the air. It stuck to the clay figures and floated around their heads.

As I started to ask her what it was, Various crumpled the paper, patted my arm and said, “Think of it as fairy dust, my dear. Probably too complicated to explain to you. They will be partially blinded for a time. Magic won’t affect them. Go smash them with your little mace, alright? I am going to have a look at that altar. The stone is…. unusual.”

As we engaged the first golem, the little man and his bear moved to fight the second golem. Sadi and Cinder shot arrow after arrow.

Acgar and I moved in close with spear and mace. Neither Myntilly nor Kaurophon could do much to help so they eadged around the battle and towards the altar. Various followed.

Acgar punctured the golem’s foot. The spear stayed in; Acgar could not free it. So she threw her weight against the shaft to drive it deeper into the creature’s foot.

I do not remember who landed the killing blow, but the golem suddenly went rigid. He dropped his pickaxe and shattered into about eight large piece.

…………To be continued.