This has been a bizarre day, even by our standards.

After returning to the caravan area Kali, Koya, Radella and I gathered in the eastern tower of the necropolis to see what we could dig up about yetis in general and what length of time a “moon” would mean to creatures that lived underground.

We had a small collection of books and scrolls, and each of us grabbed a stack and began to sift through them.

In the meantime Sparna, Ivan and Olmas had been irritating the yetis that had been sent to watch us.

They started with a single yeti peeking around the corner. After some posturing by Olmas and an arrow shot over its head courtesy of Ivan, the single yeti scout became four yeti warriors armed with spears.

By the time the rest of us were done with our research (it turns out a “moon” means a month to a yeti, just as it does for everyone else), the yeti were grunting and stomping about mightily while Ivan and Olmas snickered, and (I kid you not) the barest hint of a smile had formed on Sparna’s lips.

We joined in on the fun, hoping to provoke the yetis in an attack on us here, where we held a defensible position.

Ivan cast Enlarge Person on Sparna at the same time Kali created an image of an ioun stone circling his head. I pulled out Katiyana’s severed head (the rest of her body is still inside one of our bags of holding, naked as the day she was born, or hatched, or however beings like that come into the world) and used Light to make it glow.

Sparna took the head and threw it across the chasm at the lead yeti’s feet.

They seemed nonplussed by this turn of events, which was disappointing considering the effort we had put into the show.

The big lug simply kicked the head into the chasm, where it landed at the bottom with a squishy thud.

“Cowardly children people! Come meet king now and die bravely.”

With that Kali sent the image of the ioun stone flying over their heads, which elicited an unexpected response. “Witch stone! Go get king’s men. They are attacking.”

At last, we managed to spur them into attacking us.

The “king’s men” arrived, and while they looked a little bigger than the other yetis and were armed with spears, they did little more than gesture at us.

Things began to look hopeful when Olmas and Ivan shot several arrows into the lead yeti, and Kali scooped up another in an Aqueous Orb, but rather than advance the attack, the yetis simply retreated — one bleeding from multiple arrow wounds and the other crawling away on all fours like a wet dog.

“Well that was boring,” Timber unhelpfully added. “Nobody died, or lost a limb… or even bladder control.”

We kept a wary eye on the tunnel through which the yetis had fled, but did not return. I strolled over to the back of the caravan and climbed atop the rear wagon to peer over the wall.

Half a dozen of the headless mummies were bumping against a wall. They seemed unable to climb over and we were probably safe, but the damned things gave me the creeps. Several flasks of oil later and they had been reduced to charred piles of smoking bone and sizzling mummy goo.

Starday, Calistril 2, 4713 early morning
Caravan, Necropolis, Path of Spirits

It’s morning, but of course as dark as usual, except for the glow from our magical light sources. They cast a harsh bright light that tinges toward blue, which when combined with the azure glow from the lake cavern have finally set me on edge. Any sort of sky would be a welcome sight: even one agitated by storms.

We plan to assault the yeti king and his forces this morning, and spent much of last night making plans. Two hours after midnight I cast Nightmare on the yeti king in the hope that it would make him less a formidable foe today.

Obviously we do not think it is the actual yeti king causing this trouble. Most of think he has been replaced by a shape shifting oni, although Kali has an alternate theory that somehow Katiyana is behind it.

This morning’s plan is a compromise (as are most): Kali will become invisible and use additional spells to both improve her perception and prevent others from perceiving her. She will fly through the back caverns and enter the king’s throne room via a side passage. The rest of us, with various forms of Fly or Airwalk spells active, will approach from the main passage, crossing up and over the anti-life shell.

The intent is that Kali will scout out what the king is up to before we arrive, and communicate that through a Message spell to the rest of us so we can best plan the attack.

Sparna is wielding the ghost touch ring sword we took from the shadow room yesterday, just in case Kali’s theory proves correct. Likewise Kali and I have prepared various Protection from Evil spells, but I think that we’re going to find purple ogre behind all of this.

Starday, Calistril 2, 4713 late morning
Caravan, Necropolis, Path of Spirits

“And then king Bormurg said, ”Hail Pookie” and ordered his artists to paint a portrait of me!”

It was at least the fifth time she had told the tale. Most of us were tired of hearing it, but even a gentle, “We know Pook, we were all there,” did little to curb her enthusiasm for regaling us with what was (in her mind) the highlight of the morning’s events. Star and Timber were already making rude gestures behind her back, but Beorn had been egging her on just to annoy the others.

Things kind of did not go according to plan (again).

Kali infiltrated the throne room undetected, but there was no king.

We flew over the anti-life barrier and after a short discussion with the guard (with the usual topic: “You come to die.”) we entered the chamber. No King.

Even more unexpected was the reaction from king’s followers: they just stood there and stared at us. Creepy.

There was some sort of magical area affect in the room, which I pointed out to my companions. We were moving about with various detection spells or skills active when the yeti king stepped out from a wall and his guards hurled spears at us.

A bolt of lightening arced down from the cavern ceiling and struck Olmas. I created a Spiritual Ally that struck at the king, but even though it hit, it appeared to have done no damage at all.

“What the hell?!” Star demanded. “Language,” I reminded her for she had not used the word ”hell”. But I shared her dismay and confusion. The barbed devil was a thing of pure force, and it was typically effective against anything.

Sparna moved down next to the king and was bashed by his guards.

Playing on her hunch, Kali flew down beside the king and cast Magic Circle Against Evil.

The king staggered back and shouted, “Stop fight! Bad spirit try to control king!” His guards looked confused, but they obeyed. The king looked at Sparna and said, “You help get rid of spirit, I give you my magic rock.”

Sparna grinned and said, “I will help, but this may hurt a bit.” as he struck the yeti with the spirit sword.

A shimmering incorporeal form erupted from the king’s side as a gale force wind of snow and ice filled the chamber, followed by a familiar cackling laugh.

It was Katiyana!

“You fools cannot kill me, I am now the avatar of Sithude. The storm never dies!” She gloated as she flew about the room.

The yeti king called upon his people to attack her, but there was nothing they could do against such an enemy.

Ivan and I both cast Dispel Magic upon her, and we saw a pair of defensive auras around her flicker and wink out.

Katiyana shrieked and summoned a very large lightening elemental, but she had failed to notice that most of us were also flying, and able to close in on her.

Radella gutted her like a fish as my barbed devil and the others closed in.

She shrieked, “No! I am the Voice of Sithude! I cannot die.” just before she perished.

The storm vanished and relative calm returned. The king walked over to his throne and sat down. “My new friends, come to me.”

We gathered around and he proclaimed, “We now friends, you and yeti people. I grant you free passage.” and he pointed to a ramp leading up and out. He then gifted us the ioun stone that had been circling his head, which Sparna accepted.

We thanked him for his gift, and gave him a breast plate in turn, which made him happy.

I chatted with him for some time after that, and discovered that the ramp led up to a large cave, but the cave was blocked by a wall of stone.

“It take yetis but a few minutes to walk there. We think wall was put there to block others from using the tunnel, but I think it not stop my new powerful friends.”

I thanked him for the information, and passed on good wishes from Star and Pookie, leaving out Badger’s quip that “If the yetis’ butts smell any worse than there breaths they need only bend over to send their foes fleeing.”

All in all he was quite taken by Pookie (she is a rather charismatic mouse) and really did commission a painting of her (in yeti form) to be added to his walls.

The king was happy to hear that we had slain the revenant near the lake (“My people tired of killing it.”) and gave us that his name was Bormurg.

With such pleasantries over with and done, we returned to the caravan. Tomorrow, with multiple spells of Wall of Stone prepared we will be able to leave this place, and I hope exit the tunnels not long after.

[445]

ioun stone of Alertness (as the feat): a dark blue rhomboi