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Gaerys tries to finish off the wounded marsh giant, but both his swings go wide.

Skullsplitter v. Evil Humanoid/Giant Type (THAC0 12): Hit: [1d20+3] = 4+3 = 7, Dmg: [1d10+12] = 1+12 = 13 (S/M) [2d6+12] = 8+12 = 20 (L)
Skullsplitter v. Evil Humanoid/Giant Type (THAC0 12): Hit: [1d20+3] = 3+3 = 6, Dmg: [1d10+12] = 6+12 = 18 (S/M) [2d6+12] = 11+12 = 23 (L)
*sad trombone*

Vorsyin, his body trapped, watches the scene with a detached feeling. Inwardly calm despite the situation he knows that he will live or die based on the actions of his comrades, not due to letting his mind panic.

Hollis has to fight the giant in front of him:

mace Attack [1d20+5] = 13+5 = 18 Damage S [1d6+9] = 6+9 = 15 L [1d6+8] = 4+8 = 12

"Lorath - can you dispatch those two?" Hollis indicates the held pair with his head.

Round 4

The tables having turned again, the giants act first in desperation.

The giant engaged with Hollis swings heavily at the cleric. Hollis ducks under the heavy blow, leaving the giant off balance. The cleric viciously takes advantage of the opening by slamming his mace into the giant's hip. Bones crack and break, leaving the giant hobbled but still (barely) fighting.

Natural 1! Double damage awarded!!!

Gaerys steps forward and tries to finish the giant. However, Skullsplitter merely splits flakes of stone off of the dungeon floor.

Meanwhile, the trapped giants struggle to free themselves, but are unsuccessful.

Lorath nods at Hollis, and draws his sword as he moves towards the still-trapped giant. When he reaches the giant, Lorath violently thrusts upward through the giant's throat, killing it instantly.

The marsh giant cleric, however, begins to shake itself loose. It manages to free an arm and leg enough to begin to move itself backward into the norther. It cannot cast...yet...but it is not helpless. In fact, Lorath would have to navigate his way through 5'-10' of sticky web to reach it.

Two giants left! Declare Actions!

Gaerys tries again to finish the giant. This time, Skullsplitter lives up to its name.

Skullsplitter v. Evil Humanoid/Giant Type (THAC0 12): Hit: [1d20+3] = 15+3 = 18, Dmg: [1d10+12] = 9+12 = 21 (S/M) [2d6+12] = 9+12 = 21 (L)

Gaerys hopes the two casters can find a way to deal with the giant cleric. Perhaps Lorath could borrow Vorsyin's wand? Or Hollis might command the giant to "advance" back into the webs, or simply silence the giant? Or else burn the webs and hope that the party could overwhelm the giant with superior force in the next round? What tricks might they have up their sleeves?

Hollis begins the casting of Grim Quietus

Silence 15' cast on the giant spellcaster!

Round 5

Gaerys cleaves the head off of the hobbled giant. Only the priest remains!!!

Hollis looks into the cold, black eyes of his priestly counterpart. Both clerics begin casting in a race to unleash their magics upon the other. Hollis fires off the Grim Quietus, causing the croaking prayer of Dagon's Servant to cease. The evil priest's eyes widen with shock and rage as it realizes its helplessness.

Lorath moves to Vorsyin's frozen form, taking the burning lantern and wand. He winks at the held mage, so as to indicate that he would return the items once the mage returned to action. Lorath then turns towards the webs.

How will the party finish the priest? What tricks might the priest have up its sleeve?

"Burn the webs and let me at it," says Gaerys. "Steel will deal with the giant cleric."

Gaerys waits for the webs to be cleared—or anything else the casters want to do to finish off the cleric—then attack the cleric when the way is open.

Skullsplitter v. Evil Humanoid/Giant Type (THAC0 12): Hit: [1d20+3] = 4+3 = 7, Dmg: [1d10+12] = 3+12 = 15 (S/M) [2d6+12] = 8+12 = 20 (L)
Skullsplitter v. Evil Humanoid/Giant Type (THAC0 12): Hit: [1d20+3] = 19+3 = 22, Dmg: [1d10+12] = 9+12 = 21 (S/M) [2d6+12] = 4+12 = 16 (L)

"Or you could just blast it with lightning..."

Lorath stares intently at Gaerys, and then back at the priest, who is still fumbling in the magical silence. It is obvious that the spellsword means business...and unwilling to take any risks with so many party members down.

That in mind, Lorath raises the wand and unleashes another bolt of lightning, dispatching the priest to join his Lord in Oblivion. The amulet on its neck is destroyed, which may be for the better.

The standing party members take the time to catch their breath, search the bodies before them, and burn away the webs. They recover a decent amount of lose coins and gems from the bodies. They have not entered the northern chamber.

523 gp and 3 100 GP gems recovered.

Vorsyin recovers and takes back his wand and lantern.

The party also sees Ethan twitch a few times...the knight soon comes to. Marcus is as still as a stone.

The ghasts remain cowering beyond the one open door, the door to the southeast remains closed. The northern chamber remains unexplored, but the party hears human groaning beyond it...

Gaerys figures the ghasts are best dealt with either with magic or after the party is back at full strength, and that Hollis can keep turning them in the meantime. The ranger therefore turns his attentions to the southeast door and the room to the north. He starts with the south door: is there a window, or is it solid? If solid, he listens at the door, but does not yet open it. He then tries to blend into the shadows, in an abundance of caution, and move into the north room to see what is there.

Hollis will keep an eye on the ghasts whilst the others examine the door. If the turning seems to be waning - he will reapply (is that correct terminology?) the turn

Ethan comea to and assesses the situation, relieved to be alive. He will check that Marcus is still alive, just downed by the ghasts, then examine the door to the ghast room and the closed door. Is this some kind of temple area, or living quarters, or what? How plausible would it be to seal the ghasts in?

Vorsyin feel immense relief as the party successfully dispatches the giants. Once freed of the spell he expresses his thanks to the group and lets only a small shudder slip at the memory of being frozen.

He thanks Lorath for returning the wand and lantern before contemplating the ghast situation. If we attack them we break the restraint on them but we cannot leave such a potentailly dangerous enemy alive. We need a concerted attack to quickly dispatch them before we press on.

The party collects itself and immediately focuses on their surrounds. This part of the dungeon seems to be just that....a dungeon, but in the prison sense of the word.

Each room offshooting from the main chamber in which the party now stands is (in the case of the south door) or was (in the case of the north and northeast doors) secured by a heavy door featuring a barred window through which the party can see. The doors are/were secured by lock and chain as well as bolt. The south east and north east chambers are unlit, have only scanty straw, and are quite noisome with odor. The northern chamber is lit with dim firelight. It is hard to see anything through the webs and stuck giant bodies.

As a light is shone into the southeast chamber, the party sees five huddled figures squatting down and moaning softly in discomfort. At least one seems to be wearing the black garb of the Watch! Others are dressed in rags.

As to the northeast chamber, Hollis continues to keep the ghasts ... and there are more than two ... at bay through the power of his Gods. Ethan notices that the door can easily be closed and barred which would leave the ghasts trapped therein. Lorath offers to use his wizard lock to ensure that an interloper does not later decide to unleash the foul undead.

Marcus is still alive, and begins to twitch a bit as the paralysis wears off.

A muffled male human scream comes from the room to the North....

Turned Undead are attacked at +4 and any damage they take breaks the "turn".

There is too much new information above for it to be fair to move Gaerys forward to the north.

Gaerys looks piteously at the figures in the south room. "If anyone objects to freeing these people, now's the time." The screaming from the north delays that decision, at least for the Ranger. He looks for a way to burn the webs blocking entry into the room. Are there any torches in the room? If not, he'll ask if anyone else in the party has one. If no other solution presents itself, he'll use his lantern or try to light the webs with flint & steel.

When the webs are cleared, he will blend into the shadows and explore the northern room from which the screaming is heard.

By 'the north room' I think he means behind the barred door. The open room, covered by webs and containing ghasts is the 'northeast chamber'. That's right isn't is Magnus
Hollis moves closer to the northeastern chamber to try to gauge the number of ghasts in there. He will not risk breaking the turn by approaching too close. He will be ready for anything else trying to jump out at him!

Ethan will leave Hollis and Lorath to the question of what to do about the ghasts, and go to the south east door. Looking into the room, he'll ask the figures "are you alive in there?" Hopefully the servants of the messenger are not social...

Vorsyin carefully moves over by Hollis and works on closing and barring the door by the ghasts.