Storehouse

Jorgen headed for the doors and finding them unlocked peered inside.  He found a hallway extending to the west with doors on the north and south about 30-40 feet in.  The rest of the party began to enter and flanked the doors.

Fanara flung open the north door revealing a chamber filled with dusty piles of old furniture, mounds of moldering herbs, bales of cloth, barrels of fertilizer, clay pots, and trays of dried seeds. A large stone fireplace occupied the northwest corner.  In the room stood a figure in tattered red robes who looked up from searching the room at the door opening.

The humanoid figure said something in a language no one understood.

"Hello, who are you," Fanara replied in Common.

The figure cocked his head and then Fanara saw a light go on.

"Who are you and how did you get into the building?" the figure answered in Common.

Shrouded in its tattered robes the figure looked more alien and horrific as Fanara studied its twitching visage. She determined it was a Denizen of Leng.

"What are you doing here?" Casia asked.

"My master and I came from another plane. We are interested in this garden."

The creature seemed to mean no harm as it talked with the party but Fanara strode forward and attacked with her hammer.  The creature moved back and rose into the air.

Santrel cast fly on Amadeo as Casia was trying to get the party, or at least Fanara, to stop fighting with the creature.

"It hasn't hurt us.  Why not try and talk with it?"

The creature cast a Hypnotic Pattern which made Jorgen fascinated watching the showy pattern of swirls. Amadeo flew over to the creature but Fanara finally listened to Casia and stood down.

"Who is your master?" Casia inquired.

"I will take you to meet my master, who is curious about the inhabitants of this garden."

Cautiously the Denizen lowered himself to the floor and moved toward the door. The party moved out into the hallway as the Denizen moved toward the south door only Milos remained in the northern room. 

The Denizen opened the door and a fireball shot forth into the hall.  Santrel and Milos were the only heroes not in the area. Fanara recognized this as some sort of illusion and took minimal damage as the others took greater fire damage.

"Do you still think we should negotiate," Fanara asked of Casia.

As Jorgen sneaked past the Denizen into the room he saw a pale creature with a  frog like appearance, clawed hands, no eyes, a wide mouth, and a snout ending in pink tentacles. Jorgen threw a dagger at the monster.

Out in the hallway a battle began in earnest against the Denizen. The bite of the Denizen caused reduced dexterity but the party was mostly able to overcome this. The hammer, swords and magic missiles worked to perfection.  Meanwhile Jorgen went to stand in the corner of the southern chamber.

The Denizen fell but as the party entered the room Jorgen first attacked Milos followed by Fanara. Critical hits and precision damage were useless against the amorphous blob which was identified to be a Moon-Beast. It appeared to be walking in the air as it attacked the flying Amadeo and a newly flying Fanara with bite and claws.  The claws rend damage was accompanied by wisdom loss.  Casia fired her musket and Santrel cast an cluster bomb fireball.  Milos hurried over to grapple Jorgen to stop any further damage. Jorgen quickly escaped just as the Moon-Beast expired.

Jorgen was trying to run away from the party but they held him still until a Dispel Magic could be cast to remove the Domination. Healing was applied and magic searched for. The Moon-Beast was in possession of a small black crystal ball about 3 inches in diameter which was the only magic.  The Denizen had a small pouch of gems, 15 small rubies and one larger ruby. A small, moving humanoid figure was visible inside the large ruby, as if it were trapped inside the gem. Santrel determined that the ruby was a material component of a trap the soul spell.  He suggested breaking the ruby to release what was inside.

Jorgen estimate the ruby to be worth 6,000 gp, therefore Fanara took great care into trying to split the ruby into two pieces. Gently tapping at the gem she was able to split it open. In an instant, a material body reformed into a 10-foot-tall blue humanoid wearing elaborate robes.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for releasing me," the creature said in a loud, proud voice. "I have been trapped for many years inside that damned stone."

"Who are you?" Casia asked.

"I am Zilvazaraat a peddler of wondrous wares from across the Great Beyond," he replied.

"What do you peddle?" Fanara inquired following up Casia's query.

"Almost any magical items. Are you interested in doing business?"

"We might be what do you have?" Jorgen answered.

"I have a chest of items."

He then listed a set of valuable items from his chest. The group was then tried to determine if any of them were useful or affordable at this time.

"I also buy magic items. I am not interested in mundane equipment or any valuable, just magic items," Zilvazaraat added. "I pay half value like any merchant."

"How did you get into that ruby," Santrel asked.

"A wizard captured me with a spell many years ago," Zilvazaraat answered. "Then I think I was sold to this Leng creature."

"I am not sure we can make any deal right now," Fanara said.

"Don't you have something special for us? We did release you from your imprisonment." Casia countered.

Zilvazaraat presented them with a small token: an obsidian raven that would allow them to call on him later if they wished to avail themselves of his services.

"You can even send me a shopping list with the raven. I will return within a few days with the items I can find," Zilvazaraat boasted. "I suggest you do this from the hut as plane shift is notably inaccurate but the hut is a known entity."

Zilvazaraat thanked the party again for freeing him, expressed his wish for lucrative dealings for both parties in the future, then bid them a fond farewell and plane shifted away.

DM's Notes: The party earned 4,534 XP for the session.