As we looked across the field, we see storm clouds with lightening just beyond a low wall about 200 feet away. The storm doesn’t seem to be moving, but stationary, and the lightning strikes the wall occasionally. Between us and the wall is a misty field. Through the mists, we see a few of the wild men druids, and others, scattered about, walking with purpose. We remained just below the hill, peeking out trying to determine the proper strategy.

Rinn moves out to the left trying to make his way around to get into position be behind the two he sees on that side. He is attempting to move around behind the giant Diet Coke can. Another person become visible to him as he’s moving. That person appears to be laying down and asleep. Unfortunately, the can moved to reveal Rinn’s hiding place. One of the enemy spots him and yells out, announcing our presence. The battle is joined. Haldar opens up the battle by casting a Zephyr Strike, moving to a good location behind cover to fire from, and takes the first shot. The battle rages for a time but we are victorious in the end. Next, we move forward to the wall.

Mass hallucinations grip the group as they see mechanical wagons, horseless, and daydream discussions about various types of these beasts. One part of the discussion centered on a humming creature; I believe it was named H3. Later the discussion turned to toxic poisons, something called gasoline, being poured out on these creatures, in an attempt, to choke out the occupants. Then as suddenly as the hallucinations began, they ended.

From a distance, Rinn looks over the walled area to see what is before them. The lightning highlights shapes moving about, and large statue made of sticks. It is a statue of a cloaked man with fangs. It stands about 50 feet tall. From multiple points, below the wall, just out of view on the other side, Rinn see’s beams of light traveling either to or from the statue. We used the next 10 minutes to wait as Kyana prepared and cast a cure spell on everyone.

Another odd phenomenon broke out amongst the group as periodically, without warning, different members drifted into a trance like state, almost comatose, and after a couple of minutes and just as suddenly as that came on, it stopped. They would continue as if nothing happened. It was distressing to say the least, and unwelcomed. If this were to happen during a battle, it could cost lives.

After about ten minutes, most of the damage, that most of us received in the battle, was healed. Haldar, looking across the wall, seeing what was lit by the occasional lightning strike, he sees the large stick statue and beaming reaching up to, or down from, it in various directions. Adrian suggests that it is time to move up. He and Hadlar move forward. Zanfyr starts to move forward as well but suddenly stops and appears to be in a trance. The Misty and Tatyana appear to be suffering the same fate. What dastardly deed could have befallen them. Can they be saved? Tune in next we at the same D&D place, same D&D time. Oddly, after the same amount of time as one might take to use the restroom, they suddenly activated again. We will need to seek out a Magi to see if it can be determined what is happening when these pauses occur.

The three entering a large circular place ringed with blackened stone. There is a storm here that is oddly, just here, it doesn’t appear to extend beyond the stones. From the path through the wall, Haldar can see a few scattered individuals walking the grounds, possibly keeping guard, but obviously distracted by the ritual being performed on the Stick Vampire. There are also 6 people surrounding Stick Vampire with beams traveling, probably, towards the statue. There is also something or someone beyond that but he can’t make it out.

Kyana completes her spell and everyone that needs it gets a good deal of healing. Those of us that stayed back with her, waiting for her to complete the healing ritual, and Kyana move forward to catch up to Haldar and Adrian. Dain tries to convince them to hold the area that is the opening, hoping to funnel any enemies that might attack, into this one path, allowing us to double up on them. It is suggested that the archers focus on one of the 6, to see if they can’t disrupt the spell or stop whatever they are doing.

On a platform, just past them, is a figure that moves down from the platform, a woman. She moves to a more central location running with the grace of a dancer. She stops and yells out, “Welcome friends!”. Haldar opens with a couple of arrow shots to her, both connect. Kyana moves within range of the woman and attempts to cast a spell but instead trips and disrupting her concentration and the spell fails. A God, on the side of the enemy casts a new spell called “Throw iPad at it!”. It shakes the ground and knocks a few of the enemy creatures off their feet. They recover in the same moment, suffering no lasting damage from the incident. The battle continues.

Misty moves forward along, the right side, just inside the wall, using the mist for cover. Dain moves forward covering Kyana and waits for the enemy. Snoggly casts magic missile at the woman. Zanfyr, currently in the form of a dire wolf, creeps forward, stealthily, and crouches down behind a rock. An enemy wild man moves forward screaming some sort of gibberish. Rinn stealths around the left side of the wall with Boo staying nearby. Dain suggests that Adrian move back behind him for cover.

The woman moves from the rock, dances, and twirls her way across the area to a central area and says, “Welcome hero’s, welcome!”. Haldar and others notice that the arrows he sunk into her earlier seemed to just pop out and she appears to be healing. He fires again and hits her again. Some of the enemy move forward again. Kyana steps out from behind Dain, exposing herself, and casts Radiance of the Dawn on her. It was at this time that Haldar noticed the fangs. The woman is a vampire! In whole, several of the creatures around Kyana take radiant damage. An enemy creature moves to attack Kayana but with a flic, she breaks his focus with a flash of light, and he misses his attack.

The six appear to be, wholly, focused on the statue before them, so much so that Misty moves forward without encountering any resistance and attacks one of them. Every one of us notices that the beams seem to be focused on the center of the chest of the statue. Misty’s strike doesn’t seem to break the concentration of the one she has targeted. Another man moves forward to attack Snoggly but is surprised when he runs up on a dire wolf and changes his target to the wolf. Begin thrown off the attack all together, he misses. Dain moves forward, towards the vampire woman but is unable to close the distance this round. He stops and casts some sort of protection spell.

Snoggly casts magic weapon on Haldar’s bow improving its accuracy and the damage it will deal. He then fires another set of magical darts at the vampire woman. Suddenly, the group, including the enemy, broke into a discussion about something called H. R. Pufnstuf. Apparently, there was great interest in a character known as Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo! When the discussion ends, a column of moonlight beams down on Misty.

Zanfyr attacks the man in front of him. Rinn moves to backstab one of the men and manages to make a good strike. Adrian drops his bow and pulls out his long sword and attacks the man in front of him. The Vampire woman moved across the field, rapidly, towards Misty. She seems a little less confident. Haldar fires at the Vampire woman and hits. Kyana hits the person in front of her. That person returns the favor, but her warding flare causes him to miss her. A druid fighting Misty casts Thunderwave at her and does a little damage to her. Misty takes a bit of damage from the moonbeam she is standing in. She moves between the druid and the vampire and attacks the vampire making several hits. One attacks Rinn for a good bit of damage.

The battle continues with Dain attacking one and hitting it. Snoggly sends another series of magical darts at an enemy. The moonbeam that Misty just stepped out of was moved over her again. Zanfyr attacks the one in front of him again, damaging him and taking him to the ground again. Adrian takes good hit. Rinn attacks the person on the ground under Zanfyr and kills him. Rinn then breaks away from this battle and moves toward one of the 6. Boo is sticking close by.

Haldar is ready to make his move but all is stopped until we return next week.