The Elfane Taig

(GM's note- Based on an adventure in Elizabeth Moon's excellent The Deed of Paksenarrion series)

Players and Characters
Evan- Circle of the Moon Druid Chatterfang
Jack- Elf Ancients Paladin Strethwood Tryder
Katya- Dragonblood Human Sorcerer Druka
Sam- Human Wizard Avira
Emily- Satyr Eloquence Bard Foxy Shazam Superstar
Kevin- Firbolg Circle of the Moon Druid Varis Sparkfall

Summary
The party is travelling through mountains in a snow storm. Some of them hear ghostly voices, praying in elvish for help. When the party turns into a side canyon, the voices quiet. As they move up the canyon, which seems artificially flat bottomed, Strethwood detects magic ahead and a pair of Light spells activate. As they follow the path, the spells come on to lead them and turn off behind them. Ahead they see stairs leading into a tunnel in the mountainside. The tunnel is carved with elven artwork and leads to a pair of large stone doors marked with elven runes for "peace" and "welcome". As they approach the stairs, the doors swing open and a warm light shines out into the storm. The adventurers approach and see the tunnel walls are carved in elvish fashion: layers of celtic knots along the bottom, forest scenes in the middle and the ceiling arches overhead, inlaid with a mosaic of the night sky. inside the doors is an entry hall with beautiful tapestries and three elven maids in robes waiting to welcome them. The elves begin to welcome the party, offering rest, and the adventurers begin to feel sleepy. Druka slumps to the floor and the rest of them shake off the attack. Foxy Shazam begins to sing a Countercharm. The maidens turn into horrific ghostly figures and attack. Varis and Chatterfang turn into bears to attack. Druka recovers and they fight the spirits. One of the spirits lets out an unholy scream, showing they are banshees! Druka passes out again. The party presses the attack and Varis shreds a banshee with claws and teeth. Avira finishes a banshee with Magic Missiles and Varis destroys the last. Foxy Shazam heals Druka. Once the banshees are gone, the illusion fades and the entryway is revealed as an old and dusty chamber, tapestries rotted, floor covered in decades of dust. They move deeper into the complex, exploring the ancient structure. They find a guard post and armory, but the weapons are old and unusable. Moving down a hallway, figures come out a side room, raising weapons to attack. As they come closer, they appear to be undead, but they move quickly. They are two humans, an elf, and an orc. Strethwood and Varis hold the frontline against them, holding them back. The undead attack with swords, axes and bows. Chatterfang causes the floor to explode upward with Erupting Earth. Druka burns a couple with Agannazar's Scorcher. The party cuts them down and moves forward, but there's two more in the room they came from and they attack as well. Strethwood drops a new comer and they finish the last. The room they came from has many doors, it's a living quarters with bedrooms, a common area and baths. They search through it and find some old coins and gems. They realize the coins are centuries old and are quite valuable to a collector. They back track to another door they bypassed and find another apartment complex and search it as well. The halls are quiet, but there are faint tracks in the dust. More hallways lead to a large dining room and kitchen area and a room which looks like a museum with paintings and statues of elves. But the art has been defaced. a last set of hallways has more rooms and an amphitheater. Coming to the end of the complex, the hallway leads to a magnificent pair of double doors. Beyond is a huge circular room whose walls are engraved with trees stretching partway up a domed ceiling which is also covered with a mosaic of the sky. Across the way is a makeshift dais of tables from the dining hall covered with tapestries pulled from the walls. A row of zombies stands before the dais, amid dead, skeletal bodies. On the dais is a chair with another undead wearing a golden crown with a black orb. He speaks to them in Elvish and tells them they will replace his minions they have destroyed. Druka hurls a Fireball and Avira follows suit and Druka shoots another. Strethwood summons a Moonbeam and the leader. The figure hurls a death spell at the party, dropping Avira then hits them with a Lightning Bolt from a wand after Druka's second Fireball and Druka goes down. The adventurers pile on him with bear attacks and also heal Avira and Druka. Strethwood tries holding it with an Ensnaring Strike on a javelin, but it Misty Steps to the paladin and hits him with a flaming short sword and then Vampiric Touch. Varis manages to hit it twice and tear the undead apart. Once they have seen to the wounded, the elven voices return and tell them to break the black jewel. Druka crushes it with her dagger and sprits of elves float up from the bodies, released from their imprisonment. The last one points to a section of wall and they find a secret compartment with coins and magic items.

Silly Quotes and Smart Remarks
Katya "I have Alert <feat>, I can't be surprised while I'm awake"
Jack "Oh, you'll be surprised…"

The players are discussing how the setup seems like a trap
Jim "All adventures are traps"

The party kills a banshee
Jack "Ah, the bedsheet is dead"

Sam is playing a wizard for the first time and is trying to emulate Jack's wizard Furath
Sam "What would Jack do?"
Jack "Shoot Evan in the back"

Magic Items
Aranessa's Harp
Ring of Liquid Identification
Belt of Ogre Strength
Anordramm Flame Tongue Short Sword
Wand of Lightning Bolts
Gilgalad