The Dearly D&Departed

Last night, the group of adventurers sometimes known as 'The Unusual Suspects' met their collective end in the dreaded Pyramid of Shadows.

Ironically, it was only a short time ago that one of the party members observed how unusual it was that their membership had not changed at all since their initial formation almost four years ago.

The end came in the fabled Library of Whispers, as the adventurers were attempting to navigate their way through the Pyramid and find the infamous Tiefling, Karavakos. Immediately after entering the room the company was beset on all sides by a variety of other-planar servants of Vecna called Eaters of Knowledge. It is difficult to say whether overconfidence in their own luck or unfamiliarity with the creatures they fought led to their demise, but high initiative rolls enabled two Thoughtbow archers perched atop the library shelves to daze them with their 'arrowstorm' power. Two Voidblades also attacked the group in melee while incapacitated, making it difficult for the adventurers to coordinate their response for several turns.

By the time the party had taken down two of their opponents, a powerful psionicist known as a Mindstrike had joined the fray, to devastating effect. Possessing a high armour class and more than double the hit points of the other Eaters of Knowledge, the Mindstrike's most devastating ability was a aura that caused damage to any nearby, making closing for hand-to-hand strikes a dodgy proposition at best.

(Artist's conception)

The Elven ranger, Rilion Celevandal was the first to fall, valiantly trading blows with both a Voidblade and the Mindstrike until he went down beneath their flashing scimitars. Both Lannea Rookmarque the paladin and Timbre Wavecrest the bard tried vainly to reach Rilion, but after having passed more than a half-dozen death saves, he finally failed his third one, and became the first party member to pass beyond the veil.

Warryn Weyvold, the Gnomish warlock, gamely scrambled up the ladder to the top of the shelves and directly engaged one of the Thoughtbows, weakening him enough that a magic Missile from pyromancer Pyrus Lucifuge was enough to dispatch him. Emboldened by his success, Warryn foolhardily ran through the northern doors. Whether he was seeking an escape route, or perhaps some treasure that might assist in their fight, we will never know; he triggered some manner of warning glyph which shocked his system and rendered him unconscious, and some time later, behind the now-closed door, he too passed on.

The three survivors fought on bravely, and managed to take out both the remaining Thoughtbow and Voidblade, but the Mindstrike proved to be just too powerful. Standing toe to toe with the Eater of Knowledge despite the psychic onslaught of his powerful aura, first Timbre and then Lannea fell to a pair of critical strikes from his scimitar. Pyrus's attempts to maintain a safe distance while he engaged Vecna's servant at range were to no avail, and it was only a matter of time before he was caught and dispatched,

The whereabouts of the party's final member, a Eladrin warlock known as Aramil, are unknown. It is possible he succumbed to the wounds sustained in an earlier battle, but with the rest of the party dead, it is assumed that if he somehow yet lives, it cannot be for too long,

While by no means the most accomplished or even famous adventuring group in the Nentir Vale, news of the passing of the Unusual Suspects has broken the hearts of many who dwell there, most notably the villagers rescued from Gnollish slavers in the Thunderspire Labyrinth, and Lord Padraig, Master of Winterhaven. "Adventurers come and go," he said in a prepared statement, "but their compassion and commitment to saving Winterhaven from a terrible fate, even after we had tried twice to turn them away, will never be forgotten."

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