Got this from @thekiko. We should set up our table like this...

Fun skill check. Really.

Actually got to play D&D tonight, that's always cool. Had a lot of fun, but somehow had the most fun trying to perform a simple strength check to open a huge stone sarcophagus. We failed and failed and failed, even using levers and aiding each other and even (even still!) after Peren summoned her magical horse to pull on the thing. Ended up pushing it off with a last chance push and a natural 20. Fun times.

Thunderspire Labyrinth - Well of Demons - Gnoll Fight!

The party:

Aderes Orenda, Eladrin Wizard

She likes hitting bad guys with stuff, usually magic

Awendella Arabella, Eladrin Cleric of Corellon

She likes winning, and not getting hit by bad guys

Borris Hardworm, Dwarven Fighter

He likes smashing stuff and saving the day

Dakkon, Warforged Barbarian

He likes turning monsters into red mist, and jumping

Darkguard, Dragonborn Warlock

He likes a spectacle, and outsmarting the baddies

Emlyn Malelia, Half-elven Ranger

She likes twin strike and violence

We last left them catching their breath after a horrific tentacly encounter with the "guard dogs" of the Well of Demons, ancient underground temple to Baphomet. I needed to take Borris out of the picture for the night, but Stu wanted him to do something noble. No tripping into a pit or falling asleep for him. I could have brought him along as a superminion but I wanted to railroad the players a bit so I did something else.

At this point in the campaign Aecris had spoken to Borris a few times, but nothing too obvious to the other players. This time I had it goad him on to rushing south into the temple. Borris thought it was to save some poor trapped slave girl, but the axe really just sensed some ghosts it wanted to slaughter.

Anyway, he rushed south, stone slab crashes down behind him, BAM! Now the others have to head east into gnoll city.

First encounter went great, even after the long hiatus. Emlyn tried to peek in on the two gnolls playing dice in the mess room and happened to peek just a little too long. The gnolls screamed out (much fun going around the group trying to accurately reproduce hyena sounds) and alerted the caged hyenas, a huntmaster, and a bunch of beastman slaves (minions) living the hyena cage. Dakkon charged straight into the two gnoll marauders and stayed there for most of the fight trading blows. Awendella tossed a sunrod down the hall so the party could see the huntmaster and his minions. Aderes knocked a gnoll marauder down on the table with a push from her master's wand of magic missle, and then lit them both up with a column of flame. Darkguard and Emlyn held off the hyenas from the cleric and wizard, and Darkguard pulled off a cool stunt where he knocked a magic torch off the wall into a beastman, immolating him and lighting a previously dark area. When only one of his compatriots remained, the huntmaster fled south, to get some backup. The fight ended (as they often do) with Dakkon splitting the last foe in two and striding epically through the ensuing geyser of blood. Yeah, gross. But those dirty gnolls totally deserved it.

The second encounter was a neat one too. Darkguard opened a door and was instantly attacked by four hyenas, while five huntmasters came out from a door way down the hall and started firing a stream of arrows. Dakkon tiger leaped over the hyenas into the next room and saw a bright blue triceratops (the saddle had the deepgem emblem on it: a diamond with a dwarven D over it) chained to the floor and caged. Awendella fey stepped into the room with him and helped Dakkon soothe and comfort the beast. Meanwhile Darkguard and Emlyn took the brunt of the huntmasters' fire, both falling once before being revived by Awendella and retreating north around the corner to pop out and fire from cover the rest of the fight. A pack of beastman slaves was incinerated by a white hot scorching burst from Aderes. The trihorn flipped Dakkon onto his back and charged down the last two huntmasters, plastering one to the wall as Dakkon brought his enormous blade down on the head of the other.

Again one gnoll escaped, though, and we've got to wait until next session to find out what's in store for our heroes. Hopefully Borris will come back with only a few spectral wounds, and maybe some clues as to the whereabouts of the slaves the gnolls want to sacrifice.