Meeting With the Greae, Calling a Truce

After leaving the Psilloi the party rode their camels to the Plains of Sisthene (ie, the Plains of the moths). There we found, as promised, a large temple/palace made of solid gold in the middle of a small lake. A pretty lady was sitting on the steps, surrounded by some scrawny looking guys in loincloths. The woman starts talking lovey-lovey to Harald. Harald disbelieved, and the woman was revealed to be a half lady-half deer (the top half was the lady), and the guys were burly fellows, armed and armored. More of them hid behind the temple pillars, bearing bows trained on our heroes. Harald warned the party, then the fighting started, with the woman (or rather, Lamia) cursing at the girls and swearing to make Harald and Mamun part of her harem. She lost, rather badly, with all her guys getting taken out. Two were turned into retards by Sunflower, apparently forever. No one lost Wisdom, thank goodness. We got some info on the temple from the Lamia and stole her eyeballs, which had fallen out at some point. We promised to return them if we emerged alive.

A few feet into the temple we met a snake, a cat, and a bird. The tell us we must pass three tests to meet the Greae: The test of the asshole Lamia, the test of the gift, and the test of the Moths of Doom (aka Gloomwings). Then they turned into imps and demanded we give them our magic items. We start to fight, and immediately everyone but TrapoII is Confused. Most soon wander away. Trapo, however, decides to be the ultimate badass, and he holds his own against these chumps for twenty rounds, making save after save against poison, chopping off imp bits, and refusing to give up the party's magic weapons. He goes to a negative just as the others come out of Confusion. Ailyll runs to help Trapo, while Harald Lightning Bolts the imps (and her), killing two of the imps. One gets away with the Belt Knife. Trapo gets Healed, and we continue into the temple. We find a smelly Lamia sex room, and some other empty chambers. Then we are set upon by the foreshadowed Gloomwings. Guess what? Everyone but Harald gets Confused. Harald chops up Gloomwings, Slows Gloomwings, and then chops up more Gloomwings, leaving him with a single hitpoint. The party comes back, and we proceed deeper into the temple. The next room has a bunch of lions, so another fight ensues. Everyone gets badly beaten up, but we win. Through the next door we find the Greae themselves, along with nine gorgeously attired warriors. Their chamber makes the rest of the palace look simple in comparison to its gaudiness. Gold and gems abound. The Greae sit in the back, looking creepy as hell, passing around an eye and a tooth between them. Harald flatters and scrapes and gives them the vast majority of the party's gold in exchange for a Medallion of Herakles. This one-time time lets the wearer perform any one feat of Herakles, be it mucking stables or dressing as a woman in the service of an Amazon. Or stealing some Golden Apples. We thank the ladies, and get the hell out of Dodge.