When we last ventured to the Great Basin…
The members of the Task Force and their allies were in a dire situation. After reaching the monastery which Niwa lead you to, a lengthy discussion ensued about the best way to enter the temple. You were not keen about using the 15-foot tall double doors but did not see any auxiliary entrances. After extensive debate, it was decided that you would enter on the second floor of the pagoda, which appeared to be a barracks or communal sleeping quarters for the monks. You searched the temple from the second floor up, finding a sage and three monks on the third floor, which challenged your right to be there. Oisin attempted to gaslight them into thinking that you were on a tour of the temple, but he did not believe you. When trying to climb the stairs to the next level, the sage caused a minor earthquake which while noticeable, was not strong enough to knock anybody from their feet. Here the newest addition to the group, Meru, proved useful. A quick casting of Color Spray knocked three of the four unconscious and the last standing monk was quickly assassinated by Niwa. The rest of the group was then killed while unconscious before the group moved up to the fourth level, which appeared to be storage. You quickly ransacked the floor before checking the fifth floor, a belfry with several meditation locations, one in each of the cardinal directions. It appeared that you would have to visit the first floor, which Jusa had previously reported had several monks and a hazy atomsphere from many braziers burning.
Before heading to the first floor, you returned to the third floor and Niwa assumed the appearance of the dead sage. On the second floor, you found a kitchen, broom closet and wash room. Oisin opened all of the barrels of water, hoping to use the old “there’s a leak upstairs” distraction. Finally, everybody descended to the first floor, a massive open space marked with a grid of columns. As Jusa had reported, numerous braziers and sconces created a smoky space and you saw five more monks and two wearing sage’s robes. Niwa attempted the bluff the sages into believing that you were part of a tour group, but when the sages pointed out that there are never tours of the temple and they did not see you enter through the main doors, the bluff started to go sideways.
One of the sages cast Haste on four of the monks and growled “Get ’em boys”, launching the task force into combat. Interestingly, on their first turn the monks did not engage, instead performing some form of rhythmic dance which created a tremor knocking some chucks of masonry off the ceiling. The first sage cast Obsidian Flow, entangling most of the party and dealing a respectable amount of damage. With no regard for friendly fire, the second sage cast Firefall, targeting the brazier closest to you. While it also hit all of the monks and the other sage, they were all about to weather the fire damage. However, the brilliant explosion and streaks of fire caused by the spell temporarily blinded most of the monks and many of you. The blast was even large enough to reach the ceiling, knocking Oisin unconscious and dislodging him from his high post, the fall damage killing him.
We now resume with most of the party entangled in the obsidian, blinded and actively on fire. Oisin is dead and the rest of the task force is struggling for hit points, even with some healing from Jusa. While the monks where burned by the Firefall, they are all still standing and rapidly recovering.