28: Morlokep the Bugbear King and the last child

The group retrieved the shattered skull of the monk's master but had a tough fight with his risen spectral form (i.e a spectre) and several magma hurlers. Azrael turned the Magma hurlers and Shafts magic arrows did in the Spectre though it hit Morgrim twice and Bornir once, draining 2 levels each time. Lath Restored Morgrim's negative levels, and after healing magics the group descended into the depthes to trade the items with the Emerald Sister for one of the Stones of Ogremoch.
Aardgal asked what task was necessary to regain the second stone of Ogremoch she held, her reply was: "Through the bronze door above you will find the chamber of Zagyg. Through the fourth door you will find White Plume Mountain. Seek the elemental weapon named 'Wave' hidden in tunnels upon it's southern slope. For this I will trade the second stone of Ogremoch."
The Emerald sister then descended into her elemental pool and the heroes withrdrew. In the chamber beyond was a bronze door. A rune of madness was inset in an etched ring in the center of the door. Above the door above the keystone was a stone carving of a jovial man's face, balding with long whispy hair spreading to left and right. Felnar said "That's the Rune of Madness." Aardgal and Morgrim said "It's also the holy symbol of the mad servant of Boccob, the demi-god Zagyg."
The group though it best to seek the remaining captive child should he still be alive, return the freed captives in town then set out through this dangerous portal.
The group traveled through strange passageways until they found a darked throneroom. From the back of the room came a barrage of missiles and even a lightning bolt!
The heroes charged in, seeing several bugbears hogboblins and a ettin at the back of the chamber. As they rushed into the room pressure plates in the floor caused spinning rods to shoot up from the floor. The rods deployed quickly spinning flail heads on 10' lengths of chain which knocked down those in it's path. The rods then withdrew the ball and chain and reset in the floor.
Most of the fighting went on the fringes of the room since these traps knocked down everyone with the sole exception of the sturdy dwarf Morgrim who advanced to fight the Ettin.
Felnar hit one flank of hobgoblins after they threw flasks of alchemists fire. He immolated them with a fireball, hitting the Ettin and two bugbears as well.
From invisibility a bugbear struck at Felnar. He was very tall, with one eye and a crown made up of rusty iron spear tips. He wielded a great axe bearing dwarven runes upon it's head. Not only had the bugbear king been invisible but he was hasted, striking Felnar with rapidity twice knocking the frail magician unconscious.
At this point Aardgal had advanced on the left flank, Morgrim down the center. Bornir lagged behind Morgrim since he had been knocked down by the trap. He backed up and tried to fight the bugbear king and save Felnar. Shaft was furiously backpedalling from the king as he shot arrows at him.
In seconds Bornir fell from 3 blows from the Kings axe. It was enchanted by the dwarves as a dwarf bane weapon and it made short work of Bornir who was still drained from the battle with the dwarven spectre.
Morgrim saw his friend fall and thought of avenging him, but the Ettin needed to fall first. Unfortunately the giant struck Morgrim, and downed him. The tide of the battle had turned quickly. But the two dwarves had bought time for Lath and Azrael to cast spells and they waded into battle. Between Lath's sword, Azrael's flail, and Shaft's arrows they killed the bugbear king.
Aardgal struck the killing blow upon the Ettin, and just as quickly Shaft dispatched the remaining bugbear. The Remaining three hobgobling threw down their weapons and surrendered pleading for mercy.
The heroes mourned Bornir. The killing blow from the Bugbear King had taken him in the ring shoulder, nearly severing the limb. His face pale from the rapid loss of blood, Lath and Morgrim closed his eyes and said a few words over the body.
Turning to the hobgoblins, the heroes anger and grief was on their faces. The hobgoblins quickly revealed that the Iron Tooth tribes captives were held by their witchdoctor. An old albino bugbear in a cave not far away. He had 4 body guards.
The group healed, checked their weapons and remaining spells, and came up with a plan. Lath cast a silence spell on one of Shaft's arrow which he would fire into the room. The heroes assembled and rushed the witchdoctors room. He stood barely a chance.
As they came into his cave a scene of horror lay before them. The body of an elf, Edgrin's friend, lay on a sacrifical block, his body cut a dozen times, the killing blow had opened his chest and his pained, glazed eyes locked with Aardgal and Azrael. The withc doctor, a wrinkled and hoary old albino bugbear held the elf's heart in one hand, and with a dagger in his right hand he plunged the curved blade into the heart. The heart was consumed and the dagger burst into a hellish fire which didn't seem to touch the bugbear holding the blade. He smiled with glee at the would be rescuers. The remaining child, a curly haired boy was curled into the fetal position near his feet. His next victim.
Shaft's bow drove the silenced arrow into the witch doctor staggering him. The rest rushed into the room. Bugbears with spiked chains tried to trip or strike those rushing in but to little effect. The Witch doctor had time enough to throw the silence arrow back towards his attackers before Felnar's fiery cascade spell and Aardgal's two handed sword ended his miserable life.
Aardgal picked up the catatonic youth and the blood soaked heroes struggled towards the surface.