Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth

You've got me hooked here, Lazybones. Before I couldn't wait for Irontooth to appear, now I can't wait to see him clave Jaron in-er, I mean, to see him defeated by the hands of Jaron and Beetle

I've forgotten who the heck was Kalarel, though. Do you mind reminding me who he was?

Cerulean_Wings said:

I've forgotten who the heck was Kalarel, though. Do you mind reminding me who he was?

Click to expand...

He's the end boss of the module, the cleric of Orcus who we met at the start of the story (as he killed off the pre-gens).

* * * * *

Chapter 24


It didn’t begin well.

A clay globe arced over the charging wave of kobolds, and struck the ground right in front of Mara. The fighter flinched back, but instead of the fire she’d expected, the globe shattered to disgorge a splatter of sticky, persistent glue that clung in long tendrils to Mara’s boots.

And then the kobolds were on top of her, stabbing and thrusting. She knocked aside one spear, but a second clipped her shoulder, hard. She lunged with her sword, hindered by the glue tangled in her feet, and was able to slide the point into the chest of the kobold that had hit her. The creature staggered back and fell, but another one was in its place in a flash.

Then the dragonshield was in front of her, holding its small shield up, its sword coming in under it like a serpent’s bite. Elevaren attempted to curse it, but the kobold averted its eyes, and the warlock’s power failed to take hold of its mind. Rather than test the heavily-armored dragonshield, Mara attempted to cut down another kobold spearman, but this time her target darted back before she could connect. The dragonshield took advantage, slicing up into the gap under her armor by her right armpit. Mara recovered and fell back, but the kobold’s sword came back slicked with blood.

Another sling bullet whizzed by, and Elevaren cried out behind her. More kobolds were gathered behind those in the front ranks, and several were climbing up onto the root-mounds to either side, looking to gain position to strike at them from above. Mara fell back until she was almost atop Elevaren, the sticky gunk still clinging to her boots. The kobolds followed, pressing her with vigorous attacks.

Their situation was, in a word, grim.

* * * * *

Jaron lifted his bow as Irontooth came forward, intent on selling his life dearly. But before he could take the shot, his eyes caught a shadow moving behind the goblin.

Irontooth yelled in pain as Beetle sliced his dagger across the goblin’s left hamstring. “Run, Jayse!” he yelled, even as Jaron shouted, “Beetle, no!”

Irontooth swung around, his axe sweeping down in a bright blur as the torchlight glinted off the steel. Beetle saw it coming and sprang back, but the blade still caught him in the torso, and he spun around violently as he was flung to the floor.

“Beetle!” Jaron yelled.

Irontooth brought the axe around again surprisingly quickly, even with his injured leg obviously hindering him. Jaron drew on every last scrap of his halfling agility and bent almost half over, using his right hand to keep from falling to the ground. The axe carved the air so close to him that his cap was yanked roughly off his head, but then he was past the goblin, and running hard. Beetle was alive, amazingly, though his face was twisted with pain as he pulled himself to his feet.

“Run!” Jaron yelled. “Run!”

And they ran, the goblin’s roars behind them indicating that Irontooth was not far behind.

* * * * *

“Go!” Mara yelled at Elevaren, barely managing to get her sword up to deflect a spear thrust. Only sheer will was keeping her on her feet now; several more attacks had gotten through her defenses, and while her armor had protected her from serious injury, blood trailed down gashes in her arms and legs, and from the wound in her right side that the dragonshield had inflicted earlier. The kobold veteran was still menacing her, but was letting its allies take the lead with their spears, looking for her to make another mistake, waiting for the inevitable opening. Elevaren’s own attacks had thus far been ineffective, except to make those kobolds climbing on their flanks more cautious. But as a kobold clambering up the roots to his left ducked under the warlock’s eldritch blast, another rose up on the right, unlimbering its spear as it crawled up atop the barrier.

Elevaren saw it, too late. “Mara, look out!”

The fighter looked up, but her sword came up too late to parry. The spear caught her in the neck just above the upper lip of her scaled breastplate, glancing hard off of her shoulder bone. Bright red blood spurted from the wound as the fighter fell back, her legs collapsing under her.

The dragonshield surged forward.

* * * * *

“This way!” Beetle urged, drawing Jaron after him. The two halflings ran through a large room with a floor partially covered in ancient, cracked tiles, and turned to the right, heading back toward the entrance that Jaron had originally used to enter the complex. They moved into the passage, turned around a protruding wall, and then they could see it, a narrow opening up ahead, a shaft of late afternoon sunlight penetrating into the dank of the cave.

Beetle started forward, but Jaron stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Wait,” he whispered. “Do you hear that?”

Beetle cocked his head, a curious look on his face, but Jaron didn’t need his confirmation to recognize the quiet noises coming from just outside the cave exit.

Kobolds, talking. Waiting for them.

And behind, the noises of Irontooth, his furious roars getting closer. Beetle’s cut had slowed him down, but there was no way they’d be able to get past him in the narrow passage.

“We’re trapped,” Jaron said.

Yeah, I'd about had enough of Orcus, but having to defer to someone else's plot is the price you pay when you go with a published mod.

I went ahead and ordered H2, but I have no idea if it's going to be suited to a story. I actually haven't had time to write any new material in a while, but luckily I had a backlog of posts already written.

* * * * *

Chapter 25


Elevaren stepped forward, thrusting Mara behind him into the hollow in the base of the tree. He lifted his hand and hexed the dragonshield, who succumbed to his eyebite. The creature, partially blinded by the fey magic, stabbed at him, but his thrust failed to connect.

The kobolds flanking the dragonshield were not affected, however. They thrust with their spears, and one pierced the warlock’s side, driving through his leather tunic to open a gash along his ribs. Elevaren grunted, but held his ground. He would keep his word; he would not abandon his companion.

A black cloud formed among the kobolds, rising up from the ground like a shadow, only it was not cast by any of those present. As it rose to the height of the reptilian humanoids it split apart, flaring at the top like a pair of wings. Within the darkness, a silver flickering began to emerge.

The kobolds drew back from it, wary, but the dragonshield, blinking against its temporary blindness, shouted for its allies to move forward, to finish the pair before they had a chance to recover. The kobolds obeyed, if reluctantly, moving around the shifting black form.

The darkness split open, and silver radiance issued from within. A harsh, clear note sounded, the cry of a raven taking flight. The silver light stabbed into the kobolds, which screamed in pain as it washed over them. Three of them fell to the ground, clutching at their faces as blood oozed from their ears and nostrils.

A man stepped into view around the nearest ridge of tangled roots and heaped earth. He was clad all in black, and carried a quarterstaff shod at both ends with gray iron. A kobold lunged at him with its spear, but the man deflected the thrust with his spear, and lifted his hand. Silver spears erupted from his fingers, and the kobold collapsed.

Elevaren blasted a kobold that tried to lunge down at him from above; the creature stumbled back and dropped out of view. Behind him, he heard Mara groan, and looked down in surprise to see the crippled fighter stirring. Faint silver flashes flickered around the wound in her neck and then faded, leaving the flesh pale but intact.

The dragonshield apparently decided the newcomer was a greater threat than the two battered defenders hiding out in the tree, for it came out to face him, leaving a pair of his fellows to keep the others penned. The man turned from another attack from a kobold scout to confront the armored warrior, which hissed a challenge as it lifted its sword and shield in anticipation of its attack. Bu the black-clad man, instead of taking up a defensive stance, lifted his arms wide, his cloak rising up like shadowed wings behind him.

“Fear the inevitable embrace of death,” the man said, his voice echoing with a reverberation of power. He caught the kobold’s eyes with his own, and the creature, trembling, turned and fled, screeching loudly.

That was enough for the remaining kobolds, which broke and ran off in every direction but the trail back the way they had come. Elevaren sent a last eldritch blast after them, and then turned to help Mara. Amazingly, the woman was not only conscious, but she started to get up on her own, shaking off the eladrin’s offered hand.

“They’re not fleeing... back to the lair,” Mara said.

“It is likely that there is something there that they fear more than us,” the newcomer said, stepping over the bodies of several kobolds as he approached. He started to come closer, but Mara held up a hand to forestall him.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“My name is Devrem,” he said. “I am a servant of the Raven Queen.”

“A death priest?” Mara said. She was leaning hard against the bole of the tree, and as she spoke, a cough shook her body.

“Death and life are two sides of the same coin,” the priest said. “I can heal you, if you would accept my aid.”

Mara didn’t respond, but Elevaren said, “I am Elevaren, and this is Mara. We are already in your debt, sir. If you can help my friend, we will not refuse your offer.” Finally, Mara nodded.

Devrem nodded, and spoke a word of power, the syllables of which faded from the memories of Elevaren and Mara even before the echoes of the sound had fully vanished from their ears. But the effects of the healing word were instantly visible; Mara straightened, and let out a surprised breath as silver flashes of power flickered around her wounds, leaving the gashed flesh whole again in their wake.

“Thank you,” she said. “Now, if you don’t mind, would you mind telling us why you’re here, Devrem?”

“I will happily explain all, when we get the chance. But for now, I fear that your halfling companions are in dire peril. While death comes for us all, it will come soon indeed for your friends if we do not act quickly.”

Mara and Elevaren shared a brief look; the man seemed quite well informed. The fighter stepped forward, her grimace revealing that Devrem’s healing hadn’t fully restored all of her injuries. “Mara needs to rest,” Elevaren began, but the fighter shook her head and cut him off. “I’m fine. All right, priest, we can use your help. But we’re going to have that conversation, later.”

Devrem nodded. Mara reached down and picked up several kobold javelins. “Let’s go,” she said, leading them back down the trail toward the kobold lair.

Chapter 26


Irontooth stormed through the passage, still limping slightly on his injured foot. Each painful step stoked the fires of his rage. He’d bested dozens of foes, and to be challenged so by a pair of halflings!

He reached the mouth of the passage and found Kurgus waiting there, with a dragonshield beside him. The wyrmpriest’s eyes widened just a fraction as he took in the goblin’s current condition. “Are you well, Lord Irontooth?”

The goblin, however, ignored him as he looked around. “You have remained here the whole time? None came out this way?”

“No, great lord. Both exits are being watched, and the waterfall as well. Per your orders, I remained here too...”

Irontooth turned and stepped back into the passage. There was an alcove just off the entrance, its corners deep in shadow. He spotted the blood drops on the floor, gathered in a small splatter in one of those corners. He looked up, at the spot where the walls met the ceiling, a compact niche just barely big enough to fit a pair of halflings...

“Watch the exits!” Irontooth growled back at the priest. “If so much as a cockroach slips past you, I will have your head!”

With that, he headed back into the complex, moving more slowly now, following the trail of blood back into the cave.

Even as Irontooth was discovering his mistake, Beetle and Jaron were creeping back into the kobold common room. The roar of the waterfall covered the noise of their steps, but neither halfling made more than a whisper’s disturbance anyway.

Jaron rubbed his shoulders. Beetle was fast and good at evading notice, but he wasn’t much of a climber. Thank the gods that the walls of the cave had been rough enough for them to scramble up into the impromptu hiding place before Irontooth had arrived. He’d felt like his arms were going to pop out of their sockets as he’d held onto his cousin, the two of them jammed into the spot where the corner walls met the ceiling, Jaron’s legs jammed against the walls of the alcove for support. All it would have taken was for the goblin to look up, and they would have been finished. Even with the later afternoon sunlight coming straight into the goblin’s face, it would have been hard for him to miss them had he paused to look.

Jaron started across the room toward the far side of the room, where Jaron had detected another exit earlier. It seemed like he’d first entered the cave hours ago. But Beetle stopped him.

“Hid here, before,” he said, indicating the waterfall. “Can get out.”

Jaron looked at the wall of rushing water dubiously. He could see the light of the day through it, but it looked like a lot of water, and it was moving fast.

“I don’t know...”

But the decision was made for them as Irontooth stepped back into the room. The goblin and the halflings saw each other at the same instant, and then Beetle was pushing Jaron, and both went flying into the raging rush of water.

Sweet, a death-priest, that's badass! Loved the way you described Devrem's spells and his dialogue. A part of me wishes him to be like Varo, but another desires a different persona

I am trying hard not to make Devrem a carbon-copy of Varo. It's hard, as I'm editing the Rappan Athuk tale as I write this story, and revisiting all the details of Licinius Varo anew. But there are some unique features of his background that are rather different, so he should evolve into a distinct character.

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Chapter 27


Jaron came up gasping for air. The waterfall hadn’t been as intense as it had looked, and the current had quickly carried him out of the deeper spot directly under the falls, to where he could get his feet under him and stagger forward. A few feet to his right, Beetle was... laughing?

He turned toward his cousin, and thus the first javelin shot right past him, narrowly missing.

“Kobolds! Run, Beetle!” Jaron yelled. He ran for the bank opposite the one where the two kobolds were, and emerged from the water just in time to see another pair emerge from the line of trees and start toward them. One was another dragonshield, while the other...

“Spitter!” Beetle hissed, and ran past Jaron toward the woods to the west. That route would force them to cross the stream again, but it was infinitely better than staying here.

That was reinforced a moment later as Irontooth emerged from the waterfall. The goblin seemed unperturbed by the falls, and kept his footing easily as he strode through and fixed Jaron with a stare of pure malevolence.

A javelin clipped his arm as he broke into a run. Behind him, the goblin was shouting orders, and he didn’t need to look back to know that the kobolds were charging after him. A globe of acid shot past his head, splattering him with caustic droplets, but with his hair and clothes still soaked in water the stuff didn’t do him any serious harm. It confirmed what Jaron had guessed, that the skull-wearing kobold was some sort of spellcaster.

As if they didn’t have enough problems.

Beetle beat him to the stream and splashed across, avoiding the rough areas where the water bubbled over a treacherous stretch of jutting rocks. Jaron could hear the dragonshield hot on his heels as he approached the water.

And then the black-clad man stepped out of the trees directly ahead. Jaron’s heart sank yet further. “Beetle, watch out!” he yelled.

The man raised his staff, and pointed it toward Jaron. The halfling threw himself aside, and thus narrowly avoided the thrust from the dragonshield directly behind him. The silvery radiance from the staff struck the kobold, which drew back, hissing in pain.

As if Jaron wasn’t confused enough already, Mara and Elevaren emerged from the forest behind the black-clad man. “Jaron, it’s all right... over here, quickly!” Mara yelled.

The dragonshield, confronted by the sudden change in odds, drew back to await its fellows. Jaron splashed across the stream, to join the others. He turned and saw Irontooth approaching, the kobold priest on one side of him, the two javelin-chuckers on the other. There was a second dragonshield as well, hanging back, on their side of the stream but a good distance back, within an odd-ring of small boulders that offered some decent cover.

The black-clad man raised his staff, from which a silver flare erupted, casting his features into stark relief. “These two are under my protection, goblin,” he said, his voice deep and strong.

“That is Devrem,” Elevaren said. “He’s a friend.” There was no time for more explanation. Jaron took advantage of the momentary interruption to swap out the string on his bow. Beetle had stepped back into the shadows under the trees. Mara held a kobold javelin at the ready, and had two in her other hand, which she stabbed into the ground at her feet.

Irontooth regarded the foes arrayed against him, and laughed. “You think that you control events here, raven-priest? Your god will feed well today, at least if any dregs are left once my god is through with you.”

“Take your minions and leave this place,” Devrem said. “You will no longer find easy prey in Winterhaven.”

“The dragonshield’s moving,” Jaron whispered, glancing left toward the ring of stones.

“I see it,” Mara said, though she had not shifted her eyes from the big goblin.

The goblin laughed again. “Tell your god that her children will feast on the corpses of the people of Winterhaven. And that they will be just the first to die. Kill them, kill them all!”

The last was directed at his allies, and at his shout the kobolds surged forward to attack.

Liking Devrem LB "THESE TWO ARE UNDER MY PROTECTION" bring on the Kung Fu!

We've seen many a fine tale begin, and I must say I like how this one is unwrapping. The halflings were an instant hit, reminded me all Shire-like there are the start. All characters are looking fresh; the otherworldly Elevaren (what is he again?) and Mara, blademistress, with armour a tad too heavy for sports.

Thanks, jonny! I have had almost no time to write lately, and I'm running out of banked posts. Hopefully I will get a chance to get back to the story before too long.

* * * * *

Chapter 28


The kobolds rushed to the attack, but the adventurers were ready, and even as Irontooth issued his command, they unleashed their own assault.

Jaron’s first shot took one of the kobold minions in the chest, knocking it over onto its back. His second shot followed just a few heartbeats later, but its companion ducked, and the shot went wide.

Even as the first combatant died, the kobold priest lifted its bony hands and invoked a dread power. The magic it summoned was not an attack, but rather was directed at its allies, inciting faith that they would gain victory in the battle. But the benefit it had gained was all but lost a moment later as Mara’s javelin caught it in the shoulder, jabbing painfully through the layered hides it wore.

The dragonshields converged on the group from two sides, one coming straight across the stream while the other made its way forward through the trees to the left. Elevaren attempted to hit the one coming across the stream with an eldritch blast, but missed. After a quick, meaningful shared glance with Devrem, Mara shifted to confront the one coming through the trees, while the cleric stood ready to face the one coming across the stream. The priest invoked the power of his patron, striking the charging kobold with the silvered flare of the Raven’ Queen’s sacred flame. The kobold, however, its faith bolstered by the magic of its own priest, shrugged off the attack and surged forward out of the water, diving forward to stab at the cleric. The kobold warrior’s thrust was accurate, but the cleric wore chain armor under his dark robes, and the stroke was turned by that protection.

Thus far, Irontooth had seemed content to let his allies engage first, but now the goblin came forward, lifting his huge axe in both hands. He grinned as his gaze drifted over each of the defenders, before settling on Devrem. “You shall be the first, cleric,” he growled.

The battle devolved into a confused and violent fray. A javelin narrowly missed Jaron, who had good cover from the surrounding tree trunks. His return shot did not miss, and the kobold minion fell, blood welling from around the arrow jutting from its lung. The halfling ranger shifted position, looking for a decent shot at the kobold priest. The creature hurled an orb of acid at Elevaren, but the warlock was also standing behind a tree, and the deadly missile exploded against the rough bark.

Mara met the dragonshield coming from the left, taking a glancing hit that drew a fresh gash across her right forearm. But in turn her blades danced a storm around it, her smaller sword drawing down its shield enough for her long blade to come in and clang hard across its armored brow. The kobold staggered back, but only for a moment, and when it came forward its fury seemed greater than before. It never even saw Beetle come up behind it, and bury his dagger into the small of its back. The kobold screamed, then, and spun on the rogue, slashing him across his bicep. It didn’t get a chance to do more, as Mara drove both of her blades into its back, and it crumpled.

Devrem found himself hard pressed, facing both a dragonshield and Irontooth. The kobold cut him in the leg, but it was the goblin’s axe that was the true threat, knocking him back with a blow that would have opened his guts had he not been armored. The cleric fell back against the trunk of a nearby tree, summoning from the reserves of his strength, focusing on defending himself.

Elevaren blasted the dragonshield with an eldritch blast, drawing its attention. “Go ahead,” Irontooth said. “I will deal with this ‘holy man’.”

Jaron shifted his fire to the dragonshield, but his arrow bounced off its shield and flew harmlessly aside. It came forward toward Elevaren, who had nowhere left to hide. Against the heavily armored kobold warrior, the eladrin seemed utterly outmatched. But as the dragonshield lunged forward, Elevaren’s body dissolved into a swirling storm of flickering fey-lights. As the kobold watched in amazement, that glowing display shot straight upward, materializing again into the warlock, now astride a thick branch of the tree, twenty feet off the ground.

The kobold couldn’t reach him, but the reverse was not true, as Elevaren hit the kobold in the face with another eldritch blast.

Devrem ducked just barely in time. The goblin’s axe bit deeply into the old bark of the tree, tearing a deep gouge in the wood. A less powerful adversary might have had to struggle to pull his weapon free, but Irontooth merely yanked hard, and drew back the axe for another strike.

“You only delay the inevitable, cowardly human,” the goblin growled. Thus far, Devrem’s focus on defense had paid off, and he’d avoided two attacks that would have been devastating, had they connected. But while protecting himself, he hadn’t done anything to hurt the goblin, either, who was getting more infuriated with every passing moment.

But then Mara and Beetle rushed to his aid. They moved to flank the big goblin, while Devrem shifted back to the attack, hitting Irontooth with a lance of faith. But the stream of radiant energy seemed pathetic indeed as it flashed silver around the goblin’s face, having no apparent effect upon him. He sidestepped Mara’s initial lunge with surprising agility, and then met Beetle’s sneak attack with a kick that sent the halfling rolling back, blood spurting from his mouth. Pivoting easily, he spun into Mara’s follow up, catching her solidly across the body with his axe. The fighter’s momentum was instantly reversed, and she staggered back, stunned by the intensity of the blow.

“Bring on your best, it won’t be good enough!” Irontooth laughed, and as his foes drew back from the fury of his attacks, it looked as though he might be right.

All I can say is Oh my God!