Story HourPost your ongoing tales from your campaigns, and read those from others for inspiration. Lots of other RPG boards post "Story Hours", but this is where it started!
This is the third story hour thread in my continuing solitaire campaign and it follows directly on from Thunderspire Labyrinth. For those who are following the ongoing story, the PC levels at the start of this adventure are:
Dulvarna female human fighter 7
Enlishia female human ranger 7
Lavren male eladrin warlock 7
Erlmoor male dragonborn paladin 7
Litiraan male eladrin wizard 6
Telkya male eladrin cleric 6
As two PCs began at only 6th level, I opened the adventure with a side trek from the Draconomicon before continuing with the main quest.
Telkya looked up into Lavren’s eyes as hey swept around the floor of the cavern in the wild and speedy dance that all elven couples shared at their wedding feast.
“You might have told me that your father was Lord of Semberholme,” she said, smiling at her new husband.
“I thought you knew,” Lavren answered with a smile of his own. “There are few of us left and I thought you would have known me from my clan name.”
“Well I did not,” she answered.
“And now you do,” Lavren responded and kissed her firmly as they spun again past the high table where the parents of both sat along with the companions that they had travelled to the underground village with.”
“They are truly a wonderful couple,” Erlmoor rumbled quietly to Lavren’s father who sat beside him at the long table.
The cavern that formed the heart of Semberholme was illuminated with lights both magical and mundane and field tables of elves celebrating the marriage of their Lord’s son to a prominent daughter of the Elven Court. Everywhere were smiles and dancing couples as the elves marked a wedding in the way that they had done for millennia. At the far end of the natural hall, across from the high table, a tree stood in a wide basin of earth. It marked the birth of a new union and would be planted amongst the ancient trees of Cormanthor the next morning by Lavren and Telkya as a timeless symbol of their marriage.
“Glad I am that Lavren has found lasting love,” answered Lord Casharri Strongbow, Lavren’s father. “Ever his affections have been fleeting and ill-judged. I feared that he would never seek a union such as this.”
“He has grown as I have known him,” Erlmoor replied. “We have seen many terrible things but Lavren has ever found beauty despite the dark places that we have walked through. Telkya has calmed him and made him a wiser elf.”
“Perhaps,” the Lord answered thoughtfully as though pondering something. “And yet you came through Durgen’s Pass to get here. Lavren should have counselled against it given what dwells there.”
“And what is it that dwells there?” Telkya asked as she and Lavren ended their dance and returned to their seats in the centre of the high table, between both families. “Lavren told us of no danger as we walked the ancient dwarf road through the mountains.”
“Well he should have,” answered Casharri, glaring at his son who sat beyond Telkya next to his bride’s father. “But ever has my second son refused to heed my advice. None travel that road now lest the wyrm Caustrex come forth and prey upon them. She is the bane of this place and the reason why we rarely venture into the Hullack Forest as once we did.”
“None told us of this wyrm when we ventured through the pass to the Hullack seeking the hobgoblins that had raided our lands,” Litiraan said from beyond his and Telkya’s mother.
“We did not tell you, son, for we did not know,” answered Malmah, Litiraan’s mother. “This wyrm has seemingly kept its raids to the western edges of our forests for now. For how long that will continue we will not know.”
“Then when we return to the west, we will seek out the lair of this dragon,” Lavren answered. “We venture into the Hullack next seeking a place that the red wizard Paldemar sought to gain great power from.”
“If you defeated the wyrm then your father and I would be truly grateful,” answered Lady Nylynzara Strongbow, Lavren’s mother. “But beware the Red Wizards. They hail from Thay, a dark land of slavery and undead on the eastern shores of the Inner Sea. They are dangerous foes indeed.”
“And yet some were grateful to us for driving away Paldemar,” Erlmoor rumbled. “On the day we left the Seven Pillared Hall, a letter from the Mages of Saruun, also Red Wizards, was brought to us. It thanked us for ridding them of a rogue who opposed their aims of trading with western realms.”
“Perhaps,” answered Nylynzara. “But even that I would not trust. Rarely do the Red Wizards come only for trade. And more rarely do they trade only in the goods that merchants here would trade in. Often they trade in poisons and drugs that seduce the mind and weaken the body.”
“Then we will be even more careful than we have been,” answered Enlishia. “Your son and new daughter-in-law have good friends here who will protect them to their last breath.”
“Then I will take comfort from that,” Nylynzara answered with a smile. “Now we should enjoy the feast.”
“This must be the place,” said Telkya as she looked up to the cliffs ahead of her. Her sojourn in Semberholme as a wife had been all too short and through the feast had been a wonderful whirl of music, wine and food, she was sorry that they had had to set out westward again so quickly. More than two tendays had passed since they had defeated Paldemar and she understood the need for urgency. If the Red Wizard sought the Lost King ahead of them then Cormyr would surely suffer but still she wished that she had been given more time with Lavren and her both families. Now, as she followed the swift river into the canyon to the north of the ancient dwarf road through Durgen’s Pass, a thundering roar reached her ears. Beyond two large rock formations, Telkya saw a pool of frothing water gathering at the base of a cliff wall, fed by a crushing torrent of water that spilled down from a wide cave far above. Shadows cloaked much of the walls, almost hiding the numerous pocks and dimples in its face.
Dulvarna led the companions towards the western side of the canyon where the dimples were darkest and soon they could be seen to be caverns with dark, shadowy interiors. All openings on the west wall were perhaps fifty feet above the cavern floor but ahead, to the north, another two caves yawned at ground level. The companions made their way cautiously towards the eastern cave entrance, lighting torches as they drew near and the high cliffs shaded them from the bright spring sunshine.
“This does not look good,” said Enlishia quietly as she and Dulvarna stepped into the cave.
Dark blotches covered the floor, walls and ceiling while broken spears and smashed kobold bodies lay where they had fallen.
“They were torn apart,” the ranger said as she stopped beside the nearest kobold form. “But most seem to have been burned terribly with acid. Their flesh has been eaten away by whatever burned their flesh.”
“Seems we’ve found our dragon,” Litiraan said from behind Enlishia.
A narrow opening led north west from the entry cave and climbed rough hewn steps into a wider cavern that seemed to be at the level of the top of the waterfall. Ahead, two slimy stones jutted out from the rushing water of the stream, offering steps of sorts on which to cross. Enlishia started forward ahead of the others and neatly leapt to the first stone and then to the second before finally jumping across to the far bank of the stream. Dulvarna leapt across next and the others followed, none leaping across as easily as Enlishia had but still crossing the river easily.
Two caverns opened up to the north west and south east and Dulvarna pondered the way forward for a moment. Finally, she made a decision and turned south east into a wide passage that opened into a wide cave. The floor of the cavern gave way at its far end to a deep pit filled with rotting carcasses, old bones, mounds of glistening dung, and worse. Crimson mould covered everything.
“A midden,” said Litiraan. “We turn back.”
The others agreed and turned away from the foul pit to make their way into the northern cavern. This proved to be a large chamber with old sleeping pallets scattered throughout. Amongst them were the remains of cooking fires and a jumble of broken crockery and debris. The ceiling was black with soot, and the air was heavy with the stink of charcoal. Brown splotches stained the walls, and the floor was littered with twenty bloated kobold corpses, most half chewed by rats.
“Perhaps this place is merely a tomb and the wyrm lairs elsewhere,” Dulvarna said as she turned away from the horrific sight.
The others nodded half-heartedly and turned to follow her. They crossed the river on the stones back to the western bank and made their way into the wide northern cavern that led away from the stream. Again the passage branched, with wide passages leading south west and north west into the darkness. Dulvarna considered them for a moment and turned toward the north western branch, reasoning to herself that the south western passage would lead back to the high openings above the canyon. Ahead to the north west, the companions saw illumination from a large hole in the ceiling of the cavern ahead shining down on a massive dragon covered in grey scales and thorny barbs. Its long tail, which ended in a pair of long spikes, kicked up plumes of dust when it twitched. A string of green drool spilled from its oversized mouth, revealing its anticipation for the coming kill.
Enlishia looked down to where the cavern descended into a dip and saw kobolds moving in the shadows. She raised her bow and nocked an arrow quickly as she started forward. She loosed the first arrow and a kobold fell back with the shaft protruding from its throat. Turning, she was a slight warrior in scale armour hissing at her from the same level, across the dip that divided the cavern. The creature was armed with a longsword and a shield bearing a crude likeness of a dragon. Enlishia raised her bow and loosed another arrow that drove into the kobold’s shoulder and threw it back a step.
Behind Enlishia, Litiraan closed his eyes for a moment and vanished in a cascade of light motes. He reappeared on the far side of the dip in the cavern and saw three more kobolds with javelins in hand, advancing past the fallen from of the creature that Enlishia had slain. He raised his wand and loosed an amber orb down into the dip where the kobolds crept forward. The orb reached their midst and exploded into searing flame. The three kobolds with javelins were hurled against the wall of the cavern and horribly burned. They lay there unmoving but another kobold screeched in pain from behind a pillar of rock that hid it from Litiraan. Dulvarna heard its screech and leapt down into the dip, drawing her sword as she did so. She rushed forward and turned north into the wider part of the dip where the kobolds slain by Litiraan and Enlishia lay dead.
Lavren rushed to the edge of the dip and then leapt off the edge, closing his eyes as he did. He vanished into a shower of light motes and then reappeared on a high promontory across from the dragon. He looked down and saw a kobold below him to the left advancing with a sword in its hand. A Similarly armed creature advanced to his right while ahead, the dragon fixed its terrible gaze upon him. Telkya appeared next to him a moment later in a cascade of light motes. The elf maid turned toward her husband and smiled at him.
“Where you go, I go,” she said and he nodded his agreement.
Behind the two elves, Erlmoor rushed forward and leapt down into the dip. He crossed it in two strides and clambered up the opposite wall in front of Litiraan. He drew his blade and started forward to block the path of the sword-wielding kobold before him.
From beside the rocky outcrop on which the dragon sat, another kobold came forth, this one wearing a bone mask and carrying a spear. It raised its right hand began to chant an incantation in its strange, rough language. The other surviving kobolds took up the chant and surged forward, inspired by their priest. The masked kobold then raised its hand again and with a word, unleashed an orb of pale blue energy towards Telkya. The orb struck the priestess in the left arm and it threw her backwards as it burst in a spray of acid that seared into her flesh. She cried out and as she did, she saw the dragon extend its wings and take flight, swooping across from its outcropping to land in front of her and Lavren. The dragon roared as it landed on the rock in front of the two elves and both felt terrible dragonfear try to take hold of them. They held their ground and behind them, Erlmoor roared his defiance at the wyrm Caustrex.
The remaining kobold warriors let out high-pitched cries and rushed forward, one charging at Erlmoor and the other at Dulvarna. The dragonborn and the warrior woman met the swords of the kobolds with their own, clashing steel and keeping the dragon-like creatures at bay. Behind Erlmoor, Enlishia raised her bow and loosed an arrow into the kobold that the dragonborn faced. The shaft drove into the right hip of the kobold as it twisted around Erlmoor towards the ranger. She loosed another arrow after the first but this time, the kobold turned around on the spot and raised its shield. The arrow drove into the warrior’s dragon scale shield and the creature turned back to face Erlmoor. Just as it did so, Litiraan loosed a silver bolt from his wand that flew just over the kobold’s head. The creature screeched and leapt away from Erlmoor. The dragonborn roared and followed.
Dulvarna rushed at the kobold before her and lashed out repeatedly with her blade, Aecris clashing against the warrior’s blade and shield alternately. Suddenly, she brought her blade in low under the kobold’s shield and slashed a cut into the bottom of the creature’s abdomen. The kobold leapt back with a hiss, wounded and bleeding.
Lavren looked down as he heard the screech and then turned his attention back to the dragon before him. He cursed at the wyrm and raised his wand to unleash a bolt of black, crackling energy. The dragon ducked to the right and avoided the bolt but Lavren heard Telkya’s voice beside him, calling on Corellon to aid her. She threw down the torch she held in her left hand and drew forth her symbol of Corellon, brandishing it at the dragon. A bolt of light lanced out from the amulet towards the dragon but again Caustrex ducked and the bolt flew past the huge creature. The dragon roared and then drew in its breath. Both Lavren and Telkya knew what would follow but before the dragon could breath, the kobold priest hurled another orb of blue energy that struck Telkya’s left hip. She staggered and gritted her teeth as the acid burned her skin. A moment later, the dragon roared again and this time, acid gushed forth from its throat and sprayed over Lavren and Telkya. Both raised their arms to shield their faces and staggered back as the liquid burned their flesh. The dragon roared again and the kobolds took up the cry, surging forward to attack Dulvarna and Erlmoor again.
As the kobolds clashed blades with Erlmoor and Dulvarna and circled around them, seemingly trying to put the companions between them and the dragon, Enlishia raised her bow again. She loosed one arrow and then a second and watched with satisfaction as both drove into the kobold’s back and threw the creature forward against Erlmoor. The dragonborn pushed his enemy away and as he did so, Litiraan unleashed another silver bolt that seared through the kobold’s neck. It staggered and then collapsed in front of Erlmoor. The dragonborn roared and turned his attention towards the dragon.
Lavren heard the dragonborn roar triumphantly and knew that aid was coming. Looking down to the kobold priest, he leapt down from the outcropping on which he stood and raised his wand. With a word he unleashed another black, crackling bolt that seared into the shoulder of the kobold shaman and hurled it back a step. Telkya saw what her husband was doing and turned her amulet towards the kobold priest. A bolt of light shot forth and struck the cavern wall next to the kobold’s head. Lavren looked up and winked at her and she smiled back.
Erlmoor leapt up onto the outcropping and rushed past Telkya with his blade in his hands. He charged at the dragon, roared as he reached it, and sprayed acid from his mouth. The dragon paid the acid no mind but Erlmoor began to pray as he lashed out with his sword. The blade glowed with golden light but as it struck the scales of the wyrm’s right foreleg it simply clanged aside and smashed into the stone before the dragon. Caustrex looked down at its distant kin with obvious disdain and then raised a claw to swat the paladin aside.
Lavren raised his wand again but before he could utter another curse, the kobold priest lashed out with its left hand and hurled a blue orb towards the elf. Lavren dodged to the left but the orb struck his right shoulder and covered him with burning acid. He staggered and cried out but as he saw Telkya’s concerned look, he forced a smile. She moved towards the edge of the ledge but Lavren nodded towards the kobold priest for her to concentrate her attention on her enemies. As she turned away, Lavren gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand.
The kobold before Dulvarna rushed at her, driving her back against the foot of the rocky outcropping. She parried desperately and just kept its blade at bay before forcing it back to give herself a few moments to recover. As the kobold drew back, an arrow flew in from its left and drove into the side of its neck. A second shaft followed and drove through the creature’s throat from left to right. The kobold gasped, gurgled as blood filled its throat, and then collapsed to the floor of the cavern. Dulvarna nodded her thanks and turned to clamber up onto the outcropping.
Litiraan saw the kobold fall and turned away as Dulvarna had. He rushed along the lower level of the outcropping and passed Lavren where he stood against the cavern wall. Raising his wand, the wizard unleashed a silver bolt into the stone next to the kobold priest. The creature hissed its derision and Lavren raised his wand and loosed his own, black, bolt of energy, hoping to silence it once and for all. The blast struck the kobold’s left arm and spun it back into the stone wall of the cave. It tried to push itself away but before it could recover a golden bolt of energy from Telkya’s amulet struck it and hurled it back into the stone again.
Erlmoor ducked as the dragon lashed at him with its left claw and then leapt back as the right claw swept in at him. He lashed out with his blade as the huge claw passed him and this time the sword tore into the dragon’s flesh and drew blood. The dragon roared and slashed its left claw back across. Erlmoor ducked under the swing but as he stood upright again, the dragon lashed out with its wounded right claw to smash the dragonborn away from it. Erlmoor was sent sprawling and the dragon came forward, hoping to finish its troublesome kin.
The kobold priest hissed its defiance and hurled another blue orb, this one aimed at Litiraan. It struck the elf in the hip and burst into burning acid that seared his flesh. He staggered but raised his wand as he did so. Before he could bring a spell to his lips, Enlishia appeared beside him with her bow raised. She loosed an arrow that clattered into the stone beside the kobold and just as it began to his its renewed defiance, she nocked another arrow and let fly. This shaft drove into the creature’s eye and on into the brain behind. The kobold’s mouth fell open and the creature fell to the floor. Litiraan nodded his thanks to the ranger and then rushed along the side of the higher outcropping until he was behind the dragon. He turned and raised his wand, loosing another silver bolt towards the wyrm. The bolt flew past the creature’s head and struck the stone wall high up beyond the dragon.
On the outcropping, Dulvarna raised her blade and rushed at the dragon, hoping to slash her blade across the back of its left leg. Aecris sang out but at the last, the dragon lifted its claw and the sword clanged off the hard scales of its toe. From the dragon’s left, Lavren loosed another bolt of black, crackling energy that seared over the wyrm’s head and struck the stone beyond it. Telkya raised her voice in prayer and from the cavern roof, a column of divine fire descended, enveloping the dragon and burning its flesh. The dragon screeched for the first time and turned its eyes towards the priestess. As it did so, Erlmoor charged in and slashed at the dragon but it reared back and avoided his blade.
As it came down on its front claws once again, Caustrex lashed out with its left claw and sent the dragonborn sprawling with a wound in his side. Its tail lashed around a moment later to strike at Dulvarna but she ducked under the attack and then leapt back beyond the dragon’s reach. Enlishia sent two arrows in from the left but both clattered off the dragon’s scaled and it roared its defiance and anger again. From behind the wyrm, Litiraan loosed another silver bolt and this one found its mark in the creature’s right flank.
The dragon turned its head towards the source of the attack and Dulvarna rushed in to land a mighty blow on the dragon’s opposite side. Aecris tore into the wyrm’s flesh and exposed the white of its ribs as Dulvarna drew the blade back. The dragon screeched again and turned back towards the warrior woman as a bolt of black energy from Lavren’s wand flew past it. A golden bolt from Telkya followed and seared into the dragon’s back leg. Again it turned towards the priestess and again, Erlmoor leapt to his feet and rushed at it. His blade sang out and slashed a deep wound across Caustrex’s right foreleg. The dragon reared back and Erlmoor roared in triumph and defiance.
The dragon lashed out high with its right claw towards Erlmoor and the dragonborn ducked under the dagger-like claws. Its tail lashed around at Dulvarna again and this time, the warrior woman reacted too slowly. The scaled appendage struck her in the side and sent her reeling away from the dragon. From beneath the top of the outcropping and to the left, Enlishia raised her bow, took careful aim and let fly. The first arrow drove into the side of the wyrm’s neck and the second drove into its right shoulder. A silver bolt from Litiraan’s wand followed and flew over the dragon to strike the cavern wall beyond it. Dulvarna charged in to draw the wyrm’s attention back to her and as she did so, Lavren loosed another bolt of black energy. Again the bolt flew wide and struck the stone beyond the dragon but Telkya’s golden bolt from her amulet again found its mark. The dragon roared as the divine fire seared into its chest and Erlmoor charged at it again. His blade clanged off the scales of the dragon’s chest as he rushed at it and then the wyrm drew in its breath again. The terrible spray of acid followed and Telkya fell back, horribly burned.
Enlishia loosed two more arrows that clattered off the dragon’s scales and then Litiraan raised his wand and unleashed searing flame that burst over the back of the dragon. Caustrex screeched in pain and turned towards the elf and as she did so, Dulvarna charged in from the opposite side. She lashed out with her blade and slashed Aecris deep into the wyrm’s left shoulder. Again the wyrm screeched and turned its head towards this new pain. It heaved in its breath and with a roar, unleashed more acid. Erlmoor and Dulvarna fell back from the dragon as the terrible liquid burned their skin but as they did so, they turned towards Telkya who had fallen to her knees. Her face was burned and blackened but still she looked up and met the gaze of her companions. Her eyes almost pleaded with them to heal her or slay her and then she collapsed onto the rocky floor.
Lavren cried out as Telkya fell and unleashed a blast of black energy into the side of the dragon. The elf rushed along the edge of the highest part of the outcropping to where Telkya lay on the higher part. He reached out a hand to touch her arm and wished that he was able to heal her. Behind him, Erlmoor roared his defiance as he gathered his strength to recover from the dragon’s terrible breath. The dragon leapt forward and lashed out with its right claw to backhand the dragonborn to the edge of the raised outcropping. Its tail lashed around a moment later and slammed Dulvarna back towards where Telkya lay. The dragon roared, this time in triumph, as it sensed its victory was close.
Enlishia loosed an arrow and then a second desperately in an effort to distract the dragon. One shaft flew wide and clattered into the stone wall at the far side of the cavern and the second clattered off the scales of Caustrex’s hide. Litiraan loosed a silver bolt that flashed over the dragon’s head while Dulvarna ducked and dodged desperately to evade the dragons claws and tail.
Lavren turned away from Telkya, realising she was beyond any aid he could give and rushed along the cavern wall. Shouting a curse at the dragon, he loosed another bolt of black energy into the dragon’s flank. Again the wyrm roared and turned towards the warlock and as it did so, Erlmoor rushed at its right flank. He raised his blade over his head and clove it deep into the side of the wyrm’s chest. Golden light flared and burst out in a wave over the companions around the paladin and as it did so, Telkya’s eyes opened. The elf maid heaved in a deep breath and from the pain she felt, began to assess how seriously she was injured.
Caustrex roared and lashed out at the dragonborn with a backhanded blow from its right claw. The paladin ducked under the deadly blow but as the creature’s tail swept around, Dulvarna was again too slow. The huge scaled appendage struck her and slammed her back towards Telkya. She cried out in defiance and pain and rushed back at the dragon and as she did so, Enlishia raised her bow and let fly. Both arrows clattered off the dragon’s scales and a silver bolt from Litiraan’s wand flashed past the wyrm a moment later. Dulvarna rushed at the dragon, wove her blade before her and then lashed out at the dragon, slashing a wound across the wyrm’s chest. It reared back away from her and as it did, a black bolt from Lavren’s wand flashed past its neck. Erlmoor rushed in and slashed out at the dragon but his blade clashed off the scales of the creature’s foot with a loud boom as though of a thunder clap. Caustrex roared again but more desperately this time and lashed out with a backhand blow that almost knocked Erlmoor from the higher part of the outcropping. Its tail lashed left toward the dragonborn but he leapt back and then it slashed around towards Dulvarna. She leapt back and then surged forward again.
Enlishia loosed an arrow into Caustrex’s side and then fired again, this one flying past the dragon and striking the stone beyond her. Litiraan hurled a silver bolt that flashed wide of the dragon but as he did, Dulvarna reached the wyrm and struck out with her blade. Her sword nicked the wyrm’s arm and as it did, Caustrex swung her tail around and sent the warrior woman sprawling. Another black bolt from Lavren’s wand flashed past the dragon barely missing it and it turned its head around towards the elf. Telkya leapt down from the outcropping and rushed to her husband’s side, her face still burned and blackened but some of her strength returning. She raised her amulet and loosed a bolt of golden light that seared past the dragon to strike the stone beyond it. Caustrex roared at the two elves and as she did so, Erlmoor rushed forward with a prayer on his lips. He leapt and raised his blade over his head. It glowed brightly and clove into the dragon’s chest, smashing through its ribs and into its lung beneath. Caustrex reeled back, roared once and then fell forward, smashing into the stone floor of the cavern. It heaved in one last laboured breath and then died amidst the carnage of its lair.
“It is fine blade,” said Dulvarna as he held the sword he had taken from the dragon’s hoard up to the light of Telkya’s torch. “But I would save it to use against something other than kobolds.”
“You are sure there are more here then,” Erlmoor rumbled in response as he sheathed the blade on his back beside his old sword and cast a wary glance towards the south western passage. Dulvarna was determined to explore the passage lest more servants of Caustrex yet lurk in the caverns.
“Are you not?” Dulvarna asked. “This was a dangerous dragon and it would surely have more creatures than the handful we slew serving it.”
“Perhaps,” said Litiraan. “And perhaps not. Even if more do remain they will be little threat without the dragon.”
“They were a threat to Winterhaven when first we came there,” Lavren spoke up. “We leave no enemies behind to harry others.”
“Agreed. No evil should be left here to endanger others who use this pass,” Erlmoor said.
“Then we are decided,” Lavren said, lighting a torch of his own and starting into the wide passage.
The others looked at each other and Dulvarna and Erlmoor started after the elf, they followed. The passage narrowed a little ahead and split into two, both of which then rejoined while climbing up and then descending into a wide cavern with a cooking fire burning in its centre. The fire sent up plumes of choking smoke that gathered and crawled about the ceiling. The eastern side of the room held a latrine and a narrow tunnel headed up to the north west. They followed this tunnel and soon emerged into another cavern with its own haze of smoke hanging near the ceiling and slowly leaking out through cave mouths at the far side that overlooked the canyon. Clustered into several small groups were familiar short, dog-headed reptilian humanoids. Roughly half of the kobolds were armed with slings and daggers and the rest carried crude spears. The bonfire that was the source of the smoke burned at the centre of the room.
Dulvarna raised her blade and rushed at the nearest kobold, clambering up the escarpment that raised the room above the entrance passage. Her blade sang out and slashed into the kobold’s shoulder sending it reeling away. A javelin clattered off the stone next to the warrior woman but Dulvarna paid it no mind. Telkya strode forward behind her companion, throwing her torch to the floor ahead of her and raising her amulet. She uttered a prayer and bolt of golden light lanced out to strike the kobold that Dulvarna faught. It fell back into the north wall of the cavern, sorely wounded.
Beyond the entrance, other kobolds raised their spears and came forward while another whirled its sling above its head to hurl a clay pot at Telkya.
The missile fell well short but the terrible smell of the concoction within still reached the priestess’ nostrils and made her gag. Another clay pot struck the floor in front of Erlmoor, again far short of the mark but again the horrible smell wafted forth. Another kobold rushed at Dulvarna from the right and stabbed at her with its spear but she brought her blade down and swatted it aside. From around the corner next to the fire, another kobold came and stabbed out with its spear, driving the point into the elf maid’s leg. She cried out and fell back and as she did so, another clay pot struck the stone in front of her. The kobolds took up an ululating war cry then and more came forward, one rushing at Dulvarna and stabbing at her. The spear nicked the warrior woman’s arm and she fell back before the growing number of enemies.
Another kobold rushed towards Telkya and Lavren threw down his torch to raise his wand. he uttered a curse at the nearest enemy and unleashed a black bolt of energy that seared into the creature’s side. The creature was thrown to one side and collapsed on the floor, unmoving. Erlmoor charged forward then to aid Telkya, his blade singing out as he shouted a challenge to one of the kobolds she faced. His sword bit into the creature’s right arm and spun it back against the escarpment that led up into the chamber.
Litiraan came forward behind the dragonborn and raised his wand to loose a silver bolt at the same kobold. It struck the creature in the chest and hurled it back into the rock once again. Another kobold rushed to the edge of the raised platform and stabbed at Erlmoor with a javelin but he swung his blade around to the left and knocked the thrust aside. Enlishia raised her bow and loosed an arrow that drove into the kobold’s throat, throwing it backwards to lie unmoving on the floor. She fired again and her second arrow drove into the left arm of one of the kobolds battling Dulvarna, throwing the creature back from the warrior woman. Dulvarna nodded her thanks and then raised her blade again as more kobolds came forward.
From behind the line of kobolds at the edge of the raised platform, another of the creatures whirled a sling above its head and let fly a clay ball. The Ball flew straight at Erlmoor and struck his breastplate scattering shards of pottery that nicked his skin and covering him in a foul-smelling liquid that reeked of something not unlike rotten meat. The dragonborn gasped and reeled back as the urge to retch assailed him. Another kobold rushed forward as the paladin reeled and drove its spear forward, stabbing the point painfully into Erlmoor’s thigh. He cried out and staggered back a step, momentarily helpless before his enemies.
The wounded kobold before Dulvarna leapt away from her and placed a clay pot into its sling. It raised the weapon and whirled it around its head before letting fly wildly. The pot flew out to one side and smashed into the cavern wall, coating the stone with its foul-smelling liquid. Another slinger appeared beside the wounded one, whirling its sling above its head as it ran in to take aim. It let fly with unerring accuracy and the clay pot struck Dulvarna on the shoulder, showering her face with painful shards of clay and covering her in the horrible, noxious liquid. The warrior woman reeled back, retching as the stench struck her nostrils and staggered towards the edge of the escarpment on which she stood. The kobolds let forth an ululating battle cry and surged forward to try to bring down their apparently helpless foes.
Dulvarna let forth her own wordless battle cry in response to the kobolds and lashed out wildly to keep her foes at bay. A kobold leapt between the two slingers with a javelin in its hand and stabbed at her but she brought her blade across and parried easily. To the right, Telkya raised her sword and slashed out at the wounded kobold before her. Her sword cut across its throat and the kobold fell to the floor at the base of the escarpment to lie there unmoving. Sternly, she turned toward the remaining kobold before her but then another leapt over the body of the first and landed in front of her. It stabbed out with its spear and nicked her arm, drawing blood. She slashed her blade across to keep the creature at bay and looked back for aid from her companions.
A spear stabbed in from Dulvarna’s right and though she brought her blade around and parried it, the point still nicked the back of her knee. She stepped back again towards the edge of the escarpment, battling hard to keep the kobolds at bay. Telkya half parried another spear thrust but the blade continued on its course and scored a shallow cut up her right forearm. Again she looked back for aid and this time she saw Lavren raising his wand and beginning a curse. Black energy seared out towards the kobolds and struck the creature that had leapt over its fallen companion, hurling the kobold back against the rock wall. Lavren raised his sword and rushed into battle beside his wife as Erlmoor slashed his blade to the right into the side of the kobold that Lavren had just wounded. It gasped and fell back against the rock but still it held its spear and was not yet beaten.
Litiraan rushed into battle behind Lavren with his sword in one hand and his wand in the other. He raised his wand first and uttered a spell of fire that unleashed searing flame in a curtain into the kobolds in front of him. The kobolds screeched and shrank back while one fell, horribly burned, amongst its companions. As the flames cleared, though, others came forward and those that had been burned hissed terrible revenge at the wizard.
Behind Litiraan, Enlishia loosed more arrows, one driving into the chest of a kobold in front of the wizard and the other clattering off its armour. The creature fell back, sorely wounded, but not yet beaten. It hissed and stabbed at Erlmoor only for the dragonborn to swat its spear aside. The paladin swept his blade to the right and parried another spear thrust and then drew in a deep breath ready to spray acid over his enemies.
Telkya surged forward and slashed her sword across the belly of the kobold before her. It stabbed out with its spear and she parried the thrust, knocking it aside. To her left, she saw Dulvarna was battling hard still to keep the kobolds at bay while in front of her, more kobolds surged forward. A spear thrust came in from the right but again, she brought her blade down and parried the weapon aside. Beside her, Lavren thrust his blade forward and stabbed the kobold she had wounded in the chest. It fell back against the escarpment and collapsed beside its fallen companion. Erlmoor roared loudly then and let forth a spray of acid over the kobolds before him. The two kobolds closest to the dragonborn fell to the acid, horribly burned and amongst the other kobolds, many screeched as the liquid burned their skin. Erlmoor clambered up onto the raised platform and lashed out to his right with his sword, cutting a deep wound into the right arm of the kobold that stood there. The dragonborn roared his defiance at the kobolds and for the first time, they quailed before the power of their enemies.
A silver bolt flashed from Litiraan’s wand, just missing the kobold that Erlmoor had wounded and then an arrow flashed past from Enlishia’s bow. Another arrow followed and this drove through the creature’s skull, hurling it back into its companions were it fell to the floor and died. The slingers retreated from the companions then to form a line beyond their spear-wielding fellows. More kobolds with spears leapt forward to fill the gaps in the forward line but Dulvarna and Erlmoor stood firm, despite a spear cutting the side of Erlmoor’s arm below the shoulder.
Dulvarna lashed out with her blade and cut the throat of the kobold before her while spinning on the spot and driving her blade into the shoulder of another of the creatures. They fell back before her ferocious attacks and the slingers loaded their weapons and began to whirl them above their heads to fire at any of the companions that came through the spear line. On the right, another kobold leapt down from the escarpment and stabbed its spear at Telkya but at the last, she brought her blade down and knocked the thrust aside.
A slinger let fly another clay missile towards but the shot flew high and burst over the wall behind her, spilling a sticky glue-like substance onto the stone. Another slinger came forward and loosed a missile at Erlmoor but this flew behind him and struck the cavern wall close to Enlishia, spilling more sticky goo. Telkya parried another thrust from her right while Erlmoor and Dulvarna held the kobolds at bay in the centre and left of the line. Lavren came to Telkya’s aid again, stabbing his blade into the hip of one of the kobolds before her. The creature screeched and fell back and as it did, Litiraan loosed a silver bolt into its side. It fell back against the rock where two of its companions had already fallen and hissed its defiance.
Enlishia loosed two arrows quickly and both flew straight and true, driving into the face of one of the kobolds before Erlmoor. The creature fell back and collapsed on the floor in front of its companions. From the right, a slinger loosed a clay pot at the dragonborn that struck his right side and covered his leg with sticky glue. He found himself stuck to the stone of the cavern floor by his right foot and unable to move. The dragonborn roared again but the kobolds surged forward, sensing a chance to fell the mighty paladin.
Another kobold loosed a clay pot from its sling towards Dulvarna and this struck her breastplate, dripping the sticky substance down her legs. She, too, found herself rooted to the spot as the kobolds came forward. A sling stone glanced off Erlmoor’s shoulder, bruising him painfully and as he looked around, he could see that all the slingers were coming forward now, seeking vantage points from which they could loose stones and more clay pots at the helpless dragonborn. He roared again and slashed his blade across before him to keep the kobolds at bay but still they came forward. Another stone whizzed past his head, uncomfortably close and he decided then to focus his strength on pulling himself free.
Dulvarna made the same decision as a stone skipped off the stone of the cavern wall close to her head. She heard Erlmoor roar again as a spear was driven into his right leg and started to try to pull her own legs free of the glue. Desperately, she lashed out at the kobold nearest her, opening a deep wound in its right leg and then slashing a shallow cut across its chest. The creature fell back and the warrior woman tried desperately to heave her legs free of the glue. As the fury of her first attempt waned, the kobold she had wounded came forward warily again once more and then rushed at her with its spear before it.
Telkya fell back as the kobold before her parried her sword to one side and then drove its spear into her side, just above her hip. She staggered and cried out and the kobold came forward after her. Behind the creature, another kobold loosed a stone from its sling across the line behind its companions towards Erlmoor. The missile struck the dragonborn’s right shoulder full on and sent the paladin lurching to his left. From Telkya’s right, the second kobold she faced came forward and stabbed at her with its spear. Telkya brought her blade around and parried the blow, holding her enemies at bay for a few more moments.
The kobold spear wielder that Dulvarna faced, came at her fiercely and stabbed out with its weapon. She half parried but the spear point still tore along the top of her hip and opened a painful wound. Behind her, Lavren retreated from Telkya’s battle and loosed a bolt of black energy from his wand that seared into the side of one of the kobolds. The creature was hurled back into the stone escarpment and collapsed to the floor beside its two slain companions.
Erlmoor chanted a prayer as he tried to pull himself free of the glue and then, as his kobold foe came forward at him, he lashed out with his blade. The sword glowed with a golden light and clove into the creature’s side, sending it reeling away. A wave of light burst out from the paladin as he struck the blow and he and Telkya felt new strength fill them and stop the pain of the worst of their hurts. With a roar, Erlmoor pulled himself free of the glue and surged at his wounded opponent. The kobold and its sling-wielding companions fell back before the dragonborn’s renewed fury.
Litiraan raised his wand and loosed a silver bolt into the remaining kobold that Telkya faced, hurling it back into the cavern wall. The kobold slingers unleashed a hail of stones in response but hit nothing but stone and Enlishia answered them with her bow. Nocking two arrows to her string, the ranger moved forward to stand behind Erlmoor and Dulvarna and then let both shafts fly at the same time. They separated in the air and flew towards two spear wielding kobolds, driving into their throats and hurling them back to fall before their companions. Both gasped and gurgled for a moment as they lay on the floor and then they both died.
The slingers let fly with renewed fury then, a stone striking Dulvarna in the shoulder and a clay pot of glue bursting over Lavren’s left leg and rooting him to the spot. A clay pot burst in front of Erlmoor to spread more glue on the floor and another stone struck Dulvarna in the leg. A stone skipped off the wall next to the warrior woman and another clay pot burst next to Erlmoor. Two of the slingers retreated into the cavern but the others held a line in front off the companions and continued their onslaught. Erlmoor roared his anger and started forward but Dulvarna remained helpless despite her desperate attempts to free herself.
Telkya stabbed her blade into the side of the remaining kobold before her as another stone skipped off the stone floor close to her. More stones and clay pots flew in from the kobolds and the creature that Telkya faught seemed to gain confidence from the defiance of its companions. It hissed at her, despite the painful wound it had suffered and rushed forward, stabbing into Telkya’s thigh. She cried out and fell back, a stone striking the floor close to her feet. Behind her, she heard Lavren utter a curse and from his wand, two purple bolts shot forth, one striking the spear wielder before her and the other striking a slinger on the escarpment. Both kobolds were hurled back into the cavern wall behind them and collapsed to the floor, unmoving. Telkya turned and nodded her thanks to Lavren before beginning a healing prayer to restore some of her strength.
Erlmoor roared again and charged at the kobold slinger line. His blade lashed out and clove through the shoulder of one of the kobolds and on into its chest. The kobold collapsed before him and died on the floor at his feet. Behind him, Litiraan loosed a silver bolt into another of the slingers and sent it reeling back out of the right of the line. The slinger recovered and loosed a clay pot towards the elf that burst on the floor in front of him and spilled sticky glue onto the stone. Enlishia raised her bow and loosed an arrow into the shoulder of the slinger. She fired again and this shaft drove into the leg of the kobold next to the first. The slinger whirled its own weapon and sent a stone lashing across the cavern to smash into Enlishia’s right leg. She lurched back to her right and staggered before raising her bow again.
More stones struck the cavern floor around Erlmoor but none found their mark until the line broke and fell back before the dragonborn. Then, two kobolds loosed stones at the same time that flew straight at the paladin. One struck Erlmoor in the shoulder and the other clipped the side of his head, sending him reeling back from the battle line. He looked back to Dulvarna and saw that she was still rooted to the spot and could not aid him. He looked back toward his enemies just as another stone flew at him and struck him in the forehead just above his eyes. He staggered again, reeled back, and then blackness took him as he collapsed to the cavern floor.
Lavren clambered up onto the escarpment as Erlmoor fell and raised his wand towards the nearest slinger. A black bolt of energy lanced out and seared through the kobold’s chest, throwing it back into the slinger next to it before it fell to the stone unmoving. Next to Lavren, Litiraan climbed up onto the rocky platform and lashed out with his wand to his right, sending a silver bolt into the cavern wall next to the nearest kobold. Enlishia climbed up on the other side of Lavren and loosed two arrows into the kobolds to the right, sending two back, reeling.
Again, the kobolds answered with sling stones, one striking Litiraan in the side and another striking Enlishia in the shoulder while others struck the stone floor around the companions. Another struck Enlishia in the leg and sent her lurching to the left while more struck the cave wall next to Dulvarna who remained helpless. Telkya responded with a bolt of light from her amulet that seared into the side of the nearest slinger and hurled it to the floor to lie amongst its fallen companions. More stones struck the floor around Enlishia and Lavren but the two remained unfazed. Steadily, the warlock raised his wand and unleashed more black energy towards his enemies.
Litiraan loosed a silver bolt that felled another slinger and Enlishia fired arrow after arrow into the ranks of the kobolds. Another barrage of stones followed but all struck the stone apart from one that glanced off Litiraan’s leg, bruising him painfully.
Dulvarna, meanwhile, manoeuvred herself around to tend to Erlmoor’s bleeding head with cloth from her belt. She bound the wound tight and then she set her energies to her apparently fruitless struggle for freedom once again. Behind the warrior, Telkya loosed a bolt of light into the nearest slinger and drew another barrage of stones that failed to find a mark amongst the companions. Lavren loosed a bolt of black energy into the nearest kobold and then Litiraan hurled a silver bolt into the same creature, sending it reeling back out of the line. It recovered for a moment but then an arrow from Enlishia’s bow drove through its throat and it fell amongst the dead. The ranger loosed another arrow before the kobold had hit the floor and the shaft drove into the chest of another kobold. This one too, fell back and collapsed to the floor. A moment later, the kobolds began jabbering loudly in their own tongue. One by one, they threw down their slings and unbuckled the daggers at their belts before holding their hands towards the companions, palms outwards, in the widely known gesture of surrender.
It was Greengrass, the first day of spring when Paldemar’s map finally led the companions to a clearing deep within the southern Hullack Forest. The dense forest had suddenly parted to reveal a large clearing, perhaps fifty feet across, with a small tumble of rocks at the centre. Something about the clearing did not feel right to the companions, as though the sounds of the forest refused to enter the clearing and the air around them felt strange and tingling. The companions surveyed the grove, seeking any sign of the great power that Paldemar had been seeking here. At the same time, the brooding silence oppressed them as though promising that something was about to happen. Suddenly, something did happen.
From the trees around and across the grove, burst several figures, three men and two dwarves. One of the men crossed in front of the group and spun to hurl a dagger at Dulvarna that flew just past her head. The second man hurled a dagger at Enlishia that flew past her and struck the trunk of a tree behind her. A large red drake with a frill of spikes and skin around its neck surged forth from the far side of the clearing and rushed towards the companions.
A hammer thudded against the back of Erlmoor’s shoulder and pitched him forward a step. Enlishia ducked as another dwarf hammer spun in from the right towards her head. It flew over her and behind Dulvarna to smash into a rock at the northern edge of the clearing. Another hammer was hurled in from the front and struck Dulvarna’s breastplate, slamming her back a step. She drew her sword and charged to meet the dwarf that had thrown the hammer at her. Her blade sang out and slashed a wound across the dwarf’s shoulder, spinning him away from her. A dagger thudded into her right leg, hurled by one of the men forcing Dulvarna to stagger back and drawing a curse from her lips.
Erlmoor roared and turned to his right, charging at the nearest dwarf. He slashed out with his sword and nicked the dwarf’s forearm as he fell back before him. The dragonborn looked up as Dulvarna cried out again and saw that another dagger had nicked her cheek. He saw Enlishia raise her bow and knew that the attacks would be answered. Two arrows flew forth quickly and drove into the shoulder and leg of one of the men. Dulvarna rallied but then the drake surged into the battle and drove her back another two steps.
Telkya raised her amulet and loosed a bolt of light into one of the dwarves in front of Erlmoor, wounding the stout warrior in the shoulder and halting his advance for a moment. Litiraan hurled a silver bolt into the same dwarf and then Lavren sent a blast of black energy past the dwarf’s head. Both dwarves roared fiercely and pulled larger warhammers from their belts. Erlmoor met them with his blade, parrying left and right to keep the metal-headed hammers at bay. He roared his defiance back at the dwarves and then, as each refused to give ground, a furious battle ensued.
Dulvarna fell back before the fierce enemies she faced, keeping the drake at bay and stabbing her sword at the dwarf as the warrior reached for the hammer at his belt. The two men seemed to decide that she was already beaten and rushed past the drake to charge at Enlishia. The first reached the ranger quickly, drawing a mace from his belt as he ran. He lashed out with the weapon and struck Enlishia’s forearm as she tried to defend herself. The second man came in at Enlishia and lashed his mace into her side, sending her spinning away from him. Finally, Enlishia managed to leap back and raise her bow, loosing two arrows into one of the men and holding him at bay for a moment. The man looked down at the arrows protruding from his hip and arm alongside two others that the ranger had earlier driven into him.
“You will die slowly,” the man snarled and started forward again.
Telkya saw the drake seize Dulvarna’s left arm and tear at the flesh before the warrior woman broke free and knew that the battle was already becoming a desperate one. Hurriedly, she summoned a bolt of light from her amulet that lanced out towards the men facing Enlishia but the bolt flew wide and disappeared into the trees on the far side of the clearing. Litiraan retreated from the men to stand beside his sister and hurled a silver bolt into the side of the wounded man. He staggered and lurched to the left as Lavren raised his wand and sent a black bolt towards the dwarves that Erlmoor battled. Again the man snarled and came forward at Enlishia.
Dulvarna parried desperately as the dwarf lashed his hammer in high towards her chest. She twisted the weapon away and then lashed out wildly, her sword passing over the dwarf’s head. The drake roared and snapped at Dulvarna’s right arm, seizing it in its terrible teeth and threatening to force her to drop her sword. Despite the pain of this second bite, she pulled her arm free in spray of blood and lashed out with her sword to keep her enemies at bay for a little longer.
The vicious man facing Enlishia rushed at her again, lashing out with his mace. The blow struck the side of Enlishia’s head and sent her reeling away in a daze. Still she managed to retreat a few more steps and raise her bow to fire another arrow at the wounded man. The shaft flew just past the man’s head and he snarled derisively in response as he came forward again. A golden bolt from Telkya struck the man in the side then and as he staggered, a silver bolt from Litiraan seared into his chest. The man gasped, staggered, and then fell beside his companion.
Erlmoor roared and sprayed acid onto the dwarves, burning one and sending the other cowering away with his arms over his head. Erlmoor’s blade sang out and glowed brightly as it did but the dwarves recovered and a hammer met the sword in a strong parry. A bolt of black energy from Lavren’s wand lanced in and struck the dwarf in front of Erlmoor, throwing him back a step but he snarled in response and came back at the dragonborn. His companion came with him but the hammer blows were clumsy and wild and Erlmoor parried them down into the ground easily. He snarled himself at his enemies and then raised his blade to attack them again.
Dulvarna parried the dwarf’s hammer again and lashed out low with her blade only for her enemy to leap over the swing. She leapt back towards her companions and drew the drake with her. The beast snapped its teeth at her but she swayed back and evaded its dangerous bite before lashing her sword at it to keep it at bay. The creature snarled at her and then came forward anyway.
The remaining man rushed at Enlishia and lashed out with his mace to strike her shoulder with a painful crack. She cried out and fell back past a tree, raising her bow as she did so. She loosed an arrow but it flew wide of the man and then nocked another. She took aim and let fly, this arrow nicking the man’s cheek before flying past him. The man smiled at Enlishia and started forward but as he did, a golden bolt of light flew past his face. He paused and looked to the right to where Telkya, Lavren and Litiraan stood. A silver bolt from Litiraan’s wand slammed into his side and sent him lurching to the left and he turned his attention fully on the three spellcasters. A bolt of black energy from Lavren’s wand streaked past the man’s shoulder and he snarled as his companion had.
“The elf lords will die quickly,” he sneered. “But my friends and me will take our time with the women and the elf maid.”
The dwarves surged at Erlmoor and Dulvarna, the dragonborn suffering a glancing blow to his arm but Dulvarna proving to be less fortunate. Her enemy rushed at her and lashed out with his hammer to strike her left hip hard and send her staggering to the right. She slashed out with her blade at the drake and drew blood from the side of its face as she retreated again toward her companions. The drake roared and leapt after her, seizing her right leg in its jaws and trying to drag her down. She fell back, tearing her flesh as she did so and limped away, bleeding heavily and sorely wounded. Looking back to her companions, she realised that they were also hard pressed. She only hoped that if she fell here, that these were servants of Paldemar and that some would die before she did.
The man rushed at Enlishia again, lashing out with his mace and striking her wounded left shoulder again. The ranger cried out but still she managed to retreat from the man and gather her strength as she drew back her bowstring. She loosed the first arrow into the man’s shoulder but still he came forward and the second she loosed in a hurry. It flew wide of the man and drove into the grass of the clearing close to where the drake stood. Telkya raised her voice in prayer and brought down a column of light on the man that burned his skin. He staggered and reeled for the first time and as he did, a silver bolt struck his side and sent him lurching to his left. Lavren loosed two purple bolts from his wand, one striking the ground next to the man and the other searing into the chest of the dwarf in front of Erlmoor.
The dwarf staggered back as the bolt struck it and as it did, Erlmoor plunged his blade into his foe’s chest. The dwarf collapsed to the grass of the clearing and died there. The other dwarf came in from Erlmoor’s right and swept its hammer in low. The paladin tried to parry but only deflected the blow lower and it struck his leg painfully above the knee. The dwarf snarled at the dragonborn and Erlmoor responded, showing his own, needle-sharp teeth.
Dulvarna staggered again as the dwarf came forward again and desperately tried to clear her head as the dizziness and nausea assailed her from the pain and blood loss that her wounds were causing her. The dwarf brought his hammer in low and then raised it and somehow, Dulvarna managed to bring her blade down crossways and parry the blow. She leapt back again to try to regain her breath but as she did, she lashed out at the dwarf with her sword. The blade cut across the warrior’s thigh and then nicked the top of the drake’s right foreleg. The drake roared and came forward, seizing Dulvarna’s left arm and shoulder in its jaws and tearing at her flesh. She cried out and smashed the hilt of her sword down on the creature’s snout, forcing it to release its grip. Dulvarna spun away, sorely wounded and bleeding badly again.
Enlishia raised her bow as the man came forward again but this time, it turned to attack Erlmoor from behind. It brought its mace down towards the dragonborn’s head but the paladin, sensing the attack, twisted aside and turned his back towards the woods to battle both of his enemies. Erlmoor chanted a prayer and lashed out at the dwarf to his right. The dwarf parried the paladin’s blade and a loud thunderclap resounded around the clearing. Enlishia raised her bow and aimed at the man as his lips twisted into a snarl again. She let fly with the first arrow and then a second, both driving into the man’s belly and driving him back. Still the man tried to snarl at the ranger but before he could, Telkya raised her amulet, uttered a prayer and let forth a golden bolt. The searing light drove into the side of the man’s chest and flung him to the blood-stained grass of the clearing. He did not get up.
Litiraan raised his wand and hurled a silver bolt of force into the shoulder of the dwarf as it came forward beside the drake. Beside him, Lavren cursed the drake and hurled black energy into the drake’s chest as it snapped at Dulvarna and for a moment it retreated a step, fearful of the warlock. Dulvarna surged toward the drake with all her strength, knowing that this may be the last blow she was able to land. Her blade sang out and struck the beast on the shoulder, gouging a deep wound and causing the drake to rear back. Dulvarna leapt away from the creature but quickly, too quickly, it came back at her.
The dwarf before Erlmoor came at him fiercely as its companion fell, lashing out with its hammer and striking Erlmoor on the right hip. The dragonborn lurched to his left and roared in pain and anger. He turned towards the dwarf and lashed out with his blade to keep his foe at bay. Enlishia turned towards the dwarf then, raising her bow and letting fly with one arrow and then a second. One flew wide but the other drove into the dwarf’s shoulder and forced it back from Erlmoor, giving the dragonborn a few moments to regain his breath.
The drake lunged at Dulvarna in a fierce rage and snapped at her but the warrior stepped back and evaded its bite. Behind her, Telkya began to pray and as the prayer ended, a golden light washed over Dulvarna healing the worst of her hurts and restoring some of her strength. Litiraan loosed another silver bolt into the dwarf and again, Lavren cursed the drake, hurling a blast of black energy into the creature that sent it rearing back away from its enemies. Dulvarna surged forward and as she did, the dwarf came to meet her. Its hammer lashed out but with her newly restored strength, Dulvarna brought her blade down to her left and parried the blow. The dwarf snarled and Dulvarna snarled back, knowing that thanks to Telkya’s healing prayer, the battle was turning.
Erlmoor parried the dwarf’s hammer as the he brought it over his head to slam it into the dragonborn’s chest. He, too, snarled at his foe and pushed him away before lashing out with his blade as he chanted a prayer. The blade glowed brightly but the dwarf brought his hammer up and parried the heavy blow above his head. For a moment, the stout warrior smiled but then two arrows flew past him one after the other and reminded him of the perilous situation he was truly in.
Dulvarna lashed her blade across the chest of the dwarf and drove it on into the flank of the drake. The beast roared and lunged at her with its huge jaws only to snap them shut on empty air in front of the warrior woman. Telkya moved out of the trees to stand beside Lavren and held up her amulet, loosing a golden bolt of light towards the drake. The bolt seared along the creature’s left side and drew another roar of pain from it. Litiraan raised his wand and loosed silver bolt that flew past the dwarf and Lavren’s bolt of black energy also flew past the drake. Both cursed, and as they did so, the dwarf and the drake came forward for one last attack.
The dwarf Erlmoor faced rushed at him as well, sweeping its hammer in low and striking the side of the dragonborn’s leg. He staggered to the left as his leg gave way and nearly fell but as he did, he lashed out with his sword and cut deep into the dwarf’s right shoulder. The dwarf spun away and Enlishia raised her bow and let fly an arrow. The shaft drove into the dwarf’s chest, forcing him to stagger back. Enlishia raised her bow again, took aim, and let fly, this shaft driving through the dwarf’s throat. With a gasp, he fell beside his companion.
The dwarf came fiercely at Dulvarna, smashing his hammer over arm onto her left shoulder while trying to slam his shield into her face. She fell back before the shield punch but felt the shoulder blow send needles of pain down her arm. She lashed out with her blade and cut open the dwarf’s throat, felling him beside the drake. Continuing her swing, she drove her blade into the beast’s flank. It roared and snapped at her again but she dodged back and as she did, Telkya loosed a bolt of divine fire into its flank. It staggered and as it did, Litiraan stepped forward and raised his wand. He uttered a spell and hurled a silver bolt of energy into the creature’s head. The bolt seared through and burst out of the back of the drake’s skull. The beast’s mouth opened as its last breath escaped and it collapsed onto the blood-stained grass.
The companions had barely tended their wounds when suddenly, as they looked up, a figure appeared in the centre of the clearing – a ghost perhaps, an insubstantial vision of a male tiefling draped in robes.
“Greetings travellers,” the image said. “What do you seek in the Pyramid of Shadows?”
“We seek those who have come here seeking power,” answered Enlishia. “We seek the Lost King.”
“We are the protector of the forest ruins, a place sacred to Mielikki in the distant past,” answered the image. “If the Lost King brings you to this place then you will find him in the Pyramid. Enter the pyramid and all will be revealed.”
As suddenly as it had arrived, the image vanished but as it did, the companions noticed a glowing light at the centre of the clearing amongst the tumbled stones. Erlmoor rose from the grass where he had been binding his wounds and started towards it.
“It is a small, glowing pyramid,” he called to the others. “Covered with markings that I cannot read.”
“Perhaps that is the way in,” Enlishia said, rising and making her way over to where the dragonborn stood.
The others followed and as he reached it, Lavren knelt beside the pyramid and reached out to touch it. The small pyramid suddenly expanded leaving the companions unable to tell whether they were shrinking or it was growing. It filled the clearing around them nonetheless and they were immersed in darkness. The voice of the tiefling came to them one last time.
“Welcome to the Pyramid of Shadows,” it said. “The only way to win your freedom is to kill us – three times.”
His mocking laughter followed, taunting the companions and then fading away as light returned and a tremendous stench assailed the group, suggesting that they had left the forest behind.
A stench of death and blood assailed each of the companions as they appeared suddenly atop a pile of bodies. Men, women, dwarves, elves, halflings and others, all apparently recently killed but all wearing clothes and armour of an earlier age. The pile of bodies seemed to shift, as though something might be moving beneath it while above them, the adventurers saw a hideous two-headed giant. The huge creature rubbed two blades together with an eager gleam in the eyes of both its horrifying heads.
Enlishia cried out and tried desperately to clamber up the pit wall, only to fall back. She raised her bow instead, then, and levelled it at the two-headed giant. She let fly an arrow quickly only for it to fly wide of the creature and nocked another to her bowstring. This flew straight and true but ricocheted off the creature’s thick, hide armour and clattered into the stone floor of the chamber.
Dulvarna clambered out of the pit and rushed around to face the giant, drawing her blade as she ran. Her blade sang out toward the creature’s die but it brought one of its blades down and parried easily. The giant lashed out backhand with its left arm and slashed the blade into Dulvarna’s left shoulder, spinning her around and tumbling her back into the put to land atop the bodies. It raised its right hand then and brought the vicious blade it held there down onto Dulvarna’s back as she struggled to rise from the pile of corpses. Dulvarna slumped forward but as she did so, a creature more terrible than the giant rose out of the bodies. It was a terrible worm, the size of a horse, with a maw filled with sharp teeth and tentacles protruding from its lower jaw. It snapped at Dulvarna and she leapt back towards Enlishia, trying desperately to evade the horrible creature.
Telkya leapt away from the tentacled creature and tried to clamber out of the pit but she fell back as Enlishia had done. Turning, she drew forth her amulet and loosed a bolt of golden fire into the body of the creature. It shrieked and shrank back from the divine fire but then surged towards her with its horrible tentacles writhing before it. Beside his sister, Litiraan closed his eyes and vanished in a showed of light motes. He appeared beyond the pit against the wall of the chamber and raised his wand toward the giant that he recognised as an ettin. Uttering a spell, he loosed a silver bolt of energy at the creature and smiled with satisfaction as it struck the giant’s shoulder. The ettin staggered back roared in annoyance at the pain.
Another of the tentacled creatures reared out of the corpses next to Lavren and snapped at him but he leapt back clumsily out of the way. Erlmoor tried to climb out of the pit but fell back and instead drew his sword and turned on the nearest tentacled creature. He lashed out with his blade and cut a wound in the creature’s side, drawing another pained screech from the monster. Beside him, Lavren closed his eyes and vanished in a cascade of light motes to reappear on the opposite side of the put from Litiraan. He raised his wand and cursed the nearest tentacled creature before unleashing a bolt of crackling, black energy into the beast’s flank. Again it screeched and again it surged forward, its tentacles questing for fresh prey.
Enlishia clambered out of the pit as one of the tentacled creatures snapped at her legs. She leapt to her feet and turned on the spot with her bow raised. She loosed an arrow into the creature’s head and then retreated from the pit edge as the ettin roared its anger at her.
Dulvarna tried to clamber out of the pit but fell back and spun around with her sword in her hands. Aecris sang out and slashed a deep wound across the creature’s head. It screeched once more and then snapped at her, but Dulvarna ducked back beyond its reach. The ettin roared and brought one of its short blades down onto the stone edge of the pit. The other followed and struck Dulvarna’s right shoulder, sending her reeling back into the pit wall. The nearest pit creature lashed out with its tentacle and struck Dulvarna in the side, slamming her into the pit wall again. As she regained her balance, she felt a growing numbness spreading from the wound and knew that she had been poisoned.
Telkya closed her eyes and concentrated before vanishing into a shower of light. She appeared next to her brother and raised her amulet to loose a bolt of divine fire at the creature in the pit. The bolt struck the bodies next to the creature instead, searing one in half and spilling blood, gore and entrails over the bodies around it. Telkya cried out and Litiraan reached out a comforting hand to his sister’s shoulder. As he pulled back his hand he raised his wand and loosed a silver bolt towards the ettin as it looked for prey in the pit. The bolt seared past the giant and struck the wall next to it drawing a glance from one of the creature’s head but no other reaction.
A tentacle lashed out from one of the creatures and struck Erlmoor on his leg as he stabbed at the other monster. Numbness spread quickly as it had with Dulvarna and he staggered, lurching to his left. He stabbed out at the monster before him, driving his blade into its flesh and drawing another screech from the beast. He stepped back and as he did so, a corpse rose from the mass of bodies to stand before him and lashed out with a backhand to hit him across the face. Erlmoor fell back into the pit wall and raised his blade to fend off the zombie. Lavren saw his friend’s predicament and hurled a bolt of black energy from his wand into the pit towards the nearest of the tentacled creatures. It seared through the monster’s soft flesh and as it did, the creature exploded, spraying Dulvarna and Erlmoor in gore.
Another corpse rose behind Dulvarna and lashed out at her with a fist. She ducked under the blow but as she did, another rose and flailed at her. She ducked back and an arrow drove into each of the zombies sending them falling back amongst the grim pile of corpses. Dulvarna turned and quickly climbed out of the pit to stand for a moment beside Enlishia. Nodding her thanks to the ranger, she rushed along the pit edge and charged the ettin with her blade held high. She brought her sword down overhand and clove it into the ettin’s right shoulder drawing a roar of pain and anger from the giant. It lashed out with one blade and Dulvarna ducked but the second came in low and quickly, driving into her belly and slamming her into the chamber wall. Dulvarna gasped, reached down to the blood that was pouring from the terrible wound that the ettin had inflicted and then let the blackness take her.
Telkya saw Dulvarna fall and began a healing prayer, raising her voice as though she feared that Corellon would not hear her in this dark place. A white light washed over Dulvarna and the warrior’s eyes opened slowly as the bleeding from her belly eased and the wound closed. To her right, she saw Litiraan raise his wand and incant a spell that she had never heard him use before. Lightning burst from his wand and seared across the chamber to strike the ettin first and then two more bolts struck downwards into the pit. One struck the wall of the pit above the remaining tentacled creature while the other blasted into the last zombie. The undead creature was hurled into the pit wall and then collapsed into the pile of bodies.
The tentacled creature reared back as the lightning passed over it and then lunged forward, lashing out a tentacle to strike Erlmoor’s arm. The dragonborn was thrown into the pit wall but despite this and the growing numbness spreading from his wounded arm, he hauled himself out of the pit and moved to stand beside Lavren. Turning, he roared and sprayed acid over the tentacled creature and the ettin. The ettin roared and the tentacled creature screeched as the acid burned both but by then, Erlmoor was already intoning a prayer. Searing ribbons of radiance engulfed the ettin and burned its skin as it staggered and roared again. Erlmoor roared his own response and slowly and deliberately, the ettin turned towards him with its blades raised.
Lavren raised his wand and uttered a curse that sent purple bolts of energy crackling out to strike the ettin and the remaining creature in the pit. The bolts seared into their targets and sent both creatures reeling back as they struck. Across the pit from the warlock, Enlishia raised her bow and fired two arrows quickly, one after the other. One flew at the ettin but bounced harmlessly off the giant’s thick armour but the other drove deep into the flank of the creature in the pit. The tentacled monster screeched again and reared back, driven away from the ranger by the power of the bow shot. As Enlishia raised her bow again to provide some cover, Dulvarna retreated past her friend, pulling strips of cloth from her belt pouch to bind her wounds. She turned in front of Telkya and raised her blade ready for the ettin’s charge that she felt sure would follow. Instead, the ettin raised its blades and rushed at Erlmoor and Lavren.
“It’s head is just what I’ve been missing,” the giant roared as it ambled across the chamber. “Never seen one like it before.”
The ettin reached the dragonborn and though the paladin raised his blade, he knew he was helpless before the giant. Its right blade swept low before he could parry and drove into his side and then the left came overhand, slamming the dragonborn’s sword aside and driving into his right shoulder. Erlmoor spun left into the south wall of the chamber and Lavren was left alone before the monstrous creature.
Telkya saw her husband’s plight but knew that the tentacled creature also needed to be slain. She uttered a prayer and brought a column of light down into the pit but as she did so, the creature started to crawl up the pit’s edge and the searing column of divine fire descended behind the monster. Litiraan strode forward to the edge of the pit and uttered an incantation that unleashed a curtain of fire that filled the pit and seared the back of the ettin. The giant turned one head around to regard the wizard with hateful eyes and growled from that head while the other head continued to stare at Lavren.
“Come here foolish one and taste more fire,” Litiraan called out and the ettin turned but as it did, the tentacled creature crawled from the pit in front of wounded Erlmoor. The dragonborn roared again in defiance but none of the companions thought he could stand long against the monster.
The creature reared and then lunged at Erlmoor with its mouth wide to bite at him. Summoning what strength he had left, he dodged to the right and raised his blade. With a prayer on his lips he swung out with the sword he had taken from Caustrex’s hoard. The blade glowed with golden light and then struck the creature, tearing a gash in its side and sending a surge of divine energy up Erlmoor’s arm to restore a little of his strength.
Having seen the ettin turn away, Lavren raised his wand to aid Erlmoor, uttering a curse that called fire from within the tentacled creature. Fire erupted from the creature’s skin and again it reared and screeched its pain.
Across the pit, Enlishia raised her bow and took careful aim at the creature’s head. She let the arrow fly and the shaft drove into the monster, piercing what passed for its skull and finding what brain that it had. With a final screech, the creature reared one last time and then collapsed on the stone in front of Erlmoor, half in and half out of the pit. The ettin roared from both mouths and started around the pit while Dulvarna raised her blade and rushed to meet the giant.
Dulvarna swung out with Aecris as she reached the ettin but the creature’s heads were too quick for her and a blade met hers a foot from the giant’s flesh. The other blade came in from Dulvarna’s left and slammed into her ribs, pitching her over the edge of the pit and back into the pile of corpses. The ettin raised the blade it had parried with then and brought it down on the warrior woman’s shoulder almost forcing her to her knees amongst the dead.
Telkya raised her symbol of Corellon and with a prayer loosed a searing bolt of blinding light towards the ettin. The ettin moved back for a moment and the bolt of light struck the wall of the chamber beyond the giant. Litiraan raised his wand and hurled a glowing amber orb into the corridor beyond the giant that burst into searing flame. The fire burst forth from the corridor and burned the giant but also exploded into Lavren’s face, forcing the elf to reel backwards as it burned him as well. Lavren glared at Litiraan who nodded an apology to his friend and new kinsman.
Erlmoor retreated beyond the ettin’s reach and circled around the pit towards his companions as he tied a piece of cloth around his wounded arm. The feeling was returning now but he knew that he was not yet ready to face the ettin. Behind him, Lavren cursed the ettin and then summoned his fey power to teleport and vanished in a shower of light motes. Black crackling energy seared into the giant but as the ettin turned one of its heads to look at the warlock, he vanished to reappear next to Erlmoor close to the western edge of the pit. The ettin roared and turned toward the pit as it sought to finish Dulvarna and then deal with the troublesome dragonborn and his elf companion.
Enlishia raised her bow and drew her bow string back as far as it would go as she took aim at the ettin. When she let fly with the arrow, the missile flew straight and true but at the last, the giant’s armour defeated her and the shaft clattered to the stone at the creature’s feet. It roared its annoyance and cast about, seeking Dulvarna amongst the corpses of the charnel pit. Dulvarna saw the giant turn toward her and crossed to the far side of the pit, clambering out of the west side as the ettin raised its blades. The giant roared again in frustration and started around the south side towards Erlmoor and Lavren.
The giant reached Lavren in three strides and lashed out with both blades in quick succession. One blade tore down the elf’s arm while the other slammed into the side, pitching him into the pit atop the bodies. Telkya loosed a bolt of light from her amulet then that struck the south wall of the chamber next to the ettin and she cursed to herself as she saw Lavren floundering amongst the corpses once more. Litiraan raised his wand and loosed a silver bolt into the ettin’s side, drawing the creature’s gaze again. The giant roared but as it did, Erlmoor roared more loudly. The dragonborn charged the giant and with all his strength, he slashed his sword into the creature’s side. The ettin lurched to its left against the wall of the chamber and all but fell.
In the pit, Lavren raised his wand as he saw the ettin weakened and loosed a bolt of black crackling energy that seared into the giant’s hip, throwing it into the wall again. The giant roared and as it did so, Enlishia raised her bow. She loosed one arrow that struck the stone next to the wounded creature but the second flew straight and true, driving into the side of the creature’s right head. The arrow pierced right through the skull of the ettin’s right head and threw it into the left. For a moment, the left head turned its gaze toward the ranger but as it did, the life died in its eyes and the huge creature fell into the wall and slid down to slump in an ungainly fashion against the base of the stone. Its left head slumped forward and it died.
“You out there!” called a voice almost as soon as the ettin was defeated. The voice came from an alcove in the eastern wall of the chamber where several severed heads could be seen hanging.
“We can help each other, I just know it,” called the voice again, recognisable now as female.
The companions rose as one from where they sat tending to their wounds and raised their weapons as they made their way cautiously towards the alcove. As they entered the alcove the voice called out again.
“I am here,” it called. “I can aid you.”
“It’s coming from the sack hanging from that peg,” Lavren said, starting forward.
“Be careful,” Enlishia called to the elf. “I know of nothing good that can speak and yet lurk in a sack. This might be trap.”
Lavren hesitated but then reached up to the peg on which hung the sack. It was the same size as the severed heads that hung elsewhere in the alcove but seemed to hold a spherical object. He put his wand back in his belt and took down the sack, opening it carefully with one hand. Cautiously, he pushed the object up with his other hand until he could see that it was an orb of darkest obsidian that would easily fit into the palm of his hand. As he looked into its inky depths, the severed head of a moon elf princess floated into view and he heard her sing-song voice.
“I am Vyrellis,” the voice said. “And I offer my assistance to whoever carries this orb.”
Lavren looked at the others and as they each shrugged in a bemused way, he took the orb in his right hand and held it up.
“You have been drawn into this prison by its most celebrated inmate,” the voice from the orb said then. “The Lost and Longest King of Cormyr and would-be conqueror. The only way to escape is to destroy that most-hated wizard. But to accomplish such a task, creatures the likes of you will need my help.”
“But Gondegal was never king of Cormyr,” Erlmoor said, puzzled. “Nor was he a wizard, and certainly he was not Cormyr’s longest king.”
“That is because this is not the prison of Gondegal, nor do I know of him,” Vyrellis answered. “It is the eternal prison of Draxius the Neverdying, once King of Cormyr and my husband.”
Only Telkya remembered having read of Draxius in an old tome that had survived the Fall of Myth Drannor.
“He ruled when the City of Song still flourished and it fell six centuries and more ago,” said Telkya. “If he lived until perhaps a hundred years after its fall then it is no wonder that he was called the Neverdying. The tome I read never spoke of him as a tiefling, though.”
“He kept that well hidden, aided by the High Wizards who served him,” answered Vyrellis.
The companions were gathering up their belongings and readying their weapons as they started towards the western passage that led out of the pit chamber. Vyrellis had warned them of ‘terrible plant creatures’ to the south and so they had chosen the western path which was unknown to the spirit in the orb. The companions hoped that that meant it was relatively free of enemies.
Dulvarna led them out of the chamber with her blade held before her while behind her came Erlmoor with his blade held high. Behind them walked Telkya and Litiraan, the elf maid carrying a torch and the elf lord with his wand lit up magically. At the back walked Lavren and Enlishia, wand and bow at the ready to aid their companions and in his right hand, Lavren carried another torch. Stairs led downwards just outside the pit chamber and Dulvarna led them carefully down until she reached the bottom and emerged onto a balcony overlooking a room filled with dark water. A rope bridge slanted sharply downward toward a wooden platform just above the level of the water. Two other bridges connected that platform to other balconies, each perhaps ten feet above the water. On these platforms, Dulvarna saw movement and as she watched, a humanoid female creature with bird-like feet and feathery wings stepped from the shadows of the platforms.
“Harpies!” she called out to the others. “Said to be descended from an evil elf witch-queen who was cursed with half-bird form when defeated by a great hero. Ware their song for it can enchant and confuse.”
Dulvarna started forward onto the rope bridge and began to cross but she had not gone far when a green-skinned creature rose from the water next to the bridge. It had webbed hands and feet, a wide, fish-like head and a mouth filled with needle-sharp teeth. A crest of spines rose up on its back as it emerged from the water and stabbed a viciously barbed trident into Dulvarna’s right leg. She turned and lashed out with her sword but the creature reared back and parried cross-wise with its trident.
“Sahuagin,” Erlmoor hissed quietly. “Not unjustly are they called sea devils.”
The dragonborn raised his sword and rushed to Dulvarna’s aid, lashing out with his blade as he reached her. The steel tore into the sahuagin’s arm and sent it reeling back with a splash into the water. Enlishia moved out onto the stone balcony and raised her bow, firing arrows quickly at the sahuagin. Two shafts drove into the creature’s side and red blood began to pool in the water around it.
Another sahuagin rose from the water on the other side of the bridge and began to bark what sounded like commands in its rough, clicking language. In its right hand it held a trident but it raised its left and unleashed a jet of fierce water that slammed into Dulvarna’s side and sent her reeling along the bridge into Erlmoor. The sahuagin newcomer dived down beneath the water as soon as the water bolt struck home leaving the other creature alone above the surface. Seeing this, Litiraan raised his wand and loosed a silver bolt at the sea devil that struck the water next to it. The sahuagin ducked down under the surface and as it did, a black bolt from Lavren’s wand and a golden bolt from Telkya’s amulet struck the water where it had been. Then the harpies swooped off their ledges and began to sing.
The half-bird creatures landed on the bridge and as they sang, the companions felt the powerful and haunting melodies of their voices filling their minds and drawing them forward. Only Dulvarna managed to resist the terrible song while the others were drawn toward the harpies, climbing down into the water from the bridge or the stone balcony where they were at the mercy of the sahuagin. Two more of the sea devils surfaced to the south of the bridge, across from the one that was now wounded, one rising next to Erlmoor and the other rushing at the dragonborn. He parried the trident of the first as he tried to shake off the influence of the harpy song but the other stabbed its trident into his hip and drove him back a step. He roared his pain and defiance and raised his blade.
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