[sblock=Chandra and Serpica]You came to the location of the legendary Sunless Citadel for one of three reasons:
GOING FOR GLORY
You are eager to make a name for yourself. The legend of the Sunless Citadel is well known locally, and stories indicate it is a place that holds promise for those intent on discovery, glory, and treasure!
RESCUE MISSION
Another party of adventurers, locally based, delved into the Sunless Citadel a month past. They were never seen again . Two human members of that ill-fated party were brother and sister, Talgen Hucrele (a fighter) and Sharwyn Hucrele (a wizard). They were part of an important merchant family based in the nearby village of Oakhurst. Kerowyn Hucrele, the matriarch of the family, offers salvage rights to you and your team if you can find and return with the two lost members of her family- or at least return the gold signet rings worn by the missing brother and sister. She also offers a reward of 125 gp per signet ring, per character. If the characters bring back the Hucreles in good shape (of good mind and body), she offers to double the reward.
SOLVING A MYSTERY
The goblin tribe infesting the nearby ruins, called the Sunless Citadel, though no one knows why) sells a single piece of magical fruit to the highest bidder in Oakhurst once every midsummer. They've been doing this for the last twelve years. Usually, the fruit sells for around 50 gp, which is all the townsfolk can bring themselves to pay a goblin. The fruit, apparently an apple of perfect hue, heals those who suffer from any disease or other ailment. They sometimes plant the seeds at the center of each fruit, hoping to engender an enchanted apple tree. When the seeds germinate in their proper season, they produce a twiggy mass of twisted sapling stems. Not too long after the saplings reach 2 feet in height, they are stolen- every time. The townsfolk assume the goblins send out thieves to ensure their monopoly of enchanted fruit. You are interested in piercing the mystery associated with how wretched goblins could ever possess such a wonder, and how they steal every sprouting sapling grown from the enchanted fruit's seed. Moreover, you wish to find this rumored tree of healing, hoping to heal an ailing friend or relative.
Regardless of the reason, you found yourself at the village of Oakhurst nearby and found all sorts of good wishes given to you on your journey to the temple. You are also informed a pack of young men have recently, like within hours, set off for the temple. The two of you decide to team up and catch up to them to catch a share of the reward, or perhaps take it for yourselves.
The Citadel is down a ravine a few hours outside of town. You encounter some giant rats on the way down, seeing clear signs of passage just before you. You enter the citadel see some broken skeletons and signs of passage to the northwest.
Curious, you check out the southwest passage first, and find a hallway. The masonry walls of this twenty-foot-wide hall are in poor repair. The far end has collapsed, filling the southern section with rubble. The western wall is in much better shape than the other walls, and it holds a stone door with a rearing dragon carved in relief on it. The door has a single keyhole, situated in the rearing dragon's open mouth.
You encounter a giant rat tunneling through the rubble, and defeat it. You attempt to pick the lock, and succeed with great effort, but the door remains stuck shut, as if magically sealed. You then follow the path to the northwest and come to a large room with a broken open cage, a little altar, and a cold firepit.
There is a door to the northeast that is closing as you enter. You take the valuable jade figurines (2 each) off the altar, and follow through the doorway till you reach a door that you hear human or elven voices through. You cautiously open the door and encounter a surprised looking foursome. They appear to be a goatherd from a far away land, an armored warrior, a kobold with a torch, and a high elf.[/sblock]
Everyone else:
The door to the south opens and in the doorway are a human woman and a female drow elf.
