William Ronald
Explorer
(This is based on my own experiences as a player in this adventure, so I will try to avoid spoilers for the adventure)
Cooperative Dungeon 04 – When Heroes Fall
Three figures -- two men and a dwarf hurried down the road on a bright early autumn day. The leaves were only beginning to turn yellow. The lead figure, a man in an outfit that seemed to be mostly composed of belt buckles, pointed towards a nearby clearing down the road. They soon stopped for a moment as they heard the yaps of a pack of jackals huddled around what seemed to be a withered arm. A brief glint of gold reflected the light of the sun.
“That is a strange sight,” the dwarf said, as he drew his axe and stepped forward. Tordek wore heavy plates of dull, black steel and moved with a determined pace towards the clearing.
“Indeed, it is and I wonder at seeing gold here,” the man dressed in belt buckles said. Hennet looked at the jackals which were slowly backing away from the arm.
“True, but we should check it out. We have some time before we meet our friends,” said another man, golden haired and clad in plate mail. A large golden disk hung from a chain on his neck, and the man reached for his mace. Jozan stepped forward and the last remaining jackals scattered.
As the three approached the withered black arm, they noticed tattered linen wrappings on it. A gold ring was on the index finger, carved with ornate designs.
Hennet reached for the ring and gazed at it closely. “Some sort of writing is on it. I don’t know what it says.”
Even as Hennet examined the ring, a large and decrepit jackal emerged from the shadow of the trees and spoke.
“Like that my pretties? More chewy treats you’ll find where it came from. Just follow my pups.” The jackal moved back to the trees and the other jackals headed north.
“Well?” Tordek said, breaking an uncomfortable silence.
“I think we should follow.” Jozan said.
“This is a first for me and I say we will follow. Still, I wish that we had Lidda and some of our other friends with us.” Even as Tordek stepped forward, Hennet and Jozan were already following the jackals.
The three heroes followed the jackals to a structure that was half hidden by the trees on the mountainside. Huge bas-relief sculptures of naked men with jackal heads flanked two large stone doors.
“Well, Tordek, you have some knowledge of stone. How do you think it opens?” Jozan said.
Tordek gazed at the stone, frowning. “It should open with some effort. This place is old, perhaps a thousand years old or more.”
The dwarf’s discussion on ancient ruins was interrupted as an arrow bounced off of his shield and a second sunk into Hennet’s thigh. “There, it came from the trees,” Jozan shouted as he glared at two gnolls in a copse of trees. The priest of Pelor readied his crossbow.
Hennet lifted a wand of carved ivory and pointed it at one of the gnolls. Shards of brightly colored lights flew towards the gnolls. Tordek knocked an arrow on his composite bow and fired at the other gnoll. Jozan fired a crossbow bolt at the gnoll that the sorcerer wounded.
The battle continued, as the gnolls fired back and missed. An arrow, a crossbow bolt, and a charge from Hennet’s wand ended the battle as the gnolls fell to the ground. After checking the bodies and taking some arrows, Hennet, Jozan, and Tordek returned to the door. A concerted effort from the dwarf forced the door open to reveal a narrow corridor leading into a larger room. Hennet lifted up a stone that flickered with a heatless flame.
As they stepped forward, they saw a large room decorated with murals of jackals, humans with jackal heads and humans. Two large statues of jackal headed men, armed with falchions stood by either door. The light from the everburning torch glinted on a blue gem in the eyes of one of the statures. To either side of the room two corridors trailed off into the shadows, and a deeper darkness that not even Tordek’s keen eyes could penetrate.
The dwarf walked past the statues and stared at the richly carved doors. “Good stonework.” After he walked past, Jozan reached for the blue gem as Tordek pushed against the doors.
The statue swung around and a falchion struck Jozan in the chest, slashing a thin line through his armor. The priest of Pelor groaned and stepped back. . He hurriedly replaced the gem and grabbed a wand strapped to his belt. The wound closed quickly.
“Let’s be a bit more careful,” Jozan said.
Despite the best efforts of Tordek to force open the doors, they refused to open. During one of the dwarf’s efforts to push the doors open, Hennet stood to near one of the statues which pivoted and struck him.
“These doors are stubborn and will not budge. Perhaps we should try one of the corridors,” Tordek muttered as he walked over to Jozan, who was tending a wounded Hennet. Jozan and Hennet nodded their assent as the dwarf turned to the right and walked towards a dimly lit corridor.
TO BE CONTINUED
Cooperative Dungeon 04 – When Heroes Fall
Three figures -- two men and a dwarf hurried down the road on a bright early autumn day. The leaves were only beginning to turn yellow. The lead figure, a man in an outfit that seemed to be mostly composed of belt buckles, pointed towards a nearby clearing down the road. They soon stopped for a moment as they heard the yaps of a pack of jackals huddled around what seemed to be a withered arm. A brief glint of gold reflected the light of the sun.
“That is a strange sight,” the dwarf said, as he drew his axe and stepped forward. Tordek wore heavy plates of dull, black steel and moved with a determined pace towards the clearing.
“Indeed, it is and I wonder at seeing gold here,” the man dressed in belt buckles said. Hennet looked at the jackals which were slowly backing away from the arm.
“True, but we should check it out. We have some time before we meet our friends,” said another man, golden haired and clad in plate mail. A large golden disk hung from a chain on his neck, and the man reached for his mace. Jozan stepped forward and the last remaining jackals scattered.
As the three approached the withered black arm, they noticed tattered linen wrappings on it. A gold ring was on the index finger, carved with ornate designs.
Hennet reached for the ring and gazed at it closely. “Some sort of writing is on it. I don’t know what it says.”
Even as Hennet examined the ring, a large and decrepit jackal emerged from the shadow of the trees and spoke.
“Like that my pretties? More chewy treats you’ll find where it came from. Just follow my pups.” The jackal moved back to the trees and the other jackals headed north.
“Well?” Tordek said, breaking an uncomfortable silence.
“I think we should follow.” Jozan said.
“This is a first for me and I say we will follow. Still, I wish that we had Lidda and some of our other friends with us.” Even as Tordek stepped forward, Hennet and Jozan were already following the jackals.
The three heroes followed the jackals to a structure that was half hidden by the trees on the mountainside. Huge bas-relief sculptures of naked men with jackal heads flanked two large stone doors.
“Well, Tordek, you have some knowledge of stone. How do you think it opens?” Jozan said.
Tordek gazed at the stone, frowning. “It should open with some effort. This place is old, perhaps a thousand years old or more.”
The dwarf’s discussion on ancient ruins was interrupted as an arrow bounced off of his shield and a second sunk into Hennet’s thigh. “There, it came from the trees,” Jozan shouted as he glared at two gnolls in a copse of trees. The priest of Pelor readied his crossbow.
Hennet lifted a wand of carved ivory and pointed it at one of the gnolls. Shards of brightly colored lights flew towards the gnolls. Tordek knocked an arrow on his composite bow and fired at the other gnoll. Jozan fired a crossbow bolt at the gnoll that the sorcerer wounded.
The battle continued, as the gnolls fired back and missed. An arrow, a crossbow bolt, and a charge from Hennet’s wand ended the battle as the gnolls fell to the ground. After checking the bodies and taking some arrows, Hennet, Jozan, and Tordek returned to the door. A concerted effort from the dwarf forced the door open to reveal a narrow corridor leading into a larger room. Hennet lifted up a stone that flickered with a heatless flame.
As they stepped forward, they saw a large room decorated with murals of jackals, humans with jackal heads and humans. Two large statues of jackal headed men, armed with falchions stood by either door. The light from the everburning torch glinted on a blue gem in the eyes of one of the statures. To either side of the room two corridors trailed off into the shadows, and a deeper darkness that not even Tordek’s keen eyes could penetrate.
The dwarf walked past the statues and stared at the richly carved doors. “Good stonework.” After he walked past, Jozan reached for the blue gem as Tordek pushed against the doors.
The statue swung around and a falchion struck Jozan in the chest, slashing a thin line through his armor. The priest of Pelor groaned and stepped back. . He hurriedly replaced the gem and grabbed a wand strapped to his belt. The wound closed quickly.
“Let’s be a bit more careful,” Jozan said.
Despite the best efforts of Tordek to force open the doors, they refused to open. During one of the dwarf’s efforts to push the doors open, Hennet stood to near one of the statues which pivoted and struck him.
“These doors are stubborn and will not budge. Perhaps we should try one of the corridors,” Tordek muttered as he walked over to Jozan, who was tending a wounded Hennet. Jozan and Hennet nodded their assent as the dwarf turned to the right and walked towards a dimly lit corridor.
TO BE CONTINUED
