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Nebulous's Keep on the Shadowfell (FR)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nebulous" data-source="post: 4619921" data-attributes="member: 31465"><p><span style="font-size: 15px">Adventure #8: Caves of Peril</span></p><p></p><p><strong>PART THREE</strong></p><p></p><p>A while later the current slows and becomes a calm pond-like area. Part of the water is diverted into a side stream, with much of it probably leaking through cracks in the limestone basin into lower levels. But there’s something else of immediate concern: Helga’s boot. It’s lying on the shore. Irann picks it up, but there is no sign of the dwarf or paladin other than blood and drag marks on the stone. It looks like something hauled them away into a narrow tunnel where the creek flows. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/cave c.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/cave d.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/cave e.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Brandis follows, splashing into the icy water, his magical longsword Wolftooth in hand. Erevan, Irann and Splug tentatively follow. The creek plunges over the lip of a ravine, spattering on unseen rocks far, far below, but on the other side is small chamber with a man-made fort of some kind. The walls are cobbled together from stone and mud. It looks very, very old. He doesn’t hear a sound other than the murmur of water nearby. A human skeleton lies on the floor, the bones as yellow and cracked as old parchment.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/fort.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Brandis finds a battered wooden door scored by deep grooves and scratches. Something has bashed its way inside. Behind the door are barrels and sacks shoved against it as a last-ditch barricade, but something broke through anyway. Brandis gives the room a cursory glance; there is a lot of junk here to sort through, and he sees a smashed dwarf skull with spiders in the eye sockets, but no Helga or Kerric. </p><p></p><p>Outside, however, the others are about to have company. Erevan spots movement a split second before a tiny, insect-like creature scuttles from a dark alcove. About the size of a small dog, it hisses and clicks at him, and then lunges! Serrated limbs slash at his robes, and then two more scurry out from hiding as well. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/kru1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><img src="http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/kruthik.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>“Brandis!” shouts the wizard. Erevan unleashes a shimmering silver missile, but his aim is off and it soars down a tunnel. Splug squeals and tries to hide behind Irann as the warlock throws a curse at an agile beast. Brandis leaps into the fray, skewering a monster on the tip of Wolftooth, even as Erevan immolates the others with a burst of flame. Within seconds the battle is over, their enemy’s legs quivering in their final death throes. </p><p></p><p>There are drag marks and blood stains on the floor leading down the same tunnel from which the insects emerged. Their friends must be down there, dead or alive, and the group hurries to find them. The tunnel descends sharply, but the last few feet are very slick and Brandis tumbles. He catches himself and is glad he did – he could have fallen off a small ledge that juts over an open room. A rickety bridge stretches across to a tunnel on the far side. The others clamber down as well, but Erevan slips and rolls to a bumpy halt against their legs. Embarrassed, he dusts off his robes and peers over the side…</p><p></p><p>…and somewhere down below they hear a curious </p><p></p><p>“CLICK-CLACK-CLICKCLICKCLICK-CLICK CLACK CLICKITTY CLICK CLACK…”</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/tunnel.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><img src="http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/badbridge.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>“The bridge doesn’t look safe,” mutters Irann. She’s already sick of this place, but all three heroes roll miraculously poor Dungeoneering checks; they’re not even sure they’re in a cave! Brandis volunteers (again) to go first. They tie a rope around his waist just to be sure, and he steps onto the bridge. It holds his weight, and he continues…</p><p></p><p>…and is soon immensely grateful for the rope. </p><p></p><p>A weak plank shatters beneath his boot and the warlord plunges through! </p><p></p><p>Irann, Erevan and Splug grab the rope and Brandis stops short, swaying back and forth in midair below the bridge. But then he sees something moving. A huge black shape detaches from the darkness and surges toward him, something with a hideous vulture’s head and two massive arms that end in deadly scythes. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/hook.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>“PULL ME UP!” screams Brandis. “Pull me FASTERRRRRR!”</p><p></p><p>His companions heave with all of their might, and Brandis starts to rise, but they’re not quite strong enough. He falls again, even lower than before and dangerously close to the hook beast, which is now slashing at him. It can’t quite reach, so it moves to the sloped wall and digs its hooks in, climbing up so that it can snag the squishy dangling morsel of meat. </p><p></p><p>“GET ME OUT OF HERE!” screams Brandis. The others keep pulling, bracing themselves and hauling with all of their pitiable strength. The hook monster is now level with Brandis, and with one arm anchored to the wall, it lashes out with the other…and rips a horrible wound across the warlord’s chest. Brandis is knocked away, blood pouring from his splintered armor where the hook ravaged him. One more swipe will probably finish him off. He swings back in, feet propped and ready to kick at the thing…</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/hook2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Erevan casts an ice spell on the sloped wall, and the hook monster loses its grip. It tumbles to the bottom, rolling back and forth on its hardened carapace, and just as they’re hoping the beast might be incapacitated, it hops back up, madder than ever. </p><p></p><p>The wizard, warlock and goblin keep pulling, and Brandis finally ascends to the ledge. The infuriated hook monster keeps flailing below them, unsure if it can reach their position. They sure as hell hope not.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/hook cave.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>The bridge has proved an obstacle, yes, but they eventually cross it with mundane and magical methods. They rest in the center span while Brandis catches his breath. There’s another bridge on the far side of the tunnel, in better shape too. Furthermore, water and blood streaks are on the planks; their companions Helga and Kerric were dragged this way, although they’re not sure how they circumvented the weak bridge. One of Kerric’s gauntlets lies on the tunnel floor which Irann retrieves for him. Hopefully, the horrible hook beast behind them won’t be able to pursue.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nebulous, post: 4619921, member: 31465"] [SIZE=4]Adventure #8: Caves of Peril[/SIZE] [B]PART THREE[/B] A while later the current slows and becomes a calm pond-like area. Part of the water is diverted into a side stream, with much of it probably leaking through cracks in the limestone basin into lower levels. But there’s something else of immediate concern: Helga’s boot. It’s lying on the shore. Irann picks it up, but there is no sign of the dwarf or paladin other than blood and drag marks on the stone. It looks like something hauled them away into a narrow tunnel where the creek flows. [img]http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/cave c.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/cave d.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/cave e.jpg[/img] Brandis follows, splashing into the icy water, his magical longsword Wolftooth in hand. Erevan, Irann and Splug tentatively follow. The creek plunges over the lip of a ravine, spattering on unseen rocks far, far below, but on the other side is small chamber with a man-made fort of some kind. The walls are cobbled together from stone and mud. It looks very, very old. He doesn’t hear a sound other than the murmur of water nearby. A human skeleton lies on the floor, the bones as yellow and cracked as old parchment. [img]http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/fort.jpg[/img] Brandis finds a battered wooden door scored by deep grooves and scratches. Something has bashed its way inside. Behind the door are barrels and sacks shoved against it as a last-ditch barricade, but something broke through anyway. Brandis gives the room a cursory glance; there is a lot of junk here to sort through, and he sees a smashed dwarf skull with spiders in the eye sockets, but no Helga or Kerric. Outside, however, the others are about to have company. Erevan spots movement a split second before a tiny, insect-like creature scuttles from a dark alcove. About the size of a small dog, it hisses and clicks at him, and then lunges! Serrated limbs slash at his robes, and then two more scurry out from hiding as well. [img]http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/kru1.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/kruthik.jpg[/img] “Brandis!” shouts the wizard. Erevan unleashes a shimmering silver missile, but his aim is off and it soars down a tunnel. Splug squeals and tries to hide behind Irann as the warlock throws a curse at an agile beast. Brandis leaps into the fray, skewering a monster on the tip of Wolftooth, even as Erevan immolates the others with a burst of flame. Within seconds the battle is over, their enemy’s legs quivering in their final death throes. There are drag marks and blood stains on the floor leading down the same tunnel from which the insects emerged. Their friends must be down there, dead or alive, and the group hurries to find them. The tunnel descends sharply, but the last few feet are very slick and Brandis tumbles. He catches himself and is glad he did – he could have fallen off a small ledge that juts over an open room. A rickety bridge stretches across to a tunnel on the far side. The others clamber down as well, but Erevan slips and rolls to a bumpy halt against their legs. Embarrassed, he dusts off his robes and peers over the side… …and somewhere down below they hear a curious “CLICK-CLACK-CLICKCLICKCLICK-CLICK CLACK CLICKITTY CLICK CLACK…” [img]http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/tunnel.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/badbridge.jpg[/img] “The bridge doesn’t look safe,” mutters Irann. She’s already sick of this place, but all three heroes roll miraculously poor Dungeoneering checks; they’re not even sure they’re in a cave! Brandis volunteers (again) to go first. They tie a rope around his waist just to be sure, and he steps onto the bridge. It holds his weight, and he continues… …and is soon immensely grateful for the rope. A weak plank shatters beneath his boot and the warlord plunges through! Irann, Erevan and Splug grab the rope and Brandis stops short, swaying back and forth in midair below the bridge. But then he sees something moving. A huge black shape detaches from the darkness and surges toward him, something with a hideous vulture’s head and two massive arms that end in deadly scythes. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/hook.jpg[/img] “PULL ME UP!” screams Brandis. “Pull me FASTERRRRRR!” His companions heave with all of their might, and Brandis starts to rise, but they’re not quite strong enough. He falls again, even lower than before and dangerously close to the hook beast, which is now slashing at him. It can’t quite reach, so it moves to the sloped wall and digs its hooks in, climbing up so that it can snag the squishy dangling morsel of meat. “GET ME OUT OF HERE!” screams Brandis. The others keep pulling, bracing themselves and hauling with all of their pitiable strength. The hook monster is now level with Brandis, and with one arm anchored to the wall, it lashes out with the other…and rips a horrible wound across the warlord’s chest. Brandis is knocked away, blood pouring from his splintered armor where the hook ravaged him. One more swipe will probably finish him off. He swings back in, feet propped and ready to kick at the thing… [img]http://www.zikadik.com/shadowfell/hook2.jpg[/img] Erevan casts an ice spell on the sloped wall, and the hook monster loses its grip. It tumbles to the bottom, rolling back and forth on its hardened carapace, and just as they’re hoping the beast might be incapacitated, it hops back up, madder than ever. The wizard, warlock and goblin keep pulling, and Brandis finally ascends to the ledge. The infuriated hook monster keeps flailing below them, unsure if it can reach their position. They sure as hell hope not. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/hook cave.jpg[/img] The bridge has proved an obstacle, yes, but they eventually cross it with mundane and magical methods. They rest in the center span while Brandis catches his breath. There’s another bridge on the far side of the tunnel, in better shape too. Furthermore, water and blood streaks are on the planks; their companions Helga and Kerric were dragged this way, although they’re not sure how they circumvented the weak bridge. One of Kerric’s gauntlets lies on the tunnel floor which Irann retrieves for him. Hopefully, the horrible hook beast behind them won’t be able to pursue. [/QUOTE]
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