Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Small Beginnings - Final Update 6/18/04, ITEOTWAWKI, AIFF!
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Enkhidu" data-source="post: 242412" data-attributes="member: 351"><p>Thanks for the comments so far. I wasn't sure how this would be received (I know there are more than a few story hours that have used the WotC modules).</p><p></p><p>Spider Jeruselam: You'll find that there are quite a few changes between this story hour and a direct run through of the Sunless Citadel. If I can, I'll get the campaign DM to post more details.</p><p></p><p>By the way, there's no real Sunless Citadel spoilers this time.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, back to the story...</p><p></p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>Pack felt the rumble before he heard it. A flagon trembled and tipped over at a nearby table, and all about the tavern patrons grabbed for chairs and walls to steady themselves. Then the ground itself began to shake violently as the sound of thunder rolled in from outside. Pack made his way over to the bay window; outside, the drygoods store was shaking as badly as the tavern, with shingles falling from the overhanging porch rook.</p><p></p><p>The children so recently playing around the Tangle pole were huddled together, crying out in fear for help. Beneath them, the ground bucked and they were thrown from their feet. Then the road itself collapsed, and the children were swallowed up by the earth. All that was left was a hole in the middle of the street – a hole that was soon overfull with beasts the like of which Pack had never seen.</p><p></p><p>They were small, about the size of Pack himself, and scaly. Some clambered out of the pit using each other as ladders with clubs and spears in hand, while others simply rode out on monstrous ants that held weapons of their own in vaguely humanoid limbs. Pack shook his head in disbelief and looked a second time. The smaller beasts seemed to have doglike muzzles, and began yipping back and forth between each other, while the ants were not ants at all, but seemed like some insect version of one of the centaurs that Pack had heard about from Sir Thadius. Then the quaking of the earth stopped suddenly, and the dust began to settle.</p><p></p><p>Across the street, Pack saw Ander burst through the door of Buried Dwarf Drygoods with his walking staff in hand. The woodsman shouted something Pack couldn’t hear and charged the nearest raider. His sudden rush caught the kobolds off guard and his staff found its first target with a wooden thud that Pack could almost make out from across the street. The woodsman wasn’t done yet though and leapt from the porch right into the midst of the screaming pack with his weapon whirling around like a protective shield keeping his attackers at bay. Pack wanted to scream at Ander to look out, but it was too late. Two kobolds had flanked the young ranger and before he could react they had him ensnared in a vine meshing net so tight that his staff was pinned against his side: useless.</p><p></p><p>Pack had to look away in horror at the fate of the young warrior and his view was met with a much better sight. Brother Theo and the two constables had formed a triangle in the streets center and the bodies of the dead raiders were pilling up around them. The three men showed numerous wounds, especially the older priest who wasn’t fitted with protection like that of the two law men. Brother Theo was dealing death with every blow of his makeshift club and shouting out praises to Zuras, though the two militia men were looking winded from years of peaceful living. The grizzled priest’s voice carried over the sounds of battle, “Push the buggers back where they came from, men! They’re only kobolds!” However, even as well as the three valiant men were doing, it appeared to Pack that there were too many of the attackers and they were only holding their ground: not advancing on the raiders. They would soon be overwhelmed by superior numbers.</p><p></p><p>In the middle of the two groups, Pack saw a half dozen of the smaller beasts, the ones that Brother Theo had called kobolds, grappling with festival workers beneath the collapsed scaffolding. As he watched, the creatures began dragging workers, some of them still fighting, toward the pit. Nearer to the tavern, he saw another pair of kobolds, ones riding the ant-centaurs, reach into large sacks strapped to the makeshift saddles and pull out full flasks, pausing to unstopper the tops. Seconds later, they threw those bottles up, onto the roof of the Shimmering Sword, each leaving a trail of black liquid that Pack quickly realized was pitch. Another centaur mounted beast threw a newly lit torch up after the makeshift firetraps.. </p><p></p><p>Pack glanced over at his adopted mother, “Lizon! I think they’ve just set the roof on fire!” </p><p></p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>By the way, now that the messageboard problems seem to be over, I hope to hear anyone who's got feedback!</p><p></p><p>Constructive criticism is always welcome!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Enkhidu, post: 242412, member: 351"] Thanks for the comments so far. I wasn't sure how this would be received (I know there are more than a few story hours that have used the WotC modules). Spider Jeruselam: You'll find that there are quite a few changes between this story hour and a direct run through of the Sunless Citadel. If I can, I'll get the campaign DM to post more details. By the way, there's no real Sunless Citadel spoilers this time. Anyway, back to the story... ***** Pack felt the rumble before he heard it. A flagon trembled and tipped over at a nearby table, and all about the tavern patrons grabbed for chairs and walls to steady themselves. Then the ground itself began to shake violently as the sound of thunder rolled in from outside. Pack made his way over to the bay window; outside, the drygoods store was shaking as badly as the tavern, with shingles falling from the overhanging porch rook. The children so recently playing around the Tangle pole were huddled together, crying out in fear for help. Beneath them, the ground bucked and they were thrown from their feet. Then the road itself collapsed, and the children were swallowed up by the earth. All that was left was a hole in the middle of the street – a hole that was soon overfull with beasts the like of which Pack had never seen. They were small, about the size of Pack himself, and scaly. Some clambered out of the pit using each other as ladders with clubs and spears in hand, while others simply rode out on monstrous ants that held weapons of their own in vaguely humanoid limbs. Pack shook his head in disbelief and looked a second time. The smaller beasts seemed to have doglike muzzles, and began yipping back and forth between each other, while the ants were not ants at all, but seemed like some insect version of one of the centaurs that Pack had heard about from Sir Thadius. Then the quaking of the earth stopped suddenly, and the dust began to settle. Across the street, Pack saw Ander burst through the door of Buried Dwarf Drygoods with his walking staff in hand. The woodsman shouted something Pack couldn’t hear and charged the nearest raider. His sudden rush caught the kobolds off guard and his staff found its first target with a wooden thud that Pack could almost make out from across the street. The woodsman wasn’t done yet though and leapt from the porch right into the midst of the screaming pack with his weapon whirling around like a protective shield keeping his attackers at bay. Pack wanted to scream at Ander to look out, but it was too late. Two kobolds had flanked the young ranger and before he could react they had him ensnared in a vine meshing net so tight that his staff was pinned against his side: useless. Pack had to look away in horror at the fate of the young warrior and his view was met with a much better sight. Brother Theo and the two constables had formed a triangle in the streets center and the bodies of the dead raiders were pilling up around them. The three men showed numerous wounds, especially the older priest who wasn’t fitted with protection like that of the two law men. Brother Theo was dealing death with every blow of his makeshift club and shouting out praises to Zuras, though the two militia men were looking winded from years of peaceful living. The grizzled priest’s voice carried over the sounds of battle, “Push the buggers back where they came from, men! They’re only kobolds!” However, even as well as the three valiant men were doing, it appeared to Pack that there were too many of the attackers and they were only holding their ground: not advancing on the raiders. They would soon be overwhelmed by superior numbers. In the middle of the two groups, Pack saw a half dozen of the smaller beasts, the ones that Brother Theo had called kobolds, grappling with festival workers beneath the collapsed scaffolding. As he watched, the creatures began dragging workers, some of them still fighting, toward the pit. Nearer to the tavern, he saw another pair of kobolds, ones riding the ant-centaurs, reach into large sacks strapped to the makeshift saddles and pull out full flasks, pausing to unstopper the tops. Seconds later, they threw those bottles up, onto the roof of the Shimmering Sword, each leaving a trail of black liquid that Pack quickly realized was pitch. Another centaur mounted beast threw a newly lit torch up after the makeshift firetraps.. Pack glanced over at his adopted mother, “Lizon! I think they’ve just set the roof on fire!” ***** By the way, now that the messageboard problems seem to be over, I hope to hear anyone who's got feedback! Constructive criticism is always welcome! [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Small Beginnings - Final Update 6/18/04, ITEOTWAWKI, AIFF!
Top