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Sniktch's Story Hour Prelude - From the Beginning (UPDATED 04/22)
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<blockquote data-quote="Sniktch" data-source="post: 431264" data-attributes="member: 7704"><p><strong>The Forges, pt. 1</strong></p><p></p><p>The steps lead to an abandoned and dusty hall of hewn stone, ten foot wide and running east to west. The eastern path turned sharply about thirty feet away, but the western half of the hallway stretched beyond the limits of their vision. An old rotting door stood facing the stairs. All could tell that though this corridor was relatively free of debris it had not been traversed in quite some time.</p><p></p><p>“Dwarf stonework,” whistled Jack appreciatively. </p><p></p><p>Ike examined the door, and finding it unlocked and barely standing, carefully swung it open. He looked in upon an old guard post, still manned by its last command. A great stone table dominated the center of the room, strewn with cups, dice, and scattered coins. Seated around it in in twelve evenly spaced chairs were the skeletal remains of twelve dwarves, as if joined in one last everlong game.</p><p></p><p>The Crow peered over Ike’s shoulder and shuddered. “That’s pretty creepy. I wonder why they’re all just sitting there, like they were playing and drinking one minute and dead the next.”</p><p></p><p>“It’s possible,” explained Jack. “Duernfast fell durin the great war before writin begins. What legends the dwarves pass down tell that it were brought low by a betrayal an’ a great curse.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, we certainly need those coins more than they do now. I’ll collect ‘em.” Ike stepped inside and approached the table. He reached over the table to scoop one of the small mounds of coins into a pouch, but stopped in terror, speechless, when one of the skeletons reached out a claw and grasped his wrist, preventing his intended action. He stumbled backwards and tripped, falling sprawling to the floor as all around the table the ancient warriors stood and began to advance, bony fingers extended, seeking to destroy hated life.</p><p></p><p>Jack stepped up behind Ike until he was standing over the half-orc, one hand extended with his holy symbol securely grasped. “Begone, foul ones!” he cried. “By Clangeddin I canna stand the sight of ya! Back!” He channeled his faith into a divine shroud, anathema to the undead, and half of the staggering automatons fell to dust.</p><p></p><p>The others were ready for what was left. Welby and the Crow charged past Jack, Welby leaping onto the table and batting the skull off a skeleton with the flat of his axe. The Crow found things more difficult, stabbing ineffectually with his rapier. Ike recovered and sprang to his feet just in time to avoid the bony hug of one corpse, dodging around it and smashing another’s backbone with his mace. Artimas prepared a spell and waited for an opening, while Eli hung back in the hallway, confident in his friend’s abilities to handle the threat, and it seemed the battle would soon be over.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, things went against the Crow. As Jack joined in the fray, cutting one undead in half, and Ike proceeded to smash the one he had just so nimbly avoided, the last two skeletons cornered Royston, outflanking him. Skeletal hands did find warm flesh then, one skeleton grabbing his arm and digging painfully in, while the other gashed his side, tearing his leathers and drawing long angry weals on the skin. Artimas saw his chance to pitch in and did, completing his spell and sending a ray of disruption towards one of the creatures, shattering it. At the same time, Welby hurled himself from the table towards the last undead with a roar, crashing into it and reducing it to splinters.</p><p></p><p>“Did I mention this place may be cursed?” Jack asked as the dust began to settle again. He moved over and tended the Crow’s wounds with two of his minor curative blessings to prevent infection, then bandaged them. </p><p></p><p>Ike continued with his original task and gathered the coins from the table, Welby and Artimas lending a hand. They counted a couple hundred coins, although most were copper or silver. Artimas examined some of the coins and gasped, then called the others over to look.</p><p></p><p>“First of all these coins are nearly perfect; I see none of the minting flaws or irregularities that are common in coins of the modern age. Second of all, look at this date - 2436. Since the current calendar reaches only to 1432, I can only conclude that this was minted before recorded history.”</p><p></p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I already told ya the place were older than writin. So we got enough cash to pay Ned ta keep our rooms now, let’s move on,” so saying, the surly dwarf went back to wait with Eli in the hall.</p><p></p><p>When the others emerged, they decided to go down the west tunnel first to see where it might lead. It continued forward for about fifty yards before taking a sharp southerly turn, then went about fifty more feet. After that it opened into a huge cavern bigger than any save Jack had seen before. The far walls and ceiling all lay outside the range of lantern or Jack and Ike’s darksight. The light did reveal several rows of small stone huts, each ten by ten with a doorshaped opening in one wall and a circular hole in the roofs.</p><p></p><p>Jack’s eyes lit up. “The forges! Has ta be. If’n this cavern were lit, you’d see the chimney holes cut in the ceilin. Let’s see what they left behind fer us.” The dwarf began making his way down to the small buildings, the others trailing behind him. </p><p></p><p>They stopped between the first two, Jack moving to examine the one on the left and Welby and Ike stepping into the one on the right. Both rooms were basically identical, spartan chambers lined with shelves holding all manner of rusting tools, great anvils and rotting bellows below the round aperture in the ceiling. Jack began a careful search of the scattered tools, issuing a steady stream of curses as he found everything to be corroded to the point of uselessness.</p><p></p><p>Eli urged him to be quiet. “Hush, Stump. If anymore undead wait in these caverns we want to be able to hear them coming.”</p><p></p><p>The dwarf fell into a moody sulk, exiting the room and moving down to the next two. Eli and Artimas fell into step behind him, but the Crow waited for Welby and Ike. Ike started to leave the room he was in, but froze and started listening, his danger sense tingling. Welby stepped past him, but the half-orc grabbed his shoulder and brought him to a stop, urging him to silence with a raised finger to his broken lips.</p><p></p><p>They both heard it then, a soft, leathery flapping sound in the air of the cavern above them. Ike started to call out to warn the others, and that’s when the lights went out. Plunged suddenly into complete and inky blackness that even his darkvision couldn’t penetrate, Ike fought to remain calm and to avoid panicking. He groped blindly for the doorway with one hand while pulling the struggling halfling behind with the other. As they stepped out onto the now dark avenue between the buildings, the screams and cries of their companions began to fill the air.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Sniktch, post: 431264, member: 7704"] [b]The Forges, pt. 1[/b] The steps lead to an abandoned and dusty hall of hewn stone, ten foot wide and running east to west. The eastern path turned sharply about thirty feet away, but the western half of the hallway stretched beyond the limits of their vision. An old rotting door stood facing the stairs. All could tell that though this corridor was relatively free of debris it had not been traversed in quite some time. “Dwarf stonework,” whistled Jack appreciatively. Ike examined the door, and finding it unlocked and barely standing, carefully swung it open. He looked in upon an old guard post, still manned by its last command. A great stone table dominated the center of the room, strewn with cups, dice, and scattered coins. Seated around it in in twelve evenly spaced chairs were the skeletal remains of twelve dwarves, as if joined in one last everlong game. The Crow peered over Ike’s shoulder and shuddered. “That’s pretty creepy. I wonder why they’re all just sitting there, like they were playing and drinking one minute and dead the next.” “It’s possible,” explained Jack. “Duernfast fell durin the great war before writin begins. What legends the dwarves pass down tell that it were brought low by a betrayal an’ a great curse.” “Well, we certainly need those coins more than they do now. I’ll collect ‘em.” Ike stepped inside and approached the table. He reached over the table to scoop one of the small mounds of coins into a pouch, but stopped in terror, speechless, when one of the skeletons reached out a claw and grasped his wrist, preventing his intended action. He stumbled backwards and tripped, falling sprawling to the floor as all around the table the ancient warriors stood and began to advance, bony fingers extended, seeking to destroy hated life. Jack stepped up behind Ike until he was standing over the half-orc, one hand extended with his holy symbol securely grasped. “Begone, foul ones!” he cried. “By Clangeddin I canna stand the sight of ya! Back!” He channeled his faith into a divine shroud, anathema to the undead, and half of the staggering automatons fell to dust. The others were ready for what was left. Welby and the Crow charged past Jack, Welby leaping onto the table and batting the skull off a skeleton with the flat of his axe. The Crow found things more difficult, stabbing ineffectually with his rapier. Ike recovered and sprang to his feet just in time to avoid the bony hug of one corpse, dodging around it and smashing another’s backbone with his mace. Artimas prepared a spell and waited for an opening, while Eli hung back in the hallway, confident in his friend’s abilities to handle the threat, and it seemed the battle would soon be over. Unfortunately, things went against the Crow. As Jack joined in the fray, cutting one undead in half, and Ike proceeded to smash the one he had just so nimbly avoided, the last two skeletons cornered Royston, outflanking him. Skeletal hands did find warm flesh then, one skeleton grabbing his arm and digging painfully in, while the other gashed his side, tearing his leathers and drawing long angry weals on the skin. Artimas saw his chance to pitch in and did, completing his spell and sending a ray of disruption towards one of the creatures, shattering it. At the same time, Welby hurled himself from the table towards the last undead with a roar, crashing into it and reducing it to splinters. “Did I mention this place may be cursed?” Jack asked as the dust began to settle again. He moved over and tended the Crow’s wounds with two of his minor curative blessings to prevent infection, then bandaged them. Ike continued with his original task and gathered the coins from the table, Welby and Artimas lending a hand. They counted a couple hundred coins, although most were copper or silver. Artimas examined some of the coins and gasped, then called the others over to look. “First of all these coins are nearly perfect; I see none of the minting flaws or irregularities that are common in coins of the modern age. Second of all, look at this date - 2436. Since the current calendar reaches only to 1432, I can only conclude that this was minted before recorded history.” “Yeah, yeah, I already told ya the place were older than writin. So we got enough cash to pay Ned ta keep our rooms now, let’s move on,” so saying, the surly dwarf went back to wait with Eli in the hall. When the others emerged, they decided to go down the west tunnel first to see where it might lead. It continued forward for about fifty yards before taking a sharp southerly turn, then went about fifty more feet. After that it opened into a huge cavern bigger than any save Jack had seen before. The far walls and ceiling all lay outside the range of lantern or Jack and Ike’s darksight. The light did reveal several rows of small stone huts, each ten by ten with a doorshaped opening in one wall and a circular hole in the roofs. Jack’s eyes lit up. “The forges! Has ta be. If’n this cavern were lit, you’d see the chimney holes cut in the ceilin. Let’s see what they left behind fer us.” The dwarf began making his way down to the small buildings, the others trailing behind him. They stopped between the first two, Jack moving to examine the one on the left and Welby and Ike stepping into the one on the right. Both rooms were basically identical, spartan chambers lined with shelves holding all manner of rusting tools, great anvils and rotting bellows below the round aperture in the ceiling. Jack began a careful search of the scattered tools, issuing a steady stream of curses as he found everything to be corroded to the point of uselessness. Eli urged him to be quiet. “Hush, Stump. If anymore undead wait in these caverns we want to be able to hear them coming.” The dwarf fell into a moody sulk, exiting the room and moving down to the next two. Eli and Artimas fell into step behind him, but the Crow waited for Welby and Ike. Ike started to leave the room he was in, but froze and started listening, his danger sense tingling. Welby stepped past him, but the half-orc grabbed his shoulder and brought him to a stop, urging him to silence with a raised finger to his broken lips. They both heard it then, a soft, leathery flapping sound in the air of the cavern above them. Ike started to call out to warn the others, and that’s when the lights went out. Plunged suddenly into complete and inky blackness that even his darkvision couldn’t penetrate, Ike fought to remain calm and to avoid panicking. He groped blindly for the doorway with one hand while pulling the struggling halfling behind with the other. As they stepped out onto the now dark avenue between the buildings, the screams and cries of their companions began to fill the air. [/QUOTE]
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