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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 936196" data-attributes="member: 6294">"The Burning Plague" by Miguel Duran (WotC Free Adventure) - Part 7The Padre curses as he catches sight of the convulsing gnome.  Realising that she can only be mere seconds from death, he takes a risky gamble, and drops to his knees beside her body, reaching for the healing potion he always keeps at his belt.  Even though he knows it will leave him dangerously vulnerable to the kobold and weasel that both flank him, he unstops the vial and begins to trickle the fluid between Twinkle's slightly-parted lips.Fortunately for the cleric, only the kobold capitalises on the situation, jabbing its spear into the Padre's leg.  The weasel does also take a bite at him, but his shield covers much of his form, and it cannot quite reach his flesh with its teeth.Not all of the adventurers are so lucky, however: Rose suffers another volley of fire from the kobolds behind the barricade, and this time the pain and blood-loss combine to send her crumpling to the floor, unconscious and bleeding.Anastria stabs the weasel in the side, drawing its attention back to her, as the Padre struggles back to his feet.  Twinkle is still unconscious, but the deathly pallor has gone from her skin, and her breathing has returned to normal.As the weasel lunges at the elven woman, bearing a savage wound in her leg, the cleric of St Cuthbert raises his mace, and cries out, his voice reverberating with strange and unworldly power:"Feel the wrath of my Lord's retribution, creature!"A blazing white light forms around the Padre's mace as he swings it down, smashing it onto the weasel's bony skull.  Crackling energy flows from the point of impact, sending the dire animal into a convulsive series of spasms, before it collapses to the floor, wisps of smoke curling out of its fur.As the kobolds gape at the fallen weasel, Stormstrider casually chops down the remaining rider, blood fountaining as the small humanoid is cut almost in two.  The sudden violence seems to galvanise the small humanoids, who fire a volley of crossbow bolts at the ranger.  His leather armour offers him little protection, and he falls back against the wall, barely clinging to consciousness, and no longer able to participate in the fight.Despite the injuries they both have suffered - Anastria in particular is pale from blood-loss - there is no doubt in the adventurers' minds about their next move.  The kobolds know it as well, throwing aside their crossbows to snatch up spears.They are too slow: the Padre is at the barricade before they can set their weapons to meet his charge.  The priest's mace rises and falls, crushing kobold bones with every blow.  Moments later, Anastria is beside him, vaulting the rudimentary barrier to lance her rapier again and again into the enemy's flesh.Within moments, only one of the kobolds remains.  Desperately clutching its spear, it utters a strange, staccato string of sibilant words, glancing back and forth at the two adventurers as it does so.  Unfortunately for the creature, its attempt at negotiation is thwarted by the language barrier: the Padre does not speak Draconic, and although Anastria does, she is still deaf from the kobolds' own thunderstone trap.It's unlikely that the kobold would appreciate this irony, as it rapidly joins its companions in death.The adventurers hobble around the room, checking on the condition of their companions.  None have died, though all are sorely wounded.  The Padre uses up every scrap of healing magic in his possession, including the scroll given to him by Father Samual, but even after this, most of the group are barely able to move under their own power.It takes little time to decide to barricade themselves in the room, as none of them are eager to continue their investigation in their current condition.  The only objection; concern that they might be attacked while they camp; is overcome when they discover the key to the door on the body of one of the kobolds."Helping the town may take a little longer than we'd like, this way." The Padre observes, "But we can't help them at all if we're dead."Looking for ways to kill the time, the adventurers search the room as thoroughly as they possibly can, beginning by looting the bodies of the kobolds, and then moving on to investigate the barrels and crates that are stored against the walls.  While the food inside the crates appears to have mostly rotted, one of the barrels still contains ale, which the Padre promptly samples."A bit rough." He opines, "But drinkable."None of the others choose to test his opinion, however, wisely deciding that it is probably not healthy to drink from ale that has been stored amongst kobolds.  Or perhaps they still remember that the mine is the source of the disease sweeping the town.</blockquote>

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