Hairy Minotaur
Explorer
The Dearly Departed
But it was too late, a chorus of blows rang down upon the slumbering dragon and the floor beneath the dragon's head was transformed into a cutting board for swords. Gronar, Omar and Lothred cheered their success. The latent dream of all adventures to crush a mighty dragon had been realized.
Even the alien intellect of the umber hulks understood the magnitude of what just transpired, and they began backing away form the party and back down the corridor. Luciann made sure their retreat was in earnest by blasting the short hallway with a fireball frying the first couple of umber hulks and causing the rest to turn theirs backs and flee.
Paquito raced to help Luciann off the ground and together the two of them looked for the body of Finrod. Omar went to the downed lich and began disrobing the fleshless being, looking for any signs of magical treasures. Gronar proudly displayed his greatsword, held high over the fallen dragon.
"We must seek the lair of this dragon and collect our winnings" Lothred shouted.
"Gold! Piles and piles of gold! To swim in a sea of gold is the only reason a dwarf would ever learn to swim." Omar states
Korg and Ratchet reached the pit where Finrod's torn body is found.
"Elfy still alive." Korg speaks
"I don't think anything would be alive looking like that." Rachet counters
"No, Korg know Elfy still alive, Elfy still bleeding. No bleed, dead. Bleed, alive." Korg answers and uses his remaining spells to revive the downed elf to nearly full strength.
Paquito and Luciann pour over the work tables and texts leftover from the lich. They examine the large glass tubes and discover the left one still have a body in it that is apparently still alive, or animated.
"We're wasting valuable time skimming the musings of a mad man, there's riches to be gained! Components to be had (Lothred says while poking the dead dragon)! Let's go!" Lothtred commands as he points down the passageway from whence the dragon came.
Gronar, Omar, Korg, Ratchet and Finrod all lined up behind the magister, ready to clear out whatever composed the dragon's hoard.
"You ready?" Luciann asked Paquito
"These books are worth thousands, and none of them are on necromancy nor arcane knowledge, most are about faith and creation. Why would the lich have these? Seems counterproductive. No?"
"Maybe he was an eclectic reader?" Luciann responds as he too gets in step behind the rest of the group as they head off into the dragon carved passageway.
The passageway turned to the left, then right and turned back on itself.
"Maze. This dragon wanted it's secrets kept safe. Keep a sharp eye out, in fact, dwarf why don't you lead." Lothred demands
Omar no sooner turns the corner than gets impaled with a dart trap, pinning the dwarf to the corner wall as hundreds of tiny spiders crawl forth from the holes left by the dart's departure.
The party had a difficult time taking down the twin swarms, but they soon prevailed, however not without some bumps and bruises. Omar called forth the power to heal his wounds, but his prayers went unanswered and no healing abilities were granted. Confused and feeling isolated, Omar voted that they return to the minotaur lair and rest up before proceeding.
Lothred would have none of that however. Insisting that the treasure lay just beyond the next turn and that the worst of the traps had been defeated, he slowly began inching himself down the hallway. Korg convinced Gronar that the best action would be to rest up and then come back with a few wheelbarrows and slaves to help carry the gold out.
"No! there shall be no retreat while I lead this rabble!" Lothred shouts and produces a thin metal rod from within a hidden pouch on the inside of his robe. Lothred raises the rod into the air and becomes wracked with pain and he begins screaming in two voices.
"That's my body!"
"You lost it, I found it"
"You're through!"
"You never started!"
Lothred's shattered mind compels his body to rush headlong down the corridor and turn the corner. A brilliant flash of light followed by a cloud of fire and smoking debris, then a zap of electricity and the smell of human hair.
Without a trap disarming rogue, the party decides to head back above ground and rest up before seeing what became of Lothred.
That night however was restless for a few people, starting with Korg.
The hill giant appears in Garastus and Umtala's court, Umtala sits on her throne of marble and beckons Korg forward. He stops a step away from the dais which their thrones sit. Kneeling he bows his head.
"I have been watching your progress young priest of mine, I have been pleased with efforts, especially against the aspects of Vaprak. For as you know, Vaprak likes to think of himself as the creator of my wayward children. It pleased me so, watching his powerful essence fade away at the hands of one of my priests. And while Garastus refuses to admit it, he too enjoyed failure Vaprak endured."
"I had intended upon bestowing you a token of my favor, yet what I saw this afternoon troubles me. I watched as a powerful creature of the earth was slaughtered, not in combat, not by poisons, not by time, and not through willing sacrifice. I watched as my priest did nothing, but watch as an elven masquerader compelled the mighty warrior to lay still so that it may be easily bested. You follow the Umtala way of strength, yet this act was most assuredly not rooted in that foundation."
"But your holiness, I did not know of the dragon's intentions" Korg replies
"I do not expect my followers to know such information. I do expect my followers to adhere to my edicts. The strong will prevail, but only by getting stronger and overcoming our challenges through the strength of our faith. Weakness is a sign of those with no faith, and those with no faith never learn anything. Had Korg the mighty stood against a coherent dragon and beaten it, oh the annuals and sonnets that would be written about you. Had Korg the mighty stood his ground against the dragon and never backed down and showed the dragon you respect the earth much as it does, that would show the strength of faith. However Korg the meek, allowed an elven masquerader to believe that waiving a magic stick and having the dragon take death like a simpering goblin, does not show me you have the strength of faith needed to carry my banner across the Mountains of Twilight."
"But as I am confident that you have merely mistepped along your way, I offer you these choices. One, Lose access to the Strength domain until such time I have deemed that you have atoned. Two, speak with the copper dragon and ask it for forgiveness and pledge to fulfill one request of it. Three, without the use of any prayers you must travel to my nearest temple and speak to the scion within."
"Choose wisely and do not falter in the strength of your faith. I also caution you thusly, the elven masquerader in your midst does not follow the way of the strong, he will lead you astray. He is not born of earth and he bears no allegiance to it, do not allow him to show you the weaker path. It is not the path of giants."
The throne room slowly fades and the holy symbol of Umtala comes into view, the mighty hill giant sighs a breath of defeat, then catches himself. He would be strong, he will be Korg, and no more of listening to puny Elfy's.
But it was too late, a chorus of blows rang down upon the slumbering dragon and the floor beneath the dragon's head was transformed into a cutting board for swords. Gronar, Omar and Lothred cheered their success. The latent dream of all adventures to crush a mighty dragon had been realized.
Even the alien intellect of the umber hulks understood the magnitude of what just transpired, and they began backing away form the party and back down the corridor. Luciann made sure their retreat was in earnest by blasting the short hallway with a fireball frying the first couple of umber hulks and causing the rest to turn theirs backs and flee.
Paquito raced to help Luciann off the ground and together the two of them looked for the body of Finrod. Omar went to the downed lich and began disrobing the fleshless being, looking for any signs of magical treasures. Gronar proudly displayed his greatsword, held high over the fallen dragon.
"We must seek the lair of this dragon and collect our winnings" Lothred shouted.
"Gold! Piles and piles of gold! To swim in a sea of gold is the only reason a dwarf would ever learn to swim." Omar states
Korg and Ratchet reached the pit where Finrod's torn body is found.
"Elfy still alive." Korg speaks
"I don't think anything would be alive looking like that." Rachet counters
"No, Korg know Elfy still alive, Elfy still bleeding. No bleed, dead. Bleed, alive." Korg answers and uses his remaining spells to revive the downed elf to nearly full strength.
Paquito and Luciann pour over the work tables and texts leftover from the lich. They examine the large glass tubes and discover the left one still have a body in it that is apparently still alive, or animated.
"We're wasting valuable time skimming the musings of a mad man, there's riches to be gained! Components to be had (Lothred says while poking the dead dragon)! Let's go!" Lothtred commands as he points down the passageway from whence the dragon came.
Gronar, Omar, Korg, Ratchet and Finrod all lined up behind the magister, ready to clear out whatever composed the dragon's hoard.
"You ready?" Luciann asked Paquito
"These books are worth thousands, and none of them are on necromancy nor arcane knowledge, most are about faith and creation. Why would the lich have these? Seems counterproductive. No?"
"Maybe he was an eclectic reader?" Luciann responds as he too gets in step behind the rest of the group as they head off into the dragon carved passageway.
The passageway turned to the left, then right and turned back on itself.
"Maze. This dragon wanted it's secrets kept safe. Keep a sharp eye out, in fact, dwarf why don't you lead." Lothred demands
Omar no sooner turns the corner than gets impaled with a dart trap, pinning the dwarf to the corner wall as hundreds of tiny spiders crawl forth from the holes left by the dart's departure.
The party had a difficult time taking down the twin swarms, but they soon prevailed, however not without some bumps and bruises. Omar called forth the power to heal his wounds, but his prayers went unanswered and no healing abilities were granted. Confused and feeling isolated, Omar voted that they return to the minotaur lair and rest up before proceeding.
Lothred would have none of that however. Insisting that the treasure lay just beyond the next turn and that the worst of the traps had been defeated, he slowly began inching himself down the hallway. Korg convinced Gronar that the best action would be to rest up and then come back with a few wheelbarrows and slaves to help carry the gold out.
"No! there shall be no retreat while I lead this rabble!" Lothred shouts and produces a thin metal rod from within a hidden pouch on the inside of his robe. Lothred raises the rod into the air and becomes wracked with pain and he begins screaming in two voices.
"That's my body!"
"You lost it, I found it"
"You're through!"
"You never started!"
Lothred's shattered mind compels his body to rush headlong down the corridor and turn the corner. A brilliant flash of light followed by a cloud of fire and smoking debris, then a zap of electricity and the smell of human hair.
Without a trap disarming rogue, the party decides to head back above ground and rest up before seeing what became of Lothred.
That night however was restless for a few people, starting with Korg.
The hill giant appears in Garastus and Umtala's court, Umtala sits on her throne of marble and beckons Korg forward. He stops a step away from the dais which their thrones sit. Kneeling he bows his head.
"I have been watching your progress young priest of mine, I have been pleased with efforts, especially against the aspects of Vaprak. For as you know, Vaprak likes to think of himself as the creator of my wayward children. It pleased me so, watching his powerful essence fade away at the hands of one of my priests. And while Garastus refuses to admit it, he too enjoyed failure Vaprak endured."
"I had intended upon bestowing you a token of my favor, yet what I saw this afternoon troubles me. I watched as a powerful creature of the earth was slaughtered, not in combat, not by poisons, not by time, and not through willing sacrifice. I watched as my priest did nothing, but watch as an elven masquerader compelled the mighty warrior to lay still so that it may be easily bested. You follow the Umtala way of strength, yet this act was most assuredly not rooted in that foundation."
"But your holiness, I did not know of the dragon's intentions" Korg replies
"I do not expect my followers to know such information. I do expect my followers to adhere to my edicts. The strong will prevail, but only by getting stronger and overcoming our challenges through the strength of our faith. Weakness is a sign of those with no faith, and those with no faith never learn anything. Had Korg the mighty stood against a coherent dragon and beaten it, oh the annuals and sonnets that would be written about you. Had Korg the mighty stood his ground against the dragon and never backed down and showed the dragon you respect the earth much as it does, that would show the strength of faith. However Korg the meek, allowed an elven masquerader to believe that waiving a magic stick and having the dragon take death like a simpering goblin, does not show me you have the strength of faith needed to carry my banner across the Mountains of Twilight."
"But as I am confident that you have merely mistepped along your way, I offer you these choices. One, Lose access to the Strength domain until such time I have deemed that you have atoned. Two, speak with the copper dragon and ask it for forgiveness and pledge to fulfill one request of it. Three, without the use of any prayers you must travel to my nearest temple and speak to the scion within."
"Choose wisely and do not falter in the strength of your faith. I also caution you thusly, the elven masquerader in your midst does not follow the way of the strong, he will lead you astray. He is not born of earth and he bears no allegiance to it, do not allow him to show you the weaker path. It is not the path of giants."
The throne room slowly fades and the holy symbol of Umtala comes into view, the mighty hill giant sighs a breath of defeat, then catches himself. He would be strong, he will be Korg, and no more of listening to puny Elfy's.