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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4713836" data-attributes="member: 143">Sadly, I had to trim down my non-D&D fiction from my Web site, due in part to space issues and in part to the fact that a lot of it requires some thorough editing. During grad school I wrote six full novels and part of a seventh. Five of those were based on an original campaign setting I'd originally written for a 1st ed game I hosted back in the late 80s. The game only went about 5 sessions, but the campaign setting was fleshed out a lot more in the novels. I thought about posting them here before, but they're really only peripherally related to D&D now. I reworked a lot of the mechanics, as I'd planned on trying to sell them at some point, but with hindsight I can see that they were pretty rough. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> I think that Thunderspire Labyrinth will be my last 4e story. The system just isn't grabbing me the way that 3.0/3.5 did. I have a few ideas percolating.  * * * * * Chapter 12“Impressive,” Jaron said, once they had emerged from the passage and gotten their first good look at the Seven-Pillared Hall. The place was vast, a bubble in the mountain that stretched out before them, its far end all but lost in the distance.  The place was dimly illuminated by faint patches of glowing material affixed to the walls at intervals too regular to be entirely natural; the light was bright enough for them to clearly make out the broad outlines of the place, if not all of the specific details.  They could identify the natural pillars that gave the place its name, and what looked to be a stream that bisected the complex across its middle, dividing the settlement into two halves.  The floor of the Hall was occupied by maybe a score of buildings of various shapes and sizes, ranging from squat single-story blockhouses to structures that looked tall enough to host three or even four stories within.  But those were augmented by what looked to be additional quarters excavated from the walls of the cavern itself, stacked two or three or even four atop the other in tiers, accessed by precarious ledges and fragile-looking ladders.  Beetle’s hands had started to itch at the sight of those, but Jaron took his cousin literally in hand, keeping him close to him as they made their way forward through the guardstation. Their passage through that entry proved rather anticlimactic.  The guards, which included men, orcs, and an ogre amongst their number, recognized Rendil, and only asked a few bored questions of Vhael about their purpose here.  The dragonborn’s response was vague, but it apparently was enough.  The adventurers barely had time to share a wary look before they were being waved through. “They don’t seem to take security very seriously here,” Gezzelhaupt observed, once they were far enough away from the guards to speak without risk of being overheard. “Look more closely,” Gral replied, inclining his head toward a niche in the cavern wall, where a large statue of a minotaur was just visible.  “The Mages of Saruun are not to be trifled with, and they respond quickly to those who would bring disorder here.”Vhael fixed a cold gaze on Carzen, but it was Jaron who shuddered at the wizard’s words, and he couldn’t help but tighten his grip on his cousin’s hand.  “Good advice,” the dragonborn said.  “Come on,” Rendil said.  “I’ll show you to my family’s inn; you can rest and get some hot food there.”“Gral and I have an errand to attend to first,” Vhael said.  “Go on ahead, but remember our purpose here.  Don’t attract attention, and don’t invite trouble.”“What errand?” Carzen asked, persisting despite the warning in the warlord’s eyes. “We have a contact among the mages who might be able to give us information about these slavers,” Gral finally said.  “It won’t take long, and we’ll meet you at the inn shortly.”Vhael leaned in, close enough so that Carzen could feel the heat of his breath on his face.  “No trouble,” he repeated.  Then he turned and walked away, the dwarf close on his heels. “Sheesh,” Carzen said, after a moment.  “What does he think we are, children?”“He knows the Hall,” Rendil said, “and what he says, it is good to listen.  In this place, the trouble is always around the bend.  Come on, my family’s probably worried sick about me, and I’m buying the first round.”“Now you’re talking,” Gez said, falling in with the others as they set out across the Hall, following the halfling.</blockquote>

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