Of Sound Mind the Halfling Way
- Thread starter the Jester
- Start date
the Jester
Legend
The Barrier and the Bonetangle!
Our heroes move onward after catching their breath. Shortly, they find themselves at a 10’ wide door made of beaten copper, green with corrosion. The air stinks horribly, a rank fishy musk hanging all around our heroes. Ed starts crying.
Dogfish, his face wrinkling in disgust at the stink, tries the door, but it seems to be barricaded from the far side. He throws his shoulder against it with a bang, but it doesn’t move. However, upon making said banging sound, Dogfish very effectively knocks on the door, and a voice hisses out from behind it. At first our heroes cannot comprehend it; it’s not in a language any of them speak. Then it switches to Strogassian, and the raving from the other side resolves into comprehensibility.
”You hass comesss back to finishh the jobsss, eh? To killsss uss? Likesss you did the othersss? Comesss and try, then!”
“All right then, we will!” Dogfish yells back, and our heroes arrange themselves for battle. Once they’re ready, the barbarian throws his shoulder at the door- and much to his surprise, he finds that it’s been unbarred! He flies into the room, almost loses his balance, and charges as-
What the hell is that?
It looks like a tangle of bones of all sorts, knitted together by some foul necromancy; ribs bristle from it like knives, and it’s got large, leg-bone sized arms. Dogfish smashes into it, his axe striking with terrific force, and he barely damages it. Uh-oh, he thinks.
The rest of our small party our pouring into the room. Brother He’s got his harpoon out ; Trinia and Federico are casting spells. The kobold dazes the troglodyte shaman behind the bonetangle, while Trinia summons a wolf that slavers at the sight of all those yummy bones and jumps to it. Brother He seizes his chance, hurling his harpoon at the trog, and it sinks into the creature’s thigh.
Then the bonetangle swipes out at Dogfish with crushing force; and a mace-like skull slams into Dogfish’s chest. Worse yet, it grabs him and pulls him into its jagged body, crushing him against it. Dogfish shouts in pain and fear as he’s pierced and crushed. He struggles for his very life.
Sandy’s sling is a blur as he twirls it. With a whack! a bullet flies from it into the bonetangle, cracking one of its bones. He tries again, but this shot misses. Cursing to himself, he reloads. This looks bad. Brother He, meanwhile, is tumbling in and attacking the bonetangle, but his fists bounce off of the tough bones. Find your center, he thinks, concentrating and preparing to strike.
Federico fires off another daze at the enemy shaman, and again the troglodyte succumbs to the magic, standing in place and hesitating. But the bonetangle moves a little closer to him, so Federico decides to back off some, and the shaman finally comes out of his trance. In agony from the harpoon, angry and in despair, he casts a spell on Brother He, who suddenly grows afraid, and then the shaman moves forward. Trinia moves forward to engage the tangle of bone, hoping to rescue Dogfish, who is squealing in horrible pain. She doesn’t think he can last much longer, and the wolf isn’t having much luck with the undead thing.
Spak! A sling bullet hits the shaman in the head, and he hisses an incredible hiss, shaking his head to clear his eyes of spots. That one came from a kobold! What an insult! Chanting, the priest rushes up and touches the group’s ‘dog’. The kobold squeals as wounds open all over his body! Blood gushes forth and he staggers back, yipping with his tail between his legs. He looks around for help but everyone else is busy with the bonetangle! He tumbles away and slings at the trog, but the shaman is relentlessly coming towards him.
Meanwhile, Dogfish screams again as the bonetangle pierces him in a dozen places, blood spraying all over the place. Brother He pounds on it, snapping a few bones and dealing significant damage, but then Dogfish passes out, unable to bear the pain any longer, and the bonetangle’s wrath descends on the monk! Brother He dodges as an arm of bone slaps at him, but he just isn’t fast enough! In an instant, he’s down!
Dismayed, Sandy cries, “We should’ve gone back for second breakfast!” He fires another sling bullet at the undead monstrosity, but it just bounces off its tough bone body.
Dogfish gives one last agonized unconscious scream of pain as the bonetangle crucifies him on it. Sharp ribs come out his belly, his arms, his thighs, his eye. Horrified, Ed bursts into tears. The troglodyte is still advancing on Federico, who keeps trying to retreat, whimpering, but can’t get far enough away! Things are looking bad!
Then Trinia is there, cutting the troglodyte’s advance off, slicing with her scimitar- and she slices at its right hand, removing three fingers! It shrieks in dismay, staggering, and tries to bite the druid. She cries out in fear as its slobbery teeth snap at her, but it comes up short as Federico’s sling bullet hits it in the eye. It staggers back, shakes its head, grunts, and then falls.
Sandy, who’s kept up a steady stream of sling bullets all along, lands another on the bonetangle and it shatters. Drawing a shaky breath, our heroes check out their casualties.
“Brother He will live,” Trinia says.
The group looks mournfully on the body of their dead friend Dogfish.
“May Nature take him to her bosom,” breathes the druidess, and Ed bursts into tears.
Next Time: The statue!
Our heroes move onward after catching their breath. Shortly, they find themselves at a 10’ wide door made of beaten copper, green with corrosion. The air stinks horribly, a rank fishy musk hanging all around our heroes. Ed starts crying.
Dogfish, his face wrinkling in disgust at the stink, tries the door, but it seems to be barricaded from the far side. He throws his shoulder against it with a bang, but it doesn’t move. However, upon making said banging sound, Dogfish very effectively knocks on the door, and a voice hisses out from behind it. At first our heroes cannot comprehend it; it’s not in a language any of them speak. Then it switches to Strogassian, and the raving from the other side resolves into comprehensibility.
”You hass comesss back to finishh the jobsss, eh? To killsss uss? Likesss you did the othersss? Comesss and try, then!”
“All right then, we will!” Dogfish yells back, and our heroes arrange themselves for battle. Once they’re ready, the barbarian throws his shoulder at the door- and much to his surprise, he finds that it’s been unbarred! He flies into the room, almost loses his balance, and charges as-
What the hell is that?
It looks like a tangle of bones of all sorts, knitted together by some foul necromancy; ribs bristle from it like knives, and it’s got large, leg-bone sized arms. Dogfish smashes into it, his axe striking with terrific force, and he barely damages it. Uh-oh, he thinks.
The rest of our small party our pouring into the room. Brother He’s got his harpoon out ; Trinia and Federico are casting spells. The kobold dazes the troglodyte shaman behind the bonetangle, while Trinia summons a wolf that slavers at the sight of all those yummy bones and jumps to it. Brother He seizes his chance, hurling his harpoon at the trog, and it sinks into the creature’s thigh.
Then the bonetangle swipes out at Dogfish with crushing force; and a mace-like skull slams into Dogfish’s chest. Worse yet, it grabs him and pulls him into its jagged body, crushing him against it. Dogfish shouts in pain and fear as he’s pierced and crushed. He struggles for his very life.
Sandy’s sling is a blur as he twirls it. With a whack! a bullet flies from it into the bonetangle, cracking one of its bones. He tries again, but this shot misses. Cursing to himself, he reloads. This looks bad. Brother He, meanwhile, is tumbling in and attacking the bonetangle, but his fists bounce off of the tough bones. Find your center, he thinks, concentrating and preparing to strike.
Federico fires off another daze at the enemy shaman, and again the troglodyte succumbs to the magic, standing in place and hesitating. But the bonetangle moves a little closer to him, so Federico decides to back off some, and the shaman finally comes out of his trance. In agony from the harpoon, angry and in despair, he casts a spell on Brother He, who suddenly grows afraid, and then the shaman moves forward. Trinia moves forward to engage the tangle of bone, hoping to rescue Dogfish, who is squealing in horrible pain. She doesn’t think he can last much longer, and the wolf isn’t having much luck with the undead thing.
Spak! A sling bullet hits the shaman in the head, and he hisses an incredible hiss, shaking his head to clear his eyes of spots. That one came from a kobold! What an insult! Chanting, the priest rushes up and touches the group’s ‘dog’. The kobold squeals as wounds open all over his body! Blood gushes forth and he staggers back, yipping with his tail between his legs. He looks around for help but everyone else is busy with the bonetangle! He tumbles away and slings at the trog, but the shaman is relentlessly coming towards him.
Meanwhile, Dogfish screams again as the bonetangle pierces him in a dozen places, blood spraying all over the place. Brother He pounds on it, snapping a few bones and dealing significant damage, but then Dogfish passes out, unable to bear the pain any longer, and the bonetangle’s wrath descends on the monk! Brother He dodges as an arm of bone slaps at him, but he just isn’t fast enough! In an instant, he’s down!
Dismayed, Sandy cries, “We should’ve gone back for second breakfast!” He fires another sling bullet at the undead monstrosity, but it just bounces off its tough bone body.
Dogfish gives one last agonized unconscious scream of pain as the bonetangle crucifies him on it. Sharp ribs come out his belly, his arms, his thighs, his eye. Horrified, Ed bursts into tears. The troglodyte is still advancing on Federico, who keeps trying to retreat, whimpering, but can’t get far enough away! Things are looking bad!
Then Trinia is there, cutting the troglodyte’s advance off, slicing with her scimitar- and she slices at its right hand, removing three fingers! It shrieks in dismay, staggering, and tries to bite the druid. She cries out in fear as its slobbery teeth snap at her, but it comes up short as Federico’s sling bullet hits it in the eye. It staggers back, shakes its head, grunts, and then falls.
Sandy, who’s kept up a steady stream of sling bullets all along, lands another on the bonetangle and it shatters. Drawing a shaky breath, our heroes check out their casualties.
“Brother He will live,” Trinia says.
The group looks mournfully on the body of their dead friend Dogfish.
“May Nature take him to her bosom,” breathes the druidess, and Ed bursts into tears.
Next Time: The statue!
Last edited:
the Jester
Legend
Mourning; the Witch of Bellhold
Slowly our small heroes emerge, one by one, from the old mines of Steeple Mountain. Once worked by slaves of the now-slain dragon Copperdeath, they seem to have become a haven for new dangers.
Our heroes, alas, are in mourning.
They rest in the drizzle, letting the chilly water soak through them and wash them clean. The stink of rotting fish clings to them, relic of the troglodyte zombies and their trog shaman master. And the oily feeling of wrongness that clings to them at the thought of how many of the clan has fallen since they set out to get the bell soils them all.
When night falls it only grows worse. Each of them is gnawed by terrible dreams, night terrors that shake them and confront them with the recently dead, their secret fears and weaknesses. Thankfully, dreams tend to fade on waking; otherwise...
Otherwise, what? Our heroes don’t know. But the citizens of Bellhold are beginning to find out.
Our heroes need some time to rest and heal, and they don’t feel safe near this cursed mine. So they head back into Bellhold, to the Bell & Clapper, the local inn located along the central plaza. Securing rooms, they briefly discuss returning to the mines, but too many of them are still wounded. Brother He can barely stand, for that matter; and so the group instead decides to investigate the local witch they heard mentioned.
“Remember?” Sandy asks them as they discuss it. “When they had the town meeting, the mayor said she’d seen a vision about the nightmares ending or something.”
“That’s right!” exclaims Federico. “Maybe she can help us or something!”
The group therefore asks around until they get directions to the witch’s home. Her name, they are told again, is Utrish. She is alleged to be insane; the group can’t find anyone who actually knows her well or calls her friend. Many of the townsfolk seem mistrustful of her, and a few even warn the group away from her.
Undeterred, our heroes seek her out. They follow their directions and soon arrive at a squat cottage, painted with a variety of arcane-looking symbols and glyphs. Cautiously, Trinia calls out, “Hello?”
There’s no answer, but Brother He hears a branch crack behind the cottage, as if trodden underfoot. Moving swiftly, he darts behind the building and intercepts an old woman with tangled hair and a dirty peasant dress on.
“Hello,” Brother He says. “Are you Utrish?”
The old woman starts. Eyes darting nervously about, she hums to herself for a moment, then mutters, “Yes. I’m going, though. Must be going...”
“We heard that you saw a vision of the nightmares ending,” Sandy interjects. “Perhaps you could answer a couple of our questions.”
“We’re trying to aid your people,” Thelonious adds.
Fearfully, the old woman whines, “I just want to go. It’s not good here anymore, not good! Terrible, terrible dreams...” She trails off, looking imploringly at the party.
“We’ll let you go as soon as you answer a few of our questions,” Sandy says firmly. “Do you know what’s causing the nightmares?” The witch shakes her head mutely. “What did you see in your vision?” Sandy demands.
Reluctantly, she speaks. “I... I told Philippa Krekket the truth. The truth. In a week the nightmares will be over...” She gulps, squeezing her eyes shut as if in pain. “But I didn’t tell her the whole truth,” she whispers. “Not all of it. The nightmares will be over... because there will not be anyone here who can dream.”
Next Time: Captain Cavedwarf and the dragon statue!
Slowly our small heroes emerge, one by one, from the old mines of Steeple Mountain. Once worked by slaves of the now-slain dragon Copperdeath, they seem to have become a haven for new dangers.
Our heroes, alas, are in mourning.
They rest in the drizzle, letting the chilly water soak through them and wash them clean. The stink of rotting fish clings to them, relic of the troglodyte zombies and their trog shaman master. And the oily feeling of wrongness that clings to them at the thought of how many of the clan has fallen since they set out to get the bell soils them all.
When night falls it only grows worse. Each of them is gnawed by terrible dreams, night terrors that shake them and confront them with the recently dead, their secret fears and weaknesses. Thankfully, dreams tend to fade on waking; otherwise...
Otherwise, what? Our heroes don’t know. But the citizens of Bellhold are beginning to find out.
Our heroes need some time to rest and heal, and they don’t feel safe near this cursed mine. So they head back into Bellhold, to the Bell & Clapper, the local inn located along the central plaza. Securing rooms, they briefly discuss returning to the mines, but too many of them are still wounded. Brother He can barely stand, for that matter; and so the group instead decides to investigate the local witch they heard mentioned.
“Remember?” Sandy asks them as they discuss it. “When they had the town meeting, the mayor said she’d seen a vision about the nightmares ending or something.”
“That’s right!” exclaims Federico. “Maybe she can help us or something!”
The group therefore asks around until they get directions to the witch’s home. Her name, they are told again, is Utrish. She is alleged to be insane; the group can’t find anyone who actually knows her well or calls her friend. Many of the townsfolk seem mistrustful of her, and a few even warn the group away from her.
Undeterred, our heroes seek her out. They follow their directions and soon arrive at a squat cottage, painted with a variety of arcane-looking symbols and glyphs. Cautiously, Trinia calls out, “Hello?”
There’s no answer, but Brother He hears a branch crack behind the cottage, as if trodden underfoot. Moving swiftly, he darts behind the building and intercepts an old woman with tangled hair and a dirty peasant dress on.
“Hello,” Brother He says. “Are you Utrish?”
The old woman starts. Eyes darting nervously about, she hums to herself for a moment, then mutters, “Yes. I’m going, though. Must be going...”
“We heard that you saw a vision of the nightmares ending,” Sandy interjects. “Perhaps you could answer a couple of our questions.”
“We’re trying to aid your people,” Thelonious adds.
Fearfully, the old woman whines, “I just want to go. It’s not good here anymore, not good! Terrible, terrible dreams...” She trails off, looking imploringly at the party.
“We’ll let you go as soon as you answer a few of our questions,” Sandy says firmly. “Do you know what’s causing the nightmares?” The witch shakes her head mutely. “What did you see in your vision?” Sandy demands.
Reluctantly, she speaks. “I... I told Philippa Krekket the truth. The truth. In a week the nightmares will be over...” She gulps, squeezing her eyes shut as if in pain. “But I didn’t tell her the whole truth,” she whispers. “Not all of it. The nightmares will be over... because there will not be anyone here who can dream.”
Next Time: Captain Cavedwarf and the dragon statue!
the Jester
Legend
Captain Cavedwarf and the Stone Dragon
Well-rested and finally healed to nearly full strength, our heroes have returned to the cave. Through the chamber wherein they battled the troglodyte shaman and his bonetangle they go, stopping to shed a few tears for their lost companions.
You will die! shrieks that voice in Thelonious’ head. He glances around at the others, but they don’t seem to hear it. He can’t help but worry about his sanity- the voice has nagged at him for days, now, and he’s afraid of it. If it’s real, it’s probably even worse than if he’s going mad.
Indeed, the voice is real; everyone in the group has been hearing its words, but each hears his or her own set of threats and ranting. Whatever it is, it’s foul and evil, and our heroes would just as soon get outta town and leave it be, but they have a bell to obtain.
Their new companion stops to sniff the air around them. The stench of the dead trog and trog zombies is, if anything, even worse than when they were alive. “Troglodytes,” the dwarf says contemptuously. He glances at his fellow druid Trinia. “The ones you told me about, I presume?”
She nods, glad to have another druid (even if he is uncouth, hairy and a little simple seeming) in the group. He was dispatched by the Circle to investigate the local nightmares and evil occurrences, to see if anything was wrong with the water or the soil, if poison had been introduced to the food supply, generally to investigate. He bears a large club; the only name he gives (and he uses it as a battle cry) is Captain Cavedwarf.
From the shaman’s room exit three passages other than the one they entered. They begin with the one closest to their entrance, and it leads them into a series of turns and branches. They follow the passage as straight as they can, finally emerging, strangely enough, into a lit area. A huge stone statue of a dragon sits against the far wall, its eyes huge faceted blue gems. Directly before it is the source of the light: a huge copper bowl full of bright yellow flames, raised on a massive stone block.
Eyeing the statue, Captain Cavedwarf says, “Uh-oh.”
It doesn’t seem to be moving, but that isn’t too reassuring; indeed, our heroes expect it to animate, attack, and kill them all at any moment. Fearfully, they creep into the large room (it’s got to be around 100’ long and almost as wide), eyes locked on the draconian statue. Nothing happens; nothing moves. Slowly, Brother He and Sandy approach the statue. Still nothing. Brother He pokes at it with a finger, then smacks it. The statue remains quiescent, and the party finally starts to relax and really look around. The walls are carved with many images, depicting all kinds of mining operations and the making of offerings to a great dragon (presumably the deceased Copperdeath).
Sandy keeps looking at those scintillating gems in the statue’s eyes. “I wish we could get those,” he murmurs.
“Yeah...” Captain Cavedwarf tugs his beard. “If anything’s going to animate that dragon...” He leaves the thought unfinished. Sandy nods.
After some discussion, the party decides it’s worth a little risk to get the two jewels. After all, they need to pay for their bell, if nothing else; the purse they were sent with is going to prove insufficient. So, after discussing their skill sets, it is decided that Brother He is most likely to successfully climb the 30’ statue, remove the eyes and return without falling. When the subject of falling comes up, Ed wails and the tears start as she thinks of her dead brother Coco.
“I wish Mama were here,” whimpers Federico as Brother He starts his climb.
The small monk easily ascends the statue, coming to rest on its large head. Taking a moment to think it through and catch his breath, Brother He pulls a dagger. Wrapping his legs tightly around the neck of the statue, he leans forward, stretches out his knife and starts prying at the eye.
Even as the faceted gemstone pops free into his hand, He feels the statue beneath him rear and try to throw him. Suddenly everything’s moving! Gritting his teeth, Brother He clings with all his might, the head twisting and snapping to try to cast him from it. “Oof!” he grunts as he almost loses his grip, then, in a feat of amazing daring, he starts prying at the other eye.
“Throw the eye!” Sandy shouts, and a sling bullet whizzes past the writhing dragon statue. It stomps forward, its footfalls landing hard and loud, still struggling to dislodge its impromptu rider. As the dragon moves forward, a passage behind it is uncovered!
“Look!” cries Federico.
Captain Cavedwarf’s too busy to look, but he sees the passage nonetheless. His shillelagh flares green as he screams, “CAPTAIN CAAAVEDWAAARF!!!!” A mighty blow bounces right off the dragon’s rocky form. Another fails to do any damage. Another.... Cursing, Captain Cavedwarf breaks off his assault and runs for the hidden doorway.
Sandy keeps firing, backing away a step at a time, but he’s getting very nervous. When Brother He finally flies from the dragon’s now-cyclopean head, Sandy gulps and tries to move around the statue, but a great blow from one of its heavy granite wings takes him in the head, and with a groan Sandy falls unconscious before it.
Brother He lands on his feet. He let himself be thrown, used the momentum to get away from it. Now he’s tumbling away, desperately trying to escape the relentless dragon. It’s following me! he thinks, then steels his mind. Discipline will be his only salvation, and he knows he must escape it. He rushes down the passage he came from, praying the dragon won’t be able to follow, and starts following the right hand wall.
After running around a corner, he stops briefly to listen-
Nothing.
Peeking around the corner, half expecting the thing to be there waiting to devour him, Brother He’s surprised to see that the dragon has returned to its pedestal, as if waiting for someone to approach it again. Is it asleep? the monk wonders, and cautiously advances again. “Guys?” he calls nervously.
No answer, but He spots Sandy lying on the ground directly before the dragon’s bowl, looking too much like a sacrifice. He looks badly injured, maybe even... Brother He doesn’t finish the thought. The idea of another of his new friends having already fallen fills him with grief. He darts forward, constantly throwing glances in the stone dragon’s direction, and puts a finger to Sandy’s neck, dreading what he’ll find, hoping against hope for-
A pulse!
Quickly, Brother He bandages his friend. Then, slowly, he looks about. There’s no sign of his friends.
The passage, he thinks. He saw what Federico had pointed out.
He glances at Sandy’s unconscious form. Glances at the statue.
Frowning, Brother He ponders his options.
Next Time: A Femur From A Friendly Fey!
Well-rested and finally healed to nearly full strength, our heroes have returned to the cave. Through the chamber wherein they battled the troglodyte shaman and his bonetangle they go, stopping to shed a few tears for their lost companions.
You will die! shrieks that voice in Thelonious’ head. He glances around at the others, but they don’t seem to hear it. He can’t help but worry about his sanity- the voice has nagged at him for days, now, and he’s afraid of it. If it’s real, it’s probably even worse than if he’s going mad.
Indeed, the voice is real; everyone in the group has been hearing its words, but each hears his or her own set of threats and ranting. Whatever it is, it’s foul and evil, and our heroes would just as soon get outta town and leave it be, but they have a bell to obtain.
Their new companion stops to sniff the air around them. The stench of the dead trog and trog zombies is, if anything, even worse than when they were alive. “Troglodytes,” the dwarf says contemptuously. He glances at his fellow druid Trinia. “The ones you told me about, I presume?”
She nods, glad to have another druid (even if he is uncouth, hairy and a little simple seeming) in the group. He was dispatched by the Circle to investigate the local nightmares and evil occurrences, to see if anything was wrong with the water or the soil, if poison had been introduced to the food supply, generally to investigate. He bears a large club; the only name he gives (and he uses it as a battle cry) is Captain Cavedwarf.
From the shaman’s room exit three passages other than the one they entered. They begin with the one closest to their entrance, and it leads them into a series of turns and branches. They follow the passage as straight as they can, finally emerging, strangely enough, into a lit area. A huge stone statue of a dragon sits against the far wall, its eyes huge faceted blue gems. Directly before it is the source of the light: a huge copper bowl full of bright yellow flames, raised on a massive stone block.
Eyeing the statue, Captain Cavedwarf says, “Uh-oh.”
It doesn’t seem to be moving, but that isn’t too reassuring; indeed, our heroes expect it to animate, attack, and kill them all at any moment. Fearfully, they creep into the large room (it’s got to be around 100’ long and almost as wide), eyes locked on the draconian statue. Nothing happens; nothing moves. Slowly, Brother He and Sandy approach the statue. Still nothing. Brother He pokes at it with a finger, then smacks it. The statue remains quiescent, and the party finally starts to relax and really look around. The walls are carved with many images, depicting all kinds of mining operations and the making of offerings to a great dragon (presumably the deceased Copperdeath).
Sandy keeps looking at those scintillating gems in the statue’s eyes. “I wish we could get those,” he murmurs.
“Yeah...” Captain Cavedwarf tugs his beard. “If anything’s going to animate that dragon...” He leaves the thought unfinished. Sandy nods.
After some discussion, the party decides it’s worth a little risk to get the two jewels. After all, they need to pay for their bell, if nothing else; the purse they were sent with is going to prove insufficient. So, after discussing their skill sets, it is decided that Brother He is most likely to successfully climb the 30’ statue, remove the eyes and return without falling. When the subject of falling comes up, Ed wails and the tears start as she thinks of her dead brother Coco.
“I wish Mama were here,” whimpers Federico as Brother He starts his climb.
The small monk easily ascends the statue, coming to rest on its large head. Taking a moment to think it through and catch his breath, Brother He pulls a dagger. Wrapping his legs tightly around the neck of the statue, he leans forward, stretches out his knife and starts prying at the eye.
Even as the faceted gemstone pops free into his hand, He feels the statue beneath him rear and try to throw him. Suddenly everything’s moving! Gritting his teeth, Brother He clings with all his might, the head twisting and snapping to try to cast him from it. “Oof!” he grunts as he almost loses his grip, then, in a feat of amazing daring, he starts prying at the other eye.
“Throw the eye!” Sandy shouts, and a sling bullet whizzes past the writhing dragon statue. It stomps forward, its footfalls landing hard and loud, still struggling to dislodge its impromptu rider. As the dragon moves forward, a passage behind it is uncovered!
“Look!” cries Federico.
Captain Cavedwarf’s too busy to look, but he sees the passage nonetheless. His shillelagh flares green as he screams, “CAPTAIN CAAAVEDWAAARF!!!!” A mighty blow bounces right off the dragon’s rocky form. Another fails to do any damage. Another.... Cursing, Captain Cavedwarf breaks off his assault and runs for the hidden doorway.
Sandy keeps firing, backing away a step at a time, but he’s getting very nervous. When Brother He finally flies from the dragon’s now-cyclopean head, Sandy gulps and tries to move around the statue, but a great blow from one of its heavy granite wings takes him in the head, and with a groan Sandy falls unconscious before it.
Brother He lands on his feet. He let himself be thrown, used the momentum to get away from it. Now he’s tumbling away, desperately trying to escape the relentless dragon. It’s following me! he thinks, then steels his mind. Discipline will be his only salvation, and he knows he must escape it. He rushes down the passage he came from, praying the dragon won’t be able to follow, and starts following the right hand wall.
After running around a corner, he stops briefly to listen-
Nothing.
Peeking around the corner, half expecting the thing to be there waiting to devour him, Brother He’s surprised to see that the dragon has returned to its pedestal, as if waiting for someone to approach it again. Is it asleep? the monk wonders, and cautiously advances again. “Guys?” he calls nervously.
No answer, but He spots Sandy lying on the ground directly before the dragon’s bowl, looking too much like a sacrifice. He looks badly injured, maybe even... Brother He doesn’t finish the thought. The idea of another of his new friends having already fallen fills him with grief. He darts forward, constantly throwing glances in the stone dragon’s direction, and puts a finger to Sandy’s neck, dreading what he’ll find, hoping against hope for-
A pulse!
Quickly, Brother He bandages his friend. Then, slowly, he looks about. There’s no sign of his friends.
The passage, he thinks. He saw what Federico had pointed out.
He glances at Sandy’s unconscious form. Glances at the statue.
Frowning, Brother He ponders his options.
Next Time: A Femur From A Friendly Fey!
the Jester
Legend
So, Lela, have you looked at the high-level story hour threads I've written?
Roughly, they go like this:
My old thread
Agents of Chaos
To War Against Felenga (link in sig)
Not sure if you're interested, but that might help you find a good place to start from if you are....
Roughly, they go like this:
My old thread
Agents of Chaos
To War Against Felenga (link in sig)
Not sure if you're interested, but that might help you find a good place to start from if you are....
the Jester
Legend
Seperated and Scared
Captain Cavedwarf pokes his head out of the copper bathtub he’s hiding in to hazard a glance in the direction of the secret entrance.
Closed.
The kobold crushed beneath his chest squirms, and the dwarven druid pushes himself up, cautiously glancing around for any signs of danger. The floor itself seems to be covered with tarnished copper plates. Nervously Captain Cavedwarf and Federico stand up.
“I’m scared,” whimpers the dog.
***
Brother He examines his chances, his unconscious friend, the fact that the others could be through the secret passage or down any of the many other tunnels they found. They could even be on their way out. It might be utterly futile to try to make for the secret passage. But then again...
If his friends are beyond the passage, might they not find a way to reopen it? And if they aren’t, and something dangerous is, might Brother He not find himself in over his head?
He settles down to meditate.
***
The only exit from the large chamber with the copper floors is a curving, ascending tunnel. Soon it becomes a sheer shaft, but again, whoever has come before them has left a rope. Federico whimpers, his arms already aching from the climbing he’s already done. He’s weak.* But our heroes scale the rope, and then continue up another winding tunnel. As they advance, Captain Cavedwarf notes a breeze coming from up ahead, as well as a rumbling noise. Water, he surmises, and soon our heroes emerge in a misty area. A waterfall thunders down from above, the waters strangely luminescent. A stone barrier prevents the water from flowing down the tunnel towards the pair, and clouds of water vapor fog the air.
A strange singing wafts through the air.
“What’s that?” Federico whispers, awestruck by the beauty of the voice. Captain Cavedwarf can only shake his head.
Emerging from the mist comes a beauteous form, a gorgeous elfin female without a stitch of clothing on. “She’s so beautiful,” the kobold moans, and Captain Cavedwarf glances sharply in his direction. Before he can speak, the kobold cries a greeting.
***
The other two of our group are nervously waiting near the entrance to the mines. Resting, healing, preparing to attempt a rescue... or body retrieval. They are grim. Ed is crying, her face marred by rivers of tears. Thelonious says nothing, laying with his eyes closed, trying to recoup some of his strength. Soon, he groans inwardly. I’ll go looking soon. Maybe they’ll make it out on their own... He descends into feverish dreams.
He’s sick, Airhead Ed thinks miserably as she looks at the exhausted big ranger. I hope he throws it off. Bad things are happening here... we need everyone we’ve got left... As she starts to think of her dead friends, the tears start again, even without anyone to see her performance.
***
“Velea,” says the gorgeous woman, shaking Federico’s paw. “And you?” She smiles sweetly at them.
The dwarf is cautious but hopeful. She seems to be some sort of fey; hopefully they can help each other out. The talk is respectful, and soon turns to the dragon. “Old Copperdeath,” muses the fey. She sounds both fearful and respectful as she speaks of him. “I’ve been hearing his voice lately, as if he’s somehow returned... I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’ve been bound here for so long now... I must be free! You must help me!”
Captain Cavedwarf frowns but holds his tongue as Federico gladly agrees to everything she suggests.
“Have you seen another band of adventurers come through here?” the dwarf suddenly asks.
“Oh, ah, well...” She looks momentarily pensive. “Yes, two of them came to visit me. I think they were seeking Copperdeath as well...” She trails off. “I’m afraid I grew too impatient to get their aid.”
“Do you have any food?” Federico interrupts. “I’m hungry.”
“Of course, my little friend!” She stoops down and kisses his on his scaly forehead. “Anything for you!” She dives into the pool the waterfall pounds into, and a few moments later emerges with something in her hand. The dwarven druid watches with interest as she tosses it- a bone, looks like a femur- to the dog, who immediately starts slavering on it, enjoying the tattered bits of meat that remain on it.
“We need the others,” Captain Cavedwarf says, almost to himself.
He and Federico return to the copper-floored room, assuring the fey woman that they’ll be back to help her very shortly. It takes a great deal of effort to persuade Federico to turn back, which Captain Cavedwarf would no doubt have thought very odd, if only he’d known the little kobold well enough to recognize his utter lack of courage.
***
Brother He’s eyes crack open. He’s sitting cross-legged on the floor about twenty feet from the stone dragon. That sound- just like before, he thinks sickly.
In an instant, Brother He is backpedaling away from it. He knows one blow from it will likely kill him, and he dares not stand around waiting for that blow. But it doesn’t attack him; instead it steps aside, and the passage is revealed; and standing before it are the dwarf and the kobold.
“Let’s flee!” cries Federico.
“What’s back there?” Brother He asks.
“Come quickly, lad!” Captain Cavedwarf barks. He steps out, seizing Sandy’s unconscious form beneath the arms and dragging him through the momentarily-opened passage. Brother He doesn’t hesitate at all; he steps through. Mere moments later, the statue returns to its former resting place and settles back down, sealing them in the passage.
*Federico’s strength is a 1.
Next Time: What comes out of a dragon’s mouth? Plus- the fate of the missing children!
Captain Cavedwarf pokes his head out of the copper bathtub he’s hiding in to hazard a glance in the direction of the secret entrance.
Closed.
The kobold crushed beneath his chest squirms, and the dwarven druid pushes himself up, cautiously glancing around for any signs of danger. The floor itself seems to be covered with tarnished copper plates. Nervously Captain Cavedwarf and Federico stand up.
“I’m scared,” whimpers the dog.
***
Brother He examines his chances, his unconscious friend, the fact that the others could be through the secret passage or down any of the many other tunnels they found. They could even be on their way out. It might be utterly futile to try to make for the secret passage. But then again...
If his friends are beyond the passage, might they not find a way to reopen it? And if they aren’t, and something dangerous is, might Brother He not find himself in over his head?
He settles down to meditate.
***
The only exit from the large chamber with the copper floors is a curving, ascending tunnel. Soon it becomes a sheer shaft, but again, whoever has come before them has left a rope. Federico whimpers, his arms already aching from the climbing he’s already done. He’s weak.* But our heroes scale the rope, and then continue up another winding tunnel. As they advance, Captain Cavedwarf notes a breeze coming from up ahead, as well as a rumbling noise. Water, he surmises, and soon our heroes emerge in a misty area. A waterfall thunders down from above, the waters strangely luminescent. A stone barrier prevents the water from flowing down the tunnel towards the pair, and clouds of water vapor fog the air.
A strange singing wafts through the air.
“What’s that?” Federico whispers, awestruck by the beauty of the voice. Captain Cavedwarf can only shake his head.
Emerging from the mist comes a beauteous form, a gorgeous elfin female without a stitch of clothing on. “She’s so beautiful,” the kobold moans, and Captain Cavedwarf glances sharply in his direction. Before he can speak, the kobold cries a greeting.
***
The other two of our group are nervously waiting near the entrance to the mines. Resting, healing, preparing to attempt a rescue... or body retrieval. They are grim. Ed is crying, her face marred by rivers of tears. Thelonious says nothing, laying with his eyes closed, trying to recoup some of his strength. Soon, he groans inwardly. I’ll go looking soon. Maybe they’ll make it out on their own... He descends into feverish dreams.
He’s sick, Airhead Ed thinks miserably as she looks at the exhausted big ranger. I hope he throws it off. Bad things are happening here... we need everyone we’ve got left... As she starts to think of her dead friends, the tears start again, even without anyone to see her performance.
***
“Velea,” says the gorgeous woman, shaking Federico’s paw. “And you?” She smiles sweetly at them.
The dwarf is cautious but hopeful. She seems to be some sort of fey; hopefully they can help each other out. The talk is respectful, and soon turns to the dragon. “Old Copperdeath,” muses the fey. She sounds both fearful and respectful as she speaks of him. “I’ve been hearing his voice lately, as if he’s somehow returned... I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’ve been bound here for so long now... I must be free! You must help me!”
Captain Cavedwarf frowns but holds his tongue as Federico gladly agrees to everything she suggests.
“Have you seen another band of adventurers come through here?” the dwarf suddenly asks.
“Oh, ah, well...” She looks momentarily pensive. “Yes, two of them came to visit me. I think they were seeking Copperdeath as well...” She trails off. “I’m afraid I grew too impatient to get their aid.”
“Do you have any food?” Federico interrupts. “I’m hungry.”
“Of course, my little friend!” She stoops down and kisses his on his scaly forehead. “Anything for you!” She dives into the pool the waterfall pounds into, and a few moments later emerges with something in her hand. The dwarven druid watches with interest as she tosses it- a bone, looks like a femur- to the dog, who immediately starts slavering on it, enjoying the tattered bits of meat that remain on it.
“We need the others,” Captain Cavedwarf says, almost to himself.
He and Federico return to the copper-floored room, assuring the fey woman that they’ll be back to help her very shortly. It takes a great deal of effort to persuade Federico to turn back, which Captain Cavedwarf would no doubt have thought very odd, if only he’d known the little kobold well enough to recognize his utter lack of courage.
***
Brother He’s eyes crack open. He’s sitting cross-legged on the floor about twenty feet from the stone dragon. That sound- just like before, he thinks sickly.
In an instant, Brother He is backpedaling away from it. He knows one blow from it will likely kill him, and he dares not stand around waiting for that blow. But it doesn’t attack him; instead it steps aside, and the passage is revealed; and standing before it are the dwarf and the kobold.
“Let’s flee!” cries Federico.
“What’s back there?” Brother He asks.
“Come quickly, lad!” Captain Cavedwarf barks. He steps out, seizing Sandy’s unconscious form beneath the arms and dragging him through the momentarily-opened passage. Brother He doesn’t hesitate at all; he steps through. Mere moments later, the statue returns to its former resting place and settles back down, sealing them in the passage.
*Federico’s strength is a 1.
Next Time: What comes out of a dragon’s mouth? Plus- the fate of the missing children!
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