Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 2609176" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 458The underground chamber was cavernous and clearly of volcanic origin, formed within the earth by ancient combinations of pressure and heat.  The interior space was irregular and complicated by later alterations wrought by air and water and deposits of minerals that had built up over time.  But even with that clutter and the various twists and bends that jutted off of the core, the great open space in the center was easily a hundred feet across, and a stone dropped from the highest point would easily have fallen twice that distance before it finally came to rest amidst the cracks and crannies of the chamber floor. A reddish glow brightened the interior of the cavern at one end.  A first glance would have likely led to the surmise that its source was some remnant of volcanic activism, but that assumption would be quickly dispelled by a more intense scrutiny.  For resting within a niche roughly thirty feet off the ground, hovering above a ledge of stone that jutted from the cavern wall, was the source of the light, an oblong latticework of red crystal the size of an ogre’s skull.  That wonder might have drawn more attention but for the fact that its rays brilliantly reflected off a splendor of golden wealth more substantial than the treasury of a kingdom.  The cavern opposite the glowing crystal rose in terraces like a stepladder fashioned for a titan, and there countless coins of varied mints and metals were scattered as if to collect the gleam of the light to best effect.  Mixed in among that hoard were other items of obvious wealth; scattered gemstones, precious jewels, objects of rare wood polished to a shimmering shine, assorted pieces of armor and weapons, and even the head of a statue shaped from solid mithral, crafted after the appearance of a bearded man of stern visage and of a scale at least six times that of its subject. But even this fabulous treasure, however grand, was not the most notable focus of the chamber.  For on a wide ledge yet further distant, a dragon slumbered. It was a huge red, its body the size of a middling farmer’s cottage, easily sixty feet from the ends of the teeth that jutted from its spacious jaw to the tip of its tail.  It lay recumbent upon the surface of the ledge, its tail curled around its lower body, wisps of smoke rising from its nostrils with each massive breath.  The creature bore the scars of numerous engagements, including some marks that looked to be fairly recent in origin.  Several scales had been torn from its body, two broad healed gashes crossed its breast, and one wing still bore a foot-long tear that dragged an uneven flap of leathery skin.  None of those badges of experience detracted from the aura of power and potency that surrounded the creature, however.  Even at rest, Hookface was a monstrous foe, representative of one of Faerûn’s most devastating races. Even with the dragon asleep, the cavern was full of sounds, subtle noises of the stone, currents of air that shifted deep underground, adding their always-changing whisper to the background.  Thus it might have easily been missed when a soft noise like a breaking wave sounded upon a ledge near the base of the wall opposite the dragon’s perch, and six individuals materialized out of nowhere into the cavern. The six newcomers—most of which hovered slightly above, rather than stood upon, the ledge—immediately started moving.  They had weapons at the ready, and bore the tell-tale auras of numerous spells, betraying instantly their intent.  The dragon, asleep, looked to be easy prey, despite its considerable advantage in size and bulk. But that impression changed almost immediately.  Even as the echo of the faint noise caused by the teleport faded, the dragon reared up, its eyes widening more with rage than surprise, its jaws opening even as it lifted its body, clutching the edge of the ledge with its fore and rear claws.  Even the most agile of the newcomers had barely managed to cover ten feet from the point of arrival when Hookface unleashed its deadly breath, and filled the cavern with fire.</blockquote>

Verification