The Goodman Gang in The Mysterious Tower
Simply put the person who plays Bec is not keen on interaction, she's been playing for a while and yet her characters to date, in my games have been-
Bob Human Male Ranger level 8 Priest of Kord level 7- the strong silent type, actually another ex-farm boy, his family cultivated Turnips, the youngest brother of seven, with the same number of sisters- he never got a word in edgeways. A monosyllabic gentle giant that usually saves the day, and has a one word catch-phrase, actually Bob never had a catch-phrase, generally it was the other party members that yelled, "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB", and he came running.
Barbi Human Female Fighter level 1 RIP- Can't remember the back-story, she didn't stick around long, catch-phrase was something like, "Yeah, S'pose." Usually in reply to a question such as- "Barbi, quick get the Goblin, I'm dying here..." Killed in an Orc ambush.
Fred Human Male Fighter level 1 RIP- A farmer's son... hang on, I think I've heard this one before. Can't remember how he died but it was in The Sunless Citadel, which I've played so many times, and loved, that the module is almost in bits.
Hamilton Gaylord Flambeu Male Halfling Rogue level 1 RIP- actually I rolled Hamilton up so he doesn't really count. It needs to be said that he was as silent as he was deadly, actually more so, as he ended up agreeing (or at least nodding) in agreement with the double-crossing Priest in the scenario "Evil Unearthed" which appeared in the first Dungeon Magazine that went 3E, can't remember the number. Unfortunately the Priest in question led the party into an ambush with a bunch of Kobolds, some minor Undead, and him- a 5th level Cleric of Hextor, result TPK. Famous last words, after stabbed in the back and criticaled by said Priest- "AAAArrrgrhhhhhh. And you can quote me on that."
Langley Human Male Fighter level 1 RIP- an ex-town guardsman, from a large family, hey, I've heard that somewhere before, catch-phrase something like, "get 'em." Alas Langley met his maker in B2 Keep on the Borderlands, converted to 3e, in "The Shunned Cavern", along with two other members of the party, in the first chamber they investigated. Langley dived into a pool to avoid a Ooze of some sort, and after a series of "1"s on other terrible dice rolls, was engulfed by a very slow moving second Ooze- one of the other players dived in to help him, only to witness the moment when Langley imploded within the Ooze as he reached -10 hit points.
Weetabix Half-Orc Male Fighter Level 1 RIP- eaten by a ghoul, hey-ho, no last known words.
My point being while the stats don't lie, Miss E. who plays Bec, is ploughing a familiar furrow.
If you're wondering how I knew all of the above then I went through my "Dead File" which, when times are slow, or I am low, I review. I've got all the character sheets of everybody I've ever killed- they say serial killers like to keep mementoes of their victims.
Also
Bec has a secret, a big secret...
Now that's a better explanation isn't it.
Thanks for reading.
Bob Human Male Ranger level 8 Priest of Kord level 7- the strong silent type, actually another ex-farm boy, his family cultivated Turnips, the youngest brother of seven, with the same number of sisters- he never got a word in edgeways. A monosyllabic gentle giant that usually saves the day, and has a one word catch-phrase, actually Bob never had a catch-phrase, generally it was the other party members that yelled, "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB", and he came running.
Barbi Human Female Fighter level 1 RIP- Can't remember the back-story, she didn't stick around long, catch-phrase was something like, "Yeah, S'pose." Usually in reply to a question such as- "Barbi, quick get the Goblin, I'm dying here..." Killed in an Orc ambush.
Fred Human Male Fighter level 1 RIP- A farmer's son... hang on, I think I've heard this one before. Can't remember how he died but it was in The Sunless Citadel, which I've played so many times, and loved, that the module is almost in bits.
Hamilton Gaylord Flambeu Male Halfling Rogue level 1 RIP- actually I rolled Hamilton up so he doesn't really count. It needs to be said that he was as silent as he was deadly, actually more so, as he ended up agreeing (or at least nodding) in agreement with the double-crossing Priest in the scenario "Evil Unearthed" which appeared in the first Dungeon Magazine that went 3E, can't remember the number. Unfortunately the Priest in question led the party into an ambush with a bunch of Kobolds, some minor Undead, and him- a 5th level Cleric of Hextor, result TPK. Famous last words, after stabbed in the back and criticaled by said Priest- "AAAArrrgrhhhhhh. And you can quote me on that."
Langley Human Male Fighter level 1 RIP- an ex-town guardsman, from a large family, hey, I've heard that somewhere before, catch-phrase something like, "get 'em." Alas Langley met his maker in B2 Keep on the Borderlands, converted to 3e, in "The Shunned Cavern", along with two other members of the party, in the first chamber they investigated. Langley dived into a pool to avoid a Ooze of some sort, and after a series of "1"s on other terrible dice rolls, was engulfed by a very slow moving second Ooze- one of the other players dived in to help him, only to witness the moment when Langley imploded within the Ooze as he reached -10 hit points.
Weetabix Half-Orc Male Fighter Level 1 RIP- eaten by a ghoul, hey-ho, no last known words.
My point being while the stats don't lie, Miss E. who plays Bec, is ploughing a familiar furrow.
If you're wondering how I knew all of the above then I went through my "Dead File" which, when times are slow, or I am low, I review. I've got all the character sheets of everybody I've ever killed- they say serial killers like to keep mementoes of their victims.
Also
Bec has a secret, a big secret...
Now that's a better explanation isn't it.
Thanks for reading.
Richard Rawen
First Post
I've had similar players, the most exciting change they ever made to their default Ranger was to add a level of Rogue one time. Oh, and of course to dust off a "Basic" edition Elf and make him a Ranger (oh, yeah, alllll of them were Elves. Not even bandwagon to our fav Drow, nope, straight High Elven, even when Grey, Wood, Wild... Yes, he even turned down the benies of Wood Elfdom . . . )
Of course when the LotR movies came out we all had to start calling his PC's Legolas...
after he asked about the bow and/or arrow as an impromptu melee weapon . . . in front of the group
Well keep the hits comin, good to see a (near)death experience for the leader type, builds character (or at least opens RP opportunities ! )
Of course when the LotR movies came out we all had to start calling his PC's Legolas...
after he asked about the bow and/or arrow as an impromptu melee weapon . . . in front of the group
Well keep the hits comin, good to see a (near)death experience for the leader type, builds character (or at least opens RP opportunities ! )
I must admit, at times our (my) game can survive, for a good while, on a steady stream of hack-and-slash. I think these people have work-related demons they need to exorcise. Funnily enough Bob, one of Miss E.'s earlier characters, was one of my favourites to DM, I could second guess his actions, which would result in Bec getting into all manner of terrifying situations-
Being captured by a Grell, constantly passing his Palayzation saving throw, fighting the thing as it bore him off, hacking at the tentacles holding onto him as the Grell floated higher and higher. Eventually killing the thing and plummeting out of the air only to land in the only bit of deep water in the cavern.
I also remember Bec fighting a Huge Water Elemental, as represented on the gaming table, before I got my miniatures, by a can of Sprite, from the inside- and winning, while taking constant damage and with lots of minuses.
Or plugging a doorway while a horde, at least twenty, Trogs tried, and repeatedly failed to get past him.
The above all from the Temple of Elemental Evil.
I can safely say- I liked Bob a lot, still do, although he's not had a run out in over three years; he's a job to do, and he always does it.
So back to Bec, he's not a role-player, at least not a lot but he does the same job.
Miss E. who plays Bec is perhaps just plain shy, there, I've said it.
And so onwards, ever onwards... further into the mire.
Thanks again Richard.
Turn 18: A Little Army
Day three beckons in the deep dark underground, Cas is back in the land of the living, and thankful, he’s particularly thankful for his new sword.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Makes a change.” Newt states polishing his bed-side manner.
“Anyway we must get on.”
Ala frets, to herself, for a change.
Cas is briefed on what has transpired since his sudden lie-down, he knows some of the story but the others fill in the gaps. Newt even finds the time to tell them about the ledge he thinks is out there- somewhere, weaves it into the story, without letting on he’s been for a midnight wander.
An hour later, after a decent breakfast, the gang are back on board the rafts and are paddling with all their might, across the current towards, towards… well who knows what.
They’re spotted, at some point on their journey; a crossbow bolt thunks into the lead raft, maybe it was the two burning sunrods that gave their location away, a necessary risk- as I’ve already stated they have no idea where they’re going.
More crossbow bolts rain down; they paddle on in silence, until Newt is hit- a bolt lodging in the back of his thigh.
“Feckin’ buggerations.” The Gnome screams.
There’s a splash in the water behind them- are they throwing things? Actually it’s a Kobold who in all his excitement slips off the ledge above- the creature sinks without a trace; heavy armour meets water- a fatal flaw.
“It’s up there.”
Newt points, there’s a fleck of light, a brazier on a ledge only ten feet above the water, but now a way behind them. The first raft grounds, they’re ashore, the second soon follows.
The group disembark, Ala gathers them quickly, Blesses them all in the name of Corellon. Anya coats herself in her Mage Armour, and is ready with Swish- to let him loose.
The gang jog up a gradual incline towards the outline of a cavern ahead.
“Charge.”
“Destroy the foreign infidels.”
“In the name of Abomination.”
They seem to be expected, a steady line of heavily armed and armoured Kobolds rush down the slope to greet them, there must be a dozen of the creatures.
Ala Summons a Celestial Badger into the Kobold ranks; it distracts a couple of them but does no actual damage. Newt stops where he is.
THUNG
A Kobold falls dead.
The two sides clatter into each other, battle erupts, the Kobolds fare better than the Goodman Gang, Jim manages to slice a one dead however he’s cut on the back of his hand. Cas too suffers, a blow to the side of his head, nothing much but it bleeds a little. Bec is sliced twice, across both legs. Ala gets away with bruised ribs, painful, but not terribly damaging.
As the battle rages four more Kobolds arrive in the cavern entrance ahead, set up for shooting practice, crossbows at the ready. That makes around fourteen of the heavily armed creatures in the fight.
Two Kobolds break off and rush towards Anya, “Smidgin”, one of them hits the cold cavern floor, dead. The other is blocked by Swish, the two dance around each other for a while, trying to land the first blow, then Swish whacks down on the Kobold’s unprotected head- brains it, dead.
The Celestial Badger is proving more of inconvenience than a threat, as is Ala, as is Bec, as is Jim. Cas however stabs at a Kobold trying to get past him- to Newt, runs it through and then turns and slays another, the new sword is working well.
The Badger meanwhile fades to smoke. Bec suddenly sprouts a crossbow bolt, dead centre of his chest, it hurts, but only when he laughs.
Anya steps from behind the raging melee, gets a good eye full of the Kobolds with crossbows, “Smidgin”, one falls dead.
Back in the melee Ala slashes hard, connects, and slays another. Newt’s crossbow jams, he throws it aside in anger, bloody Kobolds, draws his heavy mace and wades into the storm. Cas swings wildly, misses by a mile, smashes his hand into the cavern wall, drops his new sword, so much for that then. Bec is sliced again, they’re all just little cuts and bruises, but he’s accumulating hits fast.
“SANDWICH.”
Bec Rages, if only for the hit points.
THUNK
Cas is hit by a crossbow bolt, doubles up, the pain, grabs his sword, and then comes up swinging again. Jim slices clean through a Kobold Footman, and-
“FoooooR CAS.”
Charges at the artillery, he’s very loyal.
And that seems to perk everyone up a bit.
“Smidgin”, Anya’s getting the hang of this; she’s adopting various poses while pointing her wand- vogue-ing. Ala swings, blood spurts, and another Kobold bites the dust. Newt likewise smashes one about the head with his mace, the creature slumps- dead.
“Foooor PELOR.”
Cas charges at the artillery, there are two of them left, they retreat, firing as they go. Jim catches another crossbow bolt, it skims his arm leaving a bloody trail. Bec faces of against the last of the Kobold Footmen, slices the creature in two, and runs on towards the artillery, who abandoned all pretence and leg it.
“Smidgin”, another one drops down dead, that leaves only one left.
“Everyone forward, follow them. PELORRRRRR.”
Cas urges them on. Ala charges up to Bec on the way, fires healing energy into the giant man. Cas alleviates some of his own pain using his magical healing ability. Newt darts back for his crossbow; he’s not that stupid, and then sprints off after them.
They’re heading down again, a natural looking cavern passage, wide- nearly fifteen feet, with a high ceiling, they head west. Pass a cavern opening on the left and chase on, as the passage twists to head north. Bec races ahead, puts on another burst of speed, catches up with the last fleeing Kobold, and SLICE, kills it dead.
There are shouts ahead.
“Kobold Elite Squad forward.”
CLUNG-CLUNG-CLUNG-CLUNG
“Halt.”
A military formation, two lines with six Kobolds in each, the front row with swords, the back row with crossbows.
“Fire.”
And they do, the gang run, back the way they came.
Cas is hit in the shoulder, he’s feeling woozy, decides this isn’t the place to have a lie down however.
“Charge.”
The six Kobold Footmen come rumbling forward. The adventurers stop, they’re not going to get far, it seems battle number two is about to be joined.
Anya keeps running back, then turns swiftly, wand out and… “Smidgin”, another Kobold falls dead. Newt too makes for the rear ranks, sets to fixing his crossbow, and miraculously in half-a-moment the blockage is clear.
The front line, Jim, Bec, Cas and Ala stand their ground, meet the Kobold charge with full force. Cas upper-cuts unpeeling the Kobold charging towards him- dead. Bec, who has changed to his great club since coming ashore, smashes the thing down on one Kobold, who crunches to the deck in an instant; he swings the club around and brains another. Jim, alas, is cut in the action, another minor wound to the upper arm. There are only two Kobold Footmen left, oh and all the ones with the crossbows, talking of which.
“Fire.”
Bec’s scratched as a crossbow bolt flies by leaving a trace along his cheek. Jim’s not so lucky, a bolt buries itself in his upper thigh, he sinks to one knee, and then struggles up again, he’s on his last legs.
“Retreat and reload.”
The Kobold artillery march backwards, in step, and set about reloading for more fish-in-a-barrel type activity.
Anya screams, “Smidgin”, it’s getting to be her catchphrase; one of the Kobold artillery hits the deck. Newt steps in, sights his prey, and fires- another Kobold hits the deck, only four of the artillery left.
Ala stumbles backwards, swings wildly, two Kobold Footmen turn her, she’s up against the wall, she takes a cut to her side, but fights on.
“CAS.”
And he’s there keeping the two at bay.
Jim and Bec share a look, the way ahead is clear. The Kobolds fire.
“CHA…”
A crossbow hits Jim in the arm and he’s down, Bec charges on, scatters the firers as he swings, they drop their crossbows scuttle back grabbing for melee weapons.
“Smidgin”, another Kobold drops, Anya poses.
THUNG
And another Kobold lies dead, courtesy of Newt, of course. Ala and Cas keep up the fight, the Kobolds score no hits, but neither do the heroes. Bec only has two enemies left before him, he swings hard, smashes one into the middle of next week, the other sees its chance and stabs its shortsword deep into the Barbarian’s leg.
Then the Kobold notices, perhaps for the first time, the rapidly diminishing odds- it flees, and is cut down, actually smashed down in an instant by Bec.
The other two Kobolds, facing Ala and Cas, also think better of it, and scamper. They dodge past Cas and Ala, who swing wildly, with no success, dodge past Bec, confusing him by going one either side of him, and at the same time.
Thung
Newt’s crossbow bolt careens off a wall- misses.
“Smidgin”, the second to last Kobold grips the cold stone floor.
“He’s getting away.” Cas goes to run after the creature, Ala grabs him. Bec limps into a trot.
“Wait.”
Bec stops, looks back, at Newt who’s aiming.
“Wait.”
Newt breaths in- fires.
ThhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhUNG
The last Kobold falls, scrapes along the floor a while, and then comes to a stop- deceased.
The gang head back down the passage, out of sight, swig potions, Ala sets to work with what’s left of her Healing Kits, and at the end of it Bec, Cas, Jim and Anya are all still injured- Jim and Cas the most severe. There are no Healing Potions left, or at least that’s what everyone’s saying, but if I were you I’d not believe Newt, or Anya.
Newt, with a little help from others, has recovered 21 more three-fingered golden pendants, 26 if you include the five he has just stuffed in one of his pockets.
The gang stumble into the cavern they passed in their initial charge, the passage beyond splits, climbs left, while the right hand passage leads into a chamber with a number of braziers burning in it, it’s another guardroom- empty. A routine search, led by Newt, nets a number of pieces of uncut Agate, the party is a little richer, as is Newt- he grins, like taking candy from a baby.
And then on, into a second guardroom, although smaller, and much neater, it has an old tapestry that serves as a curtain so as to guarantee it some privacy, perhaps they’ve found the officers quarters.
“Sniff. You can smell it.” Newt states.
“What?” Jim enquires.
“Treasure.”
Suddenly the two beds in the chamber are upended, turned on their sides to form makeshift barricades behind each a strange, pale-faced, wild-eyed, and haired, Dwarf appears, dressed all in black and pointing crossbows, nasty looking ones at that.
FWOUN
FWOUN
The first bolt smashes through Cas’ armour, he drops his sword and shield, grabs at the bolt, thinks to pull it out, then notices just how much blood he’s already lost, he drops to his knees, blood spurts from the wound. Pelor save me, he thinks, and then the poison hits him, ravages him, he slumps forward smashing his face into the stone.
The second bolt hits Bec, gouges a huge hole in his upper right arm and shoulder, he doesn’t bother to ask Pelor for anything, the poison hits, he falls backwards, twitches and foams at the mouth on the cavern floor.
The Derro drop their crossbows and charge.
“Into them.”
“Death to the top-siders.”
Jim barrels into the first one, stabs wildly, and connects leaving a bloody scar from the Dwarves belly to its chin, the creature staggers back. Ala leaps over Cas, attempts to repeat Jim’s feat, slices only air.
Thung
Newt’s crossbow sings, but as it turns out, it’s out of tune, he misses.
“Smidgin”, the Magic Missile thumps… hang on, blinks out of existence just as it was about to hit.
“Damn. Spell Resistance.” Anya tuts.
The Derro facing Jim swings desperate to connect, misses by a mile, Jim plunges his longsword through the evil Dwarf, head butts him for good measure, the Derro is dead.
“For Cas.”
Ala tries it on for size, she swings and misses, and the Derro buries its shortsword in her gut, she sinks to her knees, the Derro readies his sword for the killing blow, and-
THUNG
Suddenly sprouts a crossbow bolt from the middle of his forehead- dead, thanks to Newt again.
Anya is quickly at the fallen, checking for pulses, they’re all still in the land of the living.
“GO.” She orders.
“Back to the rafts.”
And they’re off again, in retreat, dragging Cas and Bec, Ala now up but staggering, it’s a rag-tag bunch, except for Newt who dodges back to the Derro and rifles through their pockets, he’s soon caught up however, carrying an impressive, but impractical, looking shield, a mixture of gold and silver. His pockets also bulge with gold and a beautifully cut diamond. He’s the only one grinning as they paddle their way back over to their official lair, the graveyard.
Once in they settle down again to wait the latest lot of injuries out, Bec and Cas are unconscious, Ala fades in and out, Jim looks like a man who has been kicked in the balls, repeatedly, for half-an-hour.
Newt’s polishing, and sneaking glances at his new found items, and Anya, believe it or not, is playing nurse maid- badly.
“Shut up moaning, bloody softy, Bec’s not complaining.”
Bec is of course unconscious, a line of bloody drool anchoring him to the cavern floor. Cas turns over to see, wincing and groaning in pain, he blinks once, twice- then passes out.
“That’s better, bloody moaner…” Anya gets on with her nursing.
And with that the second session of this scenario draws to a close.
Next Turn: Feck, Kobolds.
It become apparent at the ceremonial adding up of the experience points at the end of this session that Newt has enough to go up to 2nd level, it’s decided that he can have the hit points, the saves and the to hit improvement; but the feats and the skill points only come with training. Either way Newt’s happy.
Being captured by a Grell, constantly passing his Palayzation saving throw, fighting the thing as it bore him off, hacking at the tentacles holding onto him as the Grell floated higher and higher. Eventually killing the thing and plummeting out of the air only to land in the only bit of deep water in the cavern.
I also remember Bec fighting a Huge Water Elemental, as represented on the gaming table, before I got my miniatures, by a can of Sprite, from the inside- and winning, while taking constant damage and with lots of minuses.
Or plugging a doorway while a horde, at least twenty, Trogs tried, and repeatedly failed to get past him.
The above all from the Temple of Elemental Evil.
I can safely say- I liked Bob a lot, still do, although he's not had a run out in over three years; he's a job to do, and he always does it.
So back to Bec, he's not a role-player, at least not a lot but he does the same job.
Miss E. who plays Bec is perhaps just plain shy, there, I've said it.
And so onwards, ever onwards... further into the mire.
Thanks again Richard.
Dungeon Crawl Classics #2
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
Turn 18: A Little Army
Day three beckons in the deep dark underground, Cas is back in the land of the living, and thankful, he’s particularly thankful for his new sword.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Makes a change.” Newt states polishing his bed-side manner.
“Anyway we must get on.”
Ala frets, to herself, for a change.
Cas is briefed on what has transpired since his sudden lie-down, he knows some of the story but the others fill in the gaps. Newt even finds the time to tell them about the ledge he thinks is out there- somewhere, weaves it into the story, without letting on he’s been for a midnight wander.
An hour later, after a decent breakfast, the gang are back on board the rafts and are paddling with all their might, across the current towards, towards… well who knows what.
They’re spotted, at some point on their journey; a crossbow bolt thunks into the lead raft, maybe it was the two burning sunrods that gave their location away, a necessary risk- as I’ve already stated they have no idea where they’re going.
More crossbow bolts rain down; they paddle on in silence, until Newt is hit- a bolt lodging in the back of his thigh.
“Feckin’ buggerations.” The Gnome screams.
There’s a splash in the water behind them- are they throwing things? Actually it’s a Kobold who in all his excitement slips off the ledge above- the creature sinks without a trace; heavy armour meets water- a fatal flaw.
“It’s up there.”
Newt points, there’s a fleck of light, a brazier on a ledge only ten feet above the water, but now a way behind them. The first raft grounds, they’re ashore, the second soon follows.
The group disembark, Ala gathers them quickly, Blesses them all in the name of Corellon. Anya coats herself in her Mage Armour, and is ready with Swish- to let him loose.
The gang jog up a gradual incline towards the outline of a cavern ahead.
“Charge.”
“Destroy the foreign infidels.”
“In the name of Abomination.”
They seem to be expected, a steady line of heavily armed and armoured Kobolds rush down the slope to greet them, there must be a dozen of the creatures.
Ala Summons a Celestial Badger into the Kobold ranks; it distracts a couple of them but does no actual damage. Newt stops where he is.
THUNG
A Kobold falls dead.
The two sides clatter into each other, battle erupts, the Kobolds fare better than the Goodman Gang, Jim manages to slice a one dead however he’s cut on the back of his hand. Cas too suffers, a blow to the side of his head, nothing much but it bleeds a little. Bec is sliced twice, across both legs. Ala gets away with bruised ribs, painful, but not terribly damaging.
As the battle rages four more Kobolds arrive in the cavern entrance ahead, set up for shooting practice, crossbows at the ready. That makes around fourteen of the heavily armed creatures in the fight.
Two Kobolds break off and rush towards Anya, “Smidgin”, one of them hits the cold cavern floor, dead. The other is blocked by Swish, the two dance around each other for a while, trying to land the first blow, then Swish whacks down on the Kobold’s unprotected head- brains it, dead.
The Celestial Badger is proving more of inconvenience than a threat, as is Ala, as is Bec, as is Jim. Cas however stabs at a Kobold trying to get past him- to Newt, runs it through and then turns and slays another, the new sword is working well.
The Badger meanwhile fades to smoke. Bec suddenly sprouts a crossbow bolt, dead centre of his chest, it hurts, but only when he laughs.
Anya steps from behind the raging melee, gets a good eye full of the Kobolds with crossbows, “Smidgin”, one falls dead.
Back in the melee Ala slashes hard, connects, and slays another. Newt’s crossbow jams, he throws it aside in anger, bloody Kobolds, draws his heavy mace and wades into the storm. Cas swings wildly, misses by a mile, smashes his hand into the cavern wall, drops his new sword, so much for that then. Bec is sliced again, they’re all just little cuts and bruises, but he’s accumulating hits fast.
“SANDWICH.”
Bec Rages, if only for the hit points.
THUNK
Cas is hit by a crossbow bolt, doubles up, the pain, grabs his sword, and then comes up swinging again. Jim slices clean through a Kobold Footman, and-
“FoooooR CAS.”
Charges at the artillery, he’s very loyal.
And that seems to perk everyone up a bit.
“Smidgin”, Anya’s getting the hang of this; she’s adopting various poses while pointing her wand- vogue-ing. Ala swings, blood spurts, and another Kobold bites the dust. Newt likewise smashes one about the head with his mace, the creature slumps- dead.
“Foooor PELOR.”
Cas charges at the artillery, there are two of them left, they retreat, firing as they go. Jim catches another crossbow bolt, it skims his arm leaving a bloody trail. Bec faces of against the last of the Kobold Footmen, slices the creature in two, and runs on towards the artillery, who abandoned all pretence and leg it.
“Smidgin”, another one drops down dead, that leaves only one left.
“Everyone forward, follow them. PELORRRRRR.”
Cas urges them on. Ala charges up to Bec on the way, fires healing energy into the giant man. Cas alleviates some of his own pain using his magical healing ability. Newt darts back for his crossbow; he’s not that stupid, and then sprints off after them.
They’re heading down again, a natural looking cavern passage, wide- nearly fifteen feet, with a high ceiling, they head west. Pass a cavern opening on the left and chase on, as the passage twists to head north. Bec races ahead, puts on another burst of speed, catches up with the last fleeing Kobold, and SLICE, kills it dead.
There are shouts ahead.
“Kobold Elite Squad forward.”
CLUNG-CLUNG-CLUNG-CLUNG
“Halt.”
A military formation, two lines with six Kobolds in each, the front row with swords, the back row with crossbows.
“Fire.”
And they do, the gang run, back the way they came.
Cas is hit in the shoulder, he’s feeling woozy, decides this isn’t the place to have a lie down however.
“Charge.”
The six Kobold Footmen come rumbling forward. The adventurers stop, they’re not going to get far, it seems battle number two is about to be joined.
Anya keeps running back, then turns swiftly, wand out and… “Smidgin”, another Kobold falls dead. Newt too makes for the rear ranks, sets to fixing his crossbow, and miraculously in half-a-moment the blockage is clear.
The front line, Jim, Bec, Cas and Ala stand their ground, meet the Kobold charge with full force. Cas upper-cuts unpeeling the Kobold charging towards him- dead. Bec, who has changed to his great club since coming ashore, smashes the thing down on one Kobold, who crunches to the deck in an instant; he swings the club around and brains another. Jim, alas, is cut in the action, another minor wound to the upper arm. There are only two Kobold Footmen left, oh and all the ones with the crossbows, talking of which.
“Fire.”
Bec’s scratched as a crossbow bolt flies by leaving a trace along his cheek. Jim’s not so lucky, a bolt buries itself in his upper thigh, he sinks to one knee, and then struggles up again, he’s on his last legs.
“Retreat and reload.”
The Kobold artillery march backwards, in step, and set about reloading for more fish-in-a-barrel type activity.
Anya screams, “Smidgin”, it’s getting to be her catchphrase; one of the Kobold artillery hits the deck. Newt steps in, sights his prey, and fires- another Kobold hits the deck, only four of the artillery left.
Ala stumbles backwards, swings wildly, two Kobold Footmen turn her, she’s up against the wall, she takes a cut to her side, but fights on.
“CAS.”
And he’s there keeping the two at bay.
Jim and Bec share a look, the way ahead is clear. The Kobolds fire.
“CHA…”
A crossbow hits Jim in the arm and he’s down, Bec charges on, scatters the firers as he swings, they drop their crossbows scuttle back grabbing for melee weapons.
“Smidgin”, another Kobold drops, Anya poses.
THUNG
And another Kobold lies dead, courtesy of Newt, of course. Ala and Cas keep up the fight, the Kobolds score no hits, but neither do the heroes. Bec only has two enemies left before him, he swings hard, smashes one into the middle of next week, the other sees its chance and stabs its shortsword deep into the Barbarian’s leg.
Then the Kobold notices, perhaps for the first time, the rapidly diminishing odds- it flees, and is cut down, actually smashed down in an instant by Bec.
The other two Kobolds, facing Ala and Cas, also think better of it, and scamper. They dodge past Cas and Ala, who swing wildly, with no success, dodge past Bec, confusing him by going one either side of him, and at the same time.
Thung
Newt’s crossbow bolt careens off a wall- misses.
“Smidgin”, the second to last Kobold grips the cold stone floor.
“He’s getting away.” Cas goes to run after the creature, Ala grabs him. Bec limps into a trot.
“Wait.”
Bec stops, looks back, at Newt who’s aiming.
“Wait.”
Newt breaths in- fires.
ThhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhUNG
The last Kobold falls, scrapes along the floor a while, and then comes to a stop- deceased.
The gang head back down the passage, out of sight, swig potions, Ala sets to work with what’s left of her Healing Kits, and at the end of it Bec, Cas, Jim and Anya are all still injured- Jim and Cas the most severe. There are no Healing Potions left, or at least that’s what everyone’s saying, but if I were you I’d not believe Newt, or Anya.
Newt, with a little help from others, has recovered 21 more three-fingered golden pendants, 26 if you include the five he has just stuffed in one of his pockets.
The gang stumble into the cavern they passed in their initial charge, the passage beyond splits, climbs left, while the right hand passage leads into a chamber with a number of braziers burning in it, it’s another guardroom- empty. A routine search, led by Newt, nets a number of pieces of uncut Agate, the party is a little richer, as is Newt- he grins, like taking candy from a baby.
And then on, into a second guardroom, although smaller, and much neater, it has an old tapestry that serves as a curtain so as to guarantee it some privacy, perhaps they’ve found the officers quarters.
“Sniff. You can smell it.” Newt states.
“What?” Jim enquires.
“Treasure.”
Suddenly the two beds in the chamber are upended, turned on their sides to form makeshift barricades behind each a strange, pale-faced, wild-eyed, and haired, Dwarf appears, dressed all in black and pointing crossbows, nasty looking ones at that.
FWOUN
FWOUN
The first bolt smashes through Cas’ armour, he drops his sword and shield, grabs at the bolt, thinks to pull it out, then notices just how much blood he’s already lost, he drops to his knees, blood spurts from the wound. Pelor save me, he thinks, and then the poison hits him, ravages him, he slumps forward smashing his face into the stone.
The second bolt hits Bec, gouges a huge hole in his upper right arm and shoulder, he doesn’t bother to ask Pelor for anything, the poison hits, he falls backwards, twitches and foams at the mouth on the cavern floor.
The Derro drop their crossbows and charge.
“Into them.”
“Death to the top-siders.”
Jim barrels into the first one, stabs wildly, and connects leaving a bloody scar from the Dwarves belly to its chin, the creature staggers back. Ala leaps over Cas, attempts to repeat Jim’s feat, slices only air.
Thung
Newt’s crossbow sings, but as it turns out, it’s out of tune, he misses.
“Smidgin”, the Magic Missile thumps… hang on, blinks out of existence just as it was about to hit.
“Damn. Spell Resistance.” Anya tuts.
The Derro facing Jim swings desperate to connect, misses by a mile, Jim plunges his longsword through the evil Dwarf, head butts him for good measure, the Derro is dead.
“For Cas.”
Ala tries it on for size, she swings and misses, and the Derro buries its shortsword in her gut, she sinks to her knees, the Derro readies his sword for the killing blow, and-
THUNG
Suddenly sprouts a crossbow bolt from the middle of his forehead- dead, thanks to Newt again.
Anya is quickly at the fallen, checking for pulses, they’re all still in the land of the living.
“GO.” She orders.
“Back to the rafts.”
And they’re off again, in retreat, dragging Cas and Bec, Ala now up but staggering, it’s a rag-tag bunch, except for Newt who dodges back to the Derro and rifles through their pockets, he’s soon caught up however, carrying an impressive, but impractical, looking shield, a mixture of gold and silver. His pockets also bulge with gold and a beautifully cut diamond. He’s the only one grinning as they paddle their way back over to their official lair, the graveyard.
Once in they settle down again to wait the latest lot of injuries out, Bec and Cas are unconscious, Ala fades in and out, Jim looks like a man who has been kicked in the balls, repeatedly, for half-an-hour.
Newt’s polishing, and sneaking glances at his new found items, and Anya, believe it or not, is playing nurse maid- badly.
“Shut up moaning, bloody softy, Bec’s not complaining.”
Bec is of course unconscious, a line of bloody drool anchoring him to the cavern floor. Cas turns over to see, wincing and groaning in pain, he blinks once, twice- then passes out.
“That’s better, bloody moaner…” Anya gets on with her nursing.
And with that the second session of this scenario draws to a close.
Next Turn: Feck, Kobolds.
It become apparent at the ceremonial adding up of the experience points at the end of this session that Newt has enough to go up to 2nd level, it’s decided that he can have the hit points, the saves and the to hit improvement; but the feats and the skill points only come with training. Either way Newt’s happy.
Dungeon Crawl Classics #2
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
Turn 19: Feck, Kobolds
And so the fourth day begins underground, they seem to have reached an impasse; it’s proving to be a war of attrition- hard to say yet just who’s winning.
The day starts slowly, Cas and Bec are still unwell, their strength is returning, but Ala, who’s up and about now, makes the decision that the group will not go on until they are fully rested.
Anya is a little sheepish, she hunkers down next to Cas, who’s still in his pit, she has something in her hand, she whispers.
“Cas?”
The Paladin turns to her, “Mmm.”
“I have… I’ve got… I’ve got a Potion of Healing.” She opens her hand.
The Paladin nods.
“I never told… said, I should have…”
Cas nods again.
“I never meant to…” Anya sniffles a little, offers the Potion to Cas.
“Keep it.” He whispers, “in case”, smiles and then closes his eyes.
Newt overhears the exchange, pats a belt pouch at his side, the one with four Potions of Healing in it.
Time passes oh so slowly, it’s not until the middle of the afternoon that everyone is up and about again, ready for the action.
Cas calls a meeting, time to talk tactics.
“Look there’s something odd here…”
“You mean other than death and destruction at every corner.” Newt’s feeling the pain.
“Kobold’s though Newt, they’re very… co-ordinated.”
“Mmm.” Newt concedes the point.
“I think there’s something going on, you saw the Ogre, even the Stirges looked different, there’s something terrible in here, the three-fingered stuff, I think we need to press on.”
“We need to take better care of ourselves.” Ala adds.
Cas nods, “and so we need to have a better plan…”
“And you’re going to tell us what that is.” Newt folds his arms across his chest.
“No, you are.” Which takes the Gnome by surprise.
“Oh.”
“All of you. We need a little more order, we need to know what are jobs are. There’s going to be more of this, I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
Silence.
“Possibly much worse.”
“How?” Anya asks.
“They’ll be waiting for us again, back at the ledge, back at the other side of the pool.”
“How do you know?”
“It’s what I’d do.”
Anya nods, “yes, same here.”
“So what do we do?” Jim asks.
“We look after each other a little better to begin with.”
Everyone nods.
“After that, well what does anyone think…”
An hour later the group are back on the rafts, this time without the light, Newt thinks he knows the way, it’s not far. They’re being as silent as they can, it’s not until they hit the far shore that the Kobolds on the ledge realise they’re there, they’ve got by them.
Fwung x lots.
The Kobold’s shots are rushed however, no hits.
Sunrods flash out into the darkness illuminating more Kobolds equally surprised they scrabble for crossbows.
Fwung x more.
Bec takes a bolt to his right thigh, a flesh wound.
“Now.” Cas shouts as Ala’s Bless spell sparkles on each of them.
Jim, Cas and Anya- march forwards, up the rocky shore, arrows and, “Smidgin”, a Magic Missile is loosed. A Kobold falls dead.
Newt meanwhile kneels behind the front line.
THWUNG
A kobold plummets off the ledge into the water.
More Kobolds scramble, it seems their ambush plans have already gone astray, a rain of javelins falls in the midst of the adventurers, Anya and Ala are nicked, both wounds mere grazes.
The Kobolds ahead reload their crossbows.
The javelin throwers, more Kobold footmen, heavily armoured, clang into the light.
BOOOOOOOOM
Newt’s Thunderstone, disrupts their charge, one goes down holding bleeding ears, another two stand about somewhat bemused, and deafened.
“SANDWICH!”
Bec Rages and charges over into the mix, his great club describes a furious arc, smashes one of the creatures to the floor.
Anya struts and poses as she strides forward, “Smidgin”, another of the Kobold Artillery bites the dust.
“CHARGEEEEEE.” Cas screams.
And everyone is up and running, including several of the Kobolds back the way they came- in retreat. Cas slices one of the heavily armoured Kobold Footmen, across its throat, the blood sprays everywhere.
Ala takes another scratch from a Kobold Footman, but the Kobolds are broken.
Thung.
Newt gets a fleeing Kobold in the back of the head, dead. “Smidgin”, another Magic Missile spirals out from Anya’s wand and finds a foe- dead.
Cas rushes at Bec who’s losing it, crashing and flailing as Kobolds scatter, grabs him by the arm, spins him round.
“After them.” He tries pointing.
Bec looks like he doesn’t understand, follows the Paladins pointing finger- to the scurrying Kobolds.
“AAAAaaaaaarrrghhhhh.”
Bec pushes Cas away from him, with enough force to knock the Paladin over, moves to stand over Cas, raises his club, drool matting the front of his armour, his face is flecked with spittle and blood, Bec shakes his head- looks again at where Cas is still pointing, and rushes after the Kobolds.
A deafened Kobold staggers into view.
Thung.
It slumps to the floor, Newt races forward grinning at Cas.
“Come on; get up lazy bones- lots to do.”
Bec reaches the slowest of the Kobolds, encased in armour, the creature looks round, just in time to see, in detail, Bec’s great club. The Kobold is smashed a good ten feet into the air, it clangs into the cavern ceiling, then wall, and falls to the floor, a twisted wreck.
Cas scrambles to his feet, points again.
“Come on, get after him.”
Jim runs by, winks, “it’s working.” Cas nods.
Ala settles for slapping the Paladin on his armoured backside.
Cas grins again and jogs after Bec and the others.
A Kobold runs into the side of the chasing group of adventurers, one of the crossbow wielding creatures from the ledge, suddenly realises who its fellow joggers are, and dodges for all it’s worth into-
SMASH
Bec’s club.
Newt meanwhile is looting all the Kobold bodies left on the shore, eight more pendants, and as many crossbow bolts as he can carry- he scurries after his comrades.
Bec charges on round the corner, to the place they met the armoured contingent the last time they came this way, there’s a lone Kobold, the sole survivor, a little way ahead, heavily armoured stumbling forward- staring back at the closing Barbarian.
The creature spins round to meet Bec, it can’t out-pace the giant-man.
“Come o… SMASH.”
The Kobold lands twenty feet away, Bec rushes on.
“Hang on.” Cas shouts, then, “Bec?”
But it’s not enough to stop the juggernaut, Bec charges on, Cas shrugs, points the way, the others catch him up, save for Newt who’s still finding corpses to loot. Cas, Jim, Anya and Ala charge after Bec.
The rough stone passage turns into a flagged corridor crafted from some reflective black stone, and through a door into a…
Huge ornately columned temple, or something like it, the walls are covered in frescoes depicting a man in blue robes, eight huge pillars carved to resemble titan size humans, in various guises, hold the ceiling aloft.
Cas, Anya, Jim and Ala slide to a stop.
“Bloody hell.” Jim manages.
“I told you there was something here.” Cas states.
“Where’s Bec?”
SMASH
“Sandwich?”
The foursome crane to see between a pair of pillars, they spot a freshly smashed door on the eastern wall of the chamber, and glimpse the hulking Barbarian disappearing within.
“That way.” Cas points, “where’s Newt?” He looks back down the passage they’ve just come from.
Ala and Jim shrug, rush off.
“Looting.” Anya states and heads off too.
Cas waits a moment, there’s no sign of the Gnome, he can’t hang around- only as strong as the weakest link, he thinks, and follows after Bec and the others.
Unseen by any of the adventurers another pair of heavily armoured Kobolds shut the door at the northern end of the temple chamber, and scurry off to tell their masters.
Bec stumbles down another wide passage, more of the black stone, two lines of statues- he rushes on, there’s a door on the right, and it’s just closing- red rag to a bull.
He slows and lurches over, smashes the door off its hinges, and onto the Kobold Footman beyond, who scrambles out from beneath it. Bec strides into… a library.
Massive stone bookcases fill the room, which is lit by a number of flaming braziers, a cluster of Kobold Footmen back away as the giant-man slashes wildly with his great club. Another cluster of Kobolds can be seen further in- a robed Kobold strides forward from this gang and points at the Barbarian.
“DO ONE.”
Black tendrils shoot from Kobold Wizard’s fingers; engulf Bec, for an instant, the Barbarian flexes and growls, the black smoke fades in an instant.
“Destroy the infidel in the name of the Abomination.” The Kobold Wizard simply states.
The three Kobold Footman guards that surround him rush over to join their comrades. The odds don’t look too good, seven to one, with one of the seven being a Wizard, still reinforcements are on the way.
SMASH
And.
CLUMP
Two of the Kobold Footmen are dead, skulls crushed, however the Barbarian takes three blows in the process, all minor injuries, he soldiers on.
WHUMP
A Magic Missile thuds into his chest, Bec staggers back, close to unconsciousness, then feels warmth flowing through him- Healing. He grins. He can feel Ala’s hand in the small of his back.
Jim however fails to find the brake, rushes, unsighted into the chamber, and into Ala, knocking the pair of them to the floor.
“Sorry.”
“Fool.”
Anya appears at the door way, throws Swish towards a Kobold Footman, “Akkat”, then points her wand, it’s never out of her hand- “Smidgin”, a Magic Missile slams into a Kobold Footman, dead.
Swish uses the impetus of Anya’s throw, roundhouse-kick’s- sort of, another Kobold Footman, cracking its skull, the Kobold slumps to the floor- dead.
The odds are looking much better now.
Cas jogs into the chamber, takes a last look behind him, “where the Pelor is Newt?” Takes in the situation, lances his longsword forward and impales another Footman, dead.
Ala stagers to her feet, the shadow of a Kobold Footman looms over, she slashes out, angrier at Jim than the Kobolds, her sword passes through the shadow which… is just a shadow- strange.
Jim scrabbles out of the room, on hands and knees, it’s getting far too busy in there, he looks up- back down the passage they’ve just come from. There are figures in the doorway, blocking their retreat.
“You guys…” Jim gets his bow out.
Back in the library a Dire Rat suddenly pops into existence, snaps its jaws at Ala, who scurries back, out of range. Anya screams, “Smidgin”, a Magic Missile thumps into the Kobold Wizard, it looks suitably annoyed.
The Kobold before Cas seems to blur, a shadow of the creature darts towards him, he reacts, the shadow dissipates, Cas struggles to present his shield to block the Kobold’s actual attack. Cas shakes his head, he’s seeing things.
Bec’s Rage subsides, his shoulders slump, suddenly aware of the amount of damage he’s taken, the two Kobold Footmen left renew their efforts.
Meanwhile Newt stumbles into the Temple area, the one with the huge pillars holding the ceiling up, juggling more of three-fingered golden pendants in his hand, and chuckling.
He looks up, there’s a cluster of heavily armoured Kobolds pushing their way through a door on the eastern side of the chamber, there must be a dozen of them.
“Intruder.”
A Kobold points at him, Newt looks about, then behind him- nope, the Kobold means him. Three of the Kobolds peel off from the bunch and stride towards him- weapons drawn. These Kobolds are different, slightly taller, much more vicious looking, red scales dot their skins, hardened and glistening in the light, they’re growing their own armour- or so it seems. They’re snouts and jaws extended, huge fangs snap and clack, tasting the air as they approach.
“De…”
“Str…”
“Roy.”
The three close in for the kill.
“CAAAAAAS.”
Jim screams, there are more of them, at least a half-a-dozen of the gnashing snarling Elite Kobolds shamble into the corridor he guards.
Next Turn: The Elite.
HalfOrc HalfBiscuit
Adventurer
Triffic stuff, Goonalan.
And for all that I enjoy the sheer madness of the Lost Boys, I think I like the more serious style of this story even more. The more mature relationships between the various characters are great. And the Newt/Ala tension is particularly intriguing.
Keep up the good work.
And for all that I enjoy the sheer madness of the Lost Boys, I think I like the more serious style of this story even more.
The more mature relationships between the various characters are great. And the Newt/Ala tension is particularly intriguing.Keep up the good work.
Thanks again, much appreciated
Turn 20: The Elite
Back in the library Bec totters, then swings hard- smashes another Kobold Footman to the ground, launches himself at the conjured Dire Rat, the creature leaps at him, he stumbles back to avoid it, blinks his eyes, the rat hasn’t moved, he swings half-heartedly- misses by a mile.
Ala dodges in, stabs down, the Dire Rat turns to mist and swirls away.
Jim screams again from the corridor.
“I said they’re coming…”, and sotto voce, “whatever they are.”
He fires, twice, Rapid Shot, the first with his magic arrow- the result two head shots, two dead Elite Kobolds, these too are the twisted Kobolds Newt is fighting- even more vicious and feral-looking.
Back in the library the Kobold Wizard swigs at a potion then leaps and runs up the wall and on to the ceiling.
“Ha ha… Fools…”
“Smidgin”, another Magic Missile slams into the Wizard, he doesn’t look best pleased with Anya.
Cas and Bec are fighting the one Kobold Footman left, however the strange Kobold seems able to duplicate itself, shadows form and fall left, right and centre- they both hit air.
Back in the temple Newt stands his ground as the three Kobold Elite warriors approach.
“Screw you lot.”
He slings his last Thunderstone at the threesome.
BOOOOOM
It explodes on a Kobold’s armoured midriff, the creature slumps to his knees, bleeding from ears, nose and eyes.
The other two Kobold Elite are staggered.
Newt tosses aside his crossbow, draws his Heavy mace and gestures for them to approach.
“Come on then, you’re going to need new dentures by the time I’ve done with you.”
FWUNG
Jim hits another Elite Kobold back in the corridor, the creature slumps to the floor, dead. Jim throws his bow aside and hefts his battleaxe- the six remaining enemies charge towards him.
“Death to the intruders.”
“The Abomination is Lord.”
They mumble and chant as they fling themselves into the fray.
Back in the library, Ala stabs hard at the remaining Kobold Footman, that’s so far holding his own against all of them, she too misses.
The Kobold Wizard sprints along the ceiling, out of the library, and into the corridor, stands directly above Jim.
“Smidgin”, the final Kobold Footman in the library bites the dust.
“Help Jim”, Anya shouts and points the way- Ala, Cas and Bec struggle to obey. Swish hops out to stand next to Jim, to guard him.
Ala, Cas and Bec arrive as the Kobold Elite smash into them, the fight is joined, lots of blows go astray, it’s a confusing mess within the melee. Cas manages to land a decent blow, his longsword biting into the body of one of the Kobolds, the creature falls dead.
Anya watches through the door, it’s hard to see what’s going on, shadows of Kobolds seem to form and cluster, spectral shapes flail and slice, and the adventurers locked in the death struggle don’t know which to attack- a bolus of dark energy seems to grip the melee.
Standing on the ceiling above the scrum the Kobold Wizard swigs from another potion bottle, which is harder than you think when you’re hanging upside down.
Back in the Temple Newt’s initial confidence is getting dented, as is he, both of the Elite Kobolds score hits, not deep cuts, but enough for him to reconsider his position.
In the corridor, Ala is shoved out of the fight; she looks up and spies the Kobold Wizard on the ceiling, about to gulp down yet another potion.
“Bastard.”
Ala quickly unstraps her shield, launches it at the Kobold Wizard, like some giant discus, the fiend dodges just in time but in doing so spills the entire contents of the flask.
He doesn’t look happy, drops the empty potion bottle into the furious melee below, and then moves, at lightning speed, a little away from the fight, quick turns and draws a wand.
“Duck.”
Ala does, others try but they’re fighting for their lives.
“FLAME-ON”
The Kobold Wizard screams, a thick wedge of fire rolls over the combat, crisping, a little, Bec, Cas and Jim. An Elite Kobold stumbles from the melee on fire, the creature charges away, flapping helplessly as it burns, hits a statue and collapses to the floor for a little more break dancing before it expires.
The shadows flee in an instant- the way is clear.
Swish bashes another of the Kobolds over the head; it sinks to the floor- dead. Bec smashes his great club down on another, dead, turns the stroke to a baseball batter’s swing and decapitates yet another- the Kobold’s head goes skittering off further down the passage.
Leaving only one of the Elite Kobolds left, it bolts, as does the Wizard on the ceiling- both head back towards the Temple, where Newt is.
“Smidgin”
Another Magic Missile thumps into the back of the Wizard, the creature turns to face Anya, she’s really for it.
Jim quickly recovers his bow, working purely on instinct, notches an arrow and lets it fly- it strikes the Kobold Wizard in his left leg, passes through, the Kobold screams and lifts his leg- then struggles for a second, one foot still firmly planted on the ceiling, the other kicks air, then he falls…
CRACK
And lands awkwardly on the floor, neck clearly broken.
Newt meanwhile, back in the Temple, finds his balance, swings and connects with a Kobold’s head; it staggers back, a face full of mace, and collapses. The second Kobold checks the odds; another of his kind flees towards him, in pursuit is Bec, decision made- he scarpers.
Newt drops his mace, scrambles for his crossbow, and before the creature has got thirty feet.
THUNG
It grows a crossbow bolt from its back.
Bec barrels past him, chasing the last one down.
“SAAA-NNNND-WIIIII-TCHHH.”
A minute or so later Bec returns, all smiles.
The Goodman Gang head back to the library, leaving Jim back out in the corridor to keep an eye on things.
“Well that went better.” Ala states.
The others nod.
“Bec try to retain a little more control when you’re raging, I’m on your side guy.” Cas offers, Bec looks embarrassed, nods. “No biggie, it’s ok, you haven’t got me yet.” Cas checks himself over, then smiles at the giant man.
Everyone has a minor injury or two, or worse. Ala does the best she can to get them back to full health.
Newt has pockets full of the three-fingered pendants, so many so he can’t remember which belong to the party treasure, and which are the ones he’s stolen.
Anya meantime stalks the shelves, selecting texts, seemingly at random, her Detect Magic spell in full operation, this after ransacking the body of the Kobold Wizard, she grabs the Burning Hands Wand, seen in action earlier. Also on the shelves she discovers the Wizard’s Spellbook, it’d take a chisel to remove the smile from her face.
They rest.
“Did you see any… shadows?” Anya eventually asks.
“Only when I was watching the fight, out there”, she continue, points back to the corridor, where Jim stands, “I thought I saw something- shadowy creatures, surrounding the Kobolds.”
Nobody says anything for a while, eventually Cas cracks.
“Tricks of the light, probably the sunrods, the black walls, polished- quite a sheen… Tricks of the light.”
But nobody believes him.
“I tell you what I didn’t see… in the fight.” Ala stares pointedly at Newt.
Newt holds her gaze, not flinching.
Time expands till everyone is watching the confrontation.
“I don’t think we ought to…” Cas starts.
“Well?” Ala cuts Cas off.
“You stick to what you’re good at… Whatever that is? And I’ll do my job.”
Newt looks away.
“You’re a coward.” Ala spits back.
Newt turns back, glares at her, then after a moment, calms down, and smiles.
“A coward? If you’re asking if I’m frightened… Then yes, I am. That would be the normal reaction. If you’re asking me to give my life for… oh hang on, for what exactly, you don’t even know why you’re here- what you’re fighting, and for what.”
Ala goes to speak but Newt jumps back in.
“You’re pathetic- you don’t even know who you are?”
The silence thickens.
“That’s not…” Cas starts.
“I’d give my life to save another, those that I call my friends.” Ala growls.
Newt smirks then shrugs, gets up quickly, and wanders off.
Cas snakes an arm out to Ala.
She pushes him away.
Twenty minutes later they head back to the Temple chamber to check out the door to the north, where the last pack of Elite Kobold warriors came from.
The passage outside the library, the one that Jim has been guarding, also ends in a door; they decide to leave it for later.
“Never leave an enemy behind you.” Jim states.
Cas grins, as do the others- most of them.
The Temple, now they can take a leisurely look, contains dozens of frescoes of the same blue robed man, in various all-action poses- sending down bolts of lightning, binding a scorpion demon inside a pentagram, and many others.
“Any idea who he is?” Anya asks Cas.
The Paladin shakes his head.
“Ala?”
“No.”
The huge figures that hold up the ceiling each possess a holy symbol, somewhere about their person, Cas and Anya tick of the deities represented-
“St. Cuthbert.”
“Boccob.”
“Wee Jas.”
“Heironeous.”
“Pelor.”
“Olidamara.”
“Corellon.”
“The Green Man.”
“Odd”, Anya adds, “none of whom are in anyway associated with Kobolds, or Evil. Whatever this place once was, well… it isn’t anymore.”
“Right, ready- let’s head off again.” Cas leads the way north to the door.
“CAS”, Ala screams as he passes the last line of pillars, two amorphous creatures leech from the pillars, strings of ichor and goo drip from them, the first lashes out scratching hidden claws down Cas’s back, through his armour, and deep into his flesh.
The Paldain screams.
Jim dodges back, as the second creature lashes out at him.
“DEMONS”, Anya screams. The adventurers scatter; fan out, around their new foes.
“Magic weapons”, Anya states and, “Smidgin”, a Magic Missile ploughs into the side of one of the Lemure’s. Ala slashes through the one on Cas, her weapon barely scratches the creature. Jim smashes his battleaxe into the Lemure menacing him, the creature screeches, claws at the air and staggers back.
Cas and Ala fight on against the other, once again shadows twist around the creature, they’re both mesmerised, swing wildly, neither connects with the creature which lurches forward leaving a viscous trail, the Lemure rakes its claws down Cas’ face. The Paladin lurches back blood cascading down his cheek.
Bec hefts his great club, lifts it way above his head, and drives it down on the other Lemure, which is already injured.
SPLAT
The creature concertinas and then explodes, a melted wax like substance liberally coats the area, and the combatants, then slowly dissolves into nothing, the creature is destroyed.
Cas swings off-balance, misses again. Ala connects, but leaves barely a scratch. The Lemure cackles and bubbles filth down itself, suddenly splits- vertically, leaving two wavering halves, a battleaxe clearly visible protruding through its midriff.
The creatures face fades from Cas and Ala’s sight, eye-sockets ooze to the surface, as it now faces Jim, it claws at Jim’s axe, tries to grab it, the Ranger swiftly heaves it out of the creature and dances back, the Lemure collapses into a stinking pile of filth- bubbles some more then vanishes.
“OK. Is there anybody else here that keeps seeing shadows?” Cas asks.
Ala, Bec and Jim nod.
“Oh you can see them now?” Anya asks.
Cas, bows his head, then nods- looks up at Anya, mouths “sorry.”
“What are they are?” Ala asks.
“I don’t know but I think this place is under some sort of terrible curse. The Kobolds, the way they look- there’s a darkness here.” Anya states.
Cas nods, “The fiends are evil, that’s obvious- I can feel their auras, but there’s something else here, something not… right.”
“I think we can bet on encountering more Kobold abominations, as we go on.” Jim states.
The others nod.
“Right then, again, the door.” Cas leads them off again.
Into another black stone passage, this time only five feet wide, it ends in a t-junction, the group head left to a door, which is wide open.
Inside a foul-smelling room lit by guttering torches, a torture chamber, the adventurers cautiously move in.
“This is… This is…” Cas begins and finishes off by drawing out his light mace and smashing the rack that stands before him.
“Smash it all up.” Ala confirms, staring pointedly at Newt, they set to work.
It takes a while, all that’s left of use, in the end, are a set of thumbscrews, they avoid destruction by being safe and secure in Newt’s backpack.
“Feel better?” Newt asks.
“Yes.” Cas nods.
“Much.” Ala concludes.
The group traipse back out of the chamber, and follow it over, to another door, once again, open. Beyond is a very odd looking chamber.
An L-shaped room, more of the black rock, there are six portrait-sized curtains around the walls, as if there are… portraits, what else, behind them. Perhaps they’ve wandered into some strange Kobold art gallery.
“Can I have sandwich?” Bec offers.
“This place gets weirder and weirder.” Jim strides into the chamber.
“Sandwich?”
“Alright Bec… later.” Jim adds.
Anya mooches into the chamber, wary, there’s a bunch of papers on the floor, and a crude looking short ladder, she heads over.
“SANDWICH?”
“You alright big guy?” Jim worries, he passes a cheese sandwich to Bec.
Bec begins to shuffle forward, holding the sandwich in his hands in front of him.
“SANDWICH?”
“CAS, Ala- Bec’s… gone funny.” Jim tries again.
“You’re alright big guy. Calm down. Don’t you want your sandwich?” Jim places his hand on Bec’s arm.
Bec stops his shuffle; the others close in on him, all except for Anya, she’s reading.
“That’s strange… they’re…” Anya states.
“SANDWICH? SANDWICH?”
Bec bursts free from the gaggle of concerned on-lookers, quick-shuffles forwards to one of the concealed portraits, and flings open the curtain.
RRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR
Fire consumes Bec.
Next Turn: Going Elemental
Dungeon Crawl Classics #2
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
Turn 20: The Elite
Back in the library Bec totters, then swings hard- smashes another Kobold Footman to the ground, launches himself at the conjured Dire Rat, the creature leaps at him, he stumbles back to avoid it, blinks his eyes, the rat hasn’t moved, he swings half-heartedly- misses by a mile.
Ala dodges in, stabs down, the Dire Rat turns to mist and swirls away.
Jim screams again from the corridor.
“I said they’re coming…”, and sotto voce, “whatever they are.”
He fires, twice, Rapid Shot, the first with his magic arrow- the result two head shots, two dead Elite Kobolds, these too are the twisted Kobolds Newt is fighting- even more vicious and feral-looking.
Back in the library the Kobold Wizard swigs at a potion then leaps and runs up the wall and on to the ceiling.
“Ha ha… Fools…”
“Smidgin”, another Magic Missile slams into the Wizard, he doesn’t look best pleased with Anya.
Cas and Bec are fighting the one Kobold Footman left, however the strange Kobold seems able to duplicate itself, shadows form and fall left, right and centre- they both hit air.
Back in the temple Newt stands his ground as the three Kobold Elite warriors approach.
“Screw you lot.”
He slings his last Thunderstone at the threesome.
BOOOOOM
It explodes on a Kobold’s armoured midriff, the creature slumps to his knees, bleeding from ears, nose and eyes.
The other two Kobold Elite are staggered.
Newt tosses aside his crossbow, draws his Heavy mace and gestures for them to approach.
“Come on then, you’re going to need new dentures by the time I’ve done with you.”
FWUNG
Jim hits another Elite Kobold back in the corridor, the creature slumps to the floor, dead. Jim throws his bow aside and hefts his battleaxe- the six remaining enemies charge towards him.
“Death to the intruders.”
“The Abomination is Lord.”
They mumble and chant as they fling themselves into the fray.
Back in the library, Ala stabs hard at the remaining Kobold Footman, that’s so far holding his own against all of them, she too misses.
The Kobold Wizard sprints along the ceiling, out of the library, and into the corridor, stands directly above Jim.
“Smidgin”, the final Kobold Footman in the library bites the dust.
“Help Jim”, Anya shouts and points the way- Ala, Cas and Bec struggle to obey. Swish hops out to stand next to Jim, to guard him.
Ala, Cas and Bec arrive as the Kobold Elite smash into them, the fight is joined, lots of blows go astray, it’s a confusing mess within the melee. Cas manages to land a decent blow, his longsword biting into the body of one of the Kobolds, the creature falls dead.
Anya watches through the door, it’s hard to see what’s going on, shadows of Kobolds seem to form and cluster, spectral shapes flail and slice, and the adventurers locked in the death struggle don’t know which to attack- a bolus of dark energy seems to grip the melee.
Standing on the ceiling above the scrum the Kobold Wizard swigs from another potion bottle, which is harder than you think when you’re hanging upside down.
Back in the Temple Newt’s initial confidence is getting dented, as is he, both of the Elite Kobolds score hits, not deep cuts, but enough for him to reconsider his position.
In the corridor, Ala is shoved out of the fight; she looks up and spies the Kobold Wizard on the ceiling, about to gulp down yet another potion.
“Bastard.”
Ala quickly unstraps her shield, launches it at the Kobold Wizard, like some giant discus, the fiend dodges just in time but in doing so spills the entire contents of the flask.
He doesn’t look happy, drops the empty potion bottle into the furious melee below, and then moves, at lightning speed, a little away from the fight, quick turns and draws a wand.
“Duck.”
Ala does, others try but they’re fighting for their lives.
“FLAME-ON”
The Kobold Wizard screams, a thick wedge of fire rolls over the combat, crisping, a little, Bec, Cas and Jim. An Elite Kobold stumbles from the melee on fire, the creature charges away, flapping helplessly as it burns, hits a statue and collapses to the floor for a little more break dancing before it expires.
The shadows flee in an instant- the way is clear.
Swish bashes another of the Kobolds over the head; it sinks to the floor- dead. Bec smashes his great club down on another, dead, turns the stroke to a baseball batter’s swing and decapitates yet another- the Kobold’s head goes skittering off further down the passage.
Leaving only one of the Elite Kobolds left, it bolts, as does the Wizard on the ceiling- both head back towards the Temple, where Newt is.
“Smidgin”
Another Magic Missile thumps into the back of the Wizard, the creature turns to face Anya, she’s really for it.
Jim quickly recovers his bow, working purely on instinct, notches an arrow and lets it fly- it strikes the Kobold Wizard in his left leg, passes through, the Kobold screams and lifts his leg- then struggles for a second, one foot still firmly planted on the ceiling, the other kicks air, then he falls…
CRACK
And lands awkwardly on the floor, neck clearly broken.
Newt meanwhile, back in the Temple, finds his balance, swings and connects with a Kobold’s head; it staggers back, a face full of mace, and collapses. The second Kobold checks the odds; another of his kind flees towards him, in pursuit is Bec, decision made- he scarpers.
Newt drops his mace, scrambles for his crossbow, and before the creature has got thirty feet.
THUNG
It grows a crossbow bolt from its back.
Bec barrels past him, chasing the last one down.
“SAAA-NNNND-WIIIII-TCHHH.”
A minute or so later Bec returns, all smiles.
The Goodman Gang head back to the library, leaving Jim back out in the corridor to keep an eye on things.
“Well that went better.” Ala states.
The others nod.
“Bec try to retain a little more control when you’re raging, I’m on your side guy.” Cas offers, Bec looks embarrassed, nods. “No biggie, it’s ok, you haven’t got me yet.” Cas checks himself over, then smiles at the giant man.
Everyone has a minor injury or two, or worse. Ala does the best she can to get them back to full health.
Newt has pockets full of the three-fingered pendants, so many so he can’t remember which belong to the party treasure, and which are the ones he’s stolen.
Anya meantime stalks the shelves, selecting texts, seemingly at random, her Detect Magic spell in full operation, this after ransacking the body of the Kobold Wizard, she grabs the Burning Hands Wand, seen in action earlier. Also on the shelves she discovers the Wizard’s Spellbook, it’d take a chisel to remove the smile from her face.
They rest.
“Did you see any… shadows?” Anya eventually asks.
“Only when I was watching the fight, out there”, she continue, points back to the corridor, where Jim stands, “I thought I saw something- shadowy creatures, surrounding the Kobolds.”
Nobody says anything for a while, eventually Cas cracks.
“Tricks of the light, probably the sunrods, the black walls, polished- quite a sheen… Tricks of the light.”
But nobody believes him.
“I tell you what I didn’t see… in the fight.” Ala stares pointedly at Newt.
Newt holds her gaze, not flinching.
Time expands till everyone is watching the confrontation.
“I don’t think we ought to…” Cas starts.
“Well?” Ala cuts Cas off.
“You stick to what you’re good at… Whatever that is? And I’ll do my job.”
Newt looks away.
“You’re a coward.” Ala spits back.
Newt turns back, glares at her, then after a moment, calms down, and smiles.
“A coward? If you’re asking if I’m frightened… Then yes, I am. That would be the normal reaction. If you’re asking me to give my life for… oh hang on, for what exactly, you don’t even know why you’re here- what you’re fighting, and for what.”
Ala goes to speak but Newt jumps back in.
“You’re pathetic- you don’t even know who you are?”
The silence thickens.
“That’s not…” Cas starts.
“I’d give my life to save another, those that I call my friends.” Ala growls.
Newt smirks then shrugs, gets up quickly, and wanders off.
Cas snakes an arm out to Ala.
She pushes him away.
Twenty minutes later they head back to the Temple chamber to check out the door to the north, where the last pack of Elite Kobold warriors came from.
The passage outside the library, the one that Jim has been guarding, also ends in a door; they decide to leave it for later.
“Never leave an enemy behind you.” Jim states.
Cas grins, as do the others- most of them.
The Temple, now they can take a leisurely look, contains dozens of frescoes of the same blue robed man, in various all-action poses- sending down bolts of lightning, binding a scorpion demon inside a pentagram, and many others.
“Any idea who he is?” Anya asks Cas.
The Paladin shakes his head.
“Ala?”
“No.”
The huge figures that hold up the ceiling each possess a holy symbol, somewhere about their person, Cas and Anya tick of the deities represented-
“St. Cuthbert.”
“Boccob.”
“Wee Jas.”
“Heironeous.”
“Pelor.”
“Olidamara.”
“Corellon.”
“The Green Man.”
“Odd”, Anya adds, “none of whom are in anyway associated with Kobolds, or Evil. Whatever this place once was, well… it isn’t anymore.”
“Right, ready- let’s head off again.” Cas leads the way north to the door.
“CAS”, Ala screams as he passes the last line of pillars, two amorphous creatures leech from the pillars, strings of ichor and goo drip from them, the first lashes out scratching hidden claws down Cas’s back, through his armour, and deep into his flesh.
The Paldain screams.
Jim dodges back, as the second creature lashes out at him.
“DEMONS”, Anya screams. The adventurers scatter; fan out, around their new foes.
“Magic weapons”, Anya states and, “Smidgin”, a Magic Missile ploughs into the side of one of the Lemure’s. Ala slashes through the one on Cas, her weapon barely scratches the creature. Jim smashes his battleaxe into the Lemure menacing him, the creature screeches, claws at the air and staggers back.
Cas and Ala fight on against the other, once again shadows twist around the creature, they’re both mesmerised, swing wildly, neither connects with the creature which lurches forward leaving a viscous trail, the Lemure rakes its claws down Cas’ face. The Paladin lurches back blood cascading down his cheek.
Bec hefts his great club, lifts it way above his head, and drives it down on the other Lemure, which is already injured.
SPLAT
The creature concertinas and then explodes, a melted wax like substance liberally coats the area, and the combatants, then slowly dissolves into nothing, the creature is destroyed.
Cas swings off-balance, misses again. Ala connects, but leaves barely a scratch. The Lemure cackles and bubbles filth down itself, suddenly splits- vertically, leaving two wavering halves, a battleaxe clearly visible protruding through its midriff.
The creatures face fades from Cas and Ala’s sight, eye-sockets ooze to the surface, as it now faces Jim, it claws at Jim’s axe, tries to grab it, the Ranger swiftly heaves it out of the creature and dances back, the Lemure collapses into a stinking pile of filth- bubbles some more then vanishes.
“OK. Is there anybody else here that keeps seeing shadows?” Cas asks.
Ala, Bec and Jim nod.
“Oh you can see them now?” Anya asks.
Cas, bows his head, then nods- looks up at Anya, mouths “sorry.”
“What are they are?” Ala asks.
“I don’t know but I think this place is under some sort of terrible curse. The Kobolds, the way they look- there’s a darkness here.” Anya states.
Cas nods, “The fiends are evil, that’s obvious- I can feel their auras, but there’s something else here, something not… right.”
“I think we can bet on encountering more Kobold abominations, as we go on.” Jim states.
The others nod.
“Right then, again, the door.” Cas leads them off again.
Into another black stone passage, this time only five feet wide, it ends in a t-junction, the group head left to a door, which is wide open.
Inside a foul-smelling room lit by guttering torches, a torture chamber, the adventurers cautiously move in.
“This is… This is…” Cas begins and finishes off by drawing out his light mace and smashing the rack that stands before him.
“Smash it all up.” Ala confirms, staring pointedly at Newt, they set to work.
It takes a while, all that’s left of use, in the end, are a set of thumbscrews, they avoid destruction by being safe and secure in Newt’s backpack.
“Feel better?” Newt asks.
“Yes.” Cas nods.
“Much.” Ala concludes.
The group traipse back out of the chamber, and follow it over, to another door, once again, open. Beyond is a very odd looking chamber.
An L-shaped room, more of the black rock, there are six portrait-sized curtains around the walls, as if there are… portraits, what else, behind them. Perhaps they’ve wandered into some strange Kobold art gallery.
“Can I have sandwich?” Bec offers.
“This place gets weirder and weirder.” Jim strides into the chamber.
“Sandwich?”
“Alright Bec… later.” Jim adds.
Anya mooches into the chamber, wary, there’s a bunch of papers on the floor, and a crude looking short ladder, she heads over.
“SANDWICH?”
“You alright big guy?” Jim worries, he passes a cheese sandwich to Bec.
Bec begins to shuffle forward, holding the sandwich in his hands in front of him.
“SANDWICH?”
“CAS, Ala- Bec’s… gone funny.” Jim tries again.
“You’re alright big guy. Calm down. Don’t you want your sandwich?” Jim places his hand on Bec’s arm.
Bec stops his shuffle; the others close in on him, all except for Anya, she’s reading.
“That’s strange… they’re…” Anya states.
“SANDWICH? SANDWICH?”
Bec bursts free from the gaggle of concerned on-lookers, quick-shuffles forwards to one of the concealed portraits, and flings open the curtain.
RRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR
Fire consumes Bec.
Next Turn: Going Elemental
Dungeon Crawl Classics #2
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
Turn 21: Going Elemental
Bec collapses, gibbers, holding in his hand the worlds first “cheese toastie”, he gibbers some more, takes a bite, gibbers once more, for luck- strings of melted cheese trapeze between the toastie and his maw. His clothes and facial hair still smoke, charred.
The company rush towards him while Anya conjures; a kid-skin gloved woman’s hand appears in the air close to her, gently flaps over to the curtain and draws it shut- the fire abates.
“What the hell was he doing?” Jim shouts.
“Bec?” Ala’s by his side.
The big man blinks his eyes, takes another bite, “Sandwich.”
He grins, takes another bite of his cheese toastie, and begins to lever himself up.
Ala uses the last of her healing spells, the burns fade, Bec’s back in full health.
The others help him up to his feet, although he doesn’t seem to need any assistance.
“Bec?” Cas wonders, “what was all that about?”
Bec chews hard at his toastie, waves it at Cas, “Sandwich.” He grins.
And that’s all they get out of him, except for a cheesy grin.
Anya and Newt move back to the pile of notes, begins to read through them, Anya quickly states.
“Don’t open any of the curtains- it seems they’re all portals to the Elemental Planes… It seems our Kobold friends have been spending their time trying to catch the wind from the Plane of Air, in a sack- which tells you everything you need to know about Kobolds.”
“Ridiculous.” Newt states.
“Exactly.” Anya confirms.
“It’d get through the holes.” Newt holds up a hessian sack, it has indeed got holes in it.
Anya shakes her head, “hang on though.”
“What?” Cas strides over past Bec, who grins furiously- licking his fingers, sated.
“Well it seems that…” Anya strides over to a curtain, draws it back with a florish, “this one goes somewhere else...”
Within the window to another world is an office, a small ten by ten room with a chest at the far end, and a small wooden table with a clutter of alchemist’s paraphernalia on it.
Newt dashes over, grabs the small set of steps, rushes back to the portal.
“Newt”, Cas shouts, “it might not be safe.”
And he’s in, he turns waves back at the others, and he’s at the chest, it’s easy to open- Newt grabs everything as the others watch on from outside of the portal.
Anya plucks up the courage, steps in, Newt turns to her and winks- the pair grab as much of the alchemical paraphernalia as they can carry safely and step out of the portal. Newt has located a number of potions, a thick cloak, and a fairly plain looking necklace, with only three beads on it, and a beautifully cut diamond, but that’s his reward for going.
“I think it’s time we rested up again, we’ve enough food for a few more days yet, we may as well take our time. We seem to be winning the war.” Cas states.
The others agree.
The happy gang file back to the graveyard, for another rest- believe me, and this is a DM moment, if I had anything left to throw at them I would. That and the scenario saying that the Kobolds, now without leadership (since before the scenario started), stay put, which means the Goodman Gang are free to retreat for rest and relaxation.
The rest of the day is spent cleaning and prepping, the night in fairly fitful sleep. Anya takes the time to have a look at the Wand she located on the Kobold Wizard, she already knows the command word, “Flame On”, it’s going to be her new toy- I can tell.
Ala wanders over to Newt, when nobodies looking,
“I bet you’ve stolen lots of stuff haven’t you? Picked things up here and there?” Ala smiles.
Newt considers the statement for a moment, then nods, and grins back.
“You’re nothing but a lowly thief, a parasite…” Ala trails off.
Newt takes a huge gulping of cooling water, wipes his mouth with his sleeve, considers Ala’s words again, and then nods some more, an even wider grin plastered on his face.
“Why?” Ala despairs.
“Because that’s what I do.” Newt levers himself to his feet. “You heal the fighters, that’s what you do, sure you wave that thing around a bit…”, Newt points at Ala’s longsword, “but you don’t hit much- do you?
Ala gets to her feet in a rush goes to draw her sword.
Newt stands stock still, “go on then…”, hands out- defenceless, “take your best shot.”
And loud enough for several of others to hear, and react, Cas and Anya, then Bec and Jim get to their feet.
Nothing happens for a while.
“Thought not.” Newt smiles thinly, then wanders off.
The next morning everything is done with a practiced efficiency, the stew tastes better- Newt has taken over cooking duties. Somebody finds a still fresh loaf of bread, Anya has some apples- they share everything, the shadows fade a little And yet...
Nobody’s speaking.
Day five underground, and a Detect Magic spell confirms that the potions, cloak and necklace are all indeed magical items. The potions are easily identified, healing, they’re shared out, Newt declines one- he’s got four salted away already. Jim takes the cloak, he’s no idea what it does but he likes the look of it- dark and plain. Anya takes the necklace, she has a number of ideas as to what it may be, she resolves to have the thing Identified why they return to civilisation.
Ala discovers that she is actually out of food, this proves not to be a problem as a number of the others still have over a week’s supply of hard tack, a brief inventory of supplies is taken, and they calculate that there’s enough food for them all for three more days.
The party return to the Temple complex and specifically the corridor outside of the library- there’s a door at the far end, as yet, remember, untried.
Newt goes ahead, to the door, checks it briefly- nothing untoward. Opens the door a little, a shadowy chamber, funny, the stone floor has been replaced by a gray-ish lifeless dirt, a purple glow emanates from the ceiling some twenty feet overhead.
The gang cautiously enter, into a massively overgrown garden of twisted and spikey plant-life, shrubs and hedges all brown and dead, there’s a small clearing and the remains of a path ahead. The plant-life has taken over, the wall of thorns that surrounds them is some five feet high, and dense, almost impassable.
“What the…”, Newt begins.
Jim takes a look, he’s the Ranger after all, “we’ll whatever they were, the plants, they’re good and dead.” He snaps a twig off, “and dangerous”, he’s cut his hand.
The group fan out, Bec moves forward down the overgrown passage that leads off from the clearing.
“Sandwich.” Bec shouts and points.
“KWAAA.”
At a Kobold, of sorts, the creature has long thin arms that grip tight to a crossbow, it clutches onto the top of hedge, above Bec, with its clawed, bird-like, feet, a long thin tongue snakes out of its beak-like maw.
“KWAAAAAA.”
It studies Bec for a second.
Then fires.
The bolt smashes into the lifeless soil by Bec’s feet.
“KWAAA.”
A half-dozen of the strange Kobolds appear, perched on the hedges, surrounding the intrepid explorers.
TWONG x lots.
It’s an ambush.
Ala clutches at her arm, a scratch. Jim is not so lucky, a crossbow bolt slams into and through his throat, he slumps to the deck clutching at his neck, blood bubbles, he opens and closes his mouth but no sound comes out.
The Kobold-birds spring back, out of sight, only to be replaced by a second wave, another half-dozen.
Thwong x lots.
Bec smashes at the twisted hedge, perched on which is a pair of Kobolds, the creatures dance back, out of harms way. Anya grabs Jim and begins to drag him out of the chamber- she sprouts two crossbow bolts in the process, nearly falters, and yet drags the gasping Ranger out of the chamber.
Newt fires back, kills one in an instant. Cas takes a bolt to the side, nearly folds.
“Retreat.” The Paladin gasps, the gang head for the door, and are intercepted by Anya who’s on her way back in.
She steps into the chamber, using the door for cover, pokes out the wand she found on the Kobold Wizard and screams-
“FLAME ON.”
A carpet of fire spreads out into the underbrush, it ignites, flames shoot up and out, engulfing two of the Kobolds that shriek and caw as they burn.
“FLAME ON.”
Another whoosh of fire, the undergrowth rages.
“FLAME ON.”
Another.
Anya can hear the screams of the Kobolds as they flee.
“FLAME ON.”
And.
“FLAME ON.”
It goes on for a while, Anya screaming over the sound of the raging firestorm.
Two minutes later a stern looking Anya, with blackened face and hands, rejoins the gang- who are in retreat, back towards the water, behind her the door is still open, and on fire, the room beyond an inferno, a pall of black smoke snakes down the corridor towards them.
They make it back to the huge cavern with the pool of water in it, which they’ve already crossed on three occasions. The black smoke follows them, and then filters up- high into the chamber, filling the area with a dark fug.
They wait, and heal, Jim is soon back on his feet, and talking, his throat wound entirely gone, which doesn’t stop him from constantly rubbing the spot.
“There can’t be much more of this?” Anya asks.
“I hope not.” Cas adds.
“What do you make of them Kobolds?” Newt asks.
“I think everything in here is tainted, an abomination.” Jim replies.
“Why though?” Anya follows up.
To silence for a while.
“Whatever it is I aim to get to the bottom of it.” Cas states hands on hips doing his tea-pot impression.
“You can’t cure all Oerth’s ills.” Ala states.
“But I can’t ignore this… We can’t ignore this, there’s something unnatural about this place, alien- whatever it is that’s creating these abominations has a purpose, and I don’t believe for a second that it’s something good. They’re not the most hospitable of creatures, you saw how it affected the Ogre, the Kobolds- we need to find the source of this terror before it spreads.” Cas answers.
Silence takes grip again, the adventurers nod, Ala stares at Newt.
They’re there for four hours, polishing, sharpening, mumbling to each other, watching the black smoke continue to curl from the cavern and disappear high above.
Then they’re back to the once hedged chamber, and what a difference, the true extent of the room is revealed, it must be a hundred feet square, now the home of nothing more than burnt and blackened foliage, a pool of brackish water, and a small stone chamber in the centre- black from the inferno.
The pool of water holds no secrets.
The blackened room in the centre has a stone door on the far side, the group make ready, and whatever’s behind it must surely know they’re here.
Newt, after briefly examining the door, flings it open- Bec charges in smashes at…
A new type of Kobold, this one has an elongated neck, like a dragons neck, a snaking tail that curls and curves behind it, and is covered in thick armoured scales- like… a dragon.
The Kobold ducks Bec’s greatclub, easily.
“Smidgin”, the creature cannot dodge Anya’s Magic Missile however, it steps back, there are stairs behind the creature, heading down.
Jim dodges in behind Bec, spots one of the crossbow bearing bird-like Kobolds from the inferno chamber, fires.
Fwong.
The Kobold flops backwards and tumbles down the stairs.
Two more rush up them, take aim at Jim.
Fwung.
The rear Kobold fires and takes out his comrade- oops.
CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
A frantic white mist shoots out of the Dragon-Kobolds maw, covering Bec in freezing ice, the mist clears- Bec shivers, Anya however is totally covered in the icey sheen, she topples backwards, frozen solid, onto the floor. Cas dives by Bec and slices at the creature- it’s too quick for him, it dodges back.
Ala dives into the chamber and is on all fours pouring healing energy into Anya, Newt follows her in.
Fwung.
And takes out a third Bird-Kobold complete with crossbow, another rushes in to fill the gap, they seem keen to defend the stairway down.
Bec shakes the ice from him, swings again; but the Dragon-Kobold ducks the blow.
Anya shakes her head, she’s coming round, she’s also being dragged out of the chamber by Ala.
Jim drops his bow and heaves his battleaxe at the final Bird-Kobold, smashing the creature back down the stairs.
Cas lances his longsword at the Dragon-Kobold, “Charge…”, the creature dodges in and slashes down hard knocking Cas’ sword from his hand, the blade skitters off down the stairs.
Newt moves backwards, out of the way of the beast, and-
FWUNG
Buries six inches of crossbow bolt into the creature.
Shadows coalesce around the Dragon-Kobold, the room spins, or at least the shadows seem to spin, Bec swings again- hits only shadow, Cas gets no further- hand over his eyes, the strobe of shadows blinds him- he staggers back. Jim clutches his temple, there’s something going on here, something very wrong- and bad, he staggers backwards.
“AAA-BOMM-INN-AY-SHUN”
The Dragon-Kobold croaks and swings it’s battleaxe at Cas, it slices the air, inches from his head.
“Smidgin”
Another Magic Missile drills into the creature, it stands statue for a moment and then staggers and falls, clatters down the stone steps, coming to rest, neck broken, at the base of the stairs.
Anya’s silhouetted in the doorway, back on her feet, wand out- holding the pose.
“Come on”, Cas looks at Anya, “lets head down- we’re nearly there, I can feel it.”
They head down, Ala checking for wounds as they move off; she uses some of her minor healing skills.
Newt grabs several more of the three fingered pendants on the way, Ala stops to glare at him, he grins and shrugs back.
The stairs end in a door, their soon through it and into another corridor, a T-junction, the group head west, to yet another door. The area is silent.
Newt gets to work again, no traps, no locks, pushes it open- into a nightmare.
Before them is an enormous chamber, bathed in a sickly green light, around the chamber plant-like growths, pods- Kobold sized pods- like seed pods, only for the abominable creatures they’ve encountered so far.
Jim approaches one, touches its translucent skin, inside something bubbles, it’s alive- something moves within, the pod begins to peel back, open, a viscous liquid spills out, Jim dances back.
Within is a newly exposed Kobold, complete with Dragon-like features, just like the creature they encountered at the top of the stairs.
Jim looks back at the others, doesn’t ask permission, turns back and smashes his battleaxe into the newborn abomination.
The Kobolds eyes flutter open.
SQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
And then it expires.
Anya tugs at Jim’s sleeve, pulling him out of the way.
“Anya are you…” Cas starts, she points to the door, folds up the sleeve of her robe, she has the Wand of Burning Hands gripped tight in her hands.
“Get out.”
Jim, Bec, Ala and Newt head out.
Cas waits, “Are you sure? Do you want me to stay with…”
“Get out. Please.”
Cas, head down, leaves.
“FLAME ON.”
The roar of flames.
Outside the other members of the group listen to the rush of flame, and the scream of the yet unborn creatures, suddenly awakened from their slumber, dying- there must be hundreds of them.
Jim clamps his hands over his ears, squats down. Ala turns away- crying.
The flame comes again, and again.
As do the screams.
And again.
And again.
Relentless.
A good while later Anya steps out of the room, flames flicker behind her, not the conflagration of earlier, burnt and crisped bodies still smoulder on the floor behind her.
She shuts the door behind.
Cas reaches out to place his hand on her shoulder.
She shrugs it off.
“Whatever it is at the end of this, it’s going to suffer- promise me that.”
Cas nods.
“That’s what we’re here for.” Jim states plainly.
Newt tries not to meet anyone’s stare, especially Ala’s
Next Turn: The Bitter End.
I'm still frustrated with this story hour, if anyone has any clues as to how I can improve it then please don't hesitate to drop me a line, it could be so much better. I think it's partly because when I play this group they tend to skip back story and the roleplay which usually occurs during, and definitely between scenarios- they just want to get their dice rolling and get stuck in- obviously this makes character development incidental to the action (dice rolling).
Suggestions please...
Turn 22: The Bitter End
The group gather, Cas makes to mumble something uplifting, but Anya shrugs her way past to another door- Newt skips ahead of her, now all sweetness and light. Gets to work on the door- there’s nothing to be found.
“It can only get worse.” Anya motions for Cas to go past her, go on in.
Cas takes a breath, then flings the door open, onto a scene straight from Hell.
A large Altar, seemingly constructed from the still writhing bodies of creatures- Kobolds, Derro, other less distinguishable monsters. Either side of this are a pair of Candlestick holders, bearing enormous black candles. The Candlesticks are fashioned from still living, certainly able to feel pain- from there yelps, Kobolds. Candles emerge from the creature’s maws, which seem to have been wrenched open, broken, and left to set in this, most painful, position. They clutch a further pair of candles in there crucified outstretched arms.
The walls of the chamber pulse and beat, still-living skin, organs gurgle, veins throb, and bulges towards the adventurers.
And behind the Altar is another abomination- once Kobold, Lerrza, the High Priestess, is almost albino- he skin without pigment, a horny, boney emaciated horror. She stands behind the Altar staring at her foes.
“Tiiiimmmeee tooooo diiiiiiieeee.”
Delivered in a whisper, Lerrza turns slightly to reveal the source of the malediction, a second functioning Kobold face, in the back of her head.
Cas looks behind him, the more perceptive members note the colour has drained from his face. Through a bone-dry throat he screams.
“For Pelor.”
And charges forward, and where Cas leads, the others follow.
The Altar sprouts legs, and other limbs, shuffles forwards to meet them, it grows, arms to claw, heads to see- a living knot of inhumanity.
The Candlesticks hop forward, yelping as they spill burning wax on themselves- Hell’s coming.
Anya doesn’t even bother with a pose, “Smidgin.” A Magic Missile rushes through the chamber and thumps into the Kobold High Priestess.
The other attackers are intercepted en route to the Priestess by the moving scenery, they attempt to slash there way past the Altar and the Candlesticks.
Bec hefts his great club, smashes it down, and takes a chunk of flesh and limbs from the Altar. At the same time a white ray shoots out from the Kobold Priestesses fingertip, and bathes Anya, she’s caught mid-stride, she stiffens, paralyzed.
Jim creeps to a clear spot, bow still in hand, and fires- the Magic Arrow sings for a second and then thumps in the High Priestesses chest.
“Yooooooo willlll alllll meeeeeeeet thhhheeee maaaaaaasssstteer.”
The second head whispers, with volume.
Ala swings, an overhead blow, slashes down and slices the fleshy Altar- clean in two, limbs, heads, and torsos tumble out, a slick of blood forms.
Bec sees his opportunity and charges through the newly created gap- and is engulfed, momentarily, by a black mist; he emerges, a second later, heading back the way he came, his face a rictus grin, terrified- he bowls into Ala, knocking them both to the flesh-like ground, which lurches up to claw and grab at the pair.
Bec crawls away as fast as he can, Ala wrenches herself free and staggers on towards the abomination.
Newt’s crossbow sings, it’s out of tune, as is Jim’s bow- bolt and arrow fly well wide of the High Priestess. Newt recovers, re-aims, and fires again- hits, but it’s just a scratch.
Lerrza spins around.
“DEATH TO LIFE.”
The second face screams.
The wave of sound crashes over the adventurers- Ala grabs her ears but stumbles on- towards the High Priest. Bec continues to crawl away from the fight, mumbling and fumbling for words. Cas’ ears bleed profusely, the Paladin stands statue still trying to shake the echo of the words from his brain, he stumbles then falls.
“CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS.”
Ala screams and launches a furious swipe at Lerrza, who chooses that moment to launch her own attack; Ala’s sword slices clean through the Kobold High Priestesses pallid neck.
Lerrza’s stands suddenly still, as if balancing something very delicate.
“Yoooo willll diiiiiiiie.”
She whispers.
“Not here though.” Ala answers.
She strides forward, kicks, nonchantly, the creature backwards. Lerrza’s head topples forward as the rest of her tumbles back.
The two Candlesticks prove to be less of a hindrance, even with the number of adventurers temporarily incapacitated.
Wounds and injuries are tended to, Cas it seems was only momentarily stunned, Bec wanders back into the chamber- wondering what all the fuss was about, and looking a little sheepish, Anya’s paralysis lasts only a little longer,
The High Priest has a number of useful scrolls which Ala identifies and stashes away for later use. The group retire leaving Anya alone for a while with the Wand of Burning Hands, with the usual flame-grilled results.
Outside the horrid chamber Ala continues to stare at Newt who shrinks under her gaze, the Goodman Gang’s purpose revealed.
Ten minutes later the group reassemble and head on, and this time pass by two side passages, Cas is in a rush it seems.
“Er… Cas?” Jim tries.
“It’s this way.” Cas points on.
“What is?” Jim enquires.
“The End.” Cas simply states.
Silence for a while, the passage ends in a t-junction, Cas looks left then right, heads right.
“What about the not leaving enemies behind you?” Jim tries again.
“It’s too late for that… Now come on.”
The passage turns north and ends in a door, which Cas flings open, into another chamber, eight pillars run floor to ceiling, in pairs towards a door at the far end of the chamber.
Five more of the Elite Kobold guards occupy the space immediately before them, the adventurers rush into the chamber.
“Come on, for Pelor.” Cas screams again.
“Smidgin.” A Magic Missile thumps into one of the creatures- dead. Newt fires, a bolt buries itself in the chest of another, which flops to the floor. Jim lets loose the Magic Arrow, it passes through a Kobold’s throat, that’s three down.
The other two Kobolds let loose with Heavy Crossbows, obviously already loaded, a bolt traces a red furrow down Cas’ leg, the other thumps into the centre of Bec’s chest, who topples backwards like a tree being felled.
There’s a sudden movement ahead of the adventurers, at the far door, approximately fifty feet away, another group of Elite Kobolds appears, two dash off, one left, one right- towards the nearest pillars. They blink out of view.
And reappear, step from the nearest two pillars to the doorway through which the adventurers entered.
They fire their heavy crossbows, a bolt sails wide of Jim, the other clunks into Anya’s skull, she drops to all fours, and then further down, onto the cold stone floor.
“KILL THEM.”
Cas snarls, and launches himself forward in to one of the Kobold Elite, cuts the creature down with a single blow, almost severing the things arm.
Kobolds dodge towards the pillars, blink out of existence, only to appear in convenient positions, and yet their missile attacks prove to be ineffective.
The adventurers edge further into the chamber, abandoning Anya and Bec, who’re still down on the floor, for the moment.
Jim manages to tag another of the creatures; his arrow spins the Elite Kobold around, before it drops dead.
And then Jim proves his point, at a cost.
A Dragon Kobold lurches into the chamber, from behind the adventurers, and liberally covers Newt and Jim in a cloud of freezing ice crystals, they both stagger, but remain upright, just.
Newt quick draws a healing draught and glugs it down.
Jim abandon’s his bow in a kamikaze charge, draws his axe, and in the process knocks Newt to his knees, the agile Ranger follows Newt down, lands hard and remains sprawled on the floor- out cold.
Ala is hit in the back by a crossbow bolt, she struggles to grasp behind her, remove the bolt, stumbles, and, like Jim, clutches the ground
Which leaves Newt and Cas still standing, with five Elite Kobold’s and a Dragon Kobold menacing the pair.
Cas strides forward and is surrounded by four Elite Kobolds, he manages to fend them off, if only for a moment.
Newt flings a flask of Alchemist’s Fire, which explodes on impact with the stone floor, forces the cold using Dragon Kobold back out of the pillared chamber, a crossbow bolt passes over the Gnome’s shoulder.
Cas swings wildly, a Kobold steps in, cuts him along his arm, and then Cas’ attack unfolds, another cuts him along the back of his thigh, yet another at his ankle, and the last, more serious, across the forehead. He wavers, but grips tight to his sword.
Newt takes up his crossbow, and in one swift move- fires, the Elite Kobold facing him slumps down dead. The Gnome rushes over to Anya, scrambles for a Healing Potion and then jams the bottle in Anya’s jaws- it drains. She opens her eyes.
Cas holds the furious four Elite Kobolds off for a while longer, no new cuts and bruises in the action.
Anya levers herself upright, “Akkat”, sets Swish before her, to guard her, while she re-orientates herself.
The Dragon Kobold leaps back into the chamber; the Alchemist Fire has burned itself out, Newt fires, instinct, but misses by a mile. The creature rushes at the Gnome, smashes into him, knocking him tumbling back. Newt lands by Jim, clutches another Potion of Healing which he passes to Jim, who’s just coming round, the Ranger gulps the healing liquid down.
“Pelor save me…”
Cas mumbles as he continues to fend off the ferocious creatures, his energies return as his prayer is answered, cuts and bruises miraculously healed, and in the same instant he finds himself in an even worse situation. An Elite Kobold connects with a low blow, striking and slicing into both of the Paladin’s legs. Another cuts him across the chest, yet another almost removes the pinky finger from his shield hand. He’s barely standing.
Newt scrambles up again, fires, the bolt passes just inches away from the Dragon Kobold’s face.
“Smidgin.” Anya’s back on form, the Magic Missile slams into the Dragon Kobold, the creature staggers backwards, on its last legs.
Jim sees an opportunity and charges into melee with the creature, metal meets metal, but no new hits are scored.
Cas meanwhile slices down one of the Kobolds he is facing, and then, for good measure, is cut down himself- the Paladin tumbles forward, unmoving. The Elite Kobolds, now sans enemy, rush towards the nearest pillars.
Newt fires but misses badly. Anya does not suffer from the same malaise, “Smidgin”, the Magic Missile thumps into the Dragon Kobold which tumbles backwards- dead.
The three teleporting, for that is what the pillars do, Elite Kobolds blink back into view, one behind Jim, who takes a blow to his right-hand side, winces but fights on. The other two appear behind Newt, who takes two raking blows to his back and shoulder; he staggers forwards, then turns to confront his new foes.
The Elite Kobolds follow up, slashing and smashing, but Newt is far too quick for them, he fends off a blow with his heavy mace, which he now clutches in hand.
“Smidgin.” Anya’s Magic Missile kills one of Newt’s attackers.
The other exchanges blows, snarling, with the Gnome Rogue.
“Smidgin.” And then it’s no more, which only leaves two Elite Kobolds, one backing away- towards the far door, the other fighting Jim, who, for his sins, receives another wound.
Newt scrambles for his crossbow, clutches it, but too slow- “Smidgin”, the Elite Kobold facing Jim slumps to the floor.
The last makes it back to the far door, flings it open and is about to rush through.
“Smidgin”, nothing happens, the wand is spent.
Thwung
But Newts crossbow bolt merely dents the wall.
The creature escapes with his life, for now.
Jim makes to run forward but Anya grabs him, slows his charge, she looks around them, at their fallen comrades, an unspoken signal.
The three still standing tend as best they can to the wounded. Bec is just stunned, no more, once again though he has proven to be the weakest link, or so he thinks- he has a long face. Ala too is quickly revived; it’s Cas that is the furthest gone, although a pair of healing potions soon do the job.
The limping sextet wend their way back to the stairs, it’s judged to be the safest place to defend at present. They make camp on a rough stone landing, ensure the door is shut in the chamber above, and trapped courtesy of Jim and Newt, they’ll know if something’s coming, they repeat the trick with the lower portal- they’re safe, or so they think.
They set a watch rota, two awake at any one time, they decide on twelve hours rest, the last push- the end must surely be in sight.
“I hate this place.” Anya offers.
She holds Cas’ glare.
“Me too.” Jim confirms.
“Sandwich?” Bec scratches his head.
“Come on, it isn’t too bad.” Cas states.
“I hate you.” Ala seethes staring at the Paladin.
“What? Ala?” Cas is up and moving towards her.
She’s up and backing away.
“It’s all your fault, we should have just gone back when we killed the Ogre, this place… this place, it’s… It’s hell.”
Cas puts his hands out- towards Ala, “We have to do this. It’s what we do- it’s right.”
“I know what’s right, don’t preach to me. We’ve been stuck down here for four days now, four days since we’ve seen the surface, felt the breeze, the trees, animals, plants- life, not these twisted abominations. I hate it down here, and I hate you for bringing me here. And you…”, she turns to Newt, “I hate most of all, your nasty and spiteful- don’t think I haven’t seen you when you’re supposed to be on guard, or asleep, creeping around, always looking- your pockets jangling full of our treasure- you’re nothing but a common Thief”, the last part of the sentence is spat out, in Newt’s face.
Silence.
Slowly the Gnomes features stretch into a smile.
“That’s right. I’m a Thief- maybe not so common, but I’ll let that pass. But here’s the thing Lady Luck, I know what I’m here for, I know what I want… Now tell me that don’t piss you off to high heaven.” He grins.
“Newt.” Cas warns.
And Ala crumples, where she stands, and sobs.
Cas bends to comfort her, places his hand gently upon her shoulder.
“LEAVE ME…” She screams.
Cas gingerly stands, forlorn, moves away.
“Get some sleep, I’ll take first shift”, he stutters.
Ala continues to sob.
Anya snakes out her hand, grasps Jim’s hand, holds on tight, they share a look.
And in the corner Bec sees this, and head down, sucks in air- silently seething, pressing down the Rage inside of him.
Next Turn: Bobby Ewing.
Suggestions please...
Dungeon Crawl Classics #2
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters
Turn 22: The Bitter End
The group gather, Cas makes to mumble something uplifting, but Anya shrugs her way past to another door- Newt skips ahead of her, now all sweetness and light. Gets to work on the door- there’s nothing to be found.
“It can only get worse.” Anya motions for Cas to go past her, go on in.
Cas takes a breath, then flings the door open, onto a scene straight from Hell.
A large Altar, seemingly constructed from the still writhing bodies of creatures- Kobolds, Derro, other less distinguishable monsters. Either side of this are a pair of Candlestick holders, bearing enormous black candles. The Candlesticks are fashioned from still living, certainly able to feel pain- from there yelps, Kobolds. Candles emerge from the creature’s maws, which seem to have been wrenched open, broken, and left to set in this, most painful, position. They clutch a further pair of candles in there crucified outstretched arms.
The walls of the chamber pulse and beat, still-living skin, organs gurgle, veins throb, and bulges towards the adventurers.
And behind the Altar is another abomination- once Kobold, Lerrza, the High Priestess, is almost albino- he skin without pigment, a horny, boney emaciated horror. She stands behind the Altar staring at her foes.
“Tiiiimmmeee tooooo diiiiiiieeee.”
Delivered in a whisper, Lerrza turns slightly to reveal the source of the malediction, a second functioning Kobold face, in the back of her head.
Cas looks behind him, the more perceptive members note the colour has drained from his face. Through a bone-dry throat he screams.
“For Pelor.”
And charges forward, and where Cas leads, the others follow.
The Altar sprouts legs, and other limbs, shuffles forwards to meet them, it grows, arms to claw, heads to see- a living knot of inhumanity.
The Candlesticks hop forward, yelping as they spill burning wax on themselves- Hell’s coming.
Anya doesn’t even bother with a pose, “Smidgin.” A Magic Missile rushes through the chamber and thumps into the Kobold High Priestess.
The other attackers are intercepted en route to the Priestess by the moving scenery, they attempt to slash there way past the Altar and the Candlesticks.
Bec hefts his great club, smashes it down, and takes a chunk of flesh and limbs from the Altar. At the same time a white ray shoots out from the Kobold Priestesses fingertip, and bathes Anya, she’s caught mid-stride, she stiffens, paralyzed.
Jim creeps to a clear spot, bow still in hand, and fires- the Magic Arrow sings for a second and then thumps in the High Priestesses chest.
“Yooooooo willlll alllll meeeeeeeet thhhheeee maaaaaaasssstteer.”
The second head whispers, with volume.
Ala swings, an overhead blow, slashes down and slices the fleshy Altar- clean in two, limbs, heads, and torsos tumble out, a slick of blood forms.
Bec sees his opportunity and charges through the newly created gap- and is engulfed, momentarily, by a black mist; he emerges, a second later, heading back the way he came, his face a rictus grin, terrified- he bowls into Ala, knocking them both to the flesh-like ground, which lurches up to claw and grab at the pair.
Bec crawls away as fast as he can, Ala wrenches herself free and staggers on towards the abomination.
Newt’s crossbow sings, it’s out of tune, as is Jim’s bow- bolt and arrow fly well wide of the High Priestess. Newt recovers, re-aims, and fires again- hits, but it’s just a scratch.
Lerrza spins around.
“DEATH TO LIFE.”
The second face screams.
The wave of sound crashes over the adventurers- Ala grabs her ears but stumbles on- towards the High Priest. Bec continues to crawl away from the fight, mumbling and fumbling for words. Cas’ ears bleed profusely, the Paladin stands statue still trying to shake the echo of the words from his brain, he stumbles then falls.
“CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS.”
Ala screams and launches a furious swipe at Lerrza, who chooses that moment to launch her own attack; Ala’s sword slices clean through the Kobold High Priestesses pallid neck.
Lerrza’s stands suddenly still, as if balancing something very delicate.
“Yoooo willll diiiiiiiie.”
She whispers.
“Not here though.” Ala answers.
She strides forward, kicks, nonchantly, the creature backwards. Lerrza’s head topples forward as the rest of her tumbles back.
The two Candlesticks prove to be less of a hindrance, even with the number of adventurers temporarily incapacitated.
Wounds and injuries are tended to, Cas it seems was only momentarily stunned, Bec wanders back into the chamber- wondering what all the fuss was about, and looking a little sheepish, Anya’s paralysis lasts only a little longer,
The High Priest has a number of useful scrolls which Ala identifies and stashes away for later use. The group retire leaving Anya alone for a while with the Wand of Burning Hands, with the usual flame-grilled results.
Outside the horrid chamber Ala continues to stare at Newt who shrinks under her gaze, the Goodman Gang’s purpose revealed.
Ten minutes later the group reassemble and head on, and this time pass by two side passages, Cas is in a rush it seems.
“Er… Cas?” Jim tries.
“It’s this way.” Cas points on.
“What is?” Jim enquires.
“The End.” Cas simply states.
Silence for a while, the passage ends in a t-junction, Cas looks left then right, heads right.
“What about the not leaving enemies behind you?” Jim tries again.
“It’s too late for that… Now come on.”
The passage turns north and ends in a door, which Cas flings open, into another chamber, eight pillars run floor to ceiling, in pairs towards a door at the far end of the chamber.
Five more of the Elite Kobold guards occupy the space immediately before them, the adventurers rush into the chamber.
“Come on, for Pelor.” Cas screams again.
“Smidgin.” A Magic Missile thumps into one of the creatures- dead. Newt fires, a bolt buries itself in the chest of another, which flops to the floor. Jim lets loose the Magic Arrow, it passes through a Kobold’s throat, that’s three down.
The other two Kobolds let loose with Heavy Crossbows, obviously already loaded, a bolt traces a red furrow down Cas’ leg, the other thumps into the centre of Bec’s chest, who topples backwards like a tree being felled.
There’s a sudden movement ahead of the adventurers, at the far door, approximately fifty feet away, another group of Elite Kobolds appears, two dash off, one left, one right- towards the nearest pillars. They blink out of view.
And reappear, step from the nearest two pillars to the doorway through which the adventurers entered.
They fire their heavy crossbows, a bolt sails wide of Jim, the other clunks into Anya’s skull, she drops to all fours, and then further down, onto the cold stone floor.
“KILL THEM.”
Cas snarls, and launches himself forward in to one of the Kobold Elite, cuts the creature down with a single blow, almost severing the things arm.
Kobolds dodge towards the pillars, blink out of existence, only to appear in convenient positions, and yet their missile attacks prove to be ineffective.
The adventurers edge further into the chamber, abandoning Anya and Bec, who’re still down on the floor, for the moment.
Jim manages to tag another of the creatures; his arrow spins the Elite Kobold around, before it drops dead.
And then Jim proves his point, at a cost.
A Dragon Kobold lurches into the chamber, from behind the adventurers, and liberally covers Newt and Jim in a cloud of freezing ice crystals, they both stagger, but remain upright, just.
Newt quick draws a healing draught and glugs it down.
Jim abandon’s his bow in a kamikaze charge, draws his axe, and in the process knocks Newt to his knees, the agile Ranger follows Newt down, lands hard and remains sprawled on the floor- out cold.
Ala is hit in the back by a crossbow bolt, she struggles to grasp behind her, remove the bolt, stumbles, and, like Jim, clutches the ground
Which leaves Newt and Cas still standing, with five Elite Kobold’s and a Dragon Kobold menacing the pair.
Cas strides forward and is surrounded by four Elite Kobolds, he manages to fend them off, if only for a moment.
Newt flings a flask of Alchemist’s Fire, which explodes on impact with the stone floor, forces the cold using Dragon Kobold back out of the pillared chamber, a crossbow bolt passes over the Gnome’s shoulder.
Cas swings wildly, a Kobold steps in, cuts him along his arm, and then Cas’ attack unfolds, another cuts him along the back of his thigh, yet another at his ankle, and the last, more serious, across the forehead. He wavers, but grips tight to his sword.
Newt takes up his crossbow, and in one swift move- fires, the Elite Kobold facing him slumps down dead. The Gnome rushes over to Anya, scrambles for a Healing Potion and then jams the bottle in Anya’s jaws- it drains. She opens her eyes.
Cas holds the furious four Elite Kobolds off for a while longer, no new cuts and bruises in the action.
Anya levers herself upright, “Akkat”, sets Swish before her, to guard her, while she re-orientates herself.
The Dragon Kobold leaps back into the chamber; the Alchemist Fire has burned itself out, Newt fires, instinct, but misses by a mile. The creature rushes at the Gnome, smashes into him, knocking him tumbling back. Newt lands by Jim, clutches another Potion of Healing which he passes to Jim, who’s just coming round, the Ranger gulps the healing liquid down.
“Pelor save me…”
Cas mumbles as he continues to fend off the ferocious creatures, his energies return as his prayer is answered, cuts and bruises miraculously healed, and in the same instant he finds himself in an even worse situation. An Elite Kobold connects with a low blow, striking and slicing into both of the Paladin’s legs. Another cuts him across the chest, yet another almost removes the pinky finger from his shield hand. He’s barely standing.
Newt scrambles up again, fires, the bolt passes just inches away from the Dragon Kobold’s face.
“Smidgin.” Anya’s back on form, the Magic Missile slams into the Dragon Kobold, the creature staggers backwards, on its last legs.
Jim sees an opportunity and charges into melee with the creature, metal meets metal, but no new hits are scored.
Cas meanwhile slices down one of the Kobolds he is facing, and then, for good measure, is cut down himself- the Paladin tumbles forward, unmoving. The Elite Kobolds, now sans enemy, rush towards the nearest pillars.
Newt fires but misses badly. Anya does not suffer from the same malaise, “Smidgin”, the Magic Missile thumps into the Dragon Kobold which tumbles backwards- dead.
The three teleporting, for that is what the pillars do, Elite Kobolds blink back into view, one behind Jim, who takes a blow to his right-hand side, winces but fights on. The other two appear behind Newt, who takes two raking blows to his back and shoulder; he staggers forwards, then turns to confront his new foes.
The Elite Kobolds follow up, slashing and smashing, but Newt is far too quick for them, he fends off a blow with his heavy mace, which he now clutches in hand.
“Smidgin.” Anya’s Magic Missile kills one of Newt’s attackers.
The other exchanges blows, snarling, with the Gnome Rogue.
“Smidgin.” And then it’s no more, which only leaves two Elite Kobolds, one backing away- towards the far door, the other fighting Jim, who, for his sins, receives another wound.
Newt scrambles for his crossbow, clutches it, but too slow- “Smidgin”, the Elite Kobold facing Jim slumps to the floor.
The last makes it back to the far door, flings it open and is about to rush through.
“Smidgin”, nothing happens, the wand is spent.
Thwung
But Newts crossbow bolt merely dents the wall.
The creature escapes with his life, for now.
Jim makes to run forward but Anya grabs him, slows his charge, she looks around them, at their fallen comrades, an unspoken signal.
The three still standing tend as best they can to the wounded. Bec is just stunned, no more, once again though he has proven to be the weakest link, or so he thinks- he has a long face. Ala too is quickly revived; it’s Cas that is the furthest gone, although a pair of healing potions soon do the job.
The limping sextet wend their way back to the stairs, it’s judged to be the safest place to defend at present. They make camp on a rough stone landing, ensure the door is shut in the chamber above, and trapped courtesy of Jim and Newt, they’ll know if something’s coming, they repeat the trick with the lower portal- they’re safe, or so they think.
They set a watch rota, two awake at any one time, they decide on twelve hours rest, the last push- the end must surely be in sight.
“I hate this place.” Anya offers.
She holds Cas’ glare.
“Me too.” Jim confirms.
“Sandwich?” Bec scratches his head.
“Come on, it isn’t too bad.” Cas states.
“I hate you.” Ala seethes staring at the Paladin.
“What? Ala?” Cas is up and moving towards her.
She’s up and backing away.
“It’s all your fault, we should have just gone back when we killed the Ogre, this place… this place, it’s… It’s hell.”
Cas puts his hands out- towards Ala, “We have to do this. It’s what we do- it’s right.”
“I know what’s right, don’t preach to me. We’ve been stuck down here for four days now, four days since we’ve seen the surface, felt the breeze, the trees, animals, plants- life, not these twisted abominations. I hate it down here, and I hate you for bringing me here. And you…”, she turns to Newt, “I hate most of all, your nasty and spiteful- don’t think I haven’t seen you when you’re supposed to be on guard, or asleep, creeping around, always looking- your pockets jangling full of our treasure- you’re nothing but a common Thief”, the last part of the sentence is spat out, in Newt’s face.
Silence.
Slowly the Gnomes features stretch into a smile.
“That’s right. I’m a Thief- maybe not so common, but I’ll let that pass. But here’s the thing Lady Luck, I know what I’m here for, I know what I want… Now tell me that don’t piss you off to high heaven.” He grins.
“Newt.” Cas warns.
And Ala crumples, where she stands, and sobs.
Cas bends to comfort her, places his hand gently upon her shoulder.
“LEAVE ME…” She screams.
Cas gingerly stands, forlorn, moves away.
“Get some sleep, I’ll take first shift”, he stutters.
Ala continues to sob.
Anya snakes out her hand, grasps Jim’s hand, holds on tight, they share a look.
And in the corner Bec sees this, and head down, sucks in air- silently seething, pressing down the Rage inside of him.
Next Turn: Bobby Ewing.
Pedestrian
Explorer
Goonalan said:
Can't make any suggestions Goonalan, beyond the simple proof-reading stuff. I think this an excellent story hour, and I am very much enjoying the struggles of these nascent heroes.
The pacing is nice and quick, you don't dwell over-long on ornate prose, which matches a dash through the dungeons. The character exposition is well done, worked into the plot, and again appropriate for high action fantasy.
You note in the above that you've got to flesh out a lot of that characterisation yourself. Perhaps that is what is frustrating you? I've written a few Story Hours myself, and if that is the case, I wouldn't sweat it. However, perhaps switching to a more "reporting" style of writing would help?
