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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 3766926" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dungeon Crawl Classics #2 The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho An Adventure for First Level CharactersTurn 21: Going ElementalBec 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.CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRA 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-FWUNGBuries 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.SQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAnd 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’sNext Turn: The Bitter End.</blockquote>

Verification