After the fight with the strange creature, even though the party was on the edge of exhaustion, they kept moving along the river. Cedris was very quiet as he pulled the travois with Doric grunting every time he hit a bump or gully in the path. Sasha scouted ahead, sometimes seeming to meld into the shadows of the trees. El-Dris kept the way behind under watch.
They traveled through the night and well into the next day. Using up the last of their strength until they were able to find a place to cold camp in the early afternoon.
The day was fine and bright. Cedris fell asleep almost before he hit the ground. El-Dris, looking around, spotted a large yew tree and went about breaking a large limb off saying, “I learned a little about making bows from my fathers people. While I am a poor excuse for a bowyer, I can most likely make a usable short bow out of this wood.” He grabbed the knife and went about shaping the wood. “Sasha” he called “if you twist that spider silk, I think that may work for a string.”
“Nothing better to do while our young champion sleeps.” replied Sasha. “I will first see to Doric, though there is little I can do for him. I will make him comfortable as I can.”
So it went as they bent to their tasks. Cedris snoring softly and Doric groaning, as his body was wracked with venom. Him covered in the parties only cloak, shivering even on a warm spring day.
They stayed for a day and a half resting up. They could start seeing the hills starting to push up in front of them. When Cedris awoke in the morning, they had a cold meal of smoked meat and some berries that El-Dris was able to scrounge up. When they were rested as well they could be, they set off again. Following the river as best they could.
The days passed. Doric became stronger each day. Though still weak, he was able to walk a little and give rest to Cedris and Sasha from pulling him. He grumbled. “Seems that every beast wants me to be lunch. I would think they they would find out that dwarf was tough.”
Before long they came to a shallow place in the river. Deciding to make camp there, as is made for a good place to cross. They would cross in the morning. Doric was feeling much better and should be able to walk unassisted the next day.
They where able to get a nights sleep with only the sounds of rushing water next to them. El-Dris was able to get the bow finished and Sasha strung it with a surprisingly tough spider silk string. She also was able to finish up the three arrows she had heads for. The next day, at first light they decided to cross the ford of the river.
The crossing went without incident. The only trouble being Doric was short and the river high but even with that, they crossed without effort.
From there they traveled almost three weeks, catching small game and gathering berries as they went. The land started to get hilly the further north they went. The woods, at first dense and difficult to traverse, started to thin out. The hills started getting higher and larger. Soon they came to a cut along the river.
Sasha moved ahead, then called out. “There is something ahead. It looks as if someone has camped here.”
The group moved carefully next to the river, weapons drawn, as they were unable to see more then ten feet to either side.
Doric muttered “Looks to me like this would be a perfect spot for an ambush.” Sasha and El-Dris crept forward, heads on swivel waiting for the attack. Doric covered the rear as Sasha scouted ahead, keeping to the shadows.
El-Dris kept repeating words of power ready for anyone that attacked. But nothing happened. They passed the cliffs and entered into a clearing with what appeared to be a small pile of wood, already stacked, next to a firepit.
The party was even more alert now. Finally Cedris called out. “Is anyone there? I’m Cedris Thatcher, Cleric of Mithras. We have been stranded in this land and we seek assistance.” Only silence returned his call. The party searched around the site looking for its inhabitants. In searching, they only found a small cloth sack, a metal mirror and an empty glass jar.
They decided to rest and look around here for a day or two in hopes of finding someone that could help them, or at least give them information. The site was the first signs of intelligence they had come across. The wood looked like it had been set there quite awhile ago, so it seemed like a long shot to find anyone, but they had very little to lose at this point.
They settled down to a meal of broth and herbs. They had very little meat left, so they would have to hunt soon. But tonight they settled down and Sasha started to sing a soft song from her homeland. With Doric, El-Dris and Cedris humming along, they felt just a little hope.
No one came. They waited three days.
“Well seems that we are still alone in this place” said Doric. “Might as well be off.”
“I have to agree” said El-Dris. “Seems that this place is not in use at the moment, better to move forward, I would think.”
“Yes, I think so too.” replied Sasha.
“Yep” was all the Cedris said, getting up and starting to pack his things. Doric restacked some wood in the wood pile to replace the wood that they used and then off they went.
They traveled for another week along the river. The hills became higher and higher. Soon they would get to a place where they may see something. The river started to flow faster as they headed into the hills. They had to make detours around large thickets of brush which were growing along the river.
They came to a place where the river flowed down between two hills. As they rounded the bend, they could see it flowed into the opening of a wider valley. As they continued Doric called back. “There is something ahead. It looks like a fountain or something.”
They moved forward, carefully scanning again as they started to move up along the river. It seemed there was a bit of trail there, leading to a place that allowed a river crossing. The land flatted out, allowing a small lake to be created next to what looked like a fountain shrine.
All in all a very tranquil and beautiful place. The explorer’s crossed over the river to examine the shrine. Making noises under his breath, El-Dris was drawn to the Shrine. He pulled out the jar they found from his pack and tried to fill it in the stream of water. The water seemed to go straight through the jar.
“This is some sort of illusion.” said El-Dris, with fascination in his voice. “This is not water, but the vision of water.” None of the party knew if he was speaking to them or to himself “These runes are not any that I know of. It seems to be somewhat related to the dialectic of the southern nomads, but the pacing is wrong. It seems much slower.”
On he went mumbling things the rest of the party didn’t understand.
“We should be making camp. It looks like we shall be here for a while.” Doric said. “Sasha, you keep a watch out with that bow of yours. Me and Cedris will get a fire made.”
Sasha commented ” Stay close. I have good sight lines but we don’t know what or who is around.” Doric and Cedris nodded and went about making camp.
El-Dris spent several hours looking at the shrine before coming back to the camp. They ate a soup of frog legs and cats vine they found along the side of the lake. As the rest set about working or sleeping, El-Dris sat looking at the shrine trying to recall something he thought he remembered. Before long most of the party dosed off. El-Dris deep in thought didn’t see the fountain slowly shift and a small lizard like creature climb up from the hole underneath.
Before he knew it, several of the creatures had snuck out of their hiding place. The light of the quarter moon glinted off one of the knives they carried and broke through El-Dris’s concentration.
Before they could do anything. He Jumped up and flung a bolt of fire at the nearest one blowing it off his feet and killing it instantly. The scream of its death cry woke the party.
El-Dris threw another fire bolt toward the creatures. Seeing they were overpowered, the lizard like monsters fled back down the hole which had opened near the fountain. The party rushed up the hole and saw a grate with a ladder underneath it.
Sasha pointed her arrow down the hole saying “I can’t see anything”
El-Dris picked up a rock and mumbled a word and a light shone out from it. He threw it down the hole. It tumbled off the ladder and bounced about twenty feet down before landing on a stone walkway. The glinting of eyes shown below for just a few seconds before they heard the sound of talons on stone running out of the light.
“We must go after them! They are Kolbolds.” growled Doric “We will won’t be safe with those lizard dung behind us.”
Cedris closed his eyes and nodded once. “They are of the dark and no friend. It would be the wish of Mithras to keep the world safe for the light.”
Cedris picked a small stone he had wrapped in leather and whispered. A light appeared and he hung it on his shield. He said “I am ready my friends. Shall we see what these lizard fends are made of?”
Doric picked up the crude knife of the dead Kobold and put it in the bag at his waist. He pulled the sword they had found during the encounter with the spiders, its pattern welded blade looking like oil on water. He swung his shield on his back and nodded once. Leaned down and easily opened the grate, its lock long broken. He started down underground to do the work that Dwarves have been doing for generations unknown…..
Down into the Darkness
Doric moved the grate away and started to mount the ladder. The rungs are slick with moisture and emitting an odor he could barely describe. It smelt like an ungodly mixture of death and dung and wet earth. As he descended, his senses reached out into the darkness. Cedris and then Sasha following him down into the underground, with El-Dris following close behind.
As Doric reached the bottom rung, squeaking and grunting erupted. The sound of arguing lizards echoed can be heard in the darkness. Cedris arrives behind Doric. The light hanging from his shield illuminates the dark chamber.
Before them a path stretched into the inky gloom, flanked on each side bay a murky pool of filth.
It looked as though the Kobolds had been dumping anything they did not value into that dark water, changing it into a toxic sludge.
As they moved forward, the party could see cages placed on the path, the Kobolds moving among them. A Kobold opened the door on the first cage. What appeared to be a ball of fur rushed out. The party could just make out the Kobolds opening up a second cage with more rats rushing out…. heading straight for Doric.
“Here they come” cried Doric, realizing the trap. He brought his shield to bear and readied his new sword.
Cedris stepped up beside him, his club and shield ready for the onslaught.
“Mithras be with us this day,” he intoned and a white light infused the party. They waited readied as the rats faltered, confused for only a mere a second, then resumed their forward rush.
Doric attacked. The first swing of his sword simply sliced a rat in half. Then with a sweep of the blade, the corpse fell aside into the water.
Cedris’s attack missed the companion rat as it dashed to the side and latched onto Doric’s ankle. Sasha held her fire with her bow, conserving her dwindling supply of arrows. El-Dris caught the lead rat in the side with a bolt of fire, stunning it. Doric swung forward but missed, the sword sparking off the ground. Cedris kicked out at a rat, but misjudged the distance and stumbled, his club tumbling out of his hand. He watched helplessly as it rolled across the ground and fell into the fetid water.
“By the Dark!” He cried.
Doric chuckled as he heard the young cleric curse for the first time. “We will have to work on your curses, my friend!” he taunted Cedris.
Again El-Dris called on his mystic arts and flung fire at one of the rats crawling towards the party. In a brief flash all that was left was a smoking grease stain on the stone. Sasha lashed out with her spear and caught the rat nearest Doric square in the chest.
The last rat crazed with hunger, jumped at Cedris scrabbling up his shield and scratched a long bloody furrow along the side of his face.
Doric tried to bash the rat with his shield but couldn’t find the correct angle. He pulled his club off his belt and tossed it to Cedris who scraped the rat off his shield and onto the ground. As it hit the ground Sasha stabbed it and push its remains into the water to sink.
As the party dealt with the rats, the Kobolds retreated further into the darkness. They were trying to get as much distance between themselves and the party as possible. As the sound of battle died down, the party rushed forward in pursuit.
Soon they came upon a door blocking their way. They could hear the sounds of the lizard people on the other side. Doric attempted to open the door but found it locked.
Sasha started to tap upon the door. Up and down, back and forth, finally she said, “Give me some room.” Then, turning to Doric she said, “Let me see your sword.”
The dwarf handed it over doubtfully. Sasha made a couple quick stabbing motions and pushed up. Suddenly the door swung open. She quickly kicked the door wide and handed the blade back to Doric while jumping clear.
“By the beard!” Doric shouted as he deftly gripped his returned sword. He charged forward into the room as a stunned enemy stood before him.
Quickly, with Cedris and the others right behind him, Doric pushed into the next chamber which was filled with Kobolds. With shields in front, Doric and Cedris felt the loud crash of sling bullets bouncing off the metal.
Rushing in, the first of the Kobolds stabbed at them with crude knives. Doric managed to block several of the blows but there were too many and one got through. He grunted as the small dagger scored on his arm. Swinging back his blade, he caught one of the blue tinted Kobolds in the ribs, cutting deeply. The Kobold screeched as it pushed away from the terrible blade of Doric’s sword. Cedris swung his club wildly but only managed to skim one of the Kobolds to his right.
With a sigh El-Dris looked into the room. He brought his hands up and in his sing-song voice chanted, “Fúmë fúmë fúmë!” Five of the nearest Kobolds collapsed into a deep sleep.
Sasha from beside El-Dris, let loose with one of her precious arrows. The shaft sank deeply into lizard flesh. One of the Kobolds, taking cover behind his fellows, flung a stone at Cedris. It caught him on the side of the head with a stunning blow which left him with blood dripping down his face. The glow surrounding the party faded away with the loss of his focus.
Doric yells, “Death comes for you all!”
His blade snakes out lopping off the the arm and cutting deeply into the chest of the nearest creature. As he pulled the blade from the scaly flesh, he slams downward with his shield, crushing the throat of the sleeping figure in front of him, blood splattering. He flicks his blade free of the dark blood and readies himself for more mayhem.
Cedris dashed his own blood out of his eyes, his club crashing down, ending the days of another of the Kobolds. El-Dris shot a flame bolt which crashed off a brazier hiding a cowering Kobold. Sasha, able to flank of one of the green beasts, stabbed with her spear and caught the Kobold through the ribs in its back. The shattered pieces pierced its heart. The creature dropped instantly, its arm still swinging its weapon. The remaining Kobold lost their nerve. With their morale shattered, they turned and fled.
The party forced open the doors to the inner chamber following their fleeing foes. Stepping through, the Gowdown Explorers are confronted with a shout in a hissing command. “And now you diesssssss!”
With the swipe of a sparkling crystal wand, Sasha could no longer move a muscle. The wielder of the wand, a bent and robed Kobold Shaman cackled, motioning its companions to attack.
Doric roared and crashed forward, only to be pushed back by a singular brute of a Kobold, its muscles bulging. Cedris attempted to take a swipe, but the Kobold’s shield deflected the blow. The brute Kobold swung a mighty mace which took one to the planks out of Cedris’ shield. The fleeing Kobolds turned and regrouped, flinging another volley of sling stones at the group.
El-Dris, seeing the desperate straits they’d found themselves in, reached out his hands toward the Kobold Shaman. He violently clenched his hands into fists and three bolts of energy leapt out, crashing into the Shaman bowling him over. Screeching, burn marks deep in its red flesh, the Shaman pointed back at the half-elf, “Fleessssss!”
For a second everything seemed to stop. El-Dris appeared undecided as what action to take next. Shaking his head he said. “Your magic is ineffective on one such as me, darkling.” The Shaman’s eyes seemed to widen as it realized it had made a grave mistake.
The brute Kobold strode forward and its mace crashed down on Doric’s shoulder, pushing his shield arm down. The armor took the brunt of the damage but forced a grunt of breath out of the dwarf. Being off footed from the previous blow, Doric attempted to bash the beast with his shield but couldn’t put anything behind it.
Cedris called to his god as he attacked. “Aid me Mithras!” But his club hit the edge of the creature’s shield and it snapped in two.
Sasha, in a moment of pure will, shook off the magic which was cast upon her. She brought up her bow, but in her haste released early and nearly shot herself in the foot.
“Damn!” she spat.
El-Dris sweating from all the magic he had released to this point, shot a bolt of fire in the direction of the Kobold magic user. It missed as it ducked behind a crypt in the center of the room. Two of the red Kobold warriors stepped up and attempted to connect with Doric, but in their haste blocked one another’s way.
Doing little to add to the wounds the dwarf was easily absorbing, a stone flashed in and bounced off of Doric’s arm. The brute behind it took a wild swing. Doric stepped to the side and with a smirk asked, “What else might you have, little lizard?” He took a swing and the Kobold was forced backward. Unfortunately Doric was unable to connect.
Cedris held his hand up and called on Mithras’s aid and wounds closed on the dwarf’s face and arms. Sasha seemed to melt out of the shadows and with a crack, she broke the neck of one of the Kobold warriors. With a snap and it fell to the floor, writhing in the throws of death.
El-Dris looked straight into Kobold Shaman’s eyes and asked it, “What’s so funny?” With that, the Shaman fell to the ground desperately laughing, unable to catch its breath.
The brute Kobold, wary of the Doric’s attempts to jump forward, lunged, only to flinch back as Doric’s sword swung in a warding stroke.
One of the other Kobolds was able to stab at Cedris as he was distracted, sinking the blade deep into his side. Cedris lost his footing and went down on a knee in pain.
As one of the Kobold henchmen attempted to get a angle on Cedris. Doric lashed out and his blade sailed completely through its neck. Its head landed in the open crypt, with eyes still blinking as if looking around before death could claim them.
Sasha readied her bow and took aim, firing her last arrow. It sunk deeply into the brute Koloid’s leg. It let out a roar of pain. Almost simultaneously a bolt of flame came from the sweating El-Dris and crashed into its arm, causing it to roar all the louder.
Angered by pain and the hits, the brute stepped forward and drove its mace crashing into Doric’s shield. Doric’s arm went numb from the impact. He had no choice but to step back, now on the defensive.
The last of the Kobold guards buoyed by their leader’s assault on the dwarf, rushed forward landing several blows on Doric as well, reopening his wounds. All around the chamber could be heard the sound of horrible screaking laughter of the Shaman unable to catch his breath.
Weakened by the blows, Doric lashed out with his sword, bouncing the blade off the Kobold’s hide covered shield. Cedris reached out and laid a hand on Doric’s shoulder, once again restoring his flagging body by healing his companion’s wounds with holy energy.
Sasha moved up between them and stabbed out with her spear, breaking the ankle of a Kobold warrior. It fell to the ground cracking its head on the stone floor. Flame erupted in the face of another Kobold follower and it fell dead.
The last of the Kobolds lashed out with renewed haste once again catching Doric, this time in the ribs. The enemy sensed the end was near and turned and fled toward the door. Doric swung his sword at one of the fleeing creatures and cut a deep wound in its back. The rest of the kobolds broke away and fled into the darkness.
Doric then stepped up to the laughing Shaman, its face contorted with the effort of breathing. The great pattern wielded blade swung down and opened the Shaman’s body from throat to ankle. Its laughter turned to wet choking gasps, echoing away into a sigh of death.
Searching the room, the party discovered the crypt had been broken open and the skeleton which should of been in it had been removed. Most likely it was now lying at the bottom of the toxic soup in the antechamber.
In the missing skeleton’s place was what seemed to be the combined wealth of the Kobold pack. There was a backpack and a couple small bags full of random coins. There were two small books which El-Dris grabbed before anyone could even say anything. There was a quiver with a half dozen well crafted arrows in it which Sasha also picked up without a word.
Cedris picked up the mace the large brute Kobold had wielded. He slapped it in his hands a few times.
“This should work a bit better for me, I think.” He said out loud.
Doric grabbed up the crystal wand of the Shaman, a few rings and some crystals it carried in its robe pockets.
Doric continue picking up the crude iron daggers all the kobolds seemed to have and stuffed them in a bag.
When they were certain they had everything they might use, they set off back to the entrance, leaving the remaining Kobolds to their fates.
Once they left the crypt, after what seemed like hours, they discovered their fire had barely burned down at all. El-Dris bent down and pulled the grate shut again. Whispering Words of Power, the lock melded back together. They set the fountain back on the grate and Doric jammed a couple of the daggers in to make it harder to remove.
He said gruffly. “That won’t stop much and some dark creature will find its way back out, but maybe the bones which remain down there will serve as a warning.”
Couple of notes:
The stone dungeon is by Devon Jones. He has a huge collection at Masterwork Tools. His tiles are the reason that I started to do 3d printing.
I will roll up the loot that the party got. I cheated and gave El-Dris a spell book. If you haven’t noticed he is a one spell pony for most of the game. I am following the rules of the combat system that I’m using and Wizards without a spell book can’t get their spells back. I could have done a couple of things but it seemed more genuine to do it this way. You can only describe a bolt of flame so many times. He used almost all the spells he had memorized in this battle because I decided he would with the danger involved.