Friday, July 7, 2017

D&D post game 7-1-17.....the last bit of......



....with several small changes due to party level, time and various other shenanigans!


The party decided since they were still within the Forge of Fury/ Halls of Durgeddin that they would do some more reconnoitering and clean-up. They had, for the most part discovered the forge and foundry that they were hired to find. They discovered that the duergar and drow (or duergar hired by drow) were inhabiting the halls and trying to learn the secrets of the magical forge. They found out why the halls and forge were lost by the dwarven forces too. It seems they knew everything that was going on, except what was on the floor above them and where did that pesky ladder on the edge of the small rocky cliff lead.

They opted to hit the fancy elevator and head back up one level to check out what was there. Well they found some chained doors with comically large locks, a small stone bridge and a path into the darkness.

Well of course they had to check the chained doors first. The rouge easily popped the lock and they entered…..a large room full of rotting foodstuffs, beverages and various bits of everyday life equipment. The paladin decided to investigate one of the barrels near him and as he opened it, he was overwhelmed by the appearance and smell of dead trout. He began to wretch uncontrollably. The rouge promptly walked out to check the other lock and avoid the smell coming from the room and the paladin.

The party moved through the room and continued to search and take in the aroma of rotting food and filth. Strange that there would be food here after all this time. Why was it here? Who was it for? Why was it left to rot? Is that a hand on the floor? Whose blood boot is that?

As the party searched and pondered a large rubber eye stalk rose from a pile of broken crates and barrels. It scanned the room and noticed a mage that looked especially tasty. The creature burst forth from its pile of food and filth and lashed out and grabbing hold of the oblivious mage. The rest of the party turned to see a giant fanged maw creature advancing on them, an otyugh.

After he was initially grabbed the mage was able to teleport a small distance away and escape the hungry garbage monster. The monk, paladin and barbarian launched into an attack. The barb repositioned to keep away and add some lightning and shatter spell damage. After a few turns the otyugh was laid to waste with only a few bumps and bruises on the party. They dusted off and gave the area a good exploration. All they found was that this creature was being used as a possible garbage disposal or it had wandered into this giant larder to feed and the duergar locked it in for their own safety.

The second locked door was popped open and the rooms beyond were explored. They found a lot of old shoddy mining equipment and nothing else.  They continued on through the area.



As the followed the small underground river that transverses this floor, they found a patch of stalagmites along the river. Behind them was a small hallway. Strange they hadn’t seen any natural cave formations before now, but then again this area was rougher cut than the floor before. Plus there is this river and stone plush dripping water from above would create stalagmites.  They moved through this little “garden” of rock formations toward the hallway beyond. Well, until three of the party were suddenly entwined by ropey tendrils that lashed out from a nearby stalagmite. A stalagmite that now had a giant glaring eye and a large gaping mouth.

The monk struggled to break free of the tentacle holding him, but to no avail. The paladin was pulled into the mouth of the creature and nommed on a bit. He then channeled his holy power and moved like the mists of Avalon to escape. The barbarian unleashed blows upon the bitey rock monster.

As the party faced this creature the mage stood back preparing to do his spell casting bit. However, a hand on his shoulder and some strange elfish dialogue in his ear distracted him. Well, it was really the dagger in his back that disrupted his spell casting. The touch and whisper were just bit of good old fashioned creepy. He turned to see a thin male drow with a bloody dagger standing before him. Oh no! Battle on two fronts!

The bard, with some quick thinking, tapped into his spell book and cast a magical blindness on the stalagmite monster. The monster continued to lash out with its four stony tentacles. The monk did escape and he joined the paladin and barbarian in beating upon the rock monster.

The rouge rushed to the aid the mage. He drew his vicious looking dagger and decided to bury right in the dark elf’s face. A single strike and the drow sneak thief was dispatched. He then ran back to aid in the fight against the stone tentacle monster. The roper promptly decided to die a few moments later after a vicious pair of blows from the barbarian and flurry from the monk.

The party continued searching the area and found some empty jail cells and a large water logged room with a drowned orc corpse in it. A collective “Meh!”  went out from the group and they moved back to the lift. They were headed back down a level to explore the ladder into darkness!

After half an hour of climbing down a metal ladder, the party reached the bottom. The sound of the rushing river finally seemed to end in the distance and maybe this was a secret way out of the dwarven forge?

Magical light spells were activated and for some reason their effect was diminished. It was as if the darkness of this area was absorbing or trying to extinguish the light. The party found a series of small rocky outcrops along the river and eventually a pair of rough stone bridges. These were man (or more likely dwarf) made and were beginning to show signs of age. The second bridge especially. As they slowly advanced one at a time, over the second bridge they soon discovered where the river leads to, a giant underground lake.

Morgan quickly pulled his crossbow and fired an illuminated bolt across the lake. The monk and barbarian thought they saw a large fin sink beneath the water, but they assumed it was just a trick of light and shadows as the crossbow bolt flew through the cavern. Everyone could see this was a huge chamber and that there was a small island just about 100 yards from the rocky shore where they stood. There was also a series of rocky outcroppings and large stepping stones along the far wall.  The mage, monk, bard and barbarian took to these to see if they could find a route around the lake. The paladin rouge and bard hung back to explore the shore. 

The paladin, while exploring the shore with the rouge, thought he saw something within the water. It looked like a dim purple light shining up at him. No it was a pair of purple lights, wait were they looking at him? Wait? Are they getting closer?

An explosion of water and a deafening roar are heard throughout the cavern, as a dragon darker than night bursts from the lake. The paladin is stricken with fear as is frozen in place. The rouge turns as he is drenched with water only to see a gaping maw unleash a stream of darkness upon him and the paladin. The two of them can feel their life essence draining from them as they are bathed in dragon’s breath weapon. 



The mage, barbarian and monk spring to action! The turn to head back across the stepping stones when a tidal wave of water slams them into the wall. They somehow kept their footing and started to move to the aid of their friends.

Morgan turned and cast one spell on the half-ork, Haste! The barbarian already foaming at mouth in a battle rage ran off to face the dragon of darkness. Meanwhile the monk and mage’s world suddenly went black as the dragon encircled them in a globe of complete darkness.

The paladin was able to quell his fear and promptly moved away from combat? He retreated back across the crumbling stone bridge. The rouge pulled and drank a potion of healing to keep himself up and in the fight. The dragon, having only one target now, attacked the rouge with claws and a vicious bite. The freshly healed dragonborn succumbed to the trio of fresh injuries he just received. The bard seeing the rouge fall ran to his aid. The barbarian full of magical speed deftly sprinted over to the dragon and laid into him with his great sword. The mage slowly felt his way through the darkness along trying to find the end of the spell. The monk turned toward the sound of battle and promptly fell face first into the lake.

The paladin healed his wounds using his divine might and then gathered his wits and the bard was able to heal the downed rouge with some magic. The newly risen rouge then turned and ran off to join the paladin on the stone bridge. The crumbling and weak stone bridge that the party crossed one at a time for safety.

The paladin turned to see the dragonborn thief running toward him. As he was preparing to strike at the dragon he felt the stone bridge begin to shudder as the rouge raced a crossed it. The paladin’s might swing never had a chance to land as the old stone bridge succumbed to weight of the two people on it. The rouge and paladin fell into the river below them.

The dragon seeing only an elf musician and a frothing half-orc approaching, had a good feeling that this would be a very productive day! He took in another deep breath and unleashed another torrent of darkness upon the two warriors in front of him. He stopped and looked to see the elf limping away slowly, yet the half-orc was still moving full steam at him and swinging wildly with his sword.

Meanwhile, the mage was still trying to move along the wall to find the edge of the darkness. The monk struggled to keep afloat, swimming is not his forte.

The paladin and rouge managed to pull themselves free of the river before they were washed into the lake. The barbarian unleashed a flurry of blows that struck the dragon in the chest. The beast roared in pain and lashed out with tooth and claw. The barbarian brushed off the pain of the attacks and kept swinging. The paladin managed to channel some holy magic to wound this dragon of darkness. The rouge, spitting and sputtering water advanced as well. The monk slowly, and awkwardly, swam to shore. He was able to climb free of the treacherous lake water and stumbled toward the battle.

The half-orc continued his brutal assault on the dragon. Blow after blow hit the beast, each one more furious than the last. The rouge was able to drive his dagger into the side of the dragon to increase the damage. The bard with his life force almost completely drained, managed to drag himself away and heal himself with a potion. The mage…..was still limping through the darkness.  The paladin advanced to add his holy might to the combat, but it was not needed.

The dragon’s head lolled backwards as his body slowly sank into the dark lake with the barbarian still driving his sword into the belly of the beast. He wasn’t finished with the dragon yet.

A minute later the half-orc burst from the lake sputtering with the head of the dragon in hand. He dropped the head and removed one of the creature’s large purple eyes and devoured it to honor Grummsh. The dragon head would be a very worthy trophy, but it would need a bit of taxidermy work.

The party spent some time recovering and struck out to explore the dark cavern lake, which for some strange reason was not so dark anymore. They made their way to the small island to discover, surprisingly, a small hoard of treasure and the dragon’s napping spot. A bit more time exploring and they found a large tunnel that lead them to a small swamp on the surface. They were finally back above ground.

Now all they had to do was to find a way back to their little tower outside of Stonekeep.








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