Onward, ever onward.
In a decaying garden.
Twingmen defeated debate about going forward into the brambles path follows. Krius wants to burn the blighted garden down. Alton voices concern, advises moving forward. As argument continues, Krius notices the dry vegetation; it’s moving, growing, filling in behind and ahead of them. He alerts the others.
No time for argument Mannon dashes ahead, enters the narrow bramble filled path. Alton follows. The group plunges in. Thorns tear, stumbling, hacking, then another clearing. In it another wall, another door, also an old fountain. The area quickly explored, only stagnant water is found as the vines creep closer.
The paladin focuses on the closed door, senses evil waiting on the other side. Plans are made, open the door, rush in, attack and destroy. The door opened wide, frigid ice shards blast out from the door, all but Mannon are hit, cut and bloodied.
Mannon sneaks, distracts winged kobold-draconic perfection. Rhin rushes in, delivers a crushing blow with dwarven war axe, dropping the beast with one shot.
The creature is examined, a kobold with draconic features, wings, a sharp snout, wearing fine scale armor and the ubiquitous three clawed gold pendant. Next the room is examined, more smooth black stone, and in the corner a stairwell winding down into darkness.
Krius relights his faithful lantern. He and the dwarf lead down into the depths. The perfect winding stairs lead deeper and deeper. After a tiring trek hundreds of feet down the group arrives in another small chamber identical to the one far above them. Once again Krius probes for seeds of evil, detects dozens of points of evil seemingly floating in the air just outside the door out of the room. Using more caution this time, Rhin slowly opens the door just a crack. Sickly green light seeps into the room, brighter than in the decaying garden far above.
The door opened wide. A huge vault, two to three hundred feet long, half as wide, a lush forest of green throbbing stalks, each festooned with half a dozen or more writhing man sized pods. At the far end of the room giant stairs rise to a set of huge double doors. Growing out from the edge of the great doors and upwards to the ceiling, green glowing conduits of otherworldly power, feeding the stalks, giving them energy, nourishing whatever grows within.
The group steps cautiously into the room. Krius’ instinctual urge to obliterate evil compels him to destroy the incubators but he is foiled by a screen of force around each section of wicked garden.
Mannon enters a daze. Head and eyes roll. He begins mumbling in unknown languages. After a few minutes he comes to with newfound knowledge. He explains how the pods contain nearly gestated kobold dragonkin due to hatch within half a day to a day.
The group perplexed at his newfound knowledge decides on more exploration. The great staircase in the north end of the vault is examined. Each stair five feet tall, the doors at the top protected by some dark field, two short pillars flank the doors. Krius climbs up to take a closer look. On each pillar a depression as if to hold a large sphere. Other than that nothing more is discerned. Pieces of the puzzle are missing. Four doors still unexplored, the group picks one to the east. The door is opened, more dark hallways. Lantern relit, warblade and paladin lead. A corner turned, ahead another pillar filled room, Prophit notices a faint green shimmer dividing the room.
Undeterred by a seemingly harmless green mist Krius crosses into the room and vanishes. He reappears on the far end of the room, as he regains his bearings his lantern illuminates white hunched over kobold forms, red beady eyes, sharp horns, a dozen of them in armor with jagged weapons ready.
Mannon and Rhin see the paladin appear across the room, also see the hoard of strange white kobolds. They charge. Pop. Mannon appears across the room as well, but on the other side of the hoard. Pop. Rhin appears in the middle of the room out of battle. Having two targets to choose from, the kobolds split, half surround Krius, half swarm Mannon.
Not to be outdone, Alton crosses the threshold. Pop. Teleports only a short distance far from battle. Then Prophit, also teleports into the room also out of range of the fighting.
Krius and Mannon in dire straits each maneuver to escape the white hoardlings. Prophit, Alton, and Mannon prepare spells to assist in the battle. The cleric grants Rhin divine strength, Mannon curses the entire group of adversaries with a demoralizing bane. Alton throws shadow bolts, surrounds himself in shadow armor as kobold enemies teleport across the room seeking easier prey.
Alton crosses the teleportation field, escapes, finds himself across the room, surrounded yet again. He backs himself into a corner, summons shadow flames. Safe, for a time.
Divided, the enemy taking advantage of the split group, many wounded heroes, foes still stand strong. Fortune turns, the random teleportation effect of the room lands Prophit, Rhin, and Krius in vicinity of Alton. Fighting back to back the tide of battle swings in their favor. Mannon across the room picks off foes with well aimed magical blasts.
The foe resurges, flank the paladin, unable to defend against such odds Krius is overwhelmed, slips into unconsciousness as a blade sinks in under his armor. Prophit, risking his own safety propels himself through the swarming villains, calls on healing powers, wounds close, Krius back on his feet, fighting again.
Meanwhile, Rhin, mighty powerhouse, fells kobold after kobold. Alton uses shadow voice to compel them into his magical flames. The tide turns. Rhin lines up a foe, delivers a mighty charge, the small form flies through the air, slams into the dais holding the orb which crashes to the ground, unseated the fields of force falls.
Two remaining kobolds knowing defeat is eminent abandon combat and run for the exit…
The characters present:
* Alton (Aaron), halfling shadowcaster
* Mannon (Dave), halfling swordsage/warlock/cleric
* Prophit (Jeff), human cleric
* Squire Krius (Matt), human paladin
* Rhin No-Clan (Jim, absent ran by Dave), dwarf warblade
Rumors and clues gathered (this session):
* Breeding pods about to hatch in half a day or so
* Each pod contains a draconic kobold hybrid aberation
Treasure found (this session):
* 11 more gold claw pendants (picked up by Mannon, of course)
* 1 large mysterious orb
Foes/traps/tricks overcome (this session):
* 12 white kobold hoardlings
* 1 perfected kobold dragonkin
Experience gained (this session):
380 each player
In a decaying garden.
Twingmen defeated debate about going forward into the brambles path follows. Krius wants to burn the blighted garden down. Alton voices concern, advises moving forward. As argument continues, Krius notices the dry vegetation; it’s moving, growing, filling in behind and ahead of them. He alerts the others.
No time for argument Mannon dashes ahead, enters the narrow bramble filled path. Alton follows. The group plunges in. Thorns tear, stumbling, hacking, then another clearing. In it another wall, another door, also an old fountain. The area quickly explored, only stagnant water is found as the vines creep closer.
The paladin focuses on the closed door, senses evil waiting on the other side. Plans are made, open the door, rush in, attack and destroy. The door opened wide, frigid ice shards blast out from the door, all but Mannon are hit, cut and bloodied.
Mannon sneaks, distracts winged kobold-draconic perfection. Rhin rushes in, delivers a crushing blow with dwarven war axe, dropping the beast with one shot.
The creature is examined, a kobold with draconic features, wings, a sharp snout, wearing fine scale armor and the ubiquitous three clawed gold pendant. Next the room is examined, more smooth black stone, and in the corner a stairwell winding down into darkness.
Krius relights his faithful lantern. He and the dwarf lead down into the depths. The perfect winding stairs lead deeper and deeper. After a tiring trek hundreds of feet down the group arrives in another small chamber identical to the one far above them. Once again Krius probes for seeds of evil, detects dozens of points of evil seemingly floating in the air just outside the door out of the room. Using more caution this time, Rhin slowly opens the door just a crack. Sickly green light seeps into the room, brighter than in the decaying garden far above.
The door opened wide. A huge vault, two to three hundred feet long, half as wide, a lush forest of green throbbing stalks, each festooned with half a dozen or more writhing man sized pods. At the far end of the room giant stairs rise to a set of huge double doors. Growing out from the edge of the great doors and upwards to the ceiling, green glowing conduits of otherworldly power, feeding the stalks, giving them energy, nourishing whatever grows within.
The group steps cautiously into the room. Krius’ instinctual urge to obliterate evil compels him to destroy the incubators but he is foiled by a screen of force around each section of wicked garden.
Mannon enters a daze. Head and eyes roll. He begins mumbling in unknown languages. After a few minutes he comes to with newfound knowledge. He explains how the pods contain nearly gestated kobold dragonkin due to hatch within half a day to a day.
The group perplexed at his newfound knowledge decides on more exploration. The great staircase in the north end of the vault is examined. Each stair five feet tall, the doors at the top protected by some dark field, two short pillars flank the doors. Krius climbs up to take a closer look. On each pillar a depression as if to hold a large sphere. Other than that nothing more is discerned. Pieces of the puzzle are missing. Four doors still unexplored, the group picks one to the east. The door is opened, more dark hallways. Lantern relit, warblade and paladin lead. A corner turned, ahead another pillar filled room, Prophit notices a faint green shimmer dividing the room.
Undeterred by a seemingly harmless green mist Krius crosses into the room and vanishes. He reappears on the far end of the room, as he regains his bearings his lantern illuminates white hunched over kobold forms, red beady eyes, sharp horns, a dozen of them in armor with jagged weapons ready.
Mannon and Rhin see the paladin appear across the room, also see the hoard of strange white kobolds. They charge. Pop. Mannon appears across the room as well, but on the other side of the hoard. Pop. Rhin appears in the middle of the room out of battle. Having two targets to choose from, the kobolds split, half surround Krius, half swarm Mannon.
Not to be outdone, Alton crosses the threshold. Pop. Teleports only a short distance far from battle. Then Prophit, also teleports into the room also out of range of the fighting.
Krius and Mannon in dire straits each maneuver to escape the white hoardlings. Prophit, Alton, and Mannon prepare spells to assist in the battle. The cleric grants Rhin divine strength, Mannon curses the entire group of adversaries with a demoralizing bane. Alton throws shadow bolts, surrounds himself in shadow armor as kobold enemies teleport across the room seeking easier prey.
Alton crosses the teleportation field, escapes, finds himself across the room, surrounded yet again. He backs himself into a corner, summons shadow flames. Safe, for a time.
Divided, the enemy taking advantage of the split group, many wounded heroes, foes still stand strong. Fortune turns, the random teleportation effect of the room lands Prophit, Rhin, and Krius in vicinity of Alton. Fighting back to back the tide of battle swings in their favor. Mannon across the room picks off foes with well aimed magical blasts.
The foe resurges, flank the paladin, unable to defend against such odds Krius is overwhelmed, slips into unconsciousness as a blade sinks in under his armor. Prophit, risking his own safety propels himself through the swarming villains, calls on healing powers, wounds close, Krius back on his feet, fighting again.
Meanwhile, Rhin, mighty powerhouse, fells kobold after kobold. Alton uses shadow voice to compel them into his magical flames. The tide turns. Rhin lines up a foe, delivers a mighty charge, the small form flies through the air, slams into the dais holding the orb which crashes to the ground, unseated the fields of force falls.
Two remaining kobolds knowing defeat is eminent abandon combat and run for the exit…
The characters present:
* Alton (Aaron), halfling shadowcaster
* Mannon (Dave), halfling swordsage/warlock/cleric
* Prophit (Jeff), human cleric
* Squire Krius (Matt), human paladin
* Rhin No-Clan (Jim, absent ran by Dave), dwarf warblade
Rumors and clues gathered (this session):
* Breeding pods about to hatch in half a day or so
* Each pod contains a draconic kobold hybrid aberation
Treasure found (this session):
* 11 more gold claw pendants (picked up by Mannon, of course)
* 1 large mysterious orb
Foes/traps/tricks overcome (this session):
* 12 white kobold hoardlings
* 1 perfected kobold dragonkin
Experience gained (this session):
380 each player
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