Etlenda searched the north walls of the corridors surrounding the obelisk, sure he would find a secret door. Even with help from Tempus, he found none.
The team re-grouped and assessed their options for their next move - they had multiple routes to explore. They even debated whether it was time to retreat from the dungeon and rest.
They decided to explore the exposed burrow against which the goblins had prepared makeshift barricades.
"What's down there? What the bugbear say?" asked Etlenda.
"I think he said Grick?" suggested Winterfrost.
"I thought he said Grell? Maybe Grick? Definitely a 'G' word." Tempus said.
Winterfrost crawled into the burrow on her hands and knees, conscious of Push-ta's recent encounter with the intellect devourers. She was followed by Etlenda, Push-ta, and Tempus. Kem, suffering from a temporary case of brail jellies, stayed behind with Etlenda's spirit-wolf mount.
Winterfrost and the others crawled through a winding burrow and emerged into a corridor. In front of her were two slug-like creatures with faces composed of a beak surrounded by four tentacles.
"Well, they're not grells," said Wintefrost, standing and readying to fight, "They must be gricks!"
- Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Chaotic Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter. The daughter of elven diplomats, raised among dwarves.
- Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin. Exiled from the Feywild and raised by wolves. While exploring the Feydark he crossed over into the Underdark and emerged into the Mortal World.
- Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm. Husband and Father.
- Push-ta Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue, secret member of the Zhentarim.
- Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond.
Gricks and More Gricks
Winterfrost emerged from the burrow, stood, and charged one of the tentacled monsters. She was soon joined by Etlenda and the pair of them dispatched the two gricks in short order.
Another burrow to the northeast emerged into a hidden chamber - half buried by a roof collapse. They could see several gricks attempting to blend in with the stone along the walls and ceiling of a passage to the southwest. Push-ta sent some crossbow bolts while Tempus directed bolts of holy fire at the creatures. They killed one but the other gricks retreated deeper into the passage and out of sight.
"Lets go get them!" said Winterfire impatiently.
"Let them go," suggested Etlenda, "How about we see what's behind that door first?"
Kelim the Weasel
They examined a door in the west wall of the half-collapsed chamber. They listened and hear the sound of whimpering.
"Hello?" called Etlenda.
"Oh! Oh please, help me! I have been trapped in this closet for days by those disgusting THINGS!"
They opened the door and found a human man dressed in tatters and carrying a satchel. His name was Kelim. He explained that he was an adventurer, chosen for the Undermountain during the winter season. He had been separated from his companions a few days ago and became trapped inside this closet while the gricks waited patiently outside for him to emerge. He was out of supplies and wished only to escape Undermountain with his life. He begged for their assistance.
Tempus gathered the party together for a quick huddle. He said that Kelim was a member of the Fine Fellows of Daggerford. Kelim and his companions were wanted by the Order of the Gauntlet for crimes and atrocities committed up and down the Sword Coast. Tempus' had been tasked with finding the Fine Fellows of Daggerford and returning them to the Order for justice, alive if possible, dead if they resist. The team agreed to help Tempus bring Kelim in.
Winterfrost baited Kelim, "Hey, we met someone else from your party a little while ago. His name was Halleth Garke."
Kelim looked surprised, "That's impossible? Halleth was k- he died. There was an accident. He fell into a deep well and died."
"Well, he came back as a revenant and is looking for you. Why would he do that?" said Etlenda.
"I- I have no idea why!" stammered Kelim.
"We can take you to him," said Winterfrost.
"NO! No, please. I'm exhausted. I just want to leave this place and find some rest. Oh PLEASE won't you help me!"
Since the team was ready to retreat from the dungeon for the day for a good night's rest at home, they agreed to lead Kelim back to the surface.
Etlenda interrupted, "Wait, what's in it for us? What do you have to pay?"
Kelim looked aghast. He regained his composure and offered to pay them once they emerged - he had gold on the surface.
"That's not good enough!" demanded Etlenda, "What have you got on you?"
Kelim sighed. He produced an ancient spellbook from his satchel, "Lead me to the surface, and I will give you this book."
"Deal!"
DM - It was fun playing Kelim as one part Doctor Zachary Smith from Lost in Space and one part Hans Gruber from Die Hard. Cowardly, whining, yet calculating and dangerous. It kept the players on their toes.
Exit Arrows
The party retraced their steps, reuniting with Kem and the spirit wolf. They returned to the chamber with the headless statue and decided to take a shortcut through the goblin tunnel.
Etlenda's spirit wolf wouldn't fit so Etlenda returned it to the spirit world. He gathered its chain-mail barding and stowed it in his magical bag of holding.
The party crawled through the tunnel and emerged into the long north passage.
At the end of the passage, Etlenda caught a glimpse of a magical ward inscribed upon the floor.
Tempus was unable to determine the nature of the ward, so the party retreated while Etlenda strode forward. Etlenda stepped onto the ward, expecting the worst.
An arrow magically popped out of the ground and shot through the air, striking Etlenda.
Etlenda pulled out the arrow and told the others, "Is that it? Come one!"
The others followed. The next three people to step on the ward were likewise attacked by magically appearing arrows - some struck, some were dodged.
Carrion Crawler
They reached the bottom of the well that led to the Yawning Portal.
In the middle of the sandy floor was the dead body of a gaunt emaciated man lying face down. He apparently hurled himself into the portal - or was hurled - and died.
Kelim quickly rang the bell to summon the hoist to lift them out.
While they waited, Tempus knelt beside the body to examine it. The man had no equipment, no weapons.
Suddenly from around the corner emerged a carrion crawler! No doubt following the scent of the dead man.
Winterfrost's eyes glared in rage as she summoned her magic maul "Earthsong" from thin air, bringing it down with great force upon the crawler. She hammered it thus several more times, crushing the crawler's carapace. On her final blow, she swung her maul with so much force she lost her grip. The crawler was dead. The maul fizzled into nothingness, returning to the magical ether.
Winterfrost turned to the others, wide eyed and panting. They stared at her in disbelief.
"What?" she said, her teeth bared.
The hoist arrived. They climbed aboard and were lifted out of the dungeon.
DM - Winterfrost won the initiative. She rolled a critical hit for 16 damage, another hit for 11 damage, then action surged for another critical hit for 19 damage. I said "the Carrion Crawler is Woozy", which in our parlance means it has 1-3 hit points. We have a house rule we call "Leave Weapon In". You do 1d4 bonus damage but you release your weapon. If the damage doesn't kill the monster, you've lost an entire action drawing another weapon. That's 50 damage total! The crawler was dead in one action!
Escape Attempt
Upon their exit from Undermountain, the team was greeted by the cheers of an early evening crowd in the Yawning Portal. It had been 21 hours since they descended into the pit.
Kelim said, "Thankyou gentlemen. I'll be taking my leave now." Tempus tried to grab his arm but Kelim moved with the fluidity and grace of a weasel.
Winterfrost said, "Oh no you don't!" She pointed at Kelim and wrapped him within a magical lariat of lightning. Kelim shuddered at the electrical shock and was drawn back to the party. Etlenda and Push-ta grabbed the fugitive while Tempus bound him with rope.
Etlenda said, "There's the matter of your pay."
Kelim broke down, pleading for his life, saying that he needed to get the spell book to the men holding his family hostage! The lives of his wife and children were in danger! They didn't understand, he was desperate!
They weren't falling for it. They searched Kelim, withdrew the spell book, and ushered him out of the bar and down the street to the Hall of Justice.
A Visitor in the Night
The party returned home to rest in their comfortable beds. They had only been gone one night but it felt like weeks.
Late that night, Push-ta awoke with a small leathery hand pressed on his mouth. A mean looking goblin raised his finger to his lips as if to say "Shhhh".
The goblin said, "Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you. Yet. I'm here to deliver a message. You have made a powerful enemy today. Stay away from Undermountain. Do not return. It belongs to us," the goblin pointed at the lidless eye tattooed on his forehead. "Give up your quest. Do not go back."
The goblin smiled, "It would be a shame if something were to happen to this nice place while you were gone."
The goblin removed his hand from Push-ta's mouth, backed away into the shadows, and disappeared.
Push-ta got up and looked around but could not figure out where the goblin had gone - though he realized that his room had many potential points of exit.
Return to Undermountain
With dawn came a new day. Push-ta gathered with the others in the common room as they planned their next foray into the Undermountain. Push-ta told them about his late night visitor. His house-mates seemed unconcerned.
The team spent the rest of the morning doing some local shopping - picking up potions at Corellon's Crown, perusing the scrolls and spell books at the Book Wyrm's Treasure, etc. They picked up a few more water skins and filled them with fresh water, procured some additional dry rations, and returned to the Yawning Portal at noon.
They descended back down the pit and followed their path down the hall of mirrors, past the magic arch and the dead tiefling, past the headless statue, and into the map room.
They opened the door to the map room to discover that someone had dropped a rope into the pit in which the revenant was trapped. The other end of the rope was tied to the door knob. The revenant had escaped.
"Well, that's probably not good." observed Push-ta.
They looked for and found the secret door in the south wall through which they had witnessed a goblin escape the day before. They opened the secret door and heard the patter of bare goblin feet fleeing down the winding passage - no doubt watching for their arrival.
Etlenda yelled out, "I see you, you little fucker!"
The party advanced carefully down the passage.
To their surprise, the passage terminated in a dead-end. They spent several minutes searching for a secret door and a way to open it but to no avail.
Tempus produced the magic wand which Etlenda had obtained in the copper throne room. He had since studied the wand and learned that it located and opened secret doors. He said the magic words, "Open sesame!" and the previously undiscovered secret door popped open.
Goblin Ambush
They were in the rear of a large hall supported by two massive pillars. Before one pillar was a tall statue. The statue depicted a dwarven king holding a warhammer and wearing a circlet. A strange malformed head grew out of the king's neck.
Push-ta heard some goblins snickering and hiding behind some nearby pillars.
He advanced forward, only to be bombarded with nearly a dozen tiny arrows. He staggered and fell back. Winterfrost entered the room and was swarmed by small goblins, emerging from hiding to attack only to dart away as the elven warrior swung wildly in frustration.
The goblins would dart in, attack, and withdraw in all direction. The team entered into the room and fanned out after them, separating into every corner of the room.
The goblins were supported by several bugbears who had likewise been hiding. Etlenda charged them, running them down under the claws of his war-wolf mount.
The room became a mad scramble as goblins darted left and right, up and down. Winterfrost followed some down a side corridor to the south. Tempus went up the middle, sending bolts of holy flame at fleeing goblins.
Push-ta hugged the corner, his back flat against the wall as he advanced stealthily. Goblins ran past him without a glance. He would occasionally send a deadly accurate bolt from his crossbow to eliminate any goblin and bugbear he could see.
Etlenda saw a goblin at the end of a long corridor at the north. The goblin taunted him, trying to get him to chase him. Etlenda did not fall for the ruse and alerted the others.
Tempus sent a firebolt at the taunting goblin, who died with a squeal.
After a long chaotic battle, the goblins and bugbears had been eliminated. Etlenda was confident more goblins waited for them down the corridor to the north, but he concluded that they were a distraction. He had the others gather together.
Etlenda examined the statue of the dwarven king. He found that he could rotate the warhammer. When he did so, the statue rose up another four feet, revealing a hidden compartment. Within he found a circlet matching the one worn by the statue.
Descent
Before them, previously unseen until they entered the room, were a set of stairs leading down.
The team reformed into a marching order and descended.
As they did so, they heard the faraway voice of Halaster speaking to a crowd.
"And so, after great peril and bitter victory, our newest guests delve deeper into Undermountain, and we in the audience must wonder: who are these blind fools? What do they want? Who do they wish to be? What horrors shall they face next? Who shall fall and who shall live under the shadow of failure? Find out all these and more in the next chapter of Dungeon of the Mad Mage!"
DM - I played jaunty game show music in the background.
No comments:
Post a Comment