After spending a night in Karklosh's quarters, the Coopers decide to return home to restock supplies, especially for healing potions. Following their beating at the gate of the 7th level, this seems like a reasonable decision. They climb back to the third level through using a transport token and exit through the tunnel about a mile away from the Emerald Spire.
Roscoe obtains his free potions of cure medium wounds from the Hellknights while Daryle purchases them from the Temple of the Golden Keys. They all spend the night back in their own quarters, happy to have returned above ground.
Arodus 25, 4711
After a good night's rest, the Coopers trek back to the Spire and return to the entrance of the 7th level, encountering no enemies along the way.
Darelle carefully walks through the trellises of candles, while Roscoe decides to walk with his back against the wall. Daryle is not so lucky, and triggers the candles of penitence trap. An explosion detonates and hurts all three members of the party. The candles immediately turn off. Carefully, Darelle opens the heavily fortified but unlocked door, revealing a short corridor leading to another similar door.
When she opens the second door, she sees a large room filled with a barricade made up of rubble and wood poles. Six fiendish troglodytes stand behind the barricade, weapons at the ready. Darelle attempts to jump the barricade but misses and impales herself on a pole sticking out. She pulls herself free but she has lost valuable time. Roscoe attempts the same. He clears the barricade but unfortunately drops his weapon. Meanwhile, Daryle fires two arrows at the same time and hits one of the troglodytes through the rubble. The combat continues for a while, but eventually the Coopers are triumphant.
After drinking a few potions of cure medium wounds, the Coopers loot the bodies. All of the troglodytes are armed with mastercraft falchions inscribed with the symbol of a flaming serpent. Each weapon radiates a faint evil signature. The dead monsters also all have an amulet bearing the same symbol. Roscoe identifies the symbol as that of the demon lord Kro'akoth. Alarmed at the presence of supporters of Kro'akoth, the Coopers decide they must return to Fort Inevitable to alert the Hellknights.
They trek back to town, where they meet the Lady Commander Audara Drovust and report to her what they discovered. The Lady Commander is obviously concerned and disconcerted at the news, and she decides to upgrade the Coopers' equipment so they can fight the followers of Kro'akoth on the Hellknights' behalf. To her trusted soldier Roscoe she gives a falchion of fury +2, following the rebranding of the very weapon he brought back as a warning. She also gives him a Rod of the Python to help him fight the Serpents. To Darelle she gives a short sword of defiance +2, which will help her remain alive when most would have surrended to death. She also receives a pair of Acrobat Slippers to help her fight on difficult terrain. Finally, Daryle is entrusted with a bow of impact +2, along with a Vanishing Sheath to keep a weapon hidden. Thus equipped, the Coopers should be better able to face the threat of Kro'akoth's worshippers.
Arodus 26, 4711
In the morning the Coopers return to the Emerald Spire. This time, they bring Gerald along since he returned from studying at the College of Magic. He has been working on an enchanted weapon. It is a short bow that when you fire an arrow the bow also fires a magic missile spell. The missile hits the target even if the arrow misses. Damage will be 1d6 + 3d4+1 if both attacks hit.
They descend back to the 7th level, and they carefully cross the fire trap. Back in the ambush room they discover that there has been an attempt at reinforcing the barricades, and the bodies have been removed. Roscoe listens to the south door, while Daryle places her ear to the west door. Roscoe hears sounds of bones snapping and loud chewing, while Daryle hears snoring. The group decides to open the south door. They will hide against the wall, while Thorne stands in view of the door and acts as bait. The plan works too well. Two fiendish troglodytes who were eating come rushing out and land blows that drop Thorne down. Roscoe and Daryle successfully attack and slay the fiends.
In the troglodytes' dining room they find barrels, one filled with javelins, and the others with rotten food. The last barrel, however, contains a strange dark blue crystal powder. Darelle collects a vial full of the powder.
In the other room they stumble upon two sleeping troglodytes that are quickly dispatched. However, Gerald decides to use a javelin from the dining room so he returns to the room to grab one. He is immediately attacked by a necrophedius which emerges from the fire pit. During the battle Thorne is incapacitated again. The construct, however, is quickly dispatched. Thorne is healed again.
The party continues their exploration, and finds a long corridor with two iron doors. The first one is hot to the touch, while the second is at room temperature. Thorne opens the door. Inside, the Coopers discover Sartoss' jail.
The jail with
Gerald summons a wolf that kills the troglodytes
Thorne takes six scales.
Statue with heads chopped off.
Battle with Sartoss
Thorne takes the two fangs of Kro'akoth, and the pearl of power. Gerald finds six funeral masks used in Sartoss' evil rituals.
No comments:
Post a Comment