.jpg){kind=small}
Bastard Son of the great-grandchild of the sister's gibbon's friend of the nephew of the Campaign that Would Not Die, now in 3.75e
Møøse Trained By: Hugh Foster
Møøse Trained By: Hugh Foster
|
|
Bastard Son of the great-grandchild of the sister's gibbon's friend of the nephew of the Campaign that Would Not Die, now in 3.75e Møøse Trained By: Hugh Foster |
 |
 |
As evening fell, three strangers wandered into the slightly dusty main street of the small farm-town of Oakhurst. One was a tall female warrior, heavily built and with an unusual red-orange skin colour. Her name was Ruby, she was half-hobgoblin, and she carried a tankard clipped to her belt. The next was a dwarf, solidly built but without the usual smith's shoulders, dark and saturnine, Borax Glassbiter, exiled and unpsionic Duergar. The third was a short, shabbily-dressed half-elf, wearing the symbol of the goddess Lynien around his neck. This was Calvis Dwellow, Favoured Coin of Lynien, both a thief and healer.
Glancing around, they surveyed the town, noting the peaceful air as the locals came in from the fields or shut up their shops, and then headed for the hostelry, the O'l Boar Inn
A few farmers and townsmen sat at tables or at the bar, and though the pair were looked over, there didn't seem to be any adverse reactions. The inkeeper, introducing himself as Caron, served them drinks and took food orders, and the trio found a table. By the time dinner arrived, Ruby was already slightly tipsy; Borax was being more careful.
After serving their plates, the barman introduced himself as Caron, and asked tactfully whether they were adventurers. On getting at least no negative answer, he explained that the town's trader, Kerowyn Hucrele, was looking for some assistance. Borax grinned. "Is she fit?" he asked. Fortunately, perhaps, Caron took this for an enquiry as to the lady's health.
About half an hour later a middle-aged woman entered the inn. Glancing at the pair, and eyeing Ruby's armour and weapons, she shared a look with Caron and came to join them. Taking a seat, she explained her problem.
Two of her children, the siblings Talgen and Sharwyn, along with the ranger Karakas and a paladin of Taranis, Sir Braford, had set out to try and do something about the goblins.
Oakhurst's original road, now referred to as "the Old Road" used to head off to the west, crossing a ravine as it headed out to skirt a pocket of the remaining Desolation and head towards the next town. Legend had it that, long ago, a fortress stood there, built by some cult that worshipped dragons, but that it vanished into the ravine when it opened. About twelve years before, goblins seemed to have moved into the ravine, and now attacked anyone venturing that way. This led to a new route being opened up, the New Road, which is what the Tanks had been following. Strangely, twice a year the goblins would send a trader to the village to try and auction a single piece of magical fruit in the town. As this fruit would heal any ailment, disease or poison, the villagers would grudgingly pay around fifty marks for it - the most they could bring themselves to give to a filthy goblin. Attempts to plant the seeds had produced stunted, twiggy saplings which then disappeared, presumably stolen by the goblins to keep their monopoly on the fruit.
 |
Talgen and Sharwyn's party had set out a month ago, fresh from learning their trades and enthused by Sir Braford's zeal, to try and exterminate the goblins and restore the trade route. Although Kerowyn spoke glowingly of their abilities, the fact that "Sharwyn was the best wizard in town" was not as impressive as all that.
She was deeply worried, and prepared to pay for their rescue - or at least news of their fate. Showing a ring on her hand, she explained that Sharwyn and Talgen both wore similar. She offerred five hundred each for their rescue, or 300 per ring if they had not survived; plus supplies from her stock for the expedition. The group considered this, then asked if she had livestock; while well-equipped, they were fairly cash-poor and had no mounts. Kerowyn shook her head, she didn't deal in horses, but "You can borrow Terence," she said. "He's a mule, not a steed, but he can carry your equipment, no bother." The agreement was made.
 |
The next morning, having collected Terence and his packs from Kerowyn's shop, the trio set out down the Old Road. As well as the well-packed rations and water, the sturdy mule had a small healer's kit tucked into his load.
The first day's travel brought them to the ruins of an elvish structure, so common in what had once been Sildor. It was only a few low crumbled walls, though Borax nodded his head approvingly at the quality of the original stonework. It made a nicely defensible campsite.
At the end of the next day, the Tanks reached their destination. The Old Road passed to the east of a narrow ravine. At the road's closest approach to the cleft, several broken pillars jutted from the earth where the ravine widened and opened into something more akin to a deep, but narrow, canyon. Two of the pillars stood straight, but most of them leaned against the sloped earth. Others were broken, and several had apparently fallen into the darkness-shrouded depths. A few similar pillars were visible on the opposite side of the ravine.
 |
As evening was drawing on, they made camp a good distance out, as concealed as possible, and watched the area overnight and into the morning. Nothing stirred, so they tethered Terence and set food and water out for him before approaching.
The worn and broken pillars were covered in graffiti, using the Dwarvish letters but written in Goblin, mostly warnings to and threats against trespassers. Carefully hidden around the area were a large number of small campfires; the most recent from around a month ago.
.png) |
A sturdy rope was knotted to one of the pillars and hung down into the darkness. Looking over, the group could dimly see a ledge below, so Ruby took the rope and agilely rapelled down, drawing her sword as she landed. Borax and Calvis remained above, crossbows ready, as Ruby explored the ledge. Rubble was heaped here and there, and a set of narrow stairs led down the side of the ravine into the dark.
Suddenly, three furry forms erupted from crevices in the rock and leaped at the half-hob. Rats, but the size of small dogs!
Borax took aim and winged one with his crossbow, and Ruby jabbed at one with her sword. The third was shuffling sideways to try and flank her, but Calvis popped it one with his lighter crossbow. With his comrade moving to avoid being surrounded, Borax missed his next shot, but it distracted the rat long enough for Ruby to slice it in half. Vermin teeth grated across her mail but didn't penetrate. Grabbing the rope, Borax descended at an alarming speed, landing on the ledge and splattering a rat with his warhammer. Ruby swung again to no avail, but Calvis made his next shot count and the last rat spun away impaled on a crossbow bolt.
Looking around, they found crevices in the rock where the rats had been living, which sadly failed to yield anything in the way of loot. The dead rats were stuffed into them, rather than pitched off the ledge so as not to alarm anyone below.
 |
The stairs were five feet wide, and not terribly well made. A fight on them would have been sticky, but as it turned out, nothing happened as they descended. The narrow stairs emptied into a small courtyard, apparently the top of what was once a crenellated battlement. The buried citadel had sunk so far into the earth that the battlement was now level with the surrounding cavern floor. The floor stretched away to the north and south, apparently composed of a layer of treacherous, crumbled masonry, which reached to an unknown depth. To the west loomed the surviving structure of what had to be the Sunless Citadel. A tower stood on the west side of the courtyard.
3. Ruby was just about to walk across to the door when Borax stopped her; the ground in front of the door looked ... different. Calvis stepped forward; this was his field. Carefully, he inched around the area, stopping when he found a mechanism. A few moments' work and he looked up. "It's jammed now" he said. Borax lobbed a rock onto the patch, and nothing happened. "What, don't you trust me?" asked Calvis, with a grin.
Ruby strode across to the door and smashed it to little splinters without breaking stride.
4. This circular area was cobbled with cracked granite, upon which sprawled four goblins, all apparently slain in combat. One stood with its back against the western wall, the killing spear still skewering it and holding it upright. Three wooden doors [including the one the Tanks were standing in!] led off from this the area. Above, a hollow tower of loose masonry reached 30 feet, but the intervening floors and stairs were gone, except for a couple of crumbled ledges.
 |
The party did a quick search of the bodies, but discovered that someone had beaten them to it. All valuables had been taken, though their short swords remained - and the spear, of course.
6. Cautiously opening the door, the trio peered into this hall. The masonry walls were in poor repair. The far end was especially bad, as it had completely collapsed, filling the southern section with rubble. The western wall was in much better shape than the other walls, and it held a stone door with a rearing dragon carved in relief upon it. The door contained a single keyhole, which was situated in the rearing dragon's open mouth. They investigated it, and discovered it securely locked. Calvis dug out a copper piece, and flipped it into the air as he cast his spell. It wanished with a sparkle, and he nodded his head. "Magic on this door," he said, "Probably Wizard Locked. We need the key."
As he said this, they heard a skittering, and another of the rats appeared in the rubble. Calvis reacted first and winged it with a bolt; it fled into the rubble. The group left the room, closing the door behind them.
13. Opening the next door around the tower's circumference, they found a dusty corridor with doors to each side and at the end. The door on the right opened into a long-abandoned room containing absolutely nothing.
 |
14. This door was also securely locked and looked as if it hadn't been opened for centuries. Calvis got it open, and inside was a ten-foot square chamber containing an upright keg fashioned of rusted iron. Similarly rusted pipes led from the keg into the floor. They walked around it, and Ruby tapped it gently; her knowledge of brewing allowed her to immediately recognize the sound of a keg full of liquid.
There was a lid a foot across on the top, and Borax levered it off - it bounced across the room and a great gout of water erupted out. With it came a small humanoid who appeared to be made of water.
It was screaming with fury, having been it turned out bound into the keg long, long ago by elves (Calvis at this point quietly pulled his hood up and moved behind Ruby's significant bulk). It was on the point of attacking, but in a remarkable display of diplomacy, Ruby managed to explain that they meant it no harm, were quite clearly not elves, and would rather let it go free than fight it. Remarkably, it took the point, after swearing at them quite fluently, and it dashed past them and disappeared from view.
The keg turned out to be clean and rust-free inside and to contain completely pure water.
15. The party carefully listened to the next door, which was unlocked, and both Calvis and Borax could clearly hear whimpering; some creature inside was crying in a rather squeaky voice. Borax knocked, but there was no response. Weapons readied, the group prepared to go in.
Session Date: 19th January 2025 |
 |