Brynderie narrowly dodges a falling timber from the barracks with a flashing shift of her body five feet away from the hazard. Looking up she sees the dwarven blacksmith and his sons trapped in the wreckage. "Everyone! We need to help the workers!"
Conjuring her magical abilities, the wizard casts a spell . "Úlfheðinn enlargoto!" Within seconds, the Ulfen grows several feet in height, and his muscles bulge with increased strength.
Úlf is unfortunately caught completely off-guard by a large rock falling behind him, and it clocks him good in the back of the head. Fortunately for him, it seems that the rock was hurt more than his skull. "Ooww! That stings!" he says, even as Bryn casts her spell of enlargement on him.
Tyler has only STR13, so he will pair up with whoever is stronger and start clearing.
Rushing over to his friend's aid, his newfound size greatly assisting his lifting power, Ulf counts to three with Kyrus and anyone else who helps heave before giving it all he's got!
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Ami rushes over to aid Tyler, combining their strength to try to move the heavy load.
Round 1:
Amelleanne (STR 12)-
Bryn (STR 8)- spellcasting
Kyrus (STR 12) - pairs with Tyler
Leon (STR 14)- climbing out of rubble
Tyler (STR 13)- pairs with Kyrus
Ulf (STR 16 +2)- climbing out of rubble
Only two people per stone/timber. There are three people in each group trapped. I believe you are helping the dwarf blacksmith and sons?
Tyler, make a DC20 STR check at +4 (strength 19 since Kyrus is helping).
Ami, do you want to try and move a block on your own, or wait for assistance?
Ulf will single-handedly lift a fallen timber off one of the dwarves in the second round!
I just needed one of you to make the check...
Ami looks at the size of the stones, she's not what you'd call weak, but she can't see how she'd move it without assistance.
Ami looks around for something to use as a lever, or if not, try and find some stronger looking townsfolk to co-ordinate.
Tyler
Brynderie begins to mutter guttural incantations in strange language. Magical energies begin to well up from the ground as a small earth elemental takes shape.
Kyrus and Tyler, under Amelleanne's expert supervision, manage to lift a large block of stone off of Derval Ironeater, the dwarven blacksmith.
A few moments later, a giant Ulf arrives and lifts a fallen support timber all by himself, freeing one of Derval's sons! Tyler and Kyrus move to the other son, attempting to lift the broken wall section from his lower body. Amelleanne and Leon pair up to dig out another group of trapped residents. Brynderie, meanwhile, summons an earth elemental to help in the rescue efforts!
As Tyler's hands almost slip and let the rock shift, Kyrus manages to catch the rock and get it moving properly.
Ami glances around, maybe it's just her innate paranoia, but she's sure she's missing something. Of course it may not nefarious or magical in nature, but she's little help moving things anyway.
"Keep digging these folk out, I just want to take a look around, make sure no-one's out there to take advantage." Ami detaches herself and tries to climb a more intact section of wall and surveys the surroundings.
Úlf moves on with the others to the next group trapped beneath the rubble, again using his new greater size to give him that little bit of extra oomph for the lifting.
Tyler
With the dwarven blacksmith and family rescued, the group moves on to assist with the efforts to pull the temple priests. Despite their efforts, they are not able to move these blocks. Luckily, they don't cause any greater harm to those trapped underneath!
With the blacksmith freed, Kyrus hops across the rubble without too much trouble and moves to help with the priests. However, he has a bit more trouble moving the rocks this time and doesn't make much progress.
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@Ulf. I believe the DM is talking about his rule of two people clearing the stones. DC20 str check, the weaker PC halves their strength and adds the total to yours.
So if I was aiding you my STR added to yours would give you a +6 to the check.
Later the same day, reports trickle in from upriver showing that the earthquake originated somewhere in the Laughing Hollow area. Two days later, reports come in from the upriver farms that cattle and sheep are dying and riverside crops, such as flax and rice, are failing. What's more, the river has changed color to a bilious green. The council immediately orders the town to cease using river water and only consume water from the cisterns and town wells.
On the following day, a Wild Elf appears outside the wall. "I am Deldrach Longarrow, a Wild Elf from the court of King Melandrach. The great earthshaking has caused much destruction in the hollow," he says. "Trees have fallen, dryads have died, the nixies lake has drained half away. But the greatest damage was not in the hollow itself. The earthquake was centered in a hill just on the border of Laughing Hollow. There were rockslides, and a large crack opened up in the rock face. From out of this crack pours a stream of bile-green water that follows an old creek bed to the Shining River. Perhaps it is the way the water flowed many years ago. "
"I am sure you wonder how the stream could reach the river through the embankment. The earthquake also breached the embankment between the hollow and the river, letting the stream into the river. The hollow is not being flooded. . . yet. When flood season comes in the spring, however, it might be a different story. "
"The plants and animals around the streambed are dying. My king asks for your help in stopping this river of poison."
"I am sure we will do what we can, but I am no expert in waterways or contaminated land?"
"This doesn't seem like a natural event. Such a poison likely couldn't have simply been sitting around waiting for an act of nature to release it. I fear that we're going to have to find whoever is behind it." He sighs. "Yes, let's take this to the commander and see if he'll allow us to dispatch and investigate."
Úlf seems sullen after the town gathers, clearly distraught over their inability to save everyone.
When a new problem appears, the warrior sees as a chance for them to redeem themselves and eagerly sides with Kyrus. "Úlf agrees! This is something we should take to commander and see if he will let is look into it."
Tyler tries to think of anything that could be doing what we've been told?
Leon sighs audibly, I'll help, nature saved me when i was young, Taught me magic and a new family The young Druid brushes his wolf companions fur with a smile, If anyone can help it'd be me
You stay with the wild elf messenger, and Sherlyn Spearslayer is soon brought to your group. Deldrach repeats his message for the commander, and she asks how the people of Daggerford can help investigate the problem. Deldrach says that a long-buried entrance to the mines of the dwarves of the Fallen Kingdom was uncovered by the rockslides a few days ago, and King Melandrach thinks a group could go in this entrance to find the cause of the poisoned water and determine how to stop it.
The duke and the council agree that this expedition should be made. Since you were the last group to enter Laughing Hollow and make it out alive, your militia squad is tasked to investigate and, if possible, stop the cause of the poisoned water. They provide you food, a stone enchanted with a continual light spell, six potions of cure light wounds, and three vials of holy water provided by Mother Maerovyna.
Tyler collects his equipment and horse, awaiting the others at the gates.
Amelleanne gathers her gear and meets the others at the gate.
"Then we'll proceed with all haste and try to resolve this issue." He gathers his things from his house and hurries to join the group at the entrance. As he's packing his bags, he finds the map they were given several months ago now, still tucked in with their adventuring gear. Looking at it, a frown slowly grows across his face. "How odd..." He presents to map to the group as they gather. "Look at this. The map we were given is a nearly perfect match to the location of the mine and the dwarven city. It seems to be quite the coincidence that we'd be given this weeks before it became useful. Perhaps fate has some part to play in this."
"Hmm...fate is strange thing, but it is lucky we came across this map when we did! It will be big help. Give us good place to start."
"Fate, indeed!" says the young wizard. Brynderie, puts her hand to her chin and looks inward for a minute. "I believe I may have heard of these dwarves and their Fallen Kingdom."
Unable to match the sheer numbers of orcs, goblins, trolls, and other creatures generated by the forces of evil, the elven king invited humans to settle the lands. The humans willingly allied themselves with the kingdom and fought long and hard against the evil creatures (except, of course, for those humans who decided their best interests were with the forces of evil). After an intermittent war lasting two centuries, the forces of evil were once again beaten back to the current site of Dragonspear Castle.
But when the dust had settled, the elves looked about and realized that much of their forests had been turned into human towns. Human craftsmen had generally supplanted the dwarves, and the land they had fought for was no longer theirs. Sadly, the elves moved far to the west to Evermeet Island. The dwarves have yet to replenish their losses from that long war and live mostly in seclusion. Today, little is seen or even known of the Fallen Kingdom in the lands of the Trade Cities. Humans tried to establish their own kingdoms, but the smaller kingdoms lasted just long enough to establish various hereditary nobilities, such as the dukes of Daggerford. They eventually disintegrated in dynastic struggles which left all claimants dead.
As you are leaving Daggerford, you are stopped by Derval Ironeater. He goes to each of you who came to his aid after the earthquake. "Please take this with you," he says. "It is a symbol of my friendship. I think you might find it useful under Illefarn."
He bows and leaves before you can ask any questions.
Kyrus blinks as the blacksmith approaches them and looks down at what he's handed. By the time he looks up, the man is already gone. "What on earth?" He shakes himself. "Thank you, I suppose. Well, I'll take point then, shall I?"
Brynn recounts the stories of the Fallen Kingdom and the dwarves mines. "There is no telling what horrors we will find down there. Best to be prepared for every eventuality."
Ami takes her usual position guarding the rear.
Brynderie climbs upon her horse and finds a spot in the middle of the column.
The trip to Laughing Hollow is identical to the one made in The Rescue Mission. The adventurers are accompanied by Deldrach, who refuses a horse and walks, eating up the miles with the stride of a veteran stalker. By the end of a long day of riding, you reach the Laughing Hollow and are met by King Melandrach. He welcomes you and suggests you camp with him outside the mountain so that you can enter at the crack of dawn. "My messenger has relayed the predicament we face. You must enter the mountain and stop this poison before my valley is destroyed! You are welcome to rest with us here whenever you require; but with each passing day my lands die a bit more."