Spidre fells the human!
Investigating the room from which your enemies came, you find a human man and dwarven woman, each wearing tattered and blood-stained dark green cloaks. They are bound, and have bloody bandages very similar to those on the halfling.
The man says, "Thank you, brave adventurers. We were nearing a terrible fate. But, who are you? Why are you here?"
Spidre begins laughing uncontrollably.
"We were sent by tha Lord Mayor and the Order of tha Griffin to clear this cave out and save ya," Thyra will rush forward and start to untie the captives, "Are there any more threats here?"
When you mention the order, the dwarf suddenly speaks, sounding half-crazed:
"You must find the staff! Find it and take it back to the Order! T-the... s-staff..."
The dwarf passes out, and the human speaks up.
"I am glad to hear of the Order sending another team. As you can see, we were unsuccessful. We killed several wolves, but in the end we were overpowered and captured. The last few days, they've been draining our blood and planning to take us to Koriszegy Crypt, where we would be transformed into undead abominations."
He pauses, catching his breath from the exertion of merely speaking. "I don't know how many wolves or other agents of darkness remain, but at the very least there is Collum, the pack's alpha. He's a dire wolf, nearly the size of a horse. Do not take him lightly."
Pausing again, the man then says, "Listen. This entire den sits atop the buried ruins of an old town. The staff of life is somewhere in those ruins, and the way down to the ruins is behind a locked door in Collum's chamber. Collum wears the key on a chain around his neck."
He points a shaky hand at the corner of the room, where you see some equipment piled haphazardly. "Those are ours," he says. "Use anything you can."
Looking through the pile, you find a scroll labeled "magic missile", two vials labeled "healing", a mace, a dagger, a spell component pouch, a shortsword, a shield, a spellbook, and two breastplates.
Once Spidre sees the gear, his laughter immediately halts. He strides over and picks up a breastplate, examining the fit. He shrugs off his robe, for the first time revealing his general form: a lithe and well-toned elf, his arms are visibly ruined by scars of various types; his hair is thin and black, trimmed just above the shoulders; his neck, just above the leather shirt, bears signs of puncture wounds and a long claw mark extending up to one partially-missing ear.
Spidre begins unbinding his leather armor, stripping down to an almost sleeveless cotton shirt and simple breeches with leather boots. He fits the breastplate on his body and adjusts the straps, then puts his robe back on over it. After picking up and stashing a potion and the pouch, he turns, once again a figure shrouded by robe and mask, and picks up his swords, apparently ready to depart.
Pietro takes the dagger and straps it on his belt. "Very well. Perhaps you should stay here until we return to tell you it's clear."
"Indeed," answers the human, "We won't be able to move much at all for a couple of days. Hopefully you'll be able to secure the area for that long. By the way, did you happen to come across our other compatriot? He's a halfling, and was taken to a different room."
He's alive, but he's not doing well, I'm afraid. His ordeal has left him cut off from the world. Hopefully you can keep him safe until we can get him back to the order and he can get full healing. It will be good for him to see some friendly, familiar faces.
Noticing for the first time that her lithe companion is indeed an elf Thyra tells him "Ya're not bad for an Elf, a bit cooky but great in a fight!
Turning to the equipment and noticing that there is a second breastplate, Thyra will also being to strip out of her scalemail and into a breastplate. "All this needs now is a Firey-Forge painted on it and it'd be perfect"
Finally after her and Spidre have regeared themselves, Thyra will gather herself up and prepare for the this supposed Pony-Sized wolf.
"A'right we all ready for this big bad wolf?"
Halsere knows the value of the spellbook and the components pouch and takes both.
He also takes the scroll as well.
Freshly equipped, you head back into the tunnels. After a bit more exploring, you find a long, straight tunnel that ends in a broad, open chamber. At the center of the chamber sits a large dire wolf, with a key dangling from a chain worn around his neck. He is flanked by two wolf attendants, and is reading a piece of paper held by a human woman in armor. Next to the human is an elven man who carries a staff-mounted holy symbol in the shape of a skull.
Just as you get close enough to see, the woman puts away the paper and says, "Anyway, now that I've delivered that message, what about our agreement?"
Collum snarls. "You guaranteed me full claim to the northern hunting grounds, but yesterday I learned that the Dosmo pack is still in control, and their numbers are growing!"
The fighter shakes her head. "We killed their leader, and now they fight among themselves for control. We upheld our end of the bargain, now give us the key!"
Collum rises up onto all fours, indeed looking as big as a horse. "No! As long as one Dosmo wolf draws breath, there will be no deal and NO KEY!"
The woman scowls, and her cleric companion mutters something about reporting to the vampire, and the two of them turn to leave.
At which point they see that the exit to the room is currently occupied by the five of you.
"Radlebb spies!" shouts the woman, drawing her sword. Collum howls loudly and bellows, "Get them!"
Pietro and Halsere react first!
Halsere lets off a firebolt at the giant wolf.
Fire bolt for damage
Quick on the draw, Halsere starts things off by burning Collum!
Collum: 7
Ready for action this time, Pietro casts a spell to boost himself and his companions, and readies himself to meet the enemy.
Pietro casts a spell to bolster his allies!
The two wolves advance, but stop short of the party and growl menacingly!
I'm sure glorified errand boy was just what you dreamed about when you surrendered your soul. 'How the world will tremble at my fearsome message carrying!' Mirrel calls to the cleric.
Should we warn the wolves, Spidre? That new armor is bound to chip a few teeth.
Against all odds, the cleric takes Mirrel's words to heart, and winces in (a little) pain!
Spidre remains behind Pietro and next to Thyra. He moves his hand about and immediately a brood of angry vipers can be heard behind the wolves.
Spidre conjures an illusory noise!
The cleric cautions the fighter to watch out for snakes, and the fighter advances, throwing an axe at Pietro!
,
The axe goes wide, and the fighter swears as she readies a shield.
The cleric then steps forward a bit, remaining behind the line of wolves and his fighter ally, and casts a spell! (Bless on the two wolves and Collum.)
The massive beast Collum then roars loudly, almost seeming to grow larger in his rage. He leaps forward, jumping over the other wolves and reaching Pietro and Spidre in a mere two bounds. His massive jaws snap down at Spidre!
,
Collum's massive maw clamps down on Spidre hard, and the huge beast then pulls his head upward:
Collum hoists Spidre into the air, dangling from his jaws!
Thyra, seeing her friend in danger will call out while rushing forward to strike the wolf. "Spidre, good job gettin' in close! Ya got him right where ya want him"
In spectacular fashion, Thyra is tripped up by the weight of her new breastplate and it sends her attack careening, wildly missing the wolf.
"This fights only just gettin' started!
Thyra engages, but doesn't land a blow!
When Collum bites him, Pietro unleshes the Wrath of Storms!
Firebolt on big ass wolf.
+ for damage.
(9)
Collum gets a nasty surprise when he bites the tempest-infused cleric, followed up by a heavy hit from Pietro's maul! With one more scorch from Halsere, Collum is brought down!
Pietro tumbles down out of Collum's limp jaws, landing flat on his back.
The wolves rush forward!
One of them attacks Pietro while he's still on the ground!
(21),
It bites his arm, and the other wolf follows suit!
(21),
Pietro suffers another bite!
One down, Pietro. Back on your feet and let's finish them off!
Moving a little closer whilst still staying behind Spidre, Pietro and Thyra, Mirrel unslings his mandolin and begins playing a discordant, atonal melody, magically targetting the wolves and the fighter.
Spidre moves in, swinging his swords gracefully at the wolf on his side of Pietro.
,
,
The assault is precise and gruesome.
Mirrel bewitches the fighter and one of the wolves, then Spidre kills the other!
The fighter and the cleric converge on the deadly elf!
,
,
The fighter misses badly, but the cleric zaps Spidre with necromantic energy!
Pietro moves to assist Spidre, attacking the enemy fighter.
17 Total
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Thyra will admire the fine work his compatriots have done so far. "Nice job Spidre and Pietro, ya do fine work! Let's see if I can help"
Thyra moves up to assist Spidre and Pietro against the Fighter/Cleric combo, attacking the cleric.
Using Inspiration to attack the cleric with a fire bolt.
or for
Pietro crushes the fighter, and Thyra cuts down the cleric! With targets dropping like flies, Halsere hastily turns his attention to the last wolf, and barely manages to singe it!
The wolf then attempts to take down the scary crit monster Pietro!
,
He misses! Between the five of you, the final wolf is easily dispatched, and the battle is won!
Investigating the bodies, you acquire Collum's key , as well as the note that the humanoids were delivering. It reads:
"My Dear Collum,
You and your pack have served me well, and now I must ask another favor of you. The captain of the guard at Radlebb Keep will visit your den to pick up his pay. When he arrives, please capture him. He, along with the others, will be taken to Koriszegy Crypt to be changed. The captain will serve me better in death than he ever did in life.
Sincerely,
V.K."
The humanoids also had a greatsword, a quarterstaff, scale mail, splint armor, and a healing potion.
The room is mostly featureless, except for the heavy iron doors at the far side.
"I think these doors lead down into the ruins. Perhaps we should barricade them and rest until we recover our spells. We may not get another chance once we go down, and it will give the captives time to rest here before we risk letting anything out."
Spidre kneels in what appears to be some kind of meditation or prayer. He remains silent.
"Good plan. I know just the thing to lighten the mood after battling evil priests and oversized wolves."
Mirrel settles back with his mandolin, singing a lighthearted ditty to amuse the others.
Behind the iron doors is a room, about 20 feet across, in the center of which sits a locked and barred hatch in the floor. The room has no other apparent features or entrances.
On reading that the Captain should be visiting to collect his pay Halsere wonders if there is any money to be found.
Halsere opens the iron doors once the rest is complete.
He pulls out his thieves tools and starts working on the lock.
Pick Locks (Using Dex I assume?) +7
Gaaaaah, he curses. Anyone else skilled at picking locks? Wait a moment? What about Collums key?
Thyra will head back to where we left them and inform them of what we found and that we defeated Collum.
"Ya can come rest with us, we think we know where the Staff is now"
Opening the iron doors in Collum's lair, you carry the freed victims into the chamber within and seal the door for the night.
At some point during the night, you hear some barking and howling, but it seems that the lack of a key (or opposable thumbs for picking locks) is preventing any returning wolves from getting to you. By morning, it's so quiet that you suspect the remnants of the pack likely have abandoned their dead leader's lair altogether.
Beneath the hatch in the center of the floor is a dark hole, sloping steeply downwards into the ruins that one of the Order survivors told you about.
Should we go deeper or get these people back to the order first? The clerics staff is the one they wanted right?
Thyra eyes the foreboding hole and the sorry state of our new friends before responding.
"They'll be safe while we explore, 'sides it might be good ta have someone guarding the exit."
"I think I should go near the front, I've spent a bit of time poking around where I'm not supposed to," confesses Mirrel. "I got quite good at spotting surprises."
The clerics staff is the one they wanted right?
"I don't know how extensive the underground complex is. We could be there for days. Let's have the prisoners barricade the door behind us, and arrange a secret knocking signal. If they're still here when we return, they can let us in; if not, we can bash our way out eventually. And if anything else tries to get out without giving the signal, they have the time to escape."
Spidre takes his pack from his mule and leaves it with the survivors. He also gives them two days' rations, a bundle of torches, and a tinderbox.
While the others rest, Spidre continues to meditate. He finishes while the others are yet asleep, then begins magically bonding with his weapons as per an ancient arcane ritual used by the masters of old.
With your refugees tucked safely in the chamber to rest, you descend into the dark hole. Your exploration begins with a corridor that you imagine might have once been a street or alleyway, now covered by an earthen "roof" and running between walls of dirt-crusted stone. This corridor has three recesses (one on the right, followed by two more on the left) before opening into an intersection a good hundred feet or so ahead.
Approaching the nearest recess (on the right), you see a short passage blocked by a startling sight: a door-like structure seemingly made of (or covered in) green scales, with the green head of a reptilian creature mounted on the upper-center portion of the door. The door has no visible handle or latch, and the head has a key-shaped impression right between the eyes.
As you approach, the head animates, with flames flickering out between its teeth as it speaks: "Only those with the dragon key, have any hope of passing me."
How... Interesting.
Halsere steps forward and tries pressing Collums key into the indentation.