Klor just looks back at the slope he fell down
that blasted no good torn-faced smelly maggot of a hill
We Krags be pounders of goblin heads not climbers. now how in blazes will I ever get back up that stupit kilt-suckin scunner of a slope!
he looks at Zarrick what, yeah I'm fine
he turns a spits at the slope.
Dwarves do not bounce well Ekan thinks, though he's relieved Klor is okay. "I'm not sure. We may have to pull you up. Maybe send your armor up first, and then it would be easier to climb, but that would leave you vulnerable."
The Descent Complete the party stood on a rocky outcropping with more steps carved in them that dropped a little further, but these were not so steep and fairly easy to walk on. The ground sloped away to the right and left in a rather drastic drop another 30 feet to the cavern floor below, but atop this small spur of rock ,you could make your way to the battlement.
Once this sat atop a citadel and crenelations allowed Archers to shoot down on advancing enemies. The spur of rock ran right to the edge of the makeshift courtyard into the Citadel. Open to the elements, rocks had fallen into the area littering it with debris. An easy 2 foot drop to the top of the battlement from the outcropping allowed access to the beginnings of adventure.
A Stout Iron Door was shut ahead.
A slight breeze blew up from the gorge's floor bringing with it the smell of decay and rot.
Looking around you can see that the majority of the citadel has sunk below ground and is encased in stone now. Lightless windows of a few locations are filled with rubble and stone. Testimony to the majority of this once proud fortress being reduced to debris.
The party stands in single file atop the spur peers into the area.
Klor stops to examine the stonework of this citadel looking for signs of the type of rock.
The group stands on the Outcropping of rock and stares at the grim and foreboding citadel.
1d20+2
1d20+14
Do any of you hear that squeaking sound? It sounds like those big rats we killed on the other side of the ledge Zarrick grasps on to his mace and gets ready for anything that may attack. this area looks rather clean for a something that sunk into the earth.
Do any of you hear that squeaking sound? It sounds like those big rats we killed on the other side of the ledge Zarrick grasps on to his mace and gets ready for anything that may attack. this area looks rather clean for a something that sunk into the earth.
Ahhh, its probably the blasted bird squawkin again
Klor continues his examination of the stone work.
Clean? of course its clean,It's Dwarven made Klor sys with pride.
Alrick stares in quiet awe at the remains of the citadel.
This is... the thought fades, Alrick simply unable to complete it.
"Shall weh?" Grommund says motioning to the interior of the courtyard and strolling slowly in, axe at the ready.
Ekan says "Squeaking sound? Perhaps that's what has Mysabel curious. She's tightened her spiral and is getting closer to the battlement. She's making some noise too. Should I call her back?"
He is prepared to follow Grommund if need be.
confident that the foundation is sturdy klor moves out with Gommund His Axe at the ready, shield unslung and in hand.
The group slowly came off the rocky outcropping and picked their way among the piles of fallen rocks and debris spreading out. Grommund and Klor looked around at the impressive stonework and noticed nothing unusual.
Mysabel was still spiraling down towards her master, crying in the dark air of the cavern, a mere 20 feet up now.
small stones cracked and shifted beneath the groups weight as they moved among the debris.
Still the odor of rot shifted past nostrils on the breeze.
Suddenly a large black rat burst from the stones and leaped to between a crenelation looked over his shoulder, and in a voice that sounded like nails on a chalkboard said You should not have come. I will feed you to the Gulthias Tree as I did the others Before you. before it jumped over the side of the battlement into the rocks below.
"Well, that's just rude... I wonder what a Gulthias tree is..." Tae muses aloud as the rat disappears over the side. "I hope it's not more of those walking twigs we fought"
"Gulthias tree... why does that ring a bell?" Ekan ponders
Deep within the bowels of the darklands below The Citadel, in the cist of Magickum, He had called upon dark powers to aide him in repelling The Dragon Cults Incursion into the lands of The Dwarven Lords. His call was heard by Zon Kuthon, The Midnight Lord, who had bound the Dwarven Lord to his side with the curse of Vampirism. The Kobolds, and other Reptilian races in the service of Infyrana were terrorized by Gulthias.
However over time they weren't the only ones who were....Other races who had come to settle in the area did as well. Most Noted were the humans, and Gulthias brought fear to them as well. Finally a Bargain was struck to keep war from springing up between the Shining Crusade, who had heard of him in their hunt for Tar Baphon and The Dwarven Nations of The Five Kings Mountains. The Dwarven Kings had asked they be allowed to bring in the hero of their people. After tracking him down and defeating him, they had staked him down in his keep.
However such was their admiration of his doings, they could not bring themselves to defile his body, by cutting off his head. Instead they entombed him where his keep was, pierced by a stake of Wyroot, given as a gift dedicating the Pact of Leaf and Stone, by the Elves of The Verduren. Like all secrets, over time it got out and the Dwarven Heroes had felt shame at their inability to perform their duty and had all fled to the City of Kundrukar, a Gray Dwarf Hall in The Mountains. The secret of the location of his tomb has never been uncovered.
Alrick jumps back when the rat starts to speak.
"That's... " once again his words fail him, and he mostly just stares.
Talking rats, walking trees... this is great!
"Clan Darkstone!" Ekan snaps his fingers, "Gulthais was a dwarf noble..." The halfing tells all that he can recall.
Alrick gasps, audibly, more than once as the story is recounted. It is hard to tell if it's excitement, terror, or surprise.
"Vampires?!"
"Dragon cults?!"
"Kobolds!?"
his emotions seem to morph into genuine elation, before they suddenly deflate.
"I do hope the heroes are alive and well... I truly fear the worst for them now..."
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Ekan seems caught up in the excitement too, after all, he may not have been much use in combat, but at least his studies are proving to be of worth...but then Alrick mentions the missing group they came to find and that sobers him, "Let's hope the histories are slightly exaggerated, or at least the dangers diminished with time."
"'At hin' probably expects us tae follaw it. Lets gang further in insteid?" Grommund says, looking after the rat. "Eh'd raither fess thes place oan uir terms." The dwarven rogue wanders over to the interior door, and checks it thoroughly for traps.
Zarrick, still scanning the area for the sound that he heard, catching just bits and pieces of the other's conversation, like vampire, kobolds and dragon cults.
As Grommund turned to walk towards the door, the reason for the area being free of debris was apparent as a pit swung open beneath his feet, causing him to drop 10 feet to the debris choked floor below. Bones lay amid the debris as well as the more recent bodies of Goblins, 1 within the last few days, a testament to the insidiousness of this trap.
Managing to stay upright, the dwarf twisted his ankle as he landed. What was now more worrisome was the hungry large rat who was gnawing on the armbone of a dead goblin that turned at being presented fresh meat....
who immediately lunged forward snapping at the leg of the dwarf in front of him. vs FF AC 13
Fangs sinking completely through the Dwarfs Boot deep into his leg.
vs DC 11
Grommund jerked his leg back quickly from the jaws of the giant rat.
Crumbled Courtyard with Pit Trap
FO: +3 RE: +5 WL: +1
Klor just bursts out luaghing.
I thought I was the trap finder and you were the trap spotter.
Klor does not seem concerned about the rat with Grommund down there. since he carries no ranged weapons.
Klor will keep an eye out for potential additional rats and if more appear then he will jump down to assist.
Seeing his traveling companion in dire need, Zarrick drops his mace (free action) and grabs his dagger and throws it at the rat. for damage
Tae, when it is her turn, sends a bolt of energy, her only real ranged weapon, at the rat.
Zarricks dagger skins the rat along its back and tae steps forward pointing at the rat and a bolt of white hot energy melts it into a glob of bone and flesh.
Zarrick bends down and peers down into the pit, Grommund, are you okay?
"Aye. Catch." He says, throwing up his rope. He has the party knot it and dangle it down for him to climb up.
"Wait just a minute." Tae casts detect magic and scans the pit to see if there is anything down there with Grommund before he climbs up the rope. Whether she spots any dweomers or not, she softly reminds Grommund, "Before you climb up, might want to check to see if there's anything of value down there." Maybe there's something non-magical too that might be valuable, or give a clue what happened to the missing heroes.
and do me a favor, retrieve my dagger. I may need that again. Zarrick retrieves his mace and assists in getting Grommund's rope secure for his 10' climb
"Good grief, these rats seem everywhere," Ekan says, still stunned at how FAST that encounter happened. He calls his hawk to him, and pets her, "I see now what you were trying to warn me about, thank you. I wish I understood you better. Maybe with time."
Alrick yelps in a most un-heroic manner when the trap triggers. He moves to the edge as Tae dispatches the rat to help retrieve the errant dwarf.
"This place is treacherous beyond anything I could've expected. With traps like these, vampires may be the least of our worries. Kobold treachery for sure..." he mutters.
At Tae's Urgings Grommund looks around in the pit, and finds pouch on one of the Goblin Bodies within. Checking inside quickly he finds 36 Silver and 6 Gold. Then he climbs out of the pit. The fang marks in his left leg aching.
He limps around the narrow ledge behind the pit and checks the iron door for traps and finds none.
Tae walks over to Grommund murmurs quietly. "You look a little the worse for wear, my friend. Let me help you." Assuming he doesn't refuse her ministrations, she casts a spell softly, reaching out with her maimed hands and touches him gently.
"I'm sorry it wasn't more effective. Do you need another?"
Mysabel makes almost cooing like sounds as she nuzzles Ekan's neck.
While Grommund was taking his time inspecting the iron door for traps, the floor that had hidden the pit trap sprang back up into it's original position, causing the entire party to glance down. Both Klor and Grommund know the pit was not designed by Dwarves.
Grommund's eyes go wide as Tae touches him, and he seems to be frightened into silence.
Her healing initially has some trouble affecting him, but it takes hold and the wound on his leg stitches itself up. He blinks a few times and clears his throat. "Hrmm...Thank'ee."
"Ah foond these coins doon belaw. Mah een ur clearly nae as guid as they used tae be. Guess we'll hae tae tak' it mair slowly frae haur." He begins to use the long haft of his battle axe to rap the floor in front of him firmly as he goes. He will spend a couple minutes at each door and intersection they come to checking for traps.
Klor looking over the rest pit trap. hmm. an add-on, clever bastarards.
Klor kneels down while Grommund finishes checking the door and examines the type of construction. He thinks he almost has it figured out and then shakes his head...knowing he just barely missed some clue as to who made this.
"Kobolds speak draconic, if we run into any, should we try to talk to them first? They might know where the first group is."
Do you honestly think them little demons will want to speak with folk invading their home?
"Well, perhaps not. Still, we aren't meaning to invade so much as retrieve. " Ekan thinks it over, seeing Zarrick's point but still preferring peace if it can be found.
"I do speak their language then, so talking to them and trying to perhaps get information from them, and not having to fight them sounds like a good plan to me, too"