"I..." - the halfling hesitates...
"Thank you" - the girl takes a tentative step toward the dwarf, and you get a better look at her - a black-haired young half-elf girl with fierce green eyes wearing a leather hunting vest, slacks, and high hard boots, looking much like a miniaturized adventurer - "We need to find the others! Mikra!" - she adds very quickly as she runs off into the other room, to return seconds later with a crying boy who constantly rocks back and forth, mumbling something incoherently...
"I am Kimi" - she offers - "And this is Mikra" - the girl adds, trying to calm down the other child - a young boy with black hair and a kind face, now marred by tears.
"And I am Edrin" - the halfling adds, also stepping forward and extending his hand in a greeting - "We have but a few cuts and bruises sir I believe" - he tries to straighten out his vest - "Thank you, and your friends for your help" - he adds with side glance at Saktar - "We managed to escape from the lower tunnels with all but one of the children..." - he explains - "But alas I think Savram ran in the wrong direction, and Jurin... Oh dear Gods what was that...? We really should hurry kind sirs"
Saktar growls from the back Let's get moving then, we're wasting time
He then turns to Keebo
Do you know the way down?
"Yes Mega Master - Keebo knows but... Keebo afraid... Manies bad things downsss, even with strong weapon" - he yelps, showing the newly acquired spear.
Mikra! I’m so glad to find you. Your father is so worried with your disappearance he asked me to find you.
We can’t leave the other children behind. I’ll use my healing powers and then we’ll go looking for them.
"Me Da?!" - the boy stops crying for a moment, then seems to look around, looking for someone - "Da?!" - he shouts - "Da?!"
"No Mikra, not here. Back in town - we'll be there in no time, you'll see..." - the girl tries to calm him down.
"Da..?" - he whispers back.
Mikra, Kimi and Edrin, stay close to us but behind me. Can you tell me what we are going to find in the lower tunnels?
Now tell us the way down. We must find Savram before we leave.
"I think we can find the way back down" - Edrin seems in a much better mood than before, after the healing takes effect - "But Savram is not down there, he ran in that direction there" - he points to the northern tunnel.
"Jurin was dragged away by... Something..." - Edrin replies to Lokeemon - "Seemed like a hulking dwarf wrapped in heavy chains... Its face, hands, and body were riddled with glowing hot hooks and half-melted razor wire I think... And black smoke was rising from his smoldering beard... The smell of burnt hair and flesh was unbearable... And his face... Contorted..." - he shudders.
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Tsin moves on ahead up to the intersection, then pauses to listen. He thinks he can hear voices from the East, but cannot be sure. It could just be wind blowing through the tunnels...
He keeps going north until he comes upon closed double doors.
Saktar, you do not remember any particulars about such creature.
However, Duncan and Lokeemon have heard of such creatures before...
The creature is most likely a Forge Spurned:
When a dwarf perishes, he is sometimes brought before his divine lord and judged. If found unworthy he is pierced with burning barbs and returned to the world as an undead terror on an accursed errand to gather souls. The penance varies depending on how displeased the master is with his subject. Lesser offenders need only capture ten or twenty souls. Others are condemned to spend several lifetimes gathering hundreds of souls to earn a reprieve from their fiery torment. Most of these accursed cast-offs are dwarven smiths, warriors, or clanlords who failed to please their god in life. They are consumed with their need to forge their soul chains and prey upon any creature they feel they can easily best. If a forge spurned is felled and its chain taken by another, it seethes in dark fury. A forge spurned stops at nothing to retrieve its chain, lest it be forced to forge another, extending its period of burning torment.
Forge spurned often haunt their former homes, skulking in darkened dwarven halls or among the ruins of their people’s past glory. They prefer to remain below the earth where their malevolent soul forging goes unnoticed by others. Forge spurned often lair near magma vents, lakes of lava, or other hot environs that facilitate their sinister toil.
Mechanical details you can remember: They are undead and immune to fire. They burn whomever touches them, and they have a fire based breath attack. The soul chains that wrap them also attack its opponents independently of its forge spurned master, and any slain victim may be soul bound into the chain (as per the soul bind spell), but this necessitates a day of work at a forge. Anyone may claim a felled forge spurned’s chain, and it will serve its new master willingly, although the wielder risks being transformed into a forge spurned, damned to continue collecting souls, if his/her will is broken.
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Guys, this undead is immune to fire and anyone that touches him will burn. Ho yeee, and they also breathe fire and they walk around with a chain that also attacks ...
He needs to take Jurin to a forge to soul bound him.
If we hurry and are lucky, We may just get there in time to save Jurin ...
Let's go!
I follow Tsin listening and looking around to see if I notice anything (especially in the intersection).
Tsin carefully checks the door for traps, and for noise on the other side - he finds it to be safe, and only closed. He hears no noises coming from beyond the door.
Tsin opens the doors slowly, and peers into the room - it seems to be an old, dark ossuary - cold and full of the sound of dripping water. A dark corridor runs north down the center of the room, while to either side two large bays open into small niches that contain ancient dwarven skeletons. At the far end of the corridor rests a large iron anvil.
The ninja can hear a distant, low crying and sobbing coming from somewhere in the room.
Just saying that when we do go after him I want to take a look/listen especially in the intersections.
After Saktar tell us it's clear to go, I take the lead and look and listen carefully in the intersection ...
Lokeemon carefully pauses at the intersection, but hears nothing more than the murmuring winds through the tunnels.
Tsin as you were getting ready to fully explore the area, Duncan comes lumbering down the hallway - you can hear him from miles away.
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Duuudes, no... What's the point of me coming first if you're gonna follow like a pack of rhinos?
There was no danger...
Ah well, you're here now. Check out these alcoves on both sides, I'll move down the center and check for other exits.
I move down the center corridor carefully towards the anvil, checking for traps.
I want to examine the anvil and then the walls, to see if there are any hidden exits to the room.
As soon as Tsin begins moving through the central aisle he understand his mistake - distracted by his companions, he did not remember to check the corridor itself.
As he approaches, two skeletons animate, and throw their heads at the ninja from their barred alcoves!
One of them hits Tsin squarely in the face.
Much faster than the seasoned group of heroes, two other skeletons use the same bizarre technique, and also hurl their heads at the surprised ninja.
And another one manages a hit on Tsin.
Kibbo snickers as he notices Saktar getting ready to cast a spell - "Power Master..." - he seems to mumble.
But then he stares blankly for a moment as the spell hits the wall harmlessly, turning to Saktar and to the fight back and forth - "Wall is danger Master?" - he inquires.
Keebo just keeps staring very intensely at Saktar for a few seconds - he seems to be trying to grasp the notion of strategy... "Yes!" - he nods with a roar at Saktar - "Deeestract! ion!" - and begins hopping up and down, madly scraping his spear on the wall.
This produces an absolutely dreadful, loud grating sound, but Keebo smiles happily at Saktar - "Keebo deeestract! ion!" - he shouts.
"Yes....." - Keebo replies with a whisper, then remains very still, holding the spear in both hands.
Lokeemon moves close to his ninja companion, nimbly evading the skeleton claws grasping for his throat, and slashing with a brutal swipe that turns the skeleton into nothing more than a pile of bones.
Tsin swings his short sword, but it bounces off the bones without much effect.
"No! this cannot be!" - Duncan steps forward boldly, past his warpriest companion, even as the creatures try to claw at him and fail.
Then the dwarf slams the hammer hard on his shield - "Down with ye, by Torag's beard!" - he roars - "Down I tells ye!"
Once he does, a strong silvery radiance emanates from him, and engulfs everyone in the area - his companions feel no effect, but the undead cannot resist its strength and ALL crumble down on the floor!
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My friend, your faith in Torag is as strong as ever!
and I give him a small tap in the back ...
I fear that others may have heard us, everyone pay attention.
- Tsin, check the rest of the room before we move on.
- Duncan, I also feel the urge to jump into battle, but we must be careful. You know that the Forge Spurned needs a day of work at the forge, and we are seeing the forge, so he won't kill the children without we see it.
Let's keep calm and use our head, I believe this ruins may yet present many challenges to us ...
"I am not sure who you're calling the forge spurned sir" - Kimi pipes in - "But if it is the monster who dragged Jurin away, it is not here. It is far down the other corridor" - she points back, then looks around - "Here is where Savram ran to, when the other kobolds where chasing us..." - she adds.
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Well, there's certainly an anvil over there but I wouldn't call this room a forge. Seems to be more of an ossuary.
Plus, if Kimi says the forge... spurned? took Jurin down the other corridor we should probably go there now. We can come back here later.
But I did hear someone crying. Is there any other kid unaccounted for?
Once I say this I resume exploring the room. I try to locate where the crying is coming from, all the while keeping an eye out for traps.
Maybe we should split up? I could stay with Saktar and the kids and search this place while you two warrior types explore the corridor Kimi mentioned?