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Fendrikor
Learned Scribe
Australia
189 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Dec 2015 : 05:38:08
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So a few weeks ago i started up the Out of the Abyss Campaign. During this time i have found many dungeonmasters have posted their experiances with it online, and as such, i have decided to join suit in the hopes someone enjoys reading them!
I started my party at 3rd level so they could begin with their class specialisations. I asked each player to provide a detailed back story which they supplied - but i will summarise in brief bellow.
Prior to the campaign start none knew how the campaign would begin, i told them to have a reason for setting off on the road and that 'fate' would bring them all together.
The Party:
Koressryl Dryear Sheverash (Wood elf Rogue 3rd)
* A member of the Eldreth Armathora'mor who took his current name upon the swearing of an oath of vengence to Sheverash, the black arrow, never to laugh or smile again until the drow were all eliminated. Was the sole survivor of the destruction of his whole village. He has delved into the earth to hunt drow slavers down ever since.
Aladar Tessarion Kellethyrl (Half moon elf Paladin 3rd)
* Aladar was born in the new age of Mythdrannor to an elven priestess of Corellon and an apple farmer from daggerdale. He joined the Knights of Mythdrannor and fought against the Shadovar during the second fall. He protected a caravan of mostly non-elven refugees fleeing the city to Elturel when drow slavers attacked. Though he fought valiantly, he fell to knockout poison. When he came too he was told that among the taken was his mother, a prize sacrifice to lolth. He swore an oath to find or avenge her before Corellon.
Mehmen Bahrooz Pashar (Zahkaran human Fighter 3rd)
* Mehmen was taken young during a raid by slavers and sold to the fighting pits. There he came to worship Haku, the godess of freedom, as many of the other pit fighters did in the hopes they would earn their freedom. He found out the truth of it when he finally did win his freedom, that no one left the pits alive. He escaped barely with the aid of a stranger from a distant land (a harper), and ended up stowing away in the hold of a cargo galley bound for the sword coast. Now a free man in a strange land, Mehmen has began a new life.
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As you can imagine, the look on their faces when i told them all they had been taken prisoner by the drow was classic.
CHAPTER 1 - PRISONERS OF THE DROW (Part 1)
Life as a prisoner of their sadistic and twisted drow captors was anything but pleasant. Aladar and Koressryl bore the brunt of the drow's snide hateful attention due to their elven heritages. They were forced to conduct such tasks as licking all the armor in the armory clean.
At one point, Aladar was made to clean a barrack floor with his mouth - he he said it would be done faster with a rag and water, his captor - a drow named Shoor - had one of the Quaggoths, named Grueble, drool on the floor. He then told him again, to clean the floor.
Mehmen and the other slaves were made to clean the lesser priestess, Asha's collections of spidersilk T-strings. And she warned them, her flows had been heavy that month.
All the while they came to Fear and loath the High priestess of Lolth running the outpost, Mistress Ilvara Mizzrym. She promised them that if they thought about escaping she would find them. And if they thought that death was an escape, they would be wrong, for she would go into the afterlife and drag them screaming back to the prime material in chains. If only to elevate her status in the eyes of the Matron Mothers back in Menzoberrenzan. They bore regular witness to her coldly berating her subordinates, who fawned sycophantically over her ever wish. Jorlan, the former drow captain now horribly scared and out of favour, bore the brunt of her derogation.
They had to harvest, prepare and cook their own meals always under heavy guard. But luckily it gave them a good chance to socialise with the other prisoners and get an idea of the outposts layout.
Koressryl bonded with the Quaggoth, Prince Derendil, and was interested in learning more about his home kingdom of Neldrindevane, and the nature of his curse. Derendil came to trust him so much, he asked if the elf could delouse him. However he made an instant enemy of Sarith Kzekarit, the only drow prisoner amongst them - who had been accused of murder. One night, after Asha had finished torturing Sarith in her chambers, and had the quaggoths uncerimoniously dump him on the prison floor - Koressryl stuck a crossbow bolt (he had stolen it from the armory) into the back of his skull. Ending Sariths miserable existence.
Mehmen bonded with a mycanoid sprout named stool. He promised the little mushroom man he would get him home to Neverlight grove once they were free of their confinement. While stool came to view Mehmen as a protector, the Orc Bully Ront came to view him as a Rival. Mehmen smuggling in a rusty iron pipe he had found while stacking rocks, and using it to break Ronts Knee during an altercation. The drow left him to suffer for an entire day howling in pain, before finally healing him just to shut him up.
Aladar bonded with Eldeth, the proud dwarven scout from Gauntlgrym, and together they planned a means to escape. Figuring out which armorys would be easiest and closest for them to acess should they get out, and noting that the guards carried keys on their belts. Together they also considered attempting to talk to Jorlan given he seemed hateful of his position in the pecking order at Velkynvelve. He also bonded with Jimjar... well... as much as anyone can bond with Jimjar. The Feckless rogue was a gambling addict.
Of the other prisoners - they didnt trust the Derro Buppido, especially when he began disecting Sarith's corpse and making prison shivs out of his rib bones. Topsy and Turvy, the Svirfneblin twins, kept mostly to themselves but had the air of two street kids up to no good. Shooshar the Kuo-toa pacifist told them of his home in Slooblidop, and his desire to bring the enlightenment he had found to the others. That if they escaped they could go there and find sanctuary, provisions and maybe a boat to cross the darklake with. He also mentioned the river at the base of Velkynvelve's waterfall likely flowed to the darklake.
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'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup' |
Edited by - Fendrikor on 08 Dec 2015 08:19:17
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Fendrikor
Learned Scribe
Australia
189 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2015 : 05:38:54
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PRISONERS OF THE DROW (Part 2) ESCAPE FROM VELKYNVELVE
Finally they came up with a plan, to start a fight and lure in the guards - then mob them, take the keys and make a break for it. Everything was set and ready - when a horrible droneing buzz filled the air. Suddenly Velkynvelve came under attack! Drow scrambled to their posts as two shrieking Vrock deamons, and four Horse-sized Mosquito Chasme Deamons flew through the out post and began to do battle amidst the huge stalactites and spider webs.
One of the guards running past their cell was evicerated by a Vrock, turning to shriek into the prison cage before flying off to tackle a Chasme in mid air. They used Mehmens iron pole to fish the keys off the dead guards belt.
While they struggled to take off everyones manacles, Jorlan arrived through the chaos. He noted they were already hard at work freeing themselves and didnt seem surprised. He advised them to flee down the waterfall, and that it would piss Mistress Ilvara off in a most delicious fashion to his likeing. When they asked why he was helping them, he said 'Oh im not helping you'. Before throwing them a second set of keys, and returning to join the frey.
Upon breaking out of the cell, Koressryl, Jimjar, Eldeth and Aladar all made for the armory. They found the tower abandoned, most of the drow heading out onto the nearby rope bridges to open fire on the deamons. Jimjar barred the doors while the others grabbed rope, metal spikes, short swords, hand crossbows, shields and 2 sets of studded leather.
Ront fled to save himself, running for the waterfall with Topsy, Turvy and Shooshar. Shooshar quickly became entangled, trusting Divine providence to deliver him from the situation. What Providence delivered him instead was a giant spider, which promptly paralyzed and began cocooning him. Topsy and Turvy screamed, but struggled through the webbing. Ront left them behind and hurled himself down the waterfall to escape.
Derendil and Mehmen meanwhile were left with Buppido to free from his manacles. The Derro chittered wildly in anticipation of freedom, dancing on the end of his chains with a bloody rib-shiv in each hand. The Quaggoth and Mehmen exchanged a mutually disturbed glance and decided to leave the Derro behind. At which point Buppido freaked out and howled 'You cannot Deny a God!' grappling hold of Stool who was nearby and begining to shank him with one of the shivs. Mehmen ran to the Mycanoids aid, Caving Buppido's skull in one two handed blow from his iron pipe. The Gurgling Derro collapsed to the floor muttering 'My Death is but an illusion...'
At this point three Quaggoths stumbled angrily out from a nearby Barracks. Jimjar had blinded the first Drow guard to discover them. But more were coming. Worse, they spied Ilvarra dispatching one of the Vrocks with a Banishment spell in the frey nearby... and she spied them. Howling hatred, she screamed 'There will be no escape!' and began fighting her way towards them, though one of the Chasmes gave her pause.
Derendil confronted the oncoming Quaggoths on a rope bridge saying he would by them as much time as he could, standing poised like an elvish coronal of old. Until he got hit. Then he flew into a feral rage that mirrored the very Quaggoths he was facing.
Aladar could see Derendils wounds mounting at the bottle neck (which was rocking about in a worrying fashion). Rushing to his aid, he soon found himself under attack by Derendil! Lost in a frenzy the Prince slammed Aladar away with one clawed mit, leaving him bleeding heavily.
The Giant Spider had finished with shooshar and had spied the fleeing twin deep gnomes now. Stalking towards them, clapping its mandibles, it was caught by complete surprise as Eldeth lept from the bridge above it crying out 'Fer the Clan!'. She then procceded to Rodeo the giant spider, stabbing it repeatedly with her Shortsword. It screeched. Jimjar then hurled himself over the bridge railing, holding on one handed to the planks and firing a handcrossbow with the other - he hit it right in the centre of its head. Dropping it.
Everyone was fleeing now. Derendil toppled with Aladar and one of the other Quaggoths down into the webbing, where he tore his rival appart. He then turned on Aladar, who calmed him with lay on hands. A moment of lucidity came over the Prince 'Aladar?' he gasped coming to his senses. A Giant spider bore down on them 'Come on! we need to go!' cried Aladar. Derendil picked him up under one arm and clambered through the webbing towards the exit.
Koressryl meanwhile was in the Armory tower, sniping out the window with a hand crossbow. The barred door behind him began to clatter and jat as the drow attempted to force it open. He could hear their voices beyond it. He had to abandon his posion. Heading out onto the bridge he lept down onto the webbing. Exchanging fire with the drow above. Topsy was struck just as she reached the waterfall, yawning loudly and falling over the edge to certain doom.
Mehmen kicked stool off the bridge, before landing next to it, picking it up and hurling it towards the waterfall in a throw of epic proportions. Eldeth intended to hold the drow on her own, so that everyone could get free - but upon hearing that Topsy was in danger, she rushed to the waterfall and dived over the edge to rescue the deep gnome.
Derendil and Aladar were the last ones down. Several poison bolts stuck out of the Quaggoths hide, he roared at each one but struggled on. Finally tumbling over the edge as Ilvara arived on the bridge, her wild eyed look of hatred the last thing Aladar saw as she screamed 'After them!' to the drow around her.
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'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup' |
Edited by - Fendrikor on 08 Dec 2015 07:13:46 |
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Fendrikor
Learned Scribe
Australia
189 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2015 : 07:09:35
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CHAPTER 2 - THE NIGHT BELLOW
One by one they toppled into the icy waters at the bottom of the waterfall. The Plunge pool was deep, flotsam littered the small lake about it. A swift but shallow creek rushed off to the north, but they managed to struggle to shore.
By the time Mehmen arrived he could hear a fight going on 'Flesh for the Faceless lord!' rang out psychicly in his head. It gave him a nose bleed. He couldnt see anything escept the pitch darkness. He couldnt feel anything except the icy cold waters. And high above he could still hear deamons assaulting the embattled outpost. Jimjar came to the rescue, grabbing hold of Mehmens rags and pulling him towards the shore saying 'Its ok buddy, i got you. Bet ye 10 gold you cant guess whats happening over on the other bank ehy'.
Koressryl landed with a splash not to soon later. He could see Eldeth holding off what looked like a formless mass of flailing Psuedopods in the shallows, shield and short sword in hand while Topsy and Turvy cowered behind her. He rushed to her aid. Aladar and Derendil landed a few moments later, but while Derendil came up for air, Aladar began to sink - struggling with his shield strap making it impossible to swim. Derendil swam back down to help (Imagine a polar bear swimming under water.. it was hillarious), Koressryl too after seeing Eldeth had the situation with the ooze under control.
By the time everyone was safely on the shore, Eldeth had finished chopping up the ooze. testiment to her skill, she was unscathed. Though her sword was so heavily corroded he hurled it into the river.
There were 3 tunnels but only two real choices. While Jimjar knew the way to Blingdenstone, it was 3 tendays away and would take them close to Menzoberranzan. The only other option was to follow the river to the Darklake and ask the locals how to get to Sloobldop. Koressryl was vermently against the idea of heading to the darklake, saying they couldnt chance getting lost, let alone trust the locals - instead opting for the 30 day round trip to Blingdenstone, trusting Jimjar to guide them there. Aladar, Mehmen and the others however were more keen to head to the darklake. Especially topsy and turvy who really didnt want to go home oddly enough. The Dark lake was close, and they desperately needed supplies. Sloobildop provided the opportunity to maybe find a guide, after all, if all the Kuo-toa were like Shooshar, then it couldnt be all bad right?
Suddenly, up above a shriek drew their attention to one of the Vrocks. It had become tangled in the huge spider webs. 3 giant spiders set upon it, but it managed to struggle free - its wings bound, toppling with a thud and crunch into the rocks nearby. It reared its vulture like head at them and shrieked, its eyed red and wild with rage. 'Ill hold it off!' Eldeth cried, taking a sword from Aladar and rushing at it. To everyones surprise, she tackled the thing over - hilt deep with her blade into its chest. It wailed in pain and threw her off. But as it rose up and pulled the blade free, Derendil shouldered it over, then tore its arm off and beat it to death. Eldeth tried to calm Derendil, but he simply threw the arm at her. Then Roared in fury. Everyone looked on in horror, then derendil calmed down - a look of guilt on his face 'I fear i am losing myself to this.. beast i have become, i am sorry'.
Koressryl caved as the fight looked to be turning against the deamons above, and they opted to flee to the dark lake - running down the river bank into the gloomy tunnels beyond (Mehmen was being lead along by Jimjar as he could only move at half speed while blind anyway).
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After what felt like a few hours of rushing headlong into the darkness they came upon a small grotto lit by small pollups of pale luminiescent fungi by the river side. They sat to catch their breath and planned about how to do things..
Koressryl said they would easily get lost if they were not careful. After some argument, he managed to get his way - They would travel slowly and carefully, following the main river and looking for clues as to how to reach sloobldop.
Topsy and Turvy were oniously assigned the task of gathering food as they trecked. Eldeth, being the most experianced tracker they had, was appointed navigator to keep them on course while Koressryl was to scout ahead with Eldeth and keep an eye out for signs of danger.
Aladar and Koressryl changed into the tight fitting drow studded leather jump suits they had salvaged from the armory - turning their former rags into Bindles Topsy and Turvy could use to gather food with.
Jimjar was to lead Mehmen along and cover their tracks, while Aladar and Derendil would provide security against danger for the main group.
Everything was set, though people cast a wary eye back over their shoulders at the slow pace... forming up a marching order, they trecked onwards into darkness.
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After traveling carefully for four or so miles they found a cave to set camp in. One lit by a bizzare pinkish radiant glow that seemed to mingle with the darkness and cling to the rocks. Faerzress the prisoners told them, magical radiation left over from the creation of the world. They found a dry cavern not far from the main stream and a spring of relatively clean water to drink from. Topsy and Turvy only brought in a meagre haul of fungi, ripple bark and blue cap spores which they ground up and mixed with water to make a flavorless paste.
The Characters had to decide who would eat full rations, and who would only get half. They decided that the warriors would get priority food, to better their chances of surviving encounters. Eldeth opted to go without after an argument with Ront. While the characters began to see Ront's blustering uncoperative anger and threats as a growing weak link in their chain, Eldeth pointed out Derendil as an even larger problem.. just because they liked him more, didnt make him less of a threat. All eyes turned to derendil, who looked confused as he munched on a Ripplebark portion, but they couldnt bring themselves to exile him.
As they rested, Koressryl headed out to scavenge some more food for the others.. backtracking about an hour or so into the tunnels he thought he heard something off in the darkness, that sounded like shouting in elvish. He returned to camp to tell Eldeth of what he had heard and deliver a handful of blue cap spores for her to eat.
She urged him to quicken the pace, but he convinced her they were doing the right thing in traveling slowly.
They rested then, troubled by strange nightmares. Some that felt terrifyingly vivid. Those on watch reported seeing and hearing things in the Faerzress. Koressryl awoke from his meditative trance in a cold sweat and drew his blade at thin air to confront only phantoms.
But nothing real came for them... and the rest was not over quickly enough for their liking.
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As they set out again at a slow pace it was not long before they came to a tunnel too flooded to traverse, back tracking Eldeth found a dry tunnel circumventing the route... but Koressryl stopped her half way through. It was a burrow not a tunnel... freshly dug, through solid stone. Umberhulk was his guess. They shuddered at the thought... then took it as an opportunity.
Taking some of Derendil's fur and a chewed bone the twins had found they attempted to make it look like they had stumbled into the tunnel, the hope, was that they could fool the drow while they covered their tracks.
Finally, after another few miles of careful trecking they found another dry tunnel to rest in. This one narrow, also suffused with Faerzress.
Once again Koressryl went out scavenging for food, as the deep gnome twins only brought in a meagre haul. Everyone was hungry, but the slower pace was helping give them just enough food to give by. The gnomes could only carry so much food between them given they were only little. So Koressryl decided to get into the habit of looking for things to eat to keep them all going on his watches with Eldeth. In the pink gloom of the Faerzress Koressryl ventured back to look for signs of pursuit... nothing this time, but he had a bad feeling. Going back over the diversion they had left at the Umberhulk lair, critisising every part of it in his mind for fault. He didnt know if he could trust Jimjar to cover their tracks properly. He knew to never underestimate his enemies.
While they rested, Mehmen awoke to find himself alone. The tunnel was empty. He had been left behind. He called out, but only a deep growl answered, as the Faerzress began to dim and go out, slowly at one of the tunnel - then creeping forth towards him. Something was moving in the darkness, with the darkness.. something big. He tried to wake himself up, it was clearly a dream. But the pain of pinching himself felt so vividly real. The Darkness came closer, four Red eyes illuminated in it and tentacles began to whip and creep along the sides 'Leemoogogooon' came a growl. 'Its a dream!' Mehmen told himself defiantly. It came forth more, horrifyingly vivid, a cold wind brushed over him bringing with it the screams of the damned. Fear overwhelmed him and he fled screaming up the tunnel as the thing gave chase until it caught him and smothered his screams with cruel howled laughter.
When Mehmen awoke he found Koressryl and Aladar talking with concern over him. Apparently he had 'sleep ran' off into the underdark... surprisingly well given he couldnt see in the dark section he fled into. They had to chase him down and knock him out for his own good. They looked with some concern at the Faerzress suffusing the tunnels, and feared that it was effecting their minds in some way.
Given all the noise he had made, Koressryl conveened a meeting with Eldeth and the others. they broke camp early, and force marched into the dark for a couple hours before resting again in a dark dry cavern with no light to finish their rest undisturbed.
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As they set off again they found the tunnels rapidly becoming less easily navigable, but thanks to their slow pace Eldeth was able to back track and find the correct tunnels to circumvent their problems. During one such treck Eldeth and Koressryl discovered a cavern filled with glowing Quartz Crystals. Faerzress drifted lazily through the room like a river causing the Crystals to flare and fade at different frequencies. They didn't have time to stand in wonder, but Eldeth threw one of the brittle crystals at a wall to see if they could be broken into smaller chunks, only for it to explode in a bright Flash nearly blinding her.
Koressryl, being a hunter of the drow - saw the value in the stones, pocketing a few on his way through the chamber - handing one to Mehmen so that he could have a light to see by.
That night they rested on a boulder in a flooded passage surrounded by glowing water orb fungi. They ate and drank well from a good harvest, and Eldeth gave a speech that they were doing well. And that they would make it.
During his watch, Koressryl went foraging again back down the tunnel and spotted a drow scout. At the top of a waterfall looking down upon the chamber, luckily he was sure it didnt see him. It stood watch for a moment before melting away back into the shadows. He felt the drow were constantly only a short distance behind them.
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As they set forth again the flooded tunnel they were in drained into a massive gorge within a cavern of unfathomable size. Bats fluttered in the gloom above, and a trecherous rocky decent awaited them if they intended to cross it. It was pitch dark, and Koressryl intended to use it to his advantage. Taking one of the glowing crystal clusters they had found earlier he intended to place a decoy along the way to perhaps slow the drow. Everyone thought it was a good idea... but it was not long before they encountered trouble.
Whilst making their way down the rocky outcrops, Koressryl had just left to plant the decoy when they were ambushed by a band of Orogs. Luckily Koressryl spotted them at the last second and shot the lead Orog in the face with his hand crossbow. It tore of the creatures ear, as the howling Orog got the rest of the parties attention.
Ront was first on the scene, as Koressryl had rolled into hiding amidst the rocks. The Orogs were throwing javelins and scaling down the scree slopes to find him. Ront couldnt have been happier. He immediately abandoned the others and said they should take him to join their tribe, and that he would prove himself a warrior. But the Orog he encounted sneered saying 'Why would we take on a weak, runty surface orc' Ront flew into a rage and attacked with an Iron bar. But the Orog Grabbed him by the throat, hefted him high and said 'Pathetic'. Then Koressryl shot it in the back. It howled, dropping Ront. Ront Got up to grab its discarded great axe of the ground - only to get a Javelin through the heart from one of the Orogs on the ridge above. Ront collapsed, dead.
The others meanwhile came face to face with two more Orogs while scrambling down the gorge. Aladar rose to the challenge of confronting the first, but it Smashed him asside like a rag doll and left him bleeding on the floor in a crumpled heap. Eldeth attempted to hold it off, armed only with a shortsword when Topsy and Turvy came to the rescue - blinding the two beasts. Derendil entered the frey, throwing one of the Orogs around as only a bearman can (think the hulk with loki).
Koressryl meanwhile kited his Orog with the shot off ear back up the path away from Ronts Corpse. It howled curses, pausing only to hurl javelins as the nimble wood elf evaded time and again getting to the high ground. But he underestimated the Orogs agressive pace. He ran past Stool, who was waddling unattended on the path only to then watch as the Orog nearly chopped the Mycanoid in half with his great axe! Stool let out a cloud of spores carrying with it the message 'AAaaaah!' into Koressryls mind. He kept fleeing, up ontop of a boulder overlooking the scrum between Eldeth, Derendil, Mehmen and the Orogs on the platform bellow. Jimjar, Topsy and Turvy were all on the boulder top hurling rocks into the fight bellow, they turned to see the oncoming orog chasing Koressryl and screamed in unison.
Koressryl tumbled into the frey bellow. Eldeth and Mehmen had double teamed one of the Orogs, tripped him over and were now ontop the Orog stabbing it through the weak points in its plate armor. Derendil finished with his Ragdoll, ripping both its arms off and hurling the torso off into the dark before turning on a third Orog. It roared in defiance at him as he came on to beat it into a pulp aswell.
Meanwhile on the boulder top, Jimjar drew his short sword to take on the last Orog 'Get behind me kids' he said smoothly before being swatted asside by the Orogs great axe. Topsy and Turvy then ferally lept on the Orog in a sudden blur of motion. It howled as they clawed, bit and bashed at it with rocks. Jimjar recovered, got up and stabbed it in the spine. It howled and toppled end over end down the rock face to the platform, topsy and turvy on it the whole way.
The Orogs were killed. Aladar luckily recovered with a groan, picking himself up (nat 20 deathsave). Mehmen salvaged a suit of crude fullplate off one of the Orogs and together between them they collected a number of Great axes. They found a small campsite not too soon later, with waterskins, ropes, a crowbar, two Orog made Rothe-hide dufflebags and some other basic dungeon delving kit tools.
They finished their treck scaling up the other side of the gorge, and exhaustedly commenced another rest.
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They argued that night.
Koressryl told eldeth about the pursueing drow scout he had seen, and Eldeth told the others. Jimjar admitted he had no idea what he was doing in covering tracks. Mehmen and Aladar complained again they needed to travel at a quicker pace. But both knew deep down there was a method to Koressryls madness. Topsy and Turvy dissapeared off into the darkness and Jimjar Eldeth threw her arms up and left the argument in a huff. Morale was low.
Luckily they were well fed. The Gorge was rife with wierd silverfish like critters with white flesh that tasted like mud and was riddled with parasites. Aladar cleansed their meals with the power of Corellon to kill the parasites, and they ate a fair fill, only stopping to remove the dead worm like entitys from their meaty hosts.
Koressryl went out foraging again on his watch only to watch the distant crystal cluster he planted go dark... his heart sank in his chest. The drow were so close now they were literally in the same cavern. Eldeth reassured him it may not have been drow at all... as many things are drawn to light, or repulsed away by it. He still didnt like it... no more than 1 hour into their rest, Koressryl awoke Aladar and Mehmen, and between them they decided to force march again... One one provision. Koressryl be the one to wake Derendil.
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As they gathered their things together, they noticed Topsy and Turvy had still not returned since the the argument. Concern turned to worry, as Eldeth and Koressryl went out searching for the pair... finding two piles of discarded rags, some hair and worse.. some disturbingly large peices of deep gnome skin. Koressryl noted there was no blood, and someone had taken pains to cover their tracks. So it couldnt have been a predator.
They opted to pursue... despite the covered tracks, traveling for two hours into the caves beyond the Gorge, deep into the earth, to find a recently slain firebeetle. As they were examining the Carcass, something moved behind the stalagmites nearby and they were attacked by a pair of were rats!
Both Aladar and Derendil were bitten in the fighting, and only when Aladar called on the power of Corellon to smite a gaping wound into one of them did it relent and hiss 'Dont Follow us!' before turning to flee into the gloom, its companion in tow.
Wearily they looked at their wounds with fear of a similar fate... a new desperation fell upon them, to reach Sloobildop in hopes of finding a cure!
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'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup' |
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Fendrikor
Learned Scribe
Australia
189 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2015 : 07:32:23
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THE NIGHT BELLOW (Part 2) - NO ESCAPE
The force march wore on until finally, weary and exhausted they collapsed in a cramped intersection between two subterrain creeks and a dry tunnel leading deeper, the creeks draining down a hole in the ground. The whole area was lit by Faerzress, which made them cringe at thought of restless dreams. Worse, was the fear of how close behind them the drow were.
They rested for a number of hours, many of them again reporting a feeling that the tunnels were haunted until finally, during the final watch - Derendil and Eldeth began to glow with lambent fire, and the tunnel suddenly went dark. 'There they are! The drow rule supreme!' the lead scout spat as his team came on shooting a volley of poisoned hand crossbow darts. The Drow had found them! Koressryl, taking cover and thinking fast pulled a Crystal cluster from his bindle and hurled it down the tunnel like a grenade. Several of the advanced scouts cried out as the glowing crystal shattered and exploded in a bright flash of light. Staggering around blindly, one that was less effected dropped darkness into the tunnel to conceal their advance.
People were up in moments, Aladar took charge telling Eldeth to lead them down the dry tunnel and get everyone to run. Koressryl turned to the others and told them he would by them some time, drawing his sword and loading his handcrossbow before running into the darkness.
mehmen meanwhile had to convince Derendil to stuff stool into a dufflebag and run with him. Derendil was getting stressed out and Angry, so Aladar came over and convinced him that if he ever wanted to see Nelrindevane again, he would choose flight over fight. Derendil calmed and jogged off.
Koressryl meanwhile came out of the darkness, face to face with the scout leader. Its look of shock, turned to a snarl of amused hate. Koressryl didnt think, like lightening he brought his handcrossbow up to its face, but equally quickly it parried the hand crossbow away with its sword as it came on. He kicked it back, rolling back into the darkness - grabbing the hand crossbow as he went and fleeing into the rest chamber. Everyone but Aladar was gone now yelling 'Come on!' in the cave entry. The Drow poured from the darkness behind Koressry, firing their hand crossbolts - one hit the elf in the shoulder. He faultered as the poison took hold, numbing his senses, but he kept running - he wouldnt give in again.
THE CHASE
The drow gave chase into the tunnels, as they navigated out of the Faerzress lit passageways into narrow dark squeezes. At one point they came to a scree slope of sharp jagged rocks which they had to slide down. The Drow meanwhile getting waylaid by a swarm of bats stirred up by the commotion bellow them. They trecked on, Mehmen running through the dark with only 10 foot of dim light by which to see by - he used Derendil as a reference, the Quaggoth glowing neon pink in the darkness on account of the Faerie fire.
Finally they ran into a three way intersection, thinking fast Koressryl threw one of his crossbolts down one tunnel and lead everyone else down another. Jimjar was run off his feet, nearly about to keel over when Derendil swept him up in a free paw and kept jogging on.
As they rushed down the tunnel they could hear the drow reach the other room. Shouting out to check the tunnels, all of them (in drow ofcourse) when the world began to shake. The walls began to crack and the roof began to collapse! 'Tremor!!' cried Eldeth as her voice was drowned out by the thunderous sound of hundreds of tonnes of stone collapsing down around them.
Then darkness, dust and silence.
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'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup' |
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Fendrikor
Learned Scribe
Australia
189 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2015 : 08:12:53
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THE NIGHT BELLOW (Part 3) - THE OOZING TEMPLE
As the dust cleared Jimjar called out if everybody was alright. He had taken a knock to the head, People coughed and sputtered, staggered and groaned.
Everyone was ok.. but the tunnel around them had collapsed. One of the nearby walls had fallen into another chamber, a slope of tumbled rock leading down like a step into a natural cavern.
They could hear a steady drip and patter from within. Wiping the dust from their eyes they decended. The Air was thin here.. and stale. Koressryl knew that nothing fresh was getting in... suffocation would be a real risk if they didnt find some kind of way out soon.
He went ahead to scout with Eldeth.
The tunnels were wet with water. The nooks in the dark roughstone walls, home to small cave slimes. The thin cool air smelled harshly of damp. But the tunnels from the chamber split in two directions like a T junction.
A Brief scout of one passage found it exited into some sort of dark stone masoned ruins. But they dared not go inside. Venturing back to the others, Jimjar had rolled his ankle badly and had a concussion from the cave in. He needed to rest.
After about an hour however they noted the water level in the hallway had risen from 1 inch, to 1 foot.
They tried to keep cool heads, as they realised they may actually drown before they ran out of air. Panic was the enemy, it would make them make mistakes.
Gathering their bareings, they decided to check the current on the water. Koressryl using some of Derendils fur to see where it floated. They figured the water was flowing out of the ruins towards the tunnel they hadnt explored yet... there for they should check it out before it floods completely.
As they ventured in they found it ended in an open cleft in the earth that was filling with water at a steady rate. No exit here.
A Grey ooze suddenly flailed into life upon one of the dark stone walls, perfectly disguised it lashed out at Koressryl and Eldeth. After a brief struggle, Derendil cut the ooze appart with his Great axe... though it got badly corroded in the process.
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Next they ventured into the ruins... but it was not long again before a second ooze lurched forth from the sludgy waters to attack them, wrapping about Mehmen and corroding away at his Orog forged fullplate! He tore free as Derendil went at it with his Bear paws! Getting badly burned in the process.
As they killed it a voice questioned in their minds, acompanied by a high pitch ringing. It asked them what they were, and why they killed the Ooze. Aladar answered that it had threatened them, and it was hostile. They were adventurers, seeking to reach the Darklake. The voice rung out again saying, it was curious as it never got to ask the last traveler such questions. Only screaming and then silence. He learned it best to warn people in future, so that he might talk to them of his existance. At which point, out of the near passage surged a wall of Jelly... a Sentient Gelatinous cube. 'I have taken the name, Glabagool'. It anounced, after they asked what to call it. They noticed within the Glabagool were a number of bones, some money and a mace. More disturbingly however, the eyes in the skull hadnt disolved, and were now floating freely about within the cubes body.
It seemed harmless enough, though Eldeth didnt trust it - saying how the Miners back home tell horror stories of Gelatinous cubes waiting in the tunnels. Aladar asked where they were. The Glabagool said 'a Temple to the creator'. When they asked what the creator was, the Glabagool couldnt say, only that it had granted it existance, though it did not yet understand why or what existance is. Figuring, its existance right now, is to learn.
They asked if it could show them around, which the Glabagool glady obliged, slurching forth through the tunnels at a painstakingly slow pace with the others in tow as the waters slowly rose around the centimetre by centimetre.
In one of the chambers suddenly they came under attack again, a Grey ooze dripping from the ceiling to land in their midst. Glabagool stopped and watched as Mehmen and Derendil axed it to death, sighing telepathically.
When they asked why it didnt help the Glabagool replied 'I have no reason to attack them. They are no threat to me, and i find how you react to them to be fascinating'
They surged onwards deeper and deeper into the temple before coming to a chamber with 5 exits, four of which were archways leading into the front of a large subterrain structure bedecked in faded reliefs of either waves or tentacles... they couldnt be sure. 'Behold, the temple of the creator!' glabbered glabbergool. Behind them water was flooding into the chamber through a tunnel in a partially collapsed wall section at a brisk pace. They turned to Glabagool 'Whats inside?'. The Glabagool quivered 'The Creators Shrine, I would dare not approach for fear of punishment'. They said they would head in and have a look around to which the Glabagool considered 'If you tell me what it is like at the shrine, i will give the the items the unfortunant traveler i inadvertantly devoured had'. They agreed.
However no sooner had they began heading down one of the Arched hall, Koressryl stopped them. Checking the current with a peice of derendils fur again he found strange eddies. Probing forwards with a javelin the floor came loose beneath his feet, and luckily he was able to scramble backwards before it fell in completely. Bubbling up from beneath the water suddenly came a Black pudding!
Reeling backwards they fled back towards the room with 5 exits. The pudding came on in a mass of black probing members hunting for prey. Derendil chopped it in half with his Axe, only for it to become two distinct puddings. One overwhelmed Eldeth, her sword disintegrating on impact on for it to latch on and up her arm and over her body. She screamed 'Tell me clan, how i died!' as it engufled and dragged her down howling in agony.
Derendil chopped the other slime in half, only to have it become two even more smaller slimes. Jimjar and Koressryl dealt with them both with their hand crossbows and short swords before everyone ganged up on the final slime, stabbing it until it slid off eldeths body - revealing little more than a bloodied, melted red carcass beneath.
Koressryl howled in rage at the loss of his friend.
They were down to only Jimjar, Aladar, Derendil, Koressryl, Mehmen and Glabagool now. But they needed to search the temple for a way out.
This was the underdark.
And it knew no mercy.
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'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup' |
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Fendrikor
Learned Scribe
Australia
189 Posts |
Posted - 19 Dec 2015 : 16:38:34
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THE NIGHT BELLOW - Part 4 - Escape from the Oozing Temple
With Eldeths death, the Glabagool took pity - disgorging the Green-Flame Mace from its depths saying 'Perhaps this would proove useful against the other oozes', noting that they seemed to be able to disintegrate flesh and metal with equal ease. It showed no real sympathy for Eldeth dieing, so much as their struggle in general.
They pressed deeper into the temple, leaving Glabagool to wait outside. Traveling through a set of heavily corroded double doors to find a chamber where in, upon a dias raised out of the water, sat a fountain with the remains of a toppled statue scattered within and around it. Only the clawed feet of the humanoid remained, though none of them could figure out what it originally was.
While Koressryl, Mehmen and Aladar searched the fountain itself, discovering a number of treasures concealed in the muck of the dark waters - Derendil examined something else perculiar about the chamber. There were 7 Alcoves, one of them split with a fissure that trickled with water. While some of the alcoves were empty, four of them were not, containing strange formless statues of glistening wet clay. Derendil's princely love of art took hold as he approached one, wondering if they were intentionally made formless to suit some alien taste, or if they had been eroded away some how. As he inspected closer, he touched one, the statue shuddering before melting away quickly as butter near a flame. Suddenly the others too followed suit, the wet mass of grey ooze from each flailing with psuedopods long dormant.
A fight followed, which saw one of the great axes given to Derendil corroded appart. Only Koressryl was injured badly. Mehmen got to test out the Green Flame Mace, noting it didnt corrode on contact with the oozes.
They recovered a magical dagger of drow make, a small fortune in treasures and some ancient Porcelain hand earns, sealed with magical wax and stoppers. One containing a red liquid that sparkled vigorously when agitated, the other a greasy smelling oil which proved exceptionally slippery between the fingers.
But still there was no obvious means of escaping, and the water level continued to rise.
They went searching for the Glabagool again to see if it knew a means of escaping they did not.
They found the Glabagool in a wet chamber cut with fissures in the ceiling through which water was cascading in. Koressryl quickly surmised, given the strain the rock seemed to be under and the volume of water there must have been a lake above them. Glabagool suggested perhaps they should simply slip through the cracks to escape, but the party had to remind the Ooze that they werent capable of such an Amophorus exit.
They decided to lever at the cracks with some of the Ironbars in their inventory, to see if they could cause part of the ceiling to cave in. A Dangerous gambit, but Derendil volunteered to chip away at it. While he was doing that, Mehmen stripped down out of his armor thinking it a smart idea to throw the metal plates inside the Glabagool so that when they escaped, it could float up and out with his plate mail inside... however after fully stripping down and throwing the hefty plates into to the Gelatinous cube he could only watch on in dismay as the leather straps were eaten away by its acids.
Finally the ceiling gave way, and rapidly the dungeon began to flood. Koressryl estimated at the current rate it would fill to the ceiling in only a few hours. For three hours they clung to the dungeon walls as the icy waters rose up around them. Jimjar suffered the worst of it (3 levels of exhaustion). The plan was to let the dungeon fill up with water, and then swim out.
No sooner had the dungeon flooded then Derendil began to panic. He bullied his way to the front only to become stuck in the crack, trapping everyone behind him as the strap of his dufflebag (which stool was stuffed into) became tangled on a rocky spur.
Koressryl managed to squeeze past Derendil, finding an opening and swimming for the lake above, while Mehmen went to free Derendils bag strap before having to wrestle with Derendil! As the two turned end over end in the water, Mehmen was thrown clear and up - also swimming for the surface! He managed to catch up to Koressryl who was struggling - when suddenly Derendil swam up and grabbed onto Koressryls leg, wrenching him down into the deep and powering ahead to breach the surface first.
Mehmen went back for Koressryl and helped him up and to the shore where Derendil was pacing about growling and breathing heavily - muttering paranoidly about enemies being everywhere before apologising profusely when confronted for his barbaric behavior... he was afraid he would lose himself to it, and he did. It was his fault.
Meanwhile under the water, Aladar and Jimjar were struggling. They were exhausted, but as they looked down they could see the Glabagool floating slowly up beneath them. Fear spurred them to swim faster but their efforts were sluggish. Suddenly Mehmen returned, diving into the depths with a rope. He tied it to Jimjar, who was rapdily running out of air before grabbing Aladars hand and trying to help him. Derendil then pulled Jimjar out while Mehmen and Koressryl got Aladar up. They all got to the shoreline and breathed a sign of relief, when suddenly, from the depths - like an Iceburg - the Glabagool breached the surface.
They said their goodbyes to glabagool there, sayin he would be too slow to keep up with them. It said something about a yearning to explore, muttering telepathically as it slurched off down a tunnel into the darkness.
They had eluded their pursuers from velkynvelve and escaped the Oozing temple... But without Eldeth, Koressryl had big shoes to fill in navigating the party to the darklake.
They rested, ate the last of their water logged fungal rations and set off following an underground river.
MEANWHILE
Ilvara, displeased with the loss of her Quarry 'knew' in her heart that the prisoners had survived the collapse... perhaps it was just her obsession refusing to give up... or perhaps it was a vision from Lolth... she would not be detered. She knew they were headed to the darklake... and knew they were headed to Slooblidop. She had found Ronts corpse earlier, left where the orc had fallen after the battle with the Orogs. Speaking with the corpse had given her all the information she needed. If they were alive, she would need to head them off before they could get to the city... |
'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup' |
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Out of the Abyss Campaign (( SPOILERS ))
