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DF Community Games & Stories / Re: Severedcoils II: The Reckoning (DnD5e/40d) - Ch. 1: The Sunken Citadel
« on: March 10, 2024, 11:29:09 am »
12 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer (Late Morning - 3 Days Until Solstice)
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Having pilfered the old library, the party pressed onwards. Sergei tested the door to the north of the room - it was unlocked, and opened easily. Through the door was a short hallway that turned sharply towards some stairs headed down. Moss covered the damp precipice, and the passage ahead was dark.
"Well, only one way to go," said Sergei. "Let's move."
Carefully, they descended the mossy stairway, cautious not to slip or make any noise signaling their approach. Except for Bubb and Zeke, both of whom slipped and bonked their heads on four stairs apiece on the way down. Flies buzzed about in protest of the armored suit's folly.
Damp and crumbled stone masonry marked the way ahead. The ceiling was eight urists high, and the corridor made a sudden right turn, headed south.
The floor was so crumbled apart it might as well have been dirt. The walls may have had something etched on them once, but so many roots had pushed through the walls it was impossible to tell what it might have been.
Space Pants moved ahead and found a door. Not only was it made of solid oak, but it still had bark on it. He arched his back and ran his claws down the door, as a cat would. The door did not respond. However, he noticed the ground in front of the door was of fresh soil, resembling that of a forest.
"Space Pants walks right past it," he said aloud, as he decided suddenly he had no interest in the door, as a cat would. South of that door was a second door, also made of wood, though a more standard affair than the previous door. The finish on the door was peeling with age. Space Pants jiggled the handle - it appeared to be unlocked. The cat opened the door slightly, then sat next to it, taking his time deciding whether he wanted to go in or stay out.
The next room appeared to be a storage area. Barrels filled the room, leaving a path through the center of the room connecting the exits. To the north was a door to the room Space Pants had passed. To the south, the wall has caved in, giving way to a cavernous opening full of twigs and moss. The passage beyond was alive with luminescent fungus and twiggy, woody foliage unexpected this far beneath the surface. Protruding from the briars were ruined walls and towers, their purpose lost with age.
"Let's not leave anything behind us," said Sergei, checking the oak door Space Pants left behind. The door was locked. Placing an ear to the door, he heard nothing beyond.
"Kick it!" said Meepo.
"Happily." Sergei kicked the door. It was surprisingly soft and moist, rather than hard like it looked, but the door stayed intact nonetheless.
"If only we had a rogue who could pick locks," said Zumies, pulling out his thief's tools. "Step aside, let me handle this."
A layer of soil covered the entire floor of this room. Roughly constructed shelves line the north and east walls, filled with tomes and scrolls. A desk carved from a stump sat in the center of the east wall with a tallow candle on it, but its light was unnecessary, as fungus on the ceiling provided ample illumination even to support a few scraggly bushes pushing their way through the soil.
Zumies wasted no time searching the shelves. There was no mistaking it - this room was the study of a druid, presumably a powerful one. Many of the tomes seemed useless - seasonal notes of precipitation patterns and whatnot, dating back dozens of years - but one tome stands out, its title in draconic. Though he could not read it, he did know one word in the title, which stood out clearly to him: 'Treasure.'
"Sergei," said Zumies, "are you able to read this? It seems pricey."
The dragonborn looked at the cover of the tome. "'Treasures of the Fire Lords.' Let's see what it--"
As Sergei opened the book, briefly he saw the flash of a rune on its second page, just before the book exploded in his hands! The trap burned everyone in the hallway, exploding in a twenty urist radius. ratNAROk dove in front of Tree Son to protect him from the flames - but, was surprised as the book exploded in a wave of cold, rather than flame. Regardless, Treeson was spared from sudden frostbite. Sergei, at the epicenter of the blast, was not so lucky.
"Sorry, Sergei," said Zumies, "Had I known it was going to do that, I'd have given it to Space Pants."
Zumies opened the door to the south, leading into the storage room. The barrels were stacked unevenly through the room, making it difficult to maneuver beyond the cleared path. To the south, a pair of buckets sat on either side of the exit, with a lit torch sitting in one.
"A lit torch?" Zumies moved closer, and tried to take the torch. However, he failed to notice the trip line tying the two buckets together. Kicking the tripwire knocked the lit torch and both buckets and, filled with oil, on top of the hapless rogue. Flames burst out around his feet and on Zumies' robes - at the same time, a pack of goblins leapt out of hiding, reacting to the trap being sprung!
Chittering and giggiling, the goblins appeared from behind barrels in all corners of the room. A few darted in and out, slashing at Zumies with scimitars before disengaging back into hiding behind a barrel. Others stayed in the back and peppered them with arrows. One of the goblins got a clean hit in, almost taking Zumies to a knee, but the rogue remained standing - and on fire.
One of the goblins struck ratNAROk before ducking into hiding. "Hey! I saw that! I'm coming for you," the barbarian roared.
Another goblin tried to attack Sergei, but critically missed, striking a barrel and knocking it over, spilling half-rotting, half-salted fish all over the floor. Sergei riposted, slicing the goblin in half for its mistake. However, one of its allies retaliated with a critical strike against Sergei.
"Raaaugh!!" ratNAROk raged. Spotting the goblin trying to hide behind the barrel, the mouse lined up a swing with his wrench and cracked it across the skull. The goblin's head sailed off in an arc. Another barrel smashes, trashing the place with longland grass and tower cap mushrooms, making it look like a food fight was taking place.
Bubb cast Spiritual Weapon, summoning their spiritual fly between Sergei and ratNAROk. The spiritual fly immediately gnawed the face off the nearest goblin with its spiritual digestive juices.
"How does that work?" asked Alefgard
"Hey," said Bubb, "Souls gotta eat, too."
Zumies used his boot to kick as much flaming oil as he could onto the nearest goblin, distracting him so he could disengage and leap out of the puddle of oil. With a tumbling roll, Zumies simultaneously got out of the fire and put out the flames on his own clothing.
From the door, Erky cast Bless on Bubb, ratNAROk, and Sergei. Space Pants shot a fire bolt at a barrel containing a goblin, setting it on fire.
Sergei swung at a goblin and, thanks to the power of Erky's Bless, struck him down. Sergei moved through a fray, provoking an attack from a hidden goblin, but dodging it as he went by.
Meepo entered the room, spotted the goblin assailing Zumies, and cast Toll the Dead on it, killing the goblin outright. Zeke followed up by rushing in and slashing at the last visible, non-burning goblin. The flame on the tip of his sword set another barrel alight. Felling that goblin, he pointed the tip of his sword at the last visible burning goblin, and shot a bolt of plasma at it. Unfortunately, the bolt grazed the goblin, barely damaging it at all.
The last goblin put the flames about itself out, and then called out, "What are you guys waiting for?! Do something!"
From the south sprang forth reinforcements - several archers, immediately firing at Zumies and Sergei, leapt out from behind now-shambling twig blights, and lead by none other than the shaman Grenl, who had escaped them earlier.
"You'll never reach the Gulthias tree!" The shaman screamed, as she cast Bane on Bubb, Zeke, and Zumies.
-------------
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Having pilfered the old library, the party pressed onwards. Sergei tested the door to the north of the room - it was unlocked, and opened easily. Through the door was a short hallway that turned sharply towards some stairs headed down. Moss covered the damp precipice, and the passage ahead was dark.
"Well, only one way to go," said Sergei. "Let's move."
Carefully, they descended the mossy stairway, cautious not to slip or make any noise signaling their approach. Except for Bubb and Zeke, both of whom slipped and bonked their heads on four stairs apiece on the way down. Flies buzzed about in protest of the armored suit's folly.
Damp and crumbled stone masonry marked the way ahead. The ceiling was eight urists high, and the corridor made a sudden right turn, headed south.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
The floor was so crumbled apart it might as well have been dirt. The walls may have had something etched on them once, but so many roots had pushed through the walls it was impossible to tell what it might have been.
Space Pants moved ahead and found a door. Not only was it made of solid oak, but it still had bark on it. He arched his back and ran his claws down the door, as a cat would. The door did not respond. However, he noticed the ground in front of the door was of fresh soil, resembling that of a forest.
"Space Pants walks right past it," he said aloud, as he decided suddenly he had no interest in the door, as a cat would. South of that door was a second door, also made of wood, though a more standard affair than the previous door. The finish on the door was peeling with age. Space Pants jiggled the handle - it appeared to be unlocked. The cat opened the door slightly, then sat next to it, taking his time deciding whether he wanted to go in or stay out.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
The next room appeared to be a storage area. Barrels filled the room, leaving a path through the center of the room connecting the exits. To the north was a door to the room Space Pants had passed. To the south, the wall has caved in, giving way to a cavernous opening full of twigs and moss. The passage beyond was alive with luminescent fungus and twiggy, woody foliage unexpected this far beneath the surface. Protruding from the briars were ruined walls and towers, their purpose lost with age.
"Let's not leave anything behind us," said Sergei, checking the oak door Space Pants left behind. The door was locked. Placing an ear to the door, he heard nothing beyond.
"Kick it!" said Meepo.
"Happily." Sergei kicked the door. It was surprisingly soft and moist, rather than hard like it looked, but the door stayed intact nonetheless.
"If only we had a rogue who could pick locks," said Zumies, pulling out his thief's tools. "Step aside, let me handle this."
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A layer of soil covered the entire floor of this room. Roughly constructed shelves line the north and east walls, filled with tomes and scrolls. A desk carved from a stump sat in the center of the east wall with a tallow candle on it, but its light was unnecessary, as fungus on the ceiling provided ample illumination even to support a few scraggly bushes pushing their way through the soil.
Zumies wasted no time searching the shelves. There was no mistaking it - this room was the study of a druid, presumably a powerful one. Many of the tomes seemed useless - seasonal notes of precipitation patterns and whatnot, dating back dozens of years - but one tome stands out, its title in draconic. Though he could not read it, he did know one word in the title, which stood out clearly to him: 'Treasure.'
"Sergei," said Zumies, "are you able to read this? It seems pricey."
The dragonborn looked at the cover of the tome. "'Treasures of the Fire Lords.' Let's see what it--"
As Sergei opened the book, briefly he saw the flash of a rune on its second page, just before the book exploded in his hands! The trap burned everyone in the hallway, exploding in a twenty urist radius. ratNAROk dove in front of Tree Son to protect him from the flames - but, was surprised as the book exploded in a wave of cold, rather than flame. Regardless, Treeson was spared from sudden frostbite. Sergei, at the epicenter of the blast, was not so lucky.
"Sorry, Sergei," said Zumies, "Had I known it was going to do that, I'd have given it to Space Pants."
Zumies opened the door to the south, leading into the storage room. The barrels were stacked unevenly through the room, making it difficult to maneuver beyond the cleared path. To the south, a pair of buckets sat on either side of the exit, with a lit torch sitting in one.
"A lit torch?" Zumies moved closer, and tried to take the torch. However, he failed to notice the trip line tying the two buckets together. Kicking the tripwire knocked the lit torch and both buckets and, filled with oil, on top of the hapless rogue. Flames burst out around his feet and on Zumies' robes - at the same time, a pack of goblins leapt out of hiding, reacting to the trap being sprung!
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Chittering and giggiling, the goblins appeared from behind barrels in all corners of the room. A few darted in and out, slashing at Zumies with scimitars before disengaging back into hiding behind a barrel. Others stayed in the back and peppered them with arrows. One of the goblins got a clean hit in, almost taking Zumies to a knee, but the rogue remained standing - and on fire.
One of the goblins struck ratNAROk before ducking into hiding. "Hey! I saw that! I'm coming for you," the barbarian roared.
Another goblin tried to attack Sergei, but critically missed, striking a barrel and knocking it over, spilling half-rotting, half-salted fish all over the floor. Sergei riposted, slicing the goblin in half for its mistake. However, one of its allies retaliated with a critical strike against Sergei.
"Raaaugh!!" ratNAROk raged. Spotting the goblin trying to hide behind the barrel, the mouse lined up a swing with his wrench and cracked it across the skull. The goblin's head sailed off in an arc. Another barrel smashes, trashing the place with longland grass and tower cap mushrooms, making it look like a food fight was taking place.
Bubb cast Spiritual Weapon, summoning their spiritual fly between Sergei and ratNAROk. The spiritual fly immediately gnawed the face off the nearest goblin with its spiritual digestive juices.
"How does that work?" asked Alefgard
"Hey," said Bubb, "Souls gotta eat, too."
Zumies used his boot to kick as much flaming oil as he could onto the nearest goblin, distracting him so he could disengage and leap out of the puddle of oil. With a tumbling roll, Zumies simultaneously got out of the fire and put out the flames on his own clothing.
From the door, Erky cast Bless on Bubb, ratNAROk, and Sergei. Space Pants shot a fire bolt at a barrel containing a goblin, setting it on fire.
Sergei swung at a goblin and, thanks to the power of Erky's Bless, struck him down. Sergei moved through a fray, provoking an attack from a hidden goblin, but dodging it as he went by.
Meepo entered the room, spotted the goblin assailing Zumies, and cast Toll the Dead on it, killing the goblin outright. Zeke followed up by rushing in and slashing at the last visible, non-burning goblin. The flame on the tip of his sword set another barrel alight. Felling that goblin, he pointed the tip of his sword at the last visible burning goblin, and shot a bolt of plasma at it. Unfortunately, the bolt grazed the goblin, barely damaging it at all.
The last goblin put the flames about itself out, and then called out, "What are you guys waiting for?! Do something!"
From the south sprang forth reinforcements - several archers, immediately firing at Zumies and Sergei, leapt out from behind now-shambling twig blights, and lead by none other than the shaman Grenl, who had escaped them earlier.
"You'll never reach the Gulthias tree!" The shaman screamed, as she cast Bane on Bubb, Zeke, and Zumies.
Spoiler: "OOC" (click to show/hide)