Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5

Author Topic: Severedcoils II: The Reckoning (DnD5e/40d) - Ch. 1: The Sunken Citadel  (Read 25119 times)

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile

Severedcoils II:
The Reckoning

=============

=============
"Severedcoils 'I' or 'II?' Which should I read first?"
'Severedcoils' and 'Severedcoils II: The Reckoning' are two separate stories being told concurrently to form a single narrative from two perspectives. This gives you, the reader, some options as to how to tackle this story:

Fortress Mode: 'Severedcoils' is the original Dwarf Fortress community challenge, still in progress. In 'Fortress Mode,' read 'Severedcoils' first, learning all the backstory behind the fortress and all the events leading up to the cast of Severedcoils II being sent on their adventure. 'Severedcoils' is currently paused at a point in time in which the adventuring party is scheduled to arrive back, and will resume when the stories converge. Read 'Severedcoils' first up to & including page 54, when the stories split, then read 'Severedcoils II' to see what's happening in another part of the world. Feel free to jump back and forth between the stories from this point on, using the dates at the top of each post to guide you chronologically. (Concurrent storytelling does not begin until Chapter II of SCII)

Adventure Mode: 'Severedcoils II: The Reckoning' is a DnD 5e adventure about an adventuring party sent to collect magical treasures by the caretakers of Severedcoils - but for what purpose? And will the party find more than they bargained for? In 'Adventure Mode,' skip 'Severedcoils,' and read 'Severedcoils II' first; This will simulate the perspective of the real-world DnD players, who don't know the history of 'Severedcoils' and are learning as it's revealed to them, bit by bit. In this path, 'Severedcoils' becomes a [F]orbidden source of mystery, which might be a more enjoyable experience for new readers. Read 'Severedcoils II' first, and avoid all links to 'Severedcoils' until such time that the adventuring party is welcomed to read it themselves by means of a big, plot-related reveal.
=============

Chapter 1: The Sunken Citadel


Ages ago, a stronghold held sacred to dragonkind sunk into the earth.  Now, it is overrun with warring factions of kobolds and goblins, not to mention a new breed of monster made of living shrubbery.  Records of the site's history and inhabitants have all but vanished, save for the engravings left on immortal stone within, but now it is known as Akmammestthos - The Sunken Citadel.

This is a total conversion of DnD's 'The Sunless Citadel' into Dwarf Fortress 40d.  The idea is to run a campaign from the map while using the game in a paused state to reference details and items in rooms.

Get the save here!

Fortress Level
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Noble's Level
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Grove Level
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

If you want to use these maps for your own campaign, here are some sprites to populate it with, adapted from the Guybrush tileset.

If you're playing the Sunless Citadel from the 'Tales from the Yawning Portal' module, check out The Hearth of Wrath for when your party reaches the Forge of Fury.

*This story takes place in the same world as, and is chronologically linked to Severedcoils. The dates in this thread will line up with the dates in that one where they fall into place. To preserve the mystery of this story, it is recommended you do *not* read Severedcoils until the story is revealed to the players here

« Last Edit: March 28, 2023, 09:28:28 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2021, 10:11:07 pm »

This is the start of a long series I plan on writing coinciding with the campaign I'm running.  We'll start with 'The Sunken Citadel,' a variation of the popular DnD dungeon "The Sunless Citadel," and then move into homebrewed content.

This wouldn't be a 'community fort' without some players involved, right?  Here's the cast of this campaign (Yes, these are real players):


Minis painted by Gray Fox, aka Sergei Bloodscale (@joshthomas45)

(Feel free to open 'Spoiler' tags from here on out - unless otherwise specified, they contain images pertaining to the story and are meant to be there)

Alefgard Tantagel

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A cowardly human wizard who dropped out of magic school.  His spells often go haywire, and he doesn't know his own limits.  Forced into adventuring by his roommate, Edward, Alefgard prefers to stay out of trouble and shrink away to the back of the group if possible.

Bubb

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A smelly warforged cleric.  No one knows where it's from, or why it's constantly surrounded by flies (actually, that probably has to do with the stench of rotting meat emanating from its metal frame).  Whenever something stinks, this strange machine prefers to rub whatever it is all over itself.

Edward

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A courageous human bard.  Edward set out for adventure to find new stories to tell, but he wasn't about to let Alefgard bum around his home while he was gone so he made his roommate come with.  Edward is at the ready to buff the party when trouble arises.

ratNAROk the Unstoppable

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A feisty meadowguard barbarian.  This rat man carries a great axe too large for his size, but doesn't let that stop him as he flies headlong squeaking into battle.

Sergei Bloodscale

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A steadfast dragonborn fighter.  Suited in heavy armor and wielding a sword and a shield with an eye emblazoned onto it, Sergei uses breath and board to ignite the enemy and tank for the party.

Space Pants

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A troublesome felis sorceror.  This cat man has a serious hatred for elves, and looks for every opportunity to instigate and frustrate the enemy with illusions and gaslighting.

Zumies

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A stealthy half-elf rogue.  Zumies serves his role as a scout and a trap disarmer, though he lives only to serve his wallet.  He has already proven himself deadly efficient at assassinating targets in silence, but how far can the party trust him?

And special guest:
Meepo

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A pitiful kobold cleric.  Meepo joins the party within the Sunken Citadel, hoping to recover his clan's pet dragon wyrmling.  Whether he stays with the party beyond that adventure, or leaves to be replaced with another party member later, depends on the party's actions.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2023, 09:48:07 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

King Zultan

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2021, 02:44:40 am »

PTW
Logged
The Lawyer opens a briefcase. It's full of lemons, the justice fruit only lawyers may touch.
Make sure not to step on any errant blood stains before we find our LIFE EXTINGUSHER.
but anyway, if you'll excuse me, I need to commit sebbaku.
Quote from: Leodanny
Can I have the sword when you’re done?

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2021, 05:13:54 pm »

12 Hematite, 212, Early Summer
=============

Our heroes set forth from Severedcoils, with one singular task: Retrieve the fabled magic apple from the Sunken Citadel, and deliver it to Severedcoils.  The party was well-provisioned, with enough supplies sponsored by their employer to make the 22-day trek there and back. 


4 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

They arrived at the town of Oakhurst, just a few miles from the Sunken Citadel, and they heard from the tavernkeep about a party of adventurers who braved the Citadel a month ago but never returned.  Otherwise, the party was overly eager to delve into the dungeon, and decided not to hang around town for long.

A few hours later, they were at the edge of a chasm, beneath which the Sunken Citadel slept.  It was late in the day, so the party decided to make camp here.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

With the fire burning, the party settled in for a well-deserved rest.  Edward, the human bard, plucked his lute as the rest of the party sharpened their weapons and dug into their rations.

"Ah, goblins," Sergei Bloodscale, the dragonborn warrior, said, "you can never kill too many, am I right?"

"Nothing like the thrill of a good fight!"  ratNAROk, the mouseman barbarian replied.  "Those goblins we met on the way here didn't stand a chance."

Alefgard, a human wizard, allowed himself a chuckle.  "They really thought that overturned wagon was going to protect them.  Surprising they already had the start of a burrow going underneath, but it obviously did them no good."

"That 'Mold Earth' spell of yours worked great, Space Pants," said Zumies, the half-elf thief.  "Pulling the ground out from under the wagon and spilling their moat into their hovel was a solid plan."

"Shut up, elf," the felis sorceror shot back as he snorted a handful of catnip.

Bubb, a metal being devoted to the clergy of Zokun, the god of fortresses, war, death, rebirth, and birth, sat perfectly still by the fire, motionless as a statue.  A swarm of flies buzzed all around it, but it paid them no mind.

Edward paused his strumming as he looked around.  "Sure are a lot of dead shrubs around here.  That's kinda weird, right?"

Alefgard shrugged.  "They're bushes, big deal.  Maybe there's a blight on them or something."

Zumies looked around, his eyes growing wide with realization.  "Uh... hey, wait a minute, aren't those bushes closer to us than they were a minute ago?"

As if on cue, all around them the bushes started to move and close in around them.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Twiggy appendages moved swiftly with a ferocity unmatched by typical flora.  The party leapt to their feet to slay the arboreal assailants.  Sergei turned them to kindling with his fire breath; ratNAROk squeaked as he entered a rage and laid into the enemy; Space Pants used the campfire to ignite his crossbow bolts and set fire to the woody monstrosities.

The battle won, the party looked around at the piles of dead twigs left by the enemy.

"What in blazes was that?!" said Edward.

"Some foul magic," said Sergei.  "We should be on our way, lest more of those things find us."
« Last Edit: June 19, 2022, 10:44:31 pm by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2021, 05:39:03 pm »

5 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

With their camp packed and put away, the party prepared to climb down into the chasm to reach the Sunken Citadel.  A rope from a previous party was found tied to a post near the ledge, and, finding it sturdy, the party used it to climb down to a ledge below.

As soon as they set foot on the ledge, the party was accosted by a pack of starving, giant rats!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"More fodder!" Sergei exclaimed triumphantly as he waded in.

Space Pants cornered a rat and cast an illusion to frighten it.  "Go on, jump off the cliff," he urged.  The rat obliged, though it climbed down rather than leapt to its death.

"My brethren!"  ratNAROk put away his sword.  "You're embarrassing yourselves!  I'll stop you." 

ratNAROk charged in and tackled one of the rats, wrestling it and pinning it to the ground.  A rodent himself, ratNAROk was able to communicate with the giant rats.

"You are beaten!  Call your friends off."

"Hungry," the giant rat said.  "We want food!"

"All you'll find from us is death, unless you comply."

The giant rat struggled a little, but gave in and fell limp.  "Fine, no eat mouse and friends."

"What's his name?" Alefgard asks, bemused.

"Rat Benetar?" Edward offered.

"BoRat?" suggested Alefgard

Space Pants bats at their new rat friend.  Space Pants rubs himself on the rat.  Space Pants does catnip.

The battle ended, ratNAROk let the giant rat go.  It lingered, for some reason reluctant to leave its new mousey acquaintance.  ratNAROk gives it a small ration to satisfy its hunger.

The party made it the rest of the way down the cliff, to the bottom of the chasm.  There, beneath the opposite cliff face, lay the entrance to the dungeon.

A raised platform covered in broken masonry stood before the party.  ratNAROk turned to the giant rat and asked, "Are there more of your friends down here?"

"Yes!" the rat replied.  "We are many!  We are legion!  Please watch step on rocks, we live under there."

Upon hearing this, Bubb walked up to the masonry and stuck its sword into the pile of rubble.  Nothing happened.

"We just need to watch our step, then," Sergei said as he picked his way through the debris.  "We just have to get to that door over-- oop!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A pit trap opened beneath Sergei's feet!  He fell ten feet into a hole, finding himself face to face with another giant rat and the corpse of the goblin it was eating.

Before the rat in the pit can attack, ratNAROk asked his rat friend to intervene.  "No eat friend," the rat says to the other, "just go!"  The rat in the pit obliged, leaving Sergei and the rest of the party alone.

"Thank you," ratNAROk said to his rat companion.  "You can go now."  The two giant rats leave together.

Sergei pulled himself out of the pit.  A 2-foot wide catwalk spanned the middle of the pit to reach the door.  "Well?  What are we waiting for?  Let's get in there."
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 08:50:20 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

Maloy

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2021, 08:49:42 am »

I just finished a D&D session last night and I am greatly enjoying following this!

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2021, 06:56:54 pm »

5 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

Having navigated past the hungry rats, the party found the entrance to the Sunken Citadel.  The stronghold itself had sunken beneath the earth ages ago; What once was a tower standing watch for miles around was now but a hole in the wall at the bottom of a dark chasm.

The door opened with a creak, stirring dust into the air.  Inside the tower lay the bodies of four goblins, apparently slain in battle.  One of the corpses stood stuck to the far wall, the spear that impaled it still protruding through its chest.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Hm... I wonder if that rubble is hiding something," said Zumies, moving to inspect the rocks on the south wall.  Alas, the search turned up nothing, though something told the rogue there was still something suspicious about these rocks.  For now, though, they would have to wait.  Perhaps there would be time for a more thorough search later.

Proceeding through the north door, the party found a hallway leading to three more.  First, they checked the north room, finding it to be empty.  Then, they tried the south.  The door was locked, but Zumies had no trouble picking it.  Inside was a keg of rusted iron.

Sergei shook the keg, hearing the sound of liquid sloshing around inside.  "Hm... let's see what's in here, shall we?"  He effortlessly pulled off the bung sealing the keg shut - immediately releasing the ice and steam mephits inside!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The mephits leapt out and immediately attacked.  The ice mephit went down fast, but the steam mephit dodged every attack, and made fighting in the cramped room extremely difficult.

"I'll take care of this," said Alefgard.  He held up his tome and prepared to cast a spell.  He had a little trouble remembering the incantation, however - having dropped out of mage academy, Alefgard's magic was imperfect, occasionally going haywire and producing unexpected results.  This time, he got the incantation right, as he cast an Ice Knife into the small room.  The shard of ice cut through the steam mephit, but then shattered and struck the party members inside with ice shrapnel!

"Uh... heads up!"

ratNAROk shook off the blast, and looked at his arm, covered in small cuts and scratches from the ice.  "Hey, be more careful next time!"

"There once was a mouse from Franducket," said Bubb, "who liked to stab steam in a bucket, his friends they said STOP, while he was mid chop, but the mousefolk said, 'meh, let's just--'"

"I know how that one ends," cuts in Edward.

With the mephits defeated, the party inspected the keg.  Five tiny sapphires laid at the bottom, worth a small price.  Pocketing the meager treasure, they moved on to the third and final door at the end of the hall.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The door opened into a large, crumbling chamber.  A firepit in the center of the room sat idle, and an iron cage centered the south wall, a large hole busted out of the side.  Runes and glyphs were painted all around the room in green dye, and on a bench on the other side of the room, something laid weeping in a bedroll.

"Hey.  Hey you," Space Pants called out.  The cat walked over and poked the bedroll with his crossbow.  "Wake up.  What's your deal?"

A scaly head poked out from the bedroll as the kobold turned to face them.  "Oh.  Meepo sad.  They come and take dragon, Meepo's only friend.  Now Meepo have nobody."

"Who came?" Bubb asked.

"Goblins.  They came and raided, and they captured Calcryx, our clan's white dragon.  Meepo is Keeper of Dragons, so it's Meepo's job to keep Calcryx safe.  But Meepo fail."

From seemingly nowhere, several voices seemed to be whispering in the air all around them.  "Loooooserrrrr," one said.  "Yoooouuu suuuuuck," said another.  "You're not good enooouuuugh."

"Meepo know," said the kobold, as if used to hearing these voices.

"Where's that coming from?"  Edward wondered.

"Meepo don't know, but they're right.  Meepo suck."

"Aw, don't be like that," said ratNAROk.  "Maybe we can help you get your dragon back?"

"Really?"  Meepo perked up.  "Would you do that?"

ratNAROk shrugged.  "I mean, sure!  We're already here, might as well."

"Well, okay.  But first, I should take you to Yusdrayl.  Yusdrayl our leader.  She'll want to know you're on our side."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Meepo lead the party through a door that lead to a hallway with worn carvings of dragons etched on its pillars.  Kobold guards flanked the hallway, eyeing the party suspiciously as they passed, but leaving them be as they were being escorted by Meepo.  At the end of the hallway, four larger elite guards stood around a throne of broken masonry, situated in front of a marble statue of a dragon.  Upon the makeshift throne sat their leader, Yusdrayl.

"Ah, more adventurers?"  Yusdrayl spoke loudly, her voice grating to hear.  "Best turn back now, before you wind up like the last adventurers who came through here!"

"Yusdrayl," Meepo said, "these people want to help us find Calcryx."

"You mean help you find Calcryx!"  Yusdrayl spat at Meepo.  "You're the Keeper of Dragons - without a dragon, you might as well be the Keeper of Dung!"

The elite guards laughed at the remark.  Meepo sagged his shoulders.

"Perhaps you could give us some information about where the goblins went with the dragon?"  Edward asked.

"Those stinking goblins!  They think they can come here and take whatever they want.  They shouldn't even be here!  This site is hallowed ground for dragonkind.  We are descendants of dragons, therefore we are the rightful owners of this place!  I do not know where they would have taken her, but you can take the back way through to their territory.  Go back to Calcryx's room, and take the door on the northeast wall.  If you bring her back, I shall grant you a reward."

"What can you tell us about the apple?"  Alefgard asked.

"Ah, those apples!  Every year, the goblins take a magic apple from somewhere down below and sell it on the surface.  I know not why they do this, but they do it for Belak, the Outcast.  He lives down below and gives them the fruit to sell."

"Do you know anything about those twig monsters?" said ratNAROk.

"The twig blights.  They are Belak's pets, and they are numerous in the lower levels.  Be wary of any bush you see!"

"Alright, I've heard enough," said Space Pants.  "We'll go find your dragon or whatever."

Yusdrayl turned to Meepo.  "You're lucky you found some adventurers to do your job for you.  Go with them - and bring back my dragon!!"
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 08:51:10 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2021, 01:44:07 pm »

5 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

Following Yusdrayl's directions, the party found the back way into goblin territory.  Zumies lead the way down the narrow passage, using his darkvision to scout ahead.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Shh!"  Zumies raised his hand.  "Guards.  Three of them... bigger than goblins."

"Those are hobgoblins," said Sergei.  "Yusdrayl didn't say anything about them!"

Zumies watched the guards for another moment.  "They aren't paying attention.  They're talking amongst themselves.  Come, if we're quiet, we can get the drop on them."

Zumies and Sergei quietly crept down the hallway, succeeding in reaching their opponents undetected.  Zumies grabbed the nearest and slashed its throat, and Sergei charged in and assaulted the next.  Edward rushed in and ran down the last, burying his rapier in the hobgoblin's skull.

"Ha!  Not even a challenge," said Sergei.  "This will be a walk in the park."

Edward cleaned the hobgoblin blood off of his sword, and holds his hands out to Alefgard.

"Cucumber melon?"  Alefgard reached into his cloak for hand sanitizer.

"I was hoping for peppermint, but I guess this'll do."

"I have some lavender scented bottles," suggested ratNAROk.

"I may have a sugar cookie one someone gifted me from Holy Marmot's Day."

ratNAROk said, "Ooh, wanna trade?"

The battle won, the party moved through the door the hobgoblins were guarding.  They found themselves in a room with an ornate fountain set against the eastern wall.  A well-crafted carving of a diving dragon loomed over the basin of the fountain.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Hm," said Sergei.  "There's an inscription here in draconic.  It says... 'Let there be fire.'"

As soon as Sergei spoke the words, a glowing orange liquid poured out of the dragon's mouth into the basin!

"What do you think this is?"

"Give me ten minutes, and I can find out," says Edward.

Edward performed a ritual of Identification.  The liquid, it turned out, was a watered-down version of a Potion of Firebreathing.  It seemed to be effective only in granting a flame breath once, but there were enough for six vials.  Bubb, who came equipped with 20 empty vials in his pack, scooped up the liquid and distributed it to the party.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Through the next door, they found a room that opened up to a passage north.  Dead-looking shrubs sprouted between the cracks of the broken mortar floor.

"Gee, I wonder what these could be."  Space Pants goes to the nearest bush in front of the west door and marks his territory on it.  The bush does not respond.

"Hm... just a normal shrub," said Zumies.

"Not those ones!" ratNAROk shouts, as the bushes to the north came to life and attacked!

"Sergei, remember what we talked about?"  said Edward.

"Ready when you are!"

Edward waved his hand and cast a Sleep spell!  It proved to be very effective, knocking most of the twig blights out in one go.

"Alright, now!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sergei exhaled a cone of fire breath - his own breath, not from the potion - and incinerated half of the hapless twig blights, who were all unable to dodge since they were asleep.  Just like that, the enemy forces were destroyed with little trouble.

"This isn't even a challenge!" exclaimed ratNAROk as he slayed the last of the kindling.  "When is this dungeon going to throw something more challenging at us?"
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 08:51:50 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2021, 07:34:21 pm »

5 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

Having bested the twig blights, the party looked around and checked their options.

"There's a door here," said Zumies, "but it seems to be protected with a magical lock."

"There's an inscription here in draconic," said Sergei.  "'Rebuke the dead, open the way.'  What could that mean?"

"We may have to come back here later.  I wonder what's down that hallway?"

"Let's find out," said Space Pants.  "HELLO, ANYBODY THERE?" he shouts down the hall.

Sure enough, his call was answered - by swarms of rats!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"I'm gonna go get a soft pretzel," said Alefgard.

"Oh, get cheese on mine!" quipped Edward.

"I'm, uh, not actually going to get a pretzel.  I'm going to run away.  I was trying to save face."

Bubb extended his hand and cast Inflict Wounds on the first swarm.  Necrotic energy rotted the rats where they stood, wiping out a section of the horde entirely.

"Mmm... That smells delightful."  Bubb spread its arms and fell face-first into the pile of rotting rat corpses he'd created.  The flies that had been following him grow numerous and excited as they feast upon the smorgasbord of rat remains now covering Bubb head to toe.

"What does that metal man think he's doing??" said ratNAROk.

"Who cares," said Edward, "there's so many more of them!"

The party held their ground against the swarms, but they were many.  Even the flies around Bubb pitched in, gnawing and biting at the rats as they swarmed over his metal body.  As the party made progress towards slaying one, the rats merged together to stay in bigger groups.  Slowly, methodically, the party started to wear them down.

"This is taking too long," said Space Pants.  "Time for a power-up."

Space Pants reached into his stash - not the usual cat nip, but the good stuff.  The Kuba strain was known for its relaxing effects, easing the mind to think more clearly when it came to using magic.  This catnip would give him an extra sorceror point to spend for the next hour.  That is... if it hadn't been tampered with.

Space Pants's eyes dilated, as Zumies grinned a wicked smile.  "Oh, did you find the powdered mushrooms I snuck into your catnip?  That'll teach you not to pick on me for being half-elf!"

"You son of an elf!"  Space Pants was about to raise his crossbow in Zumies's direction, but then, he spotted something down the hall. 

A fairy, from out of nowhere, appeared to Space Pants, beckoning for him to follow.  "Come here!  Come here, kitty!  Come on, over here!"

"Well who am I to refuse?" Without a second though, Space Pants took off down the hall after the fairy.

"What is he doing?" said Alefgard.  "Space Pants, there's nothing there!"

"Yeah yeah, in a minute, I gotta go see something."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Aw, frick."

On the other half of a pit trap that was lying open, a platoon of skeletons drew their bows and opened fire.  Space Pants made like a pincushion and fell to a hail of arrows from the skeletons lying in wait up ahead.

"Hang on, buddy!"  Alefgard, finding courage in the face of danger, rushed off down the hall to give Space Pants a healing potion - but he, too, was shot down!

"Oi, this is looking bad."  Sergei ran ahead, holding his shield up to block arrows on the way, and then grabbed and dragged both of them to safety.

"Well, you guys have this under control," said Zumies.  "Wonder what's behind this door?"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

More arrows, it turned out, were waiting behind that door, fired by the goblins who had been prepared since they first heard combat taking place just outside their barracks.  Zumies was hurt badly, but somehow stayed on his feet.

"What are you doing?!" ratNAROk cried, "We're not done with the fight we're in yet!  Now you've gone and picked another!"

"No, no, no, no, no!"  Meepo yelled and stomped his feet.  "My friends can't die now, they have to find Meepo's dragon!"  Meepo ran down the hall, touching every party member as he goes by, as he used Balm of Peace to restore the party's health.

The goblins rushed out of the room to face the party.  ratNAROk and Zumies pushed them back, eventually felling them all.

"Quick, in here, before those skeletons come after us!"  Edward ushered everybody into the goblins' barracks.  Once inside, he slammed the door shut.

The room contained a campfire, some hide sleeping mats, and an assortment of dented pots and pans and broken weapons.  The party listened at both doors in the room - the coast seemed to be clear for now.

"Phew... That got hairier than it needed to," said Sergei.  "Let us rest and heal our wounds."

Space Pants, having been healed, sat down to rest - but then saw the fairy at the door.  "Come here!" it beckoned again.

"Well, if I haven't learned my lesson yet, I have no plans of doing so any time soon!"  Space Pants took off after the hallucinatory fairy.

"Not again!" said ratNAROk.

This time, the fairy lead Space Pants south, to the room with the bushes they had come from.

"Check this out!"  The fairy settled on one of the inert shrubs.  "Look at it!  Check out this bush!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Space Pants used his torch to set fire to the shrubs.  The dried wood went up in flame in an instant.

"Yeah," the fairy cheered, "Fire!  Burn it all!  Burn it all to the ground!  Yeah, fire!  Yeah!"

"Space Pants," Sergei came out, "you done?  We're settling in for a rest!"

The room quickly filled with smoke, choking Space Pants.  "Yeah, alright, that's enough of that."
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 08:52:13 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2021, 10:25:35 pm »

5 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

Taking stock of their last encounter, the party decided to hole up in the goblins' barracks and take a long rest.  Knowing that they were still within goblin territory, they set up three shifts for two people each to keep watch.  Zumies, who, being half-elf, only needed four hours of meditation, was able to stay up for two.

The first watch went by uneventfully.  During the second, Bubb and Zumies heard something from behind the north door: clacka-thwip!  clacka-thwip!

Zumies put his ear to the door.  "It sounds like... crossbows shooting at a target?"

"One moment," said Bubb.  His body went inert, and the flies around him spread out, as if agitated somehow.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"You are correct, there are two goblins shooting at a practice target.  Two more are watching them, and another two are watching this door.  Oh, and there are caltrops"

"How... do you know all of that?"

The only response from Bubb was the buzzing of the flies over his head.

The goblins stopped shooting, and there were sounds of concerned conversation, but nothing that Bubb or Zumies could make out.  A short time later, the sounds of crossbows firing on straw targets picked up again.  The rest of the second watch, as well as the third, proceeded like this, without any direct interruption to the party's rest.


6 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

Rested and healed, the party prepared to assault the goblins on the other side of the door.  Sergei was first, pushing the door open with his shield raised, ready for the retaliation of the goblins standing watch.  He proceeded slowly over the caltrops as the goblins tried to ambush him from behind a low mortared wall, but Sergei blocked their attacks effortlessly.  ratNAROk followed close behind, followed by Edward - soon, and with little effort, they breached the low wall and dispatched the goblins.

Two more goblins made their way towards them through the narrow passage into the target room.  Zumies was ready.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Watch your step!"  Zumies unloaded a bag of ball bearings down the hall, causing the goblins to slip and fall.  Zumies dispatched the prone assailants easily. 

Alefgard attempted to cast Firebolt, but misspoke the incantation.  Surprisingly, the error caused the spell to be more effective - the bolt bounced off of one goblin and into the next, felling both.  The remaining two goblins were soon finished, and the room was cleared.

The door to the south-west was locked, but they found the keys to the room on one of the freshly slain goblins.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Chained to the floor in manacles were two kobolds, one of whom looked as big as an elite.  In the back corner was an iron cage, too small for the gnome inhabiting it.

Meepo looked over the two kobolds, both of whom he knew.  The first never gave him any trouble, but the larger one had bullied Meepo over food several times in the past.

"Hmph."  Meepo used the key to unlock the first, but left the larger one.  He went over to free the gnome instead.

"Hey, Meepo, c'mon man," the kobold plead, "you gotta let me out!  You aren't still sore over the rat meat, are ya?  That was just a joke!"

"Thank you for freeing me," said the gnome, cracking his neck as he stood up from the cage and straightened his body.  "My name is Erky Timbers.  I'm a cleric-in-training.  I was caught by goblin bandits on the Old Road - were it not for the gifts of my deity, I would have surely starved or succumbed to their abuse!"

"So you're a healer?" asked Space Pants.

"Err... not yet.  I'm getting there!"

"Then what good are ya?"

"...Well, I can turn the undead, otherwise, like I said, I'm still working on it."

"Turn the undead...?" Bubb said, curious.  "Hm... Didn't we see a door earlier that said something to that effect?"

"We'll have to go back later," said Edward.  "For now, let's see if we can find that dragon."
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 08:54:04 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2021, 06:46:30 pm »

6 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

"So, Erky," began Edward, "what do you know of this Belak guy?"

"Ah, Belak.  The goblins revere him.  Though he doesn't lead their clan, they apparently still do what he says.  Some kind of spellcaster, I think... He tends the Twilight Grove below, and harvests the fruit of the Gulthias Tree to give to the goblins to sell on the surface.  Why, I couldn't tell you."

"What's so special about these apples?" asks Alefgard.

"The apple that grows in midsummer is a rich red color, and restores the health and vigor of those who eat it.  In midwinter, a pale, white apple grows instead, which steals the same."

"Do you know anything about the lost adventurers?" says ratNAROk.

"Yeah, there were three adventurers locked up in here with me about a month ago.  Talgen, Sharwyn and... Sir Braford, those were their names.  They were only here a week - Belak had them brought to him, and I haven't seen them since."

"Then we should get moving," said Sergei.  "Who knows what must have become of them in such time."

"What should we do with your buddies, Meepo?" Zumies asked.

Meepo considered, looking the two kobold prisoners over.  "You can go," Meepo said to the smaller one.  "You," he said, pointing at the one who had bullied him, "you stay."

"Stay... what you mean, you want me come with you?"

Meepo snorted and walked out of the room.  Space Pants sneered, "Looks like you get to be fodder."

"Ack - I not fodder, I going to be elite one day!"

Meepo stuck his head back in the room.  "Then you help Meepo find Calcryx.  Yusdrayl will reward you for sure.  Now quit stalling!"

The party checked the room to the northwest of the target practice room.  Inside was a stockpile of various arms, armor, and foodstuffs.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Hm, what have we here?" Sergei said as he pulled a whetstone from the pile.  "This could come in handy."

"Let's not take that far door yet," said Zumies.  "I don't want to leave anything behind.  Let's see where this north door goes."

The party moved north.  The door opened into a nondescript hallway, with walls of crumbling mortar.

Zumies put an ear to the door on the north side of the hall.  "Shh!  I hear goblins talking..."

Ker-plat!  Space Pants and Bubb moved toward the west door, but fell into a pit trap!  A ten-foot fall, neither were hurt badly, but the sound attracted the attention of the goblins!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Space Pants climbed out of the hole, and cast an illusion of a fire burning in the doorway before slamming it shut.  Sounds of a panic and scuffle could be heard within, followed by confused grunts and snarls.  The party waited for the goblins to open the door - and as soon as they did, ratNAROk, Edward, Zumies, and Sergei were prepared to strike at the first enemy they saw.  The goblins had thrown their sleeping mats over the illusory fire to put it out, but the false flames clipped through the mats without interruption.

"YAAAAA!" ratNAROk leapt over Sergei and barreled into the room.  "...Oh, crap!"  He wasn't expecting to see quite so many in there.

"Don't worry, we've got you covered!"  Edward pushed his way into the room to start slaying.

"Here you go," said Zumies, as he dropped a rope down to Bubb, before rushing into the fray himself.

"Uh..." Bubb pulled on the rope, only to have it fall inside the pit with it.  "You didn't tie this to anything!  ...Fear not, I got this."  Bubb, still trapped in the hole, closed its eyes.  The flies start moving about the battlefield.  Somehow, even from within the pit, Bubb's able to cast Toll the Dead on the goblins in the room.

The goblins were bested, but not without a few scrapes and bruises.

"Erky," said Space Pants, "Heal me."

"Uh, like I said, I don't know how to do that yet!  I'm still in training."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Space Pants pulls out a dagger.  "I wasn't asking you.  I was telling you.  Heal me."

Erky was taken aback "You're-- you're kidding with that, right??"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Shaking, Erky did his best to summon what energy he could from his deity.  Under pressure, he managed to heal Space Pants a small amount.

"Now do him," Space pants pointed his dagger at ratNAROk.

"I-- I only have so much energy--"

"Now."

Reluctantly, Erky tried again.  This time, he was able to correctly cast Cure Wounds, but to minimal effect.  "C'mon, man, I'm doing my best here.  Put that away, will ya?"

The soon-to-be-elite kobold leaned over to Meepo and said, "Boy, your new friends sure are rough!"

"What did you say about my friends?!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Meepo grabbed the bully by the neck and shoved him against a wall!  The hapless kobold tried to fight back, but was unable to push back against Meepo's surprising strength.  Meepo strangled him until he fell unconscious.

"Don't.  Talk.  Bad.  About.  Meepo's.  Friends!"  Meepo let go once the kobold stopped moving.  Meepo prodded him with his foot, but the bully didn't respond.  The kobold had died due to suffocation.

"Who had 'kobold on kobold violence' on their Bingo cards?" Alefgard quipped.

Zumies ignored teh scuffle and put his ear to the next door.  Behind it, he could hear a large beast shuffling things around the floor.  "Hey guys, we're supposed to be looking for a dragon, right?  I think we found it!"

Zumies picked the lock and entered the room.  On the walls were various trophies of unimpressive specimens, such as rats, cows, and a few kobold heads.  The furniture in the room had all been turned over or destroyed.  The dragon was not immediately visible, but a broken table in the middle of the room appeared to be the only hiding place.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Calcryx?"  Meepo entered cautiously.

From behind the table, the white dragon wyrmling raised her head and hissed.  Calcryx had gathered all the valuables in the room into a pile behind the table, claiming it as her lair.  The dragon was too young yet to speak, but could understand draconic.

"There, there, attah girl."  Meepo reached his hand out toward the dragon.  "We go home now--"

Without warning, Calcryx unleased her ice breath!  Meepo and Alefgard both dropped to the floor, succumbing to the cold.

The party moved swiftly to their defense.  Bubb cast a healing spell on Meepo, and Edward gave one of his healing potions to Alefgard.  Zumies snuck behind the dragon and stabbed it in the back, dealing considerable damage - the dragon whirled around and hissed at him, preparing to strike back.

Meepo, awakened by the healing magic, quickly got to his feet and pounced on Calcryx (nat 20!)

"Down, Calcryx!  Calm down!"  Meepo did his best to handle the raging beast (nat 20 again!!)

Calcryx thrashed and kicked, and, while doing so, knocked over a green jade carving of a dragon that was in her pile.  The dragon stared at the carving - it was one of the many figurines Meepo himself had carved to appease the dragon.  The carving reminded Calcryx of Meepo's care.  At length, she relaxed and calmed down.

"Is it... is it over?"  Edward reluctantly lowered his rapier.

Meepo sat with Calcryx, stroking her head and whispering reassurances in draconic to her.  "We go now."  Meepo tried to get Calcryx to come with him, but she spread out over her hoard and hissed again.  "Uh... she not leaving without her stash.  We take treasure with us - but it hers!"

The pile of valuables mostly consisted of +chalk flutes+ and -chalk mugs-, but among them were two precious treasures.  One was a gunmetal colored ring, and the other an exquisitely made Olivine idol.  All craftsmanship is of the highest quality.  It is encrusted with magnetite.  On the item is an image of an incredibly valuable buckler of adamantine - some other artifact, presumably - in olivine.  On the item is an image of horses in magnetite.  On the item is an image of a cave lobster in turtle shell.

"Great!" said Edward.  "Now let's get this dragon back to Yusdrayl and claim our reward!"

"Hold up," said ratNAROk.  "Erky, do you know anything about a door that says 'Rebuke the dead, open the way?'"

"Uh- uhm... Rebuke the dead?  You mean, like, turn them?  I can do that," he said, side-eyeing Space Pants.

"Great!  Let's head back to that door then and see if we can get it open."

The party backtracked to the door they saw earlier with the magical lock and inscription.  Erky, not wanting to raise the felis's ire any more, obliged in invoking Turn Undead on the door.  The door glowed white, then faded away, opening into a crypt with ten sarcophogi and a table at the end of the room.  On the table was a candle with a blue flame and a crystal whistle.

"Let us be wary not to disturb the dead," said Sergei.

"Like this?"  Space Pants urinated on one of the coffins.

Immediately in response to the desecration of their resting place, all ten sarcophogi opened up, revealing a platoon of skeletons!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Bubb wasted no time.  "Turn!"  Brandishing its holy symbol, the mechanical being struck fear into the skeletons, causing them to run towards the back of the room rather than fight!

As the party moved to take on the skeletons, Calcryx gets herself into the fray, chomping at the living piles of bones.  Even Erky, who felt the need to save face, got into the fray with a scimitar he picked off the corpse of a goblin, but whiffed every attack.

"Aw yeah, now we're talking!"  ratNAROk leapt onto Calcryx's back, but the dragon bucked him off.  He landed gracefully next to her and turned on the skeleton behind him.

With the skeletons turned, they were dispatched with little trouble.  The battle won, Space Pants walked over to the table.

"Gee, I wonder what this does."  Space Pants blew the whistle before anybody could stop him.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 08:55:43 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #11 on: November 14, 2021, 04:18:11 pm »

6 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

The shrill blare of the whistle echoed off the walls of the dusty crypt.  In response, the bones of one of the recently slain skeletons rattled and pulled themselves together!  The party readied their weapons, but the skeleton made no move to attack, only standing and staring at Space Pants.

"Uh... Hi."

"It appears as though the whistle cast animate dead," said Bubb.  "It awaits your orders."

"Sweet.  I can think of at least ten different ways this can go wrong."

The party spent some time investigating the tombs.  On each sarcophagus was an inscription of the inhabitants' names and occupations:

Dastot Mokeziden, Dungeon Master
'Cutter' Mistêmiklist, Recruit
'Tiny' Vabôksárek, Wrestler
'Coal' Ducimokil, Mason
Adil Sazirtilesh, Carpenter
'Hutch' Sazirotsus, Wrestler
'Marley' èrithfeb, Wrestler
'Pepper' Möruludib, Swordsman
'Heft' Anrizamost, Wrestler
Rimtar Kíddirreg, Marksman

"'Cutter,'" said Space Pants.  "I like that.  That's what I'll call my new boney friend."

"Did that skeleton come from 'Cutter's' sarcophagus?" asked Edward.

"Don't know, don't care.  Right, 'Cutter?'"

The skeleton stared back silently.

"Get a load of this!"  Zumies found a platinum flute and a +platinum crown+ in one of the tombs.

"Ooo, lemme see!"  Meepo took the crown and placed it on his head, and proudly strutted around showing off his new headpiece.

With Calcryx and Cutter in tow, the party made their way back to Yusdrayl.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Meepo held onto the crown on his head as he bowed before his clan's leader.  "Here you are, Yusdrayl!  Calcryx is back safe and sound."

"Wow, you actually did it," said Yusdrayl, trying not to sound impressed, pretending not to notice the crown.  "Took you long enough.  Wait, where's Thaco?  Rollo came back and said Thaco was still with you."

"He was, but... unfortunately, he was slain by a goblin," Meepo lied.

Yusdrayl stared past the party at Erky.  Bubb turned around just in time to see Erky making a gesture across his throat, which he tried to cover up by looking like he was resting his chin on his fist.  However, Yusdrayl seemed unable to grasp Erky's meaning.

"Yusdrayl, she's starting a hoard!  Her old cage isn't going to hold her anymore."

"A hoard?"  Yusdrayl considered.  "Did you bring it with you?"

"Yes, we have it here!"

The party showed the goods they were carrying.  Yusdrayl wrinkled her nose.

"What is this junk?  Chalk flutes?  And..." She picked up the olivine idol and held it at arm's length. "What is this?  A holy symbol to Zokun?  Ech!  Get this out of here!  Go, take it away."

Bubb perked up.  It hadn't got a good look at it before, but sure enough, it was a symbol to its deity!  Bubb opened its mouth.  A writhing mass of flies welled up from inside its throat, filling its mouth.  Bubb put the symbol inside its mouth, and it soon disappeared beneath swarm of bugs.

"I think I've got you figured out," said Space Pants.  "You've got a bug core or something, don't you?"

Bubb burped.  A single fly came out of its mouth.

"Exactly what I mean," said Yusdrayl, disgusted.  "Hm, these rock crafts won't do.  I'll need to lend her some things from my personal treasury."  Yusdrayl then reached up to the dragon statue behind her and pulled the key out of its mouth.  "Here.  As a reward, this will get you into the southern chambers.  It's said to be the tomb of a dragonpriest.  There's likely to be some good stuff in there - but bring me back something from the dragonpriest!  Anything that looks to be important to his station, I would greatly appreciate."

"Meepo want to go with friends."

Yusdrayl looked bored.  "Fine.  I suppose you did well today.  Escort these... adventurers through the tomb, make sure they respect dragonkind.  I'll find some other chump to deal with Calcryx..."

As the party was leaving, one of the kobold guards turned to Meepo and said, "Hey, nice crown, Meepo!"

"Thanks!"  Meepo puffed out his chest and strutted down the hall, content with his new status symbol.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 08:56:12 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2021, 07:42:31 pm »

6 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

The party backtracked to the start of the dungeon, to the tower they had first entered.  They had never explored the southern door, but that was where Yusdrayl had said to take the key.  As they passed, Erky spotted sunlight coming through the way out.

"Don't get any ideas," Space Pants said to Erky, pointing his crossbow at the gnome.  "You stay right here."

"I-- I wasn't--"

Edward stuck his foot out and tripped Erky.

"Erky is definitely getting his books dumped," quipped Alefgard, "and a wedgie.  Erky?  More like 'Jerky.'"

"Jerky Erky," repeated Edward.  "Hey everyone, call him Jerky Erky now, pass it on."  Edward laughed.  Erky cringed.

As they headed towards the southern door, Zumies stopped and looked at the rubble he had checked earlier when they had first arrived.  Something bothered him - he knew he had missed something.  Zumies took some time to search more carefully - and this time, he noticed the scratch marks in the floor, where the stones had clearly been pushed aside by something.

"I knew it," said Zumies.  "There's a door here!"  The rogue felt around the wall, eventually finding a brick that was not actually connected to the mortar around it.  The brick, it turned out, was a lever, which could either be pushed in from the right, or pulled out from the left.  "Ah-ha!"  Zumies pushed in the brick from the right, opening a secret door... and revealing the skeletons of three archers, trapped inside when the citadel sunk into the ground!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The party dispatched the skeletons quickly.  Unfortunately, after repeated searches, nobody was able to find anything of value on the skeletons or in their chamber.

"Do you think we should stop and rest before we continue?" said ratNAROk.  "We could take some time to identify those items we got."

"Yeah, including this," said Zumies, as he held out the ring he had pilfered from Calcryx's stash.

"Good idea," said Edward.  "It'll take me ten minutes to perform the ritual."

The ring, it turned out, was a ring of dexterity.  Zumies gladly kept the ring as it would help his stealth capabilities.  In addition, from the crypt they had received a potion of fire resistance, and the whistle - it was a rare item, named Nightcaller.  As Bubb correctly assessed, the whistle cast animate dead.  The whistle granted control over an undead creature for 24 hours, but could be blown again to reassert control.  After seven days, it can be blown again to control another undead minion, but only two can be commanded at a time.

Bubb opened its mouth.  The flies swarmed out, bearing the olivine idol.  As Edward performed the identification ritual, lore about the item - but more specifically, of the item engraved into it - rushed into his mind.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"The Deified Furnace... that's right, I've heard of that.  It's an adamantine buckler crafted at none other than Severedcoils, the home of our employers."

"Hey, has anyone seen Erky?" Alefgard looked around.  Sure enough, the gnome acolyte was gone.

"That sonuva--" Space Pants hurried outside in time to see Erky scaling the cliff face they had come down.  He was already halfway up the rope.  Space Pants took aim with his crossbow, and fired a bolt with a noose tied to the end.  The bolt missed.  "Come back down," he shouted after the gnome, "we won't hurt you, we promise!"

"You just shot at me!"  Erky made it to the top of the cliff.  "Screw you guys, I'm telling everyone about you!"  With that, Erky was gone.

"Cutter.  After him.  Bring him back.  Dead or alive." Compelled to oblige, the skeleton walked out into the chasm in pursuit.

Moving through the southern door, the party found themselves inside a crumbling room.  The wall to the south had completely caved in, but on the west wall, a door still stood in good repair, bearing the image of a rearing dragon carved into it.

Zumies inspected the rubble to the south, but only found a giant rat.  The rat, seeing it is clearly outnumbered, merely huddles in the corner.  "Food?" it says to ratNAROk.

"Ugh.  You guys are a disgrace to our kind."  ratNAROk begrudgingly gave it a piece of ration.  As soon as the rat ate the food, a swarm of flies erupted from Bubb's metal frame, engulfing the rat, and left only a clean skeleton.

"Uh..." ratNAROk backed away.  "Well then.  Let's, uh, move on."

"This must be the door Yusdrayl meant," said Zumies.  Sure enough, the key fit, and the door opened easily.

The door opened to an expansive room.  The air is stale, having sat undisturbed for untold years.  There were three alcoves in the northern wall, each with a pedestal holding a cracked crystal globe.  A single alcove in the southern wall housed a similar crystal, this one unbroken and glowing with a soft blue light.  There were faint tinkling notes coming from it.

"Hm, what is this contraption?"  Sergei moved closer to inspect the globe.  As he got close, brooding music filled the room.  Most of the party is filled with an otherworldly sense of foreboding and dread.

"Let's get out of here!" Alefgard shouted, as he bolted out of the room.  All but Meepo and Zumies follow with haste.

"Take that!"  Meepo picked up the crystal ball and smashed it on the ground.  The music stopped immediately.  "Huh... I didn't think that would work!"

The next door lead them to a small chamber.  Zumies went first - and stepped on a pressure plate, causing an arrow to shoot out of the wall at him!  The arrow missed, and Zumies noted where the pressure plate was.  The rest of the party avoided it and moved on to the next room.

This chamber was empty and without another passage through.  The only thing present in the room was a ten-foot tall statue of a dragon, carved of red-veined marble.

Sergei moved close to the statue.  As he did so, the mouth of the dragon appeared to move as it spoke a riddle:

"We come at night without being fetched,
we disappear by day without being stolen.
What are we?"


Meepo, Sergei, and Alefgard simultaneously answered, "Stars."  As soon as the word left their lips, a secret door opened in the west wall.

"I was going to say 'shadows,'" said Bubb.

In the next room, tall statues of elven dragon priests lined the walls, three to each side.  A trail of clawed footprints lead to the end of the chamber, an archway over a dark pit, and beyond which lied a room with a green light.  Bubb looked in time to see a shadow moving in the far room.  Space Pants peed on an elf statue.

"I got this!"  Bubb ran straight for the pit, without bothering to jump, allowing its metal body to fall onto the spikes.  Flies exploded out from the metal frame while it was airborne, flying over the gap and into the lit room.  The flies came face-to-face with a quasit.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Eyyaah!  Intruders at last!  You know, you could've just used the door!" The quasit peeked its head around the corner to get a look at the rest of the party.  "Hey, wait a minute... your eyes are wrong.  Lemme fix that for ya!"

The quasit raised its arms and cast a spell.  For a moment, all went black.  When the party could see again, they were all over the pit, and where once was empty space was now a collection of workshops - a jeweler's bench, a farmer's workshop, a loom, and a clothier's shop.  A large tomb sat in the center of the room.  The room with the dragonpriest statues was now filled with crates.

"Eyahaha!  The pact is complete!  I'm free!"  The quasit turned invisible.  Moments later, the party saw a bat flying away through the hall of statues.

"What the hell is this?" Zumies exclaimed.  "It feels like I'm in the twilight zone!"

"Well, let's see what's in here."  Sergei moved to undo the rusted iron latches on the sarcophagus.  It was at least ten feet long, so the top required Sergei, Meepo, and ratNAROk working together to lift it off.  A green flash sparked from inside the sarcophagus - when the light faded, the body of a troll was revealed!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The troll opened its eyes and sat up.  Its flesh was sunken and withered.  "Augh... who disturbs my rest?  Wait a minute..." The troll reached down into the sarcophagus, found a potion, and drank it.  Its muscles bulged as its strength returned.  "Ahh... now that's what I call a monster energy drink!"

The entire party groaned at the horrible, awful, no-good joke.  The troll stood and prepared to attack - but Alefgard was just a bit faster, and cast Hideous Laughter on the troll!

"Ha... Ha hah... Ha hah hah hah hah!!"  The troll laughed uncontrollably, forgetting what it was doing.  The party took the advantage and hammered the beast with blow after blow.

"Hit it with fire so it doesn't regenerate!" Meepo said.

The troll snarled and lashed out at Sergei, biting and clawing at him, almost bringing him down.  Alas, the might of the party was too much for the troll - one more round of slaughter, and the beast was down.  Sergei stood over the troll's body and breathed fire all over it, incinerating the remains to ensure it wouldn't get up again.

The party found a lot of loot in the troll's sarcophagus - an ornate sacrificial dagger, two silver rings, a silver amulet, a collection of spell scrolls - but most of all, an artifact-quality crossbow of black bronze.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The party raided the workshops for leftover gems and silks while Edward identified the artifact.  As it turned out, it was a magical light crossbow, and the sapphire set on its crossbar could store a spell.  Then, after a bolt was fired, the spell would be cast at the point of impact.

"This is a lot of great stuff!" said Zumies.  "But, uh... how do we get back across the pit?"
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 09:10:42 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #13 on: November 27, 2021, 09:41:28 pm »

6 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

Bubb looked down into the spike pit.  Even though it remembered its metal frame falling into the pit, there was no trace of it there.  That made sense, sort of, since it was looking down into the pit from the very frame it was looking for, but to see nothing - no scrap, no scrape, not even a screw - when it so clearly remembered seeing its body fall upon those spikes, was disconcerting to say the least.

"Didn't the quasit say something about a door?"

Zumies looked around.  The southwest corner of the room was of yellow gypsum, but there was a section of white chalk that stood clearly out of place.  As he pressed his hand on the wall, it pushed in, revealing a passage behind the panel.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Down the dusty three-foot wide corridor, they find a small chamber with runes etched into the southern wall and a lever in the corner.  Sergei pulled the lever.  A similar panel in the north wall slid aside, revealing a passage into the statue room.  The statue slid out and to the side, allowing passage.

"Let's not forget this," said Meepo, looking at the runes, written in draconic.  "'A dragonpriest entombed alive for transgressions of the Law still retains the honor of his position.'  Hmm... ah, yes!  I recall the story!  There was a dragonpriest who supposedly used magic to transform himself into a monster, seeking immortality.  For his crime, he was entombed alive, surviving because of a Sequester spell.  I thought it was a myth, but that explains the troll we just fought!"

The next room, where the talking statue was situated, revealed two more workshops they hadn't seen as they entered - a tanner's shop, and a leatherworking station.  Space Pants searched around the leatherworks, but only found old scraps.

ratNAROk ducked his head as he went through the next door.  "Careful, there was an arrow trap here, remember?  But it was in its own hallway here before..."

Somehow, the small room with the arrow trap seemed to be missing.  The door lead straight from the dragon statue to the room with the crystal orbs - which now contained a row of tables and chairs, a kitchen, and a still.

Edward checked the barrel in the still.  It turned out it was still half-full of prickleberry wine!  Considering these chambers hadn't been opened in at least a hundred years, the wine had finely aged, luckily avoiding contamination after so long.  Edward filled his wineskin, and the rest of the party followed suite.

"You guys think we should rest here since we just fought that troll?" Edward said.

"Seems like a good idea.  I'll take first watch," said Sergei.  Edward stayed up with him.

Not long after the party had settled in, Sergei heard a sound.  It sounded like something had clattered up to the door and stopped.

"Get up," the dragonborn woke the party.  "We have company."  He waited a bit, readied his weapon, and then opened the door.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Cutter, the skeleton summoned from Night Caller the crystal whistle, stood at the door, carrying Erky Timbers by his collar.  The gnome was breathing, but unconscious, with two slashes from the skeleton's scimitar across his torso.

"That is not who I think it is," Alefgard said with a smirk.

"Get him in here.  I've got somethin' to say to him."  Space Pants ushered the skeleton inside, bringing it and Erky to the leatherworking shop.  Using leftover scraps, he tied Erky to a chair.

"I need some blood.  Go find me a body part off of somethin' we killed," the cat demanded.

Bubb opened its maw, and the flies carried out of its mouth the severed foot of a goblin it had eaten earlier.  Space Pants took the foot and rubbed the bloody stump all over Erky's face and body, and then put the severed foot in his hand.  He dumped wine over the gnome, and took the last of Zumies' hallucinogenic mushrooms and stuffed them into his mouth.

"Goodbye horses," Alefgard hummed a tune to himself.  He looked to Edward.  "Should we supervise?"

"If we want Erky alive, that's probably a good idea."

Space Pants rapped a wooden stick on the table of the workbench.  Erky woke up with a start.  "Erky!" Space Pants shouted, "what did you do?!  You killed them all!  Oh my god-- look at you, you're covered in their blood!  You absolute animal!  What do you have to say for yourself?"

Erky looked around, drugged, delirious, and distressed.  "Huh?  Whassat?  ...No, you shot at me!  I got away, I got to the top of the rope... and then I took a break... and then your skeleton caught up to me!"

"No, we all saw it!  You went crazy and killed a whole bunch of people!  You're gonna need to tell the queen what you've done!"

"The queen??  N-- no, what, but I didn't--"

"We all saw you do it," said Edward.

"You think this is a game?" Alefgard chimed in.

Bubb, seeing that Erky had not yet been healed from his sword slashes, walked over to him and placed a hand over his wounds.  A swarm of flies crawled through the cracks in its armor and swarmed over the wounds, climbing inside and eating away at dead tissue before healing him completely.

"Ah... Ah ha hah..." Erky had a far away look in his eye.  He started looking around the ceiling, perhaps seeing something from the mushrooms, or perhaps trying desperately to hang on to his sanity as the flies feasted upon him helpfully.  "I don't remember... any of that... How many did I...?"

"We lost count, it was so many!" Space Pants threw his paws into the air.  "I don't know if I feel safe around you!  Now, we need to get some sleep, but you'd better stay right here and not try anything funny, you hear?"

Erky stammered an incoherent response.  To put icing on the cake, Space Pants cast Phantasmal Force to create an illusion in Erky's mind - the voice of none other than legendary bard Momuz Freeman, narrating Erky's every move and thought.

"Erky was in a fine pickle," the voice stated.  "He looked to his left.  He looked to his right.  He looked for a corner to hide in."

"Gah!  Don't tell them that part!" Erky shouted.

"What are you talking about?" Space Pants said, not able to hear the voice but knowing full well this was his foul play at work.  "Now shaddup and go to bed.  We need to figure out what to do with you, you murderer."

During the night, Edward had a strange dream.  He dreamt of himself identifying Hoarywaddled the Growls of Infamy, the Olivine idol of Zokun, but more specifically the engraving upon it of The Deified Furnace, the adamantine buckler supposedly forged at Severedcoils.  He saw a scene of dwarves pulling the buckler from a forge - a magnificent piece of expertly-worked blue metal - and a crowd of dwarves surrounding the forge in awe.


7 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

The next morning, Edward felt a weight in his bag.  He opened it up and found a stone tablet, with etchings in dwarven.  Recalling his dream, he got an idea and decided to perform the Identification ritual on it.  The tablet turned out to be magical - it enabled one etching onto it to write in real time as they went about their business, including the ability to write without looking at the tablet and to write fast enough to capture a conversation as it took place.  Additionally, the tablet reacted to the Identification magic and translated itself to common for him:


Finding it odd, the bard stashed the tablet for later consideration.  After they had packed up and prepared to venture out, they decided to visit Yusdrayl to report their findings.

"Ah!  The adventurers."  Yusdrayl sat on her throne of broken mortar as always.  "Did you find anything for me?"

"Yeah, we got this."  Space Pants handed over the sacrificial dagger they had recovered from the dragonpriest.

"Ah!  Yah ha ha!"  Yusdrayl took the dagger, stood on her chair and hopped from one foot to the other as she waved it around merrily.  "This is perfect!  Exactly what I was looking for!  Where did you find it?"

"We found it on the corpse of the dragonpriest we killed."

Yusdrayl stopped.  She stared down at Space Pants, narrowing her eyes while clutching the dagger tighter.  "You what-- wait.  You met a dragonpriest?  ...And you killed him??"

"He was already corrupted," Space Pants went on coolly, ignoring the kobold's aggression.  "Dude turned himself into a troll.  We found an inscription on the wall, said something about him being entombed alive for his transgressions, or whatever."

"Oh-- oh!"  Yusdrayl reacted with surprise.  "You met him!  I thought that was just a story... Well, good, then.  A smear on dragon history, that one!"  With that, Yusdrayl ducked behind her throne, and pulled out a collection of trinkets - a feather token with a charm of a tree on it, three spell scrolls, and a flask that appears to contain three doses of some type of elixir.  "Here - if you still intend to kill the goblins for us, take these!  They'll surely help you clear their den and return this holy site to dragonkind!"  Handing the items over, Yusdrayl snapped her claws at the guard standing near the door to the north.  "You - open the larders!  We shall celebrate with a feast!"

The kobold near the door obliged - and was immediately punctured by three arrows coming through the door!  Just after, two hobgoblins came barreling through the door, bellowing with fury, with a squad of goblins close behind in the room beyond.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sergei was already close at hand and stopped their approach, holding up his shield to block the next wave of arrows aimed in his direction.  Space Pants ordered Cutter to attack, and the skeleton waded in, cutting a slice out of the first hobgoblin's arm.  Yusdrayl cast Chromatic Sphere at another, attempting to douse it in acid, but missing.  Erky, too, stepped in, finding a bit more strength within himself than he had before, and cast Sacred Flame, scorching one with a bit of radiant energy.  Bubb ran up to the nearest goblin and cast Cause Wounds, hitting it with so much necrotic energy that the goblin simply melted into a pile of rot.  The two goblins behind it were sickened and terrified of the sight and tried to get away.  Zumies snuck in some hits from around the pillar, but the structure of the hallway made it difficult for others to get near the fight, especially as other kobolds stormed in to defend. 

As soon as it had started, the goblins were dispatched - all but one archer, who managed to escape through a rough, cave-like exit on the far wall of the store room.

"Those filthy goblins!"  Yusdrayl stamped her foot.  "They've gone too far!  The sooner they're all dead, the better!  You can use the path over there to strike at them directly - but mind the pit trap on the other side of that door."

"Or, we could go around the back way again and finish exploring the areas we missed," ratNAROk said.  "It stands to reason we've already cleared out some of their defenses there."

"Yes, but we rested a night," said Sergei.  "They've had time to reinforce.  Let us not be too hasty, and take our time to decide."
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 09:14:10 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils

KenboCalrissian

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: The Sunken Citadel (40d - DnD Sunless Citadel Conversion)
« Reply #14 on: December 11, 2021, 02:52:52 pm »

7 Malachite, 212, Mid-Summer
=============

"Well, which way should we go?" ratNAROk was anxious for more slaying.

"Let's see if we can find where they came from."  Zumies ventured deeper into the room where the goblins and hobgoblins had come out of.  There appeared to be three rooms connected, all full of barrels and crates stuffed with foul-smelling food - half-rotting rat and cow carcasses and mushrooms picked from deep within a cave suggested the feast that was promised might not have been too appetizing. 

In the back of the west room, an opening in the wall lead into a rough cave system.  It was through here that the goblin archer had escaped.  Scanning the ground, Zumies found the start of the goblin's trail - a few scuff marks through the mud - but the path soon turned to bare stone, and split off into three different paths.  It was impossible to know which way the goblin had gone from here.

Yusdrayl grew impatient.  "What are you doing?  There's nothing down there, those are our hunting grounds.  You're wasting time, you can get to the goblins either through the back way where you went before, or through that door over to the east of this chamber!"

"Oh, really?"  Space Pants cast Detect Thoughts, scanning Yusdrayl's surface thoughts to see if she was hiding anything.  "I'm so close to owning the Citadel!" her thoughts began.  "These guys might actually clean out the goblins, leaving the place for us to dominate!  But if they get lost... I don't know how the goblins got to us through those caves, but I know there's big nasties in there.  They'll slip up, get killed, and then I'll lose my shot at taking over!"

Space Pants called out into the cave, "Keep going, Zumies, you're almost there!"

By now, Zumies had caught on to the troublesome cat's disposition - particularly towards his half-elven nature - and realized that if the cat says to keep going, it's time to turn back.  As he was returning, a fly flit by his head, glowing with a Light spell, and flew off down one of the paths to explore.

"So we just go through this door, yeah?" ratNAROk pointed at the door in the northeast.  "Do we need that key we found on the troll?"

Yusdrayl cocked her head.  "My guard will let you through.  Wait, what key?  Show me."

Reluctantly, Zumies withdrew the key with the roaring dragon's head and outstretched wings.  Yusdrayl's eyes turned wide.  "I don't believe it... that's a Noble's key!  The nobility of the dragon priests had their quarters on a floor that is guarded with a magic lock.  During the calamity that brought the citadel beneath the earth, the nobility of the dragon priests cordoned themselves off and barricaded themselves in an attempt to escape the calamity.  I know not where the door is, it must be on the goblin's side... but only those of high rank had those keys.  Chances are, whatever's behind that door hasn't been seen or disturbed in over a hundred years.  First dibs on whatever treasure awaits... but who knows what else is in there?"

"Alright, I'm goin' then," ratNAROk said.  He opened the door to the northeast of the corridor, leading to a small room.  "Meepo, there's a trap in here, yeah?  Where is it?"

"Oh!" the kobold replied, "The first step is safe.  Next step, pit trap - like the others, there's a two-foot wide catwalk down the middle you can cross safely."

ratNAROk crossed the trap, and opened the door on the other side.  "Ah- more bushes, piled up in front of the next door!"

"Gee, that's not suspicious," said Bubb.

Without hesitation, ratNAROk walked up and stabbed one of the bushes.  It recoiled and thrashed about, causing the four other bushes around it to stir.  As suspected, they were twig blights!

Sergei and Edward moved in to strike down the blights.  Space Pants lit a torch, handed it to Cutter, and ordered him to attack.  The skeleton obliged, setting a twig blight alight and reducing it to kindling.

Erky came in behind the party and saw the melee.  All that had transpired for him over the past day - his predicament being caught stuck with these dangerous hooligans, his futile attempt at escape - had weighed on him during their last rest.  He questioned his purpose, the path that Thrathdad the Morals of Authority had placed him on.  All he knew was that in order to survive, he would need to adapt.

Erky locked eyes with the first goblin he saw.  He raised his holy symbol, and recited an incantation with more fervor than ever before.  The goblin was caught completely unaware and at the mercy of Sacred Flame, totally failing his attempt to resist, and Erky drew deeper than ever into the divine for critical damage.  The goblin was completely engulfed in white flame, turning to ash in seconds.

The party stopped to look at the gnome.  His jaw set squarely, he said only two words: "Erky... Berserky."

"Yes, good!" Space Pants urged, an evil smile playing on his lips.  "Let the hate flow through you."

Alerted by the sound of combat, the door on the west wall opened, revealing a squad of goblins lead by a few hobgoblins.  One of the hobgoblins pointed and shouted in goblin, "Attack!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Space Pants shouted back in goblin, "Bring it on, you ugly animal!"

"I'll grind you into a paste and chew you up!" said the hobgoblin.

"Yeah?  Good luck catching us."

Edward called out, "Alefgard, now!"  He cast Sleep on the goblins, clustered up on the other side of the door, and knocked three of them unconscious.  Alefgard followed up with an Ice Knife into the center of the group, the sleeping goblins taking the full brunt of the ice shards exploding from the bolt.  Most of the troops fell from that attack, but the hobgoblins remained.

"Hyaah!!"  ratNAROk raged in, his fur glowing a brilliant gold as divine energy radiated through him, and one of the hobgoblins fell before him.  However, the other two took advantage, getting on either side and flanking him.  They were able to put him off balance such that when one of them landed a hit with its longsword, the blade cut deeper, almost felling the mousefolk.  Thankfully, the second missed, even with its advantage.

Bubb's metal body went motionless as the whole swarm of flies came out and landed upon one of the goblins, gnawing and feasting on its flesh, while Sergei held the front line.  With another push, the party overran the remaining hobgoblins, putting the fight to rest.

Searching the bodies, Zumies made an incredibly lucky find - one of the hobgoblins was wearing a horn on its belt, an oxen horn of exceptional quality.  Edward also spotted a few platinum coins at the bottom of a well in the room. 

As Edward took some time to Identify the horn, Space Pants climbed down into the well.  The well was not very deep, but it was fed by an underground river.  It appeared the well was built into an eddy around a bend, so water flowed freely in and out of the channel that fed the well.  Space Pants fired a crossbow bolt with a rope tied to it, and stuck it to the ceiling to keep himself tethered.  There was a current that threatened to pull him under, but Space Pants had no trouble swimming to the bottom and obtaining three platinum coins.

The horn, it turned out, was a Horn of Silent Alarm - a horn that, when blown, can only be heard by a single target.  Unsure what to do with it for now, they pocketed the device.  They still had a few items given to them by Yusdrayl that had not yet been identified - some scrolls, the feather token, and a potion - but those would take additional time, and the party was eager to get moving.  Oddly, as the party left, Bubb did not return to its metal frame, instead flying free as a swarm.

The next room featured a double row of marble columns, with entwined dragons carved into them.  Torches along the walls burned and filled the room with a haze.  There were many doors in this hall, including one of olivine to the west, and one of obsidian in the center north.  The obsidian door bore a mark of a dragon with its mouth open and wings outstretched over the handle.

"Hey, that looks like the key we found on the troll.  Let's see if it fits."  Zumies tried the key - the lock clicked, and the door swung open.  Behind it was a dusty stairway leading down.  A chilling, haunting hiss echoed up the stairs.

"Creepy," said Meepo.

"Well, are we going down?" asked Zumies.

"I'd kinda like to check these other doors first," said ratNAROk.  "Let's see what's behind these others first."

ratNAROk opened the door to the left of the stairway, revealing a hallway full of giant rats.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Bubb immediately flew in and set upon the nearest rat, picking away at its flesh.  The other rats backed away in terror.  ratNAROk followed close behind, and listened to what the rats were saying.  "Feast?  Feast?" some were squeaking, while others, "Fear!  Fear!"

ratNAROk addressed them in squeakspeak.  "You want a feast?  Try eating goblin!  Plenty of them to go around."

The rats looked at each other, and squeaked in appeasement.  "Feast!  Feast!  The goblins shall be our feast!"

The rats ran off down the hallway.  ratNAROk followed a short way, and found that the rats were piling up against another door of olivine at the end of the hall.

"Look at that," said Sergei.  "They think goblins are food, and they think there's food in there... which means, there must be goblins in there!"

"Oh yeah?  I've got an answer for that!"  Overnight, Zumies had figured out the secrets of magic, adding an arcane layer to his subterfuge.  He cast Mage Hand, and used it to reach out over the rats and open the door.

The rats poured into the room.  Shrieks and cries from goblins - including women and children - bounced off the walls down the hall.  The hungry rats set upon the goblins in seconds, tearing into them in a furry feeding frenzy.

"Watch this room be like the goblin elementary school or something awful," Bubb said with concern.

"I hope so!" said Meepo.

"Uh oh," said Sergei, "I think we found their home.  Do we really want to kill commoners?"

Without waiting for a reply, Zumies walked up to the nearest goblin - who was unarmed and trembling - and stuck his rapier through its chest.

"Well, that answers that," said Edward.  "The only good goblin's a dead goblin!"

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Most of the goblins were running away, out a door to the east which lead into the hazy double-columned room they were in before.  About a dozen more came forward to defend with swords and bows, but had to contend with the rats first before reaching the party.  During the commotion, a goblin stepped out of the round room in the northwest corner - a shaman, by her looks.  She carried a staff with a skull on top and wore a crown of antlers.  Seeing the carnage, she slammed the door shut, and could be heard screaming, "Durnn, we're under attack!  Help us!"

"Durnn..." Meepo perked up.  "The chieftain of the Durbuluk tribe!  We're taking him on head-on!"

"Tell him to come on out, I've got something for him!"  Alefard pulled out a sack, and withdrew a ball of fur from it.  He through the ball into the room and it transformed into an axebeak - a large bird with a powerful beak, hence the name - and immediately started pecking its way through the goblin horde.

"Erky... Berserky... Erky... Berserky... Erky!!... Berserky!!  Rraghablarghablarghablah!!" 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Erky smashed his fists against his skull and let out a crazed howl.  In a full blown rage, he ran into the fray, disregarding his deity and his own safety in favor of lashing out recklessly with his scimitar.

Space Pants grinned as he saw the opportunity for mischief.  He turned to Edward the bard and said, "Look away, you're not gonna want to sing about this part."  He then ventured back, to where he saw the goblin commoners running out.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Hey!" Space Pants called out, while simultaneously casting Charm on the goblin in the lead.  "There's a way out under the well!  That's how I got here.  You guys should go jump into that well and swim out of here!"

The goblin paused only briefly to consider what Space Pants had said, but in its panic, it didn't seem able to focus on the words.  The spell having failed, Space Pants yawned.  "Lame.  Alright, Cutter, do your thing."

Wordlessly, the skeleton complied, cutting down the goblin commoner in the lead.  The others behind screamed, but with nowhere else to go, continued stampeding through the hall.  The battle raged on inside the goblin's home, while Space Pants thought of another way to toy with those escaping.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 09:14:52 am by KenboCalrissian »
Logged
I've never tried it and there's a good chance it could make them freak out.
Do it.
Severedcoils - the Baron Consort accumulation challenge
Severedcoils II: The Reckoning - a DnD 5e Adventure set in the world of Severedcoils
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5