It had been a month since the group had gotten together so they were pumped to play. One of the players came late but arrived in time for the Draco fight. Since it is summer, I did tell my daughter that they could have some after dinner meetings during the warmer months if they wanted.
Write up follows:
We revisited the revolving room after trudging our way back through the Usimagarian hallways, and checked our listing of visited directions once more. We felt comfortable that we would check out the North West hall first and then go to the north one and eventually down to the 4th level. So we all piled in, pressed the button, and swayed as the room rotated and ended up 1 doorway over.
We opened the door and looked out; the hall went a short distance and then turned at a 45 degree angle heading off into the dark. The walls and ceiling were once again painted black and sported little white paint spots to resemble stars and the night sky. However, the paint wasn’t as fresh, neither was the hall clean – there was a staleness to the air, and the scent of something like dry dirt.
The group took a long time checking over the hall for any traps as well as secret doors, finding none. So it was with great care that they moved down the long hall. According to their light, it was well over 50’ long and the paint job became shabbier and chipped the further the group went. Finally, Delsin had crept up to the door and gave it a listen, his fingers resting on the knob. From within he could hear some crunching sounds followed by a meaty gulping noise.
Disturbed and exhibiting great care, he twisted the knob slightly and was then dismayed to hear a “thunk” on the other side of the door as he pulled the now broken knob out of the door and held it in surprise. And then he heard something heavy move within followed by some deep grunting.
The group all ran back down the hall and hid behind the corner, peering carefully around. At first there was nothing, and then the door opened slightly and closed again. It did it twice more, each time opening up a bit more until a VERY large lizard-like snout pushed its way out and sniffled around. We stayed silent until it went back and the door closed once again.
We discussed whether we should remain in the area, go back to the revolving room and head north, or take the fight to the giant lizard. It was talked about at length, with plans being hatched, changed, altered, and refined for some time.
We took 3 flasks of oil and poured it on the floor 2/3rd of the way down the hall. Delsin lit a torch while the rest of us took our missile weapons out and got ready. And then we made a crap load of noise and were banging swords on shields and yelling.
The lizard came back to the door, and pushed it open, snarling as it hit the hallway. It stood almost 4’ tall at the shoulder, was 6’ long and had a 10’ tail behind it. Its mouth was a double row of canines and there were flaps of skin running between its legs and body. The draco-form then roared and charged down at us. Safir’s arrow struck it in the shoulder and it bounced free, Mark’s sling stone sailed over and rebounded off its skull, and Volkan’s dagger ricocheted too high and was stuck in the ceiling.
But the damned thing was fast, faster than we expected, and it was barreling towards the group too quick for them to really get another and more successful round of missile fire. So Delsin tossed the torch early and it hit the oil…bounced…and then set it on fire. He drew his sword and stepped forward to hold the Draco-form off a few precious seconds.
The lizard hit the oil, skittering on the stone floor as it tried to stop, failing as it soared through the burning oil, splashing flames everywhere. It screamed and hissed as it skated forward, its skin popping and burning, the stink of its flaming body making the party gag. Daggers went flying, arrows soared, a solid shot with a sling stone and the damned draco-form was unfazed, clawing it way to Delsin who met it with shield and sword. It was still on fire and the damned beast should have died – but was STILL standing. In fact its claws slammed Delsin back and tore the front of his breastplate wide open. The Draco caught Delsin’s swinging sword in its mouth and bit down, sundering the steel! Our fighter screamed as he was eviscerated, blood pooling about as his chest was torn to shreds. He hit the ground with a gurgling cry and his eyes were going blank.
So Safir and Volkan continued to pour every missile weapon they could on the Draco-form who was staggering but still coming for us. With Delsin down and dying, Mark tried to get close enough to offer aid but the lizard wasn’t letting him. It bit and chewed at the cleric, slicing and cutting at him, while Mark was lying about with the Mace of Gorm. The enchanted weapon was leaving blue sparks of light about and then everything lined up just right. Mark brought the weapon around in a wide arc just as the Draco-form was coming back in an effort to bite him – and the two met with a spray of blue sparks and a crack of thunder.
The Draco-form had fallen over, it’s head stove in from the impact. The rest of the party pulled Delsin free of the fallen lizard and Volkan…begrudgingly…gave up his healing potion in order to bring Delsin back to consciousness and the positive side of the hit point total.
Bandages were spread about and we took in Delsin breastplate, helping him back into it and noting that he wasn’t as well defended in the busted armor. With nothing else to wear, he laced it as tight as he could and would keep his eye out for something else to replace it with.
We stepped around the Draco and went down to the end chamber, peering in. It was a ceremonial chamber but it had fallen to disrepair. There were some tapestries but they had grown faded and worn; an altar was on the far end of the room, a partially eaten human wearing leather was lying behind it. The group checked out the room, finding the devoured body still had a water skin on him as well as a pack with some lock picks, some money, and had 2 daggers – one of which was silvered steel.
As for the altar, the chalice and candle holders were well maintained and carved wood – but nothing else. We spent a long time looking around the chamber for any secret doors and found none, eventually heading back to the hall. The group then carved into the draco-form, taking 5’ of its tail, one of its fangs, and even an eye-ball for some reason.
It was about 10 after 2 when we went back to the revolving room and took the northern passage. It went a long distance and ended at a “T” intersection. Safir let us know that the right passage went off to the 4th level. So we went left instead and checked it out. The hall went for a while and then turned left again – ending at a door.
Once satisfied the door was not trapped, Volkan opened it and we looked in. It was a store room with shelves on 3 of the walls; a few of them had wooden crates. Patches of yellow fungus were growing everywhere. The decision was made to check them out, Volkan heading first. He went up to one of them but the fungus nearest him swelled up and compressed, sending choking spores everywhere. He staggered back; eyes clenched shut as he tried to make it to the exit but fell over gasping and passed out.
Delsin and Mark pulled him through the door and washed off his dusty face with the extra water skin. Then Delsin took out a torch, lit it, and went into the chamber, setting each patch of yellow fungus alight. It took some time but they were all burned inert and Volkan woke up feeling sheepish. The boxes had nothing of value in them and we closed everything up, heading back to the “T” intersection and going right this time.
There was a door again at the end of a long hall and Mark for some reason knocked on the door and yelled out “Hello!” We all looked at him and then behind us, we heard a raspy voice call out, “Hello? Wait for us!”
Shit, we attracted some wandering monsters! A flask of oil was tossed to the floor as the group spread out. And circling the corner were a half dozen larger goblinoid figures with broad shoulders and spikey orange hair. Hobgoblins! Crap.
They didn’t trust us, we didn’t trust them, and when it came time, they hurled axes at the group before drawing swords to step forward and hit us. But Volkan called out a sleep spell and let the magic fly – dropping all 6 of the hobgoblins! We wasted no time in dispatching the sleeping foes and killed them all; taking the few coins they had on them as payment and then reminded Mark to “shut the hell up”.
We opened the chamber and looked in. It was fairly well desecrated, most of the statuary ruined, the altars smashed in. Zargon was scrawled on the walls in places and there were symbols of a single eye rather prevalent. The south end of the room had a section of the floor that was cordoned off with its own railing, and when any weight was put upon it, it sloped down and into the darkness – heading off to the 4th level.
2 comments:
I feel like B4 should have a whole mini-campaign associated with it. Like, it should go deeper, and maybe there are many pyramids like it in the area.
It does! The levels 6-9 are pretty high level and hairy, and Cyndecia itself has seeds for an entire campaign down there with lots to do - pretty much a city, you know, Lost City! I've had at least one campaign in the past stay down there and by the time we left, were well on our way to 6th level.
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