Tieflings and Kender and Goblins, OH MY!

Our third session already! Time certainly does fly, especially when you're having fun, and fun is something that we certainly have not been lacking. It's been really interesting to see what D&D is like. So far so good and I have plenty of hopes for our campaign. I'm sure it'll only get better as we go along. I even have plans to start my own campaign, but that's for another blog.

Before I give you the update on our third session, I should mention that we were joined by a further two players. Chris (another one) and Kujax were meant to join us from the beginning, but due to constraints, they couldn't make it. After working them into the third session, Chris (our GM) was happy to have them join us without the story being disturbed. I'll leave the run downs of the new characters for the following blog, but they join about mid way through our update.

So we rejoin our heroes back at the Box Puzzle. For those of you who can't remember, the puzzle was as follows...

A large plaque on the altar reads:

“One box leads to Salvation! Three lead to death! Two tell lies and two tell the truth!”

Below are the four boxes, each with their own plaque. Reading from left to right, these read:


The Box Puzzle!



“I am not trapped!”

“You don't want to open me!”

“I am trapped!”

“The statement on box number one is false!”

After a few squabbles, numerous brainstorms and general idiocy on Lox' part, Isosceles approached the boxes and used the Blue Crystal Staff to poke around. Nothing happened. No reaction from the boxes or the staff. In agreement, the friends decide to open Box no.2. Isosceles, again, cautiously approached and slowly opened the second box.

Instantly, a large purple, vortex like portal appeared on the wall. Our heroes were confused. What did this mean? Had they passed? Had they failed? They went forward, finding that the portal meant them no harm when they passed through. They were out of the dungeon!

Our heroes found themselves to be in a well kept room with several bookshelves and a table against the far wall with chairs surrounding it. Above it, a large window, which showed the outside world. Large towers and buildings, made of marble, gleamed in the sunshine. In the corner, a large sheet was covering something. Isosceles walks over, seeing no sign of any other apart from her friends in the room, and unveils a large mirror. She looks closer into the mirror. She sees a battle. A war of demons. Apparitions and figures frantically killing and maiming. Wielding weapons of fire and shields made of skin. Death was all that the mirror depicted. A large horned figure looks towards Isosceles, as if seeing her through the mirror. It turns and makes towards her. Isosceles freezes. She can't move. Lox, seeing what is happening, starts to make his way to cover the mirror, only to be pushed aside by someone who he does not recognise. The figure covers the mirror and turns to his guests. Lox, finding this somewhat rude, looks around to see a massive statue like man, plated in some of the best armour he had ever seen. Easily 9'5 feet in height, Lox still thought he could take him.

Elric's Room!

Introducing himself as Elric Dravan, the elf explained him self. He told our heroes how the Box Puzzle was a test, that we had passed and the purple portal took us from the Dungeon in Xak-Tsaroth, to his private quarters in Daltigoth, a city which lay on the southern isle of Ergoth. When Isosceles mentions the mirror, Elric merely shrugs it off and calls it a project he’s working on. Concerned, our heroes listened to what he had to say. Elric has a series of jobs that he wished them to do. As an Ambassador to the Elven King, he had a few trade agreements that needed delivering to other cities on the main land. Promised with payment, our heroes agree, but only after explaining that they have an job to do themselves. After their story, Elric agrees to allow his son, the 9’5 foot, armoured ogre, to go with them. Known only as “Dark Knight”, Elric confirms that he was adopted at a young age and that he never spoke. Regardless, our companions were glad of the company. After discussing several things and learning his lesson, Lox asks for some rope. With a nod from the elf, Dark Knight vanished and quickly returned with 50 foot of rope. Lox was pleased.

Minty asked about the Dragon and the White Stag. Elric tells them he presumes that the Stag is merely folklore, but the Dragon is something he can help with. He tells them of the Dragon. A vast beast of the Black strain. Its cave has an opening at the top, allowing it to come and go as it wishes, and the cave is vast enough to allow it to take flight while within. Being a Black Dragon, Elric warns the heroes that it does not breathe fire, but instead spits an intense acid, which would melt pretty much anything.

The Prison!

With that being said, they gather their things and venture back through the portal. However, instead of finding themselves within the same room as before, they find themselves within a vast corridor. They realise that they must be back within the dungeons of Xak-Tsaroth and with only one way to go, they continue on their way. As they venture deeper, they all become aware of dim sounds of metal against rock. Rough guttural speech is also heard, but due to how quiet it is, they pay in no conernDragonkin guard wakes up from a nap, and grabs his weapon before charging. With Lox, Dominic and Dark Knight both charge the Dragonkin, allowing the others to discover the locked cells. It was a prison! Within three of the cells, figures emerged from the shadows and looked with hope. A Goblin, Kender and a Tiefling. Minty went to work. The Kender was released first, then the Tiefling and the Goblin following. Not having time to talk, they quickly assisted in the killing of the guard, which gave the biggest of the group a little more trouble than they liked to admit. Covering the fighters in gore, the Dragonkin exploded.

Amidst the sudden calm, our heroes started asking questions. It becomes apparent that the Goblin can’t speak common, and so, Lox enters a long discussion with him. After a while, Lox reveals that he knows this creature. When Lox was a slave, he was taught how to speak Goblin by the very one standing in front of him in exchange with dealing with most of the heavy work that the Orcs had the slaves undertake. Lox vowed that the Goblin was trustworthy. The Tiefling didn’t talk, and the Kender didn’t reveal much either. When asked of why they were here, none of the three wanted to answer. All of them, obviously, far to shocked at their release and all the new faces. Isosceles and Minty took to tending to them. Cleaning and dressing the wounds that covered their bodies. Strong enough to walk and bear arms, Lox tossed a spare blade to the Tiefling Rogue and with that, they went on their way.

Room after room after room. That’s what it felt like. Twisting corridors led to the last and only door they had seen in these lower levels following the purple portal. Entering the room, they come across another guard. Lox charged, tripped and almost toppled into a large pot like object, that was hung by a chain. This pot was suspended above a large pit. On the other side of the room, he could see a large chain going down into another pit. A pulley system! Gaining back his balance, he turned just in time to avoid the Dragonkin guard. Swinging his axe, he kills it in one blow. The guard turning to stone and falling into the pot. With that, the pot began to slowly descend.

Lox led the way. Being heavy enough on his own and using the stone body of the guard as a counterweight, he got into the pot and it started to lower down into the depths. At the bottom, more Gully Dwarves, which of course, ran as soon as possible. Getting out, the pot started to rise once again. Over about a couple of hours, the others had joined Lox and they decided to rest for a while. It was a large pit, with a door on the far wall. It was evident that the noises they had heard had come from this pit. Scattered all around were mining equipment and tools. It was then they attacked. Taking our heroes by surprise, five Dragonkin, heavily armoured, rushed through the door. It was rather short. Lox taking down two with ease, and the others taking down the rest, including a rather nice shot from Minty, who sent one flying with a new piercing between his eyes.



The Dragon!*



Seeing as they were up and ready, they went through the door. Another long corridor lead to another door. This one was pristine. As if new? Venturing through, they came across the very thing they had been aiming for. Colossal wings and a winding tail. Claws and spines on every toe and it’s teeth, as if polished, shined in the dim light. The Dragon was asleep. Hordes of treasure everywhere you looked. If our heroes got out alive, they would be walking away with empty pockets, as gold was nothing in this world now. Only Lox smiled, eyeing up the Dragon. Remembering what the statue had told her, Isosceles stepped forward. Filled with inspiration, she did not waver. The Dragon stirred. Peering an eye, as if it couldn’t be bothered with her. It lifted its head and let out a huge yawn. Isosceles stood silent. They were staring each other down. The Dragon had no time for these tiny creatures. Mere ants it thought.

“Give us the Disks of Mishakal beast!”

Nothing.

“The disks, Dragon! Where are they?!”

The Dragons looked at her. With one action, it tilted it’s neck and let out a spew of acid. Our heroes jumped aside, thinking the worst. Lox, enraged, charged. As did Dominic and Dark Knight. Through the grime, Isosceles stood, surrounded by a faint light. Just in the nick of time she had cast a Shield of Faith, protecting her from the acid. She got to her feet and in the havoc, ran at the Dragon with the Blue Crystal Staff poised for a precise blow.

A flash of light, the Dragon fell, blasting everyone onto their backs and Isosceles was gone.

Our heroes panicked! Where had she gone. There was no blood, no sign of torn clothing. Gone. Vanished.

Lox, seeing no point in wasting time, began to skin the giant, winged lizard. Four rolls of Dragon Plated Skin. He began prying the teeth and claws from the beast. The other looked on as in disbelief. Just seconds ago, their dear friends had vanished, and here was the Half-Orc going about things like nothing happened. Once done, Lox merely looked up and smiled. He put his prizes into his bags, and sat down for a well needed rest.

As you can imagine, stopping here was no easy thing to do. People have lives to return to and so, we had to. A good cliff-hanger I feel. Will they find Isosceles? Who knows?

Stay tuned and keep on rollin'!

*No Geckos (Gizmo) were harmed in the making of this Blog.