409 - Jun 21
June 21 1400 hours.
Having vanquished four Kobolds and their Barbarian Kobold leader, Aileil noticed a secret door to the south. While Hester and the wolf watched the passage heading off to the east (and the wolf still seemed to be seeing or smelling something sinister in that passage) Aradec boldly opened the door and revealed a passage leading to an intersection heading south west and south east. The observant Rogue noticed a pressure plate at the entrance to the intersection. Taryyn decided to toss a dead Kobold onto the pressure plate to see what happened. What happened was that the muscle-bound oaf missed the pressure plate. Undeterred the bold Elven Warblade tossed another Kobold and this time hit. The intersection disappeared in a cloud of flying darts which emanated from cunningly concealed holes in the passage walls. The party stood in nervous silence contemplating how awful it would have been to stand in the middle of that blizzard of death.
Aradec, taking care to avoid the pressure plate, examined the intersection. The south west passage led to three narrow passages (two and a half foot wide each) which on closer inspection proved to be festooned with webs, The south east passage led to another intersection branching off to the east and south.
Aradec moved up to the cobweb passage and an attempt was made to lure any denizens out with a lump of meat. This proved entirely successful as a swarm of leprous mottled gray small spiders burst out of the central passage. Realising that special tactics were needed to deal with spider swarms, the party fell back and prepared oil flasks and torches. A second swarm emerged from the cobwebs and Taryyn and Aradec were soon beset. Aradec took a number of nasty bites and soon began to feel enfeebled and also suffered damage from the myriad of bites. Taryyn managed to shake off the effects of poison but also suffered from the bites. Eventually the vicious vermin were dispatched.
While this was happening Hester noticed a Kobold crouched in the corridor leading off to the east doing something on the floor. He loosed aroows at it, but missed and the vile creature fled. It was later discovered that the Kobold had strewn caltrops.
Ailel then got busy rigging up a caltrop trap at the doorway to the chamber leading to the east. He then turned his impressive Healing skills to treating Aradec and managed to prevent the poison in his system from making him any weaker.
The party moved off and took the south passage. They came upon a chamber with its doorway blocked by a crude stone wall behind which a Kobold could be seen crouching. Hester tried to fill him with arrows but the cowardly reptile ducked out of sight. A curious stick then appeared poking over the top of the wall.
Impatient to be at the Kobold, Taryyn bravely moved towards the wall. As he moved down the passage a net suddenly dropped on him from the ceiling. As it wrapped around him, he noticed a series of niches above him. To his horror four pots suddenly tipped over and the Warblade was drenched in oil. The unmistakeable sound of a flint being struck could be heard coming from behind the wall accompanied by snickering.
Alaricus rushed into the corridor to rescue Taryyn. As he did so, a Kobold appeared behind the wall wielding a lit torch. As the Kobold prepared the toss the torch, Alaricus turned its brain to goo by blasting it with psionic lethalness. Giving a strangled cry, the Kobold collapsed.
Aleil accompanied by his canine friend rushed the wall while Aradec and Alaricus struggled to free Taryyn.
As the doughty Druid clambered over the wall he saw a small chamber containing eight Kobolds (one lying flat on his back with blood streaming from his nose, ears and eyes). One Kobold scrabbled for the dropped lit torch. Another ran shrieking down a narrow passage to the south. The remaining six surged forward to try and skewer the Druid.
A furious melee ensued. A Kobold attempted to fling the torch at Taryyn and Aielel prepared to bat the burning brand back with his shield, but this proved unnecessary as the Kobold had the throwing skills of an arthritic sloth and merely succeeded in throwing the torch straight up in the air and narrowly avoided braining himself with his own missile. Taryyn, Aileil and the wolf engaged the Kobolds in melee while Alaricus, Hester and Aradec sniped with their bows. It was murder really and the Kobolds soon fell.
Ignoring his envenomed feeble state, the heroic Aradec passed down the narrow passage and beheld a narrow rope bridge spanning 20' across a 20' deep chasm. As he neared it a spear trap was sprung and the Rogue gasped as a spear slammed into his shoulder. On the other side of the bridge, a snickering Kobold could be seen hiding. Hester, in a stunning display of prowess, put two arrows into the wretch. The Kobold emitted a strangled gurgle and fell from view.
Aradec crossed the bridge and detected another spear trap triggered by a loose flagstone. Displaying an increasingly impressive trap-disabling proficiency, he neutralised the trap (Alilel collected the spear and the spring mechanism that was designed to propel it).
The party crossed the bridge and came to another chamber with no apparent exit. As they crossed the bridge they noted that the snickering Kobold lay in a small trench with two arrows protruding from his corpse.
Taryyn noticed a secret door in the east wall. While he examined it, a slot suddenly opened and a small nozzle poked out and poured a warm sticky liquid onto Taryyn's face which adhered to the wall. Taryyn pulled his face off the wall, removing a layer of skin in the process. Bleeding and in considerable pain, the somewhat dazed Elf heard more snickering coming from the slot, which promptly snapped shut.
The party moved through the door. Aradec noticed the floor looked odd, as if it was a drawing. Reverting to tried and true tactics, the party tossed another Kobold ahead of them. The body fell through a cunningly crafted paper floor into a trench 3' wide and 10' long which appeared to be filled with the same glue that afflicted Taryyn. The party moved down another passage which ended at a blank wall. Aradec moved up and checked the wall and found another secret door. He also heard very loud breathing.
The party opened the door and found themselves in a moderate sized well appointed chamber with a passage heading off to the north. In the chamber was a large monitor lizard and a very cranky looking Duergar Cleric. A Kobold, holding a curious waterskin with a nozzle stood at the northern exit.
The party swung into action. Taryyn took on the lizard and dealt it a fearsome blow. The reptile hissed in rage and retaliated by delivering a vicious bite. The Kobold fled to the north bleating loudly. The Duergar vanished (a worrying development).
Aielel and his furry friend moved into the room (Aliel receiving a nasty bite from the lizard in the process) and blocked the north exit. Taryyn continued his grim battle with the lizard while Alaricus blasted the lizard which clearly was hurt by the mind thrusts.
Vincenzo unleashed a Colour Spray spell which dazzled the lizard. Having got the magic business out of the way, the Wizard resorted to his favourite tactic and, brandishing a dagger, hurled himself at the lizard. The dazed reptile never saw the dagger coming as it plunged into its eye. Bellowing piteously the lizard crumpled.
The Duergar suddenly appeared next to Ailel holding a scroll and a flail. The Druid and wolf delivered vicius attacks and Alaricus blasted the Duergar with a psionic attack. The Cleric read off a spell at Ailel, but it failed to have any effect though the Druid did feal a momentary sense of unreasoning panic. The Duergar was clearly not having a good day as the combined attacks felled him.
The party looted the room finding several items on the Duergar. On a desk they also found a piece of vellum with a runic inscription. This proved to be a transcript of the "Rune Stone of Fury" presumably taken off one of the rune stones. Also on the desk was some sort of odd looking stone.
At the point the party was feeling rather battered and fatigued. It was decided to leave the caves and hide in the forest to recuperate.
June 21 1600 hours
Having vanquished four Kobolds and their Barbarian Kobold leader, Aileil noticed a secret door to the south. While Hester and the wolf watched the passage heading off to the east (and the wolf still seemed to be seeing or smelling something sinister in that passage) Aradec boldly opened the door and revealed a passage leading to an intersection heading south west and south east. The observant Rogue noticed a pressure plate at the entrance to the intersection. Taryyn decided to toss a dead Kobold onto the pressure plate to see what happened. What happened was that the muscle-bound oaf missed the pressure plate. Undeterred the bold Elven Warblade tossed another Kobold and this time hit. The intersection disappeared in a cloud of flying darts which emanated from cunningly concealed holes in the passage walls. The party stood in nervous silence contemplating how awful it would have been to stand in the middle of that blizzard of death.
Aradec, taking care to avoid the pressure plate, examined the intersection. The south west passage led to three narrow passages (two and a half foot wide each) which on closer inspection proved to be festooned with webs, The south east passage led to another intersection branching off to the east and south.
Aradec moved up to the cobweb passage and an attempt was made to lure any denizens out with a lump of meat. This proved entirely successful as a swarm of leprous mottled gray small spiders burst out of the central passage. Realising that special tactics were needed to deal with spider swarms, the party fell back and prepared oil flasks and torches. A second swarm emerged from the cobwebs and Taryyn and Aradec were soon beset. Aradec took a number of nasty bites and soon began to feel enfeebled and also suffered damage from the myriad of bites. Taryyn managed to shake off the effects of poison but also suffered from the bites. Eventually the vicious vermin were dispatched.
While this was happening Hester noticed a Kobold crouched in the corridor leading off to the east doing something on the floor. He loosed aroows at it, but missed and the vile creature fled. It was later discovered that the Kobold had strewn caltrops.
Ailel then got busy rigging up a caltrop trap at the doorway to the chamber leading to the east. He then turned his impressive Healing skills to treating Aradec and managed to prevent the poison in his system from making him any weaker.
The party moved off and took the south passage. They came upon a chamber with its doorway blocked by a crude stone wall behind which a Kobold could be seen crouching. Hester tried to fill him with arrows but the cowardly reptile ducked out of sight. A curious stick then appeared poking over the top of the wall.
Impatient to be at the Kobold, Taryyn bravely moved towards the wall. As he moved down the passage a net suddenly dropped on him from the ceiling. As it wrapped around him, he noticed a series of niches above him. To his horror four pots suddenly tipped over and the Warblade was drenched in oil. The unmistakeable sound of a flint being struck could be heard coming from behind the wall accompanied by snickering.
Alaricus rushed into the corridor to rescue Taryyn. As he did so, a Kobold appeared behind the wall wielding a lit torch. As the Kobold prepared the toss the torch, Alaricus turned its brain to goo by blasting it with psionic lethalness. Giving a strangled cry, the Kobold collapsed.
Aleil accompanied by his canine friend rushed the wall while Aradec and Alaricus struggled to free Taryyn.
As the doughty Druid clambered over the wall he saw a small chamber containing eight Kobolds (one lying flat on his back with blood streaming from his nose, ears and eyes). One Kobold scrabbled for the dropped lit torch. Another ran shrieking down a narrow passage to the south. The remaining six surged forward to try and skewer the Druid.
A furious melee ensued. A Kobold attempted to fling the torch at Taryyn and Aielel prepared to bat the burning brand back with his shield, but this proved unnecessary as the Kobold had the throwing skills of an arthritic sloth and merely succeeded in throwing the torch straight up in the air and narrowly avoided braining himself with his own missile. Taryyn, Aileil and the wolf engaged the Kobolds in melee while Alaricus, Hester and Aradec sniped with their bows. It was murder really and the Kobolds soon fell.
Ignoring his envenomed feeble state, the heroic Aradec passed down the narrow passage and beheld a narrow rope bridge spanning 20' across a 20' deep chasm. As he neared it a spear trap was sprung and the Rogue gasped as a spear slammed into his shoulder. On the other side of the bridge, a snickering Kobold could be seen hiding. Hester, in a stunning display of prowess, put two arrows into the wretch. The Kobold emitted a strangled gurgle and fell from view.
Aradec crossed the bridge and detected another spear trap triggered by a loose flagstone. Displaying an increasingly impressive trap-disabling proficiency, he neutralised the trap (Alilel collected the spear and the spring mechanism that was designed to propel it).
The party crossed the bridge and came to another chamber with no apparent exit. As they crossed the bridge they noted that the snickering Kobold lay in a small trench with two arrows protruding from his corpse.
Taryyn noticed a secret door in the east wall. While he examined it, a slot suddenly opened and a small nozzle poked out and poured a warm sticky liquid onto Taryyn's face which adhered to the wall. Taryyn pulled his face off the wall, removing a layer of skin in the process. Bleeding and in considerable pain, the somewhat dazed Elf heard more snickering coming from the slot, which promptly snapped shut.
The party moved through the door. Aradec noticed the floor looked odd, as if it was a drawing. Reverting to tried and true tactics, the party tossed another Kobold ahead of them. The body fell through a cunningly crafted paper floor into a trench 3' wide and 10' long which appeared to be filled with the same glue that afflicted Taryyn. The party moved down another passage which ended at a blank wall. Aradec moved up and checked the wall and found another secret door. He also heard very loud breathing.
The party opened the door and found themselves in a moderate sized well appointed chamber with a passage heading off to the north. In the chamber was a large monitor lizard and a very cranky looking Duergar Cleric. A Kobold, holding a curious waterskin with a nozzle stood at the northern exit.
The party swung into action. Taryyn took on the lizard and dealt it a fearsome blow. The reptile hissed in rage and retaliated by delivering a vicious bite. The Kobold fled to the north bleating loudly. The Duergar vanished (a worrying development).
Aielel and his furry friend moved into the room (Aliel receiving a nasty bite from the lizard in the process) and blocked the north exit. Taryyn continued his grim battle with the lizard while Alaricus blasted the lizard which clearly was hurt by the mind thrusts.
Vincenzo unleashed a Colour Spray spell which dazzled the lizard. Having got the magic business out of the way, the Wizard resorted to his favourite tactic and, brandishing a dagger, hurled himself at the lizard. The dazed reptile never saw the dagger coming as it plunged into its eye. Bellowing piteously the lizard crumpled.
The Duergar suddenly appeared next to Ailel holding a scroll and a flail. The Druid and wolf delivered vicius attacks and Alaricus blasted the Duergar with a psionic attack. The Cleric read off a spell at Ailel, but it failed to have any effect though the Druid did feal a momentary sense of unreasoning panic. The Duergar was clearly not having a good day as the combined attacks felled him.
The party looted the room finding several items on the Duergar. On a desk they also found a piece of vellum with a runic inscription. This proved to be a transcript of the "Rune Stone of Fury" presumably taken off one of the rune stones. Also on the desk was some sort of odd looking stone.
At the point the party was feeling rather battered and fatigued. It was decided to leave the caves and hide in the forest to recuperate.
June 21 1600 hours