So, after getting their asses handed to them in the entry level of the abandoned, apparently dwarf-built Forgotten Tower, then finding a sleeping ice dragon (the icy mist roiling from its nostrils and the rime of frost on everything were the giveaways as to the type of dragon it was), the player characters decided that weathering the storm in the "abandoned" tower might not be the best idea.
After a rough night in stormy weather, the PCs and their entourage made their way into the tiny hamlet of Dunbridge. As the rising sun began to burn off the autumn mists, they rang the bell at the gate of a large coaching inn, the Split Boar. They were welcomed by a portly man...
The party met the owners of the inn, Drugan and Durgan Stonebreaker, a pair of dwarfs whose clan once ruled the "cursed" tower. The owners were thrilled to have a knight of the Iron Keep (Sir Mourning) in their inn; as fate would have it, the founder of that august order had been a staunch ally of the Stonebreaker clan. Mourning knew of Sir Ardan (although by this time he had become known better as St. Ardan) - legend told that he had vanished some 700 or 800 years ago. As it turned out, he had died defending the Stonebreaker outpost, the tower once known as Kromm Kruak, from the Black Prince. They learned from the dwarfs that the tower had fallen and that an accursed darkness lay upon it, and bade the PCs beware.
Despite her best efforts, Indiliwyn only managed to hire the "minstrel" (with a noted penchant for lifting inn-goers' purses), Triesa, the mercenary captain, Modius, and his four rough-looking men, and a loyal dogsbody of her own, Oswald. As the sun reached its zenith the next afternoon, the small army of adventurers found themselves once more before the doors in the hill below the Forgotten Tower. Carefully, they descended into the darkness...
...but not carefully enough. The kobold king and his men, who had been out raiding when the PCs had last entered the tower, had returned and laid a trap for them. As the party filed into the entryway, a number of ancient, heavy tapestries fell from the ceiling and draped most of the party (everyone except the PCs and Mourning's squire) in darkness. It was then that the lurking dog-like men attacked from the darkness beyond.
For several rounds, the PCs had to hold off the kobolds on their own. But they were soon joined by the mercenaries, and the kobolds were beaten back. As they were forced down the long hall beyond (the one the kobolds had lured Mourning into last time and nearly killed them all; the one leading to the room with the dragon in it) the PCs rushed forward - ahead of their henchmen - into the room beyond in pursuit of the kobold king and his wympriest.
The DM (me) watched this in amazement... the players had almost died in this hallway last time, and they knew that a dragon - most likely now no longer sleeping - awaited them in that room. And still, they rushed in far ahead of their mercenaries. The outcome was... predictable.
The waiting dragon blasted the pair with a torrent of icy breath, then dashed over their fallen bodies and down the hallway, where it made quick work of half of Modius' men. The rest of the party ran for the doors...
The kobold king followed the dragon, pointing his odd scepter at it and barking orders (literally). The beast chased the survivors from the tower, and only commands from the kobold king kept it from giving pursuit outside.
Fortunately, the young squire, Ealdric, had been farther behind the party and had time to hide instead of fleeing the tower. As the kobold king turned and directed the dragon back to its lair, Ealdric rushed forward and threw the kobold against the wall, a sword to his throat. (Mourning's player rolling a natural 20 to save the day!)
He commanded the kobold to give him the scepter. As soon as he did, the dragon - no longer under the king's control - bolted from the tower. The kobold king convinced the youngster to let him go and fled from the tower, as well.
At the same time, Indilwyn regained consciousness and took the kobolds standing over her and Mourning by surprise and slew them both. Only the wympriest remained, and that threat was quickly "neutralized."
After a near TPK, the entrance level was finally theirs...
Indilwyn, after slaying the nasty wyrmpriest, found a door covered in nearly a foot of ice. Obviously, the kobolds had used their dragon's talents to block it off...
After a rough night in stormy weather, the PCs and their entourage made their way into the tiny hamlet of Dunbridge. As the rising sun began to burn off the autumn mists, they rang the bell at the gate of a large coaching inn, the Split Boar. They were welcomed by a portly man...
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| The PCs secure a table near the hearth, along with Sir Mourning's squire, Ealdric, and his dogsbody, Maela. Maela's brother, Maeldrin, the groom, was shown to the stables by the barkeep's daughter. (Wink, wink...) |
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| That evening, after meeting the inn's owners, the party scouts the tavern's patrons for potential hirelings. (Read as: Indilwyn tries to give away the party's treasure and hire everyone in the tap room!) |
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...but not carefully enough. The kobold king and his men, who had been out raiding when the PCs had last entered the tower, had returned and laid a trap for them. As the party filed into the entryway, a number of ancient, heavy tapestries fell from the ceiling and draped most of the party (everyone except the PCs and Mourning's squire) in darkness. It was then that the lurking dog-like men attacked from the darkness beyond.
For several rounds, the PCs had to hold off the kobolds on their own. But they were soon joined by the mercenaries, and the kobolds were beaten back. As they were forced down the long hall beyond (the one the kobolds had lured Mourning into last time and nearly killed them all; the one leading to the room with the dragon in it) the PCs rushed forward - ahead of their henchmen - into the room beyond in pursuit of the kobold king and his wympriest.
The DM (me) watched this in amazement... the players had almost died in this hallway last time, and they knew that a dragon - most likely now no longer sleeping - awaited them in that room. And still, they rushed in far ahead of their mercenaries. The outcome was... predictable.
The waiting dragon blasted the pair with a torrent of icy breath, then dashed over their fallen bodies and down the hallway, where it made quick work of half of Modius' men. The rest of the party ran for the doors...
The kobold king followed the dragon, pointing his odd scepter at it and barking orders (literally). The beast chased the survivors from the tower, and only commands from the kobold king kept it from giving pursuit outside.
Fortunately, the young squire, Ealdric, had been farther behind the party and had time to hide instead of fleeing the tower. As the kobold king turned and directed the dragon back to its lair, Ealdric rushed forward and threw the kobold against the wall, a sword to his throat. (Mourning's player rolling a natural 20 to save the day!)
He commanded the kobold to give him the scepter. As soon as he did, the dragon - no longer under the king's control - bolted from the tower. The kobold king convinced the youngster to let him go and fled from the tower, as well.
At the same time, Indilwyn regained consciousness and took the kobolds standing over her and Mourning by surprise and slew them both. Only the wympriest remained, and that threat was quickly "neutralized."
After a near TPK, the entrance level was finally theirs...
The PCs relieved the kobold corpses of their loot and gathered up the coins from the dragon's lair. Then, the party - now consisting of the PCs, squire Ealdric, and dogsbody Oswald, set out for the Split Boar. There, they found Triesa and Mourning's servants drinking with the dwarfs, toasting to their fallen employers.They were both thrilled and ashamed to see them alive. Indilwyn took Triesa aside and forgave her for fleeing, paid her for her services, and told her that she'd be welcome to accompany the party on their next foray - for slightly less than she'd originally contracted (a full one-third of the booty!), of course...
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