Battles and Negotiations

 

Battles continue in the mines at DragonKeep. 

Skrit summons the powers of his goddess Istus, blasting the serpent with a guiding bolt. Gets a critical hit. in the scaley creature's mouth. It seems shaken by this and looks vulnerable to attacks. [DM: all get advantage]

Irakul, the echoknight does take this advantage, his echo moves up next to one of the trogs stuck in the webs and multiple chops with the Giant's Handax cut into the trog futilely just trying to escape the webs.

Pyra stealthily moves back and forth on the raised balcony near the bridge. She cocks the dwarven crank crossbow and spies a flying trog moving towards Vencer. A bolt flies out of the dark catching the trog through 1 wing and into its chest. The trog is near death, barely able to fly.

Vencer meanwhile pulls out a vial of alchemists fire and tosses it at at the large serpent. It splashes on the snake as well as the putrid undead [DM: summoned by Faust].

The serpent attacks the  putrid and with one wide jawed gulp, swallows the zombie like creature whole!

The trog near Irakul's echo slashes through the manifestation and another one is destroyed [DM: quite a few echoes destroyed so far in campaign!] The trog scurries out of sight down to the 2nd level. The flying trog swings around the pillar in the canter around towards Faust.

Some of the trogs in the webs continue to try to escape, but appear to be very stuck.

Vencer's owl familiar screeches and distracts the large snake.

Faust summons eldritch energy and one is a complete miss while the 2nd beam hits it full on it had been trying to escape Pyra and Irakul. It screeches and falls into the dark below. 

Vencer calls out to the townsfolk below that a trog was heading down the ramp. A shout back of acknowledgement echoes back up. 

At that moment a high pitched whistle echoes from outside. All the remaining trogs appear to hear this, but the party is unsure what it means.. could it be an alert to the whole town or some other signal..?

LEVEL 2

Townsfolks guarded by 2 militia hold out in the South end of level 2 & 3.

Level 3

The Battle continues..

Skrit cast Spiritual Guardian and attacks the serpent with his spiritual weapon. Irakul summons a new echo and mentally moves it through the webs next to a struggling trog. Slashing and hacking into the trog nearly killing it. Pyra moves to the other side and spying the snake in battle still aims carefully and fires. The bolt flies perfectly [DM Nat20] Taking the snake as it reared back to strike, in one eye. The serpent lolls around, nearly dead.

Vencer jumps forward, his shadow blade slicing clear through the skull of the snake and it crashes to the ground.

The trogs all start to retreat out of the mines - or try to. Yelling out to each other in an unknown language.

The party hears commotion outside. Vencer hears wagon wheels, shuffling and the voices of the trogs outside. All the trogs invading the mines are dead or have retreated. The party discuss as they rest and wipe sweat and blood from body, cleaning weapons. Pyra sneaks forward and smells smoke. Vencer's owl sees more.. A fire has been set along the entrance in front of a wagon and crates and boxes barrier. A head peering around from cover can bee seen on occasion, there looks to be at least 2-3 trogs watching.

The party move up and keep an eye out. The smoke is billowing in to mine entrance. Irakul summons his echo outside the smokey fire but it is quickly cut down by multiple missiles.

Faust - not needing to breathe - moves up to peer out as well. A 3 bladed missile hits the warforged and cuts into him. The warlock retreats back into the smoke. Irakul takes one of the clay pots of rotgrubs [DM: see blog post]. With the smoke, throw goes wide hitting the wagon.

Vencer crawls forward avoiding much of the smoke and casts frost fingers into the fire. Woosh! Huge amounts of smoke billow out as much of the flames are put out, all are having difficulty breathing. 

It seems the battle is at a standoff. The party discuss options, other entrances and more. Skeenie, one of the kobold miners who went searching with Pyra, comes forward frantically, and tells the heroes there is no other entrance to this area.. except a tunnel through the small lake. It goes to one of the other mines, which had been opened by the stone giants assisting the town the previous week. If there are any kobolds with the Marshall, he will most likely know of this. The trogs could be coming that way to attack the groups rear!

AS the party discuss options, a voice calls out from outside, the Dragon Marshall. 

Negotiations take place. The Marshall willing to discuss options only if he rules, with the adventurers guidance. While this goes on, Vencer puts poison onto a blade, Irakul checks his invisibility potion.

Vencer stands with Faust looking out whispering of using fireball and hypnotic pattern

The voice changes and the Marshall offers, "We could rule together."

"We shall discuss." Faust calls out.

"You have 1 candle." The Marshall shouts back.

The party discuss more, it appears that the Marshall is of 2 minds, perhaps bathing in the blood of a cursed goddess may be affecting the draconian.

Fuel is not being added to the fire so the smoke recedes.

As the party discusses, Pyra hears combat from below in the lower levels of the mines! The Marshall calls out again.. 

The group are torn.. and finally decide to collapse this entrance and head below. Vencer casting and Faust reading from a scroll, dual fireballs hit the entrance beams. BOOOOM! Smoke billows out in all direction, rumbling and then the whole area starts to shake as dust and smoke billows as support beams break and rocks falls down blocking the entrance.

It appears the combat is on the 3rd level, only way to get down to the lowest level is a wooden elevator. Vencer has his owl fly down to look.

 Irakul heads down using his boots of speed and echo while Pyra climbs down. At one point nearly slipping but acrobatically recovering.

Below on the 3rd level a number of trogs can be seen in the dark coming out of the lake.

A large 12' tall trog accompanies groups coming out of the water. Their reptilian skin glittering with water.

Irakul and Pyra engage in battle, Pyra attacking from high up only having come part way down a rope, hanging and swinging back and forth, the assassin has an excellent vantage point to snake attack the trogs below. Her bolt hits with devastating effect on the giant trog.

A mass of vegetation crawls out of the water with long slippery tentacles emerge from the mass of rotting vegetation. Irakul's blade is turned twice seemingly having no effect on the mound.

The wooden elevator comes down slowly, guided by Vencer, as Faust blasts the large trog with eldritch energy. Vencer fires an orb of chromatic energy from a wand at the large trog dealing heavy damage.

The battle continues as more trogs come out of the lake. With the assistance of the a few of the town militia, the heroes are able to defeat the trog invading force, finally killing a trog witchdoktor compelling them forward. a few trogs retreated back along the tunnel.

It seems the trog force had come into the mines [DM: Left #6] trying - but failing - to catch the BETA crew from the rear.

The water filled tunnel is about a hundred feet in length, but there are two spots where air pockets along the way. With the assistance of the non-breathing Faust, the party make it to the other mine complex. Although, Irakul in armour is hindered greatly. Pyra stealths ahead, but finds no sign of trogs in the area, an oval room with a waterfall she comes up behind. 2 exits, Southern goes through some tunnels. Pyra knows, and exits in town, while Northern goes deeper in towards where the collapsed area and the Cursed dragon goddess lies.

The party creep forth and South down the tunnel. The adventurers had directed some of the townsfolk into this mine complex. A small boy is found hiding near remains of their short stay are found, it seems the rest of the folk were taken by the Marshall's forces. The party creep closer to the entrance. Faust does not like the sunlight preferring the shadows - no doubt due to holding the Shadow Lantern artifact. Faust casts find familiar to summon his imp familiar, Mephisto, the imp is promised a soul or spirit as payment, the imp wants to train and enslave one as a pet for itself. Skrit and Pyra escort the lad back to the other townsfolk. Vencer casts flock of familiars and sets them out to scout. It is after 4pm in the afternoon, sun still fairly high in the summer sky.

The owls fly out, and up, Vencer sees Dragon Marshall standing - arms crossed - with two other trogs. One trog reaches for a sling with a spiked bullet, but the Marshall reaches out to the trog and puts a clawed hand to one shoulder and shakes his head. All three watch the owls fly up and out. It is hard to tell if he is smiling or not.

The owls are able to spy small patrols of trogs moving through the town, as well as the captured townsfolk were gathered at the large crater - partially built into an arena and militia training area. Trogs guard around the area keeping a keen eye on the folks in the crater. A count shows the total trogs to number about 30, with also two larger trogs and 2 of the carrion crawlers.

An hour passes, Skrit and Pyra are back, the owls are keeping watch in the trees outside the town. The party talks about sending an invisible Mephisto up to the top mine entrance where some of the townsfolk may be still hidden. Skrit counters that none would like to see an imp. So they decide to have the imp polymorph into a raven and go invisible.

Mephisto flies out and sees a strange site. A carpet has been laid out - from the townhall - a large table spread with food and drink, the Marshall sits in a large chair enjoying a sip of wine, while 1 trog serves, while another carries a large fan sweeping it back and forth to cool the Marshall. The raven jostles a few ropes hanging down at the entrance. The Marshall holds up his goblet on a toast to the raven flying up.

 Mephisto flies up floats up to the top mine entrance the imp sees 2 troglodytes came out of the entrance. One has a backpack and the other a large sack over one shoulder walking down the path to town. The party know this entrance only goes in about 50 to a hundred feet in, this mine complex had not been recovered yet. No townsfolk are found by the imp, with Faust controlling him through his senses.

"Fellowship! Come dine with me and let us discuss terms. I have all the townsfolk. I don't wish to kill them, I wish to work with you!", The Dragon Marshall calls out.

The party confers on options.

6 militia available

Skrit casts sending to the giants, as well as the monks of the 3 Crescent Moon. Both groups reply and agree to come as soon as possible!

Kobolds working with Poet still live near the lodge at the South end of the valley. 

The tentative plan: By dawn, the 2 stone giants, some monks as well as Poet and some kobolds could be at the camp. The heroes will go out to negotiate and have the townsfolk moved to the Fighter stronghold for their safety. Spell books and divine spells are discussed. The Marshall did seem to have good magic resistance.. then attacks from multiple sides..? 

As they discuss strategy..

A scream of pain is heard out at the entrance. a bellow of rage. Skrit is watching and alerts the rest of the heroes. One of the troglodytes has been cut in twain at the waist. The Marshalls' long bastard sword dripping blood lying on the table. The Marshall bellows down to the town, "Get me more wine!" The voice seemed to be similar to the Cursed Goddess. The party wait.. perhaps the dual personality will change back. Skrit tries to hide.. but as he tries to find a comfortable spot sends a spray of rocks out from under one foot. 

The Marshall calls out as he peers into the mine entrance spying the blue kobold, "Come out kobold! Come talk to me." The Marshall sips at his goblet of wine, the other troglodyte waving the fan frantically looking over his shoulder.. assumedly hoping more will bring wine to their master..

Until next time..