Eberron Adventure: Third Session

Now, even more experienced after the carnage of the previous session, the party stands before the entrance to the chapel of the Sealers of the Stone Maw. While kobold chattering is heard coming from the chapel, no foes emerge.

Without an immediate threat, the party backtracks.

The drow Zyn, though bothered by the light, is still able to find the remains of (most of) Sora’s party. They find a few gears and screws, presumable from Bulwark; a druidic satchel, a druidic runestone (which Bearchief was unable to identify), fur coverings and gnawed skull (which Zyn can only determine probably belonged to a living creature at some point) near a cook pot; a broken axe amid a sea of bloody stains… but still no sign of that rogue.

They find another burnt building, and more zombies, which are quickly pulverized. The party is baffled by the presence of the zombies. Kyllar wracks his brain for information on zombies, but the most he can recall is that they are probably considered undead.

They examine the inn, and find and end the zombified owners trapped in a back room. In another room, they uncover a cask of ale, which Shadowale greedily begins to down, and a book outlining the town’s official history, which Kyllar thumbs through as the party appropriates armor, healing potions and weapons found in the inn’s rooms. Kyllar learns that the town was founded by a caravan. While in the mountains, one of the merchants disappeared. The soldiers protecting the caravan tracked the merchant to a cave, and though they could not save him, they were able to slay the kobolds who had kidnapped him, and to force a cave in, crushing the kobold nest. The soldiers convinced the caravan to settle in the mountains, becoming a sanctuary to other travelers, and the soldiers swore oaths, founding the Sealers of the Stone Maw.

The party searches the rooms, a now-drunk Shadowale attempting to pick locks as the party encounters them. The party soon finds themselves a bit richer, and with their pick of blades. Zyn takes advantage of Shadowale’s inebriation by “dibsing” a choice suit of studded leather armor when the halfling drunkenly nods off. It probably wouldn’t have fit the little guy anyways…

The party tries to rest, but is interrupted but find they have squandered their brief respite by looting. A party of skirmishing kobolds sent out from the chapel. The party briefly attempts to barricade the inn before deciding to go on the offensive. The kobolds are slain and the party warily approaches the entrance to the chapel (again).

The party sneaks into the grant entrance hall, a spacious place broken up by tall stone columns, with stairs at the far end. They luckily avoid the kobold’s traps, but unfortunately trigger one that collapses the entrance. As the dust settles, the party find themselves facing down a pair of javelin-wielding giants atop the stairs, who overturn a nearby table for cover, as well as a small cadre of spear-wielding kobolds.

Kyllar shoots magic at the giants, and then hides behind a column. Zyn draws his paired short swords and wades into the mass of kobolds, while Turnin charges up the steps towards the giants, a javelin opening up his side on the way. Shadowale, sobered (a little) by battle, runs behind Turnin, and scampers up a table to slice at a giant. Blood drawn, the Halfling hides behind the barricade, hoping to surprise the giants later…

The kobolds stab at Zyn and Turnin, missing the former but wounding the latter again and again. Bearchief, in dwarf form, charges the steps as well, entering the fray and bestowing a potent second-level healing spell on the monk, who thanks the dwarf, and then vaults over him to hide with Kyllar.

The giants decide they have had enough (hiding), and kick the table down the stairs, with Shadowale nimbly escaping the table projectile and scampering to the side. It topples to the bottom of the stairs at Kyllar’s feet, who has also had enough (of the giants). Standing on his tip-toes to see over the top of the stairs, Kyllar unleashes a powerful torrent of fire, blasting one giant to ash and pieces of giant, and severely burning the other giant, whose flesh chars, pops and sizzles… With Zyn and Bearchief slaying the last kobolds, Shadowale somersaults around some remaining furniture in the ruined mess hall, and slays the last giant, who was reeling in pain due to his melting flesh.

The party pauses, taking in their surroundings, courtesy of Kyllar’s conjured dancing magical lights. They have charged up through the entrance, and stand in a small communal kitchen/mess hall. Ahead are two tall doors, haphazardly barricaded with benches, and to the party’s right, snakes a narrowly carved hallway, winding ever deeper into the mountains…