Avalyn Adventure #89 Death Waits in the Woods

Marius Paladin
Kimi-Rogue
Arashi Iki-Druid
Alan-Fighter
Violet-Bard
Grevin-Dwarf Mage

Arashi emerges into what can only be a dream. He is high in the air being carried by a dragon. He attempts to talk to the creature but it says nothing. The dragon fly’s higher and higher eventually it lets go of him. Falling in the dream Arashi decides not to see what happens if he hits the earth, he changes into his bird form and sees that the dragon is gone.

Arashi lands back in the valley and finds that the rest of the party in his dream. Paladin Marcus convinces Arashi that he is not dreaming; a dragon did come and steal him from the party. The paladin tells Arashi that they attempted to keep the dragon from taking him but the beast was too powerful. As it’s near midnight the party decides to get some sleep, posting watches.

Grevin, who is on watch sees a green light coming near them. Before he can sound the alarm he is struck dead as is Violet the bard. Alan raises the alarm and the creature, Klep (the apparition they defeated last time) attacks. Kimi fires arrows at the thing while the paladin weathers its undead attacks and fights it hand to hand. Arashi strikes at it using his powers, while Alan is cowed by the presence of the thing.

This form of the undead is much tougher than the last and after several rounds of combat the paladin is near his end. Marius delivers a might blow to the dead flesh but it is for naught as the thing slays him. Alan recovers his wits and attacks the thing as does Arashi and Kimi.

They put the fel creature back into its rest but they have all taken life sapping wounds and three of their comrades have fallen. Kimi performs the “Ritual of the Shining One” and manages to raise Grevin. Paladin Marcus and Violet are still dead. They carry them back towards Mountain Vale.

Part of the way down the slope they encounter a patrol from the village, led by Alt Leader Bitter. The soldier and his group grieve the loss of Paladin Marius. Kimi and Grevin decide to let the soldiers take the bodies back to the village. They along with Arashi and Alan will go and see if there is any treasure in the mines that were in the valley.

Despite the hour the treasure hunters scour the remaining mines and decide to follow one that seems to be deeper than the others. They notice that the miners had broken into a strange cave. The cave seems to have been totally dug out by hand. They travel for several hours until they come to a site where there has been a cave in. Arashi is able to move most of the rubble out of the way and they continue.

Paladin Marius wakes up as a Manthootian woman is kissing him. She is wearing the tangled wig of seaweed that the priestesses of Elder Marcia wear and her teeth are filed to points. Bolting up he sees that he is in Kimi’s house along with Van Rhe and several other Manthootians. Rhe informs him that the priestess is from the local “hearth.” She tells him that she hopes that this will dispel any bad blood between them, then she has the priestess raise Violet. The paladin has a long discussion with Van Rhe, then he and Violet decide to get some sleep.

In the morning they are awoken by Alt Leader Bitter coming by to see how they are. They eat a hearty breakfast and then make for the valley in the mountains.

The treasure hunters continue down into the deep cavern. Eventually they come to a natural tunnel which leads out onto the side of a mountain range. From where they are they see that the valley is clouded in a yellow mist.

They follow the trail down into the valley and end up in an ancient fort. Arashi feels the same way about the forest that he felt about the forest that surrounded Morgan’s Hold. The difference is that the mist here is not being kept out by the power of the goddess Chaldisaya. Grevin mentions that the look of the building means that it is about the same age and possibly the same era as Morgan’s Hold. The rocks and such seem similar as well.

The party wonders if they have stumbled on another place similar to where Morgan’s Hold was. Before they can ponder it too much Alan sees a couple of figures coming down the path from the mountain. Marius and Violet are reunited with the rest of the party.

Despite all of them looking no treasure is found in the fort. Alan who is watching the gate see’s what he things is a dark skinned bald man at the tree line watching him, he goes to tell the others and is backed up by Arashi who says he saw the person also. Arashi clarifies that the thing watching them was a Thaug and that they should leave.

As the party is heading up the mountain trail they see a wave of thaug overrunning the fort. The characters make the cave minutes before the demonic horde. Arashi uses several spells to collapse the tunnel behind them. They quickly exit the tunnel and seal it again for good measures.

Avalyn Adventure # 88 The Trap

Marius-Paladin
Kimi-Rogue
Kaden-Fighter
Alan-Fighter

Kaden moves up to support Kimi who is accidentally in the front lines against the mob of creatures. Alan takes fright at the sudden appearance of Klep (The Kenna’s son) at the mouth of the valley.

Despite Kadens cries to, “Hold the line.” Only he and Paladin Marius wade into the dead flesh. The battle is long but the party prevails and the creature that looked like Klep is dispatched along with the horde of dead things.

Just as the party is healing up there is a sudden rush of wind and a large dragon lands in the valley. The characters are taken back, none of them have ever seen a dragon, they are mostly legend.

They attempt to talk to the beast but it seems to be sniffing for something. It goes for Arashi’s unconscious body. Paladin Marius attempts to dissuade it but the creature takes the unconscious druid and flies high up into the air with him.