And two days later, I found myself underground. The Stone Circle is, it seems, site of something more sinister. Beneath the alter-stone, which was covered in blood – presumably that of the injured man Tilia spoke to, the reason we came here – we found a staircase leading into a dwarfish complex.
The first chamber we entered was remarkable only for its store of stones and alchemic supplies, so I moved on. The room I entered, though, held a blazing caldron guarded by animate skeletons – one of which struck me such a blow that I could only retreat while battle ensued, relying on Travis to once again heal me. The group was, however, victorious.
From here, we turned into an unfinished chamber, which held the partially exposed skeleton of a black dragon. My compatriots, seeing potential for profit, each extracted a tooth before retreating. I also took a tooth, because the dragon not only symbolizes great power, but contains much magic. It will be a fine alter, should I ever find a home.
I remained behind and lit a candle. As I was giving thanks to Tiamat for her blessing of such personal encounter with her child and the gift of its tooth, I heard a frantic commotion, punctuated by an unmistakable howl of pain from the furbolg. Cutting short my communion, I rushed to investigate.
What I found boggles imagination. Tilia held her right arm, which grew necrotic even as I watched, and the others frantically fought to contain a mummy. Val, apparently, had opened a sarcophagus thinking a living person might be trapped inside.
There was little I could do. I did that, but even as the others fought, heard voices from the other direction and followed them to another set of closed doors. The others eventually came after, and inside, we found two humans drilling holes into a skull too large for any known giant.
Another battle ensued, in which I learned the power of Dagon’s Reach – the staff sent a mighty burst of energy into one of them, allowing our paladin to dispatch him easily. Val, of course, sliced the other to ribbons before also beheading a corpse.
We quickly surveyed the room and then, after discussing whether to continue our exploration, decided it best that we return to The Glade and seek aid for Tilia’s wound. Even as I sit in the Apple writing this, the others have gone to the fort for consultation with a cleric whose knowledge of medical magic is reputed to be great.
UNOMAHA D&D 