Adventure name: The Burning Plague
Current PCs / NPCs
Grom Dunestalker - Half-Giant Psionic Warrior (PC)
Lain - Half-Elf Bard (NPC)
Sadiria - Half-Elf Wilder (NPC)
Russk - Mul (stated as a Half-Orc) Fighter (NPC)
Our story open on the party having just searched (looted) the bodies of some halflings who were hold up in the Mess Hall of an obsidian mine. The mine in located in the settlement of Duvik’s Pass, a mining town run by House Klethira. Something has been killing the miners (it is suspected) and the won is suffering from a mysterious plague.
A closed door stands at the far end of the Mess Hall. After busting down the door (it was locked), the party discovers that the room is a larder. Suddenly, a poof of flour fill the room and sling stones begin pelting the group; IT'S A TRAP! Halflings attack from behind storage barrels as Russk and Grom try and more to melee range. As the last of the halflings falls, a dire weasel bursts out from its hiding place amidst some sacks of flour and nearly bits through Russk's arm. Grom neatly severs the creature's head from neck and pries the tenacious skull lose. After a quick loot of the bodies, the party finds a stash of gems and magic potion fruits in the false bottom of one of the barrels.
Moving deeper into the mine, the group finds the active mining location, a large natural cavern with seams of obsidian running through the walls, lite by glowing lichen. The party carefully moves into the cavern along the walls (barely missing a pit trap, btw!), before a glowing creature fades into view before them and attacks. Russk and Grom more in to attack and Grom score a Critical Hit, nearly severing the creature's head from body, which they immediately meld back together.....an Astral Construct! (a creature shaped and summoned by the will of a psionicist). Soon, sling stones begin pelting the party from seemingly everywhere and mental attacks begin assaulting the group.
Eventually Sadiria notices a group of halflings sniping our heros from atop a shelf in the cavern wall, lead by what appeared to be a psion. Russk and Grom finally destroy the astral construct and Russk moves to the cavern wall to attempt to climb up and assault the halflings face-to-face, while Grom begins manifesting powers to augment his combat abilities. Then the psion summons another astral construct. Grom moves to engage the creature, but it fells him in a single blow (a critical hit). Russk hits on a desperate plan and begins to climb up to the ledge. While Sadiria continues to crush the minds of the halfling snipers one-by-one, the astral construct begins stalking Lain throughout the cavern (Lain in NOT a fan of melee combat). With two blows from his (newly purchased and iron) sword, Russk cuts down the psion amid a veritable whirlwind of halfling spear thrusts. The astral construct, thankfully, dissipates (the duration of it's summoning had lapsed) before it can injure Sadiria or Lain.
Lain heals Grom, bringing him back to the world of the living, while Russk finishes off the rest of the halflings. At the back of the ledge, they see a form huddled under a blanket of some kind and a large sack. The form turns out to be two halfling youths, huddling in fear. Grom has Russk do his dirty work for him, putting the young (cannibalistic) halflings out of their misery (Athas is a harsh world, populated by harsh people). The sack is full of a week's worth of obsidian and BONUS!, the "blanket" is determined to be some kind of magical cloak.
The party goes back into town, to rest and get healing, before heading deeper into the mines.
Moving deeper into the mine, the group finds the active mining location, a large natural cavern with seams of obsidian running through the walls, lite by glowing lichen. The party carefully moves into the cavern along the walls (barely missing a pit trap, btw!), before a glowing creature fades into view before them and attacks. Russk and Grom more in to attack and Grom score a Critical Hit, nearly severing the creature's head from body, which they immediately meld back together.....an Astral Construct! (a creature shaped and summoned by the will of a psionicist). Soon, sling stones begin pelting the party from seemingly everywhere and mental attacks begin assaulting the group.
Eventually Sadiria notices a group of halflings sniping our heros from atop a shelf in the cavern wall, lead by what appeared to be a psion. Russk and Grom finally destroy the astral construct and Russk moves to the cavern wall to attempt to climb up and assault the halflings face-to-face, while Grom begins manifesting powers to augment his combat abilities. Then the psion summons another astral construct. Grom moves to engage the creature, but it fells him in a single blow (a critical hit). Russk hits on a desperate plan and begins to climb up to the ledge. While Sadiria continues to crush the minds of the halfling snipers one-by-one, the astral construct begins stalking Lain throughout the cavern (Lain in NOT a fan of melee combat). With two blows from his (newly purchased and iron) sword, Russk cuts down the psion amid a veritable whirlwind of halfling spear thrusts. The astral construct, thankfully, dissipates (the duration of it's summoning had lapsed) before it can injure Sadiria or Lain.
Lain heals Grom, bringing him back to the world of the living, while Russk finishes off the rest of the halflings. At the back of the ledge, they see a form huddled under a blanket of some kind and a large sack. The form turns out to be two halfling youths, huddling in fear. Grom has Russk do his dirty work for him, putting the young (cannibalistic) halflings out of their misery (Athas is a harsh world, populated by harsh people). The sack is full of a week's worth of obsidian and BONUS!, the "blanket" is determined to be some kind of magical cloak.
The party goes back into town, to rest and get healing, before heading deeper into the mines.
Outstanding Plot Hooks:
- What were the halflings doing in an obsidian mine?
- Seriously, where are the miners? Could the halflings managed to killed and eaten ALL the miners? (Halflings in Dark Sun are cannibals, you know.)
- What is causing the so called "Burning Plague"?
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