20170121 Recap Against the Slave Lords - The Granite and Limestone Mines Part 3

Against the Slave Lords – The Granite and Limestone Mines 20170121

Baron Baltic is very thankful for the party’s efforts and Hulio’s safe return. The Baron is also encouraged by the party’s discovery of the mud tigers. Surely these are the creatures killing his people. Together with the information gained from the group’s prior efforts, the Barron is convinced of the underhanded dealings within and surrounding the mines. While one group of adventurers was in the mines rescuing Hulio, a second team was watching the hidden dock. They confirmed that somewhere within the mines is a nursery with many mud tiger eggs about to hatch. To earn their pay, the Barron informs that party that they need to finish what they have started, they need to return to the mines and slay three adult mud tigers, and find and destroy the eggs as well as free all the slaves.

So Cyrano (Drow Rogue – Kenji) , Raistlin (Elf Wizard – Arthur), Man-Tis (Tri-Kreen Barbarian – Ross), Gird (Human Monk – Art), Bannor (Human Fighter – Brenden) and Souldun (Human Warlord – Vic) think that returning to the ventilation shaft on the hillside seems like the most direct route to the deeper mines. Nero and Beldin join up with Baron Baltic’s men and prepare to assault the guardhouse and take Bazili Erak prisoner. The mine group sets out at once.

Travelling the same route as before, as the group nears the ventilation shaft, Cyrano hears something ahead in the woods. Peeking out from behind a tree, he spots a lone goblin with leather armor and a few javelins who is mounted upon a huge dire wolf. The drow waits and soon sees two more following behind. The goblins seem to be alert and travelling slowly across the party’s line of travel. Man-Tis instructs the rest of the group to go to ground and Cyrano sneaks over to a better hiding spot where he sees what he thinks is the warg rider leader, giving instructions to his vanguard while making sure more riders behind him keep up. As the riders pass within about 40 feet of Min-Tis and the others, Cyrano sees the leader pass by with two riders, both mounted bowmen, and then the very last two riders bringing up the rear, a heavily armored goblin soldier with a light lance and sturdy shield and an unarmored goblin wearing a headdress of long curved teeth. After the goblins have past, the party continues forward. Gird and Rastlin the approach from the party’s rear, as they were making sure the group wasn’t being followed.

At the vent, Cyrano discovers a wax rune and Rastlin determines that it is some sort of trap that will summon undead guardians. Rastlin uses mage hand to melt the wax which summons two skeleton lords and a ghostly vampire warrior. Rastlin momentarily freezes two of them in place and retreats back into the woods. A frantic battle breaks out, with the swords of the skeleton lords crashing against the weapons of the party. Bannor is momentarily dominated by the vampire ghost and Bannor throws his axe and strikes the Warlord in the back. Then the vampire charms the Warlord who takes a swing at Gird. Raslin’s magic keeps the undead somewhat at bay, allowing the rest of the group to repeatedly strike at the creatures even though nothing seems to affect the ghost much. Cyrano distinguishes himself by dusting the first skeleton lord as well as the ghost. Bannor axes the other skeleton lord, allowing the party free access to the shaft. Man-Tis smartly cleans up the area and while the others are resting, he moves off and fires the signal arrow to alert the Barron and his men to begin their attack on the guard house.

After lowering themselves down the shaft, Cyrano discovers a second shaft leading even deeper into the mines. The group chooses to go to the strange eye temple where they slay the mud tiger they left behind the prior outing and then Cyrano speaks with the elemental elder eye and learns the location of the mud tiger nursery.

After a short rest to patch their wounds from slaying the mud tiger, the group moves off and launches a surprise attack on the half orc guards who are positioned at the top of the ramp which leads to the lower levels of the mines. Being caught off guard, the well armed and coordinated party quickly overwhelms the twelve guards without suffering too many wounds allowing the group to continue down the ramp.

Coming into a chamber with a small pool, while Cyrano is looking for a secret door, he is attacked by a large water elemental. Man-Tis jumps back but Gird is slammed against the wall. The well balanced monk does a jump spin and retains his footing but the dazed drow is knocked down into a corner of the chamber. Bannor, knowing he can’t get close enough to cleave the elemental in half, uses the throwing power of his axe to good effect. While Gird is gracefully stepping over the water and kicking through the elemental’s misting form, Mantis uses the reach of his spear and sends the elemental to the deep six.

After moving through the secret door, the group finds a large chamber with frogs in a large pond. They skirt to the south and surprise a lone lizard man egg tender. Bannor and Gird combine to inflict several serious wounds on the reptile while it jabs fiercely with its spear. Rastlin notes that Cyrano doesn’t seem to be counting the kills any longer now that the drow has fallen behind the leaders. While Bannor and Gird are fighting the lizard man, a huge mud tiger lunges forward and attacks the Warlord, the Wizard and the Rogue. Bannor moves over to strike the creature from the back and after only a few seconds (two rounds) the mud tiger is down.

A quick rest and the party destroys most of the eggs, taking a few of them with them, and kill all the young mud tigers. A brief search down a side tunnel reveals a huge cavern of undead lizard men and Man-Tis finds an odd metal object on the other side. When Man-Tis returns, the entire group moves back toward the surface, avoiding some passing miners and finds an empty cart. They use the cart to move to the iron gate where Cyrano easily picks the lock, allowing Man-Tis and Cyrano to move across the hall and start freeing the slaves. They are about half done when a huge two headed giant discovers the group and attacks with fury. Gird quickly strikes a major blow allowing Man-Tis to strike a second serious blow from behind. The giant moves to and attacks the majority of the group who are near the gate. For some reason, Raistlin moves up into the giant’s reach where the giant takes three swings at him and luckily for the wizard, misses all three. (a maximum of 72 damage if all three hit – hmmm). While the giant is swinging at the wizard, Souldun thinks he sees Man-Tis eating a couple of the eggs and laughing, if bugs laugh. Seeing an opening, Bannor takes a mighty blow and nearly cuts the giant’s legs off and ends the battle.

The group frees the rest of the slaves and manages to get them out via the vents and escorts the whole group safely back to the Barron’s estate.

WELL DONE! Epilogue to follow….