War for the Underdark (D&D 5e)

[WlfSamurai]

Ironrock Delve. Most of this large walled castle is delved into the side of a mountain. The Lord of the castle, a dwarf named Thakar Ironrock, is part of a long line of Ironrock kings. In the depths of the mountain, Ironrock and its settlements encroach on the Underdark. For 52 years, dwarven axemen have defended the Delve against the ruthless and excessively tactical hobgoblins. King Thakar has kept the castle's courtyards filled with forge smoke during the long brutal war.

But the enemy has grown stronger in recent battles. The stout dwarves fight valiantly, but their territory is slipping through their bloody fingers.

As a last ditch effort, King Thakar Ironrock has hired mercenaries to bolster his forces and to attempt risky missions that could pay off.

You are one such group hired to fight for the dwarves. And you are being pressed into battle.


Stay tuned. Our opening post will come shortly.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Elyas, Saria, and Torfhras, you all stand in the great hall of the Silent Gulch Bridge Outpost, a good ways into the depths of the Underdark. The dwarves had defended this bridge for decades. It had been the site, even here in the Underdark, the merry dwarves drank and sang songs. As with many small outposts, the hall had been where most of the defenders had bedded down for the evening. More often than not, a cookfire and torches filled the hall with warmth and light.

Not today though. Today, the hall is a crypt. As with most of the outpost, the hall is silent, dark, and still. Dead dwarf defenders line the floors and furniture of the room. Some are slumped over dining tables. Others lay in a dried pool of their own blood amongst the cobblestone floor.

You had been sent here to find out why this outpost had gone quiet. And now, you've found out. So far, having moved through the entryway and into the great hall, you've seen nothing but bodies.

You have yet to look the bodies over or search the whole outpost.

Brillewyn, your dwarf guide who brought you to the outpost, is in shock. She pushes her hair out of her face and stands with her hand on her mouth.

What do you do?

russetrues , MrBrown , KStrausser

 

[russetrues]

Torfhras expected something along these lines, an outpost gone quiet, not many good explanations, but this? This is a blood bath. His eyes roam over the bodies of the deceased dwarves, seeing and yet not seeing. His left hand falls to his side, touching the hilt of one of his handaxes and he relaxes as much as possible when one is standing between the bodies of fallen soldiers. "May they be at peace," he murmurs, touching their guide's shoulder in solidarity. "They died for their kingdom." Taking a quick glance at the rest of their little party to see how they were handling it, he walks over to the closest dwarf, taking out one of the handaxes and being careful not to let his boots or tail near any of the blood on the ground.

"What do you think happened to them?" he hisses at the tang of blood, squinting as he looked over the body, examining it.

 

[KStrausser]

"Oh. Good gods, that's foul" Elyas wrinkled his nose at the sight. He was no stranger to blood, but the stench of it, that of the rot and decay, was something he never quite got used to. With one hand covering his mouth and nose, Elyas made his way across to the nearest body. There, he crouched down and began examining the corpse to see just exactly how they had died. They had a mystery on their hand. Elyas often liked to think he was good at those.

"All of these bodies are dwarven... Either whoever did this cleaned up after themselves, which I doubt, or they didn't take single loss cutting through these soldiers..." Elyas tried not to seem too impressed or fascinated as he spoke, with only limited success.

 

[MrBrown]

Saria kneeled down on one knee and closes her eyes, using her mace to support herself as she said a small prayer. "Lady Sune, please accept with open arms those who have died here today for their land, driven by their love to protect what's theirs." She made a small hand gesture with her free hand before raising back up to her feet.

"Maybe they were ambushed, that's why there isn't a casualty from the enemy". Walking towards the closest body, she crouched down, repeating the technique of supporting herself on her mace. Saria then gently closed the open eyes of the dwarf fighter before examining the body. "Forgive my prying hands, Lady Firehair".

 

[WlfSamurai]

You all look over the bodies and survey the area. What you find is shocking. All the wounds are either claw or bite marks. Flesh was torn or ripped. But what’s more, each wound is festered, corrupted, and blackened unnaturally. It’s some kind of decay out of step for when this attack happened. The kills seem just a few days old.

Among the dead, you find Captain Derungar, the Dwarf commander of the Outpost. His face has been ripped off, but what’s left of his ornate armor and weapons points to his rank. If he had anything important on him it’s gone.

For those that wish to, roll an Intelligence (or Investigation) check, DC 10. If more than one person participates this is a group check.

• If you succeed, you’ll find evidence and deduce that there were prisoners taken by the hobgoblins.
• If you fail, you’ll have no idea about hobgoblin involvement and one of the dwarf bodies you disturb exhales a cloud of leftover noxious gas. Take 5 damage, DC 11 Constitution save for half (2 damage).

russetrues , MrBrown , KStrausser

 

[WlfSamurai]

Together, you all piece together more of the situation from the grizzly scene. It’s clear to you now that not all the dwarves of the outpost were killed. Some were taken prisoner by hobgoblins. You find small things that add up like scraps of tied rope and blood trails that lead out of the outpost.

But what isn’t clear is, if hobgoblins were here, why they’d kill some and not others. Also, the wounds of the dead don’t point to weapons. They point to claws and bites.

Brillewyn pulls herself together enough to join into the investigation. “Why are they scratched and bitten?” she asks.

Before she can say more, you all here a scrape and a bang on the floor above you. As if in the upstairs bedchamber someone dragged and dropped something.

“What was that?” Brillewyn asks.

What are you doing?

russetrues , MrBrown , KStrausser , Tyrael

 

[russetrues]

Torfhras opened his mouth to answer their guide's question, despite not actually having a good answer, when they heard something being dropped. If he would've had skin, instead of scales, his hair would be sticking up, goosebumps all along his arms. Yet, he didn't, so he calmed himself by grabbing the hilt of his rapier.

"It seems," he spoke, full of quiet malice, "that someone stuck around." The brief thought that it could be a dwarf survivor passed through his head, and he piled it away in a far corner, as to not get his hopes up. It could very well also be one of hobgoblins that had attacked the dwarves. "I say we should investigate," he proposed, gesturing for the others' opinion. They were dependent on Brillewyn's agreement, either on her accompaniment or directions to the above floor.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Brillewyn's agreement comes from her curt nod and slowly drawing her axe. More ruckus from upstairs follows shortly. Some more dropped items that crash to the floor.

How do you all want to approach this?

There are stairs up out of the great hall into the second floor. Upstairs, there's a tiny hallway that connects a main bedchamber and a guest bedchamber. The ruckus is clearly coming from the main bedchamber.

You going to try sneak up on whoever is in the main bedchamber?

russetrues , MrBrown , KStrausser , Tyrael

 

[MrBrown]

Saria stood up when their guide commented on the loud noise coming from upstairs. She looked up towards the ceiling. "I agree". Saria said, quietly, just loud enough for only them to hear. She removed her shield from her back and held it in her left hand, her mace already grasped tightly in her right one.

She looked towards Brillewyn, the dwarf already prepared with an axe in her hand. "I think it's best if you and I take the front". Saria said, looking towards everyone in the group. "We'll draw their attention away from the hallway once we are inside and then you come in to finish them off". She concluded. In her mind, she was hoping the hallway allowed for at least two people at a time otherwise her plan would be much more difficult to function.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Saria, Brillewyn adjusts her armor, then grips her axe tighter.

"I'm right with you," she says.

You both move up in front and climb the stairs with the rest of the group behind you. There's enough room for you to stand abreast. When you all get to the top of the stairs, the bedchamber goes quiet. They know you're here.

Now you're at the door. Saria and Brillewyn stand next to each other in front of it.

What are you all doing?

russetrues , MrBrown , KStrausser , Tyrael

 

[KStrausser]

Elyas nods quickly, happy to let the two others who were bettered armoured and better armed than him go first. He stays behind Saria and Brillewyn as they climb the stairs, frantically rifling through his spellbook in preparation for a possible fight. There's a glint in his eyes - he seems almost excited.

"I swear I had something for this..." He mutters quietly to himself as he leafs through the fire and acid eaten pages of his tome cradled in his left hand. As they reach the door, he finally settles on a classic. Sparks of flame begins dancing across his fingers as he speaks the incantation, the beginning of a bolt of fire forming in his right hand.

"Let's hope it's survivors..." He nods towards his sturdier companions, letting them take the lead

 

[russetrues]

Saria's plan made sense to Torfhras, and he nodded his head in agreement with Elyas. He stood up and smoothly pulled the rapier out, holding it in a firm but relaxed grip.

Walking up the stairs, seeing Elyas frantically looking through the pages of his spellbook, he wished there was enough space between him and the others for a couple experimental swings through the air. Instead, he swapped the grip of the rapier to his left hand and grabbed a dagger with the right.

"Agreed, Elyas. It would be much easier for everyone." Torfhras whispered, in an attempt to not let whomever was inside the room guess how many of them there are. "I think we should open the door and unarm them as quickly as possible, before whoever is there gets to a good, defensible position," he suggested. "I could fling my dagger as soon as you two open the doors, and Elyas could throw a spell." Quickly glancing at the wizard, he continued, "Then you two could rush in and finish the ene- potential enemy off."

 

[WlfSamurai]

Brillewyn looks to both of you in turn, Elyas and Torfhras. She gives a nod to each of you.

"Makes sense," she says. "I'm ready. Saria, you open the door when you're ready. I'll be right with you."

She waits.

russetrues , MrBrown , KStrausser , Tyrael

 

[MrBrown]

Saria nodded to their current plan. It was a good plan, given the fact they had no idea who was behind that door. "Very well". She said, before grabbing one of the handles. She didn't open it right away and instead said a small prayer with her eyes closed, just loud enough for the others to hear it.

"Please guide our hands, Lady Sune." She quickly opened her eyes, looking at Brillewyn and nodded her head before mouthing the numbers three, two, one without making a sound. When the reached the final number she pushed the door open, ducking to one knee as to not obscure her partners attack from behind.

 

[WlfSamurai]

When Saria opens the door, you all see a bedchamber with a simple bed in the far corner to the right. On the left, a wooden desk has been overturned and a wooden chest lays open on its side. Ripped clothes are strewn about the floor. Suddenly, three kobolds leap up from behind the bed swinging slings. Two more appear from behind the overturned desk with daggers drawn.

Roll initiative.

russetrues , MrBrown , KStrausser , Tyrael

 

[MrBrown]

Initiative roll: Roll(1d20)+0: 3,+0

 

[KStrausser]

Initiative roll:
CoyoteCode Dice Roller

That's a 10 (7+3)

 

[WlfSamurai]

Initiative: Elyas, Brillewyn, kobolds, Saria & Torfhras

Elyas, it's your turn. What are you doing?

Edit: should have tagged you in the original post, KStrausser .

 

[KStrausser]

Elyas, quickly spotting the kobolds and quickly realising they are kobolds, wastes no time in sending a bolt of fiery death streaking towards the nearest one.

(in case it's not clear, that's the Firebolt cantrip)

CoyoteCode Dice Roller

 

[WlfSamurai]

Initiative: Elyas, Brillewyn, kobolds, Saria & Torfhras

Elyas, your mote of fire strikes the kobold’s left arm and bursts into flames. The creature screams as the fire engulfs it’s arm and left side. It manages to put the flames out by slapping and dancing around, but much of it’s body is burnt.

Brillewyn wastes no time and charges in. She throws her body into her first swing at the burnt kobold, who manages to side-step. But Brillewyn grits her teeth and her axe bites hard into the kobold on her second backhand swing. The burnt creature crumples to the ground in a pool of its own blood.

Brillewyn’s victory is short-lived as stones from three slings slam into her chest and face. She goes down hard. The kobold next to her leaps onto her and sinks it’s knife jabbed in her should. Brillewyn's cry of pain dissolves into, a low angry growl.

MrBrown : Saria & Torfhras, it’s your turn, but we’ll take Saria first. Directly in front of you, there is a kobold on top of Brillewyn with its knife in her. The three kobolds with slings are behind them using the bed for cover. All are within a single move.

 

[MrBrown]

Saria waited for Elyas to blast one of the Kobolds. Then, as soon as the now burnt Kobold jumped on their guide, Brillewyn, Saria didn't concern herself with the other three covering behind the bed, she could not let someone die or get hurt if she could do something about it.

She moved towards Brillewyn and the Kobold on top of her, swinging her mace in his direction.

CoyoteCode Dice Roller

 

[WlfSamurai]

Initiative: Elyas, Brillewyn, kobolds, Saria & Torfhras

Saria, your swing is high and the kobold—while on top of and focused on Brillewyn—still manages to duck under it.

Torfhras, it's your turn. There are three kobolds with slings behind a bed at the far end of the room. Between you and them, a kobold has sunk its dagger in Brillewyn and stands on top of her. Saria has charged in next to them and missed her mace swing.

russetrues

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Initiative - 13 total

 

[russetrues]

The kobold sitting on top of Brillewyn with a dagger in her shoulder was a worrying sight. As were the 3 kobolds with slings on the far side of the room. Deciding to go for the ranged enemies - he trusted his aim, he really did, but tension was kinda high, and he didn't want to accidentally hit their guide or Saria. He threw the handaxe in his right hand with as much force, a fierce scowl on his face.

[Rolls:
Attack roll: d20 + mod = 17 + 5 = 22
Dmg roll: 1d6 + 3 slashing = 6 + 3 slashing = 9 slashing ]