Ragged Hollow: The Dwarven Tomb

Moldain, 11th Yarthmont

The adventurers press on to explore the tomb at the top of Mount Mourn. Enterring a circular chamber they find an elegant design with a stone bed and empty shelves. Crystals light up as they shine their torch into the darkness. They spot a crack in the walls.

Bilbur the dwarf leads the party through the crack into a rough tunnel that eventually leads to a natural chamber. There are spires of the crystals they spotted earlier being mined by four red-scaled, dog-faced, horned kobolds.

The party get the jump on them and soon Lorgar has killed one with a skillful arrow shot from the entrance of the chamber. Two of the kobolds charge Percy and one tags Rodwig. Percy holds firm but the one kobold stabs Rodwig with his sword. The elf reels as blood flows from his side. Bilbur comes to his side and chops the cheeky kobold down.

The battle quickly turns in the party’s favour with the surviving kobolds fleeing. Rodwig manages to get one of the fleeing creatures by throwing a torch at it. The party sweep across the chamber finding valuable sapphires and an onyx Dwarven figurine.

There are two exits out of the chamber and the party decide to take the south-western one. The dark tunnel leads into a large cavern where enormous chunks of the white crystal glare causing Lorgar and Bilbur to be temporarily blinded. The others notice a thick stench of sulfur seeping from the cavern. They also spot six kobolds gathered around the centre. As they were not spotted, the party cover the entrance with oil and head back up to the previous chamber.

Lorgar comes up with a clever device to avoid the blinding glare. He cuts the rabbit fur into strips and slices thin eye slits into them. The fur around the eye protects them from the intensity of the glare.

Suitably equipped the party head back, ready to take on the kobolds. They form a shield wall with Percy and Bilbur at the front and Rodwig providing shield cover over their heads. Lorgar hangs back ready to fire his bow from the back.

The plan works very well. Lorgar drops a kobold as two charge Percy and Bilbur. They bounce off Percy and cause a minor wound to Bilbur. Rodwig throws a torch at one of the kobolds and strikes it in the head, killing it. The others breathe a sigh of relief as they are standing in the oil they poured out earlier.

The kobolds position themselves to the sides to avoid being shot. Percy and Bilbur press forward. As the kobolds lose another one of their number they begin to flee. The party give chase.

Percy steps on a crystal that cracks releasing an intense puff of the harmful gas. Bilbur’s lungs cough violently and he drops to the ground. The others soon retreat back into the tunnel to recover. Lorgar makes a makeshift mask out of sack cloth, oil and water. He heads back into drag Bilbur’s unconscious body to safety.

The remaining kobolds flee through another tunnel. The party discuss whether to turn back, now they are down to three. At least until Bilbur regains consciousness. Although even conscious, he and Rodwig are not in exactly in fighting form.

The party agree that its time to head back to safety. However, it seems to have been for nought if they don’t try to see if there is anything of value in this chamber.

So, Lorgar equipped with his eye and mouth protection devices, heads back in. He is rewarded when he sees what the kobolds were burying in the center of the room. A selection of valuable gemstones and a pile of onyx Dwarven figurines. There’s also a couple of items enscribed with Dwarven runes: a ring and a grappling hook. Hauling their treasure the party head back out of the tomb.

Nytdain, 12th Yarthmont

They rest overnight and Bilbur regains consciousness. The wounded dwarf reads the runes identifying the two items as belonging to Arvid, the delver who was buried in the tomb. The ring seems to have the curious property of creating a mundane duplicate at dawn. Percy is excited to think of what use they may put it to (although this is tempered when it crumbles to dust later that day at dusk).

The adventurers head back down the mountain with both Rodwig and Bilbur close to death. As they clambour down the mount strong winds push them and a second tragedy strikes. Bilbur loses his footing and falls, cracking his head.

As the party sorrowfully strip the dead dwarf, Percy curses his lack of foresight in trying to use his healing hands on their old retainer. Lorgar says only says at least it wasn’t his fault. Rodwig suggests Percy heals him before his luck runs out. Percy obliges. Rodwig puts on the dead dwarf’s chainmail, showing off his midriff.

The rest of the journey home isn’t eventful. Back at Ragged Hollow, they put off seeing Risa’s mother until the morning. Rodwig suggests they blame the dead dwarf for the girl’s death but Percy and Lorgar are not keen on this plan.

They head to bed, only waking when the temple bells chime again…