Dragon Riddle, a Troll, and the Death of Landen Downeye
Played on July 6, 2018
23 Flamerule, The Year of Twelve Warnings (1494 DR)
Village of Oakhurst, Neverwinter Wood
After defeating five giant rats, the adventurers regrouped, healed themselves and entered the citadel’s tower wondering what types of dangers they would face before facing Belak the Outcast, if the dark druid still lived.
After solving a puzzle lock on a stone door carved with a rearing dragon, the party entered a dust-filled chamber. It was clear that the chamber had been sealed for ages . Dust, long undisturbed, covered every surface in the large gallery. The air was stale. Three alcoves were on the north wall, and one was on the south wall. Each alcove contained a dust-covered stone pedestal with a fist-sized crystalline globe resting on it.
The globes in the northern alcoves were cracked and dark, but the single globe in the southern alcove glowed with a soft blue light. Faint tinkling notes issued from it.
When some in the group approached the southern orb, it glowed brighter and the tinkling grew louder!
For some in the party, the tinkling sound reminded them of sounds wind chimes made in a gentle breeze. However, for some in the group, the tinkling sound reminded them of the sounds of breaking glass. Those who heard the dreadful sounds ran out of the room as quickly as they could, back to the crumbled courtyard despite the dark. One of them even fell into the open pit trap.
It took destroying the orb to stop some of the party members from being affected by the strange orb.
Beyond the chamber a door led into a twenty-foot-long corridor, which led to another closed stone door. When the first person stepped into the middle of the corridor, a hidden arrow trap was activated. Fortunately, no one was struck. Eventually, the group made their way to the other side.
The adventurers then entered a large hall covered in dust. In the northern end of the hall stood a ten-foottall sculpture of a coiled dragon carved from red-veined white marble. When the group approached the dragon, its mouth moved. It spoke a riddle.
We come at night without being fetched;
we disappear by day without being stolen.
What are we?
Landen was able to solve the riddle. The answer was “stars”. Upon answering the riddle out loud, a secret door opened along one wall.
After passing through the secret door, the adventurers entered another large dust-covered hall. Six alcoves lined the walls, three to the north and three to the south. Each alcove except the southwest one held a humanoid figure carved of red-veined white marble. The figures resembled tall elves in plate armor. A stone archway at the west end of the hall opened into a wide room from which greenish light glowed. A dark pit is situated before the archway.
After inspecting the statues carefully and realizing they couldn’t move them nor did they hid any secret doors, the group looked at the pit. The pit was ten feet deep. The bottom was covered in spikes.
On the other side of the pit, they saw another large room. A greenish light glowed from somewhere deeper in the room. A marble sarcophagus, easily nine feet long, lay in the room’s center.
The coffin was carved with dragon imagery, and the head of the sarcophagus resembled a dragon’s head. Rusting iron clasps firmly locked down the lid.
Only Brad, Emont, and Landen were able to safely jump across the pit.
The greenish glow came from a torch which burned with a greenish flame. The green flames did not give off any smoke.
Despite Ziri’s protest against opening the sarcophagus, the others opened it.
In the coffin was a troll! It was dressed in rotted finery, but its jewelry and rings adorned with tiny silver dragons still sparkled. The creature’s body was shrunken and elongated, and its flesh was a rubbery, putrid green. Its black hair was long, thick, and ropy.
Suddenly, its beady black eyes flashed open, and it snarled.
The grew tried their best to fight the troll but it proved to be a deadly opponent. At one point, the troll spoke in draconic and threatened the group for trespassing on its resting place.
During the fight, it read from one the scrolls buried with it. After reading the scroll, black wisps of energy surrounded its claws. It then struck Landen across the chest, the black energy rotting Landen’s flesh. He fell to the floor dead.
Ziri, realizing the party could be all slain by the deadly troll, spoke to it in Draconic.
With luck the druid was able to convince the troll the adventurers were there to serve it. Seemingly confused, the troll nevertheless believed Ziri. It then ordered the others to guard it while it feasted on Landen’s remains and recovered its strength.
With the troll focused on its meal, Ziri had everyone move to the hall of statues.
With everyone together in the hall, they quietly snuck away leaving the troll behind as it continued its meal.
Short a fighter and needing rest to regain spells, Ziri ordered the group back to Oakhurst.
Dramatis Personae
Brad Yorik (Male Halfling Bard)
Edmont Patch (Male Human Rogue)
Landen Downeye (Male Human Fighter) RIP
Skyler Kiltrin (Male Dragonborn Cleric of Bahamut)
Ziri Basha (Female Half-elf Druid)
Plot type
Chapter
Parent Plot
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