“I’m wasted on climbing stairs. We dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances,” Kildo stated breathing heavily trailing the party as they ran back up the 1,576 stairs towards the top level of the Sacred Stone Monastery. They were trying to catch the group of black earth cultists Yarsha and directed to help the party try and decapitate their leader. Failing, they now needed to rescue the previously freed prisoners waiting for their return.
The sounds of heavy, clunking plate armor were heard up ahead.
“We be catching up to them tail!” Kildo exclaimed picking up his pace.
On a short landing, two Black Earth guards were spotted. Guo Gan dashed ahead and thrust his spear at the second one. The point deflected from their armor, but a swift kick to his thigh caught his attention.
Right behind the monk was Kai, who slashed with his glaive. Their heavy armor absorbed two of the three hits causing long scores down their length.
Realizing they were under attack, the plated guards turned and lashed out at Kai with their morningstars. The first chain wrapped around the glaives pole, but three others got through crushing into the paladin’s breastplate.
A fire bolt from Scomatch flew past the guards exploding into the wall beyond.
A low, rhythmic pulsing began to emanate from the ground. A white light came from cracks in the stone. Fog rolled out approximately 15’ from Kildo as he cast Spirit Guardians. Small wisps of air arched out. Longer tendrils began to form and raced towards the Black Earth guards.
Like a mosquito, Guo Gan continued to thrust his spear at the second guard finding two weak spots in their plate armor. The tip pierced through chinks and into flesh. The monk then smashed the end into the neck of the cultist. An audible crunch followed, as his windpipe collapsed. Gasping for breath, the plated guard crumpled to the ground grasping his throat.
Concentrating on the first and fresh Black Earth cultist, Kai slashed his glaive striking through the heavy plate armor twice, as a follow-up butt smashed into his side.
The spirit guardian’s tendrils blasted radiant damage into their target, but even their magical nature found it hard to penetrate the Black Earth guard’s armor. Shrugging off the pain, the last cultist swung his morningstar missing Guo Gan, but bringing it back around, its chained head clipped the elven monk’s side.
Another fire bolt from Scomatch detonated next to the guard, missing by mere inches.
Dolorous bells then began to ring around the cultist from Kildo, a foreshadowing of his impending doom.
With a quick lunge, Guo Gan’s spear penetrated through the long eye slit of the guard’s plate helm. Blood spurted out as he grabbed the weapon. The monk let go of it to keep it from breaking as the guard’s plated weight crashed to the ground.
Sitting on the ground, Guo Gan closed his eyes and began to chant to himself softly.
“Woit! Now’s not be the time for a breather monk,” Kildo said.
Kai put a hand on his shoulder. “Wait, and watch.”
Observing Guo Gan, the monk’s body began to glow with golden, healing energy.
“Would ya be looking at that. Be guessing the elf be taking care of his own healing,” Kildo snorted.
Guo Gan’s eyes opened and he blinked a few times. Rising he yanked his spear from the dead cultist’s face. “That’s better.”
“If ye be done with yer beauty sleep, there be more of them fellows that need killing,” Kildo said and began to trod up the steps.
Kai and Guo Gan quickly overtook the dwarf as more movement could be heard ahead.
“Be saving some for me!” Kildo called out.
“Don’t worry my dwarven fellow, there’s more,” Guo Gan replied and pointed around the corner.
Rounding the bend there was a 30’ straight away before the stairs continued upwards. Three more Black Earth full-plated guards had turned and were blocking the party’s path. Beyond them was a Stonemelder. Sporting long, brown hair, he wore earthen-yellow caster robes. In the center of his chest appeared to be a large sundial hooked to scale plated shoulder pads with a wide belt. He gripped a long staff in his right hand of the same muted earth color.
Next to him was a Black Earth Cultists Priest. Also wearing pottery-brown caster robes, his chest was covered with a plate breastplate with a pointed stone mask covering his nose and forehead. He held a staff with a long pale green crystal at the end. In front of the two spell casters were two additional cultists in simple brown robes.
They turned as the party approached. Gripping their weapons tightly they prepared for battle.
Kildo stopped next to Scomatch and stepped a foot in front of the halfling to help protect the mage with his shield. Kai and Guo Gan leveled their longer weapons at the group of cultists.
“Infidels! Give the order Priest Gregg and we’ll kill them for desecrating our temple,” spat one of the cultists.
“Priest!?” scoffed Kildo and spat. “Cultists always be claiming to be having them and aren’t they always be priests.”
“Not always,” Guo Gan replied.
“More than our fair share, to be sure,” Kildo claimed.
“Yarsha, Yarsha, Yarsha,” bemoaned the Black Earth priest, called Gregg as he rubbed his hand to his temple as if to ward off a headache. “She lied to us. Well played getting interlopers to keep her hands clean to stoke her ambition to rule. Now to you, why were you running to catch up to us? It would have been easy to sneak past us as we searched upstairs.”
“Fanaticism requires extreme measures to be dealt with and the world would be better off with one less dirt cult,” Kai snarled.
“Hah, we are the Black Earth Cult. You’d have an easier time stopping the world from spinning by stomping your feet in the dirt,” Gregg mocked.
Glancing at Scomatch and winking, Guo Gan mimicked, “Enough talk!” The monk leaped forward making a deliberate attempt to impale his enemy with his spear. The point penetrated the second Black Earth Guard between the overlapping plate armor. Cringing as the power struck home, the monk pinned him to the wall.
Kai came slashing his heavy glaive into the restrained cultist’s left shoulder and then in a sweeping motion, into his right, as blood sprayed from both wounds. His arms went limp, dropping his morningstar. Bringing the butt of his weapon up, the end crunched into the cultist’s jaw, dropping him to the ground.
White-glowing spiritual guardians attacked the first Black Earth guard, as Kildo moved into range bringing his protectors with him.
The plate-covered cultist blocked the entire passageway preventing the party from slipping past, as he swung his morningstar at Guo Gan, but the monk dodged out of the way. The other Black Earth guard raised a large crossbow and fired. The bolt sailed through the battle and clipped Scomatch on the arm.
Behind their lines, the Stonemelder raised his staff and pointed towards the middle of the party. A fountain of churned earth and stone erupted 20’ around them. Guo Gan dove into a roll and sprang instantly to his feet, as Kai’s armor protected him from most of the rock’s damage. However, Kildo and Scomatch felt the full impact as they were knocked to the ground. Kildo’s spirit guardians also wailed as they dissipated, as the cleric’s concentration was broken.
A sudden loud ringing noise, painfully intense, erupted around Kildo and the rest of the party. The dwarf covered his ears and dulled some of the din, as the very air around them vibrated. Glancing, the cleric saw blood drip from Scomatch’s ears and nose as he fell sideways to the ground. Casting Spiritual Weapon, a spectral blue warhammer appeared next to the Stonemelder and swiped, but he was able to block the blow with his staff. Cursing, the cleric grabbed his holy symbol of Rigga the Mother Goddess and channeled divinity as preserving life healing rushed out and washed over Kai and Scomatch. The halfling’s eyes fluttered open from the rejuvenating energy.
Lunging with his spear, Guo Gan struck. There were two audible pings, as the tip hit the plate, but a satisfying grunt issued from the Black Earth guard, as a third fount its mark.
Searching through a pouch on his belt, Kai pulled out a white pill given to him from Renwick the Lich. Popping it into his mouth, a wave of yellowish energy washed over the paladin. All the wounds visibly on his body instantly sealed themselves. The triton’s eyes were bright and alert. It seemed he was a completely new man.
The Black Earth guard squaring off against Guo Gan swung his morningstar at the monk, but he pivoted from one side to the other to dodge the blows. However, the third guard with the massive crossbow had added another bolt, raised it, and fired. The bolt sailed through the combat striking Scomatch in the shoulder.
The Stonemelder and the cultist priest, Gregg, worked together and cast simultaneously as the earth erupted as thunderous and deafening noise from his shatter spell centered on Kildo and Scomatch. The dwarf was knocked hard to the ground, as the halfling was half-buried in the earth and stone midst and didn’t move.
Kildo commanded his spiritual warhammer, to attack the Stonemelder. The spectral blue weapon crunched into the caster’s side. It distracted the cultist for a moment, which was all he needed. The cleric’s hand, bloody and bruised, shook as he retrieved his pill from the lich Renwick from his hat of holding. Taking it, he crunched the tablet between his teeth. It tasted like chalk, or what he would imagine chalk tasting like. As he swallowed, it felt like needles started to prick every part of his body from the inside. A wave of energy coursed through his body, as his eyes popped wide open. He hadn’t felt this much energy since he was a young tike under the mountain.
Guo Gan continued to engage the first Black Earth guard. His spear did little against the cultist’s heavy plate armor. Kai also joined the fray, but his glaive also failed to penetrate as the blade slid off the protective shell.
Behind the first Black Earth guard, the third plated cultist loaded his crossbow and fired at Kai, but the shot went wide and sailed over Kildo’s and Scomatch’s heads. Apparently out of bolts, he dropped his crossbow and readied his morningstar, and joined his companion.
Kai thrust with his glaive, but the blade was stopped on his metal plate armor.
Again, the Stonemelder and Gregg the Priest worked together and cast simultaneously. More earth churned and rocks flew into the party as they were all deafened by the shatter spell. The stairwell’s integrity was in jeopardy and started to break away.
Picking himself up again from the rubble, Kildo spat and said, “I be having enough out of you two,” as the cleric then casted, a Silence spell. A shimmering globe encompassed both the spell casters, as their immediate area immediately went quiet. Not a sound could be heard from them, even though their mouths were open as they attempted to cast again, but failed. Realizing their predicament, Gregg turned and fled the other way up the stairs.
“Get Scomatch! I’ll take care of them!” Kai called out fully engaging the two Black Earth guards. Kildo glanced over and saw Scomatch again lying flat on the ground in an awkward position. Guo Gan then rushed in and slid to his knees. The monk held a small, white object in his hands. Opening the halfling’s mouth, he shoved it in. Glowing, yellow energy encompassed the downed mage as his eyes fluttered open.
Jumping to his feet Scomatch called out, “Whoa! That’ll put hairs on your toes!”
A short distance away, Kai swung his glaive back and forth like a wiper. The first Black Earth guard moved in trying to get past the paladin. The blade connected. Radiant smite damage blasted into the cultist’s side throwing him hard into the wall. He crumpled to the ground and laid still.
Seeing his comrade go down, the last Black Earth cultist charged swinging wildly with his morningstar. The heavy weapon smashed stone and crushed rock, but all missed the paladin. Even the Stonemender’s attack with his Black Earth Rod failed to touch the triton who kept them at bay with his longer glaive.
The rejuvenated Scomatch formed a chromatic orb quickly in his energy infused, shaking hands and threw it towards the fray. The fire orb flew past everyone and impacted the stairway beyond lighting up the battle from behind as its flames spread out.
Kildo commanded his spectral, blue warhammer towards the Stonemelder as it smashed into the back of the caster. Dolorous bells from Kildo’s Toll the Dead spell also struck him causing additional damage.
Rejoining the battle, Guo Gan arrived to stand at Kai’s side. His spear thrust out as his blade pinged harmlessly off the Black Earth guard’s plate. The weapon continued to prove less than useful against the heavy metal.
Changing opponents, Kai slashed his glaive at the less armored Stonemender. However, the cultist proved deft with his Black Earth Rod, parrying two of the paladin’s attacks. However, he failed to see as the butt end of the glaive came up from below. It smashed into his groin, as radiant light smoted the area.
The Stonemender attempted to riposte the attack from Kai, but the rod’s reach was short compared to the glaive’s.
However, the Black Earth guard was also having little success hitting the dodging and weaving monk, as the air ‘whooshed’ from his swings.
Filled with childlike energy from the pill Guo Gan gave him, Scomatch formed another chromatic orb in his hands and immediately threw it. A sizzling splash of acid crashed into the floor next to the cultists but didn’t cause any harm.
Kildo continued to command his spiritual warhammer to attack the Stonemender, but he parried it with his Black Earth Rod. Realizing the Black Earth guard’s plate was formable to weapon attacks, he cast Toll the Dead at him, as dolorous bells rang around the cultist. He tried to shake his head to avoid the din, but the noise was everywhere around him.
Distracted by Kildo’s spectral weapon, Guo Gan lunged with his spear. The point penetrated the scale mail armor in his chest. He also threw a side-kick, but it only caught his side doing little damage.
Kai also pressed his attack against the Stonemender. His glaive was blocked twice by the Black Earth Rod. The triton tried the same tactic as earlier. With the butt of the glaive, it came under and smashed into the caster’s groin. Then for good measure, radiant damage blasted into his nether region, again.
The Black Earth guard pressed his attack and engaged closer with Guo Gan. A quick, morningstar strike hit the monk’s shoulder. A follow-up attack missed as the monk spun away from the blow at the last second.
“This ends now!” the Stonemender cried out, as the full weight of the Black Earth Rod came crashing down and crunched into the breastplate of Kai. Somehow the weight of the weapon was so much more than its mass. Blood immediately came out of Kai’s mouth as it seemed massive internal damage was done. The paladin was sorely wounded.
A chromatic orb of fire blasted the legs of the Black Earth Guard from Scomatch, but the heavy plate protected the cultist from harm.
“Our earth god is alive and with us!” Bellowed the Black Earth Guard, as his faith was renewed by the actions of the Stonemender. It was even more evident, as Kildo cast Toll the Dead on the cultist, but he just shook the effect off. Even his spiritual warhammer seemed to fail him, as the magical weapon missed the Stonemender.
“Yes our god will live again!” The Stonemender called back as he parried two of Guo Gan’s spear thrusts. However, he failed to see that the monk was attempting to open his defenses, as he smashed the ball of his right foot into his throat. Cartilage crunched, as the Stonemender’s eyes went wild, as he could no longer breathe. Gasping at his throat, he slumped against the wall and tumbled over dead.
Encouraged by the Stonemender’s defeat, Kai’s muscles bulged as his glaive came slicing down. The blade cut into the last Black Earth Guard leaving two gashes as the plate armor split. Blood was dripping from the wounds.
Glancing at his armor, the Black Earth guard gripped his morningstar. He swung at the paladin, but they lacked the usual strength and were easily parried.
The rest of the party focused on the last cultist remaining. However, he remained a formidable enemy protected by his armor. A firebolt struck him square in the chest. Their flames quickly extinguished. Kildo’s spiritual warhammer bounced off the armored shoulder and the fanatical cultist shook off the cleric’s dolorous bells from his Toll the Dead spell. Even Kai’s glaive failed to repeat his previous attacks, as the blade only caused sparks as it struck the plate armor. However, the combined and relentless attacks still affected the cultist. He was tiring, as his morningstar swings were dodged or parried.
In the back, Scomatch watched the fight and rhythm. Forming a molt of fire in his hands, the mage patiently waited. Suddenly, he threw the flames. It smashed through the eye socket slit of the Black Earth cultist. He screamed in agony as the flames consumed him from within. Within a heartbeat, the plated warrior fell to his knees and crashed into the ground. Smoke rose from the helm.
Stepping over the smoldering warrior, Kai shouted, “Come on! We need to catch the rest! We need to manage this Gregg and the rest of the cultists with him. There are also those two ogres to deal with.”
The party followed, but Kildo noticed both Kai and Guo Gan were breathing heavily and their movements slowed from previous wounds. Touching his holy symbol of Rigga the Mother Goddess, the cleric channeled divinity as a wave of healing energy encompassed the paladin and monk.
Nodding in thanks, the two warriors took the stairs two at a time. In the distance, the roar of the ogres echoed along with the sounds of grinding metal. They were at the top and attempting to get through the ancient, iron gate.
“Hurry!” Guo Gan motioned to Kildo and Scomatch, who were trailing behind the longer-legged party members.
Traversing the winding stone stairs as fast as they could, the party arrived at another landing. At the end was the Black Earth priest, Gregg, as well as two cultists in brown robes. Gregg took a glaive the cultist was holding and ordered, “Go and have the brute squad kill everything that isn’t already dead!”
As the brown-robed cultist quickly climbed, the sounds of clanking metal bursting apart and crashing into stone boomed from above. The ogres had gotten through. It would be only a matter of time before the creatures found the defenseless, freed prisoners.
Turning back to the party, Gregg haughtily exclaimed, “You’re too late. Your friends up there will die because of you.”
Kai eyed Gregg and the glaive he held. Spinning his weapon, he snarled, “I don’t know what kind of business you think you are in, but I’m in the glaive business.” Lunging, Gregg knocked each thrust to the side with his glaive.
“I see the glaive business isn’t too good,” Gregg scoffed and cast, Slow. A wave of magic, like heat coming off the ground, washed out towards Kai. The paladin, movements slowed discernibly.
Taking advantage, the remaining brown-robed cultist drew a scimitar and slashed at Kai. The blade sliced against his breastplate, but the armor held.
Thrusting with his spear, Guo Gan had difficulty reaching Gregg, as his glaive kept the two at a distance.
A line of roaring flame from a Aganazzar’s Scorcher spell traveled down the length of the landing starting from Scomatch to the stairwell. It caught both cultists, but only seemed to singe their legs as they both jumped away from the fire.
“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life. Let’s finish this,” Kildo chanted as Kai, Guo Gan, and Scomatch glowed for a moment, enhanced by the cleric’s bless spell.
Continuing to face Gregg, Kai’s glaive, hampered by the slow spell, was easily dodged. The other cultist took advantage slicing with his scimitar, striking the paladin, as his armor absorbed most of the blow.
“Pathetic!” Gregg cried out. “This is how a glaive is used, water boy!” The weapon slashed downwards and struck the paladin. Blood started to trickle from underneath the triton’s breastplate. “Ogremach, will drink the waters and bury your people under his foot into the black earth!”
“Yes, and we who serve him will stand by his side!” the brown-robed cultist cheered raising his scimitar high into the air. A spear point then pierced through his chest from the back. It retracted a heartbeat later. The cultist looked down at his wound and then at Gregg. He reached out to the Black Earth priest as he crumpled to the stone floor.
“It’s time for you to join your god in the ground,” Guo Gan said and he trusted his spear. Gregg parried with his glaive, but the monk’s weapon glowed from Kildo’s Bless spell, as it twisted around the parry. It struck Gregg in the chest with a devastating blow.
Blood trickled out of Gregg’s mouth as he paused to spit. He then grabbed the end of Guo Gan’s spear and expressing great agony, yanked it forward deeper into himself. It pulled the monk closer. Gregg then began to laugh mechanical laughter as the Black Earth priest’s skin turned grey as if being turned to stone. Fissures began to form and there were audible cracks as lines traveled down his body.
“He be going to explode!” Kildo warned and he hid himself and Scomatch behind his kite shield.
A loud crack followed as the Black Earth’s priest stone body, shattered sending rock shrapnel outwards. Pelts banged against Kildo’s shield, as Kai and Guo Gan bore the brunt of the burst and were knocked down.
Bruised and bloodied, the two warriors slowly picked themselves up. Kai’s movements turned back to normal with Gregg’s death.
“Come on. We need to finish this,” Kai breathed out hard and he began to climb the stairs. As the party reached the top, coming around a corner they saw the tangled wreckage of the ancient iron gate. It seemed as if a giant had run through it. There were no sounds of battle or the movement of the ogres.
“They must be searching for them,” Guo Gan stated. He then peered around a corner cautiously into the Umber Hulk room. The monk then straightened himself and casually walked around the corner.
“What be the blasted elf be doing?” Kildo questioned out loud.
Shrugging his shoulders Kai followed.
Snorting at the carefree attitude, Kildo readied his warhammer and shield and followed. In the middle of the earthen floor, were the last brown-robed cultist and the missing two ogres; dead. Each had multiple stab wounds. There was no one else in the room and no other bodies.
“Hello down there! Come on up!” came a voice from the top of the stairs that led down from the top level. “It’s safe!”
Carefully ascending the stairs, the party emerged back into the 60’ by 80’ worship area with four 10’ stone pillars in the middle of the room with smooth stone flooring. Near the stairs to the north was the altar. A little way to the south in front of a set of double doors leading into the room stood a female hobgoblin. Bald, she had red-orange skin and dark brown eyes peering out beneath a beetling brow. A wide-mouth sported sharp and yellowed teeth, with two small tusks coming up from her lower jaw. Her nose was blue and matched a tattoo on the left side of her hairless head. She had one hand on her hip and in the other she held a short staff that was pointed at the bottom, spiked in the middle, and an amber-like stone that would act like a club at the top. She wore leather armor, exposing muscled arms, legs, and midsection. A vest, tied in front, tightly covered her large breasts, which any man would yearn for, except they were on the body of a hobgoblin.
“Welcome, so good of you to show up.”
“Oi, I remember you,” Kildo pointed accusingly. “Ye be one with them bandits Sanbalet was leading under the House on Haunted Hill.”
“Yes, but we weren’t with them. They were helping oversee the delivery of weapons to the lizardfolk to the Isle of Kyrox to help them fight off the sahuagin. Once they infest an area they are very territorial and kick everyone out. Anyone that remains is considered blood sport for their hunting parties. They aren’t called Devils of the Deep for nothing.”
“Aye, they be nasty pieces of work. Wait, are ye be saying we be the bad guys?” Kildo stammered.
Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “I’m not the one who said it. So, were you the ones who sent the ogres up here?”
“We were chasing after them,” Guo Gan replied.
“And we took care of them,” the hobgoblin concluded.
“May I inquire your name?” Kai asked.
“Akri.”
Clearing his throat, Guo Gan continues, “Akri, we had people up here. Freed prisoners from the Black Earth cultist and we guaranteed safe passage.”
“Ah, yes. We are giving them food and can escort them back to the docks. So, how are things going down in the earth?” Akri asked.
“Fairly terrible,” Kai answered. “What are you doing here?”
“My queen sent me to investigate what is occurring at the Sacred Stone Monastery,” Akri replied.
“Does your group follow Senele, the Queen of the Wilds?” Guo Gan asked.
Scoffing, Akri replied, “No, Senele is a god.”
“Who be your Queen then?” Kildo asked.
“The Great Green Dragon. Queen of the Hobgoblins. We are not part of a cult, but our Queen is a very powerful entity.”
“There has been some issues with cultists in the area. They be extremely active and causing a lot of troubles,” Kildo said.
“Yes, that’s why the Queen dispatched a wing to investigate,” Akri replied.
“Oi, how many be in a wing?” Kildo asked.
“One hundred hobgoblins and support staff,” Akri answered.
“Why so many?” Guo Gan inquired.
“We seek stability, which cultists typically don’t if they are worshiping some freakish premortal entity they are trying to draw into this realm.”
“Aye, these cultists be worshiping Ogremach,” Kildo explained.
“That’s what I’ve heard, cleric of Rigga.”
“So, do you have a side in this conflict?” Guo Gan asked.
“No, we don’t have a side in this battle. However, we were hoping to find out more about the Black Earth cultist nest here. I was about to send some of my throngs down when you showed up,” Akri said.
“We pledged one person safe passage off the island. Her name is Yarsha,” Guo Gan said.
“Of course,” Akri replied. “So, how much of the temple were you able to explore?”
“A lot, but we aren’t sure how deep it goes,” Kai replied.
“Aye, deep it be going,” Kildo added. “So many stairs!”
“I was about to get some troops down below, but we are working on securing the top side,” Akri said.
“Then ye be wanting to be wary of Renwick the Lich,” Kildo informed.
“Um, a lich?” Akri asked warily.
“Aye, ye can’t miss him. His doors be marked with a big red ‘X’. Ye might be wanting to be leaving that one alone,” Kildo explained.
“Yes, good advice. Is there anything else I and my troops should know?”
Guo Gan stammered, but seeing Akri look his way, continued, “I had a vision the brown earth cult is coming here.”
“When did you have this dream? Did it seem it was in the past or future?”
“The present.”
“Before you send your troops down, we need to check one more thing. However, if you are concerned about the sahuagin roaming the water, this place might be worth protecting. We don’t have an army, but if you can hold this area we can do our final investigation,” Guo Gan said.
“Well, it’s a good thing that I brought an army with me,” Akri said and moved south and opened the heavy double doors, and led the party out the main gate. “Feel free to take nourishment and rest before going back down. The boys will keep you safe.”
In the courtyard outside was an entire encampment of hobgoblins busy with life. Red in color, they all wore heavy armor with chain underneath. Armed with at least two different weapons, they were not the typically dull and rusty blades seen in some humanoid races, but well-polished and sharp. They cared for their equipment. Most were busy as tents were being put up. Others ate, cleaned, and maintained their equipment with some warming themselves near fires. Guard patrolled the area while some constructed additional defensive fortifications. However, their eyes all snapped towards Akri and the party as they emerged, saluting their leader.
Kildo caught the odor of sulfur and pumice. Glancing east and west and on each side were two young adult red dragons standing easily twice as size of the largest hobgoblin. Flame red in color, they had swept-back horns and their spinal frill defined their silhouette. Their beaked snout vented smoke and their eyes danced with flames as they centered on the party. Gulping, at their sight, the dwarf spotted the freed prisoners eating what seemed to be bowls of hot meat and vegetable stew. It gave off a salty meaty aroma along with cooked carrots and starchy potatoes.
Moving over to a large hobgoblin standing over a pot over an open fire, the creature folded his arms as Kildo approached. “Might I be having a bowl of the good stuff?”
Snorting, the hobgoblin took a large ladle and to his credit, dug deep in and poured its chunky contents into a wooden bowl and handed it to him.
Taking in the scent, Kildo took a spoon and churned its contents, but before taking a bite, asked, “Please be saying this isn’t Long Pig.”
04/29/2022 – Treasure
· Accumulation of more cultist experience points.
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