Isle of Dread: The Lost Crown!
The visit from the native chieftain warrior Dakarai and his shaman advisor, Nuru, has given hope to the band of Drow warriors as they settle down for the night in their bunks. Gorlab thinks on Sue, his trusted pseudo-dragon familiar … "Soon my sweet, soon we will have our revenge and you back in the fold, soon …” … and falls asleep as the night passes over.
"Master, master … awaken … a trap, a trap!” … With a terrible fright, Gorlab is woken from his sleep by Sue! Still in the dead of the night, Gorlab is sluggish from his sleep, barely picking up the telepathic thoughts sent by Sue … "My lord, a trap, waken quickly my lord!” … a vision of Xeph, the Drider, half-spider, half-drow and evil to the core, bent on the destruction of the Despair crew! Gorlab jumps to his feet, quickly taking up his shield and sword, shouting to his fellow warriors … "To arms shipmates, to arms! The Drider is nearby! To arms you lazy curbs!!” … casting a Fly spell on himself, Gorlab see’s more of the Drider's plan! Xeph has used his magic’s to call forth an Invisible Stalker to steal the demon amulet from Berun while he slept and released the beast to attack the party, which strangely enough spews out an Imp, which quickly runs away???
"To arms warriors, the Drider sends Berun’s demon to destroy us all … to arms!!”
Flying off into the jungle, Gorlab heads towards Sue, using his telepathic link as a guide, quickly flying past the demon and seeing Xeph ahead, attacks with a mighty shout … "Xeph! Release my Sue!!!” … Catching him off-guard, Xeph quickly bundles Sue into a bag and makes ready with his bow & arrows, but Gorlab gains a surprise strike at the bag to release Sue and misses, still sluggish from sleep! Xeph lets fire a poisonous arrow and strikes home. Gorlab’s resolve is set to save Sue and pulls out the arrow before the poison can take hold and releases a magical bolt to dislodge the bag, but the Drider’s magic is too strong and once again lets loose an arrow to slow down Gorlab, striking home once more, before making good his escape via a magical door as Gorlab removes the other deadly arrow … "Gone, once again the Drider has escaped … a coward, thief … he has no honor! Damn you Xeph … damn you to the Nine Hells of Baator! I will have your hide, I swear it on my soul as Vhaeraun is my witness!!!”
As Gorlab begins to prepare a healing spell, he hears the battle at the Despair … "My shipmates!” … Quickly curing himself, Gorlab begins to make his way back as he spots the Imp … "Fear not Imp, you are safe from me, lest you mean any harm?!” … Gorlab draws his sword, but the imp is fearful of the weapon and darts behind some trees … "Come, follow, for my friends have need of my sword!” … The imp follows slowly, cowering behind the trees as Gorlab makes his way back to the ship, darting in and out for protection. Gorlab offers the imp food at the Despair, which it accepts with a devilish smile and hurries quickly behind … "Food, yes, food for little me’ish, fooood” … The Imp moves with haste to follow the flying Drow!
On making his way back, Gorlab see’s Captain Gul & Berun in close hand-to-hand combat with the demon beast, but as he enters the arena, Joruus keen eye has the kill as a viper bolt strikes home! "Well shot Joruus!” cry the shipmates, except Goll, who strangely enough is lying facedown in the dirt asleep (knocked unconscious!), having fell from the ship whilst trying to aid Berun … "He did try to help, but his footing is still poor on the ship deck!” … A story to be told round the Drow tables of Goll’s great feats and falls!!
Gorlab lets the party know that it was an Invisible Stalker sent by the Drider which stole the demon amulet from Berun … "It grows more bolder with each week that passes!” … The captain speaks … "we should be on guard of the creature and it’s magic’s, but for tonight, we have won this minor encounter and so to sleep once more”.
As for the Imp, the promise of foods have sent it off to the larder where it can be heard drinking wine, eating foods and singing in a strange tongue … happy to be free from the demons bowls. But for Gorlab, another failed attempt at saving Sue has left him with a heavy heart.
A new dawn …
… the party refreshed, and a plan to seek out the Drider … but where and how! Arguments between the ships crew rage on during the day, until a plan to sail to the north of the island is "agreed”, much to the annoyance of the captain … "So be it. We will sail north and search the furthest part of the island. One place is as likely to hide the Drider as any other. Let us rest another day and sail in the early light tomorrow’s”.
The party fully rested with another days grace, sail off in their canoes into the rising sun to seek out the Drider and ships Elemental Crown, again. Each quite in their own thoughts of the past adventures, lost comrades and possible treasures … for surely that is the goal of all adventurers!
Days at sea, skimming the shorelines of the Isle of Dread, the party rest up on the beach at nights and make sail in the morning light. The party have become a terrible force to reckon with! Gorlab with his Cat’s Eye of Disintegration destroyed a 12-headed hydra, which produced a magic ring covered in strange designs, Berun with his mighty two-handed sword and crazy rage fly’s off to kill a pack of Roc’s and slaughtered a gigantic crocodile in another encounter, captain Gul’s lightning strikes killing many a beast and the human cleric to bless all in their endeavors as they wreck a terrible havoc on all beasts who come before them. Goll with his deadly arrows and Joruus casting spells to increase the parties deadly speed … a deadly force indeed! Even the water beasts are not safe from the parties magic’s as a Water Termite is electrocuted by Berun’s lightning bolt spell!
The party soon make land …
… to the north of the island and settle down for the night, coming across some empty sea caves, where they hide their canoes and have a restful night before making haste to seek out the dragon caves along the mountainous shore coast the following morning. The party are glad to be on land again! They make haste over the hills and mountains, searching high and low with the help of Gorlab’s Cat’s Eye, searching for tail-tail signs of dragons and any manner of beasts. The first day passes quickly as the party make no encounters. Settling down for the night, the party split into guard duties for the night, but are soon set upon by a group of Stone Giants, who catch them off-guard by hurling large boulders. Their aim is deadly as they strike Goll numerous times and exact a kill! The shock cries of Goll’s death awaken the rest of the party, who return the favor with a deadly dose of blade & magic’s once more. As the party finish off the giants, Brun chats a healing spell and calls upon his god to help the soul of this crushed body, whereupon Goll manages to recover, talking gibberish of heaven and hells! His death was a bit premature, but his mind will play tricks on the young warrior for some time!
The party soon realise that the mountains hold many a deadly creature, so making tracks, head off to safer woodlands … famous last words! The party encounter odd dinosaurs and woodland nymphs who charm the party but are saved with Berun’s dispel magic spell! There seems to be no safe place on this damned island! The mountains once more loom ahead and the adventurers head high, sick of the bugs, swamps and dank lands below. Wild Roc’s once more approach as the party travel higher, only to be destroyed by the might & magic’s of the characters!
"Truly, we are a mighty force to be reckoned with, for now we can see why the Drider does fear us!”, Gorlab thinks to himself.
A cave ahead!!! Sadly, empty, but welcome shelter from the harsh weather of the island and high winds in the mountains. The party sleep heavily and fully rested make east once more, coming across another cave where Troglodytes live. Goll casts an invisible spell on himself and sneaks past the guards, seeking out all the caverns for treasures and a dragon, but returns as Captain Gul has approached the guards in a friendly manner, learning of the possible whereabouts of a Green Dragon in the east and Red Dragon in the west … "Peace be with you friend”, Captain Gul calls out as the party head east with new haste, in the knowledge that the Troglodytes have given them more valuable information than gold itself!
The next few days pass quickly as the party move over the mountains to the hills in the distance, for it is known that Green Dragons live in the lower hills in deep caverns. The beast itself passes overhead one night, giving the group more hope that its whereabouts are nearby! A further day passes and the dragons lair is in sight! Guarded by a few Lizard Men, the party hatch a plan to raid the lair while the dragon is away, but unaware that the lair has a second exit, they waste a day in wait for the beast to leave it’s lair … "Damn this waiting”, Captain Gul exclaims, "We shall attack tomorrow’s and slaughter the lizard where it lies!” … a cheer from his followers … "Aye, aye captain!”
And so a plan is hatched …
… Berun shall have Gorlab’s two-handed Dragon Slayer and magic’s - invisible, haste, bless and a silence spell to hide and protect him as he will take on the beast himself!!! Wearing Brun’s magical ring of protection verse poisons, Berun moves quickly into the caverns, causing a mishap as he approaches the guards, who are encapsulated by the silence spell!!!
"Opps, never thought on that”, thinks Berun, who follows the Lizardman to where the Green Dragon rests, lying on top of a large hoard of silver, gold and jewelry.
Berun the Dragon Slayer …
… With a deep breath, the silent Berun rushes and strikes viciously at the dragon as it speaks to the Lizardman. Four swift, silent strikes … but only one wounds the beast, it’s skin as thick as Drow plate mail! A silent cry of pain echo’s from it’s bowels as Berun becomes visible as the Dragon takes to the air, breathing deadly poison on the warrior, which has no effect! "Arghhh!”, screams Berun, "The beast has room to fly!” … but realizing it’s fate, the dragon makes a quick escape to the other exit, blasting down the corridor with it’s deadly breath before it flies off.
As Berun battled the dragon, the other party make short work of the other Lizardmen guards, moving through the various tunnels to help Berun and seek out other ways to approach the fight. Captain Gul is first to reach Berun as he kills the Lizardman, but before it’s escape, the Green Dragons blast down the corridor with it’s poisonous breath causes Gul to suffer greatly by chocking with the poisons burning his guts! Berun’s ring of poisonous protection saves him from the same pains as he quickly tracks down the Green Dragon once more, trapped in the distant corridors … a fight to the death!
Still reeling from the pain, Captain Gul makes his way to the piles of silver & gold, furiously searching for one thing and one thing only … "It must be here, it must be … " … madness takes over as the coins are thrown away, jewelry ignored, gold spurned … " … the Elemental Crown! I have it, I have it!” … maddening cry’s from the captain can be heard through all the caverns … "I have it, the Elemental Crown of the Despair … I have it … ha, ha, ha, ha …” … the Captain once more rests in the treasure pile whilst clutching the crown deep to his chest, unaware of the battle in the depend corridors to the north …
The final blows …
… both man and beast vicious with claw and sword, each striking and wounding the other, but Berun’s sword strikes quickly and with such deadly force that his fury cannot be stopped till he beheads the beast, holding the head high as his shipmates approach … "Huzzahhh”, cry the party to Berun’s great bravery and skill in killing the Green Dragon alone, although tales of his exploits will have to wait as his silence spell lasts many a turn!
Captain Gul speaks … "We have triumphed great warriors! With the crown in our hands, we shall be able to seek safe refuge where we please and hunt the Isle of Dread for the Drider. His time on this isle will be short lived! Huzzah to the brave warriors of the Despair!!” … "Now, to the treasures at hand … count the monies, make camp, rest my brave shipmates, tonight we feast on dragon!!!”
The party clear away the dead Lizardmen and count the dragons treasure, lighting a fire in the lair, cooking the dragon meat, laughing in the knowledge that the Elemental Crown is safe in their hands again and they may move freely about the isle again. No more trudging through the dank marshlands and woods, free to roam as we please … now for the Drider!!!
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