Nightmare

Undecitina 18, 1000 PC

Our heroes awake from their night of unpleasant dreams to quickly discover that Tangleton has been devastated by the far more dangerous nightmares, leaving much of the population of the hamlet dying.  Wintersky leaps into action to begin healing the fallen in the hamlet, while Luanes, assisted by Dale, rescue those in the inn.

Riding through Tanglewood after an early start to the day, the bronze half-dragon Sjach enters Tangleton Vale to find the hamlet buzzing with activity and crawling with kobolds.  He rides to the cave in a high-cliffed spur where the kobold issue from to investigate and is shortly noticed by our heroes as they investigate the ruckus caused by the kobolds flight from the cave.

It quickly becomes apparent that the kobolds were driven from the cave by an awakened nightmare beast that has been slumbering undiscovered in the mine.  The newcomer is the instant focus of the beast as Sjach sits on his charger in front of the cave entrance.  The beast lightning has no effect, but its awesome blow and massive tusks call the others to the half-dragon's aid.

During the short but furious battle, the nightmare beast is vanquished, but Legeand is also thrown into a frenzy.  After several attempts at restraint and distraction by Nyza, T'Krosh and Sparta, Luanes, hovering above the raging berserker on Gaelitae's back, descends to relieve him from his furor.

A villager stumbles into the room, bleary-eyed from sleep, "Lady Teton! Please come. No one is waking up."

Wintersky: Not waking?

Sjach is riding through Tanglewood through the chaos of fey fluttering about.

Dale rubs her eyes and stretches.

The villager: No, I cannot wake my husband or children. The entire hamlet is silent.

Wintersky grabs her medicine bag, "I must take a look."

Sparta: Looks like we mightn't be the only ones beset with dreams last night

The villager: I had horrible nightmares.

Luanes frowns.

The villager: Woke very weak.

Wintersky: Check the others at the inn, please. I will go with her and check around the hamlet.

Luanes nods.

The villager leads Wintersky out of the inn.

Luanes stands up and looks to her companions.

Dale: This way to the rooms.

Luanes follows Dale.

Sparta tags along.

Sjach enters a vale. At the far end of it are a few isolated buildings and what look like round doors built into the hills.

Dale knocks on the first door in the sleeping quarters.

Dale: Hallo? Anyone here?

No response from beyond.

Dale tries to open the door.

Luanes: Should we enter even if no one answers?

Sparta: We'll never know if there's trouble if we don't.

Sjach rides toward the buildings and sees a Teton woman leave one of the buildings with a human villager. On his right in the distance he sees a tower that has had one of the great ironwood trees grow around it.

Luanes thinks for a moment then nods in agreement.

Luanes attempts to open the door.

Sparta moves to the next door and knocks.

The door is unlocked and opens to reveal a man sleeping deeply in his bed.

Sparta finds the same situation in the next room.

Luanes approaches the person, attempting to awaken him.

Luanes: Sir?

The man is unresponsive.

Sparta: Excuse me, we're having a bit of trouble. Just checking to see if everything's alright in here.

Luanes checks to see if the man is sick?

The woman in the room that Sparta is checking also makes no response.

Luanes determines he is dying.

Luanes: By Visaria!!!

Sparta: Dale, can you come here please?

Luanes lays her hands upon him, praying to her goddess for healing.

Sjach suddenly sees a stream of kobold burst from a cave opening and spread out throughout the town. They are not attacking, just running as fast as they can away from the cave.

Dale moves down to Sparta's room.

Luanes yells, "Dale! They are dying!"

Dale: What? Oh no.

Dale tries to ascertain what ails the woman.

Dale determines she is in fact dying.

A ruckus of kobold shouts and barks float into the inn from the direction of the mine.

Luanes: They need healing quickly!

Luanes begins running from room to room, using Visaria's gift to stabilize the dying.

Dale casts Cure Minor Wounds on the sleeping woman.

Dale: Sparta, Legeand, look for any more who are sleeping. Luanes is right, we need to heal the village and quickly.

Legeand nods, "Aye."

Legeand: I will take a quick look around.

Sjach rides closer to the cave entrance where the kobolds fled from.

Luanes: We need to discover if others in the village are in need, as well.

Sjach shouts in draconic, "Hold!"

Sjach hears roaring and the burst of explosions deep within the cave. The kobolds look frightened and ignore his command.

Sjach barely maintains control of the black charger as it rears at all the noise and confusion.

Dale: Drag the sleeping out into the hallway.

Dale: I can heal them all at once.

Luanes rushes thoughout the inn laying hands on the afflicted, saving all before they die.

Luanes: There are no more in this inn, which need healing. We need to find others in the village.

Sparta: Let's see how the kobolds are doing. I heard a ruckus outside.

Sparta hears the neighing of a large horse outside.

Sjach moves back from the cave and scans the town with piercing bronze eyes.

Luanes: I will check the nearby residences.

Oliveryn startles awake from his fitful and frightful dream.

Sparta steps out of the inn to survey the kobolds and rider.

Sparta: You there, on the horse, are you a friend of Tangleton?

Sjach sees several weary villagers carrying unconscious folk from hobbit holes and buildings, directed by the Teton woman.

Sjach nods affirmatively.

Oliveryn stumbles into the main inn room, looking to see if he notices any of his party members.

Dale: Seeing that Luannes has the inn safely in hand, follows Sparta outside.

Sjach: "I am. I just witnessed cave explosions and several kobolds running from it."

Luanes leaves the inn and dashes to the nearest building, looking for other dying people.

Sparta: Do you have healing? I think we have been beset by a nightmare or a hag or some such demon overnight.

Wintersky: Luanes, check what has the kobolds riled.

Sjach: I am not a healer, but I have a strong back.

Wintersky: I am having the villagers gather the dying and will heal them all at once.

Sjach: How can I help these people?

Luanes: Very well, Wintersky.

Sparta checks out Sjach's mount to be sure it is natural.

Rooooooaaaaaarrrrr!!!!!!!!!

Oliveryn takes out his Wand of Cure Light Wounds.

Oliveryn: Sparta, here!

Luanes makes her way to Sparta, Dale, and the stranger on horseback.

Sjach feels the force of the roar on his back.

Sjach tightly reins in Vivex from charging at the roaring sound.

Sparta looks for the source of the roar.

Oliveryn says to Sparta, "What is going on?"

Sparta: All the Hells seem to have broken loose.

Sparta sees what looks like a gleaming tusk deep with in the cave.

Luanes turns towards the roar, drawing her sword.

Sjach quickly looks for the source of the sound.

Sparta: In the cave.

Sparta: Something that's not a kobold is in there.

Sjach: The cave was full of kobolds and explosions when I looked.

A lighting bolt strikes Sjach from within the cave, but has no effect on him. Vivex bolts.

Sparta: At least it isn't Cedarcleaver.

Sparta is slightly relieved.

Sjach holds onto the horse with all his might, looking irritated at the lightning.

Luanes watches in amazement.

Sparta draws his sword and runs to the mouth of the cave to get a better look.

Luanes follows Sparta.

Dale helps Sjach calm his mount.

Vivex snorts and fights his rider, looking angry.

Sjach: The trouble seems to be coming from the cave.

A gigantic boar-like creature with huge tusk and massive claws bursts from the cave.

Sjach tries to hold back his stallion from charging Gaelitae.

The creature, nearly the size of the inn itself, charges Sjach and Vivek.

Eregard: Holy Shi...

The beast gores rider and sends mount tumbling.

Dale: There is nothing holy about that beast.

Sjach flies through the air and hits the ground, but retains a standing position.

Sjach: One of these days I'm gonna eat you, Vivex!

Oliveryn wonders how in the Hells something could get that large...and hopes this is the mother.

Oliveryn casts Indomitability on himself as he looks...a little scared.

Dale casts Summon Nature's Ally VII, summoning an elder xorn.

Ferocious remains at Dale's side.

Sjach: One of these days I'm gonna eat you, Vivex!

Sjach steps and slashes deeply into the looming beast with an iaijutsu attack.

Vivek struggles to his feet.

Sparta: Seeing Sjach's great swing, Sparta momentarily thinks of his Grandpa, then charges in to attack with the flaming sword in his hand.

Sjach motions Vivex to safety.

The beast strikes Sparta as he closes returning the blow.

Sjach looks at Sparta's weapon and nods unconscious approval.

Ringo also charges in and bite the beast with his magically enhanced teeth.

Nyza: There it is, T'Krosh! Nyza tell you me hear noises here!

Nyza casts two spells back-to-back quickly in preparation: Arcane Spellsurge and Teleport into the open vale.

Luanes quickly mounts Gaelitae who takes off and swoops in giving the beast a devastating blow.

Sjach looks at the kobolds wondering if they are the same type that ran from the cave he saw earlier.

Sjach mutters, "Is that kobold on fire?"

Legeand charges in with lightning speed and unleashes a devastating hail of blows against the beast.

Oliveryn looks taken back by Legeand's destructive force.

Sjach looks impressed.

Eregard stays back and stands in front of Oli, thinking that everyone might be able to take care of this one.

The beast tramples Sjach, Ringo, Sparta and Legeand, but not before the Legeand cuts another chunk out of the beasts hide and Sparta miraculously dodges.

The beast turns and shakes and many of its massive wounds begin to heal.

Sjach glares and mutters in draconian.

Oliveryn backs up a step and casts Blast of Flame letting loos a massive cone of fire, catching the beast full in the face.

Oliveryn wonders if Nyza is jealous.

T'Krosh: You there! Are you an ally of Cedarcleaver, half-man?

Sjach looks at T'Krosh.

Sjach: I am a bronze half dragon and no friend of evil!

T'Krosh hesitates, but proceeds in casting a spell.

Sjach says in draconic, "I swear and my word is my bond."

T'Krosh: We will see. In the meantime, your wounds will be mended until this beast is put down.

T'Krosh casts Mass Cure Light Wounds covering his allies standing before the beast.

Sjach: Thank you. May Aifos bless you in your travels.

A massive xorn appears and rips into the nightmare beast.

Dale casts Lightning Storm and summons a lightning bolt upon the beast.

The lightning bolt is absorbed by the beast.

Ferocious pounces upon the beast.

Ferocious' attacks appear to have no effect on the beast's hide.

Sjach sheathes his katana and takes out his whalebone bow.

Sjach's arrow strikes the beast and bursts into flame, but no damage is apparent.

Sparta: Grrr, stand still you evil beast.

Sparta steps up again to swing with his flaming great sword.

Sjach: I do not think these paltry arrows will work on the thing.

The beast slashes Sparta again as he approaches, but deals the damage back.

Sparta: Ouch! We've got to find a way to hold him still.

Sparta: Ringo circles to the side of the beast to rejoin the attack

Nyza casts forth a barrage of Magic Missiles and Scorching Rays on the beast!

The beast drops dead.

Luanes has Gaelitae hover, ready for any further aggression.

Legeand, having entered a frenzy begins to move toward Sparta, but finds himself suddenly surrounded by a Wall of Stone cast by Nyza.

Sjach whistles to Vivex to get his big butt over to him.

Luanes hovers, ready to intervene should the rage become dangerous to someone.

Legeand bursts the wall.

Eregard still guards Oliveryn.

Oliveryn waits as well for any more threatening attacks.

T'Krosh moves towards Legeand and casts Obscuring Mist to prevent the berserker from focusing on a new target.

Dale backs away from Legeand while summoning her remaining lightning bolts to begin carving a ledge halfway up the cliff face.

Sjach calls out to Vivex.

Sjach: Get your big butt over here!

T'Krosh moves out of the way of the horse, narrowly avoiding getting trampled on.

Sjach tries to mount Vivex in the fog.

Sjach: One of these days, Vivex, you are going to get me killed."

Sparta and Ringo retreat from Legeand, then Sparta casts Entangle over the foggy area.

Sjach: Pick up your feet, horse.

Sjach: I put five years of training into you for this?!

Nyza looks thoroughly dazed from the act of making arcane casting times her plaything.

Sjach sighs.

Luanes tries to hover lower in an effort to see and manages to cast Resurgence on Legeand, ending his frenzy.

Nyza comes out of her daze.

Nyza: Look out, he's coming right at us!

Luanes: He has collapsed!

Nightmare Beast