These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik. With the Watchtower secure, the wounded dragons dealt with, and their repaired (and improved) ship waiting in the harbour, it was time for the party to be thrust once more into the depths of the earth, to explore another hidden dungeon.
Deeper Underground
Moving deeper into the ruined halls was their only choice, though they were all eager to stay away from the areas tainted with the Xoriat presence. These chambers had been kept (or recently returned to?) a relatively neat state, and it felt a lot more settling walking through ancient halls without the dust, webs, and decay of a few centuries clinging to every surface.
Perhaps that is what allowed the group to not notice the battle about them as they entered a particularly large hall.
The Destruction of Property
Crashing through a wall of rubble, a monstrously large warforged titan charged at the group. Leaping (or being knocked) out of the way, they quickly found themselves divided. This was only accented further as another crsosbeam collapsed, depositing piles of stone and rock between Tvennr and Urquilla and the rest of the team. As the dust cleared, the pair called to the others that they would find another way around, and started moving.
There were three more warforged in the battle - another two of the soldiers they had faced before, equipped with the same chaotic 'experimental' weapons; and a new model, encased in crimson armour. This one called fire to the battle, threatening to incinerate what the others couldn't cut or smash.
The other side of this battle was an elf who commanded bolts of lightning; a draconic figure clad in solid metallic plate; and Galinndan. Quickly seeing his old comrades, the eladrin moved to help them, though his new allies had other plans. Holding their own, they instead decided to escape; Lenna drew a portal on the wall, and calling out to Kurik, the pair vanished in a shower of sparks.
Galinndan's own ability with teleportation was a lot more forceful; he threw the towering titan about, allowing Kami to escape its reach, and helping Hassan a better position from which to deliver his carefully weighted cuts. Though Regdar had to sacrifice his wolf, once the 'lesser' warforged were dealt with, the combined effort from the group brought the larger automaton to its knees.
Prisoner Transfer
The party had barely caught their breaths when a magic circle appeared on the other side of the hall. Within it, three figures appeared: two more of the warforged soldiers, with a weary umberhulk being led between them. Apparently, it had failed to affect the mindless constructs, and had given in, allowing itself to be pushed and guided through the halls. Well, Galinndan wasn't about to let that happen - quickly calling Kami to cover them with her protection, he pushed them all into action, and started the battle before the warforged could escape.
Of course, the situation wasn't quite what it appeared to be. As soon as Kami blasted the closest warforged with her storm, it vanished, the metallic form being replaced with a much larger, and more angry, oni. The ogre mage's disguise thrown aside, she leaped into battle, snatching Kami in her electrified chain, and whisking her off to be dealt with alone, whilst the warforged and now freed umberhulk assaulted the others.
Naturally, Hassan wasn't one to let his captain be abducted on his watch. Charging after Kami and the storm-touched oni, Hassan found the creature far too hard to pin down; even when Galinndan joined, the battle felt more like a chase than a fight. Though badly beaten, the oni almost managed to escape; and would have, too, if it weren't for the combined effort and skills from the group.
The umberhulk, too, proved to be a dangerous beast, tearing through another of Regdar's wolves and more than a little of the rubble before finally being cornered and trapped, beyond hope of retreat.
And to all, a good night
The enemy were once more defeated, and this time, they had something to show for their efforts - a strange, amethyst blade carried by the oni. There were other items scattered about the now quite messy hall - silverware, platters, fine metallic goblets, elaborate candlesticks - all would fetch a fair price, should they bother to weigh themselves down and carry it with them.
Aside from that, there were only two directions to go: through the stairs and along the corridors twisting back towards the tainted parts of the underground structure; or through the rubble and into the rooms Tvennr and Urquilla retreated through. There was little choice, really, and so they moved to meet up with their friends.
