Enter the Catacombs
He saw a large room with at least six jackal like humanoids million about. The room was clearly their living space as a cookie fire, bedding nests and other important items were scattered about. They payed no attention to be rouge. Hazlo silently closed the door and reported what he saw.
"Knolls, very nasty but usually not to smart," said Ballimor.
"Whatever they are, we have the element of surprise, we should press the advantage now," urged Ruhdon. Everyone agreed this to be the best choice and charged through the doorway moments later. The knolls were caught completely off guard and took several blows from the party before the were able to mount an effective response. Eventually one of the knolls talked the other and barked commands in their native tongue.
Under this knolls guidance they recovered their weapons and formed into a cohesive fighting group. However, instead of engaging the party embers the knolls chose to withdraw to the northern most door of the room, were they exited into the room beyond. Under their leaders guidance te entire group made it through the door way to safety save one unfortunate one who found itself trapped in one of Boom's spells preventing from manuevering. Rather than leave it behind, the leader knoll, who the group later understood to be their war cheif, heroically headed back into the room to free his comrad. He met Ballimor near the stuck pack mate and defended him for he dwarfs attack until the spells effects wore off. One free the two of them retreated back to the door, closing it behind them.
Quickly Ballimor grab some logs and braced the door so that the knolls would be unable to return easily. The rear began exploring the area, looking for anything of use. Ruhdon discovers a secret door in the western wall near where they came in. He pushed it in and discovered another hallway that ended in a stonewall. He suspected that this lead to yet another secret door and indeed his suspicions were confirmed when he got close enough to examine the wall in detail. He decided to head back to show the others what he found before going on.
Once back in the main room he showed the rest of the group hos discovery. The other agrees that the secret door seemed the most interesting path to take and so headed in that direction. Before leaving the room, Ballimor braced the door in the north eastern portion of the room to help cover there backs as the explored deeper into the vaults.
Dealing with the Devil
Ruhdon opened the other secret door and moved into the room beyond. To the north was an open doorway leading to a large room with a strange tiled floor reminiscent of a chess board. He approached the door way and senesced a magical power emanating from within, but could not identify its specific nature. The corridor also extended westward until it took a 90 degree turn north again. The group followed the hallway until the reached another large well lite room containing a pack of minotaurs within.
Ruhdon and the others approached cautiously ready for a fight. Yet the creature did not seem to notice them at first. Instead they were busy discussing some other important matter. It was only when Ruhdon and the other got within 40 feet or so that they drew the attention to the creatures at last.
"Who dares enter our layer so unannounced?" boomed one of them.
"My name is Ruhdon and I and my party members came here seeking a sacred artifact from the knights that built this place. Who are you?" replied Ruhdon.
"I am the great Minotaur mage Ostra and my fellow clan mates and I have come to reclaim what is rightfully ours. You see long before the knights built the abbey these caves were a sacred place to a Minotaur clan that once inhabited this region. The knights slaughtered the minotaurs and converted this temple to their own uses."
"It doesn't seem like you have done such a good job at reclaims the temple owning to he large pack of knolls that are living in the eastern rooms," mocked Ballimor.
"Do not mock the great Ostra foul creature. It is true that the knolls mock us with their presence, but their is another more powerful who keeps us both kin check. A powerful oni sits ahead a table of both our groups strongest warriors. He keeps them as collateral in the event that either of us attacks the other. But perhaps you weaklings can assist? Yes, yes Ostra is smart! You, you will help us with the knolls, then we will help you kill oni find knight object," said the Minotaur enthusiastically.
"How do you know that it's with the oni?" asked Ruhdon.
"Oh, the evil oni has many treasures, no doubt he has it, if it still exists. Him or the fire lizard," said Ostra.
"Fire lizard?! How much of the vaults to you know," questioned Ballimor.
"Oh we minotaurs know every inch of these tunnels for we are the heirs," responded Ostra proudly.
"Can you make us a map of the area," asked Ballimor.
"Certainly. Here Ostra show you," said the Minotaur as she drew a crude map in the mud on the ground. The party studied the layout for some time, asking Ostra a clarification question to better understand. Satisfied that they had a good picture of the area the conversation turned back to the minotaurs proposal.
"I think we can work something out Ostra. Well take care of the Knolls if you will help us kill the oni and recover the artifacts," said Adrick.
"Very well. My fellow clan mates while show you the way," said Ostra. With a wave of her arm two of the other minotaurs in the room guided the group north into another room with yet more minotaurs on guard. Here there was a large set of double doors blocked by several sets of logs. Beyond which lie the entire pack of knolls who he group had now agreed to eliminate.
Gangs of Gardmore Abby
The group considered there options before opening the doors. The Minotaur mage Ostra had told them
The knolls number twelve, thought the pack leader was by far the most powerful. The group decided that they must make eliminating the pack leader top priority. With out him the knolls would not fight as an org sized group and their numbers would bees effective. Boom understood that controlling the numbers would be the key to victory. He and Ruhdon knew they would need to coordinate tactics in order to succeed.
The final plan rested on The two dwarfs making for the leader to engage and over whelm him as quickly as possible. The others would support this by keeping he other knolls at bay and by adding their own attacks on he leader when able to. The group cleared the barricades from the door and prepared to enter. Just before the did so on of the Minotaur guards approached Ruhdon, "big boss Ostra say we what's you fight. You prove wot hey we ok to help. You kill knoll chief, we join fight." Ruhdon nodded his understand dog and turned towards the door again.
Moments later Adrick opened the door to the room. They found the knolls far more prepRed than expected. Having realized the southern door to be blocked the knoll chief had setup barricades facing the western door in anticipation of an assault. He had also organized his troop in the most favorable fashion for them, with the brutes up front and skirmishes on the sides. The archers and casters he had back with him behind the barricades. As soon as the doors were opened the knolls threw a hail of arrows, spells and spears at the intruders. The fire was so intense that the party retreated back into the other room for a moment to regroup.
It was clear a frontal attack would be dangerous and very risky. Ballimor was in favor of heading round to the southern door and trying to flank the knolls, but Adrick feared that if they all left the knolls would suspect a trick and reorganize those defense. He suggested spitting in two and sending one group to flank while another keeps the knolls attention. Feeing this to be a sound plan the party split up sending Ballimor, Ruhdon and Hazlo around for the flank while the others re entered the room and did their best to occupy the enemy's attention.
The fighting was hard, even after the flanking maneuver was sprung. The knoll chief proved quite smart and positioned himself and his knolls to good effect. The emergence of the other three party members caused the group to make some initial sucesses. But the knoll chief quickly re organized and put up stiff resistance on both fronts. Finally Balimor managed to fight his way to the chief and engaged him one on one. Lucan beeps by keeping constant fire of the chief from his flanks. The dwarf finally put the knoll leader down with a mighty blow and the knolls began to falter. Still they fought on bravely even after the minotaurs joined the fight as promised, but in the end they all perished.
With Friends Like These...
After a brutal drawn out battle the party was spent. They knew they needed to rest, but feared doing so in the presence of the minotaurs. What was worse, Ostra was adamant that they attack the oni right away to press those advantage. She mocked the group for wanting to delay and suspected them of treachery. At length Adrick was able to negotiate with her to allow the to save and not attack the oni while they were gone.
The party left the vaults and returned to the temple to rest. In the morning they headed back down, but did not find the minotaurs in their lair, nor in the demeans of the knolls. The group suspected that Ostra had became inpatient and attacked the oni to devastating effect. What they discovered was much worse.
When they finally opened the door to the oni's room they found the minotaurs openly celebrating with the oni and his subordinates. The feast was stopped to address the new comers.
"Welcome my friends, we have been expecting you for some time," spoke the oni, beaconing the group to enter. "Come join our feast and celebrate your great victory." The group suspected a trap and approached cautiously. One of the minotaurs made a treating move towards a party em ember and that set off a massive fight between everyone.
The oni proved powerful as were the minotaurs, but true to their word they fought the oni's companions and not the meme era of the last drop. All went we until one of Booms spells injured a minotaur by mistake. Ostra had long feared the adventures would turn on her and she felt this to be no mere accident. She reacted by having several minotaurs attack he group as well further complication the giant melee. After anothe long and drawn out afraid the group managed to slay both the oni and his gang as well as the minotaurs.
Once the creatures were gone the group was able to searh the oni's place with out disruption. They found good and weapons but neither of he artifacts the sought. However they knew the dragon lay on the next room to the east and strongly suspected that it would have at least one of the objects they need, yet given the difficulty of their recent fights they were not thrilled to face it.