Adamantine Meteor Showers-Dark Sun Themed Campaign Log

[Kaveman26]

Chapter 2: Sylvan Snake Pit

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Elf territory sucks. I mean flat out makes one want to smash their head against a wall. The only comparison I can draw is The Hole in the Wall Gang. If you are not familiar with this location or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid I recommend finding the movie and looking it up. In short…gangs used a narrow valley entrance and numerous hidey holes to make it virtually impossible for law enforcement to enter their domain. The Elves have a base camp in a series of crags and shorter cliffs with too many caves and twists to measure. They are excellent guerilla fighters and highly familiar with poisons. While we managed to eliminate their vanguard of scouts, lookouts that we never spotted ourselves trip off the alarms and notify of our arrival before we set foot in the canyon region.

From minute one we are assailed with missile weapons coming from parts unknown. Attack and vanish is their dinner special and we are absorbing all we can eat and from virtually all sides. Mercutio and Oasis lay down staggered obscuring mists for cover and Mercutio utilizes the ability to literally walk through rock and stone to his advantage. With some cover and the sudden unexpected “hey guys look out for the guy who can walk through walls” shouts running through the canyon we manage to reach a small cave entrance, dotted with tunnels and sections crisscrossing and scaling both up and down. When Little Mountain manages to close distance with a foe they are dead meat. Grapple…Sunder…Trip…Mincemeat. He targets their weapons and in some cases their armor and then tosses them to the ground like a small sumo wrestler and leaves the unarmed elves for the lion and snake. Claws and Skarlax shred everything from prone. The longer we move the tougher it gets, as more elves begin assembling in coordination. After a few minutes we happen upon a slightly larger room where an elf warrior holds a stone dagger to Raheem’s throat.

Warrior: Drop your weapons and kneel or he dies.

Little Mountain: If he dies I will break every bone in your extremities and then your ribs. You will not be able to walk, or crawl, or even drag yourself, and the weight of your body resting on fractured ribs will be agony with every breath. Sleep will not come to you, nor comfort. The Oracle will ensure you don’t die. I will ensure you won’t want to live.

Helio: Free him now and tell us who hired you and we will leave you with no further harm. We are under a time crunch so we need a decision quickly.

Warrior: Your blood will run like a stream before you lay a finger on me you disgusting wretch of a dwarf. I will not let him free.

Little Mountain: I only give one warning. You have received it and rejected it.

The dwarf takes a wide stance and then draws a circle in the ground with his feet and slams his fist into the ground. From behind the elf warrior holding Raheem a humanoid shimmering with muted brilliance and forged from the earth itself rises. The earth elemental grabs the elf and pins his arms to the side, forcing the dagger free. Raheem pivots and snatches a scimitar from the elf’s waist and falls back away from the rest of the warriors. Mercutio throws up a Wall of Stone between Raheem and the Elfs and Skarlax seems to melt into the shadows.

Oasis send an acid arrow into the closest target and Helio starts a spiritual weapon attacking the elf closest to the earth elemental grappled leader. With control of the fight and their hostage now armed and in a position to protect himself the elves are quickly scattered, their leader abandoned as they look to self preservation. With the leader subdued and Raheem safe, they allow the remaining warriors to fade away. True to his word Little Mountain pummels the living daylights out of the hostage holder and breaks him up badly. They leave the gasping and fractured leader alive and begin a hasty retreat from the territory.

Helio: Did they tip you off to the ransomer?

Raheem: Not a word.

Helio: Can we risk you making it back to the camp on your own?

Raheem: You don’t have time to waste. I can make it on my own.

Oasis: Are you sure? A lot can happen between here and there.

Raheem: I will be fine. As a token of thanks…I saw a trio of Sand Sails being transported north of here. Heading right in the direction you need. I will keep a tent prepared for your return and we will feast your success.

Oasis: Should we worry about pusuit?

Skarlax: I would hope the Elves are distracted with enough in house drama and concern to not focus on us. They are also thinking we are returning south with Raheem.

Mercutio: We need to be cagey in reaching the sails. The elves are likely to burn them if it means avoiding them falling into an outsiders hands.

Claws picks up a faint trail as we pursue the elves and their sand sails. From his indications we begin closing the gap over the next two days. On the third morning he returns and starts to talk…pausing several times as if searching for the words.

Claws: Close now. See them before noon. Hear them before sun hides.

Mercutio begins acting oddly, well odder than normal. He keeps shaking his head and knocking sand from his ears. He also glances all around and mumbles under his breath at no one in particular. A sudden and painful gasp sees him choke on a stone which he spits out.

Mercutio: Storm coming. Bad one. We need to get cover.

Claws: Burrow close. We can all fit.

Helio: Is it safe?

Claws: *head shake no*

Mercutio: It has to be safer than the storm.

In the distance a mass of dark clouds is becoming visible and flashes of lightning are arcing through the sky.