session 31: "When the going gets tough......" or "You never know who your friends are"

 11^th day of Firewane, Thunderday

The group made their way to the central circular staircase. As Brutus and Hagnulf left the room they had found the skeletal horse in, Brutus fell through some rotten floorboards into a pit trap and was injured falling onto some rusty swords. To make matter worse he felt a stab of hot energy strike his neck, Hagnulf saw a glowing ball of light, drew his sword and swung at it, after a few strikes the glowing orb had ceased to glow and a strange, limp 'thing' lay on the floor, dead. Hagnulf pulled Brutus out of the hole. They joined the others.

Fargrim and Bandur had stopped short of going down the north corridor as Hagnulf cried out a warning of traps. Fargrim shouted for him to come and check the corridor they were about to head down. Hagnulf found another trap. Brutus and Uthal, wandered off and checked the western corridor and Uthal found a third trap, and fell in it! Brutus attacked a second glowing orb after it struck Uthal with a lightning bolt of energy.

Fargrim jumped over the marked trap as did Hagnulf. Bandur, however, in his haste to follow 'His Shinyness' miss timed his jump and fell into the trap taking some damage. The 3rd Orb was dispatched as quickly as the other 2.

Fargrim moved into the room. He could see two sarcophagus' either side of the room. A pedestal structure in the middle, carved with runes and designs, some of which he knew. Through the pedestal a longsword had been driven. Atop the pedestal was the skull of a dragon. The bones of which were piled up against the north wall.

Fargrim approached the pedestal. Slung his shield on his back and sheathed his sword. He placed both hands on the pommel of the embedded sword and tugged. As he grasped and pulled the dragon skull head turned in his direction and mouthless words filled his head.

'If you are brave enough, if you are daring enough, if you are strong enough and can defeat me the sword shall be yours'

As Fargrim pulled the sword free he was thrown against the north wall as two unseen, forceful blows struck his torso. Bandur supported by Hagnulf swung blindly where their blades swept 'air' they saw fine tendrils of a misty substance flew off the ends of their blades, Fargrim could see the dust disturbed in front of him and struck true, a large piece of misty substance came with the blade as it swung through mid air. Adran and Uthal entered the room and Uthal moved to join in the attack.

Adran cast his Warlock Eldritch Blast, Uthal swung and missed, Bandur swung, mistimed his blow and his greataxe bounced off the wall and struck his chest, causing more damage to his armour.

The more the invisible creature attacked more dust was unsettled and the more it's location could be discerned. Frantic strikes and counter blows by the invisible creature ensued until the last tendrils of wispy material fell to the floor and no more hidden attacks assaulted Fargrim, Bandur, Uthal or Hagnulf.

Fargrim knew then he held 'Frost' a magical Dragon Slayer sword from over a century ago.

Brutus wasn't having musch luck. His attempts to open each of the 4 sarcophagus in the other room had resulted in him being covered in a cloud of acid like particles that damaged his armour. However he did gain a necklace of 6 red beads and a musical lyre. Brutus gave the beads to Adran, who had identified them as a necklace of fireballs.

The 4 sarcophagus held the bodies of what appeared to be a warrior, a bard, a cleric and a magic user.

The group retraced their steps to the room with the Gelatinous Cube in. Fargrim, Bandur led by Hagnulf went to the room with the winding narrow passage. Fargim intended to use his bow and fire at the Cube in support of Uthal, 

                       

Brutus and Adran who would assault from the flank. Events did not transpire as Fargrim had wished. As Fargrim and Bandur entered the tunnel/passageway and were some way in, a wrongly placed foot triggered a fall in. Fargim teleported by prayer into the 'Cube' room on top of a sarcophagus, as he could see. Bandur was trapped, dying, air running out. Hagnulf was nowhere to be seen. 

                       

Adran had been caught behind Uthal as Brutus, who was now enveloped by the 'Cube', struggled to break free. Adran Leapt onto the 2nd sarcophagus and Uthal pondered how he might assist. Uthals plan was simple, he allowed the 'Cube' to envelope him and he grabbed Brutus and pushed him out of the cube.

                        

                        

Fargrim, seeing there was no a gap, ran as fast as he could out of the room and back towards the other room to help Bandur out of the cave in. Fargrim arrived and frantically began to dig, he managed to pull Bandur free just as he was about to succumb to death from lack of oxygen.

Uthal managed to break free and leave the room as Adran followed suit as soon as a gap appeared. The group met up in the central area where they had fallen down the circular stairs.

It was a quiet and subdued group that exited the Dragon Barrow by the way it entered. Hagnulf was found sitting on the mound outside, no explanation given for his leaving the Barrow. The group travelled back towards Phandalin

12^th day of Firewane, Fireday

A very quiet, yet uneventful day.

13^th day of Firewane, Swordsday

The group arrived back in Phandalin.