The Sunless Citadel

[Balial]

Items to be purchased, preparations to be had, time to spare. Each of the two groups did the tasked needed for the greatest chance of success, each without knowing the outcome of the adventure to come. Lord Naeris had given them all the information he had, but was that enough? Was the mystery of this citadel and strange relic the only thing to be had at the dungeons to come? The parties continued, each in their own groups, but both aimed at the same destination. 

To the northwest of Neverwinter, at the foothold of the rolling hills that approached Mount Hotenow, a beaten path could be seen. Off in the horizon, as far out as the eye could see, the path seemed to bend and stretch; wrapping around the hills and mountain itself. They each marched on, some tracks fresher than the rest, but still they moved. As the Old Road continued to bend and screw the sound of rushing water began to enter their ears. Off to the east a ravine could be seen, dancing through the Neverwinter Forest and heading to the base of Mount Hotenow.

The heat of the summer sun beat itself against the clad warriors causing sweat to weigh down their gear. Hydration was key and with the ravine about a half days travel, the parties did not have to worry about the need for extra rations or fresh waters. The travel took a few days, maybe less depending on the speed, but the groups never ran into anything. Animals, monsters, or even other wanderers, not a soul in sight. An ominous sign from the gods no doubt.

Eventually they found their way to some ruins at the end of the Old Road, ruins that could only be from what the lord had told them; the Sunless Citadel. The Old Road passes to the west of a narrow ravine. At the road's closest approach to the cleft, several broken pillars jut from the earth where the ravine widens. Two of the pillars stand straight, but most lean atop sloped earth. Others are broken, and several have apparently fallen into the dark depths. A few similar pillars are visible on the opposite side of the ravine.

A sturdy, knotted rope is tied to one of the leaning pillars on this side of the ravine, hanging down over the ledge. It seemed that if there was some kind of bridge before, it was no longer there. The first of many trials to come surely, but there was a more pressing one. Due to the problematic situation both groups had found themselves together near these pillars. Were they rivals, enemies, allies, what was the possible outcome for these adventurers, and were would their destiny take them? 

DM Notes:

Due to player count we had to merge the two parties together. IC interactions will not be forced, but I encourage you to all come together for this, even if motives are hidden or different! 
Please leave the Darkness Campaign if your character is in it and join the link to the Sunless Citadel below. The campaign is officially starting, what will you do?!

This is the link for the campaign!

[coomer]

Steffon Stagspeak
Bard
Text Colour

---

The journey was long, hot and exhausting.

In short, it was exactly how Steffon had pictured his first Adventure.

He managed to maintain his cheery disposition as the trio made their journey, often allowing music to fill the air as he played his lute for his new companions. But their journey was to come to an end as they approached the ruins that Lord Naeris had told them about, and Steffon wiped away a bead of sweat as he approached the group of pillars.

Before he could fully take in the details, he heard a second group approaching their position. He spared them a cursory glance, scoffing slightly at the thought that Naeris had hired more than one party for this expedition. ”I can only assume that you are messengers, come baring some news from Neverwinter? After all, you can’t be Adventurers,” he said, his scathing tongue darting between his teeth as he spoke.

With a smile he turned back to the pillars, running a calloused finger over them. The bridge beyond was obviously broken - but was the rope attached some kind of passage into the ravine? Maybe there was more than one entrance here...


The bard rubbed his fingers together, eyeing the strange black marks on the pillars. Were they scorch marks. He made sure the others saw his investigations before leaning over the ravine and peering down below.

”Looks like this is a way down - there seems to be a ledge a small ways down, probably enough space to stand on,” he said before turning and walking over to Alucard. ”Seems like it’s your turn, big man - it’s probably no more than a step for you!”

---

Rolls

SPOILER: Click to show

Perception (Check out pillars): 5LgRhIWr1d20+3
Perception (see if rope is a passage to bottom of ravine rather than just a broken rope bridge): 1d20+3

1d20+3·1d20+3

[Indifferent]

After a few days, the group's expedition into the mountains had finally seemed to take a turn. They had stumbled upon what appeared to be the remnants of the Sunless Citadel they were after. Emma was left rather vexed by the lackluster events that led them here though. Signs of life were nonexistent for quite some time.

The young priestess didn't know if she should be thanking the Goddess Lliira for having kept them safe or praying for aid against impending calamity. She was certain of one thing though; their minds would've succumbed to mental fatigue long ago had they not had Steffon's musical prowess to relieve them of anxiety.

Shortly after the trio approached an outcropping of pillars upon the cliffside, another group of adventures appeared behind them. Steffon had taken the initiative in greeting them, although he was a bit passive-aggressive when doing so. Emma couldn't blame him. After all, the journey had likely left everyone a bit agitated. Still, Emma tried to smooth over the situation as best she could.

"P-please forgive Steffon. I-I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it and was only trying to lighten the mood," she said while bowing her head in apology to the weary travelers.

Turning back to her group, Emma noticed the others had already begun their investigation of the area. She too - decided to join them in scouring the pillars and cliffside for any clues that she could find.

Rolls

SPOILER: Click to show

Investigation [Passive 13 | Check markings on pillars]: Xb3JKHdx1d20+3
Survival [Hunter’s Intuition | Check area for tracks]: 1d20+4
Hunter’s Intuition [Adds to survival score]: 1d4
Perception [Passive 16 | Hunter’s Intuition | Check what's below the cliffside]: 1d20+6
Hunter’s Intuition [Adds to perception score]: 1d4
Investigation [Passive 13 | Check the ropes integrity]: 1d20+3

1d20+3·1d20+4·1d4·1d20+6·1d4·1d20+3

[Luciferus]

The trek to Mount Hotenow was long, days passing without a word spoken between the adventures. Already a man of few words, the mid-Summer heat and humidity was far too oppressive for the Tiefling to find anything to say to others. Finally, the silhouette of their destination began to form on the horizon. Luciferus breathed a sigh of relief. But then, he paused mid-step, ears twitching at a faint sound echoing in the distance…was it…music?

He shook his head and kept pace with the barbarian. More than likely the days in total silence were playing tricks on his mind and once they got to work he would surely feel better. The traveled to the end of the Old Road and came to stand before the ruins of what had to be the Sunless Citadel.

To the left several pillars in varying stages of ruin caught his attention first. But as he went in for a closer inspection he heard the sound of others approaching. His brow furrowed with irritation and he pulled his hood over his head. It seems Luciferus and the others may not be the only group interested in the Citadel’s secrets.

“Yes, we come with a simple message: go home,” Luciferus muttered in response. Most people didn’t like Luciferus’ sense of humor and that suited him just fine. He wasn’t exactly fond of other people’s idea of humor either.

The Tiefling’s glowing eyes followed the bard’s movement, more than willingly to let the boisterous fool stumble into whatever may be waiting for them.

Luciferus noted the dark markings on a few pillars as the bard investigated them and the knotted rope that dangled unseen into the ravine. For a moment he thought the bard may end up tumbling into the darkness below, frowning when it didn’t happen.

While the bard discussed things with his group Luciferus strolled up to the pillars taking a closer look at the dark smudges the bard had discovered.

He leaned in and swiped his fingers across the marks. It smeared at his touch like soot and around the pillars he noticed other evidence of ash and burnt wood. By the looks of things, some fire had burned here within the last few weeks. He frowned, rubbing the ash between his fingers.

He turned to the others, content to let them check out the mysterious rope and its destination.

[Alucard]

Alucard Hellsing
Paladin Lvl 1

The journey had only taken them a few days and it had been boring as fuck. The damphir was slightly irritated, no signs of life at all... no monsters, no beasts, no birds and certainly no other people. His thirst was like a burning fire in his throat as the others tended to their scant meals during down time and drinking water from their water skins. Water was nice, but it lacked the quality in a fluid he so desired, but he would need to keep his thirst under control. He mimicked the proper habits and it was in doing this he closed his water skin pouch and surveyed the area they had halted in. The sun was positioned overhead, mid day... he supposed it was better than arriving at night and being more susceptible to an ambush. Either way though, what they came upon was an outcropping of the ruins they were hired to infiltrate and scour. 

Bringing his attention out of his own mind he noticed the other group approaching, their footsteps were hard to miss as there was no other signs of life around. Steffon as was his custom greeted the strangers exactly as he figured he would, mocking politeness with a silver tongue that could lacerate at a moments notice. 

”Seems like it’s your turn, big man - it’s probably no more than a step for you!”

Alucard approached the ledge as Steffon addressed him, peering over the side and into the inky blackness below that not even the rays of the sun seemed to penetrate. "Perhaps just a few" He muttered in a half joking response as he turned his attention back toward Emma and the man she now spoke with who had a retort of his own. "Go home? Now that is the best joke I've heard in days while traveling to this shit hole, why that Noble would send two groups to destroy the damn chalice is beyond me."

The damphir shrugged as he grabbed the rope that was attached to the pillar and tugged it ever so slightly to get a feel for its stability. If he was going to use it to repel down he would be damned if he did not check if it could hold the weight. The mercenary raised an eyebrow at the new arrivals and continued to speak. "Or were you sent here for a different reason?"


 

Rolls

SPOILER: Click to show

1d20·1d20 perception of the area looking for another way down and anything else out of the ordinary·1d20 insight roll into the pit using dark vision to see if he can make anything oute8iSUqyk

[Indifferent]

When Emma finished observing the area, she returned to her comrades to pass along the information she had found. "Um..." she said hesitantly while tugging lightly on Alucard's jacket. "I believe this place was used as an outpost of sorts by many others lately. There's a lot of old footprints around, and the remnants of several campfires," spoke the young priestess while she kept her head lowered.

Pointing over to the rope that hung over the cliffside, she continued to speak. "That looks like the way everyone's been using to go down. The rope appears strong enough to hold our weight, and I noticed some footholds carved into the rockface, so it should be easy enough, although a bit scary."

After relaying the information, Emma struggled to raise her head and face Alucard properly, as if waiting to be praised. Though she still tried to shuffle herself around him a bit to block her view of the other group that arrived. Maintaining eye contact with her own companions was difficult, and she wasn't ready to face the others.

"Um, I'm pretty sure I'm the lightest, so... I could go first if you'd like."

[Balial]

A bard, a cleric, a sorcerer, and a paladin. Not a bad group for the horrors to come. They each were intertwined by fate, rather they knew it or not, and each still held onto an individuality that would one day possibly be transformed into something... Greater. Brunt marks upon the pillars revealed the nature of this small destination, a look out point. It seemed that the soot was no more than a week old, possibly hinting toward the rarity of the location, the difficulty for travel, or even the lack of care that whatever was below held. 

The rope swung back and forth from the tied pillar. Knots littered the length for as far as they could see, with small footholds in against the cliffside. The Dhampire Lord was brave, being the first to travel down into the darkness, even though the smallest of them had offered to be tied and lowered. Moments turned to minutes, minutes added onto each other, and finally the lord reached the bottom. His forearms most likely screaming from exhaustion on holding onto the rope for so long, but the travel was relatively safe and could easily be mimicked by the others.  

A sandy ledge overlooks a subterranean gulf of darkness to the west. The ledge is wide but rough. Sand, rocky debris, and the bones of small animals cover it. A rough-hewn stairwell zigs and zags down the side of the ledge, descending into darkness. In the center of the ledge is a ring of stone, piles of ash inches high from hundreds of fires that had been used here before. Tracks riddle the ledge's surface, some humanoid and other's almost rodent-like, but larger. Impossibly large for anything you have ever seen. 

[coomer]

Steffon Stagspeak
Bard
Text Colour

---

Alucard was the first to take the rope, passing down without much of a fuss. Steffon waited patiently for him to complete his descent, flashing a quick smile to Emma and a scowl to the other who had joined them. ”Do you have a name? Or shall we just call you ‘the Strange One’ from here on out?” he said, his lips flicking into a trademark grin.

It was only a few minutes before Alucard had completed his descent, and Steffon walked up next to the rope. He started to climb down, his lute banging unhelpfully against his back as he did so. By the time he too reached the bottom he had a thin film of sweat on his head, and his arms ached with fatigue.

”Nice place you’ve found here,” he said to Alucard with a grin, stepping over to a nearby ring of stone. ”Now, what might this be?”

---

Rolls

SPOILER: Click to show

Perception (Check out ring of stone): L7Lt74sJ1d20+3
Perception (check surroundings): 1d20+3

1d20+3·1d20+3

[Indifferent]

Emma waited nervously for her turn to descend the cliffside. She was pacing back and forth along the edge, peeking over periodically. It wasn't just the fact that she was left alone with some stranger that kept her on edge. Steffon's smile before he delved into the unknown also played a part.

Eventually, the young girl had trodden down the same cliff face as the others. It was more arduous than she had expected. Not so much physically, but mentally, she was drained. Thoughts of falling atop the heads of her companions made her nervous. Although, she was sure that one, if not both of them, would likely catch her. Sure, it might be every little girl's dream to be swooped up in the arms of a charming, strong knight, but Emma didn't want to become a burden to them on their journey.

When the young priestess finally reached the bottom, she let out a sigh of relief. She was glad to have her feet back on solid ground again. "Goddess Lliira, please guide our path," whispered Emma under her breath while clasping her hands together before she smiled at the sight of the others being safe. Afterwhich, she tried to be useful and began checking out the footprints in the area. She wasn't very knowledgeable about anything outside of the temple but still hoped to be helpful.

"That's curious," replied Emma as her attention was drawn to Steffon. "I wonder who made it," said the young priestess after she wondered over and started to poke inside the stones with a stick she found nearby.

Rolls

SPOILER: Click to show

Survival [Check footprints]: b9eKHfOK1d20+4
Guidance [Added to survival check]: 1d4
Hunter’s Intuition [Added to survival check]: 1d4
Investigation [Check ring of stones]: 1d20+3

1d20+4·1d4·1d20+3·1d20+3

[Alucard]

Alucard Hellsing
Paladin Lvl 1

Having lowered himself first down the rope Alucard glanced around.  The ledge to his left overlooked a subterranean gulf of darkness, bones and ash covered the area from what could only be assumed as a camp out where fires lit and warmed the area.. or where meals were prepared by the amount of bones left behind. The Damphir's upper lip curled slightly at the thought of goblins or other nefarious creatures having used the out cropping... the creatures were despicable things. He adjusted himself from his descent and rested his right hand on the hilt of his sheathed blade as he stared at the unusually sized foot prints of what could only be large sized rodents that followed the roughly hewn zig zagging stairs that descended downwards into the abyss. 

"Fascinating." He muttered aloud to himself as he approached the stairs with caution, his eyes focusing on what perhaps could lay in wait for him as he made he way towards and then down the only obvious path before them. If there was something to be found he hoped he could avoid detection and get the drop on it, if not... what would be would be and he would skewer and over come whatever obstacle laid before them in their descent. 


 

Rolls

SPOILER: Click to show

[Balial]

Beady eyes began to glow with flashes of red in the darken rubble around the adventurers. While two investigated the campfire they separated themselves from the Dhampire slightly. The beasts believed it was now time to strike! Boney fingers dug into the ground as they began to squeak and hiss. As the party would gain sight of such beast they would notice the well known form of a rat, except as large as a small dog. Coarse hair that was missing in patches covered their dried and withered skin. A long scabby tail swayed behind them violently as they rushed forward! 

DM Note: Combat will be done on Roll20, RP will be posted here! Good luck.

[Balial]

The first of the giants rats walked forward slightly. Fangs flashing and wet with saliva that formed in its mouth from hunger. It lashed out at the Dhampire Lord, its rigged teeth sinking into the meaty portion of his leg. As it ripped away, getting only a small chunk of skin from Alucard. It began to nibble on the meal and then ended with another hiss, angry with starvation. 

Rolls: Attack: 23 | Damage: 3

Tips: You are on a steep ledge, you could be creative here. Use your action to push the rats instead of just attack. Use bright lights to try and cause them to recoil back or run away. Things like this are highly encouraged, battle isn't always about who hits first or who hits the hardest!

[Indifferent]

From amidst the nearby debris upon the ledge came a horrid sight. Creatures on all four's scurried out in a frenzy, brandishing blackened fur with sharp teeth and claws. Emma dropped the stick she was using to prod the ring of stones as she raised her head when they shrieked at her and Steffon from a short distance.

In front of the priestess, near the stairs, was Alucard engaged with a filthy mongrel. While on her side stood another two of the wretched beasts. Their ear-piercing wail was enough to cause her to tremble in fright, let alone their hideous sight. Like any young girl, Emma's initial thought was to scream and run away, but that wasn't an option. The dirty fiends were much too close for that, and turning her back on them now would just get her killed.

"Look out," shouted Emma as she rose to her feet.

Realizing their only option was to fight, she managed to gather her courage before she leaped out in front of the two giant rats. Her staff was raised high in front of her slim exterior, clasped tightly with both hands. Wrenching her arms down with all the strength her tiny arms could muster, Emma yelled, "Holy light," as she slammed one end of her staff to the ground.

Sparkles of gold burst out from Emma's body on contact, fluttering in the air around her like an exotic tapestry of stars. Each twinkling shard crackled and sparked as if under pressure before erupting in unison to create an omnidirectional flash of light that bathed a short area around the girl in a shining dome of divinity.

Just as quickly as the light emerged, it was wisped away like dust in the wind, fragmenting into tiny remnants of its former radiant glory while leaving Emma face to face with terror incarnate. She was a bit winded from projecting her goddess's aura and leaned on her staff a bit to carry her weight but was otherwise fine.

This was the best she could do to maintain a stable position as she gazed into the eyes of nightmares, waiting to see what became of them. If nothing else, she might prove to be a useful decoy for the nearby Steffon, who could potentially capitalize on her bravery.

Actions

SPOILER: Click to show

Attack uggo bitch 2+3 with Word of Radiance = 3 damage on a failed 12 con save

[Balial]

A burning radiance swept over the ledge with a blinding light. Sparkling stars glistened in the sunken eyes of the rats as they hissed in pain. Patches of their fur began to burn and singe at the ends. The first of the giant rodents lashed out with a violet bite, its jagged teeth latching down against the arm that held the staff. The second, fearing the pain of the burn once more, decided to run to the other target, biting at the ankles in desperation.  Flesh tore from the barely armored legs as the rats enjoyed the first meal in ages, their savage hunger driving them to continue instead of running. 

DM Note: Attack of Opportunity uses what is called a "Reaction", you only have one of these, and you will get it back at the start of your next turn. Certain spells, attacks, and other abilities will say "as a reaction" which means you can use them when it is not your turn, if the conditions are met. Attack of Opportunity is almost always a melee hit, there are ways to get spells to be used in place of melee hits, but at these levels it will always be melee.  

[coomer]

Steffon Stagspeak
Bard
Text Colour

---

The rats were on them before they even had a chance to yell in surprise. Fortunately the attacks on Alucard and Emma had come first, leaving Steffon in a prepared position when the rat charged him. A grunt of pain flowed from his lips as the rat’s teeth bit into his ankle, but he managed to maintain his footing.

His rapier was in his hand a second later, and he brought it in a wide arc towards the top of the rat’s head. His steel met the rat’s flesh with a satisfying crunch, piercing clean through the beast’s skull and into its brain. It quivered for a second before falling to the ground, its life extinguished.

The bard’s eyes moved to the other two, noting with concern that they had been attacked by their own rats already. Yanking his rapier back from the beasts head, he stowed it back in its scabbard and moved quickly across the room, giving himself a sight of both of the attacking rats so that he could judge who needed his help most.

---

Rolls

SPOILER: Click to show

Kill Rat
Stow Rapier
MOVE