The Sunless Citadel

New Friends

Before they left the Tor at Hightower, Tolly and Gerald found a cache of healing potions in the last room. They left the dungeon in the early morning light and headed up the hill. The ruined tower at the top was empty, but it gave them a spectacular view over the surrounding countryside and they could the Old Road sweep round the hills and passed to the east of a narrow ravine. At the road's closest approach to the cleft, several broken pillars jutted from the earth where the ravine widened and opened into something more akin to a deep, but narrow, canyon. They made their way across country and when they arrived at the pillars they found one had a knotted rope tied around it. Cautiously they descended to a large ledge about 20 feet below from which a winding staircase was cut into the ravine's walls.

The narrow stairs led into a small courtyard, apparently the top of what was once a crenellated battlement - part of the Sunless Citadel. The buried citadel had sunk so far into the earth that the battlement was now level with the surrounding cavern floor. They made their way cautiously across the floor heading towards a door, but not cautiously enough as Gerald suddenly found himself hurtling 10 feet down a concealed pit-trap. Once Tolly had helped the chastened Gerald out of the trap they went through the door into a circular room that had once been the floor of a great tower. The area was littered with partially gnawed goblin corpses.

Two doors led off from this room and they tried the southern one first, quickly coming to a dead-end at a locked stone door with a rearing dragon carved in relief upon it. Backtracking, they tried the other exit which led to a long corridor. There were a couple of empty rooms in one of which they found a barrel which as well as water contained a very annoyed ice mephit. Feeling outmatched by this creature, Tolly and Gerald managed to convince the mephit they meant no harm and hastily retreated.

Moving down the corridor they emerged into a large and irregularly shaped crumbling chamber. A large pit in the centre showed evidence of a recent fire. A metallic cage in the middle of the southern wall contained a gaping hole and stood empty. A small wooden bench draped with green cloth was next to the cage, and several small objects rested on it. A bedroll lay near the wooden bench, and the sound of whimpering came from inside it. The occupant of the bedroll turned out to be a kobold called Meepo. Initially terrified of the Adventures he calmed down when he realised they weren't trying to kill him. He explained, pointing at the cage, that he was the tribe's Keeper of Dragon! Unfortunately, as  their dragon had been kidnapped by goblins, he was now out of a job. When Tolly offered to help, Meepo cheered up significantly and then offered to lead them to meet the Big Chief!

The Big Chief turned out to be a female kobold called Yusdrayl. Yusdrayl mentioned her surprise as seeing humans informing them that the kobolds didn't see many and another Party had gone through only a few days ago! When Meepo told her that the Party had agreed to help with the missing dragon she immediately offered them a reward if they succeeded, and even offered them Meepo's help - despite the small kobold's dismay! They rested that night with the kobold tribe, enjoying a feast of  meat and vegetables that they didn't care to examine too closely! Rested, set out next morning.

Meepo led the way to the edge of the tribe's territory confidently at first then quickly became more cautious as they moved through more empty rooms beyond. In one room they found a fountain from which they manged to make some blood-red liquid emerge, which Tolly managed to save in a cup provided by Meepo. Two doors in the east wall land a passageway north led form this room. One of the doors was stone carved with skeletal dragons and draconic runes that  read "Rebuke the dead, open the way."
They decided to take the northern passageway which led to a series of small rat-infested cells. As well as some rats which were quickly dealt with, they found the body of what was presumably one of the previous adventures to pass through the area. In a room beyond that, Tolly unfortunately manged to trigger a trap and they fled as flood of poison gas filled the room. Tolly was badly damaged by the gas, but a healing potion soon put him right.

Pressing on to the next room, the Party found a giant bloated rat lurking in a disgusting nest. The rat initially proved a difficult opponent, but with a little help from Meepo they manged to dispatch it.