D&D Essentials, Session 2

Using a combination of Dayereth's Freezing Blast and Phantom Chasm spells, Falin's Stormhammer assaults, Mr. Grimes' backstabs, and Harlok's whirling axe of extreme vengeance, the bandits come down with a very bad case of death.

A moan from a wounded merchant near one of the carts momentarily halts the adventurers from looting. Falin heals the merchant of his wounds and, grateful for the help, the merchant proves helpful. His says his name is Kavras, and that he is a spice merchant traveling south from Whartston Hall. He and his fellow merchant were attacked by bandits. Kavras was wounded and left for dead. He saw some of the bandits carrying his spice crates through the woods to the east. Then he lost consciousness and woke up to the sounds of fighting. He offers to reward the PCs with 50 gold if they can return his spices to him. He will be staying at the Inn of the Three-Legged Unicorn for the next few days before returning to Threshold. The PCs promise to find the spices for him.

The adventurers track the bandits through the woods, which eventually open up in a clearing with a small stream running through it. On the other side of the stream is a cave entrance guarded by four kobolds.
"Are they wizards?" asks Harlok.
"Yes," says Falin.
"Then they must die!" bellows the dwarf. Hefting his trusty battleaxe, he charges through the stream to attack the kobolds. He is quickly outnumbered, and the feisty lizards dart around him, wounding him.
A Freezing Blast from the eladrin, and a well-placed firepot slung by Mr. Grimes, turn the battle in the adventurers' favor. The last kobold flees but is cut down by the merciless crew.

After looting the bodies, the adventurers explore the cave. They find two heavy doors on opposite sides of the cave. Harlok, "helped" by Falin, block one door so it can't be opened, and enter the dungeon through the other door.

Inside were a number of rooms, partitioned by doors and red velvet curtains. A blast of cold air and some very angry kobolds greet them. A kobold wyrmpriest appears at the end of a long hall, and casts a spell. A ray of sickly green energy shoots out, splattering Dayereth with acid. Mr. Grimes moved quickly down the hall to get behind the wyrmpriest. This he does, though he pays the price with a stabbing wound from the priest's spear. Grimes is then attacked by more kobolds who appear from another entrance.

Falin and Harlok move toward the priest with readied weapons. Suddenly, the priest inhales deeply and breathes a gout of acid at them. Harlok sout of the way but Falin is not so lucky, taking an acid blast to the chest.

Dayereth casts a Fear Cage spell at the priest, wounding him and rooting him to the spot. The frontal attacks by Falin and Harlok, combined with the flanking backstab of Mr. Grimes, is too much for the priest, who slumps over in a pool of his own green blood. The remaining kobolds are quickly crushed.

After this, the adventurers rest (with occasional looting) for several minutes. Mr. Grimes listens at the large door at the end of the corridor. Loud breathing from some kind of large creature can be heard. The eladrin checks his compass. The needle points toward the door and glows bright red.

Will the adventurers open the door? Does sudden, untimely death await our heroes? Will they turn around and head home to live quiet lives of peace and comfort? Find out next week . . .