DM William Fredrickson's Events

[williamfredrickson]

Fire in the Mines

Last week, a small party of adventurers who were trudging through the lower levels of the Cloakwood mines was suddenly attacked by a series of Fire Bats. They dispatched them without much trouble, but the experience left them confused and uncomfortable. None of the party could explain their appearance, nor could anyone decide why they were attacking, until a few members of the party spotted something odd about one of the braziers lighting the mine shafts.

Upon closer examination, it was discovered that the brazier was somehow enchanted to summon the creatures… Lacking anything more refined, the party decided to try and douse the enchanted brazier with water from their canteens. It worked for a moment… but suddenly, the fire blazed up once more, larger and hungrier than before. Soon, the heat in the mines began to rise dramatically, and before the stunned eyes of the party, almost every single wooden object around them began to burst into flame!

With in seconds the party was in a headlong flight from the mines, desperately trying to reach the entrance before they were burned alive. Fire spread about them, and smoke threatened to suffocate them, but they eventually reached the surface.

Once they began to recover their wits in the cool air of the Cloakwood, the party decided upon a course of action. Electing a fellow adventurer to stand guard at the entrance of the mines, the rest of the party would return to the Gate, and notify the mining company immediately.

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A day later, the party returned, now endorsed and supported by the dwarves of the mining company. They were charged with removing the fiery menace from the mines… which the dwarves had told them must be a demon. Many wandering adventurers had attached themselves to the original party, and once they met up with their guard at the mines, even more thrill-seeking adventurers joined their group. A relative army soon descended upon the Cloakwood mines.

As the group traveled deeper and deeper into the hot and smoke filled mines, groups of fiery demons, fire elementals, and the ever present fire bats pressed in all around them. The battle raged for hours, but steadily the group made progress towards the lower levels. At one point, a wall of blazing crates blocked the path, but some quick thinking mages managed to freeze the flames with an ice storm spell.

Finally, the party reached one of the largest chambers of the lower mines… with intense heat threatening to burn their skin off their bones, a horrid portal suddenly opened up before them… through it, they could see a fiery desert-like land that brewed fear in their hearts. Soon, a maniacal demon walked out of the portal, and proceeded to taunt them. Several of the party fled at such a sight, and laughing at the sight, the demon launched its attack. The battle was fierce and bloody, and several of the adventurers fell, but somehow, the demon was eventually defeated. One of the adventurers took the head of the beast to show the mining company dwarves.

However, the portal seemed to have released something into the mines as the battle was being fought… many of the party felt a strange blast of hot air shoot past them during the fight. Some of the party went to investigate, and in a large chamber they were startled to find a dreaded Fire Drake devouring several helpless bugbears. The smaller group launched an assault, and managed to kill the creature.

As the Fire Drake fell, the portal the demon had came through collapsed, triggering an earthquake in the mines. With seconds to spare, the party rushed back to the entrance… only just managing to escape the mines before the entrance crumbled around them… the adventures felt extreme relief as they breathed fresh air once more.

Their task successful, the original party thanked the adventurers that had joined them, and soon made their way back to the mining company to seek their reward.

///XP and gold rewarded to the +30 people that participated, and extra gold given to the original party when they returned to the mining company.