Ellri

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

who cares about how others look at you. They're only humans, elves, etc... They'll stare anyways.

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

Even from the outside, the Yawning Portal tavern was clearly lively this night. The hub-hub of lively behavior could easily be heard from the street. Slowly a hulking figure made its way towards one of the tavern’s double doors. While not tall for a human, the figure was considerably wider of shoulder and body, with thick legs. It clearly wasn’t in any rush, but also clearly was planning to travel if the amount of goods and equipment it carried was any indication.

The doors’ well-oiled hinges moved soundlessly as he pulled them open, stepping inside. Where he had been a dark figure that wasn’t easy to tell much about out in the dark street, the light inside the Yawning Portal was more than sufficient to illuminate his body. While burdened with some equipment, the figure was quite unusual, even more so than the lizardfolk who just shouted out about meat as he stepped inside. His thick, tree-trunk-like legs were tough-looking, perhaps indicative of significant strength, rising up to a thick, black-and-purple tortoise-like shell out from which poked a short tail.

He looked neither young nor old, his eyes almost glowing in the light of the fires within. Scanning the room, he did not need much time to find some of his compatriots at a table right next to the stony wall surrounding the hole for which the tavern was named. He stomped over, shaking off a few droplets of water from the rain outside, then seated himself on a stool with his back to the fireplace to dry off, his thick, wooden staff casually leaning against his shoulders, a couple of the numerous leather bands attached to it hanging down loosely.

Sitting silently he listened to the song of another of his companions, waiting to speak until after she finished up. It was a nice song, one that was clearly made near oceans, but which sparked memories of his home that was both similar to and worlds different from the oceans. Eventually, her song stilled, being replaced with the somewhat boisterous cheering from the tavern’s current denizens.

“So. What be happening? Why did you call me here? And where’s the honeyed mead?” He knew perfectly well why, but he wanted to hear it anyways.

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

added a few minor extra purchases that we realized made sense to have.

oh, and we finished those four illithids...

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

we'll look at the IC after painting a couple of mindflayers...

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

we do think we're essentially ready. There's always minor tweaks possible, but none that we think are critical.

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

Here's that bit Lauk told after hearing Lin's song.

“That’s a nice song and all… But it is a bit scarce on… what do you call it? Truth?”
Lauk points to a long, jagged scar across his right forearm.
“Goblins are nasty, malicious creatures. But they are not smart. One of them tried to stab me in the back. Using a cracked, rusty shortsword at that. . . as if such could get through my shell. Hah.” He paused for a moment. “No, this scar is not goblin in origin. This scar was the result of the strike of the Host’s more insidious element, the bugbears. Y’know. . . . Big, long-limbed, hairy. Creeps through shadows, tries to pull your guts out for fun. He got several friends of mine, but couldn’t figure out how to break my shell before I blasted him away, though. Making the somatics for a thunderwave while bleeding freely is not easy. Especially not when you’re stepping on your friends’ slippery guts. Still, I knocked him back, then I and a couple o’ the others burned him. Alive, of course.” He let them think for a bit.

“Anyways… While real pesky, neither goblins nor bugbears pose all that much of a threat to larger communities. No, the war was not due to them. It was no doubt at the behest of their dark deity, Maglubiyet, but the backbone of the host that marched out of the Sunset mountains, sacking a dozen towns and villages was the hobgoblins. Hundreds of them. Marching in ranks and files, cutting through the levied troops like a scythe through a group of children. Had we not all prepared fireballs just for this purpose, the tale of the battles of Iriaebor would have been quite different… And I probably wouldn’t have been sitting here.

Lauk's side of the tale

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

aye, there is that plot hook too.

(CoS is the only campaign we've properly DMed)

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

We fixed the personality stuff for Lauk. Threw away most of the stuff that came from the Far Traveler tables. It just didn't fit.

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

we gotta tweak a few things to figure out how he fully fits into a party. Working on that background element with Dthar.

D&D 5E: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

We don't mind water.

If you flood the dungeon, will you permit the first to drown to play a grung? (not intentionally, of course)

Time to start the negotiations...