Session 1 - Part 3 - The Mis-understood Villain

Two 5ft tall dire weasels and a Sorcerer bleeding to death on the pantry floor gave the impression to any on lookers that things weren't going well for the group. The fight was close, Ivan provided too much for the Weasel attacking Maria giving her the chance to run into the pantry in time to expel all her magic to save Govan's life. Leonid did his best to aid Ox and between them they managed to slay the second weasel but not before the beast managed to have a few more mouthfuls of Ox's blood leaving him looking very pale.

Govan still out cold and Ox barely able to support his own weight by leaning on his long spear, the group decide to barricade the door into the dinning area and attempt to rest and allow Maria to recharge her healing spells as well for Ox to get some colour back to his cheeks.

During the night the entire group was awoken by the noise of multiple something’s trying to force they're way through the barricaded door, hastily the group had awoken and gathered their weapons when Govan had an idea. He approached the door and in the Kobold tongue demanded who was there, a voice in the same tongue responded "The Boss wants update, whys door locked?", after some quick thought answers Govan managed to convince the group of Kobolds on the other side of the door that all was fine within the dinning area and so the creatures left the group alone for the rest of the night.

With no further disturbances the group slept for a prolonged period and when they awoke both Govan and Ox were feeling better from the previous day’s incidents but Maria still looked slightly pale and had developed a nasty cough (unknown to the group she had started to shows signs of the Burning plague). Ready to continue their travels through the mine, the group unblocked the door leading out of the dinning area and re-entered the tunnel leading back to the first cavern they discovered.

Now standing in the first cavern and the western side of the complex had now been fully explored as well as plundered, the group find themselves looking down the darkness of the tunnel leading east into the mine complex. There they stood debating how best to proceed, Maria was obviously not well and there was only one sun rod left, eventually a decision was reached and out from under Govan's clothing popped Harrold the Weasel (Govan's magical familiar). Howard was sent into the dark tunnel alone as the bravest of the adventuring party to scout ahead for any creatures or objects of note.

After a short period of time Harrold eventually made his way back to the group and his master who where still waiting at the edge of the eastern tunnel, Harrold conveyed to Govan through his empathic emotional thoughts that the passage ahead felt safe.

The group now sure that no danger lurked near by they began their descent down the passageway, Ox and Leonid led the way with Maria just behind them and following her was Govan and Ivan. As the group approached what appeared to be the end of the passageway both Ox and Leonid heard a sudden click as their feet touched the next bit of floor, next all Govan and Ivan could see was Maria suddenly dropping from view in front of them.

With a dull thud Maria found herself in pain at the bottom of a 20ft pit trap and barely alive whilst the rest of the party found themselves split either side of the 10ft wide 20ft deep pit. After some faffing around in backpacks and countless attempts to throw rope across the pit to each other all 4 where eventually on the far side of the pit, Maria was then rescued after she had used her magic to help heal her wounds so she could hold the rope with little issue. Whilst catching their breath from the fiasco of traversing the pit the group start to catch the sound of voices coming from the end of the passageway ahead of them. 

Leonid carefully using the stalagmites, snuck into the next cavern to find the source of the voices, there high up on the cavern wall was what appeared to be a small alcove where a the light of a camp fire could be seen and a number of Kobold sized creatures either sitting around the fire or attempting to watch out over the cavern, one of these creatures wore some sort of head dress..the leader maybe? And is that some sort of cable lift to the ledge? Leonid thought to himself before sneaking back to the group.

Leonid informed the group of what he had discovered and they soon came up with an ideal plan of action, they would all hide amongst the stalagmites and pepper the Kobolds with ranged weapons till none survived. Of course the only problem with that plan was they hadn't expected a single Kobold to spot Leonid sneaking into position to which after a quick shout all the Kobolds started to pepper the party with ranged weapons and began to raise the cable lift to prevent the party from reaching the alcove.

With the plan in chaos the group began to improvise, with the exception of Ivan, the group all headed to the nearest stalagmite they could find for cover and began to return fire on the critters in the alcove above. The Kobold leader began chanting some sort of spell just as he was hit by one of the groups arrows at which point the pain made him loose focus and lost the spell. Ivan forwent the Stalagmites and ran towards the lift as it was raising and after some impressive acrobatics managed to grab hold of the underside of the lift.

During the second round the majority of the party managed to take out a couple of the kobolds just as the lift reached its destination with Ivan still barley managing to cling on to the lifts underside.

The third round started with Leonid getting the killing shot on the Kobold leader dropping him straight to the ground, seeing the spellcaster die from an arrow wound the rest of the Kobold clan rushed onto the lift in an attempt to get to the ground as quick as possible and take out the group in person.

On hearing the sounds of footsteps on the lift platform above him, Ivan who had been laying in wait flipped out from underneath the lift grabbed one of the lift support cables and cut it loose which tilted the platform sending its occupants falling 50ft to the ground killing them all on squishy impact.

Combat now over with Ivan carried on climbing up the rope to the alcove and was eventually followed by Ox, the pair investigated the alcove whilst Maria and the others kept watch on the only other passage leading out of this current cavern. Ivan stumbled across a secret door within the alcove wall which led into a small cave that appeared to be the Kobolds sleeping chamber, whilst looting the room they discovered an number of items and 2 young juvenile Kobolds whom Ox took a shining to and offered to protect them.

After some more climbing the group where once again reunited on the cavern floor, at which point they come up with the clever idea of using the wooden planks from the now defunct lift platform to form a make shift bridge over the pit trap from earlier incase of a hurried retreat. Ready to move on Govan thought he'd yet again send Harrold into the next passage heading east to act as a scout, the brave weasel made his way to the next cave and came running back as quickly as he left. Govan not really able to make sense of what his familiar was telling him decided it would just be best for the group to go ahead and see what awaits them personally.

What awaited them was a small cave and the stench of rot and decay brought forth from the piles of dead miners in various stages of decomposition, Leonid took it upon himself to search through the room for anything valuable which was going fine till one of the dead bodies suddenly grabbed his arm with an iron grip. 8 of the bodies began to move and attack Leonid. With Maria's ability to keep the undead at bay it made easy work for the group to scorch and despatch of the walking dead with little effort and in short time.

According to the map they acquired from the miners wife there was just one more cavern left to investigate, keen to finally get out of the mine and possibly solve the riddle of the Burning Plague the group head east again towards the final cavern. As they approach the sound of running water and chanting can be heard in a strange language, well strange to everyone apart from Govan. The orkish tongue rang with tones of a divine chant but evil intensions, peering round the corner Govan could see a large Ork crouching and chanting over a pool of running water.

Possibly wanting to prove his metal Govan stepped forward and tried to engage the Ork in conversation and to talk him into stopping what ever it is he was doing. The conversation wasn't long but Govan was able to ascertain that the Ork was cursing the water supply in retaliation for the humans of the minning town wiping out his clan almost a year ago and there was nothing that the wimpy human could do to stop him.

Unfortunately for the Ork the rest of the party was already set up to take on the big brute and rushed into the room as soon as Govan gave the signal, even turning invisible didn't seem to help him from escaping the clutches of death that these adventurers where wailing unto him. Sadly the villain died and as quick as he died the cursed water began to clear and those afflicted with the Plague that still lived could feel the affects fading from their bodies...it seems all was resolved.

As the group returned to the town they were meet by the townsfolk who thanked and congratulated them on a job well done, the innkeeper even treated them to a free mug of special ale each which they all declined. Ox persuaded the miners wife whom they borrowed the map from to take in and adopt the two Kobold children and raise them as she saw fit, now the group gather their items and ready themselves to leave this lazy mining town for whatever adventure they may stumble into next.