Session 11

# Session 11 - March 15th, 2018 - The Dragon Hatchery

The party began the session in the large central cavern of the cave in the raider’s camp. Out of this cavern were three exits, forward opened onto a ledge overlooking another cavern. To the right was a passage which began descending stone steps, and leaning against the opening at the top was a spear. The left path was a passage at the same elevation as the cavern and flickering light could be seen coming from it. The party took the right path first, and at the bottom of the stairs the passageway was covered with long strips of badly cured leather from ceiling to floor. A few members investigated too quickly and found themselves pricked with poisonous hooks along the backsides of the strips.

Cadmus realized the spear was used to hold back the strips to allow someone to pass easily. Inside, they found a cold and damp chamber housing animal carcasses hanging from hooks on chains. Being a dead end, the group returned to the central chamber and investigated the left passage. The room beyond was split level, with about half at the bottom of a ten foot pit. Along the right wall of the chamber were wooden stairs leading down into the pit, and this staircase was surrounded by metal bars.

At the top of the room, oil lamps provided the flickering light across a bookshelf containing animal training tools. The inhabitants at the top were a group of six kobolds, who immediately attacked the group. One of the two winged kobolds in the group, leaped down into the pit and tried to unlock the gate. The group realized down in the darkness of the pit were three young blue guard drakes, and in response to the kobold trying to open the gate Cadmus went down the stairs to block it as the rest of the party eliminated the little beasts. He ended up using a metal crowbar to help keep the gate pried shut, and the fact the guard drakes could not get out to attack the humans infuriated them. The drakes started howling, with one after the other joining in.

The party then began creeping quietly down another staircase passage on the west wall of this room, where they found a landing leading to another chamber as the staircase continued downwards. Bright campfire light poured from the chamber, and the party quickly discovered a large group of twelve kobolds trying to hide out of sight in what appeared to be their disgusting barracks. The kobolds attacked and the party engaged, quickly felling the small creatures. Knowing their presence was known to all in the cave by now, the group proceeded quickly down the staircase into the next chamber. This new room was the first that was enlarged from its original size with walls cut smooth.

Two exits left from this room, one to the southeast and another to the southwest. There was a large statue of a five headed dragon in the center of the room with a chest in front of it, and the walls were adorned with numerous carvings of dragons. Behind the statue was what appeared to be the focal point of the elaborate designs, with a five headed dragon erupting from a volcano. Dozens of smaller dragons flocked around as it rose, and Lachlan could tell that black dragons were over represented in the carvings. Naturally, Rufus was most concerned with the wooden and mother of pearl inlaid chest.

The swashbuckler quickly realized the chest was sitting on a pressure plate, and he feared trying to pick the sturdy lock with it in place. Marcus suggested they tie rope around the chest, huddle in one of the next passageways, and manually yank it off to trigger the trap. The party agreed and huddle in the southwest tunnel, which was small and narrowed further as they went. This tunnel ended at a dead end with a rug hanging from the ceiling. Behind the rug, there was a hole in the ceiling forming a chute going almost directly up. In this chute, was a rope ladder hanging down that one could jump to to reach.

With the group ready in the small tunnel watching curiously, a number of them yanked on the rope and the chest came off easily. As the plate depressed, a hissing sound filled the air as hundreds of tiny nozzles along the walls - from small holes in the mouths and nostrils of the dragons in the carvings - sprayed an acid mist into the room. The stinging cloud quickly filled the space and spread into the nearby tunnels choking many of the party. Rachen thought fast and yanked down the rug at the rear of the tunnel and they used it to try and disperse as much as the gas as possible. It was a number of minutes until the gas dissipated enough the group could return to the shrine chamber.

Back in this dragon shrine, the party found two new bodies of kobolds in the middle of the room. These kobolds each at a homemade bomb on them, Cadmus and Rachen each took one. Cautiously, they entered the next passage going southeast out of the shrine room. This short passage ended opening into another split level room, but this one was even colder than all the previous, very humid, and pitch black. Only those with dark-vision were able to see what was down below in the ten foot deep pit. Among the fog in the pit, stood three large and mature black dragon eggs.

Thia recognized them for what they were immediately, with their black and purple scales, the eggs were three feet tall each - and ready to hatch at any moment. She informed the group of her long held desire to try and raise a dragon. Her order, the Dominion of Druids, has long believed not all chromatic dragons were evil, but if they were raised by someone not evil they could turn out to help the balance of the world. And so she declared, she wanted at least one to raise on her own. The session ended there with the group discussing what to do with the other two dragon eggs.

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