Entry IX

[This entry is a recap of the ninth gaming session, which took place on September 24th 2009. We were about to enter the fourth room of Kobold Hall, the adventure included in the Dungeon Master's Guide. Also, after the last session we had earned enough experience points to go up to level 2, so I levelled up all three characters between the two sessions.]

The battle over, we listened closely but could not here anything, so ― feeling safe ― we decided to go back on top of the trap door and rest.

Having a few leisure hours before sundown, I tried once more to use my Art to shape random magical energy into a sentient manifestation which could act as my familiar. [Upon gaining level 2, I chose the "Arcane Familiar" feat for my wizard, hesitating between the raven and the owl, and finally deciding on the latter.] Everything around me was silent… Trax had gone off to gather some firewood… Gilthos was meditating… I could hear nothing save a few birds. My thoughts grew and flew about me, a seemingly solid mass of mind-matter into which I rose. Then, the hooting of an owl rang from a nearby tree. Instantly this insubstantial mass coalesced, first in my mind, but then ― I could feel it and almost touch it ― beyond the borders of my psychic & physical self. I opened my eyes and saw it, a perfectly believable owl, from its big lustrous eyes to its gorgeous grey-brown feathers. It hooted, once, and from this I understood that it was mine forever, completely devoted and faithful, until such a time as I would either die or choose to banish it to the otherworldly energies from which it came. I thanked it, the words coming out of my mouth being strange and familiar at the same time, a new-found language with which to talk to my new friend. (What shall I call him? I'll have to ask Gilthos for a proper Eladrin name, something that will reflect its magical naturalness.)

Then night came, and we slept.

The next morning, we ate and then once more entered Kobold Hall, walked through the now-empty rooms, and then reached the fourth one.

We arrived at a chamber with a 20-foot-tall ceiling. Before us was a 10-foot tall wall that left passages open to both the right and left. Suddenly, the sound of cracking timbers echoed through the hall. The floor started shaking, dust was cascading down from the ceiling, and something big and heavy hurtled toward us. Somewhat paralyzed by our surprise, we saw a very big boulder fall from a platform, roll on the ground is some kind of groove in the floor, and then roll out of sight. We could still hear it, though, and judging from the groove directly in front of us, it would be coming close to us very soon.

On another platform, in the back of the room, we could see two kobolds, one of them heavily armed [Kobold Dragonshield], the other one decked out in an elaborate attire, complete with bone mask, which seemed to mark him as the chieftain [Kobold Wyrmpriest]. A flurry of movement attracted our attention on the left side of the room. A drake was running at full speed towards Trax.

The battle started. Trax headed for the drake, Gilthos started shooting at the Chieftain, wounding him a few times. I also aimed for the Chieftain, my owl on my shoulder, but I missed, time after time.

Trax then had to avoid the incoming boulder. We all repositioned ourselves out of harm's way. In the meantime, another kobold [Kobold Slinger] had appeared on top of the center wall, and it started shooting glue shots at Trax, missing him again and again. As for Gilthos, he got hit by the Chieftain's energy orbs a few times, but he held strong.

The drake was still launching his savage assault at Trax, but he was defending himself expertly. Then, the rock rolled his way again, and slammed into the drake, wounding him.

Enraged, it launched itself at Trax again, this time biting him on the legs a few times.

A few minutes later, though, we were done, the Chieftain, his guard and the slinger having been felled by Gilthos' arrows, and the drake finished off by Trax.

I used my Thunderwave spell to push the rock out of its groove. It worked on the second time. The now unanimated boulder just rolled into a corner and stopped.

This being done, we went through their possessions, finding a small silver key in the Chieftain's pouch, along with a piece of parchment describing what seemed to be the location of a secret door in the alcove to the north. Also, I picked up his staff, a beautiful piece of work ― obviously not of Kobold craftsmanship [Staff of the War Mage +1]. A smoothened (and probably rare) piece of wood topped with a red crystal. I help it, closed my eyes and concentrated, almost certain that I would perceive the slight tremor of Magic. And indeed it was. I will try to discern its specific powers later.

Cautious as to what is waiting for us in further in the Hall, we decided to head back to the surface. There, Trax and Gilthos tended to their wounds, while I sat outside and examined the staff, getting the feel of its nature and function. Eventually I managed to sense and understand its enhancing powers, and I felt tremendously happy to have stumbled onto such an object. For what is probably the first time in my life, I truly feel that being a Mage is my destiny, and not just my father's legacy.

I then cavorted with my beautiful owlish friend, eventually coming up with his name: Bubo.

Later on we slept. The next morning, Trax told us that on his watch he saw something fly over the tower where we slept. Something that looked like a dragon (although he couldn't see what color, since it was dark).