As the party stand before the ancient tree, its massive roots twisting and burrowing into the earth, the party fails to notice a crucial element, the guardian of the Meldwel crypt. The air around the party feels dense and ancient as if the earth itself is trying to block the parties progression. The entrance is dark and foreboding, the stone archway covered in moss and root and beyond it, a staircase with no end in sight. But as they wait and take a collective breath of potentially their last fresh-ish air a figure looms out of the fog and soil and reaches out towards them!
So grab your thermos of seasonal beverage, an ice cold beer here, and let’s dodge, duck, dip, dive and… dodge into tonight’s adventure!
Guardian of the Meldwel Crypt
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The ancient tree of Meldwel Forest stands tall and imposing as the party approaches its exposed twisted roots that dig into the soil around some aged stone ruins. As the party approaches the once hidden entrance beneath the roots of the oldest tree the fog that has settled on the ground air grows colder as they descend into a small bowl like recession at the base of the tree. A thick earthy smell wafts up from below the dense wall of fog as they walk towards the open archway that leads to a steep staircase down into the bowels of the tree.
Suddenly the candle that Elara carries ignites in a bright spark of yellow flame that creates the fog to glow as if a lantern was lit. But their shock of the candles ignition was short lived as a massive hand of twisted roots and rubble crashed through their midst and snatches Elara up. The fog swirls as a giant creature made from twisted roots, soil and rubble rises out of the fog and ground causing bits of debris to rain down on the party.
A booming voice like a landslide calls out from the creature ‘Halt, trespassers. You shall not pass into this sacred crypt. I am the Guardian of this place and I have defended it for centuries. You may try to trick me like the others did but your fake talismans and artefacts of the Red Lord will not deceive me, your tricks will not work again!’
As the creature calls out it holds Elara and the candle aloft, the flame burning brightly still as the rapid movements from the crypt guardian threaten to extinguish the frail flame. As the party prepare for battle a wall of thick roots carrying chunks of rock from the ruins forms a barrier at the entrance to the tunnel beneath the tree
‘Others came before you, with lies and deceit. They sought to plunder the secrets of this crypt for their own gain. I was tricked once, but I shall not be fooled again.’ It roars as the battle rages on as the party clash with blade, hammer and magic bite into roots, soil and spill rubble across the battlefield. At some stage Elara goes flying and she crashes hard into the soil as the party rush to finish the spirit.
The Guardian starts to crumble as the final attack leaves it reeling. It falls as the roots that bound it to the tree lay cut and dismembered causing the soil and rubble it had bound in its form to fall to the ground inert and lifeless. The party to approach the stone archway as the roots disappear into the soil once more. looking down into the depths the initial first steps are cast in a red-yellow glow from the candle that Elara holds; which seems to grow stronger with each step, revealing the dark and mysterious passageway beyond.
The air grows colder as the party step into the crypt, the darkness pressing in around them trying to push back against the light from the red candle. The narrow passageway is lined with ancient carvings and flickering torchlight, casting eerie shadows on the stone walls. The scent of damp earth and ancient decay fills the air and assaults the nostrils of the party as they make their way deeper into the crypt.
Thanks for joining me tonight for a shorter one than the previous nights but something that was building up for while leaving the mountains and the Blank Citadel. Don’t forget that we have just passed the halfway part for this adventure and that there is only ten more nights left before the final conclusion. So don’t forget to come back each night this week to stay up to date with this adventure and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe
Brazen Wolfe Tabletop 