The party started up the winding path at the base of the mysterious Dragon Mountain. Strange winds, and violent lightning wracked the area, while the the smell of powerful magic was overpowering. When nearly to the top, kobolds ambushed the party from the cover of rocks above the trail. A hail of black-fletched arrows sailed into the party, injuring a few mounts with poison.
The entrance to the Mountain was soon found, as the trail ended on a large plateau. Ballistas atop crenellated walls and manned by kobolds guarded the broken entry doors. Ian charged his horse across, and the rest of the party followed. Ian's horse took a bolt, but managed to carry him across the field. The party caught up and huddled inside the entrance.
Soon the party was trapped between thick portcullis gates, while the stone ceiling began to drop down from above. Fortunately, time and decay had caused the descending ceilingn to become disaligned, and the stone stopped about one foot above the floor. Using Huron's nearly unbreakable axe, the portcullis bars were bent apart, and the party escaped. Their mounts were not so lucky.
A massive chamber lay beyond the entry hall, which was scouted by Huron. Kobold archers, protected in massive steel columns with arrow slits, commanded the entire room. The party climbed to an upper balcony, hidden by obscuring mist spells, and raced towards an exit on the western side of the room. Several party members were struck with more black-fletched arrows, covered with a strength-sapping poison.
Bending a few more portcullis gates, the party entered an area of labeled "Ambassador's Halls". Various kobld warning indicated this area was claimed by a clan of kobolds known as the Dreadnoughts. This area was divided into regions apparently designed to look like various racial towns. A beautiful forest, complete with a complex system of mirrors to gather sunlight, for elves; gnomish burrows; a halfling vale; and a human town. While searching these areas the party was constantly assualted by kobolds, who managed to capture the gnome Billtamar when he wandered off alone. Several pitched battles raged, as the kobolds attacked with stealth and treachery, but the party nearly cleared the entire area in the end. Sadly, the sorcerer Stephen was slain by an insane treant in the elven forest. The party met and befriended a fierce Norse warrior named Skaled, who had come to test himself against the challenges of the famed Dragon Mountain.
Moving back into the massive chamber beyond the entrance, the party moved past a portcullis gate leading to the north. A long hallway lined with arrow slits and filled with porcullis gates slowed the party greatly. Hundreds of black-fletched arrows pierced the adventurers, their poison weakening Tyro to the point of collapse. The others were also severely weakened, before reaching a grand stairway leading upward.
Reaching the top of the stairs, more arrow slits covered the room, including a ballista. Thor summoned a fiendish ape for Ulfgar, which promptly slaughtered the kobolds manning the ballista and arrow slits.
The session ended with the party battered, bruised, and weakened by poison, but
safe for the moment.
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