Ep 03: KIll it with FIRE!

D&D&BBQ Podcast

After their night in the cursed mansion, our heroes resume their travels in search of civilisation. After being a bit turned around in the woods they find their way to a hidden path, leading them to a wood elf settlement called Lunar Grove. The initial interaction with the wood elves is one of hostility as the heroes blundered onto their lands, but some quick thinking and a Zeek’s silver tongue prevent a skirmish breaking out. The leader of the wood elves who is known as Fithvela offers everyone warm food and allows them to replenish their supplies, in exchange she asks for their help with a problem her village faces.

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Lunar Grove has a drow problem, the dark cruel cousins of the wood elves prey upon them taking supplies and slaves in sporadic raids. Led by a drider queen called Envenox, a creature of pure nightmare, half dark elf half giant spider and blessed with tremendous sorcerous power. Fithvela pleads for the heroes rescue their captured friends and family, and offers to reward them. Motivated by their greed, the heroes set off towards the drow village after grabbing a few supplies.

Professor Portland wastes much time as he loses the trail, walking in circles eventually the heroes stumble upon their target. Spotting sentries wielding crossbows loaded with nasty barbed bolts, everyone takes cover and watches as Zeek attempts diplomacy with the drow. Unsure of Zeek’s motivation, Yimm grows bored and lights a fire in the roof of one of the tall buildings in the camp with her Thaumaturgy spell. Being made of spider silk, the fire spreads quickly through the village causing mass panic. Hideous screeching reverberates out from the large building Yimm set aflame as a huge spider creature makes its presence known, trying to escape the flames threatening to consume the entire settlement.

Torg clambers up a guard tower and sets about butchering his foes whilst Keggy and the Professor attempt to infiltrate the camp, feigning assistance in putting out the fires whilst simultaneously freeing slaves. Their ruse is short lived as drow guards spot Keggy trying to our flammable alcohol into a bucket to throw onto the fire while the Professor breaks apart chains. Zeek unleashes havoc upon the drow with a mighty thunderwave which also catches poor Torg in the blast.

As Envenox climbs free from the burning ruin of her throne room she flings a concentrated blast of magic at the Professor, but misses as she is distracted by the flames licking at her many legs. At this point Yimm decides to re-join the party and admire her handy work, lighting a few more fires before placing a hex upon Envenox and unleashing a powerful eldritch blast spell which causes some devastating damage to the drider queen.

Inspired by Yimm’s effort, Torg enters a rage and charges after the fleeing drider, leaping off a burning house swinging his axe two-handed at her face. Falling only just short he carves one of her legs off and is sprayed with acidic ichor for his trouble, his orcish resilience barely saving him as Envenox returns the favour with a blast of green acidic energy. With most of the guard dead and their drider overlord fleeing, the drow begs for their lives. Agreeing to flee all slaves taken and make amends with the wood elves, they put their fate in our hero’s hands.

The party has have taken all the drow as prisoners whilst also having freed the disgruntled wood elf prisoners. Will they help the now homeless drow or will they put them all to the sword and loot anything they can?