Urg Did Not Stick to the Plan

When we left our intrepid explorers of Undermountain, Urg was being chased by mysterious creatures, Ashe was running toward the boat, and the rest of the group was cursing Urg’s name and kicking up pebbles.

The Race is On

By the time Urg made it to the source of the wailing, Ashe was at the gondola and pushing away from the riverbank to pick up his party. The gondolier plied the vessel steadily upriver, his strokes with the pole sure and smooth from his decades, centuries, and more at the task.

They moved quickly. It was a relatively straight shot to the northeast following the waterway. Someone saw him approaching and called out to the party milling about, so they gathered on shore for his arrival. Ashe swore upon hearing of Urg’s apparent “heroics.”

“We should wait here,” said Valorik.

“Or take the boat to our first landing spot,” offered Hudson.

“But what if he runs back here and we’re gone?” Rose asked.

Ashe sighed, flipped the gondolier a copper, and jumped to the shore. “I guess you all take the boat back, and I will run from this side to give him some backup if he does come this way.”

So saying, he took off running again as the party climbed aboard and requested a trip downriver once more.

Death Glare

The caverns were windy, going back and forth, carved through the stone of Undermountain. While he could not see them, Urg could hear the pounding of feet and the click of chitinous legs following behind him.

He ran. On and on. Past the broken cauldron, past the geyser cavern leading toward the upriver shore, past the chains then empty of prisoners. The cave took a wide turn and straightened out. He could smell the change in the air, a crisp scent of free-flowing water.

A coven of sea hags rounded the corner behind him with their giant crab pets all in pursuit. A blast of lightning shot from the hands of the one they had spoken to earlier, hitting him square in the back. A shock ran through him, his muscles tightening, and Urg stumbled forward.

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Tools of their trade.

He kept his feet and ran on, but moments later another blast of magic hit him, freezing him in place. His momentum carried him forward. Urg crashed to the ground, rolled, and slid a few feet before stopping. His shield lay frozen on his arm and his hand clutched uselessly at his weapon.

The crabs descended on him in a frenzy, swiping at him with blind fury and finding purchase only on his shield. Their masters were not so blinded by animal rage. The sea hags slowed and closed in on him. His unblinking eyes met the gross visage of the closest hag, and she smiled at him with sharp, slime-coated teeth. Urg’s will cracked, and his life drained away.

To the Rescue

Not having to wind through the caves, and having the flow of the river with them, the boat arrived back at the riverbank much quicker than Urg’s running could take him there. Tossing their payment to the boat’s master, they jumped off and headed into the cave.

Seeing a figure lying motionless amid the mob of creatures, Valorik charged forward while Rose’s stout little legs carried her forward with surprising speed. They attacked, and Hudson shot off a spell of his own as he got in range. The hags turned their baleful eyes on the interfering group. Hudson shook off the effects, but Valorik went down beside Urg, his life slowly fading away.

They fought, targeting one of the hags without consideration for the damage from the rest. The coven must be broken. Blows rained down and spells shot out. Finally, one of the crabs reared up as its hag master fell to a critical strike. Injured and weary, the group turned to deal with the rest, and Hudson risked himself to run forward with a healing potion in hand to revive one of their fallen companions.

The breaking of the coven gave them hope, but the achievement had taken its toll on the group. They wondered if they would yet fall to the remaining hags. Hudson teleported away with Urg’s still prone form, leaving devastation in his wake. The crabs dropped, but the hags only became more determined.

Ashe, winded but still running strong, burst silently around the turn in the cave to see his friends fully engaged. He took aim. With surprise on his side, he delivered a devastating shot to one of the two remaining hags, turning the lasting fight into quick clean-up work.

Bloody and exhausted, they healed Urg, primarily so they could berate him for his poor decision-making and listening skills.