Game 3: The Puppeteer, Part Two

The Puppeteer, Part Two is the third game in the Azulia campaign. It occurred on November 5th, 2015, real time, as a pop-up game. It was proceeded by The Puppeteer. It is followed by Rise of Arkon.

Intro
Rushing into the dimly lit passage way, Morgoth and the others race past the now empty barracks and kitchens dotting its landscape. Some crippled and destroyed bodies of zombies line the passageway, the remaining of which are quickly dispatched, along with numerous kobold bodies. Racing past the bare armory, some rusty weapons remain, largely kobold creations.

Eventually, the passageway ends revealing a great oaken door. Effortlessly, Morgoth smashes his way through revealing a decrepit torch-lit chamber. While only same fifty feet side-to-side, the ceiling extends some distance upward, along it cages filled with skeletons and decaying bodies. Down below you recognize a lavishly dressed figure covered in red and black robes, some of which almost appear flesh like. Hunched over an altar clutching a dagger, he quickly turns to the heroes.

Expressing no shock, but perhaps a visage of disappointment he speaks, "It seems the kobolds failed to welcome you properly..." his voice trails off in the distance before he utters, "Welcome home".

The Avatar
Morgoth and Earl quickly jump into action. As they enter combat, the gnomish crewmen behind them file in firing at the apparition from afar. Quickly, the heroes realize their attacks are entirely ineffective against the powerful avatar. Rising on the altar, the soon-to-be-sacrificed witch doctor Alvar informs them of the apparition's crystal gateway. Morgoth locates it, frantically smashing it to bits amongst the onslaught of the powerful figure. Eventually, the heroes prevail, destroying the crystal gateway and driving the avatar away from this location.

The heroes free Alvar and return him to safety aboard the airship. Questioning Alvar on his background the heroes learn that he is the tribal witchdoctor for a tribe of Black Rock natives called the Bloodrot; his tribe having been slaughtered and he enslaved to help create the zombies popping up and the dark elixers used to create them. Learning that Morgoth and Earl's comrades have been slave, Alvar informs the heroes of the existance of a stolen relic which might potentially be able to restore a fallen being which has been brought to the infiltrated lair of the ancient black dragon Arkon.

Fangar
Alvar directs the heroes to the location of the lair on the nearby island of Fangar. The trip is short by airship; the heroes arrive within the hour. Arriving at the housing forest, the adventurers find the forest beholden to the nearby dragon's lair. Thick, acidic fog forms and grows around the forest and the nearby area is damp with filthy water emanating vile energy. The heroes follow the lead of Alvar, who in his limited pathfinding ability, manages to lose the heroes for several hours, eventually popping out the other side. Eventually, on finding a stream Alvar directs the heroes to follow it, knowing the dragons lair lies in its reach. The party quickly finds, however, the stream is polluted with dark energy, damaging them. Scurrying from the stream, the heroes find themselves in a kobold ambush. Although easily proving victorious, the heroes manage to lose one another for a time after chasing the fleeing kobolds. Regrouping, the adventurers eventually find their way to the enterance of the dragons lair in a clearing within the forest.

The Slaughterhouse
Braving into the depths of the dragon's lair, the heroes proceed down its dark, dank corridors. Soon, they find themselves witness to a kobold slaughterhouse. Peering into the large room, Morgoth can see an intricate operation set up with kobolds rotely slaughtering tied up humanoids kneeling over metal tubs. Casually afterwards, the body would be thrown in for the draining process. Quickly disrupting this vile operation, the heroes nigh effortlessly slaughter the workers, but not before one can ring a distress call. Soon, the room is infiltrated by geared kobold warriors who fire upon the adventurers. During this exchange, bodies of the diseased slaughter raise from the ground in undeath attacking those nearby. The adventurers are pinned down and running out of hope when things take a turn for the worst with Alvar held up in the slaughtering tub surrounded by zombies. The brave Morgoth rushes into the fray, striking down the zombies and moving on to the kobolds. Striking behind Morgoth's berserker rage, the team is able to gain a foothold, driving the kobolds back.

Caved In
The heroes trek back toward the enterence, seeking to recuperate from their wounds in safety. The kobold warriors are having none of it, however, and had already dispatched a team around from the back exit seeking to corner the heroes. The kobold team, too late to join the fray, set a trap for the retreating adventurers, caving in the front enterance and narrowly missing detonating the party. The now-cornered adventurers suffer attacks from both sides as the kobolds seek to press their advantage. Morgoth, however, manages to steal the exploding potions of the kobolds and use them to seal the party behind rock, even fending off another attack soon thereafter.

Arkon's Lair
Now fully rested and having slain scores of the enemy kobolds, the heroes push into the depths of Arkon's lair. Several more kobolds straggle the now barren passageways of the lair, of whom are dispatched, before the heroes find their way towards its deepest depths. Finally reaching the bottom, the heroes come upon a giant treasure horde. Recognizing the breathing and knowing the proximity of the dragon, the heroes choose to steer clear and move to engage the kobolds in their quarters. Fighting their way through the kobold hallways and traps, the heroes come across magic chainmail and a sword which are quickly grabbed. Finding the end of the passageway the heroes arrive at the chamber of the apparition, who has commandeered the kobold leadership. A fight ensues with the avatar and his remaining kobold henchman before the adventurers prove victorious. The relic is found and the heroes quietly depart from the back exit, en route to revive Rescoe Tealeaf.

Outro
Having departed the lair, the heroes are able to get the attention of the airship using explosive potions thrown into the air. A humming approaches, before ropes drop above the heroes. Climbing up, the airship rises to altitude and the ritual is begun. Screams, moans, and the sounds of chains dragging haunt the airship for the some hour of the ritual before eventually they die down. Approaching, the heroes find Roscoe pale and looking of death and decay. "What has happened to him. When will he return to normal?" Morgoth demanded. "Dark magic does not come free of price. For life their is death." Alvar quipped. As the heroes attempted to make sense of the ordeal, a great explosion could be heard. All hands rushed towards the deck to figure out the situation.