Drow on the Plain

I leaned against the rope railing as I gazed over the plain below. The sight before us had only come into view on the last few bridges, blocked from earlier view by a twist of the vertical shaft. Tall, golden grasses whispered musically in the wind. A winding path cut through grasses from the rock wall to a spire overlooking the ocean cavern. From there an enormous ramp spiraled down to the crashing ocean below. My eyes could barely pick out the tall narrow arches adorning the spire that denoted elven architecture. I couldn’t tell who the temple was devoted to from this far away, but the blue glow and high arches made me guess Melora or Sehanine, maybe even Corellon.

Always alert, Kyri’s purple eyes were the first to pick out the movement in the grass. A pair of orcs in black leather loincloths and harnesses were tramping down the head-high grasses. As we watched, they detached bags from their harnesses and began setting up a leather tent. “Come on.” Rhegar said with a whistle to grab our collective attention. “That camp is way too big for just the two of them. Let’s go have a look.” He grinned a toothy smile as he sauntered into the last cave opening. Some creature in the past had cut stairs into the black rock, making the final decent easier than many others we had come across on the way down.

As we stepped into the midmorning sun, the orcs began shouting in our direction. I don’t speak giant, but it wasn’t hard to detect the rudeness in their tone or gestures, especially when one turned and started pointing to his butt. Rhegar started down the grass corridor with Garn at his heals. “Don’t you think this could be a trap?” Markas shouted after him. “Yeah.” He yelled back at the half-elf, “Which is why you all should spread out as you follow me.”

Yep, any minute now something is going to jump out of the grasses and grab me...or maybe Kalena. I stole a glance at Kalena as we walked slowly through the trampled grass. She looked poised and ready to take on anything that leapt from the grasses. She caught my eye and leaned toward me. “You know I’d feel a lot better if we just dropped a couple of fireballs and burned through this lot,” she waved a hand about indicated the golden grass. Sighing, she continued, “But I doubt that would make the temple owner very inclined to talk to us. Oh well.”

The orcs dropped their bags as we approached and fled down another flattened trail. Our senses on full alert, we closed ranks as we moved into the camp. Therefore, it surprised no one when ten drow leapt from the grasses around us. Most were basic foot soldiers, but two females stood out from the others. They were stationed beside one another and flanked by two of the foot soldiers. One carried a flail and shield while the other carried a light rapier – a fighter-rogue combo if I’d ever seen one. The rogue laughed an evil little drow chuckle as she motioned for the foot soldiers to draw their bows.

Around me, the Order of the Rampant Dragon exploded into action. Garn stepped forward and released an icy breath across the duo. Kyri rushed to the tent and kicked open one of the flaps. “It’s empty!” she announced as she fired off two arrows with her back against the heavy leather. Kalena formed a glowing violet ball in her hands and lobbed the sleep bomb behind the leaders. It burst as it landed and lilac smoke curled up toward the four drow. Smiling, the wizard dove into the tent to avoid the shower of arrows that was surely coming. Despite the slowing affects of Kalena’s spell, the fighter leapt forward. She swung her flail in a shining arc that connected into the dragonborn’s thigh with a sickening crunch. That blow surely broke his femur, I thought with a wince. The arrows from the two flanking soldiers went wide as they succumbed to Kalena’s spell.

The rest of the drow fired but only Garn and Rhegar were hit. Markas and I called on the aid of our respective deities as we close in toward the rest of the party. Kord offered a subtle addition of strength to our sword arms while glowing runes from the Raven Queen created a circle of increased protection around the tent. As the fighter dropped to the ground snoring, Vixi ran forward and uttered a mystic curse. The fighter began screaming, caught in some terrible dream, and her body seized wildly. The warlock clapped her hands together and dissipated into strands of silvery mist. As Vixi reformed inside the sacred circle, the drow slumped over and went quiet, killed in the recesses of her own mind.

As she watched her partner go down, the rogue screamed with rage. She hit the paladin with a strike that pushed him away from the warlord. The drow voiced an insult in a haughty tone but before she could strike again two of Kyri’s arrows thudded into her chest. The drow’s eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed next to the dead fighter and sleeping archers.

Seeing their leaders go down was enough to take the fight out of the rest of the drow. Shouldering their arms, the dark elves sprinted down the trodden paths. “Well don’t stand there!” Kyri yelled at the rest of us as she nocked two arrows onto her bowstring. “Drow deserve nothing but to die.” She fired the arrows and made to go after the rest. “Hold your actions, elf!” roared Rhegar. He grabbed her shoulder and turned the elf around. “I understand your need to rid the world of your dark cousins, but the drow are no more than pests. We currently have better things to do then take care of a nest of rats. For example, heading to that temple to find out who is running the show here.“ The elf closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. When she re-opened her eyes, they had lost the fevor that had claimed them moments before. “Forgive me. I forgot myself when faced with my ancient enemy.” She gestured for the group to move forward. “Let us continue onward.”