Also, now that the Open Playtest has launched, I can reveal that the Gathering game has been using the DnD Next rules since it's beginning. My rules are slightly different and allow play through 10th level.
• A'Yanna has asked the Gatherers to venture into the Underdark beneath the Tomb and rescue her people's eggs. The group decided to discuss their options and rest up at the infirmary. They found Barracus free from his trance and Variel, wearing the headpiece, weary but well.
• They unanimously decided to take up the kuo-toa's request and she led them to the entrance of the Underdark, through the Tomb's secret tunnels.
• After several hours of venturing deeper and deeper, they found a large vault and the remains of camp fire. They believed the Seekers were merely hours ahead. They also stumbled on a throkoraptor eating a ring of mushrooms. Jacob, identified the ring as a actually Myconid younglings and they shewed the lizard away. Draco also noticed, that the throk had a collar and may have been a pet.
• Several hours later, they found another, much larger vault that was dominated by a huge waterfall that formed an underground lake. Two stony islands were nearly nearly 200 yards away and huge cliff loomed hundreds of feet above them. On the closest island, were 2 stone structures and within each a fire blazed in the darkness. Also, they could vaguely make out a strange sculpture squatting on the cliff, above them.
• Variel gave them all Air Walk Draco, Martin, and Link decided to investigate the 2 buildings. Both buildings were made of stone, 2 stories tall and had simple openings for door and windows. The ground floor had a cairn with a roaring fire and several packs were scattered around it. Smoke from the fire rose up through a hole in the floor. Ancient, rotten wooden steps lead upstairs. Lord Wintresh floated up to scout out what was up there. He saw a naked man, kneeling in supplication before the smoke rising through the floor and rising out a hole in the roof.
• Variel had decided to investigate the ceiling of the vault and heard a strange shriek, just beneath the roar of water. He discovered the nest of a noktodactyl and one of it's young.
Hearing the battle below, he raced to help.
• Barracus raced across the water, into the battle-laden structure and found Martin hanging from the hole of in the ceiling by the tail of the monstrous xeno, above. Martin had tried to drag the xeno down through the hole with his weight, but the creature was able to tangle him up instead. The supplicant had stepped out of the fire and spoke harshly to Barracus in draconic. The language was unkown to the Smith, and lashed out in anger at the man. As he battled the stranger, he noticed spikes grown out of his back and claws tearing out his fingers. Both men were matched physically, which shocked Barracus, since he had changed so drastically in the last few days.
• Martin managed to free himself from the xeno's trap and Barracus provided cover as he escaped out of the building and possibly out of the vault, if given enough time. However, he was greeted by a horrifying sight. The adult noktodactyl waddled toward him in the dark, a hiss rasping from it's 14' form, sending chills through his battered body.
• Variel arrived through the ceiling to help Link put himself out and provide some healing. Draco was already severely wounded from the raging xeno that lashed out with claws, teeth, and tail. The Gatherers began to worry they were outmatched.
• Fuming with rage at the sight of such a profane shrine and sacrifice, Jacob the Rooster, remembered the horn that Mr. Ocax had given him. In his soul, he felt it was most needed here and now and blasted it 3 times. The first blast shot lightning at the noktodactyl and it's young and shook the whole vault. The second blast made the water boil and purifying light erupt from it's depths, the profane monolith was torn asunder and the buildings began to tremble below. The third blast saw Jacob disappear in holy flame, and the cliff was torn from the rock that anchored it, smashing the building below and burying them in rock and holy fire.
• Martin managed to exit the vault after the noktodactyl was vaporized by lightning. Variel, Draco, and Link were lucky to hit the water and protected by the smashing rocks. Barracus however was buried in the rubble, but managed to dig his way out. He was horrified to realize he'd lost his amulet and in the process of freeing himself had grown 2", lost all his hair, and several horns rung his skull.
• In the center of the destruction were the remains of the monolith, now purified and turned to mithril. The horn had been fused to the metal and all could tell that area had become a holy site. Benevolently, a holy mushroom ring had begun to grown around the site.
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