The Room

As you enter the room, the horrid smell of decomposing bodies forces you to pause momentarily.

A very wide circle is drawn on the broken stone floor. Complex glyphs and symbols cover the inside of the circle.

Your attention is immediately drawn to the center of the circle. Upon a large circular platform - adorned with sharp spikes - lay the decomposing cadaver of what used to be a white dragon… the source of the smell. Judging be the smell, not only is the creature dead - but its been this way for quite some time.

Near the platform, three Kobolds Ritualists are chanting. The Kobolds are practically nude, their body covered with complex tattoos. They are sitting and chanting, as in a trance. You notice that a long chain binds them to the center platform. Two WyrmPriests are busy working on complex manipulations.

The Ritualists' chanting echoes against the walls of the enormous room and dissipate rapidly as they bounce upwards. You can see no ceiling. Since it is night outside, the room might actually open to the sky.

Between you and the circle, a group of Kobolds are glaring at you menacingly. The two WyrmPriest are readying their orbs while seven other Kobolds are slowly moving towards you…

The Platform

The platform is raised a few inches from the ground. The chains binding the Ritualists to the platform are tied at the center of the platform and can move freely around the platform without getting tangled.

The Corpse

At first glance, the creature you are looking at looks like an adult white dragon... but you rapidly realize that the situation is not that simple.

The beasts' limbs are actually quite similar to those of a white dragon... but they look more like magnified members of a young white dragon. A young white dragon - adult sized!

Upon closer inspection you notice that its back is covered with bony spikes following its spine all the way to the end of its tail - covered in green scales.

Its back legs look more like enormous human legs, covered in black scales.

The Creatures

The Circle

The markings in the circle are not decipherable by the players - it is way beyond their ability.

Every time a Ritualist bleeds, its blood is absorbed by the writings in the circle. No other blood is absorbed by the circle. When a Ritualist dies within the circle, the creature gets closer to being raised. A Ritualist needs to be killed by a non-participant in the ritual in order for their death to speed up the process.

The Creatures

• Ritualists try to get killed by the players
• Dragonshields will throw spiked balls at the players. Every Dragonshield has two balls. I almost choked on my snacks when I read that back from my notes. Yes. Dragonshields have two balls.
• Minions wait for the players to advance before rushing - they want the Dragonshields to take advantage of their Mob Attack feature.
• Wyrmpriests stay in the back - they will boost the minions with Incite Faith as soon as possible.
• Everyone fights to the death.

Kobold Ritualists

The Kobold Ritualists are actually a modified version of the Kobold Dragonshields. They are chained to the circle and cannot escape it - nor do they wish to.

Every time a Ritualist bleeds, its blood is absorbed by the writings in the circle. When a Ritualist dies within the circle, the creature gets closer to being raised. A Ritualist needs to be killed by a non-participant in the ritual in order for their death to speed up the process.

The Ritualists try to lure the players in the circle - they want to get killed by the players. If a player rushes a Ritualist, it will let itself be pushed in the spikes.

Ritualists will also try to grab a player and push him in the spikes - both to provoke them... and inspire them to do the same.

Kobold Dragonshields' Spiked Balls

When this contraption is throw, spikes come out of it (think of a blowfish).

The spikes retract when the ball is no longer in movement.

• At the end of every turn, roll 1d6. On 5 or 6, spiked ball explodes. Blast 2. 2d6 frost damage.
• If the ball does not explode, it rolls 1 square in a random direction.
• If ball is picked up, the spikes come up, causing 1d4 damage (you need to know how to pick up the ball).
• Ball can be kicked or otherwise propelled. DEX vs AC. Damage is 1d4 + STR on hit.

One Kobold Dragonshield could throw a ball as soon as possible and possibly have a minion kick it towards the player - more as an explanation of how it works than anything else.

Dragon Creature

I'm not giving details on that beast, as the issue is not resolved in my current game.