Session 8: a dwarven mine, or... Report

General Summary

Brimble Knackles, Mi'tsuru'gi, Falkas , and Thomen Jax had just left the centuries-abandoned storeroom in the dwarven caves beneath The Barrier Peaks and they knew not what horrors awaited.   None-the-less the quartet explored further from the waterfall chamber, following an underground river through caverns carved by the ancient waterway. In one cavern the group found an adjoining room of dressed and fitted stone, but submerged in 5' of water -- flooding perhaps from heavy rains in years past. Gil the owl explored the room with his master Brimble using the owl's eyes. Something lay beneath the water in the far corner of the room, but only Falkas with his paladin's resistance to disease dared brave the rank and fetid liquid. The thing in the corner was the bones and scale mail of a long dead orc, but beneath it was a rotted leather pouch containin two potions, water-breathing and invisibility.   They traveled on, the river flowing underground, but emerging with the party into the next cave. The swift water ran past a large stalagmite and a cut-stone corridor, before disappearing beneath the far wall of the cave. Mistu and Thomen moved into the cave, while a small, blind river fish flopped on the bank. Suddenly the 'stalagmite' shifted and giant maw opened, a yellow eye blinked and tendrils snaked across the river and attacked the heroes. Both were grappled and drawn toward the rock creature. Both Mitsu and Thomen slashed with their blades while Falkas leapt into the room. The battle quickly turned against the heroes, with Mitsu and Thomen dragged towards the creatures mouth. Falkas was grappled as well and Brimble's Sleep spells had no effect. In one fateful moment Thomen slipped and was lacerated by the roper's stony teeth. Another powerful bit came soon after and Thome was cut in two. his legs on the ground and the rest of him in the creatures gullet. By this time some damage had been inflicted by Mitsu's arrows and the dwarven axe of Durgeddin found by Falkas. Finally a Sleep spell cast by Brim was able to overcome the creature and Mitsu finished it off. The elf then cut the creature open to retrieve and bury what was left of Thomen. Thomen's +1 sword was recovered. Several lustrous gemstones and a ring, later determined to be a Ring of Spell Storing, were also within the rocky stomach.   The cutstone passage from the cave led to small prison with two cells. One cell was empty, the other barred by a locked door. Mitsu was able to pick the lock and was rewarded with a long-dead dwarf in rusted plate. Beneath this grim personage from another time, Mitsu found a silk pouch with 6 sp and a key, Durgeddin's clan mark carved upon it. The heroes, their number reduced by one, believed the key would fit the iron-bound and locked door they left behind in the massive mushroom cavern, but before proceeding into that unknown, they took some rest in the gaol. It was an uneventful several hours, no troglodytes, gricks, or other cave denizens.   Beyond the door wide stairs led up a 100' or more to an octagonal chamber with two doors and three bronze statues of dwarves. After investigating the doors, Mitsu opened one and the axe wielding arms of the statues came crashing to the ground slicing the elf. Aftter further investigation of the room the party noticed tracks on the floor leading to the eastern wall behind one of the statues. Brimble, with his nimble fingers and keen eyes found the secret door to which the track led. Beyond this was another stairwell up to double doors. Deft use of Gil the owl and mage hand opend these doors to reveal a huge hall (surveyed by Gill) with 10 pillars supporting a domed roof, a dias and plain stone throne at the far end, guttering torches in sconces. Near the dias was a sputtering, small campfire and some sleeping mats.   As the party made their way up the stairs a booming voice in dwarvish rang out: Intruders! Alert!. The heroes approached cautiously. Mitsu turned invisible with his Ring of Spell Storing, but bumped into two invisible humanoids. A disemodied voice from the far side of the room, a female, seemingly a dwarf, shouted 'leave while you can, this is your only warning'. Falkas, never one to heed warnings remonstrated with the voice and was attacked by the humanoids, now visible, and duergar, the gray dwarves, certainly not of clan Durgeddin.  The duegar transformed into large creatures and Falkas and Brimble were able to kill one in the stairway while Mitsu moved invisibly around the hall. The disembodied voice returned along with the sound of several booted commrades from the far end of the hall: "leave now or seal your doom".   Brimble whistled and thought a tacticle retreat was in order.

Rewards Granted

1 x Roper and 1 x Duegrar: 2,000 xp or 667 xp per surviving PC.   Falkas has a battleaxe with the mark of Durgeddin and carries the gemstones from the roper's gut: a beautiful ruby, two emeraldes and three serpentines.