Session 177 - Caverns of the Foulspawner

General Summary

19^th and 20^th of Larane (Second Month of Summer) 723TR

The story so far

Jolanta has developed an interest in Earthmaster artifacts and has discovered that one may capture and store images. The legendary Ivory Specularum. After a month of diligent investigation, she thinks she has learned its last known location, the mysterious caverns under Trobridge Inn.

Jolanta and Blaine have begun exploring these caverns.

This is the continuation of Session 175 - Trouble At Trobridge.

Part 1 - Falling Rocks

The heroes continue further into the caverns; they note a section of the wall which looks like a caved-in side passage. Blaine, avoiding falling rocks, creates a crawl space, and the heroes explore further. This chamber hasn't been accessed for centuries and contains a dozen crumbling Orc Skeletons. They animate and pathetically shamble towards the adventurers but prove no real opposition. The cold cave which they came from has nothing of note.

Further in, they find a skeleton of a long-dead adventurer, the victim of a partially collapsed roof. Carefully, with his shield over his head Blaine, investigates it. He finds sturdy ceramic jars containing blue oil and a steel sword with a similar blue coloration. Interestingly the sword blade has not rusted.

Blaine also hears the sound of rats down one passage, so the heroes choose to avoid those chambers.

Part 2 - A Deep Pond

After some exploration, the dungeon delvers come to a deep pool. Jolanta using Detect Magic sees a magical form in the water. This lurches forward and attempts to drag Blaine to a watery death. Jolanta attempts to control the elemental magically, but it resists her will, and the Water Wierd's essence has to be destroyed.

The passage beyond the water comes to an abrupt dead end. Concealed in small cavities, two ancient metallic snakes lie in wait. These rusted steel constructs surprise the heroes and deliver, despite their age, potent poisonous bites. The Iron cobras are hacked to pieces, although the heroes feel woozy afterwards.

Part 3 - The Magical Hidden Door

Down other passages, the characters spot a suspicious rock-filled cavity. Jolanta uses Detect Magic again but finds nothing interesting. However, along another path, the magic traces an outline of a well-concealed door. Jolanta examines the arcane patterns, holding the door in place, and magically opens it. Beyond is a corridor carved from the rock and at its end a circular shaft going down.

Exhausted, the characters rest in the dark, dank caverns to recover their strength. Their sleep is poor, and they wake feeling unwell, with a nasty cough. Although ill, they are fit enough to proceed. The characters make their way down the shaft.

Part 4 - The Workshops

The shaft opens to a series of smoothly cut passageways. Both leading to rooms filled with rotting bedding, likely old living quarters for Lothrim's human soldiers. Two passages are blocked with debris. What is more interesting are the workshops.

The one in the best shape is an armory with rusting old rather odd-shaped orc-sized weapons. Blaine finds tattered designs for orc armor and weaponry in an old strongbox written on faded velum. These designs are much more sophisticated and quite different from those currently used by orcs. In an adjacent, smelly, rotting hay-filled chamber, they find the odd orc bone.

The next workshop is also attached to a hay-filled chamber sealed off with a portcullis. While trying to open it Blaine breaks the rusty operating mechanism. Jolanta, after another coughing fit, searches the room at range using her Mage Hand, finding an orc skeleton and some weaponry, but nothing valuable.

Part 5 - Treasure

Finding nothing else of interest, Jolanta starts searching for hidden doors and passages. Despite her unwell state, she is spectacularly successful, finding a suspicious discoloration around a crack in the wall. Turning the mechanism in a nearby sconce opens the door to a hidden chamber.

DM's note

Inside is a withered huddled figure. The remains of a man with blackened skin from burn injuries and many other grievous wounds. The corpse of Nezrea Lifesaar, the infamous White Flame Sorcerer. He clutches in his arms an octagonal object, the Ivory Specularum. Jolanta's careful inspection of the corpse also finds a silver ring, the source of Nezrea Lifesaar's supernatural power.

Jolanta is more than satisfied with her dungeon delving and the hero's Dimension Door back to the surface.

To be continued.

NPC Interactions

None

Challenges Overcome

12 x Decrepit Skeletons.

1 x Water Weird.

2 x Iron Cobras.

Related Reports

Trobridge Inn.

Player Character Status

Jolanta - Human - Level 8 Evoker - Gained Level.