Session 7: Wyrmheart Mine

"Wonder what did this?" Halveer asked, looking at the charred dwarven bones scattered about the bottom of the shaft.
"Not a what, mate." I replied. "Someone name of TINDER did this."
 
We look up into the dark shaft at the glowing lights on the edge about half way up. Is her lair up there somewhere?
 
Someone taps my shoulder and I jump involuntarily. I turn and see Kasimir. He shouts over the din of the thundering waterfall.
"I think we should fall back!" He suggests. "I need to pray and some need to heal!"
 
I nod and we all agree to back track to the Kobolds food area. The floor is covered in water where the corpses that were frozen by the Ring of Winter are melting. We haul the bodies out of the cave and line them along the edge of the tunnel. We mop up some of the water with rags and blankets we find stored there. I take the first watch as usual. As they settle in to rest, I step out into the tunnel. It's dark and quiet, but my sword lights the way as I move down a few feet towards the Wyrmheart Mine. I kneel down and pull out an animal trap I have and attach the chain to the cart track, set the trap open and hide it with some rubble and bones that Kasimir scattered. "Won't hold no drake," I say, "but it should catch one of them Kobold nippers sneaking up this way."
 
I return to the chamber to hear sounds of slumber. I sit on a crate facing the entrance. After looking around a bit, I pull the spyglass out of a side pocket on me pack. "Nice instrument." I remark. "Need to get a scroll tube to keep it in, or maybe a soft pouch." I extend the brass tube admiring the craftsmenship. After a few moments I collapse it back down. I see my distorted face in the brass. Suddenly a reflection of something flashes across the brass surface and my head snaps up. "What the?" But I see nothing. Hear nothing. I put the spyglass away and stand up waving my glowing sword around the chamber. But the light reveals nothing.
 
"Must have just been a trick of the light." I shrug. After my shift I awaken the Echo Knight. I debate mentioning the moving shadow I may have seen, but with nothing more than that to report, I just tell him. "See you in the morning mate."
 
It's seems like only an instant later and I am awakened by shouts of alarm. We are surrounded by swirling specters of long dead dwarves. Nihle implores them to leave us be. "Do not attack us spirits! We are here to fight for Hrakhammer!" They pay him no heed and I see one reach out and touch Artus. He cries out and his face goes white. A cold breath escapes his mouth. I know what that means. "We must escape up the tunnel!" I shout as one of the ghost brushes me with it's chilling touch. My arm goes numb, but it didn't reach my warm heart where it steals your soul.
 
Kasimir presents his holy symbol and the ghosts pause their assault long enough to listen to him speak. "Spirits of Hrakhammer! By Kelemvor's power and dominion over the dead, I banish thee!" Three of the ghosts recoil and vanish back into the walls. We make haste to the tunnel. Taban is blocked by the forth ghost that chose to ignore the paladin. It takes hold of Taban, but like myself, he loses no essence of life. Taban turns and follows after us. Unfortunately the spirts pass through the walls and move extraordinarily fast. The spookable enters the tunnel before us, blocking our path. "Do we retreat again?" Nihle calls out.
 
"Nay!" Kasimir replies. We must destroy this one. We cannot escape him!" We quickly surround the undead spirit, turning the tables on it. We give it final peace and rest as it dissipates under our blades.
 
We travel a ways up the tunnel and settle in again keeping vigilant watch for the other ones to return, but thankfully they do not.
 
"You saved us all mate." I say clapping Kasimir on the back after our rest is completed.
 
He shakes his head. "Kelemvor saved us."
I nod in agreement. But still knowing it was his quick thinking and faith that did.
 
This time when we enter the shaft, daylight spills down into the chamber and we spot a passage we missed before. A side tunnel. Leading to where? I look to Kasamir who gestures at the bones on the floor to say it likely leads to the lair we seek. Halveer gets our attention. After concentrating he confirms Tzindelor is near. She has returned to her lair.
 
I gesture to the side tunnel. This is what we came here for boys. Take out a super monster. Kasamir makes an "enclosure" motion with his hands, meaning we must surround her and not let her escape us. We are likely the ones that will need to escape, I think to myself. We all nod in agreement and proceed down the tunnel. I can make out deep scratch marks in the tunnel walls as we creep down the passage. Light and sound fade behind us. I feel my grip tighten on my blades. More for resolve and to calm my fears. Images of the scorched bones flash in my mind and I feel blood trickle down my temple as I prepare a blood curse. It will not bind a strong creature, so the chances of me holding her in place are slim at best.
 
As we round the corner to enter her lair, Tinder spins and roars in anger at the intrusion. As I feared, no surprising her like we did the hag. We rush in full force. I misty step behind her mainly because I know a fresh gout of flame will follow her roar down that tunnel. I hope the others make it out. I will my curse of binding on her, but she shrugs it off easily. Nihle and Kasamir also rush into the chamber before she unleashes her fiery breath. Halveer takes it full force unfortunately. But manages to survive as he misty steps to a nearby ledge and returns fire with arrows. Cimber and Taban are back far enough in the tunnel that her flames don't reach them. They feel the heat though.
 
I strike the drake's backside and she whips her neck about and bites into my shoulder. The piercing teeth find their way past the gaps in my half plate. They hurt, but the heat from her burning maw scorches me shoulder. Nihle and his echo lay into her. She tries to leap up and fly, but they beat her down! We take the opportunity to surround her and hack with steel. In the corner of the room gas erupts nearly choking me. Nihle escapes to the ledge with Halveer and a geyser of lava erupts between them.
 
Tinder spins, clawing and biting at us, but our weapons are too many for her. Calling again on the power of Kelemvor, Kasimir smites the chromatic menace until she relents and falls to the ground with a final shudder. Smoke slowly escapes her nostrils as we all double over from the exertion and stress of fighting such a powerful foe. I can't hardly believe we won he battle. I feared she'd fly up and burn us all.
 
We search about her lair. Her bed was a pile of copper, silver, and gold. There are a few trinkets and trophies, including a disappointingly empty scabbard and an dwarven battle axe.
 
Kasimir hands me the battle axe. "You should wield this."
I hold it and spin it around. "It's nice. Well made. I've hewed a few trees with an axe, but I prefer me blades for combat." I hand the axe back to him. He presses it back into my hand.
"Your blades are not magical. This axe is enchanted. Some of the creatures we face out here can only be harmed with an enchanted weapon. The hag's flesh golem for example."
 
I look down at the haft of the axe. There are dwarven runes inscribed 'VAEFA'
"What's this say?" I ask.
"To Float." Kasimir says turning to help Halveer lift a sack of copper into the mine cart.
 
I pull out some cloth I keep for bandages and lay it out on the ground and carefully wrap one of my blades up. I strap it to the side of me pack.
 
I lift up the dwarven battle axe and a bead of blood appears on my forehead. The axe lights up with radiant energy. "Very well." I say and tuck the axe into my belt.