Breac's Guild report - 0.2.2 agf

Diamonds are Breac's best friend

Led by Miko Tanner , a team of guild agents was tasked with scouting and, if possible, clearing out Emberin Hold, an old abandoned dwarven stronghold of the Stoneshaft clan. They were also informed that the wife and daughter of the Duke of Pizol Springs had disappeared in that region 2 months prior. The team travelled there on a Tokmor skyship and skydived in just to the west of the main entrance.

Approaching the entrance, they found a network of enchanted armors standing guard in the surrounding towers. They were being monitored by a magical scrying device that allowed a duergar to see through the armor suits. Lacking tools for a stealth approach, the team proceeded by sending a monk known as The Flying Snake into the tower to pop open the front door. The minotaur Mylmar was somewhat determined to take a diplomatic approach, but whoever was controlling the dark dwarven constructs was having none of that...

After discovering the grim truth of the constructs - that they were powered by the dying lifeforce of captives trapped inside in a state of semi-life - the guild found an elevator leading into the mountain depths. There they found an abandoned alchemy lab, then a large group of fire giants and dark dwarves gathered about a mighty forge. Miko was able to take position on a chain wrapped about the roof of the forge without being detected.

The guild discovered the Duchess of Pizol Springs, lifeless and bound to an operating table in the forge, where pieces of her were being replaced the same way as happened to the poor souls in the animated armor suits. Her daughter, Kayla, was found by the kenku monk Striker and convinced to make a run for it. As she did so and the rest of the team cleared the area, Miko struck - dropping a satchel of the distilled dust left behind by 4 of Nathrael's lieutenants after they exploded in death. The recreated explosion killed almost everything in the forge.

As the explosion brought King Zultr and his personal honor guard running, the guild held a line long enough for the girl to escape, as giant after giant burst into the forge room from the great hall below. As the sorceress Tem covered their retreat with exploding frostballs, Snake, Mylmar, Lady Layla III and Striker made a fighting withdrawal against the King's guard. Tem was knocked almost immedietely to death by a hammer throw from King Zultr, but saved on the run by Lady Layla. Linking up with the centaur Kheius, who was wrecking chaos by commanding giants to 'halt' in narrow hallways, the team managed to escape back to the elevator.

As the elevator climbed, Miko brought out the other two satchels constructed from the remains of the other 8 of Nathrael's lieutenants.

A followup team was sent in from the Stoneshaft clan shortly afterwards. They found many slain giants and duergar, many shattered remains of the constructs, and the bloody trail of King Zultr leading into the mountain depths. Writings within the Hall laid bare their plan with the Duchess - ladden with plague agents, her new half-robot self would be sent back to Pizol Springs to explode, her daughter being released alive along with her to grant her return enough plausability to hopefully at least make it to the keep. But of the remains of the Duchess there was no sign - hopefully because they were obliterated by Miko's bomb and the fight that followed. The guild has re-established some basic diamond mining operations with the aid of several eager entrepreneurs from Lake Crystalmere and Pizol Springs.