Date: 3rd of Kythorn, 1491 DR
While exploring the uncovered rooms of the Wave Echo Cave, the party was ambushed by a swarm of large monsters, resembling a hybrid between giant bats and mosquitos. The Good Fellas fought against these beasts, scorching them with flames as their large needle-like proboscises were already attached to some of their friends. When the swarm was dealt with, they consulted the map they got from Nundro and continued south.
The map indicated that there was a main entrance to the cave from the south, but as the heroes ventured there they found the hallway collapsed into rubble. Sounds of ancient battle echoed in these rooms as apparitions of orcs swarmed inside them. The assayer's office was a large stone chamber, bisected by a stone counter. Some of the adventurers studied the parchments inside the cubbyholes and found out a clue, that pointed towards a hidden compartment within the counter. With the keen eyes of Maescia and Nomime, they found a strongbox that the artificer easily managed to lockpick, finding the register of the office and the treasures within.
The second chamber resembled an old guard barracks, where they found dozen or so skeletons scattered amidst the floor. The ceiling had partially collapsed and the furniture itself was splintered and cracked. Bene, while looking for daggers found a satchel among the skeletons. Inside it was a few coins as well as a letter from the mother of the deceased. It mentioned an orc uprising ravaging the Sword Coast and warned about how Phandalin would not be safe. Bene tucked the letter safely on him and the party continued on.
Heading east the cavern tunnel opened up into a grand cavern; dense carpets of strange fungi covered a large section of the room. The flora of this chamber had overgrown, with weird shell fungi growing out of stalagmites and large stalks and caps reaching up to five feet. The adventurers deduced that walking through the chamber would be dangerous, although it would prove a useful place to lead their enemies should combat arise. Most of the party tiptoed easily to the other side while Bene was exposed to the poison of the mushrooms. The charismatic rogue however was able to stumble to the other side, along with a strange ring that he found among the fungi.
The Good Fellas entered a massive underground cavern. Glittering minerals in the ceiling caught the light of the lantern and sent it back to create a impression of a starry night sky. The cavern held two freestanding structures and was also the home to many skeletons of the fallen during the ancient battle. The adventurers took rest here, and attuned to their items. Nomime caught glimpses of the life of the Black Spider, while Bene was overwhelmed with visions of the ring's previous owner. While this was happening most of the others were enjoying tea prepared by Virion.
When the rest was over, Ranvas ripped open the melted door to the first building. The walls were blackened and scorched, like the area outside that indicated that an ancient spell battle took place here. They were met with an angry spirit that melted from the shadows. The party pondered on should they defeat the lich or let it be for now since it seemed not to prove any immediate danger to them. So they left it there and continued to the next building.
The large workshop on the upper level had melted down doors as well. Upon ripping them open, the party found a room with worktables, an anvil and a forge. In the center of the room was a stone pedestal nestling a brazier that was crackling with eerie green flame. Behind the brazier a large spherical creature began to turn, its four eyestalks protruding from its central mass. In the center of the body a large eye snapped open as the party heard a burbling voice in their head greeting them.
The Good Fellas realized that the Guardian of the Forge wasn't in its right mind as it thought that the mine was still operational. The party was successful however persuading the guardian that they were visitors in the Mines and not thieves. With no way of convincing it that the mine had been destroyed an unused for hundreds of years, they left the room and continued onwards.
They found the western pathway leading to a furnace area, with a large blast furnace, bellows and a waterwheel. The room itself was crawling with undead and after unsuccessful attempt to lead them back, the party decided to explore the northern passageway before facing the zombies. Eventually the party found themselves on a narrow ledge overlooking a large cavern that housed a surging, seething body of water. The water crashed into the ledge sending out a booming sound, that the party had heard previously echoing in the mines. On the northeastern side the water came rushing in and Ranvas saw something dividing the waves. The triton jumped into the waves, diving to retrieve a pair of heavy gauntlets. He offered them to Virion and the party took another route towards the smelter cavern.
They found themselves in a canal where water had previously flown, powering the waterwheel and in turn the furnace. Sneaking to avoid the attention of the undead above, the party heard a ghastly voice echoing in the chamber. Before they could react a tiny spark flew towards them and exploded into a ball of fire. A floating skull wreathed in flames flew from its hiding place and commanded the undead to attack. Recovering from the blast, nearly dead, the party began desperately fighting off the zombies that were stumbling into the small canal. The ghostly laughter of the flameskull echoed in the chamber as the zombies were ripping the heroes apart.
The adventurers were dropping unconscious from the wounds and exhaustion as the zombies were piling on top of them. The attacks of the heroes did not seem to hurt the flameskull as it shot burning beams towards its victims. Nomime casted a psychic spell towards the skull, almost breaking it into pieces. Maescia dragged Bene out from the grasps of the undead as Virion punched the ones advancing. Then a piercing beam impaled Virion and he too fell. Maescia and Nomime were now pushing back the horde of undead from ripping their friends apart while Ranvas was blasting them with his gun. Nal who was cut off with the rest of the party dashed and circled around back, engaging with the skull. The undead were eventually incinerated and the skull defeated, as its flames died down and it dropped to the floor.
Upon waking up their fallen friends, the party decided to leave Wave Echo Cave behind. Bene and Ranvas however wanted to venture back to the guardian and the ghost that haunted the lower building. They promised the guardian ZY-196 that they named Paul to get the report from its master. The wraith in the lower building, who was Mormesk, high wizard of Phandelver Pact as well as the master of Paul, promised to write out a report if the party was able to bring him a magical artifact called the Forever Stone, that could materialize his body. The two agreed and eventually as dusk settled into the starry night sky, the party ventured back to Phandalin.
When the first rays of the sun peeked over the Sword Mountains, the party had arrived to Phandalin. They made their way through the familiar town square towards Garaele's house and with the diamond they've retrieved from the Caves, asked her to bring back Thah. The adventurers made their way into the mortuary and found Thah's body laid gently on one of the stone tables. Garaele began her ritual. After an hour had passed, the diamond formed into a glittering dust but Thah wasn't moving.
It was then that Bene's prayers had been answered by an unknown entity, that washed over and surged its energy to Thah. Thah took his first breath in the land of the living and so the heroes were able to bring back their fallen friend.
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