Halls of Hammerfist, Part 3

Posted on August 26, 2011
Eleint 4, 1479, Year of the Ageless One (Morning)
The adventurers worked their way deeper into Hammerfist Hall and came upon several dwarven zombies. Meanwhile, three wraiths—once dwarves in life—oozed out of the floor behind the group, their haunting and deep voices carrying throughout the halls. Just beyond the zombies, two dwarven skeletons enveloped in bright orange flames, stood guard before a large set of double doors.
Both Huntrah and Zaachaeus waded through the throng of walking corpses, cutting their way towards the doors and the blazing skeletons, while Dred launched deadly arrows down the hall striking any undead unfortunate enough to get in the way. Meanwhile, Arrol, Cain, and Omega battled the wraiths, quickly destroying them before any wraith could reach the adventurers.
As the zombies fell to Zaachaeus and Huntrah’s deadly blades, the blazing skeletons launched flame orbs at the two fighters. Easily dodging the fiery orbs, the two made quick work of the two blazing skeletons.
With every undead destroyed, Huntrah, Cain, and Dred remained while the others explored the rest of Hammerfist Hall, opening doors they came upon using the set of keys they found on the barbarian.
**
Just beyond a set of double doors, Omega found yet another set of double doors. The symbol of Moradin was emblazoned upon the doors. Thick, solid ice entirely covered the doors. With a powerful fiery spell, Omega melted the ice surrounding the doors. Opening the doors, Omega, along with Arrol and Zaachaeus entered what they guessed was the temple of Moradin. Inside, they saw a frozen dwarf encased in ice kneeling before an altar. The chamber’s walls, floor, and ceiling were coated in solid ice making moving through the chamber difficult at best.
Upon reaching the frozen dwarf, they recognized Orain Lightoath, the same ghostly dwarf they encountered outside. Not wanting to use a fiery spell inside the temple, the adventurers made their way back out to explore the rest of the dwarven stronghold.
**
Looking at the fallen corpses of dwarves filling the hallway, Dred knelt besides each one and carefully recited Moradin’s Last Rites to each kinsdwarf. With each completed blessing, tears flowed from Dred’s eyes as he saw the spirits of his comrades rise from their mortal shell, bid him thanks and fade away before his tearful eyes.
Meanwhile, Huntrah’s attention was quickly captured by a deafening crash against the inside of the double doors he stood in front of. Within moments, Huntrah, Cain and Dred noticed cracks begin to appear on the two massive doors. A quick second later and the doors exploded outward in a shower of ice and splintered wood. As the air cleared, the three beheld a large white dragon standing just inside the massive doorframe. Although far smaller, the dragon before Huntrah looked identical in appearance to Kurikveaeri, the ancient white dragon he and the others had recently slain near an abandoned temple to the sun god, Lathander, high atop the northern Sunset Mountains.
The dragon stretched its maw wide open and breathed a freezing blast down the length of the hallway. Huntrah managed to duck into a side niche and avoid the freezing blast. The drow fighter then rushed the dragon striking it several times, while Cain and Dred attacked it with range attacks. When the dragon seemed near death, Huntrah used his Blink Ring and teleported behind the dragon to see what lay behind the white dragon. He knew that Cain with the help of Dred, the dwarf, would finish off the wounded dragon easily enough.
Huntrah blinked inside a huge and freezing cold chamber with high ceilings dripping with icicles like stalactites. Massive ice chandeliers illuminated the room with heatless blue flames from hundreds of unmelting ice candles. On a dais at one end of the icy chamber stood a high-backed throne, it’s seat covered in thick furs. A figure, once a human man but now resembling nothing more than an undead version of himself, stood near the throne. He held a scepter made entirely of ice and wore a crown made of ice.
Nearby, a large ice troll stood next to a woman of exquisite snow-white skin and raven tresses. She was wielding a longsword carved entirely of black ice.
Much to Huntrah’s surprise, it seemed that the undead man—whom he suspected was the Winter King—was engaged in battle against the woman and the troll! Taking advantage of the situation, Huntrah rushed to engage them all! To the aged fighter, it didn’t matter who was fighting whom. He swore under his breath that before long, undead, woman and troll would feel the wrath of his deadly blades.
As Huntrah rushed the woman and attacked her, the Winter King made his way to stand next to the injured dragon. Meanwhile, the ice troll stood next to the woman and fought against Huntrah, clawing at the drow.
Moments later, Cain appeared through a magical portal. A spell he casted earlier allowed him to fly and hover above the battle in the throne room.
“Koliada, let us momentarily end our quibble and join forces to fight off these intruders!” the Winter King yelled above the din of battle. “Together we can prevail against them.”
“For now, we have an alliance,” Koliada replied in an icy tone. “but know that you will pay for your betrayal.” The Winter Witch then turned her full attention to Huntrah whose attack she barely managed to avoid.
And so the battle in the icy throne room continued with renewed ferocity. Koliada—much to Huntrah’s surprise—struck him with her sword of black ice, stunning him as it struck.
Back in the corridor, Zaachaeus, Arrol, and Omega arrived in time to see the battle in progress. Zaachaeus rushed the white dragon recognizing it as being related to Kurikveaeri, whom he had helped slay as well.
“Dragon,” Zaachaeus called out. “I was there when Kurikveaeri died, and I will be here to see you die also!”

by Richard Rouillard

The white wyrm turned its attention to the younger drow standing defiantly before him. Pure rage coursed through his cold being.
“My name is Thrymzen,” the dragon roared. “You killed my sire. Prepare to die!”

Plot type

Chapter

Parent Plot

Assault on Darkhold