The date is Tuesday, 27th June
Hook Horrors were feasting on a humanoid creature unlike any we have ever seen before.
Idris casts a detect magic ritual and finds nothing, we go and make sure the compass pillar is non-magical (it is not). We continue to search the entry room to the southwest.
The cave here feels very damp and the sound of rushing water is much more obvious. The ground is covered in moss-like vegetation and mushrooms, some of which are of impressive size (up to human height, one of which is similar to the one we saw in the beaver cave). In this southwest corner is a tunnel. We see no way to enter it without going through the mushrooms so decide to go down the dwarven tunnel.
As we get down the dwarven tunnel the sound of running water increases. The pathway appears to form a bridge over a river. The light itself seems to be radiating from crystals that can be seen in the water below. The water is about 20m below.
Sigmund goes fishing and gets a crystal that still radiates light once being pulled from the water he places it on top of his staff (some fish are in the river).
Idris now has his own light source on his shield.
We continue along the extremely well-crafted tunnel. There are plenty of bare feet humanoid tracks along it. As we advance, the passage seems to open into a chamber. We move up to the entrance where we can see and hear a large water fountain with 6 streams. The chamber is incredibly well crafted from white marble. Within the fountain are several decomposing corpses. Money litters the bottom of the fountain (wishing well). Many exits lead from this room. As we enter a
Water Elemental-like creature comes out of the water and brutally hits
Tinnan almost downing him.
Sigmund pulls through dealing 40dmg in one round to kill the foe. The bodies in the well are the same as the ones in the
Hook Horror cave (unrecognisable to us). We return back to the hook horror cave for a rest.
We return to search the whole room. Six wide avenues lead from this room (one being the one we came down) as well three smaller archways (one very grand to the west and two lesser). The one with the grand entrance seems to have bodies beyond.
We enter the small western chamber. Within is a marble statue of a headless dwarf, the head in the corner of the room,
Tinnan replaces the head. Beyond is a further small low tunnel. We search the room and find nothing. Through the small chamber, we see what appears to be a dwarven tomb. The tomb has already been ransacked, an inscription is on the tomb that says
“
Thurrorn Darkice, prince of Duergar, friend of giants”.
Around the room are defaced paintings of giants battling. (Remembering that this area was locked off “the dwarves are dead. Fear the enemy of my enemy. Do not venture in. By command of Queen Amalfrida” we should fear the enemy of the dwarves? Who was in fact the enemy of Queen Amalfrida?) In the tomb lies a body of a dwarf wrapped in swaths of linen. The body has been clearly disturbed.
We go to the next small chamber, within this ornate chamber holds an empty granite tomb. The lid was placed carefully by its side. The walls have half-finished paintings of dwarves at work, smithing mining etc.
We move on to the small grand chamber. Skeletons look like humans but the fresher bodies look like humanoid creatures that are unidentifiable (similar to those found in the fountain and
Hook Horrors. The walls are decorated with defaced scenes of a dwarf, raising creatures (similar to those we saw at the meteor site) up out of the ground of calling lightning down from the skies. Standing in the far corners are two 7ft granite pillars, carved with dragons. In the middle of a far wall is an ornate stone door with runes written above. The writing above the door says
”
Vishnah Coalheart – master of elementals – founder of Faern-Ol-Endar”
As we open the door, the two pillars spilt and two dwarven
mummies wrapped in linens come out. These creatures seem vulnerable to fire. We repetitively get frightened, but our bacon is saved by the amazing fire-throwing of
Fyren. We search their chambers but find nothing. Through the door is a small chamber with an animated stone lion. It growls as we enter but doesn’t attack. We greet it and it says it is guarding the chamber for Vishnah. He says he is guarding her tomb.
We go down one of the large passageways to the northwest. In the far distance, we catch sight of a lantern light bobbing up and down before it vanishes possibly bearing right. In the midst of the beautifully crafted stone corridor is an incongruous section that looks like a bricked-up door, in the middle of which is a plate-sized red blob. Close examination of the red blob reveals that it is wax and has the design of a curling musical horn embossed in it.
Idris casts silence and we bang away on the brick wall until we can make an entrance. During this time the light came out again and went back to the right. Behind the wall we broke down appears lots of passageways off burial niches. There is one room with a finely made tomb resting in one corner, its lid carefully propped up beside it. A chandelier hangs from the middle of the ceiling with stubs of candles on its arms. Inside the tomb is a linen-wrapped body. On the tomb is written
“
Here lies Thorin”
From the tomb swarms a load of beetles. Multiple
zombies and
skeletons attack from the surrounding passageways.
Further up, another room similar to the room with the sarcophagus. The floor, walls and even the niches are richly tiled. The tomb contains a linen-wrapped body and at its feet are a couple of sealed earthenware vases. As
Sigmund goes to look in the tomb 6
Skeletons drop down from the niches around him. The two earthenware vases are potions,
Idris takes them both.
We continue searching the tunnels, encountering more
Skeletons and an invisible monster of some sorts.
