Session 23
General Summary
The date is Thursday, 29th June
The time is 11:00 AMThe darkness is lifted by a cold blue light that emanates from three large, icy-looking obelisks. The glow picks out the architecture of a massive chamber, huge buttresses of carved stone arch up and support the ceiling, and stone dwarves and other beasts look down from their lofty perches. On the floor is a wonderfully crafted mosaic (of Mjolnir we think) surrounded by cobbled paving. By the light of the obelisks, it is possible to see a grand archway to the west, two small archways to the east and another small archway to the south. In a shadowy alcove to the southwest is a large statue. In the centre of this chamber are a pair of huge Woolly Mammoth tusks supported on a stand. The tusks are richly carved and decorated. The walls are lined with niches containing other horns, drums, cymbals, bells and other simple instruments. Strewn across the floor of this room are cloths and fabrics of many colours. Armour stands lie toppled over, the room is in disarray and has clearly been ransacked. A ring of well-crafted and highly polished benches surrounds the cobbled floor space. A quartz chandelier hangs from the centre of the low ceiling on a short iron chain. The walls are decorated with scenes of everyday dwarven life.Take a closer look at the glowing obelisks. They are actually ice. The room is not that cold and they emanate abjuration and evocation magic so that explains how they remain frozen. The obelisks have runes on them, presumably dwarven, which Fyren deciphers using his magic helm (they all read the same): Thrym, known for his cunning, stole the mighty Mjollnir from Thor while he slept and carried it back to Jotunheim. As Thrym had planned, Thor at first believed Loki to have stolen Mjollneer, but very few beings are capable of even lifting the hammer and suspicion soon turned to Thrym. Thor's anger was terrible and a great war broke out between the Aesir and the Giants. With help, Thor eventually recovered Mjollnir, but the giants repelled the Aesir from Jotunheim and Thyrm vowed to destroy them. One day the Giants will be victorious and their Duergar allies with them. Idris is intrigued to see what the mammoth tusk horn sounds like. It turns out to be impressively reverberative and so loud we expect it could be heard all the way to the surface (and who knows how much deeper). At this point, we realise that what we thought were statues of beasts on the ceiling, have actually been creeping down the walls this entire time! (the dwarf statues remain inert on the ceiling) These don't seem friendly. A sprawling fight breaks out. We eventually prevail, nursing a few injuries. We pause to catch our breath. We set off exploring the passages to the west, soon discovering a huge chamber.
You enter at the top of a large amphitheatre, and three tiers of seats surround a central floor space decorated with a fine mosaic. The ceiling is a smooth, perfect hemisphere carved out of solid rock, here and there discoloured blotches show that time has taken its toll, otherwise the place is spotless.We think the blotches might be oozes or mould or something equally unpleasant to interact with. We chuck some fireballs in to begin purging the place and all hell breaks loose, as the oozes prove resistant to much of our weapon and spell attacks or even get split into two so we face extra foes. Finally, we defeat them. Again we rest to recuperate. We head to a door on the western edge of the oozy amphitheatre. The surface of this sturdy-looking metal door is corroded and pitted (presumably caused by the oozes). There is no handle or lock and looks like it could just be pushed open, so Chi tries to do just that. Though it turns out to be barred on the other side. Tinnan shoulders it down.
This room contains lots of furniture; tables, chairs, wardrobes and cupboards. At the northern end of the room, several shrouded bodies have been neatly laid out. A skeleton, encased in rusty metal, sits up against the wall nearby, some crumpled parchment in its bony hand. In another corner, a small dragon sits propped up on a rack.There are two side rooms, one to the north and one to the south. Lying about in this room are various wooden constructions painted to look like rocks, altars, trees, mountains etc. This room contains a number of open chests filled with some tatty-looking, dog-eared scrolls which turn out to be dwarven theatre scripts e.g.
The shrouded bodies seem like actual bodies, not stage props. Both the skeleton and shrouded bodies seem like humans. They've been here centuries perhaps. Probably Gothi soldiers. We have been trapped here for three weeks and our food and water are all used. I fear we shall not see our homes again. The fight against the dwarfs was going well, in fact, we met suspiciously little resistance, the deeper we got the easier it seemed to be. Some of the men looted the crypts and it seems that Hel was not pleased, for the dead rose up to take their revenge. With the aid of the Holy Defenders, the dead were sealed back into the catacombs. It should have served as a warning to us about what lurks in the depths of the earth. We pursued the dwarfs down to the city level, they were fleeing like rats from a burning barn, and a few of the nobler ones stood and defended their city. It was here that we encountered the blind goblins, they attacked man and dwarf alike. They were mindless in their ferocity, driven on mercilessly by their masters, strange tentacled creatures. I saw one dwarf have his head ripped open and the creature feasted on the contents! My company managed to flee and barricaded ourselves in this refuge, but it seems it has become our tomb. Better to die in peace here than fall to that terrible fate. Maybe at some point, we can chance our escape or our companions may yet come to rescue us. We find a magic ring on the skeleton. We head onwards, and the only obvious route left to explore is a passage south towards a fiery glow.THE WALKING DWARVES.ACT ONE Scene One.
- AT RISE: The throne room of the queen's castle.
- QUEEN sits on her throne, looking at MAGIC MIRROR.
- QUEEN: Mirror, mirror, on the wall, Tonight, I shall hold a ball, And I desire to enthral them all - (Swoons.) Especially Prince Brawny! (Squeals.) Anyway, who is the fairest of them all?
- MIRROR: You ask the mirror, wise and shiny? The fairest ones are all tiny.
- QUEEN: Tiny? But I'm not tiny. Who says I'm tiny?
- MIRROR: I wasn't talking about you.
- QUEEN: No? Then who?
- MIRROR: The seven dwarves.
- QUEEN: What? (Stomps, whines.) Seven?!
- MIRROR: Yes, the dwarves up the hill and across the way. There are seven of them, and all fairer than you.
- QUEEN: But I'm supposed to be the fairest!
- MIRROR: (Shrugs.) Hey, you asked. And I cannot tell a lie.
- QUEEN: But I'm planning a ball for all the kingdom! Invitations have already been sent! And I wish to be the belle of that ball! Prince Brawny will be here, and I must be fairest if I am to win his heart.
- MIRROR: Well, I am not an interpreter - only a seer. And I see that those dwarves will be a problem. They must be dealt with.
- QUEEN: And they are fairer than I?
- MIRROR: Yes, as I see it, they are. And so, they must be dealt with.
- QUEEN: Hmmm... Well, then it must be so. They must be dealt with!
- MIRROR: Yes. You must kill them!
- QUEEN: Kill them?
- MIRROR: Or... I mean... you could not kill them and risk not being the fairest of them all.
- QUEEN: Oh! That will never do!
- MIRROR: Then there is only one solution, My Queen.
- QUEEN: Ugh! Fine! But can't you do it?
- MIRROR: I am only a mirror, My Queen. How am I to kill the dwarves myself?...
The passage is dimly lit by a long fire pit that completely obstructs it. The flames have burned low but the coals are still red hot. Beyond it, bits of broken furniture litter the path.The fire is not magical. That suggests someone was here very recently. Idris magically summons a large volume of water and douses the hot coals in a gush of steam. We continue exploring. Ahead are recent signs of blood and gore. At a junction, the avenue widens into a square. On the east side a heavy, ironbound door lies in tatters beneath a now open archway, scorch marks blacken the floor and walls. To the west, another wide avenue goes off into the darkness, but a little way down a pile of debris seems to block it. Beyond this barricade are a door to the north, stairs leading down and sounds of life. Sellis spots some humanoid tracks. We think it's blind goblins similar to higher up. Instead, we head east, where the footprints don't go. A magic face on the door speaks to us. It's probably a waste of breath to forbid your entry, however some advice: Curiosity killed the cat, but many fates are worse than death. Maybe undeath is what you seek? Chi bravely proceeds, only to be confronted by a mini-beholder, which causes him to flee in terror! Fyren soon follows him. Idris blasts it with fiery magic and deduces it's not a real creature but some kind of magical protector. Even with reassurance from Idris, both Sellis and Tinnan take one look and turn tail. While his colleagues flee, Idris wanders on, finding a room and a couple of closed doors.
A large, polished, wooden table dominates the centre of this room, dust lies thickly on its surface. A few well-crafted, heavy chairs are scattered around it, and an impressive bookcase (duergar history and such) covers one wall. Over the table hangs a crystal chandelier supported on an iron chain, thick candles held on the end of each of its five arms.Eventually, everyone calms down and we all reconvene.
Related Reports
- Back to Session 22
- Forward to Session 24
Report Date
23 Sep 2020
Primary Location