Westen Lancaster
Westen is an Archaeologist, originally from the Empire. While on an investigation in a graveyard his party was attacked by undead. After putting the dead back down again he found a genie ring on one of them.
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Return to Garan's Workshop
November 10, 2022
I accompanied another party back to Garan’s workshop in the mountains to the Northeast. Once again we did not encounter any Duergar patrols on our travels. I wonder if they might be massing in another location. If so that may be bad news for Scardona.
The Duergar who were controlling the workshop had turned off the slow-fall glyphs in the main shaft and set several different traps in the rooms we had previously visited. We were able to avoid them, but one was a large teleportation glyph that we wondered about where it might send the unwary.
We found the stone giant and got a look at him ourselves. He did seem dim – and ready to fight. We left him alone while we explored further. In a room higher above him we found the quartermaster who had been spoken of by Garan. He was a large glutton, eating fistfuls of food directly from the storage barrels. With his immense size it looked like he may burst from his skin. After he demanded that we give him our stuff and surrender we attacked. After a few blows he did actually burst, revealing a living skeleton. This had to have been caused by over-exposure to prima materia.
Even so, our greater numbers were able to defeat the abomination with little trouble. Looking through the stores we did find several items of value just stuffed in various boxes, some even in with the food. One item was an oblong stone with dwarven runes carved into it. The party surmised that the writing was not dwarven but possibly giant. When I read it I found it dealt with memory. Holding the stone for any length of time it showed the life’s memories of a giant.
The stone giant’s room was accessible from the store room, so we went down and gave it to him, restoring his memories. His name is Rock. The Duergar had told him the stone would take away his pain, but it actually took all of his memories. His family had been killed battling the dragon Airva. He was very grateful and knew the current Jarl of the giants (Ragnar, a frost giant) when he was a child. Rock is eager to rejoin the other giants at Lindfold.
After escorting Rock to the surface we went looking for the Commandant, and found him along with some guards. The guards were no trouble, but the Commandant summoned a huge slime-like thing that engulfed him and was quite formidable. I was able to banish the abomination, thinking it was fiendish in origin. But no, it was actually a “gift” of the prima materia. I was able to keep him away long enough for the rest of the party to search his belongings and find some treasures. By the time he returned from his banishment we were ready and made short work of him before he could react.
As the commandant died we could hear the mutated slaves in the mines below go crazy and start to make their way up. We left rapidly and took or leave of the mountain. The mutants will now wander free in the Duergar territory in the mountains. Hopefully they can cause some damage to their plans.
Aside from some magic items we recovered several mithral ingots and about 2,200 gp value of gold, gems, and jewelry. Between the seven of us that about 315 gp each. Westen will give his share to Rock to help him restart his life.
To Hire a Sculptor
November 4th, 2022
I accompanied a small party in an attempt to find and hire one Master Garan, the greatest sculptor in Dwarvendom (per Brother Hammer). His workshop was located in a remote area far to the Northeast of Scardona, behind Duergar lines.
We followed the Sanguine River until we reached the region in the mountains where he was supposed to be located. Stories suggested that the entrance was in the top of a mountain utilizing a rope and pulley system to raise and lower people and supplies into the workshop.
We didn’t encounter any Duergar on our journey, surprisingly. Upon finding the proper mountaintop we learned that instead of ropes and pulleys that there were magical runs along the shaft that would raise or lower someone depending on which way they pushed off. They were ancient and extremely interesting. I made copy of those at the top in case I found anyone who might be interested in studying them.
Inside we did find Master Garan and seven of his craftsman working on several projects. After we convinced them that we were not the blood-thirsty invaders that the Duergar had told them about we were able to convince the whole group to accompany us back to Scardona where some of them had family. We would just have to somehow convince the commandant and his guards (including a stone giant) to let them go.
While we were making preparations a contingent of the guards came our way. Even though we had insisted that we were not blood-thirsty invaders the party made short work of the guards and took their equipment. Fortunately the artisan dwarfs had no great love for their Duergar taskmasters.
Deciding it would be best to leave before more guards came up we were discussing what to do with the bodies the dwarves came up with a brilliant idea. They carved a message in the wall for the commandant, saying that the guards had had enough of his “leadership” and that they were taking the artisans to set up their own workshop somewhere else. Of course, the words they used in dwarven were much cruder and I won’t record them here.
After burying the dead guards in the forest we were able to return to Scardona with the artisans and get them set up in town and started on the memorial requested by the Night Queen. Both the sculptors and bas-relief carvers will be find additions to the craftsmen in town. We were also able to supply three sets of half-plate, two crossbows, and two war hammers to the town garrison.
Unfinished business: The mines there seem to have a good quantity of good stone remaining. It would be good to return it to the control of the traditionalist dwarves in the future. From what they told us about the stone giant working there I’m guessing he’s not a volunteer. Perhaps we can find a way to free him in the future as well.
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