CHAPTER 21: THE FORGE OF WAVE ECHO CAVE
The ‘Forge of Wave Echo Cave’ will play an important part of the adventures story, read-on readers and find out how and why and maybe find a Flame Skull too.
The adventures retreat to the Wizard’s Quarters, now that Mormesk the Wraith no longer inhabits it, and rest up for a few hours. During his time the party regain their health and each hero was tasked with investigating one of the ‘Magic Potions’ found within Wave Echo Cave.
Lofty has a ‘Potion of Water Breathing ‘, Astrid has a ‘Potion of Advantage’ and Galdor has a ‘Potion of Comprehension’. The adventurers all keep the Potions that they investigated.
The adventures decide to return and deal with the last Gazer, but maybe leave the more powerful Spectator until they had formulated a plan and regained their courage.
The adventures paly a short game of hide-and-seek, between the stalagmites, with the Gazer before they all begin to fight.
Galdor and Astrid fight the last Gazer with their ranged weapons, Longbow and Darts respectively, and force the summoned create back to the western corridor that leads back into the Smelter Cave.
Meanwhile, Lofty Hides by the southern corner of the Forge of Spells and maintains a close watch on the 2 stone doors on the west of the building.
The Gazer, having taken server damage from Astrid and Galdor, fails with its Eye Stalk attacks and flee westwards towards the Smelter Cave.
Avoiding entering the Smelter Cave, Astrid and Galdor head back towards the Rogue and the party all head northeast towards the area they think the noise comes from every 2 minutes, the Booming Cavern.
The 3 adventurers are moving stealthily and make no noise, or so they hope, as they now travel through a natural tunnel that bends around a corner and then opens up into a large natural cavern called the Booming Cavern.
BOOMING CAVERN:
The sound of pounding surf that gives Wave Echo Cave its name can be traced to this water-filled cavern.
A narrow ledge overlooks a large cavern that houses a surging, seething body of water. The rhythmic booming heard throughout the mines is louder here. At regular intervals, a fresh surge of water funnels into this chamber and slams against the wall just below the ledge. The echo suggests that this cave might be one arm of a much larger cavern to the northeast.
The ledge that hugs the south wall is 20’ feet above water level. However, when water surges into the cave every 2 minutes, it raises the water level by 10’ feet. After a minute, the water level returns to its normal depth of 20’ feet.
The adventures pass the area to the east without much investigation and instead concentrate on the Dwarf-made stone gutter that leads southwest at a 45°-degree angle.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Interesting, this is unlike all the other corridors. All normal floors are smooth, natural stone. This appears worn by running water.”
Lofty makes a few calculations and looks about the gutter, no Flame Skull here.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “I believe we have been ascending and the Booming Cavern is lower to us and so the water must come from a higher gradient and emanating from the west.”
Meanwhile, Astrid strains to listen ahead and along the gutter. While Galdor stands guards at the rear and also listens out for danger.
The gutter heads off due west until it reaches a 5’ foot high entrance which, according to Gundren’s Map, is a dead end, then continues off into darkness.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Let me go ahead and scout the route quietly, if I have any problems, I am sure you will hear me cry out.”
Lofty move off making little to no sound. The 5’ foot hight of the initial tunnel causes the Rogue no problems and he disappears into the dark.
Lofty doesn’t travel far at all until he finds himself in another Dwarf-Made chamber which also appears to house some very large pieces of equipment and there appears to even be a water wheel in the gutter in which the Rogue finds himself. Even though the Rogue is limited, due to his short stature, to what he can see within the Smelter Cave, Lofty in clear in his mind of what he now knows this place to be.
SMELTER CAVERN – FLAME SKULL:
A blast furnace and a mechanical bellows powered by a waterwheel dominates this large chamber. The furnace is cold and dark, but heaps of coal are piled nearby, along with carts full of unrefined ore. The waterwheel sits in a ten-foot-wide channel cut into the floor of the room, but the channel is dry. Passages exit to the west, south, and east. The empty channel exits to the north and east.
Anyone, or anything, in the channel can follow it out of this room to the north or to the east, though the ceiling is only 5’ feet high after the channel exits this room.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Dear God, what’s that awful smell coming from above? It smells like rotten meat.”
The channel’s bottom is 5 feet below floor level and so Lofty will need to climb up and out in order to get a better look at this room. The Rogue expertly manages to climb up and out of the gutter and is surprised when he is given a helping hand-up.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Why thank you, hold on one minute.”
Lofty realises that the hand is not the only hand with the Smelter Cavern, in fact its not even the only appendage. Lofty moves back against the wall as best as possible and realises that travel across this chamber will be impeded by the multitude of hands, arms and legs that writhe and snake about having been disturbed by the Rogues presence.
The chamber is then suddenly illuminated by a luminous green light emanating from something evil that the Rogue would rather have done without seeing, a Flame Skull shinning green light throughout the Smelter Cavern.
A multitude of withered limbs cover the floor of this room. These belonged to slain dwarves, Gnomes and Orcs and some parts are still wearing the remnants of their armour. Floating above them is a Flaming Skull engulfed in green flame, a Flame Skull.
The Flame Skull fly’s straight towards the Rogue and its intensions are not friendly. From the eyes of the Flame Skull, 2 Fiery Bolt shot forth and head directly at the Halfling. Lofty prays and both bolts hit the wall behind the Rogue, further splitting into 3 on impact.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Bye.”
Lofty Runs, Climbs, Runs and Runs some more past the gutter, past Astrid and Galdor and back towards the Booming Cavern.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Come, we should flee, follow me Astrid Bilberry and Galdor…errrr.”
The Flame Skull wins for now.