3rd Day of the Claw of Sunsets (March) 1363 DR:
Firehammer Hold – Chapter Nine
The Iron Mine: (23:20 pm):
The Adventures now have to choose what to do next, use the Iron Gollum as a distraction with the aid of a ‘Wall of Fog’ and follow-up after it. Or use it as a distraction and attack from another front?
Mine Cart Station: (22:30 pm):
Frimly throes his ‘Card of Illusion’ into the Mine Cart and an Iron Gollum appears.
Mirafir casts ‘Fly’ and then ‘Invisibility’ upon himself. Then the Wizard moves down the Mine Cart Tracks, some 100’ feet, where the Wizard will then cast ‘Wall of Fog’ and Frimly would then release the Mine Cart with his Illusion of an Iron Gollum.
Thora and Sigune wait to follow-on down the Mine Cart Tracks and emerge from the concealment of the ‘Wall of Fog’ and engage the Duergar Warriors within the chamber.
Mirafir reaches the bottom of the 45 degree Mine Cart tunnel and looks within to see that there was not the fighting force waiting that the Adventurers had hoped for.
29. Mine Cart Exchange:
A mining cart rail traverses this chamber from north to south. In the middle of the room, at the base of a ramp ascending to the south is a levered machine. Several empty ore crates are stacked along the west wall, and stone shelves in the southeast corner contain tools and a few wooden crates. The rail continues to the north down a flat corridor.
Machine: The machine in the middle of the room is used to manually pull a cart onto the ramp and chain it up for a run to (area 16).
Shelves: The shelves contain grease, nails, thin iron plates, and other tools to maintain the carts and rails.
Crates: Most of the crates are empty, but two contain 6 pickaxes and 6 sledgehammers each.
At the northern end of the Mine Cart Exchange Mirafir spots 3 Duergar Warriors behind a Mine Cart and all are looking towards the southern Mine Cart Shaft. Mirafir decides not to cast ‘Wall of Fog’ and waits to see how the plan plays out.
The Mine Cart rolls down the tracks, emerges from the Mine Cart shaft and stops suddenly as the attached chain pulls taught. Iron Gollum steps out of the Mine Cart and moves to engage with one of the three Duergar Warriors, 2 having taken a defensive posture either side of the Mine Cart and the last a few feet down the Mine Cart Tracks heading northwards.
Duergar Warrior: “The enemies from Daggerford are here, Paladin….”
Mirafir holds his actions keeping a close eye on any possible traps or hidden foes.
Sigune moves into the room and engages with the Duergar Warriors not fighting the Illusion of the Iron Gollum. The second Duergar Warriors meanwhile was fight well against the Iron Gollum.
Suddenly the Duergar Warrior fighting Sigune turns ‘Invisible’ as a defensive tactic against the Paladin. This is no protecting against the might and skill of Sigune and the Duergar Warrior is sent to its resting place in the Underdark.
The second Duergar Warrior is faced by Thora and he is defeated by the Dwarven Lass.
The last Duergar Warrior takes advantage of not being in combat and turns and runs northwards up the Mine Tracks. He is soon caught up by Sigune who had run off after the last Duergar Warrior. Again the Duergar Warrior confronted by Sigune turns ‘Invisible’ making it harder for the Paladin to strike her pray, but not impossible as the last Duergar Warrior last but a single attack.
The Adventures take a pause, Thora Investigates the Machine on the Mine Tracks.
Frimly searches the only Duergar Warrior not to turn ‘Invisible’ and take off them a Ring which he wore.
Mirafir holds his actions keeping a close eye on any possible traps or hidden foes.
Sigune, looking down the Mine Track heading north and can see that there is a corridor some 30’ feet in front of her to the east and another one some 40’ feet to the west. Sigune opts to rush down the Mine Track and seek cover down the first corridor to the east.
Thora then attaches the 2 Mine Carts together and begins to push them slowly along the Mine Cart Tracks northwards. Frimly, never one to miss an opportunity for a free ride, climbs into the second Mine Cart which contained his card from his ‘Deck of Illusions’.
Mirafir, still ‘Flying’ and ‘Invisible’, follows up after the Fighter and Thief but keeping a prudent 20’ feet behind the obvious targets.
Sigune is then attacked from behind by an ‘Invisible’ Duergar Warrior, who may have realised the Danger the Paladin posed and if it was to die it would die a Duergar Warrior plus. Sigune is struck and as the Duergar Warrior becomes visible Sigune was confronted by a large Duergar Warrior, some 10’ feet tall and with equipment to match. The battle is short as the Duergar Warrior does not manage another bow while Sigune is quick to dispatch her foe. Sigune now stands alone in a 30’ foot, east west, corridor with a closed Stone Door at the eastern end.
Frimly takes out a double dose of the ‘Potion of Essence of Darkness’ in a Glass Flask and prepares it to throw, which would create a ‘10’ foot Darkness Radiance’. Thora pushes the 2 Mine Carts down the Mine Tracks and Frimly decides to throw his Flask at the crossing of the side corridors, covering the west corridor and the area in front of the moving Mine Carts.
Frimly stays standing in the Mine Cart, as is was being pushed by Thora, not fearing the Duergar Warriors and trusting to his Magical Protections and Dexterity. The Carts, Frimly and Thora emerge from the ‘10’ foot Darkness Radiance’ and this allows the Duergar Warriors with Crossbows prepared fire upon the Thief standing up in the Mine Cart. The first of the Bolts, being the teardrop Stun Bolts, misses the Thief but the second is aimed at the Cart and catches Frimly in the radius of the cruel Underdark Magic. Frimly is stunned.
Thora was preparing to respond and rush down the Mine Cart Tracks but she too is attacked from behind by an ‘Invisible’ foe, another Duergar Warrior who was also ‘Large’ and only managed to his the Warrioress due to her distraction. Thora battles on and has no problem defeating the last ‘Large’ Duergar Warrior.
Sigune take her ‘Potion of Extra-Healing’.
Sigune once again take to the front and moves down the Mine Cart Tracks, north, trusting to luck and finding none.
A ‘Lightning Bolt’ then bursts down along the tunnel catching the Paladin in its electric damage.
Sigune: “There is another Wizard to the north, beware.”
Sigune, from where she was standing, could see that some 60’ feet in front of her the Mine Track tunnel opened up into a natural tunnel.
The Adventures regroup and they chose to return to the original plan and have Mirafir, ‘Flying’ and ‘Invisible’, approach the natural cavern and cast his ‘Wall of Fog’ to cover the area directly in front of the chambers opening. Then the remaining Adventures would follow up and engage with the Duergar Warriors.
Mirafir ‘Fly’s’ forward and gazes into the Natural Cavern and the Wizard discovers that the Duergar Warriors were more than prepared for an assault by the Adventures.
The Iron Mine: (22:50 pm):
22. Iron Mine:
This elongated cave has four mining tunnels dug in the north wall and a mining cart terminal near the south eastern end. The floor is cluttered with rocky debris and heaps of red ore, with iron buckets and stools scattered here and there. Two broader tunnels lead out of the area, one rough tunnel to the west and another smooth, carved tunnel to the south.
Mirafir can see, but unable to communicate to the others that, there were 2 Female Julkoun Villagers tied to the Cart Terminal in the Iron Mine, 3 Duergar Warriors behind them and 2 groups of more Male and Female Julkoun Villagers with the prisoners being chained together in a chain gang. Each human prisoner has a shackle on one foot. Behind each group are a further 2 Duergar Warriors with blades to the throat of a Villager.
Mirafir cast his Spell into the Irom Mine, ‘Wall of Fog’ and the Wizard believes that he was able to engulf all but 2. Mirafir also hears the sound of a gruff giggle somewhere in the Natural Cavern.
Duergar: “The Wizard is close, use the ‘Alchemist’s Fire’ down the corridor.”
Sigune moves first, as she is closest to the Iron Mine, but knows not what the Duergar cried out. This meant the she and the Wizard both see 2 Duergar Warriors emerge from the ‘Wall of Fog’ one with Shield and Mace and the other with Shield and Glass Orb in the other. Sigune attempts to reach the Duergar Warriors but the one with the Shield and Mace grows in height before the Paladins Eyes and stands to fight. The second Duergar Warrior is able to throw the Glass Orb passed his comrade and able to catch both the ‘Flying’ & ‘Invisible’ Wizard and the Paladin, who was mercifully protected somewhat by her ‘Ring of Fire Resistance’. Mirafir was not so lucky and was no longer ‘Invisible’.
Sigune makes easy work of the Large Duergar Warrior and then the second Duergar Warrior was dispatched. Thora and Frimly were both stuck behind the burning corridor due to the ‘Alchemist’s Fire’.
Mirafir, fearing that he would again be the target of the Duergar Wizard and Warriors, cast ‘Invisibility’ on himself once more. The Adventures all move into the Iron Mine with Mirafir ‘Flying’ in first towards the north of the Iron Mine yet within the ‘Wall of Fog’ for fear of attack. Mirafir can now clearly hear that the Duergar Warriors were moving the Julkoun Villagers out of the ‘Wall of Fog’ but was not sure in which direction.
Then Frimly climbs into the Iron Mine along the wall using his ‘Slippers of Spider Climbing’.
Following up is Sigune concerned for the lives of the 2 Female Julkoun Villagers and finally Thora moves through the ‘Wall of Fog’ hugging the southern edge of the Iron Mine and emerges from the ‘Wall of Fog’ and in a 20’ foot corridor heading south and ending at an open door into another southern chamber.
Thora: “I wonder where this room leads to.”
Frimly stays hanging from the ceiling at the eastern end of the Iron Mine and just behind the cover of the ‘Wall of Fog’.”
Sigune: “Don’t worry maidens I will protect your lives and you are safe where you are, trust me.”
Sigune calls out in common.
Thora also holds her position waiting for enemies to exit from the chamber to her south. Thora can smell the familiar smell of beer, tobacco, leather polish, farts and stale beer, a barracks of some sort of she was to bet.
Mirafir ‘Fly’s’ up and over the ‘Wall of Fog’ so as to look for both the Julkoun Villagers and their Duergar Slavers.
Mirafir: “I know that there is a Duergar Wizard still out there somewhere.”
Mirafir see that one group of Julkoun Villagers had been ushered down the western exit, while the second chain gang were being led away Duergar Warriors. One lone Julkoun Villagers was kneeling near the edge of the Iron Mine and a Duergar Warrior shot him dead with his Crossbow from the west exit.
Duergar Warrior: “This will not be the death on your hands Heroes of Daggerford; you are responsible for their deaths unless you leave our dwelling immediately.”
Mirafir says nothing and make no action to delay the Julkoun Villagers and their Duergar Slavers, instead the Wizard, still ‘Invisible’ and ‘Flying’, guesses where the Dwarven Maiden may have gone through the ‘Wall of Fog’ and over to the Thora’s location in the Iron Mine by the southern corridor.
Mirafir: “Thora, it is I Mirafir the Wizard, let me move ahead as I am ‘Invisibly’ and can investigate what lays yonder.”
Thora: “OK Mirafir the Wizard.”
Mirafir ‘Fly’s’ south down the short corridor and can see into the chamber beyond as the door had been left open.
24. Barracks:
This room has a table with stools and a set of wooden shelves, on which are stored several mats, bedrolls, and blankets, as well as food and a few casks. Doors are set in every wall except the southern one.
Mirafir listens whilst in the room not wanting to be surprised by an attack but hears nothing. The Wizard then ‘Fly’s’ about the room and spots among the mundane materials on the shelves is and Adventures gear. It includes Studded Green Dragon Leather fitted to a burly Dwarf and a Silvered Greataxe.
Mirafir finds that the door to the east is also wide open, but the door to the west is closed. Mirafir ‘Fly’s’ closer to the eastern door and peers beyond the door way to look within. Mirafir sees an L-shaped hallway which contains cots and other items suggesting that this area is use as a sleeping area. The door to the south of this room is closed.
Mirafir stops and fear that the closed door to the west maybe locked, trapped or worse.
Mirafir: “What can I do to aid me in this tight spot that I find myself in, hold on let’s go back to basics.2
Mirafir casts ‘Unseen Servant’ to aid the Wizard in opening, distracting and other feats he may need to perform.
Mirafir stands 30’ from the eastern door and listens once more and this time he can clearly hear the sound of a Dwarf, could it be and it appears that said Dwarf was singing in Darvish too and not the lounge of the Underdark Dwarves, Duergan.
The Wizard send’s his ‘Unseen Servant’ to the closed eastern door and the door is opened by Mirafir’s Magical Servant.
25. Nalifarn’s Study:
This room has a corner fireplace that has a mantle adorned with a carving of a sword surrounded by two spiralling flames, over which a broken crossbow bolt has been painted in red. In the south eastern part of the room sit a large bed and a chest.
A tall cabinet and an ornate desk with a high-backed chair stand near the north wall. Many metal instruments and glass containers sit on the desk, including a burner, spoons, bottles, flasks, and alembics. In the north eastern corner is a set of shackles chained to the wall.
The Wizard can now clearly hear the voice of the Dwarf and his rather fruity rhyme.
There was a gay Countess of Bray,
And you may think it odd when I say,
That in spite of high station,
Rank and education,
She always spelt Cunt with a K.
Mirafir: “My good Dwarf, what is your name and what are you doing here?”
Dwarf: “You know who I am and I will not fall for any more of your playing Nalifarn, you have tortured my body and aim to do so with my mind but I am a lot’s stronger that you think. Now provide me with Ale or leave me to my songs.”
Mirafir can see that the Dwarf is in a very bad way, close to expiring if the Wizard were to guess.
Chained to the wall is the Dwarf, badly injured with burns, cuts, bruises, poisoning, and other abuse. He has no gear besides a ragged, bloodstained tunic and pants. The dwarf continued with his singing.
There once was a miner named Dave
Who kept a dead whore in a cave.
When asked “Does she smell?”
He replied “What the hell!
Just think of the money I save!”
Mirafir, now looking closer at the poor unfortunate Dwarf, notices that his hair and beard were dirt covered but the colour was unmistakeably Bright Yellow.
Mirafir: “Now why does that strike a chord, Bright Yellow Hair and Beard?”
Mirafir: “The dead body that was found by Sir Ly and Vicross in the dungeon Cells of Harpshield Castle. The man’s name was Alven Gissen if I am not mistaken and he travelled with a Dwarf with Bright Yellow Hair and Beard.”
Mirafir explains to Dwarf that he knows of his companion Alven Gissen and is sorry to tell him of his death.
Dwarf: “I told no one of Alven Gissen.”
Mirafir: “We had arranged for his body to be taken back to Daggerford, we tried to find further information regarding Alven Gissen at the new Temple and my associates spoke with Luc Sunbright. Yet he had no information to provide except that someone sounding like him was in the company of a Dwarf with Bright Yellow Hair and Beard.”
Dwarf: “Mayhap you are Friend and not Foe. My name to those who ask is Jekk Ironfist.”
Mirafir: “Ironfist, as in the Clan Ironfist of Runedardath.”
Jekk Ironfist: “First tell me your name and I will swear an oath to protect you Wizard.”
Mirafir: “My name is Mirafir Rovan, at your service and your families.”
Jekk Ironfist: “Then release me, provide some healing and my equipment and I will stop all that assails you, even the very Demons of Dragonspear Castle if needs be.”
Mirafir tells Jekk Ironfist that he will look about the room first before he expends any more magic.
On the desk is a Silver Bowl; a Silver Chalice; a Wooden Box containing cheese, dried meat, bread and some form of pickled squid or octopus; One Flask, where there appeared to be others, labelled ‘Acid’ or “in Dwarfish; and a Portable Alchemist’s Lab. Under the desk is a Cask of strong Dwarven beer. The Chest contains clothing, bedding, a writing kit (ink, quills, paper).
Also in the Chest is a Locked Steel Coffer, 2 ‘Potions of Extra-Healing’ with its familiar Lilac aroma and a plaster copy of the Darvish Tablet found by Frimly on the dead escaped Dwarf.
Mirafir sets about casting ‘Knock’ to unlock the chains holding Jekk Ironfist and then provides healing in the form of 2 pinches of his ‘Powder of Coagulation’ and one of the ‘Potions of Extra-Healing’ found in the Chest in this chamber. Then Mirafir hands Jekk Ironfist his other equipment.
Jekk Ironfist: “Where is my Belt it is missing, that foul Nalifarn must have taken it and I want it back.”
Jekk Ironfist, while dressing and armouring himself, then proceeded to tell Mirafir the Wizard of Daggerford of his tale and his current Adventure on the Sword Coast.
THE TALE OF JEKK IRONFIST
Jekk Ironfist was captured when he approached Firehammer Hold, unaware that the Duergar had taken the place. He was the sole survivor of a battle against the Gray Dwarves, and he has been imprisoned here ever since. Somewhat delirious, Jekk Ironfist wonders aloud if he’s dreaming when the Wizard finds him.
Jekk Ironfist sees that Mirafir took a Darvish Tablet found within the Chest of Nalifarn and asks to have it returned to him as it is his, made for him by his comrade Alven Gissen.
Mirafir: “We have one in our possession exactly the same as this one.”
Jekk Ironfist: “That cannot be, I had a copy, made for me by Alven Gissen no less, and have been looking for the original all these many years. You must have the original one, where you come upon it my friend Mirafir the Wizard of Daggerford?”
Mirafir retells their Adventure in the Forlorn Hills with the Escaped Dwarf and Knolls, it all making more senses to the Wizard now that he was being given more pieces to this puzzle he was in.
Jekk Ironfist: “And to think I was so close to my Prize here in Firehammer Hold.”
Mirafir: “My comrades have is safe and keep it secret.”
Jekk Ironfist: “It is called the ‘Face of Gorm’ and is truly a Rare Wondrous Item.”
Mirafir: “And how does your friend Alven Gissen fit into this puzzle?”
Jekk Ironfist tells how Alven Gissen was a sculptor working on Morninglow Tower and made Jekk Ironfist a plaster replica. In return Jekk Ironfist promised to aid him in finding an old lost Temple to Amaunator.
Jekk Ironfist: “He was very devout, but did excellent work. A bit too obsessed with Amaunator and his ways but who isn’t nowadays?”
Mirafir: “Where did he believe the Temple to Amaunator was as we found him under Harpshield Castle?”
Jekk Ironfist knows that he employed the services of a Master Thief, and a pretty penny it cost him too, called Filarion ‘Filvendorson’ Floshin. He is the son of a friend of a very good friend of mine. He arrange for a Map of the area for us with possible locations, safe havens and places of danger. Jekk Ironfist had arranged for Alven Gissen to stay in Daggerford while he travelled to Firehammer Hold. Obviously he thought me lost or to have broken our pact and travelled to one of the locations. However, I though he believed that the most likely place would be the ancient Free City of Tavaray. In 302 DR, the settlement of Tavaray, which was located on the edge of the Lizard Marsh, was abandoned by its inhabitants and swallowed by the swamp’s rising waters, prompting a wave of migration northward along the coast and eastward up the lower Delimbiyr Vale.
Mirafir: “We may never know why he was in Harpshield Castle, but we have a reason to avenge his death.”
Jekk Ironfist: “Aye, that’s true.”
Jekk Ironfist realised the significance of his last name only recently. Like his shield Dwarf father, he was a gladiator in Hillsfar’s Arena. His father, Kellack, was known as Killer Ironfist, because of his name and because he fought with a black-iron cestus.
Sir Isteval, a very good friend of mine, and the rest of the Company of the Sunlit Sea freed Jekk Ironfist from the Hillsfar’s Arena (too late for Kellack). Jekk Ironfist fought beside them until the group disbanded. With time to contemplate his life, Jekk Ironfist looked into how his father had come to be a gladiator.
Jekk Ironfist discovered that Ironfist was not just a moniker but also the name of a Dwarf clan. Fortuitously for Jekk Ironfist, that clan had put down roots near Daggerford, the old home of Sir Isteval. With help from locals, Jekk Ironfist seeks to learn more about the Dwarves he believes to be his ancestors. So far, he’s learned that the House of Stone and Firehammer Hold likely have some ties to the Ironfist clan.
Mirafir: “There is one in our company that may be able to shine light on your search for the Ironfist Clan, but that is for a later time.”
Mirafir: What can you tell me of this Dwarf Wizard named Nalifarn and the other inhabitants of Firehammer Hold?”
Jekk Ironfist knows that Nalifarn is no mere Duergar Dwarf and has seen his real face when he thought that the Dwarf was unconscious. I would bet my beard that he was a Durzagon, the half-fiend offspring of Devils and Duergar and placed here to lead these Duergar Dwarves.
Jekk Ironfist also knows that the Red Wizards are the employers of the Duergar, because he was here when Nalifarn met with a Male Red Wizard leading a group of Thayan Gnolls. The Duergar gave the Thayans a large shipment of Arms in exchange for the contents of a Steel Coffer. He also knows the Thayans have a fortress somewhere in the Forlorn Hills, a place the evil Dwarves called Bloodgate Keep. Jekk Ironfist doesn’t know the keep’s exact location.
Mirafir: “So many more questions but we must be off and catch-up with my comrades.”