4th Day of the Claw of Sunsets (March) 1363 DR:
Firehammer Hold – Chapter Twelve
Chapel of the Watcher: (24:10 pm):
Thora: What are we to do next Lady and Gentlemen. Fight the Duergar and Steeder or find Nalifarn?”
The Adventures head back to the ‘Wizard Locked’ door in the Utility Room, keep an eye out for Steeder and Duergar Warriors.
Frimly does ‘Detects Noise’ and can only hear 2 Duergar Warriors behind the door.
The ‘Staff of Curing’ is used on Mirafir.
Utility Room: (24:10 pm):
Thora and Sigune take a ‘Potion of Extra Healing’ each.
Mirafir casts ‘Improved Phantasmal Force’ hiding the others and making himself to appear as like Nalifarn.
Carpentry Cave No Steeder: (24:15 pm):
Mirafir cast ‘Wizard Lock’, moves in and tell the Duergar Warriors to be silent. Mirafir casts ‘Sleep’ on the 2 Duergar Warriors and Jekk and Frimly kill them.
Thora tells Frimly to search the Duergar Warriors for ‘Rings of Invisibility’ and Jekk states that ‘Invisibility’ and the ability to ‘Enlarge’ are Underdark Duergar traits and not Magical Items.
Carpentry Cave:
The floor of this 30-foot-high cave has been flattened, but the walls and ceiling are natural. A few natural columns are also here, and a rippling pool covers the southern part of the chamber. Damp sawdust, marked with the footprints of many booted feet, covers much of the floor. Scattered here and there are sawhorses, a stump, and tools such as wood axes, hammers, saws, and rasps. Two 50-foot-long collapsible ladders made of wood and steel, fitted with steel prongs at their ends, lie on the floor near the north wall.
Any soldier or historian can tell the two ladders are intended for siege use.
The party look about the Carpentry Cave and move to the north-west tunnel. Frimly goes down and spies Julkoun Villagers and Duergar Warriors. Friml casts ‘Silence’ from his Short Sword onto a coin and becomes ‘Invisible’. Mirafir cast ‘Invisibility’ on Sigune.
Sigune climbs to the Cavern roof and Frimly makes his way to the western side.
Prisoner Pits:
The west side of this old mining cave has four tunnels branching out of it in a wide arc from south to north. The main area contains a restraining table and scaffolding akin to a gallows, with hooks and pulleys dangling from it.
Cells: The tunnels lead to several roughly circular cells dug slightly below floor level; Each has a 3’ foot wide circular entrance, over which is a hinged steel grate with a padlock. Each pit contains filthy straw bedding and a waste bucket.
Sigune: “Beware there may be Steeders.”
Sigune casts ‘Web’ from her ‘Cloak of Arachnid’ and then drops the ‘Silence’ coin. One Duergar Warrior, an Overseer with Keys and a Whip, escapes and Frimly ‘Backstabs’ him dead. Sigune enters the ‘Web’ and dispatches the 3 reaming Duergar Warriors.
The Julkoun Villagers release themselves and all the other locked in the cells. Sigune tells them to Arm themselves and block the entrance, as it was the only way in to the Prisoners Pits. Sigune stays with the Julkoun Villagers.
Frimly goes back to Thora, Jekk and Mirafir with the ‘Silence’ coin. Thora takes the coin and move out of the western corridor in the Carpentry Cave. The tunnel curves south and opens into another cavern, the party stride in with the ‘Silence’ still active.
Deep Duerra Cave:
The northern half of this 30’ foot-high cave is roughly hewn rock with a flattened floor. The southern half has been smoothed and the walls lined with stone blocks. The north part of the cave has a natural pool of rippling water. To the west is a descending staircase. A large cavern in the north-east wall has stair leading into it.
Pool: An underground spring feeds the pool, which is 20’ feet deep.
Thora moves up the stairs heading up in the southern wall and after some 50’ foot and reaches what she believes to be the Portcullis Trap area. Thora, Jekk and Mirafir regroup and leave the Deep Duerra Cave fearing Spiders in the large cavern in the north-east.
Thora, Jekk and Mirafir go back to the Prisoner Pits and retrieve the Paladin.
Frimly, hiding above the northern tunnel in the Carpentry Cave can ‘Detect Noise’ and hear movement the Cavern beyond. Frimly see that the ‘Wizard Locked’ door in the Utility Room opens but no one or nothing exits.
Sigune, Thora, Jekk and Mirafir re-enter the Carpentry Cave and head westwards. Frimly throws a coin into the southern pool. Thora notices that the ‘Wizard Locked’ door in the Utility Room is open. Sigune goes to investigate the noise in the pool. Mirafir casts ‘Detect Magic’ and Jekk stands by the Wizard.
All the party, except for Frimly, are hit by ‘Faerie Fire’, the Drider appears in the corridor behind the ‘Wizard Locked’ door in the Utility Room for a split second and becomes ‘Invisible’ again.
Thora fires the Crossbow with the ‘Lightning Bolt’ at the Drider and misses. Jekk and Sigune engage the Drider. Mirafir ‘Detects Magic’ and can see that the Drider is glowing with Magic, ‘Improved Invisibility’, and carries something small that also glow with Magic. The corridor itself, as far as the Wizard’s site allows, Mirafir can see is also glowing with Magic he believes to be an ‘Improved Phantasmal Force’.
Sigune and Jekk battle the Drider, both taking and receiving blows and the Paladin being solely targeted and having to resist the Drider Poison on its Longsword.
Mirafir fires his ‘Magic Missiles’ at the Drider and they fail to do damage. Mirafir suspects that it has Magical Resistance. Frimly cannot use his ‘Ring of the Ram’ unless he gets closer and so head off to the western tunnel in an attempt to come at the Drider from behind. Frimly then remembers that the ‘Passwall’ cast by Mirafir had runout and that way in was blocked. The only other quick way was through the Secret Door in the Drinking Hall had been ‘Wizard Locked’ by Mirafir.
Thora moves to stand by the northern tunnel leading to the Steeder Dens and where Frimly had heard noise.
Mirafir casts ‘Invisibility’ on himself.
Jekk, but mainly Sigune, finally kills the Drider and take the item which Mirafir saw glowing with Magic, a bottle.
Mirafir volunteers to ‘Fly’, ‘Invisible’, up the last tunnel heading to the Steeder Dens and look about.
Steeder Dens:
This old mining cave features two narrow tunnel openings on the west and north wall. Broader tunnels exit to the northeast and southwest.
Inside the Steeder Dens Mirafir finds 4 Duergar Warriors, 2 guarding the 2 ways in and with Crossbows in hand. There are some chairs and tables, a Well and tied to the Well are 5 Female Julkoun Villagers.
Mirafir uses his still running ‘Detect Magic’ Spell on the Steeder Dens and thankfully spies 4 other Dwarven sizes Magical glows along the north wall of the chamber. Finally, above the eastern tunnel Mirafir can see a Steeder and Duergar Rider hiding, clinging to the ceiling.