Mirafir Returns- Chapter Twelve
Orc Mirafir Returns:
28th Day Of The Drawning Down (December)
Dwarves, Orcs, Goblins and Orc Mirafir are just some of the strange thing that the Adventurers have found in Runedardath.
Two Dwarves entered the chamber with the fountain (Room 16), while two more hold back in the Doorway.
Frimly and Galan elected not to go up the Ladder so they climbed back across from the Column, using Galan’s 50′ Silk Rope, to the main chamber.
One of the 2 Dwarves says:
Dwarf: “Turn it off!”
They were armed with Short Bows which they pointed around at various Adventurers.
They looked at Thora. Then one of them said:
Bombur: “Thora, it’s me Bombur”.
Bombur: “Come with us quickly, it’s not safe”.
Thora started to ask them questions but they silenced her.
Bombur: “No time for talk. Come quickly”.
Looking over they say to Thora:
Bombur: “You can’t bring them”
He says as he pointed at the Elves and Humans.
Bombur: “Oh, and put that Light out”.
Trying to comply, Sir Ly covered the “Continual Light” then stood still as did Sigune. They were guided in the dark by other comrades.
The Dwarves whispered to Thora but Sir Ly is too far away to make out what was said.
All the Adventurers show their amulets given to them by Derval Ironeater, Leader of the Dwarves of Daggerford after they rescued them from earthquake debris.
As they went along, Father Tobias saw via Elven Infravision that they had entered another Square Chamber with four Dwarves behind a barricade.
They all looked shocked at the presence of Non-Dwarves.
We are led into another room (Room 23) with a massive column in its centre. Were we directly beneath the other Column Chamber? We probably won’t ever know unless the Dwarves share their Maps if they have any.
We are led along a further corridor into a smaller room (Room 25). This time two Gnomes guard a barricade.
Another Dwarf was on guard beyond the door (Room 25). Here we can see that the Dwarves and Gnomes are protecting this section of Rooms and an Alcove which has a Shaft and Ladder going up.
Thora is called over to the Dwarves. We were then hooded. We were spun around for extra disorientation.
We plodded slowly on for 15-20 minutes, go down some steps, were spun around again, then walked some more.
Still in the dark, our progress was slow. We kept getting stopped and turned around as an attempt to hide our direction of movement. Galan attempted to use Direction Sense in attempt to gage which direction they were heading and so to where they may be being taken.
Finally the hoods were removed. We found ourselves in a 30′ foot square chamber (Room 53), which contained stairs leading up in its West wall. The Gnomes go about the Room lighting the Torches in the Sconces.
4 other Dwarves are in the Room. Two Gnomes bring us preserved food and Dungeon Brewed Ale.
More Dwarves arrive, Father Tobias sees a Crown on the head of one of the Dwarves.
Stupidly he says:
Father Tobias: “Hail King Korin Ironaxe”
He says in his best Dwarfish. He was forgetting the Dwarf word for enemy and foreigner is the same. Not a very open society. They looked at him with disdain. They reacted the same way they would have if he’d just thrown horse dung at them or something. It was time for all Non-Dwarves to allow Thora to be diplomatic; this is not the arena for people of action but for the people of words.
Thora explained what happened:
Thora and Korin converse in private and at last, as she knew it must, the conversation turned to loyalty. The innate Dwarven desire for certainty, unequivocal answers, black and white – there is no place for grey in the mind of a noble dwarf…it would always come to this.
To whom would she swear fealty? To Derval, her mentor, the dwarf who took her as if his very own offspring when she had been left alone in the world, as a mere babe in arms?
He who taught her to hone not just her god given strength, and the skills of stone, metal and battle but perhaps more importantly, in this age of men, about diplomacy and respect for the beliefs of others and about honor and justice; and to see the truth in things.
Or would she stand behind Korin, Derval’s brother. A proud and noble dwarf but one who’s desire to look to the past has blinded him to the future. Could Illefarn ever really be returned to its former glory? The odds seemed insurmountable. But the will of a dwarf could indeed move mountains. If Moradin willed it then anything was possible.
Three years had also taken its toll on this brave band, mistrust of outsiders had deepened, and paranoia ran rife. They needed help and Thora knew what she must do.
She paused, and long moments passed before she gave her answer. She could feel the gnomish and Dwarven eyes boring into her, looking for some vestige of hope. Though all too proud to admit it, they were doomed without our assistance.
Thora: “King Korin, you know that I owe my life and my very existence to your brother. There is nothing in this World that could make me undo that loyalty. But I believe Derval would want me to aid you in your quest and so I say to you and your loyal servants, that under Illefarn I too am your loyal and humble subject and will obey you as my king. I will not stint until the raiment’s of King….. Have been found.”
Thora: “In return, I only ask that my party is treated with Respect and Civility. Without them, all of them, we will fail.”
Korin knew she spoke truth.
Thora: ‘So what should we know of the enemies we face?’ Thora asked; silently swearing revenge on the traitorous Dwarves who had sided with the Dark Wizard, Kelthas The Dread.
King Korin Ironaxe speaks in common. He explains that the Orcs and Goblins arrived just after they did 3 years ago. Korin Ironaxe’s forces have been reduced to 21 Dwarves and Gnomes.
There are at least 50 Goblins, 40 Orcs, Ogres and Trolls and they also have Priests with them. Their leader was an Orc called “Wartsnak Direlord”.
There is a third faction. They are led by “Kelthas The Dread” a Necromancer. He was the one who commands the villains that captured Mirafir.
King Korin Ironaxe said they probably sought the treasures of King Devin. As Runedardath Under Mount Illefarn was besieged, most folk escaped but there was not time to remove everything of value. King Devin and many of his followers never made it out of Runedardath Under Mount Illefarn alive.
King Korin Ironaxe demands that we all promise to return any and all Dwarven Treasure that now belongs to him, we must return it back to him. All other non-Dwarven items and those captured from the other factions are theirs by right of battle. King Korin Ironaxe promises to pay a fair price, from his own coffers, for all Dwarven Items retuned to him excluding the raiment’s if the old king, King Devin.
He was especially keen for Frimly to promise this. Frimly eventually did, once King Korin Ironaxe had said please to young Frimly, but Father Tobias vouched for him. He figured the Dwarves didn’t like him anyway so had nothing to lose, except for his life which he had offered up if Frimly did in fact take anything belonging to the Dwarves knowingly.
Frimly: “I did not vow to give thee the world. I am its’ lord.”
He said. Then Ungoliant demanded everything Frimly held. Frimly opened one hand grudgingly, and gave Ungoliant gems; but Ungoliant demanded Frimly give with both hands as Frimly had vowed. In Frimly’s other hand he held the Silmarils, which burned Frimly through their casket, but Frimly denied Ungoliant them.
Frimly: “Nay! These things shalt thou not see, nor touch. I name them unto myself for ever.”
Bombur explained that the Orcs control the upper level, Dwarves fight to get access to the Chapel of Morodin but can’t stay there so it became a kind of no man’s land.
The next level was the Entrance Level. This was also a no man’s land patrolled by both sides. The Orcs maintained a checkpoint there too.
“Kelthas the Dread”, the Necromancer, had some kind of base in the East of Runedardath Under Mount Illefarn, but the Dwarves didn’t know much about it.
We are on level 3, the Entrance Level, and where the Dwarves are now residing.
Below that was another level that was largely unpopulated and where the Fountain is.
King Korin Ironaxe spoke to Thora, out of earshot of the naive Father Tobias. Instead of being seen as friendly he was now being eyed with even more suspicion after revealing that he spoke Dwarfish. Stupid mistake, but the Dwarves are not his enemies; there are plenty of them in Runedardath Under Mount Illefarn.
Sir Ly got impatient. He wanted to rescue Mirafir but was shouted down. Once again, diplomacy was not a large section of the Paladin’s early syllabus, age will mature them both.
The Dwarves suggested for us to wait with them under their protection. They gave us more food and we rested, albeit with heavy hearts for our captured comrade.
One of the Dwarves come and wakes Thora and she agrees to go on a patrol for the Dwarves. Thora calls on four of us. They were Galan, Father Tobias, Sigune and Thora.
Sigune borrows Frimly’s ‘Magic Lenses’ so she could see in the dark.
Following Orc Mirafir:
We are taken back to (Room 53), and then lead quietly up the stairs and into (Room 56).
In the 20’x20’ foot Room are 2 Dwarves, 1 Cleric and 2 Peeholes in the North and South Walls. Looking through them Thora is shown an Orc, with a Broken Scimitar, a Sack Hood with Eyehole cut into it, wearing a Battered Helm and devoid of Armour.
We elect to get the whole gang after all. Sir Ly and Frimly joined us.
The Orc crossed (Room 58). The walls of the corridor, and the Room itself, are decorated with paintings illustrating the legendary feats of Moradin Soul Forger and his lesser associated Deities.
There is a stairway in this room that leads up to (Room 89).
In doing so it jumped over one area of flagstones. Then it ran away.
The Wall with the Peepholes had a Secret Door, both in the North and South walls. The Adventurers went through the Northern Secret Door, as quietly as possible as not to give away its position. As they proceeded on, Thora takes a look down the Eastern corridor and can see that a Pit Trap had been sprung some 40’ feet away. The Adventurers carefully avoided the flagstones just as the Hooded, Helmed Orc had done.
We followed the Orc trail up some stairs (Room 89). This room is empty and covered with debris like most of the other ransacked rooms in Illefarn.
This is the upper-most level of Illefarn.
The Adventures headed East straight across (Room 89) to a T junction and through an open door into (Room 94) the Chapel of Moradin Soul Forger. The Adventures ignore two closed door at the North and South ends of the corridor.
There are a further 2 Doors in the North and South Walls, in each corner of the Chapel of Moradin Soul Forger. However the Orc was hiding behind the Altar at the far end of the Chapel.
Finding Orc Mirafir:
The Orc surprised us by saying
Orc Mirafir: “Hold your fire! It is I, Mirafir, a terrible curse has befallen me – I am lost and without power!”
We traded questions in common and then the Orc switches to Elvish in a bid to persuade us that it was Mirafir. Galan gets the Orc Mirafir to complete an Elvish poem and in doing so is convinced it is Mirafir.
The others, and especially Frimly, were still highly suspicious. Orc Mirafir was using Mirafir’s voice but could have been an enchantment. The Orc Mirafir continued to say it was Mirafir. It said it had been drained of Magic and life force. It was convincing.
We grabbed the Orc Mirafir, tied him up, blindfolded him and brought him back to King Korin. It was then that the Adventures noticed that Orc Mirafir was wearing the ‘Cloak of Protection’ given to Mirafir by Lady Bronwyn and Mirafir’s ‘Ring of Spell Storing’.
One of King Korin’s magicians, a Gnome called Morri, was able to ‘Detect Illusion’ which he then removed. It was indeed Mirafir.
No Longer Orc Mirafir explained what happened:
Darkness. The uncomfortable feeling of being observed by many malignant eyes. A centrepiece of hatred and fear. The occasional creaking of what might be a chair or bench, sharp intakes of breath and a persistent unpleasant stench hanging in the air betray the proximity of others. The occasional crackle and hiss of what could be one or possibly two sources of fiery heat nearby. Otherwise, not a word is spoken. Mirafir’s eyes are bound and a foul tasting rag has been crudely forced into his mouth, rendering the casting of any Spells impossible. With an increasing stream of consciousness gradually returning, memories of the inevitable ambush and the events that preceded it also return. Accompanying these fragmented memories are the very real and persistent sensations of pain: Injuries across his torso and arms make breathing and well – uh – everything uncomfortable.
Mental inventory:
- Spell components? Gone.
- Magical items? Gone.
- Hope of escaping from this Zagyg-forsaken Dwarven hell-hole alive? Gone.
Future prospects may be as promising as a three-week vacation at Dragonspear Castle, but there is one question that Mirafir is asking himself. Why am I still alive?
Meeting Kelthas The Dread:
A rasping voice grates through his deliberations like a horse-drawn plough through gravel:
Kelthas The Dread: “Well, well. It seems our honoured guest is finally waking up. Karri, remove his blindfold!”
Several short sharp footsteps quickly reach me as nimble fingers work swiftly to release the blindfold. Even though the light is doubtlessly dim within the foul-smelling chamber, it has the effect of a lightning bolt on Mirafir’s sensitive Elven eyes.
As the blinding vision swims back into a vague semblance of focus, the features of Karri’s face emerge: They betray little more than hatred and a twisted desire to inflict pain on yours truly.
Kelthas The Dread: “Not yet, my eager one! Step back from our guest!” the rasping voice commands.”
Karri: “But master! You promised me!”
Kelthas The Dread: “Patience! Your chance will come.”
Karri reluctantly steps back from the Elven Wizard, her parting gift a poisonous vitriolic glance that casts a black shadow across the soul of Mirafir.
The heat sources can now be identified as two braziers within the Chamber, no doubt not just a source of heat but also an incentive to help loosen the tongues of unwilling prisoners. The room contains a motley mixture of Dwarves, Half-Orcs, a Halfling with a pipe and a bad attitude and even a Half-Elf. Clearly they wouldn’t go the whole hog and get a full one. Until now, that is. The dress code is black with bone motifs and full Weaponry. The mood is surly and unpleasant, the smell even worse. Some of the Warriors are armoured in plate mail, indicating they have money and experience. And will be very hard to kill in a straight fight. A Dwarf in the corner gives Mirafir a grin full of broken teeth and broken dreams to match the broken bones regalia on his Banded Armour.
The two piggy nosed Half-Orcs are Robed in Black. The first one has a dark black cloak, a Footman’s Mace and Banded Mail: A priest?
The other one is just in Black Robes, with Bone motif. Next to them is a Human in Chainmail with Longbow and Sword and Shield. On the other side of the room the Half-Elf dressed in Brown with loads of Weapons, standing on his own. And then he sees a Human with a shaded face, giant and hairless, bone white skin holding a Staff. He sits on a throne.
Kelthas The Dread: “Well, Mirafir I believe you have been rested and your wounds have been healed.”
First aid has been done. Why?
Kelthas The Dread: “Now do we do this the easy way or the hard way?”
Another voice says: “Don’t do it the hard way that would be illogical.”
Kelthas The Dread: “Vicross, I told you before, I did not give you permission to speak.”
Vicross: “Of course not Lord Kelthas the Dread!”
Loads of Skeletons are nearby – the sound of bone against stone.
Kelthas The Dread: “Yes indeed Mirafir, skeletons. Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way? Where are my manners? Some wine for young Mirafir!”
It is forced down his throat by Karri.
Kelthas The Dread: “So what will it be?”
Mirafir: “Well you know, when faced with two choices, the easy one is always soooo boring. So I am going to choose the hard way.”
Kelthas The Dread: “You know, you weren’t my first choice. I wanted Frimly. I think he would be far more amenable to my philosophy…”
Mirafir: “Whatever. Have you considered more regular flossing?”
Kelthas The Dread: “I see which way this is going to go. Very well. A demonstration is in order, Izeley!”
Izeley, one of the Half-Orc Clerics, brings in a Goblin. Kelthas takes out the Dagger and says something. An incantation. He stabs the Goblin through the heart. Jorykul the Cleric joins the gathering.
Mirafir: “Impressive, you killed an unarmed Goblin prisoner. You are truly a mighty force for evil. Now I see why they call you the Dread. You truly are dreadful.”
Kelthas The Dread: “Enough! You will eat those words and you will beg for mercy!”
Mirafir: “Ooh mercy! Mercy!”
Kelthas The Dread draws up to his full impressive height, swinging his stave through the air. He points a finger at Mirafir’s chest and a bolt of magical energy shoots for his heart. It spreads and dissipates before reaching its target.
Kelthas The Dread: “Curse you! This will only make matters worse for you, Elf!”
Jorykul returns and walks over to Kelthas The Dread.
Jorykul the Cleric: “The Gobin progresses as expected Lord Kelthas.”
The stench from the cadaverous maul is overpowering as Kelthas The Dread leans in once again to jab a finger towards Mirafir’s midriff. A howl of joy from the hooded monstrosity reverberates in the Elf’s ears as this time the ‘‘Bolt of Necromantic Power’ flashes from the black-gloved hand and into Mirafir’s body instead of being harmlessly deflected away. As the Magical charge fizzles and crackles in the air, Mirafir begins to feel his power being drained. It is as if time is being reversed and as his mind slips away from consciousness, other images begin to form.
From its setting position behind the Mountain of Illefarn the sun suddenly rises in reverse, flashing back across the sky as the world of the Faerûn beneath it rewinds a day’s activities. Mirafir watches helplessly as his body is carried back into the Chamber where he was captured, two arrows fired into his body during the ambush fly out of him and back into the bows, closing the wounds behind them as they left. Karri’s ‘Web’ Spell is returned to her, freeing the trapped Adventurers who proceed to cautiously walk backwards into the Main Chamber.
Mirafir sees a Rat reverse past himself, its eyes greedily eyeing an object which he also sees Frimly then later inconspicuously reverse-plant amongst his possessions. Every step is retraced back to Daggerford, and more, as he witnesses Frimly reverse-remove the knife from him in the tent during the quest for the honour of Lady Bronwyn. As the sun continues to flash in reverse past Mount Illefarn, Mirafir feels ice cold fingers suddenly wrap round his heart. He recalls his attempt to identify the magical powers of the blade: Something was hidden? A shadow over some darker, deeper power. He recalls a glint in the eyes of Frimly as they discuss the item, and then his vision reveals they are suspended from a web – two flies caught in the same trap.
The creaking rusted iron gate of an enormous crypt, overgrown with dead ivy begins to creak open, dust and the foul stench of decay and death emanating from within. It is then that Mirafir realizes that it is not a Crypt. Two Dead Black Eyes flash open above the gaping maul. It is the grinning face of Kelthas. From the abyss of the mouth some dark movement can be seen. A swarming, writhing mass of tiny creatures? Maggots? Worms? No – they are Rats, thousands upon thousands of red-eyed, scrambling and scuttling disease carrying starving rats. The swarm turns as one towards the web in which Frimly and Mirafir hang suspended. They struggle pointlessly as the first rats reach the thick and sticky thread. They take tentative steps onto the glistening wire and are instantly glued to it. More climb across the immobilized bodies of their predecessors, and, driven by a relentless hunger, the animals begin to swarm up the web.
There is a sudden flash of light. Mirafir feels his knees strike stone flagstones as his head is pulled back and a hood removed.
Kelthas The Dread: “So, young Orc Mirafir, now you shall run the gauntlet of Runedardath Under Mount Illefarn! Take care! Whoever you may meet, may have once been friend but may now be foe! You should have taken the opportunity while you had the chance and joined our merry band. Perhaps fate will give you this chance again! If your path brings you back to us, I will listen to your pleas of mercy to reconsider! But your life is now worth much less than it was before, little Orc! Now you too are just a rat in these ancient sewers! Release him when we are gone!”
The sound of heavy booted feet, the rattle of weapons and armour can be heard as Kelthas The Dread and his entourage return to their lair, their laughter echoing from the walls long after they are gone.
The voice of Vicross whispers in his ear:
Vicross: “Did I not warn you? It was foolish to cross him! Now you shall be at the mercy of whatever prowls these tunnels! Prey for the creatures that dwell in the darkness! Be gone! And choose your path with caution!”
As the bonds tying his hands are cut, Mirafir feels something being pressed into his hand. A Ring. The Wizard recognizes its design and feel: It is his ring of spell storing! But why? Why would Vicross seek to aid him? It is of no matter, as all will be elementary soon enough, no doubt. He raises his hands and gazes at them. No longer the pallid elven skin he remembered, but the warty and swarthy scarred hands of an Orc, Orc Mirafir. Clumsy and brutal. He reaches up and touches his face. The nose is now squat and snout-like, the forehead projects forward, large tusk-like teeth project upwards from the jutting and extended lower jaw. Despair fills him. A bitter curse on one of the ancient free peoples, an Elf of Wisdom and Magic reduced to that which he most despises, an Orc.
Orc Mirafir pulls the ‘Cloak of Protection’ around his deformed existence, realising that he is still wearing Lady Bronwyn’s gift. Another “oversight” by Vicross?
Probably time to get moving, as Orc Mirafir suspects that he has been left in the middle of no-man’s land in Runedardath Under Mount Illefarn. The remains of a barricade are nearby and there are also the remnants of bodies on the floor, long-since picked clean by rats. He finds a Broken Scimitar, which may serve as a crude Dagger, and also some sackcloth from which he swiftly makes a Hood to cover his hideous face by jabbing two eye-holes into it. There is no time to lose and he opts to move in the opposite direction to that taken by Kelthas The Dread and his lackeys.
A few tender steps down the passage and suddenly Orc Mirafir has the sensation he is floating, until he realizes he is falling. A Trap. A Pit. Luckily no spikes at the bottom but more bruises and injuries not only make the climb out of the pit more painful and difficult. Orc Mirafir has lost most of his magical abilities and nearly all of his Strength. He is an Orc, alone in a labyrinth, and every turn he takes is a trap that will lead to his death.
Mirafir also told us that the Necromancer now had the ‘Dagger of Create Undead’. Not good. He can create and control a small army given enough time. That may be too many for us or the Dwarves to deal with.
Orc Mirafir is also worried about Frimly. He would only speak in Elvish to Galan and Father Tobias.
It began when the Undead Rats started coming to Frimly, because he had the Dagger of create Undead and then they went to Mirafir? Frimly must have then planted the Dagger back on Mirafir so that the Undead Rats would follow Mirafir instead. He is very devious.
Mirafir believes that Frimly stole the Dagger from him in Daggerford before Mirafir could examine its Magic again as he had failed before. The Dagger was replaced by a normal Dagger. This was why the Undead Rats followed Frimly into Runedardath Under Mount Illefarn. But what did Frimly do to create the Undead Rats in the first place.
Kelthas the Dread was disappointed not to have capture Frimly who he felt would have been more amenable to his Evil cause.
So how did Kelthas the Dread know all about us?
Mirafir explained that he felt drawn to the Chapel for some reason. King Korin Ironaxe had spoken of a possible bolthole, somewhere in Runedardath Under Mount Illefarn, where King Devin and his followers may have hidden or defended.
We had Mirafir examined for ‘Curses’. Sadly his powers had been drained and had happened when Kelthas the Dread had cast ‘Black Bolts of Dark Magic’ at Mirafir. This was beyond our, or the Dwarves healing but his powers would return in time we were told by Gorn, the head Cleric of Korin Ironaxe’s follower’s.
We elect to return to the Chapel to see if Mirafir’s hunch is true.
We return to find it empty.
Frimly looked at the Door on the North Wall (ROOM 95). It was a small dusty chamber full of Scrolls, Books and Papers.
He then looked at the door on the South Wall (ROOM 96). It was another dusty chamber this time full of rotting Vestments.
Mirafir began to look for Secret Doors on the alter, with no luck.
Father Tobias looked at the East Wall, behind the alter, for a Secret Door. He found one and the Secret Door was opened. Frimly checked the Room for Traps. Found a Tripwire Mechanism connected to several Crossbows.
The Mechanism was triggered but the wire had long since rooted and snapped without releasing the Bolts.
It was real treasure trove (Room 97). The room contains six “Gold and Platinum Statuettes” depicting a Dwarven god in a swirl of stars. The statuettes are worth many gp.
Thora: “Remember that the Dwarfs will reward us for their return.”
There is also a collection of “Pendants”, “Sceptres”, and “Other Religious Items” not connected directly with the worship of Moradin worth a total many, many, many gp. These items have no particular religious significance for the Dwarves and may have been gifts or trade items that they wished to hide from the attacking forces.
Father Tobias then casts “Detect Magic” on the room to see if anything in the room radiates magic.
Father Tobias finds that there are the following items glowing and all with Strong intensity:
“A Stone”
“A Spade”
“A Mirror”
Thora thought that the Stone was a “Stone of Controlling Earth Elementals”.
The Shovel was probably a powerful enchanted mining tool.
Mirafir examined the 5’x2′ Mirror. It believes it to be a powerful scrying device.
We may be able to get back to the entrance level via the shaft and ladder but may not be able to take the ‘Mirror’, all of the other Religious items, which appear to weigh 1000’s of lbs in weight or the six large statues, which appear to weigh 1000’s of lbs in weight each.
Maybe we can keep it but Father Tobias might try and make us return it all to King Korin Ironaxe.
Meanwhile, Sigune and Sir Ly with ‘Continual Light’ in hand are covering the closed Door to the Chapel.
Sigune: “It’s taken them long time to investigate, I hope nothing happens.”
Sir Ly: “What could possibly happen? We have the Door closed and covered.”
There may be trouble behind.