Sard's strike nearly drops the guard, but the duergar somehow stays on his feet!
Ironwhip raises his arms before his face in a defensive stance, then suddenly sinks into the stone floor!
As Ironwhip attempts to take refuge in the stone, Lis strikes at him and misses. Dewberry has better luck, however, and her fangs bite into the oracle of stone! The duergar goes limp as the snake strikes him, and she throws a muscular coil around him, squeezing the last breath from him!
The final duergar guard's eyes widen in fear and alarm as Ironwhip falls, but only for an instant, as Sard's ray of fire knocks him unconscious!
As Dewberry considers whether it would be possible to eat something so large as the duergar she's just constricted, a small voice calls out from one of the barred doors to the south, speaking in Common with the accents of Tien, "Help me, please!"
Tanbaru shakes his head, which is a bizarre experience for Lisianthus, but it's clear he does not know this voice. Looking a little closer, one can see a small figure in the shadows - a rather battered-looking wayang.
"Thank you, thank you, I cannot thank you enough for defeating that horrible man," the wayang says, his voice thick with emotion. "He sent a raiding party to my village to capture and enslave. He and that Mueritt force us to work day and night, until we are too tired and weak. They say if we don’t keep up, they will sacrifice us to their god. So many people have already been taken away, and they never return. I collapsed and woke up here, chained to the wall.”
Sard is quite convinced of the wayang's sincerity, and also aware that the poor creature would appreciate being unlocked. The duergar guards each carry a pair of minor healing potions and a couple of alchemist's fire flaks. Ironwhip has a number of valuable items on his person, as well as the hammer that Lis managed to get away from him.
The small iron key easily unlocks the wayang's manacles. The small fellow doesn't quite have the energy to jump for joy, but he is clearly greatly relieved to be freed, and to have Ironwhip no longer a threat. "I am Swareti," he replies, "I do not need healing, though a drink of water would be welcome. It was an agony, to see and hear the waterfall so nearby and not be able to drink any of it. And my people continue to suffer such agonies, and worse, here in Slave Mountain - and you have the key to free them!"
Rubbing his wrists, he explains what he means, "I have a plan - I do not know if it will work, but I must try, if you will give me that key. The duergar don’t seem to be able to tell wayangs apart, so I'm thinking I could slip among the slaves while wearing unlocked manacles, and wait for the duergar to turn their backs to unlock the manacles of the other slaves. Once freed from their shackles, all the slaves could run for freedom! My people can use their skill at stealth to sneak away, and the other freed slaves might be able to outrun the duergar. Many would not survive the attempt, but some might be freed!"
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As the last duergar falls, Tarn moves to begin healing people with his wand.
"You are a brave soul, little one, Ah'll give you that," Tarn replies to the wayang. "Perhaps your little revolt would be aided by a frontal assaul... I mean, distraction, as you are freeing your friends?" Anyone who hates the duergar cannae be all that bad, eh?
"That is a noble thought, but I fear it would be very dangerous," Swareti cautions, "and I would advise against it. There are too many duergar in the mountain, even for mighty heroes such as yourselves."
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"What aid can we give you?" Sard asks, somewhat relieved at the wayang's advice against a frontal assault. "I have a scroll that would allow you to become invisible; I will gladly cast it on you or give it to you to use later if you're able, though I'm afraid the duration is too short to make much of a difference."
The Pathfinders manage to overcome Swareti's initial reluctance to involve them in the dangerous escape attempt, and it's clear he's really quite grateful for their willingness to help his people and the other slaves.
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Sard takes mental inventory.
Huh, somehow managed to come out of that one without a scratch. Good thing, too, after that creature in the smithy. It's great we're gonna help this little fella--the thought of someone livin' out their life as a slave down here is pretty horrifying--I hope it's not too strenuous, though; I don't think I have more than a spell or two left in me today.
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Ostendiel nods. "We have rescued you, and we will help you rescue your kin. You should use your ability to blend in as we formulate a plan."
Ostendiel tries to estimate how long it's been since he last used a charge of his mage armor wand to bolster his defenses. Has it been close to an hour? Would it be worth refreshing?
Through a combination of clever use of spells, application of massive serpentine coils, carefully placed fists and kicks, and a truly heartfelt gloominess about the fate of the universe, the Pathfinders are able to assist Swareti in freeing many slaves from the clutches of the duergar! It is not an easy task – some slaves die, and some are recaptured, and the Pathfinders suffer some injuries along the way – but far more slaves are rescued than would have possible for Swareti to accomplish working alone.
As word spreads through the mountain of Ironwhip’s defeat, the duergar shift to a more defensive stance, wary of further intrusions into their stronghold, and they do not pursue the party or the escaped slaves. The remaining duergar can be heard cursing the Pathfinder Society as the slaves and their liberators leave Slave Mountain behind. After heartfelt thanks from Swareti, who pledges to tell the tale of the party’s heroism far and wide, Tarn, Sard, Ostendiel and Lis return to the Grand Lodge.
On arriving, they find Aram Zey staring at the tapestry, deep in thought. The Master of Spells asks for a quick summary of their discoveries and any other important information that they learned on their adventure inside the Hao Jin Tapestry. When their report is complete, Aram Zey stands in contemplation for a moment before saying, ”“The transformation of Naldak’s descendants into duergar was an unexpected and unfortunate development. However what matters is that you recovered another piece of the Sky Key. You successfully completed your mission.” The Master of Spells returns his attention to the tapestry. After a few moments, he barks, “Why are you still standing around? Do you want an award for doing your jobs?”
Tanbaru, who has traveled back to the Grand Lodge melded onto Lis’ face, thanks the party for getting him out of a difficult spot, and offers his own assistance in the future in return, before turning invisible and flying off.
In the following days, the Grand Lodge buzzes with excitement over the recovery of another piece of the Sky Key. The story of the party’s deeds grows out of proportion, and several junior Pathfinder agents ask them to tell tales of how they defeated thousands of duergar without sustaining a single scratch. Excited murmurs and exaggerated chatter can be heard throughout the lodge as these tales grow still further. ”I heard Sard cast glitterdust on a pile of treasure at the bottom of a river – the gold wasn’t shiny enough for him!” ”They say Lisianthus now wears a powerful demon mask, but you don’t notice it because her tusks were already so big!” ”My friend told me that Ostendiel took out the duergar smith with one punch!” ”You’re not gonna believe this, but I heard that Tarn the Thrice-Cursed has a date with Grodel the eidolon! He said he’d invite her into some sort of hot tub that floats in the air, that a fossegrim taught him about!”
Before setting out with Swareti to free his compatriots, the party checks out the small room tucked into the temple, which turns out to be Ironwhip's office. A gleaming, solid, ovoid piece of metal with four cylindrical indentations and strange, fluid engravings rests on top of a long stone table. This piece of metal is a fragment of the Sky Key.