William attempts to learn the details of the spell used against him as he escapes from it's grasp and moves north.
William attempts to learn the details of the spell used against him as he escapes from it's grasp and moves north.
[dice=Spellcraft]1d20+19
[dice=Escape Grapple]1d20+11+2+1
The rubbery tentacles this time are completely ineffective.
The snake creature, amused to see her spell stymie the heroes, casts another spell, causing a pit to open up beneath them! It is 40 feet deep, with a pool of bubbling acid at the bottom!
The morlock defenders again draw hand axes and throw them at whoever doesn't fall into the pit.
We have a lot of bonuses here - both Shake it Off and Lastwall Phalanx are shared right now, and they stack. So if this caster is evil, then saves at the time of the effect are:
So I believe Aerel saves at +20, Benedict at +20, William at +16, Grum at +19, Amkarang at +14, and Haela at +17 (but everyone check if I am wrong). Have I mentioned I love teamwork feats?
Benedict jumps to safety in the nearest open space.
Haela likewise avoids the pit. She double moves out of the area.
Aerel jumps directly away from the morlocks.
Amkarang easily hops out of the way of the pit.
Benedict jumps clear and is adjacent to the pit.
Amkarang jumps clear and is now in position to take reach AOOs on the Morlocks when they throw their axes as is their readied action.
Grum made his save but needs to decide where he jumps.
William still needs to roll his save (needs a 4+) but won't move until after the morlocks go.
Haela made her save but won't move until after the morlocks go.
Aerel jumps clear (Aerel, I moved you back to the edge of the pit, as we haven't had the chance to take our turns yet).
So Grum needs to decide which square he goes to,
then the Morlocks throw their axes (and take AOOs from Amkarang),
then we take our turns, maybe with some of us repositioning to be in range for Grum's Dimension Door - though I'd wait to do that until after our archers go as they could quite likely kill the caster.
Our teamwork feats were very helpful for avoiding the Pit spell (Grum wouldn't have made it otherwise), but the Pit spell is quite good at disrupting our teamwork feats by forcing us to split up.
William doesn't notice the pit in time and slides down into it.
William slides into the pit, taking damage from the fall and from the acid.
The morlocks are less impressed with the pit since most of the heroes remain teetering on the ledge. But they follow through with their intended actions, flinging their axes at Amkarang.
The axes clatter ineffectively against the Unsinkable's armor.
Benedict appears next to the snake-caster thanks to Grum's magic.
"DIE!"
"Amkarang, attack and step back into the acid pit! William can protect you!"
If the snake-caster is still up, Haela will attack.
Otherwise, she will use Total Defense for AC 32 (35 vs evil foes), anticipating the berserkers' attack.
Benedict hammers away at the snake creature, his attacks slamming hard against its scaled flesh. She hisses in shock and pain that her defenses could be breached so easily. "Stop! No---!" she's able to get out before the Clever's fourth attack, which breaks her! The snake creature collapses into a pile of snow and ice!
Aerel notes the snake has fallen and turns his attention to the Unbreakable's opponents and starts firing.
As the axes clatter off his armor, Amkarang lashes out with lethal force in retaliation for the morlock's impudence.
With that, he steps forward and really gets to work, switching his grip to wield his hammer as a double weapon and unleashing a brutal flurry of attacks, roaring with delight and battle-fury as he gets into the thick of things.
Seemingly ignoring the acid William pulls out a scroll and turns into a giant raven and begins to fly.
The combined attacks of Amkarang and Aerel bring down two of the four morlock destroyers.
The remaining ones, frothing in rage, draw their greatclubs and swing at the unsinkable warrior.
Haela moves up and targets the injured foe.
Benedict moves up with Haela and feints with his warhammer, setting the foe up for a devastating barrage from Aerel.
Aerel smiles slightly as he sees Benedict give him a little nod before telegraphing a fake attack. As the morlock tries to dodge the apparent blow, Aerel's arrows are already on their way.
Grum strikes one of the remaining morlocks, finally getting a chance for his blade to meet flesh. A phenomenal shot from Aerel nearly takes its head off, finishing that one.
Amkarang and Haela combine their attacks to finish off the last one in brutal fashion.
The snake creature, now just a pile of snow and ice with flecks of some sort of reddish powder, had a circlet of persuasion and a necklace with a small pouch containing a lovely pearl that radiates magic once William begins looking for magical auras.
The morlocks' greatclubs are magical (+1), and each carried a potion of cure moderate wounds.
There is also a pile of treasure on a raised platform in the northeast corner of the room. The pile consists of 435 pp and 3,268 gp, 12 solid rubies (worth 450 gp each), a scroll of beast shape II, two scrolls of
identify, a scroll of raise dead, a scroll of restoration, a scroll of
vampiric touch, a magical dwarven waraxe, and a set of ivory dwarven figurines worth 1,500 gp.
While some of the walls show damage from ancient settling or earthquakes, several of the walls are intact and covered in brass plates depicting scenes of dwarves. Haela recognizes them as potentially valuable historical depictions, but is unsure of what they signify.
These plates depict scenes from the Dwarven Quest for the Sky.
Regardless, they're likely to be valuable to a collector of dwarven history (150 gp each), though the plates, nine in all, are quite heavy at 100 lbs each.
There are also a number of journals and pages of notes scribbled in a flowing script in a combination of the Dwarven language and Undercommon. Benedict's skill in both allows him to decipher the writings. He learns that these are from Zanathura, a dark naga who has set herself up as a godlike figure to this band of morlocks. Once a denizen of the Darklands region of Orv, her journals tell of her discovery of these caverns and her fascination with the dwarven history about them.
One set of pages describe an impressive obsidian sword recovered from troglodytes that Zanathura bequeathed to the chieftain of the morlock tribe, though the hulking size of the mutated morlock required her to utilize a ritual to enlarge the sword so it would be usable for her frame. There is also notes about reversing the ritual should ever Chief Grax fall in battle or become too uppity that she would need to give the sword to a successor.
Some of the journals also describe her meeting with the hobgoblin general of the Ironfang Legion and forming an alliance with her. One particular passage contains a great deal of information:
This Azaersi woman has proven charming and
challenging company, and quite the shrewd
negotiator. She has agreed to my demands of
support and protection in exchange for guiding
her to her prize in the bowels of Kraggodan. The
dwarves seem to have neglected this precious
cornerstone of their heritage regardless, so it
will find a far more loving home in my in our coils.
Azaersi herself seems cunning but agreeable,
and working alongside her seems a safe
proposition so long as our goals align. Her lapdog
Dendrak seems pliable enough, but I have
misgivings of Elacnida. Never trust a serpent
with legs, as Mother used to say.
The way south and east is simple enough
along the gray dwarf highway that runs below
my chasm. Azaersi assures me she has enough
coin and muscle to dispel any “tolls” the
Droskarites may try to impose. Once we reach
the Five-Eyed Matron, cutting west through the
secondary tunnels becomes considerably more
hazardous, but a small and quiet group should
reach Kraggodan’s Furnace in only three days’
travel once we leave the Long Walk.
Let us hope I don’t come to regret allying
with these Ironfangs, but even if they do
betray me, I would devour a hundred hobgoblins
to lay coils on the Onyx Key.
Aerel carefully searches the area for traps.
William flies out of the pit and lands after the killing is over. He transforms back into a human and casts detect magic and then begins to identify things. He takes his time with the dwarven ax.
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While Grum had no desire to have the axe (he was more than happy with his beloved sword), he still hovered over William's shoulder out of curiosity. He had heard many tales of the sharpness of dwarven axes, and he really wanted to know what this one could do. Such was his interest that he nearly forgot about the journals. Which, he was sure, the others could read and summarize for him. Regardless, he was sure that something in there would point them in the right direction, or that Gorum would guide them towards their next battle.
The axe is a +2 mighty cleaving dwarven waraxe.
As the others examine the scrolls and magical gear, Aerel walks over to the pile of snow that was previously a formidable foe. ”What was this creature? How could it be so dangerous and merely made of snow? Oh, William, these are items you might wish to look at.” He retrieves the circlet and the pearl and brings them to the fighter-mage who studies the axe.
Benedict takes his time reading the notes.
"Dendrak? Elacnida? The Five-Eyed Matron? We know who Azaersi is, but these other names are new. But we should retrace the steps that Zanathura and the Ironfang forces took."
He begins taking stock of the items. "A good haul, here. Perhaps if we reach Kraggodan we can trade with the dwarves. Perhaps first we should return to that Morlock shaman to report that we have slain the 'false god' - perhaps he may know why it was made of ice and snow."
Haela eyes the waraxe enviously. "That does look like a masterfully-crafted weapon."
She then begins healing injuries.
"Anybody else seriously hurt?"
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”A horde breaker!” Grum’s eyes went wide. Then a grin appeared on his face. He grabbed the axe, raising it high in the air as he inspected it. ”How many orcs has this killed?” He mused, his voice filled with awe and reverence. He then thrust it at Haela. ”Can you wield this?” His voice boomed. ”I want to see what this axe can do.”
Haela takes the axe with an apprehensive nod.
She tests its balance.
"Yes, it may have slain many orcs in the Quest for Sky. But now I will turn its might on the Ironfang Legion."
”Well done, brothers! We showed those bastards what for, didn’t we?”
”Yes, you should carry that weapon. It will be most appropriate in your capable hands.”
William takes the pearl and studies it for a moment.
William figures out it's a pearl of power (third level).
"Let's try to open that stuck door."
Benedict moves to the door, turns the Traveler's Any-Tool into a crowbar, and makes his best attempt.
"Grum, do you want to give this a try? I can try to lend my strength as well."
It requires a team effort plus the crowbar, but after several tries the wedged door grinds open. Thankfully, the noisy and taxing effort does not draw any investigation from remaining morlocks in the tunnel complex.
The passageway beyond stretches out of the range of the darkvision and light spells of the party, leading deep underground. The air in the ancient passage is stale as well, with an imposing silence that may remind the group of a long-forgotten tomb.
However, the notes from Zanathura indicate that this corridor, after a few twists and turns, will reach the level of the Darklands known as Nar-Voth. Further, her instructions state in sufficient detail that taking a Darklands route known as the Long Walk would allow them to reach the lowest reaches of the Sky Citadel Kraggodan, bypassing the armies of the Ironfang Legion and Molthune.
Haela knows that Kraggodan is around 150 miles away from the Valley of Aloi, so the distance should be the same whether above or below ground. Below ground, however, means that they would not be slowed down by the mountain range.
The Darklands, however, are not without their own dangers.
The Long Walk is a major highway constructed and maintained by the duergar—a dour subterranean race descended from those dwarves who remained behind rather than migrate to the surface.
You also know that duergar care about surface folk only as slave stock, and that travelers in their territory should expect heavy tolls or fierce fights. Though their empire is very decentralized, duergar soldiers are nonetheless well trained and well armed.
Aerel keeps an eye on the approaches while the stronger members address the door. When it opens, belching the stale air of years, he considers what he knows of the lands below.
But nothing new comes to mind.
Benedict happens to know quite a bit about this part of the Darklands, and shares what he knows.
"Duergar built the Long Walk. It is major highway, and is maintained well. The Duergar are descended from those dwarves who decided against the Quest for Sky, remaining behind rather than migrating to the surface. They see surface folk as potential slaves, so we should prepare to either pay heavy tolls or else fight.
I'm for fighting if the odds are at all in our favor. If we are vastly outnumbered, I'd say we pay the tolls, bide our time, and take revenge when we can. Our goal is to get to Kraggodan, not kill all the Duergar."
Zanathura's notes indicate that there is another level of the morlock warrens, plus the heroes are certain they have not fought the chieftain based on her description.
That being said, there isn't any reason the heroes couldn't choose to delve into the Long Walk at this time. Whether the power of the obsidian blade mentioned in Zanathura's notes is worth it will be unknown unless they pursue it.
"Let's move on to deal with the Chief."
Deciding to clear out the tunnels further, the heroes climb down the breach in the floor of the previous cavern before venturing deeper into the depths of the Darklands.
Fungi cover the walls of this chamber, some of them with an oddly putrescent, violet glow. The light travels up along the walls, where it is eventually swallowed by the darkness of an open ceiling.
Aerel is in full stealth mode.
William points down the passageway on the right and shrugs seeing they need to pick a way and go.
Aerel scouts down the passageway and finds that the narrow tunnels crisscross one another in a tangled web of passages. The ceiling, floors, and walls are caked with thick, brown fungal matter that reeks of rot.
You see a strange mass of shell-like fungus lurking near the ceiling of one of the passages.
You see a second mass similar to the first one.