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Each of you receives a letter along with a small cloth pouch containing 100 gp labeled "For Tolls".
Pathfinders,
The time has come for you to prove your worth once more. The dwarven city of Jormurdun, recently liberated
from vile duergar thanks in no small part to the Society, fell under attack three weeks ago. A band of duergar
slavers overwhelmed the city’s outer defenses and captured several dozen soldiers and laborers. By the time the
city’s forces mobilized, the gray dwarves had already fled into the tunnels of Nar-Voth, the upper reaches of the
Darklands.
Jormurdun lacks the numbers to rescue its lost comrades—its forces are stretched too thin as it is. I call
upon you to respond in this hour of need. Our intelligence, gleaned from a captured duergar, reveals that the
gray dwarves make for Hagegraf using the Long Walk, an old trade route swarming with slavers, guards, and
allies of the duergar. If you travel north from Janderhoff, you can intercept the slavers before they reach their
destination. Those who maintain the tunnels of the Darklands charge hefty tolls to travelers, so I have provided
you with some gold to cover those expenses. Once you free the captives, bring them to Janderhoff so that they
can return home by surface routes. I have already sent a request to Janderhoff that they let you through their
gates so that we can aid their kin.
You will need to secure allies in order to confront the duergar forces, which are far too strong for even our best
Pathfinders to take on alone. Before departing Janderhoff, seek out fellow Pathfinder and scholar Sandricaan
Molnworret. He can help you prepare for your mission. Make haste, Pathfinders. Countless lives, and the
reputation of the Society, depend on you.
— Sir Jorsal of Lauterbury, Venture-Captain
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When you reach Janderhoff’s surface entrance, where you also meet the other party members — a pair of massive iron gates emblazoned with the hammer of Torag — the guards are already expecting you. They gruffly welcome you to the city.
Janderhoff’s people — mostly dwarves but also some humans, halflings, and gnomes — bustle about the prosperous mountainside citadel, tending its many forges and bringing in carts of copper, iron, silver, and black marble from the nearby mines. The tall chimneys of its forges let forth a constant stream of gray smoke into the blue sky.
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A slender ifrit woman meets the others at the Janderhoff gate. Her hair seems to shine with its own light, a shimmering yellow-orange like dancing flames. Her flowing blue dress, sparkling earrings, and heeled boots give the distinct impression of a girl embarking on a day about town, not at all like a Pathfinder sellsword on a mission. She carries a belt pouch at her waist, but she's completely unarmed.
"I'm Laiashi, I think I was told to meet you all here? Pathfinders, right?" She gives the guards an appraising look as the group passes through.
Once inside the gates, Laiashi flits among the passers-by, learning this and that from those willing to talk to her.
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An aged elf nods to the other Pathfinders as the group enters Janderhoff. "It is an honor to be a part of your story," he says solemnly, one hand over his heart. An ugly cauterized scar peeks over the tips of his long fingers, not quite hidden behind his shirt. "I am known as Angoldir, and this one as Qadar." He smiles gently as he indicates the small songbird perched on his shoulder. "Now, what is already known that we might not retrace old steps while these duergar create new trails."
Angoldir thinks a moment, then sighs heavily. "A tragic story, that of the duergar. Unwilling to join their brethren in their Quest for the Sky, they instead turned to Droskar, the dwarven god of toil, slavery, and cheating. Perhaps he cheated them when he cursed them - or perhaps both parties saw it as a blessing in order to survive in such an inhospitable place as Nar-Voth and the Darklands. The land is full of sharp drops, unstable ground, slippery surfaces, and cramped passages, so it is little wonder that the duergar are though of as the most powerful race when they control the Long Walk. Regardless, there is little love between the dwarves and the duergar - both are more likely to kill each other on sight rather than take prisoners. I fear these captives may be intended for a dark fate." The elf's voice is neutral and unemotional, but his eyes narrow in concentration as he leans on his walking stick. "A dark fate indeed..."
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A bulky man standing 6' tall strides over to the group and peers intently at you all. Adjusting the large sword strapped over his back to sit better over his shining breastplate, he introduces himself.
"Greetings! My fellow Pathfinders I presume? I've been sent by the society powers that be to join this merry band for the foreseeable future. I'm Aryxis - I'm a bit of a jack of many trades, master of none!"
"I've been doing a little digging of my own and Angoldir's analysis is likely spot on. Additionally, it's my belief that if the duergar have a large number of dwarven prisoners in tow, it is unlikely they will be allowed inside any major duergar settlements such as Fellstrok or Hagegraf. The hatred between the two races is just too strong for such a thing to happen. This is either a rogue faction of duergar or a group with a particularly mysterious agenda."
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A tall, wisp of an elven lady with long, silver hair and bright blue eyes with specs of silver within. She is thin, almost frail. There are faint tattoos on her face and arms. "Hello, my name is Sifvery Moon. I was summoned to this location to help in a rescue, as I understand it."
You can tell from the elegant, well-cared for bow and quiver on her back that she must be very attached to archery. Other than that expense, however, she seems to be dressed quite modestly.
"From what you say, the terrain can be quite an obstacle. How can we make that work for us?"
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Finding Sandricaan is a simple task, as the wizard spends most of his time in his study pouring over historical texts and examining ancient relics.
"Welcome, Pathfinders. I've been waiting for your arrival already. Do you have any questions before we depart? Do you have everything you need or do you have to buy some equipment?" Sandricaan asks.
Sandricaan hands you a sealed letter:
Pathfinders,
Your mission to free the dwarven prisoners from the clutches
of their ancient enemies is a worthy cause. You can strike a blow
in the name of freedom and justice by breaking the shackles of
duergar tyranny.
An equally important matter has also come to my attention. The
gray dwarves take pride in breaking their strongest-willed captives
and forcing them to betray and subjugate their own comrades.
We know that the most powerful dwarven prisoner is a paladin of
Torag. This great warrior, Dornarnus, has won many battles against
duergar slavers and is a true ally of our faction. If our suspicions
are correct, he now fights for the duergar, albeit unwillingly. I ask
that you ensure he escapes their clutches so that he can help us in
our continued struggles against oppression.
In pursuit of true liberty, always.
—Major Colson Maldris
"If you have any other questions I can try to answer them, though I know nothing of the contents of that note- it came to me sealed and I left it that way."
Sandricaan leads the way through Janderhoff’s interconnected rooms, stairways, and tunnels, following a complex route that boasts increasing numbers of surly dwarven guards as the path descends toward Nar-Voth. Eventually, he stops at a massive gate bearing the same hammer symbol as all of the city’s entrances. He speaks briefly with the captain on duty, and the heavily armed dwarf pauses before giving a slow nod and reluctantly commanding the guards to open the gates.
Sandricaan leaves you here.
At this point, there are two paths you can take. The total trip is about 300 miles, or 13 days.
The "faster" route is to take the road- but you will have to deal with the duegar patrols which will require social skill checks, and gold payments (bluff, diplomacy, or intimidate- though it is difficult to intimidate duegar).
The "slower" route is to navigate through the side tunnels that run alongside the route- which will require Knowledge (Dungeoneering) and Survival rolls to try to speed up.
Responding first Aryxis' first question:
? “If my calculations are correct, you should be able to intercept the slavers somewhere near the duergar stronghold of Fellstrok. The duergar there have waged constant war against the mongrelmen in that area. Mongrelmen are a peculiar people, but also the most friendly—well, least unfriendly—folk you are likely to find in all of Nar-Voth. You should be able to come to an enemy-of-my-enemy agreement with them,
one way or another.”
Then as to the route:
“Following the Long Walk
is the quickest and surest way to intercept the slavers. However, it’s also the easiest way to get yourselves caught before you ever reach your destination. I suggest you follow the side-tunnels near the road. It may take longer, but I’ve factored that into my calculations. If any of you possess a particularly silvered tongue, and you disguise any dwarves among your group, you might brave the Long Walk itself. In any case, it is imperative to move quickly. If you reach your destination too late, you will not have much time to find allies and prepare. And I absolutely recommend against trying to teleport there! Nothing good can ever come of teleporting in the Darklands.”
You start off down the road, and begin meeting the expected tolls. . .
You fly through the check points, avoiding any delays and avoiding having even to pay any tolls.
Eventually, you reach a spot where you have to go around through a side cavern. . .
This large cavern arches to a height of forty feet at its center. t extends about sixty feet from east to west and one hundred feet from north to south. The floor consists of tightly packed dirt and gravel, and strange furrows in the earth crisscross the room. Patches of luminescent fungi cling to the floor, walls, and ceilings, and the sound of water dripping into several shallow pools echoes through the chamber. A ten-foot-wide tunnel leads off to the south, and broad, roughly hewn steps lead to a similar passage heading to the northeast.
As you are moving into the cavern, you hear a rumbling- there is a creature here!
Turn Order:
1. Angoldir
2. Monster
3. Laiashi
4. Sifvery Moon
5. Tenibri
Round 1
Angoldir drinks the extract of shield.
The creature pops up and attacks Angoldir!
miss!
hit!
miss!
Only one of the nasty claws hits, but it scores a devastating hit!
Turn Order:
1. Angoldir
2. Monster
3. Laiashi
4. Sifvery Moon
5. Tenibri
Status:
Angoldir: 7/39
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Angoldir stumbles back behind Aryxis, his arm nearly severed from the blow. "One moment," he says, voice calm as he tries to ignore the pain. Pulling out a vial of pale yellow fluid, he gulps it down and returns the bottle to his belt pouch.
"A bulette - they have been known to jump on those they hunt and cut them to pieces," the aged elf explains. "And beware those jaws."
Round 1
Agryxis misses and activates his mind shield.
Round 2
Angoldir steps back and drinks his extract.
The creature strikes, biting at Laiashi and clawing at Angryxis twice!
miss!
miss!
miss!
Turn Order:
1. Angoldir
2. Monster
3. Laiashi
4. Sifvery Moon
5. Tenibri
6. Agryxis
Status:
Angoldir: 11/39
Bullette: -19
Round 1
Sigvery Moon hits with one of her two shots.
Round 2
Laiashi slices at the beast, but its heavy plats protect it from her blade.
One of Sifvery Moon's arrows pierces the beast's throat, finding a critical juncture of its armored plates and greatly wounding the beast.
Agryxis swings, but misses.
The Bulette keeps assaulting Agryxis:
Only the bite gets through his defenses, and Agyryxis Mind Shield blunts the sting of the blow.
Turn Order:
1. Angoldir
2. Monster
3. Laiashi
4. Sifvery Moon
5. Tenibri
6. Agryxis
Status:
Angoldir: 11/39
Agryxis: 44/45
Bullette: -60
Round 2
Tenibri's first snowball narrowly hits the bulette, damaging it!
Round 3
Laisha strikes, but the thick armor plates are too much for he strikes.
Tenibri's second snowball hits the beast square, and it slumps to the ground dying!
Status:
Angoldir: 11/39
Agryxis: 44/45
As you continue on. . .
After several miles, the twisting tunnels converge into a single, wider tunnel that leads upward toward the sound of running water. As the passage levels out, a crude barricade comes into view ahead: sharp spears, broken blades, and stakes of petrified wood jut at all angles across the twenty-foot width of the tunnel floor.
A half dozen assorted mongrelmen man the other side of the barrier, and demand to know your business here.
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As the Pathfinders sheath their blades when the bulette falls, Angoldir approaches Sifvery. "Might I trouble you for some assistance with this healing wand?" he asks politely. "I can attempt it myself, but that might take longer and time is of the essence in this mission."
At the barricade, Angoldir shows his empty hands. "We seek passage through and nothing more," he explains, turning to his companions and gesturing for Aryxis to step forward. "My companion can explain in more detail."
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Stepping forward next to Angoldir, Aryxis leads off the conversation in what would normally be an odd fashion. However, in these circumstances it is perhaps best...
"Greetings enemy of my enemy! We are looking to cause trouble to a particular group of duergar who are likely to pass by near here in the near future! We've heard you are likely to want to cause them some mischief of your own! So we figured we'd be much more likely to get the best results if we helped each other! Besides, this particular group is a rogue group! So there will not be any major consequences either! So.... what say you? You going to help us or let us take all the loot?"