HP 44/60
AC 20
Fort +120, Ref +10, Will +9
Hero points: 3
Infused regents: 4
Thermal nimbus: fire resistance 4 in kinetic aura; enemies take 2 fire damage
Effects:
"Ow! OK," Brijetta replies.
Calling on the forge spirits again, she blasts the corrupted relic with shards of metal.
Uhe hoovers nervously over the down, but not quite out Gig. The Investigator brews up another Elixir of Life and dumps it down the bards throat.
so this is going well...
Uhe flips the ghost off!
Uhe's gesture throws the spirit off enough that it is unable to avoid Brijetta's blast of spines. Gig unleashes the last of his magical power, and it proves to be jus enough to destroy the corrupted spirit! The clan dagger clatters to the floor, and Krohan grimaces as Thenur's spirit's hold on him weakens.
However, the possessed dwarf continues to attack Brijetta!
HP 23/60
AC 20
Fort +120, Ref +10, Will +9
Hero points: 3
Infused regents: 4
Thermal nimbus: fire resistance 4 in kinetic aura; enemies take 2 fire damage
Effects:
Brijetta reals as Krohun attacks her. "Ow! Stop, Krohan, we're your friends!"
Stepping back from him, she summons a metal pick of her own, trying to hit him with the flat of it.
With the spirit down, Gig gulps the healing elixir and clears his throat. "Stay strong, dwarven champions!" he hums. "Krohan, you have sto stop this!" He weaves magic around the possessed dwarf.
Uhe hoovers nervously over the down, but not quite out Gig. The Investigator brews up another Elixir of Life and dumps it down the bards throat.
Looking gud!
Mal hurls herself forwards, fiery hair coating the rest of her body before she lands...
...and a surprisingly muscular fox slams into Krohan, tearing at the fingers which hold the pick!.
Krohan grunts in pain as Brijetta strikes him. Mal fails to disarm him. Gig's spell begins to calm Thenur's angry spirit, but not enough to prevent it from urging Krohan to step up and attack Brijetta again. Luckily, he misses her.
HP 23/60
AC 20
Fort +120, Ref +10, Will +9
Hero points: 3
Infused regents: 4
Thermal nimbus: fire resistance 4 in kinetic aura; enemies take 2 fire damage
Effects:
Seeing what Mal was trying, Brijetta follows her lead, smacking at the weapon in Krohan's hand! She follows it up with another blow to attempt to stun him.
"Snap out of it, Krohan!"
Gig continues to encourage his allies, and tries to wash the outside influences from Krohan's mind.
With Brijetta's help, Mal tears the weapon from Krohan's grasp, snatches it up in her clever jaws, and takes off with at a run!
Uhe will Strides up to Krohan's face!
The Investigator then tackles him!
You yank the phantom pick away from Krohan, Mal absconding with the ghostly weapon. He raises his phantom hand crossbow and fires but doesn't hit.
You continue to stall and trip up Krohan for quite some time. Eventually, the dwarf is able to overcome the influence of Thenur's spirit and banish her from his body, returning to his senses! "Oof! That was a quite unpleasant experience!"
As both spirits are finally banished, the pommel gem and and clan dagger snap together, causing the gem to glow brilliantly. Dozens of flickering, luminous runes appear along the blade. The chamber’s magic adapts to the relic’s reassembly, channeling the countless memories tied to the clan dagger and animating Taargick’s statue, which gravely studies each of the visitors before announcing, “I believe you have something of mine?”
Krohan swallows as he picks up the clan dagger and offers it to the statue with a sincere apology. Taargick’s statue studies the blade. “I welcome my clan dagger’s return, yet this is not what I meant. You have my story, my unfinished work. The great worm Zogototaru carried this dagger to the surface because it is a key: a key to my legacy. Skysunder was by my side as I led my people to the surface, but what use is a blade to a statue?” The statue holds out the clan dagger, handle outward. “Dwarves have too long buried the past. Far better a mortal champion carry this and seek my tomb and my legacy.”
Krohan moves to take the dagger, but the statue interjects. “Your talents reside less in blades than in spirits, young Rivethun.” Krohan seems surprised by this pronouncement, and the statue adds, “You could have sensed the dagger no other way, yet you have much to learn.” The statue extends the dagger to the rest of you...
Gig reverently takes the dagger from the statue, though he's ready to pass it on to a more martial friend for safe keeping.
"Your majesty," he bows low. "Today is full of revelations. We learned much of your story in the library, but you tell us you traveled with a cave worm? And you want us to find your tomb? It's been lost for ages!" The young, excitable dwarf starts to get dizzy. Is this really Taargick's spirit?!
As Gig accepts the dagger, Taargick's statue tilts his head. "Ah, I sense the presence of more relics that you carry. A shard of my adamantine armor, broken in my fight with the Avernal Worm. And my beard clasp, cut from my own beard out of shame when I left for the Darklands. I shall awaken their powers as I did for Skysunder.
"But first, heed my words! To find my tomb, the worm knows the way. To find the worm, seek her last victim—a drathnelar survivor here in Highhelm." The statue gazes about as if trying to pinpoint an unfamiliar sound. “Tread carefully. As dwarves sought the surface, we slaughtered and made many enemies. As you seek the depths, perhaps you might heal some of those ancient wounds and find friends in unlikely places.”
The statue raises its hands, and occult power flows from it into the armor shard and the beard clasp. Doing so drains the statue's fleeting magic, and Taargick's manifestation ends.
Krohan is quietly incredulous, unsure how to process the proclamation and his budding magical abilities, though Ria assures him that she and others can help train him. While both know that the manifestation was an echo of Taargick’s personality and memories (not the high king himself), they’re both intrigued that you might uncover some lost legacy of the legendary king. Until you know more, they encourage keeping this information limited to a few senior Clan Tolorr members to avoid turning Highhelm into a hotbed of speculation, opportunists, and treasure hunters.
Uhe furiously writes down everything that the King dictates! The proud dwarf is seen weeping with joy!
A quest from Taargick himself! This shall be grand! I need new boots!
Taargick's words to Krohan hit Mal like a fist to the gut. A Proper Rivethun shaman would've been able to suss all this out, even with him not even bein' half trained.
With little more than a cryptic directive to track down a drathnelar survivor, the investigation ahead seems insurmountable. Fortunately, your allies in Clan Tolorr provide some initial help. They know that drathnelars are reclusive, with few living in Highhelm; the cryptic survivor likely also refers to someone from Guldrege, which was destroyed within the past decade. Tolorr messengers check in with other clans, inquiring about drathnelar guests and members. When those inquiries uncover no leads, it becomes clear that you can limit your search to the few neighborhoods that lack a major clan hall. Ria recommends starting in the Burrows in Highhelm’s Depths, where you went in search of the missing kobold, Fazil.
It isn't long after you arrive in the Burrows that the ysoki fixer you met earlier, Ussa, tracks you down. "Hey, you're back! Heard you're looking for somebody. Maybe I can help?"
Even from the limited clues, Ussa deduces you're looking for Jirelga, a shy explorer and guide who moved here a few years ago. Unfortunately, authorities arrested Jirelga a few weeks ago on smuggling charges, taking her to an infamous prison called the Broch in King’s Crown. Ussa has a particular distaste for the Broch, which is independently owned and sometimes operates by its own rules.
"They cleared out Jirelga's home to make room for somebody new to live there, but I stored her possessions in my own place. Maybe they can help you?"
Ussa leads you to her home and shows you Jirelga's things. Beyond mundane clothing, housewares, dried food, and spelunking gear, Ussa uncovered a hidden cache of tools: the equivalent of a sterling cooking tools set, a sterling mining tool set, and a sterling scribing tools set. Each tool bears the stamp of Clan Molgrade, known for its excellent metalwork. However, despite the stamp and handsome appearance, a close inspection reveals that these tools are of deceptively low quality.
You also uncover a handwritten business card hidden among the scribing tools. The card displays only the symbol of a two-bit axe driven into a loaf of bread, which Ussa recognizes from an out-of-business bakery in the Depths. Given the accusations against Jirelga, Ussa suspects the bakery might be serving some sinister purpose now.
"I think the Blacknoon Thieves' Guild might have set up shop. Gimme a couple hours so I can track down Fazil! He might know more about what's going on there."
Uhe hungrily devours each piece of evidence, Clue, item pertaining to Jirelgathat the Investigator can get his dwarven hands on!
Keep'em coming, Ussa! You rock!
Soon enough, Ussa returns with Fazil in two. The kobold grins and waves to you. "Hiya, friends! Need some help?"
Sharing information could risk his membership in the Blacknoon Thieves' Guild, but he likes you, so you have a good chance of convincing Fazil to do so anyway.
"Fazil! Good to see you again," Gig happily greets the kobold. "We're looking for information on Jirelga, who we think might be connected to an out-of-business bakery in the Depths." The drawf shows Fazil the business card. "Last we heard, she was headed for a lock-up, but anything that you could tell us about her or her activities would be very helpful!"
"Sure, sure," Fazil says. "You're in luck, cause as a recruit to the Guild, I was assigned to train and guard the old bakery. It's actually a secret start-up for some manufacturing scheme I haven't deciphered yet. I can draw you a rough map of the place. But I dare not do anything more. If word gets back to the guildmasters, they might kick me out!"
Once you get the map from Fazil, he bids you good luck and scurries off. Ussa suggests you might be able to learn more information by either speaking to officials at the Broch or seeking out informants from Blacknoon or Clan Molgrade.
Uhe just grins. The Investigator writing, dabbing (his Quill not the pose), writing, even more dabbing of ink (weird).
We may need to stop by an aquarium first.
The dwarf then scratches his beard.
Speaking to officials at the Broch or seeking out informants from Blacknoon or Clan Molgrade may all bear fruit. Suppose we can start with the closest?
"Yes, good idea," Gig agrees. "To the bakery!"
"Works for me; at least I know what to do with a nice sticky bun."
You head first to the prison known as the Broch. This collection of shoddy towers built when Droskar’s priests ruled Highhelm was bought and converted into a private prison about 50 years ago. Its owner, Baelim, locks up petty criminals and any overflow from Highhelm’s state-run prison, charging a high fee per inmate.
You are able to arrange to meet with Baelim about Jirelga. With infuriating slowness, he pages through his records before confirming Jirelga’s imprisonment and crimes: smuggling and manufacturing fraud against a clan. He opines that she’s unlikely to see trial for some time, given the evidence against her and a judicial backlog of more important cases. His act is largely a thinly veiled solicitation for a bribe.
Fortunately, Gig is able to convince him to cooperate in a limited fashion without resorting to bribery. Baelim admits that the evidence against Jirelga was flimsy and hearsay—not that he questioned it. If you find something more concrete that exonerates her, then he’s willing to let you interview Jirelga, if not release her outright.
From there, you seek out the Blacknoon Thieves' Guild. The guild does operate legitimate businesses; their smuggling, blackmail, and embezzlement are an open secret that’s hard to prosecute. Securing a meeting can be as simple as visiting a Blacknoon business and demanding an audience. Soon thereafter, a dwarf named Drokmer arrives to talk to you.
Drokmer listens politely to your grievances, deflecting most blame directed toward the guild. However, evidence of illegal tunneling, cursed item smuggling, abduction, and Molgrade forgery piques his interest. Plying him with charms, Gig is able to arrange a second meeting a few hours later. During the intervening time, Drokmer meets with other Blacknoon officials.
At the second meeting, Drokmer brings you good news: you are investigating a Blacknoon operation that’s gone rogue, and the guild has withdrawn its support from the rogue agent. You can freely raid the site so long as you minimize casualties and damage to the building. Drokmer does request access to any documents you find, however, as the guild hopes to understand the agent's operation and potential betrayal.
Finally, you are able to secure a meeting with a mid-ranking associate from Clan Molgrade, a dwarf named Yiri. He feeds you carefully crafted assurances, insisting that all associates are carefully checking shipments and scanning the markets for frauds. His demeanor betrays unspoken possibilities.
By pressing him, you are able to learn about his second cousin, Tuom, an accomplished arcane smith who clashed often with the extended family, spouted bitter rhetoric about the debt god Dranngvit, and then disappeared to pursue her own projects, taking proprietary tools with her. Yiri worries that Tuom might still be in Highhelm, abusing her Molgrade stamp and techniques for personal profit. However, unless she acts more brazenly, Clan Molgrade likely won’t intervene. Yiri believes that Clan Molgrade won’t impede your investigation, though, even if it involves a former clan member. Should you recover any Molgrade clan property, Yiri promises to pay a fair price for its return.
***
At last, you make your way to the bakery. In Highhelm’s early years, dwarves harvested native yeasts and channeled heat emanating from deep fissures to power their bakeries, creating a neighborhood called Folgrit’s Kitchen. While the geothermal vents have faded since then, a handful of bakeries still operate here.
The bakery consists of two rectangular buildings studded with stone buttresses. The alley between the buildings is bricked up. The building presents itself as a hardware distributor and construction contracting business, attracting infrequent foot traffic.
A single door leads into the business's front office. Double doors also lead into the secondary building, but these are locked.
"Hmm. I don't suppose we should knock. Based on what everyone said, there's something very hinky going on here," Gig waits for the more experienced group members to weigh in on breaking and entering options.
"Uhe? Brij? You wanna tickle the lock?"