Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
(Scroll for tl;dr)
The echo of a hammer hitting steel reverberated around the caverns. The Adventurers™ now somewhat rested, followed the sound and found a makeshift smithy in a large chamber. They saw a fire pit in the middle of the room and a dishevelled dwarf working steel on an anvil. He was chained to one of the natural stone columns. There were also two Black Earth priests leaning amongst the weapon racks and boxes around the edge of the room. As the party attacked the priests, one of them shouted “Protect the weapon!” The other attempted to run off down a tunnel. Skonn pursued the priest and cut him down.
The echo of a hammer hitting steel reverberated around the caverns. The Adventurers™ now somewhat rested, followed the sound and found a makeshift smithy in a large chamber. They saw a fire pit in the middle of the room and a dishevelled dwarf working steel on an anvil. He was chained to one of the natural stone columns. There were also two Black Earth priests leaning amongst the weapon racks and boxes around the edge of the room. As the party attacked the priests, one of them shouted “Protect the weapon!” The other attempted to run off down a tunnel. Skonn pursued the priest and cut him down.
Aubrey took aim at the remaining priest and began to cast a fireball. Garon realised that the spell’s area of effect would include and most likely incinerate the dwarf so he cast counterspell and nullified Aubrey’s spell. This resulted in some bickering between the mages while the remaining priest was hacked to death.
The party pressed on and came to a cavern with a vaulted ceiling supported by six natural stone columns. Crystal growths protruded from the ceiling casting a lurid purple glow over everything. Resonating from a tunnel that descended toward the east was the loud, constant sound of stone grinding against stone. In the center of the room on a stone pedestal, stood a metal urn inside a case made from the same purple crystal found in the ceiling of the room. The party debated for a while about opening the urn until eventually Fendril decided to do so while the party all backed away across the room.
As he prised open the lid, five motes of light floated from the urn and landed on the ground. In the blink of an eye each mote transformed into a worm which in turn transformed into many worms until five humanoid shaped masses of worms stood around the room, immediately attacking the players. A frantic fight ensued as the worm creatures fired small worms which attempted to burrow under the armour and skin of the party. The outcome was balanced on a knife edge and the party used everything they had to try and stay alive. They only just survived but Runemor fell victim to the worms. The party had to spend time prising worms out of their flesh and then healing the damaged they had caused doing so.
Now battered and bruised but de-wormed the party pressed on despite their injuries and the magical exhaustion being felt by their spell casters.
Deeper into the caverns they went, following the sound of grinding stone which became louder to the point of almost deafening the party. They found themselves in a colossal cavern, its alien landscape filled with soaring stone buttresses, weirdly twisting columns, and gargantuan shards of glowing crystal. A long path of steps was cut into the uneven floor and wound its way between the mighty stone pillars to the cavern’s core. There, the steps climbed to the base of a stone monolith that constantly changed its shape and filled the great cavern with a thunderous grinding noise.
Ahead were two priests with their back to the party. From what the party assumed to be the Earth Portal, a trail of dust streamed to a point in front of the priests. Sorin quickly loosed arrows at the priests killing them instantly. The dust began to coalesce into the form of a large templar knight and behind them The Adventurers™ heard a voice say “Looking for me?”
Stupidly, Skonn and Fendril whirled around and found themselves looking straight into the eyes of a Medusa. They felt their joints stiffen and their muscles start to seize up as they slowly turned to stone.
tl;dr: The party freed a dwarf and found some cool magical items. Worms-zombies nearly killed them and did kill the dwarf. Despite being exhausted and with little health left; the party continued and found themselves stuck between a medusa (probably Marlos Urnrayle) and a High Templar of Dust.
Now that his captors had been killed, the dwarf began looking for tools to break open his manacles. Skonn mightily broke the chain with his bare hands, helping the dwarf to move around more freely. The dwarf’s name was Runemor and he explained he had been part of a dwarven delegation from Mirabar heading to Waterdeep via Summit Hall. His group had been ambushed shortly after passing though Beliard by the Black Earth cult and he had been captured. Despite his emaciated and weakened state Runemor vowed revenge on the cult and began to search for weapons and armour, preparing for battle. He explained that from time to time priests had passed through here and he intended to go deeper into the caverns. The party told him they were looking for Marlos Urnrayle, the cult’s leader; Runemor decided to follow them.
The party searched the room. Sorin found five arrows each with a different and strange looking arrowhead. Aubrey failed to identify their magical properties and all Sorin could work out was what each arrow head was made of, finding sulphur, quartz, stone, brass and rolled up spiderweb. Fendril smashed open an ancient looking wooden box that had an eye carved into it. Inside was a two handed flamberge with a red blade and a cat’s eye in the pommel. When Skonn picked up the weapon he instantly knew its history and properties. The sword was named Exile and contained the heart of the demon Zra’az. It was this demon’s presence in the sword that communicated with Skonn’s telepathically. Sorin and Aubrey a found a magic ring on each priest but again Aubrey could not identify them. Fendril found some prayer beads in amongst the mess.
The party searched the room. Sorin found five arrows each with a different and strange looking arrowhead. Aubrey failed to identify their magical properties and all Sorin could work out was what each arrow head was made of, finding sulphur, quartz, stone, brass and rolled up spiderweb. Fendril smashed open an ancient looking wooden box that had an eye carved into it. Inside was a two handed flamberge with a red blade and a cat’s eye in the pommel. When Skonn picked up the weapon he instantly knew its history and properties. The sword was named Exile and contained the heart of the demon Zra’az. It was this demon’s presence in the sword that communicated with Skonn’s telepathically. Sorin and Aubrey a found a magic ring on each priest but again Aubrey could not identify them. Fendril found some prayer beads in amongst the mess.
The party pressed on and came to a cavern with a vaulted ceiling supported by six natural stone columns. Crystal growths protruded from the ceiling casting a lurid purple glow over everything. Resonating from a tunnel that descended toward the east was the loud, constant sound of stone grinding against stone. In the center of the room on a stone pedestal, stood a metal urn inside a case made from the same purple crystal found in the ceiling of the room. The party debated for a while about opening the urn until eventually Fendril decided to do so while the party all backed away across the room.
As he prised open the lid, five motes of light floated from the urn and landed on the ground. In the blink of an eye each mote transformed into a worm which in turn transformed into many worms until five humanoid shaped masses of worms stood around the room, immediately attacking the players. A frantic fight ensued as the worm creatures fired small worms which attempted to burrow under the armour and skin of the party. The outcome was balanced on a knife edge and the party used everything they had to try and stay alive. They only just survived but Runemor fell victim to the worms. The party had to spend time prising worms out of their flesh and then healing the damaged they had caused doing so.
Now battered and bruised but de-wormed the party pressed on despite their injuries and the magical exhaustion being felt by their spell casters.
Deeper into the caverns they went, following the sound of grinding stone which became louder to the point of almost deafening the party. They found themselves in a colossal cavern, its alien landscape filled with soaring stone buttresses, weirdly twisting columns, and gargantuan shards of glowing crystal. A long path of steps was cut into the uneven floor and wound its way between the mighty stone pillars to the cavern’s core. There, the steps climbed to the base of a stone monolith that constantly changed its shape and filled the great cavern with a thunderous grinding noise.
Ahead were two priests with their back to the party. From what the party assumed to be the Earth Portal, a trail of dust streamed to a point in front of the priests. Sorin quickly loosed arrows at the priests killing them instantly. The dust began to coalesce into the form of a large templar knight and behind them The Adventurers™ heard a voice say “Looking for me?”
Stupidly, Skonn and Fendril whirled around and found themselves looking straight into the eyes of a Medusa. They felt their joints stiffen and their muscles start to seize up as they slowly turned to stone.
tl;dr: The party freed a dwarf and found some cool magical items. Worms-zombies nearly killed them and did kill the dwarf. Despite being exhausted and with little health left; the party continued and found themselves stuck between a medusa (probably Marlos Urnrayle) and a High Templar of Dust.
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