Beneath the Steading



DonBrapp takes a hasty inventory of everyone’s medical situation, and administers Vergadain’s healing favor to Quilro, Fyrnlocke and Kailute.

After doing their best to stage or clean the corpses in the immediate hall, the heroes and companions are hit with a wave of exhaustion as the early morning hours of 25 Nightal begin to catch up with them.

DonBrapp has called forth sustenance, and the group sates their hunger and thirst in weary silence.  The embers in the brazier are blown back into flame, and the light casts menacing shadows around the chamber full of torture implements.

“There were a lot of giants up there.”  Garlen notes with a somewhat apprehensive tone.

“I am sure Quilro Eldarym and his forthright brigade of misfits shall find us all out of here with nary a nick.”  Tanthalas offers with a nasal sneer.

Kailute arms one of the zombies with the Keeper’s axe.  The room is backlit by low licks of flame from the brazier, and the hallways are lit by unevenly bright, smoking torches approximately every 20’ in the hallways.  The stone is smooth flat gray marbled with lighter gray tendrils.  Aside from the stains of smoke from torches and fires among the higher reaches, the stonework is of extremely high quality.

Two enormous giant-sized straw pallets are within the main room.

“Could turn that fecking elf into something else…”  DonBrapp ruminates, admiring his collection of potions and his special made pack.  He briefly considers asking Tanthalas to transform into a varmint to scout ahead…  and thinks better of it.  Elf’s enough of a rat already.

Instead the cleric commands the undead giant servants in the hallway north leading to the orc cells.
After eating and prayer the dwarf rolls into his nightclothes.  Quilro concentrates on mastery of his spells while the fighting folks split up the watches.

The two Bloodstone lads speak excitedly about the adventure, while Tanthalas drinks himself into a stupor before passing out atop a mound of dirty giant rags.  His nasal snoring is obnoxious, but not loud enough to register a threat.

During Kailute’s watch the sound of scurried movement can be heard from the east.
As everyone rises after resting they enjoy the replenishment DonBrapp has conjured, and Kailute relates the activity from the eastern passageway.

As everyone gathers to press forward at what feels in their bones like the afternoon, there are mild feelings of disruption of circadian rhythms.

Quilro scouts to the east past the bugbear corpses and inspects each of the orc holding cells for secret doors, traps, and loot.  The thief finds a rough canvas sack of personal orc treasure which he leaves in place.
Far to the eastern end of the passageway a pile of rubble blocks the way to the east, opened only with a hole that a small unarmored humanoid could crawl through without removing some of the rubble.

DonBrapp wanders a bit before finding the rest of the party to the east.

After determining that none of the party would be able to squeeze through the entrance without some noise or activity they head southwest, and the air grows warmer and begins to move on breeze to the southwest.

It appears to DonBrapp the handiwork of this underground space exceeds the capability of mere hill giants, but the dungeon itself is made for giant sized humanoids.  One of the more intelligent and creative giant clans must have constructed this location.


Creeping forward, the deliberate sound of hammer on steel and the fire of a blazing forge can be made out, and the passageway splits in an inverted “Y.”

Kailute strides into the room where he observes stacks of giant-sized weapons of good quality stacked to the north.  Five dwarves are in the room chained to the floor, with a muscled older dwarf apparently serving as overseer moving freely about the chamber.

To the southeast the guttural sound of fire giant can be heard speaking around the corner to the south and east.
Quilro sneaks forward having invoked invisibility, his footfalls are silent upon the forge room floor.
Two flame haired, onyx skinned fire giants sit astride an enormous oak table enjoying a meat and cheese plate while drinking heartily from an enormous blown glass jug of whiskey.

Quilro steps forth invisibly and sinks his moonblade deep into the left shoulder of the fire giant with his back turned, slicing through the spiked leather armor for a deep and surprising blow.

The opposing giant looks on in awe as the elf appears magically but for a moment and runs through his companion before turning invisible once again.

DonBrapp enters the room, grimly surveying the chained dwarves and their mature veteran overseer.  Observing Quilro blink out of sight, he grasps the Cube of Brapp and fills the chamber with the chanting of commerce.

Fyrnlocke moves silently toward the far end of the room and begins to pick the lock of the first chained dwarf he sees.

Garlen and Graylen slink forward with a glint of eagerness in their eyes.

The first giant backhands Quilro from his back to the ground with a grunt.

“Pyrax!  ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?”  The second giant asks as Kailute spins around the corner warning of attack…  and then plunges his blade into the already wounded fire giant.

Quilro kicks the fire brazier, and footprints appear to line the ground through the half-orc and giants.  Only the veteran dwarf appears to observe this.

Kailute’s second attack eviscerates the wounded giant who slides with a moan to the ground in front of the table.  DonBrapp’s sonorous chants confuse and infuriate the remaining giant who lunges forward.

A rounding blow of the mace is delivered to Kailute who recoils from the blow.

He returns with a blistering flurry of slices as Quilro lunges in from behind but barely missing the neck and exposed jugular.

The giant backhands toward Kailute but whiffs his strike.

Leaping to the table the elf lands another thrust.

The newly released dwarves are brought to tears as the chants of the coinfather are matched by DonBrapp’s gratuitous flicking of coins.

Attempting to return the strike, the remaining giant leaps and misses losing his balance and thus inviting blows from each.  Upon recognizing his sorry state the giant begins to beg for its life.

DonBrapp ceases chanting and sprints toward the giant, leaping into the air and drops the flat hammer on to the giants head.  A hushed reverence engulfs the assembled dwarves at the glorious display of martial prowess the cleric has delivered.  He then turns and dispenses more electrum to each of the dwarves who have witnessed DonBrapp’s generosity and combat lethality.

“I am Durnkin Oriothar.”  The dour veteran introduces himself as the former forgemaster of Clan Oriothar.  “The strength of the coinfather is eminent within thee.”

DonBrapp shephards the dwarves back to the torture chamber, where they were inflicted brutal tortures upon them if they failed to meet the giants odd and ignorant requirements.

The Oriothar explain that Zengyi has united the fell monsterkin of Vaasa into common purpose, attacking and overrunning the Bloodstone Mines and Oriothar homelands while casting Damara into chaos.

Kailute loots the fallen giants and examines the passageway to the southeast.

The two Bloodstone lads scour and find somewhat better armor and weapons.

“Arm yerselves, but stay back and let us handle the fight.”  Kailute remarks to the assembled group.
The dwarves explain the ore is delivered twice daily by orcs guarded by bugbears.

A shimmy seems to ripple through the basement walls and floor, but emanating from above.

The group pushes north to the Keeper’s room, finding a cluttered room near the marshaling area has skins on the floor, a bed, a table, two wooden boxes, several crates and barrels, a chest, and odds and ends of armor, weapons, furniture, tableware, and so forth.

The thieves search the spaces, and Quilro disarms a trap in the Keeper’s chamber.
“This space stinks of filth.”  Garven comments.

DonBrapp directs the dwarves to gather pelts for warmth outdoors, and they quickly comply with such a suave and worldly cleric.

As the night begins to fall on the surface above, the party is in the disgusting hovel that the Keeper called his abode.  Piles of half eaten rats;  the picked bones of squirrels, rabbits and other small game are piled in two areas.  In almost every nook and crevasse, some amount of ape dung is crammed.

The dwarves and Bloodstone lads have armed and armored themselves by picking over the best remnants of every blade and shield they found among the many monsterkin abodes..

DonBrapp ruminates on his ruff, and if it could be dwoemered into a magical
breathing apparatus as he sneaks back to the fallen fire giants and administers the necromantic rituals to pull them back into the service of Vergadain.  The lead rod serves to channel and amplify his power to use Vergadain’s grace to seek connection and power from the negative material plane.

Shuffling back toward the material plane, the fire giants rise and follow the dwarf back toward the Keeper’s chamber.

The group enters the enormous marshaling chamber, where they can hear the muffled sounds of hammering to the north.
Quilro scouts ahead with Kailute ten feet behind.  To the north the tunnel continues north, clearly less traveled and strewn with rubble.  Pushing to the west where the tunnel appears clear and well traveled.
As the push further north, the sound of mining activity increases.

Quilro probes forward to the west, moving with not a sound atop the worn tiles of stone.

DonBrapp has a dint of moisture in his eye noting the diverse and powerful strength of the current iteration of the Heroes of Waymeet.  Humans, dwarves, spendfay elves, and even giants united in common cause, and the inevitable enrichment of Vergadain.

Looking to his right, Quilro observes an enormous chamber to the north where two stone giants are clearing rubble from the far northern wall, and two hill giants are assisting by transloading the rubble into carts.  The far wall appears as if a force of immense power rent the strata of the earth up from hundreds of feet, blocking the finely crafted chamber with a tear in the mountain itself.

DonBrapp has the first opportunity to strike, but nods to Kailute to take the opening attack.

“SNOSRA SAY ENEMIES IN LOWER TUNNELS!  COME!  HELP ME!”  Kailute runs into the chamber screaming.  While his results have been patchy, his confidence is supreme.

The two stone giants remain aloof and turn back to their work.

The two giants ask about the Keeper, and then follow with concern about the missing giant.

As the first hill giant strides through the passageway Quilro thrusts his blade through the buttock of the first giant, who cries out in pain.

“WHAT THIS!?!?”  Cries the hill giant in surprise.

DonBrapp begins his prayer as Quilro gesticulates in animated frustration.

DonBrapp moves deftly through the group to the door and grasps the second giant in a paralyzing grasp of clerical power.

Fyrnlocke steps forward to the west, scouting the flank.

Kailute makes a series of attacks that end the hill giant.

Two of the stone giants hurl boulders at the dwarf during his brief entre to the chamber;  only one strikes but it is a brusing blow.

Durnkin rounds the corner and immediately slays the held hill giant.

Quilro darts in a launches a volley of magic missiles into one of the stone giants, who utters a low wail of pain.
Yet another stone giant enters the chamber demanding explanation for the stoppage of work.

“Just leaving.  On my way out.” DonBrapp says backing out of the room.

Quilro leaps forward again, this time discharging a lightning bolt into the latest giant entry, and enjoying it bouncing from the corner back through the enormous humanoid.

Kaluite moves like a blizzard of blade damage, shredding the breast of one of the opponents.

DonBrapp grasps his branches from his backpack and launches his holy serpents at the three giants arrayed in front swarming each.

Each of the giants attempts to shake the snakes from their flesh, but several are able to punch their fangs through the stoney skins of the giants.

Quilro oversteps with his sword thrust and becomes entangled with the knee of the giant.
Kailute shifts his target to the northernmost giant, who has been palming enormous pieces of rubble to heave at the intruders.

DonBrapp again backs out of the room, simultaneously calling upon Vergadain’s healing grace.

As the snakes of Vergadain continue to press their attack, one of the stone giants slams his fist into Kailute’s shoulder bruising the barbarian.

He immediately retaliates with two thrusts as Quilro deftly disentangles himself from the stone giant.

Garven and Graylen leap into the room, swords held high.  Garven leaps upon the severely wounded giant and with one thrust ends the brute.  The young man is incredibly energized and delighted with his victory.

The remaining giant attempts to backhand Graylen but misses wildly and buries the back of hand into the wall with sound of crushed masonry and bone.
Realizing his situation, the stone giant attempts to parley for his freedom.

He slowly and deliberately raises his arms in a show of supplication.

Even as the giant signals his non-violence, DonBrapp’s infernal snake continue their attacks.

Shaking off the snakes, the remaining stone giant responds to Kailute’s inquiries.


“Doondark mine for Snosra.  Snosra pay. No fealty to Snosra.  Stonekings abide.”
“Deep and evil things to the south.  Doondark and miners stay far away.”

“Orcs, bugbears, all squabble.  Greater goblinarks eat lesser.  The stone abides.”

“Find ore.  Gold.  Passage to dwarfholes.”

“Dwarves make better carvings.  Stonekings make more carvings.  Nobody mine more than Stonekings.”
“Powerful evil directing goblinarks.  Very excited.  Make mischief for humans and horsemen in valley to the north.  Much blood.  On look the mountains without care.”

He reveals Zengyhi pays in bloodstone bars with his mark, and the hill giant structure sits atop a stone giant ruin that they are excavating.  The giant also indicates the location of Snosra’s most precious wine cellar.

Doondark agrees to shelter with his companions to the west and not further interfere with the Heroes.
“Certainly we will slay these beasts?”  Tanthalas hisses to Quilro.

“Tell you what;  you are free to slay any of the giants you can.”  Kailute retorts flatly to the newcomer.

Quilro sides with Kailute on this, and it is agreed to not further molest the remaining stone giants.  Doondark steps toward the entrance and heads west toward the reported stone giant living spaces.

Kailute nudges the cleric for some healing favors, and the dwarf calls forth the energy of Vergadain.
“Keep an eye on yer potions, lads.”  The dwarf states.

“Fyrnlocke, come over here…”  Quilro signals…  “Exactly who owns the potions, dwarf?”

“Potions are mine.  I’m the cleric.  I account fer the fecking potions.”

Quilro raises an eyebrow toward his fellow thief, and turns on his heel.

The group turns east south of the Keeper’s chamber, with DonBrapp’s serpents in the lead.

To the north the passageway splits, with the one straight north being rubble strewn and infrequently followed while the western branch is clear and well traveled.

A chamber at the end of the corridor is full of mostly giant sized mining equipment, with a door in the northern wall secured with an enormous padlock.

Quilro picks the lock with ease revealing another passageway angling to the northeast, but a similar locked door to the west.

“Certain no traps here, mate!”  Fyrnlocke exclaims before he takes a needle from a trap.

The door opens to a large room in which several tuns of wine stamped with the was seal of Barovia are found.  The wine is black and incredibly smooth, in contrast to much of the other Guryerivich wines.

DonBrapp and his snakes explore the northern tunnel that leads to a raised chamber with a well-like chamber at the end of the corridor.  The water is dark but appears fresh.

Durnkin suggests having the undead giants collect the six tuns of wine and transport it in the mining carts.
“These casks shall be the first treasure to repatriate the glory of Clan Oriothar!”