Long and far have the companions traveled from Waymeet.  As Autumn turned to winter, they struck blows for liberty in the bigoted city of Hillsfar.  Struck out with Polyard and his crew on the Moonsea, abjured demons among the ruins of Myth Drannor and finally usurped Baron Strahd of his wicked reign of far Barovia.

  Damara is in chaos, accelerated by the machinations of infernal creatures of the abyss under the loose allegiance of a Thayvian lich named Zenghyi.  The dwarfhold of Hillsafar Hall was among the first to fall, it’s forges first seized by Duergar and then turned cold by minions of Auril.  Not even this far frontier corner of the realms is immune to the intricacies of the Blood War, eternally fought between the evil minions of law and chaos.

  The heroes have cleared the giants guarding the rift opening to the dwarven halls, and fought their way through the first and second levels clearing gray dwarves, demons, and devils along the way.  Linking up with remaining Oriothar, they can only hope Fredegast and his halfling scouts have been able to rally some of the friendly humanoids of Bloodstone Valley, or that his missive to Prelate Samson of Lathander in Heliogabalus has made its way to the Temple of Dawn.

  Now the group stands binding its wounds from its last encounter with the demonic army of occupation, looking south for the lord known as Jarthar who is reported to be leading the infernals against an incursion of Aurilite devils while the duergar consolidate and lick their wounds.

10pm 9 Hammer

DonBrapp and the mage-cleric tend to wounds, as does Buldo the Oriothar cleric of Moradin.
Durnkin and Kinison review the information from the duegar, who remain bound and flung in the corridor outside.

Kinson produces a skin of black mead, and offers to share before dispatching two Oriothar out to make watch.

Quilro summons Tomas to examine the word or recall scroll, but the location of recall is not clear.
DonBrapp is visited by a 20x20 room flickered by blue light.

Jartha in an overstuffed dwarven chair.   The hyena like mouth, frost blade.
Why are you here?

DonBrapp completely ignores the entreaty.

Enormous abandoned veins of tonnage that could be extracted.

Demonic visons.  Sees the lack of useful economic activities but reveals the current situation of Bloodstone lands.

The demon has an enormous and strange blade cast entirely of elemental frost.
DonBrapp observes the liquid onyx canine elementals just out of view.
The dwarf is able to discern this demon is likely a sub-commander of the demonic armies.  Two large rings on left hand;  a frost ring, dessicated wrappings and pauldrons that were definitely magical protection.

Draxos takes a watch with the dwarves.

Kinison spins his axes in his hands and looks to the companions for the way ahead.  He and Durnkin join the heroes on the front line while Tokar manages the dwarves behind.

The two ragged duergar let out a low growl, bound and leaning against the wall.  Quilro winces at the captives while he pushes some food into his pouch with the basilisk.
DonBrapp silences the prisoners magically and relates the demonic vision to the party, noting the two rings and the ornate pauldrons.

Quilro advances beyond the captives to search the passageway for traps, noticing the area growing much colder, and signals Petra to advance with the bullseye lantern.

Tomas identifies a magical surveillance device crafted into the wall.  The elf asks Kailute to have a dwarf produce the axe to dispel the device;  DonBrapp shoves his way forward to employ the favor of Vergadain.

DonBrapp makes a joke about Quilro’s elf boots;  Kinison retorts with “Be talking shit about elf boots, look at yers!”

DonBrapp casts endure cold at noon, 10hammer for 16 hours.

Creeping around the corner to the west, the heroes overhear the demons complaining about the many giants slain.

Magically transforming himself into a mouse Quilro sneaks in for a backstab attack upon one of the infernal giants delivering a devastating strike as the heroes come around the corner.
The space to the room to the west is engulfed in magical darkness and silence.
Draxos is enticed by overwhelming feelings of calm and homesickness;  Fyrnlocke looks conflicted.

DonBrapp realizes the demonic power is close, probably within the chamber to the west and he attempts to slap his companions out of their reveries.

The troll guards drop their weapons and slink away to the north.

8pm 10 Hammer

DonBrapp heals the group;  before he is shown a vision of the tower of Finthicus’ and his Astral Attenuarium.

The demon makes a pitch about astral travel illustrating the bloodstone lads at risk across the mountains.

The demon reveals the astral attenuarium within the room to the west, as well as an area clearly having been used as a command post for the demonic invasion of Hillsfar.
The group parlays with the demonic subcommander, agreeing to clear the devils below.
The group discusses the terms of the parlay.

The cleric buffs protections and a low melodious drone both unnerves and becalms them.  The group enters for parlay.

DonBrapp ponders his potential with the spherical attenunarium.

The dwarves have been armed with weapons from the armory, and the demons retreat to the royal audience chambers as the gelugon ice devils ice their passage warily.  The insectoid devils stand 9’ tall guarding the two rooms to the east.

The group shares its knowledge on Auril, a fairly obscure and rural goddess of the northlands devoted to the lawful evil powers of cold and ice.

Petra and Quilro discuss the magical weave, and how it taps the energy of other planes to bend power to the will of the caster, as opposed to clerical magic which is a boon or curse of the god or power the caster invests worship to.

“Clerical magic;  divine magic, is good magic.  All else reeks of darkness.”  DonBrapp mutters, drawing a laugh from Kailute
.
The infernal incantation of glyphs being laid behind the retreating demons reverberates off the high ceiling of the halls.

Kailute explains to DonBrapp the advantages of providing the dwarves some of the party’s magical weaponry to bolster their combat abilities.

Reluctantly, the cleric provides Kailute his hammer and ring, endowing upon the half-orc ultimate responsibility for their safe return while reinforcing the magical protection of Vergadain from evil and summoned creatures.

A strange shimmering pond like surface covers the floor in front of the portals, appearing to reveal ice like machinery working as if a planar opening protected the entry way.
The enormous insect hisses “Have you reconsidered your loyalty to the Frost Maiden?”  he asks, stepping back from the protective magic and moving its glaive from one chitinous hand to the other.

Quilro and Petra slide into position flanking the entrance as DonBrapp and Kailute approach up the middle.  The Oriothar take positions on the raised area in the center of the hall, prepared for the inevitable melee.

Quilro invokes his fiery magic and the Vistani apprentence releases her spell simultaneously, and the concussion of enormous balls of magical flame knock the devil back, scorching off antennae and burning limbs at the chamber entrance and within.  The scent of smoking insect chitin and the fury of their chittering follow the series of explosion.
The cleric invokes a prayer, inviting a look of hatred from the multi-faceted eyes of the grasshopper like devil which closes with its glaive.

The elf conjures a weaker fire attack that again reverberates through the chamber.
As taught the Vistani releases a lighting bolt immediately behind the fireballs, and it is clear the devils have been injured but their fanatic devotion to the queen of ice rallies them to vengeance.

A rent of energy pulses through the chamber, and suddenly red skinned humanoids appearing almost as disgusting pirates appear on the flanks, their beady red eyes displaying anger at the magical protections raised by the cleric.  All possess wicked black spears, the points of which are smeared with a gray fetid ooze.

Draxos is possessed with unspeakable fear at the arrival of the bearded devils, and the ranger drops his weapon and runs back to the armory to escaped the overwhelming dread.
Muffled noises of fear and agony appear to come from within the chamber the devils inhabited, and several of the Oriothar flee in horror with the elven ranger.

“COME HERE!” One of the bearded devils commands, but the barbarian is shielded from mental attack.

Quilro is protected from the suggestion by his ring, and Kinison laughs at the magical assault.

Kailute steps forward and swings a curving blow, slicing into one of the devils before nearly losing his weapon.

“Back to the planes of hell!” Shouts Fyrnlocke slicing his sword into the flesh of the repulsive fiends.

Kinison pummels the devils with a repeated volley of blows yelling “How’s that fer ya, feckers!” as bruised and broken flesh is crushed beneath his swings.

The devils return the strikes with their disgusting spears and glaives, the grey sludge flung from the cutting edges reeking of filth and petrification.

One of the devils slips affording the barbarian an attack of opportunity, and Kailute cleaves deeply into the flesh of the infernal, while his two companions connect with the half-orc.  While his armor protects him from open wounds the strength of the strikes are bruising.

Fyrnlocke evades a chopping strike, but is caught by another and is magically slowed by the attack.

The line of dwarves and devils moves back and forth in the halls, a blur of furious combat.
The elven mage unleashes a volley of magical energy, and is surprised to note the spells appear to result in far more damage to the devils than the spell usually imparts.  Several of the barbazu are significantly wounded, and the Vistani nearly obliterates one with the same attack.  The two wizards look at each other in shared surprise.

Kailute cleaves another devil in half, pivoting to seek another target for his bladework, his chest and weapon awash in the infernal gore of the wounded devils.

DonBrapp concentrates on the holy words of the Coinfather, chanting protective verses as he moves deliberately south repulsing the devils locked in combat with the Oriothar on the flank.

The ranger finally shakes off his fear, and after a moment of self-reproach grabs his blade and turns back toward the melee scrum.

Kinison connects with a pair of thrusts that eviscerates one of the devils, but the infernal creature’s companions step forward to counter drawing blood from the dwarf’s arms.
The ranger leaps atop the raised dias in the center of the hall and observes the battle, looking for an opening to add his blade.  Several of the ice devils are showing the wounds of repeated magical attack and the many of the summoned bearded devils have been slain by the companions.

Another series of magical missiles devastate the monsters well beyond their usual potency, prompting Petra to shout with joy.

Fyrnlocke steps to Kailute’s flank, looking to draw the attacks off the wounded barbarian.  One of his thrusts pierces a barbazu destroying its form on the material plane.
As the devils muster their rage for a final stand, several dessicated corpse like fiends with enormous stingers are magically gate in, adding to the ranks of the infernal intruders.
Kinison steps forward, shouting “Can’t believe I’m saying this; TO THE HALF-ORC!” he shouts before knocking the head off a devil with his hammer and assisting Fyrnlocke in attempting to draw attention away from the barbarian.

Four of the bearded devils make a ragged battle line to the southeast, while a wounded ice devil screams orders to the summoned bone devils.

The devil opposing Kailute drops its weapon in an attack as two barbazu attempt to close in to the north.

Two unwounded ice devils appear from the north to observe the combat but take no immediate action to join the fray.

DonBrapp signals the half-orc to come closer for healing, and Quilro released another destructive volley of magic missiles pushing the insectoid devil back against the wall, causing it to drop its weapon from the serious wounds.

Draxos leaps off the dias the thrusts his longsword into the chitinous scales of a devil drawing gray ichor from the wound.

Opting to press his attack two thrusts kill the devil in front of him, Kailute is nearly overcome with the onslaught of blows.  His chest is a bloody mess of open wounds and the weight of his blades in his hands causes him to breath heavily.

The warmth of healing magic flows through the barbarian as DonBrapp lays his favor upon the warrior from behind.

Kinison reels from a blow before turning to deliver a counter attack at a bearded devil.
A healed Kailute steps forward slicing through the devils in front of him.

The remaining bearded devils begin to scream in a rage and the spider like osyluth move behind them looking to pierce targets with their scorpion like stingers.

DonBrapp pushes north to repulse the approaching devils and enveloping Draxos in his protective energy while simultaneously dispelling the magical darkness.

Draxos lands a stunning thrust on a devil but slips on the gore and is stunned bouncing his blade of an ornamental sconce.

One of the ice devils explodes under the impact of a magic missile before evaporating in a planar rift of utter destruction.

Petra turns herself invisible.

The infernal creatures take stock of the situation again attempting to suggest and command the heroes come out of their protective circle.

The fresh ice devils are withdrawing to the north but the two bone devils close on the ranger, landing a piercing thrust from the scorpion stinger.

Kinison launches a hammer to the north, missing a devil while closing the distance with the cleric.

The heroes move as one, sweeping north and east to carve down the remaining devils, while DonBrapp heals Kinison.

Quilro delivers his final magic missile and the final ice devil succumbs to the magic assault.

Fyrnlocke leaps forth with a frenzied attack, landing a series of slices before being magically suggested to “follow us” by the devils.

Kailute cleaves one in half as Kinison slaughters two more.

A momentary silence pervades in the hall as the remaining devils flee back toward their gate in the chamber.

“Return to the nine hells or die here!”  Kailute screams, and DonBrapp corners the devils against the wall with his protection.

The Oriothar look among each other before bellowing their glorious victory off the walls.

“What did Malcho know, and when did Malcho know it?  What do ye know?”  The remaining ice devil chatters about the Pale King and the undead.

The muffled yelling of something continues from the eastern chamber, and the elf projects his ESP toward the chamber and locates a scared svirfneblin tortured and wounded bound in the chamber.

Kinison drops the hammer at DonBrapp’s feet, but the dwarf shakes his head stating “You have to give it to the orc; the orc gives it to me.”

The dwarves fall upon the remaining devil ripping it limb from chitinous limb.

Kailute dispels the magical protection to the eastern chamber, once a ceremonial audience chamber replaced by torture implements and a portal that appears to be to the plane of ice.
“Ive been looking for a gnome.” DonBrapp states as he pulls for the attenuarium and inspects the portal.  Every hair on his body stands on end.  It is an open gate to the ice hells.

 “Under the mountain, long ago;
Where men and giant ne’er go!
And the bloodstone deep she flows,
Oriotharkin make their home!”

  “Moradin’s forges blazing bright;
Illuminate the undernight!
Root out the dark ones with righteous smite,
Oriotharkin retake their home!”

The deep baritones of dwarven songcraft drown out the fiendish cries of the ice devil as the dwarves take their wrath.

Quilro steps outside the chamber to clear his mind and take in the sight of the enormous royal chamber, impressed in the scale if not the style of craftsmanship.

Kailute cleans his blades as Fyrnlocke looks around;  DonBrapp breathes deep to recover some energy expended in the melee as Draxos peers for anything that might serve to feed his bow.

Tomas and Petra share whispers of the awful fiends and powerful magics they witnessed…  while those paying attention notice Eldara has not been seen since the descent from the upper levels.

The gray gnome is extremely grateful for his freedom, and eager to share with the heroes information of what may lay below….

During the next few days, Quilro spends some hours attempting to tutor Draxos in spellcraft.

Even in their native elven, the ranger finds the first spell taught unable to comprehend and repeat in his vellum practice scrolls.  Quilro finds far more pleasure in pondering his spellbooks, especially the ancient tome liberated from Strahd than he does tutoring in detail.  He particularly reviews a couple of spells he was unfamiliar with, enabling him to create high quality items and quickly derail any discussion into a fight.

1030 11 Hammer

DonBrapp ponders the rift gate within the desecrated torture chamber the devils had infected.  Clasping the sphere, he feels his presence on both the current plane, as well as his ethereal being.  The attenuarium provides him insight on the gate which opens into a cold and rigid level of Gehenna, directly adjacent to Auril’s home plane.

Closing such a rift could be accomplished with the discharge of powerful combat magic;  however the cleric believes his favor with Vergadain, perhaps assisted by the magic of those within the halls could allow him to warp or modify the portal to his advantage or control.

  The group unbinds the pitiful svirfneblin, who shows the marks of pitiless torture as well as the effects of being bound and hung from the ceiling.

“Eh, thanken vee.  Metunken in pain…  verdammt duergar!  Scourge of cold caves and soft rock!”

“Gray ones so vile, no longer feel call of stone.  Only call of death…  working day and night to bring forth silver goat.  Metunken seen…  goat faced evil…  carved into very walls of cavern.”

“Death fights.  Unholy rituals and public torture to arouse bloodlust.  Svirfnebbles run from cavern homes by gray ones promised glory for death.”

“Metunken scout;  make use of rock and spell to hide and seek.  Ice devils see right away.  Turned several svirf to stone, sent others to horrible plane of icy gears and manipulations.  Surface queen of winter seeks to freeze forges.”

“Forges are fired from direct portal to plane of magma.  Must unspell the portal to release the fires!”

“Humans in valley ignorant of what hunts them.  Misery drives power of goat-god;  great giants, orcs, yetis all heed call of red leutnant.  Old human of bone, speaking only in riddles…  seeks to conquer land above, below and among planes.

The svirfneblin provides a map to the party of a sundered gray gnome kingdom overrun by the duergar.  An enormous temple has been carved into the rock face in the underdark caverns deep below Hillsafar Hall and the Galena mountains.

Quilro thinks out loud about a murder contraption on the near side of the portal, luring fiends to their death for the glory of the Heroes… but his suggestion doesn’t quite take hold with the group.

Draxos hears a strange commotion in the larger hall as the Oriothar welcome the return of Fredegast and his scouts.  Tokar and Buldo explain what has transpired below, as the halfling scouts relay the suffering and threats building against the friendly humanoids within Bloodstone Valley as well as throughout Damara.

The group discusses using Hillsafar Hall as a redoubt for all until the winter and strife passes.  There is ample room within the halls, and the dwarves begrudgingly agree to host provided the forges are relit as soon as is feasible.  The forges require a release of explosive magic to reconnect them to the demi-plane of magma to reignite them.

“Plenty of dragon meat to go around.”  Kailute observes, and Quilro guffaws until he realizes the half-orc isn’t joking.  “Tastes like chicken.  Or Babies.  Unsure….”

Fredegast and his scouts set to preparing a replacement bow for the ranger.

The Oriothar begin the deliberate process of exorcising their spaces, cleaning up infernal debris and refuse and removing glyphs, wards, and traps.   Buldo and the other magic wielders spent their free time in repose and study to assist DonBrapp in his attempt to meld the portal to his bidding.

Quilro remains unconvinced that relighting the forges is such a good idea, given the enthusiasm of the demon Jartha in negotiating that action with the dwarf.

Fredegast remarks to Draxos that the enormous wealth being moved from the dragon hoard to the rift could go a long way to restoring some assistance to the goodly folk of Bloodstone and Damara.

Kailute is revisited by the raven-haired human.  “You have finally succeeded in correcting the mistakes…  if we cannot bring Strahd back, then you will avenge him by leading this group to their death.
”
The half-orc confuses her with a statement of support for chaos…  and the schism between vampires and the demonic lord of the undead is laid bare to the barbarian.  She further offers that the abbot of Bloodstone is an ally to Strahd and has gathered a force of werewolves to further bloodshed in the valley.

Draxos tracks the departure of Eldara who has double-backed toward the chamber inhabited by Jartha, pilfering some maps and information regarding the demons military activity and dwarven magical information regarding defensive glyphs before teleporting out of the area.
The clerics assemble a circle of magical weapons, laying them blade to blade around the portal.  The further sprinkle a mixture of crushed adamantine, bloodstone, and mithril to consecrate the circle of weapons and begin to chant the high holy name of Moradin, overfather of the dwarves.  The timbre of their combined voices is simultaneously overpowering and invigorating.  Quilro has cleaned his finest travel clothes, and although he stands just outside the circle as DonBrapp throws off his vestments and only wearing the ruff of purification.

The volume rises to a cacophony until all spellcasters release their dispelling dwoemers, and Petra and Quilro do same as a shockwave of magic roils through the party and halls, sealing the rift except for those allowed deliberately by DonBrapp and Buldo.  All collapse in exhaustion from their efforts.