Death to Manthraxas Fire Tyrant

9am 18 Hammer

The heroes find themselves in the court of Golgathaur are, but all indications are a more vile tyrant is the true power in Kazersnert, having provoked the ire of the evil drow.   Kailute bears witness against the denizens of the Underdark as they look on with hatred from their magical forcecage.

The court of the efreet lord is a strange mix of languid activity; elementals lounging by the pit of fire as hargrinn pirates look on with the anticipation of violent justice.  Fire giants keep a sleepy watch on all within the halls.

The efreet appears inclined towards Kailute’s gambit, blaming the drow for provocation and painting them as a possible war party while proposing to relight the forges of Hillsafar and reopen trade connections to the prime surface of Faerun.

A tiny DonBrapp floats near the ceiling taking in a bird's eye view of the machinations of power within the basalt tower as the onlookers grow hungry and rancorous for the immolation of dark elves.

Just behind the stone throne dias, protected by an eight-foot wall floats a hideous bulbous creature comprised of flame and chitin.  An enormous maw is centered within a levitating sphere with one enormous eye and several independent eyestalks.  Hovering as near to the wall as it can to observe and listen without being directly seen.

The heroes below are arrayed in casually defensive locations, eager to appear unthreatening while looking for positions of advantage should their gambit fail.

Golgathaur signals with a majestic backhand and one of the fire giants manipulates a device on one of the pillars.

“You’ll not lay a hand on me.”  Hisses the drow priestess as Kailute blows a chef’s kiss in her direction.

”Never again shall an emissary of the dark elves cause a disturbance in Kazersnert!” Sneers the efreet lord.  “We have RULES here, you chaotic fiends!”

The elementals lope closer, and fire elementals rise from the pit of fire that pulses with additional energy.  The giants push one of the drow warriors toward the edge, and the entire hall sizzles with drama.

Some of thee humans watching on are taken aback by what by what they're seeing, and the surrounding azer begin a low chant urging the punishment of the elves.

“Flames for the drow…  flames for the drow…  FLAMES FOR THE DROW!”  It starts as a low murmur before growing to a resounding crescendo.

High above it all, the floating tiny dwarf quaffs another potion, focusing his attention on the beholder beast behind the wall.  Nobody appears to notice the tiny dwarf, and Kailute edges closer to the throne attempting to get an angle on the fire tyrant Manthraxas.

“Roast those fleshies, send them to the under fires!” The fire dwarves taunt.

Two fire giants handle what appear to be 18-foot-long black polished rods that emanate glowing white-hot bulb of glass at the end.  They begin to deliberately poke the dark elves with the molten bulbs searing equipment and flesh where they're not armored as they are as they are pushed forward.

There is cursing in dark Elvish, and they appear to be reluctantly moving toward to lava pit.

“We shall make sure your word of treachery is known throughout the Underdark, and you shall not escape retribution for a violation of our trade emissary, and negotiations, in fact, all will know of your untrustworthiness!” The priestess barks again as the warrior and weapon master are herded toward their reckoning.

In a flash, a globe of darkness surrounds the two and they are magically obscured from view.
Immediately the two giants halt and begin poking their fire-glaives into the globe.  In return a powerful lightning bolt jumps from within and an enormous shockwave and electric crack is emitted as it pierces straight through one fire giant.

Azer and fire elementals leap out of the way as if jumping wisps of flame.

“Curses and foul magic, Lord Golgathaur!  If only there were a way to dispel this wicked drow chicanery!” the barbarian shouts, and everything in the are takes on a smoky shimmer as if something were falling across it before the darkness is pierced by a channel of clarity emanating from behind the corner of the throne.

Off to the side of the anti-magic ray, two of the drow begin to cast.

“My sword is yours should you need it!” Kailute utters, pivoting to stand directly between the efreet and the drow.

Simultaneously the two dark elves stop in place, frozen as their flesh and equipment take on the grew hew of stone.  Both are immobilized and petrified as statutes.

The wounded giant steps forward to strike but loses his weapon.  The remaining weapons master scoops the blade from the floor before performing a forward flip onto the bench and stands ready for combat.

From the priestess a wave of dark matter moves from her hand and withers the fire giant, making him appear to magically age in front of the group.  One of the nearby azer is likewise caught in the strike and its flames appear to wither in intensity.

The other fire giant steps forward and connects with an overhand blow to the drow’s shoulder, but there's a defensive move that he makes sort of ducking and absorbing some of the energy.  A full melee erupts with the guards, but one of whom has been so wounded he has lost his weapon.

Fyrnlocke draws his sword and advances toward the melee as Draxos knocks an arrow.  As he does the ranger feels himself under some sort of dire observation, and his bow feels inert as do the highly crafted mithril arrows.

Releasing three arrows two connect with such force they nearly sever the drow’s forearm from its elbow, the limb now hanging by nothing more than a mangled tendon.

The drow weapon master reverses the wounded fire giant’s weapon into his chest, and the enormous humanoid crumples as the elf levitates straight up toward the ceiling.

Near the top of the column, it takes notice of the tiny dwarf and DonBrapp blows it yet another kiss.

The drow launch another series of magical attacks, further wounding the remaining giant.

Golgathaur leers from his throne “Make these intruders pay!”

The beholder retreats again behind the throne seeking some concealment and cover.

Draxos looses another volley of arrows, and two go wild catching the hargrinn fire pirate in the side.  The fire humanoid gives a wary sidelong look to the ranger.

DonBrapp brings his hands over his head in a diving pose before flying down beneath the levitating eye tyrant.  Once below the beast he turns to reach out and strike but cannot connect.  The furious attention of the beholder spins to look below casting his enormous center eye upon the cleric, but not before the dwarf readies another hasted magical attack from a scroll tucked within his belt.  He lands this blow just as the sight of the eye catches him, and the beholder is wracked with pain as DonBrapp bursts back into normal size, now wedged under the floating girth of the monster.

Struck with the magical attack the flame gouts of the beholder appear to weaken, while at the same time DonBrapp is assaulted by the true scent of the plane of fire, his magical protections nullified by the creature’s eye.

Sensing an opportunity, Kailute leaps on the dias and over the wall, his arms outstretched with his dagger reversed in his grasp.  With two jumps he flings himself off the throne and the wall behind desperate to find purchase with the blade in the beholder’s fiery carapace.

The monster bucks beneath him, howling from pain as the barbarian rips the covering from the magical stone fastened to the hilt by him and Petra the evening prior.  The whole scrum of dwarf, beholder and barbarian is immediately shrouded with darkness aside from the channel of the anti-magic ray.

DonBrapp feels the full girth of this deflating monster collapse upon him as Kailute wrestles on the things back against flailing eyestalks.

Petra jumps out to release a volley of magic missiles that pummel the weapons master beneath the concussive force of the weave.  The levitating spellcaster releases another wave of black energy toward Petra and she collapses upon contact.

Two of the fire elementals leap toward the spellcaster singeing it with whip like appendages of fire.  Fyrnlocke notes the third drow scrambling south along the eastern wall of the chambers.

DonBrapp feels a crushing bite of dagger sized teeth pierce his armor at his hip, but with a quick shimmy the dwarf scurries out from under the injured beast.

Draxos looses an arrow that catches the levitating drow straight in the eye socket, and the humanoid spins from the sky before crumpling in a heap in front of the throne.

Surveying what has occurred the efreet calls out “Victory!  If not justice, at least sport was had!”

Stepping back from the corpse of the beholder, dwarf and barbarian watch the deflating beast shrink in death.

Suddenly Golgathaur appears very confused.  “What is going on here?” he shakes his head, as if coming out of a long period of slumber.

Fyrnlocke moves toward Petra to give aid.

“Worry not about her, lad.  She’ll be fine.  Plenty fine.”  DonBrapp remarks as Quilro scowls.

The two human sailors are just mystified from what they just beheld.

The hargrinn moves steadily toward Draxos with two of the elve’s arrows out of his side.  He pulls the two arrows in one fist and hands them over before stating “You owe me at least a meal.  And I must warn you, soup is not a meal!”

The fiery giantish brute backpedals from the ranger, puts his hand on the injury and immediately the wound is sealed by some cauterizing

DonBrapp’s ornamental ruff is somewhat flattened by the beholder, but the protections return as the life force evaporated from the beholder’s corpse.

Kailute explains to the efreet lord he was under the magical influence of Manthraxas, and Golgathaur directs his guards to pull the corpse from behind the low stone wall.  Now that the Oriothar forges of Hillsafar Hall are relit, trade can resume between the locations.

Kailute stabs the corpse a couple times just to make sure it's dead before recovering his dagger from the corpse.

Embarrassed, Golgathaur plays down his domination as his fire giant guards roll their eyes.

Quilro ruminates about a stuffed beholder corpse in front of the rug shop in Hillsfar, as the dwarf advances the idea of an undead beholder…


DonBrapp entreats a missive to be delivered to Xanathar in Skullport, relaying a reminder that the fire of hearth of the Melairkin is not yet extinguished, the scion of will return and thus to all eye tyrants.  The the dead corpse of Manthraxas is moved to Feglogos’ chamber for harvesting and preparation for the message.

Stepping forward, the elf casually presents a powerful magic wand to the efreet, with an understated flair as an offering of peace and reestablished trade between Kazersnert, the Oriothar and the Eldarym Elfclan.

Feglogos steps forward to vouch for the Eldarym, and the efreet declares a day of feasting and celebration within the basalt tower to mark the resumption of trade.

Examining Petra, the cleric recognizes she has been drained of life force and remains in a catatonic state.  Ensuring her comfort, the azer agree to call upon their elemental gods to restore the Vistani mageling to her former state, as well as the remaining party.
The azer commit to 150 magical nonthar sling bullets and will work with Durnkin to establish terms to produce more.  Further they will work toward DonBrapp’s vision of armor.  2500 gold will secure the initial delivery and work toward the crafting.
Quilro negotiates enhancements to his powerful dagger, and Kailute wants dragon scales added to his elven chain.  The heroes are awarded preferential trade status, with direct access to the lava portals and a waiving of trade fees.
The next day is a blur of celebration and feasting within the basalt tower of Kazersnert, on the plane of fire as the heroes are feted to obscure the embarrassment of Golgathaur.