25 Hammer: Into the Mines
The heroes have sallied forth into the entry passages of the Bloodstone Mines. Having cleared the first vein of phase spiders, the Heroes surprised a patrol of demons before retiring back to the fortified entrance to collect themselves and tend to wounds.
According to the map provided by Quillan the Sage they’ve explore about a quarter of the upper reaches of the mine, and not yet uncovered evidence of Lady Christine or a location of a fiendish ceremony, although the piles of spider gore and demonic feathers speak to the passing of the heroes
.
The first night of camp it is clear someone is observing the party from the southernmost entrance, but no attacks or contact is made.
Early morning of 25 Hammer, DonBrapp magically withdraws to initiate a series of study and reflection to heal the party and travel to collect his new armor.
Ilkarn of the Red-Ears explains to Kailute that the goblin and orc refugees are only in league with the stone giants so far as they offer them shelter. They suspect some of their number are being captured and fed to the demons below the Bloodstone Mines.
Quilro tosses and turns during the night, his weapons generating an angry energy between the sword and dagger, invading the elf’s restful sleep with dark dreams unremembered during the morning.
The dwarf steps through the smoke of the fire, clutching one of the rubies in his fist. As he steps into the fire the heat of the flame is absorbed into his palm, and the ruby heats to a burning temperature without causing damage before becoming flat, inert and eventually turning to ash. DonBrapp steps into the busy underforge of the Oriothar, and Durnkin quickly tasks his assistants to provide the dwarf a final fitting.
It is reported to the dwarf that the coin from the dragon hoard has been transported to the steading and accounted for. The horde continues to slowly advance, but it is having difficulty fording the water obstacles on the Vaasan swampland.
That afternoon DonBrapp bursts through the fire in an explosion of steam and heat, donning the exquisitely crafted red and white dragonscale plate armor. The armor is form fitted but affords the dwarf unparalled flexibility and range of movement while matching the style of his ancient magical ruff.
Confident they have been observed from within the southern most entrance, the group moves stealthily inside. Piles of fresh bones and refuse mark the entrance, and the sound of wood tapping on rock echoes from within.
“You who cower in the holes of the mountain, come forth and present yourselves! We shall not attack if you take no violence to us!” the unusually eloquent barbarian shouts into the mouth of the tunnel.
Ulrich and Ilkarn organize a defense of the approach to the entrances, dispatching Uman of the Bloodstone house guards to accompany the heroes.
“Cannot have the treasure of Bloodstone liberated without a Damaransword present!” Ulrich declares.
Having offered the Red-Ears their liberty, about 15 opt to stay with Ilkarn and provide defense while snacking on dragon nuggets roasted over the fire. One of the goblins who has the decorative jewelry of three varmint skulls offers a blessing of Gruumsh to the party before it departs.
After a pause for few moments without response, the elven thief scouts forward over the cart tracks.
“Hope he collects oyster shells as well as he searches for traps.” DonBrapp grumbles under his breath.
“Worry not about their grumblings. They’re worse than old lovers.” Petra comments aside to Uman as they follow the party into the mines.
Although the timbers supporting the tunnel have deteriorated, the passageway appears well traveled and the elf does not detect any traps in the immediate entrance.
45’ further along Quilro discovers a rawhide string that triggers a large axe from the ceiling along the timber buttressing the passage north that runs along all three exits. Continuing west along the tracks the elf observes a dead end that does not appear on the map provided, and a large, ragged hide rug up ahead, just before the tunnel turns 90 degrees right to the north.
“…that a rug up there?” DonBrapp steps forward over Quilro’s shoulder, distracting the elf from his scrutiny of the tunnel floor. The far western wall is pocked with shadows that are possibly observation holes.
The elf turns invisible before stepping forward on to the carpet and plunging 40’ below, enveloped by the hide carpet in a pit trap. The carpet and decaying remains of other recently dead humanoids cushion the elf’s fall.
“HYAAAARG!” Cry four stone giants as the wall is kicked away and two spears are shot at the party in the tunnel. Two giants lay prone with their crossbows while two stand behind ready to strike with swords. While not constricted by the space of the passageways, the four giants effectively block movement in their ambush space.
“You guys are making a mistake!” Kailute calls with a grimace.
“INTRUDERS!” Shout the standing giants as Draxos release three bowshots in a fluid motion.
The first shot severs the leg of one of the giants in the thigh leaving the enormous brute screaming and bleeding out on the tunnel floor across the pit trap.
DonBrapp points the head of his hammer along the southern wall and electrocutes two of the towering humanoids with electrical energy.
Shaking himself from the rug Quilro begins to quickly search the broken corpses and finds coin, rations, and a potion among the possessions of the fallen.
Kailute takes a running leap over the pit and lands in the middle of the scorched and bleeding stone giants, crouching as he lands and delivering a blinding series of sword thrusts against the foe standing against the southern wall, cleaving one of the pauldrons from his shoulder and following with a deep slice into the monsters chest.
The two standing giants flank the barbarian and slice at him with their gargantuan broadswords wounding him in the torso.
Petra creeps forward to the edge of the pit to peer down upon the elf. Searching her robes she finds nothing she can offer the thief-mage to assist his climb out. Quilro finds purchase in the relatively newly dug pit and scampers up the wall to look over the northern ledge where he observes another approaching giant. He presses himself to the wall of the pit to surprise the brute.
Draxos continues his unceasing volley of arrows against the stone giants opening more piercing wounds in one of the foes in front of Kailute. In his haste to deliver the arrows he releases one too early and the bowstring catches his ear. His concentration impaired the ranger nearly stumbles before righting himself.
From the north the stone giant lopes into a run, and then jumps to the northern wall to leap off with his shoulder to the supporting beams in the corner. His enormous girth knocks a beam out, and sends a pile of loose rock thundering onto Quilro, Petra, and Draxos. The Vistani woman is knocked unconscious from a direct blow to the head while the elves shake the dust from their eyes.
Kailute feels the strength of the giants in their continuing blows as bruises and cuts accumulate.
“Ooooh. Big boys with your strong arms!” Kailute sings out as more giantkin approach from the west.
DonBrapp surveys the tunnel, his eyes landing on the remaining support timber as he pulls the magical rope from his pack and begins to spin it in his off-hand to build momentum. With a speedy leap over the pit the magic rope wraps around the bracing and the dwarf slingshots off the rope, releasing his hammer at the apex of the momentum of the swing while releasing his grip from the rope. Hammer and dwarf pummel the giant to the north as both barrel into the monster.
The ranger continues his assault of arrows against the giant pummeled by DonBrapp. Quilro leaps up and collects the limp body of the Vistani.
The giant attempts to madly stomp on the dwarf but the volley of arrows and his open wounds allow the dwarf to easily shimmy aside.
Two new giants storm down the hallway toward Kailute with crossbows leveled but only find their comrades with their spears.
DonBrapp delivers a powerful backhand to the giant north of the pit, crushing its skull. Shaking the gore from his hammer he yells “That’s how you do it, elf! Hammer and rope. HAMMER AND ROPE!”
Kailute crosses his blades and uses them as a fulcrum to nearly decapitate one of the remaining giants on the far side of the pit.
Draxos fells another before knocking another arrow. The barbarian thrusts his blade into the gut of the giant who just took another arrow shouting “Surrender! There is no need for you to die!”
Quilro pours a healing potion into Petra’s lips, stating “Get up. Magic missiles to the ready!” As his eyes dart down the hall.
“The feck are you DOING?!” Calls the dwarf as he snaps the rope back up to the ceiling and vaults across the pit to throw his hammer again, bashing another giant on the chin as the dwarf lands among the blood and gore in the western hall.
The squad of giants remaining in the fight are unable to land blows upon the heroes, and one looks toward the mine entrance for an escape.
Draxos punctures the torso of one of Kailute’s foes with a volley of arrows as the giant facing Kailute takes a running leap over the pit. Dwarf and half-orc swing wildly, causing the giant to nearly fall into the pit only catching himself by the edge.
“YOU SHOULD HAVE DROPPED YOUR WEAPONS!” Calls out Kailute as Draxos delivers the coup de grace at point blank range.
“NO SURRENDER HONORED BY EVIL ORCS!” Screams one of the two remaining giants, and DonBrapp swings his hammer directly in the chest of this one.
Petra and Quilro stand aside of Draxos and both of them release what sounds like a magical artillery barrage that causes so much damage that the corpse continues to twitch under the impacts long after it has expired.
The remaining giant throws down his weapon in fear, and immediately submits. Nagnar shares that Acknorr controls access below, but he has no information regarding Lady Christine. Given Kailute’s standard leave, the giant entices his four remaining companions to surrender and depart. They agree to the half-orc’s terms with the only acknowledgment that Zengyhi commands, he does not ask.
After the departure of the giants, the group explores and searches the equipment room that the giants had converted into a temporary barracks. The elf employs his magical strength to raid the large stone chest, replete with coin and enormous potions, as well as spearheads.
Quilro needles the barbarian about his repeated parlay with their foes.
“The elf has been so far from spendthrift and whoring he is losing it below the ground.” DonBrapp grumbles, before reiterating the clause that all incorporation business need be addressed in the proper forum, which is most certainly not the Bloodstone Mines.
“Far be it from me to stand between an elf and their goddess of love, but let’s focus on the foes on hand.”
The elf’s eyes narrow, and he grasps his dagger for a moment before turning to receive healing magic from the cleric.
“Are all the fey creatures this petty?” One of the Bloodstone soldiers asks Petra.
“Have you ever seen a sylvan elf with muscles such as thees?” She responds, arching her eyebrows in Quilro’s direction.
“Isn’t Zenghyi from Vaasa?” The soldier asks quietly, never taking his eyes off the barbarian as he takes up a defensive position near the doorway to the passageway.
5pm 25 Hammer
The heroes have cleared out a group of refugee giants that made home in the southern portion of the Bloodstone Mines. A breathtaking series of acrobatic attacks quickly broke the morale of the enormous brutes, and although they had no information on Lady Christine, they did mention Acknorr controls the entrance to the mines below.
The full and high moon approaches, and although the horde of Zenghyi appears to be slowing into a channelized mountain valley, onward the creatures of darkness press toward Bloodstone Valley.
In the deep recess of Quilro’s mind, a voice calms and soothes the elf with suggestions.
DonBrapp peers down the corridor, although the floor is obscured by the many corpses of slain stone giants. Kailute scans the map and suggests heading north and to the west.
“Oh, of course you know your way around the lair.” Quilro quips.
Draxos notices an elven leather satchel containing the travel journal of an elf named Jonleth, detailing their journey from the reaches of the forest through the Moonsea, with particular focus on spell components involved with necromancy. The last entry was recorded on 11 Hammer 1358 DR. The pouch also contains three ornate magical writing quills.
“I’ll take those…” Quilro states reaching into the pouch and palming the writing utensils.
DonBrapp loops the magical rope over a beam above the pit trap, and the party swings out to the northern passageway.
Kailute and Draxos creep to the north before turning to signal to Quilro to move up and search. The elf slips between the two warriors, and immediately detects something giving off a magical aura on the far side of the tunnel buttress. The thief runs his hands along the decaying wood and finds a magical rope like filament, clearly intended to provide some sort of intrusion warning. Using a spell to characterize the trap, the elf reveals it will magically explode with blinding and deafening force if the threshold of the rope is crossed without being deactivated. His concentration is nearly broke by the rancid scent of decaying flesh wafting from the north. A large ceramic cask is in the passageway, which continues the pattern of wooden buttresses every 20’.
About 120’ to the north the passageways diverge, continuing north; heading east toward an already explored exit and breaking to the west. The tracks for mine carts line the floor, but show no recent use.
Quilro signals DonBrapp forward and gestures toward one of the wooden braces holding up the tunnels. Cocking an eyebrow at the elf, the cleric inspects the structure to the best of his urban ability. The wood is spongy and old to the touch, and the dwarf shrugs.
“Not good.” Quilro marks the buttress for future reference.
An eerie silence pervades from the northern passageway. Peering at the ground, Quilro detects a magical blade trap in the passageway to the west. Quilro and Kailute drag one of the corpses up the passageway and push the body into the trap as all hear the schlepping sound of wet footfalls approaching from the north. A swirling vortex of magical blades rise from the floor and shred and slice the corpse, spraying gore and viscera throughout the hall.
Attracted by the noise, four hulking large humanoid forms approach from the north. Squat ape-like creatures with mottled gray hides and enormous bug like mandibles approach deliberately, their hunched shoulders connecting muscled shoulders.
Quilro presses himself into the shadows, allowing two to pass toward the heroes as his dagger fills his mind with thoughts of violence. Ignoring the blade the mage releases powerful bolts of crackling electricity, backlighting the umber beasts and sending a shockwave down the passage and shocking several of the heroes.
“Kill them all!” A wild-eyed Quilro shouts, and DonBrapp gives a curt nod while the barbarian shakes his head and readies his blade. Kailute steps forward thrusting into the gray hide of one of the monsters before retracting the weapon and pivoting into an overhand slice that nearly severs the shoulder of another.
Petra extends her arm while pressing herself against the wall of the passageway and slings a bolt of magical lightning from her ring, slaying the one Kailute injured and further singing two more behind.
One of the umber hulks grabs Quilro and the gray lifeless eyes of the creature sends the elf into a nauseating episode of confusion. DonBrapp catches a similar look, and both pause before staggering away from the creatures, unsure of their next move and physically discomfited by uncertainty.
The monsters take immediate advantage of the confusion, racking elf and dwarf with their claws and mandibles. The magical armor of DonBrapp does much to protect but even so several claws scratch through unprotected parts, although the magical ruff protects the dwarf from the most vile scents of the creatures.
Draxos looses a volley of arrows, and one pierces a wounded hulk cracking its mottled carapace.
One of the Bloodstone soldiers steps forward and finishes one of the hulks as the elven thief and dwarven cleric remain stupefied by the gaze of the monstrous scavengers.
Petra gesticulates to call forth a bright magical burst of energy, felling another hulk as the melee attracts two more from the north.
One of the hulks closes with the barbarian, and in the scrum of arms and tusks Kailute catches the flat gray gaze of the creature and is momentarily stunned.
Quilro shakes himself back to senses, and immediately raises his hands to cast a volley of magical force to the closest hulk, felling it under convulsive energy.
Petra puts a firm hand on the barbarian, magically releasing him from his unnatural confusion. As he shakes his head clear another magical bolt of lightning obliterates yet another hulk from the lowered hammer of DonBrapp.
Quilro grasps his moonblade over the loud protestations of his dagger and lurches forward to stab, but the thrust is batted away.
One of the hulks is knocked back from another pulse of magical energy from the Vistani, as the two advancing hulks continue to move south down the hallway.
DonBrapp levels his hammer at the pair, wounding both and causing the entire passageway to shudder under the force of magical energy. An arrow flings off the wall, one lands in Quilro’s shoulder and another embeds itself in the chest of one of the creatures. Draxos shakes his head in disappointment before reaching back to his quiver to knock another series of shots.
The squat head with mantis-like mandibles claws toward the elven thief and pierces his tunic in several places.
A distant voice in Quilro’s head pleads in high-elven “Friend. Please. Rescue and assist.”
As the heroes dispatch the remaining carrion hulks, a booming fiendish voice calls out for parlay, seeking to negotiate a release from his duties and safe passage from the mines.
Parlay denied, two summoned vrocks engaged.
Quilro is raked by demons; DonBrapp’s armor protects.
Quilro transmutes into a bat to retreat.
The vrocks recognize the heroes Kailute antagonizes.
“It shall not be terms!”
