B1E16 The Forge

Donobis (Tiefling paladin, Bill), Mareshi (human Cleric, Tony), Draggo (Dragonborn Barbarian, Brian), Thokk (half-Orc Warlock, Duane), Knott (Firbolg Druid, Matt), Fabian (1/2 elf Bard, Goeff)

Per Donobis’ report of the forces gathered in the forge room, we stood at the door, “Ready, set…” The dragon hovered over a platform with Zardarok giving final instructions. The forge/pillar/platform separated the room into 2-halves, forcing us to engage the Duergar first. Weapons clashed as the foe fell, replaced by more Duergar that had enlarged. Even the Quaggoth engaged… those that survived Knott’s summoned Axebeak swarm. The Bear Clan tribesman Gunthokk raged and absorbed most of the attacks dealt him. Till the killing blow. Meanwhile, the shaman Duergar leader Zardarok traded spell attacks while inflicting Hellish Rebuke against his attackers. And we were left wondering where the queen’s forces were; promised to aid our assault upon the forge to thwart Zardarok and his minions.

And in the final moments of Fabian’s Vicious Mockery of the shaman who succumbed to his wounds, Zardarok spat his final curse [Ahab in Moby Dick], “From hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee…” And the dragon took flight!

Of course Thokk began to plunder. He stood over Zardarok and drooled at the amulet (black skull with flames erupting from the open top) hung around the dead shaman’s neck. Thokk ignored Knott’s warning of potential curse and grabbed the amulet necklace. Psychic damage buckled Thokk’s knees. At least now Thokk allowed Donobis to put the amulet in the metal box they carried, “Maybe wizards back in town might know of its meaning.”

A room at the back of the forge-room hummed with an electrical charge. A thrown helmet confirmed an electrical strike. Thokk tried to Eldrich Blast the electrical box without success. Draggo’s and Fabian’s lazer-rifle shots were just as ineffective. While everyone else gave up and turned their attention to another door, Donobis pondered a solution to the electrical room.

The other door opened to a room that held a statue of a female Duergar wearing a helmet that looked oh so familiar to the amulet. And beside the statue stood queen Grandolpho Muskgart and another Duergar (she introduced as her bishop) torturing a pathetic creature. “It sounds like you dealt with Zardarok and his forces. As promised, you can claim his treasure without interference from myself or my troops.” Knott was oh so trusting of her while Thokk and the others had doubt of her real intentions. But it didn’t matter as they heard another crackle of energy: Donobis had filled a helmet with water and tossed it into the room, shorting out the electrical box.

Thoughts of treasure broke their interaction with the queen who calmly grabbed the creature’s jaws and ripped them apart in sacrifice to her demon goddess. As they joined Donobis before Zardarok’s vault, only Fabian heard the screams of other Duergar slaughtered (in the barracks) by the departing queen and bishop.

8 alcoves lined the vault; each with a chest with a 3-digit combination lock. Thokk immediately remembered the scroll case and parchment with 8 sets of 3 numbers. It wasn’t long before the chests revealed their treasure: gourds filled with a hot liquor, a golden mask of a male drow elf (worth 750 gold), a silver chalice with a spider emblem (worth 250 gold), or the amber headdress with inlaid pearls (worth 2500 gold). Knott was more interested in the items that detected as magic. His eyebrows raised at the spider-silk robe with a wand nestled inside. Someone would have to attune to the black obsidian wand tipped with a spider design at its end (obviously drow work). Even a dark-black silk cloak glowed with magic. Fabian would have to attune to it.

Donobis took offense to the 2ft tall statue of a Demogorgon that glowed: he would later destroy it.

The deep gnome skeleton looked foreboding covered in mold, but Thokk was drawn to the moonstone set in one eye socket. He tried to use the wand to pluck it out but only managed to disturb the mold which spew a cloud of spores, poisoning Thokk. At least his allies cured his poison.

They continued down a hall toward another door that proved to be a bedroom. Kegs of Duergar beer along with 2 more chests. The first contained the boiled skin of a male Duergar that looked vaguely familiar. The second chest also contained the boiled skin of a female Duergar…, “That looks like queen Grandulpho! And that male… the bishop she walked out with!”

And that’s when Knott realized, “We’ve been dupped!! Remember that sulfur smell when we first met the queen but we attributed the smell to the forge? Barb devils and their god Asmodeus!” Another room contained 92 granite tablets that spelled out the devils’ trickster plot. Per Fabian’s reveal of the screaming he’d heard; they checked the barracks to find more dead Duergar. The devil-in-disguise had used them to rid the fortress of the Duergar.

Next stop: As they left the fortress, the wizard Vellynne Harpell arrived by sleds driven by kobold zombies, “Hurry, Ten-Towns is under attack by a Dragon!”

Next Episode: https://wjrrofm.blogspot.com/2024/10/b1e17-stop-dragon.html