Stromkuhldur - Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Chapter 13

 

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor descended to the second level of Undermountain known as the Arcane Chambers. They passed through the Goblin Bazaar. The Bazaar was severely depopulated - many of the goblin merchants having been recruited by the Legion of Azrok to fight the drow farther below. 

They retraced their steps to the Dead Eyes Watch Post. The watch post was now manned by hobgoblins. The hobgoblin guards bade them approach slowly with hands up. The Mystics complied and were allowed entry. 

A mixed platoon of  hobgoblins, bugbears, and goblins guarded the doorway. The captain came out to interrogate the Mystics on their origin, their destination, and their intention. Etlenda explained that they were this season's contestants in the challenge of the Mad Mage Halaster and they sought safe passage. Etlenda asked the captain how the campaign went against the drow. The captain declared that their holy crusade against the foul invaders continues. With the recent vacancy of the Xanathar's Guild, he and his platoon had been sent to secure this watch post to prevent further expansion by the vile dark elves.

When asked how he felt about Xanathar's Guild, the hobgoblin captain showed disdain for the criminal element and confidence in their ability to hold this post against any attempt by the Guild to retake it. The goblins and bugbears under his command, however, rubbed the back of their heads and glanced at each other warily - a sign that his troops did not share the captain's positive assessment.

The captain attempted to recruit the Mystics into the Legion's righteous crusade which they politely refused.

The captain announced that the toll for descent was 1 gold piece per party member. Etlenda gladly paid double the amount as a sign of encouragement and solidarity with the Legion of Azrok - as long as they held the post against Xanathar's Guild. 

CHAPTER 13

"STROMKUHLDUR"

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor:

• Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Chaotic Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter. The daughter of elven diplomats, raised among dwarves.
  
• Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin. Exiled from the Feywild and raised by wolves. While exploring the Feydark he crossed over into the Underdark and emerged into the Mortal World.
• Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm. Husband and Father.
• Push-ta "Bearbite" Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue, secret member of the Zhentarim.
• Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond. 
• Glom the Wretched - Chaotic Neutral Goblin NPC, former thief and guide to the Arcane Chambers.

DM - This week we returned to Undermountain. I got great positive feedback from my players about the way the campaign has been going. They really appreciated the mix of dungeon-crawling, faction politics, and role-playing. They felt the balance has been really well maintained. They expressed a concern about having to refight battles as they ascend out of the dungeon and descend back into it. I reminded them that it's a living dungeon and stuff happens while they're gone. If they wanted a secure route, it was up to them to make it secure. They might consider hiring guards to occupy and protect key checkpoints. They rolled their eyes at the additional expense but acknowledged it was probably the best way.

Sromkuhldur

The party went right at the bottom of the stairs, having already taken the left passage. The corridor turned left - Kem figured they were facing south. The passage turned east then south again and opened into a chamber - a hundred feet across with a thirty foot ceiling. The southern, easter, and western portions of the chamber were covered in debris from a massive collapse. The chamber contained small walled structures - mostly collapsed or with fallen walls. This was once part of the dwarven city of Stromkuhldur. They explored a few of the structures but found them empty - long ago stripped of anything useful - so they continued through an excavated passage in the collapsed southern wall.

Chimera

The passage contained a side branch heading east. The half-orc Push-ta scouted the side passage. He returned to report a natural cavern with a large three-headed beast - a chimera - lying upon a pile of coins. The party decided to confront the beast.

Winterfrost and Etlenda led the way. They charged into the room and attacked the creature. The chimera  responded by biting at Winterfrost while its dragon head breathed flame onto Etlenda, burning him and his spirit wolf. They, along with Push-ta, counterattacked and made short work of the chimera. 

The team took some time to separate the pile of coins by type without counting. They recovered hundreds of electrum coins and thousands of silver coins. They put the electrum into a magical bag of holding and continued their exploration.

Giant Spiders

They continued down the excavated tunnel and entered another section of the dwarven city. This chamber was larger than the first and the north and western sections were buried in collapsed debris. The subterranean structures were larger. Many contained chimneys and pipes connecting to the ceiling. The walls were covered in a thick layer of silky webbing. Large sheets of webbing dangled from the ceiling, swaying slowly. Many of the structures were connected by massive strands of web. 

Suddenly three humongous spiders attacked - attempting to cover the Mystics of Trollskull Manor with webbing from their hidden positions atop structures or on the wall. 

The party became split into two flanks and the battle became a slog. Soon more spiders joined the fight from further south in the city-chamber. As one spider was defeated, another would appear! 

Kitchen Guards

From around the corner of the nearby structure appeared an elf with charcoal gray skin and long white hair - a dark elf - a drow! The drow was investigating the disturbance and seemed surprised to see intruders defeating the massive spiders. He ran back inside the structure.

Kem said a prayer was was surrounded by several dozen spiritual hammers which attacked the spiders and forced them to retreat. 

Hu-man Patty Johnson became immobilized in sticky webs. Etlenda and Tempus were forced to divert to aid their friend and help her escape from the webs. Push-ta climbed the structure to give chase to the fleeing spider. He soon shot it dead with his light crossbow. 

Etlenda and Tempus rejoined Kem and Winterfrost who had defeated the spiders on their flank and were pursuing the drow into the structure.

There they were plunged into magical darkness. The spiritual hammers struck down the drow in the room and the magical darkness ended. 

They were in a kitchen. Bugbear and goblin prisoners were chained to a table preparing meat to be cooked while a cauldron bubbled in the far corner of the room. 

They freed the prisoners and equipped them with weapons taken from the drow. The prisoners fled to reunite with the Legion of Azrok.

Bedchambers

The party exited the kitchen soon afterwards but were attacked by a drow with a crossbow from the opposite roof. Etlenda disappeared, only to magically reappear on the far roof. He rode his spirit wolf mount as he chase down and slew the defiant dark elf.

The party had noticed that the drow had come from the the northeast. They explored that way and found the entrance to a richly appointed bedchamber. The door was decorated with paintings of a female dark elf and multiple giant spiders.

Within was a luxurious bed covered in fine spider silks. The preserved heads of goblins and bugbears sat on a shelf in one corner. 

By the bed was a locked chest. The chest was decorated with a spider motif. Push-ta produced his lock picks and quickly opened the lock and the chest.

Within they found an onyx spider figurine, 8 sticks of incense, a dagger with a reservoir for poison , a folded robe of spider silk dyed black with gold spiders on it, a potion of yellow oily liquid similar to a healing potion, a birchwood wand and a fancy leatherbound spell book decorated with moons and trees, and a secret compartment Push-ta found a pouch decorated like the spell book with a diamond and a pearl.

Demon Mirror

They party exited the bedchamber and explored some other nearby structures. Most were empty but in one locked structure they discovered a large oval mirror. The mirror's frame was carved to look like hundreds of black spiders - they seemed to move and boil. 

Winterfrost approached the mirror and saw her own reflection. As she drew near her reflection was replaced with a waxy amorphous mass with a single giant red eye. It spoke in a language she did not understand. The mirror tilted forward. Winterfrost retreated as it fell onto the floor, smashing into a thousand shards.

Tempus, a religious man, had heard the words. He knew the language - Abyssal, the speech of demons. He relayed what the demon said, "I know you. I know who you are."

Treasure Downstream

The next structure they found was opened. Within was a vein of turquoise running down the eastern wall. The vein resembled a blue-green river. Several carved salmon were embedded into the turquoise as if swimming in the river. 

There was a deep basin carved into the floor of the northern portion of the room. The fish appeared to be swimming away from it.

Etlenda examined the fish and noticed that they were attacked via pegs and could be rotated. He spun all the fish around so that they were swimming towards the basin.

The basin magically filled with water. Within the water was a bright milky green fish, swimming around.

Etlenda got on his knees near the basin. He reached in and managed to catch the fish. When he withdrew it from the water, it stopped moving. It had become frozen in emerald. He placed it within his magical bag of holding for later examination.

Quaggoth Charge

As the party exited the structure, they saw four large hairy beasts, like a cross between a man, a bear, and a gorilla covered in white fur, charging towards them, clinging to the walls of the dwarven structures. The beasts snarled and seemed intent on violence!

They were being directed from the rear by a drow handler. More drow could be heard mustering around the corner.

They were under attack!

To be Continued!

Next week, Push-ta's player is absent to I'm taking the opportunity to run Mork Borg for some of my other players who had yet to experience it. The two players who had previously played Mork Borg were very excited!