Eyre 15th, Sul, 998 Y.K.
The group descend back to the area they were previously searching on the Winch Level.
The group descend back to the area they were previously searching on the Winch Level.
The Waterwheel and Lever Room (33)
A giant waterwheel creaks noisily here, almost drowning out the thunderous sound of rushing water. A huge pulley wheel runs heavy ropes to a platform that seems to lead down. Barrels of tar and grease sit in the corners and a small door leads off on one wall.
The Lever Room
The door to the west is small sized. Upon entering the first thing you are faced with is a series of levers on the left hand wall. Beyond these you can see complex gearing, giving this room (to the untrained eye) a chaotic look of random webbed ropes.
Kapek checks the room over but refuses to touch anything in there. Loric with his impetuous nature feels the need to find out wht these levers do and so begins to pull them randomly. The first lever pulled sets the pulley in the room behind him into life, the sounds of creaking gears and ropes snapping taut fills the air and the platform in the room by the water wheel begins to descend. The second lever pulled has a rather more dramatic effect as the ropes in the main shaft begins to snap taut and huge gear wheels groan into life, the lower of the two platforms grinds against the walls of the shaft with an echoing screeching and cracking. Already broken, the platform breaks free of its tethers and begins to fall, crashing and bouncing into the darkness, the party do not hear it hit the bottom, although they do hear it bouncing and crashing for some time.
They decide it is time to leave this area and head down the stairs past the ore shipping room. *Anvil comments
Anvil once again marvels at the craftmanship of these people and wishes he had the time to investigate all parts of it to greater understand how and why it all works, or once used to work.
The Polishing Room (34)
Down the stairs from the Guard room is the Polishing Room. This is where the ore used to be cut and polished so that mineral density could be clearly determined. It was here that the merchants would gauge the worth of the ore before setting a price and shipping it out.
This reasonably large room has several tables and work –benches, a couple of chairs lie knocked over, some foot pedalled sawing device along one wall is surrounded by small chips of stone. On the far side of the room is a heavy steel door with an expensive looking lock.
The simple foot pedalled table saw still works, but only fragments of ore remain and are worthless.
A heavy door in one wall opens to further stairs leading down.
The Merchants Level
The Guard Post (35)
An empty weapons rack stands here and a once ornate banner hangs from the wall above depicting a warhammer set behind a shield with an anvil motif. A stone table and a couple of benches stand in one corner.The Entrance Hall (36)
This was obviously once a vast ostentatious display of exuberance. From the great, ornately carved double doors the first sight would have been a vast, gaudily painted relief on the opposite wall.
*Kapek comments
Kapek is increasingly feeling the oppressive weight of the rock, hundreds of feet thick, above him and the closeness of the air. He cannot understand why any race would want to live in this gloomy mausoleum, shut away from sun and wind.A depiction of two dark skinned dwarves, one male one female, proud, heads held high walking away from several other dwarves who are obviously seething with hatred, their faces contorted with venomous glances - perhaps jealousy. The Dark skinned dwarves, white beards glowing with holy glory, are heading for a magnificent anvil surrounded by weapons of obvious magical power and enchantment. Beyond that is a vast army of these dark dwarves battling all manner of aberrations, Illithids and beholders seem to be primary targets. Opposite the relief is a stone bench for newcomers to sit and contemplate the vast mural.
In the centre of the room is a plinth, upon the plinth stands a huge anvil with a slice in the top, (this is where the magical axe of the Duergar Clan ruling here used to rest, as if stuck into the anvil).
Anvil smiles to himself that his name-sake an anvil should be in such a position of importance, he feels as if he would have liked these dark skinned dwarven people. He makes a plan to craft a stone anvil as a statue to be placed outside of his workshop once the group return to Sharn as a way to show that the workshop is open for business and as a reminder of this grand adventure.
Tapestries hang in three of the corners of the hall; they depict weapons that glow with enchantment, a Warhammer, a Waraxe and a Dwarven Urgrosh. A massive fireplace stands at one end of the hall, vast and ornate. At the opposite end of the room stands a large pedestal, marks where something once rested are visible but now there is nothing.
There are three sets of doors in one wall. The centre doorway has a great set of double doors, heavily bound in iron, they appear to have been particularly well travelled in times distant.
The other two doors are barricaded shut; planks of wood have been unprofessionally nailed across the doorways on this side.
The other two doors are barricaded shut; planks of wood have been unprofessionally nailed across the doorways on this side.
A crude sign written in both Draconic and Common reads, “You no Enter. Lurker lurks here.”
Ajax smashed through the barricades of the first door with relative ease, his morningstar not the most subtle or quiet tool to be used. The group are faced with a corridor filled with thick webs, their visibility is reduced to just 15 feet so they decide they must get rid of the obstacle and the best way would be by flame. After a few attempts they realise that the webs are highly flamable but the fire does not spread through the webbing, simply clearing about five feet at a time with an almost explosive heat. So after attaching a burning piece of wood to a rope they clear the path ahead of themselves.
The corridor ahead of them splits and they find themselves in what was once a kitchen.
The Kitchen (37)
This was obviously a kitchen that had the capacity to cater for quite a number of people. The walls are covered in shelving and cupboards; a large cauldron hangs over a fire-pit. Above the cauldron a crack in the ceiling once acted as a chimney and soot coats its edges.
The cauldron is now full of green sulphurous-smelling liquid that has dripped down the chimney shaft.
As Anvil and Ajax move into the room they head to the cauldron to investigate they notice that the ceiling is rippling with thousands of spiders that begin to swarm down the walls to attack the intruders.
Lorric moves swiftly and finds that although his swatting of the creatures kills a few, it is far from successful as a form of defeating the creatures.
Anvil dips into his pack and retrieves a flask of alchemists fire which he throws at the swarm, with some effect but not enough to stop its advance. In moments Anvil and Ajax are covered with the spiders trying to bite at flesh with their poisonous mandibles.
Ajax leaps back out of the swarm, desperately trying to rid himself of the vermin, swatting at them, throwing himself against the walls and rolling along the wall to try and squash as many as he can.
Kapek continues to keep an eye out at the rear of the group.
Lorric pulls out the groups last remaining flask of alchemists fire and, with calculated concern to the wellbeing of those caught in the swarm, he smashes the flask over the spiders. Friends and foe alike are caught in the flame but the swarm dies or disperses, whilst his allies take only minor injuries.
*Ajax comments
Ajax is suprised to discover just how much he hates spiders, particularly when they are crawling over him in their hundreds. However he is fairly sure his comrades accepted his explanations that the noises he made were war-cries and not anything else.
*Ajax comments
Ajax is suprised to discover just how much he hates spiders, particularly when they are crawling over him in their hundreds. However he is fairly sure his comrades accepted his explanations that the noises he made were war-cries and not anything else.
Once the threat is over Anvil continues to examine the cauldron, determining that the green liquid is simply some kind of sulphur rich run-off water that has been infused with minerals from rock strata somewhere above, and it seems as though some kind of algae has taken to growing in the liquid.
The group move on, heading back the way they came.
This large hall is segregated into 20 cubicles each has a bunk bed and some have small chests within. Each cubicle was separated from the room by a curtain; most sit in crumpled heaps at the entrances now. The webs here are more concentrated than the corridors and several skeletons litter the floor, kobold and goblinoid alike.
The group begin searching this room before heading to the double doors. Upon opening these double doors they are face with another set of double doors which are open, in the way stands a huge figure. Surrounded by a swarm of spiders.
This vaguely humanoid-shaped creature is composed entirely of webs except for its eight spider-like eyes and sharp mandibles.
As it sees the group the spiders at the monsters feet scuttle towards the party. Could this be the Lurker?
Lorric, quickly grabs a bottle of whisky from his pack, taking a mouthful he begrudgingly spits it over the flame of his makeshift torch spraying the swarm of spiders with burning alcohol.
The ceature flings a mass of sicky webbing towards the party, holding them fast, they fear that the best way out of the webbing is to burn it, which will injure them all in the process, it is deemed to be a risk they must undertake.
Anvil recognises the creature as a web golem and rapidly infuses his weapon with the flaming property, before burning the web away, which in turn destroys the spider swarm.
*Anvil comments
Anvil hadn't thought that the first construct he would have to fight would be a creature made of web and is glad to know enough to defeat this creature before he and his friends were slain by it.
*Anvil comments
Anvil hadn't thought that the first construct he would have to fight would be a creature made of web and is glad to know enough to defeat this creature before he and his friends were slain by it.
Ajax charges forward to confront the creature and soon discovers its greatest defense mechanism as his weapon becomes entangled in the sticky webbing that the monster is composed of and slips from his grasp.
It soon becomes clear that this construct is not to be underestimated as lesser attacks cause it no damage and any wounds that are inflicted rapidly begin to knit back together. Ajax is the first to feel the devastating force of the creatures slam attacks and Katerina is quickly in demand. The fight is prolonged and severe with the group losing their weapons in the creatures sticky body and taking massive wounds from the powerful slams of its huge fists. Lorric, realising that it would be particularly dangerous if he got his fists stuck in the creature hides at the back of the combat keeping watch for anything else, a wise choice.
The sound of alarm is raise as Lorric spots one of the doors begining to open, Kapek realising that he can do little against the golem heads to the rear of the group to aid Lorric, he sees the door open and from the darkness and webs crawls a huge spider, a glint of intelligence in its eight polished eyes, two huge tentacles protruding from its thorax. It moves towards the halfling and monk before its form flickers and bulges into a mass of writhing tentacles and begins to attack. The Lurker has finally found them.
The combat is almost lethal on several occasions, the group keep Katerina busy running between the two melees and healing as fast as she can, they use nearly all of their potions and other healing magics before the two creatures finally fall to the Crimson Fist.
*Anvil comments
Embattle aided in this task, the animated backpack running back and forth feeding healing potions from it's compartments to keep the Crimson Fist fighting.
*Kapek comments
Kapek is very grateful, obviously for the untiring efforts of Katerina to keep everybody alive, but also for the help of Embattle. He remains unsure how to react to the animated backpack though; is it alive, can it feel, does it understand him? He settles for a hearty thank you.
*Ajax comments
Ajax collapses, totally drained after the fight. He thanks Katerina, without whom he would be dead several times over. Finally he wanders over to the downed foes only to discover to his disgust that these two powerful foes had no ears!
They search the rest of the level.
The Servants Mess (38)
This is a large room with eight large round tables and very little else.
This is the common room where the servants of guests could meet and eat together; often forging deals that their masters could not.
The Library/Conference room (40)
This large hall holds row upon row of shelves, study desks and what was once comfortable seating. It appears to have once been some kind of library, but now the shelves are empty except for a thick layer of dust.
This room is where deals were struck and prices were fought out for the ore.
The Guests Quarters (41)
(1-14) All rooms are empty except for a bed and chest, most chests are empty.
*Anvil comments
Embattle aided in this task, the animated backpack running back and forth feeding healing potions from it's compartments to keep the Crimson Fist fighting.
*Kapek comments
Kapek is very grateful, obviously for the untiring efforts of Katerina to keep everybody alive, but also for the help of Embattle. He remains unsure how to react to the animated backpack though; is it alive, can it feel, does it understand him? He settles for a hearty thank you.
*Ajax comments
Ajax collapses, totally drained after the fight. He thanks Katerina, without whom he would be dead several times over. Finally he wanders over to the downed foes only to discover to his disgust that these two powerful foes had no ears!
They search the rest of the level.
The Servants Mess (38)
This is a large room with eight large round tables and very little else.
This is the common room where the servants of guests could meet and eat together; often forging deals that their masters could not.
The Library/Conference room (40)
This large hall holds row upon row of shelves, study desks and what was once comfortable seating. It appears to have once been some kind of library, but now the shelves are empty except for a thick layer of dust.
This room is where deals were struck and prices were fought out for the ore.
The Guests Quarters (41)
(1-14) All rooms are empty except for a bed and chest, most chests are empty.
The battered and broken group decide that they should take the body of the Lurker to the kobold village to fulfil their bargain and make sure they have safe passage from the tunnels should they need to make a swift exit. They also decide to head back to the surface for fresh air, recuperation and to check on how the animals there are faring. Kapek also needs to make sure his mounts are safe.
The group spend the rest of the afternoon in the springtime sun, Anvil digs four graves, with the aid of the others and places the lighthouse keeper and his family in them before respectfully carving several markers with their names and date of death.
They spend the night above ground in the lighthouse.
The group feel that they should review their decision to head any further into the tunnels below.
