Duergar

Post date: May 21, 2009 12:18:57 PM

Pentatina 21, 1000 PC

After support for helping Nyza and T'Krosh out with the duergar threat to the kobolds below the city is pledged by Legeand, Mask, Sparta and Wintersky, preparations begin to enter the caverns and tunnels below Troll's Bridge the following night. As part of these preparations, Wintersky has Elenia purchase several potions of darkvision of which Legeand and Sparta as well as Wintersky will use to see during their excursion into the darkness.  Mask recalls several bits of lore regarding duergar that indicate that they can grow to giant-size and become invisible.  They are also less susceptible to magic, but not resistant.

As the suns set, the group gathers their gear and makes their way to the city's ancient cemetery where the entrance to the underdark is known to T'Krosh.  After a long but not too treacherous decent, T'Krosh bypasses the trap protecting entry to the kobold's caves and they are met by Mexkir.  After introductions, Mexkir particularly interested in meeting Nyza, Mexkir explains how to find the remaining duergar and provides a simple map to the huge cavern they have retreated to since Nyza's hirelings began hunting them.  Since the hirelings have been missing for some time, Mexkir believes they have perished, though Nyza hopes to find them alive.

Before the group begins their trek through the tunnels from the kobold's caves, Nyza takes Mexkir aside and discovers that Mexkir and his fellow Hinterland kobolds wish to serve a new maekrix.  Mexkir pledges his loyalty to Nyza and the Troll's Bridge kobolds become followers of Nyza.

Finally, the group begins their hour journey through the tunnels, finding dozens of slain duergar along the way.  The hirelings became quite powerful in a short time and took on the task of beginning to rid the area of the gray dwarves.  Following the map, our heroes come to the last side tunnel before the duergar's cavern and ready themselves with spells and weapons before entering the cavern.

Upon entering the cavern, it appears empty as far as their vision allows them to see.  Sparta rides Ringo into the cave and quickly discovers that the duergar are ready and waiting, enlarged and invisible.  Despites Sparta's attempts at diplomacy, the duergar quickly surround him and attack.  A melee quickly develops along with spells cast by Wintersky, Nyza and Mask.  T'Krosh takes on the responsiblity of keeping Sparta standing so he can cut down the oversized dwarves.  Time slows down as dozens of giant-sized dwarves appear in waves to assault the heroes, but the heroes prevail, Wintersky's arrows finally taking down the duergars' captain.

As the remarkable quick battle subsides, Mask rushes across the cavern to a tunnel leading to a smaller cave.  She disappears in the tunnel and the rest of the group follows.  They find Mask standing looking in horror over the corpses of duergar women and children.  Among them are the hirelings, slaughtered as they had slain the non-combatant dwarves.  Mask returns to the cavern, shaken, while Sparta begins searching through the cave and recovering the hirelings.  Legeand, Nyza and T'Krosh begin moving the now dwarf-sized fallen from the cavern into the cave where Nyza intends to cremate the lot.

Apparently distraught by the sight of the piled corpses, Mask begins sobbing and teleports away.  The others express concern and notice Mask's behavior has been unusual the last couple of days.  Judgement is reserved and they decide to wait for Mask to return and see how she behaves the next time she makes an appearance.

Wintersky discovers spirits still present among the fallen women and children and discovers they were caught unawares and had no knowledge of the specifics of the mission the duergar were performing.  They wish to pass on and Wintersky obliges.  Searching and retrieval of the hirelings is completed and the all dead duergar are moved to the cave so Nyza can begin the cremation.  Wintersky returns to the cavern to find spirits of a couple of the male duergar still present, which she intends to speak with and then send on.

Duergar