Players (Characters)
Scott (Rain)
Catherine (Amber)
Tony (Roland; Grokk)
Rachel (Horkina)
DM: Tom (Garlen)
The Rubble Rousers set out for Redgorge at once, heading directly to the Miners Inn. A man playing a lute called the party over and asked them a riddle, inviting them to a private meeting after they answered correctly. He led them to a large conference room with a solid oak table in the middle. The walls were covered with paintings detailing the history of Surabar Spellmason's life -- his arrival at the volcano and founding of Cauldron, the construction of Redgorge and its defenses, a meeting with an angel named Nidrama who gifted him a staff, a battle with the glabrezu Nabthatoron, and his death. A tall gray-haired man wearing all brown was there to greet them. He was nicknamed "the Foreman", leader of the Chisel.
After Maavu and a few others arrived, the Foreman began discussing the current situation. He said the Chisel was founded to protect the region and support artisans and craftsmen, but that selfish actions of some of its members were compromising that goal. Too many members had stopped caring about the wellness of society as a whole. He said Maavu's actions in Cauldron -- protesting the taxes -- may have caused significant harm to the Chisel. A great force of evil and chaos was at work in Cauldron, and divinations pointed toward a great disaster on the horizon. Even now Skellerang was planning to move a force of half-orc mercenaries into Redgorge, and the only way out would be for the paladin to renounce his challenge. Roland countered: "aren't you being selfish too? Your concern seems to be more for the Chisel's well-being than for the people of Cauldron. Why shouldn't Tercival go through with the challenge?" The Foreman responded by saying that the paladin had gone missing, and that either way, Redgorge would be devastated if Tercival couldn't be found.
One of the Chisel craftsmen was able to decipher some of the markings on the mapped plate. It told of the construction of some large structure using ogre laborers and spellweaver masters. The ogres appeared to get stronger partway through the construction process. The map on the back was revealing, too -- it pointed to a headless demon, and the Foreman knew of a headless statue of Nabthatoron a few miles down the red river. Mikimax, the innkeeper, lent the party a small boat so they could travel to that point and hopefully track down the paladin.
After a few hours of sailing, the party approached a wide beach with a damaged and headless demon statue standing on the north bank. Arrows flew at the boat from within the trees; a group of gnolls was attacking. The party beached the rowboat, and Garlen ran through the underbrush toward one of the gnolls. Amber, airborne on Redtail, spotted a second pack of gnolls and put them to sleep. Roland's fireball and a string of arrows from Grokk, Horkina, and Rain finished them off. The party followed a trail to a large cave -- one of the landmarks on the map. A forest sloth had taken up residence in the cave, and it swallowed Garlen in one bite. The party bashed the sloth to death, and Garlen cut at its stomach trying to get free. Grokk's axe finally tore its flesh apart, and a few Create Water spells washed the sloth goo from Garlen's hair.
A few miles and several gnolls further down the path, the party came to a small clearing. A quick fluttering of large wings preceded a beautiful woman stepping into the clearing. This woman was pictured in one of the paintings -- this was Nidrama, who had given Surabar Spellmason a magical weapon. She gave a warning: "The Lord of the Demonskar knows of your approach, and even now his minions prepare for your arrival. They will use deceit and treachery against you, just as they have done with Alek Tercival." But she also gave encouragement: "In ages past, I provided to Surabar Spellmason a powerful weapon... Alakast, a quarterstaff infused with an undying hatred of the fiends of the outer rifts. It is fated that Alakast should be wielded again against the Lord of the Demonskar. It has found its way to you, and all that needs be done is for you to claim it. Seek Alakast in the lair of my false sisters, beyond the watchful eyes of the north." With that, she planeshifted away.
Another mile of travel brought the party to a large pipe -- possibly the "round cave" in the crudely sketched map. Following the pathway traced out on the map, the party emerged from the network of pipes and onto a ledge over a large pit. There, a pair of pipes bellowed whenever the wind blew, like a massive organ that could be heard miles away. This was no doubt "Vaprak's Voice". At the bottom of the fissure was a large, stinking pool. Rain spotted a mephit flying out of the pool and away, and the party began firing to try to stop it. It lived through a pair of arrow hits and was nearly to the corner when Garlen hit it right between the eyes with his favorite shortspear. Garlen mumbled about how much he hated mephits as the party looked around.
The mephit had been heading toward a small hole just above an iron portcullis. Amber flew to the far side of the pit and down a large fissure in the rock, and found a massive wooden door sized for giants. The party decided this door would be a more ideal way to enter whatever complex might lie behind. Roland cast silent portal and Grokk lifted the 1500-pound door, setting it aside. The hill giants inside the room barely looked up in time to see the party rushing in on them, and due to Horkina's passionate feelings about giants and her combat skill, none lived long enough to call out a warning.
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