Saralas: Session 37

12 Eleint

• Karthos and I work our way down to tell the others what he's learned.
• Karthos saw a bunch of activity down on the bottom level. On the entrance level he didn't see much signs of activity
• The shaft leads to the middle area of the workshop to the south of the forges. The dragon is located nearby on a big raised platform.
• He saw doors in the roof, this is probably how the dragon is supposed to get out.
• After a drawn-out debate we finally decide to foolishly enter through the front door
• Resda peaks through the arrow-slit that Karthos used, and she sees a Duergar hiding in the corner. He doesn't seem to be doing anything except trying to not be noticed. Resda pretends she doesn't see him so he doesn't raise an alarm
• There is a large iron lever and a heavy iron winch separate from the lift
• Wodna told us there is always another Duergar
• The entryway is a room with a narrow passage at the north end and an arrow slit on the west wall. It is otherwise empty.
• Karthos goes through and into the north hallway. Resda goes in next, invisible, and sees a Duergar female through the arrow slit. Unfortunately Pearl is behind her and the Duergar sees her and calls the alarm.
• 9 Duergar pile into the entryway. Saralas overhears the guards screen about intruders. The captain of the guard screams about why was the door open? Suddenly the door and portcullis slam shut and we're all outside.
• A Duergar appears at the eastern arrow slit with a crossbow. Korag blogs the arrowslit with his shield.
• We back down the narrow stairway trying to get most of the way out of crossbow range. They're pouring oil and we see it run down the floor.
• Resda flies up
  • She sees from her vantage point that it's mostly natural cliff face above us. No arrow slits, windows, etc.
  • She alights at the top of the fortress, the roof
  • Someone has been keeping this clear of snow
  • She sees two huge iron doors, which must be the doors the Druid was talking about. There is no apparent external mechanism to open or control the doors.
• Pearl casts fog at the doors to obscure us. I cast spike growth in the same location as a trap for anyone exiting from the doors.
• While we are contemplating this we hear an immense horrible metallic noise come from within the fortress.
• Resda targets Karthos with flight and he flies up hoping to attempt to barricade the doors. As he arrives at the top he sees the doors creeping open. We start backing off
• A huge column of flame comes out of the shaft straight out. We hear an unnatural scream. Hot air is pouring out of the shaft and there are bits of molten rock falling on the roof.
• He casts erupting earth on the cliffside to try to bury the exit. Resda follows up with a fireball.
• They hit the cliffside, causing a massive avalanche, and barely fly out of the way before it crashing into the roof and into the shaft. They hear much Duergar screaming from inside the fortress. As the dust settles we see a massive amount of material has accumulated on the roof.
• The entrance platform is also covered in rubble from the rock slide and avalanche.
• As this point we can't get up the stairs and can't get in.
• We notice Hoot flying over the canyon.
• We decide to head back to Easthaven overland. As darkness
• As we see the aurora, Saralas sees his grandchildren Mari and Willow playing. This can't be, but he's convinced they are his grandchildren.
• Saralas starts walking in that direction. One throws a snowball at me. I'm filled with a sense of serenity to be reunited with them. I call out "where is your mother?"
• Willow calls out "She is at home, will you come home?" Then comes over and hugs him and says "we're waiting for you at home."
• Korag grabs me bodily and they haul me off, shove the children off the sled, and keep heading towards Easthaven. I'm still being restrained and I call after the children "Find me in Easthaven!"
• I'm filled with despair and want to find my daughter and figure out what is going on. Maybe we can check the mirror near Lonelywood.
• We arrive in Easthaven otherwise safe, near exhaustion. Things seem ordinary in Town. It is the night of the 14th. I go to the inn and write a hasty letter to Elodie telling her what I saw and asking in half a panic what is going on, though of course it will take some time to reach her. I just don't know what else to do.
• We rest the night. I dream of my family again. I wonder if there is something unnatural about the dreams I have been having but all I can perceive is the love I have for my family.
• We see Wodna and she goes "Well that was subtle. You walked in the front door, ran out, and brought down the mountain." "What you really need to do is get in there and stop it for good, they'll just dig out."
• She says "there is a way."
• Korag says, deadpan. "The Underdark."
• Yes, there's a passage. She thinks our best bet would be to fight the dragon while it is entombed. And there are entrances to the underdark all over Icewind Dale.
• She claims to know someone in Waterdeep who spent many years traveling the tunnels of the underdark. A guide. She can procure for us a map. She produces a folded piece of parchment. We wonder where it came from.
• It's a weirdly drawn map of twisted maze-like passages. Not a few of those passages are marked with skulls and bones. "Avoid those", she says.
• She "doesn't ask for anything" but notes "she had to go to Waterdeep, it's a long ways"
• She notices Saralas' distraction and asks what's wrong. He tells her everything. Wodna says, oddly believably, that she knows what love is and will try to find out what she can.
• The map is focused on the area near the spine of the world, but does not include the ten towns. There is an entrance near the fortress.
• "But you said we would go to Lonelywood"