2022/11/30

Last time in the Iron Kingdoms, the tunnels were explored.

After being informed about the missing people from the Finger's watch, the party went down to the digging site to talk to the miners. They were let on to the dig site to talk to the foreman, a dwarf by the name of Herne. Herne told the party that the the miners hadn't seen anything like a cult operating from the tunnels, though they had heard some odd sounds from the deeper parts of the tunnels. However they were here to dig and not clear out millennium old tunnels, so they hadn't looked into it. The miners did say that those they sent to map out some of the deeper tunnels did mention seeing evidence of something having been moved from the tunnels. Nothing came of it however, and thus they were guessing that the digging had disturbed someone's moonshine operation or something. With the preliminary discussion reaching its conclusion, the party asked Herne to ask around his crew to see if there was anything else and that they would return around lunchtime the next day to check back in and then venture into the tunnels. The party was concerned about the tunnels as they were Orgoth make and there was stories that deep in such tunnels there lay creatures of the Orgoth that weren't truly dead. Hector attempted to use his prophetic script to confirm or deny such rumors for their purposes though the stars weren't quite right and he was unable to get a clear answer.

The party went back to the dig site the next day, and once more met with Herne. Herne didn't have any more information for the party though was able to provide the party with one of his workers who was involved in the mapping of the tunnels. The guide, a female dwarf by the name of Dira, led the party into the tunnels so that they could investigate the matter. First the party wanted to see the area where the evidence of activity taking place was. After a short walk through the tunnels they came to a chamber where there were recent marks on the ground as well as discarded sprockets and other bits of machinery. The stuff was not quite right for alcohol distillery though this could have been some sort of illegal machining operation. The party then set off in the vague direction that the noises were heard from, heading deeper into the unexplored parts of the tunnels. Eventually the party found signs that a group was moving about through the tunnels and followed their trail back to the basement of what seemed to be an abandoned rum distillery.

Shakes decided to scout ahead to make sure that the party knew what they were getting into. As he crept into the distillery, the main thing he noticed was the silhouette of a person. The figure was hard to make out being only backlit by what looked to be furnace light. Shakes decided that informing the party that there was someone in the area was the most important, and made his way back to the party to let them know. With that knowledge the party then entered the distillery together. Inside they didn't see the figures or the furnace light that Shakes did. Instead they were alone in the dark of the abandoned building. The party then spread out to search the area for any signs that they weren't alone. Eventually the party found a secret room that was hidden from the main area. They could hear what sounded like muffled people on the other side so they prepared themselves for a fight and opened the door. Inside the room were some of the missing people, though in between them and the party were a number of mechanithrall undead. The undead attacked the party, supported by their controllers who were hiding among the hostages. The fight went well enough for the party, despite some of the hostages being injured by the thralls exploding on their death.

Eventually the battle was over and the party had captured one of those involved with the kidnappings. They then interrogated the man and found out that he and his former partner were involved with kidnapping people and then selling to Cryx to be turned into undead labor for the nightmare empire. The party was less than impressed with the moral fiber of the man and told him that he was going to be brought to the Finger's Watch who would decide his punishment. The man didn't take his inevitable execution lying down and tried to escape the party by turning invisible and running away. That didn't quite work out and the party was able to recapture the man. The Finger's Watch thanked the party for dealing with the matter and hoped that this would calm the public for the time being.