Session 26

# December 6th, 2018 - The Drow Incursion

## Audience with the Dwarven Duke

The session began as the party fled Cresthill with their newly obtained *giant slayer greatsword*, extra supplies, and cold weather clothing. They regrouped with Thia and Harshnag, and began their trek north into the wilderness. The group kept their horses to a normal pace, enough to follow along with the giant Harshnag’s walking pace while they pulled the extra weight of the adamantine plate. A few encounters occurred over a little more than a tenday of travel, including a scare with wolves at night, and running into a giant-hunting knight and his squire. The knight was rightfully shocked at seeing a group traveling with a giant, who also supposedly killed giants.

The party was able to move along without any issue, and on the twelfth day of travel they encountered the first major dwarven patrol outside of Khaz Thorum. They had entered the foothills of the mountains two days prior, and had been following a marked path towards the dwarven stronghold. As with the knight prior, the dwarves were taken aback by the presence of a giant openly walking peacefully with a group of ‘good races’. After some tense explanations, and Rachen showing his writ from Lady Silverhand, the dwarves allowed them access to the Khaz. Harshnag would have to stay outside with their horses and the adamantine plate, as giants were not allowed entry, but another group of dwarven guards escorted the rest of the party inside.

The dwarves were visibly on edge, especially with the black whelpling Elysian strolling along beside Thia. She had assured them he would not eat or bite anyone, without her say, of course. They were brought to the moderate throne hall of the Duke and Duchess of Khaz Thorum. A raised platform against the far wall held their two stone thrones, and three stone pillars on either side of the room held up the vaulted ceiling. A dwarven guard stood in front of each pillar, and the group that escorted the party waited outside the only entry. Rachen presented the letter from Ghelryn Foehammer as he was instructed by the grateful dwarf.

After reading it and showing the letter to his wife, [[Duke Harnoth]] thanked the party for helping their kin and thwarting the fire giants. The Foehammer’s are an old family of Khaz Thorum, and Ghelryn’s kin would be happy to hear he was well. The group then discussed the adamantine plate, telling the Duke they had now stopped the fire giants was retrieving two of these pieces of a supposed ancient colossus. The dwarves had also seen an incredible increase in fire giant activity in the area in recent months. They were not so concerned with raids on the lowlands by hill, stone, or even frost giants.

However, if what the party says is true and the giants have reclaimed the ancient fire giant stronghold known as Ironslag, than they were very concerned. The Duke told how many generations ago it was said the fire giants were driven from that mountain fortress and it was buried. If the giants had excavated it and were collecting the scattered pieces of the *Vonindod*, than they certainly planned on rebuilding that fabled killing machine. The Duke thanked the party again for confirming some of their fears with this information, and in appreciation of what they have done he granted them a reward.

The Duke had a servant retrieve an elegant wooden box and gave it to the group. The box contained two handheld golden statuettes of lions. The Duke told the party the command word, and said once a week they could throw these statues and speak the word and it would magically transform into an actual lion. The lions could understand and would obey the person who spoke the command word for a short time. The party decided to have Rufus hold onto both for the time being.

## The Drow Incursion

As the party then began to press whether the dwarves could use their forges to melt down their recovered adamantine plate, chaos erupted. Most of the dwarven guards at the entrance to the throne chamber fell to crossbow bolts or quick blades. In a mere moment the entry was filled with a large group of dark elf assassins. The drow hesitated briefly at the presence of the party, clearly expecting the normal amount of dwarven guards, but they attacked anyway. There appeared to be ten or so elite warriors, and two mages in the rear.

The two mages began their attack by casting *evard’s black tentacles* in the center of the throne room, erupting shadowy whipping tentacles from the floor. Two of the warriors then filled the space with *darkness*, and the party maneuvered the best they could. Alburt was able to get a few *fireballs* off on the group as they charged and engaged, and Cadmus and Rachen engaged in melee alongside the dwarven guards. Thia, Rhogar, and Rufus stayed to the back lines and guarded the Duke and Duchess while attacking with their ranged weapons and abilities. The group smartly focused down the two spellcasters in the back first, and with the dwarves assistance were able to kill most of the remaining drow with no casualties.

At the end, the group had knocked unconscious two warriors, and not a single dwarf had died. Some injuries were sustained, but the Duke and Duchess were unharmed. The sounds of battle and yelling could still be heard out in the Khaz, and the party and the remaining guards stood watch. A few minutes later another group of dwarven guards arrived. A dwarven whitebeard, who appeared to be the guard leader fell to his knees in front of the Duke and somberly reported the situation. The attack on the Duke and Duchess was not the only one, and they appeared to be diversions.

Another group of drow had made it into the cities central forge, killed all the guards there and stole the heart of the forge. The whitebeard had already ordered another few squads of guards to chase after this group that fled with the heart, and most of the other groups of drow were being defeated. It appears they had all gained entry through a secret tunnel down near the mine levels that the dwarves did not know about. The party seemed shocked there would be hidden tunnels in their stronghold the dwarves did not know about. The Duke told how the dwarves don’t like to talk about the fact, but the Khaz has not always been in dwarven control.

In generations past it had been occupied by dark elves and greenskins, and in addition to adding secret tunnels they also burned and destroyed much of the dwarves histories and records. That same reason why they didn’t know about this hidden tunnel is also why the Duke could not tell the party where the location of Ironslag was. It was all too convenient, the fire giants reclaiming the ancient stronghold of Ironslag, and now their forge heart being stolen. It was surely being taken to the fire giants to relight their own forge. The Duke apologized to the party, for they would not be able to forge anything from adamantine until the heart was returned.

When the Duchess asked how they took the heart out of the forge, the dwarven whitebeard said a witness recalled the use of an *iron flask* before she died. Confused, the party asked what the heart of the forge was, and the Duke told them. It wasn’t a literal heart, it was an ancient creature, a fire primordial they had imprisoned for millennia called *Magaera the Dawn Titan*. The Duke then offered the party the greatest reward they had yet been tempted with for their help. If they could both return Magaera to their forge, and ensure the fire giant’s would no longer be a threat, the Duke would see that the dwarven King would construct them a fortified tower.

This tower would be paid for, constructed on dwarven land, and staffed by the dwarves for their gratitude. Ensuring the giant’s would no longer be a threat included bringing evidence of the death of their leader, this fire giant Duke Zalto. This would of course require them locating the fire giant stronghold of Ironslag, and the dwarven Duke said the dwarves would try to find it as well, starting first with the interrogation of the two dark elves the party captured. The session ended there, with the party saying they would first like a chance at the interrogation, as that had kind of become “their thing”.

It was the one hundred and thirty fifth day since the raid on Greenest.

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