Episode 39: Into the Fortress of the Four Former Forges

The Heroes of Bingle attempt to unravel the cryptic warning given to them by the Idle Elders, and make their final preparations to enter Skyscorcher Peak. What mysteries await in the very heart of the mountain, and what dangers lurk as they enter the Fortress of the Four Former Forges?

##### **DM/GM Intro**

It started as a simple Dungeon Run, five individuals who became a team down in an abandoned dragons lair. What they found there changed their lives and propelled them into an epic quest to reclaim the past and protect the future of Aïn. The Secret Keepers Amulet, an ancient relic of a forgotten age, and a window through which you, the watchers of the time stream, are able to transcend your own reality and effect theirs. It also seems to be the only thing that can reveal memories locked in the consciousness of the Wardens. Aïn's 100 foot tall elemental protectors. These memories hold clues to the mystery of Aïn's great War of Ideas and the threat that the Wardens were created to oppose. The problem? Powerful forces have captured the Wardens and imprisoned them across the Realms in treacherous locations. So, our team has set about finding and freeing the Wardens to unravel the mystery. The trail to their third Warden has brought them to the Dwarven city of Dalto Thum, an ancient stronghold build inside the Nelrim mountains and the only way in to the heart of Skyscorcher Peak, the volcano where they believe another Warden is being held. During the Aureate Age, before the War of Ideas, the  Dwarves used the molten lava of Skyscorcher to imbue metal with magical properties. There are still some Dwarves in Dalto Thum who were alive during that time, more then 300 years ago, but their inability to remember anything from those days has created confusion and frustration and led the clan to  group them together to keep them subdued. These Idle Elders called a vast dungeon leading to the heart of the volcano, the Fortress of the Four Former Forges, where wondrous items of power and artistry were crafted. But, when our heroes visited the Elders they found that even the mention of the Fortress elicited a bewildering litany of disjointed memories and a warning of the dangers that may lurk inside. The Dwarven King warned them too, about the blistering heat that awaits at the center of the volcano. He urged the team to equip themselves with lava hide gear and directed them to the city's Magma Reserves, where they downed a Fire Belcher, a Lava Lizard and a Hot Horn. Through an incredible series of events that found Lily polymorphed into an enormous ape, squeezing through caves and flying over lava, and Siv performing and acrobatic show for Dwarvish children on the back of 15 foot tall birds. The team managed to haul the carcasses to the shop of Milgrim Pif, a tanner and leatherworker, and the father of their Dwarven guide, Homrian Pif. After the team reunited father and son, Milgrim revealed the new garments he tailored, specific to each adventurer. As we ended last week the team was resplendent in lava hide scales, dark and shimmering. Each in the color of their respective reptile, each outfitted to withstand Skyscorcher's torrid temperatures. Ready and equipped with the Elders words and their own protective gear, the next step was entering the Fortress of the Four Former Forges.

**Part I:**

 Attempting to solve parts of the riddle given to them previously, at midday the party gathered together and asked Humrian about Donk's whereabouts. Making their way through the Iron Vane, they found Donk in his humble dwellings. The dwarf recounted the story of a conversation he'd had with the orc captive Grollogo which, in part, led to the vengeful act he committed while the orc leader was restrained in Dondo Karigina 's home. Feeling ashamed, as the party explained that he had an option to put right his wrongdoing, Donk accepted their request to join him in their upcoming quest into the mountain. They visited a contemplative Dondo who, as they discussed their intention to have Donk as a temporary party member, expressed great concern. Realizing that he hadn't heard anything about the Four Former Forges, James communicated ethereally with Hermil Fesh with hopes of learning more.

Everyone then headed to the general store run by Ms. Lucalynne Oakbuckle where Lily bargained with her, exchanging paid lodging in Bingle for a magic scroll that Fahima had her eyes on.

They then had an audience with Ruzer Forebrand, the dwarven king, who granted them leave to enter the Fortress of the Four Former Forges and promised to escort them there the following morning.

After a night's rest, they returned to the throne room to meet the king once more, but found it to be somewhat difficult passage as they were greeted by giant crowd of excited people. The throng had been invited to the 'event' by a large collection of posters that were pinned throughout the city on the night previous. Penned and distributed by Siv, the posters read: "*Come one, come all! See the Heroes of Bingle venture into the Four Former Forges tomorrow at dawn!*" However, King Ruzer was displeased with the notoriety created by the impromptu marketing - his concern being that a party containing an orc would be allowed into the most sacred place in the city. Storming out of the throne room, Forebrand lead the party through the crowd on route to the entrance to the Forges. After a long time marching deeper into the mountain with the king, his guards and a slowly thinning crowd of well-wishers, the heroes finally arrived at the entrance. James immediately recognized an iron statue in the ante-chamber to be that of Orad Ironmark, who became the Storm warden in the War of Ideas. Siv is reminded of a vision he had back on the island of the Salvagemanders when he sees a corridor illuminated by torches that stretches up to the entrance of the Forges. King Forebrand then confesses his ignorance of how to actually enter the sacred place.

**Part II:**

Following the seemingly endless tunnel, illuminated as it is by Meep flying in front of the party and the multiple floor sconces, the ambient heat rises and gradually they enter a natural chamber with tall ceiling and low floor which is vaulted by stalactites and has stalagmites littered along the ground. As they are walking, entranced by the natural beauty of the chamber, Siv's attention is caught by a small piece of rock which falls to the ground. Straight away, Uggo launches a javelin at the movement he sees above the party. Lily and James are suddenly lifted off the ground by giant stalactites which 'fall' from the ceiling and impale them. Uggo then launches his grappling hook and attaches it to whatever it is that took his fellows. He successfully pulls the creature down and it can now be made out as an enormous rock-camouflaged spider that had been perfectly hidden amongst the stalactites in the ceiling of the chamber. The spider has giant mandibles and large rocky limbs; on its back are what look like rock formations equal to those found in the chamber.

*Combat*:

Fahima immediately runs in the opposite direction, compelled by a strange force and makes it through a strangely broken doorway in the direction the party was travelling. As Uggo lowers his axe decisively on the spider, he shouts his dislike of arachnids. Donk is directed to take cover behind Siv who attacks the creature feverishly. The spider further impales James and Lily on the 'stalagtites' on it's back and starts to move off across the ceiling of the chamber. Suddenly there is an enormous clap of thunder as James grasps Lily's hand disappears with her reappearing close to Fahima. In their wake, the sonic wave created by his spell rips across the chamber blowing the spider's body apart as it falls from the ceiling, dead.

Uggo and Fahima investigate the carcass and Siv reassures Donk and then investigates the spider's hiding place. Further along the pathway, they come across an accessway chiseled into the left side of the chamber; rubble hinders their progress forward. Fahima sends Meep to scout ahead and the party follow into the cut out pathway. Fahima comes across a pile of eggs which seem to be freshly laid. After a discussion about what to do, they decide to bring stones down to block the entrance to the 'nest' and then investigate a couple of wooden doors nearby. Through a set of double doors, can be found a beautifully made, but otherwise nondescript room with more double doors at the end. This reveals a room containing a caved-in wall and two more sets of double doors, one set more ornate than the others. Through the smaller doors, they find a large beetle busying itself with some rocks. Just as the party dispatch the beetle, it explodes causing a fair amount of damage to the adventurers. The exploded body reveals that the beetle was attempting to hide a large piece of ore.

Investigating further, our heroes come across a large circular chamber with four seemingly emptied ante-chambers surrounding it. Ancient dwarven runes in a series of phrases are translated by Donk reading - '*Nothing you can do to open this door*', '*You may try to force this door open, but it's closed for good*' and '*You lack the positivity to proceed*''. Finally solving the riddle, the door to The Fortress of the Four Former Forges opens before the assembled group