3rd Day of the Claw of Sunsets (March) 1363 DR:
Firehammer Hold – Chapter Six
Haela Brightaxe: (22:40 pm):
Leaving the statue of Haela Brightaxe behind them, Mirafir Roven and Frimly Greenish continue onwards theough Firehammer Hold.
12b. Barracks Posts:
This octagonal chamber contains a fireplace, a round table with stools, and six bunk beds. Three narrow windows pierce one wall. This room has a 5’ foot tall bellows apparatus fixed to one of the walls, south in this area. Each apparatus is below a small square window with a closable brass plate attached to it with hinges. A brass pipe leads from each apparatus into the wall underneath the window.
Within the chamber Thora, who enters first, finds Duergar Warriors ready to fire their Crossbows at the Warrioress, another Duergar in robes and as she prepares for the volley of Bolts, catches the outline of another Duergar in robes who then merges into the background after casting a Spell.
Thora: “They hide in their surroundings as does Frimly and Galan with their ‘Elven Cloaks’.”
Sigune’s entry into the Barracks Post is impeded by an ‘Invisible Barrier’ and is not able to aid Thora.
Sigune: “Someone has cast ‘Wall of Force’ and I cannot enter the chamber, Mirafir you must do something Thora is surrounded by Duergar Warriors and I can see a Magician too.”
The 3 Adventures do not know how to aid hora who has now entered into melee with the Duergar Warriors who hate all Dwarves. Thora makes easy work of the Duergar Warriors who fight but others use the Crossbow Bolts and the, visible, Duergar Wizard also casts ‘Ice Storm?’ at the cornered Warrior Dwarf. As Thora makes easy work of the 4 Duergar Warriors that were fighting her, the others held back at the command of a Duergar voice which Thora believed to be the hidden one. Then that Duergar appeared and disappeared into the background having cast another ‘Wall of Force’ Spell trapping Thora against the wall with no escape.
Sigune and Thora can both see that one of the remaining Duergar Warriors, and no followers of Haela Brightaxe, had moved towards the Bellows and Sigune relayed this to the other. Hearing this Frimly has the bright idea to delay and distract the Duergar Warriors by using one of his ‘Cards of Illusions’ in the room beyond the stone double doors and where their Duergar Warriors and Bellows where facing.
Sigune, still standing in the ‘Continual Darkness’ with her face pressed against the ‘Wall of Force’, and Thora both see the Duergar Magic User appear again but this time they had moved to the corridor to the east of the Barracks Post. Thora waits for the charge of the reaming Duergar Warriors but they are ordered to wait and the Duergar Magic User casts another ‘Wall of Force’ trapping Thora against the wall. The Duergar Magic User disappears once more behind the line of Duergar Warriors that open fire with their Crossbows at Thora. Another of the ‘Magical Teardrop Stun Bolts’ were used against the wall right by Thora and she was Stunned.
Mirafir and Frimly had both exited the ‘Continual Darkness’ and Frimly proceeded to move past the 2 sets of double stones doors, picks a card from his ‘Deck of Illusions’ and tosses it into the Drinking Hall beyond.
Frimly: “I have drawn the 8 of Diamonds, may Lady Luck be with me today.”
The Thief deftly flicks the card through the gap in the door near the middle of the chamber and in full view of the Duergar Warriors who was looking into the Drinking Hall. To the Adventures misfortune a Gnoll appears and begins looking around the chamber and the Duergar Warriors can be heard shouting out to it.
Duergar Warriors: “What are you doing within Firehammer Hold; we did not let you in?”
The Gnoll continues looking around for the voice with its weapon drawn.
Meanwhile Thora is no quite convinced that the ‘Wall of Force’ is real as the Crossbow Bolts from the Duergar Warriors went right through it. Mustering all her distrust of everything not Dwarven, Thora attempts to ‘Disbelieve’ the Magic barrier but it remains. Sigune is unawares of Thora’s conflict continues to watch the Duergar Warriors and especially the Duergar Magic user that is visible and the one that merges in to the background.
Not knowing what else they can do to aid Thora, the Adventures elect to enter the Drinking Hall to investigate the door in the chamber to the south.
Frimly: “Maybe there is a Secret Door that we could use to get behind the Duergar Warriors?”
Sigune: “We can always pray Frimly.”
Frimly: “Isn’t that your job Sigune, anyway I think you should investigate the chamber as I suspect that the apparatus maned by the Duergar Warrior will shoot out fire.”
Sigune has no hesitation in striding straight into the Drinking Hall and begins looking around.
Sigune is engulfed in Flames originating from the north wall and her ‘Ring of Fire Resistance’ affords her some protection from the flames but they do burn her none the less? Sigune can just about make out that shutter was closed once the flames were released.
Thora meanwhile, can see that the Duergar Warrior was operating the apparatus from within the Barracks Post near to the statue of Haela Brightaxe.
A 5’ foot tall bellows apparatus is fixed to one of the walls on the southern wall. Each apparatus is below a small square window with a closable brass plate attached to it with hinges. A brass pipe leads from each apparatus into the wall underneath the window and into the adjacent room.
Sigune stands in the middle of the Drinking Hall while Mirafir and Frimly investigated the door to the south. Mirafir and Frimly find that the door was opened, possible due to their recent activities.
Frimly: “If they did leave this room then they didn’t come passed us Wizard.”
Mirafir: “That is extremely observant of you Frimly; let me search the ground for signs of our enemies.”
Mirafir checks for Tracks while Frimly looks at the chamber beyond.
11. Audience Chamber:
The walls of this room are covered by slate bas-reliefs depicting ancient Dwarf Kings and Queens. An ornate, high-backed throne of azure stone stands in the middle of the east wall. A fire has been lit in a fireplace with a brass-plated mantle in the middle of the south wall. A kite-shield-shaped black banner showing a broken crossbow bolt in red hangs from the mantle. 4 bedrolls are spread before the fireplace, and a Silver Bowl sits on the floor near them, holding down several Unrolled Scrolls.
Mirafir: “Frimly Look I have found footprints that enter and exit quickly towards the north eastern corner of this great Drinking Hall.
Frimly: “let us check this Audience Chamber first and then collect Sigune and follow the tracks.
Inside the Audience Chamber Frimly gather the scrolls, after looking at the top one, and can see they are of Dwarven Script which he cannot read, I will pass this onto Thora or the Wizard can use his ‘Comprehend Languages’ Spell to read them. Mirafir is fascinated by the kite-shield-shaped black banner but the symbol is unknown to him.
A Gift For Haela Brightaxe: (23:00 pm):
Mayhap an offering to Haela Brightaxe?
Sigune, while looking around the Drinking Hall spots another Fire Hole on the south east wall by the fireplace. Frimly climbs along the wall and blocks the Fire Hole with one of his Iron Spikes.
Frimly: “There are more Duergar Warriors behind this wall and they have closed the Brass cover.”
Mirafir and Frimly collect Sigune and follow the track which head towards the north east corner of the Drinking Hall.
Mirafir: “You are correct; there is a Secret Door in here Frimly.”
Sigune: “Let us hasten back to aid Thora, we cannot leave her alone and we will waste time on this Secret Door.”
Mirafir, Frimly and Sigune head back to where Thora was being held and Sigune eventually remember that she possesses one of the parties 2 Gems that have had ‘Continual Light’ cast upon them, Sir Ly and Vicross had the 2 Sling Bullets with ‘Continual Light’ cast upon them, and it cancels out the ‘Continual Darkness’ cast by the Duergar Magic User.
Eventually Thora gets out from behind the ‘Wall of Force’ and Sigune, Mirafir and Frimly are able to aid the Dwarven Warrioress in dispatching the remaining Duergar Warriors and remaining Duergar Magic User.
Mirafir and Frimly join the 2 Warriors in the Barracks Posts and they check the area quickly. They only way out is the corridor to the west of the Barracks Posts.
Frimly climbs along the wall, to avoid being seen by anyone from the stairs to the north, and then he heads towards the hexagonal chamber to the west. Sigune follows after the Thief but does not mimic Frimly’s caution and it fired upon by more Duergar Warriors Crossbow Bolts from the stairs. Mirafir and Thora follow on making sure they duct past the stair and they all come across a small 5’ foot corridor, heading south and ending at a blank wall.
Mirafir: “That is where the Secret Door to the Drinking Hall must be, let me go down and open it up.”
Sigune: “I will keep guard on our rear and the stairs after I have healed myself.”
Thora: “I too need healing.”
Frimly: “Let me see what I can within the hexagonal chamber beyond, but I suspect it to be another Guard Post.”
12c Barracks Posts:
This room contain levers and winches connected to chains to operate the nearby portcullis trap? The lever must be used to drop the portcullises nearby and the winch can lift the same. A second lever locks or unlocks something else.
Frimly: “I can also see more Arrow Loops that are behind the narrow niches 3’ foot-tall and starting 3 feet off the floor.
Thora: “By Haela Brightaxe, Can you see anything beyond?”
Frimly: “Let me look, there are more stairs to the north in the room and beyond I can see…”
16. Mine Cart Station:
This area contains the terminus of a mine rail, which descends through a passage in the north wall. An empty mine cart sits on a rail in the middle of the room, connected to a chain and a winch near the south wall. Beside the winch is a corridor leading south. In the western part of the room are four large, metal-bound wooden crates. The western wall is where Frimly is looking through and has narrow 3’ foot-tall niches starting 3 feet off the floor.
Frimly: “The Duergar Magic User has cast a ‘Wall of Fog’ Spell on the stairs, Haela Brightaxe aid us.”
Mirafir: “I have opened the Secret Door.”