The Troupe continues fighting their way deeper into Section’s base. Cleaving their way through the tunnels beneath the mines, the Troupe are left wondering how deep this structure goes. How deep underground they will need to be before they discover the reason behind Section’s attempts on their lives.
21 Eleasias 1368
We are safe for now, so I send Imoen to check the nearby rooms for traps and locked chests. Skeezer watches as she works, and says he is learning a lot from her.
Gameplay Note
His Death, Wand, and Breath Weapon saving throws improve by 1. His THAC0 is reduced by 1. He gains 25 Skill Points which I use to improve his stealth (Move Silently and Hide In Shadows). He gets 1 additional Hit Point and 1 point of Lore.
While Imoen and Skeezer check the rooms, the rest of us loot the corpses of the recently deceased operatives. They have plate mail armour, enchanted long bows, enchanted long swords, and many enchanted arrows.
One of them wears a ruby ring on his wedding finger. We slayed him in self defense, but knowing he has a life outside of this organisation is a sobering thought.
Imoen reports back that the rooms are clear, and that she managed to break into a couple of locked chests. She’s excited to have found some Arrows of Biting that will poison anything she strikes.
If those don’t work, she also has arrows that can burn through armour and flesh with their acid enchantments.
She also found a few scrolls. The first provides an attack that will hold someone in place if it hits its mark. I copy this one to my spellbook so I can use it more often in the future.
Another is a scroll of Sleep. I’ve found this spell useful so I advise Skeezer to copy this scroll into his spellbook.
The third is a scroll of Dispel Magic. This spell is too advanced for the other spellcasters in our Troupe right now, but I hold onto it. It may come in handy if we encounter anymore of those invisible spectres.
Imoen also says she found some other trinkets: a garnet gem, another bloodstone ring, a waterstar gem, as well as some gold coins. There was an enchanted mace in one chest of drawers, but we are better armed right now.
She also found some potions. One to push the imbiber into a barbaric Rage.
Another to grant someone protection from the gaze of a basilisk. I hope Section doesn’t keep them as pets.
The last can grant one the strength of a Fire Giant. I keep this one in my potion belt. I have a feeling I will need it soon.
While sorting through these finds, Breagar notices Imoen looking at herself in her mirror. His curiosity gets the best of him.
Breagar: Why do you keep staring into that mirror, Imoen? Are you afraid of aging too quickly, as your kind does?
Imoen: What? Oh no, I was just wondering how I might look with a beard.
Breagar: You’re making fun of me?
Imoen: No, not at all. Did you never wonder how you might look without a beard?
Breagar: What for? I don’t have my beard for aesthetic reasons, girl. It is my pride and honour, a sign that I’m an adult.
Imoen: And if a dwarf has no beard?
Breagar: A dwarf without a beard is than. Erm. It means small, defenseless, weak… a toddler is than, you understand?
He doesn’t seem to notice a beardless Helga giving him the side-eye.
Imoen: And all that fuss about a beard. You are a strange people, Breagar.
Breagar: For a human to say that! Buzzurk!
When they are finished talking we move on down the corridor and find another room. Inside there are weapon racks, shields and suits of armour laid out. One suit of armour is smaller than the rest, and starts moving. I notice it raising an axe and taking aim. It’s another dwarf operative.
It’s only one operative so we charge into the room to face him before he can call for help. None of us notice the invisible assassin before he sinks a knife into Skeezer. He drops to his knees clutching the hole in his stomach as poison starts coursing through him.
The poison takes the gnome’s life and the operative that killed him quaffs a Potion of Invisibility before we can retaliate.
What we fought would be an easy fight has quickly turned against us. The dwarf cuts into my shoulder so I back away for a moment. The assassin reappears and stabs his poisonous dagger into Helga. She draws her Hammer of Corrosion, but he consumes another Potion of Invisibility before she can swing it.
Helga is poisoned as well, so she uses one of her scrolls to heal her wounds before it consumes her completely. The assassin reappears and slashes at Kieria. She reels back as blood pours from her chest, but Breagar takes the chance to cut the assassin with his Minotaur Axe.
Luckily, Kieria managed to avoid the effects of the poison and is able to heal herself with a Potion of Healing she pulls of Skeezer’s corpse. She turns her crossbow back toward the assassin.
Helga finishes her spell and her wounds also close up. She takes her sling and with a single shot strikes the assassin in the throat. He clutches at his neck as he collapses, unable to breathe.
The rest turn their focus on the remaining dwarf I have been fighting this whole time. The dwarf is drinking healing potions like ale, surviving long enough to strike me several time. Helga moves forward to heal my wounds while I keep pressure on the dwarf.
My wounds are healed and I’m able to keep him at bay with support from the rest of the Troupe. I see Breagar’s axe sink into the dwarfs shoulder before returning to his hand, then a bolt flies through the dwarf’s eye. The operative is no more.
A few corpses litter the floor of this room, one of which is of our own Troupe. We pull Skeezer’s body into the Bag of Holding. We will need to get him to a temple. Thankfully the Song of the Morning is right above us.
Before we make our way back we first search the armoury. The assassin that killed Skeezer carried a light crossbow with some Bolts of Biting. Kieria loads these into her crossbow.
The dagger he wielded is fast-moving and able to inject poison into any wounds it inflicts. This is the weapon that killed Skeezer. None of us want to use it ourselves.
The dwarf was armed like the rest of his kin. Chain mail, battle axe, and throwing axe; all enchanted.
Many arms and armour are stored in this room. Imoen checks the place for traps before we touch anything. Surprisingly, she says she can’t find any.
We go through the equipment here. Among the armour we find enchanted chain mail, studded leather, and some full plate mail with magical properties I cannot fathom.
There is an enchanted small shield among the various shields scattered around.
On a nearby table is a pile of swords, including a magical bastard sword.
Another weapon rack holds three enchanted weapons. The first is a halberd, and though I think I recognise it, I can’t tell what type of weapon it is.
The second is a spear, a very powerful weapon known as Gibbet, forged by Mekorig the Blind. It was meant to end all monsters, but has instead shown up in various dragon’s treasure hoards. Now, for some reason, we are finding it here.
The third is a powerfully enchanted battle axe. Breagar says this feels like a finer weapon than the Minotaur Axe and chooses to replace it with the new weapon.
On the final weapons rack we find some more axes, among them an enchanted throwing axe. Breagar gives it a try, but he says he can’t see any benefit over the throwing axe he already weilds.
In order to bring Skeezer back to this realm, we make our way back through the tunnels that led us down here. We aren’t met with any resistance as we step over the corpses of the operatives we’ve slain before. That is until we make our way to the tunnels above and Kieria lets out a cold scream. Another of these invisible spectres still wanders the tunnels!
I turn and charge the creature while Kieria rushes away and consumes a Potion of Healing.
I want to kill this beast quickly, so I quaff one of my Potions of Speed. Moving quickly now, I prepare to use the Scroll of Dispel Magic to disable its defenses.
Breagar’s axe sticks into the creature several times as the spell takes effect. It is wounded and not putting up as much of a fight as others of its kind.
Breagar hurls his axe and it cleaves the head of the beast clean off, embedding itself into the rock behind. The axe is already back in his hand before the spectre hits the ground.
Breagar laughs and swears after this kill. He says he is getting used to slaying these undead abominations.
Gameplay Note
His Breath Weapon and Spell Saving Throws both improve by 1 point. His THAC0 is reduced by 1. He gets 8 additional Hit Points and 1 point of Lore.
We make it to the top level of the mine expecting a fight, but the operatives here ignore us. Perhaps they think us Section operatives since we came from the lower floors. Whatever the reason, we don’t argue. We make our way back to the entrance. Back to Helga’s Home.
We count our blessings and quickly make our way to the Song of the Morning Temple. Kelddath asks us for a donation of 400 gold to bring back Skeezer.
Skeezer is brought back, but death isn’t so easy to recover from. He chooses to rest in the temple until he feels ready to continue adventuring.
Thankfully, we have someone to replace him right here in the temple. She is eager to rejoin us, having recovered since that goblin stabbed her in the back.
Dynaheir: I had hope I would see the again. Mayhaps we could join once again?
Aegon: Your expertise is welcome. Travel with me, will you?
Dynaheir: That is a wise and beneficial decision for all concerned.
I tell her we have equipment in our Bag of Holding that she may find useful. She digs around and takes the enchanted small shield we found in Section’s armoury below. For some extra protection she takes some Bracers of Defense.
She takes the Gibbet as a weapon so she can strike quickly from afar in melee. For her sling I give her my Bag of Plenty. I hardly use my own sling, so it makes sense she should take advantage of these unlimited bullets.
Gameplay Note
Dynaheir has no proficiencies with any melee weapons, so it seems that the Gibbet is the most powerful weapon the party has in its possession.
We take a moment to rest in the temple. Imoen uses this as an opportunity to satisfy her curiosity about beards once more.
Imoen: Breagar, I…
Breagar sighs.
Imoen: Oh, don’t be like that. I thought about our last conversation.
Breagar: You have?
Imoen: Yes, about what you said about dwarves without beards being… fan?
Breagar: Than.
Imoen: Whatever. So theoretically, what if you are fighting a dragon and just before you can slay it, it spits fire on your face and burns off your beard…
Breagar: If dragon fire were to hit me square in the face, I would lose more than just the beard.
Imoen: Or… what if a mage casts a fireball on you, and the beard…
Breagar: No damned mage would ever get that chance!
Imoen: But theoretically…
Breagar: Theoretically what?
Imoen: Theoretically a dwarf’s beard is torn-off during a heroic battle. Or something like that. Wouldn’t that dwarf still be a hero?
Breagar: A dwarf whose beard is damaged in battle would rather jump axe first down a dragon’s throat, than to live on with that shame.
A beardless dwarf would never make it in society.
Imoen: I see.
And you call us mad, yes?
I rub my chin. It’s full of stubble. I need to shave soon.
