Even as Forge remains standing the armor museum the other 4 find a room full of bones, almost all showing signs of trauma—including being gnawed on—and a far more pleasant chamber where going up eventually leads down and all the libations of the cosmos seem to be gathered together. In the wine cellar they also meet Ivan, an oversized white mouse with the taste for the good stuff (or any stuff with alcohol). Ivan advises on the Hut as best he can, given his inebriated state. Notes how restful his preferred beverages can be.
From his advice, they head to a room full of strange skeletons—collected from the great witches kills—including a diorama of kobold skeletons bowing to a huge dragon skeleton. They also stumble into a warren of servants for that witch. Many seem to be out, but (different) scampering bird men—diakkas—and two Hades born Derghodeamons do not seem happy to see them.
Outside of some battering of the warlord, they defeat the deamonic servants handily. They rest in the wine cellar--the big mouse was right--and resume exploring.
Buckthorn spies into one room where various fiery beings supervised by a mighty fire giant work at incredibly hot forges. Another one, identified by the mouse as having “bad horses” actually contains nightmares, also of Hades, and their bird-being caretakers. Both are avoided.
They encounter the fair Elena, “sister” Natasha, who gives them a tour of the vast formal dining room—with its views of “outside”. And sends Ivan to find Forge…They even find a comfortable room, with five beds, one smaller and one quite stout. They rest.
In the midst of this, they also find a room with two planar gates. That can take them “anywhere”. One is guarded by two strange dwarf-like beings. The other by a mighty volcanic dragon. Various party members enter this chamber from one way or another. Many, many times. Surely a sign from Pathar. Somehow they convenience the guardians that they are guests of the great witch…though they also leave them deeply suspicious, and bemused, with their repeated appearances. So they don’t get actual permission to use the gates.
And there is small matter of Forge.
At some point, the 5 enter a strange place with doors that lead back into itself…they quickly realize there is no conventional escape, and seek someway of overcoming this trapped space. A variety of skills eventually allows them to “see” the way through the otherwise impassible doors, and they escape.
Not Forge. Shortly after he realizes he is standing with the armor alone, (which was a while, it was impressive armor) he does in fact find his way to the wine cellar, and signs of the party! He slowly, methodically searches. Very slowly. (Ivan has followed the party a bit at this point, and then taken an inebriated nap, missing the dwarf).
Finally, Shelsa the cat appears, and telepaths to the dwarf that he should follow her. His response: “thank goodness”. He has no doubt of the cat’s motive or identity… at least not for a really long time. He persistently goes through doors and teleports here and there, always back in. He does a masterful job of following his own tracks and figures out the layout of the whole area (a 20 on a perception check was involved). And he just keeps going. Door after door. Slowly feeling drowsy. Eventually, with no idea that his constant searching can,
by itself, accomplish nothing, he collapses. As he does, he hears his companions, just entering the chamber. He is too weak to call out. As he looks up he sees Natasha bent over him with her finger on her lips. The final things he hears is her whisper “that was too easy”.
They never notice the dwarf, and continue on without him. Eventually, they decide to return to the armor museum. They take a stairway to a small chamber with dramatic double doors covered in strange runes. They eventually open them. They enter a large dramatic chamber made of black marble streaked with golden veins. A domed ceiling rises 60 fee overhead, and is filled with swirls of collared light.
The nagpa (the vulture bird men) and deamons in the room do not seem happy to see them. But they react slowly, and are hit with an incredible barrage of critical hits and powerful magic (which is in no way restricted in this place). They survive long enough to do some damage of their own…and Nar does a good job of setting Sim on fire…but eventually they are dispatched or flee.
Ivan looks for Forge, who has gone somewhere else that is not one of the 20+ areas of the Hut the party has been to.
