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The Forges of the Mountain King Chapter 1- Bottom's Up!
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<blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 5577577" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p>[OOC] Gents, my sincere apologies for missing all the fun, but a family emergency came up that coincided with my parents' visit. I apologize for my sudden dissappearance, but as of today, I'm back on the grid. I've done my best to catch up on what I've missed...seems Cinara's been slacking as much as her owner. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> If there's a chance for a quick, succinct summary of what happened since getting to the front door, I'd reaaaly appreciate it. [/OOC]</p><p></p><p></p><p>[OOC]</p><p>The Gaffer has this to say en route-</p><p></p><p>"I'll tell you what I know about the Tannheim, for whatever good it will do. The rumour is the Tannheim were a 'specialist' clan, they were interested in dangerous things that were best kept secret, dangerous and powerful. They chose a life of isolation, even during their glory years, which were certainly more than a century ago. The Tannheim had as many friends on the topside, the humans and the like, as they had in the Halls, perhaps more."</p><p></p><p>The Gaffer scratches his chin.</p><p></p><p>"They were a strange bunch for other reasons, or so it was said, they worked for others- any creatures that had power and new knowledge, they constructed devices for specialist customers- the Lords of Nentir, and particularly Fallcrest made use of their skills. But they were not alone, they made deals with Tieflings and others."</p><p></p><p>The Gaffer lets this new information sink in, before continuing on-</p><p></p><p>"They created, it is said, great forges- forges that were possessed of intelligence, they crafted mighty magic items using strange metals that were said to come from beyond the stars. You asked what you should do here, I suggest find these forges... if they exist. If you could relight them, well... you and your kind would have the key to great power, should you be able to control them."</p><p></p><p>The Gaffer shakes his head some more....</p><p></p><p>"But it will not be easy, the story goes the Tannheim clan were wiped out in a single night... although how anyone would know this- whatever it was that destroyed them, well it may lurk still within the halls. There are a thousand stories about why, and how, and... But the one that I favour is a creature beyond death now stalks the Lost Forge- a Lich, a creature already death that commands powers to destroy- something happened, some internal problem, some corruption- that's what I believe, but... I've never been there, not inside- what do I know."</p><p></p><p>One last thing...</p><p></p><p>"There are Dwarves there, I have never seen them, but... I can smell them, they are not like me or you, they are not like the Tannheim, they are... I don't know, odd- I smell their jumbled minds- wild and uncontrolled, maddened. I don't know who they are... but I fear them."</p><p></p><p>Three days later arrive at the remains of the tower you are in at the moment-</p><p></p><p>Rising out of the Underdark lake, the once-mighty tower is now little more than a trio of crumbling walls. Built of massive blocks of rough-hewn stone, the tower must have once been several stories in height. </p><p></p><p>Through the broken stone door, you can see the rotten remains of collapsed timbers (now no more than a muddy mess) and debris in a pile in the centre of the chamber some three or four feet high. A cold wind whistles through the stones, the low chanting seems to rise and fall with the wind.</p><p></p><p>You move closer, allow your light to search out and illuminate all within.</p><p></p><p>The interior of the tower is littered with debris: thick wooden beams, broken slate shingles, and fallen stone blocks. The half-collapsed roof leaves much of the tower cloaked in shadows. Statues — four in all — stand in the dark corners of the tower. Each depicts a dwarf arrayed in battle armour.</p><p></p><p>At the far side of the tower a rusty metal gate hangs awkwardly there seems to be a passage beyond, through the ruined building.</p><p></p><p>The chanting is definitely louder within the tower, though still muffled.</p><p></p><p>It is readily apparent that the statues are the source of the muffled chanting. </p><p></p><p>There are no creatures present, save perhaps for a lone rat (not monstrous in any way) which sits up to stare back at you.</p><p></p><p>The PCs investigate</p><p></p><p>The statues are chanting- Dwarven prayers, they are complex wind chimes (of a sort) all of them have been blocked up by rags and stone, Krogan clears one out- it is indeed some sort of religious chant but difficult to make out.</p><p></p><p>Mardred discovers one of the statues is pointing in a slightly different direction to the others, he finds a button and presses it, the secret door opens.</p><p></p><p>Inside a dead Dwarf- unarmed, skeletal- find a set of Thieves Tools and a piece of paper which states-</p><p>Then he remembers the paper, carefully unfolds it and reads the following- written in Davek (the Dwarven tongue)-</p><p></p><p>"At the gates of gilded blood,</p><p>one click sinister, then shun both extremes.</p><p>Keep to the centre, keep your life."</p><p></p><p>Also within a chest/locked metal box, Mardred drags it out and gets to work-</p><p>There's a satisfying click.</p><p></p><p>"Simple as that fellas"</p><p></p><p>Mardred kicks open the lid, within is a single wooden box, swathed in white silk. Mardred gingerly lifts the box out, "bugger, it's 'eavy!", and then begins to unwrap the silk. The silk is emblazoned with dwarven sigils warding against death and destruction, and ring a crude image depicting the destruction of a city (or perhaps of the world?) in a rain of fire.</p><p>That’s not all-</p><p>Mardred grins at Krogan, "dangerous", he chuckles.</p><p></p><p>And then opens the wooden box.</p><p></p><p>Inside the box are three small pouches, each marked with a stylized skull and weighing — amazingly — over 5 lbs each. </p><p></p><p>Mardred lifts a pouch out and puts the box back down, he grins some more, and then opens the pouch-</p><p></p><p>Marder's face is illuminated by a golden glow.</p><p></p><p>The pouches contain what appear to be iron filings that sparkle with the light of a starry sky. However they're moving- the fillings are in constant motion, moving top to tail in seemingly random directions- millions of them at at once.</p><p></p><p>The effect is a little hypnotic, Mardred opens his hand for all to see.</p><p>OOC: Imagine a bunch of sparkly iron fillings behaving like mexican jumping beans- constantly moving top-to-tail, in random directions over and under each other. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Then the floor collapses, a pair of Fire Beetles appear, and... from post #107 we’re in combat.</p><p></p><p>Now you know everything.[/OOC]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 5577577, member: 16069"] [OOC] Gents, my sincere apologies for missing all the fun, but a family emergency came up that coincided with my parents' visit. I apologize for my sudden dissappearance, but as of today, I'm back on the grid. I've done my best to catch up on what I've missed...seems Cinara's been slacking as much as her owner. :) If there's a chance for a quick, succinct summary of what happened since getting to the front door, I'd reaaaly appreciate it. [/OOC] [OOC] The Gaffer has this to say en route- "I'll tell you what I know about the Tannheim, for whatever good it will do. The rumour is the Tannheim were a 'specialist' clan, they were interested in dangerous things that were best kept secret, dangerous and powerful. They chose a life of isolation, even during their glory years, which were certainly more than a century ago. The Tannheim had as many friends on the topside, the humans and the like, as they had in the Halls, perhaps more." The Gaffer scratches his chin. "They were a strange bunch for other reasons, or so it was said, they worked for others- any creatures that had power and new knowledge, they constructed devices for specialist customers- the Lords of Nentir, and particularly Fallcrest made use of their skills. But they were not alone, they made deals with Tieflings and others." The Gaffer lets this new information sink in, before continuing on- "They created, it is said, great forges- forges that were possessed of intelligence, they crafted mighty magic items using strange metals that were said to come from beyond the stars. You asked what you should do here, I suggest find these forges... if they exist. If you could relight them, well... you and your kind would have the key to great power, should you be able to control them." The Gaffer shakes his head some more.... "But it will not be easy, the story goes the Tannheim clan were wiped out in a single night... although how anyone would know this- whatever it was that destroyed them, well it may lurk still within the halls. There are a thousand stories about why, and how, and... But the one that I favour is a creature beyond death now stalks the Lost Forge- a Lich, a creature already death that commands powers to destroy- something happened, some internal problem, some corruption- that's what I believe, but... I've never been there, not inside- what do I know." One last thing... "There are Dwarves there, I have never seen them, but... I can smell them, they are not like me or you, they are not like the Tannheim, they are... I don't know, odd- I smell their jumbled minds- wild and uncontrolled, maddened. I don't know who they are... but I fear them." Three days later arrive at the remains of the tower you are in at the moment- Rising out of the Underdark lake, the once-mighty tower is now little more than a trio of crumbling walls. Built of massive blocks of rough-hewn stone, the tower must have once been several stories in height. Through the broken stone door, you can see the rotten remains of collapsed timbers (now no more than a muddy mess) and debris in a pile in the centre of the chamber some three or four feet high. A cold wind whistles through the stones, the low chanting seems to rise and fall with the wind. You move closer, allow your light to search out and illuminate all within. The interior of the tower is littered with debris: thick wooden beams, broken slate shingles, and fallen stone blocks. The half-collapsed roof leaves much of the tower cloaked in shadows. Statues — four in all — stand in the dark corners of the tower. Each depicts a dwarf arrayed in battle armour. At the far side of the tower a rusty metal gate hangs awkwardly there seems to be a passage beyond, through the ruined building. The chanting is definitely louder within the tower, though still muffled. It is readily apparent that the statues are the source of the muffled chanting. There are no creatures present, save perhaps for a lone rat (not monstrous in any way) which sits up to stare back at you. The PCs investigate The statues are chanting- Dwarven prayers, they are complex wind chimes (of a sort) all of them have been blocked up by rags and stone, Krogan clears one out- it is indeed some sort of religious chant but difficult to make out. Mardred discovers one of the statues is pointing in a slightly different direction to the others, he finds a button and presses it, the secret door opens. Inside a dead Dwarf- unarmed, skeletal- find a set of Thieves Tools and a piece of paper which states- Then he remembers the paper, carefully unfolds it and reads the following- written in Davek (the Dwarven tongue)- "At the gates of gilded blood, one click sinister, then shun both extremes. Keep to the centre, keep your life." Also within a chest/locked metal box, Mardred drags it out and gets to work- There's a satisfying click. "Simple as that fellas" Mardred kicks open the lid, within is a single wooden box, swathed in white silk. Mardred gingerly lifts the box out, "bugger, it's 'eavy!", and then begins to unwrap the silk. The silk is emblazoned with dwarven sigils warding against death and destruction, and ring a crude image depicting the destruction of a city (or perhaps of the world?) in a rain of fire. That’s not all- Mardred grins at Krogan, "dangerous", he chuckles. And then opens the wooden box. Inside the box are three small pouches, each marked with a stylized skull and weighing — amazingly — over 5 lbs each. Mardred lifts a pouch out and puts the box back down, he grins some more, and then opens the pouch- Marder's face is illuminated by a golden glow. The pouches contain what appear to be iron filings that sparkle with the light of a starry sky. However they're moving- the fillings are in constant motion, moving top to tail in seemingly random directions- millions of them at at once. The effect is a little hypnotic, Mardred opens his hand for all to see. OOC: Imagine a bunch of sparkly iron fillings behaving like mexican jumping beans- constantly moving top-to-tail, in random directions over and under each other. Then the floor collapses, a pair of Fire Beetles appear, and... from post #107 we’re in combat. Now you know everything.[/OOC] [/QUOTE]
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