Heroes of Winterhaven (4e)

[Tikigod]

It's been awhile since we played and it will be a little bit longer before we play again. October is crazy busy for all of us. But...in the meantime, here is something I sent to the players:

Ghol Avalar
The Kingdom of Ghol Avalar is located in the southwestern corner of the Innerlands. Its western border is defined by the Longback Mountains and its southern border is contiguous with the Great Forest. On the east, Ghol Avalar shares a border with Ulstenland. Its northern shores are on The Fathoms.

In the ancient speech of the West, Ghol Avalar means land of the owls. The country has a long history of proud warriors and valiant knights. The people are proud of their martial ancestry. Alone among the countries of the Innerlands, Ghol Avalar was never conquered by the Empire of the Sea. In fact, Avalarians proudly tell the story of the Great Starvation, when every able bodied farmer had joined the King’s Army to push the Imperial Troops from the shores and left The Fathoms bloody for ten years.

The land is currently ruled by His Majesty Broderick Blackmane, Owl King, and Lord Protector of The Fathoms. The Blackmane dynasty has been in power for hundreds of years and has provided stability and inspired leadership. King Blackmane rules from Keltis Siddig and is on friendly terms with the dwarven kingdom of Kurgish-Muhr and the elven courts that roam the Great Forest. The strongest symbol of Ghol Avalar is the Owlknights. They are an elite force of champions and adventurers that keep the peace.

The worship of the Progenitors is the official sanctioned religion. The Allfather and the three Mothers have temples in every city and town and even most villages have some sort of shrine to the creators of the world. But cults and mystery religions can also be found throughout Ghol Avalar. Other than the Four, the most popular gods include Corellon, Moradin, and Poseidon. There have been sinister rumors of increased activity from the evil worshippers of Orcus and Tharizdun.

Currently the armies of the Owl Lands have been busy protecting against Imperial raids in Ulstenland. The navy has, as always, its hands busy with pirates and corsairs. The newest and most concerning threat is the war in the Westlands. The demonic hordes of Ghol Vartcha, commanded by the dread lich Xog-Uthu lay siege to the Raven King in the fortress-city of Torvalvar. King Broderick knows only a short stretch of mountains separate him from the malicious armies of the Vulture Lands.

 

[Tikigod]

The heroes send Scranton scurrying down the small hole in the west wall. He squeezes himself into a small muddy room filled with corpses. The half-elf decides to grab the rest of the party before entering the room. In single file, Ern leads them into the small mud-filled room. While poking at the corpses, the floor erupts into an attacking mud slime. It blasts forth a rotting stench and showers the Heroes with burning acid. In the tight quarters, it is hard for the adventurers to escape the deadly acid attacks. But enduring the damage, the group finally destroys the muddy slime.

After the slime attack, Morthos and Scranton argue to clear out the areas behind them. “Imagine,” Scranton describes, “we are fightin’ this Kalarel and a horde of monsters pour in behind us.” Nex counters with a plan of blocking the doorways with a wall of corpses. After some eye rolling at Nex’s plan, the Heroes backtrack to the hallways they had previously bypassed.

The first passage leads into an area with a pair of small niches. As Ern and Morthos walk by the first niche, a translucent cube of slime flops onto them. Scranton yells out, “That looks worse than being in my mother’s womb!” Acid eats at them, but the fighter and the warlord power their way out of the gelatinous cube. Much to Scranton’s dismay, Ern puts the final hit on the cube. “Just like the mud slime!” Scranton yells, “I do all the work and you get all the glory!”

Ern leans on his hammer and gives a smug smile at the rogue.

A search of the area turns up a hideaway with kid-sized beds. Old bloodstains streak the floor and walls. “This is where Sir Keegan killed his kids,” Morthos says. A chest is found containing children’s clothes and toys. Also within is a crystal holding the image of a roaring minotaur. The Heroes have found Valthran’s Minotaur Crystal!

More backtracking takes the party into the planning room of the chieftain of Kalarel’s hobgoblin mercenaries. Unnoticed, Ern Sparhenge trips a silent alarm. The hobbies spring an ambush! Nex sleeps several of the attackers and then Shock Spheres more into permanent unconsciousness. As the hobgoblin chief dies, he yells out, “My Bloodreaver brothers will avenge me!”

The next room is a hobgoblin barracks. As the group enter, the hobbie soldier sprints down a hallway. Ern gives chase and Nex fires off a magic missile. Morthos opens the door to the north to guard against a flanking assault. Scranton slips in to kill the minions. A hobgoblin warcaster steps forward, guarded by the soldier that ran down the hall. The warcaster casts a spell. Red glowing hands grab Nex and draw him into the hallway. The human spell-slinger uses Expeditious Retreat to escape from certain doom. Morthos and Ern fight shoulder to shoulder down the hallway, enduring multiple Force Blasts from the warcaster. Scranton and Nex, hearing the booming spells, flank the hobgoblins from the northern passageway. Victory belongs to the Heroes of Winterhaven. Nex collects the heads of the warcaster and the chieftain. A watch is set and a well deserved sleep is taken.

 

[Tikigod]

So the time has finally come to open the doors to the dread temple. The double doors had been the destination of the squawking clay scout. The party is convinced that Kalarel conducts his unholy rites behind these double doors. Ern, as brash as always, tosses open the doors. A horrifying scene lies before them. Within the ruined temple complex are four crystal pillars giving off a fitful turquoise glow. A huge statue of Orcus stands on a broken dais. Streams of blood pour from the statue’s eyes. The red liquid forms two separate vile rivers that pour into a hole in the middle of the room. A thick coppery smell intermingles with foul incense. Four chains drop from the hole into the darkness below. A terrible chanting burbles up from the hole.

Near the unholy statue is a sweating man dressed in black vestments and wearing a goat skull on his shaven head. In front of the pit are two zealous worshippers. Their eyes roll in their sockets. Foam gathers at the corner of their mouths and their scarred hands jerkily grasp massive battle axes. Also throughout the temple are gaunt men with crimson eyes and bloody claws. The last member of the evil congregation is a dark creeper.

“Waterflesh!” the priest yells, “You shall never stop Master Kalarel’s ritual! Attack them!”

The berserkers move forward to block access into the greater area of the temple. The vampire spawn and the dark creeper begin to move to the side rooms to flank the party. Nex casts Sleep. The priest succumbs to the magical slumber but his berserkers shake off the attack. The wizard then moves back to help Scranton on their left flank. The dark creeper melds into the shadows reappearing behind the half-elf and backstabbing him. Scranton decides to ignore his attacker. He tumbles to a vampire spawn and puts it out of commission. Morthos sets up a Bastion of Defense and Ern continues to press his attack against a berserker.

Nex burns several vampiric spawn with a Scorching Burst and darts back to the relative safety of the front-line fighters. The minions from the right flank move to melee with the spell slinging wizard. Scranton faces off solo against the dark creeper, but the foe’s teleporting attacks are too much for the rogue. With a Nimble Strike, he disengages and joins his mates. Nex Thunderwaves the approaching spawn.

The death of one of the berserkers awakens the dark priest from his sleep. The other fanatic engages both Ern and Morthos. The priest assaults the tiefling warlord with surges of necrotic energy. The dark creeper circles back around to flank Ern. Morthos falls to the priest’s continuous attacks. Scranton surges forward and with a series of tricking feints drives the wounded berserker into the pit. The evil warrior’s scream ends with a wet thud. The chanting from below suddenly ceases. An unnerving silence is punctuated only by the heavy breath of combat and the clash of weapons. Then a single horrid, hoarse laugh drifts up from below and the chanting begins again.

Nex’s Force Orb spells death for the dark creeper. Ern and Scranton chase down Orcus’ underpriest. The tiefling continues to edge closer to death. With quick desperation, the Heroes finish off the priest and are able to rescue Morthos from the brink of expiration. Ern smashes the degenerate statue of the Undead Lord. Nex throws the hobgoblin heads down the pit.

The hoarse voice is heard over the chanting, “Thank you for their heads. Death is welcome in this place!”

 

[Tikigod]

The descent begins. The Heroes mount the blood-slick chains and lower into the wretched hole. Except for Nex, the party makes the climb safely. Luckily, Nex has a magic Safewing Amulet that protects him against falls. The chanting now pounds at their ears.

The scene is even more horrifying than the temple above. The Heroes of Winterhaven stand in a pool of coagulating blood. To their left is another statue of Orcus. Chained to rows of benches near the statue are pale humans, chanting their depraved prayers. To the group’s left is a rune inscribed magic circle. A turquoise light pulses in time to the chanting. Beyond the circle is a portal of icy blackness. Something within bulges against the portal, stretching and pulling. Behind them is a pit surrounded by smaller statues of the undead demon lord. A wight dressed in rotting robes stares at them with burning hatred. To their front is a skeleton guarding the bases of a horrid dais. On the dais stands Kalarel, High Priest of Orcus.

He speaks, “Ah! The heroes! The final component to my ritual has arrived. The heart of a hero is all that I need to open the portal and release the Thing! Ninaran has done her job well. Now come, adventurers. Your death waits!”

Scranton spits, “That b***h, Ninaran! She will get hers!”

A swift gesture at the skeleton and a nod from the team is all it takes for the action to start. Scranton fires a quarrel at the wight and darts to the walking bones. The front-liners join the fray on the skeleton. Nex puts range between himself and the enemies. Kalarel steps onto the stairs of the dais and heals his skeletal soldiers.

The fight suddenly shifts to Kalarel. Morthos, Nex, and Ern switch targets to the High Priest. Scranton continues the attack on the skeleton and quickly dispatches it. Then all attacks are directed towards Kalarel. The wight leaves its post at the far end of the room, still launching icy death against Morthos and Scranton. Once surrounded Kalarel laughs and touches an amulet at his neck. The High Priest teleports to the magic circle and positions himself as close to the roiling gateway as possible.

Ern moves to re-engage Kalarel but as he moves past the gateway, a clawed arm stretches from the black plane and strikes the dwarf. Morthos and Scranton also close the gap with the evil priest. Nex sends Magic Missiles screaming to the enemy. The wight’s magic raises the defeated skeleton and it darts back to the edge of his pit. The skeleton begins chasing Nex up the dais and across the room.

The very veins of Kalarel’s body pulses with the evil turquoise light of the magic circle. His wounds slowly begin to regenerate. Ern counters with Boundless Endurance. But the dwarf experiences terror as the Thing in the Portal grabs him and pulls him closer to certain death. Kalarel erupts with maniacal laughter.

The battle continues back and forth until finally the skeleton skewers Nex on its long sword. Seconds after, Ern brings death to Kalarel. The Thing in the Portal greedily grabs the priest’s body. Its shadowy claws sink into the corpse. Kalarel’s eyes jerk open. Only the whites stare forth. Kalarel is jerked into the Portal with the haunting scream of the dead. Scranton rushes to aid Nex while Morthos and Ern bull rush the wight.

Shadowfell Keep begins a low rumble. Dust and rocks begin to shower from the ceiling. Under pressure from Morthos and Ern, the wight falls into the pit. It is discovered to drop just ten feet and is a passage out of the Keep. The demon-worshippers are now screaming in terror as larger chunks of the ceiling rain down on them. Ern saves Nex from death with skillful bandaging. Scranton releases a row of chanters, but then rethinks his priorities as a piece of rubble strikes him.

The heroes descend into the pit to combat the wight, but they find it has escaped through the secret tunnel into the wilds beyond. Weary to the bone, but victorious, the Heroes of Winterhaven return to the town they have just saved.

 

[Tikigod]

Winterhaven greets the adventurers with shouts of joy and surprise. A crowd begins to gather around the heroes as they make their way to Wrafton’s Inn. Salvana greets each adventurer with a hug. Scranton receives an especially tight hug and Salvana’s smoky eyes give a promise to the half-elf. The inn begins to fill up with townsfolk eager to hear the tale of the heroes.

Their story hits Winterhaven like a windstorm. Soon, even farms from the farthest fields have heard of the battle in the temple, the defeat of the evil priest, and of the Thing in the Portal. Truly, the group has earned the name of the Heroes of Winterhaven. A feast of honor is declared by Lord Padraig and set of begin in three days. Salvana leaves the town to buy supplies in the city of Felcrest to the north. She will be accompanied by Ohlmert. The Lord’s son is to join the court of King Blackmane in Keltis Siddig.

Morthos delivers the Minotaur Crystal to Valthrun. He asks the old sage of a paladin named Aecris.
The sage shakes his head, “No, I don’t know of anyone by that name. But I am not well versed in the warriors of this land. If you are looking for a famous paladin, I would point you to the King’s court. His Owlknights are there.”

The group pays a visit to Bairwin’s Grand Shoppe. As they haggle over the price of new equipment, the proprieter asks them, “I have a job of a… umm… delicate nature. Will I be able to trust your secrecy?”
The group agrees.

“I have need of a delivery. I have a contact in a place called the Seven Pillared Hall. It is under Thunderspire Mountain. This cask needs be delivered to a Mr. Gendar. Speak of this to no one. I have trade rivals in other towns and cities and they would love nothing more than to find out where I secure my exotic goods. Will you deliver this for me? I will pay handsomely.”

The group agrees.

“Thank you. Oh, and one word of advise. Mention my name to no one but Gendar. It could… ummm… bring you ill-luck.”

The next day Winterhaven is bustling with activity. The preparations for the feast of honor are in full swing. As Ern scrapes the last of bit of his lunch up with a fine dwarven-style bread, Scranton nudges him.
“Something is happening outside.”

Nex grabs a wineskin as the Heroes leave the inn. Shouts of dismay are heard. A crowd surrounds a soldier named Brint. He is wounded and on the verge of exhaustion. The heroes arrive at the same time as Padraig.

“They have captured Ohlmert and Salvana!” Brint coughes.

“Who?” Morthos demands.

Brint says, “The Bloodreaver slavers and an elf lass named Ninaran. They ambushed us as we were setting up camp for the night. We were fending off the hobgoblins when a hail of arrows struck down Goj and Spunners. I heard them cheer and say that their prison under Thunderspire would be bursting full. Then a blow knocked me unconscious. When I woke everyone was gone.”

“Ninaran!” Scranton spits.

Lord Padraig has turned pale. His eyes turn towards the Heroes and beg them for help.

Morthos nods, “The feast will have to be set aside for another day. We go in rescue of Ohlmert and Salvana.”

The group leaves immediately for Thunderspire Mountain. The way is uneventful until they reach the northern-most border of the Trollhaunt Fens. The path reaches a narrow point where the muddy bog leaves nothing but a small dirt way. A blockade of trees has been drug across the road. Five lizardmen, a huge crocodile and a viney bog monster guard the road.

An attack is launched against the bandits! Morthos and Ern charge forward. Nex lobs a few magic missiles at the lizardmen and Scranton cautiously advances and fires crossbow bolts against the enemies. The lizardmen make the most of the difficult terrain of the marsh, flanking the heroes. The bog monster charges Ern. The crocodile attacks Morthos. The tiefling is grabbed in the viscious jaws of the reptile and dragged further into the swamp. The bog monster raises its hands and whipping vines spring forth from the ground. One of the lizardmen has hung back and is firing darts from a blowgun at Morthos. Soon the warlord is poisoned, choked by vines and visciously savaged by the croc.

But Ern and Scranton soon dispatch the bog monster. Nex is set upon by the flanking lizardmen. He Thunderwaves them away and runs to the relative safety of his comrades. The rogue and fighter then take down a lizardman. Morthos has escaped the crocodile and also joined his mates, only to be seized once again and drug to the bog on the opposite side of the road.

Nex and Scranton concentrate their attacks on the lizarman with the blowgun while Ern goes to rescue his tiefling companion. A Steel Serpent Strike soon sends the immense crocodile to lizard hell and the bog bandits defeated.

 

[Tikigod]

The Heroes leave the swamps of the Trollhaunt Fens behind. The terrain becomes hilly and vegetation becomes sparse. Ahead stand the magnificent Longback Mountains and in the vanguard, the terrible Thunderspire Mountain. Nex and Scranton discuss how, thousands of years ago it was the seat of a mighty minotaur kingdom. The group’s destination lies with the depths of the peak, the Seven-Pillared Hall.

The trail followed by the party, leads to an enormous archway. It is flanked by forty foot tall statues of raging minotaur warriors. The hallway within is lit by feeble green lights blinking from old oil lamps. Statues of frolicking demons also line the passage. Smaller dark corridors branch off into a complex labyrinth.

Suddenly, Scranton notices a light coming from one of the side passages. He hears coarse laughter and a voice shouts out, “You’re ours now, Halfling! We Bloodreavers will easily get ten gold for you.”

Another voice responds, “That’s a shame, ‘cause I’m worth twenty. I’ll buy myself if you let me go.”

The Heroes burst through the door, surprising a group of hobgoblin slavers. The enemies quickly compose themselves and form a shield wall across the room. The warcaster grabs Nex with a Force Lure spell and deposits him on the bad side of the shield wall. But Nex has a few spells of his own and escapes the trap with an Expeditious Retreat. The wizard ends up behind his well-armored allies. Ern, Morthos, and Scranton slowly whittle away at the Bloodreavers. The warcaster threatens dire retribution and foully curses the heroes, but to no avail. Soon, the moral of the hobgoblins breaks. The warcaster surrenders while the soldiers are chased down and put to the blade. Scranton frees the captive Halfling from his bonds.

“Rendill Halfmoon at your service! By the Four, your rescue was timely! I was grabbed by these brutes not long ago. They were sniffing around my family’s inn so I tailed them. I wanted to figure out what they were up to.”

Morthos nods gravely, “The Bloodreavers have captured friends of ours. We mean to free them.”

“Then you are in luck! I know where the dirty slavers hole up. Come with me to Halfmoon Inn. I will buy you a drink and draw you a map to the Chamber of Eyes.”

Rendill leads the party to the Seven-Pillared Hall. The Heroes of Winterhaven turn the warcaster in to the local authority, an ogre by the name of Brugg. The Seven-Pillared Hall is run by a group of masked wizards known as the Mages of Saruun. Morthos asks Brugg if the town needs help with the slaver problem.

“What problem?” asks Brugg.

The tiefling points at the Bloodreaver.

“There is no problem,” grimaces the ogre.

Rendill herds the adventurers out of the customs house. “Slavery is viewed…uh, differently here under the mountain. It’s less of a problem and more of an occupation. The Bloodreaver will get a slap on the wrist and spend a bit of time in a hole, but that’s about it.”

The heroes begin to regret turning the warcaster in and discuss improbable plans of how they could have used him to break into the Chamber of Eyes. The Halfling gives the party a tour of the Seven-Pillared Hall and makes good on his promise of a drink and a map.

They then visit Gendar’s Curios and Relics. Gendar is an eye-patch-wearing drow with a silky voice and a predatory smile. After they hand over Bairwin’s casket, Gendar asks them to help retrieve an object stolen from him. It is an ancient skull scepter now in the possession of the duergar at the Horned Hold. Gendar provides rough directions to the old fortress.

The Heroes set off for the Hold. The way is long and exhausting but clear of beasties and monsters. The front gate of the Horned Hold is guarded by orcs behind a solid portcullis. Scranton is confused. Ern believes the Horned Hold has been taken over by the orcs. Seeing no easy way in, the adventurers return to the Seven-Pillared Hall.

Nex, true to his nature, pays a visit to Grimmerzhul’s Trading Post. This store is a duergar trading station. “So your fortress has been overrun by orcs, huh?”

A grey-skinned female casts an alarmed glare at the human wizard, “What do you know of the Horned Hold? Why have you been there!?!”

Nex is taken aback, “Uh…orcs…uh…”

The duergar matron spits, “Bah! Orcs are scum. They serve us on fear of death. Now answer my questions!”

Nex backs out of the store. He fails to notice her motion to one of her guards.

Meanwhile, Scranton has learned news of the Bloodreaver prisoner. The “slap on the wrist” Rendill mentioned is a death sentence. Execution in two hours. A crowd has gathered around the enormous bronze minotaur statue in the middle of the Hall. The warcaster is chained to a crucifix.

“It was only an assault!” he yells wildly. “Why am I going to be killed!”

At the appointed time, a Mage of Saruun teleports in. He wears a rich black robe. His face is covered by a beaten gold mask, depicting a frowning bearded face.

“It is the will of the Mages of Saruun,” he intones.

The Mage points a finger at the Bloodreaver and a flash of lightning explodes forth. The hobgoblin dies with a hideous scream on his lips. The Heroes of Winterhaven surge forward, trying to get the attention of the Mage. But the wizard ignores the entreaty and teleports away.

“Weird,” says Morthos. “Harsh punishment.”

Ern shrugs, seemingly unfazed, “Sure. Now let’s go save Salvanna and Ohlmert.”

So the group follows Rendill's map and reach a door inset with a large staring eye of stone. Multiple eyestalks branch off of the main eye. The chamber within is strewn with rubble. A balcony rises at the far end. A stairway to the east leads to a double door. Scranton prowls the room and hears voices speaking in Goblin. It drifts in from the doors.

“When do you think Krand will divvy up the loot?”

“Shut up, fool! We are supposed to be on guard.”

Ern comes forward and kicks down the door, much to the surprise of the goblins. One flees down the hallway while the other engages the Heroes. Shortly reinforcements begin pouring into the battle. From behind the adventurers, two goblin sharpshooters, a bugbear, and several human bandits appear on the balcony. Hobgoblin soldiers march down the hallway. Morthos moves into a defensive position to stop the hobgoblins in the hallway. Nex launches an effective Sleep spell. Ern trades blows with the bugbear while Scranton melees the bandits. The tide of soldiers slowly pushes past the warlord.

Morthos falls to their relentless assault. Ern, finished with the bugbear, sloshes a healing potion down the maw of the unconscious tiefling. In the meantime, the goblin sharpshooters awaken from their mystic slumber and with an accurate hail of missiles chase Nex from the antechamber. But Ern turns the tide of the battle. Combining dwarven fortitude, his magical healing armor and the sheer power of Boundless Endurance, Ern begins to lay waste to one bloodied foe after another. Soon the battle is won. The waves of reinforcements stop and the only sounds left are the heavy breathing of the exhausted heroes and the slow drip of their blood on the floor.

 

[Tikigod]

The company is huddled in a small, dark room not far from the Chamber of Eyes. They are recuperating from the vicious fight in the antechamber. Ern and Morthos bandage the party’s wounds. Scranton suddenly perks up. He hears the whining of a wolf and the soft voice of a female elf.

“Their tracks are clear as day. Whoever these intruders are, they will soon be chained and turn us a tidy profit.”

Scranton scrambles into the shadows of a nearby alcove. The rest of the group retreats a short distance down another hallway. A wolf bounds into the room and sniffs out the hidden rogue. A squad of hobgoblins follows the wolf. Behind the troops is a familiar elven huntress, Ninaran!

Nex brings forth an icy blast, slowing the progress of the slavers. Ern and Scranton engage the snarling wolf. Morthos directs the flow of the battles with loud commands. A hail of arrows rain down on the company. The tiefling warlord suffers through 3 critical attacks in a row. (“What’s the use of plate mail when you roll like that?” – Morthos) Scranton and Morthos weave through the middle of the battle, trying to close with their elven nemesis, dodging numerous opportunity attacks.

Ninaran finally recognizes her adversaries, “YOU! Again you have meddled in my affairs!” She makes a vow as her elven speed whisks her from the battle, “I will have my revenge on you. Those you love will writhe in pain! I will salt the earth where you live! Mother Blacks already laughs at your fate at my hands!”

Regrouping after the fight, The Heroes of Winterhaven decide to make camp for the night. Ern points out the slavers will have other trackers, so they decide to find the most defensible position to sleep. The balcony in the antechamber is chosen. On first watch, Nex fails to notice a goblin spying on them. During Ern’s watch, the door to the balcony bursts in. A bugbear attacks the dwarf. Goblin warriors pour into the lower antechamber and pepper the party with crossbow shots. A concentrated attack quickly ends the bugbears life. Ern and Morthos rappel down the balcony and engage the goblins in melee. Scranton and Nex return fire on the berserking goblins.

After the night raid, the group manages to squeeze in a fitful sleep. They then proceed to search the rest of the Chamber of Eyes. It is eerily empty. In the opulent quarters of the Bloodreaver’s leader, Scranton finds a purchase order. It is a bill of sale. It lists 9 Winterhaven slaves and a slave named Moyshanna. It is signed by Murkelmor Grimmerzhul. The name tugs at their memory, but no one can remember exactly where they had heard the name before.

Finally, at a door to the south, Scranton hears the low murmur of voices. Ern bashes in the door. Within is the inner sanctum of the Chamber of Eyes. The Heroes have entered the room on a walkway above the main floor. To the group’s right are stairs leading to the ground floor. To their left is a large statue of a toadish creature with a multitude of eyes. Near the statue stand Krand, the Bloodreaver chief and a hobgoblin warcaster. An archer guards the doorway the heroes just kicked in. Two more stand among the moaning slaves. A dire wolf prowls the foot of the stairs. Two grey-skinned duergar, pressed into the defense of the slavers, scowl at a double doorway. Krand has gathered the last remaining Bloodreavers to make a last stand.

The archer repositions himself behind the warcaster, while his brothers skewer Ern with red-feathered arrows. Scranton scampers into the room, hitting Krand with a Set-Up Shot. Ern follows suit, connecting with a massive Lasting Threat. The warcaster grabs Scranton with a Force Lure and knocks him off of the ledge. Morthos races to the stairs to block access. He begins trading blows with the Dire Wolf. The duergar yell, “For Grimmerzhul!” and join the fray. Krand directs his allies’ attacks against the dwarven fighter. Ern is hit by the Bloodreaver chief and all three archers. He falls to the floor. Morthos races to his friend’s aid. Scranton scales the wall and scuffles with the warcaster. The Dire Wolf howls in frustration, unable to climb the stairs. The duergar split. One advances on Scranton and the other towards Morthos. As they advance, sharp poisonous quills shoot from their beard. Morthos’ eyes narrow and his grip on Kinkiller tightens. Krand falls to a critical Bastion of Defense. Drawing on the power of his magic armor, Morthos regains the use of powerful maneuver. Scranton spins and slashes wearing down the warcaster and duergar. Ern engages the other duergar, dwarf versus dwarf. Nex rains fire down upon Scranton’s attackers. Morthos scores another critical with his second Bastion of Defense.

“Like a God of War,” Ern says appreciatively.

The dire wolf, unable to attack, crashes through the double door and into the depths of the Thunderspire Labyrinth. Soon, the battle ends. The last remaining enemy is one of the duergar who surrenders to the mercy of the Heroes of Winterhaven.