We made our way north to Nephtile Steel and looked the alcove area over here. The building was pretty big and there was some double door loading area here. Doors were double, 12’ high, 8’ wide each. Stone and reinforced we guessed on the other side. There was some talk about walking around the building and seeing if we could find another way in, but that was discarded once we figured we’d be pretty close to the Hook Horror section and maybe some impact with another Cave Fisher.
While going through options and guessing the door was braced on the other side (locked and maybe barred), Wilhelm let the group know that he could try to cast Crumble – a powerful spell from Frey that would break the door apart – but it would make a fuck ton of noise. So we had Shim cast light on a rock, then Brading cast silence on the same rock. The rock was placed near the shipping door and then Wilhelm did his magic – and the entire thing shook, cracked, and then fell apart to rubble – no noise made thanks to the spell. We dug out the lit stone (with the silence on it) and looked inside.
The building had been pretty sealed up as the xenon gas was only now sieving in, giving whorls of color to the air. With the stone lit and our own everburning lights – we looked around – It was the shipping and receiving area – clean and unused for century plus. Two desks, 4 chairs on the north side, a couple of wheelbarrows on the south. ON the other side of the building another double set of doors – corrugated bent steel – about the same side as the doors we entered.
We looked the door over (nothing in the desks), and figured that it was too barred from the other side. It could be lifted, crowbar, and braced underneath, until whatever pin is holding it locked is popped. So it took some time but the door did squeal and pop part off the track. We were able to shove it open about 2 feet before it was stuck in place. The steel works was larger than our light source and we thought we heard running footsteps charging away. Calls out resulted in no reply.
Dizzy and Connal explored only a tiny bit – a few storage bins on the west side – coal, ore, and maybe sorted material. Some internal rooms to the north. It was very creepy – we know we heard something running at some point.
It was a bit after 11:30 when we thought we heard a trilling noise – from the ceiling in the dark. Ok – not going to risk it – they returned to the group and Shim summoned a…Giant Toad! He had it hop north a little bit, mill about, and prepare to hop eastward. It was at that time a 10’ diameter pitch black 6 armed and cowled octopus looking thing dropped down and engulfed the toad’s head, latching on and trying to eat it. Darkmantle!
Wilhelm fired off a fairy fire spell and it encased the monster – bathing it roiling lights. And something else around the corner also was bathed in dancing lights – It ran off and we heard it (booted feet?) and the darkmantle let go of the toad and flew off to the ceiling and eventually around the corner. We gave some chase. Some doors on the north (one going outside?), some sort of stables around the other side of the shipping area, and then beyond that a much larger steel works area. We opted to not go further on and instead returned to the beginning and all go together.
We checked out the doors on the north. The double doors led outside and we guessed it was the employee entrance. There were 2 interior doors, left and right at the entrance. Opening the eastern one Connal saw a figure at the other end of the room burst out another door – clad in chainmail, sporting a shield, it was running fast. The monk gave chase and saw it at the corner – it was a ghoul. A dwarven ghoul. Fuck.
It ran off and we discussed things. Deciding to be more careful. The next few doors revealed the water closet and bathroom, and the employee break room. Beyond all this was the forge floor itself. Two large steel forges on the west wall, a crucible and chain control system set up between them. Two bellows, both in terrible state of repair, a mule path around both of them. Water cistern system to the north and a slag pit as well. The rest of the forge was in shadow.
And there was a single mule. Standing by the furnace. Staring at the group. And…it was …dead? An undead mule Detect undead…and yep – it’s a damned undead mule.
At this point a voice called out from the gloom. “Enough! I don’t know who the hell you all are, but what are you DOING to my steel works!”
Turns out Spadthinner Nephtile was here. And he was undead. A ghast. After the fall of Ralstrom Province he came back from the dead and made sure his place was sealed up. Rust monsters? Not in HIS steelwork! So he’s kept it sealed and clean and ready for one day the place being reopened. Two of his workers were also raised by him – and of all the mules – he managed to save one.
He had a muddy sensation of time and is very aware he is an undead. We described that we needed to check the vents in the furnaces and after some back and forth, allowed us to do so. He picked on us for our lack of tools and even a ladder (lending us 1), and eventually Dizzy managed to unbolt one of the vents. We all climbed up, managed to coax the animals (Lexie and Jarjar) to go as well, and then gave the ok to close the vent behind us.
The vent area was 3’ wide and 2’ tall at best. Gritty but not totally a mess. We crawled on until we got to an iris vent. Dizzy managed to open after using some oil, a wire brush, and some strength. We passed through and crawled on. The passage began sloping upwards, 30 degree angle, and we got to another iris vent. And then a third.
We continued to crawl on, Connal and Dizzy swapping spaces at this point. We had Brading close the last iris vent behind us as we crawled on to the 4th vent. Connal could tell it was warm – almost hot. And there was a burning smell this close to it. It was pretty crudded up. According to Dizzy and Brading it might be about 3 pm – and if there was a metal working place or smith on the other side, they’ll be open and doing business at least another 3 to 4 hours.
We did not want to open the iris now and get blasted with heat (an Endure Elements spell still went out), nor did we want to accidentally fall in and around Gorokian dwarves if they were working. We decided to stay hidden for now in the duct work and wait. Eventually the party got some fitful sleep.
We awoke sometime late late in the night and went back to work. First the Iris was opened up and we passed through. There was a T junction here with a chimney heading up, but we pressed on to an access plate in the floor. We turned the wheel and opened the door with care. 12’ up, a store room. Boxes and barrels and what not. Dizzy and Connal dropped down first, got the access ladder from the side area, and helped the rest of the party down. Brading shut the panel behind, locking it again in place.
We stepped out with care. According to the signage (in dwarven) we were in the Lombard Forge and Smithworks. It seemed to have been 4 buildings once upon a time that had been combined to a larger strange shaped building. 4 large forges, 8 smaller stations. Looking out the window we were looking at an active dwarven province.
Ok, Masks on.
Most of the party changed face and height (up to 1 foot), appearing more dwarven for sure. We verified our aliases and story (family unit of 3, friends, goblin raid, originally from Tilani, here to see distant relations and eventually a place to live and work in Gorok). There was a patrol out there but they were unbothered and walking idly. We waited till the street was clear and walked out.
Dizzy reverse pick locked the door, locking it behind us as we looked around. According to Shim, he could see one of the null zone sensors at a corner south of us (15-20’ tall, black obelisk stone, some sort of red and blue run light at the top) so took the next main road.
There was a smith and animal control here, a cobbler on the other side, and also a hotel! “Four Weather Hotel”. We steeled ourselves and walked in.
It was not very large or spacious, but it was nice and warm. An older dwarven woman, Mense, was here at the Common room and she bid us closer. Some conversation followed and our story held for now. We had a problem – only Shim, Brading, and Dizzy could speak and understand dwarvish, so we had to keep covering for the other 3. We managed to get 2 rooms and made our way upstairs (14 and 16). Told Mense our cover story and that we might be here another 2 or 3 days for now. Also learned that we were 9 provinces from the front gate of Gorok. 9.
Fuck we’re deep.
We decided to try and correct our sleep pattern and stayed in the room, using the tub and getting clean eventually falling asleep. Shim and Connal went to the Common Room for a night time beer and a few things to eat. Shim kept up the dwarven kid bit and Connal was his caring but unable to speak dwarven mother. Our story continued to hold water and felt even stronger when we all finally crashed.
The next late day (10 AM, Workmonth the 3rd), we went back to the Common room and got some late breakfast. The day proprietor, a friendly dwarf named Goodsir Blot (husband to Goodwife Mense) talked to us about Lombard Province. The Manor Houses. Odinstone Park. The Underthane, Tworock, has a large homestead here and he shares the property with the former Highthane, Ralstrom Gorok and his retinue. Ever since the gas leak, they had all moved out or Ralstrom Province and the dwarves went on with their lives.
An old precious metal mine that had run out had been reopened by Ralstrom a century plus ago and it turned out to be a boon and wealthy veins further in. The former Highthane was very lucky and his fortunes have grown. He owns the mine and the oreworks on the east end of town, but he spends most of his retirement on the Homestead and shared his largesse with Lombard Province.
We managed to get a copy of the Province from Town hall next door and we figured we’d split up. Half of us would go north to Odinstone Park; the others would go around eventually to Carigan Runesmiths. We wanted to not go right for Tworock or Ralstrom on day 1 – no need to alert anyone or tip our hand.
There we go! Workmonth the 3rd, 10:45 AM.
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