20: In Defense of Blackwall Keep - Against the Lizard Men

The heroes surveyed the scene of carnage. After speaking with Hawkins and a few other soldiers, the heroes healed themselves and most of the soldiers, then helped the men as they started to pull the dead bodies of their fellows from the marsh.
One of the more troubled soldiers hacked off lizard man heads and put them on the sharpened spikes surrounding the keep. Azrael convinced Dawson, one of the soldiers with tracking skills, to help them track the lizard men back to their lair tomorrow.
The heroes were put up for the night in the tower, and helped the men maintain guard. Upon the morning, Azrael cast a spell and intoned the name of his goddess, Akira - queen of the Air, which magically repaired the front gate.
Early the next day, MacCubbin and three of the remaining ten soldiers headed north to rouse the Diamond Lake garrison. The heroes and Dawson headed deep into the Mist Marsh to rescue Marzena and the other soldiers captured by the lizard men. 6 soldiers remained to garrison the keep, where 33 had stood the day before.
The first few hours of walking through the mist Marsh were eerie, as a heavy blanket of Mist rose from the fen. Sounds were distorted. After a few hours it had mostly cleared, but visibility after 150 ft. was limited. Groves of Mangaroo trees dotted the marsh, trees made up of a large mass of roots and vine-like branches which grow in wild patches. Pools of standing water abound, and not a few have huge snakes or crocodiles waiting patiently for their new meal present itself.
Dawson tracked the band of lizard men back to a large growth of Mangaroo trees. “They must live in there. Gotta be an entrance some place.”
Quickly Aarth and Lath located a concealed entrance inside. A tunnel barely 7’ tall and as wide had been hacked through the roots and branches. The tunnel was dimly lit, as sunlight filtered through the branches. Aarth cast invisibility on himself and scouted inside. The others cast various defensive spells on themselves and waited for their elf friend to report.
Inside he found a tunnel which had a strange fungal guardian at the bend and a little way further were 2 lizard man sentries near a crossroad of passages. After hearing this report from Aarth, the heroes headed in. The fungal plant set up a keening shriek as the heroes neared it. The lead fighters went straight for the sentries, while Azrael beat on the fungus with his flail. Aarth shot one of the sentries, and they quickly were beaten, but as they fell more of their fellows attacked from a side passage, then seen after more lizard men came at the group from another side passage.
Stigand moved to the left towards the only passage with no combat, expecting a further assault from that direction. He headed down the passage a short ways, then came into a small room with a much higher ceiling. He heard a lovely captivating sound, and in a trance walked forward towards the lovely ‘dragon women’ Lath heard the song over the keening of the Shrieker resisted it’s enchanting allure. He recognized the magical compulsion and told Aarth about it. Aarth and Lath headed after Stigand to see what had happened.
Meanwhile, Aardgal and Bornir were fighting lizard men in one hallway, while Morgrim held a second hallway against the lizard men. Feldnar was in the middle of the crossroads, while Azrael battered on the Shrieker at the rear and Dawson maintained a healthy distance from the action.
Aarth found a stupefied Stigand standing in the middle of a room, while two dragon/harpies clawed at him mercilessly. Lath placed a silence spell on one of Aarth’s arrows. The dragon harpies recognized the sudden silence and one breathed a gout of acid which struck Aarth, Lath, and Felnar. It struck Felnar full in the chest and he fell to the ground screaming in agony, then lay still. Aarth fired the silence arrow and retreated, the arrow missed the dragon/harpy but stuck in the wall behind them. Lath also backpedaled, curing Felnar of most of his acid burns.
Azrael finally bludgeoned the Shrieker into paste and the group could hear each other better to co-ordinate their actions. Bornir went to take Morgrim’s place holding off the south corridor, while Aardgal held the west corridor by himself with his mighty two handed sword.
Morgrim charged into the black harpies room and found Stigand on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Dozens of lacerations scored his flesh. One of the black harpies sang, but luckily Morgrim had cast a minor prayer to his god Moradin, protecting him from evil, before entering battle, and it protected him from the harpies alluring song.
Morgrim charged the harpies cutting into one which had a grievous arrow wound to it’s side. Another gout of acid scoured Morgrim, Bornir and Azrael, barely missing the two elves who had been burned earlier. Within a dozen seconds the black dragon-like harpies were down. Stigand was alive, but just barely.
The Lizard men retreated leaving a half dozen dead in the hallways. News of the groups attack would spread quickly.
Stigand was cured and regained consciousness. He still bore dozens of scars. Immediately he felt a strange hate towards the black harpies, and immediately with knife and fist he took to the bodies, cutting talon, fang and horn from the creatures. He seemed more feral, more of his name sake, than before the encounter.
Aarth chanced across a cache of coins and a few nice items, a piece of jewelry and a pair of knee high red leather boots. He scooped these up, and the group stalked down the hallways.
The first hallway was up some crudely hewn stairs. At the top was a great amount of detritus which the group decided to avoid. Heading towards the back of the harpies chamber they found a short hallway and an empty room which had recently been living quarters. At exit tunnel at the back led them to a second living chambers, this one not so empty. 4 Lizard men with Javelins at the ready stood at the back. The threw them at Aardgal as he charged, one scored a hit, then he and Morgrim struck at the scaled folk. The four retreated into the room behind and the group harried them.
The room beyond was a strange quarters, a strange smell filled the room, and in here was a pool, several stumps with pots, mortar and pestle, a pit for a fire, and at the back were a stooped old lizard man with various baubles and necklaces, pouches and gourds slung around it’s withered old frame, his pet giant adder, a rather fierce looking lizard man, and the four lizard men who had retreated.
Aardgal and Morgrim pressed the attack, but before anyone could follow the lizard man shaman cast a spell which turned the growth underfoot into deadly spikes. Aarth countered with his bow and Felnar his spells. Lath cast Shield Other on Aardgal who was taking a beating from the fierce lizard man, who was armored in turtle shell armor, and wore a bear’s head helm. The barbarian slashed viciously at Aardgal with fang and claw.
A Lizard man appeared from concealment in last room and attacked Dawson! Azrael cast a fly spell on Bornir, so the stubby dwarf could reach the battle in the next room, then turned to help the guide.
The Lizard man shaman tried to summon a creature but Aarth’s arrow wound prevented her from completing the spell. With a snarl she tried to warp Aarth’s bow into the shape of a pretzel with a spell, but he resisted. Next she cast a fog cloud on the middle of the group, effectively keeping them from helping the battle.
Bornir’s help came just in time and he and Aardgal killed the lizard man barbarian. At the same time Morgrim finished off his two foes. The Shaman’s adder struck Aardgal 3 times, and each time he resisted the poison, as they struck at the Shaman, the aged figure shimmered and shape shifted into a small snake which slithered through the back wall. Before the larger Adder could follow it’s master the threesome struck it dead.
At the back of the chamber was Marzena, recognizable from her description. She was badly beaten, tied and apparently drugged. The group scooped up a few baubles from the Barbarian and with Bornir’s assistance he carried those inside and in front of the spike growth to the room behind. There they found another dead lizard man, this one with paint and vines t help it achieve concealment. Dawson was badly wounded but alive, thanks to Azrael.
The group had achieved it’s main goal, to rescue Marzena, but more soldiers were captured in the raid, and the group was very, very hurt.

19: In Defense of Blackwall Keep

The Diamond Lake heroes readied themselves for the long trip to the Ruins of the Six. A lieutenant in the Garrison spoke with the heroes. Since the Garrison was busy reforming the Sheriff's men, guarding Mayor Neff, and patrolling Smenk's property for signs of the rogue mine owner, they have been stretched very thin. They neew someone to escort the monthly wagon full of supplies to Blackwall Keep. A tower on the edge of the Mist Marsh roughly 3 days by wagon to the south-east. Since it was on the way to the site of the ruins the heroes planned to explore they assented.
The next morning they met with the drover MacCubbin, a gregarious middleaged man, his wagon loaded to the 9s. The trip was uneventful, due in no small measure to their presence. On the third day they approached Blackwall Keep and saw smoke coming from the top of the tower, and as they approached, from in front of the entrance. The keep itself consists of a large 50' tall crenelated tower, with a battlement 20' up the wall. The keep sits atop a large outcrop of rock, making it the higest thing for miles around. Surrounding the steep incline to the keep are large sharpened wooden stake as think as a man's leg, and protruding 3-6 out of the ground. This combined with the dark grey granite blocks forming the keep make it a formidible place indeed.
Lath, Aarth and Azrael spotted small groups of lizard men bearing clubs and shields scattered in the marshland surrounding the keep. In Lath's case he saw a lizard man eating a human arm. The lizard men couldn't help help but see the two horse drawn wagons and the nearly dozen men/elves/dwarves with the wagons.
The Lizard Men led by a lizardman on a vicious giant riding lizard attacked. As they did so groups of Lizard men sprang up all around the keep, and with the savage beating of drums a full scale attack on the keep, and the intruding heroes commenced.
Felnar's fireballs swiftly sent the surviving lizard men into a defensive retreat. They rallied along the road to the entrance of Blackwall Keep. The Keep itself was thronged with lizard men beating the gate open. The few archers along the battlements were anwsered by Lizard man javelins, and a few javelins scored hits amongst the heroes. Felnar took a hit as the lizard men were ordered to target him.
The heroes split up as they harried the lizard men, and a few defensive spells from a female lizard folk druid keep the heroes distracted. A lizard riding leader lunged his beast at Felnar and the giant riding lizard snatched him in it's huge jaws. Aadgal and Bornir beat at the beast, but Felnar was gnashed and torn by the beasts jaws. He lost consciousness, and only the healing spells from Bornir and a lucky blow from Aardal did he survive.
Felnar recovered and cast a web on the entrance of the keep, blocking the entrance of the pressing lizard men. Unfortunately one large lizard man had already broken in and was savagely killing soldiers with it's massive club.
By this time Azrael had cast a fly spell on himself and had flown up to the battlement s and in to the fray on the ground floor. He was followed a few rounds later by Stigand who had cast Spider Climb on himself and had scaled the walls.
The main lizard man leader was almost slain by Aardgal, then healed by the lizard folk druidess with a wand. He was eventually cut down and all resistance ended and the few remaining lizard men fled into the Mist Marsh to the south.
Felnar offered a wounded lizard man terms in draconic "Yield and you will be spared." THe lizard man replied vehemently "Spawn killers! I'd never surrender to you!" At which point he ran for it and Felnar shot him dead.
The remaining 6 soldiers cheered the victory. MacCubbin cautiously crawled but from under his wagon. After things had died down, a soldier who was wearing the deceased commanders armor introduced himself as 'Hawkins' and said the 'Scalies' had attacked at dawn. THey caught the keep unprepared and a lot of people were killed before they could mount a proper defense. They got into the keep and were eventually beaten back, but not before they captured 3 or 4 soldiers and the keep's battle mage 'Marzena'. "They beat 'em down and run off with 'em."
When asked Hawkins said one of unconscious soldiers, Dawson, had some skill at tracking. The heroes were determined to track the lizard men to their lair and rescue Marzena and the men.

18: Heroes of Diamond Lake, Part 3

While the entire group of adventurers were buying food for the long trip to the ruins on the edge of the Mist Marsh, a man approached Morgrim as he was loading his wagon. "Hey, do you know where I can find Azrael?" Morgrim sized up the man, thin, early 20's, goatee, pocked skin from chicken pox, pale skin, slicked back hair, leather armor, bow and sword and recognized him as Gerek. One of the survivors from the Dead hole mine, a member of Thurbiss' gang who gave the group information in return the group vouched for him with Tolliver Trask, Commander of the Greyhawk Garrison.
Morgrim directed Gerek to Azrael. Gerek informed Azrael that he had observed Durgstra, the dwarven body guard of Ragnoln Dourstone exiting Balabar Smenk's compound and re-entering it a few hours later with some bottles of wine. When the Ebon Triad was busted Ragnolin and Durgstra disappeared. Smenk claimed they headed out of town, but sold the claim to the Dourstone mine to Smenk before he left. If anyone knows where Ragnolin Dourstone is located it would be Durgstra.
Azrael paid him solm gold for his time, and the group conferred. They decided to bust into or trick their way into the compound and find Durgstra the following morning.
Standing at the front gate of the Smenk compound stood Stigand, the rest of the adventurers were lining the wall to left and right. Stigand didn't exactly look inconspicous - a muscular bald headed man in full plate armor carrying a myriad of weapons. He spoke with a guard, telling the man they were sent to carry news of a workers riot at the Osgood mine. The guard said "I'll tell Bask." After 5 minutes a balding man in his 30's with a bushy black beard stood behind the window in the gate. Stigand claimed to be from the heroes who killed the Ebon Triad cult, and told the man to hurry. The window closed and some of the adventurers started casting defensive spells.
The Gate opened a bit later and a guard stood in the doorway. He say the 7 other adventurers lined up to either side and yelled back. "You're right Bask, they're up to something." Bornir then held him with a hold person spell.
The group rushed into the compound. Bask, expecting trouble retreated to the manor telling the guards "Let the Apes handle them." For all of the guards and Bask were drenched in a nasty musk which kept the Apes at bay. No such luck for the adventurers.
The Dire Apes and a summoned giant scorpion kept the group at bay. The only thing that kept the guards from closing and barring the manor doors was Azrael. He had flown into the courtyard, and blocked the threshold at the price of repeated blows for a crucial period. The group quickly killed the 3 Dire Apes, and healing as they rushed in, they overwhelmed the defenders. Two fled into the interior, Bask amongst them. The rest were captured and their wounds were tended.
The group then scoured the manor, quickly finding the fighter who had retreated, another summoned scorpion, and a dwarf fighter in full plate fitting the description of Durgstra. The dwarf had skin like bark, and bushy coal black beard. The fighter wielded a Guisarme and had proven skilled in it's use.
Aarth told Durgstra to surrender. Durgstra told him to "Come and git me elf!" As the group rushed into the room Stigand got to close to the pole arm wielding fighter. He was pulled off his feet and suffered a nasty gash to his fore arm. Morgrim, who had been enlarged in the previous fight raged into the room and struck Durgstra a mighty blow with his axe. The dwarf toppled overhaving lost most of his right leg and intestines. Life faded from Durgstra's eyes, and the room grew quiet since the adventurers wanted Durgstra for questioning.
The fighter was quickly subdued and so was Bask after he tried to color spray Lath and Morgrim. Bask was questioned when he came to, Stigand stood in the background. Stigand found when he spit acid at people's feet it tended to intimidate them. Crude but effective.
Bask spilled his guts about Smenk's operations. It seems Smenk had paid off Durgstra to betray Dourstone, capturing him and bringing him to the compound. He faked the deed transfer, and Durgstra had been here ever since. Amongst Smenk's yearly ledger were payments that could be conscrued as being to Durgstra, and a much larger payment to Feldan, the leader of the Black Talons, who were paid to kill the heroes.
Bask also described a passage to a warren below which only Smenk enters or leaves, and he dragged Dourstone down there after his capture. When the group asked when Smenk would return from Greyhawk, Bask told them Smenk's departure was a ruse, he had faked his departure to give himself an alibi. Indeed Smenk was down in his dungeon even now.
Some of the group searched the rest of the house but found nothing of great note. Aargal found a root cellar and a secret doow on a side wall. He opened it while the group was still tying up Bask and company, and saw a lit 20'x20' room with a metal man made of brass armor, wielding two rapiers also made of brass. Aardgal slammed the door shut before the thing could get to him.
The party congrgated at the root cellar and then threw open the door. The metal construct waded into battle, skewering Aardgal and Stigand. Felnar threw a magic missile at it, but it was immune to his magic. Finally Stigand managed to trip the thing, and as it rose to attack a rain of blows battered it until it stopped moving.
Next the door behind the construct led to a dark hallway, with a torch lit 20'x20 room. Down the hallway could be heard a woman sobbing quietly. In the center of the room a 10'x10' cage made of bars and wooden beams. Inside the cage sat the sobbing woman, concealed in a torn and ragged cloak.
As the group advanced Morgrim told her "Don't worry ma'am, we'll help you." As the reptilian snake haired medusa turned her face to Morgrim she responded "But who will help you?" Morgrim and Stigand barely resisted being petrified. The medusa turned her wrath on Stigand for he spat acid at her. Aarth threw a smoke stick into the cell, and helped to conceal her. Then cast True Strike and nocked an arrow. He put it in the medusa's back and she screamed and rushed Aarth. He was bit by a snake, but Stigands protective acid aura was her undoing and she crumpled to the ground.
Next the group tried the two doors. One was a complex lock with a Glyph of Warding which hurt Bornir. He advanced into a treasure room and Balabar Smenk stepped from hiding and tried to skewer him. "No one takes my treasure without a fight!" Smenk yelled.
Bornir faded back and Morgrim stepped up. He struck a lucky blow which hurt Smenk badly. The corpulent mine owner stepped back from the doughty dwarven fighter and screamed "I'll kill you for what you've done!" With a wave of his cloak he disappeared from sight, dimension dooring away to safety.
In the next room they founf Ragnolin Dourstone dying of thirst and hunder shackled to the wall. The older dwarf was clearly not in his right mind, and the group gently removed him from his restraints.
Figuring Smenk had escaped, a few people went upstairs to check on the captives, while the rest rifled Smenk's treasury and few water and bread to Dourstone. Amongst Smenk's money was a sealed letter saying: 'In the event of my death' The letter was a complete and detailed description of Smenks actions helping and later black mailing Mayor Lanod Neff. 5 years ago Mayor Neff had become enamoured of a beautiful sorceress named Mere. Mere lived miles from Diamond Lake, and Neff's advances were spurned. He became obsessed with having her. Smenk offered Neff a way to spite her and have her forever. So persuasive were his words that Neff agreed. Smenk's people captured Mere, and she was petrified by his captive Medusa. Her statue was then given to Mayor Neff to adorn his garden forever. Neff's secret kept by Smenk so long as he did Smenk's will. Smenk still bank rolled Mayor Neff and Sheriff Cubbin to keep them as powerful pawns.
The enormity of Smenk and Neff's crime was appalling. But what to do. Finally the group hit on a plan to take Bask, Dourstone and the letter before Ellival Moonmeadow. Aardgal kept the letter secret from Ellival and asked his counsil. Ellival thought and said the best response would be for the group to take Bask and Dourstone before Commander Trask, the head of the Greyhawk Garrison as proof of Smenk's crimes. Even then there was a chance Smenk would just skulk around town or in the area until he could discredit or kill his accusers.
The group took Ellival's advice but showed Commander Trask the letter found in Smenk's treasury. The Commander scowled when the heroes told how they assaulted Smenk's compound, but the fact almost no one was killed, and the only death was on Durgstra, Dourstone's betrayer was acceptable to Commander Trask.
Finally when the letter was produced, Commander Trask muttered something about 'vigilantes' and stopped cold. He then wrote an order for thearrest of Balabar Smenk and Lannod Neff. He marshalled his troopers and they marched to the Mayors estate. The group came along to watch.
The troops ringed the estate and Commander Trask and his two lieutenants went inside to arrest Mayor Neff in person. He was brought out in chains, and marched onto a wagon to be taken to their jail.
Within the day rumor of Neff's arrest spread through the town. Commander Trask personally informed Sheriff Cubbin and Deputy Jamis the were immediately removed from their positionaand given 48 hours to exit Diamond Lake. They took less time than that, since there are any number of folk looking to settle scores now that they're not in power. They headed out east towards the Dutchy of Urnst as fast as they could.
Commander Trask finally turned to the heroes saying "You've done a good job boys." "Aarth and Bornir asked in unison "So what's our reward?" Trask thought for a moment and asked "If we check out Smenk's treasury I suppose we won't find much in his treasure vault. Hmmm? Consider that yours and maybe a bit more once we've sorted out this mess. Damn but there's going to be a lot of paperwork." He smiled wryly as he grumbled and walked back into the hill fort.

17: Diamond Lake Heroes part 2

The weeks following the destruction of the Ebon Triad cult were hectic, with momentary bouts of drinking and camaraderie.
As things died down, one by one the members of the triumphant group realized they may have to go back to a ‘normal’ work routine. The prospect of becoming the local heroes of Diamond Lake stretched a head of them.
Fortunately luck smiled on them in the form of a request from Ellival Moonmeadow to find a fellow at the Emporium and ask him back to meet with Ellival. It seems, a few months back, Ellival had hired a band of adventurers to seek out a specific ruin near the edge of the Mist Marsh met with tragedy and they all died.
He hired a band of 4 adventurers, 2 elves, a half elf and a human druid to scout out the ruins and recover a magic item from the ruins. 3 of the 4 had been slain by what the sole survivor described as ‘Allips’- unquiet and insane spirits. The sole survivor had fled and later was killed by a Vine Horror, but not before recounting her tale to Lath and Aarth.
Currently, a friend of Ellival’s at the Emporium in Diamond Lake reported seeing a ‘Swamper’ named Krudin having just come into town and having fun. Ellival would like to speak with Krudin, since Krudin’s knowledge of that portion of the Mist Marsh would help Ellival piece together a map locating the ruins.
With this task in mind he met with Aarth, and Aarth agreed to speak with Krudin. On the way Aarth gathered a few fellows ‘Just in case’. Felnar, Bornir and Aardgal were readily handy, so the foursome went to the Emporium.
They quickly found Krudin, having spent some gold in the den of debauchery. Krudin agreed to meet with Ellival and helping the elvish mine owner. When the next round of drinks came, a local deputy, one of several grabbed one of the tankards of beer and exclaimed.
“This one’s on him.” And proceeded to start drinking the beer.
Krudin got upset and confronted the man, taking a punch a the deputy. A general fight broke out and as the deputies ordered those at Krudin’s table to ‘stop fighting, they were under arrest.’ Krudin unlimbered his great sword and wounded the deputy in the shoulder, nearly taking his head off. Krudin became enraged and seemed unable to friend from foe, as Bornir tried to calm him and he took a swing at Bornir.
At this point the half ogre Kurlag waded in to break things up, unlimbering his massive axe.
Aardgal and Krudin went to jail. Felnar followed up. Bornir went to the Dancing Giant to get a drink. Aarth went to Ellival to report what had transpired after picking up Krudin's great sword from the floor of the bar. Ellival said he would arrange to see Krudin in jail once he had cooled down, and after a few hours.
Elival, Aarth and Felnar found Krudin restrained by manacles and raving about his sword. Ellival suggested Krudin may have some sort of magical malady, and later seeing Aarth in possession of the blade he asked to see it. Aarth refused to show him the blade. Everyone thought this odd, and quickly Ellival sang a song in elvish and cast a bardic spell of holding on Aarth. They knocked the sword from his grasp. When Aarth came out of the hold spell he was irate and demanded the sword back.
Soon Felnar, Aargal and Bornir decided to cast Remove Curse on Aarth and the sword the next morning. Aarth was restrained to keep him from the sword, about which he had formed a dangerous obsession. Upon casting the Remove Curse upon the sword, Aarth found he no longer needed the blade and indeed it had taken a hold on his mind. When they checked on Krudin, they found he was bruised and battered but no longer raving. Krudin accepted the story that the blade had been lost in the bar fight. He added "I think the sword belonged to some high muckety muck somewhere once. Probably died and all that was left was that sword. It seemed too nice a weapon for a normal person. I hope it gets buried in the Marsh with it's real owner."

Ellival apologized to Aarth for casting a spell and restraining him with such indignity in front of his friends. In return he offered a copy of the map he had drawn up based on a long talk with Krudin. He told Aarth how the ruins had once belonged to the Lords of the Six. Hundreds of years ago Ellival had travelled to these lands as an emissary to Lord Wintermoon. An elf lord who was gathering an army of elves and human allies. Lord Wintermoon wanted to fashion a second kingdom of elves besides Celene. As such he gifted a rare magic item, called a Bow of Wintermoon to Ellec, Second Lord of the Six.
The Lords of the Six were 6 fighter lords in the Cairn Hills and borderlands of Urnst who had banded together and vowed an alliegiance to each other for 6 generations, to rule against the increasing despotism of the Great Kingdom.
Ellival had met Ellec back then and has long wondered the fate of the bow, and wishes it to back in the hands of an elf. The bow is consecrated to Corellon and as such was meant to lead the human lords to take up worship of the elven dieties. A plan which never bore fruit.

During this time Azrael met with Gelch Tilgast, a local mine owner at Lazarre's Parlor, a wine bar where the well heeled folk of Diaomnd Lake play Dragon Chess and pass the time. Gelch and another mine owner were allied against Balabar Smenk, and he had heard that the heroes of Diamond Lake were upset with Smenk's involvement with the Ebon Triad cult. Gelch hoped to cultivate a friendship and allies.
After this meeting Azrael quizzed Denath, the hostess. She told him a bit about the various Mine Owners:
1)Smenk, a dreadful obese man taken to wearing an odious musk perfume.
2) Ellival Moonmeadow, the elf who loves entertainment and a neutral mine owner.
3) Ragnolin Dourstone, a gruff and mean dwarf, trades mostly with the dwarves of the Greysmere Covenant. Now missing due to harboring an evil cult beneath his mine.
4) Gelch Tilgast. Aged and grasping. Master of strong arm tactics and dirty tricks. He is a shadow of himself as a younger man. His son Keo is a huge disapointment to the old man.
5) Luzzane Perrin, daughter of a woman who founded a string of immensely succesful mines. She has lost much over the years, mostly to Smenk.
6) Chaum Gansworth, a young man with long auburn hair. The youngest owner in his 30s he won his mine in a game of cards and spent years buying or developing two others. He bears a deep seated resentment to both Tilgast and Smenk due to their dirty tactics.
Azrael met with Chaum Gansworth, and found him unwilling to ally with Tilgast, since he strongly suspects Tilgast of sabotaging one of Gansworth's best mines, starting a fire which caused dozens of men to die in the fire and collapse. Gansworth explained that years ago Smenk either formed a strong alliance or is black mailing Mayor Neff. Neff and his crony Sheriff Cubbin favor Smenk exclusively. Before 5 years ago Mayor Lanod Neff would play each mine owner off against each other for rich bribes, which he would parlay into votes. Now Smenk gives exclusively to Neff, and is allowed to do whatever he likes. When Tilgast and Perrin formed an alliance against Neff and Smenk they were threatened by Cubbin to back off or Cubbin wouldn't look too hard into their murder investigation when it happens.
Gansworth told Azreal that the heroes killing Kullen broken Smenk's reign of terror, and with Smenk away in Greyhawk to legitimize his claim on the Dourstone mine it's certain he is also recruiting a replacement for Kullen and his boys. After that it's back to business as usual. Tilgast hired a man to watch Smenk's compound, looking for Dourstone, or anything he could use against Smenk. Little does Tilgast know that the man, a rogue named Garek whom the group spared in the Dead Hole Mine fight, is selling Gansworth the same information. Gansworth promised to let Azrael know if anything came up.