31: White Plume Mountain - Whelm

The heroes pondered the meaning of a message to Felnar so far from home, and why written in blood? Too many things about White Plume Mountain were questions without obvious answers.
Moving to the door Aardgal and Morgrim shouldered it open. Beyond was a ledge, with an overhang leading down 50’ to boiling mud. The ceiling rose 50’ above this natural chamber. The walls and ceiling of this very large cavern were covered with a phosphorous lichen which lent a small amount of low light to the entire place. From this ledge to another across the chamber were hanging 4’ diameter wooden platforms suspended from the ceiling with sturdy iron chains. Each disk lay about 5’ apart.
To make matters worse, every 15-30 seconds a geyser of boiling mud would erupt showering the a portion of the cavern with super heated mud.
Jumping from disk to disk was deemed too perilous, so Azrael cast 2 fly spells on Morgrim and Bornir. Bulls Strength and Fire Protection spells were also cast on them. They then ferried the party across the chamber. A few members of the group were hurt by the geysers. Morgrim spell deflected only a portion of the heat and he also suffered several burns.
On the far side of the chamber was another ledge and another door. This one led to a 5’ wide passageway 50’ deep. Lath and Shaft were first down the hallway, as they moved down it’s length they noticed the last 30’ of the passageway’s ceiling was home to a large community of bats, normal sized bats. At the end of the passageway was a wooden door, and not 10’ feet from the door, was a figure huddled in a ball up against the wall.
Aardgal moved up and hailed the figure and it stirred. Indeed it was a grimy and bloodied dwarf. Dressed in tattered clothes and soiled leather armor. He clutched a heavy pick in both hands and seemed to have a deadened look to his gaze, as if in shock. The group recognized him as Ragnolin Dourstone, the dwarf they had rescued from confinement by Balabar Smenk in Diamond Lake.
Aardgal detected no malice or evil intent in Dourstone, though he did warn there was ‘trouble beyond the door’. He then helped Dourstone towards the back of the group. Dourstone seemed unresponsive to questions. Under the grime covering his body his skin was a mass of scarred and burned skin, though mostly healed. The blood on him seemed to be his own, but only minor cuts were immediately visible.
By this time the rest of the group had crossed the cavern and people had healed the burns they had received on the passage. After a few rounds of spell casting Lath tried the door, and then Morgrim moved to the fore front of the group to shoulder it open. As he heaved the door open, a bank of mist rolled into the passageway obscuring all vision beyond 5’. Lath strode past Morgrim into the room.
Aardgal stepped past Lath further into the mist enshrouded room. The group heard Aardgal suck his breath in as a creature attacked him. Whatever was attacking him was unseen, except for a faint hint of an outline as it attacked him with thunderous blows which cracked off his breast plate. He cried in pain and confusion as the life force was stolen from his body by the unseen attacker.
Before long more figures attacked from the mist. A fanged and clawed pale skinned human woman in torn and soiled leathers. She had unkempt lank red hair, and bestial red eyes. She tore at Aardgal.
An older pale human man, with thinning hair and a slight paunch, attacked Lath. He had fangs and glowing clawed hands, and was dressed in soiled and stained dark brown leather garments.
At this time the bats along the ceiling of the hallway launched themselves at any and all nearby. Edgrin and others were forced to either go into the mist filled room or back into the hall. Feldrin backed up, and as he did so a misty figure detached and floated from the mist along the hallway towards him. As it moved forward he heard “Felnar, it’s me, Terra.” He recognized the young druidess he was dating from Diamond Lake. She was under the effects of a gaseous form spell, but he recognized her. As her form coalesced, Ragnolin Dourstone cluthched his heavy pick and attacked Felnar, saying “For the master!” Felnar was forced to cast a mirror image spell and strike the wretched dwarf with an acid arrow spell. Dourstone cried in pain but swung vicious attacks at Felnar all the same.
Meanwhile in the room Lath recognized the enemies as vampires and turned the older vampire with the glowing hands. The man, who would later be identified as Master Dannen, screamed in rage and flung himself away from Lath turning into a mist as he withdrew.
Morgrim pressed into the room and Bornir cast an invisibility purge spell which negated the invisibility of the creature attacking Aardgal. Azrael had summoned his servant air elemental which he commanded to go into the mist and get rid of it. The elemental turned into a small whirlwind and flung itself into the room reducing then destroying the obscuring mist.
Bornir’s spell had revealed the attacker to be a pale dwarf in full plate befitting a dwarven noble, wielding an elaborately carved war hammer. The dwarf was also a vampire, a fact he proved as he struck at Lath and drained some of his life force with a well placed strike.
Lath battled the dwarven vampire, sensing he was wielding a legacy weapon as well, but the vicious blows of the vampire forced Lath to drawback and cure himself. Aardgal and Moregrim had destroyed the female red haired vampire, whereupon Aardgal looked for healing for he had taken grevious blows and felt a portion of his life force still missing.
Meanwhile Felnar withdrew from Terra, though speaking with her warily. She flung aside Dourstone with bone breaking force and he lay in a heap in the hall. Felnar turned his attention to the dwarven vampire and flung a spell at the vampire with sent a roiling ball of acid towards him. He screamed in agony as the acid scoured him and he fell apart into a misty cloud which moved quickly towards a large sealed urn.
Felnar announced the other auburn haired female vampire was Terrra, whom he knew and she was under his protection. The group turned towards her ready to destroy her, but when Aardgal sensed no evil in her, despite her clearly being a vampire, the group was forced to pause. Felnar explained that somehow Master Dannen, and his apprentices Terra and Willow had been turned into vampires by the dwarven vampire Ctenmiir.
Upon announcing the name of Ctenmiir, Bornir and Morgrim were incensed, since Lath’s divination had named Ctenmiir as Dulok Blitzhame’s murderer! They being charged to serve Dulok Blitzhame knew that Ctenmiir must die.
Lath turned toward the urn and struck it with Nenharna, breaking the large ceramic urn. Inside tumbled out black dirt mixed with various trinkets and the very dead body of a dwarf – Ctenmiir. Aardgal announced they must strike it’s head off and stake it’s unbeating heart to destroy it. Morgrim sharpened a torch while Lath took careful ai and with a single stroke of his blade swept the head off the drawf. Ctenmiir’s eyes opened in shock and rage before clouding over for good. Lath was handed the sharpened torch and with a few taps from Morgrim’s hammer he had it through the vampires heart. A terrible scream erupted from the still vampires form and it convulsed, then blew apart into streams, then fragments of dust, then was gone. All that was left in his place was his armor and war hammer. Edgrin named it ‘Whelm.’
After destroying Ctenmiir everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Terra’s status seemed unchanged, still a vampire, and still not evil. Master Dannen never returned and Terra told the group the cracks in the ceiling eventually lead outside.
Felnar still protected Terra, but the group distrusted her. Sensing this she vowed to leave and meet Felnar soon back in Diamond Lake, if the fates and Obad Hai allow. She turned into gaseous form and flowed through the ceiling.
The group examined the remains of Ctenmiir’s urn. Inside they found some coins, a gem stone and a simple wand made from willow wood. The wand, stone, Ctenmiir’s armor and the war hammer detected as magical.
Edgrin examined the war hammer and gave the following information: The war hammer was made long ago by a dwarven woman named Dagnal Mightyhammer, from the Dankil clan from the Kingdom of Karkast. She forged the war hammer at a time her clan was beset by a foul band of goblins led by a clan of bugbears. She made the hammer for her husband and shield mate, Taubon, to use in a counter attack against the trolls. She placed all of her love for her huband and her dedication to Moradin into crafting the war hammer. Taubon and his warriors proved victorious and their skill much praised.
More recently the war hammer resurfaced, this time in the hands of Ctenmiir, a mighty dwarven warrior and brother the Fionor ‘the Rude’ laird of the Greysmere Covenant. He used the war hammer which he named ‘Whelm’ to stop a horde of rampaging ogres. He then left his clan to become an adventurer.
Edgrin believes it can only be wielded by a dwarf, and to unlock it’s least legacy abilities a dwarf must slay a goblinoid which is tougher than the wielder. The group also saw the head of the hammer glows when it gets close to gold.
Seeing how difficult it was to traverse the mud pit and group decided to stay in Ctenmiir's lair and rest for the remainder of the day.
Felnar cast an identify on the wand and found that it was a wand of cure light wounds with the command word of 'Cauterize'.
After casting healing spells and with a full complement of spells the dwarves recieved fly spells, along with bull's strength and resist fire spells to avoid the worst of the scalding mud, and they flew the rest of the party to safety.
They made their way to the sphinx room, and then headed to the west after saying the safety word of 'River'.
The passage changed direction, and Bornir dropped into an underwater pit, which the group manuevered around with ropes. The next area was a long hallway which heated up the metal of anyone traversing it. Metal plates were on either side of the hallway walls, and Aardgal was able to disable them by grounding the plates to each other and the water which lay on the floor. It took several minutes to disable each section of the trap, and by the time he had disabled the whole hallway, the fly, resist and strength spells had waned.
The next room was non-descript with a set of stairs on the far wall. As the group ascended the stairs and the trail end of the 9 man party was still in the room, a secret door opened up in a wall, and several ghasts poured into the room. A quick fight killed the 4 ghasts, and the group found a little in the way of coins and treasure.
The hallway beyond the stairs was dry for a change, and a 20' wide hallway. As the group walked forward the floor gave way, another pit trap, this one with poisoned spikes. The dwarves in front were hurt but uneffected by the poison. Lath took to the walls with his slippers of spider climbing. Aardgal tried to figure out how to disarm or disable the trap door.
Just then a beautiful siren song came from down the hallway. The captivating effects enspelled Krech and Shaft and they wandered forward. Krech tumbled into the pit, oblivious to the danger. Shaft wandered forward as well enraptured. Edgrin started singing and after a few songs he had countered the effect of the enchanting song. Meanwhile Morgrim and Bornir had used a rope lowered by Lath to climb the far side of the 10' pit. The other side they found was completely smooth and frictionless, and they had a hard time standing much less walking.
Felnar cast a light spell on a crossbow bolt and fired it down the darkened hallway. Lath saw the bolt pass through the far wall and illuminate the end of the hallway.He suspected an illusionary wall.
Lath, Azrael under a fly spell, and Azrael's summoned air elemental went past the illusionary wall and found a high ceilinged area with an alcove 15' off the floor. In the alcove was perched a harpy, the source of the music. Between the emenetal, Lath's sword and Azrael's flail they made short work of the cruel beast. They returned to help the party past the pit trap and a second pit trap Morgrim had fallen int. Beyond the second pit trap and the illusionary wall was a side door, and the only exit from the trapped room.

30: White Plume Mountain - Wave

Aardgal swam the brackish water and at the stairs he pounded an iron spike and threw a rope across. Kretch anchored the rope, and a second rope was thrown across to ferry gear and shields. After 20+ minutes of swimming, drinking horrible yellow-brown water by accident the group was across the room. They ascended the short flight of stairs and found two door ways. Ahead was a steel door with a steel door frame. The handle for the door was formed from 3 serpents entwined made of metal. The door to the right was a normal sturdy bronze-wood door.
Lath reported feeling a throbbing vibration through the hand guard of his sword ‘Nenharna’, he said he may be sensing the proximity of another legendary weapon.
The group opened the normal looking door and found a passageway and heard a grinding noise. Morgrim saw with his dark vision the passage went 30’ then the next 20’ was formed of a 8’ diameter circular tube, open in the middle which was rolling and the source of the noise. Beyond the tube they could see some dim light beyond.
The group decided to concentrate on finding Wave and closed the door and opened the metal door. This door proved extremely hard to open but Morgrim was able to muscle it open with Aardgal’s help. The passageway went 10’ and ended in a similar metal door with a metal metal door frame.
This door was opened and the group found a third metal door with metal door frame. Beyond this third door was a stone passageway which was 30’ long and after 30’ the tunnel floor was composed of rock but the walls and ceiling were made up of a swirling blue and aqua color which shed dim light. This strange corridor went 20’ before opening up into a chamber, the walls of which were also made up of this material.
As the group got closer the swirling walls were hot and shed dim light. Felnar cast Detect Magic and found it to be a moderately powerful spell effect of the Conjuration school. Not wanting to touch the hot walls the group proceeded forward. They entered a hemispherical oval room. 50’ deep and 40’ wide. The floor was made of natural rock and the walls of this 20’ tall chamber were composed of this odd swirling material.
In the center of the room was a large purplish/blue red rock and strewn around it were bones. As the group headed into the room the rock moved, extending pincers and legs and was a huge, monstrous crab! Bornir tried to get around the creature and it snapped him in one of it’s pincers. People rushed the thing and it proved resistant to most damage, though Morgrim’s adamantine war hammer seemed to hit it to maximum effect.
Felnar blasted the creature with his Rainbow Blast, and it seemed immune to a portion of the damage, unfortunately the blast went past the creature and blasted through the wall. Super heated water and steam burst into the room through the opening! Morgrim and Lath who had cast fire resistant spells ran forward to find the trident while the rest of the group ran back to the doors.
The doors had been spiked open and Aardgal started removing the spikes. Morgrim screamed as he dove into the super hot water. Lath dove after him, the two would barely out run the rushing water and steam as they slammed the doors closed. Morgrim reported opening a large stone box in which a golden trident lay. Lath grabbed the trident and ran for his life. Each reported seeing an object in front of the box, a circular stone disk 2’ high and 3’ wide. Atop the disk were 3 stone serpents. The whole piece was spinning slowly.
Healing spells were cast as Morgrim had suffered nasty burns and the group retraced their steps ferrying themselves and their gear across the water filled room.
They passed the sphinx, who regarded them coolly, and headed towards the entrance. The group rounded the corner and found the entrance blocked. A vertical wall of flowstone blocked their passage. Flowstone is a type of stone which accumulates from the flow of water in underground chambers, but takes centuries to form. Felnar examined the wall and guessed it may be a Wall of Stone spell, but one cast by a druid. He shrugged unsure.
Morgrim started battering on the wall with his war hammer. After a half hour of crude tunneling a hole 4’ deep and 5’ wide had been made. He still hadn’t reached the tunnel beyond. Aardgal went back to the sphinx room, and Shaft went to keep an eye on him for his own safety. Shaft’s ears perked up when he hear Aardgal talking with someone. At first he thought it was the sphinx, then he moved forward realizing something else was going on. On the opposite side of the chamber was a slight man in dark leather armor, bearing a slender sword he had red hair slicked back and grime coated his face and hands. Aardgal and he were wrapping up a conversation and he returned to the party.
The man was the were-rat who had escaped the party in Droskar’s Crag. He offered Aardgal a truce and had parlayed on behalf of a woman named ‘Snarla’. Snarla’s group were aware that Aardgal and company were in the possession of Wave. She is seeking a legendary weapon, be it Wave or another in the complex. The were-rat –Simon, offered a pact between their group and the party: First, mutual non-aggression between Snarla’s group and the party. Secondly, information about the other legendary weapons in the complex. Lastly how to get past the stone wall. In return they wanted one of the Legendary weapons for themselves. Which one would be left up to the parties’ discretion.
Aardgal had agree to talk it over with the group and the two would meet again in an hour. With the groups assent he returned and met with Simon. The Wererat returned with two other rats coming from the north. After Aardgal agreed to the arrangement he gave up the following information: The Wall of Stone will trap anyone in here until 3 legendary weapons are gathered before it. Snarla’s band is loosely allied with two other group. Each of these groups brought a legendary weapon into White Plume Mountain. To the west is a group called ‘the Blood Brothers’ led by a man named Quesnef. He bears the sword ‘Black Razor’. To the east is a dwarf ‘of sorts’ who bears the weapon ‘Whelm’. With this information imparted Simon sneered “We’ll be watching.”
Once Simon had left Edgrin whistled as if stunned and said while he knew nothing of Whelm, he had heard of Black Razor. A mighty Great Sword called ‘Black Razor the Devourer’ dates back 2000+ years, it is said the Sword was responsible for the destruction of the Kingdom of Sulm and the creation of the Bright Desert. Aardgal figured any weapon capable of such destruction shouldn’t be in the hands of a wererat like Simon and his boss.
Felnar piped up, since he had recognized the group called 'the Blood Brothers' "They are a fanatical group who follow a man killed in Greyhawk 20 year ago after he massacred dozens of innocents. They believe in killing the weak to make the human race stronger."
"A nasty lot based in the Bandit Kingdoms I've heard." says Edgrin.
The group decided to rest in the tunnel. Most sat on their packs and dozed against the walls with their armor off when it was their turn to sleep. After a long time had passed spells were prepared and armor donned. Kretch, it was found, could not feed himself or do much else, and Edgrin became his ‘shield boy’ so he could use his left hand. After a few hours standing in warm water it was not uncommon to hear Kretch yell “I gotta pee. Need help.”
The group decided to go to the east after the War Hammer ‘Whelm’. They examined the room with the globes. They then went to the magically locked door. Felnar was unable to open it with a knock spell, so the globe room was thoroughly examined. No magic could be detected in or on any of them. Finally Morgrim put a sack over one of the globes while Aardgal pulled down on it. The globe burst with a dull tinkling noise and the glass shards fell into the sack. Morgrim was about to examine the contents when a shadowy hand reached from inside the bag and attacked Morgrim! Aardgal slashed at the back and a shadowy undead emerged. It was struck by magic missiles from Felnar and it buzzed arounf the group seeking the mage. He was drained of strength, and the shadow destroyed before it could kill him. Inside the remains of the bag were broken glass and a golden key. Each globe in turn bore a golden key. One had a potion vial which hit the ground and was broken. The third had an agry air eelemental and 2 magic necklaces. Fourth had a potion which Felnar thought was a potion of fly. The next 11 gemstones. The next a grey ooze which ate two of Morgrim’s staves before being dispatched. The next a golden wand. The next a golden ring which spoke telepathically in everyones mind when picked up. It said “I am the Ring of Boccob. I will answer three questions true, but there is a price.”. The last globe had 7 gemstones. The nine keys were taken to the locked door and the onw which had been with the Ring of Boccob opened the door with a loud ‘CLANK’.
The room beyond was 30’x30’. It had one door in the middle of the room and standing in front of the door were 5 large man-like figures stitched together with gut and magic – Flesh Golems. Each had a number carved into the skin of it’s chest. The center one spoke via a magic mouth spell “ONE OF US DOES NOT BELONG. PICK OUT THE INTERLOPER AND GAIN PASSAGE. CHOOSE WRONG AND DIE. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.” The numbers carved into their chests were: 19, 44, 59, 71, 97.
After a brief talk Aardgal pointed to the golem with the number 44 on it’s chest, since it was a non-prime number. The golems stepped aside without a word.
The door led to a passage, around another corner was a rusty iron portcullis. Morgrim and Bornir tried to lift it, found they couldn’t budge it, and were in fact stuck to the thing. A fist formed from the bars and struck at Bornir. A dread Mimic! It was cut down with spells and weapons and probing the creatures gooey remains yielded a few items which were hard to identify. They were edged into a sack and the group moved along. Further down the passage the right hand side of the passageway had something scrawled in dried blood, more disturbing was that it addressed someone in the party by name: ‘FELNAR SAVE ME!’

29: Lost Children found, and the Bronze Door of Zagyg.

The 7 heroes gathered the children, Edgrin and Bornir’s body and traveled the tunnels and halls of Droskar’s Crag. They reached the ruined monestary above and found their two remaining horses missing. “Werewolf got ‘em, or were rat.” Mused Aardgal.
Morgrim was glum, for he had failed to protect Bornir. Lath swore an oath that he would do whatever necessary to raise his fallen friend. The group hushed as an elf called a dwarf ‘friend’. Even Edgrin was sobered by the exchange.
They walked back to Ery Crossing, camped at the loggers camp overnight, then hade their way down from the foot hills. On the way they encountered a search party for the missing children, and when the children were seen there was much rejoicing. The band travelled with the group and a few searchers fanned out to spread the news. After a while another search party joined the heroes. By the time they reached Eiren’s Falls they had a quarter of the town out of doors or following them. The heroes met with Sister Holmes, the curate of the temple to Ulaa (goddess of mining, mountains and gemstones), who seemed very nice and helpful. She is unable to not capable of raising the dead. She did say there is a scroll of raise dead owned by the town land baron, Thuldrin Kreed, recently bought from a travelling priestess of Abbathor. He may be willing to part with it, seeing as you did just rescue his son – Jurin Kreed.
The locals suggested they go to the low market to meet with Burgermeister Harg. By this time many of the worried parents had re-united with their lost children.
In the town square assembled a larger gathering of commoners. They greeted the heroes with resounding cheers. “The Heroes of Blackwall Keep have rescue our children! Hooray!” “The killers of the vicious bugbears! Hooray!” The town land baron Thuldrin Kreed and Malchor Vade, the local theurgist arrived from ‘the Perch’ – a walled section of the town for the upper crust. They seemed pleased to have their children back and receptive to the groups offer to meet privately. Thuldrin gave the group 2 sacks of gold coins (500 gp) as a reward for the return of his son.
During the revelries later at the Goose ‘n’ Gander Inn and Tavern several members of the heroes band, or ‘goblin slayers’ as they were being hailed, met with Thuldrin Kreed. When asked is he would be willing to part with the scroll he obliged in return for the cost requeried to create the newly penned scroll. During this period the group learned that Ulla Ironmettle and the Coalbrow clan of dwarves had firm business partners in town and with the curate Holmes of Ulaa. They had sold various items of Dwarven craftsmanship from the Dwarven Kingdom of Karkast, and had cast various spells and even penned the scroll of raise dead for use in emergency by Thuldrin Kreed. The group decided to not mention their troubles with the Priestess of Abbathor.
The group decided they would have to spend a few days in town despite the urgency of the quest to shut off the Yawning Portal of Ogremoch, Bornir was successfully raised from the dead by Lath despite the danger of miscasting a scroll penned by a more powerful cleric. Bornir, pale and shaken, had a far away look and he was healed and trundled off into a private room where Morgrim stood vigil. Within he was eating plates of food and tankards of ale. He seemed sobered by his experience in the afterlife.
Azrael traded away what goods could be sold in town, while Felnar arranged to buy all the pearls locally available for sale for use in his identify spells. Edgrin handled several of the captured items found in the forsaken monastery and a few he could place name to. The rest were identified and split by the band of hereoes.
Bornir won an evil dagger during the treasure split and he went to the curate of Ulaa and with her guidance they destroyed the evil blade, heating it in a forge and pounding it into a lump of worthless metal, while singing prayers to Clanggedin. Both clerics cast consecrate on the evil blade while had taken the life of Edgrin’s friend and fellow adventurer and probably countess others.

The 9 heroes, restocked and ready, left the town 3 days later in search of the door of Zagyg. Edgrin asked “Where are we going next?” Aardgal suggested Edgrin go to Diamond Lake to keep the officials there apprised of the groups actions. Edgrin suggested Lath use his new Silver Raven Figurine of Wonderous Power which would get there faster and more efficiently. It was impossible to deter the little Halfling bard, so he was allowed to join the group as they headed back to Droskar’s Crag.
Within the bowels of the Crag the fellowship returned to the area near the Jade Sister’s room. There they found a bronze door. Above the keystone to the door was a stone carving of a face, Zagyg presumably, a laughing overweight man with wispy hair. In the center of the door was a circular indentation with an indented rune of madness in the center. This rune held both mystical and religious connotations, since it was the holy symbol for the mad wizard/demi-god Zagyg and the arcane rune denoting madness. When no traps were found on the door the group opened it.
Inside was a room with 16 identical doors, each with a stone face carving above it identical to the last of Zagyg. Each bronze door held a rune of madness in it’s center, and in 8 of the 16 there was a triangular indentation below the rune. The doors with the triangular indentation could not be opened. The group opened a door 4th from the end and found the door magically led 500 feet above an ocean, a very distant land mass could be seen on the horizon.
Then Lath noticed chalk next to the doors, each was chalked with numbers in dwarvish from 1-8. The group had emerged from door #1, so the door #4 was opened. It led into a dungeon room. The room was long and in the center lay a pentacle engraved with silver in the floor. Inside the pentacle was a small blood red humanoid with bat wings, barbed tail, fangs and claws. Aardgal approached it and it hissed “Intruders! I will warn my master.” Then it disappeared in a puff of brimstone.

Exploring further the group found a set of stone stairs up at the far end of the chamber. It led to a tunnel which emerged onto the side of a cliff. The cliff overlooked a vast plain, directly ahead was a great mountain. Every few minutes a great plume of steam would vent from it’s snow covered peak – The fabled White Plume Mountain. A yellow river wound around the mountain, and into a brackish swamp to the left of it. Plains lay to the right, and barely visible in the distance past the great mountain were wooden hills. The dwarves knew a single mountain is a strange sight indeed.
A stone walkway led from the cliff side past a pair of Dwarven statues with axes upraised up to a rock with several stone columns and plinths. In the center of the columns was a stone pedestal with writing in dwarvish “Ascend to Castle Murkos” the walkway led further out and the group could see a stone ledge projecting out from the Cliffside 100’ feet above them. At the end of the walkway was a stone carving, this was on a boulder with two crossed Dwarven axes, heads half buried in the stone. Dwarven script on the axe handles read “Descend.” Morgrim grasped the axe handles and spoke the word “Descend” in dwarvish and those nearest to him felt lighter all of a sudden. Felnar recognized the effect as a feather fall spell having been cast on the four nearest. The jumped from the platform to the hillside some 150’ below. Near the landing was a trail leading from the cliff. This trail eventually came to a T intersection. The group went to the right towards White Plume Mountain. They crossed a stream which was yellow and smelled slightly sulfurous, and when the path led away from the mountain they found a foot path leading towards the mountain’s southern slope.
The path led up the mountain side and then led away towards the forested eastern slope of the mountain. At this point the sharp eyed elves spotted a path which led up towards a cave where steam was venting every 5 minutes. After some steep inclines and a bit of climbing the group reached the tunnel mouth. Timing their entrance they entered a very wet cavern, and at the back found a set of ancient circular steps leading down and away from the source of the steam. The group descended at least a hundred feet before the stairs led to a tunnel. Down the dark tunnel they could feel the oppressive weight of the mountain above and around them. A foot of black water lay on the floor, and the walls were formed of massive stone blocks, weathered over the centuries, if any carving had been on the stones, they were gone now.
The tunnel went deep into the mountain then turned and opened into a diamond shaped room with 3 exits. In the center of the room was a tiered pedestal, and atop a bone strewn pedestal sat a winged leonine creature with the face and upper torso resembling a woman, but the paws and claws of a lioness. It spoke aloud in common “West, North or East, answer my riddle to safely pass.”
The group sought the way east and answered the creatures riddle. They were told to speak the answer in turn as they passed. Heading west the group walked down an ancient, wet tunnel when Morgrim cried out. His shoulder was burning and covered in green slime! A dagger was used to scrape the slime off his armor, it damaged the armor, and ruined the dagger. Morgrim had taken a grievous injury. The group retreated and Felnar fireballed the mass of green slime covering the ceiling. Lath cast a spell which restored Morgrim’s damaged shoulder and arm where the slime had eaten the flesh to the bone.
Shaken the group probed forward cautiously.
The branching passageways contained a room with suspended metallic spheres suspended from wires, and a locked door with a key hole and the personal rune of the wizard Keraptis inlaid into the door. The rune was a K with 3 serpents entwined within it. Aardgal was unable to pick the lock. The symbol jogged Edgrin's memory, for he recalled a verse about a Wizard Keraptis who lived 1,300 years ago. Hungry for immortality, he abandoned his evil domain and delved below White Plume Mountain with his followers never to return.
At this point Morgrim suggested they cast locate object to determine the location of the Trident ‘Wave’. Bornir cast the spell and determined a trident was located somewhere to the west of the group.
They decided to go back to the sphinx room. When they back tracked the locate object directed them north. After answering a riddle the group headed north, down another wet and humid corridor.
They entered a large room. At the opposite end rose a horrible warty green woman, her awful gaze was enough to sicken all who looked upon her. Bornir charged her and fell into a deeper portion of water in the middle of the room. Weakened as he was he had no chance of swimming out of the murky water. Felnar unleashed scorching rays which struck the hag and shaft unloosed arrows which downed her. Aardgal dove into the water after Bornir, while Morgrim started probing the water with a staff for the edge of the ledge.
Some horrible creature attacked Bornir and had him in it’s pincer, Aardgal struck at the large monstrosity with his short sword. Felnar then cast his Regroup spell which dimension doored Aardgal and Bornir to his side. The creature next attacked Morgrim on the surface, but the heroes dispatched it with spell, axe and arrow. It sunk beneath the water, dead or beaten.
Across the room lay stairs up, a doorway and an open archway. Many choices, and the locate object spell pointed north towards the stairs.