Characters: Julian, Balin, Nomin, Tulgar, Randal, Cael, Anthony, Samael.
NPCs: 2 Blue trappers, 6 Blue archers, 2 Blue throwers, 1 Blue bomber, 5 Blue Tunnelers, 4 Blue Sappers.
28 Hammar 1374 - 28 Hammar 1374
5900 XP
After resting in the dusty cave, the party continued down the long crumbling staircase. Eventually, they approached a large fallout in the path between two stone arches below. Balin shapechanged into a dire bat and carefully made his way through the hole. However, the Blue trappers were waiting and Balin was cut down by two old dwarven war scythes hidden on either side on the hole. Julian spider climbed across taking with him a section of troll gut rope while Tulgar tied it to a piton on the party's side. Meanwhile, Balin was hit with a poisonous vial causing his right side to spasm. Balin firestormed the area killing his unseen assailant. The rest of the party tried making their way across the hole above. Balin flew around the tunnel and back up towards Julian and was struck by a volley of fire arrows. He returned the volley with another powerful firestorm incinerating the goblinoid archers.With the party assembled again at the other side they made their way down the staircase further in a fog of stone dust. After some time they passed by another empty landing area where a faint whimpering was heard from inside. Randal, Tulgar, and Anthony rushed in and found a small Blue huddled in the corner. It kept saying how it didn't want to die and quivered in fear. Meanwhile, Julian and Samael examined a broken stone tablet outside the room. In a hizagkuur-gold alloy the word "Gildabarr" was written in old dwarvish. Inside the room the goblin became increasingly agitated and eventually pulled a string from behind him. Hidden black powder exploded and damaged the party.
As the adventurers moved downward they came to a breech in the great staircase wall leading to an underground tunnel. The party moved through the tunnel and then heard a blast and crash of stone from behind them as the cave entrance was collapsed. Just then the grinding sounds of stone and metal signaled the approach of a massive dwarven tunneling machine. Anthony attempted to batter it with the Blade of Cosmas and it shattered. Next, Randal rushed forward and pounded the tunneler with his iron fists while Cael used an acidic spell to melt part of the auger away. The tunneler moved onward and overran Anthony, and Cael. Tulgar smashed through the left side of the construct and the party shifted over in safety. Julian blinked into the cabin and was attacked by 4 Blues. Finally, Tulgar destroyed the construct with another great blast from Gar. After the battle, Balin summoned an earth elemental to move the collapsed stone aside and the party returned to the staircase.
Without rest the party moved downward and after a while heard sounds from above. Just then the ceiling and left wall blasted downward. The rubble crashed into the party sending all but Tulgar, Julian, and Samael down through the floors below. Cael was nearly killed before Randal positioned himself to absorb the falling rocks above him. Balin turned into a bird and flew to safety, however Anthony crashed the furthest downward and through an opening in the staircase wall. The party is now battered and separated on the lower levels of the great staircase.
