The party deftly crossed the small rickety bridge that lead
to the small plot of dry swampland housing the grist mill. The party split up
to investigate the area. The barbarian moved toward the silos. The monk headed
straight to the mill. The rouge went to examine a giant pile of what looked
like swamp debris near the waterwheel.
The Barbarian’s
search
The barbarian gave the collapsed silo a good look over, but
found nothing of interest. The silo looked like it had collapsed due to a
combination of the swamp environment, weather and lack of up keep. All he
managed to find was the remains of what might have been grain and a few big
hairy spiders.
He noticed that the second silo was in much better shape as
he approached it. He also saw what looked to be the outline of a small door in
the side facing the mill. From a distance the door was not noticeable, but as
he got closer there was a definitely a door made to look like the side of the
silo.
He cracked it open. Inside he found the remnants of a few
sacks of grain, a very large rat chewing on said sack of grain and large wooden
palate on the ground that had what looked to be two large rocks on it. He got
closer and realized that these were not just rocks, but chunks of unrefined
gold ore. A clue!
It was then that he heard a voice calling to him from
farther up in the silo. As he looked up he saw a strange creature floating down
towards him. It was essentially an orb with a mouth, a large central eye and
four smaller eyestalks. As it descended it struck up a conversation about his
master, delivery, pick-up, why there was a new guy instead of the usual little
ones, if he knew if the password was still Purple Fish?
The barbarian responded that he was here for pickup and that
the password was still Purple Fish. He was a replacement for the little ones.
He also asked how long he had been guarding this ore.
The floating eye creature knew his service had lasted
fifteen years so far. It also seemed very excited to hear he was here to pick
up. It seemed that the discussion of pickup meant that the barbarian was able
to take the two pieces of ore. It also meant that the eye monster had nothing
left to guard. It became very excited about that, as it meant it was free from
further service. The eye creature thanked the barbarian and floated out the
silo and off toward the swamp muttering something about seeing the world.
The rouge’s search
The rouge wandered over to the pile of vegetative debris. It
looked like it had been pulled up from the water and deliberately piled there.
As he was poking and prodding at the pile of swamp
vegetation he noticed a large flying eyeball creature float by. He prepared to
defend himself, but the creature simply said hello and drifted on by him.
Confused as to what he just saw, and finding nothing in the pile of plant
parts, the rouge made his way over to the barbarian coming out of the
silo. (thinking a shambling mound
encounter right? Yeah I had one in the
back of the mill, but spoiler…the party didn’t investigate there)
The monk’s search
The monk approached the door to the mill. There were a few
sets of footprints leading away from the door, but no tracks leading back. The
door to the mill was ajar and sat crooked as the lower hinges had broken loose.
He walked in prepared for anything.
What he found was a slowly turning mill stone, several old
rotting bags of grain, a lot of dust, many cobwebs and a set of stairs leading
to the second floor. He moved up the stairs to discover a caved in ceiling, a
pair of bunk beds, a table and pair of chairs that had seen better days.
Finding nothing he moved back downstairs.
He approached the mill stone and noticed that the floor
around it was different than the rest of the building. The floor boards looked
almost new in comparison to the warped, weathered and dusty boards the rest of
the building. He also noticed a couple of bards on the North wall that looked
in similar shape to the boards under the mill stone. He removed the two boards
on the wall and discovered a small lever behind them. He gave the lever a
glance and didn’t see anything that he thought might be a trap or trigger
so….he pulled the lever down.
The floor subtly shook and the sound of stone grinding
began. The monk jumped back as the millstone began to slowly move back toward
the wall. Below it was a set of stairs dropping down roughly one hundred feet.
The appeared to be a dimly lit passage at the bottom of said stairs. A clue!
As the passageway opened the rouge and barbarian walked into
the mill. It looked like there was much more to this mill than the outward
appearance and their investigation had into it was paying off.
Down they go
The trio head down under the mill and find a rough cut
tunnel dirt tunnel. The ceiling and walls are braced with planks of thickly cut
wood. Strangely for a tunnel under the swamp, the ground, walls and ceiling are
all bone dry. The tunnel is dimly lit by torches spaced every 30-50 feet. They
slowly move down the tunnel and think they can hear the sound of voices and
some sort of recurring “shoosh” sound.
After about 100’ they find a small alcove cut into the
tunnel. A wooden palate lies on the floor inside of it. Atop the palate are two
more chunks of unrefined gold ore. The party adds these to the pieces found
earlier. They continue down the tunnel until it slowly turns to the left and
slopes down further. They continue downwards until the tunnel begins to open
into a large room.
As they approach they can see a half dozen dwarves milling
about. These don’t look like normal dwarves, but duergar they have faced their
kind before. Two seem to be sitting at a small table. Four more are working
around what looks to be a smelting oven. What looks like a single eyed
lizard/demon/monkey jumps around the room incessantly babbling nonsense.
Another floating eye creature with four smaller eyestalks floats above a small
chest.
The barbarian walks into the room and announces that the
master has sent him and friends for pickup.
(Insert record needle
skip noise here)
The duergar grab hammers, shovels, tongs and anything else
they can use as a makeshift weapon. The float eye floats. The
lizard/demon/monkey leaps atop the smelting oven and stares at the party.
The barbarian continues to speak of how he was sent and what
he was here to pick up. He also mentions the password, Purple Fish.
The lizard/demon/monkey creature stops staring at the
barbarian and focuses his attention to the monk and rouge. His eye bores into
their mind and suddenly it yelps “LIARS!” “THIEVES!” “FAKERS!” The duergar move
to attack. Battle begins!
The duergar get the first swings in at the party as they
suddenly all grow to twice their normal size the lizard/demon/monkey unleashes
a beam of dark energy from its eye into the barbarian. The beam glances his arm
and leaves behind a welt that slowly turns the skin a sickly pallid color. The
monk and rouge punch, parry and swing at the dark dwarves. The floating eye
creature continues to float over the small chest.
The rouge nimbly moves behind one duergar and proceeds to
drive his dagger and sword deep into his back. The duergar drowns in his own
blood as it fills his lungs. He then dashes over and unleashes a second set of
blows that all but remove a dark dwarf’s head from his neck. He then turns to
face a third duergar and takes two colossal hits from blacksmithing hammers
into his chest. The blows drop the rouge to the ground.
The monk and barbarian seeing this increase their attacks, but
the now enlarged dwarves are putting up more of a fight then they were
expecting. The single eyed lizard/demon/monkey continues to leap about and fire
beams of dark necrotic energy at the party. The floating eye creature continues
to float over the small chest.
Although they are enlarged, the duergar quickly realize that
they are outclassed in the combat department. Their numbers dwindle against the
onslaught of the barbarian and monk. The rouge struggles to his knees and
begins to vomit up blood. He then falls to the ground again. The
lizard/demon/monkey is cut while reciting the dialogue from unknown play. The
last remaining duergar returns to his regular size and then just disappears in
the middle of combat. The barbarian had seen this trick before. He quickly
turns and makes a dash down the long tunnel toward the entrance. He was not
going to let dwarf get away. The floating eye creature continues to float over
the small chest.
The rouge is eventually able to stand but just barely. He
tends to his wounds and then joins the monk in searching the chamber. They find
all the tools needed to work metal, a smelting oven, two alcoves cut into the
wall containing bunked beds, wood and coal for the oven, a small table with
various bowls of colored powders, small smooth cloth rags and four rectangular
metal plates. They investigate the rectangular metal plates and soon realize
they are molds. Each plate has five
recessed circles with a design carved in it. A design that is a half circle
with four rays protruding from it. This is where the strange coins are being
made! They check on the strange powders but are not sure what they are for. The
monk collects samples of the various powders to have a practitioner of magic
check them later. They also find carved into the floor a small runic circle
with a shallow bowl of water in the center. The floating eye creature continues
to float over the small chest always watching, but doing nothing.
Meanwhile……
The barbarian easily out paces the invisible dark dwarf. He
stands on the bottom stair waiting for the duergar. He even calls out to him in
dwarven to surrender. He only wants to talk. After a few minutes the head of a
duergar pops out from the alcove containing the wooden palate. The dwarf pleads for his life and safety. He
is but a simple artisan who was recruited to help make coins. He says he was
recruited from his home in the Underdark by a beardless gnome with a pointy
hat. They all refer to him as Mr. Pointy Hat. The barbarian questions him about
their job and this Mr. Pointy Hat. All he gets is that these duergar were hired
to make and infuse coins with minor enchantments. They have been here several
months. Orders come in, from the gnome, via the runic circle and scrying bowl.
They fill the order and place the coins small chest. Then the order is taken to
the silo. Eventually, the coins are removed and gold ore is left behind to make
more coins. They don’t know the name of the gnome or if he works for anyone
else. They have no idea as to why the coins are being circulated, but they are
paid by the order filled. The barbarian gets his name and promises him safe
passage out of the tunnels and urges him to never show his face above ground
again.
Meanwhile in the coin
room…..
The monk and rouge strike up a conversation with the
floating eye. They learn his job is to guard the chest. He is only allowed to
let the little ones (duergar) touch the chest and nobody else. He mentions the
gnome called Mr. Pointy Hat by the duergar. He knows he must stay here for many
many more years before he can leave, it is his job to guard the chest. He was
summoned/hired by the gnome. He know very little of the reasons behind the
minting of coins, just that he has to guard them in the chest.
The barbarian arrives to check on the monk and rouge. He
manages to catch part of their conversation with the eye. He blows most of it
off and sits outside the runic circle waiting for the gnome to appear. It is
mentioned that the gnome appears at random and not on any set schedule.
Frustrated the barbarian kicks over the bowl of water and heads back up and out
of the grist mill.
All this time the rouge has been sneaking toward the chest
thinking himself stealthy. He reaches out and tries to open the chest. It is
then that his body is wracked with pain. He looks up to see a single eyestalk
peering at him. He draws his weapons and then suddenly he has forgotten
everything. He has no idea what he is doing, where he is, who that guy across from
him is, why he has weapons, what day it is, and who he is. He is oblivious to
the second little eyeball staring at him.
The monk moves to attack and is also wracked by pain as the
eye creature stares at him. The rouge continues to mutter to himself and wander
about in utter confusion. Eventually, he comes to and advances on the eye
creature again. The creature focuses another eye stalk toward the rouge and
this time he is faced with his greatest fears made manifest. The rouge screams
and flees as fast as possible back up the tunnel. The monk intensifies his
attacks and manages to shrug off another round of crippling pain. The eye
creature succumbs to the sheer amount of punches and sword strikes. Its main
eye rolls back in its head and the body falls to the ground with a wet thud.
The rouge eventually stops running; realizing that the fear
he felt wasn’t real. He quickly runs back to aid the monk (really to
investigate the chest).
With the eye monster dead the rouge checks the chest for
possible traps and finds none. He pops it open and inside is…….. 100 gold coins
with the same strange symbol on them. All that trouble for a pittance of 100
gold coins. They take the coins, the molds and then proceed to do as much
damage to the room as possible. They are going to make sure that this location
isn’t useable again.
It might not have been a high profit excursion, but the trio
has struck a blow against this beardless gnome his strange money scheme. Now
they just had to figure out the why, how, where and who of all this.
HEY follow or go check out @Regthebarbarian for live tweets from this game!
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