The party took time to rest and recreate for about a month in the dwarven tradepost of Kegh Boldur, drinking large quantities of ale and passing out each night in the flop room of The Rusty Axe. Ghevont applied strong healing to himself, slowly regaining his health after the wounds suffered from the clay golem. The others quizzed various travelers about routes to Tosasth. The dwarves knew something of the old elven city, but cared little for the history of the overworld.
Eventually, they met a dwarf named Journo who made a weekly trip to and from the village of Dinfaldir to the west. He was a grumpy fellow, uncooperative. He offered to take them with him back to the village for a sum of 100 gp, a price they were unwilling to pay. Eventually, they resigned to make their own way.
Dinfaldir
Just past the south gate, road turned west toward Dinfaldir. They marched down the dwarven road, looking for way signs. A few smaller cave passages presented themselves along the road. The party managed to suppress the enduring curiosity of the halfling, moving on. About five miles down the road they heard a rumble farther ahead followed by some sounds of falling rock.
Fearing danger but wishing to know the cause, they retreated but left a ever-glowing rock in the road. Soon, the face of a huge worm jutted into the light then snuffed it out. They turned to hustle back to the side passage a mile behind.
The passage led them some ways to the north until it opened into a small cavern inhabited by a group of dwarven merchants and their guards. They were camping in a favorite spot to avoid staying in Kegh Boldur. Their handcarts were loaded down with weapons meant for the war heating up far to the south.
Returning to the road, they found some evidence of the giant worm but not the worm itself. And so they moved onward, at one point fighting off tentacle worms, eventually arriving an Dinfaldir. It was a small village in a cavern. Arranged around the edge were stone apartments rising two and three stories. In the center of was a sunken amphitheater featuring a towering central flame. The main road skirted the center and continued on westward. Another road out of the village headed south.
Stairs
They stopped a shy dwarf on the street named Geire who wore a dwarven holy symbol on a necklace. His eyes darted away from making contact. They explained they sought Tosasth and short of that a way to the surface. Indeed, Geire knew of stairs and was enthusiastic about going there. He explained the elders had forbid him to explore there.
Presently, they followed Geire up through a winding passage to a door barred from their side. They indulged in some debate, worried about being locked out but eventually went through. They admonished the dwarf not to follow and to bar the door again.
Outside in fresh air after many weeks, they immediately made camp. From the hilltop they looked down into a valley with high mountains all around and identified roads crossing the valley floor and leading to a city that guessed must be Tosasth.
While the others rested, Ferris explored. He found giant bats in a shallow cave that that he avoided. After a night of rest, they made their way towards the city.
Tosasth
A road from the west crossed the valley where they descended from the low hills. They followed it over an ancient stone bridge and turned northward when they reached a crossroads. Before long they came upon a cemetery.
Upon entering the graveyard, skeleton pushed out from the soil to approach, but Ghevont held them back with his holy symbol. Noting the location as a favorite of vampires, they exited the cemetery and moved toward the city.
Soon they were in the outskirts of town with buildings on either side. The door to a smithy was locked. Ferris failed to pick the lock, so they circled behind the building. Immediately, groups of undead approached from two directions. The fighters battled ghouls as Ghevont held off skeletons and gellybones.
A skeletal undead arrived wrapped in a bloody sheet. It whipped it’s blood-soaked cloak over Longstream who felt an eerie chill. Moments later, Tienarth hurled magic missiles at the foe, dropping it and freeing the halfling. The rest of the undead were put down and the building entered. Four ghouls dwelled within, and they too were killed without much harm.
Endnotes
- Treasure: none
- Kills – 2,478 xp
- 2 Tentacle Worms
- 5 Ghouls
- 6 Zombies
- 9 Skeletons
- 6 Gellybones
- 5 Flayers
- Blood Shroud
- Characters
- Tienarth/Tre – 496 xp
- Ferris/Henry – 546 xp
- Ghevont/Jeff – 546 xp
- Longstream/Bob – 496 xp
- Aderian/Jason – 546 xp
- Virtues: none
- Vices: none