Tunnels and Dark Avenues

Our Heroes with their rescued slaves in tow, were deciding on options, back through a smoke filled hallway to the sewers, or stand and fight a squad - or more - of Black Rune dwarves or go through the main doors to the former inn - barred, chained and boarded over, and a two doors, behind webbing and cobwebs.
Hearing the Black Runes working through the barred doors into the cavern of the GoldRiver, They decided quickly to go out the main doors - Benta did not know the area but the goblin advised it used to lead up to the avenues of Enstad.
Robin in discussion with Doc Holiday decided to go back and create a diversion. Taking a knee in the balcony overlooking the GoldRiver, and the rope bridge which still held the procession of undead, he took aim at the green glowing lanterns the Black Rune dwarves held to control and guide the undead. With an expert shot, his arrow took out one then another of the glowing lanterns. By this time the undead were no longer controlled and were attacking the Black Runes. Musket shots and bolts hit the wood around the ranger/warlock so he retreated as the massive doors closing off the Black Rune reinforcements were nearly breached.
During this time, Cedric, Kantiff and Extrano had successfully taken the chains and padlocks (Kantiff kept these), planks and more holding the doors shut.
Meanwhile, Doc Holiday with assistance from Cheeta were caring and bandaging for the former slaves.

• Synik (Human male teenager)
• Chenti (Human female older woman)
• Dagin (Human male - one foot encased in gold) - unconscious
• Zenin (Human female child - Dagin's granddaughter) 
• Binak (Human male teen - Dagin's grandson)
• Niccola (Human Female woman)
• Declan (Hobbit male teen?)
• Bertanna (Human Female older woman)
• Nalin (Human male teenager)
• Rihorn (Human male older man)

Most of the rescued, were tired, wounded, malnourished and not too talkative.
Declan, the hobbit was fairly open and willing to talk, a former merchant guard, he had worked in the Kron Hills and down into the territory of the Elves for a number of years. It seemed he had some minor skills with weapons.
Niccola a young woman in her twenties, was a former sailor. Long red hair, she was willing to use one of the crossbows and looked to be proficient with it - after cleaning and repairing the firing mechanism
Zenin and Binak - both children advised their grandpa was a merchant in spices and other unique curios. They looked with dread and a terrified interest at their grandpa's gold encased foot..
Nalin is a well-built young man, it comes out he is a apprentice smith. Having some skill minor skills in weapon making.

Upon Robin Hood's return, the Fellowship get the doors open and see out into a dark passage. It seemed the GoldRiver Inn was one building in a small underground town or city. It seems the area was popular with dwarves, gnomes and hobbits whom lived in Enstad, but did NOT want to live in the massive tree cities.
Taking their queue from the shouts, bangs and smashing of wood and clangs of iron in the cavern, the party rushed out down into the dark avenue.
Closing the doors behind them they raced off into the dark, hoping the Black Runes would not give chase.. As they moved on, they heard the door open slightly and then loud gutturla laughs from a number of - assume to be - dwarves. A voice called out.. advising there was a reason the door had been barred, chained and boarded over! They would find out soon! 
With that, the heroes heard the door again being slammed shut, barred, boarded and chained again.

The Fellowship of RedWater were alone in the dark in an unknown underground city. Exploring onwards, they came upon many ransacked and destroyed buildings of many businesses. It seemed the Black Runes had cleared this area..
Strangely, massive amounts of dirt were pouring down into some buildings, coming out of doorways, windows and piled up everywhere. The silent and dark buildings held no answer. Going down the avenue, they came to an intersection with a stagnant water filled fountain with what was probably a statue of an elf, now just broken off legs, the rest smashed rubble.
One large building - the largest they had seen so far - was the "Alchemy College of.." the rest of the sign was destroyed. The building rose three floors into the ceiling. two of the cobble-stone alleys were blocked off with dirt cave-ins. One to the party's right went off into the dark. Exploring they
started to hear some strange clicking/chittering sounds..
Then out of the darkness reptilian insect-like creatures attacked! Out of 2' tunnels the creatures poured out to attack.

The Fellowship of RedWater destroyed them and more came to try and pull the weak and wounded. One of the former slaves - Bertanna - was killed and taken by the creatures..
Fighting off the ferocious reptiles, the party took refuge in a partially destroyed stables. Resting and bandaging wounds, Cedric stood guard. Some found safe area in the loft under the advice of Doc Holiday.
Deciding that the way to get out of this hellish place was to go up, they decided to head back to the plaza.. glittering eyes of the insectoid-reptiles watching from a multitude of dirt holes along the way. As party members raised bows, crossbows or prepared magical energies, the creatures ducked back.. seeming to be work together.
Reaching the plaza, the party entered the former alchemy college building. The building - like all the others was mostly ransacked and pillaged.

Extrano cast detect magic as well as Robin - using his new warlock powers from his patron Orcus - they both detected footprints that went from a large hole in the ground up a set of stairs. A velvet bag holding some interesting items was found - one being a book -which seemed to be a contract with a creature from the 2nd plane of Hell - Dis. It seemed to be a merchant contract. The various pages in the book being the previous owners transactions with the merchant from Hell.
While the rest of the party searched and explored, Extrano, signed the contract on the front page. All the previous transaction pages. disappeared in cinders and smoke.. it seemed the Merchant from Dis would arrive within the month...
Meanwhile, a large hole was looked into but left unexplored.. The goal for the Fellowship with former slaves in tow was escape. So up the stairs they went.
The strange sounds of the reptoids - not sure whom came up with the name - could be heard. As the party ascended, Kantiff looked for traps noting none.
As they explored further into the college, large piles and mounds of dirt were found, and then the reptoids attacked again. This time the party was split into two rooms and the creatures seemed to be attacking en-masse using pack tactics.
Battling back and forth the small but ferocious creatures were cut down, larger reptoids also attacked trying to drag an unconscious Nalin down one of their dirt tunnels. Doc Holiday heroically waded through the enemy and dived down into the tunnels and was able to rescue the unconscious boy!
The creatures defeated for now, the Fellowship of RedWater take stock of their gear, bind wounds and prepare to move onwards...

The famous Gold-River Inn

The Fellowship are on a rescue mission to find an ally from the steamboat, Cheeta, Master Senji's step-daughter. She had been captured by the BlackRunes and was being held in a former gnomish inn - The Golden River Inn. Once a tourist spot, this reclusive inn - underground which was fairly unique in Enstad a city in the trees - was made for shorter stature folk only. The draw to this locale was the literal 'Gold River'. A phenomenon where a molten river of gold metal flowed slowly by.

Gripping their weapons and steeling their hearts, the heroes venture forth into the now prison of the

BlackRunes. The party come into a storeroom - back end of a secret door. Inside are a variety of rotting food, old barrels, smashed crates. A layer of dust and cobwebs cover most of the room. A skeleton of a gnome 1/2 burned with tattered remains of a chainshirt lies in middle of room.
A broken ladder leans up against one wall to a trap door 15’ up. Locked from other side. Further work by the rogues Kantiff and Thograa and it is open.
A narrow - not even 5' - wood-paneled passage was ahead. The passages and doors all made for shorter stature humanoids. Every once in a while, the group heard a thumping of drums. Slowly getting louder as they explored into the prison.
Doorways on both sides held what looked to be former rooms of the inn, now used - by the putrid smell and hay used for bedding - as cells it seems. One had a skeletal figure of a gnome. Another room had a variety of standard weapons. The group stocked up and left the rest. Then Robin Hood decided to set them afire. An argument between the ranger/warlock and Kantiff the rogue/monk to stop the fire, but with the help of some fine oil, the fire was lit!
Another cell had some strange fungus and spores that exploded in a cloud, which held some interesting items.
The Fellowship of RedWater moved onwards, down stairs and to the main foyer. Little was visible behind webs and cobwebs except another set of stairs and the main door it seems to the inn which was locked barred and a variety of planks boarded over it.
The thumping drums could be heard again. It seemed to be a regular occurrence. Every 15 minutes. Moving up the sweeping curved staircase, the heroes came upon a landing and what looked to once have been a sitting and view area for the inn residents.
Behind the party from the stairs below, small wisps of smoke were trailing up.
Creeping forward, the party looked out through broken windows across a balcony 1/2 destroyed rickety looking over a large cavern, lit but a golden light. The thump thump thump of the drums is very loud now.
Below the heroes is a large irregular shaped room. Waves of heat hit them as they look out. The walls look to be the stone, different colours forming layers.
A long catwalk of rope and wooden planks goes across the far near the opposite wall,  lanterns with green eerily glow light up the procession of shambling figures walk along it.
Under the long rope bridge, a group of slaves huddle, mainly small figures.. Gnomes possibly.. Or children?
Below, is the wondrous sight which gave the inn its name.
A golden vein of metal, shaped like a stream cuts through the chamber and seems to flow opposite

wall to right near the balcony. A variety of workers - slaves no doubt from the chains and manacles on feet - dripping sweat under the heat from the river of oozing gold - work under the BlackRune guards. A dwarf flicks a barbed whip and cuts the back of a boy probably just a young teenager as he spills some of the oozing gold. The boy crying out falls to the ground, but manages to not spill the bucket.

The thump thump thump comes from 2 sets of massive drums. At each, a sweaty goblin wields dual
On the close side of the river of gold, it looks like there used to be more scaffolding, but these are smashed, barrels and boxes broken and splattered with gold. An ore cart lies on its side, gold having oozed out all around.
It looks like there is a disagreement between the BlackRune dwarves running the mine and another group managing the shambling undead.
A cloaked figure is arguing with the guards guiding the procession of undead. The perceptive group then note Cheeta can be seen among the slaves working the gold river.
sticks and bangs away at a signal from one of the BlackRune overseers. There are 3 scaffolds with large buckets that dip into the river of oozing gold. The slaves swing over the bucket to the ore carts. If any is dropped or spilled, the Black Rune overseers are quick to whip the clumsy slave. When the ore carts are filled, more slaves push the carts out a tunnel under close supervision by the BlackRunes.

Discussing tactics and plans, the Fellowship take action. First, Robin glides down - trying to be stealthy - to hide near some of the broken boxes and gear on the near side of the river. Unfortunately, he was not that stealthy, his wings wide allowing him to float down allow multiple Black Rune guards to notice him - they already looking in the general direction to keep an eye on the slaves!
Surprise now a thing of the past, the battle was started, the rescue of Cheeta underway.
Other party members started to climb down - Doc Holiday having secured a rope for the 30' drop down. One of the BlackRunes a dwarf sergeant, spun a hammer and tossed it at Robin, it hit the aracocra with
devastating force and then the magical weapon returned to the grinning dwarf on the other side of the river. Other BR dwarves engaged with crossbow and flintlock.
The Fellowship were on the defense nearly as the river of molten gold was quite the obstacle. Until Cedric - Paladin of Istus of Fate - strung his new bow and fired the shadow arrow into a shadowy corner of the room and instantly transported there using the shadows on the other side of the river. A bold tactical move which would improve the chances of winning.
One human slaver ran out of sight yelling for support from more Black Rune troops. After a few rounds, the Fellowship were fully engaged in battle. Great blows and key spells by all were allowing the tide to turn. Extrano's fireball spell did devastating damage to a group of BlackRunes and a witchdoctor, breaking the concentration the foul creature had to intone a spell.
Robin, calling upon the power of Orcus, commanded the dwarf sergeant to approach him. The dwarf looked to at first be able to resist the command spell, but in the end the evil undeath power of Orcus washed over him and the dwarf trudged forward - right into the molten gold, carrying his magical hammer, to the dismay of Doc Holiday.
The battles continued, an elf or female cloaked figure jumping the river quite easily and engaged the group. This turned out to be a familiar face to one of the group Kantiff. the Rogue recognized his former teacher and friend - Kethra -whom had warned the 1/2 elf of the BlackRune treachery in the
city of Fax.
A well-timed hold person spell by Extrano put Kethra immobile and Kantiff was able to talk with her.
Doctor Holiday was able to engage the BlackRune leader of the zombie procession, in full plate amour, he was a hard target to hit, but between the Doctor's well timed blows and a variety of spells bolts and arrows from the rest of the party they held the dwarf commander at the river. The commander did not make it across, also falling into the river of gold death.
The rest of the BlackRunes seeing the tide had turned, fled. Until the sounds of hammering feet and the shouts of angry BlackRunes came from the tunnel. Reinforcements!
Quick thinking by the group, including Thograa whom unshackled many of the slaves, Cheeta able to do some as well - and Cedric closed the large doors to the tunnel, barred and a fire set at them.
The remaining slaves were freed and other than one elderly man's foot dipping into molten gold, the slaves were rescued. Kethra returned to the other side, with some kind words and a way for Kantiff to
contact his old mentor.

Retreating up back in the GoldRiver Inn, the party and slaves regrouped in the foyer. Sounds of axes and hammers smashing into the large doors can be heard, smoke wisps up from below where Robin had set fire to the weapons, a door barred, chained and boarded over, and a two doors, behind webbing and cobwebs.
What will the Fellowship do..? Until next time.