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.