GOLD Fever

 

3rd of Reaping, High Summer

The Fellowship look into a large cavern with a flowing river of gold. This is still being mined by the BlackRunes. The temperature is searing hot, even standing at the doorway and the adventurers are getting burned, armour heating up and more. The Fellowship recall some type of magic was at play previously to affect room temperature. No longer it seems. [DM BlogPost]. The entranceway the party looks through appears to be partially blocked with blocks of stone and two cracked and broken large doors lying on the ground. 

Scanning the room, the complex has changed since the party previously were here. New mining carts with tracks are still in use to transport the liquid gold. It is still being bucketed out of the river. Now though, into mining carts along a track and then over a bridge. The area has been excavated and cleared out further by the BlackRunes. On the far bank a camp area near where the mining cart track exits the cavern. There is a shimmering blue glow around the camp, a number of tents have been erected with bustling activity all around. The majority of figures in camp and around the cavern are dwarf-sized, all  wear what appears to be blue and silver full metal plate armour. A giant sized figure similarly suited up stands on a tower overlooking the molten river. Two smaller figures - man-sized confer with the giant. 

The one difference noted is figures in the camp area under the blue shimmering dome wear standard clothing. Some in short sleeves walking around the camp working or resting and eating.

There appears to be some type of excavation into a ruin, steps lead down amongst some pillars. A sarcophagus sits nearby with a skeleton on top of it as well as what appear to be relics being looked at by a female tiefling with black skin wearing a white shirt, red leather vest and tanned leggings.

The party decide to do a covert mission to fill a Box of Holding with liquid gold. Gothi steps up for this mission making herself invisible. Moving out towards the river the heat is nearly unbearable even for the Foreclaimer whom is resistant to heat. Striving forward she notes one of the nearly full mining carts with liquid gold. Better plan, she takes the box and dips it into the cart. The extra dimensional space fills while the cart slowly empties!

One of the workers comes by and notes the level of gold has gone down.. and then is going down! Raising an alarm, Gothi with burning - gold covered fingers retreats into the passage, very thankful for the still hot but much cooler air. The rest of the party had retreated down the passage. Six bolts of energy slam into Gothi as she retreats. A floating wizard has come out from the camp area and appears to be able to see invisible creatures.

Fighting a slow retreat as more and more BlackRunes start to come down the passage the party destroy many and then block the passage with magic Spike Growth from Gothi and Wall of Stone from Graxxuzazz. These amongst the deadly attacks from the Fellowship stop and delay the BlackRunes.

Injured and tired the party comes to the crossroads. One route back to the inn - the way they had come - or the other down into the old dwarven city. Both options had pros and cons but in the end the decision
was to go back to the inn. As they moved the reptoids again attacked the Fellowship. Coming out of multiple holes in the walls and ceiling. The
creatures were not tough, but in a swarm could be deadly. Wearing down the party, the continued attacks were bothersome. Area effect spells and ranged attacks from the party decimate the reptoids until they once again retreat into the holes in walls and ceiling. Just glinting eyes peeking out at times.

Arriving at the large chasm, Graxxuzazz draws on his sorcerous magic again to create a wall of stone. Chittering and clicking echoes through the chamber. The creatures are frustrated and hungry. One wonders how big their hive has become in the old dwarven city even though the matriarch had was killed by the Fellowship. Perhaps a new leader was once again in charge, spreading further and further from the ancient underground fortress city ruins..

This time though making a bridge across the chasm to avoid the multitude of holes around the cavern - eyes of many reptoids glinting in the torchlight. The stone bridge forms and the party, one by one cross over successfully. 

Then the rotund but athletic lizardfolk snaps his clawed fingers and the stone bridge vanishes again. 

The Fellowship move on, leaving the reptoids and the BlackRunes behind. Both no doubt frustrated - once again at being out-maneuvered by the heroes!

The Fellowship had other plans and decisions now..:

• Go to Greyhawk? 
• Go to Fax? Multiple tasks/quests
• Where is their flying tower..?
• Go to Wayberry? Recently re-captured by Overlord Romack's forces

In the end, the party decide on travelling to Wayberry. Hoping.. praying.. that the teleportation circle in the Guild of Arcane Lore was still operational.

Graxxuzazz invokes the spell and a portal forms in front of him. It appears to be operational!

Stepping through, each adventurer disappear from Enstad.. and appear in a circular room with no exit. A single. The Guild of Arcane Lore. Appears to still be intact. Graxxuzazz is able to teleport out of the chamber as a member of the guild. Unfortunately the rest of the Fellowship are not - do not have the amulet given to all members upon joining. Stepping into a circle glyph covered stones, the sorcerer vanishes and starts to search for a way to release his friends as well. It appears now though the guild is in ruin, no members walk the long hallowed halls or research in the stacks. The demons it seems have utterly destroyed much of the circular college. inside and out. Graxxuzazz searches up in the what looks like an office section and finds a large chest - locked and possibly trapped AND bolted to the stone floor. Then finds a box of amulets - yes! These may allow his comrades to leave the teleportation room. Reappearing in the teleportation room again, the party had started to become apprehensive of being stuck in the exit-less room! All donned an amulet and were able to successfully leave, appearing in the foyer of the once magnificent arcane guild. Heading out, a figure coughs behind. One of the regulators.

Using his charm and persuasive abilities Graxxuzazz advises the Guildmaster of the situation and after handing back the guild amulets, the party were allowed to move on heading out into the city of Wayberry.

Wayberry was now.. a desolation.. one building in twenty still stood. Total destruction had been wrought upon the once fair city by the demonic horde.

The party headed out. At this point Gothi realized Jawbone and her Griffon were both still outside Enstad! With Thograa's help - casting sending to Jawbone - Gothi instructed the monstrous friend and wing-clipped griffon to head to Dragonkeep. The ranger would meet them there.

Thograa, totally understanding the value of a friend as he summons his skeletal hydra - FLUFFY -          

advises Gothi he could check in on Jawbone over the next few days using his god's magicks. Traveling along, the party look about. There are no people in the ruins, only some rats and other carrion eaters. A patrol of winged griffons could be seen to the South - near the docks, so the Fellowship head South to meet up with the forces of Overlord Romack and Royce. As the party moves along a cobble-stoned road, the box of holding that Gothi used to scoop out some liquid gold was getting heavier and heavier until the point she had to drop it. The magic of the box it appears had been slowly destroyed by the EXTREME high heat.  Now it was a box.. with a SOLID gold cube inside. As it fell to the ground, the box broke apart and what was sitting in the cobble-stoned road was a solid.. gold.. cube.. about 1'x1'x1'.

All stared down in wonder.. trying to calculate the wealth sitting in front of them. This was PURE gold.. and EXTREMLELY heavy. none could budge it.

All types of plans and ideas came up on what to do with it how to move it.. how to melt it down and more.

GOLD fever hit the Fellowship. 

In the end, the party buried it right in the middle of the street. Hoping to figure out a way to come back and retrieve it.

Gothi headed out into the wilds around Wayberry to find a new companion monster. She found a rust monster and then a massive cave bear, the bear now comes along to assist her.

Heading South once again, the group is ambushed from the sky. Griffon riders! They had seen the undead skeletal hydra and of course assume the group were allies of the demon horde led by IUZ.

After some shouts and yells back and forth, Thograa invoked the magic to turn Fluffy back into a stone cube figurine. The 1/2 orc rogue/priest then faded into the shadows letting the Fellowship know he would come find them. 

This appeased the very wary griffon riders - who upon hearing who the group were and saviours of the Overlord and allies to Lord Royce [DM: BlogPost] agreed to take the Fellowship down to the army's HQ - upon a warship in the harbor of Wayberry. 

News was passed on both ways and then the group arrived at a large 4 deck war galleon anchored at the half destroyed docks. The group were brought before the leader under Lord Royce - an admiral who met them with a tall gaunt frail looking woman. After negotiations and introductions were made, the admiral was quite willing to assist the Fellowship in many ways depending on what they planned to do next. Supplies? Yes, within reason as they were at war. Teleportation to Greyhawk? Yes, if they wish, Romack's younger son was in charge. Overlord Romack was on campaign yo the North and West of the Nry Dyv lake against the forces of IUZ.

Lord Royce was also on campaign but nearby last heard, Southwest of Wayberry fighting against giants allied to IUZ.

Gothi - with bear friend along - tracking down Thograa and then the two rejoined the party in the audience with the Admiral.

What did the party wish to do? Options once again..