The Forgotten Forge: Adventure ONE

In the darkness and rain the trio spotted a figure in a dark cloak. It seemed to be avoiding the dim pools of light cast by the Everbright lanterns. A flash of lightning revealed a body lying on the bridge near the figure. The figure then jumped over the side of the bridge seemingly to his death. The trio examined the body and found some identification papers proving that the body was that of a Provost of the Morgrave University. From behind the cloaked figure that had jumped over the bridge attacked. After a short skirmish the cloaked figure lay dead at the feat of the trio. A strange fluttery ball flew away and out of grasp of the friends from the body of the cloaked figure. Pulling back the cloak revealed that this was a Warforged creature. By this time several townsfolk had summoned the city watch.

“Olladra’s bloody nose!!” the Dwarf captain cursed, “By order of the Watch, drop your weapons and explain yourselves!” Sergent Dolom finally believed the trio after a long conversation. He then ordered them to go about their business.

Following a lead the trio end up in the Masons tower in a small tavern called ‘The Broken Anvil’. A human female with delicate features, dark blue eyes and sleek black hair bound with a silver and turquoise ornament wearing a dark blue cloak approached the friends. “Thank you for coming. We have important business to discuss that relates to the unfortunate death of Bonal Geldem. Please sit down.” She then introduces herself as Lady Elaydren d’Vown of House Cannith. The lady explained that she had been working with the Provost to recover a family heirloom. They were to meet earlier that night but he never made it. The lady then learnt from the city watch what had transpired and so she sent one of her men to track the trio down. She explained that the heirloom according to family legends, was locked away in a foundry that dates back to pre-galifar Sharn. Poor Bonal believed he had discovered the location of the foundry in an ancient House Cannith journal. “I was going to fund an expedition to go to the site, but without Bonal…Perhaps you would be willing to recover the heirloom for me. For a generous reward of coarse.” The clincher being the offer of a generous reward. The friends accept the offer. The ancient journal that they collected from the body of Bonal is the journal in question. When the friends had examined the book its pages were blank. Now Lady Elaydren holds her House Cannith signet ring to the front cover of the book. The book begins to glow faintly. When she opens the tome the pages immediately begin to fill with delicate script and line drawings. She turns to a specific page, studies it for a moment then produces a map from the folds of her gown. “The location of the lost foundry is deep within the Dorasharn Tower, fifty seven levels below the towers present day sewer system. I offer you one thousand gold pieces and the good will of my house if you recover the heirloom and return it to me.” She provides the characters with 100Gp upfront to outfit their expedition. The map she provides shows a schematic of the sewer system and the path into the depths of Dorasharn tower.

No problem was encountered following the map to the sewer level of the tower. A complex sewer system separated the inhabited levels from the lower levels that have been closed and sealed for more than a thousand years. The difficult part was locating E-213 valve cluster.

The tunnels and corridors at this level of the tower are narrow and dark. An occasional window slit looks out upon the crowded walls and foundations of the other towers, and infrequently placed torches sputter here and there, giving off pallid pools of light and clouds of smoke. Even so, rough and dirty people crowd the narrow corridors, and the smell of sweat and sewage permeates the stale air. One tunnel opens onto a large chamber where a mix of goblins, humans, and shifters gather around a small pile of garbage spread across three rotting blankets. One of the goblins shouts, “No pushing! No pushing! There’s always enough for everyone at the Rat’s market!” After searching through the ‘treasures’ in this pile of smelly refuse the friends decide to ask this local for directions. Skakan the goblin proves to not be the most helpful sort, especially without the appropriate amount of persuasion that he believes this information may have been worth to the trio. Perhaps they seemed too needy for the facts. After a long conversation that went no-where Kullthu, the Ranger decided to scare the information out of the little green salesman. Skakan quickly folded up his ‘treasures’ and lead the friends to the entrance of E-213 valve cluster, no pay nor thanks for his troubles. One of the friends noticed that a shifter in the crowd was paying particular attention to them. Upon further investigation the curious fellow could not be found.

Skakan points out a narrow passage that leads to a staircase that descends deeper into the tower. With each step down, the odor of mold and sewage becomes stronger, and the friends hear liquid sounds increasing in volume as they descend. Suddenly a Warforged strikes from the shadows, his rapier piercing the air with deadly efficiency. “You have the provost’s journal” the Warforged says. Its not a question. “Give the book to me, and you can live to see another day. Refuse, and we will make your deaths slow and painful.” Naturally giving items away is not in the trio’s vocabulary and a battle ensues. Two shifters emerge from the darkened corners of the tunnel and a battle ensues right in the middle of the valve cluster. After much fighting and dodging of random gushes of sewerage from the opening of the twelve sewer valves the battle is won by the friends. Once again a small metallic fluttery object flies from the fallen Warforged and is gone before anyone can act. This time one of the Shifter rogues was not dead and the friends decided to take him with them as a prisoner.

A circular metal hatch, set into the tunnel wall and engraved with arcane runes, must be the sealed door that Elaydren told you about. In the middle of the hatch, a glowing circle of mithral depicts the same icon as on Bonal’s journal – the ancient symbol of House Cannith that predates the founding of the Kingdom of Galifar itself, a stylized anvil and hammer. The friends decide to touch the symbol on the journal to the symbol of the door. The correct decision made the circular hatch then opens onto a vertical shaft 5’ wide and cloaked in pitch blackness.

The vertical shaft is a mix of crumbling earth and ancient stone, and centipedes and other insects cover the walls like living decorations. The long descent takes you deeper into the bowels of Dorasharn tower. Soon, the shaft begins to angle, and by bracing yourself you can actually walk along one of the surfaces. Farther still, and the shaft becomes a tunnel, and the footing is no longer difficult to maintain or treacherous. The tunnel eventually opens onto a vast chamber, though it emerges about six feet above the floor. You cant see the distant walls in the darkness and the ruins of nearby walls and building appear as deep shadows in the eternal tower night, but you can feel the change in air currents and pressure that indicate a large open space ahead of you.

Once in the vast open area the friends are first attacked by a large swarm of beetles. Luckily everyone had remembered the oil. A ruined temple provided some relief as it housed a font which still was filled with curative waters. Everyone filled up their bottles with the liquid life. Further into the blackness the friends were attacked by Horrid Rats, huge evil creatures that wanted nothing more than to feast on the bodies of the trio. The encounter was made all the more difficult as they had decided to split up and reconnoiter the area to save time.

The only intact building proved to be the House Cannith foundry. The adamantine door would not budge however luckily the roof had a hole in it from debris and entry was gained via here. Before anyone set foot inside Kullthu noticed that the room was not devoid of enemies. An Iron Defender (large clockwork dog) could be seen just out of the corner of his keen eyes. This creature was taken down. All appeared clear and the friends dropped down into the building. It was then that the second Iron Defender attacked. After a battle the creature lay inert like its comrade. In the debris the body of yet another metal dog was found. When each Iron Defender was defeated a rod pops out of their foreheads. One provided a rectangular rod, the other a triangular one. Upon searching the body of the dog that had been crushed by the debris a pentagonal rod was found. This last piece was recovered after a combined effort to remove a large piece of roof that was on top of the dog. The shelves provided some useful booty. Three depressions were discovered on the forge, depressions of a rectangle, triangle and pentagon. The friends correctly assumed that the items of the smallest number of sides be placed first and the Vault sprang open without triggering the trap they all suspected was there. The vault proved to have a small amount of treasure, some potions, an old map and a Schema (the device that the friends were sent to collect). The doors can be opened from the inside.

Upon exiting the building the friends are attacked by the Warforged, Saber. He had waited for them to do the hard work for him. He attacked from a covered area firing flaming crossbow bolts. “Weak flesh! Now you face Saber, greatest of the devoted followers of the Lord of Blades. Throw down the Schema and walk away. This day does not have to end with your blood on my hands.” The battle then commenced proper and he did indeed prove to be more powerful than his brethren. A hard battle fought, he finally met the same end as his kin. Yet again a mysterious fluttering object flies from his body and is too fast for anyone to catch.

Lady Elaydren met the friends back at the Broken Anvil upon their return. This time dressed in a blue glamerweave gown and with a powerful bodyguard at her side. This seemed to make the friends somewhat suspicious of her true intentions but they played out their part regardless. “You have my thanks and the thanks of my house. Periodically check in with House Sivis message station at the Barmin Tower. I may leave a message for you if more work becomes available” The friends then presented Lady Elaydren with the prisoner, she seemed less interested than they expected and flatly stated “He will say nothing” and motioned for her bodyguard to take him. In no time flat the bodyguard had silently hoisted the frightened shifter into the air and had thrown him over the ledge of the tower to his death. Shocked and now even more suspicions the friends left with their reward.