(G455 12/06/2021 via Roll20 - AP, KT, JF(GM)) WA87

 
(G455 12/06/2021 via Roll20 - AP, KT, JF(GM)) WA87

[Meanwhile back in Westgate, Fenrir was finding more out about the prophecy of Ilmater.]

DAY 501(16th Flamerule)(july) ...

Fenrir stayed for lunch and talked some more to Jack Sighthill, an expert on the Underdark that he had found through his City Watch connections.

As they ate, Jack went on;
'I'm afraid I don't have a copy here, but the first mention of Queen Arachnia in the Overworld comes from a memoir written by an adventurer that had returned from the Underdark after some pretty hair-raising adventures.  In the book he tells us that she has been known in Underdark folk lore for  hundreds of years. He never went to her lair, but their is a chapter in the book dedicated to all the information he found out about her.'

He then reached into a magazine rack and pulled out a chap book.

'This, however, is more recent. A chap book written by Mr Modrick Templeman. It's three years old and I should imagine a lot of it is simply made up, but it recounts the tale of a group of dwarves that managed to find her lair, enter it, steal some treasure, and returned to tell the tale. I wouldn't put much stock in it, to be honest.'

Fenrir was interested though, as he knew Templeman. He'd paid him, in fact, to publish flatteringly worded chapbooks back when he was trying to recruit members to the DAW.

He thanked Sighthill for the fine lunch and on the off chance went to the tavern where he had last met Templeman. By good luck the fellow was there, drinking and eating with his friends.

Fenrir brought a round of drinks and gave Templeman 20 gold 'to support the arts'. Templeman was already a great admirer of Fenrir and happy to help. He  had a copy of the relevant chap book.
'I will cross out the bits I made up,' said Templeman, taking a pen. 'Here, here and ahh... here, I made all this stuff up. But the rest I heard from a dwarf, who told me he had heard the story at a place called the
"Eight Ways Tavern" in the Underdark. None of it may be true of course, but this fellow said that he and his friends had made their way into the realm of Queen Arachnia and... well, you can read it for yourself, here you are my lord!'

Fenrir thanked the writer and stashed the marked up chap book somewhere safe.

Later that day, Fenrir, Reinward and company began to make preparations for their inevitable new journey into the Underdark. They went to the shops and geared up, engaged Nocknod 'Dinkledonk' Brightman to come with them (as he had been to the Underdark before) and instructed the other three mercenaries to help guard Fenrir's house until their contracts ended.

In addition they hired a female human druid who was an expert tracker called Soledad Marris who would help them find their way through these same countless tunnels that I had lead Fenrir through just a few months before.

Fenrir arranged for one of the six judges of Westgate to hold the fort for him while he was away - Jenner Fields, who was clever and wise, but since she was lowborn she would be assisted by Gneiss the Dancer, a very noble dwarven Duke.

After all that they went home and got an early night.


DAY 502(17th Flamerule)(july)

The adventure party set off first thing in the morning. It consisted of: Fenrir, Reinward, Raz, Veddic, Dinkledonk and Soledad (with her wolf).

Veddic used Windwalk to get them to the cave that had been our entrance to the Underdark last time. It took a good couple of hours to find it though as it is well hidden.

By the afternoon they had made their way down into the Upperdark region and entered the cave of the giant mushrooms.

By around ten in the evening they arrived at the Eight Ways Inn.

As before they all peed on the grave of Cassleray that lay in the corner of the  cave with the eight passageways that gave the Inn its name.

You may remember the inscription on the grave, but just in case here it is again:

Posterity will ne’er survey
a Nobler grave than this:
Here lie the bones of Cassleray:
Stop, traveller, and piss!

It seemed that the magic of the grave had greatly increased just recently as they all were granted potent (but temporary) powers. The tips of Reinward's fingers on his right hand glowed with magic, Raz gained some sort of Ioun Stone and Dinkledonk was granted two extra castings of Teleport.

Soledad had the men turn away while she peed and gained a Daylight effect that could be converted into a Sunburst if she required it.

After this they entered the Inn. It was still in ruin though, destroyed by the rampaging Minotaur from our previous visit, full of bones and debris.

It was not unoccupied though, as three mindflayers sat at one of the undamaged tables and a Tanarukk (an orcish version of a teifling) at another. No one made any violent moves though - apparently the Inn was still considered a place of peace even while there was no innkeeper - and Fenrir, Reinward et al entered unmolested.

Fenrir offered food from the magical provision box which everyone accepted, fresh  food being hard to find so far underground.

The Tanarukk, whose name was Lugg Dwarfslicer, got a good look at Dinkledonk and said, 'Oi! You smelly little gnome! I know you, Dinkledonk. You still owe me money!'