Day 15 (continued)
The charmed dwarf stands awaiting instructions. Lavender grabs the bars of Gage’s cell and bends them apart, allowing him to squeeze through. Theren approaches the dwarf and asks him for assistance. The dwarf says to speak to the boss, who will likely be where the slaves are. Theren asks for directions to the boss. The dwarf provides directions and asks them to take the dead drow back to the dormitories after Temerity persuades him that the drow is just sleeping. Theren looks meaningfully at Lavender, who picks up the drow.
Gage looks around for his gear and sees a locked chest. He sneaks over to the chest and looks over at Lavender, gesticulating to check the guard to see if he has a key. She doesn’t get it, so he gives up and just asks the charmed dwarf. The dwarf is unconvinced about where Gage has suddenly come from. However, they manage to persuade him and he tosses the keys over. There are 15 keys on the keyring, so Temerity begins to perform in order to distract the dwarf. Gage tries a key in the lock and luckily finds the correct one before the dwarf notices. Gage picks up his gear but does not equip it yet.
The party moves off from the dwarf and leaves the prison cell area. Theren suggests that Lavender dumps the body somewhere. She suggests putting on a new shirt to hide the injuries and then throw him down the stairs. Gage puts his gear back on and holds out the prison tabard he was wearing. Lavender puts the prison tabard on the drow and then they search for some stairs, moving away from the noises of the slaves mining. They find some stairs by the dormitories and throw him down. They quickly return to heading towards the sounds of mining.
Gage is fully stealthed on his approach. Theren tries to mimic but fails. Lavender cannot conceal the noise her armour makes. Temerity manages to be quite quiet whilst moving, just about. As they approach the sounds of mining, they notice that the slaves are chained to the floor, striking the rock with pickaxes. Gage looks beyond the miners and notices a table with a large half-orc guarding it and a person in a cloak on a high-backed chair on a raised plinth. Theren counts 13 slaves and 5 guards. Gage tries to see what they’re mining and realises that it is some kind of precious stone but cannot discern which type. Theren asks how to engage the guards without harming the slaves, but a shout comes from the cavern indicating that they have been spotted.
Gage motions to Lavender to reveal herself. Theren agrees to follow her lead. Lavender steps out and attacks the closest guard with her greatsword, plunging it through his stomach and then divine smiting him, causing frost to grow across the blade and freeze him solid. She rips her blade out, pulling his frozen innards out. Temerity casts guiding bolt on the now closest guard, but it misses him. Gage stealths and also tries to attack the now closest guard with his crossbow, but again misses. He enters the chamber and moves across to the left by the chamber wall. Anaphel steps forward to stand beside Lavender, raises their arm and mutters a prayer, causing a bolt of white light to beam down onto the guard before them from the ceiling, causing radiant damage. Theren launches an agonising blast at the half-orc on the far platform, causing minimal damage. The cloaked figure points a hand at a nearby stone formation, causing a huge rock golem to emerge from the rock, which glows green and misty.
Lavender moves past the closest guard to the one behind and attacks him, slashing with her sword and causing significant damage. The golem floats forwards towards Lavender and stands beside the guard that she is attacking and pummels her with rocky fists. Temerity fires guiding bolt at the guard Lavender is attacking, causing damage but not felling him. The half-orc runs forwards down the cavern and throws two javelins at Theren, but both fall short. Gage shoots an arrow at the guard Lavender is attacking but again misses. Anaphel looks at the three enemies clustered together by Lavender and their moonbeam moves across to them, attacking the same guard that Lavender is attacking, causing minimal damage. The guards move forwards and the closest moves to Theren and attacks, hurting him. One moves from the back towards Anaphel but doesn’t reach them. Another moves to join the group at Lavender and both guards attack her, causing damage. The guards begin muttering to themselves and begin to grow in stature until they have almost doubled in size. Theren shatters the group by Lavender, causing some damage to all and finally finishing off the guard that has been attacked by Lavender. The cloaked figure steps forwards and addresses the group, telling them to leave now. They do not move, so he points at Temerity but nothing happens and he cries out in frustration.
Lavender attacks the remaining guard standing beside her, causing significant damage. The golem attacks Lavender, pummelling her. Temerity casts sacred flame at the guard by Lavender, felling him completely. The half-orc moves to reach Lavender and attacks her, causing minimal slashing damage. Gage moves behind the guard attacking Theren and stabs him in the back, but it clangs off his armour. Anaphel is beside the guard attacking Theren, inflicting serious wounds but not felling him. The guards begin their attack. The one still moving towards the fight finally reaches and attacks Anaphel and Gage, causing some damage. The one before Theren causes significant damage to him. Gage uses the opportunity to move away from the fight after being attacked. Theren uses psychic lance against the golem, causing damage and incapacitating it. The cloaked figure speaks again and gives them a last warning to leave. He points to Lavender this time and a heat blast comes from his finger and Lavender disappears. She sees nothing but inky blackness, and wherever she is, it is deeply, uncomfortably cold. She can breathe and think but she feels immobile, even though she is not.
The golem moves to Gage and attacks him, causing damage with its pummelling fists. Temerity heals Theren as well as he can, as well as providing Gage some healing. The half-orc moves to Gage and attacks him. Temerity uses cutting words to reduce the impact of the attack but it still hurts him badly. Gage disengages from the fight and tries to move away through a small gap in the rock, but misjudges the width and has to struggle to push through, slowing him down. Anaphel uses inflict wounds on the guard beside them, causing him to freeze solid in a pose of twisted agony. The final remaining guard attacks Theren again, hurting him further. Theren’s agonising blast misses the guard. The cloaked figure calls out, telling them that he will return their friend if they leave.
Temerity remembers how they got into the place, recalling that this is not an easily findable place, so even if they leave, there is a very slim chance of finding it again. Theren looks at Anaphel, hot tears of frustration brimming in his eyes, and asks what they should do. Anaphel has no answer for him. Gage sheaths his weapon and begins to walk back to the entrance with his hands raised in surrender. Temerity asks Theren what their goal was but Theren is despondent and replies that he does not know anymore. Temerity addresses the cloaked figure and replies that if he returns Lavender and Runcible (the cloaked figure says they will be returned at their campsite), they will leave.
Gage asks his name but he is reluctant to give it. Theren offers all of their names and he replies that his name is Zadhir. Temerity taunts Zadhir before leaving. Theren snaps and screams at Temerity before storming out.