Session 5: Locks are Key
General Summary
Barrakas 21, 998 YK
Morning (11:00 AM)
Party purchased a map of Cauldron from Westkey's Map Emporium. Cadrug gathered information in Goblintown, Cauldron regarding the clown masks, and was shown a gold coin bearing a similar visage - later, Detlev determined that these clown coins are counterfeit.
Hail Drakthar, lord of the rats
Afternoon (1:00 PM)
Visited Ghelve's Locks. Learned that Keygan Ghelve has lived in Cauldron his entire life, created most of the locks in the city. After battling a were-rat that was hiding in his kitchen, and interrogating Keygan Ghelve further, the party discovers that the gnome locksmith was being blackmailed by a group of rat-men who kidnapped his familiar, Starbrow (also a rat). He gave the were-rats three skeleton keys that can open any of his locks. Cross-referencing the list of missing persons with the list of Ghelve's customers, the party confirms that every missing person had locks installed by Ghelve. The were-rat they just killed has one of the three skeleton keys. The blackmail started three months ago, the same time that people started to go missing. A hidden door under Ghelve's staircase leads to Jzadirune - an old gnome forgehold beneath Cauldron. Ghelve's father took him there as a child, to behold the wonders of its artificers. 75 years ago, it was abandoned due to a terrible curse. All the gnomes sealed up their doors that led to Jzadirune, and never returned. The party found a worn leather map of Jzadirune amongst Ghelve's notes. The gnome marks the locations of the main entrance, the great factory hall, a theater, and the elevator to the Malachite Fortress - a stronghold protecting Cauldron from the underdark of Khyber. It was garrisoned by Cauldron's militia until the curse struck Jzadirune, and then it was abandoned at the same time. Cadrug scouts the stairs, which descend for about 80 feet. He hears a faint wind, chirping, and soft giggling coming from Jzadirune. The party shares what they've learned with Sir Sercyl Ruphus d'Rosin and agree to spend two days preparing for an expedition to Jzadirune.Downtime: Barrakas 22 and 23, 998 YK
The party asks Keygan Ghelve to keep his shop closed for a few days, and they camp on the floor of his shop.- Cadrug copies some spells from Ghelve's spellbook.
- Detlev inscribes runes onto his weapon.
- Tim gathers information on Jzadirune (learns that many of the doors will be trapped) and borrows a silver longsword from the Church of the Silver Flame, Cauldron to better combat the were-rats.
- Gwen visits Bluecrater Academy and gets access to the library by invoking her position as a professor at Morgrave University. Researches the history of Jzadirune, and were-rat culture (the Silver Crusade).
Barrakas 24, 998 YK
The party descends to Jzadirune...Morning (9:00 AM)
On the stairs, Gwen finds a hidden door with a torch sconce lever - through this hidden passageway, they can access the elevator to the Malachite Fortress. Three Warforged soldiers are guarding the elevator, with shields bearing a blue fist. Gwen tries diplomacy, but the soldiers demand the party's surrender, which leads to a quick skirmish. The party tosses a warforged body into the first room of Jzadirune, where twelve copper masks begin singing a warning rhyme. Two rat-men attack from an adjoining room, and one is wielding a dragonshard firearm very similar to Detlv's invention (although not as impressive, this weapon also bears the mark of the gorgon, the sigil of House Cannith). The party explores several hallways and rooms, via gear-shaped doors bearing gnomish letters. Each gear-shaped door required bypassing a different trap, often elemental in nature. Notable rooms explored include:- A nursery
- Sleeping quarters
- A potion storage room
- A room with a map of Jzadirune carved on the wall
- A display room with empty pedestals and wall-hangings
- A throne room with an illusory gnome king who accepts coins through his mouth. This throne's secret compartment contained two keys to bypass gear-doors.
Rewards Granted
+400 XP (current total now 782 XP)
Character(s) interacted with
Keygan Ghelve
Sir Sercyl Ruphus d'Rosin
Cadrug
Detlev d'Cannith
Gwen Frost
Tim
Report Date
17 Feb 2024
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