Session 74: Thaldur

General Summary

Don't Speak Dwarvish 

43rd of Sommeren, 22nd year of the Second Era
The Regulators found themselves in the ash covered ruins of a small town on Loch Gylden surrounded by malnurished, feral acting dwarves. Their skin was drained of color and their veins looked like hey were filled with poison. Their clothing was put on as if pieced together by people who didn' understand the proper function of the articles.
A handful of the dwarves had an orange flash across their eyes and suddenly stood straight and ready to fight, They attacked the Regulators in turn but were quickly killed. After a few fell the remaning dwarves returned to their previous state and the entire group scattered.
Examining the corpeses it appeared that they were in fact poorly nourished. They also had spent their entire life breathing in toxic fumes, and appeared to display signs of genetic deformities. Malcolm enchanted one of the corpses to speak, but it didn't seem to have a spoken language. He managed to communicate through pantomime. They determined that the dwarves percieved the volcano or something in it as a deity, they were fed by food falling from the sky, and the creature they worshipped was large with wings.
The party proceeded into the mountian valley following both a river of water and magma with Zuko leading the way on his new hover bike. They reached the entrance to Thaldur which was a carving in the mountain shaped like a Dwarven face. Magma flowed from the mouth which would have served as the original entrance but they knew the holes in the eyes that provided ventilation would get them inside.
Once they reached the dwarven city proper, they found it covered in ash but relatively well preserved. The flow of magma proturuded from a chasm in the stairs of the hall of kings, which Echo confirmed was the next place she saw in her vision. Before proceeding in, the party spent several hours looting the city, finding well preserved health potions, a magic pick axe. and gold in various forms. Once they entered the hall of kinds the majority of the structure had caved into a cavern created by the eruption. They followed the cavern for about an hour before reaching a large open chamber. Echo said that the way back into the catacombs where Dalomdarlug Treasurejaw's sarchophogus was, was just at the end of the chamber.
Before they could proceed a telpathic voice addressed them, askign why they were there. An ancient Alfardarine man stood in the river of magma staring them down. He told them they were in the lair of Mapïtatu, and demanded an explantion for why they were intruding. Malcolm explained that they were the Champions of the Fyra looking for a weopon that belongs to them. The man spoke of a prohecy telling of their arrival, but questioned why he couldn't sense the presence of Mantus. Malcolm explained that they had prevented his return, but still needed the weapon to deal with another threat. The man looked towards a stone at the back of the cavern, and said he could not take any chances before melting into the magma. A few moments later an ancient magma dragon emerged and began attacking them. The magma became enchanted with a magical heat that began to burn them as they fought the dragon. After a hard fought battle, Mapïtatu called them fools, and warned them of a coming danger because of their actions before sinking into the magma.
The looked over the stone and found that it was not native to the cavers, and was covered in carved images, ancient sylvan and symbols that without being interpreted made it impossible to be understood. They opened the Wizard's Door and pushed the stone in before proceeding.
They found their way back into the catacombs and to Dalomdarlug Treasurejaw's burial chamber. Opening the sarcophogas, they found Ovelia's Shade clutched in his grasp. Echo pulled it out and placed her crystal into the hilt, and she was trasported to a void where she met the goddess Ovelia. Ovelia commended her on succeeding were Alaric had failed, and questioned her on her feelings towards the Queen of Shadows. The godess seemed taken by surprise when Echo declared that she no longer feared her former self.
Ovelia explained that since Echo was not the true heir, the weapon's new form was not predetermiend, and chose for the Shade to take the form of armor. As Echo returned to the Mortal Realm, The Regultors used the Wizard's Door to leave.
To Be Continued...

Report Date

03 May 2023