Belkram's Fall
From Lexicanum
The Blue Mermaid
A week or so later it was Thorik’s turn to receive a restless night having a strange dream of a dwarf throwing himself into a large sinkhole and of a black crown with a single red gemstone. Research with the local sages led him to the story of Belkram - a dwarf cleric who for unknown reasons jumped head first into a vast lava tube within Undermountain. The lava tube was located near the settlement of Spiderhaven not far from Skullport. As he told the others over dinner , Zeb remarked that one of the maps they had found showed a passage leading from somewhere called the Blue Mermaid to Skullport.Next morning, it didn’t take them long to locate the Blue Mermaid, a more than slightly disreputable inn in the Dock Ward. A suitable bribe to the bar-staff soon gained them access to the cellar, where Cidric’s orderly mind soon found the location of a secret door amoungst the randomly piled crates and barrels. Opening the door by the simple expedient of kicking it in, they went down a short passage only to find it had been bricked-up. Fortunately, Thorik determined that the wall was illusory and they soon passed through - though Fodor took a little persuading!
Beyond they found themselves in a cave system. Cidric led the way and almost immediately a darkmantle to tally failed to attack him, and a single swipe for Fodor’s blade ensured the creature would never make that mistake again! They wandered about for a bit until Cidric led the way into a dead end where he was promptly attacked by a cave fisher! The party quickly disposed of the cave fisher but the sound of battle attracted other vermin as a bunch of dire rats attacked Silverbeard. The dire rats were not much of a challenge, however Silverbeard did pick up a nasty infected bite!
After a brief rest they moved on, occasionally finding a passage marked with a skull. An encounter with some stirges was more of an annoyance than an attack, and then moving through some passageways Thorik ran into their first real challenge – a gauth! The gauth proved a formidable opponent, its various eye-rays severely wounding Cidric, Thorik and Fodor while Silverbeard was incapacitated by the beholder-kin’s Stunning Gaze.
Forgoing rest, they pressed on. A mistake as they entered a cave and ran into a basilisk. By the time the magical beast was slain by a final magic missile, everyone but Zeb had been turned to stone. As the sorcerer stood alone deep unground in a remote cave surrounded by his stony friends, he stopped for a little cry and wondered what the hell he was going to do next. Especially as all the party’s wealth had been turned to stone along with Thorik!
Eventually he hit upon an idea and taking care to memorise this cave, he used the horned ring to teleport back to the environs of the Yawning Portal. Makin his way to the Plinth where speaking with a dwarf cleric he managed to negotiate a 30-day loan of 2000 gp in order to rescue Thorik. Purchasing a scroll of Flesh to Stone, the gnome headed back to Undermountain and teleported back to his friends. Using the scroll on the cleric they were able to scrape together enough cash for more scrolls and to repay the Temple.
Skullport and Beyond
Eventually, after a couple of days rest (or hard drinking), they Party decided they felt well enough to attempt their quest again. Descending into Undermountain, Zeb teleported them to the cave they had met the basilisk in, and they set out through the passageways. About an hour or so later they eventually arrived onto a walkway above the upper layer of Skullport. They wandered the streets for some time occasionally stopping a passer-by to ask for directions to Spiderhaven.
They scouted a few hostelries but most looked like the patrons would as soon stab you as answer a question until eventually the came across Bindle’s Blade an Inn in the Lower heart district. The barmaid an aquatic elf called Oel'yvia Reefglider seemed happy to help, especially after Silverbeard bought a round !
She pointed them in the direction of a nearby boat-builders, who although they had insufficient money to actually buy a boat or skills to sail one, eventually told them where they might be able to secure passage with one of the less disreputable smugglers. A few hours later they found themselves cruising down the Sargauth, and few hours after that, they arrived at the settlement of Spiderhaven.
On disembarking they were met by Tomi Whifflefot of the Spiderhaven Guards, accompanied by a gaggle of concerned citizenry who were keen to ensure that the adventurers were not here to “kill them and take their stuff.” Fortunately Cidric’s word as a Paladin was enough to convince them The Party meant no harm.
After spending some time shopping in the Grand Bazaar, they crossed the bridge which took them to their destination. Within a huge cavern, like a great yawning void, the massive lava tube of Belkram’s Fall reached down into the heart of the world. A nearly perfect circle that extended through the earth like a massive path to oblivion, a faint breeze slowly drifted out of its terminus. The air that issued from the void smelled faintly of rotten meat and freshly turned earth.
There seemed no way down, until Fodor sotted an arrangement of frames and pulleys at the far side, that on examination were obviously part of a lift. They crowded onto one of the lift platforms and lowered themselves down into the darkness, Cidric’s sword held aloft to light their way.
The dwarfs informed them they had descended about a mile when suddenly the magical glow of the blade was extinguished. Zeb immediately lit an lantern as they passed a huge mithral brace inscribed with runes of power a fixed to the insi
de of the lava tube with adamantine spikes. After they had descended another 50feet or so the sword started glowing again!The lift stopped suddenly at a stone platform ahead of them they could see carved out of the stone of the lava tube, a crenelated wall stretched across the mouth of a cave-like structure. An empty courtyard extended beyond the wall, away from the shaft, and a series of shallow stone steps rose to double doors made of stone, each of which was carved with the visage of a leering gargoyle. As they moved forward various spells began targeting them – though Silverbeard quickly pointed out the spells were only targeting non-dwarves.
Thorik managed to prize open the doors only to almost immediately fall into a pit-trap! Fodor, dashing forward to avoid the spells, managed to fall into an adjacent pit trap. Cidric managed to help Thorik out, while Fodor clambered out under his own steam.
As they explored the area beyond, Thorik managed to trip a burning hands trap, but apart from that they found little of danger. Eventually they discovered a couple of secret doors marked by the symbol of Dumathoin, which revealed a secret passage beyond.
The Flying Philosopher
Through the secret doors there were a series of passageways that initially appeared to be a dead end. After much faffing about, they eventually found a secret door marked by another one of the curious gemstones, this one engraved not with the symbol of Dumathoin, but by two interlocked rings. Opening the door revealed a spiral stairway leading down. The level below was a mirror of the first level, the only difference being a couple of grell that briefly threatened the Party. The highlight of the explorations of this level was a somewhat paranoid Thorik going old-school and recreating the classic 10-ft pole from a couple of planks nailed together! Eventually they decided to rest , Cidric taking the officers’ quarters while the dwarves and Zeb took the bunks in the other room. Fodor meanwhile, in true barbarian fashion, scorned the offer of a bed and kipped down on the stone floor outside!
After resting they decided to proceed downwards, where in another mirror of the first level, ran into a Grell philosopher, who briefly provided a diversion before being taken-down by Zeb and Thorik’s magic. Exploring this level, they eventually found another lift mechanism that would allow them to descend deeper into the lava tube.
This lift stopped at level where the entire circumference of the lave tube was a huge cave system in which a small city lay in ruins, the smell of death was heavy in the air as they debarked and began making their way through the ruins. They hadn’t got far when they were attached by a defacer, which Silverbeard proved extremely reluctant to engage, it briefly proved a challenge to the others before being destroyed - again mainly by Zeb and Thorik’s spells.
The Citadel
They continued exploring the ruined city, trying to find another lift that would take them further down Belkram’s Fall. While they passed one ruined building Cidric was attacked by what looked like a 5-foot-diameter spherical cloud of impenetrable darkness. As it drew near, black tendrils reached out from the cloud’s opaque core. He and Thorik identified he creature as a larger than normal specemin of an uncommon type undead known as a vasuthant.
As Fodor moved to support them in attacking the creature, a second one attacked Zeb and Silverbeard moved to help the gnome. The vasuthants were soon defeated but as several of the combatants, who had been dragged inside the creatures, felt strangely weakened after the battle, they decided to rest in a nearby ruined building. Most of the rest- period passed fairly peacefully, but part-way through Zeb’s final watch, a defacer earth-glided out of the ground in front of him and attacked. Zeb’s startled shouts woke his comrades who quickly rallied to his defence, hampered though they were by a lack of armour.
The defacer dealt with, they quickly dressed, ate some rations and moved on through the ruins, eventually finding another lift guarded by two skeletal direguards. The direguards disposed of, they were able to use the lift to continue their descent.
The lift descended to an octagonal platform constructed entirely of bone, lashed together with tendons and ligaments. The platform was affixed to the side of the lava tube with great steel rods that had been driven directly into the stone. What appeared to be some kind of extendable bone walkway or bridge lay rolled up to one side of the platform. Beneath them, on a similar platform below, they could see five dwarves. One of the dwarves presented a holy symbol and spoke in dwarfish as he did a walkway extended upward from the platform below to them.
To of the other dwarves, clad in full plate moved up the bridge, stopping half way, while two more took up position at the end of the bridge readying crossbows. The fifth one extended another walkway and moved swiftly to a lower platform.
The first two dwarves issued a challenge to the Party, which Cidric accepted, stepping forward. Fodor moved forward to help if need be and Thorik moved up behind, reading a healing spell. It was fortunate he did as after a bloody series of blows the paladin fell wounded. Fodor immediately stepped forward engaging the badly wounded dwarf Knight, who quickly succumbed, as his friend joined the fray – eventually he too fell before the barbarian’s assault.
The Skeletal Scaffold
The Temple of Dumathoin
Heading out once gain onto the platforms, they were attacked once more. This time their assailants were hooded pupils, but the Party soon cut their way through them and their summoned fiendish wolves. Finally they arrived at the lowest platform, where they were confronted by a dwarf with glowing red eyes sitting on a throne of bone. Cidric and Fodor immediately moved to attack, ignoring the bone spurs that intermittently thrust up at them from the platform, but their opponent suddenly vanished. Then re-appeared slam-attacking the barbarian. Reeling from the vampire’s attack draining his life-force. Fodor retaliated, as Cidric moved to support him but another slam attack from the Vampire dropped him. Thorik cast vigor, mass , and the Barbarian stood up again only to fall to another slam attack – draining his remaining life-force. As Cidric attacked, Zeb cast magic missile and and Thorik searing light, the combined assault doing sufficient damage to the vampire to drop him before he could heal it.The vampire assumed gaseous form heading for the bone throne which as they watched, unfolded itself revealing it to be a large patchwork skeleton, a stone coffin protected within it’s ribcage. However the skeleton soon fell before the Party’s combined assault and they were able to get to the coffin an despatch the vampire to his Final Rest. Fearful that Fodor might be doomed to unlife as well, they beheaded his corpse and drove a stake through his heart as well - just in case!
After
they had retrieved the vampire’s treasure, they discussed how best to
proceed as the lift was blocked by the first platform above. Deciding
on a plan, Zeb used the horned ring to teleport to the merchants camp
on the second level. As they arrived unexpectedly Thorik spotted
that one of them, at least, was actually doppelganger! When confronted,
the merchants confirmed that they were doppelgangers and that they had
been sent to encourage adventurers into Undermountain to counter the
activities of the drow – who were attempting to secure the lower levels
and sabotage Halaster’s attempt to forestall the cataclysm he had
foreseen enveloping Undermountain and destroying the city of Waterdeep.Aware now of the danger to the city they party resolved to redouble their efforts. They placed a resupply order with the merchants, including a scroll of disintegrate, and settled down to rest. As they did a lone figure staggered into the camp bloodied and bruised. He introduced himself a Karl Wetherby, the sole survivor of a small group that had been ambushed by drow. Knowing of the merchant camp he had headed for safety here.
Next morning, their supplies arrived and the Party augmented by Karl, teleported back to the Bone Platform. Before they left the merchants told them that at the very bottom of Belkram’s Fall there was a Portal that would take them to the level the drow were. Arriving on the first platform, Zeb used the scroll of disintegrate the blasted a hole though the first platform allowing the lift to proceed downwards.
They stopped the lift at a huge ornate Temple of Dumathoin. Exploring the temple there were eight pillars each marked with the symbol of one of the dwarven gods. Beneath each symbol was a lozenge-shaped slot or keyhole. The shape triggered a vague memory of the crystal keys – each marked with a sign of the dwarven gods they had seen far above in the watch towers, so they made their laborious way back up and retrieved them, returning with nine crystals one of which was blank. Thorik quickly slotted the crystals into the appropriate slot on the pillars and a ninth pillar rose to a height of about 5 feet from the floor. In the top was a slot for a crystal.
The Tomb
Thorik placed the final unmarked token into the slot on the pillar and it began to retract, sinking beneath the level of the floor. The members of the Party quickly jumped on top as it descended further downwards, coming to a stop in a chamber where four large statues of dwarves, regal in bearing, silently regarded them. As Cidric stepped off the platform The statue to the north began to move, swinging its greataxe in a powerful sweep toward him as it stepped off its pedestal. It bellowed in a deep, sombre voice in the Dwarven tongue: “None shall disturb the resting place of the kings of Melairbode’s past!” The dwarf ancestor seemed to concentrate its attacks on the non-dwarf members of the Party as they made a hasty way to the exit, Thorik and Silverbeard trying to interpose themselves between it’s relentless attacks and their colleagues.Eventually they all made it out of the room to where a staircase descended even deeper. They began their descent, and after Cidric and Karl had amused themselves falling down a pit trap on one of the landings, arrived in a strangely shaped hallway, which as the light of Cidric’s blade suddenly extinguished itself, appeared to be under the effect of an antimagic shell. They headed though a set of double doors to the south, unlocked courtesy of Karl, where four stone sarcophagi stood silently. Searching the area Karl found a secret door in the plinth one of them stood on which led to a stairway leading further downwards.
Thorik led the way down eventually finding themselves outside a room the floor of which was 30 feet below them. With his darkvision, Thorik could see a door leading off form the bottom, and persuading Cidric to act a belay lowered himself gently down only to meet some resistance about 15 feet down. As he suddenly felt accord paralysis spreading over him he called for Cidric to pull him up urgently! From the top they peered down once more and could vaguely make out that something seemed to be in front of the door as though some kind of semi-transparent mass occupied the bottom of the room
Deciding to try and find another way, they retreated back to the hallway and too the western exit. Only to come under attack by a spell turret which cast multiple spells at the non-dwarves in the party before they moved on.
The oddly shaped chamber they found themselves in had a patch of floor at one end that was not stone, but rich loamy earth, the heady scent of which was pervasive throughout the room. Dwarven runes were inscribed on the wall above the dark, fragrant soil reading “Touch the ground and be purified”
As Karl entered the room a rumbling echoed throughout the chamber , the area of dirt began to bubble and froth and a three-armed creature with a stony hide erupted from the dirt floor, its three eyes looking everywhere for the intruders that attracted it. After a fearsome fight the Party eventually prevailed, helped by a flurry of spells from Zeb, but not before Cidric was sorely wounded.
The False Tombs
After the confrontation with the xorn, and Thorik doling out considerable amounts of healing they continued onwards, through an alcove-lined hallway which radiated a sense of peace and quiet contemplation. In once of the alcoves they found a potion and a wand of shocking grasp. The passageway led to an octagonal chamber which featured a pair of triangular 10-foot-high stone platforms standing opposite one another in what roughly equated to the corners of the room. Each of the platforms was adorned with an elaborately crenelated battlement, and atop each a stone gargoyle was perched. The farthest gargoyle stared down at the door, while the nearest stared at the back wall. The far gargoyle wore a chain, from which hung an ornate mithral key. In the corners opposite the platforms, there were dark triangular pits.Entering the room, to no-ones surprise, the gargoyles attacked – what was surprising this time was the gargoyles focusing their attacks on the dwarves in the Party. Cidric, Thorik and Silverbeard engaged while Karl hung back looking for opportunities to sneak attack with his bow. Eventually the gargoyles were slain and the key recovered. There were no exits from this room so they made their way back to the central hallway. After some discussion they decided to deal with the gelatinous cube, which they did by the simple expedient of firing arrows at it from the safety of the doorway 15 feet above it!
Climbing down, they found an oblong chamber which housed a 10-foot-deep pit. A plain stone sarcophagus rested at the bottom of the pit. The two dwarves moved down into the pit to investigate and Silverbeard opened the lid, finding an ornate adamantine key within. Unfortunately they also found themselves flooded in green slime as it poured out from beneath the sarcophagus. With some difficulty and losing their boots and a considerable amount of flesh they managed to extricate themselves – Cidric having to leap in and save Silverbeard who had (eventually) managed to clamber inside the sarcophagus.
After this they decided to rest, and Thorik used Lesser Restoration to held heal some of his damage. After a night’s rest and another couple of Lesser Restoration spells form Thorik they felt ready to continue. Cidric suggested their must another hidden exit from the central hallway, and Karl managed to find a hidden panel in the east wall, behind which were three keyholes, however they only had two keys! Eventually someone remembered the key they had used in the lift to gain access to the tomb and the dwarves headed back to retrieve it.
Opening the door they dashed past more spell turrets, before finding another purification chamber. Once again a xorn was summoned by the presence of the two humans and attacked, Cidric and Karl both going down before it's assault. Fortunately Thorik was able to stabilise and drag the unconscious humans out before the xorn could finish its work.
Silverbeard meanwhile had found a portal in the next room guarded by a portal drake who seemed reasonably friendly, especially once Karl, healed by Thorik was able to speak to him in draconic, and negotiate use of the portal for a fee.
Belkram
Moving deeper into the tomb, Cidric arrived first at their destination. Opening the door he could see a walkway in front of him stairs either end leading down into a hexagonal chamber dominated by an oversize sarcophagus. Standing next to the sarcophagus was a pale-looking dwarf in a mithral breastplate bearing a flaming maul, with a large dire-wolf. Silently Belkram gestured them forward. Battle was soon joined - Cidric and Silverbeard initially concentrating on the wolf while Zeb, Thorik and Karl focused on the undead dwarf. Eventually, the whole power of the Party arrayed against him, the dwarf fell.They quickly looted the corpse, though when Silverbeard hefted the flaming maul something felt slightly off about it. Cidric and Thorik then had a philosophical debate about the nature of Undeath, as they were unsure what type of undead the dwarf was, and whether whether he might return. Various suggestions were made by Party members, such as burning the corpse or cutting off it’s head, till eventually Zeb suggested using the scroll of Remove Curse they found in the coffin. Feeling this couldn’t do any harm, Thorik cast it and the body immediately crumbled to dust. Momnets later, Belkram’s shade appeared and bowed to them before vanishing.
They made their way out of the tomb by negotiating a bulk discount for using Preelix’s portal and then the Horned Ring to get them to the Yawning Portal, spending the next few days resting while Zeb identified the various
magic items they had recovered from the tomb. Then they set out once
more, this time to deal with to deal with the drow threat to Waterdeep. After a visit to the doppelganger
merchants to see whether there was any more intelligence to be gained (there wasn't), they used the Horned Ring to teleport to the Temple Of Dumathoin, picked up the lift and continued downwards.Silverbeard, looking over the side had just spotted a red glow below them, when the lift suddenly came to a halt - entagled in a fiery web . As the wooden platform bagan to burn around them, they were attacked by an inferno spider, while from below someone helpully lobbed balls of magma at them. Thorik and Cidric faced off against the spider while Karl fired frost-arrows, Zeb used his lightning rod and a couple of magic missiles while Silverbeard mainly tried to keep himself from burning alive. Things took a turn for the worse when Zeb fell through the burning floor of the platform, fell thirty feet below and came face to face with three magma hurlers!
Karl leaped down to assist the gnome, firnig off some more frost arrows in their general direction. When Cidric and Thorik finally drove-off the infero spider they too joined the fray, jumping down from what was left of the lift platfom.
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Silverbeard was last to abandon the lift - as he was mostly focused on putting out the flames form his burning clothes! The magma hurlers were quickly driven off, especially afer some big hits from Cidric and Silverbeard, as well as lightning bolt and some more magic missiles from Zeb. This left the Party free to exxamine the Portal on the ground in front of them and Zeb to ruefully contemplate his ruined hat, the jaunty feather now singed beyond repair!.