|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE CURRENT SITUATION Mt. Hotenow, once proud dwarven stronghold, is nothing but a charred corpse of its former self. The trouble began earlier this year, when NW Khazad received alarming reports of suspicious activity around the mountain. He immediately dispatched troops to the area, and monitored their progress closely. The first party of adventurers from Nyrthellan's Woods returned progress reports quickly to Khazad. The geologic change around the mountain was astonishing. Rolling green hills had yielded to seething geysers and boiling pits of mud. The air choked with sulfurous steam and noxious gasses. Flaming lava rolled freely down the valley, burning all in its wake. After navigating the barren landscape around the mount, they stumbled upon a gruesome scene. Bodies of slain and mutilated dwarves littered the mountainside. Their beards had been hacked from their faces in grave disrespect.The party bravely pressed on, determined to find out the cause of the mayhem. They found masses of trolls and ogres milling about, and yet ~ there seemed to be something more deadly behind it all. Pressing onward, the party was astonished at the legions of giants surrounding Hotenow with dreadful power and might. They fought valiantly against the giants, and sent word to Neverwinter for more reinforcements. Khazad sent in several more adventurers to help, finding that dwarves and ganglers alike were willing to put their lives at risk to help the cause. The next party sent to scout out the mountain came upon a grizzly discovery. Lonely Mountain was infested with drow, and the ancient dwarven stronghold had been desecrated to the point of being unrecognizable.Dwarf paintings on the interior cave walls had been gouged and crudely painted over. The party came upon a Dwarven trophy room of old, that was now used as a privy by the mountain's new inhabitants. Filthy pens were also discovered, filled with guards mercilessly kicking and beating the chained dwarven slaves within. This above all spurred the party on with the spirit of revenge. After freeing the over 100 dwarven slaves and killing the guards, the party turned to escort the dwarves out the mountain the way they came in. Just as the ragged group began their journey, a terrible rumbling began beneath their feet. The mountain shook with fury, and the walls began to crack and crumble. Falling debris assaulted the freed slaves, who were already weakened from their long imprisonment. Over half of the slaves died as the tunnel collapsed, blocking their route and forcing the group to turn around and try to find another way out of Mt. Hotenow. With heavy hearts, they trudged onward as the rumbling subsided, towards the sound of voices from deep within the mount. The tunnel opened up into an enormous open chamber, filled with an evil presence that was felt by all. The ceremony taking place within the chamber was one sight to behold. Nearly every evil deity had a representative present, working together to bring the mountain down around their heads. As the deadly mass wore on, the party sprung into action, aiming with all their might at the priests and priestesses of evil mirth. With blood flowing freely, and screams all around, the mountain shook again in a deadly rage that could be felt all over Neverwinter in an instant. The party quickly dispatched the evil clergy, and led the slaves onward out of the chamber and up toward the surface. Just as the party neared the end of their journey, they came upon strange glowing from a chamber just near the surface of the mount.Upon entering the room, the group found seven quasi-elementals, very similar to lightning, orbiting each other in a slow, rhythmic pattern. The dancing blue lights shot off random rays of electricity into the group, although no evil could be felt from the orbs. After some careful thinking, the group let the energy lie, and tunneled through the wall and into the light beyond. As they fled the chamber, the energy left with them. The final battle: As the tired party left the mountain, their last fight was upon them. A crowd of fire-giants stood blocking the exit. With some careful planning and strategy, the party assaulted the giants with spell power, and moved in for the death blows. A fire giant perched on a platform supported by a stack of boulders was quickly toppled as a mage cast reduce on the supporting rocks.Fire giants to the left and right were cut down with gusto, and the group of warrior left the crumbled mountain behind them as they led the remaining slaves to their new home. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
