18 Eleasias, 1368: The Altar of the Last Stand

4:00pm
The next room the company explores is directly across from the rusty doors of the empty armory. This room has an ornately worked stone corridor, with a turn at the end of the visible passage.

Turning that corner they see a large, vaulted room and notice that the air is stuffy and makes their lights flicker low. There are two dwarven skeletons lying near an altarstone at the far end of the room.

Before Routunious covers his light, they see dwarvish writing on the wall above the altar, and a silent water wheel standing motionless against the adjoining wall.

Routunious says, "This would appear to be the chapel...I don't know enough about dwarves and their religion to know to what god it is dedicated."

Elessaria holds her battle axe at the ready and Routunious holds his staff with the knife on the end. In the room, looking from the doorway, they see look at the altar and the writing carved into the walls above it.

Entering the room, the ranger and priest bend down to examine the dwarven dead carefully and without touching them. The skeletons each wear remnants of chain mail armor. One wears a holy symbol with markings similar to those on the altar--a gemstone inside a mountain. The other wears an elaborate helmet and holds a sword inscribed on the blade with dwarven runes.

"Have you noticed it is getting harder to breathe?" Elessaria asks.

Routunious nods, "I'm glad you said something, I thought it was just me being winded from the battle."

Elessaria smiles at that, and says, "No, the air is bad and getting worse in here."

Routunious stands and walks over to examine the waterwheel and Elessaria guards his back. There is no water coming in, but it is clear that at one time a natural spring did flow from high on the wall and onto the wheel, before draining away through a crack in the floor. Without touching the apparatus it is impossible to tell if the wheel would still turn. Using his expertise in engineering, Routunious comes to some conclusions about the purpose of the wheel.

The priest says to Elessaria, "The water wheel once provided power to circulate air throughout the dwarves’ complex. Machinery that powered fans and air ducts are behind the wheel. Without it, no fresh air, except that small amount that comes in through the forge. When the forge was in operation and the secret door closed, this machine would have been the main source of air. Everyone in the complex would suffocate without it."

Elessaria ponders this, and says, "Maybe the dwarves are gone because the water source dried up?"

Routunious says, "It may be so. I think we should copy the runes from the wall there, and take them back to town in order to translate them. Perhaps they will provide an important clue."

Copying the runes takes a long time, during which the air continues to worsen. Routunious nearly faints. He turns to Tick-a-Tick and commands, "Tick-a-Tick, turn the wheel until I tell you to cease."

As the automaton begins turning the wheel, they hear a sound like the earth breathing. In a very short time the air in the room is fresh and clear. The pumps still function perfectly.

6:00pm
"Are you hungry?" Routunious asks, after a rumble growls out of his own belly.

Elessaria says, "Yes. We should break into the rations."

They eat while discussing what to do next. Routunious wants to return to the inn, but Elessaria notes that the climb up the mountain was difficult enough in full daylight, trying to navigate the narrow trail and crossing the ravine in darkness would be impossible.

"We've done impossible things before," Routunious grumbled.

"Only when there was no other choice. We have a choice. We're sleeping here tonight."

"Not next to them," Routunious said, pointing at the two dwarven bodies with his stale bread.

"The othe room then."

Routunious asks, "Would it be...a sacrilige to loot their bodies?"

"Yes." Elessaria says.

"Not loot, I mean...search the bodies and carry their valuables back to..."

"Someone who might pay a reward for them?" Elessaria interrupts.

"Something like that. The sword has runes on it too, and is easier to transport than the wall...we should take it with us."

They continue to discuss the matter until they finish their food, in the end deciding to take the sword. Then follows an equally long discussion of the logistics of doing so. Routunious insists that Elessaria do the honors.

In the end, despite the trepidation inspired by the animated warhammer in the other room, taking the sword from the dwarven corpse is uneventful.

7:00pm
A great growlilng is heard echoing in the complex.

"You've already eaten!" Elessaria says.

"It isn't me...I think...the bear is home. We forgot to shut the door."

There is more noise back in the main room.

Routunious asks, "What do we do?"

Elessaria says, "I'm a ranger...I will try using my Animal Empathy to make friends with it."

Routunious is doubful, "Right...but what is the back up plan in case that doesn't work? Cast Animal Friendship?"

"fine," Elessaria says, "and if all else fails, we fight the bear."

Routunious asks, "You're better at fighting than making friends...couldn't 'we start with killing the bear? That plan seems most likely to yeild success."

Elessaria insists, "I'm not going to kill anything unless I have to. A bear isn't an evil creature, and we are in its home. If we can remove the bear without killing it, that is what we will do."

Routunious gives up the argument, "As you wish."

Leaving the chapel, Elessaria enters the main room to see an enormous brown bear on all fours hungrily eating the remains of the Stago's dog.

The ranger senses that the bear is a little confused. It didn't know that it had a whole back room, and is enjoying the new space. One paw is on the squishy head of the dog, and one paw is on squishy tail section while its jaws happily rip apart the rest.

Routunious steps up behind her and is sickened by the sight of the bear's meal.

Elessaria asks, "Do you notice anything strange?"

"Stranger than trapped by a bear in an abandoned stronghold after eating dinner in an airless chamber with two dead dwarves?"

"Strange about the dog--look, each time the bear bites or paws it, clouds of dust seem to puff up from the animal, as if its bones were made of chalk that had been crushed."

"Yeah...that is strange. What are you going to do about the bear?"

With the priest prodding her, Elessaria enters the chamber with the bear. It is about 50 feet away, and doesn't seem to be bothered by her. She tries to employ her Animal Empathy ability and there is no change in the bear's activity.

"We don't seem to be able to leave, even if we were planning to. Shall we explore the remaining passage?" Elessaria asks.

Routunious replies, "Why not? Maybe it will be gone when we get back."

They slide along the wall and down the corridor with the bear not seeming to even notice it is sharing the space. As with the first tunnel, this one leads to a lookout post which has excellent views of the Tesh River Valley through arrow slits, but after a thorough search, it is decided that there is no egress from here except into main chamber.

8:00pm
With Tick-a-Tick standing guard, Routunious and Elessaria set up camp in forge room and attempt to sleep until the bear leaves for its morning hunt. Routunious almost suggests killing the bear again, but the look Elessaria gives him stops him before the words can leave his mouth.


Sources:

• Doom of Daggerdale Module (No copyright infringement intended, for reference use only)
  
• Reaper Miniatures Online Store