Hammer 8, 1489
Dre'zel my love,
In the morning, the ‘sun’ that had been following Ambrose was completely gone.
Oris met us at The Eastside Inn to the local fishermen's cheers and the local miners' jeers. We tried to warn him of the threat the miners seemed to present to him, but he shrugged it off, as he did with my suggestion that he pay us more for clearing the mine of kobolds. I’m afraid I may have gone on a diatribe about the economic benefits of eliminating the kobolds. I seemed to lose his attention, which is why I try to avoid engaging in such negotiations. In the end, Oris agreed to pay us 250 gold coins.
Together, we walked to the kobold-infested mine he had told us about, and sure enough, it was the cave from which Talyth and I had escaped two years ago. Empty carts surrounded the entrance, next to which was a crude wooden sign with the words "Kobold business only!" in Common.
I led the way down into the dark cave, with Saritu trailing behind me, periodically signaling for the rest of the group, who were not as stealthy in the dark, to stop and continue.
Inside the cave were racks of picks and hammers. On the dusty floor, I spotted tracks of humans, kobolds, and some smaller mammals heading in all directions. I have to admit, I felt very much in my element.
There were three adjoining chambers. I examined the northern chamber, where a path sloped up to where miners had clearly been working on the gleaming gem deposits.
From the passage south of that, I could hear the familiar sound of the rushing water that eventually falls into Lake Minnetonka.
I signaled for the group to follow me down to the southernmost passage, where work tables were set up for the miners.
Just as the group had entered the work area, two giant rats attacked Jojo. From the darkness, I quickly pinned one to the wall with an arrow while Ambrose beat down the other with his staff.
While Saritu, Soupmeister Steve, and I explored the area, Ambrose led the others to the chamber with the rushing water to make sure there were no more predators behind us.
A short corridor led to Zhennu Resk'afar, where Talyth and I had spent weeks climbing to escape Menzoberranzan. I don’t know if I would have made it had it not been for her. Back then, she was so hopeful and naïve—there was no way I was going to let her down.
A makeshift wooden walkway had been built along the southern perimeter, connecting us to a passage on the far side of the south wall. To the northeast, a deafening, narrow stream of water rushed into Zhennu Resk'afar, falling into the darkness below.
Looking down, I could see that more wooden walkways had been constructed below. Using Soupmeister Steve’s rope, we connected it to a nearby piton, and I crossed the walkway to the far corridor. A wooden capstan had been constructed to raise and lower a bucket big enough for two people down a hole in the floor.
Saritu alerted me to danger from below the walkway. Using the rope to secure me, I quickly hung out over the walkway and shot down one of two kobolds attempting to cut the walkway struts. The other fell, screaming, to Saritu’s magic.
Just as I rose and signaled for Saritu to call the others to cross the walkway, something sharp pierced my back. Turning quickly, I saw ten long, barbed tentacles hanging from a giant, bulbous brain with a sharp beak floating fifteen feet in the air.
Resisting the grell’s poison, I pierced the floating cerebrum again and again while its tentacles raked me, until finally it fell. Soon after, the rest of the group returned to the gruesome scene, and Soupmeister Steve cut open the organ, revealing a dead kobold and a half-digested human.
After everyone had carefully crossed the walkway, we made the slow descent down the shaft in the bucket.
Saritu and I were lowered down first, and I spotted two kobolds poking a giant rat with their javelins. After signaling for Saritu to summon the others, I took aim and waited.
When everyone was down, Taimen called out to the kobolds, who quickly took an aggressive stance before backing down before Taimen’s Draconic threats.
Their names were Grek and Smol, and they agreed to take us to their leader, Lihpogap, who wanted to teach them how to mine and work for Termalaine.
They led us down a winding passage that returned to a walkway crossing Zhennu Resk'afar lower down. The walkway led to a cramped corridor with more kobolds, with only enough room for a few of us. I waited in the far corridor.
I soon learned that this Lihpogap was actually a kobold possessed by Pagophil! It seems that he was attempting to gain a foothold in Termalaine, and probably would have succeeded had it not been for Jojo’s inquisitiveness and Taimen’s Divine Sense. Unfortunately, Pagophil escaped before he could be stopped. Fortunately, the kobolds, including their previously possessed leader, Trex, were still eager to work with the people of Termalaine.
With the kobolds in tow, we quickly vacated the area in an attempt to get away from Pagophil and prevent him from possessing anyone else before we could bring news to Oris.
We made our way back up the mine, and as I was crossing the highest walkway, the cave ahead was engulfed in magical darkness!
I ran into the darkness, casting Longstrider, and was almost at the far side of the passage when the Darkness disappeared, and I saw a black dagger fly into Talyth’s shoulder! I took aim at the assailant, a drow assassin hanging upside down from the ceiling. Standing under the assassin was a drow cleric, and behind her was Marta, curled up in a corner, beaten and terrified, but alive! Three drow warriors had crowded the entrance to the work area, but Talyth and Jojo quickly put them down.
Instantly recognizing me, the assassin taunted me about Bra'tac’s teachings and introduced himself as the new First Prime of Zapophis.
Taimen had rushed to engage the priest and assassin, but had fallen from the divine spells and poisoned blades. Jojo valiantly shielded her with his body, but the assassin’s blades struck true.
While Ambrose took down the cleric, I focused on the assassin, who was threatening Talyth. I struck the assassin with an arrow, and he soon dropped to the floor, where I struck a mortal shot. With his dying breath, he continued his threats. Striding to the assassin, I yanked his scalp and demanded in Undercommon, “If Zapophis ever threatens Talyth or either of our families again, indeed I will make it my life's mission to ensure your family lives in the shame of your failure before suffering a painful demise that I only spare you so that you may haunt Zapophis as a ghost until he heeds this demand.”
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