Wir, 3rd Olarune, 998 YK
Passages from the adventure:
The Bloody Bridge
Curtains of water fall from the sky as you traverse the labyrinthine walkways of Sharn. The stone and wooden paths wind around and between the towers and spires high above the ground, forming a complex latticework that can be very confusing on evenings such as this. The rain falls hard, running off higher walkways and balconies in drenching waves, making it difficult to see much more than a few feet ahead of you. The distant glow of everbright lanterns, barely visible in the soaking gloom, does little to light the paths on this warm, wet evening.
The skybridge ahead spans the distance between platforms attached to the sides of two different towers - Dalanna Tower and the Kelsa Spire. A body lies on the floor of the bridge, and you can see a mixture of rain and blood pooling around it. A leather satchel, still clutched tightly in the body' hand, lies in the expanding puddle of water and gore.
As Ahman, Gungnir, Irieries, Vatrait, and Xyr begin to investigate the body, a cloaked figure leaps onto the bridge brandishing a battleaxe. "Cutter" dives into combat with the closest opponent - Gungnir, proclaiming him to be a "flesh-loving traitor". During the fight, shouts and cries of alarm can be heard from nearby residents, from the safety of their windows. The group works together to disarm him and eventually subdue Cutter. As he falls to the ground, a spidery, winged device springs from his chest and quickly takes to the sky. The group attempt to catch the flying filigree and to shoot it down, but to no avail.
The body is none other than Bonal Geldem, an elderly human scholar from Morgrave University. The satchel contains an apple and a small journal, measuring about 3” x 6” and 1” thick, has
a cover of dark brown leather with strands of mithril thread woven in a strange
pattern. It bears no title, just the mithril-thread icon on the front cover.
Inside, every page is blank, but the sheets have a strange feel: they don't
seem to be paper or leather, rather something not readily identifiable. Irieries pockets the journal immediately before the Watch arrives.
The City Watch
Two males and a female, wearing the green-and-black studded
leather of Sharn's City Watch, emerge from the rain-drenched night. The leader,
a powerfully built bald dwarf with a close-cropped beard, steps forward,
leveling his crossbow in your direction. The small ball of arcane light,
hovering just above and behind his left shoulder, illuminates the area. To
either side, a human male and female stand with halberds at the ready.
"Olladra's bloody nose! By the order of the Watch, drop your
weapons and explain yourselves!"
Irieries does all the talking and easily convinces Sargeant Dolom that they were not involved, only stopping to help as good samaritans. Dolom rewards their heroism and bravery with 2gp each, and invites them to visit anytime.
As the group leave the scene, they are confronted by another cloaked figure. He shows them a signet ring with the House Cannith symbol emblazoned on it. "If you would know the truth of Bonal Geldem's murder, go to the Broken Anvil Tavern at dawn." Before the group can ask any questions he disappears into the night.
The Broken Anvil
The human female in the dark blue cloak has delicate
features, dark blue eyes, and sleek black hair bound with silver and turquoise
ornaments. She wears a signet ring of House Cannith on her right finger and
speaks in a soft but clear voice. “Thank you for coming. We have important
business to discuss that relates to the unfortunate death of Bonal Geldam.
Please, sit down.”
“I have been working with Provost Geldem to recover a family
heirloom. We were to meet earlier tonight, but as you know, he never made it. I
learned from the Watch what had transpired, and so sent one of my men to track
you down.”
“The
heirloom, according to family legends, was locked away in a foundry that dates
back to pre-Galifar Sharn. Poor Bonal believed he discovered the location of
the foundry in an ancient House Cannith journal. I was going to fund an
expedition to go to the site, but without Bonal...”
Her voice
trails off. Then she leans close.
“Perhaps you
would be willing to recover the heirloom for me. For a generous reward, of
course.”
Elaydren's
signet ring and the mithril threads on the cover glow in unison as she takes
hold of the small book. When she opens it, the blank pages begin to fill with
delicate script and line drawings. She turns to a specific page, studies it for
a moment, and the pulls out a folded map from inside her cloak.
“The
location of the lost foundry is deep within the Dorasharn Tower, fifty-seven
levels below the tower's present day sewer system. I offer you one thousand
gold pieces and the good will of my house if you help recover the heirloom and
return it to me. Will you help me?”
“The relic I
seek is an adamantine plate in the shape of a seven-pointed star about the size
of your hand. It has no special power by itself, but is an ancient schema – a
piece of a pattern used by Cannith artificiers of old to craft unusual items.
Recover this piece of history for us, and House Cannith will be extremely
grateful.”
“This map
shows the way to reach the sewers of the Dorasharn Tower. Sonewhere beyond the
E-213 Valve Cluster you'll find a sealed door with the same mark as the one on
Bonal's journal. Open the seal, and the tunnel beyond will take you to the
long-forgotten level far below, where the foundry resides.”
“Other than
the Lord of Blades, who may have other agents seeking the schema, who knows
what lurks in the hidden places beneath the city? Now that I think about it,
Bonal did say that he would definitely need to bring fire on the expedition. I
wonder what he meant? Anyway, I urge caution, but I am completely confident
that you can handle anything you may encounter in your search.”
The Rat's Market
The tunnels and corridors at this level of the tower are
narrow and dark. An occasional window slit looks out upon the crowded walls and
foundations of other towers, and infrequently placed torches sputter here and
there, giving off pallid pools of light and clouds of smoke. Even so, rough and
dirty people crowd the narrow corridors, and the smell of sweat and sewage
permeates the stale air.
One tunnel
opens onto a large chamber, where a mix of goblins, humans, and shifters gather
around a small pile of rotting garbage spread across three rotting blankets.
One of the goblins shouts, “No pushing! No pushing! There's always enough for
everyone at the Rat's Market!”
Skalan continues: "I've got a rare stick of sealing wax, only partially
used, for a mere sixty coppers. Or maybe you could use this fine wollen blanket
with just a hint of mildew? Only 39 coppers. How about a skewer of boiled rat
meat? For you, just five silver. Or, perhaps, if I could point out the way to a
certain valve cluster, what would it be worth to fine explorers such as
yourselves? One hundred silver?"
Part 2: Into the Depths
Sharn Sewer
The party convinces Skalan to take them to the valve cluster. He convinces them it's a dangerous journey and that he must guide the way. He leads them through a winding maze of shops before reaching a narrow passageway from which horrible sounds and stench emerge. It is occupied by a sleeping, possibly passed out goblin snoring and roaring at once. Skalan picks up a pipe and beats the walls as he curses at the wretch to scare him off. With the road safely clear, he points out a narrow passage that leads to a staircase
descending deeper into the tower. With each step down, the odor of mold and
sewage becomes stronger, and you can hear liquid sounds increasing in volume as
you descend.
A warforged strikes from the shadows, his rapier piercing the
air with deadly efficiency. “You have the Provost's journal.” the warforged
says. It's not a question. “Give the book to me, and you can live to see
another day. Refuse, and we will make your deaths slow and painful.” He is joined by two shifters whose faces Xyr recognizes from the market above. The group easily dispatches the two shifter thugs but the warforged proves to be a cunning adversary. Vatrait is severely wounded during the exchange, but after awhile the party succeeds in taking the assassin down. Once more, a spidery metal form takes flight from his chest. The warforged and a shifter are still alive, and the group decides to take them to Sargeant Dolom then to recover before returning.
Irieries remains with Dolom for the Watch interrogation but is disappointed with the the meager amount of information they can glean from the warforged. The shifter was merely hired muscle. The party heals over the next 3 days (with the help of Lady Elaydren for Gungnir) before returning to the sewer.
The Door to Yesterday
A circular metal hatch, set into the tunnel wall and engraved
with arcane runes, must be the sealed door that Elaydren told you about. In the
middle of the hatch, a glowing circle of mithril depicts the same icon as on
Bonal's journal – the ancient symbol of House Cannith that predates the
founding of the Kingdom of Galifar itself, a stylized anvil and hammer.
Part 3: The Ruins of Dorasharn
The vertical shaft is a mix of crumbling earth and ancient stone, and centipedes and other insects cover the walls like living decorations. The long descent takes you deeper into the bowels of Dorasharn Tower. Soon, the shaft begins to angle, and by bracing yourself you can actually walk along one of the surfaces. Farther still, and the shaft becomes a tunnel, and the footing is no longer difficult to maintain or treacherous.
The tunnel eventually opens onto a vast chamber, though it emerges about 6 feet above the floor. You can't see the distant walls in the darkness, and the ruins of nearby walls and buildings appear as deep shadows in the eternal tower night, but you can feel the change in air currents and pressue that indicate a large open space ahead of you.
The adventurers descend to ground level and begin to make their way into the chamber.
A constant background noise rises from the walls and ruins around you. It takes a moment to recognize, but eventually the sound of chittering and buzzing can be picked out from among the cacophony. It's not unlike the sound of insects in the King's Forest, except that the chamber seems to amplify and echo the noise in disturbing ways.
A dark carpet slides across the dusty floor and moves towards you. No, not a carpet, but a mass of squirming, chittering, shiny black beetles that swarm toward you with hungry purpose.
