The Duergar Outpost, More Mithril and the freeing of the slaves

Have you set about your daily chores and found yourself suddenly in the midst of an unexpected adventure? Well that is exactly what happened to me recently as I woke up and set about to feed my need, bordering addiction, for mithril. Damn rapiers! But that’s a different story, so back to this one.

As I said, I was going about my daily routine of visiting the crazed Rothe before making my way to the Duergar mines. Now typically I would just do the upper level of the mines and on a few occasions, time permitting, a bit the lower section. This day however, I found I had an abundance of time and decided to see if I could discover just how deep the mines went and what might be at the bottom.

Setting out and familiar with the upper mines I moved quickly through each small mining section, dispatching the ever present group of three Duergar miners in each section, reliving them of any mithril they may have mined then checking veins they had been mining for any mithril dust and chips  they may have left behind.

Now before you think me a crazed murderess , I have to point out several facts, fist of all I’m a proper and proud elf, that would much rather spend her time in a forest than in some hideous mining cave, Second the miners are dwarves and evil Duergar dwarves at that, which pretty much speaks for itself. Lastly, they attack me first, so enough said on this topic.

Making record time I completed the first level and found my pack already containing enough mithril to increase my count by over one hundred in the dwarven city bank. Inspired by the amount of mithril in my pack and already ahead of schedule I pressed on quickly, down to the second level.

The second level of the mine is much like the upper level, however instead of traveling back and forth west to east, the second level seems like more of a square spiral, leading you around the edges of the cavern towards the center. Still, the Duergar mining method is the same, groups of three Duergar working in small areas carved out of the rock where they have found veins to mine. Since this area was unknown to me, I proceeded a bit more slowly, still making good time, yet ever cautious of what might lie just ahead. Eventually I made my way to the center of this level and found a cave passage that led further down. Now, if you read this story and decided to proceed further, I suggest you rest and prepare yourself for danger ahead, here as I did.

Strengthened by my magical wards, I pressed down to what I thought would be the next level of the mine and found myself not in  a mine but instead, in a huge dimly lit cavern, with a bridge a short distance ahead of me and a nearly naked, frail looking human pacing back and forth before me. Cautiously I approached him to see if he needed help and he told me that he had just escaped from the Duergar slave outpost that was just over the bridge. I was about to help him back to the surface, as he clearly needed help, but he asked me to help free the other slaves, saying he could make it on his own. There being no question of what to do, I cautiously pressed forward over the bridge.
Reaching the opposite side of the short bridge I was able to make out clusters of Duergar to both my right and left (east and west) and could just begin to make out a large fortress looking structure with it’s main large gates directly in front of me a short distance away to the north.

Deciding that I need to make sure that my escape route, should it be needed, was clear, I set about to deal with these dwarfs outside the wall, so cautiously headed west and encountered a small group of Duergar, and saw just beyond them, a huge stoutly gated slave pen, with a locked gate. Searching the now dispatched Duegar, I found one that wasn’t a miner and in searching his body found a key. Figuring he must be one of the slavers I tried the key on the lock, entered the slave pen and saw members of several races, young and old, male and female, all slaves.

Approaching the one closest to me I told them I was there to free them and to run. My words were punctuated by the presence of Duergar archers atop the walls of the fortress, which began to shoot at both me as well as the slaves. Shooting at me was one thing but shooting at the ragged slaves was quite another. Not seeing a way to gain the top of the wall from outside the fortress, I made for the main gate, turned left and found a ramp up, which allowed me to deal with the archers and any Duergar miners that had seen me and followed.

Now inside the out post, I decided to check the east wall as well and found archers atop it also, which I also dispatched. From here I could see slave pens like those on the west side, so went back out to free them, telling them to run and make their way to the surface and join the others. It seems the keys to these gates are of rather poor workmanship and break after a single use, so I had to find another slaver amongst the fallen Duergar and collect his key, just as I had done on the west side. The slaves in both slave pens now freed, I decided I needed to bring this atrocity and those responsible to justice at the tip of my rapier, so made off for the main gate once again.

Now this part of the story  requires some visualization, Standing at the gates, looking north, off in the distance is a large central building, which I found out was my ultimate goal, this is the Pavilion, where the Outpost leader named Karen Mithrlfin dwells. The gates to this building were locked, which meant that I needed to find a key. To either side of the pavilion are two smaller, yet still impressive buildings, to the east of the Pavilion is the Temple and to the west is the Task Masters building, these were also locked, so the first order of business was to find a key.

The lay out of the out post is a near mirror image east and west, rows of small buildings each housing the now familiar three miners each as well as small groups of miners roaming about the outpost outside of the various structures. There are also two sort of larger round buildings and in searching the one on the west, just off the central path leading to the pavilion, I found a bunch of Duergar miners guarding a chest on an what looked like an. Inside the chest I was overjoyed to find the first of the needed keys, the key to the Task Master’s residence.

Heading due north to the Task Master’s building, I was relived to hear the click of the front door unlock and open. Making my way inside, I found several rooms, all with three miners ready to defend their building, and finally a door, which led to the Task Master’s main chamber and there he was, he and six of his helpers. Figuring he would be the toughest I went for him first, then dealt which his helpers. On his body was a fair bit of gold as well as a key to the temple, so off I went, east past the Pavilion, to the Temple.

The key to the temple again worked fine, and the temple had a similar lay out to the Task Master’s building, small rooms with three miners each, leading finally to a door. Inside this room was the Duergar priest, surrounded by six of his helpers. Knowing well the importance of getting to any sort of caster quickly, arcane or divine, I charged the priest, though not before he could cast an acid sheath of protection around himself. No matter, I used a scroll to dispel his acid wall then dealt quickly with him and then his would be protectors; Just as with the Task Master, the priest had ten thousand in gold as well as the key to the Pavilion.

Just to be safe I recast my own wards and then made my way to the pavilion. Inside, I found I could go either to the right or the left, as both hallways would eventually lead back to a room in the center of the building. Again, there was a door to the leader’s room, so I cast a few extra wards, expecting the worst and inside found the leader of the outpost, Karen Miithrlfin with the now usual six guards. Using the same tactic, I went for her first, then after dispatching her, dealt with her guards. Searching her body, I found a nice bit of mithril, including a nugget, as well as one hundred thousand in gold.

The slaves freed and the leaders of the outpost dealt with, I went back outside to check the remaining small buildings for miners eager to rid them of the burden of their mithril.

When all was said and done, my mithril count from hunting the two mine levels as well as the outpost was just over five hundred with a nice bit of gathered gold to pad my bank account, which made freeing the slaves and dealing a blow to  their captures slaving operation, all the sweeter.

Ryleigh,

Fantastic Story.. its a good read.


Publish Contract has been received:DONE


L0BSTER