5e: Off To Hammer Rock

From: Fulhoff of Clan Balderk
To: Helja and Adrik of Clan Balderk

Mother & Father,

I wish that my path was clearer.

My associates seem taken with joining an organization, and are off completing a task they’ve been assigned as a trial, while I’ve remained in Waterdeep to seek answers. It is an amazing city… it hums with a vibrancy that is beyond even that of the ringing in the great forges… though is far less productive. I’ve spent hours walking the streets, stopping in shrines, temples, and bars as I come to them.

This business with giants… it will not end well. It rarely does in the stories. Even when defeated, the damage is always terrible. When Moradin smote the giant-devils of the duergar the scars left upon Ferun in the battle still can be seen… What scars will this new conflict leave?

When I was young I would see signs everywhere… now? The Great Digger is silent… or maybe she is just waiting?

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To follow up on the last letter, while no signs have made themselves apparent, my indecision is most definitely impacting my work. I have decided to continue on with Thorin. While I would claim that it’s to keep an eye on him, it is apparent that I am the one in need of it.

We’re heading north to visit with some noble who knows of a dwarven tomb, and seems intent on robbing it. While I’ve not been able to dissuade my friends from helping, as there is apparently some artifact that may assist with the giant situation, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to smooth over any issues with the dead. Two days into the journey as came across 2 stone giants tearing a traveler’s shrine apart. We stayed out of sight.

Meeting with the noble woman, who is not as old as I expected, she told of hiring a cartographer to find the tomb, and then when he got lost, sending some Neverwinter guards after him. They haven’t been heard from either. So off we went. The woods were strange… the Fae-Wild was close. And we found one of the guards, though we didn’t find him first. He was being held down by vines, and mocked and kicked by bugbears.

And I… was useless. My tongue tripped on the spells, and my hammer connected with nothing. Thorin acquitted himself well, of course, as did the rest of the party, taking out both the bugbears and the blighted vines. The guard, amazingly still alive, told of a glade, and a stone hammer, and his comrades, who he ran from when they were attacked. After resting up, he continued his running, and left us.

We pressed on. The birds cawed oddly as we came to the clearing he described. The stone hammer, clearly a work of Moradin, was untouched by mortal tools, formed from the living rock. It was an honor to touch it. Beyond we came to a small cliff face. Thorin noted some odd stones, and the barbarian worked the magic of the lock, using the bird calls we’d heard to figure it out, opening a door into the cliff. I was honestly not paying much attention, but I did see the goblins scamper down the cliff side! They focused their fire on the tiefling witch and the barbarian, though not entirely successfully.

After having a chance to center myself at the hammer, my spells flew much more easily, and I killed the goblin chief with an ease that surprised me. One goblin ran away, and the others were slain. They had little treasure on them… I wonder if they have a lair nearby. Perhaps we can explore the area after checking the tomb.