Stonehell: To the Trade Hall

Session 133 was played on 4/5

Karl, Dwarf 8 (Julia)
Hobart (dog)
Kili, dwarven cleric of Cthulhu 5 (Matt)
Alwin, Elf 2 (Robert)
Boris of St. Gregory the Great, Cleric 2 (Jeff)
Elwood, Cleric 2 (NPC)
Torchbearers -
Arms-people -

The hammer was gone… And Karl was pissed. Retrieving Wilhelm’s Hammar Karl began by finding and beating as many people as he could find that he’d been drinking with… mostly the bums. After breaking more than his fair share of jaws, fingers, and legs, eventually he got a description of someone who might have taken it. A dark haired human beauty with a distinctive yellow and black checkered sash.

Elmalia… the wererat.

Gathering a few friends who were at hand (mostly to keep him from killing anyone unnecessarily) they head into the dungeon, straight for the wererat lair.

Arriving without other encounter, Esmalia agrees to talk to Karl, mostly to keep him from slaughtering everything he sees trying to get to her. She explains that she was just hired to do a job, and that if he wants his hammer back, he should take it up with King Deepeyes down in the Hermitage. Karl is still ready to kill everyone and everything, but Boris manages to negotiate a deal. Karl doesn’t kill everyone, and Esmalia takes them down to the Fire Beetle Bar where she met with the Hermitage envoy.

Karl reluctantly agrees. She takes them down through 2 different elevator rides. She warns the party that they’d better be on their best behavior. Leaving the elevator down on the 6th level, they come to the Customs post, guarded by a number of Vrilya. Half a dozen warrior types, and a slightly less physically intimidating bureaucrat. The charge is 100gp. Esmalia pays her own way, but leaves the party to pay their own way. In return they receive a glowing necklace. As long as they wear it, they’ll be allowed access to the Trade Hall.

Keeping their sightseeing to a minimum, they pass a whole host of underdark dwellers. Mostly Virylia, but bugbears, hobgoblins, orcs, minotaurs, and other creatures that they couldn’t identify. In addition, there were a number of slaves being used for menial tasks. Most were pale figures with large eyes and stringy hair.

Passing through the corridor, they come to another customs check, and return the necklace before heading out of the Virylian controlled area. Just outside was a small light hanging above a shingle painted with a fire beetle rearing up. Entering the smokey establishment revealed mostly Virylia customers. Behind the bar was an old dwarf. Esmalia made the introduction. Oguldahba Crope served the first drink to the party for free, and listened to their story.

While interested in seeing them take down Deepeyes, he didn’t think the few of them could safely make it across the bridge, let alone into the Hermitage. He did offer to help them out should they return, but for today, he doubted they’d survive.

The party returns to the Trade Way, exploring the public areas a bit, stopping in to visit a fortune teller. The old elf was skeletal, and weird. Boris pays to ask about the acolytes cells, and she confirms that they can be found in the Halls without Doors.

Karl pays to ask about his hammer. She reveals that there is something the king wants more than the hammer, and that there is no way to break the curse on the king without killing him.

Heading back up, the party encounters an ochre jelly in the caves, that gets split into 4 by Borumar shooting it. They eventually burn it to a smelly crisp. They then wander the caves a little lost…

Gains: lots of info
Kills: Various vermin
Losses: