5e: Mine Carts, Giant Stairs, and a Silver Hook

From: Sir Fulhoff of Clan Balderk, Knight of Hawk’s Nest
To: Helja and Adrik of Clan Balderk

Mother and Father:

Malar Goldstine, the Archive Docent did mention one more thing that is clearly a sign from the Great Digger that we’re on the right path, though at first it seemed like a distraction. Beyond the mine is an old stone giant’s temple.

Leaving him, we reached the guards who were tasked with keeping people out of the old dangerous giant’s temple, bribed them to 1) let us in 2) tell us about the Silver Hook (we really should have done more asking about them earlier) and 3) make things difficult for the Silver Hook, should they come back this way.

Beyond the doorway and through the long hall, we found ourselves in a massive chamber. Old mine carts were tipped over near the rails that ran the length of the room. Exploring, we found the rail split into 2 paths, one up, and the other down. Righting one of the carts, and maneuvering it onto the rails triggered the telltale blue glow of that old dwarven miners magic.

We piled into the cart, and Bran gave it a push, turning into a bird to catch up and it began to roll. Gently at first, we picked up speed, and quickly came to the first switch. We all leaned to the right to take the path up. This would have worked better if everyone had been facing the same direction and agreed upon the collective “right” but thankfully the more stout members of the party got it correct, and we took the path up.



The path was, as so many mines are, twisty, with numerous branching paths. We kept to the right, like any good dungeon delver, avoiding crashing the cart, getting our heads bashed in by low rocks, and at one point even jumping a crevasse over a broken section of track. Unfortunately we were moving too fast as we came upon the end of the line. Thorin jammed his ax into the wheel to slow us down, while I blasted the wheel on the other side with ray of frost. It was enough that nearly everyone lept to safety in time. Making sure everyone else was safe, I didn’t jump soon enough.

My ribs are going to feel that for a while. The chimera egg, which I was still carrying, didn’t quite break, but it did crack, and leak… but Aramel attempted healing magics on it, and wonder of wonders, it worked! We theorize that it wouldn’t have worked if it was an unfertilized egg, but healing magics were never my strong suite.

Before us was another massive staircase, clearly built for those with much longer legs. We eventually made it to the top, only to be confronted the windy, icy side of the mountain. Hours later, after passing by a sleeping Stone Giant, that Bran almost woke up by knocking some snow onto him, we make it up to a large ledge. We spot a pair of ettins lower down on the mountain, and not too far off, what looks like bandits laying in wait. Unfortunately for them, we took a different path than they were expecting, so waved at them. From the ledge, we looked up at a nearly sheer wall of ice over a hundred feet tall. So much climbing… Bran turned into a bird, and flew up, then back down, and told us that the Silver Hook was above, gathering rocks to drop on us as we climbed.



Aramel and I cast fly, allowing the two of us, plus Thorin to fly up the cliff face, while Rin would make the climb up on his own. We caught them unprepared, and Aramel entranced 3 out of 4 of them, while Thorin engaged the ranger, knocking her weapon from her hands before she has a chance to act. Bran waves his black rapier at her and tells her to surrender. She does. Thorin hits her one more time for good measure. We disarm them all, tossing their weapons off the side of the mountain, and then bind them, collecting the journal in the process. Leaving the rope on the ranger a little loose, we headed further up the mountain.

Before us, in a dazzling display of nature’s raw beauty, amidst ice and rock, was an opening, a door into the mountainside. Using the natural features available to us, we set up camp to get in some rest and hot food before continuing in. The journal calls this the “Mountaintop Crypt” and it’s an apt name, given the creepy feeling I get from the door.

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Outstanding Rumors/Plot Points
Highdale/Westfelds necromatic curse - Mountaintop Crypt
Eye of the Allfather in the Valley of Kadroon
Frost Giant w/ White Dragon Helm
Fire Giants attacked Tribor and took a rod from the center of town.
Gua - Hill Giant Matriarch - Grug-Hug Village location generally described
Eraglass the Sage - Missing?

Loose Threads
Jeff the guard, abandoned in Everland
Yartar - Lady Italia, Bat-weirdos (Kella & Zopin), Paw-Ming, Lord Dryland
Old Gnawbone - wishes she could transform into an elf
The Silver Hook adventuring party

Completed Quests:
Mt. Black
HawksNest Payroll
Zymorvan Giantslayer
Aboleth of Yartar
Defended Goldenfields
Well of Victory
Orcs of the Ardeep Forest
Nightstone (again)
Tomb of Darshin Hammerheart
Grey Hand
Zathros Zethros, Cloud Giant
Nightstone