(G455 12/06/2021 via Roll20 - AP, KT, JF(GM)) WA87
[Meanwhile back in Westgate, Fenrir was finding more out about the prophecy
of Ilmater.]
DAY 501(16th Flamerule)(july) ...
Fenrir stayed for lunch and talked some more to Jack Sighthill, an expert
on the Underdark that he had found through his City Watch connections.
As they ate, Jack went on;
'I'm afraid I don't have a copy here, but the first mention of Queen Arachnia
in the Overworld comes from a memoir written by an adventurer that had returned
from the Underdark after some pretty hair-raising adventures.
In the book he tells us that she has been known in Underdark folk lore for
hundreds of years. He never went to her lair, but their is a chapter in the book
dedicated to all the information he found out about her.'
He then reached into a magazine rack and pulled out a chap book.
'This, however, is more recent. A chap book written by Mr Modrick Templeman.
It's three years old and I should imagine a lot of it is simply made up, but
it recounts the tale of a group of dwarves that managed to find her lair,
enter it, steal some treasure, and returned to tell the tale. I wouldn't
put much stock in it, to be honest.'
Fenrir was interested though, as he knew Templeman. He'd paid him, in fact,
to publish flatteringly worded chapbooks back when he was trying to recruit
members to the DAW.
He thanked Sighthill for the fine lunch and on the off chance went to the
tavern where he had last met Templeman. By good luck the fellow was there,
drinking and eating with his friends.
Fenrir brought a round of drinks and gave Templeman 20 gold 'to support the
arts'. Templeman was already a great admirer of Fenrir and happy to help. He
had a copy of the relevant chap book.
'I will cross out the bits I made up,' said Templeman, taking a pen.
'Here, here and ahh... here, I made all this stuff up. But the rest I heard
from a dwarf, who told me he had heard the story at a place called the
"Eight Ways Tavern" in the Underdark. None of it may be true of course,
but this fellow said that he and his friends had made their way into the
realm of Queen Arachnia and... well, you can read it for yourself, here
you are my lord!'
Fenrir thanked the writer and stashed the marked up chap book somewhere
safe.
Later that day, Fenrir, Reinward and company began to make preparations for
their inevitable new journey into the Underdark. They went to the shops
and geared up, engaged Nocknod 'Dinkledonk' Brightman to come with them
(as he had been to the Underdark before) and instructed the other three
mercenaries to help guard Fenrir's house until their contracts ended.
In addition they hired a female human druid who was an expert tracker
called Soledad Marris who would help them find their way through these
same countless tunnels that I had lead Fenrir through just a few months
before.
Fenrir arranged for one of the six judges of Westgate to hold the fort
for him while he was away - Jenner Fields, who was clever and wise, but
since she was lowborn she would be assisted by Gneiss the Dancer, a very
noble dwarven Duke.
After all that they went home and got an early night.
DAY 502(17th Flamerule)(july)
The adventure party set off first thing in the morning. It consisted of:
Fenrir, Reinward, Raz, Veddic, Dinkledonk and Soledad (with her wolf).
Veddic used Windwalk to get them to the cave that had been our entrance to the
Underdark last time. It took a good couple of hours to find it though as it
is well hidden.
By the afternoon they had made their way down into the Upperdark region and
entered the cave of the giant mushrooms.
By around ten in the evening they arrived at the Eight Ways Inn.
As before they all peed on the grave of Cassleray that lay in the corner of the
cave with the eight passageways that gave the Inn its name.
You may remember the inscription on the grave, but just in case here it is
again:
Posterity will ne'er survey
a Nobler grave than this:
Here lie the bones of Cassleray:
Stop, traveller, and piss!
It seemed that the magic of the grave had greatly increased just recently
as they all were granted potent (but temporary) powers. The tips of Reinward's
fingers on his right hand glowed with magic, Raz gained some sort of Ioun
Stone and Dinkledonk was granted two extra castings of Teleport.
Soledad had the men turn away while she peed and gained a Daylight effect
that could be converted into a Sunburst if she required it.
After this they entered the Inn. It was still in ruin though, destroyed by the
rampaging Minotaur from our previous visit, full of bones and debris.
It was not unoccupied though, as three mindflayers sat at one of the undamaged
tables and a Tanarukk (an orcish version of a teifling) at another. No one made
any violent moves though - apparently the Inn was still considered a place of
peace even while there was no innkeeper - and Fenrir, Reinward et al entered
unmolested.
Fenrir offered food from the magical provision box which everyone accepted, fresh
food being hard to find so far underground.
The Tanarukk, whose name was Lugg Dwarfslicer, got a good look at Dinkledonk and
said, 'Oi! You smelly little gnome! I know you, Dinkledonk. You still owe me money!'
