Chapter 2: Arrival at Gomor

[FronkyDondo]

After the events of Chapter 1, the brave adventurers have secured a local base of operations near the entrance to the forbidden mines. We catch up with them...

The adventurers have cleared the ancient dwarven keep that served as a means of defense when the Mines were active hundreds of years ago...

Originally, we really were pretty much done with this part of the adventure anyway; initially I had intended the SW Tower to be vacant... except for 40+ stirges. But no encounter, no treasure - no big loss.

At this point, it is evening of the first day, and the party has cleared the keep of all monsters/traps and accumulated all of the treasure that is able to be found. ALL MEMBERS ARE NOW SATISFIED THAT THE KEEP IS CLEARED OF POSSIBLE HARM, AND WILL MAKE A SERVICEABLE BASE OF OPERATIONS WHERE THEY CAN STORE PROVISIONS AND MOUNTS.

Unless someone wants to work this into roleplay, etc.

Gilgalore, the NPC Elf F/MU/T, will watch the mounts and provisions for the party [and serve as a reinforcement!] while the characters explore the Mines.
With the rapidly slanting rays of the setting sun that etch the horizon with the jagged peaks of the surrounding mountains, the party pauses for a moment; a decision must be made.
Finalize camp/defense of keep, choose spells to memorize, hone fighting edges, heal, and rest.
OR
Boldly and foolishly attempt to reach the Mine entrance by night, along treacherous mountains paths, populated with high-level outdoor wandering monsters.

[Starbeard]

Fiksilma Kimmontytar (C/I)

Invisible little footprints flutter across the flagstones of the keep, kicking small puffs of dust where they land. Up the stairs and down the little foot puffs go, and eventually Fiksilma Kimmontytar unveils herself and steps back into the world of opaque forms once again, satisfied that the keep is their's to use at their leisure.

'Good place, this keep. We will be keeping our camp here. I say we sleep tonight: who does not know if we will be having another opportunity to sleep well again?'

[GreyWolfVT]

Algrim Stormshield pipes up "Eh well sounds good nough to me. I'll gladly take up a guard shift through the night or morning does not matter to me one way or the other." the dwarf just itching for more action again since the lull with the after clearing out the trolls.

[Dram]

Skyzar- Yes I say we find a secure place in one of the buildings . And we should pull double guard duty. She begins to make a spot for herself in a corner in the shadows.

[shaidar]

Mathus agrees that it would be sensible to rest tonight and prepare for the mines. He also agrees that we should have double guard duty.

[GTan_Baq]

Ian, human MU

Ian beds down for the night. He will memorize his spells in the morning.

[FronkyDondo]

I am giving this rest opportunity to allow you to change your memorized spells; if you want to make a change, please do so now. Also: please update your load outs if necessary (attack w/ 2 weapons? Always holding missile weapon unless indoors, etc.)

Dom Odusil, Human Cleric:

I am receiving subtle vibrations from my deity... I must meditate and commune with him. I sense urgency...

[Dram]

Skyzar- Will have her bow ready while outside. Once in the mines he will have her swords ready. How would it be determined if Skyzar is Ambidextrous? She has a 18 Dex.

[barna10]

Skyzar- Will have her bow ready while outside. Once in the mines he will have her swords ready. How would it be determined if Skyzar is Ambidextrous? She has a 18 Dex.

Rules for this are in the DMG, pg. 70, "Attacks with two weapons"

[Dram]

Thank you that is good info. So a Dex of 18 gives me a attack with my good hand at no penalty/ offhand a -1 penalty. But it must be a dagger or handaxe in offhand.

[FronkyDondo]

Dom Odusil, Human Cleric
As the party establishes their new camp and prepares for the approach to the Mines the next day, in the crumbling stone remains of the ancient dwarf keep... Dom Odusil sits cross-legged, removes his helmet, lights some incense, closes his eyes, and begins chanting in a low voice... He is communing with his deity via augury... He enters a deep state of meditation, sending his consciousness across the ether... to ask for the history of this place from his deity. Many minutes pass. The moon rises high into the night sky, and begins descending again before he awakens from his reverie...

He wraps himself in his cloak to get warm, and gathers his thoughts. After a few minutes, he begins speaking...

The history of this place is ancient. Very ancient. It predates the arrival of the Suloise and the Baklunish migrations from across the Crystal Mist Mountains in the far west...
It was old even when the dwarves of old established a mining colony many centuries ago. You Ian, sorcerer, mentioned that you came across the origin of the term "Go-mor" in your studies amidst the libraries and curio shoppes of Greyhawk. Your research was not far off. The original inhabitants of Gomor were indeed from a "sky chariot" - a sailing vessel that plied the astral waves of the cosmos - the darkness of the night skies. This vessel or chariot did not have traditional canvas sails as ships in our seas of Oerth. It was made of fantastical alloys and materials, capable of monumental journeys in the shortest of time. But the vessel is not as much of consequence as the sailors who rowed at her oars... Beings from another... DIMENSION!

more to come

[FronkyDondo]

Dom Odusil, Human Cleric

Dom pauses for a moment. Thule hands him a tin cup of mulled, spiced wine. Dom nods in appreciation, takes out his church-warden's pipe, packs a bowl of tobacco, and lights the herb while taking puffs on the pipe. Grey-blue curls of smoke surround his bearded visage, making him appear spooky and spectral in the dark. After another brief pause, he continues...

"The beings that traveled in this vessel came from another dimension. Being from another part of the universe, they are different from you or I. They came from a pocket dimension [the same dimension as Tekumel - for more information, please purchase Empire of the Petal Throne from TSR!]. They had been fleeing from some unknown, shadowy foe. They traveled for many generations of their race. Eventually they began to die out, leaving only a few of the ruling caste to govern the wayward vessel across the cosmos. After many millenia of sailing through the night sky, the vessel in which they traveled, while truly wondrous - even more complex and sturdy than the Machine of Lum the Mad - begin to falter in its path. It shipwrecked here, on Oerth, in this very region. Just prior to landing, the beings in the vessel set it to become intangible or ethereal; a kind of last desperate action at self-preservation. Instead of smashing into the stony mountains and being destroyed, it 'phased' into the mountains - very near the site that would become the location of the mines themselves. But these beings do not die the death of men, dwarves, elves, and orcs. Instead their spirit was trapped, left behind - incorporeal because of the emergency action taken to prevent being demolished in the high windy passes of the Lortmils. But if they concentrate hard enough, they can possess the physical body of another. It was by this method they inhabited the bodies of a race of giant humanoids in this region. Giants, ettins, ogre-mage and others of similar ilk were possessed by these beings, in an attempt to free their vessel from this bondage of non-corporeality. They needed the dark energies contained in rare ores in this region to re-enable their craft so they could escape this non-living fate and continue on their journey. So they took command of these giant-folk and began instructing them to harvest these ores, among them a heavy metal named 'Ur'. But the untamed energies of the Ur metal causes corruption and damage to the bodies of the servants of these beings. Using knowledge held by the giants they commandeered, they knew of a race of beings with resistance to this magic - trolls!"

More to come

[FronkyDondo]

Dom Odusil continues...

Dom Odusil, Human Cleric
"But the trolls were intransigent, and the beings could not possess the trolls due to their savage nature as well as their unique regenerative properties. Eventually there was a revolt, the giants were disbanded or slain, and the remainder of the slave work force, now mutated from exposure to the corrupting magic of the Ur metal ore, settled into the dark crevices around the location of the alien vessel.

At this point, Fharlanghn, my deity, loses his memory of what occurred in this region of Oerth. It is his nature to wander constantly, and he had wandered to the borders of Iuz and Perenland from this part of Flanaess... Regarding the history of this area when the dwarves were tunneling and mining - he currently cannot reveal any information. But he will consult with his fellow immortals to aid us if he can..."
At this, Dom, exhausted, drifts immediately to sleep.
The party rests the remainder of the eve preparing for the adventure the next day.

The next morning arrives bright and fair - the mountains are crisp and deceptively clean. The party gathers their bundles, rucksacks, pouches, etc. and begins marching down what is obviously the road to the mine. The road is clearly defined by occasional flagstones. Gilgalore, the High Elf lieutenant of the Elven queen, as well as Afton Bhorr, the human paladin who joined the quest, will remain behind as reinforcements, as well as serving as guards of the party's campsite. As soon as the party nears the mine entrance, a dark storm front moves into the mountains from the West - a portent of what is to come? - and rain drops begin pelting the party. By the time they arrive at the entrance to the mines, the downpour is torrential. The party hastens through the once-barred entrance and into the first antechamber. This room is well lit, being close to the entrance. But there is a single hallway that heads towards the east. It is dark, with cobwebs festooning the ceiling and eaves. But it is quiet, and thankfully, dry.

There appears to be a single passageway that pierces the mountain - with a slight downward slope.

Party actions/declarations?

NOTE: unless explicitly declared, party members are assume to walk normally down passages (not checking for traps, secret doors, etc.). NOW is the time to declare standard procedure (checking for traps every 10 feet? Secret doors every 50 feet? etc.). Keep in mind: checking for traps is prudent, but also increases travel time (food) as well as the odds of running into a wandering monster...

updated to 'Flanaess' from 'Faerun'

[GreyWolfVT]

Algrim Declaration: Algrim will be using his dwarf mining skills (- Detect grade: 75% - Detect new construction: 75% - Detect sliding/shifting walls or rooms: 66 2/3% - Detect stonework traps (pits, falling blocks, etc.): 50%- Determine depth: 50%) every 25 feet
Getting attuned for the underground venture begins his dwarf inspection checking for the grade of the pass before them, as well as the construction age, depth, for sliding or shifting walls/rooms, stonework traps famous among his kin.

[Dram]

Skyzar- 37/37HP AC 2 Fight/ Thief
Action- Searching for secret doors/traps every 20ft


Skyzar states Maybe we should prepare more oil flasks in case we run into more of them Trolls? Or at least have some ready.

[shaidar]

Mathus, Elven F/MU

As the others are spending time being alert, then Mathus will keep his keen eyes open for secret and concealed doors.

[Starbeard]

Fiksilma Kimmontytar
Marching declaration: every 25ft, Fiksilma will detect slopes (80%) and unsafe walls/ceilings/floors (70%).

Fiksilma leans on her little walking stick and contemplates Skyzar's suggestion.

'I am not possessing such flasks of oil; does anyone else have any?'

She ponders how much time it would take them to doctor up a few oil flasks before entering.

[barna10]

Since we are already going to be slowed, Elias will Hear Noise every 20'

Elias ponders the flasks of oil and torches he's carrying...he'll not share them ...yet. He pulls out a torch and lights it.

[FronkyDondo]

Posted a "default" marching action (**PARTY ACTIONS**) post here: **PARTY ACTIONS**

Posted (sticky) updated Marching order (**Marching Order**)

***NOTE: I am referencing each marching order (mo) with a letter (A,B,C, or D) so we can reference each one easily. I will announce what I assume the mo is for each hall/tunnel/environment situation as we encounter them - please counter if otherwise.

***NOTE(cont'd): M.O. "C" - there is a new character in the front row - please advise if you want something different - like, "put Fiksilma in front rank b/c two demi-humans we can fire over" or "Human cleric b/c body armor" - you decide. Otherwise it is gospel.
Continued description soon...

[FronkyDondo]

The party faces the yawning maw of the entrance of the Mines of Gomor. Riddled with legend, mystery, great treasure, as well as rumors of nameless horror, the Mines have served as a cautionary tale to the greed and avarice of the ancient dwarves of this part of the world. The entrance is actually fairly non-descript - it is a rectangular doorway leading in to the side of the mountain. The landing outside of the entrance, which the party arrived at by following the stone-marked path, is mostly bare of any items of interest. A sward of sickly-green grass carpets the ground, and there is some ancient stone work festooned with strange, evil-looking vines.

The party approaches the opening - no door covers the entrance - and enters in. In the first chamber, there is light emanating from above the party's heads - horizontal shafts have been carved around 10 feet above the ground which let in natural light. This first room is well lit. There are torch-sconces nonetheless - empty from age and neglect. There is but one way to go - directly into the mine, following a 10x10 shaft of a smooth stone tunnel. The party may march 3 abreast.

More to come