The Twisted Path Home

Originally published December 30th 2023

With their friend firmly in hell the three remaining adventurers prepare to head back, ladened themselves with thousands upon thousands of gold pieces worth of coins and gems they make their way out of the chasm.

Heading back through the tunnels to the mine proper they realize something. The frozen dead dwarves that once littered the hallway are entirely gone, and the construction of the hallways had changed slightly, concerned they made haste to the 6th level.

The level is how they remember and as they make their way back to the elevator shaft but on their way they hear metallic clanking. Dungifer senses no danger so they approach the metal in good faith. They see two dwarves, one in head to toe in plate mail with tufts of a blond beard sticking through the cracks, and one in chainmail with cornrows and a goatee. As they are obviously injured Dungifer in his duty to heal the sick and wounded offers to heal the two.

As this happens they share details of the past events, the two dwarves are obviously relieved when they learn that the demon they called Myreautog has been defeated. They proposition the group to come back to where they have been holed up to heal the other’s that are injured.

Heading up to the 5th level they head eastward to a room guarded by two dwarves, entering beyond that they come to a room with many other injured dwarves. Dungifer tries to lay on hands but he has called on Ildavir so much today and is unable to heal the others.

Regardless they tell the news and all of the dwarves breathe a massive sigh of relief. They had been planning on making a final push to defeat the demon, but had been prepared for death.

Suddenly a massive rumbling echoes through the caves, the sound of stone scraping on stone, fills the air as the entire room shakes. Bobos says they need to leave in case the mine caves in, the dwarves respond that this isn’t what a cave sounds like. The dwarves say they are bound to protect these rooms no matter what.

As the party heads out from the room the dwarves are in they realize something, the hallways are now running to the north instead of along the east west axis as it had been earlier. With no choice but to head upwards they head northwards. Passing through a room with makeshift seats surrounding a plinth and into the winding tunnels, Radcliff notices something with his keen thief eyes.

Underneath the small crack in the stone is but a glimmer of something. Loosening the stone shows a perfectly smooth brass sheet. The adventures start feeling uneasy. Soon after more of a trek they find themselves in what would be a natural cave if the topography of the places was to be believed, but the entire thing is made of brass.

A voice calls out from who knows where, distorted and metallic “AGENTS OF CHAOS, PREPARE FOR DEATH!”