Dropping Anchor

Originally published October 14th 2023

With an understanding of why the group was attacked, the dwarf has gone in here to fight off an mining expeditionary force headed by a predominantly yoda mining company, the amazon leaves the group valuing her life above money and she heads back towards the surface.

The group begins to loot the corpse of the dwarf they killed, Radcliff takes his python emblazoned golden gauntlets, but they stop as they hear a voice coming from underneath the dwarf.

As they lift up the dwarf they find a warhammer who introduced himself as Gobnomaer the Bane of the Gods. After a quick interrogation the hammer reveals himself to be a warrior of neutrality, hoping to end the cosmic divide of law and chaos, by force if necessary, to let nature reign. As arch druid of Illdavir Dungifer Dungifer decides to ally with Gobnomaer, wielding him with a great fervor.

Not wanting to miss any more potential magical items, Dungifer casts detect magic, learning of the magical nature of the golden gauntlets, and the sword also wielded by the dead dwarf is magic, but not as strongly enchanted as Gobnomaer.

Treading through familiar territory they make their way to the latrine, where they had left a threatening message for the blue creature earlier. The room has changed, instead of an open pit with a few pots to dump the waste into, instead a circle of toilets create a cap over the drop toilet, making it less of a hazard to be around. Dungifer wants to collect more night soil, however he doesn’t wish to climb through the toilets himself. Bobos attempts to use the blue powder she had collected earlier from the corpse of the blue imps to summon one, but her magic is unable to summon anything, all she is left with is a ravenous hunger.

After much negotiation and plotting a plan is determined, using ropes they would lower the diminutive grillbar down to collect some of the waste and then haul him back up. This goes smoothly until he is about half way down the 60 foot shaft. Dwarven is heard coming from both the west and the south. Bobos heads away from the group to investigate the westernly group while Dungifer investigates the south.

Bobos is met with three dwarves who make some pleasant small talk asking her purpose in the mine.

Dungifer sees three dwarves all inspecting the fresh corpse of the dwarf he was partially responsible for making. They see him wielding the warhammer, and know what they must do.

The central dwarf immediately throws his lazer dagger at dungifer, sticking straight into his shoulder, he screams in pain. Immediately the thrower makes a mad dash at Dungifer attempting to tackle him, but dungifer manages to just redirect him enough to avoid being grappled. Another one of the dwarves comes and attempts to stab him with a charge, the wound strikes true and knocks Dungifer down to his knees, he attempts another swing but in the struggle just barely misses, whizzing by his ear.

Hearing the commotion Radcliff, who had been lowering down Grillbar attempts to lower him even faster, dropping him slightly. He miscalculates how far he could drop the rope and Grillbar plops into the putrid sewage below.

Bobos begins running towards her friend's screams and watches as the dwarves she was talking to are too cowardly to approach the sound of the struggle.

Grrunnarr and Kermit begin running towards the sound of the scuffle, and as they round the bend to see their friend Kermit fired off a blast from his laser pistol, missing and hitting Dungifer.

The third dwarf comes around and swings wildly at Dungifer, striking true and destroying his holy Symbol of Illdavir in the process.

Grillbar yells to be pulled back up.

The dwarf that attempted a tackle reaches to strangle Dungifer but is unable to reach due to his inferior wingspan. The one still wielding a knife once again swings but misses just barely once more.

Dungifer attempts to cast paralysis but cannot make full contact with his goddess, in a desperate bid he casts word of command, and is able to make two of the three attacking dwarves begin to end their fighting as they grovel before him, but the third dwarf is still mad, he stabs and fully forces Dungifer to the ground.

Bobos rounds the corner and sees the dire predicament that dungifer is in, calling upon Berenedril the petty god of jesters she is able to create a magic shield around Dungifer.

Kermit stabs at the still enraged dwarf and then Grrunnarr sweeps in with a final strike, crushing the dwarf.

Kermit recognizes one of the stull groveling dwarves as one that had imprisoned him earlier, he opens up a pouch that the dwarf had on him and takes out a small black leather bound book. He has his spellbook back.

The party licks their wounds and heads out of the dungeon with no major incident. They see in the distance a glowing city with towers reaching up higher than they had ever seen before, but Grrunnarr notices something different.

Looking into the stars in the night sky he realizes what he wanted to do has been done, he has avenged his wife. With tears flowing freely he parts ways with the group, thankful for everything they helped him do.

Grillbar washes off in a nearby pond. The group heads to the city where they stayed at the ever so alien abode of Grillbar. This entire city they once knew so well has been changed, echoes of what once was stick through an overwhelming world of sounds and lights. They begin their preparations to forge into the cold depths of the demon mine once more.