3. Dwarven Hold Attacked

Dwarven Hold Attacked


  • Starla walks over to the refugees in Norwick. Looks each of them over... and says...
    " Your personal war better not destroy my home. You all started this a long time ago.. it is revenge, cause your people attacked a them a long time ago. You destroyed their temple their way of life, and as I understand attempted genocide. "
    Starla walks away hoping the better for the dwarf kind. She stops and turns...
    "Crystal ball says its a drow in charge not the deurgar... I am willing to bet the drow are using the deep deurre for their own advantage. But hey, what do I know... I'm just a girl."
    " If you need anything while your stay here...I can usually be found in the spellweaver keep, warriors soul crafting hall, or just sitting near the fire relaxing."
    Starla turns and walks away... looking about for any signs of pixie clones.


  • ///FYI - It won't make any difference, but Z took his rope back the other night - The assassin used his own.


  • *It was a quiet day in the pass. Guards posted atop the entrance to Aura Runedar were fatigued and nervous watching both the north and the south as best they could so not to suffer the same fate as their predecessors.

    Suddenly a flash atop the parapets between the two and there stood one of their foe, a Duergar wielding a magic staff, garbed in a robe of grey with a menacing look on his face. His form shifted and blurred in front of their eyes showing the magical wards that covered it.

    Before they could react the Duergar was weaving a spell and in a moment pointed at one of the guards causing them to fall dead in an instant, the remaining guard jumped to attack and was able to break the enemies defenses enough to get a few good hits in but eventually he too fell to the death magic of the dwarf mage. A key was collected from the corpse and the dwarf mage tossed it down below to an unseen ally before teleporting away.

    The Assassin collected the key and unlocked the door sneaking inside, the two tired guards within were no match for the assailant and fell easily.

    Once the crossroads access to the hold was softened by the assassin he left and moved toward Norwick for his next assignment, to soften the front entrance and sew disorder above while the main force attacked from below.

    With luck the main gates to Norwick were left open, so getting in was easy. He snuck below the cliff so the guards above wouldn't notice him looking for a way up.

    He found a rope tied to a tree, that was left there by someone else, and used it to climb up and then scouted the area. After some time he went back to the rope and helped a few of his allies up. Once all the greys were atop the battlements they pulled up the rope to prevent anyone else from using it. The attackers then got to work systemically taking out the dwarven guards atop the battlements. One guard was able to rush to the edge above the entrance and shout in that there was an attack before he too was slain.

    The assassin lowered the rope again and climbed down quickly, his allies remaining above pulling the rope up before they moved off to hide out of sight and await the signal for their operations to commence.

    The lone assassin snuck inside the hold under cover of invisibility and moved to the edge near the wall finding a dark corner to hide and wait in. Adventurers rushed in and out trying to find the source of the attack that was announced but were unable to locate the attackers. The assassin used the confusion as an opportunity to slip inside.

    Inside the hold were several adventurers and dozens of commoners and shop keepers, the common folk were standing around confused and scared unsure what to do, some hid within their stalls, others sought the protection of the temple in hopes of finding safety and leadership. The assassin, still invisible, moved close to the simple folk and slipped past the temple guards inside. There were several elite guards inside the temple protecting the town healer Koirin. This was the target.

    The assassin moved into position and struck at Koirins back startling him, the guards took a moment to react but quickly swarmed the assassin and started hammering on him. Koirin as well began chanting spells to aid himself and harm the assassin. The fight was longer than the assassin anticipated but his mission was clear. He fought and killed Koirin but not without sustaining mortal wounds himself. In the end Koirin was successfully murdered.

    What felt to the dwarves like an eternity passed. The guards remaining now aware of the potential threat of assassins were on edge unsure where the next attack would come from. Now they were sure to keep the gate closed.

    Battle raged in the tunnels causing the ground to shake, explosions below rocking the walls and everyone even more scared with no one to turn to. A hin and and Elf came from below and were heard insisting the non combatants evacuate. The common folk were ushered out of the hold and lead deep into Norwick where they were told to wait in the east valley. The absence of guards outside was made obvious and defenders now realized their top side defenses were breached.

    A duel below resulting in a truce led to a moment of respite. The Duergar that were hiding above began their preparations. They started to rig explosives to key locations. After preparations had been made, the battle below continued and above they began detonating. Those inside could feel the walls shake but it was hard to tell if the explosions weren't from the tunnels or not...until the ceiling began to collapse. Rocks and Debris began to fall to the floor causing adventurer and dwarf alike to jump out of the way to avoid it. Finally an explosion collapsed the ceiling above the guards post on the wall, the guard having no where to run was crushed in the cave in. Light shone through the massive hole, a single Duergar was spotted popping his head down to look inside giving him an idea of where the defenses were focussed. Diadne launched a fireball through the hole to little effect. The explosions stopped for a moment but then there was another and another. Two more sections of the ceiling collapsed crushing several dwarven guards beneath.

    Adventurers rushed about trying to avoid falling debris trying to decide how to deal with this new threat when a small group of Duergar rushed through the now undefended gates. Dwarves and Adventurer jumped into action charging the attackers. As about half of the foe fell another threat showed itself, a nightmare like no other, it floated down from the hole in the ceiling and settled atop the battlement. Several eye stalks looking in all directions and as soon as it arrived began a barrage of death from its eyes. The Beholder targeted one of the nearby dwarves first harming and then killing it instantly. Panic spread like wild fire as defenders tried to escape the Beholders gaze, some still fighting with Duergar that had breached became the target of the Beholders beams and were bombarded by the Beholders beams fire and ice and death burst forth from the eyeballs targeting anything that did not flee and killing those unlucky enough to meet the gaze of its death ray. Diadne with a few fireballs was able to bring the beast down but the damage was done. Most of the dwarven guard now lay dead, the remaining adventurers finish off the Duergar. Reinforcements rush up from below after they decided to collapse the tunnel entrance only to see that a battle had raged above and the toll was immense. After some time it was decided that the Hold was lost, before it becomes a tomb they decided to abandon it collapsing the remaining tunnel.

    Dwarf and Adventurer stand outside as the entrance too is caved in.

    An injured Duergar mage, invisible, stands atop the battlements looking down smugly at the defeated. Diadne having had invisible sight cast spotted the mage and began a barrage of fireballs. The mage laughed as its wards deflected most of it and began to unleash the remaining spells at the group below. Having done his job of bringing the controlled beholder, it was spent and no longer had hope of escape so chose to go out fighting.*


  • After particularly disastrous events, the Hold has been collapsed to prevent the Duergar from obtaining it. Daria has taken the remaining dwarves to Norwick where they live in refugee status and speak of deciding upon a new leader to lead them into the future. The Hold itself is damaged, and every entrance collapsed. It seems that during a small scale attack on the lower level, assassins snuck in through the upper level and eliminated the guards and came in through a gate hurried adventurers left open. The lower level was held by adventurers until the upper level fell, at which point the lower level was collapsed and an evacuation ordered by Caling (?) and Roslyn. The remaining dwarves seek leadership and guidance.


  • Kusil Skullboil has been found murdered in his office, stabbed in the neck artery with a letter opener. A set of Moradins guard uniform was missing from the armor rack, bloody footprints lead out the door.


  • A certain grumpy female dwarf, Zafaria Cebbranka, can be seen very often underground in the defensive line together with the Moradin's Hammers and Clangeddin's Axes. Even with the recent loses and casualties, Zafaria's determination is focused on defending the Hold, without rest or hesitation, as one of the Shields among her kin that she swore to protect when she was made Samman of the Hold.


  • Captured prisoners were interrogated by Kusil Skullboil, they all claim to have not seen 'the selector' during their escape, wether they are collectively lying or telling the truth is uncertain at this time. Clerics will be dispatched to get to the heart of the matter after they finish dealing with the injured.


  • Koirin of the Dwarven Temple has requested that in these troubled times the gate be closed. He also let's it be known that he is seeking whomever left the gate open for questioning in response to the latest attacks.


  • *Another attack on the hold, as invisible assailants were able to walk right in through an open gate and plant and ignite powderkegs throughout the town. Several locals were killed in the explosions and the assailants managed to escape.

    The back side of the prison was damaged heavily killing a few prisoners and releasing others, all prisoners were rounded up quickly however one escaped.

    The Dwarf convict known as Harnobel "the Selector" Lector, a master of disguise and persuasion who takes pleasure in luring his victims into a false sense of security before he tortures and murders them in a most gruesome way.
    Young female dwarves especially are requested to be very wary of strangers and are encouraged to stay in groups until the criminal is apprehended.*


  • The battlements passage has been collapsed and the mill has been sabotaged. Duergar came in from the Rawlins Side where the defenses are weak and set firse. The flour in the mill ignited and exploded destroying the mill and starting fires to the surrounding structure as well explosives were used at the passage to inside the hold to delay reinforcements. Z hearing the explosion from his house was on the scene immediately and was able to put out the fires but the Duergar responsible had already done its job and left. The guard estimate it might take a few days to safely clear the rubble, in the mean time ropes have been attached to allow access. The guards are spread thin as they now realise they have yet another front to watch.

    Fanira Gravelsapper was the only casualty


  • Thorin spreads word around that he plans to lead a long run mission of gathering resources needed for repairing the damage after the Duergar attack. This will include gathering metal, wood, hides and some other tasks. Whoever wishes to help is to seek Thorin or any other member of the Council of Moradin for more detailed information.


  • *Z points out that some of the fallen Duergar are not natural and should be studied for information.

    He does whatever he can to help the Hold recover from the latest attack. Helping "replant" the mushroom crops, hunting and gathering food to make up for the lost mushrooms, summoning earth elementals to repair damage done to the cave system, etc.*


  • A large Duergar force assaulted the Dwarven hold after using explosives to open and collapse various tunnels below. One guard and Mirt the Mushroomgroomer have been killed and the mushroom garden was completely destroyed by the blasts. Z, Silver, and Thorin luckily were nearby and managed to significantly weaken the Duergar force before it reached the hold where they were able to finish them off....after the battle, more explosions could be heard throughout the tunnels but no further sign of a Duergar attack

  • A

    Upon seeing the carnage from the attack, General Theaon returns to the Bluff to ask any of the Legion troops and Silver Dragoons stationed at the western entrance if they saw who the assailants were.


  • Starla walked around looking for anything invisible and concluded since the gate was still barred it had to be magic to start the fire on the top of the hold. Probably fireballs. She also concluded she could do that kind of damage with three fireballs.


  • Some adventurers, including Aniril, Caling, Thorin, Artie, Z, Starla, Calia look at the burning fort. Try and put fires out and assist as best they can.

    They also visit the Dwarven Hold entrance in Norwick to alert the Axes there, and see if anything can be done.