The King's Daughter, and the Mimics(Recap from 2-10-23)

The King's Daughter, and the Mimics(Recap from 2-10-23)

The party enjoys a nice dinner and warm beds for free, because they were traveling with Eldeth Feldrun who’s real name was Eldeth Dummaroff only daughter of Brock Dummaroff King under the mountain. She had been recognized by the commoners in the outpost village as the heir to the throne of Grimgolir. So word was sent to the King, and all food stabling for the horses and rooms were provided to the party free of charge. 

(Folsen the 17th of Fessuran) The next morning the party awakens to find Royal Guards in the inn waiting for the group to awaken, while drinking a morning breakfast ale. The party was informed the Royal Guards were here to escort the group to the palace. Eldeth seemed a bit embarrassed and annoyed. She stated emphatically that she and Yirna would have breakfast before traveling to the palace. The guards seemed to take this in stride and said “Very well Princess, and an ale for my men and I!” While this was going on the party eats a quick breakfast then takes some time to sell some of the stuff they had acquired on their journey. After this they were escorted to the huge adamantine gates of Grimgolir. As they approached, they saw their arrival had been prepared for, guards flourished pennants and came to attention as the party passed. The guards lined the road at intervals of 10 feet on either side to the gates of the city.

The captain explained that the way had been cleared for the group, normally they would have had to go through customs and pay tariffs on goods that came into the city, but under these circumstances, the group was passed straight through the gates and granted entrance to the inner tunnel, then onward to the Great Hall where the streets were lined with dwarven commoners who welcomed the princess home, evidently she was quite popular with the common folk. The Guards escorted the party to the Royal Quarter and the Palace proper. They were taken to the throne room and met with Brock Dummaroff the underbarron of Grimgolir to the empire, and King under the mountain to the Dwarves. They told the tales of rescuing Eldeth and Yirna, and Eldeth told of the demon attack on the drow outpost. The King was grateful for the return of his daughter and rewarded the party 500 pp each, as well as his hospitality allowing the party to stay in the palace. He admonished his daughter for being reckless and sent her to her room, Yirna followed her. The king then took the party to the high counsel chambers to talk about the underdark problems.

The group met with the leaders of the clans and the King's advisor. Everyone generally agreed that the threat of the children of malice uniting and playing the empire against the kryn was a terrifying prospect. In the past the houses of the underdark drow fought each other so never really posed a threat, but if the houses were to unite it could be a very bad thing. The king suggested getting King Dwendal and the Bright Queen together in Grimgolir to negotiate and plan a combined campaign against the children of malice. But the consensus was that bringing those two together would be very difficult to arrange. Two issues were pressing at the moment, the first there's an unknown terror in the deep mines, every group sent down to the lower levels disappeared. The King asked if the party could go and investigate and perhaps rescue the miners? Also it's been three weeks since the last trading ship from the underdark docked, and there seemed to be some trouble stopping trade along the underground river that flows to Dark Lake. No trading ships or patrols sent out have returned. Knowing it was a lot to ask, but maybe the troubles in the underdark could be disrupting the trade routes, the King would like the party to escort a trade vessel to the dark lake trading post, and return with goods destined for Grimgolir. As a reward For helping in the mines he will grant each party member an item manufactured in Grimgolir. Also as reward for clearing the trade route each party member would be granted 1200 gp worth of gems of the player's choice, as well as the deed to a small keep in the noble quarter of Grimgolir.

The party, escorted by Alshan Frostbeard the king's advisor, make their way to the entrance of the mines. A stone giant named Kolith the mines foreman showed the party the elevator, a 10 foot wide platform suspended by three inch woven mithril cables attached to a giant winch between two iron golems, behind them on a small wooden board are a series of bells with a number by each bell. The giant explained once they get to the bottom, if they need to return to the surface pull the bell cord near the platform Shaft and they will lower the platform. At the bottom they found several corpses reduced to bones and metal bits. The cloth and metal bits on the bodies show signs of corrosion.

Svela leaned on one of the mine carts and became affixed to it, as it turned out to be a minic. The party battled the mimic and won, after exploring further the group battled an Ancient Mimic and a Fire elemental as well as six other smaller mimics. It looked as though there was a rift to the fire realm forming in one corner of the mine creating a perfect humid hot environment for the mimic to raise a clutch of smaller mimics. The party vanquished their foes and gained a total of 7,000 gp worth of coins, and gems, as follows: 

100 pp, 1000 gp, 10 x 500 gp gemstones (5,000 gp total): [Peridot (transparent rich olive green), ×4, Topaz (transparent golden yellow), ×2, Black pearl (opaque pure black), ×2, Aquamarine (transparent pale blue-green), Alexandrite (transparent dark green)], and Magic Items (×4): Manual of Quickness of Action, Robe of Scintillating Colors, Ioun Stone, Intellect, Ring of Regeneration. 

Once they returned the King granted each of them an item produced by the dwarves of Grimgolir as well as rooms for the night in the palace and a heroes feast honoring their achievements.

(The Kobolds mining efforts this week were successful yielding 2400gp worth of gold ingots to be divided up amongst the party.)