It has been two months since we killed Cryovain.
The first thing we did when we returned was capture Halia and put her on trial in front of the townspeople. She insists that she did not mean for Harbin to die and says she will accept banishment from the town. Hob wants to hang her. We leave it for the town to judge. They choose a hanging. My cousin Dazlin is put in charge of the Miner’s Exchange.
We talk about how we restored Tresendar Manor, rebuilt as a two-story stone manor. Hob put a stone tower with laboratory on top of it. I make sure the stone work has nice, stone flourishes, that the underground chambers are cozy and dry—my chambers will be there. I also make sure that the exit down the canyon to the south is walled off with a cunning secret door. Thurmond wants lavish personal quarters on the second floor. Larnent wants a training yard, a stable, and a small shrine to Helm.
At some point two people approach the manor. They say they are Elara and Galen, descendants of the former owners of the manor saying they have a right to it by inheritance. We mollify them with the Tresendar sword and shield we had found in the lower levels, and the promise that they will abandon any claim they have. They insist we rename the manor, however. We call it Wyrm’s End Manor.
Two workers succumb to madness and run off. It is traced to a hand mirror they had found in the rubble. We identify it as a Shadowed Mirror. Workers are more reluctant to work for us. Thurmond assuages some fears with “protection” bauble, but we do have to increase our pay a little.
I had spent some time researching the history of Axehome and I learn three things.
1) Situated near the entrance to the Underdark, Axeholm serves as a bulwark against the dangers that lurk beneath the surface. Dwarven patrols regularly venture into the depths to keep watch on the creatures that dwell in the darkness, ensuring that they do not pose a threat to the surface world.
2) The Festival of Forges: Once a year, Axeholm hosts the Festival of Forges, a grand celebration of dwarven craftsmanship and ingenuity. During the festival, master smiths from across the realms gather to showcase their skills, competing in contests of skill and creativity to determine who among them is the greatest artisan of them all.
3) Deep within the mountain, hidden away from the prying eyes of outsiders, lies the Chamber of Echoes, a sacred chamber where dwarven runesmiths commune with the spirits of their ancestors. It is said that within the Chamber of Echoes, the voices of the past can be heard, whispering secrets and prophecies to those who are worthy to listen.
In my researching, I got some pushback from dwarves who said it’s not my business to go digging into Axehome. They are members of the Stonefist Syndicate, who hoard knowledge.
Hob encounters some difficulties in his search for a Staff of Power. He draws the interest of the Thieves’ Guild. They have a line on an old Staff imbued with wild magic, so it’s unpredictable. It’s a fixer-upper. But they want him to pay for it, either in money or in an exchange of magic items. Hob balks at the cost they demand. He works with Thurmond to con them that he is offering a magical gemstone and talks them down on the price. This action may have repercussions down the line.
Thalwin Longstride, an emissary from the Lord of Neverwinter. The Lord is pleased with what we have done to make safe this region, and he wants to know if we are interested in expanding the reach of civilization. There is a town near the coast called Leilon that was devastated, but he is sending settlers, and asks if we would extend protection to them
Harlen Blackthorne of Waterdeep wants to undermine this plan to expand the influence of Waterdeep.
Torick Rockseeker – the Rockseeker family had been searching for a long-lost mine, Wave Echo Cave. He comes to us claiming that he has found a map that his uncle had made. Would we be interested in checking that out?
We decide we do want to check out this Wave Echo Cave. We travel to the cave and enter. It lives up to its name, the echo of what sounds like ocean waves booming through the caves. We explore deep into the caverns and fight off black puddings and a gelatinous cube. Yikes!