Halls of the Mountain King was the second 4th Edition Open Design project from Kobold Press. I ran the adventure in 2010 as part of the same Parsantium campaign as Wrath of the River King. Here’s the write up from the 11th session.
Begin here with Session 1 – Alarm in the Dead of Night.
16th Quintilis (contd.)
Despite being low on healing surges and daily powers, our brave heroes are under orders from Abelard to deal with the intruders defiling the Shrine to Korak. Ella creeps up to the doors, studying the impressive spray of blood decorating the walls outside. She can hear a voice chanting in Deep Speech beyond and catches the name “Addrikah” (the derro goddess of madness). The ranger then sneaks down the corridor to the south and pokes her head through the broken doors into the darkened hall beyond. Satisfied there are no enemies lurking there, she returns to the others and Krivinn opens the doors.
Inside the temple is a horrific sight. A blood-covered Forsaken priestess is in the process of dropping a dwarf corpse into a large glass alembic filled with thick, red slurry that stands on the broken altar. Other derro, armed with crossbows, stand guard and a trussed-up ghast lies at her feet.
When the characters enter, the priestess, Indrecalla Bateater, releases the ghast so it can attack her enemies. Ella shoots first from the doorway, then Krivinn teleports into the chamber and stands atop the altar where he strikes Indrecalla. Khuma, Bolval, and Saethus move into the room to support while Ella stays outside, shooting arrow after arrow into the derro reavers swarming out of the hall behind the party. Bolval, bloodied and out of healing surges, manages to stagger into a trap – a dead body has been rigged to explode if anyone comes too close. Sprayed with poison and dwarven body parts, he is not best pleased!
Indrecalla falls first, then the ghast, followed by the derro marksmen. There is no time to rest though! Abelard has got the fire elementals back into the forges but needs the adventurers to keep the Forsaken at bay while he performs the ritual that binds them to the Hearthforges again. The party do have time to search the bodies though, finding a +3 rod of deadly casting and a +2 cloak of survival. In the shrine keeper’s quarters through the door in the west wall, they spot interesting graffiti reading “Investigate the Fire Blessing for the Teardrop!” Abelard explains the Fire Blessing was once the greatest temple to Korak in the Golden Citadel and is located off the Great Stair.
The characters set up their defenses: Saethus casts a Make Whole ritual to repair the doors to the south and furniture is dragged into the corridors to form barricades. When the attack comes, it comes from two directions – north and south! Hordes of derro reavers and bombardiers attack the party. The Forsaken aren’t hard to kill but the bombardiers cause quite a few problems – their murderous bombard shots dominate Ella (who shoots at Khuma) and crossbow-toting Krivinn (who strikes poor old Bolval), and while their sloughide shots inflict acid damage and immobilize Khuma and Bolval.
The characters start moving north, intending to withdraw to the forges but eventually the Forsaken stop coming. Abelard is able to complete the ritual and the Hearthforges are restored!
The azer activates the Linked Portal, transporting the characters and the food supplies up to the Great Hall. Here the party are welcomed back as heroes – they have restored heat to the halls above and brought food too which they hand out to the needy! Varden Redfel, First of the Stair Guard, thanks them profusely and gives them a reward – 3 days rations and 100 untainted gp each.
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Richard Green | Game Designer 