Lia, following goblin logic, used her Prestidigitation to change the entirety of the bomb to a red hue (see Week 4 - Part 2). When it detonated, the ensuing explosion of brilliant purple did not destroy the force field as planned, but breached it just long enough for the Thalassian forces, and our heroes, to duck through. The goblins, using a very questionable scientific process, estimated that the breach would stay open for approximately 24 hours (but by this point in the story, the party doesn't put much stock into goblin science).
The Thalassian shocktroopers, with their explosive ordinance, began their dangerous descent into the Deepforge. The party was not far behind, with their own explosive charge and a goblin-designed EMP device in tow.
Brineshire, razed by the Deepforged menace (Illustration by John Avon, © Wizards of the Coast)The party continued downward into the infernal pit, gripping tightly to the metallic cliffside and braving the toxic wind swirling about them. Before long, the party came to a sprawling metal bridge leading to their objective: the Forgemaster's office, a cube-shaped obsidian mass suspended high above the Deepforge pit by a series of cable and bridges.
Our heroes were assaulted by Reavers and Drones as they pressed onward across the bridge. Fernal tripped a vice-like trap, limiting his movement, and Book was almost knocked unconcious, but the party had little trouble dispatching these pests while steadying themselves against the poisonous wind of the Deepforge. However, upon their defeat at the hands of the party, the Reavers called for back-up! A veritible horde of Drones barrelled down toward the shocked heroes, who did the only heroic thing they could do at time: they ran the other way!
Erwise quickly sprung a complicated lock mechanism with his adept theivery skills, and the party jumped through the waiting doorway, with barely enough time to slam the entryway shut before for the Drone horde smashed into the solid metal door.
The party now stood in a mysterious entryway, with blueprints and conquest maps scattered about, and an ominous portrait of a cephalopod-like creatures staring out our heroes with cruel, empty eyes...
Our heroes were assaulted by Reavers and Drones as they pressed onward across the bridge. Fernal tripped a vice-like trap, limiting his movement, and Book was almost knocked unconcious, but the party had little trouble dispatching these pests while steadying themselves against the poisonous wind of the Deepforge. However, upon their defeat at the hands of the party, the Reavers called for back-up! A veritible horde of Drones barrelled down toward the shocked heroes, who did the only heroic thing they could do at time: they ran the other way!
Erwise quickly sprung a complicated lock mechanism with his adept theivery skills, and the party jumped through the waiting doorway, with barely enough time to slam the entryway shut before for the Drone horde smashed into the solid metal door.
The party now stood in a mysterious entryway, with blueprints and conquest maps scattered about, and an ominous portrait of a cephalopod-like creatures staring out our heroes with cruel, empty eyes...
The Forgemaster's Domicile, suspended above the Deepfoge (Illustration by Mark Tedin, © Wizards of the Coast)Exploration of the structure yielded many frightening secrets, thanks in no small part to Mootan's enchanted glasses, which allowed him to read Deep Speak. In a huge, warehouse-like room on the second floor, Book and Mootan discovered the reasoning behind the Reaver's collection of humanoid brains: each brain collected was dematerialized and then reconstructed into lines of data, which in turn was programmed into each and every Deepforged creature. Why the Deepforged specifically need to do this, however, is yet to be seen...
On the lowest point of the structure, the party discovered a massive radio dish used to transmit data into the heart of the Deepforge. Exploring this array was exceedingly treacherous, as the entire area was suspended on a windswept scaffolding literally hanging off the bottom of the building!
Erwise lept on to the dish, attracting some unwanted attention from nearby repair-bots. Identifying our heroes as a "structural anamoly," they sprang toward them with blowtorches and repair hammers! The bots did not prove to have an impressive amount of combat prowess, but the narrow catwalks became quite treacherous for our heroes. Erwise and Book were knocked unconcious when they were cornered by the pesky robots; however, Mootan quickly scurried from catwalk to catwalk in order to save his ailing party members.
At the far end of the scaffolding, the party found a database of information transmitted by this bizarre radio dish. Apparently, a valuable Deepforged power core was somewhere in the depths of the Forgemaster's domicile, just a few floors above them. If they could obtain this priceless artifact and plant their explosive ordinance, their victory would surely be complete...
... but who knows what Deepforged horrors await them in the lair of the Forgemaster?
On the lowest point of the structure, the party discovered a massive radio dish used to transmit data into the heart of the Deepforge. Exploring this array was exceedingly treacherous, as the entire area was suspended on a windswept scaffolding literally hanging off the bottom of the building!
Erwise lept on to the dish, attracting some unwanted attention from nearby repair-bots. Identifying our heroes as a "structural anamoly," they sprang toward them with blowtorches and repair hammers! The bots did not prove to have an impressive amount of combat prowess, but the narrow catwalks became quite treacherous for our heroes. Erwise and Book were knocked unconcious when they were cornered by the pesky robots; however, Mootan quickly scurried from catwalk to catwalk in order to save his ailing party members.
At the far end of the scaffolding, the party found a database of information transmitted by this bizarre radio dish. Apparently, a valuable Deepforged power core was somewhere in the depths of the Forgemaster's domicile, just a few floors above them. If they could obtain this priceless artifact and plant their explosive ordinance, their victory would surely be complete...
... but who knows what Deepforged horrors await them in the lair of the Forgemaster?
