Spiders, Duergar, Hammers, and Rewards - 13th Session

The Recovery of the Hammer of Ivak Stoneblood

After returning to Forgehome and handing over the dragon scales to Ikos Ironbelly, the Six Fingers set upon their next quest. Torak Banehammer of the Temple of Moradin in Forgehome had asked the group to find a nearby temple that got ran over months ago and retrieve a lost relic sacred to the faith.

Finding the ruins were not a problem as Torak’s directions were sound. But once, Hargash Bitterblade, with his many insect spies, knew of the heroes approach. He completed a ritual that shook the ground and split open a chasm. From that rift emerged several of Hargash’s minions, including centipede swarms and ettercap fang guards.


Background of Hargash Bitterblade, High Priest of Chitteruk

Hargash is a rather eccentric duergar. He has forsaken the worship of the proper duergar gods and instead worships a bizarre entity he calls Citteruk, which claims dominion over vermin and all things that creep and crawl. Years ago, Hargash fled a large duergar city to escape certain death for his heresy and devotion to his alien god. He and a few of his more fervent followers traveled many years through the Underdark until, finally, the entity that Hargash serves sent him a dream. The dream provided the location of a long-forgotten temple dedicated to the dwarven god Moradin. Hargash was commanded to re-sanctify the temple in the name of Chitteruk.

However, Chitteruk does not exist. Hargash’s zealous nature and affinity towards insects, had coerced his own mind to believe that he was receiving a vision from a fictitious god. In the last few months, Hargash and his small band of followers have moved into the temple ruins, and have slowly been remaking the temple into a place suitable for the worship of Chitteruk.

While Hargash is mad, he has developed over the years a control over insects much like an evil druid of the Underdark.


Into the next room, Dende takes a shortcut

While he is a healer of epic propotions, Dende isn’t too good when it comes to physical stuff. Like climbing down the ropes into the chasm. He fell a good distance and took some damage as well as suffered a full round of attacks while the rest of the Six Fingers climbed down.

If there is a pit in a room, Lendri will find it. By falling in it. The duergar scouts were deadly when attacking from the darkness but the Six Fingers were up to the task.


Hall of the Honored Dead

The next room was were the group would eventually find the Hammer of Ivak Stoneblood, along with several deathjump spiders, fire beetles, and a ettercap vermin handler.

Once the threat was dealt with the group found that the one untouched sarcophagus could not be budged. The group had to appease Moradin and rededicate one of the altars to his glory. From that point, the lid easily slid off revealing the Hammer they sought.

Knowing they had to complete the cleansing of the temple, the Six Fingers pressed on to the final room.


The Profaned Chapel

Kneeling before a great statue of an insect god was the duergar high priest, Hargash Bitterblade. Next to him was another deathjump spider, another duergar follower, and two stormclaw scorpions.

The fight was rough and it saw Hargash retreat to the back of the large chamber to drink from a murky pool of red liquid to regain some strength.

Once again, the heroes were up to the task and vanquished the evil duergar presence and restored Moradin’s temple back to its former glory.