!!Lost Mine of Phandelver Campaign Thread!!

After studying the gap to the east between the buckets and the wall, you can see that it is much too small for you to get through . In fact, it looks like it would only be large enough for a Small creature to squeeze through.

Droop watches you studying the opening and shakes his head nervously.  "No!  Not alone.  Droop will stay with his friends!"

Baeshra hesitates for a moment, then shakes his head, "Let's try finding another path around, even if we could get in, we might not be able to get out with what we're looking for."

"I'll have a quick look, wait for me..." Nyx gives them a wink and then heads towards the eastern gap between the buckets, moving as stealthily as she can.

OCC:

Stealth 20

Perception 7

Her voice seems to echo from different locations around the chamber and before anyone registers what she said, Nyx seems to vanish!  But then your attention is drawn to the bucket chain as the ones near the eastern wall shift as Nyx tries to force her way between them.

Nyx, you're small for a medium creature, but it seems to be quite a tight fit.  Make an Acrobatics check to try and slip through the bucket chain passageway.

"Nyx be nimble, Nyx be quick, Nyx be...."

OCC:

Acrobatics 11

You're able to squeeze past the first bucket and you see the chamber continue into darkness, you squeeze past the second bucket, but in the dim light you can see that the passageway starts to narrow.  You can't make it past the 3rd bucket, but you don't get stuck either and are able to wriggle your way back out. 

From what you could see, it kept going into the darkness.

Nyx emerges once again and dusts herself off. "Looks like we will need another way. That passage just gets smaller and smaller, leading off into darkness."

Umbriel thinks about the layout. "Wasn't there a stairwell we reached before, when we freed those prisoners? That may be our best bet to descend. Let us go, quickly." 

Indeed there was!  The party races out onto the iron portcullis, now seeing that the lava trenches below are no longer tended by fire giants.

You make your way to the slave wheel (ignore the slaves in the picture below), also now empty, with the ogre and fire giant corpse' gone as well. 

You'll remember there is a stairwell leading to the floor below coming off the iron portcullis, and then a hallway to the south of the slave wheel room.

(Let's head to the southern hallway, make sure we didn't miss a way down from there)

( South, Ho!)

(yes, South)

Now empty cells line both sides of the hallway, with open portcullis' on each end.  Following the hallway to the far end, you turn back north and step out onto another wide iron gantry that extends into a vast chamber.

Two lit braziers illuminate the western gantry, which has iron stairs leading down.  The ceiling is 40 feet above the gantries, the floor 50 feet below.  Hanging in midair, held in place by chains bolted to the floor and ceiling, is the helmed head and upper torso of the Vonindod. Cranes extending out from the western and eastern gantries have two other fragments of the colossus hanging from them: an enormous greatsword and a giant gauntlet-like hand and forearm. These fragments are hanging at the same level as the gantries.

Umbriel's Rod of the Vonindod is pinging like crazy, these fragments are made of pure adamantine.

Lyngheid examines the gantries for weak points hoping to do as much damage to the plans here as possible...

Nyx sneaks up ahead along the iron gantry north so she can peak around the corner (and into the black space).

OCC: Stealth 27

Quote from Damian_May >>

Lyngheid examines the gantries for weak points hoping to do as much damage to the plans here as possible...

 Make an Investigation check.

Quote from IAmButADream >>

Nyx sneaks up ahead along the iron gantry north so she can peak around the corner (and into the black space).

OCC: Stealth 27

 You get a good look at the Adamntine sword suspended 50 feet above the floor below, and find a hallway branching off the gantry back to the west.  Following the hallway, you see that it opens up on another gantry that overlooks the lava trenches below, now empty.

Those of you with 60' darkvision can see the top of a giant helmed head rising above the floor below, it looks like the rest of the Vonindod waiting to be completed, and the top of a cold forge to the north of the room.  With everyone's passive perception, there doesn't seem to be any sign of activity coming from the cavernous room below.

Investigation: 21

Umbriel looks around in awe. "I think we've found the heart of his operation. The water wheel above must power the forge here. Let's see what's in the forge - we may be able to sabotage it here, as well." 

As he makes his way to the forge, he continues casting Detect Magic, looking for anything helpful, unusual, or conch shaped.

Baeshra hesitates looking at the massive form, then shakes his head, "No, we need the conch, if we can get that we can stop all of this, if we just delay him here, it will only cost him a little time. Better to stop this all at once, yes?"

Quote from Damian_May >>

Investigation: 14

 The iron grates that make up the gantries are quite thick, with no sign of rust or weakness.  It would take a lot of effort to damage them.

The party discusses a plan as they explore the room downstairs.

The party heads down the stairs after Nyx rejoins them. On the lower floor now, pools of light huddle around lit braziers in niches along the walls, and iron cable towers rise to support the bucket chain, now standing still.  Basalt pillars support the 90-foot-high ceiling, and iron gantries are bolted to the walls 50 feet above the floor. Suspended and steadied by huge chains near the middle of the room are the helmed head and upper torso of the Vonindod, which have survived more or less intact. The adamantine colossus will stand 80 feet tall once it is fully reassembled; until then, it’s nothing more than a dangling, lifeless hulk. One of its eyes has a giant ruby set into it, 40 feet above the floor.  The other eye contains a socket for a similar-sized (but missing) gemstone.

Set into the southeast wall by the stairs you came down is a pair of 50-foot-tall adamantine doors.  Umbriel, your Detect Magic spell picks up an aura of magic around the doors, sealing them shut.

A short wide hallway on the east wall leads to the bottom of the circular elevator shaft.

Approaching the cold forge in the north of the room, you can now see that the forge itself is made out of adamantine.  The forge looks like a giant adamantine igloo with a chimney on top and a hatch in the south side. The hatch has a sliding bolt lock, and its opening is wide enough for a fire giant to pass through. Inscribed on the floor of the forge is the ild (fire) rune, and Umbriel detects more ancient magic protecting the forge.

A pair of double doors leads out of the room to the north.