(I will take that the Duerga’s attack hit Chill)

”Allow me to patch that wound Chill.” With Chill’s permission, Kazri user her Lay On Hand on the Tabaxi. “Restore 11hp”. “Perhaps after we are done spelunking this place, Master Krom may have to use his magic to fix your armor.”

With the duergar dead you check the rest of the room.  It looks to be some type of armory.  The armory holds equipment including two suits of scale mail sized for dwarves, two steel shields, three war picks, nine javelins, two climber’s kits, and four mess kits.

The adjoining room to the south has a trap door that Gorrah heads down.  It does, in fact, lead to tunnel that goes back up into the bunker outside.  With Gorrah's true sight she can report that there are no invisible duergar hiding anywhere on this end of the complex.

Krom inspects the dead duergar and finds nothing special.  A few coins in a coin purse but not much else.

Krom spends a couple of minutes to examine the armours and weapons "At a first glance, nothing exceptional, but duergar made those so I guess that should be expected." says the dwarf. "Rhogar, could you check with your wand if any of those items are enchanted?"

"Mn! Good thing. Although I would wager that if they have anything of significant magic, they wouldn't leave it here for the common guards and so on to make use of. Not unless they were a captain or someone of significant importance." Rhogar mentions, but still follows through on Krom's request in expending the last charge of the wand for the day. A wordless response in either the affirmative or negative is all he has for the group depending on the results, and once Gorrah returns from her extended search, the Dragonborn attention turns westward.

"In any event, much as Chill has said, we should carry on exploring the rest of this complex. For even if these are but stragglers who may or may not have received the call to retreat back into the deep, the fact that they are still active to some extent cannot be overlooked. Not while we can do something about it." Rhogar flashes a toothy grin, self-assured in the knowledge such gestures no longer unnerved his compatriots, if they ever had in the first place. He then looks expectantly to Chill and Kazri as Gorrah returns and confirms Chill's theory, figuring the duo would once again take point.

Chill thanked Kazri for the healing and then set his sights back to the west. "Let's check the rest of this place out.  If duergar are the worst that's left after that zombie ogre thing we shouldn't have much trouble." he says as he glances down at the dead duergar. 

Chill moves off back to the west and heads to the NW from the main entrance first keeping a close eye out for trouble, or traps.

Perception 31

"Worry not Mr. Nimbatuul. I have my eyes on our Tabaxi companion." She positions herself not too far behind Chill, and follows him. She also looks out for trouble.

Perception: 22

All of the equipment found in the armory is normal gear.  

As you move back west into the main entrance you find another duergar standing there.  He yells at you as you approach.

"Stop, who are you and why do you attack us!  I am Nildar Sunblight, son of  Xardorok Sunblight.  Name yourselves and your purpose here!"

Kazri and Oli moves towards the Duergar leader, but gives him a respectable space so that he doesn't feel threatened. "We were requested to investigate things disappearing from the local town, and our investigations seemed to have lead us to your fortress. Why are your people..." Kazri pauses for a moment to think of the right word. "Hummm... Relocating things that seem of no importance from the town?" Kazri lowers her sword, and with a pat on his back, she asks Oli to sit.

Krom follows Kazri as she approaches the duergar. The dwarf, keeps his shield and hammer at the ready, but he does not take an aggressive stance as he replies introducing himself "Krom Firebeard of the Firebeard Clan, Smith of Moradin and Keeper of Axeholm." The dwarf waits a moment then adds "Why are you and your duergar still in Icewind Dale? You should have left for the Underdark as for Grandolpha's orders." 

 "Because word clearly hasn't reached here yet, or she didn't bother, Master Krom." Rhogar said with eyes still narrowed at Duergar ever since said Duergar made his initial demands. "If I had guess, perhaps she even hoped to leave him and any other child of Xardorok, as well as the rest of the Sunblight's extended forces out and about topside wither and die without support from any main forces." He further said aloud without taking his eyes off the Duergar.

However, a more alert and wary Gorrah peeked out from the hood and strained her senses trying to discern the subtle signs of more invisible threats possibly skulking about. "So the way I see it, you have VERY important choice to make in the next few moments, Nildar Sunblight, son of Xardorok. You either leave behind or return what has taken, and integrate yourself more peacefully with the Ten... Seven Towns, I suppose now." Rhogar said, though his last few words come out softer as he looks solemnly to the ground for a moment. "You can leave what you haven taken, and return to the deep, martialling whatever remains of your clan's forces and payback the slight against you and yours from Grandolpha. Or-..."

Rhogar steps up and just a little ways past Kazri and the others. "You can choose not believe the words of 'strange' topsiders, and only in that what you've perhaps seen or suspect so far: Brave or foolish invaders aims to disrupt what you and yours have had going so far, and need... eh, to 'dealt with most violently'. For we will not turn away from razing this place to the ground if we MUST to end whatever conspiracies or foul work you yet have in mind for the lands above." He states firmly, taking another step closer. "But in that case, you would be choosing to follow your father in death, to allow Grandolpha to get away with betrayal, and to WILLFULLY allow your clan to be soon forgotten at best, and at worse seem as utter fools for daring to try and take over the dales just because of a little foul weather presenting a false opportunity." Another step forward is accompanied by tongues of electricity beginning to lap at the edge of his maw and gently crackle across his scales, and the air starting smell strongly of ozone.

"So what will it be,  Nildar? For once you make your choice, there will be no walking it back. We will make certain of it, one way or another." Rhogar further affirms as he stares hard right into Nildar's eyes.

(OOC: Not sure about everyone else, but DDB is acting weird on my end, so can't see my character sheet atm. Otherwise I'd include a roll just in case. I'd... like it to be persuasion, but rhogar is definitely too hard selling it I think for it to be anything exception Intimidation.)

Chill waits behind the others, letting them move ahead of him.  He readies his crossbow to take a shot if Nildar chooses to attack.

Steady aim and ready action

Attack: 26 Damage: 34

10

Rhogar persuasion 14

(And if 14 would be considered a fail, he would burn favored by the gods to add another 2d4 (see spoiler if applicable))

Nildar's shoulders tense.  "Grandolpha?  So she has usured my father and ordered us to leave.  Then surely my father is dead as he would never agree to such a thing.  He must be avenged!"

The duergar roars in anger and rushes forward, drawing out a large warpick.  But he doesn't get more than a few steps when the snap of Chill's crossbow sends a bolt into the duergar;s chest and he falls dead.

From the hallway to the south a door opens and two more duergar come out, but these two raise their hands in surrender.

"Let us go, we mean no harm to you.  Let us return to the underdark and flee these cursed cold lands. With Nildar dead there is nothing holding us here.  Let us go!" One of them says.

As Nildar falls dead, Krom turns to Rhogar "He made his choice. For the Ten Towns, it's better this way." The dwarf says to tabaxi "A perfectly timed shot as usual Chill."

"Return the items you've stolen, depart this place, and swear to never set foot here again." Krom commands in an authoritative tone as he takes a couple of steps forward.

Chill swivels his crossbow around to the newcomers as he deftly reloads his crossbow.  He doesn't ready an attack though as they seem to be surrendering.

Insight to be sure 14

"A pity, but..." Rhogar trails off there, letting the words just hang as his attention drifts to the two other duergars. This time around however, the dragonborn would leave it to Krom and Kazri to decide the course things, least some harsh word of his own might set them off. But he does spare Krom a sidelong look, having not entirely expected mercy from the dwarf considering his people's long fued... yet he wasn't going to complain either which way.

Chill can see that they truly are surrendering, there seems to be no guile or deceit.

"Yes, yes, we will.  We can show you what has been taken and then we will leave.  We only wish to return to the underdark.  We heard you say Grandolpha is in charge now.  Good, good!."

You quickly learn that the two are named Ruvik and Skorn.  They show you the rest of the outpost and collect the stolen stuff.

The room directly south appears to be a cellblock lined with stone doors that have small, barred windows set into them at dwarf’s-eye height. Snow and wind enter the room through a barred window in the northeast corner that looks out toward the snow-covered bunker that guards the main entrance.

To the west and adjoining the cellblock small rooms flank a central common area where crates and sacks are stashed against the west wall. The doors of the two southern rooms are open, and each room is empty except for a tattered bedroll and a chair.

The crates and most of the sacks contain basic supplies, including blankets, rations, hempen rope, and other equipment. One small sack holds the stolen valuables from Caer-Konig: twenty-five pearls carved into decorative beads (5 gp each). Another sack contains three daggers, a set of woodcarver’s tools, a set of navigator’s tools, fishing tackle, and a potion of healing hidden in a leather pouch along with 73 sp.

Back to the northwest a long room, divided in the middle by two open doorways, stands empty. In the far southwest corner, an iron lever sticks out of the wall. Chill can quickly make out that when the lever is pulled, iron spikes spring out from the floor and ceiling to form barriers across each doorway.

The last room has a stone-carved bed and desk occupy this drab room. Atop the desk are several shards of dark crystal, as well as a crumpled-up piece of paper and a burlap sack draped over a glowing object that emits colored light that shifts from blue to green to red.

The crumpled-up piece of paper on the desk bears a message from Nildar’s older brother, Durth, written in charcoal and in Dwarvish. The letter reads as follows:

Brother,

You will find me on the frozen ferry in Easthaven. From this new base, the search for chardalyn continues. Long may our father reign over this dark land!

Durth

Furthermore Ruvik and Skorn are more than happy to tell you what is happening at the outpost.  They clearly were aligned with Grandolpha and not Xardorok.  They let you know that Nildar Sunblight commanded the outpost and had them searching Ten-Towns for chardalyn on behalf of his father, Xardorok Sunblight, who commands a much larger fortress in the mountains. Xardorok is obsessed with chardalyn and is forging a dragon out of it. The outpost was built close to Kelvin’s Cairn for a reason. Once Ten-Towns is destroyed, the duergar plan to use this outpost as a staging area for a raid against the mines in the Dwarven Valley.

Krom notices Rhogar's sidelong look and, knowing well the dragonborn, understands his meaning. He mutters, but not quietly enough to not be heard by Rhogar, "We are not the same, they surrendered."

Even if the two duergar do not seem to be deceitful, Krom keeps them within arm's reach while the group explores the outpost. "By returning those valuables to the citizens of Caer-Konig the honor of the dwarves of this region will be restored. No one will call my people thieves again." says Krom as the group gathers the stolen items.

"I'll take those shards, I plan to study them and find a way to weaken the chardalyn. Destroying that dragon was not a simple feat, not even for us." The dwarf uses a cloth to wrap the shards as he places them in his backpack.

"Easthaven, eh? It seems that we have another place to visit after completing our quest." says Krom after he finishes to read the letter.

It's small, almost imperceptible really, but a smile touched Rhogar's face at Krom's mutterings. Yet with so much to explore and little time to for all else, the dragonborn's focus soon after shifted towards keeping an eye on the pair as the group are led throughout the rest of the outpost. Though once they arrive in the essentially supply storage room, he offers -- nay, he pointedly stays behind to get the process started on transferring the goods to the bag of holding for transportation back into town, freeing the others to carry on with exploring the place. Everything except for the sack holding stolen things, which he keeps separate if but to ease handing it off later.

"As you wish, Master Krom." He'd later find himself saying once the news of the other rooms findings are related to him. "But take care during your examinations. For if these shards are far more mixed up with the power or dealings of that arch devil, they may yet prove too troublesome to keep in our possession without leaving them in the bag of holding. At least until such a time that we are able to get somewhere more secured." He then sighs. "As for the matter Easthaven, you have the right of it Master Krom. As for you two-" He turns on the Duergar pair. "Try not to cause trouble on your way back, mn?"