One thing was for sure in the aftermath of the showdown with Vandemar and his allies: there were no Mountain Kings in the Hall of the Mountain Kings – two were dead and the third was loaded with chains in the Sequarl dungeon. Now seemed a good time to go and take their treasure.
Nickar summoned the Nihrein steed and Grettir mounted up behind. Under Nickar’s direction it bore them swiftly to the mountains in the heart of the Wood of Itaen and into the pass that led to the tunnel beneath the mountains. On the demon steed, none saw their passing and no gates were barred to them. Thus they were able to penetrate to the heart of the mountain, which was honeycombed with old dwarf delvings and newer, cruder orc mines. Nickar found a place suitable as a base for teleportation and returned to pick up the rest of the party. By his arts Nickar transformed the appearance of the party members: he took on the features of Scara, a known human ally of the orcs and Grettir that of his bodyguard Boris; the other warriors were turned into Kur; Hilda was disguised as a captive; the dwarf Krago Rockpeak as an orc. Kinness the Cunning took no disguise but had his ring of invisibility.
In the tunnels below the mountain the encountered creatures they named as Hook-handed Horrrors – troll sized entities that had clawed hands, clacking avian heads (that continued to clack after death) and hides as hard as stone. However, the warriors all carried runed blades and made short work of them. After a few more peaceful encounters that proved the effectiveness of their disguises, they came to an area heavily protected by gates and Kur guards. Using magic to pick the gatekeepers’ minds for passwords, Nickar persuaded them to open the doors. Once through the complex of doors and portcullises, there ensued a sharp fight with some Kur and a half-troll. They came to a hall where Grettir smelt the unmistakable stench of salt and evil that denoted Pyray. Undead came out of the walls but were repulsed.
They found a secure place and Nickar set up a teleport gate, bringing in some two dozen Rangers to support the original party. The remaining guards fled out of the gate complex. There was fierce fighting in a great hall, dedicated to Pyray and decorated with the images of kraken, against undead warriors and an evil undead priest. They were dispatched, leaving the party the undisputed masters of the Citadel. The Rangers had a new based in the Heart of the Mountain. The only disappointment was a lack of mountain troll treasure.
Later that month Hilda and Salrod took a journey to Tyros to take counsel with the witch Medici. She told them that their fate lay upon the island of Zongar.
F-1
OE Date: November 691
Characters: Grettir, Salrod, Wilf, Gadan, Nickar NPCs: Hilda, Krago, Kinness
Real World: April 1998 ; Where – Surbiton
See also Salrod’s Diaries