The Doppelganger Outpost

• Characters: Illdric, Pardonei, Rog, Trebbor, Trizoon, V.L., Zatheon
• NPCs: Mack
• Synopsis: The revelations of the doppelgangers instills both hope and fear in the select few members aware of the infiltration of their guild. Hope in that somehow some of the Vanished are still alive and fear of treading where few surface dwellers have survived to tell the tales. With the doppelganger map in hand, Trizoon quietly gathers a small force capable and crazy enough to venture into the UnderDark. He recruits a mercenary from Westgate, Zatheon, who has traveled to Threshold under the banner of Flagg Fletcher, Sand Pits arena master of ceremonies. Zatheon has found the missing V.L. but hears of the guild’s plight. Ignoring the scope of work he was hired for, Zatheon agrees to join the party and investigate the possible slave trade. Just after daybreak the group accesses the tunnels below the town via Rellun Sherry’s villa. Moving swiftly against time, the group uncovers the massive shaft descending straight down, far beyond sight into the UpperDark. But their ancient predecessors have made their trek that much easier as the group finds a narrow spiral stair etched into the perimeter of the shaft. Single-file, the group begins the descent and is ambushed by a massive harpoon spider. With arrows, blades and spells, the group makes short work of the obstruction sending it toppling over into the dark. Minutes later the body has found the bottom with an ungodly splattering. Navigating the caverns with the doppelganger map the adventurers encounter a scavenger of bones but quickly destroy the monstrosity. Through secret doors and false trails, they finally reach an underground lagoon with an ancient stone outpost atop an island near the center. Pardonei’s magic summons a bridge of ice to cross the black waters and the group plans for the invasion. A rear entry is uncovered and the group moves through the structure, uncovering a small arsenal of what must be stolen arms and armor and a sacrificial altar perhaps a meat cutting table. Surprised at the intrusion, the doppelgangers decide to err on the side of caution and begin to vacate the stone citadel. The group splinters to catch the cowardly slavers, some giving chase while others explore the rest of the complex. Trizoon’s hallucinary terrain fools one of the targets as he is roped back to shore. Before the doppelganger can be seized, another returns to the entangled slaver and slices its throat open before dropping below the surface. Trebbor opens another door unleashing a caged beast wielding two cleavers wrapped by its forked tongue. Trapped and outnumbered the atrocity is ruined. Pardonei attempts to thwart their fleeing nemeses but succeeds in electrocuting only one. Trizoon and Rog work against a sealed door, finally shattering the obstruction to uncover their prize: eight prisoners of the surface. A familiar face looks up from the water-logged pit below. A shivering Mack welcomes their saviors, wondering aloud what took them so long. The halfling introduces his new friends, some are missing merchants from Threshold, and others are downtrodden folk from Westgate. With the outpost sacked and the prisoners free, the group begins the return trip home, unable and unwilling to spend any more time than necessary in the Underdark.
• Encounters: Dread Harpoon Spider, Boneclaw, Doppelganger Slavers, Rot Reaver
• Achievements: uncovered the miles-deep access shaft to the UpperDark, followed the map through an ancient slaver route battling carrion seekers of the UnderDark to reach the slave outpost, routed the slaver outpost and rescued their imprisoned friends and townsfolk.