Szith Rijun – The Siege of the Barracks

Characters: Dusk Revin, Gallipolas & Fig, Lazbin, Narn Daergal, Rathgillian, Trizoon & Nilmith, Vindicus
NPCs: Tieraka Rijun

Synopsis: Just as the group is entering Lazbin’s extradimensional nook, Lazbin assures them that they are safe and that he is going to return to Threshold to secure extra assistance. Trizoon goes with him, knowing that the Defender is tried and tested in battle, and that they will need all of the help they can get. The two teleport back to Threshold and find Vindicus at the Verse. The elf is relatively indifferent to the two humans, but as the bard weaves a tale of valor, bravery and desperation, Vindicus is taken by the story. He agrees to assist them, as long as their spoils of combat are divided equally. Revelling in the opportunity to waste drow, Vindicus joins Lazbin and Trizon and teleport back to Szith Rijun.

After a brief rest Trizoon guides the drow priestess Tieraka Rijun deeper in the Dordrien Crypts. Moving clearly beyond the previously hewn stone walls they enter a natural tunnel that slopes further into the earth. The priestess alerts the bard that this is the forward position for the drow warriors. Trained for defense and raising the alert, the two drow sentries need to be dealt with quickly before any alarm can be raised. If word on intruders stretches into Szith Rijun, they will face a small army at once.

It is an intense volley of spells that destroy the sentries before they even spy the intruders. The two drow bodies lay near a sink hole in the cavern that drops another twenty feet to another fissure in the earth. Following the path, the group is stopped by the drow priestess. They’ve reached the uppermost level of Szith Rijun, and another layer of sentries. Through a second sink hole they will find the massive chasm that vertically divides Szith Rijun. A massive network of webs connects all of the layers. The revine itself stretches some 500 feet to its creator, the raging river blow. The attack will have to come quickly as the drow sentries are trained for a quick descent.

Gallipolas shifts into an earth elemental and again moves through stone and rock as if he were an eagle flying effortlessly in the Gulthmere’s skies. The elf druid spies an unearthly creature that stands beneath the sink hole staring up with its lidless eyes piercing the darkness above. Its skin completely absent as its muscles and ligaments are exposed beneath a layer of glossy slime. Three drow handlers quietly play a dice game at a table in the cave. Relaying the positioning of their enemies, Gallipolas demands knowledge of this undead creature as even he has never seen it before. Priestess Tieraka is unaware of such a find. But she restates that they must storm this position quickly. And a furious storm does indeed crack above the drow post. Raining divine fire upon the undead, ruining it. Catching the other sentries off guard, the group strikes with such orchestration that the drow cannot even draw their weapons.

As bodies are stripped, Narn investigates the chasm. True to her magicked work, the drow priestess’ depiction is accurate, save for the echoing sounds of the river below that effectively block sound throughout the void. The gnome wanders back to the others but is struck from behind by a massive misshapen spider. Gaunt in its appearance and moving without sound the spider strikes Narn, sapping his strength. The others quickly surround the silent huner and slay it within seconds. With no more obstacles, the group challenges the drow priestess about the lack of detail. The privileged noble shrugs her shoulders as her presence in the upper levels of Szith Rijun are as frequent as the centuries.

Priestess Tieraka layouts out the nest that is Szith Rijun. The drow barracks are near the top of the chasm. The trading post is at the center. Below the market is the drow commoner and slave level. Away from most of the settlement is the drow wizard tower. And near the bottom of the chasm is the entrance to House Rijun. The group targets the barracks for their first stop to eradicating the drow. Rushing the stoic drow soldiers, the group storms the barracks slaying the two sentries in the mouth of the barracks. But before they die, the ambush is revealed as the alarm sounds. An adjoining cavern holds four more drow warriors and yet another of the undead creatures. Gallipolas sends a wave of green slime atop their enemies, burning them alive in the conjured acid. Unaffected the undead races forward only to be cut down.

Sounds of armored troops flood the chamber. From within the complex more drow respond to the call to arms. Moving the rear of the chamber, the drow warriors are ready, but they are also supplemented with spell casters. Rathgillian is lit up by a series of rays and retreats to the group’s rear. In the commotion the drow priestess Tieraka attempts to flea to the webbing, only to be cut down by a javelin of lightning hurled by Narn. Her falling body passes the cave mouth, plummeting to the raging waters below. Vindicus and Dusk weave their spells, laying down a wall of flame and blades that systematically shreds the drow to pieces. Leaving their defenses in position, Trizoon instructs Nilmith to heal the badly injured Rathgillian as the others inspect the other hallway leading away from the barracks. A singular tunnel houses a series of empty cells. More than likely any prisoners were slain during the initial sacking of Szith Rijun.

Sure that the battle has alerted the other drow of the settlement, the group decides to lay waste to any remnents of the barracks. Better to have no enemies at your back. Dismissing the walls of flame and blade, the group moves through the barracks discovering two spell casters that survived the initial attack. Barricaded within their quarters, the wizards loose spells at the outsiders as the Defenders break into the drow chambers. It takes only moments as the drow survivors are mowed down with extreme prejudice.

With the barracks now empty, the group sweeps back to the front chamber only to spy another drow slipping past them. He is quick to cast the area into complete darkness and escapes to the webbed chasm. Dusk and Vindicus chide the cowering Nilmith, wondering why the gnome did not ensnare the escapee. Her reply is simple. She did not come to this drow settlement to serve their orders, only her mentor and leader Trizoon. A broad smile forms on the bard’s lips as they regroup for the next stage of the siege.

Encounters: two drow sentries, quth maren & 2 drow sentries & drow spellguard, huge wraith spider, 6 drow sentries & Quth Maren, 5 drow fighters, 4 drow fighter/wizards, drow officer.
Achievements: defeated the advanced positions of the drow sentries, uncovered a new form of undead used by the drow of Kiaransalee, and sacked the drow barracks.

The Exiled Drow of Szith Rijun

Characters: Dusk Revin, Gallipolas & Fig, Lazbin, Narn Daergal, Rathgillian, Trizoon & Nilmith

NPCs: Tieraka Rijun

Synopsis: With his weapon draw, Dusk approaches the weeping female drow. Curled against the hewn stone wall, she continues crying with her shoulders heaving. The rouse is obvious to Dusk, and he is alert and ready when the weeping turns to rage. But the drow’s countenance is distorted with some sort of arachnid taint. The Defenders rush in to engage but only half enter the chamber before it is sealed off with webbing. The female drow bait works as three massive spiders join the battle. Facing a wall of spider webs Gallipolas and Rathgillian are contemplating the obstruction when a voice creeps up from behind.

Dusk is immediately bound by a spider’s web. Risking the pain he self-immolates, burning both himself and the webs in the process. Trizoon stands strong as Fig continues the attack. Nilmith supports them as Lazbin emerges from the invisible to strike the spiders. From the other side of the spiders’ webs, Gallipolas accosts a gnome who offers support. Finding the voice to be an ally of Dusk’s, Rathgillian burns through the webs and strikes the spiders. With the party reunited the spiders are crushed.

Once the webs settle, Dusk recognizes the whisper gnome as Narn, another member of the Divine Hammer but sometimes an absent ally. The group quickly assesses the new cavern and discovers yet another illusionary wall. To prove his value, Narn offers to explore the next cavern and spots a humanoid hiding within. The gnome confronts the obscured enemy, discovering it to be a drow armed with rapier and shield. But the drow isn’t alone as Narn is skewered from behind by a second drow warrior. Again the Defenders are ready and race to draw arms against the evil drow.

The battle draws an unseen ally of the drow as spells erupt from the far end of the cave, beyond the darkness. Lazbin’s spells are loosed against the drow, but the magical nature of the dark elf defeats the wizard’s attempts. Narn shows his value, lethally striking the drow. Overwhelmed with shear force the drow fall to blades of the Defenders and holy spells of Dusk. Gallipolas displays his newly developed powers by morphing into an elemental of the earth and gliding through the impenetrable stone as if it was water. At the end of the chamber he finds the two remaining drow, a spell caster and a priestess floating near the ceiling.

After destroying the two guards, the group pursues Gallipolas and surrounds the drow. Their might is obvious as the spell caster is subdued and pinned. With the battle lost, the floating priestess hails the half-drow Dusk seeking to parlay. Dusk is determined, knowing full well of the treachery of the drow. He disarms the female and quickly ties her up with help from Narn. Gallipolas twists the spell caster into complete submission. Dusk draws down against the priestess and begins the questioning. She is Tieraka Rijun of House Rijun, and she is the last survivor of Szith Rijun, the drow settlement below the Dordrien Crypts. Just over a tenday prior, the city was attacked by drow. Tieraka describes how her goddess Lolth has not answered prayers for more than two months. Yet another god has somehow been disrupted.

Without the prayers of her god, the priestess and her allies were overrun in less than three hours. Other drow even turned against the ruling house and joined the coup. The only element of the traitors she is aware of is that some are faithful to Kiaransalee, the drow goddess of death and revenge. She and her loyal servants were the only survivors she knows of. They escaped to this private sanctuary, reserved specifically for an instance of invasion. Only her inner circle is aware of this series of chambers. She begins to bargain but her mouth is stuffed; Dusk has heard enough. In seclusion the group discusses their options.

With the disruption of the plans of nature, they are almost sure that the disruption has extended into the Abyss. And now a new faction of drow has overrun the drow settlement Szith Rijun. Dusk speculates that it is these draw that are raiding Cedarspoke and dealing with the frost giants and the drow of Lolth were inactive against the surface world for over a century. The favored soul of Kelemvor is repulsed by this new faction of drow, but the first step is obvious: eliminate the spell caster. Gallipolas assures Trizoon that given the opportunity the drow spell caster would destroy everyone in this room, including his allies. The bard shakes his head and wonders of the complete absence of humanity. With the others’ attention elsewhere Narn sets about the murder of the spell caster, strangling the drow and ending his life after several agonizing minutes.

But the task is pressing; Trizoon uses his song and flute to fascinate the drow priestess. It takes only minutes to when her over and charm her. Previously a vicious enemy, Tieraka Rijun is now a staunch ally of the Defenders of the Dragon Coast. She outlines the layout of the city, identifying the central chasm that services the multiple layers of Szith Rijun. She also identifies the defense positions of the previous administration, which most likely have not changed as the traitorous drow are still present. The drow warriors are sure to be on high alert, but with her help the Defenders can raid the city and destroy the drow faction of Kiaransalee. After quickly scouting the forward drow guards the group decides to rest within the protective extradimensional space of Lazbin’s making. Once they have prepared, Szith Rijun will fall once more under the Defenders and the Divine Hammer.

Encounters: four araneas, two drow nobleguards, drow spellguard, drow priestess of Lolth

Achievements: captured the exiled drow priestess, learned of the drow civil war, charmed the drow as an ally and learned of the layout of the drow settlement Szith Rijun and its defenses.