Return to Khundrukar

Once safely back in Helmsport, the heroes learned of new disappearances along the docks. Upon investigation, they discovered signs that a small group of web-footed humanoid creatures had dragged an innocent victim into a storm drain outflow at the bank of the Helm River. Following the trail, the characters soon discovered an ancient side passage leading off the main sewer line.

To their surprise, they found that the side corridor led into the ancient dwarven ruins of Khundrukar, which the characters had discovered in a  previous foray beneath Helmsport. The trail led deeper than they had ever descended, but the heroes—including Adarrial Smythe, the cleric Duran, Thomas the rogue, Seth the wizard, and Alarion the paladin (along with cohort Verdigris)—bravely delved into the long-forgotten caverns of Khundrukar.

The trail led to the bank of an underground stream that ran through the lowest level of the ruins. Suspecting that their quarry lay not far ahead, the heroes waded along the slow-moving river with weapons ready. heir alertness was well rewarded, for the stream soon widened into a low cavern, with several rock shelves along the walls. At the back of the cavern, the water crashed down over a precipice, threatening to send the heroes plummeting to their death!

But that wasn’t the only threat, as the heroes were beset by a half-dozen slimy, vaguely fishlike humanoids wielding longspears. The battle joined, but the characters soon realized that something else was present in the cavern, creating magical effects—including the now-realized-to-be-illusory waterfall. The final participant soon showed itself: a horrible aboleth, commanding its skum servants to retrieve new victims from the surface world.

Despite the primordial horror’s magical powers, the heroes prevailed, though the dragon Gree had been infected by the creature’s slime and could no longer breathe air. As a natural water breather, this proved no setback (at least in the short term), and the party continued along the river.

The stream grew stronger, and the characters found it tricky to keep their feet. Then, barely a hundred yards beyond the aboleth’s lair, the heroes encountered yet another group of denizens of the Underdark: a scouting party of the horrible fish-men called kuo-toa. One of the vicious creatures bore the same signs of slime infection as Gree, suggesting that the kuo-toa had also encountered the aboleth and its minions.

Initially, the kuo-toa used their affinity to the watery environment to their advantage, but the tide soon turned. The last kuo-toa fled downriver, ducking into a side passage that led steeply down into the earth. After magically sealing the side passage, the heroes returned to the surface to recuperate.

A few days later, with Verdigris restored to full health, the heroes of Helmsport returned to further investigate the watery caverns beneath the city. Replacing the rogue Thomas and the cleric Duran were Eandrynn, the mysterious elven archer last seen during the party’s second assault on Greatwall Keep, and Thorgrimm, the dwarf barbarian who assisted the characters in their discovery of Khundrukar itself.

The characters returned to the site of their battle with the kuo-toa, only to find that the stone wall they had magically created lay in rubble—smashed from this side of the wall. Rather than continuing down the main course of the river into the depths of the earth, the heroes investigated a side chamber filled with dank, miasmic water.

The party moved slowly along the riverbank until the sharp-eyed Gree spotted a foreboding sign: an enormous pile of bones blocking the way. After instructing his comrades to stay back, the paladin Alarion moved forward to investigate. Then all hell broke loose.

Bursting forth from the dark waters came an enormous, ebony-winged dragon who sprayed the surprised characters with caustic acid. Thanks to its speed, agility, and stealth, the dragon isolated and targeted characters, quickly reducing the party to frightened rabble. Seeing Alarion cut off from the rest, the wizard Seth dove into the water to aid his comrade. Unfortunately, the young man was too late, as the dragon eviscerated the paladin with its mighty claws.

The weakened party knew they couldn’t stand before the beast, and had no hope but to retreat—leaving the dead Alarion and the very alive, but trapped, Seth behind. But the heroes also knew that this was not the end of the fight by any means. They would return, and with friends.

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