Day 15B: Flamerule 20

Foaming Mugs, Cont'd

Previously on Icewind Dale...

You've left your rowboat, the Quagswag, docked in Targos.
You are aware of two tinkerers who have been abucted: Ditte Bang from Good Mead, sometime near Midsummer; and Craftsister Slivith Gaddnem Clomwot from Termalaine, six days prior to Midsummer. The sentient wolves you met outside Bremen described Ditte's abductors as greyish dwarves accompanied creature that looked something like a yeti.
You don't know why or how animals are becoming sentient, but you've met a few.
You discovered a zurkhwood knife handle in the abandoned island house in Bremen, a material from mushrooms found in the underdark.
You are aware of four people who have been murdered by the Reghedmen (A female dwarf killed outside Lonelywood probably over a tenday ago; a human male and female outside Good Mead, killed Flamerule 3 or 4; and the halfling Ewin Lif killed outside Bremen on Flamerule 19). The potential murderer was described by the halfing, Iriskee Harrowhill, as beardless and wearing a wolf's head as a cloak hood. His last known location was on Flamerule 19, headed around the north side of Maer Dualdoon. Guessing from the Reghedmen who attacked you, he is not working alone.
Outside Lonelywood, with the help of Elestren Hawke, you discovered a mirror that will show you the location of any individual in Icewind Dale. It is, however, difficult to get to requiring Elestren's guidance and several hours of planar travel.
Oarus Masthew, speaker of Termalaine, hinted that he needed your help when you had a party of four.
The two of you and Inverna all shared the same mysterious, waking vision of the sun rising again over Icewind Dale. Following this vision, your abilities increased.
You are in possession of a letter to be delivered from Sahmad el Faruk in Targos, to Roark in Caer Dineval
Inverna Coldwater, the tiefling you met in Targos, would like to be accompanied to Easthaven. So far, you've lead her in several other directions and you're not sure how long she will continue with you if you don't head there soon. Although she did not have a deadline, her patience does not seem infinite.
Elva discovered her family rune carved into ruins near Bremen.
You've been encouraged to seek out a historian by the name of Culver Ailsen in Caer Dineval to shed some light on what might be happening.
Garn Stisifup, a blacksmith in Bryn Shander, offered a reward for his ring that is in the possession of a human named Yajanth Binsky. He does not know his whereabouts.
You've just recovered what supposed to be a chest full of iron, only to find out it was half full of black ice. You arranged to meet with the three dwarves upon your return to Bryn Shander.
Trying to outrun crag cats and a relentless blizzard, you were just offered help by a (so far) mysterious dwarf in the middle of nowhere.

Fildreg Shalescar

"C'mon. Follow me. By the sound of it, that's a beeeg destruction of craggers. What in the hells are ya doin out here anyway?"

The dwarf wastes no time and quickly turns, leading you upwards. Nestled deep within the foothills, the entrance to his cave is concealed by natural rock formations. Stepping inside reveals an entirely different world.

The cave opens into a sprawling, cavernous workshop illuminated by a warm, golden glow from numerous lanterns and luminescent crystals embedded in the walls. Every inch of the space is meticulously organized, showcasing the tinkerer’s lifetime of work and passion for invention.

Mechanical spiders skitter across the stone floor, their tiny gears whirring as they perform various maintenance tasks. Nearby, a steam-powered drill, its pistons rhythmically pumping, stands ready for the next excavation project. An auto-forge, constantly fed by an intricate network of conveyor belts and robotic arms, hammers out parts and pieces for the tinkerer’s endless projects.

In one corner, a sophisticated water purification system hums quietly, transforming rust-colored water dripping from the cave roof into crystal-clear drinking water. Shelves and tables are crowded with blueprints, tools, and half-finished gadgets, each more innovative than the last. Intricate clockwork mechanisms, miniature automata, and strange, experimental devices are displayed like trophies, testaments to decades of relentless creativity and ingenuity.

The air is filled with a symphony of mechanical clicks, whirs, and the occasional hiss of steam, creating a living, breathing workshop where the boundaries between man, machine, and environment blur seamlessly. Despite the overwhelming array of inventions, there is a sense of harmony and order, a reflection of the dwarf’s meticulous nature and profound understanding of his craft.

This hidden sanctuary is not just a home; it is a testament to the dwarf’s unparalleled skill and unwavering dedication to the art of invention, a place where the mundane and the magical coexist in perfect balance.

“Alright," he says as you take in the space. "You can stay here tonight but I want you gone in the morning. Dunna touch anything.”

Later that night, he tells you a story:

"This was a little more than a moon ago. I had just returned from Bryn Shander, where I bought a broken down furnace wagon for a song off some dolt who didn’t know what he had. I was feeling quite pleased with myself, and exhausted from spending time in that shitehole of a city.

"When I got home, I just wanted to sit down in my chair, that beast of a cart was still outside. I had to break it down before I could get it through the door. I just wanted five minutes, then I’d be back to work. I woke up when I heard footsteps. I could hear them surrounding me, but I couldn’t see a damned one of them.

The dwarf's voice grew softer, more intense. "I knew I had to act quickly. I kicked my chair backwards and rolled out of it and grabbed that axe, but swinging at something you can't see is no easy task. I had to rely on my wits. I carry this – a powder made from crushed glowcap mushrooms. It makes the unseen visible."

He leaned forward, his eyes wide with the memory. " I reached into my pack and found the pouch of powder. I threw it into the air, and as it settled, the invisible beings were revealed—ghostly shapes shimmering in the firelight. They were like shadows, barely there, but I could see them now: Dwarves."

"I fought with all my might, swinging my axe and using every ounce of strength I had. They were fast and relentless. I managed to fend them off, but I knew I couldn't last much longer. In a desperate move, I threw more powder into the air, creating a cloud of luminescence around me. It confused them, gave me just enough time to escape."

He sighed, leaning back against the cave wall. "I ran out the door, locked it from the outside. I knew it wouldn’t hold them, but it would slow them down. I stayed hidden until dawn, when I came back, the door was open and they were gone. Suprisingly, I don't think they took a damned thing. It was just me they wanted - and alive. If they wanted me dead, they had plenty of opportunity."

Numchucku asks which direction they were headed.

"North, about the same way you just came from."

You spend the night and set out for Bryn Shander in the morning. Before you leave, you ask Fildreg for some special orders, nothing too fancy: a lightweight shovel and cooking pot, and a flint and steel wheel that can be used to start fires with one hand. He seems a bit disappointed you don't have anything more challenging for him, but tells you to come back in a tenday.

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