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In attendance:
| Chris | Roderick | Cleric/18 |
| Dave | Aramil | Ranger/17, Horizon Walker/1 |
| Jim | Bigby | Wizard/15, Archmage/3 |
| Kurt | Pavo | Dwarf Sorcerer/1, Fighter/10, Dwarven Defender/7? |
| THF | Flint | Svirfneblin Druid/15 |
| Val | Kesi | Monk/16 |
22 March 1109
With the Beholder defeated, the party confronts the only survivors among his minions: Two Drow Captains. Bigby quickly discerns that they have been charmed, but with Vincent's assistance, they eventually cough up information about their master.
His name was Ton'ang, and he had ruled his little corner of the Underdark for at least ten years - probably longer. However, while the Drow eventually give up information about the Beholder's treasure stash, they know nothing about a portal buried under the stone. It remains a mystery whether Ton'ang knew about it or not. In the end, the Drow are allowed to leave.
The Beholder's treasure: Magic Items
Money
Gems 59 Gems of various size, shapes, colors, and values (31,043 gp total)
Art 9 pieces of art with apparent value (10,020 gp total)
While the treasure is being retrieved and tallied by the others, Flint casts a “Transmute Rock to Mud” to clear out the rubble covering the portal. As soon as Bigby gets a look at the portal, he Dimension Doors to study it - and determines it may be one of the legendary "Godstones". It is made of a grey, featureless stone material similar to the kind of stone created by a magical spell and stands ten feet high, five by three feet at the base, and four by three feet at the top.
Roderick casts a “Wall of Stone” to buttress the unsteady ceiling over the portal and then, when Bigby is unable to discern an obvious method for activating the stone, he casts “Divination” to ask Imhotep how. The answer he receives is, “The journey between worlds begins with a journey of the mind.”
Speculating that perhaps a “journey of the mind” refers to a dream vision, the party decides to spend the night at the base of the Godstone. To ensure their safety, Flint casts a “Wall of Stone” to seal them.
23 March 1109
When no dream visions appear to them during the night, Roderick casts a “Legend Lore” spell to try to learn more. The answer he receives is only slightly less cryptic than the one from the previous day: “Those who can extend their minds beyond their bodies can reach into the stone and begin the journey.”
After some more thought and experiments, Bigby (inspired in part by a comment from Pavo) deduces that the Godstone is actually a psionic device. While travelling with Bria through Hades' Underworld, Bigby learned a little about psionic devices. He puts this knowledge to use and, after a few attempts, manages to activate the portal - changing its near face to an utterly black “door” measuring eight feet tall trapezoid, four feet wide at the base and three feet wide at the top.
Without a moment's hesitation, Bigby jumps into the blackness - only to find that the other end of the portal is choked with rubble and he is painfully ejected back to this side. However, he learns enough to know that a very small creature could probably make it through.
To this end, Flint shape shifts into a weasel and then Aramil casts a Reduce Animal spell on him to make him as small as possible. Bigby then links minds via a Telepathic Bond spell and Flint slinks through the gate. Because his mind link does not cross the planes, Bigby learns (to his relief), that the other end of the portal resides on the material plane.
On the other side, Flint finds the space more choked with rubble than Bigby described. Nevertheless, he is able to cast two Stone Shape spells to clear enough rubble to get the rest of the party through.
With everyone through, Roderick casts a Wind Walk spell so that the party can seep through the cracks in the rubble without having to clear out the rocks using messy and/or loud spells. They emerge into a heavily worked tunnel and discover metal rail tracks.
While puzzling over the tracks and debating their next action, the party hears a muffled explosion to the left. Bigby argues that the explosion probably denotes a mining operation and that any city would be found to the right. Pavo, meanwhile, argues that the explosion could be a siege - in which case, they should head left - toward the explosion. In the end, Pavo's argument (and the party's general curiosity) holds sway.
To the left, the tunnel gently rises. After about a mile, the party encounters a small group of Duergar Scouts. They rush in, spells and powers at the ready, only to discover a main force of Duergar defended by a large Iron Golem with an Antimagic field surrounding it. While negating much of the party's power, the field seems to have no ill effects on the Golem. In addition, the Golem throws a small metal barrel at the party as they approach. This barrel strikes Flint, who was charging into the fray in Triceratops form and explodes, dealing significant damage to Flint, despite his rugged form.
The combat drags on, but eventually the party is able to whittle the Golem down. While this goes on, Bigby runs through the Duergar defenses only to find himself face-to-face with a pair of Enlarged Duergar Defenders - who quickly crush the life out of him down with their War Hammers. Luckily for Bigby, Roderick was nearby and manages to cast a spell which restores his life with no adverse consequences.
Behind the Defenders, a Duergar Druid controls the combat. However, the newly revived Bigby gets close enough to drop him with a Finger of Death spell. With him and the Iron Golem down, the Defenders and remaining Scouts don't last much longer.
With the combat over, the party surveys the scene and discovers a large mining cart parked at the terminus of the rails - loaded with nearly four dozen explosive barrels. A second Iron Golem guards a second tunnel, which contains a smaller set of rails descending into the darkness. The gauge of these rails seem to match grooves on the outside of the explosive barrels.
The Duergar's treasure: Magic Items
Money
Gems
XP awarded: 2,800 for Bigby, Roderick, Aramil, Pavo and Flint; and 5,200 for Kesi.