Chapter 4: Part 6: Discovering the Warrens

As the team spends more time in Silvius’ magical mansion with those they saved from the beholder’s stone curses, they all get to know each other better and learn more about the Drow and the caverns. The bonds forming between the adventurers and the rescued souls become stronger as they share stories and experiences.

Shadowscar, who reveals his true name to be Rurik, emerges as a large, bruising human with the rough demeanor of someone who has spent years working as a smith. His powerful frame suggests he is equally capable of wielding the weapons he once forged. For now, he has nothing but his rags. Silvius approaches him, offering, “Would you like some leather armor from the Drow? And what kind of weapon would you prefer?”

Before Rurik can respond, Czolg walks up with Jarl’s massive pipe, repurposed as a greatclub. Rurik gives the club a few experimental swings, feeling its balance and weight. He nods in approval, a rare smile breaking across his rugged face.

Next, Silvius turns to Arannis, the surface elf, who appears to be a dextrous bowman. “And you, Arannis, what would you need?”

Arannis, grateful and a bit disoriented by his new freedom, accepts Silvius’ offer. He is provided with some of the Drow leather armor, a longbow with twenty arrows, and a shortsword. He thanks Silvius, his eyes showing a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long while.

Silvius then turns to Xilrath and Tilandra, the Drow couple, and asks what types of weapons they use. Xilrath laughs and shakes his head, responding, “What use would any of that be to us?”

Silvius counters, “It helps deal with the types of things that turned you two into stone.”

Xilrath’s expression grows more serious. “We are safer in what we wear than in what you offer,” he says, his tone laced with pride and a hint of defiance.

After some time resting, the team decides to head out along with their new allies. They first check on the stone giant and the lizardfolk they had encountered earlier. All are still asleep but look livelier than before, their previously stone-frozen features now appearing more relaxed and natural.

Czolg, ever curious, tries to poke one of the lizardfolk awake, but despite his efforts, they won’t budge. The team exchanges glances, deciding it’s best to let them rest for now. However, they choose to hang on to the lizardfolk weapons, reasoning they might prove useful later.

With their new allies in tow, they wander around for a while in the beholder’s maze-like lair. The winding paths and dead ends seem endless, but the team presses on, determined to find a way forward. Eventually, they find a narrower path leading to the southeast that seems to promise a way onward.

Eventually, they come to a familiar sight: a room with glowing crystals embedded in the walls and a lever to one side. It is a mirror image of the rooms they had used to enter the lair of the beholder. The crystals cast a soft, eerie light, illuminating the room in a pale glow.

“Déjà vu,” Kalinar mutters, his eyes scanning the room.

The team steps across the room cautiously, their movements echoing slightly in the cavernous space. Oscorn reaches for the lever and pulls it. The crystals hum briefly, and the door on the other side of the room creaks open, revealing another dark passage beyond.

They walk through the door, the passage narrowing slightly as they move deeper into the tunnels. Fennuris kneels to examine the ground, searching for any signs of recent activity.

“Tracks,” he says, his voice low. “Humanoid, wearing shoes. But I can’t tell exactly what they are or how old the tracks might be.”

The team continues down the tunnels, their steps cautious and deliberate. The air grows cooler, and the sound of dripping water echoes faintly through the corridors. The glowing crystals become less frequent, leaving them in near darkness except for the occasional flicker of light.

After a while, the passage begins to widen again, opening into another larger cavern. The cavern is dark and still, the silence almost oppressive. They pause at the entrance, taking in their surroundings.

The team continues down the cave passageways, the ceiling climbing higher and higher. It rises from 30 feet to 40, then to 50 feet, and still higher, up to 200 feet. The vast expanse above them makes the passage feel more like a canyon than a tunnel.

They press on, heading toward what appears to be a solid wall with high ceilings banking to the left. As they approach, everyone but Czolg notices a series of footings—barely visible ledges that form a precarious pathway climbing upward. These footings lead to the left, toward the ceiling.

Silvius mounts Kazik and takes to the air, flying up along the trail. He finds that the path becomes more defined as it ascends. Spotting a sturdy anchor point, he ties off a rope and drops it down for the rest of the team.

One by one, the team members begin to climb, using the rope to steady themselves. The ascent is slow, each member carefully placing their feet on the narrow ledges. Czolg’s powerful arms help him haul himself up with relative ease, but even he takes care not to misstep.

As they reach the top, the trail narrows into a tunnel that seems to close in around them. They enter the tunnel, their footsteps echoing in the confined space. The tunnel then begins to slope upward again, leading them to what feels like the crest of a small hill.

The passage levels off, revealing a flat area where they can catch their breath. Silvius turns to Xilandra. “Are we on course for the drow?”

Xilandra looks around, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. “I’ve never been here before. This seems like a seldom-used trail.”

Silvius edges forward, peering through the water flowing under and through a seldom-used passage. Beyond, he sees activity—humanoids moving north. Drow, bugbears, and kobolds are all talking and moving around, some setting up sleeping areas along the sides of the tunnel.

Czolg grumbles, “If we’re going to be traders, we need something to trade.” He hands Xilandra a large gem.

“We’ll send Xilandra in first,” Oscorn decides, handing Xilandra a carved art object worth about 25 gold pieces. “See what you can find out.”

Silvius waits on the far side of the tunnel, ready to return with Xilandra once he’s done, while the others remain on the opposite side of the narrow, water-filled crossing.

Xilandra moves cautiously through the bustling tunnel. After some time, he returns with a report. “It’s a massive trading post, filling with vendors because of an upcoming festival in a few days. We’re at one of the smaller entrances. These are merely peddlers here, and none of them have any major goods. No armor. Everyone is waiting for the bigger market.”

He pauses, looking thoughtful. “There seems to be magic afoot. No language barriers—once you’re out there, you can hear the meaning of any spoken language in your mind.”

“The trading post itself is run by a group of Drow,” Xilandra continues. “I ran into a bunch of Tomtors selling some art. Passage through the warrens is open. From the dialogue I had with some of the groups, passage is always open, whether the market is there or not.”

After some prompting from Xilandra that Operation Trundle Wagon needs to develop their own connections, Silvius agrees to take some of the art they’ve recently found and have some conversations. Oscorn hands Silvius a kris (non-magical), a carved art object worth 25 gold pieces, several green gems, and an opaque white gem.

Xilandra and Silvius head back to the entrance. As they walk along, Xilandra asks, “What are you trying to do here?”

Silvius responds, “We will make some trades, find out what some of the big deals on the inside are.”

They pass by some kobolds drinking and being loud, as well as other types of humanoids talking and sitting around. Eventually, Xilandra shows Silvius the art dealers he met earlier. The dealers are a group of Drow, sitting around a table between them and the main path of the tunnel.

Xilandra leads Silvius to the table. The Drow, dressed in dark, elegant robes, eye them with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

“Good evening,” Xilandra says smoothly. “We have some items we believe might interest you.”

Xilandra thumps the statue on the table, catching the Drow’s attention. They turn around, and one of them, a well-dressed male Drow, steps forward.

“Normath from Tomtor,” he introduces himself, nodding at Xilandra. “Well, we can call them friends.”

He examines the statue with interest. “This is an intriguing piece. I’m into art, mostly Drow stuff—deities, things like that. A few good scrolls too. If you want good stuff, talk to Dana.”

“Who’s Dana?” Silvius asks.

Normath raises an eyebrow. “First time in the Warrens, I see. Dana is the one to go to if you want to run the checks. She handles all the major trades. They want to know what you’re selling and what you’re looking for. Weapons, artifacts, information—all go through Dana.”

Silvius and Xilandra exchange glances. “And how do we find Dana?” Silvius inquires.

Normath gestures to a passageway on the right. “Head down that tunnel. You’ll find her at the end. Just tell them Normath sent you.”

“Thanks,” Silvius says, handing Normath a small pouch with 20 gold pieces. “We appreciate the help.”

Normath smiles, tucking the pouch away. “Anytime. Love to trade. Good luck.”

Silvius returns to the team and shares his interaction with Normath from Tomtor. “We need to talk to Dana for major trades,” he explains. The team agrees and gathers their belongings, heading to the bustling trading post.

Their presence draws some curious glances, but most traders are indifferent after seeing the Drow with them. Finding a few empty beds near the side of the tunnel, they set up a temporary base, laying out their gear and taking a moment to rest.

As they see some bugbears approaching, everyone begins to get used to the constant chatter, understanding everything regardless of the language spoken.

Silvius greets the passing bugbears. “Hello there.”

The bugbears, surprised but friendly, respond. “Hello. We’re here to keep the peace, but be wary of where you wander. Once the market is about to open, we’ll start the check-in process.”

The bugbears also mention, “If anything serious happens, that’s what the trolls are for. You wouldn’t want to see them—there’s a throng of them here, maybe hundreds.”

“We’re lucky enough to be patrolmen,” one of the bugbears continues. “We work for Dana and Asperdies. Also lucky to be at this gate. There’s another gate to the north and an offshoot gate. There’s a slug or something causing issues at one of them. Glad it’s quiet here.”

Silvius nods. “If you need help with the slug, my group and I would be happy to assist.”

The bugbears reply, “Somebody may come about the slug. We’ll let you know.”