DavesGaming

Our next excursion, to The Wailing Dwarf, was more prolonged. [This whole update will be the Throne of the Mad God mod by Acifer].

It had started a few weeks back when we first heard the story of Bryam Lancameth and his doomed expedition.

That is a huge statue carved from the mountain entrance to the ancient Dwarven kingdom of Korolnor. The song version of the story was big on heroic adventure, but light on any real details. We talked to the bard after, who directed us to Sir Lancameth’s widow for more detailed information.

This expedition seemed to be mostly about finding the source of all the evil trolls in the Troll Mountains. also about knowledge of the fallen kingdom, and the possibility of a great dwarven treasure. I wasn’t too motivated by the loot aspect of the story, but helping the Lady learn what happened to her husband seemed important. That and reducing a troll menace. She had papers that offered more details of the team, and all important, directions to the site!
It would prove to be a long, hard day’s travel from De’Arnise. Not too far north of the Temple of Amaunator we recently restored, but into the mountains.

Things went downhill from there. Goblins aren’t easily persuaded of much. Of course they aren’t really much of a barrier either.

Verbeeg giants were the “biggest” threat on the path (Verbeeg? Very big? I wonder about the etymology. Anyway, Verbeeg are not the biggest giants, but they are the most human looking. Just like ten foot tall people). We saw something large and misshapen higher up the mountain, but mostly we fought goblins and orcs. A couple teams of Verbeeeg, and a few odd trolls.

We also passed through a few buildings, and ruins of buidings along the way. Until we finally came to the entrance. The main entrance to Korolnor.

Trolls are generally less dangerous than giants, but they regenerate even what we would call fatal wounds. Fire or acid can usually put an end to that. But here we would encounter a number of odd trolls. Hybridized trolls or something. We did find a list, someone was playing dangerous games with breeding trolls. And we had to pay attention to *exactly what* we were fighting to bring them down.
This would be a rucurring issue throughout the old dwarven ruins, especially the first part.

A name we heard a lot in the first part of these ruins was Ursummnogh the Unkillable. Apparently the king of the trolls, or at least the king of the trolls in this part of the mountain.

Skie and Imoen both carry swords and they can fight if they must! But its never the best use of them.

We had entered a large area of connected rooms. We cleared it as best we could, and came to a large, old voice tube in a pile of rancid muck. Someone was coursely shouting commands we heard through the tube. We exchanged some unpleasentries, and were soon confronted by Ursummnogh and his guard of elite trolls.

Silly name though. Then we had a problem. The gate out of this area was blocked by a gate we could not open. We gradually learned we needed a special key. And although it wasn’t here, we did have the means to cast a new one.

We also faced a vampire and some sort of undead trolls? But eventually we had a newly made key and were able to proceed.

Through the gate, well first thing we met the unearthly remains of one member of Bryam’s expedition. The halfling rogue. He told us the expedition had been betrayed from within. He didn’t know who, but someone on the team had sent ahead the information they were coming. We found his bones just nearby, he’d been done in by a fiendish trap. He said he’d only find peace when the traitor was found.

We continued on down a grand staircase from here, like only dwarves can work stone.

We seemed to nearing the bottom when a voice called to us, from down low on the floor?

They offered information in exchange for a cheese wheel in the next room. With the warning there were giants. They suggested we could sneak in and retrieve the cheese all quiet like.

These were Fomorian Giants. That must be what we saw further up the hillside? They are the most hideous of giantkind, all twisted and deformed to one degree or another. We must have slain almost a dozen. When the room had fallen silent we took the cheese wheel back to the rats.
They did have information, but not a lot that was hugely helpful. There perpective is uh, from a low angle. We gathered there were still more of the Fomarian’s, including a Giant King. And a lot of someones smaller, smaller than us and dark. Are there still dwarves here? Maybe Duergar? Or Derro? We’ve read much of the dark history of this place the last few days. Korolnor had once been devoted to the demi-god Diinkaarazan, who later went mad and was banashed from the dwarven pantheon. The kingdom devoted itself more broadly to their dwarven pantheon afterwards and adopted Clangeddin Silverbeard as their defender and patron. But dwarves allied with trolls and giants sounds dark.

For now, we decided to finish exploring this small realm of the Fomorians.

He was full of bluster. More interesting, there was another voice tube next to his throne.

We explored the area, there was more to see than I can describe here. the ancient dwarves were amazing craftsmen. The recent inhabitents have been hard on this place. We found a great hall of the dwarven kingdoms, it looked like we would need to solve a puzzle to go any deeper. But so far we seemed to be missing key pieces. A long hall led towards a great open area.

Its been said they are *all* insane. I will not dispute that wisdom. Unlike other sorts of dwarves they have magic-users. This made for some exciting action, never mind more trolls and some, few undead. It took us quite some time to clear this area. In the end, we seemed to have all the pieces needed for the puzzle back behind us.
And I should mention, we’ve now met the rest of Bryam’s team. In spirit form. All except Bryam himself and one known as the “dog wizard”. They all begged us to find and administure justice to the traitor.
The math isn’t hard to figure who the traitor must be.

With our newly solved puzzle we were able to descend the next grand staircase. This took us into the entryway of the large dwarven temple. Continuing into the temple itself, a great statue of Clangeddin stood at far end.

We had found the dog wizard, and the traitor. He boasted we would help him open the door behind him. It was blocked to all dwarves. Now things got a little wierd. Nevermind why Bryam and his crew ever joined with this nutter.
And maybe he was a threat to those who weren’t looking out for him? He was no great challenge to us. Eh, I don’t want to get too cocky. Certainly a few months back he would have been a challenge.
But the door he wanted open, that we would not open for him. Now we opened it. We had learned Bryam sealed himself behind this door to keep the crazed Derro OUT. But with no more crazed Derro, we would find Bryam.

It needs to be mentioned, since we’ve entered this place, we have been beset by the occasional Vargouille. A particularly hideous sort of undead that opens combat with a stunning attack, then it infects its victim with a curse. The curse will cause the victim to become a Vargouille themselves. We have been fortunate with six of us, we have never been ALL stunned, and we always have enough to prevail against these accursed things. But Bryam went through this gate alone.

We were forced to kill him. Destroy him? End his unlife. We wrapped his remains in a thick canvas and will see if his home temple can bring him some peace.
Now there seemed only one thing left to do. We needed to pass through a gateway into the throneroom of the Mad God, Diinkaarazan. We think, if he can be suppressed, it will quiet whatever has been calling so much evil into these hills. Oof.

Well here goes.

Suffice to say the Troll Mountains should be quieter for some time.

When we left, we encountered the remains of Bryam’s team one last time.

They would be at peace now.

We returned to Athkatla and to the Temple of Helm, Bryam’s faith. Of course they had known of him, even known him. And were horrified by his fate. A cleansing ritual visibly changed his remains, he was the face of a man at peace. Sadly that was all he was. But it was better than how we found him.

*****

Throne of the Mad God is a total blast. I think its the best designed and most fun mod I’ve played. Clearly reminiscent of Durlag’s Tower.
The nice thing is, as epic as it seems, it is not a HUGE amount of experience or treasure. Its generous, but not overwhelming. Its a little more time consuming than the other sub-adventures that make up all of BG2, but it delivers no more reward than any of the others. Which means its nicely balanced.
Beautiful and epic.