Szith Morcane

Your spot was well chosen and though you hear the grinding of stone as the Umberhulks pass through tunnels around you the beasts themselves do not come close. You wake when everyone has rested and by the middle of the day you find yourselves near the gates of Szith Morcane.

The very first thing you note is the lack of any Drow snipers hiding along the way and while it is assuredly possible that you didn't see them, the second thing you notice brings that previous item back into stark clarity because when you are at the gate no one challenges you. This may be a small trading post with just one merchant family in charge but, you should have been challenged at the very least.

DC 14 Perception: There are sounds at the arrow slits, someone is eating something there. Taking a careful look you can see a decaying Zombie slowly snacking on the remains of the guard that was formerly here.

Yao Pu and Ryo'fein scout ahead. Ryo, climbs up the walled palisade next to the door as if it were a ladder and Yao Pu simply floats over. On the other side the pair find the remnants of two guards still being chewed on by ten or so zombies while six skeletons wearing the remnants of guard uniforms wander around the area between the door and the next set of defenses.

The set of defenses beyond the door and palisade is the remnants of a ten-foot-long stone bridge over a chasm filled with spikes. In addition to the ten zombies wandering between the palisade and the door you also note quite a number of holes drilled into the stone here. It is easy to guess that someone attacked the gate with a large force of undead.

Yao Pu, is able to fly past the Zombies and scout a bit further past the destroyed bridge. Two stone pillars stand next to the bridge with steel doors shut and, in the arrow slits, the Imp can see living guards huddled in the relative safety of the pillar. Beyond the pillars there is a small, and now destroyed market, and what looks to be a lift to go down into the rest of the outpost.

All in all, the small army of undead at the gates might have been a challenge for some simple Drow guards but, compared to the skilled Drow of House Platin they might as well be a walk in the park.

Your group along with the summoned Imp are easily able to kill the small horde of undead. It takes a few moments and your armor is decorated with the remnants of the zombies and skeletons.

All in all, it was easier than having to watch one of the House Platin younglings. Some of you may still have nightmares from those experiences....

The only problem you come to is the bridge, which is ruined and trapped. Sure, parts of it are technically standing but, the pile of corpses on the spikes below suggest that doing so would be rather unsafe. The chasm is about sixty feet across though cut, it wouldn't be impossible to climb across or send Yao Pu over with some ropes...

Ryo’fein nimbly traverses the bridge and Kalafein ensures that he and Burny can cross without falling into the spikes below.

The small tent shops and trading area are destroyed but most of the dead bodies in the area look like zombies. The lift building that would take you lower has been shut and locked. A look down into the chasm below shows a small town laid out along stone paths that have been shaped to make the town look like a spider web.

The survivors near the wall (outside just east of S1 and where you came into s1 from where you came in) are holed up in the safety of the towers. After some amount of knocking at the door of the lift area (the brown room in s1) you are able to get someone’s attention.

A female face peers through a small hole and then moments later T’rissae feels a splash of cold water. Once she doesn’t scream in pain from the holy water the door to the lift area opens. The woman shakes her head and says, "Guard Captain Sehlia at your service. I don’t exactly have any orders for what to do with living Drow coming in to the city unless it’s a supply caravan which you aren’t…"

In the lift area the woman in charge has a few male guards who are sleeping. "Don’t mind the boys they just came back from the mistresses."

She tries with some difficulty to get out, "The mistresses came in and took over a few days ago." She keeps trying and looks like she would really like to say more but, fails.

Instead she rubs her neck and points to a map of the city, "So, the Bazaar is somewhat safe, house Sylvatreen has surrendered to the new mistresses but might be safe. Shrine to Ghaundar hasn’t been desecrated yet. Slave caverns are being defended by Fiera she’s a Fire Giant and apparently doesn’t like undead much. House Morcane was taken over by the new mistress in charge. She and her sister are doing something down at the Fane of Lolth."

She shrugs and adds, "Don’t bother asking the boys any questions. They don’t have much will power left. I can do my best to answer your questions if you have them."

The Guard Captain looks at T’rissae, "Lolth went quiet a few day back and the T'sarran Sisters and their undead seemed ready for it. Zombies attacked the gates to distract us while the wraiths, demons, and Vampire sisters went into House Morcane and killed everyone. Came back out and said they were running the city. Not many of us were going to say no after that."

She shrugs, "I had to go in and get her kiss. Every one of us guards did if we didn’t want to become zombies or skeletons. Honestly these blood suckers aren’t much different than the group they replaced."

She gestures to the two men who are staring at you mostly mindlessly. "Those two might disagree though. They still follow orders but, not much left upstairs." She passes a hand over their eyes and they don’t react.

Kalafein and T’rissae know that powerful vampires can control those that they bite and even turn them into basically mindless thralls but those who have enough willpower can resist this. Clearly the two men don’t have enough willpower and their captain does. Though you suspect that she’s still under a charm effect.

Scouting: Ya Pu can fly and thus doesn’t need the lift. The spirit reports that the Bazaar (Y12) still has some living Drow though clearly not as many as once lived and worked there. Additionally the caves where the common Drow and their slaves live (Y16) seems relatively unscathed by the recent fighting and changes in leadership.

Knowledge House Baenre = Success!

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You need not even put pen to paper to know that Matron Mother Baenre will not be pleased by this situation. At the very least she will ask you to ascertain the condition of Lolth’s ‘Holy’ site in the outpost.

Matron Mother Platin, your own matron mother, would likely prefer you depart and you continue on your way as long as you can somehow work in a truthful report that won’t cause House Baenre to order you further in.

The difficult thing, of course, is doing so. The book you write your report in will assuredly make it difficult to even lie through omissions.

You make your way to the Bazaar level avoiding most of the lingering undead. You note that there is a Drider priestess, clearly not of Lolth, staying near the doors to the Merchant House and closest to the path down into the Commoners area. She is clearly keeping an eye on things on the Bazaar level and likely little will pass her gaze lower into the cavern. When you get closer to her, you easily note that her holy symbol is one of Ghaunadar, the god of outcasts, slimes, and abominations.

The locals in the Bazaar avoid you but, you can approach the Drider priestess of Ghuanadar if you wish. You would also easily note that the doors to the Merchant House down here denote them as House Sylvatreen and have been made holy ground, likely dedicated to Ghaunadar. If you attempt to go down into the common area she will call out, "Do not go down any further, the lower area is protected by House Sylvatreen. I will not allow anyone to pass who does not meet with my approval."

House Morcane itself has some sort or ward in the cavern approaching the doorway and it is very difficult for you to approach it.

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DM Notes:

1) The walkway down has a detect life and detect undead spell placed on it from floor to ceiling. There's nearly no way to avoid being noticed by the priestess. If you want to make the attempt it is a DC 25 spot check and a DC 30 disable device check.

2) House Morcane has a powerful ward around it. DC 18 wisdom save to approach the door. DC 20 wisdom save to actually enter the building.

Driders are not usual within Menzoberanzan, it is understood that they have done something to be punished by Lolth herself and are thus exiled from the city. Szith Morcane clearly couldn’t afford to exile those who might keep the outpost safe and thus they have a Merchant house of Driders within the city. The woman looks to Kalafein her expression is grim.

"You are not undead, nor do I recognize you as a local. This is a poor time for trade visitor and I would recommend you depart as soon as you can because The T’sarran house holds ill will towards any who worship Lolth. Indeed, I suspect ill will towards all who are alive. I only remain to try and ensure as many citizens can escape before they complete whatever they came here to do."

If he asks about the T’sarran house she will say, "They are a clan of Vampires, once a powerful force here and in Maermydra until they attempted to overthrow the clergy of Lolth and replace it with worship of Kiaransalee, mistress of undeath and revenge. Those of the house who were not killed exiled themselves from Maerymydra and Szith Morcane. We had wrongly assumed they had perished in the Underdark but, apparently that was not the case."

If asked what she thinks the T’sarran clan plans she says, "Lolth is silent, what better time to pervert the Fane within house Morcane and begin summoning a tide of undead to attack Daggerdale above or the rest of the Underdark here."

The Drider thinks and adds, "Oh I did forget to give you, my name. I am Gia Sylvatreen, priestess of Ghuanadar. As for favors well I suppose asking you to attack the T'sarran sisters is a bit much since I am not myself going out and doing it."

She shrugs and looks down the ramp, "Honesty though if you could help some my sisters down below? Fierna, a local fire giantess who lives in the cavern, is rather attached to the halfling slaves and is being difficult about allowing them to leave. If you could convince her that it is for the best, I would be rather grateful and if you do by chance want to make the attempt at the Vampires do let me know and I'll provide some helpful items for a very low price."