Our Heroes, having warned the Ten Towns of the Duergar invasion plot, decided to attack Sunblight itself.
They rode with haste to the fortress, finding the austere citadel hewn from the steep cliffside in the spine of the world.
They krept quietly to the front gate, and after struggling to open the stone doors, were surprised to find them open automatically, revealing the path inside.
The fortress was as plain inside as it was outside. corridors and rooms choked with fumes and smoke from a forge deep below, and a layer of ash covering nearly everything.
They slew the guards in a barracks before exploring a bedchamber filled with treasure. They were forced to leave when a trapped chest caused poison gas to be issued from a bas relief above the bed.
They found a war room containing a map of the ten towns, and a chardalyn model of a dragon at the end of a moveable stand,. The miniature looked valuable to Yrso, so she snapped it off and pocketed it.
Later they met Dreck, who surprisingly offered assistance. He explained that Grandolpha was Xardorok’s paramour at one time, but would be happy to meet with our heroes to cement her plot to depose him.
Grandolpha herself was found dining on intellect devourer and drinking foul Duergar ale. She offered an alliance. She explained that she had no stake in Xardorok’s 10 towns campaign, and that she would rather return to the underdark – a home the Duergar earned through pain and hardship. She promised that if Xardorok and his remaining son were slain, she would leave. She seemed to have no interest in the construct Xardorok is building. She sent messengers through the citadel to inform her allies of our heroes presence.
Our heroes then confronted Nildar, Xardorok’s son, and his ‘pet’ zombie ogre.
When our heroes were ready to visit the lower level, Dreck offered some insight into the fortresses’ layout. That his elevator leads to the throne room, and that the east elevator leads to a chapel. Our heroes opted to take the chapel route, which led to a small room guarded by a Duergar encased in an exoskeleton that seemed to channel his own pain into his attacks.
The doors forward lead deeper into the Duergar stronghold, and resistance seems to be escalating.