Emberdale's Volcano¶
Vashember freed; anchor destroyed · The mountain that once warmed the town
The source of Emberdale's failing heat, and the place where Vashember's name is being erased. First entered in Session 10.
The way in¶
The main door was blocked. A path around the mountain led to a smaller hatch radiating heat, with spiral stairs descending into the entrance hall.
On the ascent, the party encountered a corrected pilgrim and an invisible stalker. Krunk outlined the stalker with fiery oil so the party could bring it down.
The entrance hall¶
A circular chamber surrounds a central shaft and mine cart. A sphinx counts entrants and asks riddles for its employer. Each answer opens one door on Level 1.
The nine-orb room¶
Breaking the orbs released treasure and monsters, including a tar ooze made more dangerous by fire. The true iron key opened a chest holding Vash.
The party also found a ring of feather falling, a wand of hold person, and a gold ring that lied about its powers.
The fungus chamber¶
Blue fungus covered the walls. The party harvested flammable spores.
The lava valve¶
The control room offered a choice: send heat toward the freezing town or divert lava away from the depths. The party chose the latter, intending to weaken whatever waited below. The eventual effect is not yet known.
The numbered golems and Korr¶
The party selected 9 from 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and gained a flesh golem ally. Beyond the room, Korr continued making tools for the volcano.
Both Korr and the sphinx referred to an employer the party now associates with Diamabel.
The prayer river¶
The mine cart descends to a central chamber with hundreds of prayer candles floating southeast along a watercourse. Boats were available; the party chose to explore through the doors on foot.
This junction connects the rooms of Level 2. It was also where Ser Bluto later intercepted the party with eight henchmen. Krunk's greatclub opened a fissure during the resulting fight. Bluto died in that pit after being kicked back inside and bombarded with thunder roots.
The freed magma octopus was last seen swimming away along this river.
The four seals¶
All four must be cleared to open the way to Level 3.
| Seal | Room | What happened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purple | The scriptorium | Snarla and Burket defeated; purple lamps darkened | Cleared |
| Blue | The candle gallery | Fenro gave blood to Ctenmiir | Cleared |
| Green | The menagerie | The magma octopus freed | Cleared |
| Gold | Southern lava corridor | Corrupted attackers defeated in Session 11 | Cleared |
Bluto offered to bypass the remaining requirement if the party left the anchor intact. They refused. The party instead cleared the gold seal in the southern corridor during Session 11.
The name¶
| Syllable | Found in | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Vash | Level 1, the orb-room chest | Recovered |
| Em | Scratched into a desk in the scriptorium, found by Arthas | Recovered |
| Ber | Unburnt hymnal in a Level 3 brazier, found by Arthas | Recovered |
The polished corridor¶
Level 3 begins with a frictionless, mirror-polished floor, spinning blades along its edges, and an illusory wall at the far end. The flesh golem slipped into the blades and died. A thrown boot revealed the false wall; Niko flew a rope across for the party.
Four chains¶
Four rooms fed chains descending to Vashember's cage:
| Room | How the chain was loosened |
|---|---|
| Northwest hymn chamber | Ber found in an unburnt hymnal; blue flame carried to the unlit braziers |
| Northeast bell chamber | Bell mechanism stopped and the suspended pilgrim freed |
| Southeast workshop | Hessa Ninefold agreed to loosen the chain |
| Southwest mirror chamber | Fenro shattered the mirror with his crossbow |
The flames below dimmed with each success. Bluto's plan to steal the anchor's power was found in the workshop lockbox.
The final cavern¶
An iridescent membrane passage crossed a lava lake. Niko spoke Vashember's name to destroy its fire creature. The chest held Cinderwave and a rib resonating with the party's earlier relics.
Beyond it, basalt columns and a zigzagging path framed the False Ember's battlefield. Speaking the complete name halved its health. After defeating its first form, Niko cast a magical circle and Arthas broke the prison controls before it could return.
Vashember was freed and the anchor destroyed. Emberdale's heat returned.