After a spell of rest, our band of adventurers sauntered back to the Hydroforge, steely-eyed and ready to face the wraiths lurking in the shadows. Jace, the quick-draw gunslinger, and Caolán Moonclaw, the sharp-eyed sniper, strapped on their Ghost Touch and Astral runes, like gunslingers loading their six-shooters. As they approached a sealed room in the dim corridor of the Hydroforge, Jace fought off a lingering disease, clearing the way for the crew to tackle the trials ahead. Scarlet, the mischievous cat phoenix sorcerer, cast Haste on Jace, giving him the speed of a prairie wind before he stealthily cracked open the door to scout the interior.
Inside, Jace reported a changed enemy presence—zombies with chemical burns, like the remnants of a bad showdown. The party quickly hatched a bait plan to lure the zombies into the hallway, minimizing the risk of being overwhelmed by the undead horde. As the zombies lumbered closer, Caolán took the first shot, landing a critical hit on one of the chemically burned fiends. Jace followed up with a Bullet Split, striking two of the undead like a gunslinger in a duel. Stirmi, the druid, advanced with purpose and unleashed a Vitality Lash, critically damaging and sending one zombie to its final resting place, triggering a fiery explosion that scorched him but left Jace untouched.
The battle raged on, the zombies pressing their attacks through the doorway but struggling to land a hit. Scarlet mounted his trusty steed, Crimson, and attempted a demoralizing insult, though it fell flat against the undead. Caolán, with the precision of a seasoned sharpshooter, crippled another target with a critical shot. Jace coordinated their melee and ranged efforts, using his Invisibility Gem after striking, while Stirmi lashed another zombie, enfeebling it. The team held their ground, avoiding further explosions as they systematically took down the remaining zombies.
With the immediate threat neutralized, the party ventured into a Control Room filled with windows overlooking an underwater river and various machinery controls. Scarlet’s attempts to interact with the controls yielded noise but no useful results. Jace listened at a southern door, catching the sound of panicked breathing within. After expertly picking the lock, he swung the door open to reveal Glorianne, a nervous Hydroforge engineer hiding from the undead menace. Glorianne spun a harrowing tale of a pale wizard necromancer and a mechanical construct, discussing plans involving “Loveless” and “Ibrium.” She also warned the party about flooding in the lower levels and quickly demonstrated the Hydroforge controls for emergency use.
Grateful for their assistance, Glorianne handed the party a potion of Shrinking (greater) before they escorted her to safety. Returning to the depths of the Hydroforge, the group opened a door leading to a cylindrical tank room, where two smoke‑wraith emerged, exuding a choking gas aura like a dust storm on the horizon. Caolán’s gas mask gave him the edge, allowing him to engage at range while Stirmi unleashed a Vitality Lash against one wraith. Jace charged in, striking the first wraith in melee and destroying it despite its incorporeal nature. Scarlet followed up with a well-timed Fireball, sending the second wraith to the great beyond.
As the party surveyed the tank, Caolán spotted a corpse clutching a lockbox at the bottom. Stirmi commanded his bird companion, Buddy, to retrieve it, securing 500 gold pieces for the party. They then descended a stairwell into slime-slick tunnels, where they were ambushed by giant skeletal crocodiles, like a pack of hungry wolves. Stirmi summoned a Flame Drake to engage, but the skeletal beasts focused their attacks and destroyed the summon. Scarlet conjured a Great Ironbill to pressure the crocodiles while unleashing a Blazing Bolt that vaporized one and freed Jace from a grapple.
Despite taking some hits, Jace repositioned for healing opportunities while urging his allies to support him in melee. Caolán delivered a critical shot that shattered one crocodile’s skull, freeing Stirmi from its grasp. Stirmi cast Cloak of Light, healing himself and triggering its damaging aura as he moved into the fray. With the team focusing their fire, they ultimately brought down the last skeletal crocodile, leaving the tunnels quiet once more.