Chapter Summaries

Renato, Balin, and Flori searched the ruins of Rolling Stone City for the Mind Ripper while evading Duergar patrols. After a patrol discovered them and a Mind Flayer failed to raise an alarm, they killed the group and continued toward District 1.

• Flori, Balin, and Renato dragged three dead Duergar into a fortress hideout and searched it, but the Mind Ripper was not there.
• Flori pried gold from Laduguer's ritual vessels while Renato salvaged an adamantine gauntlet from the ruins.
• Balin ordered the group to leave for District 1, but earthquake rubble forced them onto the main roads.
• A Duergar patrol surrounded the trio, and its Mind Flayer leader questioned Renato telepathically.
• Balin killed the Mind Flayer, and Flori, Renato, and Balin quickly killed the five Duergar slaves before they could raise an alarm.
• Balin ordered Flori to stop looting a corpse and lead the way.

Renato, Balin, and Flori entered District 1 to search Deepforge Fortress for the Artifact, but found a recently slaughtered patrol and signs of a dangerous Mind Flayer attack. After contacting Whitebeard for the Rockborer, Balin urged them onward while Renato prepared for a fight.

• Renato, Balin, and Flori reached District 1, where Balin gave Renato a Feather Fall scroll and they noticed the streets were deserted.
• Balin sent Flori ahead, and the group discovered dead Duergar slaves and a Mind Flayer whose host body had been torn apart.
• Renato found evidence of several different attacks and suggested that more than one Mind Flayer might have been involved.
• Balin contacted Whitebeard and learned that the Rockborer would arrive in half an hour, then ordered the group to keep moving toward the Artifact.
• Renato took out two potions and said he would drink them before the expected fight.

Renato, Balin, and Flori fought Drow ambushers outside Deepforge Fortress, then faced a Drow Priestess and her warriors as they emerged from the gates. Renato was blinded by magic during his duel and struck back by instinct, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Renato found a dead Duergar slave outside Deepforge Fortress and realized Mind Flayers had brought attendants.
• Drow crossbowmen ambushed the group, but Renato and Balin killed the attackers on the left while Flori defeated a rooftop archer.
• A Drow Priestess emerged from the fortress with two warriors and empowered them with divine magic before they attacked.
• Renato traded blows with one warrior while the Priestess lashed at Flori and the other warrior fought Balin.
• The Drow warrior blinded Renato with magic, and Renato raised his Shadow Shield and swung the Silent Lady toward an approaching attack.

Renato and his companions defeated Tristana Nightbreeze’s guards, then met Klauthsura, an unusually articulate Mind Flayer who claimed to oppose the Elder Brain. Klauthsura explained that it had been exiled and began telling Renato that no one could truly escape the Elder Brain.

• Renato used his last glimpse of the Drow warrior’s position to kill him after being blinded, while Balin blasted the other guard to death.
• A Mind Flayer emerged from a psionic portal, stopped Tristana Nightbreeze from casting, and persuaded the group to negotiate by claiming they shared the goal of opposing the Elder Brain.
• Renato, Balin, and Flori followed the Mind Flayer into Deepforge Fortress, where Tristana stood under its control and Flori kept his crossbow trained on it.
• The Mind Flayer introduced itself as Klauthsura and showed an image of Laduguer’s rebellion against the Mind Flayers and the Elder Brain.
• Klauthsura said the Elder Brain had exiled it, but told Renato that no one could truly escape the Elder Brain and noted Renato’s desire for knowledge.

Klauthsura revealed the Mind Ripper and proposed an alliance, but Renato and the others attacked instead. Balin freed the artifact, which broke the Mind Flayers’ hold over their servants; the ensuing battle brought down the fortress, forcing Renato and his companions to flee.

• Klauthsura revealed the Mind Ripper and explained that it could oppose the Elder Brain, then proposed that Renato’s group defend it while the Mind Flayer broke its barrier.
• Renato attacked Klauthsura while Balin rejected the proposed alliance and threw a Deepforge Emblem at the artifact’s pedestal, dispelling its protective barrier.
• The Drow priestess attacked Klauthsura with her whip, but Klauthsura struck her with a Mind Blast and escaped through a portal.
• Balin took the Mind Ripper as portals brought Mind Flayers and their servants into the fortress, where the artifact freed the servants from their masters’ control.
• The freed servants attacked the Mind Flayers, and the battle damaged the fortress until Balin shouted for everyone to run and Renato charged for an exit.

Renato and his allies fought through the chaos after the Mind Flayers lost control of their slaves, while the collapsing fortress threatened to bury them all. As District 1 began to fall into deep fissures, Renato, Balin, and Tristana escaped by casting Feather Fall, though they plunged into the darkness below.

• Renato escaped the rubble with Balin and fought the frenzied Orcs, Goblins, and Mind Flayer-controlled Duergar.
• Renato held off the Mind Flayers while Balin remained pinned down by attacking Orcs.
• Whitebeard's Rockborer mech crushed one Mind Flayer, and Tristana struck another with a green ray before the machine finished it off.
• New Mind Flayers arrived through portals as the fortress collapsed and District 1 split apart.
• Renato activated a Feather Fall scroll just before the ground gave way, and he, Balin, and Tristana fell into the darkness.

Renato, Balin, and Tristana survived the collapse beneath District 1 and agreed to work together temporarily while searching for a way out. After five hours of carefully clearing rubble, they paused to rest and conserve their strength.

• Renato and Balin cornered Tristana in the rubble-filled space, and she surrendered her dagger and whip.
• Tristana offered her healing and magical skills, but Balin threatened her until Renato persuaded them to set aside their differences and escape together.
• Balin determined that digging through the sides was too dangerous, so the group began removing rubble to try digging downward.
• Tristana helped clear debris and used divine magic to heal Balin's head wound, earning a temporary chance to survive with them.
• After five hours of work, Renato urged the group to rest, and Balin agreed to eat and take half an hour off.

Trapped beneath the rubble with Balin and Tristana, Renato gave the thirsty Drow water in exchange for information about Klauthsura. Tristana revealed little about the mind flayer’s motives, and the three remained stranded in the ruins.

• Balin told Renato that he could not contact the Rockborer mech and warned that they would have to escape the rubble themselves.
• Renato offered Tristana water in exchange for information, and she drank after checking it for poison.
• Tristana said her memories were confused by psionic control and that she vaguely sensed Klauthsura had been interested in Renato.
• Tristana explained that some mind flayers became outcasts, but Renato pointed out that Klauthsura’s powerful psionics and apparent living body did not fit her examples.
• Tristana grew angry and vowed to skin Klauthsura if she saw him again, while Balin told Renato to give her time to recover.

After escaping the collapse, Renato and Balin argued with Tristana over whether to take her along until she offered her Ring of Spider Climbing in exchange for an escort to New Rolling Stone City. Renato accepted the ring and promised to escort her, but Balin spotted nearby trouble.

• Renato, Balin, and Tristana slid through a fissure and escaped the collapsing passage outside Rolling Stone City's walls.
• Balin refused to travel with Tristana, while she tried to persuade him and Renato by offering her skills and promising wealth from her family.
• Tristana offered Renato her Ring of Spider Climbing in exchange for an escort to New Rolling Stone City, and Renato's Adventurer's Guide presented a quest to escort her.
• Tristana handed over the ring, and Renato put it on despite Balin's warning about Drow tricks.
• Renato promised to escort Tristana, then Balin raised his warhammer and warned that trouble was nearby.

Renato, Balin, and Tristana met a band of Duergar slaves who rejected their account of Madra and attacked them for their supplies. The trio fought back, and the Stone Guard charged Renato after recovering from Tristana’s spell.

• Balin told the Duergar that Overlord Deepforge was dead and that Madra had founded New Rolling Stone City, while Renato explained that Madra was fighting the Mind Flayers and had freed them from mind control.
• After inspecting Renato’s map, the Duergar accused Balin of betraying Madra and demanded the trio’s food and supplies.
• Balin struck a Duergar with Lightning Bolt, and Tristana used magic to heat the Stone Guard’s armor until he collapsed in pain.
• Renato blocked the charging Duergar with Shadow Shield, shattered the barrier to wound them, and killed several with the Silent Lady.
• Tristana strengthened Renato as he cut through a Duergar’s shield and armor, then drained the warrior’s life with Touch of Dakoul.
• The Stone Guard recovered, grabbed his halberd, and charged Renato.

Renato, Balin, and Tristana defeated the Duergar and discussed the Nightwind Family before three Mind Flayer-controlled owlbears found them among the ruins. As the creatures signaled the Mind Flayer nest for reinforcements, Balin led the others into a nearby cave to escape.

• Renato killed the Duergar Stone Guard, and he and Balin checked the fallen enemies to ensure they were dead.
• Renato questioned Tristana about Samoriel City and learned that the Nightwind Family was its eighth-greatest family and that Aiton had been a veteran warrior.
• Three Mind Flayer-controlled owlbears emerged from the ruins and began signaling the Mind Flayer nest.
• Renato warned that reinforcements were coming, and Balin struck the owlbears with lightning before leading Renato and Tristana into a cave.

Renato, Balin, and Tristana escaped pursuing owlbears through a narrow tunnel and camped in an unexplored cavern. Tristana discovered that Balin carried the Mind Ripper, and Renato explained its limited function while warning her not to make trouble.

• Renato killed a pursuing owlbear, then followed Balin through a narrow fissure as the others chased them.
• Balin crushed an owlbear's paw in the fissure, and he urged Tristana to crawl onward through the low tunnel.
• The three emerged into a cavern and camped outside a grove of funguswood, where Balin admitted he did not know where they were.
• Balin and Tristana argued while Renato tried to calm them and urged them to focus on finding their location and staying safe.
• Tristana noticed Balin's black torch and asked about the Mind Ripper, so Renato explained that it severed mental links within a limited range and warned her against attempting to take it.

Renato questioned Tristana about her failed expedition while cooking a meal for her, and she admitted she had intended to raid a Deep Gnome settlement before encountering mind flayers. The conversation turned into an argument between Tristana and Balin about their families and gods, and Renato served them meat broth to end it.

• Renato discovered that the Mind Ripper's force field prevented him from touching it, though Balin could handle the artifact normally.
• Tristana pressed Renato about his origins, but he offered her stew in exchange for the story of how mind flayers captured her.
• Tristana explained that she had led a raiding party to attack a Deep Gnome settlement and gather slaves and spoils for Lolth.
• Balin mocked Tristana's belief that her defeat and escape were a trial from Lolth, and Tristana taunted him about his life in the Underdark.
• Balin and Tristana argued over their families and whether Lolth loved Tristana, until Renato served them meat broth.

Renato, Balin, and Tristana shared a meal and agreed to take turns preparing food as they traveled through the Underdark. While searching for a reliable food source near a mushroom forest, Tristana found tracks and set out with Renato to hunt their prey.

• Renato cooked stew and explained to Tristana that the hard white bread was made from wheat.
• Tristana offered Renato servants if he became her protector, but he ignored her offer and asked Balin what Hobgoblins were.
• Renato proposed that the three take turns making meals to build cooperation.
• Tristana examined damaged mushrooms and tracks at the edge of a mushroom forest while Renato and Balin accompanied her.
• Tristana identified the remains as scarlet fevercaps and followed the footprints, declaring that they would find fresh meat.

Tristana led Renato and Balin through a mushroom forest, killed a Deep Rothé, and helped prepare its meat despite her reluctance to butcher it. As they searched for a way out, Balin detected a breeze from a fissure and warned them to prepare for danger.

• Tristana used Silence to guide Renato and Balin through the mushroom forest and killed a Deep Rothé with a Light Arrow.
• Tristana explained the Rothé's blood was used for brewing, while Balin identified a Dwarven brand and suspected it had escaped from Rolling Stone City.
• Renato made Tristana and Balin help butcher the Rothé, and the three packed its meat and hide for their journey.
• Renato, Tristana, and Balin crossed the funguswood while the odor of blood risked revealing their trail.
• Balin detected a breeze from a fissure ahead and told Tristana to prepare Renato for a fight.

Renato, Tristana, and Balin crossed a sheer cliff beside an underground river and then argued over how quickly to reach New Rolling Stone City. Balin explained that the Mind Flayers’ war against the Duergar threatened them all, and Renato agreed to keep moving and help his companions.

• Balin discovered that the group had taken the wrong route and said they needed to detour, but Tristana proposed following the river and using Spider Climb to cross the cliff.
• Tristana used Spider Climb to ascend the slick rock face, while Renato activated the Ring of Spider Climbing and climbed after her.
• Renato reached the top and pulled Balin over the edge after the Dwarf struggled up with Climbing Gear.
• Balin rejected Tristana’s suggestion to camp and insisted they could reach New Rolling Stone City in three days if they hurried.
• Balin explained that the Mind Flayers could destroy the Duergar and enslave the underground layer, so their survival depended on reaching New Rolling Stone City.
• Renato reassured Balin that he would not fail the job and said the companions had to stick together.

After defeating the goblins, Renato, Tristana, and Balin rested in the abandoned underground settlement. Tristana and Balin fell asleep, leaving Renato to meditate and keep watch.

• Renato, Tristana, and Balin settled in the ruined settlement after killing the goblins and washing off the blood.
• Renato insisted they stop after Tristana nearly collapsed from exhaustion during their march.
• Renato roasted beef while Tristana struggled to stay awake, then she fell asleep against his shoulder.
• Renato told Balin to sleep and agreed to take the first watch while Tristana continued sleeping beside him.
• Balin quickly fell asleep, and Renato entered a meditative state by the campfire.

Renato, Tristana, and Balin survived a night raid by cave lizardfolk and discussed the uncertain state of New Rolling Stone City. They left the camp planning to investigate whether the duergar city had fallen to the mind flayers.

• Tristana revealed the approaching cave lizardfolk with a sonic spell, waking Balin and injuring several attackers.
• Renato killed the remaining cave lizardfolk with the Silent Lady while Tristana and Balin joined the fight.
• Tristana insisted Renato had elven or drow ancestry because of his darkvision and ability to meditate while alert, but Renato denied it.
• Renato told Tristana that Madra Deepforge ruled New Rolling Stone City and said the duergar might welcome outsiders.
• Renato, Tristana, and Balin suspected the nearby monsters might signal trouble for the duergar, and Balin said they should see the city for themselves.

Renato, Balin, and Tristana reached New Rolling Stone City but were mistaken for Mind Flayer-controlled intruders. Balin revealed the Mind Ripper to Madra, who recognized it and declared the city saved.

• Renato assessed the Duergar forces blocking the passage while Lolth's power fueled his urge to kill.
• Balin argued with the Duergar soldiers, who accused him and his companions of being Mind Flayer puppets.
• Madra arrived and questioned Balin about his escape and whether he was under mind control.
• Madra cast Dispel Magic on Balin, but the spell revealed nothing unusual.
• Balin raised the Mind Ripper, and Madra recognized it and proclaimed New Rolling Stone City saved.

Renato gained the Inevitable Conquest feat and helped Tristana secure a house in New Rolling Stone City. After she chose the home beside his, Tristana quietly cursed the Duergar who had handed her the key.

• Renato gained a point of Resolve and the Inevitable Conquest feat, which increased his melee damage when his Resolve exceeded an opponent's but made him more vulnerable while routing.
• Renato visited Madra and explained that Tristana had nowhere to stay in New Rolling Stone City.
• Renato discovered that Tristana had nearly fought Duergar miners because they could not understand each other's languages.
• Madra ordered a guard to give Renato and Tristana the key to an empty house, earning Renato seventy experience points.
• Tristana chose the house next to Renato's and quietly cursed the Duergar housing clerk in Elvish after they left the tower.