Leaving the library, the adventurers made their way back to the thronehall, and chose the double doors to the south-east for their next exploration. The doors were not only locked but probably barred as well; this did not prove a problem for the combined strength of Surya and Sack, however.
Through the ruined doors, the group could see a barrel-vaulted foundry about 40' across and 70' long, with the eastern end of the chamber continuing into a large, dark cave. A stream of water rushed through the centre of the room, crossed by two stone bridges. A blast of cold wind moaned through the room from the east. On both sides of the stream were ancient forges, workplaces each with a furnace, anvils and tools. The ones on the nearside were cold and dead, but the ones on the far side of the river still glowed with heat from the red coals burning within. Someone had been working in here no more than a day since!
Carefully, they explored the place, finding signs that whoever had been working here had apparently been trying to discover how to do something. All the signs - the half-finished weapons, the small test pieces, the differing styles - pointed to experimental work.
While Hildraft puzzled over this, Sack and Kobort went down the eastern cave, following the river, until they came to a vast chasm in the rock. With a deafening thunder the river plunged into this and fell away into the darkness; from deep, deep below came a sound of rushing water. Across on the other side of the chasm was a small ledge. Borrowing the spidercloak, Sack clambered across, and discovered a small cave behind it. A secret door opened at the back of the cave, and a precipitous metal ladder ran downwards into the chasm below from the ledge.
While this was happening, Surya and Hildraft thought they heard a noise, coming from behind them. Backtracking as stealthily as they could, they discovered a party of Duergar moving quietly but purposefull across the Thronehall towards the door at the western end. Five warriors were led by a robed wizard and a powerful-looking warrior in full armour. All were carrying packs and bedrolls, and each had at least one extra weapon, in most cases unfinished. The Dark Dwarves were pulling out.
As they were looking at this, Kobort and Sack rejoined them. A hurried plan was made. Kobort steadied himself and opened hostilites with a Lightning Bolt directed at the wizard. The blast hit him a glancing blow on the shoulder, spinning him around and hurling him to the floor. As the remaining Duergar spun and reached for hilts, the party charged.
Surya, recognizing the greatest threat, shouldercharged a startled Duergar warrior aside, and made directly for the wizard. The spurned warrior sprawled on the ground, and Sack promptly hurdled him, heading for the armoured leader. A Duergar next to the felled one helped him up, just in time for them to engage Hildraft and Vollun who came straight for them.
Kobort, some yards behind because of the angle he'd needed to aim his spell, unleashed his Magic Missile as he charged in. One Dark Dwarf went down, trailing smoke from his shattered helmet, and another cursed loudly as he was blasted twice and then encountered Kobort.
Surya reached the wizard, and prepared to skewer him where he lay. The Duergar desperately tried to defend himself the only way he could - with the Dark Dwarf inherent ability of Invisibility - but the Tellaran struck where he'd last seen the mage and his aim was good. Two good stabs and the wizard's body faded back into view.
Hildraft's mighty axe made short work of the Duergar he was facing, and he turned to see Vollun in trouble. A quick backslash dealt with the acolyte's foe as well, and Hildraft shook his head slightly and grinned as Vollun panted, "They're damn good, these blighters!".
Sack found himself faced with the armoured Duergar, who hefted a terrifying twin-bladed sword, much like a quarterstaff with edges. The two traded blows for a while, but the Surya came up behind the dwarf and struck him from behind. Distracted by this, he fell easy prey to Sack, who scythed off his head with the Blade of the Sun like a broccoli stalk. Kobort's foe fell soon after and the fight was over.
Sack cursed silently, and indicated wth signs that they really should have kept one alive to question. Surya grinned unsettlingly, and hefted the Sword of the Dead Legions, before kicking the leader's body over and barking at it to speak to him.
The corpse stirred and sat up. Eerily, a nimbus of smoke grew from its' truncated neck and formed a mazy, indistinct simulacrum of the head that was not, and a voice spoke from it, groaning with the agony of being dragged back from the grave. Questioning it, Surya discovered that the Duergar had come here to try and rediscover the secrets of the hated mastersmith Durgeddin, to try and steal his techniques for making magical weapons. When asked how, the corpse replied that the materials were in the stores, next to the forge.
Hildraft was already moving by the time the body fell back. On the far side of the forge were two small doors, with signs of many tracks going to and fro. Beyond them were two small store rooms. In one were stacks and stacks of highest-grade blade steel, drums of hilt-wire, leather and wood (long rotten), brass and gold for hilts, and so on. In the other were a priceless treasure; Durgeddin's journals!
Surya and Hildraft settled down and skimmed through the pages, discovering the following:
Reassured, the party explored Durgeddin's chambers. It was clear that the Duergar leaders had been living here during their project, and that the orc invaders had thoroughly ransacked and slighted the rooms at the time of the invasion. A once-secret panel was easily discovered, and inside were found several display racks, the sort used to store the very, very best swords. All were empty, and by the dust on them had been empty for a very long time.
The band decided to camp and rest up before pressing on any further; the two priests healed various small wounds and everyone got some sleep.