Alydrezea banged on the table at the Homely Hearth Inn, much to the surprise of her fellow party members. “Are you listening to me?! We’re in so much trouble!” Boris had his hand on her shoulder to calm her, but it was not doing much. Grukk and Kara were shocked for their part, at Alydrezea of all of them was freaking out, and drawing attention.

“Oi, Lassie! Shut it! People are tryin’ to sleep here!” The dwarf barkeep called out in annoyance, with Kara giving the man a wave and smile of apology. “Follow me, we’ll talk in the rooms.” Forcing the conversation to a more private location of a two bedroom upstairs. With a sigh, the Rajan woman rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Okay druid, what did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything!” The drow woman protested, offended at the insinuation.
“Then why are we in trouble?”
“It’s not just us! It’s the whole city!”
Grukk put up his hands in a calming gesture, “It’s alright. We believe you, Drezea. Please, calm down and explain.”
The druid took a few deep breaths, though her sweet and almost child-like voice was still layered with worry. “Okay, so Boris and I were exploring. We couldn’t tell how late it was since we’re underground, when I saw something moving in the shadows past the streetlights. I ran to investigate it, and it was a bunch of drow! They were climbing up out of an old sinkhole!”
Grukk looked to Boris, who gave a silent nod of confirmation to Alydrezea’s story. “Drow aren’t allowed in the city…maybe they’re refugees?”
“I doubt it. They had weapons all pointed at me!” The dark elf continued.
“Yeah, sneaking into a fortress city fully armed sounds like refugee behavior.” Kara spoke with heavy sarcasm. “Where are they now?”
“They went back down that sinkhole. Then Boris and I came running back here.” With her story over, Kara groaned in annoyance. “Welp! Guess we have to leave town tonight. Damnit, I was so hoping sleep in an actual bed.”
“Just a moment!” Grukk spoke up, baritone voice more commanding than usual. “You want to just leave? This place could be under attack.”
“These dwarves are under attack all the time. They’ll be fine. I don’t want to get caught in the middle of it!” As thief and the former solider argued over weather to stay or to go, Boris looked down at his drow friend. He could see her, wringing her hands, eyes slowly moving about with unsteady nerves. His eyes narrowed.
“What do you want to do?” The minotaur spoke up, only to Alydrezea.
“Huh?” The drow woman looked up at him with uncertain eyes.
“What do you want to do?” That question drew the druid into a deeper focus. After a few short moments, she spoke up. Loudly to be heard over the arguing. “I want to help!”
The argument stopped, with both parties looking at the small drow woman. Grukk had a smile of approval upon his face, but Kara wasn’t having it. “Hey, why do you want to get caught up in all this? Aside from the possibility of death, which seems to only be a problem for me, we’d be facing your people. Are you okay with that?”
“They’re not my people. My people live in a surface colony. We fled the Underdark a long time ago.”
“Okay, so these drow that still live underground will see you as a traitor. They’ll be out for blood either way.”
“So? I’ll have you guys!” Boris and Grukk nodded in agreement. Kara gritted her teeth and face palmed.
“Am I the only one who sees that we don’t have to do this? Drezea, these dwarves didn’t even want you in their city in the first place. Because you’re a drow.”
“I know that…but, maybe they’ll let my people in more easily if I stop an attack.”
“….an attack that’s coming…from your people.”
“Not my people. The Underdark drow.”
The human pickpocket rubbed the sides of her forehead. “What I’m trying to say, is that these dwarves won’t know the difference! I doubt they even care to know the difference! If we try to alert the rulers of Obsidian Pass about a dark elf threat, they might lock you up. They might lock all of us up just for being with you!”
“I…” Alydrezea was taken aback by Kara’s points. “I…didn’t think about that.”
Kara nodded, assured of her stance on this matter. Until Boris brought up his own point. “Kara. You are good at convincing others to do thing. Why not convince the ruler of this place to let us help him?”
Alydrezea brightened up, her confidence almost instantly restored. “That’s right! You can do that, can’t you Kara?”
The human woman shot the large minotaur a glare. “I liked you better when you didn’t talk.” Seeing the hopeful eyes of her companions, the human woman caved. “Fine, fine! I’ll try. But don’t blame me if we end up in another prison.” Alydrezea smiled big and gave Kara a big surprise hug. The Rajan woman patted the drow’s head of silvery-white hair. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll talk to the ruler of the Obsidian Pass tomorrow.”

After several hours of much need sleep, the party followed Kara in the busy streets of the Obsidian Pass. Everything seemed to be normal, with business in the dwarven city going on as usual. Alydrezea was fidgeting with a lock of her hair, “Should…should we tell them?”
“If we do we’d be causing a panic at worst. At best, they would arrest us for disturbing the peace.”
Grukk raised a brow. “For a thief you know an awful lot about the laws of different lands.”
Kara gave a bright smile. “That’s what makes me such a good thief! That and my wonderfully quick hands. See?” He presented a small blacksmith hammer in her hands. Grukk recognized it, quickly tapped his belt-bags down to find his was missing. “What the-?! Oh, hah hah. Very funny.” The half orc grumpily yanked the hammer out of the human woman’s hands. The stone streets came to an end deep in the mountain hold. There was a huge set of iron doors, carved into the inner wall of the mountain. The doors were carved with markings of hammer and anvil and flame, with words in the dwarvish language. A fortress within a fortress. At the doors stood two guards. They wore dwarven plate, a unique kind of plate armor. Made of interlocking plates of steel, with pauldrons and bracers and leg guards, and a visorless helmet that came to a pointed dome to fit the wide heads of the dwarves. These guards had carried no shields, instead wielding mauls. Large warhammers that had to be wielded and swung with both hands. Just like their armor, it was masterfully crafted. “Halt!” The stout dwarven guards called out. “What business do you lot have in the Blackfire Halls?”
Kara gave a polite bow, “We have urgent news to bring to the ruler of this city.”
“King Ironbrow doesn’t see just any random vagabonds what waltz into the city. State yer business and we’ll give him a message.”
“Ah…but you see, it’s of great importance. And we have specific information that is only for the king’s ears.”
“And you can tell him, but we can’t let you in without knowin’ something of it.”
Kara looked back to the party, Alydrezea gave a nod. A look of determination on her face. The pickpocket smiled a comely smile at the guardsmen. “It’s information regarding some…unwanted drow activity within the city. My friends encountered a few of them last night.”
The eyes of the guards lost none of their suspicion, but they held greater attention for what Kara had to say. “That right? What happened, exactly?”
“They…found these dark elves…coming up from an abandoned mineshaft. They drove them back down into their hiding holes.”
The guards looked to each other, processing a deep thought for long moments. “Anything special about these drow? We get bandits from their kind all the time.”
“They weren’t bandits!” Alydrezea spoke up, to the surprise of everyone. Kara winched and was silently praying that the jail they end up in at least has good food. “They had marks on their skin! A hand with a spider-web glove on it!”
The expressions of the Guards turned very serious. “Aye, the King will want to know about this. We’ll let you all in. But first, you have to leave yer weapons out here.” Kara was already handing over her own weapons, and the party felt it best to follow her lead. Even if Boris couldn’t help but keep a grip on his glaive, forcing the dwarf guardsmen to pull it from his grasp. The guard blew a horn made from an old goat’s horn. The one-note blow echoed through the underground city. Before long, there was a loud banging and clanging noise. Huge iron chains upon massive pullies that stuck into the roof of the hold pulled the great iron doors open. It was so large even a giant or a dragon could walk through unhindered. The party was escorted by more of these elite dwarven guards.
“Why do these guys have such better armor than the other guards?” The druid asked curiously, Grukk provided an answer. “They must be the personal guards of the King. An Honor-Guard. These kinds of soldiers are given much better equipment than the stander soldier or guardsmen.”
Within the Blackfire Halls, there were even more mighty stone pillars. The caverns were at least fifty feet high or more. Guards and Honor-Guard of all stripes patrolled. The pillars had balconies of wood upon them, were stood crossbowmen and even full-sized ballista. The first stretch of walkway was like a deathtrap for any assailants. Draped over the sides were banners that bore the names of all the noble houses of the Obsidian Pass. The richest and most powerful of merchants and craftsmen, beer brewers and thanes, and the house of Ironbrow itself.
The party climbed stone stairs, at the top sat the throne of the King of the Obsidian Pass.

King Dain Ironbrow. He was an older dwarf, though still in his prime by some accounts. He bore the typical dwarven squatness and hefty build. His beard was a deep black, long, and braided. Its tips were turning white to betray his age. His clothing was fit for dwarf royalty, made of fine furs and leathers. Upon his shoulders rested a fur cape, on his brow was a six-pointed crown made from carved volcanic glass. Above his throne was the massive skull of a blue dragon, perfectly preserved down to its large rhino like horn. Kara bowed, and the others except for Boris bowed as well. His brow furrowed, and his voice boomed with a Scottish highlander accent. It was gruff, from shouting in several battles no doubt. “Why have you brought strangers before me?”
“Your majesty.” The guardsmen bowed. “These strangers claim to have information of a coming dark elf assault. From the Marionets.”
Ironbrow sat up straight in his throne. “Is that right? Well, speak up then! We haven’t got all day!”
Kara stood up, clearing her throat. “King Ironbrow. Lord of the Obsidian Pass, ruler of trade routes, master of-“
“Stop with the arse-kissin’ lassie, and get on with it!”
Kara was taken aback by this response. She forgot dwarf kings aren’t like human ones and sucking up to them didn’t always work so well. She heard Grukk and Alydrezea suppressing chuckles next to her. “Ahem. King Ironbrow, my comrades and I discovered some drow spies last night. We forced them back underground. They had markings, a hand with a spider-web glove.”
“Where did you see them?”
Alydrezea spoke up once more. “An condemned mineshaft, past the busy streets! There were four of them.”
Ironbrow’s stern glance fell upon the druid. “You’ve got some courage to stand before me, dark elf. Why are you selling out yer own kin? Or is treachery in your blood?”
“They aren’t my kin! I come from a surface colony! We’re loyal to those who deserve it!” The drow woman snapped back. The dwarf king just laughed. “Really now? A surface colony? Peace loving dark elves? Sure! And I’m a ploughin’ dragon! I’m not sure I believe you. But I do believe what ya say about these dark elf spies.”
“Then send us to deal with them! Then you’ll have to believe me!” Kara slapped her hand over Alydrezea’s mouth, speaking to her in a harsh whisper. “What are you doing?! You’re going to get us all thrown in jail. Again!”
King Ironbrow let out another laugh. “Ya know, last time someone tried to tell me what to do I cut his bloody head off! Still not sure I can trust you, dark elf…but I admire a fair bit of audacity. Alright. Besides, I don’t want to send my own men into a trap. If you lot can find out what these dark elf spies are up too, I’ll pay ya handsomely.”