CRATES
The crates along the north wail are made of zurkhwood
and stacked 5 feet high, and climbing on top of them
costs 5 feet of movement. Most of the crates are empty,
but four of them contain harvested, edible fungi. Each
c rate of fungi weighs 50 pounds. contains the equivalent
of 20 days of rations, and can be sold in Gracklstugh or
another Underdark settlement for 25 gp.DEVELOPMENT
If the characters keep any ducrgar a live for questioning,
it takes a successful DC 16 Charisma (Intimidation)
check to gain an answer to a single question. The
characters can ask only three questions tota l before
the surviving due rgar become incoherent and start
frothing at the mouth- a form of madness brought on by
demon-tainted raerzress. Any spell or effect that cures
indefinite madness also restores a duergar's sanity (see
"Madness" in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).
T he duergar stationed here are tasked with protecting
the fungi garden and helping the alchemis t in his
work. They use a trapdoor in area 8 to move bet ween
the Whorls tone Tunnels and the Darklake Docks in
GrackJstugh. They have been ordered not to e xplore
the rest of the Whorlstone Tunnels, though their
leaders sometimes go farther into the tunnels on
unknown business.- GRAY ALCHEMIST
The Gray Ghosts have claimed this cave as both a safe
house and a laboratory. where their alchemists can work
in re lative peace and isolation.
This area is surprisingly clean and orderly, split into
two levels connected by a ramp made from zurkhwood
planks. The upper level contains a fully furnished
laboratory, while the lower level has two bunk beds. The
wall of the lower level is set with a closed door.Unless he is drawn to sounds of combat in area 7, a
due rgar alchemist (see the sidebar) name d Lorthio
Bukbukke n works on the upper level of this area.
Lorthio's laboratory contains a work table. a desk, a
case of shelves lined with vials, and a dome-shaped
ove n. All furnis hings are made of zurkhwood except the
oven, which is made of stone.
DUE RGAR A LCHEMIST
A duergar alchemist carries two vials of acid and two flasks
of alchemist's fire. It uses the normal duergar stat block
but replaces the Javelin attack option with the following
attack options:
Acid Vial. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20ft.,
one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) acid damage.
Alchemist's Fire. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range
20 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (l d4) fire damage at the start of
each of the target's turns. A creature can end this damage
by using its action to make a successful DC 10 Dexterity
check to extinguish the flames.CHAPTER 4 I CRACKLSTUGH
The lowe r l e vel is 10 feet below the laboratory and
contains two bunk beds and two small c hests, all made
of zurkhwood (See "Treasure" below for information on
the contents of the chests). The door is barred on this
side and has closed peepholes at dwarf's-eye height.
Opening the peepholes allows one to see into the room
beyond. The bar is easily lifted from this s ide. but
breaking down the door requires a successful DC 20
Strength check.
The room east of the door is empty except for an iron
ladder that c limbs 60 feet to a stone trapdoor embedded
in the ceiling. The trapdoor is w1locked, and above it a
narrow, spiraling tunnel leads to the Darklake Doc ks.DEVELOPMENT
Sounds of combat here alert the duergar in a rea 7. They
use their Enlarge actions before heading this way.TREASURE
If the characters spend 1 hour ransacking the lab, they
can assemble two herbalism kits, one poisoner's kit, and
ten healer's kits. In the (unlocked) zurkhwood c hests,
they find ld6 vials of acid, ld6 flasks of alchemist's fire,
two potions or healing, one potion of greater hc~aling,
one potion or fire breath, and one potion of psychic
resistance.
Depending on whetJ1er or not Droki delivered his
parcel and took his payment. the desk contains e ither a
lump of black metal or a holy symbol of Laduguer made
of m ithral (see "Finging Droki"). The desk also holds
a lchemical recipes scrawled in Dwarvish on torn strips
of parchment. A character who studies these scraps for
an hour and succeeds on a DC 15 Intellige nce (Arcana)
check can piece together the for mulas for c rafting vials
of acid and flasks of alchemist's lire. The character can
gather enough ingredients in the laboratory to craft ld4
of each. The character who knows the recipe and bas
the proper ingredients can c raft a vial of acid or Bask of
alchemist's fire in 1 hour.
A character who searches the desk and s ucceeds on
a DC 12Jnte lligence (Investigation) check also finds
a letter hidde n in a secret compartment. The letter is
written in Dwarvish on a patch of lizard hide:I don't need your poison anymore. I'll dE:al with Werz
Saltbaron myself. Bring me an elf blade, one with the
swirlies carved on the steel, and I'll forget you failed
me. And I don't want to see any of your goons near my
post. The captain is poking around, and I could use a
scapegoat.- Gorglak
If the characters capture Lorthio a nd question him
about the letter. he reveals one of the following bits of
information each time a eharact·e r succeeds on a DC 13
Charisma (Intimidation) check:- Gorglak is a warrior of the Stone Guard stationed at
one of the outer gates near the Dark lake District.
Gorglak is an avid collector of wei rd weapons.
Gorglak is easily bribed.