Early in the spring of 422 A.F., Barak, Lord of the Undercaves in
Blackrock, sent out an unexpected public proclamation: the Blackrock
dwarves would be ceasing their commodities trade with the outside world,
and they no longer welcomed any visitors within their gloomy underground
caves. Furthermore, the dwarves would now cease their mining endeavours
and focus their efforts elsewhere.

Despite the oddity of this proclamation, few cared to investigate its
source. Though those affected by closing of Blackrock's commodities
trade grumbled quietly, days passed before anyone grew curious enough to
venture deep beneath the Island off the Northern Vashnars and question
the dwarves.

The first of these was Alinoe Rian, a Chosen of Phaestus who had spoken
to the Blackrock dwarves in the past in relation to their forsaking of
the God of the Smith in favour of Evil. He had rarely had civil
reception from the evil dwarves and was, in fact, forbidden from
entering the Halls of Blackrock. Thus, he was surprised when Orin
Foehammer took him aside and whispered desperately to him of the strange
transformation in his liege-lord Barak as of late. Unfortunately, Alinoe
was abruptly called away to attend to other matters, his investigation
barely begun.

Several days passed before another outsider set foot into Blackrock. A
Mojushai named Iocun was making his way through Blackrock when the moans
of a badly beaten Gringor caught his attention. Having gained knowledge
in his previous exploration of the caves of where Barak kept the former
ruler of Blackrock imprisoned, and how to obtain the key into the cell,
Iocun hastened there.

Iocun found the proud Gringor in his cell, beaten to within an inch of
life, his body broken and bleeding. Gringor revealed to Iocun how he had
been conned by a creature called Taralis, the Dyissan Queen, into giving
an enchanted amulet to Barak under false pretenses. The amulet was
supposed to signify Gringor's formal submission of power unto Barak.

In reality, Taralis had enchanted the amulet and given it to Gringor,
promising that it would bring Barak down and secure Gringor's rule, in
exchange for a promise that the dwarves would cease their mining near
the Dyissans' cavern homes. The deception ran a layer deeper than
Gringor had suspected, however, as the amulet instead allowed Taralis to
influence Barak instead of killing him, whispering paranoid and
xenophobic delusions into his ears.

Iocun called a small party to him, and he was joined by Mendax, Jerenii,
Deeva, and Brandi. With the help of a dwarven labourer who was still
loyal to Gringor, they found the way into the Blackrock Underhalls, a
concealed lower section of Blackrock previously closed to outsiders.
From there, Iocun and his party spread out and began investigating,
looking for signs of Taralis.

Eventually, the party entered the lair of Taralis and the Dyissans,
which had been accidentally uncovered by the Blackrock dwarves in their
mining forays, and found the Dyissan Queen herself - a formidable
half-snake half-human woman, haughty and beautiful. She sneeringly
denied any knowledge of or involvement in the Barak affair, however.

Mendax thought to seek out the counsel of Grima Flameforge, the Cleric
of Blackrock, and the party followed him there. After much deliberation,
Grima agreed to try to create a counter-enchantment. The party dispersed
to collect the ingredients for the enchantment. When all had been
gathered, Grima enchanted her warhammer and handed it to Iocun, telling
him to strike the amulet around Barak's neck with it.

The party rushed back to the throne room of Blackrock, where Iocun
struck true and in a blinding flash of light, the amulet was destroyed
and the enchantement broken. A female voice could be heard shrieking
curses upon the dwarves and the outsiders from deep within the Dyissan
caves.

Iocun and Mendax swiftly informed the confused Barak about the
enchantment and the proclamations he had made while under the control of
Taralis. Infuriated, Barak ordered commodities trade to reopen
immediately, and for mining operations to continue as normal. With the
promise of a reward for their efforts, Mendax and Vardoulacha made short
work of Taralis, whose body they returned to Barak.

Penned by my hand on the 3rd of Lupar, in the year 422 AF.