Dusty

Dusty is a strange gnome academic and a dedicated scholar of the Age of Arcanum who has spent his life studying ancient texts, historical lore, and the mysteries of the Pact of Phandelver.

Captivity in Wave Echo Cave

During his travels, Dusty was captured by “The Spider” (Nezznar)—a Drider who is a type of fallen Drow, half Spider and half Dark Elf—and held hostage within Wave Echo Cave. Nezznar noted in his journal that a “scholar of the Age of Arcanum has stepped into my web,” hoping Dusty could aid in unlocking the secrets of the forge. While Bugbears and Goblins excavated the cave’s main hall, the Spider defiled the ancient altar of Moradin, the All Hammer, converting it into an Altar to Lloth. Dusty was bound and tortured at this altar, as well as near Gond’s Smelter, as the Spider attempted to extract his knowledge of the legendary Spell Forge.

Dusty resisted the interrogation as best he could by feigning ignorance, but eventually revealed a crucial secret: the Spell Forge can only be activated by first activating Gond’s Smelter. Adventurers later learned that Gond was not a deity, but rather a highly talented Dwarven blacksmith and craftsman who originally built the Spell Forge during the Age of Arcanum.

Observations of the Smelter

Through his lifetime of reading ancient sources and his brief, coerced glimpses of the Smelter, Dusty gathered critical details about its activation:

• The Formula: Activating the Smelter requires “The Mettle of the Dwarves,” “The Grace of the Elves” (which refers to the moon, Selune, and the Moonbeam spell), and “The Ingenuity of the Humans.”
• Carvings: He observed carvings in Elvish and Dwarvish speaking of “The Heart of the Stone” and “Elvish Tears.”
• Blue-Burning Wood: While scrounging for wood to build campfires in the cave, he discovered a hard, dark wood that burned hot and blue, which is required to fuel the Smelter.

Intelligence on “The Spider”

During his confinement, Dusty kept his ears open, gathering vital intelligence about the Spider’s desperate plans and operations:

• The Orders: The Spider routinely sent letters carried by Phase Spiders, which can turn invisible and potentially teleport. Many of these letters were addressed to a mysterious figure known as the “Wyrmspeaker” (specifically the “Jade Wyrmspeaker” of the Cult of the Dragon).
• Growing Frustration: The Spider was increasingly frustrated by unanswered orders, particularly those sent to “Klarg” and “Glasstaff.”
• A Sacrificial Warning: A human wearing a red cloak arrived with bad news. In a rage, the Spider sacrificed him to Lloth, praying for “Vengeance upon the Five for killing your loyal servants.”
• A Grand Alliance: The Spider frequently prayed to Lloth, boasting that his service would steal a “great treasure” from Asmodeus without his knowledge. He spoke of an unnatural partnership with “the Dragon ones” (the Cult of the Dragon), stating they could have the surface while the Drow controlled the Underdark.
• The Sealed Kitchen Cavern: A Myconid once surfaced from a cave near the kitchens. The goblins quickly killed it to make a stew, after which the entrance was boarded up.
• Gundren’s Fate: The Spider taunted Dusty, revealing that Gundren Rockseeker had been killed by Blarg, the Bugbear leader of Cragmaw Castle (the ancient ruins of Highthorn), and that his map had been stolen, which was how the Spider located the cave. (Gundren was later revealed to have survived, being held captive at Cragmaw Castle until his eventual rescue).

Escape and Aftermath

Dusty’s luck turned when goblin excavators broke through a side cavern filled with spellcasting undead. As the Spider and his Phase Spiders went to defend the area, Dusty slipped his bonds and fled the cave. Nezznar lamented in his journal that “the scholar got away during one of the undead attacks.”

He was found on the High Road by the Magnificent Five, who brought the famished gnome back to Tristan Manor. Over dinner, he recounted his ordeal and shared his extensive intelligence on the Spider’s operations.

After recuperating, Dusty joined forces with the wizard Farwald to successfully dispel the curse on Hope’s Berserker’s Axe. He then set off with the party, alongside Gotrek, Jaque, and Zoe, toward Gnomengarde. While the Magnificent Five entered Gnomengarde to seek inventions to aid against the white dragon Cryovain, Dusty remained safely outside the caves, camping with Hope, Gotrek, and the two monks.