Gekh Coal

Gekh Coal leads a group of duergar slavers in the Decrepit Village in the Underdark during Act One.

“

Too loud, sun-scum. Heard you stumbling. Can hear you blinking.

„

— Gekh Coal, noticing the party

Involvement

Act One

Gekh is hiding via invisibility inside the Decrepit Village along with  Garmor,  Holvik, and  Lurgan. If the party approach from the high ground, then one of his hidden companions reveals themselves and tells Gekh that "someone is sneaking up on them". If the party approaching from the beach, Gekh immediately addresses the party himself.

Gekh then threatens to kill the party, but combat can be avoided by passing one of the following:

• [BRANDED] Show him your brand.
• [ILLITHID] [WISDOM] Stand down. I am a True Soul. (DC 2)
• [TRUE SOUL] Stand down. I am a True Soul.
• [RELIGION] Stand down - I'm a follower of the Absolute, just like you. (DC 15)
• [PERSUASION] I can be discreet. No need for bloodshed. (DC 15)
• [INSIGHT] Read the duergar's thoughts. (DC 10)
• [DARK URGE] [INTIMIDATION] I'm a rabid dirty dog, and I bite. (DC 10)
• [BARBARIAN] [NON-DARK URGE] [INTIMIDATION] Back down, or bleed. (DC 15)
• [DROW] [DECEPTION] I'm here at the Absolute's bidding. That's all you need to know. (DC 10)
• [DUERGAR] I'm a duergar, idiot - we're practically kin.
• [FIGHTER] Fights tend to make quite a racket, if that's what you want to avoid.
• [NON-UNDERDARK] [NON-BARBARIAN] [NON-HALF ORC] [INTIMIDATION] Take your hand off that axe before you lose it. (DC 15)
• [HALF-ORC] [INTIMIDATION] I'm hungry for a fight, but you're barely a morsel. Choose your next move carefully. (DC 10)

Gekh explains that his group is searching for the  Boots of Speed belonging to  Sergeant Thrinn. The boots were stolen by  Thulla, who was last seen near Ebonlake Grotto. The party can either offer to help him recover the boots or refuse. If they refuse then Gekh and the other Duergar become hostile and attack. If they agree to help and successfully take the boots from Thulla (whether through stealing them or as a reward for healing her), Gekh congratulates the party and allows them to use his raft to travel to the Adamantine Forge.

If the player character is a deep gnome or the party is accompanied by  Glut, then the duergar are immediately hostile.

Combat

Gekh Coal usually casts Animate Dead immediately on the nearby shattered duergar corpses, reviving them as  Reanimated Corpses.

Attacks and actions

 Animate Dead ( + )

Animate a pile of bones or a corpse to serve you.

 Range: 22 m (73 ft)

 Blindness ( + )

Limit a foe's sight range. It is easier to hit, and the creature will miss more often.

 Attack rolls against it have  Advantage and the foe attacks with  Disadvantage.

 CON Save

 Range: 18 m (60 ft)

 Cleave ()   –  Exterminator's Axe

Damage

1/2 Normal weapon damage

Swing your weapon in a large arc to attack up to 3 enemies at once. They each take half the damage your weapon usually deals.

 Recharge: Short rest

 Counterspell ( + )

Try to stop a spell being cast.

If it is higher level than the spell slot you used to Counterspell, you must make a check using your spellcasting ability^{[See: Bugs]} to prevent it. The check's difficulty is equal to 10 plus the level of the spell you are trying to counter.

This spell can be cast while you are  Silenced.

 Enlarge ()

Grow in size to become stronger

You gain  Advantage on Ability Checks and Saving Throws using Strength, and weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 damage.

 Range: Self

 Recharge: Long rest

 Duergar Invisibility ()

Become Invisible.

 Range: Self

 Recharge: Per combat

 Lacerate ()   –  Exterminator's Axe

Damage: 4~15

1d12 + 3⁠Slashing

Slash at your target's vital points to make it  Bleed.

Undead and constructs can't bleed.

 CON Save

 Range: Normal weapon range

 Recharge: Short rest

 Main Hand Attack ()   –  Exterminator's Axe

Damage: 4~15

1d12 + 3⁠Slashing

Make a melee attack with your equipped weapon.

 Melee: 1.5 m (5 ft)

 Prepare ()   –  Exterminator's Axe

Spend 6 m (20 ft) of your movement to deal an additional Strength modifier⁠⁠PhysicalDRS damage (minimum 1) on each successful melee weapon attack for the rest of the turn.

 Range: Self

 Recharge: Short rest

 Ray of Sickness ( + )

Damage: 2~16

2d8⁠Poison

Possibly  Poisons the target.

 CON Save

 Range: 18 m (60 ft)

Allies

•  Garmor
•  Holvik
•  Lurgan
•  Reanimated Corpse - 7x, if reanimated by Gekh

Loot

• Duergar Antidote
• Exterminator's Axe

Related quests

• ⁠Avenge Glut's Circle
• ⁠Cure the Poisoned Gnome
• ⁠Defeat the Duergar Intruders
• ⁠Find the Missing Boots