After taking a moment to breath and recover, the group takes time to investigate the ruins of the castle, SkyCastle, the one they caused to crash into the ground. It would seem very unlikely that anyone within the ruins would have survived the horrific crash. All that remains is huge slabs of broken ice walls and the remnants of ice towers scattered and lying in a jumbled heap on the ground. The newly formed ice mountain leaves a trail of broken ground behind it.
The group investigates but can find no way in, or out of the ruins. They decide to play it safe and make camp nearby, waiting to see if anyone makes it out of the wreckage. Arno sets up his Leomund's Hut and turns it the color of the rocky plains. Litharael uses his magic to grow plants around the hut. A massive tangle of vines, grasses and flowers sprout quickly from the ground surrounding the hut, disguising it fairly well as part of the plains.
In the morning, the debate begins as to their next direction. T'an is insistent that wherever they go it must be to kill Severin, the one he holds responsible for the death of his master. Smallfang decides he has had enough of walking mile upon mile and begins his magical ritual of summoning his celestial stead. As the debate rages on, Smallfang begins drawing his summoning circle and completing the runes along its borders until he utters the magical phrases and now standing in the drawn circle stands a huge white steed.
T'an and Litharael notice in the distance a single black bird flying towards them in the distance. As the bird nears, they recognize it as a raven. The raven begins to descend directly towards them and T'an warns the others. He quickly nocks an arrow and warns the others. Litharael shouts to shoot it quickly before it comes any closer. At the same time Smallfang shouts for T'an not to shoot, as he sees bands of ribbon trailing behind the bird. T'an lowers his bow just as the bird lands in front of him. Tied to the leg of the raven is a roll of parchment.
T'an pick the bird up and removes the scroll, pausing to tell the bird that the bird doesn't know how close to death it had come. He tucks the bird under his arm and passes the scroll to Litharael. As Litharael reads the scroll he informs the group that they are summoned to a council meeting in Waterdeep and that the scroll contains a teleportation circle spell. Smallfang, with Arno in his usual spot, on Smallfang's shoulder, hears this just as he is settling comfortably into his war horse's saddle. He is not getting of his magnificent steed. This is his first time on it. He moves the steed into the circle as the spell begins.
In Castle Waterdeep
The spell transports them and the group finds themselves crowded into the private chambers of Leosin Erlanthar, the half-elf that the group had saved from the Cult of the Dragon many a ten-day ago. The group grumbles and complains and Smallfang and Arno are crowded to the ceiling still astride Smallfang's war horse. Reluctantly Smallfang dispells the magic maintaining the war horse and the room is now more comfortable without the added volume of a massive beast.
Leosin tells them that the Council of Waterdeep will meet shortly and that they have asked the group here to hear from them directly what they have learned of the cult, it's activities and it's motives. They are given amenities to clean themselves up for the meeting.
The council meeting is unique in that all of the major factions of the land are represented at the same time. Each is presenting the the cults activities with respect to the impact it has on each faction. The leader of the council, Lord Neverember listens to the group but does not wish to hear from either Litharael, who has ties to the elves of the Misty Forest who are already represented at the council. Nor does he wish to hear from Smallfang who many of Neverember's advisers do not trust since he is dragonborn. This does not sit well with the rest of the group. They present their side of the story anyway.
Some of the council are not pleased with certain actions, such as:
- the destruction of Skycastle, as they believe they will not be able to seek aid from the giants, seeing as one of their most prominent members was killed and his castle destroyed
- the destruction of the dragon eggs from the hatchery near Greenest. The Emerald Enclave believes that the group didn't have the right to destroy such magnificent creatures. The Harpers believed they could have been used for either leverage or gold.
The Draakhorn
During the meeting, just as tensions and tempers were beginning to flair, a sudden unsettling silence pervaded the entire city. Animals and people ceased their noises and movement. Everyone experienced the silence with a feeling of unease. In a few minutes the feeling subsides but Neverember sends an envoy to find someone who can answer what has just occurred.
MetaGame Spoiler Inside
At the end of the meeting, Lord Neverember gives the group a writ which authorizes the group to act on the behalf of the council with the privileges which that entails. Different factions give the group possible actions which they deem important.
- The Harper's have information, from Leosin, which puts a high ranking member of the cult in Boareskyr Bridge. They have seen a dwarf with several robed figures associated with sightings of a white dragon. Leosin may have more information.
- Lady Silmerhelve, begs the group to investigate the Draakhorn. It's last known location was somewhere in the Sea Of Moving Ice. A mage of the Arcane Brotherhood, MacCath The Crimson, knows more about the Draakhorn than anyone. She was last seen seeking the ancient magical instrument in the Sea Of Moving Ice but has since gone missing. She begs them to go north, to which Smallfang replies, "nope it's south."
- A small sullen man, implores the group to clean up the extortion that the tradespeople in the caravans must submit to. It is hampering trade and his faction's prosperity.
Time To Study
As the group exits the council chambers, they are met by an old friend. Ontharr Frume of the Order Of The Obsidian Dagger. He invites them back to his chambers in the castle. His rooms in the castle are lush and ostentatious. The group is invited to use the chambers during their stay.
As the group enters they are met by a tall beautiful woman dressed in silvery robes and adorned with silver jewelry. She introduces herself as Elia and she tells the group that she will meet them again, soon.
Ontharr offers a place within The Order Of The Obsidian dagger as they have proven themselves as defenders of the Light. He presents to them a clasp with the Order's symbol, a black dagger. They are given the rank of Stalwart. Unfortunately, time does not allow them to be sworn in but they will be given all of the Order's privileges if they present themselves as members of the Order.
As the group enters they are met by a tall beautiful woman dressed in silvery robes and adorned with silver jewelry. She introduces herself as Elia and she tells the group that she will meet them again, soon.
Ontharr offers a place within The Order Of The Obsidian dagger as they have proven themselves as defenders of the Light. He presents to them a clasp with the Order's symbol, a black dagger. They are given the rank of Stalwart. Unfortunately, time does not allow them to be sworn in but they will be given all of the Order's privileges if they present themselves as members of the Order.
MetaGame Spoiler Inside
The group uses the next two days to plan and to gather equipment. T'an is offered training in long sword from Ontharr and spends the next two days sweating and sore but in the end gains great skill with his weapon that he has been practicing with for months.
Arno secludes himself into a corner of the quarters speaking only enough to get the attention of the castle's many pages, sending them out to acquire components for transcribing new spells into the gnome's spellbook. The next two days hears Arno mutter, scribble and put out the occasional fire while learning several new spells.
Smallfang uses T'an's seedier connections to seek out a good deal on plate mail armor. Negotiations are tense during a back alley deal but eventually a price is agreed on, which turns out to be T'an's jeweled ring, which Smallfang eagerly pays and then dons his armour, promising to pay back T'an.
MetaGame Spoiler Inside
Litharael has been using his time trying to convince his King, King Melandrach of the Misty Forest, to contribute some of his forces to try and protect the lands from the cult's activities. The King is insistent that the rest of the Sword Coast can look after itself. The elves of the Misty Forest have fended of an attack and his people are needed to defend their own homes. Litharael eloquently convinces the king but the king must have assurances that the attacks in the Misty Forest have ceased and their causes rooted out.
That decides it. They are off to the Misty Forest.
Smallfang uses T'an's seedier connections to seek out a good deal on plate mail armor. Negotiations are tense during a back alley deal but eventually a price is agreed on, which turns out to be T'an's jeweled ring, which Smallfang eagerly pays and then dons his armour, promising to pay back T'an.
MetaGame Spoiler Inside
Litharael has been using his time trying to convince his King, King Melandrach of the Misty Forest, to contribute some of his forces to try and protect the lands from the cult's activities. The King is insistent that the rest of the Sword Coast can look after itself. The elves of the Misty Forest have fended of an attack and his people are needed to defend their own homes. Litharael eloquently convinces the king but the king must have assurances that the attacks in the Misty Forest have ceased and their causes rooted out.
That decides it. They are off to the Misty Forest.
The Misty Forest
The group has traveled by caravan across a large portion of the Sword Coast, taking months to travel between large cities. They also now have traveled by teleportation. They prefer the teleportation method. They call for a mage who can send them via magic to their destination. An old mage arrives at the quarters and begins to scrawl the circle on the floor and finishes with the runes surrounding the cirlce and the group moves quickly and confidently through the portal.
They find themselves inside the Misty Forest, a forest of huge trees towering above them. They do not walk far before they are stopped by several armed elves. After revealing himself as one of their own, Litharael leads the group into the settlement of Altand. Most of the settlement actually resided up in the trees with the group having to travel by rope and pulley elevators into the treetops.
There they learn:
- during the most recent dragon attack many had witnessed several cultists enter the settlement behind the dragon and ruthlessly kill any survivors. Galin alone had survived on the ground completely unscathed.
- Altand's priest leader was killed and the people have turned to Galin to lead them as he has proven himself during the attack.
- The attack was short lived and nothing of value was taken but several elves are either dead or missing.
The group questions Galin and find he is not very forthcoming, either because of or in spite of the fact that Litharael uses Zone Of Truth on Galin. Eventually it is found that:
- Galin, along with his wife and child, were confronted by a hooded figure accompanied by a large green dragon. Galin begged and pleaded for their lives. The hooded figure struck a deal for their lives in exchange for information regarding the settlements, their locations and their weakness. The hooded figure had the dragon kill his family anyway. He has hidden his guilt over the multitude of deaths he feels he is responsible for.
- The attacks have ceased but he doesn't know why.
Litharael has Galin arrested for treason and the group moves off in the direction the dragon and cultitsts were seen to have moved.
Into The Forest
The adventurers move off into the Misty Forest and there they discover the reason for the forest's namesake. The mist, warm and moist, begins to pervade the air. It is not long before T'an and Litharael notice a plea for help from up ahead.
Moving cautiously, weapons drawn, the move towards the noise. There they find an old woman trapped underneath two fallen trees. She pleads for their help. She says that she has been calling for help for the past two days.
Litharael suspecting a trap moves into the trees, bow and arrow at the ready. T'an, sword drawn inspects the area. Smallfang, though, runs up to the fallen tree and begins to try and lift the massive tree off of the old woman.
Try and try as he might, Smallfangs massive strength is not enough to lift the tree. Before he gives up, though, the tree lifts of its own accord and stands up and backs away. The old woman drops her feint of elderly and frail and smiles up at Smallfang. She tells the group that many would not have been brave and good enough to come to the aid of a stranger in a strange land. She plucks a flower which becomes a whole flowered wreath which she places on the head of Smallfang, after gesturing for him to bow down. She leaves similar wreaths for the others before transforming into a figure wreathed in light and swiftly moves back into the forest.
The group puzzles over the gift trying to suss out the function of the flowery crowns until Arno, after a quick inspection, places it on his head and marches quickly off into the mist. It is not long before Arno begins to encounter webs hidden within the mist and looks up into the many eyes of a giant spider.
The giant spider seems not to concern itself with the gnome as it moves on. Arno looks up and sees several other giant spiders as well as a few ettins crouching in the branches above. T'an, Smallfang and Litharael coming up from behind watch as Arno passes unseen by all the creatures who seem very vigilant and on the look out for intruders. Emboldened, the rest catch up to Arno.
They soon approach a clearing in which they find a large pool of water fed by a waterfall. After transforming into a crocodile, Litharael inspects the pool finding it deep and unguarded. Arno casts water breathing on the others and Smallfang, with Arno barely gripping on, cannonballs into the pool then proceeds to walk along the bottom, weighed down by his massive armor. T'an dives in behind while Litharael, now an octopus swims along behind. They all go behind the waterfall emerging into a darkened wet and slippery tunnel which slopes steeply down.
T'an charges ahead, relying on his surefootedness and darkvision. He moves forward until he finds a large darkened cavern with a large pool of water which holds a small island in it's center. He also finds a tunnel which he passes by and finally comes to a high ledge. While the others are just catching up he, with the help of Smallfang, climbs to the top only to face a half dozen armed elves.
Litharael climbs up to the top of the ledge behind T'an and the elves recognize each other. It would seem these elves are in the employ of the dragon and the cult leader against their own wishes. They follow orders only in hopes of sparing the settlements of the Misty Forest. They are put in the horrible position of having to guard prisoners of their own kind. Eight poor looking elves are in the corner bound hand and foot.
Also in the corner they discover and ancient shrine of a young human woman. The stone statue is old and cracked. From the cracks issues for a stream of water which over the ages have carved paths akin to the paths of tears streaming down the face into basin in the statues hands. Litharael kneels in front of the altar and gives a prayer to an ancient god.
MetaGame Spoiler Inside
The group asks where the dragon is and the elven guards tell them that it emerges from the pool of water down in the cavern.
The group makes their plan.....
No comments:
Post a Comment