The group rests and goes over the information they have retrieved from the missing scientist, Dr. Oliver Winestead, back in the comfort of the penthouse loft on the top of the Mirage Hotel/casino. Clearly the scientist made enemies of the Visitors.
The Sand Processing Facility Question
He has various pictures of a sand processing facility out in the Nevada desert, just outside of a small town named Sloan. The facility is heavily guarded. Large barbed wire fences surround the facility. Towering stands of lights as well as towers holding heavily armed soldiers. The scientist has pictures tracking trucks hauling tons of sand into the facility.
Along with the pictures, are copious notes. Much of these are punctuated with large questions written over them, such as: "Why sand?", "Why so much security?", "Why only a few select government officials have been allowed inside facilities?", "Why do they look human!?"
He has papers marking the steep decline of science education in many of the countries around the world. He has detailed notes of the anatomy of the Visitors as well as possible explanations for why the Visitors are rarely seen without large wrap around sunglasses.
The Penthouse Suite Life
After sometime the group disperses through the penthouse suite. Victois heads off to the kitchen to prepare for the group her signature gourmet meal. Kyoko strips down and jumps into the pool overlooking the night sky of Las Vegas. Alexi, seeing this heads over to the pool to take in the sights. Alessandra, ever the cautious one, moves to the sunken living room, and find a secure corner to sit in.
It is not long before Kyoko and Alexi hear a high pitched whine, buzz and crack as a bullet hits Alexi and blood begins to swirl around him in the pool. Bullet after bullet buzz near them coming from somewhere out in the night sky. Meanwhile inside the penthouse three large males wearing wraparound sunglasses enter the room guns pointed out. Two of them encounter Alessandra who dives for cover. The third attacks Victois in the kitchen.
Victois retreats to the bedroom, slamming the door closed behind her. Grabbing her sniper rifle she waits for the door to open. It doesn't. Instead a shotgun blast bursts through the door and into Victois. Wherever Victois moves to it seems her attacker can see, even through the walls.
Kyoko and Alexi are pinned down behind a stone top table they have toppled over but the intruders from within the suite are able to hit them from behind. Alessandra goes on the offensive and attacks. Alexi is able to run and grab his automatic weapon and is soon able to kill some of the intruders. Kyoko is able to dive for cover and pulls out her drone. Activating it, she controls it with her phone and flies it closer closer to where she see flashes of gunfire. It is coming from a high window in a neighboring hotel.
The Eyes Are Discovered
After moving through the suite, Alexi is able to aid Victois in killing her attacker and the suite is quiet again. The living room area is covered in shattered glass and wood splinters and now has a few walls blood splattered with dead intruders at the floor. The search the bodies and find radios and security badges. One of them has a device that when held up to a wall shows a detailed image of what is on the other side, which is how he was able to attack Victois so effectively. They remove their wrap around sunglasses to find their yellow eyes have vertical pupils.
Listening to the radios they here a very alien language that no one can decipher. Alexi tries to communicate to the other party but cannot understand anything. The conversation quickly ends.
Victois with Kyoko's aid is able to scope in where the sniper fire is coming from but is unable to hit anything. Soon the firing stops and as Victois scopes around he sees two figures dressed similarly to their attackers in the penthouse suite, exiting the hotel and driving away in a white windowless van.
They sit down and let Zora attend their wounds.
They contact General Tate and inform him of what just happened. He offers to send a clean up crew. The group also demands various equipment when the clean up crew arrives.
They're pretty sure they have just made an enemy somehow.
The former general Leon Tate has sent out his envoys to collect up the individuals whom he believes are capable of carrying out a definitive and unbiased investigation into the Visitors. All of them have specific skills which has come to his attention in various ways. Each of them though is unaffiliated with any government organization. He has seen reports of their work as well as psychological profiles. He knows that each of them will have some drive to find the truth as well as the moral flexibility to not let simple laws or ethics get in the way of their investigation.
Kyoko Tamashiro
In an alleyway, a windowless van sits parked. Inside is Kyoko Tamashiro. A 15 year old girl who has lives on the streets, in her van. The van is cluttered with the detritus of young teen girl as well as a plethora of techno gadgets and computers. Two men dressed in black suits wearing ear pieces. She sees them approaching via her cameras but ignores them. The men finally use a small shaped charge on the van's back door and extricate the girl who gives nothing but attitude. Finally she is persuaded to enter their car by the threat of contacting child services.
Alexi Volkov
Out in the Russian wilderness, a handsome yet unkempt man sits in his home, which also happens to be a vehicle. This vehicle is an old Russian armored vehicle. Fully armed the agents approaching it are incredibly wary. Through the window of the vehicle they see a shaggy young man sitting in the drivers seat. The floor of the vehicle covered in empty cup-o-noodle containers. They convince Alexei Volkov of a lucrative job in the United States. Hesitant to leave his home/armored vehicle he somehow is able to convince the agents that they should ship his vehicles States-side. Confident that they will do so, he accompanies them to the airport.
Alessandra Silva
Alessandra Silva, a woman who is reluctant to put down roots, is visiting her friend. She too is a woman with a deadly skill set, so she understands when her friend comes by. The need to relax after a job is necessary in their line of work. The relaxation is cut short when she answers the door to several men dressed in dark suits and sporting ear pieces. This is not good. She calls out for Alessandra and closes the door. While Alessandra talks to the men at the door her friend moves to a set sniper position in which she can cover her friend. But soon enough, Alessandra gives the barely noticeable signal that all is good, as she collects her stuff and goes with the agents to the airport.
Victois Vltrois
Somewhere on a farm in southern France, Victois Vltrois, is in the kitchen preparing a gourmet meal for her comrades in arms, a rag tag collection of mercenaries and former military. A lookout calls out the household that two black cars are approaching from the northeast road. People move casually move into position, Victois grabbing her sniper rifle from beside the counter and moves to her assigned sniper position. After talking to the agents at the door, Victois is called down and after hearing what sounds like a new contract job, Victois is off to the airport.
Doctor Zora
At a Dallas hospital, Dr. Zora, is finishing a lecture on the subtleties of emergency microvascular surgery. She is chatting with a small group of medical students and is obviously basking in the glow of their adulation. Dr. Zora's nobel prize can be clearly seen hanging around her neck. Two agents approach her and tell her of a project she is required for. This is nothing unusual for the doctor and so she accepts and is taken to the airport.
As each of them lands on the tarmac of the Las Vegas airport, the relentless heat of the desert heat hits them. Waves of heat make the horizon shimmer in the midday sun. They are then driven out of the city and into the wilds of the desert. They pull into what seems to be an old and abandoned casino. Derelict and seemingly structurally unsafe they are escorted in. Across the floor of the casino with the occasional broken gambling table and empty spots on the floor where slot machines used to be bolted to the floor, they come to an elevator.
The group looks at each other, dubious of an elevator in this abandoned casino. But the doors do open to a rusted and dust laden elevator car. As they all step in the doors close. One of the agents, produces a key and opens a panel which exposes a crisp looking touch video panel which displays a series of numbers and symbols. He enters a series of key presses and the elevator descends at a staggering speed.
We Meet "General" Leon Tate
After a few minutes and seemingly hundreds of feet, the doors open into a vast dimly lit chamber. Their footsteps echo against the distant concrete walls. They walk towards the center of the chamber and are greeted by an old grizzle, uniformed man. Grey stubble for hair and a stern look are what they can see apart from his uniform. He introduces himself as General Leon Tate.
They are escorted into a side room. This round room is encircled with large video screens which are currently dark and is dimly illuminated by lights spot lighting a few seats around the circular table which takes up most of the room. Lush high backed seats surround the table. Kyoko immediately sits down and puts her feet up on the table. Alessandra slowly slips back into the shadows which surround the outer edges of the room.
The rest eventually find their seats as General Leon Tate explains why they are here.
He does not trust the Visitors. They had tracked their spaceships entering the solar system as far out as the asteroid belt inside the orbit of Mars. The military had been on high alert ever since and the two probes sent out had been unable to determine anything. Then when the politicians had turned to befriend the Visitors, without a shred of evidence, persuaded only by public opinion, the general and those loyal to him decided to save humanity in spite of itself.
The Missing Scientist
The general had heard the daughter of a outspoken scientist, Dr. Oliver Winestead, has been trying to get anyone to listen to her of her father's disappearance. He had listened to her and has agreed to look into it. Dr. Oliver Winestead has always been a bit a fringe scientist. This made it harder for him to be taken seriously when he told government officials that the Visitors should allow unhindered access to all of their ships and facilities. Also they should be allowed to autopsy one of the Visitors. They know so much about humans but humans know very little about the Visitors.
He hasn't been heard from for several weeks.
General Leon Tate will give them access to resources and some money. They are to report to him and only him. They are to investigate quietly. Speaking out against the Visitors is politically unwise. Saying this produces an emotion on his face which is hard to read other than it is no longer the stern and stoic expression he always wears. If they are caught, the general can do very little and any knowledge of this mission will be denied.
They are given a duffel bag of cash and sent back to the city.
Life Is Easy For Robert Downey Jr.
In Las Vegas, they scout around and finally Alexi decides that they should stay in first class accommodations. To this, they enter one of the finer casinos and Alexi approaches the front desk. With a flawless impersonation of Robert Downey Jr. he somehow wrangles the penthouse suite for the group.
After settling in, they hit the casino floor. Alexi, still posing as Robert Downey Jr. attracts a huge crowd. While Kyoto notices a woman sitting at the bar, who clearly has been there a while, who matches the description of Nancy Winestead, the missing scientist's daughter.
Befriending the woman they are invited back to Nancy's house. The house is a teeming mass of cats. The woman is clearly not mentally healthy but Alexi distracts her while Kyoko goes on the computer on which she finds Dr. Oliver Winestead's notes on his investigation into the Visitors.
While Kyoko is copying over the information, Victois places a call to animal services and tells them of a house which is overrun with feral and uncared for cats.
Making their excuses they leave the house and as they leave they watch as animal services drives up and begins to extract all of the cats from the house as a hysterical Nancy Winestead screams at the workers.
With a collective shrug, they head back to their casino penthouse suite to look over the information they have just acquired.
In the summer of 2018 the world paused in its petty politics, wars, debates over global climate change and the usual human suffering. Across the entire globe several vessels entered the Earth's atmosphere from space. All of them, numbering somewhere in the thousands, came to hover over the larger cities of the world.
As the military organizations around the world scrambled to meet this new threat, the various methods of communication, from YouTube and smart phones to old school tv and radio, where taken over by a massive broadcast emanating from the space ships. Appearing on screens was a middle aged human looking male. Blond hair, fading to grey, and an average build, the man wore a simple uniform with a purple sash across his chest.
He introduces himself as Leader John and addresses the world, speaking in the appropriate local languages simultaneously across the world.
"Do not fear humans of Earth, you are in no danger. We have travelled for several of your light-years to come here. We wish you no harm. We are a peaceful race and we have monitored your broadcasts for the past few solar cycles. We have noted your propensity for peaceful interaction as of late and determined this to be the ideal first contact opportunity. We welcome a dialogue with your various nations as we wish only to have a mutually beneficial trade established between our two people. Until your people have digested this information we will keep our contact with your society minimal until you are sufficiently ready for further interaction. As of now only a few of our delegates will interact with some of your nations, mainly through your United Nations organization. Be assured though, you will only benefit from our presence as we, with your permission, will begin teaching your leading scientists of our knowledge. We have determined that we can assist you in reducing or eliminating disease and hunger in your physical bodies as well as we can help with some of your pressing needs, mainly atmosphere control and water resources. In return, we wish only to collect some resources which we desire which, as it turns out, Earth has in abundance which you humans seem not to require at this point. That resource is silicon dioxide, which you call sand. Again, we are simple visitors to your home and we wish nothing more for your happiness and benefit."
Slowly humanity returns to its daily activities, now with the ever present Visitors, as they become known as. Over the course of the next year the Visitors set up facilities across the world. Processing facilities are set up near desert areas to begin collecting sand. In return, delegates are sent to the world's most prestigious research facilities to aid in scientific progress. Hospitals and medical universities now have Visitor medical advisers. Political organizations, worldwide, now include Visitor delegates who aid in resource conservation efforts.
Soon, advancements not thought to be possible are now common place. Hunger and poverty across the globe is largely eliminated. Cancer and other "incurable" diseases are now finding miraculous cures, though the common cold still afflicts the usual millions of people daily. The energy crisis and the wars fueled by the desire to control the world's oil resources have now begun to fade as new Visitor fusion technology is being implemented worldwide.
The world has gone from fear and trepidation to cautious optimism, to finally accepting the Visitors as the world's saviors. Youth groups parade in honor of the Visitors and in hopes of someday joining their ranks in the skies. Politicians scramble to align themselves with the Visitor delegates. Photos are taken with the usual politicians shaking hands with Leader John or his second in command, Jane.
But there are those in the governments that have not bought into the Visitor's altruistic nature. Suspicions grow underground and the former Army General, Leon Tate, reaches out to a few individuals who he has learned of. Each of these individuals has a specific skill set. They are scattered around the world but the ousted General still has influence within his former military circles. He sends his envoys to gather these individuals.
He has for months now preached caution where it comes to the Visitors, but with the world reaping the benefits of the Visitor's knowledge and technology, it falls on the deaf ears of publicly influenced politicians.
Now though, reports of various high level scientists that have gone missing begin to worry Leon Tate. When finally, the daughter of one of the missing scientists, Nancy Winestead, who has gone to, seemingly every other official channel, comes to implore the former general for help. He is the only one who lends a credulous ear.
It would seem Dr. Oliver Winestead has been a vocal advocate of investigating the Visitors. His daughter claims that he has begun his own investigation into the Visitors and their claims of only wanting silicon dioxide, sand and in return will give humanity all of their knowledge and technology. But as soon as he becomes a little too vocal, he disappears.
General Leon Tate begins his plan to begin his own investigation. He just needs the right people. A select, talented and secret group.
The group has just defeated the tyrant abusing the good fortune of the Blacklantern Inn. In return the Blacklantern Inn has transported itself, along with the adventurers to the foot of the Mountains of Latherna. These are the mountains which enclose the castle of The Raven Queen.
The bleak and dim landscape slopes steeply up through scraggly blackened trees. Rook conjures a shrine to the Raven Queen and prays for guidance. But to his dismay, this time there is no response. He feels in his gut that something is very wrong. The Raven Queen would definitely give some sort of sign if she could. The group wanders upwards not entirely sure where they are going until Rook uses his magical eye of Falazure to see that there is a doorway that leads into the mountains themselves ahead of them.
The Timeless Defender 50,000 XP
As they make their way up towards the doorway, an elderly man, Rothosk Mimzada, donned in worn and weathered armor steps in front of them. He too is worn and weathered but he stands with conviction and a confidence that makes the group pause. They try to tell them of their mission and that time is of the essence. He will hear none of it. He has stood in defense of the mountain passage for time immemorial. He shall not waver in his duty now.
Spoiler Inside
DM Note: If someone had tried to investigate a bit further they would find that he was defeated by Vecna and his memories altered. He is already beyond death and as such Vecna could not conscript Rothosk to his undead army.
NPC Backstory Inside
NPC Backstory: Rothosk is here because the Raven Queen has given him immortality as a punishment and penance. He desired to be punished with eternal life because he sought to stave off the death of his mother. She was sick and could not be cured by dozens of clerics and wizards. He put her in stasis until he could find a cure but found when he woke her that she had been conscious the entire time and in dire pain. When she finally was allowed to die he swore to make sure death was allowed to take its natural course except for him, who as a punishment should always live and remember the pain he put his mother through. Vecna who has already passed through has used Alter Memory on Rothosk such that Rothosk cannot recall seeing, dealing with and being "killed" by Vecna. But as Rothosk is immortal. He returned to "life" after Vecna left.
The group decides that they do not have time for this delay and they attack. Rothosk's aged appearance belies a speed that surprises the group. As they attack he is able to teleport around the group. As he does so he conjures a large shimmering dome which encompasses Katya. Katya's time slows to a crawl. Unfortunately for Rothosk, even with her time slowed she is incredibly fast and soon enough is able to escape the dome with altered time.
As they battle against the aged human, several of the large trees surrounding the group begins to move and come to the defense of the old man. Roots shoot out along the ground and attack and grasp at them. Lirath tries to use his mind powers against the trees but it would seem there is not a lot of mind in them to affect.
Rothosk is able to teleport several times and is able to stab several of the group. Lirtah after being stabbed by one of Rothosk's daggers ages 100 years in the blink of an eye, fortunately for elves Lirath has many years to spare. But after being stabbed by the second dagger, Lirath finds himself petrified and unable to move.
Hope is grappled by one of the Quickwood and is able to escape using a dimension door. Rook then tells her to use her fire spells and soon enough Rook and Hope are laying waste to the tree creatures using fireball.
Smallfang faces off against the old man, Rothosk, and Rothosk conjures a huge hourglass which envelopes Smallfang, trapping him inside. Finally he is released after an accidental blow from one of the quickwoods.
Rook is finally able to get close to Rothosk and places his evil hand of Vecna upon Rothosk. Rothosk's body falls to the ground boneless. But as Rook stands over the remains of the old warrior, he watches as some of the bones begin to regrow, slowly but surely. Smallfang stabbs the already dead body several times with his sword Hazirawn stalling but certainly not stopping the slowly reforming body of the defender of the mountains.
Standing in the now burning foothill forests of the Latherna mountains, they group carries on up the slope to where Rook believes there is a door which can lead them through the mountains.
Entrance Into The Mountains 10,000 XP
Shortly they find themselves standing at a door embedded in the mountainside. Ancient stone columns stand on either side of an ancient but sturdy wooden door. In the center of the door is a triangular form with 4 hooks along its base. On those hooks are 3 keys, one gold, one silver, one ethereal and the last key hook is empty.
After trying several methods of knocking on the door and a few spells they find an inscription upon the triangular form holding the keys. It is in an ancient language that has passed into the obscurity of history. But Katya can read it:
The true key to my kingdom Is the key that is greater than The Raven Queen.
After a bit of discussion it is decided that they will just have to try one. Smallfang volunteers and tells everyone to stand back as he prepares to try to use the ethereal key.
Lirath offers to use mage hand instead and save Smallfang some potential injury. Lirath then uses magic to grasp the key and put it into the keyhole in the center of the door. An arc of lightning shoots out of the key and into Lirath. As Lirath stands, smoke drifting up off his body and the smell of burnt hair filling the air, he tells them that was the wrong key.
Smallfang looks closer at the triangular form on the door. It is set out of the door. Behind it seems to be a round mechanism connected to the door. He grasps the triangular form and turns. The door opens smoothly and quietly. Beyond is a long dark corridor entering the mountain.
The answer to the riddle is that nothing is greater than the Raven Queen. Hence no key is the true key.
More Drakes Than Accounted For 47,700 XP
They progress into the mountain. The passageways soon become rough and probably natural corridors through the mountain. Rook uses his illusory self to move through the various passage ways scouting ahead. He encounters a trio of stone giants who are able to pass through the rock of the mountain. He returns to his physical body to tell the others what he has found.
Slowly they progress this way through much of the maze until they come across a couple of extremely large drakes. Their skin more like scales of obisidian rock. The group has the advantage that they have spotted the drakes while the drakes seem not to have noticed them. They formulate a plan.
An illusory Rook attracts the attention of the drakes and lures one of them into a narrow passage. The drake predictably follows, having to tuck its wings in order for them to make it through the narrow passageways. The other drake decides to go around to the other end of the passageway in hopes of trapping the unfortunate soul who was stupid enough to allow themselves to be seen by such powerful creatures. Lirath forms a wall behind them as Rook forms a wall on the other end of the passageway. Thus trapped inside, the remaining party can more effectively kill the drake while they are enclosed in such a narrow corridor. The other drake encountering the wall that Rook has made, scrapes the rocky ground with its huge claws and an arcane energy flows from its scratches, through the ground and into the narrow passageway where the other are trapped.
The ground erupts into a small caldera and begins spewing out hot lava. It sprays everyone and then begins to ooze out along the floor. This does not seem to hamper the drake at all. The drake inside with the majority of the party begins to breath out a torrent of burning hot ash. The group has its hands full with dealing with the single drake.
Meanwhile, outside the narrow passageway, Lirath feels at ease as he has recently been sidelined recently during the battles. That is when he feels the fiery hot breath above him. As he looks up he sees another obsidian drake standing above him. The drake breaths hot lava over Lirath and Lirath becomes entombed within a case of hardening and cooling lava.
Finally, they are able to kill off the drakes and after a bit of further exploring find the ancient stone steps leading up and out of the mountain.
They find themselves on a rock shelf on a mountain which overlooks a valley. In the valley is a large castle made entirely off black ice. Above the castle swirls a storm of the souls of the realm who are unable to move on to their final resting place. They circle the sky above the castle creating lightning storms that make the valley echo with its thunder.
A thin and ancient bridge connects the rock ridge to the castle. The group easily traverses the gorge and find themselves inside the castle of the Raven Queen.
Into The Raven Queen's Castle 20,000 XP
The castle is quiet and empty. Lirath uses his psionics to seek out Vecna. Once Lirath finds the mind of Vecna he pushes in and tries to take information from Vecna's mind. Lirath sees a huge battle as Sorrowsworn after Sorrowsworn attack and then are tossed aside as Vecna strides through the castle, in search of the Raven Queen. This vision does not last long as Lirath realizes that Vecna has instead pushed into Lirath's mind. As Lirath stands staring into nothingness for a few minutes the others begin to worry. When Lirath finally comes around and is asked what happened, he responds with a shrug of his shoulders. Nothing to worry about.
The castle is vast and no one has knowledge of it's layout. The group doesn't know where to go. After some investigation though the find frozen blood stains hidden on the black ice that the castle is made of. There was certainly enough blood spilled but there also seems to be indications of the victims rose up out of their blood pools and began to walk, all in the same direction. The party decides that's the way to go.
Facing Your Demons 30,000 XP
They move through the castles wide hallways. Floors of smooth black ice. Walls have numerous windows 20 feet tall looking out on the misty grey valley between the mountains of Latherna. At the end of one of the long hallways stands a mysterious figure.
Each of the group pauses as they see someone from their past.
Katya sees Kanavu, her clan-mate. She had last left her in the Abyss with a promise she would be back. Kanavu who had looked up to Katya so much that she had set out, away from the safety of her lands to search for Katya. Kanavu, her flesh mauled and torn, pleads to Katya...."why did you abandon me to die at the hands of the demons."
Katya flees down the hallway in the opposite direction.
Hope sees her sister, Faith. Faith who tells Hope that she was never loved by her parents and they were always disappointed that Hope wasn't as smart or talented as her older sister. That Hope shall never live up to the accomplishments of Faith.
Smallfang sees his god and patron, Bahumut. The god looks disapprovingly at Smallfang and turns his back on him and begins to walk away.
Rook sees the Raven Queen herself, beaten and bleeding. She looks at Rook and tells him that he has failed her. He alone had the power to save her and now she is dying. Death shall be taken over by Vecna and the universe will never be safe again.
Lirath sees a small crooked ghoul. Pleasure spreads across its face in a fang-toothed grin. Lirath sees the others staring at the creature each lost in their own thoughts.
Eventually each is able to break out of their trances and see the ghoul for what it is and the battle is swift and decisive. It ends with Lirath pushing into the ghouls mind and shattering it.
The Lost Soul 60,000 XP
They move further into the castle following the dried bloody trail. The trail has now grown into a massive sprawl of blood splatter as the amount of creatures moving along its path has grown tremendously.
The trail passes several large rooms but in one large dim room they see a huddled form cowering beneath a swarming conspiracy of ravens. The ravens are haggard and deteriorating. Tatters of flesh flap as they beat broken and mangled wings. They do not seem to harm the form huddled beneath but are content with harassing it so it may not move.
Smallfang confidently strides into the mass of black feathers and beaks and pulls the huddled form out of harms way as the others easily kill of the undead ravens.
The young girl introduces herself and Lia Bandarster. She died a long time ago and has lived in the Shadowfell since. She was about to move on to the next world beyond, as it was her time, but as she was walking with the other dead through the castle a great commotion began and most of the dead ran, taking to the skies. Where they still are. She gestures to the sky swirling with the dead and agitated spirits of the dead.
Smallfang puts the girl on his shoulder and tells her that he shall make sure she joins the others. They just have to check on the Raven Queen.
Eventually the group aids the spirit to join the others in the sky. She is scared but some of the group accompany her, flying with her, until she is rejoined with others she recognizes.
They continue on their path through the castle until they come to a pair of great doors. The doors stand near 25 feet tall in the vaulted hallway. As they peek through they see the gaunt figure of a man standing the hallway beyond the door, awaiting them. He smiles an evil smile with a glint in his one glowing red eye. The other socket is a black void.
Is it Vecna?
Katya asks her sword, the Sword Of Kas, if this is it. The sword says that something isn't right.
They burst through the door charging towards the evil creature.
An Avatar Of Vecna 50,000 XP
The creature tells them that he is Vecna and that they should not interfere in that which they do not understand. Mortals should not meddle in the affairs of the gods. If they persist they will be judged, and judged harshly.
The battle is bloody but in the end the group is victorious. They do not believe that this was Vecna.
If that wasn't Vecna, what was it? Where is the real Vecna? Where is the Raven Queen?
The Shadowfell become overwhelming for some of the group. Lirath and Hope fall into despair. Lirath giving up hope of ever seeing his world again, slumps against a withered tree and refuses to move. Hope feels the weight of despair but tries to fend it off, only to have waves of nausea causing her to lean hands on knees. Rook, meanwhile, loses himself in a book. All attempts to distract him from the book fail, until the group begins a tug-of-war with Rook over the book.
Rook even goes so far as to threaten death on anyone who tries to take his book.
Tired of being stuck watching this display of weakness, Smallfang finally gathers up Hope and Lirath under his arms and begins walking in the direction they were previously headed. The others finally coax Rook to walk and read at the same time.
Travelling Through The Despair
They travel like this for sometime. Barb leading the group gets glimpses of movement out of the corner of his eyes every once in a while. Shadows seem to move in the distance between trees. He ignores this as a trick of the land. He's seen what it has done to some of the others. After a while of this slow travel, they decide to rest. It has been hours and they are feeling hungry.
Lirath, finally awakening from his trance-like despair, accompanies Barb as the barbarian swears he can find food even in this gods forsaken place. Heading off into the mist filled sparse forest, Barb busies himself with finding roots, grubs and edible mosses. He's quite proud of himself. Lirath on the other hand, is glancing around constantly and begins to see movement in the trees ahead.
A Dangerous Foraging 10,000 XP
Lirath warns Barb of what he sees but Barb seems unworried. Finally as they move far enough ahead, out of the shadows step several shadow beasts. They have positioned themselves around Lirath and Barb. They move back towards the camp while fending off the creatures finally killing off the creatures as they return to camp.
The group uses various spells and collects their knowledge on how to get to the Raven Queen. She lives in the mountains of Latherna, within a demiplane within the Shadowfell. As protection it is impossible to use spells, such as plane shift, to enter her domain. On top of that, her demiplane sometimes shifts in order to make travel there difficult.
Rook, angered as being brought to the Shadowfell to defend his Raven Queen against the rival god, Vecna, bellows into the Shadowfell. The Raven Queen should give them more assistance if they are to come to her aid. Why would they be stranded in this place with little ability to get to the Castle Of The Raven Queen.
Rook begins to walk and swear into the sky at his patron god and demands that she aid them.
The Blacklantern Inn
At that moment a large inn appears before him. It's two story building is shaped light a horseshoe and the windows are brightly lit which stands in sharp contrast to the landscape around it. In it's courtyard move various ghosts. Each wears a widely different style of clothes as they obviously come from a wide variety of lands and times.
One of the ghosts, a older gentlemen dressed formally, welcomes the group to the Blacklantern Inn. The group asks if he knows the way to the mountains of Latherna. He does not but perhaps they can ask the proprietor of the inn, Yarol. Soon the group finds themselves inside the warm inn. There is an eclectic group of creatures from all over. Behind the bar is a well dressed teifling with large round horns. He introduces himself as Yarol. He tells them that the inn is special. It has the ability to move around the Shadowfell, sometimes sensing when someone is in dire need.
Yarol sets up the group at a table. Rook immediately notices a group of dark skinned creatures and recognizes them as Shadar-kai, creatures associated with The Raven Queen. They are heavily tattooed with multiple piercings all over their scarred bodies. Rook and Lirath approach them and tell them that the Raven Queen is in danger and that they need to get to her as quickly as possible. One of the Shadar-kai spits upon the floor at the mention of the Raven Queen. These Shadar-kai are not loyal to the Raven Queen. They blame the queen for their miserable lives trapped within the Shadowfell. The only thing staving off the despair of the land is constant pain and fighting.
The Eviction Of Unwanted Guests
Lirath pushes into the mind of the Shadar-kai standing in front of them and forces him to attack one of his comrades. This immediately erupts into a fighting frenzy as the group falls upon each other in an orgy of violence.
Yarol begins to shout for them to desist but to no avail. As the Shadar-kai continue to fight, the floor boards and walls of the inn begin to creak and move and the walls begin to shift and grow as the Shadar-kai are ejected from the inn, as the inn itself reforms around them forcing them outside it's walls.
Lirath and Rook then turn to Yarol, the inn's owner. They demand that he make the inn take them to the Raven Queen. Yarol does not take kindly to the demand and subsequent threats. He moves his hands in intricate gestures. The walls and floor boards of the inn begin to creak and move but almost immediately stops. Yarol seems puzzled. and then sighs.
It would seem the Blacklantern Inn does not wish to eject this group of adventurers.
The Inn Has Been Sent To Aid The Group
The group tells them of their mission to save the Raven Queen from Vecna.
Yarol stares at them in disbelief. Vecna is but a legend. A myth. But it would seem the inn believes them. He sets them up in a private area and gives them food and drink as well as lodging for the night. The inn it would seem is not ready to take them just yet. Perhaps they can help with a problem that Yarol has been having.
For A Favor 34,000 XP
Lord Nill, a undead lord who has come to power in the Shadowfell, has been forcing the Inn to pay a "tax" for which Lord Nill will allow the inn the continue to exist. He and his shadow dragon have terrorized the inn for decades. Perhaps the group could find a way out of this before they move on.
Lirath stays outside of his room during the night and soon spots Lord Nill approaching flying upon the back of his shadow dragon. He calls to the others and using his psionic powers pulls Lord Nill off of the dragon and pushes him down to the ground.
The battle was short. The group focused its damage on Lord Nill, who stood now beside his dragon in worn and ancient armor. The dragon using it's breath weapon several times to injure the group. But the dragon eventually takes to the skies but after being damaged enough disappears from the group's sight.
As Lord Nill falls, Rook notices a little girl standing just behind him, as he stands on the walkway on the second floor in front of the rooms looking out over the courtyard. She asks what he is doing. Rook tries to shoo the girl away but the girl soon transforms into a large creature who is loyal to Lord Nill. At the same time, Rook finds the dragon, as it's large head appears in front of him as the dragon, sitting on the roof of the inn, looks down over the roof and begins to inhale, readying it's breath weapon.
Soon all the enemies are defeated and the group gathers in the courtyard of the inn. The air shifts around them, turning cold and they see looming ahead of them the towering peaks of mountains.
The Blacklantern Inn has taken them to the mountains of Latherna. The home of The Raven Queen.
The group tends to their wounds after the battle with the hoard of zombie goblins, or zoblins, lich hounds and a minotaur skeleton. Lirath and Hope rush into the ancient keep and begin to scour the dirty and decrepit rooms and find a trove of ancient coins, gems and other such treasures.
As the group rests they discuss what their next course of action should be. They are not in any rush to pursue Osterneth immediately after their last battle. They need to restore their health and spell abilities. To rush headlong after the priestess of Vecna would be foolhardy. While they discuss they pass the small griffon statue around trying to puzzle out its riddle. Relaxed I sit upon my perch Till suddenly I give a lurch And off I speed on wing-tips three Before my prey can think to flee. I make its flesh and tendons part And claw my way into its heart. Now only kin can set me free so strike this statue with one Of me. Inside The Statue 5,000 XP
Finally, Hope takes an arrow from Katya and stabs it into the statue. The head pulls back on unseen hinges to reveal a small hollow inside. Katya reaches inside and pulls out a long and ethereal black arrow. Wisps of black ether fall from the arrow. Katya tucks this away for later.
They decide that they should pursue Osterneth now that they are capable of fight.
They find the stairs that Lirath says he say the priestess descend and they too follow the ancient stone steps downwards. Moving ever downwards, the stairs twist and turn and the air begins to feel cold and damp. When they finally reach the bottom they are in an ancient temple, cold mist flowing a foot deep along the ornate floor tiles.
In the middle of the temple is a black portal. An oval stands 10 feet high, black liquid-like magic separates this world from another as they watch a foot disappear into the black flowing portal. Osterneth, who still stands beside the portal holds in her hand a cylindrical device which has multiple rings surrounding it. She spins these rings, jumbling whatever pattern which held the portal open. The portal collapses silently, leaving only Osterneth standing in front of the group with a sly smile, as she tucks the device into her robes.
Vecna Escapes 26,800 XP
She tells them that they are too late. Vecna has left to kill The Raven Queen. Now it is time for her revenge upon them. They are to be punished for casting her into the Astral Plane, the last time they fought.
Smallfang growls and charges in, Barb right behind him. Osterneth raises her hand and stuns them. As they are unable to move she uses a scepter and uses their inability to defend themselves to inflict grievous damage. She screams and laughs as she takes her revenge upon them.
Lirath, Hope and Katya close in and attack. They land their blows but Osterneths blood, or what passes for blood within the undead creature, splatters back upon them burning into their skin and spreading.
Rook moves back out of harms way. He casts the illusion of a rope over the scepter that Osterneth uses to bash in the skulls of Barb and Smallfang, and then forces it into reality. Osterneth frustrated with this tosses the rope/scepter aside.
As Smallfang and Barb regain their senses they continue their assault on the priestess, getting splashed with her necrotic energy, but again Osterneth raises her hand and casts power word kill upon the dragonborn. Knowing she has beaten him to the point where the spell can now instantly kill him. Laughing as Smallfang drops to his knees but Smallfang's resilience prevents him from being outright killed. He looks up into the eyes of Osterneth and smiles defiantly.
Smallfang's smile instantly fades as the necrotic damage he has sustained, pulses yet again and plunges him into unconsciousness. Smallfang is dying.
Osterneth uses her powers to call upon the dead of the temple to come to her aid. Several mumified skeletal remains rise up out of the mist and begin to attack. These are merely a distraction as they are easily dispatched leaving again only Osterneth to be dealt with.
The Death Of Osterneth
Between Barb and Smallfang's close quarter attacks Hope hopes that Osterneth has been injured enough for her favorite spell, disintegrate, to work. A blast of arcane energy leaves Hope and hits Osterneth directly. When the spell ends, Osterneth collapses on the floor. There is a pulsing arcanic energy which comes from the chest of Osterneth and she rises once more. The power spreading out of her exposed, blackened and shriveled heart fills the priestess' body and she smiles at the group. Clearly she cannot be killed this way.
But while Osterneth is gloating, Katya moving from within the shadows has nocked the black ethereal arrow, which they had found within the statue of the griffon. She uses all of her skill to aim directly for the heart. She releases the arrow and it finds its target.
The black arrow disappears but the heart begins to liquify and Osterneth screams as her body withers and collapses. Black ooze pouring out from where her heart would be.
Katya Destroys The Artifacts
The group stands around the dead priestess and debates whether or not they should destroy all of Vecna's artifacts. But the debate is soon ended when Katya pulls out of her bag of holding the artifacts she has within her possession and stabs them. The arguing stops as they watch her destroy them and they turn into a puddle of black slimy liquid.
Going through the robes of Osternath they find the cylinrical device which they had seen her close the portal with and they after little time figure it out and open the portal.
They enter in pursuit of Vecna.
On the other side they find themselves within the Shadowfell.
The Shadowfell 10,000 XP
A bleak and stark land perpetually in twilight. The landscape is rough and broken. The sparse forest they find themselves in, has thin and twisted trees with no leaves. Rook, who has for years been hoping to find himself in the Shadowfell in service of The Raven Queen, has read much on the Shadowfell. He prays to his queen and asks for direction.
At this, ravens hidden thus far, in the dead trees of the forest, take flight and head off in a single direction.
They follow.
Soon they come across a pile of dead bodies after a quick inspection, Rook notices they are uniformed as the Deathless Watch, the militia and law enforcement here. He also notices a now familiar look of dead bodies who have died because their skeletons have been liquified. Vecna has passed through here. How long ago is difficult to determine, Rook tells the others that time here runs different. He might have come through here moments ago or days or even weeks ago.
A different group is approaching from near the direction they are headed.
It is a group of fanatics to the Raven Queen, the Ebony Guard. They begin to question the group trying to be friendly at first but soon the group notices their interest in Rook. His odd eye and hidden hands being suspicious. The adventurers attack.
They find the Ebony Guard hard to injure but soon they fall under Rook's hand of Vecna.
After moving through the suite, Alexi is able to aid Victois in killing her attacker and the suite is quiet again. The living room area is covered in shattered glass and wood splinters and now has a few walls blood splattered with dead intruders at the floor. The search the bodies and find radios and security badges. One of them has a device that when held up to a wall shows a detailed image of what is on the other side, which is how he was able to attack Victois so effectively. They remove their wrap around sunglasses to find their yellow eyes have vertical pupils.
