Catching up

A bloody confrontation with the cultists ensued and the Band was able to defeat their enemies just as the elves arrived for backup.  It quickly became clear that the Elves had assumed the Band was going to break the ward with the help of the cultists, but that hadn't been done yet.  (when you read this)In the midst of battle, one of the cultists lunged towards the door, opened it and shattered into pieces - the door slamming shut behind him!  After the battle, the Half-Orc decided to test the door and also opened it, meeting the same fate. 

After some backtracking they learned that with the help of the pirate group, The Red Sails, they could use a key to unlock the door safely.  They made a deal with Vicktor the Bold to turn over the knowledge of the location of the door in return for using his key to open the door safely.  They all headed to the door, Vicktor opened it, and the Band went into the darkness.  Once inside, Vicktor laughed aloud and shut the door, trapping the Band in blackness.  After feeling their way around, they (blog, text me) encountered a bone devil, who seemed trapped in this halfway area - he said he would show them the way to the lost city if they reopened the door to the material plane.  When pressed, he told them that the secret of the mirror that Vicktor wanted was that at a certain time, the door would open to a lost sanctuary - a repository of great artifacts and limitless treasure.  If they agreed to unleash the devil and his brethren on the material plane, they would stop Vicktor and give them access to the limitless riches.  Unwilling to do so, they tricked the devil into letting them through a portal to the City of Amon Sur. 

Once through, Caelya used a magical map that showed them the location of the access portal to the Isle of Morgantis.  Sneaking their way through the city infested with shadow magic and aberrant beholders, they located the other door but were attacked by a dragon made of (the word "dolphin vagina")shadow itself.  The battle tested the limits of the Band, but they were able to push past the creature and open the portal - lunging through to the other side - into a dense jungle. 

After some investigation, they cut through the jungle to the waterline to find a very old dock.  From their, they followed a path cut through the jungles to a watch post, helmed by a handful of stone giants. After battling their way past the creatures, they discovered they were all wearing necklaces with a dragon pendant-like key.  They lit the outpost on fire to draw out any other alllies, then snuck past a patrol deeper into the jungle to discover a large temple.   Around the back of the temple, they discovered a way in using the pendant key.  After unlocking a door while battling (and add) a protective stone golem, they found themselves in a large room with a desk containing a ledger.  Upon investigation, the ledger contained detailed dates and arrivals of groups of prisoners.  The most recent arrival was two weeks past.  Two side passages revealed only the arrival of torch bearers - who upon torture revealed only that they were responsible for the lighting of torches.  Without questioning them further, they let them go.  

They followed the passages into a larger chamber with several guard cultists.  While fighting the guards, one rushed up a set of stairs in the rear of the room.  After killing the remaining guards, the sound of screaming children echoed down the stairs.  Unable to take the time needed to search two large chests, the Band rushed up the stairs to a room with small prison cells on the sides. (two potions of vitality to your sheets) Children were being dragged out of the cells towards a large alter covered in blood.  A cultist and his lackeys were wildly slashing the throats of the children, funneling the blood into a siphon beneath the alter.  As the blood flowed, flecks of a large dragon statue were falling off as the statue slowly animated.  A summoned demon charged at the party while they worked their way to stop the cultist from killing the children.  After a drawn out battle the cultists were destroyed, leaving several cells of prisoners, and a large elevator-type room beneath the now-frozen statue of the dragon in the back of the room. 

Mirror of Unmaking

After briefly awaiting clearance to dock their boat, the group found themselves greeted by a dockworker asking for a boat storage fee.  “Welcome to Windjammer” provided them with the name of their location but they knew little more than that.  Many of the ships in the docking area were adorned with red sails with a familiar symbol but the details were vague in their memory.  They decided to head into the city proper, first through the lower reaches of the town, past rundown buildings, shops and residences into the town square.  From here, to the north large warehouses stretched across their field of vision.  To the east, more affluent buildings lay, dominated by a temple to Pelor.  The west seemed dominated by public buildings and perhaps more affluence.  They suspected government buildings lay in that direction. 

Thorn suggested the group head to the temple.  Although the temple seemed closed up, their knocking prompted a gnome in robes to answer the door.  After bribing him, he opened the door and introduced himself as Glim Shleppin.  The real head priest of Pelor emerged from the back and greeted them.  When the priest learned that Wyndham (when you read this)also worshipped Pelor, he took him aside to ask if he had become aware of the god’s silence.  Apparently, their prayers and blessings have gone unanswered now for a weeks.  This after a brief period of attunement, it seems something is awry with the behaviors and plans of the gods.  They asked about the entrance to the lost city of Amon Sur but the priest seemed to know nothing about it.  He referred them to the Council of Three – the ruling council of Windjammer.

They departed and headed to a tavern to learn more.  While inside, talking to the barkeep, they learned that the real power behind the city lay with the pirate group “Red Sails”.  Their leader, Vicktor the Bold, could likely supply them with information.  In the meantime, Caelyn sat down with a group of reclusive elves and learned that they too were on the hunt for missing children of their own race.  Agreeing to meet again that night after midnight, they were hopeful to have found allies. 

Next the group headed to the Council of Three, requesting audience.  While waiting, the half-orc rudely opened an adjoining door, to find members "text me the word Imix)of the council readying themselves.  Guards emerged from all sides and brusquely pushed the Band of Jenkins out onto the street.  Disgusted with the Half-Orcs’ behavior, and resigned that they have failed to learn anything useful, they began heading back towards the tavern.  They were confronted by a hooded man that offered an alliance.  He escorted them into the western part of the city to his home.  Once their, several more men joined them.  Religious symbols of the Primordial Demigod, Imix, adorned the villa.  Not deterred, the group learned that the entrance to the lost city was beneath the Temple to Pelor in the catacombs.  The entranceway is guarded however by an artifact called the Mirror of Unmaking – the area around it is guarded by wards that require balance to enter – hence their need to use the heroes to create that balance.  Once past, the cultists claimed to be able to unlock the Mirror’s secrets and permit them access to the lost city. They agreed to join the cultists and head to the temple but first wanted to follow up with the pirates.

They headed to the port, met with Vicktor, were offered a job on one of the other ships, but did little else there.

They returned to the elves, agreed to have the elves follow them and the cultists into the catacombs and when the moment was right to help (and add 2 potions of vitality)them destroy the cultists.  They all went to the temple, were given clearance to enter but one of the cultists burned Glim Shleppin alive.  Although they wanted to kill the head priest, they were dissuaded from the action by Thorm.  They all headed down into the catacombs, followed the lead of the cultists and ended the path looking into a large chamber with a strangely framed wooden doorway.  Unable to cross the warded area, the heroes and cultists stood ready to break the ward and open the door.

First View of Triton's Keep

After the last drow fell, the party immediately realized that the entire Drow city seemed alive with sounds...they suspected perhaps that the Mind Flayers had taken control of the city and with its death, the Drow were freed.   Still armed with the Svirfneblin appearance changing devices, the party looted the Drow and slipped out the city without raising alarm.  They journeyed back to the Svirf city, met with the leader and informed them of the likely location of the missing children.  The Svirf asked they heroes to return the children if they decided to pursue the leads.  They returned to the surface and resolved to head towards the water.

Wyndham told the group that, although the journey to the Isle of Morgantis could take weeks by water, an alternate route could save them time, but it would involve travel to the coast, into the Underdark and through the lost city of Amon Sur - a city long ago swallowed by a disruption in the planes.  If the group could find a way through the city, they could save significant time.

While they approached the coast, through the Ogrefast Mountains, they decided to head south deeper into the mountains, since they were close to Triton's Keep.  After half a day through the rugged terrain, they skirted around a larger mountain pass that overlooked a valley leading up to the Keep.  Along the curtain wall, the group could clearly see Ettins patrolling.  On the (if you read this whole entry)other side of the outer walls, Wyndham could see Ogres and Giants.  Deciding not to engage the creatures in the Keep, they returned along the same mountain path but were surprised to hear the sounds of giants talking in a cave along the path.  Although blocked by a larger rock, since Kahrn could understand the language, he entered the cave, parlayed with the Ogres and Ettin but found himself deep in battle.

While the Ogres pinned down the defenders, Edhas was nearly knocked off the edge of the mountainside - saved only by the quick thinking of Caelynn.  The brutal strike of Dreidel felled one of the Ogres while Wyndham blasted away at the supporting Ogres. Thorn pounded the Ettin until it dropped its weapons, pleading for its life.  He told the group that there is a division in the ranks in the Keep and he would be willing to help them exploit that division.  He also told (text me the word) them that he is aware of a secret way into the Keep.  Kharn overheard the Ogres saying that they hadn't heard anything since Vestapalk came weeks ago.  The group learned then that Vestapalk, the same being mentioned in previous clues they have uncovered, was in fact a large Green Dragon. 

Armed with this evidence, they decided to bargain with the Ettin so that he could get them a boat to hit the open seas.  They went with him to his Clan, acquired a river-worthy boat and rowed to the coast.  Unable to brave the deeper waters, they rowed north (chasm)back to a settlement they had seen from the mountains.  As they approached, it became clear that this settlement was larger than expected.  An inner harbor filled with ships was guarded by a curtain wall just beneath the surface of the water with a narrow entrance.  As they awaited their clearance to row in, the (and add two potions of vitality)possibilities of what they could learn in this new settlement seemed limitless.

Svirfneblin and Drow

After being encountering an Elf Assassin, Caelynn, the party searched further through the lower level of the dwarven fortress, after she confirmed the dwarven skulls showed evidence of a mind flayer attack.  Then joined by  Mehrunes Cameran, Changeling Swordmage, the party advanced to the catwalk that spanned a 100' chasm leading to a large set of double doors at the end.  While crossing the catwalk, they all heard the distinct sound of a low growl that Thorn identified as something abyssal.  Off to the right, roughly 80' in the distance another catwalk of similar design led in the same direction.  they were able to see strange creatures clawing their way along the bottom of the catwalk towards the opposite wall.  Edhas lowered herself with a rope to look beneath their catwalk.  Beneath them, attached to the bottom, a large demonic creature appeared to be clutching the stone, emanating extreme cold.  Rushing across the catwalk, Mehrunes observed Dwarven runes along the door, that Thorn read as "Here contains the Clan Glittershield lode"  Excited, they picked their way through the doors, closed them behind them and found themselves in a large chanber with mine cart tracks leading off into the darkness. 

They followed the tracks until they caught sight of what seemed a human sleeping off in the distance.  They snuck up on the unsuspecting adventurer, woke her up and found her to be Camalyn, a human cleric of Pelor.  Camalyn explained that she was adventuring with her friends on the Abyssal plane in the city of Freeport, was attacked, turned around and found herself separated from her group and returned to this material plane.  She has been here for a few days hoping her party would find its way to her.  Camalyn offered to help them travel to a destination of their choice.  She confirmed the existence of the Staff of Chaos and suspected the item was one of mere legend.  In the end, the party decided to to have her return them to the area where Dora was killed by the hook horrors.  Concerned they were getting bogged down in the fortress, while forgetting their desire to pursue the missing children, she teleported them back to that sport and then disappeared. 

They followed the trail of the drow down a passageway for several miles until reaching a crossroads. Edhas identified Drow signs pointing towards the west to the city of Braeburn but from the east they spied a small gnomelike creature approaching them cautiously.  When the confronted the creature, they learned it was a Svirneblin , named Peck.  Peck warned them that Braeburn was a dangerous place.  They were once prosperous and traded with the Drow but almost a decade ago, the Drow Matron Mother became silent and the Drow turned aggressive.  Peck confirmed that the Svirneblin had also had children kidnapped, but unlike the Drow, have never rescued those children.  Peck led the group to the east towards the Svirfneblin city of DarkHallow.  They met with the leader of the Svirfneblin, who confirmed the information Peck gave them and asked that if they learn the location of the lost children, they return them to DarkHallow.  In return for this agreement, the Svirf gave the party three shapechanging illusory devices that would allow them to travel into Braevburn without obvious detection.

Days later, the party discovered the Drow city, made their way to the center of the city, met with the matron mother, t'Riss Hael of House Fre'tlar.  While the party expected t'Riss Hael to be dead, they were surprised when she greeted them under the guise of learning more about the musical legend of Edhas.  Hael confirmed that the Drow children had been kidnapped but rescued by a party of warrior scouts.  She directed them to visit the warrior school to meet those heroes.  While traveling across the city to the school, Wyndham and Edhas suspected they were being followed by something invisible.  When they arrived at the school, the warriors in question confirmed that they  had rescued the children from a group of ogres and giants who were taking the children to the Isle of Morgantis.  While happy to confirm this, the Drow drew swords and informed the party that they could not let the party leave.  Appearing from the shadows, a purple-skinned creature with tentacles on its face directed the attacks of the Drow. 

Exploring the Dwarven Ruins

Upper Level of Ruins

Lower Level of Ruins

Leaving behind the body of Sir Loin, the party decided to explore the shrine area.  They moved through a door on the north wall into a small after you antechamber with benches on the sides of the room and cubbyholes on the northern wall.  The cubbyholes had cleric robes and other mundane items for rituals, otherwise the room was absent of anything significant.  The only door out of the room led further north, into a set of hallways.

The first door on the right was blocked off with bars and heavy wooden beams but directly behind them to the west a narrow hallway led to a 35X35 read this distillery room with barrels of Dwarven ale and whiskey stacked up along the western wall.  Behind that wall, a set of stairs led up to a loft landing with steps down several dozen feet before it turned.  The group cautiously made their way down the stairs to a lower level room with a door to the south.  More significantly, a text or email me handful of skeletal bodies lay dead, apparently trying to escape the room, although the door was locked.  They searched the body, turning up a small amount of gold, and, undeterred, picked the lock on the door.

A wide hallway lay east to west with a door at either end.  They chose to head West into an oddly shaped room with several exits.   Murder holes, etched into the northeastern portion of the room.  A southern door, when opened, revealed a room filled with spider webs, the word complete with a webbed body and what appeared to be a large hole in the ceiling.  The room also had two exits (one to the south and one to the west).  Rather than confront the threat, the group backtracked to the distillery and lugged a barrel of whiskey to the room, lit a rag and used it as a bomb crank in the spider room.  A thundering and add explosion rocked the room, nearly ripping the door off the hinges.  When torn off, the room was burnt out, although no spider carcass was present.  The doors to the two potions of south and west were likewise severely damaged and a careful inspection of the hole seemed to indicate it went up and vitality to the west.  They returned to the oddly shaped room and looked in a to your sheet small closet space and into a room that held several skeletal warriors, but the group closed the door quickly and looked into another room.

This room was a large chamber with several dozen well armed skeletons and dread warriors.  From here, Soveliss, Wyndham and Dreidel the Dragoon stood their ground and attacked the warriors, destroying the creatures.

Sir Loin becomes shredded beef

After looking over Dora's body one last time, the party decided that in case a raise dead ritual was possible, they ought to remove a body part for the ritual.  From there, they determined that, although the area didn't see fully secure, they would try and rest on the ledge next to the water. Through ten hours of rest and a series of watches, the party was alerted only to the sounds of the rushing water and open caverns of the Underdark.

After sharing a meal, the party decided its best option would be to examine the pile of bedrock that seems to have collapsed from above.  After several hours of grueling hard labor, the moved enough of the shards of bedrock to cause the top of the pillar of rock to collapse revealing what was perhaps a tube leading up into the mountain.  Using the rock pillar as a ladder they climbed up to the tube and found themselves in what seemed like a very deep well (at least that was their idea) with a partial floor created from the remainder of the pillar beneath them.  Notched into the sides of the tube were metal rungs that they used to climb for two more hours.  At midday, Thorm came up over the top of the tube hole. 

The back of the hole opening was actually part of the wall, allowing only a small crawl point to squeeze through into an even smaller room.  A room wasn't even the right description as the space was more of a 5x5 area with layed stone for the floor and the only wall was also heavy stone directly in front of him.  A quick examination of the stone and Thorm knew clearly that the stone was Dwarven-carved.  In order to make room for the rest of the group still on the ladder, Thorm searched fruitlessly for a lever or pressure plate to move the wall.  Brute strength ended up his ally, pushing enough stones down to reveal a larger chamber.  He cracked a sunrod and tossed it through the hole, noting it dropped far enough to down to figure on a 40-50' drop.  He pushed the remainder of the stones down to find himself on a catwalk of stone that surrounded the room below it.  To the left, the catwalk wrapped to a lower landing with stairs to the main chamber, while to the right it led up to a landing with a set of double doors.  In the chamber below, a small iron door was set in the opposite wall.  They made their way down to the lower level, noting the walls were the same stone used to block in that hole.  They thought perhaps someone blocked that off but were still unclear why.  The lower level of the room appeared to be a forge, with a half finished sword sitting in what was once the firepit.  Bits of metal atop the anvil were loose bits of mithril.  They entered the door on the opposite wall and found a small antechamber with a half dozen skeletal Dwarven remains.  Most had apparently died from several crossbow bolts, all of which were sized for hand crossbows.  One however had distinct holes on its skull, bored directly and smoothly through the skull in the spot where horns would be.  Scratches also marked the sides and back of the skull.  A small iron door off of this antechamber was locked, but Thorm's dungeoneering skill allowed him to rig a lock pick.  Although they could hear movement in the room beyond, they decided to return to the forge room and inspect the double doors at the top.

While the larger doors appeared locked, Thorm again unlocked them but found them blocked from the inside.  Unwilling to be detered, Wyndham blasted the iron doors with cold spells until they were brittle enough to be hammered in with forging tools.  They exposed a small flap on the bottom right door and crawled through.  It was clear immediately that a very large statue of Moradin had fallen from its perch to the East and blocked the door with its upraised arm.  The sound and smell of undead filled the chamber.  Thorm moved to the left to the base of the statue to get a better looked, tossed the sunrod into the very large memorial chamber and noted a very wide, very long chamber with fallen statues from both sides, blocking most of the room.  Several green-skinned undead dwarves lurked about the chamber and shrieked at the sight of the Thorm, closing in immediately.  Sir Loin ran in for backup while Wyndham lurked back blasting the undead dwarves with his spells.  While the stench of the dead slowed the party's movement, their claw attacks literally paralyzed them!  While holding off the dead, a deadlier threat shambled into the battle zone - a mummified dwarf, blasting Thorm with a spell but Sir Loin imposed himself between the mummy and Thorm.  While Thorm and Wyndham waded through the undead, Sir Loin destroyed the mummy without any serious damage to himself, but was cut down immediately after trying to move past two of the remaining undead.  The first crippled him with a claw attack, while the others leapt on him chewing through the flesh of his neck with devastating effect.  He fell proudly within seconds.  With a surge of anger, Thorm cut down the remaining undead.

In less that 24 hours, the Band of Jenkins had lost two of its core members and only Edhas, Thorm and Wyndham remained in the large shrine of Moradin, deep within the mountains.

Dora, Dora, Dora is no-mora

After committing to the hidden passageway, the party headed down the natural bedrock corridor.  Thorm estimated that they dipped roughly 20' lower into the earth.  Fifty feet into the cavern, a ten foot natural bedrock hole blocked the path.  Unclear what led to the collapse, the party leaped over the hole then used rope to lower Edhas down the hole.  Twenty feet into the hole, it opened into a  lower chamber with a forty-fifty foot drop to a rushing water.  To the south, a ledge ran along the shore of the river.  They pulled her back up the hole then proceeded further down the corridor.  Near some rubble fallen from above, they found a dead dwarven body, several years removed from death.  They bundled the bones and buried him beneath the rubble for a proper burial.  He was adorned with armor that Dora recognized as part of the Glintshield Clan.  Further down the corridor, the party found a complete drop down to the ledge that Edhas could see. 

They decided to use rope to anchor the party as they made their way down the wall.  Edhas led the way followed by Sir Loin.  As Sir Loin reached roughly ten feet from the corridor, a giant creature scurried across the wall and cut the rope, dropping Sir Loin and Edhas forty feet to the rocky ledge below.  Wyndham leaped from the corridor and used his feather fall ring to safely land below.  Meanwhile the creature, a hook horror isolated Thorm and Dora above.  From below, three grimlocks emerged from hiding and attacked the fallen characters.  The hook horror lashed at Thorm, tossing him out the ledge and isolating Dora even further.  Although she turned invisible, the creature used its echolocation to "see" Dora, grabbing her with both claws and tossing her across the chasm to the far wall, from where she fell the full distance to the ledge below, crushing her limbs and insides. 

Once all the party was on the ledge below, the hook horror joined the grimlocks in attacking the party.  While both Edhas and Sir Loin collapsed in combat, Thorm was able to Lay on Hands and revive each of them while cutting down the Hook Horror.  Meanwhile, as the party increasingly was beaten down by the the grimlocks, their beserking attacks pushed them to the limits.  As Thorm killed the first grimlock, Sir Loin destroyed the second followed by Wyndham's final lightening strike to drop the last of them. 

A quick check of Dora revealed not only her broken remains, which Sir Loin committed to burying properly, but also a substantial amount of hidden treasures, which the party distributed, while diviing up her magic items.  Further down the ledge, the party observed that the ledge ended with a small cave mouth on the north wall.  Further up river, it seemed the river reached a waterfall about twenty feet further.  Additionally a large pile of debris and rock seems to have caved in from above.  The debris reaches all the way up the forty feet to a spot on the cavern roof that now seems blocked. 

Unsure of their next step, the party decided that rest was sorely needed but wasn't sure if the ledge would provide them with the security they would need to get that rest.  With no other immediate option, and no way back up to the hole above, this ledge provided them with their only option for now.

Pursuing the Children

Determined to get to the bottom of the kidnapped drow children, Edhas led the party out of Winterhaven north back towards the Abbey.  Several miles south of the mountain, Edhas caught sight of the prints nearby where they encountered the party of Orcs and Drow.  They followed the prints several miles until the reached the site of what appeared to be a battle - blood stains, scattered dirt, light armor pieces, arrows.  Here the prints were mixed with other bipeds as well as some sort of creature prints that they suspected were large spider legs.  They followed these prints several miles to the southeast until the prints turned south towards the mountains.  At the base of the mountains, the prints went into a cave mouth. 

Traveling deep into the cave opening, Wyndham and Edhas scouted ahead and located a moveable wall to the west.  As soon as the wall opened inward, several undead creatures from the north and south end of the cave surrounded the two heroes while the rest of the party was forced to rush down the cave to assist Edhas and Wyndham.  While battling the hungering dead, Dora blasted away at the abyssal wights and ghouls until she dropped almost all of them.  Confident that the danger was passed, they settled in to decide whether to move further into the cave or through the hidden passageway. 

Leads everywhere

While quickly securing Pedraig's keep, Sir Loin uncovered a jeweled crown with magical properties in a wardrobe.  It was quickly clear that at least one house servant fled through (if you read) the kitchen to escape.  Realizing time was not on their side, they slapped Pedraig awake to question him.

Although he was at first resistant to questioning, but eventually under threat of torture revealed that he was seeking to purge the Abbey of evil for his own ends.  He had made an arrangement with House Dis of Menzoberranzan to use the Abbey as a staging point for a (this whole blog entry) Drow invasion of the surface world.  He sought the Deck and its power to sell to a collector of artifacts in the City of Silver, Sarathel.  The contact person was a collector named Xanlannan Waveharp.  He insisted that the other adventurers were here working for someone else, and was also seeking the Deck.  Pedraig was managing an alliance with them to acquire the Deck but he planned to double cross them.  It was during this negotiation that the party interrupted them. Pedraig also indicated that his informants told him about several groups of children being escorted to the Southwest over the past (text me the word)several months but insisted he had nothing to do with it. After learning the information, Edhas ran her sword through Pedraig's chest.

Fleeing out the back door, a group of guards gathered in front of Pedraig's manor.  When confronted the guards told the party that Pedraig was in danger and perhaps dead.  The party left the scene before being recognized and went instead to Valthrun the Prescient.  He greeted them and invited them inside.  He returned the Winterbore Codex to them informing them that it details the way to enter the Carceri Plane.  The group needs to locate a tome of unspeakable evil, known as the (infinity) Book of Vile Darkness.  They also need to locate a portal and the Codex speaks of a thickening agent to assist them in the travel.  He hinted that perhaps more information on the agent was contained in the Book of Vile Darkness.  He also indicated that he feared that there may be no way back.  When learning about Pedraig, he was saddened but indicated he had been behaving strangely recently.

They sneaked into his bedroom at night, located a small diary and learned that he wanted to keep the Codex to keep it safe.  He is worried about the preponderance of dangerous beings trapped in Carceri, most notably Magroth the Mad, the last emperor of (and add) Nerath.  He also thought that perhaps Therizdun was more than a keeper of the jail but perhaps a prisoner himself.

They returned the next morning, shared a breakfast with Valthrun, returned the Codex to him for safekeeping.  They asked him if he had ever heard of Kaius Danitus.  He checked his records and it seems that Danitus had corresponded with Pedraig a few years back about something rather official.  He mentioned that the information was provided to him by a villager named Wilros.

They party located Wilros, now farming on the outskirts of town.  He told them that he used to be a courier of sorts for Valthrun and intercepted and spied on most people in the village.  He got out of the business officially after he intercepted a series of small packages being delivered to Pedraig a couple of years past.  The messenger was a Summer Islander (two consumables of 10th level or lower) but the packages were being delivered from the Isle of Morgantis in the Arath Sea.  He was forced to kill the messenger but the small box he carried contained a small piece of stone - it appeared to be a piece from a miniature statue of a Dragon.  After he killed the messenger, no other deliveries of the sort were brought to Pedraig, but either way, Wilros stopped working for Vlathrun but received payment in the form of a love elixer that he used on his now wife. 

When returning to learn more from Valthrun, they discovered that the Council of Deputies were planning to recruit a cleric from Fellstar to perform a Speak with (to your sheet) Dead ritual on the body of Pedraig.  Rather than linger in the town, the party pleaded with Valthrun for any further help and then left Winterhaven.

Pedraig is not who you think he is

After killing the Orc chief, Bagrosh, the party thought it would be wise to revisit the Eladrin, Berrian and his sister, before returning to Winterhaven.  While exiting the keep, they could see further up the village, several dozen orcs bring brought to attention and gathered into ranks - perhaps an invading force.  Wisely, the group, feeling overmatched, scattered back through the Feywild to warn the Eladrin at the watchtower.  Not long into their trek, Edhas and the others heard the tell tale sound of movement ahead of them, cutting through the forest.  Edhas circled around quietly and quickly to avoid being seen.  She observed a pair of Hill Giants, Ogres and a half dozen Orcs, all marching in the same direction as them.  Fearing the group was a tactical first strike, they lunged ahead to meet the creatures as they emerged from the clearing to attack the watchtower.

While striking from the treeline, the party harried the creatures, while the Eladrin in the tower rained arrows down on the enemies.  After a time, the party was able to destroy the creatures, forcing the withdrawal of the larger invading army.  Confident that the Feywild and the Abbey were now safe, Berrian and Analastra resolved to return to their plane, with the knowledge of their father's sacrifice.  Before leaving, Berrian assured the group of his thanks and handed over control of a card from the deck!

While returning to Winterhaven, the party observed Glue wandering along the road, and they followed the horse to the decrepit and deceased body of Sir Oakley, now aged well beyond reason.  Unempathetically, the group moved on, adopting Glue and didn't bury or consecrate the body of Oakley.  So much for loyalty.

After reaching Winterhaven, they decided to report back to Lord Pedraig about the tower and the hallowing of the Abbey.  When they entered his keep, they found him conversing with the other party of adventurers,  Pedraig turned to them and said, "Thank you for securing the missing cards from the Deck, now I must insist on you handing them over."  When the party refused, Pedraig and the five antiheroes assaulted the party.  While cutting their way through the adventurers, the party focused their attacks on Pedraig, until he was taken unconscious.  They quickly realized he was secretly collecting the cards - since he had in his possession the six remaining cards. 

After the Dragon

After gathering up the loot from the dragon's lair, and venturing back to the surface, the party decided to do something about the mysterious liquid in the catacombs.  After assisting Sir Oakley in the purification ritual, they used the Chalice of the Dragon and the Bowl of Io's Blood to contain the red liquid and traveled back to the plateau.

They decided to take the winch elevator down to the top level of Gardmore Village and retraced their steps along the path to the abandoned wizard's tower, from which they acquired the Winterbore Codex.  Several orc bands were amassed about the village but their disguises and bluffs allowed them to proceed all the way to the Orc Chieftain's keep.  Bluffing their after you read this way past the Ettin guard, the group faced off against the Chief, Bagrosh as well as several of his Ogre and orc cousins.  Defeating the text me "Thrones" and add two potions of healing to your sheet chief released three more cards in his possession.

Having secured the keep by killing Bagrosh, the party could easily reinforce the watch tower in the south end of the Feywild or return to Winterhaven and follow up on one of the several leads.

Story So Far - with leads at the end

Since the campaign has taken us almost into the Paragon tier, I thought it would be good to give a paragraph or two recap of the whole thing with all the leads/plot threads at the end to think about for our next few sessions.

Beginning in Stonehallow, you were sent to Kol Fen by Kor Yeznia to acquire several bodies for a ritual - here you faced undead and uncovered the first piece of the Staff of Chaos - an ornamental skull. Additionally, their exploration located a large meteor like object that emanated negative energy when near the skull.  Directed to Fellstar the Temple of Pelor - Uthor informed them of the Staff and that the other pieces were last known in the possession of Urgog the Mighty in the Goblin Hole.  After destroying the goblins, they acquired a staff piece and a letter that referenced to bring the Staff of Akmun Sur to Vestapalk.  Returned to Uthor - told them perhaps the last piece could be found in the writings of Rogvir Glimmershield.  Traveled to Timbervale then into the Stonefang Pass to locate the writings - fought orc tribes.  Writings indicated last piece buried with Lord Evard the Black.  Headed back to Uthor in Fellstar - stopped some slavers taking captives to the Borderkeep.  While at Uthor's a letter from Kor Yeznia sent them to Hampstead.  Covered in bone dust and under a curse - located Temple of St. Lucian - arcane portal in hidden shrine to Carceri.  At Darien's farmhouse, found a ghoul franticly writing "Asmodeus Walks" - Kor Yeznia turned ghoul - letter indicting Kaius Danitus - councilman of Stonehallow - as evil.  Also a map with several locations (Stonehallow, Sarthel and Banethal) with a circle connecting all of them with the word "Iron" written near the circle.  Letter also referenced bringing a Balance card to Valthrun the Prescient at Winterhaven.

Traveled to Winterhaven - Valthrun sent them to Lord Padraig - quest to investigate the abbey - fought the orcs, found the Eladrin, located Berrian's sister and their father's fate.  Located cards from the Deck.  Learned about the fall of the Abbey.  Located Winterbore Codex - brought to Valthrun - talked about Carceric Plane and Therizdun.  Met Sir Oakley - cleansing ritual.  Located Drow pursuing stolen children - located the pieces of the cleansing ritual - found strange liquid of unknown origins in the catacombs - killed Dragon in the vaults - located letter that mentioned Vestapalk and K.D....

Outstanding plot points of interest
1) Locate the final piece of the staff - buried with Lord Evard or in Triton Keep, which is overtaken by giants
2) Complete the cleansing ritual
3) Acquire the last piecs of the Deck - currently have 11 cards
4) Berrian and kin are guarding the Watchtower from the Orcs - Padraig suggested killing the Orc chieftain
5) Strange liquid in the catacombs
6) Valthrun the Prescient has the Winterbore Codex with references to the Carceri Plane
7) Portal in the Tomb of St. Lucian beneath Hampstead
8) Letter from Kor Yeznia and other links to Kaius Danitus
9) Children being kidnapped
10) slavers active near Borderkeep

Mekkalath the Dragon!

With some degree of caution, the group decided their best option was to enter the room to the west through the large doors in the feast room.  The door opened into a large hallway the led forward into a much larger room.  The sounds of a large beast breathing dominated the chamber while Edhas was able to see several kobold creatures navigating the inner room.  She sneaked to the edge of the entryway and noted several kobolds around the room, and a large red dragon sleeping in the southwestern part of the chamber.  A human sized cage was against the wall in the northeast corner, with a ragged looking humanoid inside.  Although the attempt at moving quietly failed, their strategic position in the entryway forced the kobolds to attack them in waves.  Conveniently, several of them grouped together filling the room with javalins.  Edhas blasted them with symphony of misfortune, destroying most of the creatures, while the dragon awoke with the noise.  Drawing the party into the room, the dragon blasted them with fire, tore at them with its talons and chewed through their armor but was unable to drop any of the party.  While they kept Mekkalath  busy, Dora sneaked through the outer chamber to enter through the southern door and filtered through the horde, locating the missing Chalice of the Dragon.  As the party gained confidence, the dragon was pushed back until finally felled by an attack from Edhas.  In addition to the horde gathered by Mekkalath, the party opened the cage rescuing a ragged, aged human with a stump for his right arm.  Among the horde of treasure was a letter that read,
" Almighty Mekkalath - your preseence in the Abbey makes for a fortunate turn of events.  It is long rumored that a lost artifact of infinite power is what brought an end to the foolish Paladins of Gardmore.  This artifact, if obtained, could turn the tide of power in my struggle with Vestapalk.  He pressured me to build his bastion nearby.  I am feeble compared to his power and will not be able to refuse his demands much longer but it will force me to compromise my position in Stonehallow.

"I know you hold no love for your emerald lesser cousins, and Vestapalk is no different from the rest of his kin.  I will await word of your decision to assist me - contact me through Elcmair - no other way.  Our relationship can't become known.

"In Asmodeus's Name,
K.D."

Minotaurs and Gnolls

Looking over the remains of the defeated enemies, Edhas, Thorm, Dora and Wyndham all began to argue about the origins of the strange bloodlike substance.  While each of them professed to know its origins, Edhas quietly began to bottle a few vials of the liquid, only to feel its pull to bottle more.  Dora argued that the liquid was known as the Sap of Life and could potentially unlock the prison of Carceri, while Wyndham insisted it was the very substance of what makes a Changeling unique.  Meanwhile, Thorm argued that it was a substance called The Voidharrow and was unstable and dangerous.  All agreed its origins traced to Therizdun and the Carceric Plane.  Unwilling to compromise, they settled on talking again after a rest.  Although most of hte party slept surprisingly well, Dora and Edhas, both of whom possessed vials of the substance, slept restlessly, filled with nightmares of demonic origin.  Rather than carry the burden they agreed to leave the substance in the basin for later. 

convinced they had cleared the catacombs, they returned to the surface to investigate the other buildings before deciding on a path.  Although they cleared the stairwell in the barracks building they found themselves in another building - identified by Sir Oakley as the Heroes Gate.  Here they faced off against a series of threats including a rust monster, the only casualty of which was Sir Loin's weapon.  From there, they went to the last unchecked building where statues and and other vestiges of Bahamut's glory were intact.  Although evidence of spiders residing here was present, they were able to move unmolested to the rear of the building to a stairwell headed down.

Rather than backtrack to the barracks, they chose to head down here.  The stairwell leveled out several times, plunging deeper and deeper into the mountain.  When they finally emerged into a room with a vaulted ceiling - a set of large brass double doors dominated the northern wall while a smaller door was directly across from the stairs.  Although the room was unoccupied, the splendor of the frescoes of the wall were indicative of the great Minotaur city, Saruun Khel.  Images of bloodthirsty minotaurs dining with Baphomet dominated the interior.  Rather than head to the double doors, they entered the eastern door to find themselves face to face with a ten foot minotaur, axe in hand.  One look at one another and the creature barked, "Begon - this doesn't have to get ugly"

Choosing to investigate further they learned that the Minotaurs have been living here for hundreds of years in the vaults of Gardmore.  Decades ago a tribe of gnolls arrived and both races began to struggle for position until a creature that calls himself Kashtari appeared.  The Minotaur explained that Kashtari was also a minotaur but that he also worked to forge an uneasy peace with the gnolls.  They have been at peace for years but several minotaurs do not trust the motivation of Kashtari and suspect he is working with the dragon that arrived shortly after him.  They made a deal with the minotaur to move against Kashtari, so they could annihilate the gnolls.  They were permitted to keep anything they obtained through this confrontation.  Once removed, the minotaurs planned to move against the gnolls but are unwilling to go near the dragon who is unable to leave the large chamber to the north to threaten them. 

With an agreement in place, the minotaur directed them to the feast hall of Baphomet to the North where they party found a waiting Kashtari and several demonic minions.  "you aren't the first" was its only response.  Over the course of the battle, it was clear that Kashtari was not a minotaur but an Oni Night Haunter, a shape changer capable of both brutal strength and devious magic.  After nearly falling to the Oni, the party destroyed him and his minions and found themselves in the feast hall awaiting their next move.  Oakley is convinced the final piece of the ritual will be with the Dragon.

Therizdun and a Strange Substance

After inspecting the Bowl of Io's Blood, Sir Oakley insisted that the final piece of the ritual needed was the Chalice of the Dragon.  His enthusiasm for the item seemed excessive but the party moved on from the Dragonslayer's Burial Chamber through the curtain to the Northwest.  The small area contained the backside of the secret door found earlier and a Iron door to the North.  Wyndham's efforts to listen at the door indicated movement from the inside consistent with the sound of chainmail armor. After reading Not wanting to waste time, he and Soveliss burst into the very large burial room dominated by dozens of sarcophagi and stone pillars.  The room was mostly dark, with an ambient light emanating from the eastern part of the room and northern part of the room.  The pillars provided difficult sight lines to the rest of the room.  Soveliss quickly moved to the western edge of the room as several elder spawn vampires lurked towards him.  Wyndham banked several lightening blasts off the walls to strike at the vampire spawn the blog while Sir Loin and Thorn charged into the room behind the lightly armored casters.  Distracted by the spawn, Soveliss was surprised at the sight of a reptilian skinned female vampire looming down on him.  Meanwhile the fighters found themselves grappled by the spawn and beset upon by a large venomous basilisk.  Sir Oakley joined the fray to provide additional support, cutting through enemies to make his way into the chamber. 

From the north, the sound of chainmail armor loomed down upon them as a babbling, heavily armored, lightskinned soldier burst through the fray, giving off an aura that affected many of the party members.  While Wyndham tried to summon the power of the Deck, he found access blocked.  It was obvious quickly that this new threat also held onto cards from the Deck and text or email me was using them to his advantage.  The soldier powered through the party, swinging its mace wildly and on two occasions reached to his belt and tossed a small vial of reddish liquid at Thorm and Sir Loin, missing both.  The reddish liquid seemed to have the consistency of blood but was undulating and pulsing like a living organism!  When the soldier became bloodied, one glob of the liquid leapt at Sir Loin, spreading over his body and seeping into his skin.  Although it was causing no pain, the alarmed Sir Loin began to look for ways to remove the substance. 

After Sir Oakley dispatched the crazed soldier, the vampire woman turned gaseous and sped away to recover.  The group quickly treated Sir Loin and removed the reddish liquid, which slipped down to the surface of the floor.  The room was clearly designed as a burial the word chamber to honor the most distinguished founders of the Abbey, including the hero, Gardrin the Hammer.  The fallen soldier held a magical mace as well as a holy symbol that Soveliss and Thorm identified as belonging to Therizdun, the Chained God.  Thorm recalled the earlier reference by the Winterbore Codex that He oversees the Plane of Carceri, where several souls are imprisoned.  These souls include bacon Magroth the Mad, the last Nerathi Emperor.  Valthrun the Prescient had asserted that many have tried to learn ways to free souls from Carceri but none have found the way.

Further into the room, there was a statue paying homage to Gardrin.  Around the base of the statue was a large coin purse, a magical longsword called Moonblade and a large bowl with much more of the strange liquid from earlier in the battle.  Unable to identify the liquid, and add an armor upgrade of your choice up to level 13 Thorm was sure he had read something about it but was unable to recall its purpose.  He was only sure it was not mundane.  Intent on finding more valuable items, Thorm and Sir Loin uncharacteristically began to open the sarcophagi, invoking the Ire of Bahamut.  Unfortunately, nothing of significant value was inside but all the bodies were defiled by the search. 

Securing the room against threats, the party decided resting here was a wise idea. 

The Dragonslayer's Tomb and the Bowl of Io's Blood

Pulling back the dragon scale curtains, the room, cloaked in darkness contained at least two more sarcophagi.  Lurking about the room were two ravenous, green skinned undead.  While Sir Loin and Edhas crept in to deal with the creatures, four wraiths emerged from the sarcophagi and surrounded the two!  A third ghast surged around the corner and joined the fray.  Although the party threw their hearts into the battle, most of their attacks against the wraiths were weakened by the insubstantiality  of the undead.  With perseverance and grit, the party destroyed the undead and found themselves  in another burial chamber.  Sir Loin noticed small amounts of mortar, dust and gravel around the base of the sarcophagi and quickly surmised that the crypts had been opened and resealed.  Without resistance from the paladin, the group opened the coffins.  Although all four contained the defiled remains of Abbey guardians, the Northeastern one contained what Sir Oakley quickly identified as the Bowl of Io's Blood - the second ritual artifact needed in the purification ritual.  Although the Bowl was empty, if filled with holy liquid from the font in the earlier room, the Bowl was capable of great offensive power.

Other than the other dragon scale curtain, the room contained no obvious exits.

Catacombs, Sarcophagi and the Four Crusades

Choosing to take the stairs revealed in the temple, the party descended into the darkness nearly 100' until a light chanting was audible down below.  Edhas and Monk scouted ahead nearly 30' into room.  The lower chamber was dominated by four stone sarcophagi - three closed and one open with the cover shattered.  Further into the room, 5 armored figured were kneeling before an alter of some sort.  Attempting to amke their way quietly across the room, Edhas stumbled a bit near one of the sarcophagi and they were surprised to hear the booming voice from one of the knights, soliciting them to come and pay homage to Bahamut.  Going along with the ruse, Monk moved forward to kneel before the alter.  A closer look at the figures revealed older looking humans dressed similarly to paladins.  They (when you read this) appeared to be chanting a prayer but something was off.  Unclear how to interpret, Monk decided to join them in prayer.  Shortly after he knelt, a surge of creatures tore forward from his right and the knights turned on him.  Surrounded and imperiled, Monk and Edhas were forced to deal with the threat alone until the rest of the party could get to the room from further up the stairs. 

Once joined, Thorm noticed a look of horror and confusion on Sir Oakley's face.  When asked, Oakley insisted that he recognized the form of the largest paladin - Captain Havarr of Nenlast.  Oakley then explained that he was the knight whose fateful draw from the Deck doomed the Abbey and its paladins.  A hard-fought victory by the party threatened to turn them back.  The sarcophagi (text me the word) were each etched with carvings venerating Moradin, Pelor, Ioun and Erathis and bore the names of knights - Rombert, Toren, Fror and Sefgar.  The opened sarcophagus of Rombert contained the tattered remains of a skeleton long dead but missing its head.  Oakley prayed before the alter, consecrated it and a beam of fire connected to the two dragon heads across the top.  From this room, a door to the east and a door to the north were visible.  They party chose to listen and open the door to the north. 

The inside of this room contained four animated armored skeletons with javalins flanking another two closed sarcophagi.  Rather than fight, the group quickly closed the door and devised a plan to lure them into the other altered burial chamber.  Closing the door and anticipating their arrival seemed to be failing when Wyndham decided to reopen the door and bravely bring the fight to them directly.  The armored skeletons were joined by two skeletons blazing with fire and two heavily (dumptruck) armored, four-armed skeletons.  Outmatched and overwhelmed, Wyndham was forced to teleport back to the other room.  Only then did the skeletons, smelling blood, surge into the room with the heroes.  Facing the undead on ground of their choosing they were able to defeat them but nearly lost Edhas in the process.  After the battle, they cautiously inspected the antechamber and found a small fountain of water in the northern hall of the room.  Drinking the fountain water was both refreshing and fortifying.  The eastern part of the chamber contained a brilliantly detailed mosaic of the silver dragon of Bahamut.  Two doors both in the eastern part of the chamber - one facing east and one facing south allowed egress from the room, but they decided to fortify the area and rest.

The next morning, while the party began to recover their bedrolls and eat, Thorm located a secret door activated by a hidden latch.  The door opened on the eastern wall behind the mosaic.  This small antechamber was clearly a shrine to Bahamut depicted in here as a dracolich.  Alarmed by the sight, Oakley assured the group that often Bahamut is shown this way as a (and add an "arm slot item" of any level up to 13) fortifying message that even in death, Bahamut will be there.  No other exit seemed obvious, but similar hidden latches were identified on the eastern and southern walls.  The eastern hidden door swung open and revealed a 10' x 10' chamber/foyer with a door set to the north and a heavy curtail strung across the east.  They closed this door and instead went through the southern door. 

This dark chamber was filled with a thick coating of moss on four sarcophagi in the lower part of the the room.  A mass of thick, fibrous roots hung down from the ceiling rife with wide cracks.  The far wall seemed to be covered in a elaborate mosaic but a thick coat of green moss made it difficult to discern the contents.  The eastern part of the room seemed to be a barely illuminated hallway with small recessed openings on the wall.  After tossing in a sunrod, the party was attacked by two shambling mummies as well as a swarm of scarab beetles.  During the battle, a flying flameskull stayed close to the ceiling, using the vines as cover and launched a series of fireballs at the party.  After destroying the restless undead, they cleared the mosaic and revealed four separate stories of the great Crusades of the knights of Gardmore Abbey: The Crusade of Conquest, the Stonemarch Crusade, the Serpent Crusade and the War of the Infernal Bastion.  OF NOTE to our campaign, the stories included the founder of the Abbey - Gardrin the Hammer and the story of the conquest of the Minotaur city of Saruun Khel, and the War of the Infernal Bastion involved the knights joining the forces of the Nerathi empire to destroy the forces of the hobgoblin warlord, Hur-Tharak and his alliance with infernal guardians of Asmodeus in the southern lands of the empire.

Each of the recessed burial slots seemed dedicated to one of the great crusades. Behind one of the recessed burial chambers (to the Serpent Crusade) in the eastern part of the room, a secret door led to a smaller tomb area containing only one sarcophagus.  More ominous, the natural sources of light seemed repelled by a powerful force of darkness inside tomb chamber.  The inside of the sarcophagus contained only dirt, but the engraving contained the name Zarel Gardrin  - which, to Oakley's horror - is the name of Gardrin the Hammer's daughter - long dead since the Serpent Crusade.  But the sarcophagus was such that indicated  Zarel was a vampire! Oakley was saddened for the fate of Zarel but angered as it revealed that Zarel was likely part of the treachery during the Serpent Crusade. 

Leaving the tomb chamber back to the Crusade mosaic room, they decided to investigate the door on the eastern wall in the northeast part of the chamber.  It revealed another small 10 x 10 foyer with only a heavy chromatic curtain blocking access to the east.  The (oh yea - and text the word - "pizza" or the item is cursed) curtains are formed by red, blue, black, green and white dragon scales, heavy and dusty with several small areas of dust smudged or wiped off the curtains.  No audible noise came from the other side of the curtain. 

The Temple to Bahamut and Stairs everywhere

After an extended rest to regroup and recover from the trek up the mountainside, Thorm located a stairwell behind collapsed rubble from the roof in the southeast corner of the barracks building.  While Edhas went to scout the large temple on the plateau, Thorm and Sir Loin began clearing out the rubble to access the stairs.  Edhas skirted the area around the temple and noted a curtain wall that surrounded the back of the temple while a pair of double doors dominated the front of the building.  Unwilling to enter the building alone, she returned to the barracks to fill in the rest of the group.

Meanwhile, aware of the seeming contradictions in Sir Oakley's story, Wyndham, Soveliss and Dora questioned him.  He asserted that long ago he visited the Nerathi capital city, Nera.  The lost capital is shrouded in gloomwrought darkness and most people avoid it, but Oakley insists he visited the city some 300 years ago after the fall of the temple.  He was lost in time and when he found his way out of the Gloom, it was ten years ago and the world had moved on.  Unsure whether to believe his story, the party continued to proceed with clearing the stairs and awaiting Edhas' return. 

Moments later, Edhas returned and gathered the party to advance on the temple.  Although a good amount of the stairs had been cleared from the barracks, they insisted on joining her to visit the temple.  Oakley was particularly excited about the prospect of purging the temple to locate the final two pieces needed for the purification ritual. 

Entering through a breach in the curtain wall, they entered through a rear door, followed a corridor to the temple proper.  They were greeted by screeching voices, entreating them to pray to Bahamut.  Not long after entering the polytheistic temple they were attacked by a pair of bloodlust harpies.  Swooping around the temple, the harpies used their alluring song to lure the party together and strike with sonic attacks.  Meanwhile several bloodtouched Angels emerged from side passages in the temple and joined the fray.  Through the ripping and slashing of the harpies and double strikes of the party, their efforts paid off and they defeated the foul creatures.  Although they did discover another card from the fabled Deck of Many Things, evidence of the final two ritual components was lacking.  Several rooms were falsely illuminated with gold coins edged between stone in lieu of mortar.  Unwilling to take from the temple in case the coins were an offering to Bahamut, several party members refused while others took piles of gold from the rooms.  When you finish reading this, text me the word entrails and add two vials of alchemist fire.  Deep in the rear of the temple, a stairwell descended into the darkness. 

Decisions and Climbing the Stairs

After resigning themselves to letting the Drow get away, the group guarded the unconscious Orc while talking to the human captive.  Leaving him bound but ungagging him, they learned his name was Rastaff and he was a retained lantern carrier.   He had been hired by a party of roughly a dozen human adventurers who were escorting a group of Drow children towards the Southwest.  Unaware read this of the intentions, Rastaff could only tell the group that they were ambushed by the Drow and Orcs the previous day and half their party fled with the Drow children.  When they stumbled upon the group this morning, the Drow was in the process of interrogating him on the whereabouts of the Drow children, but he couldn't give them any information.  He asked that he be released and in return he gave the party a fist blog and sized gem that he had hidden.  Soveliss recognized the gem as a Radiant Gem of Pelor (minor action to activate a zone burst 3 - lawful good characters gain regeneration 5 - once per day).  The let him go and interrogated the Orc next.  He was part of the Drow recovery party - they were seeking the party of text me humans who kidnapped a bunch of Drow children but knew nothing more.  The arrival of Sir Oakley interrupted their interrogation and while he insisted they slay the evil creature, Edhas among others decided it was best to free the Orc rather than slay him since he seemed to have been doing good by rescuing the Drow children. 

They proceeded around the base of the mountain - several hundred the feet later, Edhas noted a series of foot prints but they decided to ignore them and continue their search for the hidden stairs.  Shortly after, Sir Oakley declared they were close to the stairs but needed to fan out and find them.  A long word discussion about traveling up the stairs in the dark versus waiting until the morning and traveling while exposed to the daylight ensued and they settled on waiting until the Arabian morning.  Curiously, Sir Oakley insisted he hadn't traveled the stairs before and hadn't visited the Abbey since it was still Goggles occupied and active (Thorm noted this would have been 2-300 years ago!).  Was Oakley crazy?  While bedding down for the night, Sir Loin noticed that Oakley's horse, Glue, and add had horseshoes branded and worn in fashion not seen or used in hundreds of years.  Something was definitely odd. 

In the morning, Oakley led the way to the stairwell but Thorm decided it would be wiser for him to go first.  Perilously climbing the stairwell of almost a thousand feet, the one potion of party was taxed by several areas of unstable footing, winds and uncoordinated movements.  Several times, party members nearly fell to an untimely death.  By the time they reached the plateau, Sir Loin was carrying Wyndham and Thorm carried Dora but their efforts left them nearly stretched to their limits.  The Abbey was dominated by three smaller buildings and a large temple.  Since Oakley had warned them of dangers, Edhas skirted the area inspecting for dangers.  Most buildings were intact, but on the southern side of the plateau an old barracks building was exposed to the elements with the ceiling partially collapsed.  A cure moderate strange clicking noise was coming from the inside.  She returned to the party and told them that she was unwilling to approach the larger temple without backup.  Instead they all headed towards the barracks building to investigate the noises. 

In the building, aside from the piles of rubble and old furniture, weathered by time, that identified it as a barracks, a large chitinous creature attacked the party while a pair of wounds ravenous carrion crawlers swarmed the beleaguered party.  The carrion crawlers used their tentacles to stun the party while the bulette charged and bit at them.  Without much energy left, the party threw all their abilities at the monsters and was able to defeat them.  Exhausted and wounded, the group immediately insisted on finding a safe place to rest. 

From Valthrun to Oakley and back to the Abbey

After discussing their options with the crusty Sir Oakley, the group thought it prudent to visit Valthrun with the news of the Codex.  Finding him outside his home in a garden, tinkering with a window, Dora greeted him excitedly (does she do anything any other way? She is a Gnome after all).  Valthrun ushered them in, looking more tired and older by the passing day.  He was thrilled when they dropped the Codex in front of him while he was making them tea.  Enthralled by the book, he ignored virtually everything else and focused on flipping the extremely old, but durable, pages.  When Finally, Valthrun asked them if they might leave the book with him so he could read it fully.  After some discussion, they threw caution to the wind and let him keep it. 

From there, they returned to Sir Oakley you and found him readying his war horse, Glue.  Seeing the striking image cast by the older paladin, they determined to purchase mounts themselves.  Riding out of town together, carrying the Brazier of Silver Flame in its chest on a wagon, they made the long journey back to the Abbey.  However, they turned off the main read road with the Abbey in sight, heading instead to the South.  Sir Oakley insisted that he was taking them around the back of the mountain where a hidden stairwell was dug into the mountainside.  They put up no fight but followed the old man blindly. 

Edhas scouted ahead of the party as the terrain turned from clear plains to high grasses broken by smaller copses of trees and bushes.  She spotted the light wisps of a fire and the creeped ahead to see the remains of a camp fire, flanked by perhaps a half dozen Orcs speaking about something on the ground.  Her view was blocked any further so she crept back to the rest of the group and whole Wyndham and Soveliss scouted ahead as well to try and get a better look.  Meanwhile, Thorm, determined to align himself in a more advantageous position, headed further south to try and loop around.  Wyndham and Soveliss positioned themselves and could see an Ettin sitting by the group of Orcs blog and a Drow soldier talking to the Orcs.  Using his Orc language mastery, Wyndham heard them text talking about questioning someone and how they are perhaps their only lead and link - the Orc kept me asking to torture or eat the victim but the Drow clearly felt he needed him alive.  Then he pulled up a human bound and gagged and determined to venture onward.  From Thorm's angle, he could count perhaps the a dozen orcs, the ettin and even two Ogres.  Unable to communicate this to the rest of the group he waited for the inevitable strike which came shortly afterwards.

Spells flew, lightening crashed and Thorm charged in from the word South and met the Drow blademaster. Exchanging blows, the Drow dropped a globe of darkness on the pair and began to cut up the paladin.  When Thorm ran out of sunglasses and the darkness, he wasn't pursued.  He continued onto the action and he and Sir Loin tried to take out the Ettin but were continually dogged by the Ogres and Orcs.  add While 2 Wyndham exchanged spells potions of with the Orc Shaman, Soveliss vitality and Edhas began taxing the Ogres.  Even Dora was pushed to physical combat because the numbers were overwhelming.  Her fading ability allowed her to escape danger and the combined efforts of the group either killed or ran off the remaining enemies.  The Drow fled the battle after Thorm ran into the larger combat and some of the Orcs fled, but the Band captured one of the Orcs and rescued the human.

The Brazier of Sacred Flame

Wary of leaving the tower prematurely, Edhas and Soveliss surveyed the area through the windows while the rest of the group inspected both levels of the tower for anything they may have missed.  Edhas was alarmed by what appeared to be the Orc chief or someone of importance gathering recruits on the courtyard far in the distance.  Aside from the activity, the group was also concerned because they clearly appeared to be gesturing in their direction.  Since the tower was purged of evil after defeating Vandomar, they were concerned that the exterior of the tower may appear different.  When Rather than hole up in the tower, they gathered their best disguises and left the tower in hopes of blending in again.  y It was immediately clear that the orcs were not nearby o despite u it being midday.

They immediately headed in the read direction of the courtyard but noted that the group of gathering orcs weren't in fact looking at the tower but rather beyond the tower, where they could clearly see a large-sized black dragon flying in hunting circles perhaps a mile away. Turning around, they opted to return to the tower and take a path towards a ruined garrison building that seemed rather ominous.  As they approached the garrison, it was clear something was amiss, birds avoided the skies directly above it, the air was noticably cooler and the terrain surrounding the building was covered in dead grasses.  A wraith like creature materialized directly in front of the wooded double doors and claimed that "Only Vandomar could enter"

Recalling the scroll they located in the tower, they deactivated the warded door, opened it and were almost immediately attacked by three wraiths and a Barlgura demon!  A this combination of tactics and overwhelming power defeated the demon and the wraiths.  Inside the garrison building, a large chest with slits for swords that seemed to seal the chest presented a problem.  Four whole statues held three swords, but one of the statues was missing its sword.  Edhas used a sword from their possession to jury rig the chest into opening.  Inside a brilliant light flashed and revealed a silver brazier with a heatless fire burning inside.  Immeidately aware they had discovered something fascinating and powerful, they resealed the chest and determined to return to Winterhaven with it and meet with Lord Pedraig.

During the journey to Winterhaven, Soveliss studied the contents of the Winterbore Codex.  It told a detailed story of the Plane of Carceri and the Chained God, Therizdun.  Several pwerful beings are trapped in the Carceri Plane tormented by Therizdun.  Among them is the Mad Emperor, Magroth.  He was the last emperor in the Nerathi line before the fall of the empire.  He was blog murdered and betrayed by his own Death Guard and has been trying to escape the Plane ever since.  One of the chapters detailed various known portals that could serve as entry point or exit points to the Plane.  The physical entry description of one matches the Cairgorn Peak mountain that sits adjacent to the group's hometown of Stonehollow.  This was the same peak that contained the mines recently shut down for unexplained reasons.

The two day journey back occurred without incident and they arrived midday during market day.  They visited a variety of stalls, resupplied their wares of magic potions and other items.  Then they visited Lord Pedraig.   Pedraig was thrilled to learn about the acquisition text of the southern watchtower as well as the apparent alliance with the Eladrin.  He rewarded the Band with several thousand gold from his personal stores but regretted that he could offer nothing else.  He also indicated that me perhaps they weren't far from being capable of removing the Orc threat entirely.  Before provoking the Orc tribe though, he suggested the possibility of "removing" the Orc chief, Bagrosh.  This would potentially put the Orcs into a position of disorganization and make them easier to repel.  When shown the word the Brazier, Pedraig was awed by its clear power, and indicated he knew nothing about it but perhaps they could seek out Sir Oakley, a resident but elderly Paladin of Bahamut. 

Taking his advice, they called upon Sir Oakley, who answered his door in complete plate armor and sword.  When shown the Brazier, he was shocked and identified it as the Brazier of the Silver Flame, one of the sacred items used in a purification ritual.  The ritual, if completed, could bismarck sanctify the Abbey.  Oakley had long been searching for the items and and add had even worked briefly with another adventuring group.  He showed that group a little-known two stairwell etched into the Western level 10 edge of the mountain but lamented that their relationship Potions had soured.  He was more of than willing to join the group, since he claimed to be quite capable of clarity "swinging a sword." 

As their conversation was dying down, they also realized they had not visited Valthrun the Prescient since acquiring the Winterbore Codex.