Desnova 3, 1423.
After the battle against the beasts, the PCs call watches and rest within the safety of a tiny hut, and have Mockleg identify of the items they've found, including a beastportation mantle and morning star +1 with sharpened animal teeth. Aldren questions Nebol'shoy about how the dark druid knew his name, and the gnome reminded his companions that he is part of a greater druid Circle of this region of Brazoskov, to which the deceased once also belonged to. The watches go by rather uneventfully other than a pair of regular bats flitting about the captains, one of which Aldren is compelled to shoot with Quagmov's bow, and Nebol'shoy spies a wolfhound which later fetches the dead bat above the central cavern.
Once they are awake and refreshed, the PCs decide to circle around and explore the caverns further, first finding a back exit to the complex, and another stash of mining equipment, including some hardened reddish clay and unused timber beams that would have been used for kilns, tunnel supports and other contraptions. There are two chests covered in tight chains which prevent access, but after some hammering by Rucia's maul and (to a lesser extent) Bjork's pick-axe, they break them open, revealing thousands of coins (which Mockleg quickly estimates at 2,000 each of gold and silver), and a collection of large crystals that glow with a faint, warm orange light.
They next meddle with the strange archway of dwarf origin, Rucia first poking his head in to see that it seems to be some massive burrowed out corridor, lined with sparse patches of luminous white and flowering black mushrooms and fungus, and the corridor seems to go in both directions...meaning that this 'wall' between the arches is actually a magical portal. Eventually Aldren goes all in, and cannot get back out until Rucia reaches through and grabs the half-elf. Nebol'shoy also peers within, and thinks it looks like the mole-trails he remembers from his auntie's garden patch in his youth.
Afterwards, they use flaming sphere to melt away the ice to reach the suspended elf in the neighboring cavern, who they reveal to be a lost vigilante known as Gamlerel, who once fomented resistance against the tyrannical Blood Counts of Old Brazov. He is quite well preserved, but also quite dead, so they thaw the corpse out in one of the hot springs and then remove his thorny wooden armor. Aldren later insists on burying the body in the central chamber of the caverns and leaving a wooden carving to mark the spot. Nebol'shoy uses more flaming spheres to burrow through the rest of the ice, which leads into an unusual, abandoned ritual chamber...
A wave of fear and nausea hits the PCs, freezing Rucia and Bjork in their tracks, and the former detects that the place is one of great, ancient evil. Aldren, Nebol'shoy and Mockleg seem unaffected, and head in to explore the place. There are four effigies representing four aspects of the dark god Denzemuth, a Toad, Condor, Ram and Bear, surrounding a central platform which contains an ancient firepit. The pit, and the hollow bases of the statues, all contain inert shards of broken crystals, and more of the active, orange-glowing crystals sprout from the ceiling, floor and walls of the cavern. Aldren's comprehend languages reveals the names and titles of the aspects, but also the central platform read 'Raise the Pillar, Raise the Beat'.
Something is afoul...and Mockleg insists on the obvious placement of crystals within the bases and firepit, in order to replace a ward that has long been abandoned. The magician fears that the wave of horror that swept the party reeks of ill omens and might spread across the land. The rest of the party isn't quite so sure, and eventually there is a confrontation when Mockleg sneaks off to start placing more of the crystals within the bases! The handicapped wizard proves far more challenging than they would have expected, making the most of his magics to throw them off while he tries to retreat back into the 'shrine' and finish his work. After being assaulted with melee attacks, summoned constrictor snakes and a web spell, he is finally knocked out, but not before Aldren also begins to act strangely...
Noting fairly quickly that the half-elf is under the same magical sway as the magician, Nebol'shoy uses a chill touch and Rucia rushes the room to take him down before he can react with his dangerous ranged attacks. The pair are successful, and they get the half-elf out of their quickly and heal him back up. Once the pair are conscious, Mockleg reveals that he was only following the whispers in his head, a phenomena that also affected the half-elf. Rucia places all of the active orange crystals in the party's possession into the weird wall portal in the dwarven archway, and notices that they become inert when they are sent into that other place...
The party heads back to Zolovny, where they decide they've earned some drinks before getting rest for the night. Bjork entertains at the Flapping Salmon to cover the party's meals, and they speak briefly with Smoker at the door. Ekaterina Belov eventually joins them, and tells them she's looking around for Captain Verkhovsky but cannot find him. Nebol'shoy and Rucia get piss drunk and head down to the docks, with Mockleg, while Bjork and Aldren take Belov out to try and find the troublesome mariner, inquiring first at the Soverat Stockage where they learn he's been cavorting with a pair of two crimson headed dwarf females of great beauty, who the lazy local Soverats didn't even realize might be the Bitter Berg sisters on their own wanted poster!
They confirm with Smoker that some dwarves had recently arrived by rowboat, but the bouncer claims there were in fact 'three', not two. They then ask with Madame Iulyana at the House of Drawn Veils, and she claims that Verkhovsky met the sisters while both were about to offer patronage at the brothel, only the pair seemed mighty interested in the drunken captain's boastings of the hidden riches to which he alone has claim! Aldren and Bjork set off to warn the others that there might be a pressing matter on their hands...
Meanwhile, Nebol'shoy transforms into the Flapping Salmon's namesake and drunkenly explores the river about the docks of Zolovny, while a trashed Rucia grows concerned and tries to fish him out with no bait. Mockleg leads the dragonborn paladin off to the north of the village where he wont' drown, and attempts to sober him up a little, but to no avail, as the paladin goes crashing off to the docks again. As he attempts to relieve himself by the water, a confident Nebol'fish finally succeeds in overcoming his intoxication in fish form, and leaps out into the descending, golden stream...
After the battle against the beasts, the PCs call watches and rest within the safety of a tiny hut, and have Mockleg identify of the items they've found, including a beastportation mantle and morning star +1 with sharpened animal teeth. Aldren questions Nebol'shoy about how the dark druid knew his name, and the gnome reminded his companions that he is part of a greater druid Circle of this region of Brazoskov, to which the deceased once also belonged to. The watches go by rather uneventfully other than a pair of regular bats flitting about the captains, one of which Aldren is compelled to shoot with Quagmov's bow, and Nebol'shoy spies a wolfhound which later fetches the dead bat above the central cavern.
Once they are awake and refreshed, the PCs decide to circle around and explore the caverns further, first finding a back exit to the complex, and another stash of mining equipment, including some hardened reddish clay and unused timber beams that would have been used for kilns, tunnel supports and other contraptions. There are two chests covered in tight chains which prevent access, but after some hammering by Rucia's maul and (to a lesser extent) Bjork's pick-axe, they break them open, revealing thousands of coins (which Mockleg quickly estimates at 2,000 each of gold and silver), and a collection of large crystals that glow with a faint, warm orange light.
They next meddle with the strange archway of dwarf origin, Rucia first poking his head in to see that it seems to be some massive burrowed out corridor, lined with sparse patches of luminous white and flowering black mushrooms and fungus, and the corridor seems to go in both directions...meaning that this 'wall' between the arches is actually a magical portal. Eventually Aldren goes all in, and cannot get back out until Rucia reaches through and grabs the half-elf. Nebol'shoy also peers within, and thinks it looks like the mole-trails he remembers from his auntie's garden patch in his youth.
Afterwards, they use flaming sphere to melt away the ice to reach the suspended elf in the neighboring cavern, who they reveal to be a lost vigilante known as Gamlerel, who once fomented resistance against the tyrannical Blood Counts of Old Brazov. He is quite well preserved, but also quite dead, so they thaw the corpse out in one of the hot springs and then remove his thorny wooden armor. Aldren later insists on burying the body in the central chamber of the caverns and leaving a wooden carving to mark the spot. Nebol'shoy uses more flaming spheres to burrow through the rest of the ice, which leads into an unusual, abandoned ritual chamber...
A wave of fear and nausea hits the PCs, freezing Rucia and Bjork in their tracks, and the former detects that the place is one of great, ancient evil. Aldren, Nebol'shoy and Mockleg seem unaffected, and head in to explore the place. There are four effigies representing four aspects of the dark god Denzemuth, a Toad, Condor, Ram and Bear, surrounding a central platform which contains an ancient firepit. The pit, and the hollow bases of the statues, all contain inert shards of broken crystals, and more of the active, orange-glowing crystals sprout from the ceiling, floor and walls of the cavern. Aldren's comprehend languages reveals the names and titles of the aspects, but also the central platform read 'Raise the Pillar, Raise the Beat'.
Something is afoul...and Mockleg insists on the obvious placement of crystals within the bases and firepit, in order to replace a ward that has long been abandoned. The magician fears that the wave of horror that swept the party reeks of ill omens and might spread across the land. The rest of the party isn't quite so sure, and eventually there is a confrontation when Mockleg sneaks off to start placing more of the crystals within the bases! The handicapped wizard proves far more challenging than they would have expected, making the most of his magics to throw them off while he tries to retreat back into the 'shrine' and finish his work. After being assaulted with melee attacks, summoned constrictor snakes and a web spell, he is finally knocked out, but not before Aldren also begins to act strangely...
Noting fairly quickly that the half-elf is under the same magical sway as the magician, Nebol'shoy uses a chill touch and Rucia rushes the room to take him down before he can react with his dangerous ranged attacks. The pair are successful, and they get the half-elf out of their quickly and heal him back up. Once the pair are conscious, Mockleg reveals that he was only following the whispers in his head, a phenomena that also affected the half-elf. Rucia places all of the active orange crystals in the party's possession into the weird wall portal in the dwarven archway, and notices that they become inert when they are sent into that other place...
The party heads back to Zolovny, where they decide they've earned some drinks before getting rest for the night. Bjork entertains at the Flapping Salmon to cover the party's meals, and they speak briefly with Smoker at the door. Ekaterina Belov eventually joins them, and tells them she's looking around for Captain Verkhovsky but cannot find him. Nebol'shoy and Rucia get piss drunk and head down to the docks, with Mockleg, while Bjork and Aldren take Belov out to try and find the troublesome mariner, inquiring first at the Soverat Stockage where they learn he's been cavorting with a pair of two crimson headed dwarf females of great beauty, who the lazy local Soverats didn't even realize might be the Bitter Berg sisters on their own wanted poster!
They confirm with Smoker that some dwarves had recently arrived by rowboat, but the bouncer claims there were in fact 'three', not two. They then ask with Madame Iulyana at the House of Drawn Veils, and she claims that Verkhovsky met the sisters while both were about to offer patronage at the brothel, only the pair seemed mighty interested in the drunken captain's boastings of the hidden riches to which he alone has claim! Aldren and Bjork set off to warn the others that there might be a pressing matter on their hands...
Meanwhile, Nebol'shoy transforms into the Flapping Salmon's namesake and drunkenly explores the river about the docks of Zolovny, while a trashed Rucia grows concerned and tries to fish him out with no bait. Mockleg leads the dragonborn paladin off to the north of the village where he wont' drown, and attempts to sober him up a little, but to no avail, as the paladin goes crashing off to the docks again. As he attempts to relieve himself by the water, a confident Nebol'fish finally succeeds in overcoming his intoxication in fish form, and leaps out into the descending, golden stream...
PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia
