The Whims of The Winter Court Arc

The Whims of The Winter Court
Notable Locations:	The Sidhe, Mel Shenshir, Neutral Ground, Fate's End, Kadath
Involved Groups:	The Orb Walkers, The Riori, The House of Pride, The House of Sorrows, The House of Vengeance
Preceding Arc:	The Order Veracious Arc
Succeeding Arc:	A Game of Cat and Mice
Start Date:	4-2518-5-13
End Date:	4-2518-6-13
Inciting Incident:	The Summons
Concluding Incident:	Where it Ends
Notable Incidents:	The Tree that Eats, The Testimony Against Yestris, The Retrieval of Delsaran, The Blood-Soaked Path, Where it Ends

The journey of The Orb Walkers as they travel to The Winter court to give testimony against the actions of Yestris, the collection of Delsaran for questioning at the Trial and the search for the Null Orb.

The Journey to Neutral Ground

Friday 13th May 4-2518

A summons was received from The Winter Court where the party are to provide testimony against Yestris and the actions she had committed. Travel begins from the city of Mel Shenshir with the help of an escort to guide The Orb Walkers through the Sidhe towards Neutral Ground.

The Escort came in the form of a Drow named Rydol, who is under orders from Octavius to bring the Party through the Sidhe and into Neutral Ground. The group notice a human female wearing a broach consisting of a sword pointed down with wings and a skull and find out there is a new religion beginning to take hold in an attempt to supplant the current God of Death Erebos.

Monday 16th May 4-2518

Travel commences to the Faegift District with the help of the transporter Cul located in the Wolf's Lodge inn. Heading down into the basement of the Wolf's Lodge, the party are instructed to travel down a ladder through the door behind Cul. Climbing down leads them into the Faegift District, climbing out of a well located nearby.

Gathering supplies for the remainder of the journey they run into Gelf, a herbalist who provides them with some potions to aid them in their journey through The Sidhe, forewarning them of the dangerous things known as The Riori. Questioning the Bartender at the Dust-Bowl Inn gives the party more insight into the nature of the Riori, creatures of similar skin to Wyverns though more aggressive and most certainly more intelligent than their flying cousins.

The party finishes their preparations that evening and bed down, resting for the journey through the dark forest which is to begin the next morning.

Tuesday 17th May 4-2518

The journey begins through the Dark forest, heading towards the first "safe zone" in the journey, the frontier settlement of Amrion. The party learn from Rydol that more information about The Sidhe will be available in Amrion. They will have a longer rest in Amrion to ensure they are well equipped for the journey into the Sidhe as the magical nature of the are can prove hazardous for the party members who use magic. As the party rests that evening a set of red eyes stares back at them through the blackness of the night.

Monday 23rd May 4-2518

The Party rests on the eve of the 22nd, 1 day from Amrion. During the night's watch Rydol is attacked, severely injured by one of the eye beams shot by The Riori. While they patch their wounds and the party being their preparations for the day a discussion occurs about how to proceed considering The Riori know of our presence and have clearly been stalking us for the last few days. The decision is made to press on at a slightly quicker pace to attempt to lose the beasts and arrive at Amrion before the eve of the 23rd.

Their travels lead them into a clearing with a single large and glowing rock in the center. Striking the rock cause it to let out a shrill scream summoning The Riori which the party had to defend against. Beating back the Raptor like creatures, the six adventurers manage to hold their ground, fending off the attack until it was safe to rest. Taking a mining pick to the mysterious rock they manage to dig out a mysterious ore, glowing bronze and warm to the touch which they keep in Rhogar's bag to await further identification.

Recommencing their travels, they arrive at Amrion and are greeted by Thilma, Mother of Beasts who provides information on the surrounding areas and shows the party the locations they'll be staying as well as some key individuals in the village; William the Priest and Loris the Dreamer. Talking to Loris, Rydol confirms that they are all able to have their dreams read should they choose to. Upon fulfilling the request Ezra, Rhogar, Valmet and (Bob/Rydol??) left items and fell into a deep sleep dreaming of a realm of cold ice and a tall jagged peak with a dark winged figure, a scene of which Loris also dreamt, much to their shock due to the almost identical nature of the dreams of the 4 individuals. A dream of Ice and Death.

Tuesday 24th May 4-2518

The party of 6 are awoken suddenly by a strange noise, rousing to see that Tilrinel has teleported directly into Amrion, without so much as a clue as to where he was and why he was there. After some discussion it became evident that Tilrinel had been on business with his god, in creasing their religious presence to oust Erebos. This also included a trial by combat between the Champion of Erebos and Tilrinel, the defeat of the prior leading to another battle with their corrupted form, much to the shock and disappointment of the other gods presiding over the ritual. A name stuck with Tilrinel before he was teleported to Amrion, Shormaush Urdal.

Over breakfast, William questions the party on what will be said about Yestris at the trial, the reason being that some of the frontier settlements have benefitted from her actions so the support of the people may be in her favour. Speaking with Loris again before departing reveals the dreams were nothing like he had ever previously seen, the discussion of the dreams between the party revealed striking similarities, the likes of which could be construed as an ill omen for the future to come.

Despite this, the now 7, and complete, group of adventurers make their way further into The Sidhe, coming across a large footprint embedded in the dirt, the likes of which most of the party had never seen before. Rydol and Ezra knelt to investigate the tracks, coming to the conclusion that it belonged to a creature known as a Morvudd, who's direction of travel is the same as the party's. This places them on high alert for the foreseeable future.

Wednesday 25th May 4-2518

The day begins with no tangible threats nor any sign of the Morvudd, the trek through The Sidhe continues peacefully. Towards the middle of the day, they come across an area of blackening grass, decomposing flora and roots pulled up from the ground. Rydol informs the group that it may be something known as Black Root which causes the surrounding flora and fauna to decompose. Ezra uses Grim Psychometry to discern some of the history of the Black Root yielding the following:

A tree, large and blooming bearing fruits of all colours. A hooded individual approaches, emptying a sack of mutilated children's body parts below the tree. The hooded figure takes a knee to begin a ritual, branches move unnaturally, opening into mouths as they bend down to consume the body parts.

Pushing forward, most certainly on edge, the group continue deeper into the Black Root infested area. Entering a thicket that has been cleared by some large object cracking and breaking the trees, a rhythmic thumping can be felt in the ground growing with intensity as some clearly large object is heading towards the group,. Form the clearing they make out a large humanoid, stumbling towards them with multiple wounds on it's body, including a large hole in its chest. closer inspection after the giant collapsed to the floor reveals strange blood mixed in with its own. The decision is made to run in the direction the giant came from to catch the beast that had done this.

After a few minutes the break through the thicket into a clearing in the centre of which stands a tall and seemingly lifeless tree. The decision is made to approach the tree, the result of which is a shrill cry followed by a monstrous roar as the Morvudd bursts forth into the clearing. The fight is vicious, members falling prey to the Morvudd's gaze and unable to stand before the monstrosity, further ravaged by the hatred the diseased tree exudes. After the grueling battle, the Morvudd lay dead at the feet of the adventurers. Setting about divvying up the carcass of the monster, the third eye began to wrap itself around Filip's arm, being destroyed moments later by Ezra before any effect of the eye could take hold. They summoned a fire elemental to burn the tree, ensuring the blaze was well set before continuing to their final destination, Neutral Ground.

Friday 27th May 4-2518

2 days after the battle with the Morvudd the party comes to the outskirts of a village, unknown even to Rydol, and seemingly abandoned as Filip makes their way forward to search for any potential threats which may lie ahead. The thatch rooves of the houses come into view when the coast is labelled clear and the party is met with a gruesome sight, houses and huts splattered with blood and a disturbing lack of viscera from what is obviously a complete massacre.

Making their way to the centre of the village they find a runic circle, burnt into the ground with a large symbol in the middle. Rhogar is able to discern that the ritual circle glows faintly red in the ethereal plane while Tilrinel gets a sickening sense of the level of desecration this place has undergone. Marking the area in their minds, unable to do anything for the moment, they leave behind the abandoned settlement and continue on towards their final stop before Netural ground to await judgement at the scales; Procerous.

Saturday 28th May 4-2518

The party makes it's way into Procerous, after a night where the watchmen were made eerily aware of small and beady red eyes watching them from the dark. after discussion with the locals it becomes apparent that the scales are down for maintenance by an individual known as Virgil who has erected a hut in the centre of the town to conduct their magical research. Moving towards the location they are met with a Fae who seems to be engrossed in a book they are holding. getting their attention induces a back and forth discussion about the decisions which will be made and things that are going to be said at the Trial. In return for humoring him, Virgil lets the party ask questions, the likes of which include the location of Valmet's second Scrying Artefact as well as the nature of the strange mineral/ore that was found at the site of the Riori attack. The latter revealed to be Beryllium Bronze; a metal worked by an individual named Riffock, and the former being held by an individual Rydol had mentioned previously named Delsaran.

Lamenting the discussion after being told to come back at 1am to await judgement from the scales, the party breaks with Valmet heading to the local temple and the rest heading to the local tavern to discuss some of the information that had been given to them by Virgil. After a short while a blinding light shone through the doorway of the tavern, accompanied by a sense of contentment. rushing to the temple they were awestruck to learn that Valmet's had prayed to Athreos to remove the Necronomicon Page from our possession. A prayer that was heard and answered.

The party beds down for the night and wakes at 1am the next day to begin the judgement of the scales.

Sunday 29th May 4-2518

The party stands before the scales, unsure of the nature of the task they will be given once stepping onto the scales. Stepping onto them the first time elicits no reaction. Puzzled, Virgil analyses the scales coming to the conclusion that a single individual has been vetoing the party's access to The Sidhe. Further details inidcate that it's Akordia who seems to be denying the party access. Virgil recommends they head to a location known by Rydol to contact Akordia and sort the unresolved issues out to grant the party access into Neutral Ground.

Travelling to the nearby river Chiafboif and locating the small island surrounded by running water near which 5 pillars are placed with dishes for the items required for the ritual. Herbs are placed in the dishes along with a Topaz ring before liquid is dropped into the pool and a square reflective surface appears. The surface divides over and over again, at the end of which a familiar figure rises from the reflective surface though they do not sound like the Akordia which Valmet and Rhogar remember, he sounds almost distant. After apologising and subsequently confirming that Rhogar and Valmet were unaware of the threat Ghurrix posed. Akordia confirms that the worlds they have seen in the Underdark are worlds that have previously been consumed by Khnith-Hgor, whom Akordia knows now as Shormaush Urdal. He tells the party that the time they have to prepare is running out, that the party has enough time to say their goodbyes and that Ghurrix will be back, destroying all in his path to attain more knowledge, if even just a scrap of it. Akordia says his goodbyes and states he will now let the party through to Neutral ground to convince The Fae of Yestris's evil.

Returning to Virgil they once again step on the scales and are greeted by a figure familiar to Ezra, the face of Lady Driana herself who provides judgement over the party and deems them worthy to pass through into Neutral ground. Returning after Judgement a short conversation about the events occurs between the party and Virgil concluding with Virgil wishing the group luck through the remainder of the journey to Neutral ground.

Arrival and Trial at Neutral Ground

Monday 30th May 4-2518

They party arrive at the outskirts of Neutral ground and are greeted by the sight of incredible megastructures unseen by most and can only be described as a Citadel of sorts. In front of them is a path, scattered with the debris and dried husks of individuals and creatures who strayed too close to the area without the prior consent of The Winter Court. At the end of this path is an abnormally tall humanoid, resting a sword point down between their clasped hands. Rydol had previously described an entity known as the Gatekeeper who stands to ensure no unwanted individuals are able to get into Neutral Ground while also maintaining the inner peace within the confines of the walls. The gatekeeper informs the party of where they are permitted to go within Neutral Ground and informs them of some rules which will be respected while they are within Neutral Ground:

• Ritual Magics which do not harm others will be permitted.
• Be respectful of the Fae.
• do not start fights with Dustlings.
• Do not take what is not allowed to be taken.
• Do not bring in others who are not invited.

They are also informed that Rydol's presence will allow them access to some of the House of Pride Constructs. Furthermore, the party is informed of the fact that they will be questioned by the 3 heads of the Houses of The Winter Court; Octavius of The House of Pride, Virgil of The House of Sorrows and Miron of The House of Vengeance. Some more questions reveals useful information about Octavius and the other heads of the houses along with the proper etiquette for meeting Fae.

The gatekeeper informs the party to remain still, for which they are teleported to Octavius' Office of residence. They are led by some of the servants towards Octavius' office to which they are beckoned within. Discussion ensued and further details are gleaned about the story of The Scarlet King, an additional tale which sheds light on the full story of the entity, though the information is incomplete and the individual who will be able to shed more light on the remainder of story is non other than Miron; a Fae who apparently has no qualms removing Dustlings from the world if they so much as look at him the wrong way. Additional information regarding the Whore of Molloch is provided, shedding light on the nature of the ritual conducted in the Grim Psychometry conducted by Ezra on The Blackroot.

The meeting with Octavius ends and the party make their way to the one of the other locales of interest, the Bloodletting Circle; an arena where combatants can fight a variety of creatures, constructs and humanoids. They are greeted by Cain, a halfling who is in charge of collecting wagers, paying combatants that survive the rounds and cleaning up the remains of those who don't. Sending the party into the field pits them against aberrations of horrific stature, forcing diseases unknown onto those unlucky enough to face them, the dreaded Balewing and grotesque Warp Spawn. A difficult battle ensues with Valmet crippled by a hunch caused by what is later known as Warp Touch, Rydol flying to meet the Balewing with Bob and Rhogar temporarily banishing the Balewing before releasing the banishment to continue the fight. Questioning Cain it becomes clear that both Miron and Octavius were watching the fight, with a reward of 2517GP won by the party. The group head back to The Sad Song Inn and rest in preparation for the agreed return to the Bloodletting circle the next day.

Tuesday 31st May 4-2518

The party wakes and heads to the back to the Bloodletting Circle and are informed by Cain that they have the option to fight some of Miron's "experiments" which he no longer has use for. 5 are available to fight which the party decides is going to be enough to keep the battle challenging yet entertaining. They were not prepared for what they faced, monstrosities named The Wretched, The Hungry, The Angry, The Lonely, The Lost. The battle was fierce, Valmet struggling to maintain every party member in the grueling fight, Tilrinel exhausting themselves to near death and Ezra dying, only to be brought back by Valmet when the last creature was slain. Prides were hurt and insights into the way the group can improve their battle strategies for future encounters with many creatures of a hardier nature. Licking their wounds the spend the next few days recovering and planning what is going to be said at the council, collecting their knowledge and unifying their story.

Sunday 5th June 4-2518

The day of the trial arrives, the party cleans themselves to ensure they look clean for the questioning ahead. Departing from the Inn towards the direction of Octavius' office with Rydol in tow, they come across a very large building which they are sure wasn't there when making their way through the area on prior occasions. A few Drow mill about the entryway before moving out the way to let the party pass. Walking through it becomes apparent that the hallway which guides the group is not consistent with the external architecture. Walking in to a room bathed in a soft blue light there is a long table below a dais containing three exquisite chairs, two of which seat a familiar (Octavius) and an unfamiliar figure of pale skin and slightly balding. Instructed to sit down, the pale man begins to speak, revealing himself to be Virgil, asking for the identity and allegiances of the individuals standing to give testimony.

Octavius begins the line of questioning by opening about the Incident at Irci:

• What Happened the first 2 times?
• What was encountered at the cleansing and how was it cleansed?
  • Cleansed by removal of the Wight nest, the Banshee and Wraith which had made their home there.
• Why did Zah-Hak let the party live after disrupting the ritual?
  • He was more concerned with the well being closed compared to the methodology for closing the well itself.
• What is the explanation for what happened in the Well?
  • There was a set of challenges before the meeting with Humilitas who told the party at the time that closing the well would require a sacrifice.
  • There was a second entity of a malevolent nature whose offer the prior part had rejected.
  • What and was the Nature of the deal and why was it taken?
    • Hickaxe would bind Vistrum to the Well of Souls as a form of atonement for the events which had occurred at Irci, he felt the blood of the village was on his hands for not preventing the massacre.
    • This allowed the party of the time to traverse back to the Mortal Plane.
  • Were we aware of Ostium's parallel plans?
    • Ostium is found to be an Ancient Blue dragon whose brood resides in The Sidhe.
    • The ritual was similar to the one Conducted by Zah-Hak although located differently geographically.
    • The ritual has no relation to the whore of Molloch and the desecrated village remnants.

The Second line of questioning from Octavius draws upon the Party's knowledge of Yestris' Drow Servant, Darvissa:

• Some brief details about the actions of Darvissa are provided by Octavius and Virgil before in depth discussion about events is held.
• What abilities did Darvissa possess, specifically any new or unusual ones?
  • Incorporeal abilities accompanied with a rumor she had befriended a Night-Wraith.
• The Warsworn that worked with them?
  • The Warsworn of specific interest were:
    • Riffock
    • Gerberg
    • Varik
    • Effis
  • Riffock is a Fae of the House of Valour and is a member of The Eclipse Collective, the only individual known to the Party who has heard of the material Beryllium Bronze.
• How were they able to enter the Library at Klurikon?

The incident at Balok's Tomb, what was taken from the Tomb and why was the party down there?.

• Items obtained included the Pendant of Purity, a sword currently bound to Tirlinel, Sign of Purity, Balok's Banner and the Keystone Fragment.
• Akordia was the one that had informed the party of the tomb and that a weapon needed to be retrieved to defeat the entity haunting him.
• A lyre and another blade was to be rewarded upon successful retrieval of the supposed weapon.
• The party asks what is special about the items:
  • The items have historical and cultural importance for the Fae of The Summer Court.
  • Returning them will grant favour with The Summer Court.
  • The Pendant of Purity is returned to the Fae by Rhogar.
• What was the creature that was supposedly fought in the Tomb?
  • The Guardian of the Tomb which was supposedly defeated.
• The party posed a few questions to Octavius before moving onwards.
  • What do the key fragments do?
    • If made whole, one could completely rewrite the where the veil lies between Dustling and Fae.
    • As far as the Fae are aware, the other fragments are safe.
  • Where is the Maw in Alabastra?
    • The Fae know but won't necessarily disclose the location.
    • Done on the basis of protecting the party from the cult which may or may not be near the Maw.
• How did Akordia react when returning from Balok's Tomb?
  • The party was asked to return the artefacts if they were not intending to help Akordia with his problem but could keep hold of them if they intended to return with information/assistance.

The Trial breaks for recess at this point for 1 hour before continuing with the Trial, hopefully with the Presence of Miron. Upon returning from the Tavern the party are greeted by a mound of corpses, fresh corpses, some of which the group recognises from just that morning. Returning to the seating hall they are once again observed by Virgil and Octavius along with a third individual clad in armour of some form featuring an expressionless full helm slouching in the third chair, resting their feet on a footstool comprising of a Dustling's back. Octavius reinitiates the Trial stating "As I'm sure you're aware, the third person for this Trial has graciously taken time out of schedule to attend." He asks Miron if he has any questions for the group before handing to Virgil to commence their portion of the Trial.

• What were the events leading up to, circumstances surrounding and choices made upon the Discovery of the Necronomicon Page?
  • Was found in the Fortalice of Old, in The Pit Beyond, underneath The Ring Village.
  • Tilrinel attempted to read the page, for which he was plunged into madness.
  • Further below the Fortalice the group came across a being known as The Broker, who initiated a trade to remove Tilrinel's madness by consuming the memories of his childhood.
  • Noting the removal of the page via Divine Intervention, what were the conditions of the Intervention received and where was the page taken?
    • The Conditions simply stated "get rid of it" without specifying a location hence Valmet's not knowing of the specific location and/or the specific method for which the page was dealt with, but the guarantee comes from Athreos that is it has been dealt with.
• Who are the party members aligned with?
  • The party members specify their allegiances:
    • Bob to Himself and his Self-Preservation
    • Ezra to Lady Driana and the Citizens of Amalur
    • Philip to ...
    • Rhogar to The Watcher and Rathir
    • Rydol to his clan, The Forgotten
    • Tilrinel to Zinimar
    • Valmet to Athreos and the Templars
• Turning to Rhogar, Virgil asks about what happened atop The Exolvuntur and further into the Path of The Watcher?
  • After arriving atop the mountain, Ezra, Valmet and Rhogar were attacked by Gwindor, daughter of Gurthang, who seemed to be corrupted by something.
  • Defeating Gwindor yielded her Scales for Valmet's Bulwark, her hide turned into Ezra's scabbard Intent and her Draconis Fundamentum turned into Gwindor's Rage.
  • Defeating Gwindor, Panchrestus appeared, providing the 3 with information regarding Khnith-Hgor, the fact that Ghurrix was corrupted by this individual leading to his fall into darkness whilst seeking knowledge.
  • Beyond this nothing else of note took place atop the Exolvuntur.
• Does the party have any other Obsidian orbs on them or know the location of any of the other orbs?
  • Locations are diverse, unsure on the exact location of many of them.
  • One is currently with Barren Lightbearer though he has turned to Ash and his location is unknown.
  • Darvissa took a few after the expedition into the Underdark, one of which was taken through a prior party incident known as "The Open Heart Surgery."

Looking mostly satisfied with the answers received, Virgil hands the gavel off to Miron who brings his feet up and painfully brings them down into the back of his footstool giving an audible slap with maybe some hints of cracking.

• Was Darvissa in contact with Ghurrix during the fight in the Fade?
  • Unsure if this was the case, if it was then it wasn't made obvious to the party at the time.
• Did Ghurrix say anything at the massacre in Tala Rane on new-years eve?
  • He made a short Speech to the Party:

"You all certainly took your time. Even with my new found omniscience I cannot truly predict the extent of your inefficiency. You know, your failure here today will not be your greatest blunder. No, that was your steadfast belief in the significance of your circumstances and actions. The importance of a family lost, a patronage granted, or a minor blessing from an insignificant god. The relevance of a rebellion against authority, the value of innocent life, even the career progression through a morally bankrupt hierarchy. But in no case were you more wrong than that of the Wells - in Gorhart, in Etinmere and in the Underdark, and the gaping maw I used to guard back home. You writhed about like maggots in the darkness, blissfully unaware of the inevitably of that which you thought you prevented. But worry not - your choices will have one last consequence. I will do you the mercy of erasing your failures from the annals of history. Valmet, Tilrinel, this is only possible because of your actions, for which I will do you both the kindness of a chance to run. Choose to stay and you will end up like Thoradin by the end of this. Now, lets get started."

• What exactly was the Purpose of the Templar's Research on the Wells?
  • The search for something akin to immortality.

With the last question asked, and a sense of dissatisfaction coming from Miron before he left to continue with his own devices, the testimony of The Orb Walkers was complete, with newly gathered information about the "Gaping Maw" in Alabastra and another organisation whose current power is deemed to great a risk to the Party presently based on the judgement of Octavius the party leave the building, noticing the corpses and viscera previously outside the door seeming more grotesque than before they entered after lunch. The decision is made to retrieve Delsaran, bring them back for Questioning and hopefully find Valmet's Scrying Orb Counterpart and the party leaves at 3pm to begin their journey, resting further along the river which runs through Neutral Ground.

The Retrieval of Delsaran

Monday 6th June 4-2518

Packing up and the tents and sleeping equipment the group continue their journey onwards to Basinrot. some time later the party comes across an area where someone has previously made camp, the remnants of a fire along with a hammock and a set of humanoid footprints which come from the river nearby and travelling in the same direction as the party's heading. The group continues, cautious of the presence of another being who may or may not be their quarry and as sundown approaches Rydol becomes confident that the arty will make it to the next riverbank, a safer location to camp the night. Cresting the next hill and see signs of a camp not too far from them. The individual at the camp begins to wave at the group who make their way down towards the waving individual. Getting closer they get a clearer view of the person who seems to be a middle-aged human wearing sensible travelling clothes and a sheath for a shortsword. He also wears an amulet around his neck depicting the holy symbol of Athreos. Short introductions reveal he is William Hunter, a cleric of Athreos and, more specifically, a Grave Cleric at that.

The party asks many questions to William, specifically what brings him this far out into uncharted territories, especially alone to which he points out that looks can be deceiving. He's out here to arrange a funeral for someone in the vicinity of Fate's End and that the task should be no different for this one than the ones he's done previously over his life. Moreover he chose to continue his work after the group he belonged to, a group similar to the party, had disbanded and that the reason he walks alone is that he has nothing to fear, he's more than capable of dealing with the threats present in the Sidhe. More questions are asked about William and the backwards and forwards engagement seems to bring Valmet and William closer as representatives of their faith, asking him to accompany us on our journey while our paths lie in the same direction to which he happily accepts. Night falls and the fellowship rests to continue their journey towards Fate's End and, more specifically for The Orb Walkers, Basinrot.

Tracking the Beast

Wednesday 8th June 4-2518

The group continues along with William, making good headway towards the crossroads that would be their next stopping point. During the journey Bob begins to notice the chittering and chirping of the local fauna dying down until there is nothing but silence on approach, met only with Filip's observations of the increase in rubbish and trash on approach. The deafening silence gave way to what could only be described as a massacre. An altercation ending in the complete annihilation of the individuals and their horses. Approaching the scene it becomes clear that the viscera belonged to a group of humanoids carting supplies along the road.

Ezra investigates more around the area and comes to the conclusion that whatever happened here was a very one sided affair. The wagons they were carting weren't searched or looted meaning this was not a highway robbery and more of a serial killing. Taking some time aside Ezra uses Grim psychometry to gleam more about what happened at this scene.

Whilst this is ongoing, Rhogar and Tilrinel begin some magical investigation to determine if any remnants of the attackers or their means for destruction remain in the area. This reveals a large source of Necromantic energy beneath a pile of viscera and bone. Further prodding shows this to be the same as what was previously seen on the journey to Neutral Ground, a glowing ritual circle created from the blood of the victims which bleeds into the Ethereal Plane though this one is much larger than the one previously seen.

Completion of Ezra's Grim Psychometry reveals the following to the group:

• The Individual responsible for summoning/creating whatever did this is the same as the one that created the Tree that Eats.
• They appear to approach an indoor well/well structure with no bucket.
• The entity once again pulled forth a bag of viscera from within itself and dropped it into the well.
• Out climbed an amalgamation of teeth, bones and flesh which began to move at a frightful speed, beyond what is expected.

To confirm this Bob summons the essence of memory of one of the deceased for a few questions. Responses were short but helpful and told of a creature that tore through them like paper. A creature of Red and Black visage with long claws and minimal speech, a demon of the road. Dismissing the essence to rest the party backtracks slightly to allow Valmet and William time to cleanse the area and then rest for the evening, back in the safety of the road where the beast has already passed and likely won't come back. Nothing is seen or heard in the watch save for William joining Rydol 30 minutes into the final watch to collect himself.

Thursday 9th June 4-2518

The morning arrives and the group make their way to the Crossroads, departing with William as he tends to his duties in another area of The Sidhe. The Orb Walkers continue their path to Basinrot tracking the entity that had created the incident at the crossroads. While keeping an eye out for any potential threats it becomes obvious that the creature had carved some very obvious paths through the brush. Furthermore the area seems to have been affected by something akin to the Blackroot causing the death of the nearby vegetation. The next checkpoint is a stream which the group reach at 10am, a checkpoint that is not far from Basinrot.

10:30am arrives and Basinrot is coming into view with the mountain behind it beginning to fill the peripheral vision, structures that surround the group on approach seem damaged, recently damaged, and sparse between the woodland. The structures begin to increase in quantity and damage and 5 minutes out of Basinrot people can be seen. A person notices the group and begins yelling to comrades and others around them. The first set of structures that could be classified as buildings have been reached and it is clearly evident that there had recently been an attack; dead bodies littering the area and buildings destroyed as if some unstoppable object had moved through. The party stops and a groups of people approach, halting for some discussion before one individual, a female Drow clothed in robes and not armour, steps forward. A short conversation ensues with the party detailing why they are in Basinrot along with the party confirming that it was the Beast who passed through the town. Deeming the party to not be a threat the female Drow named Maya ushered them into the town, guiding them a short way up the mountain to a building to discuss in detail the events that have transpired etc. During this short journey the party finds that the beast was apparently unharmed by efforts of the town mages and warriors, cleaving its way through them like they were made of paper while the many mouths and claws chewed and slashed them to pieces. and estimated 300-400 people were lost in this endeavour, approximately a third of the town.

Arriving in a room away from the struggling citizenry a discussion ensues based on the events that happened in the town, predominantly the timing of the attack as well as the nature of said attack. This discussion confirms the information the party has discerned from the incident at the crossroads, namely the size of the creature as well as it's near impervious (or apparent imperviousness) to damage and spells of any form while informing that the creature stood near 40ft when on it's hind legs. Aside from this Maya questions what the party intends to do with this Delsaran individual and states that she doesn't want to add fuel for a fire which may be set by The Winter Court but does not know of anyone here named Delsaran. A stranger did, however, appear in the town 3/4 weeks ago, an atypical visitor of sorts who spoke with the leader of the town Elandar. Approximately 3 days after this meeting Elandar and the strange visitor took 3-4 dozen men up the mountain and Maya was told they would return in due time. Elandar came back down the mountain but was last seen a couple of days ago before the creature attacked. When questioned on where the group taken up the mountain had gone she replies that she does not know. It wasn't information that was made available to her, much to her displeasure. Valmet asks if the stranger was carrying an orb with them to which Maya replies "not as far as she was aware." The party makes a unanimous decision to track the creature and attempt to take it down before it wreaks havoc further in the mountain; or decides to come back down the mountain along the same path it went up, through Basinrot.

The party asks questions now about the mountain, specifically the nature of magic use in the mountain and what to maybe expect further along the path. Maya confirms that magic up in the mountain does not work the same as it would at this level, namely that the following schools of magic may not work:

• Illusion
• Divination
• Transmutation
• Conjuration

She does inform the magic wielders of the party that evocation spells seem to be enhanced and to be wary of this fact should they choose to pursue the creature into the mountain. As for what is further up the mountain, things become strange. Swamps and bogs along with things that should not exist or have no business existing that far up in a mountain range. Dragons are also very prevalent despite not having mountains as their natural habitat. It is later confirmed that Zah-Hak lives atop the mountain though not everyone is present for this information when it is dispersed. With questioning out the way the party splits to find anything useful, Valmet, Tilrinel and Rhogar seek a mage who has survived the attack to get some more understanding on what the creature is immune and what seemed to have had an effect whilst Rydol, Bob, Ezra and Filip visit a merchant to obtain whatever supplies they can and get some advice on what travelling further up the mountain may yield.

Questioning the mage that survived shows that they had attempted to throw everything at it; Fireballs, Sunburst, Prismatic Spray, Alhazred's Horrid Wilting, none were effective at all, The creature didn't even seem to flinch or acknowledge that anything was being thrown at it. It cut through everything like it was butter and it was unusually quick, covering a journey from the bottom of the mountain that would normally take 15 minutes in 1 minute. A speed which was unusual considering the creature was 40ft tall when standing on it's hind legs and almost 20ft tall when quadrupedal. Attacks included biting and clawing, cleaving through steel like it was paper along with an aura that seemed to kill anything that got near it, the same effect being applied to some of the attacks that were made. Letting the mage mourn and tend to the wounded the 3 heal as many of the critically injured as they can before meeting up with the remainder of the team.

Meeting back up with the others they begin to discuss their next moves as Maya approaches them, thanking the 3 who spent time healing as many as they could. She informs us that new information has become available, Elandar has survived the attack and was last seen heading up the mountain claiming that he needed to protect the individual at the top of the mountain. She points at the path heading up the mountain and informs us that it's the direction we need to take also stating that water-breathing potions may come in handy for the journey, avoid spending too much time in the swampy areas so as to avoid Dragon Broods and under no circumstance should they venture into areas with fog, this signals that they are closing in Zah-Hak's lair. With this new information the party starts their journey, heading along the path before resting for the evening. During this rest a message is sent to Panchrestus through Valmet to get assistance with the creature being Hunted. He replies simply saying to seek his kin Ardesco the Silver

"Among the clouds, the tallest peaks. Ruins of great cities, outposts, and citadels. He often walks as one of you, but if your need is great, he will notice."

While the journey commences up the mountain, taking rests more often due to the increase in elevation and the Oxygen deprivation they may be experiencing the party discuss who Ardesco may be, namely if they are the figure that took Elandar and the group of Drow to the mountain, while this discussion reigns on Rhogar summons Percival the Peryton to head higher and get a look on the mountain terrain ahead. This reveals that the range seems to be 30 miles long along with a cluster of higher peaks being somewhat halfway along the range. No obvious sign of the path the creature took is seen through the mountain though 30-60 mins from their current location the mountain path gets a bit more treacherous and more difficult to traverse.

Returning to the party they set off once again for the final part of the journey before they rest for the night. Discussion for countermeasures against falling prove to be a very useful thing as along the path (now twice as steep as before) Bob almost falls saved by his levitate which he was able to get off just in time. As the party progresses they come upon a small precipice which has a portion of it has been carved or hewn out in a manual fashion and not magically. In this small hewn area is a small worn statue sitting in a cross legged position holding a bowl with some polished stones. There is a plaque on the statue with the following message carved out in Draconic:

"What will happen when leaves fall and trees become bare? Black Wind"

This is discussed among the members of the party and come to a conclusion that this must be talking about Zah-Hak himself though there is not much to go off of. A makeshift lean-to tent is made as night falls and the party attempt to keep themselves warm. During the final parts of Rydol's watch he asks Octavius some questions to which Octavius responds:

"Zah-Hak has corrupted the water near his lair, do not drink it under any circumstance. Delsaran is not worth the party dying over though a common goal with the dragons may be enough to get them to work with the party. Do not Attract Zah-Hak's ire as he will not be merciful and will not respect the fact that we are working with/for the Fae."

With this dawn breaks and the new day begins

The Road to Ruin

Friday 10th June 4-2518

The Orb Walkers pack up and begin their journey once more. A number of hours of travel later, with acclimatisation breaks along the way, the path begins to once clear and reduce in cragginess to a more normal path. A branch in the path follows with one path leading to a cave. Approaching this it becomes clear that the cave is filled with vegetation smelling more like a rainforest than a bog they were told to look out for. Moving into the cave the temperature rises to a nice warm ambient with a stream flowing through the cave. Across the stream is another small statue/shrine, similar to the one from before, with another inscription on it:

"However wonderful a thing is, maybe it is better not to have it at all."

Casting detect magic to ensure no foul play it becomes clear that the statue pings with a slight enchantment school but nothing else in the cave indicates any other form of magic. The group take a rest and eat the fruits of the trees and drink the waters of the stream. They check to see if food or water can go beyond the threshold however the food immediately rots and the salinity of the water reaches undrinkable levels. Proceeding further the path becomes all the more difficult requiring the summoning of Percival the Peryton and progress becomes very slow over the next few hours coupling with the thinner oxygen and the requirement for rest breaks more often the higher they go. Around 3pm another rest area is reached with another small cross legged statue sitting in the middle with a bowl being empty save for a few bones. The inscription for this one reads:

"If you do not see a man for 3 days, do not think he is the same man."

The purpose of this could be a warning against wandering off or losing track of your party members the group decides and confirms that all of these inscriptions sound more like warnings of some kind. A makeshift tepee tent is built and Valmet uses her Armour to attempt to heat the tent so the party doesn't freeze. The journey has been hard and the cold is definitely beginning to seep into the bones of the other party members. During the first watch Rhogar notices subtle noises on the wind, familiar noises too. The sound of large winged creatures beating their wings in flight though they are very distant, at least by Rhogar's reckoning. After the noises subside nothing is heard for the remainder of the watches and the party rouses on a frozen and wind chilled morning almost desperate for some remnant of warmth from lower down the mountain to make it's way up to where they are.

Monday 13th June 4-2518

4:30am approaches and the party is jolted awake by an ear-piercing noise so loud that it echo's in the Mountains for ~6 seconds emanating from the other end of the tunnel they are taking refuge in. Looking outside nothing appears to be in the immediate vicinity. Unconvinced by the lack of anything nearby, Valmet cast Clairvoyance to get a view from the other end of the bridge. What she see is a Gargantuan winged creature, black as ebony, diving towards an enormous humanoid with leathery wings. As the assumed Ancient Draconid (later revealed to be Zah-Hak) fires a line of green energy the enormous humanoid leaps from the mountain and swings a large Hammer onto the Draconid sending it crashing into the mountain behind it. The two fall from view and are not seen for the rest of the morning.

Rydol Speaks with Octavius regarding the battle that just happened along with any extra information he may have since the time of last speaking. It is revealed to Rydol that the Fae have a running theory on the reason for the beast's continued pursuit of Delsaran (the person assumed the strange traveler Maya had previously mentioned) and he reiterates the importance of making contact with Zah-Hak and his brood as soon as possible, this incident is about more than just the Trial and is more pertinent to Fate itself. When questioned on the whereabouts of Ardesco Octavius reveals that them and the Fae do not get along and so the party is more likely to find him. All he knows is that he makes his home within ruins in the mountain and to keep an eye out for bridges as this will lead them to Ardesco.

The group wakes some hours later and forms 2 groups, the first investigating the bridge they have come to and the remainder recovering from the exhaustion induced by the previous 2 days travel. The former, consisting of Bob, Ezra, Rhogar and Tilrinel, slowly beginning to make their way over the bridge, checking to see if it's capable of sustaining the weight of the party members. Crossing they arrive at an entryway into the mountain seemingly carved out from the stone itself with Braziers lit but seemingly unfueled. Continuing through the passage the find themselves in front of an underground city, quiet and preserved incredibly but evidently abandoned for a length of time of unknown to most. The quartet go and retrieve the remaining party members with the help of Graham the Griffin, the second greater mount which Rhogar had summoned. With everyone regrouped they descend into the city moving closer to the centre which appears to be the source of all the water which is flowing along the streams and the fire which can be heard even from the distance they are at. 15 minutes into the journey they encounter a Dragon wyrmling, silver in colour, who points them towards the centre of town when asked about Ardesco.

Arriving at the centre they are met by a humanoid figure with silver hair standing in front of a mechanical device which fuels the "Torch" through ejection of a silver stream. The figure turns to them and welcomes them to the City of Kadath and informs them that he has been waiting for their arrival. Revealing himself to be Ardesco the party begins to ask questions after their weary journey through the mountains and warms themselves by the fire while he informs them of what he has learned and how the party will proceed with the next stages. when questioned about Kadath he tells the party it once belonged to a race of mortals that dies out long before the years had even been counted and that they were the ones who left the shrines that were seen on the journey. They were left for the 2 gods of the Mountain Zah-Hak and Ardesco. He begins to explain the plan that he has come up with:

• The party will divide into 2 groups:
  • Ezra, Rydol and Tilrinel will be Polymorphed into Silver Dragons to fight the Beast.
  • Bob, Filip, Rhogar and Valmet will remain as they are to take on the Whore of Molloch
• Ardesco will provide support to the team fighting the beast in the form of removing it's ability of to negate any of the damage that it receives.
• Zah-Hak will be fighting the beast and draw it nearer the location of the battle, a holy site of the civilisation of Kadath.
• Once the battle ends, Ardesco will keep the survivors safe from Zah-Hak should he prove hostile to the polymorphed party members.
• The plan will be enacted at sunset.

He allows the party the opportunity to ask questions regarding the plan or anything else in general:

• How is the beast able to shrug off Damage?
  • After the rebellion of the Kenku, Molloch sought to enslave a new race beyond the Mortal plane the party currently resides on. The damage the beast takes is shifted to the slaves through the Whore of Molloch rendering the beast unscathed so long as this connection remains open.
• Why is the Whore of Molloch at this Holy site?
  • Delsaran has secluded himself in this location and is holding off any attempt by the Whore of Molloch to reach him.
  • The Whore of Molloch has also swayed the local Lizardfolk into servitude away from their former master Zah-Hak, much to his ire.
• Does he know anything of the Scarlet King?
  • He may not know more than what the party already does though the temple located in Kadath bears a tablet on which is etched a continuation of The Tale of the Scarlet King.
    • The Scarlet king is more primal than the party thinks, unlike any god of the pantheon, infinitely more powerful but also infinitely less defined.
    • Conventional means may not be enough to to beat him but there is a potential that the threat could be removed. Ardesco believes the party to be sufficiently capable of completing such a feat.
    • He is the realisation that the cycle may end, a concept the Fae themselves are not familiar with.
  • Ghurrix has now become a part of Khnith-Hgor's army becoming one of the 2 lieutenants of Khnith-Hgor's army, the other being Molloch himself:
    • One ancient, one new, both self serving. To reach the Scarlet king they must both be defeated.
• Does he have insight into the meaning behind the serpent in the Legend lore we had previously done on the Tree of Life?
  • It is knowledge itself, the delineation between one thing and another. It's the reason we have arisen from the entropy of the Universe.
  • He makes note of the fact that it will be us mortals who will obtain the knowledge from the tree.
  • Of the 2 trees, one is the Tree of Knowledge, the other The Tree of Life. Both are shrouded in ambiguity as it is rumored that one must be eaten before the other though the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge can only be eaten once the fruit from the tree of Life has been eaten and vice versa.
    • It may be referring to a conceptual eating though this avenue of thought has not been deeply explored by Ardesco.

With this completed the party moves to the Stone tablet in the temple in Kadath and review it for more information. It reveals a more about the 7 brides of The Scarlet King, the 7 children born of Sunnah and their seals:

• A'tivik - Seal of Vaduk, Dominion
• A'ghor - Seal of Kifenn, Longing
• A'distat - Seal of Hezhum, Desolation
• A'zieb - Seal of Ba, Wrath
• A'nuht - Seal of Ner, Lack
• A'tellif - Seal of Usheq, Hidden
• A'habbat - Seal of Xokib, Hope

Reading this a short discussion ensues about the 7th bride with Tilrinel suggesting using some of the Brides against Khnith-Hgor themself. The idea intrigues but seems to far flung at the moment so they turn their attention to the more pressing matter at hand; the Beast and The Whore of Molloch. Taking ardesco's advice they sip the waters which run through the city and rest in preparation, waiting for sundown before setting out on the march to a task of seemingly impossible magnitude.