Session 5: Elves, Sabretooth Tigers, and Polar Bears!

General Summary

Upon arriving at this hidden location the party first investigated the gazebo and sarcophagus-like structure on the berm. Michael Snowfield cast Detect Magic and saw the entire area suffused with an aura of abjuration magic. The gazebo and sarcophagus seemed to have some dormant enchantment linking them. In the white stone gazebo was a blackened stone brazier, its bowl nearly two feet in diameter that Michael found seemed to be affixed to the white stone floor. It was full of snow and pine needles that Veld started to search through. He found a charred finger bone and other bones from a humanoid hand as well as ash from other objects long ago burned away.   Meanwhile Grimsby, Galanodel, Serafin, and Bhur were investigating the blue crystal pillars surrounding the sarcophagus-like stone structure. Bhur found carvings on the top of each pillar, from north to south, images depicting a twig, a pinecone, a flame, a feather, and a humanoid hand. Grimsby, with some help from Galanodel, found atop the granite sarcophagus an engraving of a brazier that resembled the one in the gazebo.   The party concluded these two things must be linked in some way, and moved to investigate the large moon dial in the center of this location. Veld noticed some scratchings near the full moon face of the dial while Peh'Tar seemed to react to something within the hillside through a broken wall. Galanodel was able to read the elvish inscriptions on the two half moon and full moon faces. The two half moon inscriptions reading as, "Unlock the tombs of the half moon." The full moon face inscription reading, "Gaze upon your own face and have seven questions answered." The large triangular crystal gnomon seemed to project a triangle of moonlight onto the dial, roughly two days from the eastern-most half-moon face, despite the moon being hidden behind clouds.   Veld and Galanodel also investigated the life sized statues surrounding the area, one on the berm and six more to the south of it, all facing away from the center of the moon dial. The statues stood upon seven-foot-tall cylindrical granite bases. Each statue seemed to depict slender robed figures, the engraving of their faces long since worn away by wind but with pointed ears identifying them as elves. The seemed to be emitting an aura of abjuration magic that coated the entire area and the nearby woods.   Continuing to explore this site, Galanodel carefully peeked into the opening in the hillside, quickly spotting a large form moving in the dark. Veld sprang into action, darting into the darkness and temporarily blind to its interior. A large white moose suddenly loomed in the light of the moon leaking in from outside as it narrowly missed goring Veld with its bloody antlers. It reared up and gave him a mighty kick with its hooves, battle was joined by all. Gal and Bhur moved inside to make room for others as Peh'Tar and Veld skirmished with the moose. Bhur noticed in the back of the chamber several scared looking animals huddled in the corner, an odd assortment that would not normally be together. Arrows and spells flying, the moose was far outmatched, yet it continued to fight on with bloodlust in its eyes. With a mighty swing Veld lodged his large bone scythe in its neck, staring into its eyes for only a moment before putting his considerable weight behind the killing stroke. As the moose head fell to the floor, showering Veld with blood, the gathered animals scattered and fled. Everyone else noticed for the first time the foxes, hares, goats, owls, wolf pups, and young bears that had seemingly been sharing this place peacefully before they darted off into the night.   The party explored the interior of the hillside finding two doors, both marked with half moon symbols, that seemed to have no way of opening. With the tail end of his magical detection Michael saw abjuration magic upon the doors as well as divination magic on a mirror set into the far back wall of the chamber. Three more statues stood inside this chamber facing westwards away from the moon dial, their faces not having been worn away seeming to depict individual elves also dressed in robes.   The party decided to make camp for the night inside this easily defended enclosure. They gathered wood as well as some twigs, pinecones, and a few feathers, and build a makeshift door of snow to block the entrance. During his watch Galanodel noticed a few animals come to investigate, seeming to notice the current inhabitants they left back into the night.   During the middle of the night the first of what would be many intrusions into their camp emerged from the seemingly sealed door in the northwest. A large polar bear, squeezing its way through the narrow hall, attacked the group and was quickly felled. Its body however did not shower Veld in blood once again as he decapitated it, but instead vanished entirely. Seemingly ignoring the implications of what this creature might mean or perhaps gauging this still safer than camping in the woods the party returned to sleep.   While Serafin was on watch another creature came slithering out of the northwestern hall, a giant constrictor snake that had no business being in such a frigid climate. Serafin managed to get off a warning to the rest before being constricted by the giant snake, quickly losing consciousness. Veld continued to perfect his technique of decapitation as he ripped the creatures head from its extensive neck, though it once again frustrated him as it vanished upon death. Tucking the unconscious Serafin safely into a corner to finish her rest the remainder of the party once again returned to sleep.   The watch was once again alerted to an intruder in their camp as they heard a door opening at the end of the tunnel. Rushing into action, Veld and Peh'Tar found themselves engaged with a large saber-toothed tiger emerging from the door. As they fought to keep the beast contained and the rest of the party struggled to contribute with the constraining battlefield the tables finally turned. With only a faint chanting from the chamber beyond the door as warning a large beam of radiant moonlight crashed down upon Peh'Tar and Veld. Peh'Tar was knocked to the ground unconscious, with Veld soon to follow. With his final moments of consciousness Veld saw the door shutting firmly in place.   This now being a rescue mission the group panicked to find a way to save Veld and Peh'Tar without succumbing to the moonbeam themselves. About this time Natali returned, having been exploring the area and in an almost dreamlike state. She had been oddly fascinated by this place ever since arriving, not entirely knowing what it was but feeling a kinship with it nonetheless. She burst into action, pulling Peh'Tar back from the brink of death and giving the group the moments they needed to act. With teamwork the group managed to rescue and revive Veld and Serafin and finally took the warnings to heart, fleeing into the woods. As they ran, realizing how close to death they had all been, they heard the howls of pursuit.   Thoughts of misdirection or losing their pursuers quickly faded as the faster wolves came into sight. In a mad chase the party managed to pick off a few of the wolves before the rest of the pack caught up and combat was fully realized. Cold and tired due to the frequent fights in the night the party found themselves far worse off than the similar fight with wolves the previous day. These wolves fought with no sense of self preservation or morale, looking only to wound and kill before dying themselves. They managed to fell Galanodel before the last of their number died, vanishing as the others did. As they revived Galanodel, the adrenaline from the chase fading from their blood, they caught their breath and prepared for a long day of travel ahead of them.