Session 26: Temple in the Mountains? Report

General Summary

After their night infiltrating the Temple of Bane and defeating Skarn, Vigilant Talon priest of Bane, Emmanuel Woodsmoke, Beaufort De Montague and Orlac returned to rest at the Harpy. The next day Llorkh was on alert; more city watch about, criers on corners relaying news of the templeʻs desecration.   What is the party to do? Emmanuel decided to make the 4-5 day return journey to Loudwater to return the mailed fist relic to Laysan Fireblade, for which he was promised a cure for the Night Hagʻs curse (see Session 23: the journey to Llorkh Report). Garadin decided to renew his faith through mediation and study in his room at the Harpy while Khusrov braved the fighting pits at the Silk Scabbard. It was agreed that the party would meet in five days in Parnast, a dayʻs ride east and through the Dawn Pass.   On this day, however, Beaufort, Orlac, Midnight Snow, and Garadin travelled north from Llorkh, out the Dwarf Gate and into the Greypeaks to Stalagos and, they assumed, the Temple of All Consumption. Out the dwarf gate they climbed an easy road into the mountains and soon they met Crag Drumeater, a dwarf, returning from his small-claim mine in the foothills. Asked about the dwarven miners in the area, Crag had not much to say except that some had gone missing, many mines were not producing great amounts of ore, and increasing numbers of dwarves were leaving the area. Of Stalagos, he noted that an ancient clan, the Ironeaters, unrelated to the Drumeaters, were the first dwarves there and had been routed by evil cultists and monsters long ago, and it was these cultists who still resided in the mountain. The dwarves have since dispersed north and west, to the Spine of the World, the Dessarin Hills and points in between. Crag may join them soon.   By late afternoon the trail had led to a a large cave in the side of a crater mountain with a large double door, a skull spiked to the right side. The party used spells and subterfuge (Clairvoyance, Mage Hand, Arcane Eye, and Leomondʻs Tiny Hut) to infiltrate part way into the entrance chambers, finding gnoll and human guards, and a series of rooms. Beaufortʻs Arcane Eye also scanned an inner mountain within the frozen waters of the crater with stone bridges leading from it to the crater rim. With some reconnoitring of the hillside they also found a natural shaft leading into a cave inside the mountain. Descending the shaft they entered a large cave with mining cart tracks leading north and south. After dispatching two Thoqqua, armoured fire worms, the party investigated several rooms with ancient dwarven mining equipment, as well as carts and cart tracks heading south. To the north they found gnolls, killing one, and human guards. The party had dawned their ochre coloured robes and cultists medallions and were able to convince the guards that they were relieved of their duty for the night. After a bit more poking around, the party decided to not press their luck and they left the crater for Llorkh, to return another day with their knowledge of the main gate, but also, perhaps, with the crater denizens on alert.

Rewards Granted

Monster XP 2 x Thoqqua = 900; 1 x gnoll = 100
Adventure advancement = 3000
  Beaufort, Orlac, Garadin and Snow each earn 1000 XP