Session 3: An Explosive Introduction Report

General Summary

With the fire cultists dispatched, the adventurers collected themselves and met back up again at the Smiling Kraken tavern. When Vallis, Nahar, and Omar arrived, they found Marnie eliminating a straggler cultist that had escaped through the back of the tavern. The four heroes regrouped and found the two high elves on a corner just down the road.   They introduced themselves and learned that these elves were Miirthal Stormthar, the man putting the expedition into The Shrouded Sea, and Cormyr Stormthar, his grandson and closest traveling companion. They thanked the group for their efforts and invited them back to their estate in the Upper District of Aerdaris to further discuss the attack and their expedition.   Vallis, Nahar, and Marnie all left with the elves, but Omar stayed behind to give a statement to the guards which were rushing to the scene of the attack. He spoke with Sgt. Darith Morris and offered to provide the Ardent Lord with information about the attack. After giving his statement and buttering up the guard, he made his way to the address the rest of the party left him.   While Omar was away, the remainder of the group traveled to Miirthal Stormthar's home and had a conversation with the elves. They learned of their true mission, which is to find the lost city of Nythvânōr and retrieve the legendary Orb of Aegnor from within Castle Aegnor. However, Nythvânōr has been lost to time. Miirthal Stormthar believes that the city is somewhere within the The Shrouded Sea. He explained to them the history of the Miadrin, the "elves before elves", and the significance of their empire before the Great Deluge. He also revealed his lineage and connection to Galuviir Stormthar, who was the mad king that ruled over Nythvânōr during its demise. Miirthal later explained how Galuviir uses the orb to call out to those in the bloodline of the throne, and how he seeks to recover the orb so that he can destroy it and its evil presence in Estorim.   Once Omar arrived at they estate, they caught him up on the conversation. Cormyr Stormthar then revealed what they knew about the faction that had attacked the tavern. They are known as the Children of Cinder, and they seek to recover the Orb of Aegnor in order to burn away the seas and claim the lost empire of the Miadrin as their own.   After all the conversation, the Stormthars' invited the adventurers to join them on their quest, and the group accepted. Miirthal Stormthar agreed to procure some of the tools and supplies the party requested, and he sent them to the Aerdaris crypts to retrieve the possesions of the pirate Captain Zander, who is believed to be the only man to ever return from the The Shrouded Sea.   While the group made their way to the Temple District to retrieve the key to the crypts, Omar split from the party and ventured with Marnie to the Castle District for his meeting with the Ardent Lord. He was met by the captain of the guard at the gate, who led him into the Radiant Citadel for his appointment. Marnie followed at a distance, trying her best to get an idea of what Omar was up to.   In his meeting, Omar attempted to butter up the Ardent Lord with kind words, though his efforts were mostly in vain. After some efforts of trying to persuade the ruler of Aerdaris, the Ardent Lord gave him the task of investigating the presence of the Children of Cinder in Aerdaris, and provided him with a special writ stating his purpose. Finally, made the bold choice of informing the Ardent Lord of the true intentions of his quest with Miirthal Stormthar and the Orb of Aegnor. The king appointed Omar as his personal investigator into the matter, and promised him all of his desires should he bring the orb to the king.   Meanwhile, Nahar and Vallis made their way to the Grand Temple in the Temple District to request access into the crypts below the Temple of the Departed. They spoke with the priests present on duty and learned that the crypts had been locked under mandate of the Ardent Lord because recent grave robberies has woken the dead and caused them to wander around within the tomb. They warned the two about the undead and of any other sort of creatures that may have taken up residence within the crypts in its period of ill-repair. Finally, the priests provided them with the key to the tomb, under the command to return it by the end of the day.   As they left the temple, Marnie and Omar caught up with them, and they all made their way to the Temple of the Departed. They arrived to find that the door to the crypts had been blasted open in an explosion sometime in the last couple of hours, and the priests that had been praying here in the temple had been slaughtered in the explosion. They contemplated their next moves, while Omar decided to steal the offering from a bucket in front of a statue of Vitria, the angel of healing. He was filled with an internal sense of dread and disappointment, and the group began to collect themselves before venturing down into the depths.

Rewards Granted

• 10gp per person as a thank you for defeating the Children of Cinder members at the tavern.
• Omar received a writ from the Ardent Lord to aid him in investigating the movements of the Children of Cinder in Aerdaris.
• Omar took 43sp from the offering bucket in front of the statue of Vitria
• The group was promised the supplies they had requested: Writing supplies, a wax sealing kit, a hand crossbow, light Armor (for Omar and Vallis, a turkey sized cage (for Nahar's future raptor pet)

Missions/Quests Completed

The finally party met up with Miirthal Stormthar and joined his crew. They also learned about the Children of Cinder and their plot.

Character(s) interacted with

• Miirthal Stormthar, an older high elf explorer with the goal of finding the lost city of Nythvânōr. 
• Cormyr Stormthar, grandson of Miirthal Stormthar, and most trusted confidant and partner.
• Darith Morris, a sergeant in the Aerdaris guard.
• The Ardent Lord, the ruler and king of Aerdaris.
• Captain Johar Zander was alluded to, he was the rumored to be the only man to ever return from the The Shrouded Sea.

Notes

Each member of the party was promised 50gp for retrieving the possession of Captain Johar Zander, as a first test of their skill.