Beware the Depths

Izol and Yrna are gone. We stayed with the golden dragon Ciarsias, and not only the winter winds chilled our bones.
 
Inside the observatory we found stone pews and a 40-foot-high statue of seated Hrothamari.
 
 

Cold

 
Theo took the liar's circlet from Izol's head and gave it to Steel. And in a sign of remembrance he let the late warlock's hari fall, taking Izol's hair-twine to tie the mess atop his head.
 
Still gigantic Ciarsias squeezed his form inside to "fetch us some tea". When he returned, he spoke:
 
"Your friends: I do not know what you wish to do with their bodies. You may bury them or simply keep them here."
 
When Murg asked about diamonds Ciarsias told us news worse: diamonds do not form on Ibrithil. But he did not leave us on bad terms. "I am old, and not long for this world. Consider my hoard now yours: take it, and use it to save Ibrithil."
 
Murg jumped at the words.
 
 

A dragon's sundries

Cirasias kept his prodigious hoard in one of the side rooms, burrowed out for his comfort.

 



 
Murg returned, the hoard recorded; Ciarsias returned with tea. Murg listened as Ciarsias spoke:
 


 
 
At the mention of Izol' patron "The Endless", Ciarsias said only that it was an old god, long stripped of its followers and status.
 
And when asked (by Murg), Ciarsias noted that there was little he could forgive himself for his actions. He reasoned that he can only act as he has before, keeping the observatory as Hrothamari would have wanted. "But none of this can be done with Ibrithil infested by the cursed and the dead."
 
He offered to fly us around, then.
 
Steel heard this, and fetching the brazier of fire elementals (with Embryeon inside it) he returned to his things, and began to make a bridle suitable to carry the party atop a dragon's back (which will cost 120gp to make).
 
Steel retrieved the Vanguard standard from Izol's person. And Theo took Izol's treasured bag of colding and one of his rings before he, Murg, and Ciarsias entombed the bodies of Izol and Yrna. Not laying the dead to rest but to preserve them and keep them safe in Hrothamari's observatory.
 
 

More gifts

"Tell me more of the nature of your quest. I am afraid this land's danger eludes me. What is it that threatens this realm?"
 
Murg explained: "The world is about to be devoured due to the ever-constant battle of chaos and law. We are some kinds of knights on this chessboard, attempting to stop the evil that threatens Ibrithil." Theo continued: "A Living Gate to the Far Plane has opened under Chillmoon Tower. The tower is no more, as the Far Realm consumes this plane of existence."
 
Ciarsias wondered if this was the purpose of Chillmoon Tower all along, as it "has always been an enigma, even to the giants".
 
Our wizard added that we were to fetch artifacts of Ibrithil to help us -- and that we had nothing of Hrothmari's (from the observatory). With our good luck returning Cairsias understood. "Hrothamari once said that someone would come. Someone with 'sight', as he called it. The same abilities he had, and his children, and those of the shamans of Indrada."
 
"It must be one of you."
Theo stepped forward.
 
"Then let me ask you a question. Have you seen beyond the veil, with your 'sight'? Have you experienced prophesy?" The wizard (the seer) confirmed this. Ciarsias turned to the giant statue in the observatory, and spoke to Hrothamari in the tongue of the giants:
 

 
The very statue of Hrothamari glowed a brilliant blue. Stone turned and shifted, and the inside of the statue swung open. A lecture, small-folk-sized, and in it the visions of Hrothamari. Recording for a seer to read. Ciarsias spoke only that these pages held magics beyond comprehension, and could lead to something new. It was written in archaic giant, not ciphered but difficult to translate.
 

Hrothmari's sight

Theo touched the books Ciarsias presented to him, and his other sight exploded in light and sound.
 
For the first time Theo found himself anchored in the river of information -- time and space -- as it surged around him:
 

Show spoiler

The reckoning of the Divine is at hand.

The return of the Lich-God shall bear fruit

Of shapeless Malice that will make

Ruin of golden stone and expunge all light.

The Unholy Serpent at the center of creation

Shall seek the Engine of Destruction

Who by emerald hands laid low

Shall now the almighty’s vessel be.

Tremble, ye mortals, and despair,

For among you walks an Icon of Lies

Who shalt, with fated utterance,

Assume the mantle of Doom.

No hope awaiting, only the will

Of nine made ten may slip the noose

That binds the throat of the world.

By blade made whole, by three made one,

May Reika’s Doom yet be undone.

 
From the river one sight made itself clear: the silhouette of ten creatures standing against a vast and ancient shadow, shapeless but for a massive claw that swept at the ten creatures. All almost faded, until a gleaming golden hilt shone above all else. It floated before Theo's sight, a blade shattered in three pieces. Then the light grew too bright, and Hrothmari's vision left the wizard.
 
 

A journey already started

Before we entered Ibrithil Murg had met with the High Auditor of Abadar in Excellion. There, under an oath of eschatocol (immediate absolution), he was told of a prophecy from the most high of the divine.
 
This series of events was recollected, by both Theo and Murg. But there was no way for us now to corroborate Murg's knowledge with Theo's (Hrothamari's) vision.
 
The only "nine made ten" we could devise... included the Vanguard of Veradin and M'crush's band -- the only other group of adventurers that stood above the rest. "And they have recently added another member," Theo voiced. Murg counted on his fingers, and "nine made ten" was whispered throughout Hrothmari's observatory.
 
 

To wing

Steel worked. Theo read. And Murg thought. Ciarsias left the group alone, and as the winds howled outside the party sat with their situation.
 
The next morning saw a nervous Steel fitting a very calm Ciarsias with his improvised (and specialized) bridle. Everyone met in the observatory courtyard, and mounted up.
 
Ten minutes later and Ciarsias landed in the cave at the base of Hatewind Peak. The Vanguard dismounted and entered to retrieve Francis (and the griffon).
 
All had another moment of grief.
 
Francis was surprisingly unafraid of Ciarsias ferrying him through the air. The group took off again, this time to Eastgate -- what was once Nastalii.
 
 

Guard of the eastern gate

None of us thought to warn the people of Eastgate. They spotted our arrival, and from on high we could hear the alarm raised. Ciarsias zipped through the air with grace, landing more quickly than any of the small folk could expect -- the Vanguard or those of Eastgate. The dragon's voice roared out to all in range: "Peace! We mean you peace!" Murg spoke first, naming himself.
 
"Murg. So you are... them..." Commander Gauge introduced himself, stumbling over our names.
 
Sitting in the middle of the tent we met a stranger who knew us, but not us him. He had the uncanny likeness of Izol, the same in height and build. He was human, light-skinned, with tattoos running up his arms and the greater part of his back. The man's face was concealed by a stone mask, carved in the likeness of a shi-shi, a divine lion-dog of the gods.
 
As they made eye contact, Theo heard a voice tickle the back of his mind: Theo... why do I know you?
 
Commander Gauge scoffed that he had "lost too many men today alone". Taking this in stride the Vanguard plus the stony-faced figure, all made walk to the treeline.
 
Finally the man introduced himself: Jojen Zolighent.
 
And he had been watching the Vanguard.
 
Immediately all in conversation -- Jojen included -- held arms and arcana ready.
 
It was Embryeon who broke the tension. Taking form he floated in the air and around the stranger. "You smell like him..."
 
"I don't know why. I'm so sorry." Tears welled in Jojen's eyes. And Embryeon claimed he knew this stranger.
 
It came out of Jojen that he had been seeing visions of the Vanguard, hearing us speak to him in his dreams. "I just want to go home." Jojen was previously a monk, in a monastery in NAME. A dream four months ago broke him, and for no reason any of the Vanguard could understand Jojen was thrown out of his home. With only his dreams to guide him he eventually found the Vanguard. Throughout his story he referenced the Vanguard's adventures, seeing them travel across Vhaal and make their now allies.
 
"You're a kalashtar," Theo realized. Kalashtar are a race of humanoids that have a biological link to the realm of dreams. Envisioned as a being, the plane of dreams lets a kalashtar dream and draw strength from the plane of dreams. Often this magic takes form of telekinetic and telepathic powers. "Removed from his family means a kalashtar loses everything." And since Jojen's kalashtari dreams have been replaced by dreams of the Vanguard, his distress and desperation make sense.
 
At Steel's words Jojen removed his mask. The face of a kalashtar is too perfect, too symmetrical, and the golden-haired Jojen was no exception.
 
Everyone made peace. As the party returned to Eastgate Jojen spoke little. But Murg picked up on enough to understand that while the bugbear was ardent for Abadar, Lord of Civilization, Jojen venerated the duality of Stygia and Eros, the Unforgotten and Lady of the Font.
 
Commander Gauge greeted us, again, and briefed us on Eastgate and his woes:
 
Eastgate was once Nastalii. It and Westgate are the only entrances left to Ibrithil's underdark and Indrada. Long ago a human started a religious cult in Nastalii. "All you need to know is that anyone who goes in there comes running back out screaming in terror." The commander looked to the tent entrance as it opened. "And this." A stretcher was brought in, the prone humanoid dripping a purple-red bile from under a heavy wool blanket. We were shown him -- it -- that had lost any sense of sentience. Its maw was unhinged and lowered, its eyes bugged out and inflamed. "This one... it won't die. It takes only fire to kill this horrors, the other ones." He looked at the Vanguard before continuing. "We need access to Indrada, to secure our defense. So I guess that's why you're here."
 
The only other information Commander Gauge could tell us was rumors of blood magic, and that the cult has some god at its peak. "Giants and small folk alike were forbidden to step foot in Nastalii. There's a reason for that."
 
A horrid scream cut off all further conversation, screeching from the depths of Eastgate.
 
 

Nighttime activities

We all set up camp then, with little else to do.
 
Theo read from Hrothamari's writings. One vision stood out in particular, a revelation late in Hrothamari's life. One thing stood out in the description: a human named Cain. Granted the power of the gods as a disciple (of one god) he was charismatic and manipulative. The small folk who collected Hrothmari's notes add only that Cain was bloodthirsty and willing to do anything to achieve his goals.
 
Ciarsias was in dragon form. His formidable form was a boon to Eastgate but terrifying to the guards in company. Steel walked over to explain this to the great golden dragon. Understanding -- especially from his recent guilt -- the dragon polymorphed into a human soldier. Full armored, Ciarsias' magical protections bore a modified crest, mixing the standards of the Vecti Confederacy and the Arcadian Accord. "This should do well enough."
 
Steel left the dragon to take watch with the guards of Eastgate. Standing at the mouth of the underdark entrance, he stared into the void. It took little time for the malevolence below to take its toll, the tabaxi's mind playing tricks on Steel. He heard the distinct sound of children at play, but with voices hollow and tinny -- and they called Steel by name. One guard nearby took notice.
 
"So you hear it too."
 
 

Odious

Morning was brought into the camp by wafting stench, the smell of bile billowing out from the mouth of Eastgate. The Vanguard, with Jojen, gathered at its entrance. Theo strode ahead, ready and willing, before Steel stopped him. "We need you," in tabaxi and a hug was all he shared. The wizard understood, and as one the group descended.
 
Jojen immediately revealed his use: fading into the shadows, invisible with the black, the masked warrior scouted ahead of the rest of the party. The descent was deep. On the walls were more red crystals, these acting like small insects -- clumping up as if to reach out and touch any passerby. And all this time the same baleful wind, noxious and wet, surged up as if to flee the clutches of the earth itself.
 
The newest member of the party stopped his scouting when the tunnel opened up to a ledge above the wide underdark.
 
 

The lost children of Nastalii

Jojen was given view over all of the ground below. Here and there red crystal spires broke through the earth. Any structures in view were destroyed ruins -- the many bodies of small folk visible from on high. Some piles had strange mushrooms growing out of them, glowing with dangerous magical energy. And in the middle of it all was a structure, a well. Above one could see the green fluids swirling within it, and the odors it sloughed off. It was the source of the contaminated air.
 
The rest of group caught up to Jojen. The psion was currently battling within himself. "I can hear them, hear their pain." Unable to empathize the Vanguard just nodded with tense faces.
 
To the left of the group a mushroom grew not 15 feet from the Vanguard. It pulsed, and both Jojen and Theo heard a voice speak to them. "Please, please help me" -- and with a response from Jojen -- "Come closer, please". While Theo shied away Jojen complied. The mushroom spoke more to him: he was once a human named Rufus. Now he was consumed by this place. He/it blamed Cain's magic for their ends, naming specifically the cultist's sigil. "And the rest his followers, I fear, are full of malice. Be warned of us, the lost children of Nastalii." Mushroom-Rufus explained too of trials placed by Cain, for his followers to prove their adoration, and of the need to placate the restless dead.
 
"You have already given me peace, by speaking to me as one person does another." The mushroom quivered, giving final parting words before the fungus withered into dust. "Cain still lives. Please, avenge us."