Chapter 2-11: Tari Ce Morte
General Summary
The party, under the guidance of Miaug, followed Halia and Iarno's trail to the base of Old Owl Well. Their quarry appeared to have sacrificed stealth for speed, and their tracks were clearly visible. Ahead, the jagged stump of the ancient watchtower jutted upward, silhouetted against the darkening skyline like a great broken tooth. As they approached, Ryoko could hear the faint sound of horses neighing from inside the ruin. Ramas took the lead, and stealthily made his way up the hill, seeming to almost disappear as he moved through the thick grass and heather. Inside the ruin he spotted two horses, tied up just beside the ancient well. He waited for a moment to be sure, but there was no sign of any other movement. He signalled to the rest of the party to join him.
In the centre of the courtyard stood Old Owl Well. A large circular wall made of interlocking marble blocks topped by three columns of delicate crystal, decorated with stylised effigies of crystal owls. The columns were in various states of ruin, only one remained at its full height.
As Miaug scouted about looking for tracks, the rest of the party began to examine the courtyard. Aetilius recalled what Clootie had deduced about the ruin being masked by some form of powerful illusion spell. He pulled out Kildrak's Lens of True Seeing, and opened the brass iris. Another sapphire twinkled and dulled. Looking through the crystal lens, the old well was revealed as the focus of the illusion. In reality, the three crystal pillars were fully intact. Together they held up a domed obsidian roof. The marble wall did not fully encircle the well, as it originally appeared. Directly in front of the courtyard entrance, the wall rose up into an archway, and a set of steps spiralled around the inside of the well, leading into the darkness below. Aetilius called the rest of the party back, and explained the illusion. He then demonstrated by stepping through the entryway onto the spiral staircase. To the rest of the party, he seemed to disappear as soon as he passed through the broken wall. Looking back he noticed his friends' confusion. He thrust his hand back through the archway to beckon them forward.
Ramas approached first, taking Aetilius's hand and passing through the illusory wall. Once beyond the boundary of the illusion, he could see reality clearly. Clootie followed Ramas, her natural gnomish resistance to illusions helped her to ignore the effects. Ryoko stepped forward confidently, but when she approached the wall it felt completely solid to her. She knew that it was just false signals in her brain caused by her subconscious acceptance of the illusion, but nonetheless she found herself unable to force her way through. Aetilius, growing impatient, grabbed her hand and yanked her through the archway. Surprised, Ryoko lost her footing as she stumbled forward, and reached out to steady herself on the nearest available object; which unfortunately ended up being Clootie. The little gnome was pushed forwards and fell off the edge of the spiral staircase, plummeting into the darkness beyond. She hit the water below with a loud splash and began to flounder in the icy murk. Ramas and Ryoko raced down the steps, while Miaug approached the illusion. Seeing Ryoko's struggle had planted a seed of doubt in her mind, and she also found herself unable to break the illusion. Aetilius, thinking more clearly this time, passed her out the Lens. Aetilius and Miaug then headed down the steps together to help the others fish Clootie out of the water.
Beneath the well the party found themselves in a small cavern, roughly sixty feet across. The chamber was lit by an eerie blue glow. Most of the cavern floor was submerged, but where the staircase ended a narrow ledge wound around the side of the cave a few feet above the waterline. The blue light emanated from hundreds of tiny glowing flowers floating in the water. Ryoko recognised them as the same flowers she had seen in Wave Echo Cave. An underground stream poured in through an opening a partway up the opposite wall.
Miaug pulled a length of rope out of her backpack, and threw one end to the flailing gnome. Clootie grabbed it, and the tabaxi pulled her over to the edge of the pool. Miaug tried to lift her out, but the slender cat couldn't find enough purchase and almost toppled in herself. Ryoko reached over and grabbed the bedraggled gnome by the scruff of her outfit, lifting her out of the water with one hand and plopping her down on the ledge beside them, shivering.
Looking around, the group noticed that at the far end of the ledge, a rough hewn stone door was set into the wall, flanked on either side by unlit torches in rust caked sconces. Ryoko stepped forward, channeling her druidic magic to create a tiny flickering flame in the centre of her palm. Gently she cupped one torch, then the other, and lit them both. Warm torchlight forced the shadows in the cavern back into the corners. As soon as both torches were lit, the doors swung inward with a groan of protest. The passageway beyond wound down even deeper into shadow. Shrugging, Ryoko grabbed one of the torches and the group headed down into the gaping maw.
The party found themselves in a large square stone room. The sickly scent of burned flesh and ozone hung in the air. In the centre of the room lay a squat stone altar, about waist high and around eight feet long. A narrow shaft of moonlight streamed in through a ragged hole in the roof, illuminating one end of the altar where three triangular columns of red crystal jutted out of the surface like blood soaked claws. Held between the columns was a familiar black glass sphere. Clootie and Aetilius moved closer to the altar to examine the Eye. It's surface appeared blackened and warped, almost melted.
Examining the other end of the altar, they noticed two rusted iron restraints bedded into the stonework. Manacles dangled from chains about the midway point. The surface of the slab between the restraints and the manacles sloped inward to a central channel which ran along the axis of the table, stained a deep red. Near the top of the altar, a large depression had been carved into the surface. Inside the depression lay a slightly smoking puddle of flesh and gore. Aetilius picked it up, morbidly curious. It was still slightly warm. Looking at it, he guessed it was probably the back of a human skull.
Meanwhile, Ryoko and Ramas examined the rest of the room. Three of the four walls were covered in elaborate wall carvings, very similar in both style and content to the ones the party had found in Shar Datai beneath Neverwinter, although these carvings were in a far better state of repair.
Dropping the burned skull fragments in disgust, Aetilius wiped his hands on his greaves and wandered over to the carvings. With a shock, he realised he could now read the Netheril runes. He started to trace his hand across the carvings and attempted to decipher them out loud for his companions. The carvings on the left hand wall, hundred of images of eyes, were arranged in three concentric circles around a short passage of text written in Netheril:
The fresco to the bottom left depicted a screaming figure lying on a table with a dagger protruding from its chest. A sphere rested on the table above his head. A column of fire rose from the sphere, flames seemed to run along the surface of the table to the figure's head.
The image on the bottom right showed a figure standing on top of a hill. His head and eyes were wreathed in fire. In front of the hill stood ranks of faceless figures.
Another short text was carved into the centre of the three images in Netheril:
Clootie touched his arm, concerned. The sudden contact shocked him out of his reverie. He shook his head to clear it and translated the text carved into the wall between the images:
On the far side of the watchtower courtyard, just beyond the wall, Miaug found a smoking ragged hole around a foot in diameter. Peering through the fissure, she could make out her companions in the ritual chamber. Out of curiosity, she started to scout around, looking for tracks leading away from the hole. Unable to find any, she expanded her search to the rest of the ruin. Oddly, she couldn't find any tracks other than her own which led away from the well.
The rest of the party returned to the surface and joined her to discuss their next moves. With the trail gone cold, they had little chance of pursuit. They decided to release Halia and Iarno's horses, both of whom appeared to be severely exhausted. The two mares looked at them gratefully, then trotted away down the hill towards the forest. Aetilius was keen to head back to Neverwinter to re-examine the carvings in Shar Datai; but Miaug was desperate to head back to Phandalin for her date with Garaele. The party agreed that Nethonris temple had stood undetected for hundreds of years, it could wait a couple more days until Tari Ce Morte was over.
The party made it back to Phandalin in the very early hours of Lathandis. The door to the inn was locked, but Ramas battered heavily on the door until an exhausted Toblen answered. He pointed them to their rooms, and told them not to worry about payment now, they could sort that in the morning. He trudged wearily back to bed. Ramas left a small stack of coins on the bar and helped himself to a bottle of rum. Ryoko added a couple coins of her own to the stack and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. The two gently clanged their bottles together, each taking a swig as they wandered off in the direction of their bedrooms. The rest of the party followed close behind.
The party woke up late. With no plans for the day, they ate a leisurely breakfast and aimlessly sauntered through the town for a while. Miaug went to visit Garaele at the Shrine, and the two chatted for a while about their respective elven homes. The rest of the party spoke to Gundren and Tharden, the latter was finally awake and looking much stronger and better rested. They group asked them what their plans were. Gundren explained that he was going to take Tharden home to Kaolinus after the sun returned in a week or so.
Around midday, the group met with the surviving council members in the Townmaster's Hall to give them an update on their hunt. They explained the fate of the orcs, that Halia had found the Eye of Vroth, what they had found under Old Owl Well, they assumed that Iarno had been sacrificed in a ritual involving the Eye, and then they had lost Halia's trail. Quelline spoke up,
"We should get a message to the Duke in Neverwinter. He'll want to know about this. Something is evidently happening, and it cannot possibly be good. But... on the other hand, you all look exhausted. Rest here for a couple of days, enjoy the festivities, and as soon as the sun returns you can head back to Neverwinter. It's never a good idea to travel during the dark times. The torchlit procession starts at Alderleaf Farm in three hours, join us and relax."
A few hours later, the party joined the rest of the town, making their way down the road to Quelline's farmhouse. Miaug was walking a short distance behind the rest, deep in conversation with Sister Garaele. When they arrived at Alderleaf Farm, Quelline and her son were handing out cups of barley tea and honey. The warm liquid was delicious, and quickly expelled the worst of the chill from the group's limbs. People started to hand out crude straw-wrapped torches, and shared the flames of lit brands with their neighbours. The flames quickly spreading through the crowd and within moments, the scene was illuminated by countless flickering lights. The procession started to walk back up towards the village green. Quelline and Daran fell into step alongside the party, making idle small talk as they made their way back up the hill.
The procession marched over the south bridge and onto to the village green, where a large pagoda had been constructed. Underneath the roof of the structure stood a large copper brazier. One by one, the villagers approached and threw their torches into the brazier. The wood within the brazier quickly caught, lighting the village flame which would keep the darkness at bay until the sun returned.
Once the last torch had been set, Toblen shouted in glee and tapped a large keg of ale. He and Trilena started handing out mugs to each of the participants. People milled about on the green in small groups, chatting and drinking. Clootie pulled out her Golden Kazoo, and Ryoko grabbed her mandolin, and the pair launched into a few songs to keep people entertained. Miaug and Garaele shared a couple of drinks. Aetilius however, couldn't shake a feeling of unease, like a storm was approaching.
After some time, the groups all disbanded and people gradually drifted homewards. A small group, including Daran, pulled up chairs and sat around the fire. Each night during the next week, every adult in the village would share the responsibility of tending the flame to make sure it didn't go out. Aetilius, still unable to relax, volunteered to join them on the first watch.
The next day, the party woke up bright and early. With nothing else planned, the group volunteered to help with the festival preparations. Happy to take advantage of their offer, Toblen asked them to carry a few kegs down to the green. The village was a hive of activity as everybody joined together to prepare for the following day's celebrations. Groups of villagers were building long wooden tables on the green. Others were stringing wreaths and garlands of holly and lavender are across buildings; and erecting poles at the corners of the green to run strings of tiny star lanterns between them. Ryoko used her druidcraft to cause the garlands to bloom, spreading up the buildings. A small group of children started to follow her around as she did so, entranced by the magic. Ryoko stooped down and created other tiny garlands which she gently placed around the children's necks.
Fruits, cider and strawberry cordial were brought from the Edermath Orchard. Quelline asked the group to help her bring up food from the farm: carrots, potatoes and leeks; plus chicken pies and steak pies. Trilena brought freshly baked blackberry pies from the inn. Freda, the old weaver, brought rolls of beautiful table runners. Clootie helped her to lay them across the long tables. Once they had finished, Clootie asked Freya if she had any extra material she could buy. Freya took her back to her shop and showed Clootie her wares. Clootie asked for a small offcut of an intricate tartan pattern to make a poncho for Punch, and length of diaphanous, almost ethereal, blue silk to make a dress for Miaug. Freya smiled at the little gnome's twinkling eyes and handed her the material for free.
Back on the green, Ryoko used her druidcraft to light all of the star lanterns. A tiny flame leaped from one lantern to the next, dancing around the green and leaving sparkling lights in it's wake. The crowd of children which had gathered around the iskathi gasped in awe. Once all the preparations were finished, Quelline handed out cups of warm dandelion and burdock ale to each of the remaining volunteers; including the party, Daran, Toblen and Gundren. The group all sat on the edge of one of the long tables, and raised their cups in a toast.
Miaug walked Garaele back to the Shrine, and was rewarded with a gentle kiss on the cheek. Elated, Miaug floated happily back to the party. The group all decided to head to bed, with the exception of Aetilius. The tiefling was still on edge, and volunteered to take the first flame watch again that night. That night, instead of going directly to bed, Ryoko and Clootie snuck back down to the taproom with the material Freya had given them. Together the two worked tirelessly long into the night, making a beautiful blue gown for Miaug.
The next day, Miaug, Aetilius and Ryoko emerged from the inn around midday and headed down to the green to see if they could be of use with any final preparations. As they walked down the hill, they nearly tripped over a group of children, laughing and running between the buildings. Ryoko waved some of the kids over and asked them what they were doing. They explained that one of the traditions in Phandalin was a hidden rock game for the children. There were a number of painted stones hidden around the village, and the children were split into groups to look for them. The group who found the most stones in an hour won a prize. Entertained by this idea, Ryoko suggested that each of the party members help a different team. The children laughed hysterically as the three adventurers glared good-naturedly at one other then ran off in opposite directions.
An hour later, the groups gathered back at the village green to see who had won. Miaug's team, with the help of the tabaxi's excellent tracking skills, had won by a substantial margin. The team won a home baked pie to share. As a consolation, Ryoko used her druidcraft to decorate the stone's her team had found with tiny flowers and gave them out to the other kids.
Clootie grabbed Miaug by the elbow and led her back up to the inn to show her the dress that they had made for her the night before. Ramas joined Ryoko and Aetilius on the green, and the three of them started to help themselves to the food spread out on the tables. Every available surface was covered with delicious smelling food: chicken and mushroom or steak pies, goats cheese, spinach and butternut squash pies; blackberry tarts; chestnut and cranberry tarts; roast vegetables; rabbit and pheasant. In a fire pit beside the pagoda, a good sized pig was gently roasting on a spit over the flames. The whole town appeared to be present; eating, drinking and talking. The atmosphere was one of relaxed and pleasant companionship. Daran wandered over and sat with the party, chatting idly with them about their adventures.
A small band of musicians made their way on stage, and launched into a number of spritely reels. People swept their spouses or partners off their seats and started to dance in front of the stage. Looking up, the party noticed Miaug appear, looking beautiful in the delicately translucent blue dress Clootie and Ryoko had made for her. She spotted Garaele at the bar, and glided over to her, unusually gracefully. Garaele smiled at her, then grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dancefloor.
Ramas gathered mugs of ale for the remaining party members, as they sat at one of the benches watching their friend dance. The song ended, and Toblen Stonehill jumped up on stage alongside the band. He picked up a lute from the back of the stage and started playing a familiar folk aire. The party were surprised when the innkeeper started to sing, in a clear, powerful voice. After he finished, he nodded to the band and they all launched into a fiery jig.
Once Toblen finished playing, he popped his lute back in place at the rear of the stage and thanked the crowd before stepping down onto the dancefloor. Garaele gently let go of Miaug's hands and stepped up onto the stage. A delicate silver flute appeared in her hands as if by magic, and she started to play a haunting elven melody. Miaug recognised it as Thairis Beyanntan Airid, a song she remembered from her childhood. The audience sat enraptured while the Sister played. Once she had finished, she smiled shyly as the crowd applauded raucously.
Clootie grinned at Ryoko, and the pair headed up on stage to play. Their energetic melodies soon had the crowd twirling wildly. After a few minutes playing, they were exhausted and left the stage to more applause. Toblen handed them each a mug of ale as they stepped off stage, giving them a warm clap on the back. Quelline's son, Kal Alderleaf, was the next to take a turn with the band, playing and singing a happy jig on his guitar. After his set, as he stepped down off the stage, Elsa, the young barmaid from the inn, picked him bodily off the ground and gave him a kiss.
The party continued in the same vein for hours. Villagers took turns playing songs, some lively and playful, others quieter and more introspective. The crowd ate, drank, danced and talked long into the night. The party joined in the festivities wholeheartedly. Ramas even produced a bottle of rum from somewhere, and started distributing shots.
Eventually, the party started to die down slightly. As Clootie and Ryoko stood over at the side of the green, they noticed Trilena and Pip trying to shepherd a drunken Toblen up the hill towards the inn, as the innkeeper sang loudly and swayed violently. Trilena called over to Elsa, who was standing behind Kal with both her hands resting on his shoulders,
"Elsa sweetheart, could you give me a hand here?" Trilena pleaded, with a faintly pained smile,
Elsa grinned and nodded. She gave Kal a quick kiss on the cheek, then bounded up the hill to help the innkeepers. Clootie and Ryoko giggled slightly as they watched the group disappear up the hill, the sound of Toblen's singing continued to echo out of the darkness even after they had disappeared.
Around ten minutes later, Ryoko started to get that now familiar itching feeling under the scales of her arm. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she scanned the horizon for anything untoward. Unable to figure out where the unsettling feeling was coming from, she caught Aetilius's eye and beckoned the rest of the group over. Aetilius grabbed Miaug and Ramas, and the party headed away from the village green. Ryoko quickly explained that something was wrong. Aetilius's eyes narrowed instantly, and his hand went straight to Talon's hilt. The party all started to look around. Ramas grabbed them and drew their attention to the cliff overlooking town. Dozens of tiny figures were moving across the top of the cliff, and appeared to be racing into town. Suddenly the group heard screaming coming from the inn.
The party raced up the hill, and burst through the door of the inn. A group of bugbears and goblins had the Stonehill family cornered. Toblen lay face down on the floor in front of the goblins, a rusty shortsword protruding from his back. Standing defiantly between the rest of the family and the goblins was Elsa, holding a longsword loosely in front of her in a defensive stance. The lead goblin swiped at her, but she deftly parried the blow, raking her attacker across the face in response.
The bugbear raised it's mace to strike at the girl, but Ryoko flicked her staff forward, rattling the bugbear off the side of the head and causing him to stagger backwards. Aetilius placed himself between the goblins and the Stonehills, forming up alongside Elsa. One of the other goblins thrust his sword at the tiefling, but it glanced harmlessly off his armour. Aetilius swept Talon left to right, effortlessly decapitating the goblin. Maintaining the blade's momentum, he brought the point of the blade down into the chest of another goblin. It twitched violently for a moment then became still. Clootie hurled Kulog at the bugbear. The hammer impacted the side of the creature's head, crushing it's skull and causing it to drop like stone to the ground. Miaug slipped two arrows out of her quiver, loosing one after the other, barely even seeming to draw back the bowstring between shots. Both arrows found their marks, burying themselves deep in the skulls of the two remaining goblins. Ryoko and Aetilius nodded at each other, and together they ran outside to take stock of the situation. Clootie knelt next to Toblen's still body. She yanked the blade out of his back, then laid her hands on him. As she muttered a faint incantation under hear breath, a delicate silvery light spilled out from her palms. There was a faint sound of rushing air, and Toblen coughed and rolled over. Trilena's face crumpled and she fell to her knees next to him, desperately clutching her husband as tears streamed down her face, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she sobbed, staring at Clootie with something close to awe. Elsa quickly grabbed Trilena and Toblen by the arms, hauling them to their feet,
"Come on. We've got to get back into town and warn everyone" she said
"I'll come with you" Miaug stated.
She kicked open the door, an arrow nocked in her bow, as she swept her eyes over the scene to check for movement. Satisfied, she waved the family out and followed behind to protect them.
Clootie focused her magic outward for a moment, causing a massive twenty foot tall image of herself to appear over the inn. The apparition mimed a warning towards the village green. Clootie just prayed that somebody was paying attention. Ramas and the little gnome then followed after Miaug and the Stonehills.
Meanwhile, Ryoko and Aetilius had started heading up the hill to find the source of the attack. They saw a massive wave of innumerable goblins, bugbears, hobgoblins and Redbrands running down the hill. As the attackers passed buildings, they burst in, dragging people out of homes. The victims were either slaughtered on the spot, or hauled back up the hill to some unknown fate. Realising that they were hopelessly outnumbered, Ryoko and Aetilius started to move back towards town. Spotting them, a group of goblins snarled a challenge and raced down the hill towards them. Ryoko planted her feet and spewed a plume of flame from her mouth. The first rank of goblins were engulfed in the fire, and fell to the ground screeching in agony. With a beat of his wings, Aetilius bounded over a charging goblin, swiping at it with Talon as he passed overhead. The goblin dodged to the side of the swinging blade; but as soon as Aetilius's feet touched the ground, he spun around and cleanly severed the creature's head. Ryoko raised her head and howled. Yellow light blurred around her, and a pack of wolves materialised on either side of the Iskathi. The wolves leaped forward, falling on the remaining goblins. Their immediate attackers distracted, Aetilius and Ryoko turned and raced back into town
As Miaug and the Stonehills passed Barthen's Provisions, she spotted Barthen being dragged out of his shop by a big bugbear. He slipped out of it's grasp and tried to run, but the bugbear raised it's club to swing at him. Without even breaking pace, Miaug whipped an arrow out of her quiver and shot the bugbear through the head. The arrow pierced straight through it's skull, pinning the creature to the wall of the store. Barthen locked eyes with her thankfully, running after them towards the green.
As they arrived at the green, Miaug saw Garaele ushering the villagers inside the Shrine. Elsa reached the Sister first, and breathlessly started to explain. Garaele pointed up at the inn, where a twenty foot gnome could be clearly seen jumping and waving. Thanks to the advanced warning, the remaining revellers on the green were safely inside the Shrine by the time Ryoko and Aetilius rounded the corner. Just as they caught up with the rest of the party outside the door to the Shrine, a gibbering swarm of goblins raced around the corner onto the green. Ryoko lifted her hand, and a wall of water swept forward to engulf the goblins. At the same time, Clootie charged Kulog with electricity and hurled it towards the tidal wave. The wave swept the goblins off their feet, and as the hammer hit the water the electricity discharged with a thunderous crack, reducing the goblins to smouldering husks. Kulog sailed through the air, back into Clootie's waiting hand with a satisfying thud. Inside the Shrine, Garaele quickly kissed Miaug, before closing her eyes and raising her hands. A bright golden aura emanated from her, passing out through the walls of the shrine and forming into a golden shell around the building. More goblins spilled around the corner, but as the raced towards the Shrine they hit the golden barrier with a sickening crunch.
Protected inside Garaele's barrier, the villagers began to take stock of their situation. The injured were tended, the bereaved consoled and frightened children were comforted. Daran and Quelline grabbed the party, and took them aside to ask about the situation,
"What's going on? Do you know where they came from? Or how many they are?" Quelline asked quietly, not wanting to alarm anyone any more than they already were
"I'm really not sure. There were a lot of them, probably hundreds. Goblins, Redbrands, and the like." Aetilius explained,
Miaug volunteered to climb up the outside of the Shrine to try and get a better vantage point. The rest of the party agreed.
Miaug nimbly scampered up the outside of the Shrine, her claws easily finding holds in the rough stonework of the building. As she reached the domed roof, and grabbed a hold of the narrow spire, she cast her gaze around the town. The buildings up the hill were ablaze, the fire was starting to spread down the hill. In the flickering light of the flames she could clearly see hundreds of figures running up and down the hill. More than she could count. Behind them, more attackers were racing across the green, heading down the hill further into town. Looking up at the edge of the cliff she could make out a throng of figures moving about. In the centre she could clearly see one figure which stood out from the rest. A bright purple aura seemed to emanate from the silhouette. As she looked at it, she could swear she felt eyes staring back, burning into her soul. Suppressing a shiver, she climbed down to report back.
As she explained the situation, Quelline and Daran looked increasingly grim. "So, we are surrounded and vastly outnumbered. We need to try and escape with a large group of untrained non-combatants. And the only way in or out of town is through the enemy force. Seems like we're royally fucked" Daran recapped, with a humorless smile.
Suddenly a little voice spoke up beside Quelline. Kal and Elsa had slipped over to the impromptu council meeting without anyone noticing,
"Actually, I know another way out"
In the centre of the courtyard stood Old Owl Well. A large circular wall made of interlocking marble blocks topped by three columns of delicate crystal, decorated with stylised effigies of crystal owls. The columns were in various states of ruin, only one remained at its full height.
As Miaug scouted about looking for tracks, the rest of the party began to examine the courtyard. Aetilius recalled what Clootie had deduced about the ruin being masked by some form of powerful illusion spell. He pulled out Kildrak's Lens of True Seeing, and opened the brass iris. Another sapphire twinkled and dulled. Looking through the crystal lens, the old well was revealed as the focus of the illusion. In reality, the three crystal pillars were fully intact. Together they held up a domed obsidian roof. The marble wall did not fully encircle the well, as it originally appeared. Directly in front of the courtyard entrance, the wall rose up into an archway, and a set of steps spiralled around the inside of the well, leading into the darkness below. Aetilius called the rest of the party back, and explained the illusion. He then demonstrated by stepping through the entryway onto the spiral staircase. To the rest of the party, he seemed to disappear as soon as he passed through the broken wall. Looking back he noticed his friends' confusion. He thrust his hand back through the archway to beckon them forward.
Ramas approached first, taking Aetilius's hand and passing through the illusory wall. Once beyond the boundary of the illusion, he could see reality clearly. Clootie followed Ramas, her natural gnomish resistance to illusions helped her to ignore the effects. Ryoko stepped forward confidently, but when she approached the wall it felt completely solid to her. She knew that it was just false signals in her brain caused by her subconscious acceptance of the illusion, but nonetheless she found herself unable to force her way through. Aetilius, growing impatient, grabbed her hand and yanked her through the archway. Surprised, Ryoko lost her footing as she stumbled forward, and reached out to steady herself on the nearest available object; which unfortunately ended up being Clootie. The little gnome was pushed forwards and fell off the edge of the spiral staircase, plummeting into the darkness beyond. She hit the water below with a loud splash and began to flounder in the icy murk. Ramas and Ryoko raced down the steps, while Miaug approached the illusion. Seeing Ryoko's struggle had planted a seed of doubt in her mind, and she also found herself unable to break the illusion. Aetilius, thinking more clearly this time, passed her out the Lens. Aetilius and Miaug then headed down the steps together to help the others fish Clootie out of the water.
Beneath the well the party found themselves in a small cavern, roughly sixty feet across. The chamber was lit by an eerie blue glow. Most of the cavern floor was submerged, but where the staircase ended a narrow ledge wound around the side of the cave a few feet above the waterline. The blue light emanated from hundreds of tiny glowing flowers floating in the water. Ryoko recognised them as the same flowers she had seen in Wave Echo Cave. An underground stream poured in through an opening a partway up the opposite wall.
Miaug pulled a length of rope out of her backpack, and threw one end to the flailing gnome. Clootie grabbed it, and the tabaxi pulled her over to the edge of the pool. Miaug tried to lift her out, but the slender cat couldn't find enough purchase and almost toppled in herself. Ryoko reached over and grabbed the bedraggled gnome by the scruff of her outfit, lifting her out of the water with one hand and plopping her down on the ledge beside them, shivering.
Looking around, the group noticed that at the far end of the ledge, a rough hewn stone door was set into the wall, flanked on either side by unlit torches in rust caked sconces. Ryoko stepped forward, channeling her druidic magic to create a tiny flickering flame in the centre of her palm. Gently she cupped one torch, then the other, and lit them both. Warm torchlight forced the shadows in the cavern back into the corners. As soon as both torches were lit, the doors swung inward with a groan of protest. The passageway beyond wound down even deeper into shadow. Shrugging, Ryoko grabbed one of the torches and the group headed down into the gaping maw.
The party found themselves in a large square stone room. The sickly scent of burned flesh and ozone hung in the air. In the centre of the room lay a squat stone altar, about waist high and around eight feet long. A narrow shaft of moonlight streamed in through a ragged hole in the roof, illuminating one end of the altar where three triangular columns of red crystal jutted out of the surface like blood soaked claws. Held between the columns was a familiar black glass sphere. Clootie and Aetilius moved closer to the altar to examine the Eye. It's surface appeared blackened and warped, almost melted.
Examining the other end of the altar, they noticed two rusted iron restraints bedded into the stonework. Manacles dangled from chains about the midway point. The surface of the slab between the restraints and the manacles sloped inward to a central channel which ran along the axis of the table, stained a deep red. Near the top of the altar, a large depression had been carved into the surface. Inside the depression lay a slightly smoking puddle of flesh and gore. Aetilius picked it up, morbidly curious. It was still slightly warm. Looking at it, he guessed it was probably the back of a human skull.
Meanwhile, Ryoko and Ramas examined the rest of the room. Three of the four walls were covered in elaborate wall carvings, very similar in both style and content to the ones the party had found in Shar Datai beneath Neverwinter, although these carvings were in a far better state of repair.
Dropping the burned skull fragments in disgust, Aetilius wiped his hands on his greaves and wandered over to the carvings. With a shock, he realised he could now read the Netheril runes. He started to trace his hand across the carvings and attempted to decipher them out loud for his companions. The carvings on the left hand wall, hundred of images of eyes, were arranged in three concentric circles around a short passage of text written in Netheril:
Vroth - The Opener of the WayHeading across to the opposite wall, this one was decorated with three scenes. The scene at the top showed the image of a king or emperor seated on a throne. Standing before him was a hooded figure, his face obscured and both hands held out in front of him. The left hand was full of riches and the right held an open book.
The fresco to the bottom left depicted a screaming figure lying on a table with a dagger protruding from its chest. A sphere rested on the table above his head. A column of fire rose from the sphere, flames seemed to run along the surface of the table to the figure's head.
The image on the bottom right showed a figure standing on top of a hill. His head and eyes were wreathed in fire. In front of the hill stood ranks of faceless figures.
Another short text was carved into the centre of the three images in Netheril:
Iquath - The HarbingerThe back wall of the chamber appeared to have two separate carvings, one above the other. The lower carving depicted a landscape, wreathed in fire. The upper carving was a confusing, and subtly disturbing mass of intertwined tendrils. Aetilius peered at it closely, trying to find some meaning or sense in the abstract image. He felt light, almost as though we was falling in towards the carving. The more he looked, it seemed almost like the tendrils were moving, slithering over one another like hundred of worms. Nestled amongst the melee he could suddenly make out eyes, and gaping mouths filled with rows of razor sharp teeth.
Clootie touched his arm, concerned. The sudden contact shocked him out of his reverie. He shook his head to clear it and translated the text carved into the wall between the images:
Tiazusk - The DevourerAetilius and the rest of the party moved away from the disturbing carving, turning their attention to the hole in the ceiling of the chamber. Based on the immaculate condition of the room, they deduced that this hole had probably been created at the same time as the damage to the orb and the unfortunate victim, presumably by the pillar of violet light they had followed here. Miaug volunteered to head back to the surface to look for the opening, eager to be out of the claustrophobic chamber.
On the far side of the watchtower courtyard, just beyond the wall, Miaug found a smoking ragged hole around a foot in diameter. Peering through the fissure, she could make out her companions in the ritual chamber. Out of curiosity, she started to scout around, looking for tracks leading away from the hole. Unable to find any, she expanded her search to the rest of the ruin. Oddly, she couldn't find any tracks other than her own which led away from the well.
The rest of the party returned to the surface and joined her to discuss their next moves. With the trail gone cold, they had little chance of pursuit. They decided to release Halia and Iarno's horses, both of whom appeared to be severely exhausted. The two mares looked at them gratefully, then trotted away down the hill towards the forest. Aetilius was keen to head back to Neverwinter to re-examine the carvings in Shar Datai; but Miaug was desperate to head back to Phandalin for her date with Garaele. The party agreed that Nethonris temple had stood undetected for hundreds of years, it could wait a couple more days until Tari Ce Morte was over.
The party made it back to Phandalin in the very early hours of Lathandis. The door to the inn was locked, but Ramas battered heavily on the door until an exhausted Toblen answered. He pointed them to their rooms, and told them not to worry about payment now, they could sort that in the morning. He trudged wearily back to bed. Ramas left a small stack of coins on the bar and helped himself to a bottle of rum. Ryoko added a couple coins of her own to the stack and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. The two gently clanged their bottles together, each taking a swig as they wandered off in the direction of their bedrooms. The rest of the party followed close behind.
The party woke up late. With no plans for the day, they ate a leisurely breakfast and aimlessly sauntered through the town for a while. Miaug went to visit Garaele at the Shrine, and the two chatted for a while about their respective elven homes. The rest of the party spoke to Gundren and Tharden, the latter was finally awake and looking much stronger and better rested. They group asked them what their plans were. Gundren explained that he was going to take Tharden home to Kaolinus after the sun returned in a week or so.
Around midday, the group met with the surviving council members in the Townmaster's Hall to give them an update on their hunt. They explained the fate of the orcs, that Halia had found the Eye of Vroth, what they had found under Old Owl Well, they assumed that Iarno had been sacrificed in a ritual involving the Eye, and then they had lost Halia's trail. Quelline spoke up,
"We should get a message to the Duke in Neverwinter. He'll want to know about this. Something is evidently happening, and it cannot possibly be good. But... on the other hand, you all look exhausted. Rest here for a couple of days, enjoy the festivities, and as soon as the sun returns you can head back to Neverwinter. It's never a good idea to travel during the dark times. The torchlit procession starts at Alderleaf Farm in three hours, join us and relax."
A few hours later, the party joined the rest of the town, making their way down the road to Quelline's farmhouse. Miaug was walking a short distance behind the rest, deep in conversation with Sister Garaele. When they arrived at Alderleaf Farm, Quelline and her son were handing out cups of barley tea and honey. The warm liquid was delicious, and quickly expelled the worst of the chill from the group's limbs. People started to hand out crude straw-wrapped torches, and shared the flames of lit brands with their neighbours. The flames quickly spreading through the crowd and within moments, the scene was illuminated by countless flickering lights. The procession started to walk back up towards the village green. Quelline and Daran fell into step alongside the party, making idle small talk as they made their way back up the hill.
The procession marched over the south bridge and onto to the village green, where a large pagoda had been constructed. Underneath the roof of the structure stood a large copper brazier. One by one, the villagers approached and threw their torches into the brazier. The wood within the brazier quickly caught, lighting the village flame which would keep the darkness at bay until the sun returned.
Once the last torch had been set, Toblen shouted in glee and tapped a large keg of ale. He and Trilena started handing out mugs to each of the participants. People milled about on the green in small groups, chatting and drinking. Clootie pulled out her Golden Kazoo, and Ryoko grabbed her mandolin, and the pair launched into a few songs to keep people entertained. Miaug and Garaele shared a couple of drinks. Aetilius however, couldn't shake a feeling of unease, like a storm was approaching.
After some time, the groups all disbanded and people gradually drifted homewards. A small group, including Daran, pulled up chairs and sat around the fire. Each night during the next week, every adult in the village would share the responsibility of tending the flame to make sure it didn't go out. Aetilius, still unable to relax, volunteered to join them on the first watch.
The next day, the party woke up bright and early. With nothing else planned, the group volunteered to help with the festival preparations. Happy to take advantage of their offer, Toblen asked them to carry a few kegs down to the green. The village was a hive of activity as everybody joined together to prepare for the following day's celebrations. Groups of villagers were building long wooden tables on the green. Others were stringing wreaths and garlands of holly and lavender are across buildings; and erecting poles at the corners of the green to run strings of tiny star lanterns between them. Ryoko used her druidcraft to cause the garlands to bloom, spreading up the buildings. A small group of children started to follow her around as she did so, entranced by the magic. Ryoko stooped down and created other tiny garlands which she gently placed around the children's necks.
Fruits, cider and strawberry cordial were brought from the Edermath Orchard. Quelline asked the group to help her bring up food from the farm: carrots, potatoes and leeks; plus chicken pies and steak pies. Trilena brought freshly baked blackberry pies from the inn. Freda, the old weaver, brought rolls of beautiful table runners. Clootie helped her to lay them across the long tables. Once they had finished, Clootie asked Freya if she had any extra material she could buy. Freya took her back to her shop and showed Clootie her wares. Clootie asked for a small offcut of an intricate tartan pattern to make a poncho for Punch, and length of diaphanous, almost ethereal, blue silk to make a dress for Miaug. Freya smiled at the little gnome's twinkling eyes and handed her the material for free.
Back on the green, Ryoko used her druidcraft to light all of the star lanterns. A tiny flame leaped from one lantern to the next, dancing around the green and leaving sparkling lights in it's wake. The crowd of children which had gathered around the iskathi gasped in awe. Once all the preparations were finished, Quelline handed out cups of warm dandelion and burdock ale to each of the remaining volunteers; including the party, Daran, Toblen and Gundren. The group all sat on the edge of one of the long tables, and raised their cups in a toast.
Miaug walked Garaele back to the Shrine, and was rewarded with a gentle kiss on the cheek. Elated, Miaug floated happily back to the party. The group all decided to head to bed, with the exception of Aetilius. The tiefling was still on edge, and volunteered to take the first flame watch again that night. That night, instead of going directly to bed, Ryoko and Clootie snuck back down to the taproom with the material Freya had given them. Together the two worked tirelessly long into the night, making a beautiful blue gown for Miaug.
The next day, Miaug, Aetilius and Ryoko emerged from the inn around midday and headed down to the green to see if they could be of use with any final preparations. As they walked down the hill, they nearly tripped over a group of children, laughing and running between the buildings. Ryoko waved some of the kids over and asked them what they were doing. They explained that one of the traditions in Phandalin was a hidden rock game for the children. There were a number of painted stones hidden around the village, and the children were split into groups to look for them. The group who found the most stones in an hour won a prize. Entertained by this idea, Ryoko suggested that each of the party members help a different team. The children laughed hysterically as the three adventurers glared good-naturedly at one other then ran off in opposite directions.
An hour later, the groups gathered back at the village green to see who had won. Miaug's team, with the help of the tabaxi's excellent tracking skills, had won by a substantial margin. The team won a home baked pie to share. As a consolation, Ryoko used her druidcraft to decorate the stone's her team had found with tiny flowers and gave them out to the other kids.
Clootie grabbed Miaug by the elbow and led her back up to the inn to show her the dress that they had made for her the night before. Ramas joined Ryoko and Aetilius on the green, and the three of them started to help themselves to the food spread out on the tables. Every available surface was covered with delicious smelling food: chicken and mushroom or steak pies, goats cheese, spinach and butternut squash pies; blackberry tarts; chestnut and cranberry tarts; roast vegetables; rabbit and pheasant. In a fire pit beside the pagoda, a good sized pig was gently roasting on a spit over the flames. The whole town appeared to be present; eating, drinking and talking. The atmosphere was one of relaxed and pleasant companionship. Daran wandered over and sat with the party, chatting idly with them about their adventures.
A small band of musicians made their way on stage, and launched into a number of spritely reels. People swept their spouses or partners off their seats and started to dance in front of the stage. Looking up, the party noticed Miaug appear, looking beautiful in the delicately translucent blue dress Clootie and Ryoko had made for her. She spotted Garaele at the bar, and glided over to her, unusually gracefully. Garaele smiled at her, then grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dancefloor.
Ramas gathered mugs of ale for the remaining party members, as they sat at one of the benches watching their friend dance. The song ended, and Toblen Stonehill jumped up on stage alongside the band. He picked up a lute from the back of the stage and started playing a familiar folk aire. The party were surprised when the innkeeper started to sing, in a clear, powerful voice. After he finished, he nodded to the band and they all launched into a fiery jig.
Once Toblen finished playing, he popped his lute back in place at the rear of the stage and thanked the crowd before stepping down onto the dancefloor. Garaele gently let go of Miaug's hands and stepped up onto the stage. A delicate silver flute appeared in her hands as if by magic, and she started to play a haunting elven melody. Miaug recognised it as Thairis Beyanntan Airid, a song she remembered from her childhood. The audience sat enraptured while the Sister played. Once she had finished, she smiled shyly as the crowd applauded raucously.
Clootie grinned at Ryoko, and the pair headed up on stage to play. Their energetic melodies soon had the crowd twirling wildly. After a few minutes playing, they were exhausted and left the stage to more applause. Toblen handed them each a mug of ale as they stepped off stage, giving them a warm clap on the back. Quelline's son, Kal Alderleaf, was the next to take a turn with the band, playing and singing a happy jig on his guitar. After his set, as he stepped down off the stage, Elsa, the young barmaid from the inn, picked him bodily off the ground and gave him a kiss.
The party continued in the same vein for hours. Villagers took turns playing songs, some lively and playful, others quieter and more introspective. The crowd ate, drank, danced and talked long into the night. The party joined in the festivities wholeheartedly. Ramas even produced a bottle of rum from somewhere, and started distributing shots.
Eventually, the party started to die down slightly. As Clootie and Ryoko stood over at the side of the green, they noticed Trilena and Pip trying to shepherd a drunken Toblen up the hill towards the inn, as the innkeeper sang loudly and swayed violently. Trilena called over to Elsa, who was standing behind Kal with both her hands resting on his shoulders,
"Elsa sweetheart, could you give me a hand here?" Trilena pleaded, with a faintly pained smile,
Elsa grinned and nodded. She gave Kal a quick kiss on the cheek, then bounded up the hill to help the innkeepers. Clootie and Ryoko giggled slightly as they watched the group disappear up the hill, the sound of Toblen's singing continued to echo out of the darkness even after they had disappeared.
Around ten minutes later, Ryoko started to get that now familiar itching feeling under the scales of her arm. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she scanned the horizon for anything untoward. Unable to figure out where the unsettling feeling was coming from, she caught Aetilius's eye and beckoned the rest of the group over. Aetilius grabbed Miaug and Ramas, and the party headed away from the village green. Ryoko quickly explained that something was wrong. Aetilius's eyes narrowed instantly, and his hand went straight to Talon's hilt. The party all started to look around. Ramas grabbed them and drew their attention to the cliff overlooking town. Dozens of tiny figures were moving across the top of the cliff, and appeared to be racing into town. Suddenly the group heard screaming coming from the inn.
The party raced up the hill, and burst through the door of the inn. A group of bugbears and goblins had the Stonehill family cornered. Toblen lay face down on the floor in front of the goblins, a rusty shortsword protruding from his back. Standing defiantly between the rest of the family and the goblins was Elsa, holding a longsword loosely in front of her in a defensive stance. The lead goblin swiped at her, but she deftly parried the blow, raking her attacker across the face in response.
The bugbear raised it's mace to strike at the girl, but Ryoko flicked her staff forward, rattling the bugbear off the side of the head and causing him to stagger backwards. Aetilius placed himself between the goblins and the Stonehills, forming up alongside Elsa. One of the other goblins thrust his sword at the tiefling, but it glanced harmlessly off his armour. Aetilius swept Talon left to right, effortlessly decapitating the goblin. Maintaining the blade's momentum, he brought the point of the blade down into the chest of another goblin. It twitched violently for a moment then became still. Clootie hurled Kulog at the bugbear. The hammer impacted the side of the creature's head, crushing it's skull and causing it to drop like stone to the ground. Miaug slipped two arrows out of her quiver, loosing one after the other, barely even seeming to draw back the bowstring between shots. Both arrows found their marks, burying themselves deep in the skulls of the two remaining goblins. Ryoko and Aetilius nodded at each other, and together they ran outside to take stock of the situation. Clootie knelt next to Toblen's still body. She yanked the blade out of his back, then laid her hands on him. As she muttered a faint incantation under hear breath, a delicate silvery light spilled out from her palms. There was a faint sound of rushing air, and Toblen coughed and rolled over. Trilena's face crumpled and she fell to her knees next to him, desperately clutching her husband as tears streamed down her face, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she sobbed, staring at Clootie with something close to awe. Elsa quickly grabbed Trilena and Toblen by the arms, hauling them to their feet,
"Come on. We've got to get back into town and warn everyone" she said
"I'll come with you" Miaug stated.
She kicked open the door, an arrow nocked in her bow, as she swept her eyes over the scene to check for movement. Satisfied, she waved the family out and followed behind to protect them.
Clootie focused her magic outward for a moment, causing a massive twenty foot tall image of herself to appear over the inn. The apparition mimed a warning towards the village green. Clootie just prayed that somebody was paying attention. Ramas and the little gnome then followed after Miaug and the Stonehills.
Meanwhile, Ryoko and Aetilius had started heading up the hill to find the source of the attack. They saw a massive wave of innumerable goblins, bugbears, hobgoblins and Redbrands running down the hill. As the attackers passed buildings, they burst in, dragging people out of homes. The victims were either slaughtered on the spot, or hauled back up the hill to some unknown fate. Realising that they were hopelessly outnumbered, Ryoko and Aetilius started to move back towards town. Spotting them, a group of goblins snarled a challenge and raced down the hill towards them. Ryoko planted her feet and spewed a plume of flame from her mouth. The first rank of goblins were engulfed in the fire, and fell to the ground screeching in agony. With a beat of his wings, Aetilius bounded over a charging goblin, swiping at it with Talon as he passed overhead. The goblin dodged to the side of the swinging blade; but as soon as Aetilius's feet touched the ground, he spun around and cleanly severed the creature's head. Ryoko raised her head and howled. Yellow light blurred around her, and a pack of wolves materialised on either side of the Iskathi. The wolves leaped forward, falling on the remaining goblins. Their immediate attackers distracted, Aetilius and Ryoko turned and raced back into town
As Miaug and the Stonehills passed Barthen's Provisions, she spotted Barthen being dragged out of his shop by a big bugbear. He slipped out of it's grasp and tried to run, but the bugbear raised it's club to swing at him. Without even breaking pace, Miaug whipped an arrow out of her quiver and shot the bugbear through the head. The arrow pierced straight through it's skull, pinning the creature to the wall of the store. Barthen locked eyes with her thankfully, running after them towards the green.
As they arrived at the green, Miaug saw Garaele ushering the villagers inside the Shrine. Elsa reached the Sister first, and breathlessly started to explain. Garaele pointed up at the inn, where a twenty foot gnome could be clearly seen jumping and waving. Thanks to the advanced warning, the remaining revellers on the green were safely inside the Shrine by the time Ryoko and Aetilius rounded the corner. Just as they caught up with the rest of the party outside the door to the Shrine, a gibbering swarm of goblins raced around the corner onto the green. Ryoko lifted her hand, and a wall of water swept forward to engulf the goblins. At the same time, Clootie charged Kulog with electricity and hurled it towards the tidal wave. The wave swept the goblins off their feet, and as the hammer hit the water the electricity discharged with a thunderous crack, reducing the goblins to smouldering husks. Kulog sailed through the air, back into Clootie's waiting hand with a satisfying thud. Inside the Shrine, Garaele quickly kissed Miaug, before closing her eyes and raising her hands. A bright golden aura emanated from her, passing out through the walls of the shrine and forming into a golden shell around the building. More goblins spilled around the corner, but as the raced towards the Shrine they hit the golden barrier with a sickening crunch.
Protected inside Garaele's barrier, the villagers began to take stock of their situation. The injured were tended, the bereaved consoled and frightened children were comforted. Daran and Quelline grabbed the party, and took them aside to ask about the situation,
"What's going on? Do you know where they came from? Or how many they are?" Quelline asked quietly, not wanting to alarm anyone any more than they already were
"I'm really not sure. There were a lot of them, probably hundreds. Goblins, Redbrands, and the like." Aetilius explained,
Miaug volunteered to climb up the outside of the Shrine to try and get a better vantage point. The rest of the party agreed.
Miaug nimbly scampered up the outside of the Shrine, her claws easily finding holds in the rough stonework of the building. As she reached the domed roof, and grabbed a hold of the narrow spire, she cast her gaze around the town. The buildings up the hill were ablaze, the fire was starting to spread down the hill. In the flickering light of the flames she could clearly see hundreds of figures running up and down the hill. More than she could count. Behind them, more attackers were racing across the green, heading down the hill further into town. Looking up at the edge of the cliff she could make out a throng of figures moving about. In the centre she could clearly see one figure which stood out from the rest. A bright purple aura seemed to emanate from the silhouette. As she looked at it, she could swear she felt eyes staring back, burning into her soul. Suppressing a shiver, she climbed down to report back.
As she explained the situation, Quelline and Daran looked increasingly grim. "So, we are surrounded and vastly outnumbered. We need to try and escape with a large group of untrained non-combatants. And the only way in or out of town is through the enemy force. Seems like we're royally fucked" Daran recapped, with a humorless smile.
Suddenly a little voice spoke up beside Quelline. Kal and Elsa had slipped over to the impromptu council meeting without anyone noticing,
"Actually, I know another way out"
Report Date
02 Feb 2020
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