The Battle of Three and On To Burmstone - 12/04/22
General Summary
The Phaerrim Queen
Turning attention to the one remaining foe, the Phaerrim Queen, our lads and ladies are cautious. The Queen does not attack, does not seems to even notice an approaching enemy. What is this foulness? Like a giant flower head surrounding a toothy maw, with vine-like tendrils holding smaller flower heads; it seems a creature for a plane of horror. The Sharn have said these Queens are something new. Something created to destroy the Empire and involved in the ultimate victory of the Phaerimm over the magics of Netheril. Changing the line of history from what you knew, with the ultimate defeat of the Phaerimm, and attempting to give them the victory they were denied in the true passage of time
Mor and Rashi have had enough, and jump to attack. The Queen begins to retreat back through the tunnel it was sitting in, with Mor, Rashi, and Thadgrack standing atop it. . Owyn casts Hold Monster to prevent it's escape, and our heroes dispatch the Queen.
To the North!!!
Thadgrack has turned his cabin into a shine to his beloved deity, Talos, as would be expected of the devoted man. He spends some flying time in devotions.
Am I doing your will, O Talos? Lead me.
Landon, who has never been a religious man, is impressed by the intense faith of his new friend, and comes to watch and learn a bit of Talos, and the Gods.
Shimmershadow tells a tale
While sailing, one evening under the bright moon, the sharn Shimmershadow tells a story...People of the Nether cohort. Please attend to me, and I will speak of one who was once of you, but has melded with the shadow. Once there was a great user of magic, Shadow was his name, and as a name it was fitting. A great arcanist he was. He created a flying fortress, as others have done, and he named his fortress Burmstone, as it was to be a place of darkness. It...er he, was bonded to a teller of tales...I forget the word, a bard I think you call. Alashar Crywinds was her name. They has a youngling named Harwick. Shadow believed in other realms, planes you now call them. But they were unknown, and others did not believe. They mocked Shadow in his beliefs. But Karsus, in his unnatural percipience for things he should not know, he gave Shadow his support. And Shadow began his experiments and research into those things he should not have.
Shadow discovered a gateway to the Demi-plane of Shadow, and now his fortress lies in between, a gateway between this world and the shadow. Living in the darkness, Shadow, who was always half mad, became insane. Alasha one night fed him poison to end his torment, and then killed herself. Their child who discovered them, joined them in death.
The fortress has remained hovering over the Cold Forest. But it has suffered the ravages of time. Some pieces of the earth mote have fallen away. Denizens of the shadow realm have taken residence. A creature named Leandro from the realm of shadow has made alliance with Karsus, and he is the one who is imprisoning Skulking and Death, our leader, and the people of Scourge. Your people, we fear, are to be used for some purpose of the shadow, the void, in service to Karsus, or for their own purposes we do not know. And, we believe, information is to be had in this place we travel to, that will aid us to victory. We must rescue your people. We must rescue Skulking and Death, and bring him to your Lady Polaris, leader of the free Magi, to make a union, Sharn and free people. And we must bring any information we can from Burmstone to give in honor of our alliance to the City of the Lady.
Shimmershadow's three faces change expression, the meaning of which is unclear
Shadow was a collector of fine wines. It is said that one might become a wealthy man if one were to rescue some of his unique bottles. It has been long since we have had the nectar of the fruit.
Shimershadow gives what might be a toothy grin, and belches repeatedly, which seems to be the sharn equivalent of a laugh.
A Flying Broom
Something approaching the ship is spotted, and Rashi sounds the alarm. Flying toward the Golden Endeavor is what looks like a stick, with some bumps on it?!?! What could those be? As it approached it becomes clear that the item is a Flying Broom, with goggles and a leather helmet attached, but with no rider. As the broom crosses from port to starboard, Owyn casts Bigby's Hand. Sitting in its cupped fingers, he chases down the broom and retrieves it.
What is that...Giant Spiders...with wings?!?!
Entering into the Bay of Ascore, just off the town of Northreach, hideous Giant spiders with the wings of a dragonfly are sighted off the starboard bow. Never have the travelers from across time heard of such awful creatures, although Owyn has heard tales, and Landon has fought them before to a tragic end.
The spiders attempt to board the Endeavor, and battle ensues.
The horrible Flying Spiders of Netheril...
Sepulcher and Burmstone
The Golden Endeavor sailed on to the northern shore of the Bay of Ascore, where they encountered a great cloud of, well one could only call it darkness. The cloud has no substance it seems, but for all purposes moves like a cloud of mist. Sailing low over the town of Sepulcher, it was noted that no sign of life was present. items seemed left in place like the people had been sucked up in some vortex in the middle of their daily activities. Owyn noted this is quite a different look compared to the state the Scourge was left in. Sailing on to the north, the fortress of Burmstone comes into view. Quite suddenly in the misty darkness. The fortress lies on a mote of earth 2500 feet above the forest floor. Several smaller motes, almost looking like geodes, are nearby, and with tunnels that make the motes look hollow inside. Strange wyvern are circling around the fortress in the darkness....
