Session 03

General Summary

The group followed the trail of the bandit leader, Fell Tarmic, to where it opened out into a glade. In the centre of this glade was a once beautiful marble fountain. A dead elven maiden lay face down in the fountain and a few skeletons lay around. As they checked the glade out for movement a small fox scampered up to the fountain, took a sip from the waters, shuddered and then charged the heroes, eyes glowing red! The fox was killed but was obviously possessed in some way. As the heroes pondered what this meant they were ambushed by Fell Tarmic, whose eyes were also glowing red. Out of the darkness of the forest a beautiful unicorn came charging, making a bee line for Jaina - trying to impale her on its horn. They realised the unicorn's eyes also glowed red.   Drax moved into the melee and with one huge sweep of his axe he decapitated Fell Tarmic. Dorian used magic to freeze the possessed unicorn in place and Drax stepped up to engage it in melee. The unicorn nearly killed Drax with its horn but then was defeated by the rest of the group. rather than killing it though they decided to knock it unconscious and see if they could cure it. Jaina used a holy ritual to restore the fountain to its previous holy state and using the waters of the now blessed fountain they were able to cure the unicorn. When so cured the unicorn befriended Jaina communicating by some powerful empathy.   On the body of Fell Tarmic they recovered the relic of Pelor and a letter telling Fell to stop this relic reaching Endhome at all costs. The letter was from Embril Aloustinai.   Taking the letter and relic they returned to Gilda Waynethrope at the shrine of Pelor. The unicorn allowed Jaina to ride him through the forest. They explained what had happened and Gilda thanked them hugely for recovering the relic of Pelor. She was going to head into Endhome the next day and they asked her if she would take Fell Tarmic's head to Bragger as they were planning to set off to the elven crypt in search of the dwarven warlord, Azrim Dutenhammer. The next day the heroes went back into the forest, Jaina riding the unicorn. They encountered a small group of orc raiders camped up, and after a brief discussion agreed to ambush the orcs in case they were going to raid local elven settlements. They did so and within minutes the orcs were all dead.   Later that day they found the elven crypt, dedicated to an ancient druidic god. The crypt appeared dirty and decrepit, and the door was left ajar. As they approached some of the vnies hanging down over the doorway tried to wrap themselves around Drax's neck and strangle him - some ancient defense mechanism perhaps? Anyway it didn't survive for long.   Entering the ancient crypt they found disturbed sarcophagi, all elven except for one dwarven crypt
  • which was open. The dwarf lacked a skull. Our heroes searched around and found a hidden
  • compartment in the sarcophagi containing a silver plaque with the elven word for sunset inscribed on it.   In the corner of the crypt was a trapdoor leading down. Elijah climbed down and searched about. He discovered many rat tunnels and a whole nest of giant rats. There was a route out to the surface. Elijah snuck up to the edge of the rat nest and threw in a flaming torch. It caught on all the damp rat bedding and presently there were rats swarming out to the surface.   At the end of the corridor where the rat tunnels were was a strange metal door. 4 symbols (sunrise, sunset, half moon, quarter moon) were enscribed on it. Dorian detected a magical fire trap on the door. The group pondered what to do and whilst considering they returned to the crypt and searched it further. There they found three more silver plaques, elven words for sunrise, half moon, quarter moon written on them.   Returning to the metal door, Dorian read the elven words, in order, while touching the symbols on the door. The fire trap magic dissipated before their eyes.   Opening the door they discovered beyond a magical underground garden shrine to ancient druidic gods. In the shrine was a healing fountain and a pear tree in full blossom. Drax entered, and a dwarf ghost appeared wearing full battle armour from an ancient time. It told them it was the ghost of Azrim Dutenhammer and that it could not rest while its skull was missing. It said the skull had been taken by "spiders" who lived 10 miles to the south east. It offered to reward Drax with "Demonbane" his axe if the skull could be returned. The party agreed.
    Report Date
    10 Apr 2024