Operation Parameters
| Date |
1492 DR, 23 Eleint
(03/05/2022)
|
| Soldiers |
Shion, Halar, Sketch, Alwin, Anath |
| Status |
|
| Casualties |
None |
Objective
Locate and dispatch an escapee who fled to the SE side of the island. Plant a magical rod in the ground. Investigate the island as much as possible.
Observations
Fewer enemies on the SE side:
During our journey to the SE side of the island, we noted that the number of Snowdown fortifications were far fewer than the North side.
Shimmering Veil:
The party passed through a shimmering veil that surrounded the island which replenished spell energy of the spell casters. Once past the veil, any spells that were cast could fail and even backfire, causing harm to the spell caster. It became clear that the more advanced the spell, the more difficult it was to succeed in the casting, and failure would be more harmful.
Rocky coastline not suitable for landing a ship:
The coast line on the SE side of the island is far too rocky to dock or beach a boat, so the rowboat was anchored a few hundred feet from the island and Shion successfully cast a spell that would allow the party to walk on the water to reach the island. However, on the way back, Shion was unable to successfully cast the same spell, so the party resorted to hopping on rocks and swimming back to the rowboat, which proved to be quite dangerous, as two of our party nearly drowned. The soldiers should consider a strategy to land on the island safely.
Snowdown officer and teleportation circles found in cave:
The party located a cave that was unlit which seemed like a good place for an escapee to hide. The party was able to ambush a Snowdown officer (the officer wore a purple cape that matched the coloration of typical Snowdown soldiers) who appeared to be humming a tune. He proved to be a formidable adversary, as he was heavily armored and wielded magic to enhance his attacks. Perhaps even more deadly was his ability to summon small dragon like creatures that had the ability to breath frost.
After dispatching the officer and three of these min-dragons, the party located two large glyphs on the floor. Anath investigated the glyphs and was able to discern them as teleportation circles.
Time flow is much slower on the island:
The party entered the cave around mid-day and spent 3 hours or so exploring the area. However, it was about midnight when the party emerged from the cave.
Native wild life:
On the island, several native creatures were seen.
There are small rabbit like creatures that are pale green with wings and an extra pair of legs. They are poisonous! We also observed a large tortoise like creature which was not aggressive in nature.
Magic mushrooms:
In the cave, the party found several kinds of mushrooms which may be hallucinogenic. After ingesting one, Anath felt compelled to run through every corridor or hallway that we encountered. Possibly related to the mushroom spores, Halar experienced an outer-body experience where he was transported to a different dimension, and Sketch was chased by colorful frogs that were frightful.
Follow up
We could not fine the escapee who may still be at large on the island or may have used the teleportation circle to escape. There could be other teleportation circles on the island that are being used to mobilize Snowdown forces onto the island.
Preparation Details
Not much preparation was made. Some of the party members had life preservers. We need a way to procure standard exploration gear such as torches, rope, healers kits etc.
Operation Details
The party was given orders from Steabe who was temporarily the commanding officer. It was early morning when the party returned, so no long rest will be possible. Recommend not taking short rests on the island. One of the magical rods was successfully planted on the SE side of the island in a grassy area that requires some climbing to get to. Although we could not find the escapee, the party was able to dispatch a Snowdown officer and remove teleportation circles that were likely going to be used to teleport soldiers onto the island.
