The Prophet of Water

Pharast 22, 4713, part 2

With combat already engaged and with the wall of force blocking their escape from the throne room, the Coopers have no choice but to pursue their attack against Thurl Merosska and cultists of the Howling Hatred. Ruddy fires an arrow from his crossbow, and Thurl is blinded. Earl strikes one of the Feathergale Knights down to the ground, while Thorne lands several blows on the other Knight. Struck by a cold ice strike, Naga uses his vampiric touch ability to heal himself.

Now blinded, Thurl teleports away from the battle. As the knights fight back and the priests casts spells, Earl crushes one of the knights' skull in. Naga casts fireball, blasting all of the enemies along with Thorne. Whalerider and Daryle attack the other wall of force that blocks the staircase and manage to break through. At the same time, Thurl's delayed blast fireballs explode, killing the remaining Howling Hatred members and severely injuring Thorne. 

With the battle now over, Earl picks up the great horn hung on the wall behind the marble throne. He blows in it, which calls forth the djinni Daryle and her sister Darelle had previously encountered. The djinni is clearly unimpressed with a new master summoning him, and he inquires as to which favor his master would like to see accomplished. Earl looks at the djinni, and immediately wishes that the djinni would grant him the ability to free him. The djinni tells him what words should be said to free him, and Earl utters them. The djinni, visibly relieved, bows low to the monk, then departs the Material Plane in a puff of blue smoke.

The party takes a breath before discussing what to do next. Should they return to Red Larch to check on the threat of releasing an orb of destruction Aerisi's minions had made? Should they pursue their exploration of the tunnels leading either towards the Black Earth or the Crushing Wave? Should they continue investigating how Thorne and Dhukhean were transported away from Tyar-Besil?
 Coopers decide to head towards the section of Tyar-Besil controlled by the Crushing Wave, the only of the four cults they have yet to overtly confront.

Once again they pass through the heavy iron door, and enter a residential section of Tyar-Besil.After about two miles of travel through endless ruins of houses that have been thoroughly looted over the ages, the party finds itself in front of a similar iron door. This one is covered in graffiti left by Howling Hatred cultists. Thorne takes a quick look at the heavy lock, grabs his tools, and picks the lock opened. Carefully pushing the door, they come into a short tunnel leading to another commercial area of Tyar-Besil.

This area is well traveled here, and Daryle easily finds footsteps on the floor leading away from this room. Thorne enters one of the rooms, and is ambushed by bugbears wearing uniforms of the Crushing Wave. He attempts to convince them he's from the Crushing Wave, but he accidentally insults them, and they slash at the rogue. He runs away back to his party, closely followed by two of the bugbears. Seeing the large group, the lead bugbear yells to the others behind him to get reinforcements.

As the battle rages, a large bearded man with lightning shooting out of a missing eye joins the fray with six other cultists. Earl yells that it's all a misunderstanding, that he and the party are agents of the Crushing Wave who have infiltrated the Black Earth and were reporting back. The fighting subsides, and Thorne is eventually able to convince Morbeoth to take them to the Crushing Wave leadership.

Accompanied by heavily armed guards, the Coopers cross two bridges and enter a large room currently converted into the Temple of Elemental Water, where a religious service is taking place. Darelle, Naga, Ruddy and Daryle recognize one of the men at the front of the room as Joliver Grimsaw, the man in charge of Rivergard Keep.

When the service concludes, the party is escorted to the altar, where they are confronted by Gar Shatterkeel, prophet of the Crushing Wave. Grimsaw recognizes them as agents he sent to attack the Eternal Flame earlier in the year. They report their exploits and how they destroyed the tower, only to find themselves underground in an epic struggle with the Howling Hatred. Thorne mentions that the cultists of the Howling Hatred have captured a dwarf and are bleeding him in their ultimate redoubt.

After a lengthy conversation, Gar Shatterkeel agrees to outfit the Coopers and provide them with shock troops and directions to infiltrate the Howling Hatred once again, free the dwarf, and bring him to the Crushing Wave. The Coopers begin their preparations...

Fighting the Howling Hatred

Pharast 22, 4713, part 1

After a restful night spent in the Great Hall, the Coopers wake up and prepare a hearty breakfast. Now healed and ready for more adventure, they take the barricade apart and pursue their exploration of Tyar-Besil. They return to the marketplace, looking inside every doorway to make sure enemies are not waiting for them. Ruddy returns to one of the doors they haven't yet opened. He carefully listens, but hears nothing. Slowly, the gnome pushes the door open, revealing the forge. Rubble covers most of the floor, and all that remains are an anvil weighing over 800 pounds, and a set of large bellows broken beyond repair. In one of the corners, he spots Thorne covered in chains and gagged.

Having disappeared a few hours earlier, the rogue is bloodied and exhausted. After his long trip to the sacrificial stone where he last saw Dhukhean tied and left bleeding to death, Thorne was transported back to this room by several cultists who discussed among themselves Aerisi Kalinoth's plans to release an orb of destruction in Red Larch. Though the thugs were whispering among themselves, Thorne was fairly certain that this was all a performance directed at him.

Ruddy ungags the rogue. Thorne tells him about Aerisi Kalinoth's plans with the orb of destruction. The gnome is concerned, but, with Thorne's assessment, assumes the threat was made to get them to leave Tyar-Besil. Nevertheless, Ruddy shares this information with the rest of the Coopers. After a short conversation, the party decides to continue their exploration.

Entering a large room, they find that an enormous purple worm once chewed its way through the floor, but was felled by dwarves. The dead worm's skeleton remains lodged in the ground, providing access to a tunnel heading further underground. Earl and Naga climb down the tunnel, and walk for over six miles, slowly dropping deeper into the earth, until they make the decision to return back to Tyar-Besil.

Continuing their exploration, Daryle and Darelle come upon a djinni carving a stone pillar. He looks mightily displeased to be here, but appears to be performing an assigned task. He tells the sisters that finding the horn will grant him his freedom.

At the same time and pursuing by now a patented Cooper policy of exploring multiple areas with significant distances between them at once, Whalerider  heads towards a tunnel heading north, only to stumble upon a patrol of bugbears wearing the livery of the Black Earth. He makes an expeditious retreat, meets up with Ruddy, and the two of them quickly dispatch the bugbears. Returning from their exploration, Daryle suggests building a barricade in the tunnel to prevent access to Black Earth patrols. The Coopers quickly do so, and proceed to return near their original entry point into Tyar-Besil.

Carefully walking into a hallway heading east, they arrive near another door. Ruddy listens to the door, hears nothing. Whalerider listens and hears stone on stone grinding. The catfolk opens the door quietly, and takes a look. Inside are two large wheels being spun by eight Howling Hatred initiates, who in turn are being whipped by two Howling Hatred priests. A quick conference among the Coopers, and they determine not to enter. Daryle spikes the spinning door shut, and the party moves on.

Returning from their escapade in the tunnel, Naga and Earl come across the body of Whalerider's dead cat. It has been slain by several arrows, and Naga recognizes the fletching as being Daryle's. They track the Coopers down, and encounter them as they stand by a heavy iron door barred on their side. Whalerider listens to the door, but he hears nothing. He attempts to pick the locks, but fails miserably. Thorne steps up and uses his great tools, but he too fails and breaks his favorite lockpick. Ruddy smashes the locks, but notices that there are traps placed on the door. Earl goes through the door and doesn't trigger the trap. On the other side are several signs displaying warnings that this is Howling Hatred territories, but they have been angrily defaced. Earl returns to his side and reports what he saw. Naga angrily returns the arrows to Daryle. The ranger is confused as to how her arrows could have killed the cat.

Returning to the Great Hall, they are confronted by none other than Thurl Merosska and his Howling Hatred accomplices. The battle begins in earnest, with a similar strategy once encountered by the Coopers on the previous day when the Howling Hatred priests used walls of forces to effectively split the party apart. Can the Coopers survive such a concentrated assault?

The Coopers encounter their first Prophet

Pharast 21, 4713, part 2

As the distant chorus resumes its dreadful hymn, the Coopers continue their exploration of the Howling Hatred Temple. Turning a corner, they see the swiftly flowing river on their left a water fall dropping beyond view, with a roar almost covering the hymn. The path continues and meets two stone doors on the east side.

Dhukhean checks the stone doors for any dwarven markings, and he finds an antique dwarven script that indicates this room to be the great hall. Thorne steps to one of the door, oils the central pole, and quietly pushes it open. The great hall's ceiling is over twenty feet tall, and is supported by large stone pillars on both side. In the middle is a central pit from which blows a hurricane-force wind, moving upwards and disappearing in a similarly-sized opening in the ceiling. On the other side of the pit stand seven humans wearing Howling Hatred vestments. Four of them are cloaked in a light blue cape and wear feather masks covering most of their faces.

Howling Hatred Hurricanes

Two more individuals wear armor and stand behind the central figure, clearly a Howling Hatred priest. He faces the wind blowing from the pit, and thought the roars of the wind are so loud nothing else can be heard, he is clearly conducting some sort of religious service. Behind them are two stately stair cases, which climb past the great hall's ceiling.

Howling Hatred Priest

Thorne enters the room and stealthily hides behind a pillar. Daryle follows him and takes point on the other side, followed by Ruddy. Dhukhean assumes the rear but remains outside. Naga, Earl and Darelle, for their part, noticed the double stone doors behind the cultists on the other side of the great hall and decide to circle back on the path and take the enemy by surprise.

Ruddy shoots an arrow, hitting one of the initiates, quickly followed by Daryle. Thorne maneuvers himself and stabs another one of the initiates. Alerted to their presence, the cultists assume a combat position. Two of the initiates charge Thorne, while one of the Hurricanes casts a spell and creates a wall of force separating the room in two. The priest moves towards Thorne and casts hold person, paralyzing the rogue. The remaining cultists assume a fighting position next to the wall of force, ready to strike when the wall collapses.

Seeing this turn of events, Dhukhean opens the door with a flourish, hoping to attract the cult's attention, and walks to the wall of force, hitting it as hard as he can. It doesn't make a dent. Concentrating, the dwarf swings again, and this time he notices some of the magical energy is dissipated and the wall wobbles a bit. Encouraged, the dwarf continues to hit it, while the initiates on the other side make rude gestures at him strongly implying that his mother was nothing more than a lilly-livered slate-carving dung-eating pebble. In the back, both Hurricanes have been performing arcane motions, but Dhukhean is not able to decipher their meaning.

Sensing the futility of attempting to penetrate the wall, Daryle and Ruddy decide to follow the other group and round the great hall, use the back entrance and surprise the priest and his acolytes. They exit the great hall and turn right, heading north.

In the great hall, Thorne is roughly grabbed by two initiates, and he is carried up the stairs, followed by the priest. The two Hurricanes move back, then as Dhukhean strikes the wall of force one more time, it shatters on impact. The dwarf barely has time to enjoy his success, however, before he is engulfed in two delayed blast fireballs and one fireball, all cast at the center of the room. A well-toasted Dhukhean, his beard singed, falls to the floor, unconscious.

Meanwhile, even before the confrontation in the great hall begun, Naga, Earl and Darelle traversed the bridge and headed east, rounding the corner and seeing the east doors of the great hall. Unfortunately, sitting on top of a pillar bridge stood a large purple wyvern and its rider, clad in metal garb. Darelle sends a tree token to inform her sister Daryle they are being attacked by a wyvern and therefore will be delayed.  

Naga is the first to react, and he casts phantasmal killer at the rider and the wyvern. The fear is too much for the rider, who falls to his death in the lake. The wyvern, however is unaffected and immediately swoops down from the pillar, striking the tiefling. Earl the monk, almost as if he was someone completely different during this encounter, suddenly lose his monk abilities and acquires sorcerous powers. He casts black tentacles on the wyvern, which gets entangled, while Darelle summons a griffon that attacks the wyvern, and launches her own strikes against it. The lizard manages to free itself, and the combat continues. Naga is thrown in the fast-moving waters, but flies out and lands on the path again, only to be struck by the wyvern. Earl becomes invisible, casts form of the dragon II on himself, and attacks the wyvern. Turning away from the tiefling, the wyvern strikes at Earl's dragon form, and the two become entangled. A few good hits finally finish the wyvern off, and it falls on the bridge. Naga emerges from his rage and drops to the floor, too winded to do much of anything else.

Emerging from the great hall, Daryle receives her sister's message. Turning the corner, she and Ruddy run into a patrol of two initiates, a Howling Hatred priest, and one of the bird men. They were already on the move, attracted by the sounds of battle on the other bridge. They instead divert their attention to the ranger and the gnome.

Howling Hatred Featherbeaks

Ruddy and Daryle fire their weapons and manage to knock the two acolytes into the river, and they are soon swallowed by the water fall. The Howling Hatred priest and the featherbeak, however, are not so easily dealt with. The priest casts plague storm but it has no effect on the gnome and the ranger, while the featherbeak charges the two of them. Violent combat continues for a few minutes, but eventually the Coopers are triumphant. Daryle loots the priest's body, while Ruddy searches the dead featherbeak. This accomplished, they pursue the path around the outside of the great hall. Daryle turns the corner and proudly holds up the priest's feather mask, only to see the dead wyren draped over the bridge, and her friends taking a well-deserved rest.

While most of the Coopers recover by the great hall, Thorne is carried to a large room. The floor of this room features an extensive map of the Sumber Hills, showing the location of Tyar-Besil as well as several other cities within the dwarven kingdom of Belsimer. Sitting on a marble throne at the end of the chamber is a beautiful winged elf maiden, holding a elegantly crafted spear in her right hand. The initiates slap heavy magical irons on the rogue's hands and legs, binding them. Releasing the hold person spell, she welcomes Thorne by name, and thanks him for bringing her the dwarf. She informs the rogue she sees great potential in a profitable relationship between him and her. Thorne thanks her, and inquires what that might be. She tells she she will show him. First, she asks her Howling Hatred Priest to secure Dhukhean. The priest walks over, and drops a small blue fluorite of slumber on the dwarf's chest. The initiates pick up the dwarf with difficulty, while the Hurricane guides the rogue down the stairs, into the pit where the wind has inexplicably changed directions, and through a system of caves.

Aerisi Kalinoth, Prophet of Elemental Air

Thus, a chained Thorne and an unconscious Dhukhean are brought to the altar of the Howling Hatred caves. While still in his bindings Thorne is chained to the floor about 30 feet away from the altar, while Dhukhean is laid on top of the altar. As Aerisi walks away, she whispers to the rogue that his contribution to the success of the Howling Hatred will be to assist her in opening the portal to release Yan-C-Bin from his elemental prison ...

A dwarven wedding!

Pharast 12, 4713

While the Cooper sisters and their allies were negotiating with the Dark Lady, Thorne was also busy gather information by talking to some of Red Larch's denizens. Over the course of a few weeks, he discovers pieces of a puzzle about the dwarven kingdom of Besilmer, and he heads to the Allsfaith Shrine to consult their extensive library and do further research. After looking at several old and musty tomes, Thorne assembles a clear picture of an important dwarven temple built by the dwarves of Belsimer to celebrate nature.

Carved out of a mountain, the place known as the Shrine of the Tender Oath served as a contemplative temple where every dwarven deity could be worshipped, but where specially dedicated to rest, healing, meditation, and prayer. Nestled between two cascading waterfalls that flowed through the northeast Sumber Hills and from there into the Dessarin River, the area was known as the Vale of Dancing Waters. The fall of Tyar-Besil, the last dwarven city of Besilmer, severed the last link between the Shrine and those who built it, but the building and its dwarven monks endured for centuries, pursuing their contemplative ways. To this day, it is rumored that dwarven monks continue to worship in this otherwise secluded temple. More importantly, several texts mention that the Shrine of the Tender Oath may be connected through a system of tunnels to Tyar-Besil itself.

Consulting old maps, Thorne is fairly certain he has ascertained the location of the Shrine of the Tender Oath. A set of runes on two large stones will indicate the presence of a staircase others will miss. Armed with these directions, Thorne awaits the return of his sisters.


Pharast 15, 4713

The Coopers return from their encounter with the Dark Lady, and while Daryle, Dhukhean and Ruddy retire for the night, Thorne approaches Darelle, his favorite sister. He lays out the information he discovered in front of her, and asks if she'd be willing to go explore with him to see if there is indeed a link between the Shrine of the Tender Oath and Tyar-Besil. Thorne tells her he'd like to present these findings to Dhukhean after they are certain it is in fact true, so as not to go on a wild goose chase. Darelle has misgivings, but she senses that Thorne will go without her, so she agrees to accompany him. Thorne tells her that Naga and Earl will also be coming with them on what he expects to be a short quest. That very night, they head out on the cloud.


Pharast 16, 4713

Favorable winds propulse the cloud to a spot Thorne has identified as the most likely path to lead the party to the stone markers. They begin trekking through the snow, and after about an hour the rogue finds a faint dwarven rune on a stone by the path, with another one three feet away. As he looks, a staircase emerge from the side of the cliff next to the path.

The Coopers follow the staircase for over a thousand steps before it levels off. The path continues, but Darelle spots a small line in the snow indicating a trip wire. She follows the line and sees that the entire cliff face has been rigged to fall. The Coopers avoid the trap, and continue on. After another fifteen minutes of climbing, they reach a large flat area leading to three steps. All of them are awed by the magnificent dwarven stonework surrounded by large cascades of frozen water covered in ice. Two large statues of Moradin flank the entryway, which is guarded by two dwarves wearing ceremonial full plates and wielding halberds.

Inquiries with the dwarves indicate that this is indeed the Shrine of Tender Oaths, but the dwarves are confused as to why the Coopers are here. They finally ask if the Coopers are planning to attend the wedding. Thorne replies in the affirmative, so the priestess is sent for. She arrives a few instants later, and introduces herself as Ingrard, head of the Shrine. She thanks the Coopers for arriving, and tells them the ceremony is about to start.

In the main chamber the party comes upon six dwarves, three to a side and separated by a small fountain, all of them wearing armor and armed with heavy weapons. The priestess herself stands in front of a bride and groom, who seem very much happy. The rest of the dwarves seem very unhappy to be here.

As the wedding ceremony proceeds, the Coopers can feel the tension in the room is about to boil over, but soon the bride and groom are pronounced man and wife. The wedding feast follows, with tensions so high a knife could cut it. The Coopers talk with the monks, and discover that the wedding party arrived three days ago unexpectedly. There isn't enough food in the pantry to feed everyone, and the monks are upset at this lack of decorum. The Coopers use this occasion to explore this area of the Shrine but do not find a secret passage heading down.

Ingrard joins the Coopers at their table. Thorne discusses with her the recent happenings in the Dessarin Valley and the presence of the four cults. She is astonished that cultists seek to acquire dwarven blood, but it does not surprise her as the monks and herself have seen strange happenings around the Shrine. Darelle tells her they met with a drow in the last week, and there might be a connection there with the old Tyar-Besil. Thorne asks her why the two dwarven families are angry at each other. Ingrard tells them there was a betrayal many generations ago, and dwarves enjoy keeping grudges alive. The two lovebirds were able to overlook their differences, but their families can't seem to let it go. Thorne asks the priestess if they can explore the rest of the temple, and she readily grants the Coopers permission to explore the rest of the Shrine.

In the Hall of Vows, where the ceremony took place earlier, Darelle notices that the lifelike relief contains a very real great axe. She removes it from the wall. Walking up a set of stairs, they find themselves in a small temple, with dim rays of light from the falling sun illuminating a small stone altar. The Coopers examine the room and discover a secret door, but it appears impossible to open. Darelle figures out that placing the great axe triggers the opening, and Thorne is the first one down the staircase that has been revealed. The presence of dust indicates that no one has used this secret passage in eons.

The noise made by the opening of the secret door alerted one of the dwarf parties, however, and the Coopers find themselves violently confronted by the groom's family, who look very eager to explore this passage. As a battle erupts, the dwarves cause some trouble for the Coopers, but the sounds of people confronting each other also draws in the other family, and it immediately turns into a free for all. Naga lands several massive blows, while Earl finds himself disabled. He takes shelter in the secret passage before Darelle removes the great axe from the altar, a gesture that doesn't go unnoticed by the dwarves.

After much difficulty, the Coopers emerge triumphant from the battle, just as Ingrard and her monk guards arrive. Thorne wisely decides to keep their discovery of a staircase down to Tyar-Besil a secret for now, but he relates their encounter with the dwarves. The newlyweds shed a few tears over the death of their kinsmen, but quickly get over it.

Now that they know how to get down to the old dwarven city, the Coopers bid goodbye to the dwarven monks but promise to return visit soon and bring further news from the outside. They head head back to Red Larch to inform Dhukhean and the rest of the party of their discovery.

The Burning Man takes a bath!

Calistril 24, 4713

After two days of traveling through the Sumber Hills following their escape from the Scarlet Moon Hall, members of the party finally regroup at the Swinging Sword Inn in Red Larch. Naga and Thorne are the first to return to the inn, followed by Darelle, Daryle and Dhukhean a few hours later on the cloud. Missing from the group are Lawrence and Ruddy.

Thorne introduces the group to Earl Aberford, a monk. He tells them that Lawence, after being stabbed one too many times by Naga, had decided to leave this group after Naga dropped them off in Red Larch. Earl is a humble monk of the half-orc variety who has been sent by the Sacred Stone Monastery to investigate the happenings in this area. However, following conversations with Thorne, he realized the errors of his way and is now willing to help the Coopers with their plans to destroy the elemental cults. Thorne brings Earl up to speed on the happenings and their successful mission to Scarlet Moon Hall.

The Coopers then return to the situation at hand. At the rate at which the Burning Man was traveling, Darelle estimates he will arrive in three days. The party discusses various options on how to handle the Burning Man, including laying a trap and attempting to redirect him towards Rivergard Keep. Thorne suggests to use the town's laborers to build a stone tower. Daryle proposes that the tower could be packed with snow, linking the town to the Crushing Wave. Thorne counters that maybe Red Larch's frozen pond could be used. If the Burning Man could be lured onto the pond, it would melt the ice and force it into water.

After a discussion that involves Harbuck Thuthmarillar and other town notables, the Coopers finalize a plan to build a two stories snow tower and cover it with pine needles so that it looks like wood from a distance. Harbuck assures the party that he can muster enough workers to also construct five small buildings around the tower to make it look like it is part of the village. When the Burning Man arrives, the women and children will shelter in the Mellikho Stoneworks quarry. Dhukhean will contribute a shiny crystal imbued with magical powers that will attract the Burning Man. 


Thorne proposes that someone be sent to Rivergard Keep to get some support from the Crushing Wave. Naga volunteers to fly to Rivergard Keep, deliver a message, and return with help if the Crushing Wave will grant it. Thorne and Daryle agree that they need to promote the idea that the cult would be crushing the Eternal Flame's champion, and would earn influence and gratefulness from the citizens of Red Larch.


Calistril 27, 4713

The skies remain clear, but the temperature remains bitterly and unseasonably cold. It has now been seven days since the last snow storm. After three days of building, the villagers have constructed the tower and several blockhouses to create a leading path that will lead the Burning Man towards the tower. Daryle spinkles pine needles on the path she expects the Burning Man to take, to lead him towards the tower.

Red Larch Lake fortifications

Around mid-morning, a pillar of smoke appears in the distance. The Burning Man is on his way. With about three hours left before he arrives, Naga returns to Red Larch with a Crushing Wave cultist. The cultist informs the Coopers that Grimsaw sends his regards. He brings with him five scrolls of summon greater water elemental to help in this situation, but tells them that he himself will not join but rather observe the battle from afar, so that at least one survivor can report back to Rivergard Keep.

The Burning Man reaches the edge of the pond. He is heading towards the village, but several delaying actions by Earl change his trajectory. He subtly switches towards the snow tower. After several exchanges of fiery blows, Thorne summons his water elemental and orders it to wait. The others quickly summon theirs too, and they swim under the ice to emerge around the Burning Man. As the ice melts underneath the Burning Man, he continues to move forward towards the snow tower, but the water elementals eventually manage to stop the Burning Man and trip him into the pond.

Earl enters the Burning Man, and finds a person inside. The man's face is half melted. His glowing red eyes show the depth of a depraved soul. A metal horn sticks out of his forehead. On his left hand he wears a turtle shell and a tattoo that says "I remember," while on his right hand he wears elven wedding lace inscribed with the name Miévi. He maniacally looks at Earl, and, as he waves his hands casting a spell, he cackles. He vanishes in a puff of smoke, leaving the monk along in the steaming wreckage of the Burning Man. Earl reflects on the fact that he has seen a very similar man in the Sacred Stone Monastery, but this one has black hair parted at the horn, and seems saner than this version. When he tells the Coopers, a shiver runs up their spine. There are at least two Geralds in the Sumber Hills.

With the village saved from the Burning Man, the Coopers are hailed as heroes...

Assault on the Monastery

Abadius 27, 4713

After a successful hunt of the manticore, but following an unsuccessful attempt at finding Dhukhean. Ruddy and Savra return to Feathergale Spire and join the Feathergale Knights to celebrate. Before he knows it, the gnome has been partying hard for five days. Awakening with a hangover, Ruddy realizes that he hasn't seen any member of his party since his return to the Spire. Discret inquiries indicate that none of them have been spotted, but the knights suspect that they sabotaged the flying animals' pens in the basement, as about half of the creatures had to be guided back to their stable. Ruddy decides to head back to Red Larch. 

Naga has spent an entire week alone in his room in Feathergale Spire, surviving on the rations in his adventurer's pack. He has been waiting for others to come and get him, but it has now become obvious that no one will retrieve him. Spotting Ruddy leaving the Spire, Naga flies out of the window and joins the gnome for the long trip back to Red Larch.

Thorne and Lawrence spend a week exploring the Spire, staying away from Thurl and his men. Aside from the prisoners they previously located in the basement of the tower, they find no additional victims of the Howling Hatred. Their investigation reveals that about a third of the Spire's personnel are members of the cult. The knights are oblivious, but the rest of the staff give the cultists a wide berth. Thorne also discovered several letters that strongly suggest a link between Thurl Merosska, commander of the Feathergale Knights and the Howling Hatred. Desiring to share their discoveries, they surmise that their friends most likely headed back to Red Larch. Even if they didn't, the village seems like a good place to look for them.

All four of them meet on the road. Arriving late in Red Larch, they are informed that the Cooper sisters and the dwarf Dhukhean were here four days ago with a female dwarf and a female elf. They left early in the morning following breakfast, and have not returned since. Ruddy decides to order a late dinner, and they then head up to their rooms for a well-deserved rest.


Abadius 28, 4713

Dhukhean and the Cooper sisters return to Red Larch on the cloud following their accidental destruction of Yartar's merchant quarter. Landing a mile outside of the village, they trek in, and arrive at the Swinging Sword Inn in time to join their friends for lunch. Reunited, the group share news of what they learned over the last week. Ruddy regale the dwarf with his exploits with Savra, much to the sisters' dismay.

Now aware that there are several cults operating in the Sumber Hills, the party argues as to their next location to explore. Eventually, Dhukhean convinces everyone else that the Sacred Stone Monastery might be the place that holds information about Tyar-Besil. After packing their gear and bundling in their winter clothes, the Coopers head out in the cold afternoon, and trek towards the Monastery.


Abadius 30, 4713

Light flurries are the only events that change the monotony of trekking in the wilderness of the Sumber Hills. Darelle and Daryle successfully hunt winter hare, but larger game proves elusive. During the trip Dhukhean asks Ruddy for advice on how to disguise himself as a gnome, given that he has been attacked several times for being a dwarf. Ruddy suggests that only shaving his beard would help. Dhukhean is opposed to the idea, so Ruddy proposes using a high collar to hide most of his face and walk hunched over. Dhukhean agrees that this is a good idea, and he modifies his outfit to hide as much of his true nature as possible.

Late in the morning, they clear the treeline and see, sitting on a small hill, an imposing stone structure about fifty feet tall, with two large metal doors up three steps. Windows about four inches wide and four feet tall sprinkle the facade of the building. A dozen chimneys on top of the structure release smoke in the air, indicating that the building is occupied. The fresh coat of snow that fell on their way here shows no tracks in or out of the Sacred Stone Monastery.

Carefully, the party approaches the building. Stepping up the three steps, Thorne reaches the stone porch. The metal doors are twelve feet tall, and each has a large iron knocker attached to it. The rogue uses the knocker to rap against the door. A few moments pass, and the door silently cracks open. A monk dressed in robes of various shades of brown informs Thorne and his friends that the Monastery does not receive guests. Using his intimidate stature, Naga pushes the monk aside and enters the Monastery. He is immediately attacked by four stone golems, while the receiving monk and one of his colleagues engage as well. Overpowered and outmatched, Naga manage to leave the Monastery's receiving hall. The golems do not exit, and the door is soon closed.

Dismayed, the party attempts to attract the occupants' attention by yelling in dwarven, but they get no reaction. Dhukhean's disguise worked as planned. The dwarf steps up to the door, but the door has been locked. Thorne tries to wedge the visor opened, and is almost successful. While the dwarf and the rogue struggle with the front door, the rest of the party splits up. Darelle and Daryle head left. Lawrence and Naga move right. Ruddy climbs the Monastery's facade, and makes for the roof.

Lawrence discovers a small metal door on the side of the Monastery. It is locked. Using his magic, he shrinks the door, which falls the ground, making a clattering sound that reverberates throughout the structure. The door's absence reveals a hallway with a corner heading west. Lawrence enters the hallway, but he hears footsteps and jumps against the wall. His attempt is clumsy, however, and he is ambushed by three monks. The rogue's yells for help reach Naga, who also enters the hallway. The battle immediately goes poorly for both of them, and Naga is forced to cast shout. The sound travels throughout the Monastery, affecting one of the monks who immediately drops to the ground, bood dripping out of her ears. The other two keep on fighting, however, and soon Naga and Lawrence are forced to flee. On the way out Naga casts a lightning bolt, killing one monk. Two stone golems soon arrive and take a defending position, protecting the breach. Lawrence can see a set of legs behind the golems, and he hears the melodious sound of a spell being cast. Stones stitch themselves together, closing the space where the door used to be.

Daryle and Darelle walk around the building. They find a locked door next to a snow-covered path. This appears to be a delivery area. Darelle checks the door, but it is locked. Using her gloves of magnetism Darelle unlocks the door and pushes it open, revealing a busy kitchen, with sweet and savory smells fighting with that of freshly bread. She notices four apprentices laying prone on the floor, holding their bleeding ears, while a monk stands. She attempts to strike a conversation with the monk, but he inform her that no one is allowed in the Sacred Stone Monastery. The sisters depart the building.

Ruddy climbs the roof and looks for an entrance. He finds several chimneys, but all of them are releasing smoke. He rigs a chimney so that its flue is blocked, forcing the smoke back inside the building. Meanwhile, Dhukhean tires of standing at the front door, and he heads left. At the building's corner, he enters a gully, and misses the sisters coming out of the kitchen. He walks an arm's length away from the building, slowing exploring its perimeter. Hearing noises, Ruddy peers over the edge and spots the dwarf. Standing on the edge, he urinates on him. Bent on his quest to find an opening, Dhukhean does not notice and continues on. Ruddy returns to his blocked chimney, chuckling. He is soon joined on the roof by Naga and Lawrence, who are still bleeding from their previous encounter.

Two monks use abundant step and come to the roof to investigate. They are surprised to see enemies on the roof, but Ruddy is able to convince them they are simply lost. Dubious, the monks explain that the Sacred Stone Monastery is run by Hellenrae, an abbess. Monks and priests who spend their time here worship Ferrakus, the Lord Beneath. Lawrence questions how one could join the Monastery. The monks reply that in order to petition admittance to the Sacred Stone Monastery as an acolyte, one must present himself or herself to the front door with a precious stone or precious sand as an offering. The person must use the knocker on the door, then kneel with palms open upwards with their offering. Once admitted, they must undergo several trials and indoctrination sessions, and their faith will be severely tested. Only the righteous are allowed to become members of the Sacred Stone Monastery.

Dhukhean walks back on the path, and meets the sisters. He smells strongly of urine, and Daryle asks him: "Dhukhean, what did you do? Make out with a bobcat in a gully?" The dwarf appears confused, and only now notices the strong smell. The three of them are soon joined by Thorne, who reports seeing Lawrence and Naga join Ruddy on the roof.

Having failed to find an opening to enter the Sacred Stone Monastery, the Coopers regroup at dusk about a  mile from the Sacred Stone Monastery. With the sun about to set, the party decides to spend the night here, then head out to Yartar to purchase magical equipment that would help them in their quest. Darelle sends a tree token to each of the acolyte she saw in the kitchen to begin a whisper campaign against the monks of the monastery. She tells them that the monastery has been infiltrated by a death cult planning to kill them for their own evil purposes.


Calistril 4, 4713

Arriving in Yartar, the party discovers that though the fires are now out, the town has not recovered from its destruction. The Cooper sisters and Dhukhean decide to remain outside, knowing that they are most unwelcomed. The rest of the party heads in town and locate shops. At the Forsaken Pixie, Thorne purchases a +3 gravity bow and bracers of armor +1, which he swipes for the +5 next to them with a successful sleight of hand. Naga buys a +3 breastplate of the planes and a +3 gloom blade, while Ruddy purchases a +3 wasp's kiss crossbow. Feigning an interest in the recent incident that destroyed part of the town, Thorne questions the merchant on its causes, and reports that the Coopers have been spotted hiding at the Sacred Stone Monastery. At the Raven's Quill, Lawrence purchases the amazing I heart Kenny belt and a rod of shrinkage. 

Now armed with better weapons and equipment, the Coopers head back to the Sumber Hills, hoping for a more successful trip.

The hospitality of the Feathergale Society

Abadius 21, 4713 

The sun rises on a beautiful if cold winter day in Red Larch. Following the blizzard that has affected the area, the Coopers are happy to have a second straight day without any snow precipitation. Last night, when the party had returned to the Swinging Sword Inn, Ruddy had retold their fight against the Lord of Lance Rock, embellishing some of the encounters. The patrons present in the inn's common room had listened to the gnome, mesmerized by the tale. So it is not surprising, when the Coopers and their friends come downstairs for breakfast, that every seat in the  common room is taken by locals, who cheer and demand to hear the story again. Ruddy regales them again, adding even more fanciful details. Kaylessa Irkell, proprietress of the inn, thanks the gnome and his friends profusely for drawing such a large crowd and offers them a free breakfast. Thorne uses the occasion to pick some pockets and collects 24 crowns during Ruddy's tale.

Following this hearty breakfast, the Coopers pack their gear and head out to Feathergale Spire. They lost track of the raiders they were trailing in the area, and their morning encounter with Savra Belabranta, a griffon rider who invited them to visit, seals the deal. Hopefully this trip will prove less dangerous than that to Lance Rock.

Though no snow falls from the sky, the winds blow hard enough that large snow drifts have formed, and visibility is limited. Darelle uses her jar of cloud to protect the party from the worst of the elements. In the late afternoon, as the sun begins to set, the party reaches the imposing structure of the Feathergale Spire. Standing hundreds of feet higher than the surrounding hills, the Spire can be approached by a large road climbing a steep hill to a drawbridge. The base of the tower is about a hundred feet lower, with wide arches about halfway up. Aside from the drawbridge level, there are two more stories above, and the structure is topped by a parapet. Throughout the afternoon, the Coopers have kept their eyes on flying patrols high up in the sky.

As they near the structure, Ruddy suggest they approach the main entrance in a sign of respect, instead of the usual sneaking the party is known for. Climbing the path, they reach the top and stand on the edge of a lowered drawbridge. A large set of double doors stand at the other end of the drawbridge. Ruddy calmly strolls on the bridge and knocks on the door. Darelle, who followed the gnome, rings the bell attached to the wall. Daryle and the remaining party members stand on the other side, ready if combat proves necessary.

A small panel soon opens, and the familiar face of Savra Belabranta appears. Upon seeing Ruddy, her face lights up, and she gushes her excitement at seeing him, and his friends, again. Opening one of the doors, she welcomes them to Feathergale Spire. The Coopers enter the main hall, made of marble with a giant iron eagle hanging from the ceiling. Two other guards stand in this room, but a quick assessment reveal that they are poorly trained. Savra questions them on the newest developments since their last encounter, and Ruddy tells her he has a tale to recount. She invites them to the Great Hall, where they are joined by four Feathergale knights, as well as Thurl Merosska, leader of the Feathergale Spire. Over a delicious meal, Ruddy once again retells the tale once again. Savra offers a toast, and the knights heartily partake. Ruddy draws the symbol they observed at Lance Rock. Thurl closely examines the symbol. He shows the parchment to everyone, and during the discussion he pockets the drawing. Dhukean notices and attempts to discern Thurl's  motive. The dwarf suspects that Thurl has seen this symbol before. When questioned, Thurl replies that he wishes to compare this drawing to information he has in his chambers.

The knights are clearly unaware of the larger happenings in the Dessarin Valley, for they relentlessly question the Coopers about happenings around them. Darelle questions Savra about the Spire. Savra replies that the Feathergale Society moved in a dozen years ago in what was then an abandoned keep, and made it their own. Dhukhean overhears the exchange between Savra and Darelle about the tower being empty before the Feathergale Society's arrival. He suspects that this might have been part of the Bessamir kingdom, but the tower is clearly of human craftmanship.

Seeing that it is late, Thurl invites the Coopers to spend the night with them. Savra and the other knights can barely contain their excitement. Thurl then excuses himself,  claiming a headache. However, he invites the Coopers to participate in a manticore hunt on the morrow. The Coopers are assigned three bunk rooms that usually serve as bedrooms to the knights. One for the ladies, one for the men, and one for the short people. Of course, everyone is invited to remain in the Great Hall and enjoy the knights' hospitality. Every member of the party claims to be tired, however, and they withdraw to their lodgings. 

After about an hour, Thorne opens the window and sees two knights flying in the air. Carefully hiding in the shadows, he climbs to the third floor. In the first window he sees a room very much like his own. A man is sleeping in one of the bunks. He maneuvers to the next window on his left. Through the panes of glass he sees Thurl, sitting at a desk and writing a letter. Thorne returns to the other window, and breaks in without waking up the sleeping knight. He then sneaks out through the door, and moves to Thurl's door. His attempt to pick the lock is noisy, however, and he suddenly hears footsteps from the other side. Thurl has gotten up and is coming this way. Thorne rushes back to the room and closes the door. Thurl's door does not immediately open, however. It takes a few minutes, but eventually Thurl himself steps on the landing and goes downstairs.

Not knowing that Thorne is gone, Lawrence silently opens his door, and steps in the short hallway leading back to the Great Hall. He plans on moving down the stairs, but is unfortunately spotted by the partying knights and is invited to join them. Unable to leave without arising suspicion, the thief stays with the crowd.

A knock on the short people's door awakens Ruddy. Savra is at the door, and invites the gnome to her chambers. He readily agrees, proving the old adage, "Once you go gnome you never go home."

With Thurl gone, Thorne enters his room. He finds a letter scribbled in a child's hand writing. He memorizes it, before putting it back on Thurl's desk. Who is this Aerisi Kalinoth?

Merosska,
We are pleased to hear about the outcome of
your altercation with the Black Earth cult, 

and we praise you for the capture of one of their
prisoners. This noblewoman from Ustalav
has an interesting tale to tell, 

and we shall enjoy interrogating her further. 

Keep a close watch on the Sacred Stone Monastery. 

I want to know what our enemy is planning next.
Your beloved queen,  

Aerisi Kalinoth

As Lawrence pretends to laugh at the antics of the drunken knights, he notices four burly guards make their ways to his room. The guards knock on the door, and awaken the dwarf. They politely request that Dhukhean follow them, as Thurl wants to share a startling discovery. The dwarf grabs his weapons and agrees to go with them. The noise was loud enough to alert the Cooper sisters, who also emerge from their room. Lawrence joins the party as well, and the now large group heads back to the ground floor. They are led to a conservatory where they find Thurl. The master of Feathergale Spire is clearly unhappy to see that Dhukhean is not alone, but he makes the most of it by showing the group what he discovered. One of the exotic plants in the conservatory features a similar pattern to the symbol Ruddy drew on its leaves. Darelle cannot identify the plant, but knows that it is very poisonous. The ranger takes a few cuttings. Dhukhean suspects it could be used in ceremonies by cult members.

Map of Feathergale Spire

The party then returns to their respective rooms accompanied by their guards. Thorne, meanwhile, had rejoined his bedroom and shares what he learned with Naga.


Abadius 22, 4713 

The Coopers awaken in the morning to find a clear sky but bitterly cold temperature. As they come out of their respective rooms, Thorne informs the rest of the party about the letter he discovered in Thurl's room. Welcomed to breakfast by the knights, they are soon joined by Thurl, who appears not to have slept very well. Thorne questions Thurl about the Black Earth Cult. Thurl tells them this renegade cult is made up of scoundrels and beggars who hide their desire for wealth behind a facade of worshiping the ground. He then shares with them the location of the Sacred Stone Monastery, the headquarters of the Black Earth Cult.

As the Coopers ready to hunt the manticore, Thorne, Daryle and Lawrence decide to stay behind and investigate Feathergale Spire. While the Coopers ready their mounts, Thorne begins exploring the Spire. He first stops in the kitchen. A team of servants is busy preparing the noon meal. The rogue approaches one of the servants, and quietly engages in conversation with him. After he pays the servant five crowns, Thorne hears about the prisoner the knights are keeping in the basement of the Spire. He decides to return to the basement and watch the remaining members of the party outfit themselves for the hunt.

In the basement the Coopers find stables. Though most of the alcoves are empty, there are three giant vultures, two griffons, and one hippogriff. Ruddy agrees to ride with Savra her griffon. Darelle and Dhukhean also ride on a griffon. Two knights accompany them on their own mounts. As they fly away, Lawrence realizes that he had not seen the two riders accompanying the party before.

The mounts quick rise above the clouds, and begin searching the canyon where the manticore dwells. Savra explains to Ruddy that the Feathergale Knights have been hunting it for months, but have never successfully gotten close enough to kill it. They've struck a few blows, but have been unable to wound it enough to force it to land.

The group separates but remain within visual range. As they fly, Savra points out evidence of the manticore's passage to Ruddy. The canyon where they are flying is filled with low-level fog, making the ground all but impossible to spot. Darelle is the first one to spot the creature, and she banks her flying mount. Spotting the maneuver, Ruddy points, and Savra imitates the ranger. The other knights follow suit. A pursuit ensues, and when they get close enough the party engage the manticore. While Darelle fires volleys of magic missiles at it, Savra launches arrows. Ruddy, not to be outdone and perhaps showing off for Savra, signs that he wants to get closer, and when above the monster he jumps out of the saddle and on its back. The manticore attempts to shake him off, but is unable to do so.

As Ruddy lands a series of blows, the two knights spring a surprise attack on Darelle and Dhukhean's mount, which is quickly killed. Plummeting out of the sky, Darelle jumps on the jar of cloud, while Dhukhean, perhaps not thinking as clearly due to the altitude, tergiversates. As the ground rapidly approaches, he attempts an escape, but the straps holding him in place prevent him from doing so, and he hits the ground at a prodigious speed. The last conscious thing he sees before passing out are two pairs of heavy combat boots walking towards him. Darelle spends some time on the cloud looking for the paladin, but does not find him. The fog is just too thick. She decides to return to Feathergale Spire and report the treacherous news.

Meanwhile, flying now at a fair distance, Ruddy successfully kills the manticore. As it too falls to the ground, the gnome realizes his predicament. Fortunately, Savra closes the gap again, and Ruddy performs a manly jump back on her mount. When the falling body of the manticore disappears in the fog, Savra proposes that they return to Feathergale Spire. The cold will keep the body, and they can come back when the fog clears off. Ruddy ponders on why there would be fog on this freezingly clear day...

After watching their friends fly away, the remaining Coopers continue their exploration of Feathergale Spire. Carefully pacing around the stable, they come upon an angry hippogriff. When questioned, one of the stable boys informs them that this mount was hurt in a battle with the manticore a few weeks ago, and its rider was killed. It is ill tempered, and lets no one approach it. Daryle enters its stall, and uses her ranger skills to heal the hippogriff. Still distrustful, the creature nonetheless appears thankful. Lawrence then notices a trap door in the floor of the hippogriff's stall. While no one is looking, Daryle opens the door, and lowers herself in it. She is quickly followed by Lawrence and Thorne, who closes the door behind him.

In the dungeon below the stable floor, they discover a series of twelve jail cells. Each cell is occupied by a humanoid. One female dwarf is present, but she is clearly not Zeshan Wayfinder, the wife of Dhukhean's cheftain. Though the creatures are mostly human, there is an elf, a halfling, and a bugbear. The bugbear sports this symbol tattooed on his large arm. They have seen this sign before, and Daryle remembers that the tube and the message they found in the brigands' camp bore a similar triangular symbol.

Black Earth Cult

Thorne questions the bugbear, who grudgingly reveals that he was on a mission to find and make prisonners any dwarf he could find, before he was captured by knights and imprisoned here. The female dwarf, Broga, is more talkative, and tells the Coopers she was captured by the Howling Hatred Cult, but their plans for her are not clear. She doesn't know much about them, nor how they are associated with the Feathergale Society, but she does know that they worship Yan-C Bin. Unfortunately, this name doesn't mean anything to the Coopers.

When a guard comes to check on the prisoners, the Coopers quickly dispatch him. Armed with the keys, they decide to free the prisoners ...

Assault in the Wilderness

Abadius 14, 4713

Zeshan Wayfinder and her dwarven convoy, which Dhukhean has been tasked with escorting back to Korvosa, are due today. Dhukhean arrives at the Swinging Sword Inn for breakfast. He has polished his boots, his beard, and his bald spot, and his ceremonial clothes are impeccably pressed. The scent of beard oil is pervasive throughout the dining room, and some of the patrons silently gag. Kaylessa Irkell thanks the Coopers for their help in getting most of her staff back. Breakfast is heartier and more abundant this morning, but the weather outside remains unseasonably cold and snowy, unusual weather for this area.

The Coopers decide to brave the weather and meet the convoy on the road. They saddle their horses and head north on the Long Road towards Westbridge. A few hours out of Red Larch, a storm strikes from the west and soon the road all but disappear beneath a blanket of snow. Only the trees and boulders on the side of the road indicate its direction. The snow keeps pilling on, and after eight hours of traveling the Coopers are exhausted.

Daryle finds a sheltered space and pitches her tent. Darelle outdoes her sister and uses the jar of cloud to create a cloud castle on the ground. Lawrence wraps himself in his warm blanket. Ruddy finds a rock, and has Naga heat it to a comfortable temperature. He then climbs a tall tree, bundles up in his sleeping bag with the rock radiating heat and keeps guard, watching the area despite the blinding snow. Daryle sets up a few traps that will trigger an alarm if someone, or something, approaches during the night. The Coopers divide the watches among themselves, but the night is uneventful and they are able to rest.


Abadius 15, 4713 

At midpoint in the night, Ruddy notices the storm abating, and soon the last flake fall from the sky. When a weak sun rises in the east, the entire countryside is covered with a deep blanket of white snow. Over 20 inches fell over the last day. Though it is not snowing anymore, the winds continue to blow and the temperature remains very cold. In the distance, a few miles north, Lawrence spots a flock of carrion birds, while two larger flying creatures are moving east, away from the flock at vertiginous speeds.

The Coopers trek north through the snow with difficulty. After an hour, they come to the scene of a battle, covered with snow. Two wagons have been overturned and broken, and a dozen human corpses lay underneath the snow. Though some have been slashed and pierced, most show blunt damage similar to the dead bodies from another encountered caravan under attack. Each human body wears a livery of a red star on black tunics, which Dhukhean recognizes as that of his clan. There are no dwarven bodies in the ruins of the caravan, and everything has been thoroughly looted. Lawrence and Thorne search for secret compartments and hidden places, and find that even these did not escape the pilfering. 

On the edge of the battle are two cairns. One stands about ten feet tall and appears crudely built. The other one, about three feet tall, is of human origin. Dhukhean examines the larger cairn and determines that it was built by bugbears. Digging through the stones, Dhukhean discovers that at least five bugbears wearing a distinctive brown leather armor bearing a strange symbol are buried there.

After watching Dhukhean explore the larger cairn, Daryle examines the smaller one but realizes there is no easy way to remove enough stones to peek inside, and she's not comfortable desecrating someone's resting place, even if it is an enemy. Lawrence, meanwhile, looks for evidence of trails on the west side of the road, and eventually finds a large trail blazed through the wilderness. An attempt has been made in camouflaging its entrance into the clearing where the battle has taken place, and the depth of snow indicates that a large group of about fifty individuals came through here, then returned the same way.

Lawrence advises the party of his discovery, and soon they are on the enemies' trail. Darelle and Daryle estimate that they are probably about twelve hours behind them. The Coopers follow the trail north over ten miles, and eventually turn back east towards the Long Road. Once again the trail blazed by the large group has been camouflaged so that it would be less visible from the road. They then travel on the road for another four miles, before another trail, once again camouflaged, heads east in the Sumber Hills. Naga transforms into an owl and flies up. He can see far towards the horizon northward, but the Sumber Hills stretch eastward. He can spot evidence of the trail heading along the foothills, and then reconnects to the Stone Trail. He returns to report his findings.

The trek through the wilderness emerges back on the Stone Trail, but once again the trail veers off the road and enters the Sumber Hills. Lawrence discovers a finely made white scarf. Thorne identifies it as dwarven, while Dhukhean recognizes it as Zeshan's scarf. 

With night rapidly approaching, the Coopers set up camp. Naga spots several fires in the distance, probably the town of Beliard. Closer to their camp, however, along the Stone Trail about two miles away, is a small fire. Naga flies towards it, and lands nearby. Four heavily armed men protect a small wagon. Two of them are cooking dinner, while one is guarding and the other is putting the finishing touches to the tents. He eavesdrop on their conversations. Aside from their concerns about possible attacks by bandits, the men are worried about rumors they have heard in Westbridge that Old Gnawbone, a green dragon who dwells in the Sumber Hills, has been more active of late. Naga flies away, startling the guards, who let arrows fly. He informs the Coopers of what he overheard, and the party gets ready to spend one more frigid night in the wilderness.


Abadius 16, 4713 

After a light breakfast, the Coopers break camp, and examine their options. Lawrence spots three flying creatures in the distance, about four miles away, flying a northerly course following the Dessarin River. Should they attempt to contact them, or are they hostiles? Daryle uses a mirror to shine the sun towards them, and the creatures immediately turn and head their way. Soon the Coopers realize that the three creatures are actually griffons with riders on their backs. One of the rider lands. A beautiful human woman wearing a winged helmet and a finely crafted armor lands her griffon, and disembarks. She introduces herself as Savra Belabranta, a captain in the Feathergale Society, a group of flying enthusiasts with deep pockets who repurposed a small castle south of here in the Sumber Hills, and who enjoy flying with their griffons. Given all of the troubles around the Dessarin Valley, they've been keeping an eye out, and her patrol has been on the lookout for a large group of bugbears who traveled through this area two days ago, but lost them in the storm.

Thorne asks her what the Feathergale Society is. She replies that the Feathergale Society is a group of well off individuals, mostly hailing from Korvosa, Tanram and as far away as Caliphas, in Ustalav. These individual share an interest in the noble calling of aerial steeds and found the Sumber Hills to be perfect for their sport due to the high winds and turbulence. Talking to her, Thorne gets the distinctive impression that she's a rich and spoiled person who achieved her title not through her accomplishments but through her family's influence. Savra invites the Coopers to Feathergale Spire next time they are in the area, so that they can ride together. Thorne gives her a healing flower.

Resuming their pursuit, the Coopers continue deep in the Sumber Hills, and find themselves at the end of another exhausting day still in the wilderness. They pitch camp, select watches, and they try to get as much rest as possible.Unfortunately, during the night their camp is attacked. During Naga's watch, he hears growling and scratching sounds coming from outside the cloud castle. He wakes Ruddy, and the two of them step outside to investigate. They are confronted by three large toad-like beasts with six legs, each ridden by a small fey creature. They immediately attack. The battle goes poorly for Ruddy and Naga at first, but soon, with the rest of the Coopers joining the attack, they are able to defeat the attackers, killing all fey and two of the beasts while one escapes.


Abadius 18, 4713 

With injuries and running low on supplies, the Coopers return to Red Larch. On their way through the southern part of the Sumber Hills, they see Feathergale Spire in the distance...

The path less traveled

Abadius 3, 4713

The riots of Korvosa eventually settle into a simmering low-level civil war, with Korvosian troops putting down roving bands of opponents. Queen Ileosa remains unpopular, but martial law and Hellknight support have now brought the situation to a stalemate. Having returned from their trip to Magnimar as escorts to Duke Mosley's niece Olivia nearly three months ago, the Coopers put their affairs in order and clean Zellara's house to make it their own. Dhukhean pursues his dwarven clan's mission of setting up its embassy despite the troubling times. Thorne secretly conducts several missions for Mosley, while keeping an eye on the local Hellknights for him.

Ruddy McStabby, a rugged gnome slayer bounty hunter, arrived in Korvosa a month ago, hot on the trail of Geralds. He has been hunting them down all over Golarion after receiving a commission from Duke Mosley, who remains holed up in the Emerald Spire, exploiting its magical energy. In the last six months Ruddy has eliminated seven of the pesky Geralds. In Korvasa, he ran into the Cooper sisters and they commiserated over the plague of Geralds that have been unleashed on the continent. The sister loved their triplet brother, but also hated him.

Naga spends the three months following the Breaching Festival in Korvosa working as a mercenary on ships plying the trade routes between Korvosa and Cheliax. Along the way he hears that Duke Mosley has finally been disinherited and disowned from his mother, her Infernal Majestrix, Queen Abrogail II of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune and a price has been put on his head. Rumors of forces gathering on both sides of what promises to be a bloody conflict for the future of Cheliax are spreading rapidly along the Inner Sea and even faraway coasts.

Early in the morning, Dhukhean receives a messenger from his clan. This dwarf informs him he must travel on the Long Road leading from Korvosa to Kaer Maga. The chief's wife, Zeshan Wayfinder is traveling with a retinue from the Kodar Mountains, where she visited family, and is now heading to Korvosa to inaugurate the clan's new embassy. Dhukhean is instructed to meet her caravan in the village of Red Larch, where she is expected in about ten days, and escort her back to Korvosa. Dhukhean is proud of the honor of being asked, and he decides to ask the Cooper sisters if they would like to accompany him on what he expects to be an uneventful trip.

Gathering together for a communal evening meal at the Pier's Lantern to celebrate the new year, Dhukhean outlines his upcoming travel plans. Darelle and Daryle readily agree to escort the dwarf, happy to be leaving the city behind for a few weeks. Naga, Lawrence, and Ruddy are cajoled in coming with them. Thorne, who arrives late, elects to go with the group as well. Thus, arrangements are made to depart the following morning and head to the village of Red Larch, a few days south of Kaer Maga.



Abadius 12, 4713

For nine days the Coopers' trip is uneventful. Instead of journeying on the Long Road, they choose the Kheldell Path. Less traveled and longer than the Long Road, Kheldell Path avoids many settlements and, paradoxically, offers a speedier trip. The weather remains cold and gloomy, with a few days of sunshine and decent temperatures. Spring is still a few months away in this part of Varisia. The rangers successfully gather food along the path, and for nine days the expedition makes good progress

priest wearing dun colored robes leading the search of the wagon. The priest appears agitated and is clearly looking for something, as he yells at his men to hurry up and find the object he desires. The remaining Coopers cannot see the priest from their vantage point, and Ruddy has no way to notify them. Thorne moves forward and, using a tree for partial cover, fires an arrow at the bandit he deduces is in charge. Surprised by this attack, the bandits are slow to react and the Coopers rain arrows on the hapless bandits. Soon, however, the battle is joined.

When Dhukhean enters the fray, the bandits' attention shift to him. The priest emerges from the shelter of the overturned wagon and casts a spell. The ground in front of Dhukhean erupts like a geyser, spraying stones everywhere and inflicting serious damage to many members of the party. Then, three huge earth elementals emerge from the ground and launch themselves at the dwarf. Lawrence moves through the forest on the opposite side of Ruddy, and stabs a bandit to death. Thorne continues to fire arrows along with Daryle, while Darelle and Dhukhean move in for close quarter combat. Thorne notices that though the elementals appear to collaborate with the bandits, they are not commanded by them. The elementals' movement blocks their view of the rest of the battle, however, and Dhukhean soon finds himself in trouble. Incapacitated by a powerful blow, he is unceremoniously grabbed by an elemental, who attempts to pull him underground. Quick thinking by Naga and Darelle slays the elemental, but Dhukhean is buried to his beard in hard-packed ground. The remaining elementals are soon dispatched, and efforts are undertaken to revive and dig Dhukhean from the ground.

Meanwhile, Ruddy and Lawrence kill several bandits. Seeing his troops depleted, the bandit chief gives the retreat signal, and the remaining bandits, including the priest, manage to slip away back in the forest.

Ruddy boards the wagon and begins searching it. He discovers a crate containing four silver candlesticks marked with a strange symbol, an X with a squiggle line underneath:

 
He also finds evidence that two dwarves were aboard the wagon. Part of a cloak remain behind, and a booth is found partially buried in the road, indicating that the dwarves were most likely pulled underground by elementals. Lawrence, who also climbs aboard the overturned wagon, discovers two books in a secret compartment. Both books are covered in dark leather with iron bindings and inscribed in golden letters. Written in dwarven, the books are eventually shown to Dhukhean, who identifies them as volumes III and IV of the history of Besilmer, a dwarven kingdom which, atypically, was pastoral in nature. They built their capital at Tyar-Besil, site of a mighty battle between dwarves and the last outpost of a Drow empire.

Ruddy shows the cloak and the boot to Dhukhean, who identifies the items as belonging to dwarves of the  Mindspin Mountains to the East and not part of the caravan from the North the party is expecting to meet in Red Larch. The Coopers clean up the battle scene, and after a pause to recuperate continue on their trip, arriving at Red Larch an hour before sunset.

In the village, Darelle, Daryle, Thorne and Ruddy book rooms at the Swinging Sword Inn, a three-story stone inn topped with a very steep slate roof dotted with a multitude of chimneys. The signboard, which hangs from chains above the door, displays a wooden scimitar emblazoned with the inn's name in red paint on each side. The property also features stables and several outbuildings to accommodate patrons' needs. Welcoming and luxurious by the area's otherwise rustic standards, each room features a hearth with a light fire, warm draperies and tapestries illustrating several scenes of recent history of the Dessarin Valley. Each room also has its own private bathroom with running water, provided by an intricate rooftop cisterns and heating system.

Despite the winter cold, Naga and Lawrence look for and locate a barn. The local farmer reluctantly agrees to let the halfling and tiefling use his barn for shelter for the night.


Dhukhean visits the Allfaiths Shrine, and meets both Imdar Relvaunder, a priest of Gorum, and Lymmura Auldarhk, a priestess of Shelyn. The priests are pleased to see the dwarf and agree to let him stay with them for the night.