Recap of Session 15

As the last session began, it was the 34th day of the 1st Trigon of Nool’s Influence at approximately 11 pm.  A heavy storm continued to batter down on the party as they stood before their fallen foes.  Two orcs and their owlbear mounts lay dead on the beach.  A scan of the ridges around the beach showed no further signs of trouble.After some discussion on how best to proceed after the attack, the party decided that despite the possibility of further attacks they could not risk trying to sail away from the area due to the continuing storm.  A decision that thankfully worked in their favor as the party rested through the remainder of the night without further trouble.As the first of morning's light broke on the horizon, the night's storm was gone replaced by a thick fog that covered the water and the surrounding area.  Marc assured everyone that it was common after a big storm passed for this type of fog to form.  He promised it would burn off before midmorning and not impede their travels.  As the party sailed back out into the open waters of the Midnight Depths, the fog indeed began to lift.The remainder of the trip along the lake's southern shore went by without further incident.  As the day approached noon, the party began to catch glimpses of the megalith in the distance.  An hour later they stood on the shore with the megalith standing before them.  The triangular rock supported 10' off the ground by three triangular pillars sat on a small round island in the middle of a slow-flowing river.  Two stone bridges gave access to the island.  One from each side of the river.A search of the megalith and the area around it offered up little.  It was clear that, although there had been no activity in the area for some time, many had been here in the past.  An investigation of the megalith uncovered a druid glyph that read "Friends Go Forth" which lead the party to decide that the triangular stone was pointing in the direction they needed to travel.  With that, the party headed up the river and into Winterberry Wood in search of the druids.After several hours of travel along the river's edge, the party encountered a pack of large black wolves.  The wolves made no sound and showed no aggression; only watching and waiting.  After a few minutes of the standoff, the biggest of the wolves transformed into a tall, silver-haired elf who introduced himself as Taliesin.  Taliesin asked the party why they were in Winterberry Wood.  The party explained they were in search of a Sickle of the Harvest Moon, and Taliesin agreed to take them to meet Jandr; the archdruid of the Keepers of the Moon.The party was lifted high up into the trees by a lift of some sort where they found themselves in the druid's hidden village.  Jandr was waiting for the party.  He asked them to be seated and offered each a cup of tea.  Jandr then explained how the druids had given Matteo Tionchar the Sickle of the Moon centuries ago.  They had only added harvest to the name to help keep attention away from the druids should anyone ask about the sickle.  The party explained how this sickle had been lost in an attack on the winery and the subsequent fires that had occurred.  Jandr agreed to forge a new one in exchange for a promise that the party would help the druids should they ever call upon them.  The party agreed.Jandr explained that the party would need to acquire a 1lb block of Elder Steel, a water skin of Void Water, and a block of Witch Wood sufficient to make a hand in order to complete the construction of the sickle.  He explained where each of the materials could be most easily found and offered to transport the party using druid magic to the required locations in order to expedite the process.  It was agreed that the party would leave the next morning at first light to try to acquire the Elder Steel from the Frostmount dwarves since the forging of the sickle blade would take the longest to complete.  The party agreed and headed off to the accommodations the druids had provided them.As Landis prepared to leave, Jandr asked for him to remain behind.  He explained that the pixies of Winterberry Wood were able to communicate telepathically with animals.  One of the pixies that had been watching the party as they traveled through the forest had been speaking with Landis' dog Mud.  Rula had a message she needed to relay to Landis from Mud.  The message explained that Mud felt that he could no longer keep up with Landis' travels.  He asked if he could remain with druids, and Landis agreed that it would be the best understanding that his old friend's life was coming to its end.The next morning as promised, Jandr transported the party to the outskirts of Ironhold; the southernmost entrance into the Frostmount Kingdom.  A survey of the area showed vast farmland very active with dwarven farmers.  A long stone road cut through the farmland from an enormous pair of iron doors set into the mountainside.  The party decided they would travel this road toward the entrance in plain view of all hoping it would show a peaceful intention.  A short way in, the party was stopped at a guard post and asked about their reason for being there.  The party explained they needed to acquire Elder Steel.  The guards directed the party to head to the main entrance and ask about it there.As the party walked away, one of the guards that had been watching the discussion followed and stopped the party.  He introduced himself as Hordram Bronzehammer Stonestorm.  Hordram explained that the Frostmount dwarves did not sell Elder Steel to anyone as it was in high demand by the dwarves themselves.  He said the guards had just sent them to the main gates because they did not want to deal with it.  He explained that he could get the party the Elder Steel they required in exchange for assistance with a problem his clan was experiencing.  A problem that they were keeping secret to ensure that it did not hurt the clan's standing in the upcoming dwarven council elections.Hordram went on to explain that a dwarven wizard from his clan named Emdan Blackale Stonestorm had been somehow possessed by an ancient tome he was reading.  The wizard and the book were now locked inside of the Stonestorm throne room protected by a magical glyph of warding that would not allow any dwarf to pass through the doors into the chamber.  They had successfully had a non-dwarf enter the throne room, but that person had not returned.  They needed a party of non-dwarves to enter the throne room that could deal with the situation.  Hordram re-emphasized that this had to be done quickly and by drawing as little attention as possible.The party agreed to assist the Stonestorm clan in exchange for the Elder Steel.  Hordram immediately escorted the party to Frostmount using a teleportation portal to carry them to the Stonestorm clan's domain.  Hordram took that party directly to the throne room's entrance.  An entrance guarded by a dozen heavily armed dwarven guards.Hordram demonstrated how he was unable to touch the throne room's door.  The party tried and the door opened easily.  Douglan entered followed quickly by the other three.  The throne room was enormous.  On the far side of the room just in front of the thrones, the party could see a dwarf floating about 6' off the ground with a large tome floating in front of him.As the group approached, they heard a voice in their heads.  "Well now, if it isn't one of Gath's little minions and his band of misfits.  This is turning into much more fun than I had anticipated.  Speaking of fun, I hope that you don't mind, but I invited a few friends over for lunch, and you’re the main course."No sooner had the words been spoken when two hell hounds emerged from a lava pit in the center of the throne room.  The hell hounds immediately attacked and the fight was on.  Douglan, Nightingale, and Lafferty did their best to hold off the beasts as Landis approached the floating dwarf.  He made the decision to attack the book.  A decision that likely saved them all. Drawing forth power from deep inside of him, Landis casts forth burning hands causing the book to explode into bluish flames.  As the flames burst outward, a black-cloaked figure with a covered face could be seen for just a brief second then the book, flames, figure and hell hounds all disappeared.  The fight had ended.Emdan dropped to the floor. Sitting where he fell in a state of confusion.  He could remember very little about what had transpired.  After some reflection as to the events leading up to his release from the possession, he remembered that he had been reading a book called "The Tome of Ruination".  A book he had purchased from a merchant in the fall of last year.With the area now secure, Hordram was brought in.  He was very pleased with the party's actions.  He promised that a meeting would occur in short order so that Dulmar Thunderaxe Stonestorm, the ruler of the Stonestorm clan, could thank the party in person for dealing with the situation.As today’s session begins, it is the 35th day of the 1st Trigon of Nool’s Influence at approximately 11 am.  The party has been led to a private dining room not far from the throne room.  Hordam and Emdan have gone to prepare for the arrival of Dulmar.  After only a few minutes alone, a dozen dwarves enter and begin to prepare the dining room for the promised meal.

Recap of Session 15

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