Act I: Into the West

Act II

Prologue

A deep, pulsing hum begins to emanate from the dark tower; around you, the inferno begins to intensify. The wind suddenly picks up, feeding the eager flames. Kram’s colossal bulk sits motionless, like a big sad bearded hill in the midst of pandemonium. The bees are on fire. Kram is on fire. The ground beneath your feet begins to tremble, then shake violently; the winds tear back the ceiling of black smoke above, and you behold a sky filled with glowing, fiery streaks; the heavens themselves seem to be coming apart. The noise is all-consuming; it fills you - it becomes you. Your gaze is drawn back to the Obelisk; it has grown to thrice it’s height, reaching up towards the rending skies; the earth surrounding it crumbles and falls into a yawning abyss; then, at once, silence. The fires have gone; the sky is still; the obelisk, that beacon of terror and salvation, has vanished.

All is as it was; a pale dawn rises in the east.

Beneath where the obelisk had stood, a softly glinting light catches your eye; a patch of frost clings to the packed earth. At its center sits a small, black orb.

You quickly find that the orb cannot be held with bare hands - it’s impossibly cold. It’s seemingly impervious to harm, and no magic affects it. It’s heavier than it has any right to be for it’s roughly 1-inch diameter, and it’s utterly featureless.

The dream and the orb gnaw at your mind. You ask around Phandalin, furtively, casually, and learn nothing of great value - other than this: Sildar recalled a tale, half-remembered from his youth, of some fel spellcraft that read thoughts from afar, and invoked vivid, violent dreams. He remembers little, other than it being told in hushed and serious tones by Dwarves of the Gate, visiting Neverwinter from across the Andorian sea.

The party books passage on a merchant vessel and, days later, sails into the west. You most definitely have the orb.

Session 1 - Coming Ashore

The party spoke with captain and crew, learning a bit about the land you were approaching; namely, that times were troubled. Something was wrong with a river, Queen Ezmei of Dawnmist was becoming irate, and things were generally unwell.

The crew disembarked, and the party followed their captian into the Saltbeak Inn as he sought the portmaster, Mara.

Xanveria, always so open and honest, asked Mara if she knew anything about dark, mysterious forces at work in area; Mara smiled, rushing off to conduct business, telling Xanveria that they could talk later.

Seeking a challenge, Loopi eyeballed and sat down with Burdock, an imposing half-orc who was sitting drinking and brooding in a corner. Loopi challenged Burdock to an arm wrestling match and was promptly thrown through the table.

The innkeeper, Edwin, spoke with Xanveria about the state of things in the region; how the mighty Grey river had somehow turned foul, turning crops to blackened rot and causing those who drank too deeply to waste away.

Edwin explained that the Dwarves of the Gate (the Gatesmen (shut up Arthas; remember Gimli explaining the way of things to Eowyn? It's true you don't see many dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for dwarf men! )) had been sending regular supply convoys of provisions southwards through the Antilligan and down to Dawnmist to help feed its peoples.

Lastly, Edwin explained that the Antilligan had been largely deserted; the previously fertile region could no longer support the crops that had fed its inhabitants.

Having overheard Xanveria's quesiton to Mara, Burdock states that he may be able to share some knowledge in exchange for the party's help. Burdock explains that he had been the leader of a group of mercenaries that were tasked with clearing some trouble out of a small mining operation in The Dakk. For reasons he didn't elaborate on, the group turned on him, beat and robbed him and left him for dead.

Burdock asks the group to obtain his chainmail shirt from the group, and wouldn't have any complaints if they dealt with his former companions as well.

The party ventured north and arrived at The Dakk just after nightfall:

You leave Dalesport by the eastern gate and begin your trek north, the Wolfsrun forest stretching westward towards the frowning Irecrag hills. To the east, you pass abandoned farms and sparse woodland; the day drags on, uneventful. At length, the Wolfsrun bends off to the west, and the land grows more coarse; jagged, slanted plateaus of rock jut from fields of heather as if the earth had been rent by vengeful gods. A faint stench of rot begins to blow in on a gentle southerly breeze. As the sun dips below the Irecrags, in the growing twilight, you crest a low rise and behold The Dakk: sprawling out before you, to the distant peaks of mountains draped in shadow, is the vast mire of rot that is the Queensbog, wreathed in mist punctured by the leafless trunks of decaying trees. The path runs north for another hundred yards to the precipice of a low cliff, and ends abruptly. Near the edge, cookfires and lanterns faintly illuminate a small encampment.

The party approached and introduced themselves to the dwarves (and a couple elves) that were manning the outpost. Arthas spoke at length with Banu, one of the more seasoned veterans. He learned that Banu was there with the Clerics of the Gate, the clerics guild of the dwarven kingdom; the elves were sent from Dawnmist to, ostensibly, "assist" with the investigation.

Banu explained some history of The Dakk: that it had once been a verdant forest, home to a palatial coastal city of dwarves and elves. A cataclysmic explosion of mysterious origin some two hundred years ago caused hundreds of square kilometers of land to slide partially into the Queensbay, inundating the now sunken forest.

Legend suggests that a wizard named Miersmo Dinbrook, who vanished after the explosion, was responsible, causing the event to be referred to as Dinbrook's Foul-up.

Banu also explained how The Dakk wasn't an ordinary bog; that soon after the foul-up the land darkened and was overtaken by an unnatural, unholy rot that has yet to be explained.

Banu and his clerics are there to find some connection between The Dakk and the rot that has set into the Grey.

After a night of moderate drinking, the party descends into the Dakk and follows the dwarves rough directions to Bensfarr Mine, dug into the exposed sheer cliff face of the western border.

The exterior looked like a battleground; rotting hobgoblin skulls sat impaled on pikes surrounding the entrance; sharpened sticks and other defensive hazards were arrayed in a semicircle leading up to the cave mouth; and a score of orc and half-or corpses were strewn about in various states of charred disassembly.

The party entered the mine and descendeded a shaft using handholds that had been roughly hewn into the stone.

Items Acquired:

Motivations

Eastern Andoria

Sessions 2 - Gheen the Beholder (and an ashy surprise)

The party quickly discover a cavernous space occupied by a sleeping beholder.

Without wasting much time, Fugazi put an arrow into it's eye, instigating a violent fight to the death.

Tragically, it is here that Chapthanglas meets his end, when the lair itself came alive and cast him down with a disintegration ray, causing his body to turn to ash.

When Gheen finally falls, he wonders aloud at the party's intentions.

The party quickly finds Burdock's chainmail shirt, and a small, ornate dagger. The pommel is engraved with a pattern that Kram vaguely recognizes as the sigil of the Orvothian, but recalls nothing other than the name.

Items Obtained:

Motivations

Session 3 - There's no place like Gnome

Deciding to return Burdock's chainmail, the party exits the mine only to discover Banu waiting for them.

Banu explains that their little dance with Gheen had caused some 'disturbances' that hadn't gone unnoticed.

Banu says that he can be of some assistance in recovering Chapthanglas's spirit, but his body is likely lost.

He goes on to explain that the elves at the camp would have likely taken notice of the oddities caused by the Beholder fight and, piecing together that the newcomers were likely of a formidable disposition, would most certainly be off to flag down a patrol to assist in the party's apprehension (the queen being unable to abide by the free travel of a group such as this).

Banu states that he will help the group recover Chapthanglas (in some form), and use his political clout (what's left of it) to ensure they are able to travel freely. In exchange, the group will help Banu and his clerics uncover and, if necessary, destroy the source of dark power that they have deduced is somewhere in the northeastern Dakk.

When the party agrees, Banu conducts a reincarnation ritual, conjuring a female gnome body for Chapthanglas to inhabit. The ritual is a, uh, success.

As the group attempts to set off, Banu stops them and explains that their travels would be hindered by the Bogwolves; a wildly aggressive species that prevents travel into the northeast and descends in droves upon anyone who remains in The Dakk after dark.

Banu suggests that one solution to the Bogwolf problem may reside at the Broken Tower.

Believed to have once housed ye ol' Dinbrook, the tower is now inhabited by Ogres who appear to be the only beings the Bogwolves permit to live in The Dakk; if there is a way to placate the wolves, the ogres may hold the key.

A short trek north later, the group comes upon the tower. Fugazi moves north to investigate and is quickly attacked by two ogres sitting near a cookfire outside of the tower. After a short and violent fight, the ogres lay dead. From their bodies, the group recover four crudely constructed pendants. Each pendant consists of a soft metal backing that has had a fragment of a dull green gemstone hammered into it. When the pendants are removed from the corpses, the ogres seem to age and dessicate ever so slightly.

Exploring the tower, Baart's keen eyes uncover a peculiar brick set into the tower's hearth; it's corners each bear a unique rune that appear to react (by slightly glowing) to the presence of the looted pendants. When all pendants are brought within close proximity, and all runes are lit, Loopi gives the brick a tickle, and the hearth rotates 90 degrees, revealing a hidden alcove.

Within, the group uncovers a lockbox that is unlocked by the presence of the pendants. The lockbox contains a Bag of Holding, a silver scepter, and a leather bound book.

The book is written in dwarvish script but in an unknown language; despite this, Banu concludes based on roughly drawn maps that his suspicions are correct: the northeast must be investigated.

Convinced that they cannot make it back to camp before nightfall, the group decides to take shelter in the broken tower overnight. While keeping watch, Loopi and Fugazi leave the confines of the tower, following Banu; they discover that the tower is surrounded; out of the darkness, hundreds of dully glowing eyes stare back at them.

Noticing that some of the beasts are dining on the ogre corpses, Loopi lunges at them wildly, and drives them back. They seem to be responding to the presence of the pendant.

Somewhat satisfied that they'll be relatively safe, the group retires for the night.

Items Acquired:

Motivations

Session 4 - Kram it with walnuts, ugly

The party wakes to a grim dawn; Banu has contemplated the events of the past few hours, and urges the group to accompany him into the northeast, to the places most deeply afflicted: an area known as The Embradon.

After a brief rendezvous with his dwarven allies, Banu procures a map of The Dakk. His men have scouted as far north as the Ruins of Caludaar and the Eastdoor (accessible via what is now known as the Rotstone bridge). Preferring to attempt to remain somewhat undetected, the party elects to attempt to find a crossing in the ruins of Caludaar.

The Dakk

Coming within view of the ruins of the ancient city, Kram sprang into action - whether spurned on by some insatiable bloodlust or simply a maddening impatience, Kram made a mad dash towards the only intact structure amongst the debris of the once great city.

Undeterred by the fact that the building was clearly occupied, Kram approached two orcs and and elf stationed at the front door, only to be promptly paralyzed by some elvish magics; the rest of the party steathily positioned themselves, ready for action.

The strange elf demanded to know if Kram was alone; when Kram refused to give up his allies, the orcs moved to apply some spear-based motivation. Just in time, Kram broke free of his bonds and the battle began in earnest. A hooded figure emerged from the building as the fight begins.

After a nearly fatal encounter, the party finally prevailed, but not without first commiting some light war crimes by murdering an unarmed and surrendering combatant.

Jeez

Two orcs and two elves lay dead. The party discovers that the hooded mage was one of the elves they had encountered at the Lennox outpost the night before they entered The Dakk.

The building is a former guildhouse of some sort, being used by the orcs and elves for some unknown purpose. Inside, the hearths are lit and it's apparent it had been occupied for some time; provisions and sleeping materials had been made available.

On a small table, books and scrolls were arrayed; clearly they had just interrupted the mage's study session. One of the books is a large ancient tome on the history of Eastern Andoria; a scroll written in dwarvish script but an unknown tongue (similar to what was found in Dinbrook's journal) was taken by Raijko; and a piece of parchment still bearing a broken wax seal contained the words: "The pieces are set; begin at your leisure"

Upstairs, in a lockbox beside a bed, a golden sceptre with silver inlay is discovered; it closely resembles the silver sceptre Raijko already carries. Chapthanglas carries the gold sceptre.

After resting for the night, the group rises. Banu has been reading the old historical accounts of Eastern Andoria, and discovers that the northeastern Dakk was once the site of a temple of some unknown significance. Banu is somewhat distressed that this location has seemingly been erased from modern historical records. Somewhat of a loremater, Banu has never heard of it.

Having further solidified his stance that the northeast Dakk is the place to go, and knowing of no crossing within the city limits, the group sets out westward to the Eastdoor. The corpses from the previous days battle are missing, except for a single hand belonging to the elf from the lennox outpost. Baart takes it with him, presumably for pickling purposes.

Banu prattles on about how The Dakk was once Thedakk forest, and a site of great significance to dwarves and elves; the city of Caludaar was built collaboratively: the greatest dwarven stoneworkers of an age had their works augmented by elvish magic, and wonderous works of architectural majesty rose, only to fall into ruin shortly after the cataclysm sunk Thedakk into the Queensbay.

He explains that several bridges once spanned the Meersmire river, yet only one remained: The Rotstone Bridge (it's original name lost to the ages). On the northern shore, the Eastdoor (or Arcsgate) stands watch.

The Eastdoor and Rotstone Bridge

Kram, evidently feeling quite sprintly this evening, made a mad dash across the bridge, with some friends in tow. Kram also noticed some faded runs etched into the stone of the arch as the approached, that read: "Friends, and friends of friends, may pass." As they reached the far side, four menacing wolf-like creatures, 12 foot tall if they were a foot, emerged from behind fallen rubble. The barren woods beyond are dimly lit by the watchful eyes of hundreds, if not thousands, of bogwolves looking on.

The Eastdoor and Rotstone Bridge

The creatures spoke with the party telepathically, forbidding their passage. The party attempted to bargain their way through, to no avail; Fugazi going so far as to present the dark orb for their consideration. As they balked at what they perceived to be a mere trinket, Chapthanglas (in ape form) sprung into action, landing beside his allies and tossing the Golden sceptre high into the air in a flash of apey showmanship. One of the wolves promptly grabbed the sceptre, and made off into the forest beyond, as Xanveria managed to sink an arrow into the flank of the fleeing wolf. Before she did this, Banu told Xanveria that he may have an answer, and vanished into thin air.

Raijko continued to attempt to persuade the wolves to let the party pass, claiming the party was friends with Queen Ezmei (no help there); the wolves stated that they were bound by and loyal only to one known as Adrohuun.

The wolves lept down from their perches, and approached.

Items Acquired:

Motivations

Session 5 - Legs for miles

After Fugazi successfully used her mouth words to drive off the wolves, the party set off in pursuit of the lost sceptre and, hopefully, Banu. After tracking the wolf for several hours northeast, the party came upon a wide depression in the shadows of the northeastern mountains, in the middle of which stands a large fortress, speared by an even grander tree. Fugazi recognizes the tree as a rare thoral tree of elvish tending.

The Thoral Tree

The party, tailed by scores of bogwolves quickly spies Banu locked in combat with the wolves of Eastdoor, blinking in and out of view. They quickly go after and overtake the combatants, brazenly wading into the fray.

After a short but viscious exchange, the wolves lay dead, and Banu is gravely injured. He, as well as some of the party members, bare wounds that cannot be fully healed. The party decides to investigate the mysterious structure. Crossing the frigid waters via a hidden walkway (raised with the help of the ornate scepters), the party came to a large staircase rising to a set of enormous doors; finding no way to open them, an underpassage was discovered, breached, and barricaded, and sleep came.

Waking some time later, the party ventured deeper into the darkened passageways, fending off creatures made entirely of human legs, and finding a single ornate iron key.

Items Acquired:

Motivations

Session 6 - A time for reflection

Nursing their wounds from their previous leggy encounter, the party found themselves stepping lightly as they found themselves traversing a heavily booby-trapped hallway. Kram and Loopi set off finding traps the hard way, nearly killing Loopi, as the rest of the group investigated a library and, by way of a hole knocked open in the northern wall, a small, formal living chamber.

Embedded in the broken wall is a large, 20ish-foot-high iron golem, rusted and heavy. The party notices a key-slot shaped hole in its head, and attempts a few methods of rousing it (to what end, nobody knows). BAART's detect magic spell reveals an unexpected finding: the hand of the elf they took from the Ruins of Caludaar glows faintly with the symbol of the orvothian. When brought into close contact with the orvothian dagger found in Gheen's chamber, the edge glows a dull red.

Xanveria quickly discovered an interesting quirk of the room: A large mirror which, when making direct eye-contact with one's own reflection, allowed the reflection to speak - incoherent and panicked at first, it soon regained its composure thanks to Fugazi's brandishing of a certain mysterious orb.

Meanwhile, Arthas recalls aloud a time in his past that Dinbrook's misfortune reminds him of: a time whne his entire body was taken from him by some unspeakable evil; he lost himself entirely in that time.

Through an inquisitive back-and-forth, the party learned that the sole denizen of the mirror realm was none other than the Miersmo Dinbrook of Dinbrook's foul-up fame - the wizard of legend long Believed to be responsible for the sinking of The Dakk. (Xanveria recalled that mirrors of this type were not uncommon among magic users, but were usually smaller and required a more deliberate action to summon their captives).

Dinbrook asked after the year (2541 of the common era, by the party's reckoning), and realized he had been trapped for the better part of four centuries. He asked about the temple, and explained to the party what had actually become of him:

400 years ago, Dinbrook was one of many wizards investigating the mystery of the temple. As was understood by many at the time, The Dakk had originally been a swamp in much the same way it was in the present day. During the age after the arrival of the First Four in Andoria, elves and dwarves inhabited the plains and mountains surrounding The Dakk, and regarded the area with relative indifference, until one enterprising adventurer with as-of-yet unheard of powers bent the forces of nature to his or her will and raised The Dakk, allowing it to drain and, over time, turning it into the famous verdant forest known well throughout modern histories.

The Lifter remained in the area for some time, until, for unknown reasons, made it known that they were to depart. At the insistence of the dwarves and elves of Thedakk forest, a mechanism was created and imbued with elemental power designed to maintain the forces that kept Thedakk lifted above the floodplain.

And so the temple was founded to guard and maintain The Earthrise Mechanism, until it too was abandoned, but not before it was well secured with powerful magic fortifications. Dinbrook claims he was able to gain access and retrieve certain relics that he took for his personal study. On one such forray, while examining the central mechanism beneath the Thoral tree, he suddenly found himself in the midst of a chaotic, violent fight; dark figures wielding powerful magics were locked in battle with lightly clad elves and dwarves, as magnificent mechanical contrivances waded into the melee. Prior to the opening salvos of the fight, he had thought he was alone.

Dinbrook managed to escape intact to the room in which they party found him. He claims his imprisonment was the result of his mishandling of some magic device that he attempted to activate in his haste to escape.

He helps the party realize that the mirror also shows objects otherwise invisible and ethereal when not viewed through it; some sconces that neatly hold the scepters are placed around the room, some wooden staves that fit into the sides of central table, and a sand bowl in the middle of the central table.

The party uncovers that runes in the walls light up when the scepters are placed within, and manages to activate the central spiral staircase of the room by rotating the table with the mirrored staves. The party ascends.

Xanveria, lingering behind, takes part in a frustrating and unproductive exchange with Dinbrook, as he makes a case for his release by making vague allusions to some unknown treasures that only he may access. He also suggests that, perhaps, writing some rune in the sand table may be of assistance. Xanveria refuses, and ascends the staircase. Above, witnessing Kram attempt to shove Banu over the banister into the courtyard below, Xanveria quickly descends back into the underpassages and quickly scribbles the orvothian runes into the sand - awakening the iron golem.

Expertly blending into her surroundings, the golem immediately climbs the central staircase, loudly announcing its presence. Fugazi, piecing something together, deftly slides down the staircase, narrowly avoiding a swift and messy death, and escribes the elvish word for 'HALT' into the sand bowl, instantly deactivating the golem which crashes violently back down to the base of the staircase. The party retrieves a third scepter, and proceeds to descend into the temple's main courtyard.

Inspecting the small room beneath the thoral tree, the party discovers a large, flat, circular table, attached to which are four angled arms bearing slots to house the scepters. The table also has a large circular indentation in the center. Realizing that they lack a scepter, the party turns its attention to the large domed structure in the southwest of the courtyard; they approach the large hole in the northwestern dome wall.

Peering inside, the party finds a large empty chamber filled with tepid water and, at the center, a stone pillar topped with mounds of gold. Loopi, demonstrating the his monkly dexterity, prompty falls into the water attempting an acrobatic leap, rousing from the depths a large black dragon.

Items Acquired:

Motivations

Session 7 - Earthrise

Having driven off Tharr, the party retrieved the final sceptre and retreated back to the enclave basement, but were assailed by the much larger black dragon Adrohuun. Loopi bravely attempted to hold his ground while the otherse fled; this did not last long. Finally reaching safety, the party took actions they believed would release Dinbrook from his silvered mirror captivity; he reappeared, nude, in the bedchamber above.

Deciding to attempt to activate the mechanism, the party moved under cover of darkness to the chamber beneath the Thoral tree while Dinbrook remained behind to keep watch and lend what aid he could from afar. Inserting the sceptres into the mechanism’s arms, a deep hum began to emanate from the earth below, vivid runes covering the chamber walls began to glow - and Adrohuun returned.

The sceptres seemed to be channeling energy from the four exterior towers; noticing one beam was misaligned, Xanveria ascended the tower to correct the focusing lens.

Once corrected, the party realized the missing piece of the puzzle were the pendants they had taken from Dinbrook’s tower. Prying out the inset gems, they reassembled the focusing lens and finally activated the Mechanism, violently dissipating whatever dark presence hung below, as the barren tree suddenly burst into full bloom. Adrohuun turned to ash, Tharr was mortally wounded, and the distant mountains appeared to be slowly sinking into the ground.

Motivations