Session IV: A New Face Report

General Summary

The party stay at the Beast Lord's Shrine for the night, eating fresh venison, gored and cooked by Asterius. Asterius introduces them to an Indigo Faerie Dragon during this time, offering that he could guide them through a faster, but more dangerous route through the mountains.   Sylak casts a powerful illusion spell, showing a perfect copy of the Worldshade Mountain Range just outside the Shrine, to show them the path. A small yellow shine appears above the ground, leading towards a small cave entrance, low in the mountains. Slyak tells them it leads quickly to the top of the range and the party quickly ask if he will accompany them through it. Agreeing to do so for a favour he'll ask of them later, they set off, Sylak content to amuse himself with their antics from a distance.   Upon reaching the caves, they begin a steep climb, Niamh demonstrating her ability to shapeshift by transforming into a Giant Spider and carrying them much of the way with ease. As they reach an opening, next to a pool of freshwater, they rest, in hopes that they'll reach the exit by morning. During this rest, however, they are interrupted by a flash of light during Gek's watch. Sylak investigates, somehow managing to swindle two favours from the party in the process, and informs them that some glowing creatures are busying themselves with something across a large chasm. Though they don't immediately present a hostile threat, the party take caution and don their gear.   Shortly after this discovery, loud, thudding footsteps were heard approaching the spot, before flashes of light burst out. Something had made its way to the creatures, and it had killed all three of them in the span of but a few seconds. The party jump to their feet, preparing for combat but eager not to be seen at all, and begin to wade through the shallow water in an attempt to muffle their footsteps.   During a tense moment of uncertainty, they notice distinct splashes of items falling in the water from the direction of a waterfall to their left. Moving out of the water, fearing a potential ambush from behind, they hide again behind broken pillars and rocks. Soon a crate, one of the items tossed in the water just moments earlier, washes up on shore, provoking Niamh to pick it up. As soon as she was content it wouldn't immediately blow her hands off her wrists, she shoves it into her backpack and they continue forward.   Troglodytes, strangely in such a clean-smelling environment, sniff the party out and combat breaks out, the large creature still unaccounted for. Gek attempts to climb a nearby cliff, only to run into a group of three Troglodytes laying in wait. As Niamh shapeshifts into a skunk to disorient them and Arthur cuts down the few in their presence, Gek launches two of the Troglodytes off the cliff to their deaths. Having escaped and regrouped, they rush in the direction of the exit Sylak pointed out to them. Still trying to avoid the hulking monstrosity that had been following them this whole time.   As the party finally make it to the exit, they find it still swarming with more Troglodytes, guarding two Elven men, cowering from another in the opposite corner. Dispatching them takes time, especially as a shaman begins to actively slow their progression, and soon the monster that had lurked in the shadows until now shows itself. A huge frog-like body, covered in vermillion red scales, creeps its way to the back of the party, panicking them and urging them to leave post-haste. It never strikes at them, however, instead slowly walking its way up to the three captives. Gek fires a bolt of lightning at it, but it shrugs it off and quickly regenerates the damage dealt in seconds.   They rush for the exit, knowing an unwinnable fight when they see one. Gek stops to inspect the third, unconscious man before leaving and sees a writhing form underneath his ribcage, cracking it as it moves. During this moment of interest, however, the Troglodyte Shaman takes the opportunity to spray Gek with a noxious poison cloud, knocking him unconscious and forcing the others to carry him to safety at the top of the stairs. The Giant Monster simply slides its claw into one of the remaining pair, before pulling back. The party saw nothing more, much less than eager to stick around and experience the consequences of that action.

Rewards Granted

• A small box of unappraised gemstones.

Character(s) interacted with

• Asterius
• Sylak, an Indigo Faerie Dragon