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Wed 11th Sep 2024 07:29

Of Temples, Tombs, and Secrets

by Tristan el'Mer

After leaving the temple built by, or for, Trella we returned to Elturel briefly. Virgil commissioned an amateur adventuring group to go back to the temple to retrieve the Beholder in hopes of getting it stuffed. Why he wants such a grotesque looking thing as an adornment is quite beyond me.
 
Whilst there we received word from Leosin that the Harpers had spotted Varam the White near a particular stopping point in the Serpent Hills called Boersker’s Bridge along with the admonishment that time was of the essence.
 
So off we set. Finding out that Varam had indeed been in the area was not too difficult. It seems he had somehow managed to make himself somewhat of a hero to the locals. Conrad was able to pick up their tracks easily enough, and we began pursuit. Conrad also noted that another was following the cultists, which we surmised to be the Harper Agent we’d be told to look for.
 
When we found Crella’s camp, for that was her name, she was not in it. It looked as though she should be though. Conrad was able to pick up what was her most recent trail and it was not long before we found her. She had been snatched up by a small group of hill giants! This is the day I learned that hill giants hit HARD. It made me grateful we had managed to talk our way out of fighting whilst in the Floating Castle. Cloud Giants are reputed to be a great deal more powerful than Hill Giants, so I cannot imagine that would have gone well for us. In any event, we were able to vanquish these lesser giants and free Crella. We spent the night back at the camp she had previously set up.
 
In the morning Crella showed us where the cultists had gone – some sort of cave or temple or some such. Creepy would be the best way to describe it I think. Sprawled in front of the entrance was a dilapidated group of buildings, looking very old and in a terrible state of disrepair. We found an abandoned campsite belonging to the cultists with blood splattered everywhere, and several freshly dug graves. Unable to discern what had caused the mayhem we moved on toward the entrance. Some ancient magic at work within two large statues inquired as to what we sought. Nuri and I both replied in unison ‘wisdom’ and the statues seem satisfied with that. In we went.
 
The first bit of this incursion remains a bit fuzzy in my mind. Perhaps it was the constant buzzing in my head, no doubt the result of a failed magical spell, or perhaps it was the sheer amount of discordant information my eyes were seeing, or perhaps it was unbelievable nature of everything that happened, I really just cannot be sure. In short though, we were all assaulted by some sort of spell. All but Virgil managed to stave off the intrusion, but it turned him mad. He dashed further into what we now believed to be a temple or tomb dedicated to someone named Diderus, and in doing so managed to spring a magical trap that set loose a chimera made of floor tiles. With Virgil running about like a madman it took a bit to knock the chimera out, and its breath attack left several of the party in poor shape. Conrad was able to get Virgil to quit running amok and things settled for a few moments. Little did I know things would only get stranger as our quest to track down Varam the White and the white dragon mask continued.

Continue reading...

  1. Goblins and Wargs and Minotaurs, oh my!
    16th of Flamerule, 1486
  2. To Greenest
    17th of Flamerule, 1486
  3. Greenest is the Blackest
    18th of Flamerule, 1486
  4. On dragons, monks, and shite
    19th of Flamerule
  5. Ethereal Me
    20th of Flamerule
  6. Revelations
    21st of Flamerule
  7. The Cave of Triumph and Terror
    22nd of Flamerule
  8. Liches Give Stitches, and other Horrors of the Dark
    22 of Flamerule
  9. The Long Road Ahead: Part I
  10. The Long Road Ahead: Part II
  11. The Long Road Ahead: Part III
    Midsummer
  12. Sleeping on Splinters
    Mid Uktar
  13. The Convergence of the Bizarre and Unlikely
  14. Castle Capers: Part I
  15. Castle Capers Part II
  16. Castle Capers Part III: Shadows of Darkest Light
  17. Castle Capers Part IV: Visions of the Past & Hints of the Future
  18. Mountain Dream Houses and How to clear out the vermin you find when you arrive:
  19. Through the Woods, and into the Air, to Blathokus’ House We Go!
  20. Castle in the Sky, I Can Fly Twice as High
  21. The Ice is on Fire
  22. The City of Splendors
  23. The Journal Entry’s title
  24. City of Splinters
  25. Faces, Masks, and Catnip
  26. Doppler DupliCity
  27. Amorphisms
  28. High in the Skies and Deep in the Ground
  29. Aberrations and Apparitions?
  30. Of Temples, Tombs, and Secrets
  31. The Journal Entry’s title
  32. Whispered Revelations
  33. Varam the Whipped
  34. The End of Many Ages
  35. Fridgid Waters, Fidgety Gnome
  36. Into the Lion’s Den, ehrm.. Dragon’s Den
  37. Severin’ the Snake’s Head
  38. Ghosts, Ghouls, & things that go bump in the night
  39. Black & White; Green & Grey
  40. Ancient Future
  41. Pig’s Pearls
  42. Jade Herrings, Elven boots, Hidden Ruins, Concealed Silver
  43. Scale Broken

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.045 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 01:15, Jun 3 2025