Land of the Lost: Session 10 Report
General Summary
Exhausted and wounded from the battle, the party returned to Sanctum to recover. For four days, aided by the skilled healers of the Lost Hope, they read their books and waited for their bodies and spirits to return to fighting condition. During this time, Serqet and Ton worked on developing an explosive that would destroy the column the abominations had made their home in, and the Hermit explored its recesses, seeing if anything of value could be recovered or anything of harm could be destroyed.
The party also took this opportunity to get to know the mute Ahedyn they had saved from the dungeon in the pillar. She seemed unable to speak the language of anyone at Sanctum but could communicate by projecting her emotions and thoughts into the minds of others. While not perfect, it did allow her to communicate with the party, garnering trust in them to the point where she agreed to journey with them. After much deliberation, the party settled on calling her Athena as she could not recall the name she once had.
A Cat-Kin/Horse-Kin Bryd of the warriors of Sanctum named Helianthone, who had fought valiant alongside the party, joined them along with her companion, an Otter-Kin named Augustus.
On the fifth day, they said their goodbyes and prepared to continue their journey. They traveled to the Hermit’s home at the end of the bridge leading out of the Lost Labyrinth. There, the Hermit fulfilled its agreement with the party to train them in a skill of their choosing in return for helping eradicate the infestation. It also told them that their best hope for reaching the Lost City of Pallium was to follow in the path of the Varyn as they had proven themselves to be adept navigators and mighty warriors, though it did urge them to move swiftly as any obstacle cleared by the Varyn would likely be replaced by a greater one, as these were the circumstances that had allowed the hive to grow as large as it had.
Equipped with new skills and fully recovered, the party crossed the bridge and stepped into the open air for the first time in many days. They found themselves in a valley surrounded by snowcapped mountains. The melting snow resulted in many creeks and even rivers streaking down the mountainsides, forming a reservoir in its basin. While most of the members of the party could swim, there were a couple that couldn't. This proved not to be an issue as the river flowing out of the reservoir had several large rocks sticking up from above the rushing water. Helianthone had difficulty hopping across and nearly fell in but was able to make it across with some help from Ahgythah. Athena also did not know how to swim but leapt from rock to rock with ease.
Though the snow runoff had washed away most signs of travel through the area, the party was able to deduce the Varyn had traveled up and over a hill to the south, entering another valley with a smaller river running through it. As evening drew near, a storm rolled in, unleashing a torrential downpour on the party. Struggling to keep their torches lit in the darkness, they heard a voice shouting out to them from up ahead. As they drew nearer, they made out the dark silhouette of a tall barricade with multiple armored figures standing atop it. It seemed they had come across the walls of a settlement. The voice challenged them again, asking for their name and purpose. The party explained their mission and intent to not cause trouble as best they could over the rain and thunder and the guards atop the wall opened the gate to allow them in to seek shelter. They had a structure for such purposes but required that the party surrender their weapons for the night, promising to return them in the morning after the captain of the guard met with them. Several members of the party, namely Helianthone, refused to surrender her weapons. Perry, not wanting to spend the night in the rain, attempted to convince Helianthone with a couple fists to the chin, but this only made matters worse. The guards, after seeing this display of aggression, told the party that they were no longer welcome to take refuge within their walls. They would have to find shelter in one of the nearby caves and could return in the morning to speak with their captain.
Cold and dejected, the party trudged through the rain in search of a cave. Thankfully, it didn't take long, and they were soon straining their clothes, fur, and wool and warming themselves by a fire. After some study and a warm meal, they drifted off to sleep with two of the eight at a time standing watch throughout the night.
The night was uneventful for the most part, but Perry, who stood the last watch, spotted something lurking between the boulders below the cave. He only caught glimpses of it when the lightning flashed overhead, but it was clear something was watching them. Choosing to go on the offense, Perry lit a torch and walked to the mouth of the cave, stopping just before the wall of water pouring over its entrance. When the next flash of lightning illuminated the valley, the creature was nowhere to be seen.
As the first of the Three Suns rose, the party packed up their gear and made their way back to the gate. Though the rain had ceased, the ground was still muddy and slippery.
Upon reaching the gate, the party was able to see that the guards consisted entirely of Dryn. They were allowed inside on the condition that they surrendered their weapons while meeting with their captain. Helianthone and Agustus wished to maintain their weapons, so they remained outside the gate.
Those that surrendered their weapons were ushered into a stone structure. Inside was a circular table with a fierce looking warrioress sitting across from them. All the furniture was uniformly sized for Dryn, so Ahgythah, Jack, and Perry all sat on the floor while Devyn and Je'Olt sat on their shoulders. Only Athena was the appropriate size for the chairs.
The woman introduced herself as Orik Fang, captain of the Valley Guard. She questioned the party about their mission and whether they had any association with the Varyn. She seemed relieved that the party had never met the Varyn nor swore allegiance to them and deemed the party not a notable threat. She informed them that the Varyn had come through and had acquired a map of the caverns leading deeper into the mountain -just shy of violence. The Varyn's stay had not been pleasant and the elders gave them the map to speed their departure. The party would also likely want a map before proceeding with their quest, but they would need to earn it either through trade or service. Additionally, the party would be accompanied by sixteen guards at all times should they cause any trouble. On a final note, she warned them that displays of magic were strictly forbidden while within their walls.
The party’s weapons were returned, and they were escorted into the valley. The gate was at the lowest point of the valley with a trail sloping upward at a gradual incline aside a flowing river. Halfway up the valley, they came to two bunkhouses. One would house the party and the other would house the guards assigned to them. They were encouraged to leave any equipment they wished not to carry with them in their bunkhouse. Special emphasis was placed on leaving their weapons, but they would not prevent them from retaining their arms. The world was a dangerous place after all, so they felt it rude to deprive their guests of the means to defend themselves. The party, of course, elected to hold on to their weapons.
From their bunkhouse, the party surveyed their surroundings. There were five points of interest that caught their attention.
- The first was the mouth of a large cave in the western wall of the valley. They were informed that this was the cave that the Varyn had ventured into nearly half a month ago.
- The second was an enormous squared arch protruding from the southern wall of the valley. This, they were told, was the gate that their deity, Lex, had charged them with opening so they could return to the land of their ancestors: their true home.
- The third was the collection of structures to the east and southeast that seemed to consist of the majority of the structures in the valley. Most of the inhabitants lived in this centralized collection of structures, the most notable is the multistory hall on its eastern edge where most official business is conducted.
- The fourth was a set of tall, metallic pillars topped by a great ring of the same material on the southern edge of the village. This they called the Halo: the conduit of Lex, their deity and protector.
- The fifth was an obelisk protruding from a grove of trees to the northeast. This was called the Gravestone on which the names of all their deceased ancestors were carved.
Tasked with finding members of the community to help in hopes that their elders would grant them a map of caverns, the party headed towards the Halo. Guarded by a dedicated band of warriors, the Halo seemed to be made of a strange metal, was dotted with small, blinking lights, and the air reverberated with a faint hum. They were met by Arch Vela, the High Priest of Lex. He was very welcoming to the party, honoring their presence among those faithful to Lex. The party inquired about their deity. He told them how they had found this structure when their ancestors emerged from the caverns upon the return of sunlight to the world. Not all are able to hear its voice, but those that do are tasked with interpreting the words of Lex and guiding their people in this strange world. The main message of Lex was that the gate needed to be opened so that they could return home.
Perry, curious about this deity, asked if he could attempt to listen to Lex. Arch consented and instructed him to sit upon the pedestal in the center of the Halo, though he did inform him that not all Dryn, much less any Anthrope, could hear Lex's voice. Perry wanted to try anyway and ended up spending nearly ten minutes sitting in silence.
While Perry sat, the others began to look around the Halo. Athena was approached by Bren, the Caretaker of the Halo. She told her that she was the most likely of their group to hear the voice of Lex as she was a Dryn. Hesitant at first, Athena did try to listen once Perry had finished trying. She was also not able to hear Lex's voice but was able to detect fluctuations in the vibrations within the Halo, synchronizing at the pedestal. The vibrations intensified when light from the suns broke through the clouds overhead and illuminated the Halo, but she was still unable to hear a voice.
Their curiosities about Lex as sated as they could currently be, the party made their way towards the Gravestone. Upon reaching it, Augustus, Devyn, Helianthone, and Perry elected to make their way to the village instead, having lost interest in the Gravestone as soon as they reached it. The four-meter-tall obelisk sat on the edge of a cliff looking down over the valley the party had been in the day before. Sitting near the cliffs edge was a woman, talking to herself as if she were reciting a story. She took no notice of the party at first, so they investigated the Gravestone. None of them were able to read the symbols carved into it, but they were able to notice a shift in style and even components of the symbols as they traveled further up the obelisk, suggesting that their written language have evolved somewhat over time.
Shortly thereafter, the woman noticed the party and approached them. She introduced herself Vera Sal, the Historian. It was her duty to memorize, recite, and pass on the oral history of their people. She was able to give the party a more complete account of their history. The earliest kept history of her people was from when they dwelt in the caverns beneath the mountain because the world's surface was covered in ice and snow. When warmth returned to the world, they emerged from the caverns and into the valley, finding the Halo and Lex. She did not know where the Halo came from or how long it had been there, but the condition they found it in suggested that it had been subject to some degree of destruction apart from the ice and snow. Much of the structure was beyond repair and had to be repurposed, leaving the most intact parts as the current structure.
Vera continued her oration, explaining how Lex had taught them how to use the metal, stones, and trees to fashion tools and build structure, allowing them to quickly raise their defenses as it seemed the rest of the world was also emerging from beneath the ground as the world continued to warm. This also led to the discovery of the Gate as they had begun to remove stones from that portion of valley's wall to build their structures. It was at this point that Lex informed Iris Alo, the 4th High Priest of Lex, that they needed to do all they could to open the gate and return home. This event had obviously not come to pass and while most had come to accept that they would likely not live to see it opened, there were still a committed few that spent their days doing whatever they could to open the way home.
Meanwhile, the group that had elected to go to the village encountered Jorun Garth, the lead architect of the valley. New homes needed to be built for their growing community and the party's combination of both larger and smaller builds compared to the Dryn were able quickly outpace the builders, erecting structures far quicker than they had anticipated, much to the joy and amusement of the villagers. A crowd soon formed, cheering as the larger of the two easily hoisted large beams and stacked heavy stones while the smaller two scurried atop the structures, guiding the beams into place and fastening them together with ease.
Satisfied for now with Vera's reciting of her people's history, the rest of the party chose to walk across the valley to the Gate. Upon their arrival, they found a small hut with an elderly man sitting outside it, seemingly deep in thought. Without opening his eyes, he addressed the newcomers, asking what knowledge they wished to learn that they had not already learned at the Gravestone or the Halo. Surprised by this apparent clairvoyance as Dryn rarely demonstrated abilities that even hinted at magic, they took an interest in him and inquired how he knew. The man introduced himself as Kar Chron, a former Seeker of the valley that had spent much of his life exploring the surrounding region. He explained that he was not aware of his ability to sense the thoughts of feelings of others until after he retired seven years ago, suspecting that it was the culmination of strange encounters throughout his career that had gifted him the ability. His gift was not always reliable or even fully within his control, but it did seem to give him special, although often erratic, access to the will of Lex. He claimed to be able to hear the voice of Lex even from outside the Halo and that Lex had given him visions of their home beyond the Gate. He couldn't provide many details of his vision except that it was a place not unlike their current home. Obviously, this had led to his community to writing him off as deranged or senile, so he built himself a small hut next to the gate and spent his days envisioning their home and hoping to live long enough to see it in person. He also told them about Cas Twyn, the engineer of the Gate. It was her duty to learn it inner workings and determine what was needed to open it.
Following this curious interaction, the four returned to the village. Here, they joined their companions, who had just completed their work for the day. Together, they sought out Cas Twyn, hoping to speak with her before night fell.
They found her near the meeting hall of the village, dressed in clothes burnt, stained, and torn from what looked like a lifetime of tinkering. On her hip was chained a large book that, while in better condition than her clothes, seemed far older. Strange devices and tools also hung from her belt.
She was pleased to see the party as she always made it a point to speak to any outsiders that came to their village, hoping to learn of something that may help her in her mission to open the Gate. The conversation proved fruitful as the party told her of the tinkerers of the Lost Hope at Sanctum: Serqet and Ton. The Seekers had been banned from entering the Lost Labyrinth after too many had entered and not returned, so Cas was not aware that a civilized settlement had been established within it. She explained that the book on her hip contained a record of everything her predecessors had learned about the Gate and what experiments they had conducted. Despite having taken the mantle of its engineer six years ago, she had yet to devise a new experiment, make a new discovery, or otherwise contribute to the book. While not confident that she would live to see the Gate opened, she would deem her life a loss if she could not add to the book, so she asked if the party would be willing to escort her and a detachment of troops to Sanctum so she could meet with Serqet and Ton. She understood that the party was on a quest of their own and that granting her request would delay their progress, but she promised that such kindness to her and her people would not go unrewarded. Unsure, the party requested that they have time to consider.
As the last of the Three Suns set of the eastern rim of the valley, the party returned to their bunkhouse. Two guards remained posted outside while the remainder retired to the adjacent bunkhouse.
Once inside, the party quickly noticed that something had disturbed their equipment. Though it did not appear like anything was taken, nothing was where they had left it earlier that day. It didn't take them long to find an adolescent girl hiding beneath one of the beds. She quickly begged that the party not to harm her or alert the guards and showed that she was not in possession of any of their items. She further begged that she be given a chance to make a plea to them, explaining that she was a member of a faction within the valley that had either lost confidence in the sanity of Lex, the existence of Lex, or that the Gate would ever be opened, wishing to depart the valley and find a new home for themselves. This sentiment had grown stronger in recent months as there had been many adventurers that had passed through their village in search of the Lost City of Pallium. It was clear that many more would follow and, if their recent encounter with the Varyn was anything to go by, there would be others that would not be so kind to her people. The Varyn had nearly resorted to violence to acquire a map of the caverns, and they feared it wouldn't be long before another group mightier than their guards would arrive and plunder, enslave, or kill them. She knew, from speaking with many of the Seekers, that the only way out was through the Lost Labyrinth and asked that the party provide her with a map so that those that wished to could take their chances in the Labyrinth. She offered to "acquire" a map of the caverns for them as well as some of the equipment their seekers used for exploring the caverns.
Not wanting to cause any issues with the community that had been so welcoming towards them, the party was hesitant to help her for fear that doing so would put her in danger. They also remember that explosives crafted by Serqet and Ton would likely drastically change the layout of the Labyrinth, assuming they had not already been detonated, potentially making it impassible. However, they did sympathize with her fears.
Unsure of how to proceed but not wanting to deny her any assistance, the party decided to escort Cas Twyn back to Sanctum to meet Serqet and Ton. They reasoned that this would give them a chance to map a new path through the Labyrinth to provide to those that wished to leave the valley. This would also connect the Lost Hope with the valley, potentially forging an alliance that would allow them to grow and thrive within the Lost Mountains beyond what they would if they remained isolated. The Gate was also a point of curiosity for the party, spurring them toward doing what they could to see it opened, even if that meant returning to the valley at a later date.
While not the arrangement the girl would have preferred, it was better than nothing and she looked forward to their return from Sanctum. Without another word, she removed a floorboard in a back corner of the room and disappeared beneath it. The party, not wanting another unwanted visitor, pushed one of the bunkbeds into that corner, hoping that it was the only hidden way into the bunkhouse.
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