Session Preface
The morning begins with a sudden, harsh jolt of the ship running aground as Bibble unceremoniously announces your arrival along with other indecipherable musings. After gathering your belongings and sharing an infuriatingly tangential negotiation with the kuo-toa securing the round trip nature of your journey, you find yourself standing on the shore of the foreboding Darklake with nothing but stone walls and a staggeringly high set of gnome-sized stone steps before you. With no alternative, you begin the agonizing climb to Blingdenstone.
As you begrudgingly trudge up the seemingly endless stone stairs to the large iron gates looming in the distance overhead, you reflect on the series of dizzying events and realizations which have brought you here in search of a traitorous priest and the results of his corrupt machinations. A missing prophet, a half-devil murderous heathen, a dragon in a crystalline cave, a secret dragonborn clan of outsiders, an army of orcs and their Chosen king, and now, a strange journey into the Underdark facing ancient monstrosities and the lingering questions still unanswered.
Climbing the final stair with aching legs and burning calves, you find yourself before a solid iron gate. Worn, dented, yet standing sturdy and steadfast, the gate looks as though it has seen centuries of conflict. Two deep gnomes in leather armor and iron caps watch you closely through glaring eyes. One calls out to you, his voice raspy and words sharp. "Outsiders! State your business. Enter Blingdenstone if you mean for trade or other work in good spirit. Else you best find yourself back down them stairs and off to where you came from. What shall it be?"
Session Summary
With the svirfneblin initially hesitant to letting the party into the city, Endriel convinces the gnomes they mean to bring important information to Yantha, the leader of the Stoneheart Enclave, and eventually make their way through the gate and the subsequent labyrinth of caverns beyond.
The party then explore the trader's grotto on the way to the Ruby in the Rough, the temple described to them where they might find Yantha. Instead, they meet Golden Gorger, the head priest of the temple to the dark gnome god of nature and death, Seojan Earthcaller. The priest shares a bit more details about Blingdenstone and Yantha's schedule before taking the opportunity to learn about the surface dweller's faiths and explaining some of the culture of his own.
Following their trip to the temple, the party makes their way to the tavern in search of the Enclave leader.
The Foaming Mug
Crossing the threshold into the tavern, you observe a warmly lit, tidy fest hall with surface-dweller height ceilings and a mix of varyingly sized tables and chairs spread throughout the chamber. In the center of the room a fire blazes in the hearth. A single slab of stone stretches the far length of the room, serving as the main bar behind which a pair of svirfneblin prepare drinks. In the room beyond the bar, a dwarf curses loudly while sampling what appears to be a stew of some kind. As you observe the patrons, it isn’t difficult to notice the lone white dragonborn sitting with his back towards you at a table with several empty tankards in front of him.
While Endriel keeps an eye on the room from the entryway, the two dragonborn brothers have a long conversation with the dejected and defeated Dradke. While speaking through gritted teeth at his frustration and blaming of his failures on the two brothers, Dradke reveals and confirms his involvement in Cyric's unfolding scheme and the other events transpiring in Avraathe.
Dradke's Confession
“At first I knew the voice whispering to me was not of the platinum dragon. But it spoke an almost truth, something I could cling to. The voice gave me hope, comfort. I knew it not to be the full truth, but it was enough to allow myself to believe, if only for a moment. I found rest. But soon after, I realized the voice was not acting for my benefit, but for its own gain, but you know what? I stopped caring. You do not know the weary and annihilating despair of outliving your legacy, your pride, your child. And so I found that merciful justice is not the obedience and discipline our bahamut would ask of us. It is the comfort in slipping into the numb half-truth of a lie and letting yourself rest within it. Deception is mercy when truth is pain. And that whisper told me it could take the pain away. It told me it would have the power necessary to bring back my Lautrec. And we are close. We are so close.
And then, the prophecy. Speaking of an Outsider, a Heathen, and a Chosen and the three-as-one. Well, who else would it speak of but me? An Outsider from birth - I am of clan Dradke by adoption only. I’m nothing more than the bastard son of some lowly Spine of the World wench. Am I anything but a Heathen who accepts the whispers of another god and acts upon them as truth? And Chosen - I was elected to this position and set apart by my fellow council members to lead us through this time of chaos and uncertainty. This seemed to me a sign of Bahamut’s approval. Perhaps not the means, but the end - look what we have built - an Avraathe which is steadily rising from the ashes of defeat and waking to a new day of success and devotion.”
Once the dragonborn brothers learn all they can from Dradke, Parathrax speaks plainly to the priest, encouraging him to consider the mistakes he's made and see himself not at the end of hist story, but with a chance to still be on the right side of history somewhere down the line. Even with this kind gesture, Dradke responds with a condescending remark, but notes "perhaps the prophecy was right about you after all."
The party then makes their way to a separate chamber of the tavern and enjoy spicy drinks and seafood curry unique to the Underdark, meeting chef dwarf Ergor Bouldermantle who enjoys seeing surface dwellers and sharing his unique spice blends with them. Finally, after two hours of relative peace, the party is greeted by Stonehart Enclave leader Yantha Coaxrock.
Yantha explains the role of her faction in protecting the city, as well as giving more context to the political diffusion of power between the defacto mayors, Uthegentel as a respected hero of the people, the Mining Guild, the traders, and the Burrow Wardens. Throughout the conversation, the dragonborn explain the Augery, which Blingdenstone knows as the Exousia and believes to be a holy relic of the Earthcaller, as being stolen by those working for Cyric. Without other proof, Parathrax escorts Yantha back to Dradke, who then in a sloppy drunken stupor, reveals the Augery was indeed stolen by a tiefling who was hidden in an invisible chest and then delivered here to help Uthegentel create the Platinum gems.
With this understanding and the potential that Uthegentel is not the selfless hero he portrays, Yantha offers to try and help the party by keeping the Wardens and Enclave clear of their efforts as long as they agree to try and work with Avraathe to help Blingdenstone however they are able. With this agreement in place, the party treks to the Palace to confront Uthegentel and recover the Augery.
The Palace
Stepping forth into the Palace courtyard, you instinctively count a dozen svirfneblin guards in leather armor with pick axes held across their chests, another half dozen on surrounding balconies. Your eyes are then drawn across the room, where the Augury rests in a stone arcane mechanism of some kind. The glass orb encasing chaotic, swirling arcane energy crackles and hums with raw energy. On the platform beyond, a hulking Drow with short white hair and heavy plated armor stands, leaning against the pommel of his longsword. An expression of amusement spreads across his face, the white teeth of his sickly smile in sharp contrast to his dark purple skin and vibrant red eyes.
“I see the pathetic priest has wasted no time in leading you here. Perhaps he seeks some measure of revenge for his newfound worthlessness. Or perhaps he hopes to send you to your death as some retribution for his poor, dead son. Either way, I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy this.”
Uthegentel immediately descends upon the party with weapons drawn, casting a magical field of darkness around them. With magical arrows which seep the life force of their targets as well as the chaotic use of the Augery, the party quickly find themselves up against the ropes in the fight against the former weapon master and his deep gnome devotees.
As the fight continues, the party gradually overtake the drow as the wild magic of the Augery whittles down the svirfneblin guards and Uthegentel is worn down by several critical strikes by Endriel and the combination of eldritch blasts and divine smites from the dragonborn brothers.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Vorothruun deals the lethal strikes to the disciple of Cyric, shouting "Your kingdom of lies will crumble under the gaze of Ragnalla" as he obliterates his enemy. As he does, he seemingly blacks out, receiving a new vision from his patron.
Surrounded in the starless void and enthralling presence of the Dread Queen, her all-seeing eternity’s gaze looks towards you and through you beyond dimension and desire.
THE THORNS OF DECEIT GROW RAMPANT IN THE RAINS OF A TERRIBLE UNTRUTH TEARING UP ROOTS ONLY INVITES THE SOWING OF SEEDS UNSEEN WHICH SPREAD THROUGH A WEB OF SUFFERING TEAR AWAY THE UNBELIEF AND DETHRONE THE FALSE GOD KING WHO SEEKS THE THRICE CROWNS ONCE MORE FOREVER MORE CHOSEN OF THE SEEKER OF THE SKIES
As the party takes the first few deep breaths following the battle, Parathrax finds himself transported into a waking vision from Bahamut, exploring the Platinum Dragon's home plane and receiving Bahamut's blessing as his Chosen.
AoA.Lore Chosen of Bahamut
With time of the essence before the rest of the city discovers what has befallen Uthegentel and his allies, the party quickly gather the drow's hidden magical items of value, the Augery, and a series of documents discovered in the weapon master's office. Vorothruun also casts Speak with Dead to force Uthegentel to provide additional intel, learning both he and Malus worked for an individual called "he who wears many faces" and "the one who carries Cyric's blessing."
Yantha returns, devastated by the loss of life, but understanding the necessity of defeating Uthegentel given his betrayal of both Avraathe and Blingdenstone. She helps navigate a series of hidden corridors to safely return the party to the waiting koa-toa ship and crew.
AoA.Lore Uthegentel's Hidden Documents
Over the next few days, the party return to Mantol-Derith, sharing news with the Harper Ryvia before returning to Avraathe to deal with the fallout of Dradke's betrayal and their recent revelations of Cyric's greater plans for the Sword Coast.
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