The Wyrm and the Worm
Greenwyrm Vale, 26th of Sow
General Summary
The party reentered the Graveyard of the Ancestral Kings, with a contingent of Prince Raolin’s guards, to find it had been torn apart, presumably by the spirit monster they had run from previously. The bones of the kings and the equipment that had been buried with them had been torn from the tombs and strewn around the floor. The traps that had hindered their escape had been destroyed, yet there was no sign of the monster itself.
The party briefly discussed going through the weapons and armor, but the rebuke that Prince Raolin had given them previously about their mission being delivering a message of danger, not robbing tombs lingered and they opted to leave things alone. A magical silence descended on the chamber between the desecrated tombs, so the party proceeded cautiously. As they reached the archway at the far end, a slight sound from above alerted Hado and he was able to react in time as the spirit creature dropped from the ceiling a spat a cone of poison at the group. Ultimately, superior numbers won out as the party and the guards drove the spirit back into the next chamber and were able to seal it back within its magical prison.
Examining the chamber, they discovered that there were no obvious exits, but four draconic runes on the floor were translated as meaning “summon”, “travel”, “fire” and “water”. Activating the “travel” rune, the party caused a portal to appear and stepped through it into an open field, leaving the guards behind.
They were unsure to their location, but the sun seemed right in the sky, so they thought they could not have gone far. The only thing around was a small graveyard containing a single mausoleum and several old, moss covered gravestones, surrounded by a short iron fence. Deciding that enough time had been wasted, the party got their bearings and headed north, assuming that this would lead them towards their destination – Porthy, the capital city of Greenwyrm Vale – and the king to who they were taking a warning and plea for help.
They had not gone far when 5 men materialized around them, taking defensive poses but not immediately attacking. Their leader, Josef Sandor, wore the symbol of The Silver Covenant and he told them that they were tasked with protecting this end of the portal in case the Greenwyrm Demon Spirit were ever to escape. The men seemed relieved that the party had dealt with the spirit and reimprisoned it and told them that they would take them to the main road, a few hours travel away. The party considered trying to avoid any encounters with the invading force by staying off the main road, but decided that time was f the essence and they had to risk it.
During the walk, Josef explained the history of the Greenwyrm and his Demon Spirit form and how it came to be imprisoned within the Graveyard of the Ancestral Kings. After some time, the party realized that they should have reached the road and asked Josef about it. The man told them that it was just over the next rise, but Thurstan immediately realized that he was lying and warned the group, using Elvish and Draconic. Marvroth immediately confronted Josef who, at first, tried to talk his way out of things, but realized that the party had caught on to him and called out to his men to kill the party.
A short battle ensued whereby the party quickly cut down Josef’s men and Josef himself found his spells ineffectual against the group. Josef turned and ran, but was halted by a well timed Command spell by Marvroth. Hado and Thurstan attempted to get information out of Josef, but succeeded only in Thurstan getting a faceful of spit.
Josef attempted to stab himself in the chest, but Thurstan stopped him. However, the respite was only temporary. Deciding that the man was not going to give up any useful information, Marvroth sent an arrow through his throat, killing him instantly.
Searching the bodies, the party discovered that, though Josef’s symbol was nearly identical to the one worn by Silver Covenant members, it was in fact made of platinum, not silver. Strange, then, that Josef had known of Manault, the young mage the party had assisted near Vale Tower.
They also found a letter on Josef’s body, telling him that Price Raolin was sending a party through the Graveyard of the Ancestral Kings and that they should intercept and destroy them. Clearly the letter had been sent from inside Pastow by some agent working against Greenwyrm Vale. A worm in their midst. But was it one of the Prince’s men, or did the party have a traitor amongst them?
As dusk fell, the group settled down in a nearby hollow, which seemed to have been the camp of the men that had tried to kill them, and they spent an uneasy night with a careful watch.
Report Date
02 Jun 2018
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