Session 02
General Summary
Before creating a planar portal and stepping through it into the dangerous realms of the
Shadowfell, Camero decided it was prudent to do some futher research. He looked as much as he
was able into the the realm of the Raven Queen and also into this group calling themselves the
Ashen Covenant and their leader Elder Arantham. It appeared that Elder Arantham had once been
the most senior priest in the Church of Pelor on the whole planet. He had intentionally become
undead and now was on a crusade to change the very nature of death itself, such that all creatures
would end life as undead. Arantham had managed to find a way into the ancient and supposedly
sealed centre of the Shadowfell, known as Death's Reach. This place had been sealed by the gods
at the end of the Dawn War, at the beginning of time, but Arantham and his followers had
somehow penetrated it and were even now pillaging it of ancient artifacts and treasures. This
meddling had caused a soulfall - a number of souls who should have gone to the Raven Queen on
their deaths had apparently found their way into Death's Reach and been lost. Something needed
to be done.
Magma Force met in Cauldron at the Church of St. Cuthbert, which was just about to be
demolished to make way for a brand new Cathedral, being paid for by the flocks of worshippers
coming here to pray at Saint Braken's church. They gathered around Camero and he spoke the
powerful words enscribed on the scroll they had been given in the market square a few days earier.
A portal sprang to life and through it they could see a simple stone dias.
As the ritual was completed, Gotrek had another of his recent visions. In this vision Gotrek and his
dwarven companions were just finishing off the battle with the orcs and goblins beseiging the
fortress. However Gotrek spotted one dwarf who was not right. He realised he was the infamous
Malglurien, who looked like an undead dwarf in this vision. Gotrek challenged him and the
mighty dwarven warlord turned to face him, his infamous axe Boneshredder in hand. Then Gotrek
was back in Cauldron watching as his friends stepped through the portal Camero had opened. He
quickly followed.
The group emerged in a strange location. They were on a stone pedestal. Ahead of them was
another portal glistening with magical light. Standing there was a female shadar-kai, or at least an
illusion of one. She welcomed them in what appeared to be a programmed speech. She told them
that to reach the 5th gate, where she was waiting for them, they would have to pass the first four
tests. She said that the monks of the temple would meet them at the first gate and guild them
onwards. She said they must approach the final gate "pierced by death's thorns, bathed in holy
water and with raven skull and holy scriptures in hand". She told them that as they passed each
test a Fate Pillar would light up in the mists and they would be able to see these pillars. It seemed
there was nothing else to do but step through and meet the monks who would be awaiting them.
Stepping into the next portal the found themselves in a silvery lit area, surrounded on all sides by a
white impenetrable mist. Ahead stairs lead up to an open area which was itself surrounded by
mists. Inside this open area was a large open topped building. The building ran from nearly ruined
to looking like it was built yesterday across its construction - Braken told the group this was
typical of temples to the Raven Queen in many parts of the world and it signified the passage of
life from birth to death. Striding up the stairs the group could not help but notice something was
wrong. Instead of being greeted by monks, the smell of smoke and blood was in the air and as they
neared the building they saw many, many bodies - those of the monks who were supposed to be
greeting them. Drawing weapons Magma Force advanced.
Suddenly a horn-helmed woman in the crimsom and black colours of Orcus bearing the shield of
the Ebon Riders strode into view in the middle of the building ahead. She cursed Camero in the
name of the Demon Prince with an extremely powerful curse which left him reeling. As she did
she called upon the dead bodies of the monks to rise at her bidding and they did so. Hordes of the
undead shambled and clambered their way over and across the ruins directly at our heroes. Battle
was joined!
The heroes quickly realised that these undead were very nasty - cutting any of them down sprayed
cursed and evil blood and guts everywhere, which burnt our holy heroes with horrible necrotic
power. In addition to the hundreds of ghouls that were advancing on them, two horrific looking
creatures with bat wings flew to the top of the building where they threw their evil spells down at
the group. And all this time the death priestess of Orcus cast one curse after another at the party
from the safey of the building centre.
The hordes of ghouls were stopping Gotrek and Morgan from getting to the death priestess leader,
but eventually they were thinned out till there were not many left. At this stage Morgan was left to
enterain them with Camero blasting them with fire, and the rest swarmed into the building. The
death priestess was never going to last long once Magma Force got her in their clutches and she
was soon cut down by their combined power. This left the two wretched flying creatures but they
weren't hanging around now that their leader the death priestess had been brought low. They flew
off into the mists to who knew where.
Taking stock the party stripped the death priestess of her magical armour and mace and then
looked about. Threee paths led off through the mists and the party debated which one to take.
There were also large numbers of shadowthorn bushes in the area which were particularly nasty.
Realising that one of the comments the illusion made to them was that they needed to be pierced
by thorns Braken volunteered to sit in the shadownthorn for a while. St. Cuthbert would not allow
his newly canonized Saint to be harmed by such thorns so although they pierced his side, he
ignored the pain and soon a vision came to him of a raven. The raven spoke to him and warned
him that Zvomarana was under attack and that they should hurry to the aid of the Raven Queen! In
the distance a large pillar sprang to light to the north through the mists. It appeared they had
passed the first test and had lit one of the Fate Pillars.
The question was, what should they do next...?
Report Date
11 Apr 2024
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