20 - 8/9 : Past, Present and Future Evils
After a perilous trek through Tsolenka Pass, the group made their way up a foreboding trail that wound along the side of Mount Ghakis. Carved into the mountainside ahead was a temple with six large alcoves and a path descending into the depths below.
Above the temples entrance was an inscription carved into the stone that read:
"Azarial. The powers you beseech will betray you. I implore you, do not do this!" "My friend. We have suffered defeat after defeat against the Hyperborean legions. A whole host of ours was slain at Lake Crimmormere. Your brother... my friends. All gone. Its the only way" "I cannot follow you on your path. If you continue, your soul is lost." The vision shifts to Azarial standing before a muscular human, strapped to a large slab. She finishes her prayer, "My goddess, I ask for your blessing!". Lighting flashes behind her with a thunderous crack. She looks up for guidance, a slight whisper is heard as if carried by the wind. She nods, as if she knows what to do. Her followers gasp as the wicked, curved dagger she held, plunged into her stomach rather than the human. She falls to the ground, writhing in agony. Nobody rushes to help her as the life fades from her face. Finally she stops her movement, as her lifeless corpse rests on the ground. But as quickly as she fell, Azarial rises up with frightening speed. Her face, a pale white, her hands outstretched in wicked claws. With growing hunger in her eyes she grabs the human and drives her fangs deep into his neck. His flush face fades rapidly as every drop of blood leaves his body. Lightning flashes again, and the terrifying visage of Azarial fades away."
Some of the group, knowledgeable in history, knew some of the landmarks and locations above. Lake Crimmormere marked the battle of the Ancient Hyperboreans led by Polemarch Oerson. Far in the future this would be the site of multiple small towns such as Crimmor and Fairhill, and near the metropolis of Bard's Gate. Azarial was an ancient vampire who arose millennia ago to carve out a kingdom in the Stoneheart Mountains, but later was finally struck down by heroes who entered her domain and staked her. A secret passage lie beyond, revealing yet another room that delivered upon the group a strange vision.
The lights begin to dim as another vision takes hold over the room. Night sets in, but the surroundings are illuminated by lights whizzing past. One after the other they flash by, around 15' in the air and separated at 30' intervals they blaze by at blinding speeds. A strange smell overtakes you, one of smog, tar and oil. It is a city, but unlike any you have seen before. The buildings stretch higher than a mountain, and rather than horse and carriage, the streets are populated by all manner of strange metallic creature. A woman clad in black leather and wearing a strange helmet appears to be atop a metallic two-wheeled contraption. It roars with demonic fury as she winds in and out of larger, square metal boxes that seem to be on the road. At her speeds they almost seem stationary. The woman glances behind, someone is tailing her. Above the woman a light goes from green to red and she leaps into the air just in time to escape the crunching metal below her. She grabs the edge of the nearest structure, impossibly high and made of sheer glass the woman begins to scale it effortlessly. But her pursuer had quickly caught up, and a torrent of glass sprays around her. Carrying a metallic wand, the loud cracks can be heard as his spells send a torrent of metal up at the woman. She loses her balance as the glass shatters, her bones and flesh tearing with the onslaught. She slams into the ground, but leaps up to retaliate, silver oozing out of the many wounds she had suffered. It was too late. The man sported a large, walrus like handlebar mustache and a Stetson hat, but the vampire knew the real threat was the large weapon he carried. In one smooth motion he racked the lever, chambered a round, and sent it through the vampires neck. A perfect shot, it severed the spinal column and sent the head to the black street below. The man pulled out a small device and sunlight erupted from its front. As he aimed it down, the creature began to sizzle as if being burned alive. Slowly the flesh melted into ash, but no matter how much his light shined upon it the creatures shriveled right arm remained. He picked it up and examined it curiously. The man shrugged, placed it in a sack and began to walk off into the night.
While the group struggled to understand the meaning of this, but noted it as another peculiarity of the Jade Temple. To the south was another stairwell that descended into the darkness, but the group wished to explore the extents of the upper level before delving below. Back the way they came, Judge noticed something strange about the northern wall, and after some investigation the group from a valuable book hidden in its vault: a Tome of Understanding! The party returned to the entrance and began to explore the remaining doors. Near the entryway some bodies were discovered, barring an insignia that the group recognized from ancient history. The silver insignia of the Knights of Thyrs Light, the best soldiers of King Macobert. The king was known for uniting Akados as the Kingdom of foere in the wake of the fall of the Hyperborean Empire and a few hundred years after the pole realignment. He had a presence in the Plains of Mayfarrow and lost a host of knights barring this same insignia. The Knights of Thyrs Light were worshippers of the God Thyr and known for their destruction of the forces of darkness, including Shades, the undead, and vampires. With another piece of ancient history found, the group continued to the east and found a large statue. When Ireena noted that it lacked a head, Wixley investigated and found that it was hollow and lead to a secret room. Inside was a scroll, not useful to the party, but also a mysterious treaty. It dated back a millennia during the battles between the Monarchy and the Heldring of the Helcynngae Peninsula circa 2800. King Overking Osbert II had a grand victory over the Heldring and pushed them back out of the Foerdewaith lands.. To the north the passage seemed to have huge cracks, as though something large had walked here. The far eastern end of the upper level had another mysterious room, and a third vision took hold. Judge looked on in horror as his son knelt before the altar and delivered a prayer:
"O goddess of the night, my enemies come to thwart my dark designs
I am on the cusp of plunging the region into darkness, in your name
I beseech ye to lend me your strength, so that I may honor our pact
For my daughter Katya
Your faithful servant, Gilean Vel."
Before he could dwell on the ramifications of this, the vision faded and revealed two enormous statues that had come to life! The devastating Fellforged rained blow after blow on the group, but when it entered its defensive mode Wixley discovered that a well placed arrow knocked it out, leading it to be vulnerable to everyone else's strikes. From the room to the north, the commotion awakened a most terrible guardian, and a Jade golem emerged into the hall. It began to charge a devastating blast that Fabian failed to dodge, almost knocking out the sorcerer in a single blast of necrotic energy. The group forged on, hacking and slashing and using every bit of their prowess to strike down the Jade guardians of the temple. With them slain, the group returned to the tribal warriors and took a much needed rest, before preparing to continue their adventure into the depths of the Jade Temple.
If you seek honor or power, turn back - for these walls hold naught but doom
In jade tombs below, the darkness imprisons a timeless evil
This temple is infected with the scourge of malevolent divinity
Our arrogance and folly forged this place into a prison
Leave now, before damnation becomes your own.
In jade tombs below, the darkness imprisons a timeless evil
This temple is infected with the scourge of malevolent divinity
Our arrogance and folly forged this place into a prison
Leave now, before damnation becomes your own.
The Jade Temple
The stairs descended into a large cavernous temple. Its walls shone with Jade, giving it an eerie glow. The group noted the various directions, and decided not to descend down into the main chamber and explored to the west. Inside the room they heard voices, and after scouting with a small rat decided to attempt to negotiate. Inside the group found Helwa and her Bloodspears, a band of warriors from the tribe Yaedrag that lived in the mountains. They were here as a right of passage for Helwa, who if she survives one week within these forsaken halls, she will be worthy of being the heir of her father Chief Sigrid. One of the tribes own, a warrior named Bjorn, had been slain ands body being protected by a large Winter Wolf. Wixley and Qiao offered to investigate, offering their medical knowledge and experience to discover the source of the death. She agreed, and the two realized that the markings on the bodies back were not from any beast, but rather a manufactured weapon of steel. It seemed the weapon was likely an axe and had two distinct points to the blade. With a lead, the two quickly scanned the room and spotted that Frida, who had acted figity earlier, was carrying a weapon that certainly matched the wound in Bjorns back. Wixley used her telepathy to warn Helwa of her treachery, and the leader sprung into action and had her wolf quickly disarm the treacherous barbarian. Frida admitted to the killing, and seemed to indicate that whispers told her to commit the murder. Helwa tied her up, and planned to bring her back to their camp at the end to await punishment. When Helwa landed on the floor, an emblem she had tucked into her shirt fell out and rolled across the floor, landing at Qiao's feet. She picked it up and examined it, its markings clearly that of evil. She pocketed the emblem for now. Helwa offered food and lodging in her safe room should the group need to rest. With a safe spot acquired, the group continued on into the temple. To the north the group found a passage down, but decided to explore this level more. Ahead the group found a strange room with a miniature model of the Castle Ravenloft itself. It had cutaways showing many of the interior rooms, and Fabian took notes, as soon the group would be assaulting the castle itself. Judge examined the castle himself, and noted that when tapped it echoed as though it were hollow. With a sudden thud, Judge smashed the castle and revealed its secret. Inside was an artifact, the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind! With its power secured, the group continued to the north. A strange room with an illusion of a dining room was found, but it did not seem to be dangerous. A single item was discovered to be real, and the group pocketed the Jade Ewer. The door exited to a balcony overlooking the main hall before continuing north. The entire party was entranced by the statue in the room, and were it not for Qiaos inner peace that shook off its mesmerizing effects, the entire party might have starved in this frigid tomb. Qiao slapped judge and the two managed to bring the others out of their stupor, as Judge hacked apart the evil statue. The next room had a strange shaft that ascended 30' to the ceiling above which contained an iron chest. After some deliberation, Wixley attached to it a hope and had Judge yank it open. Suddenly the floor dropped out and tons of rusty swords dropped out, but none were caught by the clever trap. An altar stood in the room that followed, but as the group entered the rooms lights dimmed, and a mysterious vision appeared before the group. Two elves appeared to be talking to one another:"Azarial. The powers you beseech will betray you. I implore you, do not do this!" "My friend. We have suffered defeat after defeat against the Hyperborean legions. A whole host of ours was slain at Lake Crimmormere. Your brother... my friends. All gone. Its the only way" "I cannot follow you on your path. If you continue, your soul is lost." The vision shifts to Azarial standing before a muscular human, strapped to a large slab. She finishes her prayer, "My goddess, I ask for your blessing!". Lighting flashes behind her with a thunderous crack. She looks up for guidance, a slight whisper is heard as if carried by the wind. She nods, as if she knows what to do. Her followers gasp as the wicked, curved dagger she held, plunged into her stomach rather than the human. She falls to the ground, writhing in agony. Nobody rushes to help her as the life fades from her face. Finally she stops her movement, as her lifeless corpse rests on the ground. But as quickly as she fell, Azarial rises up with frightening speed. Her face, a pale white, her hands outstretched in wicked claws. With growing hunger in her eyes she grabs the human and drives her fangs deep into his neck. His flush face fades rapidly as every drop of blood leaves his body. Lightning flashes again, and the terrifying visage of Azarial fades away."
Some of the group, knowledgeable in history, knew some of the landmarks and locations above. Lake Crimmormere marked the battle of the Ancient Hyperboreans led by Polemarch Oerson. Far in the future this would be the site of multiple small towns such as Crimmor and Fairhill, and near the metropolis of Bard's Gate. Azarial was an ancient vampire who arose millennia ago to carve out a kingdom in the Stoneheart Mountains, but later was finally struck down by heroes who entered her domain and staked her. A secret passage lie beyond, revealing yet another room that delivered upon the group a strange vision.
The lights begin to dim as another vision takes hold over the room. Night sets in, but the surroundings are illuminated by lights whizzing past. One after the other they flash by, around 15' in the air and separated at 30' intervals they blaze by at blinding speeds. A strange smell overtakes you, one of smog, tar and oil. It is a city, but unlike any you have seen before. The buildings stretch higher than a mountain, and rather than horse and carriage, the streets are populated by all manner of strange metallic creature. A woman clad in black leather and wearing a strange helmet appears to be atop a metallic two-wheeled contraption. It roars with demonic fury as she winds in and out of larger, square metal boxes that seem to be on the road. At her speeds they almost seem stationary. The woman glances behind, someone is tailing her. Above the woman a light goes from green to red and she leaps into the air just in time to escape the crunching metal below her. She grabs the edge of the nearest structure, impossibly high and made of sheer glass the woman begins to scale it effortlessly. But her pursuer had quickly caught up, and a torrent of glass sprays around her. Carrying a metallic wand, the loud cracks can be heard as his spells send a torrent of metal up at the woman. She loses her balance as the glass shatters, her bones and flesh tearing with the onslaught. She slams into the ground, but leaps up to retaliate, silver oozing out of the many wounds she had suffered. It was too late. The man sported a large, walrus like handlebar mustache and a Stetson hat, but the vampire knew the real threat was the large weapon he carried. In one smooth motion he racked the lever, chambered a round, and sent it through the vampires neck. A perfect shot, it severed the spinal column and sent the head to the black street below. The man pulled out a small device and sunlight erupted from its front. As he aimed it down, the creature began to sizzle as if being burned alive. Slowly the flesh melted into ash, but no matter how much his light shined upon it the creatures shriveled right arm remained. He picked it up and examined it curiously. The man shrugged, placed it in a sack and began to walk off into the night.
While the group struggled to understand the meaning of this, but noted it as another peculiarity of the Jade Temple. To the south was another stairwell that descended into the darkness, but the group wished to explore the extents of the upper level before delving below. Back the way they came, Judge noticed something strange about the northern wall, and after some investigation the group from a valuable book hidden in its vault: a Tome of Understanding! The party returned to the entrance and began to explore the remaining doors. Near the entryway some bodies were discovered, barring an insignia that the group recognized from ancient history. The silver insignia of the Knights of Thyrs Light, the best soldiers of King Macobert. The king was known for uniting Akados as the Kingdom of foere in the wake of the fall of the Hyperborean Empire and a few hundred years after the pole realignment. He had a presence in the Plains of Mayfarrow and lost a host of knights barring this same insignia. The Knights of Thyrs Light were worshippers of the God Thyr and known for their destruction of the forces of darkness, including Shades, the undead, and vampires. With another piece of ancient history found, the group continued to the east and found a large statue. When Ireena noted that it lacked a head, Wixley investigated and found that it was hollow and lead to a secret room. Inside was a scroll, not useful to the party, but also a mysterious treaty. It dated back a millennia during the battles between the Monarchy and the Heldring of the Helcynngae Peninsula circa 2800. King Overking Osbert II had a grand victory over the Heldring and pushed them back out of the Foerdewaith lands.. To the north the passage seemed to have huge cracks, as though something large had walked here. The far eastern end of the upper level had another mysterious room, and a third vision took hold. Judge looked on in horror as his son knelt before the altar and delivered a prayer:
"O goddess of the night, my enemies come to thwart my dark designs
I am on the cusp of plunging the region into darkness, in your name
I beseech ye to lend me your strength, so that I may honor our pact
For my daughter Katya
Your faithful servant, Gilean Vel."
Before he could dwell on the ramifications of this, the vision faded and revealed two enormous statues that had come to life! The devastating Fellforged rained blow after blow on the group, but when it entered its defensive mode Wixley discovered that a well placed arrow knocked it out, leading it to be vulnerable to everyone else's strikes. From the room to the north, the commotion awakened a most terrible guardian, and a Jade golem emerged into the hall. It began to charge a devastating blast that Fabian failed to dodge, almost knocking out the sorcerer in a single blast of necrotic energy. The group forged on, hacking and slashing and using every bit of their prowess to strike down the Jade guardians of the temple. With them slain, the group returned to the tribal warriors and took a much needed rest, before preparing to continue their adventure into the depths of the Jade Temple.
Portraits
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