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Dacys – Noble Dragonborn Monk (Amiee)
Urthez – Folk Hero Rogue (Charles)
Twig – Soldier Barbarian (Jake)
Zelona – Noble Paladin (Tam)
Kai – Sage Bard (Sami)
Brolimir – Sage Druid (Matt)

The following morning Varick came to the Ivory Vale, and sought the heroes out at the Lion’s Mane tavern. He told them that, through his time leading the goblins, he had heard of the wolves, who had also proved problematic to the goblins and had some information that could be useful if they were going to investigate. He explained that during one of the patrols, they had spotted several men, in robes, with an odd marking on the front; which he could not determine in the dark, what the symbol was, heading into a cavern at the base of Shadow Peak Mountain.

The party thanked Varick for his help. Before leaving, Brolimir had gone to the post, where various jobs were posted, and noticed that there was one for a missing persons named Martimeer, the son of the old, sage of the Ivory Vale, Marcella. The missing person’s poster spoke of his scar over his left eye, as an identifying mark. The party gathered and followed the path outlined to them by him by Varick.

The party eventually arrived at the base of Shadow Peak mountain, where they spotted the entrance to a cavern, just as Varick had said. The party approached with caution and heard chanting from inside the cavern. Urthez used his roguish ability to stealth into the cavern where he observed several cult like members, standing in a circle chanting. He listened to what they were chanting, but could not make out the words. He launched an arrow into the back of one, as the others charged in and engaged in battle. They quickly tore through the cultists. Urthez noticed that the hall continued in this room, where they found another cultist; though this one seemed more prepared, and wielded dark magic; using his power to seize control of Dacys and using her to attack Twig, the other largest threat. Twig was beaten to unconsciousness, but the cultist fanatic was soon killed, which freed Dacys of his magical commands. The party noticed that this human had much more hair on his face, and that his features were distorted, as if his body were going through some form of transformation before being killed. This fanatic was worshiping a nine foot statue of what appeared to be a humanoid hyena. Among his possessions was a note, about how an elf and his dog had come into the cavern, fleeing from a pack of wolves; and that the animals had become “tainted” and were now drawing too much attention.

Making their way through the cavern; the party found a pile of bodies, most of which appeared to have been ripped apart by animals. Urthez began searching the bodies, when one caught his attention; a body, grasping tightly to a bag. As Urthez tried to pull the bag free, the body rose up; and it turned out to be a zombie. The party quickly dispatched the zombie and took the bag, and found several herbs within the bag. Brolimir checked the zombie, and verified that it was Marcella’s son, Martimeer.

Continuing; the party encountered a pack of hyenas in the cavern, and engaged in combat with them, learning that these were probably the animals that were feeding on the bodies in the other room. The party encountered hyenas several more times in the cavern, as well as a rust moster, and some stirges, before encountering something they had never seen before – a pack of gnolls, who fought viciously, severely wounding the party. The party took a breather here, hoping to rest and recover some of the wounds they had earned.