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• Arhian Vos – Human Monk
  • Pet: Pabu (Young Red Panda)
• Hartmut Helmsworth – Elf Monk
  • Pet: Kalistia (Young Blink Dog)
• Sindri Waggletop – (Forest) Gnome Wizard
• Rettniss Kulvith – Water Genasi Druid
  • Pet (?): Vindri (Sindri Voodoo Doll)
• Avacyn “Jolyne” Uloth the Merciless – Half-Orc Paladin
• Twilight Skybane – Tiefling Bard
  • Pet: Gem (Sailor Parrot With A Mouth)
  • Pet: C.C. (Copy Cat, Mimic Bag Of Holding)

• Rettniss awakens and discovers that there’s a note from the party that they’ve headed up to scale Redstone
• Kalista seems eager to lead Rettniss; and first begins blinking around the room excitedly, and Rettniss realizes that Kalista could easily track Hartmut
• Kalista first leads Rettniss to Locked Potions and then to Dwarven Steal, before running (and blinking) down a path that exits the town and heads for a large area that could be used to scale up the mountain side. Rettniss begins to scale upwards, as Kalista blinks up the mountain side, perching herself on small ledges, until she gets to the same cliff face that leads to a massive temple, high above the clouds; it’s here that Kalista seems to indicate going forward; however, the dwarven spirit guardian is there
• However, unable to speak Dwarven – Rettniss takes note of the claw marks on the wall that seem to indicate someone – or something scaled the wall – Rettniss makes her way up the wall, carefully scaling it – and climbs into the window on the second story – she finds herself in a room that looks to have been abandoned hundreds of years ago – as she moves from that room – she hears sounds up ahead and makes her way there.
• She spots several grey robed figures – standing in front of a large, adult, red dragon – and over hears them say, “… and join the Queen… or you know you and any of your kin and offspring will be forever cursed.”
• The red dragon – who you know to be Searscale – booms in response, “I will not serve a Queen who has done what she’s done.”
• Just then, Rettniss sees her party members near the grey robed figures
• Rettniss notices a large hole in the ceiling, which explains how Searscale comes in and out – but it’s not large enough for Searscale to easily move about
• Searscale booms, “Now take your filth and leave my abode.”
• One of them shouts, “The Queen will send everyone after you.”
• Searscale sneers, “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
• Just then – one of the Draconians turns – and sees the party and draws a weapon, shouting, “We’re under attack!”

• Searscale seems interested on how the party will deal with the situation in front of them
• Twilight drops Faerie Fire and lands it on several of the Draconians – but purposely avoids targeting Searscale, who could have easily been added as a part of the targets – this makes Searscale smile

• Since Twilight rolled a Natural 20 on Initiative, she then followed up with a Bane on several of the Draconians (see my House Rules for Natural 20s and Natural 1s)
• However, the Draconian Infiltrator who was also ready for combat – doesn’t take kindly to Twilight casting Faerie Fire and Bane – and strikes at Twilight – and strikes hard… twice. One of them a critical strike!

• A foot soldier rushes to Twilight’s side – but his swings miss – Hartmut goes to assist Twilight – and nearly slips –

• Hartmut is able to stun the Infiltrator – and Avacyn rushes in to help – and delivers a killing blow – however, upon the Infiltrator’s death – it’s body explodes – spraying acid all around – spraying on Avacyn – but she uses Inspiration to avoid it at the last moment
• One of the Dreadnaught’s runs up on Twilight – and also lays into her –

• Searscale seeing the party helping decides not to use his breath weapon – so he claws at bites and some of the Draconians, hitting each time – and takes down Twilight!
• Arhian manages to land a Critical Hit –

• The party, during combat, is able to stabalize Twilight – and Hartmut gives her a potion – and almost immediately, another Draconian rushes in on her – but his swings, are thankfully, clumsy and miss
• The party continues to take repeated hits – Rettniss is bloody, Hartmut is grievously wounded, others are covered in acid, bone shards – this makes Rettniss want to draw out Vindri who begins to Firebolt some of the Draconians
• When victory is finally in the party’s hand – everyone is badly wounded, potions have been consumed, and piles of acid, bones, and other such things that the party never expected when the Draconians were killed…
• Searscale mentions that Tiamat has awakened; it would seem a series of events led to this.
  • The release of a fallen angel named Verastin, who became so obsessed with cleaning evil, that any minute amount of evil suffered his wrath – so the gods had to imprison him. With him released back into the world, the presence of evil crept over the world, a thick, black, blanket, that awakened those with darkness in their hearts.
  • This opened the path for the Dark Elves, who studied Verastin’s return and learned of a way to use that, to create a gap in magic that would allow them to awaken their Spider Queen goddess named Lakrona (L’orak’ana). Thankfully, her high priestess, a Drow named Krill’ith Grix’thall was stopped, otherwise Lakrona would have had a foothold on the mortal plane. Her priestess defeated, she was forced to ascend to the plane of the gods, and in doing so, slew eight gods – one for each of her legs.
  • However, this had given Tiamat an idea. If she could find a powerful priestess, she could enter the world and take it from the gods.
  • Thousands of years ago in what is now known as Drastor, there stood a temple dedicated to her. Drastor was once a lush forested area, with rivers and lakes, and whose beauty was said to be beyond the description of words. However, an elf bent on the destruction of destroying orcs – and all he deemed ‘evil’ and a ‘threat’ – the lengths in which he went to do this made the gods furious – and they wiped Ilyx from the map – the beautiful forest, now a barren, magical wasteland of sand. It was after this time, that the faithful to Tiamat gathered, drawn there by the desert’s magical energies. It was the perfect place to open a gateway to allow Tiamat to enter the world.
  • What happened after the temple was completed, I do not even know, for that predates me by several hundred years. But it seemingly vanished, along with the followers.
  • But now Tiamat calls the chromatic dragons back to Drastor. I would have gone… until she shared her vision. The draconians you saw – those were not dragonborn. They are the corrupted eggs of our enemies – the Metallic Dragons. As much as I loathe the Metallic Dragons, to tamper with their unborn eggs, and twist them into soldiers to fight for Chromatic, goes even beyond me to abide by. Give me a metallic to fight evenly, and I will do so. But to take their children before they’re born? I can not side with one who would do such a thing.
• Wrapping bandages around her wounded arm, Arhian looks up at Searscale who asks, “What brought the lot of you up so high into Redstone Mountain’s Tops? If you were here to kill me, I would have assumed your bard would have targeted me in the Fairy Fire spell – but I noticed she did not.”
• “Funny story,” Arhian moans as pain shoots up her arm. “There’s a hag who… took my friend, a red panda, from me when I was not in my room… and left a note that said we were to come up here and get rid of you. But we don’t want to fight you. I am not sure why the hag needs you gone – apparently you’re a threat to her.”
• Searscale smiles, “Oh, I am indeed a threat to her. But it’s not me she wants gone, young adventurer. It’s the presence of… goodness. An angelic presence that even I sense here… I have felt it… still feel it… and I admit, perhaps it is what gave me the courage to disobey my Queen. I have even heard her voice… and know her name know. It would seem that Zenafel has devised a potential trap for the hag you speak of, who goes by the name Krysinda. Long has Krysinda tainted the caverns of Redstone, using foul magic and creating portals to enter Kne’Urth from the Dark Feywild… to abduct children and commit atrocities… and Zenafel feels partially responsible because it’s her angelic blood that has allowed Krysinda to taint the power source…”
• “What kind of trap?” Arhian asks.
• “Well, Zenafel has never had a champion,” Searscale explains, “someone of true faith in the gods of light, who was willing to help… the power in which this trap requires… is such that the knowledge is beyond mortals – and so it would require Zenafel to scribe the book that will be used as a trap… it will create a rune that banishes Krysinda out of Redstone forever, and punish her by placing her in a realm or magical area that Zenafel recently detected that prevents anyone from leaving… however, this requires Zenafel taking possession of a willing target to scribe this book.”
• “You must ensure,” Searscale adds, “that none of you read the book – you may lose your sanity. However, Krysinda is well versed in ancient arcane… she will be able to read the book – but before she realizes what it does it will banish her to this magical prison Zenafel recently sensed.”
• Arhian steps forward, “This is all for me and my friend, Pabu. I will volunteer myself to be possessed by Zenafel.”
• Arhian sees a beautiful female angel appear before her – and Arhian suddenly becomes rigid and begins feverishly writing in an language that is not legible to anyone
• “How do we get to the hag’s lair?” Arhian asks
• “Return to where you first entered to chase her down… the portal will take you somewhere within her dark realm… you may not land in the same place… but it’s a portal she keeps open to travel back and forth…” Searscale explains.
• Searscale offers to take the party down the mountain, riding on his back, which the party agrees to.
• Searscale drops them off just outside of Redstone – and the party makes their way to the Nightshade Inn and takes a long rest…

TO BE CONTINUED.