Session III - The Feathergale Spire


Our heroes head into the Slumber Hills, starting their journey towards the Spire in the distance. After a few hours trekking, they find themselves at the entrance of the Sighing Valley. After a quick scout from Owl the owl, the party decides to head into the canyon rather than following the ledge. They notice a cavern-like entrance on the western ledge and, thinking it might be an underground passage towards the spire, they head in that direction. Elthas scouts ahead, trying to move silently and out of sight but unfortunately, the piercing eyes of a griffon spots him advancing. Ensues a frustrating battle with a pair of winged lion eagles. Climbing to the nest, Trash finds two griffon eggs which he snatches, knowing those might be worth a small fortune to the right buyer. 




Spotting movement in bushes, some distance to the east, the party hurries in that direction to find a small community of Aarakocra. From his interplanar travels, Elthas picked up enough primordial dialects to manage some communication with the creatures. They tell a tale of an elemental cult residing in the tower, throwing creatures from the top of the spire to a certain death some 400 feet below. Although they are intent of rooting out this evil, they admit being in no hurry to risk their own lives while encouraging the party to move forth with their plan of invading the fortress, promising air support if things go sideways. 


Armed with this knowledge, the party sets on a safe retreat to Red Larch in order to recoup, sell the precious griffon eggs and find better equipment. Of all people, Endrith Vallivoe represents the most likely buyer for these rarities and, despite his negative disposition towards our heroes, they manage to strike a deal. 

The next morning, after recruiting Zomith to their cause, the party head back out towards the slumber hills, this time decided on confronting the cult head on. They walk in open fields towards the spire making no attempts at disguise or treachery. They are being observed by aeral riders, sitting on top of giant vultures from a distance until they reach a drawbridge. 



A jovial and pleasant novice by the name of Savra Belabranta welcomes the heroes. She seems genuinely happy to be having visitors and is eager to verbalize the Feathergale Knights' activity in the region. She's admits having to take drastic measures, eliminating bandits and pirates since the spire is not equipped with a jail. She says it is a knight's prerogative to protect the land and its inhabitants. 

She brings the party in front of Thurl Merosska, a well-built human in his early fifties sporting kingly armor and clothes. The lord commander welcomes the guests once more and answers their questions straightfowardly. The vultures are a nasty specie for anyone that doesn't know how to properly approach and tame them. He's not surprised to hear of accidents involving them killing the general population but ensures the knight's have nothing to do with such matter. When earth cultists are brought up, his face darkens and invites the guest to dinner, promising such matters would be discussed after a feast had warmed them.


Savra is pleased to have the guests handed to her once more and brings them to the stables at the bottom level of the tower where she is excited to show her new friends some of the giant mounts. While Savra is completely enamored by Halvarth's noble presence, a masked knight is watching closely as Elthas uses his magic to communicate with one of the stabled giant vulture. The creature is surprisingly intelligent and sounds as malicious as one can get. It answers in full sentences, not after attempting to bite his arm off through the metal bars in the door. Elthas learns the vultures have willingly decided to work with the knights which lead them to fresh humanoid meat daily. Dwarves seem to be out of the menu, however. The aviary creature tells a tale of dwarven prisoners which it was not allowed to hurt, and that were stolen by an enemy of the knights, further east in the slumber hills. 

After reconvening with the party and sharing this information, Klaes decides hes had enough. He grabs the knight by the collar and threatens him with violence unless he starts talking. After a bit of convincing and the mention of the earth cultists, the knight's face turns from fear to hatred as he starts spewing insults in the general direction of earth monks in a monastery. He says the Feaethergale Knights' queen, a certain Aerisi, would enact vengeance on all of the Spire's enemies.  

Meanwhile, Savra is panicking. Grabbing Halvarth by the sleeve she begs them to stop. She ends up admitting the knights are on a secret mission of mastering elemental air in order to annihilate Waterdeep's enemies and prove themselves worthy of their claim to land and nobility. 

Realising there is no way out for him, the knight draws his weapon and yells out for help fighting the intruders.  



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