Session XIII - Towards Westbridge

 Surrounded with the corpses of dull grey skinned dopplegangers, the party slowly makes its way inside the temple. An open air courtyard is home to a twenty-foot tall statue of Sharindlar, the dwarven goddess of fertility and love. Her face carved with a warm smile and her open arms extended in a welcoming gesture is in disturbing contrast with the stench of this place along with long strains of dried blood staining the floor tiles and walls. 

Slowly exploring the place, the party finds an old dwarf, poorly hidden under blankets who is silently weeping while looking terrified of his own shadow. He presents himself as Philip and explains he came to this place in pilgrimage with his extended family to celebrate his eldest son's marriage. A few days ago a group of humans looking for refuge were admitted to the temple, as is custom. Shortly after, some of his family members started disappearing while others were acting strangely until, out of nowhere, his own son decided to plunge the cutting edge of his axe in his bride's forehead. 

From there, the humans had all but disappeared and a handful of his family members enslaved the rest, every few hours butchering someone to eat him raw. 

Making their way upstairs, our heroes find three more dwarves with weapons drawn. Acting relieved to see new faces, the dwarves pretend having been hidden here to avoid the bloodshed. Wanting to verify their identity with magic, Halvarth convinces one of them to take him by the hand. Before he could finish his incantation, however, the dwarf swings his war hammer. Expecting yet more subterfuge, our heroes were ready for this attack and emerge into combat rapidly.

One of the so-called dwarf morphs into a large ugly and fiendish looking creature while yelling obscenities and flinging his massive glaive while wielding evocation magic. Noticing the armor protecting the creature is made of iron, Trash evokes heating magic to make the giant creature's accoutrements quite uncomfortable.

After ridding the place of the remaining monsters, the party finally investigates this ceremonial room. Steps rising towards a wide alcove in the north wall lead to a large stone altar on top of which, the heroes recognize the same runic magic as was imbued in the stone slab both at the Sacred Stone Monastery and near the Feathergale Spire. In one corner of the room, they also find a old leathery bag which contains a tattered and poorly kept but nonetheless prized dwarven books previously carried by Bruldenthar. 

Broken mining equipment along with grooves at the base of the altar reveal the monsters were likely attempting to break it open. Exhausted, wounded and completely tapped out, our heroes decide to leave this all for the morning and invite the refugees behind the safety of closed door to spend the night. 

Taking turns to stand guard, Elthas hears the irregular beat of a wounded flying creature, rapidly making its way towards the temple. He notices a shadow momentarily obscure the moonlight as it passes in front of it before Dilic violently crashes in one of the interior wall, stumbling on the ground, between life and death. Force feeding him with a magically enhanced berry stabilizes his condition enough for him to reveal the unfortunate events leading to the death of Rarak and Oukirr. 

With a sense of urgency that is uncharacteristic of Aarakocras, he says having witnessed people accompanied by fire creatures leaving the Scarlett Moon Hall and heading for one of the human settlement in the vicinity. Wanting to avoid a catastrophe, Dilic and his friends decided to confront them but were bested. 

After completing their night's rest, and despite the imminent danger to Westbridge, our heroes make one final stop in the ceremonial chambers where they hope to decipher the runes. While Figham and Klaes, once again attempt to translate the sigil, Elthas steps into the etheral plane where he hopes to go through the altar, unhindered. 

With the altar shedding a bright blinding light, Elthas reaches inside. Although his limbs manage to wiggle their way through the stone, a strong magical influence is seemingly repulsing this invasion making it painful for the elf to make his way through. 

Despite the pain, Elthas pushes on until he witnesses, hidden under the top stone slab of the altar, mountains of coins under which a corpse is buried.

Meanwhile, Figham and Klaes manage to understand runic expressions which relate to the concept of lineage once again, but also one of  the 'absence of beards''. To this, Figham laughs and recounts an expression in Mirabar for places that are forbidden to strangers and says out loud, both his hand sitting on the slab: 

''No Beardless fool shall pass through here''. 

Instantly, the top of the altar slides sideways as though it had a mind of its own and beneath, the heroes find the final resting place of mighty king Torhild Flametongue. A legend amongst his people and one who's influence still extends not only to the current events in the Dessarin valley, but also to the entire population of Mirabar itself. 

With greed filled eyes, the party unceremoniously pillage the tomb of all its valuables, leaving behind a handful of copper coins. Tico dresses himself of King Flametongue's legendary helmet, The Lost Crown of the Besilmer, while Klaes gets into an argument with the sentient double bladed axe, Orcsplitter, who not only seems to arbor hate towards him, but also seems inclined to split Trash's head open. 

Klaes quickly understands he has a lot to live up to if he wishes to wield such a mighty, grim and inflexible weapon. Most notably, Orcsplitter declares he will not tolerate any form of duplicity, deception or disloyalty from its wielder.

Figham stands dumbfounded besides the tomb, witnessing the hero of his childhood and legend amongst his people, now laying as mere bones inside an empty stone casket as the heroes leave dressed in all the fine accoutrements and riches he was buried with.

Heading straight for Westbridge, the party travels as fast as it can. First taking the dwarven trail running through the hills, then cutting across the wilderness. Elthas, through the eye of Owl the owl, spots a small lake along the way where the party stops to refill empty waterskin. Sudden sounds of trees crashing into one another and a violent roar erupt as our heroes look up just in time to catch the shadow of a giant boulder in the air heading straight for them.