Session XIX - A Summit at Summit Hall

Motivated by the revelation that the Crushing Waves cult is ready to launch a real offensive on the realms, the heroes decide to waste no time resting in the woods. Halvarth polymorphs Kella as a giant eagle before summing a griffon. The entire party flies off in direction of the Vale of Dancing Waters with the intent of bringing the refugees from the Sacred Stone Monastery towards Summit Hall where they could be handled by The Order of the Gauntlet. 

Landing in the outer courtyard and assessing that everyone is accounted for, exhausted and with most resources depleted, the party decides to take a few hours to rest while keeping an eye out, waiting for sunrise. The only event disturbing the night being a strange silhouette flying off against the moon in a split second. 

Kella takes the opportunity to attempt a communion at the tomb of Torhild Flametongue, a childhood hero of her time in Mirabar. Being poorly versed in clerical matters, she utters a few words deemed appropriate and eventually feels an appeasing paternal presence solidifying her beliefs that Orcsplitter belongs in her hands for the time being. 

Morning comes and the party gathers all refugees before heading out west towards the Dessarin river. With a magical enchantment, the entire group is granted the ability to walk on water while traversing an otherwise difficult barrier, over half a mile. Halvarth, high in the air, sitting on his trustee griffon is keeping watch on the north and south end of the river for any sign of keelboat or otherwise presence of the Crushing Waves cult. Meanwhile, Elthas is constantly switching back and forth between Owl the owl's vision and his own, scanning the opposite shoreline while Trash covers the rear and Kella leads the way. 

Gentle waves are rocking everyone from side to side. At first timid and uncertain about this magic, the refugees find their ease and take joy in the process. Some try to surf the waves, others are splashing and running around each other, everyone laughing and enjoying a sunny day, lightheartedly frolicking in the middle of the river with the playfulness of recently freed people that have been deprived of privilege and comfort for far too long. 

The laughters are abruptely put to an end when a massive, blue and scaly hand reaches from the depths, grabbing a woman by the ankle and dragging her underneath. Instinctively, Elthas dives under and witnesses a herd of Merrow gathered underneath the group, seemingly looking for lunch. Wasting no time, the high elf gives chase to the monster who seems intent on drowning its prey. 

Pausing for a split second, not understanding what just transpired, the other group members eventually also engage the monsters, trying to protect their retinue as best they can. Halvarth flies down, the griffon partially submerged and manages to pry an unconscious peasant from a merrow's clutch. 

Kella, assailed by two merrow, swings Orcscplitter from left to right, hacking the water underneath her feet, a thick cloud of dark blood quickly surrounding her as she cuts the monsters down. 

The assault seems to come from all directions. The panicking refugees are in total disarray. Harpoons thrown by the amphibious hunters are emerging from the water, gravely wounding men and women, subsequently dragged in the depths of the river. 

Trash is drawing as much attention as he can, doing all that is orcishly possible to free the peasants from the monsters' clutches and trying to make room for Elthas to release his arrows underwater. Unconscious bodies are surfacing to the water's edge thanks to the buoyancy of the water-walking enchantment. 

After an intense struggle and an heroic effort by the group to save as many as possible, three refugee's bodies are floating lifeless while the remaining Merrows escape with their lives and one unlucky man who was still grappled by the monsters. 

With a heavy heart and a sense of urgency, the group gathers together once more, along with the deceased fellows, running towards the riverside. Swimming underwater,  Elthas keeps and eye out for Merrows who are still lurking in the waters, stalking their preys and looking for an easy pick. 

On the shore, exhausted both physically and mentally, people either burst into tears or stare at the horizon, wondering if their misfortune would ever come to an end. Shallow graves are dug on the beach adorned with stone mounds for their fallen friends. In silence, the group does not linger and heads straight towards Summit Hall. 

Along the way, a trail is spotted where it seems like many people have went by recently. Although it is in a north-south axis, Elthas with the help of Owl the owl, takes a few moment to investigate and understands that it curves westward towards the river on the south side, and eastward towards the Dessarin road to the north. Deciding against exploring this further, the party keeps cutting through the hills to reach Summit Hall as fast as possible. 

Womford refugees numbering in the hundreds act as the welcoming party. People wearing rags that have not washed for days, looking thin and hungry are gathering around, begging for food and help. Hands reach out, expectedly waiting for anything to grab onto that could be chewed. The party distributes all goodberries in its possession before pushing on towards the Hall, knowing full well it would be near impossible to find food for everyone. 

Climbing the steps at the stronghold's doorstep, our heroes hear Ushien Stormbanner vehemently arguing against Belmont. With the fiery orb sitting in its wooden box on the banquet table, Belmont is trying to claim it as a weapon against the Crushing Waves cult which is the most likely culprit for the destruction of Womford whereas Ushien is entirely opposed to this plan. 

With divination magic, Halvarth reveals this implement to be an orb of devastation; less explosive than what was initially conjectured but nonetheless a very powerful and destructive tool. Siding with Ushien, our heroes opt against hasty measures of this scale causing a flustered Belmont to slam the table with his fist but seemingly accepting the majority's vote. 

All present are of course very curious to hear of the hero's journey through Scarlett Hill and the Riverguard Keep. A lot of questions are being thrown but most are difficult if not impossible to answer. Demanding a hefty amount of ivory and incense, Halvarth claims to be able to answer some of those questions with a powerful spell. Gathering just enough material for one casting, the party settles on using legend lore directed at Tyar Besil, the dwarven forteress behind the stone slabs at each of the haunted keeps.

> Ages ago, during another era, the Besilmer, led by Torhild Flametongue established an underground stronghold in the Dessarin valley which they brand Tyar-Besil. 

> Deep beneath the earth, they find a strange and abandoned altar at which a finely crafted hammer was left.

> They name the hammer Morabrond - The hand of Mora, in honor of their beloved Moradin. Torhild gives the hammer to Findon Stonemender with the instructions to forge weapons with it. Over decades, Findon produces four weapons: Windvane, Tinderstrike, Drown and Ironfang. 

> The weapons are mighty and cleave through enemies of the Besilmer with ease. But they are tainted by something dark which turns their wielders' soul into something sinister.

> The dwarves abandon these weapons, back in the depth from which Morabrond came from. Assailed from all sides by orcs, trolls, giants and the likes, the Besilmer eventually flee Tyar-Besil, sealing the entrances behind with magic that could be unlocked by direct descendants of King Torhild himself.

> For many generations, Tyar-Besil remains locked, seeing no living thing and keeping its dark secrets buried and forgotten. 

> Millennias later, a young dwarven pilgrim reinvents himself as an historian and gains entry to Tyar-Besil, re-opening what was once locked. 

> Once again, Tyar-Besil falls to a slumber, but this time, only for a few hundred years before the elemental prophets, led by divine visions, follow through. They seize the weapons forged with Morabrond and use them to create elemental nodes from which through which they hope to funnel enough power to summon the four elemental princes to the prime material plane.

Not certain of the best course of action from here, it is agreed to make a decision in the morning after everyone has had time to rest and ponder all that was learned. 

Before heading out to rest, the party huddles around Sister Garaele who has been studying the books of Bruldenthar. She thinks they are an autobiography of Bruldenthar's passage in the Dessarin valley and his findings. The books detail some of the layout of Tyar-Besil along with important landmarks in the valley with regards to the Besilmer history.

Cross referencing with  their own knowledge, the heroes realize the book contain the passphrases to open the entrances to the dwarven abandoned stronghold. 

In the same conversation, they reveal to Sister Garaele the unusal encounter with Renwick Caradoon, the lich occupying what's left of the Sacred Stone Monastery and his request for Samular Caradoon's body. Sister Garaele warns the heroes against helping such creatures for they are always up to no good. She also warns of what would happen should they reveal the existence of a lich to either Belmont or Ushien who would most certainly storm the place with as much armed forces as they can muster.