Fargoth eyes widen as he sees the effect the ghost's touch has on Donir. Hoping to prevent similar ailments befalling him or the others, he stabs with his dagger at the incorporeal form of #2.
Fargoth's magical blade tears through the specter's form, sending the ghost, at last, to its final rest. The remaining ghosts disappear into the Ethereal, assuring their flight from the cleric's divine power is as rapid and secure as possible. As suddenly as the ghosts appeared, they have disappeared.
Sarani, despite being possessed for only a very short while, collapses to his knees. He breathes heavily, and all color has left his face. The Shadowfell is taking its toll on his mind and spirit. He looks at Gwin and whispers, "I thank you, cleric."
The acolyte then stands and continues to lead the party through the maze of rock and to the canyon's edge. On the canyon floor is a small town. Forty or fifty structures stand on either side of a narrow road that follows the path of the canyon. From where you stand, the place looks more like a forsaken graveyard, but Sarani suggests otherwise. "Hargrim. A sordid place."
Sarani then points to a tall structure that stands directly across the canyon, several hundred feet away. "Chorandan. Badrizar was taken there."
The acolyte then reaches under his cloak and holds out two vials of liquid. "Mandrithar wishes for you to have these, for entering Chorandan will be a difficult matter. Invisibility may help."
Not waiting for a response, he turns and begins to retrace his steps to the shadow crossing.
The bleak outpost of Hargrim lies a few hundred feet below you. The Shadar-kai stronghold is on the opposite side of the canyon, a distance you estimate will take an hour or so to cover.
‘Donir, allow me to assist with your recovery, if you will allow it?’ Patrin asks Donir.
(Assuming yes)
Patrin steps up to Donir, and starts whispering. It’s difficult to make out the words, but they have a comforting cadence to them. He adds some gestures towards the end, as though shaping the energies summoned by his words, and at the very end of the process sprinkles a small packet of sparkling dust over Donir’s head. The dust swirls around him, and seems to highlight his aura for a moment, bleeding their sparkling energy into the unnaturally-aged dwarf…
Brevig moves to the edge of the canyon and examines the path forward. ’How exactly does one descend to Hargrim, and then climb back up to Charandan?,’ the paladin wonders, and he studies the canyon walls and what he can see of the road through Hargrim for an answer.
"Our mounts would have been a boon in a place like this..." Fargoth muses out loud, as he keeps one eye on Donir and Patrin, the other following Brevig's gaze.
Gwin scrunches up her nose and peers into the canyon. Dwarves aren't exactly known for their climbing ability. I wonder if there's an obvious path of descent to the bottom?
Perception: 17
Investigation: 6
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Donirfeels the effects of the ghost's curse being rapidly reversed; Patrin's restoration spell has undone the harm intended by the ghost.
The five of you survey the terrain before you and are confident you've identified a manageable descent into the canyon, a few potentials paths across the canyon floor. Traveling through Hargrim is a possibility. Additionally, you see that you can avoid the ominous town by staying to your right. A path that makes its way up the opposite canyon wall to Chorandan is visible, but from this distance you cannot determine how narrow or safe it might be.
Brevig frowns, and in an undertone — even his shining energies are subdued in this dark stillness — turns to the others. “I say we show no hesitation or sign of weakness, and walk shoulder to shoulder through Hargrim, come what may. I’d rather fight an enemy in a head to head melée than scramble single file along a pass and be attacked one by one in the rocks.”
"Might I suggest you grew old rather gracefully?" Fargoth attempts a moment of levity in the harsh setting, before addressing Brevig's concerns. "As much as I detest a fair fight, you make good points. We do not know what awaits us down there."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
14, 10, 15, 8, 8
Proceeding with caution down the uneven, rock-strewn terrain, the five of you reach the bottom of the canyon within twenty minutes. The gloom of the Shadowfell seems thicker here, and the air has become chilly and damp, as if you are standing in a dense fog. There is no fog, however.
As you approach Hargrim, you see the shabbiness of the town's buildings, many of which seem on the brink of collapse. From some of them, dim yellow light streams through cracks in the walls, or through mostly-curtained windows, or from underneath doors. If anything sordid--as Sarani suggested--is taking place in Hargrim, then it must be happening behind closed doors. You see very little activity in the streets: two goblins wearily trudge past you and into a two-story building that displays the name Miggy's over the door. Stranger yet is the sight of a banderhobb, replete with an ashen-skinned humanoid arm hanging from its mouth, that lumbers across the gravely path. The monster eyes you curiously and seems ready to strike up a conversation. For whatever reason, it chooses to do otherwise and continues on its way.
You very quickly leave Hargrim behind and make your way across a stretch of stale-smelling mud. Your boots seem, for just a moment, to be stuck in the swampy ground, but you're able to lift each foot and move onward. You reach the far side of the canyon, where the ground is dry, and you stand among a mess of boulders and debris. Chorandan is less than three hundred feet distant, and the path that leads to its front gate is well-worn and easily traveled. You see no guards or activity of any sort, and the stone tower of Chorandan has no wall surrounding it. You can discern that it has a few windows, but the openings are completely dark. Glancing behind you, you feel confident that no creature has followed you out of Hargrim.
Using the path will make your ascent quick and easy--ten minutes or less--but leave you in the open, with little to no cover. Taking a more clandestine route is possible but more difficult and time-consuming.
(For the sake of game-mechanics clarity, the off-the-beaten path approach would fall somewhere in the medium to hard range. An unsuccessful STR/Athletics attempt would likely result in a bit of bludgeoning damage)
"I didn't think this place would be so... civilized, you could call it. I pictured nothing but bleak, soul-suckingly empty terrain. Instead, there's bleak, soul-suckingly empty terrain and... "Miggy's". Curious indeed. Now, what's everyone's opinions on our route? My stubby legs say the open path, but my wary mind says the more difficult one."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Brevig, movine through Hargrim, is also surprised at its blasé acceptance of the party’s presence there, especially given that Sarani had described the place in a way which experience did not bear out. This mild unease crystallizes in his mind only after studying the paths up to Charandan, when the paladin’s step comes to an unsure halt. “It is...not what I expected,” he says, uneasily. “And, I do not take comfort in the fact that my expectation was based upon the words of one whom less than a few hours ago I would have called enemy: one who has taken leave of us, at a convenient moment which allows him to avoid answering further questions.”
Brevig’s slight copper evanescence merely a dull sheen here in the damp grey light, The Watcher turns, very slowly, completely around to view the far edge of the canyon. Aloud, but to no one in particular, he asks, “Where did Sarani go, exactly? For, if the shadow crossing were deactivated at this moment...how would we return to Faerûn from this desolate place after our deed is accomplished? And yet...it matters not. Onward is the only direction. For now...”
Brevig adds “Here too, the main road up is better, and for the same reasons as before. If the castle occupants care to know whether or not we are here, they already know it.”
"So be it. I did not come here expecting a warm welcome, we might as well get this over with." Fargoth raises the hood of his cloak to shut out some of the oppressive world around him, and toys with the hilt of his dagger as he follows
Seeing the banderhobb's snack, Gwin flashes a wry smile to her companions. I guess I won't be stopping in at Miggy's for a pint. Looks like they cost an arm and a leg.
Once at the path to Chorandan the cleric nods in ascent. I do not like the idea of us being out in the open, but I also don't think these little tree stump legs of mine can navigate anything too difficult. I suppose the obvious path is the one to take.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
With each step taken you feel as if you are announcing your arrival at Chorandan. If anyone or anything is observing your approach, they give no indication of attempting to stop you. After a few minutes of following the steep path, you stand before a massive stone tower. The hexagon appears to be the inspiration for the tower's shape and for the many of the structural components visible from the outside. Extending toward you from the tower is a long hall-like structure, and that is where the main door is located.
The terrain in the immediate vicinity of Chorandan is level and bare.
Silhouette of Chorandan as seen from above (white X indicates location of main door):
‘Remember, the enemy of my enemy just might be my friend - or at least not actively working to my detriment. What I know of the Raven Queen is not evil, despite that she lives in the shadows. We come here not as thieves, but to open negotiations with potential allies, or at least with a group with whom we might establish an accord…’ Patrin says, reminding the group that there might be a number of ways to accomplish their goals.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Turning to Patrin, Brevigquietly replies, "I do not recall mention of a Raven Queen, only that the Shadar-Kai had captured Badrizar. Is she their ruler and is this her keep? If so, what else do we know of her and them?"
Brevig,like the others, has heard various bits of lore surrounding the shadar-kai's devotion to the Raven Queen. Some of the tales mention her relentless hunt for memories and emotions, especially any that are associated with loss and tragedy. She dispatches shadar-kai to the far confines of the multiverse to wait for such an event to unfold, as scouted by her ravens. Then they collect mementos (trinkets and memories from the living, or sometimes the souls of the dead) and bring them back to her.
Fargoth eyes widen as he sees the effect the ghost's touch has on Donir. Hoping to prevent similar ailments befalling him or the others, he stabs with his dagger at the incorporeal form of #2.
Attack: 14
Damage: 23
Fargoth's magical blade tears through the specter's form, sending the ghost, at last, to its final rest. The remaining ghosts disappear into the Ethereal, assuring their flight from the cleric's divine power is as rapid and secure as possible. As suddenly as the ghosts appeared, they have disappeared.
Sarani, despite being possessed for only a very short while, collapses to his knees. He breathes heavily, and all color has left his face. The Shadowfell is taking its toll on his mind and spirit. He looks at Gwin and whispers, "I thank you, cleric."
The acolyte then stands and continues to lead the party through the maze of rock and to the canyon's edge. On the canyon floor is a small town. Forty or fifty structures stand on either side of a narrow road that follows the path of the canyon. From where you stand, the place looks more like a forsaken graveyard, but Sarani suggests otherwise. "Hargrim. A sordid place."
Sarani then points to a tall structure that stands directly across the canyon, several hundred feet away. "Chorandan. Badrizar was taken there."
The acolyte then reaches under his cloak and holds out two vials of liquid. "Mandrithar wishes for you to have these, for entering Chorandan will be a difficult matter. Invisibility may help."
Sarani hands over two potions of invisibility and says, "I must leave now."
Not waiting for a response, he turns and begins to retrace his steps to the shadow crossing.
The bleak outpost of Hargrim lies a few hundred feet below you. The Shadar-kai stronghold is on the opposite side of the canyon, a distance you estimate will take an hour or so to cover.
‘Donir, allow me to assist with your recovery, if you will allow it?’ Patrin asks Donir.
(Assuming yes)
Patrin steps up to Donir, and starts whispering. It’s difficult to make out the words, but they have a comforting cadence to them. He adds some gestures towards the end, as though shaping the energies summoned by his words, and at the very end of the process sprinkles a small packet of sparkling dust over Donir’s head. The dust swirls around him, and seems to highlight his aura for a moment, bleeding their sparkling energy into the unnaturally-aged dwarf…
(Patrin has cast Greater Restoration )
Brevig moves to the edge of the canyon and examines the path forward. ’How exactly does one descend to Hargrim, and then climb back up to Charandan?,’ the paladin wonders, and he studies the canyon walls and what he can see of the road through Hargrim for an answer.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"Our mounts would have been a boon in a place like this..." Fargoth muses out loud, as he keeps one eye on Donir and Patrin, the other following Brevig's gaze.
Perception: 11
Invesitgation: 14
What ever you need.
Gwin scrunches up her nose and peers into the canyon. Dwarves aren't exactly known for their climbing ability. I wonder if there's an obvious path of descent to the bottom?
Perception: 17
Investigation: 6
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
(Waiting to post until I see if the restoration works on the aging)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Donir feels the effects of the ghost's curse being rapidly reversed; Patrin's restoration spell has undone the harm intended by the ghost.
The five of you survey the terrain before you and are confident you've identified a manageable descent into the canyon, a few potentials paths across the canyon floor. Traveling through Hargrim is a possibility. Additionally, you see that you can avoid the ominous town by staying to your right. A path that makes its way up the opposite canyon wall to Chorandan is visible, but from this distance you cannot determine how narrow or safe it might be.
Brevig frowns, and in an undertone — even his shining energies are subdued in this dark stillness — turns to the others. “I say we show no hesitation or sign of weakness, and walk shoulder to shoulder through Hargrim, come what may. I’d rather fight an enemy in a head to head melée than scramble single file along a pass and be attacked one by one in the rocks.”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
As his previously sagging skin once again tightens on his skull, and his hair returns to its rich brown, Donir smiles.
"Many thanks, friend. I feared I would be stuck in that state forever. I'd like to wait a few years until I'm there, thank you very much."
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
"Might I suggest you grew old rather gracefully?" Fargoth attempts a moment of levity in the harsh setting, before addressing Brevig's concerns. "As much as I detest a fair fight, you make good points. We do not know what awaits us down there."
14, 10, 15, 8, 8
Proceeding with caution down the uneven, rock-strewn terrain, the five of you reach the bottom of the canyon within twenty minutes. The gloom of the Shadowfell seems thicker here, and the air has become chilly and damp, as if you are standing in a dense fog. There is no fog, however.
As you approach Hargrim, you see the shabbiness of the town's buildings, many of which seem on the brink of collapse. From some of them, dim yellow light streams through cracks in the walls, or through mostly-curtained windows, or from underneath doors. If anything sordid--as Sarani suggested--is taking place in Hargrim, then it must be happening behind closed doors. You see very little activity in the streets: two goblins wearily trudge past you and into a two-story building that displays the name Miggy's over the door. Stranger yet is the sight of a banderhobb, replete with an ashen-skinned humanoid arm hanging from its mouth, that lumbers across the gravely path. The monster eyes you curiously and seems ready to strike up a conversation. For whatever reason, it chooses to do otherwise and continues on its way.
You very quickly leave Hargrim behind and make your way across a stretch of stale-smelling mud. Your boots seem, for just a moment, to be stuck in the swampy ground, but you're able to lift each foot and move onward. You reach the far side of the canyon, where the ground is dry, and you stand among a mess of boulders and debris. Chorandan is less than three hundred feet distant, and the path that leads to its front gate is well-worn and easily traveled. You see no guards or activity of any sort, and the stone tower of Chorandan has no wall surrounding it. You can discern that it has a few windows, but the openings are completely dark. Glancing behind you, you feel confident that no creature has followed you out of Hargrim.
Using the path will make your ascent quick and easy--ten minutes or less--but leave you in the open, with little to no cover. Taking a more clandestine route is possible but more difficult and time-consuming.
(For the sake of game-mechanics clarity, the off-the-beaten path approach would fall somewhere in the medium to hard range. An unsuccessful STR/Athletics attempt would likely result in a bit of bludgeoning damage)
"I didn't think this place would be so... civilized, you could call it. I pictured nothing but bleak, soul-suckingly empty terrain. Instead, there's bleak, soul-suckingly empty terrain and... "Miggy's". Curious indeed. Now, what's everyone's opinions on our route? My stubby legs say the open path, but my wary mind says the more difficult one."
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Brevig, movine through Hargrim, is also surprised at its blasé acceptance of the party’s presence there, especially given that Sarani had described the place in a way which experience did not bear out. This mild unease crystallizes in his mind only after studying the paths up to Charandan, when the paladin’s step comes to an unsure halt.
“It is...not what I expected,” he says, uneasily. “And, I do not take comfort in the fact that my expectation was based upon the words of one whom less than a few hours ago I would have called enemy: one who has taken leave of us, at a convenient moment which allows him to avoid answering further questions.”
Brevig’s slight copper evanescence merely a dull sheen here in the damp grey light, The Watcher turns, very slowly, completely around to view the far edge of the canyon. Aloud, but to no one in particular, he asks, “Where did Sarani go, exactly? For, if the shadow crossing were deactivated at this moment...how would we return to Faerûn from this desolate place after our deed is accomplished? And yet...it matters not. Onward is the only direction. For now...”
Brevig adds “Here too, the main road up is better, and for the same reasons as before. If the castle occupants care to know whether or not we are here, they already know it.”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"So be it. I did not come here expecting a warm welcome, we might as well get this over with." Fargoth raises the hood of his cloak to shut out some of the oppressive world around him, and toys with the hilt of his dagger as he follows
Seeing the banderhobb's snack, Gwin flashes a wry smile to her companions. I guess I won't be stopping in at Miggy's for a pint. Looks like they cost an arm and a leg.
Once at the path to Chorandan the cleric nods in ascent. I do not like the idea of us being out in the open, but I also don't think these little tree stump legs of mine can navigate anything too difficult. I suppose the obvious path is the one to take.
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
With each step taken you feel as if you are announcing your arrival at Chorandan. If anyone or anything is observing your approach, they give no indication of attempting to stop you. After a few minutes of following the steep path, you stand before a massive stone tower. The hexagon appears to be the inspiration for the tower's shape and for the many of the structural components visible from the outside. Extending toward you from the tower is a long hall-like structure, and that is where the main door is located.
The terrain in the immediate vicinity of Chorandan is level and bare.
Silhouette of Chorandan as seen from above (white X indicates location of main door):
‘Remember, the enemy of my enemy just might be my friend - or at least not actively working to my detriment. What I know of the Raven Queen is not evil, despite that she lives in the shadows. We come here not as thieves, but to open negotiations with potential allies, or at least with a group with whom we might establish an accord…’ Patrin says, reminding the group that there might be a number of ways to accomplish their goals.
‘I suggest we knock…’
Turning to Patrin, Brevig quietly replies, "I do not recall mention of a Raven Queen, only that the Shadar-Kai had captured Badrizar. Is she their ruler and is this her keep? If so, what else do we know of her and them?"
History regarding Shadar-Kai & Raven Queen 12
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Brevig, like the others, has heard various bits of lore surrounding the shadar-kai's devotion to the Raven Queen. Some of the tales mention her relentless hunt for memories and emotions, especially any that are associated with loss and tragedy. She dispatches shadar-kai to the far confines of the multiverse to wait for such an event to unfold, as scouted by her ravens. Then they collect mementos (trinkets and memories from the living, or sometimes the souls of the dead) and bring them back to her.
Sarani did mention "their queen" here.