This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
21 | 28
Rixton is in need of a shortsword. He will find his way to a weaponsmith and see what is on offer. The facts and clues of this mission bounce around in his head in a jumble, waiting for the proper piece to click everything into place. In the meantime, as he walks through the streets of Everlund, the inquisitive rogue passes the time practicing his observation skills, looking for trouble where it is hidden in plain sight.
Investigation: 13
After making a few inquiries, Rixtonheadstoward a swordsmith's shop that seems to have a good reputation. He's not disappointed; a well-made shortsword at a fair price--ten gold pieces--is his for the buying.
Crossing over the Knight Bridge, Rixton mulls over all that he's seen and heard over the course of the past ten days. As he stares into the chilly waters of the Rauvin racing under the bridge, two soldiers walk past him, talking as they do so. Instinctively, Rixton strains his ears.
"Brought him in late last night," remarks a young, ruddy-cheeked soldier.
"Is that so? Alive?" responds the second soldier.
"Alive and...uncooperative."
Rixtoncasually falls in behind the two soldiers as they continue to walk and talk. The streets are crowded enough to make this feasible.
"A Tree Ghost won't talk," suggests the second soldier. "He'll bite his own tongue off first."
"We'll see."
The soldiers turn left after crossing the bridge, heading toward the barracks and armory.
Mola nods enthusiastically and casts detect magic, after happily handingg over the cask of ale for the gizmo.
The old fellow nods vigorously as he takes hold of the cask of ale. "Thank you, youngin."
Mola pulls on the two halves of the brass case, but, as expected, it won't open. The item is definitely enchanted in some way, and Mola is mildly surprised to discern two different types of magical auras emanating from it: divination and abjuration.
Can Mola see anything inscribed on the device? Any design? Even faint? He'll bring the device along with him to the tower, arriving a bit after he told the rest of the group he'd be there. He tries a produce flame and gets the fire close to the sphere. He sprinkles some dirt on the top of it, and uses shape water to splash it with water, seeing if there's an elemental aspect to it. He whispers to it in druidic and primordial.
Once he's at the tower he looks around to see if he recognizes anyone.
Can Mola see anything inscribed on the device? Any design? Even faint? He'll bring the device along with him to the tower, arriving a bit after he told the rest of the group he'd be there. He tries a produce flame and gets the fire close to the sphere. He sprinkles some dirt on the top of it, and uses shape water to splash it with water, seeing if there's an elemental aspect to it. He whispers to it in druidic and primordial.
Once he's at the tower he looks around to see if he recognizes anyone.
Mola scrutinizes the top, sides, and bottom of the brass container that sits in the palm of his hand. Its surfaces are completely smooth; there is no inscription or etching of any sort. The heat, earth, and water seemingly have no effect on the item. Nor does Mola's whispering. It seems the old man's trinket requires a command word or bit of magic to be opened.
Moongleam Tower is visible long before Mola reaches its base. The hard black stone keep can be seen from almost every part of Everlund. Comprised of four narrow, cylindrical towers joined together, its roof is crowned by an open turret upon which a signaling mirror shaped like a crescent moon sits. The tower is surrounded by a dry moat that can be quickly filled by a system of cisterns and pumps.
(Waiting upon the decisions of the other characters before addressing who Mola recognizes when he reaches Moongleam Tower)
While he waits, he's going to try saying random words as they come to him, at the sphere, hoping he lucks out.
28
(Unbelievable! A nat 100!)
Molautters a string of words, following no particular pattern but letting his stream of consciousness lead the way. After approximately 25 minutes have passed, he hears a soft but distinct popping noise when he says the Common word release.
He removes the lid, and located within the cylindrical brass case are two items: (1) a compass-like device with a small metal needle, and (2) a small, smooth, spherical stone that can be removed from the case. The compass needle spins freely in a full circle. Mola removes the small stone from the case and notices immediately that the compass needle suddenly moves, pointing at the stone. Each time Mola moves the small spherical stone, the needle responds immediately, following it wherever it goes.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Rixtonwill try chatting up the guards at the gate. He will start with friendly, mundane banter ("How'd you end up with gate duty?") but eventually turn it towards Vaeril ("My mother is a scholar of the arcane but I never got into magic. Do you guys...? No? I thought these places always had some spellslinger on hand."), first trying to get a story about him out of the guards ("Why is he so scary, then?"). Then, he'll build to asking how to have a drink with such a character ("Ha! How do I buy that guy a drink?").
Holy cow that’s amazing! Thanks for humoring me, and allowing luck to lead the way. Wow.
As he’s letting the stream of consciousness flow, Mola sits under a small tree outside the tower with a decent view of the entrance and watches to see who comes in and out, if there seem to be a lot of people, if people seem agitated, if he recognizes anyone, if he sees anyone snooping around, etc. Happy to roll if you want, assuming perception.
He looks around in jubilation when he gets it to open, futilely trying to share the amazing moment with someone else. He spends a while trying to really get a feel for the item and identify anything interesting it does. He assumes it’s kind of a dowsing rod combined with a compass to be a sort of tracking beacon. He cannot believe his luck at the trade, and is grateful Misg’rak didn’t want the cask.
What does he remember about the inside of the tower?
Jheric departs the meeting with Rhom to stroll and mull over the recent developments. So many new complications, but they all point the same direction: Straight to the Grandfather Tree. Despite the resolve he felt with this reinforced direction, the dangers found in traveling scarcely compared to those in the city he came from. He found his magics, while potent, lacked greatly where space was concerned. Against the trolls and roper, it served well enough. However, the orcish warband was a challenge just to encompass the space involved, let alone the numbers
As many of his peers did when faced with such a problem, Jheric asked around to see if there was a library of sorts that dealt with the arcane. He quickly regretted not going with Gwin; she probably knew exactly where to go.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
Rixton will try chatting up the guards at the gate. He will start with friendly, mundane banter ("How'd you end up with gate duty?") but eventually turn it towards Vaeril ("My mother is a scholar of the arcane but I never got into magic. Do you guys...? No? I thought these places always had some spellslinger on hand."), first trying to get a story about him out of the guards ("Why is he so scary, then?"). Then, he'll build to asking how to have a drink with such a character ("Ha! How do I buy that guy a drink?").
Persuasion: 21 or Investigation: 18
The guards are amicable and fall into conversation with Rixton rather readily. He quickly learns that Vaeril--High Sorcerer Vaeril Rhuidhen--is one of the five members of the Council of Elders, the leaders of Everlund.
"A reasonable and powerful fellow," remarks the blonde-headed guard, referring to Vaeril.
The hawk-nosed guard nods in agreement. "Keeps Everlund safe and the other council members on track."
At Rixton's suggestion of buying Vaeril a drink, the blonde-headed guard chuckles a bit. "If you find the answer to that question, let me know."
As many of his peers did when faced with such a problem, Jheric asked around to see if there was a library of sorts that dealt with the arcane. He quickly regretted not going with Gwin; she probably knew exactly where to go.
30 | 3 | 17
Jheric learns that Everlund lacks a true library, but a few locals explain that the shrine devoted to Oghma houses an extensive collection of books. Upon entering the Lord of Knowledge's holy place, the wizard sees Gwin; she's wholly engrossed in a book that she's removed from the shelves that line the circular room.
After exchanging a few words with the cleric, Jheric begins to peruse the collection of texts as well. To his surprise, he finds a book written completely in Undercommon: Tales of the Rakshasa. The wizard is intrigued by both the title and the language in which it is written. As he reads the account of a particularly adventurous rakshasa--Bindaranath Ra--who wandered the Astral Sea for centuries, a piece of paper, folded multiple times over, tumbles from the book and lands at his feet.
Jheric picks up the piece of paper, unfolds it carefully, and discerns that he has found a spell scroll. He recognizes the mystical cipher on the worn, soiled piece of paper as the words to [Tooltip Not Found].
After bidding the guards farewell, Rixtonwill look for the council of elders meeting place. He does not expect Vaeril to be there, but he will leave a note for the sorcerer with whomever handles his business:
Are you willing to exchange information on the Tree Ghost attacks? We may be able to help each other.
- Rixton Pendrift Lodger at Danniver's House
After this business is complete, he will seek out Molaat the tower.
As he’s letting the stream of consciousness flow, Mola sits under a small tree outside the tower with a decent view of the entrance and watches to see who comes in and out, if there seem to be a lot of people, if people seem agitated, if he recognizes anyone, if he sees anyone snooping around, etc. Happy to roll if you want, assuming perception.
He looks around in jubilation when he gets it to open, futilely trying to share the amazing moment with someone else. He spends a while trying to really get a feel for the item and identify anything interesting it does. He assumes it’s kind of a dowsing rod combined with a compass to be a sort of tracking beacon. He cannot believe his luck at the trade, and is grateful Misg’rak didn’t want the cask.
What does he remember about the inside of the tower?
Mola recalls that within Moongleam Tower several Harpers--most of whom are apprentice mages--are in residence, attended by a loyal staff and a small garrison of veterans. Additionally, multiple tressym wander freely about the place. He knows that Moonlord Daviana Yalrannis is the master of the tower, charged with its defense and upkeep.
As he waits outside the tower, he observes only one individual entering or leaving the place. A male human, donning a robe of useful items and wielding in his left hand a staff of fire, exits the tower and walks eastward. He seems to be in a hurry, but as he walks he whistles loudly, filling the air with a lively melody.
After bidding the guards farewell, Rixtonwill look for the council of elders meeting place. He does not expect Vaeril to be there, but he will leave a note for the sorcerer with whomever handles his business:
Are you willing to exchange information on the Tree Ghost attacks? We may be able to help each other.
- Rixton Pendrift Lodger at Danniver's House
After this business is complete, he will seek out Molaat the tower.
Rixton hands the note to a clerk seated at a desk inside the Hall of Elders. "I'll see that Vaeril receives this at the first opportunity," he remarks.
Twenty minutes later, Rixton approaches Moongleam Tower, where he finds Molaseated in the shade, engrossed with a strange-looking trinket in his hand.
After exchanging a few words with the cleric, Jheric begins to peruse the collection of texts as well. To his surprise, he finds a book written completely in Undercommon: Tales of the Rakshasa. The wizard is intrigued by both the title and the language in which it is written. As he reads the account of a particularly adventurous rakshasa--Bindaranath Ra--who wandered the Astral Sea for centuries, a piece of paper, folded multiple times over, tumbles from the book and lands at his feet.
Jheric picks up the piece of paper, unfolds it carefully, and discerns that he has found a spell scroll. He recognizes the mystical cipher on the worn, soiled piece of paper as the words to Mind Thrust (UA).
Once finished with his book, Jheric packs up with Gwin and leaves for the final rendezvous. On the way out, he gives a respectful pat to the scrollwork holy symbol of Oghma. Considering the treasure found within, it was the least he could do short of a large donation. He keeps a mental note to pay an even larger tithe when he saves enough to transcribe the scroll to his own collection.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
By mid-afternoon--a few hours before the party will meet with Rhom and Aralea a second time--Gwin, Jheric, Mola, and Rixton reconvene and stand at the base of Moongleam Tower. Minutes later, after one of the young mages has confirmed the identity of each party member, the four of you are welcomed to the Harper stronghold. The ground floor consists of one large room, which basically serves as an anteroom for all that lies on the floors above. Comfortable couches and chairs, a few tables, a coat rack, and few storage cabinets furnish the warm, open space.
Griff, a dwarf veteran introduces himself and welcomes each of you to Moongleam Tower. "Good day to you. What help can we be?"
Gwin was practically walking on air as she and Jheric made their way to Moongleam Tower to rendezvous with the others. It had seemed far too long since she'd been around those of her vocation, and to spend HOURS perusing ancient texts and tomes was almost too much joy for the wee cleric to endure. As they neared the tower she chatted with the wizard in excited conspiratorial tones regarding her discovery in the Sites Sacred and Forgotten, the mention of the Altar of the Forgotten God, and its apparent location at Mount Thorog. Once they met up with the others she shared the same information with them before they were escorted into the Harper stronghold.
Gwin, still a bit high from the intoxicating scent of old books, and taking both of his hands in hers cheerfully greets Griff. Ho, there! I am Gwinlynn Karmadark of East Rift, by way of the Dalelands. From there she begins to regale the dwarf veteran of their adventure since meeting up with Hadrus in Yartar, finishing with her discovery in Sites Sacred and Forgotten.
Things are clearly amiss in our lands, and I suspect it's all connected to the Forgotten God and his zealots. I'm sure my companions have their own questions, but of personal curiosity to me is the location of this altar and Mount Thorog. Do you have any familiarity with this bloodthirsty cult and possibly the location of Mount Thorog? Have you heard of any strange encounters or sightings of these yak-men from other Harpers?Any information you have would be of the greatest import to our party and would be met with gratitude.
Griff is somewhat taken aback by Gwin's animated and lengthy inquiry. "Mount Thorog," he begins, "stands within the Nether Mountains. A tenday journey east of Everlund."
The old dwarf runs his hand through his silvery-gray beard and continues, "A cult of yak-men, you say? I've not heard of such a thing, Gwin."
Griff looks to a pair of mages nearby. "Talenar? Daregas? Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"
Both mages shake their heads.
"But I do," says a deep, and slightly familiar, male voice that comes from the stairs leading to the second floor.
The four of you simultaneously turn your heads and see Hadrus Mar. In response to the looks of surprise on your faces, Hadrus explains, "There's more to this tower than one might expect. I'll explain later. For now, tell me why you are in Everlund, and, of course, tell me of the Pikes."
Thirty minutes later, Hadrus knows all that's happened since the group left Yartar many days ago. As he did at The Dawnybrook, he fills the room with rich smoke from his pipe while he listens to your tale, after which he says, "Yes, the Harpers are aware of the yikaria, but their reclusive ways have never led them to interfere in those matters that concern us. Possibly that has changed. How very odd. Three enclaves exist, as far as we know. One in the distant east, in the desert of Anauroch. Another in the Ice Spires, beyond Ironslag, I believe. And, as Gwin seems to have learned, a small group in the Nether Mountains."
He pauses for a long while, pondering what he's heard. "Tree Ghosts. Yikaria. Strange bedfellows, friends. Strange bedfellows."
21 | 28
After making a few inquiries, Rixton heads toward a swordsmith's shop that seems to have a good reputation. He's not disappointed; a well-made shortsword at a fair price--ten gold pieces--is his for the buying.
Crossing over the Knight Bridge, Rixton mulls over all that he's seen and heard over the course of the past ten days. As he stares into the chilly waters of the Rauvin racing under the bridge, two soldiers walk past him, talking as they do so. Instinctively, Rixton strains his ears.
"Brought him in late last night," remarks a young, ruddy-cheeked soldier.
"Is that so? Alive?" responds the second soldier.
"Alive and...uncooperative."
Rixton casually falls in behind the two soldiers as they continue to walk and talk. The streets are crowded enough to make this feasible.
"A Tree Ghost won't talk," suggests the second soldier. "He'll bite his own tongue off first."
"We'll see."
The soldiers turn left after crossing the bridge, heading toward the barracks and armory.
The old fellow nods vigorously as he takes hold of the cask of ale. "Thank you, youngin."
Mola pulls on the two halves of the brass case, but, as expected, it won't open. The item is definitely enchanted in some way, and Mola is mildly surprised to discern two different types of magical auras emanating from it: divination and abjuration.
Can Mola see anything inscribed on the device? Any design? Even faint? He'll bring the device along with him to the tower, arriving a bit after he told the rest of the group he'd be there. He tries a produce flame and gets the fire close to the sphere. He sprinkles some dirt on the top of it, and uses shape water to splash it with water, seeing if there's an elemental aspect to it. He whispers to it in druidic and primordial.
Once he's at the tower he looks around to see if he recognizes anyone.
Mola scrutinizes the top, sides, and bottom of the brass container that sits in the palm of his hand. Its surfaces are completely smooth; there is no inscription or etching of any sort. The heat, earth, and water seemingly have no effect on the item. Nor does Mola's whispering. It seems the old man's trinket requires a command word or bit of magic to be opened.
Moongleam Tower is visible long before Mola reaches its base. The hard black stone keep can be seen from almost every part of Everlund. Comprised of four narrow, cylindrical towers joined together, its roof is crowned by an open turret upon which a signaling mirror shaped like a crescent moon sits. The tower is surrounded by a dry moat that can be quickly filled by a system of cisterns and pumps.
(Waiting upon the decisions of the other characters before addressing who Mola recognizes when he reaches Moongleam Tower)
While he waits, he's going to try saying random words as they come to him, at the sphere, hoping he lucks out.
Rixton flips up his hood and follows the soldiers, keeping at least 20 feet behind them.
Stealth: 23`
28
(Unbelievable! A nat 100!)
Mola utters a string of words, following no particular pattern but letting his stream of consciousness lead the way. After approximately 25 minutes have passed, he hears a soft but distinct popping noise when he says the Common word release.
He removes the lid, and located within the cylindrical brass case are two items: (1) a compass-like device with a small metal needle, and (2) a small, smooth, spherical stone that can be removed from the case. The compass needle spins freely in a full circle. Mola removes the small stone from the case and notices immediately that the compass needle suddenly moves, pointing at the stone. Each time Mola moves the small spherical stone, the needle responds immediately, following it wherever it goes.
Following the two soldiers for another half minute before they pass through the barracks gate, Rixton picks up a few more of their exchanges.
The second soldier remarks with a shake of his head, "That's the third ambush in the past few weeks. Somebody needs to make sense of this mess."
The ruddy-cheeked soldier replies, "I've heard that Vaeril will be questioning the barbarian. He'll talk. Tongue or no tongue."
"No need for him to talk at all if Vaeril is involved. He won't need the Tree Ghost's words. His thoughts'll be enough."
The two soldiers then pass through a well-guarded gate, entering an area restricted to the soldiers of Everlund.
Rixton will try chatting up the guards at the gate. He will start with friendly, mundane banter ("How'd you end up with gate duty?") but eventually turn it towards Vaeril ("My mother is a scholar of the arcane but I never got into magic. Do you guys...? No? I thought these places always had some spellslinger on hand."), first trying to get a story about him out of the guards ("Why is he so scary, then?"). Then, he'll build to asking how to have a drink with such a character ("Ha! How do I buy that guy a drink?").
Persuasion: 12 or Investigation: 28
Holy cow that’s amazing! Thanks for humoring me, and allowing luck to lead the way. Wow.
As he’s letting the stream of consciousness flow, Mola sits under a small tree outside the tower with a decent view of the entrance and watches to see who comes in and out, if there seem to be a lot of people, if people seem agitated, if he recognizes anyone, if he sees anyone snooping around, etc. Happy to roll if you want, assuming perception.
He looks around in jubilation when he gets it to open, futilely trying to share the amazing moment with someone else. He spends a while trying to really get a feel for the item and identify anything interesting it does. He assumes it’s kind of a dowsing rod combined with a compass to be a sort of tracking beacon. He cannot believe his luck at the trade, and is grateful Misg’rak didn’t want the cask.
What does he remember about the inside of the tower?
Jheric departs the meeting with Rhom to stroll and mull over the recent developments. So many new complications, but they all point the same direction: Straight to the Grandfather Tree. Despite the resolve he felt with this reinforced direction, the dangers found in traveling scarcely compared to those in the city he came from. He found his magics, while potent, lacked greatly where space was concerned. Against the trolls and roper, it served well enough. However, the orcish warband was a challenge just to encompass the space involved, let alone the numbers
As many of his peers did when faced with such a problem, Jheric asked around to see if there was a library of sorts that dealt with the arcane. He quickly regretted not going with Gwin; she probably knew exactly where to go.
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser
Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale
Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
The guards are amicable and fall into conversation with Rixton rather readily. He quickly learns that Vaeril--High Sorcerer Vaeril Rhuidhen--is one of the five members of the Council of Elders, the leaders of Everlund.
"A reasonable and powerful fellow," remarks the blonde-headed guard, referring to Vaeril.
The hawk-nosed guard nods in agreement. "Keeps Everlund safe and the other council members on track."
At Rixton's suggestion of buying Vaeril a drink, the blonde-headed guard chuckles a bit. "If you find the answer to that question, let me know."
30 | 3 | 17
Jheric learns that Everlund lacks a true library, but a few locals explain that the shrine devoted to Oghma houses an extensive collection of books. Upon entering the Lord of Knowledge's holy place, the wizard sees Gwin; she's wholly engrossed in a book that she's removed from the shelves that line the circular room.
After exchanging a few words with the cleric, Jheric begins to peruse the collection of texts as well. To his surprise, he finds a book written completely in Undercommon: Tales of the Rakshasa. The wizard is intrigued by both the title and the language in which it is written. As he reads the account of a particularly adventurous rakshasa--Bindaranath Ra--who wandered the Astral Sea for centuries, a piece of paper, folded multiple times over, tumbles from the book and lands at his feet.
Jheric picks up the piece of paper, unfolds it carefully, and discerns that he has found a spell scroll. He recognizes the mystical cipher on the worn, soiled piece of paper as the words to [Tooltip Not Found].
After bidding the guards farewell, Rixton will look for the council of elders meeting place. He does not expect Vaeril to be there, but he will leave a note for the sorcerer with whomever handles his business:
After this business is complete, he will seek out Mola at the tower.
Perception: 12
Mola recalls that within Moongleam Tower several Harpers--most of whom are apprentice mages--are in residence, attended by a loyal staff and a small garrison of veterans. Additionally, multiple tressym wander freely about the place. He knows that Moonlord Daviana Yalrannis is the master of the tower, charged with its defense and upkeep.
As he waits outside the tower, he observes only one individual entering or leaving the place. A male human, donning a robe of useful items and wielding in his left hand a staff of fire, exits the tower and walks eastward. He seems to be in a hurry, but as he walks he whistles loudly, filling the air with a lively melody.
Rixton hands the note to a clerk seated at a desk inside the Hall of Elders. "I'll see that Vaeril receives this at the first opportunity," he remarks.
Twenty minutes later, Rixton approaches Moongleam Tower, where he finds Mola seated in the shade, engrossed with a strange-looking trinket in his hand.
Once finished with his book, Jheric packs up with Gwin and leaves for the final rendezvous. On the way out, he gives a respectful pat to the scrollwork holy symbol of Oghma. Considering the treasure found within, it was the least he could do short of a large donation. He keeps a mental note to pay an even larger tithe when he saves enough to transcribe the scroll to his own collection.
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser
Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale
Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
By mid-afternoon--a few hours before the party will meet with Rhom and Aralea a second time--Gwin, Jheric, Mola, and Rixton reconvene and stand at the base of Moongleam Tower. Minutes later, after one of the young mages has confirmed the identity of each party member, the four of you are welcomed to the Harper stronghold. The ground floor consists of one large room, which basically serves as an anteroom for all that lies on the floors above. Comfortable couches and chairs, a few tables, a coat rack, and few storage cabinets furnish the warm, open space.
Griff, a dwarf veteran introduces himself and welcomes each of you to Moongleam Tower. "Good day to you. What help can we be?"
Gwin was practically walking on air as she and Jheric made their way to Moongleam Tower to rendezvous with the others. It had seemed far too long since she'd been around those of her vocation, and to spend HOURS perusing ancient texts and tomes was almost too much joy for the wee cleric to endure. As they neared the tower she chatted with the wizard in excited conspiratorial tones regarding her discovery in the Sites Sacred and Forgotten, the mention of the Altar of the Forgotten God, and its apparent location at Mount Thorog. Once they met up with the others she shared the same information with them before they were escorted into the Harper stronghold.
Gwin, still a bit high from the intoxicating scent of old books, and taking both of his hands in hers cheerfully greets Griff. Ho, there! I am Gwinlynn Karmadark of East Rift, by way of the Dalelands. From there she begins to regale the dwarf veteran of their adventure since meeting up with Hadrus in Yartar, finishing with her discovery in Sites Sacred and Forgotten.
Things are clearly amiss in our lands, and I suspect it's all connected to the Forgotten God and his zealots. I'm sure my companions have their own questions, but of personal curiosity to me is the location of this altar and Mount Thorog. Do you have any familiarity with this bloodthirsty cult and possibly the location of Mount Thorog? Have you heard of any strange encounters or sightings of these yak-men from other Harpers? Any information you have would be of the greatest import to our party and would be met with gratitude.
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Griff is somewhat taken aback by Gwin's animated and lengthy inquiry. "Mount Thorog," he begins, "stands within the Nether Mountains. A tenday journey east of Everlund."
The old dwarf runs his hand through his silvery-gray beard and continues, "A cult of yak-men, you say? I've not heard of such a thing, Gwin."
Griff looks to a pair of mages nearby. "Talenar? Daregas? Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"
Both mages shake their heads.
"But I do," says a deep, and slightly familiar, male voice that comes from the stairs leading to the second floor.
The four of you simultaneously turn your heads and see Hadrus Mar. In response to the looks of surprise on your faces, Hadrus explains, "There's more to this tower than one might expect. I'll explain later. For now, tell me why you are in Everlund, and, of course, tell me of the Pikes."
Thirty minutes later, Hadrus knows all that's happened since the group left Yartar many days ago. As he did at The Dawnybrook, he fills the room with rich smoke from his pipe while he listens to your tale, after which he says, "Yes, the Harpers are aware of the yikaria, but their reclusive ways have never led them to interfere in those matters that concern us. Possibly that has changed. How very odd. Three enclaves exist, as far as we know. One in the distant east, in the desert of Anauroch. Another in the Ice Spires, beyond Ironslag, I believe. And, as Gwin seems to have learned, a small group in the Nether Mountains."
He pauses for a long while, pondering what he's heard. "Tree Ghosts. Yikaria. Strange bedfellows, friends. Strange bedfellows."