Session 17

Date: 5/6/2018

Attending: Jake, Dave, Wes, Joey, Aaron, Justin

Absent: None

Start Time: 7:35 p.m.

The water elemental that had been bound was the spirit of the river. The river introduced itself to the party as the Pinemelt River, and cured Orenthal of his blindness. It tells the party that the ogre shaman’s ritual was killing the river spirit, and hand almost been completed. In gratitude the Pinemelt gave the party a collection of things that had found their way to the river bottom over the years, which proved to be an impressive haul of magical loot mixed in with debris and trash – as well as a decent amount of coin. The party rests for a day in the River’s cavern. During that time Khalo sends another messenger to Captain Swanson, explaining the further delay. They also heal and identify the items.

Packing up Mola’s remains they head out, after Khalo repairs and firetraps the trap door leading to the River Cavern. It is a three day journey back to Evershade. The weather turns on the final day, and they arrive at the Last Wood Inn just as the storm hits. Knarls lets them in, badger and all, and even though it is night they sit for a spell to drink and have a hot meal.

While they are eating another traveler bangs on the door and is let in. He seems keen on knowing everyone’s name – he offers his as Sven – and on hearing everyone’s name seems disappointed. He is an unsavory character, and the party asks who he is looking for. Sven says he is looking for “Benzu the Vicar” and that he was told that Benzu would be in this inn on this night during a storm. Osbert stands and cuts the man down where he stands.

Sven is searched and a talisman of Set is found. After some evasion, Osbert admits that in his former pre-indoctrinated life he was named Benzu and was a vicar in the Cult of Set. The party is shocked to find that their paladin is a former leader in a vile cult of darkness.

Reluctantly Norris is persuaded to cast Speak with Dead on Sven. They find that a demon gavbe the command in a dream, and that Sven was supposed to meet Benzu the Vicar and escort him to the Temple of Nerull nearby. The party resolves to go to the Temple of Nerull and deal with whatever is found.

In the morning Soromir and Jace pick up their newly enchanted weapons from Old Herm, and Osbert leaves his behind to be enchanted. Then the party sets off to the Temple.

They travel for a full day and arrive late in the night, past midnight. The temple is a gutted shell – obviously having been fired to the ground some decades before. Searching amoung the rubble a secret trap door is found in the floor tiles. Jace uses his wand to determine how to open it – a small tile is moved revealing a turn knob with a tree symbol on it. Recognizing the tree symbol (al-la-random bardic knowledge) Jace tells the group that this is actually the Temple of Thorns – a legendary evil place of worship that is the final resting place of the Darkblade, a famous weapon of old. Opening the door, the party gazes down and prepares to enter.

End of Session

900 XP