Runelords 32.0 - The Road to Jorgenfist

Upon waking, Virgil found that he had fallen ill to the plague that coated the ghast's claws, while Khyr's sickness had worsened in turn. Virgil managed to drag himself across town to see Mayor Luthra, who had prepared the appropriate spells in case of this outcome. Eamon carried Khyr over as well, and the two were strongly advised to sleep off the remainder of their sickness in the infirmary. As they rested, Eamon helped dig a grave that was then sanctified by the mayor. The ghast that had been made from Aldern's memories was interred there, hopefully to rest peacefully. Eamon and Shadliss spent the rest of the day quietly waiting for Virgil and Khyrralien to regain their health, while Luna and Aldern, placed in charge of the still-shrunken stone that they had defended in Sandpoint, planned to return to Medinipur to ensure that Aldern's reputation and holdings were not under threat by the mysterious third doppelganger.
The next morning saw both men back to full spirits. They thanked the mayor again and took their leave of Turtleback Ferry. Unbeknownst to them, Luna and Aldern returned on this day in order to get a written note from the mayor explaining the situation that had befallen the Black Arrows and Fort Rannick. They realized after having already left that they needed it in order to finally report back to the Lord Mayor of Medinipur before he started to think that Mr. Foxglove and his random adventurers had absconded with his money without completing their task.
The travelers made a short diversion into the Shimmerglen as they left town. The swamp seemed somehow even less inviting than before, with a tangible presence obviously resenting their arrival. Regardless, they made their way to the local warren of the Shivering Ones. A quick meeting with Melinda informed the kobold that the boogeyman had been dealt with. Meli was extremely grateful, and told them that she would send word to the other warrens of their deeds, and that they would welcome them with open arms should they ever visit. With that, the group left the Shimmerglen and started on the path to Jorgenfist.
Days after leaving for the second time, Luna realized that the stone she carried was only going to remain portable for a very short period of time: the spell was due to wear off. After discussing the situation with Aldern, it was decided that she would backtrack once more to Fort Rannick; the stone slab would revert to its original size and weight, making it near impossible to move, but at least if she could get it to the fort, it would be better than if it was in the wilderness. Meanwhile, Aldern would continue on back to Medinipur to report to the Lord Mayor and to make certain everything was in order. Luna promised to return when she could, and the two parted ways.
Some three days after leaving the town, Eamon, Khyrralien, Virgil and Shadliss came upon a massive set of stairs cut into a sheer cliffside. Treants could be seen guarding the edges of the cliff. Using Invisibility and Dimension Door, the group teleported to the top of the cliff. However, Eamon was painfully loud on their approach and alerted the sylvans to their presence. Bolting away, the group tried to escape the treants that blindly chased them by running around what seemed to be an old stone guardpost that had been built for the stairs. However, they were equally blind to each other, and they were quickly separated.
Khyr was the first to notice someone new enter the equation: a dwarven woman wearing plate armour and wielding a large shield charged up behind the treants, throwing one of them off the cliffside. Khyr sidled up beside her and began to chat her up; she was a little caught off-guard by his conversational tone in the middle of a battle, but she was glad to have found apparent allies. She had been waiting to get past this blockade for days, looking for the opportunity that they had just presented.
While Khyr, Eamon and their new ally faced off against the treants, Virgil took the opportunity to raid the empty guardpost, looting a pile of belongings that had apparently been stripped from intruders. Eamon was having a significant amount of trouble, shamefully missing swing after swing as Khyr and the dwarven warrior chipped away at the three sylvans. Virgil rejoined them and dispelled his invisibility with a stunning attack that ripped apart one of the treants. Eamon missed so badly that he managed to trip himself, while Virgil nearly destroyed the final treant. Suddenly, it collapsed: Shadliss had joined them, and finished off the final foe.
The group convened in the guardhouse. The warrior introduced herself as Alicia Rosa, a devout practitioner of the ways of the prophet Deshi and a member of a little-known sect of the faith. She wandered the pilgrim's trail looking for the works of her long-forgotten forebears who were said to have built a passageway to heaven, allowing them to ascend to glory. She, like others of her order, sought their lost wisdom and knowledge. To that end, her path had directed her towards the black tower in Jorgenfist, which might hold a clue. The four adventurers explained their own quest, and the barricades that Alicia might meet in the mountain valley. She offered to lend them her assistance for the time being, since their goals were similar and she had no love lost for the works of an evil warmonger and his cult.Category:Rise of the Runelords