TGAT: Session 14

Yellowspire Map

## **Chapter 4: Dragon Season**

### Scene 13: Castle Ward (Cont...)

Continuing were we left off with Gorog Un-Fallas, Dave D'angle and Lia Saevia disembarking from the hire-coach to pursue Amath Sercent, Agorn's lover. They followed Amath as she entered Yellowspire, a Castle Ward tower so named because its bricks have a pale yellow tinge to them.

Yellowspire is encircled by wooden scaffolding covered with ice and snow. Despite its precarious appearance, the scaffolding is secure and safe to walk on, enabling creatures to scale the outside of the tower without having to make ability checks. The scaffolding rattles and creaks, however, and any creature that moves on it must succeed on a DC 16 Move Silently check or be heard by the tower's occupants.

Lia Saevia scouted the perimeter of the towers base while the others stayed out of sight. Climbing up the scaffold she peeked inside an arrow slit and could see Amath and her four followers (LE male and female acolytes) wearing fur-lined robes to stay warm. They have black prints of their right hands, with fingers and thumb held together, the same symbol covers every interior surface. These hand prints mimic the symbol of Bane.

Amath is performing a ceremony, her acolytes hold candles and form a circle around a gagged and blindfolded middle-aged male human commoner who is shackled to the floor.

Silently returning and reporting back to the group she informs them she unable to find any secret doors or entrances other than the main entrance (area O1). The outer door has a tiny peephole with a closed iron shutter on the inside. Looking through the peephole she saw rotting tapestries adorn the walls, and mud and dirt have accumulated on the floor.

Hearing this Gorog Un-Fallas returned to the Castle Ward seeking out members of the city guard / watch and was able to convince two of them to follow him back to Yellowspire on the basis that its thatch roof was on fire. When they arrive the guard are able to see that the roof is neither on fire nor made of thatch and ask why he is wasting their time and the party ask to help them check it is OK anyway. The guard approach the door and Amath answers no longer wearing the black robe and says that they are conducting a ceremony of worship and would like to be left to practice their religion in peace. The guard are quite keen to not commit nor allow the party to commit any crimes to the gods so they apologise to Amath and lead the party away.

The first chance they get the party get away from the guard and return to Yellowspire, as they arrive, so do Richard Dickens and Levi Gastonne, having dealt with Agorn Fuoco in Mistshore. The reunited party were successfully able enter the tower undetected and continued into the ground level where a stone spiral stairs curls up into the tower and down into the cellar. Set into the west wall is a fireplace blackened with soot. A burned heap that used to be a padded leather chair lies near the fireplace.

    Dave D'angle investigated downstairs into the cellar which contained a small, circular wooden table is surrounded by four stools made from empty barrels. A marked deck of playing cards is scattered atop the table, with a few stray cards lying on the floor. Three crates are stacked against the south wall. Each contains a twenty-day supply of edible rations. Set into the north wall is a sturdy oak door with iron fittings and a built-in lock. Dave D'angle did not attempt to open the door and returned upstairs to regroup.

Once at the top of the stairs Dave D'angle see's Richard Dickens charge up the stairs to confront the Amath and her worshippers calling out to them *"Put down your weapons and surrender at once!"*. Amath turned to face him and replied *"A fool knows no fear. Show him the dark fear of Bane.".* Lia Saeviaran to fetch the city guard again.

Three black flying snakes nest in the rafters and join the battle. As the characters fight Amath she uses an ornate skull topped staff to hit them (touch attack) triggering charges of Inflict Light Wounds. At one point in the fight Richard Dickens used his whip to disarm Amath flinging the staff to the ground behind him, however she was able to tumble past him and retrieve the staff in the following round. Dave D'angle was taken down to negative hit points and using the diehard feat he was able to stabilise, and luckily Gorog Un-Fallas pulled him to safety after defending the bottom of the stairs for several rounds.

Amath finally dropped and as she fell prone a loud electrical crackling sound could be heard below (arriving by way of the teleportation circle in area O5). Levi Gastonne searched Amath's body and found the Stone of Golorr.

All of the party members returned to the ground floor, Gorog Un-Fallas carrying Dave D'angle, Richard Dickens carrying the male who was shackled to the floor, and Levi Gastonne carrying Amath. As they reached the ground floor an elderly looking bearded human male comprised entirely of shadow and wielding a staff bearing a dead baby on a crucifix ascended from the cellar. The Shadow spoke *"**WHERE IS THE STONE?!**"*.

The party fled immediately from Yellowspire as two guards arrived with Lia Saevia. The party ran past the guard who attempted to confront The Shadow whom promptly exploded one of the guard in a cloud of blood and necrotic energy. The party and remaining guard ran full speed towards the southern part of the Castle Ward, Levi Gastonne entering the nearest sewer he could find, the rest of the group headed towards the Religious Sector, specifically the nearby Spires of the Morning (a temple to Lathander).

Richard Dickens looking behind the group saw that The Shadow appears to have followed Levi Gastonne.