Adventures of the Avalanche

Our group has started out as a ragtag group of adventurers traveling to Stoneharbor from the Duchy of Davalon but Fate led them to join forces to fight of the orc bandits terrorizing the mountains. They emerged victorious and later formed the Avalanche Adventuring Company (current headquarters in the Frost Lodge in Stoneharbor)

## A Perilous Journey

It was the year 486 of the Imperial Calendar in the lands of Aegeron, the Old Continent. It had been almost fifty years since the great Succession Wars that ravaged the lands. From the ashes of the old Imperium new kingdoms rose and life had once again returned to mundanity. But for our group of adventurers an everyday life is not what fate had in store. They all had their various reasons why, but they all joined the caravan of the Northern Gale Trading Company that was heading from Dawnhold to Pinefrost. From there they hoped to sail down the river to the city of Stoneharbor, where bountiful opportunities await those bold and brave enough to take them.

But the mundane trip through the mountains turned for the worst when a powerful avalanche buried the camp of the caravan. When our heroes emerged they found the other caravan members all dead: either buried by the snow or killed by the orc raiders that attacked right after the avalanche struck. Lost and freezing in the mountains our heroes were forced to band together.

   Through great hardship the party managed to survive this ordeal and also removed the threat of orc raiders that were terrorizing the village of Frostpeak. Through this fight a bond formed between our adventurers so they decided to set out and make their fortune together as the Avalanche. With the road now open the West they bid farewell to the grateful villagers of Frostpeak and headed to Stoneharbor.

## The City of Opportunity

   The party came to the great city of Stoneharbor with high hopes, as it is the city where those who are bold enough can make their fortune. Turns out the party were not the only ones who heard that, the city is full of ambitious folk who cast away their old life to make their fortune as adventurers. In such a competitive environment reputation is everything and the party had very little of it. Almost a month had passed since they arrived and so far they had only got a few, low paying jobs.
Since they were getting dangerously close to running out of money, the party turned to a local contract broker with the nickname Shady. He offered some decent work for the party in exchange for a 50% commission. The Avalanche was in no position to refuse.

    Through Shady the party received a number of assignment:

* The party found out that the local foreman of the Silk Guild warehouses was skimming off from the incoming cargo and selling it on the black market.
* The Avalanche was tasked with getting rid of the elves protesting the cutting of the Emperor's Tree. Instead of just barging in and driving off the peaceful elves the party decided to investigate the matter and found that the city magistrates wish to have the tree cut because it is completely withered and presents a danger to the locals. Meanwhile the elves considered it part of their legacy as the tree was planted by the God-Emperor himself three centuries before. In the end the Avalanche managed to achieve a compromise where Professor Shomjam from the Roxfort Academy used alchemy to strengthen the bark of the dead tree so it no longer presented a danger to the locals.
* The party tracked down an infamous paradiser who recently escaped and murdered two Knights of the Holy Flame while doing so. For this the knights were grateful and promised to call upon the party should they need them again.
* The party was tasked with clearing out an ancient dungeon for Lord Ryhel, a reclusive nobleman. It turned out that Lory Ryhel was conducting a secret excavation of ancient Illithid ruins just below the Paradise District. He was so satisfied with the party that he promised to hire them again.
* Through Shady the party received a commission from the Roxfort Academy. Their head-archivist, Xaris needed a mercenary group to sneak on to a quarantined ship in the harbor and retrieve an ancient manuscript that was supposed to be delivered to Xaris. She gave the party precise instructions to avoid bringing the Arpenian Plague to the city. Unfortunately the party disregarded them, which led to an outbreak in Stoneharbor. Although the local healers and clerics were quick to respond it still took the lives of almost a thousand souls, mostly from the slums, and almost cost Estel his life.
* The Knights of the Holy Flame reached out to the Avalanche and asked for their help in locating a missing missionary in the Paradise District. After some investigation the party encountered the tiefling Barakas who promised them information if they help him escape. Unwilling to risk getting caught with a paradiser, the party enlisted the help of Shady who managed to get the tiefling out in a couple of days. Although Barakas was true to his word and gave the party the location of the kidnapped missionary, by the time the Avalanche got there she was already dead, killed by crazed paradisers who blamed holy people for their predicament. At this point the party was approached by the deviless Rhelora who offered a favor to the party in exchange for covering up the murder. She argued that the guilty have already been punished and the knights' retaliation would be drastic. The party either did not believe her or thought the truth is more important and reported to the knights who rewarded them well. The knights rode out to the Paradise District the same night. .No one knows exactly what they did there but the smoke was could be seen above the district and screams were echoing in the nights for days. After that the knights returned, satisfied.
* Through Shady the party received a commission from Comrade Joe the local leader of the Reaton Reds. They asked the party to steal the private wine of the Stoneharbor consul just before he holds a large gala for the powerful of the city and then help the Reatons hand it out to the poor camping outside the Consul's Palace. The party did just that, however they managed to retrieve a few extra barrels, which they sold to Shady on the side.
* During their adventures in Stoneharbor the party met a lone, well-dressed orc who was accosted by several guardsmen and an angry mob. They soon learned that the orc was innocent and it was pure racism that led the guards and the people to accuse him of theft. He later introduced himself as Ogrum Sharptusk, an envoy to High Priestess Mazoga of Orchaven. He was tasked with negotiating the retrofit of the two old imperial cannons they brought. However the Stoneharbor Arsenal decided to double the price at the evry end and are unwilling to give back the retrofitted cannons until the orcs pay double the original price. Ogrum was under strict orders to avoid violence so he hired the Avalanche to sneak into the Arsenal and steal the cannons.    Unfortunately the party was discovered just before they could make their escape so (in desperation) they tried to use the cannons to blast their way out of the Arsenal. This led to the destruction of at least half of the manufactory and the Avalanche was captured. But as they were waiting for their inevitable execution Rhelora visited them and made an offer they could not refuse: they get to live in exchange for three favors for Rhelora. A few hours after the deal was struck they got another visitor, Lord Ryhel. New evidence seem to have come out that showed that it was the orcs that blew up the Arsenal. Lord Ryhel arranged the party to be released in exchange for an exclusive contract for one year, during which the party will guard his excavation. Once again, the party could not refuse...

## The Forgotten Truth

The Avalanche was saved from the noose by Rhelora and from prison by Lord Ryhel. In exchange the party was contractually obliged to work exclusively for Ryhel, who needed help with the his secret excavation of the Illithid ruins under the Paradise District. For the first three month the party followed the same daily routine: going to the excavation in the morning, checking every newly opened room, removing threats, back to Lord Ryhel's manor.

But on a fateful day in the sixth month of A.I. 486 they found the excavation site occupied by a group of cultists, the Children of Light. They were servants of the so called Bright Lord and were determined to destroy the excavation and all who took part in it. The Avalanche managed to dispatch the danger but they soon learned that disciples of the Children of Light will soon arrive to Stoneharbor from all corners of the world.

At this point the Avalanche was interrupted by Rhelora who summoned them to the Brass Embassy so that they can "*help with some minor tasks*" as their first favor to her. Most of these were humiliating and meaningless, clearly the deviless meant to show them how much they are under her hooves.

Upon returning to Lord Ryhel he gave the Avalanche their most daring task so far. They were to break into the vaults of the Brass Embassy and retrieve the ring of a former imperial archmage. Lord Ryhel prepared extensively for this heist and the party was able to enter the vaults of the devils. There they not only retrieved the ring but also encountered a powerful being called the Wish Granter. It promised to fulfill a single wish for the party and they wished to be rid of Rhelora's contract. It turned out the Wish Granter can not break a contract but can help the party break it themselves. It then teleported the party to a remote part of the Nine Hells where they found themselves facing Rhelora. But the Wish Granter also blessed them with great strength, which allowed them to defeat the deviless. But to their surprise when Rhelora was lying at their feet she did not beg for mercy and was unwilling to let the party out of their contract. Instead she allowed the party to renegotiate the terms to be more favorable to the Avalanche.

    With the ring Lord Ryhel and the party had everything to enter the Inner Sanctum of the tomb. They had to hurry as they were pursued by the Children of Light. When the defenses left behind by the old Imperium turned on them Lord Ryhel decided to leave the party behind and push forward on his own. The party caught up to him at the heart of the Illithid complex at a shrine that lied in a dark dimension with a starless sky. By the time the party arrived Ryhel seem to have lost his mind and was determined to sacrifice the party to an ancient deity, the Great Old One. Fortunately the party managed to bring him down, but as he fell his blood covered the ancient altar. Suddenly a pale yellow light illuminated the ground, as if the Moon had come out from behind clouds. The party looked up and saw that the source of the pale yellow light is not one moon but two. But as they looked more they made a bone chilling realization: those were not moons, but eyes. And the darkness blocking the stars was neither a cloud nor a void, but a being of unimaginable enormity. In this pale light they could roughly make out its shape: a winged creature with tentacled head, that looked alien in every aspect, but it somehow triggered a primal fear in the party’s mind. For a moment it was as if Time itself has stopped, then the party screamed in pain as they felt the attention of the being turned upon them. It presented them a wordless question. At this point the party split: some saw fighting as futile and surrendered their mind to the Great Old One while some resisted and. The ancient God turned the comrades of the Avalanche against each other and had them pursue their former friends back to the Material Plane. There they encountered the Children of Light and the Bright Lord who was leading them. Turns out he was a powerful fey who wished to prevent the return of the Great Old One, but it was too late. As a final attempt the Bright Lord raised his hands and through enormously powerful magic collapsed the entire complex, burying the Avalanche as well.

The party woke up days later in Stoneharbor. Turns out Rhelora had more things to ask of them so she had them resurrected (instead of just claiming their souls). She also decided to take a more active role in the management of the party (as they are clearly unable to take care of themselves), so she incorporated the Avalanche Adventuring Company and appointed herself as its manager. Furthermore, she found a legal loophole that allowed the party (as the last servants of the heirless Lord Ryhel) to inherit the Ryhel Manor, which would later serve as their headquarters. Unfortunately this came with a hefty estate tax bill of 25000 gp, which Rhelora refused to pay. The Stoneharbor authorities gave the party 6 months (until the 5th month of A.I. 487) to pay this debt.

## Beneath the Frost Lodge

The Avalanche spent a merry night at one of the several bars of Stoneharbor, where they met a friendly tiefling paladin, Tethys. They all had one too many drinks, as the next morning they all woke at the Frost Lodge, all being quite certain that they have saved Santa Claus himself the previous night... eh, it was likely a hallucination!

Already back in their manor, they decided to show off the many rooms to their new friend, Tethys. While touring the second floor with her, she nonchalantly dusted off a few books in the Master Bedroom (previously occupied by the late Lord Ryhel), and the party noticed a creaking sound. It was as if the bookshelf has shifted an inch... Could there be a secret passage behind it?

The Avalanche decided to explore, and to their immense horror and satisfaction they found a portal and a hidden dungeon just below their own manor. They found it to be an ancient temple and burial ground for priests of the Great Old One. Later, they found notes of Lord Ryhel, who was researching the portal before he dared to enter himself. The Avalanche explored the temple thoroughly, killing any remnants of ghosts and wraiths, and collecting all valuables from the dungeon on their way. They found two exits: the one they entered through which leads to the master bedroom, and another, below ground level, which they never explored...

## First (of many) Favors

Two months passed without significant development when Rhelora urgently summoned the party. She was ready to ask for her second favor: she wanted the party to steal a magical artifact form the Library of the Eternal Fire in Stoneharbor. Stealing from the Library is no easy task but the party soon learned that Rhelora has extensively prepared for this heist and has most things planned out, she just needs the party to execute it. After some well placed questions the party soon learned the reasons behind the heist: Rhelora's position in the infernal hierarchy had become unstable (especially after the party humiliated her and forced her to change their contract) and she needs to quickly demonstrate that a) she is in control of the party and b) that it was useful to keep the party instead of punishing them. So she came up with the plan of having the Avalanche steal a powerful magical artifact for her.

    After extensive preparation that included elaborate disguises (courtesy of Negmal) and false identities the party headed to the Library of Eternal Fire where they tricked the monks into letting them access the restricted section of the library. From there they made their way to the vaults where (after dealing with one blind monk) they found the artifact they were looking for. They did not know at the time but the artifact Rhelora asked them to steal was an Edict, a powerful curse of the old Imperium, that was designed to bring ruin to the cities around the Golden Bay.

Rhelora rewarded the party for their work and this feat seemed to have secured her position in the infernal hierarchy. Unfortunately the theft of such a powerful artifact put the entire city on alert, so Rhelora asked the party to lay low for at least one month.

## The Eternal Winter

After the heist at the Library of the Eternal Fire the party did what Rhelora recommended and kept a low profile. The theft was never officially announced but the citizens of Stoneharbor noticed a sudden increase in patrols and raids on various establishments. Still, the party’s disguises seem to have been sufficient as nearly a month has passed without incident, so the Avalanche decided to finally have a night out at The Black Unicorn. After a night of reveling the party returned to the Frost Lodge to find it occupied byLucca Alvari (an extremely nasty fellow) and his fellow mercenaries as well as a large contingent of the city guard. Turns out the Golden League was upset that the party stole a powerful artifact that can devastate all their cities and then handed it over to the devils, so they sent Alvari to show their displeasure. After reaching an "*understanding*" with the party (beating them within an inch of their life and almost maiming Vistra), Alvari made it clear that from now on their life belongs to the Golden League and they are to do what they are told, or the conseqences will be so severe that they will wish they had been hanged last year. Alvari also gave the party their first mission: they are to volunteer to rescue the expedition the Roxfort Academy sent to the northern realms that are plagued by a severe magical winter. But while they are there, they are to ensure that Archmage Imonora, the leader of the expedition does not return (he also gave the party a soul-stealer dagger).

After this ordeal the party pulled themselves together and Pongo went to the Brass Embassy to let Rhelora know what happened and (maybe) to ask her help in dealing with Alvari. There he learned that it was Ragruz, her boss who told the city about the party's involvement, as part of some sort of deal. It seemed pretty clear that it was done against Rhelora's wishes and the only thing she could do was to convince the Golden League that the Avalanche is more valuable alive than dead.

    Thus the party had no choice but to go to the Roxfort Academy and "*volunteer*" to rescue their expedition. There Archmage Filarix was surprised and glad the party showed up and offered them a fortune if they manage to rescue **all members** of the expedition. And for that they just need to deliver a piece of equipment (an Arcana Projector) to the city of Coppercrag in the Reaton Republic and use it to teleport the expedition and themselves back. The catch was that the Reaton Republic is suffering from an extreme magical winter which interferes with magic, so the archmage has really no idea what's going on there, or whether the city is still standing. The party realized that no sane mercenary outfit would take on this mission, but they had no choice.

    Using another Arcana Porjector Filarix sent them to the Eldran Valley in the Reaton Republic. They landed in the middle of nowhere and soon learned that Filarix slightly understated the severity of the winter. The party barely made it to Coppercrag, a city full of refugees, where the local guards confiscated all their food and even some of their weapons, but at least they found a warm shelter. In Coppercrag the party made contact with Jubilost Zottenropple the genius gnome inventor who came with the Roxfort Expedition. From him they learned that the only way out of the Eldran Valley is via Jubilost's airship "The Majesty", however it needs arcane power to function. Sadly the only source of such power in this backwater region are the soul cores of old imperial Iron Legionary golems. Jubilost gave the party several leads on where to find such power cores and he also told them the last location of the members of the expedition.He also told them that within 6 days an extremely powerful magical storm will reach the valley that will make escaping the region impossible. They had to hurry.

As the Avalanche was pressed for time and resources they had to prioritize, so during their time in the Eldran Valley the carried out the following deeds:

* They rescued Professor Shomjam from the druids of Telmark Forest. Vistra chose to leave her pet familiar Chad there in his stead.
* They tried bartering with the elderly wizard Donorim, but the senile mage was unwilling to part with his soul core or flee the magical storm. In the end Vistra pushed him down the stairs by accident, which put an end to negotiations, even though Vistra had no intention to hurt him.
* The Avalanche tracked down Archmage Imonora to the ancient Milwahr Barrows. There they learned that the Eternal Winter was the result of a joint Dominion-Iregion experiment that was sabotaged by Lucca Alvari (from the Golden League). Since it was Imonora who allowed him to sabotage the experiment, Alvari is trying to kill her and thus remove the last loose end. After hearing the details and seeing that Imonora wanted to make things right, the party decided to let her live and join their escape. Furthermore, the party promised to keep her role in the Eternal Winter secret. The party also found a soul core in the Dominion laboratory.
* The party entered the cave of the silver dragon Agharth in the hope of recovering a soul core from her hoard. To their surprise the dragon has not fled the Eternal Winter, it as recovering there from a great battle she fought recently against a frost giant tribe that tried to attack valley and take the weakened human settlements within. She was being tended by a modified golem that was powered by a soul core, but the party decided that she deserved better than being left to die of festering wounds, so they left without the core.
* The party rescued Professor Ulenor from his observation post in the mountains.
* The visited the city of Timbergrad that fell under the influence of Maliel a powerful erinyes masquerading as a celestial savior. She convinced the citizens that paradise awaited them if they sacrificed themselves (and their souls) to her. After some encouragement from a disembodied voice (later turned out to be Rhelora, who is a rival of Maliel) the party defeated Maliel and thus closed the portal she opened to the Nine Hells. This saved the souls of the citizens of Timbergrad but also left them defenseless from the Eternal Winter. The party also rescued Master Wizard Watrix, a member of the Roxfort expedition who was captured by Maliel when he tried to reveal that she was a fiend in disguise.

    Finally the party returned to Coppercrag where they loaded up as many people as possible onto the airship and made their dramatic escape (while the mob tried to climb onboard their ship). The Avalanche fought them off with a heavy heart as these desperate people were just trying to survive, but the airship just couldn't take any more people.

After their dramatic escape the Avalanche had a hard choice ahead of them: what to do with what they learned? Since they did not kill Archmage Imonora going back to Stoneharbor would have been suicide. After a close vote the party decided to give all the evidence they had to the Dwarven Dominion, which involved breaking their word to Imonora and revealing her role in the cataclysm. The Dominion officials were grateful for the party's discretion and sheltered the party for one month while things "settled down". When the party finally returned to Stoneharbor they learned that Lucca Alvari disappeared similarly to Archmage Imonora. It was unclear whether they are hiding or the Dominion got to them.

## The Jungle of Daggers

The Avalanche has finally paid off their debt to the city of Stoneharbor, a feat they pulled off by accepting a lucrative job from the Roxfort Academy (paid in advance to the party's CFO, Grep). As per their contract with Roxfort, they agreed to accompany Master Wizard Aridor and his two students, Eril and Vorohon, and Professor Shomjam to an expedition into the Jungle of Daggers, a wild and deadly forest unclaimed by none of the neighboring realms. Aridor was looking for the ruins of an ancient temple, rumored to be anything and everything from a sacred place for the Great Old One to a source of magic. Shomjam's interest was the local flora of the jungle.

The party has traveled to the jungle on the ships of the Northern Gale Trading Company (NGTC), who have established a trading post in the jungle about a year ago, in the Airwood Valley. Their interest was in harvesting a local tree, the 'air wood', which is both light and sturdy. Their newest and second expedition was for building out the trading route and starting off the trade operation. They were led by the Stoneharbor local, Balda Karolus, and his practical second-in-command, the elf Elros. Before entering the jungle, in Junglegate, the Avalanche has met the elf warlock, Ardan, who has paid for passage to the jungle and joined the Avalanche since then.

Arriving into the jungle, the party has found the NGTC outpost to be abandoned, everyone has completely disappeared. Soon enough they have found evidence of a monster referred to as "The Deathbringer", rumored to be able to claim anyone whose name it knows. He has been returning to the valley every 100 years, and the cycle has happened a few times before.

Also in the Jungle of Daggers were stationed an artificer, Andromeda, and her crew, who have arrived with her airship, The Angel's Flight. The Avalanche has determined Andromeda to be an aasimar, a being of celestial ancestry. She has asked the party to help her find a lich who was once named Archmage Travenus, a high ranking mage of the Minthras Imperium. Andromeda has asked you not to kill him, but let her know if you find him, and promised a sizeable reward if you help her.

Some of the adventures the Avalanche has had in the Jungle of Daggers:

* Enjoyed the hospitality of the Valley People, a peaceful local tribe, where they got acquainted with the halfling village chief, Diamay, and the owner of the Hungry Hippo tavern, "Mr. Hippo";
* Visited the shack of an old dwarf in the Marshes of the Dead, and found two Dominion adventurers ("The Silver Arrow") recuperating from their injuries instead. The party decided to help them and leave them in peace, to which one of them insisted in repaying their debts in the future;
* Visited the Waterkin, a wild tribe living below the waterfall, and found out more details about the Deathbringer, who was revered by the Waterkin. Apparently, his power comes from a magical book, and that people fall dead when he decides to write their names into his book. The Waterkin was among the many in the Airwood Valley looking for the Deathbringer, hailing him as their prophet;
* Has helped a monk, Khori, who was addicted to a substance referred to as "sugar", to get his fix for the next few weeks;
* They tracked the missing members of the original NGTC expedition to the village of the savage Hungry Tribe, and found that they have already been all killed. The Avalanche has also killed dozens of cannibals during this mission, and a small native girl who posed as the infamous Deathbringer, acquiring the coveted Death Book that gave her her power;
* Saved Eril from a couple of air elementals at the bottom of the Rift, who has foolishly gone out to explore the jungle alone.

After fighting their way through wraiths and collapsed bridges, puzzles and mazes leading to the final entrance of the ruins, the Avalanche has managed to find the main hall of the ancient temple Aridor and the old texts have told them about. Wherein, they found several side rooms an ancient library, and a peaceful old wizard having tea in the latter: Archmage Travenus. After plenty of discussion and negotiation, the party has decided to not tempt fate and give the lich his phylactery (the Death Book), but not before getting assurances that from now on he will only consume souls of fiends and other damned creatures. Travenus seemed quite regretful over all the killings that have happened every 100 years in his name, as in fact he only needed a few souls every time, to survive.

Afterwards, the Avalanche has returned to Andromeda to inform her of their finding the lich. She was quite pleased, and has rewarded the party with gems and a signet ring of the Magnusson dynasty.

### Epilogue

Master Wizard Aridor and his two students spent several more weeks in the ancient ruins, cataloguing and collecting all books and artifacts to be found. Meanwhile, the Avalanche has spent their time exploring and "cleaning out" the rest of the ruins.

Other than the large library where they have met Travenus, and the room they found a Shadow Gate in (used to leave the ruins the first time, and for transportation then on, with the help of Aridor), they have found the following rooms:

* A room with heaps of gold and weapons. As soon as entered, the party has started rummaging around it in search of valuable items. Soon enough, there was significantly less space in the room, and way more items, in fact, barely enough space anymore for everyone to fit in the room. Pongo’s leg touched an armor, and Rydia couldn’t help but lean on a table full of scrolls; and there was less and less space... As the party realized what is happening, they started climbing out of the room, drowning in gold and artifacts, barely staying afloat... but thankfully Master Wizard Aridor has heard them and quickly made all the items disappear with a powerful Dispel Magic spell. Afterwards, the party was being scolded for several minutes.
* A room where the only objects were two altars next to each other: one was larger and had gold, gems, small bones and beaks on top of it, the other was small and on top of it was a book that was carved out of stone. After Tethys touched the stone book, a small cloud formed above it, the particles forming it emanating an eerie light. They swirled around and began to form a humanoid silhouette with angelic wings. It spoke… but the sound come out all garbled. After brought to his attention, Aridor found this most interesting, and a great deal puzzling, and spent several days inspecting and trying to decipher the message. Without much success.
* In a third room, a small library. Upon closer inspection, the books in there were exclusively about death magic and necromancy. At the back wall, there was a small table, with a wide, shallow bowl on top of it, which was holding an opaque liquid. The party knew from what Travenus had told them that this is where his phylactery was forged, and it could be destroyed only here.

After about a month, the Roxfort party has reconvened at the NGTC outpost, packed with several boxes and chests of research, and were ready to head back to Stoneharbor. No one knew where Professor Shomjam spent this time, but also, no one asked either. It was clear on the wizards’ face that they would have happily stayed longer, but the Avalanche’s contract was about to expire (apparently they were only hired for a few months, Grep wasn’t completely thoughtless after all).

Andromeda and her airship were long gone. Thankfully, both Roxfort professors could teleport, and the two of them could carry the party back to Stoneharbor in an instant.

Upon returning to the Frost Lodge, Grep was prouder than ever. He has apparently allocated funds for an important company project: the "Employee of the Month" wall. In the entrance hall of Frost Lodge, the party has found a large mahogany plaque, with a single golden star for each party member. There were two golden signs as well: “Employee of the Month” and “Room for Improvement”. A star larger than the rest, "Grep", according to the sign on it, was under “Employee of the Month”. All the rest of the stars were in the other category, Vistra’s at the top of “Room for Improvement”. The next day, members of the party noticed that their home funds have been depleted by 50 golds each, to fund this amazing work of art.

## The Bay of Lightning

Two months after the party returned from the Jungle of Daggers, they were, rudely and enthusiastically, summoned into the Grep's "office" where he excitedly told them the news that another one of the Silk Guild's ships to the Kingdom of Cascadia was attacked, this time taking the adventuring party The Silver Arrow with it. Grep seemed quite pleased with the news, especially that there were no survivors. At Grep's suggestion (well, moreso of an insistence...) the party went to the Silk Guild's headquarters in Stoneharbor to offer their services. After some terse negotations with the manager, an elf named **Amariel** the party was offered a job: find out what is causing the ships to be destroyed for 1000g or, after considerable persuasive negotiation, solve the problem outright for 3500g. The party was told that parts of the ship have come ashore north of Meerport, a large port city North of Stoneharbor, with scorch marks on it. The party was then told to go to the main Silk Guild headquarters in Meerport for more information.

The party took a 3 day horse ride, with most of it in miserable rainy weather, to **Meerport**.

When they came to Meerport, they found a large vibrant port city with tall stone walls. They made their way through the Noble Quarters to the Silk Guild's headquarters: a large elven-designed building. There, they met with a fairly standoff-ish human **Bertio**, the manager. After some discussion, the party learned the boats were disappearing near a bay around 100 miles North of Meerport, now called the Bay of Lightning. Bertio told the party that the ship parts appeared to have been struck by some kind of powerful lightning, and the bodies that have been recovered showed similar markings along with large bite marks. Bertio arranged for rooms at the nearby inn, The Dancing Dragon. At the Inn, the party met it's owner, a small cheery halfing **Dalia Tulips** . After some time resting in their room and cleaning up (much to the happiness of Dalia) the party made their way to the docks. Dalia pointed them towards a specific inn: The Weary Fish. The inn is really moreso of a dockside shack exuding a very strong fish smell. The party went in and found a couple of sailors that were seating in the corner. They invited themselves to sit with the sailors, and after buying them a round of drinks and a large plate of some very smelly fermented fish, the sailors started talking. From the sailors, the party learned that only desperate people trying to deliver goods quickly tend to take the coastal round since the waters aren't the easiest. The route was typically used by smugglers, and the bay was known to be used by smugglers who hid things in the cave systems there. The party found out the bay used to be called Faerie Dragon Bay: named for the Faerie Dragons that used to (according to the stories) be found roaming the area North of Meerport and nesting in the Bay.

The next day the party headed out towards the Bay. The roads this time were not so easy: the party was being fairly constantly pranked by several different Faerie Dragons. At one point, Estel's backpack had suddenly come undone spilling all his goods and coin along the road. Thankfully, with a bit of magical help from Ardan, he was able to recover every coin! Later, for seemingly no reason, Estel threw his coin purse at Reed's head (he *claims* it was due to whispers....). Reed luckily gave back all the coins! A bit down the road, the party had quite a surprise! Suddenly Reed turned into a squirrel! After casting "See Invisibility", Rydia saw an Indigo colored Faerie Dragon on the floor next to Squrriel-Reed laughing hysterically. After a brief conversation and the exchange of a 'shiny', the Faerie Dragon undid the polymorph and flew off quite happy. The party also had a few nasty nights due to some...lazy....watch keeping (we won't name names....). The party had quite an easy time with a Hill Giant, but had a bit more difficult time when assaulted by a pack of Griffons!

As the party approached the Bay, Rydia heard a squealing along with suddenly having something wrap itself around her hiding: it seemed to be the same Indigo Faerie Dragon (the party never asked it's name) that squirrelified Reed. The FD was quite distressed: it had been spotted by the 'big meanie' while 'playing with the fishes'. After a short discussion, the party learned that the 'big meanie' was a Blue Dragon, although not a particularly huge one. The party was told that the BD hunts during the day then retreats back to the cave system at night: the caves that used to be the nest of the FDs. With some guidance from the FD, the party made it's way to the cliff side.

At the cliffs, the party found a large entrance around 40 ft up the cliffs. While investigating the beach, the party found a large, around 10-ft wide, patch of the beach that was actually sand suspended on a water. After doing some scouting, the party seemed to have found an entrance into the cave system. Although they were plannning on going in that way, Vistra remembered that BDs liked to use hidden sand entrances as their main entrance point. Therefore, the party took the climb to the cliffside entrance. After some stumbling and falling, the party found it's way into the mouth of a large cave system! The party decided to just go straight for the Dragon, as best as a way as possible. They made their way through the caverns, and after a slightly messy encounter with a group of lingering Cave Fishers found their way to what appeared to be a large hole in the ground leading to a lower level.

The party made their way to the lower level of the cave network. There, they saw several large (10 ft high!) snails with multi-hued iridescent shells and five stalks, Flail Snails. The party's initial plan was to avoid the snails: the snails weren't bugging them, so why attack? Ardan flew to the top of the cavern and explored a bit (after some semi-thorough scouting by Chad, the brave spider!). However, when Ardan neared a hole in the ceiling to another upper lair, a bunch of Shrieker fungi started shrieking. Hearing the horrific noise, Tethys took up arms and charged hoping to save Ardan! However, she tripped and fell face first into one of the roaming Flail snails. After a long, tedious and - some would say - annoyingly aggravating fight, they emerged victorious having killed two snails. The party then made their way up into what they thought was the dragon's main lair.

Up in the lair, the party had a brief encounter with two Guard Drakes serving the blue dragon. After some initial looking through the loot, the party came face to face with the blue dragon himself: Chavronth, the Scourge. Of course, the title "the Scourge" was self-appointed, but did he not have a reason to feel like he deserved it?? Chavronth, in his arrogance, let slip that he was not there by accident: some entity from the Dragon Princes sent him to this area. Before the party could question further, Chavronth let out a destructive line of lightning. After a very tough fight which led to Reed, Rydia and Tethys being downed, and others being quite injured, they emerged victorious! After seeing her comrades so injured, Vistra had a whirlwind of hammer strikes which finally took down the proud dragon. The Scourge was no more!

After the dragon fell, the party found numerous magical items: from useful combat items to more frivolous cosmetic items. Furthermore, they found around 3,500 gold worth of coins and gems piled up. The party then decided to explore the rest of the caves and had some brief encounters with Ocre Oozes and some Shocker Lizards (the reason behind the name will shock you! Read more to find out!).

**Epilogue**: The party took some time to get as much loot as possible out of the cavern. They went back to Meerport where they stayed again at the Dancing Dragon. After a brief, but fruitless, attempt to extort some more money from the Silk Guild, because they had a contract, they received the 3500 gp reward. In a bit of revenge, the Bertio decided to make the party carry it all in gold pieces: even though he definitely could have found platinum pieces or gems with that worth.

The party returned to the Frost Lodge, two weeks after having left, with a cart full of loot - and a dragon head as bragging rights! Grep seemed quite happy, and is determined to find the contract that the party "conviently" lost. Sadly, the Silk Guild refused to see the Imp, and considered the matter closed. Therefore, Grep took a total of 600 gp: 100 gp \*\*each\*\* from those who went on the job. He would have liked to take much more, but had no way of proving that the party had taken more than they claimed! He will have to keep a better eye on them...

Meanwhile, the party found out what Pongo had been doing for those 2 1/2 months in his workshop. He came back (from some business) in a set of jet black full plate armor, which Vistra recognized to be adamantine. Furthermore, they saw his seemingly new hammer: made of a silvery-blue material and appearing as if it was on fire with blue flames!

Later the night when the party came back, they heard Grep suddenly cursing and exclaiming "You damned dragon!". Vistra went to see what was happening, and found quite an amusing sight: Grep was colored bright blue and was jumping around trying to swat at something. The Frost Lodge appears to have a new guest: Mavys. After some discussions with Rydia, the party learns that Mavys is fairly old, a few hundred years. Mavys was the one who told the party of the blue dragon. She decided it was time to venture out from Faerie Dragon Bay and thought following the adventurers was a fine idea!

## The Lady of Hours

### A Quest for Vengeance

Summoned again by Rhelora, the Avalanche attended to her office at the Brass Embassy in the Paradise District. To fulfill her contractual obligations to Estel and Rydia, she revealed that she had tracked down those who had wronged them. One man seemed to be part of both Rydia's and Estel's story, **Ragnar Olvirsson,** **a.k.a. The Tower**, captain of the **Iron Flail** mercenary group. Rhelora had **Lord Silvermark,** a nobleman indebted to the deviless, draw the Iron Flail mercenary group to Stoneharbor under the guise of offering them a lucrative contract. Rhelora told the party that Olvirsson and his companions are planning to celebrate that night in a private room at the House of Night. She also provided the Avalanche with detailed information on the members of the Iron Flail, all ferociously loyal to the Tower. With that she considered part of her deal done, and left it up to the party how they deal with them.

The Avalanche attended Lord Silvermark's manor in the city’s north end, entering by claiming to be the members of the Iron Flail, and once in an audience with Silvermark, Rydia introduced them as liaisons of Rhelora. The Lord told them how Rhelora requested that he hire the Iron Flail and send them on a made-up mission to one of the Dragon Tail Islands to collect treasure. Claiming that the Avalanche is there to help Silvermark complete his debt to Rhelora, they convinced him to assist in setting up a meeting between them and the Iron Flail at the House of Night that evening. He was asked to inform the Iron Flail that he had hired a group of inexperienced mercenaries, the Bronze Arrow, who will assist the Flail for little pay. Also, Silvermark promised to pay for the food and drink during the meeting, and he also the Avalanche his personal VIP card so they can enter the House of Night and negotiate in his name without issue. Assuming this will complete his debt to Rhelora, he gladly did all this, and the Avalanche left before he could realize that he had been duped.

Rydia was aware that the Tower worked for the **Baroness Ravenborne**, the money pouch and brains behind her attempted capture 12 years ago. Wanting to know exactly where the Baroness is located, she wanted the Avalanche to interrogate members of the Iron Flail for this information. The party came up with a plan. As a group, they decided that they will provide slightly spoiled food and endless drink to the Iron Flail several hours earlier in order to diminish their strengths if it comes to battle. Once they join them in the festivitiesking the plan was to keep piling them with food and drinks until they are drunk and sick. In their sick state, the plan was to tie them up and interrogate them for the information they need. Rydia had another plan in mind… and fashioned a daggre to her inner thigh as they prepared for their evening meeting.

The dwarves, keen at identifying soiled food, purchased some minehog bacon (a dwarven delicacy that most human s can't tell if it is already spoilt) from the market place and the group took it to the chef of the House of Night and insisted that it be served that night on their party. The chef (a dwarf) was incredibly offended by the request, but the Avalanche convinced him to serve the food anyway.

Hours later, the Avalanche joined the Iron Flail. Rydia, unsure if the Tower would recognize her, disguised herself as a female human named **Cersei**. The Avalanche spread themselves out amongst the tables and members of the Iron Flail, with Vistra and Cersei (Rydia) joining the Tower at his table. Turns out the Tower was just a man drawn by the coin: He started as a soldier of the Golden Lance, but got tired of fighting dragons for little pay, he quit over 15 years ago, now he is a freelance mercenary with his current troupe. Vistra and Cersei continued drinking and ‘getting to know’ the Tower, listening to him talk about his stories of fighting dragons and serving various masters. He references the Baroness, a tyrannical individual who hires mercenaries for long-term contracts and sends them on dangerous missions to apprehend sorceress and other oddities. They learned that she had the Iron Flail sign a long term contract with her just as they were starting out and had no contacts of reputation. They were very glad for the contract at the time, but since then they have grown tired of the unsavory requests the Baronness asks of them. Still, honor demanded they fulfill their contract.

 Growing impatient with the progress they were making, Cersei began to sob, saying that she is concerned that her sister Caitlin, who has gone missing years ago, is a prisoner of the Baroness. Cersei runs off in tears, actually to recast her ‘Alter Self’ spell, and the Tower revealed to Vistra that the Baroness’s castle is over in **Bhem Darahl**, near the front lines of the Silkstone War, and that Cersei should not think the worst for her sister. Returning, Cersei got a wink from Vistra that they have obtained the information they needed. Cersei realized it is time for her to break from the agreed upon plan.

The rest of the Iron Flail continued to get more and more intoxicated. Pongo even won the eye of Schmelkeg Rebrimitt their female gnome wizard. Cersei amped up her flirtation with the Tower, in the hope of getting him alone. The drink and her lack of inhibitions lowered his defenses, and he eventually revealed that he was present at the time when Estel's father was killed. To the party's surpris,e they learned that Estel's father was no ordinary ranger, secretly he was a sorcerer, who tried to hide his natural abilities. When the Baronness sent the Tower and his men to capture him, he fought to the bitter end and perished. The Tower also told the party the story about what happened in Rydia’s town the night they tried to steal her and how many of his men were killed by a mysterious dragon. This sparked a rage within Rydia as he talked so flippantly about that evening as if it was just “another night on the job”, and how he sincerely believed his men were the victims of a "monster". In truth, it was clear he was just a man that follows orders, and he had no personal issues with the wood elves, her town, or sorceresses. He just got caught up in a bad deal with the Baroness. Still, the idea of revenge clouded her mind. Turning up the charm, eventuall,y the Tower whisked her away to the bedroom, the rest of the Iron Flail and the Avalanche watching. Only Vistra could sense what Rydia’s true intentions were.

Swept to the bedroom, Cersei commenced a ‘romantic encounter’ with the Tower. In a drunken stupor, he fell onto the bed while she disrobed, hiding her dagger away in her robes. They began their lovemaking. Meanwhile, Vistra, knowing what is about to take place, attempted to break down their door, failing at first and then succeeding. Barging in on Cersei straddling the tower of the Tower, Rydia’s sorceress mind demanded Vistra to leave. The Tower, convinced that three’s company makes for pleasant night activities, was not yet phased by the interruption. Unfortunately, Vistra grabbed Rydia and attempted to drag her out of the room, and they all ended up in a heap on the floor. Watching what he assumed was a fight of jealousy, Vistra and a naked Cersei tried to push each other out of the room. Cersei, ending up in the arms of the naked Tower, begged him to not be upset, until Vistra again tried to steal Rydia from the room. Cersei debated abandoning her original assassination plan and just attacking the Tower at this point, but she was still convinced that she could do this in a less obvious manner. Upset at the delays, the Tower threw Vistra out of the room. At this point Vistra realized that they eill have to find the entire Iron Flail if she persists, so she attempted to play it cool and drunkenly stumbled out of the room back into the mess hall.

Cersei grabs her clothes and led the Tower to another room where they locked the door again and recommence their love making. Once finished, the Tower began to drift off to sleep, and Cersei prepared to use this moment to her advantage. However, he was suddenly overcome with the food poisoning and retreated to the corner of the room to throw up. Seizing this opportunity, Cersei grabbed her dagger, stood behind him, and slits his throat. Only a few members of the Avalanche heard the bloody gurgled scream. Cersei knelt in front of the Tower, letting her magical guise fade and returning her image to Rydia, and announcdf to the Tower that she was the girl he attempted to steal away that night 12 years ago. His band ase nearly killed by the dragon that provided her the only familiar comfort she had since her parents vanished, and she held his face, letting him stare into her eyes. “*Look at my face. It will be the last thing you* *see before you die*.” The Tower died soon after.

Rydia cleaned herself up and recasted her altered self spell, locking the door through magic after she left th bedroom, and returned to the main room. The Iron Flail chuckled at what the assumed just commenced, the Avalanche were concerned that it was their time to leave. Vistra attempted to pull Rydia aside to give her a stern talking to, but Rydia ignored her. The group left and the gnome wizard reminded them to meet at Pier 4 the next morning. Whatever... Rydi had what she needed, a destination, and one of the two lives her reveng sought. The Baroness was next. Even though her main goal was still out ther alive, Rydia could feel that this revenge was not bringing her the warmth sh desperately sought. If anything, her heart had grown darker and colder. Mayb killing the Baroness will be different.

### The Road to Bhem Darahl

The party decided to leave Stoneharbor with haste (partially because they hoped to avoid the vengeance of the Iron Flail) and head towards Bhem Darahl. The only problem was that the castle of the Baroness was on the far end of the Continent, right at the front lines of the Silkstone War. Getting there was far from simple...

In the end the party decided to make use of Pongo's connections at the Dominion Embassy and join a Dominion Metals caravan that was heading to Ylsalon, in the wood elf kingdom of Londar. From there they took a boat (despite Vistra's protests) and crossed the Great Lake. From there they traveled east.

After passing the city of Orgenfurt the Avalanche came upon a small village where they decided to rest for the night. But their rest was interrupted when a wounded nobleman arrived at the inn in the middle of the night, pleading for help. He was Lord Highcliff, the lord of the surrounding lands. He took in a group of pilgrims who were looking for shelter, only to learn that they were cultists of the Great Old One planning to conduct some sort of horrific ritual in his manor. When he tried getting rid of them, they attacked him and his servants and took his family hostage, he barely escaped. He begged the party to ride out and save his wife and son.

The party quickly rode to the Highcliff Manor where they made short work of the cultists. After the last of them fell they started looking for the lord's wife and son and found them dead on the upper floor. But they found not only them but Lord Highcliff as well, who had been dead for days. But then who asked them to come? As if prompted by that thought Maliel, the erinyes the party fought in Timbergrad, appeared. She started gloating about how easy it was to deceive the party and lead them to their ruin. Because the Avalanche did not realize that they were fighting members of the Collective, a cult of the Great Old One whose members are psionically linked and perceive any attack against them an attack against all. It was just a matter of time till the remaining hundreds of cult members tracked down the party. From that moment on they would have to sleep with one eye open...

This gloating made Vistra quite annoyed, which she expressed by throwing her hand axes at Maliel. Unsurprisingly the deviless relished the chance of fighting the party (turns out she was forbidden from attacking them unless in self-defense). But to the great surprise of the proud erinyes, the Avalanche managed to hold their ground against her and even forced her to flee. While victory over the gloating deviless was sweet as honey, it came at a cost. Several party members have been slain by Maliel and her servants, so the party made a new deal with Rhelora: she would bring the others back in exchange for another favor.

After dealing with the cultists the party decided to meddle in the inheritance of the manor and ensured that the Dominion can not seize the land by seeking out the cousin of the former lord and ensuring he inherited the estate.

### Mist against Time

The party arrived at Bhem Darahl several months after they originally set out. During that time the Dominion has advanced beyond this area and the Hillbreaker Clan from Btharmaz had laid siege to the castle. The party talked with their leader, Thane Lorbear Hillbreaker, who told them that the dwarves had been besieging Bhem Darahl for over a month but despite their devastating artillery barrages the walls are repaired every night by some kind of foul magic. Their only hope was to enter the castle through the ancient tunnels, but none of the scouts he had sent there returned. Naturally the Avalanche agreed to enter the tunnels.

Underground the learned that the labyrinth of the ancient tunnels are guarded by the undead minotaur Xolthok who came back to life no matter how many times the party defeated it. Finally the party found the laboratory where a hobbit alchemist kept bringing Xolthok back to life. In the end ,the party decided to let the incoming Dominion heavy infantry handle that...

In the castle the party encountered Thoratin, an ancient dwarf who worked for the Baroness. The party learned that he was once a scholar who had stolen forbidden knowledge from the Gods, for which Moradin's judgement awaits him after death. He had been serving the Baroness, to whom he refers as the Lady of Hours, in exchange she prolonged his life to an unnatural 600 years. He also revealed the reason the Lady of Hours was collecting sorcerers. She was planning to infuse herself with the draconic essence from their souls. This would have meant that she would act as a conduit for the remaining divine essence of Asgorath, the draconic deity that was slain soon after Creation. Combined with her powers she could become an Avatar of Asgorath, a being similar to the Living Gods. But she was pursuing this not because of greed of lust for power. The Lady was a sorcerer, similar to Rydia, but her draconic ancestor was a Time Dragon, a mystical creature whose very exiseance is doubted by most scholars. Her ancestry granted her many abilities related to Time, which greatly aided her in her quest. This also allowed her to see possible futures and these visions clearly foretold a myriad different cataclysms, all of which she could stop if she became an Avatar of Asgorath.

    Once Thoratin told the party everything they wanted to know, Rydia used her dagger to slit his throat and finally submit him to Moradin's Judgement. Afterwards the party used a magical flare to signal the Hillbreaker dwarves to start their assault on the castle, while they descended down to the laboratory. There they met Baroness Santia Ravenborne, the Lady of Hours. She asked Rydia to reconsider her vengeance and to give herself willingly to the greater good. Naturally, Rydia refused, which led to an intense battle, where the Avalanche experienced the Lady's ability to manipulate Time and reshape Reality first hand. Nevetheless, the combined might of the party managed to bring down the Lady of Hours. After the battle Rydia was contacted by two beings: Bahamut, deity of the metallic dragons and Tiamat deity of the chromatic dragons. Both offered her their favor, in exchange Bahamut asked Rydia to destroy the laboratory while Tiamat asked Rydia to take the power of the Avatar for herself. In the end Rydia agreed with Bahamut and overloaded the arcane apparatus, collapsing the entire laboratory. In exchange Bahamut marked her so that his children will always look favorably on her and also promised to aid her in a time of need.

When the Avalanche returned to the surface they met Thane Lorbear and the Hillbreaker dwarves who have already taken the castle. In exchange for their help, the thane gave the party a share of the loot and a letter of passage that allowed them to travel home from the Dominion.

## A Distant Promise

### Prelude

The Avalanche return to their home of Stoneharbor following the siege of Bhem Darahl. With the Baroness defeated, Rydia obtained her revenge, but at what cost? After her meeting with her mother, the Dragon of Mist, Rydia fell silent and distant from the rest of the group, fleeing to her room upon returning home to Stoneharbor.

Over the next month, Rydia is rarely seen. In the rare moments when she emerged from her room, she was adorned in large shapeless robes, an outfit that seems awfully hot given the temperate weather. Members of the party walking outside her room occasionally heard her singing quietly:

>
>
> *We met in the mist of morning,*
>
>

> *And parted deep in the night*
>
>

> *Broken sword and shield and tears that never fall*
>
>

> *But run through the heart*
>
>

> *Washed away by the darkest water*
>
>

> *The world is peaceful and still*
>
>

Meanwhile, the citizens of Stoneharbor continue to be on edge. Anti-racial sentiments grew with each update from the front, and the elves, dwarves, and humans took to their corners of the city. Wandering alone through the city became more dangerous, and the city guard had their hands full maintaining the discord from anti-war and anti-race riots that broke out frequently around Stoneharbor. Whispered word of revolution, led by the Reaton Reds, fluttered from mouths to ears in the taverns of the city. Martial law threats came from the city administration. Overall desperation was bringing the city to a breaking point.

None of this was improved on the eve of the 3/488 when a bright streak of light shot across the sky toward the northern horizon. Some feared a surprise attack from the Dragon Princes, some took it as an omen from the gods. Regardless, it would be some time before scouts could return with information about this mysterious and sudden event that shook all of Stoneharbor.

> *Run through the cold of night as passion burns in your heart*
>
>

> *Ready to fight, a knife held close by your side*
>
>

> *Like a proud wolf alone in the dark with eyes that watch the world*
>
>

> *And my name like a shadow on the face of the moon*
>
>

Castle Feyburn has been lost! The northern democratic republic of Tamoria is in turmoil. Scouts report that the flash of light seen over Stoneharbor crashed into Feyburn, enshrouding the entire castle's grounds in a cloud of debris. No one has been recovered, and those brave souls who have ventured into the debris cloud have not emerged. Fear has gripped the region, but the Council of Cities in Tamoria is divided on the origin of this attack. Leaks from inside the council chambers say that the Consuls of Meerport, Yethloma, and Thasnora fear an oncoming invasion from all sides, believing the Dominion will make use of this event to strike while their guard is down (and thus have closed their gates). The debris cloud surrounding Feyburn has not settled in months, interpreted by some as clearly an act of magic/divine intervention. The small villages of Mountmouth, Deershell, and Windvalley have begged the Council to send for an oracle or priest to negotiate with the New and Old Gods for forgiveness. Finally, in the minority, Lord Sidner of Saltmire suggests this is an attack from the Kingdom of Rubia attempting to reclaim the land they believe they lost after the fall of the Imperium and that they should assemble their armies and march north. Overall, the Council is paralyzed on a course of action.

The most recent reports end with news that, with the belligerent Rubians to the north and the barbaric territories to the east, scared citizens of the smaller villages of Tamoria have formed a caravan that is heading toward the south city-states. Word has it that Meerport and Thasnora have already closed their gates to (their own) Tamoria refugees.

Between the news of the incoming caravan and the escalating tension between the citizens of Stoneharbor, Consul Federico Irovetti of Stoneharbor has decreed that an evening curfew is now in effect, punishable by fine and imprisonment. Furthermore, entrance and exit from the city must pass through two heavily guarded security checkpoints, stationed at the northern and southern entrances to Stoneharbor. When asked whether Stoneharbor will welcome the incoming refuges, he responded with ``if they have money for the inn, who am I to turn them away, but only if they will provide skill or merit to our great city!"

As if the climate in Stoneharbor wasn't bad enough, statements like this rose cries from the nobles to close off the north gate and force the caravan to come in through the south gate only. Divides among class also began to separate north Stoneharbor and south Stoneharbor, with the south also divided into districts separated mostly by race. Oddly, the devils have stayed relatively quiet during all of this, perhaps amused at just watching the mortals quarrel with each other.

The dwarven establishment of the Happy Axe Tavern has become a meeting space for those agreeing with the Reaton Reds, who believe the leadership of Stoneharbor has failed its citizens. The Happy Axe's owner, Grudmuli Kegborn, either is now a human sympathizers or is being forced to house the Reatons (either way... he can't be found for comment). The Reatons meeting there seem to be centering around a particularly vocal member, simply named ``J." He is seizing on the new decrees to call out the rich--and what better way to show those in power in Stoneharbor by doing something to the Magistrate tower (word of mouth and rumors disagree on what exactly has been suggested, but it ranges from throwing eggs to arson...).

From the Frost Lodge, sounds of speeches and protests can often be heard at the Victory Square, where a band of humans and human sympathizers have called for the exile of the dwarfs unless they are willing to sign a loyalty pledge and wear this pledge as a piece of red cloth across their right arm. Many of the dwarven establishments have responded by refusing service to humans (unless persuaded, and even then there is an incredible markup). The area around the Victory Square has become a hotspot for disputes, brawls, and thievery.

The Frost Lodge has so far remained immune to the angst of the city. A large collection of ancient books arrived from Roxfort, citing ``concerning a matter of great importance / Rydia calling in favors" as reason for them opening their gates and letting some of their ancient texts out of their libraries. Ardan and Tethys, taking the books to Rydia, were met again by the abundantly shawled elf, who accepted the books, thanked them, and closed the door. The brief moment her door was opened revealed a sea of parchments scattered about the room (and unleashed a stench of what you would expect from someone who has barely left their room in three months). They shared a concerned look with each other and returned to their day. Rydia's voice could still be faintly heard through the door on occasion, though the subject of the lyrics appears to have shifted.

> *Cold fire clenched to your heart in the blue of night*
>
>

> *Torn by this pain, I paint your name in sound*
>
>

> *And the boy of the dawn with eyes of blue and angel wings*
>
>

> *The songs of the season are your only crown*
>
>

The refugees have started to arrive at the gates of Stoneharbor. Being forced to enter through only one of two entrances, the process was slow, and most refugees were forced to make camp outside the city gates. Those that easily got in were generally able to part with a little something to the guards, be it either some gold or a piece of their dignity.

Among those entering the city were a group of individuals calling themselves the Lost Monks, zealots who prayed to the "Forgotten Gods." They came claiming they were on a mission to spread the "gospel of the three." Many took them for insane fools, but upon arriving to Stoneharbor they began performing miracles for individuals around the city--including curing curses, producing wealth, and other oddities. People began to praised their abilities. Having gotten people's attention, they spoke of peace and happiness that could be obtained by following the Forgotten Gods. All people need to do is ``make sacrifice to the three have returned to their thrones in the North."

Word from Tamoria says that the Council remains stalled as to what action the republic should make. Renewed debate arose after the debris field around Feyburn settled... revealing a large stronghold at the impact site. However, it does not seem to be the original Feyburn castle, but instead a stronghold with an immense tower at the center of the city. People have been unable to investigate further, because the mountain pass leading to Feyburn has been overrun with monsters. Are these monsters coming from Feyburn? Is it unrelated? The Council is set to vote on whether to send a military force toward Feyburn, a proposal led by Lord Sidner, which does not yet have a majority but is gaining traction among the consuls.

One evening, Pongo heard Rydia rummaging around her room. It sounded like she was grabbing items around the room and throwing them in a traveling pouch. He walked on and continued with his evening.

> *But just you and I*
>
>

> *Can find the answer and then*
>
>

> *We can run to the end of the world*
>
>

> *We can run to the end of the world*
>
>

The next morning, the party awoke to find that the front door of the Frost Lodge and several other dwarf residences were smeared with two red streaks in the shape of an `X.' Asking Grep to investigate, he returned from his inspection to report that the marks would easily be washed off, as it was simply ``human waste, dyed red."

Several thousand of refugees are now surrounding the city of Stoneharbor in camps waiting to be let in. City guards fear that the refugees may try to force their way into the city. (Rumor has it that the Reatons are working to organize exactly this sort of event, led by J.) Vandalism continues to be an issue, with riots and political speeches become more common near residences of nobles and city government buildings. Some people are calling for the public shaming of the city officials for ignoring the plight of the refugees and for letting the state of the city fall into chaos. Some claim the city officials are Dominion sympathizers. Others are just upset and drawn to the crowds.

Everything escalated on 5/24/488 when the town woke to a horrific display: a murdered and mutilated body of a dwarf hung from the arms of the statue at Victory Square. Beneath it, written in blood across the ground, the words ``Praise Mal, Queen of the Night." This queen, apparently, is one of the three Forgotten Gods.

All of this has forced Stoneharbor's consul to instigate martial law by the following evening. The gates of Stoneharbor are now closed and are now guarded by city officials and members of the Golden Lance (hired as extra security). It is now illegal to traverse the city during the day or dark unless carrying documentation, and entry to and from the city is now banned unless sufficient documentation is provided.

This adventure begins the next morning of when an elf guard from the Roxfort Academy delivers a note to the Frost Lodge. Its first page reads

>
>
> *Dear Rydia,*
>
>

> *Given the martial law acts and the threats pervading Stoneharbor, we are requesting the books lent to you on 3/488 be returned. Please find enclosed a traversal pass that will allow you and a party to move freely from "The Frost Manor" to "Roxfort Academy" on "5/25/488" only. If the books (titles listed on attached page) are not returned by nightfall, we will assume this an act of theft and will take appropriate action.*
>
>

> *Sincerely, Xaris, head archivist.*
>
>

> *P.S. Please see me when you arrive; I have uncovered something that may be of interest to you.*
>
>

However, Rydia has not been seen for days and her room has long been quiet.

### Act I: The Harbinger

The Avalanche woke to a note from Roxfort Academy, asking for Rydia to return the books that were loaned to her. With martial law now requiring documentation for travel, the academy included a travel pass for her and a group. They were unable to find Rydia in her room, but instead found a litter of books, parchments, and other notes that spoke of the Forgotten Gods and tales of “the Harbinger.”

Taking the books back to Xaris, they passed a protest going on at Victory Square, where a Lost Monk was speaking to the crowd in front of a deceased dwarf. Vistra removed the dwarf and the Lost Monk did not resist them taking the body, stating that the dwarf had done its service to the Forgotten Gods. The Lost Monk spoke of a natural course of things and that the Lost Monks follow the Forgotten Gods only because they will ensure that nature is obeyed. Anyway, Vistra and the group drop the body off at the cemetery, unable to give it a proper burial at this time.

Making it to Roxfort, Xaris shared with the group that Rydia is pregnant and has become obsessed with legends of the great Harbinger staff, a staff that contains the power of a star and the ability to cast a “wish” when used. Rydia appears to have started a journey toward Feyburn Castle, where the celestial event seems to have landed. Xaris is concerned, however, because such power would be incredibly unstable if contained (even by an entire star). Xaris is instead debating if this is all a trap: several older historical notes refer to “three” raising the Harbinger King to destroy the world. Is it a coincidence that the (three) Forgotten Gods have also reappeared over the past few months? The Avalanche decide it is best if they try to catch up to Rydia, in case she is wandering into a trap. However, the fact that no one is allowed to enter or leave the city makes this particularly challenging.

The Avalanche decide it is best to bribe their way out of the city and begin to return to the Frost Lodge to plan their trip. Along the way, a girl drags them into an alley where three soldiers are taking advantage of the girl’s mother. A battle ensues and results in a rather gory scene being left in the alley. On top of this, they were observed the entire time by a member of the Reaton Reds, who requests that Pongo pay visit to their leader, J. Meeting with this leader, J (who shares his name as Jasper) asked Pongo for a ‘favor’ in getting supplies to the refugees outside of the city. He provides a magical box that contains, he claims, food, clothing, and some weapons, along with a sealed scroll that must be delivered to someone that goes by the name of “the Cardinal.” This ‘request’ was to be taken up by the Avalanche or Jasper would have to share that Pongo has been outfitting the Reatons for months. The Avalanche agrees.

That evening the group sneaks toward the eastern gate of Stoneharbor and bribes the guards with an incredible amount of gold, so much that they are fine allowing them to slip through the gates. They follow the river toward a small town of Watertrap, where Tethys has frequented several times before. The tavern owner, Samuel McCathaican, welcomes them for the evening in exchange for Tethys and Vistra performing at some time the future. The next morning, the group finds Knut, a local fisherman, and asks if they can use his boat to transport themselves and their steeds across the river. However, mid-conversation, Pongo casts water walking and everyone leaves Knut utterly confused as they walk across the river themselves.

Making it to the northern camps, the group finds the Cardinal, who is grateful for the help. He welcomes them in for food and drink, though only Pongo takes some of the wine. Insistent that the group has to get going, the Cardinal resists them leaving and eventually reveals that he is under orders from the Forgotten Gods to kill Tethys, who is upsetting her natural desires by being a ‘good’ tiefling. The poison in the wine does not affect Pongo and a battle ensues. It results in the local camp being set ablaze. The Avalanche escape on their steeds and ride north along the road toward Meerport, hoping to catch up to Rydia before it’s too late.

### Act II: March on Feyburn

The Avalanche are all treated to a similar dream in the nights before arriving at the gates of Tamor. Finding themselves in a dark thick wood, they stumble upon a silvery lake. In that lake, a naked Rydia is carrying a swaddle of clothes. When approaching the lake, she stares at the member of the Avalanche and then submerges the clothes into the water, at which point the water bursts into flames. Pongo identifies this location as the setting of the lake Rydia used to visit long ago as a child. However, his cry to the gods continue to reveal that Rydia is in the northern region of Tamor.

The monster activity has been increasing, and their passage through Deershell showed that monsters have been decimating the smaller un-walled villages. The group arrives at Tamor, the capital of the Tamorian Republic, to find a bustling city of diplomats and other sorts. In the Thirsty Ox they run into Justine, the envoy from the town of Mountmouth, and she shares with the group her woes of trying to convince the council of Tamor to send troops north toward Feyburn. Convinced this monster activity is related to the event at Feyburn, Justine and Lord Sidmer of Saltmire wants to call the banners and send troops north. They’re in the minority. However, she convinces the Avalanche to pose as three of the missing envoys from the smaller villages in the south and Gormouth in the north and help her convince the other members of the council to vote “Aye” on the proposition.

Ardan (under nom de plume Ailar Qinlar), Vistra, and Reed pose as members of Gormouth, Windvalley, and Deershell, respectively, with Tethys and Pongo as their guard. They join the council chambers to much surprise from the remainder of the members, and discussion ensues over the cost of butter. After deciding to raise it a copper, Lord Sidmer brings up again the need for the council to call banners and send troops to the north toward Feyburn. Initially met with apprehension, the council debates and then breaks for recess, where the Avalanche work their magic to convince members to vote in favor of this resolution. Ardan is able to convince Lord Rellish that the water cities of Tamor should stand for each other and save the smaller cities and villages. Vistra is able to convince Lord Galey that the efforts in the east will not suffer if troops are sent to the north, while Tethys and Reed were unable to convince Xavier to send troops (though they will open their gates to Tamor refugees—and Reed’s sympathy-inducing acting was able to convince him to abstain on the vote). Those with the vote of Lord Pieta passed the resolution, with the bonus that the Avalanche were tasked with leading the front as the generals.

The banners were called and the armies of the Tamorian Republic met at Mountmouth and led an assault on Feyburn. The enemy pushed back but ultimately gave way to the region, and the Avalanche and the Tamor armies were victorious. However, with the sighting of a dragon, the army is reluctant to stay near the stronghold, and it is decided that the Avalanche will attempt to infiltrate the castle and Pongo will send word once the threat is removed.

The Avalanche received no resistance as they crossed the New Moon bridge and approached the Night Gate of Feyburn. Entering the city, they find a wonderland sort of place: buildings that are built on top of each other two or three buildings tall. People who walked on stilts that seemed to magically position themselves so that they could walk twenty or forty feet above the ground. At the gates they met Alejandro, an eccentric upper-class individual that shared with them the culture of Feyburn, a city that prided itself on wealth and pedigree. Depending on your stature, you could access different levels of the city, but that required either proving you’re worth over 100 gp, 10,000 gp or 1,000,000 gp at the Parliament. He was so taken with the Avalanche that he paid the Parliament to appoint you all as Level 1 members of the city.

The party spends some time at the Shooting Star, where the tavern keep (jokingly) suggests that if they’re lost they could always ask the butterflies. Butterflies know only songs and histories and can speak of tales that have come and gone, but apparently the ones that have forgotten their names know the best tales.

What ridiculous land have the Avalanche found? Where is Rydia?

### Meanwhile

Meanwhile, in Stoneharbor…

A rebellion has taken place. Members of the refugee group (armed with the gear provided to them by the Avalanche) attempted to storm the north gates of Stoneharbor. Local guards were relocated to assist, which gave Jasper and the Reatons an opportunity to attack administrative buildings in the city. Attacks on the Magistrates tower, the Dominion embassy, and the Proconsul brought on a confrontation in the north section of Stoneharbor, which resulted in a blood bath. Unskilled zealots of the Forgotten Gods, told by the Lost Monks that participating in this rebellion was the natural course of the world, were mowed down, forcing the Reatons to pull back into the south section of Stoneharbor. The attack on the North Gate, without the strategizing mind of the Cardinal, ultimately failed.

The Lost Monks, who had convinced Jasper and this band of devotees to take this course of action, have not been seen for some time (actually, disappearing around the same time that the Avalanche left Stoneharbor).

### Act III: The Dragon Orbs

The Avalanche achieved level 2 status in Feyburn by putting the Frost Lodge up as collateral. With this, they gained access to the second tier of the city. Before exploring this new land, they stopped by the Shrine of the Three, where Ardan prayed for guidance as to finding Rydia. The Gods returned with a riddle: three towers, three gates, your friend awaits! From there, they went to the Arboretum, where they found a slew of cackling butterflies and one sagely fairy. The fairy, like the butterflies, only really knew of histories and prophecies, but was at least able to converse with the Avalanche about the history of Feyburn. Feyburn is the city of the fallen star, which descends every 1000 years in order to remake the world in Nature’s image. They bring forth the Harbinger into the world—which currently resides in Rydia’s womb. They also came to realize that the castle Feyburn appears differently depending on which gate you enter, and Rydia seems to have been present in all three gates. Her ultimate goal is to ascend the towers, which requires that three dragon orbs be placed at the three towers simultaneously. How she may come to do this alone, is unclear. The fairy also shares that the orbs are (1) a symbol of great wealth, (2) a trophy of great strength/wisdom, and (3) an artifact that brings everyone together. The first of these orbs, it seems, is a possession of Alejandro.

The Avalanche chat with the guards around Alejandro’s manor and are told to speak with John, a bumbling guard that works for Alejandro and who typically resides at the Night Ox. He is quick to share that he had lost the orb days prior but is thankful that it suddenly returned. Ardan aggressively suggests that John help them, and he spills when the guard change is occurring. The team infiltrates Alejandro’s manor, and, after running into John, the team quickly apprehends the dragon orb. In attempting to escape, they are caught by Alejandro, who tries to kill the team by ripping John into pieces and turning him into shades. The group eventually escapes and scales the walls.

Left outside the gates, they make their way to the Dusk Gate, finding a whole new Feyburn inside. Inside, the town is broken into districts based on people’s traits and skills, and the districts frequently sent champions to battle for glory and immortality through legends and tales of their heroic ability. Champions are put forth from each district to compete in battles in the Arena, to the death, and the champions standing at the end gets all the spoils. Each district also puts forth a prize. Visiting the Entertainment HQ, they found Alejandro has the Master of Ceremonies, though he did not seem to remember/recognize them. This version of Alejandro seemed distinct from the one they previously met (they hope…).

While in the Dusk Gate version of Feyburn, the Shrine of the Three said that Rydia is already ascending the towers. How did she enter them? Why such a baffling makeup: three gates, three cities? What real purpose does this serve? Why does it feel like everything they have been doing has been building toward a particular showdown?

The Avalanche came to learn that the Beastmaster “Le Mort” is the previous champion and now possesses the dragon orb. She also experienced a case where her orb had gone missing, but suddenly returned… weird. They visit her and convince her to put the orb up as a prize again. The Avalanche convince the District of Metal to put them up as champions this time around, and they entered the Arena. First battling the District of Wind, they take down the group and proceed to the final round…

### Act IV: Ascension

The Avalanche succeeded in reaching the final battle of the Feyburn Arena in the Dusk Gate version of Feyburn, finding themselves then matched against Le Mort herself and her two griffins. They battled her and eventually claimed victory, much because of a particular charm spell that turned a griffon over to their side. With the second orb in possession, 500 platinum in their pockets, a seemingly useless scroll about the history of the Feyburn Arena, and +1 dagger, they left the Dusk Gate and traveled to the Dawn Gate.

This gate revealed yet another Feyburn, one composed of various districts. These districts, they learned, tended to keep to themselves. The group visited the Shrine of the Three and were told to visit Yggdrasil, the tree from which all life sprung. The tree itself appeared to be a tightly conjoined set of vines, which all comprise the trunk. As they rose, they broke out to the branches and stems of the tree above. At the tree they found Alejandro, as a garden keeper, tending to the weeds around Yggdrasil. There they learned from him that this tree symbolizes all the tales and stories that have come to past, and the leaves are all living creatures here on the land. Vistra, believing the third orb is located among the roots of the tree, began shoveling the ground, resulting in a frustrated Alejandro begging her to stop. They stop and prayed to the tree, and Pongo was told a story of the creation of the world.

Unsure what to do next, they traveled to the Lake of Tears where they found several citizens admiring the water, and they told them a few of their own stories they learned as a child. These stories, however, sounded very similar to the exact set of events that have been happening to the Avalanche since leaving Stoneharbor. Curious about this, they traveled to the other districts and listened to their tales, and they heard familiar tales with different names and dates but were able to piece together that all of these tales are parts of a larger narrative, one that recaps some of the major events of the realm and of the party. They spoke this tale to Yggdrasil and the tree unveiled amongst its roots the third orb. Within the trunk of the tree the vines assembled themselves into a face that identified itself as Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil informed the Avalanche that they have spoken before, but they saw Yggdrasil as a small fairy amongst the butterflies. The tree informed them that their friend awaits them in the tower, but she is alone is stuck. The tree then told them that to enter the towers they must simultaneously place the orbs in their holders at each tower.

The Avalanche made their final preparations and broke into three groups. They divided and entered the three gates, placing their orb on its respective alter at sunset. The stone archways opened to reveal a door, which lead them into an empty room with a large torch in the center of the room and a staircase spiraling along the wall into darkness.

Ascending the towers, each group came to a similar room with three stone archways in the center of the room. The archways appeared to lead nowhere, but when standing in front of the arches, images were seen on the other side. A voice spoke to the groups: "What calls a hero to adventure?" Across each archway were images of wealth, immortality through legends and songs, and a desire to right what is wrong. Drawn by their true desires and beliefs, the members of the Avalanche entered the doors that resonated what is true in their hearts. The tower accepted these answers and all five members found themselves together in a dense wood near a lake. At the lake, Rydia was waiting, staring at her reflection in the water. Her face expressed relief and sadness at the sight of the Avalanche. Vistra insisted that they all leave together, but Rydia was also insistent that they all continue on. Kneeling down and touching the lake, watching the ripples move away from her, Rydia shared that she originally came here for selfish reasons, reasons that would benefit only her. Her entire revenge quest had been selfish, and as a result she has brought so much pain into the world. As she touched her bulging stomach, she continued sharing that now she has committed a grave sin. Soon a son will be born, and the Forgotten Gods wish to take him and use him to wreck havoc upon the world. Running is futile, the child is cursed already, and the only way to save him is to confront the Three. The power within her child, left on its own, would corrupt and destroy him and all around him. By facing the Forgotten Gods head on, perhaps this Harbinger staff or some other means could help set the course right.

The Avalanche agreed to assist her and the woods vanish. They were back in the tower, with three archways in front of them again. Again a voice spoke out, "What is the most important trait in a hero?" The images they saw were a person standing up and leading a group, an individual that has both strength and brains, and a pious individual living with the purest of intentions. The Avalanche entered the respective doors and the towers accepted again that the Avalanche acknowledged what is true in their hearts.

They found themselves in a crowded assembly square of Stoneharbor, where Jasper was revving up some of the Reaton Reds and zealots of the Forgotten Gods to attack the Magistrate tower. His desire to bring down the class hierarchy had driven him crazy with rage. All the citizens of Stoneharbor had become cautious of his actions and of the turmoil that he was inciting throughout the town. The Avalanche's sight blurred and they found themselves suddenly in an alley. They appeared to still be in Stoneharbor, but it was now evening. Jasper was seen trotting out of a local tavern, drunk, and walking down the alley. Not seeing the Avalanche, he stopped besides them and began to relieve himself, all while humming a jaunty bar song. As he was doing his thing, a dwarf walked up behind him and plunged an axe in his back. Gagging on the blood filling his mouth, Jasper fell to the ground dead. Their sight blurred again and they were back at the Magistrates tower, where the same dwarf stood on several stacked boxes. He chanted that Jasper's malevolent and self-centered campaign was no more. At this point, the dwarf held up Jasper's head, which had been removed from his body. Some of the zealots were enraged, but most of the Reaton Reds and surrounding citizen bystanders were relieved. Through a blurry of flashes, the Avalanche saw relations between the races in Stoneharbor easing. Hopefully these images they were seeing was reality and not an illusion.

The group found themselves back in the triple archway room. Again the voice spoke, "What is the biggest challenge facing any hero?" The doors revealed images of someone having the courage to realize that fear drives their actions, someone taking stock of their own role in the world and that their individual actions play a small role, and finally a person bowing their head toward an executioner. Many of the group were not happy with these being the only choices, but the Avalanche again entered the gates. As they approached the gate entrances, they saw mirror images of themselves. Entering the gates brought them to the top of the towers. They were separated again but everyone could now see the other two towers in their view. From each tower was a staircase that led to a floating platform hovering in the middle of the three towers.

They ascended to the platform and found an alter on one end and three thrones on the other. In those thrones sat Alejandro and Le Mort on the ends with a darkly dressed woman sitting in the center. The center woman identified herself as the Night Queen, Yggdrasil. A slow clap from Alejandro welcomed them all. Rydia approached the three while the rest of the Avalanche stayed back on both sides of her.

Rydia took a stand against their willingness to make her unborn son some angel of death. Alejandro blew her off and shared that she has no choice, because every thousand years they descend upon the land and wreck havoc, rewriting the land in their image. Ardan, however, noted that the history books would have had some record of this, had it happened before, which incensed the Forgotten Gods. The Avalanche asked them to explain their actions--why, if they are really gods, did they need Rydia to come to them?

Alejandro began, "The sacrifice must be willing for this to work, and the easiest way is to draw the Harbinger to them with the false possibility that they can get exactly what their heart desires." Rydia shared that her true desires was to leave with her friends and go home, for her child to have a chance to live an actual life, and for these demons to leave the world. This spurred Alejandro into talking about Rydia and her mother--"oh please, darling, isn't that really what lies in her heart?" Rydia said that it may have started that way, but she is trying to do better. There are more people in the world than just her, and she wants her son to have the opportunity to experience a world she refused to embrace.

"How quaint," a sarcastic Le Mort spatted. "Do you really think we didn't anticipate that? Do you really think that we haven't crafted this entire adventure--anticipating every thought and action of yours, leading you into scenarios that would only propel you forward to this very moment?"

The queen chimed in, "And to think of us as so evil. We rewrite the world in our image, yes, but because the world must be cleansed. We have brought peace to the turmoil in Stoneharbor, using you. We have united those in the Tamorian Republic, who now stand together inspired by the valiant actions of all of you--and you did what you did only to get to us. Do such deeds not make us 'good,' hmm?" She lifted her hand and upon the alter on the opposite end of the platform, a staff appeared. It radiated with immense magical energy. "Go on then, take the Harbinger staff you so desire. A ploy, a trinket, a manifestation of the power that will rewrite the world." With that, flames shot up surrounding the alter and Rydia, leaving her enclosed in a ring of flames with the rest of the Avalanche and the three Forgotten Gods outside of it.

The Gods transformed into three creatures, a dragon, an ice sorceress, and a flaming Minotaur. The rest of the Avalanche began to fight them, finding themselves at an extreme disadvantage. Rydia slowly mustered the strength to work her way through the flames toward the staff, finally reaching it. Once she grabbed it, she took a long look at her companions, all fighting and falling, all there because of her. She lifted the staff into the air, whispered, "Protect them," and smashed the staff on the ground.

A wave of energy immediately threw everyone prone and the entire platform became shrouded in a dense mist. The flames were extinguished, and within the mist emerged the head of a giant mist dragon. Rydia was nowhere to be seen, except possibly unconscious at the feet of the dragon (the details of the body were too hard to make out in the fog). The battle continued and the group, along with the Mist Dragon, worked away at the three. First, Le Mort fell by Tethys's hand, screeching in pain as she fell to the ground. Second, Alejandro fell by Pongo's hand, his distraught and always-piercing "Darling...." echoing in the wind. Finally, Tethys, in the true style of a hero, threw her weapon straight into the dragon's heart, and the dragon collapsed on the ground. As the bodies dissolved into smoke, their voices would be heard faintly, "All that has happened will happen again... it is as we planned... destruction...."

The Mist Dragon vanished and the mist thickened. The Avalanche approached the body on the ground to found a naked teenage/20-something male half-elf, unconscious. Within the mist, two figures emerged, Rydia and older female elf, presumably Rydia's mother. Their images were trapped in the mist, coming in an out of focus as the mist shifted.

"My son, Zephyr." Rydia said pointing to the body on the floor. "The Harbinger. Born of hate and greed. There is evil within his heart that knows no bounds. It could paint darkness upon the world. His curse is my fault. Forgive me."

The Avalanche saw the boy was unharmed.

Rydia continued, "Together you have put yourself at risk time and time again for me and for each other. There are no better people that I could hope my child is with. Please look after him until he is ready to venture on his own?"

Pongo nodded, "Of course. We will together." These words made sadness wash over Rydia. She slightly nodded. All the while the image of her and her mother were beginning to lose focus more and more. Her mother walked forward and placed her hand on Rydia's shoulder, "It's time."

Rydia bent down and placed her hands over Zephyr's heart. A blue light shined and washed over his body. He appeared unchanged by this. Rydia stood back up, "Bahamut has given me the power to seal away his darkness. I will protect him, from within, for as long as he draws breath." She looked up at her friends, Tethys visibly sobbing, "Goodbye, friends." With that, Rydia's image faded away.

Pongo lifted the boy into his arms, nearly dropping him when the ground began to shake. Looking off the platform, Feyburn was destabilizing. All three versions of the town were phasing in and out of sight, and the platform they were on felt like it was going to soon fall from the sky. Rydia's mom motioned toward a platform of mist that had formed near them before fading away herself. The Avalanche boarded the cloud and it carried the away from Feyburn and placed them across the river. Looking back, the castle flashed in and out of sight until a bright burst of light blinded the group. Once their sight was regained, the old original Feyburn had returned. It appeared untouched.

As the cloud of mist dissolved around them, the Avalanche collected themselves. The mist hovered over Zephyr and took one final shape, into the vague shape of a woman in a long robe. It bent down, placed a cloudy hand upon Zephyr's face, and dissolved.

### Act V: Beginnings and Ends and Beginnings

A few days passed as the Avalanche began their journey back south. Zephyr remained asleep the entire time, occasionally stirring restless and groaning, but never opening his eyes. They encountered the troops of Tamor, still waiting patiently for the signal. Startled by the recent events, they had feared the worst regarding the Avalanche and were glad to see them return (with an additional member). The Avalanche were surprised to find that over a month had passed while they were inside Feyburn. During that time, no more monster activity was reported. Similarly, no troops were seen outside of Feyburn after the Avalanche entered the gates. Refugees had begun returning to the region, bringing news that Stoneharbor had experienced a small revolution but was returning to some semblance of stability. The Tamorian Republic sent envoys to Feyburn to investigate, but the Avalanche did not wait for their return and instead headed home.

The Avalanche traveled back to Stoneharbor and found a city with open but guarded gates. While Stoneharbor was doing a census of who was entering and leaving the city, the gates appeared open to anyone who wished to enter. The racial relations inside appeared to have eased somewhat, and facilities and buildings (like the Roxfort academy) had re-opened themselves. Curfews and travel permits were abandoned. Returning to the Frost Lodge, the found Grep tending to a broken window, but the manor appeared otherwise in good shape. The Avalanche laid Zephyr to rest in Rydia’s room, where he continued to sleep.

The coalition of Reaton Reds in Stoneharbor have fractured. Several members continue to follow the ideas of Jasper (“J”), the Cardinal, and a group of twins calling themselves the Hummingbirds, though now only the Hummingbirds still live and have not been heard of since the death of Jasper. They are presumed dead or in hiding and those that follow them are disorganized and scattered. The remaining Reaton Reds have pledged independence from Jasper and their cohort, though Stoneharbor is keeping watch on all those associated with the Reaton Reds. Stoneharbor officials continue to try and gain information as to who armed the rebellion, and it is a good thing that Pongo has been keeping himself in the Frost Lodge. As of now, it doesn’t seem like there are any obvious ties between him and the Reatons (or no one has yet been interrogated). The ties to the Forgotten Gods have faded, as the Lost Monks have not been seen in months.

Xaris, getting word that the Avalanche had returned, came to the Frost Lodge late on a rainy afternoon. Unsurprised to see Rydia not among them, they showed Xaris to Zephyr, still asleep. “So, she was successful it seems.” The Avalanche explained to Xaris the events that occurred to them within Feyburn and with Rydia. “I see. Cursed by the Forgotten Gods and infused with a blessing of Bahamut. This boy might as well be a deity himself. You must make sure he can control his powers. But if he is alive and not evil, this might be the best of all potential possibilities, given the nature of the Forgotten Gods.” The Avalanche were confused. “Oh, right, I found some more information on the Forgotten Gods, would you like to hear?” The Avalanche, ushering Xaris to the main hall, settled in for the tale.

“What I was able to uncover was that the Forgotten Gods are all-but-missing from the history books by their design. They draw their power from the obscurity between moments in time. This is their curse. When the original Gods created the world, they stretched and pulled space and time around to form all that we see. Each of them had different ideas for how the world should take shape, and sometimes they got into disputes as to the ultimate form of the world. Some of these disputes stretched space and time to the extremes and created small tears. The energy released from these holes began to flood out, and the Gods patched them up and bundled the leaked energy into the three creatures that call themselves the Forgotten Gods. Being created from the same ether that composes all of the world and the Gods themselves, the original Gods were unable to destroy the Forgotten Gods completely, so they sealed them away back into the fabric of time—in the void between moments. In these instances of only fleeting darkness, the Forgotten Gods festered, drawing strength from obscurity. As the true Gods put the Forgotten Gods’ existence out of their immediate memory, the energy in obscurity grows, and the Forgotten Gods tore themselves out. In obscurity there is only darkness, as is revealed when exposed to the light, and so the Forgotten Gods grew ever more vengeful of the Gods that trapped them there. Ripping themselves out of their bonds, they fought back against the Gods but were always vanquished and trapped again. As time passed they tried this again and again, each time failing. Once the Gods created other intelligent creatures in the world, the Forgotten Gods started attempting to use them to their own devices. However, it seems the Gods anticipated this by placing them locked in obscurity. The Forgotten Gods’ first attempt at using a group of mortals, dwarfs I believe, came about when a dwarf woman gave a particularly hard birth to a son. Pleading with any god or power to help her, the Forgotten Gods jumped on this opportunity and latched onto the son, allowing them to rip themselves out into existence. However, doing so imparted a bit of their energy to the boy, and the boy had the powers of a weaker Demi-god. Using this to their advantage, they rallied a band of dwarves around this savior, and the band began to spread the word about the Forgotten Gods. Since the Forgotten Gods’ energy was drawn from obscurity, this began to weaken them, which made them less able to protect the savior they had bestowed with their power. During a rebellious dispute the child was murdered, extinguishing a part of their power forever (I think, or it at least returned some of their power back to the ether). Realizing they had lost some of their power, the Forgotten Gods retreated back to obscurity and waited. However, with all the word spreading of their existence, their power recharged slower, and they had to wait it out until those living had no memory of them. Regaining their power, they once again tried to break through, latching onto a moment in the world to pull themselves into existence and hurling themselves back from the void onto the surface. Their efforts failed over and over again, to the point where even they began to forgot the true reason they began this cycle in the first place. And so here we are. It seems conceiving Zephyr was the moment they latched onto this time around.”

Ardan interjected, “Why then, if this relies on the Forgotten Gods not being forgotten, do we not know more about them in history? Just keep everyone informed of these tales and they’ll never regain power.”

Xaris, “That is possibly always the goal, but even tales passed down from generation to generation slowly evolve and change and eventually loose shape of any semblance of what they were originally. In this case, they are as if forgotten. Roxfort’s history books only go back so far, but it’s conceivable that there is more history that has been lost. Perhaps we are not the only generation of living creatures to walk this land?”

Reed began snoring while Vistra tried to wrap her head around the idea of subsequent generations of living creatures. Ardan was skeptical, “You happened upon a lot of detailed information, and conveniently after we left Stoneharbor… that aside, given what you just said, are you saying we shouldn’t trust this story?”

Xaris continued, “Perhaps. Perhaps not. It’s a doomed cycle. To the best of our knowledge Zephyr seems to be just another iteration of this. My hope is that every iteration should result in the Forgotten Gods coming back a little weaker, but their sacrifices, their Harbingers, always die. That energy may be possible to reclaim as long as they wait long enough. But, Zephyr lived! He lives now! He forever ties the Forgotten Gods to reality. He represents the power the Forgotten Gods cannot get back as long as he lives. And in his heart lies their energy—he is presumably immortal.”

Tethys jumped at this idea, “He’s immortal from drawing from this energy? But Rydia said she sealed it away.”

“It’s still there, though, in his heart. The darkness is there. And whatever she did to seal it away likes required a lot of power itself. Zephyr’s body is its cage and will draw from this energy for a long time. It may not last forever, but he will outlive our children’s children’s children’s children’s children with ease, assuming no downfalls. He can be killed, he can be wounded, but he will never naturally die. This is his curse.”

Pongo, “The darkness?”

Xaris, “No. The immortality. The future will pass before him without a single desperate warning. It’s its own form of obscurity, don’t you think? Another cage.”

After a long pause, Tethys chimed in, “So what do we do with him? We made a promise to Rydia to protect him until he can venture on his own.”

Xaris, “Then do just that. And make sure he knows and remembers the truth about his origins. If he can live on with the Forgotten Gods in mind, he may prevent their eventual return. And have him remember his mother. It is the only love he will ever have. She is the only one with access to his heart.” With that, Xaris got up to leave. “I must retire, I am awfully tired.”

Tethys tried to stop Xaris, “But this is a child, despite that he looks much older. What are we to do?”

Xaris spoke up, “Magic has a way. My guess is that Rydia did all she could.” Xaris left. The Avalanche still did not fully understand everything, but this gave them a little more context.

That night, Zephyr opened his eyes and shot up in a cold sweat while Pongo was changing his sheets. Zephyr eyed Pongo, “Who are you? Where am I? I need to get back to her.”

Pongo tried to calm him down, “Get back where? You were dreaming. Do you know who you are?”

Zephyr was confused, "I almost saw her, she was there. Who are you?" Pongo slapped Zephyr across the face. This commotion had drawn the attention of the rest of the Avalanche. Zephyr attempted to free himself from Pongo, but his atrophied body did nothing against Pongo's strength. Zephyr's actions devolved into flailing and screaming.

Pongo, "Be still!" Vistra joined in trying to hold him down, and eventually Zephyr tired himself out and stopped resisting. Zephyr, though having just been born, in a sense, had the ability to speak, think, and reason. He had quirks and mannerisms that were clearly reminiscent of his mother.

Once he was at a point where conversation was feasible, the Avalanche introduced themselves and tried to give him a simple idea of what is going on. He seemed aware that his origin was supernatural. The team asked him to explain what he meant by his previous freak out.

Zephyr, “I almost saw her. Always the same place, at the mouth of a cave. Inside the cave is a dark blue flame. There was a woman standing at the mouth of the cave, across a vast chasm, always with her back to me. The chasm is too far for me to jump, and I had nowhere to go. I would yell out to her but she would never respond. But finally, finally she started to turn around and I caught a glimpse of her face. She said, ‘You must wake up.’ And now I’m here. Take me back!” Zephyr began to get agitated again, and Ardan placed a sleeping spell upon him.

Zephyr was constantly plagued by the same dream, always back at the cave, always with the woman's back to him. She never turned around again. They came to realize that this was Rydia, or at least some image of her. The Avalanche took him to Archmage Filarix, who studied Zephyr with her keen magical insight.

Filarix, "He is indeed immortal and contains a vast evil energy within him. His sorcerer power draws from this energy, and, as his guardians, it will be up to all of you to make sure he can control it. For him to be killed risks letting this darkness flood back into the world. I could suggest sealing him in a time freeze, but such magic is rare and it’s uncertain whether it would even work. He has the maturity of a 20-year old and seems quite intelligent.” Filarix continued rambling on. “Given what you described happened in Feyburn, he likely inherited his mother into his personality, and may very well have obtained many of her memories. However, it seems like he cannot access these memories at the moment. The dream he has likely will not stop, unfortunately, but sleeping aids will help him there." Filarix concluded, "That said, Zephyr does not seem 'evil.' In many ways he is a blank slate."

The Avalanche inquired about his heart. Filarix continued, “True Dragon magic is beyond me. Nothing is truly immutable, and perhaps the darkness in him could be turned to light or removed. The dragon princes and their arch mages may be able to assist with that. If he can rid the energy of his heart, he could potentially become mortal even."

Over the coming months, the Avalanche, being predominantly lawful/neutral, imposed upon him a set of moral values. He was a quick learner. He took the Avalanche almost immediately—It was as if he inherently trusted them. His was a sorcerer, like his mother, and his magic abilities seemed quite powerful for someone his age. His age also worked against him, however, as he lacked the patient control trained sorcerers have over their magical powers. About 1 in 6 times his attempt at a spell would completely fail. In good time he may gain better control over his powers.

Months later, Zephyr one night inquired about his mother. Tethys and Vistra sat with Zephyr and told him about his mother, starting from what Rydia had told them about her childhood all the way through meeting the others of the Avalanche, their various conquests, and their attempt to save her (and Zephyr) in Feyburn. With that, they then explained in more detail what happened when he was born, his immortality, and the burdens he now carries.

Zephyr, "Should I travel to the Dragon Princes, then? Will they have the answers?"

Vistra, "Traveling south to them will be no easy feat. We will watch over you until you are ready to go. At that point, we will not stop you."

Zephyr became emotional again, "This is all so much to understand. I don't have the strength to do this. I am not strong enough."

Vistra, "You will get stronger, with us. That I promise."

Zephyr paused a while, "I am beginning to forget."

Tethys, "What do you mean?"

Zephyr, "In the dream, my mother's face. I cannot remember if her eyes were blue or not. She will be forgotten completely once you have all died and I have forgotten every thing about her. If I am not ready then who will protect me?"

Tethys took his hands, “Images fade and may be forgotten. But such things aren't what a person truly is. She will continue to protect your heart when elves like her are fairy tales and books are written by mice. She knows both regret and love, and they give her strength, and they will give you strength too. As long as you remember her name she will live on, inside of you.”

They all sat together for a long while on that thought.

## Deal with the Devil

The final adventure of the Avalanche started with a cryptic letter from Archmage Filarix, in which she asked the party to visit her at Roxfort as soon as possible in order to carry out a task os great importance. She also stressed that the party should come prepared. After sharpening their weapons and oiling their armor the party retired for rest, and when they awakened Pongo and Tethys experienced a weird sensation, it felt as if their Gods' presence was somehow closer. Only after a thorough examination and a visit to their library in the Frost Lodge didthey discover the source of the anomaly: their gods have gifted them a tiny spark of divinity, not enough to meaningfully strengthen them, but enough to allowthem to draw spells without contacting their deitis. There have been numerous historical examples of such things happening, and this temporary boon was almost always given to warriors of faith before encountering a great challange. With that on their mind, the party set out to see Archmage Filarix...

### An offer we can't refuse

The party arrived at the gates of the academy the next day, where the gargoyles informed them that they will be meeting Filarix in the Vaults deep underground. There they encountered Filarix in the presence of a dwarf, one that Vistra had met before, Archmage Thralmid Emberheart, world renonwned expert of the Planes. He revealed to the party that he had been working on finding a way to release them from their contract with Rhelora and he had found a way. The reason for the deception with Filarix was to ensure that the deviless remains in the dark about what they plan to discuss, as even her magic can not penetrate the Vaults of Roxfort.

Emberheart told the party about one of the most audacious projects the Arcane Directorium undertook before the fall of the Imperium. The Archmistress of Magic had a pocket plane constructed that was completely isolated from the rest of the Planes, it was cut-off from even the Gods themselves. There the wizards carried out dangerous reseearch and experiments meant to vastly improve the strength and prosperity of the Imperium. This involved a large scale effort to catalog the True Names of various fiends, as well as devising binding rituals that would allow one to bind them into servitude for eternity. They were far from finished when the Imperial City fell, but they had already cataloged the lieutenants of Zariel, the Duke of Hell under whom Rhelora serves. With her True Name and the rituals devised by the mages the party could force Rhelora to ask for two trivial favors, thus allowing them to fulfill their contract to her.

Unfortunately the only portal to this laboratory was in the Imperial City, which allowed the demon horde to invade it before the portal was destroyed. But recently Emberheart had found another way into this place that the party could use. The laboratory needed a steady stream of test subjects, which they acquired by a "lure" devised by the Archmistress, a series of minute faults in the Astral Plane that throws a tiny portion of planar travelers off-target, into the holding cells of the isolated laboratory plane. The plan was simple: Emberheart uses an Arcana Projector to send the party into one of these faults, efefctively transporting them to the laboratory. There they would use his Archamge's Ring to disable all defenses and look for the Secret Archives where the volumes of the Encyclopedia of Fiends can be found. Once they have Rhelora's True Name they make their way to Emberheart's former quarters which have a dormant portal that can be reactivated with the ring, opening a two-way passage. From there it is up to the party how to deal with their deviless.

### What Hubris has Wrought...

The Avalanche found themselves in a holding cell where a demon immediately attacked them. Fortunately they overcame the vile creature and discovered that even though the laboratory was sealed almost a century ago, it is still full of dangeroues creatures, mostly demons. The party found a strange lantern that the demon was carrying, which housed the ghost of a man named **Quintus**, who could barely recall anything from his past, but still had a few ideas of where the party should look for help.

First the party visited the former High Risk Containment room where once the most dangerous specimens were kept. Now almost all of them had got out, save for one, an old elf who referred to himself as the **Advisor**. He politely introduce dhimself and provided some helpful information to the party on how to navigate the remnants of the laboratory. He also told them that the lantern they are carrying collects powerful, non-demonic souls and he would be willing to trade them for any they find. The party learned that due to the laboratory being cut-off from the other Planes the souls of those who die linger (making sleep almost impossible due to haunting) and even the Gods can not reach this place (now Pongo and Tethys finally understood why they were gifted a spark). Despite his obvious usefullness the party was unwilling to deal with the Advisor as they deduced him to be a powerful devil who is still trapped in his magical cage.

The party learned that the reason Quintus does not remember much is because his sould was torn into several pieces. The Avalanche decided to help him by gathering his fragments. By reuniting pieces of his soul the party learned (bit-by-bit) what happened to him. He was originally **Quintus Tertinius**, a Master Wizard of the Arcane Directorium. When the demons invaded the archmages were away at the celebration in the Imperial City, except for Emberheart who was resting in his quarters, while Quintus was in charge. As the demonic horde arrived Quintus ordered everyone to defend the portal while he rushed to find Emberheart. To his surprise the archmage was in the process of setting up his portal so that he could escape. Furious at his cowardice Quintus tried to stop Emberheart, but ultimately lost the duel. The archmage did not kill him though and he came about a few minutes later. Realizing that the only way for the to survive is by shutting down the portal he rallied the remaining defenders for one last desperate charge. They did manage to get close to the portal, but could not close it in time. With his last strength he triggered a magical explosive, destroying the portal and everything around it, while also shearing his soul into several pieces.

The party also encountered a group of noble vampires. Although they were vile creatures of the dark, they were not hostile and the party managed to trade for information (in exchange for a bit of blood). The Avalanche learned that about 20 years before one of the vampires acquired a map of the laboratory and set out to find blood to quench his thirst, but had not returned. By following his trail the party hoped to find a map, which they did in the Dragon Study, where they also encountered **Myzzarth**, a brass dragon turned into an immortal half-mechanical abomination. The Imperium was planning to modify all remaining dragons this way to enure that they would be "useful for civilized society". In the end the party put the dragon out of her misery.

In the Great Library the party encountered the angel **Cassiel** a Planetar of Hieroneous, God of Valor. He was sent to investigate the machinations of the Archmistress over a century ago. He discovered the ungodly experiments mortals were doing in this place and tried to destroy the laboratory, but he was captured. Then he was subjected to experiments and (in the end) cursed by the Archmistress to never be able to fulfill his mission. The Avalanche (using all their knowledge of diplomacy) managed to strike a deal with Cassiel: they would help him destroy this place if he helps them in the battles to come. Once the deal was struck the party entered the Secret Archives where they found the Encyclopedia of Fiends and learned Rhelora's True name in the Language of Creation was *Sareash the Skylark*. Meanwhile Cassiel retrived a powerful scroll that contained a spell of immense power that could destroy this plane and was hidden here as a failsafe, but never used (Cassiel could not cas it due to the curse).

With the help of Cassiel the party entered the Great Worksop and defeated the beholder that claimed it as its lair. There Pongo discovered a small laboratory dedicated to the improvement of golems. The artificers of the Imperium seem to have discovered a new way of tempering adamantine that lead to a lighter, slightly magical alloy. Fortunately most of their notes have been preserved, so Pongo took them all, knowing that with this knowledge he would become the most celebrated craftsman of the Dominion overnight.

### An End, Once and for All

The Avalanche agreed to help Cassiel destroy this laboratory and all the dangeorus knoweldge inside it. But before doing so, they decided to give the inhabitants of the place a chance to escape with them:

* The party warned the nymph Nerin and her pixie followers, thus returning the hospitality the fey showed them before by allowing them to rest on their hallowed grounds.
* Pongo left our a trail of gold pieces that allowed the lone xorn in this place to fnd the exit.
* The party tried to warn the vampire nobles, but unfortunately they forgot that Cassiel was with them, and the angel struck down the vampires before the Avalanche could interfere.
* Finally, Vistra decided to visit the Advisor alone and taunt him about his imperning destruction. Unfortunately she underestimated the power of the devil, who overpowered her mind and forced her to give him the lantern they had filled with various souls. Then he used the energy in thesesouls to weaken his prison and simply walked out! Fortunately for Vistra the Advisor was not in a vindictive mood, he even thanked her for his freedom. But in his hurry to freedom he forgot to fully interrogate Vistra, thus he never learned about the plan to destroy the plane.

When they all got back to the portal Pongo opened the scroll and read the Edict: "*It is the greatest foolishness for mortals to pursue powers beyond their understanding. Let Magic in all its forms flood this place and wash away the failure our hubris has wrought!"* Within moments magical energy stated flooding the laboratory, destroying everything in its path. The Avalanche did not wait for it to finish and left through the portal.

They emerged back in the Vaults beneath Roxfort, where an agitated Archmage Emberheart was trying to get rid of the hundreds of pixies the party had just brought. When he earned that the party had destroyed the laboratory he became furious and the party was forced to leave.

As soon as the party left Roxfort they were teleported to Rhelora's office in the Brass Embassy. At first the deviless had no idea what the party had been up to, but when she realized what the Avalanche's true purpose is she transformed into her true form and quickly summoned reinforcements. A great battle ensued, which, ultimately, was won by the Avalanche. At the last moment Rhelora was about to escape to her home plane, when celestial shackles appeared, binding her to the Material Plane (one last boon from Cassiel). Then the party used the ritual they learned to bind her to Zephyr's will. What followed were the final and most demeaning moments of Rhelora's life as she was forced to ask two trivial favors from the party and gave Vistra the souls of her fallen comrades (which were stored in crystals that Rhelora acquired months before, she just chose not to give them to her), **thus ending the infernal contract between her and the Avalanche**. When all was done the Avalanche had one final choice to make: should they destroy Rhelora, release her, or keep her in servitude and force her to do "something good and useful". In the end they chose the safest option and used an unbinding ritual that obliterated the deviless.

As they left the Brass Embassy the party noticed that the Sun appeared to shine especially bright that day. They had won and got them thinking. Maybe it was time to leave all these monsters and devils behind and move on with their lives...