To The Summit!

### Results

Caol sighting confirmed and contact established with the creature, believed to be female. Reapers of the West routed, though some members of this expedition survived.

### Involved Parties

The BrigadeXorinth Sanctuary

Reapers of the West

## IRL Data

### PCs

Baz BrightmoonAlexstrasza Thunderpouch

Doomer Boomer

Tara Dewlight

Evelyn Duneshadow

### Log Author(s)

cardinalstar

**To The Summit!** was a Brigade oneshot run by guest DM Kim. It followed a group of Brigade adventurers into the frozen mountains of the Great Northwest as they sought to uncover the truth behind rumors that a mysterious creature known as the Cáol had been sighted in the region. This oneshot is part of an overarching series following the group's employer, Cyrus Avinan, and his efforts to preserve the rare and imperiled fauna of Halintar.

🔖

**This section/page is a stub!**
It provides the basics, but we'd love to have more written for it. Remove this tag when sufficient info has been written.

**Reason -** *Needs to be finished*

## Prompt

ADVENTURER’S WANTED FOR WILDLIFE EXPEDITION! The long-missing Cáol has been sighted for the first time in decades in its home mountains in The Great Northwest! Able-bodied adventurer’s needed for a capture, tag, and release expedition. Compensation guaranteed! Meet with the Xorinth Sanctuary crew at the mountain base marked on the map bellow and bring clothing fit for snow and sub-zero temperatures! - Cyrus Avinan, sanctuary researcher

## Character Developments

* Repeat Appearances for:
	+ Player Characters
		- Baz Brightmoon
		- Alexstrasza Thunderpouch
		- Doomer Boomer
		- Tara Dewlight
		- Evelyn "Lyn" Duneshadow
	+ NPCs
		- Cyrus Avinan
		- Olia

## Summary

After fast-traveling to the Great Northwest, the expedition team from the Brigade made a short trek to base camp, where they were able to briefly shelter from the cold before being collected by their employer, Cyrus, as well as a goose aarakocra named Olia who served as their guide. Cyrus shared some of the local folklore about the Cáol, explaining that they were revered in this part of the mountains as harbingers of storms and other disasters and that the locals provided offerings at small shrines in the high mountains to pacify them. He also explained the finer points of their mission - to find the Cáol, capture it safely, and attach a tracking device to allow for further study of its movements. After this quick orientation, the group made their way out into the winter wind to begin their search.

As the group climbed, they kept their eyes peeled for any signs of possible Cáol habitation. While the creature itself was not seen, some tracks were spotted in the snow, along with gouges in tree bark similar to those made by cat claws. A large bird was also spotted flying in the sky; Cyrus was able to identify it as a type of eagle not typically found in the mountains.

Eventually, the group found themselves at one of the local Cáol shrines, a large rock carved to resemble an owl-faced creature with a stern glare. After a bit of investigation, Cyrus and the party found signs that people had recently been present here - hunting tools, the remains of a burned-out campfire, and the remnants of what looked like some sort of insignia, although none of the party recognized it. The party was preparing to move on when the sound of a strange cry drove them to quickly hide, although Tara was able to set a magical snare in the snow before joining the party behind cover. The Cáol then showed itself for the first time, landing in the snow near the group and following Baz's illusory weasel squeaks directly to the place where the snare was set. The trap was sprung, but it failed to capture the Cáol, who rose into the air with an angry cry. Sure that the group was being challenged to act, Alexstrasza stepped into the open to face the Cáol, but the creature flew away instead of diving to face her. The group began discussing next steps, but were soon confronted with the cry of the Cáol again, this time sounding very much as if it were in pain.

Hurrying to the Cáol's rescue, the party soon happened upon a group of poachers armed with ballistae and nets, all of them bearing the same insignia that was uncovered at the shrine earlier. The ballistae were armed with hooked ropes, which had been shot in a crisscrossing pattern across the Cáol, trapping it in place. A battle began almost immediately; Alexstrasza began destroying ballistae and then turned her rage on one of the elite hunters, who was accompanied by the strange eagle that the party had spotted in the sky earlier. Baz, Tara, and Doomer harried the other poachers with a combination of arrows and spectral dice, and Pop moved to aid the Cáol, cutting the ropes that bound it and allowing it to enter the fray. Baz was eventually menaced by the leader of the group, a fearsome man with a greatclub, and after some tense words mid-combat, Alexstrasza intervened and managed to convince the poachers that it was in their best interests to flee.

As the dust settled, Cyrus and Olia emerged from hiding and thanked the group for taking care of the threat. Cyrus was able to identify the poachers as an organization called the Reapers of the West, and expressed surprise that they were active so far north. The party then turned their attention to the Cáol, and Baz used a Sending spell to communicate with the creature and convince it that the party were friends. In a feminine, surprisingly intelligent voice, the Cáol replied that it appreciated the party's interference and owed us a debt. Cyrus was allowed to attach the tracking device to the Cáol, and Alexstrasza was allowed to pet it, much to her delight. Baz cast a quick healing spell on the Cáol before it departed for parts unknown.

As the mission concluded, Cyrus thanked the group for their help and promised that he would definitely call on the Brigade for future help with wildlife conservation matters. He also promised to look into the Reapers of the West and try to learn more about their movements in the Great Northwest.

## Gallery

Oneshot Banner. KimLThe Caol. KimLCyrus Avinan & Olia. KimLA member of the Reapers of the West. KimL