The group arrives at Riverguard Keep A small castle overlooks the mighty Dessarin River, which is a good half-mile wide at this point. A gatehouse and keep stand atop a low bluff, but the walls are built to the waters edge. On the river bank, another low tower guards a boat basin where keelboats are moored. The keep seems old and worn, but new timbers and shingles suggest that repairs are underway. A white banner with a blue gauntlet flies over the keep. The front gate is closed.

Four people who are clearly muscle come to the top of the gate and listen to Og. "We come seeking Gar Shatterkeel." The four muscle look at each other with looks of curiousity and suspicion.  They then open the gate and one of the men speaks up. "Follow us, you can talk to Grimjaw."

The party is then lead to the north to and are lead in through a wooden door. This room is the great hall of the keep. It is two stories high, with stone stairs on both sides of the room leading up to a stone balcony at the west end of the chamber. Heavy double doors lead east to the castle yard, while two interior doors open to the west. Arrow slits look out to the north and the south. At the west end of the room, below the balcony, a large wooden chair sits behind a wide table littered with papers and discarded plates. A second table, this one long and furnished with benches, runs down the middle of the hall. The walls are painted in green and blue, decorated with tattered banners showing nautical designs.

A hairy thickly beared man sits at the table and grunts out. "Who are you and what do you want!?"

"My friends and I are seeking membership with those who follow the ways of the water.. My name is Og and these are my companions Taten, Yarabon, and Akraliph.  We have come a long way to seek an audience with one Gar Shatterkeel who is supposed to be able to help us on this path."

Og lies through his teeth hoping that Grimjaw buys it and it seems that he does.

The bearded man rubs his chin thoughtfully snorts thick mucousy snorts then responds. "Sure, you can stay with the other members and maybe we can setup a meeting between your party and Gar." He gestures towards the bandits that escorted you in here. "Give them a few of the bunks." The bandits ask for the party to follow them and they do so.

The men in the bunkhouse are extremely rude and purposely run into the party members shove them around or generally get under their skin.  Og and Akraliph make a point of keeping Yarabon and Taten under control and that seems to work without issue.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 02:11, Wed 24 Oct 2018.

The party glad to be free from the unwelcome members in the barracks leaves their bunkmates and heads down the stairs toward the docks. The keeps eastern wall juts out into the river, forming a good-sized basin in which a couple of keelboats float. A wide gap in the southeast wall provides access to the river, although it is blocked by a heavy chain. A twenty-foot tall bluff of rock and earth separates the landing and a nearby tower from the rest of the castle grounds. To the north, a wide stream flows out of a cave mouth into the boat basin. An iron grate blocks access to the stream.

The party goes from the landing farther so the south and slightly east and enters the southeastern tower. The upper floor of this tower looks deserted, but the ground floor is still in use. Curtains hanging across the eastern half of the room wall off someones private quarters, and several straw pallets lie on the floor near the door. A capstan stands against the north wall, with a heavy chain disappearing through a pipe to the northeast. The river laps just beneath the arrow slits of the tower.

Inside the tower are three guards bearing various sea related weapons, armor and shields. Behind them is a man with a sour look upon his face. He has a drooping mustache and a very arrogant manner as he turns to the party. "Who the hell are you!? What do you want?" He immediately goes to pulling out his weaponry.  Akraliph steps in to the surprise of the rest of the party. "We are recruits awaiting the arrival of Gar Shatterkeel."  Reash the drooping musached man puts his weapons away and begins speaking bluntly. "This isn't an area for recruits, get your asses out of here or ill make sure your hanging as a masthead on one of my boats."  Akraliph looks at the others with a smile and begins to walk out and the others follow suit.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:32, Sun 16 Sept 2018.

Realizing they were deep in enemy territory and that this was no ordinary keep, Yarabon remembers some of the closed doorways back in the great hall where they meet Jolliver and his guardsman.  A plan is concocted to send Yarabon in to sneak into the great hall and gain access to the rooms in the back.  Meanwhile the others would wait at a relatively short distance outside in case something went awry.

Yarabon starts to make her way in and slips in the front door when the strap holding her axe comes loose and her weapon clatters loudly upon the floor echoing and alerting anyone nearby.  She grabs the axe as Jolliver realizes what's happened and stands up from his seat in front of a desk full of paperwork. "Raise the alarm! Kill this woman and find her companions, now!" Jolivar exclaims loud and brutishly. With his shout his men turn ready to act the battle about to begin.

After a brutal clearing of the entire keep the party still lives.  Heavily wounded but wounds that will recover.  Akraliph being the only one with a true injury, her left leg nearly hacked in half by a bandit in one of the guard towers.  They were able to save the leg but its left her having to walk with her quarterstaff as a true crutch to prevent her from falling to the ground.

Among the loot that was gathered mostly by Taten they found a key in Grimjaw's belongings.  They found it unlocked the iron grate the river flowed into.  The party was thanked profusely by Lathna and Oric two enslaved people who had desperately wanted to escape.  With Og's offered gold and warnings of the dangers he was aware of and Akraliphs prayers to her lord Illmater made all the more passionate with her ailing leg, they left.

Yarabon was chomping at the bit to continue going after these bastards and Taten was eager for more gold to add to his purse.  They decided a quick hours rest was all they required before they continued onward.  During their rest they spend time reading over the coded letter they found.  "We should investigate this in Red Larch" Og thought out loud. "They've been watching us they will eat my axe those cultist fucks!" Yarabon exclaims loudly.

Taten is busy counting his coin seeming nonchalant about the whole ordeal.  "Oh mighty Illmater may my suffering be a boon onto others, allow me to use this pain to pass on your blessings throughout the land." Akraliph remains contemplative in prayer though she nods in agreement at Og's comments

They gather their belongings and head down to the river grabbing a keel boat and heading to the locked gate.  Sure enough Grimjaw's key unlocks it and they sail inside.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:53, Sun 16 Sept 2018.

The party enters the gate and finds a landing with other docked keel boats and a set of stairs.  They find the set of stairs leads back up into the keep where a secret door was set.  Taten walks out onto one of the keel boats to get a better look when he clearly notices undead six of them in fact waiting under the water seemingly coming to life and grasping onto the boats the minute he realized they were there.

Taten pulls out his glaive and calls to the others. "Grab your weapons undead are in the water! Some sort of guardians for this river, must be something up stream they want to protect."

With a few extra wounds and now surrounded by the unmoving corpses of ghouls the party gathers together and decides they should take a rest before proceeding forward. The party decides to sleep in one of the barrack facilities they were housed in when they first arrived.  That way they could all sleep close by in case of trouble and each person would have a bed.

Og removes his armor and pulls out his book of the word of Lathander.  This light brown leather bound book is emblazoned with a giant sun the symbol of lathander.  He leans back onto his bed and enjoys reading the word he has dedicated his life to.  His mace and shield reside next to the bed, easily retrievable in case of an attack.

Taten when he's not counting his money is busy throwing insults at each of his teammates and enjoying any retorts they may have even more.  The quick wit of the elderly Akraliph being a personal favorite of Taten's.  He then regales the party with tales of great war heroes, usually orcs.  Tonight it was Obould Many Arrows, famed orc warlord who was far more intelligence than most of his kind and had many great battles with Drizzt Do'Urden the famous drow and his partner Bruenor Battlehammer...least that's what the tales say, who knows what's actually true.

Yarabon and Taten go back and forth talking of the old war heroes getting great joy out of trying to one up the other.  The talkative Yarabon usually enveloped in rage when it comes to battle but in normal conversation she seeks attention always trying to steal the spotlight and when she doesn't get it some of her battle rage comes through even towards those she cares about.  Tonight she got cooking duty, grabbing some meats, breads and various stored fruits and veggies from the castles food stores.  It was mostly seafood but nobody seemed to mind instead just enjoying a chance to take a break.

Akraliph seethes in pain because of her leg but unlike most she seems to embrace it like an offering that her deity would appreciate it.  Illmater was a strange god to most but Akraliph was strange already being a divine touched Tiefling so that bothered her little.  She shared barbs with Taten but eventually got deep into prayer.  Sometimes her and Og would break into a theological discussion or argue points where their religions didn't add up.  They biggest issues generally came from Og being the more book trained religious man vs Akraliph who was chosen and gifted powers but has never been one to contemplate in hours of study.

Eventually after a hearty meal and much discussion they each doze off to sleep awakening refreshed and deciding to meet back below the keep and to head farther upstream to see where it leads.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:48, Thu 28 June 2018.

Firelight shines from a large cavern ahead. The stream opens into a large underground lake. To the right, a crumbling stone quay leads to a tunnel heading northeast. A ten-foot skiff is moored to the quay, and a torch burns in a bronze sconce by the tunnel mouth. Beside the quay, a twenty-foot wide canal leads north from the large lake. The lake stretches westward into darkness.

The landing at the east end is guarded by more of the reavers they fought up top a strange pale blue scale covered knight with a bone sword with jagged teeth  up and down each side.  A shield made of some sort of crustacean shell and a necklace made of sharpened jagged teeth. Along with them is another in robes that resmbles one of the snake shapeshifters they fought up in Rivergard and in the water as they come up to the landing they see what appears to be a very large shark on the side to their left.

The party doesn't even attempt to parley instead drawing weapons and the temple guardians do the same.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:06, Fri 29 June 2018.

The party kills off the temple guardians but a few get away and run down a hall to the east that then shifts to the north.  they chase them down to a barracks killing the runners plus a few other guards which were awakened.

Inside they see This old chamber has been furnished with six plain wooden bunks and sacks of provisions. Stone doors exit to the south and the west.

The group has a few choices either go back to the water head north or head west.  They decide to head west since they have already started to infiltrate the temple.

A stone bridge spans the canal in a single elegant arch. Steps on each side climb up to the bridge. The bridge has a low stone balustrade, and its weathered sides are carved with images of dwarven battles. A single torch burns at the apex of the bridge.


A musty odor pervades the hall outside the first room that the party approaches. The doors are marked with crudely drawn pictures of monstrous eyes and fanged maws. They open the door and see the following inside

This room is filled with a rank reptilian smell and cluttered with tattered animal hides and dank straw. A battered iron brazier brimming with hot embers glows in the middle of the room. Half-gnawed carcasses heaped beside the brazier attest to an indifferent effort to cook them over the coals. There are two doors: one north and one south.

The party wipes the lizard creatures out but the sounds of combat draws in their leader an alien looking water witch with a horridly terrifying appearance along with two ogres and some cultists.

The group defeated all of their foes but one of the cultists reached a common room with long tables and a gong resting upon a quay to the west.  A cultist rang the gong and out of the water came a massive scaled turtle, a monstrous beast part dragon and part turtle from the looks.  Each member of the party agreed it was time to get out and recuperate before trying to return.  So they left successful in their first foray and able to avoid the massive monster.

The party regroups and decides that they want to face the massive turtle head on and defeat it now that they are refreshed for the day.  First they explore the rooms they fought and cleared and collect any excess loot.  The following are the descriptions of each of the rooms explored.


An ancient fountain shaped like three dancing merfolk stands in the middle of this court. The fountain is dry, and the sculpture has been badly damaged-two of the merfolk are missing their arms, and the third is missing her head. Hallways lead north, south, and east from this chamber. A glimmer of torchlight comes from the north, and another glimmer to the east. A door to the northwest is covered with painted glyphs and images with aquatic motifs, marred by long scratches that obscure their meaning.

Fine wooden furniture, tapestries of green and gold, and a bearskin carpet decorate this richly appointed room-but the furniture has been scratched up, the tapestries badly torn, and the carpet rent with foot-long holes. To the northwest, a tattered green curtain screens off a large alcove. Two large heaps of dank pelts lie in the southern part of the chamber. A wet reek like rotten seaweed hangs in the air, and small crabs scuttle around the room.

Then the party decides to bang the gong summoning the mighty dragon turtle

A pale glimmer plays over the waters of this subterranean lake. The cavern ceiling is naturally formed and speckled with hundreds of tiny points of blue light, mimicking a starry night. The canal that runs through this lake continues north and south. To the east, a wide quay at the end of the lake leads to a large hall with red pillars. Rising out of the depths and heading towards the wide quay as the gong rings is a massive dragon turtle known as Bronzefume

The party valiantly fought the dragon turtle but the massive beast was much too difficult for them to handle.  Taten and Akraliph managed to escape but Og and Yarabon were left behind.  Taten was too worried for his own skin to save the others and Akraliph was far too crippled.

The wounded Og and Yarabon were captured by the cultists and thrown into the jail which the party had explored when they first entered the Temple.  Upon the next day Akraliph and Taten returned, fighting a large water elemental creature on their boat ride in then with Akraliphs investigative help they found blood and signs of something strange which lead them to the small jail cell that housed their bloodied friends plus two large trolls.  The trolls were a fierce fight for Akraliph and Taten and Akraliph ended up sliced down and killed by the feral beasts just as Og was breaking free from his bonds and recovering his gear from the corner of the room.

Og helped free Yarabon and heal Taten and they finished off their foes now down one ally and looking towards their newly garnered wounds while also left deciding what would be the next best option.

After Analysis of their wounds Og's got several bruises and flesh wounds but nothing more severe on the gnome.  He appears to have avoided the worst of it.  Yarabon's head is cloudy and she still bares severe steam burns from the dragon fight but she too otherwise appears to have survived relatively unscathed.

They also find currently unconscious but groggily waking up another adventurer tied up in the small jail.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:25, Mon 06 Aug 2018.

Og frees the halfling man who stretches and rubs the ligature marks from the ropes that bound him.  He begins gathering pieces of his gear that were scattered about the room and with Og's help rearmors into a set of full plate fit for his small but muscular stature. The halfling man has a dour look upon his face as he begins to speak to the party.

"I am sorry about your friend, to be so noble and save those who are captured while sacrificing ones self is worthy of the highest of honor when she reaches Onatar's forge...surprising for a tiefling but seeing the symbol on her neck I assume she must have been religious....oh pardon me where are my manners." the man reaches out his hand to any who will take it. "Kynt Blackwater at your service"

Taten starts makes a grunting hmph sounds toward Kynt then begins rummaging around in Akraliphs belongings.  Yarabon looks between the trolls and the body of Akraliph and builds herself into an emotional frenzy which she releases throwing several excess blows with her axe at the flaming remains of the trolls. She then sees Taten searching about their fallen comrades corpse which Yarabon puts an end to quickly with a stiff kick to his left shoulder.  Taten returns to his feet quickly and the two companions come face to face and at each others throats.  Tensions rise until Og provides the voice of reason  "Taten! Yarabon! Both of you stop this nonsense! None of it will bring her back." Og accepts Kynts hand "Names Og, Paladin of Lathander. We are here trying to destroy these elemental cults that have popped up.  We've been to several of their temples already and they are horrid, we've also lost two people throughout our journey."

"I am a cleric of Onatar" Kynt replies "The cultists have been around for years hiding out in various underground locations.  In my earliest adventuring days I unknowingly encountered one of these cult members a woman named Aerisi Kalinoth.  They were in the midst of summoning a large elemental when my party surprised them and Aerisi used her magic to painfully transport us through pure wind magic several miles away. I was shocked but determined to stop them so my party and I found our way back back to where we found Aerisi but at this point the wind elemental had come out in its full form and I....I ran in fear leaving my party behind." Kynt swallows hard and painfully fighting back an emotional outburst he continues

"I vowed from that day forward to kill the bastards that destroyed my old friends. Unfortunately the cultists got the upper hand until you all arrived. In honor of your friend who served valiantly and to avenge my fallen companions what do you say we team up?

After a small discussion ranging from indifference to a sure thing Kynt is accepted officially into the party. Og holds a small service for Akraliph which is held quietly hoping their extrended stay doesn't draw in any unwanted visitors. The party rests comfortably and continues about their journey.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:05, Wed 12 Sept 2018.

The party gets docks the boat at the same location. Heads north then west across the bridge to where the broken merfolk statue was located and the gore of their previous battles litter the walkways they pass through with a few extra bites and missing bodies here and there with accompanying bloody drag marks indicating something hungry claimed them as a prize.

They then head south and see to the east a filthy room that must be the trolls den and then a bridge to the west which is where they decide to head.

Stairs on each side of the canal climb up to a stone bridge, which spans the canal fifteen feet above the water level. The sides of the bridge are carved in the image of dragons standing guard over treasure hoards. A single torch illuminates the bridge. On the west side of the canal, passages lead to the west and to the north. On the east side of the canal, one passage leads east.

As they cross the bridge a soaked massive water troll bursts from underneath and clambers up on to the bridge blocking the party's path. Without a thought Yarabon's weapon is out and shes going for the kill, wild rage in her eyes.

The party easily destroys the beast and continues their journey west across the bridge.

The party heads north and finds there is a door and then farther north another door.  They skip the first one and head to the farthest northern door which buts up against the hallway as it turns east and drops into a watery canal.

Yarabon and Kynt try opening the door and find it locked so they try bashing it down unsuccessfully.  The noise leads to movement inside the room so in response Taten builds up moemntum and kicks the door in. Dropping to the floor when the door is kicked in is a bronze hasp and pin.

Parts of this chamber are buried in piles of crumbling masonry, but enough remains intact to serve as an arcane workshop. A long wooden table in the middle of the room is littered with pieces of a complicated apparatus involving a large glass tank, copper fittings and piping, and a leather carrying harness, while shelves full of alchemical reagents stand against the south wall. The air is quite cold in here, and a chill mist clings to the floor. A large adjoining room to the north looks like someones bedchamber. Doors lead out to the south and the east, and another door leads east from the bedchamber area.

The party is on the northern end of this chamber in the bedchamber and along with reavers which they have fought before they find a one eyed creature that emanates a frigid frosty mist ten feet in every direction around it.  It is missing an eye and in that missing eye socket gleams a glowing bluish light coming from a solid frosty white orb resting in the empty eye socket.

This cultist whose powerful aura can be felt by all around him smiles as he sees the party.  "Truly I must thank you for taking out Thuluna she always was a pain in my side.  This temple needs true leadership not that buffoon and her simple minded underlings.  Allow me to show you the power of a true master of the many states of water!   The deadly combat begins...

The party wiped Morbeoth from the mortal coil along with a pack of bugbears that came rushing from one of the adjoining rooms.  They begin the search of the rooms while they lick their wounds from battle.

Among the belongings Yarabon finds a key on Morbeoths person along with letters.  These unsighed letters reports on events in Red Larch, including the arrival of the party and their actions in town.  The party agrees they will have to investigate the next time they get back to Red Larch.

Also in the stash of items they find a potion of healing and a potion of gaseous form.   They also find a strange backpack like device filled with some kind of strange water. After some exploration and study  they find it is a containment device for a water weird and the creature can be summoned and kept loyal to the end user who wears it. After some discussion Taten offers to take the containment device. He straps the container to his back over top of his normal gear.

Then the party enters te room just to the south that the bugbears came from.
The ceiling in this chamber is twenty feet high, and a ten-foot-high loft covers the west half of the room. Piles of crumbling brick in the middle of the floor mark spots where ovens once stood. Filthy, flea-infested straw pallets are arranged on the floor, alongside a water barrel and casks of provisions. An arrow slit looks out over the hallway to the east, and doors exit to the east and the north.

After finishing looking through the two rooms the party decides to head back across the bridge to the east. Then across the middle platform near the dragon turtle and back east across to the far eastern side.  They then head north to a location they have yet to explore and they find the following on the outside.

This stone door has an iron plate about one foot square set in its middle.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:18, Wed 26 Sept 2018.

Kynt decides to just open the door and there they are greeted by more of the reaver cultists and another of the one eyed cult magic users.  Everyone rushes headlong straight into battle.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:23, Wed 26 Sept 2018.

They take a few wounds in the battle but the party comes out on top and after looking around learns the following about the room.

This room is bunk room and guard post. Sturdy bronze hasps are fitted to the two stone doors, and each door features a loophole covered by a small iron plate at chest level on a human. A round table and four rickety wooden chairs stand in the middle of the room. There are ten bunks here, although half of them don't appear to be in use.


Inside the room they also find a few garnets and a few potions which they take with them.

After they are done searching the room they see the river continues to their west but in attempts to avoid any more deadly encounters with things that populate the river bed they decide to continue north. They come to another door and slowly step in and find the following.

This chamber has been badly damaged. Several collapsed columns and buckling walls speak to the passage of many long years, but one feature remains curiously intact: a stone fountain in the middle of the west wall. It consists of a ten-foot-wide semicircular stone basin of water, with a grinning gargoyle perched on a pedestal jutting out from the wall. Stone doors exit to the north and the south.

After searching through the room they spot strange oned eyed monstrosities hiding behind the collapsed columns and buckling walls.  The party makes quick work of them.  Then after the search Yarabon drinks from the fountain and found it magically rejuvenating, the others quickly follow suit and feel refreshed from the soothing waters in the fountain.

The party considers the door to the north but they quickly realized its heading into a separate part of the temple.  Instead they decide to head back west all the way to the other side where they fought Morbeoth and check out the one room they hadn't investigated before.

Inside they find the following

Sealed copper vats stand in two rows in the middle of this large room. The vats are old and completely covered in verdigris. Most of the paint on the walls peeled away long ago, but a few hints of murals remain, showing dwarves working in fields and tending hop vines. Three new, backpack-sized glass tanks with carrying harnesses are stacked neatly at the end of the row of vats. Doors exit to the west, east, and south.

There are a few vats that appear to be clammy and sound half full but all agree climbing up and finding out what is inside isnt worth it especially after seeing the backpack harnesses.  Taten views his own knowing what resides within and they quickly assume something like it probably resides in the rest of these vats.

The party then decides to head back to the central platform and head straight north ignoring the gong area that called forth the giant turtle beast and instead heading just past that large room.

A stone bridge crosses over the canal fifteen feet above the water level here. Steps on the south side of the canal climb up to the bridge, which leads to a set a stone double doors. Painted on the doors is a large symbol.

Og and Kynt search the door over then push it open.  This triggers a glyph imprinted on the door that sends a massive bolt of lightning out at the two of them.  Paladins holy protection helps to weaken the blow but the cacophany echoes throughout the halls alerting all within.

The trap goes off but the doors still swing open and the group sees the following inside. A twenty-foot-wide moat divides this shrine into northern and southern halves. In the north half, two large stone pillars flank an altar in the form of a plain stone block. A few coins lie on the altar. Above and behind the altar looms a huge symbol made from beams of driftwood, fixed in an X-like shape on the wall. A single stone door leads westward from this part of the room. In the southern half of the room, two ten-foot-wide channels run along the east and west walls of the shrine, spilling out through low culverts to the south. Two more pillars stand here, and a low stone bridge leads across the dividing channel to the altar and the northern part of the room.

Lizardmen on the southern half around the party arm themselves while the strange man at the altar to the north turns to face the party.  He is covered in shells and barnacles, his left hand is a giant lobster claw and in his right hand is a massive ornate trident. He begins to walk towards the party and shout out. His voice comes out like he's gargling water as he speaks.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he asks threateningly

"I am Kynt Blackwater and these are my companions Og, Taten, and Yarabon.  I come to end the danger that has arisen to innocent lives." Og steps up then "Taten, Yarabon, and I were sent by Vanifer, are you Gar Shatterkeel?"

"We save lives by bringing them the glory of serving the one truest of elements water.  Which washes the impurities of this land and its people away." Gar hisses and picks up his trident menacingly at the sound of Vanifer's name. "Why shouldn't I drown you who serve the bitch of fire?"

"Gar, there is a better way.  Let us help you and put an end to this madness." Kynt says pleadingly.

Og begins to arm himself and whispers quietly to Kynt. "There is no talking down someone this far gone my friend." Yarabon and Taten follow suit and begin arming themselves.

Og shouts over to Gar. "Give yourself up to the authorities, give us back the missing members of the delegation and no harm will come to you. Otherwise you give us no choice."

Gar grabs his weapon and progresses into a combat stance. he shouts his voice reaching an insane frenzy. "Only through destruction can the errors of this world be mended. The coming flood shall wash away all who are unworthy!" With that the lizard creatures approach and combat becomes inevitable.

The party destroys the lizardmen and Gar Shatterkeel the leader of this temple.  Yarabon claims the trident he wielded and begins acting strangely selfish and aggressive.  Refusing to let others see the weapon and hoarding the treasure that they found.  They also find barnacles beginning to form upon her flesh.  A deep concern fills Og and Kynt but now isn't the time to try and fix this as the rest of the temples are still ahead of them.

Yarabon in her drive for treasure sees the stash through the submerged tunnel to the east of where they fought Gar.  She dives in and comes up to the other side A clear, deep spring fills most of this natural cavern. A dry ledge makes up part of the south side of the chamber.

Yarabon takes scrolls she cannot use and more than her fair share of the loot.  Among the items she grabs are tomes Og recognizes has markings that match the delegation that went missing.  "Those are from the Mirabar delegation, I fear for what may have become of them." Og says ominously "Im sure they are fine we just need to free them up" Kynt says positively.

Taten growls at Yarabon, the normally selfish half-orc not enjoying the new demeanor of the Half-elf barbarian and how it impacts his share of the take.

After taking a brief rest the party continues from the altar to the west into an empty room then south into another. This well-appointed room contains eight neatly made bunks, a round table with several chairs, tapestries of green and blue, and a copper brazier full of glowing coals. An arrow slit looks out over a dark canal to the south.

Inside are four cultists and two water cult priests who arm themselves as soon as the party makes their way in.

The party wipes out the cultists they encounter and battered tired and bruised but having gained a large victory defeating Gar Shatterkeel the party decides it is in their best interest to return to Red Larch share their victory recoup their supplies and return refreshed and ready to decide which of the multiple paths to take that branch off of the water temple they are currently in.

The party doesnt encounter any resistance and after a full day plus an additional 4 or 5 hours they finally arrive back in the town of Red Larch. The party arrives to hear grim news A caravaner tells the group of seeing silent pilgrims on their way to a nearby settlement of Red Larch. She described the pilgrims garb well enough for them all to know the pilgrims were elemental cultists. They carried a box, which had elemental symbols worked into it. The caravaner and her servants then witnessed the devastation but were too far away to lend any aid.

Not wasting any time the party takes the treck to the wrecked down. They confirm the scope of the damage and they learn from survivors that the cultists marched to the center of town, opened the box, took out an orb, and then ran for the hills, leaving the orb behind. The disaster happened scant minutes later. Many townspeople were injured, and the survivors are tending to the wounded in makeshift shelters.

The group spends the evening helpingas they can but that evening the party meets and agrees they must get back to assaulting these temples.  The death of Gar must have sent ripples throughout the other temples and its causing them all to more aggressively expose themselves and wreak the havoc and destruction they seem to be working towards..

While the letter they found pertains heavily to Red Larch and is an intriguing item the group wants to look into it's decided the destruction of the temples takes much higher priority. The party arrives back at Rivergard Keep and re-enter the water temple as they had before.  They faced a decision to head further toward the northwest, north east or southwest of the temple which.  The party debates and decides the south west side is the way they will go.

A crudely built iron gate that looks like it is a new addition to this ancient dungeon blocks the passage. A heavy chain and a padlock secure the gate.

Kynt smirks and remembers the key they found on Morbeoth "Lets try that strange key we found over here on the odd doctor cultist." sure enough it opens the lock and the party heads in through the passage.

The party arrives in the air temple in an area they have already explored. They begin heading towards the Djinn whom they had previously befriended and were planning to set free when they hear cries of screaming humans.  It sounds like multiples.  Og and Taten bust in the door. Frescoes cover two walls of this chamber, one depicting the creation of the dwarves by Moradin, the other a massive battle between orcs and dwarves. The far wall is pocked and pitted with holes in the masonry where gemstones once surrounded an altar in the shape of an anvil. Now only the chipped remnants of garnets and agates remain. In the middle of the room, three bird-headed creatures torment a group of shackled prisoners. The party pulls out their weapons and charges headlong into battle.

The party dispatches the bird headed creatures and free the prisoners who thank them profusely and promise a gift for their aid.  "YOU BETTER GIVE ME THE MOST!" Yarabon screams.  Taten shoves her away and Og gets in the way to control the angered Barbarian.  "Yarabon, that weapon its changed you." Og exclaims.  Yarabon growls and holds the weapon tightly in her hands.  "UNHAND ME Tiny Paladin, Ill do and say as I please."  as this is going on the commoners slip out with Kynts help escaping to the outside.  Emotions calm down and they continue their exploration of the temple.

After things settle they head back towards the entrance to a set of doors they havent been through when they previously explored this air temple and proceed inside.

A stone fountain stands in the middle of a grand plaza, its sides sculpted into the shapes of dwarves bearing drums and horns. Near the fountain, several figures in feathered attire play a shrill, discordant tune on flutes made of bone.

The party approaches and Kynt is the first to speak. "oh I do love a good tune what a nice surprise." Taten stands by the door defensively and silently.  Yarabon looks about the room for anything of value but finds little other than the instruments at first glance.  Og stands with a smile next to Kynt but within a short distance from Yarabon worried she might be a short fuse.


"STOP STOP! Shouts the man directing the group. You are all just awful. You lot who just came in. Can you play?" the man points in the parties direction. "I can play give the flute to me." Yarabon walk over and yanks the flute out of a cultists hand who gives her a dirty look.

Taten thinks back to some of the musical performances hes played in his past when he lived among orcish society.  A very different time in his life, he grumbles and half smiles never taking his eyes off the strange group of robed musicians who would never speak to them if they knew what they had done to others in this very temple just like them.

Yarabon plays the flute and the sound is soothing and beautiful very different from the gruff tribal exterior she is known for.

The man previously directing claps part way through the performance and exclaims. "YES! Yes! this is perfect you must all take over for this lot. I am Windharrow."  He waves his hand and shoos away the others who all leave their flutes and robes behind. The party including Taten begin donning the robes and grasping the flutes.

Windharrow then began working with all of them to play and though not all could play well the man seemed far happier.  Eventually Windharrow calls an end to the session. "Thank you all, lets do this again tomorrow and meet in here.  Great job overall and far better than the last group of initiates."

After Windharrow walks out Taten speaks up. "Now we can pretend to be those dumbass cultists if we want."  "Good idea Taten we might be able to sneak throught this place undetected" Yarabon just nods and Kynt smiles widely. "Ive never been very sneaky but im always up for a challenge.  Couldn't be any harder than working a new item in a forge!"

They then leave the flutes in the room except for Yarabon who snatches it in her belongings and then they head back out.

They decide to head up north down the main path they avoided previously.

Three tapered obelisks, their sides inscribed with ancient pictographs, stand in a row, their peaks scraping the fifteen-foot-high ceiling. Each obelisk has a gaunt human tied to its base. Around the obelisks, a colored cobblestone mosaic depicts Moradin, a huge warhammer slung over his shoulder.

The group looks at each other in slow unison after looking at the gaunt humans and decide it best to keep up their ruse and ignore the chained gaunt humans.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:06, Fri 19 Oct 2018.

The group heads to the main plaza outside of where the genies platform is that was previously being defended by the strange knight and his mount.  They finally decide to step inside using the western doors with the moats waterfall visible at their backs.

Two rows of pillars support the twenty-foot-high ceiling of this marble hall. The pillars are sculpted to resemble dwarves locked in solemn stares. Each one clutches a stone axe. East of the pillars are two ascending marble staircases without handrails. In the middle of the room, several cultists in gray feathered robes levitate a few feet above the floor while chanting a hymn. Howling air rises from a pit in the middle of the floor.

The group continues past the chanting and levitating cultists and proceed up the stairs.

The stairs rise twenty feet to a spacious, twenty-foot-high chamber containing a map of an ancient dwarven realm meticulously etched into the flagstone floor. At the far end of the chamber, a high throne atop a marble dais overlooks all. Peaked arcades hung with gossamer sky-blue curtains run the length of the chamber on either side. From behind these a heady incense wafts, its sweet smoke moving like a creature of air. Behind the high throne, a great spiraling horn rests in an alcove.

The party sees behind the throne is a very large demonic vulture creature.  Using his divine senses Og knows this beast is a large demon.  Trying to keep their cover the party tries to grab the horn but as son as the horn is grabbed by Taten the large demon screeches and begins to attack.

The group destroys the Vrock that defended the horn.  They then head back down the stairs and find that surprisingly the battle did not disturb the cultists down below them.  They then take the horn back to Ahtayir and when they get into view Taten cracks the horn in two pieces.

"Thank you mortals! Hold a moment I have a gift for finally setting me free!"  The djinn disappears and a few minutes later reappears in the room with four vials that appear cloudy and are filled with something moving.

"These will allow you to breathe without air or to blow out an immense gust of wind. Thank you again but now I must take my leave."

After thanking the Djinn, Taten mentions he saw as they passed the praying cultists a deep hole that might lead deeper into the complex.  After a deep discussion it is agreed that they should wipe out the cultists and explore this deeper hole.

They enter the room below where they fought the Vrock. They gain an advantageous position and assault the other cultists that are praying around the hole so they may explore deeper into the tomb.

The group easily dispatches the cultists and using the wingsuits dives into the hole and controls their fall.

They find when they land Gore spatters the floor and walls of this windy cave, and the floor is strewn with dismembered humanoid corpses. A windy cyclone moves among the remains. A shaft in the ceiling leads up farther than you can see.

The cyclone moves menacingly towards the party.

The party defeats the sentient cyclone striking it down.  They collect themselves as the wind dies down.  They investigate the cavernous room they are in and don't find much other than the windy portal back to the temple above.  They then head north east then south east around a winding path and when faced with an intersection they turn left and head northwest deeper into the cavern.

Wind rushes through this curving natural passage and off into the darkness beyond, howling in a changing pitch as it feeds through the alcoves and fissures of faraway caves.

Within the wind each party member on occasions begins hearing voices they recognize.  Friends and family, those they have saved in the past but their words are full of hate and menace.  Accusing them of past failures, taunting them for the companions which they have lost.  They clearly know this is a false magical effect but it still brings down morale as they proceed.

The group leaves this windy corridor and heads south then south west.  Inside they hear a horrid rasping sound coming from passage just to their south east.

Dwellings carved in the walls of this cavern have been torn asunder by some intense force. Ruins of several dwellings resemble gaps in the walls and piles of rubble. Scores of small humanoid corpses are scattered among the ruins.

Upon looking around this devastated settlement they are accosted by spectres in the shape of deep gnomes known as Svirfneblin.  The likely occupants of these former homes.

In the battle Kynt calls on Onatar mighty forge power and with a celestial swing of a blacksmiths hammer two of the spectres run off in fear.  Their chaotic running draws the ire of a nearby nycaloth fiend which assaults the group while invisible.  It is a tough fight but they strike the creature down with two spectes still on the loose.

In the meantime they search the area the Nycaloth came from and find the following

Two humans, an aarakocra, and a drow hang suspended from hooks connected to chains. Blood pools on the floor beneath them. Beetles scurry along the floor, walls, and down the chains and onto the victims, which faintly struggle, rasp, and moan as a breeze turns them around and around. Debris, including tattered clothing and broken weapons, is scattered against the walls.

Taten and Yarabon work to remove the captors from the hooks they are impaled by. Og lays on hands and brings each of them back to a weakened conscious state.  Two of them are cultists who refuse to talk despite the parties best effort.  Some discussion is had about killing them as possible threats but seeing as they were impaled within their own temple its agreed that they are more pathetic than threat and they are allowed to go.  The sullent and silent temple cultists take off towards the exit back up to the temple as quick as possible.

One of the other prisoners is an aarakocra named Kazra. "Please you must free me and take me back to the surface! I only wish to fly free in the open air once again." Taten nods. Yarabon assists Kazra to their feet.  Kynt tends to wounds and Og smiles. "Certainly just give us a moment and we will lead you out."  Kazra squawks in pain as she gets helped up by Yarabon. "Thank you kind people, I cannot wait to feel the open air upon my wings once again."

Lastly is a drow, viewing the belongings near where he hung that he is beginning to re-don he is some sort of mage.  "I wish only to return to the underdark, to my own people. I have no desire to be here or head to your surface." There is some brief interrogation but ultimately it is decided to let the drow go as they have no reason to believe he is a threat and clearly he is no friend to the elemental temples.

As they are gathering their things and beginning to help return Kazra to the open air the spectres return with wild vengeance in their eyes.

The group returns from whence they came and takes Kazra back to the surface who painfully flaps his wings and returns to the air.  With a thanks and a loud cawing screech to the air the Aarakocra is gone.

The group returns back to the cavernous depths they came from after taking a short rest outside to catch their breath and rethink their strategy. There is some arguing as Yarabon takes an item from the fiend fight that requires a divine connection to use but instead of forcing the issue the group just continues on their way instead of fighting her compulsion to be covetous ever since she took Drown into her possession.

From where they found the fiend the party heads to the north then to the east which loops around back south Wind blows through this weird stalagmite garden. The rock formations are smooth and contorted, their natural forms weathered to be chaotic and abstract.

They pass through the rock formations and notice the wind begins to intensify to the point of exstinguishining torches and open flames.  Luckily the light cantrips keeps lighting their way.

Several windy tunnels meet at a chasm. Ledges along the cavern walls create natural footpaths above the abyss.

There were a few scary spots for Og who kept slipping and Yarabon who had to use his wing suit to float down to teh bottom of the chasm and climb all the way back up but eventually everyone got across and went to the chunk of land to the north rather than going all the way to the east.

They proceed north and find This cave has an uneven floor. Wind whispers through the flowstone formations here. but otherwise an empty cave that heads north then loops around east and then south.  Eventually the Yarabon and Kynt leading the group notice a green light and they can hear the wind coming from ahead of them to the south.

At an intersection of four tunnels, a mighty gale blows from the northern way, making a constant howl. Two braziers burn with green flame, lighting the area. Numerous rock columns join the floor to the ceiling. Severed silk ropes, darkly sodden with blood, sit at the base of three gore-spattered columns. Tied to two other columns are two women, each with a symbol cut into her forehead.

Og and Kynt immediately proceed to the tied up women.  The one Og goes to he recognizes immediately as Deseyna Norvael one of the Mirabar delegation whom carries part of the secret coded document for the Lords Alliance.  When she sees Og she begins to scream and holler "Invisible Demons! Look out! LOOK OUT!" Just then two massive demonic ape creatures dropdown from the cavern ceiling death and menace in their eyes.

The fight is straining and draws away valuable resources but they successfully kill the giant ape demons and free the two tied up women. Both seek nothing other than to leave this place and return to regular civilization.  The group seeks to provide them that but informs them that they have to finish what they started they can't risk leaving so soon as time is precious.  They begrudgingly decide to travel alongside the group, fearful tired and weakly dragging behind the rest of the team.

They proceed further north from where they freed the women and fought the demons apes. A powerful wind roars through this small cave, causing bits of debris to ricochet off the walls, exploding into dust from the impact. In the middle of the cavern a stone brazier is lit with a steady green flame. Blocking the tunnel to the north are four thin figures in billowing cult robes. The wind doesn't seem to impede them at all.

The fight is hard fought but the thin robed figures are struck down.  The group fights the severe winds and pushes their way deeper down the winding path when before them they see the following.

In the middle of this cavern, spikes of stone jut upward like three immense claws. Between them, a churning thundercloud thrashes with lightning. Thunder cracks, and cascades of tiny rocks tumble from above. Beneath the thunderhead stands a raised area splattered with the blood of many sacrifices. A silvery window is sometimes visible in the center of the cloud. It opens onto clouds in an endless sky.

In front of the raised area is a knight made of pure air wielding strange thick armor and a massive flail. Behind this elemental air behemoth is a tall and slender woman with dark hair and feathered wings that gently fan the air. In her possession is a powerful looking spear, almost instinctively in an unnatural sounding voice Yarabon's eyes go milky white and she speaks aloud. "Windvane...must use it to destroy the Portal.  Block Yan-C-Bin from resurrection" her voice is menacing and foul

Aerisi does not speak but instead raises her spear and begins changing.  With that that battle begins.

When Yarabon's spears Aerisi with a killing blow she screams and her body disappears in a howling whirlwind that disperses quickly and harmlessly..  All that is left is what she was wearing.  The wind myrmidon was then surrounded and killed and all is silent other than the portal and the raised altar below it. Yarabon almost out of instinct picks up Windvane from Aerisis corpse and chucks it at the thunderstorm above the altar.  An explosion of wind and a rage filled scream fly through the air as this portal implodes along with the weapon Windvane and the cavern goes completely silent. They delve out the load of jewelry that Aerisi was wearing, most of it going to Yarabon to appease her curse for wielding Drown.

The party then makes the long trek back to the surface slowly and carefully along with Desenyaa and Nerise in tow. They decide it best if they return to Red Larch somewhat triumphant having defeated another prophet of the elements and returning a member of the missing delegation.

The party arrives back at Red Larch and the two rescues thank the party profusely.  The group then finds an inn to rest and recuperate after a job well done.

Shortly after sunrise the day after you arrive in town, you hear a commotion outside. Someone shouts, "Hey, stop that!" A moment later voices break into a low, strange chanting.

The group immediately investigates

Several strangely dressed people stand in the street. One who looks like a priest chants as the others open a large box engraved with a recurring elemental symbol. Inside, a magical orb resembling a crystal ball pulses and thrums with power. The priest holds the orb aloft and continues to chant while the others kneel before it.

The symbols upon the box and the orb represent the earth cult.  Altogether one priest, two guards, and four earth cult monks stand armed with one of the devastating orbs created from the eye of their foul temple which has yet to be destroyed.

Og makes an educated guess with the orb slamming the orb back in its case and carries it out of town held tightly to his chest.  To his relief it never explodes or has any reaction.  The party returns to a local inn to cheers and smiling faces, for now the people of Red Larch can return to their lives in relative safety.

That evening lead by an enraged Taten and an argument over rooms the party turned on Yarabon doing everything in their power to remove the weapon from Yarabon's grasp.  It took all three of them to succeed and Taten took a few decent wounds from Yarabon wielding drown but with the forceful mace of Kynt he managed to knock the weapon free from the Barbarian woman's grasp.

The look upon Yarabon's face was relief, and confusion as if waking from a horrible nightmare.  "Thank you, thank you all for freeing me." She looks over at Taten the wounded and generally angry orc warrior. The woman stands tall and stares in his eyes mere inches from his face. "I apologize Taten, you deserve better." He grunts "I get your treasure for the next week after putting up with your shit." Kynt and Og smile and Yarabon grins and nods no argument to be had this evening.

The party settles down in a local inn where they are greeted with free drinks and food and plenty of attention.  Yarabon gets some rest early, relieved to be under her own control once again.  The group agrees its best to wrap the weapon up and hold onto it, after seeing how the portal closed in the air temple Kynt believes that the weapon when the leader died caused the portal to come to a close. It's possible the same could be said for the temple tied to this weapon as well. Yarabon still yet carries it, determined to prove she can do better than she has of late.

Taten enjoys a few beers, he doesn't open up much but he takes great pleasure laughing at dumb drunk humanoids and by the end of the night he ends up with a young gnomish waitress who enjoys the quiet gruff hero, so when the night gets late enough he takes her up to his room for a much deserved romp between the sheets.

Kynt has a merry time playing card games, drinking, sharing stories about religion and local politics.  Spending time with people is really in Kynts wheel house.

Og returns to the Lords Alliance members he knows of in this town and spends the evening with them.  Returning one of the delegation who has a critical piece of a code for the alliance has given some of them relief but everyone in the organization has agreed that weather in this region right now is chaos at best and the cults must be stopped before even larger numbers of people die off. Og also writes a letter to Sildar Hallwinter back in Phandalin to keep his friend and fellow Lords Alliance member informed of how things fare.

Eventually everyone falls asleep, Og awakens in the Lords Alliance meeting house and says his morning prayers.  During prayer he is reminded of the coded message they came across and how they might have a chance to handle the unresolved mystery before they head back into the depths of the dark elemental cults.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:10, Tue 06 Nov 2018.

Og gathers the others. Yarabon is busy swinging her great axe outside of the tavern.  Taten is having an early morning festive beverage and feeding his face on some fresh sausage and Kynt is molding some soft clay into a little figurine.  Og reminds everyone of the letter they found and they begin asking about to everyone they find.  Eventually after a number of hours they are pointed to a man named Justran Daehl but by the time they go searching for him he is long gone. He was the ale buyer for the Helm at Highsun and none have seen the man or any trace of where he has gone.  A mystery to be solved at a later day perhaps.

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