Re: V - The Tower of Gereth Minar
The Elvenstar secured, the adventurers take their leave of Gereth Minar, the once forbidding tower now reduced to a virtual ruin, any lingering guardians who survived its near collapse having abandoned it. Outside of the tower’s gate, the poisonous yellow fog that once rendered the land around Gereth Minar impassible has lifted, all traces of the venomous fumes gone.
The lower half of the blue dragon still lies where it landed, the toe of one of its feet still twitching sporadically. Despite the yellow mist having cleared, the adventurers can see no sign of the great reptile’s upper body. They can only presume that it has been blasted a great distance away, or that the explosion was so powerful that it ceased to exist altogether.
The adventurers encounter no resistance as they journey back through the Forest of Lothenar and the rocky plains south of it. Occasionally, they sight small groups of Denagothian soldiers traveling east or westward. Although the warriors still ride in formation, many have scraped the Denagothian crest from their shields and armor. Clearly, they are fleeing from their former homeland, leaving as quickly as they can manage.
The border town of Geron is oddly subdued, many of the residents going about their business furtively, their faces pinched with a lingering fear. Here and there, the group overhear whispers of a curse. At first, the adventurers guess that the discomforting atmosphere might be attributable to the closure of the nearby Temple of Idris, which they learn has sat abandoned since the disappearance of the High Priest. However, the true reason is revealed to them in the evening, as they share a mug of ale with Sean, the trapper and Wendarian spy, at the Beggar’s Roost Inn.
The following morning, the party rides out to the Denagothian army camp outside of the village, to verify Sean’s story with their own eyes. It is just as the spy said. Every Denagothian soldier, from Captain Benar to the lowliest cook has been turned to stone. Every. Single. One. The silent campsite makes for an eerie spectacle, unmoving statues scattered throughout the rows of ragged tents, many bearing expressions of shock or horror.
Although the cloud giant would doubtlessly allow the party to use the pathway which is overlooked by his tower once more, the adventurers elect to travel the main road, though the pass that was once watched by the blue dragon. Unsurprisingly, the guard post is entirely abandoned. Pausing in their journey to search the area, the explorers find a hidden stash of the slain reptile’s treasure, a heady collection of gold and gems. Within the small hoard are a handful of objects: weapons, wands, and staves which the party suspects are enchanted.
Of the Shadow Lord, the adventurers find no sign. The sorcerer, if he still lives, has fled to a far country.
The party finds Wendar different than it was during their first visit. Fields that had stood neglected have been worked again, the first sprouts of healthy crops just pushing their way though the soil. The drought that had afflicted the valley kingdom has seemingly abated. Around the Citadel, the people present are smiling, the mood of those gathered on the castle grounds and within it one of hope. Even the guards can be heard exchanging jokes and sharing soldiers’ tales.
King Gylharen welcomes the adventurers as heroes, though he is sober to learn of the loss of Patch, Jayanti, and Zinnelis. The King promises that the fallen will be honored throughout the kingdom, their sacrifice recorded by scribes. He assures the party that the financial reward that will be bestowed upon them will be commiserate with the great courage that they have demonstrated.
The Elvenstar has glowed brighter and brighter the nearer it has been brought to its rightful place. In the high tower of the Citadel, it is replaced on the pedestal that has served as its home since it was gifted to Wendar. Once there, the stone’s bright blue light shines through each of the tower’s wide windows, gradually filling the sky which overlooks the valley with a faint, but visible shimmering. The sight serves to assure all of the Wendarians that peace and protection have been restored to their home.