28th day of Snowmoot: Midday
The group decided on a quick search, Zindra watched north, Fargrim East and Bandur South. A number of items were found in the 15 minute search. Grog cast a detect magic and those items that glowed were passed around.
Those that needed to, took healing, but they decided that they must press on whilst they still had the advantage.
After a close, stealthy approach Bandur and Fargrim entered one door and Zindra and Aerie from the other, it was a kitchen area, Nothing of worth. They decided to regroup and push on up the north corridor.
It was Garet who approached the double doors and triggered the trap. Luckily he was prepared and managed to jump away and only took some damage. From the bridge two water ways could be seen in the north walls about 5ft above the main canal, both spilling water into it.
Fargrim, usually leading, held back. Probably sticking to the plan hastily agreed in the main room after the battle. Garet and Aerie pushed forward.
To either side stood 3 Lizardman warriors, across a narrow bridge standing by an alter was a creature deformed by his god. Ghar Shatterkeel, wielding a trident in his right hand, his left deformed into a large claw, his blue tinged skin was covered with barnacles.
"Tell me Aerisi, what brings the prophet of the Air Cult to my temple".
Aerisi explained that she had joined this group to find out their plans, and those plans had led her here. She pointed to Garet and told him that her bodyguard had disguised himself as a monk to worm his way into the group too. Shatterkeel seemed coherent and talked with logic then followed that with bursts of manic speech, denouncing the Fire Cult as his enemy, calling for his Prince of Evil to come forth. He even asked Aesiri, for that was whom he thought he spoke, had she seen her God, for he had seen his, the trident 'Wave' his gift to bring forth destruction on all and bringing his god to the prime material plane from the plane of elemental evil. When the delegation was mentioned Aerie noted that Shatterkeel turned his head and looked down into the waters to his left. (Just what was there she wandered).
It was then that Aramil, Fargrim and Bandur burst into the room. Shatterkeel denounced them as traitors and in league with his enemies. Lizardmen guards rushed to attack. Raising his trident he brought it down with a smash against the ground. Garet had shadow stepped across the small waterway, unseen by Shatterkeel.
A rumbling brought forth a tidal wave of water that covered the area in between Aerie and Shatterkeel. Aerie Silverwind cast her dispel, spiritual power collided, Aerie's power the greater and the Tidal Wave disappeared.
Aerie took to flight and launched an arrow at a Lizardman. Fargrim beset by a lizardman was perturbed as Zindra fired 2 arrows past his head and brought the Lizardman down, dead. Bandur fought 2 lizardmen as Fabien slipped into the room.
Taking stock Fabien quickly fired a bolt at the only clear target. Ghar Shatterkeel was shocked to see Garet take form and streak towards him as Fabien fired a 2nd bolt, just as quickly as the 1st. Thud, Thud, both bolts sank deep into Ghar Shatterkeels unarmoured torso. Badly stunned he fell unconscious to the floor. Garet charged towards a priestess hiding behind a pillar.
The fight turned ugly in the other room, Aerie still airborne let fly arrow after arrow, Fargrim charged another Lizardman to engage it when 2 more of Zindras deadly arrows wizzed past him and brought this Lizardman down.
Garet charging towards the priestess felt the tendrils of spiritual energy flow from a prepared prayer as his target just stood there. The priestess, confident that her hold person prayer would stop Garet in his tracks was shocked when it didn't. Garet shrugged off the attempt to stop him and raised short sword and dagger to strike.
Fabien had moved to a better vantage point and let fly another deadly bolt. It slammed into the head of the priestess and she slumped to the ground dead.
Seeing the last of the Lizardmen was being tied up after he surrendered, Grog adamant that the was not to be killed outright. Aerie flew over the water way and let fly a few arrows into Ghar Shatterkeels body. Garet surprised at just how effective and deadly the young Bards bolts had been gave him a quick wave and headed back to Ghars body. Plunging his dagger deep into Ghar Shatterkeels chest he was surprised when the trident clattered to floor out of his hand, more shocking as Ghars body turned to water and trickled into the waterway.
Taking stock the group gathered around the 'altar' stone beside where Shatterkeel had met his end. Aerie looked towards the waterway, especially where she had seen Shatterkeel look. She could just make out a darker opening under the water. Aramil stepped forward and asked if all trusted him, looking to Fargrim in particular silently challengiing the Dwarf to repeat his words of the other day. All answered that they did. Aramil cast a spell to allow them to breath underwater and led the group along an underwater passage to a hidden cave, Within the cave where a number of chests and oilskin bags.
The group hauled back a number of oilskin, waterproof bags and 4 chests. It proved quite a haul.
In 3 of the waterskin bags were around 50 old Dwarven tomes, surely the books belonging to one of the delegation.
A large quantity of coin, items of armour and other wonderous things that the group divided up between them as they sought fit.
Garet heard a voice in his ear, "I keep my promise". The figure of a woman dressed in a flowing green dress appeared in front of Aerie and Fargrim.
Fargrim looked at the sword she had in her hands and waited in anticipation for the sword to be returned. However the 'lady in green' stepped forward and laid the sword at the feet of the Avariel. Fargrim stepped forward to pick 'his' sword up when the 'Lady in Green' made eye contact with Fargrim. Fargrim knew this was the Hag and struggled to fight off the death glare. He staggered back then moved forward again. Again the Hag tried her death glare but again Fargrim shrugged it off.
Fargrim's warpick came into his hand with lightning speed, before anyone could react he had swung down, a voiced prayer finishing as the pick struck the 'Lady in Green'. As the 'Lady in Green' fell to the ground her body transformed into an ugly Troll Hag. The Troll Hag looked at Aerie, sensing that her final act was a death glare, Aerie was taken aback as a familiar voice spoke. "Forgive me sister, I failed our Goddess, I lost the sword. I was cursed by she who took my name, the Dwarf has done me a kindness as the curse could only be broken in death".
As Aerie's sister Aerisi took her last breath her body once more transformed from ugly hag to beautiful Avariel, with one difference. Where her beautiful wings once were there was only two ugly scars. Then without warning the body crumbled to dust and disappeared as a magical hidden breeze blew across the floor.
Fargrim was unimpressed. He turned to the group and his 'shadow' Bandur. "Well, I've done my bit, got you this far, you're on your own. You too Bandur. Been great having your back and you mine. Now I need to go sort out a family matter back home. I'll go via Axeholm and let Lionel, Bron, Heimund and that silly companion of his Droop know what's happening."
With that Fargrim had gone. He had obviously used a token of recall back to Axeholm.
Aramil and Garet comforted a distraught Aerie. Grog got some answers from the Lizardman that assisted the group searching the remainder of the complex temple.
Area 27 was the room of the priestess.
Area 28 gave off an overwhelming presence of absolute evil that the group avoided going down the steps.
Area's 16-17-18 gleaned no further information other than finding a key to 20
Area 20 A locked iron door that the Lizardman said led to the Cult of Air.
Area 19 a beach with two rotting boats and a 3rd that could be used.
The Lizardman also confirmed that the door in 10 led to the Earth Cult.
The group packed as much of the trade goods from area 22 as they could then using the 3 boats travelled back along the underground passage to the hidden dock in Riverguard Keep.
They freed the Lizardman for helping them, at the insistence of Grog. The river was too fast and dangerous for boats so the group decided that they would travel back to Bargewright by horse.
The group arrived back in Bargewright on the 2nd day of Fellnight after an uneventful journey back.
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