Session 93: "How do you prefer your chicken.....?" or "Two holes are better than one.....!"

 

25th to morning of 28th day of Frostmoot:

Mission:  Finding the Cults

Campaign: Elemental Cult Campaign

Location(s): Feathergale Spire

Present: Aerie, Anor, Aramil, (Bandur), Garet, Grog, Karion

Red Larch: Fabien, Fenn, Zindra

25th day of Frostmoot: Afternoon

The Aarakocra took a few of the group to the roof and pointed out an apparatus they were unsure of. A long tube stood on a tripod. By looking through the narrow end you could observe details far away. Aramil took a peak and saw off to the north east of the tower a knife like gully, a river ran through the gully. The Aarakocra were pointing and Aerie confirmed that where the river disappeared into the hillside, this too was where the Air Cult disappeared into at times.

                                 

Bandur had gone for a wander, he was intrigued by the architecture of the Spire. Garet too had wandered and thought there was something strange with the floor in the room where the stairs ended. He was correct he found a lever/switch which when pushed activated a small cover which slid back to reveal steps going down. He proceeded to check carefully and came across the stables for the vulture like flying creatures, there were also 2 Gryphon mounts. Aerie conversed with the Gryphons but they remained loyal to their riders. They returned upstairs and left Bandur searching and looking.

The group planned to ambush the Air Cult on their return to the tower. Garet, Anor and Grog waited on the draw bridge level, whilst Aerie, Aramil and Karion waited on the top of the spire with the 4 Aarakocra. Bandur remained in the flying pens basement area.

Anor was startled as one of the Aarakocra hurtled passed his window in a steep dive downward. The all hell was let loose as Karion, now switched to hawk form hurtled down the stairs . 

Daylight became intense daylight as a huge ball of fire was ignited somewhere above the window where Garet stood watch. He broke into a run and headed for the stairs, quickly followed by Grog and Anor. They met Karion in hawk form near the top of the spire. He changed into Elf form and explained the group at the top were being attacked by Manticores. They quickly resumed their upwards run.

Aerie was surprised as two bone like spikes thudded into the floor where she stood,  her quick reaction caught he 3rd in her gloves of missile snaring. As she continued to turn two more spikes thudded into her body and another 3rd bounced off the floor.  3 of the Aarakocra took flight, Aerie close behind. 

The 4th fell to the floor with 3 spikes buried deep in its back. Aramil looked for a target, he saw 3 massive winged creatures flying above and to the west of the tower. He had never seen such creatures before, He prepared his fireball spell as Garet had told him it would be the most effective if the Cultists tried to land on the top of the tower/spire.

An airborne Aarakocra fell earthward, impaled by spikes. Aerie let fly two arrow, severely wounding one of the creatures.  The creatures closed in, one ripped a 3rd Aarakocra into pieces in mid-air, the other ripped into Aerie.

 Then without warning a huge ball of fire lit up the daylight sky. 

So intense was the burst it made it hard to see. The 2nd creature was badly burned but the 4th Aarakocra was caught in the blast and was badly wounded. 

Then a second fireball lit up the sky. The creature was badly burned, the 4th Aarakocra fell burning towards the ground some 350ft below. The creatures broke off the fight, both had been severely injured. Aerie fired an arrow into 1 at point blank range, it too plummeted to the ground 350ft below. The other made off.

Garet followed by Grog, Karion then Anor made it to the roof. They made it in good time for Aerie checked herself, throwing herself at Aramil, she stopped then launched into a tirade of angry words.

Aramil flustered as to this verbal attack, not his first from the mouth of Aerie, walked down the stairs, tears streaming down his face. Grog saw the Aarakocra on the roof and was able to cast revivify and brought it back from the very brink of death. Aerie cast a healing prayer, so to Karion which did much to heal the Aarakocra and the badly mauled Aerie.

The remaining Aarakocra thanked Grog, through Aerie, for healing him. Then with great deference spoke at length with Aerie. It then flew off. Aerie explained the Aarakocra was not happy with the actions of Aramil, neither was she.

Grog tried unsuccessfully to calm Aerie's anger over Aramils actions but she told him to stay out of it, politely as she could.

Aerie: "The Aarakocra are allies, nay friends, brothers and sisters to the Avarial Elves, we share the same Goddess, the same beliefs. They were the brothers and sisters of my Sister, now 3 more are dead. Aerie leaped into the air and flew downwards. She found where the Aarakocra had fallen. She prayed for them and set their souls to rest. She thought she heard Aerdrie Faenya bless her actions and her unwilling restraint. Aerie thought her Goddess had had something to do with that but she couldn't be sure.

What she saw after her prayers shocked her. Half decayed bodies, skeletons, human, elf, dwarf, orc, goblin and 2 more Aarakocra, both long dead. They were all congregated below the northern part of the tower, Sacrifices? She told the others what she had found on her return.

The group decided to remain at the tower for the next 2 days, to recover and wait to see if the cultists would return.

They divided the night into watches, Grog cast alarm, they settled in for the night.

26th day of Frostmoot:

An uneventful day and night.

27th day of Frostmoot:

An uneventful day and night.

28th day of Frostmoot: Early morning:

See session 94 report.