September 26, 2018 Session

Setup

The party had descended into Shadowcrag, crossing over the bleached bones and rusted equipment of hundreds of orcs, and found themselves in front of the only remaining undamaged building in Kithkaira. Using the holy symbol of Yornan - an ancient symbol of the god Amaunator - the party pierced the Green Dome surrounding the palace and moved inside. Immediately inside, the ancient remains of of long-dead orcs were replaced with the freshly killed body of orcs with similar armor and appearance.

The most notable item in the great front hall of the palace was a large red dome which appeared to contain the motionless forms of the Polonian group that had descended into the city with a kidnapped Priest of Amaunator only a few days before.

Initial inspection of the red dome had resulted in Yornan losing his holy symbol within and the party, temporarily bereft of ideas, pondered what to do next.

Past the Red Dome

As the party pondered the relationship between holy symbols and the ability to penetrate the domes, Rhagal took a staff topped by a depiction of a demon skull and flames from the body of a dead, orcish priest and pressed it to the red dome. The dome dissolved into a slushy liquid and the Polonian within were and prepared to attack.

A quick battle highlighted by slashing sneak attacks of Rhagal and the immense damage absorbed by Hurodash resulted in a victory. One Polonian had escaped and one remained for questioning. The others lay dead. A suggestion spell and some intimidation gave the party the information that it was their old nemesis Percy that they were following through the palace.

The Guests on the Upper Floors

Quick recon by Rhagal gave the party a good view of the upper two floors. The second floor was dominated by more domes - now realized to be spheres - of blue and white color. The top floor of the tower contained the dead body of an elf within a white circle bordered with runes that had seemingly been drawn for a mystical rite.

The blue sphere was seen to contain the pacing figure of an immense Orc, seven and a half feet tall, dressed in dreadful but majestic armor beneath ornate robes with tattoos of living fire flickering on both arms. He stared at them but made no attempt to communicate. The party returned hours later after a rest and found the same orc there, still pacing and unchanged in every way.

The party negotiated and the orc within - who identified himself as Kerrik the Vengeful - agreed to not harm the party and answer questions if he were released. The blue dome was destroyed, turning into tinkling shards of glass upon being touched by the holy symbol of the Polonian priest killed earlier.

After identifying the current location as being Kithkaira and explaining that he been imprisoned in that dome for “many lifetimes”, he tore a rift in air itself and slipped through to a barren and fiery wasteland beyond.

Just as the rift almost sealed itself, a long, gnarled figure with a hint of tint claw slipped through and tore the gate back open. Stepping through, this new figure appeared to be quite old, tall and slender, with a long tangled white beard. Tiny buds of horns sprouted from his forehead. Despite his frail appearance, the figure radiated command and with a small gesture for Corliss to follow. He headed up the stairs to the third floor and Corliss followed, both intrigued and nearly compelled by the charisma emanating from the man. After a short discussion in Sylvan, the visitor collected a stone lantern with a base perhaps eighteen inches in diameter and proceeded back down the stairs.

A quick tap and nearly inaudible word and the arcane practitioners in the room saw an enormous trail of light spring up. Seemingly visible through walls, glowing lines fifty wide stretched from the city running both north and southeasterly. Only in the very area of the city, the beam was not solid, it was shattered into hundreds of jagged pieces.

With a quick comment to “take the ring”, the figure disappeared into the same rift, only this time it was a dark and sinister overgrown forest in the background. As he disappeared, another figure streaked out from behind the staircase and dove through the doorway just as it closed. The party realized that it was Percy who had eluded them once more.

The Top of the Tower

At the top of the tower an elf, seemingly freshly killed, lay within an arcane circle made of white powder. He was dressed in simple robes except for a signet ring on his left hand. Corliss reached across the circle and slipped the ring from the finger of the dead elf. The sleeve of Corliss brushed the circle as he pulled back his arm, disturbing the ancient spell.

The green dome that remained outside fell, and the white dome on the second level disappeared. And that remained of note was a spellbook on a small stand that the party collected before leaving and making their way back to Highbridge.