A dollop of dither and a dash of delaysauce makes the meal complete! While selling loot in Suzail, the group is linked with a seasoned adventurer that has become stranded in Cormyr by virtue of a near total party kill. The lone survivor is a bit bemused by the thought of going on a loincloth fixing quest, but when times are tough, the tough go find loincloth fixers.
The group also manages to obtain the services of a druid from house Thrahb, and it seems that Beenbohn prefers going by the nickname ‘Kikko’. His services should prove useful since the group is considering an excursion to the ruined elven enclave of Myth Drannor.
A quick jump to the manor house just to make sure that the servants are still alive and no more squatters have tried to move in and then they are off to the forest. Most of the journey is uneventful, except for the sighting of a small army of hobgloblinoids moving in the direction of Hillsfar. Screw those Hillfarians anyway.
As the group flies over the treetops they become the victims of a demon attack! A pack of the vulture-headed menaces fly upwards from the treetops. As they draw nearer, Malchor’s head recalls the time they pried open his skull and tried to eat his brain. With that, the battle is on. The foul beasts concentrate their attacks on Malchor and the Justicar, but they manage to make it to ground level and from there the battle ends in short order. They resume travels and soon are within sight of the glade that marks the location of a rich (or so it is rumored) treasure. A bit of rest and they wing onward.
Arriving at the glen, they are challenged by a devil woman of some sort. When the challenge is not answered, she begins shooting arrows into the group and slay s the druid with the first shot. Gah!
Some maneuvering by the group results in more arrow fire. Eventually, the she-devil grows tired of their cowardice and moves off in the direction of the ruined city.
They retreat and camp, return the druid to the land of the living and then return to investigate the well. First the alligator-druid swims inside to carry a light coin to the bottom. There are the corpses of several aquatic beholders and a whole lot of very low value treasure within the waters. The mages swim down and harvest a few baubles and trinkets for posterity’s sake.
They move on from the glade and enter the outskirts of the city. They discover a dead magic zone and see signs of visitors. At one point they become aware of a cloud of eyeballs observing them. Properly paranoid, they begin to investigate areas removed from the main street and run across a partially ruined structure where they discover a partially collapsed archway that leads beneath the ruins and a small crowd of wraiths that manage to steal a few life levels from the druid before he is restored.
The group enters the ruined tunnel and begins a long and arduous journey into a network of overlapping and twisting corridors. Periodically they are confronted by large groups of unturnable skeletons and fragile floors, wobbly walls and collapsing ceilings. They press onward and eventually find their way to a partially collapsed burial chamber. Therein they speak with the local baelnorn, who promises to repair the loincloth in exchange for a decade of service from Goldpiece. He then surveys the mages and asks if any are good in outlook. When Malchor raises his hand, he is told to step forward and kneel if he wishes to receive the crown. Malchor kneels and the ancient creature lowers a circlet made of whirling gems onto his head. In a blinding flash Malchor realizes the selfishness and foolishness of his self-serving outlook on life. The good of the many is the correct goal towards which to work. Personal power is but a byproduct of serving the greater good.
Well…this certainly is an interesting development. With that, the group bids Goldpiece adieu and returns to the Moonsea Manor to have a long bout of chin-wagging and head scratching. Will the group fracture? Will they find a new purpose?
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