The creature perched on top of the barrel raises its tail and arches it. It starts firing spines off its tail towards Leshanna. He hits twice, hard. He flies up and hangs off the pillar. Another takes aim at Thoradin and misses. He aims again and hits with a ball of fire.
Leshanna fires with Ray of Frost, hitting with a tremendous shattering cold ray. The creature is hit and begins to splinter from the cold. He falls to the ground screaming. Leshanna makes an excellent joke.
The other two demons suddenly disappear. There are bodies on the floor.
Londer goes to the barrels and turns the taps – vinegar wine comes out. He looks around and finds a token, similar to the one Leshanna has. In the blood where Darius was. He throws it to Thoradin.
Londer calls out to Syldar – “what the fuck is going on?” Syldar was taken from his shop but he doesn’t know much more than Londer.
There is a bricked up archway in the corner. This is similar to where the underdark was. This would have connected to other things, long ago. A freshly cut off head of a bull has been put together for ritual purposes. The rites have been carefully created. There is a pattern of blood on the floor. There is no doubt it is Asmodeus worship. The cellar has returned to its previous state but the magic is unlike anything Leshanna has come across before. It seems like a cult, suicide scenario.
“Right friends, how are we going to explain this one?” says Thoradin.
They climb the stairs towards the exit and enter the room with the pews. The statue begins to move. The stone figure cracks and moves around and springs into life. It is a huge horned creature. It seems angry.
Gunther dives over the pews, takes out his cross bow and lets loose a bolt at the stone creature. It is a miss and he cuts his finger in the process. “Chin up, Leshanna, you’ve got this!” he sings and grants Leshanna Bard Inspiration.
Miss Moss uses her giantslayer great sword and tries to destabilise it by chopping off one of its legs. She attacks. She takes a chunk out of its leg. It makes no noise but spins towards her. She swings again and it brushes off the stone body.
Syldar fires and misses – he nearly hits his allies. “Sorry chaps! My bad, a little rusty!”
Leshanna attempts to cast hideous laughter. The stone guy is not amused. Miss Moss raises an eyebrow at the failure.
Londer calls out, “You look as dumb as a rock!” his hair blows in the wind even though they are inside. He swings with the great Khan. He chips at the stone twice. The stone turns to look at them.
Thoradin pulls out his ball bearings and throws a whole bunch of them under the feet of the statue and casts mass healing word on the party. He moves over to the centre of the room.
The stone statue picks up Londer and hurls him towards Thoradin and Gunther. Londer slams into the pews, hurt. Thoradin and Gunther are hurt. Gunther moves over and calls to the Gargoyle “Yoo hoo, come over here!” and takes his crossbow out and shoots a bolt at him. He hits.
Miss Moss swings again with the sword and hits again a couple of times, chipping away at him. The statue swings and attacks as she runs past.
Syldar fires and misses again.
Leshanna fires her spider staff and webs the creature. She moves away out of range.
Londer laconically dusts himself off and runs in, swinging again. He misses once and then gives him a love tap on the face, standing on the altar.
Thoradin casts guiding bolt – standing with his hands out an amazing golden green glow flies through the statue he explodes from the inside out – stone clatters against the walls and all that is left are the stone feet.
As it finishes, they hear voices from above. Streaming down the trapdoor they see Joris with some spellguard behind. He is terrified. “Where is Darius?”
“He’s dead.” Says Londer
A sunny day, they are all gathered together in Silvery Moon’s high palace. It is very serene. They are all clean, it is the next day. Joris, Syldar and Lacey are there. Huge doors open and an attendant comes out. He says “The high lady is ready to see you.”
Miss Moss says “I wonder what she’s high on!” and nudges Thoradin who lets out a little laugh.
Song birds dart around, boughs of trees peak through. They walk through the room and see a beautiful human woman, there to greet them. She seems ancient and youthful at once. She has some attendants with them.
“Please, come in – so good to see you finally.”
The room is large, they walk over to reach her. She greets them each and expresses sympathy to Joris. She thanks them and says Silvery Moon is in their debt.
“The cult that you uncovered seems to have removed themselves. We don’t know at what cost that was done. Powerful magic has been unleashed and we need to work hard to keep them at bay. From this day you will be heroes to Silvery Moon.”
“Well, we’re already heroes…” says Londer.
She gives them each 1000g pieces in a Silvery Moon pouch. She has a token especially for Rillix.
“From this day on in the palace we have an apartment for you, it will always be ready for you. It has the information superhighway connected at 30mb/s”
Lacey is proud, “You’ve done good, kids.”
They return the tokens, Londer keeps the crystal ball.
She asks Joris to step down and Tan, second in command takes his place.
A very old man enters, it is Esklindar from the book shop in Yartar. He hobbles over and greets them. He has been seconded to the map house in town. He tells them to come and see him there sometime.
Lacey approaches Londer and hands him a token. “Go to Optim’s blade – shop near town, tell him I sent you.”
Miss Moss reminds them all how they had a little bit of awkwardness the last time they saw Esklindar. He seems to have forgiven them.
They walk through the old quarters of town, arriving at a very old building. It is an immaculate room, opening up into an enormous collection of books, maps, tomes, records. Lots of people work there in a repository of huge information. The map house is beautiful with mahogany furniture. Esklindar greets them and ushers them in. The other people murmur and nod respectfully.
They go into an office, when they sit down he tells them he has some information they will be interested in.
“In Icewinddale there has been a siege. Not more than 10 day past in the town of Bryn Shander. It was laid siege by Frost giants. The town itself only barely survived. They said the town would have been razed entirely if not for the help of Harshnagg. He joined in with the militia against his own kind, took up arms against them. I am to believe he is still in the area.If you go to Bryn Shander and speak to the sheriff, Markkham Sarshwell, he may know where he is.”
Harshnagg is a hero of Neverwinter and Waterdeep.
It is a harsh place to travel at this time of year.
Londer gifts Leshanna a crystal ball. He heads to Optim’s blade and hands over the token. He places his great axe onto the table. The shopkeeper offers to sharpen it and asks him to come back before close. When he collects it, it shines with magic energy. He teaches that he can tap it a few times and the light will go away.