Campaign recap

Session recap 1/31/16.

Part One: The Road North

As this adventure begins, you are accompanying Vencarlo Orisini and Neolandus Kalepopolis as they flee from the city of Korvosa, bound for the town of Harse and Orisini’s allies there. Neolandus might have mentioned that he suspects some of the Shoanti know more about what has happened to Queen Ileosa and how to deal with the Crown of Fangs.

Harse is a narrow village located on a strip of land at the point where Sarwin River empties into Falcon River. The village itself consists of only a few dozen buildings, including a church dedicated to Erastil, two groceries, two taverns (the Spotted Pony and the somewhat dingier Nag Bag), a large inn, and a bustling ferry service—this has been a traditional river-crossing site since as far back as Shoanti times. The northeastern edge of Harse features a large collection of stables and other buildings around an open field—the Harse Market, one of the most popular places to buy and trade livestock in the region, and the site of a yearly rodeo designed to single out the best animals and riders. The majority of Harse’s citizens don’t live in the village proper, but on one of the dozens of ranches and farms that dot the surrounding countryside.

Blackbird Ranch that is owned by Vencarlo’s friends, and it is here that he leads Neolandus and the PCs. There isn’t much for the PCs in the village itself; Harse’s gold piece limit is too low to support most magic items, and the villagers themselves have little to offer high-level characters apart from rumors.

Times aren’t quite bad in Harse, but neither are they great—the village, as with all of the Korvosan holdings in the region, rely upon trade from the city as well as regular support of patrols and the like from the Korvosan Guard and the Sable Company. With
the city falling on such hard times, few merchants are coming to and from the city, and patrols have all but ceased. Highwaymen, bandits, and even goblins have become increasingly problematic on the roads. Whispers of what’s going on in Korvosa are on everyone’s lips, especially since the number of refugees who have fled the city seems to be growing. Word is that the majority of these refugees are traveling to Palin’s Cove or Veldraine, and that recently
(with Queen Ileosa’s closing of the city and institution of martial law) the flow of refugees, and thus news, from Korvosa has all but ceased.

Harse; Village conventional (mayor); AL NG, GP Limit 200 gold piece; Assets 8,280 gold piece Demographics, Population 828, Type mixed (81% human, 10% Halfling, 4% dwarf, 3% half-elf, 1% gnome, 1% other)

The Party bandit and goblin slayers:

After hearing about the bandit and goblin troubles, Fiona scouted the location of the base. The bandits were celebrating after a victorious attack on a merchant caravan. Ohni, Mamae and a flying bird Gard, which where stealthy. Some throw thunder stones and smoke sticks to smoke out the people. The goblins where delayed by Gard’s magic and Jim’s angel. Fiona summoned snakes to attack the bandits. Ohni and Mamae killed a few. I give Mamae the kill of the day with her stealthy sneak attack that resulted in a one shoot kill. Dravon killed one and made great assists. Fayrin killed a few and assisted. Jim killed one and assisted.

The total number of human rogue/fighter 10: The goblins where total number 75. Ohni killed 50 and Gard killed 25 with cloud kill spell.

Blackbird Ranch

A short 15-minute ride north from Harse along the Sarwin River, a moderately-sized horse ranch sits comfortably in the cleft of two low hills topped with small copses of fir trees. This is Blackbird Ranch, a horse ranch currently owned by a barrel-chested man named Jasan Adriel. Living here with his wife, three sons, and two daughters, Jasan is one of the two surviving members of an adventuring party that made a small fortune exploring the Storval Rise and the Mindspin Mountains. That adventuring party was known as the Blackbirds, and the only other surviving member is Vencarlo Orisini.

When the PCs arrive at Blackbird Ranch with Neolandus and Vencarlo, Jasan greets them as if they were long-lost family members. Although the meeting is good-natured,
and Jasan’s booming voice and ready grin are infectious, it should be apparent to the PCs that Vencarlo and Neolandus remain nervous. Trinia Sabor is here as well, eager to reunite with Vencarlo and the PCs (see below), and Jasan invites everyone to join his family for dinner.

After the pleasant and filling dinner, Jasan leads the PCs, Neolandus, Vencarlo, and possibly Trinia down into his basement, a place he uses to brew his own beer. His home-grown hooch is a bit rough, but the true reason he relocates down here is so he and the others can talk frankly without worrying his family. When Vencarlo introduces Neolandus by name, Jasan’s eyes widen and he whistles in admiration at the audacity of his home becoming the hideout of Korvosa’s seneschal. Blackbird Ranch is a large place, but not large enough to comfortably accommodate an entire party of adventurers for long. Worse is the unspoken worry on Vencarlo’s and Neolandus’s minds—that they are known fugitives, and that Queen Ileosa will spare little expense in tracking them down. Her Red Mantis agents were close to discovering Neolandus in Old Korvosa, and it shouldn’t take them long to sift through the recent events there and to piece together what happened.

By next morning, he has his worried but trusting family packing up all of their belongings for a move west to Magnimar, while Vencarlo and Neolandus decide to seek asylum at the dwarven city of Janderhoff. Before then, though, there is much to discuss. During the late-night meeting in Jasan’s basement, Neolandus outlines everything he knows (see The Kazavon Situation section) to the PCs, Vencarlo, and Jasan.

If Queen Ileosa is to be defeated, someone has to travel into the Cinderlands and contact the Shoanti to find out what they know of the Fangs of Kazavon, and how best to defeat the ancient evil. If the PCs don’t suggest it themselves, Vencarlo points out that keeping Neolandus safe is important, but that that’s hardly even a one-man job. He volunteers to stay with the seneschal to help Jasan keep things under wraps until the time to strike at Ileosa is nigh, then bluntly (but with a twinkle in his eye) asks the PCs if they’re ready to leave for the Cinderlands in the morning.

The Kazavon Situation

• When Neolandus confronted Queen Ileosa about King Eodred II’s death, her response was to send Red Mantis assassins after him—proof enough of guilt to Neolandus. Through a combination of luck and knowledge about the castle’s layout, Neolandus barely managed to escape with his life and went into hiding with his friend Salvator Scream in Old Korvosa.

• After he recovered from the attack but before Salvator handed him over to the Arkonas, Neolandus spent much of his time in Old Korvosa researching the situation by interviewing key people, poring through records in Endrin Academy, and piecing together information
and rumors he heard to try to determine what caused Queen Ileosa’s sudden personality
change from a petulant spoiled queen to a scheming murderous tyrant.

• Neolandus’s suspicions grew, but until Queen Ileosa’s first public appearance
after the plague, he tempered his suspicions with hope. He knew that Queen Ileosa had been “borrowing” the treasury key to look through Korvosa’s holdings. Neolandus was also familiar
with several old and obscure legends about the chambers below Castle Korvosa chambers, it was whispered, that were old even when the Shoanti dwelt here, and that used to hide something of great power or evil. There was little more information to go on, but he did uncover mention in some documents from Korvosa’s earliest days of something called Midnight’s Teeth, and that these teeth were believed to be some sort of sacred relic of great import to the Shoanti. Circumstantial evidence indicates that the Shoanti kept these teeth in the chambers inside the pyramid that now serves as Castle Korvosa’s foundation.

• Neolandus’s further research uncovered an old legend that chilled his soul. Several hundred years ago, a powerful blue dragon and agent of Zon-Kuthon named Kazavon brought the orcs of Belkzen to their knees and began conquering the neighboring nations of Ustalav and Lastwall, until he was finally defeated and his remains scattered. Some of these remain, according to
certain Zon-Kuthonic scriptures, contained fragments of Kazavon’s essence. One of these relics was the Fangsof Kazavon.

• By piecing together his evidence, Neolandus suspects that Midnight’s Teeth were none other than the Fangs of Kazavon. The description of the queen’s new crown sounds to Neolandus as if she now wears the Fangs of Kazavon on her brow, the implications of which troubles him greatly.

• Neolandus wasn’t able to gather much more information before the Arkonas took him, but he doesn’t suspect there was much more to learn. Hard facts about Midnight’s Teeth were sparse to begin with—Korvosa’s founders didn’t think it important to preserve much in Trinia Sabor
the way of Shoanti culture. Yet there is still some hope. The Shoanti have very strong oral traditions, and if anyone knows the truth behind Midnight’s Teeth, that truth is doubtless hidden among their historians up in the Cinderlands. Armed with this information, the next step should
be clear. The PCs must travel to the Cinderlands and establish a rapport with the Shoanti to discover what they know about Korvosa’s earliest days and what they kept so
hidden deep inside the pyramid.

Unfortunately, rumors that the Shoanti are preparing to launch an attack on Korvosa and her holdings seem to be true—emboldened by the news that Korvosa is buckling under the effects of riots and plagues, word from the Storval Rise is that the largest Shoanti tribe, the Sklar-Quah, is preparing for war. Neolandus has a bit of advice here on where to start—the Skoan-Quah, the Tribe of the Skull. Of all the Shoanti tribes, it has been the Skoan-Quah who has been most open to talk of peace between Korvosa and the tribes. Until recently, a large number of Skoan- Quah ambassadors dwelt near Korvosa, and peace talks between the two factions were slowly but surely heading in the right direction. Neolandus recalls one old shaman in particular as being level-headed and friendly, a man named Thousand Bones. One of the last things Neolandus tried before the Arkonas got hold of him was to arrange a meeting with the old shaman, but unfortunately, shortly after an event involving one of the Shoanti braves during the riots, the Shoanti abandoned Korvosa.

Thousand Bones and his people have returned to a place east of Kaer Maga in the Cinderlands known as the Kallow Mounds, and their reports on the tumult and chaos in Korvosa very likely fueled the neighboring tribe’s sudden need to strike while the enemy was wounded. Yet Neolandus doubts that Thousand Bones has abandoned hopes for peace. The PCs encountered Thousand Bones themselves near the end of “Edge of Anarchy,” and assuming they returned Gaekhen’s body to the Shoanti, their memories of how the old shaman remained calm and composed even in the face of such atrocities against one of his own should support Neolandus’s belief. Neolandus knows that Thousand Bones’s tribe dwells in the southeastern portion of the Cinderlands; he believes the best course of action now is for someone to travel to this tribe, find Thousand Bones, and learn from him any information about what Midnight’s Teeth actually were. And if they do know more—perhaps they know how to fight against an evil that apparently grants Queen Ileosa the ability to survive a mortal wound.

Session recap 2/21/16. Into the Cinderlands

You signed paper for ownership mine near Harse.

When it comes time for the PCs to leave, Vencarlo and Neolandus (and Trinia, if the PCs have made it clear that she shouldn’t accompany them) see them off, wishing them luck and praying for their safety. Jasan can provide them with a few weeks’ worth of trail rations and enough light warhorses for them all (including a few pack horses if they need them) if they wish to ride.

The easiest way to navigate the towering cliffs that separate Varisia from the Cinderlands is to pass through the anarchic city of Kaer Maga. Kaer Maga is perched on the edge of the Storval Rise, and the majority of the traffic across the cliffs winds through it. There’s no official toll for passing through the city, but the sheer number of beggars and cutpurses the PCs brush Impressing savage barbarians, wrestling with enormous monsters, and lifting impossibly heavy objects can make all the difference. Flight and teleportation, of course, allow for much swifter routes up and over the cliff to the lands above, but apart from Kaer Maga, there aren’t many easy land routes available. Climbing up the cliffs is a formidable task, as the cliff averages 1,000 feet in height.

Of course, once the PCs surmount the Storval Rise and enter the Cinderlands themselves, the peril increases. To the uninitiated, the Cinderlands are arid, barren, and silent.
It is not a true desert, however—weed-like grasses grow in abundance wherever they can, as the great Yondabakari River and its tributaries feed any soil they can reach. Also, remember that the Cinderlands were once part of Thassilon, an ancient civilization which built great
monuments of a size and scope unknown today.

Encounters:

You were attacked by ankheg and blood worms on days two of the your travels through the cinder land.

Session recap 2/28/16. Part Two: Clan of the Skull
Encounters:
You were attacked by earthquake and Cinder Cones;
The Cinderlands are spotted with cinder cones—hills of volcanic fragments built up around volcanic vents. The larger ones near natural gas seeps are capable of lava
flows and extreme explosive eruptions. Seismic activity accompanies these magma fountains, and the small volcanoes vent incredible amounts of ash through their.
and Sarenrae’s Tears and the purple worm through the cinder land.

Sarenrae’s Tears Large cinder cones can produce
deadly debris known locally as Sarenrae’s Tears— buckler-sized globs of half-cooled molten basalt and trapped volcanic gases—that eject with enormous force, potentially shooting great distances. Cooling as they fly through the air, the volatile rock solidifies into elongated.

You made to the Kallow Mounds and meet Thousand Bones and the Skull Clan. You had an epic game A “Friendly” Game of Sredna in which Fayrin won you 3 respect points. You spent time entertaining, preaching and helping which won you 2 respect points.

The Kallow Mounds; The Bone Council Fire As night falls, Thousand Bones invites the PCs to join him at the center of the camp. See fire for more information.

The Kallow Mounds;

The Bone Council Fire As night falls, Thousand Bones invites the PCs to join him at
the center of the camp. The majority of the other Skoan- Quah retire early to their tents
out of respect for the Bone Council Fire—the only Curse of the Crimson Throne 28
people present are the PCs and their allies, Thousand Bones, Chief One-Life, and Ash Dancer.

Thousand Bones’s speech to the PCs is short and direct, as is his way.
“You have already done my people a great favor by returning the body of one of our warriors. I sense now you come to me to ask a favor in return, yet know that by doing this favor, you
are helping us all. The Skoan-Quah are a peaceful people, yet we are also all but shunned by our kin. Our willingness to mix with tshamek shames many of my brothers and sisters
in the other quahs. Only their respect for our tradition of guarding and protecting the dead of all Shoanti keep them from open hostility against us. My words do not reach their
ears when I advise against war on Korvosa. They hear tales of the city in flames, of its king dead, of disease ravaging its people, and they see this as the time foretold. A time when the Shoanti can ride down from these burning lands and reclaim greener lands to the south, lands that were once ours. Yet war is not good for us. My brothers do not see that, even crippled, Korvosa remains a powerful enemy. It is best to make your enemies your friends, do you not think? Yet my brothers do not listen to these words. They see weakness, they demand action.

“Yet you could not know of the coming war. You come to me with a different favor. Speak of what you wish of me, and perhaps we may find our needs are the same.”

Thousand Bones listens to the PCs’ tale quietly and somberly, answering questions they might pose him as detailed below.

Tell us about the Shoanti who dwelt by the river before Korvosa was founded.

“This was many generations ago, yet it is a wound that has never healed. My brothers
among the Skoan-Quah have forgiven, but our numbers are small. We were once a part of the Sklar-Quah, yet our readiness to forgive marked us traitors and we were
exiled from that clan. In the generations that passed we grew more at peace with our role here—there is beauty in the Cinderlands, if you know where to look. We have
abandoned our memories of lives below the rise in a way the Sklar-Quah have not. Those memories poison them. They do not see that this land is theirs. They only see
lands that their ancestors called home. If you seek more wisdom of those times, you must seek out the keepers of words among the Sklar-Quah. You must seek the words
of a Sun Shaman.”

What can you tell us of Midnight’s Teeth?

Thousand Bones’ brow furrows at this question and he appears to be deep in thought for a moment before answering. “The name is not unfamiliar, yet I know little more than that
I have heard it mentioned but twice by Sun Shamans of the Sklar-Quah. Always in reference to the past, and to what you now call Korvosa.”

Can we simply walk into a Sklar-Quah camp and ask them for aid?

“Sadly, no. You are tshamek. Outlanders. Rightful or not, the Sklar-Quah will see you as the children of those who murdered their ancestors and drove them from the green lands. The Sun Clan does not like outsiders at the best of times. And less so now that war against Korvosa is
on every brave’s lips.”

Tell us more of this talk of war on Korvosa.

“It pains my heart. Many will die, Shoanti and tshamek alike, if such a tragedy comes to pass. The Sklar-Quah talk of a great Burn Run from the Storval Rise all the way to the
heart of tshamek lands, to Korvosa. The Sklar-Quah’s mood is very dark. This is hard for the Skoan-Quah. We have made paper with Korvosa, agreeing that we will not make war. Yet after the Sklar-Quah raid, the tshamek will come north, led by your new queen. They will kill many
Shoanti brothers and sisters, including Skoan-Quah. The winter will be harsh and many giants will be coming south to take advantage of the loss of braves.

Can you talk to the Sklar-Quah for us? You’re not tshamek.

“Alas, this will not work. They would ask us why we want to know of such things. We would have to tell them. They will not give us secrets to tell tshamek.”

Is there any way the Sun Clan will stop treating us as tshamek?

“You must understand. The Sklar-Quah are very certain of these things. They may come to respect lone tshamek after many days of seeing them act honorably, but what you ask is for the Sun Shaman to lay bare his quah’s heart. The deepest memories of his clan. These memories
are not for tshamek. Not since Skurak the Reborn have the members of the Sklar-Quah unbanished a man and welcomed him into their quah.

Skurak? How did he manage it?

Thousand Bones smiles enigmatically for a brief instant before going on “The legend of Skurak is of a great warrior and greater traitor to the Sklar-Quah. He slew his brother, a brave
of even greater courage. To the Sklar-Quah, family is purity—crimes against the family are the greatest a man can commit. Although Skurak claimed the death was an accident as he and his brother were hunting, others spoke of murder spawned of jealous rage. Skurak was declared
a tshamek by the Sun Shaman and cast out. But before Skurak left he said he would be born again and return to his tribe. This he did. He went to the killing grounds of the great Cindermaw the Clan-Eater. Skurak walked up to the beast carrying only his dagger. Without fear he
dove inside the beast and cut his way out. He returned to the clan and declared he had been reborn, and had left his misdeeds behind in the cleansing fire of Cindermaw’s
belly. The legend says the Sun Shaman accepted this and Skurak’s time as a tshamek was spoken of no more.”

What is Cindermaw?

“A legend, yet one of flesh and blood. Cindermaw dwells on the northernmost edge of
Shoanti lands, in the place where Shoanti and orc and giant vie for life and water. His hunting grounds are known as the Feeding Grounds of the Quah-Kael, the land of the Clan Eater. The orcs of Urglin avoid this region; the giants of the north hunt only on its
edges. Within, few have returned to tell tales, but those who do speak of a mountain that crawls and of fire that roars.”

So this is a way for us to earn the Sklar-Quah’s favor? To be eaten by and then escape from Cindermaw?

“Perhaps. Yet this route is more complex than you suspect. The Sklar-Quah would never
believe the words of tshamek on such a matter, nor would they risk travel to the Feeding Grounds just to see foolish outlanders attempt to recreate legends. I could come with you, if my bones were not so tired, yet I am Skoan-Quah. My words would hold little light with the
Sun Shaman, I fear.”
Here Thousand Bones grows silent for a moment, and Ash Dancer speaks for the first time. “They could bring a Truthspeaker, Thousand Bones.”

What is a Truthspeaker?

“There are those among our people who, after living lives without lie and never
speaking falsehood, have earned the title of Truthspeaker. It is a rare honor, one that requires many years of chastity, of self-control, of introspection. There are Truthspeakers
among the Sklar-Quah, yet that does not help you. Were that the Skoan-Quah had one. Yet The Skoan-Quah and the Sklar-Quah are not the only Shoanti in the Cinderlands.
I have heard tell that the Lyrune-Quah, who dwell in the shadow of the Wyvern Mountains far to the northwest, have Truthspeakers among them. If you could perform the ritual of rebirth at the Feeding Grounds of the Quah- Kael in the presence of a Truthspeaker, his words would
be all the proof you need to secure an audience with the Sklar-Quah.”

Where do we even find the Moon clan?

“The Lyrune- Quah are nomads. This time of year, they gather at a place sacred to them, a place called the House of the Moon at the northeasternmost edge of the Wyvern Mountains. Yet
I fear that they will distrust you as tshamek as well, unless you bring to them proof of your honesty and need.” Thousand Bones Curse of the Crimson Throne 30

What can we bring them to secure their aid?

“The Lyrune-Quah are unusual among the Shoanti. They do not seek enlightenment through our ancestors, but from the Song of the Spheres. They are devotees of Desna, and they trust those ho worship her. Yet that trust is, alone, not enough to earn the aid of a Truthspeaker to be witness to your heroics against Cindermaw. The faithful of Desna have a tradition of exploring distant and dangerous places as a way to honor their deity, who watches over all who travel. When they reach the goal of their pilgrimage, a priest leaves a found-mark to honor his journey. One of the Lyrune-Quah’s greatest ancestors was a priest of Desna named Tanjah—their legends speak of her pilgrimage into an ancient ruin and her discovery of a potent relic sacred to Desna, a stone globe held deep within a place called the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers. Those who follow Tanjah’s footsteps and seek her found-mark upon this globe are said to be given the Spherewalker’s Mark, and with this mark, the Lyrune-Quah would welcome into their camp even their most bitter rivals.”

What is the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers? Where is it?

“It is a ruin left over from an ancient time, a time when great powers ruled over this land. We speak of these ancient lords only in whispers today, but you may know their mark by the Sihedron, the seven-pointed star. I know not what perils await you within the Acropolis, but its location is not unknown to the Skoan-Quah. When you are ready to leave, I shall send with you four boneslayers to lead you there.”

How can we repay you for your help?

“By convincing the Sklar-Quah you are friends, that you represent Korvosa, and that war is not in anyone’s best interest. This will save both our peoples needless pain and grief. If you can
earn their trust and respect enough to learn from them the secret of what their ancestors watched over before the outlanders drove them away, they will listen to your words and see the wisdom there. This is all I ask, and it benefits you as well.”

Once the PCs have asked their questions and are sure of their goals, Thousand Bones tells them that he will not send them into the Cinderlands on their quest alone or unarmed. He calls forth two brave young Skoan-Quah boneslayers, introducing them as Ahalak, Nalmid,. These four are the PCs’ guides through the Cinderlands, and lead them where they need to go.

Further, he presents some gifts to the PCs: five potions of cure serious wounds, a wand of create water (44 charges), a wand of endure elements (23 charges), and five pots of Shoanti war paint (three red and two silver). If asked about these gifts, Thousand Bones smiles and says, “I had suspected for some time you would need my help. These gifts are nothing to me, but they may be everything to you.”

Session recap 4/17/16. Part Three: Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers

Mission 1 completed:

You obtained Spherewalker’s Mark of a potent relic sacred to Desna, a stone globe held deep within a place called the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers. Those who follow Tanjah’s footsteps and seek her found-mark upon this globe are said to be given the Spherewalker’s Mark, and with this mark, the Lyrune-Quah would welcome into their camp even their most bitter rivals.” “It is a ruin left over from an ancient time, a time when great powers ruled over this land. We speak of these ancient lords only in whispers today, but you may know their mark by the Sihedron, the seven-pointed star.

You met Shadowcount Sial and Asyra. Brotherhood of Bones The first group to arrive
in the acropolis is Shadowcount Sial and his chain devil companion Asyra. Sial’s
hoping to observe the PCs and follow them quietly once they arrive. He has been watching them for some time. He introduces himself and Asyra as accomplices of Laori Vaus, explaining that she had reported the PCs’ efforts in Old Korvosa to the organization that he and she both
belong to. Sial attempts to remain as mysterious as he can, asking only leave of the PCs to accompany them and observe their methods

You also encountered Sklar-Quah Thundercallers three Krojun Eats-What-He-Kills. When the emberstorm picks up, Krojun sends most of his war party away to seek safety elsewhere. Once the PCs discover that Krojun and his thundercallers have followed them into the acropolis, Krojun’s demeanor is brisk. He greets them with a stoic nod, explaining that he and his braves decided to take shelter in here while the storm raged outside. He then goes on to warn the PCs that this place is bad, and that they shouldn’t be here. If the PCs explain that they’re seeking the Desnan found-mark, he snorts derisively, saying that the PCs are no better than those “stargazing Lyrune-Quah,” but he doesn’t take action to prevent their exploration.

He does, however, demand to know what the PCs are doing in the Cinderlands. He meets most answers with non-committal grunts, but if the PCs say that they seek an audience with a Sun Shaman, he laughs loudly and says that such a thing will never happen—that the Sun Shamans of the Sklar-Quah have nothing to say to tshamek. Krojun accompanies the PCs for a short time, explaining only that he finds them to be entertaining while he waits out the emberstorm, when in fact he’s simply sizing them up and trying to figure them out.

Shadowcount Sial and Asyra and Sklar-Quah Thundercallers three Krojun Eats-What-He-Kills who helped with the Red Mantis 4 totaled and were all killed and Havero Tentacle 8 totals were killed.

Session recap 4/17/16. Part Four: The House of the Moon

Mission 2 completed:

Yet The Skoan-Quah and the Sklar-Quah are not the only Shoanti in the Cinderlands.
I have heard tell that the Lyrune-Quah, who dwell in the shadow of the Wyvern Mountains far to the northwest, have Truthspeakers among them. If you could perform the ritual of rebirth at the Feeding Grounds of the Quah- Kael in the presence of a Truthspeaker, his words would
be all the proof you need to secure an audience with the Sklar-Quah.”

The House of the Moon

A silvery tower stands atop a low promontory in the foothills here. The surrounding stone has been smoothed by ages of wind, but the tower itself remains as stark and crisp as the
day its final block was set in place. The structure shimmers with a slightly reflective sheen, as if an almost invisible layer of silver covered it. A thirty-foot-tall opening allows access to
the tower interior at ground level, the curving sides framed by the long peacock tail feathers of an immense butterfly or moth that has been carved into the building’s facade. The creature’s
wings furl to the left and right, fanning over two side towers attached to the central spire, which rises to a height of a hundred feet. Above, a silvery sphere caps the tower’s peak, as
if the moon itself had fallen out of the sky to become impaled
upon the structure’s steeple.

Akram himself is a quiet man, content for the most part to watch and observe. He finds the PCs endlessly fascinating. Truthspeaker Akram CR 7, Male old human cleric 7 (Desna) LN Medium humanoid (human).

With some spells like flame strike and hold monster you made quick work of the Red Reaver. The red reaver is not an intrinsically evil creature, but neither is it a particularly peaceful creature. Like its gray render cousins, the reaver bonds to a particular site and then protects that place from intruders with a singular devotion.

Session recap 5/01/16. Part five: Part Five: Belly of the Beast

Mission 3 completed:

On the way to the find the Cindermaw, six stone giants dropped four wagons on you wounding Jim and Fayrin but missed the others. With the use of spells Jim, Gard, Fiona, where able help destroy all giants. Ohni used his monk skills to help kill. Fayrin protected a wounded Truthspeaker Akram.

Cindermaw is one of the deadliest predators of the Cinderlands, an ancient purple worm changed and transformed into a unique creature infused with elemental fire. With the use of spells Jim, Gard, Fiona, helped prepare the group for the attack of the Cindermaw. Ohni used his monk skills to help. Truthspeaker Akram and the Ahalak/Skoan-Quah boneslayers Nalmid/Skoan-Quah boneslayers, watched Fayrin getting the Cindermaw attention and get swallowed into the beast then cut his way out. Gard held the monster with a spell then used dimension door to exit the area.

Session recap. Part Six: Clan of the Sun ; Trial of the Totem

At the Foot of the Fire; Akram then breaks into a tale of the PCs’ recent deeds, tying them to the legend of Skurak. Should Akram’s report include a description of a PC cutting his way out of the Quah-Kael, Krojun and a few others make guffawing noises in disbelief, but they are silenced by a glare from the Sun Shaman. Feel free to roleplay Akram’s recitation and permit the PCs to intervene as they see fit, but if the PCs do not speak Shoanti or employ magic, they are limited to gesturing.

Early the following morning, about an hour before dawn, the PCs are awakened by the Sun Shaman, who asks them to follow him. He, along with a trio of thundercallers, escorts the PCs out through the slash rock in silence and takes them east across the Cinderlands on a 20-minute walk to a site known as Bolt Rock—a small mesa of spiritual significance to the Sun Clan.

Atop Bolt Rock stand several fired-clay pylons known as sun totems. Each totem is 10 feet tall, and the sides are decorated with numerous sigils sacred to the Sklar-Quah. The lower portion of each totem is rounded. When not in use, they are stored in an upright position in square stone
pods at the base of Bolt Rock.

The Sun Shaman explains that during the Trial of the Totems, each prospective clan member is represented by a specific sun totem. He directs the PCs to each select one totem as their own, then explains that, as a group, they must carry these totems up to the lower tier of Bolt Rock, where they must be balanced in circular depressions and kept upright for a day.

He explains further that the PCs have until the shadow of the upper tier is no longer cast upon the lower tier to erect the totems. At the next sunrise, the PCs must then move all of their totems up to the highest mesa (again, before the lower tier is in full sunlight) and keep them upright in another set of depressions found there for an additional day.

As soon as the sun rises, the PCs have only an hour to select their totems and carry them up onto the westernmost tier of Bolt Rock above. Even though each totem is hollow, they’re still quite heavy at 500 pounds apiece. A character with a Strength of 10 can barely manage to drag one of these totems; a character with a Strength of 17 or higher can lift the totem off the ground and stagger around with it at a speed of 5 feet. Chances are good that most PCs will need to work together to place their totems atop Bolt Rock. A character can seat a totem and push it into an upright position as long as he can drag 500 pounds.

Once a totem is upright, the shallow concavity and rounded base of the totem help to stabilize it, but without someone on hand at all times to keep the totems balanced, they eventually topple. Holding a totem in place requires a DC 12 Strength check every 6 hours. A character can take 10 on this check, but on a failed check the totem begins to lean precariously. At this point, a DC 16 Strength check is required to stabilize the totem. If this second check fails, the totem
topples and takes 5d6 points of damage. As long as the totem isn’t broken, it can be lifted back into place, but once a totem shatters, that character can no longer become one of the Sklar-Quah.

The afternoon of day 2: Bulettes (6) attacked the party but no stones were damaged.

With the third dawn the Trial of the Totems ends. The Sun Shaman leads the entire tribe from Flameford up to Bolt Rock in the pre-dawn hours, and as the sun rises, any totems still intact and standing are greeted with a rousing cheer. These totems represent new brothers and sisters in the Sklar-Quah, an event that is cause for great celebration. Before the jubilation gets too out of hand, the Sun Shaman holds high his hands for silence, then personally welcomes each PC whose totem remained standing and intact into the Sklar-Quah.

the PCs are likely exhausted after their trial, and the Sun Shaman suggests that they return to their yurt in Flameford to rest and recover from their ordeal atop Bolt Rock. As the Shoanti and the PCs make their way back to Flameford, the Sun Shaman quietly tells the PCs that he is nearly ready to speak with them about the information they seek regarding Midnight’s Teeth and the great evil that the Shoanti once guarded so long ago. Before he does, however, he must seek out the wisdom of his ancestors by traveling to the Kallow Mounds to commune with them. As tradition demands, the Sun Shaman is accompanied on this trip by Chief Ready-Klar and four of the tribe’s thundercallers—the journey is made via wind walk. The Sun Shaman estimates that they will return to Flameford in but a day, and suggests that the PCs take that day to rest, recover, and relax.

Session recap the pervious week, 6/26/2016.

Part Six: Clan of the Sun ; The Final Strike

Gargoyle Strike (EL : Ashwing Gargoyle CR 4 Tactics During Combat The gargoyles trust in their damage reduction, capitalizing on the Sklar-Quah’s relative lack of magic to overcome it. On their initial pass, they land in the clan’s corrals and terrify the horses with thunderstones, causing them to stampede fatally into the slash rock. Once the air is filled with the panic of the horses’ death throes, the Ashwings leverage the confusion to continue their assault. When they face significant opposition, the gargoyles take to the air and employ their longbows. Where possible, they use the slash rock against the Sklar-Quah, flying over it to prevent dangerous opponents from getting too close to them.

The PCs are attacked by four Ashwing gargoyles in their tent. Assassins (EL 11): As the PCs emerge from their tent, they are spotted by two Red Mantis assassins. The Mantises recognize the PCs at once and swiftly move to engage the characters—as they do, they’re joined by four gargoyles eager to impress their new allies.

The Cinderlander (EL 14): Not long after the PCs defeat the assassins, the tell-tale sound of Krojun’s indignant roar fills the air. The burly barbarian has challenged the Cinderlander to a battle, and the haunting sound of the Cinderlander’s shrieking bolts fills the night with screams. By the time the PCs reach the War Council Fire, both the Cinderlander and Krojun have taken 3d6 points of damage. Unfortunately for Krojun, the Cinderlander has just been joined by four Red Mantises—if the PCs don’t come to his rescue, he is swiftly overwhelmed.

The Final Strike (EL 14): The battle against the Cinderlander quickly turns into a focus for the rest of the Shoanti and gargoyles, and as this battle plays out, the surrounding skirmishes come to a close while both sides watch in awe, eager to join in once the battle ends. Yet once it does end, Cinnabar steps into the fray. Krojun certainly does—his response to Cinnabar is a roar and an attack. In this battle, the PCs face Cinnabar and four Red Mantis assassins.

1st wave Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle

2nd wave Red Mantis Assassins, Fiendish Giant Praying Mantis, Red Mantis Assassins, Fiendish Giant Praying Mantis, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle

3rd wave Red Mantis Assassins, Fiendish Giant Praying Mantis, Red Mantis Assassins, Fiendish Giant Praying Mantis, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, The Cinderlander

4th wave Red Mantis Assassins, Fiendish Giant Praying Mantis, Red Mantis Assassins, Fiendish Giant Praying Mantis, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, Ashwing Gargoyle, The Cinnabar

With well played levels heroic acts. Fayrin got hurt a few times but dealt lethal blows to the red mantis. Jim was also a hero in spells damage and with heals because he was the focus of many attacks, the scimitars where a great help. Ohni was the most damage dealing machine and was brought to death but he was back to aid the party in a short time. Fiona summoned an air elemental and turned into an earth elemental, she brought death to all who made a challenge. Gard i reverse the most valuable player award. He turned in to a gold dragon with the dragon abilities plus his spells brought most of the monster to death. He also summoned a demon to magic jar Cinnabar and her tribe member tried to kill her and Krojun had the final blow. Krojun with assistant he killed the Cinderlander.