Second Tertiary Session

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Second Tertiary Session
Stairway.jpg
A narrow mountain pass known as The King's Stairwell.
Campaign The Tertiary Campaign
Start Date Morning, Mawsim 18th, 261 IM
Start Location The Sleepy Hollow, Maral, Soltustik
Ending Date Evening, Mawsim 20th, 261 IM
Ending Location The Drunken Yeti, Jel, Soltustik
Absentees Cookie a.k.a. Ninon Salvo
Prev Session First Tertiary Session
Next Session Third Tertiary Session

The morning started with the effervescence that only cool fresh spring air can bring. The party was getting ready to head of of the town of Maral and move on to Jel. The party wizard, Raqim Anuar had the minor task of returning the library book of the missing wizard Mambet Mambet. Also curious as to what could be derived from the notes found at Mambet's home (and the site of his abduction), Raqim also wished to discuss the nature of these with his peers and superiors at the Royal Order of the Soltustic Athenaeum, which happened to have a chapter in the neighboring city of Jel.

Strange Things Afoot[edit]

While preparing to mount up and move on to Jel, the Knight of the Maral Watch, Adylet Syrym approached. Pleased with the party's previous successes, he addressed them asking if they might look into a strange case of some missing animals north of town near the mountains. The party asked to see a map and once noting that the curious case was not far from their intended path, decided to accept the Knight's request.

The party made it to the farmhouse indicated and cautiously approached the building, eventually to be greeted by the farmer and his wife. They explained that some of their best animals had simply wandered off into the mountain pass never to return. This was strange behavior he said, in that the animals seldom venture far from the food, shelter and safety of the farm. They further said that they heard what sounded like the echoes of dying animals coming down from the pass. They were too afraid to investigate themselves, lest there be something dreadful waiting for them.

Into the Mountain Mist[edit]

What started as a wide path narrowed considerably as the part entered the mountain pass. The pass narrowed further into a set of steep stairs carved into the rock. After much climbing at a level section of the stairs a clearing opened to the left revealing an old stone monastery.

The monastery was clearly Wodenist, and looked to be in decades, if not centuries of disuse, save for indications of very recent use around the front doors. A pair of curing animal skins draped themselves over a makeshift wooden apparatus in front of the monastery. Raqim's owl scouted the building for signs of life while Arisa Petrine stealthily listened at the door. The owl made note of a smoke coming from a hole in the snow-covered rear of the monastery while Arisa was able to make out at least three singing voices.

Dog Day Afternoon[edit]

Garis monks defend the monastery.

As Ninon Salvo played her lute in support of the party, the rest decided on a strategy. The party chose to knock. More accurately, Lirris Liadon chose to violently bang on the monastery door to get the attention of the inhabitants. When the door opened, the party was shocked to be greeted to the lupine faces of a collection of Garis monks. The monks snapped straight into combat stances and the party was mercilessly quick in their response.

Lirris Liadon was first through the door and viciously attacked the first hapless monk. The rest of the party supported Lirris' path of carnage; Raqim Anuar with his shocking grasp via owl technique, Arisa Petrine with her sneaky dagger attacks, Ornel Harlhome pretty much just hitting (and often killing) whatever was still standing. Ninon provided crossbow support while Ebil Yalies fired off a variety of spells.

Raqim Anuar particularly confounded one of the monks with his Maximilian’s Earthen Grasp spell, which bound him while crushing the life out of him at the same time. Briefly the monks considered fleeing, but the earthen grasp spell kept them to their combatative ways. In the end, the party prevailed, with the last of the monks taken out by Ornel Harlhome's crossbow. Lirris Liadon had taken the brunt of the assault and retired early for some of Ebil Yalies healing.

The Investigation[edit]

Once healed up, the party examined the rest of the monastery to discover a high level cleric scroll in the vestry and a considerable amount of currency as they searched the rest of the rooms. The most eye-opening of the discoveries was a magic circle that resembled that of the missing wizard Mambet Mambet. The circle had been covered in congealing bovine and ovine blood for reasons unknown. The vestry also yielded up some magical looking documents making mention of the circle.

The latter part of the investigation turned up an open window in which someone escaped into a snow tunnel, presumably a monk who thought better of dying in combat. There was no way to tell which way the tunnel went and Raqim Anuar sent up his owl to investigate and hopefully track down the missing monk. When the owl returned, it reported that the monk and made it a few hundred yards away from the monastery where two figures appeared, talked briefly to the monk and all three of them disappeared.

Moving on to Jel[edit]

The party spent the night at the monastery and packed up for Jel the next morning, arriving at the city without incident two days later.

Player's Notes[edit]

If I have made any errors or omissions, just pop them down here and I'll add them into the canon.