Chronicles of the Quest for Answers to Extraplanar Mysteries

After months of waiting, clues to the mysterious disappearance of Urkabi, Samso’s village, arrive with a new traveler, Blue. The Silver Tempests set off to the south to investigate, traveling to the city of Castrella, and then into the mountains on a hunt for Yeshara, the wolf-eyed queen of a shadowy realm called Cairn Dor. Fighting through shadowy enemies, the Silver Tempests find a portal to Cairn Dor called the Cleaver-Stone, as well as a series of stone plinths that form a soul compass, facilitating the theft of mortals from the Material Plane to serve as dreamers for the Shemra Azem, the sleepless, every-vigilant army of Cairn Dor. With the aid of clues found in the old Drankorian fortress guarding this place, the Silver Tempests shut down the portal and the soul compass, but retreat to Castrella to regroup before venturing into Cairn Dor itself.

Adventure 20: The Mysterious Sigil

Session 62

A few weeks after returning from rescuing Dinia from the Havoc Host, Samso is still waiting for a response to his inquiry regarding the mysterious sigil associated with his village’s disappearance and the Umbral Covenant, sent to Archivist Lyra in Chardon. The city guards bring Blue, human with blue skin and strange eyes, who claims to be carrying a message for Samso, to the Tempest Towers. Blue turns over the letter, which she has opened and read, and mentions she is also interested in tracking down the Umbral Covenant. After reading and discussing, the party uses Samso’s Transport via Plants to go back to his hometown – still abandoned – and make their way to the city of Castrella, where Lyra has suggested that folk tales and legends might provide more clues than official scholarly works.

From Urkabi, the Silver Tempests travel down the Zurrua river, on Samso’s boat summoned by the Staff of the Swamplands, finding a place to camp for the night as best they can. The next morning, with Samso’s spells restored, they turn to wind and travel to Castrella, where the party splits up. Adrik, emerging on the docks, wanders through taverns spreading money around. At The Sober Seal, he hears about Isabetta, a popular singer at the The Drunken Dolphin, who might have interesting folk legends to tell. Blue hids in an alley, and accidentally mugs a drunk sailor. Mabist, transformed into Marigold, an old woman, finds two kids, Camile and Arturo, who have fled trouble upriver, and helps find them jobs at The Whale’s Spout, where the owner, Old Leo, has made a habit of taking in orphans. Samso finds a library, but ends up annoying Niccolo, the librarian, and stealing books in wild shape.

Regrouping at The Laughing Gull for the evening, the party discusses what they learned. Adrik picked up numerous legends of Yeshara, also called the wolf queen or the wolf-eyed queen, who seemed to have lived in this area many, many years ago along with her people. The stories say that Yeshara was afraid of the dark, and used some kind of magic to create an eternally vigilant, sleepless army, called the Shemra Azem. According to folk tales, Yeshara and the Shemra Azem were behind many of the wars in this region, including the War of the Dark Rift, the War of the Severed Dreams, and Apporian Shadow War dating all the way back to the Drankorian Era. These folk tales speak of a Drankorian fortress that imprisoned Yeshara. The official histories, however, disagree, considering the Umbral Covenant, the antagonists in the War of the Dark Rift, to be different from the enemies in previous wars. From Mabist, the party learns that a sleeping sickness is killing people, still, in villages in the Kedron valley, and some villages mysteriously vanish.

The next morning, after talking some more with Old Leo, the party decides to travel upriver and investigate the rumored Drankorian fort. With wind walk, the journey is quick, and the party camps in a ravine about five miles from the entrance to the fort to rest before the assault.

The entrance to the fort is guarded by a extensive wall. The party attacks the defenders, with Samso as a giant elephant providing a platform for Adrik to leap onto the wall from. While the elephant is pinned down by minions, Adrik pushes enemies off the top of the wall, and Blue lands a crucial paralysis spell on a shadow knight guarding the gates, as well as a fireball to clear the knight’s soldiers. Mabist strikes the knight with a critical hit smite, and Alton, on a draconic spirit summoned by Samso rains arrows on the battlefield.

Although the hard fight, the party fights through the gates. Mabist searches the ruins of the fort beyond with their arcane eye. While most of the standing buildings are ruined, and the party does not do a careful search, there are ancient Drankorian scrolls in the administrative records building. Investigation reveals that many of these are instructions for locking the portal and closes the soul compass.

Traveling deeper into the ravine from the Drankorian fort, the finds a sealed door, decorated with an incantation to Yeshara and the sleepless vigil, blocking passage. Although not locked, the party is reluctant to touch the door; Mabist sees a vision of Yeshara’s face, with no eyelids, who speaks in their mind saying “I see you, intruder. Cairn Dor will consume you.” Still, the party must continue and so they pass through the door. All who pass, however, are cursed and unable to sleep.

On the other side, they see the remains of an ancient village, with wolf-headed stone plinths in two parallel lines leading to a longhouse. Two soldiers emerge from the longhouse, and speak of taking Mabist to Cairn Dor to join the dreamers. The party quickly attacks, and defeats the soldiers without trouble. Afterword, attempting to retreat for a short rest, several of the Silver Tempests, including Mabist and Alton, cannot pass back through the sealed door. When Adrik tries to drag Mabist through, the psychic toll shreds their mind, consuming their knowledge of the guidance cantrip. During the rest, Mabist sees a vision of a young girl emerging from the longhouse, and speaking to them as if they are someone named Ilanar, talking about how Ilanar will not wake and it is scaring Yeshara, her mom.

After a rest, the party continues down the increasingly dark ravine, passing murals depicting Yeshara leading her people through and under a trilith stone, as part of some rite. Continuing down this passage, the party reaches a large room, with a trilith stone in the middle, several stone plinths with obsidian and bronze mechanisms on them surrounding it, and a greenish sigil glowing on the ceiling matching the symbol Samso found in his village years ago. The party engages in battle, as the soldiers guarding the Cleaver-Stone and the portal to Cairn Dor threaten to drag them through the portal to become dreamers and help the Yo’nari. The battle is challenging. Blue attempts to disintegrate and enemy, and fails; Mabist is clearly targeted by many of the enemies and eventually falls unconcious and is dragged through the portal. Samso hides as an earth elemental, taunting the enemies. In the end Adrik runs through the portal to rescue Mabist, and Samso’s desperate, moonlight-enhanced attacks take down the commander, while Blue, attempting to hide with invisibility, produces a wild magic surge of bright light and is knocked unconscious.

Still, at the end, the party emerges victorious by the skin of their teeth. With the enemies defeated, they use the instructions from the Drankorian administrative building to lock the portal and shut down the soul compass, presumably stopping, at least for now, further raids and disappearances. However, the Silver Tempests are in no shape to immediately run through the portal seeking Samso’s people.

Instead, they limp back to Castrella, where they pay to have the sleepless curse removed by a priest of Mos Numena, and regroup at The Laughing Gull before plotting their next move.

Session 63

The party rests and recovers in Castrella, restocking and gathering information. Mabist talks to Thorek Deepdweller, an old dwarf hermit who tells of Enderra and the War of the Dark Rift, and the rumors of a hidden portal to Cairn Dor among the dwarven tunnels; Adrik also searches for information but never leaves The Sober Seal. After a few weeks, the Silver Tempests gather at The Sober Seal to discuss their plans and next steps.

Deciding for a direct attack, the next morning the party uses Plane Shift to reach Cairn Dor, arriving in a dense fog, apparently on a rocky hill top. After Mabist nearly falls off the cliff, the party explores as best they can, eventually finding a path, which they follow inward away from the edge. After passing through a trilith marked with wolf motifs, they magically emerge from the fog into clear skies, with several guards protecting the fort of Sarren Kir.

After some brief negotiation, they convince the guards to led them to the village of Eshlem. Near the cliff, they attack in the fog. The guards fall seemingly dead relatively quickly, but are brought back to life by the sigil-tattoos on their chest, seemingly unable to die while the dreamers sleep, unless the tattoo is destroyed. After discovering the weakness of the Shemra Azem, the party returns, kills the last few minion guards, and enters the fort.

Inside, they find some human prisoners, waiting to become dreamers, and Yeshara. Yeshara questions them, speaking in archaic Common, and seems unconcerned by the threat, claiming she cannot be hurt while the dreamers sleep. During the conversation, when asked about the dreamers, she doesn’t answer, but subtly glances at the barrow nearby, prompting Mabist and Blue to teleport there. Meanwhile, Adrik attacks the guards as they move to surround him.

While Mabist and Blue explore the barrow, finding no dreamers, Adrik fights the guards. Though he kills several of Yeshara’s guards, he is brought down by her Hypnotic Pattern spell. In the barrow, Mabist and Blue find the words “Let no dawn enter. Let no roof break. Let the sleepers lie still and keep the Queen awake.” These are written in many, many languages around the edge of the barrow. But with no other clues, they teleport away, fleeing. Meanwhile, Samso’s summoned dragon manages to wake Adrik, as Samso and Adrik flee into the fog. Yeshara does not give chase.

The party regroups on the road, and follows it to Eshlem, arriving as dusk is falling. The village is preparing a bonfire and a party to keep everyone awake through the night; many villagers appear terrified of the idea of falling asleep. Blue finds an old veteran, Joram of Eshlem, who speaks Goblin, though apparently from fighting in some ancient war from before even the Drankorian Empire. From Joram, the party learns about the Wolf Queen’s Stillings: long barrows where sleepers are trapped, guarded by the Shemra Azem who keep the people of Cairn Dor safe from the contamination of sleep. After some convincing lies, he tells them the stillings are nestled around the bottom of the hill upon which the palace, Sarren Kir, sits.

The party leaves the village as the sound of wolves echo from the countryside: Yeshara’s minions are after them. With Samso’s wild shape and summoned dragon, they take to the air and fly in search of barrows. Circling right around the base of the hilltop that holds Sarren Kir, they find three unguarded barrows. Exploring, these appear to be old barrows full of dead dwarf dreamers from the War of the Dark Rift. Many of the dead dwarves, though, rise as undead and attack. During the battle, Adrik explores and discovers a portal leading back to the Material Plane, emerging somewhere in Enderra and guarded by a dwarvish iron golem. After the undead are defeated quickly, thanks in large part to a pair of Fireballs cast by Blue, and with the wolves closing in, the party continues to search.

Soon after, they find the lizardfolk dreamers, guarded by Shemra Azem. A fight breaks out. The Silver Tempests quickly realize that the Daylight spell, cast via their Dwarven Driftglobe, wakes the dreamers. When the dreamers wake, any Shemra Azem connected to them falls dead. The fight then becomes a race to wake dreamers as fast as possible, while keeping the Shemra Azem occupied.

As the last dreamers wake and the last of the Shemra Azem falls, the wolves go silent, and all that is left is the wolf queen herself, Yeshara. The battle is fierce: the opening wave of terror from Yeshara kills Samso’s summoned dragon immediately. But Adrik’s axe and Mabist’s blade bite hard, and Adrik proves difficult to bring down even by the fiercest counterattacks, although Yeshara mostly shrugs off Blue’s spells and Samso’s attacks as an earth elemental. Yeshara locks Mabist in place with her lidless gaze, but Adrik is able to push her into his range, for a devastating smite attack. Blue retreats, and in the end is the only one who escapes Yeshara’s final barrow-summoning attack, allowing him to bring her down with a Chromatic Orb.

As Yeshara falls, Blue, Adrik, and Mabist fall into sleep, along with the lizardfolk dreamers and the inhabitants of Cairn Dor. Samso, transformed into an Earth Elemental, is unaffected by sleep, and realizes that months and years seem to be passing while his companions sleep. He wanders the realm for years, before eventually deciding to sleep with his companions.

After some time, Blue, Adrik, Mabist, Samso, and the lizardfolk dreamers awake in Cairn Dor; the native inhabitants, including Yeshara, still slumber, but the realm emerges from its stasis. The Silver Tempests escort the lizardfolk dreamers, and human would-be dreamers, away from Cairn Dor via the Enderra portal.

While escorting the surviving lizardfolk, including much of Samso’s family, to Urkabi, they learn of the chaos in Voltara, and the splitting of the Northern Provinces from the Chardonian Empire. Brelith has been keeping Samso informed via Sending, and is now in hiding with Dinia. An attempt to Transport Via Plants to Tempest Towers fails, suggesting the tree that once adorned the courtyard has been felled.

The next morning, the party arrives in Urkabi with the lizardfolk rescued from Cairn Dor. Samso parts ways with his family and kin; Adrik, Samso, Mabist, and Blue Transport Via Plants to an orchard outside Voltara to face whatever is next, amidst reports that Airion’s Floating Tower has returned to the Erbalta Plains.

Events

• Sep 17, 1748 DR: Blue arrives in Voltara with a letter for Samso about the Umbral Covenant. The Silver Tempests, with Blue, transport via plants to Urkabi, Samso’s village, and head downriver on Samso’s magic raft. Camp along the Zurrua.
• Sep 18, 1748 DR: Samso turns the Silver Tempests to mist and the party wind walks to Castrella, arriving around noon. The group splits up to investigate and gather information, regrouping at The Laughing Gull that evening to discuss.
• Sep 19, 1748 DR: The Silver Tempests speak to a group of orphans at The Whale’s Spout, then wind walk up the Kedron into the interior. Pass a Drankorian mile stone pointing towards the Cairn Dor guard post. Reach a ravine with a fort, and camp for the evening.
• Sep 20, 1748 DR: Enter the fort, fighting off shadow guardians. Explore Drankorian ruins beyond and find an archive with information about locking the portal to Cairn Dor. Continue deeper into the ravine, passing a door with the seal of the wolf-eyed queen, which curses the party preventing sleep. Defeat two warriors of the Shemra Azem in a longhouse beyond. Find the standing stones of the soul compass (forming a light in the shape of the sigil that Samso has seen) and the Cleaver-Stone, which appears to be a portal to somewhere, beyond. Fight Yeshara’s lieutenant and more Shemra Azem and nearly die. Mabist is knocked unconscious and dragged through the portal; Adrik runs through to rescue them, while Samso, in earth elemental form, slays the lieutenant. Use the instructions from the Drankorian archive to lock the portal, seemingly stopping the ongoing incursion. Leave to regroup before entering Cairn Dor to try to find Samso’s village.
• Sep 21, 1748 DR - Sep 25, 1748 DR: Limp back to Castrella, still under the curse of eternal waking from passing the sealed door.
• Sep 26, 1748 DR - Oct 12, 1748 DR: Take rooms at The Laughing Gull, and recover in Castrella. Find a priest to remove the curse of eternal waking for a generous donation. Research; meet Thorek Deepdweller.
• Oct 13, 1748 DR: Gather at The Sober Seal in the evening, to discuss plans.
• Oct 14, 1748 DR: Plane Shift to Cairn Dor, arriving on a foggy hill near the palace. Find palace. Lure guards from the gates, kill them. Meet Yeshara and discover some human prisoners; kill minions but run away from an unwinnable fight against Yeshara. Follow road to Eshlem, meet a few villagers. Talk to Joram of Eshlem, an old war veteran who speaks Goblin, and learn of the Stillings where sleep is kept contained. Return to Sarren Kir, with wolves hunting them. Find old barrows with dead dwarf dreamers from the War of the Dark Rift, and defeat undead; Adrik finds a portal to Enderra. Find lizardfolk dreamers. Fight Shemra Azem guards, bring Daylight to barrows awakening sleepers and destroying Shemra Azem. Fight and defeat Yeshara. Fall into sleep as Yeshara falls.
• Oct 15, 1748 DR - Jun 27, 1752 DR: Blue, Adrik, and Mabist sleep, along with the lizardfolk dreamers and all the inhabitants of Cairn Dor, as Yeshara’s dreamless slumber puts the realm into stasis. Samso, transformed to an Earth Elemental, is unaffected by sleep and wanders the realm for years, eventually deciding to sleep with his companions.
• Jun 28, 1752 DR: Blue, Adrik, and Mabist, along with the lizardfolk dreamers, and Samso, awake in Cairn Dor; the native inhabitants still slumber. Leave Cairn Dor via the Enderra portal. Learn of chaos in Voltara and the splitting of the Northern Provinces from the Chardonian Empire. Attempt to Transport Via Plants to Tempest Towers, but fail.
• Jun 29, 1752 DR: Arrive in Urkabi with lizardfolk rescued from Cairn Dor. Samso parts ways with his family and kin, who are eternally grateful. Adrik, Samso, Mabist, and Blue Transport Via Plants to an orchard outside Voltara.