Thursday knights

Eberron. Even more.

The party stowed the mules and treasures within the cave and ventured further into the ruins. Up a rise that overlooked the entirety of the ancient structures, they picked their way step by step toward the cubic building at the peak. 

It was there that they were stopped in their tracks by the appearance of a foe from the recent past. The dragon had been waiting here for their potential arrival. There was nothing to do, but try to find cover  though it would do them little good, but the dragon didn't attack.

A'lan had dragon blood in his veins and hints of scales on his skin. He stood forth and addressed the dragon in the draconic tongue. " We are not your enemies."

A conversation began with A'lan translating for the group. The dragon asked which of the party was the seeker. After a brief hesitation Ennark spoke up and it was translated back to the dragon.

The dragon explained that the seeker could enter the building and retrieve only one thing that they would know when they saw it. That there was a prophesy involving the seeker that foretold doom for everyone as the most likely outcome and that the dragon had guarded this place from those that would free the prisoner within.

Ennark was deeply concerned though determined to do his best to fulfill the mission given to him by the church, to seek out religious artifacts and relics that may aid in purifying the Silver Flame and lock away the demon lords forever. In he went.

Meanwhile the dragon ate his companions . . . just kidding.

There was a well in the center of the lower chamber within which flickered silver fire. to the left an image of a giant stood atop a plinth. Ahead was the king of dragons upon a similar plinth. To the right was a great stone book. He first approached the giant. It looked at him briefly then returned to ignoring him. The dragon king however conversed with him once asked a question. 

It was revealed that what would be needed to solve the problem presented in the prophecy is the blood of the paladin Tira Miron who had sacrificed herself to seal away the lead demon lord and end the war. What that would entail was left to be seen and Ennark temporarily put the thought aside. His next task was to examine the great tome.

The book opened at his approach and as he reached for the stone pages an image flickered to life above showing a vague map with a red marker and a word or phrase beneath it in another language. He surmised that the marker indicated where he was on the continent. He gestured as if to turn the page and the book did so, revealing a different location on an unknown continent, again with a red marker and another word beneath it. He was about to start copying the information to his journal when the tome closed and shrank to a carriable size. With heavy stone book in hand he returned to the outside, nervous, but accepting his fate at the will of the dragon. 

"Have I chosen correctly?" The dragon was uncertain and asked Ennark what he had seen in the well. Ennark described the changes in the light, first brightening, then darkening, and finally returning to its initial state. The dragon shuddered in fear. After recovering its composure the dragon stated it was now free to return home, and flew away leaving them all to decide the next course of action.

With the help of the party members skilled in the language of the giants, Ennark deduced that the names were those of the trapped demon lords and the book a map to their individual prisons. He dubbed the tome "The Book of Cages".

It was getting late in the day and the party decided the best thing was to return to the cave to rest before leaving for the journey back to Storm Reach the next morning. If only it had been so easy.

As they made their way out of the central ruins, spirits taking the form of flaming skulls arose and pursued them. The fight saw the bombardment of the party with blasts of fire, some against individuals, some covering areas where multiple party members were taking cover. Defeating the closest of these enemies, the party entered a full and rapid retreat eventually leaving the spirits to their business within the heart of the ancient city.

Once safely away, Ennark turned his mind to the riddle of the blood. Could it mean literal blood from her veins? Or maybe it refers to her descendants. How would he know? The morning would call for a Divination ritual to ask a question and hope the answer wouldn't be tainted by the dark element of the flame.

Thursday Knights

Eberron.

The party had returned to the library to discuss the next step in the investigation and search for artifacts. The allure of the observatories proved too much to withstand and this time it was Anton that led the group down into the Spacial Observatory. 

The place showed some signs of damage to the southern end where stairs and a portal stood. To the east and west were viewing stations with a much larger one to the north. Curious about what could be learned from the viewing windows, Anton, Cotton, and A'lan each chose one to look through. 

Anton went first and chose to seek the whereabouts of the missing wizard Tovin who had eluded the party. He was able to focus his mind with the aid of the window and was shown an image of Tovin sitting in the tavern in Three Barrel Cove on the island where we had failed to locate him previously. "All that time he was right there and we missed him."

Tovin became aware he was being watched and started to look around. Anton immediately began trying to pull his mind free of the portal wiondows hold, but became wracked with pain. It was Ennark that realized the danger and aided Anton in breaking free of the giant's technology.

The scene repeated, this time with Cotton trying a few different searches which all failed until he focused on the party's ship. He found it to be waiting as instructed for the return of the group. Cotton was able to free himself from the hold of the window on his mind.

Again a view was sought, this time by A'lan, looking to locate his House contact who could mysteriously appear as different people, from a small girl to different adults. The scene was one of gratuitous debauchery. His contact sat at a table viewing nude dancers on a stage while all around him people engaged in an orgy. Most participants were elves and it seemed that this might be within the House itself. A'lan tried to free his mind from the depraved scene, but it refused to let him go and he too suffered intense pain. Ennark came to his rescue as he had done for Anton. 

The hold of the windows broken, the party joined Eldrid who had been trying to decipher writing by the badly damaged southern portal. Eventually Ennark, the least gifted in arcane knowledge got lucky. Advenced Research Laboratory was inscribed upon the stone arch above the pathway. Already in likely trouble from the giants above, the party decided to venture into the lab. 

Within, it was illuminated in green by myriad luminescent fungi and other plants. At first the party stood staring, trying to take in the environment. Eventually A'lan noticed a portal at the far end of the room, exhibiting a reddish glow. He approached and looked out onto a bleak reddish landscape. In the distance he noticed what might be people upon a hill above the broken stony terrain. A'lan drew forth his spy glass to get a clear view of this curiosity and quickly discovered the crucified forms of Angels. 

He had no time to mention this to the others as he came under attack by a mental assault from a fungus creature. The creature caused pain and confusion with a psychic assault, followed up with lashing of it's acidic tentacles. A'lan ran, maddened, as far from the thing as he could. Meanwhile the party began to respond to the threat.

This foe proved difficult to defeat, confusing almost all of them. It destroyed Anton's metal hound construct utterly and chased Anton toward where A'lan had hidden. As this chaotic battle raged, two more opponents leapt through the portal from the hellscape. A pair of great, orange, ape-like demons, enraged, preparing to tear apart their targets.

It was Eldrid who overcame the confusion long enough to deal death to the mind wracking fungoid. With it's domination of the party undone, they began a fighting retreat, intent on withdrawing back to the observatory, away from the new threat. They needn't have worried. The demons were quickly dispatched though more injuries were suffered by members of the party. 

Escaping through the portal to the Spacial Observatory they began discussing what to do. Leave altogether, rest here, rest in the library? The library won out as a resting place to recover from wounds before making any other decisions. 

Thursday Knights

More Eberron.

Small demons began emerging from the floor and coming at the party. A fight ensued with the stinking creatures being pretty easily dispatched while the party avoided the negative effects of the smell. Larger demons began to crawl through the substance of the floor to attack, accompanied by more of the lesser ones. While the party did incur some damage, the output from them onto their foes was vastly greater and after a brief time they foes stopped coming.

Searching the library revealed marking on the floor saying Astrological, Spacial, and Temporal Observatory. Not to be dissuaded by a death threat (they get plenty of them) and following Ennark's lead, the party entered the Temporal Observatory.

A'lan was the first to look through a temporal portal and witnessing the destruction of a great city by something falling from the sky or stars. He became wracked with incredible pain that drove him to his knees clutching his head.

Eldrid was next. Viewing another portal she witnessed a dwarf wearing weapons and armor made of living flesh. The being somehow saw her and charged, striking at Eldrid. She was tossed back from the portal suffering psychic damage and falling to the floor.

Third was Ennark. He came here seeking knowledge, artifacts relevant to his faith, and a way to finish sealing away the ancient demon lords. Through the portal he witnessed the event that was critical to the founding of the Church of the Silver Flame. The demon lord being struck down, thrown into a crevice, followed by his attacker, and streaks of light, both bright and dark blasting skyward as the crevice sealed. He too was taken with pain.

Anton and Cotton decided against using the portals, instead expressing their wish to depart. The others agreed and they returned to the ruined library.