Wardens of Heroes Gate

Leely and Ileel Reach Conyberry

] You have been traveling west on your way to the ruins of a small named Conyberry. You are on your first official mission out in the world and away from your monastery in High Forest. Your teacher, Eldera Aeri, arranged for you to travel with a High Priestess of Selune – Abarissi Garvett – as a guard and assistance. After witnessing the slaughter of a waystop town called Calling Horns, you made your way further South, through Yartar and Triboar. You have spent two nights sleeping outdoors since leaving Triboar and now Conyberry is just a few miles ahead.

] Abarissi says “There are some… details… about our next task which I have been reluctant to share with you. We will be meeting Sister Garaelle from the temple of Tymora in Phandalin… as I told you before… but we will be joining her to meet with another…  Agatha. It will be dangerous for all of us… Agatha can be moody I am told. Sister Garaelle assures me that if the price is right, she will barter peacefully and give us the information we need about the last known location of Bowgentles Spellbook.”

Leely] “Who is Agatha? She doesn’t sound dangerous…”

] Abarissi “Agatha is a ghost… well… more than that… a banshee. A quite powerful banshee. Sister Garaelle has been exceedingly brave to meet with her twice already in order to discover her price. It took many Mooncirc’s to track down the relic she demanded as payment. I now carry this relic – a black pearl that is used to control a very powerful magical device – one that has been missing for a long time. We can only assume Agatha has this device, else why would she want the missing pearl, but we do not know what she might do with it. We do know, however, what the Red Wizards will do with Bowgentles Spellbook should they achieve it.”

Ileel] “It sounds like we best keep our arrows in their quiver? Or should we be ready to fight this Agatha?”

] Abarissi “We all should keep our weapons and our tongues in their sheathes. Honestly, I do not know how much damage your arrows could do. A Banshee is not fleshly, though magical weapons might possibly affect her. If possible, stay in lit areas… if she attempts to persuade us into darker shadows, do not follow… she is weaker in daylight. If she wants us in darkness, it is only because she plans our destruction. If it comes down to violence, I would ask that the two of you prioritize getting Sister Garaelle to safety.”

Leely] “But we were sent to protect you!”

] Abarissi “You were sent to help me, and you certainly have done that… You were also sent to learn how to be a protector and one important lesson about being a protector is knowing who needs the protecting most. Sister Garaelle has already risked much for our welfaring, I dislike asking her to risk any more. Besides, if any of the four of us stand a chance of surviving a violent conflict with a Banshee – it is probably me.”

Ileel] “You said we should also keep quiet and not speak?”

] Abarissi “Sister Garaelle brokered this bandy… we are meeting her because she believes Agatha will only honor the agreement if she mediates it. We would risk not only losing what we seek, but possibly also our lives if we say anything out of turn. We will meet her in the ruins of Conyberry and then travel together into the forest to Agathas Grove. It is a mile or ”

] After another hour of travel, you turn Westward off of the the Triboar Trail towards the Forest of Neverwinter. The overgrown trail narrows and begins to gain some elevation upward. The surrounding forest suddenly transforms into a graveyard of thick tree trunks blackened by fire into standing corpses. The devastation appears fairly recent, there is barely any sign of recovery in the area. As you traverse the area, you notice the silence as if it were screaming. Up on a hill side ahead, you see the ruins of Conyberry with a bold 50 foot cliff face as a backdrop. The forest is thick and green atop the granite wall. Many of the wooden buildings appear to have been caught up in flames. You see a channel running through the town, a dry river with its rock wall boundaries still standing. There are a few stone structures still standing but blackened and open to the sky. You can smell the aftermath of fire strongly as you approach the first remnants of the village.

Leely] “What happened here!?!”

Ileel] “I assume you mean besides the fire…”

Leely] “No… I mean the fire. What happened, I wonder, to start such as devastation?”

] Adalissi “Sister Garaelle has said nothing of the town ruins being destroyed by fire. I would only be guessing, but it looks like the surrounding forest was ablaze and engulfed what was left of the village. Sometimes these things are started naturally, by lightening perhaps… but often they are the result of campfires left to burn.”

Leely] “Or dragons!?”

] Adalissi “Or dragons… or their ilk… but usually people… We are behind schedule but only by a few hours. Sister Garaelle was expecting us early on this day, and we arrive as shadows stretch. My guess is that we will find her in one of the stone foundations.”

Ileel] We explore the ruins. I keep my bow in hand – “I feel like this place would be the perfect home for the worst kind of monster.”

Leely] “I would say that your feelings are right on mark sister. Dare we call out for Sister Garaelle?”

] Adalissi directs her mount to a slight gallop and begins down the main road of Conyberry. She calls out “Sister Garaelle!” several times.

Ileel] “Sister Garaelle!” I call out as I ride Nalya around the left side of Conyberry towards the cliff wall.

Leely] “I guess we are spliting up then… Sister Garaelle!” I ride Aylan around the right side, along the border between the town and the burnt-out forest. My sword is unsheathed and ready for conflict.

] It takes only a few minutes to circle the blackened ruins. There is no sign of anyone or anything living in the village. You gather back together near a stone town on the back side of the town. The square structure is about 25 feet high. Its outside walls have been licked by flames. If there had been a door, there is only now an open entrance. There appears to be enough of a parapet on top to view the entire area.

] Adalissi “No sign of Garaelle. It is likely she also is just late. We should wait a while for her.”

Leely] “Do you think the ghost did this? Destroyed the village?”

] Adalissi “From all historical accounts that I read, Auglathla was a fierce protector of Conyberry, and its people respected her. But as I said… she is also known to be a particularly moody one, so who knows. Her grove is several miles into the thick from here but she is known to appear anywhere in Neverwinter Forest.”

Ileel] “I wonder if this tower can still be climbed? Perhaps it would be a decent lookout to watch for Sister Garaelle.” I look inside the tower.

]  It does not appear the fire found its way inside. You see a series of aged wooden stairs leading up to a wooden platform at the top of the tower. Along the walls you see the remnants of a small bygone armory. You see scattered pieces of heavy armor – most of it rusted away. There are a few useless swords and a long pike with a steel needle still affixed. In the far corner there is a barrel with half a dozen unstrung bows – which may or may not survive another stringing. There is an old practice target next to the barrel – the center circles still visible. There are some crates lining one wall. Several have been bashed open but a few remain sealed and stacked atop a long narrow crate.  The staircase is quite aged, but you see no indication that it would not hold your weight.

Ileel] “I’m going up to take a look around.” And I enter and begin climbing the stairs – carefully… mindfully.”

] The structure is solid under your slight weight. At the top, you can see the entire town ruins and the burnt forest to the South and East. To the West you see acres of blackened hillside farmland that also appears to have been caught in the recent blaze. You see no signs of life anywhere except to the North above the cliff wall. You can see there are a few plateaus in the cliff where small homes still stand. You also identify a pathway leading upward beyond the plateaus that looks like it travels to the top and into the deeper Forest of Neverwinter.

Ileel] I go back down to the others. “No sign of anyone. I think I found the path into Neverwinter Forest from here – it wraps around the cliff wall that way.”

] Adalissi “Good. We have just a couple hours of daylight left. We should wait for Garaelle no more than an hour and then start to head back to the Triboar Trail. We want some distance between us and Agatha before last shadow.”

Leely] “What is Sister Garelle went ahead from here? Maybe she is already at Agatha’s Grove?”

] Adalissi “Unlikely. Our communication was quite clear. We meet in Conyberry at Forenoon of Day Six in The Melting. She was the one who arranged the specifics and told me not to go further without her – else we risk the outcome.”

Leely] “That makes sense. Wait we shall then.”

Ileel] “If no one minds, I will get in some practice while we wait. I found an old target board in the armory. Its been days since I spent any time in practice.” I pull out the target and its stand.

] Inside the base of the tower, you retrieve the target. You notice that there is also a full quiver inside the barrow holding the unstrung bows.

Ileel] I inspect the arrows to see if they are good enough for practice.

] The arrows are thick with dust, but the flights appear to be in good shape still. While you are lifting the quiver from the barrow, something catches your eye. On one of the unstrung bows you notice an ornamental ring just above the grip and riser. It appears to be ancient design and made of an unknown metal.

Ileel] “Nice.” I say to myself. I pull the bow with the fancy ring from the barrel. I carry it, the quiver and the target outside and begin to practice.

Leely] “Since we have some down time…” I pull out the Moonglare emblem given to me by Ryliatha.  “You said you might be able to teach me something about this emblem?”

] Adalissi “If it is what I think, it can summon your Spirit Guardians to protect you. As a Priestess of Selune, I have learned from the Silver Queen herself how to do this without the aid of a magical item. I expect you will have to spend some time in meditation with the emblem… Did your Lady Aeri teach you this?”

Leely] “Yes, we have had some practice in this. Where do these Spirit Guardians come from?”

] Adalissi “There is much mystery there – but they are bound to your bloodline. The Spirit Guardians I call upon are far different from the ones you might call upon. Your childrens children will have the same guardians – assuming they will be able to call them. Your mothers mothers and your fathers fathers would have all had access to the same Spirit Guardians as well.”

Leely] “I don’t remember our father or our other. Eldera Aeri knew very little about them – only that they brought Ileel and myself to the Wild Queens Temple at the directive of Meiliki herself. I suppose the magical circlets embedded in our infant foreheads meant no further questions needed to be asked.”

] Adalissi “Yours is quite a story, and I am honored to be a small part of it. There is another thing  or two which you need to be aware of… if you call upon the Spirit Guardians in a true time of need, they will appear in force and show no mercy to any threats against you and protect any who are with you. If you call upon them friviously… you, your sister, or anyone else, will not be protected from the damage they can do – so choice carefully when to call upon them. Also… they reflect something of your own nature. I fully expect, should you ever need to summon them, that they will appear as beings of immense beauty and light. Some in this world, however, will only summon dark monsters if that is what reflects off of their heart. ”

Leely] “Wow, you were not exagerating when you said this was a powerful emblem. Ryliatha is going to be sorry she gave it to us.”

Ileel] Overhearing the conversation… I say with a bit of a snipe… “I imagine her father will be more sorry.”

] Adalissi “It was a beautiful act… Ryliatha knew you gave her the most precious gift – her own life – and I think it was right of her to return that gift with something precious. Still… I suspect you may want to one day seek her out in High Forest and place the gift back in her hands – if only to offer another precious gift… friendship.”

Leely] “Sometimes I forget you are a High Priestess… and then you say something like that. I am truly favored to be able to hear your wisdom Adalissi.”

] The next hour goes by rather silently from there except for the repeating ‘thunk’ of Ileel’s arrows sinking into the wooden target. Occasionaly the three of you hear an odd sound out in the burnt forest. It sounds like a critter, or perhaps a bear, clawing at the blackened bark of the remains of a tree. The sound is dim, as if fairly far off from the village and you never see any sign of a living creature.

Ileel] “I will take another lookout from the tower… and then I think it will be time to go.” I return the target to the base floor but keep the quiver of arrows and the bow with the fancy ring around it. Then I go up and look across the area to see if there is any sign of Sister Garelle. [Perception Check]

Result Table

Ileel]

(1d20) Perception 9 +5 = 14

] No sign of Sister Garaelle. You once again hear that faint scratching and clawing sound in the burnt wood. You cannot see the critter responsible, but you do get a better sense of where it is coming from. As you look in that direction, a large chunk of charcoled bark falls off of one of the trees about a thousand yards from the edge of the town ruins.

Ileel] I return to the others and tell them what I saw and heard.

] Adalissi “We best be on our way. I fear something has happened to Sister Garaelle and we must hurry to reach Phandalin and discover what.” She mounts her horse and starts back towards the Triboar.

Leely] “Aylan!” I call my magical dire wolf to me.

] Aylan appears as if he had just been around the corner of one of the buildings. Nalya also appears. As the three of you are just about to the the ruins behind you, you hear the sound of galloping horses coming towards Conyberry up from the Triboar Trail.

Ileel] “Riders! Heading our way fast.”

Leely] “Could it be Sister Garaelle?”

] Adalissi “Maybe – but we were not expecting her in group of 4 or 5.”

] Just as Adalissi finishes saying this, 5 riders come into view downhill from where you are. They are racing through the burnt wood – a single right in front and two by two behind.

Ileel] I feel suspicious rather than trusting and look for a place within range to watch with my bow ready.

] There is burned out home just 30 feet to your left. The stone foundation remains and rises about 5 feet above the ground.

Ileel] “I am behind you.” I say as I try to duck into the burned out home without being noticed by the oncoming riders [Stealth Check]

Result Table

Ileel]

(1d20) Stealth 9 +8 = 17

] You successfully enter into the burned out home without being seen.

Ileel] I draw an arrow and hold an action to fire if the riders prove a threat.

] Within moments the riders are charging up to Leely and Adalissi. The lead is a male human – he draws a polished longsword and holds it high in the  when he reaches you and yells “We are Ransor’s Rally! And we are here to kill…” he looks back and forth at the two of you.. “Which one of you are Agga Tatha the Winter Witch?”

Leely] I draw my sword and stand poised in front of Adalissi. “Neither one of us Ser Scrag!”

] The lead rider looks confused. From nearly 10 feet away, you can already smell the heavy weight of alcohol on his breath. The other riders have pulled alongside. To his right there is a cat-person with a holstered rapier and a stringed instrument of some kind on his back. He wears a bright velvet tunic on his torso and a curious look on his face. Beside him there is a female Dwarf, a warhammer slung across her back. She looks like someone just told her a joke – her eyes squinted and her mouth stretching upward towards her ears. On the left side of the human you see a female half elf with long darkhair in a thick braid and dark serious eyes. She is drawing a short sword from her hip. Beside her is a large redish-orange reptile sort of humanoid with two large horns protruding over his head from above his eyes. He also looks amused, but childlike… you get the impression of him, frightening as his appearance may be, as that of a little boy riding a pony at the fair. Both of his large weapons, a Great Axe and a Greatsword remain holstered.

] The Tabaxi speaks up “These girls aren’t even dead Andlen… and they have done nothing to us. Put your sword away friend.”

] Andlen “We are here to kill the Ghost of Neverwinter Forest! Tell us where the banshee is or we will start with you.”

] Adalissi “We too are here to find the Ghost of Neverwinter Forest! We did not! And so we cannot tell you what we do not know!” then she leans forward to you Leely and whispers “These drunken fools are going get themselves dead in a hurry if we don’t stop them… help them”

Leely] “We are protectors. From the sight and smell of you, we have some work to do here. Turn back ye knap sacks and save yourselves from ruin!”

] Andlen barely seems to understand you, but picked up on being called a knap sack… “How dare you little girl!” and he kicks his mount to charge you – leading with the point of his longsword.

Ileel] I release my nocked arrow and taint the ammo

(2d20 Attack) 17 +7 = 24 [Hit] (1d6) Dmg 4 +5 = 9  + (1d8 Necro) 8 = 17… 11/28 [Massive Dmg roll 2]

[()]

] You see Ileel’s arrow strike Andlen square in the chest – a streaking trail of black essence lingers and the human falls backward. [()] The horse spooks and rears, throwing Andlen to the ground in a heap.

] The Dwarf with the short black hair laughs loudly seeing Andlen take an awkward fall. “Block Noggin! Can’t ya stay in yer saddle!?” she yells coursely, drunkenly. The Tabaxi is startled and concerned – “Andlen!”. He draws his rapier and leaps down of his horse to stand between you and this fallen friend. The Dragonborn hiccups loudly and begins to unmount his horse, though it is not clear he is aware of what is happening. The Half Elf in the purple body wrap looks angry. She puts her feet on the saddle under her and leaps towards you Leely – sword arm cocked. [()] She miscalulates the maneuver and tumbles to a kneeling position right in front of you. [Opportunity attack for Leely]

Leely] I step back, using Dodge in case she attempts another lunge. “Wait!” I yell. Recognizing that the Tabaxi is the only one really sober enough to reason with, I make eye contact with him…”Wait! We don’t want to hurt anyone else!” I say it loudly enough to know Ileel heard me. I step towards the cat-man. “Let me heal your friend while I can? Please?” I sheathe my sword but keep it in hand in case I need to defend. “Please?”

Ileel] I ready another arrow.

] The Half Elf has gotten to her feet and has stepped to the side of the Tabaxi. “What think you Nekari?”

Leely] “My sister is just waiting to fire another death arrow- but she is waiting on you…Lower your blades if you want to live. ”

] Nekari the drunken Half Elf is insensed beyond reasoning “How dare you!” and she makes a striking move forward leading with her blade.

Ileel] Seeing another charge, I loose another tainted arrow

(2d20a) Attack 18 +7 = 25 [Hit] (1d6) Dmg 3 +5 = 8 (1d8 Necro) 5 +8 = 13 Total 13/14 [Massive Dmg]

] The arrow strikes dead center in the chest of the Half Elf and protrudes out her back by several inches. The Dwarf stops laughing when she sees her friend skewered.  She spins with surprising grace and stops with her battleaxe unsheathed and ready for combat. She steps towards you Leely, dropping the axe around and behind her – its momentum swings overhead and comes crashing down towards you. [()] You step, almost absentmindedly, out of the way and the axe clangs off a large rock.

Leely] I step right into the Dwarf and attempt to place my hand over her face, releasing light into her eyes

(1d20) Attack 16 +6 = 22 [Success] (1d8) Dmg 5/28 Radiant

] You successfully blind the black-haired Dwarf. She yells and grabs at her eyes with both of her hands, dropping the Battleaxe.

Leely] I turn back to the cat man. “Put your blade away now! My sister surely has you marked for her next death arrow.”

] The Tabaxi throws the rapier to the ground and raises both hands. “I yield!” he yells out into the ruins. “No more death arrows! Please!”

Leely] I step over the Half Elf to see if she is yet alive.

] Nekari’s eyes look up at you. There is still a crateful of anger on her face. She is losing blood quickly.

Leely] I use Healing Touch to try and stablize her

(1d8) Healing 6 HP

] The wound magically knits and the blood stops flowing. (7/14) Nekari falls unconscious.

Leely] “She has a chance. Now let me see to this one…” I try to heal the human

(1d8) Healing Touch 4 (5/28)

] There is no visible sign of success in the unconscious face of the young man, but he is still breathing. The Dwarf, meanwhile, has started running off in a panic. “Brin!” The Tabaxi yells. “Calm yourself Brin!” and he runs after her. The Dragonborn has his head down on the saddle of his horse – he appears to have passed out.

] Adalissi “Well that could have gone better… but you handled yourself well Leely. ”

Leely] “They really thought they were going to go up against Agatha and not die?”

] Adalissi “Alcohol muddles the mind, making reality seem unreal and unreality… real. You were right to protect them from their own folly.”

] The Tabaxi is guiding the Dwarf back towards the horses. She remains blind but is calmer.

Ileel] I am content to stay hidden with an arrow nocked for now… this party is too difficult for me to trust still.

Leely] I go over to them the Tabaxi and the Dwarf “How is she?”

] Tabaxi “Blind! She is blind!” he says with a bit of a slur, revealing his own intoxication. “Why would you blind her!?!”

Leely] “I am certain you would rather be extracting her axe from my skull right now… but I would rather her blind. It was a small burst – should be temporary.”

] Adalissi “These two little girls gave you all a good cracking.”

Leely] “Yeah! You have been blessed by High Priestess of Selune – seeing how she did not have to release her strength to stop you!”

] The Tabaxi halts and looks to Adalissi “High Priestess…? Of Selune…?” he drops to a knee and begins begging forgivenness of her.

] Adalissi “You appear to be the only one of five to retain your senses. Who are you?”

] “Stitch” the Tabaxi says quickly. “Stitch in a Sock… my mother calls me Socks but to everyone else I am Stitch.”

Leely] Curious about the instrument he carries, I walk around him and ask “What is this thing on your back?”

] Stitch “My instrument? It is a Mandolin. It makes music. I am, or rather, I was… a student at Wintertalon. My mother, she reveres the Silver Lady greatly. That I have offended a High Priestess of the Moon Maiden… mother will never forgive.”

Adalissi] “And who is your mother?”

] Stitch “Teacher Elmtree. Elm Tree by a River is her full name, but I’ve only ever heard her called Teacher Elmtree. She is Head Schoolmistress of Lore at Wintertalon.”

] Adalissi “I will not tell her what has happened… but your shame will not be for having offended me but for letting your friends die stupid. You should hurry them to aid. These two both need to have a deep arrow extracted. We will help you get them on their horses but then you must race them to a temple. Triboar is as close as any that I know of. Save your friends Stitch… I will want to learn did all to that end.”

] Last Shadow is near as you help get Andlen and Nekari strapped to the back of their horses and they depart. The Dragonborn has fallen to the ground and cannot be awoken, even with swifts kicks… the blind Dwarf has agreed to sit with him until he revives.

Ileel] “We probably have less then an hour to gain distance from Conyberry and find safe place to rest.”

Leely] “I can keep going through the night… if you do not think it unwise in these parts.”

Adalissi] “Generally… it hardly ever safe to travel by night… but then we are in a rush. The Nightsky Queen shine upon… and we may be able to travel covertly. The Triboar Trail is well-traveled so we need not fear losing our way.”

Ileel] “We will be fine. Let us get moving.”

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