Something on the Wind Adventure 1 Session 3
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The party scouted the entrance of the barrow while talking to the bears for information and distraction. The party learned that the bears were already dead, somehow lingering on in great pain, due to the fungus. The animals were willing to let the party into the barrow, but that "the pain" would not let them - suggesting that the animals were not in control of their own bodies. The party then put the animals out of their misery. The entrance of the barrow was broken open as if from the inside, and the tracks of multiple people were seen in the dirt leaving the tomb.
In the first chamber, the party found a hall with traditional "story pillars", etched in Darktongue, telling the story of Irina: both as a talented weapon and armor smith, and leader of a revolution against the Dark Empire, indicating that the tomb must be hundreds of years old.
In the second chamber, the party encountered an ancient burial preparation room covered in unnatural patches of ice. The room had a worktable, a pile of ancient embalming supplies, and a rack of rusted embalming tools. The noise of the party inspecting the room attracted the attention of infected dead from neighboring chambers and the party had to put down 10 infected skeletons dressed in ancient armor.
After the battle with the skeletons, Gelardia reappeared from her communion with her patrons. She remembered it only in patches, like a dream. The Three hosted her in some kind of dinner with strange etiquette and peppered her with questions about her current quest. In exchange they offered a glimpse into her future, describing five paths she might take, each with a different companion:
- A path with jilted lovers
- A path with a rueful pirate
- A path with a lonesome actor
- A path with a desperate tyrant (and take care on this path, the tyrant is dangerous)
- A path with a stubborn child
In the third chamber, the party saw a large tapestry depicting:
- Ilira holding a glowing hammer upward, while leading a small army against Lascivians
- Ilira's army holding swords upward in victory over the Lascivians
- A tomb lined with upright sarcophaguses with a pale blue anvil against the far wall - this section with the caption: a chamber to honor the faithful fallen
In the fourth chamber, the party saw four statues: one with a sword pointing upward, three with swords pointing downward. The chamber also had a large tapestry depicting:
- Ilira forging weapons with a glowing hammer
- Ilira handing out swords to her followers, each accepting the sword reverently pointing downward
- A room lined with pillars with a book on a pedestal against the far wall - this section with the caption: Should the Dark Empire Return, The Faithful May Raise Arms in Battle with My Gifts
Upon turning the statue's upward sword down, the party narrowly escaped a trap. Upon turning the statue's downward sword down, a fifth, secret chamber opened. Inside the party found an array of magical armaments as well as a book written in Darktongue about how to craft weapons with Fury magic. The party recovered:
- A sturdy wooden shield (taken by Acantha)
- A suit of plate armor (taken by Daro)
- A quiver of arrows (taken by Gelardia)
- A mirrored dagger (taken by Nyx)
- A glowing sickle (taken by Yemoja)
In the sixth chamber, the party found the resting place of Ilira. The sarcophagus was empty, the lid having been broken in from the outside. Still sitting in the sarcophagus was a pile of 700 ancient gold pieces.
In the seventh and final chamber the party met the remains of Ilira, being animated by the horrible fungus of Pale Maw. The chamber also had the lids of many broken stone sarcophaguses on the ground. Against the far wall sat an ice-blue anvil with a massive pulsing mushroom growing out of it.
The massive fungal creature spoke in the minds of the party with the same voice that they heard from the possessed Greywall farmer. It said that their efforts would not prevail. The spirit said that it would continue to ride the wind south across the Jeweled Sea, into Isles of Splendor, and would be born into the end of the world. The party prepared for battle.