Azura 18th, 720
The party spends some time wrapping up the adventure of the mad doctor. Torin writes a scholarly treatise on the hand found in the jar, and it is accepted by a board at the Guild. Zarisa "donates" most of the alchemical equipment to the Guild but keeps some choicer items for herself. Embran continues his "patrols" to keep Cherafir safe from the forces of Morgath.
A fortnight later, Zarisa approaches the burly Ivinian Gerick, who is one of the guards at the Guild of Arcane Lore. She wants a bodyguard of her own, and decides that Gerick would do, if he is willing. While negotatiating, Embran arrives. Suddenly there is a shout from down the corridor. Tom, a young apprentice in the guild, runs out of the stairwell and into the dining hall. "Someone has come!" he shouts, "he is injured!"
Zarisa recognizes Tom as the mavari who had "godstone duty" for the day. The godstone underneath the Guild of Arcane Lore is always watched, and today was Tom's turn. The party rushes downstairs, including Torin, who happened to be in the dining hall at the time. They are also followed by two guild masters. The hall of the godstone is a very large oval room, barren but for Tom's chair, the godstone, and an injured man lying before it.
Embran rushes to the man. He is dressed in simple pants and tunic, which are shredded. His skin is severely abraded, as if he ran through a field of thorns. Embran begins bandaging him, but can sense his life force ebbing away. Gerick returns from searching the unlit side of the chamber and aids him. Saying a prayer of the man, Embran can feel him start to breath better. The two shenava send for the master of Fyvria, who soon arrives. After an examination, he says that the man has several broken ribs, one of which has pierced his lung. He also has a broken back. The master puts him into a healing sleep, then sends for a stretcher to carry him away.
Meanwhile Zarisa is examining the godstone. The godstone's "doorway" is closed. She is familiar with these devices, and easily attunes to it. But instead of perceiving the godstone's destination, she sees only darkness, as if staring into a wall of earth. Does it now lead to a godstone that is buried? Torin also attunes to the godstone but sees only blackness as its destination. Taking a great risk, not knowing if they will be inundated with a landslide, Zarisa attempts to open the godstone. The door opens briefly but then shuts again.
Zarisa uses her tarot cards to divine where the godstone leads. Her answer is the Anadel highlands to the north on the Isle of Hârn. There is an earthmaster site by the name of "Telumar" that lies at the north edge of the Anadel highlands. Seeking clarification and the identity of the man, she senses that he was at servant at Telumar.
See the background page for a legend of Telumar.
Zarisa hires a ship, the "Sea Rat" to transport them to Thay, the nearest landfall to Telumar. She asks Gerick to check the boat, as he has had seamansip experience. The ship leaves in a couple of days. She also asks the guild if there are any esoteric items to allow the party to communicate with the guild from a distrance, but there are none available. The party performs some minor housekeeping while they wait. Finally the ship leaves and they sail to northern Melderyn on Hârn.
The voyage is uneventful, but for a dispute between two members of the Thespian Guild who are also passengers on the ship. It seems that both accused of stealing the other's play. Knives are drawn and the captain and Gerick break up the fight. Both thespians try to interest the party in their "case", but are met with brazen indifference.
Finally the ship lands in Thay after a five day voyage. The last day of the trip was cold, wet and very windy. It is raining as the step off onto the docks. Embran checks in with the Temple of Larani, and the rest go secure rooms at the Sybil Inn, which Zarisa recommends. She is familiar with a small chantry across the river, and plans to visit there tomorrow.
Azura 25th, 720
The party discusses how to get to Telumar. They could walk or take a small boat upriver. They also discuss finances. Zarisa speaks of strange beasts that inhabit the Anadel Highlands. Before making a decision they go visit the Kusella Chantry across the river.
Kusella is an old manor that was burned and pillaged by the Ivinians years ago. The Chantry has taken over the stone manor house and reroofed it with thatch. There is a garden. As the party approaches, a robed man climbs up from the river bank to the road and greets them. He introduces himself as Jarimat of Olu. Upon learning Zarisa's name, he becomes more respectful and calls her "mistress". He leads them into the chantry hall, where Zarisa meets her old friend, Viran Bereme. He is an elderly blind man. From their talk, it is apparent that Zarisa has some history with this chantry, and is an honorary syndic.
Zarisa asks him about news from Telumar. He has heard nothing recently from there. He knows that there was a landslide there many years ago, which makes the party think that a new landslide was the recent event. Bereme also says that there is a shek-pvar and group of mavari at Telumar studying the lights, and that occasionally one of them will come down to Menio market or to Thay for supplies. He thinks the mage's name is "Leopardus" or similar.
Bereme helps the party's quest by lending them the use of a donkey and guide. The donkey is named "Bob", and they promise to return him safely. The guide is Bereme's half-Bujoc apprentice, Urdamon, who Zarisa also knows. He has never been to Telumar, but he has seen it from a distance. Bereme cannot give them any supplies, as they do not have much to spare, but he will send them off with a large breakfast in the morning. He also tells them what he knows of the wild. To the north are the Moym Gargun, which are small but use poisoned arrows. In the Anadels are Bujoc tribesmen which should not pose a problem, but also Chindra Gargun, which are larger than the Moym and use iron weapons. There are also ivashu and other strange beasts. The fierce Pagaelin barbarians might also be found near to Telumar.
The next morning turns out to be a very wet one. The light rain has turned to a steady heavy rain. They travel to Hastut, one of the last manors in Melderyn before the wilds, and stay in the "Broken Lance" inn, which seems to cater to rough and tumble miners. There they buy five days worth of hard miners' rations. The next days sees no let up in the rain, and soon they are past civilization, and after that even their miners' trail ends. Along the way they notice what appears to be Gargun tracks across the muddy trail. They cannot have been there long because of the rain.
That night Gerick sets up an expert camp and rigs up some noise traps to alert them if anybody or anything approached. Near morning, on Torin's watch, he thinks he hears something out in the forest. Taking a walk around the camp, he catches the glint of a metal blade not too far into the trees. He alerts the others just as several Gargun trigger the noise trap.
Gerick is caught trying to don his mail byrnie. The party is at a disadvantage due to the darkness (and mud and rain). But before the orcs can engage, Torin casts a spell stunning the orcs with a bright flash of light. The odds are now evened, and Embran cuts an orc down with his sword. Then Zarisa casts a powerful spell which causes several of the orcs to fall to the ground unconscious. The two remaining afoot appear both disoriented and fatigued. They are quickly dispatched, and Gerick and Embran make sure they are all dead. Urdamon the guide calms the panicking donkey. The orcs are left there as a sign for other orcs.
The next day is uneventful, with the same monotonous steady rain. They are heading up into the hills. The following day the rain is replaced by a thunderstorm. The area they are in is lightly wooded, and they need to find shelter quickly. Zarisa casts a divination, and thinks that there may be a cave up ahead a short ways. Searching, Torin finds it in a rock outcropping up the hill. It turns out to be large enough for the entire party with just enough room for Bob the donkey as well. They get a fire going and try to dry off. To pass the time, the party members tell stories to each other.
Torin and Zarisa notice that some of the lightning flashes to the west are too straight and regular to be lightning. It must be the lights of Telumar! Then they notice a crouched figure making his way up the hill towards the cave. As the party makes ready, the man enters the firelight. He is an elderly man, and has a deerskin wrapped about him that does not seem to have kept any of the rain out. There is a brace of conies hanging from his belt. He asks if the party are the ones from Thay. "You must go back to Thay," he says, "the master is no longer in control." He speaks a broken and accented Harnic. Zarisa invites him to sit down and share the fire. At this he says "stay here in the storm? No!" and proceeds to walk off into the storm. Puzzled at this, Zarisa casts a spell and then tells him, "come here out of the storm". He complies with this most sensible suggestion and offers the conies to the party to cook.
They ask him questions of Telumar, but do not get many straightforward answers. He says he is a Pagaelin who lives there, though he has never been inside the ancient's ruin. The master is also there with his servant and woman. Of the man who came through the godstone at Cherafir, he says "It must be Vindal. I have not seen him in days." From his talk it appears that he is not the servant of the "master", but only calls him that. "The master talks to Telumar." When asked how far it is to Telumar, he says it is over the hills and that they will reach it tomorrow.
Trying to pin down the earlier warning, "the master says I must tell you go turn back, that he cannot vouch for your safety if you come." Asked further about the threat, he replies that there is a force that protects the halls of the ancients, which is why he never enters them.
Halane 1st, 720
The party learns that the barbarian's name is "Jaarede". The next morning the storm has stopped, but it is still raining. They start travelling to Telumar, and discover it is over the next ridge, only two miles away. Through the distance and the rain, they see that there is a large stone building with an arch on top, a ruined palisade before it, and other smaller indistinct ruins. Jaarede says that he doesn't live in the stone building, as it has "bad dreams." The master sleeps in the building though.
Seeing that it is so close, the party goes back to the cave, and Torin and Zarisa "explore" Telumar through psychic talents. Torin uses clairvoyance to spy upon Jaarede. He sees that the barbarian meets an eight foot tall person with black skin. They speak, then the creature goes into the stone building with the arch on top, while Jaarede to a ruined tower. The party has never seen one before, but they suspect that the creature is a Nolah, one of the Ivashu, which can "charm" its prey. Using disembodiment, Torin and Zarisa do a more thorough exploration. The see Jaarede in his ruined tower starting a fire. Near it is a crumbling stone building, within is a woman cooking before a fire. North of the Jaarede's tower is another. There can be seen faint writings on the wall of the second floor. Normally such cannot be seen ethereally, but these writings have a black glistening glimmer to them. The two towers and crumbling building are a part of an ancient wall that ran across the pass. Most of it is crumbled away, but there are sections of it here and there. They see a stone pyramid set aways off from the main earthmaster building, but they are unable to "froosh" through it. Underneath the arch of the main building they see stairs leading down, but the further they descend, the blurrier everything seems, and the louder a buzz becomes. There is something interfering with their talent here. Briefly looking at the shattered palisade, they return to their cave.
A watch has passed, the rain has stopped, and a fog has come out. The party goes to Telumar, and stop first at the ruined stone building. While the rest of the party hides, Zarisa knocks on the door. She is met by a woman named "Lelea", who invites her in when Zarisa mentions mentions that she has come from Vindal. Lelea appears starved for outside news. She is in her early twenties. She is glad that Vindal is alive, and says that the "guardian" attacked him. Explaining, she says it is more of a force than a creature. It has killed the rest of their group from Nurisel, one by one. This happened over the last year. Only she and her master Lepridis remain. She says she is on her seventh year of apprenticeship, and hopes to return to Nurisel soon. Zarisa then impetuously asks to tell her fortune. Lelea hopes the fortunes aren't as gloomy as Jaarede's, whose are always gloomy, and in the past year, distressingly true. Zarisa is only trying to get some information from her, and gives her a "generic" fortune. Lelea says that Lepridis may already know that they have come. She also mentions that Lepridis has a nolah servant, and has had it for a year. Zarisa introduces her to the party, and Lelea will take them to Lepridis.
The main building is very large, but only one story. There is an arch on top and a double row of small domes. As they approach it, they see the huge nolah descend the steps carrying two buckets of dirt, which it deposits in a large heap nearby. As it returns, it looks at the party and says, "come." They ascend, then descend stairs beneath the arch into a large room with further stairs going down. To the south is a large opening leading to a well lit room. There is a double line of pillars, two broad platforms to either side, and a long pool of amber liquid before them. Beyond it is a curtain stretched between two pillars. From behind it comes a man. He holds his arms up and greets them, "Welcome to Telumar. I am Lepridis." The nolah turns back and descends the stairs.
Lepridis is overjoyed to hear that Vindal is alive. He feared him dead, buried beneath the dirt and debris that has covered the godstone. He orders Lelea, who is his apprentice, to go prepare lunch for the guests. He says of the nolah, "What do you think of my servant Arogg? I have trained him. I am trying to civilize him." When the party suggests that he might be more forthcoming with the knowledge of how to tame a nolah, Lepridis is scornful, saying that it would only be used to provide nolahs for the gaming pits of the Agrikans. But he does say that the trick is to charm the nolah before the nolah charms you.
Moving on to the topic of the guardian, he says that there is a defensive force in the complex. "The ancients did not leave their homes unguarded. But I fear I have awakened it." When asked how it was awakened, he says "I have managed to solve a mystery of the Earthmasters that all others before me have failed to unriddle. I will show you later, but first we must have lunch!" Lelea has set a table of venison, cheese and porridge. "It is not rich fare, but neither is this Thay."
While eating, Lepridis asks the party to tell him of themselves. Lelea appears very interested, especially when she learns that Torin is also from Nurisel. Lepridis dismisses her interest as an "attachment to the past." Urdamon, the satia-mavari from Thay, mentions that the Bujoc winter moot is in two weeks, and is always held at Telumar. Lepridis says he has seen seven of their winter moots. They do not bother each other, but each year those trival elders who are not expected to survive the winter enter Telumar and the godstone, and are never seen again.
Lepridis also speaks of the amber pool. He says that the pool appears to be bottomless, that he had once thrown in a stone tied to a fifty foot rope, but the bottom was never reached. "But there is a room just below us!" He also says that wood will not float in it. There is no rope to be immediately had, otherwise the party would duplicate the experiment.
Speaking more of the guardian, Lepridis says that it takes the form of a force able to affect the physical world. He has not been harmed by the guardian because of the "brightness" of his aura, which he says is powerful enough that it probably thinks he is an Earthmaster. But it has killed two of his other apprentices and three servants (A fourth servant had been killed by a bear three years before). Embran has performed a ritual where he can discern the truth. When Lepridis says that "we have seen the creature itself", Embran notes that it is a lie, though nothing else in his speech has been. Lepridis again strongly encourages the party to leave Telumar. "I cannot guarantee your safety if you stay."
Meanwhile, Gerrick has excused himself from the table to relieve himself. But instead of going outside, he lights a torch and makes a cursory exploration of the complex. There is another room just like this on the other side of the stairs. But the pool there is dry. There is also some damage to the room corner and pool, with the wall crumbling and letting in dirt. Waiting for the nolah to leave upstairs, he heads downstairs and finds another room that is full of dirt. In the center the dirt is over his head, but is only three feet deep at the sides of the room. The nolah has apparently been clearing it out with its two buckets. If there is a godstone beneath the mound in the center, it will take a lot more work to free it.
The party arranges to meet Lepridis again in the morning. They then go to the north ruined tower and read the inscription there. It is written in Runic in an archaic dialect of Harnic. The full verse can be read in the background section, under the heading "Lamp of the Ancients". Zarisa recalls the poem, but shorter and with different words. The walls of the room appear to have been scorched as with a great fire, but the ancient wood rafters above them are not burnt. The name "Demon King Vinreth" has no meaning for anyone, but Torin recalls that during the Theocracy of Tekhos in western Harn long ago, there was an amorvrin undead who was called "He Who Thirsts" for its propensity to drink the blood of its victims."
Then Torin casts "Maslor's Charm" to detect the nearest ethereals entities and their nature. The nearest is within the ruined wall itself, and Torin summons it. The ghost's name is "Atarin", was killed by a dwarf arrow centuries ago. It is unconnected to the current events, and Torin dismisses it. There are no other ethereals within a half mile.
Halane 2nd, 720
That evening the party stays in the ruined north tower (on the first floor below the inscriptions). They have this strange and curious idea that Lepridis is behind the monster attacks. Zarisa goes to stay with Lelea in the ruined guardhouse instead. They talk awhile about Lelea's "career". She has been here seven years as an apprentice, and Zarisa tells her that she should have been satia-mavari by now.
Later that night Gerrick is on watch on the hillside above the complex. Suddenly the lights of Telumar shine, illuminating the nighttime with brilliance. The domes atop the main building flash a glowing pink in an erratic and random fashion, while the two small pyramid structures emit bright white beams of lights, almost like modern searchlights. (At the same time, Torin wakes up with a loud buzzing in his head.)
Gerrick then notices a whirlwind before the steps of the complex. It is a mass of swirling dirt, and it is moving towards the ruins where the party is staying. It is moving at a fast walking pace, and Gerrick runs and beats it to the ruins, where Torin has just stepped outside. Torin quickly casts "Maslor's Charm" again, to summon an aesir, or air spirit. It is far away, and it will take a while for it to travel here. Torin awakens Embran and Urdamon, while Gerrick awakens Zarisa and Lelea.
The whirlwind enters the doorway of the north tower, filling the lower chamber with swirling and choking dust and dirt. Torin tries to quickly climb to the second floor, and Embran grabs ahold of a beam and prays to Larani for intervention. Thinking that Lepridis is controlling this creature, Gerrick runs back to the complex with his axe out. Zarisa uses her Negation talent to try to stop the guardian. Then suddenly the whirlwind dissipates while simultaneously the lights of the Telumar go off. Whether it was Zarisa's magic or Embran's prayer that saved them, they will never know.
As he runs to the complex, Gerrick sees the nolah Arogg exit the building and travel south. Gerrick enters the complex, but finds it pitch black. He fumbles for the torch he knows is there, and takes it back outside to light. Meanwhile, the aesiri that Torin has summoned arrives. The tiny winged spirit is quite rude and insolent, but Torin masters it and asks it of the whirlwind and the complex. The spirit says it does not know, but that the complex was built by the ancients long before the spirit came to Harn's shores. The party then goes to the complex to meet up with Gerrick. The aesiri spirit is extremely reluctant to enter the complex, and Torin does not insist. Together the party descends to where Lepridis has his chamber. Gerrick rushes past the curtains, but finds Lepridis sleeping and snoring. It does not appear in the least that he has been casting spells.
Then Lepridis wakes up and is surprised at the crowd standing over him. He denies any involvement, and suggests that everyone go back to sleep, then talk again in the morning. Outside they see Arogg the troll returning. It has killed a deer and is dragging it behind. Zarisa casts a spell and talks to it in it's native Ivashi language. It is not terribly bright and cannot give Zarisa the information she wants, but she gets the sense that it is not happy being the servant of Lepridis. Before she goes back to sleep, Zarisa uses her tarot cards to divine that whirlwind/guardian has only appeared at night while Lepridis is asleep.
The next morning the go to see Lepridis, while Lelea and Urdamon remain behind preparing for lunch. Zarisa casts "Perfection of Sif", and increases her Aura for several hours. (She does not yet know that this action will save her life.) "The time as come for clarification," says Lepridis. He then takes them on a tour of the complex. He tells them the story of the Earthmasters. They were an ancient race that lived twenty thousand years before. Telumar was but an outpost of theirs upon this world. Their magic was not of any of the convocations, but of the mind. "Then one day fifteen thousand years ago, it all ended. Some speak of their implacable foe, the 'Airmasters.' But that is the stuff of ignorance, the name chosen to be a mere opposite. But there are too many myths of an enemy to doubt that there was one." He believes that on the eve of their greatest triumph they were struck down. No written records of the earthmasters have ever been found. But some sites are haunted by the faint emanations of their long departed souls. "Telumar is haunted as well, but in a different way. Come!"
He briefly shows them the godstone chamber, which is full of dirt and debris. The tireless labor of Arogg is slowly uncovering the godstone however. Lepridis cautions them not to use it while it is still partially buried. Then he touches a part of the wall, and a previously unseen door opens, leading to an east/west passage. "The earthmasters shut their doors with pychic locks," he says. He then touches a part of the corridor wall and another unseen door opens, leading to a narrow corridor to the northwest. At the end of this corridor is another psionic locked door. He says that it took him a year to manage to open it.
Beyond the door the party finds themselves within one of the small pyramid buildings. The transparent pyramid roof is sixty feet above the terraced floor they stand on (it does not appear transparent from the outside). Forty feet above them, floating unsupported, is a three foot diameter golden globe. There is no obvious way to reach it. Lepridis motions with his hands and the globe descends. "I spent years trying to figure out how to reach the globe. Others before me died trying and I found their remains still here. Maybe they died in failure, maybe they died succeeding. Do not touch the globe!" He says that globe can be used to control the complex and its lights. He says he mastered the globe but it almost killed him. "It expanded my mind, but it was like fighting all the spirits of the earthmasters who ever died here. It would destroy any of you lesser folk!"
Lepridis demonstrates by touching the globe and turning on the lights of Telumar. The party cannot see the light display properly, as they are now within the bright beam itself. The walls, floor and roof are shine almost blindingly white. Lepridis explains that he has learned how to control the lights, and how to observe the godstone chamber from here. But he is still puzzling out its mysteries. He does know that the lights always shine when the godstone is used, and suspects it also shines when any other godstone on Harn is used as well. He then motions with his hands and the light turns off and the globe ascends.
Zarisa uses her enhanced Aura to try to call down the globe herself. She can almost feel it in her mind, but it keeps slipping away. Being a Lyhavi mage, Torin is fascinated by the lights, and he asks Lepridis to demonstrate one more time. He does so. He motions for the globe to descend, he touches it, and the lights shine once more. But Zarisa cannot control herself, and she touches it with both hands.
Time seems to stand still for Zarisa as she wrestles with a power much greater than herself. A pain builds within her mind, and she is almost able to overcome it with her increased Aura. But just as she thinks she has mastered it, it overcomes her and she swoons. Meanwhile, Lepridis yells "NO!" and the party sees Zarisa hurled forcibly away. She is unconscious and the gloves she was using are smoking. But they can find no injuries upon her. Torin examines her astrally, and finds that she is safe and whole. He also notices in this state that Lepridis' Aura is brighter than Zarisa's enhanced Aura.
They carry her back out, and to Lelea's quarters in the ruined guardhouse. Embran has her wrapped in a blanket before the fire. She soon regains consciousness, with the words "It was beautiful, like the whole universe was expanding before me!"
Halane 3rd, 720
As Zarisa is resting, Torin decides to go exploring and Embran tags along. They seek the secret doors led to the pylon/pyramid room. Torin gets past two doors but cannot open the third. Exploring the east-west corridors, they discover deep shafts below the domes of the main building. These are ringed by narrow one foot ledges, and are eighteen feet in diameter. They go back to get some rope to aid further exploration.
Upstairs, Zarisa has performed a tarot reading. The cards drawn are eerily appropriate to the situation, at least as she interprets them: The Abyss (the mysteries of the earthmasters), The Boughs reversed (inability to master the power of the globe), the King of Cups reversed (Lepridis's opposition to her learning the secrets of the globe), Potence (she cannot change the situation), and Deuce of Pentacles (she must learn that some things lie beyond her ability). Another card, The Queen of Wands, puzzles her.
Lelea arrives with lunch as Torin and Embran return from their exploring. During lunch Lelea states her intention to return to Melderyn with the party. Lepridis sharply scolds her, saying that her apprenticeship is not yet complete. She says "we will talk about it later," and changes the conversation.
The entire party now descends to explore the ancient ruins. The reach the end of the row of shafts, and attempt to descend. But the fifty foot rope they brought is not long enough. Torin drops down a magically illuminated stone to see the bottom. It is still far down and hard to see details. Zarisa performs some clairvoyance and sees that there is a door of some kind, as well as dry dusty skull of some long dead explorer. They ponder briefly over the meaning of the skull, when there are no other bones present.
The decide to go back up for some more rope. But first they go to where the other visible pylon must be. They open three psionically closed doors, and after some effort, Zarisa manages to open the final door into the room. It is like the other inverted ziggurat room, but there is no floating globe. They do notice a ledge circling the room thirty feet above them.
When they aquire some rope from Lelea, Zarisa asks her to accompany them on their exploration. She agrees and they return to the far shaft. Gerrick and Urdamon hold the rope while the others descend. As the bottom, Embran sees that the back of the skull has been shattered, as if it had been dropped. Getting the hang of opening these psionic doors, Torin opens the shaft door, and discovers a small alcove or closet. Within are three shelves, each with an object! There is a translucent grey egg, a transparent green sphere, and a copper disk, all about six to eight inches in size. The egg is seen to be somewhat psionically active.
The party proceeds to search the bottom of the other shafts. Only three more alcove doors are found, at the ends of each of the two rows of domes. Two of the alcoves are empty. But the last alcove has had its shelves dislodged. They are laying on the floor, along with a large black silken cloth. They also find some more bones here and there, which they assume to be from the body of the skull. After this lengthy exploration, it is now evening, and the ascend to the central stair room.
The party intends to sleep in the stair room, within the earthmaster complex. Lelea says that she will not. She says that for some reason it is very hard to sleep within the complex, because there is a background psychic noise of some kind. Lepridis can sleep here, because he has made himself accustomed to it. Zarisa keeps a watch, while the rest go to sleep... except for Torin. He cannot sleep. There just seems to be too much on his mind to fall asleep. He's too restless. When Zarisa's watch is over, Torin takes over. But Zarisa has problems sleeping as well. She managed to fall asleep, but woke up minutes later to Gerrick's snoring. It seems that every little noise is keeping her awake. They engage in some small conversation with Arogg the Nolah who is continuing his ceaseless labor of emptying the dirt from the godstone chamber.
Finally Zarisa rousts Gerrick, and they leave the complex heading for the dwarven ruins. Outside the notice that Jaarede the Pagaelin has passed out naked on the hillside. The get him up and help him back to his quarters in the ruined tower. He says he has a terrible headache, and needs more of his elderberry wine to make it go away. In the tower he offers his wine to Gerrick and Zarisa. He has made it himself, and it is very "fresh". In thanks for helping him back to his bed, he offers to tell their fortunes. He goes into a babbling trance, and then says of Zarisa, "the masters of the moor shall rend thy flesh." It is Jaarede's voice, but it is not his normal manner of speaking. Then to Gerrick he says, "doom comes to those who seek the demon of the rocks a second time." Out of his brief trance, he apologizes for the gloomy fortune. "All my fortunes have a bad end." To make up for it, he says he will tell them where Lepridis has hidden his treasure. But he passes out again before he can tell them.
Zarisa and Gerrick suddenly notice through the barbarian's doorway that the lights of Telumar are flashing. Back in the complex, Torin still can't sleep, but now gets a strong buzzing feeling in his head. It is the same feeling he had when the wind creature attacked the night before. He awakens Embran who goes into the pool chamber where Lepridis has his quarters. Lepridis can be heard sleeping, and when Embran pulls back the curtains, he really is sleeping. He awakens Lepridis. Torin arrives, then notices that the buzzing feeling has stopped. They go outside to find the others, where they find that the lights have stopped flashing.
Lepridis stays at the complex, but the others join up at the dwarf ruins. They exchange news. Lelea hears their conversation and joins them. Answering a question, she says that Lepridis has been sleeping within the complex since before his "incident" with the globe, so she does not think there is a connection. She appears to be uncomfortable with the suggestion that Lepridis is somehow behind the creature and the attacks, however unwitting he may be. Changing the topic, she announces that she will definitely return with the characters when they leave, but she begs them not to tell Lepridis, that she will tell him herself. "I do not need his approval if I can get three masters at Nurisel to declare me Satia-Mavari. The party continues the night here outside the complex.
Halane 4rd, 720
The next morning sees the weather once more turn to steady rain. Torin had returned to the earthmaster complex to keep an eye on Lepridis, and was unable to get any sleep, so he proceeds to sleep now in the daytime outside the complex. Zarisa goes to Lepridis to get some more answers. He claims he is protected from the guardian because it perceives him to be an earthmaster because of his use of the globe. Zarisa asks to take his tarot reading. She does this as a cover for a Savoryan scrying spell. Lepridis seems dubious of her card skills, because she was distracted from the tarot reading by her spell casting. Lepridis does not give any indication that he is aware of the spell, and Zarisa learns that he has a very high aura she is amazed to learn that he has an extraordinarily high Telekinesis talent. She tell the other party members this later, and they all agree that the telekinesis is yet another clue that Lepridis is behind guardian, even if subconsciously.
Later on that morning, Zarisa goes to Jaarede in his ruined tower. He is suffering from a hangover. She tries to read his mind, but all she gets is a loud pounding in his head. Meanwhile, Embran makes a copy of the strange writings in the other tower.
Torin wakes up in the late afternoon. Near the same time, Jaarede seeks out Zarisa. He appears much better though he still has dark bags under his eyes. He says he will now show here where the treasure is. The other party members come, and Jaarede cautions them to be very quiet. Torin suddenly notices that he hasn't seen the nolah in over an hour, who is usually busy ascending and descending the complex stairs and dumping dirt. He doesn't think more of this at the time.
Jaarede shows them an entrance of sorts hidden behind some bushes in the third tower (which is nearly all rubble). There is a ladder that descends to a narrow tunnel. The tunnel is very narrow, made of rough stone, and very damp. It appears to follow line of the old Khuzdul wall (of which the towers were once part). Dozens of paces down the tunnel, Jaarede shows them a wide crack in the wall where the ground has settled. The crack is about six to eight inches wide. "I saw Lepridis cache his treasure in here," he says. Suddenly he cries out as something emerges from the crack. It is the nolah Arogg, who reaches out with a long dank arm, then another, and oozes and pulls himself out of the narrow crack. It is staring at Jaarede who is not moving, and then grabs him on the shoulder with a strong hand. At the same time a shout is heard coming down the hall. It is Lepridis, who yells, "Bring the barbarian to me!"
The party exits the tunnel in single file to the waiting Lepridis. He tells the party, "You are not at fault, the barbarian has misled you." He says that there was no treasure there, only an illusion to catch thieves. He questions Jaarede, who admits he was going to steal the treasure. He then tells Jaarede that he must atone by helping the nolah clear the godstone chamber of the dirt. Turning the party he asks, "is it a fair punishment?" They agree that it is. As the nolah carries the barbarian off to the complex, Lepridis tells the party a little of the tunnel. Legend says that the tunnel once ran all the way to Azadmere, but that is dubious. The wall did once run seven leagues, and he thinks the tunnel was also that long. It is now mostly collapsed.
That night the characters have a plan for discovering the truth of the guardian. Torin and Embran will stay outside watching for the lights to turn on or the creature to appear. The rest of the party stays within the stair room of the complex. Once Lepridis falls asleep, they will watch him. Once Torin alerts them that the creature has appeared, they will wake Lepridis to see if the creature then disappears. They tell stories to stay awake.
Suddenly there is a bright lightning strike and thunder, and the lights of Telumar are lit. The domes pulsate and the two pylons emit bright beams of light. Torin alerts the others who have already heard the thunder. Those inside see that Lepridis is asleep, but is uneasy, and tossing and turning in his bed. Zarisa casts a spell to scry into his mind, but she misfires the spell! (She feels that something has been summoned through the spell.) At almost the same time, the party indoors hears a cry coming from below. They wake Lepridis and briefly tell him that something has happened, and descend below to the godstone chamber.
Torin and Embran rush inside the complex (and notice that the lights of ceased). Down in the godstone chamber they find the dead body of Jaarede. He is laying next to the wall with his neck broken. Above his is a smear of blood on the wall, as if he had been forcibly thrown against it. Clearly seen near Jaarede is a very large footprint in the soft dirt. It is a yard in length, three toed, and clawed. Some other footprints can also be seen, but not as clearly. It appears that they came from the godstone. Lepridis arrives, still tying on his robe. The party argues with him that he is the cause of this, but he angrily denies it. Embran says he must be examined in Melderyn. Gerrick threateningly demands that he come with them.
He tells the viking to move aside, and then Gerrick suddenly grabs him and holds him tight. Lepridis has his eyes closed. As others move to tie him up, suddenly Gerrick is thrown back from Lepridis by some force. Embran and Urdamon attack Lepridis, but he is parrying their blows with waves of his hands, as if he had an invisible shield. Then Zarisa casts a readied spell and Lepridis falls in a faint. They tie him up with rope, and leave the chamber through the other set of stairs, hoping to avoid the nolah coming down.
They take Lepridis outside the complex, to the old tower they were staying in. They are arguing about what to do, when suddenly Zarisa rolls her eyes and passes out. Embran freaks out at this point, and thinking that Lepridis is causing this in his unconscious state, he stabs him in the chest! (The GM is also freaking out at this point, and proceeds to tear up his adventure notes.)
Torin suspects something else, and casts a spell to detect and summon ethereals. As he does so, he realizes that Zarisa's body is being fought over by two spirits, one which is Zarisa, and one which is the vengeful ghost of a long dead Atani cheiftain who died here. (This is what had been summoned earlier) Zarisa loses the conflict and is "evicted" from her body. But Torin forcibly summons the ghost to him. After questioning it, he commands the ghost to leave. He knows from his studies that Zarisa will eventually return to her body, so he watches over it.
Embran gives Lepridis the last rites, then stops Gerrick from mutilating the body in a bloody viking rite. Gerrick leaves, and stops Lelea, who was coming over from the nearby ruined gatehouse to see what the commotion was about. He does not tell her what has happened, and sends her back. He also notices the nolah coming this way. Embran performs the ritual of tongues, and speaks to the nolah when it arrives. He tells it that its master is dead. The nolah asks for the body, and Embran gives it to him. The last the party ever sees of them is the nolah Arogg carrying its master Lepridis off into the pouring rain in the direction of the hills and woods.
Zarisa returns to her body a few hours later, and does not appear to have been harmed by her ordeal. Torin goes to Lelea's quarters and finds her crying. She knows that Lepridis is dead, and wants to know what happened. Torin tells her, "Zarisa collapsed, then Lepridis died. I still do not understand it. The nolah took the body." She does not appear to suspect the party in his death. She says he will leave this place tomorrow, she cannot bear to stay.
In the morning, Zarisa convinces Lelea to stay one more day as they finish their tasks here. Zarisa is in a sullen mood, as she attempts to sort out her thoughts and feelings and whether she should have done anything differently. Lelea packs what she will take. The party explores the remainder of the tunnel, but find nothing of value. They try to discover where the nolah has taken body, but are unsuccessful. Some want to return via the godstone, but they also have to return Urdamon and the donkey to the chantry by Thay. So they will set out overland in the morning.
End of adventure.