Again sent to me by one of my players
“We returned to the town and found that they were doing well with the rebuilding and while the river was still running high, it was back to a manageable level.
We returned to the castle and continued to clean it up while identifying many of the magic items we had.
At the castle we began seeing something out of the corner of our eyes, and on day a small Fey like creature about 2 feet tall with gossamer wings stepped out from behind a pile of books Devron was working with. He had puffy eyes as if he had been crying. He talked of his mistress being sick, and that we were friends with her human. We found that he was the lord of this castle (now deceased, we found the love letters to Miriana) He said that she weeped in Whitewillow, mourning him.
We immediately prepared to go, and set out. While the rains had let up, the chill of the approaching winter was in the air. As we moved into Whitewillow, we saw what the Fey was talking about, as we found twisted black gnarled trees rising from black pools, and they seemed to shift and move when not looking at them. We found large spiders, and dying birds, and strange creatures slithering in the foulness.
As we continued forward we came to a pool of what appeared to be clean water, but without any algae or life in it. Examining it, it appeared to be poisoned. Moving ahead with caution we continued in.
As we moved deeper we were suddenly surrounded by a parade of Fey and animal spirits cavorting around us, moving to embrace us, and passing through us. While most of us were unaffected, DT was unable to resist their magic, and it burned him.
Next we came across a ship covered in moss, hundreds of miles from any shore. Entering we found what appered to be the captian an opal encrusted goblet in his hand, sheets of unheard music on a harpsichord, and charts alien to any of us. Turning around we saw a white dog with milky white eyes watching us… He watched us for a minute, then disappeared back into the swamp. Devron took the charts and the music, leaving the goblet for the captain.
Continuing on we came to a clearing where the wind blew, but no trees moved, as if they were dead. The Pixie Yap told us that Miriana waited within, but he dared not enter.
Stepping into the clearing we immediately saw a ghostly form of a Nymph and Devron immediately struck blind by her beauty even though it was marred as her arms were separated from her torso with bands of tendon still keeping them. Her eyes were wells of torment that would drive anyone meeting their stare to gibbering children.
She immediately started blaming us for failing Lamatar, and failing Fort Rannick. Devron challenged he back stating that we were did what we could for Fort Rannick, and were trying to avenge what was done. She seemed to get some composure, and then told us that she wanted some part of her lover, and for him to be avenged.
Leaving to do just that she called after us again to avenge her, and brink her lover back.
We returned to the fort rested up, recovering Devron’s blindness, and set out for Hook Mountain, the home of the Ogres. Alana was able to find some trails used by large humanoids. Climbing up as we crested the top we found it snowing and found a large cave entrance with smoke pouring forth from it, instantly dispersed by the wind.
With the howling wind, and blowing we were able to get reasonably close before seeing, and being seen by 2 ogre sentries. We moved into combat, and while DT took a few hits, he hit back for more, and we were able to dispatch them.
Moving into the cave we immediately saw an enormous statue of a huge giant with a glaive, and elaborate armor, as well as an amulet of a familiar 7 pointed star.
There was a stair leading down and a cave from which the smoke we saw from outside was coming out. Moving into the cave from which the smoke was coming we saw a large pit from which the smoke was coming out, and the stench of decay.
Finding nothing we headed down the stairs. At the base of the stairs it opened up into a larger cavern, and 3 ogres immediately called out an alarm as they saw us. DT, and Brock moved into intercept 2 of them, and Devron shot 3 scorching rays at the 3rd, killing him. The last 2 were quickly dispatched, but we heard several ogres coming from one of the next rooms. We braced for their attack, and Devron threw a fireball into the group of the, taking out several of them.
The remaining ones moved in to attack us, but we had them at a bottleneck in the cave. With the bottleneck we were able to overcome them although Brock took several hard hits.
Checking the room that the ogres came from turned out to be a forge that was the source of the smoke. Searching the room provided nothing.
Taking another of the passages lead us down some stairs into a large cavern. It was rather foul smelling and full of rotting body parts, although the worst smell came from a large pot around which 3 hags were working. As they spotted us they immediately ordered their “pet” to attack us.
We entered combat, and they immediately cursed DT, and their “pet” turned out to be a reanimated Black Arrow covered in frost and with one of his hands being a large icicle claw. Inara was able to destroy the undead, and Devron dispatched one of the hags with a set of scorching rays.
The remaining hags moved in to attack, but DT and Brock inflicted major damage, but the final hag knocked out Brock before being dispatched.
Moving into the next cavern we found a shrine to Lamashtu with a large statue of her.
Taking the last passage we found a huge passage that opened up to the outside on the ceiling and it was lined with statues. At the far end was a huge throne of stone upon which sat a huge stone giant, flanked by a stone giant and the Lamia from Fort Rannick that escaped.
We were quite a distance from them so Devron hasted the party and we began to move in. The giants threw rocks, but Brock moved in doing major damage to the Lamia, and Alana continuously pelted them with arrows. We took heavy damage from the giants, and the Lamia was draining wisdom, but after a long fight, we finally overcame them.”
