Chapter Four: The Lost Villages (To Vannondale)

This was a very long session. I had a blast! Thanks for sticking around late. By the way, I got a little punchy by the end of the night. I would like to actually role-play some of the events that occured after you all fought Petrus. So, assume that the heroes have not yet returned to Saragost. It is mid-day on March 25 and you are still in the town of Vannondale. You have just given the eyepiece to Petrus and he's gone back to the manor house.

Late on the afternoon of March 22, after Rygorh's trip to the temple of Firinna, the heroes set out to learn more about Saragost and their own nature.

They first visit the Grove of Hernun in the center of Saragost. Here they question some of the priests and druids as to the existence of any ancient site which might we a focal point for the Starborn like the Stones of Heakun on the Tump. The followers of Hernun know of no such place in or near Saragost.

Later they explore the area around the harbor looking for any signs or feelings about their sacred place in the warehouse districts. They find nothing there. They also check the Tower of Undying Light to see if Michael Dunsany, the councilor and bard, might be there.

Finally they go to the Hall of Echoes and seek out Michael Dunsany there. He greets them kindly and gives them leave to use the library there as a reward . . . they are Freemen of Saragost afterall. He knows a bit about the the legends of the Starborn, but the heroes manage to learn nothing new. In fact, Alev tells much of the story as he knows it and actually fills the bard in on a few details that he did not know.

The party retires to the Inn of the Flaming Beard for a night's rest and an early start to Astercote on the morrow. They set watches throughout the night. Near midnight the innkeeper warns Neil and the Knife that someone was asking for "your elven friend" and he looked none to friendly. Alev's payment of 200 gold for two weeks' stay in the inn has paid off. Later Neil and the Knife see and hear a short, hooded figure making his way to their rooms. The Knife scouts about the place while Neil wakes Tilk and they confront the would-be assassin. He dismisses them as harmless and makes for the stairs. Tilk approaches, and the assassin strikes! With lightning quickness he guts the barbarian with his hooked hammer, bringing him low and makes off into the night. The Knife toys with the idea of confronting the killer, but thinks better of it.

With Tilk healed up and the rest of the heroes awake they leave Saragost around 2:00 am. They find a place some ways east of the city to camp the rest of the night and on into the afternoon. While resting they meet a traveling merchant who tells them that Astercote is gone (the whole village has vanished) and that the people of Vannondale won't talk to anyone.

That afternoon the adventurers find the hole that was Astercote. A massive crater one mile across and two hundred feet deep rests where the village of Astercote once lay. Rumus detects magic in the area, but is a faded aura of a long-gone, but very powerful force.

Finally, as evening approaches the party makes their way into Vannondale . . .

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