Rescue, Return, and Resurrection

Summary

Fortunately for the heroes, the voice they heard coming from the back of the high priest's quarters was not another enemy, but the companion of Carina Herrod, the very person they were seeking.

The speaker was a young man named Cale Whelster. It was his tracks that Wylan had found alongside Carina's. As the two explained, Carina was in love with Cale, not Aaron. They had concocted a plan to flee her father's manor in secret the night before the wedding. The abandoned barn had been stocked with horses and provisions by Cale, and after making their way there the plan was to head south, around Northcrest and Winterhaven and then east to Coreth. Unfortunately, shortly after picking up their horses and supplies, the young lovers came upon some mounted brigands - apparently, members of the same group that attacked the manor. Cale and Carina fled east to the foothills of the Orcfangs in an attempt to escape.

Eventually the two came to the chasm, dismounted, and fled into the skull-bedecked cave. They ran through the room with the statues and stirges, past the dining area, and into the first open door they found. This was the room with the mad wraith, though they were able to flee past it through an opening in the room's back wall (the secret door, which was open). In the hidden chamber past the door was the body of a dead paladin, as well as his ghost. The ghost kept the wraith at bay, though Cale and Carina were unsure how they might get out again. With the remaining supplies they had on them, they waited. Fortunately, the PCs had arrived well before running out of food or water was a concern.

The group rested, then returned with the two to Herrod's manor, carting along the body of Kalnac. Wylan and the others tried to convince Cale to take credit for Carina's rescue, but the young man was too honest to blatantly lie about what the party had actually done. After further discussion he agreed to go along with whatever they said, remaining silent so as not to lie but not disagreeing with their assessment, either.

A happy reunion between parents and daughter took place after the group arrived at the manor. Herrod was not immediately taken with Cale since the young man didn't have the wealth or power that Aaron would eventually have but given that the latter was out of the picture anyway, he said he would think about the matter. Soon after, the PCs learned that Aaron had left the manor; he and the guard captain had gone back to the Hyder farm with Orren's body. Aaron claimed he wanted to give his father a proper burial.

Shortly after, the party went to Northcrest, mainly to take advantage of the presence of a traveling cleric of Alyara who was said to know the ritual of raising the dead. They found her - or, rather, Shashank surprised her in the town's chapel as she was changing her garments in preparation for journeying onward. The rogue explained their predicament and despite his intrusion, the cleric agreed to raise Kalnac.

Whole again, the party went looking for Aaron. They eventually came to the Hyder farm, but there was no sign of the man along the way, and the farmhands they spoke with on their arrival indicated that the father and son hadn't returned from the Herrod manor since they originally left for the wedding. Upon learning that Orren was dead and Aaron gone, it was obvious the hands weren't long for the farm. One of them sold Wylan a mastiff that had been helping them guard the place; the scrappy pup soon bonded to the ranger and it appeared that the Venoran bastard son had found his calling to be a master of beasts.

The next day, the party returned to the Mordalis temple to clear out any of its remaining denizens. This time, they entered the main shrine, which was adorned with bas-reliefs and other imagery celebrating the religion of the death god. They cautiously entered the shrine, though very quickly they were set upon by the inhabitants of the room - a spine devil and an iron cobra. In addition, the front part of the shrine was constantly alive with large scything blades, though fortunately the PCs were able to avoid them. Battle ensued, and the spined devil was joined by two of his brethren. Despite a great deal of bad luck for the heroes (and good luck for the...unseen forces of the universe), the shrine's denizens were defeated and no one was slain this time.

Memorable Events

• Kalnac returned to life
• Shashank sees himself some nice side-boob
• Drakken, Kalnac, Miandra, and Shashank realized that their experience had granted them greater skill and insight than they previously possessed.

Creatures Encountered

• Iron Cobra
• Spined Devils

Treasures Discovered

• Brooch of shielding +1
• Circlet of second chances
• Vicious shortsword +1

Locations Visited

• Abandoned shrine of Mordalis
• Hyder farm

NPCs Encountered

• n/a