Adventure #5 – Old Bones Among Ancient Stones (Tusk Mtns)

[reefwood]

Adventure #5
Old Bones Among Ancient Stones:
The Search for Whitefall
(Belkzen: Tusk Mountains)

Mission Background
The secret Pathfinder lodge of Whitefall was established by Venture-Captain Zaerith Dyrr and Chronicler Ghrelle Arkstone in 4597 AR to search for ancient underground settlements built by dwarves during their Quest for Sky, as well as those of orcs pushed ahead of them to the surface. It was hidden within the Tusk Mountains of northeastern Belkzen to avoid the ire of savage orcs warring for control in the lowlands. Zaerith and Ghrelle departed on a two-year expedition in 4601 AR. Field agents Rac'cona Uldeth and Grimfet All-Eye were temporarily promoted to run the lodge during their absence. Zaerith and Ghrelle failed to return in 4603 AR, and the temporary promotions became permanent. The last report from Venture-Captain Rac'cona Uldeth came in the autumn of 4605 AR. The death of Aroden in 4606 AR resulted in cataclysmic events across the Inner Sea region – including unprecedented eruptions that wiped out orc clans across the Tusk Mountains. Continued silence from Whitefall seemed to confirm its presumed destruction.

Timeline
4597 – Whitefall established.
4601 – V-C Zaerith & Chr. Ghrelle depart. Field agents Rac'cona & Grimfet temporarily promoted.
4603 – V-C Zaerith & Chr. Ghrelle fail to return. Temporary promotions become permanent.
4605 – Last report from V-C Rac'cona.
4606 – Death of Aroden and violent eruptions across Tusk Mtns.
4713 – Current year.

Mission Details
Whitefall was designed not to be found. Venture-Captain Zaerith never divulged its precise location but indicated it was carved into the heart of a mountain north of Whisperfall Pass and warded against scrying or planar travel. Venture-Captain Rac'cona was no more revealing in life, but in death, has provided limited guidance. The reassembly of her skeleton released her soul, which had been shattered and trapped in scattered bones. However, before she passed into the afterlife, the spirit jar was used to temporarily contain and communicate with her. The information provided was guarded but has shed some light on the fate of Whitefall and clues on how to reach it.

[reefwood]

RECAP

Oathday, Pharast 19

The Pathfinder caravan finally arrives as winter comes to a close. Having made its way up Belkzen and through Whisperfall Pass with minimal difficulty and little loss. Venture-Captain Haav'ork Blackmoon is pleased with the surveying done by Pratt, Torvak, and Vras but wastes no time. He immediately assembles two teams to search for Whitefall -Elana joins Torvak and Vras while Pratt is reassigned to Fidget and Ly'lue- and provides them with confidential information.

When the bones of Venture-Captain Rac'cona Uldeth were reassembled, her soul was finally released to pass onto the afterlife. However, the spirit jar recovered from the Trident Vault was used to temporarily hold her for questioning. She said little, and what little she said provided no direct answers, but the following was gleaned:

In response to the location of Whitefall, she named three separate relics found by the Pathfinder Society during her time as a member. Their only connection being that each was found, more or less, inside a mountain. Mistcaller was found at the bottom of a lake atop the crater of a dormant volcano in the Icerime Peaks of Brevoy. The Breath of Aagath was a magic stone found within mountain caverns that it had brought to life in the Napsume Mountains of Rahadoum. Shimmershield was found under the Zho Mountains of Qadira in an inter-dimensional maze requiring spells from different schools of magic to access. She also imparted one piece of advice - “Find the path not false. Follow it together. The end will be the beginning.”


Fireday, Pharast 20

7:00am – The party studies maps of the Tusk Mountains and their own memories for insights. Various peaks have been named over the ages by countless tribes long gone. Passed on by word-of-mouth and forgotten when their voices were silence. The only notable, longstanding distinctions from north-to-south are Rashcka-Tor ruled by red dragons, the Chipped Teeth volcanoes that blew their tops when Aroden died, and the Firewatch Peaks patrolled by neighboring Ustalav.

8:00am – Torvak consults beings on the astral plane for guidance (1-44 true answer, 45-67 don't know, 68-88 lie, 89-100 random).

Astral Plane #1
Is Whitefall in Rashcka-Tor? = No
Is Whitefall in Chipped Teeth? = Don't know
Is Whitefall south of Chipped Teeth? = Don't know
Is Whitefall inhabited by sentient creatures? = Don't know
Is Whitefall accessible by foot? = Sometimes

Astral Plane #2
Is Whitefall in Rashcka-Tor? = Yes
Is Whitefall in Chipped Teeth? = No
Is Whitefall south of Chipped Teeth? = East
Is Whitefall inhabited by sentient creatures? = Don't know
Is Whitefall accessible by foot? = Don't know

Astral Plane #3
Is Whitefall in Rashcka-Tor? = No
Is Whitefall in Chipped Teeth? = No
Is Whitefall south of Chipped Teeth? = Don't know
Is Whitefall inhabited by sentient creatures? = Yes
Is Whitefall inhabited by orcs? = No

Astral Plane #4
Is Whitefall in Rashcka-Tor? = No
Is Whitefall in Chipped Teeth? = East
Is Whitefall south of Chipped Teeth? = No
Is Whitefall inhabited by Pathfinders or ex-Pathfinders? = Yes
Is Whitefall entry on east side of Chipped Teeth? = No

Astral Plane #5
Is Whitefall in Chipped Teeth? = No
Is Whitefall entry on east side of Chipped Teeth? = No
Is Whitefall south of Chipped Teeth? = West
Is Whitefall entry on east side of Chipped Teeth? = Don't know
Is Whitefall entry on east side of Chipped Teeth? = No

9:00am – The party departs on foot. North to the Chipped Teeth. Marching through the snow is slow-going.

1:00pm – The party is ambushed by ice trolls. The battle is fierce, but the Pathfinders are victorious.

7:00pm – The party has traveled 25 miles and stops to camp as dusk turns to night.


Starday, Pharast 21

5:00am – Torvak rises early to study.

6:00am – The party continues north on magically conjured mounts.

2:00pm – The mounts tire, and Torvak consults the astral place once more.

Astral Plane #1
Are we on the way to The Path Not False? Yes
Are we on the way to The Path Not False? No
Are we on the way to The Path Not False? Yes
Are we on the way to The Path Not False? = Yes
At our current pace, are we within a day of The Path...? = Don't know

Astral Plane #2
At our current pace, are we within a day of The Path...? = Maybe
At our current pace, are we within a day of The Path...? = No
At our current pace, are we within a day of The Path...? = Don't know
At our current pace, are we within a day of The Path...? = Yes
At our current pace, are we within a day of The Path...? = No

Astral Plane #3
Are we withing 25 miles of The Path Not False? = Yes
Are we withing 25 miles of The Path Not False? = Yes
Name the strongest inhabitant of Whitefall? = Grimfet
Will Grimfell consider himself an ally of ours? = Maybe
Other than himself, where does Grimfet's allegiance lie? = Don't know

2:30pm – The party continues to ride and arrives at the southern edge of the Chipped Teeth two hours later. Vras leads the way. The occasional mountain in this range has retained a fine peak but most are broken and ragged. Some even have flat tops.

6:45pm – Elana spots a faint blue glow near the upper edge of a flat top mountain as the last light of day is fading. Torvak sends his imp to investigate. It reports that something is glowing beneath a thick layer of ice. Torvak teleports the party to the glow. He and Elana grab hold of the ice. Vras slips but is able to catch himself before falling to far and climbs up to the others. Magic fire is conjured to burn through the ice and reveal the source of the glow. It is a P-shaped rune representative of the Pathfinder Society but in a style from the previous century. The faint outline of a door is etched into the rock. It is linked to the element of earth. Elana stands in front of the door and summons an earth elemental. The door absorbs the spell but does not open. Instead, it is filled with a glowing, brown light. A portal. Faint and growing dimmer as the sun continues to lower. The party hurries through the portal.

7:00pm – They find themselves standing in a long hallway. The floor, walls, and ceiling are carved out of stone. Perfectly smooth stone. Most likely the work of magic or exceptional stone-cutters. Several passages shoot off to the left and right. Elana and Vras move together up the hallway, but Torvak wanders down a side passage. The entrance to the passage closes itself off. Separating him from the others. No door. Simply the stone walls shifting shut. Flames emerge from around the corner up ahead and fill the passageway. After being badly burned, he feels faint but shakes it off and retreats to the entrance, which opens when Elana and Vras approach.

Elana studies the passage and is able to identify which others are similarly trapped. The party sticks close together and winds to the right again and again until reaching a dead end with another stylized “P” etched into the wall. Elana casts another summoning spell into the wall, and a portal appears. It leads to a series of small hallways and rooms separated by doors. All made of stone, but the walls are not smooth as in the previous level. Their rough appearance looks much more natural. Eventually, they come to a larger area. Brown fungus lines the walls. A pool sits at the center. The clear liquid glowing faintly green. Two of the other walls hold doors. Torvak heads toward the far wall but becomes entranced by the pool. He walks to it and falls in. Drops of the liquid splash onto the floor and sizzle. Acid. Vras is able to resist the hypnotizing effect, dives in, and rescues a barely alive Torvak. Elana heals them both, and the party presses on...