In Kellin Shadowbanks' bar, Teyani Sura, a dark-haired Lions of Triboar came enters, slapping dust from her grieves. she spoke of a roadblock to the north with ogres and hobgoblins. Her commander had them scatter and make hasty retreat, warning the nearby towns as they went. She fears she alone survived. The party shared that they had seen something far worse, an army massing in the Witchwood and heading toward Triboar unstoppable with dragons, worgs, hobgoblins and hellish hounds.
Teyani promised to deliver the message to Lord Jarmaath and send word further to Dagault Neverember (Lord Neverwinter) because they hoped to be returning his daughter to him soon.
For Chaotic Gold had learned much from Caleb Teskerhill, of his harrowing tale of brainwashing at the hands of the “Cult of the Secrets”
- It was Grommash the Brute , that broke him, testing his strength, his endurance, and his will. Grommash rejected many others as too weak, but Caleb remained.
- It was Azura the Enchantress who bent his brain to the master’s will with her subtle use of language, and not so subtle magical skills. After Azura, Caleb's self was hidden away as if in a small cell. Still there, but only as an observer.
- Then Selene the Shadow who taught him deception, how to get close to a target for a killing blow, how to poison a blade and how to finish the job.
- It was Lysander Doom who stared into his eyes, giving him the unthinkable task. Saying, not a word, Caleb knew he must kill his father.
And on hearing all of this Chaotic Goldtwo days ride, they approached the Temple, a rough-hewn pile of stones resembling nothing as much as a stairway set into a mountain surrounded by one thousand followers, each in robes of a similar cut, but of various colors. Pimzin and Zaila painted draconic tattoos on to the hands and arms of party and they all dawned robes of appropriate colors, for their plan called for infiltration using disguises to find the princess.
As they approached, Nameroc saw vultures circling the back side of the mountain and transformed himself to their likeness asking them what they sought. They said simple “Meat comes this way,” which struck Namroc as odd, but as he observed their course he could at first, and scent carrion and then see a tunnel entrance into the back side of the mountain. Returning he led the party to the entrance.
Inside they heard the sounds of childish laughter as they came across a sloppy approximation of little boy, twig claws crashing and scratching at the rough-hewn floor moving him closer to the party until he finally opened his mouth and cried out “Mother!!!” Initiative was rolled and when Mother arrived she was a mass of serpents in human form, coiling and twisting in a mesmerizing manner, freezing Bry in place, and attacking with massive strength and poison.
It was as Thorne and Zaila scored hits with their bows that learned of the Golem’s horrible reaction. For it struck back, sending a volley of snakes to reflect the damage back to them. Thorne, unfazed shot a second round and brought the construct down, but he too dropped, overcome by the poison and damage.
Pimzin and Bry healed those in need and headed toward a locked door at the end of the cavern where Nameroc broke out lock picks, never used, freshly oiled from the day they were wrapped up in their case. Barely, just barely, he unlatched the lock and in the form of a cockroach he peered into the room. Inside some ritual was in play overseen by Grommash the Brute, for followers of the cult, in various stages of undress writhed in ecstatically possessed abandon upon satin cushions.
Zaila Fanter entered and in her most deceptive orcish tones called Grommash into an ambush the other side of the door where she used her spell of hideous laughter on him and the others bashed him until he moved no more.
So, they entered the large hexagonal room, with a good measure of caution and sought of the first of the doors where Thorne, whose eyes adjusted best to the light entered quiet as a mouse. As he did, his senses were assailed, psychic fingers pulling at crazy thoughts, amplifying them. Voices offering strange suggestions, urging him to flee, to attack, to stand mute and dumb. He fought back the confusion as his eyes locked on Loreal Neverember, slumped in a nearby bed and he dashed forward grabbing her, retreating with a near panicked desperation.
In the main room Azurra the Enchantress appeared, flanked by clerics of the strange cult firing magic missiles, and Selene stepped from the shadows slashing twice at Pimzin, hoping to down the healer before she could cast her first spells.
From other room, it was the voice of Doom, “Grommash!!!”