Chapter 2 - Settlestone - A town in hiding

When the party defeated the Black Spider in Lost Mines of Phandelver the wizard (Alalix Tressander) who had guarded the Forge of Spells granted a boon to them. One at a time they offered an item and the wizard enchanted it.... Bryllin Stoneheart was granted the Axe of Dumathoin and given a mission from Dumathoin.

Journey to the lands of your ancestors and protect its peoples. 

Make haste, Mithral Hall needs you, 

but leave no enemy behind you. 

Mithril will flow again when your journey ends?

The axe proved an amazing tool, invigorating the limbs of dwarven cleric as she cleaved through enemies and igniting a fire for rage within her heart. Over the course of many moons, Chaotic Gold watched as Bry transformed from a devout representative of the god Helm into a blood thirsty freak destroying everything she could see.  

But always, she would come back to them. Sometimes it was the Beacon of Hope case by Pimzin Teabottle that calmed her and other times it was the bardic inspiration of Zaila Fanter, but which ever way Bry was a weapon they could release upon their foes and while she cried havoc, they shot arrow, spell and insult at the enemy unafraid of the front-line combat.

But that was all to end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

In Settlestone things were not as they should have been. A corruption reached up and touched the hearts and minds of all who trod upon her hard-packed earth. Nameroc and Pimzin Teabottle found themselves reckless, Zaila Fanter began uncharacteristically picking up bits and bobs like a hoarder and @Thorne developed a minor phobia of Giants. But Bry, Bry's hallucination intensified so that in her battle frenzy she could not tell friend from foe.

Facing this realization they found themselves in a cemetery attempting to prove themselves to elusive resistance movement in Settlestone.

In combat, Pimzin Teabottle dispelled the undead, sending skeleton bone rattling to the ground and dropping zombie flesh into horrible heaps at the feet of Nameroc. Nameroc fired off a fireball to the other side flank and scorched the others.

From the center came two ogre zombies and one vampire. Thorne , Zaila and Bry, stood shoulder to shoulder as they fought of their blows.

Bry stood stock-still as she recognized the form of her father, Finehands Stoneheart, now a vampire, but still possessed of the mannerisms and movements of her father. As he attacked her, he did so playfully and her return blows missed again and again. It was not until her comrades focused on the vampire that he fell at her feet and Bry fell with him weeping.... and talking to herself.

Caroline, peered through the gates of the cemetery. "Oh, that was a pretty bit of flash and bang, but we shouldn't linger here long."

She led them to a disquieting building, the apparent abode of Myria the Missing, a weathered dwarven woman in middle age, but untouched by the corrupting taint of so many others.

"Yes, that's me. Myria, at your service. Though these days, service is a scarce commodity," she quipped. "I'm told you made quite an impression on the impressionable Caroline."

"Thank you," said Zaila politely and perhaps too formally, "May I introduce you to, Bryllin Stoneheart, daughter of Finehands Stoneheart."

"Finehands Stoneheart?" The old cleric raised an eyebrow, "A name from a bygone era! If Bryllin is truly his kin, word of a Stoneheart returning will give our people a much-needed boost. Those were brave folk, the Stonehearts. We tried rebelling once, but twas a traitor in our midst. Someone leaked our plans, and good people died. Some whisper it was Halbek Stoneheart..."

Nervously, the party grew quiet until Zaila, perhaps unaware of the niceties asked, "Halbek, Bry's brother is a traitor?"

"Yes. He's in their pocket, that much is clear. But he also feeds us scraps of information. Honestly, I suspect the corruption has gotten its hooks in him too, poor man." And at that Myria's eye darted nervously as if the walls were listening to them. "Look, if you a defeat two of the three house oppressing the Clans of Settlestone you'll ignite a rebellion....  if you can do that Caroline and I can lead them."

For the first time, Bry stood up straight, "I've a curse I carry and it endangers everything I represent. My companions fear me, and I have lost my faith in my ability to lead anything a complicated and important as a rebellion. I simple cannot. Lift this curse from me and I'll do my best of the clans," said the dwarf, now small, sad and frightened. She was shaken by her resent episode of fratricide.

"Child," said the priestess of Pelor sympathetically, "I've no power to lift this curse. It is your own path to walk, only you, your friends and Helm may help"

Myria  was thinking of her own crew. Greater Restoration, for one thing, could not lift the curse, but moreover it was needed in the daily battle against corruption that crept into her own resistance organization. Sometimes, members of her team are stricken with phobias and corruptions that endangered the movement and she could not spare spells, or time away from the stones at the base of Mithril Hall.

"Perhaps, the Celestial Stairway hold the key," said Myria. "Helm guards there and none may pass whose heart if less than true. He stands constant vigil."

And with that Chaotic Gold departed, hiking two days into the mountains until the winds blew clear and sighing through the trees on the spine of the world. Their hearts lifted and Zaila was urged to song as they walked.

Suddenly, her voice broke as the rounded a bend. At the base of the mountain, a beautifully stairway was carved into the mountain, following contours of the steep slope upward into the clouds.  At the base, there a graven image of the god, “Helm” in a full suit of armor a massive helmet upon his head.  As you admire the work, a sliver of sunlight strikes lending a golden appearance to his armor: Below was lettering in dwarven. For those who can read it says:

I guard this path! Do not approach….

It’s a shame. Three other lines have been vandalized and no longer remain.

Bry touched the stones and trembled, first in sadness and then spoke, reciting from memory the rest: 

...

This way is forbidden, a celestial climb.

Helm's watchful gaze, a mountain's might,

Defends the stairs bathed in starry light.

Nameroc felt different and it wasn't even his demon. Looking around he could see Thorne looked different and Pimzin Teabottle had an enormous smile plaster across her jovial face, a tear streaking her face.

Bryllin Stoneheart, scorched, bruised and sliced clung to Zaila Fanter in gratitude. An exorcism conducted complements of Helm and the demon destroyed by Chaotic Gold.

Climbing down the Celestial Stairs was even more difficult than up, but with lighter hearts it seems faster and before long they found themselves awakening with out making a corruption roll next to a serene lake with happy trees and uncorrupted wildlife. Sadly, they knew they must return to the city of Settlestone

Caroline met them, saying Myria had moved since they'd last seen her and was not at the old destroyed Church of Pelor. So, they made for it avoiding giants and dwarven thug oppressors, but as the passed through the town square they saw a horrible sight.  Five figures, now dead stood pilloried as an example, their faces are in various aspects of panic, pain and despair:

• A scrawny man with mud smeared haphazardly on his face and arms to resemble leaves and twigs. A staff in one hand and a stick in the other, charred at one end.
• A stout woman with red dye painted on her beard and hair. A wooden club, painted silver, will be wedged in her hands. leather scraps, painted metal-like, appear to mimic armor.
• An emaciated woman with leaves woven into her hair some kind of statement on what dwarves think of as quintessential elven grace. There crude lute fashioned from a gourd with string strapped to her back. A dented pot lid with a bulls-eye painted on it.
• A child with a streak of soot drawn on her upper lip to mimic a mustache. Two dull coins held in her eyesockets.
• A tall, thin man with green paint splashed across his clothes. A crudely carved wooden branch is his makeshift bow. A terrified-looking squirrel is tied to his leg with a rope.

Thorne freed the squirrel as Pimzin, commented that they know we are here. There was debate on lifting the "Seeming" spell, but they kept it for now and continued to the Church.

Myria was there with Unknown (Racky) the barmaid they'd met earlier and Timbal (Aleslosh) Sheneglen walked in as they were discussing where the party would strike an how taking out two of the three houses would lift the morale of the Settlestone and incite a rebellion. Aleslosh suggested Mayor Victor Gonian' place and during the day because most of the thugs were out enforcing the Gemdelver's will at that time and little resistance would be there.

Before long there found themselves making a plan to deliver tainted ale to the thugs of Victor Gonian, keep. Thorne popped out with Pimzin on a mushroom hunt and managed to find one that would be quite effective, if Bry snd Racky could hide the smell feet undertones appropriately, which she believes they did.

With Aleslosh and Zaila in the lead they approached the keep and made to pass the beer off as a gift from Triboar's Lord Jarmaath as a think you for the Shining Axes who bravely defended with the lions of Triboar. So flowery were her words that at each point of terminal punctation, the bard had invited another member of chaotic gold past the portcullis and into the keep until the entire party was allowed to pass.

But that is where the plan fell apart.

When they started to tap the keg, too many enemy fighters appeared, too many that is for the light resistant expected. 

"Surely, fine dwarves, your master would be ill tempered and Lord Jarmaath would be ill-pleased to learn that the Mayor of Settlestone was not able to partake of this ale," implored Zaila Fanter. The thugs agreed and sent one of their members to retrieve him.

"Tell him Aleslosh sent you," yelled the deep gnome as the fellows heels disappeared around the corner.

Victor Gonian, 8 feet tall and tattooed with barbaric symbology arrived with a booming voice.

"Are you the ones we were warned against!?!" he yelled. 

Roll for Initiative

Nameroc met the barbarian head on.... and the barbarian raged with his axe.... but Nameroc summoned a lightning storm and held concentration until he succumbed to a wicked blow and fell to the ground. At this point, Pimzin cast polymorph and the rage subsided.... Mr. Gonian was now a toad and the party mopped up quickly.

then released the toad into a field of entanglement, Nameroc's revenge, pumping arrow, curse, blow and insult at him until he could stand no more and fell.

The party, now victorious watched as the keep burned....

"I think we have a castle," exclaimed Thorne, "A true defendable castle." 

Blood dominated the main entrance to the keep, but the stone walls were strong. The only way in was through a portcullis so Chaotic Gold decided this was a great place to take a rest.

The only problem was, their presence was known. Some local saw the commotion, and, well. there was no hiding the fireballs, thunder waves and other destructive spells that rocked that little part of Settlestone. Not long after they bedded down, Zaila Fanter felt Pimzin Teabottle's Mace of Warning tingle in here hands. As she looked, the attack began.

Two zombie frost giants menaced the walls, one ripping at the portcullis, treating it like cheap pot metal and before long the other creatures were moving through the narrow entrance. The Giants could not fit.

Zaila burst in on the others and explained the attack as they rubbed away at their sleepy eyes and clipped back into their armor. 

Running downstairs, they found some creatures had penetrated the walls with their undead powers, Ghosts and wraiths were upon then. Thorne engaged, firing magic arrows and dispatched one very quickly, Bryllin Stoneheart rushed forward and attacked another, Stabatha working on another. Pimzin cast cure wounds on Zaila who was not yet healed from the previous battle.  Zaila misty stepped up to a high point, but these creatures did not seem to care about obstacles or gravity.

Nameroc was in the rear and hearing a long line of zombies and skeletons coming up the sally way, he considered only for a moment before casting Wall of Fire and fully engulfing the tunnel. Gouts of flame and unsavory scorched flesh smells erupted form the end. It must have been hell inside. Only and zombie ogre and a vampire spawn emerged. Nameroc had defeated several waves of undead in this way.

When the ghost reached out for Bry, she froze for a moment before turning towards Thorne, her eyes rolled back in her head.... she charged him. He summoned the Zephyr winds to carry him away, not wanting to attack her.

Nameroc and Zaila bombarded the Frost Giants with fireball, one after the other and it took a toll. One of the giants caught Zaila with a frosty stare and damaged her precipitating a relocation from eh wall.

Thorne, Zaila and Nameroc worked on the incorporeal creatures after one of them spread its necrotic taint on Pimzin's skin.

Bry went after the vampire, but found herself overwhelmed with sorrow remembering her father Finehands Stoneheart