Darkness falls once again on the Uwaga Highlands and the old monastery to Sarenrae settles once more into the uneasy silence of the desert night. In the open hallway at the western end of the church the small campfire snaps and crackles quietly. The hall is unoccupied, save for one mercenary standing guard at a window near the chapel sanctuary, well away from the light of the flame. Seeing the four of you enter the hallway, he nods his greasy head once in your direction and politely leaves, proceeding east down the hallway adjoining the courtyard on a long, slow patrol.
There is time for you to reflect and discuss the things you have heard - Almah has graciously offered you all a night of rest following your scouting.
It's been a while since we last gamed, so here are some of the things you've accomplished (feel free to add anything I've forgotten):
Exploring the Highlands had a few highlights:
- A ruined fortress in the north bore the sign of a pack of gnolls, but also a set of fresh human tracks. The gnolls had apparently broken camp hurriedly and left in clusters in several different directions. The human prints arrived from the south and left in the same direction.
- In the pesh fields surrounding Kelmarane, one of you discovered the rotting remains of the pugwampi corpse that Dashki once kept by a noose on his walking stick.
- Exploring some falls that the locals believe to be haunted revealed a nixie named Beshvi. Although she was initially hostile, you successfully fought her off and then won her acceptance by befriending (sort of...) her giant albino cave solifugid. Beshvi proved to be old and a wellspring of local knowledge. She informed you that a great evil had come to Kelmarane 20 years ago and madness and violence had gripped the people of the battlemarket. An army of men from the south quelled the rioting masses and killed their leader - a cleric. The town was left desolate and then inhabited by a tribe of gnolls. Not long ago "A man who is not a man but is more than a man" came to Kelmarane, killed the gnoll chieftain, and took control of the Kulldis tribe. The battlemarket was shortly thereafter reopened to a much seedier and disreputable lot than before. Beshvi was encouraged by your proposal to rid the town of its gnoll inhabitants and desired to aid you - giving you a ring of protection and even offering to send her "pet" with you. The encounter left you with much to think about and much to discuss with Almah.
Upon your return, a few items of importance were brought to your attention:
- the geier nesting in the courtyard had returned to its nest and, while unsure and suspicious of the monastery inhabitants, had settled back into its nest without incident.
- A peryton had flown from Kelmarane earlier this morning and flown over the monastery on a wide circuit of the Uwaga Highlands. It seemed to spot a few members of the party who were not quick enough to duck for cover and immediately flew back to Kelmarane, landing in one of the largest buildings there.
Almah was initially grateful for your work, but became defensive and angry when you began to let on that you knew more than she had told you. She arranged a meeting with all of you and Garavel after supper where she, at the bidding of Garavel, told you what she knew:
- She confirmed Beshvi's story that a great evil had come to Kelmarane and clarified that the army was, in fact, Pactmaster guards who retook the town and locked the evil being behind a magically sealed door beneath the church in Kelmarane.
- She also revealed that, though she was descended from a wealthy family, her father and uncles had squandered their fortunes. This expedition was her last attempt to keep her family from going completely bankrupt.
- Finally she revealed that she possessed a key to the door containing the evil beneath Kelmarane and that it was the only known way to break the seal. Once the gnolls and their leader were driven from the town, she would ask you to rid the town of the evil presence once and for all.
- The end of your meeting concerned Dashki and the peryton. You are quite certain it was he who warned the gnolls in the fortress to the north and Almah confirmed that she has rarely seen him of late. She remains steadfastly hesitant to doubt him, but grants you permission to do whatever is necessary if his actions prove to be detrimental to the group.
- Almah was uncertain about how to address the peryton's discovery and different suggestions were made: you could stay and fight, launch an attack, or relocate to the fortress in the mountains. Almah promised to think on the matter and report her decision to you in the morning before she dismissed you.
