The Hibernal
The PCs woke up in a comfortable room with Tallin Gale and D’Luk Cassin asking for answers. The PCs told them they saw a woman fall from the sky and and she told them to find her daughter Rya in Old Weir.
Tallin explained that the woman was “Sha’hale”, a powerful sorcerer and second in command. Rya is her daughter. Tallin then led the group to stand trial, to be destroyed or to run “The Cavern”. The textile tapestries on the walls were first rate.
In the trial chambers, Nancy played a dirge and won over the grieving crowd, Dalag’se gave a half elf a shell. Two sides seemed to form and take up debate. One argued: the group is dodgy and on edge, their alignment is questionable, why do they even need to be here we can just take the dagger and move on, they mightve even killed Sha’hale and you want to trust them with our sacred rites! The other side appraised the group and said it was highly unlikely they killed Sha’hale, she in fact sent them to us, Old Weir’s words themselves spoke of this day!, and these particular sacred rites are meant as a test!
The PCs expressed their condolences, Safad gave an impassioned speech. Ziriel rolled his eyes. A well dressed male human sporting a badger shortsword asked for the PCs to describe the weapons of 5 individuals present and indicated: himself; Tallin Gale (male half-elf) with badger dagger; female half-elf with badger battleaxe; and male elf with badger longbow.
Dalag’se, proud of the new word he had learned, exclaimed, “badgers!”
Gasps went through the crowd. The man who had spoken looked at the PCs curiously, smiled, and asked all those in favor of the PCs running The Cavern to raise their hands. All hands went up.
After resting the night and confirming the location to be underground, the PCs were retrieved by D’Luk Cassin who told them hurriedly that he wasn’t supposed to pass along any information but he thought they may help get back Rya, his lover, if they survived The Cavern. He told the PCs what any novitiate in the Order would know, and to remember their six ideals: Hope, Independence, Fortitude, Truth, Peace, and Sacrifice. Tallin Gale then led them to The Cavern...
Once inside the PCs encountered a large cavern full of humidity and lush flora. Six pools spanned the distance to a massive oak with six holes in it at equal distances leading up to the outline of a door around 70ft up. Ziriel jumped into the first pool and when Dalag’se attempted to wade in after it was sealed shut. Out of the pool, in Ziriel’s stead, emerged a Ziriel double with matte black eyes and flashing powerful frozen badger weapons. It emanated an aura of despair, incapacitating some of the PCs. They fought it while Ziriel in the pool contended with a challenge of his own. Eventually Ziriel emerged with a dowel and the not-Ziriel sunk back into the pool.
Dalag’se dove into the next pool, and in his wake emerged a giant dwarf Dalag’se double. This dwarf wreaked havoc and massive damage while Dalag’se fought his own demons below. Eventually Dalag’se emerged with a dowel and helped slay the giant dwarf. Nancy healed the group as they rested.
Slothrup went into the next pool, and a wicked-grinning Slothrup double came out with frozen badger weapons. He charmed the PCs into attacking Ziriel, who had resisted his brainwash. The PCs recovered and fought back, while Slothrup in the pool dealt with a situation of his own. He emerged with a dowel and helped slay his double.
The next pool was Nancy’s, whose therapeutic aura and songwriter’s charm calmed the bellicose beasts within. She brokered a peace while the remaining five defeated her double who raged above in aggressive, burly armor and with frighteningly large rapiers.
Safad dove into the fifth pool, hoping to face himself in the shadows projecting on the walls of the cave and glean insights to deep rooted philosophical troubles. He found a door asking riddles and learned he is almost a misogynist, but found the truth and emerged to find Dalag’se restraining his double.
Ironica went into the last pool and drank a bottle of snake venom before bleeding out coagulating blood so it could pool onto a pressure plate that erected a barrier between the approaching army of doubles. She passed out and awoke to her companions doweling up the cavern’s oak.
With The Cavern behind them, the PCs emerged to a welcome from the group they learned is called The Hibernal. They waded in a healing eddy while the remaining leadership, known as The Iceguard—Tallin Gale, Elgin Fallow, Seljin Len, and Layarra Barro—explained their predicament.
The late Sha’hale Rezna was the leader of The Badger faction, a group that wants to engage more with the region and get involved. Sha’hale and her daughter Rya were up to some off the books activities, infiltrating The Monarch’s organization. Had the other faction, the more conservative Weirsists led by Layarra, known about the Badger’s escapades they would have objected. But a sister is dead and a daughter is missing. Everyone agrees this mystery needs to be solved.
Convenient the PCs are right here, amirite? So thought a skeptical Ziriel, anyway. The Iceguard explained the common thread in this mess was being Hibernal and thought ideal to send non members to investigate since they would not be in danger. They also noted a lot of strange happenings in the region—Kearnan the Bold growing bolder, and the increase in attacks on farm animals. Iceguard said they’d try to work on figuring out what they could from Sha’hale’s corpse while the PCs go try to find Rya.
Tallin explained that the woman was “Sha’hale”, a powerful sorcerer and second in command. Rya is her daughter. Tallin then led the group to stand trial, to be destroyed or to run “The Cavern”. The textile tapestries on the walls were first rate.
In the trial chambers, Nancy played a dirge and won over the grieving crowd, Dalag’se gave a half elf a shell. Two sides seemed to form and take up debate. One argued: the group is dodgy and on edge, their alignment is questionable, why do they even need to be here we can just take the dagger and move on, they mightve even killed Sha’hale and you want to trust them with our sacred rites! The other side appraised the group and said it was highly unlikely they killed Sha’hale, she in fact sent them to us, Old Weir’s words themselves spoke of this day!, and these particular sacred rites are meant as a test!
The PCs expressed their condolences, Safad gave an impassioned speech. Ziriel rolled his eyes. A well dressed male human sporting a badger shortsword asked for the PCs to describe the weapons of 5 individuals present and indicated: himself; Tallin Gale (male half-elf) with badger dagger; female half-elf with badger battleaxe; and male elf with badger longbow.
Dalag’se, proud of the new word he had learned, exclaimed, “badgers!”
Gasps went through the crowd. The man who had spoken looked at the PCs curiously, smiled, and asked all those in favor of the PCs running The Cavern to raise their hands. All hands went up.
After resting the night and confirming the location to be underground, the PCs were retrieved by D’Luk Cassin who told them hurriedly that he wasn’t supposed to pass along any information but he thought they may help get back Rya, his lover, if they survived The Cavern. He told the PCs what any novitiate in the Order would know, and to remember their six ideals: Hope, Independence, Fortitude, Truth, Peace, and Sacrifice. Tallin Gale then led them to The Cavern...
Once inside the PCs encountered a large cavern full of humidity and lush flora. Six pools spanned the distance to a massive oak with six holes in it at equal distances leading up to the outline of a door around 70ft up. Ziriel jumped into the first pool and when Dalag’se attempted to wade in after it was sealed shut. Out of the pool, in Ziriel’s stead, emerged a Ziriel double with matte black eyes and flashing powerful frozen badger weapons. It emanated an aura of despair, incapacitating some of the PCs. They fought it while Ziriel in the pool contended with a challenge of his own. Eventually Ziriel emerged with a dowel and the not-Ziriel sunk back into the pool.
Dalag’se dove into the next pool, and in his wake emerged a giant dwarf Dalag’se double. This dwarf wreaked havoc and massive damage while Dalag’se fought his own demons below. Eventually Dalag’se emerged with a dowel and helped slay the giant dwarf. Nancy healed the group as they rested.
Slothrup went into the next pool, and a wicked-grinning Slothrup double came out with frozen badger weapons. He charmed the PCs into attacking Ziriel, who had resisted his brainwash. The PCs recovered and fought back, while Slothrup in the pool dealt with a situation of his own. He emerged with a dowel and helped slay his double.
The next pool was Nancy’s, whose therapeutic aura and songwriter’s charm calmed the bellicose beasts within. She brokered a peace while the remaining five defeated her double who raged above in aggressive, burly armor and with frighteningly large rapiers.
Safad dove into the fifth pool, hoping to face himself in the shadows projecting on the walls of the cave and glean insights to deep rooted philosophical troubles. He found a door asking riddles and learned he is almost a misogynist, but found the truth and emerged to find Dalag’se restraining his double.
Ironica went into the last pool and drank a bottle of snake venom before bleeding out coagulating blood so it could pool onto a pressure plate that erected a barrier between the approaching army of doubles. She passed out and awoke to her companions doweling up the cavern’s oak.
With The Cavern behind them, the PCs emerged to a welcome from the group they learned is called The Hibernal. They waded in a healing eddy while the remaining leadership, known as The Iceguard—Tallin Gale, Elgin Fallow, Seljin Len, and Layarra Barro—explained their predicament.
The late Sha’hale Rezna was the leader of The Badger faction, a group that wants to engage more with the region and get involved. Sha’hale and her daughter Rya were up to some off the books activities, infiltrating The Monarch’s organization. Had the other faction, the more conservative Weirsists led by Layarra, known about the Badger’s escapades they would have objected. But a sister is dead and a daughter is missing. Everyone agrees this mystery needs to be solved.
Convenient the PCs are right here, amirite? So thought a skeptical Ziriel, anyway. The Iceguard explained the common thread in this mess was being Hibernal and thought ideal to send non members to investigate since they would not be in danger. They also noted a lot of strange happenings in the region—Kearnan the Bold growing bolder, and the increase in attacks on farm animals. Iceguard said they’d try to work on figuring out what they could from Sha’hale’s corpse while the PCs go try to find Rya.
Eventually even the reluctant Z agreed, so long as PCs could raid the Hibernal armory and get some items enchanted—equipped for the adventure. Safad’s hospitable sensibilities were offended but that didn’t stop him from grabbing a gold necklace. Hibernal agreed to give them a map with directions to Myth Sveldin whenever they decide to leave to find Rya. They also told Dalag’se about the druid who had healed Sha’hale, someone by the name of Bask Briarcloak. They’d point him to her general vicinity.
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