Episode 6- Brawl in the Monastery

Henry tried to be so stealthy but fell through a door where a couple cultists were. They hadn't been expecting anyone. The party managed to take them out quickly and quietly.

They barely managed to catch their breath, realizing where they were before there was a knock at the door to their left. Cautiously, it was answered.

Vega stood there. "You could have warned me you were leaving-"

A pause as Vega and Theamen see each other for the first time.

"Ah, you must be the druid they told me about."

"And you...are...who are you?"

Introductions are made as they move on.

In one room, a series of voices can be heard. The names Orbo and Hellenrae are mentioned.And in not positive terms. Judging by the number, it seemed as though they could be persuaded to be allies.

Only upon opening the door did the party realize that the disgruntled voices were not alone. A handful of Blackened Earth Cultists were there as well.

A fight eventually broke out after persuasion and deception failed. The Duergar helped the party. They said something that only Vega caught. "We'll let the cultists wear them down, and we'll clean up the mess."

"Opportunistic bastards." Vega snapped.

"You know it!" The Duergar turned on the party.

Menelwen, still standing just outside the door sent a Thunderwave in, trying to get the Duergar off of Vega and Thok.

Thunder...in a stone room...it pushed them away, but the sound was deafening.

Menelwen and Herny were pulled into the room and to the far wall.

Theamen and Thok (who was cursing at the stupid wizard) boarded the door as best as they could in preparation for the reinforcements that were coming.

And did they come.

It was a grueling fight, but it revealed a few things.  How strong Vega, Thok, and Theamen were. Some pretty awesome spells (Fireball and Cloud of Daggers) from Theamen's book...

And a lovely singing voice, as Theamen revealed himself to be a bladesinger. One who used the lion style of blade singing.

After the reinforcements were dealt with, and no one else came...the party shut the door on the bodies and pushed on. 

Eventually they found the kitchen, a safe space to recover. And talk safely.

Thok was the first. He berated Menelwen for her use of magic. And to be more careful. It all could have ended much worse for them, and would have had more people come.

That conversation done, Menelwen turned to Theamen.

"You're a blade singer. But that's not possible. You're human." Bladesinging was an Elvish secret.

"Yes...well..." He hesitated. He confided in her that on his father's side, they were Paladins of Mystra. His mother's side was entertainers. It was through her that he met and was able to train under an Elvish swordsmith in secret.

She regarded him for a moment. Then just furiously started slapping at him. Dealing no damage but yelling at him in Elvish for a good few minutes. Eventually when she calmed, she agreed to keep the secret.

After some rest and recovery, the party moved on. They had managed to find and take robes of the cultists and their masks. All but Theamen put them on. 

And on they went.

To a door that opened to a staircase leading down into a dais.

On the dias stood two individuals. In fancier robes.

Wanting to know what the ruckus was, the two, Orbo and Hellenrae demanded they speak. The party said that there were intruders that had been...dealt wth. But there had been casualties. 

"Very well. Bring the bodies. It's nearly feeding time anyway,"

Feeling perturbed, the party, accompanied by two guards (who were dispensed with easily) went away to gather the bodies for feeding time. Of whatever it was that they had there...

~To Be Continued~

Episode 5- The Path to Sacred Stone Monastery

After the fight beneath Red Larch, the party took a chance to look around the town proper before heading off towards their next destination.

Henry found an oddities shop. A book caught his eye. After failing to haggle with the shop keeper, who went by the name of Endrith, Henry came up with a plan.

"I'm going to steal this shit- I mean put it back safely and ask my parents to get it for my namesake day"

-Sleight of Hand check.....natural 1-

Endrith caught him. "Bad boy. You're trying to put it into your pocket instead of the shelf."

After Henry was forced to pay for the book, he brought it back.

The book was revealed to be Volo's Guide to Monsters.

Menelwen recognized the name as "a dumbass who pokes bears to learn information". While not the most accurate of information, it was better to have some than none at all.

With everything settled, the party set out towards the Sacred Stone Monastery.

On the way....they spied smoke. A campfire?

Walking closer they noticed that it wasn't a campfire at all, but a cottage. There were four young boys playing in the yard. A woman called them in for dinner.

The party moved forward, asking if they could spend the night. The woman graciously accepted, even offering them dinner. The boys were on their best behavior. The woman, Naomi told the party that her husband was away at war in the North, a war with the Drow in the Underdark.

She also confirmed the fact that the Delegation of Mirabar was missing. After dinner, the boys cleaned up, kissed their mother goodnight and went to bed.

Naomi showed the party to the basement where they could sleep. The door was shut, and locked behind them.

There was a song in a language the party didn't understand....but it was dismissed. They tried to sleep.

Until the fight started.

The woman was a green hag, the children were smaller creatures bent on eating the party.

She used vicious mockery on both Henry and Menelwen. Herny heard Menelwen's voice saying "You caused the death of your sister, what's to say you won't be the death of us too?!" That shook Henry.

Menelwen heard Thok saying "You're just dead weight. Damn elf!" Unlike Henry, she was able to shake it. "W-what? No...No! This isn't real!"

With combined effort of spells (sculpting around allies) to illuminate where she was, the hag and her children were defeated by Henry, Thok and Menelwen.

They escaped, noticing that the cottage was a run down, burnt building. No one looked too closely at what had been in the pot as they escaped...

Level Four!

The party continued on the path towards the Sacred Stone Monastery. On the way...they came across a familiar face.

Theamen.

There was a mixed reaction to finding him again.

He seemed pleasantly surprised to find them heading to the same place as he. As they walked along the path, he mentioned about hearing rumors of a hag being in the area. "But no one's foolish enough to fall for that."

He got some nervous laughter from Menelwen at that response.

Finally they arrive at the Monastery and start checking around for entrances. Along the way...they see a garden that they pointedly do not enter. There were well crafted statues, so much so they looked as though they were once real...

Eventually they find their way in, sneaking and checking carefully as they go.

It lasted for a while...until Henry, trying to be a good rogue....natural one'd on a door. He tumbled in a room where several cultists were.

Roll Initiative

~To be continued...!~