Rise of the Runelords

Some time passes while individuals shop for items, wait for D'Argo and Edwin to craft some, see contacts, take short trips, etc.  Some may take a short trip back to Ardrinn. Others may go as far as Greyhawk.  To follow up on the lead(s) you have, at least Wolfgar heads back to some Dwarven enclaves near Ventnor to learn more about the Vekker brothers.

During the down time, you learn the following:

• The Vekker brothers established a base camp near where a tributary enters the Karazon somewhere deep in the Griff Mountains.
• Reports have Hextorites sending parties into the Tenh.
• Xin-Shalast is located on the towering Mhar Massif, which is itself located at the end of a valley at the headwaters of the river Avah.
• Leaders of 'He of the Blinding Light' have issued a fatwa against any travel in the Pale, Tenh, Bandit Kindgoms and Barbarian Lands for worshipers of Hextor, Ethythnul and Incabulos.

[Others may have more specific and/or detailed info which will be passed directly.]

Once all are back together, the party will head back north to Nevond Nevend to provision for a trip up the Karazon to find the Vekker Brothers' camp. The map below shows some locations and give an idea of distances.


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The group spent days, stretching into weeks, in Radigast, appraising, identifying and selling odds and ends loot in preparation for a treasure split. [ed: details to follow on who got what.]  Several of the group approached D'Argo and Edwin about having them work on upgrading current or creating some new items.  Everyone got out their calendars and started plotting out available times.

Golian produced a copy of the letter his informant had:

Salutations, Lendil!

Thank you again for the kind words and drink. It’s always a pleasure to speak with readers of my work, especially those well-read and civilized enough to know of my writing beyond the Barbarian Lands. Alas, I was unable to procure a copy of the early draft from my personal files. It would seem that it has gone the way of so much of my early work, lost forever to the gulfs of time and narrow-minded publishers unable to grasp the import of a young Pathfinder’s work. Fortunately, my mind is as quick now as it was in those early days of my explorations of your fantastic homeland. I recall the evening I first heard the story of Xin-Shalast, while seated on a log in a barbarian camp, sharing ruby mead with an enchanting young woman. Ah, but that’s a story for other times.

I was intrigued by the tale, though. All peoples have tales of “cities of gold,” yet with Xin- Shalast, the northmen had no tradition of explorers seeking it. They viewed the place as one of evil, a place to be feared and forsaken. As far as I could tell, none of the indigenous people ever sought out the ruins before the advent of Flan rule. But there was mention, come to think of it, of two dwarven brothers. Vekker, I think their names were. Claimed to have recently found the route to Xin-Shalast and convinced several tradesmen to support and supply their plan to establish a base of operations in the Griff Mountains along the Kazaron. Their vanishing into the Griffs bankrupted all but one of their investors, I hear, and even today, the Vekker name is generally accompanied by a litany of rousing dwarven profanity when it comes up in taverns.

In the stead of enclosing a copy of the early, complete draft of my work, though, please find a signed copy of Eidolon with this missive.  I trust it will look quite handsome on your shelf.

In good Health,

Redwing

After recovering for a day or so, using the down time to identify a few more magic items and being unsuccessful in determining how the master circle worked, the group figured to go take one last look for Delhavine.  The trip to the Cages of Lust was familiarly quick.  You entered the main chamber and noticed the tear you had left in the huge silk pavilion had been repaired.  You checked on the one nearly dead prisoner to find he had in fact expired.  You moved up to the tent. buffed and entered, Wolfgar first.


Instead of stone giants, he encountered one frost giant.  The group moved in so quickly the giant barely had time to swing his huge axe before he was cut to pieces.  As you were congratulating yourselves on your slaying speed you heard a male voice yell, "Is someone there!?  Help me!" That was quickly followed by a female's voice, "Shut up!" and a heavy slap.  You moved through the tent to the main chamber where you saw Delhavine standing over a bound male elf lying at her feet.  Wolfgar, having prepared the 'perfect' spell, quickly ran into the room.  Recognizing Delhavine, he cast his dimensional anchor and hit her square in the chest.  Others followed.  Balros, who was moving around to the other side was soon accosted by an invisible creature that did not appear when attacking.  Edwin cast true seeing on Malloric.  Malloric reported that the beast Balros was fighting was a large creature and appeared to be naturally invisible.  D'Argor helped out by covering the creature with glitterdust.  It didn't solve the problem but did make the stalker easier to see.

Malloric turned his view to Delhavine and was surprised.  He reported that the standing woman was not Delhavine, but instead one of her thralls and that the male elf on the ground was Delhavine.  A confusion followed. Malloric and Golian were affected.  D'Argo had to protect the group by walling Malloric and his bow off from the rest of the group in a wall of force bubble.  Wolfgar and Henrik went after Delhavine.  D'Argo greased the area forcing Delhavine to cast from the ground.  Her thrall was quickly dispatched.  It took the group a few moments to realize that Delhavine was likely to get away again as Wolfgar anchored the 'wrong' person.  A few scorching rays on her and the stalker, with a number of sword, mace and hammer blows and the stalker was nearly defeated and she said, "You can have this wretched place!" just before she teleported away.

A bit dejected, you returned to the master circle and pondered.  Someone suggested D'Argo simply enter the circle and try a dimension door or teleport.  He and a few others stepped in and as D'Argo pictured the dargon cave and cast dimension door you were quickly transported to the circle of stone heads where the whole adventure began.  As you started to move out, you 'popped' back to the master circle.  You figured you needed a more powerful spell.  You tried a full teleport and it worked.  Another couple of days and teleports and D'Argo was able to get the whole group back to Radigast.

You found that months had past while you were gone for only weeks.  Folks set about selling, appraising, and gathering information.  While getting ready for a treasure split, Golian returned with what he thought was some valuable information.  All efforts to find the location of Xin Shalast have come up short to date.  You know you were close while in the Griffs.  One of Golian's contancts in town showed him a letter that mentioned the great city of gold.  But as Malloric pointed out, the letter still did not say where it was so you were no closer to finding it.   "But it mentions some Dwarves called Vekker. That's a lead."

Balros mumbled, "Great now we have to search the continent for a couple of Dwarves.  That'll take no time at all."

A pained look came over Wolfgar. "Wait I...no... wait...I know that name."  He retold the story of his and D'Argo's returning the Lost Corwn of the Pallgreaves.  The crown was given to the Vekker brothers as an investment in their mining operation. It and they were never seen again.  Most figured they duped all the investors and ran off with the wealth.

Someone muttered, "What are the odds of all that info falling into place."

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