Four Fates Under the Southern Sun 3.5, Session 17

Start: 4 pm, Foreautumn 3, 401 GA

The party concluded combat with the harpies and emerged victorious.

The harpy wearing a deer skull mask and the harpy wearing finery flew off before the party had finished contending with the final two barbarians.

Alasdair and Ryardynin collected a few harpy feathers as souvenirs from their fallen enemies.

They noticed, disturbingly, the harpies wore hide breastplates of finely layered and glued tanned humanoid hides.

They collected the harpies' magical greatclubs, which appeared to be unusually well crafted for harpy weaponry - yet harpy make it seemed.

The craft of their equipment along with the potions the harpies drank speaks to an nearly unprecedented level of organization this tribe of harpies possesses. Harpies are known for their fickle, nearly animal-like organization, and are often as difficult to corral into meaningful activity as orcs - however their leader seems cunning enough to motivate them into a functioning tribal society.

The party continued on to Orashire. They found the harpies attacked Orashire in a barbaric fashion, and sacked the town. It nearly seemed as if the harpies had wheeled in siege engines to destroy the rabbit folk village, but this did not, in truth, seem to be the case. Rather, it appeared the harpies savagely despoiled the town, ruining nearly everything in sight.

After some investigation, Emilia and Ryardynin found an Orasid in hiding named Aidyn. He seemed quite spooked and tried to flee from them, but they managed to catch up with him. He seemed to get the wrong impression, and suspected they were cultists, initially.

Ryardynin entertained him with some parlor trick style spellcasting and gave him a few rations. Ultimately, that is all it seemed to take to convince him of their sincerity.

Aidyn went on to explain the situation. The harpies attacked suddenly with great organization. A twelve feet tall, four-armed gargoyle led them. On its stony hide were runes in Valnok. Additionally, there were six cultists who wore schema-style robes with similar runes emblazoned on them. He estimated the harpies numbered one hundred in number.

The party helped Aidyn bury most of his family. He went on to mention his brother, Nathan, who is a paladin of Illisidoria, who worked as a town guard, was captured by the harpies and presumably carried back to fort Vendraal.

He mentioned Nathan looks a bit like him, except he has white hair.

Ryardynin asked Aidyn to draw some of the runes he saw on the gargoyle on the ground. He completed this task with surprising accuracy. The runes read 'ANNIHILATION, EVISCERATE, BLOODSPORT, EXANGUINATION'.

Aidyn, at this juncture, revealed he works as a scribe. He knows three languages, which are Orasid, Yog, and Valnok. He seemed unsure if it would best for the party to bring him with, but fully admitted he would be a burden who would be useless in combat. He feared for his safety in the town or traveling with the party.

Ultimately, the party deemed it advantageous to leave him behind. He had food and a hiding spot in town, and they thought it best not to drag him into combat, where he could be captured like his brother, or worse.

The party asked Aidyn of ingress points into fort Vendraal. He knew of one good way to get there that would be difficult for harpies to attack. He dubbed it 'the low road', and indeed, it seemed to dart in and out of crags and overhangs in the rock, twisting around the mountains. He specified it would be much slower than the more direct high road, but very likely without danger.

Ryardynin gave him a potion of cure light wounds to heal himself if he needs it, and Alasdair gave him fourteen darts poisoned with Black Adder Venom. He seemed grateful for these offerings.

It was at this point, perplexingly, Aidyn revealed he is a vegetarian. The party was baffled as to why he felt the need to make this pointless revelation, yet he chose to. He quickly explained that he would be able to adequately feed himself on the crops growing nearby, even though the granaries had been pillaged by the harpies.

Aidyn cooked the party a rudimentary meal before their journey of roasted and spiced vegetables.

During the night, the party set off. Aidyn snored loudly, which made them wonder how he survived this long.

Many of the bodies they found were women. They realized the harpy cults tend to attribute more meaning to the sacrifice of men in their religious practices. Additionally, they could use men for purposes they couldn't use women for.

They looted the fallen harpies and guardsmen.

They took the low path, tracking the path of the myrmidons.

Twelve hours later, they made their way to the myrmidon camp. It was easy to find, what with the twelve harpy heads impaled on pikes outside of it stinking up the place.

Alasdair was quickly recognized with no issues. He spoke with Kryštóz Doryphoroi, the man who appeared to be leading the band of myrmidons. 'Doryphoroi' seemed to be his title. In common language, he referred to himself as 'sergeant Kryštóz'.

They spoke of a plan of action, attack, and a signal the party would give once they have entered safely and the myrmidons. Kryštóz specifically mentioned he was given orders not to 'unduly jeopardize the lives of his men'. He seemed intent to fulfil this order. Ryardynin suggested simply his flare spell, and it was deemed suitable by all parties involved.

Kryštóz mentioned the harpies would likely know of the myrmidons' presence at dusk, as they seem to take twelve hour shifts and that is when their patrol would turn up missing.

Before they left, Kryštóz offered them each waxen earplugs.

They agreed to wait until dusk, and the party resolved to scout the situation ahead, with Ryardynin's invisibility, and Emilia's snakeskin spell atop Winter.

The party sneaked ahead, observing their surroundings. They noticed sentries flying overhead, and one primary gate of entry. Much of the woodwork had been repairs made by the harpies, but the fort itself had not been badly damaged, such as in an assault by siege weapons. Overall, it appeared frustratingly sound.

Heading around the backside of the mountaintop fortress, they found paydirt in the form of a unguarded open cellar. Peering inside, they were met with inky darkness. They heard periodic screams from down below - hapless Orasid captives being sacrificed, no doubt.

Nevertheless, they dutifully waited until the agreed time with the myrmidons to strike, overhearing many prisoners meeting their demise in the process.

The party hears Kryštóz call in the distance for his men to form up in a wall. They hear javelins being thrown and the war-song of harpies in response. Emilia summons dire hawks to assist his men, and sends Set.

The party descended into the dark cellar. Once inside, they found it to be nearly uninhabited, save for a prisoner. The room was faintly illuminated by several small lights floating above the pool.

Emilia approached first. She heard a familiar voice calling from the pool. She did know who it was, and the lights illustrated vistas of ice and verdant fields to her. It felt wrong, yet right at the same time. She felt as if she had been in this scene before. It felt like home. The voice called "Enter the waters. Be one with me" to her.

Mesmerized, she plunged herself into the murky sacrificial waters before anyone could react. Winter dutifully followed her into the pool.

In the pool, it was if she was somewhere else, yet in the same place. It was foreign, yet familiar. Emilia was greeted by a woman different from her, but one she knew as herself. Three specters were trapped with her, unable to pass on. They seemed stern, yet understanding. The situation was repellant, yet intoxicating, and so, so comforting.

She felt pulled into the undertow. In a moment, she ceased, and felt bonded with her past self, Ilishlu. -Something- was made right. Yet, all was far, far from right. The moment was over swiftly. Intuitively, she knew the souls in the soul well had guided her journey to and from the beyond, where Ilishlu and others awaited, unable to pass. Her former and now half of her current self, and those of her fellows awaited there as specters doomed to a purgatory. For now, the rest had to stay behind, and Emilia emerged from the waters, changed.

Emilia and Winter emerged, and the energy of the soul well appeared to be entirely tapped. Winter introduced himself, evidently given the ability to speak. He took lengths to demonstrate he does not wish the party ill. Emilia explained the situation matter-of-factly.

The bonds of steel and mind were loosened on the prisoner. He introduced himself as Nathan, a paladin of Illisidoria. Initially, he thought the party was an answer to his prayers. Alasdair set him straight, specifying if he and her people were saved, it would be circumstantial. It is not why they are here. Nathan implored them to help him recover his equipment, to assist them and to free his people. The party did not seem to reach a concrete decision on this matter.

Regardless, he was given sap to plug his ears. Nathan interjected and revealed the last he checked, before the harpy witches bedeviled him, he heard Eaoric in the courtyard. He wasn't entirely sure he was still there, but he had a lead.

Listening to the din of the battle from underneath the fortress, it sounded as if it was going in the myrmidon's favor, thanks to the summons and Set buying them time, but they certainly couldn't last forever, and a flare was yet to be sent.

Harpies slain counter: 16
XP: 1,200
End: 7 pm, Foreautumn 4, 401 GA