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Dunmari Frontier - Session 14

Into the Storm: in which the party braves the unending storm and discovers a mysterious tower

Featuring: Kenzo, Wellby, Delwath, Seeker, Riswynn
Companions: Vola
In Taelgar: Apr 13, 1748 DR to Apr 15, 1748 DR
On Earth: Sunday Dec 06, 2020
Samtal and Stormcaller Tower

The Dunmar Fellowship braves a magical storm to uncover secrets at Stormcaller Tower, discovering ominous changes in the night sky.

Session Info

Summary

Timeline

  • Apr 13, 1748 DR, night: Discussion and dinner. Plans are made to travel west to the strange permanent storm on the plains.
  • Apr 14, 1748 DR: Travel across the plains towards the lightning storm.
  • Apr 15, 1748 DR, morning: Travel across the plains towards the lightning storm.
  • Apr 15, 1748 DR, late afternoon: Arrive at the lightning storm. Vola remains outside at camp with the horses and heavy gear.
  • Apr 15, 1748 DR, early evening: Party pushes through the storm, arriving at Stormcaller Tower. Find remains of a Chardonian adventuring party camp, before night begins to fall and party realizes stars are changed.

Narrative

We begin with the party camped a few miles west of Raven’s Hold, near the trade road over the mountains, listening to the recovering wildlife of open plains as the campfire crackles, and Vola brings in a brace of birds to roast for dinner.

At camp, while Vola is cooking, the party spends some time trying to sort out the events of the past two days: the demon, rumors of Agata Dustmother, Vola’s rescue, the demonically possessed vine beast and the now-broken summoning circle, gnolls and rituals involving ritually slaughtered antelope, and the many packs of wild beasts kept and freed, some now audible on the plains. After discussion of Vola and whether to trust her (Riswynn: definitely no; Kenzo: maybe we should talk to her), and what to do next (travel to Karawa, or investigate the storm), dinner is ready.

At dinner, discussion continues with Vola. She makes the argument that, even if they don’t fully trust the Society, the fact that Agata is seeking powerful ancient artifacts is a reason to be allies, because surely the Society, whatever disagreements we have about the proper ownership of lost treasure, is better than someone who summons Demons and creates armies of hellbeasts. She is also concerned that the Society does not know much about Agata or the other events on the plains, and how dangerous the territory out here has gotten. Indeed, when she left Chardon four months ago, the Society had no knowledge of Agata at all - and she wants to return to Chardon as quickly as possible to warn them. Some debate about what to do with dangerous knowledge - whether it should be studied and protected or destroyed - ensues, along with questions about what exactly the Society intends to do with recovered artifacts and treasure that makes them better than Agata, and why the Society is seeking treasure now in particular. 

As the conversation ranges among topics, it becomes clear that there is some interest among at least some members of the party in investigating the large permanent storm on the plains, and Vola agrees to ride in that direction for now. While she is eager to return to Chardon, this is not far out of the way. So, the party plans to rise early the next morning and head west.

As the next day dawns, and Kenzo awakes troubled by dreams, Wellby returns to camp followed by an axebeak as the party sets out west on a clear, bright morning. Traveling across the plains is relatively uneventful, although quickly the party begins to enter the burnt area around the storm, a landscape of ash and the occasional burnt tree stump. A wildfire caused by lightning strikes from the storm burned through here recently, and the landscape is barren, with flashes of lightning visible in the distance as the party makes camp for the evening. According to a vulture that scouted for Wellby, the storm is impenetrable, but there is a clear area in the center where a white rock sits on a black rock. Buoyed by this news, the party renews their determination to press on in the morning.

The next day, the party reaches the edge of the storm by mid-afternoon. Dark clouds loom overhead, and the noise of wind and thunder is near-constant here. The air is hot and close, and lightning flashes overhead are near-constant. There is little rain, but looking into the storm, heavy rains lurk in the distance, and mists and fog keep visibility low and movement difficult as the party proceeds into the storm.

Pressing forward, the storm grows more intense, as visibility drops and the rain picks up, although the ground is surprisingly dry, as if the strength of the wind is just blowing the rain in a whirlwind and not letting any of it touch the ground. Reaching the most intense part of the storm, the party notices that the bare ground is shifting and shaping into vague, large runes, reminiscent of giants. Seeker and Delwath both attempt to read them. For Delwath, they seem to be ordering him to attack the dwarf, Seeker, and he cannot resist the compulsion, lashing out with his sword. As Riswynn quickly holds Delwath still with magic, to Seeker the runes are reshaping, questioning, asking him what he wants to know, pushing Seeker to ask a question of them. The compulsion on Delwath slowly fades, and no one else attempts to read the writing as the party quickly moves past. 

Some time later – distance and time being hard to judge in the endless storm – the weather gets darker and wetter, lightning flashes more frequently, and eventually the party reaches what seems to be a wall of wind. Riswynn’s horse cannot take any more, and bolts. The sound is deafening, and as the party attempts to push through the wind, Riswynn and Kenzo are blown off their feet, eventually rescued by Wellby’s telepathy, Kenzo’s Driftglobe, and a rope. 

Inside the storm, there is a circle of dead calm stretching several hundred feet across. In the middle of this calm area, a jagged piece of blue granite juts out of the ground, almost as if it were the prow of a boat, tilted at an angle rising out of the land. Rising from the granite is a tall white marble tower, 4 or 5 stories high, with a platform stretching out across the land below from the top. All seems silent and still, with no lights or movement coming from the tower. However, in the shelter of the granite rock, a small campsite and grave marker can be found, carved crudely with the symbol of the The Sibyl, the goddess of knowledge and magic, one of the Eight Divines worshipped in Chardon and many other places influenced by the Drankorian Empire. These are weeks, but not months old. 

Stormcaller Tower itself seems to be of considerable interest. Seeker notes valuable metal (gold and silver) near the top, as well as something hard to describe or place running through the walls, and another unusual mineral inside the granite rock. There is also a substantial ley line node directly under the tower. Delwath decides to turn invisible and go investigate the tower. There are old, worn stairs switchbacking up the side of the granite rock to the tower entrance. The doors have been blasted apart, leaving only twisted remains of a door frame intact, little bits of wrought iron and silverwork. Inside, it looks like a tornado struck the first floor. Perhaps once a main hall, there is a fireplace but otherwise little survives but tangled rubble and a curving staircase leading up. While this destruction is recent, Stormcaller Tower itself seems very, very old. As Delwath investigates, every now and then little sparks run up and down the walls, seeming to concentrate wherever Delwath is poking around the rubble. 

The second floor is not nearly as destroyed, and appears to be a living space, with some small rooms and one larger room, all with closed doors, the smaller ones wooden and the large room iron and silver, which Delwath passes by to ascend the stairs to the third floor. Approaching the third floor, Delwath sees a big open space, maybe a library or study of some sort – there are bookshelves, a large table, and, as Delwath comes towards the top of the stairs, a sparking blue arcane construct of some sort, looking like a frozen lightning bolt more than anything else, emerges from the wall. As Delwath turns to run down the stairs, it follows and sends a blasting arc of lightning at him, while Delwath dives out a window to escape. 

Struggling to his feet, Delwath returns to the group and reports on his experience, including hearing something whispering in his mind, asking him what he wanted to know as he approached the doorway. Asking it what Agata Dustmother wanted, he got the answer: “I see a power growing in the desert, I see it reaching out to betray the people of the plains. I see it wanting power above all, and revenge.” Thinking perhaps this is the same force as was behind the runes in the storm, the party takes a moment to rest and refresh while debating what to do next, and talking about runes and Giants.

As the sunset sets and the stars begin to come out during their brief rest, we end with the dawning realization that something is wrong with the night sky. The Fox and Hunter, faithful companions in the stars, are missing…