(G235 20/03/2015 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, Mira, Guru)

(G235 20/03/2015 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, Mira, Guru)

[GM note : All players present so back to the main game!]

DAY 226  (23 Marpenoth)(October) cont...

So where was I? A yes, the fight at the 'Monastery of the Ebon Dome'. To recap then, we were here in
the Plane of Shadows, following a trail of evil that had started at the temple of Mystra in Weyloon,
Cormyr and lead us into the Vast Swamp and the Lost Refuge.
Eager to rescue the people kidnapped by the followers of evil gods Cyric and Shar, we were now deep
into the Plane of Shadows. The party consisted of myself, Rollo, a druid, my cousin Sylvia, a cleric,
a halfling rogue called Mirabella and a boisterous paladin called Gurudor.
Mirabella had recently contracted lycanthropy, but had yet to manifest itself.

Right oh then. Fighting.

Sylvia took a moment to drink a healing potion since all her magic was now gone, or most of it anyway
and certainly all the powerful stuff. The bat swarm was still being an annoyance though and nibbling
away at both of us.

As I was picking bats out of my hair I saw Gurudor's horse jump in through a window and then the paladin
himself. I directed my army of crocodiles and lions to join him in the attack on the denizens of this area.

Mirabella killed the person she was fighting and I stepped back, waited until everyone was clear and wiped
out the swarm of bats with a Frost Breath spell. A few stunned bats survived and flapped off to do whatever
stunned bats do and no longer played a part in the battle.

Outside the two lions caught the teifling runner as he tried to enter the building via another entrance.
The pulled him down and partially ate him before they unsummoned.

It was all rather chaotic and confusing in the darkness, but from shouts and shining lights we established
that all our foes were now dead except for the woman who was making a run for it all the way around the
north side of the building.

Gurudor caught up with her on his horse and leapt off as she ran down the east side. She cast a spell on
the horse and attacked our paladin. Gurudor swung but she ran off again.

Unluckily for her though I had just rounded the north east corner and was just within range to use my
last powerful spell - Hypothermia. She froze to the spot like an icy statue, stone dead.

The fight was over then. We gathered and searched the bodies. There were four human guards, the 'Howler'
beast, the Teifling that had been snacked on by lions and the human woman that I'd frozen.

In their quarters we found some books and two parchments.

The first of revealed that the woman I'd just iced was called Ethar and the letter read:

"Most honored Watchful Skull, Blackwill Akhmelere,

Greetings from your bloody hand, Skull Servant Ethar. As expected, the Sharrans hide their secrets well, but I
did discover something that might lead us to understanding their ultimate plan. We aid them in their ritual to
create a field of dead magic over the Vast Swamp. Obviously, this is to their advantage as only Shadow magic works
within these spaces, but claiming the swamp as a base of operations seems foolish. This incongruity bothered me,
and I prayed to the Black Sun to grant me knowledge of their plans. I received no vision, but while living here
in one of their old monasteries I discovered the piece of parchment I’ve attached with this letter, praise be to
Cyric. I believe it to be the writings of a monk that once lived in the Monastery of the Ebon Dome.

It seems the Sharrans have a secret Roll of Years. Of its origin or accuracy, I can say nothing, but some names
seem uncannily close to the history we have witnessed – perhaps even more so than those penned by the Lost Sage,
Augathra the Mad. You can see that the Black Chronology seems to span a mere 34 years, but perhaps there is more
not revealed by this scrap of parchment. Reading the “Book of the Black” might explain more and tell us what the
Sharrans truly plan.

I could not find more writings like this one despite a week of searching. I made subtle inquiries with the
Sharrans and Despayr. Despayr seemed to know nothing, but with his kind, it is always hard to tell. The other
Sharrans said they did not know what I meant, but talked about how the monks at this monastery went mad – but
I sensed some wariness in their postures.

I think we need to find this Book of the Black and "
''

The next parchment read:

''
The shadows fall properly and others signs make it more clear. At long last, the Black Chronology is
coming to fruition.
I trust in the shadows that dance at the edge of my sight, for Shar enfolds me in her dark embrace.  I can with
some authority claim that this year, 750, is indeed the Year of the Lost King.  I know that the events prophesied in
the Book of the Black will soon come to pass.

Behold the Roll of Years and its Shadow.  In due time we shall all bear witness to the unfolding Shar’s greatest work.
''

There then followed a long list of dates.

What in the name of sanity were these people up to? A field of dead magic in the Vast Swamp? This woman Ethar
was a cleric of Cyric then and even she didn't know what the Shar lot were up to. Who was Despayr? What was
his kind? A feeling of dread began to burn into my heart.

In the teiflings room (his name had been Zertharmas) we found a book on Mystra that he had been
reading and annotating. One of the notes read:

''
You think so, do you? Won't you be surprised when it all unravels? Note to self; DIscover
how dead magic affects your powers. Ethar will no doubt be useless. Ask Despayr? his offer
is tempting, but how would Cyric look upon it? Perhaps a consultation with the fiendish
powers is in order?
''

The woman's room was quite plush and well appointed. In the room there was a chest that Mira opened.
She had to dodge a blob of acid as it was shot at her though.

From the eastern side of the building a trail lead down to a black void on the other side of which
we could see another gloomy building lit by a single lantern.

We were all exhausted from our second round of combat in this unholy place but at least the area
was clear now and we could get some decent rest.

Gurudor insisted on dealing with the bodies first though and built a funeral pyre and burnt them.
I would have liked to have had a look at the teifling, but at least I had a good poke about inside
the Howler.

The rest of the day was spent bandaging wounds and repairing arms and armour. I spent a lot of time
scanning and reading sections of the books that we had looted from our slain enemies rooms. Some
were just nonsense but a few of them were pretty good books on magic, the planes, and fiends.

DAY 227 (24 Marpenoth)

Once Sylvia was awake she used most of her magic to heal everyone, including those that had been
hit by draining spells. Once everyone was healed though we decided to wait another day.

I spent some of the day dissecting and drawing what was left of the Howler and the Kir-Lanan guards, the
flappy things that had attacked us when we had first arrived.

I spent the rest of the day reading. The others mainly just seemed to relax and eat their way though
the monastery's food supplies.