The ghosts of Hammerfast dissipate with thanks on their lips. The heroes would love to help the other people of the city, but they know that the best offence is a good defence.
The heroes race to the Great Library and are quickly ushered to Faldyra by the choleric Head Librarian Alzar Scrollkeeper. Without raising her head to look at the party, Faldyra says:
"It appears that our friend Salazar is a hero."
Noting the shock on their faces, she does not pause for effect and begins to relate the information she has gathered in the past few hours.
- Salazar was once an adventurer in the Nentir Vale. He travelled with a group called the Silver Company about sixty years ago and were famous.
- Oldivya was Salazar's wife and she travelled with the Silver Company, providing healing and divine counsel to the members of the party.
- The Silver Company had previously explored the Ghost Tower of Inverness when it first appeared in the Nentir Vale.
- According to the writings, Oldivya dies on the expedition in the Ghost Tower. She was buried on the grounds.
- The Silver Company continued to adventure. Salazar began takng more extreme risks, no longer caring for he would be with his love in the end anyhow.
- Salazar died in one of the investigation of a swarven monastery that had been infiltrated by duergar. He died protecting the members of his company. Vladistone's remains were cremated
"I believe that the key to stopping Vladistone rests with an item that the Silver Company removed from the Ghost Tower of Inverness", says Faldyra, "The dwarves call this item the arrow of time. It was recovered from the Ghost Tower of Inverness by The Silver Company during their expedition. Shortly after that, the object seems to have disappeared."
She continues: "the arrow's properties are completely untested. We know it does not just slay an opponent but when about to strike an opponent it goes back to a crucial moment in the target's life. At this time it destroys the target" and sums up in one sentence "you have two choices, to slay whatever slew Vladistone, before the final blow, or give it to Vladistone to put back in the Ghost Tower and hope that this allows him to commune with his wife."Faldyra provides the proper paperwork to get the players past the guards into the monestary. As the leave the Great Library, chaos reigns on the street and the players are chased by the Phantom Brigade all the way to the monestary. The guard looks over the paperwork and admit the players into the grounds of the monastery.
Staring at the grounds for a moment before entering they hear a voice behind them: "Were I you, I would proceed no farther." It's Salazar Vladistone. In a concerned voice he says: "Inside you will find more than you bargained for. Trust me, I know."
As the party enters the gate to the monastery Salazar keeps calling to them to not go in. His warnings ring true.
The players speak the password that Faldyra gave them and the doors swing open. Thick dust hangs in the chamber. When the characters finally get inside the monastery, the doors magically close behind them. The characters light a torch and at that moment notice the noise of a shambling creature. Out of the darkness come the bodies of long dead duergar. With flesh still hanging from their bones, they walk towards you with hunger in their look. Thinking easy you rush to engage the undead creatures. Before the party could take a step, a few other pairs of eyes light up the dark area just beyond your torch.
The party reacts quickly and all end up attacking first. Belgos jumps into, literally, combat rolling an incredible acrobatics check to jump onto the statue. He takes a shot at the zombie and critical hits on the first round dropping him. Valenae rolls a knowledge check and identifies the ghouls and the skeleton and that the skeleton is vulnerable to radiant damage. She moves into the room and engages the skeleton she realizes too late that standing next to the skeleton gives her some damage. She swings, mace radiating good magic and the skeleton doges masterfully. Keira engages the ghoul to the south of the statue. She trips over herself and forgoes her attack to right herself. Jarren engages the remaining zombie and ghoul, and releases a stream of lightning from his hands. one hits the ghoul and fries its skin with a max damage hit.
The skeleton shifts out of Valenae's reach and shoots a flam out of its hand and Valenae takes it directly in the chest. She takes damage and her clothing catches fire. The first ghoul attempts to take Belgos off the statue and falls prone next to the ghoul who immobilizes his to the ground. The other ghoul jumps to Jarren and claws him, but Jarren is too quick and avoid those deadly fingers. The zombie moves to flank Valenae and takes a swipe into empty air.
Belgos drops the bow and finally has the need for his long sword. He attempts to slash at the ghoul and strikes with great precision, slicing open its leg. He saves against the immobilization effect. Valenae attempts to strike the skeleton calling upon her god to help her strike true. Her god answers the call and her mace surrounds the skeleton in blazing light. Her allies become refreshed by the call to arms. She saves againt ongoing damage. Keira pokes with her short sword and swings wide again. Jarren steps back from his foe and attempts to hit the ghoul and the zombie again. Both are scorched by his lightning.
The skeleton again takes a step back and shoots another orb at the cleric, scorching her and setting her clothes on fire again. The zombie attacks Valenae again and scores a critical hit, dropping her. The ghouls attack Jarren and Belgos respectively. Both hit and both adventurers become immobilized. Belgos yells to Keira to go to the cleric.
Belgos attempts to attack again and scores another hit on the ghoul. Valenae fails her first D.S.throw but does save against the ongoing damage. Keira moves into Valenae's space and administers a potion, reviving her. Jarren again tried to sear the zombie and ghoul and hits both but gets hit by the ghoul in the process. He bloodies the ghoul. Jarren makes his save and is able to move again.
The skeleton attacks with a claw, and Keira dodges the blow. The zombie attack Keira and lands a solid blow to the head. The ghoul attack Belgos and scores a hit 2 away from his negative bloodied value with his bite. Jarren avoids the claws of his opponent.
Belgos fails his DST. Valenae stands up next to the skeleton and casts a healing word on Belgos, reviving him. Keira attempt to jab the zombie and applied her backstab and hit solidly for 26 points of damage. Jarren shifts back and again attempts again to fry the opponents. He hits the zombie and misses the ghoul. The zombie crumbles to the ground.
The skeleton, stuck in the corner claws at the cleric and wildly misses its opponent. The Ghouls both attack Jarren thinking that Belgos is out.one hit and Jarren crumbles to the ground.
Belgos drops his sword and picks up his bow and shoots the ghould that has been hampering his movement the whole time. He hits and immobilizes the ghoul. Valenae swings at the skeleton and hits very hard shattering bone. She sends a heal towards Jarren. Keira moves around the skeleton to flank with Valenae and lands a solid blow reducing the skeleton to what it once was; a heap of bones. Jarren gets up and spends his second wind, which is a good idea, as the ghouls attack once more.
One of the foes hits him, doing 15 points of damage, Jarren hanging on by a thread.
Belgos takes aim on both foes and stick an arrow right between their eyes. The non immobilized foe drops and one foe remaining. Valenae, moves in and flanks the ghoul but can do no more. Keira steps up to the plate and stabs the ghoul, narrowly missing it. Jarren shift away and launches magic missiles.
The ghoul attempts to hit Valenae and hits dropping her once again.
Belgos launches a clever shot, and the arrow shoots wide. Valenae makes her DST. Keira attempts to strike and hits and moves away from the ghoul. Jarren fires another magic missile and moves away.
The ghoul races to Keira and she uses her second chance to avoid the hit.
Belgos lines up a clever shot and staples the ghoul to the wall. The heroes take a few moment to gather themselves. They move to the next room, thinking to themselves that this is what the Silver Company must have done 60 years ago.
How did you adventuring go this week? Did you have as much trouble as my party did?
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