Adventures Ex Apotheosis

Adventure 4: Wounded Hart

The party struggle to finish off the Wounded Warriors and Wounded priest and mage. During the fight they began to notice the salt tablets glowing with strange runes each time a person died near them. They pressed on avoiding the center of the Lathe. They managed to defeat the Wounded Warriors but in the darkness and chaos the two manage to escape into the night. The party considers remaining at the Lathe site to rest, but chooses caution and heads off away from the site led by Mombru, the Bondi.
The party left the area with daylight and travelled back to Chabot. They spent a short time there dealing with various tasks. Once there they found themselves face to face with another Wounded Priest. This one seemed apologetic and concerned and led the party to meet Sister Prezean. She offered the party the weldgeld of the captured kidnappers and discussed the possibilities. She revealed that before her organization was formed, the cults of Keiros were evil pirates. Many of her people were once disreputable and are now striving to becoming useful to society and the world. Uncertain what to make of it, but convinced of her sincerity, the party entrusted the kidnappers to her care.
They finished a few errands in town, equipped themselves and decided to head off to Shapers Glade in pursuit of the Pale Hart Knight Dame Arsil. Enroute the found the knights warhorse and parts of her gear. They pressed on into the dark woods and found themselves enerting a land shrouded with spider webs from high to low. Shortly after pausing to investigate more signs of the knight they are assaulted by a small horde of spiders. They defeat the spiders but not before being poisoned by the vermin.
XP Award: 1550

Adventure 3: The Long Dark Night of the Soul

The party equips itself with weapons and armor and leaves Chabot to meet the Sage Oloneus. En route they discovered the desecated corpse of a gnoll along the way. They reached the Heaven's Watch and met both the Sage, and another petitioner. They discovered the sage was less forthcoming with information than they hoped. He extorted a great sum from the party and gave them only a little information in return.The other petitioner, a Dwarf Barbarian named Yar explained how he got there and that he had a key to getting cooperation from the Sage. A riddle given to him by a Fairy.
  They who make it need it much.
  They who steal it rue the touch.
  They who find it throw it out.
  They who give chase, in it find doubt.
  For it guards small treasures and bars the path.
  It hides the smaller from the larger's wrath.

After much thinking, the party eventually came to the answer: "thorn." With the answer, they discover the Sage owes something to, or fears the Fey, and he readily agrees to assist them. He grants them considerably more information, including the route to the Lathe, and foreknowledge of the coming night's moonless quality.
The party heads off slowly into the Salt Hills. They got most of the way to the Lathe when they were slowed, by the darkness, the rough terrain, and sharp objects littering the path. To make matters worse, they encountered a dozen of razor bats. These tiny creatures attacked without mercy and threatened to kill off the party with a thousand small cuts. Some of the party sought shelter in a nearby crevice. But then marshalling their magics and fighting techniques they rose to fight the bats. And after killing nine of them, the bats broke off their attack.
After resting to recover from the fight the party then went ahead to scout out the situation at the Lathe. They were able to sneak in and kill the lone vanguard with missile fire, then press in and rescue the sacrafices tied inside the Salt Henge. As they did this, they alerted the other guards and an odd fight ensued. Paralyzed by the darkness and topography the fight was slow and awkward. The party managed to free all of the hostages (including four Baboon-like Bondi, a half elf and a halfling) and bring the entire quarry into darkness.
XP Award: 750 per person.

Adventure 2. Monkey Business

The party makes it Chabot and hands over their captives to the local authorities. They take a brief rest and try to find out what they can about their connections and the mysterious cult. While scoping out the local inn, Feneris overhears two thugish figures (a man and a dwarf female) mentioning that they are Latheturners. Employing the magics of Horatio they discover that these thugs are infact captors of another like them. They allow the thugs to return to their camp but follow behind using Xandria's tracking skills. When they follow them into the woods they discover the thugs puzzling over the disappearance of their allies. The site was the scene of a bloody massacre with clothes and equipment littering the area. When they hear the thugs speak of "cutting their losses" and taking care of their captive, they decide to charge. A battle ensues and the party makes pretty quick work of the thugs. During the battle Serena is able to escape her bonds. Filled with anger and hatred for the men who killed her family and mentor, she demands their death.The party, hoping to get some information from them, asks her to stay her vengeance. She reluctantly agrees. They learn from Rurga the dwarf that she was hired by the Wounded to capture Serena, a Marked individual, and that they would be taken to a place called the Lathe, which is apparantly in an old Salt Quarry at the site of something called the Salt Henge.
They allow her to leave and begin to return to Chabot with Ravi captive. En route they are attacked by a species of bluish baboons that wreak havok on the party, nearly taking the lives of both Feneris and Sarbanul. Inthe end though the party is able to defeat them. During the fight the leader of the baboons, a unknown figure shambled off. At the end of the fight Ravi took advantage of the confusion to skulk off. They rest up, then return to Chabot. There, they are able to equip themselves and prepare for their next adventure.
XP Award: 540 per person

Adventure 1. Kidnapped!

Horatio and Xandria meet at his blacksmith shop in Eeling Village. They are lured away from the shop to investigate some strange lights outside the city. They followed the lights to the outskirts of town, then they follwed some tracks in the fresh snow. These led to an ambush, in which they were captured by a group of thugs. The thugs led them a good distance into the mystic clover wood.
Meanwhile in the city of Port Chayla, Feneris was dodging a pair of thugs himself in the city after arriving from the Low Kingdoms while looking for his mother or at least the Elvish Embassy. He discovered that there was no such embassy in town, but there was a house occupied by many elves over the years. He decided to seek entrance there and one day spotted a young elf at the entrance to the house. Just as he got the elf's attention, he was clubbed from behind. The young elf, Sarbanul tried to catch up to him and offer assistance, but he himself was catpured.
All four met up in a dilapidated barn somewhere in the mystic cloverwood. They discovered that they were being held for some kind of sacrifice by a group of people who appeared to members of the Wounded, a cult of philanthropists who are reknown for their great deeds. They were understandably confused by this revelation. Some time passes and the thugs are given a "treat" in the form of three prostitutes who proceed to entertain the thugs. It that time Zandria hears a strange voice from outside the barn warning her that she ought to leave soon. They drink and cavort for several hours, until suddenly they laughter turned to terror. The prostitutes turned into hideous monsters and proceeded to kill the thugs. Heedless of the screams of the thugs the party decides to take advantage of the confusion. Using their powers the mages help the group escape their bonds. Then they try to escape. At first the monsters turn their attentions on the party, but after alerting the cultists, they are ordered to stop. After that the monsters pay the party little attention and begin to devour the thugs. Dauntless to the danger, the party continues to try to escape the cultists. A brief fight ensues and the party escapes into the woods.
They rest the night and return to the barn armed with clubs and staves from the wood. A fight ensues. After a pitched battle they gain the advantage killing one of the cultists and capturing the others. Hearing of the impending arrival of a priestess, the party decides to leave the wood and take their prisoners to Chabot a two day ride from their location.
XP Award: 675 per person